Hiccup stood at the docks, his hands clasped behind his back and his lips pressed together. Something in his gut told him that this, what they had been planning for months, was still a bad idea. But being out-voted at the council meeting happened often and so he had to go with what the majority wanted. And the majority apparently wanted to join the Outcasts for the Hooligans' first Thawfest games ever to combine two tribes. From what he had heard, now that dragons were becoming a popular mode of transport, other tribes had given it a shot to fairly good results. And since the Outcasts were now allies, it seemed sensible to try it out with them. This might have been a good thing because the Outcasts had given this a try the previous year and were eager to do it again but Hiccup would have preferred joining the Meatheads. If only he hadn't asked too late.

"I barely know Allie the Insincere." Hiccup admitted to Astrid. "And now I'm going to be spending almost every day with her."

"Well... you know she's insincere. So take anything she says with a grain of salt." Astrid shrugged. "Beyond that, when have you ever been shy?"

Hiccup sighed. "I'm not being shy, I'm being cautious. I trusted Alvin. Well... sort of. Allie, on the other hand, might have inherited the maniac trait."

"Maybe not. She's not in Alvin's direct bloodline. Maybe her father was the calm, peaceful brother." Astrid peered at the sky, waiting for the outlines of dragons and ships alike to appear on the horizon.

Hiccup shook his head. "I'm just not comfortable with this. The kids' first Thawfest and they're going to have to stress over hundreds of visitors."

"Since when have the kids ever been shy?" Astrid nudged him. "You worry too much. Just let things fall into place."

"Yeah..." Hiccup said as the ships and dragons finally came into view. "You're probably right. As always."

Astrid kissed him on the cheek. "You know it."

Outcast ships, in addition to Outcast dragons, weren't as fast as the Berkian ones but nonetheless, the neighboring tribe arrived at the docks well before Hiccup was quite ready to greet them. He'd been rehearsing this speech for a while but now it was flying out of his head faster than a Terrible Terror chasing a butterfly.

Allie the Insincere was a short, very skinny woman with bushy auburn hair. Her brown eyes seemed to bulge out of her face and her mouth broke into a smile so big, it couldn't possibly be genuine. Hiccup stepped forward and shook her hand.

"Well it's nice to have you back on our shores, this time for a much more pleasant visit, I hope." he said in a friendly manner, vaguely gesturing to the land around them.

"I'm always happy to be back on Berk." Hiccup had forgotten how sickly sweet Allie's voice was, in addition to how condescending it could sometimes feel. "Do you think we can go for a tour? I didn't really get one last time but I'm sure it would be amazing."

"Uhh... well that was the plan. I've got my council members here who can give tours to your people." Hiccup grimaced in a genuine attempt at a smile. Something about Allie definitely rubbed him the wrong way. "Astrid and I can show you and whoever is accompanying you around. This way, please."

Hiccup led the small entourage, exchanging a look with Astrid as he did so. The two of them could definitely tell why the Outcast chief was called Allie the Insincere. Everything she said was sweet and kind but she gave off a distinctly negative vibe. Almost like she was internally insulting them with every single word.

"Wow, Berk has certainly changed. How are your kids?" Allie asked after giving the village square a halfhearted glance.

"Great. Doing great." No thanks to you, Hiccup thought, remembering vividly how quickly Allie's hand shot up when asked if she wanted to force him and Astrid to give their children to a madman. "Finn's shaping up to be a great chief and Adrianna-"

"I want to see the arena where we'll be competing." Allie interrupted. "Since that's why we're here."

"Right this way." Astrid said, her brows furrowed.

As Hiccup followed the group, Toothless nudged him with his snout. "I know, bud." his rider muttered. "This will be a long two weeks."

Xxx

Adrianna's heart was racing. She had bathed and helped her mother with the laundry so that she would look extra good for the Outcast girls who would be competing with her. She sat on the edge of the village square, resting against her dragon, who was sunbathing and enjoying the warmth of the day. Dragons filled the skies above them and the youngest Haddock smiled. New friends were on the horizon. At least she hoped they were.

"It's going to be different this time." she said to her dragon, whose heavy breathing indicated that she'd fallen asleep. "There are hundreds of girls coming. Someone will want to be friends. Right?" she sighed. "Sometimes I wish Erick was a girl. I always wanted to braid someone else's hair." a half smiled tugged at her lips. "Not just daddy's."

