I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. All rights go to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks Animation. I have translated ordinary English words to Icelandic for the purpose of this fanfic. They will be put as old Norse, the language the Berkians would have first used.
Hiccup=Hiksti
Skila=Deliver
Karl-Herra=Male Sire
Kennari=Teacher
Skuldabref=Bond
Vinur=Friend
Please Enjoy! Remember words in Italic and Bold are narrated, words in Italic are emphasizing, and normal is... well normal.
At night the Isle of Berk looked pretty peaceful. As peaceful as you could get when the buildings and houses stored weapons and Vikings and mead. There was no more dangerous mix of the three. And from the shouts, slurs, and assorted crashes they'd been mixed up. The sounds emanated from the largest building in the village, the Mead Hall. It stood on an elevated position relevant to the rest of the village, and light shone from within, blinding you before showing you the sight of a mob of angry Vikings brandishing their weapons. A tall, large red-headed hulk of a man stood at the fore-front of the mob, talking loudly to them. Stoick the Vast was his name, and he was Chief of the tribe of Berk. He brandished a battle axe and roared at the mob so loudly that no one heard the scuffle on the large sloping roof, and if they did they immediately dismissed it as unimportant.
Outside however the scuffle was more than a bit important. If you looked past the glaring light of the torches you could make out two figures on the side of the Hall. One was hanging awkwardly off a ledge on the building and the other was reaching down towards the first. Both were lean and lithe, and if you looked closely you could see that they didn't resemble any typical Viking whatsoever. The figure on the roof hauled up the other person, and they swarmed up the sloping roof as easily as a spider. The wooden shingles made no sound underneath their calloused hands and boarskin and rabbit fur boots, as they climbed steadily towards a window. As they reached it, the moon came out and you could easily distinguish one from the other. It was a boy and a girl, and the only difference between them was the length of their hair and the visible colour. The boy had reddish hair, several shades darker than his father's and slightly brown in places. The girl's hair was auburn, brownish, and thick and healthy. Her hair was braided into five braids which formed one big braid at the back. They had the look of twins and the same singlemindedness of twins when something they mutually want is close at hand. The girl slipped in the window and dangled from there, bracing her feet against the sloping roof and slipping onto a broad wooden beam with the ease and grace of someone who spent a lot of time climbing. The boy followed not long after, gangly rather than graceful, and he grinned a toothy, dorky grin at his sister, who responded by smirking. They watched the crowd below, unobserved and stayed there listening to the decisions made by the adults with a mixture of dismay, anger and fear. When eventually the crowd departed as the moon shone high above the world, the children again slipped out as easily as they had climbed and slithered down the hill towards an open plan building just off the center of the village.
They slipped into a back room which was partitioned into three areas, the first a mutual work area with two desks covered in parchment and models and prototypes and scraps of metal that can only come from a blacksmiths forge. The other two area were sleeping spaces, beds pushed close by each other separated by only the curtain, as the twins felt a need for nearness. The pair were at the stage where one minute you could be as graceful as a swan and the next as awkward as a newborn lamb finding its feet. The boy pulled off a sheepskin vest and set it on his chair. There was silence between them until the girl broke it.
"Doesn't Dad realise how ridiculous it is to go searching for the nest only two months after they got back? They lost three longboats! And twelve warriors." She sighed, tears springing unbidden to her eyes as she recalled the now parentless children, some orphans some not, who would have to take up their parents slack, now they were dead. Her brother crossed the room, and hugged her.
"It'll stop someday I promise, Sky." He said patting her back awkwardly, and she held tight, resting her head on his bony shoulder.
"Yeah, but when Hiccup? You know how stubborn Dad is, being a typical Viking and all, but when? And how many people and ships will we lose until it does end if ever!" Hiccup stared at the wall and sighed.
"I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't. However there isn't much we can do." He replied trying to be reassuring and only slightly succeeding. Sky smiled at her twin, and pulled back her curtain to head to bed. Her brother did the same, and they settled down for the night.
"Out of bed, ya lazy louts! Get yer selves out here!" Was the cheerful wakeup call they received, and the twins, who'd been up for an hour already threw each other a look, and then simultaneously shouted back.
"Shut up Gobber!" Chuckling emanated from the other side of the curtain, and they couldn't help grinning themselves. Closing up the charcoal sketches and various books they made their way out to the heart of the forge, where a one-legged, one-armed man stood there with a stone tooth protruding from the left of his jaw. He grinned at them, and then turned back to lighting the fire in the forge, muttering just loud enough to be heard about "lazy brats who couldn't do work for their own poor teacher". Hiccup smiled at Sky, and gathered up some metal ores, and a few sheets of metal in varying thickness that could be used to to shape tools. Sky grabbed the broom and swept scraps of metal towards the metal pile, where they would be remelted and smithed again.
