At that precise point, when strolling across the roads of the Village, being soaked to the skin, Hiccup thanked the gods for the sun, whose rays, although poorly, heated her body up, whilst blinding her weary eyes. Taking a path by the outskirts, thereby avoiding each seller, farmer, and baker, who was about to open their businesses, and whom she might have passed at the heart of the village, she guided herself at the north, uphill the townlet.

Ultimately, she'd reached her destination, the peak of the Village, and before her very eyes aroused the wooden, grand hut, resembling an overturned ship, unexpectedly detailed by an effigy of dragons and multi-colored adornment - the Haddock's mansion, her home. At this stage, she'd just desired a warm bed, which heat would've wrapped her chilled body and disordered mind cozily, although once unlocking the door, her hopes burst like a soap bubble, and she beheld her father.

The man hadn't noticed her initially, being bused by filling a linseed basket with food, although did, once Hiccup grunted, notifying about her presence, and greeted, "Good mornin'," glancing at her rather ambushed.

"Good mornin'," she responded, leaning her hip at the door's frame, quirking up the corner of her mouth. "Goin' somewhere?"

"Precisely," he mumbled, setting the crammed basket on his back, and narrowed his eyes, after scrutinizing her more accurately. "Why ye're wet?"

"Where ye're goin'?"

"I asked first," he countered, attaining a more serious tone of expression, after she'd rolled her eyes. "Come on, I ain't got all the day."

"I woke early today, so I thought, I could use a bath," she lied rather quickly, having much luck that he'd not detect it how she'd twirled her fingers. "Along the way, I'd also strolled through the village, nothin' more."

"Well, I'm glad then, that ye're bein' interested about Isle's life, at last," he stated, and then, eyeing her impatient about her question self, brushing through his beard, added, "With several people, we're settin' off to search for the nest."

"What? Why ye've not told me?!" she scolded, her frown betraying not only offense but also fright. "Perhaps ya'd planned to keep it a secret, after all, I wouldn't have known about it, if I hadn't caught ya, red-handed!"

"Settle down, lad," he persisted, although she reacted on that only by crossing her arms and looking away, vexed. "Gobber would've told ya, also I didn't want to wake ya up, and that's a rather fresh decision, I'd just found out myself."

"Okay, okay, I believe ya," she sighed, rubbing her eyelids with her fingers, before her eyes locked on him as she inquired, "Where ye're headin'?"

"Helheim's Gate," he answered, his jaw clenched at the very name itself. "Overnight it was seen, that the rather large gatherin' of these beasts directed there. We assume that's the good place to initiate the search."

"Alright," she agreed, without much awareness of that, caressing her palms against her forearms. "On that note, safe travels," she wished him, stepping inside, thus emptying the way to the door, "and look out for yerself. I ain't the chief just yet, understood?"

"There is nothin', in that fuckin', entire world, that could've prevented me from comin' home," he declared, and whilst grinning at her, leaned his hand at her shoulder, and kissed her head. "Love ya, dear."

Taken aback, she'd stared at him, confounded by his gesture, though, at last, replied, "Love ya, too," and then, watched him walk out through the door as if nothing happened.

For a while more had she stood still, until upon hearing some shouting at the further side of the entrance, she mounted the stairs behind her back rather hurriedly, and burst inside her room, outright thrusting the door into the wall. Thereafter, leaping on her bed, she'd climbed its frame, and gazed outside, throughout the window upward, while the salty brew of the ocean impacted into her face and nostrils, providing her with a bracing sensation.

At once, she gaped at the dock just off the shore, where the three, wooden warships were being prepared for the journey, completing with the most necessary equipment, although hadn't that been a minute, and her eyes peeked at the horizon. Someone, seeing such a majestic view, treacherous at that, which the sea was, could have been rather unnerved, because of the idea of the monsters and the hazard of falling off the edge, but not her - she'd seen only freedom in the sea, and the view itself must have been enough.

