It was still dark out when my ma' first shook me awake and I didn't need to be told why.

"Raid!" a man screamed from the street.

I shoved my feet into my boots and ran to the door with my three older brothers, dashing out into the already fire-lit night. This was a common enough occurrence. No words were exchanged, we barely looked at each other before dashing off to our respective posts.

"Hey man!" Snotlout Jorgenson shouted, jogging up to keep pace with me as we ran for the center of the village, "Nice night for a raid huh?"

I promptly ignored him. Lout' was more of an annoyance than an ally, always trying to hang out with me because I'm the most capable in our age group. Personally I wish he would just stop sucking up, it's not like it'll get him any brownie points from anyone, leastwise me.

We made it just in time to put out a burning house across the square. Fishlegs and the twins were already there, filling their buckets and rushing to it. I dipped mine in one of the barrels we kept strategically placed for just such emergencies and hurried to help, dousing the blaze closest to me before turning to run for another. Somehow I'd become the unofficial leader of our little group so the others followed close behind, having scattered to try and put out the fire from multiple angles.

I glanced at the smith as we passed it, turning just in time to catch sight of Hiccup, the chief's daughter, wiping some sweat from her brow. Unfortunately I didn't have time to do more than glance at her. The fire had already spread, we needed to get it taken care of before it went any further.

I was going back for my fifth bucketful when Gobber charged past, waving his axe-hand in the air. Oh Odin…if the smith wasn't there to make sure that Hiccup didn't run off…

Yep there she went, right after I'd filled my sixth bucket she sprinted past me, wheeling one of her contraptions up a hill and getting under everyone's feet. I groaned and glanced at the water bucket in my hands, then the others, who were swarming the half-flaming house. Either I could follow Hiccup and make sure that she wasn't going to get herself killed or stay and do my job.

My moment of indecision cost me when I looked up to see Hiccup gone. Swearing I dropped the bucket and charged in the direction I'd seen her go. Villagers armed with shields and weapons brushed past me, some giving strange glances over their shoulders as they realized who I was. I didn't pay them any mind, searching the sea of fire and bodies for that familiar head of chestnut hair.

It was the loud feminine shriek that clued me in and I turned to see Hiccup dashing down the path, a Monstrous Nightmare on her tail. I rushed toward her, screaming a warning before shoving her to the ground. My intervention had the beast's jaws snapping on air instead of her head. I sprang to my feet and unholstered my axe, which I'd been mindful to grab before leaving home.

I kept myself between Hiccup and the Nightmare, not taking my eyes off the creature while it bobbed to and fro as all stalking creatures do. It charged with a roar and I tensed, waiting for it to be in range. Then Chief Stoick tore onto the scene, punching the thing in the temple hard enough to throw it backward. The creature roared and growled at the new enemy, looking back and forth between us in contemplation.

With the Chief here there's no way we can lose and the beast seems to know that, flapping its wings for takeoff. But it decides not to leave without a bit of revenge, flaming up a pillar off to the side before shooting back into the sky. I watched until it disappeared before relaxing and turning to see if Hiccup was alright.

Her father had her by the arm, looking none too pleased as he begins to haul her away. To my surprise he stops to regard me with a small nod, "I thank ye for yer assistance," he says simply. I nod in acknowledgement, proud of gaining the regards of our leader, before following both of them to the center of the village.

"What were ye thinkin' Hiccup!" Stoick the Vast shouts when we reach the gathering of other villagers.

I make my way over to the rest of the teens, taking a seat on one a barrel and pretending to focus on polishing my axe while sneaking glances at Hiccup and her father over the crowd.

"I can't help it dad!" Hiccup yells back, "I see a dragon and I just have to kill it, y'know?"

Snotlout and Tuffnut snort at that. While I'm sure it was meant to be an insult I had to agree, Hiccup doesn't have a violent bone in her body, at least not one I've seen.

"Ye're many things Hiccup but a dragon killer yer not" her father replies.

"But I actually did hit something with my bola cannon! A Night Fury! You were all busy and I had a clear shot-"

That caught my attention, making me look up from my axe to see Stoick put his hand out to stop her. She looks disappointed, like a wounded baby animal, and I can't suppress the small twinge of emotion that strikes my chest at the sight. The Chief motioned Gobber over, "Get her home, I've got her mess to clean up."

Hiccup's shoulders visibly fall, her gaze focusing on the ground just as it always does when this sort of thing happens. The twinge of emotion turns into an ache, somewhere between pity and concern. I move my gaze back to my axe as she and Gobber pass, tuning out Tuffnut and Snotlout's jeers as I follow Hiccup's retreating form out of the corner of my eye.

"Man was that awesome!" Tuffnut laughs, "I mean did you see that pit fall?"

"I know and she was trying too! It helped!" Snotlout cackles.

I frown along with Fishlegs, who seems to appreciate their insults as much as I do. Sliding off the barrel I smack Snotlout in the back with the blunt end of my weapon, "Enough with the jokes we've got a village to clean up" I bark, turning and walking away too fast to hear Lout's response.

Okay, so I may or may not have a small crush on Hiccup. Just a little one.

Most of the girls in the village are either crazy, superficial, or both. Hiccup is neither and she can't handle a weapon so I never have to worry about feeling competitive around her. She's also very attractive. For most small and slim just isn't their cup of mead, but it's certainly mine.

Honestly I've had a thing for her since we were children, especially when she would come by with flowers after dad died. I remember a rainbow of colors in the palm of her hand and how she would hand them out to everyone in the family, explaining how each color represented the person she gave it to.

Mine was always blue.

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Once I finish cleaning up with the others I throw out a quick goodbye and head home. Breakfast has long passed but the food is still good and our house wasn't damaged in the raid so that's a plus. My older brothers, Axel, Calder, and Halvar are already there, scarfing down their food while our youngest sibling, Tait, helps ma' stoke the fire.

"There ye are Aster!" ma' calls, wiping her hands on her apron while I plop down in my designated seat.

"We thought ye'd been carried off" Calder laughs around his egg.

I snort and take a bite of my bread, "Not this time brother."

"He is of our blood aye" Halvar says, elbowing Calder under the table, "he won't be snatched so easily."

"True, true!" Calder laughs back.

"So how was it out there boys?" ma' calls.

"Horrible" Axel replies, "the beasties made off with half Sven's flock!"

