"I'm not lying!" yelled Snotlout, "I can do it!"

Tuffnut gestured to the water next to them, "Then quit stalling and get your but in there!"

"Just give me a moment. I need to start when the opportunity comes."

"You mean the opportunity to bail?"

The twins snickered among themselves.

Snotlout crossed his arms, "Swimming toward the sea stacks and back in ocean water is harder than it sounds, Tuffnut."

Ruffnut leaned on her brother's shoulder, "Well if the great Beowulf could swim across the ocean, and take on multiple sea monsters while doing it, I'm sure Snotlout Jorgenson can swim a couple hundred yards to a sea stack."

Snotlout opened his mouth to speak when he was stopped by a horn sounding. Everyone on the docks turned to see a ship with a tribal crest on its sails.

The ship stopped at the dock and a plank was lowered to release its passengers. The first to set foot on the Isle of Berk was a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes. He had a tough build and a few scars on his bare arms.

The man looked at Snotlout smiling, "You look like an athletic lad," The man gave Snotlout a piece of paper and instructed him, "Please deliver this to Stoick the Vast. Ask him to meet me at the docks."

Snotlout shrugged and ran to the Haddock house. When Stoick read the note, he told Snotlout to find Hiccup in the woods and tell her to go to the square.

000

Hiccup and Dramore were walking through the Cove, observing the now-fading scribbles in the dirt.

Hiccup stared at the scribbles before turning to face Draymore, "Remember the first time I put your tail on?"

Draymore sighed, "Yep. You almost fed me an eel before that."

"I didn't mean to."

"Well, at least you went flying into the lagoon in the end."

"That hurt, you know."

"So?"

"Wanna go again?"

There was a brief silence between them.

Draymore shrugged, "Sure."

"Hiccup!"

The siblings turned to face Snotlout as he jogged, panting, into the Cove. He stopped to catch his breath before looking up to Hiccup, "Your dad says you have to go to the square. There's someone there who wants to see you."

Hiccup tilted her head, "Who is it?"

"I don't know. Just some guy who wants to talk with you and Stoick."

Hiccup mounted Draymore after he changed form and flew to Berk.

000

Hiccup found Stoick and the stranger near the blacksmith shop. Stoick was the first to see Hiccup approaching.

"Hiccup, come here," the chieftain gestured to the visitor, "I'd like you to meet Chief Barik the Brave. He's the head of the Wuglat Clan, and the leader of the Daekan Tribe," Stoick then turned to face Barik, "And this is Hiccup Haddock the Third, my daughter, and Heiress to the throne of Berk."

Barik gave a quick bow, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Haddock,"

Hiccup, unsure of what to do, bowed back, "The pleasure is all mine, Sir."

Barik nodded and faced Stoick, "Now. Should we go somewhere private?"

"Ah, yes," replied Stoick, "Right this way."

Stoick lead Hiccup and Barik to his hut.