Chapter Fifteen

"Urgh…there we go." Teeth grunted as she pulled on the last boot, which proved to be a struggle. After a whole month of sitting and lying down, she finally had enough of waiting to be better and was going for a walk. That is, if her legs would let her. For resting weeks on end, they felt weak from not being used; a problem she never accounted for.

"Come on…" She growled, pushing herself up. Feeling herself lean to one side, she caught one of her bed posts to help her regain her balance. "Okay…might be a little harder than I remembered." She huffed quietly to herself.

"Rreaagghh?"

Looking up, she saw a Night Terror looking down at her from its perch with a tilted head. Apparently, it was Astrid's idea to have one of them watch over her when everyone was gone on a raid or patrol; or for any reason why no one could keep her company.

"Buzz off, Snitch." She growled, returning her focus to walking. Snitch was the name she came up with, since it alerted Astrid when she tried to walk a few days ago.

Snitch simply growled, leaping off his perch and flying out of the room.

Knowing Astrid was going to be coming now that Snitch left to tattle on her, she turned to Astrid's array of many weapons on the wall. Seeing a beat up looking staff, she hobbled over to it. It was probably used for sparring or learning how to block. "That's better." She whispered to herself. Leaning heavily against it, she slowly made her way out of Astrid's hut, being her place of residence since…since she lost everything.

Biting her lip, mainly to focus on staying upright, she also fought the frustration and depression of remembering she was nobody. "Hmph. I guess that's the best position to take someone down. Being someone that doesn't exist. Or at least, isn't supposed to exist.

Stepping through the door, she covered her eyes as she walked out. The sun was bright, and there was even a light dusting of snow everywhere. It was well into winter now, and it was bugging her. She never lived in a place that had the cursed white stuff. And she was more resolved than ever to make sure that she wouldn't ever again.

Standing on the deck, she finally took a moment to see her surroundings. Honestly, it was the first time she got to see Dragon's Edge, given she was bed ridden for a month and some days. The network of ramps between huts and buildings seemed confusing at first, until she followed them with her eyes. It was actually kind of a wonder. It was a genius idea to make separate buildings. Even if one of the ramps was broken during an invasion, they could fly their dragons to wherever they needed to go; and the series of ramps was a natural defense if anyone was able to land at the docks.

"Teeth?"

Turning around slowly, she saw Astrid jogging towards her, looking concerned.

"Are you alright? What are you doing walking around?"

"I'm fine, Astrid." She huffed. "I can't stand staying in bed any longer!" Leaning to one side, she quickly caught herself with the staff she took. "Literally, I can't stand! I need to do something; I need to move around or I'm going to lose my mind! If I don't lose the use of my legs first!"

Looking at her, Astrid saw the determination to fight her. Sighing, she shook her head. "Come on then, we'll go to the clubhouse and then see how you're doing."

"I'll be better than if I was staying in bed." She growled, using the staff to help her walk.

Astrid tried to help her, which she only received an icy stare.

"I'm doing this on my own! I'm not going to get stronger unless I struggle through it myself!"

Letting her walk ahead, Astrid stood close by ready to catch her if she fell. She was definitely the same person from when they first met her.

Weakly shuffling her legs, Teeth focused on the hut designated as the clubhouse. Though still weak, the fact that she was moving seemed to strengthen her; and help her resolve to speed up her recovery. "So…how was your last patrol? Did you find anything on the Hunters?"

Shaking her head, Astrid let out a frustrated sigh. "No. Not even a clue as to where they went. It seems Viggo has been playing hard to find. Even Johann couldn't get wind of where he or Ryker went. It's like they want us to think they're gone and dead."

"Anything on…Mikael?"

Astrid shook her head, knowing exactly why she asked about him.

"Rrgghh…he has to be back home by now. Spending his time on the warm beaches and being pampered because he's the 'Chief' now…the traitor." She growled.

