When will we meet Toothless? Not for a little while yet, keep in mind that Hiccup's inventing days are on hold at the moment. Certainly, he'll pick it up again, but only after his determination flares back to life.

Much love for those that reviewed the previous chapter, and for their kind words. Not all of the chapters will be exciting, of course, because I want to develop a romance here.

3: Burn

Hiccup found himself out in the wilderness in early morning light, his shoulder bound, and his arm in a sling. He could use the limb well enough, but the soreness was making his shoulder stiff. Gothi had told him that it would have been best for him not to move it for a time until the soreness passed.

But that was not to be.

The young heir of Berk had plans to put into motion, and for those plans, he would need something to barter with. The isle of Berk was large enough to house a sizable forest, which he planned to use soon enough if things went well. At the moment his little stint into the woods was carrying him toward the Southern beach, where he knew Gronkles were known to feed on the rocks there.

Why would a Gronkle feeding ground interest him one might wonder. The answer was simple, yet it was his own little secret. Gronkles, he had found out, could not digest the traces of metal in the rocks that they ate to keep their hides tough. When their bodies had taken what they needed, the Gronkles spat up the molten metals that sloshed around in their stomachs.

At first, when he'd seen the little quirk of the dragons, he'd been disgusted, but when the glowing red puddles had cooled, Hiccup found himself staring at a piece of silvery metal. At first, because of the color, he had thought it was actual silver, but when he inspected it, he found it to be harder than acid-quenched iron. Taking a sample of the metal back to the forge, he had shaped himself what could have possibly been his finest piece of work aside from the battle axe used by Astrid.

A piece of work he kept on his person at all times, as it happens. It was a simple dagger. No curves, no etchings, or fancy work. But it was sharp. The sharpest he'd ever seen a blade before.

Now Hiccup decided it was time to make use of this unusual bounty before someone else found out about it. When it came to resources, it was finders keepers on Berk. Which is why Hiccup, in his free time, had made himself a little hide-away across the island near his destination. Again, it was nothing fancy. Just a little hut built up on a low-lying cliff he'd put together with whale bones and animal hides he'd picked up here and there.

He even had a small forge there which he used at times when he was experimenting with the strange Gronkle-Iron. There was just one problem with the location. It passed through Speed Stinger territory. Thankfully, the small dragons were nocturnal, and rarely came out in the daylight. And there were few of them on Berk. A small pack of them had taken up residence near Hiccup's cliff hut, but they rarely ventured too close because of his lingering scent.

Aggressive as they were, they were equally as cautious.

Moving quickly through the thick underbrush, Hiccup came out into a clearing he knew that dragons steered clear of. Why, he was unsure, but it meant that he was more than safe. The area was a dumping ground for dragons killed in the arena, which meant the clearing was littered with bones, and hide from slain dragons. Not one to waist resources, Hiccup had scrounged many a dragon skin from the dumping grounds.

'The scent of their dead must keep them away,' He thought as he continued out, and came out onto the southern beach, keeping himsef hidden in the brush until he was sure there were no Gronkles feeding. Dragons were early risers, many rising with the sun to get what they needed for long flights, or fights waged against the Vikings.

Today, however, even though they were expecting a raid, there wasn't a single dragon in sight. Which he was thankful for, because he could see a great many hardened globs of the precious metals out on the beach. Taking a quick look up at the brightening sky, Hiccup cautiously made his way out onto the beach, pulling a large dragon hide sack from his back and began picking the metal in the sands.

The metals were surprisingly light, and strong when forged right. But he was looking for something special. Something rarely seen on berk.

Gold.

His father had been right. Johann would need to be paid for what he wanted to purchase from the man. And gold was the only thing that could do that. But, frustratingly, most of the metal on the beach was the same iron base he always found. But then something caught his eye. It shone brighter than the silvery ore he had been picking through. It was almost white in its sheen.

Hiccup had never seen it before, but he knew exactly what he was looking at the moment he picked it up. "Silver!" He grinned widely, hastily placing the precious metal in his bag, and looking down for more. There were more, three more to be precise. A small fortune in silver.

