"There's some things you should probably know about Swift."

"Okay."

Willow continued, "Well, she's a human and a dragon."

"Like... The Lycanwing?" Hiccup asked. His sister had told him about the myth once when they were out flying.

"No... Not exactly."

"I'm confused."

"You'll understand when we get there."

➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰

Finally, Swift's island came into view. They had stopped for the day on a barren island, before setting off again at nightfall.

Her island looked dark and shaded. There was a white sand beach that met a pine forest, before the land sloped upward to a rocky mountain.

"Wow, it's beautiful here!"

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "You wouldn't exspect a dark and shadowed island to be breathtaking, but it is."

Just like before, Willow stopped at the edges of the island, willing the dragons to hover. She pulled from her belt her horn before blowing into it.

Hiccup tried to listen for a responding roar, but he never heard one.

"I don't think she's home," he pointed out.

Willow pointed to the pines, where hiccup could just make out small shapes zipping under the trees.

Once the first shape reached the beach and stopped, Hiccup realized what it was. A girl was perched atop a chief Speed Stinger.

She roared up to them, "Come on down!"

Marina led the way, Toothless following them. They set down on the beach and dismounted.

"Hello, Swift! Meet my new partners, Hiccup and Toothless!"

"Hi," Toothless greeted the new rider and her Dragon.

"Hi, I'm Swift, and this is my mate, Dash." Swift gestured to her Speed Stinger as she said her name, and gestured to the Speed Stinger next to her when she mentioned Dash.

This had Hiccup really confused, until he realized, she didn't have any legs. She sat atop her Dragon in an odd leather saddle, that had two pockets where the stubs of her legs were hidden. The saddle was covered in scales, so it looked as if it just merged into the body of her Dragon.

"Uh..." Hiccup started, not sure what to say.

Swift rolled her eyes. Clearly, she got this reaction a lot. She began to explain.

"When I was young, before my human part found my dragon part, I was lost. My human part was attempting to survive alone without legs, and my dragon part was having difficulties being accepted by my pack. Their future chief was mute. Before my two parts were united, I was confused. My brain would not work efficiently. However, when I was united, my brain seemed to sort itself out. I could now become the chief, as well as walk. I am the cheif, and this is my mate." she motioned towards Dash again.

"It is an honor. If you don't mind my asking, Toothless, what species are you?"

"Night Fury." Toothless held his head high.

"Hm," Dash cocked his head, "I'm not sure I've heard about that species before."

Toothless's face fell with surprise. Obviously, he was expecting the usual surprise and praise. Hiccup laughed before nudging him.

"Ya' know," he joked, "I don't think I have either."

Toothless shot him a look and huffed at him. "You suck."

Hiccup ignored him. The Speed Stinger pack was gathering around their chief. Two adults trotted up, followed by three more adolescents.

"Willow!" the adolescents exclaimed, swarming her. The two adults stopped by their chief.

"Hi," one greeted. "I'm Gust and this is my sister, Cele. Those are our three newest siblings, Blusry, Slurr, and Waive. We're some of Swift and Dash's hatchlings."

"It's nice to meet you."

Swift turned to her pack. She announced, "Willow and Marina have come to trade. And with her, she has brought a her new partners, Hiccup and Toothless!"

The pack cheered excitedly, before swarming the two riders and their dragons.

Hiccup traded non-stop for about twenty minutes before the rush was over. Toothless did a good job at keeping the main rushers at bay, by striking up conversation.

Then, when the stream of Speed Stingers slowed, Swift approached them.

"I'm glad you've decided to join Willow and Marina. They need the help, even if they don't let on."

"What do you mean?"

"Travelers tend to make a lot of enemies. Willow and her Dragon have been captured more than once. Marina is powerful, but can easily be taken over If out numbered."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Willow needs protection. And from what I hear, you and Toothless are perfect for the job."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Just protect her, okay? I don't want her getting hurt."

Swift said no more. She pat Toothless on the head, before trotting off.

"You ready to leave?"

Hiccup jumped. "Willow, gods, you startled me!"

"Whoops. Anyway, mount up. We're off to the Troutingson family."

➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰➰

The pair of Dragon riders were back up in the air. Hiccup had learned that the Troutingson family was a small family that grew up away from a tribe. They had been riding dragons for the longest out of all the riders Willow knew. They lived in the middle of a desert, and they bred dragons.

Hiccup had no idea what a desert was, but as they neared, he felt on the verge of passing out. How could there be this much heat in the world?

Toothless was panting, and Hiccup couldn't touch the dragon's scales; he would burn himself.

It was early in the morning, and the sun was blazing down upon them. They were soaring over an endless, yellow terrain.

Finally, they began their descent. Hiccup soon spotted a clutch of tarp tents, covered in, was that sand?

