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Asher Hofferson would have been an amazing dragon killer. The phrase of emphasis being 'would have been', for he has never slain one of those flying devils from Helheim in his 19 years on Midgard. The lack of killing on his end wasn't because he lacked in the brains or brawns department. No, Asher Hofferson was one of Berk's finest and most promising warriors, despite his youthful age of just 19 years old.It was a well-known fact by everyone on Berk; when he was 15, he was the champion of his Dragon Killing Class. He was chosen by the village elder to have the honor of killing a Monstrous Nightmare in front of the entire village, though that prize was never to be delivered. When he was 18, he had his first victory as a warrior, fighting bravely in a battle against the Outcasts when they tried to invade Berk. For his heroism and great contributions during that battle, Stoick the Vast, the chief of the tribe, had honored him as a warrior in front of the entire village, cementing his place as a valued member of the tribe, earning him and the Hofferson Clan some of the lost glory that had always belonged to them.So no, Asher Hofferson's dragon kill count remains at zero was not because of a skill issue. His lack of killing dragons was because of the lack of dragons on Berk itself. Years ago, when Asher was a kid, there were dragons everywhere; Berk was a land of kill-or-be-killed, with hoards of those beasts flapping about everywhere in sight. Dragon killing had been pretty big around here on Berk. These days? Not so much. There couldn't be any Dragon killers if there weren't any dragons to kill in the first place.Asher shakes his head. While some mourn the lack of dragons (mostly his peers who dreamt of the glory of killing them), for the most part, the people have been happy with the lack of dragons in the Archipelago for the last 2 years. The war was over, there was more food to go around in the village because of the lack of pests stealing them, and Berk was flourishing even more so. It was all thanks to the fact that dragon raids that plague Berk, which plague the entire Archipelago for hundreds of years, had mysteriously stopped 2 years ago.Many speculate on what happened; some thought it was because the dragon's nest was destroyed, while others thought the dragons had simply relocated. But everyone knows that the dragon's disappearance had something to do with those Dragon Riders that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere in the archipelago 3 years ago.Asher shakes his head at the thought of people riding dragons of all things. Horses? Perfectly normal. Yaks? Questionable, unless you are a child. But a dragon? A fire-breathing, mindless killer? Who would ride them, much less tame them?Dragon Riders, that's who, Asher had thought to himself with a snort as he walked up the stairs to the Great Hall for a council meeting. Asher has heard many tales of them in the lands far from Berk, beyond even the Archipelago; Trader Johann's stories for the most part were boring, but those Dragon Riders were the most interesting piece of gossip he carried to Berk in the recent years.Speaking of Trader Johann, Asher wondered what happened to the poor man. The trader was late, really late, and they had not heard from him in weeks. He was supposed to have arrived a few weeks ago. Even when he was late in the past, a letter of apology was sent to the Chief in advance for notice. The silence from Trader Johann was strange, almost as though he simply had vanished into thin air.It was also the purpose of today's council meeting, Asher had noted that to himself as he pushed past the large double doors that led into the Great Hall and entered it. He notes that most, if not everyone were already here, all gathered around the roaring hearth in the centre of it all. He gives a few nods of greeting and acknowledgment as he makes his way through the crowd until he finds the people that he was looking for; Snotlout Jorgenson, and Fishlegs Ingerman. They were standing at the very front, close to where the Chief was. Fishlegs smiled in acknowledgment at Asher, while Snotlout only nodded and clapped at his back before all three of them turned their full attention to the Chief, who began to kick off today's meeting."I'll get straight to the point. Trader Johann was supposed to arrive on Berk three weeks ago. That is almost unprecedented for Johann; he's been late, but never this late before."It was true. Johann was at most a week late, at least, up till now. It's been almost three weeks since his scheduled arrival, and still no sign of him in the vicinity of the Archipelago. Not with the Meatheads, the Bog Burglars, the Berserkers even."We have sent out letters and asked the other tribes about the situation with Trader Johann; he was last spotted outside of the Archipelago's waters, up further north. All contact with him also appears to have been cut off for some reason as well. Whether by Johann's hand or someone else's, I do not know.”“That is a smaller problem to handle; the bigger problem has to do with trade to sustain the village. Without Johann's goods, we'll only have enough for the next few weeks before all we have to eat is fish and yak. Not to mention Gothi's supply of willow bark dwindling, without Johann's next shipment,” Stoick said with a grim look on his face. The rest of the Vikings looked uneasy at his words talking amongst themselves.Asher frowned at Stoick's words. They could probably live off fish and yak (though they probably would get sick of it fast), they had plenty of those to feed the entire village. The real problem was the willow bark for Gothi's medicine, which was harder to attain."The immediate priority is finding the willow bark Gothi needs; the health of the villagers relies on it. Spitelout, gather a few teams of men with you to gather the willow bark from these islands," Stoick said gruffly as he handed a rolled-up map to Spitelout, before turning back to continue relaying orders to the other Vikings."The second priority is to find another Trader; at least until we find out what happened to Johann. Fishlegs Ingerman?""Y-yes Chief?" Fishlegs looked visibly nervous when Stoick called him out. Asher only spared Fishlegs a quiet glance. Stoick had an eye for talent and where to use it. Fishlegs was great at things like gathering information, or anything book-related. It was no surprise Stoick would be asking him to find a new trader that they could rely on."You'll be in charge of finding a new trader that would carry all the goods that we need; furs, honey, the lot. Pick a good one, son.""Y-yes Chief!" Fishlegs squeaked nervously, though it was clear that he was excited that Stoick was trusting him with such a responsibility. Asher would be as well if that was his area of expertise."In the meantime, we will..." Asher listened attentively as Stoick continued to list the other things that needed to be done to help keep the village fed and running in the meantime.Some were assigned to go up to the mountains to hunt for wild game so that they wouldn't need to touch the winter supplies just yet; others would go into the forests to salvage what berries and herbs they could find. All things considered, the situation hasn't gotten too dire yet; it was still much better than the times when there were still dragon raids.Once Stoick was finished giving out orders, the meeting was called to an end. Some of the Vikings started to shuffle out of the Great Hall bit by bit to get started on their assigned duties; others decided to hang back to chat or discuss the current situation. Asher, Snotlout, and Fishlegs did the same as well, talking in hush tones as they watched some of their fellow Vikings stroll out."Ugh, I probably have to follow my dad to help gather all that willow bark."That was the first complaint that came out of Snotlout's mouth, and Asher resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course, Snotlout said that. While a good warrior, Snotlout was lazy as they come, unconcerned with 'menial tasks', as he put it, that keep the village up and running."Don't complain, Snotlout. We need that willow bark for Gothi's medicine," Fishlegs quipped, only for Snotlout to roll his eyes at him."Oh yeah? But I don't get sick, Fishface!""Well, others might get sick. It's for the health of the village," Asher said in a serious tone, backing up Fishlegs, who smiled triumphantly as Snotlout blew a raspberry at their words."Whatever. C'mon, Asher, join me and the guys to go collect that willow bark! It's gonna be so boring, if you're there at least I have someone to spar with!" Snotlout said, his voice getting more excited as he looked at Asher eagerly, waiting for his friend to give him a satisfactory answer. Asher sighed, shaking his head in disappointment at Snotlout's words.How could any of them depend on Snotlout when it was his time to become chief? What was going to be the future of Berk if Snotlout was at the helm? Snotlout was a great warrior, sure. All Jorgensons were. But Snotlout, as Chief? Berk wouldn't last a winter if he didn't wise up soon. He was still every bit immature and boar-headed like when they were younger. Of course, considering Berk's other option, Snotlout was still a better one, though it was clear he wasn't suited to be the Chief as well."You can help me out if you want, Asher. I'll need help collecting information to find us a new trader while Trader Johann is...incapacitated," Fishlegs finishes wisely, as they were still unaware of what happened to Trader Johann. Asher considers this for a moment. He wanted to help in any way he could. He could go with the other men to collect the willow bark and make sure Snotlout stayed in line to help out, or he could help Fishlegs find a new trader. But...Just as Asher was about to tell his friends of his choice, he suddenly felt a heavy, large hand on his shoulder, as well as noticed the nervousness and tenseness on his friends' faces."H-hello there Chief! What could we do for you?" Fishlegs said, just as Asher turned around to face the man fully. Stoick towered all of them, with a brusque look on his face. He nodded at Fishlegs and Snotlout, before turning his full attention to Asher."Asher.""Hello there Chief. Is there anything I can do for you?"Asher greeted, sparing a glance at his friends, who had decidedly shuffled away towards the exit of the Great Hall. He expected something like this. After his heroic deeds during the war with the Outcast two years ago, Asher had been acknowledged by Stoick to be the most promising youth of his peers. It wasn't strange for Stoick to single him out to give him special tasks (or 'special treatment', as Snotlout jeered once). Stoick nodded brusquely, before ambling off to a nearby table to sit down, gesturing for Asher to do the same.Most, if not all of the other Vikings had already cleared out of the Great Hall. They were free to talk in private; that was, what Asher assumed Stoick wanted.And Asher was right. Stoick's expression, already as grave as it was, became troubled as he pulled out a small but messy pile of papers and spread it across the table."What's this about, Chief?" Asher asked, cautiously, though he could hazard a few guesses on what this was about."I need you to investigate the reasons behind Trader Johann's disappearance from the Archipelago's waters. It is too strange; while this is not the only Archipelago he frequents, it is still one of the places that is the biggest source of trade for him. So his sudden disappearance from the Archipelago is concerning," Stoick said, his eyebrows furrowing together as he pushes an envelope towards Asher, who recognizes the Berserker symbol on it."Do the Berserkers have something to do with Johann's disappearance?"The Berserker Tribe. They were a prominent tribe in the Barbaric Archipelago once; but after their war with the Outcasts 3 years ago, they had mysteriously disappeared afterward, with only rumors that their Chief had fled north-east to rebuild back his army. A few months ago, there was news of the Berserker Tribe's return back into the Barbaric Archipelago. Given Berserker Island's location, Trader Johann would have to pass through its waters to enter the Barbaric Archipelago."I had sent out a letter to Berserker Island to ask if they knew what happened to Johann. The sister of their chief, Heather, just recently replied to me.""Okay...""She told me that she and her brother were interested in renewing a peace pact with us. But that's not the important part, not yet at least. The important bit is about what she said about Trader Johann," Stoick said as he handed the letter to Asher to read.Asher reads the letter quietly with a frown. It was a fairly normal letter, but something she said about Trader Johann was off. He couldn't quite place his finger on it."You noticed it too, didn't you? The part about Trader Johann was strange, wasn't it?""Yes.""Miss Heather was very vague about what information she had about Johann. It was strange because Berserker Island is the closest to where Johann was last seen. The even stranger part is that Miss Heather had many past dealings with Johann, so her vague tone is suspicious.""You think Johann disappeared because of the Berserkers?" Asher deduces skillfully. Stoick nodded wearily."It's strange. Call it a hunch, but Johann's disappearance has something to do with the Berserkers. You must have heard about the Dragon Riders from him, right?" Stoick asked Asher, who nodded at that."Yes. The ones from the northeastern lands beyond the archipelago, correct?""Aye. He used to talk about them all the time...even mentioned something called 'The White King's