Grinning hugely, Hiccup bagged his prize and headed for his hut on the cliffs before the Gronkles came for their feeding. The weight of the bag mad him giddy, feeling at least twelve pounds of it on his shoulders. Enough to get everything he needed.

Berk had little to no money of its own, most of their dealing being in trade alone. But Hiccup had long ago asked Johann what was needed to create coined money. All over which he had built on his own in secret as a surprise for his father. Now, he just needed to get the silver melted down again, and cut into coins to be pressed.

Thankfully he had plenty of Gronkle-Iron to work with.

While he worked in his little forge, hours flew by, and it was near afternoon before he had a small back of silver coins. Each side had a design on it, one the face of a dragon, and the other a sword.(These coins are around the size of silver larp coins.)

He was pleased with his work, and with the result his tools had yielded. He didn't know if he had enough coins at the moment to pay Johann, but perhaps he would have more time.

Instead, tired, hungry, and sore, the young man pocketed his coins, and hurried back to the village, leaving the rest of the silver bounty behind.

=x=

"Where the devil have ye been, boyo!" Gobber roared upon seeing Hiccup enter the forge to see the man working hard, as usual. "I have'nae seen ye all day, and now ye finally decide tae show up?"

Hiccup grinned at the man, "Sorry, Gobber," he said, reaching for the small bag of coins at his belt, "I was busy with a little project of mine. Have a look at this!"

Hiccup was practically glowing with pride when he pulled out one of the coins to show the blacksmith. Gobber, confused for a moment, took the coin between his fingers, looking at it closely. "Beards of Thor, laddie, where did ye find - "

"I made them," Hiccup said proudly, "There was silver on the beach, and I had enough for small fortune!"

Gobber frowned and took a bite out of the coin, "Hm, no trace of tin...and flexible...aye, Hiccup, this is the purest silver I've ever seen!" He chuckled and handed it back to the boy, "I hoped ye have nae told anyone else about this? The beaches will be full o' people looking for the stuff."

Hiccup shook his head, feeling slightly guilty, "No, I haven't even told my dad, really," he said, scratching the back of his head, "I mean, I know I should have, but - "

Gobber held up his hand, "Lad, it's alright. No one could blame ye for keepin' this a secret," he smiled knowingly at the boy, "That's meant for Astrid, isn't?"

"Sort of," Hiccup smiled, "I know I can't expect to use this on the island until everyone has their own money, but Johann will take it, I'm sure."

"That he will," Gobber nodded, chuckling, "Planning tae buy her some pretty dresses, are ye?"

Hiccup blushed, "Well, yes...I mean, no I - "

"Och, lad, take a breath, 'efore ye hurt yerself," Gobber laughed, "I was only foolin'. Besides, I figured ye'd have something else planned." Sidling up to the young man, "Like payin' for some new furnishings from Johann?"

Hiccup nodded, "That's part of the plan," he said, crossing his arms, "That'll be the easy part, the hard part's getting her away from her home long enough for me to make the repairs to her home."

"An' she's always up there," Gobber nodded, "Good house, that one. Arvak was the finest quarry master we'd had. No one's been able tae fill 'is boots since he and Helga were lost. Ye're gonna need a lot o' lumber for that job, ye know?"

"I'll cut it myself," Hiccup said with determination, looking down at his hands, "I may be a weakling compared to the others, but this is the least I can do, especially for her." He smiled sadly, "It might not even convince her that I meant what I said, but at least she'll have something of her own. Something that belongs to her besides her mother's axe."

Gobber nodded, "She may take it the wrong way, but then again, she might not." The old blacksmith said, "I remember her mother had the temper of a dragon on her, especially when took things the wrong way, but ooh, the face she'd make when she found out she was in the wrong!"

"Apple red with her mouth hanging open?" Hiccup asked, remembering Astrid making such a face when she'd thought he'd done something to make a fool out of her, instead it turned out he was trying to help. Back in dragon training, while facing the Nadders they had locked in the arena, one had taken aim at her with its tail spines. Hiccup had rushed in to get Astrid out of the way. But she thought he was trying to take her out of the game, and smacked his shield off of his arm, forcing him to take the Nadder's paralyzing spines himself instead of letting them hit her.

