Let's try to get this one done a little faster than the last, shall we? Sorry about the many long waits, I just don't seem to sit down and just write anymore.

Truth'n'Justice: Very good theory! Not long until you get to see for yourself whether you were correct! I'm sorry this chapter isn't much, but it needed to be done. You're thinking of Schizophrenia, which I can't believe I just managed to spell correctly without spell-check, and it's not your imagination, they do speak similarly, though if they were to be voiced, Sophie's voice is higher and softer than Kat's

Guest: Thanks! And no, I live in England, so the film isn't released until the 11th July, which is utterly unfair, but there you go. I'm going to an advanced screening. It's all very exiting.

Snotlout was quick to escape the chaos of the infirmary. With Ruffnut trying to punch anything that moved and Hiccup doting over Astrid, along with the others sprawled on the floor, catching up on some much-needed rest, it was not a place he was very keen on staying in. Hookfang was waiting calmly for him. Though a little low on shots, he wasn't hurt at all from the scrap he'd had with Kat's dragon. In fact, the Nightmare looked more invigorated than anything.

Something felt off as Hookfang swooped down into the clearing. He landed quietly, seeming slightly unnerved by something, looking left and right. There was a sick feeling making itself known in the pit of Snotlout's stomach. He slid carefully out of the saddle and strode across the clearing, searching for Sophie.

It was then that he spotted her, collapsed upon the ground, curled into a ball, pale as anything he'd ever seen and shaking feverishly. He cried out her name as he dashed over to her, falling to his knees by her side and placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn't move. He began to fear the worst. What if Kat had hurt her? What if she was angry that she had been defeated and come to take her revenge on an innocent girl in the forest?

"Sophie, can you hear me? Are you alright?" He gave her a gentle shake. She moaned softly. "Say something, please! I need to know you're okay!" Her dull eyes met his, before her hand fumbled its way up to wrap around his wrist. "What happened, Sophie?"

"I... I just got sick, Snotlout... n-nothing to worry about, I swear," she replied weakly. Disbelieving, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to a place beside the unlit fire-pit, resting her against the log. Once he was sure she was comfortable, he left to search for logs. Sophie's head lolled back; she was quite rapidly asleep.

Snotlout left her to rest as he and Hookfang together built up a bright, hot fire. The girl was beginning to look better already as he sat himself beside her. As he stared into the flames, he considered every time he'd been out here, in the wilderness with the girl he had quickly come to love and cherish. He looked across to where she was sleeping, head right back and mouth wide open, and, chortling quietly, slid his arm underneath to support her neck.

She lay, straight as a board, staring right up at the ceiling. Her fingers twitched restlessly by her sides, tapping against the wooden bed frame. Around her, she could hear people bustling about, tending the more seriously hurt Vikings. Apparently, she was one of them, but Ruffnut wasn't prepared to listen. Her brother was nodding by her side, making the most unattractive faces possible as he fought his drowsiness. A cruel glint came into the sister's eye as she reached out and slammed his head against the bed frame. He gave a shout and fell off the tiny stool he was perched on.

"Oi!" He snapped, staring about blearily. "Who did that?" He didn't really need to ask. His twin sat snorting with laughter in the bed before him.

"You were going to do it yourself anyway. I just thought I'd help!" she reasoned as he stood up and glared at her. Without a word, he snatched a pillow from behind him and tossed at her. Her expression went from jovial to furious in a mere moment. "Hey!"

"You started it!" Her brother stuck out his tongue.

"Did not!" She shot back, standing up slowly, trying not to pull her stitches, a mean snarl twisting her lips. Tuffnut dropped the pillows he's collected instantly.

"Whoa, sis, you shouldn't stand up. Stoick said so."

"Stoick can say what he wants, there's no way I'm staying bed-bound for the rest of my life." She scoffed stubbornly. Despite the fussing of some of the adults around her, who were trying to coax, persuade and order her back into her bed, she paced woodenly up to her brother, an eyebrow raised, and prodded him in the chest.

"Pick up that pillow for me."

"What? No!" He refused, his nose wrinkled.

"I can't bend down! I'm not allowed! Pick it up for me."

