A/N: This is definitely the longest chapter I've ever written. And I wanted to convey my apologies early because I feel the ending is too rushed.
"Hiccup!" a voice called rather loudly. Said man began opening his eyes to a strange room of both dark and bright colours. He closed his eyes to let them adjust to, what he expected was morning, and stretched his tired limbs. Pushing himself up, he saw the iron gate in front of him and only then he remembered he was Berk's prison.
"Hiccup!" the voice called again. He recognized that voice anywhere. He looked to the wall that held the only window in his cell and saw a green eye appear suddenly. "What are you doing here? Are you in trouble?" Toothless asked.
"Sort of bud" Hiccup replied.
"Do you want me to break out of here? It won't take long ... " he said, moving back to shoot the wall down.
"What? NO! Toothless no!" he said, immediately standing on his bed and holding the metal bars of the window. He managed to stop him just in time as he saw the purple plasma blast glow in his mouth and was about to fire.
"What do you mean no? Don't you want to escape?" he asked, sitting back down.
"It's complicated bud. I was trialed last night and I managed to evade the death penalty. But as my punishment, I am officially branded as an outcast and traitor to Berk and I have to repair all the damage that the village sustained in last night's raid" he explained, getting off his bed and doing a few stretches to get his muscles warmed up for the long day ahead of him.
"I'll help with the heavy lifting" Toothless said, coming back to the window.
"You can't help bud"
"Now I can't help? I'm helping whether you like it or ..."
"You can't help because I'll be publicly punished if I get help from anyone" Hiccup emphasized the last word "I'll have to do the work on my own. You can be there with me, but you can't help me at all."
"We should just leave you know, since apparently they just want to see you suffer and look helpless"
"Well, the joke's on them. They don't know we built a mansion ... and I did most of the work in that as well" he said with a laugh.
"I helped!"
"Yeah ... like five minutes each day" Hiccup laughed.
"And how much did I get done in those five minutes?" Toothless shot back, but his attention was directed at someone walking up the hill. He got back on all fours, silently preparing to take the person down if he/she had any bad intentions towards Hiccup. He did relax once he saw it was the village's smithy.
Gobber smiled back at the dragon, wishing him a good morning before he went inside the prison.
"Well, yer in one piece which means last night's talk went better than expected" the smithy said, stopping in front of Hiccup's cell.
"My father actually surprised me, Gobber. Apparently he wants to help me get Astrid back ... how did you talk him into it?" his former apprentice asked, coming up to the gate.
"You don't give yer father enough credit, Hiccup. He wanted to help you from the start" said Gobber, taking the key ring from his belt and searching for the one that unlocks the cell gates.
"No, seriously, how did you convince him?" Hiccup didn't believe what he said.
"I'm serious, Hiccup. He wanted to help you as soon as we figured out why you two looked so down. He just forgot that he could start by taking you back as his son and I reminded him 'bout that. Apart from that, it's all him. Whatever he said to you last night was from him and not me" the smithy said as he found the key and unlocked the door.
"Now come on, you have a long day ahead of ya" he said, beckoning him to take the lead with his metal hook. Hiccup was greeted by the pleasant morning rays, warming him up even further. It was invigorating to say the least, after sleeping with a blanket too thin to be called a blanket. It would be more suited in being a bed sheet or curtain.
"You do know yer dragon isn't allowed to help right?" Gobber asked.
"Yeah, he knows. Is it alright if he can just be with me, like just watching over me?" he asked.
"The rules of your sentence never said anything about your dragon not allowed to be there, so I believe it's fine. Just be prepared if certain people come up and accuse ye of breaking the terms of yer sentence" Gobber warned him. Hiccup nodded his thanks as he, Gobber and Toothless, who had walked beside them, reached the smithy.
"Okay, let's see 'ere" Gobber said, pulling out a scroll that was left on the counter. He untied the string holding it and when he unrolled the scroll, the paper had to be about nine feet long. "Wow, you sure have a lot on your plate today and maybe for the week" he said, looking over the things Hiccup had to do.
"That much damage, huh?" Hiccup asked, looking around the forge for the materials and tools he will need for the day.
"Oh and, if people come up and ask you to do something for them, you'll have to as well without question" Gobber said, regret in his voice.
"My punishment never included that."
"I know, it will happen, and it will most likely be from the people you least want to see."
"Oh there's a surprise" Hiccup said with an eye roll. After he had gathered a sufficient amount of nails, tools and rope, he came up to read over the scroll himself. "My dad wrote this?" he asked immediately, recognizing the handwriting.
"Ah yes. Stoick couldn't pick you up today because he's in a counsel meeting discussing their next move on finding the nest" Gobber said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hiccup shake his head in disbelief. "Ye know, it would help if they knew what they were up against" Gobber encouraged.
"It wouldn't matter. They would still go in sword and ax swinging like mad and die instantly" he said, looking over what he had to do. "Besides, they'll never find the nest" he added the last part. That was the only reason he wasn't extremely worried that they might die. "Okay, so repairing the roofs of two animal barns, repairing fourteen houses, fixing up some of the docks and repairing all the parts of the catapults I destroyed" he said, rolling up the piece of parchment.
