trans_9 | Open Hours [open]

Hiccup was seated in his forge, the fire was turned off to keep things cool and more comfortable, and various plans for machines and weapons and other interesting gadgets scribbled on parchment and pinned up to a cork board. Candles procured from Orongo were lit around the room, though the wide windows let a light of light in, creating a comfortable workspace. Right now, he was sketching out the intricate designs for...something. It may have been designs meant to go on an axe. Perhaps.

After putting out his omnicomm message, he waited to see if anyone had something to say.

"Here goes nothing, bud," he said, the "bud" tacked on out of old habit, before his eyes widened slightly as he was reminded by the following silence, once again, that a certain dragon wasn't there to listen like he usually was.

That was okay, though. He was going to keep busy. Throw himself into doing the best he could to help the crew. Not that it took much more than a few fish to earn the dragon's love and affection, but Toothless would be proud of him when he finally woke up again. His father would be too.

And you know what? If he did this right, and helped people that deserved helping, deserved someone else working towards their best interests, he could be proud of himself.

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"What happened?" she said, trying to not let her own worry seep into her voice. Hiccup was by no means weak, or a coward - anything that scared him this much was serious. And right now, Daja needed to be strong for him.

"Zuko's crazy sister, Azula, the one who attacked him? She saw us talking on the omnicoms. She knows I'm his friend. She tried pulling some 'woe is me' act and when I didn't buy it, she threatened me."

He shook his head slowly.

"It was like starting down a dragon--no, not just any dragon, like...like staring in the eyes of the Green Death. All I could see staring back was fire and something that wanted to tear me apart with its teeth."

"She threatened you?" Daja gasped. In his own forge? She tried to think back, and remember what she knew of Azula - she knew Zuko was a friend of Hiccup's, but beyond that she had little knowledge. All she knew of Azula was what she'd read over the comms. "Hiccup, what exactly did she say? Specifically?"

"She said that Zuko was wrong about certain things. I asked what he was wrong about and she said he was wrong about letting her live, about avoiding her when he needs to take responsibility for her, and wrong about leaving her alone with people who are important to him."

That last one was where he went a touch paler.

"She can't go after them. They can take her down with their Bending. She can hurt their friends without being stopped in time, especially if one of their friends is...me. What could I do against a master Firebender?"

Daja narrowed his eyes. The threat wasn't direct, but Daja has spent enough time in her life around people who danced around words to know that the implication was clear.

"You can do plenty," she said firmly. Hiccup was not a helpless victim, and she would not allow him to think of himself as one. "You can inform Security of her threat. And you can take steps to ensure your safety. She is a 'Firebender', yes? She has fire magic? You are not a mage, Hiccup, but you are a blacksmith. Fire is our tool, and we of all people understand it best. You can ensure that your clothing is fire resistant," (what she wouldn't give right now, for Sandry and her thread magic) "and I can spell a shield for you to be fire-resistant. And you can ensure that you do not give her the opportunity to corner you again."

She paused. She suspected that her final suggestion may go against what Hiccup was hoping to achieve as a Counselor - her forge may be where he spends much of his time now, but his forge was his. To be able to meet with the crew there was a symbol, of Hiccup's own ability and success. But if he was in danger of attack... "It may also be best if you hold your consultations at my forge instead, in the future."

"I...okay, I pretty much hate that idea, but--"

He grimaced.

"If I'm announcing where I am at any given time, it's probably for the best. It's at least a place where I typically work. Thank you for the offer."

At least it didn't make him look that much of a coward if he already worked there. And he did really appreciate it being offered as a safe place.

"And I--I will. Do the rest. The clothes thing and the spells, that's a good idea. And telling Security. And the rest of the Council. They need to understand they made a mistake with letting her go free. She's going to hurt someone. If not me, then someone else. Zuko and his friends--they have other friends on the ship, other people she could hurt to get to them. It wasn't just a moment of madness that had her hurt Zuko--she is mad, but she's also calculating. She tried different ways of manipulating me as she stood here talking to me."

Daja nodded, expecting Hiccup's reation. "One day, if she's no longer able to threaten you, you could return," she said softly, hoping to reassure him.

Then she frowned. "It is certainly odd. Why release someone who is still dangerous? Not to mention someone who is so ill in the mind should not be left on their own. She could be a danger not only to others, but to herself. Letting her wonder like this is foolishness."

Hiccup threw up his hands.

"I don't know! It's like...they're so worried about people getting judged from their pasts, they're not being fair about judging her actions on the ship. She could've killed Zuko. His back was turned and he was defenseless."

"How else can you judge a person, if not by their actions?" Daja said, shaking her head. She had her own regrets, certainly. Her own acts of foolishness. "Not to mention that if someone does not pay for their crimes, they will never be able to balance the books of their lives. They will have to pay in the afterlife instead - to simply bypass proper justice all-together does them no kindness."

"She is crazy, but that's all the more reason to keep her from doing harm. What if she can be healed and someday all she can look back on is regrets?"

He finally stood up, shakily.

"But maybe I can do something about it now, after what she said to me. So I will."

Daja stood with him, careful to stay close so that Hiccup could lean on her if he needed her. "I am confident that you will, Hiccup. And you are a Counselor now. Perhaps the others on the Council fear the past, but you can teach them that the past also has lessons for us about the future."

"Thank you for..."

Being his friend? Checking up on him? Having faith in him?

"Helping me calm down. Compared to everyone else on this ship with their guns and their magic and their Bending, and shooting beams out of their eyes, sometimes it seems like I'm..."

Weak.

"Very small. And a little helpless. Especially without Toothless."

"You're welcome, Hiccup," she said, smiling. "But you shouldn't underestimate yourself; magic and bending and - is there really someone who shoots beams out of their eyes?! - are powerful tools, yes, but they are still just tools. We each bring different skills - I may have magic, but I cannot lead like you do. And I do not have your level of creativity. You have more bright ideas in a week then I have in years."

"Right. Thanks."

It sounded like he believed that, really. And the warm smile showed he did, too, see?

Daja stood up straight, smiling back at Hiccup. She did believe it - and well, even if he didn't, she had faith that he would grow to believe in himself as much as she did. "Now - would you like me to go with you to see Security?"

"I'd appreciate it. I don't know where she went. She could still be nearby."

"If she is, we will be prepared for her," she said, hefting her staff and striding out the front door, alert.

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