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Chapter Text

Berries, Boars, and a Boy

He was brash, cocky, and way too self-confident for it to be real but he had gotten her out of the tree. She was older than him, taller than him, and had an annoying habit of seeing through his bluffs but she had stitched him up. What happens when Sigyn and Snotlout strike up an unusual friendship? And what happens when Snotlout goes away to The Edge with the other Dragon Riders and she stays behind? Will their friendship remain intact, fade away, or possibly change into something neither was expecting?

Chapter One: Berry, Boar, Boy

Sweet sticky juice stained Sigyn’s fingertips a deep red as she pulled the berries free from the bush and dropped them into her satchel. The back of her neck and arms were hot from the late summer sun's attention overhead but the slight afternoon breeze from the West was more than welcome. The stained bag was almost three-quarters full and she bent a branch forward to reach a cluster of ripe berries near the top. The berries had come early this year. Typically berries on Berk were not ready to harvest for another four weeks. Thank goodness she had checked on them today. Another week and the squirrels, birds, and wild boars would have picked these bushes clean. As it was, she had still had to scare off a few birds and squirrels.

Most of the boars on Berk had been rounded up by the Dragon Riders, Hiccup and his friends, but there were still some that eluded the group. The wild boars could be quite dangerous and while it was true that Burkians enjoyed wrestling them in the boar pits, that was typically only attempted one on one. In the wild, the oversized swine traveled in droves of anywhere from ten to thirty. They had sharp tusks, a nasty attitude, and would eat almost anything, including any available meat. They had even been known to go after an injured dragon if given the chance.

Sigyn’s fingers slipped on the branch and it whipped back up, slapping her across the face, leaving red smears of berry juice on her heavily freckled cheeks. She swore softly dropping her bag to rub at her eye. Following the burbling sounds, she moved towards the slow-moving stream nearby. She squatted to examine her reflection, pulling her eyelid down. Her blond hair came free from its loose tie and fell in curtains around her face obscuring her view. Huffing, she gathered it up and stuffed it down the back of her brown tunic before bending over the water once again. She would live. The white of her eyes was a bit red from the rubbing but the brown iris was intact. Dipping her hand into the icy water she pressed it to her eyelid and sighed in relief.

A snuffling squeaking sound off to her right caught her attention and Sigyn froze. Moving slowly she let her hands drop and turned to look. It was a boar, a piglet, probably born earlier this summer. She stood, moving away quietly. It was definitely time to leave. Where there were piglets there was also a grumpy sow. She slipped silently back to the berry bush to retrieve her satchel. Unfortunately, it had already been found. She estimated there were about 15 adults and as many piglets. She winced as two of the largest boars fought over her satchel, tearing it and scattering the berries in the dirt. So much for berry picking. She backed away slowly. If she could get around them undetected she would have a straight shot for home. So intent was she on watching the adults that she failed to notice the piglet snuffling the ground behind her. She went down on her rear with a crash sending the squealing piglet dashing toward the others.

The adults raised their heads and Sigyn’s heart skipped a beat. The piglet scampered under the largest of the sows. It was silent for only a moment before the peace was shattered by a shrill squeal and the drove charged forward. Sigyn scrambled to her feet and dashed between the berry bushes, running for the tall evergreen trees at the edge of the clearing. The boars were close behind and gaining but she only had a couple hundred more steps to go. She scanned the trees looking for a thick low-lying branch. Spying one, she put on a burst of speed, and just as she reached the tree lept high into the air, catching the branch. With a grunt, she pulled herself out of the reach of the boars as they snuffled angrily around the trunk of the tree.

Great, treed and her only weapon was her skinning dagger. The boars squealed angrily below her feet. The largest of the males had managed to get her satchel up over his head, the bag hanging limply around his neck like a bizarre necklace. Well, the only thing to do was wait them out. She cursed. Who knew how long that would take. She climbed higher, grimacing as her hands found rivulets of thick sap. Finally, she reached the spot where the thick green needles gave way. She peered out over the berry meadow. A little over two miles away was the village, the dragons flying over it, and just this side of the village tucked into the trees she knew was her house.

She could still hear the boar’s angry snorts below. Just how long would she have to wait up here? She had heard stories of people stuck in trees for days. She had told her father where she was going and to expect her back by sundown, but it wasn't like he could come after her. The Ingerman’s were their closest neighbors and Mrs. Ingerman usually checked in on them every other day or so, but she had already visited earlier in the day. Thankfully Sigyn had seen to her father's needs before she left so he was not in immediate need and she had eaten a fair amount of berries. She would just have to tough it out until someone came to visit her father and was alerted to her absence or the boars got bored and left. Either way, she would likely be here a while. At least she'd found a sturdy branch to sit on with another jutting out just above that she could rest her arms on.

The hours passed slowly into evening and the boars showed no sign of moving. Some would trot over to the berry bush but there were always at least five or six that remained behind, clustered around the trunk of the tree. She climbed down hoping to slip away unnoticed, but the large sow spotted her and kicked up a fuss drawing the others back to the tree. So it would be overnight then. Climbing back up to her previous perch she loosened her belt and wrapped it around herself and the branch she sat on. Leaning forward over the upper branch she rested her head on her arms and waited for the sun to set trying not to worry about her father.

Sleeping in a tree was far from comfortable and she woke several times during the night. Unable to see the ground she dropped large pine cones to the ground but hearing the squeals and grunts from below was enough to let her know she was still under guard. Sighing she leaned forward once again and tried her best to slip back into a fitful slumber.

The sun shone through her eyelids staining her vision red. She grumbled turning her face away from the oddly warm breeze ghosting over her cheeks trying to go back to sleep.

"Look at that Fangster. Not every day you see that."

What was that irritating noise? She wished it would just go away. She had finally found a manageable position and she wanted to sleep.

"Hey, babe! What are you doing there?"

Go away. It was too early for talking.

"Is she even alive?"

Something rough and warm bumped her cheek. She pushed it away, grumbling.

“Rise and shine gorgeous!" called a voice.

The warm something bumped her again and grumbling Sigyn opened her eyes…opened her eyes to a pair of large yellow eyes. She jolted backward screaming and kicking. A dragon! Those were dragon eyes. The monstrous nightmare jerked back from her frantic kicks and only after something fell shrieking to the ground did she realize that the dragon had a ridder. Squeals and grunts erupted from below interspersed with shrieks and shouts of anger.

"Hookfang! Get down here! Odin I hate boars. Hookfang!"

The dragon beat its wings pulling back before dropping to the ground and scattering the drove of boars in every direction. Sigyn fumbled with her belt, finally unlatching it before she climbed lower. She could see him as she swung down to a lower branch. A boy, short and thickly built. His dark hair was swept back from his face and stuck out over the collar of his brown leather vest and down in front of his ears. Cursing under his breath he stooped to retrieve his helmet from under a bush and set it back on his head. That horned helmet was familiar.

"Hookfang! Get back here right now!" yelled the boy, limping toward the trunk of the tree. Off in the meadow, the dragon ignored him, busily chasing the boars. She watched the dragon warily and when it disappeared into the trees on the other side of the meadow she dropped down to the ground. Her legs gave out underneath her and she sank into the long grass.

“Stupid dragon," mumbled the boy. He turned to face her, his blue eyes surveying her.

She recognized him now. He was one of the Dragon Riders. Not only a Dragon Rider but a Dragon Racer. She racked her brain trying to remember his name but came up blank. She knew Fishlegs, not well, but they were neighbors, and of course, the whole village knew Hiccup and Astrid, but she was unsure about the twins or this boy.

"Who are you?" he demanded. She stretched her legs out in front of her, trying to regain feeling in her toes.

"Sigyn,” she said, not looking up as she rubbed her calves. "Sigyn Helvig.”

"What's wrong with your legs?"

"Been sitting in a tree all night,” she replied, looking up at him. “What about your leg? Did the boars do that?" He looked down at his torn pants where his shin was sliced open and bleeding.

"Oh...yeah, it was totally that big one with the sac around its neck. But I sent it running for the hills. Punched it right in the mouth."

“And your monstrous nightmare had nothing to do with that?” He scowled.

"I had them on the run before Hookfang showed up," he said, jabbing a thumb in his chest. She's scanned the meadow. Still no dragon. Good. The boy sank to the ground to sit with his back against the tree. "At least now I know why you were in the tree. How long were you up there anyway?"

“Since yesterday afternoon."

"What were you doing out here alone? Where is your dragon?”

“I was picking those berries,” she said, pointing to the bushes still laden with red fruit. She stiffened when the Monstrous Nightmare reappeared bounding across the meadow headed straight for them. He was large for his species, a deep red with dark orange, brown, and black spots.

"Why didn't your family or your dragon come to find you?” pressed the boy. She scrambled to her feet moving to stand just behind the tree line.

“I don't have a dragon,” she said, edging further back as the dragon got closer. “It's just my dad at home, and he’s not exactly mobile."

“Don’t have a dragon!" blurted the boy. “How could you not have a dragon? Nearly everyone has one now, even if they don’t ride them." He watched her skeptically as she shifted to stand behind the more sheltered side of the tree away from the approaching dragon at his side. “You're not some sort of dragon hater are you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he reached to pat the dragon under the chin.

“No, I don’t hate them,” she said, keeping careful watch on the dragon's wings and tail.

“Then what's wrong with you? Dragons are awesome. Especially Hookfang. He's the biggest on the island.” She could well believe him.

“It's their size that worries me.”

“What, do you think they're going to eat you?" he scoffed. The dragon nudged him, sending him sprawling into the grass. "Hey! Hookfang!"

The dragon nosed toward her sniffing and she withdrew a few steps further behind the trees, trying to stay out of its reach. The dragon’s tail swung back and forth in agitation as it pressed closer. She ducked when its wing brushed the branches above sending a shower of pine needles raining down on her.

"I don't trust that they're conscious of their size," she said, brushing pine needles from her hair. The dragon pressed forward still trying to smell her, making the trees crack and groan as it tried to squeeze between them. "Hey, will you call him off please!" she called to the boy, trying and failing to keep the panic from her tone.

"Hn? Oh, yeah." He clambered to his feet. "Hookfang, back up will you. Give the lady some room to breathe." The dragon didn't budge. The boy tugged on the large horns protruding from his head. "I said back up!" The trees complained as the dragon continued to press against them, straining to get closer to her.

“Hookfang? Stop.” The dragon ignored him, its nose now a few feet from her. “Alright, you asked for this." The boy came around to stand in front of the dragon. He gripped the dragon’s horns and yanked its head to the side, pinning it to the ground. The dragon immediately went limp collapsing to the ground, a loud growling purr like a hive of bees coming from its chest. Its eyes were nearly closed.

"Did you just break your dragon?” she asked, confused and a bit surprised by the boy’s strength.

“Naw, he likes when I do that.” He rubbed a hand between the dragon’s large eyes. The smaller of the two trees the dragon had been trying to squeeze between cracked and fell with a deafening crash. She jumped out of the way as a stray branch brushed past her.

“And that,” she said, pointing to the fallen tree. "Is why I don’t trust dragons. They don't control their strength well.”

“Who needs to control it when you can just use it," said the boy, flexing his bicep and kissing it.

“I prefer not to have trees dropped on me.” He shrugged. “What was your name anyway?" she asked. He wilted a bit.

“You don't know my name?"

"Nope. I know you're a Dragon Rider and Racer but I can't say I know your name.”

"You like to watch the races?" he asked, perking up. "Did you see the last one? I totally kicked butt!"

“I don't really like the races," she admitted.

“Geez, what's wrong with you anyway? Everyone likes the races."

"Everyone except me I know,” she said impatiently. “But what’s your name?" He straightened and looked her up and down.

“I see, you want to know the name of your hero," he said, sauntering over to her with a slight limp. "Snotlout. Snotlout Jorgenson."

“Ah! Your dad is Spitelout, brother of Chief Stoic, which makes you and Hiccup...?"

"Cousins, yeah," he said unenthusiastically, folding his arms over his chest again. "What about it?"

"Nothing, just making the connection. Do you have any water?"

He walked around the dragon’s head to the saddle and opened a pocket before tossing her a water skin. She took a long drink.

"Thanks,” she said, tossing it back.

“It's just water," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"No, I mean thanks for getting rid of the boars.”

“I was pretty impressive, wasn’t I?” he fished. The dragon was beginning to stir and she backed further away. It growled and flicked its tail smacking Snotlout in the back making him stumble forward. “Alright, alright. We... We were both impressive." The dragon rumbled satisfied.

“Very impressive,” she said, not quite able to keep the smirk off her lips. “I should get back." She started to edge around the dragon, giving it a wide berth.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

“I didn't go home last night. My dad will be worried."

“Oh, right, right. Sure, I get it.” He stumbled toward the dragon grimacing when he put weight on his injured leg.

She paused.

"Hey are you going to be okay?" she asked, watching him. “How bad is your leg?"

“It's nothing," he said, trying to climb into the dragon’s saddle. The dragon lifted its head making it impossible for him to reach. “Knock it off Hookfang.”

“Maybe you should let me look at it," she said. His pant leg was stained red and growing redder.

"No. I'm fine. Hookfang, get down here!" The dragon rumbled, lowering its head enough to shove Snotlout toward her. “Hey!"

"I think your dragon disagrees."

"Stupid Dragon," he muttered. The dragon whacked him gently with its tail. "What!” he said, brushing away the dragon with a wave. “I’m fine!"

“Let me at least look at it," she insisted. “Animal bites are more serious than regular cuts. They are more prone to infection.”

“But it’s not…” but he paused. He watched her for a moment before finally relenting. “Alright, but only because my dragon’s being an idiot." He sat on the trunk of the toppled tree. She didn't move. “What are you waiting for?"

"Your dragon... Could you get him to back up a bit?"

“Gezz, you really are scared of them aren't you?" But he motioned for Hookfang to back up and for once the dragon did as told. She crouched in front of him and peeled back the ripped fabric.

"How bad is it?" he asked, his eyes closed.

"Well, your shin is pretty messed up. I don't think there will be permanent damage other than a scar, but you definitely need stitches."

“Stitches! That's ridiculous. Stitches are for weaklings. Besides the old bag, Gothi, doesn't like me. She's always whacking me with that stick of hers.”

"Oh sorry, I was wrong,” she said. “The leg will have to be amputated completely."

“What! No! I'm not gonna be some Hiccup wannabe."

“Relax," she said, tugging off her armband and unwinding it. “I was kidding. But seriously if you don't get it stitched it won't heal. The skin won't pull back together on its own.” She tied the makeshift bandage around his leg tightly. He grumbled something under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing," he snapped. It was quiet for a moment.

"Look,” she said, getting to her feet. “If you don't want to see Gothi I can stitch it up for you.”

"Are you a healer?” he asked.

“No," she admitted. “But I am one of the village tailors and I've stitched up my fair share of cuts."

“You’re a tailor?” She nodded.

“In fact, I'm pretty sure the pants you're wearing are ones that I made. I can even fix them up if you want." He glanced down at them thinking.

“You could really stitch this up?"

"Sure. It's stitches, not childbirth.” Hookfang grumbled lowly making her jump as his head brushed past to nuzzle Snotlout’s leg. She backed away hastily.

"Shove off, you big lizard,” grumbled Snotlout, pushing Hookfang away. He looked up at her. “Alright. Do your worst. But you can’t tell anyone!"

He stood and this time Hookfang allowed him to climb into the saddle. Snotlout turned to her, holding a hand out for her.

"I’ll walk thanks,” she said, edging away.

"But that will take forever!"

"You're not going to bleed out are you?"

"Of course not," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm a Jorgenson."

“Then what's the big deal?”

“Fine," he said. “We'll walk. How far is it anyway?"

“West side of the village, tucked inside the tree line," she said. “We can be there in about half an hour."

“Alright, but if I bleed out it's on your head."

“I'll risk it,” she said glibly. "You're riding a dragon, and besides, I thought you were a Jorgenson."

Half an hour later her house became visible, its domed roof peeking out between the treetops. She turned to look up at Snotlout who had been mostly silent on the walk back.

“Um...the dragon stays here," she said. He raised an eyebrow at her watching her with his icy gaze. She remained silent. Unmoving.

“Fine," he relented. He tapped the dragon’s nose and it lowered its head to let him off. Sigyn watched, stepping well out of reach of the dragon's wings or tail. "Go on Hooky. I'll find you later," he said, shooing the dragon with a wave.

Hookfang turned his attention to Sigyn, moving closer. She froze, hardly breathing as the large dragon nosed closer, bumping her elbow with a soft growl.

“Hey, leave her be.” Snotlout shoved the dragon’s head aside. “I saw her first," he said, flashing her a cocky grin. Grunting the dragon turned to go. Its wings kicked up dirt and leaves, its tail tapping the back of Snotlout’s helmet one last time before it disappeared over the treetops.

"Alright, dragons gone. Now what?” asked Snotlout, righting his helmet. Sigyn blew out a breath, her body relaxing. He watched her with skepticism. "How do you even live on Berk if you don't like dragons?" She looked at him smiling weakly.

“That's why we live here and not closer to the village. The dragons don't usually come this far except to fly over.” They were silent for a moment. “Anyway, come on. Let's look at your leg properly."

She led him past the fenced garden, shooing the chickens and spilling out some feed for them. Grabbing a bucket she scooped some water from the small stream that ran behind the house and directed Snotlout towards the front. The door squeaked open kicking up dust from the floor, making it spin wildly in the sunbeams slanting through the open window.

“Sigyn?" called a husky voice from the back room. “Sigyn? Is that you?"

"It's me, Dad. Just a second." She turned to Snotlout. “Sit here," she said, moving a basket of thread and a stack of thick cloth from one of the chairs by the table. He sat. She kicked the dying embers in the hearth back to life and added a few more logs before setting the water over the flames to heat. Snatching a loaf of bread, a jug of water, and a hunk of yak cheese she proceeded to the back room.

"Sigyn! Thank the gods. I worried for you. Where have you been?"

"I got treed by some boars. Sorry I didn't make it home last night."

She set the food and water on the small table beside the bed before turning to face him. His hair was mused with sleep, the dark color peppered with grey to match the beard that obscured his once broad jaw now carved with premature lines of age. She plucked the blanket off the floor and tucked it back around his withered legs. He held out a hand for her, his brown eyes staring blankly ahead. She took it, squeezing gently.

"You spent the night in a tree?" She bent to place a kiss on his leathered cheek.

"I did, and I don't recommend it."

"How did you get back? And who's with you?" She squeezed his hand again smiling.

"I should have known I couldn't trick your ears. It's Snotlout.”

“Snotlout? That Jorgenson boy? The one who looks like a troll?" She laughed.

"Dad, that was four years ago, and most kids that age look like trolls.”

“You didn't," he said. She smiled.

"You only say that because you have to."

“It's true," he defended.

"Alright, alright,” she relented. “You win. Here eat this. I have to go stitch up Snotlout."

"Stitch him up? What, did he split his britches?" She handed him the bread and cheese.

"No. He got in a fight with a boar, or so the story goes."

“I see. Well, don't let me keep you then."

"Eat up," she urged, patting his hand and turning to snatch the basket off the shelf on the wall. "I'll come back and check on you once I'm done and have seen to the yaks.”

Coming back into the main room she found Snotlout wandering about, running his fingers over the assortment of cloth and furs strewn over most of the available surfaces in the little room, including some of the stairs leading up to her bedroom. The table was littered with scraps of cloth, thread in an assortment of colors, and a healthy collection of needles, buttons, and claps. The broom leaned forgotten in the corner, buried under good intention and creativity.

"I guess you weren't kidding when you said you were a tailor," he said, dropping several dragon scale buttons back onto the table.

“Nope,” she said, shoving the organized clutter aside and placing the basket on the table. She moved the beginnings of a green dragon scale vest off the remaining chair before retrieving a few strips of clean cloth and the water from the fireplace. “It's a useful job that I can do outside of the village while still being close to my father. Sit," she said gesturing to the empty chair beside her. He plodded over and sank into the chair, watching as she pulled various bottles and jars from the basket.

"What happened to him? Your father I mean." Sigyn froze a moment before setting a green bottle down.

"An accident a little over four years ago left him numb from the waist down and mostly blind. Put your leg up here," she said, patting her thigh and turning her chair perpendicular to his. He began to unlace his boot. "No,” she said, stopping him. “I think I prefer you keep your boot on." He let out a sigh and lifted his leg resting it across her lap.

She pulled his pant leg up and untied her armband from around his leg. The cut was roughly four inches long but luckily it had missed the muscle only splitting the skin. Soaking a cloth in the hot water she began to clean the wound.

"Are you sure a boar did this?” she asked, smirking.

"Of course," he said, defensively.

“If you're sure,” she said. He looked at her apprehensively.

"Why?"

"Well," she said, gently tugging a splinter of wood from one end of the gash. "Generally, boar's tusks are made of bone and not bits of tree." She held the splinter up where he could see it. His jaw snapped shut and he looked away from her crossing his arms over his chest. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Go on, laugh, everyone else will," he said, trying to pull his leg away. She caught his ankle and held him.

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad."

"I’m not,” he said angrily. “Besides, why should you care? Hiccup and the others would have laughed. I got bested by a tree."

“That's not what I was laughing about," she said.

“Then what?"

"It... It was your expression when you realized I'd caught you in a lie." He frowned and then looked away.

"Alright, so I lied. The tree caught my leg on the way down. It's no big deal."

“It's not,” she agreed. "So why lie?" He fell silent and she returned to cleaning the wound.

"I really did punch a boar,” he said. “The big one with the bag around its neck. Punched him right in the mouth.”

"I believe you,” she said, reaching for a fresh cloth and the smallest of the jars.

"Why do you believe me this time?" he asked. She dabbed some of the jar’s contents on the cloth and grabbed his hand, which was resting on the table.

"Your knuckles. Unless you go around punching trees, you must have knocked that boar for a loop." She swept the cloth over his split knuckles. He hissed and jerked his hand back.

"What is that stuff?"

"Just something to aid healing. I should have warned you. It stings.”

"It doesn't sting," he said defiantly. "Jorgensons don't feel pain.” She reapplied the liquid to the cloth and moved to his leg.

"I suppose there's no need to tell you to brace yourself then." She pressed the cloth to his leg but with forewarning, he managed not to jerk away only letting out a low grunt of discomfort escape his lips. She reached for another bottle and pried its stopper free.

"What's that?" he asked, eyeing the bottle apprehensively.

"It's a jell that will numb your skin for a while so I can stitch you up." She paused her fingers poised over his cut. "That is unless you think it would be pointless since you're Jorgenson and all." He huffed, folding his arms and looking away from her.

“Do what you want." She applied the jell.

Wiping her hands clean she retrieved a needle and thread. She worked in silence for several minutes, bent over his leg, concentrating on making the stitches small and neat.

“Where did you learn to do that?" She looked up to see him leaning forward to examine her work. She sat back so he could see.

"Gothi, I have been to visit her a lot in the past four years. But really with how violent our lives are you would think more of us would have some basic healing skills.”

“No. How do you do that stitch?” he clarified. “I've never seen one like that before."

“Planning on needing more stitches sometime soon?"

"No,” he said, looking away. She bent over his leg again. It was a good minute before he spoke. “It would just be nice to not have to go see Gothi as much."

“Want me to teach you?” she asked. He didn't say anything but nodded it as he glared out the window.

“It’s a healer’s stitch. You start on one side like this." Patiently she demonstrated the stitch.

“Again," he said, watching her carefully. She showed him three more times.

"Want to give it a shot?” she asked, holding out the needle. Hesitantly he took it.

“Like this?" he asked after a moment.

“Yep, just keep the stitches small. Try a few more." He did two more.

“Here,” he said, heading her back the needle and sitting back in the chair. “Your’s are better.”

"Well I am a tailor, so that's only to be expected.” She pointed to a puffy scar on her left arm near the shoulder. “I had to learn to.” He grunted.

“How did you get that?" he asked after a moment.

"Training," she said. He sat up straighter, interested.

"What weapon?"

“I used to be pretty good with the sword and I'm still a decent shot with a bow."

“Don't you practice anymore?"

"I don't have a lot of time anymore." He frowned. It was a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Why haven't I seen you before?"

"Well,” she said, pulling the final stitch closed. “For obvious reasons, I tend to avoid the village when I can."

“Dragons?" he asked. She nodded, snipping the string.

"What season were you born?" she asked, reaching for a jar full of red paste.

“Spring,” he said. “Why?”

“How old will you be then?"

"18."

“Then that's another reason. I'm almost a year-and-a-half older than you."

“No way. You're 18?"

“19 in a few months. Hold still I'm almost done." She smeared the red paste over the cut and reached for a clean strip of cloth. He tried to pull away once the bandage was in place but she stopped him.

"Hold on,” she said, catching his pant leg. “This will only take a minute.” In a moment she had rethreaded her needle and had soon repaired the tear in his pant leg.

“There, good as new. After a wash anyway. You should be all set." He tugged his pant leg down and tucked it back into his boot. "Just try not to get the cut wet for three days. You'll have to pull the stitches out yourself."

"I can do that," he said, getting to his feet.

"All right then. If for some reason it gets infected you'll have to go see Gothi. That's beyond me.” He turned to go and she watched him from the doorway. Just as he was about out of the yard, she called after him.

"Hey, Snotlout." He paused and turned to look at her. "Thanks."

"For what?” he asked, confused.

"For getting me out of that tree. I could have been there for a few days before anyone other than my father even noticed.” He turned fully to face her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You should carry a weapon with you, especially if you don’t have a dragon,” he said. “And not just that dagger on your hip.”

“I’ll do that,” she said.

“You won’t tell anyone about the tree will you?"

“I won't tell if it bothers you."

“I never said it bothered me,” he said, looking away.

“I won’t tell anyone. And if anyone asks about your leg you could just say that you rescued a maiden trapped in a tree by boars." He thought for a moment.

"I suppose that would work," he said, tipping his helmet further back on his head. "But it has to be a fair maiden."

“Oh?"

"Of course," he said grinning. "Only a fair maiden is worth my time." She laughed.

“I suppose you're right."

“See you around Sigyn," he called, waving as he disappeared down the path toward the village.

Two mornings later after she had milked the yaks and was on her way to collect the eggs, something out of place caught her eye. Hanging on a limb of the tree next to the barn was her satchel. She set the buckets of milk aside and lifted the bag down. It was heavy. Flipping the top open she was surprised to find it was filled to the brim with fresh berries. She frowned, sure the bag had been ripped by the boars. She lifted it higher and laughed. The bottom of the bag had been stitched closed with several dozen healer’s stitches.

Chapter Text

It was a crisp fall afternoon. Just as the berries had come early to Berk, so had Autumn. The leaves are beginning to turn and fall to the ground like colorful snowflakes, promising an early and long Winter. The cattails near the edge of the pond had begun to turn from their auburn color to a dusty gray, their tops fluffing out, spewing seeds into the chill breeze and out over the clearing. Sigyn sat with her back to the tree near the edge of the pond, her face upturned, eyes closed, enjoying the serenity. Scattered about her in the crunchy leaves were various pieces of leather, fabric, and scales. Against her left leg rested the half-spilled basket of supplies and in her lap was the green dragon scale tunic she had been working on for over a month. It was slow going but it would be worth it once it was finished. Dragon scales were difficult to work with but brought a high price.

The angry shouts from above were the first thing that alerted Sigyn that her peaceful afternoon was about to be interrupted. The second was the sudden and sporadic change in the breeze.

"Hookfang! I said no! Stop you crazy dragon!" Sigyn’s eyes flew open. She knew that voice although she had not heard it in almost a month. Where that voice went a monstrous nightmare was sure to follow. Searching the sky she was alarmed to see two large clawed feet descending rapidly towards her spot on the bank. She leapt to her feet and retreated in the only direction available to her... into the pond. Just as she was certain the dragon would land and crush her basket of supplies it beat its wings propelling itself backward to land further up the bank. Apparently, she was not the only one to be surprised by the dragon’s sudden change in direction. She watched for the second time as the familiar boy flew off the dragon's neck sailing out over the pond.

"No! No! Aaaa!..." Snotlout hit the water with a slap, sending waves tumbling across the small pond. Water had seeped into Sigyn’s boots and she felt the ripples around her lower thighs as Snotlout floundered in the water.

The enormous red dragon was edging closer, its nostrils flaring and suddenly Sigyn only had eyes for it. The dragon was coming straight for her and she backed further into the pond, the cattail fluff falling like snow around her face. It tickled her nose, making her eyes water. She sneezed, and in the split-second that her eyes were closed, something warm and large snaked around her, catching her in the back of the knees and scooping her up. Panic gripped her chest and she flailed about. The dragon had her in its tail! Its grip tightened slightly as it drew her forward under its outstretched wing. The dragon bent its head toward her, its tongue flicking toward her, rumbling lowly. Her mind went numb and she stood, unable to move, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt the dragon’s nose bump against her side and could not help the whimper that escaped her.

"Hookfang! Get me out of here!" shouted Snotlout, breaking the moment. The dragon snorted and the tail around her disappeared. She heard a loud slap and a splash. “Hey!” spluttered Snotlout.

The warmth around her was suddenly gone and Sigyn slumped into the leaves at her feet. When she dared to crack her eyes open the dragon had moved away and was making itself comfortable under a tree some hundred paces away. She let out the breath that had been caught in her lungs, her muscles trembling in relief. Splashing to her left alerted her to Snotlout clumsily exiting the pond.

"Stupid, muttonheaded Dragon," he muttered, crawling up the muddy bank. Getting to his feet he spotted her and straightened. He tried to wipe the mud from his cheeks but only succeeded in smearing it further.

"Oh, hey Sigyn," he said, nonchalantly flicking muck from his fingers. "What are... "

"Why does your dragon do that!" she blurted, from her place on the ground. He looked over at her surprised and then snorted.

"If I had a gold coin for every time that dragon has thrown me off his back I’d be..." said Snotlout, pulling weeds from a shirt.

"No, not that," she said, wrapping her arms around herself. "Why is your dragon always trying to smell me? Why does he always want to get close to me?” Snotlout looked confused.

"Did he do that again?"

"Yes," she said. "He scooped me out of the pond and dragged me under his wing so he could smell me.” Snotlout scowled in the dragon’s direction.

“So you’ll get her out of the pond but not me!” he shouted angrily. The dragon didn’t stir.

“Why does he do that?" she asked again.

“Search me,” said Snotlout. “Sounds like he likes you.”

“What are you doing here anyway?" she asked, trying to calm her heart which was still beating frantically.

"Ask the big lummox over there,” he said, jabbing a thumb in the direction of his dragon. “I didn't ask him to bring me here, I was trying to go home. I've been fighting with him ever since we left the training academy.” He looked her up and down. “What are you doing here?"

"I was sewing," she said, getting shakily to her feet.

"Out here by the pond?"

"I like it out here. The light is good and usually," she shot a look at him. “Usually it's peaceful. During the winter I'm stuck indoors with candles for light so it's nice to be outside while I still can be." She studied him for a moment. He was sopping wet, mud plastered to his arms, legs, and smeared across his cheeks. Little cattail fluffs were plastered to every possible surface on him but nowhere more prolifically than his dark hair.

“Like what you see, don’t you?" he asked, watching her.

"You are a mess,” she said simply.

"But an attractive mess," he said, placing a hand on his hip.

"Not the first adjective that comes to mind." He deflated somewhat. "Where is your helmet?"

"Thor's beard," he cursed, turning to wade back into the pool. It was not a very deep pool, or very large, perhaps fifty paces across and no deeper than the tallest man in the village. She watched Snotlout blunder about, driving under the surface now and then, growing more frustrated by the moment.

"Try over there," she said, pointing to the area of the pond where the water was still stirred up and muddy. He waded over and ducked under, vanishing for several seconds before his helmet punched back out of the water clenched in his fist. Snotlout reappeared streaming pond water as he stalked toward her. He'd almost reached a large rock that hung out over the steep muddy bank when his left side sank about a foot lower than his right. He cursed as he tried to right himself, reaching out for the rock but not quite close enough.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He grimaced.

"My foot’s stuck."

"Well, pull it out."

"I can't,” he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm stuck."

She sighed and moved forward, trying to avoid the muddiest of the bank. She perched precariously on the jutting rock and crouching held a hand out to him. He reached for her and she pulled hard.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Not that arm!" he said, snatching his hand back. His sudden movement caught her off-guard, disrupting her already precarious balance. She shrieked as she toppled forward into the pond, the cold murky water closing over her head momentarily. She surfaced, spluttering, only to find herself face-to-face with Snotlout, his hands at her waist holding her so she floated and her feet did not touch bottom. With his feet sunk in the mud, he was several inches shorter than normal, the water lapping just over his shoulders. He looked up at her, frozen for a moment before his face broke into a wide grin.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but me likey,” he said, his grip on her waist tightening as he drew her closer. “I knew you were eyeing me."

"I'm glad at least one of us is enjoying themselves," she said, pushing against him. He let her go and she clambered back onto the rock and sat crossing her arms and legs, watching him. A long moment passed.

"Hey? Aren't you going to pull me out?" he asked, struggling against the mud.

"I’m just taking a minute to enjoy the view,” she said, leaning back on her arms. He shook his head grumbling and struggled against the mud some more before groaning. "What now?" she asked.

“Now both feet are stuck." She snickered. “Come on, help me out.”

“I mean I would but… you look great right where you are and I wouldn’t want to spoil the view for the next girl who comes along.”

“When I get out of here, and I will, I'm throwing you back in," he said, before ducking underwater. He resurfaced a few seconds later. "Hookfang! Get over here!" The dragon raised its head, snorted, and then lay back down. "Lazy dragon," mumbled Snotlout. "Guess I have to lose the boots. My dad's going to kill me. It's the second pair this year."

He was about to go under when she called out to him, bringing him up short.

“Snotlout, what happened to your arm?” There was a sizable burn on his left shoulder reaching down past his elbow. How had she not noticed before? Then again, he had been smeared in mud before.

"Nothing, don't worry about it,” he said, flushing slightly.

“It's not nothing. Look! There are ruptured blisters and it's all up and down your arm."

“It's just a burn," he said. "I ride a dragon that sets himself on fire. It's hardly the first time I've been burned."

“Did your dragon do that to you?" she asked, aghast. He shook his head.

"Nah, this wasn't Hookfang, not that he hasn't burned me before."

“He's burned you like this before?” Snotlout shrugged, making ripples in the water.

"Once in the beginning he got me real good. I was still getting used to him, but he doesn't do that anymore. Now he just likes to give me a hot seat, wack me, or throw me off his back when I annoy him. That or he ignores me altogether."

"Well if it wasn't your dragon, then how did it happen?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter,” he said, looking away, the pink flush back in his cheeks. “Just get me out of here okay."

“Alright," she said. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it. She leaned forward offering him her hand. He reached for her with his left, which was the closest, then thought better of it and offered his right. She braced herself properly, reaching behind her to grab the lip of the rock.

"Alright pull," she said. “Wriggle your feet until the mud loosens up.” After half a minute of this, he was free with his boots intact. He hauled himself up on the rock and she moved back, making room for him to sit. He dangled his feet in the water, kicking them back and forth trying to clear away the muck. She scooted closer to examine his shoulder. At first, he didn't notice her, jumping slightly when he glanced over to find her next to him.

"You know this is a pretty serious burn right?" she asked, gingerly touching the edge where the skin was not as damaged. She took his bicep in her hand, turning it so she could get a better look.

"You know,” he said, watching her with a smirk. “If you wanted to feel me up you could have just said so." She jabbed him in the ribs.

"Be serious for once, would you?"

"Alright, alright, geez.” He rubbed his free hand over the back of his neck.

"You should probably go see Gothi for this," she said.

"What? No way am I going near that old bird today," he said, pulling away from her and wincing.

"Well, then how are you planning to treat this?"

"I don't know," he said. "Probably go home and smear some boar fat on it.” She looked at him, dumbfounded, at a complete loss for words. "What?” he asked defensively.

"You've got to be kidding me right? Please tell me that was a joke."

"Which bit?" She shook her head.

"Alright," she said, unfastening his slightly scorched bracer and tugging it gently off his forearm. “New plan. Take off the vest.” He raised an eyebrow but took it off all the same, tucking it under his belt. “Okay now we need to loosen these ties,” she said, reaching for the leather ties that held his tunic together at his shoulder.

"What? Why?” he asked, leaning away from her. “I mean I know I'm gorgeous but I never thought you'd agree with me.”

"Can we discuss your alleged attractiveness later, like after we’ve treated your arm?"

"So you agree I'm attractive to you."

“Snotlout, focus!"

"Alright, alright," he said, letting her loosen the ties. “But tell me why."

"Because burns can cause swelling. If your arm and shoulder swell up you don't want to have to cut your shirt off of you?”

“So you are getting me naked now?” he said, beginning to lift the tunic over his head.

"No, no, stop!" she said, catching his hand. "You only take the shirt off if it starts to swell, understand. We are not getting you naked.”

"Figures," he said, sounding disappointed. She sighed in exasperation and tapped the backside of his arm where the skin was only slightly red.

“Don’t you want to get this taken care of? Doesn’t this hurt?”

"OW! Yes... I mean no. No, it doesn't hurt." She rolled her eyes at his blatant bluff.

"Sure, and I'm Loki's wife," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, technically you are named after..."

"Oh, shut up. Just... Just put your hand on your head." He pulled his right hand on his head. She rolled her eyes. "Your other hand Snotlout.” He switched hands, wincing slightly. “Okay now stay put alright. Keep your hand on your head and don't go back in the water. I'll be back soon."

“But where are you going," he asked, scrambling to his feet to follow her.

"I need to get a few things. I'll be back in less than 15 minutes. Stay here, keep your arm up, and try to keep the burn clean alright?"

"Alright," he said, waving her off as he moved to take her spot beneath the tree. Casting one last glance at Snotlout and another at Hookfang she hurried off towards her house, following the game trail home. Boar fat indeed.

In a few minutes, she made it back home.

"You're back early," called her father from his chair in the garden, taking several pebbles from the bucket beside him. On nice days her father would act as a sentinel over the garden, keeping birds and small animals from stealing their produce by throwing pebbles at them. Though his vision was reduced to extremely vague blurs of light and dark shapes his hearing had become uncannily good, as had his aim.

"I'm only back for a minute," she said, stepping closer, her boots squelching soppily. “Do you need anything?” He cocked his head to the side, listening before throwing a pebble to his left, scaring off a bird that it landed on the garden fence.

“I'm alright for now, but why are you wet? I thought you were going to sew, not swim."

“It wasn't exactly a conscious choice," she said. “I had an unexpected visitor.”

“Oh? Who?"

"Snotlout."

“That Jorgenson boy again?” he asked surprised.

"Yeah."

"So you two went swimming together?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. “In the Autumn?”

“If by swimming together, you mean I fell in the pond trying to pull him out, then yes."

“What was he doing in the pond?"

“He got thrown in by his dragon. Look, I just came back to grab some supplies."

"Supplies?" asked her father suspiciously. "What exactly are the two of you up to?"

"Nothing, dad. Relax. I'm just going to patch up a burn he got. If you can believe it, he was going to put boar fat on it."

"So you're his personal healer now?"

"No, I'm just stopping him from causing himself a nasty infection."

"If you say so,” said her father as she walked away. Quickly she gathered the burn ointment, clean bandages, several skins of water, and pain relief paste. She was on her way back out the door when she spied the half-eaten basket of nut rolls that Mrs. Ingerman had brought the night before. She stuffed two in the bag for herself, snatched two for her father, turned to leave, and then turned back, stuffing two more rolls in her bag before going back out to the Garden.

"Here," she said, tapping her father's wrist and handing the rolls to him. "I'll be back later."

"You should bring him back with you," her father called after her.

“Who?” she asked, hand on the garden gate.

“Snotlout.” She turned to face him again, folding her arms and scowling even though the effect was lost on him.

"Why?" she asked, suspecting she knew exactly where he was taking this. It wouldn't be the first time he had brought it up and it seemed to be a more and more frequent topic of conversation.

“It would be good for you," he said. “You’re always here with me. You will be 19 in a few weeks and you know as well as I that I won’t always be..."

"Stop,” she said. "I've already told you, I'm fine. You are not going anywhere, and neither am I."

“We both know that's a lie you cling to,” said her father. "It gets worse every winter and the older you get the harder it will be for you to make a life for yourself independent of me."

"I told you, I’m not going anywhere. Besides, even if I were to... you can’t honestly think Snotlout is interested? I'm a year-and-a-half older than him. He's 17. Not only that, I'm two inches taller than him. I don't think his Jorgenson pride couldn't bear that.” Her father frowned.

“They always were a hard headed family, stubborn and proud.”

“Exactly,” she said, with an air of finality. “Besides, I hardly know him."
"All the more reason to bring him back, if only because you need someone closer to your age to interact with. You need a friend.”

“I have friends.”

“Name one you have seen in the last year,” he challenged. “The last three years?”

“That’s not fair dad. I’m here with you, and busy with being a tailor. As soon as dragons started living on Berk it got even harder because I don’t have and don’t want one and all my friends did.”

“But that’s exactly my point, love,” he said patiently. “You need to get out of this house and not just to disappear into the woods to sew. You won’t always be able to retreat here, and I won’t always be here to come home to.”

“Just… just drop it, Dad.” She said turning to go.

“Think about it Sigyn,” he pleaded. And that was the thing. She did think about it. All the time, but there was no point dwelling on what if’s when the here and now needed attention. This was just the way it was for now.

“I have to go. I'll see you later." She left before he could argue further, but he didn’t have to be there for his words to replay over and over in her mind as she made her way back to the pond.

When she reached the small clearing it took her a moment to locate Snotlout. He sat with his back to his dragon’s belly, the beast’s large head resting in his lap, nearly dwarfing him. The dragon really was large. Snotlout still had his injured arm raised, his hand tucked behind his head, helmet tipped forward over his eyes. The dragon raised its head, turning to look at her.

"That was more than 15 minutes," called Snotlout, not moving. "What was so important?"

"Your arm," she said. "I brought burn ointment and bandages."

"I told you," he said. "It's just a burn. I've had worse."

"Maybe you have had worse, but have you been burned that badly and then immediately gone swimming in a murky pond?” He shrugged his good shoulder.

"I guess not. But what does that matter?”

"It's important because you have large ruptured blisters that are now filled with murky pond water. You could become seriously infected." He frowned and tipped the edge of his helmet up with a thumb to peer at her.

"How seriously infected?"

"How much do you like your left arm?” He glanced at his arm and then back at her. "Granted, amputation and death are worst-case scenarios, but they're still on the table if you don't get proper treatment." He sighed.

"Alright, fine. Treat away," he said, settling back against the dragon who rumbled contentedly, its tail curling around the boy. She waited.

“Are you coming over here then?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I'm happy here. Hookfang is warm. If you want to treat my arm so badly you come here." She looked at the half-sleeping Monstrous Nightmare and then remembered the contents of her bag. She pulled the two nut rolls out and held them aloft.

"Will you come over here if I give you these?" He tipped his helmet up again, assessing. His tongue wet his bottom lip and she knew she had him, but then he let the helmet fall back into place and lay back again.

"Nope. I told you, Hookfang is warm and I am almost dry.” She swore there was a smirk spread across his lips.

"Please?" she tried. He shook his head. “But you know how I feel about dragons.” He shrugged.

"Hookfang won't hurt you. Trust me, he saves all his pranks for me. There's nothing to worry about. Besides, he seems to like you."

"That's not exactly comforting," she said.

“It should be," he said, lifting at the brim of his helmet to look at her again. "Hookfang doesn't get along with just anyone. He will tolerate the other Riders, but he seems to really like you. So, if you want to treat my arm you will have to come over here."

"Fine!" she said, anger making her face flush. “Fine, get infected for all I care." She turned on her heel, stomping back to the tree to gather her sewing supplies. Why should she care if he got sick? It was his own fault and it was none of her business anyway. She had her sack slung over her shoulder, basket tucked under the other arm, and was on the edge of the clearing when she paused. Groaning to herself she turned to look back at Snotlout. There he sat, tucked up against his Monstrous Nightmare, completely at ease. The dragon sensed her attention and raised its head, neck stretching out in her direction, emitting a low growl, almost a whimper. Snotlout elbowed the dragon’s scaled side and it pulled its head back to rest once again across his lap. But the dragon’s yellow gaze was locked on her.
Could she get that close? The dragon was resting, for the most part. It was not as though there were any structures for him to topple on top of her. She knew the dragon would not hurt her... intentionally. She took a few steps closer, always watching the dragon's slitted eyes. She got a little closer and glanced at Snotlout. There was a definite smirk smeared across his face. She almost turned around and left him there, just to spite him but stopped herself. She sighed. If she left she would be letting him win, then again, if she came to him he also won. Fine. If he was going to win either way she was going to be sure to get in her own victory.

She edged closer, swinging around to Snotlout's left, glancing over to the dragon’s tail and wings. She was only about ten paces away but her palms were slick, and her heart was in her throat. This dragon was not wild, there was only one and it was asleep. She drew in a deep breath and quickly closed the gap carefully stepping over the dragon’s tail. She sank to her knees, bracing herself, for what she didn't know.

"Was that so bad?” asked Snotlout. She looked at him a moment before jabbing him ruthlessly in the rib cage making him jump and let out a low curse as his injured arm jerked reflexively to his side. The dragon let out a low stuttered rumble that sounded like laughter and moved its head off Snotlout's lap and into the grass beside him.

“That was mean," she said, flinching when the dragon’s long tongue flicked out in her direction.

"It worked though," he said, righting his helmet which had slipped sideways.

"And to what exact purpose?” she asked, opening her sack while keeping one eye on the dragon. He shrugged.

"Dunno? Why are you so skittish around dragons anyway?”

"Because I have since. Now give me your arm,” she said, moving closer to him.

"Just the arm, or did you want the rest of me to?" She frowned and uncapped one of the water skins.

"Why do you do that?" she asked, pouring the cool water over his shoulder, gently peeling back the torn skin to wash out any pond water.

"Do what?" he asked, wincing.

"Say things like that. You can't really mean it all." He was quiet for a moment, watching her.

"Why not?" She uncapped the second water skin and continued to flush the burn clean.

"You say it all too casually to really mean anything by it."

"Maybe I just know how much you really want me."

"Right," she said, rolling her eyes. "That's definitely it." He grinned.

"I knew you'd see it my way."

"Whatever," she said, setting the water skin aside and digging a small jar out of the bag. But try as she might, she couldn't help but smile at his antics. "Hold still. This should feel good. It has a cooling effect and should help prevent infection." She scooped a blob of cream out of the jar and gently spread it over his burn. He was tense at first, but as the cream began to take effect he relaxed into her touch. The dragon on his other side began to make that sound again, like a purring beehive.

"That's a good noise right?” she asked, shifting slightly closer to him. Snotlout nodded, watching her.

"Told you, he likes you."

"Don't know why he would." Snotlout shrugged.

"Why shouldn't he?"

"It's just weird that he would like me so much when he scares me." She capped the cream and reached for a bandage.

"Who knows what goes on his big lizard brain."

"He reminds me more of a giant snake crossed with a bat," she said, watching the dragon's tongue flick out again.

"But you don't seem as afraid," he pointed out, holding his arm away from his side so she could wrap it.

"Well, he's basically asleep. It's when they're moving around that I worry. Especially if there's more than one. Hold still, I'm going to tie this loosely. It's just to keep the burn clean, but if your arm swells you will need to loosen it up. Understand?"

He nodded and she pulled the last jar from the bag and opened it.

"Okay, close your eyes and stick out your tongue." He looked at her, his nose wrinkling in confusion.

"Why?"

"Just do it, or don't you trust me."

"I'm still not sure," he said, but he did as she asked. Quickly before he could open his eyes or question her, she dipped her finger in the jar and then swiped the brown paste over his tongue. He jerked back, spluttering, his eyes popping open.

“What was that? It tastes horrible!” It was her turn to smirk, as she held the water skin out to him.

“Something to dull the pain that Jorgensons aren’t supposed to feel.” He frowned but took the water.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Would you have done it if I told you what it was for?” He was silent, looking away. “I didn’t think so. Anyway… you’re done.” He took a long drink and then held the water out for her to take.

The brisk autumn breeze picked up, sending a shiver down Sigyn’s spine as it blew over her damp clothes. The dragon raised his head from the grass, tongue flicking out in her direction and she froze. Before she could react the dragon lowered one of his wings over the two of them, trapping them in a wall of red wings.

“Relax," said Snotlout, tapping her hand which was clenched tightly around his wrist. “Hookfang is just blocking the breeze.” She did not let go. “He’s not going to hurt you.” He reached out and touched her sleeve and frowned. She looked at him, trying to tamp down her rising panic.

“Come on,” he urged. “If you open those brown eyes any wider, they will fall out in the dirt. Relax.”

“What’s he doing?” she asked, trying to keep the waver out of her voice.

“You're still wet," said Snotlout. “He’s trying to keep you warm, to dry you. That's one of the benefits of a Monstrous Nightmare." The dragon lay his head down beside Snotlout again and Snotlout scratched under the dragon’s chin. “Not only is Hookfang 5000 pounds of raw power and muscle, but I’m never cold with him around. He can heat his skin to dry me off anytime I need. Assuming he's willing."

"Assuming he doesn't set you on fire,” she corrected. Snotlout shook his head.

"I told you he only does that to me, and it's just a prank… most of the time. Hookfang is totally capable of controlling how hot he gets and exactly where he bursts into flame. He's just trying to dry you off.” He cocked his head to the side, looking her up and down. “My Thor, he really must like you. I’ve never seen him do that for anyone else. Then again, everyone else has a dragon of their own… so.”

“Can you just get him to let me out? Please?” He sighed.

"Alright. You heard her big guy,” said Snotlout, patting the dragon’s nose. “Let her out." The dragon growled and didn't move.

“Why isn't he moving?" asked Sigrid, her nerves building.

"Because he's a stubborn yak," said Snotlout, pushing the dragon's head away. “Hookfang, let her out?"

The dragon was not listening and Sigyn was so focused on the dragon’s head that she wasn't watching behind her. She yelped as the dragon’s tail appeared from behind and gently pushed her against its underbelly.

"He seems pretty determined to dry you off," said Snotlout, watching her. Realizing she still had his arm she let go and scooted away from him. The dragon raised its head rumbling discontentedly.

"Now what?” asked Sigyn as the dragon pressed his head closer to her, grumbling. The dragon’s tail reappeared at her back, pushing her back toward Snotlout. "What's he doing?"

“Not sure. But I think he wants you to sit here," said Snotlout, patting the ground beside him. The dragon didn't give her much of a choice, herding the two of them closer together. Snotlout hissed when her shoulder brushed against his. He raised his arm above her head resting it on the dragon’s belly. She glared at Snotlout as the dragon laid first its tail and then its head across their laps, effectively pinning her to Snotlout’s side. The dragon closed its eyes in seeming contentment. She continued to glare at the boy next to her.

"What?" asked Snotlout, seeing her expression.

“You're unbelievable," she said, folding her arms across her chest. His nose wrinkled again.

“I know I’m so awesome it’s hard to believe, but what finally brought you around?”

“You... You trained your dragon to do this, didn't you." His eyes widened and then he burst into laughter.

“I didn't," he said after a moment.

“You must have,” she accused. “Admit it!"

"I swear by Thor I did not train him to do this, but it’s not a bad idea.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Trust me,” he said. “If I had trained Hookfang to do this, I would have used it on Astrid a long time ago.” He paused to think and then frowned. “Too bad it would never have worked.” Her suspicion began to fade.

"Why not?" she asked, wriggling under the weight of the dragon, still trying to get free.

"Astrid is not afraid of Hookfang. She would have punched her way out past him rather than be pinned next to me. And Hookfang would have let her out without a fight anyway." His face fell a bit.

"Well can't you do anything?” she pressed. “He's your dragon.”

"Of course I could... if I really wanted to,” said Snotlout, shrugging and relaxing back into his dragon. “But Hookfang would just get me back for it later. I’m not sure I want to risk it just so you can get away sooner. He is pretty stubborn and he has a long memory. He’ll let you go when he wants to. I’m just as happy to stay here.”

“But he's got me trapped," she said, still struggling. The dragon growled a warning and she froze.

“He's just trying to dry you off,” said Snotlout. As if on cue heat began to radiate from the dragon’s belly, tail, and chin. Snotlout slouched further into his dragon, crossing his eyes. She had to admit that the heat did feel good, working to chase away the chill that had been trying to set into her bones.

"But why do we have to be squished together?"

"Only my hair-brained dragon knows that. I told you. This was not my idea. Although,” he said, letting his arm fall onto her shoulder. "I can't say I'm complaining."

"Are you ever serious?" she asked, brushing his hand away. He frowned and then shrugged, folding his arms over his chest.

“Sure when I have to be. Do you ever relax?”

“Not when I'm pinned down by a dragon, particularly a Monstrous Nightmare." But despite her claim, the heat leaching into her was slowly relaxing her body even if her awareness was not dulled in the slightest. They passed into an awkward silence for several long minutes as she slowly began to dry.

"Do you still have those rolls?" he finally asked. She looked at him, shaking her head in disbelief. “What? I'm hungry." She sighed.

"In the sack," she said, pointing across his lap to where the bag was tucked under the dragon’s neck. He tugged the bag free and dug around inside before handing her two rolls. Shoving one of his into his mouth whole, he closed the bag and set it aside, relaxing into the dragon at his back as he chewed. The dragon rumbled its approval, peeking out at them through slitted eyes. Keeping her attention on the dragon she began to eat. When she glanced over at Snotlout again his hands were empty and he was watching her eat. Shaking her head she held her second roll out to him. He hesitated before taking it.

"Thanks.” She watched him snarf the role.

"Didn't you eat at all today?" she asked.

"Breakfast. No lunch. We were busy training and when we were finished Hookfang refused to go home. He was determined to bring me here but I can't guess why.” The dragon growled, raising his head as his tongue flicked out to lick Snotlout’s left arm. His tail shifted, forcing them closer still. She felt like she was practically in Snotlout's lap at this point. She waited for the dragon to lay its head down again and then shifted away from Snotlout a few inches, allowing them both more space.

"Maybe your dragon knew you would do something dumb to your burn and wind up with a nasty infection," she said. "If he’s as smart as you seem to think, he probably guessed you wouldn't ask for help even if you needed it, not from Gothi anyway." She could almost feel more than she heard the dragon’s approving rumble. "What happened to your shoulder anyway?"

“I got in a fight with a Deadly Nadder," said Snotlout. The dragon gave another warning growl. “What,” said Snotlout, shoving at the dragon’s neck. “It’s true.” His dragon snapped its head to the side, smacking Snotlout's forehead with one of his horns. “Tattletale,” said Snotlout, rubbing his forehead.

"So what really happened?" she asked. He glanced at her.

“It was sort of the truth.”

“What’s the more accurate truth?” she asked.

“Astrid sicced Stormfly on me," he said, looking away.

"Why would she do that? Aren't you two friends?"

"She overreacted. I was only flirting with her. She can't take a joke."

"Wait, doesn’t Astrid like Hiccup?" she asked. Even as secluded as she was, that rumor had managed to filter its way to her by means of Mrs. Ingerman. Snotlout’s expression soured.

"That's what everyone says, but she's never given me a chance so how would she know what she's missing out on. I could totally make her happy." She was silent, mulling that one over for a bit.

"If she keeps sending you packing, why do you keep going back?" Snotlout turned to look at her.

“You have seen Astrid, haven’t you? She's the best-looking girl in the village. She's an amazing fighter, almost as good as me. She’s totally fearless in everything she does. She’s the best so what's not to like?"

"Maybe the fact that she sicced her dragon on you.” Snotlout frowned.

“You wouldn't understand.” She pursed her lips, quashing the fleeting desire to bite back at him.

"Maybe not, but it's hard to believe you deserve to be burned like this for flirting with her."

"It wasn't exactly her fault," he said, looking away. “Normally I’m really good at dodging, but I tripped over Hiccup’s dumb shield. He never puts his stuff away. He’s too distracted obsessing over dragons with Fishface.” He glanced at her. She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, waiting for the rest. “Besides, it's not like we never fire at each other during training. Injuries are just part of training."

"But this was not training,” she said, pointing to his arm.

“No,” he said, looking away.

They lapsed into another silence, this one tenser than the last. She was not entirely sure what to make of Snotlout. She could tell that a lot of what he said was skewed, but not all of it. He was quick to withdraw or shut down, even lashing out in small ways. She was suddenly surprised by how much thought she was giving the boy sitting next to her.

Maybe her father had been right. It had been a long time since she had interacted with anyone other than him. So much so that she was overthinking this chance encounter with Snotlout. She was not likely to see much of him. He was a dragon rider. She glanced over at him. He sat with his arms folded over his chest, expression cloudy, his dark eyebrows pulled low over his surprisingly clear blue eyes.

"Hey,” she said, tapping his boot with hers as her legs were pinned down. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Thanks for getting my satchel back.” His body relaxed somewhat.

“Sure,” he said.

“And thanks for the berries, they were good.” He shrugged, but she could tell he was pleased. He was a bit of a preener. She grinned to herself. Okay, maybe a big preener but she could afford to stroke his ego a bit more.

"You even fixed the tear. Your stitches were neat. Do you sew?”

“A bit,” he admitted, reaching out to rub his dragon’s head. He was relaxed again. “My mom taught me some stitches." He looked up at her suddenly. "But you can't tell anyone."

"Why not? Everyone should know how to do basic stitches.” He frowned, rubbing around the base of his dragon’s horns.

"My dad would say it was a stupid waste of time."

"Do you like to sew?" He shrugged.

"It's okay. I used to help my mom when my dad was out on voyages with Stoic."

"Well, now you can stitch yourself up if you need to. I hardly see it as a waste of time, especially if you're constantly at risk of injury."

“I suppose so. Who is the green dragon scale tunic for?” he asked, pointing to the basket where the green scales were escaping over the edge of the basket where the tunic was crammed.

"No one yet. When it's done I'll sell it."

"How much?" he asked. She looked at him surprised.

"You want it?" He shrugged.

"I like green, and this one's getting small.” He plucked at his leather tunic. She tugged the basket closer and pulled out the half-finished article of clothing, holding it up for him to examine.

"It's about your size, but I would have to alter it slightly. It won't come cheap though."

"Why not. It's just dragon scales on leather," he said, taking it from her.

"True but getting dragon scales or leather is not the hard part."

"Then what is?"

"Have you ever tried to push a needle through a dragon scale? You can't. You have to punch holes or carve notches in them, but you also have to be sure that the edges of the holes or notches are smooth or they wear right through the thread and fall off." She pulled one of the loose scales she had already prepared from the basket and held it out to him. He examined it frowning.

"How many of these does it take to make a tunic this size?"

“One your size, maybe 500- 800 depending on the size of scale. But one Fishlegs size would be closer to 1,500 or 2,500."

