3: Dragon Training
Hicca was curious. She has always been curious. Even with the flying spectre of death looming over her, - quite literally, she might add - she still ventured out during the raids, either to see the dragons or just to see her father fighting them. As a teen, her curiosity had actually grown rather than diminished.
So what was the problem?
Her curiosity was currently leading her on the path towards a Night Fury. That's the problem. She had given it a day. Hel, not even that! And now, she was once again on the trail of the Night Fury within Raven Point.
Surprisingly, tracking the offspring of lightning and death was rather easy. Either by design or from the damage it had taken during its fall towards the earth, the scales on the creature had come loose, leaving behind a steady trail of small, midnight blue scales. You didn't have to be a tracker to know that midnight blue scales don't belong on green foliage.
Big shocker.
So now, after following the trail of blue scales, she came across something breathtaking. Hidden away, deep within the evergreen forest of Berk, was a beautiful cove. Tall walls of earth and stone acted as natural barriers. The foliage that grew upon said walls allowed the cove to blend in surprisingly well with the surrounding area. She had spent more time within the forests of Berk than she did practically anywhere else, yet this is the first time she'd ever seen this cove.
Two thirds of the cove was covered in soil while the other third featured a small lake. From the small glints of light that she could see from this position, there were undoubtedly fish swimming in it, meaning there was a route in and out of the cove through the lake. Probably an underground tunnel, flooded over from the summer thaw.
Only two trees grew within the cove. One of these trees appeared almost dead, barren of any leaves yet continued to sway in the breeze with a willowy grace that did not belong on a dead tree. The other tree was practically the opposite of the first, its massive trunk and branches bursting with life. Emerald leaves danced in the wind while their branches resisted the wind with steadfast defiance. From what she could see, its roots had somehow formed a natural cave.
A good place to shelter for a night if she ever had to stay in the cove.
RAH!
A shrill screech and a black shadow passing in front of her, temporarily blocking out the light of the sun that illuminated the short, rocky tunnel that led into the cove. Frightened, she fell backwards, away from the thing that had screeched. Not a second later, she was back on her haunches, peering at the black blur that had nearly given her a heart attack.
The Night Fury was nearby, flapping its wings ferociously in an attempt to escape the stone walls that surrounded the cove, only to give up on its endeavor after several wingbeats. It glided back down towards the ground, landing in an ungraceful heap.
Motivated by the sight of the creature within the sunlight, Hicca's hands moved into her vest, withdrawing her journal and a charcoal pencil. Flicking it open to an empty page, her eyes darted from the pages to the dragon in rapid succession. Her hand moved dexterously, slowly drawing the outline of the dragon.
A relatively small, streamlined body tapered off into a long tail, bearing two small fins behind its torso. Its tail ended in what she assumed to be two tiny fins. Its rounded head bore a series of flaps, strange, almost horn-like protrusions that acted almost like ears. Two massive bat-like wings were the primary source of lift, capable of lifting the powerful creature off the ground and propel it at lightning fast speeds across the sky.
She watched as the dragon dragged itself to the water's edge and pushed its head underwater, jerking it side to side. She couldn't tell what it was doing directly, but the shimmering flashes of silver that she saw from beneath the water told her all she needed to know: it was trying to fish.
"Why aren't you just leaving? Why are you staying here?" she whispered quietly to herself
Dragons, as far as she knew, belonged in the sky. They were just like birds. Big, scaley, fire-breathing birds. So what was this Night Fury still doing in this cove?
Was it waiting for nightfall? Even if it was, why didn't it leave last night? Straight off the island, back to wherever it nested?
Hicca continued to watch the creature, searching for the answer to her question. She watched the Night Fury walked over to a particularly sunny patch of grass before curling into itself. For the briefest moment, she caught an unobstructed view of its tail. What she had assumed to be two small fins was actually a single large fin. A single asymmetrical large fin.
Peering down at her drawing, a quick swipe of her thumb removed one of the fins she had drawn, smearing the page as she erased her mistake. A pit of guilt opened up in her stomach.
She had robbed it of its flight.
