Over the course of the next two weeks, the atmosphere on Berk began to change. When the warriors had left, a feeling of worry and trepidation had lain over the village. Now, however, the air was filled with excitement and hope. The cause of such a change?
Hiccup.
Almost overnight, it seemed, he had gone from nearly being killed during training to being the best dragon fighter Berk had ever seen. With no weapon in hand, he managed to subdue the dragons and get them back into their cages. Sometimes, he'd even show off and give the dragon a good scratch behind the ear before closing it in is pen. Everyone left in the village started flocking to the classes just to watch him work his magic, hoping they could learn his secrets.
One person, in particular, tried her hardest to find out just how Hiccup had gotten so good. Whenever the class ended for the day, Astrid would do her best to follow him as he darted into the forest. She was positive he never saw her or heard her, and yet, every time, he somehow managed to get her off his trail. It was more than a little infuriating to her.
A certain pair of twins, however, thought they knew the truth. So, one day, after class was over, they set out in search of Thora.
"She has totally got to be the reason he's so good," Ruffnut proclaimed as they stalked towards Gothi's house.
"Yeah, she has to be!" Tuffnut agreed. "She definitely cast some sort of spell on him to make him into some…super human dragon fighter."
Ruffnut smirked, giving her twin a light punch on the arm. "Think of all the people that will be coming to watch us when we get her to do that magic to us!"
Tuffnut snickered, rubbing his hands together maniacally. "We'll be the ones killing all the dragons and getting all the fame."
"Well…Hiccup hasn't actually killed any dragons, per-se," Ruffnut corrected. "But we'll still get to kick dragon butt!"
"Yeah! Kicking dragon butt is the best!"
As they approached the pinnacle of rock, they froze mid-step. Gothi and Thora were walking down the winding platform, Thora carrying a large pot and Gothi squinting towards the horizon. Seeing this, the twins ducked behind some barrels, crouching down so they were hidden from sight.
"Dude," Ruffnut whispered, peeking over the top of the barrel, "look at how tiny Gothi is compared to her."
Tuffnut quietly snorted. "I know…it's like a Terrible Terror standing next to a Timberjack."
Ruffnut raised her brow. "Hm. I was thinking more along the lines of a Scauldron."
"No way! That's not nearly-" He was suddenly silenced as Ruffnut slammed her hand over his mouth and pulled him back down.
Ever so slowly and quietly, Ruffnut glanced behind the barrel just in time to see Thora pause in her steps and look around. Tuffnut tried to make a noise, but she shoved her hand harder against his mouth. It was only when the teacher-student duo were far down the road that she released him.
"You almost got us caught!" she hissed. "Let's go; they're almost out of sight. And be quiet!"
As his sister left their hiding spot, Tuffnut quietly mocked her orders. He then stuck his tongue out at her back, but followed. There was no way he was going to let her get all the magic!
The twins followed Gothi and Thora all throughout the village, staying hidden when the two women paid visits to the Hofferson and the Larson households. Luckily, these visits were short –otherwise, they would have grown bored of their hunt. Knowing of Thora's good hearing, they worked extra hard on being silent –an unusual task for them if they weren't trying to prank someone on Loki Day.
Being quiet and hidden became nearly impossible when they realized that Gothi was leading Thora towards Cowrie Beach. Rather than going into the forest where there were plenty of trees to hide behind and soft dirt to walk on, the old woman was taking them through a wide, open meadow. In order to continue the hunt, the twins ducked into the tall grass and started to crawl parallel to the path.
By the time they came to a stop, the twins were covered in small cuts and burrs while bits of grass were stuck in their hair. All this they ignored, however, as it was normal for them to get so filthy. They lay on their stomachs and pushed aside a clump of grass, enabling them to see what was happening on the beach.
Thora used her tail to push her hair out of her face. "Now I fill this up with water from where the ocean meets the river, right?" she asked.
Gothi nodded, sitting down on a piece of driftwood. She watched as Thora walked over to a stream. The water at the bank was too shallow to fill the cauldron, so the teen held back her hair and waded out to the middle. Gothi shivered as she watched her; it was nearly winter and the water had to be freezing!
'Are you crazy?' she wrote, a worried frown on her face when Thora returned.
"What?" Thora stared at her in confusion before a look of realization quickly overtook her features. "Oh, the water!" She set the pot down. "Well, I'm goin' t' build a fire, so I'm goin' t' dry off anyway." Shrugging, she started to gather up nearby pieces of driftwood.
Shaking her head, Gothi wiped away the words with her foot. 'That means nothing. If it were any later in the year, you would be risking frostbite!' She waved her staff at Thora in a scolding manner. 'I don't care if your troll blood makes you tougher; I don't want to see you do that again, do you understand?'
Thora cringed as she read the reprimand. "Aye, I understand," she murmured, cheeks growing red. Returning to her task of gathering wood, her ear twitched slightly when she thought she heard a giggle come from the grass. She looked, but saw nothing.
Soon, she had amassed a rather large pile of driftwood to use as fire fuel. Gothi still wrote nothing as she arranged the smallest bits of wood in a pile before placing larger branches around them. From a bag on her belt, she pulled out a bit of dried moss and some flint. Using these, she was able to get the fire started.
Gothi stood and moved closer when the fire was large enough to give off heat. Though she had wrapped herself in a warm cloak, her old bones were more than thankful for the extra warmth. Rubbing her hands together, she held them out towards the dancing flames, a small smile on her weathered lips.
Thora, however, did not stop to warm herself. Instead, she grabbed two forked pieces of driftwood and used a third piece to hammer them down into the sand. Then she lifted the cauldron of water and used that third stick as a support to hold the pot over the fire. Only then did she pause to warm up her hands.
'Are you ready, then?' Gothi questioned.
"I don't think I've got a choice at this point," replied Thora with a small laugh. Opening her satchel, she pulled out a bundle of flowers and herbs that had been tied together. "I add these now, right? Then the rest goes in when it starts to boil?"
Gothi shrugged, a mischievous look on her features.
