We arrived at Berk and again stopped behind the sea stacks. "C'mon, Bud," I said softly into Toothless's ear. "We have to do this." We took off. The other dragons came also, ensuring that we were guarded from all sides. They stayed in the distance, several hundred yards away, almost blending in to the starry night.

I could hear shouts from the shore. The villagers had just driven away a small pack of dragons; I could see them flying off into the night in the other direction.

As we approached closer, I could see the vikings gathering in the village plaza, near the Great Hall. Stoick was talking to them, but I didn't listen. We stayed high over them, only diving down when we were past the Great Hall. Toothless's was angled with his belly facing the people so that anyone who looked in our direction would see only the faintest of shadows, if anything at all. We landed softly in the grass.

I could still hear Stoick talking as I climbed off Toothless and grabbed a large stick from the nearby bushes. "Here Toothless, light me up," I whispered into Toothless's ear, holding up the stick. Toothless gently breathed a tiny plasma blast onto the dry leaves on the end of the branch, which worked as a makeshift torch. Alvin had warned me to use a torch instead of having the dragons shoot at it, because the dragons' blasts would be heard. This would be a stealth operation.

I crept around the side of the Great Hall to where the decorative trim work was. I didn't want to burn the whole thing down, so I would just burn the places where it wouldn't matter. I was still blocked from the crowd's view. I listened closely now.

"Get some rest," Stoick told the people. "The dragons are gone. We'll take a look at the damage tomorrow."

I froze as I heard the vikings moving away toward their homes. Although they were moving to the other side of the Great Hall, I had good cause to worry. My house – no, Stoick's house – was on the same side of the Great Hall as I was. I could hear him talking softly to Gobber and a few others. I had to act fast.

Trembling, I moved the torch closer to the building. Closer, closer… contact! The trim work started to catch. I moved the torch up and down the wood, watching as small flames kindled on it. It would cause much damage before Stoick came along.

I heard him say goodnight to the others. His footsteps came, closer, closer…

He started turning the corner. I dropped the torch and scurried into the bushes just before he saw me, I hoped. He froze for only a split second before he sped down the hill a little, grabbing a water trough. Lifting the whole thing off the ground, he rushed back up, hurling all the water from it at the burning trim.

Stoick tossed the trough aside, the fire now out. Smoke rose from the wood where the fire had burned the hottest.

He fixed his gaze on the torch, still burning on the ground. I scooted backwards in the bushes, trying to escape undetected. But Stoick heard the sound of twigs snapping. He drew his sword. "Alright, you can come out of there now," he ordered, raising the sword in threat.

Slowly, I stood up and stepped out of the bush, unable to meet his eyes. I saw his tense expression soften. He lowed the sword to his side.

"Hiccup…" he said softly, the flickering torch casting deep shadows on his face.

"I… I'm sorry. I need to do this. I don't have a choice. It's who I am, Da–" I stopped myself short before calling him "Dad."

"It doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes, it does. I'm an Outcast now." I felt a tear rolling down my cheek. Frustrated with myself, I wiped the tear away. "I'm not one of you. I'll never be one of you."

"Come back to us."

"You're still fighting the dragons."

"I'm the chief. I have to protect the village."

"If you met my dragon, would you kill him, too?"

Stoick's eyes dropped. "I must do what's right for my people."

"And I must do what's right for mine." I started to back away. Stoick watched as I turned and ran around the side of the Great Hall. I climbed onto Toothless and we took off, shooting through the sky at breathtaking speed. Stoick would never forgive me now; I had refused him twice.

The other dragons again flew around us, providing cover. So dedicated. So… loyal. Unlike me.

I shook my head hard, trying to clear the thoughts away. Of course I was doing the right thing. People just couldn't see it yet.

We landed in the Outcast ship, facing toward the shore. "Well, how did your lit'le raid go?" Alvin asked.

Focused not on him, but the village behind him, I said, "I hit him where it hurt."

I barely heard Alvin's laugh as I gazed at my former home.