The Lost Boy IV - The Hidden World

17 - For a child

''Yeah, I do recognize you. Please, come in.''

Without letting them say anything, he went back inside the house, signing them to follow. The three riders looked at each other for a short moment, seeing everyone going back to their business seemed encouraging.

When they stepped inside the house, they noticed the indoor was just as rustic and simple as the outdoor. It may have been the chief's hutt, the man was leaving the same way of life than his people, just like Hiccup was doing back at Berk. It warmed his heart, he always had better relationships with people thinking like him, which was why he had some troubles maintaining good exchanges with the clans where the leader was above the people, like the queen Mala from the Defensors of the Wings. Luckily, Mala was married to a friend of his, Dagur the Deranged, allowing their clans to be strong allies nontheless.

The three riders found the chief at the first story, where he was waiting for them without any mistrust left. Leaning on the window frame, he was looking outside, downward. They could hear the usual commotion of the village, voices talking, wooden weels on earth paths, hammer hiting metal, chirping bird, laughing children, even a dog barking.

A small smile was playing on the chief's mouth, bu he wiped it to be serious and faced the three outsiders, crossing his arms over his muscular chest.

''I suppose you came back to get an answer. Your men had talked about alliance last time they came here.''

''Sort of.'' Hiccup admitted.

The chief sighed and ran a hand in his short hair, removing his hat and unveiling the expend of his scars. It was not just on his eye, it was running along the skull to reach behind his ear. The three gashes didn't look like of a dragon, rather of a bear. Hiccup concluded it was the past this chief had with dragons.

''Honestly, I'm still not sure about your story with dragons.'' Scarlar said.

The quick glance he took to Hiccup's fake leg didn't go unnoticed, it seemed to serve as an adding argument to refusal, but the young chief didn't let it bother him.

''Dragons aren't that different from us, they can become violent and attack if they feel threaten, that doesn't make them blood thirsty monsters, they just defend themselves. All you need to do is make the first step and show them you're not a threat. You could be surprised to see what a dragon can do for you once you've earned his trust.''

Hiccup wanted to keep on his speech, but a slight nudge from Eret cut him out. The former trapper gave him an insistant look which seemed a bit saddened. He had to admit he didn't know what that meant, so the green eyes went back to the other chief to check on his reaction. Hiccup wanted to make sure he hadn't said something that hurt him. The chief didn't seemed hurt, actually, but angry.

His fists were clenched and his eyebrows knitted together.

''It was the dragon who deprived my daughter of her legs. You should guess this is not something I can forgive that easily.''

Hiccup pinched his lips in embarrassment, unable to answer. So this was the past he had with dragons ?

Understanding Hiccup was not aware of this, neither the stout blond viking behind him - whose horrified and pained look almost made him sad – Scarlar sighed and leant back on the window frame, ready to tell the events. Eret lowered his head all along, hearing this story once again had the eaxt same effect than the first time : it clenched to his heart.

Scalar told them how his daughter Stewhilde, who was ten back then, had always enjoyed walking into the forest. Her mother was dead while giving her birth, which explained why the little girl was the most precious treasure of the chief, and the village. So, when they heard her scream and a dragon roar, all of them went to her rescue. The dragon had fled, but they had found the girl stuck under a tree, her back was broken. Since that day, she had lost the use of her legs, and all joy faded from her heart.