A/N: I'm sorry if there are any outstanding spelling/grammar errors at the end of this chapter; I was honestly so sick of writing that part, that I didn't bother to go back and really edit it ^^; I guess that's what happens when you spend 3 days fighting a scene...

Also, I feel I should forewarn you guys that I *am* going to have the characters talking about more mature subjects (death, sex, sexuality, mental health, etc.) at various points. They're in their late teens-early twenties, so they're of the age to start talking about said subjects, especially since...well, Thora's a healer/witch/what-have-you. It's part of her job description to try and help out her friends with said subjects. I'll try to not get *too* graphic, but...I can't make any promises, especially regarding Ruffnut xD

"Whoa…"

Thora's head was tilted to the side as she stared at the glowing, purple map on the wall. Hiccup stood beside her, a proud grin on his face as he watched her look it over. Going over to the table, he twisted part of the Dragon's Eye, making the map change entirely.

"Isn't it incredible?" he said, excitement in his voice. "Normal light doesn't work -I tried it with candles and with the sun. It takes dragon's fire to make it work."

"It's amazin'," Thora grinned, glancing back at him. "How did ya find out about the dragon fire?" She walked over to him and Toothless closed his mouth. The map instantly faded away, leaving no traces of its existence.

He handed the Eye to her, a sheepish grin on his face. "By accident, really. Toothless was laying down for the night and I guess I had set the Dragon Eye down just right, because it caught the glow of the fire and just…well, lit up!" He rubbed the back of his neck, still grinning. "The maps lead outside the Archipelago and show all sorts of new dragons -most of them Fishlegs and I don't recognize! How amazing is that?"

She laughed, handing the device back. "Sounds like you're ready t' go on an adventure," she lightly teased. "Can't say I blame you, really. Three years o' livin' in peace…Must have been nice, but oh so borin'."

"That's why I called for the meeting today." He returned the Dragon Eye to the top of the pile of books he had set up. "If the council agrees to it, I'd like to explore these new areas and find these new dragons. Do you know how beneficial that would be for us?" A look of excitement had overcome his features. "There's a whole new world out there that we know nothing about! Just imagine the possibilities that it could contain! Not only that, but Dagur is most definitely heading outside our borders for help. If we go beyond the fog bank, we'll find him."

Thora bit her tongue, making herself look at the column beside her. She badly wanted to admit to him that she had gone to Berserk in an attempt to spy on Dagur, but she knew now wasn't a good time. And how was she supposed to explain that she had escaped by snogging Dagur? It was bad enough that she had enjoyed the snog; telling Hiccup about it would be worse.

'Later,' she told herself. 'Let him enjoy his findings about the Dragon Eye.'

"I've already talked with the other riders about this." Hiccup sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he turned back towards his cousin. He didn't notice how she was feigning interest in the column; they had recently been repainted by Bucket, so he thought she was looking over the drawings. "They've agreed to come with me if the council sees fit to let us explore. But…well, none of us are very skilled when it comes to medicine."

"…Are ya askin' me t' go with ya?" she questioned, brow rising as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

A wry grin spread across his lips. "Well, I mean…Gothi's a bit too old to go on such an adventure, don't you think?"

She shrugged, but wore a teasing smile. "I guess I could go with ya. It's not like I could teach one o' the twins how t' be a healer in less than a few days, after all."

Hiccup's grin widened. "And you've already been outside the Archipelago!" he reminded her. "So you already know a few things we don't about the world out there."

Snorting, Thora rolled her eyes. "Hiccup, I went t' the mainland. We have maps an' knowledge of it already. But this?" She tapped the Dragon Eye with her tail. "This is somethin' entirely different. We don't know anythin' about it or where it came from. Which just means it's even more important for ya t' take a healer with ya. You'll find new dragons while I may find new plants t' use for medicine."

He chuckled. "That's true," he agreed. "I didn't even think of that, to be honest."

"Another reason t' bring me along," she teased, lightly thwacking him with her tail. "You're too focused on dragons. Ya need someone t' bring your head out o' the clouds."

"Good luck with that. His head never leaves the clouds!"

They turned, seeing Gobber and Stoick entering the Great Hall. Behind them followed Spitelout, Bucket, Mulch, and Not-So-Silent Sven. Thora blinked; she had thought at least Gothi, Ylva, and Linnea would also be present. After all, they were rather high-ranking in the tribe.

"Is this everyone?" she questioned.

Stoick nodded, motioning for the others to sit. "Aye, this is everyone."

"No Gothi, Linnea, or Ylva?"

Spitelout snorted as he took his place at the table. "They're not on the council. Speakin' o' which-" He threw a glare at her, not seeing the dangerous look Toothless gave him. "Neither are you. So, why don't you just run along an' do whatever it is you do?" A smirk came to his lips and Thora cocked her brow; she had seen the same grin worn by Snotlout many a time.

She wanted to punch it off his smug face.

Instead, she opened her mouth to reply, but Stoick spoke first. "She's here because I invited her," he explained, his voice cool. "Since Thora is going t', one day, replace Gothi as Völva, it's crucial she learns what goes on in council meetings."

"But Gothi-"

"-Normally declines to come to the meetings, yes, I understand. But she always knows what's going on, regardless if she's present or not." The look he gave Spitelout made the man cease further arguments. "Now." He stood at the head of the table as everyone else fell silent. "I called you all here today because Hiccup has somethin' he needs to show you all." He set a hand on Hiccup's shoulder before taking a seat at the table.

Thora gave her cousin an encouraging smile and a thumb's-up from where she stood. She could tell he was nervous; she didn't blame him. Making a presentation to the village council, let alone a presentation about exploring outside the Barbaric Archipelago, was a tricky thing.

Toothless opened his mouth, letting a small amount of his fire light up the Dragon Eye. The map sprung into life on both the stone wall and on Hiccup's skin as he stood partly in the way. A small grin came to her lips as she watched looks of awe fill the councils' faces.

Hiccup began talking, explaining how the Dragon Eye contained various illustrations of different dragon species, many of which they had never seen before, and how there were maps of places beyond the fog bank. He also went on about how the information contained within the Dragon Eye meant that they would surely be able to learn things about the dragons they could have never imagined.

'Come on, Hiccup,' Thora thought, leaning against the column. She could see that Spitelout and Sven weren't as intrigued as Bucket or Mulch. A small frown came to her face. 'Tell them about possible treasures or something…Tell them about the possible medicines! Half your audience doesn't much care for dragons. Play to their gold lust! Play to their wanderlust!'

Hiccup, however, couldn't read her mind. As such, he continued on about how beneficial it would be to learn about these new dragons. Thora was a bit relieved when he started to explain how exploring the unknown lands would also be useful, as they could contain new sources of food and raw material for the village.

When he finally concluded, Stoick stood up once more and looked to the council. "It's alright lads, you can speak your mind," he said, setting his hand on Hiccup's shoulder once more before stepping back to let him take charge of the conversation. "We're a council, after all. It's why we're here."

Taking the opportunity to freely voice himself, Spitelout spoke up. "We've been at peace for three years. Best years of Berk that I can remember!" he stated. "I think you know as well as I do that, when you go lookin' for trouble, you usually find it."