Sighing, Thora bit her tongue before setting the bouquet in the water. Once the water began to boil, she pulled a jar from her satchel and, opening it, slowly poured its contents anti-clockwise around the edge of the water. Almost instantly, the water took on a deep, reddish hue and thickened greatly.
Yet again, she reached into her bag; this time, however, she pulled out a small bundle of mint leaves. Dipping this into the cauldron, she closed her eyes and slowly began to stir the potion with the leaves. Gothi watched her intently, a small smile on her lips as Thora began to recite a spell.
"From spear-din or from illness
Their pain you shall ease
With root of earth and leaf of sky
Bring down the fevers, bring down the ache
Fill them with warmth and renew their strength
You shall keep them from Hel's Gate."
Thora opened her eyes in time to see a glow fading away from within the potion. She wobbled a bit and Gothi reached over, helping to steady her.
'Are you alright?' she wrote.
"F-Fine," replied Thora. "Just a bit lightheaded."
The elder nodded in understanding. 'That can happen when you're not used to doing magic,' she scratched out. 'At least, this much magic.' Not caring about the temperature of the potion, she dipped her finger into the liquid before tasting the results. It was briny, and yet tart –almost too tart, but when mixed with warm wine, it would mellow. Like most medicinal potions, it had a horrid aftertaste and left the mouth feeling slimy.
Thora held her breath, her tail nervously swishing behind her as she waited for the elder's verdict. She had read over the instructions for the potion at least a dozen times, so she had been relatively confident that she had brewed it correctly. Part of her –a large part of her-, however, argued against logic and brought doubt to her mind.
'For your first potion,' Gothi wrote at last, 'you did fairly well. We'll keep this batch; it'll be needed come winter. But we need to work on your confidence.'
"My confidence?" Thora repeated, a brow rising.
'Yes. Confidence is the key to powerful magic.' She poked Thora's stomach (unable to reach much higher) before wagging her finger in a reproachful manner. 'Remember: If I thought you'd make a poor witch, I wouldn't be teaching you. Trust yourself, child, and you will find your path much easier to traverse.' Very lightly, she tapped the top of her staff against Thora's forehead.
'Now then,' she continued, 'when the potion has cooled, bring it to my hut and we'll bottle it. For now, though, rest a bit. I daresay you need it after imbuing that much magic into such a large brew. I'm heading home –yes, I'll be fine on my own. Rest! I will see you in a couple of hours.' Before Thora had the chance to argue, she turned and started to walk back towards the road.
Shaking her head, Thora removed the cauldron from the heat, nestling it in the sand to cool. She then plopped down and added more wood to the fire, realizing how cold her legs had gotten. As she warmed herself, she could heard the faintest bit of laughter from behind her, but saw nothing when she looked.
'Probably the wind in the grass,' she told herself.
Oh, how wrong she was.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut crawled from their hiding spots, the two of them wearing matching grins. Sand was the perfect terrain for them to sneak up on the girl; it dampened almost any noise made by their hands or knees. The only downside was the sand accumulating in their boots, but that was an easily fixed problem.
They stopped just a foot away from Thora. Ever so slowly, they rose to their feet and readied themselves for the pounce. Ruffnut held up her fist, slowly lifting her fingers one by one until-
"THORA!" they shouted, jumping on the unsuspecting girl.
She let out a roar of surprise and tumbled forward, the twins holding her down.
"Tell us how you made Hiccup so amazing at dragon fighting!" Ruffnut demanded, curling herself around Thora's legs, pinning them together.
"Yeah! And then make us amazing dragon fighters!" Tuffnut added, doing his best to keep Thora's arms immobilized.
"I don't know what you're talkin' about!" snarled Thora. She wreathed against the two teens, doing her best to dislodge them.
Ruffnut winced as Thora's knee slammed into her jaw. "Don't give us that! We know you're the reason Hiccup's so good with dragons!"
"No one as bad as him becomes as good as him without some sort of magic!" Tuffnut cried. Using his weight, he sat on Thora's arms, smirking as he thought he had won.
Rolling her eyes, Thora wrapped her tail around Tuffnut's waist and threw him off her back. He flew a few yards through the air before landing on his back in the sand. "I don't know what the two o' ya are goin' on about!" she snapped, glaring down at Ruffnut as she sat up.
Ruffnut stared up at her, scowling. "Just do the same thing you did to Hiccup to us and no one has to get hurt," she told her. "Except maybe Tuffnut."
"Why me?" he pouted, lifting his head from his spot. "Why not you?"
"Because I'm the pretty one."
At that, Tuffnut snorted. "Yeah right, sister. You're the hideous one."
Thora rolled her eyes, irritated. "Will one o' you just tell me what in Hel's name you two are goin' on about?!" she growled. "I didn't do anything t' Hiccup!"
Frowning, Ruffnut released her legs and sat up. "You…didn't?"
"No!" Standing up, Thora began brushing the sand from her clothes. "Now why in Midgard did the two o' ya go an' tackle me like that!? If I had had a knife or somethin', one o' you would probably be dead, if not severely injured."
Tuffnut shrugged as he sat up. "Would have been cool to watch," he told her.
She gave him a dry look.
"Alright, alright," he sighed theatrically. "We were hoping you'd cast the same spell you put on Hiccup to make us awesome dragon fighters," he explained, standing as well. Going over to Thora, he began plucking small twigs and bits of beach grass out of her hair.
"Yeah, but since you didn't cast any spells on him, we're left with our dreams crushed," Ruffnut added, joining her brother in trying to sort out Thora's hair. "Also, you should really try braiding your hair. It wouldn't get so…so…Tuffnut, help me out here."
"Wild? Untamed? Disheveled?" he offered, his voice taking on an odd scholarly tone.
"Disheveled, that's the one!" she grinned.
Thora cocked her brow and glanced over her shoulder at the siblings. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about them messing with her hair, especially when it rarely behaved when she attempted to tame it. "I've tried, but it still ends up a mess. Er…twins? What're you doin'?"
