The sun was hanging low on the horizon and they were gathered outside around a fire pit. Everyone had come out, and they were all laughing and the couples were spinning each other around. Hiccup was sitting by his mother's side, and Scout was teaching the younger girls how to thread the wildflowers together to make a chain for their hair. Valka and Hiccup were talking about the new things that Scout had taught him about Night Furies.
She had shown him how much they loved water, taking Hiccup and Toothless to a huge waterfall. They had ducked through the water, both riders getting soaked with water, and laughing. It made Hiccup feel like a weight had been lifted. He realised he needed someone to help him remember how to laugh. She had also shown him how to make a paste from various trees and flowers that helped speed up the healing of wounds. In return, he showed her how to extend Sora's back spines for the tighter turns, a trick he was shown by Valka. They raced around the rocks and cliffs that made up Berk, always managing to lose Snoutlout who kept trying to show Scout his 'battle scars'.
The fire was growing, being added to by Toothless' purple flame and Sora's yellow one. Hiccup and Scout had discovered this colour difference when both dragons went to shot the same tree as target practise and the colours collided, forming sparks. Both dragons looked shocked and their riders had laughed. As the sparks from the fire shot away, Hiccup watched his people. They were happy, dancing and laughing together, and he wondered if seeing this saddened Scout. He knew they'd had large dances and feasts, she had told him, but she wouldn't have seen one for some time.
The sun had settled on the horizon when they heard the shouts. Hiccup and Valka shot to their feet, and the laughing stopped. One of the men who was to protect the border charged through the tree, yelling for Hiccup. Everyone turned to face him, and Scout rose slowly to her feet too, shooting Hiccup and his mother a worried glance.
The man slowed in front of Hiccup and took a few deep breaths.
"There are men, and ships coming this way" he said, coughing.
"Not out ships?" Hiccup said, and the man shook his head.
"No, their flags bear the image of a burning mountain" he said, and people gasped. Hiccup turned to look at his people, and that's when he saw Scout's face. Her face was as white as snow, and she was covering her mouth with her hand. Hiccup walked over to her quickly.
"Scout? What's wrong?" but she didn't respond, just shook her head. He gently took her hand from her mouth and turned her head to look at his.
"Scout?" he asked gently, and her eyes filled with tears.
"The men" she started quietly.
"The men that burned my village had that image on their ships" she said, and the tears spilled over. Everyone in the village began screaming and panicking at the same time, and Hiccup tried to calm them. No-one listened to his pleading, until Gobber yelled for them to be silent. Hiccup nodded to him, and climbed on the edge of the fire pit, away from the flames.
"I know what you just heard, and I know we're all scared. But we're not going to let them take our village. We will fight, and we will use our dragons. This is their home too, and they will defend it by our side" he said, and people started murmuring.
"They don't know that we know yet. We can still set traps for them" Hiccup added, and someone yelled from the crowd that he was right. Gobber announced he would be handing out new weapons, and the men and shield-maidens ran to the smithy to retrieve weapons. The children were ushered into a group to be taken into the woods. Valka moved forward to command the riders, and Hiccup moved back to Scout.
"I need you and Sora to go with the children" he said, and she looked at him. Any sign that she had been upset was gone, only the streaks from the tears remained. Instead, her jaw was clenched, and she looked angry.
"I'm not going anywhere where I can't help defend Berk" she said stubbornly, and Hiccup frowned.
"No, you're going with the children. They need more defence than we do"
"But-" she started, but Hiccup cut her off by covering her mouth with his hand.
"Go with the children" he ordered. Scout slapped his arm away and walked away, picking up her halberd as she passed it. She stopped near the tree line next to the children, and turned back to look at Hiccup, her face looked sad, but she stood tall.
"Good luck Hiccup" she said, and vanished into the trees, the children following her.
"Good luck Scout" he whispered, before turning to retrieve his sword. Toothless looked at him, puzzled.
"I know what you're thinking bud, but what if when they attack she freezes? If she has the children she should be able to focus" Toothless made a scoffing sound and Hiccup frowned at him.
"What? Should I have made her stay?" he asked, and Toothless made a sound that was almost like a yes.
"Well I did what I thought was right, and as chief what I say is what happens" Hiccup said, moving off to find his mother.
The logs in the fire pit snapped and crackled, the light slowly dying.