I Own Nothing (As if you didn't know that by now)

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Chapter 6

All Sorts of Visitors

Heather's upset stomach the day before appeared to be a onetime occurrence. Once they got up in the air it was smooth sailing. There was hardly any wind, and neither human nor dragon noticed the chill of the early morning air. The clouds they left behind them were beginning to change color and the dark mass of the ocean below them began to turn lighter in tone. Islands that had been invisible half an hour before were becoming impossible to miss. A new day had arrived again, and as the sun came up Hiccup's spirits, which had already been pretty high, went up even further with it.

"Doesn't it feel great being on the opened road again, Bud?"

"We're not exactly on a road, you know!"

"It's the same principle!" Hiccup laughed.

As for Heather, she also felt even happier as the sun rose, and yet for her there was something disquieting as she listened to the King and Night Fury talk. She could not do that with the dragon she was riding. Sure, she could talk to him and she did, but she got the feeling that even if he could respond he would not. She felt like she was the odd person out in this group.

They stopped a few times, where they could, and Heather was grateful for it, for her muscles were not used to this kind of sitting. At the very first stop Hiccup sat down in front of her and said "All right, let's talk. Do you know where we're going exactly?"

"Queen Mala said you had some theories and wanted to see a friend to confirm them," Heather replied.

Hiccup nodded, "That's true. My plan was to have no real travel plan at all until we were away from everybody, and any potential spies." Of course, he had had to discuss this with Queen Mala on Green Island, and his father and Astrid later. In Mala's case, as a measure of trust and faith, Hiccup had told her where he thought they might go, but had made it clear these were only theories and no more than one could be correct. Mala had not liked this lack of information one bit, but as she had no better ideas, and knew all too well the dangers of espionage, she had gone along with it. "But now that we're here, Heather, I'll tell you what I intend to do. My friend Midnight lives with the Bog Burglars and she's seen Stormcutters. So we're going to pay her a visit and ask a few things. Then I'll compare her information with what I already think, and we'll be off."

"And how do I know this isn't some trick?" Heather asked coldly.

"If I wanted to kill you I could stab you and throw you into the sea right now," Hiccup replied. "How do I know you guys haven't been plotting against me to begin with?" His tone then softened, "Look, I don't expect you to trust me right off the bat, I'm really sorry we've been so secretive, and I know it's not fair to you, but the fact is I don't know your tribe and you don't know mine, and there are people out there who will use what they know to hurt us. But I promise you, Heather, on my best friend's life, on this trip I'm an ally to you. And I hope you'll extend to me the same courtesy,"

Heather could see he was being sincere and slowly nodded. "I guess actions will speak louder than words in this case."

"Yeah. Oh, and there's one more thing. It's about Shamrock. See, he's from Ireland and wants to see his old nest. If our information sends us in that direction, and I have a hunch that it will, we're stopping there and we're going to have to find you a new dragon. And if these theories send us elsewhere, we'll find you a new dragon at the Bog Burglars and he's going to Ireland alone. So in a way I guess it's a good thing you two didn't bond." He paused and then said "That's all right, right? I mean, do you have any of your own ideas about what we should do?"

Heather thought a minute. "I only know Stormcutters like the cold. If you think your friend can help us, all right, we'll see them. How long will it take to reach the Bog Burglars?"

"Normally a day, but we'll take two."

As they flew on they tried to talk more, with varying degrees of success. On some topics of conversation, one of them could almost not shut up. For instance, when they discussed weapons and tactics of choice, she was delighted. And when she asked him about how his fire sword worked he went on for an hour describing the details and how long it had taken him to perfect it. On the other hand, when it came to more personal information, neither side got very far.

When they set up camp for the night on a small island that was little wider than a house, the humans went to bed early and with minimal words exchanged, and yet everyone slept uneasily and with difficulty. Heather was suddenly aware that, despite Queen Mala's threats and the King's reassurances, it would be very easy for Hiccup to kill her and make it look like an accident. And Hiccup had been a hunted man for too long to rest easy among a stranger. Even on Berk he had set some traps in his room in case someone tried to murder him in his bed. The Dragons were equally watchful that night, knowing a sleeping animal was an easy target for predators. This was not really an issue for Toothless and Shamrock, but the two Terrors kept close and stayed hidden in one of the packs, which Shamrock curled his body around protectively.

Thankfully, the watchfulness was not needed. They all woke up the next morning safe and well.