Gripping her sword, her eyes taking in sight each, even slightest, detail around, she fought with herself, so as to sustain a controlled beat of the heart while being enclosed by the wooden-metal walls of the labyrinth, having its stance in the middle of the arena. Today's training, even if nobody dared to point out that, was rather harsh, as it contained the combat with the Death Nadder in the restricted space - for the woman obviously, because the creature, rather seamlessly, was getting around over the borders.

"C'mon, Gobber, please, cut some slack!" Hiccup, at some point, groaned, throwing her arms, annoyed. "Ain't say, ye're still mad about the raid!"

"I'll let ya know when I stop," Gobber replied, the smirk forming on his face, gazing at her scarlet, out of exhaustion, skin. "Now, ya'd better focus, or else I'll think that ye're gettin' bored."

Giving the man a once-over, Hiccup snickered, "With ya? Never," and must have dodged quickly the blast of the fire, which bypassed her just by an inch.

"Human!" the female voice, belonging to the dragonness with which she'd confronted, whilst being closed with her in the same cage, rang in the woman's ears. "Play!"

Afterward, without much warning, the female shot a couple of spikes from her tail, straight at Hiccup, who defended herself by lifting her shield and covering herself within, and then, being unable to withstand the weight of pierced protection, the woman tossed it away, rather unnerved. Not knowing much what else to do, Hiccup ran into the depths of the labyrinth, although then, having seen the crowd, also remembering the trust that the dragonness bestowed her with by even so speaking, she'd got an idea.

"Gobber, now that I think about it, why hadn't the Nadder charged at me with the claws, earlier?" she asked, making an effort to sound most convincingly. "I was clueless, and it should've used that."

"Where from such philosophic thoughts came?" the man snorted, leaning on the metal chains, unbothered. "The dragon is a dragon, why for, the fuck, I'd consider the things it does?"

"Okay, maybe, but hypothetically speakin', ye've not noticed, how passive it is?" she noted, boring her eyes at Gobber, cocking her eyebrows, retorting. "Since dragons always go for the kill, isn't that rather odd?"

"Passive, ye're sayin'?" he inquired, the corner of his mouth lifted, suspiciously. "Like that?"

The words hadn't gotten to the woman in time, because once they did, she was thrust upward by the large head of the female, flowing her onto the labyrinth wall, where holding the edge of it, after losing her weaponry in the middle air, she feared the hazardous height. Having no other choice, Hiccup clambered at the border, her wobbly legs wishing to give up on her, although met the challenge, whilst the Nadder appeared at the wall across from her.

"Play!" she squealed, jumping from one partition to another, until having run out of patience, watching Hiccup still, ordered, "Human, play!"

Subsequently, the spikes atop her head bristled, making it clear to the woman that she must've hurried up, and although the idea of hopping between the rather tall walls wasn't the most thriving, she gave away. As cautiously as it was feasible, she'd leaped to the other border being just off her, barely sidestepping the downfall when she'd swayed, and fought for the balance, at last managing that, before relieving the tension, straightening.

Rather entertained, the Nadder wiggled in the plane, and squawked, "Yes, fun!" waving her wings, pleased.

A few more times they'd played like that, whilst Hiccup'd been jumping at each female's signal, and in return, the dragonness not even once had put a threat at her, neither by shooting her with fire, nor with spikes. It was eventually, that, accidentally, the Nadder omitted a step, by that tumbling onto one wall, which by the drop took others with itself, evoking a rather catastrophic domino, to which view Hiccup's eyes widened, alarmed.

Ultimately, she'd managed to hop once, even twice while attempting to dodge thecollapse, however, her tries were in vain, and as the wave reached her, she crashed into the soil, where half her thigh was pinned down by labyrinth's border, although saved by bulges it had. Not with small trouble had she made an effort to release herself, alas ineffectively, however, catching a glimpse of the woman's distress, upon getting up, the dragonness tilted her head at her, concerned.

"Human hurt?"

