The ice was breaking all through the Viking Archipelago. Every tribe that wasn't already celebrating woke up in the middle of the night and after realizing what was going on they gathered to celebrate the end of that cruel and unforgiving winter. Those that had been already celebrating like the Hooligans, Bog Burglars, and Meat Heads started shouting and screaming with glee. They bumped their mugs filled with beer and helped themselves to another serving of boar and deer.

Stoick was among those who were the happiest for unlike he had made his son think he had indeed been worried about running out of supplies to feed his tribe.

"Smile you vast fretr (fart)," Bertha said slapping him on the back as she swung her mug wildly spilling most of the drink on the table "Spring is here!"

"I know that!" he said trying to his best smile, but much like his son he couldn't fake a smile even to save his life.

Bertha shook her head in disappointment before pouring the remains of her drink on his almost empty cup.

"That is as nice as I get," she said before hurrying away before Stoick could even say thanks. He watched her join another table where Asthor Hofferson sat before she punched the good humored Hofferson on his shoulder.

"And she claims she doesn't need men," Mogadon said trying not his roll his eyes in his drunken stupor, "if you ask me those two might as well marry."

"she will bury you while you are still alive if she hears you say that" Stoick said with a snicker before taking a long gulp. Mogadon laughed before chattering like a woman during market day. Like his son, though not as clear-sighted, Mogadon was considered to be a friendly fella.

As Stoick allowed Mogadon to talk his ear off he wondered if there was enough mead in the world to make him forget his pain. Whenever there were truly happy moments like this one, he always ruined it for himself by thinking how much better it would be if his Valhallarama were there. For a while, he could take comfort that his son was there but he was growing up and he knew that soon he would be spending more time in adventures and hunting than around his old man. A part of him sort of wanted him at home, tinkling at the smithy or just in sight with his friends instead of out there hunting with the respected son of another chief.

With that last thought, the ill feeling returned and then he realized that none of Hiccup's friends were on sight. He didn't recall Thuggory saying the rest of the teens were going with them. Though not as stable as he should have been he stumbled out of the great hall. Here he found his friend Gobber drinking with his tired eyes looking at their village in silence.

"Have you seen the trainees?" Stoick asked him.

"Things were too quiet," Gobber said standing, "they are probably plotting something as usual. You know they don't need Hiccup to get into trouble, right?"

"Of course," grumbled Stoick before he started down the steps, "I just find it odd they are not around" he was ready to go search of them. He wasn't about to have them try stealing another barrel of mead or wine (which was usually their primary target).

Gobber sighed before going after his friend, "Okay, I will tell you where they are but give the kid a break."

"What do you mean?" asked Stoick before Gobber had him following to a place he knew well.

"Gothi's?" he asked curiously.

"Fishlegs is very sick, they have been holed in there almost all day and night helping Gothi look after him."

"The Ingerman boy," he said realizing he had forgotten Hiccup had taken the boy here after his disrespectful outburst.

"Are you coming in or not?" asked Gobber as he knocked politely on the door.

Gothi opened the door tired, but a little surprised to see them at her door and so late at night, "there is no mead here."

"Hysterical," Gobber said with a smirk, "I just wanted to show Stoick the kids weren't getting into trouble."

"I see," she said before stepping to the side and letting the big men step in. She motioned with her wrinkled old hands at the teens sleeping on the beds "there you have them; the one day to be warriors exhausted after looking after their sick friend."

"Hi…Hiccup!" and as in cue Fishlegs bolted up, tangled in his blankets and fell off his bed, "no…" Gobber was by the feverish Fishlegs at once and helped the struggling teen back to bed, "have to… find Hiccup" Fishlegs said with wide, worried eyes, "…mus-" and then he fainted before falling again into the same troubled dream.

"What was that?" Stoick said feeling the ill feeling become stronger.

"He has a fever and Hiccup isn't around. He is just assuming he is in some sort of trouble" the old lady said.

"Or maybe he knows something we don't," Gobber said as he watched Fishlegs struggle against his nightmare, " Hiccup is not the kind to leave his friends behind, especially if they are sick."

"But he has," Gothi said calmly as she sat on her favorite chair by the fire. "For Fishlegs though a good and loyal friend (which are the most difficult type of friends to find) is not very Viking-like. For such a reason, he is not worthy of spending time with the chief's son. Right Stoick?" and even though the hut was rather warm because of the fireplace, the two grown men still shivered at the cold tone that she used.

