Chapter 3: Scales and Dragon Tails

Hookfang had been circling this particular patch of the forest on the edge of the village for several minutes now. At first, Snotlout had not really paid attention or cared where they were going, content to lean over Hookfang's horns and let his dragon take the lead. Sometimes it was good to fly aimlessly, but after passing the same lightning-struck pine for the fourth time, he sat up and looked around. They were flying over the forest on the west of the village. A familiar domed roof poked out from between the trees and he immediately knew where they were.

"Hey," he said, leaning forward to flick Hookfang between the eyes. "What are we doing here?"

Hookfang snapped his head to the side but Snotlout had been expecting that and ducked in time to avoid Hookfang's horn... only to be caught on the side of the head when his dragon jerked back the other way. Stupid dragon.

"You know she doesn't like you?" he said, rubbing his ear. Hookfang ignored him, circling ever lower towards the house.

"Hey! Hey!" growled Snotlout, pulling Hookfangs's horns. "She won't thank you for landing in her garden you big lizard." Hookfang pulled up, growling discontentedly, and flew off to the left. Snotlout spotted the clearing with the pond. "Land there," he said, pointing to the game trail Sigyn had used last time he had seen her.

Hookfang landed with a thump, stirring the pine needles over the dry ground, and Snotlout dismounted. He had been here only three weeks ago, but it was hardly the same place. Nearly all the leaves had fallen from the trees and lay brown and curled on the ground, drifted up in piles against the stunted shrubbery. The grass in the meadow was yellow and withered, leaving the towering pines the only vibrant splash of green that would last through winter. Sigyn was nowhere to be seen.

"She's not here Fangster," he said, turning back the dragon to remount. "Let's go." But Hookfang was already following the trail that wound through the trees in the direction of Sigyn's house. Grumbling, Snotlout jogged after him.

"Hey, get back here." Hookfang kept going. Snotlout grabbed his tail and pulled, knowing full well it wouldn't do much good if his dragon was truly determined. "Come on, let's go." Hookfang turned his head, growling, fire building in his jaw.

Snotlout dropped his tail. Apparently, Hookfang was determined.

"All right, all right. But don't blame me when you get a less than warm welcome."

They tromped down the trail, Snotlout kicking pine cones through the dirt as they went. Why did Hookfang like Sigyn so much anyway? Sure, he supposed, she was all right. She was pretty enough; couldn't hold a candle to Astrid, but they did both have blond hair. He liked blond hair, although brunettes with green eyes were good too. He grit his teeth, shaking his head. Someday...someday he would make Astrid see his worth. It was only a matter of time… right? But that didn't answer the question of why he was walking down the trail that led to Sigyn's house. Whatever. He didn't really care. It was just... easier to be around Sigyn's than Hiccup or the others, except for maybe Tuffnut. But he didn't feel like getting drawn into another one of Tuff's schemes today and Hookfang was certainly not going to be swayed from his course.

Why was Sigyn afraid of dragons anyway? Sure, a few years ago everyone on Berk had seen dragons as the fire-breathing enemies, but not now. Everyone had gotten used to them and many had dragons of their own, even if they didn't ride them. Well, everyone except Mildew that is, but he was gone now, so what did it matter? Sigyn didn't hate dragons and didn't wish them harm. If she did he doubted Hookfang would have taken to her so quickly. And what was with that anyway? It was so unlike him.

It had grown too quiet. Snotlout turned around to find Hookfang had come to a stop in the middle of the trail. Why had he…? Snotlout looked around. Crazy dragon. Crazy, but smart. This was the same spot Sigyn had stopped them the first time they had met. He walked back to his dragon.

"So you changed your mind?" he said, waving for Hookfang to lower his head. "Let's go then." Hookfang didn't move. What now?

"Hookfang, let's go!" Hookfang lowered his head and pushed him roughly down the trail towards the house in the near distance. "What are you doing?" shouted Snotlout, catching himself before he fell. "You're the one who wanted to see Sigyn." Hookfang nudged him forward again, sending him to his backside in the dirt.

"What's gotten into you?" he growled, getting to his feet, brushing the dirt and pine needles from his pants. "Let's just go." But Hookfang was curling himself around a tree, his tail tucked under his chin, his eyes closed. Snotlout huffed in irritation and stomped over to his dragon. Hookfang cracked an eye open, peeking at him before lifting his head to push him in the direction of Sigyn's once again.

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll go see her," he said, shoving back at Hookfang. "But I'm telling her it was your idea." Hookfang seemed content with this and lay back down.

