Zephyr couldn't sleep that night. She woke up repeatedly, her heart pounding and her forehead doused in sweat. What if this didn't work? Her dad had a plan; Zephyr just wasn't sure if it would go well. They were going to use the dragons to search for Shadow Streak. Her father was going to leave Zephyr's mom in charge of New Berk while he was gone.

Zephyr stood up and decided she might as well stroll downstairs. After all, pacing seemed to help Nuffink. She heard a noise as she descended the stairs. Zephyr stopped in her tracks and crouched down on the stairway.

"I've been thinking about the plan and…" Zephyr heard her father say.

Oh. It was just her father, but…what was he saying? Was he changing his mind about the plan? But they needed Shadow Streak back!

"Zephyr already trained Fourlegs, Spearhead, and Leif the Second to fly," her father said. "I think we should bring them along."

"We're not bringing three teenagers into a battle!" Zephyr heard her mother argue. "You lost your leg in a battle when you were a teenager. What would happen if we bring one of them home like that? Or worse, dead?"

"I'm not saying they should fight in a battle," Zephyr's father said. "All these years without any fighting or extensive training left us weak. Astrid, think back to when we were teenagers. We fought. It wasn't necessarily good to be at war, but it taught us how to protect ourselves."

"What's your plan?" Zephyr's mother asked.

"We take them along and teach them a little," Zephyr's father said. "Obviously you and I, maybe Zephyr, will be rescuing Shadow Streak. We could just teach them the basics of fighting while we're out on the search."

"And you think their parents are actually going to agree with this?" Zephyr's mother asked.

"I think we need to train the next generation. We're vulnerable. They need to know how to fight, just like we did. And how did we learn best? We watched our enemies. We learned on the job."

Zephyr couldn't believe what she was hearing. Take Fourlegs, Spearhead, and Booboo with them? Her mother was going? But who would be in charge of New Berk then? This was all so messed up.

Zephyr plodded back upstairs to her bedroom.


Zephyr woke up early the next morning. After she had overheard her parents' conversation the night before, she twisted and turned all night. She hoped her parents really weren't going to involve her friends. If her friends were angry at her before, what would they think of her now?

Zephyr headed downstairs. Her brother was already up, his dagger on his belt.

"Where's dad?" Zephyr asked.

"He's been in the workshop all morning," Nuffink said. "Zephyr, I'm coming with you."

Zephyr suspicioned what she'd overheard was still her father's current plan. Her legs felt weak. "You don't need to."

"I don't, but I am," Nuffink said. "Plus, mom decided to go too."

"She did?" Zephyr asked, trying to hide her disappointment. "Then who's going to run New Berk while we're gone?"

"Dad said he could get Fourlegs's parents to do it," Nuffink said. "He's going to tell them at the meeting this morning before we take off."

"Oh," Zephyr said. So, their mom was going. But that didn't necessarily mean Fourlegs, Spearhead, or Booboo were coming along.

Soon their parents came through the door. Her mother had packed some bags that probably held supplies for the search. Her father was carrying a sword. It looked brand new; all shiny and fresh leather wrapped around the handle.

Nuffink gaped. Zephyr stared in amazement. That was the sword her dad had made that could light on fire! She'd seen diagrams of it. But, wait, he wasn't supposed to have it anymore.

"I still kept the blueprint after all these years," her father said, admiring the sword. "Going to need to fuel it though. Time to head out to the Great Hall. We're bringing Fourlegs, Spearhead, and Leif the Second with us. You already taught them how to fly, so we might as well bring them along. It's an opportunity for them to observe how to stalk an enemy and we can teach them more fighting principles along the way."

Zephyr sat down in a chair to keep herself from stumbling. So, they were going to bring her friends along. She knew they weren't going to fight in a battle or sneak around the enemy territory, but still. The fact that they were going at all was more than Zephyr could take.

"What?" Nuffink asked. "They're coming with us into a possible battle?"

"No," their father said. "They're coming to learn how to fight, but they won't be the ones rescuing Shadow Streak."

"Okay…" Nuffink said. He obviously hadn't expected the sudden change in plans.

"I think I can convince their parents to let them go," their father said. "Maybe."

"Are you sure we're going to need to use that?" Zephyr asked, looking towards the sword. "Aren't we just going to sneak in quietly and get right back out?"

"Well, considering we'll be going right into the enemy's territory and probably prison, we need to be prepared," their mother said.

Nuffink paled.

Zephyr picked herself up from the chair, and everyone left the hut.


Zephyr could honestly say the meeting in the Grand Hall was the most exciting she'd ever attended. When her father announced he was going away for a while, the Great Hall erupted into objections and questions. And those questions were really veiled objections.

"I have a plan!" her father assured everyone. "I'm leaving Fishlegs and Ruffnut in charge. I talked to Tuffnut and he's still working on new weapons. If Fishlegs or Ruffnut need any help, he'll be here."

