Chapter 12: Picking Up The Pieces
As the overcast day waned on, the citizens of Yorksdale continued their search through the rubble of their village. Rummaging through the burnt wood and broken stones that were strewn across the ground that buildings used to occupy. Picking up the sign that used to mark the location of the local tavern, Malcolm held it before himself with both his hands before he sighed sadly.
"Dragon!" a voice suddenly rang out from among the ruins, "Th' dragon's comin' back!"
His face going pale, Malcolm dropped the burnt sign and quickly turned his gaze skyward. After a few moments of fearfully looking about, Malcolm's eyes went wide as he spotted the form of the dragon approaching the ruined town through the cloudy sky. As the other villagers ran for what cover they could find, Malcolm was frozen in terror, watching the approaching dragon with wide, frightened eyes. Then, in a horrible moment of clarity, Malcolm realized that the dragon was descending right towards him.
Letting out a high-pitched shriek of fear, Malcolm threw his hands up in front of his face in a futile attempt to protect himself while squeezing his eyes closed. A moment later, Malcolm heard a loud thud and felt a gust of air wash over him as the dragon landed a short distance away. Strangely, however, Malcolm was not then immediately devoured like he had expected to be.
Slowly lowering his arms, Malcolm opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. Immediately, a spike of fear lanced through Malcolm's heart as he found himself face to face with the Boneknapper, it's skull-covered snout mere inches from his face. However, the Boneknapper made no move to attack him, opting instead to stare at Malcolm, the breath from its nostrils feeling like the air from a furnace against his face.
"Ah, Malcolm!" a voice called from somewhere nearby, "Ah thought 'at was ye!"
Blinking in confusion, Malcolm shifted his position so that he could see around the Boneknapper's massive head. To his shock, Malcolm found Will sitting at the base of the Boneknapper's neck, the lordling shooting a cocky smile at the mayor.
"M-M'lord?" Malcolm questioned, stammering in shock, "Is 'at ye?"
"Who else wud it be?" Will questioned with a snort as he slid off the dragon's back.
"B-B-But…." Malcolm stuttered, looking rapidly between Will and the Boneknapper as he spoke, "M'lord, this….this is th' dragon 'at burnt down th' village!"
"Indeed he is," Will agreed as he turned his attention towards the Boneknapper and shook his finger at the dragon disapprovingly, receiving a petulant grunt in reply, "An' he's got a lot o' work tae dae tae make up fer it."
"M'lord, Ah….Ah daenae understand," Malcolm continued as he shook his head in confusion, "Did ye….tame th' dragon?"
"Tame seems like a strong word tae me," Will answered, his expression uncertain as he patted the Boneknapper on the snout, "Ah think we've caeme tae an understandin' though."
"But….how?" Malcolm questioned, his fear having given way completely to confusion.
"Ah picked up a few tricks from saeme experts," Will answered with a shrug before he turned his attention skywards, "'Ere comes ane now."
Following Will's gaze, Malcolm's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Gobber and Grump rapidly descending towards the ground. As Will and Malcolm watched, Grump landed hard on the ground, sliding a few feet across the earth and dislodging Gobber from his back in the process.
"Alright, maybe he's nae an expert, per say," Will said with a shrug as Malcolm gave him an uncertain look.
"Ye know," Gobber grunted as he picked himself up off the ground, rubbing at his back as he did while shooting a glare at Grump, "Ah wud hae figured ye'd hae a handle on this whole landin' thin' by now."
Grump grumbled in reply before glaring at the Boneknapper as the dragon let out a sound of amusement. Snarling, Grump began moving aggressively towards the Boneknapper, prompting the other dragon to spread its wings and growl in challenge.
"Hey, hey, naene o' 'at!" Gobber shouted as he interposed himself between the two dragons, "Ye two kicked th' snot oot o' each other an hour ago. Nae need tae be gettin' intae 'at again right now."
Grump and the Boneknapper looked at Gobber in surprise for a moment before they both reluctantly backed away from each other.