"That's a lot,” he said, handing her back the tunic and scale. “Wait, you know Fishfaces name but not mine?"

"Well yeah, the Ingerman’s are our closest neighbors. Because it's obviously hard for my father or me to just go to the village for things we need, Mrs. Ingerman brings us food and supplies every day or two. Sometimes when she's too busy Fishlegs brings it instead.”

“Figures Fishface would know you first," he pouted. “Do you know any of the other riders?”

"No, not personally. I may have talked to Hiccup once or twice when I was in the village for supplies, but that's about it. I don't even know the twins' names."

“Ruffnut and Tuffnut, but ‘the twins’ works fine too," he said, rubbing at a spot of dried mud on his pants.

"Hey, can I get up yet?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"What's the matter, tired of being stuck here with me?" he asked, draping his arm over her shoulder again.

“Not exactly," she said, struggling to move her legs. "It's just that... your dragon is really heavy and my legs are asleep." He laughed.

"5000 pounds of pure muscle will do that. What do you say Hookfang?" he said, tapping the dragon’s horns. “Will you let her go yet?” The dragon lifted his head, tongue flicking out to touch her sleeve. Grunting the dragon retracted his wing, tucking it back against his body. Snotlout reached for her sleeve.

"Not perfectly dry but if Hookfang is happy."

Apparently, she was dry enough to appease the dragon for he withdrew his tail and stood making his way toward the pond for a drink. She reached to rub her legs back to life as Snotlout got to his feet stretching.

"Why is it that every time I meet you I wind up with pins and needles in my legs?" He smirked down to her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I plan it that way so you can't run away." She snorted.

"Right, did you also plan to fall off your dragon every time we meet?" He frowned.

“That's not my fault. Hookfang..." but he stopped when he spotted her grin.

“I know, I know,” she said, laughing. "I was just teasing.” She held out a hand to him and after a brief moment, he took it and hauled her to her feet.

“Actually, the first time was probably my fault," she said. “I kicked your dragon. That's why he jerked and you fell off.”

“And he still likes you,” said Snotlout, putting a hand on his hip. “You must have a spell on my dragon.”

“If I do, it’s not working,” she said, stooping to grab the basket and bag. “He won’t leave me alone.”

They stood there not speaking for a long moment and at last, she realized she wasn't even sure what she was waiting for.

"Well," she said, slinging a sack over his shoulder. “So long Snotlout. Take care of your arm." She strolled past him, avoiding the dragon as he made his way back to Snotlout.

"Hey, Sigyn,” called Snotlout just as her feet hit the game trail back home. She stopped and looked back at him.

“Yeah?" He seemed flustered, as he rubbed his dragon’s neck.

"Nothing... Nevermind." His dragon snapped its tail catching Snotout in the rear. “Hey knock it off Hookfang!"

Sigyn waited, watching a pair with amusement.

“What is it Snotlout?”

“When will we see you again?” he asked, not looking at her. She tilted her head to the side, trying to suss out the reason for his question, and the reason she wanted the answer to be sooner rather than later.

"Snoggletog probably." His brow furrowed.

"Why then?"

"Because there won't be dragons in the village for a week," she said grinning. The dragon at his side snorted.

"Oh." He seemed disappointed. She pursed her lips, thinking. She had to phrase it just right.
"You could always come visit if you want. It gets pretty monotonous with just me and my dad. But you know, only if you're bored or have nothing better to do. You must stay pretty busy with dragon riding at all."

“Yeah,” he said, straightening. “Yeah, I pretty much run the dragon riders, so I'm pretty busy." She smirked.

"Well I wouldn’t want to cripple the dragon riders, but you're always welcome to drop by. I’ll keep my stock of first aid supplies ready.”

"Yeah, maybe I could come by sometime when I'm not too busy."

"Sounds good, just... just leave your dragon behind." He glanced up at the dragon.

“His name is Hookfang," said Snotlout, folding his arm over his chest.

"Alright, leave Hookfang behind. There's a reason I live where I do and I don't want to rebuild the house or barn."

“If you say so, but Hookfang won't like it,” said Snotlout. “And you don't know what you're missing out on."

"Maybe so, but I prefer to live in ignorance... For now.” He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, it’s your loss." He turned and climbed into the saddle. “Let’s go Fangster,” he said, patting the dragon's neck. “See you around Sigyn.”

In a matter of seconds, she was alone in the clearing once again. She turned for home, wondering if and when she would see the odd dragon rider again.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Scales and Dragon Tails

Hookfang had been circling this particular patch of the forest on the edge of the village for several minutes now. At first, Snotlout had not really paid attention or cared where they were going, content to lean over Hookfang's horns and let his dragon take the lead. Sometimes it was good to fly aimlessly, but after passing the same lightning-struck pine for the fourth time, he sat up and looked around. They were flying over the forest on the west of the village. A familiar domed roof poked out from between the trees and he immediately knew where they were.

"Hey," he said, leaning forward to flick Hookfang between the eyes. "What are we doing here?"

Hookfang snapped his head to the side but Snotlout had been expecting that and ducked in time to avoid Hookfang's horn... only to be caught on the side of the head when his dragon jerked back the other way. Stupid dragon.

"You know she doesn't like you?" he said, rubbing his ear. Hookfang ignored him, circling ever lower towards the house.

"Hey! Hey!" growled Snotlout, pulling Hookfangs's horns. "She won't thank you for landing in her garden you big lizard." Hookfang pulled up, growling discontentedly, and flew off to the left. Snotlout spotted the clearing with the pond. "Land there," he said, pointing to the game trail Sigyn had used last time he had seen her.

Hookfang landed with a thump, stirring the pine needles over the dry ground, and Snotlout dismounted. He had been here only three weeks ago, but it was hardly the same place. Nearly all the leaves had fallen from the trees and lay brown and curled on the ground, drifted up in piles against the stunted shrubbery. The grass in the meadow was yellow and withered, leaving the towering pines the only vibrant splash of green that would last through winter. Sigyn was nowhere to be seen.

"She's not here Fangster," he said, turning back the dragon to remount. "Let's go." But Hookfang was already following the trail that wound through the trees in the direction of Sigyn's house. Grumbling, Snotlout jogged after him.

"Hey, get back here." Hookfang kept going. Snotlout grabbed his tail and pulled, knowing full well it wouldn't do much good if his dragon was truly determined. "Come on, let's go." Hookfang turned his head, growling, fire building in his jaw.

Snotlout dropped his tail. Apparently, Hookfang was determined.

"All right, all right. But don't blame me when you get a less than warm welcome."

They tromped down the trail, Snotlout kicking pine cones through the dirt as they went. Why did Hookfang like Sigyn so much anyway? Sure, he supposed, she was all right. She was pretty enough; couldn't hold a candle to Astrid, but they did both have blond hair. He liked blond hair, although brunettes with green eyes were good too. He grit his teeth, shaking his head. Someday...someday he would make Astrid see his worth. It was only a matter of time… right? But that didn't answer the question of why he was walking down the trail that led to Sigyn's house. Whatever. He didn't really care. It was just... easier to be around Sigyn's than Hiccup or the others, except for maybe Tuffnut. But he didn't feel like getting drawn into another one of Tuff's schemes today and Hookfang was certainly not going to be swayed from his course.

Why was Sigyn afraid of dragons anyway? Sure, a few years ago everyone on Berk had seen dragons as the fire-breathing enemies, but not now. Everyone had gotten used to them and many had dragons of their own, even if they didn't ride them. Well, everyone except Mildew that is, but he was gone now, so what did it matter? Sigyn didn't hate dragons and didn't wish them harm. If she did he doubted Hookfang would have taken to her so quickly. And what was with that anyway? It was so unlike him.

It had grown too quiet. Snotlout turned around to find Hookfang had come to a stop in the middle of the trail. Why had he…? Snotlout looked around. Crazy dragon. Crazy, but smart. This was the same spot Sigyn had stopped them the first time they had met. He walked back to his dragon.

"So you changed your mind?" he said, waving for Hookfang to lower his head. "Let's go then." Hookfang didn't move. What now?

"Hookfang, let's go!" Hookfang lowered his head and pushed him roughly down the trail towards the house in the near distance. "What are you doing?" shouted Snotlout, catching himself before he fell. "You're the one who wanted to see Sigyn." Hookfang nudged him forward again, sending him to his backside in the dirt.

"What's gotten into you?" he growled, getting to his feet, brushing the dirt and pine needles from his pants. "Let's just go." But Hookfang was curling himself around a tree, his tail tucked under his chin, his eyes closed. Snotlout huffed in irritation and stomped over to his dragon. Hookfang cracked an eye open, peeking at him before lifting his head to push him in the direction of Sigyn's once again.

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll go see her," he said, shoving back at Hookfang. "But I'm telling her it was your idea." Hookfang seemed content with this and lay back down.

Grumbling, Snotlout turned onto the trail. He supposed he had been meaning to come visit her anyway. He passed two grazing yaks just before the house came into view. He stopped at the edge of the garden. Where was she? The garden was empty and the house was quiet. Off to the right, the barn door stood ajar. Several chickens wandered the yard, scratching and pecking in the dirt. He could see no one around. He debated simply turning around and going back to Hookfang, not wanting to knock on the door, but just as he was about to go Sigyn came around the edge of the house.

She was toting two buckets of water as she approached the far side of the garden. She hadn't noticed him yet and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the garden gate watching her. She leaned over the fence placing the buckets inside the fence before vaulting over herself. She dumped the water on some of the plants and then turned to refill her buckets, her braids brushing over her shoulders. That was something kinda fun about Sigyn. Every time he saw her hair was done a different way. The first time he'd seen her it was loose and wild, the second it was in a high tail behind her head and today she wore it in two braids on either side of her head. Astrid's hair was always clean and neat, but she never differed from the single pragmatic braid down her back, and Ruffnut paid even less attention to her hair. He grinned, watching Sigyn's backside as she climbed over the fence. No, she certainly wasn't difficult to look at.

"You know that you could save a lot of work with a dragon," he said, startling her. She dropped the buckets and spun to face him, her hand instantly moving to the knife she strapped to her hip. She relaxed when she saw him.

"Snotlout," she said, slumping back against the fence. "You startled me."

"Yeah, my good looks have that effect on people," he said, pretending to examine his nails. She laughed.

"You never quit do you?" she said, bending to retrieve the fallen buckets.

"Quitting is for losers."

"You would say that."

"You never win if you quit, and I never quit. I play to win." She grinned.

"I'm glad to see you." That caught him by surprise. He had heard the groaning when people saw him coming, not everyone and not always, but often enough. Even Hiccup and the others were sometimes happy to see the back of him. He studied her dirt-smeared face searching for the familiar sarcasm or insincerity. He found none. Odd, but not unpleasant.

"Of course you are. Who isn't?" he said with bravado. She shook her head, smiling.

"So what is it this time? Need more stitches?"

"No, I'm fighting fit," he said flexing an arm. "Want to take a look?"

"At your arm, yes," she said, coming to him and setting down the buckets. "How is your burn?" He turned so she could see his shoulder more easily. She worried too much, but it wouldn't hurt to let her look. She smoothed her fingers over the newly healed skin, her brows drawn together slightly. "Well?" he asked.

"Looks good. You must have taken care of it because it's healed nicely." She straightened, looking him over. "So if you don't need my meager medical skills, what prompts your visit? I was starting to think I'd seen the last of you."

"Would you be sad?" he asked. She snorted.

"Maybe... a bit. But seriously why are you here? Not that you're not welcome."

"Hookfang was determined to see you," he said, waving a hand. She looked around, suddenly more alert and stiff. Geez, what was with her anyway? "Relax, he's up the trail curled around a tree snoozing." She relaxed.

"I thought that might have been you two circling above earlier," she said, bending to retrieve the buckets.

"Yeah, I had to keep him from landing in your garden."

"Thank you," she said as he followed her around the back of the house. She dipped the buckets into the pool created by the small stream and turned back to the garden. "So if he was so determined to see me how did you get him to stay behind?" He shrugged.

"He just laid down, wouldn't go past that point where you stopped him last time he was here. But he kept pushing me down the trail."

"So you really are only here because your dragon made you come," she said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Well, sort of. But I was planning to come see you. I've just been... busy."

"Um-hm."

"It's not like all we Dragon Riders do is training. We have jobs around the village too."

"Like what?" she asked climbing back over the garden fence.

"We round up stray livestock and attempt to keep tabs on the boars. Sometimes me and Hookfang help with the fishing. In general, we just do odd jobs that require muscle."

"I suppose that makes sense," she said, one hand on her hip as she wiped her brow.

"I'm telling you. Dragons make a lot of things easier."

"Yeah, I suppose you might be right," she said, chucking an empty bucket at his head. He caught it easily and she grinned. "But who needs a dragon when I have you here. Besides, I'm almost done watering. I just have the back corner." She pointed.

"And what exactly are you expecting me to do with this?" he asked, hanging the bucket from one finger.

"Well I had hoped you would fill it," she said, holding out the other. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said, swiping the other bucket. He went to the stream, filled them both, and handed them back to her over the fence. "So how is my tunic coming?" he asked as she watered.

"Your tunic?" she asked absolutely, bending to pull a weed.

"The green dragon scale one?" She straightened, frowning.

"You were serious about that?"

"I am capable of being serious," he said, taking the buckets from her again. "More water?"

"Yes. Four more buckets please." He filled them again.

"So how much longer until it's finished?" he asked as she watered.

"Well, to be honest, it's kind of a side project. Something I work on in my spare time, which I don't have a lot of with orders for winter coming in. That and getting this place ready for cold weather keeps me pretty busy." She handed the buckets back. "Two more please."

He went back to the stream and filled the buckets a final time. Just how did Sigyn manage to take care of this place on top of filling tailor's orders and taking care of her father? And without a dragon, though admittedly it would not have been much help with the sewing. He frowned. It sounded exhausting. He came back to the fence and stopped in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Sigyn had pulled two large carrots from the ground and held them to her nose, taking long, deep breaths. She flushed slightly as she stood and snapped off the green tops.

"I like the smell of freshly harvested carrots," she said, coming to wash the carrots off in one of the buckets. "Here," she said, handing them to him and taking the buckets. She splashed the last patch of ground and then hung the buckets upside down on the fence to dry. She climbed over the fence and he handed her back the carrots.

"Want one?" she asked, biting off the tip of a carrot. He took the other and out of curiosity held it up to his nose. It smelled like a carrot.

"You're weird," he said before crunching off the top of his own carrot. She shrugged. It did taste good though. They leaned on the fence munching for a few minutes.

"So do you really want the tunic?" He popped the last bit of carrot in his mouth and nodded. "Then I will have to take your measurements. Come on," she said, beckoning to him to follow.

She let him around the front of the house to where her father sat in a chair on the front porch. Snotlout paused as Sigyn continued up the steps and into the house. He had seen a glimpse of her father when he had first met her, but now he surveyed the man properly. Despite her father being seated in the chair Snotlout could tell that he was a tall man. His upper body was still powerfully muscled but his trousers felt loose from his bony knees. The man's face turned toward him and although his eyes were unfocused he could tell the man was very alert.

"So, your Spitlout's boy," said the man.

"Yes," he said, cautiously. "I'm..."

"Snotlout," finished the man tapping his ear. "I heard you two in the garden. When one sense goes, the others make up for it. I'm surprised you're back." How was he supposed to take that?

"Sigyn told me to visit, and I wanted to buy a tunic she's making," he said at last, opting for diplomacy.

"The green dragon scale one," said her father, nodding. "She told me."

"She told you about me?" he asked, surprised and a bit nervous.

"A little," said her father, smiling, the lines around his eyes deepening. "Your dragon had her quite shaken up after your last encounter. She talks more when she is shaken up."

"Hookfang can be intimidating and stubborn, but he's harmless… mostly," said Snotlout rubbing his ear. "He seems to genuinely like Sigyn."

"What about you?" asked her father.

"What about me?"

"Do you genuinely like Sigyn? Or is that an act you put on for all the girls?"

"Do I... Do I what?" he sputtered.

"Do you like her or are you just toying with her?" pressed her father. Snotlout floundered for something to say. What was even the right answer?

"That's enough dad," said Sigyn, returning from the house with the tunic in question and a long piece of cord. "It's not like that, so lay off alright. He's an acquaintance and a potential client, that is unless you scare him off."

"I'm not scared," said Snotlout, defiantly. An orange dragon scale bounced off his helmet with a loud thwack and fell into the dirt at his feet.

"Don't think you shouldn't be," said her father, but there didn't seem to be any real menace behind his words. He was an odd man but a good shot for being mostly blind.

"Ignore him, Snotlout," said Sigyn, approaching him. She set the half-made tunic aside. "Alright, hold your arms out." Glancing at her father he did as instructed. With the last of her carrot held in her teeth, she reached around him, wrapping the cord around his chest. Holding it in place, she pulled a piece of charcoal from her pocket and marked the cord. He tried not to fidget.

"So how long do you think it will take to finish?" he asked as she took more measurements.

"I may not be able to finish it till spring," she said, tucking the charcoal back in her pocket. "It's time-consuming to prepare the scales, and it looks like I'll have to make it bigger than I was thinking."

"Can you do that?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, easy peasy, it just means more scales. You can relax now." He let his arms drop. "Is spring too late?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice."

"Well, you could always see what Mrs. Larson has in stock if you are in a rush," she suggested. He looked at the tunic.

"I like the green."

"Why not cut him a deal," said her father. What was with this guy?

"What do you mean?" asked Sigyn, turning to her father. He held up an orange dragon scale that he was apparently drilling holes in, preparing for Sigyn.

"Work together. Have Snotlout prepare the scales for the tunic. It will save you time, lower the cost, and it will be done sooner."

"I suppose that could work," she said, turning back to him. "What do you think Snotlout?"

"How exactly do you drill the holes?" he asked.

"It's not difficult," said her father, tossing him a scale. He caught it examining it. "I can do it blind."

"I even have a spare set of tools," said Sigyn. "But again, it's up to you. I understand if you're too busy." He thought about it for a moment. He really did like the look of the green dragon scales, and it had become increasingly difficult to move freely in his current tunic. Plus it was always good to get things cheaper.

"Show me how it needs to be done," he said. He did not miss her father's satisfied grin.

"Come watch my father do it while I get to the scales," said Sigyn, turning to go back into the house. "Play nice dad."

Snotlout watched her disappear again before bending to collect the orange scale at his feet. Hesitantly, he climbed the steps to the porch and approached her father. He watched as Sigyn's father bore a small hole through the scale with a narrow knife, twisting it until it poked through the other side. He then took a small file no bigger around than a stem of grass and smoothed the edges.

"Two holes on the top. Got it?" asked her father, holding out the tools.

"Seems simple enough," said Snotlout, taking them. He drilled a hole in the scale he held. Simple, and he imagined mind-numbing if done repeatedly. Not too bad.

"I'm actually glad you came back," said her father, catching Snotlout by surprise. The knife slipped and jabbed the edge of his thumb. He dropped the scale, cursing as he popped his thumb into his mouth by reflex. Her father chuckled. He just did not understand this guy. It was at least semi understandable that Sigyn was glad for his company, but he had not expected that from her father. Distrust, annoyance, and indifference were the run-of-the-mill reactions.

"What did you do to yourself now?" asked Sigyn from over his shoulder. He jumped. She could be awfully quiet when she wanted to be.

"Nothing, I'm fine," he said, pulling his thumb out of his mouth. It really was a small cut. She took his hand examining his thumb. Satisfied he had not lied she handed him a small bag. "Tools and scales," she said. "I only gave you some of the scales. If you find yourself too busy just bring them back."

"Alright," he said, taking the bag and tucking it under his belt.

The carrot had been tasty but small and now his stomach was clamoring for him to fill it properly. It was getting late, the sun sinking into the western horizon. "I should go," he said. "I need to feed Hookfang."

"And no doubt you're hungry as well," said Sigyn with a smirk. How did she always do that?

"Hey, it takes a lot of food to fuel this much awesome," he said, folding his arms over his chest. Sigyn laughed.

"I see the Jorgensen clan hasn't changed much over the years," said her father wryly.

"Come on," said Sigyn, nudging his arm. "I'll walk with you for a while. I have to bring in the yaks." They walked together until they came across the yaks that had wandered further up the trail. He could just see Hookfang up the trail when they stopped.

"You will come back right?" she asked. He smirked.

"Getting attached to me?" he asked, slipping a hand around her waist.

"I think you're too attached to yourself for anyone else to be," she said, stepping sideways out of his grip.

"Hey, there's always room for another with Snotlout Jorgenson."

"I don't know, your ego is big enough that two is a crowd. Besides I just wanted to make sure you bring my tools and scales back." Of course. Of course, that's all she had been talking about. He should have guessed.

"Hey," she said, bumping his elbow with hers. He looked up at her. He hated that he had to look up to practically everyone. Even Hiccup was taller than him now. "You know I was only joking about the tools, right? I mean I want them back and all when you're done, but I do actually like having you around and not just to haul buckets of water." He shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to say so he changed the subject.

"Wanna see Hookfang?"

"Yeah, no. I'm going to pass thanks," she said, rubbing her arm.

"You sure? He's a stubborn yak but he's the reason I'm here and he wants to see you."

"No, you give him a good rub for me. Maybe next time." He pounced on that.

"You'll come see him next time I'm around?" he pressed. She cocked her head to the side, watching him for a moment then sighed.

"Alright, next time you're around I will come see Hookfang. But I'm not getting close to him and you have to actually try to make him keep his distance. Deal?" He supposed that was about the best he could hope for.

"Deal," he said.

He was back two weeks later, the bag of prepared dragon scales in hand. He found Sigyn in the meadow under the tree near the pond. To his surprise, Hookfang did not try to press closer to Sigyn. After assuring himself Snotlout would indeed approach Sigyn, Hookfang curled himself under a tree on the far side of the meadow.

"Your back," she said, not looking up from her stitching as he crunched through the dead grass and leaves toward her. She was seated on a quilt, her sewing supplies strewn around her in a clutter as she worked on a pair of dark trousers. Several pins flashed in the sunlight from where they were stuck through the sleeve of her tunic and her blond hair was tied at the base of her neck with a decorative piece of leather. "Sit down."

"I finished the scales," he said, sinking to sit cross-legged on the quilt opposite her. He held out the sack of scales.

"One second," she said, the tip of her tongue poking out to wet her lips as she finished a stitch. "There." She set the pants aside and took the bag from him. He pulled up a dead stalk of grass, breaking it into pieces as she riffled through the sack inspecting the scales at random.

"They look good," she said at last. She tossed a scale into his lap. "That one only has one hole though." He tucked it into his pocket for later.

"Do you have any more for me?" he asked. She grinned. He liked it when she grinned. Her face seemed to split and her teeth flashed out at him. She dug into her basket.

"I had a feeling I might see you soon if not today," she said, pulling a box of buttons, several spools of thread, and some fabric scraps out of the basket before she finally found what she was looking for. She held out another bag of scales, this one larger than the first. He took it.

"So with me during the scales how much sooner will the tunic be done?" he asked. She sighed and picked up the trousers again.

"If I'm being completely honest, probably not until Snoggletog or shortly after. I'm kind of behind. These pants were supposed to be finished two days ago and I still have a lot to catch up on."

"So you'll be busy for a few days?"

"Yeah, there's a lot to do around here. My dad's even been picking up some of the simple stitching to help," she said absently. Well, it had been a long shot anyway. She paused and looked up at him, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Is there something going on soon that I don't know about?" He opened his hand and blew the bits of broken glass in her direction.

"There's a dragon racing in four days. I was hoping you would watch." She frowned.

"I told you, I don't really like dragon races."

"I know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I figured that was because you didn't want to be around all the other dragons."

"Well yeah, it's kind of hard to watch a Dragon Race and not be surrounded by dragons."

"What if there was a way you could watch the race without being around dragons," he asked, slipping his hand into his pocket. "Would you watch then?"

"Hmm, maybe. But I told you I'm behind, I can't afford to keep my clients waiting any longer than I already have." He mulled that over a moment.

"If you weren't busy?" She puffed out of breath and smiled as she continued to stitch.

"But I am busy, besides not only do I have stitching to catch up on, but I have been neglecting the work around the house as well. I need to take care of the garden." He fell quiet, thinking, weighing his options. Was it worth it? He'd come this far. Sigyn returned to her work. She looked tired. That decided him.

"What about a trade?" he asked. She paused and looked up at him.

"What do you mean? What kind of trade?"

"What if I come help out in exchange for you watching the race? You know, to make up for the lost time." She squinted up at him, the corner of her lips pulling down into a frown.

"You must really want me to watch the dragon race if you're willing to work for it."

"Hey, I work," he said defensively. "My name is Snotlout, not Lazylout." She pulled back a few inches assessing him.

"Why do you want me to watch the race so badly anyway?" In truth, he had been asking himself the same question for a few days, ever since he came up with a crazy idea. He shrugged.

"Dunno, I just figured you could use a break," he said. It was a half-truth, but he wasn't sure what the other half was.

"Have you been talking to my dad?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He frowned, confused.

"No. Why?"

"Nothing... Never mind," she said, waving a hand.

"So is it a deal?" he pressed.

"Are you sure you don't just want someone else yelling your name so you'll win?"

"Well maybe a little," he admitted, folding his arms over his chest. "But I am going to win whether you cheer me on or not. Do we have a deal?" She scrutinized him for a moment more before her shoulders sagged slightly.

"I suppose so, but how would I watch the race anyway?"

"Easy," he said, pulling the spyglass out of his pocket. "You will need this." She hesitated before she took it.

"But this is... Where did you get one of these?"

"Swiped it from Hiccup, or rather Tuff did and I swiped it from him."

"I still don't see…" she said, trying to hand the spyglass back to him.

"See that rocky point over there?" he said, nodding to the jutting cliff to the East.

"Yeah."

"Think you can climb it?" She looked at him, then to the point, and then back at him again.

"Sure. I have before. There are some good mushrooms up there in the spring and summer."

"From up there you should have a good view of the academy. Take the spyglass with you and you can watch. We're going to try out my new sheep launcher in this race."

"Your sheep launcher?" she asked, sounding skeptical. He grinned.

"You'll see." She frowned.

"I may be able to see but I won't be able to hear any of the commentary."

"Actually, you will. Ruff and Tuff are trying out something they came up with as well. They're calling it a megahorn. It makes their voices louder, so you should be able to hear, even from here." She snapped her fingers, her eyes brightening.

"Is that the loud voice I kept hearing yesterday?" He laughed.

"Yeah, they were testing it out. So will you watch?" She was quiet for a moment thinking.

"Alright, but you have to work for at least three hours."

"Why three?" he asked.

"One for the hour it will take me to get to the point, one for the race itself, and another for getting back down."

"Or," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You could let me and Hookfang take you up and bring you back down."

"Snotlout, the whole point of me going up there is to avoid dragons."

"I know, I know, but it was worth a shot. Speaking of Hookfang," he said, looking at her meaningfully. She groaned and let her head fall back against the tree grimacing.

"I was hoping you forgot."

"No such luck," he said, getting to his feet. He tucked the dragon scales under his belt and held out a hand to help her up. She sighed, set aside her work, and grudgingly took his hand so he could pull her to her feet.

"Come on," he said, leading her towards where Hookfang lay.

"I'm coming," she grumbled, following him over. Hookfang saw them coming and lifted his head, getting eagerly to his feet and coming toward them. Sigyn's hands were suddenly wrapped tightly around his bicep, her body stiff. He glanced at her but she only had eyes for Hookfang.

"Hookfang, lay down," he called, and to his gratification, his dragon listened to him for once. Sigyn's fingers relaxed somewhat but didn't let go. It was odd having someone cling to him but he didn't mind. "Come on," he said, moving forward.

"This is far enough," she said, pulling away.

"Come on, you can get closer than that," he coaxed, going to rub Hookfangs nose.

"I have been closer," she reminded him.

"And you walked away warmer and drier for it. Come here," he said, holding out a hand to her. "I'll show you where he likes to be rubbed" Hookfang watched her and made that odd whining noise again. He never made that sound, well hardly ever.

"You're not going to let him wrap me up or pin me down again?" she asked, seriously.

"I'll pin his head down if he tries. Alright?" She still looked unsure but hesitantly she stepped forward. "Right here under his chin," he said. Cautiously she reached out a shaky hand and rubbed. Hookfang began to thrum. He'd never tell but secretly Snotlout loved when Hookfang made that sound. It was more than a noise, it made his entire chest vibrate when he was close by. Sigyn still looked unconvinced.

"Try up here," he said, stepping closer and rubbing the sweet spot between Hookfang's eyes. She reached to copy him and Hookfang lowered his head, thrumming even deeper. He could tell by the way her eyes widened that she could feel it too.

"It's so... odd," she said, pulling away. "How does he do that?"

"No idea," he said, shrugging. He grabbed Hookfang's horn as the dragon got to his feet and tried to push past him toward Sigyn. She backed up a few steps. "Anyway, we'd better get going, but we'll be back in four days."

"Alright," she said, moving well out of the way as he climbed into the saddle. "But you better come prepared to work," she called after him as Hookfang took to the air. He laughed.

"I will."

*******

The breeze whipped through Sigyn's hair as she dangled her legs over the edge of the rocky precipice. Snotlout had been right, from up here she had a great view of the race and the twins megahorn had done its job. She had always been vaguely curious about the races and she found that being able to watch from a distance she rather enjoyed the spectacle. The race had been a close thing and Snotlout had put up a powerful fight, but ultimately he had lost to Astrid and her dragon.

Fishlegs and his dragon had been too slow to be much competition and had only managed to catch two sheep. The twins were too chaotic to work together for any stretch of time and only gathered three sheep. Hiccup and his dragon should have done better but seemed to have been distracted, only collecting four sheep. The race had really come down to a competition between Snotlout and Astrid. Astrid had gathered six sheep and Snotlout had been sitting pretty on eight sheep and was set to win until the black sheep had been launched high over the arena. Initially, Snotlout and Hookfang had caught the black sheep, but Astrid had distracted Hookfang with a large leg of lamb, ironic given the game, and then swiped the black sheep for herself, catapulting her final score to 15 points and the title of winner for the match. It had been exhilarating to watch.

Sigyn was preparing to make her descent back down over the rocky precipice when she recognized the silhouette of our particular dragon and rider in the distance. She raised the spyglass. Sure enough, it was Snotlout. He was scowling, clearly unhappy with the outcome of the race. She braced herself for the incoming stormcloud, her hands gripping the stone beneath her tighter as Hookfang closed the distance. She was pretty high up and one wrong move from the dragon could send her plummeting over the edge. By the time Snotlout was close enough to see without the spyglass, his expression had shifted. He leaned forward over Hookfang's horns smirking.

"Hey gorgeous," he said, grinning. "Back up a bit will you?" Hookfang beat his wings hovering just over the rocky outcropping. She got to her feet and backed away from the edge leaving plenty of room for the dragon. "Alright Hookfang, down." The dragon dropped and caught ahold of the cliff face, clinging to the rocks, his head and neck protruding up over the edge. Snotlout lept from the saddle, stumbling slightly when he landed.

"You actually watched," he exclaimed, making his way toward her. His face was painted with red and yellow stripes on his cheeks, forehead, and chin, making his blue eyes stand out that much more.

"Of course I did," she said, slinging her satchel over her shoulder. "We had a deal. Besides, I actually made some good progress on my work and caught up the past few days."

"Does that mean that I'm free today?" he asked hopefully.

"Ha, not a chance. I still have work for you."

"Oh, so you need me," he said, putting an emphasis on the word need. "Come on, admit it."

"Yes Snotlout, I need you," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I knew it," he said smugly, one hand on his hip. She laughed and shook her head.

"Pleased with yourself a bit?" she teased.

"Of course, what's not to be pleased with. Anyway, come on, let's go," he said, turning back to Hookfang. He climbed back in the saddle and held out a hand for her. She folded her arms and just stared at him.

"I don't think so."

"What?" he said, faking innocence.

"I'm not riding your dragon."

"Fine, we'll climb down," he said, getting off again. "You can't blame a guy for trying though. At least come pat him before I send him off."

"Alright," she relented. "But I'm not going to ride him."

"Not today," said Snotlout confidently.

She let him live in his delusion as she crept carefully toward the edge. Slowly Hookfang moved his head into her reach. She still felt tense as he closed the gap but she remained still until her fingers could reach his chin. He began to rumble, leaning into her rubs and pats. He wasn't so bad when he wasn't rushing her or pinning her down. He was still huge though but he seemed to have mellowed. Snotlout watched from the side, a hand on his hip and a small frown tugging at the corner of his lips.

"What?" she asked, still rubbing the rumbling dragon.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, but he was still frowning. "Just not sure if I should be pleased or jealous." She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Jealous, of what?" she asked, jumping when Hookfang bumped her elbow wanting more attention.

"Of how much Hookfang likes you or... "

"Or what?" she asked, rubbing his dragon again.

"Or the attention you give him," said Snotlout, scowling and stepping closer to her. She snorted.

"That's stupid. What? Did you want me to scratch under your chin as well?" She reached for his face, but he dodged away.

"Not a chance stitcher girl."

"Then don't be jealous," she said, turning back to scratch an insistent Hookfang. "Besides, it was your idea in the first place." His shoulders sagged.

"I suppose so."

"Anyway," she said, stepping away from Hookfang. "I don't want a dragon. He's all yours. Trust me."

"You say that now, but once you ride Hookfang you'll be begging me to find you a dragon of your own." He reached to pat his dragon. "Go on, Fangster I'll see you later," he said, waving the dragon off.

"I'm more likely to sprout wings and jump off this cliff than I am to get a dragon," she said, watching Hookfang fly off.

"Three years ago if you had told me that we would be riding dragons I would have said the chances were about the same, yet here I am." She rolled her eyes.

"It's not going to happen."

"You keep telling yourself that," he said. "But I know the truth."

"Yeah, too bad you never tell it," she jabbed, climbing carefully over the edge. She found the familiar hand and footholds with relative ease. "Let's go. There is a yak barn with your name written all over it."

"Oh come on," he said, following her over the sloped edge of the precipice. "You couldn't come up with anything more creative for me to do?"

"The whole reason you're coming is to make up for the time I missed climbing up here today. You do the work you can do and I'll do the work I'm good at."

"Which is your way of saying you saved all the manual labor for me," he groused, looking for a foothold.

"Here," she said, tapping his foot and pointing to a small cleft. "You never specified what type of work you would do. Just take it as a chance to show off that prodigious strength you're always bragging about."

"I already trained the biggest dragon on the island," he said, climbing down so he was even with her. "What more do you want?"

"The barn mucked out, the garden emptied, and the wood split. Should be no trouble for you." He shook his head.

"Alright, fine, but only because you watched the race. But you can't tell anyone."

"Even if I were to tell anyone, why would it matter," she asked exasperated.

"I have a reputation to uphold," he said with mock dignity. "If false rumors were to get out that I'm both attractive and helpful I would be swarmed with women and you would never see me again."

"Sure," she said dryly.

"It's true," he said.

"I think your sense of truth is skewed."

They were silent for a while as they concentrated on climbing back down to level ground and began the trek back to her house. The spyglass bumped against her thigh inside her pocket. She pulled it out and offered it to Snotlout.

"No doubt Hiccup will want that back."

"Na, he probably didn't even realize it was gone. He has a few."

"You should still return it."

"Did you enjoy watching?" he asked, tucking it into his pocket.

"I did actually, more than I thought, even if you didn't win." He scowled, his feet stomping a bit more.

"I was supposed to win, I had it in the bag."

"Did you feed Hookfang before the race?" she asked.

"Ha, even if you stuffed that dragon he would never turn down a leg of lamb. Unfortunately, Astrid knows it."

"Seems like cheating to me," she said. Snotlout gave a short barking laugh.

"It was me and the twins who made cheating a part of the races to begin with. Just about anything to win is legal."

"Anything?"

"Well, not anything, but it's almost more about who can cheat the most to win more than it is a race." She laughed.

"No wonder you like it so much. You're good at it."

"At what, cheating?" he asked smugly.

"No... dragon racing."

"Well, of course, I practically invented it."

"I didn't know Hookfang could fly that fast. He seems to handle turns better than you would expect from a dragon his size."

"We've been working on his speed and agility. Those and stealth are his only shortcomings."

"I imagine it's hard for a dragon his size to be sneaky."

"You have no idea," he said, snorting. "He's gotten us into trouble more than a few times."

They fell silent for a short while, walking down the trail, lost in their own thoughts.

"So... Do you have anything to eat in that bag," he asked at length. Grinning, she fished out the half-eaten mutton sandwich and held it towards him.

"I already ate part of it but if you don't mind…."

"Awesome," he said, taking it from her and biting off nearly a third of the remaining sandwich. She watched him eat with satisfying gusto. In a matter of seconds, the sandwich was gone. She dug the bladder of yak milk out of her satchel and held it out to him as well. He took it and had almost raised it to his lips when he paused and sniffed.

"This isn't water."

"Yak milk," she said offhand.

"Yak milk or yaknog?" he asked cautiously.

"What is yaknog?" she asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," he said before drinking. He handed it back to her.

"So why didn't you just steal the black sheep back from Astrid," she asked. "You and Hookfang were fast enough you probably could have pulled it off. You didn't even try." He glanced over at her.

"Yeah maybe," he said, shrugging. "But it would have been a rough take and I don't hit girls."

"But you train with Astrid all the time don't you?"

"That's different," he said. "She's expecting it then and if you don't give it your all when you spar with her she clobbers you. Besides, Astrid's already broke her arm once over a black sheep."

"How did that happen?" He grimaced, looking away.

"It wasn't my fault," he said, kicking out at a rock. "We were both diving for the same black sheep. I told her I wouldn't pull up but she didn't believe me. She tried to dive under Hookfang and we crashed. Even with one arm in a sling, she is scary. She's just awesome like that, super tough." She watched his face as he spoke and realized something.

"You like it when Astrid beats up on you don't you?" she said, unable to keep the words from tumbling out of her mouth. She regretted it instantly. Snotlout flushed with anger or embarrassment, she wasn't sure, probably both.

"That's stupid. You don't know what you're talking about." He walked faster, leaving her behind. She kicked herself mentally and jogged after him. He ignored her. She remained quiet, following after him. They walked in a tense silence all the way back to the edge of the meadow.

"Hey," she said when he glanced at her. He stopped and folded his arms, looking at her.

"What?" he asked moodily.

"I'm sorry. I should keep my mouth shut sometimes."

"Just forget about it," he said. "Seriously, forget about it."

"Truce?" she asked. He eyed her for a moment before his body relaxed somewhat. He nodded.

"Truce."

"Are you still coming?" she asked, nodding toward the game trail and home.

"Yeah," he said, letting his arms drop to his side. "Thanks... for the sandwich."

"No problem. Thanks for coming to help."

"Sure."

They walked out into the meadow. Hookfang rose from where he had been lying under a tree and made his way towards them. Sigyn shuffled sideways, moving so the dragon would greet Snotlout first and not her. This did not escape Snotlout's notice.

"Are you really still scared of him?"

"Sort of," she said, wishing it weren't so. "Ten years of ingrained fear dies hard." She tried to ease the tension in her shoulders. "I suppose I know he's not going to hurt me, at least not intentionally, but it's hard to get that to translate."

"What happened anyway?" he asked as Hookfang slowly pressed closer to her.

She swallowed thickly, trying to fight back the nausea and icy anxiety that washed over her at memories his question brought back. He must have noticed, for he grabbed Hookfang's horns and pulled him back to give her space.

"Let's just say I'd rather not talk about it."

"Yeah, alright," he said, patting Hookfang. They were silent for a moment.

"Hey, what about all that manual labor you saved for me," he said changing the subject, as Hookfang went to lay down again. She grabbed ahold gratefully.

"I thought you didn't want to do the manual labor."

"Well I am the guy, so obviously I should do the manly jobs. You do your stitching, that's women's work."

"You do know I've done just fine without you around for four years right?" she said, hand on her hip.

"Yeah, yeah, true, but I bet I can do it better than you, faster."

"Are you telling me you want to do more work? Because you're mine for three hours and I have more chores."

"Maybe," he said, sounding unsure and a bit confused. "I don't know, maybe. Or maybe I just want you to finish your stitching so you can work on my tunic."

"Ah, the truth comes out," she said. "Alright, you win this time. I'll stitch and you work." He frowned.

"That doesn't feel like much of a win." She laughed.

"But it's what you wanted. You get the manly jobs."

"Still…"

"You know," she said. "For it being women's work, your stitches are quite neat. If I taught you a few other stitches you could replace me as a tailor."

"Really?" he asked, sounding more than a little bit pleased.

"No," she said, grinning and nudging him with an elbow. "Not even close."

He stopped in the middle of the trail, folding his arms over his chest.

"Ha… very funny," he groused. She laughed at his disgruntled look.

"Come on, let's go," she said, turning to run down the trail towards her house. "The sooner we start the sooner we're done."

Chapter Text

The fall passed quickly into winter and Snotlout found himself visiting Sigyn more and more often, at least once a week. He quit asking himself why he liked to be around her and just went to enjoy her company. He didn't even mind that he almost always got roped into helping Sigyn with whatever she was doing. She was hardly ever still and even when she was not physically active, her fingers were hard at work sewing.

Thus far he had helped to repair her roof, muck out the barn several times, and fix the chicken coop. On days she was sewing he sat and talked to her, sometimes helping her with simple stitch work and other times not. He had long since finished preparing all the green dragon scales for his tunic. Finding that he rather enjoyed the mindless task he asked her if there were more scales she needed prepared. Laughing, she obliged and gave him a sack of orange scales which were currently tucked in the corner under his bed away from prying eyes.

One morning he came early, surprising her. Hiccup and the twins were sick and training had been canceled for the day. Instead of stitch work, Snotlout convinced Sigyn to train with him. She was leery at first but with his and her father's combined urging she relented, so long as the training involved no dragons. He spent the first hour gauging her skill with the various weapons he brought and found her self-assessment to be mostly accurate. She was decent with a sword and he could tell that with time and practice she would make a competent sparring partner. Her skills with an ax, however, were lamentable as were her skills with just about any other weapon. The only exception to this was archery. With a bow in her hands, he had to grudgingly admit that she was better than him. He could pull the bow back farther, giving his arrows more speed and force, but hers were tightly clustered near the center of the target.

They trained a good portion of the morning away, sparring and swapping tips back and forth. With her help, he even managed to get his arrows to cluster in the center closer together. She didn't crow about it… much. That was one of the things he liked about Sigyn. She could be better at something and not rub it in his face, just offering advice when he asked for it… and sometimes when he didn't. Not only could she give advice, but she could take his as well. When he proved to have superior skills or knowledge she adjusted herself accordingly. That was on every subject except dragons. On the subject of dragons, she still held firmly that she would never fly on Hookfang or own a dragon. It had become somewhat of a running joke between them.

The only dragon she was willing to tolerate was Hookfang and here too, she was giving way. She began to allow Hookfang into the yard so long as he was resting quietly near the yak field. She was surprisingly willing to lavish attention on his ridiculously fawning dragon but he could still see the tension in her shoulders now and then, especially when Hookfang moved about. She still insisted that he and Hookfang take off and land further up the trail away from the house and barn but it was a definite improvement from when they had first met. He still wondered what had happened to make her fear dragons so much but she didn't volunteer anything and he didn't ask again.

Sigyn’s father, Torben Helvig, was an old man. He was unusually cheerful despite his paralysis and near-total blindness. He always seemed genuinely pleased when Snotlout came around and often laughed at Snotlout and Sigyn's banter. Not all the man's teasing was focused on Sigyn, some of it was saved for Snotlout but it was not the same as the pointed and awkward questions from the first time they had met. It had been weird at first, being around Sigyn's father so much, but as the weeks went by Snotlout had grown accustomed to the man's barbed enthusiasm. To Snotlout’s delight, Torben even encouraged Sigyn to ride Hookfang, something that she groused about often.

The weeks had passed quickly and Snoggletog was just around the corner as was the time for the dragons to mate. In a few days, the dragons would all disappear for a little over a week and return only once the baby dragons could make the return flight. Until the dragon’s departure, training had been suspended. Like all other animals, when it came to the mating season, dragons became irritable and territorial. Hookfang and the other rider’s dragons were not immune to this exactly, but due to their training, they were much easier to control. The pet dragons in the village were tame but largely untrained, and the wild dragons around the island were unpredictable this time of year. Challenges and fights between dragons were not uncommon, even in the middle of the village. This made it necessary for the Dragon Riders to be available to jump in at a moment's notice to stop any trouble before the dragons could do any damage. To this end, the Dragon Riders had been spread around the entire island to patrol. Fishface and Astrid were in charge of the southern half of the village, in particular, the docks as a lot of the scuffles started over food. Hiccup and the twins were flying lazy loops around the outer edge and middle of the island. This left the northern half of the village to Snotlout and Hookfang.

Snotlout watched the snow-covered ground lazily as he and Hookfang flew back and forth over the village. The snow reflected blindingly up at him, but at least the white background made it easier to spot the colorful dragons. It was only mid-day and Snotlout was bored. Not that he didn't understand why they were patrolling it was just... nothing was happening. He wanted to go see Sigyn, but with patrolling the past week or so he had been too busy to sneak away. The last time he visited, Sigyn had seemed worried about something. He wanted to know what.

He shook himself, refocusing his gaze on the ground. Whatever. He would go see her once the dragons were gone in a few more days. Who knew, maybe he could get her to come to the Snoggletog feast as well. Probably. After all, there would be no dragons in town. Until then, baby or rather dragon sitting it was. At least he had a warm cozy seat while he had to be outside.

"See anything Fangster?" he asked, leaning forward to rub above Hookfangs eyes. His dragon rumbled and continued their low lazy flight over the village. "Yeah, me neither."

They finished their pass and turned a bit further north to skirt the edge of the village. Something suddenly had Hookfang's attention and Snotlout sat up straighter, scanning the ground. Beneath him, Hookfang veered slightly to the left and picked up the pace. There was definitely something... but what and...

"There!"

Hookfang dropped lower and Snotlout quickly took in the situation. A pair of deadly nadders were facing off between two large houses. One nadder was a green and pink dapple and the other was blue. They stamped in the snow, their heads bobbing, for all the world looking like giant preening chickens. Two males. Shocker. The green and pink was a juvenile, probably too dumb to realize that the blue one was almost twice its size. Stupid dragon. The blue dragon he recognized as being attached to the family just a few houses over, although he was unsure about the juvenile. Perhaps it was wild. Why couldn't people watch after their pets? Either way, clearly no one was paying them the slightest bit of attention. Probably out buying or selling for Snoggletog. So now it was his job to break up the pair.

Without prompting Hookfang landed and lowered his head so Snotlout could dismount. How exactly did he want to approach this? He had been grazed and nicked enough times by Stormfly’s spines to know that it was inadvisable to get shot again. While not dangerous in any real way other than impalement, nadder spines were coated with a mild venom that stung almost as bad as the time Ruff and Tuff had dropped a beehive on him as a kid. The dragons held their spiked tails at the ready, barbs out. He was tempted just to watch and make sure the dragons didn't resort to their magnesium breath. There was no one around and so long as all they were doing was preening and shooting a few spines, there was not any real reason to get involved.

The pair have not even noticed him and Hookfang arrive. He glanced at Hookfang and frowned. Something was up with his dragon. Hookfang’s long neck was outstretched toward the alleyway, his nostrils puffing steam. He was clearly agitated. Great. Just what he needed, another territorial dragon getting into the mix.

"Get it together, Hookfang," he said, reaching confidently for his dragon’s horns, just in case he needed to calm him. "Come on, let's just separate these two and be done." But Hookfang pulled out of his grip and whimpered. Snotlout frowned. Hookfang whimpering, or as close to it as he ever came? Maybe he wasn't getting territorial after all.

"What is it, big guy?" He reached for his dragon, this time to rub his chin. At that moment the juvenile nadder let loose a barrage of spines, several of them embedding in the walls of the house nearby. A muffled scream came from the alleyway.

"Odin's beard,” he cursed lowly. He kicked himself mentally and yanked his ax and shield off Hookfangs saddle. He should have made sure there was no one in the alleyway. Any adult in the village could handle a dragon, which probably meant it was a kid. Stupid. Should have checked. Where was the kid anyway? His eyes slid over the dragons and landed on some barrels and sacks about halfway down the alley. A sack toppled over spilling potatoes out into the ankle-deep snow. Gotcha. After glancing over his shoulder at Hookfang he darted down the alley his shield held between him and the nadders. The blue dragon swung its tail in agitation and Snotlout raised his shield and braced to block the blow. He was about ten paces from the barrels now.

"Hey, kid!" he called, keeping an eye on the nadders as he yanked a spine free from his shield. "Come out of there already. I’ll cover you."

There was no reply. The kid was probably too scared to move. He'd have to go and drag the kid out and then have Hookfang separate the fighting dragons. Nadders were aggressive but flighty and Hookfang far outweigh the both of them put together. He reached the barrels and searched for the kid. There was someone tucked between the sacks but they were too big to be a kid. Who was it?
“Hey let's get out of here,” he called to the head of blond hair tucked under a pair of arms. “Come on!” The arms dropped hesitantly and brown eyes stared up at him. Wide, terrified eyes set in a very familiar face.

“Thor's hammer! Sigyn? What are you doing here?" No wonder Hookfang had been acting odd.

"D...dragons!" she said in a tremulous whisper. She was pressed back against the wall of the house behind her, crouching in the snow. Her eyes were wide and panicked as she watched the dragons behind him and her hair was wild and unkempt as though it had not been tended to for a while. What was going on?

He ducked behind his shield again as the blue dragon let fly a barrage of spines. One ricocheted off the barrels and grazed his left forearm, sending a stinging pain up his arm and into his shoulder. He hissed out a curse and looked at Sigyn. She seemed unharmed, just frightened. Good. Now if he could just get her out of the alley, but she looked about as likely to be pried from her spot as Hookfang did from his food. In short… not likely. Perhaps that was best. The shield was not large enough to cover them both. He could have carried a kid and held the shield, but a terrified Sigyn was another thing entirely. Well, if they couldn't get out of the alley the next best thing was...

"Hookfang!" His dragon’s attention snapped to him. “Break this up and get rid of them. I'll cover Sigyn."

He ducked closer to Sigyn, peeking over the top of his shield which he held to block any stray spines. Hookfang gave a deafening roar, finally catching the nadder’s attention. Sigyn’s fingers were instantly latched onto his arm with a vice-like grip. He was glad it wasn't his left arm. Thor, her grip was strong, stronger than he would have guessed. How much of that was fear and how much was her?

The ground shook as Hookfang stomped closer. Both nadders turned to face his much larger dragon, their hackles up, tails ready to fire. The juvenile shot several spines at Hookfang but his dragon opened his jaws, spewing his molten fire and burning up the spines mid-flight. Hookfang let out another roar and the smaller nadder turned tail and flew away. Odin, he loved that Hookfang made it on intimidation alone! A few seconds later the adult nadder seemed to realize it was on its own and quickly followed the juvenile into the air. Snotlout lowered the shield as Hookfang approached cautiously.

"Nice going Fangster," he said, patting his dragon’s snout. Sigyn’s grip tightened as she pulled further behind a barrel. Hookfang instinctively backed up. He was a smart dragon... most of the time. Snotlout turned his attention back to his... friend? Yes! Sigyn was a friend.

"Hey," he said, setting his ax aside so his hands were empty. He turned to her, kneeling in the snow.

“Sigyn? What's going on? Why are you out here?" She was still panicking. He pried her fingers off his arm and took her by the shoulders. "Hey, Sigyn. Relax. The nadders are gone. It's just me and Hookfang." Behind him, Hookfang let out a low rumbling thrum and some of the tension seemed to leach out of Sigyn’s shoulders. Her eyes focused on him, seeing him for the first time since he’d arrived.

"Snotlout?"

“Hey, there you are," he said, letting go of her and getting to his feet. No sense getting wetter in the snow than he needed to. "What are you doing out here? It's almost the dragon’s mating season. They are all on edge. You…”

"I need Gothi," she blurted, scrambling to her feet, the panicky look back in her eyes.

"Why? What's wrong? You look fine to me. Are you hurt?" She looked at him, her eyes immediately tearing up. Oh Loki, no. Not tears. He didn’t know what to do when people cried. What was wrong? What had he done?

"My dad! Snotlout, he's sick,” she said, trying to get past him and break out of the alleyway. He caught her hand before she could run.

"Sick how?" She pulled at his hand but he didn't let go. She was still spooked and not thinking straight. She might run into another dragon.

"He... He can't breathe Snotlout," she sobbed.

His mind stalled and then jerked back into action. Sigyn and Gothi lived on opposite ends of the village. How long has she already been away from her father?

“He… he gets really sick during the winter. I’ve done all I know, but nothing is helping! I've never seen him this bad. He’s gasping for breath. If it gets any worse … I … I need Gothi!”

"Let’s go,” he said, pulling her towards Hookfang.

“What are you doing?” she said, trying to twist out of his grip. "Gothi’s is that way. I have to get her!"

“I know I know," he said, dragging her closer to Hookfang. “But going on foot is too slow. If your dad really can't breathe you can't waste time. I'll take you to Gothi’s now."

"You mean fly on Hookfang?” He let go of her hand and climbed into the saddle.

"Yes, on Hookfang.” She hesitated and he could see her fear battling with her father's need.

"Look, I'm not going to make you come but Gothi will need a ride. Her terrible terrors are no good for flying and she walks way too slow. I can get her without you if you like, but it's best if you come with me. I don't know what to tell her and I can never understand what she is saying. We can grab Gothi and be back to your dad in less than ten minutes. But if you can’t ride Hookfang you can wait here. I'll come back and walk with you after I drop Gothi off at your house. It's up to you."

Something in her expression clicked and she stepped toward him. Thank Thor. He really didn't want to go see Gothi alone. She took the hand he held out to her, but then hesitated again.

"You won't... you won't let me fall?" He pulled her into the saddle in front of him.

“I promise. Hookfang and I will not let you fall. Hold tight to his horns. We're going to go pretty fast." He waited for her hands to grip Hookfangs horns, her knuckles turning white. "Hookfang let's go!"

In a matter of seconds, Hookfang was in the air and headed east to Gothi’s house, flying low over the trees. In front of him, Sigyn was a bundle of nerves. Hookfang’s speed pushed her back into his chest and he could feel every one of her muscles like a rock against him.

"Hang on," he said close to her ear so she could hear. "We're almost there.” She didn't respond.

Hookfang angled himself to ascend as they approached Gothi’s stilted hut. Why on earth the healer’s hut was perched atop a tower of rock and not in the middle of the village he never understood. The hike up to see her would kill you if your injuries or illness didn't. How did she even climb up all those steps and ladders anyway?

The flight was over before it had really begun and Hookfang set down gently on the platform in front of Gothi’s hut. Snotlout was about to ask who should get the old woman went Sigyn clambered down and was inside the hut before he could open his mouth. That answered that.

Sigyn’s muffled voice came from the hut and Snotlout leaned forward, tapping a finger impatiently on Hookfang’s horn as he waited. What was taking so long? Didn't Gothi understand that Sigyn's father couldn't breathe? The moments dragged into eons and finally, the two of them emerged. Sigyn rushed over and without waiting for help had herself situated in front of him once again. Gothi shambled over, her steps painfully slow. Thank Thor he had insisted on taking her himself. They couldn't wait any longer. He lept down, grabbed the bulging pack from her, and tossed it to Sigyn who slung it over her shoulder so it was in front of her.

“Come on old lady," he said, picking up Gothi. Odin, she was heavy for a stunted old bat. “We can't wait any longer." He put her on Hookfang behind the saddle and remounted, dodging a swing from her stick.

"Let's go Hookfang!" he called, being sure Sigyn had a good grip on his dragon’s horns once again. Hookfang leapt off the high platform and dove away to the west. Sigyn shrieked as she slipped forward on Hookfang’s neck and Snotlout quickly wrapped a hand around her waist pulling her back into him. At the same moment, Gothi slammed into his back and boney fingers clawed into his ribcage. He squirmed until at last, she settled for gripping what little of his tunic and vest she could. Hookfang leveled out, streaking over the village. Snotlout was not sandwiched between the two of them for very long. In a moment they were descending toward the trees once again.

"Just land in front of the house,” said Sigyn, turning her head so he could hear her. He nodded and let go of her waist to grip Hookfang’s horns, angling them towards a small clearing that made up Sigyn's yard. Hookfang touched down and Sigyn dismounted, dashing into the house and calling for her father. Snotlout slid off Hookfang and turned to grab Gothi but had to duck once again as the old bat swung her stick in his direction. Slipping down to the ground Gothi pointed toward the house making a shooting motion. He took the hint and followed Sigyn.

Coming through the front door he could hear gasping, wheezing, coughs coming from the back room. He clenched and unclenched his fists, unsure what to do. At least it sounded as though her father were not totally without air, but it was still not good. He glanced over his shoulder. Hopefully, Gothi could treat him. He crept forward and stood in the doorway of the back room that made up Torben’s room. Her father was propped up in bed in a dirty nightshirt. His face was white and his lips had a bluish hue. Sigyn stood next to her father looking more panicked and worried than her father. Her father struggled for breath but seemed oddly calm and … resigned. Why was he...

"Where is Gothi?" asked Sigyn when she spotted him. Her voice was tense and he could see that tears were threatening to spill down her cheeks once again. He opened his mouth to answer but a stick rapped him sharply on the shoulder and he jumped out of the way allowing the healer past him. Gothi immediately went to Torben’s side and began to dig in her bag. Snotlout turned and was about to duck back out to the main room when Sigyn called after him.

"Snotlout." He stopped and looked at her. "We need to give him a bath." He wrinkled his nose.

"A bath?"

"A hot one. Gothi told me this steam would help. Can you…"

"I'll take care of it," he said, nodding.

“Thank you,” she said, turning back to her father.

He retreated to the main room and looked around. He knew the washtub was kept behind the house. He would have to bring it in but where would he put it? He shoved the table aside to make room and grabbed the cleaner of the two large hanging cauldrons. He looked inside. He'd need to clean it out first. He carried it outside and left it in the stream to soak as he carried the tub into the house. In a few minutes, the caldron was clean. He filled it with icy water and carried it back around to the front of the house. He was about to lug it inside and hang it over the fire when he stopped. He set the cauldron in the yard and turned to Hookfang.

"Hookfang, Flames!" he called, pointing to the bottom of the cauldron.

In less than a minute steam was floating over the surface of the water. Retrieving the buckets from the garden he hauled water back and forth from the stream and cauldron into the house, mixing the hot and cold in the washtub. He had just about finished when Gothi shambled from the back room and dumped a bowl full of foul-smelling paste into the water and stirred it around with her stick. She nodded approvingly at him and then pointed to the back room. He moved to the doorway and found Sigyn carefully lifting her father into her arms. She stumbled slightly, taking on his weight and Snotlout moved forward to help her.