Calder took a swig of his mead and nodded solemnly, "One more raid and we may not have enough to make it through winter."

Not that the struggle to survive was anything new on Berk but it still tended to put a damper mood on things, killing conversation for several long moments before ma' decided to move on to happier topics.

"Axel how's yer courting of Balder's girl going?"

Balder is one of the local fishermen with no male heirs, only three daughters. His wife had been killed in a raid almost two years back. Axel had gotten to know the family well after our father died, apprenticing with Balder and developing an interest in his second eldest daughter, Bergljot.

Much to all our amusement the question made Axel's cheeks color, prompting Calder to elbow him jovially. "It's gettin' along fine ma'" Axel replied, shooting the second eldest a withering stare before returning to his meal.

"Ye've got ta give me more details than that son" she huffed, "ye've been courtin' her for a while now, has Balder accepted yer offer?"

"Just a few more weeks and I'll have enough for a bride price and gift ma'" Axel answered.

She gave a nod of approval, "That's right and good, I like Bergljot, right fine girl she is. The rest of ye'd better pick a lass as good as her when yer time comes!"

She looked at Calder and Halvar specifically when she said this and they both cringed while Axel smirked. Neither of them had chosen a girl to pursue yet and ma' was getting on all our cases about that, threatening arranged marriage if we don't start seriously looking. She'd never really go through with it, or at least I think she wouldn't. She went to visit at the Thorston house the other day, they've got a daughter a year younger than Calder there.

"Erm…" Halvar stammered, raising a glass of mead to his lips.

Calder glanced nervously around the room before his eyes landed on me. That was never a good sign when my big brother was looking for something to distract ma' with.

"What about Aster? He's coming of age too isn't he?"

That dirty rat.

As expected ma' jumped on this new opportunity, face lighting up as she turned to me, "That's right Aster! Have ye anyone ye're considerin'?"

I shot Calder a glare, which he returned with a wide smile.

"Um…not particularly…"

"Wait…you're actually interested in someone?" Halvar asked, suddenly looking interested.

My expression must've been answer enough because Halvar burst out laughing, slamming his hand on the table in unbridled mirth.

"How wonderful!" ma' cried with a newfound twinkle in her eye, "Who is she dearie?"

"Oh this I've got ta hear" Axel said, almost leaning across the table in his interest.

"Must be special if she can catch this one's attention" Calder remarked.

"There isn't anyone!" I cried, gulping down what was left of my own mug before standing up and making my way to the door. "Thanks' for the meal ma' I'll go and get more firewood!"

Through the laughter of my older brothers I heard ma' call back: "Make sure ta come back early Aster, ye've got to rest up for yer first day of dragon trainin' t'morrow!"

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"I hope I get some serious burns" Tuffnut says as we enter the training arena.

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like, on my shoulder or lower back" Ruffnut put in.

"Yea, its only fun if you get a scar out of it" I agree.

"No kidding right, pain, love it."

We all turn to see Hiccup, looking flustered, as she walks through the open gate to stand before us. Everyone made a face, including me, while Tuffnut groaned: "Oh great, who let her in here?"

Hiccup's face dropped, shoulders drooping just enough to be noticeable.

"Let's get started!" Gobber calls, "the recruit o' does best will earn the honor of killin' is' first dragon in front'a the entire village."

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury so does that disqualify her or…" Snotlout trailed off, high-fiving Tuff while Ruff let out a bark of laughter.

I feel like socking him in the jaw when her shoulders drop another inch, cousin or not nobody insults Hiccup like that in front of me. With that in mind I intentionally trod on Lout's foot as we line up. He yelps and punches Tuffnut on the shoulder when the male Thorston twin laughs, but writes the entire thing off as unintentional when I don't stop or glance in his direction.

Hiccup is the last to line up, taking the spot on the end next to Fishlegs. I discretely lean forward, just enough to see Hiccup smile at husky teen. I'm not at the right angle to see his response but judging from the nod she gives him I'm guessing it's not an insult.

"Now behind these doors are a few'a the many species ye will learn ta fight" Gobber says, snatching my attention away from Hiccup and back to the actual reason we're here.

The smith walks the length of the doors set up along the wall, gesturing to each one as he passes it.

"The Deadly Nadder."

"Speed eight, armor sixteen" Fishlegs says.

"The Hideous Zippleback."

"Plus eleven stealth times two."

"The Monstrous Nightmare."

"Firepower fifteen."

"The Terrible Terror."

"Attack eight venom twelve."

"Can ye stop tha'!" Gobber shouts. Prompting us all to glance curiously at Fishlegs.

"And-" Gobber drew out, hand moving to the cage lever, "-The Gronkle."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait" Snotlout said, stepping out of line, "aren't you gonna' teach us first?"

The smith merely smiled, "I believe in learnin' on the job."

He yanked his hand down, releasing the Gronkle and sending us all scattering. "T'day is about survival" he continued, "if ye get blasted, yer dead."

So the goal is just to not get blasted. Defense instead of offense then, dodging instead of taking the fight to the dragon.

The Gronkle crashed into the side of the arena and scrambled to its feet, spotting the rocks in the corner and making a beeline for them.

"Quick wha's the first thing yer gon' need?" our teacher called.

"A doctor" Hiccup shouted.

"Plus five speed!" Fishlegs tried.

If we're talking defense then… "A shield!" I shouted, rocking on the balls of my feet.

"Shield!" Gobber confirmed, "Go!"

He gestured to the pile of weapons lying near one side of the ring. We all ran for them.

"Yer most important piece of equipment is yer shield, if ye have ta choose between a sword or a shield, take the shield" Gobber said.

I snagged a shield from the pile, paying the arguing twins no mind as I skidded to a stop just outside the dragon's line of sight.

"Tuffnut, Ruffnut, yer out!" Gobber called, "those shields're good for another thing too, noise, make lots of it ta throw off a dragons aim."

I banged my axe against the shield, never taking my eyes of the Gronkle as it turned to face us. Lout' and Legs' were to my left, Hiccup was nowhere to be seen and I didn't have time to look. Gobber would probably be shouting if she'd gotten injured anyway, she is his apprentice after all.

The Gronkle reacted to the noise by shaking its head and blinking, clearly disoriented. I circled around it and vaguely realized the others were doing the same. Hiccup was one of them, though she looked more nervous than the others, including Fishlegs.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots, how many does a Gronkle have?"

"Five?" Snotlout called.