Alliance'...used to pass it off as another one of his tall tales. But there's a second, more recent rumor going around. The Berserker Chief and his sister were rumored to have been seen riding on the backs of dragons. The sheer absurdity! Well, until now that is," Stoick said with a sigh as he pointed at the last portion of the letter."Miss Heather also recommended a trader to us. Said he was very reliable and whatnot. Haldor Handlar; never heard of him. There's somethin' strange going on behind Johann's disappearance; it's likely tied to the Berserkers and the current rumors going around in the archipelago," Stoick said with a sigh, shaking his head as he shuffled all the papers together into a small pile and pushed it towards Asher."I want you to investigate this in secret; this mysterious new trader Haldor Handlar, the Dragon Riders, the Berserkers...they are all interconnected, and likely linked to why Johann has disappeared.""Understood, chief.""Keep your investigation under wraps; make sure Snotlout or any other big-mouths don't come across it," Stoick ordered, his forehead creasing into a frown. Asher nodded, completely understanding Stoick's concerns."Yes. You have my word.""Great! Now, onto other matters," Stoick said with a sigh as he got to his feet, clapping Asher's back for him to follow him. Asher carefully tucked away the papers Stoick gave to him and followed. Now that they had discussed everything, Asher wondered what else Stoick wanted with him. Stoick often praised him for his hard work and his help; though Asher was young, Stoick found him competent and reliable, often giving him tasks that would normally be relegated to older, more senior people in the village.In short, Stoick liked him. After all, the chief wouldn't just name anyone the promise of Berk's future, would they?"What are your thoughts on Snotlout as Chief?" Stoick asked suddenly, as they walked down the steps of the Great Hall, past the Haddock House, and down towards the center of the village. Asher stops suddenly at Stoick's question, turning to look inquisitively at the older man."What do you mean Chief?" Asher asked, thoroughly confused by Stoick's question. Though Snotlout was the preferred to-be heir between those that could inherit the Chiefdom, the heir to the Berk Chiefdom, though only in name, was still Hilda Haddock. The Chief's daughter, his beloved daughter was also considered to be a screw-up and a failure of a Viking.Hilda had been in his Dragon-killing class. He graduated at the top with the chance to kill the monstrous nightmare. Hilda, on the other hand, had graduated last in the class; barely scraped through the training with a pass. Even worse, the girl had constantly caused mayhem and wreaked havoc across the village in the past with her 'dragon-killing contraptions'.A certain incident with a nadder and his axe being stuck to her shield come to mind as well.Asher resisted shaking his head and stopped the scowl from forming on his face. It was only a matter of time until Hilda was removed from her position; her father couldn't protect her forever, after all. The village needed a strong Chief; preferably one that didn't screw up everything that they touched, or disappear off into the forest doing who knows what with the Thorston Twins for days or even weeks.Not that he was saying Snotlout could be any better; Berk was doomed in either of their potential heirs' care. But under Snotlout? At least the village would be willing to support him. There was still the council. There was still Asher, who Snotlout listened to. There was still a slightly better hope for them if Snotlout became Chief and had the Council help him rule. That is to say, if his ego doesn't get in the way..."Aye. Looks like you have the same thoughts as me. Snotlout wouldn't make a good Chief. A great warrior? Yes. I've seen him in action. But leading the village? Taking care of it when the times get rough? No, Snotlout cannot do that. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'. Unfortunately, Snotlout cannot seem to grasp it," Stoick said with a sigh as he looked up at Asher, with a serious look on his face."But you can, can't you, Asher? You know all too well what I am saying. To put the needs of the village in front of your own, to sacrifice whatever is needed to ensure your people are safe and healthy.""Yes, chief. But I'm not getting where you are going with this..." Asher said unsurely, as Stoick placed a hand on his shoulder."Berk needs someone like you at the helm. Snotlout would run this place to the ground even before winter starts; the best candidate to be the Chief, to lead Berk, is you, Asher Hofferson.""Chief, I'm honored you think so much of me, but the only ones who can inherit the Chiefdom are the ones with the Haddock Clan's blood running through them– oh."Asher stops short of himself when he realizes where Stoick is going with this. There was a rueful smile on the Chief's face as he looked at his house, which was only a few steps away from where they were."I’m not delusional, you know. You are a strong warrior and a valued member of the tribe. I know you have better, more advantageous matches out there to pick from. Many strong women warriors would want to marry you, and you probably would prefer them to my daughter," Stoick said with a sigh, shaking his head. Asher falls silent, now feeling bad for the poor man.Despite being the Chief's daughter, no man in town their age would want to marry Hilda Haddock. When they were much younger, while Asher was still on fire brigade duty putting out fires, Hilda was out there causing problems left and right for the whole village. More often than not, said problems also included fires, which meant she made his job tougher for him. Even now, though things were different, she wasn't contributing at all to the village. While they were scrambling to help feed the village and find the willow bark for Gothi's medicine, where was Hilda Haddock? As heir, she should be at Stoick's side, helping to delegate the tasks and following up on what needs to be done. Not wandering off into the forest for days or weeks on end with the Thorstons Twin goofing off while all of them work hard for the village.Needless to say, Hilda Haddock had a very, very poor reputation among the villagers."But only by marrying my daughter can you become Chief, Asher Hofferson. My nephew cannot lead a village; my daughter…is the same. Berk is doomed in either of their hands; but in yours? We will prosper, especially with dragons out of the picture. Just think about it, would you? No need to reject me outright now. Give it more thought before you give me your answer," Stoick said simply before turning to walk in the direction of his house, leaving Asher to stand alone on the steps to ponder over Stoick's words in stunned silence.What on Midgard did the Chief just propose to him?
Stoick wondered if this was the best thing he could have done. By Thor's hammer, he did not want to do this, but he had no other option other than to ensure her seat. He loved his daughter, he did. Like any father who loves their daughter, he wants only the best for her.But what other choice did he have? Let her place as heir to the Chiefdom of Berk be taken away and given to her cousin? In the eyes of the villagers and the council, his nephew, Snotlout Jorgenson was a better choice to inherit the chiefdom after Stoick retires. Yes, that nephew of his is indeed the more Viking-like choice of the two. Snotlout was everything his little girl was not. He fits well into the image of what a model Viking was supposed to look like, what a model Viking was supposed to be; built bulkily like a buffalord, with borderline murderous overconfidence, and aggressiveness to boot.Therein lies the problem, unfortunately.Stoick had no problem in giving Snotlout the Chiefdom if his nephew was worthy of the position. Hilda would naturally be hurt if her position as heir was taken away and given to Snotlout of all people, but it was better than Stoick giving her the burden and pressure of being Chieftess when she was so unsuited to the role.Stoick would not lie. Hilda was unsuited to lead the village, just as much as his nephew would be. The village did not respect her and thought little of her; the very unflattering monikers of 'Hiccup The Screw-up' and 'Hiccup The Useless' were a result of that, much to Stoick's chagrin and sadness.His daughter was intelligent, Stoick does not doubt that. When she was younger, sketches and plans for her strange contraptions had been plastered on the walls of her room and in her little nook of Gobber's Smithy. Those contraptions have been...extremely troublesome in the past, but it was undeniable that his daughter was gifted in the mind.Stoick sighed. If only Hilda would put that mind of hers to good use, to use that brain of hers for the betterment of the village. Maybe then the village would be able to place their trust and hopes on her as their heiress instead of her cousin.These days, his daughter would often wander off into the forest with Ruffnut Thorston for days or even weeks doing Odin-knows-what in there. She still helped Gobber out in the forge from time to time when he was packed with orders, but otherwise, Hilda was rarely seen around the village. It had also been years since he had last seen his daughter making one of those strange little contraptions of hers.Stoick shakes his head. He couldn't believe he missed the times when she was so fervent in her inventing. Those contraptions of hers often caused no shortage of problems for him and the village in the past, and while he was glad for the lack of havoc wreaked across the village, the unmistakable change in his daughter all those years ago had been plain to see.He should have never let Hilda enter dragon-killing training all those years ago. He knew that was the spark for the change in his daughter, for better and for the worse. He already knew that she couldn't kill dragons, much less throw an axe with ease, but he still decided to place her in training anyway. Hilda had gotten out of the training unscathed and all limbs intact, much to Stoick's relief; but still, she was never the same as she was before the training.Hilda was still plenty sarcastic and snarky, but compared to her from 4 years back? The current Hilda was far, far more distant and quiet. She used to talk Gobber's ear off into letting her go out to catch and kill dragons or attempt to fit in with the teens her age, but these days, Hilda only ever kept to herself. The only socialization she did in the village was with the Thorston twins. Maybe from time to time, she would have a cordial exchange with Fishlegs Ingerman or a barbed argument with her cousin, but more often than not, the only two people Hilda interacted with were Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, strange as it was at the beginning.Stoick grimaces as he pushes open the door to his house. Another day, and no sign of Hilda. She was always off on some camping trip or expedition with the Thorston Twins, doing who knows what in the Forests or on the islands offshore from Berk. Where was the girl? Ah, right. She was due to return in the evening, wasn't she?She was always off traipsing into the forests for some kind of a trip or another with the Thorston Twins; for a time, Stoick allowed it. It stopped her from wrecking the village with her contraptions, and it stopped her from getting hurt by being rejected by the village. But now, things were different. No matter what, Hilda was still his heir. As heir, she should at least attempt to try and help out around the village.Asher Hofferson would be good for her, helping her take that step to be accepted by Berk. He was the promise of Berk, the future that would lead Berk to even greater heights. Someone his peers looked up to, someone the people of the village praised with every step and action he took. A person worthy to lead, someone the people of Berk were willing to follow. Even likes of someone as egotistical and boar-headed as Snotlout Jorgenson followed Asher Hofferson's words. Not an easy feat, Stoick might add. On best days, he already had trouble controlling Spitelout Jorgenson, who was every bit as egotistical and boar-headed as his son, if not even more so.If the boy was willing to marry his daughter, then most of the current problems that plague Stoick would be solved. The worries he had about leaving the Chiefdom in good hands, a good husband for Hilda who would protect and respect her, and Hilda being able to keep her position as heir. But only if the boy was willing to marry Hilda.Stoick sighed. Judging by the stunned expression on the boy's face, the chances are low that Asher thought of Hilda as a potential bride. Stoick could hardly begrudge him for it, even if he was a little offended on behalf of his daughter. He knew full well what her reputation was like amongst the villagers.Hilda's days from when she was younger, constantly making a mess left and right, never quite left the minds of the villagers. In their eyes, she was unreliable, incompetent, and utterly useless.Stoick wanted to disagree. He wishes he could disagree with the sentiment. In all honesty, Stoick was just glad Hilda was healthy and would live until her next birthday. The comments about his daughter were annoyingly true, and yes Stoick did feel disappointed his daughter was not Viking-like or lived up to his expectations of an heir, but at least she was safe. At least she was healthy.At the very least, Stoick would not lose his daughter like he lost his wife to the dragons. That was all he was thankful for, all that he wanted.Ah, if only Valka was around. Would things have been different then?
