then," Hiccup sighed, "You're rash, competitive and sometimes not the most open-minded Viking in town… but you're also dependable, trustworthy-"

"Oh, don't sugar coat it," Snotlout rolled his eyes and was close to yelling. He could feel the few people in the plaza beginning to look. "I bet this whole thing is because I picked on you just a little as a kid. Time for payback? Make me look like an idiot to the Jorgenson clan?"

"No, that is not at all what this is about," Hiccup also was raising his voice, but his tone was if he was trying to calm a testy dragon rather than argue. He also saw some villagers beginning to flat out stare. If Snotlout kept at this, he would have some angry people toof onlookers and immediately felt a sense of regret and sinking dread.

Hiccups face grew uncharacteristically dark. "Don't bring my father into this."

Just then, a Deadly Nadder carrying a man on its back flapped on to the building beside them. "Hiccup! Ships spotted on the western shore!"

Hiccup took his stony glare off of Snotlout to turn to the dragon and its rider. "Do they carry the same insignia?"

The man nodded. "Aye. There are several. Just a few miles from the shoreline."

Snotlout almost flinched when Hiccup turned back to him and said in an unusually cold voice, "This is going to have to wait. Get the other riders, we have something to investigate."

The sun was now setting deep in the horizon, the sky turning to shades of red. Flying low