"No six!" Fishlegs replied. From the corner of my eye I saw flames engulf his shield.

"Fishlegs out" the Gobber called as the large teen ran for the arena edge.

Hiccup had crouched behind some stacked wooden planks for shelter. Personally I was happy with her there, perfectly out of the way of the action. Gobber wasn't as content with her position as I was and ordered her to jump into the fray. My eyes were on the Gronkle, which had taken to buzzing around the ceiling. It aimed a shot at Snotlout, who danced out of the way, conveniently placing him next to me.

I didn't look at him and dove out of the way when the Gronkle swooped toward us, summersaulting to the side. "Snotlout out" our instructor called.

"I guess it's just you and me huh?"

From the corner of my eye I noticed Hiccup coming up beside me, her shield and axe lowered in the picture of relaxation. Didn't she have any sense of self-preservation?

"Nope, just you" I answered, diving out of the way as the Gronkle shot another blast.

"One shot left!"

Hiccup yelped somewhere behind me and I took off around the arena. She hadn't been hit, much to my relief, though she was stupidly chasing after her shield. The Gronkle chose to follow her instead of me and it didn't take her long to notice, glancing over her shoulder before she abandoned the shield and started running.

"Hiccup!" Gobber shouted.

I cursed under my breath and circled around, trying to hit it off.

I wasn't quick enough and the Gronkle backed her into the wall, forcing her back against the metal while it opened its mouth to fry her. Luckily Gobber caught its jaw at the last second, throwing off its aim. To her credit Hiccup didn't scream, throwing her hands over her head to ward off the embers that rained down over her. I skidded to a stop nearly twenty feet away while the smith wrestled the dragon to the center of the arena.

"And tha's six" Gobber grunted, "go back ta bed ye overgrown sausage!" he shouted, shoving it into the cage and slamming the door.

"Remember a dragon will always, always go for the kill" our instructor said, looking at Hiccup as he spoke.

She looked more than flustered as her mentor walked away, a little lost, a little disappointed, but not hurt at least. I hiked my axe further up my shoulder and turned to go with the others. They were all complaining about how sore they were and I glanced over my shoulder while they were distracted.

Hiccup was staring at the charred spot on the wall, evidence of just how close she'd come to being killed. That was an uncomfortable thought, her and dead in the same sentence. If Gobber hadn't gotten to her in time…

I clutched the handle of my axe tighter.

Maybe I should do some speed training next.

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We all gathered together in the mead hall later on that night. Gobber had sauntered up half way through dinner and started drilling us on what we'd done wrong in the ring. I was happy for the review.

"Where did Aster go wrong in the ring t'day?" Gobber asked.

"I mistimed my summersault dive, it was sloppy and threw of my reverse tumble" I replied automatically, taking a sip from my mug.

"Yea, we noticed" Ruff said with a roll of her eyes.

"No don't" Snotlout protested, "you were great, that was so Aster."

This time I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to chuck my mug across the table. Instead I brought it back to my lips and drained it to the bottom. From over the rim of the glass I noticed Hiccup approach. Her hair was a mess, more so than usual, with leaves and twigs sticking out of her bear fur vest.

She kept her head down as she snagged a plate of chicken from the edge of the table. Snotlout scooted down the bench, grinning widely while Hiccup walked past. The urge to knock his teeth out resurfaced. She grabbed a cup and walked around Fishlegs.

"Where did Hiccup go wrong?" Gobber asked.

The husky teen smiled at Hiccup as she passed him, she returned it shyly. My hand tightened around my mug, an unfamiliar prickle of unease stabbing at my chest.

"Uh, she showed up?" Ruffnut tried.

"She didn't get eaten?" Tuff put in.

That one made me frown. I rolled my eyes at both answers and finally supplied the correct response: "She's never where she should be."

I attempted to soften my voice to make the comment seem less harsh, Hiccup didn't look up from her meal so I'm guessing that I failed at that.

"Thank ye Aster!" Gobber said, "ye need ta live and breathe this stuff."

The smith strolled around the table, thumping both Ruff and Tuff – deservingly if you ask me - as he passed before slamming a book in front of us. "The Dragon Manual, everythin' we know about every dragon we know'a."

Gobber lifted his head, eyebrow cocked, considering, while everyone else's attention was focused on the book. A boom of thunder resounded outside and his eyes narrowed. "No attacks t'night, hurry up" he declared, limping away on his stump leg.

"Wait, you mean read?" Tuffnut queried.

"While we're still alive?" Ruff continued.

"Why read words when you can just kill the things the words tell you stuff about?" Snotlout questioned.

That didn't make sense but I'd long since learned that it was useless to try and convince idiots of anything to the contrary so I kept my mouth shut.

"Oh, oh" Fishlegs said excitedly, "I've read it like seven times! There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face and there's this other one who buries itself for like a week-"

"Yea, yea, yea, okay" Tuff interrupted, "there was a chance I was gonna' read that-"

"-but now…" Ruff finished with an agonized eye roll.

"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff" Snotlout said, standing from his seat and heading for the hall doors. Ruff and Tuff got up to follow while Legs knocked the bench over to hurry after them.

"So…I guess we'll share-" Hiccup said as she came to stand next to me.

As much as I would love to spend time with Hiccup, especially with such a perfect excuse and her smiling so invitingly at me…huh maybe I should stick around after all. No, wait. I gave myself a mental shake and shoved the book across the table toward her, "Read it" I stated simply, before turning and making my way to the door.

I heard part of her response, "Wow, all mine now. Gee…uh I guess I'll see you-" the door slammed shut behind me, cutting her off.

Man she probably thinks I'm a serious jerk for blowing her off like that but dragon training starts early tomorrow, I can't afford to stay up reading some book I've already gone through. But still this is Hiccup, it's not like I've got many chances to hang out with her as it is, we don't have anything in common and rarely find each other around the village.

I stood just outside the mead hall, indecisive as to whether I should make a complete fool of myself and go back in there or just go home. Eventually the latter won out, it's not like this would be my only chance to talk to her anyway, and I started down the steps toward home. I passed Fishlegs on the way and stopped to watch as he trudged back into the hall, muttering and grumbling under his breath.

Huh, maybe he forgot something.

I turned and made my way back home, sliding under the covers and falling asleep to the tune of Calder's snores. Big day tomorrow after all.