"Attempting to tame this hairy beast," Ruffnut chirped. She pushed Thora over to a log, forcing her to sit down. "Tuffnut, my comb." She held her hand out expectantly.
He gave her a look. "It's on your belt, not mine."
"Oh. Right." She chuckled, reaching into a secret pocket on her belt only to pull out a long, wide-toothed metal comb. She then cracked her knuckles, a smirk on her lips. "Time to get to work!"
"Uh-oh," mumbled Thora. She brought her tail around to her front as Ruffnut began combing her hair out, starting at the bottom. "Is this really necessary?"
"Consider it Ruff's way of apologizing," Tuffnut replied, sitting down in front of her. "She normally does this to me whenever we've had a bad fight."
"It's better than your way of apologizing," Ruffnut retorted.
"Hey, who doesn't enjoy a nice eel in their bed?" He looked away, crossing his arms and allowing for a hint of a grin to come to his features. "They're so slimy and cuddly…"
"Er, I don't." Thora peeked behind her, trying to see the work that Ruffnut was doing. "So, ah, about how long are ya goin' t' be back there, Ruff? I have a few things I need t' do before I head back t' my lessons."
Ruffnut frowned as dueled with a particularly nasty knot. "You're not done for the day?"
"Nope. Have t' bottle up that potion later."
As soon as she uttered the word 'potion', Tuffnut's eyes widened and he started crawling towards the cauldron. With a curse, Thora's tail whipped out, catching him by the ankle.
"Hey!" He tried to kick her tail off his leg.
"It's not a dragon fighter potion!" she cried. "It's a health restorin' potion!"
He groaned and flopped backwards onto the ground. "Why are you so boring!? Can't put spells on us, can't make exciting potions…What good are you to us as a Völva if you can't do anything cool?"
She rolled her eyes, feeling her cheeks darken slightly in embarrassment. "As soon as I learn how t' turn people into rats, I'll be sure to make you my first victim," she told him, her voice filled with sarcasm. She smacked her forehead when he lifted his head, a wide grin on his features.
"To answer your earlier question," Ruffnut spoke up, "shouldn't be too much longer. I've got half the knots out now, but I'll need Tuffnut's help for braiding."
Thora's brows rose in surprise. "What? You're tha' far along already?"
She snorted in amusement. "Yeah. I've mastered the art of combing one's hair in a timely fashion."
"She's had to," Tuffnut quipped. "I mean, have you seen her hair in the mornings? Makes Grendel's mother look like a golden goddess."
"I'll, uh, just take your word for it," Thora murmured. She winced as Ruffnut battled a knot closer to her scalp. "Ouch!"
"Never said it was going to be painless."
"Ouch! Son of an axe; I can feel that!" She squirmed slightly, doing her best to not simply yank her head away from Ruffnut. "Next time the two o' ya plan on ambushin' me an' combing out my hair, let me know ahead o' time, alright? At least then I can bring some oils t' make detangling easier…"
Raising his hand into the air, Tuffnut once again adopted his academic voice. "That would defeat its purpose, my good lady! In order to have a proper ambush, one must be left wholly unaware of the situation."
"And the ambushing party must have sufficient concealment before the attack, lest the ambush-ee discover their plan," Ruffnut added, her tone matching her brother's. "In example: Tuffnut and me when we were hiding in the grass."
"Ah, indeed, good sister!" Tuffnut agreed. "Or when we sought concealment behind those barrels near the docks!"
"…The two o' ya have been stalking me since Gothi an' I left her home?"
"Of course, my good Thora!" Ruffnut answered. "How else were we able to so stealthily follow you all this way?" She beckoned for Tuffnut to come over. "Though, I daresay Tuffnut almost blew our cover with his attack of flatulence earlier."
Tuffnut glared at her as he took half of Thora's hair. "Oh excuse me," he growled, his tone losing any intellectual quality. "You try crawling on your stomach for three miles and not have to fart. It's impossible."
Ruffnut thwacked him with the other half of Thora's hair. "Well, maybe next time, you'll crawl on your knees like a normal person would!"
Tuffnut growled and made to wrap his half of the hair around his sister's head when Thora spoke up.
"Oi! My hair is not a weapon!" she snapped.
Ruffnut playfully stuck her tongue out at her brother before beginning to braid her half of the hair. "So…Where're you goin' after this?" she asked after some minutes of silence had passed between them.
"I have t' go t' Mildew's," Thora sighed in reply.
"Mildew's, you say?" the twins chorused.
"Aye. Da' needs me t' pick up some cabbages from him." She then smirked, remembering how much the twins loved to torment the old man and his sheep. With how poorly he treated everyone on the island, she had no qualms about bringing them along. "Want t' come with? I could really use the company." She would have batted her eyelashes if she knew they could see her.
The twins grinned at one another.
"Who are we to let a friend walk such a long road by herself?" Ruffnut pronounced.
"Especially one so dangerous," Tuffnut concurred. "After all, we could be attacked by dragons at any second! We can't let the future Völva of Berk get eaten, can we?"
"Well…we can, but I don't think Gobber would like it very much."
Thora rolled her eyes with a small chuckle. "Thanks…"
Soon, the twins stepped back, each admiring their differing handiworks. While Ruffnut had opted for a fast, simple plait, Tuffnut had started his at the top of Thora's head and worked his way down. The braids were fairly well done, though they looked odd when placed together. Not caring about presentation, the twins high-fived.
"Your hair has officially been tamed," Ruffnut announced. "And now we can go to Mildew's!"
Getting to her feet, Thora pulled the braids around to her front and inspected them. "Huh. Not bad," she complimented, finding that they had, indeed, tamed her hair –for now. "Da' always said my hair was too thick t' braid." She went over to the potion and picked up the cauldron.
"Well…yeah. He's only got one hand," scoffed Tuffnut. "We've got two. Er…four? No, no –two…Or is it four?"
Ruffnut and Thora stared at him in mild worry as he tried to figure out just what he had meant.
"…Is he going to hurt himself?" Thora quietly asked.
"I hope so." Grabbing the back of her brother's vest, she started to drag him away towards the road. "C'mon! Let's go to Mildew's already!"
