Mariah: Yes. At the end of Gift of a Night Fury I stated I would be doing Race to the Edge following a similar formula to this one (I list the formula/rules there as well). The only thing I don't know is whether to do Race to the Edge after or before I do the 2nd movie.
I hope that answered your question. Now on with the show!
Viking for Hire
Everybody needs a place in the world. Some people are born to theirs, others discover theirs, and some people make a place for themselves. But, then the world around them changes, and the place they made is gone. Gobber had been the one to make and repair all our weapons, but with no war to fight, the need for those new or repaired weapons had vanished. Gobber needed a new place in the world, and finding it proved to be more difficult than I thought…
The teens had all gathered in the new Berk Dragon Training Academy, and Hiccup was quizzing her friends on dragons. They made it into a competition with teams. Astrid, Fishlegs, and Aric on one, while Snotlout and the twins made up the other.
"Every dragon has its own unique abilities that give it its special place in the world. Which dragon makes the best welding torch?" Hiccup asked.
"Oh! Deadly Nadder!" Astrid answered.
"Correct! Point to team Astrid. Score is now 100 to 10."
"And you started with 10", Aric laughed.
"Oh yeah? Well, the game's not over. Wait, what team am I on?" Tuffnut questioned.
In retrospect, the teams were a bit unfairly chosen. "Next question", Hiccup continued, "What is the shot limit of the Hideous Zippleback? Team Snotlout."
"I don't think they can count that high", Astrid snickered.
"Oh really?" Ruffnut challenged, "Let's find out. Barf! Belch!"
The Zippleback fired until their shot limit at the other team who were just able to duck away in time.
"Looks like it's about three." Tuffnut said, holding up two fingers.
"Told you we could count that high."
"It's six; you're half right. Five points", Hiccup corrected.
"Yes! We're up to 30!" Ruffnut cheered, high-fiving her team mates.
"Alright, it's our turn. What happens when you shoot fire at the owner of a Midnight Nadder?" Aric whistled, and Shadowstar shot her spikes at Team Snotlout, pinning them to the wall. He and his sister high-fived at that, laughing.
"No fair! He didn't give us time to answer", Tuffnut complained.
"I've got a question", Snotlout said in a competitive yet angry tone, "What happens when I sick Hookfang on you?!"
"Okay guys! That's enough training!" Hiccup said seeing the competition starting to spiral out of control. "So… we did some really good work here today."
Snotlout was still raring to fight, though. He set Hookfang to attack, but instead of attacking Aric, he ignited himself on fire and roared with pain. "AH! THAT'S THE THIRD TIME THIS WEEK!" Snotlout jumped into a nearby water tub, to put out his flaming butt. "Aahhh... sweet relief."
"Hookfang never flames up when you're riding him? Is he okay?" Hiccup asked recounting the way Hookfang roared.
"Maybe he just realized who his owner is", Astrid joked.
"There's room in here for two?"
Astrid's response was a harsh shove into the cold water.
000
As Hiccup walked through the village she found Gobber attempting to sell his weapons as different ordinary houseware. She stopped, seeing him trying to convince people they could use a sword as a butter knife. Hiccup already felt bad enough at the sight of her former mentor being reduced so low, but Mildew just had to come pour salt in the wound. She glared at him from the side and fought the urge to growl threateningly.
"Gasp, well isn't this a dark day. A great dragon slayer peddling his weapons as kitchen utensils? Hm…tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk", the old man said with mocked concern. Hiccup knew she wouldn't actually hurt the man, but she did really want to.
Gobber continued with the embarrassing display; he tried using a mace as a fly swatter, ultimately destroying a table, followed by trying to sell his catapult as a weapon for a woman's home defense. He accidently set it off, creating a giant hole in the wall of Silent Sven's house. By this point the people gathered had seen enough and decided to leave, leaving Gobber rather desperate.
"Ah, it's hard to watch. Especially for you, eh, Hiccup? The feelings of guilt must be tearing at your insides. I mean you put him out of business with your little peace pact with the dragons. You ruined his life. Bravo", Mildew continued. He left knowing his words made an impact.
As much as she hated to admit it, Mildew was right; it was her fault Gobber was in this position. She left with guilt weighing heavy on her.
Later that night, Hiccup sat on the loft, thinking, with Toothless curled around her. She sighed. "You know Gobber made this for me?" she said pointing to her metal leg. "He taught me everything I needed to know to make your tail", she continued. "I've got to find some way to help him."
