Hello, friends. Happy Friday to all.

Some new reviewers this week, as well as those of you I consider "regulars" ;) All in all, you're just full of interesting predictions and perceptive questions. I love each and every word of response.

MoonbornWalker

Spartan10007

QuiteARandomFan (As always, I enjoyed your review. You have a knack for asking important questions.)

Vvarden

Colinou

Sag1ttar1us

Harkonnen28

The Lightning One/Phoenix

Roadrager1

Ciara11

LuniaWolfe

Superbun (Thanks for the thoughtful review. I appreciate your honesty and constructive feedback. Hopefully I won't disappoint with future updates!)

So. A word of warning. The beginning of this chapter is the culmination of the Aeri/Haku conflict, and it's kind of a bummer. Hopefully you won't feel the need to reprimand me for it, but feel free to do so if that's what is in your heart.

Slightly less of a bummer: Time for an adventure! I won't say anything about it, as the specifics become abundantly obvious rather quickly, but I hope it's at least a semi-good read.

Huzzah!


Aeri was downstairs with Winter, eating breakfast. Her grandmother, as usual, had already left, so it was just the two of them and their dragons.

Winter was telling her about some of the people who lived on Merirosvo. An old couple, named Gammel and Vitur, and the blacksmith, Sven. She appreciated the fondness he displayed for them as he described their personalities and shared some of his memories of them.

"Gammel can make the best biscuits out of nothing, I swear. They have to be made of dust and seawater, because I've never seen a speck of flour or anything like it in her house, but they taste so good! She always gets after me to eat more, even though I filled out quite a bit after I met her. 'You're too thin!' she yells, and sometimes she follows that with a cuff behind the ear."

Aeri laughed. "There are a few women like that here, always—"

A rapid series of knocks sounded on the door. "I wonder who that could be," she wondered aloud. Winter just shrugged as the person knocked again, louder and more insistently. She heard her name being called, so she strode to the door and flung it open.

It was Vasara. Her face was white, and she was wringing her hands together.

"Vasara, what's the ma—"

"We're leaving. He's making us leave, Aeri, I don't know what's gotten into him—"

"Whoa, slow down. What do you mean, you're leaving?"

"Not everyone, but me and Maara have to go with them, he's making us go, you have to talk to him!"

"Who?"

"Haku! He woke us up this morning and told us to pack our things. He said we have to go look for a new home!"

"What?" Aeri was quickly becoming alarmed. "Does my father know about this?"

"I think Haku told him yesterday, because they've been preparing the ships since last night, but Aeri, he won't listen to anyone! You have to talk to him!"

Aeri wasn't so sure that he'd be inclined at all to listen to her, of all people, but she couldn't just stand by while he ran off with some stupid idea in his head. "Where was he last?"

"The longhouse, I don't know if he's still there, but—"

"We'll start there. Come on." They took off running, but after a second she heard a frustrated roar and turned around to see Shade bounding after them, with Winter and Sahko right behind him. "Vasara! Shade will take us. It's faster." In a moment they were both in the saddle. "Winter, you don't have to—"

"I know," he replied as he jumped onto Sahko. "But I'm here for you anyways."

She could only nod her thanks as both dragons took off in the direction of the longhouses. In less than a minute they were there, and Aeri leapt to the ground, practically tearing the door off its hinges in her hurry to find Haku.

The inside of the longhouse was dark, and seemed to be completely deserted, until she heard someone sniffling.

"Oh, Maara," she rushed to the younger girl's side as she lifted her tear-stained face.

"Aeri," she whispered. "I don't want to go." Fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"I know, Maara. I don't want you to go either. Where is Haku?"

Another sniffle. "He left not too long ago. I think he was heading for the docks. Are you going to talk to him?"

Aeri nodded. "I have to try."

"Then take me with you. He's not acting like himself, he told me and Vasara that we were going with him, and that it wasn't an option, and he didn't even care that we don't want to go. I'm really worried about him."

"Okay, then, come on. Vasara's outside waiting." Aeri helped Maara to her feet, and together they left the longhouse. Vasara was no longer on Shade, but standing next to Sahko, talking to Winter. As soon as they appeared, she hurried over.

"Oh, Maara, it's going to be okay…"

Maara just lifted her head with determination, wiping away the last of her tears. "Yes, it will be. We need to go find Haku, now."

"Shade, can you carry the three of us?" Aeri asked uncertainly.

"One of them can ride with me," Winter spoke up, and both sisters nodded. Wasting no time, Maara and Aeri got on Shade's shoulders, and Winter pulled Vasara up behind him. Soon, they were circling the docks, but there wasn't a clear place to land among all the people and dragons.

"We'll have to land at the top of the cliff and go down on foot!" Aeri shouted to Winter, who nodded and guided Sahko down behind Shade. The moment they touched down, Aeri was off and running.

"Go, Aeri! We're right behind you!" Maara cried.

Calling out apologies, she wove between people carrying various supplies down to the ships. She was about halfway down when she spotted him. He was on the section below hers, a basket slung over his shoulder.

"Haku!" she yelled, but he didn't seem to hear her. Cursing under her breath, she took off again, bumping into people as she ran. She could see him just ahead of her, so she called his name again. And again, he gave no sign of hearing her. Forcing her way around a cluster of heavily laden individuals, she finally caught up to him.

"Haku, what is going on?"

He gave her a fleeting glance out of the corner of his eye, but didn't answer her.

"Haku, why are you leaving now?"

She might as well have been talking to a wall. He just kept striding down the wooden walkway with the basket on his back.

"Would you just stop for a second? I'm trying to talk to you!" He didn't even pause, his steps carrying him farther and farther away.

"Damn it, Haku! Talk to me!" she shouted, not caring who was around to hear her. And finally he stopped, slowly turning until he met her gaze. His eyes were cold and narrowed, his face twisted in a scowl. Her heart hammered nervously in her chest.

"Talk to you? Talk to you?" he said softly, stalking towards her. "And what exactly would you like me to say, Aeri?"

She resisted the urge to back away as he approached. His expression was nothing short of menacing. "Just… why? Why now? It's practically winter, you could be gone for months! Can't you wait until spring?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I care about you, Haku!"

This was the wrong thing to say. His features tightened with pure, unadulterated anger. "I'm not so sure you do," he spat viciously.

"Haku…" Aeri was terrified. She'd never seen him look this… dangerous. But she couldn't back down. They could work this out, couldn't they? "Please… I don't why you're angry but—"

He cut her off with a growl. "You don't know why I'm angry? Let's see, maybe because, I don't know, you led me on for months with no intention of ever following through? As soon as someone else came along you dropped everything we had without a second thought?"

Aeri's jaw dropped. There it was. Out in the open. What had been implied the other night was now an unambiguous declaration. But she couldn't help the hot indignation rising in her. For the gods' sake, they were in public! "Now wait just a minute. You think it was easy for me to let you go? You think I intended for all of this to happen? Haku, when we were on Heimme, I wasn't leading you on. I meant it. In spite of the fact that I was a stranger, a worthless wanderer, I let myself believe that we could have had a future. Then those pirates attacked and everything changed. I didn't intend to return here, but when I did, I became the Chief's heir again. I have an obligation to my tribe before my heart. I had to accept that because you would never leave your people, and I would never leave my people, we couldn't be together. There isn't any other way!"

"Oh, really? And you expect me to believe that Winter has nothing to do with your change of heart?"

A wave of disbelief coursed through her. "Of course he doesn't! He's a friend, he saved my life!"

"So did I!" he shouted. "Have you forgotten all about Jon and Ajaa conspiring to murder you? If I hadn't come along you would have died on that rock!"

"What, do you want a prize for being a good person?" she yelled back. "Winter sacrificed himself so that I could escape those pirates!"

"And why was he with them in the first place? I say he's hiding something! You can't trust him! Yet you welcomed him with open arms!"