"I'm with Spitelout," Svena agreed, a wary look in his eye. "If that Dragon Eye leads to unknown places an' new, wild dragons, then no good will come from any o' that."

Thora frowned, but said nothing.

"I completely disagree, Sven," said Hiccup. "Look around you! How-how can you say that nothing good can come from discovering new species of dragons?" As he spoke he started gesticulating in an attempt to further emphasize his point. "If they're out there, we have to find them!"

"If there's anythin' you an' the other rides should be doin'," Spitelout argued, doing his best to keep his tone civil, "it's huntin' down Dagur an' puttin' him back in jail where he belongs!"

"Yet another reason t' explore out there," Thora spoke up. "Last we knew, Dagur was headin' beyond our borders. No doubt, he thinks we won't go after him because the area is so unknown to us." She shrugged; she knew Dagur was still within the Archipelago borders, but she also knew that he had no allies here. He would be forced to seek outside help.

Spitelout and Sven didn't seem convinced, unlike Bucket and Mulch. "Stoick, any time you're like to chime in, we could put this thing t' rest!"

"You're right, Spitelout," Stoick said, much to Thora and Hiccup's chagrin. "Let's put this to rest." He stepped forward, pausing when Hiccup tried to stop him.

"Dad—"

"Let me speak, son," he told him, a look in his eye. "This is as important for you an' Thora t' hear as it is for them." He turned, glancing at each council member's face in turn. "Spitelout, you're absolutely right. These have been some of our best years. Nothin' is more important than peace: Peace among us, peace with our neighbors-"

Hiccup let out a quiet sigh, lowering his head in defeat. He thought Stoick was going to take their side; as such, he turned and began to leave. Thora, though, reached out and stopped him with her tail.

"Wait until he finishes," she quietly told him.

"-And peace with our dragons," Stoick continued. "Havin' said that, let me ask you this, Spitelout: When you an' I first had Alvin in our sights an' everyone was trying t' tell us to leave well enough alone, what did we do?"

Spitelout opened his mouth to speak, but Gobber beat him to the punch. "Crushed 'em, that's what ya did!" he cheered. He didn't see Thora smack her forehead at his outburst.

Stoick cocked his brow. "Thank you, Gobber," he retorted, tone dry.

"My pleasure, chief!" he chirped, lightly tapping his helmet with his hook.

Lightly shaking his head, the chief continued on. "When Valka was taken, an' I went in search for her -could anyone have stopped me?"

"Well, technically, you're the chief, so no," Gobber answered again. He was blissfully oblivious to the annoyance he was causing.

"Yes, Gobber -fair point," Stoick replied through somewhat clenched teeth, "but you know where I'm goin'. Think o' the most important thing in the world t' each of you. Ask yourselves, honestly, how would you be willing t' go to get it. What would you risk?" He went over to Hiccup, smiling at his son. "The boy's life has been dragons; his life is dragons. An' will continue to be. We can't stop him from goin' if we wanted to!" He let out a small laugh, patting Hiccup on the back, causing his to stumble forward. "So, we might as well support him."

Hiccup's eyes widened and he stared in shock at his father. "A-are you serious?" he gasped.

Stoick still wore a smile. "Go lad. Find whatever it is out there that's pullin' on you. You find it. Berk will be right here, waitin' for you."

Slowly, a grin began spreading across Hiccup's face as the realization that this was actually happening dawned on him.

"You best get out o' here before all this nostalgia wears off an' he changes his mind," Gobber joked. He glanced at Thora, who looked a bit excited as well. "Aye, lovey, ya best get goin', too. They're goin' t' need a healer an' Gothi's too old t' go traveling that far." He made a shooing motion with his hand and hook. "Go on. You lot have quite the bit o' supplies t' gather up before you leave. Best not waste your time."

Grabbing Thora's arm, Hiccup practically dragged her out of the Great Hall. Toothless was on their heels, bouncing about animatedly; Hiccup's excitement had filled him and he was eager to leave Berk to explore new places. When they stepped out of the Great Hall, they were greeted by Death Dance, who was patiently waiting for her rider. She curiously clicked her jaws, her head tilting as she saw the boisterous Night Fury.

"Hope you're ready for a new adventure, Death," Thora told her. "We're goin' explorin'."

She clacked her jaws happily and beat her wings a few times. Leaning down, she nuzzled Hiccup and Thora before practically laying down to show Toothless the same affection. The two dragons made quiet purring noises as one another before Toothless hopped onto Death Dance's skull, sitting there proudly as she stood upright.

"Toothless," Hiccup chuckled, though his voice was somewhat scolding. "C'mon, buddy. Get down from there. We've got to go let the others know of the ruling and pack up our supplies!"

Toothless looked down at him, a sort of laughing sound leaving his throat as he smiled. He returned to all fours and bounded down Death's neck, following along her spine and down her tail until he touched the earth once more.

"My dragon is a playground for other dragons," Thora snickered. "Lovely." Reaching up, she scratched Death under the jaw, quietly laughing as the Boneknapper's leg started twitching. "I suppose we'll be left with carryin' most o' the supplies, as well? Being that she is so large."

Hiccup blinked. "What? No!" He frowned. "We're all going to carry our fair share. Just because Death Dance is—well, huge—doesn't mean you two should be burdened with everything."

Rolling her eyes, Thora laughed once more. "Hiccup, I was jokin'," she assured him. "But, I do expect she'll be carryin' more than the rest o' ya. That's not a bad thing, either. The more food an' water we bring with us, the safer off we'll be." She glanced over her shoulder at her cousin. "I'm goin' t' go raid the market and storehouse for goods before packin' up my medicines and whatnot. Come find me when you lot decide on when we're leavin', alright?"

He nodded, mounting Toothless. "Sure thing. Just don't get carried away on the medicines."

"One can never be prepared enough for emergencies," she chirped, starting to lead Death Dance off.

"You're really takin' that whole trunk?"

"Aye? Is that a bad thing?"

"No, just…Isn't that a bit much? It's fairly big, lovey."

"I know." Closing the lid to the trunk, Thora pushed some stray strands of hair from her face. "But, I've got everythin' I need in it: My herbs, my medicines, a kettle for potions, some changes o' clothes, some furs an' blankets for sleepin', a bit o' soap, an' a few other small things." She patted the top of the chest before moving to flop on her cot. "All the food an' water I'm bringin' I've already packed into Death's saddlebags."

Despite her words, Gobber wore an unconvinced frown. "Are ya sure it isn't goin' to weigh Death down a bit? I mean, ya have no idea how long you're goin' t' be gone or even how wide the fog bank is. Ya don't want t' tired her out."

Lifting her head from her pillows, she looked at him, tiredness in her eyes. "Da', we flew from the mainland with three times as much weight," she chuckled. "Death can handle it, I promise."

He nodded in understanding. "I'm just bein' an old worrywart," he chuckled. "Speakin' o' which, did ya make sure t' pack up your ax an' a shield? I know you're tryin' t' be a pacifist these days, but ya never know when you'll need t' defend yourself."

"Aye. It's in my saddlebags."