"Maybe you could find him a new job",Toothless suggested.
"But what?" she asked shifting to Dragonese.
They both sat for a moment in thought when Hiccup's father came in. Hiccup got up and made her way down seeing her father exhausted. He groaned as he sat in his chair.
"Tough day of cheifing dad?" she asked as she walked down the stairs.
"I was all over the island. I married the Svensson girl to the Odegaard boy at dawn. Then down to the fields where some kids were tipping over yaks. Then back up to the newlyweds to settle a domestic dispute. I guess that honeymoon's over", he finished as Hiccup handed him a cup of ale. She nodded in agreement, and then went over to the fireplace to put some more wood in.
Her father sighed. "Sometimes I wish there were two of me", he then said.
Hiccup's eyes grew wide and her ears perked up. She dropped the wood into the fire in her stunned state with the answer to both their problems in her head. "Dad, th-there are two of you!" she exclaimed turning around and moving towards him.
"Is that another crack about my weight?!"
"No, I mean Gobber. He can be the other you."
"Gobber? Why he's way too busy making all those dragon killing—well he used to be, until you—which is great! Except for Gobber."
"Exactly my point."
"You know? That's actually not such a bad idea. I could use a right hand."
"Which works out great, 'cause that's kinda the only one he has", Hiccup replied jokingly.
000
"I greatly appreciate you helping me out Gobber", Stoick said the following morning as he and Gobber walked through the village.
"I'm just glad I could find time in my busy schedule, Stoick", Gobber clearly lied.
"I've got a full day ahead of me; here's your half." He ripped a piece of paper with his list and gave half of it to Gobber to follow.
"Oh, this will be interesting", Gobber stated as he looked the list over.
"Now remember, some of these situations are delicate; they require diplomacy."
"Ah, no problem. I'm great at…that."
"Really? You? You can speak to people with tact and sensitivity?"
"Oh, I thought it meant clubbing people on the head and asking questions later. But I can give your thing a shot."
Stoick had a feeling this was a bad idea, and his feeling was right. As Stoick was finishing his last item on his list, a group of Vikings consisting of the new parents whose baby's naming ceremony was that day, and Bucket and Mulch came angrily towards him. The parents told him how Gobber named their daughter Magnus, as well as giving their baby a mace as a teething toy, and Bucket and Mulch told him how Gobber's solution to their problem was for them to fight each other to the death, only resulting in nothing being settled. Stoick, furious, marched down to the docks assuming that's where'd he be. His guess was correct seeing Gobber patching Silent Sven's boat with metal.
"Gobber!" the chief exclaimed with the group following him. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Just checking another item off the list", he responded. Gobber then tapped the boat with his hammer-hand, causing it to slide down into the water and sink. "And, adding an item for later. Recover sunken ship. Same time tomorrow?" The response was a massive face palm from the chief, and the baby crying.
When Stoick came home that night he had a splitting headache only two blocks of ice could cure.
"Here you go dad", Hiccup said placing his cup on the table. She then noticed the ice. "Wow, a two-block headache. You know dad, I think you're being a wee bit…rough on Gobber. It was his first day? Tomorrow will be way better."
"Oh it will be for me. Because it won't involve Gobber."
"What do you mean?"
"I tried to fit a square peg in a round hole, and it sunk a ship and named a baby girl Magnus. Now I'm not saying she didn't look like a Magnus, but try telling that to her parents."
"I can't believe you let him go?! Sigh Well we've got to help him!"
"We don't have to do anything. You,on the other hand are going to be very busy finding a job for Gobber."
She gave him a look of 'wait, what?'
"That's right. You want to fix a problem, so you're going to be the one to fix it."
She sighed frustratingly. "Fine! I will. But I won't give up", she then declared.
000
Hiccup sat on her bed thinking as Toothless was curled on his rock slab. "A job for Gobber…"
'What job can I give Gobber? He's an excellent black smith…but we don't need anything made. What else is he really good at?'
"Hiccup can you please just go to sleep?" Toothless asked.
"No bud. Not until I can think of something to help Gobber."
"Ugh, fine. Then can you at least stop tapping your tail?"
"Oh, sorry bud." She didn't even realize she was doing it.
Toothless put his head back down and went back to sleep, and Hiccup went back to thinking. 'Think, Hiccup, think. What do you know about Gobber? What can he do? What does he know?' Finally, it hit her.
"Dragons!"
Toothless looked up grumpily and grunted at her for waking him.
"Sorry", she said sheepishly.