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Johann's treachery cut deep like a knife; the man had known her since she was a kid. He was cowardly, but for the most part, Hilda had thought he was someone reliable. Someone trustworthy. Until now, Hilda still hoped it was all a trick, a bad prank that Ruffnut and Tuffnut orchestrated with Johann to pull a Loki on her.But sadly, the betrayal was real, and now she was left to deal with the aftermath of such a betrayal. Unfortunately for Hilda, she had bigger problems to worry about than to nurse the feelings of betrayal.Johann's betrayal was troublesome, simply put. For a long time, the trader was an integral part of their plans; he knew quite a fair bit of details. He knows their weaknesses, the weaknesses of their allies, he knows their plans. The council was scrambling to restructure and salvage what plans and operations they could so that they wouldn't fall into Johann's traps. The goods that Johann had delivered in the past; all of them checked for any possible threats. Any people introduced by Johann were placed under watch by the council.They couldn't risk another betrayal from the inside.Hilda shakes her head in frustration. First, they had Krogan and Viggo allying themselves together. Now they had Johann added into the mix, supplying the two men with his money and wares. Oh, and that wasn't the best part. They had Johann, Viggo, and Krogan attacking them on one side, and Drago Bludvist on the other. It was only a matter of time until Drago started to attack them as well, once his Dragon Army was completed.By then, if they don't think of something soon, the alliance will be wiped out by the combined attacks of Johann and Drago on both sides."Urk..." Hilda grimaces, trying her best not to cry. She heard a low croon below her; Toothless had turned his head around to look at her, warbling softly in an attempt to comfort her. Ah, he must have sensed her frustration. He was always so perceptive to her emotions; more human than most humans at times."I'm alright, bud. I'm just doing some thinking."Hilda said softly, patting the top of Toothless's head in reassurance. She hears a snort from Toothless, as though he was saying 'so typical'. Hilda smiled in amusement."Well, someone has to do the thinking around here, no? Can't be those two."Hilda said with a roll of her eyes, looking over her shoulder to see the twins still...doing whatever they were doing for the past few hours on their flight back to Berk."...Why do I have this nagging feeling of admiration for the guy?" Tuffnut said."I'm sorry, what?" Hilda asks as she turns around to look at them again, with a confused look. What guy were they talking about again? Most of the time they would fly side by side to talk on the way back; though arguably, it was a one-sided conversation rant from the twins to her most of the time. Only because half of the time their conversations were complete nonsense and riddlesome, she must add."Consider this, Hilda. The man is a GENIUS!" Tuffnut said, just as Barf and Belch flew up to fly next to Toothless. Ruffnut leans over to whisper to Hilda."That knucklehead was talking about Trader Johann.""Oh." Hilda resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that. Of course, Tuffnut was talking about Trader Johann. What did she expect? Her friends have a weird...admiration for their adversaries and nemeses. Krogan, Johann, Viggo...especially Viggo of all people. But like seriously? Complementing their ingenuity? In front of her? Hilda huffed in irritation."He IS a genius!" Tuffnut declared. Ruffnut only shook her head at her brother, sniggering slightly as she egged him on."Genius?" Ruffnut quipped, with an exasperating grin on her face. Hilda could only groan, shaking her head at them."A wunderkind.""Wonder of a kind.""An enfant terrible!""Don't know what that means." Ruffnut shrugged, looking bored as he continued on one of his famous, nonsensical rants that might at times make a little sense."He fooled everyone— Hilda, us, Dagur, Chicken, he even fooled the Chief!" Tuffnut said with a chortle. But Hilda could only cringe at his words, especially at the last bit. Johann had them all fooled, didn't he? He did fool everyone, including her father, who still had no idea of the man's treachery.All because Hilda couldn't tell him the truth, about the alliance."H-hey! What was that for?!" Tuffnut groaned in pain, glaring at his sister as he held his right cheek, which was red from Ruffnut's punch. Ruffnut only glared at him, pointing at Hilda with her thumb."A little delicacy for the lady here, would' ya?!""It's alright, Ruff. Tuff's right anyway."Trader Johann had fooled everyone. Her, Dagur, the twins, Heather, everyone from the alliance...even her dad. But the problem was that they knew that Trader Johann was a traitor and out to get everyone; the people within the alliance knew he was a traitor.But her dad and the other Barbaric Archipelago chiefs? They didn't know. Trader Johann has spent years upon years in these waters, building trust, and building relationships with the tribes of the Barbaric Archipelago. To them, he was a trustworthy man, though albeit cowardly. He was a greedy man, who sought to earn money by exploiting the dragons, and by fueling a war.Hilda sighed. Her father hated the dragons. It was good riddance for him and the rest of the tribe when the dragons in the Barbaric Archipelago mysteriously disappeared two years ago. Even though now that they didn't fight dragons in the Barbaric Archipelago, there was no telling how they would receive dragon riders.300 years of prejudice did not go away easily, after all."Uh...question, H.""Yes, Tuff?""Well, I mean, I don't know...you're the boss when your mom isn't here...""Yes, Tuff?" Hilda asked, casting Tuffnut an irritated glare. Did he have to remind her of that? Tuffnut ignores her irritation, simply continuing with his droning."I mean, I don't know. Shouldn't we tell the Chief about Trader Johann? Wait, sorry, I mean, Traitor Johann?""Seriously?" Did Tuffnut have to crack a joke now of all time? Hilda gave him a flat look. Tuffnut only shrugs in response."Couldn't help myself, sorry.""You knucklehead. It's not Hilda's call to make," Ruffnut hisses as she punches her brother in the head."Ow?! Why not? She's the Chief's daughter!""Yeah right. Like THAT matters!" Ruffnut yelled at her brother. Hilda fell silent as she watched the two of them start to squabble again, grimacing at Tuffnut's and Ruffnut's words. She flew on up ahead of them silently, not wanting to stick around to hear the rest of their arguments.Ruff was right though. She may be Stoick the Vast's daughter, the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans Tribe from the Barbaric Archipelago, but what did that matter? It meant nothing in the White King's Alliance, and at home on Berk. Her mother couldn't care less about letting her father know about the truth, and unfortunately, her seniority and influence within the alliance meant Hilda's own opinions about that were overruled by her mother.Prejudice. It all boils down to that. For all her mother's talk about acceptance, she wasn't being very accepting or open-minded towards Hilda's suggestions, especially when they concerned her long-estranged husband who still thinks SHE was dead.Like really! And her mother said that Hilda was the insensible one, HER!
Hilda huffed in indignation. Maybe she was being a little too idealistic, expecting her father and the village to accept dragons when all the Archipelago had known was killing them. But what was she supposed to do?! Keep living like this, in-between worlds? Keep the fact that her mother was alive and kickin' from her father, who was still grieving over his supposedly dead wife? Live like a village outcast in Berk forever, while keeping her dragon-riding escapades, Toothless, a secret—"—Hey! Where are you going?! Berk is down there!" Ruffnut's holler from behind her and Toothless interrupted Hilda's flight of thought; Hilda turned to look down below them, and sure enough, Ruffnut was right. They were already flying overhead of the Isle of Berk, flying any further would be Changwing Island."Oh. Right," Hilda mumbled under her breath as she and the twins started to make the descent down to Berk, charting their flight passage to land safely in the forest, away from the line of sight of the village.Toothless landed in the cove with a soft thud, with Barf and Belch landing not too far behind them. Hilda sighed as she unhooked her flight suit from Toothless's saddle to dismount. It was a long flight from Dragon's Edge; Toothless was hungry, and she was sweaty. First, they should get into the hideout and then she'll get the fish for Toothless to eat. Then she'll change out of her armor, and head home to rest."Grr..." Hilda blinks in surprise when Toothless suddenly growls, his dilated pupils turning into slits as he crouched low, as though ready to pounce. Hilda frowns as she takes Toothless's head in between her hands, kneeling to talk to him."What's wrong bud? What's got you so tense?" Hilda asked softly. Toothless only shakes off her hands with a low growl, nudging his head towards the direction of the hideout before running towards it."What's gotten into him?" Ruffnut asked, having sauntered over to where Hilda was. Hilda shrugged, staring at her dragon in concern. Toothless stood at the entrance of the hideout, jumping and pouncing in front of it with growls, all the while pointing his head towards him."I don't know. It's like he wants us to go inside.""Uh, duh. We were going to do that even if T didn't think of it," Tuffnut said with a chuckle, laughing as though he found Toothless's behavior to be strange. Toothless lets out a noise akin to a grumble, smacking away Tuffnut's hand when the guy walks over to tease him. He leaps over to behind Hilda, nudging her with a whine towards the Hideout. Hilda, laughs, turning around to pat Toothless's snout."Okay, okay! I got the idea, bud. You're hungry. We're going in, alright? Let's go in Ruff, or Johnny-complaints here wouldn't stop be a grouch," Hilda said with a laugh as she turned to walk towards the entrance of their secret hideout when she heard the sound of shouts and the thunking of weapons hitting wood and dirt from above them.Hilda looks up with a frown. Not many people frequent the forests of Berk; the village focused most of its efforts on fishing or yak-rearing, not forest foraging. By the sounds of multiple weapons hitting the dirt and all the shouting, it seems that many of the villagers have decided to take a hike into the forest together today. The sounds were also getting louder; they were approaching in their direction. She turns to Ruffnut, who is still oblivious to the approaching men."Ruff, get into the hideout, now!" Hilda said as she grabbed her friend's wrist and yanked her forcibly towards the entrance of their hideout."Hey, what gives?!" Ruffnut grumbled, but she followed along with Hilda, despite her protests."Villagers are approaching. We have to hide," Hilda whispered hastily as she tugged at Ruffnut's arm, the two of them breaking into a run towards the entrance of the hideout.Once they got behind the large protruding tree roots that kept the hideout's entrance from being spotted, Hilda crouched low from behind it, signaling for Ruffnut to go into the hideout first."Go in first. I'll keep on the lookout here. You too, bud."Ruffnut looks ready to protest, but she does as Hilda tells her to, running into the hideout without another word. Toothless, on the other hand, was a bit more stubborn, refusing to leave his rider here by herself."It's okay, bud. I'm just going to watch and see if our hideout's location is compromised. Go in first, okay?" Hilda soothes Toothless, who grumbles quietly at that. But her dragon still does as she had asked, reluctantly trudging into the entrance of the hideout.Hilda sucks in a breath as she watches the figures of some of the villagers emerge from beyond the dense foilage of the forest, carrying spears, crossbows, and swords. They run and shout, weaving in between the bushes and the trees, appearing to be hunting down what wild animals that roam Berk's otherwise barren forests. She frowns in confusion.Berk preferred fishing and yak-rearing as compared to hunting wild boars in the forests for food; why were the villagers hunting for wild animals in the forest? Berk's harvests and food stores have been abundant for the past two years; thanks to the lack of dragon raids. So this was strange, to say the least.Maybe she should ask her dad when she gets back. Try and strike up a conversation with him for once. Maybe they could finally get somewhere instead of awkward, less-than-a-minute conversations like 'How was your day?' or 'How were your trips?'.It could get awfully unbearable in the house at times with the strained communication she had with her father; even if Hilda was the one who wanted to stay in the first place.Hilda let out a sigh, lowering her eyes from where the villagers were once she was sure they didn't spot them. Getting up from the ground, Hilda dusted herself off a little before heading into the hideout. She slipped through a few tight crevices and ducked under the low ceilings, the faint natural from the cove slowly slipping away into pitch-black darkness until she was hit by a warm glow of torches.The hideout was spacious. It was a well-hidden cave, with plenty of space for the dragons to fly about and play while Hilda and the twins were back in Berk. It used to be the home of a whispering death; one that was...chased away by a very grudgeful Toothless. She and the twins had taken over from there on and made the caves into their hideout and home for their dragons on Berk; there were torches on the wall to illuminate the main cave and the tunnels that connected it to the out shores of Berk. In different corners were plentiful supplies and rations stacked high of whatever they could need; barrels of fish for the dragons, backup saddles, and spare armor.Hilda walked over to where Toothless was waiting for her expectantly, scratching the underside of his head as he cooed."That was a close one, bud. They almost saw us," Hilda said with a sigh, as she patted Toothless's snout. They couldn't risk the villagers finding out about their hideout or alerting them to the presence of dragon riders in Berk. It would put their plans in jeopardy and make it harder for them to slip away whenever needed.Berk, and the entire Barbaric Archipelago by extension, did not have the best view of Dragon Riders. It was neutral at best. For 300 years, all the archipelago knew was killing them, because the dragons raided their homes and killed hundreds of them. 3 years ago, they had mysteriously appeared in the archipelago, helping to set the captured dragons free.Needless to say, such stunts were unwelcomed by the tribes of the Barbaric Archipelago.