Stoick opened his mouth to agree even though he knew Gothi would be angry with him for a very long time. But stopped when the old woman turned her head and gave him a glare that could freeze the ocean all over again. He closed his mouth before excusing himself.

"He is a stubborn one," Gothi said sighing tiredly.

"So where is he really?" Gobber asked taking a chair and also setting it before the fireplace. He guessed this was going to be a good one.

As Stoick walked back to the great hall trying to swap away at the guilt that Gothi planted at his chest, he heard a familiar roar. He looked up before seeing a dark shape pass as a blur.

"Toothless wait!" he turned to see Astrid run helplessly after the dragon.

"What's going on?" Stoick asked feeling the ill feeling turn into a dreadful one.

888

Up in the high rafters of the Hysteric's main hall two figures hid in the shadows as they watched what happened below.

"He is fine" Camicazi placing a hand on Thuggory's shoulder before he lowered Hiccup's crossbow.

Thuggory still didn't look away from Norbert the Nutjob. Hiccup had trusted Thuggory to use his crossbow to keep Norbert from killing him if things got too out of hand. He lost count of how many times it seemed Norbert was about to strike Hiccup down. He had never killed a man, but the thought didn't even cross his mind until Hiccup was locked in a cage and lifted away. This made his hands shake but held tightly to the rafter to hide it.

"Now how to get that potato," Camicazi said preparing her rope once the opportunity showed itself.

"And Hiccup" he reminded her.

"That lock will be easy-peasy," Camicazi said with a smirk, "we just need to wait for our chance."

And they waited and the waiting seemed eternal because now they could hear the ice breaking and knew Spring would be upon them any moment now. The warriors below celebrated like they had never celebrated before because Spring was coming; even though they would probably remain trapped in their island that was better than dying of starvation. Not that any of Norbert's closest warrior ever went without a full belly unlike the tired and starving remainder of their tribe. There was a reason why the hall only had one table and no more than twenty men sitting around it. These were soldiers that only cared about their own wellbeing and found easy forget about the rest of the tribe they swore to protect. The Hysterics continued to eat and drink at their hearts' content even forgetting completely about the boy hanging above them.

"Pigs," Hiccup muttered watching them stuff their faces with what could have fed at least five families. He held tightly to the bars of his cage holding his tongue when he wanted to lash at them. When the chance didn't seem would come up anytime soon he collapsed and sat with his knees drawn to his chest. He could only hope they would make it time to save Fishlegs by then. He closed his eyes and tried not think how his life would be like if they didn't make it.

The thought kept coming back and he tried to push it away again but it would just keep coming back. A coppery taste had filled his mouth before he realized he had bitten his lip so tightly that he had broken the skin. The pain distracted him enough for him to finally succumb to the exhaustion accumulated through the day. At top in the rafters as time passed Camicazi and Thuggory also fell into restless sleep as the feast below continued.

Hiccup knew he was dreaming because what he saw now was too incredible to be true. He was in the immense ship known as 'The Dream'. The unfamiliar warm winds were high and rustled his hair and worn out clothing as he faced the unknown land of the west. They were close enough so that he could see the wildlife and vegetation. The tapestry Norbert had on his great hall didn't make justice to the variety and wonder of all.

He leaned forwards trying to see more before he spotted a human shape on the beach. The Feather people? But before he could see any closer a booming voice made him remember that dreams could always turn into nightmares.

"Too bad you will never touch land to know," he heard before a firm grip turned him around.

It was Norbert the Nutjob and he had his ax raised ready to strike him down. The sunny day was suddenly replaced by a stormy thundering sky before Norbert brought down his ax.

And thankfully he woke up before Norbert could chop any of his limbs. He was shaking and sweating, though thankful not to repeat the experience from his last nightmare. Then he took it all in and realized he had nothing to be comforted about. What he saw horrified him just as much or more than a nightmare. The door to the great hall had been left open and now he could see the first rays of the sun making their way across the stone floors. He looked up and with the new light saw that Camicazi and Thuggory were sleeping on the rafters. He looked down and saw the Hysterics sleeping in their feast. He rubbed his eyes hoping this was just part of the same nightmare. He couldn't believe they all had fallen asleep.