"There," Gobber said with a pleased nod, "'At's more like it."
At that point, the men noticed a group rushing towards them. As they drew closer, Will saw that the group was made up of the Dingwall warriors who had been sent to accompany them, led by Duncan with his claymore drawn.
"Whit is th' meanin' o' this!?" Duncan demanded as he came to stop a short distance away from the dragons, his men following suit behind him.
"Ah, Dunk, there ye are," Will greeted with a grin as he planted his hands on his hips, "Ah was wonderin' when ye'd show up."
"Whit is th' meanin' o' this!?" Duncan repeated forcefully as he pointed at the Boneknapper with his sword, "This is th' very dragon 'at destroyed th' village, an' ye've brought it back!?"
There was a pause as Will looked over at the Boneknapper, which glanced back at him, before the lordling turned his attention back towards Duncan.
"Aye, Ah suppose Ah did," Will confirmed with a nod as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hae ye taken leave o' yer senses!?" Duncan snapped as he glared at Will.
"Nae," Will replied as he glared at Duncan, "Ah did whit ye an' yer men 'ere refused tae dae. Ah fixed th' problem."
"Ye call this fixin' th' problem!?" Duncan demanded as he indicated towards the Boneknapper, "Ye were supposed tae slay th' dragon, nae befriend it!"
"Nae, Ah was supposed tae stop th' dragon," Will corrected, putting emphasis on the word, "An' 'at's exactly whit Ah did. In fact, this is th' better solution, because nae anly 'ave we gotten rid o' a threat, we've gained a new ally in th' process."
"This is ridiculous!" Duncan snarled as he began approaching the Boneknapper with his drawn sword, "Ah will nae let this Viking insanity infect th' Highlands!"
The Boneknapper snarled as it watched Duncan approach, but stopped as Will suddenly stepped between the two of them, drawing his sword and pointing it at the taller man's throat, causing him to freeze.
"Ye dare draw yer sword against me, boy?" Duncan demanded as he glared down at Will.
"Aye, Ah suppose Ah dae," Will replied with a cocky grin, "This isnae even th' craziest thin' Ah've daene taeday."
"Even if ye cud best me in combat, whit wud ye dae then?" Duncan inquired, "Ah hae all o' ma men with me an' all ye hae is a half-breed cripple."
"We hae dragons," Will countered confidently, as both Grump and the Boneknapper let out warning growls, causing Duncan's men to take hesitant steps back as their faces' paled.
As Will smirked at the display, a noise from behind him caught his attention.
"An' if 'at's nae enough fer ye," `Will said as he looked over his shoulder, "Then ye shud know 'at we didnae caeme 'ere alone."
Blinking in confusion, Duncan followed Will's gaze and found Andra, Boyd, Maudie and Sheamus standing on the crest of the hill on the edge of town. A moment later, dozens upon dozens of figures appeared as well as the Vendal villagers joined them. As Duncan looked at the group, his eyes widened in shocked realization.
"Vendal," Duncan whispered before his face hardened, "Vendal!"
As the shout echoed through the ruins of the village, a cry of panic rose up from the cowering villagers.
"Och, none o' 'at!" Will snapped as he glared at Duncan, his sword still pointed at the taller man, "We daenae need tae terrify everyane."
"Ah'm nae th' ane who brought a horde o' bloodthirsty savages 'ere!" Duncan snarled as he pointed his sword back at Will, "Yer stupidity is gaein' tae get us all killed!"
"Ah yes, these Vendal are gaein' tae slaughter all o' us," Will replied with a roll of his eyes, "Despite th' fact 'at they've been 'ere fer over a decade an' hae ne'er harmed a soul."
"What are ye babblin' aboot now?" Duncan demanded.
"These Vendal hae been livin' 'ere in the Highlands since th' end o' th' war," Will explained pointedly, "Mor'du abandoned them 'ere when 'e retreated an' sae they built a settlement in the wilderness nae far from here."