"Wouldn't your people have been upset with him? Since he was the only one that returned?" Astrid asked. "Wasn't that what you were worried about?"

"He has a mom that wanted him to be chief. Plus he's a Wrathen by blood, he has an instant in." She quickly replied. "He probably lied his way through, and struck a deal with Viggo. Which is why they helped each other when we were killed." Getting light headed at the subject and exertion, she started to fall backwards.

Catching her, Astrid looked down at her with a worried expression.

Gritting her teeth, she shook her head. "If he learns I'm alive, he's going to send everything he can to make sure I'm dead. Even if he has to do it himself."

"We're not going to let that happen."

"You say that, but the gods always have different plans." She growled, steadying her balance. Making sure she was fine, she continued to walk slowly to the clubhouse. "But I couldn't have done it without you guys. I hate to admit it, but I'm glad you forced me to stay. I can barely walk now, let alone sail a ship and fight on my own."

"Because you-"

"Your friend, I know." She finished for her, rolling her eyes at the constant reminder.

"I wasn't going to say that." Astrid quickly rebutted. "You were angry. You wanted to get your revenge right then. Honestly, you were probably still in shock. You weren't thinking clearly."

"Yeah? Well…whatever." She huffed angrily. Feeling some energy return to her legs, as well as the coordination, she stepped up to the clubhouse's deck.

"Teeth!" Fishlegs shouted, shocked at seeing her standing outside of the doorway.

The twins head popped out from behind a wall, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Hey! She's finally up!" Ruffnut called out with a wide smile.

"Uh…hi." She replied with a short tone. Walking past the smiling twins, she looked around the clubhouse. It was simple actually, yet elaborate. The wooden counter that wrapped around the central fireplace was clearly used to eat at, with the occasional maps and papers scattered around. With the fire roaring, she couldn't help but bask in the heat. Her skin was going have some time before adjusting to the cold snow and wind. It honestly reminded her of when she worked a forge. Something she was itching to get back to.

"Come on in!" Fishlegs replied, pulling a seat out for her.

"I'll stand. I've been sitting and laying down longer than I ever wanted to in my life." She huffed, leaning against her staff to support her. "Got anything to eat?"

"Oh ho ho! Say no more!" Tuffnut replied loudly, running to the back of the room. "I got something just for you!"

Teeth looked at Astrid, who simply frowned and shook her head. "I'll find you something." She replied, walking over to a pot in the back of the room.

"So…h-how are you feeling?" Fishlegs asked, being a little timid around the recovering Marauder.

"Ready to help you find and kill the Hunters." She huffed, turning to look at him. Her eyes pierced into his, something she did to learn all she could about an individual. Talen taught her that, though she wasn't as skilled like he was.

Fishlegs simply swallowed as she stared at him.

He had an honest look about him. Sincere even. Something she had learned to trust, given she had the same vibe from Grange before she made him her right hand man. The memory pierced her, making her finally look away from Fishlegs.

"Here!" Tuffnut shouted, skidding to a stop in front of her.

Staring at the plate he was holding, she quickly gagged at the sight and smell. "Oh gods…what is that?"

"Yak chops!" He replied with a wide smile. "Inspired by Heather's, we added a blend of different herbs and spices!"

"Rotten fish spread…old bread…and…what is that?" She listed, reluctantly identifying the 'additions'.

"What? Don't you know good Zippleback claw jam? Surely a hunter like you would recognize that!" Ruffnut asked, looking at her with a perplexed expression. "A perfect blend of-"

"Errgghh!"

Fishlegs instantly, jumped up, pulling Teeth away from the 'food'. "Uh…wh-why don't you guys see how the dragons like it. It might be too rich for her, you know, since she's still recovering."

"…among other reasons…" Teeth growled, holding her stomach and forcing herself to not look at the sight again.

"Uh, come on. I got something more…edible over here." Fishlegs replied, continuing to guide her away from the twins.

"Ugh…thanks…" She gagged, dry heaving as she recalled the smell.