In the shock of her revelation, she lost her grip upon her pencil, dropping it against the rock she sat on. Instinctively, she reached for the clattering object, only to send it clattering against the rocks and foliage further down below.
"Me and my clumsy fucking hands!"
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up on end, her sixth sense telling her that she was in the presence of a predator. Not just in its presence, but in its crosshairs. Ever so slowly, she looked up, her eyes meeting the toxic green of the Night Fury. In the sunlight, its irises glowed like emeralds.
Before the staring contest could drag on for much longer, Hicca swallowed the lump in her throat and backed away, disappearing from the dragon's field of view. As soon as she was in the shadow of the tunnel, she took off.
That's enough dragon for one day.
x-x-x-x-x
"Hicca!" Norulf yelled, his voice echoing and fading amongst the evergreens of Berk's forest.
"You know, maybe Hicca wanted some time alone," Astrid suggested.
"Probably," Norulf admitted, sighing as he raked his hand through his hair.
"Even his hair has grown back to its original length. How?" Her friend is a weird one. "If she does want to be alone, then you screaming out her name would just send her running away, Norulf. We both know Hicca is surprisingly adept at stealth for someone so clumsy."
Norulf snorted. Ain't that the truth. If she didn't want to be found, then not even he could find her. Hicca knew these forests like the back of her hand. Finding her would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They'll either have to burn it down or run into her through sheer random chance.
Norulf opened his mouth, ready to concede and head back. The rustle of foliage just off to his side stifled any sound he was going to make. Norulf's sword and Astrid's axe were brought to bear, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Thankfully, they kept themselves from lashing out as a leaf-strewn, out-of-breath Hicca dashed out of the undergrowth.
"Hicca!" Norulf exclaimed. He found her! Well, she found him, but - but! - this meant he didn't have to get the twins nor burn down the forest!
A win-win for everybody!
Hicca, coming from a full sprint, couldn't stop herself in time, rammed shoulder-first into the boy and sent them both sprawling across the forest floor. Norulf had barely moved his sword to the side, keeping any sharp points away from the girl as she rammed into him. Astrid lowered her axe, relieved their encounter was only with a wild Hicca and amused by the scene in front of her.
"At least we found her." Norulf nodded in agreement, the wind still knocked out of his lungs.
"Help," he wheezed, raising an arm up for the blonde girl to take.
Astrid rolled her eyes, helping Hicca off the idiot, completely ignoring the raised arm.
"Norulf?! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was running and I tripped and I just kept running and-"
Her hurried words were suddenly muffled as Astrid clamped a hand over her lips.
"Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth." Only when Hicca complied did she remove her hand. "Good. So what sent you running like you had a Nightmare on your heels?"
"Uhh… Nadder! Yea. It took off though, thank goodness."
"It… took off?" Astrid couldn't believe what she was hearing from the girl. "W-What? Why?"
"I-I don't know?! I stumbled across it and I just ran away. The Nadder took off in the other direction. I just didn't wanna take any chances that it might turn around."
Astrid eyed the girl, a bit suspicious but she wasn't going to call her out on it. Dragons, as far as she knew, attacked with single-minded hatred of practically anything that moved until the sun rose, taking away the cloak of night that kept them hidden from bows and arrows. Why would a Nadder run away from Hicca of all people and what was it doing out in broad daylight?
"And you're sure it's gone?" she continued the line of questioning.
"Yea! I mean, at least I'm pretty sure since I haven't heard any wingbeats chasing after me."
Astrid was ready to ask the girl a few more questions, like "What are you doing in the forest?" and "Where was the Nadder when you stumbled across it," but she stopped herself. Norulf had been quiet. Too quiet. Normally, that meant he was about to prank somebody like Loki was on their heels. She looked down at the boy, who has yet to move from the supine position Hicca had forcibly put him in.
"Norulf. What are you doing?" She was equal parts curious and annoyed at the blond. What kind of person just lays out in the middle of the forest?
"I'm cloud watching."
Her eyebrow quirked in amusement. The most hyperactive idiot on the island. Cloud watching.
"There's... something about it. Something I can't put my finger on."
The tone of his voice stopped her vocalizing her amusement. He sounded sad. Lost. Hicca moved from her side, kneeling down beside Norulf with visible concern.