"Well ye have to admit, that blowing up the catapults was all yer fault" his mentor said, lighting up his forge to prepare all the materials Hiccup will need. Technically that is helping but what no one knows won't hurt them.
"Well, I better get going. See yah Gobber" Hiccup waved after him, placing the parchment in one of Toothless' saddle compartments and the dragon following after him.
"It's gonna take a long time, isn't it?" his friend asked.
"Yep, but I'll try to make time later for flying bud" he said, rubbing his chin. It's the least he could since his dragon is sticking with him instead of heading to the arena where the other dragons are.
"That reminds me, what about your lessons for the other dragon riders?"
"They'll have to wait for a while. I'll try and finish this work as fast as possible to make more time for them" Hiccup replied as they reached their first job. It was one of the old barns he remembered as a child. It was the largest in Berk, housing the most animals and straight away he could see a huge gash right along the centre of the roof, appearing to cut the building in half. When he checked inside, he thanked the Gods that the main support beam was unscathed, still standing strong. That saved him a lot of trouble.
"Wait out here bud" he instructed as he walked inside the barn. The remaining animals from the raid were already grazing about in the fields near the barn, leaving it empty. He climbed up to the hay lift to get a better look at the damage and saw most of the wood on the roof was charred and broken in half. He made the calculated measurements of length and size of wood he'll need for the repair and climbed back down to a waiting Toothless.
"You know as well as I do that you WILL need my help repairing that right?"
"Like I said before, bud, you can't help me" was Hiccup's response walking past him and to Berk's saw mill where he was sure he could find the wood he had in mind.
000
"Is that clear everyone? We'll continue the same way we have for the past month since we can take the dragon attacks as a sign we are getting closer. We just have to slay them and continue on and we'll find their damned nest" Stoick spoke, his voice echoing through the Great Hall.
"So we're still killing dragons even though your son is highly against it?" asked Spitelout, raising an eyebrow.
"Just because he's helping us here doesn't mean we're going to stop searching for their nest. We're Vikings was we'll continue trying as long as we can to be rid of them" his Chief replied. Stoick knew Spitelout was deliberately putting him into controversial situations that regarded the views of his son. Even though he's seen the success the young adults have been having with their dragons, he still has the reputation and image of a Chief to uphold and considering they were just attacked last night, it was usual for them to launch their own attack right after.
"Alright everyone, get the ships ready, we leave once the final cargo his loaded" he yelled and shouts of 'Ayes' rang across the Hall, and soon the Vikings began piling out, determined to set sail soon.
"Arnbjorn!" Stoick called, after seeing the man among the crowd. He gestured for him to come over. Spitelout and the others were too busy reveling in the news and eagerness to leave that they didn't pay attention to Arnbjorn making his way through the crowd to Stoick. The two men waited no one was left in the Hall.
"What is it Chief?"
"I need you to stay behind"
"What?" asked Arnbjorn. His Chief had never asked him to stay behind in all the years he knew him.
"You heard me, I need you to stay behind and look after the village" Stoick repeated.
"But isn't that something you task Gobber with when we leave on these missions?"
"Gobber will be busy producing all materials Hiccup will need during his repairs and that means all day in the forge. You're the only other person I trust, Arnbjorn and I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't have faith in ya" Stoick reasoned.
"Why not ask Spitelout to do it?"
"You remembered what happened last time I put him as leader?" Stoick asked, a not amused expression on his face.
"Alright, fair enough" Arnbjorn conceded, looking down, disappointed that he would miss this week's search for the dragon nest.
"Thank you Arnbjorn" Stoick said, placing his large hand over his friend's shoulder. "Come, I'll show you what you'll have to do while we're gone" he said, leading him out of the Hall.
000
"What do we do today?" Tuff groaned. The gang were now just resting in the shade of a house that overlooked the main square and the forge, where Gobber was hard at work.
"We could go train with our dragons" Fishlegs suggested.
"No ... we need Hiccup to teach us remember?" Astrid reminded. She kept glancing in the direction of the forge, hoping to see Hiccup and check up on how he was doing.
"Why don't you teach us? You've spent the most time with him and know what he's done" Ruff pointed out, examining her nails while her brother had simply slumped to the ground due to the overwhelming boredom.
"I don't have the expertise he has and he has this ... way, with the dragons" Astrid explained.
"That's not the only thing he has a way with" Ruff said, casting a sly glance at Astrid and an all knowing wink. The young blonde simply huffed in response, looking away but couldn't help the small heat reach her cheeks. Fortunately for her, Fishlegs and Tuffnut weren't paying attention to their conversation.
"At least Hiccup can keep busy the whole day" Fishlegs said.
"Fishlegs, if I were him, I wouldn't want to spend the whole day fixing and repairing buildings for no apparent reason" Astrid said.
"Well there is a very good reason why he's working his arse off today and probably for the next week" an all too irritating voice spoke. Astrid, as well as the whole gang, groaned in annoyance at seeing Snotlout approach them with a smug smile on his face. "He helped the dragons escape, took out our catapults making us defenseless against any kind of attack and stole my kill" he said leaning right by Astrid's side.
