Found again (HTTYD FF)

★43★

Hiccup led them into his cave, and just as when they were first here, they began to look around. Before he could get to the shield discarded somewhere in the back, where the dragons generally didn't take things from him, the twins had already started rummaging through the stuff covering the floor.

"Wow! What's this?" In his hand, Tuffnut held an oval object with carved dragon ornaments and five colored stones set into a metal handle on one end. He turned the object curiously, examining it from all sides. Hiccup, meanwhile, had returned with the unfinished shield, only to see the oval object thrown to the ground by Tuffnut. "Boring!" The thing hit the ground, and a dart shot out of it with such speed that even Hiccup barely noticed it.

The dart lodged itself in Stormfly's paw. The dragon shrieked in surprise, but her attempt to take off and disappear ended in a clumsy fall to the ground. She remained still.

"Stormfly! What have you done!?"

"I take it back, it's cool!"

Hiccup stared at Stormfly in puzzlement - he didn't know that the oval thingy could be dangerous! He never would have thought of it! He dropped his shield and ran after her. In an instant, everyone had gathered around the Stormfly, people staring and dragons sniffing.

"What's that smell?"

"I've never smelled anything like it."

"I don't recognize it either."

"Is she okay?"

"What happened to her?"

The scent of Dragon Root poison wafted around him, so faint Hiccup had trouble detecting it - but it was there, and it made him sick. He took a step back and wrinkled his nose.

The dose of Dragon Root in the dart was thankfully small, and Stormfly began to wake up quickly, groggily picking herself up and shaking off the remnants of her poison-induced sleep. "What was that?" she asked, still a little out of it and nearly toppling to the ground again. By then, however, Astrid was already at her side and began to comfort her.

"Dragon root," Hiccup growled. He went back into the cave and found the cursed oval object. He didn't want anything like that in his nest. "We must destroy it."

"Wait!" protested Fishlegs. "Can I see it first? I'll be careful, I promise! I just want to see how it works and then you can destroy it. One day, please?"

Hiccup gave the object an uncertain, disapproving shake. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled its scent thoroughly. Though he had had it in his possession for a few months, it still smelled of Dragon Hunters, and continued to carry its own scent of metal, wood, and faded paint. The fresh scent of Tuffnut's hand clung to it the strongest. But there was no sign of another poisoned dart, only a faint whiff of its scent remained.

He didn't want the thing in his nest, but if Fishlegs wanted to take it, he could keep it. It was no longer dangerous. He tossed it to him with the words: "Keep it. But try not to hurt anyone else with it." Fishlegs gingerly pressed the oval thing to his chest and nodded.

"Where did you even get that?"

"Found it."

"Better get rid of it," Toothless muttered, earning an approving grunt from Stormfly.

Snotlout looked boredly at the shield, satisfied with the answer he'd gotten. "That's it? That invention of yours? It'sjust an ordinary shield!" He picked up the shield and patted it. He rolled his eyes. "What's it made of?" Ruffnut took the shield from Snotlout's hand, also curious.

"You could do so many things with this!"

"Let me see! I want to try it too!" Her brother was suddenly beside her, reaching for the shield. Ruffnut reacted quickly and hit her brother over the head with the shield.

"Oops." She giggled. "Now you've tried it."

"Perfect." Tuffnut raised his hand to at least touch the shield, only to have another blow land on his head and he went down. "That was even better." He grabbed his aching head and started to get up again - and Ruffnut hit him again.

Hiccup took the shield from them - Ruffnut couldn't protest anymore, he simply ripped it from her hands. "Can you stop for a moment?" Grining, Ruffnut and Tuffnut both shook their heads, and Hiccup had no choice but to sigh.

Was there anything in the whole wide world that could stop the twins?

He highly doubted it.

"What is that shield made of? I've never seen anything like it," Fishlegs admitted. "It doesn't look like any of the metal Gobber works with in the forge, nor does it look like anything Trader Johan brings to us."

"That's because it's not something that can normally reach you humans." Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Gronckle Iron."

"Gronckle Iron?"

"Gronckle Iron."

"How is it made?"

Hiccup wanted to answer. He wanted to fill that eager light in Fishlegs' eyes with new knowledge, because it would make him as happy as the Viking himself.

"Do you think it's a good idea to answer? It's confidential information. Highly guarded. You know what can happen when people, who shouldn't, find out."

He couldn't come up with any counter-argument that didn't directly rely on trust in the Dragon Riders. "They would never tell anyone, not intentionally." "They wouldn't give away our secret. They're on our side now." "Viggo and his Dragon Hunters are gone anyway, they're not coming back, the skies are a little safer." "Would it be enough for you if I just told Fishlegs?" "Tuffnut and Ruffnut - and Snotlout as well - won't remember it anyway." "Their whole village is on our side now, who dangerous could they tell?"

He didn't even have to try to guess what his answer would be. He could hear it all so clearly in his head, it was as if Toothless had read his mind and was mumbling right along: "How can you know for sure? They'd tell our secret if it meant saving their own necks - no doubt about it." "They're not on our side, not until they prove it." "Viggo and gone? Did you see him die? As far as I know, most of his Hunters are still running around." "It would be enough for me if you didn't tell anyone." "True, they probably can't even remember the number of their own toes." "The stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. Are you even listening to yourself? You can't just fly around telling them things they were never meant to know - the location of our nest is more than over the line!"

Hiccup lowered his ears. He understood that there were things he couldn't just tell his friends - and that he had revealed more than enough to them. He also understood Toothless' fears; he couldn't blame him.

He pursed his lips and looked away. "Maybe later, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs lowered his head, disappointed, and pulled his limbs closer to his body, as if to curl into himself and hide. "I see," he muttered softly. He didn't tear his gaze from the shield, however, fascinated even though he couldn't learn more.

"What else do you have here?" Tuffnut asked suddenly, his scattered attention caught by another item in the pile of clutter. He ran to dig out the object and immediately inspected it, followed by his sister. After a moment, Snotlout joined them, curious to see what Tuffnut had found there - and if it was another dangerous item.

Fishlegs looked uncertainly at Hiccup, as if asking his permission, before joining the others in their hunt for the most interesting object.

Astrid, after a moment of hesitation as to whether she should leave Stormfly's side and leave her alone only minutes after the stray dart had attacked her so viciously, made her way hesitantly deeper into the cave. She didn't join the others - her eye caught something outside of the pile they were currently making their way through.

And Hiccup was content to watch them. With all their dragons at their backs - and Toothless at his side.

Why the dragons won't tell how to make Gronckle Iron is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. It's just the way they do it.