In order to get to Mildew's house, the three teens had to head back through the village and climb up to Puffin Point. It was a bit of a trek from Cowrie Beach, but a fairly easy one. As they drew nearer to the old man's home, which had been built partially atop a large boulder jutting out from a cliff wall, they could see the poorly-tended field of cabbages come into view.
"Yuck," Ruffnut muttered, eyeing the cabbages cautiously. "Why does your dad want cabbage again, Thora?"
"Because my da' knows how t' make them taste good," she replied. "The trick is cuttin' them real thin and then cookin' them with a bit of oil an' vinegar in a big pan."
Tuffnut shook his head. "Nope. Still sounds disgusting."
Nearing the door of the house, the twins ducked behind the wall, smirking as they left Thora to deal with the old man on her own. She pouted at them, trying to earn their pity, but they ushered her forward. Sighing, she knocked on the door.
"What in Midgard?" she could hear from within. "Better not be those annoying twins again. If it is, we'll show 'em who's boss, won't we, Fungus?"
The door was thrown open and Thora found herself staring into the long, thin, and grumpy face of Mildew. He let out a small cry of surprise and jumped backwards, his bushy brows furrowing in distaste. His sheep, Fungus, bleated at the girl in an irritated fashion.
"What in Odin's name is a creature like you doing up here?" he scowled.
She held up three silver coins, which caught his attention. "Da' needs cabbages," she replied, her voice cool. "Three o' 'em, if possible."
He eyed her carefully. "Does he now? Gobber's always been quite vocal about his distaste for my lovely vegetables."
"He found a way t' cook them that tastes good."
His nose scrunched up at the mild insult, Mildew held out his hand for the coins. "Well then, be my guest," he told her, the wary look still on his face. As she turned, heading for his field, he stalked after her, wanting to make sure she didn't take more than what she had paid for.
Knowing he was following her, Thora rolled her eyes. She set the cauldron down on the side of the field before going to hunt out three good cabbages.
"So, I've heard word that Gothi's taken you under your wing," Mildew commented when she knelt down to harvest the first cabbage. "An unusual apprenticeship, I must say."
"You're not the only one who thinks that," she replied, keeping a civil tongue. Glancing up, she looked around for the twins, but found no sign of them. 'Ugh, did they actually leave me alone with this jerk?' she thought. 'I thought they loved pranking him…?'
"I'm surprised Gobber and Stoick are lettin' you learn such arts like magic and healing," he continued. "After all, they know how dangerous it can be for a troll to learn magic. I'm honestly shocked that Gobber would risk his sweet, innocent daughter's life to such a fate…"
"An' just what is that supposed t' mean?" she demanded, getting to her feet. She had picked two cabbages by then; she wasn't entirely sure she was willing to stay long enough to grab a third.
He wore an all-too fake look of surprise. "You mean you don't know?" he gaped. "Why, I would have thought Gobber would have told you! I would have –if you were my daughter, that is."
Thora narrowed her eyes, her upper lip drawn back in a small snarl. "Don't dance 'round the bush, Mildew."
Lightly shrugging, he glanced away. "I merely mean it's fairly common knowledge amongst us adults that when a troll learns magic, it almost always turns out bad in the end." Shrugging a second time, he reached down and gave his sheep a good scratch atop the head. "After all, magic is well-known for turning troll hearts black and their minds greedy." He glanced at her, a bit of his smirk poking out from under his mustache when he saw her brows furrowed in worry.
Thora's mind instantly filled with worry. "That can't be right…" she mumbled, not looking at the old man. "They wouldn't let me if that were the case…"
He patted her shoulder in mock sympathy. "Oh, but I don't think you'll end up like that." Mildew started to walk away, waving his hand dismissively. "Oh no, dear –after all, you're only half monster. I'm sure your human side will win out."
"I'm not a monster," Thora quietly growled, her teeth clenched. 'But what if he's right about the magic…?' she thought.
Seemingly from nowhere, the twins appeared on either side of her. Tuffnut was eating a still-steaming leg of yak and Ruffnut had a small loaf of bread in hand. They glared at Mildew's retreating back as they chewed the food they had lifted.
"What a jerk," Tuffnut stated.
"Yeah, no kidding. I wouldn't listen to him if I were you, Thora," Ruffnut added. "He's just trying to tick you off."
Shaking her head, Thora let out a sigh, though her tail continued to nervously flick back and forth low to the ground. "I'm not so much angry as I am worried," she admitted. "I mean, da' an' Uncle Stoick never really talk 'bout…'bout my mum's side, so who am I t' know if what he said isn't true?"
Ruffnut shook her head as she reached down, lifting the handle to the pot. Tuffnut grabbed the other side and the two lifted the cauldron for her. "It's Mildew. He's always tryin' to incite bad reactions from people." The three of them turned their backs to the hut, starting to walk back home.
"That way he can go and complain to Stoick," Tuffnut finished. He offered the leg of yak to Thora, who unconsciously took a large bite from it. "But Stoick's not here and the only person he could complain to just so happens to be your dad."
"Yeah, so he's probably just taking out some anger on you. Also, I'd grab another cabbage if I were you. Three silver for just two is severely overpriced…Hel, a silver for a cabbage is overpriced." She held the bread up to Thora, letting her take a bite before offering it to Tuffnut, who also bit into it. In return, Tuffnut shared the leg with her.
Thora managed a small smile as she used her tail to grab a third sprout as they walked. "Thanks for remindin' me. Guess I got a lil' too worked up…"
Tuffnut shrugged. "The guy did call you a monster. If that had been me, I would have punched him in the face. With my foot." Shuddering, he shook his head. "I don't want to touch his nasty, old face with my hand. I mean, have you seen his beard?" He stuck his tongue out in disgust. "It looks so wiry and crusty…"
"Nah," Thora laughed. "Maybe if Snotlout tries to act like a tough guy later, I'll hit him instead."