"Even after all he's taught you, you're still treating him like Hiccup the Useless?" Fishlegs asked, beating Astrid to the question.
"He still is! He never stopped being Hiccup the Useless" Snotlout defended himself.
"So what he showed us yesterday proved he was Hiccup the Useless? Even though he survived unimaginable torture that each of us wouldn't even assume going through?" Astrid asked him. She couldn't believe how much hate one could have for another person.
"Then if he's so great how did he get captured in the first place? He should have been alert or at least have done a bit of scouting to make sure no enemy was around" said Snotlout.
"Alright Snotlout, if you're so angry at him letting your kill go free, how about you go into that ring and kill your Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang; the dragon that Hiccup helped you train and befriend" Astrid challenged him. Fishlegs and the Twins were waiting intently for Snotlout's answer. If he did say yes, that would mean complete disregard for whatever Hiccup has slaved to teach them.
"Alright. I will!" he yelled and proceeded to making his way to the Arena with the others close at his heels.
"Will he do it?" Fishlegs whispered to Astrid.
"No he won't. My bet is that he'll either get smacked against the wall or break down crying saying how he can't kill him" Astrid replied with a smile.
"Well at least we'll Snotlout smacked against the wall. That'll definitely brighten my day up" Tuff yelled in excitement. The teens walked by the docks where they saw the ships getting ready for another quest for the nest. But this time, instead of wishing to be tagging along, they were glad they were staying back.
The dragons were roaming about freely in the Arena when they heard the approaching footsteps of their riders.
"Well, another day of messing around with them" Hookfang said.
"For you and your rider but I can't wait to beat all of you again with my rider" Stormfly said proudly, stretching out one of her wings to preen it.
"It's always a competition with you guys. Just take a day off or something" said Meatlug from her corner. The teens walked in with Snotlout leading the way and his large hammer in hand, walking right up to Hookfang.
"This ought to be interesting" the Nightmare remarked with a smile.
"Listen to me you overgrown worm ..." Snotlout started but all the dragons made their own gasp at this human's word. The other dragon riders noticed their dragons reactions and definitely noticed their movements away from Hookfang. A dragon being called a worm was one of the greatest insults that could be thrown at them. It was especially insulting to a Monstrous Nightmare. "... I am a Viking, and you know what Vikings do?" he asked his dragon. Hookfang simply stared at him, the word 'worm' still fresh in his mind. "They kill dragons and hang their heads on above their fireplaces!" Snotlout said, taking the handle of his hammer with both hands now. Hookfang noticed this and saw the idiotic young man raise his hammer, preparing to hit him.
"I am going to join that illustrious rank of heroes today" he yelled. Snotlout brought his face right up to his rider's and stared his yellow orbs at him, as if daring him to make his move. "You think I won't do it? I will! I'm warning ya!" raising his hammer even higher.
"This is getting awkward" Ruff whispered to Astrid. It was being awkward now. From where they were, Hookfang was just staring, unamused, at Snotlout who was right now ranting like a madman.
"Let's enjoy this moment" Astrid whispered back, refusing to hold back the grin she had on her face at the sight in front of her.
"Stop giving me that look" Snotlout said, noticing the look of disappointment on the dragon's face. Wait, look of disappointment on a dragon's face?
"Come on then. Do IT" Hookfang said, even though Snotlout didn't understand him.
"This will not end well" said Stormfly.
Only Hookfang could see the conflict on Snotlout's face. He could see the inward struggle in his eyes. He saw this boy before, the amount of stress he was put under by an older man who might have been his father, urging him on to be the best Viking there ever was. But that side was contradicted by everything Hiccup showed him with dragons. He was taught that dragons always go for the kill, but here he was , with his hammer just a swing away from leaving a mark on Hookfang's face, and the dragon hadn't made a move to retaliate. He didn't light up, he didn't claw him, didn't try to eat him; hadn't even touched him. He was just right in his face, staring at him with what looked like disappointment in his eyes.
"Stop looking at me like that!" Snotlout yelled. Hookfang continued to hold his gaze. "You don't know what I have to go through!" he said, tightening his hold on the hammer. "You don't know the pressure of having everything thrust upon you just because your stupid cousin turned high tail and ran!" This was new. All the riders never heard Snotlout speak like this. Astrid knew that what he said wasn't all true, but was surprised nonetheless.
"Being yelled at and made known of the punishments that I'll receive if I mess up ... you don't know any of it!" he yelled at the dragon, whose gaze softened. Hookfang then nudged his rider at his side, as if telling him that it is okay ... just let it all go. Snotlout's conflicted gaze finally broke and he dropped his hammer with a loud clang and reached up to hold Hookfang's snout with both his hands, finally looking deep into his dragon's eyes, finally seeing what Hiccup was talking about.
"Thank you" Snotlout whispered, only loud enough for his dragon to hear. Hookfang, content with how everything turned out pulled back and turned around.
"Aw man! No injuries?" Tuff whined.