"I've got him,” she said, readjusting her grip. He moved out of her way ready to step in should she falter again. Her father's breathing had eased somewhat but his breaths were still shallow and labored, interspersed with an occasional cough. Sigyn lowered her father into the tub, nightshirt and all, and then turned to Gothi.

"What else can we do?” she asked, rubbing red marks into her arm as she watched her father struggle for breath. The old healer scraped her staff across the floor leaving marks in the thick layer of dust. Snotlout had seen her do this before but he didn't understand the strange combination of shorthand and symbols she used. Luckily Sigyn did.

“She says the more steam the better,” said Sigyn, looking up at him. "But I don't know how to do that without burning him."

"I do,” he said, feeling relieved that there was something he could do other than stand around. “But you're not going to like it."

"I rode a dragon today, how much worse could it get? Whatever it is, do it.”

"Alright but don't freak out." He ran out onto the porch. "Hookfang, come here!" Hookfang looked at him and stood but didn't come closer. He went to his dragon.

“Come here, big guy. Sigyn needs you." He turned to examine the porch and front door. The doorway was not wide enough for Hookfang and he wasn't sure the squeaky porch was up to his dragon’s weight either. He led Hookfang around to the side of the house and pulled off his saddle.

"Wait here," he instructed before hurrying back inside. Without explanation, he brushed past Gothi and Sigyn and went to the window and threw it open wide. "Come here Hookfang," he said, reaching to pull his dragon’s head through the window and into the room.

"Snotlout! What are you doing?” asked Sigyn, rushing over. "Get him…”

"Just trust me," he said as Hookfang hesitantly pushed his head and neck into the room. "This is the best way to make lots of steam."

"But..."

“Sigyn!” gasped Torben. She paused to look at her father. “Trust him.”

“Hookfang is not going to knock your house down. I promise,” said Snotlout, pulling Hookfangs head toward the tub. “Over here Fangster." He patted the edge of the tub. Sigyn’s father pushed himself further up in the tub wheezing. Hookfang carefully rested his neck across the foot of the wooden tub.

“All right, Hooky, heat no flames. Here," he said, rubbing the portion of his dragon’s neck that was draped over the tub. Almost at once, Hookfang’s skin began to heat under his hand.

"What are you doing?” asked Sigyn. He didn't reply but instead cupped his hands together and scooped up some of the bathwater and dribbled it over Hookfang’s neck. The moment the water hit the heated scales it sizzled away creating a small cloud of steam that wafted towards Sigyn’s father.

“See," he said. “Lots of steam but no one gets burned, well so long as you don't touch Hookfangs neck."

Gothi dumped more paste into the tub and scooped some of the water up in a bowl, spilling it over Hookfang’s neck. The old healer nodded approvingly and handed the bowl to Snotlout before shuffling away to mess with her bag in the corner. Sigyn came to stand beside him as he scooped and dumped, scooped and dumped, scooped and dumped. She rubbed absently at Hookfang’s nose, watching her father and his dragon began to thrumb lowly.

Snotlout swiped a hand across his forehead. It was getting hot in here. Very hot, but at least the steam seemed to be working. Torben’s breathing was beginning to even out bit by bit and he had stopped wheezing as much. Snotlout shifted uncomfortably. His clothes were moist and clingy.

"Here," said Sigyn, taking the bowl from him. “Let me do that. You look like you're going to melt.” Gladly, he gave it to her and stepped away. She glanced at him. "Your face is red. Do you want to go outside?"

“Yeah," he said. "You good here?” She nodded and looked at her father.

"I think... I think the worst is over. He'll be okay now. Gothi is working on something for him."

"You're sure?" She nodded, dragging over a chair to sit beside the tub. She didn't even jump when Hookfang shifted his head to rest across her knees as she continued to pour water over his neck. Snotlout hesitated only long enough to see her rubbing Hookfang's chin before he could no longer stand the heat.

Out on the porch was not much better. Wet clothes and winter didn't mix well. He shivered, unsure what to do. He could go stand next to Hookfang, but he didn't want to risk distracting his dragon while his head and neck were inside the house. Irritated grunts came from the barn where the two yaks were kept. He made his way quickly through the snowy yard to the barn and slipped the latch, grateful for the wave of musty warmth that greeted him, even if it did smell of animals. The cow yak stamped impatiently as his eyes adjusted to the dim light and the calf lay in the straw near the back. He stepped further inside, looking around.
The feed trough and water were both empty. No wonder they were upset. Just how long had Sigyn’s father been sick? He set about tending to the animals, filling their food and water, mucking out the stall, and even attempting to milk the cow. It was late in the season but surprisingly she still had a little milk to give. He’d just finished with the yaks when he remembered the chickens. Trudging around to the back he repeated with the chickens, collecting their eggs. It had definitely been a few days if the basket of eggs was anything to go by. Coming back around to the front of the barn he noticed that Hookfang was missing. His dragon wasn’t in the yard either. Milk and eggs in hand he went back to the house. Not only was Hookfang missing, so was Gothi. The main room was empty. He set the milk and eggs aside and moved toward the back room only to bump into Sigyn.

"Snotlout, there you are," she said, brushing her loose hair from her face. "I thought you left." There were bags under her eyes and her shoulders were slumped with fatigue.

"Kind of hard when Hookfang is missing. Have you seen him?” Sigyn frowned.

“Gothi rode off on him a few minutes ago." He didn't much like that idea, but they was nothing he could do about it now. Whatever, Hookfang would be back.

"How's your dad?”

"Doing much better. I just need to prepare some medicine and food for him. Will you sit with him? You know, make sure he's all right. Sometimes he relapses." She didn't wait for him to answer as she slipped by him. He slunk awkwardly into her father's room and took up residence in the chair beside the bed.

"Snotlout," said her father hoarsely, nodding in his direction.

"Hey," he asked uneasily. “Are you feeling better?”

"Much better," her father said, leaning back further into the pillows. “Just... tired. These attacks are exhausting. This has been the worst yet. I'm not sure if..." but he trailed off. A tense silence thick as yak butter blanketed the room and Snotlout looked around the room trying to distract himself. Torben was in clean clothes and his bedsheets had been swapped as well. His knee bobbed up and down. How long would Sigyn be?

"Thank you," said her father at last.

"For what?" he asked, startled.

"For taking care of the animals."

"How… how did you know?”

Her father gave a small chuckle that turned into a coughing fit. Snotlout waited anxiously for him to recover, unsure if he should get Sigyn, but after several seconds the fit subsided.

"How did you know?" he asked again. Her father tapped an ear as he sunk back into the pillows.

"The animals are quiet now. Either they all died of neglect at once or someone tended to them."

"Oh, right,” he said, pushing his helmet further up on his head. “It just needed doing.” He picked at a loose thread in his pants as it grew quiet again."

"Can I ask a favor of you?” pressed her father.

"I guess so.” He didn't exactly want to turn him down, but was unsure what he was getting into.

"Keep an eye on Sigyn for a while? At least until I'm well again. She won't admit it to anyone, but she can't always keep up with everything."

"I'd noticed,” said Snotlout, tugging the errant string free from his pant leg.

"I know you have. It's one of the many reasons you keep coming around... though I suspect it's far from the only reason."

Snotlout didn't answer right away. If he were honest, in the back of his mind he had already been planning to check in on Sigyn over the next few days, if only to make sure that the animals were fed and watered.

"I don't ask that you do much. I know you are busy with other things."

Snotlout groaned. Odin's beard. He was supposed to be patrolling the village. There was no way Hiccup and the others had not noticed he was gone by now. He sighed. Whatever. It couldn't be helped now and Sigyn had needed him more.

"Can I count on you Snotlout?" asked her father, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Hnn?... Oh. Sure. I guess I could do that."

"Thank you," said her father. Snotlout shrugged and then remembered her father could not see.

“No problem," he said. Torben seemed to relax a bit more into the pillows.

Sigyn appeared in the doorway with a tray of food and a steaming mug of something that, given the smell, Snotlout was glad was not for him. He got gratefully to his feet, making way for Sigyn next to the bed.

“Thanks," she said, touching his arm afterr she’d set the tray down.

"Sure.” He wished that they would quit thanking him so much. It was weird.

He shuffled out of the room closing the door behind him and made his way to the porch to see if Hookfang was back yet. He found no sign of his dragon. He did however find Hookfang’s saddle where he'd left it in the snow. Crazy old bat hadn’t even put the saddle back on. Whatever, it was her thighs, not his. He set the saddle on the porch and went back inside. He didn't want to wait in the cold but he felt awkward just sitting there alone in Sigyn’s house. Still feeling the chill from outside he made his way towards the fireplace and then frowned.

He hadn't noticed it before in the heat of the moment but now that things were quiet he looked around the main room. It was more cluttered and messy than normal. Sigyn didn't keep a very tidy house, unlike his mother, but with all that Sigyn had to keep up with daily, he didn't really blame her. The house was a mess. Sigyn was prone to clutter, but there was usually a method to her madness, at least when it came to her tailoring supplies. But as he looked around the room he had to admit that it had advanced further than he had ever seen it before. The ashes were piled so high in the fireplace that they had begun to spill out across the floor. Dirty dishes were stacked randomly around the room and the scrap bin in the corner was so full it would have been swarmed with flies were it summer.

He bit his lip debating with himself. He'd already taken care of the animals, so why not? Because cleaning the house was a woman's work, that’s why not. That’s what his father had taught him from a young age. Yet even if that were true, his mother had raised him knowing full well how to do just about everything she did, except maybe cooking… and he could still do a little of that. It wasn’t hard to clean house. As the oldest of three, he’d found himself helping his mother in secret often enough, especially when Adelaide and Geoffrey were small. His father had been away a lot with Stoic hunting dragons so it was easy to keep it from him. When his father had finally caught him cleaning dishes he’d been angry, insisting it was not fit work for a firstborn male Jorgenson, or a warrior. From that day on five-year-old Adelaide had taken over the house with his mother and shortly after Snotlout had been put into Dragon Training with the others.

But his father was not here, so what did it matter? The house needed cleaning and it was clear that Sigyn was in over her head at the moment. So what if it was woman's work. It was not like Sigyn would tell anyone. She may not even notice or remember with how distracted she was today. That suited him just fine. He didn't want to leave without talking to her and Hookfang was still not back, but he couldn’t just sit around doing nothing either. He didn’t like being still.

First, he emptied the fireplace and relit the fire using the monstrous nightmare gel from his saddle pack. After dumping the ashes and scraps bucket into the pile in the corner of the garden he brought the cauldron of water in and hung it over the flames. He emptied the washtub but shoved it in the corner in case Sigyn needed it again for her father. He gathered the dishes into a pile to scrub but practically had to clean cobwebs off the broom before he could use it. Clean dishes stacked to the side and a fresh firewood tucked beside the fireplace he turned his attention to Sigyn’s sewing supplies. He didn't want to move them around too much, knowing she would have a hard time finding them later if he did. He settled for moving a majority of her supplies onto the table, trying to group like things together. When all was tidied as best he knew how he sank into the chair by the fire. As the heat washed over him, his body began to relax and his eyes grew heavy.

It had been a long few days with dragon patrolling, particularly today. He rubbed a hand over his face knowing he still had to face the others later. At least they would never think to look for him here. Maybe it was better that Hookfang wasn't coming back. They couldn't follow him here.. and… they couldn't...

A cold sensation on his arm jolted him awake. When had he fallen asleep?

"Hey, sorry," said Sigyn. She had pulled the other chair up next to his and was dabbing at the cut on his right arm with a wet rag. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's fine," he said, sitting up straighter. The cut on his arm was not deep and the venom from the nadders spine had long since worn off. In all honesty, he had completely forgotten about the cut. "Has Hookfang turned up yet?"

She shook her head as she reached for the bottle of stinging liquid. He’d become very familiar with that particular little bottle as Sigyn seemed to attack even the smallest cut or scrape with the stuff. He had long since given up protesting when it came to Sigyn and first aid. He sat back and let her tend to the cut.

"So what exactly happened with your dad? How long has he been sick?”

"A few days," she said, setting the cloth aside and leaning back in her chair. "He has trouble breathing other times during the year but it can get really bad when it's cold outside. It's gotten much worse since the accident but it's never been this bad before.”

"But how did it get this bad? Doesn't Mrs. Ingerman come check on you guys?”

"Normally yes, but last time I saw her she said two of her kids were sick. We haven't seen her in almost a week so I suspect they're all sick now. That’s probably where we got it to be honest."

Now that he thought about it, Fishface had been sick for a few days the past week. He'd missed patrol and had only been back for a day or so. Fishlegs was the second oldest of six children in the Ingerman household. If they were sick it could take a while for it to run its course through the entire family. Sigyn leaned her head back in her chair, her eyes closing. She looked pale and there was sweat on her face.

"When's the last time you slept?" he asked. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine,” she said, waving a hand. “I've just been busy." She didn't look fine. She looked more than just tired. But he didn't press the issue. Instead, he changed tactics.

"So... when are you going to show me those wings you sprouted?" She opened her eyes, her brows pulling together in confusion as she sat up, her elbows leaning on her knees.

“What in Valhalla are you talking about?"

"Well, you said you were more likely to sprout wings than you were to ride Hookfang. So... where are they?"

"Hardy, har, har,” she said mirthlessly, slouching back in her chair. "I didn't have much of a choice did I?”

“Maybe not but... But still... Was it as horrible as you always imagined it to be?"

"I never imagined it happening at all.” But then she paused a moment to think. “To be honest I was too caught up in the moment to remember much. Well, except for that crazy dive off Gothi’s house." She shuddered.

“That just means we'll have to go flying again when you're less distracted.”

"Don't count on it.”

"Oh, I am,” he said, winking at her. She gave a half-hearted chuckle.

“Never give up, do you?”

“Never. Is Hookfang back?”

"I don't know," she said, looking at the door.

"I should probably go and find him. If I had to guess I’d say he went back to the academy.”

“Without you?” she asked. He shrugged.

"Are you going to be all right with your dad and all?”

"I think so. Gothi left some extra herbs in case he has trouble again and some medicine for the sickness.” They fell into silence again and he threw another log on the fire.

"Hey, Snotlout,” she said, catching his eye.

"Yeah?"

“Thanks for everything today." She looked around the room. "And I mean everything." He shrugged, trying not to think about it.

“Sure. No big deal."

"It is a big deal,” she insisted, leaning toward him. "I would still be stuck in that alley if you hadn't shown up.”

"It was my job today with the dragons on edge. It’s just too bad that that's when you had to come out into town. Probably the worst time of year for you to encounter dragons with breeding just around the corner. It's the one time your fears of dragons might actually be somewhat understandable."

"Somewhat understandable?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

"They're not that bad if you know how to handle them."

"You mean if you have Hookfang at your back," she said, poking the cut on his arm.

“Yeah, yeah," he said, pulling away. "Think what you want. Anyway, I should get going. I was kind of supposed to be somewhere." He got to his feet and she followed him out onto the porch.

"Hey, Snotlout," she said as he swung Hookfang’s saddle over his shoulder. He looked up at her from the bottom step. "Really, thank you for all your help. I don't know how today would have ended if you hadn't found me.”

"Don't worry about it," he said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

"And let me guess, don't mention it either," she said. He shrugged and then flashed her a toothy grin.

“Your choice. If women find out how great I am you might lose me to someone else. You wouldn’t want that would you?” he asked, his free hand resting at his belt.

"No, I wouldn't," she said, grinning tiredly. He waved goodbye and disappeared into the trees.

Ten minutes of tromping through the snow and he was back in the village. He made his way towards the alley where he’d found Sigyn. In the urgency of the moment, he had left his ax and shield behind. He skirted the edge of the village, hoping to avoid the detection of the other riders. He had almost reached the alley when he heard the others approaching from the air. It was the twin’s continuous banter that gave them away. The moment they're arguing gave way he knew he'd been spotted.

"There he is!" called Tuffnut’s voice from above. Swell... exactly what he wanted right now; Hiccup and the others pestering him for not being on duty.

"We found him!" shouted Ruffnut as Barf and Belch set down in the snow. He sighed, bracing himself mentally as the others approached and landed one by one.

"Where have you been?" accused Astrid, leaping from Stormfly and advancing toward him. Thor, he loved the way her blue eyes flashed when she was angry. Just maybe not all her anger usually led to. "We have been looking for you for over an hour!” Just how angry was she?

"We? Or just you?" he asked, hand on hip. “Just say the word Astrid and I'll never leave your side again.”

She shoved closer to him, jamming a finger into his chest. "You have no idea how much trouble you caused do you?" she growled. So... pretty mad. When she was irritated or annoyed with him she would throw him around or hit him. Well not always him… but usually him. When she was really angry she tended to yell and shove. It was when she went silent and livid that she was really dangerous... and hot... but mostly just dangerous. She was still yelling so he was okay.

"What's the worst that could happen other than you missing me?” he said as Fishface landed.

"Well how about a dragon fight breaking out in Town Square,” said Fishlegs. "It took me, Astrid, and Hiccup to break it up by the time we got there. If you'd been doing your job it never would have escalated that far.”

“Hey! No one asked you!" shot Snotlout glaring at him. His gut clenched. Town Square was right in the middle of the northern half of the village where he was supposed to have been patrolling.

"What about us?" asked Tuff. "We were there too."

"Yeah," said Hiccup, dismounting Toothless. "But I hardly called taking bets on the winner as helping."

"But there was good entertainment value in that fight,” said Ruff, examining her nails. "Besides we made a killing."

"Yeah,” said Tuff excitedly. "Who would have imagined that Hiccup..."

"Guys, focus," called Hiccup, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Snotlout, where have you been? Why weren’t you covering the northern half of the village like we agreed?”

Snotlout could feel all their eyes on him, particularly Astrid and Fishface. Hiccup watched him expectantly, seeming more exasperated and tired than angry. Whatever. He was done with them. He just wanted to find Hookfang. They probably wouldn't believe him anyway.

"I had to help a friend, alright. She was in trouble."

There was a silent beat before the twins and Fishlegs broke into peals of laughter.

"Yeah right,” said Tuff, wiping an imaginary tear from his face. "At least lie more realistically. You expect us to believe that there's someone out there who likes to have you around other than us?”

"Or a girl that you haven't offended yet?” said Astrid, her arms folded over her chest, a delicate eyebrow raised in disbelief.

His free hand clenched and his nails dug into the leather of Hookfang’s saddle. Tuffnut could be fun to hang around with when Snotlout wasn’t the target of the twin’s crazy pranks, which tended to go too far. But sometimes, every now and then, Snotlout wanted to sock the skinny blond right in the nose. Come to think of it, he already had a few times and right now his fist was itching for a good swing.

"He was probably just sleeping in a barn somewhere,” said Ruffnut, pointing. "Look there's even straw and yak dung on his clothes and boots.” He looked down and saw she was right. How had he missed that?

"Shut up Ruff!" he growled. If she weren't a girl...

"Sounds about right,” said Astrid, huffing as she turned away from him. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Why did they always assume that if he was not exactly where he was supposed to be that he was slacking off somewhere? Granted, sometimes he really was slacking off, but that was really only to tick off Hiccup and he only ever did it when it wouldn't matter. Yet no one ever seemed to remember that when they really needed him, he was there. But what was he expecting? It has been this way for years. He didn't care.

"Alright, alright," said Hiccup, stepping forward. "I'll deal with Snotlout. The rest of you go make sure nothing else happens in the village. The last thing we need is more trouble today." Grumbling, the others mounted their dragons and took off in various directions. It was just him and Hiccup now.

"Where's Hookfang?" asked his cousin, his eyes roving over him. "Why are you carrying his saddle?”

"Why do you care?" he snapped.

"Just asking,” said Hiccup, raising his hands. "Just wanted to know he's all right. He is all right isn't he?”

"Of course he is. He's Hookfang. We just got separated is all."

"How did that happen?"

"None of your business. There was something I had to take care of alright."

"Well, I hope it was more important than patrolling."

“It was."

"Well, good,” said Hiccup. They were silent for a moment.

"Did anyone get hurt?" asked Snotlout, trying to quash the guilt swimming around in his stomach.

"No,” said Hiccup, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "A couple of stalls got knocked over and a stack of hay went up in flames, but we got it under control pretty quickly. No permanent damage.”

That was good at least.

"Look, I know you don't like these patrols. None of us do, but we need to know that you'll be where you say and doing your job."

"I know, I know, all right. I didn’t exactly plan on leaving. Stuff just happened."

"All right then,” said Hiccup. "What happened to your arm?”

"A nadder... while I was doing my job," he said pointedly, his hand on his belt again.

"Make sure you take care of that,” said Hiccup, turning toward Toothless.

"I already did." Or at least Sigyn had.

"Good. I found these." Hiccup pulled Snotlout’s shield and ax off of Toothless. "Thought you might want them back.”

"Thanks," he muttered, taking them.

"Who was in the alleyway with you?" asked Hiccup, his back to him as he fiddled with Toothless’s harness. "I saw an extra set of footprints along with the nadders prints.”

"None of your business,” he said, strapping the shield to his back as he hefted the familiar weight of his ax. Hiccup turned to face him.

"All right, fair enough. Just let me know if you need help with something."

He snorted. Yeah right. Hell would freeze over before he’d ask Hiccup for help. Then he remembered but hell had already frozen over a few times... but only a few.

"I'm fine," he said. Then he remembered the promise he’d made to Sigyn’s father. He needed to ask Hiccup for... No! He was a Jorgensen. Jorgensons didn't ask, they told.

"I'll be busy for an hour or two in the afternoons for the next few days. You’ll have to do without me."

“Al… alright," said Hiccup, taken aback. “We can make do without you I guess. Is there anything else?"

“No. I just want to find Hookfang?"

"I haven’t seen him since earlier today when he was with you,” said Hiccup, mounting Toothless. "Do you want a ride to the academy? I was heading there anyway. Maybe Hookfang is there."

He hesitated, not wanting to accept, but he wanted to find Hookfang quickly. Why hadn't he come back? He was tired. Maybe just this once.

"Sure," he said, coming to climb up behind his cousin.

In no time at all, they were back at the academy. He was relieved to see Hookfang seemingly asleep in his stall.

"Well looks like we found Hookfang," said Hiccup, following him over to examine his dragon. Snotlout hung up his shield, ax, and Hookfang’s saddle before he turned to his dragon.

"Hey, where have you been?" he said, nudging Hookfang’s chin with a boot.

Hookfang rumbled but didn't wake. He bent down to rub a hand over Hookfangs neck. As he suspected, all the heat and water had dried out Hookfangs neck. He’d need to rub some of the extra monstrous nightmare gel on him. There was a spot on his tail he’d been meaning to get anyway. He frowned as he bent to pick something green from between Hookfang’s teeth. Gingerly he lifted it to his nose and sniffed. He'd been afraid of that.

"Well he's not injured,” said Hiccup, reappearing from behind Hookfang. "What have you got there?"

"Dragon nip," he said, flicking it away. The old bat had fed him dragon nip. No wonder he hadn't come back. Even if the nip was not fresh it would have been difficult enough for Hookfang to make it back here to the academy, let alone Sigyn’s. To make matters worse dragon nip had a prolonged effect around the breeding season. Hookfang would be out of it for a few hours yet.

"Who gave him dragon nip?" asked Hiccup, frowning. Snotlout remained silent. "Let me guess, none of my business?"

"Something like that,” said Snotlout, the corner of his lip twitching up.

"One thing's for sure. Hookfang is out of commission for the day.”

“No kidding," he said with a snort.

"Well,” said Hiccup, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “I guess that means you're free for the rest of the day too. Just make sure you're both ready to go tomorrow morning. Let me know when you want to go take care of whatever is none of my business so we can cover for you. Alright?"

“Yeah,” said Snotlout. “Sure.”

With that Hiccup turned and left him with Hookfang. Snotlout snagged the bottle of monstrous nightmare gel from the saddle and set about rubbing down his dragon. His thoughts drifted lazily back to Sigyn, thinking of ways to get her on Hookfang again. One thing was for sure. If it could happen once, it could happen again.

Chapter Text

Snotlout rolled over, pulling the patchwork quilt higher as he tried to stifle a cough. He hated being sick; it was all damp, sticky, and hot. He cracked a bleary eye, peeking out from under the covers at his room. Well, sort of room. Several years ago when he'd started dragon training with Hiccup and the others his father had insisted that Snotlout quit sharing a room with his two siblings and have a space of his own. Unfortunately, the only space available had been the old cellar under the house.

It wasn't so bad if you didn't mind the occasional spider or cricket in your boots. At any rate, it was his and he quickly made the space his own. Using a wide mallet he pounded the dirt floor smooth and hard, removing any debris. The walls were covered with spare boards he scavenged from around the village; after all the boards had been left out for months and no one would miss them anyway. He even built shelves and pegs into the walls to store his weapons and belongings. His mother patched the old rug from upstairs and gave it to him to spread over the ground. All in all, it was pretty cool even if the ceiling was only about a foot above his head. It was not large but it fit his bed, trunk, and a chair with a little space left over. In the far corner was a ladder and a trapdoor that led to the main room above and in the wall above the chest at the foot of his bed was a small wooden door leading outside.

Sometimes Hookfang snuck out of his stall at the academy and came to stick his head through the outside door and onto Snotlout's bed. Not much beat sleeping with a monstrous nightmare. He was never cold and without prompting, Hookfang was always gone by morning, waiting for him back at the arena like nothing had happened. Snotlout shivered as a pricking sensation ran up and down his back. Too bad Hookfang wasn't here now. He'd been gone almost six days now for breeding and it would likely be another week until he returned.

Even without Hookfang to ride, Snotlout trudged out to the Helvig's to check on Sigyn and her father every day. With the dragon's gone for breeding, there was no training and little to no responsibility for the riders. It stunk to have the dragons gone but at least Snotlout didn't have to make excuses to the others to sneak away to visit Sigyn. A good thing too, because about the time Hookfang left Sigyn caught whatever sickness her father had. It hit her hard and she was in bed the last three days he saw her. With Sigyn sick, Snotlout spent even more time at her house taking care of them as best he could. It was mostly just tedious though. At least her father had recovered and they didn't have to worry about any more breathing attacks. Unfortunately, about the time Sigyn began to recover enough to move around the house, Snotlout began to see the same symptoms in himself.

He'd been in bed for two days now and it sucked. At least he hadn't missed much yesterday or the day before, but tonight was the Snoggletog feast at the great hall. For weeks he'd been trying to convince Sigyn that she should come to the feast in the village. After all, there would not be any dragons in the village. She hadn't wanted to at first because it meant leaving her father behind but Torben insisted she go. Only now, it didn't seem as though he would be going anywhere tonight. Not if his mother had anything to say about it. So much for all that hard work convincing Sigyn.

He groaned, driving further under the quilt as feet pounded eagerly across the floor above, raining dirt down on him. That was something that wasn't so great about being in the basement. He got regular showers of dirt. The trapdoor was thrown wide with a loud bang, making him wince.

"Notout," called the voice of his younger brother. Snotlout closed his eyes tighter, feigning sleep. "Notout! Wake up! It's Noggtog!" Giving in to the inevitable, Snotlout rolled over and pull the cover down. Geoffrey's head poked through the ceiling, the four-year-olds dark hair seeming to stand on end as he hung over the edge of the trapdoor.

"Hey Geoffrey," Snotlout mumbled resignedly.

"Mom! Notout awake!" called his little brother with a grin, wriggling further out over the edge.

"Geoffrey! I told you to let him sleep," snapped their mother. "And how many times have I told you not to dangle over the edge like that!" The smile fell from Geoffrey's round face as he was suddenly hauled backward out of sight. "It's a wonder you haven't broken your neck."

"Mom, can we exchange gifts now that Snotlout's awake?" begged his sister. Her name was Adelaide but from a young age, she preferred to go by Adele.

"Let me check on your brother and get some broth in him and then we'll see."

"Presents!" shrieked Geoffrey.

"In a few minutes," said their mother climbing down the ladder into his room. "Adele, watch Geoffrey please." She closed the trap door and turned to face Snotlout, a tall mug in her hand. The steam wafting from the warm liquid reached his nose making his stomach complain audibly.

"Do you have an appetite?" asked his mother, coming to sit on the chair beside his bed. If he played this just right he might be able to convince her to let him go to the feast tonight. Maybe...

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better." He sat up, trying to stifle a cough. He took the offered cup, enjoying the heat that leached into his hands. His room was always a bit cooler than the rest of the house. He siped at the broth, relishing the taste as its warmth slid down to his stomach. His mother handed him a large chunk of bread. It was fresh, warm, and slathered with yak butter.

"Thanks, mom," he said around a mouthful of bread. "When are we leaving for the feast tonight?"

She frowned. Standing, she bent over and kissed his temple, lingering for a moment. Snotlout held his breath, awaiting judgment.

"You're not going anywhere," she said, pulling away and tucking the quilt back up around his shoulders. He groaned. "You're still hot and clammy and we don't want the illness to spread."

"Please? The food is always so good."

"It won't taste as good coming back up. Besides, if you get up now you'll make yourself worse than if you just stayed put. Do you want to spend extra time stuck in bed?"

"No."

"Then you need to rest."

"Dad says rest is for the weak," he grumbled under his breath before taking another sip.

"Perhaps," said his mother with a smirk. "But the dead rest forever. Besides just you see if your father is not in bed next week moaning and groaning like a pig in labor. It's bound to spread through the house. It's a wonder your siblings are still well."

"But everyone will be there," he said.

"Everyone except you. Who are you so anxious to see anyway?"

"No one," he said, not quite able to meet his mother's eyes.

"Then you won't be missing out on much, will you?"

Snotlout sighed knowing he wasn't going to win. "Fine."

"All right then," said his mother, satisfied. "Eat up. If Adele and Geoffrey have to wait much longer to exchange gifts they might just explode."

The bread was thick and grainy just the way he loved and in a few moments, it was gone. They sat quietly as he sipped slowly at the meaty broth. His mother had made a large batch of it last week some of which he had secreted away to Sigyn and her father. He frowned. He hoped they were doing okay. He ran a finger over the almost invisible line of stitches Sigyn had used on his pants the first time they met. How long ago had that been? Five, six months?

"So, how are the Helvig's?" asked his mother abruptly. Snotlout sucked in a startled breath, inadvertently sucking down some of the broth. He hadn't told anyone about his visits to see Sigyn. His mother rescued the mug from his hands.

"How... how did… you know?" he asked between coughs.

"A long growing suspicion which you just confirmed," said his mother leaning back in the chair with a satisfied smirk. "Contrary to popular belief among teenagers, parents are quite smart." She handed him back the broth. "Besides, it's a mother's job to know."

"But how?" He thought he'd been so careful.

"Snotlout, I wash and mend your clothes," she said, reaching to pinch the rip Sigyn had repaired in his pants. "I didn't mend this and you don't know this stitch as far as I'm aware. It's very neat work; there are only three tailors in the village. You avoid Gustave Larson so it wasn't his mother, and it wasn't Mrs. Blythe as she was having terrible pains in her hands at the time. That left only Sigyn Helvig who if I recall correctly is your age."

"A year-and-a-half older," he said under his breath between sips.

"Not only that but I saw the stitches in your shin. Since then, your scrapes and cuts have been better tended to. Odin knows you haven't been frequenting Gothi's. Given the fact that you encountered Sigyn earlier in the year and she has some knowledge of first aid to take care of her father, it wasn't hard to guess that you had been seeing more of her."

"But how did you know they were the ones that were sick?" She laughed.

"I know Torben Helvig," said his mother as though that explained everything. "After his accident four years ago Poppy Ingerman and her family have been checking in on them. But the Ingermans were sick two weeks ago. Last week your sister saw you sneaking away from the great hall with enough food to feed yourself twice over. But when you came home not only were you late but you were also ravenously hungry, so you weren't eating the food yourself, or at least not all of it. It wasn't hard to guess who you were sneaking off to visit or why. Why else do you think I made that large batch of broth last week and conveniently left it where you would see it?"

He'd been so stupid. It must have been so obvious. Had Hiccup or the others noticed? And why was he so concerned about it anyway? He never set out to intentionally keep Sigyn a secret, not really. Then again he'd never really expected to be friends with her in the beginning. It just sort of happened that way. But now that he thought about it he didn't want the others to know about her. Sigyn was his friend. Not that they had believed him when he had tried to tell them. But that was probably for the better. They would probably just make fun of him anyway. He would if it were them.

"Don't look so gloomy," said his mother, breaking into his swirling thoughts as though she had read them on his face. "Were you so set on keeping her a secret?"

"Dunno," he said, shrugging. "It just sort of happened that way and there's never really been a good reason to tell anyone else."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm probably the only one who knows. Someone would have to pay pretty close attention to you to notice; attention that only a mother would pay."

At that moment a chant of "Presents! Presents!" broke out right above their heads. Snotlout gulped down the rest of the broth and held the mug out to his mother who took it with a heavy sigh. Feet began to stamp on the floor above, showering them in dust.

"If I hear another peep out of either of you two again you won't get any of your gifts until next year!" yelled his mother brushing dirt off her shoulder. The chanting and stomping ceased immediately.

"Would she really do that?" came his brother's worried whisper. Adele shushed him. It was silent in the house for several seconds and Snotlout tried to smother his grin. His mother let the quiet drag on for a few more heavy moments.

"Alright," she said at last. "Grab your presents for Snotlout and come down." Her words were met with squeals of delight and more running feet. Snotlout hitched the quilt up over his head as a third dust shower commenced. His mother frowned. "I told your father the cellar was no fit place to stay," she said, brushing dirt off his bed.

"It's all right," he said, shrugging. "It's better than Geoffrey's feet constantly in my back and Adele's snoring." Although if truth be told Geoffrey still tried to sneak down to sleep with him sometimes and Adele was so loud you could usually hear her anywhere in the house. Only his father was louder.

The trapdoor banged open once again and Snotlout pulled the crate out from under his bed as his siblings practically fell down the ladder into his room. Both Snotlout and Geoffrey were the spitting image of their father in all save the eyes. Snotlout had clear blue eyes and Geoffrey's were dark brown like their mothers. His mother and Adele both had lighter brown hair filled with curls. But where his mother was plump like so many of the other women in the village Adele was thin and had inherited their father's trademark green eyes, something their father pointed out often.

"Where's dad?" asked Snotlout as Geoffrey clambered haphazardly onto the bed beside him.

"No doubt helping coordinate things for the feast," said his mother. "Odin bless Stoic for his patience with that man. Your father's as bullheaded as a yak in heat." Adele snickered. Geoffrey dove under Snotlout's quilt and popped up under his arm.

"Present Notout! Present!" insisted Geoffrey, reaching for the crate. Snotlout jerked it away with a grin. Geoffrey pouted, his bottom lip sticking out far enough for a dragon to land on.

"Alright, alright," relented Snotlout. The lip was sucked back in. Snotlout pulled a small wooden sword from the crate and held it out to his brother. Geoffrey took it with a look of awe, his mouth falling open as he examined the simple designs on the leather-wrapped hilt. He wriggled off the bed and held the sword high over his head in both hands as though he were going to slice the bed in half. His mother deftly snatched the toy away.

"Not in the house, thank you very much. You can play with it later. Outside."

"Not play, practice," said Geoffrey.

"Do your brother or father practice in the house?" challenged their mother. Geoffrey's shoulders fell. "I didn't think so."

"My turn," said Adele eagerly. Snotlout had already pulled out her gift and held the necklace towards his sister. She plucked at the colorful beads curiously.

"What is it made out of?" she asked, taking it in her hands to admire.

"Dragonscale beads."

"I like this one," she said, touching the large blue heart that hung at the center.

"A skill you picked up from a friend perhaps?" asked his mother with a knowing look.

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. In truth, he got the idea to make the necklace from watching Sigyn sew similar beads on the neckline of a tunic a few weeks back. He snuck shed scales from Stormfly, Barf, and Belch's stalls at the academy as blue and green were Adele's favorite colors. It had taken a bit of practice to get the shape of the beads just right but at last, he'd been satisfied with the necklace.

"It's beautiful!" squealed Adele, slinging her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "I'm going to wear it to the feast tonight!"

"Yeah, yeah, glad you like it," he said, scrunching up his face as he pushed her away. "What about your gift for me?"

"Oh, hang on." She pulled the necklace over her head and quickly climbed the ladder, stopping halfway out of the trapdoor. "You have to close your eyes," she instructed, peeking back at him. He snorted but shut his eyes all the same. The ladder squeaked as she climbed back down and moments later something soft was placed in his hands. "Alright open."

It was a stuffed toy of some sort. He held it at eye level examining it carefully.

"This is a yak, right?" he asked, poking gingerly at a place where the stitches had come loose and sawdust was spilling out of a leg.

"It's Yakkity!" said Adele excitedly. "Yakkity Yak, your favorite yak."

"You make this? All by yourself?" he asked.

"Yep!" she said proudly. "Mom has been teaching me to sew. Do you like it?" He examined the lopsided toy. There were a few places where the stitching had come loose and one of the legs was longer than the other three but she had gotten the white spot on the back of his neck just right and the horns. Adele watched him with anxious, eager eyes.

"It's great," he said at last. The stiffness melted from Adele's shoulders and she grinned.

"Mom says you used to sneak out to the barn when you were little and sleep with Yakkity." He shot a look at his mother who looked wholly unrepentant.

"Only because as a baby you cried constantly," he said defensively.

"I did not," she said, hurt.

"Yes you did," said their mother. "Trust me, I would know."

"Between your crying and Dad's snoring you couldn't sleep in the house," he added. Adele opened her mouth to argue but was interrupted by their mother.

"Geoffrey, love, what are you doing?" called their mother, cutting them off. Geoffrey was at the top of the ladder trying to carry a large corked jug down with him.

"Notout's present," said his brother, puffing and almost losing his balance.

"But you don't have a present for Snotlout," jabbed Adele. "You're too young."

"Am not," said Geoffrey, puffing out his cheeks. "I got one."

"Hold still," said their mother, going to help Geoffrey down.

"You got me one of Mom's jugs?" asked Snotlout, raising an eyebrow. He had not been expecting anything from his brother. Hand-made gifts were exchanged between siblings the night before Snoggletog and the "God's" gifts were left overnight. But Geoffrey was only four. What could he have made by himself?

"What's in the jug, Geoffrey?" asked their mother apprehensively.

"Prize for Notout," said Geoffrey, wiggling till his mother sent him down. His brother bounced over and presented him with the jar.

"Uh, thanks Geoffrey," said Snotlout, taking the jug hesitantly. He reached for the cork. "What's in it?"

"Pet mouse," said Geoffrey, one finger in his nose. Snotlout froze. He was all too familiar with the fate of his brother's erstwhile pets.

"Umm...how long have you had this pet mouse?"

"I caught him in the barn last week." Snotlout held the jug to his ear. There was no noise inside.

"Have you fed your mouse?"

"No," said Geoffrey simply. "Mouse has been dreaming for three days."

"You mean he's been asleep for three days?"

"Yep," said Geoffrey. "He's boring. You can have him now."

"Geez," said Snotlout, setting the jug on the far side of the bed. "Thanks, Geoffrey... just... just what I wanted." Adele burst into giggles.

"At least I know what happened to my missing jug," said their mother with a sigh.

"Alright, you two, back upstairs." She ushered Adele and Geoffrey back up the ladder. "And you," she said, pointing Geoffrey's toy sword at him. "Back to sleep."

Several hours later Snotlout awoke to a quiet house and an empty stomach. The sleep had done him some good. His body no longer ached and he wasn't as clammy. He stood in front of the hearth upstairs munching another hunk of bread smeared with Yak butter. Tucked under his belt was the stuffed Yak with one of his mother's needles and some thread sticking out of its side. Just as he bent to poke at the fire the front door opened, a cold gust of wind filling the front room as his father stamped inside.

"It's a mite bit nippy out there Boy-O," said his father, brushing a dusting of snow off his bare arms.

"Oh, hey dad," said Snotlout, straightening hesitantly and cursing his lack of boots and helmet. "I was just ah… stoking the fire." His father shuffled over, dripping slush all the way.

"What are ya doing here?" asked his father, eyeing him. "Shouldn't ya be at the feast with the other Riders?"

"Haha… yeah," said Snotlout rubbing a hand through his hair and over the back of his neck. "Mom told me not to go. Something about not wanting to get the others sick."

His father glanced down at him. "Have ya been sick then?" asked his father with mild interest. "I hadn't noticed."

"Oh really?" He tried to ignore the sinking sensation in his stomach. "Well, you have been pretty busy helping prepare for the Snoggletog feast."

"You got that right Boy-O. Stoic is working me like a mad. Tonight after the feast he's got me out on watch duty. Got to make sure that old Widder Johnson makes it home to her own house this year. And someones gotta keep those Thorston twins from wreaking havoc left and right. Anyway, I only came back to get my good mase." His father riffled through the collection of weapons beside the hearth.

"I could help you patrol," said Snotlout hopefully. His father glanced over at him.

"Ya look peppy enough to me," said his father.

"Yeah, you know I'm feeling a lot better tonight than the last few days." His father frowned and then shook his head.

"If yer mother told ya to stay put ya better do as she says. Wouldn't want ya lazing about the house longer than ya have to. Not fit for a warrior to laze. Shame ya had to be sick at all. At least ye're not missing out on any important training with that lizard of yers gone. Jorgenson's don't fall behind even if we are sick. Rest is for?" prompted his father.

"Rest is for the weak," answered Snotlout by habit, but he couldn't help but tack on his mother's addiction in his mind. He'd almost learned that one the hard way with Hookfang years ago.

"That's right. A true warrior doesn't let anything stand in the way of duty." Snotlout couldn't help but remember the last time his father had been sick. Spitlelout had been in bed for days moaning and coughing. Yet the village had not sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

"Are you sure I can't help you Patrol?" he asked even though he already knew the answer. He was sick of being in bed. It was boring… and he was starting to feel a little better.

"No, I can handle it on my own. Besides Hiccup and the Night Fury will be on patrol till midnight. At least Hiccup's lizard isn't playing hooky like all the rest of them."

"Yeah, playing hooky," said Snotlout with a frown. Of course, it was Hiccup. Always, it was Hiccup this, Hiccup that. It never used to be before the dragons were trained. Snotlout didn't bother to point out that the only reason perfect Toothless was still around was that it's kind of hard to breed when you were the last of your kind.

"What's that tucked under your belt?" asked his father, catching him in his thoughts. Snotlout pulled his tunic lower trying to hide the stuffed yak.

"Nothing, just a Snoggletog gift from Adele."

"That ratty thing she's been stitching all week?" asked his father. "Let me see." Reluctantly Snotlout pulled the toy from his belt being careful to pull the needle and thread out and hide them in his hand behind his back. His father examined the yak.

"Shoddy workmanship," said his father, prodding a hole where the sawdust was falling out. "Adele would have better spent her time sewing replacement bracers for you." Snotlout glanced at his arms. The bracers were getting pretty old and they were covered in scorch marks.

"I was just going to leave it out where Mom could fix it," lied Snotlout, the needle pricking his palm.

"Not sure why ya'd want to. Yer past the age of toys. Still, yer mother can no doubt fix it. Marvelous woman, yer mother. Always has things just so. When you look for a wife Boy-O, find yourself one like your mother. One who will serve you well. Quit mooning after Astrid. She's too close to Hiccup."

He wished people would quit saying that like Hiccup and Astrid were already a couple. Hiccup was too cowardly to make any kind of move toward Astrid and she was too focused on training to pay any attention to any boy. She regularly ignored his advances so even if Hiccup ever made a move, it wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Do you hear me Boy-O?"

"I heard you," said Snotlout, not meeting his father's eye.

"Good. Find a girl who you can control, not one who will want to control you." Snotlout nodded noncommittally. "All right then," said his father, swinging the large mace up to rest on his shoulder. "I'll be off. Got a village to look after all don't I." He tossed the stuffed yak on the table and disappeared out the front door.

Half an hour later found Snotlout back in his bed stewing in his thoughts as he stitched the holes in the stuffed yak. One good thing about moving to the old cellar was that the trapdoor was too small for his father to use. His mother and siblings could descend and pester him but he had privacy from his father. He tied off on the thread, snipped the string with his teeth, and moved to another hole. Adele really hadn't done a bad job with the toy. Some of the stitches had come loose but it wasn't a big deal. Why did his dad have to pick apart everything and everybody anyway? Astrid would no doubt make a great wife for him one day when he finally proved himself to her. He just hadn't quite discovered a good way to do that yet. But he would. He was a Jorgenson and Jorgensons always found a way.

The needle slipped, jabbing his finger and a bead of blood appeared on his fingertip. Cursing under his breath he popped it into his mouth, sucking at it as he leaned back against the wall. Stupid toy yak. His father was right; he was too old for toys anyway. He would be 18 in a few months. He'd be considered an adult then. Not that he hadn't already taken on the responsibilities of an adult along with the other Riders… but soon it would be official.

What exactly was he going to do with himself? Before the dragons had been trained he had a clear idea of what he wanted to do. Be the best dragon slayer in the village. It had been the epitome of a viking, strong leader, provider, and protector. But now training dragons had become the center of village life. He'd gone from being totally on track to be the best to starting at the bottom all over again. He'd worked hard learning to train Hookfang and hone his skills as a Dragon Rider, but being a Dragon Rider was much more complex than being a Dragon Slayer. Not that he would go back in time for the world. He'd never say it out loud but he loved the bond he shared with Hookfang. And there was nothing that beat the rush of flying.

His father expected a lot of him and he knew it. He even understood why. He was the oldest; it was his job to uphold the family name of Jorgensen. But what exactly did that mean now that everything had changed? Something great for sure, but great in what way? A position of power and prestige? After all his father was brother to the chief. If something were to happen to Stoic and Hiccup then it would be his father who would be responsible for the village of Berk. But that was unlikely to happen and where exactly did that leave him?

Then again it didn't seem like the other Riders knew what they wanted to do either. Anytime Stoic mentioned anything that had to do with Hiccup becoming Chief, Hiccup was running out the proverbial or literal back door. Fishlegs constantly had his nose in books but hadn't said anything about what he wanted to do with all that knowledge. The twins were hopeless. Anything they set their hand to turned to disaster; unless creating a disaster was their intention in the first place, which it often was.

Astrid was the only one who seemed to have a clear goal in mind. Protect the village. But bonding with Stormfly had just given her a better way to do that. In a way, protecting Berk was the goal of all the Riders. But what were they protecting Berk from? They had trained the dragons and made peace with the outcasts. Even the Berserkers were not a problem anymore with Dagur the Deranged locked up on Outcast Island. Maybe that was the real problem. What good was a warrior in peacetime anyway, even a warrior who rode a dragon?

In a way, he envied Sigyn. She already had her life figured out. She had picked a trade and as far as he could tell was good at it. Besides, her father wasn't constantly picking at her to "Do better Boy-O" or "Uphold the Jorgenson name".

He sighed, picking up Yakkity and continued sewing. So what if he was too old for a stuffed toy. Adele had made it for him. Besides, it was not like anyone other than his family would ever know. Outside the wind buffeted up against the door at the foot of his bed. He needed to tighten the latch that held it closed. Cold air sometimes seeped in around the edges. Tomorrow. He would do it tomorrow. He returned to his sewing. The door rattled again, but this time the latch jiggled. What on Thor's green earth? He set the yak aside and crawled out from under his quilt reaching for the ax beside his bed. The door rattled again. No, that was someone knocking on the door. Who?

"Snotlout," called a muffled voice. Whoever it was, clearly knew who they were after. Maybe it was the twins starting their shenanigans early.

"Go away, Tuff! Go bother someone else tonight."

"Snotlout! If you're in there, open the door. It's freezing out here!"

He frowned. That wasn't Tuff's voice. The door rattled again. Axe still in hand he flipped the latch that locked the door from inside and pushed it open a crack. Eager fingers gripped the edge and pulled it wide.

"About time!" A lantern-lit face peered in at him, all red cheeks and nose tucked behind a scarf. Brown eyes flashed at him and blonde hair stuck out from under the hood of a large furry cloak.

"Sigyn? What are you doing here?" He let the ax clatter back to the floor.

"What do you think? I came to see you. Are you going to keep me out here all night?"

Hastily he moved out of the way so she could clamber down onto the trunk of the end of his bed. She wore one of her father's old cloaks. She pulled the door closed and jumped down from the trunk. Setting her lantern on a free space on his shelf nearby she turned to face him unwinding her scarf.

"Hi," she said, shrugging out of the overlarge cloak and dropping it on the floor. She sank onto his bed with a please sigh.

"Sigyn, what are you doing here?" he asked again, not quite able to wrap his brain around the fact that she was here sitting on his bed.

"I told you, I came to see you. You weren't at the feast."

"You went to the feast then?" She gave him an odd look.

"You've only been talking about it for weeks. Anyway, you weren't there but I overheard one of the twins...Ruffnut... or Tuffnut…?"

"Girl or boy?" he asked. The twins often got mixed up by those who didn't spend time with them. She shrugged. "Braids or dreads?"

"Dreads."

"Tuffnut then," he said, sinking to sit cross-legged on his bed facing her.

"Anyway," she said, rambling on unfazed. "I heard Tuffnut ask your mom where you were. She said you were sick. So I came to see you. I figured you got sick from me and my dad."

"Probably," he admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. "But how did you find me? I mean how did you know which house? You've never been here before." She looked at him blankly and then laughed.

"You mean other than the big sign that reads Jorgensen above the front door?" Oh, of course. He'd forgotten about the sign. "It's not like I never come to the village," she continued. "I used to come a lot more before the dragons moved in. Plus you said you lived in the basement. This was the only door besides the front door. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he said, suppressing a shiver. He glimpsed Yakkity out of the corner of his eye and surreptitiously pushed it under his pillow. Luckily she didn't seem to notice as she was busy looking around his room.

"Was your room once…?"

"A cellar, yeah," he finished. She stood, walking around his small space examining everything. He took the chance in turn to examine her. She looked a lot better than the last time he'd seen her. The color was back in her cheeks and her eyes were bright with energy rather than dulled with fatigue. Her hair was done up in the new style tonight. He had missed her hairstyles while she and her father were sick. Her hair looked fine loose and wild, but neat hair meant that all was well in her life. He wasn't quite sure how she'd managed the bunch of braids tucked up off her neck. In the loops and curls of her hair rested what looked like a hair comb carved from bone. He'd never seen it before.

"It's so… tidy." She turned to face him, biting her lip. "Not quite what I was expecting."

"Well, not all of us live in Clutterville like you and Hiccup," he said, remembering how messy Sigyn's room had been when he went over last. "Can't grab your weapon and be ready at a moment's notice if you can't find it to begin with."

"No, I suppose not," she said, sinking back onto his bed. It was quiet for a moment.

"Is the new hair comb a Snoggletog gift?"

Her hand went to the back of her head instinctively. "Oh, it's not new. I don't wear it very often but it's one of the few things I have that was my mother's."

She didn't say much about why she feared dragons or what happened to her father, but her father had once said her mother died of illness when Sigyn was only two.

"It's nice," he said awkwardly.

She smiled, her fingers tracing over the smooth bone. "I like it." It was quiet for a moment.

"So how was the feast?" he asked, tucking his bare feet under his legs as he pulled the quilt back up around his shoulders. She had let in quite a draft and he could feel the chill creeping deeper into his body.

"Oh, it was okay," she said, picking at a fingernail. "It was actually kind of boring if I'm honest."

"You mentioned you had friends before. Didn't you see them?" A sad little smile crept across her face.

"Well, it's just kind of awkward, you know. I'm older than you but out of my group of old friends, I'm the youngest by almost two years. A lot of them are already married. A few even have kids." She sighed and leaned back on her arms. "Add to that the fact that I haven't spoken to any of them in years and well... you get the idea."

It sometimes slipped his mind that Sigyn had already reached the age where it was normal to begin thinking about marriage. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that idea. When she did get married it would put an odd twist in their friendship. He wouldn't be able to just go and visit her anymore.

"Do you want to be married?" he asked.

She snorted. "Yeah right. Who would want to marry me," she said, not meeting his eye.

"Dunno," he said, shrugging. It's not like Sigyn was ugly or anything. To the contrary, she was pretty in her own way. Not exactly hot like Astrid, but she was easy on the eyes and had some nice curves. "Why not?"

"Snotlout," she said, looking at him and rolling her eyes. "I'm a recluse who is afraid of dragons. Put on top of that the fact that I am a package deal with my dad to support and well, suitors are not exactly lining up outside my door."

"Oh," he said, frowning. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about that.

"Oh, is right," she said. "Besides, I'm used to the idea. It's a simple life with Dad for the most part, but it's not bad." He wasn't sure she sounded very convinced of that though.

"So how was the food at the feast?" he asked. Sigyn brightened visibly.

"Oh! I almost forgot." She crawled back toward the door and cracked it open. The snow swirled in little eddies around her as she reached outside. When she turned to face him again she held a small wrapped bundle in her hands. "I brought this for you," she pronounced. He took it.

"What is it?"

"Unwrap it and find out," she said with a grin. He did. It was a bowl with a plate over the top. Lifting the plate he couldn't help the squeal of delight that escaped him.

"Yak butter parfait!"

Sigyn dug in her pocket and produced a spoon. "You said it was your favorite and I felt bad that you didn't get to go to the feast because of me." He took the spoon eagerly and in moments the sweet creamy flavor was spread over his tongue. He leaned back against the wall with a contented sigh.

"You are the best Sigyn."

She laughed. "Are you sure? Usually, that's your job," she teased.

"At the moment I don't care. You can be the best, so long as I get to eat." He licked the spoon savoring the tastes of the desert.

"If all it takes is yak butter parfait then maybe I should learn how to make it," she said smirking.

"Yes you should," he said around another mouthful. "So long as you invite me over every time you make it."

"I don't know, maybe I should make you work for it."

"It wouldn't be the first time. Just do me a favor and write a list," he said grimacing. Ruff and Tuff and their stupid emergency bunker. "And no adding to it once it's written," he added. She watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, there's a story there."

"None of your beeswax," he said, taking another bite. "Just know that it's nearly impossible to get your hands on a rainbow chicken, a sturgeon dressed as Stoic, and a singing terrible terror all in one night."

"Did you get your yak butter parfait in the end?"

"No," he said, running a finger along the inside of the bowl trying not to miss a smear of the desert. "That's another thing, the twins… not trustworthy in most cases."

"Ready for a drink?" she asked, lifting Geoffrey's mouse jug off the floor next to the bed.

"Not from that jug."

"What's wrong with this jug?" she asked, perplexed.

"For one thing, there's most likely a dead mouse inside that one."

She instantly held the jug a bit farther away from her body. "Do I want to know why you are keeping a dead mouse in a jug?"

"It's not my dead mouse," he said, taking the jug from her and setting it on the ground again. "Not really." She looked at him, one eyebrow raised in her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Well someone put a mouse in there."

"Yeah, my four-year-old brother Geoffrey," he said defensively. "He got bored of his pet mouse because it was sleeping for three days."

"Asleep, for three days?" she said skeptically.

"Yeah, it's totally dead," he said. "Most of his pets wind up that way, but somewhere in his four-year-old brain, he thought his sleepy pet mouse would make a good Snoggletog gift." She was quiet for a moment her face shifting between disgust and... well he wasn't quite sure.

"I suppose, in a weirdly demented way that's kind of cute," she said at last. He shrugged.

"That's Geoffrey." She watched him, her expression unreadable. "What?"

"Nothing," she said absently. "Just wondering what it would be like to have siblings."

"A nuisance," he quipped.

"You don't really mean that," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, maybe not all the time," he admitted. "Just most of it."

"You get more Snoggletog gifts if you have siblings," she pointed out.

"If it makes you feel better you can have this one?" he said, grinning as he pointed to the mouse jug.

"I'll pass thanks. What are you keeping it for anyway."

"Not what, who. You would be surprised at what Hookfang likes to eat. Let's just say dead mice don't even register as gross."

"Yeah, I'd rather not know," she said, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "But that does remind me. I have something for you."

"If dead mice remind you of it, I'm not sure I want it."

"Oh, I'm positive you want this." She dug through the folds of the large coat on the floor.

"A Sonogletog gift?" he asked, keenly aware that he had no gift for her.

"Sort of. I was always going to give it to you but I finished it this week." She turned to face him again, the green dragon scales in her hand catching the light from the candles in his room.

"My tunic! You finished it!"

"All that time stuck in bed was good for something," she said, handing it to him. The tunic slid through his hands like emerald waves rippling as it bunched and pulled this way and that. The surface of the scales was cool and smooth while the leather inside was soft and pliant. He glanced up at Sigyn. It was probably the nicest piece of clothing he'd ever had. He tugged his old tunic up over his head.

"Snotlout!" protested Sigyn.

"What?" he asked, picking up his new tunic. Sigyn had her eyes closed and her face turned away from him.

"At least wait until I'm gone."

"Why? It's not like I took my pants off."

Sigyn huffed irritably and keeping her eyes closed snatched up the heavy quilt and flung it over him. Perched precariously on the edge of the bed as he was with his arms half in and half out of the sleeves, the quilts added weight and momentum were enough to send him toppling onto the floor.

"Ouch! Thor's hammer Sigyn. What did you do that for?" He flailed under the quilt trying to sit up.

"Don't just get naked while I'm here."

"I wasn't getting naked," he groused. "Everything important is below the belt. I was just trying on the new tunic." His elbow and hip throbbed where he had struck the floor. The edge of the quilt lifted.

"Still, you could have warned me," said Sigyn. There was a slight flush in her cheeks. She pulled the quilt off him and he sat up, slipping the tunic on all the way. Sigyn still wasn't looking at him.

"You're right," she said with a smirk. "I should have known my Thor-like bod was enough to make any girl blush."

"I'm not blushing," she said, her attention snapping back to him as the heat in her cheeks crept further.

"Tell that to your face." Her eyes flashed at him. He leaned forward smirking, elbow on knee and chin in his palm. "Come on Sigyn. Why deny what we both know to be true in our hearts. Admit it. You're attracted to me. All the ladies are." She seized his pillow and served him with the hearty smack over the head.

"Shut up Snotlout!" He laughed, blocking the pillow with a fist as she swung it a second time.

"You know you want me," he teased, ducking under a third swing.

"You're being complete... "

But he never did find out what he was being. At that moment he broke into a fit of heavy coughs. Sigyn let the pillow drop, her face creasing with worry.

"Snotlout are you okay?"

He held up a hand, nodding as he continued to cough. After a few moments, the fit had subsided. He pulled the water skin from where it hung on his bedpost.

"Sorry," she said after he had taken several deep gulps.

"For what? Being attracted to me?" She swung at him half-heartedly with the pillow.

"No, muttonhead, forgetting you're sick." He capped the water.

"It's no big deal. I'm not dead." He rubbed his hands over his torso admiring the green scales. The leather had been smooth and his hands but it felt even better on his skin. He looked down at himself wishing he had a mirror.

