Hello again people! It's time for another helping of WHAT IS THIS?
Okay it's worth mentioning that I will use a lot of elements from the HTTYD books. For example, Gobber in the books taught a lot more than dragon fighting-so that's what he'll do here! They also get GENERAL VIKING EDUCATION.

Also I just realized that FF deleted like, a good third of the last chapter. Well I'm too lazy to rewrite it so that's just too bad!

Enjoy!

It was a miserable, windy, cold, blustery, wet, soggy kind of day. The sky was dark with water-laden clouds. The sea was roused to choppy anger. And the trees creaked with the sound of moaning, damp wind.

So all in all, it was a rather average day on Berk.

"ALL RIGHT YOU YOUNG'UNS! LINE UP!" Gobber the Belch belted out at the ragged line of young people that stood in front of him, shivering on the shoreline. Normally he'd have said something like "LINE UP YOU MISERABLE EXCUSES FOR VIKINGS" but he'd been asked to tone it down a bit this time. Pity.

"LET'S SEE WHO WE HAVE HERE!"

He looked up and down the line. And sighed internally. It looked like he had every fool child on Berk here in his "how to be a Viking" class. Not that he normally minded, but this lot...

"Whoa, is that a stick, or is it seal poop?" Ruffnut's voice floated to his ears, as she poked at something in the sand.

"Oh, I dunno," Tuffnut, her twin brother, responded. "Let me just lick it and find out. As old cousin Wicknut used to say, 'always trust the tongue."

...was probably going to look bad on his record.

"Great Thor above!" Gobber exclaimed, "why in gods name would ye' do that?"

"Uh, is that a trick question?" Tuffnut responded. Genuinely.

Oh boy. This was going to be a long day.

"Well this couldn't be better," Hiccup mumbled to himself, looking up and down at the same line of young vikings that Gobber had-though from a very different angle, namely, from underneath. See, Hiccup was just about the smallest child there. No wonder no-one would pair up with him, he couldn't pull logs or cut wood or even swing a hammer.

"Get together in pairs," Hiccup continued, imitating Gobber's accent, and swinging his arms around wildly, "Think carefully. Oh yeah, thanks Gobber, I will definitely be able to do that. 'We're going to be making boats' oh sure. Because I look like the picture of a great burly shipwright."

Gobber wanted them to pair off and attempt to build a boat. Anyone who didn't have a partner would be teamed up with Gobber himself-in short, a fate worse than death.

"THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE THE NEXT BERK FLAGSHIP!" Gobber yelled over the wind. "THEY JUST HAVE TO FLOAT AND SAIL. I THINK EVEN YOU LOT CAN DO THAT! NOW PAIR UP AND WORK IN TEAMS-I DON'T WANT ANYONE OFF ON THEIR OWN!"

Hiccup grumbled. "Oh yeah, solitude. How horrible." He looked up towards the group of other kids with more than a little envy. If only he'd been able to actually kill that Gronkle last night, everything would be different. Yeah, they'd be lining up to hang out with him. Especially...
His gaze lingered on a certain head of ethereal blonde hair.

Astrid.

Blue eyes the color of the ocean on a rare sunny day.

Astrid.

Glowing with a radiance that didn't belong on this miserable cold beach.

Astrid.

THE PERSON WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST IMPRESSED WITH SOME DRAGONSLAYING.

ALSO ASTRID.

Instead he'd made a fool of himself, almost gotten killed, and ended up covered in ash and soot. Again. Furthermore, even Azula wasn't talking with him now. Instead she was standing slightly apart from the rest of the group, arms behind her back and pointedly ignoring him. Hiccup didn't exactly like that, but really, what else was new?

Practically, that just left him with a pile of wood(to build a boat) and the need to find a partner(to help him build a boat). At least he had some ideas for the actual boat design, he just needed someone to help him move the things.
"Simple enough. Just go up to someone and 'hey, would you like to hang out with me?' 'oh sure, no problem Hiccup!' 'thank you, Astrid!' 'and may I just say, you are looking exceptionally vikingly this morning!"