"You're crying."
Astrid couldn't stop her face from reflecting the surge of surprise she felt.
"What?"
She moved herself closer to the blond, her eyes confirming what Hicca had stated. Tears were spilling out from the corners of his eyes, leaving behind moist tracks upon his cheeks. His eyes were still locked onto the thin expanse of sky, easily seen in the clearing, free of the trees that surround them. Norulf's face reflected the tone of the words he had spoken before: lost, confused, and lamenting.
"Norulf? What's wrong?" Hicca quietly whispered, kneeling next to him and resting his head on her thighs.
Astrid moved to sit beside the duo, frowning to herself. She has never seen Norulf so grief-stricken. It was more than just a little concerning.
"I-I don't know." This time, his voice was choked up, like the weight of his tears had finally caught up to his voice. "It's like I lost someone, but I can't remember who it is." His voice turned bitter. "How do you feel loss for someone you can't remember?"
"I don't know."
The two girls shared a look of confusion and sympathy. Norulf was their only friend, both for different reasons, but that didn't change the fact that he was their only friend. For Astrid, he was the only person their age who was decently competent and, dare she say it, fun to be around. He didn't hit on her like Snotlout, he trained with her and actually made her sweat for her narrow victories. For Hicca, he was the person on the entire island who saw past her clumsiness and shortcomings as a viking. He was happy to listen to her ramble on and on about her inventions, even coming with her on her missions to test and experiment. Seeing him, their only friend, like this was disheartening.
At least Hicca could lend her physical presence to ease his emotional turmoil. Astrid, more used to handling a battleaxe than emotions, could do nothing but sit beside the duo, looking at the boy as he cried.
"I'm sorry you girls had to see that." Some time had passed when Norulf had finally spoken up, the clouds having moved on, replaced by the brilliant russet hues of coming dusk. "I don't know what came over me." He apologized as he sat up, pulling away from Hicca's comforting presence.
"It's okay. You don't have to apologize for it."
"That… was weird." Hicca glared at Astrid, a surprising action for the usually timid girl. "What? You know I'm right. Norulf isn't one for emotional breakdowns so why would he just start crying out of nowhere?"
"Let's get home. I'm pretty sure everyone is worried about us." Norulf interrupted any further argument the girls might start. Though both were so different in terms of both skill and affinity, one for the physical and one for the intellectual, both were equally hardheaded. If they started arguing, they wouldn't make it back to the village before nightfall.
Without waiting for either of them to respond, Norulf sheathed his sword and marched back the way he came. Behind him, the two girls shared a look, one that meant their conversation about the events that transpired have only been postponed, not finished. The two hurried after the blond, who kept his eyes trained ahead and unblinking.
"Norulf?" Hicca whispered quietly from his left. "Are you alright?"
"I'm… fine."
Neither girl believed him. From the silence he maintained and the stiff, slightly unnatural gait, they could tell that he wasn't himself. In a moment of bravery, Hicca reached her hand into his, gently grasping it like they used to do as kids, when she would drag him around, showing him all the cool stuff she was trying to make.
Now, as growing teens with hidden emotions, the warmth and weight of Norulf's hands felt otherworldly, and not in a bad way. In many ways, it was still the familiar hand she'd held as a child, but at the same time, there was more to it. At least, that's what Hicca perceived.
She was more concerned with comforting her friend, but she couldn't help the slight blush that graced her cheeks, only hidden by the shifting skies of scarlet. Her blush, her embarrassment, all of it was worth the slight smile that she had garnered from the quiet blond.
"Thanks, Hicca."
She smiled, saying nothing while hurrying to keep pace with her taller friend. Damn him and his longer legs.
"Do I look like chopped liver to you two?"
Norulf snorted in amusement, smiling widely at Astrid, who bore a faux frown.
"Chicken gizzard," Norulf snarked, laughing as she socked him on the shoulder.
"I'm throwing your ass to the Nadder the next chance I get."