After moving on and having lunch on another island, Heather excused herself to take—in her own words—care of some personal business. Hiccup got the point and went to work packing up. As he did, Sharpshot poked his head out of a bag with a white horn stuck on his nose.

"Boo! I'm a White Nosed Terror—the most terrible dragon in existence! Fear me, if you have any wisdom in you, oh puny mortal!"

"Sharpshot!" Hiccup laughed, "you little rascal, that's Heather's horn. We do not take stuff that doesn't belong to us, remember?" He pulled the horn off Sharpshot and as he did so the design on the opposite side caught his attention. Turning it over he realized it looked familiar because it was a carving of his father's personal seal.

At that moment Heather returned.

"What are you doing with my horn?" She demanded.

"I was packing and the design caught my attention." He said easily as he handed it to her, "it's a nice piece of work,"

"Oh, thank you. It's the only thing I have left of my father."

"Your father gave it to you?" Hiccup asked. His mouth was going dry and his mind was racing.

"Yeah," She smiled slightly, "I remember once I was playing with it when my brother tried to jump out and scare me. I grabbed it and threw it at his nose."

Now Hiccup was really beginning to get confused and judging by the expressions the dragons had he was not the only one.

"Heather has a horn with your father's seal, a horn that was a gift from her father?" Toothless said, "Hiccup, is there something you haven't told me?

Hiccup acted casual. "So you've got a brother, huh? I've sometimes wanted a brother—before I met Toothless at any rate. So…what happened to him? Is he a Defender too?"

Heather shrugged. "No idea. He might have died. I don't really remember that part of my childhood." Was she being evasive?

"Was he older or younger?"

"A few years older," Heather said, "why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Hiccup replied. "Well, let's suit up. We should reach the Bog Burglars in an hour or two. Say, how much do you know about the Bog Burglars, anyway?"

"A bit. Queen Mala always approved of them being commanded by women. She once said if she could not be a Defender she would join the Bog Burglars,"

"Well, just a word of warning: they are called Burglars for a very good reason. So don't leave anything unattended and for goodness sakes, don't let anyone hug you, no matter how sincere they might sound."

He said little more because he was thinking. Heather's horn undoubtedly had his father's seal on it, but he recalled it was customary for Chiefs to send gifts to other islands on special occasions, like the birth of a child. Hiccup himself had received gifts from other Chiefs when he was born, most of which had ended up in Snotlout's childhood trophy chest. So if Heather was the daughter of another Chief, it would make sense Stoick would have sent her a present at some point. The other option was that Heather was his sister and Stoick was her father, but Hiccup quickly made up his mind that she was not his sister. If he had had a sister somebody would surely have mentioned it before now, and there was no reason he could conceive as to why they would not.

Yet the only thing he was certain of was that he was uncertain of everything he knew. Here was yet another mystery he could not explain. He could, of course, just ask her, but he somehow doubted she would tell him everything. Perhaps even she did not know everything about it.

This was probably going to stew in his brain for a long time.

"So, the Dragon King has found himself a new woman, has he?"

"Shut up, Cami," Hiccup grinned, "this is Heather."

"Pleased to meet you," Camicazi grinned, "I'm Camicazi, the beautiful blushing bandit born of Big Boobied Bertha, boss of the Bog Burglars."

Heather was uncertain how to react to this. All she could think was the Dragon King had some very odd associates.

"So, Hiccup, what brings you back so soon? Just can't get enough of the life of a thief? Ooh! Do you need us for a heist or something?"

"No, no,"

"Or do you just really like being on an island largely populated by tough and lovely women?"

"Cami!" But Hiccup knew she was just teasing him. "I want to talk to Midnight—where is she?"

"She's at home. I'll go fetch her,"

Heather looked at Hiccup. "I suppose this Midnight is a dragon? And you'll be talking to—her?—right, so you'll be talking to her in her own language?" Hiccup nodded to each question. "Am I really needed here then?"

"Why don't you go watch our stuff? Make sure nothing gets stolen."

Heather went away rather dejectedly right as Camicazi returned.

"She'll be along in a few minutes. She's cleaning her nest out. So did Astrid say 'yes'?" She asked eagerly.

Hiccup blushed. "I haven't asked her yet,"

"What! I thought you'd have asked her the minute you got home! What's wrong with you?"

"I was waiting for the…right moment, and then something unexpected came up,"

Cami shook her head. "Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup, you just don't get it. You've gotta make the right moment!"

"How, exactly?"