"Good. Good…Who made it, by the way? I was lookin' at it the other day when ya asked me t' sharpen it. It's wonderfully crafted. Don't think I've seen a weapon that nice since I forged Stoick's hammer!" He chuckled.

Thora sat up, beginning the task of removing her boots for the night. "Cæna made it," she answered. "Ulfr commissioned it from him, since there were no weapons really my size. They were either too small or too large." She quietly laughed. "Guess Cæna wanted t' show off a bit when he made it, because it really is nice."

He nodded, feeling a bit guilty for asking now. "The handle, especially, is gorgeous. Silver inlay isn't very common, especially when it's on an actual weapon, not a ceremonial one."

"Aye. He worked extremely hard on it. I remember Jeltsje scoldin' him for spendin' so much time on it. 'It has t' be perfect!' he told her." A small, reminiscent smile came to her lips as she got her first boot off. "She tried arguing with him, since they had so many other weapons t' make an' repair. Didn't work."

"I wouldn't think so. If you're commissioned by a king, let alone the brother o' the woman o' your dreams, you're goin' t' work your arse off on that weapon."

Thora said nothing, removing her second boot.

Gobber let out a heavy sigh. "At least ya still have somethin' t' remember him by," he told her, his voice quiet. "Not many folk get t' have that much."

She nodded, setting her boots against the wall. "I know," she replied. "I…I don't think we would have been able t' stay together, anyway."

He frowned. "An' why is that?" he demanded.

She peeked over at him, pulling her knees to her chest. "Er…The fact that I'm goin' t' be Gothi's replacement? Völva aren't allowed families, let alone lovers." It was her turn to let out a gloomy sigh and she brushed some hair from her face once more. "Which…when ya think about it, it's not really fair. Witches can have families an' whatnot, but Völva can't? Yet, they're allowed t' perform sex magic? How does that work?" Rolling her eyes, she rested her chin atop her knees.

Rising from his seat, Gobber went over and sat down beside his daughter. Any other time, he would have teased her about how she towered over him, even when curled up like this. Now, however, he knew better than to try and liven the mood. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him.

"Lovey, if ya don't want t' be a Völva, ya don't have to," he said, cradling her.

"But, I've spent the last four years learnin' how t' be one," she retorted, brows furrowing. "Not t' mention, everyone is expectin' me t' become one -Uncle Stoick, especially, wants me t' become Hiccup's Völva when Gothi passes on. I have no choice but t' become one by now."

He wiggled his hook in a parental manner. "Not true. Just because everyone expects it o' ya, doesn't mean ya have follow their expectations, lovey." He glanced down as she rested her head against his shoulder and suddenly, it felt like she was a small child again. "Just as easily, ya could become a healer or a simple witch. Odin's undies, you could become an explorer or a swordsmith or even a great archivist like your Grandpappy Bork!"

She sighed. "The problem, da', is that I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't a Völva. Truth be told, even before ya apprenticed me off t' Gothi, I wasn't sure what I was goin' t' do with my life. Aye, I could have always followed in your footsteps an' become a smith, but…" She scrunched her nose up. "Let's face it, I would have lost my hearin' instead o' my arm."

Unable to stop himself, he chuckled. "That's true…But, regardless, lovey. You can do anythin' ya want. Maybe take some time while you lot are out explorin' t' think about it?" He lightly ruffled her hair. "I'm sorry I can't be o' more help t' ya, lovey."

"Ya are a help, da'," she told him, using her tail to help her give him a hug. "I'll do like ya said: Think it over while I'm gone. Maybe I can get some thoughts from Hiccup an' the twins, too, while we're out."

Half his brow rose, but he returned the hug. "The twins? You're not seriously goin' t' ask them for advice, are ya?"

She cocked her brow. "Just because they act like mutton-heads around everyone else doesn't mean they really are mutton-heads," she chuckled. "Trust me when I say they can be a good source o' sage advice at times."

He gave her a wary look, thoroughly unconvinced. He knew the Thorston twins had their moments of genius -but they were few and far between. "If ya say so," he mused. Peeking down at her again, he patted her back. "Lovey, no matter what ya do, I'm here for ya. Ya know that, aye?"

"O' course I do, da'," she smiled.

"Even if it means ya don't become a Völva. That's fine with me. I want ya t' do what you feel is best for ya, understand? Aye, I may have forced ya into an apprenticeship, but…" He sighed, unable to look at his daughter as he finally admitted the truth to her. "But that's because I was scared for ya. I know there is always a chance a troll could have a berserker-like bloodlust hidin' in their veins, an' I was scared that you may have gotten it."

He scratched the side of his neck with his hook. "Ya were already bein' treated like crap by most o' the village. I didn't want ya t' end up worse off. So…Off t' Gothi ya went. I thought, at least under her tutelage, ya'd get a decent education an' learn some useful skills. It's also keep ya out o' trouble -for the most part."

"I had a feelin' that's why ya did it," she chuckled. "I don't blame ya, though. If I were in your position, I probably would have done the same thing." She shrugged. "An' it did lead t' some good things! Like me findin' out I'm actually a fairly good healer an' gettin' t' meet my brothers." She gave Gobber a reassuring smile. "So, it wasn't a wasted effort on your part." She laughed as Gobber ruffled her hair once more.

"That's good t' hear," he grinned. With some effort, he managed to stand up. "Now, since you're leavin' in the morning, you're goin' t' need a nice, hearty dinner. What say ya t' helpin' me make some lamb stew, eh?"

Grinning, Thora got to her feet. "Sounds good t' me."

"Into the great beyond…"

The lackluster cheer was followed by more, just as apathetic, utterings of 'Into the great beyond'. Though the riders had left that morning full of vigor and enthusiasm for their adventure, they now found themselves bored and tired. They had been flying most of the day with no sign of the clouds clearing.

"Oh, come on, you guys," Hiccup chuckled, trying to liven the mood. "So, we had a couple of tough hours. Nothing that's worth anything comes easy!"

"Is that one of your riddles?" Tuffnut turned to face him, a scowl on his face. "'Cause now is not the time, my friend. We have to keep saying 'great beyond'. Great beyond."

"Great beyond," Ruffnut groaned, slumping forward between Barf's horns.

Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his hair. Twisting around in the saddle, he saw that everyone -even Fishlegs- looked bored out of their minds. "Toothless, let's see if anything's out there," he murmured, patting the Night Fury's neck.

Opening his mouth, Toothless let out a sound that was undetectable to the human's ears. He lifted an ear flap, listening to see if it bounced off anything.

"Nothing," Hiccup sighed. He winced, a water droplet falling into his eye. Seconds later, it was followed by an entire sheet of rain.

Astrid frowned, pulling up her hood. "It seems the father we go in, the worse the weather gets!" she called.

Fishlegs nodded in agreement. "Hiccup, I think we should turn back! We've been flying for most of the day!" He let out a small cry as thunder rumbled through the clouds.

Thora cringed, smacking her hand over her ear. "Bloody hell, I thought storms were loud on the ground…" she muttered.

"We just have to keep moving forward until we're out of this!" Hiccup shouted above the noise. He waved his arms at the other riders, motioning for them to follow him to a lower altitude. He let out a yelp as he just barely missed being struck by lightning; an unexpected reminder of his duel with the Skrill.