"He is perfectly shaped for it," Ruffnut chirped. "And his head makes such a lovely hollow noise when you hit it just right…"
The three of them snickered, Mildew's house disappearing around the bend. Soon, though, the old man let out a howl of anger, loudly cursing the twins' existence. The twins didn't hear it, but Thora cracked up laughing. When she told them of what she had heard, they let out a shout of victory and high-fived one another –though, they refused to tell Thora just what they had done to anger him, besides steal his lunch.
They were in the midst of having a rather pleasant conversation about the many uses of yak butter (Tuffnut's favorite being yak butter parfait) when Astrid suddenly approached them, seething with anger. The three of them cautiously eyed the axe she clutched in her right hand.
"Thora, where is your cousin?" she demanded.
Eyes wide in surprise, Thora shrugged. "I don't know; haven't seen him since last night. Why?"
Astrid let out a frustrated growl and kicked the ground. "How is he so good all of a sudden?! It's not right!"
"He must have started payin' attention in class?" Thora suggested, offering the girl a small, reassuring smile. "An' before you think it –no, I didn't do any sort of magic to him."
"Ugh!" Astrid gripped the shaft of her axe all the harder. "It's not fair! I train my whole life to fight dragons and then he goes and gets good practically overnight! Did you know he's Gobber and Gothi's favorite for the class? He doesn't even really fight! He just…just stands there and looks at the dragons and they fall over!"
"I, ah, don't really know what t' tell ya, Astrid."
"Are you positive he hasn't told you anything? Even the smallest thing about some sort of training he's doing?"
She shook her head. "No, he hasn't," she lied. In truth, she knew exactly how Hiccup had become so great, but she wasn't about to let Hiccup get exiled or worse. "By the time we see each other at night, we're both pretty much too tired t' talk."
"Anyway, it's not like you're not the only jealous one," Ruffnut scoffed. "Tuffnut and I have been fighting since we were born and we're not even close to being as good as you or Hiccup."
Astrid's cheeks suddenly turned bright red. "Jealous?" she repeated. A sarcastic laugh then left her mouth. "Me? I'm not jealous! It's just that Hiccup's been…been cheating somehow! You two know how much I hate cheaters!"
Tuffnut couldn't help but nod in agreement. "You speak the truth. I still have a scar from when you threw me down that hill after I cheated in the three-legged race when we were ten."
Thora cocked her brow. "How d'ya cheat in something like that?"
He grinned proudly. "I used a sheep as my third leg."
"Yeah, and I don't regret it." She looked up at Thora. "If you see Hiccup, tell him I want to talk with him, will you? Or at least find out something about what he's been up to." Before Thora could answer her, she turned and walked away.
Thora looked down at the twins, who merely shrugged. "She's really worked up over all this, isn't she?"
"Duh," Ruffnut retorted. "Should see her in class."
"Yeah, it's not very pretty," Tuffnut agreed. He then glanced down at the cauldron he and Ruffnut still held. "So, this thing's getting kind of heavy. Where are we taking it?"
"Actually…If the two o' ya take these cabbages over to my house, I can take it from here," she answered. "Thanks for bringin' it this far for me, though. I appreciate it."
In unison, the twins let out grunts as they set the pot down. "Well, it was either we carry the cabbages or watch you try to carry the three of those and the pot," Ruffnut told her.
A disappointed expression suddenly overtook Tuffnut's face. "You mean we could have let her struggle and we didn't? Ah man…I hope Loki isn't disappointed…"
Thora chuckled. "Hey, just because he's the prankster god doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate it when his followers do good deeds," she reassured him, patting his shoulder as he took a cabbage. Ruffnut took the other two. "I do appreciate it, though; even if the two o' ya tackled me earlier."
Ruffnut grinned triumphantly. "Today shall be known as the day we snuck up on Thora," she declared. "An almost impossible feat!"
She rolled her eyes, though still wore a smile. "Yeah, yeah…"
Gobber let out a tired sigh as he walked home. While his lessons with the teens had gone fairly well, he had spent the rest of the day preparing obstacles for the next day's class. For some reason, he could spend all day forging weapons or fighting dragons and not feel the least bit tired. But sawing and hammering wood all day? Now that left him exhausted.
Opening the door to the house, he found the fire glowing brightly and the air filled with the scent of cooking food. Thora sat with her back to the hearth, her tail stirring a pot of what looked to be stew while she read from her herbology book. Half his brow rose; the last couple of weeks, he had come home to find her meditating. It was strange seeing her doing something else for once.
"Evenin', lovely," he told her, closing the door behind him. "Hiccup back yet?"
"Hi, da'," she replied. "Not yet." She turned a page in the book and rested her chin on her palm.
"Your hair looks nice," he commented, seeing the braids. Limping over to the fire, he peeked inside the pot, finding it to be mutton stew. "Who did it?" Taking the spoon from her tail, he tasted a bit of the broth before adding a pinch of ground pepper from a clay pot.
She curled her tail around her torso. "Ruff 'n Tuff."
He eyed her warily; she was normally more talkative than this. "Really now? Never would have thought them t' be good with hair." Rounding the fire, he went into the pantry and, taking his hook out, replaced it with his mug. He filled it to the brim with beer before heading back into the main room. "What made ya think o' mutton stew for dinner?"
"Fungus."
Gobber stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowed. "…Fungus?" he slowly repeated.
"Mildew's sheep." She turned another page.
"Ahh," he chuckled, sitting down in his chair. His laughter ceased, however, when he looked down at his daughter and saw that her eyes were red and her cheeks just a touch damp. "…Thora, love, are you alright?"
"Fine, da'."
"Don't be lyin' to your ol' man like that," he gently scolded. "I can see that you were cryin'."
She swallowed hard and tilted her head further downwards, trying to hide her face. "It's nothin'."
"Thora."
"Really, da', it's nothin'."
He gave her an extremely fatherly look, setting his hand on his knee and pointing his mug at her. "Thora Thunderous Gobbersdotter, you tell me the truth right now."
She let out a heavy sigh, mentally cursing. "It's just…just somethin' Mildew said when I went t' get the cabbages from him today," she mumbled.
