Once again, Hela found herself experiencing the sunrise within the confines of the forge. Sweat dripped from her temple, and she was sure her clothes were wet with it, but she couldn't find it in herself to care, too busy admiring the finished project on her desk.

A saddle.

Not just any saddle, but a dragon-riding saddle.

There mere sight of it made her heart raise with what was to come.

She had done. She, Hela the Hiccup, the mistake, had successfully created something that no one had ever done before. Her scrawny, scarred, and rough hands had done something no one ever had before. Not once, but twice.

And she was determined to do so again.

Was this what mother's felt when they held their children for the first time?

Did that make Hela the mother of dragon saddles?

Hela shook her head, way too tired to contemplate where that thought had come from. Quickly, she wrapped her hands tightly, tied her hair back in the same double braids she's been wearing, and scrambled all her equipment together and ran towards the cove, stopping by the harbour to steal some more fish.

Hela wasn't worried about anyone noticing large quantities of fish going missing; Vikings excelled at three things, Uncle Spitelout would say, eating, fighting, and well, ew.

The night had gone in a blink of an eye. One moment she was sketching the saddle; the next, it was there. She was fiddling with the iron rod of the prosthetic when she blinked, and it was slightly different. Longer and stronger, a rope attached to the fin that allowed her to manipulate the movements.

Hela couldn't wait to see Toothless in it.

The path to the cove was getting easier to trek, enough so that Hela only tripped over four times. At the rate she was learning, she might be walking the trail blindfolded in the next decade or so.

Arriving at the opening, Hela hesitated. Nerves sang through her veins.

Hela never had any friends beyond children being forced to interact with her to keep her father happy. The closest thing she ever had to a friend was the pet sheep she used to carry around with her when she was nine. Her friendship with Wolf didn't last long as the Jorgenstern's had eaten him at Snotlout's tenth birthday party. A disastrous night for her as she went home crying to her dad while Snotlout laughed at her.

So, aside from Wolf, who knew everything about Hela, no one wanted to spend time with her. (Family members didn't count.)

And it wasn't for lack of trying on Hela's part.

Gods, thinking back to all her attempts were embarrassing. She had learned all kinds of different braids to butter Ruffnut up into letting her join the braiding circle. The girl twin had only laughed at her, the other girls snickering behind her. Hela had drawn up as many creative pranks as she could think of to befriend Tuffnut, who rejected them all, saying she was stupid for considering any of it. (A month later, the twins succeeded in pulling off one of her plans, cheerfully accepting the credit for it.)

Next, she tried to befriend Fishlegs.

Sleepless night after sleepless night, she had spent trying to memorise every card in the dragon game Fishlegs liked to play. Strength, weakness, exciting quirk. Hela rattled them off over and over again to remember it. She had spent a good week with Fishlegs playing his game, so well, in fact, that she had approached Shieldmaiden Gertha to teach her knife throwing to impress Aron with. Then Snotlout snuck his nose in.

"You know he's only hanging out with you because he has to, right?" her cousin had asked. "He's got to keep the Chief happy, somehow."

Hela didn't even consider that and doubted him until the next day when Fishlegs invited her to the nearby river and shoved her in it. She could still hear the laughter of the twins and her cousin as she fumbled in the water.

"Cowards!" she had screamed as she fell.

The river was shallow, but Hela hadn't learned how to swim yet.

Of course, Hela hadn't let it rest and did what little girls did when they were hurt; she told her dad.

That was the only time Stoick regretted banning flogging children. Instead, they were forced to work with Mildew for a month, cleaning out his cabbage garden.

To this day, Hela believed Snotlout deliberately told his father to take Wolf as the sacrificial sheep for his birthday. She had kept up with the knife-throwing until Gertha thought she was proficient, but she never dared to approach Aron.

Her experience in making friends made her nervous, she realised. Because, what if Toothless only allowed her into the cove because he had no other choice. Hela had shot off his fin, took his ability to fly; he had every reason not to want her close.

But, the memory of his scale against her palms burned across her skin.

Toothless had chosen to trust her, didn't he? Surely he would have done something if he didn't want her there?

"Ugh!" Hela groaned, stomping her foot. "You're overthinking this, Hela. He would've eaten your hand if he didn't want you there."

She inhaled deeply, failing to forget about the tension in her back or her stiff shoulders, and entered the cove.

"Hey, bud," she said into the space, finding him splayed out across a sunny patch of grass. Hearing her voice, he jumped up, cooing as he approached. She crouched towards the ground, gently dropping her gear before loosening the basket from her shoulders, letting it fall and tip over. The basket opened as the fish spilt over. Hela scrunched her nose as Toothless dove for it.

