9. Avoid Gothi's house at all costs!

It was the one house that no one ever visited, the rackety cottage stuck out right on the edge of town that looked as if a puff of wind would blow it over. The shingles on the roof were askew, the shutters on the windows needed repainting and the front garden was rather overgrown-but the cottage was over two hundred years old and had stood against all weather, time and attempts at modernisation. The only sign it was inhabited was the little light on the front porch, illuminating a green ceramic pot holding a large clump of lush black grass.

Snotlout was already whimpering as they opened the gate and walked up the gravel path, the overgrown lawn dotted with weeds. Wiser heads than the Dragon Riders would recognise a small wildflower meadow but to them, it just appeared neglected, the grass blowing lightly in the cold northerly wind. The twins were looking on point, carrying handheld cameras, some device they had bought off the internet that was supposed to detect magnetic flux and something they had made of their own, which they claimed could definitely prove the existence of magic.

Astrid pulled her jacket tighter around her body. The temperature had dropped about ten degrees as they approached the house-though the fact it was totally exposed on a promontory may well have explained that. Seniors at High School claimed you couldn't call yourself a Berk viking unless you had been to the haunted house but somehow, that one treat had passed the gang by...probably because the twins had set fire to the School Gymnasium at the Halloween Dance so they had been trying to get them out of jail when they should have been creeping through the misty Berkian night. This year, it was far too windy to be misty but it was cold, the stars twinkling icily overhead.

It had been the twins who had insisted they come and prove themselves-probably because someone had found out that they hadn't done the dare and were being ribbed by their pupils. Not that Astrid could comprehend how the pair were actually teachers, but it somehow seemed to work-well, it was Berk, where being able to trace your family back to some inbred dimwit who was called 'something the something' was more important than getting a decent education, job or bath. Where beards were de rigueur and the entire place was almost a Viking-themed park. For the life of her, Astrid couldn't imagine what Ruffnut and Tuffnut taught but a clue was that their chemistry lab had already been rebuilt twice and the lab technician was on hazard pay.

"I'm already getting an elevated reading on etheric flux," Tuffnut announced, wafting his 'detector' around like a fan. Ruffnit, who was wearing a white coat nodded seriously.

"Temperature drop of 10.239 Absolute on passing the property line," she reported.

"Will you two SHUT UP!" Snotlout grumbled. His hands were stuffed as deep as they would go in the pockets of his windcheater and his nose was red. "Why we couldn't do this stupid visit this afternoon when it was warmer..." There was a pause and the twins turned to face him in outrage.

"We have a traitor in our midst, dear sister," Tuff announced. "A whining child who deserves the scorn of our year eight students for his pathetic cowardice..."

"Who cares?" Snotlout grunted. "I'm cold. And hungry. And..."

A greasy wrapped package was pushed into his hand and he blinked then realised he held one of Heather' famed brownies. He looked up to see her green eyes crinkle in a smile as she hugged against Fishlegs's side, her scarf wrapped twice around her neck and raven hair braided over her shoulder. Mala and Dagur were having some alone time but the gang would return later for drinks and snacks.

"For you, Snot," the girl said, watching him tear into the baked treat and moan in ecstasy.

"If you ever get bored of Fishface there, I'm free, Babe," he said, waggling his eyebrows and spraying crumbs. She rolled her eyes.

"Let's get on with this," Hiccup said, his tone serious. He had been the least enthusiastic of everyone, perhaps because work was busy and a late escapade after their abortive trick-or-treating was not especially welcome but Astrid sensed there was more to it. Certainly, he was limping a little, as he often did when there was a chilly northern wind.

Ruffnut walked up to the door and pulled on a pair of latex gloves, then cautiously opened the door.

The room yawned darkly ahead of them. Everyone clustered in the doorway as Tuff waved his detector over the room.

"Strong positive deflection," he said and scurried in, fumbling for the light switch.

Nothing happened.

"It's a sign!" Snotlout said. "Time to go home..." Ruff shoved him in the back and he staggered in, peering into the gloom as the others crowded in. Hiccup closed the door behind them. Everyone jumped.

