It was dusk when Hiccup witnessed his companions returning to the village alongside the Wenja they encountered in their respective adventures. Sayla, Tensay, and many others welcomed their long-lost Wenja brothers and sisters with hugs and pats on the back.

"You are right, Piss Man! The Wenja lives!"

Snotlout and Tuffnut could net help in sniggering at the nickname Wogah gave Fishlegs, but Ruffnut responded more cordially by hugging her beloved husband.

"Yes, there are many good Wenja here," added Karoosh. "But they are soft and not as strong as Karoosh and Snotlout."

"Not to worry, Karoosh," Snotlout announced before laying his right arm on Karoosh's shoulder. "We will teach them how to be strong like us."

Rolling eyes was the apt reaction for Astrid.

"Come, Mammoth Feet," said Jayma. "A master hunter will need a hut to rest and to teach their students."

"Urki will build the best hut in the village!"

"Calm down, Urki," Tuffnut soothed the excited Wenja. "We need materials if you are going to live in a big, fancy hut."

Hiccup merely chuckled at the hosts of new characters who would reside in the village. Luckily, the stashes across the settlement were filled with wood, stone, reeds, and animal skins that would benefit in constructing their new homes.


The evening came alive with Wenja conversing and building huts for the new arrivals. Clubs and spears cropped and sheared wood and stone whilst reeds and clay were utilized to fuse and securing them to their desired designs. Within the hours, Jayma's hut was adorned with racks to stash her arrows and animal bones to signify her status as a master hunter. Clubs and spears decorated Karoosh's hut, and Snotlout even built a lookout tower adjacent to it so that the warrior could have a high view of the village and watch for danger. Wogah's hut was adorned with clay pots, totems, and a stall for him to craft new tools that would help the Wenja in the future. As for Urki, his hut was more of a cave located next to the village's waterfall and shrouded with curtains of animal skins.

The Wenja spent the rest of the night dining and dancing around campfires as a way to thank the spirits for guiding more of their brothers and sisters to their new home. Hiccup gazed at his growing village with pride and relief while sitting at the entrance of his cave and petting the owl perching on his shoulder. Astrid took notice of her husband's aloof position before walking away from her campfire and sauntered towards his unsurprised reaction.

"Thank you for making sure that she is back in one piece."

Tilted head and a gentle hoot were all the owl could give to her master. Astrid eventually sat next to them and naturally started to caress the owl's chest, prompting the bird to close her eyes with comfort.

"Not joining the party for tonight?" Astrid was not entirely fretted by the deep exhale he gave.

"Building new huts for these specialists can be demanding." Hiccup then stretched his arms upward with a yawn. "I want to save my strength for whatever happens tomorrow."

"I see."

Astrid started to hold Hiccup's hand and took notice of the whiteshell bracelet that was bequeathed to him by their fallen Wenja brother. The pair then looked upon the cloudless sky, viewing the shimmering stars that dotted the horizon.


Hiccup was the first to wake up the next morning, almost seconds before a sliver of sunlight gleam into his home. After rubbing his eyes, he could see that Astrid, his four friends, and their animal friends were still soundly asleep. With the stealth of a feline, Hiccup tiptoed out from the cave and took a refreshing shower underneath the waterfall. He then greeted 'good morning' to the other villagers, particularly Tensay who was making a new concoction in front of his hut. Hiccup shivered at the thought of drinking another one of those, hoping that he would not have to do it again. The young chieftain then checked on the new arrivals of the Wenja village that have quickly settled in with the rest of their tribe. Jayma was teaching a young girl how to properly use a bow. Karoosh was overseeing two wrestling men while advising their movements. Wogah was in his stall fashioning something out of wood and bones. Urki was simply singing in front of his home while wiping his face with juices from berries.

"Hiccup!"

Sayla's call from the edge of the village rang into Hiccup's ears, prompting him to run to the anxious gatherer.

"What is it?"

"One of the villagers, Manoo, was out foraging for food shortly after your friends left yesterday. He has not returned since."

The news of the missing villager created tension in the air around Hiccup. He had embraced his role as the new leader of the Wenja Tribe, and this should help him in furthering it.

"Did he say where he was going?" Hiccup's question was answered by Sayla's nod as she pointed her finger in the intended direction.

"Northeast. But I fear that he may have wandered too close to a place known as the Bone Cave. Few Wenja entered it and even fewer returned to talk about its floor that is strewn with human bones."

Sayla's description of the Bone Cave was enough to send chills down Hiccup's spine. However, things just got stranger when he heard a faint and distant roar soaring from the East. It was deeper than a wolf's howl yet more euphonious than the growl of a bear. Something was alluring and intimidating about it. But fear and danger were not enough to stop Hiccup from rescuing one of his own and he knew about what he needed to do as he looked back to his cave.


"You're going alone?" Astrid's question did not raise additional responses from everyone else near the great cave. After Hiccup grabbed his spear, the owl soared from her hollow and perched on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I will have her as my eyes in the sky." The wolves whined and wagged their tails as if they wished to join the Wenja chieftain. Hiccup knelt and playfully ruffled their heads. "I need you both and the other animals in the village to watch over the others."

"But you're going to need someone with the strength to watch your back," Snotlout proclaimed as Hiccup stood back on his feet.

"Better yet, someone smart," Fishlegs chimed in.

"Or someone with great courage." Ruffnut's statement was supported when she butted heads with her brother.

"I appreciate all of your concern, but something tells me that this is something only one man can accomplish."

"Hiccup-"

"He is right." Astrid and everyone else turned to Tensay who was walking towards them. "The spirits are encouraging Hiccup to enter the Bone Cave and rescue Manoo on his own. This is a task for one who is both a Wenja leader and a Beast Master."

"Are you sure that it was not whatever you drank, Tensay?"

Laughter flew from the shaman's mouth, leaving Tuffnut somewhat flabbergasted.

"No, Tuffnut, no. They spoke to me through the morning breeze." He then turned to the young chieftain. "You must hurry, Hiccup. Manoo's life depends on it."

Hiccup nodded and gave Astrid a quick yet adoring kiss.

"Love you and I'll be back before you know it."

Astrid replied with a frisky smile and patted her husband's cheek before she allowed him and the owl to depart towards the rising sun. Sayla and the other residents of the village waved Hiccup a temporary farewell, wishing him the best of luck in his journey.

"Don't do anything stupid, my love."

"He's Hiccup, Astrid," Fishlegs said with a tone of certainty. "He'll always find a way to turn something stupid into something useful."

"Unlike us who tend to do the opposite."

Astrid sarcastically elbowed Ruffnut as she wandered towards the village. Perhaps some fruits or meat should take her mind off from being consistently concerned for her husband's well-being.