It was early the next morning, when a nervous and quietly apprehensive Chief Einar strode out to the field that had been agreed upon. Kean was half a step behind him, chuckling and rubbing his hands together in excited expectation. A cool mist hung low, blurring the outer edges of the surrounding landscape and adding a further layer of mysticism to the whole surreal situation Chief Einar found himself in. He still couldn't believe he had agreed to meet the strangers from last night and their dragons. Out in a lonely field, none the less. Even the presence of his old friend Kean couldn't suppress the idea that this might be where his last breathe of air would be taken.

The two men reached the field and stopped. They waited. Only a few moments later, Hiccup and Astrid appeared, walking out from behind the vegetation on the outer edges of the field.

"Good morning, Chief," said Hiccup, his tone respectful. "Thank you for coming out today."

Einar nodded, his anxiety beginning to peak.

"If you are ready?" Hiccup asked, observing the man carefully.

Einar felt his foot slide backwards, ready to turn and flee, but the firm support of Kean's hand on his back stopped him in his tracks.

"He's ready," Kean answered for his terrified chief, who felt anything but ready.

Hiccup then cupped his hands around his mouth and let loose a realistic dragon roar, making Einar jolt. Astrid followed his example, with a peculiar trilling noise. Einar felt his heart rate jump up dramatically, his mouth feeling desert dry. Suddenly, loud crashing noises came from the bushes behind the riders. Two large beasts slowly emerged.

"N-night Fury," Einar choked out, pointing at the sleek, black dragon currently pacing towards Hiccup with a a determined gleam in its eye. The Deadly Nadder pumped its wings lightly, turning its head curiously to focus on the blonde girl. Neither rider seemed tense but rather, they were quite relaxed.

Kean chuckled. "It's okay. I told you. Just keep watching," he told him, wanting to reassure his friend.

Einar's eyes were wide open with fear and astonishment at the scene before him. He wanted to run but Kean's immovable presence behind him prevented that. He couldn't see how the old man's assertions that this was 'okay', with a dangerous Night Fury and a large Deadly Nadder closing the distance between them and the humans. He felt for sure they were all about to become incinerated.

To his surprise, nothing of the sort happened. In fact, the whole demeanour of the two large beasts seemed to change. The two riders approached their charges with no qualms or hesitation, lavishly devoting affection on the beasts. To Einar's complete astonishment the dragons responded in kind, nuzzling into their riders with unreserved trust.

Kean cackled endlessly behind him, enjoying watching the scene unfold. It was still a relatively new experience to him too but he had already become adjusted to the sight. What amused him more was the chief's stunned expression. The Night Fury in particular was holding Einar's attention. It was rubbing up against the lean young man like an overgrown house cat, soaking up the affectionate scratches Hiccup was giving him. It even rolled over onto his back, exposing its unprotected stomach for a tickle.

When Toothless stood back up again, Einar tentatively asked, "Is it really possible for such a fearsome beast to act in such a way?" He was seeing it but still having trouble believing it.

Hiccup smiled warmly. "Yes, it is."

To prove his point, he tickled the sweet spot under Toothless chin sparking an instant reaction with the dragon dropping to the ground in a relaxed state, his eyes rolled back blissfully and a wide draconic grin on his face. Hiccup gave his dragon a loving pat. "There goes your rep, bud," he chuckled.

Hiccup looked up at the chief. "Come over and meet them," he invited with a wave of his hand.

Einar hesitated but Kean had no such qualms. He brushed past the chief and walked straight towards Stormfly, his palm already out in greeting. Stormfly tilted her head to watch him, pumping her wings once before letting out a welcoming chirp. She happily pushed her beak into his palm, accepting the gentle pats he provided.

Hiccup briefly explained to the incredulous Chief what he was observing.

Kean's enthusiasm was clear as he turned towards his gobsmacked friend. "You should try this. It's great!"

Einar decided that it was now or never, so he sucked in a deep breath and slowly stepped out towards the snoozing Night Fury. Only to find it wasn't snoozing at all...rather it was watching him curiously with one green eye open. When the dragon began to roll over Einar paused in his steps. He observed the large beast's actions very cautiously...with a healthy dose of pure, unadulterated fear thrown in for good measure.

"That's it. Keep coming, you're doing great," encouraged Hiccup, waving him over the few short steps still remaining. Then somehow, Einar was palm to snout with a living, breathing, scaly dragon.

He could feel the warm breaths curling around his fingers as the dragon gently snorted. Daring to look away from his hand, the chief gazed straight into the watchful green eyes of a Night Fury, a position he'd never considered he would ever be in. And strangely enough, he didn't feel like running away or waving an axe around as he had done in the past.

