Honest looked up at the sky, then around the island, her eyes stopping at a silhouette standing on a hilltop, gazing out across the ocean. 'Pheda, look.'
Pheda looked up from the daisies she was braiding together, looking first at her friend, then following the dragon's gaze. Zephyr. Without a word, she got up, and walked through the bustling village, taking only a moment to enjoy the renewed peace. She climbed the hill, and soon stood beside her future Chieftess.
At first both were silent, both looking out towards the horizon, where the sky meets the sea. Zephyr's eyes never left it. "They have them, Pheda." she said after a moment.
"What do you mean?" Pheda asked, looking at her with a mixture of confusion and worry. "Who has who?"
"Nuffink," she answered, wiping the tears from her eyes, "and Milehck, too. The raiders. . . they took them. The General, he. . . showed Nuffink to me, when he refused to return Milehck and Karda to me. I don't know where they'll be taken. All the other missing New-Berkians. . . they have them. All of them."
Oh no, Pheda thought. Have we gained this peace, only to lose it again? She was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. "We'll find them, Zephyr. If they're out there, we'll find them. There are at least fifteen Titanwing Rumblehorns in the Hidden World who would be up to the task."
Zephyr shook her head, finally meeting Pheda's eyes. "No. Nothing will be able to find them. The General can hide himself away from all, and no dragon, Titanwing or otherwise, will be able to find them. There's nothing you can do, Pheda. There's nothing anyone can do."
She took a shaky breath. "Go on. Enjoy the peace and safety on New Berk. I have a feeling it may not last long."
Pheda started to say something, then stopped. After a pause, she turned away, and walked back to Honest, deep in thought, and feeling a tinge of fear.
The Night Light knew at once that something was wrong. 'Pheda, what is it? Is it something Zephyr said?'
Pheda sat down beside her, barely meeting her friend's worried eyes. The missing half-fleet. . . the missing New-Berkians. . . how did we not see the connection? The leader of the raiders has escaped us, taking with him Hiccup's son Nuffink, and Zephyr's son Milehck. We need to track them down, or this peace we've created will be short-lived. True peace hasn't come yet. We have work to do.
'Agreed,' Honest said, flattening her ears tightly against her head. 'But I fear that this battle of ours is only the beginning. Whoever orchestrated this attack will not have done it simply for the sake of doing it. He will have had a reason. The real question is-'
What is that reason? Pheda finished, brows knitting. This will take time, and plenty of it.
'Well,' Honest said, getting up, 'if you're right about one thing, Pheda, it's this: this isn't over. Not by a long shot.'