How To Be Brave

The tribes

*The next day*

I watched on the sea, as the tribes would come over the water since there was no place for all their dragons. I soon saw the first boat. It soon got passed by a slightly larger boat. The man in front of the second boat roared something that seemed like: "Hofferson!" A few seconds later a third boat appeared. The chief of that boat roared: "Unbreakable!" Though I couldn't see it, I assumed the chief of the first tribe got mad, 'cause he had yelled, louder than the others, "Agreeable!" I smirked. This was going to be interesting.

"Careful!" I warned Jack, who was helping me to dress up.

"Hush", he said, grinning. I, however, didn't grin back. The 'suit' my father made me wear was really tight. Jack stroke the last of my bangs smooth, then hung a small necklace over my head. It had the shape of a snowflake and was made of carved wood. I looked to him, confused. His smile got wider. "It's a lucky charm, I made it myself. You're going to need it." I smiled.

"Thanks, Jack." I took a step closer, feeling the urge to kiss him. And then my father came in.

"Ah, Hiccup. You look absolutely handsome", he said. Behind dad, Jack nodded heavily. I forced myself not to laugh.

"I can't breathe", I complained. Dad shrugged.

"Hush, give us a turn." I tried so, but moving was really uncomfortable.

"I can't move. It's too tight."

"It's perfect", dad replied. He opened his mouth to say something. "Hiccup?"

"Dad?" I asked curious.

"Just..." he seemed to hesitate, "remember to smile." With those words he turned and left off to the throneroom.

"Aye, they're coming!" A guard warned.

"Places, everyone. Places", dad ordered. I sat down between Gobber and Jack, although I really had to put effort in it. When my dad looked at me, I forced myself to sit straight up. As a subtle sign of protest, I moved my bangs so they fell right in my face. Dad walked over and fixed them back. Gobber snickered, until dad tried to fix some of his clothes, too.

"I'm fine, Stoick. Leave me be." When dad was distracted, I swept my bangs in my face again.

"I want to announce the arrival of the chiefs..." the guard didn't completed his sentence, as the door swung open and knocked him out. The tribes walked in, one disorganized mess. The chiefs walked forwards, until the three of them stood in front of their tribe.

"So!" Gobber started. Dad had asked him to do the speech, but now it seemed not such a good idea. "Here we are! The four clans! Er... Gathering... for..." Dad sighed and stood up.

"The presentation of the suitors."

"The presentation of the suitors!" Gobber repeated. "Chief Agreeable!" Named person stepped forwards.

"Your majesty, I present my heir and scion, who defended our land from the southern invaders, and with her own axe, Stab Blooder, vanquished 1 000 foes!" A girl stepped forwards. She was pretty, with an ebony black braid and clear green eyes. I sighed and sat even more back in my seat.

"Chief Hofferson!" Named chief stepped forwards.

"Good majesty, I present my eldest daughter, who scuttled the Roman's longships, and with only her axe vanquished 2 000 foes!" A blonde girl stepped forwards. Her hair, too, was in a braid and she had sky blue eyes.

"Chief Unbreakable!" The last chief stepped forwards.

"I present my only daughter, who was besieged by 10 000 Romansand she took out a whole armada singlehandedly. With one arm, she was..." He paused his sentence to pull his daughter next to him, "with one arm she was steering the ship, and with the other, she held her mighty sword and struck down a whole attacking fleet." I looked closer at the girl. She was actually more of a woman, with short blonde hair, shorter than mine.

"She looks more like a man, though", someone in the crowd said.

"I heard that! Who said that? Go on, say it to my face." The chief walked towards the tribes, searching for the man who mocked his daughter. "Or are ye scared, scimpering Nadders, afraid to muss your pretty hair?"

"At least we have hair", chief Agreeable replied.

"And all our teeth", chief Hofferson grinned.

"If he was a weebit closer..." the blonde girl started, then switched to a language I didn't know. It sounded pretty awesome, but no one could understand it, not even her father. Chief Agreeable hesitated for a second, then said:

"And we don't hide under bridges, you grumpy old Gronckle." Almost everyone laughed, Gobber too. Chief Unbreakable didn't rage, he just said: "You wanna laugh, huh? Mala!" The woman jumped on chief Agreeable's back and started to hit them. Soon every tribe was fighting. Jack and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes, sighing.

"Nut 'em! Nut 'em! That's the way to..." Gobber didn't finish his sentence as he looked in my dad's stern eyes. "All right, all right." He stood up and walked to the edge of the elevation. "SHUT IT!!!" He yelled. Everyone fell quiet. "Now, that's all done. You've had your go at each other. Show a little decorum. And no more fighting." While he held his little speech, I noticed the seats of the twins were empty. Oh no... Soon evrryone fought again. Gobber even joined them. My dad finally got tired of it and stood up. When he walked through the room, everyone fell quiet. Until he was in the middle of the fights, were the three chiefs and Gobber were strangled in multiple hold handles.

The chiefs muttered inaudible things as dad dragged them by their ears to the front.

"You're fierce", one mumbled.

"I didn't start it. It was..."

"My lord King, my apologies."

"We mean no disrespect."

"I'm sorry, Stoick, I didn't... But..."

"Now, where were we?" Dad asked. "Ah, yes. In accordance to our laws, by the rights of our heritage, only the firstborn of each of the great leaders may be presented as champion." By the last sentence I looked up.

"Firstborn?" Jack and I whispered in unison.

"And thus compete for the hand of the Prince of Berk." We glanced at each other. After all those years, I could tell we were thinking the same. "To win the fair man they must prove their worth by feats of strength or arms in the games. It is customary that the challenge shall be determined by the prince himself."

"Duelling! Duelling", I exclaimed loudly, jumping from my seat. Dad looked at me with stern eyes. I quickly corrected myself. "I choose duelling", I said calmly.

"Let the games begin!"