Astrid suddenly pointed at a spot below them; it was free of clouds and she thought she could see the ocean. "Hiccup, is that…?" she shouted.

Looking where she pointed, Hiccup felt his heart beginning to race. "Yeah! It is!" he laughed. "Everyone, fly towards the light!"

"Oh, great -we're going to do exactly what mom always tells us not to do in a life or death situation," Thora heard Ruffnut mutter.

As the group raced towards the light, the storm began to fade. Every few seconds, the clouds would still light up as lightning tore through them, but the thunder grew quiet and the rain lessened. Then, just as suddenly as the storm had come, it vanished.

The entire fog bank vanished for that matter.

Ahead of them, the group of dragon riders saw nothing but clear, blue sky and a calm ocean. The horizon was dotted with dozens of different islands. The closest island, however, was practically below them.

While everyone else was gasping at the beauty of it all, though, Thora had her nose scrunched up. There was a strange, musical sound filling her ears. It wasn't the most pleasant of sounds, but she had heard worse in her life. Death Dance, too, seemed to hear it, as she looked around with wide eyes.

"Ugh, do ya guys hear that?" she called out, futilely covering only one ear.

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed, frowning slightly.

"What is it?" Snotlout questioned.

"I have no idea! But whatever it is, the dragons are definitely pulled towards it," replied Fishlegs.

Hiccup shrugged, wearing a slight frown. "Well, then, I guess that's where we're going," he said, letting Toothless lead the group towards the island.

"That…doesn't sound like the smartest o' ideas," Thora called out. As they flew closer to the island, the sound got louder; it had yet to reach an unbearable volume, but it was quickly growing annoying.

"We're only going to be there for a little while," Hiccup assured her. "How much trouble can we get into?"

He would come to regret those words.

Everything on the island seemed peaceful. It had a bountiful forest, plenty of freshwater, good soil for growing food, and a great view of the horizon from the beach. The only thing that wasn't so nice was the strange music, but Thora was the only one really annoyed by it. Everyone else found it almost enjoyable -the dragons, especially, liked it. As such, Thora stuffed her ears with a bit of beeswax.

"Can you hear me now?" Ruffnut called, standing no more than three feet away from her.

"How 'bout now?" Tuffnut called, his voice even louder than his sister's.

Thwacking both of them with her tail, Thora rolled her eyes. "Aye, I can still hear ya," she told them. "I'm not deaf with this stuff in."

They pouted. "Darn it!" Tuffnut frowned, kicking a small rock and crossing his arms.

Ruffnut sighed, slouching forward in defeat. "And here, I was thinking we'd finally be able to sneak up on you!"

"Right. Like you two could ever be stealthy," Snotlout snickered. "You're about as stealthy as a Gronckle in a pottery shed."

Fishlegs frowned. "I'll have you know that Gronckles can be extremely light and delicate on their feet or in the air!"

Snotlout raised his brow, giving him a look. "I'll believe that when I see it," he scoffed.

Thora shook her head, chuckling. "Why did I agree t' come along on this adventure again?"

The twins suddenly hugged her tightly. "Because you couldn't stand being all alone on Berk without us!" they crooned in unison.

"Or not," she told them, grinning as she watched their faces fall. "What? I wanted a bit o' fun for once. Ya think I'd get that, stayin' back on Berk?" She blew a raspberry at them. "Not a chance."

Tuffnut lightly tapped his chin, a thoughtful look coming to his face. "And yet, you were the one who was on the mainland for three years, getting to see and meet a whole assortment of people! Human and non-human, may I remind you!"

Ruffnut thwacked him upside the head. "Uh, she lost her arm and her lover in a war, Tuff. You really think she counts that as fun? How would you feel if you lost a limb and Macey during a battle, huh?"

Thora opened her mouth, wanting to point out how a mace and a human life were two incomparable things. She shut it, though, knowing better than to question Ruffnut's logic. Instead, she shook her head and started to walk off.

"Where're you going?" Hiccup questioned, brows furrowing.

She shrugged. "Well, since we decided t' make camp here for the night, I thought I'd go collect some firewood. Snotlout's Nightmare Gel fire's goin' t' need fuel eventually."

He nodded in understanding. "Just don't stray too far, alright? This island is pretty nice, but it's still unknown to us."

"And take the mutton-heads with you!" Snotlout commanded, pointing at the twins. They were now rolling around on the ground, kicking and hitting one another. "Otherwise, they're going to destroy the campsite."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "I hate to admit it, but Snotlout's right. After spending most of the day stuck on a dragon, they need to release some energy -away from us." He gave Thora a cheeky smile as she cocked her brow. "And you're the only one of us who can get them to stop fighting!"

At that, she snorted. "No, I just let them wear themselves out," she replied. Reaching down, though, she grabbed Ruffnut's belt and easily hoisted her off her brother. "I'll take one mutton-head. Sound fair?"

Pouting as she squirmed against Thora's grip, Ruffnut looked up at her. "I wasn't done kicking his butt!"

"You can kick it later," Thora chuckled, carrying her off.

She didn't set Ruffnut down for at least ten minutes, wanting to make sure she didn't run back to camp and continue fighting her twin. A quiet laugh left her mouth as she watched her readjust her clothing and helmet before lightly punching her.

"So, why'd you pick me over Tuff?" she questioned, following into pace with Thora.

"Well, you were closer," Thora shrugged. She looked around at the trees; they were mostly deciduous, yet most still had their leaves. "That, an'…I may need t' get somethin' off my chest an' I trust ya a wee bit more than Tuff."

Ruffnut's eyes widened, but she grinned. "Really?" she questioned, sounding more than a little intrigued. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she cracked her knuckles. "Well then, lay it on me! I'm all ears!"

Thora cocked her brow as she looked down at her. "First, I want ya t' promise me ya won't tell anyone -least o' all, Hiccup."

At that, Ruffnut frowned, the humor instantly disappearing from her face. "Whoa…that must be some pretty heavy stuff you're carrying if you don't want me telling Hiccup of all people."

Sighing, Thora nodded. Spotting a decent sized fallen branch, she used her tail to pick it up. "It is…That's why I need ya t' promise me ya won't tell him. Or anyone else for that matter." She tucked the branch under her arm.

Ruffnut nodded. "Yeah, I promise," she answered, her brows furrowed in concern. "Though, you got me a little scared now, Thora…"

She gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. It's just…I need t' tell someone 'bout this, an' I don't think the gods would appreciate me seekin' them out just t' vent. Especially since I'm already apparently on Freya's bad side."

"Wait, what? How are you on Freya's bad side? And how do you know you're on it?"

"Freyr told me when I sought counsel with the gods a few weeks ago. She's…she's not happy with the fact that I've had a lover an' fought in a war."

Her brow rose. "Uh…"

"I know, I know -she's the goddess o' both those things." She chuckled, pointing at a branch for Ruffnut to grab. "But, since I'm supposed t' be trainin' t' be a Völva, I should be pacifistic an' celibate. I've been doin' my best t' be peaceful -I really have!- but, er…" Her cheeks darkened a bit only to grow much darker as Ruffnut knowingly elbowed her in the side.

