Chapter Eight: Trust Issues

"I promise that's all I know!"

The leader of the bounty hunters wasn't too rigid with the asked questions after the twins took him for a ride. They even made up a new trick while he was with them. Called the Vortex of Death, it was a trick that involved spinning, a waterfall, and flying up it. Something that even Matt didn't want to try. Not that he ever wanted to do any of their tricks to begin with.

"So a masked figure approached you, gave you the bounty and the location of Wingmaiden Island, and you got the men needed to invade them." Hiccup summed up.

"That's it! Everything that happened is what you just said!" He cried out, nervously glancing between Hiccup, Atali, and the grinning twins. "He only told me he needed Atali for something. He didn't tell me why or what for!"

"You can't tell us what the person looks like? Even a description of what he was wearing?" Matt asked, sitting on a crate while Heather and Minden were applying a burn ointment to where Wasatch hit him in the arm.

Having dealt with Razorwhips for generations, the Wingmaidens had more than enough remedies for burns. Be it lightning or fire.

The man shook his head. "No! I promise I'm telling the truth!"

"I still think your withholding information from us." Atali observed, scowling at the leader as she folded her arms. "Perhaps Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston would like to take you for another ride."

"No! Please!" He wailed, seeing the twins perk up at the subject. "He wore a blue cloak! His mask was made out of the same material! I did notice a scar on his left eye, but that was it! His voice was soft! If that helps!"

Atali and Hiccup looked at each other, satisfied that they got everything they needed to know.

"Take him with the others. We'll decide their fate later." Atali ordered.

Two Wingmaidens grabbed the man by his arms and marched him to the prisons, leaving the Riders and the few Wingmaidens as her guards.

Matt simply watched the man be escorted out. The description of the one issuing the bounty…it sounded familiar, yet he couldn't put a finger on it. Seeing Hiccup furrow his eyebrows, he asked. "Thinking it sounded familiar?"

Hiccup slowly nodded, walking to him. "I don't know why, but yeah. You to?"

Heather also threw in her thoughts. "I know I've seen someone like that…I just can't remember when. Or why."

"I'm sure it'll come to us sooner or later…" Matt huffed as he returned his attention back to Minden, who was carefully cleaning up the ointment off his arm so that she could reapply a new coat.

Atali then walked up next to Hiccup, watching Matt get treated as well. "Hmmm, I'm sorry you were hurt on my account, Matt Haddock. But thanks to you, we were able to get an idea of who is after me."

"It's no issue, Atali." He replied, shaking his head to return to the present. With a wry smile, he looked at her in the eyes. "I'm still under the impression that yours and Heather's bounties are related. So I was seeing if he knew anything that would shed some light on that."

Atali nodded in agreement, to which she turned to Hiccup. "Hiccup Haddock, I want you to know that whoever you're at war with, we're now involved as well. That, I promise you."

"Thank you, Atali! I appreciate that." He replied with a smile.

"I don't!"

Everyone turned to see Snotlout glaring at the group. Pointing at Atali, he growled. "They had me locked up for an entire night, and then you guys forgot about me when we were under attack! I don't appreciate their help at all! Or you guys!"

"The feeling's mutual." Matt muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you should use that as a learning moment." Astrid huffed, walking by him and batting him in the helmet. "Think about it. Why were you locked up?"

"Because they didn't-"

"Snotlout." Matt interrupted. "Think for a second before you whine and complain. You're still on their island. They can fly to chase you. And they've shown they don't like being offended. Think real careful before you start complaining again."

Scowling at him, he simply walked away to find Hookfang while muttering under his breath.

"How are you feeling, Matt?" Hiccup asked, changing the subject and looking at him with concern.

"Fine. I'll be able to ride out as soon as they're done." He replied, wincing as the ointment was being gently rubbed on.

"This is the last one we'll apply." Minden explained with a smile. "I'll wrap it before you go."

Heather quickly shook her head as she reached for the bandages. "Oh, it's alright. I'll do it." Then with a smirk, added. "Had lots of practice with him."

