I know this is not a "mass update" but for the fact that I've got 5 chapters across two books in less than a month in between school, exams, and trips is pretty good. I feel like I did not deliver as promised and I'm really sorry that I could not get more out, but I really did do the best I could... I don't think I will be able to write another chapter by tomorrow evening sadly. These two took me most of the day and it's the 23rd

But I DO have that second book... just saying.

Fun fact: I actually have a scene set during Snoggletog for the plot, but there's no way I'm getting to it in 48 hours...

BTW there are SEVERAL foreshadows and hints in this chapter ;3

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Though the duo searched and searched, there was no sign of other dragons besides Nightstalker on the island.

"This is stupid. I know that was a Monstrous Nightmare call..." The Night fury grumbled in confused irritation.

"I know, bud, I know. But it's getting to be almost morning we should be heading back to the cove. I'll look around while I'm out for any dragons, okay?" Sun added in hesitant reassurance.

Nightstalker looked back with a concerned glance. "You'd have been up for like three days straight, Hiccup. And I know you haven't been sleeping well; you've been tossing and turning in your sleep like you're dreaming of Ragnarok."

Sun winced and tried not to yawn.

"Can't you sleep today and tonight and go out tomorrow?" Nightstalker suggested.

And have more nightmares and crazy flashbacks? I'd rather be up for three weeks and be hysterical than that.

"People are already suspicious of me. Not showing up and them not knowing where my camp is would not help our situation. If they go looking and find us, you're dead, I'm dead, our friends are dead!" Sun sighed. "Not a chance."

Nightstalker let out a sigh. "You're right. We can't give up." The dragon paused. "But this doesn't mean you get to not hang out with me! I mean, how could you not, I'm Toothless, but no skirting to go out with lady friends or something."

Sun sputtered. "L-lady friends?! Don't know what dragon root you've been getting into. The only woman here is Astrid, and she seems to hate my guts."

Sun could almost feel Nightstalker's change in demeanor. "SERIOUSLY?! Why does that woman want to hate you so much? And after I scared her into liking you too..."

Sun was not supposed to hear that part, probably, but dragonese did not leave a lot of room for mumbling.

At that, the young man laughed. "OH, what was that? Am I forgetting something?" Sun teased. Nightstalker's ear flaps perked and his wingbeats faltered for a moment.

"Uh, uh, NO. I didn't say anything, you Thunderdrum."

"Whatever you say, you big baby. I'll get it out of you sometime!"

Sun set out for the village as soon as they landed back at the cove. He admitted that his departure was probably too rushed but he just wanted to get out again.

Too many thoughts going through my head... It was late morning, but as Astrid had said the village was only now starting to wake up. Weird that this place has had such a change of heart... From hardworking and fighting to suspiciously easygoing. Ugh, who am I kidding?! This place is insane! Sun's thoughts continued to race in circles as he snapped twigs on the forest floor.

Apparently the fermenting leaves changed to grass and then cobblestone before Sun realized it because when he finally snapped out of thoughts he was facing the forge.

"Hey laddie! What brought you 'tis mornin'?" Gobber called, waving his hammer appendage in greeting and a surprisingly wide grin on his face.

"Oh, uh, hi Gobber. I just, uh, wanted to see if there was anything you needed help with?" Sun did not want to admit that he wandered here because he was too wound up in over worried thoughts. Gobber was still grinning and nodded, gesturing for him to come in.

"Sure thing laddie! C'mere, I'll show ya' wha' you can do."

Gobber led him to a basket with a lid and lifted it to reveal broken metal rings, clasps, bridges, and more. "I've got a whole backload o' this stuff and I coul' sure use the help! Think ya coul' fix up summa these?" Gobber asked.

Sun almost glared at him. "Are you doubting my ability?" Gobber laughed.

"O' course not! You're e'en better tha' me!" The two-limbed man clapped Sun on the back and went whistling to whatever he was working on before.

"Yeah, sure." Sun chuckled and grabbed a large split ring. He grabbed a hammer and pumped air using the billows into the forge, heating the coals and the metal on top with it. Once it was hot enough Sun took it to the anvil and started banging the thick curve back into shape. He lost himself in the work; pumping, banging, waiting, sweating, and fixing ring after bar after clasp.

What is all of this for anyway? Not weapons. What do they have to make then if not weapons? These aren't for tools either, too big. Only thing I can imagine these being used for really is... saddles...?

"Nah, not possible." Sun whispered to himself.

"Did ya say somethin' laddie?" Gobber called from the back room he was working in.

Shoot.

Sun realized he had spoken in Dragonese. "Uh, no! Nope! I did not say anything. At all."

Gobber poked his head around the corner and gave him a strange look. Then there was a crash from his area, and the blacksmith whipped back to see what had happened.