Grabbing some dried fish fillets, he handed one to her. "Don't mind them. You get used it…er, sometimes at least."

Snacking on the given meat, she instantly began to feel energy return. Having been dieting on soups and bread, it felt good to eat something solid. Closing her eyes, she leaned against the circular table, enjoying the taste and basking in the heat behind her.

"Here you- oh, you got something." Astrid called out, walking to her with a bowl.

"I'm tired of soup." She replied, taking a larger bite out of the fillet. "I almost feel better because I'm eating meat."

"That's good to hear." Astrid replied, setting the bowl down. Sitting next to her, she then asked. "So…what are you going to do?"

Shrugging, she took another bite and then spat out a couple of fish bones. "Don't know. I probably won't be able to swing a sword or spear until a couple of more days. Even then, I'm going to have to get my strength back. Sitting and doing nothing has made me weaker than the actual hole in my back."

"Does it hurt?" Fishlegs asked.

"Not really. It's sore more than anything." She replied with a careless shrug. "Where's your forge at? I need to practice shaping metal before I craft some armor for myself."

"Don't you think you're going a little too fast?" Astrid asked.

"Nope. I think it'll actually help me." She replied, finishing off the fillet. Looking at Fishlegs, she asked. "Got any more?"

Fishlegs nodded, now grabbing a plate and loading it up.

Watching Teeth tear into the fish like it was the first time she tasted, Astrid then let a smile grow on her face. "Guess you are doing better. How 'bout this then. Today, we'll just walk around, get your legs working again. Tomorrow, you can train with me and Heather. We'll ease you into it."

Surprised at the offer, she looked at her with a questionable expression. "You sure? What's the catch?"

"No catch. If this is what will really help you, then let's get you better." She continued to say. "I mean, I don't expect you to be able to actually fight us, but we can work on getting your strength back with simple exercises. We'll make you rest if you're pushing yourself too much."

"…alright…" She replied with a skeptical look. Taking one of the fish fillets, she continued to take bites out of it. "Let's walk to the forge. I want to see what I'll be working with."

"This way." She replied with a smile, leading her away.

"Oh and thanks Fishlegs. These are good." Teeth replied, raising the plate up as a way to acknowledge his help.

Fishlegs nodded and smiled, glad to hear her compliment.

As the two slowly made their way down a certain ramp, Teeth could see Heather and Windshear fly above them, heading towards another hut.

"What's that building?" She asked, seeing the extended decks and reinforced walls.

"That's the hanger. It's where we keep the dragons. It's why Stormfly hasn't been bugging you at night." She answered, smiling at her.

"How long have you guys been here?" She asked, looking down to see a mid-size arena below them.

"A little over a year."

Teeth didn't say anything. For being a year old, the place looked immaculate. It was pretty impressive actually.

"This is the forge. Hiccup's play pen." Astrid announced, opening the door to the building they were walking to. "Oh, and speak of the devil…"

Staring inside, they both saw Hiccup standing over a desk, studying some blueprints.

Surprised to hear the door open, he turned and saw Teeth standing there with Astrid. "Oh! Teeth! You're up and walking!"

"About time if you ask me." She huffed, setting the staff against the door. Now able to walk on her own, she felt a lot stronger; having actually used her legs a little bit and getting something to eat. Walking past Hiccup, she looked at what he was studying. "What is this? Wings?"

"Uh…yeah. Something I've been working on in my past time." He replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"For…Toothless?" She asked, reading the measurements. "It's bigger than any of the tails you've shown me."

"It's…it's actually for me. It's to let me fly." He admitted, ignoring Astrid's glare at him. She was still against him using it, as it almost killed him a handful of times.

A little surprised, she took the plans and held them closer to read the details. "The Dragonfly Three? A flight suit?"

"So…what about you? How are you feeling?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Better now that I'm out of that stupid bed." She growled, finally setting the plans down. "I need to move around. I need to do something. I'm going crazy in that room. No offense, Astrid."