"An' just what did Mildew say? Did he call ya a monster again? Ya know I gave ya permission t' hit-"
"No," she interrupted. "Well, aye, he did, but it wasn't that that got t' me." She glanced up at Gobber as she bit her tongue, seeing worry on his face. "He said…He said that magic turns trolls evil."
Gobber frowned, anger in his eyes. "Did he now?" he asked, his tone dark.
Thora nodded. "He said magic turns their hearts black an' minds greedy."
"An' why would ya believe a git like him?" He took a long, angry drink from his beer. "Ya know he likes t' stir up trouble."
She shrugged, looking back down at her book. "Well…t' be fair, how am I supposed t' know?" She didn't bother to move her hair when one of the braids fell over her shoulder. "You an' Uncle Stoick never talk 'bout my mum, let alone her people. The only thing I know about the woman is that her name is Greta!" Shifting her position, she pulled her knees to her chest. Somehow, she had managed to look like a small child again.
Gobber winced; the truth of her words stung, but he knew it was his fault. Sighing, he rubbed his face and the back of his neck, glancing away from his daughter. "T' be fair, love, I didn't know her terribly well," he admitted after a moment of silence. "I only met her because she an' her people were helpin' us in a fight against the Romans. Your mum was the leader o' her tribe an' I was Stoick's second-in-command, so we met in the strategy tent."
Thora peeked up at him again. "…She was the leader o' her tribe?"
He nodded. "Aye, she was." A small, reminiscent smile came to his lips. "An' she was the only woman who managed t' woo me."
At that, Thora couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Only because ya prefer men."
He shrugged, but chuckled. "Doesn't matter; she still wooed me. An' look what happened because o' it." Still smiling, he reached over and tousled her hair. "One o' the best things t' happen t' me."
Thora's cheeks reddened. "Da'…" she mumbled.
Gobber lightly nudged her shoulder. "It's true. An' ya need t' remember that. What Mildew told ya isn't the truth. Aye, there are plenty o' evil trolls out there who can use magic, but your mum? She was as good-hearted as you an' me an' she was a powerful magic user."
She finally pushed the braid back over her shoulder. "What did she look like?"
Leaning back in his seat, he took another drink of his beer. "She was big -at least a good two heads taller 'n me…had your hair color, though her skin was a bit darker. Her tusks were much bigger 'n yours, as were her ears an' tail." He scratched his chin, doing his best to recall the woman's appearance. "Her hair was so wild, it could make yours look straight as a sword." He chuckled. "She was also covered in heaps o' jewelry. Most trolls like their jewelry; I suppose that's why you've taken a likin' to piercing your ears so often."
Thora, her chin resting on her knees watched and listened to her father, turned a bit pink at the mention of her ears. Unconsciously, she ran her finger along one of her ears, feeling the many pieces of metal and bone stuck through the cartilage. "Was she scary t' look at?"
"Scary?" Half his brow rose, but he didn't answer straight away. "Aye, I guess she was at first." He saw his daughter's face fall. "But we got used t' her rather quick, an' even Stoick thought she was pretty for a troll. Then again, he was also comparin' her to his beloved Valka. I had no lady –or man- back here on Berk t' compare her to. But, bein' that she had three husbands, I'd say the trolls found her as beautiful as the goddesses."
Thora's eyes widened. "Three husbands?"
"Well, not sure if they were husbands, really, but they were quite obviously her lovers. They were none too happy that she had taken me –a tiny human compared t' them- t' bed with her after the battle."
A mixture of horror and disgust came to Thora's face. "Er…I think that's enough for tha' topic," she murmured.
Gobber burst out laughing when he saw her expression and reached over, patting her atop the head. "Don't you worry, love –those details will forever be private." He wiped a tear of mirth from his eye before easily lifting Thora up and pulling her into a hug. "An' don't you dare worry 'bout magic turnin' you evil, you hear me? Mildew doesn't know what he's talkin' about."
Returning the hug, a small smile came to Thora's lips. "Thanks, da'."
He let out a small sigh, giving her an extra squeeze. "It's my fault, really. I should have told ya 'bout her sooner, but…" He shrugged. "I could just never think o' how or find the right time t' do it." An apologetic smile came to his features.
"Well, ya got it done an' over with now," she chuckled. "Does knowin' that make ya feel better?"
"Only if it helped make you feel better, love."
She nodded. "It did." She didn't want to admit it, but what Gobber had told her had also filled her with questions. Why did her mother send her away? Did she have any siblings? What were the Hairy Hooligans doing, fighting the Romans? She kept quiet, however, figuring it best to ask about them another time.
Turning back towards the fire, she stirred the stew and tasted the broth. "Did ya add more pepper t' this?" she questioned, brows furrowed.
Gobber looked away innocently. "Perhaps…"
"Da', ya know pepper gets stronger the longer it cooks," she pouted. "Now it'll be too strong."
"Oh, really?"
"Aye!" She lightly thwacked his knee with her tail. "This is why I hide the pepper whenever you cook."
His eyes widened in shock. "You're always tellin' me that we're out!"
"Only because-" She paused, turning her attention to the door. "Hiccup's here."
Not more than half a minute later, the door opened and Hiccup poked his head in. When he saw both Gobber and Thora staring at him, he shrank back and smiled awkwardly.
"Hey there, Gobber, Thora," he spoke, giving them a small wave. "Sorry I'm so late. I got caught up with…things. Yeah. Things." He then spotted the stew, giving him a chance to change the subject. "Oh, is that mutton stew? I sure love me some mutton stew!"
"Good, because Thora here made a lot o' it," Gobber chuckled. He watched as Hiccup hurried past him, ducking into the pantry. He knew the boy was hiding something, but, despite being like a second father to him, knew that Hiccup wouldn't tell him. Thora, on the other hand -Hiccup would speak freely to her. 'I can only hope that whatever it is he's been up to lately isn't something dangerous,' he thought, finishing off his beer. 'I just wish he knew he could talk to me…'
When Hiccup came out of the pantry with three bowls in hand, Gobber and Thora thought it best that they eat, too. Thora dished out generous portions and they took their usual spots around the small table. Before he ate, Gobber refilled his mug, as well two others, with beer and set the extra two in front of the teens. Thora snatched hers up and took a long drink while Hiccup busied himself with eating his stew. Gobber was pleased to see the boy eager to eat; lately, he had come back too tired from whatever-it-was-he-did to eat more than a few spoonfuls of dinner.