Aeri took a deep breath. This was going nowhere. "Don't blame him for this, Haku, he's a friend and nothing more."

"Oh please," Haku sneered, looming over her. "I bet you're real friendly with him. Don't lie to me. How good is he? Did you show him how grateful you were, on your back or on your knees—"

Her fist connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling back. Everyone in their vicinity had frozen in a shocked speechlessness, watching in disbelief. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, her heart pounding. Why was he saying such hateful things? He'd never gone that far before. How could he even think like that? She didn't know, but she'd had enough.

He was rubbing his jaw. When he looked up at her, all of his anger was gone, replaced by sadness and horror. "Aeri. Aeri, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—" he stepped towards her, but she held up a hand and he stopped, eyes pleading.

"Save it," her voice broke, and she couldn't stop trembling. So this is what betrayal feels like. Her chest hurt. She hadn't loved him, not in that way, but she had thought… "I thought you were the one, Haku. I really did. I thought we could be happy on Heimme. You're angry at me for circumstances outside of my control. And you need to get over yourself. I thought you were better than this, that you could accept our mutual fate graciously. I thought we could still be friends. Clearly I was wrong. If you really cared for me, you wouldn't speak to me like you just did."

"Aeri, I love—"

"No! I don't want to hear it! I don't believe it, not the way you've been acting. You've treated me like dirt since you arrived here, and I just let you get away with it. Every. Single. Time. But guess what? You've finally pushed me too far. Congratulations. I'm going to let slide the fact that you just insulted my honor in public. I'm not going to kill you, or have someone do it for me. I'm not going to break ties with your people, or declare war on them for your unfounded idiocy. Do I need to remind you that I am the heir of the tribe that offered you shelter, food, and comfort? Do I have to spell it out for you? I'm not just some tramp you happened across, and even then your behavior would have been unacceptable! I was your friend, Haku, and a friend of Heimme. I have done nothing to deserve your disrespect, or your selfish disdain for my feelings! And despite your apparent best efforts to drive a wedge between my people and yours, I'm still going to allow them to stay here for as long as they need to! So go. Take your time, find a suitable home for them. While you're gone, I will take care of them to the best of my ability. And when you return, I won't gut you with a rusty spoon. I will continue to support you, however I can. But if you ever show me or anyone else on Berk this kind of disrespect again, you will be sorry."

Aeri got no satisfaction from her speech, but it needed to be said. A numbness was settling over her, dulling the sharp pain in her chest and the knot in her stomach. Haku just stared at her, his face pale. She knew she needed to get away from him before she did something she might regret.

"Safe travels, Haku. I wish you the best of luck in your search."

Spinning on her heels, she turned back the way she had come. The crowd parted for her in silence, and she walked away with her head held high.

Maara was stunned. She had never felt so sickened by something, not even the destruction of her home. Haku had crossed a line. His words and behavior were unforgivable. A sense of awe was slowly growing, though, as she witnessed Aeri's composure and response. If someone had said something like that to her, Maara would have stabbed them through the heart without a second thought. That's probably why you're not going to be a chief anytime soon.

But as Aeri walked away, Maara knew that she had to make a stand somewhere, and this was the place to do it. Striding forward, she stopped in front of her brother, who was staring after Aeri with a look of despair. Mustering all her strength, she slapped him across the face.

"How dare you," she hissed, not waiting for him to reply as she took off after Aeri. She couldn't catch her, though, and arrived at the top of the cliff in time to see Shade disappearing into the distant clouds. Vasara and Winter were already there, and they all looked at each other helplessly.

Finally, Vasara turned to Winter. "Maybe you should go after her."

"I'm not so sure that would be the wisest idea," he replied dully.

"Well, someone has to go, and it probably shouldn't be me or Maara. Which means it's up to you."

He sighed, looking miserable. "I'm just not convinced that she would appreciate my presence after those particularly loaded accusations."

"It's at least worth a try. If she doesn't want you there, she'll tell you, and you can leave. But what if she needs you and you aren't there?"

Running a hand through his dark hair, he glanced at the sky as though for guidance. "Fine. I'll go. But if she has Shade blast me, I'll be haunting you for a long time." His words had a teasing edge to them, though, so Maara knew he really didn't mind going after them. "In the mean time, make sure Haku gets his ass out of sight before word spreads to her family. She might not have it in her to physically hurt him right now, but I don't think for a second that any one of them other than the Chief would hesitate before showing him the pointy end of their weapons."

With that, he climbed onto Sahko's neck, and they took off.

After a moment watching their rapidly shrinking forms, Vasara spoke. "Someone has to go down there."

"I can't," Maara immediately replied. "I don't want to see him. Not after that."

"I know. I'm not going to make you. But no matter how disgusted I am with him at the moment, he's still our brother, and he's clearly having a rough time. He needs help, Maara."

"I don't want to go," she whispered sadly. "Not like this. I won't be able to be a good sister to him. I'll just resent him for hurting Aeri and making me leave." Not to mention that she had not yet seen Erik. Does he even know that I'm being forced to go? What about Dragon Island? Did he already know, and was just choosing to let her leave without saying goodbye? If it was possible, the thought made her even more upset.

Vasara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You aren't going to go. You're going to stay here, Maara."

What? "What do you mean?"

"One of us has to go, and it shouldn't have to be you. For one thing, what if something happens to Mika's wing while we are away? She'll be unable to fly without someone who knows how to fix it. Besides, it wouldn't be fair of me to separate Kova and Fern for that long."

"But—"

"No 'but's. I don't mind going," she smiled softly. "It would be cruel for me to take you away from this place when you so clearly belong here."

Maara didn't know what to say. Her eyes filled with tears again at the thought of being separated from her sister, a bittersweet turn of events in which her heart would not be broken, but seriously bruised instead. Seeing this, Vasara pulled her into a tight embrace.

"What am I going to do without you?" Maara said into her shoulder.

"Probably what you've been doing since we got here. Adventuring and learning. Besides, I have faith that you'll be in good hands," Vasara replied, pulling back to meet her gaze. "Aeri is here, and Erik hardly ever lets you out of his sight, so how much trouble could you possibly get into? We won't be gone forever, you know."

"I know," she sniffed. "I'll miss you, though."

"And I'll miss you, too. But this way, you'll be happier, and that's all I can ask for. I love you, Maara."

"And I love you, Vasara. Be safe out there."


Erik sprinted down the streets, heart hammering in his chest. No, no, this can't be happening… Her longhouse was empty, and there was no sign of Mika in the stables. It had taken all morning for someone to pull him aside and tell him what was going on, and he feared he was too late.

Gasping for breath, he skidded to a stop above the docks. "Oh, no…" The three ships were already past the sea stacks, carrying her away from him. He almost never cried, but he felt his throat tighten painfully, and his fists clenched involuntarily from frustration, hurt, and confusion.

He heard wing beats behind him, but didn't turn around. He was staring after the ships, willing them to stop, or turn around, or something. Anything other than continuing to diminish in size as they sailed for the horizon.

Storm gave a worried rumble as she nudged his hand with her nose, and automatically he began stroking her neck, his thoughts still a spiral of torment. They'd split up earlier, figuring they could cover more ground that way. But clearly, she had found the same success that he had.

He was grateful for her presence, but she wasn't sitting still. She kept warbling for his attention, finally coming around in front of him and rocking back onto her hind legs to block his view of the ships.

"What?" he finally asked, slightly irritated. Could she not see that he was upset?

She just pointedly looked past his shoulder, so he turned, exasperated, and froze.

"Maara?"

A tiny nod, and his shock evaporated.

Erik had never felt so relieved. In two steps he had her in his arms, and he lifted her up to hold her tightly against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, clinging to him with equal intensity. After a moment he set her down, kissing the top of her head.

