to the ocean, five dragons sped along. It had not taken long for Snotlout to gather Astrid, the twins and Fishlegs. Hiccup didn't explain the situation or say much at all as they saddled their dragons, and Ruffnut loudly stated that the tension was so high you could cut it, but Snotlout was silent for a change. Now, he felt sick to his stomach. He shouldn't have made the comment about Stoick. He probably had no chance in the future to become the leader of the riders now... and he was going to have to explain that to his father. He was going to disgrace the Jorgenson name, and he almost felt like a young boy again, afraid to meet his father's wrath. But for now, he hadto do his job as a dragon rider, whether he wanted it or not. Hookfang was restless, picking up on Snotlout's energy.

"Alright, let's get some altitude," Hiccup shouted over the wind, and Toothless darted upwards with the signature whistle of a Night Fury in flight.

The other riders followed suit, and they leveled out just below the cloud line. Almost automatically the dragons moved into a V formation with Toothless and Hiccup at the head. "Okay, gang," Hiccup said and let Toothless drift back a little so he didn't have to yell. "According to our scouts, lately there have been sights of unidentified ships in the area. They've unsuccessfully pursued some of our fishing fleets and don't seem too comfortable with getting close to the island. We're here to