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We all showed up to a modified training arena early the next morning. Apparently we were working with the Deadly Nadder today and a maze of patchwork walls was the best way to prepare us for facing one out in the field. Rather than seeking safety in numbers we all split up, the twins naturally choosing to stick together while Snotlout once again glued himself to my side.

I peered around corners and dodged the dragon's advances with that stupid Lout' yapping in my ear the whole way. Chief's blood or not, Hiccup's cousin or not, he was five words away from losing his head when Gobber's shouting caught my attention.

"Focus Hiccup! Yer not even tryin'."

There was a crash just down the way and I halted at an intersection, peering around the corner and finding it empty. Thankfully the call had shut Snotlout up for the time being.

"T'day is all about attack" Gobber yelled, putting emphasis on the last word, "Nadders're quick and light on their feet, yer job is ta be quicker and lighter."

That explains the maze. Give the thing a foothold and let it work.

Someone screeched off to the side, and Fishlegs called out: "I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"

Snotlout snickered beside me and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Maybe if I was lucky the dragon would take a bite out of him…at least then he'd be stuck in the healers hut instead of bothering me. A morbid but comforting thought as I skidded to a stop just around another corner.

"Look for its blind spot!" Gobber called out, "Every dragon has one, find it, hide in it, and strike."

Of course, the maze forced the Nadder to hop on top of the walls to locate us, at the right angle we could hide literally right under its nose until the opportunity to strike presented itself.

I smiled and moved to peek around the corner, noticing the rapidly approaching footfalls a moment after something pulled up short in front of me. Hiccup stumbled, regaining her balance after nearly plowing into me while I stepped back. The satisfactory sound of Snotlout's staunched curse after my heel slammed down on his boot was nearly drown out by my focus on the much smaller form in front of me.

She looked winded, having evidentially already encountered the Nadder if the singed remains of her axe were anything to go by.

"Still here Hiccup? Why don't you leave it to the real Vikings?" Snotlout said.

I frowned, briefly pondering the merits of drawing the dragon close and 'accidentally' diving away just in time to miss a blast of magnesium fire, thus allowing my shadow to get his face singed off instead, before Hiccup spoke up.

"Who else would the dragon use to pick your hide out of its teeth" she murmured. It probably wasn't meant to be heard but she hadn't backed far enough away for me to miss her comeback. I couldn't help myself, releasing a mild chuckle at the jab.

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. I forced myself to appear expressionless again, though inside I was sweating. Hiccup usually kept her attention on the ground or other things, never really people. I'd only ever seen her look directly at her mentor when they were talking, with everyone else she was shifty, eyes moving everywhere and only exchanging brief words before backing out and taking off to who knows where.

But now she was looking directly at me, her mouth hanging open slightly, eyes wide – huh green, funny how I've never noticed what color they are before. Yet another unique thing to add to the pile, hardly anyone on Berk has green eyes.

I jerked from my musings as the tromping of dragon claws reached my ears and I peered around the corner to see that the Nadder had finished with whoever had been occupying its attention and was now coming toward us. I took off in the other direction with Lout' and Hiccup following after me, it was only after several turns and near-misses with the Nadder that I realized Hiccup was gone.

Well, at least I know she's alright so long as the Nadder is here and not wherever she is.

Eventually I hunkered down at a three way intersection, keeping track of the Nadder's movements in preparation for crossing. Snotlout, as usual, was still following me. We would need to get closer if we wanted to sneak up on the creature and Lout' would work well as a decoy if nothing else.

"I know, I know but hypothetically…"

I glanced back to see Hiccup frozen at the mouth of another intersection not far from us. Her eyes had widened when she spotted us and I attempted to tell her with my gaze to be quiet. She seemed to understand and skulked up beside us just as I determined it was okay to move.

Summersaulting across the gap I slid easily back to my feet and kept running, not bothering to check and see if Lout' and Hiccup made it after me. There was a growl from somewhere behind, clear indication that someone had botched the stealth attempt. Cursing under my breath I rounded a corner and stopped at the mouth of another intersection, shifting my gaze left, right, and up to make sure the Nadder wasn't around.

"So I was thinking…" Snotlout said, walking up beside me in the very picture of relaxation. Oh Odin if it wasn't Lout' that'd botched the tumble earlier….no Gobber wouldn't let anything happen to his apprentice, Stoick would kill him and he would be out an extra pair of hands at the forge.

"…maybe we could go to the hall later, I'll ask Tuff to come along too, see if there are any cute barmaids to chat up."

This time I was seriously considering maiming him. Lucky for Lout' the Nadder chose that moment to spot us, dashing forward and leaving me to run in the opposite direction.

"C'mon I'm sure it'll be fun!" Snotlout continued.

Doesn't anyone have any sense of self-preservation around here?

"It could be just you and me if you want, maybe we could even invite Fishlegs too if he felt like it…"

The walking annoyance trailed off as he rounded another corner, leaving the Nadder to me. Of course Hiccup was standing obliviously at the end of the path and I had to make a sharp turn to miss her, nearly banging my shoulder against the wall in my rush. The dragon continued in pursuit, knocking over one of the walls and creating a domino effect that left half the arena trashed. Yet even with the walls raining down around us the Nadder still managed to keep an eye on me.

With the maze down it didn't take long for me to be trapped at a dead end. Thinking quickly I jumped up onto one of the walls, hobbling there for a moment in an attempt to regain my balance. The Nadder was right behind me, I could hear it growling, so without thinking I dove for the next wall. So did the dragon, causing it to tumble. With no more footholds I pitched forward…heading right for an obviously startled Hiccup.

"Hiccup!" I shouted, trying to warn her but it was too late.

My tumble took us both to the ground. I landed on top while the Nadder's foot missed us both by an inch. It stumbled off to the side, trying to relocate its prey. I gripped the handle of my axe and pulled, dismayed to see it lodged into her shield. Frustrated and more than a little desperate after seeing the Nadder turn in preparation for another charge I yanked at my stuck weapon, using my other hand for leverage and eventually managing to wretch the entire thing off her arm.

Then I sprang to my feet just in time to defend against the attacking dragon, slamming both the axe and shield into the side of its head. It warbled and limped away, evidentially giving up the battle.

"Well done Aster" Gobber called.

I took in a few deep breaths and looked down at my axe, which still had a sizable chunk of wood stuck to the blade. A sudden flash of anger overtook me and I whirled around to face Hiccup. She still hadn't pulled herself up from the ground, sitting up with a dazed look on her face.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you?" I asked, "our parents' war is about to become ours, you'd better figure out which side you're on."