The dragon cooed sympathetically, not moving from her spot. Adrianna's sharp green eyes followed the dragons' descent to the docks below. She stood up, Lily reluctantly following, as a crowd of Outcasts, led by one of the members of the Hooligan council, came into view. Her keen eyes immediately spotted a short red haired girl about her age and a tall, tan black haired one who was very pretty. She wasn't sure which dragon belonged to which girl since so many walked beside them but she was excited, especially when the two girls spoke briefly with their parents before walking into the square on their own.

Adrianna didn't much like introducing herself to random people because she found it slightly intimidating. Well, that and she didn't naturally make a good first impression. As she approached the two girls, who looked rather uninterested in their surroundings, she saw Morgan and Taryn approaching with their dragons. Her stomach began to twist rather uncomfortably.

"Dana and Jillian... right?" Morgan, who was the first to come within earshot, asked.

Why hadn't she thought to ask about the names of her Outcast competitors before today? Adrianna bit her lip as Morgan finally reached the newcomers, her dragon sprinting after her.

"Yes... and you are..." the red haired girl said almost suspiciously.

"Morgan. And that's Taryn." Morgan gestured to her friend as she approached.

Adrianna stopped a few feet away from the rather tight group, unsure if she should proceed. She sighed deeply when Morgan looked in her direction and whispered something to the black haired girl, who snickered. As the Haddock girl slowly approached, the girls paid her no heed. It was like she was invisible. And considering the size of the dragon looming over her head, that was saying something.

"Let's... let's go, Lily." she mumbled to the Monstrous Nightmare, turning around and kicking a pebble rather fiercely with the toe of her boot. "I don't need them anyway."

Lily followed her human through the village square, which was getting more crowded now that several Outcast groups were being shown around. Feeling rather small, Adrianna decided to go to the one place she felt safe and secure.

"Adrianna!" Matilda exclaimed as the girl walked into the quiet library. "What a pleasure to see you."

Adrianna forced a smile on her face. "Yes... I mean... my friends wanted me to to stay with them today. They hate it when I go out. They miss me so much. They love having me around." she lied, some of the tension in her stomach easing a bit. "But I think it's good for people to have their own space."

"How very mature." Matilda said approvingly. "I'm sure they're happy to have a friend like you."

"Oh yes... very happy." Adrianna glanced over at Lily, who stuck her head in through one of the windows. "That's my dragon. I don't know if you've officially met."

"We haven't." Matilda approached the Monstrous Nightmare with caution but Lily perked up at the sight of a person who seemed to put her human at ease. "She is lovely."

"Yes she is." Adrianna said proudly. "Would you like to hear more of the story?"

"Story?" Matilda whipped her head around, smacking Lily in the face with her dark hair. "Did you say story? Well don't just stand there, child! Let's get on with it!"

As Adrianna strolled into the center of the room, Matilda grabbed a small chair and eagerly sat down.

"And so, the great day arrived!" Adrianna exclaimed. "It was like the entire world had gathered to see The Burning Woman Hurling Through the Air with Fireworms in her Hair Over Scauldrons and Spiky Objects Caught by the Man Locked in a Cage! Everything was arranged by..." the girl suddenly pulled the back of her shirt over her head and approached Matilda, looking as threatening as possible, "the Acrobat's adopted sister, a frightening woman whose origins were unknown and who loved nothing better than to scare the children of the town!" Adrianna took the back of her shirt off of her head and placed a hand on Matilda's shoulder. "People whispered that in her dark and brooding heart, she resented the sister for both her success and her love." the Haddock girl walked to the center of the room once more. "Suddenly, out came the escapologist, dressed as usual in his tights and spangly costume. But there was no sign of the Acrobat, and no glimpse at all of her shiny white scarf. And instead of a musical fanfare, there was silence, as he solemnly strode into the room."

Matilda leaned forward, her hands clasped together so tightly, they were whitening at an alarming pace.

Adrianna began to assume the voice she had previously used to voice the escapologist. She lifted a hand as though she herself was making this very important announcement to a large crowd of people. "'Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! The Burning Woman Hurling Through the Air with Fireworms in Her Hair Over Scauldrons and Spiky Objects Caught By the Man Locked in a Cage has been... canceled!'"

"No!" Matilda exclaimed in horror.

