How to Document Your Dragon

by Saria Creed

The people of the Shimmering Shores prize collecting knowledge above all else. Young Tengan, daughter of chieftess Makara, is about to embark on a journey to document the evolution of the newly formed relationship between Vikings and Dragons. Will she want to return home after her two years of study? Or can a certain Berserker convince her to stick around, if only to thwart him?

24. Family Matters

CHAPTER 24

Exhaustion seemed an understatement for the consistent lack of energy that clung to Tengan as the days wore on. At first she had dismissed the constant sore muscles and ever present call of her newly rebuilt bed frame as simply being overworked. The others often joked she was a different Rider entirely when she needed a nap or her sleep cycle was altered and the fortnight of non-stop reconstruction of the Edge had certainly seen everyone working from well before sunrise to well after moonrise each day.

As the volunteers from Berk began to peel off and sail back home, the Riders fell back into their old routine of constant patrols and training drills now that Viggo had been seen alive and in possession of the original Dragon Eye. Despite the routine being familiar to the group, Tengan still found herself struggling to keep her eyes open during evening patrols. Twice, she had to swap with Astrid when she had nodded off and almost slipped from Rumble's saddle. Her seemingly perpetual exhaustion also cost her the precious few hours she had each week to begin rebuilding her work from memory and the occasional odd reference material she borrowed from Fishlegs or Hiccup.

The other Riders seemed certain her exhaustion stemmed from a second bout of a serious depression from losing the majority of her journals. On the two occasions the scribe had asked Astrid to cover her patrols, the blond accepted without her standard lecture on preparedness; her smile almost too understanding. It did not seem to matter she continuously argued that while she was devastated by their loss, knowing they were not out there in the hands of their enemies brought her a sense of closure. They all simply stared with their well meaning yet pitying smiles and offered to take on a patrol or stall cleaning duty to give her "more time to write".

Lifting her heavy head from her desk, Tengan glanced over at Rumble, who was quietly chewing on an old axe handle over his newly repaired bed. When Toothless had set fire to the hut, the heavy stone slab had fallen through the weakened floor and cracked into two pieces as it clattered against the rocks below. It had taken them two days to extract the slab from the cliffs and forge them together with copious amounts of Gronckle lava. Thankfully, the Skrill seemed indifferent to the ribbon of iron running through his bed and was quite happy to have it back. "Hey boy." She called softly to the munching dragon. "Why don't you and I visit Gothi and see if she can help me figure out what this fatigue is all about. I've been meaning to restock a few of the dried herbs here anyways." A tired smile split her lips as the Skrill rolled onto his back and promptly snapped the axe handle into several splintered pieces.

Predictably, Hiccup was against her flying back to Berk on her own. "It's way too dangerous for you to be out there on your own when Krogan and Viggo could be waiting. Besides, you're in no condition to be making a long flight on your own right now." He gently rested his hand on her shoulder. "Toothless and I should come with you."

"No." Tengan shook her head firmly, internally squashing the mounting frustration bubbling up. "You need to finish the Dragon Eye II. Now that we know the first one is still out there yours needs to be operational so we can try to stay a step ahead this time." She took a deep, steadying breath. "Besides, there are plenty of small islands in between where I can rest and hide if the need arises."

Hiccup chewed on his bottom, drawing out the motion as if he were buying time. "Then take Astrid with you. None of us should be heading out on our own."

Tengan's eyes narrowed as she cocked one of her eyebrows. "You know Stormfly is still recovering from the Slitherwing attack. She needs to rest. And before you recommend anyone else, none of the other dragons can keep up with Rumble's speed. It will be safer if we go alone and quickly. We need the medical supplies and Gothi might be able to help me fight off whatever's been draining my strength lately."

Hiccup sighed before adding quietly. "Tengan, no one thinks any less of you for being upset with what happened. You did the right thing, as hard as it was… But you're right. We need those supplies." He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Go. Be fast but above all, be safe. I'd ground you to keep you from leaving but we both know you'd just slip out tonight anyway."

Tengan chuckled. "Smart man." She gently nudged his shoulder with his fist. "We'll be back in a few days. Anything you want me to pass on to Stoick while we're there?"

Hiccup sighed again, his expression softening. "Just the usual 'Stop trying to push chiefing duties on me' if you wouldn't mind."

With a chuckle and a mock salute, Tengan climbed into Rumble's saddle and took off towards the setting Sun. Stifling a yawn, she leaned down to rub her dragon's neck. "It's been a while since the two of us went on a solo adventure." Leaning back, she stretched her arms over her head, smiling as the wind tugged at her curls. Settling in the saddle, she crouched low over the Skrill's back. "Let's see how quickly we can make it to that small cluster of islands where the Terrors like to nest. I bet we can get there before the moon rises."

The flight to Berk was blessedly uneventful. Despite having to stop a few times for Tengan to rest her eyes and for Rumble to hunt, they simply glided along on gentle updrafts and stuck to the low hanging cloud cover. As the island came soaring into view, Tengan grinned and waved as Gustav, Bucket and Mulch sped past her during their daily flight exercises. Guiding Rumble up towards the healer's cliff-top home, she slid out of the saddle and gently knocked on the old woman's door moments later.

"Hey Gothi!" She greeted with a worn smile as the door swung inward. "Hope I'm not interrupting any-" Her sentence was cut short as Gothi's staff deftly yanked her head down to the shorter woman's eye level.

Gothi glared into Tengan's heavily bagged eyes, a determined frown lining her face. She studied the younger woman for several moments before releasing her with a small smile before scratching a few symbols in the dirt at their feet.

Tengan squnited at the shapes, her sluggish brain fighting to remember their meanings. "Tired? Yeah, ever since the Singetail attacks. Thought it might have been from all the work we did rebuilding but it never went away." She sighed, rubbing her heavy eyes. "The others think I'm stuck in a rut after having to burn all my books." Her voice trailed off as her chest tightened.

Gothi, sensing the shift, reached up to gently pat her apprentice's back before she began to write once more.

Tengan gave the older woman an appreciative smile as she continued to read. "No, I'm alright. At the end of the day I can always rebuild my library…. again. I'm just glad the Fliers weren't able to make use of it." The words tumbled out of her mouth almost automatically. She had been repeating the phrase to the other Riders often enough over the past few weeks that it was second nature at this point. "Something else is wrong. I've been getting tired faster lately. My muscles ache more often too. I just can't seem to get enough rest."

