NOTE FROM AUTHOR: I just want to thank all of those who are still readying up to this point and I hope to hear of your opinions and ideas in the comments. You will notice they don't go unheard.

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Grimbeard the Ghastly was indeed once a very mean and dangerous Viking, but over the years he also became very ingenious. He had left a few surprises to those who tried to find his treasure and one that only his rightful heir would be able to overcome. This was also the reason why he had left so many riddles to solve, for what was the point of a strong body without a strong mind.

The surprise he had left for his heir was resting at that time after a good meal.

His meal had been a young Whispering Death that had thought he was strong enough to venture in the tunnels under the island. As it happens usually with the young, the Whispering Death did not listen to his mother and dug deeper than what he had been warned, until he fell on the clutches of this creature who was fast to eat him whole. This might sound like a fast and merciful death, but it wasn't. This creature does not have teeth and always eats everything whole but not without doing something horrible to them and then eating them.

As this dark creature slept, the young Whispering Death screeched for his mother to save him as he was eaten slowly by the stomach acids of the creature that only knew darkness from the moment it hatched.

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Hiccup was amazed at his own behavior that fine sunny morning. He was perched among the branches with his father and mother's worst enemy watching dragons. He had never had the chance to observe Changewings, for they did not approach his home island often. Alvin had been reasonable enough when Hiccup told him they should cover themselves in mud to mask their scent as dragons' noses were so much more sensitive. Especially if they got caught in the island at night, it would give them a chance to get away from the Skullions. He shivered from where he sat just thinking about it.

"How much more?" Alvin grumbled as the Changewings shared their catch equally among themselves.

Hiccup forgot he was with a madman for a moment, and only wished he had a sketchbook to draw what he was seeing. After the invisible hunt, which had been of the bloodiest he had ever seen, the Changewings had turned visible. It seemed sort of a ritual among themselves… something to show they trusted each other. They resembled Monstrous Nightmares somewhat in size and color, but besides that they were something else.

"Finally," said Alvin grabbing him none too gently and bringing them down. Soon the dragons had taken off back home. Alvin threw him over his shoulder and ran after the flying dragons. Later Hiccup realized that if he hadn't been so amazed he could have taken his sword from Alvin's belt. The large man jumped over boulders and large logs with amazing agility and ran with the speed of a Nadder. His heart rose to his throat every time it seemed they were close to crashing against a tree. He leaped over rivers and deadly drops before they made it to the cliffs where many Changewings' nests sat unguarded close to deadly drops.

So, Hiccup thought, Changewings were confident other dragons would leave their eggs alone. Well, he wasn't surprised. He had noted dragons could fight each other to the death, but when it came to their eggs they never messed with each other. This was something to admire of dragons, he thought, for humans were not always that honorable.

"They will go hunting again before night falls," Alvin said as he set Hiccup down at the edge of the woods from where they could watch the dragons, "then we will make our move"

Hiccup could only nod as he tried to burn everything he had seen to his mind. If he got out of this alive, he wanted to write and draw everything down. There was little to nothing on Changewings on their current Dragon Manual. This could be a great asset to the tribe later on.

"Wake up and read the next riddle boy," Alvin said leaning against a tree.

Hiccup brought out the map and read the next riddle.

I can break your roof

I can break your bones

I do not lie, dangerous I am

But you don't have to fear me

I can also be fun

I can help when you get hot headed

I die for sometime

But you can be sure I will always be back

"Bet you got no idea on that one" laughed Alvin darkly. That riddle was of the few who had left him sleepless for a few nights trying to decipher it.

"Actually," Hiccup said nervously, hoping to not make the large Viking upset, "the answer is ice"

"What do you mean ice?" it was just absurd. They were Vikings, and were not strangers to ice.

"When snow accumulates on the roof it turns to ice and breaks it. If you get hit with it, it's just as bad as getting hit with a rock. It's fun to skate on ice, and my father uses it whenever he gets a headache after a difficult day" Hiccup explained to the now very upset man.