"Oh gods, Maara. I thought..."

"You thought I left without saying goodbye," she mumbled against his chest.

"Yeah," he whispered. "But... why are you still here? Not that I'm unhappy about it, but..."

He heard her sniffle, and alarmed, he leaned back to see her eyes brimming with tears. "It was awful, Erik."

"What was awful?"

"Everything. Haku woke me and Vasara this morning and told us we were leaving, and when I told him I didn't want to go he said it wasn't an option. Then what he said to Aeri..."

Erik felt cold. "What did he say to her?"

"I don't even want to repeat it. He was cruel and disrespectful and he insulted her honor in front of a whole bunch of people."

Outrage flared, but he did his best to control it. "What did she do?"

"She was amazing. First she punched him in the face, then she put him in his place for how awful he's been to her lately. I knew he'd been grumpy but I had no idea it was that bad. Anyways, she told him that she wasn't going to kill him, and that she wasn't going to declare war against us. She actually said that she would continue to support him and us as we find a new home, but if he was ever disrespectful to her again, he would be sorry. Then she wished him luck and safe travels and walked away. You should have seen her, Erik. You'd be so proud."

He was alternating between anger at Haku and gratification at his sister's impressive self-control. "She generally tends to elicit that response in people. But what happened that made you stay?"

Maara sighed. "I slapped my brother, then followed Aeri up here. Vasara and Winter did the same, but she took off on Shade before any of us could catch her. We sort of coerced Winter into going after her, so I hope everything is okay with them, but when I told Vasara that I couldn't face Haku, she told me that I could stay. That she would take care of him, and that I would be happier here."

She didn't look particularly happy, and Erik felt his heart lurching as a single tear ran down her cheek. Raising his hand, he hesitantly cupped her jaw, gently wiping away the tear with his thumb. She met his gaze, her grey eyes achingly sad. But even in her distress, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met.

"Are you happy here, Maara?" He really needed to know.

"I know Mika loves it here, and her prosthetic is going to need adjusting pretty regularly, so—"

He smiled ruefully. "I wasn't asking about Mika, although her opinion is very important."

She took a shaky breath before responding. "Vasara said that it would be cruel of her to take me away when I so clearly belong here."

"And do you think you belong here?"

"Is that up to me?"

It took him a second to understand what she was saying. "Yes, it is, but if it helps… I think you belong here, with Mika. If it makes you happy to stay, then you can stay for as long as you want."

She gave him a small, watery smile. "Is that up to you?"

"I don't think anyone would argue with me. We aren't always lucky enough to be born where our true home is. But sometimes, we are lucky enough to find it. I think Winter is a perfect example of this. He's not from here, but he fits in perfectly. And so do you."

A determined look stole across her face and he only had a second before she grabbed his collar and yanked him down to kiss him. It was really only a brief peck, but an amazing warmth coursed through his entire body, prompting him to pick her up and spin her around until they were both laughing like fools.

Maara wasn't going anywhere, at least, not yet. Which meant he had all winter to convince her that not only did she belong on Berk for the time being, but that she belonged there, with him, for good.


Aeri sank to her knees, her breathing erratic. Shade was right next to her, but she felt so far away from him and everything else that there was no comfort to be found in his presence.

They had flown for a while, until she thought she might actually be sick. So they landed in the cove, and she shakily slid from the saddle and stumbled forward a few steps before she couldn't go any farther.

She couldn't tell if she wanted to scream, or cry, or vomit. The numbness that had settled over her on the docks was still there, but it was only managing to make her thoughts feel distant and muddled. Why? Why did it have to be this way? She didn't deserve this, did she? Staring, unseeing, at the ripples on the surface of the lake, she wondered if she was ever going to be able to move again.

The soft beating of wings barely registered with her disturbed mind. A soft thump on the ground behind her, followed by the even quieter sound of footsteps, didn't even trigger a reaction.

A minute passed. Then five. She was starting to think that she might have been imagining things when there was movement in her periphery, and Winter came to drop to his knees in front of her. For a few moments, she just stared at him as she had stared at the lake. She couldn't tell if she wanted him to be there or not. His expression was unreadable, but she got the feeling that he didn't know what to say or do. Well, I don't, either.

Finally, he spoke.

"Aeri."

She had no response.

"Come on, Aeri. Talk to me. Shout, scream, say something."

"Why are you here?" It was the first thing that came to her mind.

"Because I'm worried about you."

"What's there to be worried about?" Her voice felt raw.

"Well, you've been through a lot lately. It stands to reason that you might not be entirely okay."

"You might… be right." Haku had been angry at her… because of her friendship with Winter. "He said… he said…"

"I heard what he said," he told her gently. "And you did very well. You couldn't have handled it better."

"I feel dead."

His eyes shone with compassion. "It's okay. You're allowed to feel like that."

A sharp pain stabbed through her, and she instinctively curled up, clutching her sides. Winter is so kind. But Haku doesn't trust him. Winter is always there for me. But he's hiding things from me. She felt overwhelmed by doubt and insecurity.

"Aeri…"

"Why don't you trust me?" she blurted, not lifting her head to look at him.

"Why do you think I don't trust you?"

"I hate him," she growled. "But he said that you're hiding something, and he's right. Gods, Winter, why can't you just tell me?"

He was silent for a moment. "Aeri, if I thought it would help to tell you, I would. I really would. But now is not the time. Please, you have to trust me—"

"But how can I trust you if you won't trust me?"

She heard him sigh. "You're right. It's unfair. You don't have to trust me, if you don't want to. I'm not so sure I would trust me, either, if I were in your position. But I want you to know that I am being completely honest when I say that I care about you, and that I'm doing what I think is best for you and everyone else on this island." A pause. "I'm not leaving, not yet, but I'm not going to force you to be around me, either."

A few moments later, there was a rush of wind, and he was gone.

Tears welled up, and she finally broke.


Erik saw his father standing in front of their house, talking to a few men. Squeezing Maara's hand, he led her over, and they waited for the conversation to end. As soon as the other men were on their way, Hiccup turned around, and immediately his face lit up.

"Maara! I thought you had already left. Not that I'm not pleased to see you, of course."

"Actually, sir, they did leave. I'm staying here."

His father smiled. "Well, that's good news to me. But I don't think you sought me out just to tell me that. Is there something I can help you with?"

Erik spoke up. "It's been three days, Dad."

A look of comprehension dawned. "Of course. Well, does that mean you're ready, Maara?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Very well. Come then, we can do this in here. Erik, would you mind staying outside and making sure no one comes in?"

"Sure." He squeezed Maara's hand one last time, offering her encouragement, then let her go. His father held open the door for her, then followed her inside, shutting the door gently behind him.

Swallowing his nerves, Erik sat on the steps, twiddling his thumbs. He could only sit still for so long, though, and was soon on his feet. After a while, Storm and Mika arrived, and they watched him pace back and forth with draconic amusement.

"What's taking so long?" he muttered, anxiety mounting. Of course, he had the utmost confidence in Maara, but he wasn't completely convinced that his father would be asking the most reasonable questions.

When the door finally opened, he almost tripped over himself in his rush to hear the verdict.

Both his father and Maara wore identical blank expressions. "Well?" he practically shouted, looking nervously between them.

Hiccup just raised a brow. "Goodness, Erik, are you alright?"

He scowled. "Maybe I would be if you hadn't taken so long!"

"It wasn't even half an hour," his father replied with infuriating calm, before turning to Maara. "What did I tell you? Like a mother hen." She just nodded, and Erik feared the worst.

A few seconds later, they both burst out laughing. "Oh, Erik. You should have seen your face," Maara giggled, wiping her eyes.

Confusion took over. "Wait... Does that mean-"

"Yes, she can go," Hiccup chuckled.

"Yes!" he cheered, swooping down and picking her up in a fierce embrace. After the usual spin, he set her down and hugged his father. "Thank you, Dad!"