Grumbling, Snotlout turned onto the trail. He supposed he had been meaning to come visit her anyway. He passed two grazing yaks just before the house came into view. He stopped at the edge of the garden. Where was she? The garden was empty and the house was quiet. Off to the right, the barn door stood ajar. Several chickens wandered the yard, scratching and pecking in the dirt. He could see no one around. He debated simply turning around and going back to Hookfang, not wanting to knock on the door, but just as he was about to go Sigyn came around the edge of the house.

She was toting two buckets of water as she approached the far side of the garden. She hadn't noticed him yet and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the garden gate watching her. She leaned over the fence placing the buckets inside the fence before vaulting over herself. She dumped the water on some of the plants and then turned to refill her buckets, her braids brushing over her shoulders. That was something kinda fun about Sigyn. Every time he saw her hair was done a different way. The first time he'd seen her it was loose and wild, the second it was in a high tail behind her head and today she wore it in two braids on either side of her head. Astrid's hair was always clean and neat, but she never differed from the single pragmatic braid down her back, and Ruffnut paid even less attention to her hair. He grinned, watching Sigyn's backside as she climbed over the fence. No, she certainly wasn't difficult to look at.

"You know that you could save a lot of work with a dragon," he said, startling her. She dropped the buckets and spun to face him, her hand instantly moving to the knife she strapped to her hip. She relaxed when she saw him.

"Snotlout," she said, slumping back against the fence. "You startled me."

"Yeah, my good looks have that effect on people," he said, pretending to examine his nails. She laughed.

"You never quit do you?" she said, bending to retrieve the fallen buckets.

"Quitting is for losers."

"You would say that."

"You never win if you quit, and I never quit. I play to win." She grinned.

"I'm glad to see you." That caught him by surprise. He had heard the groaning when people saw him coming, not everyone and not always, but often enough. Even Hiccup and the others were sometimes happy to see the back of him. He studied her dirt-smeared face searching for the familiar sarcasm or insincerity. He found none. Odd, but not unpleasant.

"Of course you are. Who isn't?" he said with bravado. She shook her head, smiling.

"So what is it this time? Need more stitches?"

"No, I'm fighting fit," he said flexing an arm. "Want to take a look?"

"At your arm, yes," she said, coming to him and setting down the buckets. "How is your burn?" He turned so she could see his shoulder more easily. She worried too much, but it wouldn't hurt to let her look. She smoothed her fingers over the newly healed skin, her brows drawn together slightly. "Well?" he asked.

"Looks good. You must have taken care of it because it's healed nicely." She straightened, looking him over. "So if you don't need my meager medical skills, what prompts your visit? I was starting to think I'd seen the last of you."

"Would you be sad?" he asked. She snorted.

"Maybe... a bit. But seriously why are you here? Not that you're not welcome."

"Hookfang was determined to see you," he said, waving a hand. She looked around, suddenly more alert and stiff. Geez, what was with her anyway? "Relax, he's up the trail curled around a tree snoozing." She relaxed.

"I thought that might have been you two circling above earlier," she said, bending to retrieve the buckets.

"Yeah, I had to keep him from landing in your garden."

"Thank you," she said as he followed her around the back of the house. She dipped the buckets into the pool created by the small stream and turned back to the garden. "So if he was so determined to see me how did you get him to stay behind?" He shrugged.

"He just laid down, wouldn't go past that point where you stopped him last time he was here. But he kept pushing me down the trail."

"So you really are only here because your dragon made you come," she said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Well, sort of. But I was planning to come see you. I've just been... busy."

"Um-hm."

"It's not like all we Dragon Riders do is training. We have jobs around the village too."

"Like what?" she asked climbing back over the garden fence.

"We round up stray livestock and attempt to keep tabs on the boars. Sometimes me and Hookfang help with the fishing. In general, we just do odd jobs that require muscle."

"I suppose that makes sense," she said, one hand on her hip as she wiped her brow.

"I'm telling you. Dragons make a lot of things easier."

"Yeah, I suppose you might be right," she said, chucking an empty bucket at his head. He caught it easily and she grinned. "But who needs a dragon when I have you here. Besides, I'm almost done watering. I just have the back corner." She pointed.

"And what exactly are you expecting me to do with this?" he asked, hanging the bucket from one finger.

"Well I had hoped you would fill it," she said, holding out the other. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he said, swiping the other bucket. He went to the stream, filled them both, and handed them back to her over the fence. "So how is my tunic coming?" he asked as she watered.

"Your tunic?" she asked absolutely, bending to pull a weed.

"The green dragon scale one?" She straightened, frowning.

"You were serious about that?"

"I am capable of being serious," he said, taking the buckets from her again. "More water?"

"Yes. Four more buckets please." He filled them again.

"So how much longer until it's finished?" he asked as she watered.

"Well, to be honest, it's kind of a side project. Something I work on in my spare time, which I don't have a lot of with orders for winter coming in. That and getting this place ready for cold weather keeps me pretty busy." She handed the buckets back. "Two more please."