I was about to turn and walk away when the look on her face registered. Some of my anger left me as I realized she looked…not hurt…but definitely affected by my comment. The urge to somehow offer comfort was staggering. I usually don't feel guilty for telling people what I'm thinking, especially when most of them really need to hear it, but Hiccup isn't everyone else.

At the same time what I said wasn't a lie and she needs to learn to take these things more seriously. She could've easily gotten both of us killed out there by not paying attention. There's no way she can do something like that in real battle and expect to come out without severe injury or worse.

So I stomped down on my guilt and walked away, the others trailed behind me.

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"So Hiccup the Useless strikes again" Snotlout commented as we left the arena.

I was still too angry to feel defensive over his insults so I let them slide for now, examining my axe as I walked. The chunk of wood attached to one of the blades would need to be removed. There was also a new patchwork of scratches that would need to be smoothed out, oh great I would have to take it to the smithy later. No way could I wait the standard day it always took for maintenance with dragon training every morning. Maybe Gobber would let me borrow another axe from the armory…

Tuffnut laughed, "Yea but did you see Aster? Must've been nice to cop a feel of those watermelons eh friend?" he elbowed me jovially.

I opened my mouth to snap at him for calling me friend when the rest of the statement registered. "Wait what are you talking about?"

Snotlout snorted, "Please, don't tell me you didn't notice?"

I gave both boys a blank stare and their eyebrows rose.

"Wait…you seriously didn't notice?" Lout' asked.

"Notice what?" I asked, growing impatient.

Tuffnut and Snotlout burst out laughing, leaving me to raise a quizzical eyebrow at Fishlegs and Ruff, silently asking for an answer. The female half of the Thorston twins had been listening to the conversation with a scowl, looking disgusted by both boys while Fishlegs was flushed.

"What?" I prompted, letting my irritation seep into my tone.

"When you yanked her shield away you put your hand on her boob!" Tuff shouted out.

I blinked slowly while they went into another round of guffaws, trying to think back to when I'd landed on Hiccup. I hadn't exactly been able to take in too many details at the time but now that I think back on it I did feel something squish under my palm when I was yanking at my axe.

Oh…Mighty Thunder of Thor….

Heat rose to my cheeks, probably lighting my skin up like Snoggletog morning. Luckily Snotlout and Tuffnut were too busy laughing to notice, though Ruff did raise an eyebrow after breaking the death stare she was shooting her brother.

"But seriously how was it?" Snotlout asked, him and Tuffnut flanking me as we walked.

"Well I wasn't exactly paying attention to that" I bit out, not at all comfortable with how interested they were in Hiccups bust. Snotlout is her cousin for Odin's sake!

"C'mon she's got the best pair in the village unlike Ruffnut, who's flat as a board-"

Said Thorston female proceeded to clobber her twin with a very nasty right hook, succeeding in doing what I was approximately three seconds away from doing myself.

"Tuffnut's right" Snotlout agreed, "I bet even Fishlegs wants to hear about it, don't you Fish?"

We both turned to look at the husky teen, who had been quietly hovering at the edge of the conversation up until now. His already raging blush turned several shades darker at the question. "Well…I…um don't really-"

"See" Snotlout interrupted, "even he wants to know."

"You guys are disgusting" Ruffnut cut in, dragging her unconscious brother behind her like a sack of potatoes.

"You're just jealous because she has bigger boobs than you-" Tuff slurred as he returned to the waking world. His twin slammed her boot into his face before he could even finish the sentence. I could almost swear I saw a tooth fly out of his mouth and skitter along the path after that one.

I shook my head in disgust and turned to walk away, not bothering to bid my farewells or answer Snotlout as he called after me.

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We all met up for a bonfire later on that evening. I was stuck sandwiched between Lout' and Ruff, which left me susceptible to his continued inquiries about what his cousin's bust felt like. It made me all different kinds of uncomfortable, especially when Tuff joined in. Even worse was when my traitorous eyes slid over to Hiccup, who had situated herself between Fishlegs and Gobber, and inevitably landed on her chest.

It wasn't like I'd never snuck a peek before but she was usually moving around, except on the rare occasions when I'd catch her perched on her front porch or a cliffs edge sketching. Those moments were few and far between though and usually only resulted in passing glances. No need for her to look up and decide that I'm some kind of creepy weirdo for standing in the middle of the path staring after all, not to mention the humiliation if anyone else were to see me.

But now, being able to peer at her discretely over the fire while pretending to be keeping an eye on my chicken leg, I was able to get a long look. Okay so her bust was rather large, I could tell that much despite the way she was hunched over with her elbows resting on her knees. Petite figure with long legs…

"-and with one twist he took my hand and swallowed it whole!" Gobber said, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically and effectively breaking me out of my observation.

Gods I'd been checking Hiccup out. I took a huge bite of my chicken leg to hide my blush. Snotlout had gone silent beside me, which was truly a miracle if I've ever seen one. Thank Odin that everyone had been too riveted by Gobber's story to notice.

"I saw the look on is' face, I was delicious, and he must've passed the word because it wasn't a month before another one'a them took my leg" Gobber continued.

"Wouldn't it be weird to think if your hand was inside a dragon" Fishlegs began, mashing a pair of chicken legs together in illustration, "if your mind was still in control of it, you could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing its heart or something."

I raised an eyebrow, discretely lowering my meal into my lap. The suggestion was almost enough to kill my appetite.

"I swear I'm so angry right now!" Lout spoke up, completely disregarding Fishlegs strange statement, "I swear I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot, I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face."

If Fishlegs suggestion was strange then Snotlout's was idiotic. I took another bite of my chicken while Gobber made a disapproving sound and did the same, "It's the wings and the tails ye really want, if it can't fly it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon."

I filed that away for later, important information to consider when you go in for the initial attack.

The smith stood and stretched with a yawn, "Well I'm off to bed and ye should be too, t'morrow we get ta the big boys…slowly but surely makin' our way up ta the Monstrous Nightmare."

Everyone leaned forward eagerly at the statement, expectant of the challenge. I could feel my blood pumping at the thought of fighting the beast in the ring, the honor I could bring to my family. The finest in dragon training, best dragon killer of my generation. The thought made me smile.

"But who'll win the honor of killin' it?" Gobber finished dramatically.