"Invite her to dinner, have only a few candles lit, maybe have Toothless provide some romantic music—"

"And ruin everything; scratching a log makes a better sound than that lizard,"

"—and then, after getting her in a happy mood, you ask. But make sure you steal her belt first so she can't walk away without risking embarrassment."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "And that'll convince her to marry me? By telling her it's either yes or her kilt will slide down when she stands up?"

"Absolutely,"

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but is this a tried and true method?"

"Except for the marriage part, I did it to Thuggory the last time he was here." She grinned, "His face could've passed for a tomato!"

"You're really weird, you know that, right?"

"Oh, and you're normal? And here is Midnight to agree with me," she gestured to the dragons who were now behind her.

Heather sat near Toothless and watched the Dragon King. There were two dragons in front of him, looking over a large map he had produced. One was a white dragon nearly the size of a horse and the other was a smaller and more slender dragon who was a deep pink. Judging by their behavior they were very friendly with the King, for he looked perfectly at ease talking with them. She was envious that she could not understand what he was saying. Occasionally the dragons made sounds and gestures to Toothless and Shamrock, who responded with what sounded like amusement. Clearly the dragons were making jokes and swapping stories, yet the fact that she could not understand it made her feel even more like an outsider. Still, she reminded herself, it was to find the Dragon Eye and become a complete Defender. If it meant some uncomfortable moments, so be it.

Camicazi left them after a while and went to join her. "So, what's your story?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know—how'd you end up in this Defender group?"

Heather took some time to consider, and then shrugged. "I was lost at sea and they found my boat. I had nowhere else to go so I joined up."

"How'd you get lost at sea?"

Heather just shrugged again. She would not reveal anything else. "So what are they talking about? Besides Stormcutters, I mean."

"I don't know, actually. I can only speak a little Dragonese. No human here can teach me and Hiccup only comes here occasionally. I've been trying to teach myself but it's going slowly."

"Have you known him for a long time?"

"As far back as I can remember," she smiled, "he and I would play together whenever our tribes gathered."

One line of conversation led to another and eventually, after perhaps an hour or so, Hiccup picked up his map and went to rejoin Heather. Cami had slipped away by then.

"Well?" Heather asked, a bit impatiently.

Hiccup looked around, lowered his voice, and showed her his map. "I think we can assume that this rider would not stick around in the Archipelago once they had the Dragon Eye. So they would either take it back to their hideout, or put it somewhere else where they'd believe it was safe. So if we find where this person has been hiding, we find them, and if we find them, we can then find the Eye."

"You hope,"

"Yes, Bud, I hope,"

"I already guessed that much myself," Heather said sharply, "So where do we find this hideout?"

"Taking Stormcutter preferences for the very cold climates into consideration, anything to the south of us can be ruled out. Since nobody seems to know where this person is, let's assume they're living isolated from everyone else, so that rules out the coastal areas of Scandinavia and most of the inland spots too. And yet they can't be living too far north because it's inhospitable up there. According to Midnight even Snow Demons and Snow Wraiths can't endure those arctic winters easily. So, taking these factors into consideration, my guess would be either the very top of Scandinavia here, or over here." he gestured to a spot that was not on the map. "I've never been further west than Ireland before, but I know Leif Erikson has gone further. I've gotta find a chart of his journey sometime. But Midnight says that northwest of Ireland is an island called 'Iceland,'"

Heather smiled. "Now that sounds ideal for a Stormcutter."

"Just what I thought," Hiccup smiled back.

"Let's get going then,"

Hiccup paused. "I had intended we would stay with the Bog Burglars for the night."

"Oh come on," Toothless said, "there's plenty of daylight left and there are lots of islands out there to sleep on!"

Shamrock nodded. "I agree, let's get going!" The Two Terrors also nodded.

"Outvoted," Hiccup shrugged. "All right, but first we need to send a message back to Berk. Where's my parchment?"

"Right where you left it, I imagine,"

"And that was—" Hiccup looked around, "Where's that bag, it was—DARN IT CAMI!"

They heard her laughter as she ran away with Midnight.

"Sic 'em, Bud!"

Toothless darted forward, with surprising speed considering the packs he was carrying, and pounced on her. She made little effort to get away, only playfully swatting him and making minimal effort to push him off.

"You see, Heather?" Hiccup said, once he caught up to them and starting prying his bag from her grip, "leave your stuff alone for 10 seconds and this pesky kleptomaniac will have gone through it like a tidal wave."

