45. Lets fight
"Okay," Storm called, bringing the gang's attention to her. "You have had three days without training, now we get back to it – " She brought down an ornamental shield, adored with the symbol of a Skrill, down to rest on her prosthetic.
"Those three days we put aside were meaningless," Hiccup continued next to her, he pulled out inferno and turned it on. "The vikings have been avoiding the dragons, our help wasn't really needed. In this time, Eret managed to work with Gobber and recreate weapons used by dragon trappers, that is our focus from now on – "
"We don't exactly know when the next strike will come, we just know it will." Storm pulled out a dagger from her boot, twirling it in her hands. "Your training will now consist of battle tactics, we'll work on your response time. You'll also learn about your dragons' weaknesses, so you can be aware about what dangers you could face."
"This –" Hiccup gestured to his sword and Storm's shield and dagger, " – even if these are simple weapons, they can help. The shield and dagger can help in the air, my sword – on land."
"We'll be training on land and in air?" Snotlout asked.
"Yes, we have no idea how the battle will go, we need to be ready," Hiccup answered with a small nod.
"If we're going against you we'll win easily," Snotlout boasted jokingly.
"Oh?" Hiccup chuckled and raised an eyebrow, "You'll be going against Storm too."
As Hiccup finished talking, Storm threw her dagger. The dagger flew by Snotlout's head, imbedding itself into the wall behind him. Snotlout gulped and fearfully glanced at Storm.
"Noted," he shortly answered, the other couldn't help but chuckle.
Hiccup put out his sword, placing it back on his leg, he began pacing in front of the gang, Storm followed suit. He still had the gang's attention so he went on with lecturing.
"First, we start with dragons," He started, "Like Toothless, he has less advantage in the light, his dark scales attract too much attention. And he is sometimes way too defensive."
"Shadow on the other hand," Storm continued, "He can make his own cover at any time, his storm clouds are perfect for that. But… This is actually not something that many known about Skrills: after they fire their lightning, they become disoriented for a few seconds. While that doesn't mean a lot for you, for me it means that only I stand in the way of the two of us and getting hurt in those few seconds."
"Wait, are you sure?" Fishlegs questioned.
"Yes I am," Storm nodded, Fishlegs pulled out his notebook and started writing the information down, "I have been with Shadow a long time, I know him."
"Okay, now Nadders –" Hiccup pointed at Stormfly, "- leave their belly exposed after shooting their spines."
"Trappers know this, and will try to get the Nadders right after that," Eret added with a small nod.
"Nightmares – " Storm started, only to be interrupted by Snotlout.
" – Are invincible!" he shouted. Storm sighed in annoyance and pulled out another dagger from her person, Snotlout gulped and shut up.
"Nightmares –" She started again, twirling the dagger in her hands, " – aren't good at turns. In a straight line they are fast, but the turns slow them down and can even make them crash."
"They can also lose their flame," Fishlegs pipped up.
"That mostly happens from old age or complete exhaustion," Hiccup quickly added, seeing the panicked look on Snotlout's face.
"What about Zipplebacks?" Ruff asked, actually exited to learn something.
"Well, Zipplebacks are not the fastest dragons," Hiccup answered, "And too much loud noise can overwhelm them, during a battle that's a huge risk."
"Also, if the heads don't get along, it can be detrimental to their, and your, survival," Storm mentioned with a small smile.
"And the obvious dousing with water," Eret commented earning agreeing nods from the pair, "But that applies to every fire-breathing dragon."
"Gronckles are the slowest," Hiccup stated, "They can also get allergies, which flair up at spring."
"Overeating is also a problem," Storm said directly to Fishlegs, who hadn't really looked up from his notebook. "It can make them overheat and also cause stomach problems. So keep an eye on Meatlug for a while."
Fishlegs gave a quick nod and continued writing. Storm came to a stop in front of Eret.
"What do can you tell me about Rumblehorns?" She questioned him.
"They are excellent trackers," Eret cautiously started. "Have high endurance and strength, the only way we used to get them was if they were injured, exhausted or outsmarted. " He gave a small shrug, not knowing what else to say.
"You're saying they have no weaknesses?" Astrid questioned.
"Dragonberries," Storm simply stated.
"Dragonberries?" Eret asked confused.
"Dragonberries are the only thing Rumblehorns can't smell," Hiccup clarified, "Slather yourself up with them and they won't be able to find you."