"Had some fun with your boyo before the war, huh?" she grinned cheekily. Leaning over, she grabbed the branch. "Can't blame you, really. From how you described him, Cæna sounded almost as pretty as my Kenna!"

Thora bit her tongue, glancing away. "And…I may have snogged Dagur the Deranged a few days ago…"

At that, Ruffnut froze in mid-step, her jaw having fallen slack.

Unable to look at her friend out of guilt, Thora swallowed hard.

"You…you did what?" she whispered, eyes wide in shock. "And with who?!"

Cringing, she looked at the ground. "I snogged Dagur…B-but I had t' distract him so I could steal his crossbow!" Pain filled her tongue; she had bit down too hard.

Snapping out of her shock, Ruffnut began waving her hands about as she spoke. "Why were you even around Dagur in the first place? Secondly, what lead to you having to make out with him in order to steal his crossbow?!" She gripped her helmet, her eyes wide in shock and anger. "Holy crap, Thora: I've been in some dangerous situations, but hooboy -that almost beats anything I've been in!"

Sighing, she ran a hand over her hair; she could taste blood oozing from her tongue. "When I heard he got away from Hiccup, but got all o' Johann's treasure, I thought…I thought I'd do a bit o' spyin' on him. See what he was up to, ya know?" She leaned back against a tree, still unable to look at Ruffnut. "I thought it could help me come up with a plan for tryin' t' get him t' be our ally."

Crossing her arms, Ruffnut tapped her foot on the ground. "Dagur? Our ally? I may not be the smartest chicken in the henhouse, but even I know that's never going to happen." For the first time in her life, there was a truly scolding tone to her voice. "And you-of all people!- went to spy on him? You could have been taken captive -again!"

"Freyr told me Dagur could be tamed," Thora quietly told her, closing her eyes.

Ruffnut frowned. "What? What do you mean, Freyr told you Dagur could be tamed?"

"A few weeks ago, I sought the Gods' Path," she explained. "Instead o' Freya, I got Freyr. He told me that, with some…effort, Dagur could be tamed an' turned into our ally." She shifted against the tree, her nose scrunching up slightly as she plucked a spider from her shoulder. Flicking it on the ground, she ran her hand over her hair. "I thought that, maybe, by spyin' on him, I'd get some sort o' an idea on how t' do that." She let out another sigh. "Instead, he found me at the end o' his crossbow."

She started to drum her fingers against her arm. "And the two of you made out?"

Opening her eyes, Thora frowned. "We talked first. It's not like I just grabbed him an' started kissin' him."

Ruffnut didn't seem entirely convinced. "What did you talk about?"

"Well…Truthfully, we more or less pointed out how much the other had changed. I pointed out his beard, he pointed out my height. He didn't seem t' notice my missing arm at all, though. Probably because I was wearing my bear cloak…" She shrugged. "Then, I'm pretty sure he was intent on killin' me, because he shoved me against a tree and had a look o' death in his eyes-"

At that, she was unable to stop herself from cackling. "Loki's laughter, Thora -you're turned on by violence?! I would've never thought that of you!"

Thora's cheeks grew much darker and she reached over, thwacking Ruffnut with her tail. "No!" she cried, a mixture of horror and disgust on her face. "How could ya even think that!?" She then smacked her face, quietly groaning. "Ugh, Ruffnut—that's just—no!" Shaking her head, she sighed and looked skywards, as if silently praying for help. After a moment, she regained her composure and continued, though her voice still bore a great amount of disgust to it. "Thankfully, he felt less inclined t' murder me when he realized I was still wearin' the necklace he gave me."

Having still been laughing, Ruffnut stopped and frowned once more. "Wait, you still have it?"

She nodded. "I couldn't just, y'know…toss it or sell it."

"But he gave it to you as a wedding present! Last I checked, you're not married to him. To anyone, for that matter."

"I know! I know. But…" Biting her tongue once more, she pulled the necklace out from beneath her tunic, showing it to Ruffnut. "Just try t' tell me that you'd be able t' get rid o' this with no hesitation. I dare ya."

Walking over to her, Ruffnut stood on her tiptoes and thoughtfully stroked her chin. She looked at the necklace, having never paid it any attention before. Her brow rose as she inspected the beads and the craftsmanship of the silver wiring wrapped around them. A few minutes passed before she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest once more.

"I see your point," she admitted. "It is beautiful -and worth quite a bit of gold. I, too, would be loath to part with such a pretty object…" A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Unless, of course, I was offered the right price."

"I'm not sellin' it," Thora told her, a brow raised.

Ruffnut shrugged. The two women finally began to walk again, returning to their search for firewood. "Suit yourself, but if ever you're in a pinch, you could sell a piece like that for a small fortune."

"I'll keep that in mind, but I doubt I'll find myself in that sort o' situation."

Again, she shrugged before reaching up and snapping a branch off a dead tree. "You never know." A wicked grin them spread across her face as she looked up at Thora. "Well, now that we got all the heavy stuff off your chest…"

Her brow remained raised. "Er…"

Nudging her with her elbow, Ruffnut winked up at her. "How good of a kisser was he?"

Thora's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. "Er—I—Er…"

Ruffnut snorted. "Come on, Thora! If he's half as good at kissing as he is at being crazy, then he has to be a fairly decent kisser!" She rolled her eyes, still grinning. "Though, I have to imagine it was kind of weird thanks to his scraggly beard."

Thora bit her tongue and ran her hand over her hair. "Actually, I didn't mind the beard so much. I mean, that part was like kissin' anyone else with a beard, I guess." She used her tail to gather up more sticks and branches as they walked.

"Yeah, see…I've only ever kissed Kenna and a few clean shaven guys, so…" She shrugged. "Unless, of course, it's like kissing a woman's-" She was interrupted as Thora snorted.

"Trust me: It's nothin' like that. Beards are far coarser."

As evening fell, the dragons and their riders formed a circle around the fire. The dragons slept on the outside while their riders slept, snuggled against them, on the inside. Their stomachs filled with a good dinner, they drifted off into a deep, restful sleep. Nothing disturbed them during the night -at least, nothing disturbed the riders.

In the early hours of the morning, just before dawn, the strange song that had been echoing since they arrived changed. Its pitch became more soothing and its hum became more alluring. One by one, the dragons woke up and crept away from their riders. They headed into the forest, transfixed by the song.

Death Dance was the third dragon to be ensnared by the tune. Lifting her head, she cocked it in an attempt to better hear the song. She softly clacked her jaws before rising up and waddling into the forest. Navigating the undergrowth -and overgrowth- was a hard task for the large dragon; her bones kept snagging on branches and the trees poked at what bits of exposed skin she had.

But she pressed on. She had to find the source of that music. It was so pretty, so calming, so promising. She didn't even think to fly, she was so enamored by it.

She started to run.

As the music grew louder, the trees began to thin out. Within a few minutes, the music sounded no more than a hundred yards away. She suddenly stopped; the trees had abruptly given way to a rocky hillside.

But, more important, there stood a tremendously large mound of dragon bones.