The look on Astrid's face had been priceless to say the least. Of course, it would have been an entirely different situation if Snotlout hadn't decided to use the paralyzed teen as a bench before Astrid kicked the larger boy off of him.

Gobber laughed, "Aye, that's the look!" He roared, thumping his peg leg on the floor, "So, how are ye goin' tae keep her away from the house long enough to fix it? And just how are ye goin' tae fix it?"

Hiccup sighed, and crossed his arms, "Dad's planning to go looking for the nest again after the next raid. I asked him to take Astrid with him."

Gobber looked a little surprised, "Heh, a wee bit extreme, don'cha think, lad?"

The boy shrugged, throwing his hands up in defeat, "Astrid's way smarter than most of our age group, me included, so she'd know I was up to something right off the dock," he said, "This was the only way for me to work without her finding out and probably trying to stop me." He said, "You know how she is."

"More stubborn than boar in 'is favorite mud hole," Gobber relented, "Aye, ye're right, but then again, who's gonna do the labor? Ye're certainly stronger than ye were at fifteen, what with the growth spurt ye hit last year, but ye cannae haul all o' that lumber up there on yer own, ye know?"

"I'm hoping I can get the miller to help me with that." Hiccup said, "He's got a strong team of oxen to pull the loads up there, but he won't do it for free," He sighed, hefting his little bag of silver again, "Lucky for me I've just come into some money, huh?"

Gobber nodded, "Want some advice?" He asked, pointing his hook at the bag, "Don't coin all o' that silver. Make it intae bullion. Ye won't need tae press it then, just cut it. It'll be faster that way."

"Good idea," Hiccup nodded, "I'll need to work fast if I wanna get this done within the month they'll likely be gone."

"Speaking of fast work," Gobber said, "Snotlout's been looking fer ye. Been talkin' about all the teeth 'e's goin' tae knock out."

Hiccup frowned, "Really? Snotlout's good with a sword, but a fighter he's not!" He groaned, "Just what I need. My hand's still sore from the other night!"

"Here's another bit o' advice," Gobber said, "Don' use your arm for the punch alone, put yer shoulder into it and ye'll get more power."

"Right."

Gobber smirked and looked out across the village and hooted, "Here's more advice, get ready tae fight, cause here comes Snotlout."

Hiccup whipped around, and, sure enough, there was Snotlout marching toward him, a smirk on his face that showed off his missing tooth. To say the young heir was not in the mood was an understatement. Not when he'd just found a small answer to his problems concerning Astrid.

"Hey, Helpless!" Snotlout roared, "Come on out, and take what's coming to you!"

Hiccup groaned and trudged outside, "Do we really have to do this?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.

Snotlout sneered, "Aw, what's the matter, Helpless? You scared?"

"Do us all a favor, and get Gobber to replace that tooth," Hiccup snarked, smirking right back, "You weren't much to look at before, but now...ugh!" He made a disgusted face that made the young man scowl at him.

Snotlout lunged at him, and Hiccup sidestepped, sticking his leg out and tripping the larger boy. Snotlout sprawled out on the ground, his face plowed into the dirt. He scrambled up, and went for him again. This time Hiccup leap-frogged over him, using his hold on the boy's shoulders to push him to the ground again.

By now the brawl had drawn a crowd as Snotlout picked himself up from the ground again. "Will you quit moving around!" The large teen roared.

"No," Hiccup said simply.

Then the larger teen roared and rounded on him with a wild hay-maker. Hiccup ducked down low, and drove his fist into Snotlout's gut. Snotlout hadn't thought to block it, even though he knew the smaller man packed a punch, but not enough to knock the wind out of him. But he was wrong. Snotlout hacked, and groaned as he clutched at his stomach.

Hiccup didn't stop, however, and threw a straight right hook into his face, cracking him right in the nose, and sending him to the ground again. Snotlout groaned and staggered back to his feet. "Are we done, yet?" Hiccup asked, slightly winded. "I don't wanna fight, Snot, never did!"