My eyes strayed down the line of my competition. Fishlegs won't be a problem if the way he ran from the Gronkle is any indication. Neither will the twins, they fight too much to be any challenge. If Lout' were to actually grow a brain and stop following after me he might pose a threat, but of course that'll never happen so I'm safe on that front. Then of course there's Hiccup. She can barely hold up a shield, so she's not an issue…

My eyebrows scrunched together as I noticed the abandoned fish lying in her seat.

"It's gonna' be me" Tuffnut said casually, leaning back in his seat, "it's my destiny, see" he continued, pulling up his shirt to reveal a dragonish shaped mark on his side.

I was hardly paying attention to the idle chatter as I stood and made my way over to her seat, catching movement out of the corner of my eye.

Hiccup had descended the wooden stairs and slipped away. Not too strange for her, she's always had a knack for disappearing. There was a prickling unease in my gut, whispering that something wasn't quite right here. But I ignored it and returned to the bonfire. It was probably nothing.

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We all showed up for training the next morning as usual. Unfortunately I hadn't found time to talk to Gobber about fixing my axe. Hiccup had disappeared after the bonfire, though even if she were available I'm not sure I could manage a proper conversation with her right now. Gods damn Snotlout and Tuffnut to Hel and back for putting those thoughts in my head, I spent half the night staring at the ceiling and trying not to remember the brief feel that I'd snatched the day prior. For once I'm thankful for Calder's snores, at least they managed to drown out some of those thoughts.

Luck seemed to be on my side today though.

Once everyone was present Gobber had unceremoniously shoved full buckets into our arms and told us to pair up. Ruffnut immediately claimed Hiccup, squashing any intentions that I may or may not have had for asking her to pair with me. Snotlout attempted to make his way over to me while I snagged Fishlegs. If this was going to be an exercise that required trusting our partners with our lives I certainly wasn't going to get stuck with Lout'.

Fishlegs seemed to be thinking something similar as he watched Tuff and Snotlout pair off. Yea, definitely better odds this way.

"T'day is about teamwork" Gobber said as the cage opened and a cloud of gas seeped into the arena, "now a wet dragon head can't light its fire, the Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky, one head breathes gas while the other head lights it. Yer job is to know which is which."

Fish' and I stood back to back, quickly losing sight of everyone else.

"Razor sharp serrated teeth that inject venom from predigestion, for its ambush attack, crushing its victims-"

"Giving away our position Fishlegs" I growled over my shoulder.

"Sorry" he whispered back.

We stopped circling. I remained on alert, flicking my eyes back and forth while focusing my hearing to search for even the tiniest bit of sound.

"There!"

Fish' jumped almost a foot in the air at the sudden exclamation while I whirled in the direction of the noise, bucket held high in preparation for the attack.

"Hey, it's us you idiots!" someone, a girl by the sound of it, shouted. Tone was too sharp to be Hiccup so it must be Ruff.

"Your butts are getting bigger, we thought you were a dragon" this reply was much softer but only Tuffnut could say something so stupid. I rolled my eyes.

Someone, Snotlout I would know that obnoxious chuckle anywhere, laughed, "Naw' it was probably just Hiccup's jugs and huge hips!"

Okay note to self, give Lout' a knuckle sandwich later.

There was a crash, followed by a pained groan and a shout not long after. Okay either Tuffnut said something stupid enough to make Ruff maim him or Hiccup finally decided to beat those two into submission. The former seemed more plausible, especially when Tuffnut started shouting: "I am hurt! I am very much hurt!" somewhere off in the distance.

Fishlegs let out a high-pitched yelp behind me and I'd barely started to turn before he shouldered into me. It was only a glancing blow but more than enough to knock me back a few steps, half the water sloshing out of the bucket to soak my pant leg. I swore and planted my feet to steady myself, managing to whirl around and come face-to-face with the Zippleback.

I jerked back but not fast enough to avoid a head butt to the gut. The bucket flew out of my hand and clattered to the ground while I flew back into the wall. Pain exploded in my skull and I squeezed my eyes shut, opening them a moment later to find my adversary gone.

For a second I just sat there, one arm wrapped around my aching torso while the dark spots in my vision faded. Once I was sure that I could manage I put one hand on the wall and forced myself to my feet. The gas was still swirling around the arena but I'd managed to slip just out of its range. Gobber was standing near the gate opposite the cloud, he was the only one I could see.

Maybe Tuff and Lout' had been eaten after all. Well at least it would be a little quieter around here now. Though Fish', Ruff, and Hiccup were also nowhere to be seen. While Legs' and Ruff are more of a neutral concern for me given that I have nothing against them, Hiccup I can't deny being worried about.

What can I say? Seeing her these past few days of training has put a whole new spin on things. I mean I knew that she didn't have any skill with weaponry but I wasn't aware that she was this bad. She needs more than just Gobber and her father keeping an eye on her. Though she is a lot tougher than I thought she was, given the insult she'd thrown back at Snotlout yesterday despite not meaning for him to hear it.

Ruffnut appeared out of the mist, backing up slowly. Hiccup followed, crawling backward on her hands and knees, eyes wide and fixed solely on the Zippleback slithering after them. That dragon certainly did not look happy, one mouth leaking gas while the other jerked as the sparks lit up on its tongue. The creature leapt forward unexpectedly, flaring its wings in obvious threat.

"Hiccup!" Gobber called, already making his way over.

Suddenly the thing reared back, shrieking wildly. At first I thought it was coming in for the kill but then I noticed that its wing's had dropped and it was…backing away? Hiccup stood and cried: "Back!" making a shooing motion with her hands. It was probably the least threatening thing I'd ever seen but the monster did it, squawking in alarm and trying to put distance between it and the tiny girl.

"Back!" she shouted again, taking another step forward, "now don't you make me ask you again!"

Her outline was all I could make out as she backed the creature further into what was left of the gas, eventually slamming the cage doors shut behind it. The wind from the doors closing cleared the rest of the smoke. Hiccup was standing next to the pen wiping her hands absently on her vest. It was only after she was satisfied cleaning off whatever had clung to her hands that she looked up and noticed us all staring.

"Uh….so I've kinda' got…a thing, yea" she said, already inching toward the door. Nobody made any move to stop her as she walked out of the arena. We didn't speak for a while after, at least not until Gobber finally cleared his throat and told us that training was over for the day.