"Yes!" Adrianna said, lowering her arm and turning to Matilda. "The audience gasped so loud that the crew on a passing ship heard it and reported it to their captain as an atmospheric phenomenon." she raised her arm once more, assuming the escapologist's pose. "Canceled, because my wife is... pregnant!"

"Oh Adrianna!" Matilda squealed excitedly.

Adrianna turned to Matilda again. "Absolute silence. You could have heard a fly burp. Then suddenly, the audience jumped to its feet and roared in appreciation! The great feat was instantly forgotten, and the applause went on for nearly an hour."

Matilda smiled widely. "So it has a happy ending!"

"Forgotten, by everyone except, that is, the acrobat's sister!" Adrianna approached Matilda, pulling the back of her shirt over her head again and picking up a book from the nearest shelf. "When all had quieted down, she stepped forward and produced . . . a contract."

"A... a contract?"

Adrianna held the book over her head, assuming a lower, menacing tone of voice. "'A contract you have signed to perform this feat and perform this feat you shall!'"

"No!"

"'I have paid for the posters, the publicity, the catering, the outhouse facilities; if I give the crowd their money back, where is my profit?" the girl pointed to the book. "A contract is a contract is a contract! My hands are tied! The Burning Woman Hurling Through the Air with Fireworms in Her Hair Over Scauldrons and Spiky Objects Caught By the Man Locked in a Cage will be performed and performed this day or... off to prison you both shall go!'"

"No! No!" Matilda cried. Adrianna froze in place, holding the book over her head. For a few seconds, not a single sound reached the almost empty library. Even Lily had been caught up in the excitement and continued to stare at her human. Finally, Matilda couldn't take another second of silence. "Well what happens next?"

"I don't know. I'll tell you later." Adrianna said, placing the book back on the shelf.

"What?" Matilda clutched her heart. "I don't know if my nerves can make it any longer."

Adrianna approached the kindhearted librarian, a concerned expression on her face. "Ms. Matilda... are you crying? Maybe I shouldn't tell you any more."

"Oh no, Adrianna. We must find out how it ends!" Matilda insisted. "And I'm not crying because it's sad. It's just that... they want that child so very much! It must be wonderful for a child to be so wanted."

Adrianna's heart twinged once more. "Yes. Wonderful. Goodbye, Ms. Matilda."

Xxx

The Great Hall had never been so packed. Hooligans and Outcasts alike were crammed in so tightly, the dragons had to be left outside. Hiccup only hoped that the hundreds of new dragons wouldn't terrorize the village. He'd trained many of the Hooligans' dragons to keep the errant ones in line but he wasn't as confident in other dragons as he was with Toothless, Stormfly, or Thornado.

As he and Astrid looked out over the crowd, they spotted their son in a large group of boys his age (some looked even older). He had absolute command of their attention, his head held high and his face alight with excitement. The other boys seemed to look up to him. Adrianna, on the other hand, was a few tables away from the girls her age, sitting across from Erick, who showed no interest in joining the group of boys surrounding Finn. The parents were slightly conflicted, wondering if it was their daughter's decision to isolate herself or if it had been made for her. Unfortunately, they simply couldn't do anything about it because of their positions as Berk's leaders. Forced to dine with the elders, the Haddocks simply had to trust that their children would be okay.

Once all of the Vikings were finished feasting, Hiccup and Allie stood up, motioning for the crowd to quiet down. The Outcasts were a bit louder than the Hooligans but even they turned their attention to the table elevated above the others.

"Welcome to Berk!" Hiccup said, feeling slightly sheepish at how silly that probably sounded. "We're really enthusiastic to house you all for the next two weeks as Thawfest commences. I'm sure a lot of your are eager to get started so I'll present the pertinent information. We've selected a variety of trainers to coach the kids. The training times for each group are on that chalkboard over there." he gestured to a chalkboard on his left. "Beyond that, just... enjoy your time here. Thawfest begins in two days."

"And we are so excited to get started." Allie simpered. "We are going to have a lot of fun but remember: we're not competing against the Hooligans, we're competing with the Hooligans. There will be winners from both tribes so let's get out there and support ours! May the best competitors win!"

As soon as Allie was finished speaking, the children crowded around the chalkboard to find out who their trainer would be. Kids aged ten through twelve would be trained by an Outcast named Tarry. Neither Finn nor Adrianna had any idea who this was but supposed they would find out the following day.

