Spitfire and Toothless shifted to a hover just before a series of snow-covered sea stacks. The rest of the dragons did so as well. Hiccup saw a green dragon he had never seen before fly off the sea stack. His eyes blinked when an Ice Terror the color of seafoam lifted into the air with the unknown dragon. Both came level with Toothless and Spitfire, shifting to a hover. The unknown dragon warbled something in the Old Tongue.

[Greetings, Ice-shooter,] Spitfire replied. [You can speak the Common Tongue. They are able to understand.]

The unknown dragon glanced at Toothless, then at Moondust, before looking over the rest of the group. Hiccup saw blue eyes narrow upon seeing the humans.

[You bring humans to the nest?] the Ice-shooter asked, its voice female, and looking back towards Spitfire.

[She does not,] Toothless replied. [I do.]

Hiccup saw both the Ice-shooter and the Ice Terror's eyes widen. Both stared at Toothless as if seeing him for the first time.

[The lost prince,] the Ice Terror whispered, its voice also female. [You have come home.]

[I have come to visit,] Toothless replied.

Hiccup saw both dragons stare at Toothless and could read the confusion in their eyes. Spitfire spoke up, diverting their attention.

[Might want to go inform Father.]

Both dragons jerked before the Ice-shooter shifted its head to look at the Ice Terror. The Ice Terror chirped, furled her wings, and dropped. Hiccup watched her flare her wings several dragon lengths below them, bank around, and head for the silhouette of the island he could see rising out of the sea fog. That the sun was tucking itself away for the night and they were several wing flaps away made it difficult to make out much of the island.

[May I ask who your traveling companions are, prince, princess?] the Ice-shooter asked.

In answer, Spitfire looked to Toothless and glanced at Hiccup. Toothless titled his head so that he could look up at Hiccup. Hiccup frowned.

"What?" he asked.

[Do you wish her to know who you are?] Toothless asked.

Hiccup sighed, now understanding why Toothless and Spitfire were acting as they were. The Changewing king had explained much of how alphas sometimes acted to the guards of the nests they visited. It annoyed Hiccup to know even some dragons acted as if guards were lower than them and he was glad the king did not. The guards were just as important to a nest as anyone else and had a right to be treated with courtesy. Hiccup vowed to act like the king did after hearing that.

"You know I don't mind, Toothless," Hiccup said.

Toothless chortled before facing the Ice-shooter. [The human upon my back is my alpha. His name is Hiccup. The others with us are a part of the nest he has formed. They are his honor guard and inner circle. The female riding the Spike-thrower is his intended. The three younglings currently peeking at you from behind the Tall-singer are my sons.]

The Ice-shooter shook her head but had no time to respond as a familiar shriek rose from the island. Hiccup blinked as what seemed to be fifty Night Furies, most of them black as Toothless but some a lighter black like Moondust and a few that were white in color, flew from the island. They all shifted to a hover behind and beside the Ice-spitter. Hiccup's jaw dropped at seeing all of them and he heard Fishlegs give a choked off squeal.

Four that came to hover right beside the Ice-shooter stared first at Spitfire then at Toothless before all four looked to Hiccup. Hiccup thought he recognized Toothless' older brother and sister-in-law but he could not be sure. The four looked exactly alike, except that two had shorter main sensing lobes like Moondust and one of those two had blue eyes.

[I see you finally found him, my daughter,] one of the Night Furies said, its voice deep and male as he looked back at Spitfire. [And managed to do what your older brother could not.]

[Nice to see you too, Father,] Toothless said.

The Night Fury turned gaze upon Toothless and stared in silence for several wing flaps. Hiccup, without thought, rubbed the side of his brother's neck. The Night Fury's eyes focused upon the movement then traveled up to stare at Hiccup before lowering once more to Toothless.

[It is good to see you too, son. Come. Let us get out of this air. I know that is not good for your companions. We'll talk more in the nest.]

With that the flock of Night Furies began banking around to head back. The one who had spoken to Spitfire and Toothless looked at the Ice-shooter.

[You have done well, nest guard. Thank you.]

The Ice-shooter tipped her head. [Thank you, my alpha. I shall return to my post.]

The Night Fury tipped his head. The Ice-shooter curled her wings like the Ice Terror did and dropped. Hiccup, by a habit he did with his own dragons back home, watched to make sure she landed upon the sea stack. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Toothless' father was watching him. Hiccup had no chance to ponder as the father and the others right with him banked and began heading towards the island. Toothless and Spitfire shifted out of hovering and followed, causing the others to do so as well.

As they neared the island, Hiccup heard Gyda and Shadowfire gasp. He shifted in the saddle, fully trusting his brother to fly but also making corrections with the tailfin as needed without thought. Gyda and Shadowfire both looked at the island as if they had seen it before. Hiccup frowned then his face cleared as he realized that somehow and for some reason he and the others would come to this island in the tales she knew. He faced forward as Toothless banked right and rose.

They followed sixteen of the Night Furies that had come out into an opening up the side of a mountain in the middle of the snow blanketed island. The other Night Furies peeled off in various directions, the black ones melting into the night while the white ones blended in with the snow. The lighter colored black ones became one with the barely-there shadows cast by the dying sun light hitting a rather thick forest of snow covered trees.

Hiccup lost sight of what else the island had to offer outside as Toothless followed the Night Furies as they all dove into an tunnel down that would make Ringfire coo in awe. Toothless banked as the tunnel curved left and soon Hiccup could feel heat slowly seeping into his skin. He frowned until they cleared a long, level, and straight corridor and ended up in a cavern that immediately made Hiccup begin to sweat.

"Geo-thermal," he heard Gyda whisper in awe and glanced over at her as Toothless guided bonded dragons and his sons to a stone ledge set Meatlug's height from what looked like a deep pool of bubbling water.

Gyda shook her head, making the hand motion for wait. Hiccup titled his head but nodded. He knew she would explain later when she had the chance. Right now they needed to be attentive to their host as the four Night Furies, joined by Spitfire, flew to a stone ledge high up the opposite cavern wall. Hiccup also noted many more Night Furies, Ice-shooters, Ice Terrors, dragons that looked similar to Shadowfire but none the same color as him, and a couple more species he did not know moved out onto ledges all around the cavern walls.

[My friends,] Toothless' father called out, [we welcome back one thought lost to us and welcome for the first time those he has come to call flock.]

That got some chitters and warbles from the various dragons. Toothless' father lifted a wing and silence fell.

[My son will explain,] he said curling the wing back to his side. [Do not worry. For now, do not interrupt him as he gives his tale.] The Night Fury then looked down at Toothless. [Please, my son, let us know what all has happened to you that you would come with such a flock.]

[The tale is not all mine to give, Father,] Toothless said. [Nor is it a short tale. Might my alpha and the humans with us dismount and stretch their legs first?]

Hiccup heard more chitters and warbles at Toothless' words. Toothless' father gave a sharp warble and silence fell again.

[I would wish all your companions to be comfortable, my son. Please do as you need.]