At that moment, Hookfang slapped Snotlout with his tail right into the wall. "Never try anything like that again" Hookfang said, casting a glance to his rider who was now sprawled against the ground.
The other riders let out a breath of relief they never realized they were holding in. Finally Snotlout saw what got them so excited and their change of mentality from killing dragons to defending them.
"I would have settled for set alight on fire, but getting slapped to the wall works too" Tuff said, happy he got to see some violence. After watching the transformation in front of them, the gang went to their dragons, rubbing them down and were about to engage in some fun games.
"I guess I could show you guys what Hiccup taught me" Astrid suggested, seeing how well the others were getting along with their dragons. Stormfly was by her her side now, asking for attention which she gladly gave.
"I gotta go, have some stuff to do" Snotlout said, getting up, dusting himself off and making his way quickly to the exit.
"Turns out he actually has a heart" Ruff stated, hanging from one of the heads of her and Tuff's Zippleback.
"He might, but it was and never will be enough for mine" Astrid whispered, no one else hearing her statement.
000
Arnbjorn watched the ships sail off towards the horizon, on another quest to find the dragon's nest and end the raids once and for all. He didn't understand why Stoick would want him to stay behind this time. He had always been by his side on these quests. Over the past five years he had grown to know him personally and learned himself that Stoick valued his judgement and friendship. For him to ask this all of a sudden was quite a surprise. But there was no way he could take it up with the Chief now since he would be gone for two weeks at the most. He had a list of things to get done ... actually there was barely anything to get done since at least eighty percent of the villagers had left, leaving only the elderly, teens, children, the Elder Counsel members and a few of the farmers and shop owners. He decided to make his way back home.
He found his wife and two sons training in the back. He and Ingrid both took turns in training their children. Since Astrid was done, that only left both of their sons who had much to learn.
"Rolof, remember your stance" Ingrid yelled as she came at her sons. She was taking it easy on them for obvious reasons but it was a bit amusing to see their terrified faces as an attacking Ingrid came at them. He knew though that no one would want to face his wife in battle, from experience. Ingrid looked to see her husband coming towards them and allowed for a ten minute break. As she said the last word, both Rolof and Gaulder fell to the ground out of breath.
"Clearly they take your side when it come to fighting" she mused as she kissed her husband.
"Well, it's nice to know they'll end up like their old man" Arnbjorn replied with a laugh.
"That reminds me" Ingrid said walking to the house. "Wait there!" she commanded as she entered. In a few seconds she saw her come back out with an old family heirloom in her hands ... her father's sword. This could only mean one thing.
"We can talk inside" she said, moving eyes to the boys who were still catching their breath. He understood that they did not need to be concerned of this matter, and so followed his wife, her closing the door after him.
"So I take that to Gobber and ask him to shine it up?" he asked, sitting down at the table.
"You could ... but that's not why I called you in here"
"Then what is it?"
"I had a chat with Astrid last night, about the matter" she said.
"What did she say?" he asked slowly. Judging by his tone, Ingrid knew he was scared at hearing what his daughter. She couldn't blame him thinking that his daughter might have confessed about how much she hates her father right now.
"I did ask her if she would talk to me but she stayed silent"
"Just like you when you're mad" he tried to joke. Ingrid did laugh a bit, knowing it would cheer him up a bit.
"I then asked if she loved Hiccup" he visibly tensed at this bit.
"And what did she say?"
"Apparently a lot happened on that search for him, maybe more" she said sadly, sitting down next to him, placing her hand over his. That was normally never a good sign. The last time she did that was over a decade ago, nearly two. It was when his brother was killed by the Flightmare. Him, his family and daughter were all devastated that day. Astrid took it incredibly hard because Finn was a big part of her life back then. He even helped begin her combat training. And for her to do that now, he was preparing for the worst.
"Apparently, Hiccup had three chances to take away her virginity" she said slowly. His unoccupied hand immediately curled into a fist and if she didn't say anything fast, it would come down and break the table in half. "But he never followed through with his attentions ... always stopping themselves from going too far" she said quickly. Once her husband was in a rage, there was no stopping him.
"Well now I know they've ended up naked with each other"
"Technically half naked. I deduced that the most they did was make-out with extreme passion but nothing more."
"And you can read that right off her face? What if they did other ... activities?" he asked, searching her eyes for some form of agreement, but was only met with sheer calmness and a 'are you serious' expression.
"She would have told me that, dear. But other than confessing how of making out and nearly having her purity taken away three times, and how she took him to the prison instead of others, how she was the first one by Hiccup's side after the trial ... even the day when she came, remember? When Alvin had her tied up and we couldn't do anything. Hiccup didn't do anything. If he didn't care about her he would have risked her life, but no, he surrendered because he refused to let Astrid die because of him" she reasoned.
"Sounds to me like you're taking his side now" he said with a rueful smile.
"I'm not taking his side; it's just Astrid told me that we should talk to him and that would show us why she loves him"
"I don't know, Ingrid. He's already the branded traitor of Berk and an outcast ... this whole business with the dragons ..." he seemed skeptical.