"Too bad!" The large man roared and whipped around, tackling him to the ground, finally pinning him to the ground, and started pummeling him. Hiccup was thin, and wiry, but all of those years working in the forge had made his body as strong as any Viking. He braced with his legs, and rolled, throwing Snotlout off of him. Hiccup was on his feet in seconds while Snotlout was still picking himself up, and hammered his right cheek, following up with a left to the chin.

Snotlout groaned, staggering to his feet, and struck out, socking Hiccup in the gut. Being the bigger fighter, Snotlout packed a lot of strength behind his blows, which nearly knocked Hiccup back down.

Snotlout wasn't trying to win the fight, though. He just wanted to hurt him.

"G'on, Hiccup!"Gobber yelled, "Knock 'im in the knee!"

Snotlout looked away from the fight toward Gobber, "What's that supposed to -GAH!" While he'd been focused on Gobber, Hiccup had take the advice and slammed his right fist into the side of the larger teen's left knee. Snotlout howled in pain just as Hiccup gave a left hook to his jaw, and sent him sprawling.

"That's enough!" The young blacksmith roared as Snotlout tried to get back to his feet, "We're supposed to be fighting dragons, not each other!"

"So what?" Snotlout snapped, "You're the one that started this!"

"I was only defending my friend," Hiccup snapped right back, "Because fortunately or not, Astrid doesn't want either one of us!" He growled, "She's given up on continuing her family, because once she marries, that's it. No more Hoffersons. Get it?"

Snotlout wiped a line of blood away from his lips, "I'll make her - "

"Do what?" Hiccup snapped angrily, "Don't you get it? If you keep this up, you'll end up hurting her." He said, stepping closer, "And then I'd do more than knock out a tooth!"

Now Snotlout backed off. It wasn't like Helpless Hiccup to puff up to anyone. He was used to him ducking his head down, and backing off, but now he was dealing with someone completely different. And damned if he didn't have a mean punch!

"Well, what can you do?" Snotlout asked, frowning, "You're just as bad as I am!"

Hiccup shook his head, "I don't care if she chooses me or not, because I just want her to be happy," He said, scowling at the larger teen, "You? You just want her because she's pretty. She's just a trophy to you, a notch in your belt."

Snotlout looked confused, "What's wrong with that?"

"What wrong with -?!" Hiccup stammered before hauling back and knocking him square in the chin, and sending him flying, "Everything's wrong with that!" He roared and stormed off, in dire need of a stiff drink.

Gobber chuckled as he watched his apprentice stomping off, and hobbled out to where Snotlout was slowly picking himself up from the ground, "Lad, bit o' advice, keep tangling with me apprentice, and next time, 'e might just kill ye." He said, passing the young man by as he paled.

=x=

Dagur found his Blood-Brother in the mead hall knocking back a large tankard, and a plate of mutton. "Saw your fight earlier," he said, taking a seat next to him, "Never thought I'd see the day someone put Snotlout in his place, let alone for you to be the one that did it." He smiled at him, raising his own mug, "You'd make a fine berserker if you had the madness."

Hiccup huffed, wiping foam away from his lips, "No thanks, Dagur," he sighed, "No offense, but I don't like the idea of flying into a rage at the drop of a needle."

Dagur shrugged, "Think I do?" He asked smiling around his mead, "Berserkers may be strong, but that doesn't mean we want our gift. Some of us are lucky enough not to be born with it, me...not so much. And I can't calm myself like the rest of my tribe can."

Hiccup winced, "Sorry, Dagur. I didn't mean - "

"Forget it," Dagur smiled, waving his apology aside, "So, what'd Snotlout do to get you that mad?"

Hiccup bit into his mutton before answering, "It...had something to do with Astrid."

Dagur nodded in understanding, "That girl your sweet on?" He asked, smiling, "Why not marry her and get it over with?"

Hiccup gave him a look, "Dag, she's dead set on becoming the island's Shield Maiden." Now it was Dagur's turn to wince. He knew what that meant.

"Sorry," he took a long dring from his mug, "So, she's already sworn herself?"

"Not yet," Hiccup sighed, leaning on the table, "And even if she does, I could still convince her...but I don't wanna force her."

