13. Introductions

Hiccup had just finished questioning the gang about Gronckles when a screaming Eret was dropped at the academy's entrance. Hiccup snorted, it looked like Eret had chosen not to ride on Shadow. He was also happy for the distraction, Storm had kept her word and came back within an hour and was now dropping of Shadow and Toothless back at the camp. While Storm's trip back was filled with her and Shadow laughing at a screaming and scared Eret, Hiccup's was spent trying to get Fishlegs to shut up.

Indeed, little had changed in the five years of his absence. Except now instead of information he read in a book, Fishlegs was spouting off his own hypothesis about anything related to the questions Hiccup gave the group about Gronckles. In hindsight Hiccup should've started with a different breed.

Storm was back at the arena before the people there even reacted to a man falling out of the sky. She marched into the arena, pulling Eret to his feet and taking him inside with her. She pushed him in the direction of the gang and went to stand near Hiccup.

"I've got another volunteer for us Chief!" She said with fake cheerfulness. Hiccup knew full well that Eret did not agree or even mention learning how to befriend dragons, he also knew that Eret would be too scared to try to argue about this.

"Great! He doesn't have a lot of catching up to do because we only just got done talking about the Gronckle and only the Gronckle." He said, putting emphasis on every word. Storm raised her eyebrows and leaned to Hiccup whispering.

"Were they completely uninformed or…?"

"Fishlegs decided that this was the best moment to present his theories." He whispered back. The other people in and around the academy could not heard them so they only saw the 'demons' leaning towards each other and staring at them.

"Okay!" Storm yelled startling the gang and Eret. "I just remembered something. I don't know any of your names, so why don't you introduce yourselves? I'll point to you and you say your name and one of your strengths." She clasped her hands together index fingers pointed out. She started with Astrid.

"Uhm… My name's Astrid and I am… a good fighter?" Astrid said, a confused look on her face. Storm nodded and Astrid relaxed. Next Storm pointed to Ruffnut as she was standing next to Astrid.

"Her name's Ruffnut and she has no – " Tufffnut started answering for her. Storm frowned and once again regretted having her helmet on because these idiots couldn't see the glares they were getting.

"No. I asked her, not you. Shut up and wait your turn." She harshly interrupted him. Ruffnut felt strange, she was never addressed apart from her twin, it felt good. Still that was her twin and she was the only one who could order him around, well except Berk's chief, but these where foreigners. Ruffnut felt angry and she wanted the woman in front of her to know that.

"Hey! You can't talk to my bro – "

"Name and strength. Now." Storm interrupted her. Hiccup raised his eyebrows, it seemed that Storm was in a mood, he wondered what happened while she was getting Eret to get her into her 'do as I say no questions asked' mood. Hopefully the gang would be smart enough to do as she said.

"Ruffnut, my name's Ruffnut and I know the basics of healing," she said understanding that Storm was not messing around. The female 'demon' hadn't shouted or try to intimidate them, yet her voice had been strict and scary in Rufnut's opinion. Storm nodded and pointed to Fishlegs, who gulped.

"I'm Fishlegs and I know everything – well not everything – I did read and memorized every book we have on dragons. We have only four but still," he finished with an excitement filled voice.

"That's awesome, but why don't we stick to fact today while answering. I'm happy that you have theories, but today is about us getting to know your knowledge, you'll have plenty of time on other days to tell us your theories. Okay Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked, not wanting to spend hours at the arena. Fishlegs' smile dropped a little, but he was a man of knowledge and he could understand the importance of knowing what you were working with, so he nodded. Next Storm moved on to Eret.

"Eret. I know how to take down almost every dragon." He said, voice full of apprehension. He was still mad and a bit scared after almost half an hour of being in Shadow's claws. Storm smiled, she knew he was going to be testy for a while after taking that trip, but he did say that he wasn't getting on Shadow no matter what. The only ones who hadn't had their turn were Tuffnut and Snotlout, she pointed at Tuffnut first, as she knew he was the less likely one to try to show off, Hiccup's stories and the little time she observed the group provided a lot of insight.

"The name's Tuffnut and I am pretty good at annoying people," he said with a smile on his face. The woman in front of him crossed her arms and he had a feeling he was being glared at. Storm turned to Hiccup who also had his arms crossed, she nodded at him. He nodded back, rolling his eyes.

"We'll take it," Hiccup said, fighting the annoyance that wanted to be felt. His eyes widened in disbelieve, Tuffnut was good at annoying people it seemed. Storm shook her head and stood in front of Snotlout, she waved her hand gesturing for him to speak.

"I am Snotlout, I am the best and most known viking on Berk !" He boasted, pushing out his chest, trying to look confident. But Storm wasn't looking at him, she was observing the others' reaction to his 'statement'. Astrid had her head in her arms crossed an annoyed look on her face, Fishlegs had an exasperated look on his, she saw the twins roll their eyes. Eret was leaning around Tuffnut, eyes wide with disbelieve and she barely heard Hiccup's defeated mumble of 'Dear Thor'.

"Is that so?" She asked, catching movement out of the corner of her eye. Stoick was back at the platform, some villager probably called him here as soon as she came back. She smiled under her helmet, a plan to take Snotlout down a few pegs forming in her mind. She swiftly turned on her peg-leg and confidently marched so she was beneath Stoick in the arena. Hiccup joined her, figuring out what she had planned.

"Stoick! As you see I got your informant back alive and he decided to volunteer with your dragon scouts! Isn't that amazing?" She said with fake cheerfulness evident in her voice. Berk's chief nodded, confused on why the girl was talking so pleasantly with him when before she was calling him an idiot.

"Anyway!" Continued the boy next to her in the same tone. "We have a question for you! Who is the best viking from the younger generations?"

"Ah-well I would think-" Stoick stuttered, perplexed by the question that seemed to come out of nowhere. He gathered himself and continued with confidence. "Astrid, I would say that Astrid was the best viking out of the younger generation."

"Great!" Said Storm, then turned back towards the gang and Eret. The gang, minus Snotlout whose pride was bruised, were snickering among themselves and Eret just looked confused. The pair of dragon riders took their place in front of them again, the pair shared a look. Stoick's words bruised Snotlout pride sure, but they wanted to bruise it a bit more.

"Eret!" the man straightened giving all his attention to the man who called for him. "You've been around in the world, tell me, when you heard of Berk's people, whose name do you remember?"

"The only notable name that is heard out there was the chief's, Stoick the Vast," he answered, keeping his voice calm. Eret knew that if the male part of the pair was as half as dangerous as the female, he could be in trouble if he angered him.

"See Snotlout? You are neither well know or the best viking. So stop lying, we hate liars." Hiccup's voice was hard as he said that, losing all of the fake cheer that was previously there. Snotlout was about to retaliate, probably to try to defend his bruised pride, but once again Storm's raised hand silenced him.

"Listen Shitlout, you've got your name right, but not your strength. But thanks to that, now we know your biggest weakness, your Thor-damned pride and ego. Introductions over." Hiccup looked at Storm.

He remembered a time when she would have had buckled while speaking with a man like Snotlout, he was full of pride seeing her now. She had come a long way from when she was fifteen, both of them had. They were not vikings, but they were not to messed with and Storm's actions proved that. Taking Snotlout down a notch was nothing overly impressive, but even that small task showed that what they lacked in size, they made up in brains. Hiccup felt very lucky to have a sister like Storm.

After Storm's words no one knew what to say. Hiccup noticed Astrid slowly raising her hand.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What should we call you?" she questioned. The pair shared a look, similar smirks emerging behind their helmets. They answered together, voices melding into one, which creeped the others out.

"Whatever you like."