A year later, the dragon raids started to have mysteriously dwindled down over the months, until finally, there were no more dragon raids in the Barbaric Archipelago. A few months later, all the dragons of the Barbaric Archipelago had completely disappeared from this side of Midgard.It was all so mysterious for the people of the Barbaric Archipelago, but they didn't care all that much, and the mysterious dragon riders quickly left their minds once they were out of sight for months. To them, the pests were gone, and that was the only thing that mattered. Of course, some were disappointed by the lack of dragons, mainly the would-be dragon killers who wanted the glory of killing a dragon, Hilda thought to herself with a roll of her eyes. She smiled as she watched Toothless purr, clearly enjoying the good scratching.4 years ago, she had wanted to kill this magnificent, lovely beast. If she had been stuck in her ignorant ways, she would have, and she wouldn't have her best friend today. Looking at Toothless now, purring and cooing like an overgrown cat, it was unfathomable that people would want to kill and hunt him.Hilda sighed. If only her father could see this. If only she could tell him about all of this , about Toothless , her best friend in the whole wide world. Her father hasn't killed a dragon in 2 years; none of the Berkians have. She and the other riders had shepherded all of the dragons in the Barbaric Archipelago away from it to stop the conflict. They then relocated the dragons to their dragon sanctuaries or to places that were safe and untouched. Maybe her father has lost his taste for dragon blood; her father was a dragon killer out of necessity, not choice. He had done it to keep the village safe. Maybe he found it fun for a time, but ah...those days were behind him now, right?Even someone like Dagur gave the dragons a chance because of Heather. Why not Stoick the Vast?"Ugh, my back is sore. We should have stopped at the outpost to rest," Ruffnut said with a yawn, stretching out her arms and twisting her back not too far from where Hilda was."Yeah, but the meeting overran. If we stopped by the outpost, we would have reached Berk much later," Hilda said as she drags over a barrel full of fish to Toothless, who eagerly knocks it over and started to devour it.They couldn't risk returning late. Her father was so overprotective, so much so that if she returned any later than specified, there would be Hel to pay."Ugh, we should just tell the Chief about the dragon riding. It'll make sneaking away so much easier," Ruffnut said as she started to change out of her flight armor. Hilda shook her head."You heard what my mom said. Ruff, I know you and Tuff were listening in on my conversation with her," Hilda said, scowling at Ruffnut, who just shrugged non-committingly, appearing not too guilty that she was caught snooping in on a private conversation."She doesn't want my father to know. She thinks he wouldn't change," Hilda said with a sigh as she started to remove pieces of her flight gear, unbuckling the straps on her shoulder piece and placing them neatly on her shelf. Ruffnut gave her a look."Since when were you so obedient to authority?"Hilda would like to argue she followed people's orders. But the truth was that she didn't. Not all the time, anyway. Besides, the only reason she goes against someone's orders these days is because she disagrees with it on a moral level or thinks it is a bad idea waiting to happen.But with this one? She couldn't go against her mother's wishes. Even if she was angry at her mother, she still the decency to respect her wishes."I just want my mom to be on the same page as me on this. With her reaction to the topic, it's like she doesn't want to see my father again," Hilda said with a shake of her head, dusting off her clothes as she walked over to Toothless, who had finished eating his early dinner, and was now trudging towards his stone slab.Whenever Hilda tried to bring it up to her mother, it would always get shelved off or dismissed like it didn't matter to her. Her mother avoids the topic constantly, giving vague, cryptic replies like 'he wouldn't understand' or 'people don't change' all the time.Finally, Hilda had enough. She had confronted her mother about it after their meeting about what to do with Trader Johann. Her mother still wouldn't budge on it, and, needless to say, that didn't go down well with Hilda.Hilda shakes her head. Her mother just didn't get it. She didn't see how her estranged husband still grieved over his missing, presumably dead wife.It was why Hilda also couldn't leave Berk. Her father lost her mother. She couldn't just abandon her father as well. While their relationship was strained, Hilda knows her father loves her, in his own way."Tough life for the Chief. He and Berk are missing out on all the fun," Ruffnut said with a snicker, clearly not taking Hilda's conundrum seriously. Hilda rolled her eyes at her, as the three of them bid goodbye to their dragons for the day and started to make their way back to the village, once they were sure the coast was clear.Other than her, the Thorston twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, were the only other dragon riders from Berk. They had many other riders across the Archipelago, mostly from the village that had fostered Heather as a child and the Berserkers, but otherwise, it was just the three of them.Hilda didn't dare to recruit from her village. Her reputation in the village was horrible; no one there would listen to 'Hilda the Screw-up', she thought to herself sullenly as she walked quietly behind Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who had started squabbling, again.It hadn't been her intention to tell the twins about the dragons. She never had any intentions of telling anyone in the village about the truth of dragons. The twins had found out all on their own, having followed Hilda in secret one day and saw Toothless.The first thing they did when they caught sight of the night fury was run. Looking back now, it was a little amusing to see the twins run and flail trying to get away from Toothless back then. Hilda didn't know why she did it, but she had Toothless chase the two of them and rode them back into the cove forcibly instead of her initial plan to just leave while she was ahead.In the end, the twins started to see dragons in a different light after seeing how docile Toothless could be. Afterward, they bonded with Barf and Belch, the zippleback they had fought when they were still in dragon training. Ever since then, the twins kept her, no, their secret. It's been roughly two and a half years since they had joined her, and it made things easier for her with them in on the whole dragon-riding business."Well then, I'm going to head home. Try to get as much rest as you can. We'll be going back to Odin's Respite in a few days," Hilda said to the twins, waving a quick goodbye as she walked in the direction of her house.When she got home, her father already was inside. He was sitting in front of the fire, stoking it. He appeared deep in thought, which was...rare, to say the least. Hilda closed the door behind her quietly, gripping her satchel nervously as she attempted to greet him as cheerfully as she could."Hey, Dad. You're home early," Hilda said, her nasal voice coming out with a crack. She could feel her throat tighten nervously when her father turned his stony gaze to her."Hilda. You're finally back, I see."Hilda feels her palm sweat under her father's scrutinizing gaze. Did she do something wrong again? No, it couldn't be. She hasn't screwed up anything in the village for years; mostly because she was off flying in the skies with toothless or on her 'trips' with the twins.Then again, her father didn't really need a reason to be angry, right? Vikings were always angry, and he was the Chief. Yeah, she should just head up to her room and out of the angry Viking's way..."Yep, I'm back.
So...yeah, I'm just gonna go up to my room," Hilda mumbled under her breath, darting for the stairs and up her room when her dad called out to stop her."Wait, Hilda. I need to speak with you," her father said in a gruff tone, motioning for her to sit down next to him. Any protests Hilda had were caught in her throat because one does not defy the Chief of Berk if they knew what was good for them. She walked uneasily over to sit down next to him, her grip on her satchel tightening as she waited for her father to continue to speak."S-so, uh, what did you want to talk about, Dad?" Hilda asks quietly."...Trader Johann has disappeared.""W-what?"Hilda feels her body tense at his words, her spine straightening in alert. This was the last topic she expected from him; he rarely, if ever, discussed council matters with her. She was barely able to keep the shock on her face; luckily, her father didn't question the strangeness of her reaction. For him, perhaps, it was just another one of his daughter's strange quirks."Aye. I thought it was strange too. He's been late before, but never this late. He was supposed to arrive weeks ago. Even when he was late in the past, he would at least send a letter in advance for notice," Stoick said with a troubled sigh, poking at the fire. He had a worried look on his face, probably concerned by Trader Johann's...untimely disappearance.Hilda feels anger welling up inside of her. Her father's concern for Johann was wasted. That man was a traitor, a horrible money-grubber. He had been waiting for years to yank the rug from under their feet.But she couldn't tell him, she thinks to herself with a heavy heart. For one, her father wouldn't believe her. He had an enormous amount of trust in Johann and would be quick to dismiss Hilda's words as mere gossip. Second, he would question how Hilda even got the information in the first place.Hilda couldn't tell him how; and he wouldn't believe her anyway. What's the point in telling him?"But that's not the problem. The trade brought in by Johann to Berk is a sizable portion of our supplies. Without it, there wouldn't be enough to feed the village.""Oh."Hilda feels her heart constrict in worry at his words. Not enough to feed the village? This...this wasn't good. Did he get Heather's letter yet? Would Haldor arrive in time before the food stores run out?After discovering Johann's betrayal and surviving his attempt on her life, Hilda knew there was no way she could allow him to continue trade with Berk, or anywhere in the Barbaric Archipelago. He could use the lives of the Berkians to threaten her or turn her father against her and the alliance. She couldn't risk that.They had blocked Johann off at Berserker Island, the Northern Markets, and at one of their outposts, Odin's Respite. If Johann wanted to enter into the Barbaric Archipelago, he would have to pass through the waters of any of those three locations. But so far, there was no sign of Johann attempting to pass through those waters. It was suspicious to Hilda; Johann was plotting something. If he wanted to weaken them and cause mayhem, as well as try and get himself a few more allies, then heading to the Barbaric Archipelago would have been his next move.But he was lurking in the waters of the Northern Markets, with no indication of intending to crossover into the Archipelago. Was he waiting for their guard to be lowered?"We still have enough food to tide us over, at least until we select a new trader.""Oh, that's good, yeah," Hilda mumbled her agreement quietly, her heart feeling less tight after hearing her father's words. That was a relief. So the village wouldn't grow hungry just yet. That was a close one for her heart."But I rather not touch the winter supplies unless necessary, and Gothi's willow bark supply is slowly dwindling. I have the men hunting in the forests and assigned your uncle to go collect the willow bark for Gothi.""Mhm, yep, yep, uh, great to know, Dad..." Hilda said, not sure what else to say. Where was he going with this? Her father looks at her with a stern gaze, before taking a big gulp out of his mug"I need you to help out as well. It's time you started helping around the village.""Yes, yes, great to know, I...w-wha-what?!" Hilda's head snaps towards her father in shock. He wants her to help out around the village?! Her, who was considered to be a screw-up by the village who messes up everything she touches?Her father's bushy eyebrows knitted together in obvious displeasure at her reaction."You are the heir, Hilda. You should' be out there helping the village! I've allowed you to play around for too long. It's time for you to start acting like the heir," her father said with a slam on his mug on the table, getting up from his seat to signal the end of their conversation.Hilda stares at him in stunned silence, mouth agape. She scrambled to get up from her seat to chase after her father, but he wouldn't listen to her, leaving her standing alone by the fire. Hilda lets out a strangled sound of frustration.What did he even expect her to do? The villagers wouldn't entrust her with anything. In their eyes, she was always a screw-up, always useless. The best way for her to be 'useful'' in the village was not doing anything at all. It's been years since Hilda tried to do anything around the village; that was what her father wanted, what the villagers wanted. Now he wants her to help out?Odin, just kill her now. Hilda feels herself wilt at the thought of the judgemental stares of the villagers. She hated it; the feeling of being put down, her confidence dragged through the dirt by people who lived in a world of ignorance.Why did she even stay at times? Her father would grieve her disappearance, but he would eventually move on, right? Gobber might be sad, but he would move on as well. The village wouldn't miss her, and with her disappearance, the heir of their preference, her cousin, Snotlout Jorgenson , could finally take over. Right? Right...Hilda shook her head, stopping before she went too far down into this death hole of thinking. No, she stayed for a purpose. She couldn't abandon her father, and she couldn't just let the village be susceptible to Trader Johann or Drago Bludvist.She sighed as she slowly trudged up towards her room. She was tired and wanted to rest.