"If you keep complaining Gobber, you're going to sound a lot older than eight and forty years." She said, smirking as Gobber turned around with a yelp.
"And who would possibly think tha'?" He retorted thumping her back lightly as he passed.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the whole village if you get any louder." Was Hiccup's response, and the twins fist-bumped each other as Gobber pretended to look insulted. The whole scenario was so easy and unawkward that a young shieldmaiden there for a errand felt awkward intruding on the situation. However, Astrid Hofferson being Astrid Hofferson she plunked her axe down on the bench for repairs and laid a sword next to it.
"Gobber? My parents need the sword reforging, and my axe needs re-sharpening." Gobber nodded, his bright and cheery countenance giving a small light to Astrid's spirit's.
"Aye, I got a bit to do, but Hiccup will reforge ya sword, and I'm sure Sky can sharpen your axe." He said, and turned his attention to a pile of axes, sword and assorted weaponry that required his attention. Without a word Sky stepped up to Astrid, staring her down deliberately as she took the axe and sword, the blond stared back just as deliberately in a power-play between them. They mutually broke the stare-down out of respect for their respective jobs. In the corner by the pedal-grinder Hiccup sighed. Sky and Astrid had been at odds with each other since Astrid became a shield-maiden. He was often caught in between and had just learnt to go with it. His sister was an authority on women and everything in the village. Perceptive and wily, Sky was as harmless as a Deadly Nadder, and just as dangerous when angered. So he sighed when she handed him the sword to reforge, and settled herself to sharpening the axe. As the sun rose higher over Berk's hills, more people started to bustle around ready for another day's work. The fishermen headed out to the docks laughing and slapping each on the back with their nets, and the timber workers headed to the other side of Berk for another week's work away from their families. Gradually the noise built up to a medium level hum of activity with various clanking, clucking and other assorted noises popping up in between. Hiccup finished shaping the sword and cooled it, checking for impurities before handing it to Astrid. She grabbed a small coin bag and tossed it to him, and grabbed her newly sharpened axe and headed off.
Gobber sighed, knowing without looking that Hiccup would be staring after her with a dreamy look on his face, just as he knew that the hiss that followed soon after was from Sky throwing a pebble at him. The two thirteen year olds were funny in that respect, and he loved them almost as much as if they were his own. He understood them fairly well, just as he understood their father. Being the children of Stoick the Vast was hard enough, but when he was Chief, and one of the biggest, brutal dangerous Vikings on Berk, and his kids were practically fishbone's, well... that was a pretty huge expectation that was placed on their shoulders. He stopped his mental musing long enough for Stoick himself to get his attention.
"Gobber. I need those swords ready by tomorrow." It was a curt order, placed by a man who was anxious if you looked closely. Gobber simply nodded.
"Aye, they'll be ready. How many ships are ya takin' this time?"
"Six. Gunder installed a catapult on one. It should be more than enough to deal with those foul beasts." Gobber nodded knowingly and waved his peg-leg to the other two. Eight years of working in the forge had commands ingrained in their heads, and they automatically took up a line, heating the weapons, cooling and sharpening and other respective actions. Stoick nodded approvingly before heading off to the storehouses to check the supplies. Devastating Winter was only six months away, and he didn't want his village to be starving from the raids and missions to find the nest. Inwardly, however he was silently approving the remarkable speed with which his children went to their teacher's aid. They were awkward and gangly, and their ideas often spelled disaster for the village, he was hoping that nothing would happen while he was away on the search. Mentally, he made a note to leave Spitelout, his brother, in charge with Gobber as his second-in-command. Spitelout was more than able to handle a couple of errant children, even the Thorston twins avoided him. He made his way to the otherside of the village with a lighter head about leaving.
About midday, Gobber took a break with his two young apprentices, knowing that Hiccup would go to help Bucket and Mulch with fishing, and that Sky was needed by the timber workers. Ever since she was six, she would go in Gothi's place everyday to check for injuries, and bring lunch to the workers. It saved the wives and sisters the trouble of making their way around the island, so that they could go about repairing sails, cooking lunches and tending the fish catch. He sighed as he watched them go, relieved that they'd been getting better over the years. They pile of weapons as seriously diminished, and he was happy to let them go take a break.