"Admit it," he said, spinning in a slow circle with his arms partially raised. "I look pretty awesome!"

"It looks like it fits you well," she said, standing to circle him. "Can you move in it?" He did a few stretches and pretended he was swinging his ax.

"Much better than my old one." She came around to face him. She was frowning. "What?"

"You know I made this big enough to actually fit you."

"Yeah, what about it?"

She moved closer.

"So you don't have to wear it open like that anymore," she said, reaching for the laces on his chest. He snatched her hands.

"But I like it open. It always feels weird tied shut." She pursed her lips.

"But I want to see you wear it the way it was meant to be worn. At least once. Then you do what you want with it."

"Alright." He let go of her hands. Her fingers brushed over his chest as she pulled the cord and tied it shut. He shivered.

"You okay?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Your fingers are cold," he lied, not sure why he'd shivered.

"Sorry. I forgot my gloves. I had to keep switching hands for the lantern on the way here." She patted his shoulders and tugged the tunic straight before stepping back to examine him. She frowned.

"Now what?" he asked.

"You know… I think you're right. It looks funny closed on you for some reason."

"I've always worn it open."

"I can tell," she said grinning.

"How?" She chuckled and pointed to his chest. "What, the hair?" He was rather proud of that hair, especially as none seemed to want to grow on his face yet. His mother said that was a common trait in the males on her side of the family.

"No," said Sigyn, rolling her eyes as she stepped forward to undo the laces again.

"Well, what then?"

"You have a very predominant "V" of freckles here." She pulled his tunic open and traced her finger over his chest. He shivered again. "It means your chest has seen a lot of sun.

"So you were ogling me."

"You keep telling yourself that if it makes you happy," she said, turning to gather her cloak and scarf from the floor. But her cheeks were a bit pink again.

"Are you leaving already?"

"People will be headed home from the feast soon," she said, slipping into her cloak. "I don't think you want your mom to find me in your room. She might get the wrong idea. People would talk."

"So?"

"So you might lose your harem of girls if they thought you were with someone," she said, smirking. "Besides I want to check on dad and I have to take the dishes back to the great hall."

"Oh, right." He didn't want her to go. He'd been so bored the past few days. "What about the tunic? How much do I still owe you?"

"Don't worry about it," she said, winding the scarf around her neck. He frowned.

"That's not what we agreed to. You said something like this would bring a good price."

"This one brought me a good friend," she said, waving him off.

"But Jorgensons always settle their debts." She laughed.

"Then consider if your debt settled."

"But..."

"Snotlout," she said, collecting the dishes and stashing them in the cloak pocket. "I'm not just saying that. How many times have you come over to help me in the past six months on top of all the scales you have prepped for me."

"Are you sure?" he asked uneasily.

"If you still don't think it's a fair trade then just consider the rest as a Snoggletog gift."

He ran his hands over the green scales again. It really was fine workmanship. Even he could tell. But who was he to fight her if she said it was his.

"Thanks."

"You more than earned it," she said, turning toward the door. "Anyway, I'm sure it won't be the last time I see you around."

"I'll be around," he said.

"Good." She grabbed her lantern and with a wave disappeared into the swirling snow.

Chapter Text

Sigyn slumped over the handles of the plow as Bertha stopped yet again. She was such a stubborn yak at times and apparently, today was going to be one of those days. Patting the stubborn animal on the rump as she passed, Sigyn made her way around to the front of the house. Her throat was dry and she wanted to check on her father who sat on the porch enjoying the sun on his face.

"Bertha giving you trouble again?" asked her father as she passed him and went inside the house.

"She wants to be out grazing rather than working," called Sigyn over her shoulder. Wetting a rag she washed the sweat and dirt from her face and hands. "I can't say I blame her either with all the green shoots coming up in the meadow but I want to get the garden planted by tomorrow."

"At the rate you're going, that's not likely to happen."

"That's for sure," she said, pouring herself some water. "I'll be lucky to get it in by the end of the week."

"When will Snotlout be around next?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, biting a lip. Pouring another glass of water she took it out to her father. "He went with the other Dragon Riders to see if they could find the escaped berserker prisoner."

"Oswald the Agreeable's son?" asked her father, accepting the water that she pressed into his hand.

"Yeah, that one. Snotlout said something about going to a shipwreck graveyard and I'm not sure how far away it is or if they will come straight back."

"Hmm…" hummed her father, sipping at the cool water. "Seems like our few years of peace might be coming to an abrupt end."

"I hope not." She remembered how hectic and unpredictable their lives had been just a few years ago between the dragons and their enemies. She sat on the front step, trying to get the dirt from under her short fingernails. "But a bit of action might make Snotlout happier."

"How so?"

"It may mean reinstating the Dragon Riders full time again. Snotlout was a bit lost when Hiccup disbanded the academy just after Snoggletog."

"Isn't he working with Gobber at the armory now?"

"Yeah."

"I thought Hiccup worked there too," said her father.

"According to Snotlout, Hiccup is too busy chasing dragons around the archipelago to be much help to Gobber and Snotlout needed something to keep himself busy."

"What are the other riders doing?"

"Snotlout says Astrid is joining the Berk Guard and Mrs. Ingerman says Fishlegs is working at the school with the kids. I'm not sure what the twins have chosen to do other than to wreak total havoc on the village."

"Does Snotlout enjoy working with Gobber?"

"Eh... debatable. The work is dull but he likes the new title he has."

"And what title is that?"

"Oficial Weapon Tester of Berk," she said with a grin. "I think he's only told me 50 or so times. Anyway, I just hope they catch this deranged guy so stuff can go back to normal, or as normal as life ever is here on Berk." She stood dusting off her trousers though she was headed straight back to the garden.

15 minutes later and Bertha still would not move. The yak grunted lowly, her head turning toward the meadow where her calf was grazing quietly. Giving it up as a bad job Sigyn unhitched the yak and shooed her out of the garden before retrieving the shovel. Looked like she'd be doing this by hand. At least she had jumped on the garden first thing. It was still early spring and a few extra days would not hurt anything. Resigning herself to the task she pushed the shovel into the dirt.

She had turned over about a sixth of the garden when a large shadow passed overhead drawing her attention. Shading her eyes with a hand she looked up to see the familiar silhouette of Hookfang above. Leaving the trowel standing erect in the garden she hopped the garden fence and jogged up the path to where the yaks grazed. The yaks moved lazily out of the way as Hookfang landed with a soft thump. The dragon rumbled happily as he closed the distance between them.

"Hey, hey, hey. Let me down first would you," called Snotlout. Hookfang's nose was warm as he nuzzled Sigyn's side until she relented and rubbed under his chin.

"Hey Hookfang," she said, grinning as Snotlout dismounted.

"You know I sometimes think you like my dragon more than you like me," he said, straightening his helmet before folding his arms over his chest and scowling at her.

"Oh don't be a jealous sore head," she said, giving Hookfang a final pat. "It's not like you come running for me to rub under your chin." She paused, taking in his frown. "Your trip go that badly?"

"Johann was the one who sent us out that direction and as per usual, anything involving Johann is always more trouble than it's worth."

"You all got back safe, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he said, letting his arms fall to his side, one hand resting on his belt. "Despite Johann failing to mention the enormous screaming eels." He shuddered. "I hate eels. And even with the booby-trapped shipwrecks and Dagur showing up with a ship of goons we still managed to make it out of there alive and largely unscathed, although apparently, Tuff will have itchy teeth for a day or two."

"Itchy teeth?" she asked.

"Yeah, even though we didn't get out any treasure before Dagur showed up, Hiccup did manage to come out with something he's now calling the Dragon Eye."

"The Dragon Eye?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't ask me," he said, shrugging. "Hiccup named it. Anyway, it's a booby-trapped cylinder and when Gobber was trying to open it Tuff got hit with a dart and some gas. Apparently, Gothi's cure makes your teeth itch."

"I didn't know teeth could itch," she said. Hookfang came to stand behind Snotlout and he leaned back on him in a slump.

"Dunno," said Snotlout shrugging. "It's Tuff, so he could just be making that bit up. It wouldn't surprise me either way."

"So if you didn't catch Dagur does that mean you're going back out after him?"

"Probably, but not until Hiccup gets his head screwed on. He's completely obsessed with this Dragon Eye, so much so that he wants us to fly out to someplace called Snow Wraith Island to get a tooth from a dragon."

"Why a tooth?"

"He thinks it's the key to open the Dragon Eye."

"So you're leaving again?" she asked, shooing a fly off her arm. He nodded. "When?"

"Tomorrow morning. Hiccup would probably go now but Astrid talked some sense into him. I mean we just got back this morning from chasing Dagur and now he wants us to fly outside the archipelago to get a dragon tooth."

"How far outside the archipelago?"

"Not sure. It's going to take us a few days, especially since we have to bring Gothi."

"Why?"

"Because the old bat is the only one who's been to this so-called island or seen a Snow Wraith and lived to tell about it."

"Is it really that dangerous?" she asked, biting a lip.

"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Worried about me?" he asked with a fake pout on his lips. She punched his shoulder.

"Hey," he said, rubbing his arm.

"You'd have to be a blockhead not to worry," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. He cocked his head to the side.

"You really are worried about me aren't you," he said. She was a little hurt by the surprise in his voice.

"Really? After all these months of me bandaging you up, you're only just figuring this out now? Why else would I patch you up time after time if I didn't care?"

"Well if you care so much, why hit me?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning toward her.

"Because you deserved it," she said. Hookfang gave what sounded like a deep growling laugh.

"Laugh it up," said Snotlout, scowling and elbowing Hookfang. "See if I save any more rats for your feed trough." Hookfang just moved away, sending Snotlout sprawling in the grass. "Stupid dragon," muttered Snotlout taking the hand that Sigyn held out to him. Hookfang ignored him, making his way towards the house. Hookfang had recently taken to sleeping in a sunny spot in front of the barn. She and Snotlout meandered down the short path toward the house.

"You know, your punch doesn't come close to Astrid's," he said as they reached the yard. She snorted.

"It wasn't supposed to."

Snotlout shoved his hands in his pockets. "So what are you up to today?" he asked. She stopped in front of the garden and pointed to the shovel. He frowned. "Did you turn over all that dirt by hand?"

"Bertha was being stubborn now there's something to eat in the meadow."

"But I told you me and Hookfang would come help. Why didn't you wait?"

"I didn't know how long you would be gone hunting for Dagur."

"Fair point, but still. How long did it take you just to plow this much?" Sigyn looked at the garden. It was probably about 60 paces long and 30 paces wide and she had done about 10 ft.

"A couple of hours, but I still have to go back through and break up the bigger chunks," she said. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Hey Hookfang, come over here." Hookfang raised his head and at Snotlout's wave moved toward them.

"What's Hookfang got to do with my garden?" she asked. Snotlout opened the garden gate wider.

"Look at his feet and wings. His claws are enormous and perfect for the job."

"How so?" she asked as Hookfang passed ever so carefully through the gate and stood in the garden. Snotlout retrieved her shovel and came to lean on the fence beside her.

"All right, let her rip," called Snotlout. Immediately Hookfang began to dig, his long talon-like claws gouging into the dirt and turning it much faster than she would have imagined. She dodged as a dirt clod sailed past her shoulder. Snotlout was not so lucky.

"Hey, watch it," he spluttered, spitting dirt from his mouth and brushing it from his tunic. The two of them retreated several dozen paces as Hookfang turned this way and that, making short work of plowing the garden. Despite his exaggerated size Hookfang was careful not to brush up against the garden fence and knock it down.

"Told you," said Snotlout smugly. "Hours of work in a few minutes."

"That's pretty impressive," she admitted. They watched until Hookfang had pulverized all the garden except the corners, his body too big to fit without knocking into the fence. Taking to the air briefly, Hookfang hopped over the fence and came to push his nose in her side again. She obliged him, rubbing his scales enthusiastically.

"Thanks, Hookfang!"

"No thank you Snotlout?" said Snotlout. "Typical."

"Quit grousing," she said, shaking her head. "Hookfang did the work."

"But he's my dragon." She rolled her eyes and seized his face in her hands before he could pull away. He froze his eyes wide. She grinned.

"Thank you Snotlout. My life would be meaningless without you in it," she said, her voice dripping sarcasm. He relaxed and folded his arms over his chest.

"It really would, wouldn't it," he said smirking. She pinched his nose and let him go.

"You keep telling yourself that."

"Don't worry I know what you can't say out loud," he said rubbing his pink nose.

"So your trip was a total bust?" she asked, giving Hookfang another rub.

"Well not entirely," he admitted. "Hiccup up got the Dragon Eye but I didn't come away empty-handed."

"I'm almost afraid to ask," she said, leaning back against the fence. He set aside her shovel and went around to the saddlebag on the other side of Hookfang. After a few moments, he came back into view. Tucked under his helmet were three long braids of gold-blonde hair. He twirled the end of a braid in his fingers and cocked his hip to one side.

"My name is Sigyn and I'm so in love with Snotlout," he said, affecting a whiny feminine voice. "He's so handsome and strong, the perfect model of a viking man." Hookfang snuck his tail behind Snotlout and smacked him upside the head, upsetting the helmet and skewing the braids of hair. Sigyn couldn't help herself and burst into laughter as Snotlout tried and failed to catch a braid that had slipped out from under his helmet.

"Hookfang," grumbled Snotlout, taking off his helmet to remove the blond hair. Sigyn stooped to pick up the braid that had fallen in the dirt.

"Where on Earth did you get this hair?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "And why did you keep it for that matter?"

"First," he said, raising a finger. "This is not just any old hair. It's royal hair I'll have you know. I found it in a chest on one of the wrecked ships along with a portrait of the royals that it belonged to."

"But why keep it."

"Maybe blonde hair suits me better."

She held a braid close to his face trying to imagine him blond. He stood there watching her as she examined his face, her head cocked to one side. For all his bravado and brag he could be cute in his own way, especially when he was happy and content. His laugh was contagious even if it was not as common an occurrence as it should be. And even though he was shorter than many, he was strong and unafraid of work. Not that she needed to tell him any of that. His head was already big enough... Except she had told him in small ways hadn't she? Despite the size of his ego she had long since come to see just how frail it was so she was careful to feed it now and then. Stupid really, because some of the things he took pride in he actually had a fair claim to. Some of them anyway.

"Well?" he asked, shaking her free from her meandering thoughts. "What do you think? Blond or brunette?"

"Nope, I just can't see it. You're too pale to be blond. You look better with your natural hair. It makes your blue eyes stand out more. The contrast is good."

"Well, it was worth a try," he said, shrugging and taking the braid back from her.

"What are you going to do with the hair?" she asked.

"Don't know. I mostly just took it because it was there. The twins are the ones who found the gems. They didn't get to keep any unless Ruff managed to swallow a few, in which case she'll see them in a few days when she... "

"And I'm going to stop you there," she said, screwing up her face in disgust. "Anyway, you leave tomorrow morning right?"

"Yep. Another one of Hiccup's crazy adventures."

"Well, at least you're taking Gothi with you so you have a healer if anyone gets hurt."

"True enough. So try not to get sick while I'm gone because Gobber will be covering for Gothi."

"Noted," she said, shuddering. "Will you come to tell me about it when you get back?"

"Of course," he said, climbing up to sit on the top rail of the fence. "After all, I'm the only excitement you get around here."

"Well, you're not wrong. It's pretty quiet without you around. Just be careful alright?"

"I usually am," he said. "It's Hiccup you have to worry about. He sees a new dragon and his common sense runs right out his ears. He'd be toast without Toothless around."

"So," she said, reaching out to pluck at the braids in his hand. "If you don't want the hair can I have it?" His nose wrinkled in confusion.

"Why would you want the hair?"

"To make doll hair with. I could sell the dolls to Johann next time he's here."

"Will you give me a percentage?" he asked eagerly. She scoffed.

"No, but I will try making yak butter parfait again." Her first attempt had not gone so well but Snotlut had not complained about the runny consistency, claiming the taste was still good. He'd eaten it all.

"Deal!"

Almost a week later Sigyn sat sprawled out on a large flat rock in the meadow. She was working on the beginnings of a doll as the yaks grazed nearby. The weather was warm enough that the spring runoff was flowing in slow-moving rivulets through the new grass that was pricking up through last year's dead shoots. She had kicked off her boots and left them under the trees where the ground was still firm and waded out to the large stone enjoying the cool water over her toes. Overhead birds flitted to and fro chasing the myriad of insects that buzzed in the warm air.

Yawning, she set the doll aside and stretched out on her stomach, soaking in the rock's absorbed warmth. Her legs poked out over the edge behind her. A butterfly landed on a crimson flower about a foot in front of her nose, its green and blue wings flashing in the sunlight. Feeling discomfort in her shins she flipped to her back, scooting further down the rock so the edge cradled the back of her knees. Her toes dangled in the cool pool of water at the base of the rock. She tucked an arm under her head and let her eyelids fall shut.

It was good to relax and soak up the sun for a change. The winter had been long and bitter but at last, as it always did, it had given way to spring. The garden was tilled and planted, she'd finished all her sewing orders, and she had even cleaned the house... Well, most of it. She had yet to sweep. For some reason, she detested sweeping. It just seemed so pointless. Snotlout had probably been the last one to handle the broom. She grinned at the thought and then frowned.

Snotlout was not back yet and it had been a week since he left with the others. Even Mrs. Ingerman had expressed concern that the riders had not returned. According to her, this was the longest they had been gone. It worried Sigyn… just a little. She sighed. Perhaps they would return today with news that they had found and captured Dagur. She hoped so. She didn't like Snotlout being gone so much. Despite all their banter she had truly come to look forward to his visits. It was good to have a friend again, even if he did have an overinflated ego. She threw an arm over her face blocking out the red glow from behind her eyelids. Her body relaxed further as her thoughts drifted and swirled lazily and eventually faded to black.

Something was touching her forehead. Blearily, she brushed it away. A few moments later it was back again. Troublesome fly.

"Hey! Your toes are wrinkly. Wake up!"

What was…? She opened her eyes to see familiar blue eyes staring down at her.

"Snotlout," she said, jerking up and instantly falling back down as her forehead smacked sickeningly into his. The impact knocked his helmet off and it crashed down onto her cheek before splashing into the water below. Her head bounced off the stone as it fell back down. Snotlout pulled back cursing, rubbing the bridge of his nose as she rubbed her face groaning.

"Geeze Sigyn, relax. It's not like I pounced on you or anything." He stooped to collect his helmet, dumping the water from it. She didn't answer, just moaned. "Are you okay?" he asked, his face reappearing above hers. She squinted up at him, the sunshine filtering down around his face making it hard to see anything but his silhouette.

"I'll be fine, just give me a minute for the stars to disappear." His face retreated and slowly she sat up. After a few seconds, her vision cleared and she turned to face him. He frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked. His frown deepened, his dark brows drawn close together. He climbed up on the rock in front of her.

"Hold still," he said, reaching for her face.

"What?" she asked, pulling away.

"Just hold still," he said, lifting her chin. She let him. He licked his thumb and swiped it over her cheek. She hissed. It stung. "Your cheek is bleeding. It's just a little scratch. Must have been my helmet falling on your face. Surprised you didn't feel it."

"I did when you touched it," she said. He grimaced and let go of her chin.

"Sorry."

"For what?" she asked.

"You're probably going to have a bruise." It did hurt, but then again so did the front and back of her head.

"It's not your fault," she assured, rubbing a fingertip over the small scratch. It came away mostly clean. "Besides no one but you will ever see it anyway."

She looked around for the yaks but they must have returned to the barn for the meadow was empty except for Hookfang. The dragon was wallowing in the swampy grass, steam rising around him as he rumbled contentedly.

"Long flight?" she asked, pointing at Hookfang. "You were gone forever."

"So long," groaned Snotlout loudly. "It's maybe a day or two flight to Snow Wraith Island, but because of Gothi it took us almost three days both ways." He rubbed his lower back. "I never knew an old lady could be so bony."

"How so?" she asked, confused.

"She refused to ride with anyone except me… For six days she's been stuck to my side like a fly on yak dung."

"So does that make you the yak dung?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"Ha, ha, ha," he said sarcastically.

"Well, why was she stuck to your side anyway?"

"Because Hookfang is a natural heater and the biggest dragon," said Snotlout, jabbing a finger over his shoulder at his dragon. He pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged beside her. "So of course, I got stuck with her for the entire time."

"But I thought you liked attention for women," she teased.

"Young women, girls my age, or at least much closer. Not," he shuddered, "Gothi."

"Well, your harem has to start somewhere," she said.

"But that's why I have you to fawn over me. I don't need Gothi." He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck with a grimace. "She would lean on me and fall asleep. So much drool. You have no idea. And her fingers are so grabby, she bruised my rib cage." Sigyn couldn't help but smile.

"Did you guys get the tooth you were after?"

"Yeah, actually as much as I dislike Gothi, she's a pretty tough old bird. She got super angry and attacked the Snow Wraith. One of its teeth got stuck in her staff before it flew away. Saved us the trouble of tracking it down for the third time. Got to admit I didn't think she had it in her."

"So did the tooth work? Did it open the Dragon Eye?"

"Sort of. At first, we didn't think it would, but Hiccup was messing around with it last night after we got back and finally got it to do something."

"You got back yesterday?"

"Yeah just before dinner. It's been a pretty busy day."

"Busy with what?"

"Don't jump out of your shirt. I'll get to that," he said, not meeting her eye.

"Alright. So what does the Dragon Eye do?" she asked, tucking her sewing supplies back in her bag.

"Fishlegs and Hiccup about lost their minds. Basically, it's got all sorts of information about dragons in it. It's pretty crazy. You hold it in front of dragon fire and it shines pictures and information on the wall depending on how you turn the pieces."

"Sounds interesting," she said, but she wasn't quite sure what it had to do with anything. "So are you guys going back out after Dagur or are you just dropping it altogether?"

"Yeah, about that."

"What?" she asked, noting his hesitation.

"Well, Hiccup is reorganizing the Dragon Riders."

"Oh, well that's good news for you, isn't it? It means you will have something to do other than help Gobber in your downtime."

"I won't have a lot of downtime," he said.

"Oh," she said, taken aback. "I guess you'll be too busy chasing Dagur?"

"Well that's part of it," he said, not looking at her as he shifted his helmet further up his brow. "But it's not just about being busy."

"What do you mean?" He sighed.

"You remember how I told you Hiccup is dragon crazy? Well with all the new information about new species of dragons Hiccup wants to go exploring… exploring outside the archipelago."

"You're going on another trip?"

"Sort of," he said.

"How long?" she asked, anticipating and dreading the answer.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, shrugging. "Since it's Hiccup he will probably try and drag it out as long as he can so he doesn't have to become chief."

"How long can he put that off?"

"He told the council a year, two maybe."

She pulled away from him. A year or two?

"That's... That's a long time," she said, finally finding her voice. He didn't say anything. "When are you leaving?"

"Two days."

"That soon?" she said, an odd constriction in her ribs.

"Yeah, Hiccup is anxious to get started. See, it's not just about dragons or avoiding his father. It's also about catching Dagur and since Dagur has a personal vendetta against Hiccup he wants to draw the trouble away from Berk. At least that's what he told the council this morning."

"And you're all going with him?" He nodded.

"All the Dragon Riders are. We can search for Dagur and explore much faster on dragon back than by ship. What would take us a week by ship we can cover in a day or two on dragons."

But Sigyn wasn't listening. There was an empty pit where her stomach should be. Two years? Snotlout would be gone for two years exploring the archipelago with his friends. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about this except… shocked. Sucker punched, right in the gut. She never imagined the stupid Dagur problem would keep would upset everything. The riders were just supposed to catch him and then take him back to Outcast Island.

"Sigyn, you okay?"

Of course this would happen. Why not? She finally got a friend again and was starting to warm up to dragons, or at least Hookfang. Life was good, but as per usual that was just begging the gods to come down and dump it on its head. They had not disappointed.

"Sigyn, where are you going?" called Snotlout, his hand grabbing her arm. She looked over at him. They were several paces from the rock. Mud and grass squished between her toes. When had she left the rock? Snotlout watched her, his face uncharacteristically marred by worry and... apprehension? Why was he worried?

"Are you angry at me?" Oh of course. He was worried… had been worrying about her reaction. Why was she so upset about this anyway? It's not like he ever promised to stay with her forever. She should be happy for him. Despite his anxiety, she could tell that he was pleased with the chance to leave Berk. He didn't say much about his father but he had said enough to give the impression that his father's desires for Snotlout's future caused him grief.

"No, I'm not mad Snotlout," she said, hoisting what she hoped was a convincing facsimile of a smile on her face. "Why would you think that?"

He watched her face for a second more before letting go of her arm. He shrugged and frowned, his brows pulled together in confusion.

"I don't know, it's easy to tell when Astrid is angry but not you."

"I'm not angry," she assured. And it was mostly true. If she was angry at anyone it was this Dagur person. What she was really fighting back was a mixture of disappointment and loneliness. That was stupid. She'd been just fine before Snotlout crashed into her life and she would be again. There would just be less distraction, less noise, less joking. Less Snotlout. No Snotlout.

"You sure?" he pressed, his fingers picking nervously at a loose thread in his pants.

"Positive, you just took me by surprise is all. It's going to be different without you around. I'm going to miss you."

"You will?"

"Well don't sound so surprised," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "We are friends aren't we?"

"Yeah," he said after a moment's hesitation. "Friends."

They stood quietly for a few moments before Sigyn hoisted her pack over her shoulder and tromped toward her boots. Hookfang followed them to the edge of the marsh and back onto dry ground. Grabbing her boots, Sigyn found a log and sat down to dry her feet with her socks. The log bowed slightly as Snotlout sat beside her. Hookfang curled up around a tree not far off. That dragon did like to sleep.

"Are you excited to go?" she asked, trying not to think about the queasiness she felt.

"Yes and no," he said with a sigh. "Someone's got to be the voice of reason in the group."

"And that is you?"

"Usually I'm the voice of caution," he admitted. "But I wouldn't be if Hiccup would think about us before the dragons. But he's all about the dragons first. It's going to be fun to explore new places though."

"You are coming back, right?" she asked. He looked at her, a funny expression on his face.

"Of course, we will probably be back to Berk now and then. You didn't think Stoick was just going to let Hiccup disappear did you?"

"I guess that makes sense. So I will get to see you now and then?"

"I will come visit every time we are back if only to let you know that you are still number one in my harem."

"What about Astrid?" she asked skeptically.

"Well, I haven't convinced her to join just yet," he said wryly.

"I see," she said. They were quiet for a moment. She elbowed his side gently. "You will come back in one piece won't you?"

"If I can keep Hiccup from poking his nose into every dark unexplored hole, then probably."

"Probably?"

"I generally try to avoid situations involving certain death," he said with a grin. "But when you're with Hiccup you're bound to run into trouble of one sort or another."

"Well try extra hard. I want you back with all your arms and legs."

"You want me back?"

"I thought we had established this. Yes, I want you back at the end of this."

"Are you still going to be here?" he asked. She snorted.

"Where else would I be?" She tugged on one boot and then the other. He shrugged but seemed pleased. "Is there any good news?"

"Well, this will get me out of having to pick a career in 12 days."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm turning 18."

"That soon?" she asked.

"Yep. What was your 18th like?"

"Ah," she said, wringing out the bottom of her pants. "You forget I had to pick a career years ahead of schedule because of my father. I was already a tailor when my 18th rolled around."

"Suppose so, Stitcher Girl," he teased.

"Dragon Boy," she countered. "What would you have chosen if you were here?"

"Ah, see, that's why it's a good thing I'm going. I have two extra years to think about it and no one will have to know that I have no clue… well except for you."

"Is there anything you need help with before you go?" she asked.

"No, I just have to pack, tie up loose ends, and say goodbye."

"Will you come say goodbye to me before you leave," she asked.

"You want me to?"

"Yeah, I mean I need to say goodbye to Hookfang before he's gone for two years," she said with a smirk.

"But not me?" he said. "I guess the thought of saying goodbye to me is just too painful a thought to bear." She laughed.

"Sure, something like that. Will you come?"

He chewed his lip for a moment thinking and then his face brightened.

"I'll bring Hookfang and say goodbye the morning I leave," he said. He was oddly excited. "We can celebrate my birthday early. Deal?"

"Sounds good," she said. "You ah got some mud on your boots there."

His expression soured as he inspected them.

"You and your weird spots," he said, smacking his boots together in a futile effort to clean them.

******

Sigyn set the neatly wrapped package on the chair beside her bed and undressed. Picking up the crumpled nightshirt that lay on the floor she slipped into it with a shiver. In moments she was tucked beneath her heavy quilt and had blown out the candle. She lay there in the dark, her thoughts a swirling mess. Snotlout left tomorrow morning. She hasn't seen him since he had found her sleeping in the meadow. He'd been right though. She had a bruise on her left cheek... Just a small one.

She turned on her side staring out the window of her second-story room. The crescent moon shone in the night sky amongst the smattering of stars. Two years. She hadn't told her father yet. She wasn't exactly sure what to say. She was still working out exactly how she felt. One thing was for sure, if she didn't tell him, Mrs. Ingerman would on her next visit. She was a nice lady but loved to stop and gossip. Sigyn usually tried to listen politely to the woman's news but she had to admit that now and then she would make up some excuse or other to escape the drone of so-and-so's and this-and-that's.

She sighed. Mrs. Ingerman was about to become her only link to life outside again. Stupid dragons. Well except Hookfang. She was pleased with the progress she had made with Hookfang. She no longer flinched or winced as his huge scaly body passed or even pressed close to her. His looks may be intimidating but he was always so gentle. Around her anyway. Snotlout was a different matter altogether. Those two had an oddly antagonistic but loving relationship. All bark and no bite… usually. She was going to miss them… both of them. She tossed and turned a while longer before finally dropping off to sleep.

She woke to a hand shaking her shoulder. She bolted upright, groping in the dark for her would-be assailant. Her fingers wrapped around a thick wrist and she swung a fist in the direction of the face. Smack. A hit.

"Ow! Sigyn!" cried a voice from her open window. "Chill would you. It's just me."

"Snotlout?"

"Who else?" came the sullen if not garbled reply. "Why did you hit me?"

"Why did you reach through my window at night?" she counted grumpily.

"I told you I was coming this morning."

"The sun's not even up yet."

"It will be soon," he sulked, his voice gurgling.

"I can't even see you. What are we supposed to do in the dark?"

There was a sudden flame from the tip of Hookfang's snout and Snotlout came into view holding his nose. He sat on Hookfangs neck, his nose dripping blood.

"You must have it out for my face," he said, scowling.

"Well, that explains how you got up to my window at least. Sorry about your nose." He rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"I ought to know better than to wake you up by now."

Sigyn threw off her blanket and crossed the room to where she kept a jug of fresh water and a rag. Wetting the cloth she returned to the window and held it out to Snotlout.

"And just what exactly are we up to in the wee hours of the morning?" But Snotlout was not looking at her. His face was decidedly turned away from her. "Here this is for your nose," she said, leaning out the window. He didn't move.

"Snotlout? What's wrong? Did I hit you that hard? Here let me see." She reached for him but he pulled away.

"You... You should put some clothes on," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She looked down and had to admit that the night dress was a bit short, leaving most of her legs bare.

"What? My legs?" she asked, noting the red flush in Snotlout's cheeks as he stubbornly looked the other way.

"It's not just the legs," he said. "It's the top… your umm…" but he petered out, turning redder still as he swallowed thickly. Once again she looked at her chest. She supposed this nightshirt was getting too small in every way. She held back a chuckle. It was odd to have Snotlout on the run for a change. She toyed with the idea of teasing him further but took pity on him. She had already bloodied his nose.

"Will you just get dressed," he asked in a whine. Now that was too irresistible.

"Are you sure you didn't want a second look?" she teased, putting her hands on her hips.

"Sigyn!" he begged. "Please!" But he peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. A rather lengthy peek.

"Get your fill?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. His head snapped back the other way and she laughed. She wasn't sure in the low light but she thought she could see the red tips of his ears sticking out from his hair.

"Here, take this already," she said, grabbing his hand and slapping the wet rag into it. "It's dripping on the floor." Grinning, she retreated inside and closed the wood latch to the window behind her. In a few minutes, she was dressed to the boots and she opened the window again.

"Are you alright now?" she asked. Snotlout glanced at her, relieved to find her fully clothed.

"I'll live," he said, scowling. His nose had stopped bleeding and she took the rag from him, throwing it in the growing pile of dirty laundry in the corner. She really did need to wash those.

"Good. Now, why did you wake me up before the sun?"

"You're coming on a ride with me and Hookfang," said Snotlout matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me what?"

"We're going for a ride," he said, holding out a hand to her.

"You are going for a ride," she said, turning. "I'm going back to bed."

"Come on Sigyn. Come flying with us."

"You are crazy."

"You can't honestly tell me you're still afraid of Hookfang," he pressed. She looked at him contemplating his words as she took in his earnest features. "Come on," he coaxed. "I won't see you again for a long time. Come flying with me. Just once before I go."

"Where are we going?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Just for a fly alright. It will be fun. I promise."

"You should go Sigyn," called her father's voice from the floorboards beneath her feet. She buried her face in her hands groaning.

"Sorry," whispered Snotlout. "I tried not to wake him."

"You know you can't sneak stuff past him," she said, wondering just how long her father had been awake.

"I wasn't trying to sneak past him, I was trying to sneak past... well it doesn't matter. Are you coming or did I come out here for no reason? You said you would help me celebrate my birthday early."

"Go flying," called her father. "18 is a big year. Have fun but when you get back you need to make yourself a new nightdress. Odin knows it's a contradiction for a tailor's clothes not to fit."

That answered that question. This time they both flushed.

"Come with us," urged Snotlout after a moment of silence. "Who knows when you'll see me and Hookfang next."

"Oh and while you make yourself a new nightdress you can explain why Snotlout is leaving and you didn't tell me," called her father once again.

She wasn't sure if it was her growing curiosity or her desire to escape her father's embarrassing interruptions that drove her. Probably both.

"Alright, fine," she said at last. "But if I fall off and die you have to move in with my father and take care of him." Snotlout grinned.

"Nothing's going to happen."

"I wouldn't take him anyway," called her father.

"Let's go," said Snotlout, once again holding his hand out for her. She reached for him and then hesitated.

"Where do I sit? In front or behind?"

"Depends," he said with a grin. "Do you want to wrap your arms around all this muscle or do you want all this muscle wrapped around you?"

"And on that note, I'm going back to bed," she said, reaching for the window. Snotlout laughed.

"Come on. You can sit in front where you can hang on to Hookfang's horns."

"All right then," she said, taking his hand. She tried not to look down as she crossed open air and situated herself on Hookfang's neck in front of Snotlout. Hookfang rumbled and Sigyn's muscles tensed, her breathing shallow and fast.

"Hey relax," said Snotlout, reaching around her to grab Hookfang's horns. He leaned forward and frowned as he saw her face. "It's just Hookfang," he reassured. "He… we will look after you. Promise."

"I know," she said, fighting back to dread oozing through her like frigid mud. Beneath her Hookfang began to thrum reassuringly. She could feel the vibration not only in her chest but in her thighs as well. It was okay. It was Hookfang and Snotlout was right behind her.

"You alright?" he asked seriously. "We don't have to..."

"No... I... I want to go."

"You sure?" Snotlout asked. She nodded.

"Just take it slow." He examined her face a moment before nodding and nudging Hookfang forward.

"You heard her Fangster, take it easy." Ever so gently and slowly, Hookfang lowered his head and began walking across the yard to where he could take off. "Nope, to the meadow Hooky," directed Snotlout. Hookfang turned the other direction making his way through the dark trees, the tip of his nose still burning.

"Why... Why the meadow?" she asked, watching the shadows on the trees shift as they passed by. "We could have taken off from the yard. You have been for a while now."

"I have yes, but not you. It's a pretty abrupt takeoff," he said. "The meadow has more open space for a gradual takeoff. Besides, this way you can get used to riding him."

"Thanks."

"Just makes more sense," he said, shrugging.

They didn't say much more. Hookfang's horns were rough and bumpy under her hand. She was probably holding a bit too tight. She tried to relax her grip as she eased into Hookfang's methodical movements. It was thrilling and terrifying to have a dragon's neck between her knees; much different from a yak. Then again yaks didn't fly. Eventually, they reached the meadow. Hookfang paused at the edge of the swampy area and turned his head ever-so-slightly and snorted.

"You ready to change your mind about dragons?" asked Snotlout over her shoulder.

"I don't know… let's give it a try anyway," she said, readjusting her sweaty grip on Hookfang's horns.

"Alright then. Hookfang up!" called Snotlout, pulling back on his dragon's horns. Sigyn braced herself just before Hookfang took several lumbering steps and leapt into the air spreading his wings wide. A squeak escaped Sigyn's lips as she held on for dear life. The flame on Hookfang's nose went out and they were engulfed in the night, rushing towards the oncoming trees at the edge of the clearing. Her squeak turned into a shriek. They were going to crash. She just knew it. Her sharp splintery end was in, or rather out, of sight. She shut her eyes, shrinking back closer to Snotlout. He laughed. He actually laughed at her.

"Stop laughing," she snapped, her eyes still forced shut.

"But you're funny," he said.

"How is dying funny? We're going to crash into something in the dark. Why did you want to do this early in the morning?"

"Because there won't be any other riders out this early. Not today. They are all too busy getting ready. And we are not going to crash. There is nothing to crash into up here. We haven't even reached the clouds yet.

"Yet?" she squeaked. He laughed again.

"Open your eyes Sigyn. Come on."

She didn't move but Hookfang's movement had changed somewhat. His wings beat less often and the ride was smoother. Gradually she relaxed enough to peek. She couldn't see anything. She opened them all the way.

"Down there," said Snotlout, tapping her shoulder. "Berk by night or in this case early morning."

Below then glimmered the intermittent light of lanterns and torches scattered throughout the village. Some of the houses were already lit with candles. The kitchens in the back of the Great Hall were aglow with activity. So far below. She tried to swallow but it caught in her throat. Snotlout must have noticed her discomfort.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights too," he scoffed. "I found you in a tree."

"It was the tree or the boars," she said, feeling a bit dizzy. "There's a big difference between tree height and cloud height. I wasn't born with wings so clearly, Odin never intended for me to fly."

"But Odin made the dragons too."

"Say what you want, I'm much happier with my feet on the ground," she groused.

They were quiet for a few minutes just spiraling further up into the dark sky. They were headed to the far side of the island at the moment. Behind her, Snotlout blew out an exaggerated breath.

"Hey, Sigyn? Can you do something about your hair?" he asked, puffing again. "I keep eating it."

Almost by reflex, she reached for her loose hair but the moment her hand left Hookfang's horns something in her brain rebelled, snapping her back into her former rigid position. Her stomach gave a little squirm.

"Sigyn?" he asked, leaning around her and spitting hair.

"I can't Snotlout," she said, her voice wavering. "I can't let go. I'll fall."

"But your hair?"

"Stuff it in my collar," she suggested, trying not to look at the ground.

"It won't do any good. It would just blow out again."

"Can't you braid it or something?" she asked

"I can't braid hair," he protested.

"Of course you can," she snapped. "I've seen you braid other things. It's no different."

"But…" he began, spitting out hair again.

"I can't let go to do it. Either braid it or quit complaining."

"Alright, but it'll be a mess."

"Who cares so long as it's not in your mouth."

Grumbling, he let go of Hookfang's horns and attempted to collect all her stray hair. It took him several tries to catch it all but he finally managed it. Sigyn sat as still as possible trying to ignore Snotlout's fingers in her hair and instead focusing on trying to relax her body. She had to admit that Hookfang was flying incredibly steady, just gliding over the island of Berk.

"I don't suppose you have something to tie this off with?" asked Snotlout after a few minutes. "Otherwise this won't stay put long." She shook her head and Snotlout cursed as her hair slipped from his fingers. Hastily he redid the end.

"Sorry," she said over her shoulder.

"It's all right," he said, tugging a cord loose from his left bracer. "I can use one of these." Having finished the braid he let it drop to her back, reaching around her for Hookfang's horns again.

"Better?" she asked, looking back at him.

"Much."

They flew in lazy circles around Berk, changing direction now and then. Neither spoke for a long while until the eastern sky began to be stained by the oncoming sun. Sigyn looked out over her island home. She's always thought Berk was a decent-sized island, but from up here it seemed rather small.

"So what do you think?" asked Snotlout.

"We certainly are up high," she said, biting her lip. "But I thought Hookfang was a lot faster than this?"

"He is," scoffed Snotlout. "He's taking it easy on you."

"Just how fast can he go?" she asked. Snotlout shrugged.

"Dunno, fast enough to make your face hurt if he wants."

"Then how does Hiccup do it if he is faster?"

Snotlout folded his arms over his chest. "Hiccup doesn't do it," said Snotlout bitterly. "Toothless is the speed demon. Hiccup just rides him."

Sigyn sighed internally. Of course Hiccup was a sore spot today. She couldn't keep track of Snotlout's mood sometimes. Sometimes Snotlout referred to Hiccup as a friend and a cousin, other times Hiccup was what was wrong with the world. She glanced back at him and was unsurprised to see him brooding in the light of the morning sun peeking up over the ocean. He needed a distraction again. An idea popped into her head. Could she do it? He wouldn't try anything too crazy, would he?

"So ah, what kinds of tricks do you two do?" she asked, almost regretting it as the words passed her lips. Snotlout leaned forward, interested.

"All sorts. You've seen some of them in the dragon races."

"Are you going to show me any?"

"Are you saying you want to do tricks," he asked her skeptically.

"Sure," she said, mentally kicking herself. "Why not? You're probably never going to get me up here again so you might as well." He leaned forward and surveyed her face, his brows drawn together in disbelief. At last, he shrugged.

"If you say so," he said, shaking his head. He leaned forward to pat Hookfang's neck. "You heard her Fangster, Sigyn wants to do tricks."

The change of tone in Snotlout's voice had Sigyn instantly regretting her choice. Snotlout scooted closer to her, his chest pressing against her back as his hands slid forward on Hookfang's horns until they sat right behind hers. She opened her mouth to protest, to tell him she had changed her mind but the words never left her mouth. Hookfang jolted forward, his wings pulling in huge drafts of air as they shot forward heading to the north edge of Berk. She clung on for dear life and in moments they were beyond Berk and out over the ocean.

"Come on," urged Snotlout. "Faster!"

Hookfang could go faster? He could indeed. Once again they jolted forward, the momentum pressing Sigyn tightly into Snotlout. The sea stacks blurred past them and Hookfang began just to swerve back and forth between them still gaining speed. They passed the last of the sea stacks.

"Up," shouted Snotlout, pulling back. Hookfang rose sharply, climbing higher and higher. They were nearly vertical and Sigyn tried to pull herself forward not wanting to push Snotlout off the back of the saddle. She needn't have worried. He was like a stone wall holding her in on all sides as they climbed higher.

"You okay?" he asked loudly over the rush of wind. She glanced back at him and he laughed. "Hang on," he said. How could she do anything else? Was that a cloud below them? She didn't dare lean far enough to look. At last, when they seemed high enough to pluck the dimming stars from the sky, Hookfang leveled out. Sigyn's muscles suddenly relaxed and she slumped into Snotlout.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked. She blew out a shaky breath.

"That's... That was a lot to take in," she said, still limp.

"Told you he was fast," said Snotlout grinning. "And that wasn't even his fastest. It really does hurt your face when he goes all out." A shiver crawled down her spine.

"Snotlout, could we go lower? It's cold up here." Without a word or gesture from Snotlout, Hookfang's body burst into flames all save his neck and head where they rode. Waves of warm air washed over them.

"You were saying?" said Snotlout smugly.

"Okay that's pretty cool," she said. "But still, we're up so high, it's kind of hard to breathe. Can we go down?" Snotlout's eyes gleamed wickedly for a moment before he called to Hookfang.

"Fangster, time to drop!" He leaned forward. "Hold on tight," he said, grinning.

Before she knew what was happening they were plummeting. Not flying. Plummeting. Falling out of the sky. Sigyn screamed as her backside rose off the saddle and up into the air. The only thing attaching her to Hookfang was her death-like grip on his horns. She had been so wrong! She should have stayed on the ground. Odin was punishing her for daring to fly. Snotlout's arm snaked around her waist pulling her back down into the saddle in front of him. His arm over her belly pinned her to him firmly.

"I told you to hang on," he shouted over the wind.

"I am!" she yelled, her grip tighter than ever.

"Hang on with your legs," he corrected. She felt stupid but instantly wrapped her legs around the dragon's neck.

"We're falling," she yelled.

"Yep." He sounded far too cheerful. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"For what?" she screamed as the ocean rushed to meet them.

"You'll find out. Hookfang now!" Snotlout's grip around her middle tightened and suddenly they were upside-down… right-side-up… and upside-down again.

Sigyn screamed as her stomach did flips to match Hookfanng's erratic movements. Behind her Snotlout was laughing and whooping, egging Hookfang on faster. She squeezed her eyes shut but the swooping sensation in her stomach only grew. Quite against her will a shriek of delight exploded from her lips, followed inexplicably with laughter. Why was she laughing? But she couldn't help it. With every loop and barrel Hookfang did came a new shriek of delight.

At last, they evened out heading back to Berk. The sun was high enough that it was no doubt burning off the morning dew in the meadow. Sigyn slumped forward over Hookfang horns, still laughing but trying to catch her breath. Snotlout let go of her stomach and placed his hand on her back to steady her as she laughed giddily.

"Come on," he said when she finally had control of herself. "You have to admit dragons are pretty awesome."

"Alright. Hookfang is awesome! But I still don't like the other dragons much."

"Good enough," said Snotlout. "Do you like flying?" She paused a moment before responding, trying to sort out her feelings.

"It's terrifying," she said at last. He frowned. "Terrifying… but exhilarating. I think… I think I like it for the most part."

"You were laughing hard enough," he said smugly.

"One moment my stomach was where it should be and the next it was all over the place."

"You're not feeling sick are you?" he asked, worry creasing his brow. She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, other than my hands hurt from holding on so tight." He laughed again. "When did you say you and the other riders were leaving?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Midday," he said, leaning around her. "You really going to miss me?" She turned around and jabbed his ribs making him squeak in protest.

"Does your ego really need the pampering?" she asked.

"Come on. Are you going to miss me?"

"Are you going to miss me?" she countered. He seemed taken aback. She thought for a moment he was going to bluff his way around the question, but he didn't. He slipped his arm around her waist again and pulled her back against him. She looked back at him surprised.

"Yes," he said at last, not meeting her gaze. "I'm going to miss you." There was a new sensation in Sigyn's belly that had nothing to do with flying.

"I'm going to miss you too," she said. They were quiet for a long moment, unmoving.

"Hey, Snotlout?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we do some more tricks before you take me back?"

**********

The sun was almost directly overhead by the time Snotlout and Hookfang arrived at the Academy. He had flown with Sigyn most of the morning before sneaking her back. He had even walked her back to the house and said goodbye to her father. That had been a bit weird, but her father had not acted any different, as though they would see each other next week. Before he left, Sigyn had handed him a wrapped package and to his surprise, hugged him. She had hugged him? It had been odd and unexpected… but he'd liked it. He felt a mixture of supreme pleasure with himself and a pang of something he was unsure of as he sauntered into the academy.

By the looks of it, Hiccup and Astrid were about packed and ready to go. Astrid was finishing up mucking out Stormfly's stall and Hiccup was securing the last two bags to Toothless's saddle.

"Well look who decided to show up," said Astrid, brushing hair from her face.

"Hey, I beat the twins," he said, tucking the package from Sigyn under his arm.

"Yeah, well that's not exactly saying much is it," said Hiccup, patting Toothless shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

"All set," said Snotlout as Hookfang joined Stormfly at the water trough.

"I hope that's not all you packed," said Astrid, setting the pitchfork to one side. "We're not sharing our stuff just because you are under-packed."

"Are you kidding," chuckled Hiccup, reaching to adjust the strap that held his metal leg to his real one. "This is Snotlout. I'm sure he's packed enough food to choke even Hookfang."

"Hey, there is no such thing as too much food," said Snotlout.

"You need to clean out your stall before we leave," said Astrid.

"No, I don't. I told you I'm all set."

"Everyone has to," said Astrid exasperated.

"Just because you two waited to do it till today," said Snotlout stomping over to Hookfangs stall. He opened the gate with a slight flourish to reveal a clean stall and a tidy stack of supplies ready to be loaded. "I just have to pack Hookfang."

"Wow," said Astrid. "I was not expecting that.

If truth be told Snotlout had finished packing and cleaning last night. He had even said his goodbyes to his mother, sister, and brother the night before. His father had not been around though. He had left the entire morning for Sigyn and he didn't regret it one bit.

"Anyway, where is Fishface?" he asked, looking around.

"Probably got held up by his siblings," said Hiccup.

"Yeah. His mom's baby is due this summer right?"

"Yeah, in a few months," said Hiccup, looking a little glum.

"And only Loki knows where the twins are," said Astrid with a snort. But a crash just outside the academy alerted the three of them to the twin's sudden arrival.

"Was somebody talking about us?" asked Ruffnut, jumping off Barf's neck. Surprisingly there were bundles tied to both saddles of the two-headed dragon.

"Someone was definitely talking about me," said Tuffnut. "My knees are itchy and we all know what that means."

"Ah… No. No, we don't," said Hiccup. "And I don't think I want to."

"Listen to your knees," said Ruffnut, examining her nails as Tuffnut bent double to scratch his legs. "The knees know." Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Are you two ready to go?"

"Hiccup, Hiccup. So little faith," said Tuffnut straightening. "Of course we're ready to go."

"You mean all except for that steaming pile of dragon dung you call a stall," said Snotlout, hefting a bag over his shoulder and approaching Hookfang.

"We are supposed to clean them out?" asked Ruffnut in mock surprise.

"Yeah, I thought that's why we kept Gustav around?" said Tuffnut.

"Have... Have you not cleaned out your stalls since Snoggletog?" asked Hiccup, the frustration in his tone edging higher.

"Oh, at least since then," said Ruffnut. "By now I'm pretty sure we have an infestation of yakrats."

"Yak... yakrats?" asked Hiccup, exasperated. "What are yakrats? Never mind, don't answer. You two need to clean out the stall before we leave."

"Alright, yeesh! Hiccup the fun spoiler," said Tuffnut, taking the pitchfork Astrid held out to him expectantly. The twins disappeared into their stall.

Snotlout stood surveying his handiwork, his bags all loaded on Hookfang. Everything in its place, including Yakkity who was stuffed in the bottom of a bag. He hadn't planned on taking the toy but Adele had been watching carefully as he packed. The only thing left was the box from Sigyn. She hadn't told him what was in it when she had handed it to him just said she thought it might come in useful on his trip. Trouble was he wasn't sure what it was or where to stow it.

Seeing the others were occupied he pulled the cord loose and unwrapped it to find a small plain box. Opening the box he found it to be crammed full of useful things. There was a small but useful sewing kit, clean bandages, burn cream, and plenty of that disinfecting ointment Sigyn loved so much. There were other bottles but he was unsure what was in them. Sigyn had included a sizable pouch of yak jerky and a small pouch of green dragon sales to replace any that might fall off his tunic. Tucked in the back of the box there was a note. Curiously he unfolded the parchment while chewing on a strip of jerky.

"Hey, Dragon Boy,

Just thought these would prove useful on your trip to explore the world. I included instructions on how to use the first aid stuff just in case you forgot. Remember, NO BOAR GREASE! I hope you enjoy your adventure and get to visit Berk sometime in the next few months. You know where to find me and you're always welcome. Have fun, find adventure, and bring me back all your stories. Odin knows I need something to spice up my life around here. And just in case your ego starts to deflate and you look toward home… The answer is yes. I still miss you.

Sigyn."

"Who's the note from?" asked Hiccup as he passed. Snotlout hastily hid the letter behind his back.

"What note?"

Hiccup stopped and cocked his head to the side. "The note you're trying to hide behind your back."

"None of your business," snapped Snotlout, stuffing the letter inside the box before closing the lid and tucking it under his arm. "Contrary to popular belief, not everything revolves around you, Hiccup."

Snotlout was a bit surprised to see hurt flash across Hiccup's face.

"No need to get so defensive," said his cousin. "I was just curious." Hiccup turned to leave. Snotlout groaned internally. Why was Hiccup being sensitive today? It didn't matter, he didn't want to start the trip with bad blood between them.

"It's just an early birthday gift from… from a friend," He said, bringing Hiccup to a stop. His cousin turned to face him and Snotlout braced for the ridicule he was sure was coming. It didn't.

"Oh that's right your birthday is coming up isn't it," said Hiccup, brightening. "18. I hope it's a good year for you. I hope it's a good year for us all." Hiccup sighed and pulled the Dragon Eye from his pocket. "Do you think this is a good idea, leaving Berk and all?" Snotlout snorted.

"Since when have you ever asked my opinion?" But Hiccup waited for a reply. Snotlout shrugged. "I dunno, if Daugr went outside the archipelago that's where we have to go to catch him and if the Dragon Eye can help us, so much the better."

"But leaving Berk undefended?" asked Hiccup.

"Have you forgotten? We're Vikings! Berk is far from undefended. Don't tell me you're selling your father short."

"Oh no! No," said Hiccup, chuckling and raising his hands in defense. "The last person to underestimate my father never lived to tell."

"Besides," said Snotlout. "There will still be a Jorgenson on Berk. They will be fine without me around." Hiccup grinned and shook his head but behind him, Astrid groaned loudly. Someday.

There was a kerfuffle from inside the twin's stall and several rats raced out across the academy yard. Hookfang bounded after them, brushing against Snotlout and almost making him drop the box from Sigyn.

"Well, one thing's for sure," said Hiccup quietly as Astrid stormed over to the twins to investigate. "Whoever packed that box must care about you."

Half an hour later Fishlegs had arrived burdened with far too many scrolls in Snotlout's opinion and the twins had finally managed a passable job with her stall. Soon the six of them were in the air and headed north toward the shipwreck graveyard as Hiccup wanted to check the surrounding islands for any sign of Dagur. Hookfang had chased down his fill of rats and was flying lazily at the back of the group. Snotlout was content to let him do so, scanning the trees to the west thinking he could see the roof of Sigyn's house. Her box had been packed with care, some of the jerky stuffed in his pockets.

He was about to encourage Hookfang to catch up with the others when a flash of light to the left caught his attention. He pulled Hookfang to a slow hover and squinted at the flash of sunlight. It was coming from the top of the rocky point Sigyn had climbed to watch the Dragon Race. The flashing stopped and Snotlout shaded his eyes to see better. Sure enough, there stood Sigyn waving at him. His stomach did a funny little wiggle. Hiccup must have noticed Snotlout's delay for he motioned the others forward and raced back to Snotlout.

"You are right?" asked Hiccup, pulling up beside them. Snotlout made a snap decision.

"I forgot something," he lied. "I'm going to go back to get it."

"What is it?" asked Hiccup, exasperated. "We're already late." Snotlout opened his mouth to retort but Hiccup beat him to it. "Once again, none of my business right?"

"I'm coming with you on this trip," said Snotlout. "You can spare a few minutes."

"Alright. Do you want me to wait?"

"No, I won't take long. I know exactly where I left it," said Snotlout, glancing at the rocky point. "I'll catch up."

"If you say so," said Hiccup. "Don't be too long."

Snotlout watched until his cousin passed out of sight along with the others before turning Hookfang in the direction of the rocky point and Sigyn. He deviated only slightly, directing Hookfang towards an open patch of grass where purple and yellow flowers carpeted the ground. Urging Hookfang to fly upside down he scooped up a large handful of grass and flowers before righting his dragon. Before he could give it a second thought they were above Sigyn and Snotlout dropped the flowers, grass and all, over her head. The greenery fluttered down like so much confetti around her. Sigyn looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise before pulling a flower from her messy braid that was still held with the tie from his bracer. She waved at him until she passed out of sight and Snotlout turned his attention to catching the others.

Chapter Text

The tepid water sloshed over Sigyn's wrinkled fingers and out over the edge of the bucket as she pushed the tunic under the surface once again. She scrubbed vigorously at the soot stain watching as the thin bubbles on the surface of the water popped and dissipated. In the distance, she could hear the thwack of a stone as her father defended the newly sprouted vegetables. The little pool some distance downstream from the house was the perfect place to do the wash. There was a stone that was just the right height and size to sit on and still be able to reach the stream.

Dratted laundry had really gotten away from her again. It always did, getting put off until there were no clean clothes left in the house. Today had been just such a day and she dreaded the basket of dirty clothes beside her. It would probably take the rest of the afternoon. She wasn't sure which she preferred, the laundry or the list or tailoring orders that had backed up. There was the new tunic and trousers for that Bernstalk boy, the new bed clothes and quilt for the couple who would be married in a few weeks. What were their names again? And on top of the myriad of odds and ends Mrs. Ingerman had stopped by earlier this morning with a request of her own for several new baby clothes and nappies. The already plump woman was well into her seventh month of pregnancy and was beginning to have difficulty walking distances. Her pregnancies tended to be difficult near the end and Gothi had instructed Mrs. Ingerman to not over-exert herself.

Sigyn pulled the tunic from the water and sniffed tentatively. Satisfied that the garment was clean she rinsed it in the cold stream before ringing it out and setting it in an empty basket to hang up later. Fishing a dirty pair of her father's breeches from the basket she began the process over again as her thoughts wandered back to the conversation with Mrs. Ingerman this morning.

The woman had come to tell Sigyn that her visits were likely to grow sporadic at best as she got closer to summer and the end of her pregnancy. Sigyn listened idly to the woman's gossip of the village as they picked the cloth to make the new baby items. She didn't care too much about the gossip but nodded and tried to respond politely as she held measurements and figures in her head. Mrs. Ingerman told a story about Fishlegs but Sigyn had only been half paying attention, that is until she heard a familiar name. Sigyn perked up listening more intently.

She had heard nothing about Snotlout or the other dragon riders for over three weeks, yet her heart thrilled as the story continued. Mrs. Ingerman described events that centered around Fishlegs and to a much lesser extent "that Jorgensen boy". When Sigyn interrupted to ask when this had happened she was excited to learn that it had happened the day before. The dragon riders were back on Berk! Snotlout was back! It didn't take much coaxing to draw the rest of the information out of the woman. The dragon riders had returned yesterday afternoon. All of them including Snotlout. Warming to Sigyn's increased attention, Mrs. Ingerman gushed out a story that was both intriguing and worrying. Much to Sigyn's frustration, the woman was sparse on detail, particularly when it came to Snotlout's involvement. When Mrs. Ingerman finally bade her goodbye, it left Sigyn in an agitated state.