See, that didn't sound so hard! Thinking of Astrid makes everything better.

But then he opened his eyes, and he was back on the beach, and she was still Freya's lost child, and he was still Hiccup. Most likely he'd just team up with Fishlegs and actually be able to get some work-

"Hey fishyface, you're with me!" Snotlout's voice rang out.

-or not.

That's when he realized...he was doomed.

"I think it's obvious," Azula said to, er, Astrid. That was her name? "We women have to stick together. I can already tell you're the most competent of this class. So congratulations, you are worthy to be my partner."

Astrid blinked, looking around awkwardly. "Thanks, I guess?"

"You're welcome," Azula said with a smile. She turned, and looked out over the ocean. "I think we'll make a very successful alliance."

"That's good. It's better than being stuck with Gobber," Astrid replied. "Anything would be better than that. We should probably get started though."

I think she's buying it so far...

"I've often wanted a navy," Azula started, still staring out over the ocean. "Or even just a single boat. It'd only have the best on it, of course. Perhaps you could be there."

Astrid nodded slowly.

"Then I would sail the ocean until I found wherever my enemies were hiding, where I would FALL UPON THEM AND SET FIRE TO THEIR HOMES, AND BURN THEIR CITIES TO THE GROUND! THEIR WAILING WOULD BE A HYMN TO THEIR PITIFUL GODS! I WOULD BE THE MOST POWERFUL CAPTAIN ON EARTH! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Azula couldn't resist. She ignited to her hands and threw flames into the air above her, cackling like a madwoman. Oh, that mental image was just glorious!

Astrid meanwhile kind of just...stared, wide-eyed.
"Wow, intense," she said at last, slowly, then... "I love it!"

Yes, appeal to violence, Azula thought, even though that hadn't quite been the plan. Now I have her wrapped around my little finger. Easy.

"Anyway, we should get to work," Astrid continued, gesturing to the pile of wood. "So how will we split this? Are you a hammer sort of girl, or do you prefer saws? I'll start sorting this wood, and you can cut it up."

Azula quirked an eyebrow. "Excuse...me?"

"How do you...want to help build? The boat?" Astrid clarified.

-er, this could be a problem.

"I'm sure whatever you have in mind would be...passable," Azula said, smiling patronisingly at Astrid. "But listen, Astrid, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Do I look like the sort of person who is capable of hurling around lumber?"

"But-"

"The answer is no, of course. I grew up with servants who took care of my every need. Once you get used to that sort of life, you can't just switch over any time you please."-Azula paused for a second, as she made a show of kneeling beside the pile of wood-"I could try, of course, but I'd likely injure myself terribly...correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that be your responsibility, as the more experienced one here?

Astrid frowned, and crossed her arms. "Y-yeah, but, basically-"

"I will, however, provide something far more useful than my limited physical assistance." Azula looked up at Astrid and smiled again, this time (she assumed) reassuringly.

"And that would be?"

"Vision," Azula replied smugly.

Silence.

She's thinking it over, Azula thought to herself. See, this wasn't so hard! She'll see I'm right eventually.

Astrid's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, sucking in air. She looked dumbfounded.

I didn't expect her to think so slowly though.

"So let me get this straight," Astrid said at last, finally finding her voice. "You want me to do all the work, while you just...what, sit there? On the sand?"

Azula stood up and shrugged slightly. "Yes. Some people are just better at certain things, I'm afraid."

That argument would have worked in the Fire Nation. There, she was the daughter of the Firelord, whose name was whispered in terror around the world. There, she was expected to be brilliant; anything less would have been unacceptable. If Azula had proposed this plan there, it likely would have worked.

But here, on Berk, Astrid just shoved her over in a fit of childish frustration.
"Screw that," she said, glowering down at the firebender. "Is this some kind of joke to you? This is our education! This is where we'll be learning the skills we'll use our whole lives!"

