People gathered around in masses after hearing that Hiccup had returned with a couple of wary strangers. The most interesting of which was Marble, who seemed to be causing quite a stir. Unlike most Night Furies, his skin was as white as freshly fallen snow. This fact had people pondering whether or not they could even begin to seriously call him a Night Fury.

"You have to admit Hiccup, a white Night Fury is a bit peculiar." Gobber stood scratching his head with his prosthetic hook hand. "The whole reason we even call them Night Furies is…well…because of the black color."

"Gobber I know it's kind of strange, but he looks just like Toothless. He may be a little off in his color, but he's from a different land. Maybe it's normal where he comes from." Hiccup stood prodding the fire next to Marble's unmoving body. He had switched jobs with Toothless, after failing to keep curious onlookers from barging in to see the new-comers. Toothless however, had no problem keeping any nosy villagers away from the door.

"Well, he lived in the mountains of Zanara. It's cold up there, and the ground is usually covered in snow. Plus there are blizzards, and snow storms…maybe that's why he's so different from your Night Fury." Ember sat patting Marbles head with a bandaged hand. "He was lying in a snow bank when I…found him like this a few weeks ago. I wouldn't have known he was there if he hadn't moved." A tinge of sorrow flashed across her face before she shook her head. "You can help him can't you?"

"Even though I been with toothless for a couple of years, I've never had to (thank Oden),deal with him being sick." Hiccup knelt down and placed a hand on Marbles side. "His breathing is strange, and unlike other dragons he feels cool to the touch. Are you sure you don't know what made him like this?"

There was a long pause before Ember looked up and shook her head. "No. I don't know."

"Well then, I suppose you'll have find Madam Kroll." Gobber sounded displeased as he spoke. There was a slight look of irritation following his words, that caused a questioning look to cross the faces of both Hiccup and Ember.

"Who's Madam Kroll?" The two of them spoke simultaneously, and then fell silent.

"U-um…sorry, who's madam Kroll?" Ember Continued feeling curious. "I've never heard of her, and I did a lot of asking around before I came here."

"She's not very well known. All I know is that not so long ago, she came to the village to 'cleanse' us of an illness that our healers couldn't cure. Hiccup was wee lad at the time, so he wouldn't remember her. All I remember is her working her devils magic with the village water. What she did saved the village. If ya need a cure, she's the one to see." Gobber still looked very cross as he spoke, and half the time he appeared to be ready to tear something apart.

"Gobber, if she saved he village, why do you look so mad at her?" Hiccup stepped forward looking confused.

Appearing at once to be full of grief, Gobber reached out with his good hand and took Hiccup by the shoulder. "She didn't save everyone Hiccup. You were such a small boy…and your mother was just too sick. When she didn't get better I…" Clearing his throat and trying to look tough again, Gobber released Hiccup and turned, holding his hands behind his back. "Well, after your mother didn't get better, Madam Kroll left. I've always felt that had she not gone when she did, your mother would have gotten better."

Hiccup looked both stunned and hurt all at once, and the poker fell out of his hand as he looked to Gobber. "So my mother could very well have lived? Why did she leave?"

"Hiccup, does that even matter now?" Ember spoke up after a long few minutes of being silent. "Honestly, that was a long time ag-"

"It matters to me." Hiccup didn't sound angry, but pained. It was apparent that his mother was still something that hurt him to talk about. "I'm not going to get someone to help us that couldn't even help my mother." Turning Hiccup looked scorned as he picked up the poker and sat down to prod the fire again.

"What?" Shooting to her feet, Ember stormed across the room, nearly stepping on the poker as Hiccup dropped it. "You listen here Hiccup! I've gone through hell to get here to find that dragon some help. You are not going to ruin his only chance of survival!"

Hearing the noise from all the yelling, Marble's eyes shot open. For a moment he didn't move as he looked round the room, and finding his ware bouts confusing and unfamiliar didn't set well with him. He gave a low roar, and stood up on all fours. His wings spread awkwardly, knocking things from the walls as he attempted to fly.

"Hey! Marble, stop that! You shouldn't move!" Turning from Hiccup, Ember grabbed a small quilt from a chair near the wall, and tossed it over Marbles head. "Hey, calm down!"

Toothless, having heard the commotion, burst through the door to see what was going on. There were a few weakening roars as Marbles legs began to shake under him, and all at once, he again fell to the floor to weak to move.

"Shh…calm down, just rest ok…?" Feeling it was once again safe, Ember lightly pulled the quilt from over his head and frowned. There was something almost guilty about the way she looked at him. "Don't you see Hiccup? He needs help…" Trying to hold a few tears back Ember blinked. "And if you won't help me get him well again, then I guess I'll just have to find Madam what's her face on my own." After a long moment of looking confused and deflated, Ember rose to her feet.

"No, I'll go." Hiccup finally admitted defeat. "But are you sure you don't know how he got so sick?"