There were so many questions she wanted proper answers for. Where was Snotlout? Had anyone been injured during yesterday's incidents? Mrs. Ingerman had mentioned a fire and a crazy hunt for a large wild dragon during a thunderstorm. Why hadn't Snotlout been to see her yet? Was he okay? This frenzy of nervous energy and unease had ultimately driven Sigyn to do the laundry despite her loathing of the menial task. She needed to keep her mind occupied. Yet here she was, up to her elbows in wash water but her thoughts and worries were inexorably drawn back to the dark-haired boy and his dragon.

She was about halfway through the basket of dirty clothes when there was the dull thunder of large wings beating in the distance. Her heart skipping a beat, Sigyn glanced skyward and saw the familiar silhouette of a large monstrous nightmare headed towards the house. Eagerly abandoning the laundry bucket Sigyn dashed up the trail toward the front yard. She arrived moments before the large orange and red dragon. By the barn the yaks didn't bother to look up as Hookfang set down, the dust swirling around in little eddies. The chickens however scurried for cover behind the chicken coup, clucking indignantly as their feathers were ruffled. Sigyn ran a hasty hand over her head trying to smooth any stray hairs back down into her loose braid.

"Is that Snotlout back?" called her father from his chair in the garden. Sigyn's eyes roved over the dragon but she frowned. The saddle on Hookfang's back was empty. There was no horned helmet to be seen anywhere.

"Sort of," she called, not sure how to answer. Hookfang had never shown up without Snotlout before. As far as she knew they were almost always together. A jolt of worry charged through her. Had something happened to Snotlout after all? Had he been hurt during the whole fiasco with Fishlegs?

"What do you mean, sort of?"

Hookfang moved closer, thrumming as he pushed his head forward eager to be rubbed. Almost without hesitation, she obliged the dragon, her blunt fingernails scratching over his scales.

"Where is Snotlout?" she asked the dragon, reaching for the underside of Hookfangs chin. The dragon chuffed in what sounded like irritation but leaned further into her touch. "Is he okay? Is he hurt?" she insisted, lifting his chin so she could look into one of his big orange eyes. Hookfang gave another irritated snort but then began to thrum reassuringly. So he must be all right, or at least not sick or hurt given Hookfangs attitude.

"I take it Snotlout is missing," said her father.

"I don't know where he could be," she sighed. "But Hookfang doesn't seem concerned about it. Mrs. Ingerman said that he and the other dragon riders got into a bit of trouble yesterday afternoon."

"So I overheard. It's had you worked up all morning."

"I am not worked up," she huffed. Her father's grin was all he needed to irk Sigyn further. "I'm not!" she insisted. Despite her assertion, she could not help but feel jittery and uneasy. Hookfang had never turned up without Snotlout; sometimes Snotlout without Hooking but not the other way around. Typically one was not far from the other. Hookfangs tail snaked gently but firmly around her middle, dragging her down to sit at his side.

"Hey!... Hey," she said, trying to pull free from him. Hookfang was insistent, the weight of his tail pinning her down. Reluctantly she gave in. As soon as he felt the fight leave her the tail disappeared to be replaced by his large head. His long twisted horns brushed her shoulders as he contently settled his head in her lap and his large yellow-orange eyes blinked at her expectantly. Rolling her eyes she began to rub his head. Her rib cage vibrated gently as Hookfang began his odd purr-growl and gradually she slouched into his heat.

"You know, I'm supposed to be doing the laundry," she said pointedly, though half-heartedly. Hookfang puffed a hot breath in her face and nuzzled closer. She shook her head as she relaxed further into him. Silly dragon. They were silent for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. Who needs clean laundry?"

They sat there many long minutes and Sigyn soon found her eyes drifting closed as her body grew still. Despite the quiet, thoughts and worries for Snotlout kept flitting through her head. She was not sure how long they lay there in the heat of the sun when the sound of footsteps on the path to the meadow rose over the Hookfang's purr. Thump, squish… Thump, squish… Thump, squish… Thump, squish. Added to the rhythm plod was the low grumble of a discontented but familiar voice. Sigyn turned to look but from her position pinned to Hookfang, she couldn't see the path.

"Snotlout?" she called, giving an impatient wriggle, pushing at Hookfangs snout. The dragon gave a small growl of irritation but did not let her up.

"Sigyn?" came the reply, an excited note piercing the frustration that was all too evident. "Where are you?" She wriggled again but to no avail.

"Over here. Hookfang has me pinned under his head again. Can you get him to move?"

"The big lummox is more likely to listen to you today than me," called Snotlout in a half mutter. "Sensitive dragon." Hookfang raised his wing obscuring Sigyn's view of Snotlout as he ambled into view. Sigyn puffed out an exasperated breath.

"Hey, Mr. Helvig," called Snotlout. "Get any birds today?"

"A few," chuckled her father. "Back for a while?"

"No, we leave again tomorrow. We just had to come back for some supplies. Now that we found a place to set up Dragon's Edge we need some tools to build it."

"That's a shame. Still, Sigyn will be glad to see you."

"That is if my giant lizard ever lets her up," muttered Snotlout.

"Is Hookfang mad at you for a particular reason today?" called Sigyn from behind the dragon's wing, shoving again at Hookfang who remained unmovable.

"He's just being a sensitive baby," huffed Snotlout, coming to stand on the other side of Hoofang's wing so his silhouette was visible through the red membrane. In one motion Hookfang lifted his wing and caught Snotlout in the back of the knees with his tail, sending the boy sprawling into the dirt at her feet with a squeal. His helmet bounced to the ground and rolled to rest near Sigyn's hip. All at once Hookfang was on his feet and headed for the shade beside the barn leaving the two of them in the dirt.

"I don't know," she said, righting herself as Snotlout spat dirt from his mouth. "Seems like he's carrying a particular grudge for some reason."

"I've already told you, I didn't do anything," said Snotlout, groaning as he got to his hands and knees.

"If you say so." She scooped his helmet off the ground and held it out to him. He brushed the dust from his arms and face before taking it from her. His hair and clothes were caked in a muddy layer of dust and there was pondweed sticking out of his boots.

"Why are you all damp? What happened between you two?"

"He dropped me in the pond again," groused Snotlout, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to help her up.

"But why?" she asked, taking his hand.

"It doesn't matter," he said, folding his arms and looking away.

"Best sort it out sooner rather than later," called her father, hurling a stone at an approaching squirrel. "Then again if you can't ride together tomorrow I suppose you'll just have to stay here. I know Sigyn wouldn't mind." Snotlout glanced at her as if asking if this were true. She shrugged.

"We have missed you around here," she admitted. "Does your trouble with Hookfang have something to do with Thor Bonecrusher?"

"Who told you about that?" he asked, turning to her in surprise. Her father laughed.

"You forget that the venerable Mrs. Ingerman loves a good story," said her father. "Particularly when her son is involved."

"Figures. How much did she tell you?" asked Snotlout, picking mud from under his fingernails.

"Some," said Sigyn. "But she was kind of sparse on some of the details, especially ones involving you. Are you going to tell me the whole story?"

"Seems you know enough," he said.

"Well, you could explain why you were out in a thunderstorm chasing a wild dragon." She folded her arms over her chest expectantly.

"That was not my idea," he said defensively.

"Still, you could tell me the story while I finish the laundry."

He wrinkled his nose. "You're doing laundry today?"

"I was," she sighed, letting her arms drop. "That is until Hookfang showed up."

"And you came up to the house expecting to find me," he finished. She shrugged.

"Basically. Anyway if I don't get the wash done I won't have any clothes for tomorrow. You can entertain me so I don't remember how much I hate the laundry." He watched her for a moment before sighing.

"Alright, but it's a stupid story," he said moodily.

"Good," she said, grinning. "Do you need anything before I head back?" she called to her father. He waved dismissively at her.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Besides, I know when I'm not needed. Just be sure to bring me back a clean tunic."

"Alright, alright," she laughed, avoiding looking at Snotlout.

In a few minutes, they had followed the stream back to the small pool where the wash bucket awaited her. With a sigh, she settled back into the chore. Snotlout sat cross-legged on a wide flat rock across the stream and was watching her idly, his chin in his palm.

"So are you going to distract me," she asked, chucking a dirty sock at him. He caught it and wrinkled his nose. She kinda liked that expression, it was cute, his face all scrunched up.

"It seems like there is not much to tell," he said, letting the sock drop onto the stone beside him. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about chasing the dragon in a storm. If it wasn't your idea who was it? Hiccup?"

"Not by a long shot. Hiccup didn't even know me and Thor had gone until after the storm broke. I kept trying to tell Thor it was a bad idea, but he was all-fire determined to get the Scauldron."

"What's a Scaldron?" she asked, rubbing the sock's match in the cold soapy water.

"A huge dragon that lives in the ocean. Instead of breathing fire, it spews boiling water at its prey. Supposedly it can strip the flesh off of bones."

"And Fishlegs wanted to catch a dragon like that?"

Snotlout snorted. "Are you kidding? Fishlegs didn't want to go near the thing until after Gothi hypnotized him. No, that was most definitely Thor Bonecrusher. The scary thing is that he might have actually pulled it off."

"I suppose that makes more sense. Still, why was Fishlegs hypnotized in the first place, and how does that work into the whole him becoming Thor Bonecrusher?"

"We thought Fishlegs was allergic to Meatlug, his dragon. Gothi said we could hypnotize him so he wouldn't be anymore. But it turns out it was something else entirely."

"What was he allergic to?"

Snotlout shuddered. "Trust me, you don't want to know. At any rate, that's the last time I let Gobbler service Hookfang's saddle. Disgusting. Besides Hookfangs monstrous nightmare gel works better anyway."

"But how did he become this Thor Bonecrusher?" she pressed, wringing out the sock. "I didn't think that Hypnotism worked like that."

"I was only making suggestions," he said defensively, looking away.

"It was you?" she asked, surprised.

"I just thought that while we were changing Fishlegs allergies we might as well change a few other things about him. But they were only suggestions. I didn't think it would actually work. I was just thinking out loud."

"What kinds of things did you suggest?"

"I just suggested we make Fishface…. Well, less Fishface."

"How exactly?"

"Well he's slow, timid, and not very manly, so I suggested things like the strength of three yaks, worshiped like a god, and a Viking who commands attention. You know things like that."

"So basically you wanted to completely rebuild him to be something he's not," said Sigyn.

"Exactly," said Snotlut, seeming relieved. "You get it right? I mean it could only be a good thing for him to be all those things."

Sigyn frowned as she dug another dirty shirt from the heaped basket.

"What?" asked Snotlout, sensing her hesitation when the silence had stretched on for several moments.

"It's just…" she said, trying to choose her words carefully. "I don't know, as little as I know him, that's not who Fishlegs really is."

"So?"

"Well… I don't know. How would you like it if it had been you they were remaking?"

"I'd give anything if it were. In fact, if Thor hadn't broken Gothi's stick I would go ask her to hypnotize me right now."

"So that's why he was stuck," said Sigyn, the disjointed pieces of the story falling into place. She sat digesting his words.

"I wish it had been me," said Snotlout with almost desperate enthusiasm.

"But why? Why would you want that?" she asked, watching his reaction. He looked at her blankly for several moments as though she had asked why his hair was dark.

"Do you even have to ask?" he scoffed. "To be stronger, faster, and more ruthless of course. I could be a Viking worthy of Thor himself."

"And you think that this Thor Bonecrusher was all that?"

"Of course he was," said Snotlout, flabbergasted. "You weren't there. You didn't see him. It was amazing. He single-handedly stopped a runaway cart, put out a fire, saved a baby, and calmed a stampeding baby yak all in less than a few minutes."

"That's not the way that Sylvia Ingerman told the story to her mother. According to Fishlegs's sister, he was the cause of most of those problems in the first place."

"I knew you wouldn't get it," said Snotlout, folding his arms over his chest and turning away from her in frustration. "I'm telling you it was amazing. Thor Bonecrusher moved like no one else I've ever seen, and that's saying something as he was still using Fishlegs's body. It was incredible."

"And you want to be just like him. Is that it?"

"I do," said Snotlout firmly. "Imagine how much easier… how much better things would be if people looked at me that way instead of grumbling every time I show up or just ignoring me. They all think I'm a nuisance. Even my…" He suddenly trailed off, but she could guess what he had meant to say.

He seemed to decide he said too much. He clamped his mouth shut and looked the other way. She watched him carefully for a minute trying to choose just the right words, but not being certain how to proceed.

"I've never thought you were a nuisance."

"Well you are about the only one," he said, still not looking at her.

"You talk about this version of Fishlegs as though there was no one greater save for Thor himself."

"He was."

"Well maybe he seemed that way to you, but I don't think I could stomach being your friend if you were like this Thor Bonecrusher."

"What?" he said, scowling at her. "You wouldn't like me if I was bigger, stronger, faster, more attractive?"

"I don't really care how big, strong, or fast you are," she said. "That's not why I like having you around. I'm sure you may become those things in time and if you do great, but that wasn't what I was talking about."

"Well what then?" he snapped. "You're not making any sense Sigyn. I just want to be the best version of myself. Is that so terrible?"

"Did you know that Fishlegs or rather Thor made two of his siblings cry when he came home yesterday afternoon?"

"What do you mean? Who told you that?" he asked, looking uncomfortable.

"Mrs. Ingerman said that when Fishlegs came home yesterday he was so… so abrasive that he caused two of his sisters to cry. Not only that he shoved his little brother around like a rag doll. His mother was appalled. It took her the better part of the afternoon to calm them all down." Snotlout was quiet for a long moment.

"I didn't know that." He still wouldn't look at her.

"She also said he was looking to pick a fight with the chief. Is that true?"

"Yeah," said Snotlout resignedly, wincing. "I don't think I have seen that expression on Uncle Stoick's face before. It was all Hiccup and Gobber could do to drag him away and explain why he could not thrash Fishlegs for taking his favorite ax."

"Why did Fishleg have the chief's ax?"

Snotlout sighed. "He wanted a weapon that was worthy of him and he didn't like any of the others that Gobber offered."

"And that's why he wanted another dragon?" she asked.

"Yeah. He didn't think Meatlug was good enough. He wanted a dragon worthy of him. That's what he said anyway."

"And that involved you how?"

"He wanted me and Hookfang to get him close to the scauldron."

"So he was using you," she said, watching him, her wash forgotten.

"No," he snapped, but after a moment… "Yes."

"And that wasn't a sign that something was off?" she asked, standing and drying her hands on her already damp shirt. He shrugged. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Hookfang come ambling into the clearing. He looked at them, puffing out a hot breath before curling up under a large pine tree.

"What has all this to do with you and Hookfang anyway? Why is he mad at you?"

"It was just something stupid okay. It doesn't really matter."

"I don't think Hookfang thinks it stupid," she said watching the dragon. Snotlout's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"It was just a joke, okay. I didn't really mean it," he admitted, his fingers ripping up the tall grass that stood near the rock.

"Mean what?" prompted Sigyn. "What Happened?" Snotlout was quiet for a long moment before he looked at her.

"It was Thor alright. He was telling this awesome story about how he almost caught a scauldron. He blamed Meatlug, saying because of her he was unable to catch it and said he needed to find a new dragon worthy of him. Kind of like how he took unkles ax."

"And?" she asked, watching him carefully to read his pained expression.

"And I may or may not have told him he could have Hookfang," admitted Snotlout, tugging at his ear.

"You what?"

"I know, I know, stupid move. But I only offered it because I know he's the best. That's why I suggested it, not that I really meant it."

"And what did Fishlegs, I mean Thor say?" she asked, hopping over the stream and making her way to his rock.

Snotlout muttered something unintelligible not looking at her.

"What?" she pressed, sitting beside him on the rock.

"He said that Hookfang sounded more like his post-mutton trip to the outhouse."

"He what!" she gasped, glancing at the. "Seriously, he said that about Hookfang?"

"Yeah," said Snotlout morosely. "And everyone laughed like it was the cleverest joke they ever heard."

"Well, no wonder Hookfang is upset. What did you say?"

Snotlout only shook his head, not looking at her.

"Surely you said something in his defense," she pressed. "You're always bragging about him every chance you get." Snotlout winced and with a sinking feeling, she could suddenly guess what he had done. "You… you didn't laugh with the rest of them didn't you?" she asked, knowing by the way that Snotlout flinched that she was right.

"I wasn't thinking. I told you Thor was really cool and we had been doing all this stuff together all day. I just… I didn't know what to say."

"And after all this, you still flew him out in a storm to catch a wild dragon?" Snotlout shrugged, picking at the lichen that grew on the rock. "I don't get it. I don't know why you would hang around somebody who kept using you and your dragon, someone who put you in harm's way and didn't care."

"It's not like I'm not used to it," said Snotlout lamely. She just stared at him, her face crinkling as a pang of pity shot through her.

"Really Snotlout, that's your reasoning?" He didn't respond and instead turned his back on her, his posture stiff. She sighed, not quite sure what to say. No wonder Hookfang was so mad at him. She would be too if it were her. Yes, Snotlout had been an idiot and he had put himself in danger, but if she were honest, she wasn't incredibly surprised. That was just part of who he was, although she hoped he had at least learned something from it. She wondered how Fishlegs felt about this alter ego. Thor Bonecrusher was certainly the polar opposite of his normal persona. If truth be told Thor would have been even crueler to Fishlegs had the two egos met face to face.

Sigyn was drawn from her thoughts by what sounded like a stifled sniff. She glanced over as Snotlout swiped at his face.

"Hey," she said, putting a gentle hand on his forearm. He flinched. "I'm sorry if that sounded too harsh…. It's just… I worry about you."

He swiped a hand over his face, sniffling. She tugged gently at his arm and he stiffened, turning further away to hide his face.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled defensively. "It's these stupid flowers. They're making my eyes water." She didn't have the heart to point out that they had spent countless hours in these fields of flowers and they had never bothered him before.

"They are pretty bad this time of year," she said, leaning forward to rest her chin in her hand and her elbows on her knees. "I'm just glad to see you again. I missed you." He didn't respond and she let the silence drag on for a bit before asking, "So did you guys relocate the Scauldron in the end?"

Snotlout let out a long uneven breath, tilting his face to the puffy clouds floating lazily above them. She waited.

"I fell off Hookfang just as the others showed up so I'm a bit shaky on the details, but yeah we got it moved in the end."

"And Fishlegs?"

"He's back. Apparently seeing Meatlug in danger was enough to scare Fishlegs back to the surface. He doesn't even remember anything that happened." He sighed. "What a waste."

They lapsed into silence for a long while, the myriad of insects buzzing or flitting through the thick air as the sun warmed their necks. Sigyn watched from the corner of her eye as Snotlout slipped his helmet from his head and ran his hand through his dark hair. Without thinking about it she reached to pull a bit of pond weed from his dirty tangles. Sensing her touch he turned to look at her. She held up the weed before flicking it away and reaching for another just above his ear. He didn't move as she scooted closer and began to carefully pick debris from his hair and clothes. He flinched slightly as her fingers brushed over the back of his neck to pull a long blade of grass from his collar.

"You okay?" she asked, as his neck and ears pinked.

"It tickles," he grumbled, swiping a hand over the back of his neck.

"Oh, sorry," she said, leaning away from him.

"You… you don't have to stop," he said, not looking at her, his thumb rubbing over the tip of the horn on his helmet.

"You want me to?" she asked hesitantly. He shrugged.

Positioning herself on her knees behind him on the rock she resumed her attention to him. Truth be told he was a mess, bits of weed stuck in odd places and mud caked all over him. His normally dark hair was a few shades lighter with the fine layer of dust it held. He began to relax again, his shoulders dropping as she tilted his head this way and that, picking at the mess. At last satisfied that the larger chunks had been cleared away, she tilted his head back.

"Close your eyes," she instructed. After a moment of question, his blue eyes shut. She sunk her fingers deep into his hair and agitated the strands, creating a mini shower of dust behind him. Working her fingers forward to his bangs she was startled to find him watching her, an odd expression on his face.

"What?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Nothing." He pulled out of her grip and slipped his helmet back on. "Thanks," he muttered.

"Sure," she said, moving to sit beside him again. She nudged him with an elbow. "After all, we can't have you looking shabby for your harem." He snorted.

"Right, my harem," he said gloomily.

"So… tell me about this place where you're going to set up your base camp," she said, picking lichen off the rock. "What's it like?"

"Mostly just an island, right now. We have some rough layouts for where and how we want to build but we still have a long way to go. But it's safe compared to some of the other islands we ran across."

"What made the other islands dangerous?" she asked, her interest peaked.

"How about crazy dragons that draw all other dragons in with a hypnotic song just so it can encase them in rock-hard amber and eat them later."

"There's actually a dragon that does that?" she asked. "How close did you get?"

"Try encased and it's amber and about to become its lunch close."

"How did you get away?"

"Hookfang's nightmare gel. Never leave home without it. It's flammable and melted the amber allowing us to escape. We called that dragon a Death Song. Anyway, we tried a few other Islands without success. Me and Hiccup got chased by boars, twice because Fishface forgot to cross it off the map the first time. Finally, we found Dragon's Edge."

"What is it like?"

"Well for one thing it's warmer than Berk. Oh and we ran across these crazy small dragons that fly together in coordinated groups so they look like one giant dragon. They scared the tar out of Tuffnut when he first saw them. Hiccup is hoping they will serve as an early warning system if someone tries to sneak up on our island."

"Two new dragon species and you've only been gone a few weeks."

Snotlout shrugged. "We don't usually get out that far so we were bound to find some new ones."

"How far away is it?"

"About a day and a half by dragon if you don't stop, which most dragons need to stop at least once. It would take a week by ship."

Sigyn whistled under her breath. "That's a long way." She had never left the island, let alone gone that far, but had always wondered what it would be like to visit other places. "You really are going to be gone for a long time aren't you."

"If Hiccup has anything to say about it, then yes."

"Well, I hope you come back now and then," she said, tugging at the end of her braid.

"Actually, that's one thing Uncle Stoic insisted on. Somebody has to check in every couple weeks or so. Besides, we will need to restock our food supply from time to time, so one of us will be back to Berk every once in a while."

That was good at least, but still… She chewed her lip and glanced over at Hookfang, the red-orange mound of his back swelling and shrinking with each drowsy breath.

"So are you going to make up with Hookfang," she probed, pulling up a white tufted dandelion and twirling it in her fingertips. Snotlout looked at her out of the corner of his eye and shrugged.

"What do you care? It's not like he's mad at you. Besides, like you said, if I can't ride him tomorrow I can't leave."

"True," she said, blowing the little white seeds out over the stream where they were caught by the water and carried away. "But if you don't make up with him then you can't take me flying either." A smirk crept across his face and he turned to look at her.

"Nice to know you have wholly altruistic motives." She threw the stem at him but he dodged. He grinned. "Told you you would want more. Soon enough you will be asking for a dragon of your own. Just wait."

"No," she said with finality. "Having you Hookfang around is more than enough for me."

"Well it's not like he's mad at you; he loves you. Just wake him up and go for a ride."

"I'm not exactly that comfortable on him by myself. There is a big difference between riding him with you and riding him alone. I would be sure to fall off once he started his loopy loops."

"You want to do more trick riding?" he asked, turning to face her, his eyebrows raised.

"What," she said defensively. "It was fun." He scrutinized her for a moment, his head tilting to the side.

"You know what I think," he said, sliding his arm around her waist. "I think you just want an excuse for me to wrap my arms around you." Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned toward her with a somber expression plastered over his face. "I have told you before Sigyn, you don't have to make excuses. I know how you feel about me and it's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't need my dragon to get closer to me."

"And do you know what I think," she said, leaning even closer to him and shrinking the gap between their faces even further.

"What?" he asked, his blue eyes darting down and then back up.

"I think you don't want to make up with Hookfang because it will give you an excuse to stay here with me."

He studied her for a long moment. "Maybe… but I could have other reasons."

"You could," she admitted, pulling back a bit. "But I think the biggest reason is that you are afraid."

"Of what," he asked, his voice charged with offense as he pulled away from her with a frown.

"That Hookfang won't forgive you." At this, his jaw snapped shut and he folded his arms over his chest.

"That's stupid he's my dragon."

"Tell me I'm wrong then," she said, probing after a moment of silence between them. He didn't respond, just glowered out over the stream, toward his dragon. "I'm pretty sure Hookfang knows you forward and backward by now."

"What are you getting at?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"Just that if Hookfang hasn't left you yet, what makes you think he will now? You can't tell me you haven't had your spats like this before.

He sighed. "Not this bad, at least not since the beginning."

"But he's still here," she said, pointing to where Hookfang lay snoozing or pretending to snooze at any rate. She was fairly sure she had seen the dragon peeking an orange eye at them. "Obviously he hasn't given up on you yet or he would be gone."

"But he won't listen and he's been giving me trouble all day long," groaned Snotlout. " He's so stubborn I could pull my hair out?"

"Sounds like you are perfectly matched then," she said, unable to keep from laughing. Then as an afterthought, "Have you apologized to him?"

"I said I was sorry," said Snotlout defensively.

"When?"

"After he snatched me out of the ocean yesterday."

"So in the heat of the moment, you haven't really done anything to show your sincerity."

"Why should I have to? He's a dragon."

"Because you know as well as I do that Hookfang is a lot smarter than you like to admit. He must know you didn't really mean it at the moment."

"But how do I be more sincere to a dragon," he scoffed.

"Well, how would you know that someone was genuinely sorry if they had wronged you?"

Snotlout thought for a moment. "They would say it and then never do it again."

"And if they had really wronged you?"

"A gift maybe."

"And have you done that for Hookfang?" Snotlout shrugged. "A bit of spoiling never hurts," she said after a moment. He frowned thinking.

"But how?"

"How should I know what he likes? He's your dragon."

It was silent for a long moment. Sigyn watched him pick lichen off the rock lost in his thoughts. At last, he brightened.

"Come on," he said, getting to his feet and reaching to pull her up behind him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, taking his hand.

"To the fish market. Hookfang loves fish."

"Oh no," she said, pulling away. "No way I'm going near there. It's always crawling or with dragons. Whatever hair-brained idea you have, you can go by yourself."

"Oh come on. I'm going with you, besides I thought you wanted to ride Hookfang."

"No thank you. Not if we are going there. I'd rather stay here and finish washing the laundry."

"But you hate laundry," he said with a frown.

"Precisely," she said, folding her arms and glancing at the sleeping dragon. "Besides, if you have a day and a half flight tomorrow, Hookfang is going to need his rest." Snotlout's frown deepened.

"I suppose you're right," he said, slumping slightly. His frown morphed into a sideways smirk. "Too bad, I kinda wanted to take you flying again. You're cute when you scream."

"Haha," she said soullessly, as she jumped the stream and settled herself on her rock again.

"Well I might as well stick around here then," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Don't expect me to feed you dinner," she said with a grin. If truth be told Snolout had often stayed over for meals and she didn't mind.

"Oh come on," he whined, then after a moment added, "What if I help finish the laundry?"

She grinned. "Then you just might have a bargain. **********

"Gotcha," said Snotlout triumphantly, seizing the blue terrible terror. The chicken-sized dragon turned its head, snapping at his fingers. He jerked back just in time to save his hand. "Come on stupid dragon. I have a job for you."

The little creature fled to its small cave on the side of the rock wall. The terrible terror rookery on Dragon's Edge was set high on the side of a cliff where the dragons liked to roost. After a few moments, the dragon reappeared, poking its head out and hissing indignantly as it spit sparks at him. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. How would Sigyn react to a dragon turning up at her house? But then again he had worked so hard on the letter.

"Come one," he said, pulling the strip of smoked fish from his pocket and holding it out to the dragon. The little creature sniffed suspiciously at the peace offering and after a few moments padded out toward him, its beady eyes watching him constantly as it approached. Never taking its eyes from him it reached out tentatively and snatched the offered treat. Chewing contentedly it settled back on its haunches. About time. Cautiously, Snotlout drew closer to the little dragon and while it was preoccupied, tied the parchment to its leg.

It had taken him four rewrites until he was satisfied with the letter. Then he'd had to sneak to the rookery without the others noticing; in particular Fishface as he was the one who trained the group of dragons. So far so good. Now so long as this pea-brained dragon could actually find the right person. But he'd been careful. Although the letter was for Sigyn he hadn't used her name or his. Not exactly foolproof, but if the letter went astray then the few would probably care enough to look into it further. Although they had used the terrible terrors to carry messages before, this refined mail system was new. It was one of Fishlegs's more recent experiments and one that was actually useful, not that he would tell Fishface that. Still, it was handy to have the ability to communicate with Burke in a more expedient manner. The three-day trip was a killer even for Hookfang but with this mail system in place, he could still talk to Sigyn and no one had to be the wiser. So long as no one caught him sending or receiving the letters.

With the mini scroll securely in place on the dragon's leg, Snotlout stepped back and waited. The dragon finished the fish and then looked up at him expectantly, its tongue flicking out to lick its eyeball. Yeah, so comforting.

"Well, get going," he said, waving his hands. The dragon just continued to stare at him, sniffing the air. Oh, of course. Snotlout dug the dirty sock from his pocket and held it toward the dragon who sniffed it for several long moments. Seemingly content the creature turned and sprang into the air flapping awkwardly as it adjusted the burden of the letter.

Well, that was done. Now he could only wait and see if it worked. Time to find Hookfang for some training. He turned around and was headed back down when he heard the tell-tale… thump… clump… of Hiccup climbing the rickety make-shift stairs. Snotlout cast his eyes about searching for an escape but the only way off the rookery other than the stairs currently occupied by Hiccup was to fly. His mind scrambled for an excuse but before it had settled on one Hiccup rounded the bend and came into view. Spotting Snotlout, Hiccup paused a moment before his brows drew together in a frown of suspicion.

"I hope you're not up here messing with the terrible terrors," said Hiccup, as he ascended the remaining stairs. "Fishlegs has put in a lot of hard work with them."

"I wasn't messing with them," snapped Snotlout, jamming his hands in his pockets. Why did everyone always assume he was up to no good? He had no reason to want the mail system to fail. Far from it.

"Then why are you up here if not to pester the dragons?"

"I wasn't pestering them okay. Nosy much?"

"When it comes to the functioning of Dragon's Edge then yes I'm nosy," said Hiccup.

"Is it a crime to send a letter now?"

Hiccup looked at him in surprise. Snap. He hadn't meant to admit that. But at least it was only Hiccup and not, Loki forbid, one of the twins. Hiccup wasn't one to gloat or tease… usually.

"You were sending a letter?"

"Well, I didn't come up here for the view."

"Who were you sending a letter to?" asked Hiccup, eyeing Snotlout curiously.

"None of your business."

"The same 'none of my business' that gave you the package the day we left Berk?"

"Drop it," growled Snotlout, his arms folding over his chest. "It doesn't matter, okay. I wasn't messing with the dragons. I had to send a letter. Just leave it at that."

"Alright alright," said Hiccup, holding his hands up in surrender. "Touchy much?"

"When you pry into my business then yes," replied Snotlout glibly.

"Fair enough."

"What are you doing up here?" snipped Snotlout.

Hiccup held up a thick roll of parchment. "The report for my dad, what else."

Hiccup pulled a strip of jerky from his pocket and approached the smallest of the dragons calling to it by name. Snotlout watched as he effortlessly attached the letter, held out a bit of cloth for the dragon to smell, and sent the messenger on its way. A spark of jealousy flashed through Snotlout. Everything dragon-related was so easy for Hiccup.

"Why did you pick the smallest one?" he questioned, unable to hold his tongue any longer. "It will take that scrawny little dragon forever to get back to Berk."

"Perhaps," said Hiccup leaning against the railing and wiping his brow. He bent to adjust the strap on his artificial leg. It always seemed to bother Hiccup more after stairs, which sucked for him because both Berk and Dragon's Edge were covered in stairs. That was at least one thing Snotlout was glad of; he had both legs and a strong able body even if he was the shortest of the group. "But," continued Hiccup, "Fishlegs said that Sven is the surest bet if you want your letter to get to the right person. Bigger isn't always better."

Snotlout glanced out after the disappearing spec that was the smaller dragon. Would his letter go astray? Would the dragon he chose even make it to Berk? The system was not without its faults. Terrible terrors had plenty of natural predators and it was a long way to Berk.

"When do we make our next trip home?" he asked, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. Hiccup straitened, thinking.

"With the mail going back and forth we don't have to make a monthly check-in with my father. I suppose we'll go back next time we need supplies. We will probably set up a rotation for everyone to take a turn on supply runs."

"Hookfang and I will go," he said suddenly before his mind could really filter what he had said.

"You want to go first?" asked Hiccup absently.

"No. Supply runs should be our job," he amended hastily. "Perminatly." Hiccup looked at him as though he had just sprouted insect antennae. Crap. What had he said?

"Are you feeling alright Snotlout? Normally you avoid jobs."

"No I don't," he snapped. At least not that often.

"Well I've never known you to volunteer," pressed Hiccup. "Why are you so willing now?"

Snotlout swallowed thickly, trying to figure out exactly why he'd been so eager. Hiccup was right, it was unlike him. Supply runs were no small task. It was Sigyn. He promised to visit when he could but if the group went on rotation getting supplies every 4 to 6 weeks, he would be lucky to see Sigyn twice a year. And who was to say she would get the letters he sent. But he'd kiss Odin's horse before he admitted that to Hiccup. But what other excuse could he give?

"It just makes sense. Why send the others when you could send us?"

"Okay, but I still don't get why you want to go."

"Well think about it," said Snotlout, his argument clunking into place as he went. "Getting supplies is a serious business. Not only that, they are heavy. Do you really think Meatlug is up to carrying the extra weight all the way from Berk?"

"I suppose not," said Hiccup.

"And we both know you can't send the twins, they would not take it seriously."

"True, but I can go."

"You could, but you shouldn't," said Snotlout. "You should not be disappearing for days on end. What if something happens here while you are gone?" Hiccup looked skeptical. "What if it's a new dragon species?"

Hiccups brows furrowed. "I suppose that leaves just you and Astrid."

"It really should be me. Stormfly may be strong enough and Astrid reliable but we both know that Hookfang can carry more and has better endurance."

"That's still a lot of weight for one dragon," said Hiccup.

"So we take it a bit slower on the way back. Hookfang may not be quite as fast as Stormfly in an out-and-out race but he can certainly go much longer with a heavier load. We are best suited for the job."

"Okay, I get that. But I still don't see why you want the job."

"Simple, I want to make sure our food gets here safely."

Hiccup laughed. "Alright, that sounds like you. Still, the others may want a chance to go home now and then. After all, Fishlegs will have a new sibling in a few weeks."

"I know," said Snotlout, beleaguering the point. "But on a regular basis, Hookfang and I make the most sense." Hiccup watched him pensively for several long moments before finally shrugging.

"Your argument is sound. We will still have to clear it with the others but I doubt anyone will complain if you want to claim the job."

The bubble that had been swelling in Snotlout's chest burst and he relaxed. He would be able to keep his promise to Sigyn. The best part was he wouldn't have to sneak away from the others to visit her.

"Well let's go down," said Hiccup, turning to go. "We still have a lot of work to do if we are going to stay here long-term. And since you and Hookfang claim you are the strongest I can think of a few jobs for you two." Snotlout groaned, making Hiccup chuckle as he hobbled down the stairs. Glancing one last time in the direction the two dragons had disappeared, Snotlout turned to follow him.

************

Sigyn woke to the irritating twittering of birds outside her window. Growling she rolled over and buried her head under her pillow. Was the sun even up yet? She peeked out from under the pillow to see soft light creeping in from the crack around her window. Okay so maybe the sun was up. Still, those birds were making a ridiculous racket.

She had wanted to knock the nest down earlier that spring when it was being built but by the time she had gotten around to it, there had been three eggs inside. She hadn't had the heart to knock it down then. So for the last few months, she had endured the incessant twittering right outside her window. This was only exacerbated when the chicks had hatched and she often regretted her earlier pity. But this morning was different. The tweets and chirps were hysterical and sharp.

What was going on? She reached for the latch on the window but jerked back when something large crashed into the side of the house. The thump was followed by a scratching and scrabbling sound, a hysterical squawking cut off in the middle, a bodily thump, and silence. By Odin's horse? Hesitantly, she reached once again for the window latch. Dappled sunlight warmed the top of her head as she peered out over the windowsill searching for the source of the commotion. A short chirp drew her gaze to the ground and she froze.

There was a dragon in the yard. Just below her window. What in all of Loki's trickery was a dragon doing in her yard? They hardly ever came here and especially not since Hookfang and Snotlout had started visiting. It was a small creature, dark blue and about the length of her arm. Its small beady eyes watched her as it cocked its head to the side sniffing the air. There were feathers sticking out from the corner of its mouth. Well, that solved her bird problem at least. She glanced up and sure enough, the nest and its occupants were missing.

Without warning the creature sprang into the air and before Sigyn could react landed on her windowsill. Her heart in her throat she scrambled backward until her back was pressed against the far wall. She snatched her pillow and held it like a shield in front of her, her knuckles white. The dragon watched her for a moment and then chirped softly before it crawled slowly toward her in s slithering motion.

"G… go away," she croaked, feebly flapping the pillow. "Shoo!"

Why was the dragon here? What did it want with her and why was it sniffing her feet? At least it didn't seem aggressive or agitated… all except for the feathers still protruding from the corner of its mouth. She was still having difficulty getting her heart to start back up. It was a dragon, all-be-it a small one but it still had claws and could breathe fire. She glanced at the jug of water next to her bed hoping she would not have to use it. The dragon chirped, cocked its head to the side, and then leapt onto her pillow, its nose a hair's breadth from hers. She was utterly still as it continued to sniff at her. Its beady eyes peered into hers and all at once, it licked her nose with its long rough tongue. She squealed and flinched away but the dragon just chirped again and held up its front leg.

Going almost cross-eyed, Sigyn stared at the proffered limb. Something was tied to the dragon's leg. It chirped again, still holding out his leg. Ever so slowly she leaned forward and when the dragon didn't retreat or react she reached for the twine holding what looked like a small scroll to its leg. Holding her breath while watching the dragon for the slightest movement she untied the scroll. With its burden taken the dragon sniffed its leg, gave a small wiggle, and leapt back out the window with a squeak. After a moment Sigyn went back to the window. Leaning outside she could not see the dragon anywhere. Relieved she retreated back inside her room and collapsed on her bed, her arm thrown over her face. What a wake-up call. Her heart was still pounding so loud she could not hear her father's snores downstairs. His senses were keen when he was awake but asleep we walked with the dead.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the little scroll she still held in her hand. She had never seen a dragon carrying messages before. Who was it for? The chief perhaps? Surely not her? The little dragon had been lost. She examined the outside of the parchment hoping to find a name but it was unaddressed. Should she open it, after all, it wasn't for her. On the other hand, how was she supposed to get it to the rightful owner if she didn't know who it was meant for? There was no helping it. Sitting up and settling back against her pillow she pulled the cord around the scroll loose and unrolled the parchment. Uncurling just enough of the paper to read the first few lines she leaned into the morning sun.

"Hey, Stitcher Girl."

Stitcher Girl? Was it possibly from Snotlout? Maybe it really was for her. She examined the outside of the parchment again looking for a name. Nothing. she began to read again.

"Hey, Stitcher Girl,

"I told you I would find a way to stay in contact with you and I have. Terrible Terror Mail or T-Mail for short. Fishface and Hiccup have been working with the terrors here on Dragon's Edge and on Berk for a while now. They finally worked out most of the kinks and we have sent and received mail from Berk a few times. We can T-Mail back and forth now! You can tell me about all the boring things you're up to and I can dazzle you with my adventures as a Dragon Rider."

Sigyn chuckled. His handwriting was neat and easy to read and it kind of reminded her of the way he kept his room. It was certanly better than her untidy scrawl. She read on.

"We have been out here for almost two months, 56 days to be exact if you count since we first arrived here on Dragon's Edge. Almost two months and Dragons Edge is slowly being constructed. At first, we all argued about how we wanted to design the place but finally, we decided to design our individual houses and work together on the fortifications, training arena, dragon stalls, and clubhouse. It's all pretty ambitious but none of it is as cool as the hut I'm building. I'm building it on a platform that can be raised and lowered so I can have an amazing view when I want. Most of the roof and some of the walls are up. It's huge, well it has to be because Hookfang is huge. I wish you could see it in person but this drawing is what I hope it will look like when it's all done."

Sigyn glanced to the bottom of the page where a crude drawing was cramped. The drawing was very Snotlout… complete with a little muscled stick-figure flexing for her. She laughed and kept reading.

"Pretty awesome I know. And the best part is that it will have the big letter S above the door for Snotlout.

"We would have been further along in our building if we hadn't had to deal with the twins almost burning it all down to the ground. When I tell you the twins are crazy, I mean it. A few weeks back they were supposed to be out making a fire break to protect Dragon's Edge from the incoming migration of fireworms (little lizard-like dragons whose skin is so hot that it starts anything it touches on fire.) Anyway, the twins found this claim stone that said their clan had already been to the island and claimed it. We didn't believe them until Gober came out and said it was legit. Imagine the twins in charge of anything. Okay well done because it's a nightmare.

So apparently, legally, the island belonged to the twins. Hiccup had to let them take over. And keep in mind that every day more and more of these fireworms were arriving and starting new fires all over the place. The twins were ridiculous tyrants. They started making all these stupid rules and imposing taxes on everything. They even banned saying the letter "S"! Most random and annoying thing ever. Although if you can believe it they made Hiccup their stable boy. Haha! What a gag. At least I got to be sergeant at arms, which was cool until I broke a rule and had to put myself in jail. Ridiculous.

"Anyway, all this time the fireworm migration is coming on full steam and the twins, being the twins, are so power-drunk they are not preparing for widespread fires. It literally took fireworms raining down from the sky and setting Tuffnuts backside on fire until they would concede that they had no idea how to be leaders. Finally, they gave their claim to the island and turned leadership back over to Hiccup; although I don't see why Hiccup is always the de facto leader. It's not like he's the only one to ever come up with ideas.

"I hope you're doing good and this message got to you all right and not to someone else. I still don't have complete faith in the T-Mail system but it can't hurt, right? You have to write back to me! Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be back to Berk but I promise to come visit when I do. See you later Stitcher Girl.

Dragon Boy.

PS: I'll keep my eyes open for a dragon for you to keep as your own! Just kidding.. Or am I?

PPS: Write back soon. I want to know if you got this letter and it didn't go missing."

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Missing You

"Sigyn!"

Sigyn raised her head, her hands pausing in the work of milking Bertha. Bertha's calf Todd nuzzled closer, almost knocking her off the stool as he tried to get to the bucket of milk. Holding him at bay, she tilted her head listening.

"Sigyn."

Rescuing the milk from Todd she locked him out of Bertha's stall till she could return and finish. She hung the bucket on a hook and pushed open the barn door, squinting through the spitting wet. The day was cloudy and gray, the trees heavy with the constant drizzle of early summer rain. A chill seeped under her collar, raising goosebumps on her neck and down her spine. It was the season of soggy feet and her boots had not been properly dry in almost a week as the almost daily thunderstorms passed over. She'd left her father on the porch and as she closed the barn door she heard him call again. Resigning herself to the slog of soggy toes she set off through the damp grass toward the house.

"What is it, Dad?" She rounded the corner of the house and he came into view. As far as she could tell all was as she had left it, her father sitting in the chair on the porch, the blanket draped over his boney legs. "Do you need something?" she asked, picking the soggy strand of hair from her cheek. "I'm sorry. I haven't had a chance to make lunch yet. I don't think Mrs. Ingerman is coming today with the baby so close to coming."

"Somethings in the house," he said without preamble, gesturing to the partially open front door. It had been left ajar to air out the house.

"What was it?" she asked, pushing the door open the rest of the way.

"I'm not certain. I'd say it was a bird but it sounded too big for that." There was a scuffling upstairs and a thud as something was tipped over.

"You say it wasn't a bird?"

"If it was a bird, it was a large one. Only one way to find out."

"I suppose so," she said, her suspicions aroused as a snarl came from upstairs in her bedroom.

"Be careful," he said as she stepped inside. She took the dusty broom from its corner before tiptoeing up the stairs. Her bedroom door stood ajar and she gripped the broom handle tighter before using it to gently push the door open. The sight that greeted her was sheer chaos. Her belongings had been knocked from her shelves, dresser, bed, and desk. Her laundry basket had been gutted of its dirty innards which were spewed across the floor. But where and what was the spawn of Loki who reveled in this much chaos? Her foot bumped one of the books that had tumbled from her dresser. Dull yellow and purple petals peeked out from between the pages. One of the small flowers Snotlout had dropped on her head the day he'd left the edge. Retrieving the books she tucked the secret back between the pages and turned her attention back to her room.

A scuffle came from the depths of her laundry basket and the mound of clothes shuttered as a small reptilian head peeped out surveying its surroundings. She sank onto her bed still gripping the broom. A dragon. Of course. But why in her room again? The little creature wriggled out of the clothes and in one fluid motion was on the bed beside her sniffing. She leaned away from it. It looked like the same kind of dragon that delivered the letter from Snotlout two weeks ago. Sure enough, there was another parchment tied to its leg along with a bedraggled piece of cloth. The dragon chirped and wriggled closer, its tongue flicking out to lick its eyeball. It didn't look aggressive, but then again her room told a slightly different story. But how to retrieve the letter?

She rescued a pouch from the floor and pulled out a piece of dried fish. She held it out on her fingertips toward the dragon who sniffed. In the blur of motion, the treat was snatched from her and the dragon sat chewing contentedly. While it was occupied she cautiously retrieved the letter. The cloth turned out to be a rather old and ragged sock. Finishing, the dragon shook itself and rubbed along her thigh reminding her forcibly of a cat. As quickly as it had come the little dragon slunk out of her room and down the stairs. She watched it long enough to be sure that it went out to the front door before returning to her bed and the soggy parchment.

Shoving her rumpled blanket to the side she removed the ties and laid the three pages out on her bed. She frowned as she picked up the first. The little dragon must have flown through the rain for the writing was smeared badly, the ink bleeding into unintelligible blobs. She could only make out a few disjointed lines on the first page but the handwriting on the other two made it clear this was indeed a letter from Snotlout.

"Hey, stitcher girl!

It's been 2 weeks since … …I am not even sure you got… …I realized I never told you how to send letters back… …reason you never replied… …dragons are making it… …You're going to need…"

But at this point, the writing blurred too badly to be read. Sigyn bit her lip and squinted at it but squinting didn't help. Sighing she took up the second parchment which was more intelligible. The writing picked up mid-sentence.

"…so annoying. I mean I know he idolizes me but he's taken it… …even down to liking Astrid. The nerve of that kid. And he just shows… …he wants to be a dragon rider. I know Hiccup promised he… …pray to Odin that day never comes. He was so desperate to prove himself to us that he stole the Dragon Eye and went treasure hunting with it. Hiccup had to go save his butt because he picked a dangerous cave system to explore. Hiccup was furious. The next morning… …was gone. We had no idea where the twirp was until his dragon Fanghook (yes he even copied Hookfang's name) showed up with a ransom note tied to his horns. Not only did Gustav run away but he got captured by Dagur too!"

Sigyn paused wondering. Could he possibly mean that Gustav? Gustave Larson? There was only one Gustav in the village she could recall. But was it really that Gustav Larson, the tailor's son? She had mixed feelings about that kid. On the one hand, she felt bad for him as he struggled to garner attention from his inattentive mother who doted on his younger sister instead. And yet trouble and Gustav seemed to go hand in hand, one way or another, from a simple smashed crock of milk to the incident that had crippled her father. Not that she blamed him for the accident. Still, Gustav's bids for attention were often the source of his troubles. She'd had ample chance to observe him as she learned stitchery from his mother in the months after her father's injury. According to Snotlout, Gustav had continued this pattern even if he now sought approval and attention from an alternative source. If she were honest, she had seen the same tendencies in Snotlout, just to a lesser degree. No wonder he seemed to be at such loggerheads with Gustav. She returned to the letter.

"… Hiccup had to go save him again, only to find out it was all a trap to try and catch him and Toothless. Gustav had double-crossed… …Dragon Eye for Dagur. Only not really. In the end, that runt led Dagur to the same island that Hiccup saved him from the day before with the promise of the treasurer. Apparently, it was a trap for Dagur after all. Whatever none of it would have happened if he had just stayed… …give Loki himself a headache. Anyway, we finally got Gustav and the Dragon Eye back safe and sound. Hiccup even found a new lens for the Dragon Eye, but don't tell Gustav. Dagger got away again but what can you expect? I wasn't with them so of course he got away. After everything, Gustav agreed that "just maybe" he was not quite ready to be a dragon rider. Thank Thor he went back to Berk.

Uncle Stoick got a new dragon called a Rumblehorn. There was this new crazy dragon that kept tearing apart the edge, knocking stuff over, and destroying everything. Like I said, crazy. We kept trying to catch it but had no luck. It got to a point where Hiccup got uncle involved. Turns out, the dragon was just trying to warn us about an enormous wave headed for the island. Fishface says it could probably sense a coming earthquake which would cause the tidal wave. I have no idea. At any rate, uncle took a liking to the dragon. He used to ride a thunder drum but this new one is like a shiny beetle."

Sigyn followed the arrow to where a badly smeared drawing was cramped in the corner of the page. She could just make out the shape. Interesting.

"We found other new dragons recently and it has had Hiccup and Fishface over the moon. Fishface was messing around with the dragon eye and I guess found out about the original home of gronckles or something. All I know is that when he and Hiccup returned from exploring this island they brought a ton of wild gronckles back with them. The reason? Apparently, a new dragon, a catastrophic quaken, pushed them all off their island. When I say a ton of gronckles I mean we were overrun. It was driving us all insane. Well, all of us except Hiccup.

When Fishface asked Hiccup what the plan was to get the gronckles back on their island Hiccup just shrugged and said it was just nature's way. Whatever that's supposed to mean. Nature smachure. I wasn't going to live with gronckles everywhere for the next two years. Apparently, Fishface was unhappy with Hiccup's answer as well. I mean really, can you imagine anyone on Berk just shrugging and saying that's Vikings for you if anyone tried to invade our home. I mean come on, how lame would that be?

I told Fishface we should run that quaken off the gronckle's island. At first, he hated the idea, but he came around in the end. They always do when they see there is no other way. I trained Fishface to face the quaken. To be honest I thought about hypnotizing Fishface again. I know, I know what you would say about that but it would have been easier. I had to teach Fishface how to fight dirty, although I would argue there's no such thing as fighting dirty. Sure, maybe if it's a competition or whatever with set rules but not in actual combat. Hiccup never seems to understand that. When it comes to life and death situations there are no rules other than get out alive. So in the end not only did I have to teach Fishface but we also had to keep it a secret from the others."

She picked up the last page which had been inside the other two and was not smudged at all.

"When we were finally ready to take on the dragon we snuck away. Only Fishface never felt it necessary to tell me just how huge this thing was. I mean the catastrophic quaken is no red death, but I still never imagined it was going to be that big. It might as well be Thor's hammer Mjolnir for all the punch it packs. I swear I thought Fishface was right behind me. It wasn't until I ran into the others who must have guessed where we went that I realized Fishface was still back on the island. So everyone thought I just abandoned him. I guess I forgot to teach Fishface about strategic retreats. I mean come on, he gave me no warning of how huge that thing was. It only made sense to regroup and get help or at least come up with a better plan. But no, not Fishface.

Well, it wasn't a complete disaster. Turns out the quaken was not as ruthless as everyone thought. Just big, powerful, and scary looking. It just wanted to live on the island with the gronckles not push them off. It wasn't a total waste of training, after all, Fishface did have the spine to stand up against the quaken long enough to figure that all out. And hey, he never would have had the courage if I hadn't taught him. But no, while everyone's happy for Fishface growing a backbone I just get lectured about endangering a teammate. As if Fishface was not the one to suggest the idea in the first place. Whatever. It's all stupid anyway.

I hope you're doing better and you're actually getting these letters. You have to write back. No excuses now since I told you how to do it. Tell me everything you've been up to. Tell me anything to distract me from these mutton heads around me. The biggest mutton head is this giant lizard sitting beside me. He is dead asleep. He misses you. All right. All right. We both miss you. So hurry up and write back soon. Later.

Dragon Boy.

Ps: I almost forgot, but I got Hiccup to agree to give me and Hookfang the supply run so I will get to visit Berk more often. I can't stay long but I promise to visit. Maybe in a few weeks. See you then."

Sigyn let the letter drop back onto her bed and flopped down beside it, throwing an arm over her face. It sounded like Snotlout and the dragon riders were pretty busy. A run-in with Dagur, a rampaging wild dragon, and training to fight another. She sighed and bit at her lips before she realized she was laying on the wet sock. Dubiously, she picked it up and examined it. Why in the Norns had Snotlout sent her this old sock? It was threadbare and there was a hole in the heel. Did he want a new pair of socks and this was his weird way of asking her? No matter how she looked at it, it just didn't make sense. Why not just ask? Then again maybe he had and it had just been smeared out. Was he perhaps trying to tell her how big of a sock he needed? He could have at least washed it before sending it, not that she had any room to speak with all her dirty clothes strewn over the floor. Well, whatever his reason for the sock, it was nice to receive another letter.

It was a bit of a relief. She often found her thoughts drifting to Snotlout, wondering where he was and what he was doing. Was he okay? Had he or one of the others been hurt or lost? Had they found Dagur yet? She glanced at the soggy pages beside her. It would not take away all her worry and in some ways it made her worry more to hear about all the wild adventures the Dragon riders seem to have. But something was better than nothing. Well, at least Snotlout was well and had remembered her. Did he think about her as much as she thought about him?

But now, how was she supposed to write him back? The rain had blurred his instructions. Obviously, she would need a dragon, but who was to say which were wild and which were trained mail carriers? She was not about to go searching the island for dragons. How did the dragons even know where to go? If she had a letter ready maybe the next time a dragon came she could tie it to its leg. But would it return to Snotlout? Perhaps the best course was just to wait for Snotlout's next visit and ask him then. Hopefully, that would not be too long.

The yacks were grunting in the barn, no doubt wanting to be let loose to feed on the dewy grass. Leaving the letter to dry on her bed she draped the sock over her chair and headed back downstairs, opting to clean her room later. Back to the mundane routine of daily chores. She had to admit, she did envy Snotlout a bit. His every day was a new adventure and hers, well, there were only so many ways you could alter your day when it was confined to the forest and this house.

She wished she dared to venture into town more often… but dragons. She didn't even like getting as close as the Ingerman's house and they were on the outskirts. All because of her debilitating fear. She hadn't always feared them, well not to this extent. She used to train to protect the village from the dragon raids like all the other children. At that time the whole village feared dragons. But even then, no one in the village had been petrified when they encountered one. No one just froze up. But she did, even after the truth of the dragons had been revealed. Ever since the incident nine years ago, she could not face dragons, particularly monstrous nightmares or deadly nadders. She had tried, she really had, but she'd never been able to get past that… except with Hookfang. That was a miracle in and of itself. It still seemed hard to believe at times. She had ridden a dragon… and enjoyed it! Even wanted to do it again. She had even tried to go back into the village recently but whatever spell Snotlout and Hookfang had woven over her did not extend to other dragons. She wished it had. It would have made taking care of her father easier. Although these smaller ones were perhaps manageable although not necessarily desirable.

She had been ten when the incident with the dragons happened. Afterward, her father had arranged to move outside the village as most of the attacks seemed to happen there. He'd taken great pains to keep her sheltered from dragons as much as he could but at the age of 14, their roles had reversed. Her father was injured and Sigyn was forced to become the caretaker for him. She had arranged it all with Chief Stoick. She would become a tailor which would allow her to stay at home with her father. In return, their basic needs and rations would be provided by the village. She would receive these rations and the tailor's orders through the Ingermans. She had tried to make herself comfortable going into town after that, she had, but every time she froze at the sight of the large dragon lumbering around the village. It was simpler to avoid them altogether. So she stayed home and tended to her father.

It wasn't easy taking care of her father, especially right after his accident. He was not a small man and at 14 Sigyn had not had the knowledge or the muscle to move him around and see to his bodily needs. It had been a steep learning curve and both had shed tears of frustration and grief. But as time passed she had grown and they had worked out the easiest ways to maneuver him around. Eventually the unfamiliar and uncomfortable became routine and what had been almost impossible was managed without a second thought. As difficult as it was for her to adapt, she knew it had been even harder for her father. He'd gone from a powerfully built fighter to a paralyzed blind man who relied on his daughter for many of his daily needs. For several weeks after his initial injury he had been despondent and sullen as he'd recovered. To lose both his mobility and sight in one go was a debilitating blow. The incident had nearly killed him. He'd been lucky to survive. Those first few months had been the worst. Then one day his attitude radically altered. She still wasn't sure why he'd changed, but she had been relieved and grateful.

"Sigyn?" came her father's call from the porch. She jumped and realized she had been standing in one place gazing at the wall. She set the broom back in its place amidst the dust and strode out onto the porch and froze.

"I take it this little reptile was the bird," he said dryly. He sat there in his chair calmly scratching the chin of the dragon who minutes before had terrorized her laundry. The little devil lay in his lap growling contentedly. She sank into the chair opposite her father, eyeing them both leerily.

"Another letter from Snotlout?"

"He's doing well."

"Are you going to write him back?"

"I can't. His instructions were washed out." She leaned back in her chair.

"I see," he said as the dragon settled itself. "Did he say when he would be back?"

"A few weeks maybe," she said with a sigh.

"You miss him." It was a statement, not a question.

"And so what if I do," she shot back. "Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

"No reason at all. I'm glad the two of you are so close."

"I don't exactly feel close at the moment," she admitted. "I'm also not sure Snotlout would admit to that description even if distance were not an issue."

"Mmmmm…. perhaps, but he seems less unyielding than his father."

"Is his dad that bad?"

"You don't know Spitlout Jorgenson," he said with a slight frown. "Stubborn to a fault as is any Jorgenson, prideful, and unyielding, to say the least."

"Is he mean?" she asked. Her father was silent for a moment thinking.

"If so it's not intentional. Spitelout would not waste the time or energy. He would not intentionally cause someone bodily harm save in line duty and he's not one to raise a hand against a woman or child. But he is not often careful with his words. I dare say it never occurs to him. He is blunt and tactless and certainly offends more often than not. But to his credit, he and Gobber have served well at Stoick's side even though he hasn't always seen eye to eye with his brother. It pays to have him with you in a tough situation. He's not one to shirk hard work… if it's his work to do that is."

"Did you work with him a lot before the accident?" she asked.

"Often enough."

"Snotlout doesn't seem to get along with him much?"

"It does not surprise me. One has to be almost indifferent to him to deal with him well and that is something a son could never be to his father. It's in a son's nature to crave his father's approval. Spitelout does not impress easily and doesn't think to give affection freely. It's not in his nature, never has been. The only one I have seen him be affectionate with is his wife and I dare say that he is not so open about it as he once was in his youth."