By the time Gobber had finished eating and found himself ready for bed, the teens were on their third helpings of dinner, though they had greatly slowed down in their eating. Hiccup had propped the Book of Dragons against his half-full beer while Thora held her herbology book in front of her with her tail. It was an amusing sight for him to witness; he knew the other teens on the island wouldn't be caught dead studying, let alone while there was food in front of them.
Kissing the top of Thora's head and tousling Hiccup's hair, he bid the two of them goodnight and headed upstairs.
Thora waited until she heard the creak of Gobber's bed as he got himself situated before setting her book down. "Hiccup, we've got t' talk," she quietly announced.
He looked up from his book, eyes wide in surprise as he came out of his dragon-fueled daze. "Uh…we do…?"
She nodded, moving the Book of Dragons away from him. "Everyone is thinkin' I put some sort o' spell on you."
"They are? Why in Midgard would they think that?" he laughed. He shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth. "Good stew, by the way."
Her brow rose and she gave him a dry look. "Apparently it's because you've gotten so good with the dragons."
At that, Hiccup's cheeks flamed red and he nearly choked on a piece of mutton. "They what?" he wheezed. "Why? I'm not good with the dragons!"
She leaned back slightly on her stool. "Not only is the whole village talkin' 'bout you, but the twins tackled me, demanding I do the same magic to them. Oh, an' don't get me started on how ticked off Astrid is at ya."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't even fight the dragons though! I don't use the weapons Gobber gives us; I don't harm them at all! I just…" He glanced away, sighing quietly. "I just use what I've learned from Toothless to make sure they don't get hurt."
Thora let out a heavy sigh. "An' that's why everyone is amazed at you. They think you've got weird powers tha' make the dragons listen to ya an' bends them t' your will."
"Well, they couldn't be more wrong."
"But they don't know that. They can't know that." She shook her head. "Just…just tone it down a bit, alright? Let Astrid tackle the dragon tomorrow or mess up somehow, alright?"
His eyes widened in horror. "But if I did that, the dragons will get hurt! I can't let that happen!"
"I know," she calmly told him. "I know, Hiccup. But think about it: You went from zero t' hero in such a short amount o' time, someone's bound t' get too curious. Ya need t' tone it down just a bit –not for your sake, but for Toothless'."
Burying his face in his hands, Hiccup rested his elbows on the table. "Oh gods…I didn't mean for this to happen…"
"I know." She set her hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. "You could always try playin' sick? Skip a few classes?"
He shook his head. "You know how bad I am at acting." He then peeked at her from between his fingers. "Unless you could…"
"I could…what?"
A grin came to his face. "You could make a potion that'll make me sick!"
Groaning, Thora rolled her eyes and let her head fall onto the table with a 'thud'.
Hiccup cringed. "I…take it people have been asking you to do that a lot?"
Turning her head, she stared at her demi-cousin with mild irritation. "No. Just people thinkin' that I can suddenly do all sorts o' magic an' make all sorts o' potions after less than a month o' being under Gothi's tutelage."
He smiled innocently. "Er…Maybe they think quick-learning runs in the family?" he jokingly suggested. He chuckled when she gave him a small nudge.
"Yeah, if only," she replied, a bit of a smile on her lips. "I don't have a way to cheat like you do."
"Cheat? Me? No, never!" A cheeky grin appeared on his lips. "I've just had an excellent tutor is all! Maybe that's all you need?"
She let out a sarcastic laugh. "And where can I find a tutor who teaches better than Gothi?" Getting up, she took her empty bowl into the pantry, Hiccup following behind her. "I mean, it's not like I can't do magic just yet…it's just not the magic people want."
Hiccup tilted his head as he took her bowl from her hands, moving to wash it. "So, you haven't tried since the moss incident?"
"Oh, no –I've been practicin'…an' today I made my first potion. But like…I can't turn people into animals or magically make wounds disappear." Leaning against the counter, she picked up a dried sunflower from one of the shelves. She hesitated for a moment, thinking back to Mildew's words from earlier. Shaking her head, she shoved them from her mind.
Hiccup watched as she closed her eyes, though nothing happened at first. He didn't notice Thora's brows crease in concentration or the bit of sweat forming on her forehead. Instead, his mouth fell slack when life started to return to the dried flower. While the stem remained withered and dull, the bright yellow hue returned to petals and they became fuller. Slowly, the stem began to regain vitality as well, though before it could fully return to its living state, Thora's knees gave out.
Darting forward, Hiccup did his best to catch her; their size difference made it a bit of a challenge. Despite that, he managed to help ease her down onto the floor, where she leaned back against the wall.
"Are you alright?" he questioned, brows knitted together in worry.
"Sunflower's a bit harder t' do than lavender," she panted, a triumphant grin on her lips. "Other than that –aye, I'm fine. Just need t' rest a little bit."
Taking the flower from her, Hiccup looked it over. While most of the stem was still very much dead, the bud was entirely alive, leaving him rather surprised by his demi-cousin's accomplishment.
"Thora, do you know how amazing this is?" he questioned. "You just brought a dead plant back to life!"
She shook her head. "Only half o' it, but the flower is the part that matters."
He gave her a look. "Way to undersell yourself there, Thora."
Shrugging, she started to push herself onto her feet. She wobbled for a moment, but kept her balance. "It may look amazin' t' you," she replied, "but thanks t' Gothi's constant harping, I know I could do better." She shoved one of the braids over her shoulder. "Kind o' like how Astrid is always sayin' she could do better, even though t' us, she fought like an einherjar at Ragnarök. Or how you say you're not good with dragons, an' yet…" She flashed him a playful smirk, causing him to roll his eyes.