He went back to the stream and filled the buckets a final time. Just how did Sigyn manage to take care of this place on top of filling tailor's orders and taking care of her father? And without a dragon, though admittedly it would not have been much help with the sewing. He frowned. It sounded exhausting. He came back to the fence and stopped in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Sigyn had pulled two large carrots from the ground and held them to her nose, taking long, deep breaths. She flushed slightly as she stood and snapped off the green tops.

"I like the smell of freshly harvested carrots," she said, coming to wash the carrots off in one of the buckets. "Here," she said, handing them to him and taking the buckets. She splashed the last patch of ground and then hung the buckets upside down on the fence to dry. She climbed over the fence and he handed her back the carrots.

"Want one?" she asked, biting off the tip of a carrot. He took the other and out of curiosity held it up to his nose. It smelled like a carrot.

"You're weird," he said before crunching off the top of his own carrot. She shrugged. It did taste good though. They leaned on the fence munching for a few minutes.

"So do you really want the tunic?" He popped the last bit of carrot in his mouth and nodded. "Then I will have to take your measurements. Come on," she said, beckoning to him to follow.

She let him around the front of the house to where her father sat in a chair on the front porch. Snotlout paused as Sigyn continued up the steps and into the house. He had seen a glimpse of her father when he had first met her, but now he surveyed the man properly. Despite her father being seated in the chair Snotlout could tell that he was a tall man. His upper body was still powerfully muscled but his trousers felt loose from his bony knees. The man's face turned toward him and although his eyes were unfocused he could tell the man was very alert.

"So, your Spitlout's boy," said the man.

"Yes," he said, cautiously. "I'm..."

"Snotlout," finished the man tapping his ear. "I heard you two in the garden. When one sense goes, the others make up for it. I'm surprised you're back." How was he supposed to take that?

"Sigyn told me to visit, and I wanted to buy a tunic she's making," he said at last, opting for diplomacy.

"The green dragon scale one," said her father, nodding. "She told me."

"She told you about me?" he asked, surprised and a bit nervous.

"A little," said her father, smiling, the lines around his eyes deepening. "Your dragon had her quite shaken up after your last encounter. She talks more when she is shaken up."

"Hookfang can be intimidating and stubborn, but he's harmless… mostly," said Snotlout rubbing his ear. "He seems to genuinely like Sigyn."

"What about you?" asked her father.

"What about me?"

"Do you genuinely like Sigyn? Or is that an act you put on for all the girls?"

"Do I... Do I what?" he sputtered.

"Do you like her or are you just toying with her?" pressed her father. Snotlout floundered for something to say. What was even the right answer?

"That's enough dad," said Sigyn, returning from the house with the tunic in question and a long piece of cord. "It's not like that, so lay off alright. He's an acquaintance and a potential client, that is unless you scare him off."

"I'm not scared," said Snotlout, defiantly. An orange dragon scale bounced off his helmet with a loud thwack and fell into the dirt at his feet.

"Don't think you shouldn't be," said her father, but there didn't seem to be any real menace behind his words. He was an odd man but a good shot for being mostly blind.

"Ignore him, Snotlout," said Sigyn, approaching him. She set the half-made tunic aside. "Alright, hold your arms out." Glancing at her father he did as instructed. With the last of her carrot held in her teeth, she reached around him, wrapping the cord around his chest. Holding it in place, she pulled a piece of charcoal from her pocket and marked the cord. He tried not to fidget.

"So how long do you think it will take to finish?" he asked as she took more measurements.

"I may not be able to finish it till spring," she said, tucking the charcoal back in her pocket. "It's time-consuming to prepare the scales, and it looks like I'll have to make it bigger than I was thinking."

"Can you do that?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, easy peasy, it just means more scales. You can relax now." He let his arms drop. "Is spring too late?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice."

"Well, you could always see what Mrs. Larson has in stock if you are in a rush," she suggested. He looked at the tunic.

"I like the green."

"Why not cut him a deal," said her father. What was with this guy?

"What do you mean?" asked Sigyn, turning to her father. He held up an orange dragon scale that he was apparently drilling holes in, preparing for Sigyn.

"Work together. Have Snotlout prepare the scales for the tunic. It will save you time, lower the cost, and it will be done sooner."

"I suppose that could work," she said, turning back to him. "What do you think Snotlout?"

"How exactly do you drill the holes?" he asked.

"It's not difficult," said her father, tossing him a scale. He caught it examining it. "I can do it blind."

"I even have a spare set of tools," said Sigyn. "But again, it's up to you. I understand if you're too busy." He thought about it for a moment. He really did like the look of the green dragon scales, and it had become increasingly difficult to move freely in his current tunic. Plus it was always good to get things cheaper.