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The Goethi caught me as I was exiting the arena, dismissing my protests and smacking me on the arm with her staff until I let her take a look at my injuries. They weren't bad, just a goose egg and some bruising, she said that I was very lucky. Apparently broken ribs and a concussion were the norm for that kind of attack. I was still berating myself for getting hit in the first place.

So I spent the rest of the afternoon at my favorite training ground using my knife to try and dislodge the chunk of wood still stuck to the blade of my axe. If I brought it to the smithy before I managed to get the wood off the repair would undoubtedly cost extra. It took considerable effort and resulted in a lot of splinters before I finally got frustrated enough to hurl it at the nearest tree. Then I spent another hour trying to pull it out of the trunk.

Luckily the chunk of wood came out when I finally worked the blade free of the trunk, though there was a huge scar left on my weapon, much to my disappointment. Despite knowing that it needed maintenance I'd held onto some hope that it would be in good enough condition to survive through dragon training. At least then I wouldn't have to go weaponless.

I could also avoid having to face Hiccup in the forge.

I groaned as I trudged to the smithy from the mead hall, having delayed the inevitable as long as possible by going to grab a bite with the others. Ma' probably wouldn't be pleased but my brothers had doubtlessly gobbled up my plate eagerly. Luckily I'd had a few pieces of silver on me just in case.

I'd probably have to put in a few hours of labor for Bucket and Mulch to get anymore though, paying for my axe repairs would demolish my savings. The idea of mucking animal stalls didn't appeal to me but it definitely beat going into battle with a weakened axe or, even worse, weaponless.

The fire wasn't lit when I got there and the customer window was closed. This wasn't very surprising. Gobber really only left it open for drop offs, the kind that you don't want or need to get back right away. So I walked right in, not surprised to see the smithy unoccupied.

Gobber had likely gone out and Hiccup was probably home, there goes my chance to request a rush order. It would undoubtedly cost more than a standard sharpening, especially with the gash in the side of the blade, but there's nothing I can do.

My eyes shifted to the door at the back of the room. It was shut, just as it always was, with a naked hook nailed haphazardly to the wall to the left of it. If the apron that usually hung there was gone then Hiccup must still be here. The Gods must hate me. But I needed my axe repaired so I stepped around the piles of metal and stuff that littered the corners, heading for the door. The smithy was silent and it didn't take long to notice a new sound drifting from the other room. It sounded like…humming. Granted I couldn't hear it very well through the wood but what I could hear was nice.

Well at least I know for sure she's here now.

"Hiccup?" I call, stepping over a rather large pile of dull swords.

There was a sudden bang on the other side, then silence. My pace quickened and soon enough I was flinging the door open. Hiccup was sitting on the floor, both hands clutching her forehead. From the angle she was sitting she'd probably banged her head on the desk.

"Hiccup are you okay?" I ask.

I've never actually seen this back room before, though I do know from some of Gobber's casual jabber that he'd given it to Hiccup to use as her personal work room. I'd always been a little curious as to what she kept in here and it felt too much like an intrusion to just walk in. But she hadn't looked up when I'd asked if she was okay so obviously she needed help right?

I'd just stepped over the threshold to do just that when one of her hands strayed from her head, hooking onto the edge of the table and helping to pull her to her feet. "I'm fine, just got a little…startled, is all" she laughed, giving me a reassuring smile.

Okay so maybe my minor crush on Hiccup is a little more than minor. If she smiled at me like that all the time I'm sure the entire village would know by now. Luckily she had averted her eyes back to the tabletop, keeping her from seeing the owlish look I graced her with. Gods she has a pretty smile…

"D-did you need something?" she asked after a moment.

I reached for my axe, praying to whatever God was listening that my expression gave none of my prior thoughts away as I held the weapon, "I'm due for a sharpening."

She nodded and motioned for me to follow before heading back into the forge, making a beeline for the hearth and stoking the coals. "This will probably take a while to light, you can leave it on that table and I'll hand it back to you tomorrow at dragon training" she said.

She waved her hand absently at a metal plated table off to the side. It was heaped full of dull knives and swords, hardly any room for a pocket knife let alone my axe. I stood there awkwardly, unsure whether to just attempt to plop it on top of the pile or move some of the weapons to the side. Hiccup must've noticed my dilemma as she said: "Oh, sorry about that," and slid past me to clear a space, wrapping her arms around the bunch of weapons and tossing half under the table. The remaining few got shoved off to the side.

"Aren't you too busy?" I asked, "I mean all of those need to be fixed too right?"

She brushed past me and started pumping the bellow again, throwing all her weight on top of it to get it to move. I stomped down on the urge to offer my help, she clearly knew what she was doing a lot better than I did anyhow. "Not really, those don't really take that long and the owners didn't specify a time for pickup. Gobber and I usually just split the work when we're both here, a stack that size doesn't even take half a day" she answered, giving the bellow one final pump before checking the coals.

She seemed satisfied and leaned back, "Can I take a look at your axe for a second?"

I hadn't placed it on the table yet and simply handed it to her. She took it, dipping a bit under the weight but not quite sagging as she propped it up against a nearby table and held it by the head to examine it more closely. Her tongue poked out while she worked, making her look almost childish as she flipped the blade over and casually brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

It was mesmerizing to watch.

"Where did this come from?" she asked, pointing to the mark.

"I think it was from that day we were training with the Nadder" I answered absently, my eyes having refocused on her own green orbs. Gods how could I have taken so long to notice what color they were? Now I can't seem to stop wanting to stare at them.

She winced after I spoke, looking guilty as she placed my axe on a nearby anvil and strolling over to check the fire. A long moment passed, then she sighed, "Okay…repairs are on the house since it's technically me who's responsible for breaking it in the first place."

Okay first she offers to do a rush job without me having to ask, then she goes looking all cute while she's checking my axe out – nobody in the world can or should look that attractive – and now she's offering to fix it up for free?

"Are you trying to suck up to me or something?" I ask automatically.

She blinked, looking thrown, "What? No I was just trying to take responsibility for messing up your axe. It's because of that mark that you brought it here right?"

She was being honest. Both her tone and eyes are practically overflowing with it. I'm suddenly reminded that this is Hiccup, not Snotlout, not some village girl, but Hiccup. She's honest and kind, not superficial. She probably knows that I need my axe for dragon training and genuinely wants to take responsibility for the incident in the ring.