Minden frowned as Heather began to get ready to wrap Matt's arm, which Matt saw. Letting a wry smile grow, he simply shook his head at the conflict between the two. He knew he had to do something as to not promote Minden thinking he and Heather weren't a couple.

Hiccup, who had been thinking about the bounty hunter's information, then turned to Atali. "Hey, Atali?"

"Hmm?"

"We have some more friends that help dragons as well. Mala and her people over at Caldera Cay…they're called the Defenders of the Wing."

"Oh? Seems you have a few other friends."

"And enemies." Matt huffed sarcastically.

"What if we all meet up and set up a possible meeting, we can all unite against those that want to fight against us. Be it Dragon Hunters, bounty hunters, anything."

Atali's eyes brightened at the idea. "I agree, Hiccup. That's a wonderful idea!"

Heather also thought it was a good idea. "I can send for Dagur to meet as well. He's looking for opportunities to expand relations outside of Berk and Outcast Island."

"Who is Dagur?" Atali asked with an interested look.

"My brother. And Chief of the Berserkers."

Atali nodded with a cheerful smile. "Then I would like to meet him. The more friends we get to know, the stronger we will be. We might be able to prevent men like Viggo from coming back to our waters and hunting dragons."

"We'll go talk to Mala and see what she has to say. When we get a set time, we'll let you know!"

"I would be honored to be part of it." She replied with a slight bow. "Anything we can do to help, you can count on us."

"There. All done." Heather announced, tying the bandage off.

Standing up, Matt smiled as he flexed his arm. "Huh, doesn't hurt that bad actually. That stuff was incredible. Thank you, Minden."

"It was my pleasure." She replied with a smile, grateful for Matt's compliment.

"Oh? And I did nothing?" Heather huffed, scowling at him.

Not saying anything, he simply leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "How's that for a compliment?"

"Mmmm…I've had better." She teased, trying to fight the smile on her face.

Minden looked a little crushed, to which she quickly shook her head and began to pack the materials and ointments away.

"Well, wanna see if we can leave without any catches?" He asked Hiccup. "I mean, we better leave now if we're going to Caldera Cay first. We won't get there until dusk."

"You're right. We do have a long ride ahead of us. Are you up to it, Matt?"

"Hiccup, I had my hand burned last time I went on an overnight flight. Remember? When we were helping Mala find their Great Protector? I'll be fine."

"Thanks again, Atali. We'll stay in contact and let you know whe-." Hiccup began to say.

"Atali!"

Everyone turned to see another Wingmaiden dive out of the air, pulling up just feet from the platform they were all on.

"Nadia? What is it?"

"Another Dragon Rider! He's being escorted by two other Wingmaidens. I came here as soon as I could!"

Rolling his eyes, Matt whispered to Heather. "So much for having a normal day. We'll never leave at this point."

Pressing her finger to her lips, she simply signaled him to listen to what was happening.

"Oh? Is this a friend of yours?" Atali asked Hiccup.

"What was he riding?" He asked Nadia.

"A purple and tan dragon. With three tails. Another dragon was following close by."

Hiccup looked confused. "Three tails?"

"Not a friend then?" Atali asked with some worry.

"It's Ukiah!" Astrid cried out, finally recalling the three tails. "It's him and Lasher!"

"What's he doing here?" Matt asked, looking up to try and find him.

"Is this Ukiah a friend? Or an enemy?"

"He's a friend! He's just from a faraway place!" Hiccup exclaimed. "I don't know why he came here, or how he found us!"

"He's also the chief over his land." Astrid added.

Matt then walked up to Hiccup and grabbed his shoulder. "Hiccup, if he flew all the way over here, and then tracked us down to here…"

"Something's wrong. I know." He replied with a little hesitancy in his voice. "I don't know what that could be though. I hope he's alright."

Heather then shouted while pointing up. "There he is!"