"I'll take my chances," Norulf deadpanned. "I think I'll survive the Nadder. I don't think I'll survive yo- ow! My hand! Astrid! I NEED THAT, YA KNOW!"
x-x-x-x-x
"Mom: why do all the girls I know cause me physical harm?"
The question came out of the blue for Rohanna. Actually, she had expected something along those lines to come from her son when he came home nursing a bruised hand, which was already healing from the yellow coloring that had replaced the dark blue pigment from an hour ago. Now, the mother and son duo were seated around their fireplace, enjoying the quiet of the night and each other's company.
"I think the problem is you, not them," Rohanna mused. "You're the one putting yourself in harm's way."
"But how is this," Norulf held up his bruised hand, "my fault?"
"You annoyed Astrid," the mother deadpanned at him, briefly looking up from her stitching. Norulf wasn't the only one who picked up the art of snark from Hicca. "At least she didn't break anything."
"How is that a point of relief for you?"
"As long as they return you to me alive and in one piece, I can handle a bit of damage."
"Mom, I'm the one getting damaged. You're the one who laughs at my pain."
"Like I said," the busybody mother smirked, "I can handle the damage."
"Oh, ha ha. I'll be sure to stay away from any troublesome girls then. It's better for my health and my sanity."
"Riiiight," Rohanna mockingly agreed. There was no way in Helheim Norulf would be able to keep himself away from his friends. It's just not in him to distance himself from them. Especially not the girls, she thought. Her son didn't know it, but she did. She saw the way the girls looked at him. If her son doesn't end up breaking a few hearts in the next few years, she'll eat her damn wolf pelt.
On one hand, the mother in her is tempted to give those girls a stern talking to. On the other, she wanted to sit back and watch the drama. Her son just had to make everything so damn complicated.
"Have you at least gotten to speak with Hicca about what was bothering her?" Rohanna shook her head, amused as Norulf's eyes widened. "I'll take that as a 'no.'"
"I didn't get the chance to. And Astrid was there so I didn't want her to feel pressured or awkward with Astrid around if it was something private."
"Hmm. There may be hope for you yet."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Norulf balked.
She was tempted - oh, so tempted! - to tell him about all the cues he's been missing from his childhood friend. But, alas, she couldn't just point it out to him or he'll never learn.
"Oh, nothing," the mother sang, smiling to herself. "You'll figure it out when you're older."
"I can face dragons with your blessing, but asking for straight answers is a little too much? Mom." Norulf deadpanned at his mother.
"Dragons, I know you can handle. Females, I know you can't. So I'm using this as a learning experience for you."
"Huh?"
"My point, exactly."
x-x-x-x-x
Knock knock knock!
Hicca burrowed her face deeper within her pillow, trying to hide away from the annoying knocking that came from her front door.
"Hicca! Get up or we'll be late for dragon training!" At the voice of her best friend, she jolted out of bed. "You don't want Gobber to come and wake you up, do you?"
"No! I'm up! I'm up!"
There was not a snowball's chance in Muspelheim she would ever let Gobber wake her up again. When she was little - well, littler - she had slept in after a long day at the forge. Gobber decided to wake her up. By hooking her shirt and dangling her outside the window.
What is wrong with people in this village?!
"I'm up, I'm here!" Hicca slammed her door open, smiling up at her friend. "No need for Gobber."
"Good! We-" Norulf paused, looking down at his friend in confusion. "Where's your weapon?"
"My… weapon?"
"Yes, little Haddock, your weapon. How are you gonna beat the dragon otherwise? With your snark?"
"Hm! I will have you know that my snark is the deadliest weapon in my arsenal!" Hicca crossed her arms and gave Norulf her superior smirk.
"Riiight. I'm sure it will be very effective against dragon hide." Norulf grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the doorway, closing it behind the stumbling girl. "Come on. Let's go grab a sword before Gobber comes a lookin'."
Norulf couldn't see it, but Hicca was smiling to herself as she looked at their joined hands. It was just like yesterday when she'd slipped her hand into his. At least today, Norulf is acting more like himself. The memories of yesterday's strange occurrence left a frown on her face. She still couldn't understand what could have caused such an episode. Was it the act of cloud watching? What does cloud watching have to do with loss? How could he miss someone he didn't remember?