"Show me how it needs to be done," he said. He did not miss her father's satisfied grin.

"Come watch my father do it while I get to the scales," said Sigyn, turning to go back into the house. "Play nice dad."

Snotlout watched her disappear again before bending to collect the orange scale at his feet. Hesitantly, he climbed the steps to the porch and approached her father. He watched as Sigyn's father bore a small hole through the scale with a narrow knife, twisting it until it poked through the other side. He then took a small file no bigger around than a stem of grass and smoothed the edges.

"Two holes on the top. Got it?" asked her father, holding out the tools.

"Seems simple enough," said Snotlout, taking them. He drilled a hole in the scale he held. Simple, and he imagined mind-numbing if done repeatedly. Not too bad.

"I'm actually glad you came back," said her father, catching Snotlout by surprise. The knife slipped and jabbed the edge of his thumb. He dropped the scale, cursing as he popped his thumb into his mouth by reflex. Her father chuckled. He just did not understand this guy. It was at least semi understandable that Sigyn was glad for his company, but he had not expected that from her father. Distrust, annoyance, and indifference were the run-of-the-mill reactions.

"What did you do to yourself now?" asked Sigyn from over his shoulder. He jumped. She could be awfully quiet when she wanted to be.

"Nothing, I'm fine," he said, pulling his thumb out of his mouth. It really was a small cut. She took his hand examining his thumb. Satisfied he had not lied she handed him a small bag. "Tools and scales," she said. "I only gave you some of the scales. If you find yourself too busy just bring them back."

"Alright," he said, taking the bag and tucking it under his belt.

The carrot had been tasty but small and now his stomach was clamoring for him to fill it properly. It was getting late, the sun sinking into the western horizon. "I should go," he said. "I need to feed Hookfang."

"And no doubt you're hungry as well," said Sigyn with a smirk. How did she always do that?

"Hey, it takes a lot of food to fuel this much awesome," he said, folding his arms over his chest. Sigyn laughed.

"I see the Jorgensen clan hasn't changed much over the years," said her father wryly.

"Come on," said Sigyn, nudging his arm. "I'll walk with you for a while. I have to bring in the yaks." They walked together until they came across the yaks that had wandered further up the trail. He could just see Hookfang up the trail when they stopped.

"You will come back right?" she asked. He smirked.

"Getting attached to me?" he asked, slipping a hand around her waist.

"I think you're too attached to yourself for anyone else to be," she said, stepping sideways out of his grip.

"Hey, there's always room for another with Snotlout Jorgenson."

"I don't know, your ego is big enough that two is a crowd. Besides I just wanted to make sure you bring my tools and scales back." Of course. Of course, that's all she had been talking about. He should have guessed.

"Hey," she said, bumping his elbow with hers. He looked up at her. He hated that he had to look up to practically everyone. Even Hiccup was taller than him now. "You know I was only joking about the tools, right? I mean I want them back and all when you're done, but I do actually like having you around and not just to haul buckets of water." He shifted uncomfortably, unsure what to say so he changed the subject.

"Wanna see Hookfang?"

"Yeah, no. I'm going to pass thanks," she said, rubbing her arm.

"You sure? He's a stubborn yak but he's the reason I'm here and he wants to see you."

"No, you give him a good rub for me. Maybe next time." He pounced on that.

"You'll come see him next time I'm around?" he pressed. She cocked her head to the side, watching him for a moment then sighed.

"Alright, next time you're around I will come see Hookfang. But I'm not getting close to him and you have to actually try to make him keep his distance. Deal?" He supposed that was about the best he could hope for.

"Deal," he said.

He was back two weeks later, the bag of prepared dragon scales in hand. He found Sigyn in the meadow under the tree near the pond. To his surprise, Hookfang did not try to press closer to Sigyn. After assuring himself Snotlout would indeed approach Sigyn, Hookfang curled himself under a tree on the far side of the meadow.

"Your back," she said, not looking up from her stitching as he crunched through the dead grass and leaves toward her. She was seated on a quilt, her sewing supplies strewn around her in a clutter as she worked on a pair of dark trousers. Several pins flashed in the sunlight from where they were stuck through the sleeve of her tunic and her blond hair was tied at the base of her neck with a decorative piece of leather. "Sit down."

"I finished the scales," he said, sinking to sit cross-legged on the quilt opposite her. He held out the sack of scales.

"One second," she said, the tip of her tongue poking out to wet her lips as she finished a stitch. "There." She set the pants aside and took the bag from him. He pulled up a dead stalk of grass, breaking it into pieces as she riffled through the sack inspecting the scales at random.

"They look good," she said at last. She tossed a scale into his lap. "That one only has one hole though." He tucked it into his pocket for later.

"Do you have any more for me?" he asked. She grinned. He liked it when she grinned. Her face seemed to split and her teeth flashed out at him. She dug into her basket.