000
"You're bringing Gobber? Here?" Fishlegs asked confused after Hiccup had explained how he would help them train the dragons.
"He's gonna be… great. Nobody knows dragons like old Gobber. He has spent a life time…studying them. If we can tap into that we'll all be better dragon trainers", she responded.
"I'm back!" Gobber exclaimed, as he came bursting through the gate behind her with a cart filled to the brim with weapons. "Did you miss me?!"
The dragons reared back in surprise and fear. It was uncomfortable enough that they had to come to the place where the teens they had come to cherish tried to kill them every day—except for Hiccup—, but now their old teacher was there as well? With the sharp weapons they used to use on them? It was all a little much for them.
"First of all, welcome. And second…tiny question…Why did you bring your, you know…?"
"Killing things? I thought we could train them by threatening to kill them." He said taking out a large sword that looked to be mixed with an ax, causing Hiccup to gasp. "That's how my daddy taught me to swim."
The dragons' fear was only getting worse, but the moment that made them flee was when Gobber took out a giant mace and shouted, "School's in session!"
The dragons panicked, and quickly flew away as if their lives depended on it. Which to them, it did.
"Eh, I didn't like school either" he then said watching the dragons fly away. Hiccup glanced at him with a look of 'really?'
Hours later, Hiccup was still sitting in the arena with Toothless. She was now writing in her journal with Toothless lying next to her watching, entranced by the way she made lines on the paper.
Astrid and the twins finally came back to the arena, having found their dragons, and they all hopped off them groaning and sore.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Hiccup asked as she and Toothless got up.
"Ugh…we've been riding our dragons for four hours. It took forever to chase them down after Gobber chased them away", Astrid responded.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just don't know what to do with him?" She turned to the sound of Tuffnut grunting, seeing Ruffnut kicking her brother's butt…literally. "Do you guys always have to fight?"
"It's a sibling thing", Astrid reassured.
"Nono. I asked her to do that. I was just trying to get the feeling back", Tuffnut stated still clearly in pain.
"You gonna return the favor or what?" his sister demanded.
"Huh", Hiccup said bewildered, "I've flown on Toothless for hours, and I've never had a problem."
"That's because you have a saddle", Astrid irritably pointed out.
Having yet another epiphany, Hiccup was now absolutely sure she had the right job for Gobber. "Saddles!"
000
"Saddles? I love it! I've got so many ideas!" Gobber said happy to start after Hiccup had found him in the forge and told him she wanted him to make saddles for the teens and their dragons. He took Hiccup's blueprints and glanced over them frowning. "But not like these. Good ones", he continued throwing her designs on the floor.
"I'm glad you're exited, but I still think there are some things in my designs that you can use. I mean, you did teach me everything I know?" She responded picking the papers up from the floor.
"Exactly! That's why you should let Gobber do what Gobber does best."
"I know you know what you're doing, but keep in mind every dragon's different. You have to—"
"Hiccup."
"But—"
"Hiccup."
"But I just think—"
"Hicc. Up. I may have taught you everything you know", he said poking her shoulder with his hammer, "but I haven't taught you everything I know."
She left letting Gobber do his thing, hoping he would finally pull through.
Later, that night, she decided to see how Gobber was doing. When she and Toothless had the forge in their sights they heard him singing.
"I've got my ax, and I've got my mace. And I love my wife with the ugly face. I'm a Viking through! Hmmm…"
"You know he doesn't sing that song unless he's actually very happy. I think we did a good thing."
"You mean you did a good thing."
Hiccup looked to him a little annoyed. "It was a team effort. You did give me the idea with your saddle?"
"I thought Astrid was the one to give you the idea?" He replied matter of factly.
"Why do dragons have to be so literal?"
"Why do humans have to be so complicated?"
"Half human."
"Act more human?"
"Ah—Come on. Let's head home, oh Great simple dragon."
They turned and began to walk back, the two continuing to banter on all the way home.
"I'm hearing sarcasm."
"That's because it was."
000
After a few days, the saddles were finally finished, and Gobber had brought them to the arena to unveil his wondrous creations. He got there early to make the reveal a surprise covering the saddles with a tarp after laying them all out. When the teens arrived, it was time.
"Alright, this is an exciting day for all of us", Hiccup started. "Gobber, has been working hard to—"
"I think they might want to hear from the artist himself", Gobber intervened. "I've made a lot of saddles in my day; horse, donkey, and now dragon. But, these saddles are special; they're like my children. That is, if you strapped your child to a flaming reptile and rode it. So without further ado…!"