"Do you want your daughter to stop speaking to you, looking at you and loving you for the rest of your life?" she snapped at him. "I'm willing to give this is a shot because we technically do owe him. He could have easily let Alvin kill our baby girl, but he didn't. At least think of this as some kind of 'Thank You' talk" she said. Arnbjorn knew there was no point arguing with her. He didn't want the only other girl in his life to hate him for not trying.
"Alright, I'll do it" he said. Ingrid smiled in response, giving him a peck on the lips before going back outside to train with the boys.
"The only match for a stubborn Viking ... an equally stubborn and deadly wife" he muttered under his breath, laughing a bit as well. He grabbed the scabbard that held the sword and walked out the front door, on his way to the forge.
000
"Told you it'd go a lot faster with me helping"
"You, do not understand the heap of trouble I would have gotten in if someone saw you helping me!" Hiccup silently yelled at him.
"Well no one did, and look, it's not even afternoon yet .. you should be thankful that I quickened your work"
"Just please, don't do it again. I don't want to take the risk" Hiccup pleaded as he went into the forge with Toothless waiting at the entrance. Gobber was busy clanging away, producing more nails with the raw iron he had and fixing up a few other weapons as well.
"I see you're back early" he noted, seeing the semi-tired Hiccup trudge into the main room.
"Ah well, told you I get work done quick" he said, looking over to see what was next on the list.
"Oh, I wasn't worried at all, with that dragon of yours, you should get everything done by tomorrow night" he said, a knowing smile at Hiccup's reaction taking place.
"I ... I-d-didn't use Toothless" he stuttered. There was his old apprentice.
"Come on Hiccup, do you really think anyone could have finished fixing that barn up in the time you did? I'm hurt that you could think so lowly of me" he said in a mock tone of hurt.
"Please Gobber, I started thinking that of you years ago" Hiccup retorted meeting Gobber's serious eyes with the same look, but both of them couldn't keep up their straight faces and burst into laughter.
"I missed ya lad" Gobber said, rubbing a tear away from his eye.
"Same here Gobber." The two didn't notice Arnbjorn walk up to the counter, a bit perplexed at the situation in front of him. He never imagined Hiccup being this carefree after the punishment he received.
"Ah, Arnbjorn, what can I do for ya?" Gobber asked, hobbling over to the counter.
"As you know the marriage is in a month, and I need my family sword prepared for the occasion" he said, placing the scabbard on the counter delicately. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hiccup flinch at the mention of the wedding but quickly tried to get back on his tasks.
"Ah, old Slicer here needs a makeover aye?" Gobber asked, pulling the sword out of its scabbard. It was an impressive piece of metal. Long, sleek, and it was rare. It curved inward near the middle, but began to expand as it reached the tip. Hiccup took a quick glance at it and knew the sword had seen better days. It was clearly used in dragon attacks and he could see the dried blood stains on it which made him sick to his stomach. "Don't worry, I'll fix it right up" he said, moving to the anvil to begin the process.
"Actually ... I was hoping Hiccup could work on it" he said. Both men looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. Hiccup dropped the scroll he had and Gobber nearly dropped the hammer on his good foot.
"Are you sure Arnbjorn? Hiccup has a lot on his plate and .. "
"I'm sure. Besides, the rules of his punishment did say that he has to help any villager with a task before his other jobs" Arnbjorn said, looking Hiccup up and down. "Are you up for it?" he asked the supposed lover of his daughter.
"Uh ... I'm not sure sir. I haven't worked with a blade in a few months and I would not want to ruin a fine blade such as that" Hiccup said, keeping his tone light and talking to him with respect.
"Hiccup, this is not a request, it's an order. I trust that you will do to the best that your abilities allow you to" he said, gesturing to Gobber to give the sword back to him. The smithy gave it back, handle first and Hiccup watched Mr. Hofferson flip the sword in the air, catching it by the handle before placing it back in its scabbard and giving it to him. He slowly reached out his arms and grabbed hold of the scabbard, examining the hard leather casing that the sword called home.
"Deliver it when you have finished it" was all Arnbjorn said before turning his back and leaving the still shocked Hiccup looking at the scabbard.
"Come on boy, snap out of it!" Gobber said, snapping two fingers in front of his face. With a quick blink Hiccup was back in reality.
"What just happened?" he asked, looking at his mentor.
"I think he just gave you a chance to get on his good side ... don't mess it up" Gobber warned before returning to his work.
"Love your motivation talks" Hiccup called back, though his remark was drowned out by the hammering of Gobber's hammer on the anvil. "What do you think bud, do you think I can do this?" he asked Toothless, who had watched the whole scene unfold from the back entrance.
"Since I don't know anything about forging, yeah you got this" he said, settling down for the rest of the day since he knew first hand that once Hiccup had a task, and one as big as this, he would never stop until it was finished. Hiccup meanwhile was having a wave of ideas to sort and figure out which would be the best choice to make this sword as great as it could be. The first concern was the weight. Yes, it had a beautiful shape, but with that thin centre, he was worried that the swords' battles would be coming to an end. Next, it seemed that iron had faded a bit in certain parts, the handle was a bit worn out and there were scratches, scrapes and a dent or two in its perfect physique. 'I really have a lot to do with this' he thought.