"No need to thank me. You two did all the work. Now you're free to celebrate for a few days, then you'll need to rest up. You will want all your energy for Dragon Island."

As it turned out, Maara made the perfect addition to their trip. There were only five students that were graduating. Erik, Torkild, two twin boys that Maara had spoken to but didn't know all that well, and Kyla.

"Ooh! I'm so excited!" Kyla had squealed, hopping up and down. "I didn't know who my partner would be, I thought maybe we'd have to do a group of three, but now that you're going, it's just right! This is going to be so awesome. I bet we'll get across first."

"Aren't we supposed to camp for two nights?" Maara had asked, but Kyla just waved a hand.

"Well, yeah, but you know what I mean. We'll be the best team for sure."

Each pair received a map of the island, with only the most prominent of landmarks on it. The rest, they were told, would be up to them.

"That includes getting there in one piece," the Chief said as he and Snotlout finished saddling Toothless and Hookfang. "We are going ahead to scout around and set up our own camp. You will leave first thing tomorrow morning, and you will not take any detours. Remember, only bring what you can carry on your back, because once you arrive, you and your dragons will be parting ways. Any questions?"

The rest of the day was a frenzy of packing.

"It's no fair that boys are bigger," Maara complained as she struggled to lift her pack.

"I know, right?" Kyla panted. "They can carry more with no problem whatsoever."

"Oh well. That just means we'll have to pack smarter than them."

To add to their growing concerns, it began to snow. When they mentioned this, they were reassured that "It shouldn't be a problem." Uneasy, but unwilling to sound cowardly by bringing it up again, they made sure to stuff a few extra blankets in their packs.

Despite her best efforts, Maara barely slept. The anticipation was just too much. She was going to spend two nights on an unfamiliar island, surrounded by wild dragons, without Mika or Erik by her side to keep her safe. Of course, she had Kyla, who was tough and reliable, and she was pretty comfortable at this point with all the skills she might need to use, but even so. They weren't allowed to bring any weapons larger than a hunting knife, lest they aggravate any of the dragons, who were untrained and therefore unaccustomed to the presence of armed humans.

She mentally went over everything in her pack, again and again. Food? Check. Water skin? Check. Tent? Check. She and Kyla had decided to share one, so that they could take turns carrying it, and keep warm together. Dragon nip? Check. Blankets? Check. Gloves? Check. Map? Check. Fishing line and hooks? Check. Being able to fish for helpful dragon-training snacks was always important, and she and Kyla could always eat them, too, if they got tired of bread and jerky.

She finally dozed off for a few hours, until someone shook her awake.

"Maara! Wake up!" someone hissed.

Startled, she bolted upright, looking around frantically in the darkness until her gaze settled on Kyla's grinning face.

"What time is it?" she mumbled. Those who had not accompanied her brother were still staying in the longhouses, and they were all currently asleep.

"Almost morning! Don't just sit there, get up!" Her whisper was aggravatingly cheerful.

Kyla was practically hopping around, quietly of course, as she waited for Maara to dress and gather her pack. Closing the door softly behind them, they walked out into the frigid pre-dawn air. The snow had been falling all through the night, and everything was covered in a pristine blanket of white. They made their way to the stables, sighing appreciatively at the warmth within.

Not long after, they were joined by Torkild and the twin boys. Once all their dragons were saddled and ready, they went back up the stairs, and found Erik and Storm waiting for them.

"Are we all ready?" he asked quietly, and they all nodded in confirmation. "Then let's go."

Several hours later, Dragon Island appeared on the horizon. They were all glad to see it, as the flight had been both cold and turbulent. Fortunately, they had left the snowstorm behind them. As drew closer, they spotted a familiar dragon on the beach below. Toothless was waiting patiently for their arrival, though Hiccup was nowhere in sight. He let them have a few minutes to say goodbye to their dragons, then gave a commanding bark, signaling that time was up. Watching them all fly away, Maara felt slightly forlorn.

"Looks like we're on our own, now," Erik spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "We're all prepared for this, so let's get started. Be safe, and be smart. If we pay attention to our surroundings, we should all make it across just fine. Good luck." He smiled at her, cheering her up immensely, then they all split up, heading in different directions.

The rest of the day passed relatively quickly. Maara and Kyla took turns holding the map, keeping an eye out for anything that wasn't a tree or rock. Sometimes, they heard reptilian chattering, and the occasional roar in the distance, but they didn't see so much as a single Terror all afternoon.

They were sitting by a stream, filling up their water skins, when Maara felt a tingling on the back of her neck. Looking around, she didn't see anything, so she shook it off. It was almost nightfall, and they would need to set up camp soon.

"Let's follow this stream, and see if we can't find a good campsite." Kyla nodded, and they set off. A few times, she thought she heard rustling in the bushes, but decided that it was probably the wind. Before long, they found a nice clearing, and proceeded to set up their tent and light a small fire. There were fish in the stream, and soon they had five roasting on a stick. They split a loaf of bread between them, and ate three of the fish. As darkness settled around them, they could hear the sound of faraway screeching, and scooted closer to the flames, as though that would keep nocturnal presences at bay.

Suddenly, the bushes across from them began to quiver, and they glanced at each other nervously. Dragons weren't the only creatures on Dragon Island. There was also a healthy population of wild boars, which, oddly enough, were known to be more aggressive and temperamental than the dragons. The shaking intensified, and slowly, they reached for their hunting knives.

A few seconds later, a tiny red dragon popped out, sniffing the ground. Both girls sighed with relief.

"Hey, little fella," Maara said, getting up and crouching in front of him. He didn't seem frightened of her, and scurried closer, still sniffing. She realized that he probably smelled the fish, so she grabbed one of the leftovers and tossed it to him. He swallowed it whole, licking his chops, then came right up to her.

"Looks like you made a new friend, Maara," Kyla laughed.

"Jealous?" Maara teased, petting the dragon's head. He purred happily, rubbing against her hand.

"Of your Terrible Terror? Not so much," she retorted, though her tone was joking.

Maara frowned as a thought struck her. Something was off about this little dragon. His face was too narrow, and he had too many horns. "I don't think this is a Terror, Kyla," she said slowly. And when he flopped onto his back, she saw that he didn't have any front legs. Definitely not a Terror. So what was he? A horrible suspicion stole over her, and immediately she recoiled, pulling her hands away. He gave an indignant screech, rolling over and jumping up to latch onto her chest.

"No, no, you need to go now," she told him with increasing urgency, but he just kept screeching when she tried to pull him off.

"Maara."

"Not now, Kyla, we have to get this guy out of here, I think he's a baby—"

"Maara." It was a terrified squeak. Maara froze, slowly raising her head, and came face to face with an enormous, toothy snout. An aggressive huff of hot air rushed past her, accompanied by a loud growl.

"—Nightmare."


So far, so good, Erik thought, staring at the roof of his tent. Torkild and he were getting along well, they'd set up camp without a hitch, and they'd even run into a couple of Nadders earlier in the day. Fortunately, the dragons had been more curious than anything else, and he'd successfully approached one and scratched it with a bit of dragon nip.

Sighing, he wondered how Maara was doing. She'd looked a bit nervous that morning, but he had faith that she'd be just fine. He wished that she was his partner, rather than Torkild, whose snoring could wake the dead. But he'd be seeing her in less than two days, and he was sure they'd have some interesting stories to share.

Smiling slightly, he pulled his blankets up to his chin, and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, he and Torkild woke up to the familiar singing of Terrors. Not talking much, they ate a quick breakfast of bread and jerky, then packed up their camp and set off. The morning passed uneventfully. While they stopped for lunch, a few friendly-looking Gronckles appeared, and, figuring that they had plenty of time to spare, they went off in search of some rocks to feed them. Not long after they parted ways with the Boulder Class dragons, Erik spotted a length of gleaming chain.

