Bloom gets back into the house after a particularly long walk through the forest - all day, actually, but it's not like anyone but Gobber would care if she never came back - only for Stoick to tell her she's in Warrior Training starting when they leave to find the Nest. And he isn't listening yet again, refusing to take no for an answer - all he does is tell her to stop 'all of this' while gesturing to her whole body.
Which hurts, it hurts a lot, especially since 'all of this' doesn't cause mass property damage like the Twins, or blusters and swaggers around like the most important person on the entire island. Sure, she can set things on fire just by looking at them…but none of them know that!
Bloom crosses her arms, and says "You just gestured to all of me." Stoick doesn't react at all, just hands her a weapon. Knowing Gobber's particular style of teaching, Bloom dresses so she can move for the first lesson.
Bloom walks into the arena behind everyone else, keeping her mouth shut even when Gobber answers Snotlout's question - saying he believes in learning by experience. She sprints over to the shields first as the lever gets pulled and the Gronckle gets let loose on them, snatching one up and ducking behind some wood stacked against the wall - this lesson is supposed to be about survival, and the best way to survive is to not make yourself a target.
Gobber's yelling out instructions, and Bloom doesn't pay attention to most of it - mostly calling out names and saying they're out - until she hears "Bloom, get back in there!"
"Thought we were supposed to be surviving, Gobber!" Even so, she hefts up her shield and heads out…only to slam right into Asher, his axe getting embedded into her shield and him landing on top of her completely.
It ends up with him lying on top of her, her shield between them with the tip of his axe poking out the other side - were they not in mortal peril of a Gronckle about to blast them, Bloom would probably blush. As it is, there's a Gronckle about to blast them.
Asher gives up on getting his axe out of Bloom's shield, and just smashes the Gronckle with the both of them in the head - it stuns the Gronckle, destroying Bloom's shield in the process, and Gobber drags the dazed dragon back to its cell.
As soon as the door is barred with the huge log once more, even as Bloom is getting to her feet and trying not to blush ferociously at what happened, Asher verbally explodes "What is wrong with you, Bloom? Is this some kind of joke to you? Our parents' war is about to become our own - figure out which side you're on!"
He then realizes he was lying on top of her, and her arms are crossed over her torso - oops. Big oops. Gigantic oops. Tell me I didn't… Stoick might well kill him if he ever learns of this particular incident…
Gobber opens his mouth to say something, even as Bloom's getting to her feet - without using her hands, somehow - but she quietly says "Fine." She whirls around and heads out, speeding up her pace until she's sprinting towards the woods as fast as she can move.
It's only when she's deep into the woods that she finally breaks down, letting her tears free where nobody's around to make fun of them - Asher Hofferson is, without a doubt, the village's biggest ass. And she'd previously thought Snotlout had taken that title. He cartwheels right into her, landing on top of her, takes the opportunity to cop a feel, then has the nerve to go off on her like that?!
Asher's pacing his house, trying to think of what exactly he's going to do - he exploded on Bloom, more than a little unfairly after what Gobber told him actually happened…and now he gets the feeling the old smith wants him to apologize.
That, or he's going to have to learn how to sharpen his axe that well on his own - he knows how to sharpen it, but he can't ever get it to nearly as good a point as when he takes it to the smithy. His mouth never seems to work right around Bloom, though - she's pretty, is good with a forge…
He shakes his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts sharply - he's the greatest warrior in Berk, or will be once Training is finished, this isn't any time to get a dumb crush!
The look of pain that flashed across Bloom's face though, it goes through his head again - looks like his conscience isn't going to let go of this until he apologizes.
He checks her house, but she's not there - she's not at the forge either, which usually means she's gone on one of her weird walks through the forest. Which can last anywhere from an hour to a day, depending entirely on Bloom's mood - he's willing to bet it'll be closer to a day this time.
He winces, going off into the forest alone is dangerous as Hel if you don't know your way around it - only someone stupid or with no friends or family to be with would go for a walk in there for the fun of it. It hits him with a sick jolt that that phrase perfectly describes Bloom Haddock - she hasn't got any friends in the village, not since they started bullying her, and her father is always so busy chiefing that he hasn't got any time for her usually. Gobber's the closest thing she has to either friend or family, and he's her mentor…and the guy training them. Asher groans as guilt fills him up - no wonder Gobber wants him to apologize.