An unusual sensation began pulling at his cheeks, a feeling that Einar hadn't had for so long that he was astonished to finally realise what it was. He was smiling. Just a small tentative twitch at first, then broader when Toothless began a deep purring rumble in his chest. From the blissful half-lidded expression, Einar could only assume that the large reptile seemed to be enjoying his light and hesitant touches.

"There you go...see? Toothless likes you," said Hiccup, his tone warm.

The old chief looked up and found all the others staring at him with wide, knowing grins on their faces.

Kean chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day," he admitted with a wry shake of his head.

Einar was still in a kind of shock as he daringly shifted his hand to gently stroke further across the Fury's broad head. Toothless crooned approvingly, leaning in to the chief's touch. Einar's mind suddenly began to flood with all the possible scenarios that this revelation could bring. He recalled Hiccup's words, of dragons helping with construction, protection and food production. The tiny spark of hope that had been lit last night, rapidly flared brightly. In his mind's eye, Einar could see it. Dragons and his people working together and finally beginning to live instead of merely existing.

He eyed off the two dragons before him with a thoughtful expression. These were only two beasts and despite how strong they were, two alone would not be enough to do all that was needed. The work would quickly overwhelm them.

"I have to admit Hiccup. This is much more than I ever expected," he began, stepping away from Toothless and allowing his hand to drop. "It's obvious that these two..." he indicated Toothless and Stormfly, "are trained well. You seem to trust them not to hurt you. But what about wild dragons?" he asked, his tone thick with worry. "I don't want to lead my people into a false sense of security."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. Einar was a little sceptical when he saw the glint in Hiccup's eye. He was up to something.

"Why don't we find out?" the young chief asked, his neutral expression not giving anything away.

Einar only had time to blink in confusion before Hiccup cupped his hands together to emit a very loud dragon roar. There was a pause before he heard something that Hiccup had clearly known about for some time. A wild dragon was hiding in the bushes behind them. Instinctively, Einar took several quick steps backwards. When he noticed none of the others moving, he forced himself to stop. This was all still brand new to him. Several decades of built-in flight or fight response were going to be hard to shift.

Behind him Kean sucked in a quick breathe, in eager anticipation or fear Einar wasn't about to ask. He turned his attention back to the young dragon master who seemed unconcerned at the unknown Gronckle standing warily before him. Einar watched it closely. It didn't attack or flee like he expected. The dragon's head tilted at an obviously curious angle, standing there like it was waiting. For what Einar didn't know, but he certainly hoped it wasn't waiting for its draconic friends to join him on an early morning feast...on him.

Hiccup calmly approached it and Einar found himself transfixed. He couldn't look away from the unreal scene in front of him. He watched with a mixture of terror and total fascination as the young man slowly extended his palm out and turned his face away, much the same as he'd taught him to do only minutes before with the Night Fury. Waiting patiently and offering his vulnerability to the Gronkle, Hiccup was rewarded when the large beast seemed to like what he found, pushing his broad snout into the young man's palm.

A few comforting strokes of the thick hide later, a new friend had been made.

"There, we're all good now," Hiccup told them quietly.

Einar still couldn't believe what he had just seen with his own eyes, his gaze flitting between Hiccup and the new dragon who was looking much more at ease. "Is it trained?"

Hiccup shook his head, "No he's not trained. That comes with time and hard work. I've only let him know he doesn't have to fear us." He beckoned the chief over. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Einar froze. A sharp spike of fear shot through him, his heart beating so fast he felt for sure it was about to burst out of his chest and race down the road ahead of him. "What?"

"Why don't you introduce yourself," Hiccup repeated. "You wanted to start your own dragon army. Consider this big guy as your first recruit."

Einar gulped. He vaguely remembered agreeing to some such thing, but that was before...when there wasn't an actual wild dragon before him.

"Go on, Einar. Trust Hiccup...you'll be glad you did," Kean encouraged him with a not so subtle shove forward.

Einar stumbled but quickly righted himself. His knees were shaking and threatening to give way, his palms sweating profusely. Agreements made in the middle of the night suddenly seemed like a really bad idea. He tried to put one foot forward but his whole body baulked at it. What was he doing? Hadn't he spent his entire lifetime fighting these creatures? And now he was willingly approaching one? Well...'willing' was a strong word, but he had agreed to do this.

He hesitated, not sure what was right anymore.

Astrid came up beside him. "This is for your people, Chief. To give them a chance to live again," she reminded him softly.

Einar squinted at the dragon. For some reason, the beast was staring at him and shaking it's whole body like an enthusiastic dog waiting for affection from its master. Einar's brows shot to his hairline.

"What's wrong with it?" he asked, his voice rising in alarm.