Seeing his excitement was enough to vanquish all of her doubt. Nobody could fake this kind of reaction. Though Hela supposed anyone would jump up and down when they're about to be fed.

"So, I had this idea," Hela began, gesturing towards the gear to which Toothless paid no attention to. "It's kind of stupid and dangerous, but I think I can get you flying again." Toothless' ears perked up at that, and he finally lifted his head from the fish pile, swallowing his eyes trailed to the saddle. He slunk closer, sniffing curiously at the leather.

"It's a saddle, like, you know, for horses? Wait, you do know what a horse is? Or a saddle? Anyway," she swallowed, catching the dry look her new friend shot her and picked up her gear. "It works like this; I tie this around the tail, like yesterday, and this comes around your body. There's supposed to be enough space for your front legs and wings, but they're adjustable if needed." Toothless shook his head listlessly. "So basically, the fin connects to the saddle, which will allow you to fly." Toothless purred, his pupils widening with excitement. "But…" The dragon growled. "Um, only with a flyer in the saddle."

Hela squeezed her eyes shut, lungs frozen with bated breaths. This was a bad idea, her worst one yet. She had taken the dragon's flight, and now she was telling him the only way to get it back was through her? Hela wouldn't be surprised if Toothless were rearing back, neck coiled stiffly as he opened his jaw, teeth gleaming threateningly as he set her aflame.

Any second now, she thought, any second, and she would be dead. At the very least, she'll get Valhalla this way.

Instead, Toothless' cooing broke her anxious silence.

Curious, Hela opened one eye, peeking from beneath her lashes. The other eye opened in wonder as she saw Toothless sniffing at the leather seat, delicately pawing at the edges. A moment passed before he looked at her.

Hela couldn't fight the smile tugging on her lips. "Are you sure?"

Toothless stepped away from the saddle, showing her his back.

Quickly, Hela rushed towards the saddle and tried to put it on. It was a long process as Hela had to stop constantly to make notes in her notebook.

Different oil to soften the leather. Maybe fish oil?

Lengthen strap A.

Widen the stirrups.

FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE FINN!

"Ok," she said, tugging at the stirrup. "We're as ready as we're ever going to be." Toothless just hummed, shoulders rolling as he got comfortable with the saddle. "There's no reason to be nervous. Of course, it's understandable that you would be; this is the first time you're flying – ah, I mean, with me. Because I'm not nervous, not at all-"

Toothless' growled rattled Hela's bones.

"Ok!" she scoffed, ignoring the shakiness of her hands as she climbed onto Toothless' back. "Jeez, you'd think you would understand. I bet you were shaking too for your first flight."

Toothless looked ahead with an indignant huff.

"I knew it!" Hela settled into the saddle, reaching to untie the line connected to the fin. She took a deep breath before exhaling forcefully as if hoping to release all the tension and whatever butterflies she was feeling.

"Whenever you're ready, bo – AH!"

With a quick expansion of his wings, Toothless jumped into the air, ignoring Hela's pitiful attempts at holding on. She squeezed with her thighs and hoped for the best when she tugged on the connected string.

The fin jerked open, levelling Toothless' body into a smooth glide as he flapped his wings to go higher. Hela was just about to congratulate herself before she panicked.

Toothless leaned to the left, loosening her grip from the saddle and in an attempt to keep her upright, she tugged on the strong.

One moment she was gliding in the air; the next, her body rushing down into the cold water of the lake.

SPLASH!

Clearly, Toothless joined her for a swim.

Heart thrumming in her ears, Hela swam upwards, gulping huge gasps of air as soon as she reached the surface. "Oh, thank the gods!" Within seconds of paddling, Toothless was near and took the back of her collar between his teeth.

Hela just floated along as Toothless took them to the coast. "I thought I was going to die. My life just flashed before my eyes, and, Woah! Am I a boring Viking? Because meeting you is seriously the only interesting thing about me - "

Toothless dragged her onto the shore, looking decidedly unimpressed as she tried to get up while she kept rambling. He, at least, was decent enough to wait before tugging her sleeves.

" - I really need some; what is it?" She finally stopped talking. Toothless titled his head to the saddle, an impatient frown between his eyes. "You want to go again?" Toothless answered with a stern nod. "I don't think it's a good idea."

Toothless bared his teeth.