Gobber unveiled his work, and the reactions were immediate. Everyone was impressed, but while Hiccup was surprised, she was more worried than anything else.
"Wow, Gobber, th-this is not what I… imagined", she said.
"How could it be? I'm Gobber! No one knows what it's like to live in here", Gobber replied followed by a tap on his helmet with his hammer.
Hiccup took a closer look at the saddles noticing something odd. "I-is that…?"
"Yep. Flame thrower", he said, followed by a demonstration causing Aric and Hiccup to rear back from the heat. "Didn't see that one coming did ya?"
"Uh, no. No, not for dragons? They come with one built in, actually."
"I know, but can ya ever really have too much fire power?"
They were taken from their conversation when they heard the twins testing out their dragon's new saddles with catapults attached. Once on, they tested out the catapults firing too low and hitting Barf and Belch in the back of each head. They flopped down with a thud and a delayed 'ow' from Ruffnut.
"Uh, catapults for the twins? Not such a good idea", Hiccup stated.
Fishlegs then tried out his dragon's saddle having large maces attached, and she could barely get off the ground.
"Come on girl, think light thoughts."
It didn't work and she tiredly fell back onto the ground.
"Oh come on, you can't tell me my saddle is heavier than Fishlegs?!" Gobber complained.
"My mom says I'm just husky."
Snotlout couldn't even get Hookfang's saddle on to try. His dragon only refused, extremely irritable. "Come on Hookfang. What's wrong with you?" he asked.
Hiccup tried asking him what the matter was a few days ago as well, but the Nightmare's pride was just as large as her cousin's. He wouldn't tell; either that or maybe he just didn't know?
Hookfang continued to ignore the issue saying, "Nothing, I'm fine!" despite clearly not being fine, and turning away from his rider and remaining in his grumpy mood.
"That's it, someone's trading with me."
"Yeah sure, I'll trade my perfect dragon for an angry oven", Tuffnut sarcastically said.
Astrid and Aric were the last ones who hadn't tried their saddles, and it was decided they'd try theirs together, seeing how they were similar. They each strapped the saddles onto Stormfly and Shadowstar and flew a little to get a feel for them.
"Hey, this saddle's actually pretty nice", Astrid commented.
"Yeah, not too heavy, pretty comfortable, quite maneuverable", Aric added.
"Wait 'till to you try the horn!" Gobber called.
"On three?" Astrid asked. Aric nodded and they counted down."
" "One…two…three!" " They each blew their horns. The sound was so sudden, and so loud, it scared their dragons causing them to each shoot their spikes, Stormfly's pinning Snotlout to the wall.
"Really? Again?" Snotlout complained.
"Actually not too bad", Aric joked.
"So anyway, I-I really think we're really gonna need to make a few—"
"Changes!" Gobber interrupted Hiccup yet again. "I'm way ahead of you. I've got so many ideas! It's getting crowded up here…"
She simply looked away with a tired and worried look.
000
Later that evening, Hiccup was cleaning the arena as Toothless simply slept, waiting for when she would be done so they could go for their evening flight. Her father walked in shocked to see all the burn marks.
"By Odin! This place looked better when we were killing dragons here!"
"Yeah, we sort of got 'Gobbered'." She said, then returning to sweeping.
"Well, you know Gobber, he means well. He just doesn't always do well. So, what are you going to do about him?"
"I'm gonna clean up his messes, and re-do his work."
"Look, Gobber's like family—"
"Yeah, I know he is! That's why I can't say anything to him!" she exclaimed, dropping the broom and turning to face her father.
"No, dear, that's why you have to." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to Gobber."
"Why do I have to say something to him?!" she said distressed. "You didn't! You just passed him off to me!" she said shrugging his hand off, and backing away.
"That's what the chief does; he delegates." Hiccup only gave him a side glance. It wasn't fair. Why should she have to fire Gobber, a person who she valued as a second father, when all her father did was hand him over to her to deal with?
"Look, I gave you this academy because it's the best thing for Berk. Now you have to do what's best for the academy." He then said hooking his arm around her and leading her out. "And I'm sorry dear, but what's best is very rarely what's easy."
"What about him?" he then asked, seeing his nephew hanging by a Nadder's spikes, sleeping.
"Leave him. He's going for a record."
"Enough said", he replied, and they walked home together.
000
That night, Hiccup stood by the forge again with Toothless, hoping she wasn't going to have to do what she knew she needed to, thinking of her father's words.