Especially after that meeting on Dragon's Edge, Johann's too-close-for-comfort murder attempt on her life, and now that bombshell of a decision from her father. It was all too much for her to handle in a single day.And if only she knew how much things were worse for her tomorrow.Asher didn't know what to do. He wished he knew what to do. He wished someone could tell him what to do.
'But only by marrying my daughter can you become Chief, Asher Hofferson.'
The Chief's words from yesterday were like a constant ringing in his head. Like what was he supposed to do in the face of such a proposal?! If it was anyone else, if the fate of the village didn't hang in the balance because of his decision, then he could have just ignored it and gone about his day like nothing had happened. But no, this was the Chief he was talking about.Asher respected the Chief a great deal. Not because he's the Chief, but because he was Stoick The Vast. As the Chief, he was a fair ruler, respectable and honorable. He had a strong sense of duty and responsibility, devoted to keeping Berk peaceful and safe. He was the only Chief Asher had ever known, a model Viking to all. It was difficult for Asher to turn him down outright, not with that world-weary expression on his face yesterday.Asher sighed as he took another bite out of his bread. He hadn't really thought that deep into marriage yet, even if he was of marriageable age. He thought he might give it a few more years before he settled down, with someone fierce, strong, and duty-bound, a warrior in her own right who could hold herself in battle.Hilda Haddock...was the furthest thing from what Asher expected in a partner. In fact, she was the exact opposite of what Asher wanted in a partner. Hilda Haddock was weak and timid, escaping off into the forests for days on end instead of doing her part as heir. Don't even get Asher started on how un-warrior-like she was; he had never seen a Viking so inept in combat before her. During Dragon Training, instead of holding her ground against the dragons, she was busy floundering after her shields or struggling to lift her axe. When Alvin The Treacherous and the Outcasts attacked Berk two years ago, she wasn't out on the battlefield like the rest of them. She was hiding in the Great Hall with the children and the elderly.She was an utter failure of a Viking. No men on Berk wanted to marry her. Asher wouldn't even have considered her an option until the Chief's suggestion from yesterday. What the Chief said was true; he did have his pick of potential partners throughout the village. Even if his family's name was tarnished by the flightmare fifteen years ago, the honor that his family carried had been restored by his heroic deeds and exemplary performance during the war with the Outcasts two years ago. He was favored by the Chief, and if Snotlout were to become the next Chief, Asher was likely to be his second-in-command, or at least be in the council as a trusted adviser.Even if she was the Chief's daughter, marrying her would be more of a downgrade than a social status upgrade; even marrying Snotlout's younger cousin Brynlout Jorgenson would be better, and he was saying this as a Hofferson!But still, here he was, considering and mulling over the Chief's words, instead of rejecting the idea entirely, as he should have.Asher scowled when he saw her stroll into the Great Hall with the Thorston Twins; it was the first time he'd seen her in months. She was rarely seen in town these days; she could be found at the forge if she wasn't doing Odin-knows-what out there with the twins, or at her house. But in the village square, the Great Hall, or any other communal spaces? It was almost like she wasn't part of this village, which says a lot about her contributions to the place.Did she know? Did the Chief tell her about proposing a marriage between the two of them on her behalf? Did she want it?Asher paused in his chewing. She had a crush on him when they were younger. Snotlout had made fun of her and exposed her crush to Asher, much to Hilda Haddock's immediate mortification. But Asher paid it no heed back then; because there wasn't a need to. He wasn't interested in her, and he didn't want to prolong the embarrassment for her. Besides, he was far busier training and practicing to be the best warrior in all of Berk. He didn't have the time to think about romance."Asher! Hey, there you are," Fishlegs suddenly plopped down in the vacant seat from across him, immediately blocking Hilda and the twins from Asher's line of sight. He was carrying with him multiple stacks of papers and books, with visible dark circles under his eyes. Despite the lack of sleep, however, Fishlegs looked excited, pouring over the papers he brought as he eagerly chatted Asher's ear off."It took a lot of asking around and a lot, a lot of cross-referencing between the gossip of the villagers and what some of the council members have..." Fishlegs started to go on a long tirade of information that completely passed over Asher's head, continuing to babble on as Asher waited for his friend to get to the point."...and then I asked Bucket and Mulch—""—Fishlegs, get to the point. Did you find any potential traders to stand in for Trader Johann?" Asher interrupted, trying his best to keep the irritation from his voice. But Fishlegs didn't appear to be too bothered by the interruption, pointing triumphantly at the piece of paper he was holding in his hand."Yes! I found three potential traders; I've already sent out letters to two of them inviting them here. But they will take about a week to arrive. Ah! But there's this one trader that's on his way here as we speak! Haldor Handlar. The Chief said he was new to the Archipelago and had never done business there. Heard about our predicament and decided to come check it out, apparently," Fishlegs said with a shrug. Asher eyes the piece of paper carefully.Haldor Handlar, Asher recognizes the name. He's the mysterious new trader recommended by the sister of the Berserker Chief, Miss Heather. He's someone to keep a look out for, determine whether he was friend or foe to Berk. He might also know what happened to Johann."Haldor Handlar, huh? Never heard of him before," Asher said, trying to goad Fishlegs into talking, sharing what he knows about the guy."Yeah! He's a new trader, compared to the likes of Johann, at least. Let me recall...he's 21 years old. In the trade business for about five years, give or take? He comes from the North-eastern lands from beyond the Archipelago.""The North-eastern lands beyond the Archipelago?" Asher's ears perked up at that glean of information. Fishlegs nodded enthusiastically, continuing to share what he knew eagerly."Yeah! He's got a wide variety of wares; spices, silks, furs, and anything you can think of! I don't know about the willow bark though. That's the most important part," Fishlegs said with a sigh, shaking his head as Asher considered the information he had gained from Fishlegs.So the man is from the Northeastern lands, is he? It was all too convenient to just be a coincidence. Naturally, Miss Heather would have some links to this...Haldor Handlar, since she had introduced him to the Chief in her letter. But he was from the North-eastern lands? With the stories of the dragon riders in the Northeastern lands? With the rumors of the Berserker Chief and his sister on the backs of dragons, during their time in the Northeastern lands?It wasn't a coincidence at all, and Asher was going to find out how they all were connected, one way or another."Wow, that sounds exciting. When is he arriving?""In two days! Oughhh I'm so excited! Not that Trader Johann going missing and uncontactable is a good thing, but a new trader! If this one goes well, then we don't have to worry about our supplies running out or having to live off rations of yak and fish. Oh yeah, oh yeah, FISHLEGSSS!" Fishlegs cheered, looking positively pleased with his hard work. Asher hides a wry look. He hoped so too, but it was unlikely. Odds were stacked against it."Anyway. Snotlout left with his dad early in the morning to gather willow bark; I hope he takes this seriously. He's going to be chief someday," Fishlegs said with a grumble, shaking his head as he took a bite of his porridge. Asher's grip on his bread tightens at Fishleg's words.Everyone expected the next Chief of the tribe to be Snotlout, not Hilda Haddock. Snotlout was unsuited to be the Chief as much as Hilda Haddock was, but he was still a better option. At least he was a warrior, and at the very least, he tried to help out in the village.But still, being the better option didn't mean he would live up to the role of Chief. Still, for Asher to marry Hilda Haddock of all people, and become the Chief...? Asher didn't know how to feel about that..."Hey, Asher. What did the Chief say to you yesterday? He pulled you aside to give you a separate assignment, didn't he?" Fishlegs asked Asher, clearly curious about what task the Chief had entrusted to Asher. Asher chewed on his bread silently, already knowing how to respond to Fishleg's question."Yes. He wants me to help make sure everything is running smoothly so that we don't miss out on anything important," Asher lied. It wasn't completely a lie. The Chief did tell him to assist him and help out wherever he could."Woah. The Chief really places a lot of trust in you. Man, it's a pity...""What's a pity?""N-nothing. Hey, is that Ruffnut and Tuffnut? Hilda is with them as well. Huh, I rarely see them around these days. Think they finally stopped goofing off and decided to help out?" Fishlegs asks Asher, apparently having caught sight of them. The Great Hall was packed full, so good luck to them finding a seat. Asher continued eating his bread when the sound of shuffling feet and the sound of quiet protests caught his attention."—you going?!""Uh, to eat? You did drag us out of bed to help out.""But—"Asher and Fishlegs looked up from their food to see the twins and Hilda standing at the edge of the table. The twins looked too pleased with themselves, while Hilda on the other hand...She looked like she would rather be in any place than here, fidgeting in discomfort behind the twins."Hey there, Fishy , Ash. Lovely to see you. Mind if we sit here? Of course, you wouldn't, heh heh."Tuffnut didn't wait for an answer (more like he answered his question for them) before taking a seat next to Fishlegs, while Ruffnut took a seat next to Asher. Hilda grimaces taking a seat next to Ruffnut reluctantly.Fishlegs and Asher looked at each other silently. It's been a long time since they had talked to the twins. It's been even longer since they sat down together to have a meal in the Great Hall. They had been a close-knit bunch when they were younger; Asher, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Twins. But things change as you grow, and it is inevitable for people to grow apart with time.Asher, Snotlout, and Fishlegs continued on as a trio. As they grew older, their priorities had shifted to the village. They wanted to contribute and earn honor and glory for themselves, putting their time and effort into helping the tribes in the best ways they knew how. The twins, on the other hand, didn't care about any of that. They didn't care about honor, duty, or being part of the community, and for some strange reason, they started to stick with Hilda Haddock a few years ago. It puzzled Asher to no end; when growing up, the twins had a poor impression of Hilda Haddock. What made them stick with her all of a sudden?"Hey...? Haven't seen you guys in a while," Fishlegs said, his eyes darting between Asher and the twins. There was a troubled look on Fishlegs's face, but Asher only shook his head and took a quiet gulp of his drink. They couldn't do anything about it without being rude and causing a commotion; they just had to ride it out. So much for a peaceful breakfast; it was completely ruined now, thanks to the twins and Hilda Haddock."Hmm...yeah, been busy, really busy," Ruffnut said with a mouth full of porridge. Asher raises an eyebrow at Ruffnut. Fishlegs frowned at her words, and the two of them shared another look. They were busy? Them? Busy? They didn't even help out around the village. What were they doing other than wandering off into the forests for days or going island hopping for weeks?Yeah right, they were busy. Busy slacking off while the rest of them were hard at work."So...uh, heard about what happened with Trader Johann?" Fishlegs asked, apparently having decided to try and make things a little more bearable by facilitating a conversation."Hm? Oh yeah. We totally did. Poor Trader Johann, right sis? H?" Tuffnut said with a mischievous grin, turning from Fishlegs towards his sister and Hilda."Right? Yeah, poor guy . I wonder what he's got himself caught in . We better get started on finding a new trader for Berk," Ruffnut said with a snicker, as though she found something about it funny. Asher rolled his eyes at that. Typical. What else did he expect from the twins? They never take things seriously. Maybe that's why they hang out with Hilda of all people.But, contrasting to the twins, Hilda had a grimace of pain, looking done with the twins' antics. She mumbles something incomprehensible under her breath, but doesn't participate in the conversation otherwise."As a matter of fact, I am. The Chief has entrusted me to do it," Fishlegs boasted with a proud smile. Ruffnut and Tuffnut look at each other, clearly not expecting that."Uh...cool, I guess?""Hmph. So, are you guys helping out? Without Trader Johann, we need as many hands as we can get to make up for the supplies that he usually brings," Fishlegs said with a disapproving look at the twins; whether it was because of their lack of enthusiasm in their response to him or because he just thought they weren't going to chip in and help, Asher didn't know."Uh, yeah? Tyrant over here ordered us to pitch in," Tuffnut said, pointing an accusatory finger at Hilda, who glared at him, slamming her fist softly against the table."I did not! I asked you to help, not ordered you to help."