"Alright, I get it" grumbled Alvin deciding that he would kill the boy as soon as he didn't need him in a very painful way, "so we have to look for ice in the nests"

"Something like that," said Hiccup with a small frown. Dragons and their nests were usually warm, which left very little chance of there being ice. He wondered what Grimbeard had prepared for them.

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A storm was approaching. Gobber felt it in his bones and was fast to have the teens fold the sails so they wouldn't be lost.

"It's going to take us off course," said Stoick with saddened eyes in the waters. Why did Thor have to do this now that they knew his son was in Skull Island?

"Hiccup is a smart boy and he got his dragon to help him," Gobber told his friend, though he knew there was little chance the dragon and Hiccup would be able to take on Alvin.

Stoick said nothing as the first drops of heavy rain started to fall. He trusted his son to do his best in this situation, but Alvin was something else.

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No good, no good, Hiccup kept thinking as the mud was washed away from their bodies by the rain. It had only been a few moments ago that the Changewings had left the nests and they had started making their way to the cliff.

"Hurry boy," growled Alvin as Hiccup tried to catch up with him. It had taken longer than they had expected for the dragons to leave and surely they would return soon because of the rain.

They made it to the edge before Hiccup slipped because of the now muddy ground. Alvin caught his arm just in time to pull him back before glaring at the boy.

"Follow me and for Thor's sake, don't slip" said Alvin before he jumped down to the nearest nest.

"Is not like I did it on purpose," Hiccup said under his breath before he too jumped to the nearest nest.

The two of them started checking for ice in the nest but found none. So they jumped down to the next one and did the same. The eggs of the Changewings were indeed beautiful, Hiccup thought as he dared to pick one. He understood why some Vikings would mistake them for Stones of Good Fortune. By the time they reached the fifth nest, they were drenched to the bone.

"You daft child! It can't be ice! There is none here!" shouted Alvin furious.

For a moment he wondered if the boy had lied to him and was looking for the actual answer of the riddle. He wouldn't put it past Stoick's son to give him such a difficult time. Maybe he was just buying time. Alvin knew Stoick was as stubborn as him and had probably gone after them soon after they left. He knew he could always use the boy as a hostage if it came to that, but it would complicate things so much more.

"It's ice!" Hiccup tried to sound sure, because he also doubted the answer. He wrapped his arms around his skinny body to keep himself from shivering. Hiccup tried to think. They were still in summer, which meant ice was for once a little scarce. It had to be someplace where it could be preserved. He looked around before he spotted something farther below. He took a deep breath and started to climb down. The rain pelted his back, making him shiver.

"Trying to escape!" shouted Alvin when he saw Hiccup climb down. He was ready to unsheathe his sword.

"No!" shouted Hiccup, "there is something down here!" and as he said this, the boy disappeared.

Worried and upset, Alvin started to climb down as well before he landed on the place from which the boy disappeared. Before him opened the mouth of a cave; Hiccup stood inside it, his hand touching a frost covered wall. The place where they landed was perfect for a nest, for it was farther down and safe from predators that might dare attack a dragon's nest, but it was empty for the coldness of the cave was not good the dragons' eggs.

Alvin brought out a torch he had brought in case something like this happened and lit it with some flint stones. Soon they were walking inside a deep tunnel covered completely in ice.

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Toothless was furious, not just because he was tied up and hungry, but also because it was raining. He shifted his head as much as he could and finally saw a solution to his dilemma. Alvin had left an axe leaning against one of the benches of the boat. Now, any other dragon wouldn't think about using human tools for they saw them as signs of weakness. Humans had no claws, or large fangs to attack, instead they resourced to their little toys. However, Toothless knew when to stop his pride and make use of what he had at claw.