Sure enough, the Triple Stryke and Sand Wraith came into view. Ukiah could be seen with his cloak and hood, and instantly left the two Wingmaidens escorting him the moment he saw Hiccup.

"Halt!" They shouted, trying to stop him.

He simply ignored them. Diving down, he pulled up and let Lasher magically land right in front of the Riders and Atali.

"Ukiah? What are you doing here? Are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"Not now, Hiccup." He growled as he slid off his saddle. Pulling down his hood, he marched up to him.

The two Wingmaidens that were escorting him, then landed in front of him and used their spears to stop him.

"I don't have time for this!" He yelled, grabbing one of the spears and moving it out of the way.

"Stand down, he's a friend of Hiccup's." Atali ordered, giving him a free pass.

Hiccup shook his head in disbelief. "Ukiah, what's going on?"

"I was looking for you!" He growled. "I came all this way to make sure you're safe."

Smiling, Hiccup gestured to everyone. "I'm fine, Ukiah. I'm surrounded by friends and I'm-"

Grabbing him, Ukiah pulled him away from Atali and everyone else. "Hiccup, I had a dream. A vision. About you."

Everyone froze, save the Wingmaidens. Anyone who knew Ukiah, knew what a dream could mean.

"I saw you get killed. By one you called a friend."

Hiccup's face paled slightly at the news.

"I don't know who, or why, but you called them a friend moments before they stabbed you in the heart. And I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you."

"W-what?" He stuttered, trying to wrap his head around the information.

"And, when I was Dragon's Edge for a moment, I got in a fight. Someone was looting your room."

"What?!" All the Riders cried out.

"They were looking for this. What is this thing?" He asked, ignoring everyone and fumbling to pull out the object.

Hiccup gasped as Ukiah placed his Dragon Eye in his hands. "This? They were looking for this?!"

Ukiah nodded, still looking resolute and almost angry.

"This is a Dragon Eye…" Hiccup whispered. "Shine dragon fire through it, it'll project an image and writings about dragons. Usually things like habitats, strengths, weaknesses."

"The person is still alive. He escaped before I could finish him." He interrupted. "And that means that you're still in danger because of that thing."

"I shall have some Wingmaidens escort you home." Atali announced as she stepped forward.

"No. I'll escort him." Ukiah growled, placing himself between her and Hiccup. "I can't trust anyone."

"Even me?" Matt asked with a hint of animosity.

Ukiah sighed at the challenge. "Now is not the time to talk about this, Matt."

"No, now is an excellent time to talk about this." Astrid growled. "Ukiah, we haven't seen you for close to a year now. And now you just show up and tell us this…warning that Hiccup's in danger? You can't just do that without some explanation!"

Ukiah glared at Astrid, but quickly backed down. She was the only one that could control him due to their…past. Even Lydia didn't have that power over him. Shaking his head, he looked over at Hiccup, who seemed more concerned for him, rather than himself. "Got something to eat? For me and my dragons? We've been flying nonstop for the last day and a half."

Atali then spoke up. "If you all follow me, we can take care of you and your dragons. And if I'm able, I'd like to show you that I'm trustworthy."

"We'll see." He whispered, finally undoing his cloak.

The Wingmaiden's let out a gasp, while Matt, Heather, and most of the Riders looked away. His missing arm was still hard for them to look at, mainly since it was a reminder that Ukiah lost more than just his arm. It was when he lost the first Arrow.

"Come on, talk to us while we walk." Hiccup replied, taking Ukiah's cloak and resting one hand on his shoulder to walk with him. "Regardless of reason, it's good to see you, Ukiah."

Finally breathing and slightly relaxing, Ukiah nodded in agreement. "Likewise, Hiccup. I'm glad to see you're still well. All of you actually. How have things been?"

"Boring until a week ago." Matt replied, limping with the group. "Found out Heather has a bounty on her."

Ukiah whirled around and looked at her with concern.

"One almost had me too." She admitted. "That's why we're here. Atali has a similar bounty on her as well. We're both wanted alive. And we all think they're made by the same person."