"Watch out for that trap," he cautioned Torkild, inwardly recalling his father's confession, and wondering what other perils might be lurking. "Here, let's undo it." Untying the knots that connected the net to the trigger, they nodded in satisfaction, and went on their way.

They'd been walking for a while, when Erik realized that the forest around them was completely silent. Eerily so. He signaled for Torkild to stop, and peered around uneasily. There were no dragon calls, no birds chirping, not even the rustle of wind in the trees. Something was definitely not right.

"I don't like this, Erik," Torkild muttered.

Then, in the distance, they heard a faint shriek. "That wasn't a dragon," Erik said, immediately alarmed. "Come on!"

"Are you sure we should be running towards the shriek?" Torkild panted as they ran, both growing weary under the weight of their packs. They were below a high ridge that prevented them from going straight, but Erik could see the end of it.

"Someone could be in trouble," he replied, his thoughts immediately traveling to Maara. What if she was in danger? What if she was hurt? It would be all his fault. Gritting his teeth, he rounded the edge of the ridge and ran right into someone.

"Oof!" they both cried as they tumbled to the ground. Shaking his head, he looked down at the person beneath him.

Relief coursed through him. "Maara?"

"You're squishing me," she gasped, and he quickly rolled off of her and helped her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as she brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"Yeah, are you?"

"Erik!" Torkild came around the corner, wheezing, just as Kyla appeared through the trees, yelling, "Maara!"

"Are you two alright?" Torkild asked while he caught his breath.

"Yeah, we're fine," Kyla replied. "We heard that shriek and we thought—"

"Wait," Erik frowned. "Are you saying that wasn't either of you?"

Both girls shook their heads, then all of their eyes widened.

"The twins," Kyla breathed.

"Okay. We're going to find them, and we're going to stick together," Erik said.

"But wait, that's against the rules—" Torkild protested, but Erik silenced him with a glare.

"If they're in trouble, then all of us could be in danger, too. We'll be safer together. And if it turns out that it was nothing, and they're fine, then we can separate again. But until we know for sure, I personally would feel better if we didn't split up." When no one argued, he nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

As they walked, Erik quietly asked Maara, "Has everything else been alright?"

"Well, we had a surprise visit last night from an angry mama Nightmare, but other than that, things have been going swimmingly."

"An angry mama Nightmare?"

She briefly told him about the hatchling that had wandered into their camp and refused to leave, and the arrival of the mother. Then Kyla butted in.

"It was so great, Erik," she chuckled. "Maara finally got the damn dragon to let go of her, and she held it out and said, 'Here's your baby.'"

"Clearly, she didn't see fit to disembowel the two of you," Erik commented, finding that the thought of Maara in danger wasn't particularly amusing.

Maara just nodded. "Well, I'd hoped that would be the end of it, but then she started sniffing at me. She didn't seem like she was upset anymore, but I was a little nervous that she might change her mind. Finally I worked up the courage to grab the other fish and I tossed it to her. Kyla shoved my pack closer to me so I could get the dragon nip, and from that point forward she was very agreeable. Her other hatchlings came out, and they all stayed for a while, until Kyla and I were starting to fall asleep."

"She just told them that it was her bedtime, and that she hoped they would have a good night, and they listened to her! All the babies climbed up on her back and she disappeared into the night," Kyla was grinning, and Erik felt a surge of pride.

"I knew you could do it," he told Maara, and she smiled shyly at him.

The trees were starting to thin, and they found themselves on a relatively well-worn path. "A lot of boars and dragons must come through here," Erik noted.

"So why haven't we seen any?" Kyla's question set them all on edge again, and they slowed, looking around nervously.

Erik spotted another dragon trap, and made them stop to undo it. "Let's keep moving."

A few minutes later they came out in a wide open space, and immediately froze in horror. The ground seemed to be an expanse of rock, on which there was no vegetation. But that barely even registered. No, what really caught their attention was the blood.

Half a dozen boar carcasses were strewn about in pools of gore. Erik reached for his knife, and the rest of them quickly did the same. They remained motionless for a moment, searching for the source of the violence, but there was no sign of life anywhere.

"Okay," Erik breathed. "Everyone stay alert. I don't think that whatever did this is still here, but that doesn't mean it won't come back."

"Are you kidding me?" Torkild hissed. "We need to get out of here!"

"The shriek came from this direction," he replied under his breath. "We have to look around. If you'd rather stay behind, be my guest."

His partner mouthed a graphic oath, but followed without further protest. They approached the nearest corpse, trying not to gag at the stench and sight of it. Erik frowned. The wounds didn't appear to be from any dragon he could think of. The flesh almost looked… shredded. Blood was still seeping forth, staining the rock red. Which meant… whatever had done it, had done it recently.

"Erik!" Maara whispered, pointing to one of the other bodies. At first, he didn't notice anything, but then he saw it. Gesturing for them to follow, he hurried over to it, attempting to tug it out from underneath the dead boar. It tore off in his hand, and he looked at it with dismay.

"It's their map," he said gravely. "They were here." Whatever small hope he might have had that this might be one of his father's obstacles was rapidly fading. He glanced at the body, but to his surprise, this one didn't have the same wounds as the last. Its hide was marred by blistering scorch marks. Definitely a dragon, then. But embedded in it were…

"Those look like Nadder spines," Kyla frowned, leaning over and grabbing one. With a sickening squelch she yanked it free, examining it.

Erik's thoughts were racing. Was this the work of more than one dragon? From the scale of the damage, he was starting to think it might be. But none of the carcasses had been eaten, just mutilated. What kind of dragon kills for sport?

"Okay. We need to find the twins, as soon as possible, and then we need to get to my dad and Snotlout. Without our dragons, we're basically defenseless. Now, I know I said we needed to stick together, but right now we're going to have to search around so we can figure out which way the twins went. Don't go too far. If you find some sign of them, call the rest of us. If you run into any danger, or something else we need to see, call. Otherwise, stay quiet and keep alert."

They all nodded grimly, clutching their knives as they crept off in different directions. Erik stayed by the bodies for a few minutes, trying and failing to place the dragons responsible. Sighing, he was about to join the search when he heard a yell. Torkild. He broke into a run, cursing the weight of his pack, until he found his partner a little ways into the forest, crouched next to a tree.

Oh, gods. Erik threw off his pack and dropped to the ground, fearing the worst. One of the twins was slouched against the trunk, his clothes bloody and torn. A spine stuck out of the right side of his chest, and his leg was bent at an awkward angle. His eyes were closed, a nasty gash on his forehead oozing blood, but Erik could definitely hear his ragged breathing.

"His pulse is faint," he muttered, his fingers pressed beneath the other boy's jaw. Hesitantly, he touched the spine protruding through his shirt, but he didn't even flinch. "We can't move him with that thing in his chest."

Torkild looked at him, horrified. "You mean you want to take it out? We can't do that!"

Erik took a steadying breath, then went to rummage through his pack. He really didn't have anything in the way of medicine, or even bandages. Which meant that he'd have to make do with something else. Undoing the ties securing his rolled-up tent, he got his knife and began cutting it into long strips.

"Why are you cutting up your tent?"

He didn't look up as he replied, "We don't have bandages. When I take the spine out, we're going to have to staunch the blood flow somehow, and it might as well be with this." Once he felt there were enough, he carried the pile over to the unconscious twin's form. Vaguely, he was reminded that he had known them for most of his life, but he still for the life of him couldn't tell the two brothers apart. Baldor and Carsten. They were completely identical in every way. He supposed now he'd be able to identify this one by the scar that would be left on his forehead, though it had never been too much of a problem. They were always together. Well, almost always. The other twin was nowhere in sight.

