Hiccup, Valka and Astrid listened in earnest as Thorin recounted his tale, and what a tale it was. A six year old boy, surviving in a foreign land, with no way to return home. For most people, it is a life that could have been the death of them, but Hiccup was beginning to see that his brother was made of much sterner stuff than he. The hours seemed to fly by, and before any of them new it, the sun was beginning to set, casting a dim orange glow across the village as dusk settled in. Before long, Elina returned to the group, having finished her daily rounds with her other patients.

"So Hiccup, how is your leg feeling?" asked Elina, examining the bandages around Hiccups injury.

"It feels much better, thank you" Hiccup replied, a small smile on his lips

"Well I'm glad to hear it, but I don't think you should go home tonight. I want to keep you here just in case"

As much as Hiccup did not fancy a night in the healers' house, he also knew that arguing about it would prove to be pointless. Elina was a kind and gentle women, but not someone you want to cross when it came to the health of the villagers. Resigned to his stay, Hiccup sighed and gave a small nod in response.

"I think its best that the rest of you head home and get some rest as well, it has been an eventful day for all of us"

Valka and Astrid both nodded. Elina walked out of the room, holding the door open for the others. Valka leaned over and gave Hiccup a kiss on the cheek before standing.

"You get some rest okay"

Hiccup smiled and squeezed his mother's hand lightly before she turned and headed towards the door. Hiccup cocked his face towards Astrid, who leaned in a placed her lips daintily against his, sending the usual sparks surging through his body.

"I'll come back first thing in the morning okay, I love you"

"I love you to"

Astrid brushed her hand through his long auburn lock, before she followed Valka out of the room, leaving just Thorin.

"Thorin….I uhh…..I meant to thank you. You saved us all earlier. If you hadn't stopped the Berserker ships, they would have destroyed the village….." Hiccups eyes drifted to Thorin's bow lying on the table. It truly was a remarkable looking weapon, a shaft of ivory colour, brown leather straps secured around the handle. The arrow head where jagged and razor sharp, not like the arrows produced by Gobber "…..and I guess it was you who shot that dragon?"

Thorin smiled and nodded. Somehow, even though he had only known his for a couple of hours, Hiccup felt some comfort in his presence. Thorin turned his head to the door, where Elina was waiting for him to follow her out.

"Can I have a few moments please?" he asked. Elina glanced to Hiccup, before slowly closing the door with a quite clunk, leaving the brothers in total silence for a few moments.

"Listen Hiccup, there isn't any time to lose. I came here for a reason, and too much time has passed already"

Hiccups expression changed to one of confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

Thorin retook his seat, resting his forearms on his thighs.

"I need your help brother. There are dark times coming, the impending destruction of our world. I have been sent here on a special mission, and I cannot delay any longer"

Thorins' previously gentle tone was replaced by one of complete seriousness. Hiccup couldn't help but notice the stark similarities between Thorin and his father, the same serious expression, the same piercing eyes. If he had any doubts remaining over whether Thorin was indeed his brother, they were quickly being pushed to one side.

"Who sent you? What's going on?" Hiccup was growing increasingly concerned.

"There is an ancient and honoured order that reside at High Hrothgar, a group of powerful men. They took me in, trained me in their art. They are called the Greybeards. It was them who sent me here"

"But why?" asked Hiccup. Thorin got to his feet, grabbing his robe and throwing it over his shoulder, walking towards the doorway. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I don't have time to explain everything now Hiccup, but I promise you will get answers over time. At first light tomorrow, we must go". Thorin began to head towards the door, his robe swaying across his back.

Hiccup shuffled himself up the bed, resting his back against the head board. A slight twinge shot up from his injured leg, causing his to wince ever so slightly.

"What do you mean 'go', I don't understand? And anyway, I can't just leave, I'm the chief, I have duties here"

Thorin leant against the frame of the door.

"Hiccup, you do not know what is at stake here; we cannot afford to waste any more time…"

For a moment, the brothers simply stared at each other, neither of them quite sure what to say next. Thorin was determined to convince Hiccup that he needed to come with him, but at the same time, it appeared that Hiccup was determined to stay. It was a crossroads that Thorin could ill afford to wait at.

"…..okay…." Thorin finally broke the silence "…..we will wait until the morning and discuss this with the others. Sleep well brother"

Thorin slapped his arm across his chest, in what Hiccup could only assume was a form of greeting from the land Thorin had been living in. The elder Viking slowly stepped out of the door, closing the door softly behind him.

"Thorin, wait please, I have so many questions?!"

Hiccup listened to the sound of his brothers footsteps disappear down the corridor, before he heard nothing but the quite of the evening. Hiccup slowly lowered his head against the pillow, but sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. So much had happened that day, how could he possibly sleep with all these thoughts circulating in his head?

Hiccups mind drifted back to earlier in the day, and the dragon attack. What kind of beast was that? He had never seen a dragon like it before, none of the usual traits he had become accustomed to, but a creature of evil, darkness and raw power.

And where was it that Thorin wanted to take him. He couldn't just get up and leave Berk. He couldn't abandon the village, the people, his friends, his mother….or Astrid. He was the chief, and it was his job to protect them. He couldn't leave…..he wouldn't leave.

"I don't care what he calls himself, I don't trust him"

Snotlout was pacing back and first through the Great Hall, his hand never leaving the handle of his blade, his broad figure casting long shadow across the hall. The large fire roared in the centre of the room, warming the otherwise cold stone floors and walls. Gathered around the large wooden table, the remaining dragon riders busied themselves with various tasks.

Fishlegs ploughed through the dragon manual, looking for any information on the dragon that had attacked the harbour, thus far with no luck. Gobber was whittling away at a new hand attachment to replace his old one, which had been burned during the morning's fire. The twins were just sitting at the table, twirling a pair of knifes in their hands, not really sure what to do with themselves.

