Sayla led the group on a hike through the ledges of Oros. Fishlegs, in particular, was captivated by the valley's fertility and beauty. The red cedar trees towered over every living creature, and the ample numbers of streams, rivers, and lakes could nourish Oros for a very long time. Ravens and starlings regale the skies with their songs as herds of deer grazed on the fields alongside hares and mallards that were drying up from their bath in a nearby river. Distant trumpets of mammoths meant that animals of all shapes and sizes could thrive in this haven.
Within the hour, the group managed to reach Sayla's cave. Its proximity to a stream and a waterfall meant that quenching thirst would never be a trek to distant areas. The campfire near the entrance brought warmth to the group since their evening excursion involved swimming. Sayla grabbed something from a clay pot and handed several to her guests.
"Blueberries," said Fishlegs. "Good for our bones and skin."
Hiccup and his group sat by the campfire as they ate the berries alongside Sayla and had a look around the place. The cave had several paintings on their walls and its interior was indeed large. Hiccup knew that it could fit more than one Wenja, which got him to ask the big question.
"Where are the other Wenja?"
Sayla grew silent after she swallowed her berries. Hiccup and Astrid could tell numerous emotions were fuming on her face. She stood up and walked towards a painting of what appeared to be a black man with spikes on his shoulders and a red handprint.
"Ull," she began as a spark of fire blazed in her eyes. "Leader of the Udam. He destroyed Wenja home!" Sayla slammed her right fist on the painting, huffing with anger and sorrow. "The Udam killed many Wenja!"
Astrid noticed from Sayla's movements that the latter started to limp. Fortunately, the Hiccup and Snotlout were quick on their feet and caught Sayla before she could fall. Tears started to gush from her grey eyes and there was a crack in her voice as she continued her story.
"Now, the surviving Wenja walk alone. With no real home in Oros."
Hiccup could feel something warm and liquid seeping onto his right palm. His suspicions were confirmed as blood trickled from Sayla's shoulder. The Wenja woman groaned quietly at the sight.
"The bear's claws were strong."
Sayla crouched on her back as the group inspected the wound. Their natural reactions at the blood were sharp inhaling.
"Hiccup, if that gash is not treated, it will fester and become infected," informed Fishlegs. "We might lose her."
When the young chieftain tried to close the wound with his hand, Sayla balked and grabbed him by the hand.
"You will need special green leaves," she told them. "You can find them growing around rivers."
"Are you sure?" Sayla nodded to Astrid's question.
"You will know them when you see them." Astrid then looked to her contemplating husband.
"Hiccup?"
Hiccup thought about the request Dalso gave him: find their missing Wenja brothers and sisters. They truly were missing and they had not come this far to lose.
"Tuff, Ruff, can you watch over Sayla?"
"We won't leave her out of our sight, Chief!" Tuffnut proclaimed with certainty. Ruffnut simply gave her leader two thumbs up.
"Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, let's go find those special green leaves."
After Ruffnut gave Fishlegs a kiss, Hiccup and his three chosen companions left the cave with every weapon they could have. The direction of the stream should be adequate to guide them to the special green leaves.
"Special green leaves, special green leaves," muttered Snotlout. "What's so 'special' about them? Every leaf I see around us is green."
"Well they undoubtedly have certain properties that make them unique," Fishlegs replied. "The shape, the size, the smell, the taste…"
"No need to elaborate the geek details, Fishy."
An irritant grunt was Fishlegs' only response. A nearby herd of deer and bharals sensed the presence of humans and dashed away. The quartet soon came across a small but abandoned camp surrounded with stones that could not have been stacked through natural means. The campfire in the center was still burning.
"Looks like we're not the only ones on this side of Oros," noted Astrid.
Distant yells made the four prepared their guard. When they looked over a hill north of them, they saw a human with a fair complexion, covered in red body paint, and wearing a spear belt beating down what appeared to be the dead body of another human on the riverbank. From his olive complexion and whiteshell bracelet, Hiccup deduced that the dead human was a Wenja, and from Sayla's story, he had a pretty good idea on the assailant.
"Udam," he whispered.
"Talk about beating a dead man," Fishlegs commented.
"He won't be the only one if that brute sees us."
Astrid acknowledged Snotlout's words as she fired her arrow straight to the Udam's spine, killing him. She then turned her sight on a strange-looking plant with round green leaves, and it was standing near the dead Udam.
"I believe that's the special green leaves?" she asked the smiling Fishlegs.
"The very ones."
Hiccup sprinted towards the plant and used his knife to cut the leaves before putting them in his bag. Astrid retrieved her arrow and she closed the dead Wenja's eyes while Fishlegs and Snotlout loot whatever the dead Udam had.
"Meat, animal hide, and bones," Snotlout said.
"Could come in handy later," agreed Fishlegs.
"I got the special green leaves," Hiccup announced. "Something tells me that we might need more."
Astrid's eyes scoured the other side of the river where more special green leaves were growing. Her abrupt crouching also convinced the others to do the same, and they understood when they saw two Udam lingering over a large rock.
"We can cross over the shallower water," she whispered to them. "But we'll also need to take those two out."