"And your friends helped fight with us, after we were invaded by some bounty hunters earlier this morning." Atali added. "I aim to repay them for their kindness and willingness."

Ukiah simply stared at her, taking in the information. He wanted to trust Atali, but that wasn't going to happen until he knew for sure. But, even then, he was going to have to still reach out to her to stay on her good side.

Astrid then added to the conversation. "Worst yet, we still don't know where Darien or Zekir are, but we know they've been active."

"I don't want to talk about him. Not yet." Ukiah whispered with a hardening face. Letting out a sigh, he reached out and gently grabbed Atali's arm.

Stopping, she turned and eyed him curiously, with the other Wingmaidens gripping their spears and being ready to protect her.

"First off, let me apologize. I just came back from a fight where one of my dragons was hit. Little Arrow, the Sand Wraith. I've been…upset about that since. That, and I know Hiccup's in danger, and I was terrified to see him surrounded by people I didn't know."

Atali smiled at the apology. "I understand…uh, what should I call you by? Ukiah?"

Bowing slightly, he answered. "Chief Ukiah. Of Thariin. But you can just call me Ukiah. I never can get used to the title."

"Very well, Chief Ukiah. And I do respect your desire to protect Hiccup. He seems to mean a lot to you."

"They all do. They saved me more times than I can count." Looking at Astrid, he added. "Even saved me from myself…"

"I can only imagine what you went through, seeing that you're missing an arm."

Ukiah simply nodded, not wanting to elaborate on what happened to him.

"Do you mind hearing me out? To try and explain why I can be trusted?"

"I'll listen, but I can't guarantee I'll trust you with Hiccup's safety yet."

"They came to us first. We had every right, and ability to end all your friends. We had reason to fear them, as I have a bounty on my head. A large one at that. I also had the chance to capture them when they slept here, or poison them when we fed them."

"Telling me what you didn't do doesn't prove you can be trusted. Hiccup and Matt have experienced betrayal from those that they thought were friendly to them before."

Holding out her hand, he stopped him from continuing. "I'm not saying that it makes me trustworthy. What I'm saying is give me a chance to prove that we are not your enemies. I even told them after all they've done for us, that I wish I could repay them. But I can't right now. Will you allow me to do that? When the moment arrives?"

Seeing she wasn't begging him to trust her, but that she wanted to prove herself, he slowly nodded in agreement. "When the moment arrives, I will. Until then, I'm sorry. I have to err on the side of caution."

Atali nodded in gratitude and acknowledgement, knowing he was being gracious with his decision. "Then follow me. We'll let you and your dragons rest and recover."

"And I would like to talk with you, in regards to setting up some kind of relations between my people and yours." Ukiah added. "I may be Hiccup's friend, and I'll give up everything to keep him safe. But until then, I'm still a chief."

Atali smiled at Ukiah's passion and fire. Maybe not the best leader, or skilled diplomat, but he was trying to do what was best.

"Rrraggh! That doesn't change the fact that someone we trust, is possibly going to try and kill Hiccup." Astrid shouted in frustration. "What do we do with that? Now we have to watch our backs on not two hidden enemies, but now our friends too?!"

"Two enemies?" Ukiah repeated, asking her to explain.

Gesturing to Heather, she angrily replied. "Darien and Zekir didn't put the bounty on Heather! It's someone else! So we have two people that are fighting us, and then you came to tell us that we can't trust people we know?!"

"Seems like I have a lot to catch up on." He whispered quietly with furrowed eyebrows.

"You have no idea." Matt grunted. "Come on, I'll fill you in with what's going on with Heather. Then we'll start piecing this puzzle together.

"Grr…come on…" Darien growled.

Staring at her contraption set on her desk, she flopped down into her chair and stared at it. It was semi-circle tray, with groves set in it for the Dragon Eye lenses to sit in. Essentially, it was half a dragon eye.

The Terrible Terror locked in a small cage growled in fear as if it messed up.