Azula propped herself up on her hands, emotions flashing across her face like clouds on a very windy day(which coincidentally, it was.) She was genuinely shocked. But more than that...

"You.." she said in a long, slow voice. As she spoke, she rose to her feet, actual fire blazing in her eyes. "You are going to regret attacking your betters."

Things were going well for Gobber, all things considered. Snotlout had matched up with Fishlegs, and the two were shaping up the framework of their boat. The Thorston twins had ended up with each other(of course) and were beginning work on their own watercraft. Hiccup was by himself, but that was how it always ended up, one way or another. Nothing out of the ordinary.

So all in all, things were going well.

Were.

But now...oh boy, now he was holding back a furious, soot-covered Astrid with one hand(hook), and a squirming, wriggling dragon-girl in the other. Waaayy too much fire in her veins, this one-

"SAVAGE!" Azula hissed, punching a plume of orange fire at Astrid, who threw herself down to avoid it.

-literally, too much fire in her veins. Gobber gulped. That was just just unnatural; it gave him the heebie-jeebies something fierce.

"OUTSIDER!" Astrid yelled, jumping to her feet. Gobber yanked her back before she could get her hands around Azula's neck.

"PEASANT!" from Azula.

"MONSTER!" from Astrid.

"ANIMAL!" Azula again. "YOU'RE LUCKY TO EVEN STAND IN MY PRESENCE, YOU MISERABLE-"

"Alright, enough!" Gobber boomed, his own patience starting to crack. "The only one who is allowed to throw curses at my students is me! And as both of you are definitely not me, you're going to hafta' play nice, or I'll have you cleaning the dragon pens till next winter!"

"But she-" Astrid began.

"I don't care!" Gobber replied. "There's no excuse for acting like hooligans!"

Ruffnut piped in. "Uh, but, we are hooligans though? It's like, the name of the tribe."

Gobber elected to ignore that for now. "There will be be no biting, stabbing, hitting, setting on fire, or otherwise maiming yer' fellow students! Do you both understand?"

Silence.

"Well?"

Finally, with a loud sigh, Azula straightened up and brushed her hair back. "Fine. I admit it, it wasn't becoming of a princess to react so poorly. I couldn't have known you'd respond so strongly to my suggestion, but I should have guessed by your...position."

Astrid bristled. "Your suggestion?"

"I miscalculated," Azula continued. "For that you have my apologies. I won't disrupt class again."

"There, see?" Gobber said, relaxing his grip on Azula's shoulders. "Easy as yak pie!"

"Ugh, fine," Astrid said, shrugging Gobber's arm off of her. "I guess I'm sorry too. Just be glad Gobber stopped me in time."

"For that I will be forever grateful," Azula said with a face full of Suitably Chastised Shame(™). "In fact, Gobber, if you don't mind, I think I'll find a different partner. The Chief's son doesn't look like he's found anyone yet?"

Gobber looked over at Hiccup, who was watching all this intently. In fact...everyone was. They'd gathered a crowd.
"Alright alright! Back to work! Fine, Azula, you go over with Hiccup. I don't want to hear anything like this again."

Azula looked up at him and actually smirked. "Thank you. Astrid, I suppose that doesn't leave anyone for you...such a shame."

Then she sauntered off, leaving Gobber feeling like he'd been played.

"Couldn't stay away, huh?" Hiccup drawled.

Azula looked over at him and smiled. "She told me she didn't want to end up with Gobber. She told me her weakness. But I acted first. Now she has to suffer through the humiliation and shame of having no-one! Perhaps she'll recover from this-perhaps not. Ehehehehehehehehe!"
She broke into a long chuckle, until finally she righted herself. "ANYWAY!"

She looked over at Hiccup, who looked like he had deflated. What was he so down for?

"You should get to work."

Hiccup nodded dumbly, still with that despairing look on his face.

"Oh come on, aren't you happy to have me as a partner, instead of Astrid? She was a terrible person anyway."

In response, Hiccup fell over backwards into the sand, and groaned.

Azula huffed. These people were all a bunch of weirdos.