"Hicca. Midgard to Hicca. Are you there?"
"Yea! Yea." Hicca responded without thinking, banishing her thoughts away with a series of blinks. "What's up?"
Norulf didn't answer, only quirking an eyebrow at her and holding a spare sword up, occupying more of her field of view.
"A gladius," she thought. A rare weapon to be seen among Vikings. This specific gladius was taken as a convenient weapon by Norulf's mother when the woman had traveled across Europe, taking in the sights and adapting herself to various cultures. When she reached for the weapon with her right hand, Norulf pulled it away.
"Other hand."
"But-"
"No 'buts.' You're left-handed, Hicca. I know you don't want to appear out of place, but if you don't take this seriously, you'll get yourself hurt or worse!" Sighing dejectedly, the young brunette released Norulf's hand and grasped the gladius instead. "See? Doesn't it feel much more natural than using it with your right?"
"I guess," she muttered, looking down at the gladius in her hand.
"Hey," Norulf smiled, lifting up her chin. Sparkling blue met with shimmering green. "Being left-handed isn't something you have to be afraid of."
"I'm not afraid of being left-handed," she scowled.
"But you are afraid of how people will judge you for it."
His words left a bitter taste in the back of her mouth, her eyes looking away from those empathetic sapphires. He was right and she knew it. She may appear thick skinned to people, but that was just an act. In a society of Vikings, showing hurt in any form was frowned down upon. So, she put on her mask of nonchalance and accepted any remarks or criticism with biting sarcasm and witty comebacks.
That doesn't mean she isn't hurt by them.
Her head drooped as Norulf removed his hand from her chin. His left took her right hand, beginning their long trek towards the cliffs, where the dragon training ring is located. Built out of solid stone and iron, the structure is a marvel of engineering considering its precarious position, located upon a sheer cliff face atop a series of tunnels, dug into the earth as an emergency escape route for the villagers in case of an attack.
As a child, she would often drag Norulf along with her to watch the recruits as they trained. Well, Norulf came to watch the training and improve on what he could see. She came to look at all the architectural wonder. The hanging steel chains, the massive beams of wood and iron used to support the structure from underneath.
She couldn't recall being so giddy about anything else before in her life!
Now, it was the other way around: Norulf was the one dragging her along. And they were going to fight dragons! Both of them! The thought was as exciting as it was horrifying, her legs trembling in her anxiety. The constant motion of her legs, both forwards and ajitter with her emotions, caused the gladius and its sheath to noisily clatter against her outer thigh. Suddenly, their forward motion ceased as Norulf whirled around and grasped her shoulders.
"Calm down, Hicca." His voice was soft, understanding. "Breathe. In and out. In and out." He took these same calming breaths with her, smiling as the shaking calmed. "There. That's it." Norulf pulled her closer, hugging her and helping the tension ease out of her body. Her arms wrapped around Norulf's waist, given him a gentle squeeze to show her appreciation.
"Thanks," she muttered, her nose buried into his tunic.
"Anything for a friend!"
Though her vision was obscured by Norulf's shirt, she could tell he was smiling that wide, stupid grin. Her heart lurched at his declaration. Stupid idiot. He just had to go and ruin the moment. She pulled away just as suddenly as the hug had begun, taking the lead and walking forward with a face like thunder.
"Hicca? Hicca! Wait up!"
Norulf's longer legs caught up to Hicca with ease. He didn't understand. What happened? One second, they were hugging and then the next, she was angry with him! What the Hel?!
"Stupid boys and their stupid dense fucking… UGH!" Hicca angrily muttered to herself as she padded along the stone path leading into the ring.
As dense as Norulf was, he could still tell that she was angry at him, but, for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. His confusion remained even as they passed the threshold of the arena, stepping from the mottled wood onto sloping stone.
"I hope I get some serious burns!"
"I'm hoping for some mauling. Shoulder. Lower back."
"Yea. It's only fun if you get a scar out of it."
His friends are freaky. The twins, he could understand. Astrid? Now that was a surprise.