When he goes to find the smith, Gobber's got his arms crossed over his chest while leaning against a rack of weapons in the forge. "Looking for someone, Asher?"
The blonde boy sighs, and says "Bloom. I'm looking for Bloom. To…"
"Apologize for going off on her like that when she'd done nothing wrong? Or maybe for cartwheeling on top of her as she finally got out from behind the wooden boards?"
Asher just looks away, unable to meet Gobber's eyes.
"She's likely off by herself. She'll be back, but I wouldn't count on her being keen on talking with you."
"Yeah, well…" Asher grimaces, rubbing the back of his head and saying "My adrenaline was wearing off, and…"
"And you went off on her when she didn't do anything to warrant it. She'd barely stepped out from behind that wood when your cartwheel plowed you straight into her! And then you landed on top of her and didn't even realize it!"
Asher grimaces even more, and mutters "My mouth never says what I want it to around her…and we were in the heat of battle…"
Gobber shrugs, and says "When you're not with the rest of them, you mean. As for 'the heat of battle,' that's a good excuse when you're the one that jumped her!"
"You're really on her side, aren't you?"
"Well, nobody else in this village is! I've known her the longest, probably know her better 'n Stoick does! If not me, then who?"
Asher groans, then asks "Any idea where she might've gone?"
"More specific than the forest? Not a clue. I don't ask where she goes to be alone by choice, and she's grateful for it."
Bloom finally shows back up at dinnertime, grabbing a plate of food and sitting as far away from everyone else as its possible to be while staring into the fireplace. Gobber notices, and sees how she's picking at her food instead of eating any of it, but doesn't comment or draw attention to her - he can read body language well enough, and hers says she wants to be left alone for a while more. And, if Asher gets slapped across the face at some point, he's going to pretend he didn't see it.
He quizzes the other teens on what they did wrong, with Asher saying "I messed up my cartwheel, it threw the timing for my attack."
There's a couple of snorts, a comment about 'love on the battlefield, and Snotlout loudly asks "Anybody want to guess what Bloom over there did?"
She visibly stiffens, but doesn't say a word - her shadow shifts chaotically in the firelight, like its showing her anger or frustration, but she doesn't say a word.
Tuffnut says "She showed up."
Ruffnut says "She was born."
Asher glares at them, then says "She wasn't where she was supposed to be."
A plate suddenly comes whizzing towards them, and Asher instinctively ducks - he can actually feel the small breeze it makes when it passes overhead, before smashing on the wall behind the teens. They all look up to see Bloom Haddock standing there, glaring at all of them furiously.
"Really, then? Where was I supposed to be, in your oh-so-expert opinion, Asher Hofferson? Hm? On the other side of the ring, completely exposed? Still behind the wood, not giving myself up as a target when we were supposed to be surviving?" Snotlout opens his mouth for a remark, only to get nailed in it by Bloom's wooden mug - thrown from halfway across the hall. "Gods take the lot of you to Hel, I'm not hungry anymore. Gobber, see you tomorrow." She storms out, leaving five shocked teenagers staring after her in her wake and a Gobber who's not feeling bad in the slightest for them.
Ruffnut giggles, and says "It's the quiet ones you've really got to worry about. Who knows what they're capable of."
Tuffnut nods, and says "Never thought she had that in her - has she always been that good of an aim?"
Fishlegs gulps, cowering in his seat - the look on her face scared him witless, it was the look of someone who'd been wronged one time too many and now she's going to get even in the most angry, vengeful way she knows.
Bloom's even more furious than before - but, this time, it's not the blinding rage of the newly-wronged. No, this time it's the clear fury that builds up over many years that puts everything into focus.
It's time to show these people what all I know. And to make that saddle for Brightfire, since there's nothing to DO at the Forge with everyone else being gone.
AN: Hey there, everyone! Chapter 2 is up! How do you like Bloom's reactions so far? Like I said in the summary, she's angry. Very angry. Not that surprising, really, when you think of how the entire village minus Gobber and probably Gothi treated Hiccup for so long. Hiccup just didn't happen to have magic that controls fire, or a friend in the forest that taught him how to harness it. Or a friend in the forest at all, until the movie. And we all know how much Toothless helped Hiccup, even in canon. Anyways, enjoy! More updates on stories coming soon! Please review, they make my day!