"I had a feeling I might see you soon if not today," she said, pulling a box of buttons, several spools of thread, and some fabric scraps out of the basket before she finally found what she was looking for. She held out another bag of scales, this one larger than the first. He took it.

"So with me during the scales how much sooner will the tunic be done?" he asked. She sighed and picked up the trousers again.

"If I'm being completely honest, probably not until Snoggletog or shortly after. I'm kind of behind. These pants were supposed to be finished two days ago and I still have a lot to catch up on."

"So you'll be busy for a few days?"

"Yeah, there's a lot to do around here. My dad's even been picking up some of the simple stitching to help," she said absently. Well, it had been a long shot anyway. She paused and looked up at him, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Is there something going on soon that I don't know about?" He opened his hand and blew the bits of broken glass in her direction.

"There's a dragon racing in four days. I was hoping you would watch." She frowned.

"I told you, I don't really like dragon races."

"I know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I figured that was because you didn't want to be around all the other dragons."

"Well yeah, it's kind of hard to watch a Dragon Race and not be surrounded by dragons."

"What if there was a way you could watch the race without being around dragons," he asked, slipping his hand into his pocket. "Would you watch then?"

"Hmm, maybe. But I told you I'm behind, I can't afford to keep my clients waiting any longer than I already have." He mulled that over a moment.

"If you weren't busy?" She puffed out of breath and smiled as she continued to stitch.

"But I am busy, besides not only do I have stitching to catch up on, but I have been neglecting the work around the house as well. I need to take care of the garden." He fell quiet, thinking, weighing his options. Was it worth it? He'd come this far. Sigyn returned to her work. She looked tired. That decided him.

"What about a trade?" he asked. She paused and looked up at him.

"What do you mean? What kind of trade?"

"What if I come help out in exchange for you watching the race? You know, to make up for the lost time." She squinted up at him, the corner of her lips pulling down into a frown.

"You must really want me to watch the dragon race if you're willing to work for it."

"Hey, I work," he said defensively. "My name is Snotlout, not Lazylout." She pulled back a few inches assessing him.

"Why do you want me to watch the race so badly anyway?" In truth, he had been asking himself the same question for a few days, ever since he came up with a crazy idea. He shrugged.

"Dunno, I just figured you could use a break," he said. It was a half-truth, but he wasn't sure what the other half was.

"Have you been talking to my dad?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He frowned, confused.

"No. Why?"

"Nothing... Never mind," she said, waving a hand.

"So is it a deal?" he pressed.

"Are you sure you don't just want someone else yelling your name so you'll win?"

"Well maybe a little," he admitted, folding his arms over his chest. "But I am going to win whether you cheer me on or not. Do we have a deal?" She scrutinized him for a moment more before her shoulders sagged slightly.

"I suppose so, but how would I watch the race anyway?"

"Easy," he said, pulling the spyglass out of his pocket. "You will need this." She hesitated before she took it.

"But this is... Where did you get one of these?"

"Swiped it from Hiccup, or rather Tuff did and I swiped it from him."

"I still don't see…" she said, trying to hand the spyglass back to him.

"See that rocky point over there?" he said, nodding to the jutting cliff to the East.

"Yeah."

"Think you can climb it?" She looked at him, then to the point, and then back at him again.

"Sure. I have before. There are some good mushrooms up there in the spring and summer."

"From up there you should have a good view of the academy. Take the spyglass with you and you can watch. We're going to try out my new sheep launcher in this race."

"Your sheep launcher?" she asked, sounding skeptical. He grinned.

"You'll see." She frowned.

"I may be able to see but I won't be able to hear any of the commentary."

"Actually, you will. Ruff and Tuff are trying out something they came up with as well. They're calling it a megahorn. It makes their voices louder, so you should be able to hear, even from here." She snapped her fingers, her eyes brightening.

"Is that the loud voice I kept hearing yesterday?" He laughed.

"Yeah, they were testing it out. So will you watch?" She was quiet for a moment thinking.

"Alright, but you have to work for at least three hours."

"Why three?" he asked.

"One for the hour it will take me to get to the point, one for the race itself, and another for getting back down."

"Or," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You could let me and Hookfang take you up and bring you back down."

"Snotlout, the whole point of me going up there is to avoid dragons."

"I know, I know, but it was worth a shot. Speaking of Hookfang," he said, looking at her meaningfully. She groaned and let her head fall back against the tree grimacing.

"I was hoping you forgot."

"No such luck," he said, getting to his feet. He tucked the dragon scales under his belt and held out a hand to help her up. She sighed, set aside her work, and grudgingly took his hand so he could pull her to her feet.

"Come on," he said, leading her towards where Hookfang lay.

