Hiccup blinked, turning in a slow circle. He and his entire tribe stood in a half-lit cavern. A barrier that flickered and glowed slightly but was see through divided the room. Torches blazed on one half of barrier. Darkness permeated the other side. His tribe stood on the lit side while he, alone, stood on the dark. None of his tribe noticed. He knew he should not be surprised by that. It did not lessen the hurt he felt though.

His father and several other Vikings demanded to know what was going on. Silence answered them. Hiccup sighed. Typical Vikings; yell and threaten but never care that someone who could move and disarm a whole island's worth of Vikings might not take well to belligerence.

"Please sit," a calm, female voice said from the darkness behind Hiccup. "All will be revealed."

Benches appeared amongst the Vikings. Two appeared under Snotlout and Mildew, flipping both onto their backs. Hiccup bit back a snort. Snotlout had once been a bully, tormenting Hiccup as they grew. He said Hiccup's lack of response made the activity boring for him when they turned thirteen. Mildew had a house as far from the village as possible because he annoyed everyone. He also expressed his belief that Stoick should have tossed Hiccup to the sea as a babe as often as he could. Never where Stoick could hear though. Hiccup knew he could never tell his father about the comments. Stoick never listened to Hiccup and Mildew was an adult and a celebrated, if avoided, warrior.

"Show yerself, witch!"

Stoick's bellowed demand pulled Hiccup from his thoughts. A deep, low growl answered Stoick.

"Easy, Shadowfire," the voice said, chuckling. "They are harmless."

"I'll show you harmless!" Snotlout shouted, standing.

"Please sit," the voice said seemingly ignore Snotlout.

"Show yerself first," Stoick yelled.

A long sigh echoed seconds before a hooded figure stepped into the light cast by the barrier. The figure walked over and stopped beside Hiccup. The hood came down and a woman with dark brown hair faced Hiccup. She tipped her head to him, surprising him.

"Witch, release my son."

The woman snorted. "Now you notice him?" She shook her head. "Your son is not my prisoner. I hold a great deal of respect for him actually."

Hiccup stared her uncomprehending. Snotlout scoffed.

"Why would you respect him? He's useless."

The woman's eyes narrowed even as growls echoed behind Hiccup. The woman turned to Gobber.

"How many weapons currently in use by the tribe were made by Hiccup?"

"Why should he tell you?" Stoick demanded.

The woman turned to Stoick. "Your gods are angry," she whispered, her tone icier than Devastating Winter. "You all have mistreated a gift they have given you. They have had enough. I am here, at their request, to deliver a message."

"Liar! The gods would nare speak through one such as ye. Ow!"

Hiccup blinked as Gothi, the only one still wielding anything, cracked her staff against Mildew's head. She shuffled through the Vikings and tapped Gobber's arm. She then scratched something in the dirt on the cavern floor. Gobber looked down.

"She says only the gods have the power to move us and I should assume.. ow! Answer! That I should answer the lady." Gobber gingerly rubbed the side of his head with a stump devoid of any attachment. "How'd you get to keep your.. ow!"

The woman snickered. "Gothi retains her staff so she can speak and because I trust her not to attack our other guests. Now, Gobber, my question."

"Yeah, okay. Hiccup made every dagger and half of the other weapons."

"How many tools and equipment for everyday use were made by Hiccup?"

"All the nails and half everything else."

"How many of everything spoken of were maintained and repaired by Hiccup?

"Half."

The woman nodded. Her gaze fell upon Snotlout. Hiccup saw her face hardened and though she had brown eyes he could image they were ice. Her gaze then swept over the other Vikings.

"For as long as you all are here no one is to call Hiccup useless. He is not. Now, sit."

Gothi stared at Stoick. She sat down on a bench near the barrier. Stoick grunted but followed her lead. As soon as he sat the rest of the tribe did as well. The woman tipped her head to Gothi then turned to Hiccup. She bowed to him. Hiccup's jaw dropped as murmurs rippled through the Vikings.

"I am Gyda," the woman said, straightening. "It is an honor to meet you. Please sit."

A bench appeared at Hiccup's left. He moved and sat, still stunned. She moved his tribe and she defended him. She said she respected him. She said he was not useless. Hiccup found he could not process any of it. He was useless and no one respected him. No one really defended him. He was not the Viking his father wanted and thus did not deserve what the woman did.

"Hiccup, please look to your left. I think you will know some of our guest."

Hiccup looked over as torches flared and removed the darkness. Hiccup gasped as his tribe-mates began yelling. All the dragons from the arena stretched their wings. Six other dragons that Hiccup did not know also stood with the arena dragons. Hiccup turned when the Vikings suddenly went silent. He saw their mouths still moved but heard nothing. Gyda walked over and looked at the Vikings.

"Stubborn and boar-headed, the lot of them," she muttered. She looked down at Hiccup. "Gothi will deal with them when she tires of their yelling. I see you recognize the arena dragons. The silver and black fellow beside the two Nightmares is my dragon. His name is Shadowfire."

Said dragon stood taller than the Nightmares in front of him. Its neck, as long as the Nightmares', was more muscled. Its head was smaller than every other dragon, except the Terror, and had a crown of horns encircling it. Where the other dragons had extended fangs, Shadowfire had teeth that looked as long as Toothless' and which made an interlocking pattern instead of sticking out like the other dragons.

"He's huge," Hiccup exclaimed. "What kind is he? What class is he?"

Gyda chuckled. "He is just known as a Western Dragon and he has similar traits from the Stoker and Strike class. We are not from the Archipelago."

The dragon curled its neck and lowered his head. [I am honored to meet you, Alpha.]

"You speak?!" Hiccup exclaimed.

[All dragons speak, Alpha. Here you and your tribe can understand us.]

"Alpha? And what's wrong with your wing?"

Shadowfire looked down. The bat-like right wing extended down and looked broken. Hiccup heard Shadowfire giggle before the dragon lifted his head.

[My wing is fine, Alpha. Thank you for your concern.]

"You're calling me Alpha?"

Gyda placed a hand upon Hiccup's shoulder. "You will understand before you leave. Gothi has your tribe corralled. May I sit with you?"

"You'd asked me?"

Gyda sighed. "That you ask with such surprise in your voice," she whispered. "Yes, Hiccup, I will always ask you. I will never demand of you. May I sit with you?"

"Uh, sure."

Gyda sat down. She waved a hand and two walls, one to each side of the barrier, began showing a mountain rising out of sea fog. The images moved closer, showing the Harbor Guardians.

/This is Berk./