Having even so slight hope that the female would've understood her, even so nonverbally, Hiccup nodded, her face twisted by the perceived pain, on occasion hoping, that the help from the Nadder could convince short-minded Vikings about her good intentions. Alas, nothing, what she wished for, occurred, and the Vikings, although meaning well, to force the dragonness away, attacked her by hurling axes, maces, and spears at her, what hardly satisfied the female.

Startled, she roared, "Danger!" ricocheting at each aggressor furiously, until she'd lost control, and her mind was possessed by instinct.

Consequently, she'd shot her spikes around, therefore obligating everybody to take cover, whilst Hiccup was vulnerable to the attack the most, being incapable of fleeing the chaos, only able to wrap her head with her hands and drop to the ground. Luckily, she bypassed any major injury, however, as they'd been the only ones in the arena, the wild Nadder, rather at once, glimpsed her presence, and feeling endangered, charged at her.

Shutting firmly her eyes, the woman awaited the pain, though that never really came, and instead, fortunately, or not, the familiar man, having his fucking hood hung atop his head, jumped out from beyond the chains, and landed in between them. Thereafter, transpired something, that Hiccup wouldn't be able to describe, even in the most feral dreams, because, while the female was about to whack into him, he punched her, maybe not robust enough to knock her out, but enough to throw her out of the balance.

Ultimately, even with her regaining that balance, she hadn't done much more, because out of the blue, the Vikings burst inside the arena, and pinned her against the footing, much to her distress and frighten. A while yet, Hiccup'd stared at her, the guilt enfolding her, as she squeezed her palms to redness, until upon vanish of the Nadder into the depth of her cage, she gazed at her savior, who extended his fingers of the right hand, achingly.

"What?" he asked, when detecting her gape at himself, taking her rather aback. "It's the last time that I'm rescuing you like that."

"Okay," she mumbled, whilst he raised the wall, even if so merely, enough to free her leg, and handed her his hand, which, without any further issues, she accepted as he helped her up. "Thanks."

Stuck dumb, after hearing her gratitude, and also, witnessing her constant stare at himself, he replied, "You're welcome," himself maintaining his eyes locked on her until being interrupted by the abashed voice.

"Oh gods, that was incredible!" Gobber exclaimed, approaching the pair, his face overtaken by embarrassment as he grinned, awkwardly. "Ya'd saved my protege, for that, I'll never thank enough."

Glancing at the shorter Viking, the man clenched his jaw, and acknowledged, "I'd not have to save her if you'd not fucked up," his expression hardening.

Caught off guard by the man's venting, Hiccup's eyebrows rose, and she whisper-rasped, "What ye're doin'?!" drilling her eyes into him, warningly.

"I'm just telling the truth," he muttered, bestowing her with the smirk, that only she'd seen underneath this hood. "Don't say, you disagree."

"Well, yes, I'll admit that," Gobber replied to the earlier remark, not having caught either of their exchanged mutters, when playing with his hook prosthetic. "Honestly, I'd lost control, at some point, and should've reacted sooner. I'm sorry for that."

"'s okay, Gobber," she assured, smiling at him, although sustaining a wary eye at the man, who crossed his arms, annoyed. "It happens."

At once, her grin faded, hearing the snort just off, and the man, to whom the snort belonged, added, "However, it would not have happened if you hadn't enraged that dragon," and the woman very much wished him to die.

"Dragon will be a dragon, always raged. Besides, what's that attitude?" Gobber countered, furrowing his brows at the younger man, who rolled his eyes, not concerned. "Ya'd helped, I'll give ya that, but that ain't entitlin' ya to-," he scolded and paused, once, after boring his eyes into him, narrowing them at the piece of his clothing, and rumbled, "Roman," when catching something troublesome.

Shocked, Hiccup observed, how Gobber had taken a step back, eyeing her as if asking to do the same, before he yelled, atop his lungs, summoning each Viking, each being in the arena, to be wary, although not exactly clarifying why. Immediately, she'd used the ruckus and drew nearer the man, just as surprised as she was, and examining his clothing, that time underneath the sunlight, she glimpsed it - the Roman crest, embroidered on his sleeve.