"Why did you do that?" Snotlout whined. "We'll be trapped in here."

"I've left it on the latch," the auburn-haired rider said helpfully. "But it is really too cold to leave the door open..." Ruff took a step forward.

"There's no flux at all here," she frowned and did a full circle of the room. "Nothing. That's weird..."

There was a creak and the curtains fluttered.

"Just the breeze," Fishlegs said as the floorboards creaked again. "Breeze!" Tuffnut poked a carven stone ornament on the mantle above the fireplace.

The fire leapt into life.

Everyone screamed and leapt back,

"I don't believe in ghosts...or magic. At all....just saying..." Fishlegs said loudly.

"I'm sure there's a rational explanation," Astrid added, her eyes narrowing. Hiccup was gripping her arm a little more firmly than usual and seemed to be holding her back. Unsure what was going on but trusting her boyfriend implicitly, she leaned closer to his side. "Babe?"

"Just watch," he whispered as there was another creak and the room grew noticeably colder. The curtains flapped and then hung still as a low, angry moan sounded through the room.

"I don't know about you but that sounds like something from Hel...or Svartalfheim...or maybe an angry giant..." Fishlegs whimpered.

"Shut up, Fishface!" Snotlout said, sounding worried. "It's just the wind..."

The moan sounded more loudly.

A horrific smell wafted through the room.

"They've opened the pits of Hel! The damned souls will be chasing us to suck the flesh from our bones!" Fishlegs screamed and began to run around in a panic.

"My instruments got squat!" Ruff frowned. "This really isn't happening..."

"It really is," Snotlout squeaked and jumped back as Tuffnut looked up. Green lights slowly began to glow across the ceiling.

"We're doomed!" Tuffnut screamed as something brushed past his legs. Snotlout and Ruffnut screamed and jumped as well and suddenly, there was a stampede for the door. The twins, Fishlegs, Heather and Snotlout sprinted off into the darkness and down the road. Hiccup sighed and closed the door, opening the cupboard and flipping the main breaker in the fuse box back to 'ON'.

The lights came warmly on and the black cat that had been growling at Snotlout (who quite frankly smelled) rubbed happily against the auburn-haired man's ankles.

"Hiya, Satan," Hiccup smiled and crouched down to findle the velvety pricked ears. Big green eyes fixed in Hiccup's face and a small meow enquired about the possibility of tuna.

"Uhm...Babe?" Astrid asked, slightly perplexed. Hiccup straightened up as a tiny, wizened old woman limped in from the kitchen. She had a huge dowager's hump and her grey hair was pulled into a long and very thin braid. She winked and slowly made it to her chair by the gas fire, Holding a cup of tea.

"Sorry about that, Granny," Hiccup said and smiled at the old woman. "They insisted on coming and I couldn't talk them out of it...do you mind if I switch the incense burner off? Frankincense and clary sage are pretty pungent..."

"Granny?" Astrid asked, folding her arms across her chest. Giving a self-conscious grin, Hiccup lifted the little cat and continued stroking him.

"Astrid, this is Gothi Olafsson, my great grandmother and the Town Elder," Hiccup introduced her. "Granny, this is Astrid Hofferson, my girlfriend. She's the only sensible one out of the gang...except maybe Fishlegs."

"And the lights and whatnot?" Astrid asked.

"The fire is on a timer and the lights are simple battery operated LED lights on a timer. If you look, I've spread them out to mimic the night sky over Berk. Granny asked for them and we thought it would be funny if the gang saw them come on."

"So this house isn't haunted?" Astrid asked. Hiccup chuckled.

"Not that I'm aware of," he said. "I'll just feed Satan and then we'll be off." The old woman nodded, smiling. "I'll collect you at noon on Sunday for Lunch at Dad's." She smiled again.

As the pair walked out, hand in hand under the stars, they didn't notice the little plaque in the back garden that was exposed by the strong breeze and was cast in sharp relief by the brilliant starlight.

GOTHI OLAFSSON

1901- 1972