Hela couldn't stop her brows from raising on her forehead. "Excuse me? Who do you think you're bearing your teeth too? Are you threatening me?" Toothless' teeth retracted and left a gummy smile in its place. "Well, now I can't be mad at you." Hela shook her head, fighting a grin. "It's not that I don't want to. We can't. I need to get the saddle adjusted properly before we can fly. I also need to get a thicker vest. My skin isn't like yours. It needs to be protected from the wind."

Toothless looked at her exposed arms, genuinely disturbed by that.

Her knees knocked together as she shivered in the cold air. "I need to get warm."

Seeing her blue lips, the dragon looked frantically for a spot of dry wood to heat up. Quickly, he grabbed her by the collar and carried her towards it. He spat fire onto the wood.

Hela immediately relaxed as the heat melted the freeze from her bones. "Thank you, bud."

Toothless didn't stop there, however. He settled behind her, his chest firm against her back, and brought his wings forward. Instantly, the wind died away.

"A real mother hen," Hela giggled.

Toothless replied by bumping her on the head.

#

Luckily, the day passed without anybody noticing that she was gone. The village was already empty with all the adults gone, but Hela didn't even see any of her classmates. Laack of noise from the Thorston Twins was always a sign of trouble. But Hela didn't let that bother her as she walked towards the blacksmith.

Once there, Hela got to work.

First, she attended to the saddle. She adjusted the stirrups, shortening them to the ideal length before widening them enough for her feet to slide in comfortably. Then, she tightened all the necessary straps and got rid of all the excess leather.

Then, she tended to the fire. From the way it brightened up the place, Hela knew that the sun had already drowned in the ocean. Hela wished she could do the same as she turned to the second to last unchecked note.

Hela knew that fish oil was best for softening leather, but the smell! She gagged just thinking about it.

"Suck it up!" she muttered. "Do it for Toothless!"

Saying that was enough for her to dig up some bravery and grab the fish oil from her station, but she didn't hesitate to take some other ingredients. After crushing leaf and flower petals, measuring a careful amount of Viking soap, and a dash of Big Land tea leaves, Hela's fish oil smelled less like rotten fish and more like rotten fish and lavender. Hela was quick to rub it into the saddle leather; airing it through the night might get rid of the worse of the smell.

Hela was just about done when a knock sounded from the door.

Not taking a chance, Hela scrambled, quickly hiding the drawn plans underneath older sketches. She didn't have time to wonder who it would be.

"Hela?"

Oh, gods!

She threw the saddle in the corner, using one of the larger pieces of equipment to hide it. She hit the edge with her pinky toe.

"Gods!" she hissed, shaking her foot in pain.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah!" she yelped. "Everything is fine."

Hela rushed to the door and yanked it open. She already knew he was standing there, but seeing Aron always sent a rush of warmth through her veins. It didn't mean she wanted him here.

He stepped back, startled at the sudden swing of the door. Aron narrowed his eyes at her fidgeting form.

"You're lying to me," Aron stated. His matter of fact tone was slightly terrifying.

"What are you," Hela tried to say casually. "Loki? Can you smell out lies now?"

"No. Your face is red. You blush when you lie."

"I'm blushing from the second-hand embarrassment I feel every time I'm in your presence."

Aron didn't look impressed by her sudden wit. "Now, I know something is up."

Hela didn't like how he was looking at her like she was some new bug to be examined. She felt both cornered and exposed.

"How would you know when I'm acting strangely?" Hela spat. "It's not like we're friends."

Aron froze, his quizzical look bleeding away to shock, surprised at the sudden venom out.

Hela couldn't find it in herself to feel wrong about her words. She was correct; Aron and Hela weren't friends. It would take more than one afternoon to make up for all the times Aron and the others deliberately left her out of any of their activities when they were children. It would take a lot more than just a sorry to make up for all the years of loneliness she had experienced because of them.

Aron may make her heart race, but she had a lot more self-respect than that

The boy shuffled from one foot to another. If Hela weren't angry at his arrival, then she would have noticed his nervousness, but t this moment, all she saw was the boy everyone wished she was.

"I just wanted to see if everything was alright after yesterday's training," he said.

Hela didn't believe him. "I doubt it." Especially not after yesterday. Aron was many things; a gracious loser wasn't one of them. But Hela didn't care about his reasons for being here; she had an actual friend to worry about.

Aron opened his mouth, but Hela beat him to it.

"Bye, Aron," she said, closing the door with a heavy and quick swing. She didn't wait until he was gone and immediately returned to Toothless' saddle.

She had better things to think about than Aron's hurt ego. Like, a nap.