The little dragon stretched lazily in her father's lap, its mouth gaping wide in a toothy yawn. She instantly grew more attentive, watching the lizard as it scampered from her father's lap and in the direction of the barn. She got to her feet.

"Where are you headed off to now?"

"I need to let the yaks out and I have a sneaking suspicion that the dragon is headed for the chicken coop."

"You could be right. At least the rain has let up for a while."

"How about eggs for lunch if your friend hasn't eaten them all?"

"Sounds wonderful."

Grabbing the broom once again Sigyn set off in the direction of the barn. Perhaps the dragon was trained to carry mail but that didn't mean it wouldn't steal eggs. She wondered vaguely when the next letter would come.

Two and a half weeks later the third dragon arrived. Sigyn had just set mutton chops over the fire to roast and settled down at the table to continue her stitching when her father spoke.

"I believe we have another visitor."

He'd paused the rudimentary stitches on a tunic in his lap and tilted his head toward the open door. Claws clicked on the wooden porch and Sigyn turned from the fireplace to see a dragon hesitating in the doorway. Its nose twitched, no doubt smelling the meat beginning to roast. This dragon was smaller than the other two and a soft blue-green. She waited for it to come inside but the dragon did not cross the threshold. Setting aside her work she went to open the door all the way, the promise of a letter drawing her near. The door opened fully, the dragon sniffed at her boots but did not make a move to come inside.

"Rather well-behaved little spitfire, isn't it," said her father, putting his stitching on the table. He gave a short whistle and snapped his fingers near the floor. The creature remained still. Frowning he tried again, pursing his lips to make a kissing noise. Cautiously the dragon moved into the house, its nose twitching as it took in the surroundings. Her father held expectant fingers towards it and in a few moments was rewarded with a timid lick. Grinning, he pulled the creature into his lap like another cat.

"There now, you must have flown a long way," he said, scratching under its chin. "Sigyn, a bowl of water please." Shaking her head she went for the water. "I'll take that," he said, handing her the letter. She took it and gently pressed the water into his outstretched hand.

"Anyone seeing you would think you had a dragon all this time," she said as she untied the bound pages.

"You can't honestly tell me you are afraid of this cat-sized dragon after flying on Hookfang with Snotlout."

"That depends. You know how I feel about dragons leaping through my window. And the other one tore apart my bedroom."

"I suppose that's fair," he said, settling back in his chair, the dragon already curling up to sleep.

"I think I'm not so much terrified by the small ones as I am startled by their sudden appearance. Just don't let that one slip away. I spent 10 minutes last time chasing the other one away from the hen house."

"I doubt this one will do that," he said, again taking up his sewing, his fingers feeling along the seam until he found the last stitch. Satisfied that the dragon would not cause any immediate trouble, Sigyn gave into the draw of Snotlout's letter. She drew a chair close to the fire so she could turn the mutton as she read.

"Sigyn!

Are you even getting my letters? I chose this dragon because Hiccup let slip that this one was the most reliable. It's been over six weeks since my first letter. Are you just ignoring me? Hiccup said that all his letters are getting through and we've had several responses from Berk. Are you and your dad okay? You have to write back, that's the point of penpals.

Anyway, maybe you heard from Fishface's mom that we were back on Berk a few days ago. I swear I was going to come visit you but just before I got a chance to sneak away, Uncle Stoick was on our case about some ships that had been sunk lately. Did you hear about the ships? Bucket and Mulch both said they were sunk by a dragon rider. But the thing is that the six of us riders were together all day, although I would not put it past the twins. Tuff even got all dramatic and pretended to admit to it. He is the definition of crazy. Anyway, the news of another dragon rider is not exactly reassuring, to say the least. Before we knew it, uncle had us flying off to investigate. Sorry I didn't get a chance to visit.

We followed the trail of sunken boats and finally caught up with the dragon rider. You will never guess who it was. I never would have guessed. Her name is Heather. We met her a few years ago when she tried to steal the book of dragons for Alvin the Treacherous. A few years ago Alvin was giving us riders some real trouble. About the same time that Dagur became a problem actually. Alvin wanted to train to ride dragons himself so he could take over Berk. To be fair, Alvin was holding Heather's parents as hostages. Eventually, Astrid saw through Heather and confronted her. I mean, I would have been upset too if she tried to steal Hookfang, although I think the only person he might willingly go with other than me is you. Anyway, we got Heather's parents back, beat Alvin, and then Heather left with her family. We haven't heard anything from her since. That is until the other day.

She shows up out of nowhere with her long dark hair and green eyes. Thor has she grown! I think I will have to add her to my harem. Unfortunately, she and Astrid are very close so it's difficult to get those two apart. Oh, and did I mention that Heather rides a freaking razor whip for a dragon. Big, shiny, and sharp. But the question was why was she attacking ships? Hiccup, being nosy, followed her and found out she was meeting with trader Johan. There's always trouble around that guy. Johan said Heather's after Dagur because he attacked and raided her village. Her parents were killed. She was raiding his ships in an attempt to find him and get revenge. She's gotten quite intense. I mean we want to get him too but we are not blinded by it…. In fact, Hiccup could use a bit more focus in that area. He's been kind of distracted by all the new dragons.

Hiccup had to go somewhere, who knows where, and all of a sudden Heather got word from Johan. He knew where Dagur was. Heather convinced us to go after him with her even though Hiccup and Toothless were away. Kinda guilted Astrid into it if I'm being honest, but I wasn't about to let them all go without me. I guess it was a good chance to catch Dagur, only things got out of hand. We had Dagur, he was ours, but all of a sudden Heather wants to lop off his head right there on the deck of the ship. I mean I get it, he killed her parents and it would have been simple just to take him out, but Astrid and the others wouldn't let her.

They fought and just as Heather was about to kill Dagur, Hiccup shows up out of the blue. Apparently, he flew back to Berk to ask his father about Heather. Then he breaks the craziest news. Heather is Dagur's sister. She admitted that her parents were adoptive but she didn't remember her family. Isn't that crazy? Heather and Dagger are both Oswald the Agreeable's kids. Uncle recognized the horn he'd given Oswald at Heather's birth. Needless to say Heather had no idea. Quite the thunderbolt from Thor. Anyway, in all the explaining Dagur got away again. Wouldn't have happened if Astrid had just let Heather finish him. Just saying, but then again it's probably for the best. After everything, Heather left to think things over and I guess be by herself or something. So it's just the six of us dragon riders again.

Do you remember that winter we had those speed stinger dragons come to Berk?"

A shiver went up Sigyn's spine and she glanced at the trap door under the stairs. Did she remember the speed stingers? How could she forget? If there was one thing that contended with her fear of dragons it was her almost equal fear of small spaces. Fishlegs's older brother Shepard had come to help them evacuate when the speed stingers had begun to raid the village. But Sigyn had insisted that moving her father would be more dangerous than staying put. If the dragons caught them while they were outside they would both be helpless. Shepard had been unsure at first but at last, Sigyn had convinced him. Instead, Sigyn had quickly shut all the animals in the barn hoping it would keep the dragons out. She had then barred the entrances to the house and prepared to wait it out.

That had worked until the speed stingers had actually shown up. She hadn't thought of the fact that a tree grew next to her window upstairs. Thank Thor her bedroom door, though flimsy, had been closed. It had bought her and her father the few moments she had needed to get them both into the root cellar under the stairs. She had sat next to her father in that small dark space silently shouting down the voice in her head that screamed at her to get out of the cramped space. Luckily the voice that shouted about dragons in her house had been louder and she had stayed put, hanging all her weight on the rope she'd tied to the inside of the trap door.

Her heart had almost lept from her chest when the dragons had sniffed and growled about the trap door. She would have screamed if her father had not clamped his hand over her mouth. He'd taken over the rope and she'd cowered in the corner trying to keep her heart from beating too loudly or giving out altogether. The dragons had known they were there but try as they might there was no way they could pry up the trap door with her father pulling it down. He may have lost strength in his legs but he was still a large man and his arms were just as powerful as ever.

They stayed there for what felt like days, though the dragons were only in the house for a few hours. They stayed until Shepard had come to tell them the dragons had been driven from the island. Her father said it was not quite 12 hours. It was still 12 hours too long. They had emerged into a ransacked house. She remembered the speed stingers just fine, although she wished she didn't. She resumed reading.

"We ran into them again. It was straight out of a nightmare, I swear. We found an injured speed stinger, just an adolescent, but still. And of course, what does Hiccup insist we do? Yeah, he wants to bring it back to the edge and nurse it back to health. I mean, Hiccup knows these are highly dangerous pack animals and I was sure to remind him of that. Even his father was frozen the last time we ran across them. But nope, the others must have short memories. Not me! I will never forget the two days I spent completely frozen. Speed stingers are dangerous! Ruffnut even got stung while we were trying to splint the dumb thing's leg. Whatever.

After a few days, the speed stinger was up and walking again but Hiccup and Fishface still wanted to keep it around. Did I mention that Fishface was stung while taking care of it? So what if it's only a juvenile and only paralyzes half of your body instead of the whole thing. It went crazy and tried to sting us all. It got Tuff again and Barf. If you want creepy, see a two-headed dragon dragging around a limp head behind it. Even after that Hiccup still didn't want to discuss taking it back until the next morning when the splint was supposed to come off. I decided to keep a close eye on the speed stinger. And then the thing that just snaps it.

I was spying on the speed stinger when Fishface took the brace. Did I mention that they named it? Yeah, they named the dragon Speedy. Real original. But seriously what happened next was terrifying. Just after Fishface took its brace off I saw that thing run on top of the water. It ran on top of the water! Fishface was going on about the evolution of dragons and crap but all I could think was Loki hates us. See if that little speed stinger can run on the water so can its whole pack and that means that the pack could track us to the edge. I thought for sure that Hiccup would see sense then, but there's still no word of moving it back to where it came from. All this time I'm sure its pack is getting closer and closer.

So I enlisted Tuffnut to help me. She tied up the speed stinger while it was sleeping and we both hopped on Hookfang. We flew as fast as we could because at sunset the little demon would wake up. Speed stingers are primarily nocturnal. Just as we were flying over an island it woke up. Apparently, Tuff should not be trusted to tie up a dragon because it got loose and stung her. She almost fell off Hookfang. Luckily I caught her, unluckily Hookfang got stung too. We crash-landed on the island just as the sun went down. So we were stuck on an unfamiliar island in the dark. Both Ruff and Hookfang are out of commission and it's only then that the others show up and I look like the bad guy again.

I can't believe Hiccup called me, ME, the dragon-napper. I was trying to take it back to where it belonged. Far far away from us and dragons edge. But no, I'm the dragon-napper, not Hiccup, even though this whole thing is his fault for not listening to me in the first palace. I get that he likes dragons but no dragon is worth our lives. Well alright, Hookfang and I guess the others feel the same way about their dragons. But a dangerous wild dragon? No way! But it wasn't exactly the time to be arguing.

By this time, just as I had predicted, the speed stinger pack had tracked us down. So there we were, stuck on a strange island at night while the pack of speed stingers was closing in around us. They got Meatlug and Fishface next. The others were busy with their own speed stingers. They were everywhere. I figured they were only here for Speedy. I had to do something to protect Hookfang, Ruffnut, Fishface, and Meatlug. So I grabbed Speedy and ran. It was stupid I know, but it worked. It drew the pack away from the others… and toward me.

But the weirdest thing, just as the pack was closing in to ambush me, Speedy attacked the other speed stingers. He saved me! I do not understand it, but I'm not complaining. Hiccup said it has something to do with pack dynamics and instincts. Whatever it was, I was just glad to not be stung into oblivion. I hate being paralyzed. It makes me feel so helpless.

In the end, we drove off the pack. You know what else I don't understand? Hiccup. All this time it's like he wanted to keep a highly dangerous dragon, but as soon as it seems that Speedy actually might want to stay and might protect us rather than attack us, Hiccup decides that Speedy should go back with his own kind. I don't understand his brain. I'm not going to lie, I definitely will not miss the speed stingers. Probably not even Speedy. Probably…

Anyway, we eventually made it back to the edge. I didn't get stung and Hookfang is doing fine. We might get to see you again soon. We are running out of supplies and we didn't get all we needed when we came back before. I still don't know if you're even getting my letters. I hope so. I guess if you're not I'll see you soon enough.

Dragon Boy."

Sigyn let the letter drop into her lap with a sigh.

"What did he say?" asked her father, bringing her out of her thoughts with a jolt. He was still stroking the little dragon who was fast asleep. His sewing was finished and set aside. She couldn't help but be struck by the sight. If she wasn't so afraid of dragons would her father have wanted a dragon of his own? He certainly seemed at ease with the scaly little creature in his lap. Was her fear holding him back?

"Sigyn?"

She shook herself. "Hmm?"

"I think the mutton chops are done?" She quickly turned her attention back to the fire only to discover that dinner was thoroughly burnt.

************************************

Alright, thanks so much for your continued patience. Once again it's been quite a stretch since the last chapter was uploaded. But the good news is that I have another chapter to release next week. I was intending to package the two together but figured that 14,000-15,000 words was pushing it for a chapter and there was such a natural break here. So here is chapter 8, and 9 will be out as soon as I finish edits. What do you think of Torban's (Sigyn's father's) description of Spitlout? A few more hints to Sigyn's and Torban's past. Don't worry. You will find out in a few chapters. The next chapter is all from Snotlout's POV. We will see a sprinkling of Hiccup's and Torban's POV in the story as well… but much less. I'm so excited to cause drama in the next few chapters. Can you guess what will happen? Don't cheat and read the comment threads on AO3… or do if you like. Let me know what you think and let me know I haven't lost you all. Thank you all so much for your support.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Girl Trouble

There was definitely something wrong with Hookfang. Snotlout couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was but he could sense it all the same. Something had gotten to Hookfang during training today. If Hookfang hadn't been so distracted Snotlout was sure they would have beaten the dome this time around. They'd only missed it by a few seconds. Hookfang had just gone haywire mid-flight and tried to fly off in the wrong direction. Snotlout had pulled him back on course but by then he knew it was too late. Not only that, but seconds after the dome had shut in their face, Hookfang had dumped him on the ground and vanished back down the crack to parts unknown. It had taken Snotlout a few hours to find him halfway across the island in front of an empty cave. It had been a nightmare dragging him back.

But even now that they were back, Hookfang was still off. The gang and their dragons were all hanging around in the clubhouse at the moment, planning which direction to explode next. Having missed dinner himself, Snotlout had still gotten Hookfang some fish but for the first time in memory, Hookfang had no interest in food. Snotlout stood there, the slimy fish held out to Hookfang, but his dragon ignored him and continued to stare at the door in the direction of the cave.

"Hookfang? Here boy, dinner." Hookfang ignored him. Snotlout tossed the fish onto Hookfang's nose. Hookfang chuffed irritably and dumped the fish on Snotlout's head before turning his back, his tail whipping out and catching Snotlout in the gut and knocking him backward on his butt.

"Hey!" he protested. Hookfang barely spared him a glance. What was going on? He got to his feet, rubbing his bruised hip.

"Did you guys see that?" he asked, approaching the others at the table. No one seemed to react.

"See what?" asked Hiccup distractedly, tracing his finger over the map on the table.

"Something is wrong with Hookfang."

Hiccup looked up and glanced at Hookfang, frowning. "What makes you say that? He looks fine to me." The others looked up in mild interest.

"He's acting weird. Moody and irrational. Very distracted. He wouldn't listen to me during training and completely ditched me after. Just now, he wouldn't eat his favorite fish and he knocked me down. Hookfang is always hungry."

"It's something the two of you share," said Astrid, returning her attention to the map. "But so what?"

"I mean it, something's definitely wrong."

"Sounds like a typical Hookfang," she replied with a shrug. "You two are always fighting with each other and he knocks you about all the time. What's so special about today?"

"We are not always fighting," he shot back.

"Could have fooled me," she muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" No one seemed to want to answer.

"All she's saying is that you could train him better," said Fishlegs, at last breaking the awkward tension in the room.

"Oh, and the challenge is issued," said Tuffnut with a grin, smelling an oncoming fight.

"He is trained," snapped Snotlout.

"Clearly not very well," said Fishlegs with a sigh. "Just look at how you two interact with each other."

Now both twins were listening attentively, eyes flicking between him and Fishlegs. Anger and embarrassment bubbled up in his chest, forcing their way out of his mouth.

"You think you could do better than me, Fishface? You wouldn't last one day. All you know how to handle is your namby-pamby rock eater. You'd have no chance with a monstrous nightmare, especially not Hookfang."

"And the rejoinder is set," chimed in Ruffnut gleefully.

"Indeed," said Tuffnut, rubbing his chin. "I say the Snot wins."

"I know more about dragons than you ever could," argued Fishlegs, ignoring the twins.

"Knowing about a dragon and being able to handle one is not the same thing."

"Well at least I can do one of them," said Fishlegs pointedly. "Some of us can't even say that much."

How he wished he could ram his knuckles into Fishfaces teeth. It would be so satisfying. Just about the time he convinced himself it would be worth shutting Fishface up, Hookfang brought the conversation to a halt by banging his head against the door growling. Hiccup frowned and walked toward Hookfang watching him closely.

"I'm telling you. I know Hookfang and something is wrong?" insisted Snotlout.

"I think you're just making excuses," began Fishlegs.

Just one more word and…

"And I think this conversation is less than helpful," interjected Hiccup, hastily stepping between them.

"And Hiccup the fun killer steps in," moaned Tuffnut.

"I also think we don't need to give the twins anymore of a spectacle," said Hiccup, turning to face Snotlout. Ruffnut blew a raspberry as the others returned to the map but Hiccup ignored her. Hookfang began to flap his wings, knocking up dust and banging his head on the ceiling repeatedly. After a few moments, he settled on the ground and returned to staring off through the closed door.

"You really think something is wrong with him?" asked Hiccup, rubbing his chin.

"I know it. I just don't know what or why."

"You would be the first to notice something. Unfortunately, I have no idea either. You could keep him in the stable for tonight. See how he is in the morning. At the very least, it could keep him from hurting himself. He seems very… intent on something. See if he's still this determined tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, all right," said Snotlout uncertainly.

He didn't much like the idea of locking Hookfang away for the night, and he didn't like leaving him alone. Ever since they left Berk, Hookfang had slept with him in his hut. He'd built it big enough exactly for that reason. Even as Snotlout locked Hookfang in a stall a few minutes later, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling of dread and unease that dogged him the rest of the night. Come morning he knew why.

Hookfangs stall was empty, the back wall blasted out. In five minutes Snotlout had woken Hiccup. Ten minutes later the other riders were reluctantly dragged from their beds to aid in the search.

"I suggest we begin in the direction that Hookfang was fixated on last night," said Hiccup climbing on Toothless. "Snotlout you're with me."

"There's no way of knowing how far Hookfang went," said Fishlegs. "Maybe we should just stay here and wait for him to come back."

"Agreed," said Ruffnut with a yawn. "It's too early."

"Double agree," said Tuffnut, drooping over Belch.

"And if he doesn't come back?" asked Astrid, mounting Stormfly and stowing her ax.

Snotlout's stomach dropped as the implications of her words hit him. Hookfang not come back?

"We can't wait," she continued. "We need to find him. It's dangerous to be down a rider. Who knows where Dagur is or when he will turn up next."

"We're all going," said Hiccup to the others as Snotlout climbed into the saddle behind him. Hiccup glanced back at him. "And we are going to find him." But Snotlout could see the uncertainty and worry on his face.

"Let's get going," said Astrid, urging Stormfly into the air. The others followed suit.

It always felt so foreign, so strange, to rideToothless. He'd ridden him before but it always felt off. Too smooth, like trying to fly on a bar of soap. Sitting in the back, the only option for a handhold was to grab onto his cousin in some way. It only made him miss his dragon more. Where in Valhalla had Hookfang gone and why?

They flew in relative silence, fanned out in the search pattern. About 15 minutes into the search a dragon roar sounded up through the trees.

"That was a monstrous nightmare call," said Fishlegs, drifting closer on Meatlug.

"But it wasn't Hookfang," said Hiccup frowning.

"Maybe not," said Snotlout, a bit surprised that Hiccup could recognize Hookfang's call. "But it came from the direction of the cave where I found him yesterday."

"Show us where you found him," urged Hiccup, before whistling for the others and motioning for them to follow.

"Over there," said Snotout, pointing to a tall craggy cliff. "There's a cave at the base of that cliff. That's where I found him."

"But why would he want to go there?" asked Astrid.

"Only one way to find out," called Hiccup urging Toothless into a dive, leaving Snotlout to scramble for an awkward hold on the back of his tunic.

They landed near the base of the cliff and everything became much clearer. Hookfang was indeed back at the cave but he was not alone. Relief washed over Snotlout, the heavy lump in his stomach dissipating.

"That's another monstrous nightmare," said Astrid, as Stormfly landed with a thump.

"That's not just another monstrous nightmare," said Hiccup, chagrined. "That's a female monstrous nightmare." Hookfang was bobbing up and down in front of a slightly smaller purple nightmare.

"Hookfang got a girlfriend," called Tuffnut in a sing-song voice.

"Of course, Hookfang's been picking up pointers from me," said Snotlout, sliding off Toothless.

"I doubt that," said Astrid. "She's not dry heaving."

"Just because you're the only girl for me doesn't mean you're the only girl in the village," he shot back. "I have a secret harem."

"A harem of zero," she said, rolling her eyes and folding her arms over her chest.

"It's not zero," he grumbled.

"Name one girl other than me and Ruffnut who put up with your shenanigans," challenged Astrid.

Snotlout opened his mouth to reply, thinking of Sigyn but paused as he noticed the others watching him in disbelief. Hiccup was the only one who seemed to be genuinely curious, anticipating an answer. Well, he could name someone but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. He didn't want to endure the relentless teasing he was sure to receive.

"Didn't think so," she said smugly.

"Shut up Astrid," he muttered, stomping towards Hookfang.

"Ah! Snotlout I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Hiccup.

"Do what? I'm just getting Hookfang."

"Hookfang seems a bit…"

But Snotlout ignored him and reached for his dragon only to jump back as Hookfang turned on him with a snarl, his entire body bursting into flames.

"Territorial," finished Hiccup belatedly.

Surprise, hurt, embarrassment, and finally, anger washed over Snotlout as he stared in disbelief. What was that all about?

"Hookfang!" he demanded. But Hookfang just stood there growling. The purple dragon behind him growled and backed into the cave. What was with him? He had not been this belligerent since the beginning.

"It's time to go back," he said, edging closer. But Hookfang didn't relent.

"Snotlout…" said Hiccup, reaching for him.

"Shut it Hiccup. He's my dragon." He could feel the others' eyes on him, watching. His patience snapped. Fine, if Hookfang was going to be belligerent then he'd have to get tough.

"But…" said Hiccup.

"Hookfang! Knock it off. We are leaving now!" Hookfang growled louder, still aflame but Snotlout reached for his horns intent on pinning him if it came to it. It happened in an instant. His fingers were inches from Hookfang's horns and then he was knocked to the ground, hard. He winced as he sat up, a pain in his arm where Hookfang's flaming tail had hit him. Hookfang was advancing on him, his eyes glassed over, and a snarl in his throat. Hurt cut through Snotlout's chest like splintered ice.

"Hookfang?" It was all he could do to keep the quaver from his plea. Something eased in Hookfang's expression, his eyes brightening as his flames flickered and went out. "Hookfang?" But his dragon still made no move to come closer.

"Snotlout," said Hiccup, his thin hand wrapping around Snotlout's uninjured arm. "Snotlout, let's leave Hookfang here for today. I don't think he's going anywhere. He's working through some things."

"What's wrong with him?" whispered Snotlout.

"I'm… I'm not sure." Hiccup glanced at Fishlegs who wore a grim expression. "Let's… let's go back to the clubhouse and talk. All right?"

"Yeah… that…"

The stone was back in his stomach, heavier than before as he turned away from Hookfang and followed Hiccup back to Toothless. His arm stung, the burn red and angry but he hardly noticed as he climbed once again on an unfamiliar back. In several seconds they were in the air again and headed for base. His thoughts swam as he sat numbly behind Hiccup but he dared not examine any one of them too closely. He was so distracted he almost fell off when Toothless landed outside the clubhouse. He drifted listlessly inside the clubhouse and took his usual seat at the table, staring blankly at the swirling wood grain. Swirling like his stomach. It rolled involuntarily and he had to fight down a wave of nausea. He was overreacting. Hookfang was just in a bad mood. He'd come back. They would… would figure out what was wrong. It was only a matter of time.

"Snotlout?" asked Hiccup, sitting down behind him as the others gathered around. He couldn't explain why but suddenly a dread settled over him and he wished it was just him and Hiccup in the room.

"What's wrong with him?" he choked out, his voice hoarse. "What's wrong with Hookfang?"

Hiccup shared another long look with Fishlegs. All the others remained quiet.

"We…we think he's gone feral."

"Feral?" repeated Snotlout.

"Meaning he's reverted to his wild instincts," clarified Fishlegs delicately.

"The mating instant is very strong in monstrous nightmares," continued Hiccup. "He probably heard or smelled the female and his instincts took over."

"But isn't that what the whole breeding season around SnoggleTog is for?" asked Ruffnut. "So why now?"

"Well for most dragons that's true," said Fishlegs. "But not all. The instinct to fly to the nesting grounds hits almost all dragons that time of year but monstrous nightmare females can clearly be in season other times throughout the year. The pheromones that female is putting off must be potent and Hookfang is certainly receptive."

"So Hookfang got a girlfriend," said Tuffnut. "So what's the big deal?"

"It may be a big deal," said Fishlegs. "I don't know when Hookfang will come back. He… he may not come back. As I said, the mating instinct is the strongest natural urge. It's impossible to fight it and it can drive out everything else."

"You're wrong," breathed Snotlout, not looking up. "I know my dragon, he'll come back."

Fishlegs shook his head. "Judging by what we just saw I'm not so sure."

"We'll just have to wait," said Hiccup, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"He will come back," said Snotlout, shaking off the hand and standing.

"You have to be prepared…" began Fishlegs.

"He will come back, even if I have to drag him back," said Snotlout, shoving past him and heading for the door.

"Snotlout where are you going?" called Hiccup following him and catching his elbow as he turned outside. Snotlout shook him off.

"I don't care what you say. I'm going to get my dragon back."

"But it could be very dangerous to get between Hookfang and the female right now. Hookfang may not even realize it's you. His territorial instincts will be particularly strong. You were already hurt trying to drag Hookfang away."

"If I can't drag him away then I'll get rid of her," growled Snotlout, storming away from his cousin and toward his hut.

The adrenaline pulsed through him like hot venom as he shoved things into his sack. He wasn't even sure what he was grabbing. His head was buzzing. What if… what if Hookfang didn't come back? He had to get rid of that purple female dragon. But how? He shook his head. It didn't matter how, but he'd do it. But first, he would need Hookfang's saddle from the stable. A few minutes later he had the saddle draped over his shoulder and was almost out the back door of the stable when he heard Hiccup and Astrid come in with their dragons through the front. He slipped out the back door intent on reaching Hookfang but paused when he heard his name.

"You're still worried about Snotlout?" asked Astrid.

"I am. But it's not just that," said Hiccup.

"Then what is it?"

"It's…it's just a scary thought that our dragons could go feral like Hookfang."

"Oh come on," said Astrid, sounding impatient. "They have always had a rocky bond. If it was going to happen to anyone it was going to happen to Snotlout."

A metal fist clamped around Snotlot's guts and twisted as he leaned against the wall, listening through the open door. Is that really what everyone thought? Maybe…

"None of the rest of us have to worry. We have strong bonds with our dragons," continued Astrid.

"I'm not so sure," said Hiccup. "I… I have always had a nagging fear that… I mean." Hiccup fell silent.

"Come on Toothless loves you!" insisted Astrid. "Besides," she continued in a whisper. "There aren't any night furys left."

"But still…"

"Look, you don't have anything to worry about. Snotlout will be fine. He'll either get Hookfang back or he'll get a new dragon. It's not like there's a short supply. Stop worrying."

Snotlout had heard his fill. More than his fill. He snuck away and down the stairs toward the forest and the cave. Toward Hookfang. He would show them, he would show them all, especially Astrid. He would get Hookfang back no matter the cost. He had to because no matter what Astrid said, he didn't want another dragon. He wanted his dragon. He wanted Hookfang.

***********

The sun was beginning to set when Snotlout climbed the last step back to the stable. His feet were leaden and his body moved with a lethargy that matched the stupor in his brain. He almost didn't have the strength to hang Hookfang's empty saddle back onto its peg in the stall. It was a huge effort just to walk at this point. He was only vaguely aware of a set of uneven footsteps behind him.

"What do you want Hiccup?" he asked, not bothering to face his cousin. He was too tired to care, too numb to make the usual effort.

"How… how did it go with Hookfang?" asked Hiccup, rubbing an anxious hand over the back of his neck.

"It didn't."

"What happened?"

"I told him he had to choose… and he did."

"Just like that," asked Hiccup in surprise. Snotlout shrugged numbly.

"I've been with him for almost five years. He's been with her for less than two days. He chose her."

"Are you hurt?"

Snotlout shrugged again, trying to ignore the pain in his arm. It wasn't hard. It was easier to feel nothing… just empty.

"I'll bring some supplies to fix up your arm," said Hiccup, turning.

"Don't bother. I already have some," said Snotlout, turning to go to his hut, unsure what else to do. Hiccup followed him in silence.

"Are you just going to let him go?" asked Hiccup when they arrived. Snotlout reached for the door and paused.

"I don't have a choice. I can't force Hookfang, even if I wanted to… I don't want to. He chose." He stepped inside and was about to close the door when Hiccup spoke again.

"But what will you do now?"

Snotlout paused, the question piercing the fog in his brain. He was silent for a long moment before he closed the door wordlessly in Hiccup's face.

"I don't know," he whispered to himself.

The night crept on but Snotlout didn't notice, simply lay on his bed, his burned arm draped over his eyes as his mind altered between a crazed frenzy and dead silence. Hiccup's final question kept echoing in his mind but no answer came. All Snotlout could see was the hesitation, the reluctant but stubborn resignation as Hookfang had backed away from his imploring hand and turned toward the she-dragon. Hookfang had left. He was used to other people not wanting him around at times… but Hookfang? He'd never dreamed that his own dragon would turn on him. All for a girl.

He'd tried to scare the female away, even resorted to bringing an eel, but Hookfang had interfered, growing more possessive and protective. It hadn't been quite the same this time. Hookfang never seemed to lose himself the way he had earlier in the day but neither did he show any intention of leaving the female's side. Finally, enraged by successive failed attempts, Snotlout had issued the ultimatum. It had been meant more as a way to shock Hookfang into returning with him but in return, he had been the one to be shocked. Hookfang chose the female. As apologetic and regretful as he'd seemed, he'd turned toward the female.

Snotlout rolled onto his side, not bothering to wipe the moisture from his cheeks. What was the point? Hookfang was gone. Stupid female dragon. He could hear Astrid's voice in his head and it felt like acid clawing up his throat. Stupid girls, all of them. Always talking about him, taking things from him. But then he paused as another face rose in his memory. Soft brown eyes, long blond hair, and a ready smile to greet him every time he showed up. Kind words filled with interest and enthusiasm rather than annoyance and dismissal. He sucked in a ragged breath, wishing he was back on Berk. She'd know what to say, or maybe she would just sit quietly with him. He wasn't even sure what he wanted. He wanted to be near her, and away from here. Here, where Hookfang wasn't.

Perhaps he would go back. Why shouldn't he? He no longer had Hookfang… could no longer ride… was no longer a dragon rider. The thought struck him like a blow to the gut. He wasn't a rider anymore. What would his father say? No doubt he'd let the Jorgenson name down again. Maybe he could just live with the Helvigs. If he never went home he wouldn't have to face his father's disappointment. Sigyn would let him sleep in the barn and there would be plenty of room for Hook…

He sighed and pushed that thought away. He'd have to go back if he wanted to see his Mother again. And Geoffry and Adele would miss him, he guessed. He'd have to go home eventually, but maybe not right away. His mind drifted back over all the times he'd been to visit Sigyn since he'd met her. Just him, Sigyn, and Hookfang. Would Sigyn be upset he would not be able to take her flying anymore? Would she miss Hookfang as much as he did? Now that he thought of it, he never would have gotten to know Sigyn if it weren't for Hookfang's pushing and insisting. He supposed he owed Hookfang that much.

Hopefully, that she-dragon would make Hookfang as happy as Sigyn's friendship made him. Maybe he really could be happy for Hookfang. Or at least fake it for Hookfang's sake. It was all fake. The only thing that didn't make him ache with hollowness was the thought of seeing Sigyn again. He'd go home tomorrow but not without seeing Hookfang one last time. He didn't want to part with him on bad terms. He'd go say his last goodbye and good luck before setting sail for Berk.

But the morning was so far away. He ground his teeth in frustration before forcing himself to sit up. He had to stop thinking. He glanced around the room and found relief in simple distraction. He would keep himself busy by preparing everything to return to Berk. With a mixture of resignation and determination, he set about the task. By the time morning had come Snotlout had packed and repacked his belongings several times, dusted and cleaned every surface in his room, and swept the floor for the fifth time. He jumped when someone knocked on his door. When he didn't readily answer the door Hiccup's voice called to him.

"Snotlout?"

Snotlout didn't make a sound. Maybe Hiccup would go away. Hiccup sighed.

"I know you're in there, Snotlout. Can I come in?" Snotlout let the silence drag on. "Well, will you at least come out? We have something we want to show you."

Sighing, Snotlout snatched one of his bags from the bed, along with his sword. If he was leaving his room he might as well take some things down to the beach. Carefully he opened the door and peeked out.

"What do you want?" he asked through the slit.

"There's something we want to show you in the arena." Snotlout hesitated. What could they possibly want to show him? "I'm not going to leave until you come see."

"Fine," said Snotlout, slipping out the door, being sure not to let Hiccup see that he'd packed everything. "Show me whatever dumb thing you want to show me. But then leave me alone."

Hiccup nodded and Snotlout followed him. Unless it was Hookfang he wasn't interested. It wasn't Hookfang, it was three. Or more precisely three monstrous nightmares of various colors. Tuffnut held the ropes that were tied around each of their necks and the other riders waited beside him.

"What is this?" asked Snotlout suspiciously.

"We thought you might like a new dragon since Hookfang… you know," said Hiccup, sounding worried.

"We spent all night catching some monstrous nightmares for you to choose from," said Fishlegs. "Two males and one female in case you wanted to try something new."

"The female was the hardest to catch," grumbled Ruffnut.

"But at last we hath succeeded," announced Tuffnut dramatically. Snotlout just stood there, the emotions churning and welling up.

"Well?" asked Astrid, hand on hip. "What do you think? Want to try one?"

"I don't know what to… why would you… you can't just… No!" he said at last. "No!"

"What do you mean no?" asked Astrad. "We spent all that time and effort to catch these dragons for you to choose from."

"Then you wasted your time," he said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't want another dragon."

"But you have to have a dragon," she said exasperated. "You're a dragon rider."

"Then I guess I'm not," he said stubbornly.

"Wait, what do you mean you're not?" asked Hiccup, a note of panic in his voice.

"I'm not a dragon rider anymore," said Snotlout, stressing each word.

"But you can't just quit," said Tuffnut, dropping the leads to the three dragons who instantly took to the sky.

"Watch me. No dragon. Not a rider."

"But we need you out there," insisted Astrid. "We still have to find Dagur."

"You'll be fine," he said. Probably be happier without him there. "I made up my mind last night. I'm saying goodbye to Hookfang and then I'm going back to Berk."

"But you can't," said Hiccup, his voice cracking. "Come on, Snotlout. You're… you're just hurting right now. Give it some time, you'll be okay."

Snotlout snapped from apathy to anger and spinning he shoved Hiccup in the chest.

"Fine! Fine? Would you be fine if it was Toothless who had dumped you and gone feral for another dragon?" He spun on the rest of them. "Would any of you be fine? Would time heal that? Would you want a new dragon the next morning if it happened to you? I've seen the way you all tip-toe around your dragons since yesterday. You're all scared you're next."

"But it didn't happen to us," said Astrid. "It happened to you."

"No, of course not," he said, vindictively adopting a facsimile of her voice. "If it was going to happen to anyone it was going to happen to Snotlout."

"That… that was a private conversation," she said, flushing with anger and embarrassment.

"Well, maybe you should check to see the rooms empty next time you have a private conversation," he spat.

"No one made you listen," she said, folding her arms.

"Maybe not, but you were talking about me. I may not know what goes on inside Hookfang's mind all the time but he's still the best friend I've ever had. And don't kid yourselves and think you could have done better with him because you couldn't."

"But you can't just give up," insisted Hiccup, sounding desperate. "At least try another dragon. Maybe a different kind if these remind you of Hookfang."

"Didn't you hear me," shouted Snotlout. "I don't want another dragon. If I can't have Hookfang I don't want any. You expect me to just replace my dragon like a worn-out sword? Norns! You sound just like my father. If you think it's so easy then just replace Toothless, why don't you?"

Hiccup just stood there in stunned silence. No one moved or spoke.

"I didn't think so," growled Snotlout, turning his back on them all. "Just leave me alone."

Leaving them all behind he stomped off into the forest. Did they really think he would or even could replace Hookfang? They had been together for five years and saved each other's lives countless times. Sure they might have fought like cats and dogs at times but there was always an undertone of camaraderie and teasing. Even if Hookfang had meant nothing more to him than simply a dragon to ride there were still the countless hours he had spent training with him. They had accomplished so much together. They had improved Hookfang's speed and agility far beyond what any wild monstrous nightmare could ever achieve. How many memories had they shared, and the others just expected him to get over it? He growled and swiped his wet cheeks. Stupid to get so upset. He just needed to say goodbye and get away. Distance and time might not fill the hollow cavern inside him, but it was a start.

Snotlout pushed through the last bramble into the clearing and came to a halt. His fingers closed around the hilt of the sword at his hip. It was too quiet for two dragons to be around. Something was wrong. Had he missed them? Had Hookfang already moved on? Without so much as a glance backward?

He heard her before he saw her. An angry purple mass of wings and teeth dropped from the sky above making him stumble back and draw his sword. The female roared, her entire body aflame, teeth bared, one big signal to back off.

"Where's Hookfang?" he growled, brandishing his weapon to keep her at bay. "Where is he? What did you do with him?"

A weak roar came from a shady patch of ground under a tree. A familiar mound of orange and red. Hookfang raised his head weekly from the ground, rumbling lowly but not aggressively.

"Hookfang!" shouted Snotlout, moving to go to him but having to dodge as the female lunged at him. Hookfang gave a deep snarl and she backed off. Seeing she was out of the way, Snotlout ran to Hookfang's side and dropped the sword to examine him.

There were no visible signs of an injury but Hookfang's breathing was heavier than normal and there were several large dry patches on his sides where it looked like he'd been torched by another dragon. He was more exhausted than he was injured. But why? Could his new girlfriend be keeping him that busy? No, that was absurd. Hookfang had plenty of energy for that. This must be something else. Besides, the female was not exhausted. He moved to Hookfangs side to stroke between his horns.

"What is it Hookfang? What's wrong?"

Hookfang's tail snaked between them and nudged him back toward the cave. Uncertainly, Snotlout got to his feet and made his way toward the cave. He was within a few paces of the cave entrance when the she-dragon reappeared, snarling and pawing the ground ready to charge. But just as it seemed certain he would have to fight, Hookfang gave another roar bringing her to a halt. They snarled back and forth for a moment before she finally backed away still baring her teeth, watching him warily. Cautiously and with one eye on the female, Snotlout advanced into the cave.

He blinked, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. The floor was littered with stones but there was a small mound in the back corner. Picking his way carefully toward it he crouched. There were three pale ovoid… not stones, but eggs. Dragon eggs. Monstrous nightmare eggs. If chicken and dragon eggs were anywhere near similar the faint squeaks and scratches coming from inside them meant they were not far from hatching. But that was impossible. Hookfang had only gone feral two days ago. He might not know everything about dragons but two days was certainly not enough time to produce eggs about to hatch. There was no way these belonged to Hookfang. But then why was he here? If this was not his brood why was Hookfang so intent on staying here? And why was he so tired?

One of the eggs rocked back and forth squeaking. There was a soft rumble behind him and Snotlout froze. The female's head appeared at his elbow and she nuzzled the three small eggs before turning to look at him, her big eyes golden watching him. The aggression was gone but the wariness was still present. Cautiously, he reached a hand toward her the way Hiccup had taught him to reach for Hookfang all those years ago. She stared at him unmoving, but just as he was about to pull back she pushed her nose into his palm. The tension melted like yak butter.

"Allis?" he asked tentatively. She rumbled, allowing him to rub her head. "But I still don't understand why…" He was interrupted by a deafening roar that did not belong to either Hookfang or the female. A third dragon?

Snotlout pushed past the female and stumbled to the entrance to peer out. An enormous red and black monstrous nightmare hovered in the air above the cave entrance. It was at least one-half larger than Hookfang, and Hookfang was large for the species. What had Fishface called them? Titan wings? A titan wing monstrous nightmare. Beside him, the female was shrieking and spitting, filling the entrance of the cave with her body. She looked like a fluffed-out hen sitting on a brood.

And then it hit him. She was afraid of this new dragon. Hookfang staggered to stand beside her, growling up at the newcomer. Hookfang hadn't fallen in love, he was helping her protect her new brood. Of course, Hookfang had chosen her over him. If it was the safety of three eggs versus Snotlout's feelings, of course, Hookfang had chosen to stay. The female desperately needed Hookfang at the moment. Snotlout had only wanted him.

The presence of the titan wing explained why Hookfang was so exhausted. He'd been helping to protect the eggs and considering the red dragon's size, Hookfang had done well to have sustained no serious injuries so far. But Hookfang was in no condition to continue, at least not until he'd rested a while. If his dragon had started something, he would finish it. He would defend these eggs in Hookfang's place.

He drew his sword and trained his attention on the titan wing, shifting his weight to his toes, ready to dodge. The monster above gave a roar and made to dive down, but moments before it made contact a blinding plasma blast hit it from the side and knocked it to the ground. The titan wing recovered, got to its feet, and roared at Toothless as he and Hiccup dropped into the clearing followed by the others. Each rider's dragon took a turn bombarding the intruder. Overwhelmed for the moment, the titan wing retreated into the sky and out of sight.

"Are you all right?" asked Hiccup, sliding off Toothless with a thump and closing the distance between them. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," said Snotlout, shaking him off. "But Hookfang is all worn out." The others landed, slid off their dragons, and approached.

"What's going on?" asked Hiccup.

"It's Hookfang," said Snotlout, sheathing his sword. "He didn't go feral. He's been helping this female protect her eggs from giant jerk dragon. Her eggs are close to hatching. I told you he didn't go feral," he added, shooting a glare at Fishlegs and then the others.

"The eggs must be from a rival of the titan wing," said Fishlegs.

"Well that's the last we'll see of him," said Astrid, stashing her ax on Sotmfly's saddle.

"I wouldn't count on it," said Fishlegs, apologetically. "That titan wing will likely return and try again. He's clearly been here a few times given Hookfang's state."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Hiccup, watching the female who was still filling the entrance of the cave with her body, protecting it from the new intruders.

"Unfortunately the only thing that might deter the titan wing is for Hookfang or another male monstrous nightmare to dominate it. Beat it in battle."

They all looked to Hookfang who staggered to his feet and gave a roar. But even still, his body quivered with fatigue.

"I'm going with Hookfang," said Snotlout, going to stand beside his dragon.

"That's too dangerous," said Hiccup. Snotlout crossed his arms and surveyed Hiccup dubiously.

"You're going to lecture me on safety around dragons Hiccup? It wasn't me that flew us into a ship graveyard full of giant eels, which our dragons hate by the way."

"That's where Johan said Dagur would be," defended Hiccup.

"Then who was it that flew us and an old lady into a blizzard to get a dragon tooth?"

"I know this one," said Tuffnutt sarcastically. "Hiccup."

"Yeah, I'm still cold," complained Ruffnut.

"And I'm not the dragon-napper who brought a speed stinger back to the edge and drew its whole pack down on us," finished Snotlout.

"He does have a point, Hiccup," said Astrid. "Besides this is Snotlout. He's always flying off half-cocked. You're not going to talk him out of it."

"All right, all right, point taken," said Hiccup raising his hands in surrender. "But you better have a plan to beat it."

Snotlout bit his lip thinking. For once Hiccup was talking sense.

"Fight dirty?" suggested Fishlegs. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "What? They are protecting three eggs."

"Glad some of what I said penetrated," grumbled Snotlout. But Fishface was right. To beat a bigger opponent on a tired dragon they would need to be smart. Then it came to him. "We'll play beat the dome."

"Okay now you are the one taking nonsense," said Tuffnut. "You're supposed to be beating a dragon, not a record."

Snotlout opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted by the roar of the returning titan wing. Hookfang roared at his rival, spewing fire into the air. "No time to explain," he said. Hookfang lowered his head and Snotlout climbed on and took hold of his horns. "Are you up for one more round of beat the dome?" he asked, bending to look Hookfang in the eyes. Hookfang thrummed tiredly beneath him. "Then let's send this jerk packing!"

It had been a long time since he'd flown without a saddle but it was better than flying on Toothless behind Hiccup. So much better. He still had Hookfang. And they had a job to do. The red monster appeared over the clearing, roaring and waiting for them to rise to challenge him.

"Snotlout," called Hiccup, but at that moment Hookfang gathered his strength and leapt into the air. Gripping with his legs Snotlout clung to Hookfang as they drew level with the titan wing. Hookfang roared and lurched forward to fight but at the last moment, Snotlout drew him to the side, narrowly avoiding the titan wing's claws which had been poised to shred Hookfang's left wing.

"Patience," muttered Snotlout, leaning forward. "Don't take him head-on. Let him come to you."

Reluctantly, Hookfang drew back. In turn, the titan wing lunged forward. Snotlut pulled Hookfang back. "Now," he yelled. Reacting almost instantly Hookfangs spewed flame at the titan wing, catching it on the rump. Infuriated, the titan wing turned and lunged again. Again a miss. Again Hookfang spat flame.

"Let's get him nice and riled up," said Snotlout, watching for the next opening. Lunge, dodge, roast, repeat. Again and again. In a matter of minutes, the titan wing's movements were becoming more erratic and sloppy. But Hookfang was also showing signs of slowing.

"Just a little longer," promised Snotlout. "Let's put jerkzilla through his paces." They swooped close to the ground and Snotlout shouted at the others. "Get to the dome!"

Turning and shooting a parting blast at his opponent Hookfang pulled away racing over the treetops towards the arena and the dome. In moments the red monster was tailing them and catching up at an alarming rate. All right so he could fly fast. It's not as though Hookfang was at his best. But what they lacked in speed Hookfang could make up for in agility. Time to play dodge and evade.

"Down Fangster," called Snotlout with a quick tap on Hookfang's neck. Hookfang found a narrow break in the canopy and dove. Snotlout ducked below Hookfang's horns using them to block any stray branches as they weaved between, under, and around trees. Above them, the titan wing roared in frustration. Moments later there was a splintering crash and a blast of fire seared past Snotlout's right cheek. The familiar smell of burnt hair filled his nose. Perhaps they had goaded the titan wing a bit too much.

"Faster," he urged, pulling Hookfang to the side to dodge yet another fiery barrage. The tree line was coming to an end and in moments their cover will be gone. They blew through the last of the foliage and out into the open, the titan wing quite literally hot on their heels. Snotlout risked a glance at the dome of the arena and was pleased to see it beginning to close. Thank Thor the others had caught on. They had maybe 20 seconds till the heavy metal dome snapped shut. 20 seconds. They could make that, they had to. Something was different this time.

He grinned. He didn't know where it came from. Maybe it was the relief of knowing Hookfang had not abandoned him. Perhaps it was the imminent threat of a fiery grave behind them. Perhaps the sheer lunacy of this stunt or the other utter joy of twisting and dodging through the air on a dragon's back. Wherever it stemmed from, laughter bubbled up out of him and he let out a shriek of sheer pleasure. Beneath him, Hookfang rumbled his own pleasure.

They were approaching the end. 15 seconds. They blew past the waterfall, Hookfang's wings skimming the water and splashing Snotlout. 11 seconds. They dove through the narrow cave entrance, the titan wing scrambling to follow. Dodge the rock pillar, duck under the ceiling, and dodge left. Behind them the crash, thud, and scraping of their pursuer. Eight seconds. Dash forward, sudden halt, and a rapid ascent. Five seconds. Light ahead, growing closer but dimmer. One last pull and they were through the narrow crack and in the dome. He drew Hookfang to the arched ceiling, hiding in the shadows. Three… two… one. The metallic clank of the doors sliding shut. Silence, then a bone-rattling roar as the titan wing emerged from the floor.

"Now Hookfang," urged Snotlout, turning his dragon loose.

Shot, after shot, after shot. Scramble, dodge, fire again, gather, pounce, and snap. In a matter of moments, the chaos came to an abrupt halt. Hookfang stood victorious atop the titan wing, its neck held under a front paw and Hookfang's jaws gaping open, ready to snap closed. Snotlout breathed a sigh of relief and slumped over Hookfang's horns.

"Open the doors," he called, as the adrenaline seeped from his muscles leaving him limp. The doors clicked open, the sliver of sunlight growing with each second.

"They actually did it," said Astrid, her voice charged with disbelief. The twins whooped and cheered in nearly identical enthusiasm.

"Now that's what I called domination," called Snotlout, grinning with sheepish pride as Hookfang released the defeated rival.

"And don't come back," shouted Ruffnut as Hookfang fired a parting shot at its retreating form. Snotlout sank to the ground, tipping his face to the sky. They had done it. They had beaten the titan wing. The eggs would be safe now and Hookfang had not left him. He still had his dragon, his friend.

"Well done," called Hiccup as Toothless dropped onto the platform outside. But he didn't dismount. "Hurry, Fishlegs says the eggs are hatching. Let's go."

*****************

Snotlout sunk to the ground with a groan. His legs ached from the extra effort of riding bareback and the lack of sleep the night before hadn't done him any favors either. The other riders were all excitedly gathered around the entrance of the cave exclaiming over the baby monstrous nightmares as they emerged from the wobbling eggs. The mother watched them all with trepidation, growling if anyone got too close. Hookfang stood beside her but noticing Snotlout slumped on the ground made his way toward him. Hookfang paused a few feet from him, rumbling.

"Hey Hookfang," he said with a sigh. Hookfang pushed closer, snuffling at his chest with a soft assuring rumble. A lump formed in his throat and Snotlout reached gratefully for his dragon. He'd been so stupid. Not for the first time he wished he could speak dragon. This whole stupid thing could have been avoided. He would have understood and been able to help Hookfang sooner. Hookfang always seemed able to understand his wants and desires, even if he never spoke them outloud.

"I'm sorry," he said in a shaky voice. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I should have known you had your reasons." They stayed in the embrace for a long moment before Hookfang pulled back, his tongue reaching out to brush over the burn on Snotlout's arm.

"I'll be okay," he said, scratching Hookfangs chin. "Sigyn sent plenty of burn cream in her box. I know you didn't mean to. I should have known better." Hookfang nuzzled him again and Snotlout had to fight back the stinging in his eyes. "Just… just dont ever leave me," he whispered.

Hookfang rumbled softly befor curling his great warm body around him. He wasn't the only one who was exhausted. They relaxed into each other, falling into a limp and contented silence. He was on the brink of sleep when Hiccup and Toothless landed in the clearing, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Ah… gang. We need to get back out there. That titan wing started a few forest fires," said Hiccup.

"But this is the perfect opportunity to document the hatching of monstrous nightmare eggs," said Fishlegs.

"I know, but those forest fires won't wait."

"Neither will the eggs," said Ruffnut, pointing to the newly hatched baby dragon. "Besides, look at how cute the first one is."

"One of the fires is headed in this direction," urged Hiccup. "And another toward the edge."

"Make Snotlout put them out," said Tuffnut, reaching for a baby and pausing when the mother growled. "He started them."

Snotlout let his head fall back with a sigh, predicting what would come next. But Hiccup surprised him.

"And if anyone has earned the right to observe them hatch it's Snotlout and Hookfang. Besides if you hadn't noticed the rest of us clean up after your shenanigans all the time. It's your turn."

"Come on you three," called Astrid, turning towards Stormfly. "Hiccup's right. The faster we put the fires out the better. If we're quick we might not miss the last hatch."

After a few quick words were exchanged, Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruff, and Tuff all flew off on their dragons leaving Snotlout and Hiccup alone with the dragons. Carefully Hiccup approached the cave entrance, pausing to watch for a while. With Hookfang's warmth surrounding him on all sides, Snotlout's eyes began to drift closed.

Sometime later he awoke to find Hiccup standing beside him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," said Hiccup, rubbing nightmare gel on Hookfang. "He looked kinda dry. I was just about done." Hookfang rumbled appreciatively as Hiccup finished. Wiping the remainder on his trousers, Hiccup stood awkwardly for a moment.

"Can… can I sit down?" Snotlout watched his cousin, a sarcastic comment about Hiccup's ability on the tip of his tongue when Hookfang's tail curled behind Hiccup drawing him closer. "I'll take that as a yes," said Hiccup, sitting beside him. Hiccup grimaced as he rubbed at his leg, adjusting the hardware.

"What's wrong?" asked Snotlout. Hiccup glanced at him in surprise.

"It's just my leg, or rather my lack of leg. No matter how many changes I make to this, it's never really comfortable. I suppose I shouldn't expect it to be."

They sat in awkward silence for several minutes before Hiccup broke the tension.

"So someone needs to make a supply run back to Berk in the next few days." Snotlout nodded. They were getting low. "Did you still want to make that run yourself or should I send someone else? Astrid maybe?"

"No," he said more forcefully than he intended. "No. Me and Hookfang will do it."

"Good. Then that's… that's settled. But don't feel like you need to leave right away. Recover first."

"Okay," said Snotlout suspiciously. What was up? Why was Hiccup hesitating more than usual? Normally it was simply "Do this Snotlout," or "It's your turn Snotlout."

"And Snotlout."

"Yeah?"

"There's no need to hurry back."

"Are… are you trying to get rid of me?" Of course they wanted him gone after all the trouble in the past few days. After all the things he'd shouted at them this morning.

"No, no, no. No," said Hiccup, raising his hands. "I just figured you and Hookfang might enjoy a bit of a break. A little extra time to just take it a bit slower is all. Find a nice place to stop or spend a day or two extra at home. I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to but…" Hiccup petered out lamely.

"That would be nice," said Snotlout, his thoughts flicking to Sigyn. He'd have time to really visit her. He could see why she wasn't responding to his letters.

"And Snotlout," said Hiccup.

"Hmm?" he replied, his thought snapping back to his cousin.

"I'm sorry about what I said this morning. You were right. I couldn't just replace Toothless. I wouldn't want to and it was stupid of us to assume you would either."

"Was it Astrid's idea to try the new dragons?"

"It was," admitted Hiccup. "But I should have realized it would do more harm than good. I'm sorry. I guess I didn't understand how strong of a bond you have with Hookfang. It's just a different kind of bond."

As if to illustrate this, Hookfang gnawed gently on Snotlout's knee, thumbing. His pants were going to be wet. Snotlout sat in silence unsure what to say. The tension stretched for several moments before he asked, "Are all the eggs hatched?"

Hiccup gladly seized the olive branch. "The smallest one hasn't yet. Want to go watch?"

Grateful for the distraction the two of them rose and made their way towards the cave Hookfang behind them. The two hatchlings, one blue and one orange, gambled about their mother, dashing over her feet as they chased each other hissing.

"So lively for being only a few minutes old," said Hiccup. Glancing at the mother, Snotlout slowly edged into the cage to examine the last egg. The stone nest was littered with the scraps of the discarded shells and there amongst the debris sat the last egg. He crouched watching it but as his legs grew tired he frowned. The egg had not moved. Hiccup appeared at his side and Snotlout glanced back to see the mother's attention was trained on them.

"It hasn't moved," he said. "I don't hear anything either."

"Perhaps it perished. It could explain why she doesn't seem as protective of this one," said Hiccup, bending closer.

"But I could have sworn this egg was the same one I saw shaking earlier. It was squeaking and moving then."

"It might have exhausted itself," suggested Hiccup, turning to leave. "Let's get out of here before mama decides we are a threat."

But Snotlout didn't move as Hiccup retreated back outside. He sat there watching the egg intently. Nothing. At last, he could no longer resist and he reached out to touch it.

"Ah, Snotlout," came Hiccup's worried voice.

Snotlout turned to his cousin only to find he was looking into the face of the female dragon instead. His fingers were a mere inch from the egg and he froze. She moved slowly around him and lowered her face to the nest, her jaws almost brushing his fingers. Her long tongue flicked out. Just as he had determined to slowly pull his hand back she nudged the egg gently, rolling it into his outstretched hand.

The surface was grainy but warm to the touch and it filled his hands. Watching the mother, he gingerly lifted the egg and held it to his ear, listening. Seconds passed as he held his breath in an attempt to listen more intently, but there was nothing… Wait… A faint squeak and then the soft scrape of a claw. He let out the breath and grinned before listening once again. There it was again, the faint scratching, and inside the egg, he felt a slight rock of movement. It was still alive.

He held the egg toward the mother, not sure what to do with it. Gently she laid her head atop the egg in his hand so her throat was pressed to the struggling life. Heat began to radiate from her scales. He worried for a moment that she would burn his hand but not wanting to drop the egg he waited. There! There was movement in the egg. Just before he felt he could stand the heat no longer it subsided. But the mother did not move. Instead, she began to thrum, the sound vibrating up her throat in waves. His fingers grew numb with the vibration and she stopped. She pulled away and together they watched the egg in his hands.

The life inside sqeaked louder and louder and a crack appeared. He braced, remembering how Meatlug's eggs had exploded, but to his surprise, the egg simply split in two and then crumbled. Warmth oozed over his hands as the little dragon wriggled, wrapping its tail around his wrist, it's little claws gripping his fingers for support. It mewed softly and in a moment it's mothers tongue was gently cleaning away the slime. The little dragon returned her attention, its little tongue flicking out to brush her scales. She pulled away and the little creature turned its head to see him.

Its scales were purple like its mother, its eyes a bright orange. He winced as its sharp claws scraped his skin as it ascended up his arm towards his face sniffing curiously. It's tongue flicked out tentatively then tiny teeth nibbled the tip of his nose bringing tears to the edge of his eyes. Without warning the little dragon scrambled to his shoulders and circled the back of his neck burying itself in his hair and raising goosebumps on his skin. It settled contentedly and tucked its head under his chin, its blunted horns digging into his throat. With a soft growl the mother turned and left the cave moving toward where the other two hatchlings were clambering over a watchful Hookfang.

Being careful not to jostle the hatchling wrapped around the back of his neck he turned to leave but froze when he saw a Hiccup watching him with a weird expression.

