When Hiccup explained her current problem, Gale openly welcomed Hiccup to stay in her cave. Hiccup spent three months with Gale. Gale coincidentally had the same abilities as Hiccup did, so helping Hiccup learn to use her abilities was relatively easy. In return for Gale's hospitality, Hiccup had to hunt and help keep both of them well-fed.

Hiccup learned to hunt with the bow and sometimes got to hunt like a wild dragon. Gale even taught Hiccup to stay hidden and protected in dangerous places. Gale even told Hiccup stories of her adventures. She even shared a rumor of an object that could tell anyone anything about any dragon that had ever existed.

Gale grew up alone, orphaned since seven years old. She didn't morn her parents' death however. Her father had abused her, perhaps murdered her own mother. After she survived a fire in her village, Gale left her home in one of the few boats that didn't burn. She lived in different islands with the dragons and learned of their struggles against the humans. Gale vowed to avenge every unjustly-harmed dragon and bring the humans under the dragons' rule. She started out by teaching herself to fight and use weapons. She mastered the sword and bow by the age of twelve. Gale commenced her mission by acting as an assassin for hire. As time passed Gale quickly became wanted to many murders or raids on people of all classes; chieftains, generals, merchants, farmers, anyone she could find that had done wrong to another person. By the time Gale was fourteen, she eventually learned both sides of the feud between the dragons and humans, and finally canceled her plot. Now, Gale's passion was searching for the mythical artifact. She only looked for clients when she need provisions and couldn't supply them herself.

Gale's background and stories intrigued Hiccup. The more Gale revealed about her past, the more Hiccup thought of Gale as some kind of hero or future martyr.

000

One evening, Gale and Hiccup were sitting around the fire in front of the cave and telling each other another marathon of adventures. Hiccup had just finished telling Gale about her first adventure.

Gale's jaw couldn't have dropped any lower when Hiccup finished, "You killed the Red Death?"

"Yep. But not without a scratch. I ended up losing part of my left wing."

Gale chuckled, "You actually killed a Red Death. Well good riddance. That dragon was the biggest tyrant I've ever known. It's about time someone put him in his place."

Hiccup nodded.

Gale side-glanced at Hiccup, "So, about that someone I asked you about three months ago, what's he like?'

Hiccup stared at the fire in front of them as she thought of something to say, "Well,He has blonde hair, blue eyes, a very nice smile... He's really interested in weaponry. He's good at it too... And... he's really sweet. Um... He's also kind of protective of me."

"Have you kissed?"

Hiccup chuckled, "Yes we have. He often punches me in the gut first."

Gale laughed, "Why?"

"Most of the time I deserve it!" Hiccup laughed back, "He punches me, tells my why I deserved it, then he kisses me and tells me, 'that's for everything else'!"

Both girls laughed for a moment. When the both calmed down, Gale's expression slowly turned to serious.

"Hey, Hiccup? Did I ever tell you that I have another name?"

Hiccup shook her head.

"Well," Gale inhaled, "I do. I've never used it since I was seven. I couldn't. It reminded me of my parents, and my village..."

Hiccup leaned closer to Gale, "What is your real name?"

Gale sighed, almost crying, "I never told you this, but... the fire that burned my village was my fault. I started it. Everyone I knew died because of me. I mauled a boy, I murdered my father, I burned everyone alive. I never left anyone alone, not even the children. I even tore a baby apart." Gale looked down at a small bag that hung on her belt, "I've been carrying one of their hearts in this bag all this time..." Gale was sobbing by then, "I didn't even feel sorry for them. I just... laughed. I laughed at them. I even salvaged their valuables from their homes, anything of high worth I could carry."

Hiccup began to remember her dreams. She tried to remain calm as she rested a hand on Gale's shoulder.

Gale took a moment to calm herself before looking to Hiccup, "My real name... is Hiccup Haddock the Third."

Almost immediately, Hiccup gasped and jumped back. Gale stared at Hiccup with confusion.

Hiccup paced back and forth around the fire shaking her head, "No, this isn't happening. This is not real! It's not true!" She turned to face Gale, "TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE!"

"What can't be true? What is so bad about my name?"

"Gale! That is my name! I am Hiccup! I am that same girl! That name belongs to me! Why do you have it?... Who was your father? What was his name? Who was that boy you killed? What was your village called?"

"Hiccup calm down! I can't answer fifteen questions at once!"

Hiccup breathed deeply to calm herself. She sat down in the sand and stared at the fire.

Gale slowly answered Hiccup questions, "My father was Stoick the Vast... the boy I killed was called Snotlout Jorgenson. The village I burned was called Berk..."

"All those people are still alive, Gale. Berk is still here. Everyone is here."

Gale faced Hiccup, "How is that possible?"

Hiccup glanced at up at Gale, "I think I know... I've been having nightmares about everything that you just told me. Maybe you somehow came to life through them... The doll."

"What?"

"A few months ago, Mildew cut my hair. he used it to make a voodoo doll. He must have used it to make you. But if you're real, that means those dreams have already..."

"So... all I am is a clone? I'm just a bad dream?"

Neither of them spoke. Gale eventually suggested that they discussed the subject tomorrow. Hiccup agreed.