"None taken. I haven't been stuck in it like you have."

"Do you have any scrap iron I can play around with?" She asked, looking over at the barrels full of materials.

"Are you up to shaping metal?" He asked, looking a little worried.

"Hiccup, please. I need to do something!" She yelled in a desperate voice. "I want to do something that's…me!"

Seeing her desperation, he nodded in agreement. "Sure. Let me get you some old Gronckle Iron plates. It's the metal we use. Might as well get you used to it." Looking at Astrid he then let a small smile grow on his face. "Since Astrid wants her room back to herself, we might as well move you over here. Besides, you're still a prisoner. I'm thinking you need to serve your time as our blacksmith."

Surprised at what he was saying, Teeth let a genuine smile grow on her face. The first in a very, very long time. "Thank you, Hiccup. Maybe I won't freeze at night anymore."

"Get it stoked, I'll get you some metal."

Turning around, she slightly stumbled as she was more excited than her body could handle. Reaching for the rope that controlled the bellows, she pulled on it and instantly felt the heat increase. It felt good. Familiar even.

Continuing to stoke the forge, she watched Hiccup place a bucket of scrap, shiny metal. Picking a piece up, she was surprised with how light it was. "No wonder this is scrap. It's so brittle. I could break this with just my hands." She commented.

"Try." Astrid replied with a smile, taking a seat on Hiccup's table.

Shrugging, she gripped the piece of metal and tried to snap it in half. To her surprise, she couldn't even bend it, let alone break it. Setting on the nearby anvil, she reached for a hammer and swung at it.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Staring at it in shock, she held it up and observed that she didn't even dent the metal. "What is this stuff?"

Hiccup smiled at her, shaking his head and gesturing to a surplus of weapons. "Teeth, I'd like to introduce you to the new kind of metal you'll be working with. Gronckle Iron."

"Gronckle Iron…" She repeated, turning to place the metal into the forge. "Any tricks I need to know about shaping it?"

"Make sure it's glowing. It's a lot firmer than even iron or steel." He explained. "It's going to take a lot longer to shape it than what you're probably used to, so don't get frustrated. It's a learning curve."

"I'll figure it out sooner than you think." She whispered resolutely. "If there's anything you need repaired, let me do it. It'll give me the practice I need to learn how to shape this…Gronckle Iron."

Nodding, Hiccup's smile slowly disappeared. "Teeth…I got something for you."

Ensuring the forge was burning hot enough to heat up the metal, she turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

Walking to some cupboards, he respectfully pulled something out. Turning around, he revealed what he wanted to give her.

Biting her lip, she narrowed her eyes as she gazed at her dad's sword. The one Mikael left next to her as a grave marker.

"I…I sharpened it for you while you were recovering." He replied sheepishly. "We weren't sure if…if you wanted to keep it." Astrid at this point, walked alongside Hiccup, watching for Teeth's reaction.

"Thanks." She replied, gently taking the sword. Inspecting the edge, she could tell it was the one she had crafted for him. Letting out an angry huff, she then asked. "Have you really not been able to find Viggo? Or any of his Hunters?"

"I promise, Teeth. We've been looking and flying every day since you came here." He answered. "Snotlout just went on patrol, who just replaced Heather. Trader Johann should be coming by within the week to bring us supplies, and we'll see if he found anything."

Teeth just stared at the sword. Letting out a vented sigh, she set it against the wall and returned her attention to the forge. "I'm going to find them…if it's the last thing I do…"

"Let's worry about it when you're better. We want you to help us, like we want to help you." Hiccup whispered, frowning that her determination to find and kill Viggo was still the same as it was a month ago. "Right now, get your strength back. That's the best thing we can do right now."

Teeth simply nodded. She knew he was right, but she also had her mind racing on how to find the Hunters. A group that big couldn't just drop off the face of the world without having connections. Reaching for some heavy metal tongs, she reached in and pulled out the glowing orange piece of scrap metal.