Death Dance snapped out of the song's effect, her eyes widening in awe at the pile. She had never seen so many bones in her life -not even at Death's Head Headland back on Berk! There had to have been thousands of bones resting before her. Many were old and had become brittle with age, but many more were relatively new and still strong -they would make excellent armor.

Clacking her jaws excitedly, she raced forward. She began digging through the pile, searching for the very best bones. Wading through the bones was worse than trying to pick her way through the forest, but she didn't mind -this was much more rewarding. She also took notice of the strange, amber colored rocks littered amongst the pile. She sniffed one only to snort in disgust; it smelled like death and dragon's breath.

It was as the first rays of morning sunlight broke the horizon that she saw it: An enormous, multi-horned skull.

Her jaw fell slack.

Slowly, she approached the skull, eyes wide. It was absolutely terrifying! As she got closer, she could see that it was somewhat fresh, being bleached white from the sun. She nudged it with her snout, turning it on its side to inspect its inner structure. It certainly looked big enough for her to fit her head into, though she knew better than to get her hopes up. Finding perfectly sized dragon skulls was a hard, tricky task even for the best Boneknappers.

The only way she would find out for certain was to try it on and that was taking a great risk. Without their bones, Boneknappers had no form of defense; their scales never fully hardened, leaving them soft and supple like skin. It also meant that other dragons could easily rip them to shreds.

Standing upright, she resolutely flapped her wings before beginning to secrete a special layer of mucous. It would dissolve her hardened saliva and allow her to shed her old bones. She began to wriggle and writhe about, working the bones off her flesh and letting them fall down into the pile.

Getting her skull off was more difficult, however. Being that it was the oldest bone set she had, it took much longer to dissolve the saliva. She then had to use her wings to help tug the skull off -a delicate process, as she didn't want to break it should the other skull not fit.

Once it was off, however, she felt naked and vulnerable. Shrinking down, she glanced around and listened for any approaching dragons. She made a soft, pathetic noise as she did her best to crawl to the new skull. Peeking over her shoulder one last time, she grabbed the top half of the skull with her wings and started to wriggle her head into it. With some work and a little finagling, she managed to fit her head inside the cranium. Shaking her head, she checked its fit; it wiggled only slightly, meaning it would sit still once adhered.

The jawbone, however, proved to be a problem. It was much too short to cover her own jaw. Pulling off the skull, she looked between it and her previous jaw. They would be mismatched, yes, but if anything, the old jaw would only add to the intimidating cranium.

She lined both with a thick coating of spit, making it as even as possible, before replacing them atop her head. While she was at it, she began adhering the other bones that would make up her new armor. Then, she carefully made her way out of the boneyard. She then gingerly spread her wings, admiring her new armor. These new bones were much cleaner looking than her old armor and she had been able to cover up more of her skin than before. A pleased purr left her mouth.

The sound of a dragon wailing in terror echoed through the still morning air. Her eyes widened; it was Barf and Belch. Not more than five seconds later and another cry filled the air -this time, it was the angered roaring of Hookfang. Eyes narrowing, she hurried towards their cries.

Death Dance skidded to a halt as she rounded a bend. In front of her were dozens of dragons, all of them stuck to the ground and to the cliffs thanks to the strange, amber rock she had seen earlier. A growl left her throat and she started to cautiously stalk forward. Whatever had done this was not a nice creature; real hunters would only seek out as much food as they needed. Not trap this much in excess, let alone of living creatures.

This? This was cruelty. This was torture.

When she came upon the first dragon, she recoiled. It was a Gronckle -but one that was much too skinny and too close to death to save. It barely acknowledged her presence as she tried biting the amber. Her strong jaws barely made a scratch. Sadly, she gave the Gronckle an apologetic nuzzle before forcing herself to continue looking for her friends.

As she made her way further into the valley, she sniffed the air, trying to smell where the others were. She kept passing strange dragons, weakened from starvation and thirst -some were already dead and decomposing in their amber cocoons.

She hoped she wouldn't find the riders with the others.

A call rang out and she perked. Standing upright, she could see Barf and Belch stuck to the backside of a boulder. She darted over only to freeze once more: Meatlug and Stormfly were trapped as well.

Once again, she tried biting the amber and, once more, it was to little avail. She swung her tail around, trying to break it with brute strength. That, too, failed. She would have tried blasting it with her fire, but a familiar, soothing song filled the air.

Lifting her head, she scanned the skies to see a large, orange and purple dragon flying towards them. She was unable to stop herself from stepping towards the dragon, wanting to hear more of its deadly sweet song. Barf and Belch, however, snatched her tail in their jaws, trying to pull her away.

It was a mostly useless effort, though. As the dragon swooped it, in spat hot, orange liquid at Death Dance. It would have gotten her head and wings if not for the Hideous Zippleback, who had managed to tug her hard enough to make her rear up. The liquid instead covered her legs and hardened far too rapidly for her to try to get out of it.

The strange dragon perched on a nearby boulder, looking over its latest victim. The Boneknapper was much too large to carry off, let alone eat in one sitting! It would have to rip her limbs off in order to make a proper meal of her. It huffed in indignation as Death Dance roared at it, the sound making part of the rock wall behind it crumble. Flying off, it instead chose to take a Deadly Nadder as its next meal.

Death Dance roared again, trying to pull herself free of the amber. When her legs didn't budge, she tried to take to the air, but amber had her glued to the ground. She wondered if her mucous could dissolve the amber…

Barf and Belch crooned pitifully at her before flopping their heads on the ground. Twisting her head around, Death Dance clacked her jaws in an encouraging fashion before trying to fly once again.

Hookfang snapped at her and growled, urging her to stop struggling. She snorted at him, smoke furling from her nostrils. Nearby, Meatlug whined; she hated being trapped, but she hated seeing her friends upset with each other more. Stormfly squawked irritably, just wanting them to shut up so they could form some sort of plan.

All of them fell quiet as they heard familiar yells.

"Hookfang! HOOKFANG!"

"Stormfly! Where are you, girl?"

"Death Dance! Come here, Deathy!"

"Meatlug! Where are you, my sweet Meatlug!?"

Death Dance roared a third time, knowing she was loud enough to get the attention of the riders. Knowing they were still free gave her some hope of escape, though she hadn't a clue as to how they would free them. Maybe Thora would use some of her magic? Or Hiccup would come up with some way to break the cocoons?

The dragon riders came running around the corner, Toothless with them. While the others hurried to try and free their dragons, Thora gawked at Death Dance. Though she looked much the same with her new bones, her new cranium made Thora second-guess whether or not it was her Boneknapper she was looking at. As Death Dance lowered her head and affectionately nuzzled her, though, she knew it couldn't be anything but her dragon.

"I thought I saw your skull in that pile out there," she sighed, resting her forehead against the bone. "Ya got yourself in quite the pickle, haven't ya?" She made her way to Death's legs, where she flicked the amber. "Hard stuff," she murmured. "Like rock…that probably means it can't be cut. Let's try a little magic." She pressed her palm against the amber and tried to call forth some magic from the earth.

The earth on this island, however, was eerily devoid of magic.

Her eyes shot open as the roar of the Death Song filled the air.