With all his strength, he swung his body side to side until he rolled and landed painfully on one of his wings. The discomfort was short lived and he made himself roll again and again until he reached the axe. Here he rubbed the side of his head to cut the ropes tying his mouth shut. It wasn't a perfect plan, for he got a few cuts but nothing a little saliva wouldn't cure. Once his jaw was free, the rest was easy.

He took off to follow the scent Hiccup and Alvin had left, but the rain was erasing it fast. He followed it until he reached a mud bank. The scent was gone.

"Son of Jormungand!" he cursed in Dragonese, and had the feeling Hiccup was at fault of this. He was left to trace their steps, which were being erased by the rain.

Still, with the now stinging rain on his back he continued as far as he could. When he was close to reaching the last bits of the trace they had left, he heard dragonesses whisper among the trees.

"You dare come to our island!"

"How dare you!"

"Mongrel!" hissed one after the other.

They were Changewings for he could not see them, but heard them perfectly.

"I am looking for two humans," he called out, "a skinny young one, and a big old one"

"There are no humans here!"

"You liar!"

Toothless, with his kin dragon eyes could see the three silhouettes of the dragonesses getting closer to him.

"I am not lying! They covered their bodies in mud so you can't smell them and…" then he remembered what Hiccup had said about the Changewings' nest, "they are after your eggs!"

If there was something dragons knew well was that no one should mess with their eggs.

"What!"

"Humans at our nest!

And without further say they turned and started flying back to their nest. Toothless made sure to follow them closely in case they caught his stupid boy and tried to kill him.

What Toothless didn't know was that Hiccup was already in pretty bad situation.

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"Catch!" shouted Alvin as he threw Hiccup his sword back.

Hiccup caught it just in time to slash a young Skullion across his eyeless face. The beast reared back and roared before launching forwards again, but by then Hiccup had moved to stand with the sneering Alvin.

The creature had charged at them from the darkness in almost impossible silence, knocking Alvin to the side and then concentrating on the piece of meat that smelled younger and tender.

"Stand back!" shouted Alvin as he charged forwards with his a sword on his remaining hand. In a deadly move, which could have ended badly for Alvin had he hesitated just one moment, he pierced the side of the dragon with his bladed hand before using the other to cut the young Skullion's head off. Hiccup covered his face as the blood came spraying out of the Skullion's severed neck, but it wasn't enough to spare him his first blood bath.

"G…great!" Hiccup said looking at himself and trying to not look as shaken as he felt.

Alvin raised an eyebrow at this, for the boy was clearly shaken. Well, he was twelve years old; it was about time he got a little dirty.

"Keep the sword with you, but don't even think about doing something stupid," he said turning his back to Hiccup before picking the torch from where it had fallen.

As they passed the dead body of the Skullion, Hiccup couldn't help noticing some things about the Skullion. It was not black, like he had originally thought Skullions to be, but a very dark shade of purple with a few black scales here and there. They did indeed have a long claw to cut their victim's heels, but curiously enough it was only on one claw. He wondered if this was how they were born, or was something they taught to each other. However, he was reminded of how close he had been to death when he saw the severed head. The place where there should have been eyes was smooth and the nostrils almost overtaking half of its face.

He usually thought dragons as incredible creatures, but this one was just grotesque.

"Stop wasting time and let's go!" shouted Alvin when Hiccup stopped for a moment to try to find if there was anything that might look like an ear on the dragon. It wasn't long before they reached a dead end.

"What is that?" Hiccup asked before Alvin brought the torch closer to the place where the tunnel ended. The end of the ice tunnel was a smooth ice call, and inside said wall there was a piece of metal. It looked rather familiar, thought Hiccup before he brought the map out to check if there was any clue in the riddles, but as soon as he opened the map he realized it was a very poor map.

What they had thought was a map layout of the island was actually a drawing of something Hiccup didn't know just yet what it was. The piece of medal seemed to be a part of it.

"Stand back," said Alvin handing Hiccup the torch. Hiccup felt his stomach clench, wondering if he should tell Alvin about what he had found about the piece of metal, but as soon as the man brought his massive fist against the ice he decided against it. The moment he was no longer useful to Alvin he knew he was as good as dead. If there was something he could do to delay it, he would use that.