"Camicazi! Thuggory" he whispered as loud as he could, but he was too far from them to be heard.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Hiccup knew the annoying voice, but he couldn't find the owner.

"Down genius"

Hiccup looked at bottom of his cage and spotted Toothless clinging to it "Toothless."

"I go back to sleep for just one more night" growled the dragon, " and you get caught by Hysterics of all tribes."

"Spare me the lecture and go wake up Camicazi and Thuggory," Hiccup said fast pointing up at the rafters.

"Fine, fine grumpy pants," Toothless said before going up the rafters and nudging the other two awake. They both were pretty shocked at seeing it was morning before remembering what they were supposed to do.

"Shoot down anyone who wakes up," Camicazi told Thuggory as she finally got a chance to put her burgling equipment to proper use. The two boys watched in amazement as she climbed down much like a spider down her rope until she was hanging upside down in front of his cage, "morning crazy Hooligan."

"No time to talk, get me out and get the potato."

"The thing is frozen solid to the guy's hand. Is not going to be so easy" she admitted cringing at the image of having to cut the frozen corpse's hand.

"Toothless will help you," he said before looking for the dragon up in the rafters but didn't find him there. He looked at Thuggory, who was pointing down at the banquet table with a silent shout.

"Oh no," Hiccup said before spotting said dragon at top of the table eating the remains of the feast "Toothless" he hissed at the dragon.

"What?" the dragon asked with a mouth full of food, " I am hungry."

"Stop that and help Camicazi unfreeze the potato," he said flinching as the dragon nudged one of the Vikings off a plate with polar bear bits.

"Are you mad?" he said swallowing before looking the guarding dragons with worry " those are Squealers" for Squealers are one of the other dragons mother dragons usually warn their young. Even if they look small, they can still knock out a little dragon with their shrieks and then devour them

"You are bigger now; they can't knock you out anymore," Hiccup said greeting his teeth.

Camicazi, almost finish with the lock gave him a curious look. It wasn't like Hiccup to lose his patience, especially with his dragon.

"But can still eat me" the dragon continued to eat " besides I just woke up, I am starving."

"I fed you yesterday," Hiccup said as the door to his cage finally opened.

"A very meager portion might I add," Toothless said reaching the boar that had been Norbert's alone.

"You might not. Go unfreeze that potato or I swear I will skin you next time you go into hibernation" Hiccup said as he climbed down the rope Camicazi had climbed back up to ready to take the potato.

"What's your problem?" Toothless hissed and turned his head sharply and glared, for every dragon which accompanied a Viking trusted them to look after them when they slept.

"What is yours you selfish reptile? Fishlegs will die we don't bring him the potato" Hiccup hissed back just as viciously.

"You are acting strange" Toothless finally said tiredly. He liked to make Hiccup upset but in a way that they would both be laughing later throwing insults at each other playfully. This was something difference and painful to the dragon and without knowing to the boy too for he was also reflecting on the horrible words he had spoken.

"Is called being under stress and worried your friend will die. Now go start unfreezing that potato" he said in a softer tone before the dragon rolled his eyes and then jumped off the table before going towards the frozen body of Bigjob and the potato. All the while he mumbled about stupid Vikings and his stupid Hiccup acting like them.

He glided over the sleeping Squealers until he reached the very no important looking frozen potato. He started blowing a small flame as if he was trying to whistle, and started to melt the ice around the potato careful not to burn it for Toothless knew how important Fishlegs was to Hiccup. In the rafters Camicazi took this as her signal to come down her rope, once again much like spider before she was hanging above Toothless. She started to check for any other traps when she spotted something else. Something stranger but nonetheless she could sense it was priceless, so she picked it up. No alarms or traps were triggered so she sighed in relief before going back to the boring looking potato.

Hiccup watched as he pulled a grilled Semi-spotted Snow Pecker. He was ravenous for he didn't stay for the feast back home and now hadn't eaten one bit since the morning before. He was about to bite into it before he spotted something shining. His eyes went to one of Norbert's pockets and saw the key to his cage for he had seen one of his men hand it to him. It was a silver key with no particular characteristic, still it seemed like it was calling to him.