"Are ye really 'at naive?" Duncan questioned as he shot Will a disgusted look.
"Are ye really 'at thick skulled?" Will countered, "Ah saw their village. It wasnae saemethin' ye cud set up overnight."
"Fine, then if they hae their own place tae live, why bring them 'ere?" Duncan inquired wearily.
"Well, saemeane decided tae burn 'at village down as well," Will replied as he gave the Boneknapper a pointed look.
"It's a pity th' dragon didnae burn those savages as well," Duncan commented with a grumble.
"Yeah, well, 'at didnae happen," Will stated as he turned his gaze back towards Duncan, "Sae, now we hae tae figure oot how tae help them an' th' people o' Yorksdale."
"Ye really hae gaene mad," Duncan observed with a shake of his head, "Why should we care aboot a bunch o' Vendal?"
"Because if we daenae dae anythin', they'll all die ance winter arrives," Will explained.
"And?" Duncan pressed, "A bunch o' savages dyin' in th' cauld sounds like saemethin' we should be celebratin'."
"Well, it's a good thin' ye're nae in charge then," Will replied with a snort, "Because we're gaein' tae brin' these people back tae Castle Macintosh an' make sure 'at they all make it through th' winter."
"What makes ye think Ah'm gaein' tae let this happen?" Duncan demanded as he glared down at Will as he continued to point his sword at Will, "Helpin' these bastards spits on th' memory o' everyane who died tae drive their ilk from our lands."
"What makes ye think ye hae a say in whit happens?" Will questioned in return, "Last Ah checked Castle Macintosh was ma father's home, an' whit 'appens there was 'is decision, nae 'at o' a Dingwall warrior."
Duncan said nothing in reply to this, but his grip on his sword tightened. Will eyed this for a moment before smirking as he locked eyes with Duncan again.
"Gae ahead, try it," Will encouraged as he shifted his weight and tightened the grip on his own sword, "Even if ye cut me doon an' get oot o' 'ere without being devoured by th' dragons standing behind me, then ma father an' th' other lords wud hunt ye down an' stick yer 'ead on a spike."
This thought seemed to give Duncan pause and he finally lowered his sword.
"There we go," Will said with a smile and a nod as he lowered his own blade, "Ye keep 'at attitude up an' Ah'll see if Ah can convince Boyd tae nae tell his da aboot 'ow ye left yer lord's son an' heir tae die."
Duncan grumbled in reply as he slid his sword back into the scabbard on his back, prompting his men to stow their weapons as well.
"Alright," Will commented, "Ye lot shud get yer thin's taegether, 'en 'elp th' people round 'ere gather whit they can afore we move oot."
"Ye want these people tae abandon their homes?" Duncan questioned, heat rising in his voice again.
"Ah want 'em tae leave th' ruins o' their homes fer th' winter, aye," Will clarified, his eyes narrowing as he spoke, "We'll caeme back 'ere an' help these people rebuild caeme th' spring."
This seemed to pacify Duncan and he nodded his head before leading his men away.
"Well," Gobber commented with an impressed expression on his face, "It seems 'at all those lessons ye noble lot get aboot bossin' people around are payin' off."
"Aye, Ah guess Ah hae learned how tae dae more 'an swing a sword around," Will agreed with a smirk before he gave Gobber a serious look, "Daenae let ma Da know or 'e'll start expectin' me tae be responsible or saemethin'."
"My lips are sealed," Gobber assured him with a chuckle.
"M'lord," Malcolm spoke up, bringing Will's attention to him, "Whit shud we dae now?"
"Well, we shud probably take ye tae meet with th' elder o' th' Vendal tribe," Will said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Ye….Ye want me tae talk with a Vendal?" Malcolm inquired, his face paling.
"Well, there'll be a translator but aye, essentially," Will confirmed with a shrug and a nod.
"Ah'm….Ah'm nae sure Ah can dae this sort o' thin', m'lord," Malcolm muttered nervously.