Astrid chuckled. "He's very eager to greet you. He likes you."

"He likes me? What...for breakfast?"

The others flat out laughed, leaving the chief slightly confused. It was a valid question as far as he was concerned.

Hiccup chuckled, his hand stretched out in invitation. "Come and meet your new friend," he said warmly.

Einar thought of all the reasons he was doing this...his people, his village. Perhaps also for his sons if they still lived. If there was the slightest chance that training dragons would bring them back...well, he was prepared to take the risk. That thought was all he needed. With renewed determination he took in a deep breath...and walked towards the Gronckle.

"That's it...now hold out your palm like you did with Toothless..."

Einar did as he was told.

"Now turn your face away...there. You did it!" Hiccup enthused as Einar felt the rough skin brush against his palm. A warm jolt shot through his arm and collided with his heart. He turned back to face the dragon, awe etched all over his face. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to move in closer, both hands touching as much dragon as he could access. He couldn't believe how incredible it felt.

A large tongue flicked out, scraping up his chest and face and knocking his helmet askew.

Hiccup winced and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeaaahh...sorry about that. I should have warned you Gronkles are lickers." He looked over at Toothless. "Much like Night Fury's," he added ruefully.

Toothless sat up smugly and Einar laughed. Straightening his helmet, he went back to rubbing the Gronckle, not minding the slobber on his vest one bit. The dragon lapped up the attention and Einar felt the urge to give the animal a name. He surely couldn't call such a friendly thing 'dragon' or 'it' now, could he?

Gripping the Gronckle by its cheeks, he paused to look into its large brown eyes. "Now what name can we give such a magnificent creature as yourself, hmmm? What about Halstein?"

A look of shock passed between Hiccup and Astrid. This was unexpected.

"Oh...wow..."

Einar wasn't sure if the surprise he could hear in the young man's voice was a good thing or not.

"Wow, what?" he asked. "Is Halstein not a good name? It means 'rock'."

Hiccup chuckled. "No, no. The name is fine...and appropriate. Gronkles happen to love rocks. I just...didn't expect that to happen so soon."

"What to happen? Shouldn't I have named him?" Einar became uncertain and started to back away. The Gronkle followed him, nudging his hand for more attention.

Hiccup put his hand out. "Stop. It's okay. You've managed to bond with a dragon, that's all."

"I have?" Einar blinked in surprise at this news. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other, then at him. Their soft expressions reminded him of proud parents watching their offspring achieve something wonderful.

"You've found a friend for life, Chief Einar."

Einar watched as Halstein enthusiastically forced his large body under Einar's arm. The affectionate action was so against everything he'd ever known that an astonished laugh ripped from his throat. What was happening here? And where did that foreign sound come from?

Realising it was himself, Einar flicked his gaze towards his human companions. He saw all three of them smiling broadly at him. Like he had finally found the secret they already knew about. And he had. It felt so good, he released another rollicking belly laugh.

-oOo-

Sometime later, Chief Einar led the small group back into town. Their arrival attracted attention from all the townsfolk, who hovered around doorways and peered through windows as they passed. The pinched faces staring at him all showed various degrees of fear and shock. Einar threw his shoulders back in determination and continued to march. He knew his proud stance was different to the bowed and defeated shuffle he had taken on in recent years. He also knew the reason for the change was right behind him.

An old woman, her skirts ragged around her legs but her back still straight and dignified, took a tentative step towards them.

"Er...Chief?"

"Yes, Sylvi?"

"D'ya know there's a dragon right behind yer?" she asked, her bony finger extending towards the Gronkle following faithfully behind the Chief.

"Yeah...innit great?" he chuckled, a huge grin almost splitting his weathered face in half. The greyness that had coated Einar's face the day before had already begun to disappear under the new hopeful glow shining from his eyes.

"Oh...just checkin'," replied the old woman, her wary gaze flitting uncertainly over the man she was fairly certain was her chief. He looked the same. He certainly didn't act the same. Not with a dragon walking behind him as if it belonged there. Nor with the strange young couple walking in the middle of the group, or the Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder rambling confidently along with them.

A familiar wiry figure brought up the rear, looking comfortable amongst the beasts.

Sylvi did a double take when she recognized the old man. She called out in disbelief. "Kean?"

Kean beamed and diverted towards his sister. Pulling him into her arms, Sylvi held tight, not sure she hadn't departed this life and was currently in some twisted version of the afterlife.

"Yer alive?" she asked gruffly.

Kean patted her back reassuringly. "Yeah. I'm alive."

She pulled back but kept him in her arms. "What's goin' on? What madcap thing have yer gone and done now?" she demanded.