"Now tha' everyone's 'ere, let's get started!" Gobber proclaimed from the door crank. "The recruit who does best will get the honor of killing his first dragon in front o' the entire village!" The dramatic man gestured with his hand, smiling as if imagining the arena's empty walkways filled with the applause of raucous vikings.
"Oh yea! That honor is so gonna be mine!" Snotlout grinned, smirking proudly. "You're not winning this time, Norulf!"
The twins high-fived him, as is their customary greeting while he quietly fist-bumped the husky Fishlegs. As they went about their conversations, Norulf tuned them out, his eyes locked onto Astrid's, gleaming in anticipation. She felt the same way apparently, as she smirked and angled her head towards him. Oh, it is on!
"Ow!" Well, it will be on after he heals from the bruise Hicca just left on his right obliques. "Hicca! You cause me more damage than the dragons."
"Hm!" The girl huffed and crossed her arms, ignoring him and listening to Gobber yammer on and on about the cages and which dragon they each held.
"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight!" The iron door behind Gobber rattled ominously as something massive crashed against the inside. "The Deadly Nadder."
"Speed eight, armor sixteen," Fishlegs muttered beside him.
"The Hideous Zipple." Even more ominous rattling followed by a strangled hissing sound.
"Plus eleven stealth times two." Fishlegs got louder as he spoke, a strange gleam of enthusiasm present in his eyes.
"The Monstrous Nightmare." The iron door rattled with a ferocious roar
"Firepower fifteen."
"The Terrible Terror"
"Attack eight, venom twelve!"
"Will you stop that?" Apparently, Gobber found it annoying. Norulf, alongside the twins, cackled loudly as Fishlegs blushed and seemingly shrank into himself.
"Annnd… the Gronkle." Gobber forebodingly placed his hand on the lever that led to the cage holding back the Gronkle.
"Jaw strength eight," Fishlegs whispered conspiratorially to Norulf, who snickered and placed a hand on the taller boy's shoulders, patting it amicably.
"Whoa whoa! Wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first?" Everyone could hear the panic in Snotlout's voice. Hicca and Norulf weren't really surprised by the man's lack of instructions. In Gobber's own words…
"I believe in learning on the job."
Without any warning, the burly man pressed down on the lever, the mechanisms behind it pulling up the heavy wooden log used to hold the iron doors shut. Not a second later, a rotund, segmented dragon burst through the iron doors, slamming them against the stone walls and nearly flattening Gobber. Its wings were an imperceptible brown blur as they beat rapidly to keep the massive creature in the air. Its large head, body and tail were covered in a series of black bumps, likely made of either bone or from the metals that they have ingested. Its head bore a series of large fangs, each inches in length and strong enough to crush a man as they sliced him in two.
And it was headed right for them.
"Scatter!"
Norulf's warning call was unnecessary as the teens all scrambled to get away. Fishlegs ran off with the other teens, shockingly spry for someone of his size, while Norulf and Hicca darted off to the right. The dragon barreled past them, slamming against the far wall of the arena and collapsing onto the floor. It didn't stay down, however, as it scooped up several stones on the arena floor, before taking flight once more.
"Who left those stones out for it?!"
All the while, Gobber's voice calmly spoke to the teens.
"Today, is about survival. If you get blasted, yer dead." Gobber started the first part of the lesson just as the dragon swallowed the stones. "Quick, what's the first thing yer going to need?"
"A doctor?!" Hicca yelled, her gladius held in both hands as if it were a dagger. He really had to teach her how to use the thing. Oh well.
"Plus five speed?!" a nearly hyperventilating Fishlegs called out, shaking as his eyes stayed locked on the hovering dragon.
"A better teacher?" Norulf snarked, keeping close to Hicca, his long sword drawn, its tip pointed towards the ground.
"A shield," Astrid diligently responded, rolling her eyes at her peers' responses. Bouncing on the balls of her feet and with her axe in hand, she was rearing for a fight.
"Shields, go!"
Every teen in the arena scrambled for the shields that lay scattered around the arena. Some went for the ones leaning against the walls while others settled for the ones sprawled around the arena floor.
"Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield!" Gobber kept his eye on Hicca as he spoke, nodding to himself in satisfaction as Norulf helped her bear her shield before arming himself.
