Chapter 2: The Dragon Rider Exams

"This is the dragon academy," Hiccup said to Eira as they landed their dragons on the edge of a domed arena. "This is where we train dragons and work out strategy. We have not needed to use it for awhile, but it is a nice place to train."

"It looks awesome," Eira said with a grin. She dismounted Swiftwings and then followed Hiccup to the group of riders she had met the previous day.

"Hello, Eira," said the blond female with the Edge Nadder behind her.

"Hey-" Eira paused when she realized she did not know her name. She didn't know any of their names, actually. Except Snotlout's. She reflexively glanced at him, and he smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, did we forget to introduce ourselves? I'm Astrid, and this is Stormfly." She smiled and pat her dragon's side.

"That's okay," Eira said. "It was kind of hectic when I arrived. It's nice to meet you."

The boy with the Gronkle stepped forward. "My name's Fishlegs. This is my girl, Meatlug."

"I'm Tuffnut, and my sister is Ruffnut," said a blond boy.

"Our dragon's name is Barf and Belch," said the girl standing next to him.

"You already know my name," Snotlout said, flashing her another smile. He looked at Hiccup. "Are we going to let her become a dragon rider or what?"

"Well-" Hiccup started to say.

"We can't just accept a random newbie," Ruffnut said in a tone that was more skeptical than hostile. "We don't know if she'd be any good as a dragon rider."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Of course she'll be good. She flew all the way here!"

"Then she should have no problem proving it," said Tuffnut.

"I don't think she needs to prove anything," said Astrid, "but it would be nice to see her abilities so we know how she will fit in with the group."

"And how she would work individually with each of us," said Fishlegs.

"You all have valid points," Hiccup said. He turned to Eira. "While I don't think we will have a problem accepting you, I want to make sure everyone has a say in the decision."

Eira nodded. "I'm fine with that." The idea did not offend her. After all, she was sure she could win them all over.

"What are you going to do," said Snotlout, "give her a test?"

"Sort of," said Hiccup. He looked around at the group. "How about this? Each of us will spend half a day interacting with Eira and testing her in any way we perceive reasonable. At the end, we'll come together and discuss whether or not she passed."

"That sounds fair enough to me," Eira said. Everyone else voiced their agreement.

"We can really do anything we want?" Tuffnut said, exchanging a mischievous look with his sister.

Hiccup frowned. "Within reason, Tuff. I will veto your decision if I find you've done something outrageous."

"Aw, that's no fun."

"Who gets to go first?" asked Snotlout, sounding eager.

"I'll show her around this morning, and Fishlegs can talk to her after lunch," said Hiccup. "Tomorrow Snotlout can have her in the morning followed by Astrid in the afternoon. The twins can take her the next day."

Everyone agreed. One they all dispersed, Eira briefly met with Hiccup to discuss his ideas for the morning. Then the two of them mounted their dragons to start with a tour of the island.

Eira enjoyed her time with Hiccup. It turned out he was responsible for the change in attitude towards dragons on Berk. She found his story fascinating. She, in turn, shared what it was like growing up with dragons. She left out all mentions of royalty, of course. He quizzed her on her dragon training tactics but otherwise did not seem too interested in testing her.

Next, she met with Fishlegs, and they took a walk with their dragons. She quickly figured out he was the most book smart of the group. The to of them had a good time exchanging information. Fishlegs seemed especially pleased with her basic dragon healing skills. By the end of the day, she was certain she had gained his approval.

That evening, she relaxed by the water with Asmund. She was pleased to hear that her caretaker had been accepted by Chief Stoick and trade arrangements with Torvald were being made. Soon, their ship would return home with the news. Asmund assured her he would get to work on building a hut for the two of them so they could become independent. Everything was going according to plan.

The next day, Eira and Hiccup were greeted by Snotlout and Hookfang upon exiting the hut. The girl stifled a yawn and gave them a friendly "good morning."

"Good morning, Eira," Snotlout said in return. "Are you ready for an awesome day with the most remarkable viking on Berk?"

Hiccup gave him a wary look. "It's only until lunch, Snotlout. Then she meets with Astrid."

"Sure, whatever. After today, she'll look forward to spending more time with me."

Hiccup turned to Eira, an uneasy expression on his face. "You don't have to put up with his nonsense. If he gets to be too much, come and find me."

Eira smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry, Hiccup. I'll be fine." And she meant it. Maybe most people would find Snotlout abrasive, but she thought he was... intriguing. She could not quite put her finger on why.

"Yeah, Hiccup, she'll be fine," said Snotlout. "Let's get going, Eira."

The two of them mounted their dragons and prepared to take off. "Good luck!" Hiccup called after them. "And stay safe!"

Hiccup could not stop worrying about Eira. From the time they spent together the previous day, he summarized she was a sweet, innocent girl who had grown up in a culture very different from his own. He did not doubt her determination, but he worried about her ability to adjust to life on Berk and deal with... certain people.

He entered the dragon training arena to find Astrid practicing her ax throwing while Stormfly watched on with interest. "Hey, Astrid," he greeted her. "Getting ready for this afternoon?"

Astrid paused mid-throw to flash him a confident smile. "I have to find out if the new girl can fight on her own."

Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he thought about what he wanted to say next. "That's great, but spending the morning with Snotlout is sure to toughen her. And maybe not for the better."

Astrid frowned. "He's coming on strong, huh? Eira didn't seem to mind when she met him."