"We'll move your stuff over here. Just stay and play at the forge." He continued to say, turning to walk out. "Come on, Toothless! Help us out!"

Astrid gently rested her hand on Teeth's shoulder, silently reassuring what Hiccup promised before she left after him.

Grabbing the hammer, Teeth stared at the orange emitting scrap piece. Recalling the orange glow from the burning White Wake, she instantly began to pound on it, as if to help cancel the memory.

"Gobber!" Hiccup called out, seeing the ship and person sailing get closer.

"Oi, Hiccup! Help a one-handed Viking out and tie off my ship!" He shouted, smiling as he tossed a coil of rope to him.

Hiccup instantly began to do so, helping bring in the ship. Astrid also began to help by tying off the bow, smiling at their unexpected guest.

"Ah, that's better." He grunted, stepping off the ship. "I keep fergettin' how long of a trip it is from Berk to here. I see the place hasn't been burned down yet."

"Not yet, though the twins are trying hard. I swear that they're more of threat to us than the Hunters. Especially of late!" Hiccup replied with a wide smile. "Won't lie, Gobber, we forgot you were coming by."

"Yeah, well, your father wanted me to check up on you; as well as your friend Teeth." He replied with a smile. Shifting a chest on his shoulder, he added. "Thought it'd be best that I check on the lass. How is she?"

"She just started walking a couple of days ago." Astrid replied. "Well, she forced herself to start walking at least. She's been working the forge for us since. She doesn't know how to slow down."

"I'm familiar with her kind of spirit. It's the same one that yer family is made of." He replied with a smile. "Would you stop or rest if you knew your friends or family were in danger?"

Astrid shook her head, admitting her own passion to protecting others.

"Aye, that's because yer a Hofferson." He continued to say with a smile. "I'm sure Teeth has the same passion. Only in her case, it's avenging."

"Yeah, she hasn't stopped talking about tracking and finding the Hunters herself." Hiccup admitted, turning to look up at the forge room, which had a column of smoke rising from it.

"Hmm…" Gobber replied, also staring up at where the forge was. "Welp, let me go see how she's doin'. Get something ready for me to eat, Hiccup. I'm starving for something warm."

"Uh, sure thing, Gobber." He called out, watching him walk up the ramp to the given room.

The closer he got, the louder he could hear the pounding of metal. They were strong strikes, given the loudness and consistency. Whoever Teeth was before living at the Edge, she certainly had a knowledge of using a hammer.

Making sure his hammer for a hand was on secure, he knocked on the door.

"Yeah? What now, Snotlout?"

Gobber then opened up the door, revealing a shocked looking Teeth. Her reddish, curly hair was mangled and messy, showing she hadn't done anything with it for the few days she was up. Her face had black smears on it, due to the nature of working the forge. Her hands were almost midnight black, telling him how long she's been shaping metal. She wore one of Hiccup's brown aprons, which had more wear on it than he had even seen on Hiccup!

"Oh, uh…sorry." Teeth stammered, surprised at seeing him. "I was expecting Snotlout or someone else."

"Not to worry, lass. Just dropping off some extra tools for Hiccup- er, I guess for you." He replied with his casual smile. Walking past her, he set the chest he was carrying onto the table.

"Ah, good. His old set is starting to wear down." She replied, sticking a particularly curved looking metal piece back into the forge.

Eyeing what she was doing, he immediately recognized what she was making. "Arm guards, eh?"

"Oh, you noticed." She replied, a little annoyed at his observation.

"I've crafted a few myself." He explained, walking over with a pair of new tongs. Pulling out the shaped metal plate, he carefully observed it. "I usually broke it up into two pieces though. Adds some flexibility."

"And I plan on doing that with three pieces." She quickly explained, watching him place it back in the forge. "It's part of a new gauntlet I'm making, and this is one of three pieces. They'll be layered atop of each other, stopping at the wrist. I've still got to craft the glove to attach metal plates to protect my hand and fingers."