After the meeting, Zephyr's dad talked to his friends Fishlegs and Ruffnut, Fourlegs's parents.

"…It'll just be for a little while," Zephyr's dad said.

"I don't know, Hiccup," Fishlegs said. "He's only sixteen and has no experience fighting."

"He won't actually be fighting anyone. He's just going to observe and learn, that's all," Zephyr's father said. "And he should learn how to fight. There's a war going on."

"We'll let him go," Ruffnut said.

"What?" Fishlegs asked.

"We used to run off all the time when we were kids. He won't even be fighting," Ruffnut explained. "Astrid's going too. What's there to be worried about? Especially since they're taking dragons."

"Fine," Fishlegs agreed, though he still looked a little uncertain. "Those are valid points. Please keep him safe, Hiccup."

"Don't worry. I will," Zephyr's father promised.

Fourlegs stood up from a corner of the room. Zephyr hadn't seen him there. He looked as though he might faint. But after saying goodbye to his parents, he followed Zephyr's dad to where Zephyr and Nuffink were waiting with their mom.

Getting Booboo though was a challenge. Apparently, his parents most certainly did not want him running into the enemy's territory. And they detested the idea of him riding a dragon. In the meantime, Zephyr, Nuffink, and Fourlegs, standing on the other side of the room, waited and waited. Fourlegs hadn't said a word to Zephyr yet. Finally, Booboo's parents agreed. It seemed Booboo had said something that made them relent.

Fourlegs chatted with Nuffink on the way to Spearhead's hut. Zephyr lingered at the back of the group. Fourlegs still hadn't attempted to speak a word to her. Of course he didn't. She had dragged him into a long journey far away from New Berk. What other reason would he have to avoid her?

They reached Spearhead's hut and Zephyr's dad knocked on the door. A woman with short black hair and a green dress answered. Two little boys were fighting each other behind her. A third one was scribbling absently on a piece of paper.

"Hello," Zephyr's father said. "I—"

"You've come for Spearhead?" the woman asked, interrupting. "Spearhead!"

Spearhead came to the door. She looked like she was about to roll her eyes, but thought better of it once she saw them.

"It's time you received some real punishment," the woman said to Spearhead. "Do whatever you want with her. Gives me one less kid to deal with."

After Spearhead stepped outside the woman shut the door.

"Well, that was easy," Zephyr's dad remarked.

"Listen," Spearhead said. "I don't care what you're charging me with. I just want you to know it's all Zephyr's fault. I didn't know getting a dragon was illegal, okay? So, if you're going to throw me in prison, I expect you to throw her in too. And Nuffink and Fourlegs and Booboo."

"I'm not throwing you in prison!" Zephyr's dad said to Spearhead.

"You're coming with us to train while we search for Shadow Streak," Zephyr's mom said.

"What?" Spearhead asked.

"It's going to be fine," Nuffink said to her.

"Uh, no," Spearhead said. "There's no way I'm letting you lead me miles away from my home into the unknown. I didn't even want anything to do with dragons in the first place, and I still don't. Plus, how are you going to take back a dragon from the enemy's hand?"

"With dragons," Nuffink said.

"Huh?" Spearhead asked. "But… didn't… I thought… Ugh I'm so confused. You're breaking the law to fix the mess that came from breaking the law?"

"Yeah," Nuffink said.

"If you die, I get to say I told you so," Spearhead said.

"I'm not going to die," Nuffink said. "My parents and my sister are going to be the only ones actually carrying out the mission."

"Well, I'm not even going to train," Spearhead said. "I am not going."

"Spearhead!" Nuffink argued.

"It's okay," Zephyr's father said. "If she can get her parents to let her back inside then she doesn't have to come."

Spearhead banged on the door. "Mom! Let me back in! I'm not getting thrown in prison! Please! They want to exile me until they find a dragon named Shade Streak or something. But they won't if you let me in!" She continued until her hands were red. She sighed and spoke softly. "I guess I have to go."

"Good," Nuffink said.

Spearhead slumped over to Nuffink, Fourlegs, and Booboo, glaring at Zephyr all the time.

They headed towards the cliffside. Zephyr trailed behind. Her parents discussed the plan and her friends muttered to one another. Zephyr didn't join in. Spearhead was right. This was all Zephyr's fault.

They took a platform down to the docks and paid for a boat.

"Oh," Spearhead said. "We're paying this time? Who could have thought of that? Maybe we should have just stolen it. Zephyr thinks that's the best way, and we should obviously trust her."

Spearhead was definitely annoyed. No one else said anything though. They climbed onto the boat and began to sail towards The Hidden World. The wind was cold and clouds were gathering. Zephyr hoped it didn't storm.

After a few hours, they sighted the waterfalls.

"Dock at the right side!" Zephyr warned, recalling their previous ship that had sunk when she'd first taken her friends to the waterfalls. They didn't need another ship sinking. They pulled into the dock at the right side, and one by one, entered The Hidden World again.