The next morning, Nina was up early. She stretched and felt surprisingly energized. She went downstairs and sat at the fireplace, coaxing the embers back into flames. As she reheated the food in the pot, she saw a bow out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and looked at it. There was a simple longbow with a full quiver of arrows patiently waiting by the door.
"Listen, sweets," Rae said to her as she pulled her little weak bow back and shot another arrow at the target. "When you get old enough, there's a bow by the door. Use that to hunt, but remember that because we live with other people, we should help them too."
"Okay, Daddy," she said. The final arrow flew from her bow...
...And landed in the bullseye. She blinked, not remembering clearly her traveling from her house to the targets her father had set up when she was a kid. Tears stung her eyes as she looked at the bow in her hands. I miss you guys, so much. Why did you have to go? she thought as twin rivers flowed down her cheeks. They never made it to her chin as they were flicked away by a small wet thing. Turning her head quickly, she found Herby sitting quietly on her shoulder, licking her tears away. She sniffed and reached up to scratch him under the chin. He hummed deep in his throat and pressed into her touch.
"Well," she said to him after clearing her face of the rest of her tears, "looks like I've got a job to do while you guys work on the boat. You remember the blueprints?" He nodded. "Good. Go rouse the Terrors and keep working on the boat. I've gotta go hunting." He flew off and returned with a struggling, panicking rabbit in his paws, his jaw firmly locked into place on the animal's scruff. "Thank you, Herby, but I mean I'm gonna bring down some really big game for the village I live in." He made a face and snorted. "Hey." She gave him a scolding look. "They're still my village, and the only humans who care about me." He rolled his eyes and sighed.
Finally he flew off after snapping the rabbit's neck with a few quick jerks of his head. Nina picked up the rabbit and headed back to town. She dropped the bunny off at the butcher, mumbling something about a snare she had being successful, then headed around the back of her house where she remembered an old cart being. She checked it over and it looked pretty sturdy, so she grabbed the handles and pulled as hard as she could. Eventually she freed it after noticing the rocks by the wheels. She laughed a bit at herself and pulled the cart out into the woods. She left the cart and slipped into the trees nearby, giving herself a little space but enough that she could still find her way back. She froze when she heard rustling to her right. Just up ahead was a boar, rooting around in the dirt by a tree. She notched an arrow and prayed to the gods that it would kill the boar quickly. Letting the arrow fly, it sang through the wind and buried itself to the feathers in the boar's shoulder, or rather just behind it. The animal ran around in panicked circles before laying down abruptly on its side. She pulled out a small dagger and approached cautiously. She went to the boar's neck and stabbed it a couple times, ensuring it was dead. She field dressed it and dragged it back to her cart.
Nina smiled, proud of herself. It was a small boar, but it was still her kill. She hunted for about three hours longer, soon downing several rabbits and a fox with pretty white fur. The fox almost didn't count because it was already injured. Really badly broken leg. Slinging her bow across her shoulders so it was next to the quiver she wore, she grabbed the handles and pushed it back to town. She came to a hill and dug her heels in. Just as her grip gave out, it stopped quite suddenly. Sitting up from where she'd fallen (bruising her bottom, thank you very much for asking), she saw Stoick looking at the haul she'd brought in with a bit of surprise and possibly admiration? She stood up and brushed herself off.
"Will this help?" she asked shyly.
"It will indeed, Nina. Did you bring these down by yourself?" She nodded. "Thank you. Now would you go entertain Hiccup for a bit? He's been driving me crazy!" She laughed and bobbed her head, heading to the chief's house.
She knocked on the door and heard Hiccup call "Come in!" She entered and made her way upstairs. "Nina!" He patted the bed beside him. She sat down beside him. "I'm bored."
"I figured. Your father sent me," she said with a giggle. "He said you've been driving him crazy." Hiccup ducked his head sheepishly.
"I'm bored," he repeated quietly, looking at her guiltily.
"I got this from Trader Johann one day a few years ago. I traded a pretty rock I found for it. I play with it sometimes, but only when I'm super bored," she said, handing him a piece of quite badly twisted metal. "It's a puzzle. The metal is supposed to be in a circle, but it's not. Trader Johann talked my ear off about that thing, said it came from the Mainland and is used by leaders to strengthen their problem solving skills, and to think outside the normal box for thinking. I think you'll do good at it."
"Wow, thanks, Nina!" he said happily, giving her a tight hug. She returned his embrace, feeling happy.
"No problem, Hiccup. Let me know if you solve it, ok?"
"Ok." He yawned.
"I'll step out and let you have a nap."
"Awh... I don't want y-to be left alone, though."
"Huh?"
"I don't want to be alone."
"Well your yawn says otherwise. Sorry, Hiccup, but you need to recover and sleep will help speed that. Goodnight, sleep well," she said turning and heading out, aiming for the forest again. She made it to the bunker and flopped into the chair she had down there. Without even realizing it, she leaned forward and lay her head down on the desk, soon falling fast asleep. She was exhausted.