"Oh, Grump! Why'd ya knock all the..." Gobber's frustrated yelling was muffled as he went back to working.

"Grump?" Sun laughed to himself. Maybe it's some way of cursing. I wouldn't be surprised, this IS Gobber. He chuckled and picked up his hammer and went back to work.

"'Ey, laddie! Can ya' see who was at te' door?" Gobber called when a bell rang.

"Except that we have no door, sure!" Sun called back and smoothly, almost danced to the counter that he had noted there was a customer bell for service requests. Despite being probably sleep deprived, Sun had a much clearer mind and was functioning much better than only a few hours before. He slid into the window to see who was there.

"Oh! A-Astrid! I wasn't, ah, expecting to see you." Sun stuttered in surprise to see the odd shieldmaiden there. She blinked, apparently surprised as well.

"Sun? Me... me neither. I was looking for Gobber." she explained nervously. Sun immediately felt suspicion rising, but he pushed it down.

"He's in the back. Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked casually.

Astrid grimaced. "I... I had a special request for Gobber that I was coming to check on..." her eyes looked up and down, examining him. "You work in the forge?" she then questioned.

Sun shrugged. "I had an apprenticeship when I was younger. Sort of a pastime." He could almost see puzzle pieces fitting together in her sky blue eyes, for what he knew not.

"Apprenticeship you say? Actually," Astrid's eyes widened. "I do think there is something you could help me with... be right back!"

The passionate blonde ran off. Sun watched her go with an odd look, and returned to his work at the grinder now.

"Who was tha'?" Gobber asked, now in the workroom he was in.

"That Astrid girl. She said she had a special request for you? And then she ran off." Sun shook his head.

He could feel Gobber's concern all of a sudden. "She'll be back, don' you worry. She's been askin' 'bout this fore'er now... Bu' I can onl' work on i' e'ery once ina while." Gobber sighed.

"How come?" Sun asked, not looking up from his grinding.

He could see the old blacksmith stiffen out of the corner of his eye.

"Somethin' personal, that's all." Sun made a mental note of his vague response as another one of the weird things people have been doing lately.

The hanging bell clanged several times and Sun knew Astrid had returned. "Be right back," Sun told his former mentor and scurried back to the counter.

There she was, radiating that suspicious-but-curious mystery. Astrid held an axe in her hand, double-sided curves on one side of the wood. Sun frowned, the axe feeling vaguely familiar.

Where have I seen that thing before?

"Do you think you could sharpen this? It's been dull forever, but Gobber has been too busy for such a minimal task." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her, but took the weapon anyway.

"Sure. I'll be back in a few." he replied in an even tone and went back to the workshop once again.

That is the lamest excuse for her to ask to sharpen a weapon I have ever heard. Sun threw the weapon onto the continuously spinning wheel of stone and moved it up and down, sharpening it. He frowned again as he did so, feeling the weight of it being strange.

"Like it hasn't been used in years..." he muttered under his breath and brought it to an empty table to rebalance it.

Gobber had been in the back room when Sun had brought the axe in, but was now in the doorway watching intensely. Sun's hands were working on their own, while he was trying to search through his minimal memories of her to figure out why this old axe was starting to rust some and had dust in the leather and wood grains.

"What did she do, shove this under her bed or something?" Sun grumbled as he worked. He heard the quietest laughing from outside from the girl.

"Oh, you have NO idea..."

This girl just doesn't make sense does she? Sun wondered.

"So it WAS then? Why would you waste a perfectly good axe? Those duel ones you had earlier looked poorly fashioned and hard to manage." Sun called back, remembering the ones he had seen her with on the first day back.

"Hey! I made those, you bag o' bones!" Gobber complained.

"It's true Gobber! I had to break them apart to use them!" Astrid yelled back again. Sun caught interest in that statement as he finished up, striding confidently back to the waiting girl.

"Here you go, Miss." he handed the axe over.

Astrid's eyes widened and a soft smile painted itself onto her face. "That was fast," she commented and reached for the held out weapon. As she did, her and Sun's hands touched for the briefest moment, and they both jumped back as a shock went through both of them.

"Gah!" she yelped in surprise.

"Ah! S-sorry, uh, spinning objects, heat, my bad..." Sun immediately apologized.

Why am I so worked up over this? Honest mistake. Sometimes Sun's brain and mind did not see eye to eye.

Astrid shook her head, a calmed look on her face. "No biggie. See you around, Sun!" She turned and waved as she sped off once again.

Sun watched her go again, strangely no longer feeling the suspicion he had before. His face warm all of a sudden, but whether he had just noticed the heat of the forge or not he couldn't tell.

Gobber was whistling his little toon again, but it sounded different from the one Hiccup remembered from his hazy childhood.

Ah, forget it. Toothless is probably waiting for me. Please don't let him hate me again...