Dagur shrugged, "Wish I could help, but I've got no idea how to deal with girls," he sighed, "There isn't anyone back home that'd give me the time of day, let alone enjoy my company, mostly because they're afraid of me."

Hiccup snorted, "She's far from afraid of me, Dagur," he said, "When I brought it up, she said she's not good enough for the chief's son. Me, Hiccup the Helpless, too good for her? Ha!"

Dagur smirked, elbowing him in the side, "Not so Helpless, from what I saw this afternoon, eh?"

Hiccup huffed, "Come on, I barely tapped him!"

"Yak shit," Dagur grinned.

Hiccup chuckled and finished his drink, "So, how do I bring down a Skrill?"

Before Dagur could answer, the sound of a horn blasting sounded. "Is that the warning call?"

"Yeah!" The pair bolted up, "C'mon, we need to get going!"

Dagur looked at him, "Are you fighting?"

"No, I'm needed at the forge," He said, holding up his hand, "Good hunting out there."

"I would say the same to you, Brother," Dagur said, clasping his hand, "Let's go!"

=x=

The raid was bad one. Hiccup had never seen so many dragons attacking at once. And all of them were going for the storehouses. Hiccup never stopped pounding metal that night, not until his injured shoulder screamed at him to stop, forcing him to let Gobber take over. Hiccup went out to help put out the fires that had erupted upon the dragons' arrival.

All in all, the attack wasn't going South, at least not yet. Astrid and his father were chasing many of the beasts away, and, having caught sight of the Shield Maiden, he knew that she'd already bathed her blade in dragon blood.

Hiccup was just throwing another bucket of water over the side of a house when a high-pitched shriek sounded through the air that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"NIGHT FURY!"

"GET DOWN!"

Hiccup dove to the ground just as a blast hit one of the catapults, destroying it completely. 'It came back,' the young smith thought, 'two years it goes away, and now it's back!' The legendary Night Fury of Berk had plagued them two years ago, and Hiccup had stupidly thought he could shoot the thing down in the dark with his mangler, but had missed. The results had been devastating, and utterly embarrassing.

It never stole food, and never landed. It just destroyed, and freed any trapped dragons. In short, it was a menace.

"Olga!" Hiccup looked up to see a woman trying to rush back into a burning house, held back by a man he figured was her husband.

"Nay, Anna, it's too late!" The man roared.

That was enough for Hiccup. He scrambled to his feet and dashed into the house.

The flames were already roaring inside the little home, making it hard for him to see because of the heat while the smoke choked him. "Olga!" He yelled out, "It's Hiccup! Say something!"

There was the sound of coughing near the back of the house, and Hiccup moved further in. The entrance was already blocked by the flames, and his feet were getting scorched the further he went.

His leather armor was beginning to smoke. "Olga!"

"D-down here," He looked at the floor, and saw a tiny hand poking out from under the child's bed. Not waisting any time, he reached down and hauled her out into his arms protectively. The little girl nestled into his chest, "I want my mamma!"

Hiccup nodded, shielding her from the flames, "Don't worry, you'll see her soon, I promise!" He growled, searching for a way out as the house began to groan, the flames weakening the support beams. There was no way out, except the way he'd come, which was now engulfed in flames. "Olga, close your eyes, and hold on tight," he told the little girl, "Don't you dare let go, okay?"

"Okay," the girl whimpered.

His feet burning, Hiccup surged forward into the flames, his eyes on the door. The floor gave way, and he stumbled, rolling across the floor. His hands scrabbled for purchase, searing with heat as he got back to his feet.

"What do ye mean he just rushed in!?" Stoick roared, "Get that fire out, now!" He yelled at the villagers, "Get them out at all costs! Astrid! Get more buckest, Ruff, Tuff, you help her! Snotlout, Fishlegs, get a shovel and start throwin' dirt on - "

Suddenly, a body came hurtling out of the burning home, crashing to the ground. The crying of child was heard over the roar of flames as the little girl rolled out of his grasp. Stoick was both horrified and relieved to see the smoldering form of his son. "WATER! GET WATER NOW!"

"Here!" Dagur came forward with a blacket and covered Hiccup with it while patting out the flames on him, "Easy, Brother, you're alright!"