Gothi's eyes narrowed as she studied the dark-skinned girl before she abruptly motioned for her to follow into the hut.

Tengan gave Rumble an appreciative pat and retrieved her empty medicine bag from his saddle before following her inside. Taking a seat on a well worn stump, she set the bag down on a small table cluttered with bottles of dried herbs alongside a mortar and pestle filled with a light green powder. "I was actually wondering if you could spare some extra supplies for us as well. I've been able to maintain our pine needles and dried seaweed but there are a few roots and flowers that haven't made a comeback since the lava flow."

Gothi waved off her request as she tottered along, gathering several jars of preserved ingredients. Reaching for a low shelf, she hesitated before grabbing a clay pot and setting it down near the resting Rider. With a set expression she carefully traced a few symbols in a pile of powdered fishbone resting in a shallow wooden tray.

Tengan cocked her head and squinted to read the symbols in the semi darkness. "When was my last…" the rest of the sentence caught in her throat as her mind raced. "My last moon's blood." She finished breathlessly as she cast her thoughts back . It had been quite a long while since her last bleeding. Before they had gone to Berserker Island and she formally accepted Dagur's betrothal. "Gothi, are you saying I'm with child?"

Her flight back to the Edge later that afternoon was subdued. Several times Tenagn pulled the small clay pot of mixed herbs and ran through Gothi's instructions. "Mix a pinch into hot water twice daily. The taste will be unpleasant due to a high concentration of iron but it will ease the muscle cramps and fatigue." She sneered at the small jar and ran her tongue along the roof of her mouth, trying to dispel the metallic, almost bloody taste that seemed to cling there after Gothi had her drink a large mug before she had been released with strict instructions to fly back to her if any complications developed.

"Oh Rumble." She sighed, one hand coming up to cup the still flat section of her womb she knew would soon begin to swell and round. "What am I going to do? Dagur's still out with Heather and I'd rather not tell him something this important in a letter. Who knows how long he'll take to come back? I could be the size of a Gronckle by then." She leaned back in the saddle until she was lying flat against the Skrill's back. "I want to tell him first but I can't keep this a secret from the others forever either. They'll figure it out sooner or later."

Despite her conundrum, she found herself smiling gently as she caressed her stomach. "Your timing is awful, Little One." She scolded the life within her. "I would have preferred you to come after the union ceremony and certainly after the war with the Fliers was done with." Her smile broke into a grin as Rumble wriggled beneath her. Sitting up, she gripped the front edge of the saddle. "Seems like someone is itching to get back quickly." Stowing her container of herbs, she triple checked the straps that held her medicine bag to the saddle before leaning forward. "Well? Show me what you got!"

The herbal tea, while still the most foul drink she had ever tasted, had seemed to do the trick. The pair only stopped once on their flight back from Berk, and only for a few hours sleep on a small, deserted island. As the Edge came back into view, Tengan laughed as Rumble growled and wiggled with delight. "You must be hungry. Why don't we swing by the stables first and see what the others left for you?"

As the pair soared through the open door, Tengan glanced up as several familiar growls greeted them. "Hey Hooky." She reached out to stroke the Monstrous Nightmare's nose as her free hand worked to undo the straps on her saddle. As Rumble's saddle slid gently to the floor, a large yellow and black head peered over the Skrill's back. "Sleuther?!" Tengan gasped in surprise as she wound her way out from in between the pair of dragons sandwiching her between them. Reaching the Triple Stryke, she caressed under his chin with both hands, smiling as the dragon leaned into her affections. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off with Dagur searching for Oswald. Is he alright?" A sudden pang of fear gripped her as she craned her neck to look past the chirping dragon.

"Hiccup Haddock, I can't believe you let my Tengan fly off to Berk all on her own!" Dagur's frantic voice carried into the open stable door. "She could have been attacked by those Fliers! When did she leave again? Did she say when she was supposed to be back?!"

Tengan felt a twinge of sympathy for Hiccup that was almost immediately replaced with a warm rush of affection for her betrothed. "Seems he got my notes." She murmured gently to the three large dragons, who had begun to sidle past her to plunge their heads in a large trough of fresh fish. She quickly stowed Rumble's saddle on the peg next to his stall, swung the bag of medical supplies over her shoulder, and walked out into the sunshine. Following the sound of Dagur's frustrated lecture and Hiccup's exhausted replies, she tracked the two to the main hall.

"Dagur, she'll be fine." Hiccup sighed, his expression weary. "Rumble is one of the fastest dragons on the island. They left a couple days ago. She should be back-" His eyes widened in mild surprise and overwhelming relief as he caught sight of Tengan entering the hall. "Right now, apparently. Hey, Tengan. That was fast."

Tengan beamed at the young men. "Of course. I told you-" The rest of her sentence was cut off as Dagur thundered across the room with a few long strides and swept her into his arms.

"Oh thank Thor!" He roared with joy as he swung the smaller woman in a tight circle, peppering her face in needy kisses. Setting her down, he cupped her face with both hands, his eyes taking in every inch of her. "I got your note! I knew you should have stayed with me on Berserker Island!"

Tengan smiled reassuringly and gently pried his hands away from her face. "Dagur, I'm fine. Really." Leaning in, she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I'm sorry my note scared you. We just didn't want you or Heather to fly blindly into an ambush. Thank you for worrying about me, though." She gently cocked her head to the side. "It's good to see you. When did you land?"

Hiccup cleared his throat as he sidled towards the exit. "About ten minutes ago." He answered wearily. "I'm glad you made it back when you did, although I will admit I wasn't expecting you back so soon. Was Gothi able to figure out what's been going on with you?"

Dagur's face flashed with worry once more as he rounded on the pair. "Gothi… that's that old healer back on Berk, right? You've been sick!?" he questioned the curly haired girl before glaring at Hiccup. "She's ill, and you still let her fly all that way on her own?!"

"It seems like you two have a LOT to catch up on!" Hiccup called out a little louder than usual. "I'll just.. Uh, let you guys have the room. I'll be… yep." He finished lamely before turning on his heel and shuffling quickly out the open doorway.