Kean only responded with a wider smile. "Something good, I promise." He waved towards the chief and the Berkians who had paused in the village centre. "Come listen," he encouraged before boldly stepping away and taking his place behind his chief.

Einar stood in a wide legged stance, his hands on his hips and his head held high. It felt empowering to resume this position of power once again. For too long, he'd been a broken man. No more. Looking around, he scanned across his people who were curiously and cautiously clinging to the outer edges of the centre. A wide berth had been left between themselves and the strange group he now led, but he was filled with pride that none had run screaming. His people were more afraid of Drago than the dragons, knowing that the evil man was more responsible for their pain than the beasts he used for his own foul purposes.

Einar knew his little group of villagers weren't going to be happy about what he was about to do. He could only hope they would listen to his unconventional plans and eventually support his efforts to take their village back from the brink of extinction.

He smiled, his cheeks already hurting from the unfamiliar action. He didn't care. It was an expression he hoped to wear a lot more often, regardless of his atrophied facial muscles.

"My people...I'd like to introduce you to Hiccup and Astrid Haddock, dragon riders from Berk," he began loudly.

Gasps of horror overlapped and rebounded as soon as the words 'dragon riders' left his mouth. The terrorized villagers pushed back further into the shadows. Einar held up his hand. "Now I know that sounds terrifying...I want to assure you I've spoken to this young couple extensively last night. I'm convinced they do not have any connection with Drago except in the same way as us...as his victims. But they have survived and escaped. Something we hope for our missing loved ones."

At this comment, there was a low rumbling and shuffling of feet amongst the crowd. Pain and grief were familiar emotions in this village.

"I know that sounds impossible to believe...but it's true. How did they do it? We'll get to that shortly. In the meantime...they've shown me something incredible this morning. Something that will benefit us all..."

Sylvi stepped forward. "How canna we trust 'em?" Her narrowed gaze scanned the dragons standing quietly beside the unusually dressed warriors, before flicking over her brother. "And how canna yer bring them 'ere?" she accused him.

To her surprise, Kean only smiled. "Because I've seen what they can do. I've seen how they and their dragons work together. They don't work for Drago, I'd stake my honour on it."

Sylvi pulled back, scepticism written all over her face along with uncertainty at her brother's statement. A man's honour was not a trivial thing to be throwing around like that. But how could he cast it aside for these strangers with that much confidence? She didn't understand but she was willing to bide her time.

She listened for the next half hour as the Chief, then Kean, told an incredible story to the silent crowd, a story of friendship and survival between the strangers and their dragons. The eyes of both men shone with awe as they explained what they had seen firsthand when the young couple interacted with their dragons, and how different it was to the violent methods that Drago and his dragon army employed. They seemed convinced, although Sylvi had to wonder if such a fantastic story could possibly be true. Maybe the two respected men had been poisoned somehow? They certainly weren't acting like themselves. Still, she had to grudgingly admit they seemed joyful instead of the miserable men she was familiar with.

Finally, Hiccup himself stepped forward. With much hand waving and unrestrained passion, the dragon rider explained what he and his bride hoped to achieve for their small town. Sylvi's sceptical nature hadn't been won over though it was difficult not to be swept away with the picture he painted of a positive future. A hope she dared not believe in. Not yet. She needed physical evidence first. Too many broken and twisted promises had been made already. This could possibly be another. More elaborate than previous ones, she'd grant that.

Looking around, Sylvi could hear others murmuring. She could feel the sense of excitement beginning to build amongst the crowd of mostly women. Despite knowing dragons were responsible for many of the difficulties they had been forced to endure, all of them could agree that Drago himself was responsible for their most heart-breaking losses. Peering at the three dragons standing calmly in their midst, Sylvi had to wonder if all they had ever known about the beasts was one fat lie...or were they being tricked yet again.

"Prove it," she suddenly barked out, causing Hiccup to pause mid sentence.

"Sylvi..." the chief warned.

Silence gripped the village.

Sylvi stood her ground, daring the young man currently in centre stage. To his credit he didn't take on a defensive stance. Instead, he chuckled. His wife, however, moved forward, her glare showing what she thought about her husband being questioned. When Hiccup's hand gently patted her arm, she paused. A look passed between them before she stepped back again.

"I'm more than happy to," Hiccup said, his posture wide open with nothing to hide. He gestured to the relaxed dragons behind him. "Let me show you what your chief and Kean have already seen, " he told the village. "Who would like to volunteer to be the first to see what it means to have dragons as friends rather than enemies."

Nobody moved.

Einar decided to demonstrate his own newly formed friendship by moving closer to Halstein. He lifted his hand to stroke the knobbly beast. The Gronkle responded by giving him an affectionate lick that caused Einar to roar with laughter even as the crowd collectively gasped, fully expecting him to be eaten.

