The charcoal stick rasped against paper, the only sound in the cavern besides Toothless gnawing on a log. Hiccup couldn't decide if the silence was welcome, or maddening. Most likely neither. At this point, he'd feel maddened no matter what his surroundings were.

Since escaping Alvin, he'd avoided AuĂ°rland like the plague. He instead spent his time somewhere less dangerous-the Dragon Nest. Not inside, obviously, but the beach and sea stacks around it. He'd found that if he stayed near the ground, he could observe the dragons coming and going with little risk of discovery. Was it still terrifying and laden with the ever-present threat of doom? Yes. But it was also the only way to make progress on their...dilemma. It hadn't yielded much yet. He'd nailed down their basic routines; he could also guess when the Queen's feeding time was, based on when the dragons tended to converge en masse. Useful information, but not a great help for his end goal.

Hiccup set the charcoal down and looked over his work-a mess of theories and half-baked ideas, written mostly to trick himself into feeling productive. With a sigh, he crumpled the paper up and tossed it aside. "This is hopeless."

He stood, wincing a bit. Toothless chirped with concern, and Hiccup rubbed his head reassuringly. "I'm okay. They're just bruises; they'll be gone in another week." He paced the alcove, wracking his brains. "I don't think we can learn much more from spying. I wanna test her range, see exactly how far away we have to get before she can't call you back anymore. Maybe I should try befriending some of the other dragons. Doesn't hurt to have more allies. What do you think?"

The dragon's head snapped up, ear flaps pinning back in alarm.

"Is that a no?-"

Toothless leapt to his feet, nearly bowling Hiccup over as he scuttled to the edge of their alcove.

"Whoa! Bud, what is it-?"

Toothless hissed at him-a short, low hiss, like a shushing sound. Hiccup paused, and then crept to the edge himself. They peered through the curtain of ivy into the caldera. At first, all seemed normal-but then Hiccup heard voices echoing in faintly. There were people here.

...Okay, stay calm. They might just be making a water stop or repairing their ship or something. We just have to stay quiet and hidden until they leave. Hiccup tugged Toothless back, retreating deeper into the alcove. The dragon was tense, tail twitching like a riled cat. Hiccup stroked his muzzle, trying to calm him down-and to calm himself. His heart thundered as the voices grew louder.

"There's tracks in here!" Someone called. Hiccup stiffened. He didn't recognize the voice, so it wasn't someone from Berk. Could Alvin be looking for him? That...was bad. He hadn't thought of that. Why hadn't he thought of that?! Quiet as a mouse, he tiptoed to where Toothless' saddle lay. His fingers fumbled over the straps as he tried to both quickly and silently hitch it to the dragon's back. It seemed impossible to do both; his hands, curse them for their treachery, got shakier and sweatier with every passing moment. And he could hear more people treading in the cavern below.

"Aha! There's a forge 'ere!" exclaimed one of the trespassers.

"This must be where he's hidin'."

Hiccup dropped the strap he was tightening. That-that was a voice from Berk. A voice he knew better than any other.

His dad was here.

"Search the perimeter, and ready the nets. If he's not here, he'll return eventually."

And that was Alvin. Hiccup dropped to his knees, clamping a hand over his mouth to stifle any noise that might betray him. What was his dad doing here with Alvin? The Outcasts were Berk's worst rivals! Did he know what Alvin had done? Did he care?!

"Remember the deal, Alvin." Stoick's voice had a warning tone.

"Yes, yes. The boy's all yours," Alvin said dismissively. "Just leave the dragon in one piece, it's no good to me dead."

"The same goes for ye. Not a scratch on 'im."

"You want to save that privilege for yourself, I suppose?" Alvin chuckled. There was no reply except a grunt. Stoick didn't refute it. His silence made Hiccup sick to his stomach.

Get a grip, Hiccup! He snapped at himself. He hastily resumed attaching the saddle, but his lungs had decided to join his hands in rebellion. His breath came faster and shallower, wheezing at a volume that seemed deafening to his ears. Toothless seemed ready to pounce at any moment. They'd have to be fast, get out of reach before the intruders could launch any weapons.