"10 seconds?" Cami said indignantly, "I only need 5! Now get this guy off of me!" Toothless stood up and she stood up, in a dignified fashion. "Now then, Mister Dragon King, will you guys be staying here for the night or will you—?"

"I could use some help over here!"

Hiccup spun around and saw half a dozen Bog Burglars going through the bags packed on Shamrock. With a loud shout he, Heather, and Toothless rushed to apprehend the thieves, while Camicazi almost laughed her head off.

"It's called Teamwork, Mister Dragon King!" she yelled at one point, "I do so enjoy these visits," It made her a little sad. A long time ago there had been speculation if she and Hiccup marry and unite their tribes, but nothing had come of it before Hiccup's 8 year disappearance. When he returned the speculation started again but she knew by then Hiccup only had eyes for Astrid Hofferson. While she was happy for both of them, there were times where she felt a bit disappointed he had chosen someone else.

It was evening at Berk. After making another small tour of the Village and having dinner in Mead Hall, Stoick and Mala went to his house to have a long talk in private. Skullcrusher was making his usual nightly patrol around the Village.

First they looked over Hiccup's message again. It had arrived that morning, and read:

"Stage 1 completed safely. Stage 2 leads to Rose Garden and then Aquamarine, then to the SW—signed H and H" It was written in both Hiccup's and Heather's handwriting and what it meant was that Hiccup and Heather were flying to England, then Ireland, and then to an place to the northwest of Ireland. But only Stoick, Mala, and the absent Astrid had understood this.

"What has become of your other riders?" Mala asked, "I have only seen members of your 'A' Team since this afternoon,"

"I've sent the Original group out on a diplomacy mission," Stoick explained, "We've gotta keep in touch with our neighbors and all that,"

"Will they be gone long?"

"Maybe a few weeks, maybe longer," he said dismissively, "a lot can happen out there. That's why I'm glad they have dragons. No other creature makes a better bodyguard!"

Mala's gaze hardened. She understood his point, but the idea of using dragons as bodyguards—or anything else, for that matter—still did not sit well with her.

"So," Stoick said after they had sat down and he had gotten the fire going, "what do you think of life on Berk?"

"It is very interesting," Mala said after a very long silence, "On the one hand, I am glad to see incontrovertible proof that you do not harm dragons here, but…"

'Here it comes' Stoick thought, "Yes?"

Mala considered what to say without sounding offensive. "If dragons and humans had to live together, I would agree that what you are doing is the way to do it. But I remain unconvinced that this is all…necessary, and I do not like seeing dragons treated like a horse or being…well, domesticated. Dragons should be free creatures. They should not live with humans as dogs or sheep do. They should be in the wild, where they belong. Not in manmade stables and houses."

"You do realize that we can't protect them if they don't live with us, don't you?"

"Dragons can take care of themselves,"

"Not always they can't, and you know it. With hunters out there, it's not very safe for a lot of dragons."

"But what do they do here? They help humans and fly around and nothing more. They will grow tame and weak and lazy."

"But they're safe," Stoick pointed out, "at least as safe as any of us are."

"So this all comes down to a question between freedom and danger against safety and idleness," Mala observed.

"Yes it does. Your way keeps them free and wild, living as they have for centuries, yes, but they've got nobody to help them when a hunter comes after them, they risk starvation and homelessness, their children always face predators, and they can't even trust their fellow dragons sometimes. Our way keeps them alive and well, and maybe they'll grow a little more docile over time, but they don't lack for food—unless we all do, which has yet to happen—they have a place to sleep, can lay eggs in safety, they have friends they can trust their lives with, and they have security from hunters. How is this wrong?"

"As I have said, I do not like the fact that a proud creature has been reduced to the state of livestock or a household pet,"

"We don't see them that way," Stoick replied, "I see Skullcrusher as a partner, not a pet. And I know from experience Toothless gets touchy when he's called a pet." He gestured to some claw marks on the wall. "You see, Queen Mala, we don't domesticate them: we give them a place to live, and in return they help us in our labors. And we ride them, yes, but that's because they allow us to. Hiccup's always insisting that point. He didn't even want us living with them at first, until he was certain we were ready for it." They had not been ready for it at the time, but events had intervened and they had all been compelled to make the most of it.

"And why should your son be the one to decide these things? What gives him such authority? What gives him the right to make decisions for everyone?"

Stoick shrugged. "He can talk to them. If he asks them if they want to live with humans and they say they're fine with it and we're fine with it, what's to complain about?"