"Guess I'll have to get used to that," he chuckled, wiping his cheek and flicking off the slobber.

Hiccup smiled broadly. "See? If the chief can do it, so can any one of you," he dared the crowd.

A young woman stepped forward. "I'll do it," she said loudly.

Sylvi gasped in dismay. "Ingrid...No!"

The young woman shot a look towards her. "Grandmother, I want to do this," she said, her voice bold.

Sylvi was horrified. "No!...You have a child to consider."

Ingrid's smile softened as she glanced down at the silent toddler gripping the back of her skirts. Her chin lifted with determination, her voice clear and firm. "All the more reason to do this."

The old woman spluttered. "It's dangerous!" she wailed.

Ingrid frowned grimly. "So is Drago and his army. If there is any way possible to fight back... I want to do it. For my son's future."

Astrid tilted her head, intrigued by the fire she saw in the young woman's eyes. Ingrid appeared a little older than her and Hiccup, with a son about three years of age standing solemnly behind her. The woman's brown hair hung in a loose braid down her back, dull as her grey skin. Her eyes were sunken in her thin face showing the harsh life she had lived. Yet there was still a spark. She wasn't ready to give up yet.

Astrid smiled warmly, extending her hand in invitation. Ingrid walked fearlessly forward, leaving her son in the care of another woman. Hiccup stood back and watched as Astrid showed Ingrid what to do, encouraging her to touch Stormfly's beak with her palm. Ingrid's mouth dropped open in awe when she found herself eye to eye with a very curious dragon.

"This is wonderful," she breathed, breaking out into an unfamiliar wide grin. Her hands caressed Stormfly's neck, becoming more confident with each stroke.

Hiccup's smile was broad. "Anybody else?" he asked and had to laugh when a dozen more women suddenly stepped forward.

It wasn't long before Toothless and Stormfly were inundated with curious hands. When the women tried to include Halstein in their affections, the alarmed dragon skittishly backed up towards the chief. Hiccup suggested Einar take the new dragon a little further away for the time being.

Hiccup grinned. Toothless and Stormfly were in their element, soaking up the limelight with smug expressions. Their wide-eyed friendliness enamoured them into the hearts of the willing females surrounding them, all cooing over how cute the scaly beasts were. However, it didn't take too long before the Gronkle also wanted a piece of the action. Halstein slowly inched towards the other two, searching for his share of pampering. The women laughed, welcoming him with pats and cuddles too.

Hiccup and Astrid chuckled at the sight. They were especially amused to notice that Toothless and Stormfly were a little disgruntled at having to share the affection. Glory hounds.

Chief Einar watched it all, feeling fit to burst with pride over how his villagers had responded to the creatures previously thought of as dangerous. Hope and joy flared deep in his chest making him think that perhaps this really was possible. They really could prosper once more. This new sensation was still punctuated with the sharp spike of grief and sadness, knowing their menfolk were still out there somewhere...including his own sons. He watched Hiccup closely. Were his claims possible? Could this man really find a way to defeat Drago and bring them all home?

His gaze shifted to Astrid, a strong warrior if ever he'd seen one. She seemed to have an unshakeable belief in her husband's ability to do the job... that he could find a way to defeat Drago. After all this time the idea seemed like a pipe dream, a mere fantasy. Drago was too strong. Einar's entire village had been unable to stop the man and his dragon army. What could a slender young man barely old enough to grow a beard do?

Einar's eyes slid towards the Night Fury. Granted, Hiccup rode the offspring of lighting and death itself but Einar wasn't fool enough to believe that was all it would take. It wasn't. Still...there was something about the young couple and their dragons that made him want to believe.

He would just have to wait and see.

-oOo-

"I'm Ingrid," the young woman introduced herself to Astrid, before turning to collect her child from the arms of the woman behind her. "This is my son, Arvid, and my sister-in-law Sigrid."

Astrid nodded in acknowledgement towards the silent Sigrid, then smiled softly at the small boy who was shyly tucking his face into his mother's neck. His large blue eyes watched her cautiously from his safety zone while his thumb worked its way into his mouth.

"Hi Arvid. My name's Astrid and this is Stormfly. Do you like dragons?" she asked gently.

The little boy blinked, then turned away completely. If he couldn't see her then likely she couldn't see him. Astrid had to grin at the toddler's logic.

"Don't mind my boy. Strangers usually mean trouble," Ingrid explained with a barely disguised grimace.

Astrid sobered up at the reminder, feeling her heart break a little for what such an innocent child had to endure in his short life. Drago. He had a lot to answer for. Astrid felt her determination to stop the man lift up another notch.