"What was that thing made out of? How did it get to shine all the lenses' information?" She continued to mutter to herself.

A soft growl sounded next to her, making her close her eyes and smile.

"Banshee…was wondering where you wandered off too."

Banshee cooed as he placed his head under her hand, causing her to stroke it tenderly.

"Come on. Break time. I need to get something to eat." She yawned, standing up and stretching. "Better check on Zekir too."

As she and Banshee walked down the stairs and towards where Zekir and his King were, she could see several cages being unloaded from the few ships moored in her underground fortress. All loaded up with captured Singetails.

"Wonder what Krogan needs with them. Or what he wants from them…" She muttered, shaking her head in wonder.

As the two made their way to the secluded area, she was surprised to see Zekir sitting against King's cage. Sharpening his long sword, he didn't notice her, nor seemed to care about the dragon sleeping on the other side of the bars he was using as a back rest.

"That's progress." She announced, walking up to him.

"It's something." He admitted, turning to look at King.

At that moment, King opened one eye and glared at him. Letting out an annoyed growl, he then returned to trying to sleep.

"What made him calm down?"

"I was sparring with some of the new recruits. Teaching them how to swing a sword." He began to say, sheathing his longsword as he stood up. "Turns out, he was interested in fighting. He was watching me fight with what looked like earnest."

"Oh?"

Shaking his head, Zekir turned to King. "Your recruits need some work. I swear they never picked up a sword before.

"Which is why I have them spar with you."

"Yes, and it was only a challenge when I took five of them to combat me. When that happened, King was anxiously clawing and biting the bars. After I dealt with the recruits, he almost looked…like he was approving me."

"Dragons have different styles. Different personalities. It wouldn't surprise me if he was seeing how strong you were. He does come from a pack that had an alpha. Or maybe he just likes to fight. Like you."

"Maybe. And I guess it'll take some time to prove to him that I'm strong enough to lead villages and armies." He whispered. "But we're making good ground. Huh, King?"

King didn't even open his eyes as he snorted at the comment.

"Hungry?" She asked changing the subject and was still wanting to get something to eat.

"A little. I might grab something and come back here."

"Banshee and I will stay with you. Gives me a longer break from that stupid Dragon Eye thing."

"How is it-?

"Don't. Stop. I don't want to talk about it." She huffed with a frustrated tone. "I don't understand how hard it can be to get a light to shine through glass lenses. It's as if the Dragon Eye was magically built for that single purpose."

"It was, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was." She replied while rolling her eyes. "But I was meaning that it's like fairies made it and the lenses. Nothing else works!"

"Calm down, Darien. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Besides, Krogan said he'd find a way to get Hiccup to do it for us."

"I know…but I still would like to know how it works."

"I can make Hiccup tell you how…" He replied with evil grin as he reached for one of his two swords strapped to his back.

"Might have to. Come on. I'm starve-"

"Darien! Krogan's arrived!"

"Oh for the love of…" She moaned, slapping her forehead.

Laughing, Zekir guided her to where Krogan would moor. "Come on, let's get Hiccup from him."

As they approached the docks, they were concerned that they could only see Krogan on his little ship. No one else.

"Krogan, what's going on?" Darien asked aloud.

Glaring at her, he pulled himself up with his boat's mast. Cradling his leg, he growled. "We don't have to worry about getting Hiccup to build us a Dragon Eye…he's already made one."

"What?!"

"Gah! Someone help me moor!"

Two Hunters instantly roped the boat, pulling it in. Both Zekir and Darien saw his leg hastily wrapped in cloths and whatever he could find. Using one of the Hunters to lean against, he slowly pulled himself onto the dock.

"I'm assuming that the reason you don't have Hiccup or his Dragon Eye is because of that." Zekir replied, gesturing to Krogan's leg. "The Riders get the jump on you?"

"Not due to the Riders. Someone else!"

"I'm getting sick of hearing about a third or fourth party that we don't know or know nothing about." Darien huffed. "Who was it?"