Soon Alvin had broken the ice and taken out the piece of metal.

"It isn't even silver," he growled before tossing the metal to Hiccup.

Ahead of them, with the ice wall gone the tunnel continued, but now only made of rock.

"Check the next riddle," Alvin commanded taking the torch from Hiccup and held it over their heads so he could read. As he read the riddle to himself, Hiccup felt his insides clench.

888 Astrid and the Bog Burglars Part 6 888

In the name of every god, she wondered, how did she end up hiding in the roof of the house belonging to the chief of the Bersekers? At top of that, why was she holding a rope so that Camicazi could lower herself to the living room and steal something belonging to Dagur, the insane son of the chief. Oh yeah, it was all because she had this crazy idea that once she met her mother she would accept her and they would have a wonderful friendship.

Bertha could care less for her, thought Astrid bitterly. All she really cared about was Camicazi. At that moment she was very tempted to release the rope, but she didn't. Not because it was wrong, but because of her pride. She made a decision, and she would stick to it.

"Father, is there something wrong?" she remembered that evening when she got home and her father was by the fire reading a letter with saddened eyes.

Only a short time ago, she had gone dragon watching with Hiccup and Fishlegs. She, like most thought that it was lame, but the moment they showed her a nest full of Nadder eggs, she changed her mind completely. It had been so beautiful to watch the mother Nadder take care of them.

"Astrid, we need to talk" her father had said and she sat close to him, "after the defeat of the Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus I sent Big Boobied Bertha a letter telling her of your bravery. She sent spies to confirm that information, and once she did she sent me this letter"

"Wha… what does it say?" she had a rare feeling of dread and excitement.

"Is an open invitation to join the Bog Burglars," said her father, "it's your decision now"

At that time, she wished she could have said it was a no brainer. That past month things had changed so much. She was still friends with Ruffnut, but her new friends were also pretty fun in their own geeky way. She spent a long time in silence before that fire. She felt she could really be happy in Berk and grow to be the warrior she always dreamed of, but then she remembered all the tales she had heard of Bertha and she dreamed of being the same way.

Well, this is sort of an adventure, she thought when she felt the double tug on the rope and started to pull Camicazi up.

"I will go," Astrid had said to her father as she finally stood. The fire had almost died out. Her father only nodded, unable to say anything without breaking into a sob. At that time, and she still regretted this, she wished she would have hugged him but was afraid that if she did, she would change her mind.

"Careful you stupid Hooligan," Camicazi hissed when she almost dropped the large sword she had burgled.

Right, like is my fault you have an obsession with stealing, thought Astrid as she took the sword from Camicazi so she could pull the rest of herself up.

They sneaked to the back of the stables where they had left a dragon they had taken from the Bog Burglars. It was a Nadder named Thorn. Astrid knew they were not allowed to fly on their own just yet, but she had to admit this burgling thing had its perks. She loved the way Thorn broke through the clouds and started to fly them back home. Her new home.

"Not bad for a Hooligan," Camicazi said as she admired the sword she took from Dagur's private collection. It was the biggest and shiniest of all. She had just about one item from each of the chiefs, two or three from some, who lived closer to their island, but there was one she was missing and she had the feeling Astrid would be of help on this.

Astrid said nothing; she refused to be provoked by her sister, as she liked to call her in her mind. They were fraternal twins. She couldn't wait to tell Ruffnut that now she understood her perfectly. Camicazi had been born a few minutes before her and that was the only reason why she was the heir and got live with their mother. Though she felt little to no jealous, as their father was a wonderful kind man (when not in battle), and Bertha was all about appearances.

Astrid concentrated on the long ride they had ahead. She wished, all the while that she had someone to share her thoughts with. The face of a particular boy invaded her thoughts, and was thankful Camicazi could not see her face as she remembered the last time she had seen him.