"I'm coming," she grumbled, following him over. Hookfang saw them coming and lifted his head, getting eagerly to his feet and coming toward them. Sigyn's hands were suddenly wrapped tightly around his bicep, her body stiff. He glanced at her but she only had eyes for Hookfang.

"Hookfang, lay down," he called, and to his gratification, his dragon listened to him for once. Sigyn's fingers relaxed somewhat but didn't let go. It was odd having someone cling to him but he didn't mind. "Come on," he said, moving forward.

"This is far enough," she said, pulling away.

"Come on, you can get closer than that," he coaxed, going to rub Hookfangs nose.

"I have been closer," she reminded him.

"And you walked away warmer and drier for it. Come here," he said, holding out a hand to her. "I'll show you where he likes to be rubbed" Hookfang watched her and made that odd whining noise again. He never made that sound, well hardly ever.

"You're not going to let him wrap me up or pin me down again?" she asked, seriously.

"I'll pin his head down if he tries. Alright?" She still looked unsure but hesitantly she stepped forward. "Right here under his chin," he said. Cautiously she reached out a shaky hand and rubbed. Hookfang began to thrum. He'd never tell but secretly Snotlout loved when Hookfang made that sound. It was more than a noise, it made his entire chest vibrate when he was close by. Sigyn still looked unconvinced.

"Try up here," he said, stepping closer and rubbing the sweet spot between Hookfang's eyes. She reached to copy him and Hookfang lowered his head, thrumming even deeper. He could tell by the way her eyes widened that she could feel it too.

"It's so... odd," she said, pulling away. "How does he do that?"

"No idea," he said, shrugging. He grabbed Hookfang's horn as the dragon got to his feet and tried to push past him toward Sigyn. She backed up a few steps. "Anyway, we'd better get going, but we'll be back in four days."

"Alright," she said, moving well out of the way as he climbed into the saddle. "But you better come prepared to work," she called after him as Hookfang took to the air. He laughed.

"I will."

The breeze whipped through Sigyn's hair as she dangled her legs over the edge of the rocky precipice. Snotlout had been right, from up here she had a great view of the race and the twins megahorn had done its job. She had always been vaguely curious about the races and she found that being able to watch from a distance she rather enjoyed the spectacle. The race had been a close thing and Snotlout had put up a powerful fight, but ultimately he had lost to Astrid and her dragon.

Fishlegs and his dragon had been too slow to be much competition and had only managed to catch two sheep. The twins were too chaotic to work together for any stretch of time and only gathered three sheep. Hiccup and his dragon should have done better but seemed to have been distracted, only collecting four sheep. The race had really come down to a competition between Snotlout and Astrid. Astrid had gathered six sheep and Snotlout had been sitting pretty on eight sheep and was set to win until the black sheep had been launched high over the arena. Initially, Snotlout and Hookfang had caught the black sheep, but Astrid had distracted Hookfang with a large leg of lamb, ironic given the game, and then swiped the black sheep for herself, catapulting her final score to 15 points and the title of winner for the match. It had been exhilarating to watch.

Sigyn was preparing to make her descent back down over the rocky precipice when she recognized the silhouette of our particular dragon and rider in the distance. She raised the spyglass. Sure enough, it was Snotlout. He was scowling, clearly unhappy with the outcome of the race. She braced herself for the incoming stormcloud, her hands gripping the stone beneath her tighter as Hookfang closed the distance. She was pretty high up and one wrong move from the dragon could send her plummeting over the edge. By the time Snotlout was close enough to see without the spyglass, his expression had shifted. He leaned forward over Hookfang's horns smirking.

"Hey gorgeous," he said, grinning. "Back up a bit will you?" Hookfang beat his wings hovering just over the rocky outcropping. She got to her feet and backed away from the edge leaving plenty of room for the dragon. "Alright Hookfang, down." The dragon dropped and caught ahold of the cliff face, clinging to the rocks, his head and neck protruding up over the edge. Snotlout lept from the saddle, stumbling slightly when he landed.

"You actually watched," he exclaimed, making his way toward her. His face was painted with red and yellow stripes on his cheeks, forehead, and chin, making his blue eyes stand out that much more.

"Of course I did," she said, slinging her satchel over her shoulder. "We had a deal. Besides, I actually made some good progress on my work and caught up the past few days."

"Does that mean that I'm free today?" he asked hopefully.

"Ha, not a chance. I still have work for you."

"Oh, so you need me," he said, putting an emphasis on the word need. "Come on, admit it."

"Yes Snotlout, I need you," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I knew it," he said smugly, one hand on his hip. She laughed and shook her head.

"Pleased with yourself a bit?" she teased.

"Of course, what's not to be pleased with. Anyway, come on, let's go," he said, turning back to Hookfang. He climbed back in the saddle and held out a hand for her. She folded her arms and just stared at him.