Sky made her way through the village to the market, winding her way through the groups of people as she made her way to Phlemga the Fierce. The Botanist stood there proudly surveying the people buying her crops. She was the chief farmer on Berk, and no one took their job more seriously than she. Astrid's mother regarded the youngest Haddock with somewhat of a frown. Sweat and grease marred her face from the work she'd done. Despite the marks though, she looked like she'd fought and won a battle, and Phlemga felt a sliver of pride course through her. The girl was more than reliable, and never complained when it came to carrying the food and nescessary tools for healing over the island for the workers. She gave Sky a gruff smile as she handed her the sack with the food. Sky shouldered it and weaved her way through the houses as she headed west to the forest. The birds and wildlife on Berk made their presence known, used to the young girl who walked among them with a smile. The sun shone brightly that day, and as it glittered through the trees it reflected off her face, and she smiled as she traipsed through bracken and moss. The path to the workers huts was on a well-beaten track, and she preferred to walk through the trees. A deer stepped daintily across a log, and she nodded to it as she passed by. The trek was long, and as she passed by a fast running stream, instead of walking across it on the tree, she waded through it drinking from it as she went. Eventually, she started hearing the sounds of trees being felled, and grunts from hard-working men and women. She cleared the bushes just in time to Gringa Noftsdottir, the forewoman, pull a young man to the side and berate him for cutting down a medium sized sapling.
She made her way across to where the worker were resting, and one of them seeing her stood up to greet her. Koldon Treeburn grinned as he gave her shoulder a hefty punch, sending her violently reeling before she kicked his shin.
"Skila Valhall Haddock! Yer late!" He boomed alerting the others to her appearance, and those still working paused and made their way over after securing their work. Sky grinned, and handed out food to the hungry workers, grinning as they took brown bread, and yak cheese with smoked deer.
"Of course I'm late!"She retorted. "Who on Midgard would want to be early to see your face?" Laughter bounded around the clearing, and Koldon grinned heartily as he took his own portion.
"Ever the lady I see." He smirked, and Gringa hit him as grabbed her meal and held out a bleeding wrist. Skila removed the splinters, and bandaged it as she smiled.
"I'm a Viking, what d'ye expect." The workers snorted with laughter, and Gringa mock-glared at them in Skila's defence.
"A Viking? You! More like a sapling!" Koldon grinned as he let her clean the cut on his forehead. She jabbed his stomach with her fist as she replied.
"Yes! And trees have been around longer than Vikings and will stay for years afterwards." There were many nods, and Gringa smiled.
"Ye can't argue with that logic, Koldon." She said in her rough voice. There were nods, and conversation sprung up as Sky moved among them, tending to various injuries. One of them stood up, and embraced her. Morg Headsplitter hugged her tightly, and then pulled away letting her check the bandages on his hands. He looked anxious for a second, and then showed her where new splinters had lodged in. Skila shook her head and smiled.
"If you keep getting splinters, how are you going to hold your baby?" She rhetorically asked, and Morg shrugged.
"Tell tha' to the trees." He said, and Skila smiled again. Morg was paired up with Aiver the Thrasher, and he lived up to his name. Last month he'd cut down a tree so brutally, that when it toppled splinters flew everywhere and had lodged in Morg's hands and belly, as well as cutting Aiver in the face. His ear still bled from time to time which Sky tended to. Morg leaned close and conspiratably whispered in Sky's ear.
"How's me wife and baby?" And Sky found herself grinning. Nela was heavily pregnant and due anytime soon, and Gothi was practically living in Morg's house in preparation for the birth.
"Nothing's wrong so far. If all goes well you should have a baby fairly soon. I'll come get you if she goes into labour. Morg grinned, and patted Skila's shoulder. As she headed out of the clearing, she waved a hand over her shoulder, and silently weaved her way through the forest, and back to the village. She hoped that Hiccup had had some luck with Bucket and Mulch.
Hiccup had found himself stuck on gutting duty for the duration of his lunch break, and he happily gnawed on his lunch as he repeated the same old motions for gutting fish after fish. Bucket and Mulch had had some good luck with their fishing, and a fairly large catch had been hauled in, and he found himself with three other Vikings gutting the assortment of salmon, haddock, halibut, eel and cod. His mind wandered as usual with repetitive work, and despite the quick movements with which he worked, his mind was far far away from fish at the docks. Hiccup tended to be incredibly inventive, and so his mind was now working on things that could help cut trees or plant crops, although Astrid's mother would never let him anywhere near her beloved greenhouse. He was completely oblivious to the conversation around him, centered on the Thorston twins recent destruction of a chicken coop near the Backbreaker place. It was as well Narkon was away cutting timber otherwise he'd be hunting down Ruffnut and Tuffnut and giving them a thrashing, which would spark up another argument between Bloodnut Thorston and Narkon Backbreaker and then Stoick would have to sort them out.
Phew, that was my first chapter in a while. Hope you enjoy! Please send reviews! It helps my muse. Enjoy!