Author's Note:

Hello everyone and sorry for the longer wait. We get some more interaction between Hiccup and Snotlout as the former considers what he found out last chapter. Thank you all for your continued support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

I own nothing.

Chapter 10

Making his way through the village was often slow for Hiccup.

Usually, he'd be held up by people with concerns, complaints, reports or who just wanted to chat and he did try to listen when he could. He had found that if he walked with purpose, most people recognised that he was needed elsewhere and didn't bother him but he avoided doing that when he could. Today seemed especially long because he was trying to find Snotlout.

Since his mother had mentioned the boy entering the archery events, he and Astrid had been concerned. They'd never seen him use a bow and they honestly didn't see it as his sort of event, they were worried about what would happen if he took part. Hiccup had been intending to speak to the boy about it and maybe convince him not to take part but he was proving difficult to find.

Winding his way through the crowded village square, he made his way to the forge and blinked in surprise when he saw Snotlout and Hookfang inside working on something.

"That should do it."

Snotlout placed the newly forged arrowhead alongside the others he'd created as Hookfang rumbled in agreement.

Though reusable, constant use of arrows wore down the heads and they needed replacing or re-forging regularly. With his increase in archery practise, he was running through his arrows far quicker than he used to, which often brought him to the forge to get new ones. It was such a regular occurrence that Gobber just let him make his own rather than have one of the forge assistants do it and Snotlout had started to experiment with his arrows.

In the past, he hadn't understood why Hiccup loved experimenting with ideas in the forge. Personally, he thought of it as a long and boring process and a waste of time that could've been spent on more 'Viking-like' things. Now though, he'd started to appreciate the idea and was kind of enjoying it.

There was a feeling of pride you got from having something that you'd put your own time and effort into creating, even if it was something as simple as an arrow. Also, since he had a custom bow and quiver, why not custom arrows to match? And since they were specifically designed for his bow, people would find them less effective if they tried to use them for their own, so there was a tactical angle as well. He'd played around with arrowhead shape and size, the length of shaft and the type of flights and had slowly created arrows which were all his own. Of course, the entire process was kind of endless but he didn't really mind, he had to make them all anyway so this experimentation kind of made it less of a chore, Gobber had even taken some of his designs and made note of them for future use, so he was even helping the village out a little bit at the same time.

Taking a stack of prepared shafts, Snotlout started the process of attaching the newly made heads. It took a long time but it was kind of relaxing and he'd done it so often now he could let his mind wander as he did it. Hookfang curled around him lazily, settling down for a nice nap as his rider worked, but suddenly looked up as Hiccup approached along with Toothless.

He rumbled respectfully at the Night Fury Alpha and Snotlout glanced up, "Oh! Hey Hic…I mean Chief."

Even though it had been several weeks since he awoke, he was still having trouble calling Hiccup by his title. Hiccup himself said he didn't mind but Snotlout was still trying to make it habit out of respect.

The chief spoke curiously, "You're making arrows?"

Snotlout smiled a little, "Yep." He held one he'd just finished up, "What do you think?"

Hiccup took the arrow and carefully examined it, raising an eyebrow in interest, "This is different from our usual ones."

"Well, I kind of designed them specifically for my bow."

He nodded to where his bow was sat nearby, next to the quiver, and Hiccup immediately went to examine it. He ran his hands over it and gently tested the string, nodding in approval. He turned back to the boy, "You made this yourself?"

Snotlout felt a bite of annoyance at the surprise in Hiccup's voice but pushed it aside, he hadn't exactly made a show of his skills so it was no wonder people wouldn't expect them to have them. He nodded, "My great-grandfather made the basic bow but I built upon it and added my own touches. The quiver I mostly made from scratch."

The chief shifted his focus to the quiver and gave an exclamation, "Hang on, that's the arrow-locking mechanism I created ages ago!"

The boy shifted guiltily, "Well, when I told Gobber I was making a quiver, he dug that out from storage. He said that even though it worked, not enough people practised archery enough to use it. He told me I could add it into the design and that you wouldn't mind."

Hiccup gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I don't mind. I was just surprised to see it, I'd thought that it would never catch on."

He gently picked up the quiver, examining it with a look of wonder on his face. Putting it back down, he spoke casually, "Are you using these in the tournament?"

This time, it was Snotlout who was surprised and Hiccup grinned, "Mom told me you'd entered."

Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, the boy answered, "Well that explains it. Yeah, I think it said people could use their own weapons for the tournament, they just had to be checked over and approved first."

Hiccup bit his lip as if considering something and stood in silence for a while. He then lightly nodded and picked up the bow and quiver and handed them to the boy.

Snotlout took them and Hiccup smiled again, "Well, I hope you do well Snotlout." He grinned, "Though with such a fine bow, it'd be hard for you not to."

He briefly patted Snotlout on the shoulder and left the forge, saying goodbye as he went. The boy watched him go, slightly confused by his odd words but feeling strangely encouraged.

Resuming his work as chief, Hiccup smiled to himself.

He'd been trying to find Snotlout to talk him out of taking part in the tournament but instead he'd effectively encouraged him to win. Right up until he'd spoken to the boy, his intent had been the opposite of what he'd actually done but then he'd seen the bow.

Having worked in the forge for as long as he had, he had seen many weapons, including bows, and he could easily say that Snotlout's bow was one of the most impressive he'd ever seen. The boy's care and attention for the weapon shone throughout the entire design, his signature was all over it and it wasn't just the bow.

The quiver had also been very well crafted, his arrow-locking mechanism had been smoothly incorporated into the design and the pattern upon it was a prime example of real craftmanship. He'd never seen Snotlout craft anything remotely like it in his life but the sheer quality spoke to how much experience and skill the teen had, he must have kept it secret for years before he was frozen.

Finally, there were the arrows. Their design had been unique and quite impressive and the fact they were specifically designed for Snotlout's bow spoke volumes. The teen must have spent a long time testing each design, making minor changes and alterations to see how things went. Effective testing required a degree of skill with the bow so as to compare results which indicated that Snotlout was far more adept at archery than he'd let on.

Gobber had always said how you could value a warrior by the quality of their weapon, one with a well-cared for weapon was most likely well versed in its use, Astrid was a prime example. She was still one of the best warriors in the village and her axe was always kept in top condition. Snotlout's bow was equally as well tended and it was this that prevented Hiccup from stopping the boy from joining the tournament.

He was certain that Snotlout had far more skill than anyone thought and he wanted the boy to shine, especially when he was considered so behind everyone else. He had a feeling that Snotlout was going to put on a show they wouldn't forget and possibly smack down some overinflated egos in the process.

Hiccup couldn't wait to see it.

PS-So in the end, Hiccup didn't try and talk him out of it. I'm planning to do the tournament next chapter so please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.