"What?" he asked defensively.

Hiccup tilted his head to the side watching him. "Nothing," he said at last, shaking his head. Uncertain Snotlout made his way to the cave entrance. Hiccup was still watching him, biting the inside of his cheek.

"What? Jealous?"

"A bit," admitted Hiccup. Snotlout grinned.

"I think I just became an uncle."

Hiccup's face relaxed and he let out a rolling chuckle.

"Heaven help the hatchlings then."

"Hear that little guy," said Snotlout, rubbing a finger under the hatchling's chin. "You just became an honorary Jorgensen." The dragon bit him. Snotlut jerked his hand away cursing under his breath. Hiccup laughed.

"And to think I saved you," he grumbled. Hookfang rumbled his discontent and Snotlout rolled his eyes. "All right, all right, fine. Needy much. To think we saved you," he amended.

Hiccup laughed even louder.

**************

Snotlout slumped over Hookfang's horns, his eyes closed as the setting suns rays tried to pierce through his eyelids. He always hated flying into the sun. Up in the air Hookfang could simply close his eyes and fly blind over the vast stretches of ocean, but he simply had to endure as his eyelids were not as thick.

It had been three days since the monstrous nightmare eggs had hatched and he and Hookfang were on their way back to Berk for supplies. Back home. Back to visit Sigyn again. They had left last night after sunset, flown all day, and now had a little over 12 hours till home. Hiccup had given them extra time but Snotlout didn't want to waste any of it on lazy trips back and forth. The long flight was not hard for Hookfang, but for him it was murder. Hours on end in the saddle. Even with brakes for food, his legs and back ached at the end. He needed to look into having Gobber design him a new saddle with more back support. Hookfang was bigger and might not mind the extra weight.

Beneath him Hookfang rumbled and Snotlout cracked his eyes open, shading them with his hand. There was a speck approaching in the fading sunlight. Was it another dragon? It wasn't uncommon to run across others but it was always good to be careful. Was it a larger dragon far off or… It was hard to tell with all the blinding sunlight. The spec grew quickly and then with a squeak the little creature latched itself onto his face.

He didn't fall out of the saddle but it was a close thing. Carefully he pried the dragon from his face, unsurprised to see it was Blaze, one of Fishface's trained mail dragons. This one in particular had a pension for attaching to faces which is why he had been careful not to use it to send mail to Sigyn. Resisting the urge to strangle the exuberant creature he examined the parchment tied to the dragon's leg. His eye was caught immediately by the red wax seal reserved for emergency communications between Berk and Dragons Edge. Holding tightly to the dragon he slipped the parchment free and popped the seal. The message was short.

"Return to Berk at once! Berk is under attack!

Gobber."

His mind spun into free fall, the terrible possibilities racing through his head. Was anyone hurt? Killed? His family? Sigyn or her father? The other's families? There was only one way to know but first, he must let the others know he'd seen the letter and was on his way. Digging into his pack he pulled out a smudge of charcoal and scrawled his name at the bottom of the page along with, "Twelve hours from Berk." Quickly, he reattached the message to the dragon and sent it on its way. Hookfang was tense beneath him, no doubt sensing his distress. Snotlout dug the rope from his pack and securing himself to Hookfang's horns, leaned over and called to his dragon.

"Berk's in trouble, Hookfang. There's been an attack. We need to get home as fast as…" But Hookfang was already rapidly gaining speed. Faster and faster. Snotlout pressed himself as flat as he could to Hookfangs neck. He didn't know if it was the rapid acceleration or the squirming knot in his gut but he was suddenly nauseous. They would get there in time. They had to. Hookfang sped faster, racing the disappearing sun to the horizon. Faster, they needed to go even faster. Hookfang obliged, determined to cut twelve hours down to three.

Chapter Text

Snotlout anxiously wiped the driving rain from his eyes as he peered down through the storm, searching the darkness and willing Berk to appear out of the night. A blinding flash of light to the right made him jump as lightning forked to the ground, illuminating the crashing waves below. That was too close. The thunder rolled over him, vibrating his chest and he clapped his hands to his ears. Normally, he would have done anything to avoid such a storm, but Berk was at the center of this one and he couldn't afford to wait. Gobber's note kept playing in his mind. Berk was under attack.

Hookfang adjusted course slightly and they continued through the gail, blindly seeking their way home. Just as Snotlout was sure they had lost their way the dim glow of houses appeared below. They had made it. The sun had yet to come over the horizon but they had closed the distance to Berk in record time. Hookfang began to spiral down toward the familiar shape of his family's house as it appeared out of the soggy gloom. They splashed down, splattering mud.

Snotlout slid from the saddle, his legs trembling slightly as his muscles adjusted to his weight after such a long ride. He looked around trying to take in his surroundings. There were certainly more people about at this early hour than would normally be, whether it was in their houses or bundled against the rain and making their way to unknown destinations. There was the smell of wet ash and smoke in the air. A fire? Several by the strength of the smell. Hookfang shook himself, stomping about in the mud, the dragon narrowly avoiding stepping on a stray chicken which squawked frantically and scuttled after the others of its flock on the far side of the street. Odd. Normally the chickens were kept locked up at night.

Snotlout shivered, the last of Hookfang's warmth leaching away through his sodden clothes. The last hour of flying had been through the storm and by the look of things it was not about to let up anytime soon. He turned to his house, relieved to see it in one piece and seemingly unchanged. Behind him, Hookfang sank to the ground, steam rising from his scales. Snoltout watched him, biting his lip. Had he pushed Hookfang too hard too soon after his ordeal with the titan wing? He pushed the thought aside for the moment and climbed the three steps to his front door. He pushed it open and was greeted with a wave of warmth and the welcoming smell of freshly baked bread. He'd only just closed the door when he was engulfed in a tight but soft hug. The familiar smell of his mother eased over him.

"Mom!" he said, pulling back slightly with a gasp.

"Oh Snotlout," she exclaimed, peppering his face with kisses. "Thank Thor you're here. I've been so worried."

"Berk's the one who was attacked," he said as she released him long enough to survey him with a critical eye.

"You're soaked through and through," she said, steering him toward the chair by the fire which was usually reserved for his father. Before he could protest, she had him sitting and had handed him half of a loaf of steaming bread slathered with fresh butter. The heat burned his fingertips but he bit into it, suddenly grateful to eat again. His mother sat in her own chair across from him, watching him.

"Where's Dad?" he asked around his fifth mouthful.

"Off helping Stoick and Gobber no doubt." There were smears of soot and flour on his mother's face and her hair was escaping her usually neat braid. She sank back into her chair exhausted.

"Geoffrey and Adele?"

"Asleep, thank the Norns. It seemed they would never be still with all that's been going on."

"Mom, what happened here?" he asked, sucking the last of the butter from his thumb. "I was on my way back for a supply run when I intercepted Gobber's T-mail."

"Ah, that explains how you got here so soon," she said, running a hand over her face. "We weren't expecting the riders back for another day or two."

"Who attacked us?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Stoick and your father are trying to find that out."

"But what happened?"

"Midday yesterday a strange group of ships appeared around the far side of Berk. No one was quite sure what to make of them, but before they had any chance to prepare, the ships opened fire on us. By the time we knew what was happening the ships had turned tail and we had to turn our attention to the fires and the wounded."

"Why didn't Uncle Stoick at least go after them on Stormbreaker?"

"He tried," she said, stifling a yawn. "But they brought him down with a bola."

Snotlout frowned. "I should go find Dad." He stood and had his hand on the doorknob when a knock sounded from outside.

"Freeda," came Gobber's muffled voice. "Is Snotlout here?"

Snotlout pulled the door open. Gobber stood on the porch, the wind whipping and howling around him. A lantern swung from the hook that currently served as his left hand.

"Oy, I suppose he is," said Gobber, stepping inside, and wringing the rain from his long blond mustache. "Someone said they saw a monstrous nightmare fly over. Stoick will be wanting to see ya lad."

"I was just on my way there," said Snotlout. "Where are they? The great hall?"

"Oh, no. The great hall was the first thing they targeted. They're up at your uncle's."

"They… they destroyed the great hall?" asked Snotlout, dumbfounded.

"Aye, and it'll put quite a kink in our eating habits. No more communal meals for a while. I have to cook for myself, I don't know if I'll survive. And of course, it rules out the great hall as a place for the Hoffersons and Lunkersons to stay. We're still working out all the details."

"What happened to the Hoffersons and Lunkerson?" asked Snotlout, Astrid's family name catching his ear.

"Their houses were demolished, completely destroyed."

"What exactly was the damage done?" asked Snotlout hesitantly, not sure he wanted to know. "Was anyone hurt? Is…is anyone dead?"

"Dead?" said Gobber, blinking. "No, no one's dead, though old widow Johnson kicked up enough of a fit that some thought she was."

"What buildings were destroyed?" pressed Snotlout.

"A fair handful of outbuildings, several chicken coops, one of our storehouses," listed Gobber. "Luckily it was the empty one, and like I said they took the great hall and of course the Hofferson and Lunkerson homes. Not as bad as it could have been, but not exactly ideal."

"What about the injured?"

"I just finished making the rounds. A broken bone or two, several cuts and gashes, and a nasty burn. But nothing old Gothi can't handle."

"Where is she now," asked his mother as she packed fresh loaves of bread into a basket.

Gobber strode to the table and reached for a loaf of bread only to have his mother slap his hand away. "These are for the Lunkersons and Hoffersons," she said. "Where is Gothi?"

"Alright, alright," grumbled Gobber, rubbing his hand on his hip. "Last I knew Gothi was out at the Ingerman's"

"Did Poppy go into labor early?"

"As far as I know, but I'm no midwife. The youngest Ingerman had the chicken coup come down on top of him and he broke a leg."

"Poor Poppy, still I reckon she will be relieved to no longer be on bed rest. I'll have to check in with her later. I know her pregnancies can be difficult but labor seems to be easy for her. The baby is only a few weeks early."

"That's more than I would know," muttered Gobber, eyeing the bread enviously. "Freeda, can't I just have one loaf?"

"No," she said primly. "The next ones, perhaps. I thought I would take some up to Stoick and Spitelout. But maybe I'll have to take some out to the Ingerman's first."

"Why?" grumbled Gobber. "Thor knows it was quite a walk. As far from the village as you can get."

"Other than the Helvig's," said Snotlout, absently trying to imagine how Astrid was going to react to not having a home to come home to.

"The who?" asked Gobber. Snotlout's attention snapped back to the blacksmith.

"The Helvig's Gobber," he said. Gobber just stared at him blankly and Snotlout's stomach dropped.

"You did check with the Helvigs didn't you?" pressed his mother, a note of worry in her voice.

"The name does ring a bell… but…"

Snotlout was past him and out the door before his mother could berate the man.

"Hey where are you going?" called Gobber as Snotlout whistled for Hookfang. "Your father and Stoick will want to see you."

"Leave him be Gobber," called his mother, standing on the porch.

"But where are you going?" shouted Gobber.

"Sigyn," said Snotlout curtly, swinging up into Hookfang's saddle. "Come on Hookfang!" Before Gobber could protest further he and Hookfang were back in the storm being buffeted by the wind as they sped to the far side of the village.

Why hadn't he gone there first? He should have known his father would see to their family, but who would look after Sigyn and her father in the midst of chaos? Clearly not Gobber. Had no one really thought to check on them? He ground his teeth just thinking about it. He tried to calm himself as they descended toward Sigyn's house. There was no sense in getting worked up. They were probably just fine. But he couldn't quite bring himself to believe it as Hookfang landed in front of the dark house. He lept down before Hookfang could lower his neck and vaulted the three steps to the front door which stood open.

"Sigyn? Mr. Helvig?" he called into the empty house, willing someone to answer. Silence was all that greeted him. He quickly checked all the rooms of the little hut, trying not to trip over the clutter in the dark. The fire in the hearth had long since gone cold. Where could they be? Sigyn not being here was explainable, but she would have had to carry her father as well to explain his absence. Even then, where would they go? Had they gone to another family's house when it became clear Berk was under attack? He stepped back onto the porch, peering through the rain and across the dark yard.

The empty house was not the only thing wrong. There were chickens perched on the railing of the porch. They should be in the coup for the night. Bawling drew his attention to the barn where Todd the yak calf was huddled under the eaves of the barn. The large doors were shut. He knew Sigyn often shut the calf out while she was doing the milking but she always let him back in after. Panic began to creep up his spine like icy fingers. Where was she?

"Sigyn?" he called again as he crossed the yard to investigate the barn. Todd came to him, brushing against him and trying to suck his fingers, clearly hungry. Where was his mother, Bertha? He pulled the barn door ajar and stepped inside. It was colder than it should be and there was a breeze.

"Hookfang?" he called, gesturing to his dragon to follow. Hookfang came forward, pushing his head into the barn, the sudden flames from his head lighting the inside of the barn… or rather what was left of it. Hookfang growled as he sniffed the air, his flames burning brighter.

The back half of the barn had been completely smashed in and was little more than a jumbled pile of sticks. Snotlout stepped forward, horror clamping his throat and strangling any outcry. His eyes searched the chaos as he tried not to imagine what he might find. The calf pushed past him and went to sniff at the pile of rubble, lowing mournfully.

Rain poured in rivulets from the missing roof and ran down the collar of Snotlout's tunic as he numbly approached the calf. The wet straw at his feet was stained crimson and a pool of blood had seeped out from the wreckage. Terror clenched around his heart and clawed up his throat as he automatically bent to get a closer look, dreading what he would find.

Please, Odin, let it be anything, anyone but Sigyn.

The shadows were too dark to see. He reached forward to move some of the debris, trying to get a better look but jerked his hand back when his fingers brushed against something soft and cold. Hair? Had that been hair? Oh, Norns no! He tore the rubble aside and thrust his hand into the dark only to have his fingers once again meet the hair…no, not hair. It was too coarse for hair. Fur? Relief flooded through him. It was fur. Yak fur. Just the missing yak. But where was Sigyn?

"Sigyn!" he screamed, the tension in him finally bursting into dread. "Sigyn!"

"Snotlout?" came the answering scream from outside the barn. He'd never heard Mr. Helvig scream before but he instantly recognized it.

"Mr. Helvig," yelled Snotlout, running back out into the rain and around to the back of the barn, Hookfang following. He stopped abruptly, almost running headlong into a boulder that had crushed the barn. It came up to his waist. Darting around it he began to search the splintered wood for his friend.

"Mr Helvig? Where are you?"

"Here," came a shout off to the left. He clambered over a large beam and had to stop himself from falling over a pair of legs sticking out of a gap in the wood.

"Mr. Helvig? Are you hurt?" he asked, trying to get his footing as he assessed the mess. Mr. Helvig's legs stuck out of a crevice between the rubble but he didn't look crushed.

"I'm fine. It's Sigyn who needs help. Is anyone with you?"

"No," said Snotlout, climbing up beside his legs. "It's just me and Hookfang."

"We need to get Sigyn out of there. She's passed out from the pain and shock. I think her arm is broken. It's trapped and before she lost consciousness she said there was something wrong with her side. I'm not sure, she was in shock. We need to get her to Gothi."

"She's below you?" asked Snotlout.

"Yes. I was trying to get to her when I got stuck. I can't get any closer and I don't have the right leverage to back out with just my arms."

"I'll get you out," said Snotlout, gripping around the man's waist and hauling him backward. It took a bit of tugging but at last, he'd pulled Mr. Helvig free. He set the man down and looked him over for injury. Aside from a few scraps he seemed fine but it was difficult to assess him through the mud and muck that was smeared down his front. How had he gotten out here to the barn? He must have heard the crash and dragged himself out here when Sigyn didn't answer. Sigyn!

Snotlout clambered back up the pile in search of her, calling for Hookfang to come closer. He looked in the crevice again and could see Sigyn's golden hair glinting in Hookfang's light. She was pinned behind several large beams that had fallen. One of her hands was hanging limply out of her wooden prison. Getting down on his belly Snoltout wormed further into the wreckage, trying to find a way closer to her. He managed to get his head and one arm through the crack but couldn't get any closer, stuck in exactly the same position Mr. Helvig had been in.

"Sigyn?" he called, his fingertips brushing her hand. He grabbed her fingers squeezing. "Sigyn!"

She didn't answer but under her eyelids, her eyes moved. He strained to grip her wrist and held his breath. There was a pulse. "Sigyn?" he called again. "Sigyn."

Her eyes fluttered open as she moaned

"Sigyn, thank Thor," he cried, squeezing her hand.

"Snotlout?" she asked, groggily, her eyes unfocused. She groaned, her face pulling into a grimace of pain. "It hurts so much," she hissed, tears squeezing out of the corners of her eyes.

"I know," he said, his throat tightening. "I know, but we're going to get you out of here."

"Here?" she asked, dazed.

"The barn's collapsed," he said, trying to scan what little of her he could see for injury. The arm she had extended toward him seemed scratched up but intact but he couldn't see the other. "You're trapped in the debris but we're going to get out."

"Trapped…? Barn…?" she said, the words seeming to penetrate her haze. She was suddenly much more alert but in the wrong way. Her eyes flew wide, pupils dilated as she took in her surroundings. Her breathing hitched for a moment and then sped up, the shallow rapid breathing coming out as hisses through her clenched teeth.

"Sigyn?" he called, squeezing her trembling hand.

"Out," she hissed, yanking her hand away from him. "Get me out here!" Her tone was a mixture of panic and rage. She was looking at him like he was a goblin. What was wrong? "Let me go! Get me out!"

"Don't… Don't worry," he stuttered. "I'm going to get you out." He slithered backward, trying to clamp down on his fear.

"Hookfang," he called, motioning his dragon closer.

"You can't use Hookfang," said Sigyn's father, his searching hand catching Snotlout's arm. Snotlout stared back at him confused.

"I can't get to her without moving some of the beams. I can't lift them."

It was silent for a long moment.

"Alright… just… just be ready," said Mr. Helvig, releasing his arm.

"Ready for what?"

"She's already panicked, but seeing a monstrous nightmare, even Hookfang, while trapped… well just don't be surprised if she… reacts."

"Reacts?"

"Just get her out and be careful," said Mr. Helvig.

Confused and slightly wary, Snotlout turned back towards Sigyn, motioning for Hookfang to follow him.

"This one first," he said, touching one of the beams trapping Sigyn. He wriggled back down toward Sigyn, his belly scrapping over the rough splinters. Sigyn had pulled her free arm close to her chest and was stifling soft sobs. Snotlout's heart lurched. He didn't like seeing her like this. It was like watching a small child huddled in a corner.

"Now, Hookfang," he called uneasily, not taking his eyes off of Sigyn's huddled form. Hookfang's head dipped down, the flames dancing across his skin as he opened his jaws to grip the beam. In front of him, Sigyn stifled a scream, her fist jammed between her teeth. Her eyes were wide, the whites of her eyes showing round in the dark shadows of her muddy face.

"Sigyn," he called, trying to draw her attention, but she only had terrified eyes for Hookfang as he lifted the log free, and threw it away. The pressure pinning Snotlout eased and he wriggled forward, almost falling on his face as he dropped head-first into the small space beside Sigyn.

"Snotlout, is everything alright?" called Mr. Helvig, nervously.

"We're alright," assured Snotlout, turning his attention to Sigyn. She was watching him with wary trepidation, her body tense as he scooted closer. He half expected her to hiss or try to hit him, but she just kept glancing past him to where Hookfang was watching.

"Sigyn," he said, his palms extended to her. "Sigyn, it's me. Let's get you out of here." She didn't answer but at least she didn't shrink further away. It was dark but he could make out her arm pinned between two logs. Watching her reaction out of the corner of his eye he slowly reached for her arm to see if there was any give around it. He grimaced. While it was not crushed, there was no way to pull or wiggle her arm free without hurting her. He peered into the darkness, trying to see where the top log led but the shadows all bled together.

"Hookfang," he called. A moment later the flames of his dragon danced above him, illuminating the space. Sigyn began to whimper again. Quickly, Snotlout followed the beam crushing Sigyn's arm and reaching up through the debris pointed to it. "This one," he said to Hookfang. "On my mark." He turned back to Sigyn who watched the light above her.

"Sigyn," he said, getting right in front of her. "Sigyn," he called again when she didn't look at him. Her eyes darted to his face and then back up. "Hey look at me." He took her face in his hands, using them to shield her view. He had no idea why she was so upset, only that the sight of Hookfang seemed to set her off.

"Sigyn, I need you to close your eyes."

"But… the dragon.."

"Don't worry about the dragon," he said, catching her chin when she tried to look away again. "It's okay. I promise. Just look at me."

"Snotlout," she asked in dazed confusion.

"I'm here. You're going to be okay, but I need you to trust me." He seemed to have her attention now. "We have to lift this beam to get your arm free. Hookfangs going to help."

"Hookfang?"

"My dragon."

"Dragon?" she squeaked, the panic returning to her eyes. He swore under his breath. Shouldn't have mentioned Hookfang.

"Hey! Hey, it's okay," he said, making her look at him again. "You trust me, don't you?" It was a long moment before she nodded.

"Then I need you to close your eyes until I tell you it's over. Keep them closed no matter what." She nodded meekly and he wrapped his arms around her, one of his hands pulling her face into his neck so she could not look up.

"Now Hookfang." The debris around them began to shift and groan. In his arms, Sigyn was trembling and he held her tighter as she whimpered.

"It's all right," he reassured, watching for the moment he could extricate her arm. She gave a small grunt of pain as the load shifted and then her body relaxed as she pulled her arm free. Hookfang pulled back and it was just the two of them in the dark space again.

"You okay?" he asked, at last loosening his grip on her. But her body slumped against his and she would have collapsed into the mud had he not caught her. Her head lolled on his shoulder and it was only the soft puff of breath across his jaw that let him know she was still breathing.

"Snotlout," came Mr. Helvig's worried call. Snotlout shifted his grip on Sigyn and shuffled toward the gap.

"Her arm is free, but I think she passed out again. Hookfang," he called. Hookfang's face appeared and Snotlout grabbed a hold of the horn on his nose. He tightened his grip around Sigyn's waist as Hookfang dragged them up and out of the debris before setting them down next to Mr. Helvig.

Her father instantly reached for her, his fingers searching for her neck. His worried expression shifted to one of grave resignation.

"Take her back to the house, Snotlout, and put her on my bed."

Snotlout nodded and stumbled to his feet before scooping Sigyn into his arms. He struggled a moment till he found a way to carry her, one arm under her legs and the other around her shoulders.

"Hookfang, bring him," he said, jerking his head at Mr. Helvig. The dragon dipped his head rumbling and Mr. Helvig found his horns, clinging to them as they made their way quickly back to the house. As soon as Snotlout had laid Sigyn down on Mr. Helvig's disheveled bed, he returned to the porch for her father bringing him into the room and settling him on the chair beside the bed.

"Let's have some light," instructed Mr. Helvig. Snotlout searched and a few moments later he came back into the room, a lit candle in hand.

"What can you see?" asked Mr. Helvig. But Snotlout didn't respond. He was staring in horror at his shirt and hands which were smeared a bright red.

"She… she's blending," he stammered. "A lot."

"Where?" asked her father, his voice tight.

Snotlout stepped forward visually inspecting Sigyn. His stomach dropped. Her entire left side was a deep crimson. "Her side," he said, leaned closer, and slowly pulled up her muddy shirt. He gulped trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "There's a piece of jagged wood about the width of my thumb sticking out of her side."

"Is it actively bleeding?" asked her father, reaching a hand out. "Show me."

Snotlout guided his hand to the wound and waited as her father's fingers ran over the red swollen skin.

Go for Gothi," said Mr. Helvig, fumbling with the sheets before pressing them around the wound. But Snolout stood frozen, staring in blank shock at the blood on his hands. How had he not noticed her injury, her warm blood on his hands? How had this happened? Who had done this? Who had attacked Berk and then just left. It was senseless. Why?

"Snotlout," snapped Mr. Helvig. "Don't panic. I don't think she's in immediate danger, but we need Gothi. I want to be sure this is handled correctly."

Like a spring releasing, everything snapped back into focus. Sigyn was bleeding and he was just standing there like an idiot. Without a word, he turned and ran for the door calling for Hookfang. They were in the air in moments, Snotlout trying to see through the night and rain. Where had Gobber said Gothi was? At the Ingerman's, delivering a baby? He spotted a light in and put Hookfang into a steep dive. They landed with a splash to find the house of glow and busy as a hornet's nest. He leapt to the ground and approached the door, but hesitated. What if Gothi couldn't come because she was still with Mrs. Ingerman? Would she or the family be angry? But Sigyn needed Gothi too.

He knocked. At first, no one came to the door, despite, or perhaps because of the commotion on the other side. He knocked again, louder. A few moments later the door creaked open, an older boy yelling over his shoulder. The boy had Fishleg's blond hair and brown eyes but that was where the similarities stopped. He was older and taller, but skinny, almost lerpy and there was a patch of hair growing on his chin. Snotlout struggled, trying to remember his name. Shepard? Fishlegs's only older sibling. Shepherd glanced down at Snotlout still distracted by the hubbub behind him, but when Shepard caught sight of him his eyes went wide.

"What's happened?" asked Shepard, staring at him. He must be a sight, covered in mud and blood and completely drenched. "Are you hurt?"

"Not me, Sigyn Helvig."

"Sigyn?" stammered Shepard, his narrow face draining of color. "Is.. is she okay?"

"I need Gothi," said Snotlout, his words tumbling over each other as he tried to remain calm. "Is she still here?"

"She's still here," said Shepard, opening the door wide. "I'll get her." Snotlout stepped inside awkwardly. The warmth and hubbub of the house engulfing him was at odds with the panic in his chest. Shepherd ran to one of the back rooms calling out for Gothi. A few moments later Mrs. Ingerman came shuffling into the room. Snotlout stared at her, confused.

"Snotlout?" asked the woman, her eyes traveling over him. "What's wrong?"

"Sigyn," he said.

"What's happened?"

"The barn was hit and she was inside. She's hurt. Her father sent me for Gothi… but I… I thought you were having a baby."

"Oh my, that was hours ago," said the woman dismissively. "Bless Freya, but little Alice was small and came almost before Gothi could arrive. They seem to come faster and easier every time. The hard part is keeping them inside long enough. No, Gothi is seeing to Drake's leg. It's broken. But she's about got him sorted." She turned her attention to the girl at the fire momentarily. "Sylvia, make sure you stir the stew properly."

"Is Fishlegs with you?" asked Mrs. Ingerman, glancing toward the door.

"No, I was already on my way here for a supply run when all this happened."

"Gothi's coming," said Shepherd, reappearing from the back room, a small crying bundle in his arms. "I think she's hungry again," said Shepherd, holding the baby out to his mother. Sighing, Mrs Ingerman took the baby and pulled aside the loose front of her dress, casually attaching the baby to her breast. Snotlout looked the other way, his cheeks heating slightly.

"What exactly happened to Sigyn?" asked Shepard anxiously. "How badly hurt is she?"

"We think her arm is broken. It was pinned under some of the debris," said Snotlout, watching as Shepard fidgeted.

"Is that her blood all over you?"

"There is a big splinter of wood sticking out of her side."

"That's a lot of blood."

"Not so much as you would think," said Mrs. Ingerman, cooing at the baby in her arms. "There always seems to be more than you would think. How big was the splinter and where exactly?"

"About the width of my thumb," said Snotlout, pointing to the spot on his own side.

"Was she feverish?"

"I don't think so. She was unconscious when I left but I think that was the shock. She was in pain and terrified when Hookfang and I pulled her out."

"Then it likely missed any vital organs. She would have been in a much worse state otherwise, especially if she has been there since yesterday's attack. Heavens, I wish I had thought to send someone to check on them. Poor Sigyn."

"You used your dragon to get her out?" asked Shepard, looking angry.

"I had to," said Snotlout, suddenly feeling defensive. "Otherwise she would still be stuck down there in the mud with her arm pinned." This was the second time someone had questioned his use of Hookfang. After all, it wasn't as though Sigyn didn't know Hookfang. She'd ridden him for Thor's sake. Shepherd glared at him, and Snotlout couldn't figure out why the older boy was angry with him.

"Kenith," scolded the woman, breaking the tension in the air as she addressed a boy who was poking a sleeping girl. "Leave Susan alone. Thor knows that someone ought to be able to sleep in all this chaos." Shaking his head in disgust, Shepherd crossed the room and picked up the boy, distracting him. Snoltout looked toward the back room, wishing Gothi would hurry.

"Was Torben injured?" asked Mrs. Ingerman, turning her attention back to Snotlout.

"No," said Snotlout. "Just Sigyn."

At last, Gothi shambled out of the back room and straight past Snotlout, a large bag in hand.

"It's Sigyn," he said, turning to follow her. But Gothi just opened the door and strode outside toward Hookfang, beckoning for Snotlout to hurry. Before he knew it, she was seated on his dragon looking down at him expectantly. Shaking himself, he climbed up behind her.

The house was as he'd left it, still dark save the candles burning in Mr. Helvig's room. Gothi needed no direction but simply dismounted and went straight to Sigyn, Snotlout following behind her. But no sooner had he filed into the small room behind the healer than he hastily backed out, his cheeks and ears burning. He should have guessed that might have been necessary. Mr. Helvig had stripped Sigyn bare to the waist in preparation for treatment and she was lying on her uninjured side. He backed out of the room and stood with his back to the wall outside the door, his face in his hands. That had been… unexpected. He was just glad Sigyn was unaware of his blunder. He tried to calm himself as his embarrassment slowly eked away to be replaced by worry once again. He could hear Mr. Helvig's low voice and Gothi's return grunts but he remained where he was trying not to replay what he'd just seen.

"Snotlout," called Mr. Helvig.

"Yes," replied Snotlout, not moving.

"Can you heat some water and find some clean rags?"

"I'll take care of it," he said, relieved to have something to keep his mind occupied. He quickly found another candle and in moments the room was aglow with its dancing light. He set about finding the clean rags. He'd seen Sigyn put some in the chest in the corner along with her medical kit last time he'd visited. He lifted the squeaky lid and to his relief found them in good supply. Next, he found one of the smaller cooking pots and filled it with clean water from the large jug Sigyn kept next to the stairs. Finding Hookfang outside, with his head on the porch he set the pot between his dragon's horns. Without explanation, his dragon was already heating the water. Absently he began to rub Hookfang's nose, trying to keep his mind blank rather than letting it replay the image of the blood that had stained his hands crimson or Sigyn's terrified eyes. Hookfang's long warm tongue flicked out of his mouth and wrapped around Snotlout's wrist, a low rumble in his chest.

"Thor, I hope she's okay," Snotlout whispered. "She will be, she has to be."

He wasn't sure he sounded very reassuring. Steam was rising from the pot now. Giving his dragon one last pat he carried the water back inside. Standing outside the bedroom with the pot and rags in hand he knocked, being sure to keep his eyes on the floor. The door opened and Gothi's face looked at him before taking the supplies from him and shutting the door.

Snotlout sat at the table, head in his hands as his mind began to spiral again. The other room remained quiet and he couldn't keep his thoughts from drifting to Sigyn. Would she be okay? Why had this happened? He cursed himself. If only he'd left a day sooner, maybe he could have done something. Maybe he could have stopped this all. Who had attacked and then just left? Why? It made no sense. He ground the balls of his hands into his eyes, growling as lights popped in and out behind his closed eyelids. He was angry. He was frustrated. He felt so useless, unable to help. Unable to protect Sigyn and the rest of Berk. What good was being a dragon rider if he couldn't protect those he cared about? There was a familiar building pressure in his chest and behind his eyes. No, this was stupid. Sigyn would be fine. Gothi hadn't seemed worried when she had opened the door, but then again, he wasn't sure he could judge her expressions accurately.

He stood abruptly, pushing the chair back. These emotions wouldn't help anyone. His foot knocked against something and he looked down to see a spool of thread rolling across the dusty floor. He lifted his gaze and surveyed the room, unsurprised to find it in discord. He could help in this way, control this small spot in his swirling world. He could distract himself.

First was the fireplace. Once it was cleaned out and a new fire burning in its hearth he set his attention on the room, gathering, sorting, and organizing its contents. He heated water in the large cooking pot, made short work of the dishes, and wiped down the table. He tramped outside to refill the large water jug and finally took up the long-neglected broom. He pushed the dirt across the floor, wondering if Sigyn had touched the broom since the last time he had. By now, the weather had finally eased and morning was beginning to break in the East. The room was tidy and his hands were once again idle.

His stomach gurgled and though he was hungry, food didn't sound appealing. But perhaps Mr. Helvig was hungry. He was probably starving with how long Sigyn had been trapped. He'd just decided to make some porridge when there was a knock at the door. He glanced at the bedroom door but decided against bothering them. He pulled the front door open and was surprised to find Shepherd Ingerman standing on the porch, a large crock and a basket in hand. The two boys stared awkwardly at each other for a long moment before Shepherd raised the crock a bit higher.

"We had some leftover soup," he said hesitantly. "And I made some fresh bread for Sigyn and her father."

Snotlout stepped aside and let the boy in. Shepard set the crock and basket on the table staring around the room in surprise.

"This place sure cleans up well. I don't know as I've ever seen it this tidy."

Snotlout just watched him, unwilling to admit that he'd done it.

"Is that your dragon out on the porch?"

Snotlout nodded.

"You should send him back before Sigyn sees him. She doesn't like dragons."

"I know," said Snotlout, folding his arms over his chest.

"You know and you still brought him?"

"Sigyn doesn't mind Hookfang normally."

"I find that hard to believe," said Shepard.

"You can ask her when she wakes up," said Snotlout shortly.

"How is she?" asked Shepard, his tone softening slightly.

Snotlut shrugged. "Gothi is still with her and Mr. Helvig." It was silent for a long moment again.

"Anyway," said Shepherd, shaking himself. "Just let Mr. Helvig know that we'll be checking in on him and Sigyn over the next few days."

Snotlout nodded again.

"What damage was done to the barn?"

"The entire back half of the barn as far as I could tell, but it was dark. I haven't checked it properly yet. That means the chicken coop is likely gone. Their yak, Bertha, is dead. Not sure about the chickens. I have seen a few around."

"I see," said Shepherd, rubbing a hand over the hair growing on his chin. "Listen, ask Mr. Helvig if he wants us to take the yak calf off his hands for a while. We have room for him in our barn."

"I'll ask him," said Snotlout. "If that's what he wants I'll bring Todd over later."

"Very well," said Shepard, turning toward the door. "I… I should get back. I hope Sigyn recovers well." With a curt nod, Shepherd was gone and the house was quiet again. Snotlout felt himself relax somewhat, wondering why the older boy should make him so tense.

Snotlout had just lifted the lid off the crock to inspect its contents when he heard Mr. Helvig calling for him. He went to the door and cracked it open.

"You called?"

"Is there more hot water?"

"Yes. I have an entire cauldron out here. I thought you and Sigyn might want to clean up a bit."

"Yes, please. Also, Sigyn will need fresh clothes, and a fresh blanket as this one is soiled. Can you manage that? Gothi will help me clean and dress her."

"I'll get them," said Snotlout, shutting the door.

He climbed the stairs to Sigyn's room and pushed the door open. He was unsurprised to see the room a mess, dirty clothes in a pile in the corner, a few dishes, and what looked like her newest sewing project spread across her unmade bed. It was messy, but for once he found the disorder to be comforting rather than grading. This was Sigyn's mess, her space, and every disordered item had its own story. The room smelled of her as well and the scent seemed to ease his frayed nerves. But where were her clean clothes?

He opened the chest and was unsurprised to see it mostly empty of clothes but instead populated with sewing supplies. He turned his attention instead to the basket at the foot of the bed. This was more promising and he was rewarded with a clean shirt and a pair of britches; but should he get a night dress instead? Sigyn would likely be in bed for several days at least. He put them back and rummaged deeper into the basket, finally drawing out a familiar night dress. His ears pinked as he noticed to his chagrin that the neckline and length had indeed been altered.

He had his hand on the door when he groaned. He hadn't found any under clothes yet. But he hadn't seen any in the basket either. He really didn't want to think about it but turned back. She would need them. The only problem was finding them. Knowing her they would not be where they belonged, assuming she had clean ones to begin with. She did hate laundry. The bed was untidy but he rummaged through the crumpled sheets straightening them as he went. He began to subconsciously sort and put things away as he searched, tidying the room. Sigyn would probably be moved up here later. Her father may want her closer for now but he would need to rest as well. Thor, he wasn't even sure the last time he slept. He found what he was looking for tucked under some spare fabric at the back corner of her bed. Trying not to think about it too much he folded the undergarments into the night dress, snatched a spare blanket from the bed, and slipped back downstairs. He filled a bucket with hot water and knocked on the bedroom door. Once again Gothi appeared and took the supplies from him.

"Thank you," called Mr. Helvig from inside the room.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Snotlout, the worry gnawing at the frayed edges of his mind.

"She should make a full recovery. She has a broken arm but luckily the piece of wood in her stomach missed all her organs. It's still a worry for infection but Gothi has seen to that. Relax my boy. Sigyn will be fine." Somewhere in Snotlout's stomach, a knot began to unravel. "She will be in bed for the better part of the week but she will be alright."

"Can I see her later?"

"She'll likely be asleep. Gothi gave her a sedative to keep her under while she worked, but yes, when she's cleaned up you can see her. Go rest. I'm sure you're tired."

Snotlout closed the door. He was tired, but he still felt restless. Absently, his feet carried him to the porch where Hookfang raised his head rumbling. Snoltout patted him as he surveyed the yard. The chickens had left their roost on the porch and were pecking about in the dirt. He counted them but only came up with four. One was missing. The yak calf was also nowhere to be seen. He frowned and stepped down off the porch, searching. He called out for Todd but Hookfang nudged him from behind. Snotlout turned to his dragon in confusion but relaxed a moment later.

Hookfang raised a leathered wing to reveal the calf tucked snugly to his side, fast asleep. Snotlout crept closer and crouched, running a hand through the curly hair on Todd's head. Poor thing, but at least he had reached the age to be weaned. Hookfang rumbled softly, looking pleased with himself.

"You big dope," said Snotlout half-heartedly. He was rewarded for his comment with a trail of saliva across his face. "Ah man, really Hookfang!" he said, wiping the spit from his face. The dragon rumbled, the noise almost sounding like a chuckle. Hookfang stilled and stretched his neck toward the door of the house.

"Sigyn will be okay," Snotlout said, sighing and getting to his feet. He patted Hoofang and then made his way across the yard, surveying the damage done to the barn in the light of day. It wasn't quite as bad as it might have been, he concluded. As he'd suspected the chicken coop was nothing more than a pile of sticks and timber. Poking through the rubble he found the last smashed chicken. He called for Hookfang and the dragon lumbered over. He pulled the mangled bird free and tossed it to his dragon who snapped it up with the audible crunch of bone.

He stood looking at the barn. It wasn't so much the back half of the barn as it was the back corner that had been smashed. It just happened to be the corner where the yak had been kept. It didn't look so bad. Most of the support beans were still intact, but the corner post would need to be replaced and the walls and roof reattached. What remained of the roof sagged ominously.

He went back around to the barn door and cautiously stepped inside going to the dead yak pinned under a large beam. He stepped closer, inspecting the dead animal. It was a shame but at least the meat didn't seem spoiled. The animal had bled out from a large gash on its neck thanks to the fallen hay loft. With Hookfang's help, he dragged the body into the yard. Spotting Todd, he took the calf around to the far side of the house and tied him to a stump where he could reach some tender grass and water.

Returning to the front, he tied a rope around the back legs of the dead yak and with Hookfang's help hung it from a tree. Resigned, he began to clean and gut the animal, offering the offal to Hookfang who snapped it up greedily. He left the meat to hang and moved to the barn, pulling out the tools and supplies in case it should collapse. He was about halfway done when the tap on his arm startled him, making him jump and drop the buckets he'd been carrying. Gothi was gesturing toward the house with a smile on her weathered lips.

"Does Mr. Helvig need me?" he asked, trying to calm his heart which had tried to abandon him. Gothi nodded before turning to point at Hookfang and then in the direction of her hut.

"You want Hookfang to take you home?" he guessed. She nodded, looking tired. He sighed. She probably had been the busiest person on Berk since the attack. He called Hookfang over and helped her mount just behind his dragon's horns. He took off his helmet, brushing the sweat from his brow as Gothi situated herself comfortably. He glanced back at the barn. Still, so much to do. A hand on his head startled him and he glanced up to see Gothi smiling down at him.

"What?" he asked uneasily. She didn't say anything, not that she could, but instead ruffled his hair and then patted his cheek. What was she, his grandmother? Not that he remembered much of the old lady he called grandmother as a young boy. He leaned away from her touch. "I don't know what you want."

She shook her head, smiling, and pulled her hand back.

"Look Hookfang will take you home but don't give him any dragon nip this time. I'm going to need his help." She shrugged as if to say 'who me?'

He shook his head. Whatever. Crazy old lady anyway. But she had helped Sigyn. Sigyn! He could see her now. With this thought in mind, he patted Hookfang and hurried back to the house, not watching as Gothi and his dragon vanished. He made his way to the back bedroom where the door was open. Sigyn was thankfully fully clothed and lay in the bed, her father beside her in the chair.

"Ah, Snotlout," her father said, looking up at him with a weary smile. Snotlout stepped into the little room and stood looking down at Sigyn. Her face was pale, washed of most of its color but her expression was a restful one. Gone was the mud and filth of the barn, wiped away with the blood. Her clothes were clean as were the bandages on her arm.

"Was it a bad break?" he asked, motioning to her arm.

"Gothi doesn't think so. She couldn't feel a definite break. She thinks the bone is probably cracked even if, thank Thor, it didn't snap."

"That's good then," said Snolout, sinking to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Gothi has done a good job."

Snotlout frowned as he remembered the old lady's hand on his head. "How were you able to talk to Gothi if you can't see her drawings and she doesn't speak?"

A tired smile passed over Mr. Helvig's face. "She draws the symbols on my hand," he said, holding out his hand, palm up. "It's not perfect, and often she has to repeat it until I get it right, but it's the best we could manage."

"Oh. Any idea when Sigyn will wake up?"

"Within the next day," said Mr. Helvig shrugging. They fell into a silence that stretched on uncomfortably and was only broken by a growl from Mr. Helvig's stomach.

"Mrs. Ingerman sent some soup over this morning if you're hungry."

"Poppy came all the way over here? She's meant to be on bed rest."

"She already had the baby," said Snotlout. "That's where Gothi was when I got her. She sent Shepard with the food."

"Shepard? I haven't seen him around here in a while."

"Do you want some of the soup?"

"Yes," said Mr. Helvig, shaking himself. "That sounds nice. It's been a while since I ate."

Snotlout stood and with one last glance at Sigyn's sleeping face went to prepare the food. He'd just set the bowls on the table and was about to call Mr. Helvig out when he held his tongue. Instead, he went back to the room unsure.

"Do you want me to bring the food in here or…"

"I would prefer the table thank you."

Snotlout stepped closer, coming to stand beside him. It was a bit awkward at first helping a fully grown man move from place to place but Mr. Helvig seemed accustomed to it. After a few awkward moments, they were both situated at the table.

"What can you tell me about the attack?" asked Mr. Helvig, feeling around for his spoon. Snotlout silently slid it under his searching fingers.

"Not much," he said before parroting what he'd heard his mother and Gobber say.

"I see," said Mr. Helvig, between bites. "I'm relieved no one was killed. Still, I can't understand why it happened."

"I wish I knew."

"What about the barn? How bad is it?"

Snotlout described the damage and how he thought it could be repaired.

"I found your yak, Bertha, dead in the rubble. I hope you don't mind but I noticed that besides some bruising on the front legs and neck, the rest of her was unmarred. I hung and gutted her. I didn't want all that meat to go to waste."

"That was sensible. Though I suspect Sigyn will be saddened. What about Todd?"

"He's tied up behind the house. The Ingermans have offered to house him in their barn for the time being."

"That may be for the best."

Snotlout stared down at his half-eaten bowl of soup. Despite his hunger, there was something bothering him even more. It wasn't until he saw Hookfang returning from Gothi's that he was able to vocalize it.

"Back… back there in the barn," he started, unsure how to phrase it. "When I was trying to get Sigyn out… you told me not to use Hookfang. Why?"

"Sigyn has a history with dragons," said her father.

"I figured that much out," said Snotlout. "I mean I could tell she didn't like or trust dragons when I first met her. I've even seen her react badly to some dragons fighting in the village. But last night… that was something different altogether. I thought she at least trusted Hookfang by now. I mean she's ridden him several times. But last night… she was terrified of him, almost terrified of me. I've never seen her that bad."

"She's not told you?"

"No," said Snotlout, pushing a chunk of carrot around the bowl.

"It doesn't surprise me. Still, you ought to know."

"I don't want to know if it will upset her."

Mr. Helvig waved his hand. "No, I don't think it would. I suspect she hasn't told you because speaking about it, remembering it, is difficult for her. But you of all people should know." Snotlout waited as Sigyn's father gathered his thoughts.

"Sigyn has two major fears," he began at last. "Both of those fears stemmed from the same incident from when she was ten."

"I only know about her fear of dragons," said Snotlout, trying to analyze everything he knew about Sigyn.

"She faced both those fears again last night. While you were pulling her out, not only did she face those two fears together, she also faced them in almost the exact same manner."

"What happened to her?"

"Before your cousin tamed his night fury," said Mr. Helvig. "When Sigyn was about ten she was playing in the woods and didn't tell anyone where she was going. She came across an abandoned hut and went to explore it. It was the time of year that the monstrous nightmare dragons were coming into the breeding and nesting season. Sigyn didn't know that the hut was abandoned because it was in an area that the dragons preferred. You see the earth is warm in that area and there is a natural spring. As Sigyn was exploring two male monstrous nightmare dragons came into the clearing and began to fight. She hid in the hut but the fight became so fierce and intense that the dragons brought the old hut down on top of her. She was trapped under the rubble, a leg pinned."

"Thor's hammer," breathed Snotlout, only able to imagine how terrified a ten-year-old Sigyn must have been. Adele would be ten next month and his stomach turned as he thought of his sister trapped in a collapsed hut with aggressive dragons fighting around her.

"Had it been that simple she may have had a better time of it," said her father. "But Sigyn was trapped there for two and a half days."

"Two and a half days?" spluttered Snotlout. Her father nodded.

"No one knew where she had gone. We searched the whole island, or so we thought. By the beginning of the third day, the search party had almost given up hope of finding her alive. But no one had thought to search where the dragons were fighting. No one thought a child would venture there."

"The dragons were still fighting?"

"They were fighting over the nesting area. As you know they are stubborn dragons and the loser kept returning to the spot trying to take it back."

Snotlout fell silent, at a loss for words. Sigyn had been trapped under a collapsed hut with two dragons fighting on top of her for more than two days. She must have spent all that time wondering if she would be found, if the dragons would crush her, if they might set the old hut ablaze. She'd been in pain, trapped, in the cold through the night, unable to call for help without drawing the attention of the dragons. Alone, hurt, unable to move or get away. And then it hit him.

"She's afraid of small spaces isn't she?" he said, glancing back at her sleeping form.

"She is," said her father, resignation in his voice. "Small spaces and dragons; monstrous nightmares in particular."

"How on Earth did I ever get her to ride Hookfang?" he asked in wonder, watching Sigyn's slow breathing.

"Believe me, I've asked myself that many times. I never thought I would know the day Sigyn would be able to face a dragon, let alone ride a monstrous nightmare, yet you and your dragon seem to hold a special place in her heart."

Snotlout was still watching Sigyn, Mr. Helvig's words not quite registering as he watched her frown slightly and then relax again.

"Mr Helvig, I…"

"Call me Torben, Snotlout. You're an adult now, and even if you weren't you have long since earned that right from me. Understood?"

"Yes," he said, heat creeping up his neck. It was still for several long heartbeats.

"Snotlout?" asked Torben.

"Yes?"

"Do you care for my daughter?"

Snotlout frowned at the man. "Of course I do. Why else would I be here? She's one of my…. Well, actually, she is my best friend."

"More so than your fellow riders?" asked the man, his tone surprised.

Snotlout was quiet for a long moment thinking. "Yeah," he admitted. "The other riders are fine, and we usually have each other's backs and even have fun, but… Sigyn, she's better than all of them. Only Hookfang is even close, but it's not the same as Sigyn."

"Because Sigyn is a girl?" asked Torben.

"Because Hookfang's a dragon," he said, feeling slightly confused. "I can't talk to Hookfang like Sigyn. Sure he can listen, and Sigyn's right, he's a very smart dragon, but still…" he trailed off awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"I see," said Toben ruefully, a small but sad smile on his lips. "I suppose I was expecting too much." Snotlout resumed pushing the food around his bowl. Why couldn't he seem to eat? And what was with Torben's odd questions? Stupid really, to ask if he cared about Sigyn after all the time he'd spent here with the both of them.

"Still," continued Torben. "I want to thank you for all you've done."

"It's nothing," said Snotlout, waving him off. "It needed doing and if I didn't someone else would have come to help… eventually."

"That's not what I meant. I want to thank you for all you have done for Sigyn, and I don't mean all the work you have helped her with, or even for being here now. Thank you for coming back after rescuing her from that tree."

"For coming back?" asked Snotlout, unsure.

"In short, thank you for being her friend. You may feel as though she is your best friend, but for Sigyn, you're the only friend she still has. You're the only one who has ever bothered to come back for her for her own sake. She won't admit it but she's quite lonely most of the time. A daughter needs her father, it's true, but young people need peers as well. You not only feed that need and desire for companionship, but somehow you managed to introduce her to Hookfang."

"Yeah, well that's mostly Hookfang's doing," he said, feeling a bit warm.

"I mean it Snotlout," said Torben, drawing Snotlout's full attention. "I'm glad Sigyn won't be alone when I'm gone."

"Gone?"

Torben smiled sadly. "I guess I should have said Sigyn has three fears. She fears the day I will die. She doesn't allow herself to think about it, but we both know my years are probably few. Last winter's sickness was worse than any year before. Gothi can alleviate the symptoms for now, but sometime, probably in the near future, she won't be able to bring me back. Every illness is a step further into the grave for me."

Snotlout sat digesting Torben's words, his glaze sliding between father and daughter. He hated to think of Sigyn in that future.

"Snotlout?" asked Torben, his voice cracking slightly.

"Yes?" he said hesitantly.

"Can I ask something more of you?"

"I guess."

"I want you to promise me to be there when that time comes. I hate to admit it, but since the accident, Sigyn's life has revolved around mine. But when I'm gone, everything will change for her."

"I'm… I'm not very good with that kind of stuff."

"You need only do as you are now. Just be there for her. Be her friend. Don't let the other's forget about her. Don't let her be alone."

"I… I think I can do that. But don't go soon."

Torben chuckled softly. "Would to the Norns that it will be many years. I pray by then she will have found someone to share her life with."

"You mean… like marriage?"

Torban sat across from him, his face in the palm of his hand. "Every father wants to know his daughter is taken care of."

They sat in silence, Snotlout chasing images around his mind, trying to imagine Sigyn married, trying to imagine himself married. As often as he had talked about it or thought about it in passing, he'd never really given it much serious thought. He'd always pictured Astrid as his bride… but somehow that image didn't fit anymore. Was it Hiccup? Maybe everyone was right about those two. But maybe Astrid wasn't the problem. If he were really honest, he was more worried he would simply end up alone.

"Can, I ask you something?" he said, trying to shake himself out of that particularly nasty spiral. Torben nodded. "What exactly was the accident that did this to you?"

"It was a dragon raid."

'

"A dragon did this to you?"

"No, rather the burning house that collapsed on me did. It was one of the more vicious raids and many of the houses were set ablaze. The Larson home was one of them."

"You mean like Gustav Larson. Those Larson's?"

"Yes. Gustav, his mother, and sister had gotten out of the house, but little Hilda had left her stuffed toy inside. She was crying about it. Well, Gustav snuck back in to find it but he didn't come back out again. I went in after him and found him passed out upstairs due to the smoke. Unfortunately, that's when the floor collapsed." Torben paused, gathering his thoughts. "They managed to pull Gustav out quickly, but my hips were pinned under one of the beams. By the time they got the fire put out and freed me I had lost feeling in my legs. A blow to my head had blurred my vision and over the next few months, my world grew darker. Now I hardly see at all, just the very brightest of lights. It wasn't till the following winter we found out about the damage that had been done to my lungs."

Snotlout pushed the cold stew around his bowl. So that's what had happened. Why wasn't he surprised that Gustave had something to do with all this? Trouble seemed to cling to that kid like flies to yak dung. He'd caused, or at least been involved in enough trouble involving the dragon riders. Not that the kid was malicious, just stupid sometimes. That and he had the annoying habit of trying to copy him all the time. It had been flattering at first but had quickly grown annoying and almost creepy.

"How old was Sigyn?"

"Fourteen. Far too young to be thrust into adulthood all at once. It was as thanks and probably apology that Mrs. Larson took Sigyn under her tutelage, teaching her the basics of the tailoring trade." Torben stifled a huge yawn.

"Want me to take you to Sigyn's bed?" asked Snotlout as Torben stretched. "I kind of had to clean it off to find her to clean clothes."

"Why does that not surprise me," said her father with a rueful grin. "If I were only blind and not bound to a chair I would no doubt be constantly tripping over things Sigyn has left out. But no, if you would however take me out to the porch. The chair out there is quite comfortable. If Sigyn is up to it when she wakes perhaps she can move upstairs then. Gothi didn't want her doing anything strenuous but she said walking and movement would be good for her. All except for her harm which is to be kept bound and close to her side."

"Are you alright if I go sit with her after that?" asked Snotlout, trying to hide his own yawn.

"Of course."

*****

Unfamiliar footsteps brought Torben out of his snooze. The steps weren't quite heavy enough to be Mrs. Ingerman, not that he expected her, but they also weren't those of Shepherd or Gothi. Curious, he lifted himself straighter in the rocking chair, trying to listen over the wood squeaking with his shifting weight. The faint rasp of scales below the porch told him that Hookfang was aware of the approaching person as well. What surprised him however was the dragon's reaction for he was making that odd sound he sometimes made when Sigyn or Snotlout were near, almost a contented purr. Who besides Snotlout or Sigyn would the dragon be that pleased to see?

"Hello Hookfang," said a vaguely familiar woman's voice. The dragon's contented purr turned to a full-on pleased rumble, and Torben could hear the faint scratch of nails over scales.

"The dragon sure seems to know you," said Torben, leaning forward, unsure who his guest could be. But the moment the woman chuckled he could place her. No wonder Hookfang was so at ease.

"Hookfang ought to know me, considering he and my son are nearly inseparable."

"Hello Freeda," said Torben, relaxing back into his chair. "It's been a long time. Come, take a seat." Her footsteps climbed the stairs and crossed the porch to the other chair.

"I suppose you are looking for Snotlout," said Torben.

"More like confirming a suspicion. He was hardly home long enough to ask about Sigyn before he was off again. When I didn't see him return and his father hadn't seen him report to Stoick I guessed he was still here. And if he hadn't reported to Stoick then he must have had a good reason. I feared you might be in trouble."

"I'm afraid we did indeed have trouble. Sigyn was trapped inside the barn which was brought down on her head. Before Snotlout arrived I feared we were forgotten."

"Well old Gobber's mind is slipping with his age, but I hadn't guessed he would have forgotten you."

"I'm sure there was much for him to consider at the time."

"Perhaps," said Freeda with a dissatisfied grunt. "How is Sigyn? Not too injured I hope."

"She will be alright. Gothi is confident she will recover, although a broken arm will slow her down considerably."

"I should think it would. I'm relieved she will recover. I'm sure Snotlout was beside himself."

"The state of the house would agree with you," said Torben with a faint grin. "Who knew that compulsive cleaning was an inherited trait?"

Freda chucked. "Yes, I'm afraid he may have learned that habit from me. I used to worry so when Stiock and Spitelout would lead the expeditions to hunt the dragons. For months the house would be spotless."

"Loki knows Sigyn could benefit from a bit of that," said Torben. "But who am I to complain?"

"Is Snotlout about?"

"From the snores I heard earlier, I believe he fell asleep in the chair beside Sigyn. He said he was only going to sit for a few minutes but I suspect he's exhausted, especially if, as you say, he only just arrived from Dragon's Edge."

"I brought you some food. May I put it on the table?"

"Please do. I'm sorry you had to hold it all this time."

"Don't worry," she said, the creaking porch telling him of her movements. The front door squeaked and he listened to her move across the room and pause for a long moment before returning to the porch.

"Your guess was correct. He's fallen asleep, leaning forward onto the bed."

"One can hardly blame him for being exhausted."

"I'd almost forgotten how old Sigyn is. She's not that trembling ten-year-old I remember, or even that confused tired 14-year-old."

"No, she's no longer a child. Hasn't been for many years." The squeaking of the chair told him she'd sat again. "But I admit my last memory of Snotlout was of a 13-year-old carrying buckets. I'll have to take Siggy's word that he no longer resembles a troll."

"Oh," said Fredda with a sad chuckle. "That was not his best year, in many ways."

"I know Sigyn has appreciated his company much this past year."

"I'm glad to hear it." There was a long pause. "In a lot of ways Snotlout is very much Spitelout's son," said Freda.

Torben did not need to see her face to hear in her voice that she wanted to say more. "One can hardly help but notice," he said when she didn't immediately continue.

"But," she added hesitantly, "In more subtle and quiet ways he is much more my son."

Torben turned his face toward the sun, the heat of it warming his face though his world remained dark. "Freda, even without my sight I could see that. Why else do you think I would encourage and allow his frequent visits here."

There was an even longer and heavier silence. "Then perhaps you'd like to know something you can't have seen," she said, an odd note in her voice.

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Not only is my son asleep beside your daughter's bed but… he is holding your daughter's hand."

Torben leaned back in his chair, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

"Best friends eh?"

******

Hello, my very patient readers. You have been wonderful to me and this story. No, I have not abandoned it and I'm sorry it's been so long. Summer hit and with the kids being out of school and the garden and projects around the house I just got busy. Add on top of that I needed to update my Hobbit fiction and it was just yeah… excuses.

Anyway, I now have a new and additional fanfiction for the SERVAMP fandom. If you are not familiar with this fandom… you should be. If you like vampires and the seven deadly sins motif, and cute boys who shift into animals then it's right up your alley. There is an anime, but as with most things the anime pales in comparison to the Manga which is so good! Seriously you are going to love Sleepy Ash of Sloth. Who doesn't love a lazy sleepy vampire cat who knows just how cute he can be? This new story is going to be a bit out of my usual wheelhouse because for once it will be a bittersweet ending rather than a happily ever after ending. Anyway, you should totally become addicted to Servamp so you want to read my poor little story. The fandom is very underrated and underappreciated.

