The next morning Hiccup came by to pick up the rings from whom other than Gobber at the smithy.

"I'm guessin' yer father left it to me to show you the official wooing ritual should you fail the Three Trials," Gobber spoke before Hiccup could even ask him. He shook his head as if he was going to regret this. "Hold me mead and observe me, Hiccup."

Hiccup and Toothless jumped when Gobber unexpectedly leapt into the air, yelling and waving his prosthetic axe-hand above his head in a sort of jig. He sang:

Oh, I'm one Viking man,

I'm the chief of my own clan,

I crushed a Hotburple's skull at five-

"No, not you, not you!" Gobber said quickly when his Hotburple dragon Grump perked up his head. "I'll have to revise that part here." And he continued,

I captured a troll

And ate it alive!

I'd move mountains

Part the icy sea,

I'd do anything,

So be my wifey-wife for me!

Yoo-hoo-hoo, slap me bum!

[Slap bum cheek here]

Listen to me serenade,

Cream-colored maid,

While on my instrument I strum!

[Slap other cheek here]

My fierce Viking lassy,

Bear my infants, please Valhalla!

Keep the house tidy and cleaned,

While me muscles

Strike a dragon fiend!

Yoo-hoo-hoo!

Let me protect you,

Let me love and kiss you!

Here Gobber mimed forcefully kissing Grump, who growled and reared back. Toothless stared at Gobber's unorthodox behavior. Hiccup was so struck dumb that he didn't hear his friends rolling on the ground from laughter behind. Even funnier to them was the thought that-

"I'll have to sing that?" Hiccup cried.

When everyone calmed down enough and Gobber caught his breath, he spoke. "Whew! Haven't been this out of shape since I wooed me Greta!"

Oh. So he had to concede to that rule in his days, too? Hiccup thought.

"But yes," Gobber said apologetically. "Sorry Hiccup. But we don't break tradition."

"But why would anyone be subjected to this torture?"

"'Cuz when ye fail to woo a lady three times, Hiccup, it's meant to show yer neither dominant enough nor true Viking material. But I wouldn't worry too much! If the lady loves you, she'll accept you no matter what."

Hiccup didn't answer. He trudged towards Toothless, alighted and forcefully steered him into the sky while the loud guffaws of his friends lingered in his ears.

At least Astrid herself wasn't there to see the serenade.

Hmm, where was she, by the way? Hiccup made a mental note to find out later…when he wasn't in such a foul mood.

Toothless didn't like Hiccup's attitude, nor his forceful treatment of him, and he made sure to convey that to him by turning his head and glowering at him.

"Sorry, buddy." He patted Toothless's head. "But I can't propose to Astrid like that. It's the Haddock pride coming out in me, I guess."

Toothless cocked his head, flapped his ears a bit and gurgled. I will help master if it makes him happy again! I will do anything for master!

At least, that's how Hiccup assumed Toothless communicated with him.

"You're right, bud. I just need to up my game, brainstorm some ideas…"

"O-o-oi! Hiccup!"

Hiccup tried not to roll his eyes as he recognized the voice behind him. "Sorry, Fishlegs, I need alone time to brush up on my dancing and singing skills…not that you'd want to see a fishbone dance, I think," Hiccup said with his signature snark.

Meatlug flapped Fishlegs closer to Hiccup and Toothless. "No fear, Hiccup! I'm gonna offer you my help to woo Astrid!"

Hiccup raised his brows, prompting Fishlegs to continue. "Listen: take Astrid to see the sunset on some edge of the island."

"Yeah, yeah, we do have charming sunsets," Hiccup said thoughtfully. "But like my dad once said, you know you've successfully wooed a girl when she is visibly pleased." Hiccup frowned. "And Astrid is one tough nut to please. Yeah, Fishlegs, I don't think sunsets are aesthetically pleasing to Astrid."

"Wait! There's more," Fishlegs said. "So just take Astrid to view a sunset. Give her any excuse. I, being knowledgeable in my dragon classes, will unleash a flock of Terrible Terrors to take to the sky right near you. Colorful, scaly, beautiful Terrors flying across the sunset that will fit the aesthetic picture of a romantic moment."

"Are you sure Astrid will like this?" Hiccup said skeptically.

"Trust me! Have you ever seen a bunch of Terrors in the sky? They're like…poetry in motion. Even I cried a manly tear!" Fishlegs sniffed as though to prove his point.

"How are you gonna get the Terrors coming this way?"

"Trust me, I got this under control."