However, he did remember a certain material he brought with him which he could use to improve or remold the sword. He laid the scabbard back down on his workbench and ran to Toothless, quickly looking into the bag that he was carrying. He immediately pulled out a rather large lump of Gronckle Iron.
"That's what has been in there? No wonder why I felt I was carrying a flock of Terrible Terrors"
Hiccup muttered a quick sorry to his dragon before heading back in and right to Gobber, "How would Mr. Hofferson feel if I improved his sword by making it out of another material?" he asked. The smithy stopped what he was doing and stared at Hiccup as if he had a death wish.
"Are ye seriously thinking about changing that sword?" he asked. No Viking liked it when their most prized weapon was changed. A weapon here was treated as if it were your own child. You took care of it, gave it its own special place in the house and even though it wasn't perfect in the eyes of others, they still knew what a weapon meant to its owner. "He didn't ask you to make changes"
"But he did imply to make it better right? I can do that with this material" he said, placing the huge ore piece on the table. Gobber closed one eye and examined it as if he were examining for any scratches on a gem.
"What is it?"
"It's called Gronckle Iron. It's sort of like frozen Gronckle barf" Hiccup grimaced. Gobber pulled back and looked at him with a skeptical eye.
"And you want to fuse barf into Arnbjorn's most prized weapon ... a weapon that will be used in the wedding?"
"Just hear me out. Once a shield or weapon is forged from this, it is extremely light but extremely strong. I thought it wouldn't survive a strike from another sword but when I tested it out on a tree with a relatively thin trunk, it cut right through! It also looks more presentable ... something that you could place above your fireplace and watch it glow against the flickering flames as if it was being given by Odin himself" he said. Gobber saw that spark in his eyes which he usually got when he was excited about something. He was pleading with those eyes to let him to do it.
"He asked you Hiccup, not me ... so feel free to do what you think is best, but don't involve me" his mentor said, taking a step back and he couldn't help but smile at Hiccup's facial expression. It was of a child who just woke up on Snoggletog morning and rushing down to see the present he asked for. However, he was definitely surprised when Hiccup hugged him, granted his arms didn't reach all the way round but a hug nonetheless.
"Thanks Gobber" he said, pulling back before Gobber could bring his arms round him. Hiccup grabbed the lump of Gronckle Iron and placed it in a metal pot which he placed in the forge's massive hearth to melt it down.
"Toothless!" he called and said dragon appeared in the doorway. "I need more heat, give a hot blast will ya?" he asked, moving back. The Night Fury obliged, breathing in and let out a fast shot at the hearth which raised the temperature ten fold. "Thanks bud" Hiccup said with smile, before turning his attention to Slicer. He pulled the sword out and also placed it in the hearth, the special compartment where swords could be placed to melt down. While the metals melted, he grabbed a few papers and started drawing out designs for the sword he had in mind. He would make the sword a bit wider so that there would be more strength in the middle, improve the hilt as well for a better and lighter grip and he would have to make new scabbard as well. But he wasn't concerned. He knew he could get this done by tonight. This is what he was good at.
After getting everything planned, he went to the rack that held the different shapes of swords embedded in them. There were only two where the sword curved inward at the middle before expanding outwards at the tip again. Luckily one of them was the exact shape he was going for. With some effort, he carried the stone slab mold to the forging table, laid it down and went to check on the metals.
He had given them a good twenty minutes to reach molten form. He placed his apron on and gloves and used the massive tongs to lift the metal container that the Gronckle Iron was placed in and poured it right into the cast. The molten Iron filled nearly filled out the cast. He then used the tongs again to hold the metal container, placed it under a drain point of the slab in the hearth, where Slicer was nothing but molten iron now. He pressed a lever that shifted a small stone door and watched the molten iron drain into the container.
He carried the remnants of Slicer to the still liquid Gronckle Iron and poured it in to help fill out the sword. He didn't have to pour much and he could tell Mr. Hofferson that there were still traces of old Slicer left in this new one. He placed the metal container back in the hearth, already having plans of what to do with the excess iron. In fact, he figured he should get started since it would take time for the metal to could down a bit before he could start hammering out the right shapes.
He went back to the cast rack and pulled out the cast of a of small sword. It was too big to be considered a dagger, and not big enough to actually be considered a sword ... but something in between. He really hoped that Mr. Hofferson wouldn't mind, otherwise he'd have to worry about his blood ending up on one of the two blades, or both. He poured the rest of the molten iron into the second cast and turned his attention back to the main sword which had hardened enough for him to start hammering. He used the tongs to lift the sword by the metal handle and place it on the anvil next to the table and began his work, straightening out any bump, getting the metal evenly spread out and making sure all the right places had its appropriate strength. Seeing it was now in fine shape, he took a small metal knife and began to engrave a saying on the weapon. It was not customary for all smiths to do that, but it was Hiccup's trademark, to leave behind a saying on his work. While the metal hard, but still soft enough to write in, he began to carve the runes. It took him about five minutes in all, before he brought his head back and read out again.