Spinning around, she was just in time to see the Death Song sweep down, hitting Toothless with its liquid amber. Hiccup shouted for the others to get to their dragons and try to free them. Thora barely had time to react when a blob of hot amber slammed into her body, knocking her back against Death Dance. She tried to free herself of the steaming goo, but it hardened within seconds.

"I can't move!" Fishlegs cried. "I'm totally stuck!" Almost his entire body had been covered by amber.

He was better off than Snotlout, though -only his head remained uncovered. "Me, too!" Snotlout frowned. "I can't believe that thing got me! I'm usually so limber…"

The twins had been cocooned together. "Yeah, well at least you got your own cocoon!" he snapped, irritated at being trapped beside his sister.

"Oh, yeah, like this is a picnic for me!" Ruffnut barked, attempting to smash her head into his. She only succeeded in making the two of them lose balance and fall backwards.

"I'm fine," Tuffnut groaned. He turned his head, seeing Thora struggling to work herself out of the amber. It had her pinned around her waist and had fully covered her satchel. "Uh, Thora…? I don't think that's going to work."

She scrunched her nose up, squirming. "It's worth a shot," she grunted. "I can kind o' wiggle around-"

"Yeah, but uh…your hips are kind of way bigger than your waist," Ruffnut told her. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Ooh! You could try slipping out of it through the bottom!" she suggested.

Thora paused, her brow rising. "Ruff…I am tryin' t' go from the bottom. I can't move up or down, though…" She sighed, running her hand over her hair. "Ugh…I bet if I had some magic, I could get out o' this somehow…"

"What do you mean?" Astrid called. She had been trapped against Toothless thanks to shoving Hiccup out of the way. "I thought you've always had magic?"

She sighed. "This island has no magic," she explained. "Because I've still got that weird dispelling potion in my blood, I can't use my own magic, so I've got t' use Midgard's magic. But…I can't use what's not here."

"What?!" Snotlout cried. "But you were supposed to become some badass witchy woman while you were gone! Instead you lost your arm and your magic!?" He scowled at her, despite being unable to see her. "Why are you even here then!?"

"I can do magic," she argued. "I just need Midgard's magic. But, like I said, there isn't any here!" She started to struggle against the amber again, but only managed to make her waist hurt.

Snotlout grunted, also trying to get free. "Where's Hiccup?" he demanded, giving up. "I knew he'd leave us!" He then pouted, wishing he could cross his legs. "I really have to pee…"

"He didn't leave us," Astrid scolded. "He'll be back. But if I could just…reach…my knife…" She clenched her eyes shut in concentration, trying to will her fingers to push through the cocoon and grab the knife hidden in her belt.

Fishlegs shook his head. "It wouldn't matter, Astrid. Whatever this is, it's really strong." He tried to push against it for emphasis. "I don't think we can cut through it."

"If we can't cut it or use magic on it, then how do we get out of here?" Snotlout questioned.

Thora noticed something from the corner of her eye. A small grin came to her face. "Uh, guys?"

"Yeah!" Tuffnut pouted, ignoring her. "You can't tell me that my last breath is going to be spent inhaling her stinky fish hair!"

"Guys?"

"Oh, yeah, that's real original!" Ruffnut growled, glaring down at her brother. "You know what? I hope it eats you first! At least then I'll have something cool to watch before I die!"

Thora rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She watched as a wild Thunderdrum, ridden by Hiccup, slammed into their cocoon. They were sent flying through the air and landed hard on the ground, but the amber didn't crack.

"Alright, so that's a negative on Plan A: Ramming the cocoon open," Hiccup sighed, a bit disappointed by the result.

Astrid, surprised by his sudden arrival, bit her lower lip. "Please tell me you have a Plan B?"

"If it involves cutting, ramming, ripping, or magic, you may as well forget, Hiccup," Fishlegs sighed, his tone beaten. "Once it cools down, this stuff is hard as any rock I've ever seen."

"Wait, 'cools down'?" Hiccup repeated, brows furrowed.

"And hardens," Thora added. "It's quite annoyin', really."

A thoughtful look came to his face as he started to get an idea. "Hmm…Nobody move." He mounted the Thunderdrum and took off.

"Oh, yeah, that's funny," Tuffnut grumbled. "A real comedian we have here."

Thankfully, Hiccup was only gone a total of ten minutes. Upon landing, he hurried off the Thunderdrum's back and over to his friends, where he set down five jars of Monstrous Nightmare gel. Uncorking one of the jars, he began pouring the liquid over Fishlegs and Meatlug's cocoons. He then made a line over to where the twins where, dumping some on them before needing to get a second jar.

"Uh, Hiccup? What are ya doin'?" Thora questioned as Hiccup doused her cocoon in the gel. "Do ya think this'll melt the cocoon?"

"No," he admitted, "but, I think by lightning it on fire, that will melt this stuff enough for you guys to get out."

Her eyes widened. "You're goin' t' set us on fire!?" she gaped. "If ya wanted t' do that, then why not just have one o' our dragons spew fire at us?"

"I don't want to risk roasting you guys alive," he told her, now spreading the gel over the amber encasing Death Dance's feet. "With the Nightmare gel, at least, I'm able to make sure the fire is concentrated to one area instead of all over your bodies."

She nodded in agreement. "True," she admitted. "Let's hope this works an' doesn't result in us gettin' roasted alive…"

"Are you crazy?!" Snotlout hissed as Hiccup poured the Nightmare gel over his cocoon.

"Just trust me, Snotlout."

"Says the man who's about to set me on fire!"

A mischievous grin came to Hiccup's lips and he shrugged innocently. "You said it only stings a little," he teased.

"I was lying!" he whined. "You know I'm a liar! Why did you think I was telling the truth!?"

Hiccup lightly patted the top of his helmet. "It'll be fine, Snotlout. I promise."

"Ya may want t' hurry," Thora called. "I can hear the Death Song comin'!" She tried to twist around to see what her cousin was doing, but only cursed in pain. 'Gods above, I can't get out of this soon enough!' she thought, nose scrunched up.

Just a minute later, the Death Song arrived. It perched atop a boulder, looking for its next meal. Finding the riders and their dragons still too active for its liking, it instead flew over to a purple Gronckle. Fishlegs froze in horror; the dragon was close enough to him, he could smell its breath. He remained tense even as the Death Song took off with the Gronckle, leaving him and Meatlug be.

"Hiccup! Hurry up!" he whimpered. "He just took the appetizer. I think I'm the main course!" He cursed as he heard a small crack and he toppled backwards. "Oh, Thor!"

Astrid sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face. "Fishlegs, relax," she said, trying to calm him. "It could take hours for that thing to eat that dragon."

"Or minutes," Thora said, her face paling as she heard the dragon coming near once more.

Fishlegs swallowed hard, his eyes wide and full of panic as the Death Song landed before him. "Help…" He started trying to kick himself away from the dragon, but only succeeded in turning himself around. "H-hi, s-sir…"

The Death Song spread its wings and the frills around its neck, ready to snatch him up. It was distracted by a shout from in the air behind it. Turning, it saw Hiccup and the Thunderdrum flying off. It forgot about Fishlegs for now, instead choosing to chase after his new quarry.