Across the way, the twins were busy fighting over a shield between the two of them while the Gronkle was distracted by a screaming Fishlegs. The flaming skull motif was really to their liking. Unfortunately, both of them liked it.
"Get your hands off my shield!" Tuffnut argued, doing his best to pull the shield out of her grasp.
"There's like a million shields!" Ruffnut fought back.
"Take that one," Tuffnut gestured with his head to the shield next to them. "It has a flower on it. Girls like flowers." That was the wrong thing to say as Ruffnut yanked the shield out of his hands and smashed it directly against his helmet. "AGH!"
"Oops. Now this one has blood on it," the older twin snarked. "I'll take it off your hands though."
Before she could take it, Tuffnut grabbed onto the edge of the shield, restarting their tug of war. Both were too hard headed to back down, so there was really only one way for this argument to end. With a pinpoint shot from the Gronkle, the shield was violently jerked out of their hands, slamming against the ground in a fiery plume of wood chunks and metal bolts. The twins were left sprawled on the ground, dazed from the concussive boom of the impact.
"Tuffnut, Ruffnut. Yer out."
"What?" the dazed twins uttered, finally realizing what had hit them. Gobber ignored them though.
"Those shields are good for another thing," he yelled. "Noise! Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim!"
When the dragon turned itself away from the twins and set its sights on the remaining teens, they began hammering their weapons against the face of their shields. The heavy thuds of the hammer, mace and axe combined with the clear ringing of Norulf and Hicca's blades created that cacophony of noise that even set the minute hairs on the teen's arms on end and grated on their eardrums. They couldn't imagine how horrible it must sound for the dragon.
"All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronkle have?"
The cacophony of sound was put to an end as the Gronkle's flight became more unstable, its club like tail swinging around haphazardly as it tried to right itself.
"Five?" Snotlout guessed, ducking as the clubbed tail came dangerously close to his helmet.
"No, six!" Fishlegs happily corrected, standing still and waving towards Gobber, waving and smiling happily as he gave the answer. Unfortunately, it also provided the Gronkle with a perfect target.
"Right! That's exactly one for each of you!"
The dragon took only a moment to aim before forcing out a ball of molten slag, taking Fishlegs' shield clean off of his arm. Thankfully, he'll only have a few minor burns and bruises from the heat and force of the shield being yanked off his arm.
"Fishlegs, out."
For some reason, the guy decided to nod at Gobber a split second before throwing his hands up and running away screaming, dropping his hammer in the process. Norulf had to visibly shake his head at the gentle giant.
"Come on, Hicca. We need to get in there!"
"No!" The brunette hissed. "The objective is survival. It can't shoot at you if it's looking at something else. Or someone else."
Hicca suddenly yelped and ducked as a ball of molten rock whizzed by her head, slamming against the arena wall and showering the two of them with red, glowing debris. Norulf merely raised his shield over his head, blocking the majority of the shrapnel from peppering them. Hicca, who had ducked herself behind her shield, keeping it facing towards the Gronkle, blushed as she made note of the noise she made.
"Cute. Now, come on! We can't just leave Astrid and Snotlout alone with that thing!"
Hicca's blush deepened at his comment, suddenly feeling the urge to find the nearest hole in the ground and dive into it, using the shield as a hatch to shut out the rest of the world.
"W-Well, we could…" Annnd he's gone. He was here, but now he's gone. "Damn it, Norulf! Don't just leave me!"
She chased after the boy, running a bit awkwardly with her shield and gladius in hand. She followed Norulf's lead, waiting until the dragon reared its head back for a shot before hitting the pommel of her gladius against the rim of her shield. The sound sent the dragon reeling, throwing off its aim from the athletic blond girl and towards the stout raven haired boy. Its shot threw Snotlout's shield clear off of his arm and sent him spiralling against the ground.
Eh. And nothing of value was lost.
"Snotlout, yer out."
"Oops?" offered Hicca and Norulf simultaneously. One was far more apologetic than the other.
Coming out of a somersault beside them, Astrid huffed as she caught her breath. At least they kept the Gronkle from hitting her. Snotlout will live. Unfortunately.