"O' course ye can!" Will said as he walked over to Malcolm, "Ye're th' Mayor o' Yorksdale, aren't ye?"
Malcolm nodded mutely, a terrified expression plastered across his face.
"Och don't look at me like 'at, they daenae bite," Will said as he laid a friendly hand on Malcolm's shoulder and began leading him away "At least, Ah haenae seen 'em dae 'at yet."
Gobber couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head as he followed them.
Later,
Castle Macintosh and the lands surrounding it were busier than they had been in quite some time. People ran back and forth across the courtyard as they helped set up the temporary camps just outside the castle walls. Lord Macintosh watched from the ramparts as the villagers helped the people of Yorksdale unload what wagons they had managed to scrounge together to transport what they could scavenge from the destroyed village.
As he leaned against the stonework, Lord Macintosh's gaze drifted towards where another group of people were setting up camp outside the castle walls, watching as the Vendal built their own tents and structures a good distance away from the villagers of Yorksdale.
"Ah hope ye know whit ye're daein', son," Macintosh sighed as his gaze lingered on the Vendal camp.
"Whit's th' matter, Da?" Will questioned from where he stood behind and to the side of his father with his arms crossed, "Daenae you trust me?"
"O' course Ah dae," Macintosh sighed as he turned to look at Will, "But "Dae Ah trust ye" and "Is this a good idea" are two entirely separate questions."
"Look, Da, Ah know tensions are sort o' high between everyane right now," Will began to say.
"Sort of high?" Macintosh scoffed, "Th' guards hae already had tae break up three fights between Vendals an' th' villagers since they gaet 'ere. It will be a miracle if we get through th' winter withoot a murder."
"Well, Ah daenae know whit ye wanted me tae dae, Da!?" Will growled as he threw his hands into the air in frustration, "Th' Vendal hae been 'ere fer years an' th' anly thin' they've e'er daene wrong was attractin' th' attention o' a dragon."
"As far as we know," Macintosh countered before sighing, "But ye're right. We cudnae jist leave 'em tae die. Ah taught ye better 'an 'at."
"Sae, ye'll give 'em a chance?" Will questioned as he quirked his brow at his father.
"Ah'm lettin' 'em build a camp right outside, aren't Ah?" Macintosh asked as he looked over his shoulder while gesturing at the Vendal settlement, "Ah jist hope Ah daenae regret it later."
"Ah promise ye waenae, Da," Will reassured him, "Ah know Andra is already doon there tryin' tae smooth thin's over wit everyane."
"Ah noticed 'im playing ambassador," Macintosh observed with a smirk, "Ah especially noticed him talkin' wit 'at Vendal girl 'at seems tae be in charge."
"Aye, Andra seems tae hae taken a bit o' a shine tae Ansei," Will agreed with a smile and a nod, "Ah'm sure 'at's gaein' tae be trouble doon th' line."
"Speakin' o' trouble," Macintosh said as he pushed away from the wall and turned to face his son, "Let's talk aboot th' other enemy o' our people 'at ye invited intae our home."
"Ye mean th' Boneknapper, daenae ye?" Will asked with a look of chagrin as he scratched the back of his head, "Wud ye believe me if Ah told ye he followed me home?"
"Honestly, Ah'm nae sure Ah wud be surprised at this point," Macintosh acknowledged as he began making his way towards the stairs that led down from the ramparts to the castle courtyard, "But Ah still question if it's wise tae hae a creature 'at has burnt down two villages caeme live wit us."
"Ah know th' Boneknapper is dangerous, Da," Will said as he followed his father down the ramparts, "But Ah can keep him under control. If Ah can train 'im, then we'll hae turned an enemy intae an ally."
"If ye can train 'im," Macintosh repeated with a dubious tone as he made his way down the ramparts' stone steps.
"Hey, Ah can dae it," Will replied indignantly as they reached the packed dirt of the castle courtyard, "If Merida can tame a dragon, then Ah sure as Hel can too."
"Ah recall ye sayin' saemethin' similar aboot archery," Macintosh observed as he grinned over his shoulder at his son.