"Hey, you never know bud? Maybe Gobber finally looked at my plans, and is actually making the saddles better?"
There was then a tiny explosion from the forge, the smoke blowing out the torch she was holding.
"Or not", Toothless commented.
Sighing, Hiccup went to enter the forge. "Gobber?" she asked as she made her way in. He turned to her with a cross bow causing her to panic. "Don't shoot!" she screamed with her hands up in front of her.
"I would never shoot you, Hiccup. Unless I absolutely had to", he replied, still holding the crossbow up.
She chuckled nervously. "Yeah…still, if you could please put the crossbow down, I know I'd feel better."
"You know, about the weapons", he said putting the bow down and turning away to his table. "Maybe the catapults were a bit much for the dragons yesterday. So I've gone a different way. I've gotten rid of the two big ones."
"Gobber, that's great!" she said, her ears perking with happiness.
"And replaced them with six little ones!"
Her ears immediately went back down. "Yeah…um, Gobber, we need to talk. Uh, I think it might be time for you to…take a little break."
"In case you hadn't noticed, the only time a Viking takes a break is to die."
"Maybe, uh 'break' is the wrong word. What I mean is…I'm not sure thing are working out."
"Well, get back to me when you're sure."
"Okay, I'm sure. Gobber, I'm gonna have to take you off the saddle project", she finally said, although cautiously.
Gobber's mood completely shifted. He stopped working, and slumped down. "Are you getting rid of me Hiccup? Now I see why you had me put down the crossbow."
"No, it's just the saddles! We'll find something else for ya."
"I don't need your pity. I've lost an arm and a leg. I think I'll survive losing a job."
"I'm…really sorry Gobber…" She then left, and met up with Toothless feeling horrible. "Oh that was awful. I don't know what could be worse than that?"
They stopped, hearing screaming. "Well looks like you're about to find out."
Snotlout ran towards her out of breath. "I never…thought…I'd say this…but Hiccup..." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "HELP!"
"Snotlout! Calm down." Her cousin let her go, stopped shaking her brains out, and they began to run to where Hookfang was rampaging. "What happened? What's wrong with Hookfang?" Hiccup continued as they ran.
"I don't know what happened? I was just rubbing his head. He usually loves that, but this time he went crazy. My dragon hates me", he finished with a distressed tone.
Hiccup could hear Hookfang was roaring for help and that he was hurt. He was clearly in pain and panic, but from what, Hiccup couldn't tell. He wasn't specific on what pain he was in.
"Hookfang, talk to me, what hurts? What's wrong?" she tried, approaching slowly.
He only roared more 'pain', 'hurt', and 'distress', not listening. The only solution was to guess. She looked at him carefully and saw that he kept rubbing his mouth on the ground as if trying to sooth it. Hiccup had an idea it had something to do with his mouth, but with Hookfang not answering her she had to figure out some other way to make sure.
"When was the last time he ate?" she asked Snotlout.
"Not for days."
She grabbed a fish and held it out to him. He looked interested, and she threw it to him. He caught it, and everything seemed fine as he chewed but then he stopped and his cry of pain emanated once more. He spit the fish out, Hiccup ducking away, and unfortunately catching in her father's beard.
"Oh…sorry dad."
"We've got to get this dragon under control!" her father yelled, growing impatient, throwing the fish half to Toothless.
"Don't worry, I can do this!"
She knew it had something to do with his mouth now. What was wrong with his mouth, though, was another question. She came closer to Hookfang, trying to sooth him, in an attempt to get him to tell her what was wrong, and where exactly he was hurting so she could see, figure out the problem, and hopefully fix it. She placed one hand on his snout.
"There you go. It's gonna be okay", she said softly. He seemed to be fine, until she pat the left side of his jaw. Apparently that must have been what was hurting, because he then went ballistic shooting fire everywhere and lighting himself on fire as well.
"Hiccup run!" Aric screamed as Toothless raced to confront the dragon that was threatening his 'sister'.
"Way ahead of you!" She called back already running back to safety.
Toothless tackled Hookfang, biting his neck and knocking him down when Hookfang flamed up even more. He then threw Toothless off of him, Toothless landing on his feet and beginning to circle around. The two growled and roared at each other furiously.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Toothless roared.
"Don't even start! You don't know anything!"
"That's 'cause you won't tell us anything!"
"My problems are mine!"
"Then why are you screeching for help?!"
"Shut up!" He shot at Toothless.