Tengan glared at Hiccup's retreating back before gently turning Dagur's face towards her own. "Dagur. I'm. Fine." She held his gaze for several seconds, astutely aware she was beginning to lose herself in his emerald eyes. "I've just been tired lately, that's all." She added quietly, a slight pang of guilt twisting her insides at the white lie. "Gothi agreed with me that I'm just a little overworked from rebuilding. Just in case, she sent me with a few herbs to take twice a day and sent me back with a few other things to restock our supplies." She smiled, her face softening. "I've missed you. A lot, actually."

Dagur's shoulders sagged as he began to relax. "You don't know how scared I was when I read your first note." He answered in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, his hands coming up to rest on her hips. "I'm responsible for making sure you're safe." He stared down at the young woman, his face still mildly lined with worry.

Tengan smiled up at him, her chest light. "I can take care of myself, you know." She teased lightly. "But I appreciate your concern and, again, I really am sorry I worried you." She pressed another light kiss to his lips. 'I can't tell him about the child now.' She thought glumly. 'He's still way too wound up about the Singetails. With how overprotective he is right now he'd probably tie me to Sletuher's saddle and refuse to let me leave our house until after the child is born.' Quickly, she changed the subject. "So if you got my letters that must mean you and Heather made it back to Berserker Isle. Have you found your father?"

"No, not yet." He groaned, the worry finally melting from his face. "We found a journal of his but it's full of nonsensical clues. Heather's gone south to follow a trail in one of the passages but honestly it's a waste of time. It's all gibberish! And I should know, seeing as I've spent most of my life in varying states of existential crises!"

Tengan frowned and set her bag down before guiding Dagur to a nearby bench to take a seat. "I'm sorry." She said simply and honestly as she took one of his hands into both of hers. "What's your next move?"

Dagur sighed and opened his mouth to answer when the twins, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Astrid burst into the hall following them.

"Have either of you seen Chicken!?" Tuffnut called out to the pair as he crawled around the room on his hands and knees, knocking over several objects in his frantic search.

Tengan's brow furrowed as she stood just in time to avoid Tuffnut tossing her along with the bench she had been sitting on. "No, I've been on Berk visiting Gothi, remember Tuff?" She turned her puzzled gaze to the others. "What's wrong?"

"Chicken's missing again." Astrid explained patiently as she gave Dagur a half wave in greeting. "I still say she might have needed some alone time."

"And I still say something more sinister is going on." Snotlout asserted as he approached the somewhat clueless couple. "Oh, hey Dagstur!" He called out in greeting before being flung backwards into the nearest wall.

Dagur snarled at Snotlout as he pinned the smaller viking to the wall with one forearm just under his throat. "You know I hate nicknames, Snothat." He growled, his expression dark.

Snotlout held his hands up in surrender. "Nicknames are for buds, I thought we were buds." He explained quickly, a sheepish smile on his face.

Tengan rolled her eyes before placing a placating hand on the arm Dagur was still using to hold Snotlout captive. "I hope that doesn't apply to me." She teased gently.

A lovesick grin spread across the Berserker's face as he released Snotlout and swept Tengan back into his arms. "Of course not, baby." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Hiccup poked his head back into the hall as the commotion died back down. "So, I see you all found Dagur." He added with a small grin as he re-entered.

Tengan rolled her eyes. "Yes, he was actually just about to let me know what his and Heather's next step was in their search for Oswald."

"Is Heather here too?" Fishlegs asked hopefully and glanced around the room while sidestepping the still frantically crawling Tuffnut.

Dagur shook his head as he withdrew an old leather journal. "No. She's off chasing one of dear old Dad's meaningless clues." Shifting his grip, he passed the book off to Tengan. "I was actually hoping you could help me with this, baby. Heather's been driving herself crazy chasing after each hint. She's going to get herself killed if she keeps this up." He shifted his attention to the group at large as he tugged Tengan closer to his side. "I don't know if any of you have noticed, but people in my family can get a little fixated on things. Like, I don't know… ruling an archipelago or catching a Skrill or-"

Tengan smirked up at Dagur as she cradled the book to her chest. "Or choosing a partner?"

"And you're afraid Heather has the same obsessive nature." Hiccup concluded with a knowing smile.

"We're Berserkers!" Dagur rebutted. "It's in our blood!" Clearing his throat he stared down at the woman still caged in his arms. "Please Tengan, take a look at my Dad's diary and see if there's anything in there. A clue, a sign, a harbinger of doom! Something!"

Tengan, well aware Dagur had no plans to release his hold on her anytime soon and certainly not opposed to the notion, leaned her back against his chest and flipped through the first few pages. "Well, your father certainly didn't want anyone to be able to read this." She mused as she traced a specific passage with one finger. "The code is complicated but it's similar to ones I've seen before…. Hey… wait a second." Her face lit up.

"What?!" Dagur perked up as he glanced over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Hiccup, Fishlegs, take a look at this sketch." Holding the book open, she turned it to display the image to the boys. "Look familiar?"

"A Sentinel!" Hiccup and Fishlegs cried out in unison before sharing a meaningful look.

"A what?" Dagur asked as his head cocked to the side, one eyebrow raised quizzically.

"A Sentinel dragon." Tengan answered, tilting her head back as far as she could to catch his eye. "There's only one place those dragons live. If Oswald was around them long enough to make a few sketches, that means he must have been-"

"ARGHHH!" Tuffnut cried out as he leapt to his feet. "All of this is a waste of time! Chicken is still out there! Cold and alone!" With a choked sob, he ran from the hall.

"Let me know if you make it back alive." Ruffnut called out to the others as she dutifully followed her distraught twin.

After a moment, Astrid sighed and shook her head. "Someone will need to stay behind to keep an eye on those two." With a tight smile she trudged out of the hall.

"Oh, no way am I missing this. You all have fun with those death dragons!" Snotlout called before jogging out to follow the Chicken search party, a taunting cackle bubbling forth.

"Welp I guess that settles it." Fishlegs clapped his hands together before heading towards the door. "I have to gather a few things. I'll see you three at the stables!"

"Can anyone explain to me what's going on?!" Dagur cried out in frustration.

"Vanaheim." Hiccup answered simply with a stern expression. "Tengan can fill you in. See you at the stables."

Tengan nodded and gently unwound herself from Dagur's embrace. Handing him back the journal, she shouldered her bag. "Comeon, I need to put this stuff away before we head out." Taking his hand, she gently tugged him out onto the walkway and towards her newly rebuilt hut.