She snapped back almost immediately. "I told you. I don't know what happened. I just feel awful seeing him suffer like this. Wouldn't you feel bad if you came upon a dying dragon?" She looked up staring daggers through him before softening again. "Sorry...it's just been a long few weeks."

After a moment of silence, Toothless and Hiccup exchanged glances before grinning in acceptance of some unspoken plan. "Ok, well as long as that's the truth we'll go find Madam Kroll for you."

"Why did you change your mind?" Ember didn't quite understand. "She…your mother I mean…I'm sure she didn't…" She was then overcome by guilt and exhaustion. "I don't know…"

"Well I must admit, I dislike going off to find someone who gave up on my mother…but if she can help Marble get better, then I guess I have no other choice." Looking over at Toothless he half grinned before tilting his head. "Plus, there aren't many other Night Furies out there. If I can save one, then maybe the species will be in better shape."

"Thanks Hiccup." Ember stood up and held out her bandaged hand. "And thanks for helping me with my hand. It may only be a small sprain, but it helped a lot to have it bandaged. How did you become so skilled in things like that?"

Looking from Ember over to Toothless and then back to Gobber, Hiccup remembered every flying incident he had had in the last two or so years. It was an awkward silence, and no one really knew what to say for a moment. "Um…let's just say that ever since I started flying with Toothless, I've gone through enough bandages to sail a ship."

"You fly on them? I know that must sound like a silly question, but I never pictured a dragon taking to someone flying with them. It seems…I don't know…like they'd get mad." Ember scratched the back of her head, feeling a tad embarrassed for making such an assumption. "Guess not though."

"Gobber, do you have any idea where Madam Kroll went after she left?" Hiccup turned to find him already searching the map on the far wall.

"She went back to the island of Uzuri." His prosthetic hook moved from the island of Berk, over to another smaller island to the west. "I can almost guarantee you, that if you find that island, you'll find her."

"Wait, you're going somewhere?" Out of nowhere, Astrid's voice came into the mix. She had entered so quietly, that no one, not even Toothless, had realized her presence. "Where may I ask, are you planning on going?"

"Astrid, can we not do this now? I-I…" Hiccup shut his mouth and looked back at her. "I have to go."

"Why do you HAVE to go?" The look in her eyes was enough to send Toothless hiding behind Hiccup in fear. "It's not exactly a great time for you to leave. We don't even have a leader, and you want to just go running off on some wild goose chase? After the village is in shambles?"

"I'm not leaving you without a leader." Turning, Hiccup walked over and pulled Ember to her feet. "Until I return, Ember will oversee the repairs and be the temporary leader."

"WHAT?"

Both girls seemed shocked by this sudden arrangement.

"Her? Hiccup, you've barely known her half a day, and you're going to make her the leader?" The look upon Astrid's face nearly sent Ember running for cover under Marbles wings. "See here Hiccup, I'm-"

"Not fit to run the village." Hiccup looked tortured as the words left his lips. No matter how true the words were, she was still his girlfriend, and the look she gave him made his heart ache for relief. "Astrid I'm sorry…I wish I could explain it without…" His voice trailed off as she left the room. "Without you getting mad."

After she had gone, Ember stood watching Hiccup with a look of bewildered amazement on her face. "You are TRULY, the biggest idiot I've ever come across in my entire life." Voice cracking, and words failing her, she continued. "I mean-I-I mean what if I were some….some psychopathic crazy person? What if I'm an escaped prisoner, looking for refuge in like…a village? WHAT IF I-" She was cut off mid sentence as a finger covered her mouth.

"Are you any of those things?" Hiccup looked back at Toothless, who seemed to be rather enjoying Ember's hysteria.

"No, but I-" She found her words cut short again by a second finger.

This one belonging to Gobber, who looked over at Hiccup with a rather amused, yet, calm expression. "The way I see it is this. He can't leave me in charge because…well. Let's just say it didn't go over well last time."

"And I can't leave Astrid or the others in charge because… well…they've been going through a rough patch, and can't seem to get past their anger and problems." A fact that had been proven to him with the events of the morning prior. "I need someone, well…sane, who can get what needs to be done, done." Retracting his hand, Hiccup turned to where Astrid had been standing only moments before. "If things were different…if I knew she could handle it…I would have picked Astrid for this job hands down."

"I really don't know what's going on between you and her, or them, but I'm just a stranger. Wont the people think it's kind of odd that you put me in charge?" She now looked for a way, any way, to get out of this.

"I'm going to get Madam Kroll for you. The least you can do in return is run the village for a couple of days." To Hiccup, this all seemed logical…

…but to Ember, not so much. "You say you need someone sane. Someone to make decisions, run the village, and keep order? Well…I'm not your girl. However…if you need someone to watch people clean up, Make sure no one dies, and keep an eye on your insane friends…then yeah. I think I can help." A slight grin appeared on her face after she spoke, and she extended a hand. "We have a deal."

The same grin crossed Hiccups face, as he too extended a hand. "Great. So, now that you're temporary acting Chief for the temporary acting Chief, there are a few things you need to know…"