Hiccup thought for a minute. "It'll have to do," he said. "But I'm counting on you, Fishlegs." Then it hit him. "Wait. There's a catch to your offer, right?"

"Just promise me that if you marry Astrid, I will be your first man at the wedding!" Fishlegs pleaded.

"If this plan works."

"Whether it works or not," Fishlegs corrected.

Hiccup would've been annoyed, but upon reconsidering, he did need a first man. And Fishlegs seemed the least troublesome of his gang.

Hiccup stuck out his hand over Toothless. "It's a deal."

"Where are we going, now?" Astrid asked again irritably as Stormfly flapped after Toothless. "Why did you call me out here?"

Hiccup, atop of Toothless, looked around warily. All he needed was a good sunny spot on the cliff to perch on and wait till the Terrors completed the romantic scene. He was so busy worrying about finding a spot with a good view that he didn't script what excuses to tell her.

"I, uh…we..need to find a place to-" Toothless unexpectedly dropped a few meters down from the air. Nothing to worry about; it only meant that Toothless's wing was tiring out and cramping after a long day of flying.

"- to help Toothless's strained wing," he concluded lamely.

As though to prove Hiccup's point, Toothless flapped extra hard, dropped again, and gurgled as though in pain.

Good ol' Toothless, covering for me, Hiccup thought fondly.

"We can settle over here." Astrid pointed to a ledge.

"No!" Hiccup burst out. That one blocks the view of the sunset. "I mean, I was thinking, what about this one?" Hiccup pointed to another ledge he thought looked good.

Astrid scowled. "Okay, whatever, but quickly, so I can keep an eye out for those Terrible Terrors." Fishlegs, being the expert in dragon behavior, told the gang that today was the day of the Terrible Terror migration, which could be potentially harmful if a flock flew into Berk. Thus, each member of the gang had to split up and keep post in different places in case that happened.

Of course, it was all a cover-up for Hiccup's plan. The real migration wasn't happening in another few weeks.

While Hiccup pretended to dig into his saddle pack for something for Toothless's faux hurt wing, he wondered what on earth was taking Fishlegs so long. Fishlegs said they would arrive shortly…

"Here…" Astrid shoved Hiccup out of the way and proceeded digging for the balm herself. When she didn't find it, she threw the pack aside. "Can you guys cope without it?"

"Sorry, bud, I guess I forgot," Hiccup said to Toothless, smiling sheepishly. "How about we rest a little, ol' bud?" Good. A better excuse for waiting. He quickly changed the subject. "That's a really nice sunset, by the way…"

"-This sounds bad, Hiccup," Astrid proceeded, not hearing Hiccup. "How can we watch out for the Terrible Terrors if Toothless can't fly? They could come from anywere!"

A scream broke through the air. A high-pitched, piercing scream. It sounded like,

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup leapt up and tried to peer through the sunset's rays ahead. A small, darkly multi-colored cloud was approaching them, which looked comprised of tiny dots the closer it came.

The Terrible Terrors.

Astrid leapt into action. "There!" she cried. "Let's tell the others-"

"No, wait!" Hiccup grabbed Astrid. "Look, aren't they beautiful?" But upon closer introspection, the scene looked anything but. Instead of gracefully flying in one pack through the sunset, they look scattered, disorganized. Even threatening in a big flock. Like attacker birds.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Astrid jerked away and looked at Hiccup in bewilderment. "We have to warn everyone!"

This must be a mistake, Hiccup thought, panicked. But Astrid was already astride on Stormfly. A figure approached the two closer, who turned out to be a screaming Fishlegs coming to them on Meatlug.

"Hiccup-!" he gasped. "Abort mission! I repeat, abort mission! They – I couldn't do it – they were angry-"

What the heck Fishlegs did to provoke the Terrible Terrors, Hiccup couldn't find out now. All he knew was, mission failed, and danger ahead.

"Astrid, you warn the gang!" Hiccup commanded, hopping onto Toothless. "Fishlegs, warn the villagers, tell them to close all entrances, gates, EVERYTHING. I'll distract the Terrible Terrors." The chief's son took off into the air. He was headed for the food storage, where an entire casket of fish were kept. The Terrible Terrors loved fish. They could also be more easily dealt with when they were fed. The gang's dragons could then tell the placate Terrors to please go their own way.

The buzz of Terrors loomed closer, but Hiccup wasn't too worried. Countless times he dealt with rogue dragons, appeased, and befriended them. No, he wasn't so stressed out about Terrible Terrors as the failed wooing attempt.

Strike one!