Glaring suspiciously at his sister, never taking his eyes off her, he slowly bent down and picked up one of the many pillows he'd dropped at his feet, handing it to her reluctantly. Without a single flicker of emotion, she took the feather-filled sack and shoved it roughly in her brother's face.

Snotlout was playing with Sophie's soft hair when she awoke. Her green eyes flickered open and met his. It was obvious from the first glance, the first smile that Sophie was not at all herself. His brow creased in concern as he lifted his hand and placed it against her burning forehead. Sophie was hot to touch, though she was shivering, curled up against him for warmth.

"You need to rest, Sophie. Here, let me help you..." He stood and carefully helped her to her feet, slipping an arm under hers to support her as he half-walked, half-carried her to her shelter and placed her on her makeshift mattress of springy branches and leaves. The young pine boughs were soft and comfortable to lie on, and covered with sleek cotton and thick yak-pelts; it made a surprisingly comfortable bed. Once settled down in the protective, peaked shelter, Sophie turned her wide, shining eyes to Snotlout adoringly.

In the few weeks that she had known him, he had come to see her every single day. He was sure that there was more than just friendship between them; in fact, he had felt this way for quite a while now. The Jorgenson boy reached out and tentatively brushed a few loose hairs from her brow.

"Snotlout, do you love me?" She asked, the question coming quite out of the blue and shocking its recipient.

"I... uh, well..." He stammered, unable to piece together an answer in his suddenly muddled brain.

"I can see that you do. It's written all over your beautiful face. You can't keep secrets from me, you know..." Her head fell down onto her pillow as it suddenly became too heavy to hold up. Her eyelids drooped so that she completely missed the blush creeping into Snotlout's face. Well, he thought to himself, At least she knows.

"Yeah, okay, love. You rest up and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He only received a bleary nod as an answer, but it was enough. Calling his dragon, Snotlout mounted up and headed for home.

"Arm wrestle, now." The statement was one that he simply couldn't refuse. Slamming his elbow into the table before them, Tuffnut snatched his sister's hand, locking his fingers around hers. He couldn't help but notice her straightened spine.

"Want me to go easy on you?" He cooed mockingly.

"Do that and I'll smack you. And I'll know if you do." Her narrowed eyes locked into his. A few of the other Vikings around them had stopped to watch or had sat up in their beds. Even Hiccup was watching. If there hadn't been so much interest, he probably would have broken it up, but at that moment, he was too busy both trying to put Astrid to sleep and to keep everyone's spirits up.

With a word, the contest began, both players evenly matched as they used all their strength to try to best one another. Tuffnut was still considering letting his sister win, just to keep her happy for a while, since her wound was keeping her cooped up in the Infirmary for a long while and she was very quick to become bored. However, he needn't have worried, for at that second, his arm seemed to lose it's strength and jerked back. His twin's body went with it, and she uttered a strangled grunt, her arm going limp. The force of the contest carried Tuffnut's arm over and slammed his sister's wrist into the table.

"Hah!, I win!" He gloated in his usual way, though inside, he was slightly afraid of what she might do to him for this.

"No fair!" She retorted savagely, going to leap to her feet, "My back- agh!" The very thing she mentioned then twinged again and she knew that there was no way she could win. Instead, she tossed her chair over backwards and stormed back to her bed, throwing herself down in a dark mood.

And so the days continued to pass in much the same way. The girls continued to recover, Astrid spending longer and longer awake and talking to Hiccup, Ruffnut becoming less sore and even more angry and Sophie sleeping off whatever illness may have gripped her. However, the week passed in a strange, eerie calm. There were no more attacks from Kat or her dragon. Secretly, everyone hoped she had died of some infection from her wound or from blood loss.

But they were soon to be proven very, very wrong.

That's the worst cliff-hanger I've ever written. I do apologise. However stay tuned, for next time we get to find out the connection between Sophie and Kat!

I hated this chapter. It was so hard to find the motivation to write it out, since it was only a filler chapter in which nothing much happens. However, it's done now and we can get back to the action. Aww yissss...

I just realised the Volevo sequence is over. I really liked that bit. Did you?