At that moment, a loud roar shook the air before the Boneknapper landed at the center of the courtyard, kicking up a cloud of dust as it did. As the dust cloud dispersed, Will lowered his hands which he had been using to shield his face, and found the Boneknapper looking around in agitation as the castle guards surrounding it fearfully reached for their weapons.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Will exclaimed, holding up his hands and looking around at the guards while he approached the Boneknapper, "Everyane, jist hold on fer a second!"
As the guards hesitantly backed down, Will turned his attention towards the Boneknapper.
"Hey, pal," Will greeted with a friendly tone, "Ah think we need tae work on yer entrances. Ye're puttin' everyane on edge when ye show up sae….intensly."
The Boneknapper grumbled in reply, glancing around at the other people nervously.
"Aye, Ah know, ye need tae get used tae bein' round sae many people," Will went on as he patted the Boneknapper on the snout, "Let's see if we can find ye a cow nobody's usin' sae ye can hae a snack."
As Will led the Boneknapper away, his sister, Aileene, who was standing on the other side of the courtyard, watched with wide eyes.
"Dae ye think ma brother will be okay trainin' 'at dragon, Mr. Gobber?" Aileene questioned as she looked over her shoulder at the Viking in question.
"Well, 'at Boneknapper is mighty surly but it seems tae like yer brother well enough," Gobber answered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "From whit Ah've seen, ance ye've managed tae form a bond wit 'em, they stay pretty loyal. Ah'm sure yer brother has naethin' tae worry aboot."
"An' Ah'm sure yer father wud ne'er let anythin' happen tae him either, m'lady," Maudie spoke up from where she stood on Aileene's other side.
Aileene's expression was still uncertain and she turned to look behind her, where Grump was slumbering on a pile of hay in the small stables.
"Yer dragon seems a bit friendlier, Mr. Gobber" Aileen commented as she watched Grump sleep.
"Ah daenae think Ah'm e'er gaein' tae get used tae people referrin' tae Grump as my dragon," Gobber said with a chuckle and a shake of his head, "And Ah suppose Grump is pretty laid back ance he gets used tae ye."
"Dae ye think…." Aileene began to say, before trailing off as a hesitant expression crossed her face, "Dae ya think Ah can meet 'im?"
Gobber looked down at the girl in surprise for a moment before smirking.
"Ye want tae meet a dragon?" Gobber questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
"Ah figure if ma brother is gaein' tae keep ane as a pet, then Ah shud get used tae them," Aileene explained, her gaze focused on the slumbering Grump.
"Alright," Gobber agreed before he fished into his pocket, pulled out an apple and handed it to Aileene, "Take this."
"Whit's this fer?" Aileene asked as she took the apple and looked at it in confusion.
"Tae feed 'im, o' course," Gobber replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Dragons eat apples?" Aileene questioned as she looked up at Gobber in surprise.
"Ah daenae know aboot all dragons," Gobber admitted with a shrug as he turned his attention back towards the stables, "But Ah haenae found anythin' yet 'at Grump waenae eat."
Turning her attention back towards Grump, Aileene watched the sleeping dragon for a moment before she began to hesitantly approach him, the apple held out in front of her. As Aileene drew closer, Grump's nose began to twitch as he caught the scent of the apple. Grumbling, Grump's eyes half opened and he looked around groggily for a moment before he took another sniff of the air and focused his attention completely on the apple in Aileene's hand. As Grump rose to his feet, Aileene took a hesitant step backwards, causing her to bump into Gobber who was standing directly behind her.
"Easy now," Gobber said, laying his good hand on the girl's shoulder in a comforting gesture as she looked up at him, "Jist relax. All he wants is th' apple."
Nodding in understanding, Aileene turned her attention back towards Grump as he opened his mouth expectantly. Smiling, Aileene underhand tossed the apple into Grump's waiting maw, which snapped shut as the dragon began happily chewing on the snack.