Hiccup starts fidgeting and I realize that I've been staring at her the whole time. Not wanting to seem creepy I shrug my shoulders and reply: "Have it your way," before heading for the door.

I feel a little light-headed as I go, maybe a little warmer than when I walked in, and suddenly I feel like talking to her, spilling my feelings out in a puddle at her feet. It's the first time I've wanted to tell her so badly and I angle myself so that I can look at her over my shoulder.

"Hiccup, I uh…"

She has a look on her face now, a sort of dullness around the eyes and a sagging of the shoulders. The elated warmth rising up in my gut is suddenly caught in a whirlpool, making my throat tighten around the words and refuse to let them pass my lips.

"…y'know what never mind" I say quickly before turning and heading home.

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"Ah Hiccup was wonderin' when ye were gonna' show up" Gobber said the following morning. I perked up at the mention of her name, turning to see her bent over with her hands on her knees. She was panting, having obviously run here.

"S-sorry" she wheezed, "overslept."

"Try not ta let it happen again" Gobber said before shouting for all of us to fall in line. Hiccup jogged over just as I started to take my place at the end, slapping my axe into my hand without meeting my gaze or giving me time to say thank you before heading over to stand next to Fishlegs.

It made me feel like even more of a jerk when I glanced down and saw that the metal had been buffed free of all grime and marks. The wood on the handle was filed free of splinters while the old, cracked leather grip was replaced with a new one and freshly oiled.

"T'day ye'll be taken on an old friend" Gobber said, already pulling the lever on one of the cages.

Snotlout and the twins groaned while Fishlegs looked like he was still severely questioning our instructor's methods. Hiccup seemed not to care. The door wasn't even fully open before the Gronkle burst forth, forcing everyone to scatter.

"Remember yer trainin' and try ta last as long as ye can with the beast!" Gobber called.

The dragon went after Fishlegs first, chasing him around the outer ring while he ran in what can only be described as panic. I went for one of the shields propped up along the wall, snagging it and catching a glimpse of Snotlout and Tuffnut doing the same on the other side of the ring.

I circled around, keeping my back to the wall and my eyes on the dragon. It took out Tuff right away, leaving his sister to take up the half-charred remains of his shield along with her spear. She banged them together to create noise, distracting the Gronkle while I moved in closer. It managed a semi-straight shot that splattered at her feet, some of the backlash catching her leggings.

She cried out and reeled back, offering the Gronkle another clear shot that decimated what remained of her shield. I watched her hit the ground, spear flung off to the side while she struggled to get the smoldering remains of her shield off her arm. "Ruffnut out!" Gobber called, her brother dragging her to the sidelines.

I held my axe high and charged across the arena. The dragon came after me, ducking down for a head butt. I dropped, intending to slide underneath the creature, but instead one of the rock-hard bumps on its hide smashed into my shoulder and sent me into an uncontrolled tumble. My axe skittered out of my hand when I hit the ground, the dragon brushing past me to higher altitudes.

"Aster out" Gobber called.

I scowled but complied despite still feeling perfectly ready for a fight, grabbing my axe as I bolted to the gate. Ruffnut was standing without her brother's help so her injury probably wasn't grave, she greeted me with a simple nod. I felt like burying my axe into the wall beside me but instead holstered it and focused my attention to the battle.

I turned just in time to see Hiccup move to punch the dragon. It collapsed right after being struck by her fist, then rolled on its side when she twisted her arm to the right. She brought her hand back, a touch of a smile on her lips, before turning her attention to us.

"So…uh, did I pass?" she asked.

I blinked, hardly believing what I had just seen and glancing to the others for some kind of confirmation. They were all as gob smacked as me, so at least I wasn't crazy.

Gobber was the first to react, stumbling to meet her as she strolled over and received a hardy pat on the back, "Great show Hiccup, ye did well lass." He kept his flesh hand around her shoulder, smiling widely as he addressed the rest of us, "Trainin' over for t'day, yer all dismissed."

He gave her another affectionate pat on the back before leaving to go shove the Gronkle back in its pen. Ruffnut approached her first, throwing an arm about her shoulders and giving her a shake. "Didn't know you had it in you Hiccup!" she said cheerfully.

Hiccup looked uncomfortable being hugged by the female Thorston, but she didn't say anything against it despite the obviously shaky smile she sported.

"Yea I mean how did you do that?" Snotlout continued, obvious awe in his voice. I wrinkled my nose, disgusted with him for doing a complete one eighty and trying to pretend that he hadn't been insulting her up until a few minutes ago.

Tuffnut shoved Snotlout aside and leaned in close to Hiccup, whose smile became more forced as her personal space was breached. "You just threw out your hand and it just fell over, like BAM!" Tuff said, throwing his arms out in illustration. My frown became more pronounced when I noticed his arm brushing hers but, once again, Ruffnut took care of it for me when she landed a strong right hook to his jaw.

"Back off moron can't you tell she doesn't want your ugly mug in her face?" she said, finally releasing Hiccup to hover over her sibling. Personally, I couldn't have said it better myself.

"What did you say you butt elf?"

The twin's squabbles faded into the background as Fishlegs approached, sidling up to stand almost as close as Tuff had. My teeth clenched more tightly together. What was with all these guys suddenly being so buddy buddy with Hiccup? Granted that she did well in dragon training and deserves the praise but none of them have shown her any interest other than to ogle her chest before now.

"So did you really punch it?" Legs' asked.

"Didn't you see? Of course she did!" Snotlout answered for her, clapping her on the back hard enough to make her cringe, "she's not my cousin for nothing after all!"

I almost scoffed. Hiccup and Snotlout are nothing alike, he should be claiming family relation to her, not the other way around.

"Uh…sorry guys but I think I forgot my axe in the arena so I'm just gonna'…" Hiccup stammered, slipping around her cousin and practically bolting back toward the arena.

The twins temporarily halted their fighting, staring at her retreating form with the rest of us.

"What's with her?" Tuffnut asked.

I wish I knew.

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For anyone who was wondering here's a bit more on the Hofferson family:

Axel – eldest, approximately 22 years old. He was 10 when their father died.

Calder – second eldest, approximately 20 years old. He was 8 when their father died.

Halvar – middle child, approximately 17 years old. He was 5 when their father died.

Aster – fourth child, 15 years old. He was 3 when their father died.

Tait – youngest child, 12 years old, He was born a few months after their father's death.