Chapter 8: Getting used to it

Gobber completed the prosthetic faster than Nico found possible. It had just turned nightfall when Nico was woken by the thud as Gobber slammed open the door.

"But how did you finish it so fast." Nico asked as he turned the fake leg over in his hands.

"It looks like something the runners in the Paralympics use." Nico thought. "Well the ones who're missing legs."

"Well it's actually one o me spares I jist changed it abit." Gobber told him as he took it from Nico's hands. "I'll make de anither once this is over." He added as Nico swung his leg and a half so they were dangling over the end of the table. Nico winced at the slight pain as Gobber attached the prosthetic to the stump on his left leg. Once Gobber tightened it with leather straps he took a step back.

"Okay now put abit o weight on it but no too much." He told him Nico nodded and slowly put his right leg on the floor followed by the prosthetic. He took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself off the table till he was standing, leaning most of his weight on his real leg, he took another deep breath and transferred some weight on the prosthetic. It wasn't too bad so he leaned a bit more. He almost collapsed as pain shot up his leg.

"Careful!" Gobber told him as he rushed forward and caught him.

"Okay sorry." Nico stood up again and slowly transferred some weight onto the prosthetic. "What now?" He asked Gobber as he got used to the used to the numb feeling as he leaned slightly on the prosthetic.

"Okay very slowly take a step forward." He told him putting his arms out in case Nico fell.

"Okay." Nico took a few deep breaths and slowly took a step forward. When he transferred the weight it wasn't as bad as the first time. Now it was just a small throb. He smiled and took another step with his other leg.

"Well done Nico." Gobber praised him. "Now it'll hurt fir a few days but you'll get used to it." Gobber told him. "Jist mak sure that you've got someone with you fir the next week jist in case."

Nico nodded as Gobber smiled and left just as Ruffnut entered carrying the small Terror in her arms.

"Ruffnut I was beginning to get worried that you'd been caught." Nico exclaimed as he smiled at the female twin.

Ruffnut just stared at him showing no emotion and carefully handed the Terror to him.

"Here…" She told him Nico turned and carefully set the Terror on the table behind him.

"Thanks Ruff I really appreciate your help." Nico told her as he turned back to her.

She grunted and nodded.

"Is something wrong?" Nico asked as he took a careful step towards her. Ruffnut just looked away.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled before turning and sprinting out the hut.

"Ruffnut?!" Nico called after her but she'd already gone.

"What's with her?" Nico wondered as he turned back to the Terror.

"Though of a name yet?" A voice asked, Nico almost jumped out of his skin as he turned around to see who asked sneaked up on him.

He turned around to see Astrid leaning against the wall laughing.

"What's so funny?" Nico asked as he turned red in embarrassment.

"Yo-you should've seen your face!" Astrid exclaimed as she hugged her chest.

"Thanks…" Nico told her sarcastically as he turned to look back at the Terror. His wing was healing nicely but his leg seemed to have gotten worse.

"Poor thing." Nico muttered as Astrid walked to stand next to him.

"So name?" She asked.

"Um well I actually have a couple." Nico told her.

Astrid nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"Um…well I thought maybe either Firespark or Scorcher." Nico told her.

"Well in my opinion I'd go with Scorcher." She gestured to the Orangey-red colour that ran down his spine and his wings.

"Though it is your decision she added quickly.

"Na I think you're right he does look more like a Scorcher." Nico decided.

"So how're you holding up?" She asked.

"Well it's…different but Gobber says I should get used to it in a few days." Nico told her. "Though he did say to make sure I was always with someone for the next week." He remembered.

"I can do that." Astrid told him as she punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Thanks…but what's wrong with Ruff?" Nico asked. "She came in with Scorcher mumbled something and ran back out."

Astrid's smile disappeared and she sighed. "Ruffnut…well she blames herself for you losing your leg…" She told him.

"But why?" Nico asked.

