Chapter 5: Of Snorri
"So, do you think he really believes that he is a dragon?" Snorri normally didn't overly care what Fishlegs was researching, as long as it didn't affect her directly. She would go through her day of training and junior chiefing duties while happily leaving the large boy to his own devices. This was different. A new dragon would have been enough to interest her into taking a peak. A human dragon enticed her enough to want to spend the day helping Fishlegs attempting to study it. And besides, as heir of Berk, it was her duty to study any potential threats. So, there.
"So far, there are no signs to the contrary. I've been studying his behavior closely since you locked him in, and everything he does makes you think he is actually a dragon. He moves on all fours with that swaying gait. And his head- he moves it and tilts it just like a dragon, often moving his jaw around or-"
"Alright, I get it. He really does think he's a dragon." She was slightly sorry to be so blunt, but if she let him, he would chatter on for hours about all the subtle movements of his eyebrows. Or something else that would apparently mean something super significant to Fishlegs, but nothing to her. "So then, I guess the better question is how he got here, and who he is."
"Well, the chief sai-"
Snorri's arm flew out in front of Fishlegs, stopping him. "I know what Dad thinks." Her eyes were practically burning into his, obviously showing what she thought of her father's sentimental opinion. With a final harsh look, she dropped her arm and started walking again, leaving him hobbling a little bit in his attempt to catch up with his heavy woven basket. To show that he was forgiven, she held open the door to his lab when they reached it.
"So, uh, we're going to have to be careful doing this. This is essentially a dragon in the greenhouse, and we'll have to treat him as such. He would probably attack me, and I don't know the attributes of his specific species." Fishlegs laughed nervously at his little joke. "So, uh. Let's do this, I guess." He rolled his shoulders, and dry gulped, betraying his anxiety at facing an "unknown dragon". But as Snorri walked through the room towards the greenhouse door, his eyes hardened with resolve. No amount of danger would keep him from discovering the unknown; no threat could stop him from satiating his curiosity. She slowly and surely opened the door to the greenhouse, and he slipped inside with his basket. As soon as he was through the frame, she quickly shut it behind him, bolting it shut to prevent an escape. Fishlegs gulped, but he took another few steps forward until he had reached a clear spot further in.
He set the basket on the floor, and kneeled down cautiously to start pulling out fish, bread, eggs, and other types of food. Finally, he set a canteen of water next to them. There was a small rain-fed water trough that he normally used to fill up his watering can, but he was curious what the dragon-man would think of the object. He continued to scan around him as he set the objects out, fully conscious that he was probably being watched right now, and knowing he may have to defend himself. He slowly stood up, taking the basket and backing towards the door where Snorri waited.
Once out with the door locked, Fishlegs felt relieved. Now he could simply watch through the window what the dragon-boy would do.
Inside, Hrrclickphuh had been watching closely as the big-yak-fur pfikingr had brought strange things into his territory. It may have once been pfikingr territory, but it was his now. If they were going to trap a drkkn, then they should expect no less. The big-yak-fur pfikingr had not had any sharp hard metal pain fight, and his body had read of fear nervous and not angry hostile so the drkkn knew that they both understood that this was now HIS territory. He let him go without a confrontation, but he watched for a long time, waiting to see if any of the things would reveal their traps. None did, so he slowly approached. He saw fssssh mixed in, and his stomach was yelling empty hungry growls at him. So he leaped in, gulped one down, and then dove back into the bushes.
Fishlegs sighed, disappointed at the lack of interest in other objects. He rubbed his neck, turning to Snorri. "Well, it looks like it's going to be a long day."
And it was going to get longer. It was about midday when Snotlout stormed into the lab, a bedroll tucked under one arm and a small sack tossed over the other. He startled slightly when he saw Snorri as well as Fishlegs in the room, but his dark demeanor remained in place as he stomped towards the door to the greenhouse.
"Wait, Snotlout, not in there!" Fishlegs rapidly held out his hand before the other boy could open the door.
His voice came out in a low growl. "Why not? I thought you said I could stay here?"
"Um, yes, I did. But, uh, the thing is, um, that-"
Snorri rolled her eyes at Fishlegs, who was embarrassedly rubbing the back of his neck. "There's a dragon in there." She said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms.
"A dragon." He repeated sarcastically, looking unconvinced. Immediately a loud roar sounded from inside the greenhouse, an irate face plastering itself in a snarl against the glass window in the door. Snotlout jumped slightly, and you could see a slight grin in those animalistic green eyes before their owner turned to continue pacing the area inside. "So I see."