"Calm down Snotlout, it's nothing to get worked up about" Gobber replied calmly.

"Nothing to get worked up about?! This guy shows up out of nowhere, uses some kind of power none of us have seen before, and then claims he's the long lost brother of the chief. Does all that not sound even the littlest bit suspicious to you?"

"Valka knew who he was, so he must be telling the truth" Fishlegs lifted his eyes from his book and looked to his friend, who was still pacing back and forth around the table.

"I'm still not convinced, how do we know this guy is actually who he says he is? He could be an imposter for all we know"

Gobber let out an audible sigh, brushing some wood fragments from his lap and placing his knife down on the table.

"Look Snot, if Hiccup, Astrid and Valka trust him, then that should be enough for you"

"What should be enough?"

The group turned their heads towards the door of the hall as Valka and Astrid approached.

"Snotlout is having trouble believing that Thorin is who he says he is" replied Fishlegs, turning his attention back to the Dragon manual and the huge pile of notes in front of him. Valka glared at Snotlout, who had stopped pacing and was sitting against the edge of the table, returning her stare with equal intensity.

"What do you mean you don't trust him? He is my son!" Valka snapped, resting her hands on the table. Astrid crossed her arms, standing a few feet back from Valka, her brow furrowed as her own stare at Snotlout grew.

"You haven't seen him in over 20 years, how can you possibly be sure it is him?" Snotlout barked back.

"I know my own son, and you have no right to doubt him!" Valka was becoming increasingly angry at the implied accusations Snotlout was making. Snotlout turned his attention to Astrid.

"And what about you, do you trust him?" he asked.

"Of course I do. Hiccup trusts him, his mother trusts him, so I trust him"

Snotlout shook his head.

"Well you can all think what you want, I don't trust him, and the moment he falls out of line, or makes one attempt to put Berk in danger, I will put an end to him!"

"Is that so?"

For the second time, the group jumped slightly as a new voice echoed into the conversation. The Vikings looked towards the main doors, but saw no one there.

"I'm over here"

The group whipped their heads round like owls, and caught sight of Thorin leaning against one of the stone columns, his hood over his head, gazing into the fire.

"What…you…how'd…how'd did you get in here?" stuttered Snotlout, his hand once again resting on the hilt of his sword. Thorin pulled his hood back, shaking his hair and running his hand through his blonde locks. Ruffnut gazed at Thorin, her heart slightly melting as she admired his chiselled features. Fishlegs couldn't help but notice this, his face blushing slightly from a hint of jealousy.

"Oh, I have ways of moving undetected when I need to" replied Thorin, pushing his back away from the column and walking slowly towards the group.

"How long have you been standing there?" asked Gobber

"Long enough to know that young Master Jorgenson does not seem to trust me" Thorin walked methodically towards Snotlout, who kept his hand on the hilt of his sword "I can appreciate that my story seems a little farfetched, but I assure you, you have nothing to fear from me. I am not your enemy"

Snotlout narrowed his eyes as the older Viking approached him. The others could fall for his little tricks, but he was not going to be fooled that easily.

"Keep talking all you want Thorin, if that is your real name, I still don't trust you"

Thorin chuckled slightly, taking a seat at the far end of the table, placing his bow in front of him.

"As is your right Master Jorgenson, but I feel that soon you will see me as a friend, not foe"

"Yeah, well we'll have to see about that won't we!?"

Snotlout quickly turned on his heels, marching towards the hall doors, pushing them open and descending down the steps towards the village.

"I wouldn't take much notice of him" Astrid walked around the table, taking a set beside Thorin, "Snotlout has always been one for melodramatics"

"I do not begrudge him of his feelings" replied Thorin

"Listen lad, we all believe you are who you say you are, others will soon come around if they get to know you" replied Gobber, patting Thorin lightly on the back. Thorin shifted his gaze towards the main doors of the hall, exhaling deeply.

"And that is where the problem lies, I cannot linger here"

"What do you mean, you can't leave, you've only just come back?" Astrid asked, gently placing her hand on Thorin's shoulder.

"Thorin….you can't just leave, I lost you once before, I am not going to lose you again" Valka was almost pleading with her son, she could not bear to go through that pain again.

"Mother, under any other circumstance, I would stay here, but I can't. I have important work to do…and…..Hiccup must come with me"

Astrid leapt from her seat, her arms crossed firmly.

"WHAT! Absolutely not, Hiccup is not going anywhere!" she bellowed, taking the others all slightly off guard. Thorin however, was unfazed.

"I appreciate your feeling for him Miss Hofferson, but there is far more at stake here than you could possibly imagine"

"Oh for the love of Thor, can you please stop talking in riddles!" Astrid threw her arms into the air in frustration. Valka gently took Astrid by the arm.

"Astrid please, calm down, let him explain" Astrid shot an angry glare at Valka.

"You're actually considering this?!" Astrid bellowed, her echoing voice grabbing the attention of a few other Vikings who were scattered across the hell, "What could be so important that Hiccup has to leave?"

Thorin locked eyes with Astrid, a steely seriousness in his gaze.

"The impending destruction of the world" he replied

Astrid quickly snapped her mouth shut. That certainly was not what she expected to hear.

"What are you talking about?" asked Gobber, scratching his long moustache. Thorin nodded his head towards the door, monition g for the others to turn around. Standing in the doorway were two other men, dressed in the same dark robes as Thorin. Each of the carried a similar looking bow and sword as well. The two men were helping a frail and old looking man into the hall, his eyes covered by a strip of cloth, his hands extended as if he was trying to feel his way around the room.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Mecius Vunnis"