Allowing himself to be dragged along, Dagur deftly grabbed her bag and swung it over his shoulder as they walked. "What is this... Vanaheim?"

Tegan smiled appreciatively, knowing full well it would be a losing battle to try to ask for her bag back. "It's a secret island where old and sick dragons go to spend their final days in peace. No matter what we find, no one else can know about its existence." As they approached her hut, she chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if their brief moment alone would be a good time to let him in on Gothi's true diagnosis.

Dagur nodded as he pushed the door to her hut open. "Got it. I'm sure you have a ton of notes on an island like that. Care to fill me in?" He asked with a smile as he gently ushered her inside.

Tengan froze as they entered her hut. Her throat dried entirely as she watched him look around her barren room, a horrified expression dawning on her face.

"Woah." Dagur commented on the nearly empty shelves as he set her bag down on the table. "Have you packed everything up already?"

Tengan frowned up at him, her heart hammering. "N-no, I… Dagur I'm so sorry." She stuttered out. "I forgot to tell you…. When the Flier's chased us out I-I couldn't let them get my journals…." She took a shaky breath, guilt seeping into her mind. "I had to make a choice. It was either burn my work or let them use it to hurt more dragons. I'm so sorry!" She apologized again, her vision beginning to waver.

"Woah, woah!" Dagur gave her a confused stare before quickly crossing the room and tilting her head up to catch his eye. "Why in Thor's name are you apologizing to me?"

Tengan fought the lump in her throat. "You were the one who spent months tracking those down for me. And now… all that work…."

Exhaling deeply, he pulled her into a strong embrace. "I got them back for you. Don't apologize to me for being strong enough to destroy them so those spineless Flier's couldn't use them. That's pretty Berserk, if I say so myself. It's why I love you."

Tengan swallowed quickly as she stared up at him, struggling to blink away the tears that were still threatening to fall.

"What's with the face?" He asked gently, a reassuring smile stretching across his lips.

"You've never said that before." She whispered in response, her puzzled expression still in place.

"Really?" Dagur asked the smaller woman in disbelief as he quickly skimmed through all their past conversations in his mind. "I suppose not. I mean, it is pretty obvious."

Tengan laughed lightly, the sound hiccuping through the now loosening knot in her throat. "That is true… but it's also nice to hear."

Dagur smirked down at her and squeezed lightly. "In that case." He made a show of clearing his throat. "I love you, Tengan. With all I have in me."

Heat flushed through her face and neck at the gentle declaration. "I love you too, Dagur." She whispered in return before letting her head drop to rest on his chest. She took several deep breaths, losing herself in the comforting, spicy smell that always seemed to cling to him. "Dagur… there's something I-"

"Hurry up you two!" Hiccup's voice carried to the pair from the open door. "It's nearly midday already! We'll barely make it before nightfall at this rate!"

"We really need to start shutting that door behind us." Dagur groaned as he released Tengan with a small kiss on her cheek. "Did you have something you wanted to say, baby?" He smiled down at her, eyes gentle.

Tengan smiled back, her own tight. "Just that I'm excited! Hopefully I'll be able to meet your father today!" Ignoring the guilty pang in her chest, she followed Dagur back to the stables.

As the small flock of dragons made their way towards Vanaheim, Tengan found herself harried by her own thoughts. After several impatient questions from Fishlegs, she relinquished the diary to the Gronckle rider and simply relaxed as best she could in the saddle.

"Dagur!" Hiccup called out from the front of the pack. "I know Tengan probably already said this but you can't tell or show anyone where this island is. It's too important to the dragons." He concluded with a gentle pat on Toothless' shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I'm great at keeping things to myself!" Dagur responded with a grin. "Anger, frustration, rage..."

"Oh I'm just so excited to be heading back to Vanaheim!" Fishlegs squealed. "It's so full of mystery and mythology! What we saw last time was just a thread in the tapestry of its deep, rich history!"

Tengan smiled gently as Fishlegs began to treat Dagur to a long winded lecture of everything they had seen during their last visit to the island. Her smile widened as Hiccup and Toothless hung back slightly to sidle up next to her and Rumble. "Something on your mind?"

Hiccup smiled back. "Yeah, actually. You know we're all really happy for you and Dagur right?"

Tengan nodded, wondering where this line of thinking was going. "I would hope so. But that's not all you wanted to say, was it?"

Hiccup chuckled and cleared his throat. "No, no it's not. I mean, I know you planned to eventually move to Berserker Island after he found his father, but with the Fliers and Viggo around…." He sighed. "We still need you. And Rumble. If we end up finding Oswald on Vanaheim...?" He left the question unfinished.

Tengan frowned, her brow furrowed deep in thought as she studied her childhood friend. "That was originally the plan, Hiccup." She began delicately as her eyes drifted to watch Dagur laugh and joke with Fishlegs. "But now…. You're right that there are new things I need to take into consideration." She worded her statement carefully. "It's something Dagur and I need to talk about. But that's assuming this isn't another dead end. Who knows, we might not find anything at all. It's not like we saw anything that suggested someone was living there the last time we visited." She smiled reassuringly. "There's no use worrying about it now. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"I really hope we find SOMETHING on this island of decomposing dragons." Dagur spoke loudly enough so his voice carried to the entire group. "For Heather's sake. She really needs the closure. Oh man!" He looked quickly over at Tengan, his eyes wide with worry. "Should I have brought her with us?!" He flinched, gripping at his chest. "Ugh, what is this weird emotion I'm feeling? Is this….. Guilt?" He spat the word as a shudder racked his body. "I don't like it!"

"Yeah.." Tengan agreed quietly with a strained smile as she fought the urge to look away. "It's not the best feeling."

"Well." Hiccup interjected. "You said her obsession had become dangerous. You're doing the right thing!" He asserted with a confident smile.

"There it is!" Fishlegs cut across the conversation. In the distance, the large, almost skeletal island came into view as the low hanging clouds began to part before the approaching Riders.

"Alright gang, here's the plan." Hiccup called out as he and Toothless took the lead once more. "We land, look for Oswald, then cover ourselves in fruit."

Tengan caught onto Dagur's perplexed expression. "The fruit is what covered our scent on the way out last time." She explained in a low, patient voice.

"Ah, thanks, love!" Dagur winked back at her as they approached the first line of unmoving Sentinels. "I can't believe those statues are actually real dragons."

"Don't worry." Fishlegs asserted. "They won't bother us on the way in. It's the way out that's going to be tricky."