"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled in fear. The shot luckily missed, but hit a building. Stop!" she then screamed running to Toothless wanting to stop the fight that was sure to start. They roared at each other with hate once more and Hiccup pushed Toothless' mussel down trying to stop him. Her father came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I've seen enough, Hiccup. I'm sorry, we tried it your way", he then said as she looked at Hookfang with distress, confusion, and worry.
000
Gobber was in the forge saddened by Hiccup's rejection, actually sobbing, when Stoick stormed in.
"Gobber! We need you!"
"No you don't. Nobody needs me. Nobody needs any of us. Not even you, Bertha", he said, talking to his favorite catapult nobody wanted.
"Are you… crying?"
"Course not", Gobber denied. "Just…chopping onions."
"There are no onions."
"Not anymore. Look what I used to chop them with", he replied holding up his arm which had a mace attached to it as his hand.
"There's a dragon in the plaza that's out of control", Stoick said, getting back on topic.
"Then why don't you call Hiccup?"
"No, Gobber, we need you."
With those words, Gobber's resolve returned and determination lit his eyes. He gathered his weapons and headed with Stoick to the plaza to deal with the dragon.
When they arrived, the teens turned back to them with a look of horror on their faces. He knew this wasn't going to be easy for any of them.
"Stand back. I came to do what I do best", he stated.
"He's gonna kill my dragon", Snotlout worried.
"No, he's not", Hiccup reassured.
"Uh, yeah he is", Tuffnut said.
"You don't use that stuff to butter toast" Ruffnut added.
"Well, I mean we would. But you don't."
"Dad!" Hiccup called and raced to him. "You can't be serious, Hookfang is Snotlout's dragon!"
"I'm sorry, Hiccup, but sometimes you have to fall back on the old ways", Gobber said grimly.
"But he's a good dragon", she stressed.
"He's a good dragon", Snotlout repeated on the verge of tears.
"There's just something wrong with him", Hiccup continued.
"There's defiantly something wrong with him", he yet again repeated.
"He's just hurt; we have to try to help him. We can't just get rid of him because he's having a bad day."
"A bad day for a dragon could be a disaster for us all. That's not a risk I'm willing to take", Stoick stated. "Gobber?"
Gobber stepped forward, and Hiccup turned with fear. He twirled and threw a bola at Hookfang, tying his wings up. The Nightmare tried to use his fire, but nothing came out.
"Ha, you're all out of fire." He unsheathed his sword and started to approach the dragon with it raised, ready to strike, but Hiccup tried to stop him grabbing onto his arm.
"I can't let you do this."
"There's no choice. It has to be done." He swung his arm up trying to make her let go but her grip stayed strong, hanging on and practically dangling. She even used her wings to try and keep him back trying to fly backwards.
Hookfang flamed up again, burning the ropes off and roaring in their faces when they saw a rotten tooth in his mouth. They both stared, stunned
"Do you see that?" Gobber asked shocked.
"I do." She let go, and Gobber sheathed his sword ready to put the dragon out of his misery. Gobber leaped onto the Nightmare, wrestling with Hookfang and trying to get the tooth out. After a few moments, Hookfang threw him off, and in the process, the tooth was pulled out as well.
"Ah, you didn't kill him!" Snotlout shouted in relief.
"For a toothache? What kind of lunatic are you?!" he said holding the tooth for everyone to see. It had a massive hole in it, and it was no wonder Hookfang was in so much pain.
Hookfang looked much happier, going to Snotlout and batting him playfully. The boy laughed at first, only to become embarrassed and stopped his dragon asking for someone to train 'that' out of him.
"Thank you, Gobber. A bad tooth, I can't believe I didn't think of that." Hiccup said feeling rather grateful as well as stupid.
"That's because you're not Gobber! I've forgotten more about dragons than most men will ever know. Well, better go put the girls away." He moved to do so, until Hiccup stopped him.
"Gobber, wait! Not so fast."
He turned back as she explained. "I think I've finally found the perfect job for you. Fixing dragon teeth!" she exclaimed happily.
000
The following morning, they set up shop, hung a dragon's tooth at the front of the forge, and spread the word to get their dragon's teeth cleaned and checked out by Gobber. A line quickly formed and feeling happy and needed once more, Gobber sung.
"Well I've got my ax and I've got my mace, and I love my wife with the ugly face. I'm a Viking through and through…!"
…Finding a new job for Gobber wasn't easy. But, when the world around you changes, the good men find a way to change with it; even if needing a little help. Gobber is one of those good men. In fact, he's one of the best.