"I don't know…but he wouldn't slow down when he attacked me. His form was refined, and he had an inner fury that seemed to make him null to everything except fighting."

"Take care of him." Darien ordered.

The two Hunters then shouldered Krogan, helping him walk.

"So where were you intercepted?"

"I was at Dragon's Edge. I had the Dragon Eye, but the idiot cut my pouch off. I couldn't grab it without exposing myself. To him and his dragons."

"You said he wasn't a Rider!" Darien snapped.

"None of the Riders we know. I never saw him before. But I won't be pushed around by him so easily next time. I know what to expect."

"How skilled was he?" Zekir quizzed, knowing that Krogan wasn't a push over.

"For a one armed cripple, he rivaled my own. I don't want to think what he could do with two…"

Zekir froze, gaping at Krogan. Even Darien let out a small gasp.

Stopping, Krogan looked at Zekir with a raised eyebrow. "…do you know who I'm talking about?"

"Did he have black hair? Did he use a crossbow at all?"

Krogan slowly nodded. "Black hair that was braided on one side. And that's how he cut my pouch, he used a crossbow to shoot it off."

Gritting his teeth, Zekir asked the question that would either confirm or destroy his suspicion. "…was it his left arm that was missing?"

Krogan simply nodded, now genuinely interested in how Zekir knew his attacker.

"But how?! You said you destroyed him!" Darien shouted.

"I thought it would destroy his soul. I thought he'd be a broken man after I killed his pet dragon. And took his arm." Zekir growled. "But I guess it's his fuel. His passion now…"

"You. You created that dragon of a man?" Krogan asked with a soft voice.

"I didn't create. I destroyed him. At least some time ago…" Zekir growled. "He killed my father. So I took his dragon. And his arm. I wanted him to feel the helplessness of losing something he cared about, and then some more!"

"You killed his dragon…" Krogan whispered, thinking about his fight he got away from. "I kicked one of his dragons, and it seemed to turn him into a monster. His face changed, and his fury felt like it doubled."

"But…what does it mean? Why would he be here?!" Darien interrupted, looking at Zekir with concern.

"It means I have a fight in the near future. And I need to prepare for it." Zekir whispered coldly. "He came for me. And I aim to receive him with all my strength. I won't spare him this time. I'll kill him and let him lay in his own blood."

"But-"

"Darien, take care of Krogan. I need to start preparing myself." He growled, walking past her and back to King's cage. Shouting out loud, he cried out. "All new recruits! Get your blades and meet me. We're doubling your practice and you're all fighting me four at a time! Move now!"

Watching the newer members of her army scramble to grab their weapons, she watched him march away.

"…hmm…" Krogan whispered, eyeing her. "Worried about him?"

Shaking her head, she quickly collected herself. "I'm worried he'll make a bone headed mistake."

"…tell me…" He replied with his soothing voice. "Who is this…man that Zekir fought and maimed?"

Looking at him with fire in her eyes, she whispered. "His name is Ukiah. One of Hiccup's friends. Come on, let's get you fixed up. I got the damn Singetails you wanted, so I guess I better show them to you." With that, she stormed off, leaving Krogan and the Hunters hobbling behind.

"…of course, and thank you…" He whispered with a slight grin and soft eyes.

"So. The person that tried to steal the Dragon Eye, is the same person who placed the bounty on Atali." Hiccup connected.

After hearing Ukiah's fight with a hooded and masked stranger, it was pretty apparent that they were the same person.

Matt then nodded in agreement. "Which means that Heather's bounty is related to Atali's."

"How do you know that?" Fishlegs asked, eyeing Matt with suspicion.

"Well, whoever our mystery stalker is, he knows Hiccup. And if he knows Hiccup, he knows about all of us as well. You, Snotlout, the twins, me, Astrid. So it's not too far to think he knows about Heather. And she has something he wants. Or wants her for something."