"Clever." He admitted, seeing the other two pieces cooling on a stone workbench. As she explained, they were built to be layered on each other, effectively protecting her arms to her elbows. "How do you like working the Gronckle Iron?"

"It's a pain." She growled, pulling on the rope to continue to stoke the forge. "It's harder to shape for smaller pieces; and it's the reason why I'm not done with my armor yet, just because of how often I have to put them back in the forge to heat them up again. Just to shape it! Let alone actually strengthening and tempering them. Working on my chest piece is going to take a week or two just to get the shaping right for all the parts. And then I'll have to worry about putting it together!"

Gobber noticed a pair of thin leather boots under the workbench. They both had Gronkle Iron plates essentially stitched into them, with tiny spikes sticking on the soles. Even the toe part of the boot was clad in the shiny metal. Reaching down, he grabbed one to inspect it. "I guess the question remains… what do you plan on doing in this armor?"

"Guess." She replied with gruff voice, pulling out the glowing metal piece and resumed pounding it again.

Gobber watched her hammer it. Her strong strikes certainly had a form and certain experience behind each hit. Intrigued by her style, he simply waited until she was finished working on the piece.

"…gods…" She growled, placing the metal back in the forge. "I'm gonna die of old age before I finish my armor."

Chuckling, Gobber then walked over to where a pitcher of water was placed. Pouring two cups of it, he walked back over to hand her one. "That's probably a stretch. But I can tell you'll put enough effort and care into your work that you won't finish anytime soon, that's for sure."

Surprised by the offer, she slowly took the offered cup. Taking a large swallow, she gasped out for breath as she wiped her mouth. "When it comes to my personal gear, I always take extra time to finish it. Whether it be for me, or for someone else I actually care about…" At that, she glanced at her dad's sword, still leaning against the wall where she set it.

Noticing her glance at the sword, he finished his drink and set it down on the workbench. "So…anything you'd like me to do fer ya'?"

"Thanks, but Hiccup offered already." She replied bluntly, returning her attention to the forge. Pulling the rope to make it hotter, she then sarcastically added. "Unless you can get rid of winter. I hate the cold."

"Might not be able to do that." He chuckled. "But I can make it so your armor will feel like it's spring at least."

"Oh?" She replied, now suddenly interested.

"I can tell you're not from here, given your boots you used." He explained. "They're made out of a thin leather, great if yer from where you hailed from. Not so great where it snows most of the year. If you want me too, I'm willing to craft some gear that will keep you warmer."

Surprised by the offer, and also angry with herself for not thinking about using the same style of clothing as the natives of the north, she nodded. "I guess that makes sense. It'll help me blend in too."

"Blend in?" He repeated, reaching for a knife to cut the metal plates off the boot he was holding.

"Yeah. As someone from this area of the world."

"Care to explain as to why?"

"Hiccup and the others are searching for Viggo and the Hunters." She explained, almost getting angry at the thought. "And they haven't even come close to finding where he's hiding. Not even at his old island he set up as a base."

"And you have a way to find them?"

"I do. People like Viggo don't just disappear without leaving a connection or two. And those kinds of people are in places none of the Riders can go to. Not without sticking out like a Scauldron on land."

Gobber silently listened, knowing exactly what she was planning.

"It just so happens I've lived my life like a Marauder. I know how to deal with those people. And I know how to make them talk."

"And you want find these people to find out for yourself."

"For all of us." She growled, using her tongs to pull the metal piece out. Resting it on the anvil, she growled as she started to pound on it. "Every. One. Betrayed. And. Hurt. By. The. Grimborns. Will. Know. Where. They're. At!"

Gobber watched the metal bend with every strike, essentially ruining the shape that she was trying to perfect.

Holding it up to observe the damage done to it, she growled. "All I need is my armor, and a new spear."

Knowing her determination, Gobber quietly walked over to her. Letting her set down the ruined metal piece, he sat on the workbench to make her look at him. "I know yer kind..." He began to say.