Not wasting any moment further, she clasped it, and whispered, "Where ya'd gotten it?" to which he reacted only by yanking out of her hold.

"Keep your hands off me," he warned, and detecting the armed gathering, glowered at it warningly, getting himself in ready. "I'd stolen it, rather clear."

"And of all the nations, ya'd had to choose Romans?!" she whisper-shouted, herself taking in sight fierce Vikings, unnerved. "Ye're screwed," she added, and after overlooking his ignorant self, stepped in between him and her people, as she demanded, "Gobber quit it."

"Lad, step aside," Gobber replied, his eyes piercing the young man, constantly. "Ye're aware, who is he?"

"I am, but he'd rescued me," she pointed out, placing her hand over her heart. "'s the case of honor, Gobber. I cannot allow any harm upon him."

"He's Roman, for fuckin' sake!" he yelled, at last scolding her, snappingly. "There's no mercy for such."

Felling, as if being at the edge of the cliff, Hiccup attempted more, by asking, "Gobber, please-," although pausing, once sensing the cold metal, being placed against her neck.

"Everybody listen, and neither gets hurt," the man, that fucking imbecile, exclaimed, taking her hostage, whilst threatening her with the knife, also muttered to her, herself, "Same goes for you, of course."

"Ye've not come up with a worse idea? Where from ya'd even gotten the knife?" she inquired, not very bothered by the blade against her veins. "Also, why ya'd not run away? I'd given ya enough of time."

"That's more fun," he whispered, not even trying to appear serious. "Just play along."

"If ya'd like me to play alon', I may bite off yer hand," she grumbled with her teeth gritted. "That'd be reliable."

"Okay, okay!" Gobber shouted, after having an argument with someone from the gather, wiping his forehead, proposed, "There ain't be any wounded, we'll listen to yer demands," by the gesture of his hand ordering everybody to lower their weapons. "Ya'd like weapons, gold? Everythin', just ain't harm her."

"Damn, they're valuing you, much. Rather a surprise, won't say," he muttered into her ear, and by the voice, she could say that he wore a smirk. "Who, the fuck, are you for them, then?"

Disregarding each word that left his mouth, at least feigning the dread by tensing her body, she urged, "Tell 'em, ya'd like only to be free," maintaining a closed-up expression.

"Hold on, I might trade you for something valuable," he suggested, whilst the blood boiled in her veins. "Although, I'm begging to think, that the rest ain't that thoughtful, and would favor your death."

"Quit the thinkin' then, 'cause ye're better without it anyway," she retorted, and, out of a sudden, stabbed her nails into his other hand. "Ya'd like only to be free."

"Fine," he groaned, and once she lessened her grip, asked the crowd, "What's the offers?" gnashing his teeth, when she reinforced her grasp, and Gobber consulted with the others. "Come on, can't the man be curious?"

"I swear, if ya'll keep that up, I'll peel the skin off yer entire arm," she threatened, and straightened satisfied, sensing him tense, rather touched. "Ya'd like only to be free."

"I'd like only to be free," he informed, although seeing how the older Viking relieved tension, shouted, "However, nobody dares to try anything, or else," dangerously enclosing Hiccup with the knife.

Without any further words, whilst narrowing his eyes at the man, Gobber, along with the gathering behind his back, made the path for the two to the entrance of the arena, and propelling her within, the man walked past the furious Vikings. Ultimately, when being outside, with everybody inside continuously, he'd traded glances with Hiccup at last, and then, after facing them, without notice thrusting the woman to them, ran away.

Of course, for the reasons of her aching thigh, also the inclination of the ground, Hiccup tripped and tumbled to the footing, when gathering herself up cursing him, naming him by each insulting term she'd ever known. Eventually, when she was all on her feet, she followed the others, who'd rushed outside to observe his flee as he vanished into the chasms of the forest, and at first very disregarding, Hiccup startled, glimpsing the drawn bow.