Another thing that has kept me from writing is an increase in art. I have made several fanarts for this and others of my stories. If you want (especially if you are on FFN or ao3, where there are no pictures) you can look me up on DeviantArt under the same name Shylowdeath. I have some Snotlout and Sigyn fan art up there. But hey imagine the character however you want… we all know you will no matter how much or how little I describe them to you… and that's the way it ought to be.

Also, FFN's stats are not working… I hope that emails are at least going thorurh, but if you could comment and let me know if you are seeing this that would be great.

And one last thing, you probably didn't notice but I changed Fishlegs family slightly. Before I had him as the oldest but as I wrote this chapter I changed that so that Shepard is older rather than younger… I may or may not use him in the future but I wanted that door left open for later.

What did you think? What did you like… were there parts you didn't like? Oh, hints for the next chapter. I think we will get to see Hiccup's POV for a while… Details to come later… but he may meet Sigyn finally. Anywho… thanks so much for reading and please please stoke my ego and leave a comment for this poor starving writer.

Until next chaper my dear readers may you find many wonderful stories to read.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Reasons

"Gobber," called Hiccup, scooping the freshly made assortment of nails, hinges, knobs, and other small brick-a-brack into a knapsack. Gobber stuck his head around the corner, sweat from the forge beading on his dirty brow and glowing in the light of the glowing coals. "I'm going to take this batch over to the arena."

"Aye lad," said the old viking. "Finished already?"

"Yeah, I don't think we need too many more. Last time I was down at the arena there was still a good supply of everything."

"About time," grumbled Gobber. "With the great hall gone, I've had to eat my own cooking. Much more of it and I might give up eating altogether."

"Heh he, yeah…" said Hiccup, inclined to agree with Gobber. The one time he had tried the viking's food he'd sworn off it. Never again. "A few more days at this rate," he assured. "Do you have anything you want me to take with me?"

"That sack in the corner," said Gobber, pointing with his hammer.

"Alright," said Hiccup, hefting the sack over his shoulder and nearly setting himself off balance as his mechanical leg clicked. One of the mechanisms had a catch that threw him off balance slightly. He'd been meaning to fix it.

It had been five days since Berk had been attacked. Five days since Gobber's letter with Snotlout's added note had arrived at Dragon's Edge and set everything topsy turvy. The flight back to Berk had been one of the most stressful days since trying to keep Toothless a secret. Trust Gobber not to include any detail in his urgent but cryptic note. But despite all the stomach-turning worry, they had finally arrived to find most everything back under control. True, several buildings and huts, including Astrid's family's home, had been damaged or demolished and there had been several injuries, but most had just counted themselves lucky.

Hiccup stepped out into the early morning gloom as a dark shadow beside the building shook itself. Toothless rose from his slumber with a wide yawn.

"Glad one of us got some sleep." He scratched his dragon under the chin and Toothless rumbled softly and nosed the sack in his hand. "Just more bits and pieces for the repairs," said Hiccup, looping the sack over Toothless's saddle horn. With a slight shake of his shoulders, Toothless set off toward the arena, the two of them walking together.

The village was quiet at this early hour. They shambled through the streets, passing his aunt and uncle's house where it looked like Aunt Freda was in the kitchen. They passed the remains of Astrid's old house where the skeleton of a new hut was already being fleshed out. At least that could be said about Berkians, due to their past with the dragons, they were no strangers to repairing things. Buildings were reconstructed in record time and everyone seemed to know just what to do. He frowned. Still, this had to be one of the first times in years that this extensive of repairs have been necessary.

He'd heard the report from his father, uncle, and Gobber when he returned and by the description of the ships, there was no doubt who had attacked them. Dagur. Hiccup had thought that with Dagur's vendetta against him that leaving Berk would be for the best, hoping to draw Dagur's attention to himself. But apparently, Daugur has grown frustrated with the chase. The question that niggled at the back of his mind was why had Dagur fled? Not that Dagur the deranged needed a reason to act… well deranged, but still there must have been a reason. It was maddening but he hadn't had the chance to try and tease it apart yet.

Still, at least the repairs were well underway. The dragon riders could begin the journey back to Dragon's Edge in the next day or so. They needed to track down Dagur and keep this from happening again. Violence was an occupational hazard for vikings but the look on Astrid's face when she saw the remains of her family's house had been difficult to stomach.

He'd done his best to console her, but she had grown quiet and distant rather than weepy, which he had appreciated but was not quite sure how to interpret. It was clear she was busy with her own thoughts but who knew what they were and prodding her before she was ready was unwise. To be honest, prodding her ever was unwise. The others had noticed Astrid's mood as well and when they realized she would be sleeping with Stormfly in the stables they had all opted to stay in the stables with her. Even the usually insensitive Snotlout who had stumbled into the stable late at night for the past week had been bedding down with the other riders and dragons.

The first few days the riders had been assisting with the repairs by bringing in fresh trees for lumbar, hauling away debris, and helping with heavy lifting. Astrid's father Mr. Hofferson came to the arena to process the fresh trees into usable lumber and several of the women including Aunt Freda had been making meals and bringing them to share with those who were displaced or working on the repairs. Hiccup had been spending the majority of his time in the forge crafting various building supplies. But now the work was mostly up to skilled crafters and individuals. It was time to track down Dagur.

The sun was beginning to peak over the tops of the trees as he and Toothless shambled into the training arena where supplies for the repairs were being kept. They were not the only ones awake. Astrid was running through some exercises with her axes while Stormfly watched from the sidelines. There was snoring from where the others were. No surprise there. The twins could sleep through anything and Fishlegs had gotten in later than anyone except for Snoltout who had landed blearily on Hookfang sometime after midnight. Surprisingly the other pair that was awake was Snotlout and Hookfang despite their late night.

Hiccup had seen surprisingly little of his cousin since returning to Berk. Snotlout had sporadically helped bring lumber to the arena the first day or two but after that always seemed to be off busy with something else. He left early in the morning and showed up late at night. The few times he did turn up during the day he somehow seemed to slip away unnoticed after a few minutes despite riding one of the largest and arguably the loudest dragons on the island. Hiccup took the sack from Toothless's saddle and began sorting its contents into the various baskets near the edge of the arena. Dropping the last of the nails into the bucket Hiccup turned to go wake the others but ran head-long into Snotlout.

"Gah! Snotlout," he gasped, clutching at his chest. Snotlout gave a tired but dismissive snort before moving to sort through the new hardware. Getting his heart back into a normal rhythm he took a moment to study his cousin. There were bags under his eyes, his hands had several wrapped fingers, and a general sense of stubborn weariness rolled off of him. It looked like it had been several days since he'd gotten decent sleep or bathed. Hiccup didn't ever recall seeing Snotlout in this state. Tired, cranky, or hungry sure but there was something slightly different now and try as he might Hiccup couldn't quite put his finger on it. Given his state, he was not slacking off somewhere. Snoltout could be lazy in certain circumstances, but it was not in his nature when there was true or serious work to be done. Still, Hiccup had seen so little of him.

"Snotlout?" he tried again, feeling like it was the hundredth time he'd asked. Snotlout grunted his acknowledgment but didn't look up as he examined a large hinge. "Where have you been the past few days?"

Snotlout let out a weary breath but didn't look up from his examination. "It doesn't matter, Hiccup. Just drop it. I'm busy."

"But busy with what?" pressed Hiccup. "We could help you with whatever it is."

"I don't need your help," said his cousin, brisling. Hiccup groaned internally. He'd hit a nerve and would get nothing more, not that he'd been getting much to begin with. Best to shift the topic for now.

"Well, wherever you're up to, just know we're headed back to the Edge first thing tomorrow."

Snotlout froze for several long moments. "No," he said at last. "I'm not going back yet."

"But the repairs are nearly done," said Hiccup. "There's not much more we can do here and we need to find Dagur."

"Did I hear you say you're leaving for the Edge tomorrow?" asked Astrid from behind him. Hiccup jumped and tried to restart his heart for the second time that morning.

"Y… yes we need to get back out there." To his surprise, Astrid gave almost the same response.

"I'm staying here," she said.

"What?! Why?"

Astrid sighed and slung her ax over her shoulder. "I'm not leaving Berk defenseless."

And there it was. That was what had been occupying her lately. She was feeling a sense of guilt and perhaps even fear, which given what happened to her family's house was not unwarranted. Still…

"But what about Dagur? He's still out there. What about Dragon's Edge?"

"I won't leave Berk defenseless," she repeated, this time with even more iron in her tone. "I'm staying here to train some…"

"But…" he interrupted.

"She's right Hiccup," interjected Snotlout, returning to his examination of hinges. "Last time we left Berk I thought it would be okay, but… we were wrong. Dragon Riders are Berk's best defense. We got lucky this time but who knows about next time."

"If we catch Dagur there won't be a next time," insisted Hiccup.

"That's what we thought last time we locked him up on Berserker Island and look where that got us."

"Even if we did catch him," said Astrid. "There will always be another Dagur."

"Exactly," said Snotlout. "And who knows if the next threat won't be worse. It might not just be smashed buildings and broken bones. Maybe…" But he broke off and looked away. "I'm not taking that risk again."

Hiccup looked between the two of them. What in Niflheim was going on? Since when did Snotlout and Astrid agree on anything?

"We can't just stay here on Berk forever," he argued.

"I didn't suggest we should," said Astrid.

"But…"

"Look," said Snotlout with new determination. "I want to nail Dagur just as much and probably more than you do. When I find him and I will I'll make him pay for everything he did to… to Berk. But Berk needs better defenses before we go so I agree with Astrid. Besides, I'm not ready to go. I have some things to finish and I need a few more days. Send Fishlegs and the twins if you want."

"A few more days for what?" he asked, exasperated.

"None of your beeswax," said Snotlout, shoving a few hinges in his pocket. "But don't expect me to be around for a while." With this, his cousin turned his back on them and in a matter of seconds was flying off on Hookfang.

He turned to Astrid. "So what? You're just going to quit the dragon riders?"

She folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. That was a danger sign. Best tread carefully.

"I didn't say that," she said.

"That's what I heard."

"Then you weren't listening. You interrupted me."

He sighed. She was right. It was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry. What were you going to say?"

"I know Dagur needs to be stopped and you and the others can go after him. I'm going to stay here and train new dragon riders," she said, bumping her hip against his. "Muttonhead."

He let his head fall back with a groan. Of course, that's what she had meant. He should have known Astrid was not quitting the team. It was a brilliant idea and he was a bit chagrined he hadn't thought of it himself. A simple solution to the problem.

"You're right. It's a good idea."

"You're not the only one who has them," she reminded him.

"Just to be clear, are you planning to come back to Dragons Edge when they are trained?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Of course."

****************

"Hookfang," called Snotlout, wiping sweat from his face with the back of his hand as the brutal summer sun beat down on him. "Lift it up."

Hookfang ambled over and took the large barn door in his mouth and lifted it several inches off the ground. Snotlout slowly guided the door onto its frame and carefully aligned the hinges. He took the hammer from his belt and a few nails from his pocket. Say what you wanted about his cousin, but Hiccup made some of the best quality hardware in the village. Probably due to all the tinkering with his and Toothless's prosthetics. And although he'd rather roll in yak dung than admit it he had been careful to pick out some of Hiccup's best work to use in the repairs for the Helvig's barn. He deftly drove the nails into place one by one.

"Alright," he said, stepping back. Hookfang let go and rumbled contentedly as Snotlout swung the door closed and latched it shut.

That was it then. The barn was repaired, and the chicken coop restored. Not too shabby for only eight days and no outside help. Too bad flesh and bone could not be repaired so easily. That would have made leaving easier. Satisfied with the job, he went to wash up and cool off in the spring. A few minutes later he clumped up onto the porch with a bucket of fresh water and stopped to refill Mr. Helvig's cup. He paused as he stepped through the open front door and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light inside.

Sigyn sat with her cheek in her hand on the padded storage bench by the open window looking out into the yard. Her hair was loose and wavy as it drifted about in the lazy breeze. It had been hard for her to do anything with her hair with only one hand. There was a small frown on her lips and she was deep in thought as he watched her. Although she had recovered quite well in the past few days there was no getting around the broken arm. The puncture on her side had kept her down for a day or two but after that, she had been up and about. In fact, it had been all Snotlout could do to keep her from overexerting herself and pulling the stitches loose.

As soon as she could leave bed and walk she had followed him around the yard and house as he worked, talking and asking questions. After the first few hours he'd given up on getting her to go back inside so instead he'd fetched the kitchen chair and at least made her sit while she chattered. He hadn't minded really. One of the only good things about this past week was the chance to talk to Sigyn so much. It had occupied both their minds and distracted them. It had also been nice to finally be able to tell her everything he had not been able to write in the letters. He had told her all about the recent escapades with Hookfang, and the female and titan wing dragons. He'd particularly liked getting to tell her of the fight against the titan wing and she had been particularly interested in his description of the baby dragons. But she could only manage a while in the chair before her side began to hurt and he would usher her back inside to rest.

Gothi had warned them that she could easily reinjure herself. She was to be up and about but not straining herself and completely healed before using her core. Much to Sigyn's frustration this included lifting, reaching, stretching, or straining in any way. Two days ago when Gothi had been out to check on Sigyn she had told them another week and she would be cleared to do any activity that didn't involve her broken arm which would take several more weeks at least. To Sigyn, these five remaining days could not come fast enough.

"You're supposed to leave those stitches alone," he said, seeing her free hand drift towards the healing wound on her side.

She scowled. "It's itchy."

"Have you tried the cream Gothi left for you?" he asked. "It's supposed to help."

"It smells funny," she said, her nose wrinkling as she turned to face him. "Besides, you're hardly one to lecture me on first aid."

"With you around I'm learning fast."

She grimaced and resumed looking out the window. He took up the seat beside her and picked up the cloth in her lap that was her latest sewing project. There were small red and brown spots on the fabric and glancing at her fingers he could see she had pricked them several times. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and with a sigh surrendered her hand to his examination.

"It's hard to do with only one working arm," she said. "My hand may not be broken but it still hurts to use my fingers like I need to."

"So take a break," he suggested, letting go of her hand, but she caught his hand in return.

"Says the boy with smashed fingers and splinters. Don't think I didn't hear that tirade earlier this afternoon when you caught your hand with the hammer. Your language," she said, shaking her head in mock horror. "Loki himself might have covered his ears."

It was his turn to grimace. "Well at least it's finally all done," he said.

She wilted slightly. "So I saw," she said, letting go of his hand. "Does that mean you're going back to Dragon's Edge soon?"

"I suppose I have to join them soon. Hiccup keeps asking… well let's just say he's anxious to have everyone back on Dragon's Edge."

"Isn't Astrid still training the auxiliary dragon riders?"

He snorted. "She is and at the pace she's going, she's going to wear them all out before they're ready. Hiccup told me he's starting to think the training is just a cover for her to stay on Berk."

"Do you think it is?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Could be, but she has some interesting volunteers for riders. Never thought I'd see old Gothi as a dragon rider and my dad's as stubborn as a yak stung by a speed stinger."

"Didn't you say Gustav was part of the team too?"

He nodded. "Him, Bucket, Mulch, and Silent Sven. Like I said, not exactly the cream of the crop but if anyone can whip them into shape it's Astrid. Though I don't envy any of them. At any rate, someone ought to be out on Dragon's Edge to help Fishface keep the twins in check. Who knows what they've gotten up to."

"Has there been any sign of this Dagur person who attacked us?"

"Not that we've heard or seen. We haven't gotten any terror mails, but once again the twins are not exactly the most observant at all times. Still, I don't like leaving you so soon."

"I suppose you can't show favoritism or the other women in your harem will be jealous."

"I'm serious," he said, staring at her intently. "You still have a few more days till you can do too much. Who's going to help you with your father? Your arm is a long way from healed."

"Stop worrying," she said, picking at the bandages holding her broken arm in place. "We'll be fine. Besides, Shepherd already said he would come over to check on us."

"I know," he said, turning away and folding his arms over his chest.

To be honest he wasn't the biggest fan of Shepherd hanging around. Ever since he'd brought the bread and soup over that first night he made a habit to stop by at least once a day. On one hand, he was grateful that someone would be close at hand to help Sigyn at least once a day, on the other the older boy made him uneasy though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. Maybe it was the way the older boy seemed to avoid Hookfang or how Sigyn acted around him. There was always an air of reserved but polite awkwardness whenever Shepard came around.

"You don't like him much do you?" asked Sigyn, watching him. He grimaced internally. How in Thor's hammer did she always seem to see exactly what he was trying to hide? Although perhaps in this case he hadn't been trying very hard.

He shrugged noncommittally. "He's weird around Hookfang," he hedged, not looking at her.

"And?" she prompted.

"And he's odd but familiar with you," he said as something prickly slid uncomfortably into place in his chest. "I just don't like it."

She chuckled. "Can't handle a little competition?" she teased.

He scowled at her. "What competition?"

"I used to know Shepherd pretty well," she said, ignoring his comment. "Even though he's three years older than me he would still hang around with me and my friends when I was a kid. We were getting to be good friends that last year."

"That last year?" he asked, glancing at her.

"The year before my um… incident," she said looking away. "He and his father were the ones who found me."

That would explain why he was strangely protective of her, especially when it came to Hookfang. "So what happened?" he asked.

"I went into self-inflicted isolation. I kinda lost contact with most of my friends after that. Right after Dad's accident, I saw Shepard for a while but then he came of age and began apprenticing with Mr. Hofferson. We just sort of didn't see much of each other after that. It just got a bit awkward. It's been a bit strange having him suddenly show up so much."

He looked over at her out of the corner of his eye. "Even if he does show up, I'm still worried. If I know you, you're likely to try and use your arm before you should."

"You're worried about it aren't you."

"About you, yes. And you Dad."

"Why thank you Snotlout," came a call from the front porch.

Sigyn rolled her eyes, gingerly rising before going to the porch to talk to her father. Snotlout watched her go, biting a lip. He had done all he could think to make things easy for her. He had chopped and replenished the woodpile, refilled the water barrels alongside the house so Sigyn wouldn't have to carry buckets from the creek, and even rigged up an irrigation system for Sigyn's garden. Never mind that he had copied the idea from Fishface's irrigation system in his weird garden at Dragon's Edge. It would cut out work for Sigyn and that's what mattered. He had even washed the growing pile of laundry much to Sigyn's horror when she remembered her underthings were also in that pile. It had been a bit embarrassing, but he'd seen her washing them before.

But the largest and most worrying thing he still could not find a solution for was her father, Torben. Though diminished since his accident, he was still a large and heavy man who required moving at least several times a day. As of now, that task was beyond Sigyn for at least several more weeks. Torben could move around by dragging himself on the floor with his arms which were still powerful, but it had to be frustrating for him. For the past week or so he had been the one to move to Torben to and fro around the house and yard.

He considered going to his uncle and asking for additional help for the Helvigs but the one time he brought it up, both Sigyn and her father had insisted he not, saying they didn't need or want to bother the chief. It was only a few weeks and they would make do. Snotlout snorted. Jorgenson's weren't the only stubborn family on Berk. It was a problem that had been growing heavier on his mind the closer he got to leaving. But leave he must. There were only so many times he could fob off Hiccups probing questions. And Daugur must be dealt with.

Since finding out the identity of their attacker he'd wanted to fly out on Hookfang and personally see to it Dagur spent a long painful eternity in Niffleheim with Hel. But Sigyn and her father had to come first. Dagur had caused Berk and the Dragon Riders trouble before but something about this time was different. Someone he cared about had been hurt and she hadn't even been given that chance to defend herself. She'd been forced to relive her worst nightmare. For days Sigyn couldn't be around Hookfang without flinching or trembling. The first time she'd seen him after regaining consciousness she'd been terrified and once again slipped into memories of the past. It had taken some time to bring her back to the present. It was only yesterday that she had been able to reach out and touch his dragon again. This change in her had not gone unnoticed by Hookfang who had been more reserved in the past few days. It had been an interesting few days, to say the least.

"Are you still going to write to me when you leave?" asked Sigyn, breaking him out of his thoughts as she sat beside him again.

He turned to look at her and scowled. "So you have been getting my letters. Why didn't you ever write back?"

"I couldn't," she replied, settling herself cross-legged beside him. "The letter where I assume you were trying to give me instructions for sending the letters was waterlogged. Oh," she said, snapping her fingers before leaning over to reach for her sewing basket on the floor. She groaned and winced and he reached out and took her by the good arm helping her sit up again.

"Let me," he said, retrieving the basket.

"Thanks," she said, rummaging in the sewing supplies. A few moments later she pulled out a gray lump. "Here, I fixed the hole for you," she said holding it out to him. It was his sock.

He took it. "You thought I sent you my sock to repair?" he asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure why else you would send it," she said. A chuckle came from the porch.

He flushed. "It was for the terrible terror mail."

Sigyn looked at him confused.

"They find people by scent," he explained. "You write your letter, attach it to the terrible terror, and give it a scent to track. The sock was so you could send me letters."

Now a burst of deep laughter came from the porch. Sigyns's cheeks flushed. She looked out the window but a moment later frowned.

"How have you been sending letters to me then?"

It was his turn to look away and blush. "Well I might have taken one of your dirty socks last time I was here," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"That's what happened to my sock! I thought it washed away while I was doing laundry. At least that explains why the terrible terror went from my dirty clothes."

"It got into your laundry?" he asked, looking back at her.

She nodded. "About tore my room apart."

"Sorry."

"It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. "Rooms clean now."

"Because I cleaned it," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah I know, I'm messy compared to you."

"Regular little piggy," he said with a grin.

She jabbed him with her fingers and he laughed trying to dodge her. "Anyway, I have been enjoying your letters."

"So you don't mind the terrible terrors bringing you mail?" he asked, watching her expression carefully. He'd been slightly worried about sending dragons to her even if they were small.

"I'm not going to lie, the first time the one crawled through my window in the morning I was pretty shaken, but after I figured out why mini dragons were visiting it wasn't so bad. Besides, Dad likes them. Last time one curled up in his lap for a few hours."

"At least they didn't fly into your face," he said thoughtfully.

"They do that?" she asked, horrified.

"Yeah," he said with a chuckle. "Hiccup and Fishface have been working on that. I was hoping that giving them a sock rather than just a general scent would mean they would go after your feet if anything."

"Yes, because being tripped by a dragon attacking your feet is better," she said with a nudge.

He shrugged. "Better than a surprise dragon to the face anyway."

"Well, I haven't had one fly into my face yet." They were silent for a long moment. "So how much weight can a terrible terror carry back and forth?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "A few pounds, maybe five, although it slows them down. Why? Going to send me things?"

"I had thought about it," she said with a shrug. "I'm sorry you had to do so much work around here."

"I don't mind," he said. "It's kind of nice to have a reason to tell Hiccup to stuff it every once in a while."

"When do you think you'll leave?" she asked.

He sighed. "Probably tonight so I can get there the morning after. I was going to go into the village and get the rest of the smoked yak meat before I left. It should be done by now. Is there anything you want me to take or bring back?"

"Well," she said, biting a lip. "You could stop at Mrs. Larson's and drop off a tunic I finished a while ago. See if she has any more orders to be done."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" he asked, poking her fingertips.

She frowned. "Gothi says I can unbind my arm next week so long as I keep the brace on my forearm. That should make it much easier. Besides," she said with a sigh. "I have to do something. All this sitting is driving me crazy."

"All right all right," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll stop by Mrs. Larson's. What about you Mr. Helvig?" he called.

"Nothing for me thanks," came the reply from outside. "And I told you to call me Torben."

Snotlout didn't answer as he looked over at Sigyn. It still felt awkward calling her father by his name, especially around others, but every time he didn't Mr. Helvig would correct him.

"You'll come back and say goodbye before you leave right?" she asked.

He got to his feet. "Of course," he said with a wink. "I have to bring the yak meat back."

********************

The sun was slipping into the cloudy horizon, painting the sky a brilliant red as Snotlout made his way back to Sigyn's. It had taken much longer than expected to run his few simple errands. First, he'd gone to get the smoked yak meat from Mr. Belkie but had to wait while Old Widder Johnson picked over her order of butchered boar. She didn't get out much and was fond of recounting long-winded and very boring anecdotes of her younger years. It had been a very tedious hour.

Once he'd finally gotten free of her he'd headed for the Larson home. But on arrival, he'd had to wait while Mrs. Larson finished taking several orders and measurements from the Gunnerson family. He waited out on the porch with little Hilda Larson who was just a few years older than his brother Groffrey but every bit as rambunctious and talkative. He'd listen to her ramble about this and that while she climbed and clambered all over Hookfang who was surprisingly patient with her. At last, he was able to deliver the tunic and get a few more orders for Sigyn along with a bag of new supplies. By this point Hookfang's saddle was overflowing so he'd sent him back to Sigyns.

Next, he'd gone home to repack and restock his supplies. He was about to leave when his mom cornered him and insisted he eat dinner with her and his siblings while she packed him and the Helvigs some extra food. He hadn't minded that too much. He missed his mom's cooking when he was at Dragon's Edge. While Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishface could cook, the twins had a horrible tendency to produce 'food' that not even the dragons would eat. He'd even volunteered to cook for them just so he didn't have to eat their cooking. Why waste food?

After dinner, there was only one thing left to do. Find Hiccup and tell him he was headed back to the Edge, but that was apparently easier said than done. First, he tried the forge in the back of Gobber's shop as it was closest, but no luck. Following Gobber's suggestion he headed to the arena next but still no Hiccup. Astrid was just finishing training with the auxiliary riders when he arrived. The trainees looked exhausted and singed. Apparently, Astrid had finally let them graduate from brooms to actual dragons, a gronckle for old Gothi, a deadly nadder for his father, a zippleback for Bucket and Mulch, and a monstrous nightmare for Silent Sven. He'd felt an indecent amount of pleasure that his father had not been given a monstrous nightmare.

After a brief exchange with Astrid, he grabbed a few extra supplies for Dragon's Edge and turned back the way he'd come. He finally found his cousin at home having dinner. Hiccup had again asked where he'd been but Snotlout had deflected him by saying he was headed back to Dragon's Edge.

Now he was finally trekking back to Sigyn's, the day mostly spent. His pack and arms were weighed down with supplies and he half wished he hadn't sent Hookfang back so soon. He hitched his pack higher and soldered on. There was a small trail that wound through the forest between the Helvig's and the village but it was not very well traveled. His thoughts wandered as he walked. Part of him wanted to stay with Sigyn but there was another part of him that burned to be back in the action. Burned for revenge. He would find Dagur and make him pay for what he did. He didn't care if he was Heather's brother. He'd beat Dagur to death with his fists if he had to. He deserved more and worse. He'd make sure Dagur could never hurt Sigyn again or anyone else.

Snotlout jerked back to back to alertness with a jolt as a twig behind him snapped. Was he being followed? A dragon? No, too small. Too quiet for a boar. A muffled sneeze. A person then. Had Hiccup finally given up on trying to get him to talk and resorted to following him again? He'd tried that a few days ago but luckily Gothi had distracted his cousin. He'd find out soon enough. Coming around a corner he ducked behind a large boulder and set down his supplies quietly. A few moments passed and a skinny figure stepped into view. The horned helmet gave him away instantly. Gustav never saw it coming as Snotlout grabbed the back of his tunic and hauled him back, slamming him against the boulder, and pinning him in place.

"What are you doing here, pipsqueak?" growled Snotlout.

"Sn…Snotlout," stuttered the smaller boy, his eyes wide with panic.

"Why are you following me, Gustav? Did Hiccup put you up to this?"

"N…no. I heard Astrid and Hiccup talking about you. You've been missing a lot and I thought… I followed you from the arena."

"It's none of your business. Go home, Gustav."

"Are… are you going out to the Helvig's? There's no one else who lives this far out."

Snotlout growled. Thor, the runt had figured it out so easily.

"What do you know about the Helvig's" he asked warily.

"Mom has me run orders and supplies to Sigyn every once in a while."

Snoltout glared at him. "I thought the Ingermans did that."

"They do most of the time but when there's something urgent Mom sends me. Is… is something wrong with the Helvigs? Is that why you've been out here so much?"

"I don't owe you any kind of explanation," he said, trying not to grind his teeth. It was so tempting to reach out and throttle the kid. After all this time only to be exposed by this runt. If Gustav talked and the other riders found out he'd never hear the end of it. The twins could be merciless and Astrid would never let him live it down. He had to find a way to keep Gustav quiet. A deep hole sounded appealing, but he didn't fancy the repercussions. He could rip out the kid's tongue but as Gothi demonstrated there were ways to communicate without one. No good. He could just threaten to pummel him if he breathed a word to anyone. That could work.

"Did something happen to Sigyn or her dad?" asked Gustave, bringing him back to the present.

The kid wasn't a complete idiot. Maybe another strategy then. His little brother Geoffrey could be sworn to effective secrecy if he was included in the secret. He could kill two boars with one mace. The trick was making Gustave think he wanted to be in on the secret. He let the kid slide to the ground and folded his arms over his chest.

"Sigyn got hurt in the recent raid. I've been rebuilding the barn and taking care of them."

"But are they okay?" asked Gustave, tugging at his ear.

"Sigyn has some healing stitches and a broken arm but her dad is fine."

"That must be pretty hard for them," said Gustav, looking at the ground. "What with Mr. Helvig's condition and all."

Snotlout nodded. "It is, and I have to leave for Dragon's Edge tonight. It will be hard for Sigyn the next few weeks till she is all healed up."

Gustav's eyebrows drew together in thought. Snotlout waited, watching the kid's expression shift from worry, to pensive thought, and finally to the dawning of an idea. And people thought the kid was dumb.

"You have to go back to the Edge," said Gustav slowly. "But I will be here on Berk."

A step in the right direction. "What about it?"

"Well, I could… I could come out and help Sigyn for a while."

He pretended to think it over. "I don't think so. It's a job for a man. Sigyn will need a lot of help moving her father. I'm not sure you're strong enough."

Gustav's face tightened with defiance and determination. "I can do it. I've helped her before and I have put on a lot of muscle this year." Snotlout eyed him critically. "Well some anyway," he said, his voice trailing off.

"But you'll be busy with dragon training," Snotlout pointed out.

Gustav folded his arms over his chest and glared up at him. "You know I'm better than the other recruits. I've been riding Fanghook for years. I can get away."

"If you think Astrid will let you slack off you have another thing coming."

"Then I can visit when I'm not training," said Gustave, waving him off. "I can make it work. You've managed to sneak away I notice."

"True, but I don't answer to Astrid."

"Look, I can do it. More importantly, I want to. I need to. I owe it to the Helvigs. It's only because of me that Mr. Hevlig is the way he is."

And there it was. The guilt trap was set, sprung, and the prey was snared. "Fine, but if you're going to make it work you can't let anyone else find out where you are going. The Helvig's are proud and they won't like you talking about them."

"I can do that."

"And you can't make it harder for Sigyn," said Snolout, jabbing his finger in Gustav's chest. "If I find out you're in her way or screwed this up even the norns won't know where to look your pieces. No Gustave goof-ups."

"I don't do it on purpose," said the younger boy quietly, looking away. Snotlout felt a twinge of guilt shoot through him but he squashed it. There was at least one way the two of them were similar; most people were relieved to see their back.

"I know," he relented.

"I promise I'll do my very best," said Gustav, straightening.

"Then you start tomorrow. Keep it a secret and no Fanghook."

"I know," said Gustave, looking affronted. "Sigyn doesn't like dragons, especially monstrous nightmares."

"Fine," said Snotlout. "Now get lost."

Still a little uneasy with the situation, Snotlout watched as Gustave disappeared back up the trail toward the village. Cursing under his breath he gathered up his parcels and pack and hurried towards Sigyn's. Perhaps it was good he was leaving tonight. Given a few more days it might have been one of the others who followed him and they could not have been silenced.

Sigyn and Mr. Helvig were on the porch when he arrived in the darkening twilight.

"Goodness, did you bring the whole village back with you?" asked Sigyn as he came into view.

"Almost," he said under his breath, thinking of Gustav. He considered telling her of the arrangement but decided he didn't want to hear or argue any protests they might have. "It took much longer than I thought it would."

"Thank you for going," said Mr. Helvig.

"Mom sent dinner again," he said, lifting a basket. "But I'm sure it's cold by now. It took forever to find Hiccup."

"Don't worry," said Sigyn. "The fire's hot. We can heat it. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

He considered a moment then shook his head. "No. Hiccup's anxious to hear what's going on at the Edge. Besides, Mom already stuffed my belly and my pack."

"Well, Hookfang wouldn't let me unload any of this stuff," she said waving at his dragon who was snoozing beside the house.

"Good, I told him not to," he said, watching Hookfang out of the corner of his eye. "Nice to know he's capable of following simple instructions." He dodged the stream of flames that came from his dragon's mouth.

Sigyn rolled her eyes. "I can unload and carry things," she said.

"Not while I'm still here," he said, stomping out the burning weeds. He climbed the porch steps. "Come and tell me where you want the yak meat moved."

Sigyn sighed but led him inside. While she heated the stew his mom had sent he unloaded the smoked yak and stashed it in the small food cellar under the house.

"Are you sure you won't stay for food?" she asked, bowls of hot stew in hand. The familiar comforting scent of his mom's food drifted around the room but he shook his head.

"Mom sent extra so you won't need to cook for a few more days. Besides, she packed me stuff for the flight."

Sigyn's shoulders drooped slightly, crestfallen.

"So attached to me you can't stand the thought of me leaving?" he teased.

She smiled half-heartedly. "Something like that," she said with a little shrug.

She was probably one of only a few who actually meant that. "I'll stay," he said. "At least while you eat." Another hour wouldn't hurt anything.

She brightened and set the table. He quickly packed Hookfang and brought Mr. Helvig to the table. Dragging the stool from the corner of the room up to the table he watched as the Helvigs tucked into their meal. Their conversation was easy and comfortable as they ate. He would miss this. Not the back-breaking labor, but the ability to let his guard down. He stifled a yawn.

"Are you going to be alright flying at night?" asked Mr. Helvig.

"Yeah," he said with a wave. "I'll sleep while Hookfang flies."

"How do you do that?" asked Sigyn. "Wouldn't you fall off?"

"Nah. I rigged up something a while ago, a kind of sling between Hookfang's horns. I can lean forward and sleep."

Sigyn didn't look convinced.

"I do believe I'm ready for my bed," said Mr. Hevig. "Snotlout, if you don't mind."

Snotlout had just settled Mr. Hellvig into bed when the man caught his arm.

"Snotlout," he said quietly.

"Yeah? Do you need something else before I go?"

"I wanted to thank you again."

"I told you to quit saying that," said Snotlout, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just frustrates me that no one thought to check on you until I got here."

"One of the side effects of isolating ourselves. I won't deny that it worries me."

"Then let me tell Uncle to send someone else to help out for a while."

"I've told you, we'll be fine. It's inconvenient, true, but not impossible. Stoic has done enough for us. I don't want to burden him, especially not at the moment."

Snotlout sighed, shaking his head. "Fine," he said, absently tucking the blanket around the man's legs. "I just hope someday Sigyn won't be afraid of dragons."

"Thor knows if anyone can do it it's you."

Snotlout snorted. "We'll see if she rides Hookfang next time I'm back."

"We shall see. For the time being you should be on your way. We have kept you long enough my boy."

When he came back out into the main room Sigyn was gone and the dishes were still on the table. Rolling his eyes he quickly tidied the dishes and snatched the candle from the table. He found Sigyn dangling her legs off the porch, Hookfangs head in her lap as she whispered something to him.

"Telling my dragon to dump me off once we're out over the ocean?" he asked, setting the candle down on one of the chairs on the porch.

She jumped and turned to face him. Was he imagining it or were her cheeks flushed?

"Just what were you telling my dragon?"

She got awkwardly to her feet. "If I wanted you to hear what I was saying I wouldn't have been whispering."

He snorted. "So you are more comfortable telling your secrets to my dragon than me?"

"Some of them," she admitted. "I know he can't tell anyone."

"Hey, I can keep a secret."

"But what if it's a secret from you?" she asked, watching him with an odd intensity.

He frowned, feeling a prick in his chest. "What would you want to keep secret from me?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "Maybe I'll tell you next time I see you."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this just your way of making sure I come back?"

She laughed. "Maybe a bit. Will you… come back I mean?"

"I always have before," he said, stepping closer and tucking in a bit of bandage that was sticking out of her collar. "Besides, I have to come back and make sure you have healed properly."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine," she said, blowing a bit of hair out of her face. "But… will you do one last thing for me before you go?"

"What's that?" he asked apprehensively. She was looking at him oddly again. He'd seen that look on her face several times in the past few days, but he wasn't quite sure what it meant.

She bit her lip and pulled a tie out of her pocket. "Will you braid my hair before you go? I can't do it with just one arm and it being in my face drives me crazy."

He grimaced. "I don't promise it will look good."

"I just want it contained," she said, turning her back to him.

He gathered her hair and began to divide it up. "Do you want to go flying again when I come back… or is that still too much?"

She was quiet for a moment. "I think I would like that."

"Maybe you can take a solo flight," he suggested.

"Yeah, no," she said, shaking her head and pulling the hair out of his hands. He sighed and started over again. "Hookfang listens to you. I'm not sure he would listen to me."

He snorted. "Sometimes I think he listens to no one."

She chuckled. "Maybe so, but I guess that makes you two a good fit."

"Probably," he said. They lapsed into silence for a few moments. "There," he said, tying off the end of the braid. It didn't look too bad. Her hair was soft and it smelled good. Probably better than his, he thought with a wince.

"I suppose you have to leave now," she said, turning to face him.

"I do," he said, watching her. He liked the way the candlelight glowed in her hair and eyes. "Are… are you sure there's nothing else you need done before I go?"

She chuckled. "Snotlout, I don't think there's anything left you could do unless you want to scrub the dirt."

He huffed in amusement. "I suppose not."

He stepped off the porch and mounted Hookfang who shook himself as he got situated in the saddle. Hookfang's movement created a gust of air that extinguished the light of the candle. The dark was not the only thing to envelope Snotlout for the moment the light was gone soft arms wrapped around him from the side squeezing gently. At first, he was startled but in a moment he relaxed and turned to return her embrace. Lips next to his ear sent a ripple of goose flesh down his spine.

"Be safe, Snotlout," she whispered, hastily pulling away.

He tried to get his voice to reply but it was stuck somewhere in his throat. Before he could shake loose from the spell, Hookfang was off into the night. Had that happened the way he thought it had? No. No way. It had simply been an accident in the dark. She hadn't really meant to press her lips to his cheek. She had just bumped into him. That was all. Still… he wasn't entirely against the warmth spreading from his cheek throughout his chest. It was quite… pleasant.

*******************

"What was all that about son?" asked Stoick as Hiccup sank back in his chair at the dinner table.

"Norns help me if I know," he said, picking up his fork and fiddling idly with it. "That was Snotlout. Apparently, he's finally ready to head back to Dragon's Edge."

"Was he not already there?" asked his father, surprised. "I didn't realize he was still on the island."

"That's just it. You wouldn't know he's been here because, to the best of my knowledge, he spent most of his time outside of the village."

His father frowned. "Outside you say. Where?"

He sighed "I haven't the faintest idea. And it's not for lack of trying. I have asked but all I get is that it's none of my business, not to expect to see him for the next few days, that no, he won't be going to Dragon's Edge yet, and get this that he agrees with Astrid on the need for the auxiliary dragon riders."

"Well it is a good idea to build our defenses," said Stoick.

"I know that, but the two of them agreeing on it? They never agree on anything! Mostly because Snotlout tends to shove his boot in his mouth," he said, muttering the last bit.

"Hmmm," said his father, eyeing a roasted chicken leg. "Has he been shirking work?"

"That's just it," said Hiccup, dropping the fork. "The few times I have seen him during the day, he's busy on some errand or other. If and when we see him at the end of the day he looks more tired than the riders Astrid's training."

"Quite the feat from what I've seen," said his father. "She's quite intense."

"Well, that's a whole other issue." It was silent for a long moment as his father chewed.

"So you don't know where he's been or what he's been up to. Aye, that would irk me as well if Spitelout were to just disappear and not take orders. But such is the lot of a chief. Striking the balance between getting people to take orders but also having productive people behind them that don't constantly need to be told what to do."

"Er… yeah. I suppose so," he said, avoiding his father's eyes.

Trust his dad to take his problem and use it as a chance to teach him about becoming a chief and leader. It was always uncomfortable when he did that. He knew his father expected he would one day be chief but if Hiccup were honest he never really liked the idea. Before Toothless, he would have given his left leg to get a scrap of attention from his father that didn't feel condescending or disappointed, but now he was missing his leg and he could do with a little less attention and expectation. When he'd been unable to kill Toothless his reality had unraveled and he'd known that he would never be like his father. He was the first viking who was unable to kill a dragon. In truth, he wasn't much of a viking to begin with and it wasn't just about the dragons. He'd never been able to command authority like his father did. He just wasn't cut out to be chief of the Berkians. But tell that to Stoick The Vast.

"Hiccup, are you listening?" asked his father, cutting through his thoughts.

"Er… yeah no, sorry. I can't say I was," he admitted, wincing as he looked up at his father.

"I was saying that if it bothers you so, go and find out where Snotlout's been. Then you can decide if it's worth confronting him over it."

"I've tried," said Hiccup, exasperated. "I asked Snotlout several times. I even tried to follow him but got waylaid by Gothi. I even went to ask Aunt Freda."

"And Freda said?"

"That if Snotlout hasn't told me then it's not her place to tell me. The only hint I got was when I asked Gobber. He said he hasn't seen Snotlout since he said something about going to check on someone called to Helvig's."

"Ah," said his father, leaning back in his chair, his brows drawn together in thought.

"Ah? Ah, what? What's ah?"

"That's a name I've not heard in a while."

"You know them? I don't remember anyone named the Helvigs and neither did Gobber."

"No, it's been quite a few years since many have seen them, particularly Sigyn, although I do believe she did attend the last Snoggletog feast. You were young the last time you saw her and you would have little cause to interact with her since. But I dare say that the tunic you're wearing is her handiwork."

"I got this from Mrs. Larson," she said, glancing down at his clothes.

"Which is no surprise since the Helvig's rarely ever venture into the village. Haven't for nigh on nine years now. All Sigyn's work is brought to Mrs. Larson's for distribution."

"So she's a tailor, a seamstress?" he asked dubiously.

His father nodded. "She and her father moved away from the village nine years ago after Sigyn was injured in an incident involving a dragon. Her father is one of the best men I know, and could swing an ax with the best of them."

"Could swing?" probed Hiccup.

"Aye, five years ago Torben Helvig was permanently injured in one of the dragon raids. I have not seen him in years. I ought to make an effort and go see them myself."

"So you think Snotlout's been out at the Helvigs?"

"Would make sense why you haven't seen him much. The Helvigs live out past the Ingerman's. Almost twice as far." His father frowned. "I hope they fared well during this recent attack. I know there was some issue that winter the speed stingers came to Berk. I'll go visit tomorrow."

"Ah… no. Let… let me go instead," interjected Hiccup, unsure what he was saying. His father eyed him a moment before a grin split his face.

"Aye, I knew you had it in ya son." A heavy hand thumped down on his shoulder and it was all Hiccup could do not to collapse in his chair. "Knew you'd grow into the responsibilities of a chief someday."

"What?! N…no," he stammered. "That's not what I…"

"Now a few things to know about…" And his father was off again explaining the duties of a chief. Hiccup settled wearily into his chair.

It wasn't till mid-morning the next day that Hiccup found himself out on the path to the Helvig's. The forest was quiet as he made his way past the turn to Ingerman's and continued along the much smaller and less frequented trail. It felt a bit odd to be without Toothless but one thing Hiccup had managed to pick up from his father's instructions last night was that dragons were not welcome at the Helvig's household. Something to do with the girl's previous injury. So Toothless had stayed at the academy with Stormfly and Astrid who was still training the recruits. He picked his way along the trail wishing he'd taken the time to swap the end joint of his prosthetic leg. This foot kept jarring when he hit uneven ground. Too late now.

About 20 minutes past the Ingerman's, the path opened onto a little yard. He couldn't see anyone at first save a few chickens who sparsely populated the yard. The hens scratched about in the dirt but Hiccup frowned and bent to examine the dragon tracks in the dirt. Monstrous Nightmare tracks. Probably Hookfang if his dad was right. That could be a problem. Hopefully, Snotlout hadn't been out here terrorizing Sigyn with his dragon.

The porch was empty so Hiccup made his way around the side of the house hoping to find someone. He paused when he caught sight of the barn. It looked like it had some repairs done to it recently. Very recently. That was the door latch he had smelted just the other day. He moved to examine the newly hung door and noticed some of his other handy work in the nails and hinges. He frowned. What had happened here?

"Can I help you?" called a voice behind him. He jumped and couldn't help the half gasp half yelp he gave.

"Gah! Oh, my Thor!"

He turned to see a girl about his age, maybe a little older watching him intently.

"If you're looking for your cousin, he left last night," she said, flicking her blond braid over her shoulder with her free hand. The not-free hand and arm were wrapped in a sling and bound at her side and she winced slightly as she shifted her weight.

"Are you Sigyn Helvig?" he asked.

"Last I checked, Hiccup Haddock," she said with a raised eyebrow, a hand propped on her hip. "You don't remember me do you?"

"Eh… no I can't say I do, not really."

She sighed. "I can't say I blame you. It's been a long time and you were probably only eight or nine at the time."

He shrugged, still clueless. "Sorry."

"The night they found me trapped in the abandoned shack they brought me to your house to be tended by Gothi while they found my father and his search party. You sat with me and distracted me while Gothi worked."

Hiccup cast his mind back but had only a vague memory of the incident. He shook his head.

"At any rate, what brings the chief's son all the way out here? Don't tell me that Snotlout told Stoick we were in trouble even though we're fine."

He frowned. "You don't exactly look fine," he said pointing at her arm.

"I'm healing," she said tersely. "Did your father send you?"

"Sort of," he said, running a hand through his hair. Her face grew stormy. "B…but it's got nothing to do with Snotlout… or rather he didn't say anything to my father."

"Then why are you here?"

"Actually, I really was looking for Snotlout, or rather I was trying to figure out where he's been and what he's been up to."

"Is he in trouble?"

"That's what I was trying to figure out."

She watched him for a long moment frowning. "He's been here the past week or so, since the attack… or at least since he pulled me out of the barn."

"He pulled you out of the barn?" he asked, confused, glancing at the fully intact barn.

She sighed. "The barn was hit in the attack and I was in it at the time. Snotlout pulled me out."

"What… What was he doing here in the first place? Does he come here often?"

"Often enough. Less since your dragon riders left Berk but he visits when he's back." It was silent for a long moment. "You look surprised."

"Ah… Frankly yes, a bit," he said. "Snotlout tends to ah… not get on with girls very well."

"All girls… or just Astrid Hofferson?" she asked shrewdly.

He frowned. "Most girls. But, yes, her in particular."

"I figured as much."

This was awkward. He hadn't given much thought to what he would say once he got here.

"He can be bore-headed at the best of times and has a tendency to rub people the wrong way," he offered.

"Does he rub you the wrong way?"

"Not as much as he used to," he admitted. "But not never."

There was a faint smile pulling at the corner of her mouth now. "He's pretty stubborn at times and he's certainly got his own opinions on things."

His heart sank a little. "I'm sorry if he's been a bother to you. I know you don't like dragons and I see Hookfang's been here."

She looked at him biting a lip. "Do you want a drink?" she asked at last. "It's just, I sense that you want more of an explanation and I would rather do that sitting. I have to admit that I might have overdone it even though I promised to be careful."

Feeling even more confused Hiccup nodded and followed her back to the house. It was warm and clean inside, everything seeming to have a place. But then he spotted the bench near the window. It was spread with all manner of sewing accouterments and reminded him of his own workbench.

"Welcome, Hiccup Haddock," said the man sitting at the table. Hiccup could only assume this was Torben Helvig.

"Thank you," he said awkwardly.

Sigyn filled three cups with water and brought them to the table. She gestured for him to sit. "Sorry, all we have is water. Our yak was killed in the attack," she said.

"Water is fine," he said, taking a sip.

His father had said that Mr. Helvig was injured but not in what way. Given the way the man's eyes glazed over the room without focusing on anything he guessed there was some degree of blindness. The man's posture also seemed off and when he glanced down at the man's legs he saw that they were withered. Some form of paralysis most likely.

"So, Hiccup Haddock, you have been looking for Snotlout?" said the man.

"I wondered what was so important that was keeping him away. He wouldn't say anything about where he was going or what he was doing no matter how many times I asked. I'm sorry if he's been a nuisance."

The man turned his face to him, frowning. "Do you often apologize for your cousin?"

"It's just I know he can be a bit much sometimes. He's kinda impulsive," he said, tugging at his ear. "Most people don't handle him very well."

"We've had no trouble with him," said Mr. Helvig. "In fact, we are quite indebted to Snotlout."

"We are talking about Snotlout Jorgensen?" asked Hiccup.

"I'm afraid he's worked himself quite tirelessly this past week," said Mr. Helvig.

"When exactly did he start coming around?" asked Hiccup.

"Last summer," said Sigyn.

"How did you meet him?"

"He and Hookfang chased off a horde of wild boars that had treed me," said Sigyn. "I had been there all night and might have been there several days had he not found me. We kinda became friends after that and he started coming around."

Hiccup listened carefully as the Helvigs told him what had happened in the past year.

"So as you can see," said Mr. Helvig. "We have rather appreciated Snotlout."

Hiccup sat back in his chair processing. All this time Snotlout had been helping this family. It explained so much, not the least of which was his disappearances. It also explained the subtle shift in the way he'd been interacting with Astrid and the others in the past few months. Even Astrid had commented how Snotlout was less irksome. He was distracted elsewhere… with someone else. That might help ease things going forward... It even explained why Snotlout had volunteered for the supply runs so readily and who he was sending terror mail to. It was all for the Helvigs; largely, he suspected, for Sigyn.

She was pretty. A little older but less aggressive than Astrid. Similar but different. This was not what he'd been expecting to find but now he saw the whole picture he was not entirely surprised either. No wonder Snotlout had been so defensive, especially with the way the group had reacted last winter when he had suggested he'd made a friend outside the riders. If the roles had been reversed he wasn't too sure he would have wanted the others to know either.

Hiccup frowned. Snotlout was going to be unhappy when he realized that Hiccup had intruded into what Snotlout was sure to feel was his personal business. Well, it was a little late for regrets now. Honestly, he was impressed with all his cousin had done for the Helvigs. Still, Hiccup felt that a little more meddling was needed, something only he could do.

"May I ask a personal question Mr. Helvig?" he asked.

"You may?" replied the man.

Hiccup hesitated only a moment before asking his question. Mr. Helvig thought a moment before answering and Hiccup took a bit of parchment from his pocket along with his stub of charcoal. He made a few notes and took measurements asking several more questions as he went. When he was satisfied that he had all the information he required for his new project he bid them goodbye and stood to leave.

"Are you going to say anything to anyone?" asked Sigyn as she walked him towards the edge of the yard.

He shrugged. "My father will probably ask." Sigyn bit nervously at her lip thinking. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not going to tell anyone else. I don't want Snotlout to be any more angry when he finds out."

"You're going to tell him!?"

"Norns no! But he's sure to figure it out sooner or later."

"I suppose."

"Don't you mind him keeping you a secret?" he asked, watching her expression.

She thought for a moment. "Not really. I'm not too surprised, and I think I understand why. What about you? Are you going to visit again?"

"Now and then if I can manage it. I hope to have this finished by tomorrow and bring it by," he said, patting his pocket where he'd slipped his notes.

"What exactly is it?" she asked curiously.

"It will be easier to show you tomorrow," he said.

With a few more words in parting and a wave, he began the trek back to the village. It was going to be a long night in the forge but he thought he had some of the key pieces already made. With a few tweaks, adjustments, and a bit of luck he could have it finished by morning.

He wasn't quite as lucky as he had hoped. There had been a few setbacks and an interruption from his father who had wanted to know about his visit. But at last, just after lunchtime the next day his project was complete. Toothless, who had found him at about midnight, lay snoozing outside the forge. Hiccup stood back and examined his work, happy in the knowledge that it would make life for the Helvigs easier and not just in the short term. The only problem was, that it was sure to give him away to Snotlout the next time his cousin visited. But he would deal with that later.

Rubbing at his sore tired eyes he tossed his work apron aside and stooped to scratch Toothless. "Hey bud, sorry I've been busy," he said as Toothless stretched and yawned, rumbling softly. "I need your help okay?"

Toothless grumbled and rolled his eyes but shook the stiffness from his back. Hiccup laid out one of the large sacks the dragon riders sometimes used to carry items in. After rolling his new creation into the center he gathered up the edges of the sack and tied it together making a makeshift handle with the remaining rope for Toothless to grab. He glanced back in the forge at the mess he was leaving behind. He'd come back and clean it up later. He was anxious and excited to get this out to Sigyn and her father.

A few minutes later he and Toothless were in the air. Several other dragons were flying over by the arena. No doubt Astrid was hard at work training. He made a mental note to check in on her later. Yesterday she had been a bit hard on the trainees. Gothi was pretty old for Thor's sake. Toothless circled over the Helvig's house and Hiccup leaned forward, looking for a place to land. He didn't want to scare Sigyn but it would have taken him ages to drag his new invention through the woods. He directed Toothless to land near the edge of the clearing surrounding their home.

"Wait here," he said, slipping to the ground and patting Toothless. Toothless grumbled but sunk to the ground watching the chickens that approached him pecking the ground. Hiccup made his way around to the front of the house and was about to climb the steps to the porch when he paused his foot mid-air.

"I would be careful," said Mr. Helvig from his chair on the porch. "There's egg on the steps. Very slippery."

"Ah," said Hiccup, carefully stepping over the mess. "What happened?"

There was a deep sigh from inside and Sigyn stepped into the door frame. "Gustav Larson happened," she said. "Loki help him. I know he was only trying to help but that was all of today's eggs."

"Gustav was here?" he asked. "Why?"

Sigyn shrugged. "He showed up here about lunchtime saying he wanted to help around the house. If I had to guess, I'd say Snotlout put him up to it."

Hiccup frowned. Snotlout and Gustav generally didn't get on very well. And if he was honest after the last fiasco with Dagur, Hiccup couldn't blame him.

"Do you want me to call him off?" offered Hiccup.

"I'm not sure you could if you tried," she said. "He's pretty determined. Besides, it wasn't his fault about the eggs. One of the hens is broody and didn't take kindly to him collecting her eggs. She chased him and ultimately tripped him. He left with egg all over his front. I kinda felt bad for him. He was trying so hard."

Hiccup tried not to laugh at the imagery but couldn't help a small smile. "If you're sure he's not too much trouble. Then again, you have managed with Snotlout so far."

"They are similar in many ways," she agreed with a smile.

"That's no surprise since Gustav had a bit of a Snotlout complex," he said thinking about the twins' horrible prank on Snotlout. "Still does to some degree."

Sigyn chuckled sadly. "Of all the people to copy. But whereas Snotlout is often just bravado and knows it… I'm afraid that Guatave believes in his false image."

"You could be right. But if he becomes a problem…"

"I'll handle him," she said, waving him off. "I may not be able to use a needle and thread effectively till I get this off my arm but I can certainly handle an over-enthusiastic teenage boy."

Hiccup laughed. "Alright, alright."

"So what brings you back today?" asked Mr. Helvig.

"Well, you actually," said Hiccup. "I know the rest of the village was a bit slow to come help in the recent attack. It made me realize how at-risk you both are. If something happens to Sigyn it would be very difficult for you to get help. And visa versa."

Mr. Helvig frowned. "Go on."

"Well, Snotlout is working with Sigyn on her fear of dragons," he continued. She grimaced. "But I noticed one area which I can help that Snotlout can't."

"And that would be?"

"Um… your mobility," he said. "Given my particular experience in similar circumstances… I thought that I could help."

"How exactly are you going to help?" asked Sigyn, her brows drawn together in confusion.

"Well I made something that I think will help but it was a bit too cumbersome to bring all this way here on my own. I had to have Toothless, my dragon, help me bring it here."

"You brought your dragon here?" asked Sigyn, suddenly very alert. "Where?"

"Knowing how you feel about dragons, I left him at the edge of the yard," he said.

Her shoulders visibly relaxed.

"If it is all right I'll have him bring over what I made."

She was quiet for a moment but at last, she nodded. Going back around the corner, Hiccup gave a shrill whistle and waved Toothless over. Grabbing the large wrapped bundle by the handle with his teeth, Toothless made his way over to the porch.

"Thanks, bud," he said, reaching over and scratching Toothless once he'd set the bundle down. But his attention was on Sigyn who was watching Toothless warily. Beside him, Toothless sniffed and then bent forward suddenly to lick up the remnants of the shattered eggs off the porch. Sigyn flinched involuntarily but eased up as Toothless moved back a few feet.

"At least I won't have to clean up eggs," she said.

"More's the pity I lost my sight," said Mr. Helvig. "I've never seen a Night Fury. Only heard the stories."

Sigyn seemed to relax a bit more. "So what's in the bundle," she asked.

"Well," said Hiccup, stepping toward the bag. But at that moment something small and scaly slammed into his face. Sigyn shrieked in surprise and fright. Hiccup had to fight his heart back into his chest as he pried the little dragon off his face.

"They really do fly straight into your face," she said, clutching at her chest.

"Yes," grumbled Hiccup as he untied the parchment attached to the dragon's leg. "We're working on it." He unrolled the parchment and began to read but as he skimmed over the words several things fell horribly into place.

Why hadn't he seen it before? Of course, Dagur had an ulterior motive for attacking Berk and he'd been blind not to see it before. At the bottom of the page after Fishlegs hurried signature was a quick scrawled note from Snotlout as well. He must have once again intercepted the t-mail dragon mid-flight.

"I have to go," he said, stuffing the letter into his pocket and motioning for Toothless.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sigyn.

"Dragon's Edge is under attack," said Hiccup, swinging into the saddle. "Dagur's attack was just to flush us out. His real target was the Edge all along. I'm sorry but I don't have time to explain that," he said pointing to the bundle. "But it's not hard to figure out. Right now I need to go find Astrid and my father."

"Is Snotlout okay?" she asked coming down to the porch steps, her face drawn in lines of worry.

"He was when this letter was sent," he said, sliding his prosthetic foot into the mechanical stirrup. He paused and looked down at Sigyn. "Don't worry. Snotlout may be a lot of brag but he and Hookfang are quite capable in a fight. He'll be okay."

With that Toothless leapt into the air and they were speeding towards the arena.

***************

Thank you for returning to read this story. It's been busy here with a new baby boy and keeping up with the three older kids. This story is not abandoned. None of my stories are... it just takes a long time to get chapters out, especially since I rotate which story gets a chapter. You readers are amazing. Thank you for your encouragement and support. Keep reading and may you find many good stories!