"Alright, I get it." Standing as well, he eyed her cautiously; she still didn't seem entirely stable on her feet. "We should probably get you to bed. I can tell doing that magic took a lot out of you."
Knowing she couldn't lie to him, she nodded. "Aye, it did…so aye, I should probably get t' bed." She blew a stray lock of hair from her face. "But first, you're goin' t' tell me how the modifications ya made t' Toothless' tail turned out."
For a moment, Hiccup gawked at her. "The…modifications?"
She cocked her brow. "Aye? Ya told me a few nights ago that you thought ya came up with a way t' change his tail positions. Don't ya remember?"
"Oh! Those! Yeah, those actually turned out great. It works well with the saddle, too, since it helps hold the wires in place."
"Have ya come up with a way for him t' fly without a rider yet?"
At that, his cheeks turned red and he glanced away. "Er…Not…exactly."
She gave him a look. "Ya know he's goin' t' need a way t' fly without you, right? It's too dangerous otherwise. What if he gets attacked by another dragon when you're not around?"
Hiccup's gaze turned towards the floor and he slouched forward. "Yeah, you're right…" he mumbled. He was forced to look up as Thora used her tail to lift his chin.
"I know ya don't want t' let him loose," she quietly told him, "but he's a dragon. They're wild creatures, not wee puppies who ya can train."
"If you would just come and see him, you'd see otherwise."
She shook her head. "We've been over this, Hiccup. It's too risky if I came with ya. Not t' mention, I'm damned sure that dragon has never seen a troll before. We don't need him attackin' me just because I've got the same size teeth as him."
He pouted. "Only two of your teeth are the same size as his," he corrected. "And he wouldn't hurt you! Not if I was there to introduce you."
Again, she shook her head, this time crossing her arms. "I'm sorry Hiccup, but no. I love ya dearly, but I'm not goin' t' meet your dragon. Not yet anyway. Maybe when the hype 'bout the Dragon Master dies does a bit I'll go with ya, but not before then."
Hiccup sighed, rolling his eyes. "You know, sometimes I hate how sensible you are," he grumbled, knowing that she would understand he was joking.
"Well, that just means I'd be a good Wise Woman for ya," she smirked. "Just be lucky I don't have a staff like Gothi or else I'd be hittin' ya upside the head."
"You already do that your tail!"
"Would ya rather I hit ya with a staff, then? I mean, I know where I can get a few…"
He cringed. "I think I'd rather the tail, thank you." Then, his demeanor suddenly changed and he pointed a scolding finger up at Thora. "Aren't you supposed to be going to bed, young lady?" he questioned, his tone amusingly authoritative. When she made to argue, he spun her around and, with some effort, started to push her towards the main room. "It's no use arguing, you're going to bed!"
Thora cracked up. "An' just what makes ya think I'm ready for bed?" she retorted, digging her heels into the floor. She heard Hiccup grunt as he found himself unable to push her further.
"You just nearly fainted when doing magic, that's what!"
Still grinning, she let her body go limp, forcing Hiccup to bear the brunt of her weight. "But I'm feelin' better. Can't ya tell?" Her head flopped back against his shoulder as she looked at him.
He grunted, though also wore a smile. "Oh come on; this isn't fair!" he laughed.
"What's not fair?" She innocently batted her eyes at him as she sunk further towards the ground, bringing Hiccup with her. "I haven't the slightest idea o' what ya mean, dear Hiccup."
Raising his brow, Hiccup braced himself. A shocked curse flew from Thora's mouth as he suddenly lifted her up off the floor, draping her over his shoulder. She was so taken aback by his display of strength that she didn't even protest when he carried her to her hammock and dumped her in it.
"There!" he breathed, wiping his hands together. "Now you're in bed!" He wore a proud grin –and rightly so.
"When in the history o' Midgard did ya get that strong?!" she gaped, staring at him. He was upside down to her, but she didn't seem to notice. "You just lifted me over your shoulder like I was a sack o' cabbages!"
Rotating his arm around until it popped, Hiccup half-shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's all the good food you've been feeding me."
"Oh, I doubt that. Your da' feeds ya plenty an' you couldn't lift me then."
"I said 'good'' food. My dad boils leather and calls it soup."
Thora rolled over, adjusting herself so that she was lying on her stomach within the hammock. "Uncle Stoick can't be that bad o' a cook." She watched as Hiccup scattered the logs of the fire, sending minute embers flying upwards. "You've lived this long on his cookin', after all."
He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Remember that time the two of us got dragon pox and had to be quarantined together?"
"Aye?"
"And my dad made us some soup that you said tasted like rotten yak's milk and he said it only tasted that way because you were sick?"
"…Aye?"
"Well, it didn't taste like that just because you were sick. He made it again a few months later and it tasted worse."
She stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Oh, yuck…if I had known that, I would have dragged ya down here t' eat. My da' may not be the best cook in the world, but at least his food is edible…Most o' the time."
Hiccup quietly laughed as he crawled into his own hammock. "That is true…Maybe I'll just stay here when my dad gets back. It'll spare me from his bad moods, at least."
Her brow rose as her tail grabbed her blanket, drawing it over herself. "He's not always in a bad mood."
"Thora, you've known my dad just as long as I have. When he's not in a 'bad' mood, he's in a 'terrible' mood. Which I'm sure he'll be in when he gets back from trying to find the Dragon's Nest…" He sighed, putting his hands behind his head. Thora quietly giggled, making his brow rise as he glanced at her. "What's so funny?"
"Just a thought," she replied, trying to stifle her laughter. "When the warriors come back, greet your da' at the docks with me flung over your shoulder."
He snorted. "What? Why?"
"It'll show him you're not a talkin' fishbone anymore!"
"Oh, thanks!" he laughed, throwing his pillow at her.
Wiping a tear of mirth from her eye, she tossed his pillow back to him. "But in all seriousness, Hiccup: I'm sure Uncle Stoick will just be thankful t' be back home on Berk with his son."
"I can only hope," he replied, a half-hearted smile on his lips.