"Guys?" Tengan called out tensley to the group as she watched a Sentinel begin to twitch and stir as they glided over. "Something's wrong!" Pulling back hard on Rumble's saddle, she urged the Skrill to stop as several Sentinels began to climb towards them.

"Are you guys sure this is the right island?" Dagur questioned as he and Sleuther placed themselves between Tengan and the advancing dragons.

"They remember our scent form last time!" Hiccup called out as a trio of Sentinels sent a concussive blast of air towards the group. "They know we're not sick dragons! They must have adapted! Ride out the blasts!" He instructed the others.

Tengan ducked to shield her face from the blast, thankful that Dagur and Sleuther had taken the brunt of it. As she turned her attention back to the Sentinels, her eyes caught the briefest flash of movement as several small dragons winged their way towards the island. "It looks like a small flock of sick dragons is landing here. If we wait, they might be distracted long enough-"

"Oh no!" Dagur cut her off as the Sentinels prepared another wing blast. "If those shifty dragons can land so can we. I did not come all this way to not find any answers! Stick close, and follow me!" With a nudge of his heels, he and Sleuther executed a tight backwards loop before diving straight at the Sentinels, the Triple Stryke's wings pressed almost completely flat against his body.

"You heard the chief!" Tengan called out to her friends as she and Rumble mimicked the maneuver. The wind tore at her eyes as they dove. As their speed picked up, she was forced to shut them and completely rely on her dragon to guide them in their desperate dive.

As the group closed in on the Sentinels, their concussive wave jostled and slowed the advancing formation but was unable to stop their progress. As the dragons approached the sandy beach, their wings snapped open once more, slowing them all just enough for a rough landing.

Tengan tumbled out of a Rumble's saddle and landed softly on her back in the sand. A desperate laugh tore through her throat as she sat up and grinned at her companions. "That was brilliant, Dagur! Using their attack to cushion our dive."

"Uh, yep!" Dagur grinned sheepishly as he staggered to his feet before extending an arm down to her. "Why not, let's go with that."

Her smile shifted into a suspicious smirk as she let him pull her to her feet. "You had no idea what you were doing, did you?" She murmured quietly.

"Nope, not a clue." He mumbled back as his free hand came up to rub the back of his head. "But it worked! And that's all that matters." Turning to Hiccup and Fishlegs, he glanced between the pair at the island spread out behind them. "So, where to next?"

Hiccup groaned as he massaged where his knee had collided with a rock embedded in the sand. "Well, the Sun is almost set. I say we make camp here for the night and start the search fresh in the morning. Fishlegs, mind helping me gather some fruit? Tengan and Dagur, you're in charge of preparing camp."

Tengan gave her friends a small, mock salute. "You got it boss." She grinned, the adrenaline from their crash landing still pulsing through her. "Come, my love." She nudged Dagur's side. "It looks like there's a bit of dry driftwood over the bluff."

As dawn broke the following morning, Tengan dozed on, happily encased in Dagur's arms as they pair lay sandwiched between Rumble and Slether. A sigh escaped her lips as she shifted in her sleep to bury her face into her lover's chest.

Dagur cracked open one eye and chuckled gently as she snuggled closer. "Sun's up baby. Comeon." He coaxed her into a sitting position as he bit back the urge to laugh at her somehow wilder mane of hair.

Tengan groaned and leaned as heavily against his shoulder as she could, refusing to open her eyes. "No…." she protested weakly.

"Yes." Dagur countered as he stood, pulling her to her feet as well. "The others are already awake, sleepy head."

"You're mean." Tengan whined under her breath as she staggered over to Rumble and extracted a leather pouch containing a small amount of the herbs Gothi had prescribed to her. Another pang of guilt clung to her as she stumbled over to where Fishlegs and Hiccup were sitting over the rekindled fire. 'I'll tell him after this is all over.' She promised herself. 'Right now we have to focus on finding Oswald and making sure Heather doesn't hurt herself.'

"Wow." Fishlegs commented as he passed the couple a few pieces of fruit. "That is the fastest I've ever seen anyone wake her up."

Hiccup chuckled. "You have a point. Remember when Astrid tried to get her up early for that last minute, predawn training session?"

Tengan sleepily glared at the pair as she filled a small tin cup with a pinch of her herbs and water from a spare wineskin before placing it over the bed of coals to heat up. "I thought we agreed not to speak of that again?" She grumbled to the pair. "I was half asleep and thought a Hunter had snuck in. Besides, the cut eventually healed. You can barely see the scar anymore."

"Oh, now I definitely need to hear the rest of this story." Dagur chimed in with a wicked grin as he gently nudged her in the ribs.

As the group finished eating the dragons finally roused themselves and crawled over to greet their partners. With the fire put out and their fruit pits buried in the sand, the small formation took off to start searching the island. Seeing as the pages in Oswald's journal right after the Sentinel sketches had a drawing of what looked to be a unique cave or skull formation, that's what they decided to look for first.

As the Sun climbed higher into the sky, their search began to take on a more desperate note as every section they checked had a dissappoing lack of any odd formations.

"Trying to think positively here!" Dagur eventually spoke up in a falsely chipper voice. "But it feels like we've been flying in circles."

"Wait!" Fishlegs called out. "I found something!" Straightening up over the fallen log he had been crouched over, he held up a small, white object. "There are teeth stuck in the wood! Maybe from a sharp class dragon?"

"There are more over here!" Hiccup added as he walked around the remnants of a long dead tree.

"Woah!" Tengan gasped as she jogged over to inspect Hiccup's stump. "I've never seen anything like this. It looks like these were shot into the tree, kind of like Stormfly's spines. See?" She traced the oddly straight pattern of the embedded tree. "There's no cracking to indicate any pressure along the trunk and the teeth are too straight to be from a bite. Is it possible we're looking at a dragon that can fire it's teeth at will?"

"Great!" Dagur groaned as he threw his arms up in apparent defeat. "So, besides finding a bunch of dragon teeth, the diary led us to another dead end!" Huffing, she slammed his back against a nearby boulder. "Yippie." He added bitterly.

Tengan tore her attention away from the discovery and frowned sympathetically. As she began to approach the pouting Berserker, she and the others were momentarily distracted as Toothless let out a low, keening cry.

"Uh guys…" Hiccup began as he followed his dragon's gaze. "You might want to take a second look at this."