"Any plans?" Norulf questioned the two, scattering alongside Hicca as the Gronkle set its sights on them.
"Play 'Chicken?!'" Hicca squeaked beside him as the Gronkle barreled right into the wall they passed by.
The two stopped running, turning around and keeping the Gronkle in their sights while taking in their surroundings. Okay, so Norulf was taking in his surroundings. Hicca was trying to catch her breath.
"Hicca… you're a genius!"
"I am?" she wheezed.
"Yup. We're gonna play 'Chicken.'" He turned to her, smiling with a plan in mind. "I'll keep it occupied. When it charges me, make as much noise as you can. Go tell Astrid the same thing."
"Wait, what?!" She didn't get the chance to question him further as he was already gone, sheathing his sword and picking up Fishlegs' hammer.
"Hey! Big, short and ugly! Yea, I'm talkin' to you!" Norulf taunted the hovering dragon, emphasizing his taunt with a couple of smacks of the stone hammer against his shield. "Dinner's ready you big fucking lug!"
He slowly backed up as the dragon rose, hovering and glaring at him, though it couldn't tell if it was because of the noise he made or because of his taunts. It didn't really matter in the end. He kept himself between the dragon and the opened cage, smirking as he saw the girls get into position on either side of the dragon, just out of its vision range.
As expected, the dragon's first response was to charge up a shot, its jaws going slack as an ominous orange glow lit ups its open maw. Norulf took aim and threw the hammer, smacking the Gronkle directly on its nose, causing it to flinch. The charged shot landed just in front of Norulf, peppering his boots in hot coal and pebbles.
"Well, that was a bit too close," he muttered. "Oi! Your aim sucks! Why don't you try ramming me, you stupid dragon?!"
With a shake and a stuttering hover, the Gronkle shook itself out of the daze the hammer had left it in. A loud, rumbling growl filled the air alongside the dull hum of the dragon's wings. It acquiesced to Norulf's taunts, charging forwards with all the speed it could muster. The sound of ringing metal and thumping wooding added their melody to the din, echoing off of the stone walls and floor with devastating effect. The dragon's flight veered to the left while Norulf dove to the left, out and away from the out of control dragon. A loud, hollow thump echoed from the darkness of the cage as it collided against the far wall.
Gobber slammed the doors closed and rushed to the lever, yanking it down with visible glee. The sound of turning gears were accompanied by several annoyed roars from the dragon within. The wooden beam settled back into place just as the irate dragon slammed against the door.
"Good job, you three!" Gobber congratulated. "Good teamwork. Decent plan. But remember, Norulf: a dragon will always - always! - go for the kill. So the next time you try somethin' like tha'. Be. Careful."
"Gotcha," Norulf smirked.
"Norulf!" Hicca hurried up to him, ditching both her gladius and shield for any modicum of extra speed. "Are you okay? I- What were you thinking?!" She ran her hands along his chest and hands, checking for any injuries.
"Hicca."
"What a stupid fucking plan! Why did I even say anything?!"
"Hicca!" Norulf had finally had enough of the panicking girl, seizing her hands and smiling at her. "I'm okay. Really."
Hicca took a few breaths to calm herself, still worried for her friend, but the danger has passed. With the sound of her heartbeat finally calming down, she could hear something else she hadn't noticed before.
Applause.
Hicca looked up, shocked to see a large group of villagers, including her father, gathered up along the outside of the arena, clapping wholeheartedly at the display they had witnessed. On mindless feet with stunned silence, Hicca followed behind Norulf, exiting the arena and standing before her father alongside Astrid.
"Well done, you three! Very impressive." Stoick declared. His shining green eyes turned softer, his smile a little more kind. At least, that's what everyone thought he was doing, since his beard hid the majority of his lower face. "Good job out there, Hicca."
"I-I didn't do anything, dad." Put on the spotlight, the Hooligan's black sheep didn't know what to do, awkwardly shuffling on the spot and smiling at her father.
"What?! You gotta give yourself more credit, Hicca. You're the one who came up with the plan for the Gronkle!"
"Hot boy fucking said WHAT?!"