"I understand," Astrid told the woman. "But I need you to know Hiccup and I are serious about doing what we can to help this village."

Ingrid nodded, rocking slightly with her thin arms wrapped around her son, comforting him. "I believe you. That's why I'm here. I want to give my boy a future." Her lips pressed together grimly. "I don't know if my husband will ever come back to me but I don't want the same fate to happen to Arvid." She tenderly kissed the top of his little downy head. Astrid had to turn away for a moment, a lump unexpectedly growing in her throat at the sight. She couldn't imagine losing Hiccup and having to raise a child alone.

Turning back to face Ingrid, Astrid's smile was fleeting. The young mother's expression was fierce as she stared into Astrid's eyes. "Can you teach me to ride dragons?" Her earnestness caught Astrid's instant respect.

Astrid stood proudly. "I can. We'll need a reliable and strong team. Have you any suggestions?" she asked.

Ingrid's instant wide grin made Astrid think she was really going to enjoy working with this woman.

-oOo-

About half an hour later, Astrid had her team. Perhaps.

Ingrid was standing tall beside her sister-in-law Sigrid. Sigrid was only a year younger at twenty-one, her blonde hair forced up in a tight bun in an attempt to give the impression of height. The girl was seriously short, although more rounded than her thin friend. She was also much quieter.

Two bemused older women stood off to the side, watching proceedings with a twinkle in their knowing eyes. Another teen, maybe a year younger than Astrid, shuffled restlessly behind them. Her eyes flitted nervously between the assembled group and the Deadly Nadder watching them curiously. Astrid cast her eye over the teen, mentally dismissing her.

Ingrid introduced them one at a time. "You've already met Sigrid."

Astrid smiled in welcome. Sigrid returned it but otherwise stayed silent.

"This is my aunt Olga." Ingrid nodded to the woman who bore a striking resemblance to her, only older. Olga smiled warmly. Astrid liked her already, finding the woman's confident bearing reassuring.

"Her friend Freydis, who doubles as village healer."

Freydis appeared about the same age as Olga, both women lithe and strong. "I'm also a healer who doubles as a friend," she quipped, making Olga laugh. Astrid smirked. So far, so good.

The teen was still hiding behind the older women, obviously terrified. What she was doing here Astrid had no idea. She looked like she wanted to run but needed somebody to give her permission first.

"This is Helga, Olga's daughter. She wants to ride dragons too."

Astrid's brows shot straight up. Especially when Helga's pale face dropped several shades of colour to an almost translucent white.

"Umm...no, no," Helga stammered, clearly not here for that purpose.

Olga grabbed her daughter's arm and pulled her protectively between her and Freydis. "Helga's not big on lots of things. She'll stay with me."

Astrid had to pause. The challenging glint in Olga's eye let her know this was not up for discussion. Astrid nodded.

"Okay, thank you all for volunteering your services." Her eyes flicked briefly to Helga, not sure if 'volunteer' was the right word to use for the girl. "What I need from you ladies is to bond with your own dragons...when we find them...then learn to train and ride them. Have any of you fought before?" Astrid asked, preferring to jump right in. Hiccup needed dragons to carry out his ideas so dragon riders were a must.

Astrid had plans to turn her small team into defenders of the decimated village. Her experience at Torstein when she had been temporarily captured by the dragon hunters because she was the only warrior rider, had taught her this was needed. Especially for a village of mainly women and children. An easy target if ever she'd seen one.

Ingrid answered for all. "We know how to swing a weapon from a young age, but no, none of us are serious warriors." Her sunken gaze swung over Astrid's armoured outfit and the axe she had strapped to her back. "Not like you."

Astrid smirked. "Well you're in luck. You're about to become the first line defence for Elige. With some hard training from me, of course."

Only young Helga baulked at this idea. The rest sported full blown smirks. Now all they needed were dragons...and weapons.

-oOo-

In the meantime, Hiccup was making plans with Chief Einar in regard to setting up the forge. Tools were urgently required, plus volunteers to teach basic blacksmithing skills to. Einar already had a woman in mind, Hertha, a solidly built woman in her early forties. Hiccup had to fight hard to prevent the double take when he first met the fierce candidate. She looked as if she were quite capable of ripping him in half without any effort at all. He wasn't altogether sure it was safe to turn his back on her scowling face.

Hertha was accompanied by four children aged between five and thirteen, plus a daughter aged sixteen. Einar quietly informed Hiccup that Hertha was missing her three eldest sons, the last having been taken last year, aged just fourteen. Hiccup found a new appreciation for the quietly grieving mother. Her husband had been one of the first men taken from the village while her youngest was still a babe in arms. After that she had been forced to watch as her sons were picked off one at a time.