Carefully, he cut the boy's shirt open, exposing his chest. The skin around the spine was red, but didn't show any signs of being poisoned or infected. Yet. Folding up a few of the strips into a sizable pad, he looked at Torkild, who was extremely pale. "I need your help, Torkild. You're going to hold him still while I take out the spine, then you're going to press this against the wound as hard as you can, and keep him upright while I wrap these strips around him. Do you understand?"

Mutely, he nodded, so Erik handed him the thick pad of strips. "You'll need to get closer. Come on, we have to hurry."

Once Torkild was in position, Erik gripped the spine in his right hand, his left gripping the boy's shoulder as leverage. "On three. One, two…" he took a deep breath. "Three!" He yanked it out, hearing Torkild make a retching sound as blood began to pour freely from the open wound. But he followed instructions, immediately pressing the pad over it, and Erik quickly began to wrap the rest of the strips around his torso and right shoulder to hold it firmly in place. As soon as he knotted the last one, Torkild stumbled over to the bushes and threw up.

When he came back, miserably wiping his mouth, Erik placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did really well, Torkild. Now, we're going to have to take turns carrying him until we get him to safety, which will need to be very soon."

"What about our packs?" he asked.

"Forget about them. We won't be making camp again. Actually," he pondered for a moment. "We'll take one. Only some food and blankets, nothing else." Both of them stiffened when they heard a faint shout. "Okay, time to move. I'll take him first, can you help me get him onto my back?" Thankfully, the twins were shorter and skinnier than both of them, and in a few moments Erik was standing, hands gripping the boy's legs while limp arms dangled over his shoulders. Torkild had dumped everything out of his pack, keeping only what Erik told him to. "Come on, then." They hurried back to the clearing with the dead boars, following the sound of the girls' calls.

The ground was sloped downwards in this direction, and they stepped carefully until the girls came into view. But whatever relief Erik felt at their apparent safety vanished as he saw what they had discovered.

They were standing next to a wide, yawning hole in the ground. Erik peered into it, trying to contain his shock. Something had gone straight through the rock, creating a gaping tunnel into the earth. But most alarming of all was the single boot resting inches away from the edge.

For a moment, they all stared into the dark tunnel. To Erik, the pieces were beginning to fall into place…

"Do you hear that?" Maara spoke quietly.

"Hear what?"

Then the rest of them noticed it. It sounded like a roomful of people whispering, and it was getting louder.

"Who's making that noise?" Torkild asked anxiously. "What are they saying?"

"They aren't saying anything," Erik realized with horror. "We gotta get out of here! Run for the trees!" Taking off across the slope, they headed to the shelter of the forest. As they slid behind some bushes, the whispers became deafening, then the ground exploded in a cloud of dust and chunks of rock.

Erik really hated being right, sometimes.

The Whispering Death was big, bigger than he'd imagined. It hovered in the air for a moment, peering around with bulbous white eyes, then flew over to one of the dead boars with its long tail whipping behind it. I don't get it, Erik wondered. I thought they didn't come out during the day… Sinking its teeth into the carcass, it effortlessly carried it back towards the fresh hole. Glancing around one last time, it dove into the tunnel and vanished.

They waited a few minutes in petrified silence, but the dragon didn't come back. Shifting the twin's weight a bit, Erik finally spoke.

"I need to see one of your maps."

Confused, Kyla pulled out the folded paper and held it open in front of him. It took him a moment, but he thought he might know where they had ended up. "Okay. We're not too far away from where my dad and Snotlout are camped out. Which is good, because we don't have much time. Help me, here…" The girls gently lifted the unconscious boy off him and rested him on the ground.

"Torkild, I'm going to need you to carry him there, as fast as you are able." In a few moments, Torkild stood with the twin slumped over his back. Erik pulled out another strip of fabric and quickly tied the boy's wrists together, so that he wouldn't fall off as Torkild moved.

"Maara, Kyla, you're going with him. Leave your packs here. You have to watch his back. If I'm right, in about a mile you should come out of the forest on a ridge overlooking a beach. As soon as you get there, I want you to scream with all you're worth. The dragons will hear you, and you will be rescued."

"What about you?" Maara asked, clearly worried.

"As soon as you're safe, send Storm and Toothless back for me."

There was an immediate chorus of protests. "Erik, don't be stupid, you can't stay here!"

"What if that Whispering Death comes back?"

"We're not leaving you behind!"

"Would you all be quiet?" he raised his voice, silencing them. "Listen to me. There's no time to argue. He could die if he doesn't get proper treatment soon. And his brother is down there, somewhere. I'm not going home without him."

"Erik," Maara's eyes were shining. "Please. Don't do this."

"I have to. If you send Storm and Toothless back for me, I'll be okay. The chances of me running into that Whispering Death before then are slim. But we can't waste any more time. The longer we wait, the less likely it is that either of them will make it. Do you understand?"

"If I thought I could beat some sense into you, I would have done it a long time ago," Torkild said gruffly. "But stupidity aside, you're probably one of the bravest people I've ever met, Erik. We'll send them back for you. Just be careful down there."

"I'll be careful, don't worry." Maara had a devastated expression on her face, so he leaned down and softly kissed her cheek. "It'll be fine. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner you can rescue me. Now, go! Don't stop for any reason!" Torkild and Kyla nodded and started jogging away, but Maara stepped closer to him, raising her fist threateningly.

"If anything happens to you, I'll see to it that you regret the day you met me." A tear spilled down her cheek, and she turned, running after the others.

Though it pained him, Erik smiled at her retreating form. "Nothing could make me regret knowing you," he said softly. Alright. Time to get to work. He rummaged around in one of the abandoned packs and found some flint. Cutting a strip off a blanket, he tied it around the end of a broken branch, then, tucking the flint into his pocket along with all the knives he could find, he left the shelter of the trees and walked back down to the hole with the boot next to it.

"I'm coming for you," he muttered, holding his makeshift torch in one hand as he sat with his legs dangling over the edge. Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself forward and immediately he was sliding down into darkness, his back against the solid earth. After a few moments the slope leveled out and he came to a stop, heart racing. Picking himself up off the ground, he peered back at the circle of light far above him. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to climb back up. The only way I'm getting out of here is on a dragon. He hoped that he had been right about their distance from the shore, and that Storm would be coming after him soon. In the meantime, he had a job to do. Pulling out the flint, he struck it until a spark caught on the fabric wrapped around the branch.

Bracing himself, he raised his torch and set off down the tunnel.


Hiccup leaned against Toothless's side, staring out at the waves. There was something deeply meditative about being near the ocean. It was just so vast, so… consistent. It would always be there, the tides rising and falling, waves breaking on the shore.

A warble brought him out of his reverie, and he glanced over to see a pair of vivid green eyes fixed on him.

"Everything's alright, bud. You know I always worry when we bring the kids out here, this time is no different. Except that Erik is somewhere on this rock, doing gods-know-what." Another warble. "Yeah, I know, he's probably just fine. But this is the first time I've intentionally sent one of my own children off on their own. Aeri and Shade never got around to doing this, if you care to recall. They left before it was their turn." A nod. "I suppose they had their own rite of passage. One that was a lot longer and a lot more dangerous than this little jaunt. Can't say I prefer it that way, though." He sighed, patting his friend's neck. "Oh, well. Tomorrow we go home, back to the mundane running of the village. Of course, there's the whole to-do with the pirates, but there's not much good in worrying about what we can't control."

"Food's almost ready!" Snotlout shouted from inside the cave, and Hiccup grinned. His cousin's wife really had him trained. The once crude and coarse Viking had experienced quite the attitude adjustment the first time he'd set eyes upon Rana, the trader's daughter, and since then, he'd become almost as efficient at cooking and cleaning as Hiccup.

"I wonder what we'll be having for dinner," he pretended to wonder to his dragon "We haven't had any fish in a while. I sure hope that's what's on the menu."