Smiling at the display, Aileene began to hesitantly draw closer to Grump. As she reached her hand out towards the dragon, Grump focused his attention on Aileene, watching as the girl drew carefully closer. Then, after a hesitant moment, Aileene laid her hand on the end of Grump's snout and began to pet him, eliciting pleased noises from the dragon.
"Ye know, ance ye look past all th' teeth, ye're actually kind o' cute," Aileene commented as she continued to pet the dragon's snout.
"Sounds like ye're warmin' up tae th' idea o' haein' a dragon around," Will's voice suddenly came from behind them.
Turning around, Aileene found her brother standing behind them with the Boneknapper looming next to him.
"Well, Ah figured Ah had tae since ye decided tae keep ane as a pet," Aileene explained as she turned to face Will, "Though Ah must say, Grump is much cuddlier than yer dragon."
At this, Will looked the Boneknapper over before shrugging.
"Ah suppose ye're right," Will confirmed with a nod, earning an annoyed grunt from the Boneknapper, "Now, since ye're makin' friends with dragons, how aboot ye take th' next step?"
"Whit's th' next step?" Aileene questioned as she looked at her brother warily.
"We go fer a ride," Will explained as he crossed his arms and nodded towards the Boneknapper.
"A ride?" Aileene repeated, her expression a mixture of excitement and trepidation, "Ye mean flyin', daenae ye?"
"Yep," Will confirmed with a nod as he looked up at the Boneknapper, "Ah think th' big guy needs tae stretch his wings saeme more an' Ah was wonderin' if ye wanted tae caeme along?"
Aileene fell silent for a moment as she turned her gaze towards the Boneknapper. She stared at the large dragon for a moment before she squared her shoulders and nodded her head.
"Alright," Aileene said as she looked back at her brother, "Let's gae."
"'At's th' spirit," Will replied with a grin before he motioned to the Boneknapper, prompting the dragon to lean down enough to allow the young man to climb up onto its back, "Now, Ah'm gaein' tae need tae make saeme kind o' saddle at saeme point, but fer now, ye'll jist hae tae deal wit' m pal's bony back."
"Whit's his name anyway?" Aileene asked as she watched Will climb up onto the Boneknapper's back.
"Name?" Will repeated in confusion as he helped Aileene onto the dragon's back, "He daesnae hae a name."
"Well, obviously," Aileene said with a sigh as she settled into place, "Ye need tae give 'im ane."
Rubbing his chin, Will pondered the idea for a moment.
"How aboot….Skullcrusher?" Will suggested before he leaned down and patted the Boneknapper on the head, "Whit dae ye say, Skullcrusher? Want tae gae fer a ride?"
"Skullcrusher?" Aileene echoed with a disgusted expression on her face as she looked at the bone-covered dragon, "'At's a terrible n-"
Aileene was cut off as Skullcrusher suddenly kicked off the ground, causing her to let out a scream of surprise as they shot into the air. Lifting his head, Gobber watched as the dragon disappeared from view, Aileene's screaming departing along with him.
"Well," Maudie said as she stepped up next to Gobber, "Thin's hae certainly been excitin' lately, haenae they?"
"Aye," Gobber agreed with a nod as he began walking across the courtyard, "Wit any luck, they'll start tae calm doon now. Ah'm supposed tae be on holiday, after all."
"Ah'd like tae think we're through th' worst o' it," Maudie said as she followed along while Grump settled back onto the ground, "From 'ere, we shud jist hae a nice Hogmanay tae look forward tae."
"Hogawhatnow?" Gobber questioned, looking over his shoulder at Maudie as he made his way up the stairs to the ramparts.
"Hogmanay," Maudie repeated with a chuckle as she mounted the stairs behind him, "It's our celebration o' th' start o' th' new year."
"Ah, we hae saemethin' like 'at back in Berk," Gobber replied as he reached the top of the stairs, "Except we call it Snoggletog."
"Snoggletog?" Maudie repeated as she stepped up onto the ramparts, a confused look on her face.
