The Imposter

Chapter 14

Gobber had got used to having the kids around the forge, because they had swiftly adopted him when they had any spare time from their chores. The forge was warm and safe from the older drudges and the more cruel masters who made their lives miserable and Gobber found himself collecting extra scraps from his meals to feed to the hungry children. In return, he had a willing audience for his wild tales...though he had needed to moderate his saltier language in the presence of young ears. And he had found they also helped out around the place as Hiccup had done. Ella and Synnoeve tidied and swept up and even Nils helped sort through the scraps and stoke the forge. Gustav and Synnoeve both pestered the blacksmith to learn how to help and the blacksmith found himself starting with a few very basic lessons-as he had for his friend's son, almost ten years earlier.

"Wow-Hiccup is gonna be surprised when he comes back!" Ella commented, sitting on the bench, her legs swinging idly as Synnoeve wrestled a sword into the bucket of cold water and gave a broad grin as the scalding hot metal hissed and steamed, her face smudged with dirt.

"Yeah-and I've undented my first sword!" the younger girl said proudly. "D'you think he'll be proud of me?" Gobber stared at the sword-which was probably more mangled than it had been before and sighed.

"Aye, lass-yer doin' a real fine job fer a beginner," he said dubiously. "Yer'll be a smith in nae time..."

"Even quicker than Hiccup was?" she asked hopefully but Gobber gave a small shrug.

"Would be hard, lass, because he was exceptional," the blacksmith admitted. "I mean, the lad just had the touch, knew exactly where to hit and when...and he was much stronger than he looked because of all the training his father had already given him..." Synnoeve's face fell.

"But I am ready to repair a sword?" she checked and Gobber gave a broad grin.

"O' course," he lied brashly. "Just mebbe not a knight or a senior squire or anyone Royal or Noble..." Or who actually likes their sword, he added silently. The girl scowled, ficking her half-unwound braid over a shoulder.

"I know that tone," she said grumpily. "Hiccup uses it when he's being kind to me but I've messed up. Usually when he has to go back and do my work again for me..." Her face fell. "And sometimes take the blame as well." She stared at Ella and the older girl took her hand.

"He'll be fine," she assured her.

"Will he?" Nils asked. The youngest child was small and quiet and utterly devoted to Hiccup, who had been the parent/older brother he had never had. "The knights and kitchen staff all say the King is gonna kill him..." Gustav shared a warning look with the girls, then crouched down by where he was sitting, drawing using charcoal on the floor.

"Of course," he assured Nils. "He saved you from being run down, even risking his life. He will do everything he can to get back home!"

"But we know Thuggory lied," Ella said. "I spoke to Flora and she admitted she was dallying with him when he should have been on the hunt. And she knows he's seeing Britt and Ragnahilde and Tora and Dagmara and she's very annoyed about it..."

"But not enough to step up and tell the truth," Gustav sighed.

"Eret has gone," Nils said suddenly. "He was the one who wanted to go hunting that day. He insisted. Even when the seers predicted it was an inauspicious day..." And he grinned at managing the complex word. Synnoeve sat at his side and wrapped an arm around him.

"Yeah, he was really set on going hunting that day..." And then she looked up into Gobber's thoughtful eyes. "You think he was involved?" The blacksmith lowered his bulk onto the reinforced stool.