"Seems that we may have a full-scale war before too long." Atali replied, looking concerned at the news. "Whoever is orchestrating these events, means they probably have more plans regarding the future of the Archipelago."

Ukiah, who had been eating while the discussion was taking place, wiped his mouth as he looked up. "I'm here until we figure out what's going on. And take care of it. Thariin can't support an army right now, so you only get me and Lydia."

"Lydia's here?" Astrid replied, shocked at the news.

Nodding to answer her, he turned his attention to Arrow, who was sniffing one of the Wingmaiden's Razorwhips. "She's at Berk. She's going to talk to Alvin and Dagur. Expanding our relations with them."

"Don't have to do much for us." Heather teased. "I'll make sure we have good relations with you guys."

"Ah-hem." Matt coughed, grabbing everyone's attention. "Let's stay focused here for a minute longer. Hiccup's a target because of the Dragon Eye. Heather and Atali are targets because of their bounty. But let's look at the bigger picture. Why? Why do they have a bounty?"

"Because we're leaders? Part of a tribe's ruling family or leadership position?" Heather suggested.

"But does Mala have a bounty too?" Matt challenged.

Hiccup perked up. "I don't know. She hasn't sent us anything regarding that…"

"We didn't see anything on her when we found Atali's bounty." Fishlegs chimed in.

"Let's go check up with her. See how she and her people are doing." Hiccup announced, only to be stopped by Ukiah.

"I got a better idea." He replied as he stood up and lightly kicked Arrow away from the Razorwhip baby, since he was nipping at its tail. "I think it'd be best we split up. That way, if we're attacked, ambushed, or anything else; be it by a friend or foe, we don't have you and Heather together.

"But what about safety in numbers?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup, Ukiah has a point. At least with us leaving here." Astrid spoke up, also standing up. "Until we get a game plan and an idea with what we're dealing with, it might be best to split up."

Hiccup slowly nodded, reluctantly agreeing with them.

Seeing he was a little down, she smiled as she wrapped an arm around him. "Come on, Hiccup. Me, you, Ukiah, and Snotlout can go back to the Edge. Matt, Heather, the twins, and Fishlegs can go to Mala to check up on them."

"And we'll be back at the Edge right after." Matt added with a smile.

Letting out a long sigh, he again nodded. "Fine. Seems my mind has been made up already. We'll leave right now. And then all of us will meet up at the Edge tomorrow."

"Travel safely, Hiccup Haddock." Atali replied, smiling as the Riders started to leave for the third time that day. "Please let us know if we can help in anyway."

"Likewise, Atali. Thank you for your hospitality." He replied back with his own smile.

Ukiah waited for the Riders to leave, to which he turned to Atali. "I still can't trust you. Not with Hiccup's safety and defense. But I do thank you for the kindness you showed them and me."

Atali smiled at him, which she replied with. "I understand the difference 'can't' and 'don't'. If you don't trust me, that's a choice you already made. If you can't trust me, that's something that's yet to be proven or earned."

"You are a wise leader. I might have to pull a page from your book." He muttered, feeling a little awkward about not trusting her.

"I can tell you're still uneasy with your position. But I will tell you a secret. You're doing the right thing for the right reasons when you feel unqualified or even unsure of your decisions."

Ukiah let the faintest smile grow. "Thank you. I'll be sure to show you that I tend to put my blade and actions where my words are. Thariin will be an ally to you."

"And Wingmaiden Island will be an ally to you as well." She replied, bowing her head slightly to him.

Returning the bow with his own, he then turned to follow the others out, with Arrow jogging alongside.

"Well, it's been an eventful couple days, hasn't it?" Minden replied, looking at Atali with a smirk.

"It has. And we got a couple of friends out of it too." She replied with a satisfied smile. "Come, Minden. We still need to tend to the newborn Razorwhips."

There you go! Hope it was a good read! Trying to speed up my process of writing, reviewing, and posting. So hopefully more to come in the near future. BTW, HTTYD 3 looks like it's going to be super interesting.