They landed in the middle of the tents, and Hiccup slid off his Dragon. They were standing in an endless sand pit. This was a desert. The only thing maiming the barren landscape, was the clutch of tents.

"Is this it?" Hiccup asked.

"No," Willow responded uneasily, "I mean, yeah, but, nothing's here."

"Maybe they went out flying."

"No, there's normally dragons running everywhere."

Hiccup walked to the closest tent, his Dragon following. He peeked in, and wasn't expecting what he saw.

Triangular shields littered the floor, freshly sharpened spears, swords, and daggers were all stacked in barrels.

Hiccup's eyes fell on the insignia on the shields. He knew that insignia. It was drawn all over Hanna's drawing notebook. The Bloody Barbarians were here.

Willow entered the tent behind him. "Oh, no!" she breathed. She quickly left the tent.

"What?" Hiccup followed her, but froze once he got out. They were surrounded by the tribe of test-taking Vikings.

"Wow, who's this Willow? You're new boyfriend?" the thick looking guy directly in front of them looked at Hiccup. He wore a chief's belt, like the one his father wore.

Hiccup was ready to shoot back a remark, since he assumed Willow couldn't understand Norse, but he was wrong.

"Mind your words, Drangont!" she shot at him.

"Hah! Like I'd listen to a lowly trader like you," he laughed.

"Where are the Troutingsons?" she asked demandingly.

"Why should I tell you?"

"If you don't, I'll freeze you and feed you to my dragon for dinner. She's starving. She's been flying for hours
and hasn't eaten for longer," Willow threatened.

Hiccup wanted to facepalm. Willow had just let the enemy know that she and her Dragon were weak from lack of sleep and food. Great plan, he thought, great plan.

"We've taken down your dragon before, and we'll do it again. We didn't sail all this way to loose."

"Wow, you have some fast boats," Hiccup mumbled.

"What was that, boy?" the chief growled.

Hiccup felt a hot nose nudge him from inside the tent. He heard a faint growl.

"No, bud," he whispered, "Not yet. I've said nothing, Chief."

"You won't be taking anyone down today, Drangont," Willow announced. "I have a new partner!"

The chief stared at her. His gaze flickered to Hiccup before he began to laugh. It was throaty and warm, but filled to the brim with menace. His ranks began to laugh with him. Hiccup noticed Feutol standing a ways from the chief. The teacher was surrounded by the teens Hiccup had seen when he had visited their island. Including Darius.

When the laughter finally died down, the chief was still chuckling. He wipped a tear from his eye before speaking. "Willow, we knew you were crazy, but if you think this little runt could help you even the slightest, you're nuts! I mean look at him! He's smaller than my daughter's daggers!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup could see a girl in the group of teens twirl a dagger between her fingers. If he could remember correctly, this was Ciscus.

Toothless let out a low growl, but Hiccup quieted him. "Not yet."

"You obviously don't know much about him," Willow observed.

"Hah! There's not much to know! You're new partner, is a twig!"

Willow was about to say something when Hiccup butted in.

"Yes, I am a twig. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to know about me."

The chief glared at him, before walking up to him. He bent down to his hieght, and Hiccup met his eyes with a matching glare.

"Listen," the chief growled, "I have a gift. I can tell everything about anyone, by just looking at them. You carry no weapon, no defensive shield, you wear no armor. You are nothing. In your eyes, you believe you are strong. But with no weapon, you are absolutely nothing! There is nothing to know about you!" He yelled.

Hiccup hardened his gaze. "Your 'gift' is broken. You're wrong."

The tribe gasped. The chief's eyes widened in surprise and he took a step back. However, he quickly recovered.

"I am NEVER wrong! Seize them!"

The tribe opened their mouths to let out a war cry, but Hiccup interrupted them.

"Think again!" He called out. "Did you really believe that Willow's partner wouldn't be a Dragon rider as well?"

The tribe's faces changed.

"Now!" Hiccup whispered.

There was a roar from inside the tent, and Hiccup leapt into the air. When he came back down, there was a black as night dragon beneath him.

"You cangy wormbreath fools. You do not talk to Hiccup that way!" Toothless growled threateningly.

Shocked looks spread like wildfire through the Bloody Barbarians. Whispers began to weave through the crowd.

"Is that -"

"It can't be!"

"Could it really-"

"But?"

Hiccup didn't wait any longer. "Toothless, now!"

The Night Fury shot a plasma blast at the chief, who dropped to the ground just in time. The purple ball of fire soared over him, but the noise and panic it caused was enough to distract the tribe.

Willow jumped back onto Marina and took to the sky. Hiccup followed on his Dragon. They soared up before doing a long flip, letting loose another ball of purple flames. It hit home, lighting the makeshift arsenal on fire.

Hiccup, Willow, Marina, and Toothless soared over the desert, towards the ocean. There were still trades to complete.