Hilda frowned at Tuffnut,
her eyes darting nervously to Fishlegs and Asher, who was looking at her now.
Asher could not help but raise an eyebrow at Tuffnut's words. Did he just call Hilda Haddock a Tyrant? To be a tyrant, you had to be a leader in some capacity. Hilda may be their heir (in name), but she has never demonstrated any leadership qualities.But Asher didn't have time to dwell on that; he had work to do. Once he finished his loaf of bread, he got up from his seat, preparing to leave to get a headstart on the work that needs to be done."Where are you heading, Asher?" Fishlegs called out to him in alarm, seeing that his friend was leaving already, once he had finished his meal. Asher only gave him a side glance."I've got a lot of things to do. I still have to maintain my normal duties on top of the extra ones due to...Johann's untimely disappearance," Asher finishes, before walking away without another word.He already got some information out of Fishlegs. Now, to start digging around for information about these Dragon Riders. Where should he start?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Asher never really paid attention to any of Johann's tall tales ...uh, he meant stories . Johann was an excellent trader, having anything and everything you could need on hand, but the man was as long-winded as they come. His… stories were tiresome to hear, especially when all Asher wanted to do was get the things he needed and go on about his day to do more important things with his precious time.Most villagers had the same sentiments as Asher about Johann's tall tales, except for a select few who had the rare patience to listen to the full length of the trader’s stories. Like the children of the village, for one; they were probably the only ones on Berk that were willing to listen for the full length of Johann's stories. Then, there was also Gobber. Gobber, who knew everything that was happening in the village, who knows about the most recent gossip in and out of the archipelago for months. If anyone would know something useful for Asher to continue his investigation, it would be him. Other than the Chief, the trusty old blacksmith was also the only one who would to humor Trader Johann by listening to his stories from time to time.Asher had training in the late afternoon with the older kids, so he could try getting out some information from them during then. But until then, he was going to try his luck with Gobber.
He walks towards the smithy with his axe in hand. It just so happens that his axe's blade was dull and needed to be sharpened. While he didn't need a reason to go to the forge to talk to Gobber, it was less suspicious for him to be poking around with one.Gobber was hammering away at a sword when Asher walked into the forge. He wasn't in a rush for time, Asher could tell. The lack of dragon raids meant that there wasn't a constant need for dragon-killing weapons 24/7 around the clock. The only weapons in need of servicing were from Berk's Guard, who actively trained to keep in good form to defend Berk at any time needed, or from the Berkian youths who were still in training.Gobber stopped his hammering when he saw the young man, offering a hearty smile as he took the sword he had been working on and dunked it into a trough of water nearby to cool."Hello there, Asher. What can I do for ye'? Ye' axe in need of sharpenin'?" Gobber asked, motioning his hook to the axe in Asher's hands. Asher nodded, holding out the axe for Gobber to take."Yes. Worn it out by training in the woods," Asher said simply. Gobber chuckled in response to that, inspecting the axe's blade before hobbling over to the grinding stone."That's te' third time this week ye blunt yer axe. Haha! But what else could ya' expect from Asher Hofferson? Ye' train harder than anyone else on tis' island," Gobber said as he started to sharpen the blade of the axe."Even though Berk is enjoying peace now, we must always be ready to defend ourselves. I mean, look at what happened to Trader Johann," Asher said with a sigh, shaking his head."Aye. Poor man; always liked him. Wonder what did he caught himself into?" Gobber said absentmindedly as he continued to grind the axe's blade."Who knows? He was last seen in the northern lands beyond the archipelago, according to the reports. I heard there's a lot of conflict over there," Asher started, seeing if Gobber had anything to say about that."Aye, that is. Those northern lands? It's a real mess over there. Ever heard any of Johann's stories about ta' dragon riders?" Gobber asked. Asher nodded."In passing. Johann talked about them quite a lot.""Aye, he did. A whole organization of them. Always goin' against dragon hunters, I hear. Te' conflict makes those lands dangerous. Poor Johann probably got caught' up in it."Asher figured out that much. But how?"What do you know about the dragon riders? They sound like trouble.""Hm...dragon advocates. Really love those beasts. Johann had some dealings with them; don't know what his connection to them was though," Gobber said with a sigh. He inspected the axe's blade for a moment, before handing it back to Asher, who took it back with a grateful nod of his head."Thanks Gobber.""No problem. But ta', since I answered yer questions, how 'bout ye answer mine?" Gobber asked casually behind his back. There was a knowing smile on the blacksmith's face as he continued to walk deeper into the shop. Asher stares at him, stunned into silence. Ah, he had been too obvious. Or maybe Gobber was just too sharp."What do you want to ask?" Asher asked uneasily as he followed Gobber further into the shop. There were only a few things Asher could think of that Gobber wanted to ask, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to answer any of them."I've heard 'bout it already. Stoick proposed a marriage between ye' and Hilda, correct?" Gobber asked, turning around with a raised eyebrow. Asher's lips set into a thin line. So Gobber knows about it, somehow. Did anyone else know?"Don't cha' worry. Stoick was the one who told me 'bout it, no one else knows yet. Not that ye have much to worry 'bout, boy. Ye not the one who will suffer if it gets out," Gobber said. Asher falls silent at that. What Gobber said was true, he knows. Asher's position in the village was as solid and secure as it could be, a failed marriage arrangement wouldn't hurt him much. The same couldn't be said for Hilda, who was on the verge of losing her position as heir and being cast out of the tribe. But Asher wonders what Gobber thought about the arrangement. Hilda Haddock is his apprentice, after all."I think its a' horrible idea," Gobber said suddenly, as though as he read Asher's thoughts. He had stopped walking, stopping in front of a shelf that had layers upon layers of dust on it. He continued to talk, as he fiddled through the shelves, appearing to be looking for something."Berk has done away with arranged marriages for many a' generation, and for good reason. Nowadays, bride prices and marriage offers made to parents are only done as a' formality. Granted, what Stoick's proposing is a marriage of convenience, but ta’ is no better than an arranged marriage," Gobber said with a shake of his head, still filing through the things on the shelf."Ye' don't like Hilda. I don't just mean in the romantic sense, but in ta' normal sense as well," Gobber stated plainly. He looks away from the shelf and at Asher, who finds himself unable to disagree with Gobber's words. Well of course he didn't like her . No one in the village did. Who would like someone who screw-up everything and gets in people's ways all the time?"That's goin' to make things very difficult for ya' both if yer decide to accept this arrangement. Yer only goin' to end up resenting each other in the end," Gobber said, finally pulling out a stack of papers that was neatly bundled together from the shelves. He started flipping through it, continuing to share his thoughts on the matter."Hilda will lose her position as heir if she doesn't marry you. Aye, I know that. But at least she will be free from all that pressure and escape the fate of a loveless marriage," Gobber said as he passed the bundle of paper to Asher to look at.What Gobber was showing him was a sketch; it was like a catapult, but it was designed to throw bolas instead of boulders. Asher's eyes narrow as he traces the outlines of the sketch. Higher accuracy and less work needed to be done to throw it. Granted, it wasn't the Viking way of doing things, but it could prove useful. Who designed this?"Hilda designed this. Was only fifteen when she designed it herself. Brilliant, that girl," Gobber said with a sad shake of his head, with a remorseful look on his face."Hilda is different from ta’ rest of us. Not meant for the battlefield, just different. Ye’ were her classmate in dragon training. I'm sure ye’ know.""Yes, Gobber. She almost got me killed ," Asher said with a scowl. The nadder incident comes to mind; if not for his quick thinking, he and she would have been dead. No thanks to her they survived it."As I said, she's not meant for ta' battlefield. The village is quick to dismiss her because of it; but who do ya' think repairs all of your weapons? Not just me, ye' know. Hilda helped to lighten my workload back when there were still dragon raids. Granted, she had a bit of a rebellious streak runnin' about back then...but that's not my point. My point is, Hilda is different. If ye can't appreciate that, yer marriage is doomed.""...I thought you said it was a horrible idea.""It is! But I'm not entirely opposed to it," Gobber said with a shrug. Asher falls silent at that. Gobber is Hilda's mentor, after all. If not the Chief, then Gobber was the one who was constantly watching out for her in the past. They had a strong bond as teacher and student, so of course Gobber wouldn't be opposed to Asher marrying Hilda if it meant she could keep her position as the heir."I just don't want te' both of ye' to end up in a miserable marriage. So, get to know the lass first, before ye give yer answer to Stoick. Who knows? Ye' might take a liking to her," Gobber said, with a twinkle in his eyes. He gives Asher a silent wave in parting before resuming his work. Asher leaves without another word, resisting a snort at Gobber's words.Take a liking to Hilda Haddock? There was no way. There couldn't be a worse match made in Valhalla for him. Asher was no stranger to romance, despite how short-lived or fleeting they were. He had a pretty good idea of what he liked in a woman, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't take a liking to Hilda anytime soon, or ever....Asher should just reject the Chief's proposal. That was the only thing he could do, the best thing to do for all parties involved. He didn't want to be stuck with Hilda Haddock in a loveless marriage, even if it meant he would become Chief for the good of the village. Besides, even when Snotlout eventually becomes Chief, at least there was the council, Fishlegs, and Asher around to support him and guide him. Snotlout might eventually grow into the role, though he did have some big boots to fill.Asher continued about his day as normally as he could, juggling his daily duties with the extra ones he had been assigned, like helping the village men hunt for wild boars or stags in the woods for extra meat or lending an additional hand in distributing supplies from their emergency stores whenever he had a spare bit of time.The rest of the day passed by quickly, until it was time for Asher's training with the older kids. In the past, the teens on Berk would enroll in dragon training when they reach fifteen, or when they were deemed to be fit enough to survive the training by their parents. With the lack of dragons, however, there was no more need for teens to undergo dragon training like Asher once did. But though they didn't have any more dragons raiding Berk, or anywhere in the