Tengan followed Toothless and Hiccup's stares, her jaw dropping as she began to comprehend the scale of what they were looking at. The rock formation along the area they were searching was actually a pile of bones so large and so old they had become part of the landscape. "Woah… Wait…" She glanced around, squinting towards the far side of the island. "If I'm seeing this correctly all the cliffs and hills on the island could be from this one dragon's skeleton!"

"Oh. My. Thor." Fishlegs gasped as he glanced between the odd sketch in the diary and what was now clearly a cavernous skull laid out before them.

"Oh my Thor is right!" Dagur exclaimed as he launched himself off of what the group now knew to be a discarded tooth the approximate size of a fully grown Nadder.

"This proved Oswald was here!" Hiccup cheered, an ecstatic grin lighting up his face. "In fact, he might still be here!"

Dagur's face fell as his body stiffened. "Oh." He cuckold nervously. "I hadn't thought of that." He admitted quietly as the group slowly began to walk towards the gaping maw of the skull. "I hadn't thought of that at all."

Tengan glanced at the Berserker out of the corner of her eye as the group mounted up and began to fly after Toothless through the long dark tunnel hidden within the skull. As they breached the other side into a small, hidden grove of trees surrounding a pond, she started to speak, only to clamp her mouth shut as Rumble crouched low to the ground and growled.

"What is it bud?" Hiccup asked as Toothless mirrored the Skrill's motions.

All at once, six dragons barely longer than Meatlug and almost as slim as a Timberjack sprang out from the surrounding bushes, effectively cornering the group. Landing, the pack pressed in slowly, their triangular heads weaving on their elongated necks as they hissed and growled. The one closest to Meatlug screeched before firing several small projectiles at the Gronckle from it's gaping mouth.

Fishlegs screamed as he dove out of the saddle just in time, narrowly missing the projectiles as they embedded themselves in the trunk of the tree directly behind him. "They're are the same teeth we found earlier!" He cried out the warning to the group. These dragons aren't sick at all!"

"They're hunting." Hiccup finished grimly as he scanned their newest threat.

Tengan glanced nervously between two of the smaller dragons as they advanced on either side of Rumble. She barely caught sight of Dagur being thrown off of Sleuther as the Triple Stryke reared abruptly to avoid a wave of teeth aimed at his eyes. "No!" She cried out as one of the small dragons began to circle around, it's narrow eyes locked on the downed Viking. "Rumble, we need a warning shot." She growled in her dragon's ear. "Everyone! Cover your eyes!" She called out to the group before throwing her arm over her face.

Rumble roared a deafening challenge at the advancing dragons as the air surrounding him crackled with energy. A cascade of lightning danced around him for just a moment before the energy manifested in a bright explosion of light, heat, and sound.

As the Riders began to cautiously open their eyes once more, they barely caught sight of the hunting dragon pack fleeing into the dense treeline.

"That was close." Fishlegs sighed as he glanced around, making sure none had stayed behind. "Wait…. What's that?" He pointed off in the direction the ambush had come from. Through the disturbed underbrush, he could barely make out what was unmistakably a man made shelter.

"No way!" Tengan gasped as the Riders quickly jogged over to the structure. The simple hut was built into the side of a nearby cliff face and seemed to be composed of native stones and salvaged wood.

"That door… and most of this wood..." Hiccup mused as he examined the painted wood. "It's been salvaged from a Berserker Galleon."

"He was shipwrecked." Dagur muttered to himself, his fists clenching as he stared at the structure.

Tengan, just barely catching Dagurs comment, turned away from the hut and sidled up to him. Lacing her fingers with his, she smiled encouragingly. "Is everything alright?"

Dagur jumped slightly at the contact as his concentration broke. "Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It's just… uh maybe we should take snack break first? We've been doing a lot today and I don't want you to exhaust yourself, baby." He offered quickly as he took several steps backwards, tugging Tengan along with him.

Tengan frowned at her betrothed before turning to the others. "Could you guys give us a minute, please?" She smiled appreciatively as Hiccup and Fishlegs quickly cleared out under the guise of keeping watch for the hostile dragons. "Alright, what's going on?" She pressed gently once the pair was alone.

Dagur frowned, his eyes fixated on the Berserker crest painted on the door of the simple hut. "Someone had to do it, right? Lead the Berserkers?" His words were desperate as his grasp on her hand tightened slightly. "Maybe it was a bit of a power grab, you know... Taking over the moment Oswald went missing… Do you think he'll blame me?" He finished quietly, his voice shaking.

Tengan stared up at him for several dumbstruck seconds, her heart breaking as she watched him break down. "Dagur, look at me. Please." She said firmly as she stepped in front of him, bringing her free hand up to cup his cheek. "If even half of what you've told me about your father is true he would never blame you for what happened. It must have been a daunting task to take up his mantle and protect your people. And yet, you did." She smiled lovingly up at him. "Granted, you have made a few mistakes, but you've grown into such a strong leader and a son any father would be proud of. He loves you Dagur, and always will."

Sighing shakily, he released her hand and flung his arms over her shoulders, his weight sagging onto her smaller frame. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He admitted in a soft whisper as he held onto her for several moments.

Tengan shook slightly as she struggled to support both of them. Rubbing small, soothing circles into his back with the pads of her fingers, she stood there quietly for a while, content just to hold the unknowing father of their growing child as she silently comforted him.

"I can do this." Dagur quietly whispered more to himself than anyone else as he reluctantly straightened and released Tengan. Giving her a small, nervous smile, he turned away and slowly inched his way towards the door, his arm reaching out to lightly rap on the reclaimed wood. After several seconds with no answer, he carefully pulled the door open, wincing as it creaked on rusted hinges. "Daddy?" He called out cautiously into the dark space, his eyes darting along the few items in the mostly barren room. As his gaze fell to the floor, a strangled cry escaped his throat before he sank to his knees.

"Oh no." Tengan murmured to herself as she covered the distance to the hut in three hurried strides. She briefly caught sight of a mummified, skeletal body before she fell to the ground next to her grieving partner. Silently, she sat next to Dagur for several long minutes, one hand delicately placed on his back as she studied his face for any movement or change in expression.

Dagur sat slumped on the ground, tears silently rolling down his cheeks as he stared at his father's body. Several times he tried to speak but only a strangled croak emerged before a few more tears escaped and fell.