"I'm sure you've had raiders and enemies invade your island." She growled, forced to converse with him.

"No. Not what I meant. I meant I know people that have yer heart." He whispered.

Taken back by the correction, she simply waited to hear what he was getting at.

"You have a fire inside of you. Like a forge." He continued to say, popping out his hammer of a hand from him prosthetic. Sticking his tongs in place of his hand, he reached to grab the ruined scrap metal. "It can break metal. It can even make weapons…people like you are rare in this world. Whether you see it or not, yer just like Hiccup."

Teeth raised an eyebrow at the comparison, not believing him at all.

"The thing about the forge inside you two, is that you use it for different purposes." He continued to say. "Yeh've been raised to fight. To pillage. To enforce. Hiccup's been raised the same when it came to dragons. But he does something very different with his 'forge' or heart."

"Like what?"

"Well, he's equally fierce when it comes to fighting for friends and family. He never gives up, regardless of what he's been through. If he didn't become the dragon master he is now because of dwelling on what happened to his foot."

"But how does he use his…heart, differently?" She growled. "How are we the same, if we have different motives?"

"Yer motives are the same. He doesn't accomplish his by destroying though." He explained, ignoring the fight in her voice. Pulling out the glowing metal, he grabbed Teeth's tongs out of her hand. "Yeh see, forges can be used to destroy and create things. But they can also be used to heal or repair things too."

Teeth gasped as she watched the old smith shape the glowing metal with the two tongs. She couldn't believe it as he turned the ruined, beat up scrap piece into the exact shape and size she was trying to get. Without using a hammer!

Measuring it up to the other two pieces, he smiled in satisfaction. "Just remember that there's more to life than just breaking and destroying things. Sometimes repairing and rebuilding is just as important and satisfying."

"…thank you…" She whispered, staring at the metal piece with a stunned look.

"Now, if yer willing, I might have a suggestion for you."

"I guess I better at least hear you out." She admitted, shaking her head to being herself back from her stupor.

"If Viggo catches word that an armored, spear-wielding shield-maiden is asking questions about him and his whereabouts, what is he going to think?"

"That someone is after him. Good." She replied with her usual flat tone.

"Not so fast, lass." He counseled, slightly pushing her with the tongs connected to his arm. "Use that brain of yers. How many people does he know, that are armored head to toe, fight with a spear, and knows him personally."

"…only me…" She whispered, seeing his wisdom.

"See? You'll be walking into a trap before you even knew you were close to him." He counseled. "And I wouldn't count on the gods sparing you a second time."

"So what are you suggesting, hmm?" She challenged, not liking being called out.

Gobber smiled as he reached for the silver longsword resting on the wall. Observing the craftsmanship of it, he then handed it to her. "That a certain mercenary, wielding a single longsword and no armor, is looking for work from prestigious men."

Seeing his plan, she shook her head. "I can't fight as well with a longsword."

"I don't think you need to fight to learn of where he's at. You just need to talk." He quickly countered. "I'm sure the men you know so well will be willing to tell out about Viggo, as they think you're a sell sword looking for work. After you learn where he's at, well…you can then have the Riders pick you up and work together to fight him and his men."

Seeing the wisdom of going under a guise, she reluctantly agreed with him. "Not a bad idea. Plenty can still go wrong though."

"All plans can go wrong. Ask Hiccup about that. From what I understand, he and Astrid met you because one of their plans went awry." He replied, smiling at her attempts to refute his idea.

"They'll have to agree to it." She added, slowly nodding in agreement with him.

"Then let's go talk to them." He replied, gesturing for her to walk with him.

Slowly, she began to leave, reaching for a fur coat as she left. "Whatever I'm wearing as a disguise, it's gotta be warm." She growled, shivering just at the thought of walking outside.

"Don't ya' worry, lass. We won't let you freeze if we can help it." He laughed, following closely behind her.