archipelago for that matter, the younger generation still needed to learn how to defend themselves as strong, capable warriors. The dragons could come back at any time, and they had to be ready to defend themselves. If not the dragons, then they also had enemy tribes or pirates to fend off. There was no telling how long this peace would last, as proven when Alvin The Treacherous and the Outcasts tried to invade and take over Berk 2 years ago, not long after the dragon raids had stopped.It was why the obsolete dragon-killing class has since become a mandatory combat class for all youths on Berk. The ten recruits Asher had been training for the past few months, aged between 14 to 15, lined up in an orderly row in front of him. Training usually lasted two hours, three days a week for the current recruits. Their activities were mostly close-range combat spars with spears, swords, axes, or hammers, like today."Looks like everyone's here, and on time as well," Asher said offhandedly, sweeping the recruits with a stern look on his face, his gaze hardening a little more when it passed Snotlout's cousin and his little motley crew of friends. Gritlout had a tense expression on his face, no doubt remembering the first and last time he and his friends had decided to turn up late to class."Today, we'll be focusing on close-range combat. Pair up and spar. I'll be going around checking your form and technique," Asher ordered. The teens started to break into pairs, trying to find a partner to spar with. Asher walked between the pairs of sparring recruits, silently taking note of their weaknesses and strengths and what they were doing right or wrong.It was important to know where they went wrong or the weaknesses they exposed when fighting; knowing those would eventually save their lives."Sigrid, hold your stance firm! Don't give Gerda an opening to knock you off your feet. Remember, once you are off your feet, you are more vulnerable to attacks and are slower to react to them. Gerda, you left your right side wide open for Sigrid to attack. Remember to cover that side! An enemy can strike you there and fatally wound you!" Asher said in a firm but not unkind tone when he passed the two girls, before turning his attention to the two sparring to his left.Ragnut was sparring with Gritlout. The two of them circled each other, assessing and waiting for their opponent to strike first. Asher watches them quietly, mildly pleased that those two didn't lunge headfirst into the fight like their cousins would. Snotlout was more aggressive, going for the attack and always on the offense. Tuffnut was more sly; he liked to taunt his opponent and make jabs at them, goading them to attack and leave an opening. No; Ragnut and Gritlout were silent as they watched the other with a guarded expression, a far cry from the...explosive fights their cousins used to have."Hragh!" Ragnut charged forward at Gritlout, aiming his spear at Gritlout's right shoulder. Gritlout used his broadsword to parry the attack away in one powerful swipe. He nearly would have taken off Ragnut's head along with his broadsword, if not for Ragnut's quick reflexes. Ragnut ducked under the broadsword's blade and swung his legs at Gritlout's ankles. He knocked the stockier, shorter boy off his feet, and immediately recovered from his crouched position to subdue Gritlout. Ragnut used his feet to kick away the handle of the broadsword from Gritlout's outstretched hand, holding the tip of his spear at Gritlout's throat."Admit defeat, Grit?" Ragnut's asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm, his expression taunting. Asher frowned as he walked over to break up the inevitable fight that was about to happen, watching as Gritlout's face turned red with fury."You cheated, I know you DID! You played tricks on me!" Gritlout roared as he got back onto his feet unsteadily, grabbing onto Ragnut's tunic in a show of fury."So quick thinking and fake-outs are cheating now ? Admit you lost, Gritlout!" Ragnut jeered, but his hands clawed uselessly at Gritlout's iron-like grip on his tunic. Gritlout only looks even more enraged by Ragnut egging him on. He raised one meaty fist over Ragnut, ready to give the other boy a good beating for taunting him when Asher grabbed onto his wrist within a strong grip and wrenched it away from Ragnut's face. He separated the two boys, who only began remembering where and who they were with."That's enough out of the both of you ," Asher's sharp tone brooked for no argument, his cold glare descending on the both of them. Ragnut and Gritlout looked down at the ground in fear, both knowing full well what was going to happen to them for trying to brawl in Asher Hofferson's class.Asher shakes his head in disappointment. He didn't know where to start with the two of them. This wasn't even the first or second time they fought. It was the fourth time this month . In the beginning, it was just an exchange of jabs and taunts. Annoying, but harmless. Snotlout and Tuffnut used to be like that in the past. But between them, it had been more friendly and teasing, as compared to how malicious Gritlout's attacks were on Ragnut. If Asher wasn't there to stop them from fighting, he was pretty sure Ragnut's spear would have run through Gritlout, or Ragnut's head would have been chopped clean off his shoulders by Gritlout's broadsword one of these days.Even the threat of more conditioning and more punishments didn't dissuade them from trying to kill each other. Asher didn't know what else he could do to stop them from fighting each other all the time. They didn't need to get along like buddies, they just needed to be civil with each other. How hard could that be?Asher eyed Gritlout and Ragnut silently, knowing that the rest of the class had stopped to see the commotion as well. He usually only gave them a stern talking to and resumed the class as normal, but now...Asher shakes his head. It wasn’t getting any better, in fact, it was only getting worse, and it had to stop before one of them got seriously injured, or worse, dead."Combat training is for you to learn how to defend yourself, your fellow villagers, and Berk. It is NOT for you lot to take out your grievances on each other! Do I make myself clear?" Asher barked out at the two in an authoritative tone, his voice bursting with anger and disappointment at their lack of camaraderie. Gritlout and Ragnut nodded slowly at his words, though Asher didn't know how much of what he said got through their thick skulls."The two of you are suspended from this class until further notice, or until I am sure you two will not try to murder each other when you are out of my sight. We'll end today's class early, no thanks to the both of you," Asher said with a frustrated sigh, looking towards Brynnut and Asgnut Thorston, beckoning them to come forward."Brynnut, Asgnut. Escort your cousin back home and make sure he doesn't fight with Gritlout. Gunnar, do the same for Gritlout. If I hear any word of the two of you fighting again until your suspension is over, I'll add more time to your suspension from the class. Am I clear?" Asher asks, leveling Gritlout and Ragnut with a hard stare."Yes, Asher." Both Ragnut and Gritlout knew better than to try and argue with Asher; it would only result in their suspension time being lengthened."Good."Both boys nodded dumbly at him before staggering out of the arena in complete silence, their assigned escorts following behind them quietly. Asher watched as his students trickled out of the arena one by one until he was left standing in the arena by himself. He started to close up the arena for the day while thinking back on the events of the late afternoon.Things were getting out of hand between Gritlout and Ragnut. Asher couldn’t understand; Jorgensons always had an annoying streak to them, but never one as malicious as Gritlout has towards Ragnut.
There was no recent feud between the Jorgensons and Thorstons either, so there was no reason for Gritlout’s antagonism towards the young Thorston. ‘They certainly aren’t like their cousins, that’s for sure,’ Asher thought with a snort. Growing up, Tuffnut was closest to Snotlout in their little group of five, sans his twin sister, Ruffnut. The two of them could be unbearable muttonheads at times back then but at least they didn’t try to actively kill each other like their younger cousins were currently trying to do right now. What was Asher missing here? He must have overlooked something. But what?Well, whatever it was, the mystery behind his students’ murderous tendencies toward each other had to be solved for another time. His main priority now was to figure out exactly what happened to Trader Johann, and his exact connection to the mysterious Dragon Riders.
So far, Asher knew these things for certain; Trader Johann was last spotted in the lands north of the Archipelago. He had dealings with the Dragon Riders, though the exact nature of those dealings was unknown.
Then, there was also new information about the Dragon Riders, though Asher should probably take what Gobber said about them with a grain of salt. So the Dragon Riders weren’t just some rogue group of criminals, they were apparently an entire organization of dragon lovers who were constantly fighting against another organization called the Dragon Hunters.
And Johann was probably unluckily caught in the conflict.But then, there was also the matter of Miss Heather’s vagueness when talking about Johann in her letters. She had been confirmed to have many dealings with Trader Johann, making her lack of familiarity when talking about him strange, to say the least. The rumors about her and her brother having ties to the Dragon Riders were not helping her case either.Not to mention their intentions to personally visit Berk in a week’s time to renew the old peace pact between their tribes. The timing was a little too convenient; first Johann goes missing, then rumors about the Berserkers riding dragons started popping up, and now they wanted a peace pact?Too suspicious, Asher thought to himself with a frown.
The Berserkers, that merchant that they recommended, the dragon riders, all of them were connected somehow. But what was the connection? And what were their intentions?
Asher could only hope some of his questions could be answered tomorrow.
Oh , she was in for it now. This was trouble. Big, big trouble.
Hilda couldn't believe her father would even suggest something like that.Hilda had long accepted that she was bound to lose her position as heir to her cousin. The village has never accepted and would never accept their scrawny runt of an heir to the Chiefdom. To them, the person more worthy of being the future Chief of Berk was going to be her boar-headed cousin, who fit the mold of the Viking way of life to a tee.
Her marrying Asher Hofferson wouldn't change anything. Maybe she could keep her position as heir, but the village would still see her as a screw-up and useless—all because she was different, because she saw the world differently from them.
Besides, Hilda didn't want to marry him . She cringed, feeling like throwing up at the thought of another relationship. She was done with romance. She has sworn off it completely. A single taste was enough for her. There was no need to put her heart on the line again. It just wasn’t worth it.Hilda also seriously doubts that Asher Hofferson of all people would want to marry her.Asher Hofferson, marry her? Hilda snorted. Yeah right, dragons would eat eels before that happens. Her father was delusional to think Asher Hofferson would marry her of all people. His position in the village was as secure as it could be, so why would he want to marry Hiccup the Screw-up?Asher Hofferson had no shortage of prospective partners; it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that every other unmarried maiden in the village wanted to marry him. Objectively speaking, Hilda could understand why that was so.