Before she could anyhow react, the owner of the weapon fired the arrow, after which not hearing hit the soil, Hiccup gasped, whilst the Vikings cheered. "Atta boy, Sven," Gobber praised, patting the back of the shooter. "That'll teach him to better not mess with Vikings," he sniggered with the others, although at the very notice of Hiccup's despond, approached her and asked, "Ye're alright, lad?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, her arms tightening around themselves. "I'd just like to go home."

"Obviously, go ahead," he agreed, however, before she'd even inched, warned, "Look out on yerself, though. The man's yet on the island, ya'd better not stumble upon him."

"And nobody would like that, right?"

The cove looked magnificent today, being illuminated by the setting sun, which also reflected in the rear of the pond at the center, alas she couldn't relish the view as much as she'd liked, having other, greater issues on her mind. Stepping inside the cave-in, she'd sought the man, about whom she'd been anxious, more precisely about his very known injury, and going further, she, at last, glimpsed him by the shore of the water reservoir.

At that point, he'd been washing his wound, which was the stab of the half-shattered arrow that was sticking out of his blade, the sand underneath him soaking the dripping blood, until upon having noticed her, he glared at her, the popping veins being the only thing that betrayed his wrath. Much unwilling, the woman approached him, the leather bag on her shoulder impaling her shoulder relentlessly, and once standing ahead of him, gripping the handle, she inhaled, and spoke out.

"Well, ya'd earned it."

"Really?" he rasped, his eyes burning with rage, now. "Do you really think, you've got any right to joke around?"

"What else ya'd like me to say?!" she yapped, plunging her baggage to his feet. "I'm sorry that happened, but that's how this ends, when ye're not listenin' to me!"

"For crying out loud, fine! I should've just run away, yo've got that right!" he bellowed, his hand nabbing his upper arm, as to reduce the pain. "Now, explain to me, what, the damn, happened there?! Who are fucking Romans?!"

"Romans is the other nation, the other humans," she elucidated calmly, her eyes locked at the alarmingly bloodied shirt of his, the concern evident on her face. "They're ruthless, and we're leadin' the war with them, currently."

"For what fuck?! Aren't you having another enemy, already?!" he yelled and snorted, shaking his head, unbelievably. "You'd begun the war, whilst having another in the distance, and why?!"

"'cause these fucked-up, solider boys, every day, every moment, are tryin' to override our motherland, force us to forsake our traditions and language, betray our forefathers!" she snapped, not even attempting to lie low her hatred. "We ain't much of a choice, but to fight. I'm, honestly, sorry, ye've been dragged into this, however, that's the cost of havin' anythin' to do with 'em."

"Okay, okay," he stopped her venting, and himself exhaled, within calming his nerves. "I hadn't known that, but I do understand, now."

"Good, maybe ya'll snap out of that ignorance, at last," she criticized, though the corner of her mouth quirked up, while he rolled his eyes, and at once gazing at his wound, she offered, "Perhaps, I'll handle that injury of yers?" however, not getting any response from him as the man stared at the soil, changed the theme, for now. "Even if I said that already, I'd like to repeat, I'm grateful for the rescue."

"It's nothing, really," he stated and crossed his arms, as he glanced at the pond and shrugged. "I'd have punched her, anyway."

"And apparently, ye're such a fanatic of these creatures," she joked, however, not catching even a slight trace of him being unserious, she straightened. "Ye're really? Why? What was wron' with her?"

"She'd gotten all too generous, with that playing of hers," he pointed out, ricocheting at her, his expression hardened. "Even if you'd aided her then, it doesn't make you less of her abuser."

"Abuser?" she snickered, blinking at him, flabbergasted. "My gods, how more impossible ya could've been, and hypocritical, for the matter!"

"Me, hypocritical?" he recited, his jaw clenched by the offense. "I suppose then, smartass, ya'd pardoned me being nice to Romans if I were?"

