"You saw a bore?! How big was it?" Tuff asked in excitement.

"It was huge," Fishlegs answered, out of breath.

Ruff then added with a chaotic grin, "it was epic!"

"It tried to eat us!" Fishlegs reminded her.

With a sigh, Ruffnut confirmed to her brother, "epic."

Endeavor smiled in amusement at Ruff and walked her way. "I like your spirit," she complimented.

"Thanks," Ruff responded with a grin, seeming unphased by the fact that Endeavor was a stranger. Instead she returned the compliment with a smooth grin, "cool hair."

"Thanks," Endeavor responded with a crooked smile. She could already tell that this group would be a handful.

• • •

The sun flipped over like a coin in the sky, and darkness fell over the island. Endeavor had explained to the other riders everything she'd told Tuffnut and Snotlout. Now, they sat around a yellow fire on the beaches around the large lake. The sand seemed darker, and not just because it was night now;  it had, in fact, turned black, as if dyed by the darkness surrounding. Yet the water in the lake glowed a beautiful light blue-green color.

"Ugh, I'm starving!" Snotlout complained, "is there anything to eat around here that won't kill us?"

"There sure is," Endeavor told him as she poked at the fire with a stick, "but I wouldn't eat if I were you; you'll only become more hungry."

"What? Even that's backwards?" He demanded in agony.

Endeavor nodded, then went on to explain, "my father died because of it. He ate so much, and got too hungry. Tried to eat me a few time. Ended up eating himself."

Hiccup gave her a look of reluctance. "That's just..wrong," he expressed.

Everyone was shocked when Endeavor laughed, as if it weren't a morbidly disturbing memory. "Yeah," she agreed, nodding her head.

Snotlout gave her an unsettled look and announced, "alright, little creepy." The other riders weren't sure if he meant Endeavor's story, or her.

Endeavor rolled her eyes at him and continued to play with the fire. "We should probably start planning our way off this island," Hiccup began, "I'm getting the feeling that the dragons aren't here, so we'll need to find another way."

Endeavor raised her eyebrows and listened curiously. "We could make a boat and take try sailing off," Fishlegs suggested.

"Tried it," Endeavor piped in, leaning back against a boulder and crossing her arms, "that storm surrounds this place, it picked me up and sent me right back here."

Hiccup frowned and suggested, "okay, then maybe we could make something to go under water with."

"Go under water, and it's surface turns solid," Endeavor explained shortly, "you'll just drown."

"Oh! What if we made wings! Like your flightsuit, Hiccup," Tuffnut exclaimed, looking to Endeavor for her response.

She thought for a moment, but still shot the idea down. "The wind would blow you down," she told them, shaking her head.

"Then how are we supposed to get off this island?" Hiccup demanded, obviously annoyed by Endeavor.

She frowned at him and her face became serious. "We aren't," she argued, then laughed tauntingly, "look, this place wasn't made with an exit. It's a trap. We're not supposed to be able to get out." She laughed dryly before continuing, "believe me, I've tried everything; this place..it isn't something that can be outsmarted." There was silence for a moment before she went on, "you're used to a flat world, one where left is left and right is right. But here, there are bumb, cracks, holes in reality. Left can be left..or it could be up, or down, or a direction you didn't even know exsists."

The riders all exchanged looks of dread. But Hiccup stood his ground. "No, there has to be a way," he retorted, "just because you haven't found it, doesn't mean we won't."

Endeavor held her hands up defensively. "Hey, have at it," she told him with a crooked grin, "just know that I'm trying to keep you all alive."

"What, so we can all turn into monsters?" Hiccup questioned, "so we can all lose our minds and go crazy? I'd rather die."

Endeavor squinted at him. Tension rose as they stared each other down. But finally, Endeavor spoke. "Fine. I'll help you," she decided.

"I wasn't asking for your help," Hiccup growled.

"But you'll need it," Endeavor added, throwing her poking stick into the yellow flames. "You're obviously not gonna give up until you have your own proof," she sighed as she watched it burn, "and someone needs to keep you from making all of my past mistakes."

"And I'm guessing that was a lot," Tuffnut stated matter-of-factly, "you know, 'cause you're still here."

Endeavor raised an eyebrow at him. Slowly, a smile of amusement stretched her lips as she confirmed, "more than there are numbers to count."

Ruff raised her eyebrows. "Woah," she uttered, then a grin crossed her face, "but hey, what other kinds of things live here?"

The grin on Endeavor's face widened. Then she launched into her stories. She told the dragon riders of the creatures that lurked on the island. She told them how she had been around long enough to see countless humans change and mutate. Some of the riders were frightened, some intrigued. But Tuff was only fascinated by the excitement in her ocean eyes as she spoke. She was a risk-taker, a curious soul, and obviously intelligent. Not to mention, a bit insane. And Tuffnut couldn't believe his luck in finding such an interesting, unique woman to fall for.

• • •

Everyone was sleeping. Except for Endeavor, who'd offered to keep watch. She insisted, since she had gotten used to not sleeping, always having to watch her back. 

When she notice Tuffnut tossing in his sleep, she quickly rushed over to wake him. Shaking his shoulder, she whisper shouted, "Tuffnut, wake up!"

"Ah!" Tuff's eye flew open and he gasped. When he saw the blue eyes of Endeavor, though, he relaxed. She was hovering over him, her face quite close to his. Her blue locks tickled his arm and neck. It made him blush.