"Exactly. I'm afraid she'll accept everything he says on face value and let him get inside her head."

Astrid placed her free hand on her hip. "Don't worry, I'll set her straight. She'll be one of us in no time."

Hiccup gave her a slight smile. "Thanks, Astrid. I knew I could count on you."

"Is there where we're going to have my first test?" Eira said as she landed Swiftwings on the forest floor.

"That's right," Snotlout said, landing Hookfang beside her. "Not that I think you need to prove yourself. All you need to do for my approval is say I'm the best viking you've ever met."

Eira giggled. "How can I saw that if I don't know if it's true? I hardly know you."

Her answer surprised him. She did not immediately shoot him down like he was used to. Neither did she automatically fall all over him. If he was honest with himself, he would have lost respect for her if she had. There was something different about her and he liked it. "Then I'll have to prove to you how awesome I am so you can say it by the end of the day."

She gave him an amused look. "Okay. What's up first?"

"First you're going to try this obstacle course. Follow me, and don't be too hard on yourself if you don't match me perfectly. I've had lots of practice." He puffed out his chest in pride.

Eira smiled. "I bet. Let's do it!"

Snotlout and Hookfang took off through the forest. Somewhat surprisingly, Eira and Swiftwings kept up with them as they dodged trees and struck the targets in their path. The course took them around the island until they arrived back where they had started.

Snotlout could not hide his grin as he dismounted his dragon. It had been a long time since he had so thoroughly enjoyed himself with another human being. Eira did not complain or call him annoying. She took everything in stride and playfully returned his quips. And she had excelled at the obstacle course itself. She tripped up a few times, but he admired her determination.

Eira appeared winded as she slid off her Windwalker, but her grin matched his. "That was fun! How did I do?"

"You were awesome!" Snotlout exclaimed before thinking better of his answer. "I mean, not bad - for a beginner."

The girl brightened at his praise. "Thanks! You were pretty good too." She pulled a bottle out of her sack and tipped it until water flowed into her mouth.

"As expected." He paused. "Now is a good time for a break. We can walk back to the village." Snotlout did not need a break, of course, but he did not want to tire out the new recruit. She fell in step beside him while their dragons flanked their sides. He was not normally one for silence, but for once, it felt right.

Over the course of the morning, Snoutlout had Eira and Swiftwings perform other various tasks together to prove their strength and agility. Eira enjoyed showing him the power of her dragon's water balls as she blew targets away and was pleased when he admitted it was impressive - though not as much as Hookfang's fireballs. After a leisurely lunch, they chatted as they started for the dragon academy where Astrid awaited the girl.

"So, are you going to admit my superiority as a viking now?" Snotlout asked while they walked.

Eira shook her head. "I can't say what you want me to say because it still wouldn't be truth. I haven't met all the vikings in the world, after all."

"Fine. Then what can you say?"

Eira glanced at him as she considered the question. More than that, she wondered as to his intent. The obvious answer was that he was too egotistical and needed everyone to praise him. While there may have been some truth to that, she got the feeling there was more to the story. She decided to choose the most positive truthful thing she could say and see how he reacted. "I can say..." Her eyes fell on Hookfang, and she got an idea. "Did you know potential dragon riders tend to choose the species of dragon that matches their personality?"

Snotlout appeared confused at first, but he followed her gaze to Hookfang and smiled. "You're saying I'm like a Monstrous Nightmare? Strong, powerful, and handsome?"

Eira chuckled. "Well, yes, but also confident, passionate, and loyal."

Snotlout's smile widened. "I'm cool with that. So, what are Windwalkers like?"

Eira smiled mischievously. "I guess you'll just have to wait and find out." She entered the arena before he could respond. She spotted Astrid and smiled as she made her way over to her. "Good afternoon, Astrid. I hope you are doing well."

"I am," Astrid replied. "And how about you?" She looked past her at Snotlout and frowned. "I hope you haven't caused her any trouble."

Snotlout appeared offended at the accusation. "Me? Of course not! We've had a great time together. Haven't we, Eira?"

"It's true," Eira said.

Astrid did not appear convinced. "I hope so. I would hate to see a sweet, innocent girl corrupted by a bad influence."

"Hey, don't treat her like she's helpless," Snotlout said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Even if I was a little rough with her - which I wasn't - she can handle it. She's strong, Astrid. You don't need to baby her."

Eira turned to him in surprise. His words shocked her. He thought she was strong? The only other person who had ever said that was her older brother. She desperately wanted to be strong, but because she was a princess, everyone treated her like she couldn't take care of herself. Even not knowing her status, the other dragon riders seemed to be falling into the same pattern. Everyone except Snotlout...

"I'm not babying her," Astrid said hotly. "And I'll find out just how strong she is once you let me have my time with her."

"Fine." Snotlout smiled at Eira. "I'll see you later."

Eira smiled back at him. "Have a good day." Once he left she turned to Astrid, and her smile fell upon seeing her frown. "Is something wrong?"

Astrid shook her head. "No, it's just-" She sighed. "You don't have to pretend to like him."

Eira blinked. "Snotlout? But I do like him."

Astrid made a face. "Why?"

Eira shrugged. "Why not?"

"Never mind. You'll find out soon enough. Let's just get started with your test."

Eira gratefully agreed. She chose to focus on her next assignment instead of the gnawing feeling that kept growing. First Hiccup and now Astrid. Something was definitely up.