When Hiccup tried to express his condolences to her she cut him off with a terse command to 'get her sons back.' A job he sincerely hoped he could fulfil. Hertha enlisted Destin, her thirteen year old son as her assistant. Hiccup could feel the desperation the woman tried valiantly to hide around the boy. Destin was next in line to be taken if the dragon riders failed in their promises.

Hiccup had to swallow hard to hide the shake in his voice. With every new villager he met, the sense of urgency increased along with his determination to help them find a way to take out Drago. First things first, though. There was a lot of work to get through.

They also needed dragons.

Now.

-oOo-

"You expect me to do what?" Einar was horrified at what Hiccup was suggesting. He side eyed Halstein, the Gronkle happily munching on a pile of rocks beside him. He shook his head. "No, I agreed to your scheme about finding dragons to help rebuild Elige. You didn't say anything about me riding the beasts."

Hiccup chuckled. "What did you think being a dragon rider meant?"

Einar hurrumphed, crossing his arms across his broad chest. Hiccup had to swallow a laugh, the chief's furrowed brow giving him the appearance of a pouting child.

Halstein looked up from his feast, sensing the chief's discomfit. He ambled over, pushing his snout against Einar's chest looking for a scratch from his bonded human. Einar tried to hold onto to his petulant mood but found he couldn't resist the beast's determined actions.

He relaxed his stance, loosening his arms to give the Gronkle a whole-hearted scrub under the chin. Halstein melted under Einar's attentions, his jaw relaxing and his broad tongue poking out in a wide-mouthed satisfied grin.

Einar laughed. "I could never refuse you, Halstein. You're way too adorable for any of that."

The dragon's small wings fluttered in blissed out ecstasy, his body lifting a little as he attempted to snuggle closer.

Hiccup's eyes glittered at the action. He glanced slyly at the chief. "What could possibly be a more wonderful way to get closer to your best mate...than flying with him."

Einar groaned, slumping forward when he realised Hiccup was right. It was going to happen, wasn't it. Regardless of his reservations.

Hiccup only laughed. "You'll be alright, don't worry chief." He indicated to Kean who was standing behind them quietly chuckling at his reluctant friend. "Kean's already flown on the back of a dragon. He survived with no problems."

Einar eyed off the old man. Kean's beaming smile was most definitely smug.

Hiccup leaned forward conspiratorially. "You wouldn't want him to show you up now, would you?"

Kean's smirk became even wider. Einar let out a loud and frustrated huff. "Oh, all right. Let's get this over with. What do I have to do first?"

It took a lot of fumbling and terrified yelling...and Hiccup locating a large enough rock for the chief to step astride from...before Einar was finally perched precariously aboard an excited Halstein.

The chief's eyes were blown wide as he fumbled to find a secure handhold on the wriggling dragon. "Stop moving. Halstein, please. I will promise you all the rocks you can eat if you just stop moving," he pleaded.

Hiccup chuckled. "We'll work on a saddle for you when we have the right materials. For now, just grip tightly with your knees. If you need extra support then you can hold onto Halstein's ears. Just remember to go easy on him."

Einar was quick to comply.

"There, you've got it." Hiccup couldn't hide his smirk.

Halstein settled, feeling the difference in Einar's balance. The chief's heart rate steadied a little... now that he wasn't in danger of hitting the dirt anymore. His chin lifted. "See Kean? I can do this. Nothing to it," he boasted, thinking this flying lark wasn't so bad after all.

Kean grinned. "You haven't left the ground yet."

Einar deflated faster than the sail of a becalmed ship. "Oh."

Hiccup laughed. "Never mind, Chief. You'll be flying like an expert soon enough."

It took another hour or so, starting with Halstein hovering a few handspans above the earth, but yes. Einar did fly a dragon. His triumphant shout could be heard across the village centre where his performance had attracted much attention. And much head shaking.

-oOo-

Hiccup reached for Toothless, smoothly easing into the saddle with the practised efficiency of a man who'd done that particular movement for many years. He glanced over his shoulder towards the chief waiting nervously astride his own dragon.

"Chief Einar...are you ready for your first mission on the back of a dragon?" he asked.

"Er...as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," replied the chief with only a slight tremor in his voice. He'd been confident the day before, having finally mastered flying around the village. But as soon as Hiccup had proposed they fly further afield in search of more dragons, his stomach had tied itself into such a massive knot he feared he'd need a puzzle master to unravel it.

Hiccup chuckled. "You'll be fine. It will be a simple flight out and back again. Astrid's team will be the ones doing all the work."

"Then why am I going?" was the quick response.

Hiccup leaned forward in the saddle. "As dragon bait," he shot back before Toothless launched them both into the air.