He was capable, brave, and handsome, a very promising young man with a very bright future ahead of him in the village. He had single-handedly brought back honor to the Hofferson name by saving the Chief and Gobber from having decapitated heads during the battle with the Outcasts two years ago. He was a valued member of the council despite his young age, favored by the current Chief, and was likely to be the second-in-command when Snotlout took over. He was just that good, that competent of a viking . If the Chiefdom wasn’t passed down through blood ties, he would have been the next Chief of Berk.Hilda paused in that line of thought, feeling the same bitter taste in her mouth from earlier.
Her father never said why he wanted her to marry Asher Hofferson, but his reasons were so painfully obvious. His daughter and nephew both were not up to the task of being Chief, but Asher Hofferson was . In the eyes of the villagers, he would make a fine Chief, someone that could measure up to Stoick’s The Vast’s larger than life expections. But for Asher Hofferson to be the next Chief of Berk, he had to marry her, the Chief’s wayward, irresponsible daughter.
Hilda frowns and stopped her fiddling with the Dragon Eye II. She wonders.Would he dare to accept? Was he willing to shackle himself to Hilda just to become the next chief of Berk? Is it a trade-off he was willing to make?She furrowed her brows. No, she supposes he wouldn’t. Even the prospects of becoming Chief would not be enough to convince anyone in the village to marry her, much less the golden boy of the village.Even at her best, he didn’t want to be with her.And Hilda? She decided that she preferred it that way, though the bitterness on her tongue said otherwise. She could end up a spinster for all she cared. She didn’t need marriage to secure her place in Berk’s society. She didn’t have to be the heir to Berk’s Chiefdom, for she felt no attachment to the people here. The only reason she remained on Berk was to spare her father the heartbreak of losing his only child with his presumably-dead wife. She couldn’t do that to her father, not matter how rocky their relationship was. Still though…“...this is a tricky situation indeed,” Hilda mumbled to herself as she fiddled with the Dragon Eye II. Normally, she wouldn't dare to bring any dragon-riding stuff back to Berk. The risk of being found out was too great, but now, she... they were running out of time. The Dragon Eye II had to be completed immediately,
and now, with her effectively being grounded on Berk to fulfil her duties as ‘heir’, the only choice she had was to work on it from here.
No thanks to her father’s sudden decision to make her start ‘acting’ like the heir, Hilda thought with a grimace. She couldn’t go back to Odin’s Respite like she originally planned to with the twins, not with her father’s watchful gaze constantly following her around. She was lucky to even get away for more than a few hours, and pulling a disappearing act was out of the question. It was fortunate they had thought of sending in Haldor into the Barbaric Archipelago as soon as possible; for the survival of all the Tribes, and for Hilda, who needed the real gemstones to complete the Dragon Eye II.Hilda sent a scathing look at the glass replicas of the gemstones on the table. She should have known Johann would have duped her into getting fake replicas of the real gemstones she needed in case she survived his murder attempt on her life, doing anything and everything he could think of to hinder the Alliance and get a headstart on them.No, Hilda was giving that snivelling rat too much credit. This wasn't Johann's handiwork. Johann was a fantastic actor and played the waiting game well, being able to avoid suspicion for years, but he wasn't a master tactician who had a knack for being able to predict a few steps ahead of Hilda. His plans were sloppy and half-baked, and his cockiness meant that he failed to think of taking any precautions, because like every other nemesis Hilda has come across, he had underestimated her.No, this was Viggo's doing. Only he and him alone would go the extra mile just to prevent Hilda from completing her Dragon Eye II. He was the only one who didn't underestimate her and what she was capable of; he always took full caution whenever he had to deal with anyone. Needless to say, this made things much more difficult for her when Viggo Grimborn seemed to have a knack for predicting Hilda's every move, even when she tried to be unpredictable.One day. One day, she’ll defeat him. She’ll put him behind bars on the Defenders of the Wing, or have Toothless drop him into the volcano on Dragon’s Edge, or, or…“Hilda? Hilda are ye’ in there?!”“Huh?!”Hilda let out a yelp in surprise at the booming voice, her shaky hands scrambling to cover the Dragon Eye II under the tapestry that hung on the wall against her desk. Gobber emerged from behind the cloth partition, his head whipping wildly around to search for the young lass he was looking for.“Uh-h, h-hey, Gobber. Nice to, see you, um…” Hilda stammered nervously, her heart hammering against her ribcage as Gobber frowned at her nervous expression.Oh, what was wrong with her?! Why did she have to work on the Dragon Eye in her little back corner of Gobber’s forge? She of all people should know this was the less discreet back to work on something that was supposed to be top secret.“Hi, yes, hi. What can I do for you? The white iron ores that you asked for are on the front counter, by the way…”Hilda babbled on nervously, praying with all her heart that Gobber wouldn’t think much of her weird behaviour, and just continued on with what he was looking for her for. Why was he looking for her? Gobber said she could use this space as she liked even if she was no longer apprenticed to him, but their interactions these days were few and far inbetween. Not because of some falling out, no. The lack of dragons around Berk meant a lack of need for dragon-killing weapons around the clock, which meant that Gobber also no longer needed an extra pair of hands in the forge. Gobber was gracious enough to allow her to continue to use the forge as she liked, though with her own forge back at Odin’s Respite and Dragon’s Edge, it meant that she had little use for tinkering back in the first forge she ever worked in.“Don’t look so terrified, lass. I’m not gonna turn ya’ in to ye’ father,” Gobber said with a chuckle as he clapped Hilda on the back, oblivious to the growing horror she was feeling.Oh, this was it, wasn’t it? She knew it couldn’t be kept secret forever, but she never wanted people to find out in this way. How did Gobber figure it out? How much did he see? How long has he suspected this?“Listen, Gobber, I…”
“Don’t cha worry, lassie. I won’t tell ye’ dad that ye’ been hidin’ out in here. Ye’ were so quiet that I didn’t hear ye’ at all!”“It’s not easy…um, what?”“Eh? Aren’t ye’ talking about Stoick’s sudden insistence about making ye’ act like the heir?” Gobber asked with a cock of his eyebrow. Hilda blinked nervously, a wave of relief coming crashing down on her when she realised what Gobber was talking.“Wha…? Uh, I mean, yes! Yes, I was hiding here, from my dad. Escaping him and his, um, yep! So, uh, whatcha looking for me for?” Hilda rushed her words hastily to divert Gobber’s attention away from her confusion to avoid any more questions from the Blacksmith.“Eh, nothing much. Just wanted to have a friendly chat with my former apprentice. Ya’ have the time to spare, don’t ya’?” Gobber asked casually as he twisted his hook.
Hilda, with her mind still wrapped around her thoughts, only nodded absentmindedly, completely missing the sly look on Gobber’s face.“Oh. Uh, sure.”“So, I heard from Stoick.”“Heard…heard what?” Hilda asked, her body tensing up at Gobber’s words. What did Gobber hear from her dad?“Heard ‘bout ye’ dad’s plans to get ya’ hitch with Asher Hofferson, of course!”“Oh. That.”Hilda felt herself deflate at Gobber’s words. Of course it was about that, and it seems that Gobber was well aware about the details as well. But that was no surprise; Gobber isher father’s best friend and confidante, so it wasn’t strange for her father to want Gobber’s opinion on it.“Aye. You don’t seem thrilled. I thought ya’ liked him,” Gobber asked with a furrowed brow, appearing confused by the lack of excitement on Hilda’s end. Hilda resisted from rolling her eyes.“You said it Gobber. I liked him. Keyword being ‘liked’, as in, past tense. It’s completely behind me now.”Hilda resisted letting out a bitter laugh. Gone were the days when Hilda Haddock harboured a crush on Asher Hofferson, the golden boy of the village. At best, it was an infatuation. Her and Asher Hofferson were a little less than strangers to each other; she was a child when she was infatuated with Asher Hofferson. Sure, he was devastatingly handsome and competent at what he does, and she is grateful towards him for saving her father and Gobber from losing their heads 2 years ago, but…He wasn’t him . He wasn’t her first love. Hilda had experienced what being in love was truly like; and she knew the bitterness that came with being on the receiving end of heartbreak.
“...Hm. You seem against ta’ match. Asher Hofferson is quite a catch, ya’ know,” Gobber said in a teasing tone as he bopped the top of Hilda’s head lightly. Hilda could only smile wryly in response.“So I heard.”
“Hm, you really aren’t interested at all. That could be tricky,” Gobber muttered under his breath, but Hilda, who heard it all too loud and clear, frowns at him.“Tricky? What, you can’t possibly share my dad’s opinion that this arranged marriage is a good idea,” Hilda said in a disgruntled tone. Did Gobber seriously agree with her dad on having her and Asher Hofferson be trapped together in a loveless marriage? They were too different to even make it work; he was duty-bound to Berk, while she, no pun-intended, like to fly free in the air. He is one of Berk’s most skilled warriors, but her skill lies in inventing and crafting in the forge. The number of sheer differences in their personalities, their livelihoods…did that not spell out the words that marrying them would end in utter disaster?“Well, ye’ know why ye’ dad is doing this. He wants to secure your place as heir in the tribe and not give the Chiefdom to someone else. Asher is the most promising of ye’ generation…people look to him and see someone worthy to follow. Eh, no offense.”Gobber said with a sheepish smile. Hilda looked away at Gobber’s words, trying her best to keep the hurt expression off her face. She knew how the villagers thought of her; useless and a screw-up. They would never follow her, because they were so fixed in their perception of her as useless. But Asher Hofferson was different. They respected him, they saw value in him.He would make a fine chief, and it makes Hilda envy him, because it was true. He had the makings of one, except for the Haddock bloodline that did not run in his veins. That was why he had to marry her, Hilda Haddock, to become her father’s successor and the next chief.“I know what you mean, Gobber. But I seriously doubt he would marry me of all people. Besides, I…” Hilda said, her words left unspoken as it trailed off silently into her thoughts.
“Don’t be so quick to reject the idea, Hilda. Get ta’ know the guy on a personal level; who knows? The two of you might take a liking ta’ each other!”“...Right. I’ll think about it, Gobber,” Hilda finished off with no less uncertainty than before, if anything but to end the conversation before she gave too much away. Seeming satisfied with the conversation, Gobber hobbled out of the little nook of the forge, leaving Hilda alone to her devices once again. She stared at the tapestry that was hiding the Dragon Eye II. She didn’t feel like continuing to work on it, especially not when Gobber almost saw the dragon eye.
Get to know Asher Hofferson on a personal level? Fat chance of happening. She tried to when they were younger, but she never was able to get in with the group of teens her age. The only people on Berk she got somewhere with were Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who had broken away from their old friends to begin their dragon riding escapades with her. If anything, he probably scorned her for stealing the twins from their little group like her cousin did.She should probably just go and take a breather. Steal away to the hideout and ride with Toothless in the clouds around the island once it gets dark. Yes, that sounded like a great idea to her, and it was just what she needed until tomorrow comes.