"She says if she hadn't run at the dragon you wouldn't have needed to push her out the way…and wouldn't have lost your leg." She explained.

Nico sighed. "I don't blame her for what happened…and if I had to choose between my leg and Ruffnut I'd pick Ruff." Nico told her. "I made the decision so if it's anyone's fault its mine and I don't want anyone else to think they're to blame." He told Astrid. "And I don't want Ruffnut going around staying away from me because she blames herself."

"It's Ruff she'll get over it." Astrid assured him. "What we've got to worry about is Hiccup and how we're gonna break him out the cells." Astrid reminded him.

"I've been thinking about that and…none of the gang would help would they?" Nico asked hopefully.

"No I asked them all and they're too worried about the consequences of going against the elder's word." Astrid replied smashing that idea.

"Are you not worried?" Nico asked.

"No…Nico I love Hiccup more than anything and I can't just leave him in a cell to await judgement and if I get banished at least I can tell myself I tried." Astrid sighed. Nico put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure we'll think of something…how many guards are there?" He asked as he started to think up possible plans.

"Three they're more elderly though since all the younger ones have gone on the hunt for the nest." She told him.

"So our best chance is to break him out before the hunting party gets back." He thought for a moment. "Astrid I have an idea but you're not gonna like it." He said after a while.

"What is it?" She asked.

"You know the…other village?" Nico asked. Astrid took a second to register what he was suggesting.

"No way Nico that's not going to work!" Astrid sighed.

"It's our only hope Astrid." He turned her to look at him. "We have to try." He convinced her.

She sighed. "You're right…but what'll we tell them?" She asked.

"Let me worry about that, do you know the way?"

"Yeah." She told him.

"Okay gimme a second and then we'll go." Nico told her as he slowly walked over to the small room he'd seen Gothi walk into.

He spotted the elder standing working with something at a small table.

"Gothi." Nico started as the old woman turned around.

"Listen I know it's going against your word and all but Astrid and I are gonna help Hiccup…I'm here to ask though if you could help heal Scorcher…now I know he's a dragon but…" He stopped when he saw Gothi nod and give him a small thumbs up.

"You approve?" Nico asked confused.

Gothi nodded again and turned to a shelf. She picked up a small wooden chest and handed it to Nico. He wiped the dust off the top and saw a name.

"What's this for?" He asked.

Gothi pointed at the box and then made a gesture that looked like she was handing something to someone.

Nico looked at the name again and it clicked.

"You want me to give this to his son so that he'll help us?" He asked.

Gothi nodded a third time and waved her hands in a shooing motion telling Nico to go.

"Thanks Gothi." Nico told the old woman before he turned and walked back into the main hut. Gothi watched him go and smiled.

"There is something special about this boy." She thought as she heard the hut door open and close as Nico and Astrid left to go find the other village.

"It feels like I've met him before."

Astrid led Nico quietly through the village towards the forest. When she'd seen him emerge from the room with that chest she hadn't asked what it was for. Now she wished she had, her curious nature was digging at her to ask him about it. She waited till they were concealed in the forest before she asked him.

"What's with the chest?" She asked breaking the silence.

"Um…Gothi says it'll make the others help us." Nico told her.

Astrid noticed how he specifically didn't say outcast.

"Okay." She replied not happy with the lack of an answer.

"So how far away is this village?" Nico asked trying to keep up conversation.

"Not too far." Astrid replied, she paused and looked at his prosthetic. "How're you holding up?"

"Uh I'm doing okay…it hurts a little but it's bearable." He replied as he unconsciously looked at the prosthetic.

Astrid saw that and a feeling of pity burst through her.

"He's not even from here…it's not fair he has to endure this." She thought.

"Would you like to rest for a minute?" She asked.

Nico looked like he was going to say no but suddenly he tripped over a tree root. Astrid reacted immediately and ran over to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked him as she helped him sit against a rock.

Nico bit his lip as he tried to stifle the cry of pain and shook his head.