"Are you guys alright?!" Hiccup called as he and Fishlegs landed. Jogging up to the group, he glanced around nervously. "We heard a yell. What did- oh." He trailed off as he pieced together the sight before him.

Tengan turned slightly to shake her head at Hiccup once before resuming her silent vigil.

Dagur hardly noticed the others' arrival until he felt Hiccup's hand on his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he took a deep, steadying breath before climbing to his feet. "I won't leave him like this."

Tengan, still on her knees, stared up at the determined Berserker. "Would you like help?" She asked gently.

Dagur glanced down at her, his eyes briefly flashing with appreciation before he shook his head. "No. This is something I have to do on my own."

The burial took the remainder of the day. Tengan tended to Rumble and Sleuther while refraining from troubling Dagur as he strode along the shore of the pond in search of suitable stones for the cairn. Although, she made sure to always be within hailing distance just in case he needed something. As day slipped into night, she looked up from absent-mindedly stoking Sleuther and caught sight of Dagur placing Oswald's helmet and shield atop the completed mound. Slowly, she approached, stopping to bow her head in respect for the man she would never have the chance to meet.

"This was all my fault." Dagur whimpered as he fell to his knees once more. "He was stranded. He died here. All alone…."

"You had no idea where he was." Hiccup countered gently as he slowly approached.

"I-I never sent a search party!" Dagur cried out, his face twisting with grief. "I should have tried! Done something!"

Tengan threw herself to her knees next to him and gently turned his head to face her. "This is not your fault." She said sternly, her eyes boring into his. "There was no way you could have known any of this would have happened. Your father loved you, no matter what." She finished softly.

"I wish I could believe you." Dagur responded glumly as he placed his hand over hers. "But now, we'll never know." He turned back to face the grave, his expression dark.

"Guys?" Fishlegs' voice carried over from inside Oswald's hut. "You all really need to see this."

Tengan gently tugged Dagur to his feet and led the defeated Berserker back towards the hut. As they ducked inside, she let her gaze follow to the stone wall that made up the back of the modest home.

"We were right about those dragons from before." The Gronckle rider gestured to a charcoal drawing on the cave wall. "Oswald named them Grim Gnashers. They prey on the sick and dying dragons." He lifted a small journal from a stone bench and opened it to a marked page. "Apparently, he would help fight them off. Your dad was a hero." He finished with a small smile.

Dagur's head perked up at Fishlegs' words. He stared at the cave wall, taking in all the markings and sketches for the first time. "Of course he was." He responded with a sad smile. "He was a Berserker." HIs smile widened ever so slightly as he laid eyes on the centermost drawing: a rough portrait of himself and Heather smiling down at the makeshift desk.

Tengan gave his hand a comforting squeeze as she glanced around the room, readily taking in the details. Her eyes were quickly drawn to a receded hole several feet above the cave floor with a ladder resting just beneath it. Climbing the ladder, she retrieved a small wooden box and set it down on the stone desk before slowly opening it. "There are two scrolls inside." She announced before stepping to the side to allow Dagur to approach.

Lifting the scrolls, the Berserker frowned as he read the inscriptions on each. "This one's for Heather… and the other…. is for me?" He finished, his brows rising in surprise.

"You should read it then." Tengan gently encouraged as she smiled up at him.

Dagur clutched the letter to his chest as he glanced between his friends. "Yeah, I.. ok." Turning on his heel, he carefully tucked Heather's note into his belt as he disappeared into the gloom.

Tengan stared at the empty doorway for several seconds before turning to face Hiccup and Fishlegs. "There's something I need your help with." She stated firmly, her eyes twinkling with determination. "Fishlegs, I need you to look through all of Oswald's journals and separate out the ones that look like they might fall apart."

"Of course." Fishlegs smiled and nodded before turning to begin his task.

Tengan smiled in thanks before turning to Hiccup. "While he's sorting, can you construct a few makeshift bags and crates with what's around? I don't want to leave anything behind."

Hiccup smiled back, com[rehension dawning on his face. "Shouldn't be a problem. What are you going to do?"

Tengan withdrew a charcoal pencil from the hidden pocket in her shirt with a shaky sigh. "Hopefully, if I do this right, I'll be able to give Dagur a perfect copy of his father's drawing." Approaching the portrait of Dagur and Heather, she began to slowly and carefully trace over the older lines with her pencil. Every other second or so she paused and examined her work to make sure none of her lines extended beyond the original piece. Several times she forced her arms to bend at unnatural angles to avoid smudging or spreading the lines. As she worked the muted sounds of Fishlegs flipping through pages and Hiccup gently hammering a crate together with his spare prosthetic leg seemed to almost completely fade away.

Finally, long after the boys had secured all of Oswald's works to the dragons' saddles and the new morning's Sun began to peek over the horizon, she stepped back from the portrait and studied it carefully. She'd only have one chance to transfer the image. WIth a heavy sigh, she quickly jogged outside and extracted a blank scroll form Rumble's saddle bag, pausing only long enough to give the dozing dragon a few quick scratches. Returning to the portrait, she unrolled the parchment and spent several moments lining it up so no lines would travel off the page. Well aware the others were watching her, she slowly approached and laid the paper flat against the traced image. As the paper made contact with the wall, she leaned her weight against the scroll, using her hands to firmly smooth it out several times in each direction.

"Here goes nothing." She mumbled to herself as she slowly backed away, peeling the paper with her. Slowly, she turned to face the waiting Fishlegs and Hiccup. "Well?" She asked hesitantly, glancing down at the transferred artwork.

"He's going to love it." Hiccup nodded approvingly.

The unmistakable cry of a panicked Gronckle cut through the calm, early morning air. The Riders sprinted out of the hut and nervously looked around.

"Oh Thank Thor!" Fishlegs cried out as he threw his arms around Meatlug. "But if you didn't make that sound then who?"

Tengan's head whipped up as Dagur's Berserker war cry echoed across the valley. "Up there!" She called out as she scrambled into Rumble's saddle. "Dagur's up against that pack of Grim Gnashers from before! They must have been going after a sick Gronckle."

"Then we better help him!" Hiccup hollered back as he and Toothless surged into the air. "Now, bud! Plasma Blast!" He cheered as the blast connected with a pair of Gnashers that had begun to circle behind the Triple Stryke.