"So because he can speak to them he is suddenly a God over them? Is he not taking a bit too much upon himself? I get the impression he is interfering in places he does not have any business being in,"

Stoick snorted at the idea of Hiccup being a God. "Considering how his efforts have really helped rebuild and improve the Tribes he goes to, I don't think he's interfering too much. I don't hear many complaints about being assured there won't be any dragon raids right before winter."

"But—"

"Queen Mala, if you keep questioning authority, before long you discover nobody has any authority anywhere unless they make it for themselves. Hiccup's not a god or some king and he knows it. The way you talk about him I get the feeling your tribe treats him with more reverence than we do. But all that happened was he realized there was a new way for Vikings and dragons to live, he argued for it, and eventually we listened to him. He showed up one night, declared our 3 centuries of war had gone on long enough, and asked if we would give actual co-existence a chance."

"And you did,"

"Well…it took a while," Stoick said shamefully. "There were a few pitfalls, but it's worked out in the end for most of us,"

"Except for your man Mildew," Mala said with a cold smirk.

"Oh don't you pay any attention to that man!"

"He called my Defenders a flock of fat bellied geese because a woman leads them. How can I not pay attention to such a man? What puzzles me is why you keep him around. I would have banished or executed him without thinking about it."

Stoick shrugged. "He's useful, believe it or not. He's kind of our resident scapegoat—our court jester, if you will. Since nobody likes him, they make him the butt of their jokes and complaints and everybody enjoys it. And he does grow cabbages, so there's some practical use to him." He did not mention that both he and Hiccup hated cabbages.

"There is a pleasure in hating someone and watching them fail," Mala agreed, "And I am proud to say my skin is thick enough to withstand the insults from a hardheaded fool like him. But getting back to living with dragons—where is it all going? What is the end result of this life style going to be?"

Stoick thought deeply before answering. "Truth be told, I don't think we've ever thought that far ahead. I guess we're just establishing a place where humans and Dragons live together, and we expect it to always stay that way. Like how before we expected we'd always be fighting them and raised our children accordingly. I don't really think that far ahead anymore."

"A good leader should," she replied,

"I used to, but I leave that for Hiccup and Astrid to worry about," Stoick said softly, "they're the ones who've gotta take care of the future now, not me. Look at me, Mala." Now he spoke, not as a Chief to a Queen, but as a person to another person, "Only Mildew and a handful of others are older than me. I'm not going to be Chief for much longer, one way or another. Hiccup's got the visions and ambitions now, not me." He smiled slightly, "I had a few hopes back in my time. I wanted the dragon wars over, a powerful tribe, and a happy family. Things didn't go the way I expected, but I'd say I got most of what I wanted. My only real goals now are to make Hiccup Chief and find a way to get to Valhalla." He looked at her, "What exactly do you have planned for your tribe?"

Now it was Mala's turn to think deeply before answering. "I would have Dragon Hunting ended for good. If that could happen I would die without regret,"

"Well, if you Defenders stick with us, I think with time we might just be able to make that happen,"

It had been well played, she thought. Even adding a few sympathetic and personal moments to try and create a connection; it had been a nice touch. But she had learned from her miserable negotiations with the Dragon King from earlier and resolved not to fall for anything. She would stick with them for the moment, but only until the Dragon Eye was returned. Then, she decided, she would free all the dragons on Berk. Yes, Berk treated them better than others might, but that was like comparing a cold to dysentery: either way, it was still unhealthy. She was convinced that whatever good intentions Berk had now, they would soon dissolve into corruption and ill treatment. So she would save the dragons before it happened. But first she needed the Eye back, or else the Dragon King would use it for leverage against her.

"Welcome to England," Hiccup announced.

"Very impressive," Heather said dryly. Indeed, they were standing on a sandy beach and groves of broadleaf trees were in front of them. It was a dull and overcast day, making everything look dreary.

They went about preparing camp. By now they could do it in a matter of minutes. The two larger Dragons were stripped of their packs and saddles so they could wash off in the ocean. Unclean wings and scales made them slower and less mobile flyers. Sharpshot watched. Tetry had departed for Berk with their letter back when they were with the Bog Burglars. The two humans went into the woods to scout for freshwater, any nearby settlements, and firewood. They had no worry about food, for the dragons could catch fish easily and they gathered berries and mushrooms when they found them, but they had to replenish their water supply at every opportunity.

"Why was Toothless grumbling like that?" Heather asked.

