Astrid Hofferson: A Different Story

Gothi's Story

Berk
30 minutes later.

Gobber was straining to open the cylinder thing while the riders were talking.

"Have you ever seen anything like this Dragon Eye before?" Hiccup asked.
"Dragon Eye? How do you know it's called a Dragon Eye?" Tuff asked confused.
"Because I named it," Hiccup said.
"Whoa, whoa. Aren't we supposed agree on stuff like that?" Snotlout asked.
"All in favor of this thing being called the Dragon Eye raise your hand," Astrid decided.

Everyone but Snotlout raised their hands.

"Now, Snotlout, what were you were saying?" Astrid asked.
"Just wanted to make sure we voted," he replied.
"Can you open it, Gobber?" Fishlegs asked exciting.
"Huh? Can I open it? I once opened a 500-year-old giant clam at the bottom of the ocean with my bare hook. Can I open it? Ha! I think it's going to be... Huh. Aha," Gobber said but instead of it opening a dart shot out and hit Tuff

"Ugh. What is that? That looks like a..." Tuff said before passing out. Ruff started laughing.

"Well, that was... something, maybe if I do this," Gobber said.
"Gobber, maybe you shouldn't..." Hiccup started.
"Trust me. I'm... It's all right," he said but green gas came out this time.

"I'm okay. I got hit with something, but now..." Tuff said before he sniffed in. "No, scratch that." He passed out again.
"Yeah, I'm thinking we should probably go get Gothi," Hiccup said.
"About the Dragon Eye? She'll never open it!" Ruff exclaimed.
"No, Ruff. Someone get Gothi to see if Tuff will be alright," Hiccup replied.

Gothi's hut.

Gothi poured the medicine to make Tuff himself again, down his throat. Tuff immediately sat up.

"My teeth are itching. My teeth are itchy," he said.
"She says that's a good sign. Means it's working," Gobber said.
"Thank you, Gothi. We really appreciate this," Hiccup said.

"Gobber, give that a rest already. First the dart then the gas. Who knows what else is in that thing?" Astrid stated.
"Astrid, name one thing that could be in it," Gobber said.
"Poison, Blue Oleander, small glass shards that pierce through our necks."
"Yeah, and you're naming the bad things," Gobber said.
"Bad things?! There has been two bad things already! What in Thor's name makes you expect that there are good things in that?!" she asked, shouting.
"I don't know... maybe if I pull this," Gobber said.

Everyone waited but nothing happened. Suddenly, some darts came at everyone there except Astrid. The twins, Snotlout and Fishlegs passed out.
Gothi turned away in shock.

"Gothi, are you okay? What is it?" Hiccup asked.

She pointed to a scar on one of her arms and walked away.

"It matches the keyhole," Hiccup surprisingly said.
"Yeah, and it looked like a dragon bite to me," Astrid said.
"Oh, it is. But she doesn't like to talk about it," Gobber said.
"Who doesn't like to talk about what?" Snotlout said waking up.
"Gothi and her scar," Astrid said.

"She doesn't like to talk about anything," Fishlegs pointed out.
"Oh, that's why she writes in the dirt with her stick. I thought that was just, like, her thing," Tuff said.
"Yeah, like Snotlout being a woman repellent or Fishlegs and Hiccup being dragon crazy," Ruff added.
"Maybe we could use the stick to itch the teeth," Tuff suggested.
"Please tell me you're kidding," Astrid said.
"No, my dear Astrid, I wasn't kidding," Tuff said.

Hiccup, where are you going?" Gobber asked
"After her. We have to find out what kind of dragon made that scar. It could be the key to opening the Dragon Eye."
"Hold on. I have ways of making her talk. Well... scribble, anyway."

That night

"It's the old bat's weakness, isn't it? Come on. You know you can't resist Gobber's home-made yak noodle soup," Gobber explained.

"Okay I'm still learning about this place. What is yak noodle soup exactly?" Astrid asked.
"It's yak and noodles mixed into a soup made of those two things, milk and water," Fishlegs explained.
"Sounds disgustingly horrible. How can she eat that?" Astrid asked.
"Astrid, you have to try it to understand," Ruff said.
"Gobber, can you make more of the soup?" Tuff asked.
"Sure."

Five minutes later.

"Here you go. A fresh pot," Gobber said.

Everyone took a bowl of the soup except Astrid.

"Come on, Astrid. At least try it," Gobber said.
"Smells horrible and it looks like slime. No offence," she said.
"Offence taken," Gobber said.
"Tuff, Snotlout, grab her!" Ruff shouted.

Snotlout and Tuff jumped on Astrid and put her against a wall. They were holding down her arms and legs so she couldn't escape. Ruff came strutting up with a spoon of the soup in her hand. She opened Astrid's mouth and poured the soup into it. Ruff then pinched Astrid's nose so she'd have to swallow it to be able to breathe. Astrid swallowed it and the muttonheads let her go.

"Yeah, I was right. It tastes horrible," Astrid said.
"It can't be that bad," Hiccup told her.
"Hiccup, trust me. It is," she replied.

Suddenly, a huge crash was heard. They looked over to see the empty soup pot, Gothi had, on the floor.

"Ho ho! She downed that like a yak in a heat wave. That makes sense, right?" Fishlegs asked.
"Depends where your from," Astrid said.
"How come?" Fishlegs asked.
"It doesn't make sense to me," Astrid said.
"It does to me," Snotlout said.

"Now, Gothi, tell me about this bite mark," Hiccup said.

She started writing.

"Gobber, time to translate," Tuff said.
"Okay. When I was a turkey neck... Ow! Teenager. Sorry. I had a longing to climb Glacier Island to find pure glacial water known for its healing properties. So, I went with two vegetables. Ow! Vikings. Sorry. I'm a bit rusty.
We had only been at the summit for a few hours, when we were hit by a terrible snowstorm. That's when it attacked.
It was vicious. Relentless. And impossible to see in the white-out.
The Snow Wraith. It bit me and threw me into the snow.
I'll never know why it didn't finish me off that day. I left knowing only one thing... that I never wanted to smooch that dragon again. Smooch? Ow! See! Never wanted to see it again. You know, your drawing ain't what it used to be, old woman. But your swing, strong as ever!" Gobber exclaimed.

"Gothi, a tooth from the Snow Wraith is the key to unlocking the Dragon Eye. You have to help us find it," Hiccup insisted.

Gothi shook her head and scribbled in the dirt.

"I can't say that to him. He's the Chief's son!" Gobber shouted. Gothi erased it and reworded it.

"She says, no way she's ever going back. And besides, Berk needs her. It's true. She's the best healer we've got," Gobber said.
"Well, Gobber can cover for you," Hiccup suggested
"Oh, well, uh, of course I can. I've watched Gothi work so many times, I know this place like the back of my hand," Gobber proudly said.

"You remember the viciousness of the Snow Wraith. I get that. But you also remember how it was to be my age, to want to explore, to need to see what else is out there. To get answers to questions you haven't even asked yet. This will help me do all of that. But only... only if you help me unlock it," Hiccup explained.

Gothi thought for a moment and then nodded in approval.