His hard eyes stayed on the drkkn too long, and he growled again. This pfikingr's body read of dominance, and anger fight dark vengeance. Hrrclickphuh would readily confront him if he tried to enter HIS territory. "Um, Snotlout, uh, why don't you just come this way instead- I've got another room you can bunk in…" His voice trailed off as he tried to gently guide the viking towards another of the numerous doors, but the viking's head continued to point to the door to the greenhouse. "I've got lots of rooms; its not a probl-" Snotlout snapped his eyes to him.
"Yeah, because you gave my room to the chief's son!" He roared. At this, Snorri stormed over, sticking her finger in his face.
"Now don't you say it! He is no more family than a night fury is!"
"Oh, so you saying that you aren't the least bit convinced that the chief could be right!"
"No! That's not the what I'm saying!"
Instantly the shouting escalated to a full on top-of-the-lungs affair, punctuated with aggravated dragon roars and Fishlegs' squeaks and whines as he tried to calm everyone and break it up without a fight.
"You're just saying that because if he is the chief's son you'll lose your place as heir!"
"NO! IT'S BECAUSE THAT THING CAN'T POSSIBLY BE THE OLDER BROTHER I LOST!" Snorri ran out, running full tilt down the hill and towards her home. For one of the few times in his life, Fishlegs looked dead serious.
"Come on you. Let's go get you in the bunk room." He practically pushed Snotlout through the door and into the small room. Once inside, the taller viking pushed Snotlout down onto the bunk, who responded by jumping back up with yet another scowl. "Now, I don't want to hear it. I said you could stay here. I promised not to tell Snorri. But that does not give you the right to go starting fights in my lab, and messing with Snorri's already broiling emotional state!"
Snotlout was obviously still seething from the fight, his voice short and snappy. "Broiling emotional state?! What has she got to worry about!? I just got kicked out of my home; my family!" He was swinging his arms wildly to make his point, turning to pacing like the dragon had earlier.
Fishlegs' voice was starting to lose its patience, growing grouchy and frustrated. The energy was getting to him as well, and he was unconsciously using his arms and hands as he spoke. "She's feeling as upset and jostled as you are right now, and if you would calm down and think for once in your life, you would realize how the girl you love feels, and how you just responded. Yes, you just went through something no doubt harsh and terrible, but so is she. And not only did you not comfort or reassure her that her life is stable in this shook up world, but you just sent her running away and crying!" Fishlegs threw his arms down, his fingers uncurling from the tight fists he had formed. "Do you even care?! Do you!?"
"OF COURSE!" He yelled, his hands mirroring Fishlegs, with both unknowingly drawing closer into fighting stances.
"Then why did you let yourself be drawn into the emotions!? WHY, WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN CARE FOR YOUR FATHER!?" Both stopped yelling, panting as they glared at each other, nose to nose. Fishlegs took a step back, going to leave Snotlout alone with his thoughts. But Snotlout sat onto the bed with a sigh.
"Because now I have nothing." He sat quietly, looking at the floor, taking a few deeper breaths. "I have no family. I have no possessions other than these clothes. I have no home. I-" he took a clipped breath. "I have no name; no clan." Fishlegs walked over and sat next to him. "I finally did what we both said I should. I stood up to him." He sat silently. "I said that he couldn't force me anymore. And now…. now I have nothing. I am a disowned viking. … A disowned viking with nothing to offer the daughter of a chief." He looked over at his friend. "So, now that you know what's eating me, what's eating her?"
Fishlegs took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "She grew up her whole life with her mother telling her of the brother she lost. Her mother is the way she is because she lost her first child. And growing up that way wasn't easy on her. She wished so deeply that he hadn't been taken, and that her family could be whole- her mother happy again. And now, well now he does show up- or so a few wish to believe- and he is far from the peace-bringing older brother she wished for. If anything, this could tear her family further apart. Valka hates dragons now- what do you think she'll do when she learns the son she lost is now one?" Snotlout didn't say anything other than a thoughtful "hmmm" as he stared at the floor. "And so, she feels it so hard that she needs to either help him, or prove he's not her brother. She's conflicted. She doesn't know what to believe, or even what she wants to believe." Fishlegs saw how Snotlout was drawing deeper into himself as he calmed down- all that anger had sucked the energy out of him. "You can stay here as long as you need. Just don't touch the dragon." Snotlout nodded vaguely. "Oh- and Snotlout." Fishlegs gave one last look around the door as he left. "You do have one thing- you have freedom."