"Oh, he doesn't like baths," Hiccup laughed, "He knows he has to take them, but he'll make all the fuss he can about it. But he's gotten better, actually. Not too long ago he couldn't even tolerate the word 'bath'!"

Heather laughed too. "The Unholy Offspring of Life and Death is afraid of baths? That's rich!"

"How do you know about that nickname?"

"Well I was born a Viking. I learned the same names you did, I imagine,"

"Oh yes. So how did you—"

"GET DOWN!"

Hiccup instantly went to the ground and not a moment too soon. A Nadder swooped right over him and a pair of bolas narrowly missed his legs. A human with a drawn sword leapt off the dragon and lunged for Heather. Heather already had her double bladed axe out and did not wait for her attacker to come to her. Meanwhile the Nadder spun around and pinned Hiccup to the ground with its foot. Hiccup, out of pure instinct, reached for the dragon's soft spot, which could make it collapse if he touched it. The dragon realized what he was doing, shrieked, and leapt into the air.

"Much obliged!" Hiccup said dryly as he started to pick himself up.

The Nadder's response was to fling tail spikes at Heather, which she dodged and blocked. The human, who was completely covered in a black cloak, made use of the distraction to skirt around her and go for her backside. Hiccup flung a knife at her and Heather quickly responded a swipe of her own that made the attacker back up. Hiccup by then had gotten up, whipped out Inferno, and rushed to join Heather's side.

The dragon seemed to be hesitating now for some reason, which made no sense to Heather. After all, if it wanted them dead it only had to breathe fire once, not that she was complaining. Instead she jumped towards the human and took a swipe at them. Hiccup pulled out some dragon nip and headed for the Nadder. But the Nadder gave a loud screech and back away. And then it was Hiccup's turn to screech, for the human Heather was fighting had thrown a knife so expertly it sliced right through the nip he was holding. A centimeter lower and it would have gone right through his hand.

Heather used the human's divided attention to aim a blow at their legs, missing only because the attacker had excellent reflexes. But Heather had noticed by now that the human seemed to have trouble blocking blows that came from the right. So she aimed another blow from that direction. But at that moment the human leapt back, not because of the blow coming, but because a group of dragons and humans burst from the trees, led by Toothless and Shamrock. The human flung a glass capsule to the ground and green smoke wafted out of it.

"Nobody breathe fire!" Toothless shouted. It was Zippleback gas, which was highly flammable. So instead the dragons waved their wings and the gas, which had risen like a small fog, dispersed. The human and Nadder were gone.

Heather took up a defensive stance, looked around warily, and took some deep breaths. It was only then that she registered just who had come to aid them.

"Didn't I tell you to take care of yourself?" Astrid Hofferson yelled.

"What in the name of Odin are you doing here?" Heather yelled back.

"Hellooooo, Heather!" Snotlout grinned, "Pleased to see me?"

"That was one awesome fight!" the Twins shouted together.

"Well—err—see, Stoick sent us off to send some messages and we thought we'd see how you were getting on," Fishlegs explained nervously, his face flushed.

"Oh is that so?" She did not buy it.

"Yes and a good thing too," Astrid cut in angrily, "when the first thing we hear is you shouting and the first thing we see is you two fighting someone! Who was that, anyway? Snotlout, Twins, search the area—and be careful!" The three of them, sensing she was in a bad mood, quickly remounted their dragons and flew above the treetops.

Heather rounded on Hiccup. "Did you know about this?"

"No, I did not," Hiccup said. It was for this moment that he had told Astrid not to tell him her plans. For as Heather looked at him she saw he was telling the truth.

"Focus, you two!" Astrid snapped, "Worry about that later. Someone just attacked you—we've gotta move before they come back with help!"

Snotlout called down, "Astrid, I don't see anyone! If you wanna come up and check it out with me, I won't—"

"Can it, Snotlout!"

Hiccup turned to Toothless. "She's right, Bud. Where's our gear?"

"Back on the beach. Sharpshot's watching it."

Hiccup gestured for everyone to follow him. "We'll get our stuff and get moving,"

"We can't fly too high," Astrid informed him, "We'd lose each other in the clouds—"

"Well we can't walk," Heather cut in, "we'll leave traces,"

"And we can't fly too low either," Fishlegs added, "a lot of these trees are too close together. I doubt even Meatlug could fly easily between them."

Hiccup made up his mind quickly. "All right then, we'll set up a defense on the beach and wait for nightfall."