"Hiccup!" Astrid came running up with a bucket of water in hand, "Dagur, move!" She shouted, throwing the water over the smith.

The villagers crowded around him, asking various questions, "Is he alright?" "Get that armor off of him!" "He's cooked!"

"Give him some air, all of you!" Oswald roared, pushing through the crowd with Gothi in tow.

Gothi tapped her cane on the ground to get their attention, "We must get him to the my hut," she spoke softly, "The boy has breathed too much smoke."

Stoick nodded, "Astrid, ye and Dagur get him to Gothi's hut," he said, "The raid's nearly done with. I can handle things well enough without help. The rest of ye, get these fires out!"

Some time later...

Dawn broke across the isle of Berk once again. Wisps of smoke still drifted through the air as the aftermath of the raid was laid before the people. Stoick, for once, was thankful that there were no casualties. It was mostly minor injuries and property damage. One house had been completely lost. Eric Pretty-Face, and his wife, Anna, whose daughter Hiccup had rescued from the flames, had lost the house shortly after the raid was over, leaving nothing but a burned skeleton of a home.

His son was the only one critically injured.

While he hadn't suffered any lasting damage, his hands were severely burned, and would put him out of work for a long time. Gothi's potions and salves would do him good, but he was forbidden to work in the forge for at least a month, and even then he wasn't allowed any heavy work. His armor had protected his body for the most part, but had nearly cooked him alive as well. He was now feverish from inhaling so much smoke, and heat exposure.

Anna's little girl was better off with only slight burns, having been protected from the flames by the young blacksmith. Eric Pretty-Face had promised to do whatever he needed to repay the debt he now claimed to owe the boy.

"How is he?" Stoick asked as he lumbered into Hiccup's room that evening where Astrid was tending to him.

Astrid smiled a little sadly, "Better," she sighed, "Have the Berserkers left?"

"Aye, they have," he said, leaning against the door frame, watching his son sleep under the influence of Gothi's potions. "Astrid, I know this is a bad time tae say this, but I want ye on the next mission to find the nest with me."

Astrid looked at him sharply, "But I- "

"No buts, Astrid," he sighed, "We've lost too many people, so I'm left with no choice," he said, looking down at his son, "We'll wait until he wakes up tomorrow, and then I'll leave him in charge. That should keep him out of the forge."

Astrid looked from her chief to the sleeping boy next to her, "But I-I can't leave, he'll - "

"Astrid," Stoick stepped forward, gently placing his hand on her shoulder, "Shield Maiden or no' ye cannae protect him forever," he said, frowning, "I thank you for that, and I wish I could repay ye for all the times ye've looked out for him. But if we don't find that nest...we're all going tae starve before Spring."

Astrid clamped her mouth shut, knowing that he was right. The dragons hadn't gotten much food this time around, but there had been so much damage. Once they'd raided Berk, the village had at least a week before the next raid came. And then the dragons would fight twice as hard for food.

"I understand," Astrid sighed, "As a Shield Maiden, I will do what is best for my people, no matter the cost."

Stoick shook his head, "Ah, lassie, I'm no' whiskin' ye off tae yer death," he smiled, looking down at her with knowing eyes, "Hiccup would ne'er forgive me for that."

Astrid had the decency to blush as she looked away from the chief, her eyes falling to teh sleeping face of the boy. His face was covered in angry red burns that were smeared with healing ointments. His hair, once the same auburn as his father's, was now tinged black and singed. "Why does he go so far to prove himself?"

"Because he wants to be good enough for ye," Stoick said, smiling as she snapped around, "Doona be surprised, lass, I've seen how he looks at ye."

"And you would approve?" Astrid frowned.

Stoick chuckled, "Whether I approve or not matters verra little to him, Astrid." He said, "He's my son, so I do want what's best for him, but I also want him to be happy just as much." With that, the chief left the room, leaving behind his sleeping son, and a very confused Shield Maiden.

Not much action in this one either, but meh, it's my first dragon raid. We did get a cameo for Toothless, and a good fist fight with Snotlout, but things will pick up, I promise.

As always, let me know what you think, please.