Thora tried to watch the skies for what was going on, but Death Dance blocked most of the view. The Boneknapper started to clack her jaws excitedly and beat her wings, making Thora nervous. Just a few minutes later, she was able to see Hiccup fling himself from the Thunderdrum's back, his shield in front of him. He hit the ground and skidded, the impact making the metal of his shield spark and igniting the Nightmare gel.

Flames traveled like lightning along the gel, turning blue with the heat created. In just a minute, the riders and their dragons were able to start pushing the amber away from their bodies. In just two minutes, they were able to shatter the substance, freeing themselves.

Now freed from their cocoons, the riders mounted their dragons and took to the air, wanting to get away. Hiccup paused, however, hearing a weak cry from nearby. Frowning, he lead Toothless around a bend only to find a young Thunderdrum encased in amber.

"It's an adolescent Thunderdrum," he murmured. A look of realized dawned on his face. "No wonder he stuck around! Snotlout!"

"What?" called Snotlout. "Why are you still grounded?! We need to get away from here!"

"There's one more dragon we need to help!" Hiccup shouted back. "Come help this little guy while I handle the Death Song!"

Knowing he really had no choice, Snotlout groaned and turned Hookfang around. They landed near the young dragon only to be surprised as Thora and Death Dance landed as well.

His brow rose as he started to pour some gel onto the Thunderdrum. "Uh…?"

"If it's hurt, it's goin' t' need some help," Thora answered. "Even from here, I can tell it's dehydrated." Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out a flask of water.

Hookfang tilted his head down, gently nuzzling the young dragon. Death Dance copied his action before puffing out a tiny flame, lighting the gel. Hookfang helped free the Thunderdrum by smacking the burning amber with his tail, shattering it.

Thora knelt down and gingerly crawled towards the dragon. "Here ya go, lil' guy," she cooed, offering it the flask. At first, it shirked away from her, but when she splashed a bit of water onto its scales, it made a soft purring noise. It cautiously stepped forward.

"Drink up," Thora smiled, pouring water into its open mouth.

"Huh," Snotlout murmured, his brow rising once again. He put his hands on his hips. "That thing's a lot cuter than Bing, Bam, and Lloyd…"

She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but thought better of it. She instead poured the rest of the flask's water over the Thunderdrum, cooling it down a bit. "Feel better?" she asked it.

"You know it can't hear you, right?" he asked.

"Force o' habit," she replied, standing up. She smiled as Death Dance gently nuzzled the younger dragon once more before flapping her wings in an attempt to urge it into flying. It started to flap its wings, though it didn't take to the air right away. Thora was ready to pull out another potion when the dragon finally rose into the air and flew away.

"It must still be learning how to take off," Snotlout guessed. "Or it's still weak from a lack of food. Who knows how long it was trapped before we got here?"

Tucking the water skin back into her bag, Thora made to climb atop Death Dance once more. "Not terribly long, thank the gods. It's not underweight like the poor Gronckle at the entrance to the valley…"

Snotlout frowned, remembering how sad the sight of the trapped Gronckle had been. Out of pity, the group had agreed that it would be best to put it out of its misery. Biting his lower lip, he mounted Hookfang, but didn't let his dragon take off right away.

"Hey…" He glanced up at Thora, finding her wearing a sorrowful look as she gazed at the still-trapped dragons around them. "…Do you think we've got enough time to free the rest of these guys?"

A small smile came to her lips. "How much Nightmare gel do ya have left?"

"Where are Snotlout and Thora?" Hiccup demanded, finding all but those two on the beach half an hour later.

"We don't know." Astrid looked worried as she pushed her bangs from her face. "We only know that you told Snotlout to help the baby Thunderdrum and Thora went with him."

"But they got the baby Thunderdrum free," Ruffnut added. "We saw it reunite with the big Thunderdrum."

Worry beginning to fill his mind, Hiccup looked down at Toothless. "What do you say, bud? Should we track them down?" he quietly asked.

"No need!"

The group looked up only to find Snotlout and Thora leading a flock of dragons towards the beach. Relieved sighs left Hiccup and Astrid's mouth while the twins and Fishlegs let out a chorus of 'Whoa'.

"Sorry we're late," Snotlout said as Hookfang landed on the sand. "But, uh, our healer's kind of a big softie and wouldn't let us leave without freeing the rest of the dragons."

Though her brow was cocked, Thora wore a knowing smirk. "Thankfully, Hookfang cooperated an' provided an ample amount o' gel t' free them all." Dismounting Death Dance, she went over to the pile of gear and grabbed her saddlebags. As she walked past Snotlout, she lightly thwacked him with her tail.

Snotlout readjusted his helmet, grinning. "We were able to save all but three," he told the others. "Pretty good, considering how many were trapped back there!"

Hiccup smiled; he hadn't expected Snotlout and Thora to ever get along. "You guys did good," he told them. "I'm actually pretty proud of the two of you. I don't think the rest of us would have thought to help the rest of the dragons."

"We couldn't let them die like that," Snotlout frowned, dismounting Hookfang to gather his own luggage. "It wouldn't have been an honorable death."

"Uh…Snotlout? I don't think dragons have quite the same code of honor as us humans," Fishlegs said. "And half-humans!" he quickly added, though Thora was wholly unaffected by his words.

She did, however, shrug. "Doesn't matter. The Death Song wasn't playin' fair. Its song gives it too much o' an advantage, lettin' it amass a vast supply o' food. But that throws the rest o' the island off balance, because if all the dragons are trapped or dead, what's is goin' t' do when it's run out o' food?"

"Move onto a different island, that's what," Snotlout concluded. "So, really, we were just evening the odds for the rest of the island's dragon population."

Astrid crossed her arms, impressed by both their teamwork and their logic behind it. "I'm impressed. Not only did you two work together, but now you're finishing one another's sentences? Keep this up and the two of you will make a good team someday."

At that, the twins pouted and ran over to Thora, clinging onto her. She toppled to the ground, having been thrown off balance by the sudden addition of their weight.

"She was our friend first!" Ruffnut snapped.

"Yeah! She's part of our team! Snotlout can go find a different team member!" Tuffnut agreed.

Rolling her eyes, Thora chuckled. "Er…twins? We're all a team. Ya don't have t' worry about that."

"But you were our friend first," Tuffnut told her.

Hiccup laughed. "Actually, she was my friend first," he reminded him. "She is my cousin, after all."

"Don't you try to use your smarty-pants common sense on us." Ruffnut frowned. "You know full well what we mean!"

Again, Thora rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, ya two. You're still my best friends."

The twins smooshed their cheeks against hers as they gave her an extra squeeze. "That's good to hear," Tuffnut chirped, a pleasant smile on his face.

Ruffnut added, her expression mirroring her brother's, "Because we're crap at sharing. Just look at our well-groomed stuffed yak."

She cringed at the thought. "Please don't tear me in twain like the yak…"

"We can't, because we wouldn't be able to divvy you up properly," Ruffnut grinned. "Anyway, we wouldn't want to bring you any 'arm' now would we?" She started cackling at the others groaned at the horrible pun.