Several boys attempted to get Finn's attention on the way out of the Hall but the Haddock boy was far too distracted by the sight of his closest friend, who was standing near the large double doors and waiting for the thick crowd to dissipate.

"Benen!" he called out, jogging over to his mentor. "Are you going to be watching the games?"

"When have I ever missed them?" Benen smiled proudly. "I'm always happy to support you and your sister."

"Yeah... but this is different. There are loads of new people here and I know you don't like crowds." Finn's blue eyes briefly flitted to the doors, which was still quite crowded.

"I assure you that no crowd will keep me from attending. Some things are more important than comfort. And more fun." Benen playfully ruffled the boy's hair. "You've grown again."

"I have?" Finn grinned. "Maybe I'll be taller than you someday."

"I don't doubt it. Strong boy like you, you'll be head and shoulders above everyone here before you're finished growing."

"Oh yeah. My Poppy was really big and everyone says I look like him." Finn straightened himself up a bit more in an imitation of Stoick's confident pose. "I hope I do when I grow up. Except I won't let my beard grow out that long."

"You'll have to grow a beard first." Benen chuckled and glanced at the doors again. "I think we can go now."

"Okay." Finn walked more slowly so that the older man could keep up with his pace. Benen wasn't frail anymore, in fact he'd gained a considerable amount of weight since coming to Berk and looked healthier than ever, but he was still quite a bit slower than his young friend. "Benen?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I'll make a good chief?" Finn asked as they walked down the stairs.

Benen looked over at the youth, a puzzled expression on his face. "Why do you ask?"

Finn furrowed his brow in concentration as he thought. Then he spoke up. "I was watching dad and that Allie woman stand up in front of our tribes and talk about Thawfest. They always know what to say in front of everyone."

"That takes a lot of practice, you know. Not everyone is talented in that area." Benen took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air. "I think you are though. I saw those boys all crowded around you. You spoke just fine in front of them."

"Those are friends though." Finn shrugged, kicking a pebble out of the way as he walked. "I can talk in front of my friends. But strangers?"

"All friends begin as strangers." Benen replied, his blue eyes now focused on the cloudless sky. "You have to have the confidence to pursue an individual relationship with as many people as you can when you're their leader." he looked down as Thornado suddenly bolted to his human. "And you're always going to have help, you know. Dragons can teach us as much as humans can."

Thornado affectionately nuzzled Finn as they walked. "Do you think he's going to tell me what to do?"

"I have no doubt that he will." Benen reached out a hand and stroked Thornado. The Thunderdrum cooed contentedly; he liked the elderly man a lot. "I think you should focus on growing up. Let your father be chief. Watch him carefully and follow his example. But you're much too young to be worrying about all that now."

"I'm always worrying about it a little." Finn admitted. He then gasped. He'd never said that to anyone and here he was just blurting it out in casual conversation!

One of the things Finn liked best about Benen was that nothing seemed to surprise him. The elderly man paused for a few seconds to gather his thoughts before responding. "I think anyone in your position would be. Becoming chief is a big responsibility. And it's not something to be taken lightly." Benen stopped walking and waited for Finn to turn and look at him. "This is a very important time in your life. You're still growing up and a lot of things are going to influence the kind of man you're going to become. If you want to be a good chief, now is the time to start making wise decisions and learning what you can. Don't put too much pressure on yourself because you will make mistakes. I happen to know that your father makes dozens of them every week. But now is the time to start choosing your friends carefully."

"I already know I've chosen the right friends." Finn smiled up at his mentor.

Benen smiled back, genuinely touched. "As do I." he replied. "If you remember nothing else, remember this: in life, you have many paths to choose from. Some are good, some not so good. And sometimes you don't know which path is the right path. But it's never too late to change it."

Finn nodded. "I understand what you're saying."

They had arrived at the Haddock house. Benen gazed at the lights in the window, figuring that Adrianna was probably sitting on the couch with a book in her lap, which seemed to be a nightly habit. The Haddocks would be going to bed soon enough so now was probably a good time to drop the boy off and hope that he would have time for a chat the next day.

"You should go. You need your rest." Benen said kindly. "But remember one more thing."

Finn looked up at him, his eyes wide and a small smile on his face. Benen felt quite honored that the boy so clearly admired him. He smiled back and tapped his finger against Finn's heart.

"Fortis."