Astrid's sky blue eyes widened in concern and she looked down at his prosthetic, his leg was bleeding, where the leg met the prosthetic, badly. Astrid looked around for something she could use as a bandage. Her eyes settled on Nico's left sleeve, not wasting any time she grabbed hold and ripped it off. Nico stared at her in shock as she calmly tied the sleeve around the bleeding area.

She looked at his green eyes which were looking at her in shock.

She turned a bit red in embarrassment. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"It's okay just next time give me a bit of a heads up." He told her as he too turned a bit red.

"Sure thing." She replied as she looked in every direction but at him.

Nico did the same thing till Astrid finally spoke up ending the awkward silence between them.

"So are you able to keep going?" She asked finally looking at him.

"Yeah." His eyes met hers.

"They look so familiar." Astrid thought as she stood up and dusted herself off. She offered Nico her hand and he took it. He winced slightly as the pressure returned to his leg.

Astrid looked and saw that he'd dropped the chest when he'd tripped over. She left Nico and walked over to pick it up. It was surprisingly heavy and she was wondering what was in it as she turned it over. She froze as she saw the name engraved on top of the chest.

"Why would Nico need this?" She wondered as she walked back over to Nico, who'd found himself a long sturdy branch to use as a walking stick, and looked at him.

"Why are we taking this?" She asked as she held up the chest.

"Gothi said it would make them help us." Nico told her.

Astrid looked at him doubtfully before sighing and turning to continue walking.

"Astrid!" Nico called as he struggled to keep up with her.

"What?!" She asked a bit too harshly.

"Back there…why did you stare at me?" He asked panting slightly.

Astrid blushed a little. "It's just your…eye's kinda look familiar." She admitted.

"Really?" Nico asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes really." Astrid told him. "Where are you from?"

"Um well back where I come from I live in a place called Stirling." He told her. "I originally came from Shetland but we moved there when I was five." He explained.

"Shetland?" She asked.

"Yeah it's close to Norway…its part of Scotland." Nico was wondering if he should've said that last part. Astrid expression told him he shouldn't have.

"Scotland?" She asked as her eyes narrowed.

"Oh yeah I forgot you guys are kinda at war…" Nico rambled as he nervously rubbed his neck.

"I know Shetland it belongs to Norway not Scotland." Astrid told him.

"Well in the future when I think it's the princess of Norway gets married to the prince of Scotland uh…the Norwegian king doesn't have enough money to pay the dowry so he gives the Shetland and Orkney isles to Scotland." Nico explained.

Astrid relaxed a little. "Oh…"

"Yeah…so shall we keep going I mean we should really hurry you know for Hiccup's sake." Nico told her.

Hearing hiccup's name jolted Astrid into action and she grabbed Nico's hand. "Come on!" She told him as she half dragged him deeper into the forest.

Whew another chapter done, I wanted to do release this today as I will be working tomorrow and Saturday so and some days throughout the week so I will be updating sometime next week hopefully Sunday but no promises.

StorSpeaker: Yes I had actually started reading them but with all the updating lately I'm not that far through but it's pretty good. I was originally gonna have the other village in that chapter but when I was re-writing it onto my laptop I realised that it would kinda ruin the plot I had so instead I added the encounter with Scorcher and Astrid but don't worry next chapter you meet the others promise! Also thanks for the name suggestion and please don't kill me for not using it for the Terror though there will be more dragons so Firespark will probably be used for one of them and you'll just have to wait and find out what happened *evil laugh*

Guest: Thanks for the name and if you did well done and keep tuned to see if you're right.

So guys thanks for all the support and see you hopefully on Sunday but if not then some other day next week! Until then I have more questions.

One: Name for teens I need a few for both gender there's gonna be either five or six of them.

Two: Does anyone know why both Gothi and Astrid feel like there's something familiar about Nico? *hint* Shetland culture does include some Viking stuff.

Three: How do you think Toothless is gonna make an appearance in this story?

Four: Whose name is on the chest?

Adios!