"I don't think so."

"What?" he said, faking innocence.

"I'm not riding your dragon."

"Fine, we'll climb down," he said, getting off again. "You can't blame a guy for trying though. At least come pat him before I send him off."

"Alright," she relented. "But I'm not going to ride him."

"Not today," said Snotlout confidently.

She let him live in his delusion as she crept carefully toward the edge. Slowly Hookfang moved his head into her reach. She still felt tense as he closed the gap but she remained still until her fingers could reach his chin. He began to rumble, leaning into her rubs and pats. He wasn't so bad when he wasn't rushing her or pinning her down. He was still huge though but he seemed to have mellowed. Snotlout watched from the side, a hand on his hip and a small frown tugging at the corner of his lips.

"What?" she asked, still rubbing the rumbling dragon.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, but he was still frowning. "Just not sure if I should be pleased or jealous." She stopped and turned to look at him.

"Jealous, of what?" she asked, jumping when Hookfang bumped her elbow wanting more attention.

"Of how much Hookfang likes you or... "

"Or what?" she asked, rubbing his dragon again.

"Or the attention you give him," said Snotlout, scowling and stepping closer to her. She snorted.

"That's stupid. What? Did you want me to scratch under your chin as well?" She reached for his face, but he dodged away.

"Not a chance stitcher girl."

"Then don't be jealous," she said, turning back to scratch an insistent Hookfang. "Besides, it was your idea in the first place." His shoulders sagged.

"I suppose so."

"Anyway," she said, stepping away from Hookfang. "I don't want a dragon. He's all yours. Trust me."

"You say that now, but once you ride Hookfang you'll be begging me to find you a dragon of your own." He reached to pat his dragon. "Go on, Fangster I'll see you later," he said, waving the dragon off.

"I'm more likely to sprout wings and jump off this cliff than I am to get a dragon," she said, watching Hookfang fly off.

"Three years ago if you had told me that we would be riding dragons I would have said the chances were about the same, yet here I am." She rolled her eyes.

"It's not going to happen."

"You keep telling yourself that," he said. "But I know the truth."

"Yeah, too bad you never tell it," she jabbed, climbing carefully over the edge. She found the familiar hand and footholds with relative ease. "Let's go. There is a yak barn with your name written all over it."

"Oh come on," he said, following her over the sloped edge of the precipice. "You couldn't come up with anything more creative for me to do?"

"The whole reason you're coming is to make up for the time I missed climbing up here today. You do the work you can do and I'll do the work I'm good at."

"Which is your way of saying you saved all the manual labor for me," he groused, looking for a foothold.

"Here," she said, tapping his foot and pointing to a small cleft. "You never specified what type of work you would do. Just take it as a chance to show off that prodigious strength you're always bragging about."

"I already trained the biggest dragon on the island," he said, climbing down so he was even with her. "What more do you want?"

"The barn mucked out, the garden emptied, and the wood split. Should be no trouble for you." He shook his head.

"Alright, fine, but only because you watched the race. But you can't tell anyone."

"Even if I were to tell anyone, why would it matter," she asked exasperated.

"I have a reputation to uphold," he said with mock dignity. "If false rumors were to get out that I'm both attractive and helpful I would be swarmed with women and you would never see me again."

"Sure," she said dryly.

"It's true," he said.

"I think your sense of truth is skewed."

They were silent for a while as they concentrated on climbing back down to level ground and began the trek back to her house. The spyglass bumped against her thigh inside her pocket. She pulled it out and offered it to Snotlout.

"No doubt Hiccup will want that back."

"Na, he probably didn't even realize it was gone. He has a few."

"You should still return it."

"Did you enjoy watching?" he asked, tucking it into his pocket.

"I did actually, more than I thought, even if you didn't win." He scowled, his feet stomping a bit more.

"I was supposed to win, I had it in the bag."

"Did you feed Hookfang before the race?" she asked.

"Ha, even if you stuffed that dragon he would never turn down a leg of lamb. Unfortunately, Astrid knows it."

"Seems like cheating to me," she said. Snotlout gave a short barking laugh.

"It was me and the twins who made cheating a part of the races to begin with. Just about anything to win is legal."

"Anything?"

"Well, not anything, but it's almost more about who can cheat the most to win more than it is a race." She laughed.

"No wonder you like it so much. You're good at it."

"At what, cheating?" he asked smugly.

"No... dragon racing."

"Well, of course, I practically invented it."

"I didn't know Hookfang could fly that fast. He seems to handle turns better than you would expect from a dragon his size."

"We've been working on his speed and agility. Those and stealth are his only shortcomings."

"I imagine it's hard for a dragon his size to be sneaky."