"That's too exposed. We'll be out in the opened,"

"So will anyone who wants to attack us," he replied.

Out on the beach, nearly a kilometer away from their original campsite, the dragons formed a circle. Hookfang and the Zippleback had returned by then. Neither the Twins nor Snotlout nor their dragons had seen anything in the sky. Astrid suspected the attacker had hidden in the woods and was waiting for night to escape, but nobody saw any good odds in searching the woods. So the dragons stayed in their positions where they could not be sneaked up on, and the humans waited with their weapons out, ready for anything to happen.

Naturally, being ready for anything to happen meant they were not ready for nothing to happen, but that was what happened. The minutes dragged, the faint sun seemed permanently stuck just above the horizon, the gray sky seemed to take forever to turn black, and all the while nothing happened to end the waiting.

"Maybe he's planning a night attack," Fishlegs suggested at one point, to break the silent tension.

"How do we know our attacker was a 'he'?" Hiccup asked.

"Maybe they're not going to attack at all," Snotlout said, "after all, we scared them off pretty good the first time!"

"Maybe that's what he wants us to think so we feel safe," Heather said grimly.

"Never fear, Heather, I'm here to protect you,"

"I don't need protection," Heather said savagely.

"You did very well in the fight," Hiccup said approvingly, "especially with such little warning,"

"Thanks," she said shortly.

They fell into silence, looking around again and again at the slightest sound or movement, real or imagined. Eventually Astrid suggested she and Stormfly try to track down the attacker. HIccup was in favor of it, on the condition that she did not go alone, which prompted arguing over who would go with her. Heather was completely against dividing the group and argued that if their attacker was smart such a move would be anticipated. After arguing back and forth Hiccup decided to defer to Heather's judgment in this instance. Astrid, in exasperation, changed the subject. "So who was the attacker, Hiccup?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, what do we know about them? Fishlegs?"

Fishlegs thought a moment. "Hiccup said they had little warning, so this person is very stealthy. He also said the attacker threw a knife into a piece of Dragon Nip, so he's obviously a skilled fighter. From what I saw, he relies on agility and speed over sheer strength. He also can ride a dragon quite well, since according to Heather he jumped off it while in flight and landed safely. He is patient because, unless this was a random meeting, which seems improbable, he managed to track you down and waited for you two to be away from your dragons. The fact that he threw bolas at Hiccup first also speaks in favor of this not being a chance encounter."

"The bolas are a standard design," Hiccup added, pulling them out and examining them, "they could have come from anywhere,"

"So they came intentionally to kill you," Ruffnut said to Heather. From her tone you would have thought she meant it to sound reassuring.

"That's so cool!" Tuffnut cried, "You guys got some super stealthy assassin chasing you!" But nobody but his sister was in the mood for his humor.

"Except he or she didn't come to kill us," Heather objected, "if that was the plan, why not just have the Nadder fry us into charred meat?"

"Unless only one of us was the target," Hiccup suggested,

"He tried to trap Hiccup and then attacked Heather," Fishlegs pointed out, "meaning—"

"Meaning they wanted Heather dead and Hiccup captured. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, even though I happen to be one," Snotlout said smugly.

"So why kill Heather?" Ruffnut asked, "Or why not kill Hiccup? Or maybe Heather was just in the way and they were only after Hiccup—"

"That's what I just said, Ruff!" Snotlout retorted.

"No, you said—"

"Or maybe Hiccup was just in the way and they were only after Heather,"

Fishlegs was squirming where he sat. "Guys, this guessing game is horrible!"

"I've got a question," Tuffnut said loudly, making the squabbling stop. "Is this person the person we're tracking? Is this super stealthy assassin person the one who stole the Dragon Eye and drove Drago Mudfist crazy?"

"Tuff, I'm impressed," Hiccup said, "that's actually a good question. And I don't have an answer."

Astrid scanned the perimeter again. Nothing. But the sky was getting noticeably darker. "It won't be long before nightfall. If they are planning a night attack it would be better if we move first."

"We'll do that," Hiccup promised.

Heather suddenly laughed loudly. Everyone except Astrid and Stormfly jumped. "I don't believe this! Yesterday I'm practically on a holiday with three dragons and a man for company. Now I've nearly been killed by a person I don't know and I'm in the company of six bickering people and seven dragons!"

"And Chicken!" Tuffnut said happily. Hiccup nearly cracked his neck because his head turned so quickly.

"You brought Chicken along?"