He reached for the key even at the risk of waking up Norbert. He pinched it out of his pocket before grasping tightly on his hand making sure it was real. Then a larger hand took hold of his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Thuggory said pulling his hand with a harsh whisper.

"I… sorry," Hiccup said putting the key into his pocket, for now forgotten.

Thuggory didn't miss the action as was about to ask him what he had taken when they heard a horrendous crash. They turned as the Squealers started shrieking their earsplitting cry because the frozen body of Bigjob had landed on them. Toothless for his part had already bolted to the rafter watching the Squealers jump in place looking for prey.

"What is going on!" Norbert woke up bolting upright and throwing his chair back. Then spotted a young blond girl hanging from a rope holding his father's precious potato and another one of his father's valuables. "You!" and without thinking he lifted his ax to throw it at her.

"Sorry!" Hiccup cried out as he and Thuggory tackled the large man with all their strength managing to make him stumble and miss Camicazi, who was now swinging in her rope.

"Move!" Norbert threw the two teens back because now he spotted his father's frozen body surrounded by Squealers. Though frozen like a rock, the Squealers still tried to eat him. With swings and kicks Norbert was able to push the Squealers and pulled his father's frozen body to safety before turning with murderous eyes to the potato thieves "kill them!"

The awakened warriors launched towards Hiccup and Thuggory.

"My swords," Hiccup looked around frantically before spotting them on Norbert's belt. He should have tried to retrieve them when he had the chance, he thought. What was he thinking just taking the key to the cage they had already opened!

"Here" Thuggory handed him one of his own, for a Meat Head always made sure to bring a spare sword in case of emergencies.

Thuggory, already a tall young man of seventeen was able to spar and push back the Hysteric warriors. Meanwhile, Hiccup slid between them and threw them off balance before taking the sword of one and then disarming the rest for Hiccup though small and skinny for his age was a great sword fighter.

Camicazi in the meanwhile swung from her rope like a wild monkey, but this was on purpose. Because as soon as she had enough momentum she jumped towards the feast table, going over the raised swords of angry Hysterics. Then landed on the back a Hysteric that was so drunk and full that he wouldn't really wake up until midday. Norbert was right behind her, but the intrepid burglar had no need to worry. As soon as the man raised his ax to bring it down on her head it was shot out of his hand by Toothless who had recovered from his Squealer scare.

He started shooting all the Hysterics around and threw them back unconscious. When more than half of them laid unconscious and half the building caught in the fire he landed next to Hiccup. Then, started hitting with his tail and head the Hysterics that dared approach them (much like a rodeo bull). Finally, Thuggory, Hiccup, and Toothless created a perimeter at top of the feast table and around one of Camicazi's ropes. They were ready to make their getaway; the sooner, the better as they could see more Hysterics come into the hall and would be on them in no time.

"Camicazi! Hurry!" Hiccup had shouted before he spotted her fighting sword on sword with Norbert.

Camicazi though a great burglar was also an excellent sword fighter. Not as good with the ax as her sister but just with the sword. So she held her ground against the man that was twice her height and at least three times her weight.

"Stay still you runt!" shouted Norbert having trouble pinning her down.

"Who are you calling a runt you overfed pig? You can barely swing that sword without toppling over!" and she said this in a playful smile as she dodged jumped and deflected his attacks before slipping between his tree-trunk like legs. Norbert turned around swinging his word but only caught air. The little girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Not bad at all," Camicazi said before he felt a light weight on his shoulders.

It was impossible; Norbert thought panting with exhaustion before feeling burglary fingers took hold of his crown.

"I think you might be getting too old for this," she said standing on his shoulders. Before he could swing his ax at her, she used his head as a step and jumped at top of the head of the nearest Hysteric. Then she did it again and again until she was standing in the middle of the circle with the rest.

"Sorry for the delay boys," she said with a broad grin knowing well she had done quite well, all for the exception of unbalancing the frozen body by taking two things instead of one.

They started climbing up. Thuggory and Toothless kept the approaching Hysterics back with the shield/crossbow and Toothless' strange fire. They were almost to the top when he spotted horrified as Norbert pointed an arrow at them. The arrow sang as it sailed through the air. Hiccup watched as it didn't go for him or any of his friends but instead the rope. The rope broke before he could warn them and then they were falling.