One of the Udam decided to patrol the riverbank until an arrow soared and landed between his eyes. His companion could not respond in time as a second arrow made its mark on his heart. With their enemies dispatched, the quartet wasted no time in collecting the special green leaves, and Snotlout could feel a nauseous sensation in his stomach upon seeing what was the Udam camp had in store. When Fishlegs arrived at the scene, he shared the same impression as well.
"Guys, come on! We need to…"
Hiccup's mouth stopped dead on its tracks when he and Astrid gasped at the atrocity. Two bloodied Wenja corpses on the ground and a third hung over the campfire with one of his arms hacked off.
"Cannibals…"
No one disagreed with Fishlegs. The Udam's attack on the Wenja was more than just murder. It was a feast. Despite the gruesome sight, the quartet released the dead Wenja and placed him with his fallen brethren. After a brief prayer, Snotlout looted the dead Udam and followed his companions to the other side of the river. When they were on dry land, a wolf confronted and growled at them. As Hiccup and Astrid nocked their arrows, a hissing snarl from the forest distracted the wolf to turn its back. A tawny leopard with darker cloud-like spots bared its teeth as it pounced at the wolf and started a fight. The wolf was larger, but the leopard was quick to counter its bite with swipes from its claws. With the two animals busy with each other, the quartet used this opportunity to sneak away and complete their errand.
"I did not expect to see that," stated Astrid.
"Not an exactly an everyday thing," Snotlout added.
The quartet could see the cave up ahead when an arrow landed on the bark of the red cedar on their left and gave them the jump.
"Wenja!"
They looked back and shocked to see three Udam running towards them from the river. The first was holding a club, the second was wielding a spear, and the third was nocking a second arrow.
"Go!"
No one questioned Hiccup's orders as all four ran for their lives. The Udam spear flew through the air and over Snotlout's head until it landed on a fallen log. Astrid swiveled back to lose her arrow. It hit the first Udam on the shoulder, wounding but not killing him. Fishlegs was the slowest in running, but then he stood his ground and gazed at the club-wielding Udam. With his knife brandished, Fishlegs bellowed a wild battle cry, charged at the Udam, slammed him to the ground, before he stabbed his enemy in the heart three times. The spear-wielding Udam took cover behind a red cedar and planned to strike Fishlegs in the head. What he did not take into account was Snotlout's club that was hurled to his face. Concussion overtook the Udam, and Snotlout took the opportunity to bash the Udam's head into a bloodied pulp.
"Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi! Oi! Oi!"
Drenched their enemies' blood, Fishlegs and Snotlout regrouped and barely avoided another arrow that the third Udam fired at them. They took cover behind the log while Hiccup and Astrid tried their best in taking out the remaining hostile. Every time after they shot their arrow, the Udam was able to move closer to find a closer cover.
"Damn, he's good," Hiccup admitted.
"But not as good as us," replied Astrid. "And we're running out of arrows."
"Can somebody please kill this guy already?"
Snotlout's complain gave mild annoyance to his three friends, but it changed to answered prayer when a spear zoomed over their heads and went straight through the Udam's mouth. The quartet was bewildered at the sight and turned back to see Tuffnut rubbing his palms.
"How come you guys get to have all the fun?"
The quartet laughed at Tuffnut's joke and reassured to know the situation was handled. They retrieved their weapons and looted the dead Udam so that they could finish their mission. Fishlegs and Snotlout used the stream to wash the blood away before rejoining the others. Ruffnut and Sayla greeted them with joyful grins.
"Told you they'll make it back."
Sayla smiled at Ruffnut's confirmation as Hiccup offered the special green leaves. Sayla grabbed a handful of the leaves and chewed them in her mouth.
"The screams are loud today," she told the group. "Did you hear them?"
"Screams?" Hiccup asked. Even the others were uncertain about what Sayla was saying. Was she talking about the screams of the Udam that they just killed? Or was it something else? Sayla did not elaborate and proceeded to vomit the chewed leaves on Hiccup's hand. Everyone was confused and mildly sickened at her action.
"Spread them over the wound."
Comprehension dawned on the group's faces and Hiccup was about to follow through when Sayla halted him. She grabbed a piece of wood near the campfire and held it with her teeth before giving Hiccup a nod of approval. Sayla's groans resonated in and out of the cave, forcing most of the group to shut their eyes with unpleasantness. When Hiccup was finished, Sayla released the wood and handed a large leaf to him that would act as her bandage. She gasped with relief knowing that she will make a full recovery.
"Thank you."
Hiccup returned the gesture with a nod. He then turned his gaze to the vast lands of Oros that was right before him and his group.
"There are other Wenja out there who will need help as well."
Astrid knew what Hiccup was planning and held his hand with a beam of agreement. Then Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Twins stood with him with smiles of support.
"Oros is big," Sayla said. "Danger comes in many forms. Not just animals, but also Udam."
She then held Hiccup and Astrid's hands with hope swelling in her eyes.
"This cave is safe. If you find any of our Wenja brothers and sisters, tell them to live here."
Hiccup and Astrid smiled and firmed their grip, telling Sayla that they would keep their promise. The group took a deep breath together and set their feet out from the shadows. They waved Sayla goodbye as they truly begin to explore Oros and reunite the missing Wenja.
