"So... where are we off too?" Hiccup asked the young trader.

"A northbound island," Willow answered.

"To trade?"

"No, to stock up on goods and supplies."

Hiccup shot her a confused look.

"It's our base, dumbo!"

"Oh, right."

They continued flying until the sun began to peek over the horizon. It illuminated a small dot, an island very far away.

"Sorry, girl," Willow spoke to Marina, "Looks like we'll be flying a bit longer."

The Flightmare sighed, "Ah well. As long as I get to sleep when we arrive." Willow rubbed the ghostly blue dragon's jaw as they continued to fly.

Finally, after another six hours, they landed on a heavily forested island covered in snow.

"Welcome to our closest thing to home sweet home! The North Pole!"

"The North what now?" Hiccup asked as he dismounted Toothless.

"The North Pole. Now, this isn't actually the North Pole, that's a bit further north, but it is the closest island to it. We named our island after it."

"Okay, and what exactly is the North Pole?"

"Oh, right. It's another 'the world is round' theory. Never mind."

Hiccup nodded. He was pretty sure this girl was out of her mind. He decided to change the subject. "So, where is your base camp?"

"It's this way. Follow me."

Willow led them up hill through tall, thick pine trees until they reached a large clearing. It looked quite empty. In the middle was a round, clear pond, and against a giant bolder was a large dragon stable, with two large doors.

"Do you normally house visitors?" Hiccup commented.

"No. We do care for sick or injured dragons, though."

"It's kind of... empty," Toothless said, gazing at the stables.

"Ah, but there's where you're wrong," Marina told them. Willow mounted her dragon.

"Follow me, but go through the other stall."

"What?" Hiccup was thoroughly confused as the pair took flight. Just then, the left stable door began to open downward, like a drawbridge on a castle, and Willow and Marina swooped through. It closed back directly behind them.

"Okay. Um, bud?"

"They're crazy. Come on, we might as well try it."

Hiccup mounted his dragon and they took flight. Just like with Willow and Marina, the door began to open downwards, revealing another door opening the same way inside the stall.

Except it wasn't a door! It was the bolder! The face of the large rock the stable was built on was falling forward as well, revealing a long, dark, stone tunnel.

"Well, should we go?" Toothless asked.

"I don't know if we have much of a choice."

Toothless dove into the blackness of the tunnel. Hiccup looked behind them just in time to see the wall close. They were plunged into darkness.

"Uh, Toothless?"

"Already on it."

The Night Fury roared, sending a wall of sound out into the tunnel.

"It's straight," he informed Hiccup.

"Good."

"But... It's also a dead end."

"Great," The small Viking said with sarcasm.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the tunnel, "Keep flying! Trust me," Willow's voice told them.

"How is she doing that?" Hiccup asked.

"There are also small tunnels crisscrossing throughout the entire island. Probably made by -,"

"- By baby Whispering Deaths, that's how I can talk to you! But you have to fly through the wall!" Willow interrupted.

"Through the wall!? Are you crazy!?"

"Just trust me!"

"Okay, here goes nothing," Hiccup mumbled as the wall grew closer.

"Hiccup, there's no way through! We'll hit solid rock!"

"We have to trust her, Toothless."

"My death will be on your head, HIIIICCCCCCCUUUPP!" Toothless roared as he shut his eyes, ready for full impact.

But it never came! They shot through the wall, and Hiccup risked to open his eyes. The first glimpse he caught was they were now in a lit hall, and heading straight for another wall!

"Toothless!" Hiccup roared as he tried to pull his dragon up. The Night Fury opened his eyes, but it was too late. The pair crashed into the wall and crumpled to the ground.

"Ugh, Bud, are you okay?" Hiccup shook his head as he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Fine, I guess."

"Oh, man, I am so sorry! I guess I should've told you that wall works like those first two doors," Willow walked over to them, Marina trotting behind her. Toothless raised his head.

"Ya' think?"

"Toothless, be nice," Hiccup told the Night Fury, who rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," Willow apologized again.

Hiccup brushed it away, "It's fine."

"Anyway, this is our base!" Willow lifted her hands and Hiccup gazed around.

They were in a large hall, with many tunnels and locked doors leading away. There were crates stacked in one corner, and a trickle of water in the other.

"Follow me, I'll show you to your room. At dusk, I'll show you around a bit more."

Hiccup nodded. The new rider and dragon led the pair to a locked wooden door. The Viking stared as it clicked open when Marina opened her mouth for a slow glow.

They continued to walk down the lit hallway, Willow closing the door behind them.

"You have amazing technology here," Hiccup commented.

"Well, when you travel the world, trading with all sorts of civilizations, it's pretty likely to run across some good finds."

"Ah."

The four continued to walk in silence through the torch-lit hall. They kept passing many doors.

"Um, is my room really this far back?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes. We have others, but you can have the special room."

"Okay, the 'special room'."

Willow nodded. They continued to walk. Finally, the end of the tunnel came into view. Two doors led off of it.

"Here we go, the special room," Willow opened the door using the same key she used earlier, and Hiccup and Toothless walked in.

It was small. And very rocky. But cozy. There was a stone fireplace in one corner, and a wooden bed in the other. There were three torches hanging from the ceiling, and the shadows danced in their light. There was a stone slab for Toothless in the far corner. The dragon waddled over to it.

"Do the other rooms not have stone slabs?" Toothless asked, "Is that why this room is so special?"

"No, yours has a window," Willow pointed to the far corner of the ceiling, before turning and leaving, shutting the door behind her.

Hiccup looked up and saw a triangular opening in the top corner, letting in a bit of fresh, outside air.

Without further ado, he slid into the bed, and tried to ignore all of the light in the room. Eventually, he fell asleep, listening to the sounds of the wind moaning in the caves.