"You have no idea," he said, snorting. "He's gotten us into trouble more than a few times."

They fell silent for a short while, walking down the trail, lost in their own thoughts.

"So... Do you have anything to eat in that bag," he asked at length. Grinning, she fished out the half-eaten mutton sandwich and held it towards him.

"I already ate part of it but if you don't mind…."

"Awesome," he said, taking it from her and biting off nearly a third of the remaining sandwich. She watched him eat with satisfying gusto. In a matter of seconds, the sandwich was gone. She dug the bladder of yak milk out of her satchel and held it out to him as well. He took it and had almost raised it to his lips when he paused and sniffed.

"This isn't water."

"Yak milk," she said offhand.

"Yak milk or yaknog?" he asked cautiously.

"What is yaknog?" she asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," he said before drinking. He handed it back to her.

"So why didn't you just steal the black sheep back from Astrid," she asked. "You and Hookfang were fast enough you probably could have pulled it off. You didn't even try." He glanced over at her.

"Yeah maybe," he said, shrugging. "But it would have been a rough take and I don't hit girls."

"But you train with Astrid all the time don't you?"

"That's different," he said. "She's expecting it then and if you don't give it your all when you spar with her she clobbers you. Besides, Astrid's already broke her arm once over a black sheep."

"How did that happen?" He grimaced, looking away.

"It wasn't my fault," he said, kicking out at a rock. "We were both diving for the same black sheep. I told her I wouldn't pull up but she didn't believe me. She tried to dive under Hookfang and we crashed. Even with one arm in a sling, she is scary. She's just awesome like that, super tough." She watched his face as he spoke and realized something.

"You like it when Astrid beats up on you don't you?" she said, unable to keep the words from tumbling out of her mouth. She regretted it instantly. Snotlout flushed with anger or embarrassment, she wasn't sure, probably both.

"That's stupid. You don't know what you're talking about." He walked faster, leaving her behind. She kicked herself mentally and jogged after him. He ignored her. She remained quiet, following after him. They walked in a tense silence all the way back to the edge of the meadow.

"Hey," she said when he glanced at her. He stopped and folded his arms, looking at her.

"What?" he asked moodily.

"I'm sorry. I should keep my mouth shut sometimes."

"Just forget about it," he said. "Seriously, forget about it."

"Truce?" she asked. He eyed her for a moment before his body relaxed somewhat. He nodded.

"Truce."

"Are you still coming?" she asked, nodding toward the game trail and home.

"Yeah," he said, letting his arms drop to his side. "Thanks... for the sandwich."

"No problem. Thanks for coming to help."

"Sure."

They walked out into the meadow. Hookfang rose from where he had been lying under a tree and made his way towards them. Sigyn shuffled sideways, moving so the dragon would greet Snotlout first and not her. This did not escape Snotlout's notice.

"Are you really still scared of him?"

"Sort of," she said, wishing it weren't so. "Ten years of ingrained fear dies hard." She tried to ease the tension in her shoulders. "I suppose I know he's not going to hurt me, at least not intentionally, but it's hard to get that to translate."

"What happened anyway?" he asked as Hookfang slowly pressed closer to her.

She swallowed thickly, trying to fight back the nausea and icy anxiety that washed over her at memories his question brought back. He must have noticed, for he grabbed Hookfang's horns and pulled him back to give her space.

"Let's just say I'd rather not talk about it."

"Yeah, alright," he said, patting Hookfang. They were silent for a moment.

"Hey, what about all that manual labor you saved for me," he said changing the subject, as Hookfang went to lay down again. She grabbed ahold gratefully.

"I thought you didn't want to do the manual labor."

"Well I am the guy, so obviously I should do the manly jobs. You do your stitching, that's women's work."

"You do know I've done just fine without you around for four years right?" she said, hand on her hip.

"Yeah, yeah, true, but I bet I can do it better than you, faster."

"Are you telling me you want to do more work? Because you're mine for three hours and I have more chores."

"Maybe," he said, sounding unsure and a bit confused. "I don't know, maybe. Or maybe I just want you to finish your stitching so you can work on my tunic."

"Ah, the truth comes out," she said. "Alright, you win this time. I'll stitch and you work." He frowned.

"That doesn't feel like much of a win." She laughed.

"But it's what you wanted. You get the manly jobs."

"Still…"

"You know," she said. "For it being women's work, your stitches are quite neat. If I taught you a few other stitches you could replace me as a tailor."

"Really?" he asked, sounding more than a little bit pleased.

"No," she said, grinning and nudging him with an elbow. "Not even close."

He stopped in the middle of the trail, folding his arms over his chest.

"Ha… very funny," he groused. She laughed at his disgruntled look.

"Come on, let's go," she said, turning to run down the trail towards her house. "The sooner we start the sooner we're done."