"Otherwise their big stature can also be cumbersome," Storm pointed out.
"Of course, you'll learn your dragon's individual weaknesses will become known as you work with them," Hiccup concluded. "Now, fighting as a whole. Your weapon matters."
"We know that," Astrid said. "An unreliable weapon can be your end."
"Exactly, that's why you'll need to get up to date with your repairs of your weapons. Now defiance is also important, meaning – " Hiccup pointed at Storm shield that was leaned against the wall, "- shields are very important."
"A reliable shield," Storm reiterated, she went over to her shield and lifted it up, showing it to the gang again, "This is made from Gronckle iron, infused with both Skrill and Night Fury scales. That means it is basically indestructible."
"Now of course, there isn't enough time to make you all this type of shield," Hiccup continued lecturing, now confidently standing in front of the gang. "I had one similar to this, but I lost it."
"You lost a shield?" Astrid asked bewildered.
"I lost a shield," Hiccup concluded with a small laugh. "That was not the point. The point is, using a shield and a weapon against humans is a needed skill."
"And using a shield as a weapon is vital," Storm added, she handed the shield to Fishlegs who was staring at it with exited eyes. "The one that Chief had had weapons build into it, this one doesn't."
"I hope you brought your weapons today, because we're starting the training now," Hiccup finished with a smile.
The gang hadn't. They have become accustomed to leaving their weapons behind. It didn't take long for them to retrieve their weapons, Astrid came back with her axe, Fishlegs with a war hammer, the twins came back with their spears, and Eret and Snotlout didn't have a favorite weapon, but they chose swords for the time being.
Hiccup was the most efficient with his sword, so he kept to that. Storm preferred the bow, but she had skill in using her shield in any way she could and could use a sword if she needed to. They didn't waste time, getting right into it.
"You know how to fight," Storm started, her shield on already on her arm, "But let me repeat some things: muscle memory is important. Doing the same things over and over again can help you later. Muscle memory can save your life, but – "
" – But thinking about your next move is important, when you have the upper hand, plan." Eret finished for her, a contemplating look in his eyes.
"Exactly," Storm agreed ignoring the look Eret sent her. "Okay, we'll start."
She gestured for Hiccup to stand in front of her, they both took defensive stances. They started circling each other, Hiccup had inferno extended but not lit, he was ready to bounce, and Storm had held her shield in front of her. They kept circling each other, neither making the first move.
"If you can," Hiccup spoke to the gang not taking his eyes off of Storm, "Wait for your opponent to make the first move, if you do that, they are more likely to make a mistake." He gave Storm an expectant look.
"Not going to happen Chief," she rebutted with a smile, "I started last time."
"That's fair," Hiccup shrugged and charges at her.
She didn't let him take the upper hand, dodging his attack easily. They circled each other once again, only this time Storm took small steps towards Hiccup, caging him in towards the wall. Hiccup charged again, trying to get away from the wall, this time she didn't dodge his attack, she met it head on, blocking his attack.
Storm continue trying cage him in, she was mostly on the defense, not striking yet. They stopped circling, it was mostly Storm pushing him back, until he charged once again. After defending against his attack, Storm charged at him, and the real fight began.
Storm started striking with her shield, trying to disarm Hiccup who had rolled away from the wall, bringing the fight back to the middle of the ring. They pushed and pulled, neither gaining the upper hand. They were matched, their years of sparring making them equal.
They knew each other's moves, like when Storm leaned to the right, Hiccup knew she would go to the left, she liked deceiving her opponents. And when Hiccup lowered his stance, Storm knew he was about to roll out of her sight, but she never let that happen, keeping him in her sight.
The fight went on for a while, neither wanting to be too haste and end up losing. Finally, Storm braised herself and rather than deflecting another of his attacks, she pushed her whole weight into it and brought Hiccup down, inferno flying out of his hands.
He raised his hand in surrender as soon as he hit the ground, ending their fight. Storm relaxed her stance and helped him up, he picked up inferno and strapped it on his leg.
"Okay," he clapped his hands a mischievous smile on his face, the gang snapped back to attention as they were pleasantly surprised by the fight that had went on. "Who's next?"
The gang clamored to be picked, thinking it would be easy to win against either one of them. What they didn't know was that neither of the pair had actually tried, having fought against each other hundreds of times, fighting each other had lost the appeal. Other people where a whole other deal.