"Ah know," Gobber said with a sigh as he walked up to the edge of the rampart, "It's a terrible name."
Leaning against the stonework, Gobber looked past the camps that were being set up outside the castle, and the village that sat nearby to the rolling hills and tall mountains of the Highlands that reached towards the horizon.
"Enjoyin' th' view?" Maudie questioned as she leaned against the battlements next to him.
"We certainly daenae hae views like this back on Berk," Gobber observed as he shook his head with a smile, "Nae o' th' land, at least."
"It's certainly breathtakin' when ye take th' time to enjoy it," Maudie confirmed with a nod.
"Ah still hae a hard time believin' Ah'm 'ere in ma mother's homeland," Gobber said wistfully.
"It's yer homeland too, ye know," Maudie stated as she turned to look at Gobber.
"Nae really," Gobber replied with a shake of his head, "Ah'll always hae a connection tae this place, but Berk is ma home. Ah think this trip has proven 'at tae me."
"Ah'm sorry ye haenae received th' warmest o' welcomes," Maudie said sadly as she laid a comforting hand on Gobber's arm.
"It's fine," Gobber assured her with a shrug, "Ah went through th' same thin' when Ah was growin' up on Berk, but eventually, they came tae accept me there. There's nae reason Ah hae tae gae through 'at again. Th' Highlands will always hae a place in ma heart, but Ah'm a Vikin' an' Berk is ma home."
"Sae, ye'll be stayin' when we gae back fer Hiccup an' Merida's weddin'?" Maudie inquired.
"Well, Ah got this brand new dragon 'at Ah need tae figure oot whit tae dae with, an' Ah jist sae happen tae hae an in wit' th' foremost dragon expert in th' world back on Berk," Gobber answer with a smile, "Plus, Ah hae tae get back tae ma smithy at saeme point, especially if Ah'm gaein' tae train ma new apprentice."
"Ye're gaein' tae ask Sheamus tae caeme back wit ye?" Maudie gasped, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gobber.
"Ah already did," Gobber replied with a smug smile, "He seemed very excited."
"Oh, Gobber 'at's wonderful!" Maudie exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Gobber's bicep and rested her head against his shoulder, "It will be good fer 'im tae be in a warm an' lovin' place like 'at."
"Th' lad has a lot o' potential," Gobber agreed with a nod, "Ah'm hopin' 'at Ah can brin' it oot o' 'im."
"Sae," Maudie said as she looked away bashfully, "Were ye thinkin' o' bringin' anyane else back wit ye?"
Gobber blinked in surprise at this, before looking down at Maudie and quirking an eyebrow at her.
"Ah was jist thinkin'," Maudie explained, her face flushing as she talked, "Th' princes are reachin' th' age where they daenae need a full time nanny anymore an' sae Ah hae tae start thinkin' aboot whit Ah want tae dae with ma time an'…."
"Maudie," Gobber interrupted gently as he cupped her face with his good hand and turned it so she was looking at him, "Ah'd love fer ye tae caeme back tae Berk wit me."
Maudie blinked in surprise at this for a moment before an ecstatic grin spread across her face. Reaching up, she took Gobber's face with both of her hands and slowly pulled the Viking's head down to her level before kissing him. The two stayed like that for a while, moving to embrace each other as their kiss deepened. Eventually, the two pulled apart and spent some time staring lovingly at one another.
The moment was interrupted, however, by the loud roaring of Skullcrusher as he swooped by just overhead, the wind kicked up from his passing ruffling Gobber and Maudie's hair and clothing. As Gobber and Maudie lifted their heads to watch the dragon rise further into the sky, they both smiled as they heard Will let out a whoop of joy that echoed throughout the Highland countryside.
A/N: Well, it took me way longer than it should have but I've finally finished this story! The chapter ended up being longer than I thought it was going to be, but I think it wraps everything up pretty nicely. I'm really excited to move forward with this series, and I hope you all like what's to come! As usual, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!