Toothless just rolled his eyes and abruptly stood, causing Hiccup to topple backwards. "Thanks, bud," he said sarcastically, pushing himself to his feet to the sound of his dragon's laughter.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing in the direction of the cave, but Toothless wasn't paying attention. His ears were up, and he was staring at the ridge above the beach. "What is it?" He suddenly took off, sprinting away, and Hiccup ran after him, not knowing what else to do. "Wait! Where are you going?"

That's when he heard it. His blood ran cold, and he stopped, calling for Snotlout and the other dragons.

Screaming. Multiple voices, screaming.

"Toothless, get me up there!" In a matter of seconds they were over the ridge and weaving through the trees.

"Help! Help!" Oh, gods. What had happened?

Toothless roared, and Hiccup shouted as loudly as he could, "Hang on! We're coming!"

They soon caught sight of the kids, who were disheveled and sweaty. Torkild, Maara, Kyla…

"Chief!" Kyla shrieked. They all stopped running, bending over and gasping for breath. A fourth person was hanging from Torkild's back. As soon as Toothless touched the ground, Hiccup leapt from the saddle.

"What happened to him?" he asked, trying to control his panic. It was one of the twins, Baldor or Carsten, he never could tell them apart. He was unconscious, pale and scratched up, and his breathing was shallow and uneven.

"Attacked," Torkild wheezed. "… death."

Attacked? Death? "Toothless, call the dragons. Now." The Night Fury let out a deafening roar, forcing them all to cover their ears.

Hiccup could see that they were barely holding it together. "It's going to be okay. Now, what attacked him? And what do you mean by 'death'?"

"Not 'death'," Kyla said. "Whispering Death! You have to—"

"What?!" Last time they'd checked, there were no Whispering Deaths on Dragon Island. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Maara choked, her expression one of anguish. "Chief, you have to go—"

"Wait," he cut her off, a sense of dread coming over him. "Where's Erik? And the other twin?"

"That's what we're trying to tell you!" Maara practically shrieked. "He went after him!"

"What?" A series of roars sounded nearby, signaling the arrival of the dragons. "What do you mean?!"

"We found this twin like this, but—"

"— there was only a boot, next to the tunnel—"

"—and Erik went after him—"

Hiccup thought he might have a heart attack. "He went into the tunnel? By himself? And you let him?!"

Maara was crying now. "You have to go get him! Please!"

"Hiccup! What's going on?" Snotlout shouted.

"Get them down to the beach, Snotlout! And make sure they stay there!" He jumped back onto Toothless's saddle, glancing around. "Storm! We've got to go get Erik! Come on, bud, fly!"

The younger Fury roared and took off, not waiting for them. Hiccup prayed like he hadn't in a long time. Please, let my son still be alive.


He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking. The dark tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, gradually sloping downhill. The air was chilly and damp, and he suspected that he might catch a cold if he stayed down here much longer.

There were far fewer offshoots to this tunnel than to the ones back on Berk. Perhaps that had something to do with the sheer number of Whispering Deaths that were responsible for that business. Erik had thoroughly explored them with Storm, and had never found them this creepy. Maybe because there weren't actually any Whispering Deaths roaming around down there. Once again, he prayed that his dragon would arrive soon. It was getting harder and harder for him to maintain his anxiety.

He was reminded of the stories his father had told him, about his first experience with a Whispering Death. He'd gone into the tunnels, too, but when the dragon found him, it simply shoved him right back out of its hole. Erik didn't have any hopes that this particular Whispering Death would be as forgiving, seeing as how it had dragged one of the twins down here intentionally. He refused to think about the fact that he might not find the boy, or worse, find only pieces of him.

In the distance, he thought he could see a light. At first, he figured it was just his imagination, but as he approached, he realized that it was another tunnel to the surface. Pausing under it, he peered upwards. He must have been down there for a while, as it seemed to be a lot less bright out than when he had dropped in. Looking forward, he realized with dismay that the tunnel split into three different directions.

Damn it. How the Hel am I supposed to figure out which way to go? He was about to punch the wall in frustration when he heard a very distinct hissing sound.

Panic threatened to overwhelm him. If that thing found him, he was as good as dead. Then he remembered that there had been another tunnel, not too far back. As quietly and quickly as he could, he retraced his steps, and finally found it. Ducking into it, he almost swore again when he looked at his torch. The flickering light would be a dead giveaway. Silently cursing, he dropped it, stamping it out, then peeked around the corner. At first, he could see nothing in the darkness, and could only hear the dragon's hissing. A few moments later, though, he spied movement. A round, bulky body was revealed by the slight illumination from the surface tunnel. He thought he could see another boar in its mouth, but it soon turned down one of the other tunnels and disappeared from sight.

Taking a shaky breath, Erik leaned down and picked up his extinguished torch. If it was carrying a boar, maybe it was taking it to where it took everything else. It was the only shot he had, and swallowing nervously, he decided to take it. He couldn't light the torch again, not if he was going to follow the dragon, so he'd have to rely the hissing to guide him. Careful to step quietly, he hurried back to where the tunnel split up, and without hesitation turned down the one the dragon had taken. In no time at all, it was pitch black, and he kept one hand on the wall, resisting the urge to slow down. He couldn't afford to lose track of the dragon.

After a while, he started smelling something unpleasant. At first, he couldn't place it, but then he remembered. The boar carcasses. It was the smell of death, and it was only getting stronger. His stomach churned, but he pressed on, only breathing through his mouth. To his relief, another small circle of illumination appeared ahead, once again above an intersection of tunnels. Before he got to it, though, the hissing started getting louder, so he quickly ducked into a side tunnel, peering around the edge. The Whispering Death reappeared, this time without the boar, before turning down another tunnel and vanishing. He waited until he couldn't really hear the hissing anymore, then rushed down the tunnel it had just come from. The stench was unbearable now, as he descended into utter darkness once more. Finally, he stopped. It was risky, but he needed to be able to see. So he reached into his pocket for the flint. It took him a few tries, but finally the cloth on the end of his stick caught fire, revealing his surroundings. Treading carefully, he headed towards a large opening, and found himself in a small cavern.

This was the source of the smell. There were carcasses both fresh and not-so-fresh, piled around a mound of dirt. For a moment, he was at a loss for why the dragon was hoarding dead boars, until he raised his torch a bit, and the light caught a smooth curve. Oh. Nestled atop the mound was a cluster of speckled eggs.

He didn't want to consider the repercussions of a Whispering Death nest. Dragon Island would never be the same, if there was a flock of them roaming unchecked beneath the surface. Picking his way towards the eggs, he froze when soft groan echoed around him.

When he heard it again, he approached what seemed to be the freshest carcass, bathing it in orange light. But it wasn't moving, or breathing. So what was it?

"…Baldor…"

Erik almost cried with relief. But it was short lived, as he shone the light past the boar, and saw Carsten trapped underneath it. When the torchlight hit his face, he began mumbling, forehead creased with agitation. His nose looked broken, and there was dried blood all over his lips and chin.

Erik knew he probably didn't have a lot of time, so he propped the torch up against the dirt mound and crouched next to Carsten. The boy's chest and arms were free, and with some work, Erik managed to get one of his legs out. But the other was well and truly stuck. Reaching under his arms, he leaned back and pulled with all his weight, but Carsten gave a small cry, and immediately he let go. Looking at his bloody face, Erik saw that his eyes were partially open. Glazed, but open.

"Carsten," he whispered. "Carsten!" The boy's gaze flickered in his direction. "It's Erik. I'm going to get you out of here, but I need your help."

His lips parted. "Hurtsss."

"I know, Carsten. But you have to hang in there. Come on. Your leg is stuck, can you move it?"

His brows knitted for a moment, until he sighed. "Uh-uh."