Giving the sword a final eye examination, he was more than satisfied with the work he had done and submerged it in the barrel of water close by. He loved the feeling of steam rising against his face, the vapour clearing out his nose and allowing all the leather, metal and coal smells in the forge be inhaled. It was as if if a part of him had returned home.
He pulled the blade back out once it had cooled down with the tongs and placed it at his work station. He began work on the hilt. There were plenty of pommels, grips and cross-guards available in the forge for it and many of them were in fine condition. Gathering them and assembling took no time at all. He even managed to clean the now finished hilt thoroughly before screwing it in at the base of the new blade.
He held it in his left arm, gazing up from the base of the sword right to the tip and marveled at its sheer beauty. He hoped Snotlout would treasure this sword with his life when it would passed into his family. It was the shape that made it appear striking as it was deadly. He looked outside, and saw the sun cresting over the buildings. It was about two more hours till sunset.
"Wow" he muttered. He had been so engrossed in this project that time literally flew by without waiting for him. However, right now wasn't the time for awe at Odin's control over the universe. He had to get the other, smaller sword ready. He quickly placed the new and improved Slicer on his desk and took his tongs and hammer and began the same process with the other sword. Being smaller, it didn't take him long to shape the metal correctly, and he soon had it in the barrel of water to cool down and before you knew it, already had the hilt screwed into the base of the sword.
"Two swords in one day ... and aren't they beauties" he said, glancing to Toothless who was still at the back entrance of the forge. He didn't get a reply as he saw his dragon, belly-up, tongue rolled out one side of his mouth, fast asleep.
"Yes, you get your much needed rest bud" said Hiccup, laughing a bit. He noticed that Gobber wasn't around as well. He clearly lost all focus around him once he became consumed by his projects.
With a shake of his head, he proceeded to finish off the swords which take two hours max. He took out specific rocks to sharpen the edges of the blade. It was a tedious process that took time and he was going to make sure that it was a weapon that Mr. Hofferson would feel proud of owning.
000
Night had descended on Berk over an hour ago and Arnbjorn Hofferson was returning to his house for a well deserved rest. He had been about the village, looking over petty disputes, making sure the supplies were in order and consulting the farmers about how fast their crops would grow back again and how their animals were coping. At times he did wonder how Stoick tolerated such ... idiotic is a strong word, so is helpless ... trifles, yes trifles ... how could he tolerate with such trifles.
It didn't help either that he had to help his sons and their friends for a practice sparring match which took one hour of his time. Most of them weren't even keen on learning and were distracted by who could kill the most dragons talk. Rolof and Gaulder were still out with their friends and would be back in the next hour or so. At least that gave him time alone with his wife for some peace and relaxation.
He opened the front door of his house to be greeted with a lovely sight of the fire flickering at the hearth, candles lit here and there and his wife in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
"Rough day?" she asked, seeing the tired look on his face, shooting him a sympathetic smile.
"Something like that" he said, taking his helmet off and placing it on the shelf above the hearth. "How was yours?" he asked, taking quick strides to his wife, who turned her face to receive the quick peck on the lips.
"Not as bad as yours ... went out to the shops, bought some vegetables, meats; making your favourite today" she said.
"I know ... I could smell it as soon as our house was in sight" he said happily, sitting down at the table. He could see four, big, juicy Icelandic Cod being high above the fire, which only meant one thing, they were being smoked. He could see the parallel slices along their bodies for the smoke to penetrate the flesh. No one could make smoked fish the way Ingrid could. And that was not all. There honey glazed vegetables that were already served on a plate. All he had to do was wait until his children returned and then he could dig in.
"Where's Astrid been? I haven't seen her since breakfast?" he asked. It was a quiet breakfast from her, not speaking to anyone, not even her brothers when they tried to annoy her. She finished her meal as fast she could and walked out.
"I haven't the faintest idea" Ingrid replied with a frown.
Knock Knock Knock
Both adults turned their heads to the door. Who could be here at this hour. Arnbjorn rose to his feet and took large strides towards the door. He opened it to find Hiccup, holding two scabbards with him and a nervous smile on his face. He also caught the Night Fury behind him, waiting at the bottom of the steps.
"I've finished the swords Mr. Hofferson" he said, after clearing his throat.
"Swords? I only gave you ... what did you do to Slicer?" he asked, voice becoming alarmingly low and deadly.
"Could we please step inside and I could show you what I've done" he said slowly, aware that the man in front of him could strangle him if he uttered one wrong word. Arnbjorn moved aside reluctantly letting Hiccup.
"The dragon waits outside" he said. Hiccup looked back to Toothless who looked at him worriedly.
"It's alright bud, I'll be fine" Hiccup replied assuredly. He only wished he could believe his own words once the door closed and he was right in the centre of the Hofferson home. This was the first time he stepped foot inside and it was impressive. The main area was the same size as his old house back on the hill, maybe a tad smaller, with a fireplace at one side and chairs hear there for guests to sit around and for the family on most nights.
Ingrid looked to see who it was and greeted him with a nod of her head, to which he nodded back. He remained standing until Mr. Hofferson took a seat in front of the fireplace.
