The sun was at its highest peak as Merida, Hiccup, and Toothless made their way to Niflheim Bay. The waters were calm as their ship cut through it like a knife in butter.
Merida was up in the crow's nest with Hiccup as Toothless sun bathed on the deck.
"You see that big grey blot over there?" Merida pointed to the sea's horizon. It's dark grey mass stood out in the otherwise spotless blue sky.
"That's Niflheim Bay,"
"I can see how you had trouble finding us," Hiccup said. "How did you end up in this field of work anyway?"
The woman leaned back against the wall of the crow's nest, "My parents were killed by a monster when I was a girl, a demonic bear of some kind,"
"I'm sorry,"
"Don't be, I don't remember it, I was too young. This little old witch took me in saying I was her responsibility. She taught me to hunt monsters so it wouldn't happen again,"
"Isn't a witch technically a monster?"
"Well she did create some of them, said she was trying to teach the humans a lesson, but it got too out of hand she said. That's why she had me to fix her mistakes and avenge my family, and help others who were plagued by them," she explained.
"Did she create the demon bear?" He asked.
"She did, she felt awful about it, but she did her best raising me, trying to work off her guilt, I don't hold anything against her. She didn't know how it would play out," she replied.
Merida avoided the sympathetic stare Hiccup was trying to offer. She didn't like to being felt sorry for. She took out her knife and began sharpening it to keep distracted.
"So how'd you and the lizard end up together?"
Toothless' tail whipped the side of the post of the crow's nest with a big thud. Shaking their structure entirely. Merida nearly dropped her knife, "Sorry, alright jeez, someone can't take a joke?" She yelled at the reptile who had gone back into his sun bathing position.
"Yeah we've been together for a pretty long time. I shot him down and took that part of his tail,"
She looked surprise "so you were a hunter as well?"
"Well sort of, my town was pillaged with dragons but that was before I learned they could be trained. Toothless and I here built a trusting friendship and I lost my limb soon after he did as well," Hiccup pointed to his metal leg.
Merida looked down examining Hiccup's artificial limb. She looked up at him "Did he eat it?"
Hiccup laughed "No, no, he caught me during an explosion, unfortunately my leg wasn't protected,"
The sky had begun to grow dark, and not because of the time of day. They were entering the brink of the foggy mist.
"Wow so have these guys ever seen the sun?" Hiccup questioned,
Merida chuckled, "Not often, apparently during the summer solstice the fog calms and slowly disappears, its a national holiday,"
"What do they call it? Let me guess Sun Day?" He joked,
"Actually, yes, the town has a sense of humor about it," she said.
The ship pulled into the docks of Niflheim Bay. Toothless was ushered below the deck to not create a commotion.
"I'm sorry bud, it's just for a little bit," Hiccup said. The reptile pouted laying his head on the floor waiting for his owner to return.