Einar jolted, not sure he had heard right. Toothless and Hiccup were disappearing fast. He cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled, "As what?...Hiccup? Come back here. You don't mean...?" But Hiccup was already out of range. Einar leaned forward to talk to his dragon instead. "He was kidding, right?"

Halstein neither confirmed nor denied, only gently rising into the air to follow the Night Fury.

Einar held on tight, mumbling to himself the entire way and trying hard not to panic. One nerve-wracking ride later Einar and Halstein were landing in a field beside Toothless. Hiccup had already dismounted and was standing with Astrid and the five women who had volunteered for dragon riding duty. Well, four volunteers and one unwilling extra.

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder. "Survived the flight?" he teased the chief.

Einar dismounted, grumbling sarcastically all the way. "It was lovely, thank you. Nothing like a direct flight into a dragon's mouth to spark my day."

Hiccup only laughed and turned back to Astrid's group. All the women were excited, aside from Helga hiding behind her mother. Today, hopefully, they'd start the process of finding a dragon to bond with. Astrid and Hiccup had earlier instructed them on the required technique so they knew what to do once the met a dragon. They just had to find one to meet. And that's where Einar and Halstein came into the equation. They were the welcoming committee... so to speak.

"Chief, come closer." Hiccup waved him over towards the Deadly Nadder and Night Fury.

Einar lumbered over, Halstein ambling along behind him. "What do you need, son?"

"Just stand right there, Chief. Toothless will do the rest."

Einar stood. Then waited. It didn't take long. Einar jumped when Toothless belted out a rumbling roar, the sound vibrating the ground under his feet. Wondering what was going to happen next he joined the others in scanning the surrounding countryside.

"There! Look!" came Ingrid's excited call. She was pointing towards a big blue and green Deadly Nadder pushing its way through the bushes. At the sound of her voice the large head tilted in her direction. Ingrid's sharp intake of breath was more enraptured than alarmed. Einar could easily admit to feeling a little intimidated himself. Second thoughts rattled through his brain faster than he could process. What if this was all a big mistake? What if Hiccup had been lying to him? What if he truly was part of Drago's army? What if he couldn't control the dragons?

The last question was quickly answered when the young man himself calmly stepped forward, palm outstretched. The male Nadder appeared enormous against the slender frame of Hiccup. It would take very little effort for the powerful dragon to destroy the defenceless human standing in front of him. Einar cringed, hoping that wasn't what he was about to witness.

What he got instead was a very curious Nadder tilting its large head from side to side as it regarded the dragon rider in front of it. Hiccup turned his face aside, leaving just his palm out for the Nadder's inspection. A few heart beats later the wild dragon was pushing his beak into the young man's palm.

It was done.

Einar's breath left him in a loud 'whoosh'. He hadn't realised he'd been holding it. Just at that moment Halstein chose to push his muzzle under his arm, seeking attention. Einar felt a tremendous spike of joy surge through him. His wide grin nearly split his face in half and he felt the urge to laugh out loud and long at the realisation that everything Hiccup and Astrid had told him was true. This really was happening. They were actually building their own dragon army.

He beamed in excited awe as he watched other dragons slowly appearing in the field around them. Hiccup and Astrid were busily introducing the newcomers to their prospective riders, showing the women how to bond with their own new best friends. Draping an arm around his own Gronkle Einar could feel his heart swelling, just about bursting with pride. These were his people that were stepping up so courageously, the future of Elige.

He watched as determined Ingrid bonded with the male Nadder, naming it Geir. Her friend Sigrid, fiercely loyal but quiet found Primrose, a gentle female Deadly Nadder.

He laughed as confident and motherly Olga admonished Brynjar, a male Scuttleclaw, pulling it into line when it tried to assert its dominance. Especially when Thora, the female Monstrous Nightmare that Freydis had bonded with, clipped the Scuttleclaw with her wing. Einar had a feeling the two older women would become a powerful team. Possibly even the backbone of the entire group.

Even timid Helga found a dragon, much to her surprise and obvious reluctance. She named the very gentle and shy female Gronkle, Kari. A perfect mix.

Einar proudly cast his eye over the dragons and humans cautiously getting to know each other in the middle of a simple field. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever expect to see anything like this. Yet here they were.

Hope.

That's what this group represented. Their village had been dying but now they had been blessed with a fighting chance to live again. To right the wrongs done to them and their loved ones.

Finally they had a future, and it was looking so much brighter now.

Very bright indeed.

So many good things to come...but it will take a while, I'm sorry. The next chapters haven't been completed yet. I'll do my best but I really wanted you all to meet the residents of Elige. They are my favouritest characters so far!