Howling Echoes - A How to Train Your Dragon Story, The Echoes, Book 1

2: Trial Gone Wrong

   I watched Hiccup approach Queen Mala.  This was going to be...interesting, to say the least.

   "You stand accused of being dragon hunters.  Do you deny this?"  Mala asked in an authoritative voice.   "Yes,"  Hiccup said, seeming slightly nervous.  "But you admit that you force them to let you ride on your back,"  Mala said.  "We - we don't force them -"  Hiccup started.  "And that you shackle them and make them do your bidding."  Mala cut him off.  "Those are just saddles!  We ride dragons!"  Hiccup protested.  "And you use them to land secretly on our island,"  Mala added, seemingly ignoring Hiccup.

   Well.  This was going well.  I could see Tuffnut looked like he was about to snap.  Hiccup had said something, but I missed it.

   "So you weren't caught by my men sneaking toward our village,"  Mala said, lacing her fingers together.  "Sneaking is a strong word."  Hiccup tried.  "And you didn't come heavily armed,"  Mala said.  "Those are just for self-defense -"  Hiccup explained.  "Oh, so you came here expecting a fight?"  Mala asked.  "No, you're twisting my words here -"  Hiccup said.

   "Alright, that's it!  I've had enough of this!"  Tuffnut snapped and stomped up towards Mala and Hiccup.  "Tuff, no!"  Astrid whispered, reaching out a hand to stop him.  Ruffnut stopped her.  "Relax, he knows what he's doing, he's been on trial more than anyone on Berk."  She thought for a moment.  "Of course, he's also been convicted more than anyone on Berk, but who cares?"

   I facepalmed and cringed as Tuffnut chatted on and on, Ruffnut adding in a few words occasionally.

   Finally, Tuffnut returned back to the rest of us.  "Oh, oh there it is."  Hiccup said with a sigh.  "Look, until a few years ago, we hated dragons.  But since then, we've learned to ride dragons and live in harmony with them.  We hate the Dragon Hunters and everything they stand for."

   Mala thought for a moment.  Then she rose.  "Your words move us, Hiccup.  But, if you are enemies of Viggo Grimborn, as you say -"  She held out a map that had someone's signature on the bottom of it and a big red horizontal line through the middle of it.  "then why do you carry a map written in his hand carrying his signature?"  Gasps rippled through the crowd around us.  "I find you all guilty, and sentence you to the same fate that meets all dragon hunters - The Nest!"