Astrid's day had gone from bad to worse rather quickly. She and the other Dragon Riders had set out from Dragon's Edge to intercept Viggo's main ship, the one with him and Riker aboard. They'd found it alright, and flown straight into a trap.

Heather had been downed by a flight of Dragon-root arrows before her first pass, and soon the other Riders had fallen to the deck, just before he was dragged below Hiccup had managed to yell to her to "Go to Berk! Get help!".

So here she was, miles from land, the heat of the midday sun bearing down upon her, and nothing but the sea… wait, what was that?

She peered out over Stormfly's back and saw a ship, didn't look Dragon Hunter, or Bezerker. "Maybe they'll help me get the others back!" Astrid spoke aloud, normally she would have kept flying… but this was an emergency situation!

She flew over the ship, the crew seemed transfixed on Stormfly, some in fear, some in awe… "Well, here goes nothing." She muttered.

She flew down and dropped onto the deck, sailors scampering out of her way, when they pointed spears at her she began to think that this wasn't such a good idea…

"Put those away laddies!" shouted a gruff voice "Don't you see the lady ridin' 'er! Make room, make room! Let the lass off!" Quickly the sailors dropped their spears and stood back so Astrid could dismount.

Pleased at this turn of events Astrid swung off Stormfly and thudded onto the deck, she looked up and saw the source of the gruff voice. A sea-tanned man with a bushy orange beard, flowing orange hair, and wearing a massive coat, sword, several things she couldn't identify… oh, and an extravagant hat.

The man looked at her with kind eyes and stuck out his hand for her to shake, she did so. "Well, what brings such a lass as yerself to me humble ship." Said the man, she noticed several crew snickering when he said 'humble'.

Her smile turned upside down when she remembered why she was here. "My friends were kidnapped by Dragon Hunters, please I need help saving them!"

The man's expression changed like lighting, and just as she was sure she was about to be attacked the man belted out a command "Full sail! Prepare all guns, come on lads!"

Then turning to her he said "Which way lass?"

Almost shocked beyond words that she was actually getting help, Astrid pointed in the direction she had come from and said "About an hour that way."

The man shook his head affirmative and motioned for her to follow him, she cautiously did so.

The man walked up several stairs near the back of the ship, which Astrid only now began to realize was the largest she'd ever been on, even larger than Viggo's ships, by a lot. Anyway, the man walked over to a great wheel and began to spin it.

Astrid was about to ask what in Thor's name he was doing when she realized that whatever direction the man turned the wheel in, the ship turned in the opposite direction!

"Well that beats a tiller." She mumbled, the Captains smile showed he'd heard her.

It took less than an hour for the massive ship to catch up with Viggo's.

The captain was looking out what appeared to be a much improved version of Hiccup's spyglass and said "That's it lads, we've got 'im!"

Astrid saw the crew preparing for battle, pulling curved swords out of trunks and picking up strange devices… "Um', excuse me." Astrid said to a crewmember.

"Aye?" the man replied

"What's this?" she picked up one of the strange devices, looking for all intensive purposes to be a long crossbow stock with a metal barrel, and no bow.

The crewmember adopted a panicked expression and pushed the barrel, pointing at her head, in a different direction. Saying "That there be a musket m'lady, don't ye know of 'im?"

Just as Astrid was about to ask him what in Thor's name a musket was. The Captain belted out a massive "Prepare to board!"

She took her place alongside the Sailors with their strange devices, and just before she thought she could leap the gap massive booms rang out from below, and to her gawking amazement she could see holes being blown in the Dragon Hunter's ship.

Then she realized that there were more bangs, smaller ones, coming from beside her. She looked to her left and saw the sailor she talked to point the barrel of his device at a Dragon Hunter lining up an arrow and pulling a small metal switch back, the whole device rocked as a bit of flame shot up from the other side, and the Dragon hunter fell dead.

Before she could express her amazement she saw the captain swing across to the Dragon Hunter ship on a rope yelling "Haha!"

Soon more ropes were swung across and one was pushed into Astrid's hands, by the time she swung across there was little to do, half the Dragon Hunters were dead or…well, dead. The rest soon to join them.

Stepping over Viggo's unmoving body she was about to try and figure out what just happened, when the captain came over and asked "Now where's yer friends?"

She mentally slapped herself, forgetting why she had found these people in the first place.

She led the captain and five sailors below. "What's yer friends names? So we can yell for im." Asked the captain.

"Our leaders named Hiccup." The group stopped and the captain looked at her strangely.

"No really" she said, the captain shrugged and the seven of them began yelling for the other Riders.

They rounded a corner and the captain walked forward, looked to his left and shouted "Found em'!" Everyone else ran over, and saw six people in a dragon cage, all giving the Captain the evil eye… at least until they saw Astrid, then they just looked confused.

"Astrid?" asked Heather "What's going on?"

"I found these people at sea" said Astrid "They're here to help me get all of you back."

"Wait" said Fishlegs "Where are the Dragon Hunters?"

"Dead" answered the Captain

Silence reigned before the Captain said "Hold on mates" and he, the five sailors, and Astrid pried the gate open.

The other riders walked cautiously out, though Hiccup fell over when he tried to stand.

"Hiccup, what happened?!" asked Astrid, immediately at Hiccup's side.

"I think I sprained something in the fall." Said Hiccup, so the Captain walked over and helped Astrid lift Hiccup to his feet and get him up the steps to the other ship.

All they heard from below was Fishlegs say "They're, Dragons." And one of the crew say "That's what I said, Drachen!"

Once upon deck Hiccup took in the carnage, Hiccup looked sadly at Viggo's corpse, as he hated any loss of life, before crossing over to the other ship.

Once all Dragons and Riders were upon the crews ship the captain was handed a long cord that looped down into the Dragon Hunter vessel, they all looked on with curiosity as he lit the end and the fire sped along the cord getting out of sight rather quickly, a few more moments went by before a massive explosion blasted out of the water in front of them, and the Dragon Hunter ship sank to the bottom of the sea.

Every Rider and Dragon's jaws were hanging open, then the captain yelled "Alright lads, set sail!" and the crew rushed to obey.

The captain walked over towards the group as Astrid finished telling them what had happened, and said "I don't believe we've been properly introduced, I'm Captain Scott O'Dunhan of the Grace of Theus. At your service."

They quickly listed off their names and Captain Scott then asked "Where are all of ye from, I can tell by yer reactions that ye've never seen blackpowder before, so it's got to be some place I've never been."

Before Hiccup got into a long and technical discussion (which he would do… eventually) Astrid said "We're from Berk, and um…Thanks?"

The Captain belted out a hearty laugh and said "Well, where's this Berk. We could do some business with people such as yerselves, and I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't take all of ye home."

Since Hiccup was too injured to fly that seemed like a good idea, and after a short discussion on which way to head the ship sailed off, to bring new wonders to an already wondrous people.