"Of course!" Tuffnut reached into his bag and pulled out his poultry friend, who clucked. "You didn't think I'd leave Chicken behind, did you? Leave Chicken all alone and helpless while I'm out risking my life?"

Astrid leaned over to Hiccup, "I tried to talk him out of it but he said—"

"No Chicken left behind!"

"—yeah, he said that,"

Heather looked unimpressed. "Well, we've got some emergency rations then,"

Tuffnut was so horrified he could hardly speak at first. Finally he got out "Eat Chicken? That's the most horrible joke I've ever heard! Heather, you oughta be ashamed for yourself! That's just plain bad taste!"

"I think chicken tastes just fine," Snotlout commented.

Now Tuffnut was so horrified he could not speak at all. He would have attacked Snotlout, as was his custom when Chicken's honor was at stake, but Astrid threw him into the sand and told him to keep quiet.

The sun finally went down. Instead of waiting for the darkness to become total they flew northwards along the coast, where they could keep a low altitude. After about another hour it was dark enough to satisfy them and they rose higher in the sky and turned west. By then it was almost certain they would not be attacked save in an implausible chance meeting or one of the more immature Riders making enough noise to attract attention. The latter was perfectly possible, but thankfully did not happen. The Twins, and their dragon, had all gotten wrapped up in pretending they were "stealthy assassins" and had realized a large part of being stealthy meant being quiet. Snotlout meanwhile had the sense to keep quiet, at least until he started to get tired and wanted to get some sleep. By that point they had been flying over dark and shapeless forests for several hours and were quite certain nobody knew where they were.

Landing in a forest in the middle of the night is no easy task. Despite the dragon's having strong night vision and the skill the Riders had in riding them, Fishlegs almost had Meatlug land on Hiccup, Heather and Shamrock came down in a small pond neither of them knew was there until the Treejumper was standing in it, and Barf n' Belch managed to get a tree stuck between their heads again. All of this would have been quite comical except nobody really was in the mood for jokes. They were either too tired or too anxious, and the sudden noises, especially the loud splash and exclamation Shamrock made, only added to their apprehensions.

Still, they had landed. They only knew they were in a forest in England, and giving a more specific location was impossible. Once they had gotten the tangles straightened out they had no difficulties in pulling out their sleeping pads and settling down for the remainder of the night. Naturally they set a watch, and here an advantage of large numbers became apparent, for with so many people and dragons to take turns as sentries, everyone was guaranteed a brief shift.

"I'll go first!" Snotlout announced, either forgetting he had been among the first to complain about his sleepiness or eager to get his shift over with. Minutes later a loud howling sound peeled through the air. "Yikes! What was that?"

"Wolves," Hiccup grumbled. He was leaning on Toothless, with his arms folded.

"There are wolves in England?" Snotlout whispered nervously.

"Evidently,"

"Oh come on," Hookfang said contemptuously, "we're more than a match for a bunch of wolves!"

"All they do is yap and howl!" Stormfly sniggered.

"And yapping and howling doesn't destroy anything!" Shamrock agreed.

"But I do if I'm in a bad mood," Toothless growled, "and I get in bad moods when I don't get enough sleep."

At this every dragon fell silent and agreed sleep was a good idea. Hiccup, meanwhile, suddenly realized he was in for a stiff neck if he maintained his position, so he moved away a little from Toothless. He found Astrid and Stormfly were lying nearby, so he quietly shifted his position so he could have a quiet talk with them.

"How're you doing?" he whispered.

"Fine," Astrid replied in an equally soft tone. "You're not hurt, right?"

"Like I said earlier, a few scratches, nothing dangerous," he said reassuringly.

"Good. Hiccup, do you think that might have been Adoncia?"

"Maybe, maybe not." He sighed. It was one more mystery to meander around in his brain. If his head was a bowl and mysteries were water his head was going to overflow soon.

"Do you think Heather's gonna have a—a problem with us around?" Astrid asked in Dragonese so Heather would not hear.

"She'll come around." He hoped. He could feel sleep almost upon him but there was one thing more he wanted to say before he gave in to it. "Astrid?"

"Hmm?"

He slowly reached out and put a hand on her arm. "I'm glad you're here. I don't know about Heather, but I for one feel a lot safer with you near me,"

He felt her hand take his. "I feel a lot safer when you're around too,"

"Yeah, I always feel safer when he's in plain sight,"

"You go to sleep, Toothless!"

The Night Fury chuckled and rolled over.