Erik's mind was racing. How am I supposed to do this? "Okay, Carsten. I'm going to try and move the boar. I won't be able to lift it, but I should be able to budge it enough for you to pull your leg out." He positioned himself with his back to the massive corpse, feet planted on the ground. "Okay, are you ready?"

Carsten gave a small nod, taking a deep breath.

"On three. One, two… three!" Erik shoved against the boar, legs straining. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then he felt it start to give, a fraction at a time. "Pull, Carsten!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Trying."

Somewhere far away, he heard a familiar roar, and he almost sobbed. Storm. But a few moments later, another sound infiltrated their cavern. A faint and very ominous hiss.

Oh, please, no. "Carsten," he grunted. "It's coming back."

Panic flashed in the other boy's eyes, and frantically he redoubled his efforts. "Erik," he whimpered softly. "I can't."

The hissing was louder.

"Yes, you can." Erik couldn't keep this up for much longer.

"Just go, Erik. Leave me here."

"I am not leaving you," he growled.

"But—"

"But nothing. We're getting out of here together, and that's final. Now pull!" He pushed with all his strength, and felt the boar rise slightly. A little more… His body was screaming at him, but he wouldn't give up. Clenching his jaw, he shut his eyes and clawed at the bristly hide with his fingers. Sweat was pouring down his face.

"I got it!"

His legs gave out and he collapsed onto the floor. Chest heaving, he looked at Carsten, who had managed to drag himself free. The nightmare was far from over, though. The hissing was louder, but a furious roar sounded, much closer this time.

"That's our ride," Erik told him, forcing his spent body to rise. "Come on, time to go." Carsten tried to get up, but his legs buckled, and he fell back to the ground. Sheer terror shone in his eyes.

"Erik, my legs—"

"It's alright." He sounded a lot calmer than he felt. Kneeling, he reached around Carsten's torso and hauled him up. "Hold onto me."

He stumbled around the carcasses, making for the dark tunnel. Neither of them could carry the torch, so they left it behind. Breathing hard, Erik went as fast as he dared in the darkness, until a very faint light marked the surface tunnel. There was a flash of bright purple, and he gave up all hope of stealth.

"STORM!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He could hear her running, almost—

An enormous bulk rushed from the darkness, blocking his way with a terrifying hiss. Slowly it advanced towards him, seemingly taunting him with his imminent demise. Carsten made a sobbing sound, then went limp as he passed out. Erik tightened his grip on him, wanting to be brave but knowing his dignity would not be enough to save them. With a shriek, the Whispering Death lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches away from them, and it began to writhe with fury. But it seemed to be moving backwards…

"Erik!"

Oh, gods. "Dad!"

He heard his father's voice, encouraging Toothless, who must have been the one dragging it away from them. Keeping a safe distance from the dragon's enormous teeth, Erik carried Carsten up the tunnel, until they could both see the night sky through the hole above them. Toothless continued pulling the thrashing Whispering Death back, until he could only hear its angry hissing.

A shadow bounded towards them from the darkness. "Storm! I have never been so glad to see you in my life."

"Erik!" his father shouted. "Get on your dragon and get out of here!"

He didn't hesitate. Dropping Carsten in the saddle, he scrambled up behind him. "Go, go, go!" Storm launched straight up, and seconds later they were in the sky, the cold, fresh air filling their lungs.

They circled over the hole, waiting… A minute later, they heard a shriek, and then Toothless shot out of the ground, escaping through a different hole farther back in the tunnel.

"Dad!"

"Erik! Are you alright?"

"I am now. Can you take Carsten? I can't hold onto him much longer."

They landed a ways away, and Hiccup gently lifted Carsten in his arms and carried him back to Toothless.

"Thanks for coming. If you hadn't gotten there when you did…" Erik trailed off.

His father took a breath. "We are going to be having a very long discussion about this later. For now—" He was cut off by an unpleasantly familiar whispering, and the ground beneath them began to tremble. "Time to go!"

Storm and Toothless leapt skyward as the earth exploded beneath them. The Whispering Death was right on their tails, hissing madly and breathing fire. It refused to relent. How are we supposed to get rid of this thing? Then he had an idea.

"Dad! We have to split up!"

"Are you crazy?"

"No! I have an idea! Keep it busy for a couple of minutes, then lead it after me!"

"Erik, I don't like this!"

"What choice do we have?"

In response, Toothless suddenly banked hard to the right, flying in a tight loop until he was flying behind the Whispering Death. He shot a couple of plasma blasts at it, getting its attention long enough for Storm and Erik to get away.

"Okay, we need to go back that way…" he guided Storm down low, and soon they were over the rocky clearing. "It should be just through those trees. There!" He spied the gleaming chains on the ground and jumped from the saddle, stumbling a bit as he ran towards them. Gotta hurry, gotta hurry… "Go back to the clearing!" he told Storm. "When you see the Whispering Death, lead it here!" She growled in affirmation and took off.

He jumped up and caught the rope dangling from the tree, pulling it down to tie it to the one resting on the ground. Almost there…

"Erik!" he heard his father shout.

There was crashing, and the sound of plasma blasts, then he saw Storm, being pursued by the Whispering Death.

Gotta time this just right. We only have one chance.

"I'm over here! Come and get me!" he yelled, waving his arms around. He knew it had spotted him when it screeched angrily. Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his knife, stepping into position. His heart hammered in his chest as it barreled straight at him, but he couldn't run, he had to stay right there or he would most certainly die.

Come on. Closer. Almost…

Storm flashed by him, and he dove, slashing with his knife. The chains whipped upwards, and he waited in fear for teeth to sink into his body, but they never came. Rolling onto his back, he looked up, and gave a startled laugh. The Whispering Death was thrashing and snapping its jaws, hissing with rage as it struggled to free itself from the trap.

Storm came up next to him and roared defiantly in its face, as if daring it to try something. A few moments later, Toothless landed nearby, his father holding Carsten's limp form upright in the saddle.

"You did it!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Erik grunted as he got up. "I guess we did." He studied the Whispering Death, which was now still, staring at him hatefully through the chains. "I'm just glad there's only one of them here."

"Yeah, they're usually solitary as adults, unless they're nesting," his father remarked casually. "How about we leave this fellow here for now, and get Carsten to safety?"

Erik froze. "What did you say?"

"That we should leave it here for now?"

A deep dread was creeping up his spine. "No. Before that."

His father frowned. "They're solitary, unless they're…" he trailed off, looking at him with alarm. "Erik, what was down there?"

"Eggs, Dad. There were eggs."

"Oh, gods. We need to get rid of them, before they hatch!"

Filled with nervous energy, Erik leapt back onto Storm. "We'll be back for you later," he told the trapped dragon. The Night Furies took off, heading back for the tunnels. They were almost at the hole closest to the nest when they heard the whispering.

"Did it escape?" Erik asked, though he knew with a sinking heart that it hadn't. In an instant, the second Whispering Death burst forth from the ground. Toothless narrowly dodged it, but Storm didn't have enough time to get out of the way. Almost in slow motion, its long, spiny tail whipped towards them and smashed into Erik, knocking him from the saddle.

There was a flash of excruciating pain, and then he was falling, his vision going dark. The last thing he heard was a loud roar, before everything went black.


CLIFFHANGER! AHAHA!

Anyways. This chapter was something like a Thanksgiving turkey. Lots of stuffing. Not all of which was fun and games, so here's hoping that none of you hate me for it.

Next week... More excitement! And by excitement, I mean danger and melodramatics. One of you made a very good guess in your review about something that's going to happen, though only part of it will end up being true. I'll let y'all stew a bit wondering what I'm talking about. The chapter is finished, but as usual, if there's something you want more of, I can always try to make it happen. I'm going on an adventure of my own until next Friday, which means that I might not be able to change much about the next chapter, but it will be posted on time.

Well, that's all for now. You're the best, make good choices, review, blah blah blah. ;)