"Oh no you don't!" Tengan growled as several more broke off to face them. Her growl morphed into a triumphant cry as Rumble landed a heavy blow across an advancing Gnasher's back with his spiked tail.

"Dagur!" Hiccup called out and he and Toothless held a few more at bay with a well placed Plasma Blast. "Time to finish this! Fishlegs, you and Meatlug cover the Gronckle!"

"On it!" Dagur roared back as he and Sleuther charged the pack while Meatlug angled back towards the ground to cover the weakened Gronckle.

Tengan and Rumble hung back with Hiccup and Toothless as they harried any Grim Gnashers that tried to slip past them to get at the Gronckle. Any that managed to outmaneuver the pair were quickly sent scurrying away as Meatlug and Fishlegs pelted the would be attacker with chunks of molten lava.

Despite their best efforts, the pack of Gnashers refused to turn tail. "We need more dragon power!" HIccup yelled out to the others in desperation. "I don't know how much longer we can hold them off!"

The grating roar of the Sentinels shook the air with its force as three slowly climbed to face off against the pack of Gnashers. In unison, the trio hit the scattering pack with a concussive wing bast, sending them tumbling out over the open ocean.

"Yeah, that's right!" Dagur yelled at the retreating dragons. "This is Oswald's island you shifty sky vermin!" A triumphant laugh bubbled up from within him as he pumped a victorious fist in the air. "You know, for a battle with no fatalities, that was actually pretty fun!"

Tengan beamed at her fiery-haired Berserker. "It's good to have you back!" She called out as Rumble climbed to hover next to Sleuther. Glancing up at the circling Sentinels, she continued. "It's time to go." She said gently. "Were you able to find what you needed in your letter?"

Dagur nodded, his expression bittersweet. "Yes, I did. It was like you said, Dad's proud of me. I just wish you could have met him."

"Me too." She agreed softly. "Luckily I have you to tell me all I need to know about the men who would have been my second father."

As the Riders made to break away from the coast, the dragons abruptly halted as the trio of Sentinels broke away to block their exit. Before they could do more than balk, they each roared gently before bowing their heads and backing away to reveal a gap.

"What are they doing?" Dagur asked skeptically as he glanced between the large dragons.

"Looks like they're thanking us!" Hiccup answered incredulously as he led the others through the gap and out towards the open ocean.

As the distance between Vanaheim and their small formation grew, Tengan finally relaxed as she hid a large yawn behind her hands. "We should probably head to Berserker Isle before heading back to the Edge." She said with a sleepy smile. "There are a few things we need to drop off."

"What are you talking about?" Dagur asked as he glanced between the other Riders, his eyes landing on the extra bags and crates for the first time. "What's all that?"

"Tengan had us help her pack up all of Oswald's work last night." Fishlegs answered as he fished a battered book out of his saddle bag. "Can you believe it? This one book has over one hundred fruit recipes!"

Dagur smiled gently at his sleepy eyed Rider. "Thank you." He nodded in appreciation before retrieving Oswald's scroll to Heather from his belt. "I need to get this to Heather right away as well. She should be back home by now."

"Hey maybe you could bring her back here sometime." Hiccup called over his shoulder. "We seemed to have earned the Sentinel's respect. Might not be a bad idea."

"Wait, I EARNED respect?" Dagur asked quizzically, one eyebrow arching up towards his hairline. "I'm just so used to demanding it… that's crazy."

"Will you guys wake me when we get close to Berserker Isle?" Tengan asked through a yawn as she laid back until she laid flat in the saddle, her eyes already drifting shut. "I'm going to try to get some sleep….."

"Uh…" Fishlegs interrupted as he examined a small scrap of paper that had been hanging out of the recipe book. "You may want to take a look at this first. Is this what I think it is?" He asked the group at large as he displayed a detailed sketch of what was unmistakably a pair of Dragon Eye lenses.

"I still can't believe none of us ever noticed Heather was literally wearing a Dragon Eye lens on her belt this entire time." Tengan blurted out sleepily as they landed in the stables on Berserker Island in the early afternoon. "Well, at least we know it's safe." As the last bag of Osland's works were untied from Rumble's saddle, she paused to stretch her arms over her head. "Are you alright?" She asked quietly as she caught sight of Dagur's concerned expression.

"Oh, uh, never better." The Berserker chief responded much too quickly as he avoided her gaze. Groaning, he forced himself to meet her eyes squarely. "No, no I'm not. I have to tell Heather the father she's been maniacally searching for is dead."

Tengan frowned and stooped to retrieve a tightly rolled scroll from her bag. "Here." She said softly as she pressed the paper into Dagur's hands. "I wanted to give this to both of you, but I think you need to see it now."

Dagur glanced between his bleary eyed beloved and the scroll in his hands several times before quickly unrolling it. His eyes widened as he gazed down on Oswald's rendition of his younger, scar free smiling self next to an equally young Heather with shorter hair and rounder cheeks.

"It's what I was working on last night." She explained with a gentle, tired smile. "She needs to know, Dagur. And you're the only person who has the right to tell her." She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

Dagur quickly rolled up the parchment before pulling Tengan to him in a one-armed hug. Releasing her, he met her gaze squarely. "After I break the news to Heather, you and I have a lot to talk about." He smiled gently.

Tengan chuckled nervously. "Yes, yes we do." She agreed, her mind flashing back to her time at Gothi's hut. It felt as if she had been given the news weeks ago rather than the few short days that had passed.

"Chief!" A warm voice boomed out from the doorway as Kralins approached. "Oh, hello again Tengan!" He smiled down at the young woman. "Good to see you again."

Tengan returned his smile with an exhausted one of her own. "Nice to see you too Kralins! Any more luck getting the metal off your chest?"

The large viking laughed and slapped his knee. "Nope! Not in the slightest. It's completely healed now though. Only bothers me on really cold nights."

"Was there something you needed Kralins?" Dagur spoke up as he slid an arm around Tengan's waist. "Certainly you didn't climb all the way up here just to welcome me back."

Kralins gave his commander a rueful smile. "While it is good to have you back sir, I have news for you about Heather."

"Oh good!" Dagur straightened, the arm draped over Tengan stiffening slightly. "Where is she? I actually have news for her."

"You didn't hear?" Kralin's brow furrowed in confusion before an excited smile crept onto his face. "She left with Trader Johann for the Northern Markets. Apparently, he found a man who says Oswald is alive!"