A silhouette appeared outside the ivy curtain. They were out of time. Hiccup scrambled onto the Night Fury's back as the Viking parted the ivy. The poor sap barely had time to cry out before Toothless trampled him. The cavern filled with shouts. There were a dozen men scattered around the caldera. Hiccup didn't take the time to find his father among them. Toothless shot straight toward the volcano's opening, the open sky-

"Whoa-!" Hiccup barely spotted the net in time. He yanked on the reins, making Toothless turn sharply to avoid it. It caught the dragon's tail instead. He lashed the appendage to tug it free, but the weighted mesh caught on his fin apparatus. Toothless snarled as the Vikings below hauled him downward. Hiccup twisted around, scrabbling to get the net free. It finally released-yanking the tailfin off with it. "No!"

Toothless flapped madly, but it was no use. They tumbled down, careening off the walls and hitting the ground hard. Hiccup tumbled off as Toothless skidded across the muddy floor. The dragon let out a pained groan. Hiccup mirrored it-he'd be one big bruise when this was done. If he survived. He scrambled to his feet and threw himself in front of Toothless as the Vikings advanced.

"Leave him alone! Stay back!"

"Give it up, whelp." Alvin sneered. Stock stood alongside him. Hiccup looked to him pleadingly, but his face was as hard and cold as obsidian. There would be no mercy from that quarter.

Toothless hissed at the warriors as they encircled the pair. A stone wall at their back, and sharp steel all around-they couldn't get out of this. Not alone. Hiccup's gaze darted between his father and Alvin. Begging would not move either of them. But bargaining…

"I know where the nest is!" He blurted. Stoick stopped dead, eyes widening. Hiccup faced him, desperate. "I know how to get there, I know how to stop the raids! I'll tell you everything, if you just keep him away from Toothless!" He jabbed a finger at Alvin.

Stoick hesitated, eyeing the Outcast chief. The focus shifted from the boy and his dragon, the men now awaiting the orders of their respective chiefs.

"It seems our alliance ends here, Stoick." Alvin drew his sword. His men followed suit. "As it was always meant to. I'll be taking the boy and the dragon both, if you please."

"Like Hel ya will," Stoick snarled, axe at the ready. "I'll die before I let an Outcast lay hands on my son."

The tentative peace shattered like glass. Viking clashed against Viking in a deadly brawl, with Hiccup and Toothless caught in the middle.

"Hiccup, get ta the ship!" Stoick's yell carried through the din of battle cries. Hiccup wasted no time. Toothless was disoriented from the noise; Hiccup had to drag him by the harness through the fray. One of Alvin's men charged at them, only to be knocked to the ground by a Hooligan fist. Hiccup yelped as someone seized his arm. The cry snapped Toothless to his senses momentarily, and he body-slammed the attacker into the wall.

"We're almost there, bud! Faster, faster!" Hiccup slid down the slope to the rocky beach. Toothless' feet sent a spray of pebbles flying as he scurried along. Two ships were moored nearby. Hiccup made a beeline for the one that flew Berk's flag. Behind them, the fight was spilling out onto the shores. The Hooligan warriors ran for the ship as Hiccup led his dragon up the gangplank.

"Raise anchor! Get us movin'!" Stoick bellowed, bringing up the rear. Hiccup shoved Toothless back out of the way as the crew scrambled to obey. His dad was batting enemies aside like flies, but it was still too close a fight for a clean retreat. They needed an edge. Hiccup scanned the battlefield, mind racing.

"Toothless-" He pointed farther up the mountainside. "I need you to hit that spot right there. Can you do it?"

Toothless gave him a look that screamed "duh," and fired off a shot. It hit the target flawlessly; a jagged outcrop of the mountain broke free and rolled down the slope. The Outcasts scattered like seagulls to avoid being crushed. Stoick and the rest of the stragglers thundered up the gangplank, leaping aboard as the ship pulled away from land. Their opponents raced to their own ship, but Toothless was having none of that. A second fireball blew a hole in the side of the vessel. They wouldn't be sailing anywhere in the near future. Hiccup laughed with relief as the Outcast's dismayed cries reached him.

"Great job, bud! You showed 'em!" He hugged the dragon's scaly head, scratching under his chin until he purred loud enough to shake the boat.

It took Hiccup a moment to realize that no one else was celebrating. The ship was silent. Vikings were never silent. Hiccup glanced up. Every eye on the ship was on him-on Toothless. Every hand gripped a weapon. Stoick crossed his arms, glaring down on Hiccup. There was no trace of triumph on his face, just the stony gaze of a man facing an enemy.

Hiccup gulped. His arms tightened around Toothless. They'd escaped the frying pan-but now they were trapped in the fire. And this time, they wouldn't escape without burns.