"Okay ... when I first saw Slicer, I was completely blown away by its beauty, but was concerned about the state it was in" he started. Seeing both the Hofferson adults waiting for him to continue gave slight encouragement. "Plus, I noticed there were scratches and dents in the sword which would never be acceptable during a marriage so I improved your sword by forging it out of a new material" he said, pulling Slicer from its scabbard. The look on Arnbjorn's face was one of wonder.
In front of him, glowing in the flame's light was Slicer, but it was no longer a dull iron colour, instead it was a bright silver colour, which seemed to be in different shades along the blade. He noticed the blade had been enlarged by a small fraction, but that glorious shape was still kept. He could also see the intricate designs Hiccup had engraved on it. He couldn't help but focus on the runes on the blade.
May the Gods bestow their blessings upon the family this blade will protect
Arnbjorn knew it wasn't a traditional Norse blessing, but it was poetic nonetheless. Hiccup then gave him the sword to inspect it for himself. He grabbed the sword by the hilt and held it in his arm, feeling it become one with his body as a sword is meant to be. It was perfectly balanced. He ran his hand along the blade, amazed at the smoothness of it. Such a trait could call for weakness but Arnbjorn was a veteran in sword fighting. Even with the smoothness, he could feel the strength in the sword; it would easily be able to cut anything down in its path. He would test it tomorrow just to be sure but it was a work of art either way.
"New material you say?" he asked, looking back to Hiccup.
"Yes sir ... it's called Gronckle Iron; extremely tough and light. I've worked with it many times, forged weapons from it and they are the most reliable in making excellent weapons out of all the materials I know, sir" he said, holding his hands behind his back, still standing and watching Mr. Hofferson continue to inspect his work.
"So this is a completely new sword? The old Slicer's gone?"
"Not exactly, sir. I melted down the Gronckle Iron and old Slicer and poured some of old Slicer into the new cast, but I made Slicer into a smaller sword" he said, taking the second sword into his hands and pulling the blade out. It was no near as to taking his and his wife's breath away but they were stunned again. That new look of Slicer nearly brought Arnbjorn to tears of joy. It had been so long since he saw his blade in its glory, even though it was smaller now. He also offered that to him, so that he could take a close look at it.
"That is made completely from Slicer since I knew that it has sentimental value to you and no Viking would ever want to lose their prized weapon" Hiccup said. Arnbjorn didn't spend as much time looking over this one as he did with the previous sword, the sword that would be passed down to Snotlout.
"You did an excellent job Hiccup" he said, looking at him and placing both swords in their scabbards respectively. Hiccup was caught off guard by the smile Mr. Hofferson wore, one that bore respect and gratefulness.
"It was an honour doing this for you, sir" Hiccup replied, taking a small bow out of manners. "Anyway, I must be going. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow" he said, walking to the door and opening it. Toothless immediately perked his head up, eager to head back.
"Where are you going?" Mrs. Hofferson called out.
"Back to the prison, since I'm supposed to sleep there until my sentence is over" Hiccup said with rueful smile.
"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked. Arnbjorn knew where this was going. Hiccup could nearly taste that heavenly smell coming from the kitchen, but he knew it was rude to stay here for dinner.
"I'll be heading to the Great Hall for my meal" he said, but before he could leave ...
"Why don't you stay with us for dinner?" Arnbjorn asked. It was the least he could do after knowing that Hiccup slaved a whole day to be done with the sword. He went above and beyond in the work he did.
"I really shouldn't..." he said, glancing back to Toothless.
"It's quite alright. We have made a lot of food anyway and we can't let it go to waste, even though we have three kids" Ingrid said. Arnbjorn could see Hiccup glancing at his dragon and could tell that he didn't want to leave him.
"Your dragon can come inside." Did he really say that? Hiccup and his wife also stared at him wide-eyed. "If he doesn't damage anything that is" he said quickly.
"What do you say bud? You won't damage anything right? This isn't our house" Hiccup said and Toothless nodded enthusiastically, walking up the steps and into the house. It was a tight squeeze through the doorway but he managed and didn't knock anything down in the process.
000
Astrid had had a long day. How Hiccup could handle them on their first day she'll never know. The twins were always messing about and Snotlout was doing the exact opposite of what she said. Only Fishlegs listened to her and learned a few things. She had said goodbye to Stormfly and was on her way back home when her brothers ran into her.
"Watch where you're going!" she yelled, nearly toppling onto the ground.
"Well sorry you're too fat to miss us" Gaulder teased back. She felt her face turn red in anger. No one calls her fat!
Her brothers saw this change in colour and dashed off towards their house with their sister in hot pursuit. However she did find it odd when both her brothers jumped back onto each other after opening the front door of their house. She herself nearly jumped back as well after seeing a dragon in her house.
"Toothless?" she asked, walking up to the doorway and seeing the dragon, by the fireplace, looking at her with those beady eyes.
"Ah Astrid" her father said, sitting at the kitchen table. By then her brothers had recovered from their fall and were now poking their heads out from her sides. "Come in and say hi to our guest" her father said, gesturing to the man with auburn hair and the black leather armour.
"Hiccup?"