"Yes, I would, 'cause that's none of my concerns, who ye're choosin' to trust, all the more, if I know they'd earned that!" she boomed, the outrage transforming her face. "We'd better explain a few loose ends. Ya'd want to get rid of the curse, ye're stubborn about it, simultaneously despise the very idea of a truce! Despise the idea of peace, itself!" she spotted, and whiffed, gazing at his puzzled self. "Tell me, how do ya see it? Accordin' to ya, how could we conceivably make a change, if ye're, yerself, faithless about it? What should we do, if not show what the Nadder did, the trust, the acceptance?"

"I don't know."

His words, even if accurate and honest, rattled the woman, who continued, after a matter of a few seconds. "Ya'd want the peace, the end of troubles, in which ya'd have involved me in? If so, then, for starters, believe that's possible, 'cause it is," she declared, and smirked weakly, eyeing him nod, defeated. "A little more belief won't kill ya, will it?"

Chuckling, rather noiselessly, he noted, "Words of the wisdom," not even attempting to repress a grin.

Herself, the woman sustained a bright smile, and retorted, "Of an asshole," to which he responded by groaning.

"Well, you're right, I should put more faith in it, however, it's harder than it seems, I think," he confessed, anxiously scratching his neck. "Throughout my entire life, I lived with a conviction, that your species are, in general, the most horrifying creatures, the most cruel ones, and now, I'm obligated to trust them, even be one?" he sighed, tensing the cross of his arms. "I'm sorry for my behavior, I'll try to change, alright?"

"Well, alright? Call it unexpected, huh?" she jested, and without an effort of withstanding that, they both beamed at each other, before, taking notice of the man's expanding bloody stain, she offered, "Maybe, I may take a look at the wound, now?"

Not receiving any permission, but also, none of the objections, she'd taken it upon herself, and moving toward his back, she crouched just at the rear of him, with a rather trepidation surveying the sizeable cut at the above of his blade. The woman hadn't to think long when recognized, he attempted to remove the arrow by himself, mistakenly hurting himself only more, as evidenced by the uneven tear of skin, also the irregular crack of the pointer.

Ultimately, barely had she touched his arm, just so as to simply take a better look, when out of the blue, he broke away and asked, "What do you think, you're doing?" staring at her, disdainfully.

"I'd just wanted to see better," she justified, knitting her brows at him as she stood up, confused. "How can I help, without viewin' the damage?"

"How about not at all?" he countered, gaping at her as if readying for the battle with her. "I'll recover by myself, so back off."

"Ya'll pull the arrow out, without bleedin' out, either gettin' infected?" she asked, sticking an eye at him skeptically, leaning her hands on her hips. "Ye're even aware, how to do that?"

"Without the fucking what?!" he shrieked, becoming only more and more amusing in the woman's eyes. "For sake, why ye're so freaking fragile?! How are you even alive?!"

"If ya ain't like it, why ain't ya change?"

"If I could, I would, gladly, damn it!" he screamed, strolling back and forth. "However, with the wound on my side, the modification of skin could've grown it!"

"Since that, allow me to take the matters into my hands, human hands, who dealt with worse injuries," she suggested steadily, although snapped, once he took a step backward. "Godsdamnit, quit bein' a child, and accept the help if I'm offerin' it!"

"I would rather die!"

"Then do, 's not like I care!" she droned, pivoted around, and seated on the footing, with her back on him. "Just be done with it, already."

Fuming with fury, he responded, "Fine," and likewise, sat down, not having any urge to even peek at her.

The time went by relentlessly, as neither made a start - the woman, with her chin, lifted and arms crossed, staring at the density of the stone walls of the cove, and the man, having his eyes locked on the bushy grass, gripped onto his upper arm, continually. At some point, hearing yet another, though quiet but audible, groan from his side, out of curiosity, maybe even worry, Hiccup gazed at him and startled at the very glimpse of his pale neck, along with the soaking bottom of his shirt.

Unable to bear it anymore, before the man could acknowledge that, she'd got up, and within a matter of seconds, after being whacked by the rather thick branch, he collapsed to the ground, whilst the woman, rotating the stick in her hand, stated, "I've enjoyed it, way more than I should," the bright grin never slipping her face.