"But Hiccup, if they get to the dragons before we do... will they be able to draw them out? Or will they just be attacked all together?", Fishlegs poses an interesting question.
I stroke my beard, deep in thought.
Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, Throk, Snotlout, Eret and Astrid are all around a copy of the map I came up with based upon the one Heather stole.
"To be honest with you... as badly as Heather wants Windshear back and the great extremes she going to... I really don't think they can get there. Toothless won't let them as the Alpha", I reply.
"Well we've been there, it's a dive into the great waterfall and a long way into the caverns until you get to the actual Hidden World. I just don't see how they could possibly go through all that", Astrid says beside me.
"Exactly... there must be some other motive to go face feral dragons in their own land...", I say to her as I walk away from the table.
The dragons can be very territorial, especially when it's their safe haven and home.
A moment of silence falls across the Great Hall as we stare and think.
"What could she possibly be thinking... I... unless...", an idea hits my thoughts.
"Unless what?!", Snotlout snarls.
"Unless what?", is heard from different voices around me.
"Unless she's actually thinking of capturing Toothless...", I say not believing my words.
"Hiccup that's ridiculous. He's the alpha and a night fury, there's no way they can come close to that. They've tried it before and failed miserably", my wife finds a corner and crosses her arms, leaning against it.
"The one mission I went on, the plasma blast nearly took our lives. Then I diverted our routes from the Hidden World after that. She only knows of the need to defend against a shot from the night fury", Throk speaks up.
I ponder the motives behind this lunatic that we once knew as a companion.
"She's not hard of knowledge when it comes to dragons. She trained along side of us and knows the secrets. The strengths and weaknesses of each dragon. There must be a reason she's going after the near impossible excursion to capture Toothless... If anything... she knows his only weakness... is...."
"You", Astrid's eyes widen at her statement to complete my last sentence.
Suddenly, everything we have been pondering over the years and especially the last, has become clear.
"Hiccup... do you think she's using you to make Toothless bring the dragons back? That's why she left you guys to be able to be discovered and released from that cell?", Fishlegs asks.
My stomach crawls into a pit that goes as deep as my feet. The mere thought of a threat against my dragon's life throws my emotions through a whirlwind. The idea of my life being at risk and leaving my family behind makes me weak in my legs.
"We won't let that happen! Will we?", Tuffnut says.
"Absolutely not. NO ONE can threaten the creatures that shaped our lives. NO ONE threatens my home or my family!", I shout from my place of weakness.
Boldness fills my veins and I am overcome with the feeling of pure vengeance that is intensified as I clench my fists.
I slam them down on the table, "WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED AGAIN!"
The gang all around me stares with shocked eyes.
"Whoa. Loving this lethal Hiccup I have here"
"Astrid...", I say through my teeth.
She comes up behind me and lays a hand on my lower back, "Hiccup, there will be justice in this. We need a plan. We may just need to FOOL Heather and Magnus"
I nod.
"Okay, so everything we do that Heather knows we do, we need to do the opposite", Fishlegs proposes, again making a wonderful suggestion.
"Yes! So instead of wearing our helmets on our heads, we wear them on our feet!", Tuff says and we all groan.
"Not quite the direction I was thinking but it's a good start", I say to him.
"She knows that our main weapons are hidden on the north side of the island, we need to move them in the village or underground", Astrid says.
"Yes"
"Heather knows we meet here for everything, we could meet at the school", Ruffnut says nudging her husband.
"Good"
"The immediate place we retreat to is Dragon's Edge for an evacuation. I say we don't go anywhere. Protect New Berk", Eret adds.
"Absolutely"
"Our initial stance in war is defense. It would be completely unexpected if we...", Astrid begins.
"Attack them first?", Snotlout asks rather slowly.
It's not our way... but it could possibly lead to the end to this mass game of maces and talons.
"Yes..."
All eyes in the room are on me. Their chief, their friend and for one of them, their husband.
These guys have been behind me for countless endeavors and battles. They all have one interest in mind; and that is to protect who we love. Whether it be dragons, families, friends, allies or our home.
"We are on the front lines of the Hooligan Tribe. The seven generations that fought before us have laid down a foundation and a standard for what we fight for. We were the generation that shook the status quo for all future Berkians to come. That was the befriending of Dragons and wanting peace with them. As long as we protect our tribe and those dragons that changed our lives for the better, we'd be doing our ancestors a great honor if we went out and stopped this chaos from happening", I proudly stand with my shoulders back. I can feel my bride of almost 7 years beaming at me.
I take a moment and look upon every face in my Great Hall. For I know that what we are about to do will be remembered by my children and many generations to come. These guys in front of me will be honored for their bravery and sacrifice just like we are doing for our grandparents today.
They all have an excited grin that seems hungry for the battle to come.
I look at my Astrid as I grab her hand, then back at my friends,
"Suit up gang"