Heather Report, Part 2

"Ever since dragons showed up on Berk, we've learnt to expect the unexpected. But every once in a while, something or someone comes along that surprises you. And when that happens, you kind of hate to see them go."

- Hiccup

Heather Report, Part 2 is the eleventh episode in the Dragons: Riders of Berk. It aired on November 21, 2012. (at 8:00 on Cartoon Network). It is preceded by Heather Report, Part 1 and succeeded by Thawfest.

Overview
After helping Alvin acquire the Book of Dragons and being proved as traitor, Heather is locked up in prison. Meanwhile, Hiccup and the gang devise a plan to get the Book back from Alvin, that mainly involves Astrid impersonating Heather.

Plot
After failing to return to Outcast Island, Heather attempts to escape the Island of Berk and set sail to Outcast Island by running as quick as possible and gets to a boat on shore. Unfortunately, Astrid and Stormfly blow up the vessel and captures Heather.

Astrid throws her back in her prison cell again after many failed escape attempts by Heather, Astrid tells her to give up as they have dragons to track her down no matter what, Heather explains the real reason why she needs to go back to Outcast Island, she confesses that her parents is actually taken captive by Alvin and she only made the 'pirate' story up so that they can trust them. However, Astrid is unconvinced and tells Heather they don't trust her anymore.

At Outcast Island, Savage and three other Outcast soldiers attempt to retrieve the Book of Dragons, which is very near a wild Gronckle. Savage tells an Outcast soldier to get the book, when he tries to approach the Gronckle gently and grab the book, the Gronckle attacks him. With no one else wanting to volunteer, Savage does it himself.

At the Academy, the Riders are training intensely by developing new attack methods to fend off the Outcasts and retrieve the Book, when the Twins startles Hookfang by their attack move, Hookfang suddenly rages and burst it's body into flames. Astrid tells Snotlout to calm him down, Snotlout does it well by pinning Hookfang's horns to the ground, which he just discovered early this morning.

Fishlegs then comments that all their training may prove effective against the Outcasts, but Fishlegs doubts that Alvin will hold onto the Book to the very end. Astrid devises a plan that sounds crazy to Hiccup and Fishlegs as she says Alvin may lend it to 'Heather'.

Meanwhile on Outcast Island, Savage manages to retrieve the book from the Gronckle and gives it to Alvin. When Alvin reads the Book he is utterly impressed and wants to test it out, he then asks what happened to Heather. Savage informs him that Heather was captured by the Riders, Alvin couldn't careless of what happened to Heather and proceeds onto testing out all the dragon training in the book.

At night, the Riders are preparing a vessel while Fishlegs is extremely stressed out if their new plan does not work, but Hiccup reassures him that it will. Suddenly, they find a familiar figure approaching, and the Twins quickly identify it to be Heather intending to escape. They pin her down, but in reality, it's actually Astrid in disguise, planning to be Heather and travel to Outcast Island and try to retrieve the Book easily from Alvin. Hiccup wishes Astrid her safety and luck from her mission as she sets sail for Outcast Island.

Meanwhile, Bucket is assigned to feed Heather in her prison cell. Surprisingly, he finds her seemingly gone and he tries to inspect her prison cell inside. When he does, Heather is actually hanging above him and knocks him out. Heather apologizes but she had no choice, and makes her way outside.

Meanwhile, Astrid finally arrives at Outcast Island, and almost immediately, Savage and many Outcast soldiers find her but recognizes her as Heather. Astrid informs Savage that he escape from her capture at Berk, though Savage congratulates her, he orders the Outcasts to get rid of her, as she is of no use. Astrid pleads Savage that they do need her, as he convinces Savage that she learned much about dragon training in the Book of Dragons and she could help Alvin accelerate the control of dragons' progress.

On Berk, Heather finds Stormfly left alone without her Rider, Heather approaches but startles her, so she tries it more gently. She manages to attach Stormfly's saddle, and tells Stormfly to go find Astrid, and they hurriedly fly off.

Meanwhile, the Riders are now heading their way to Outcast Island, but to enter the Island, they first have to divert the wild dragons inhabiting the area. Fishlegs expresses his doubts about their plan to divert the dragons, despite Fishlegs pleas for more safety precautions, the Riders continue to plan on going straight through the island.

On Outcast Island, Alvin sees 'Heather' of no use to him to interpret information on the Book of Dragons on how to do dragon training properly as he sees it to be straight forward, and it's only a ploy to keep her alive. But when Astrid tells Alvin to demonstrate it, Alvin passes the book to an Outcast soldier and orders him to do it for him. The Outcast soldier tries to train a wild Deadly Nadder, the Book instructs him that 'constant grooming will appeal to it's vanity' and he gives it a shot by commenting the dragon. However, the Nadder is unsatisfied and prepares to attack him. In the last second, Astrid grabs a shield and protects the Outcast Soldier from being shot with deadly spines. Astrid prove her use to Alvin after what happened.

Meanwhile, the Riders are about to be attacked by a swarm of wild and hungry dragons, Hiccup reminds them to stick to their plan no matter what. They drop their loads of fish, and just as they planned, the wild dragons avoided them and head for the fish. The plan is a success, however, Snotlout is holding one fish at his hand, and a Deadly Nadder abducts him. Hiccup and Toothless tells Snotlout to let go of the fish, Snotlout reluctantly accepts as that was his lunch, but his life is spared and Hiccup and Toothless rescues him, and they continue to travel through Outcast Island.

The next morning, Alvin puts Astrid into their arena to prove and demonstrate that she can train whichever dragon they want to train it for her, with the reluctance of Alvin handing the book to her as she needs it for vital information. Astrid hopes that the dragon they give to her will be a Deadly Nadder, but unfortunately, they gave her a Monstrous Nightmare to train on.

Astrid's first move is to approach it gently, but it fails, so she goes for the more aggressive approach, which it ultimately fails also. Alvin notices 'Heater' more fierce than before, he tells Astrid that she needs to do better. Astrid then wishes for once, that Snotlout would show up and help her out, but it gives her an idea. She recalls Snotlout pinning Hookfang's horns to the ground and uses it against the wild Monstrous Nightmare and succeeds.

Astrid uses the trained dragon for an escape attempt, the Outcasts notices her ploy and surrounds the exits. She makes an escape route, but before she leaves with the book, Alvin tells her is she going to leave without her parents. Astrid realizes that Heather was telling the truth and cannot leave her family in vain, so she backs down.

Meanwhile, just outside the main Outcast settlement, the Riders are waiting for Astrid to give the signal, Fishlegs is growing very worried that she might be already been identified and captured as she is an hour late. But Hiccup is confident that Astrid will arrive.

Back at the Arena, Astrid accepts the trade of giving the Book in exchange for Heather's parents. Astrid first demands to send them near her, Alvin accepts and lets them. Heather's parents quickly realize that it's not their daughter, but Astrid tells them secretly she's a friend of Heather. Alvin is waiting for Astrid to give him the book, but Astrid devises an escape plan, she throws the book into the air and tells Heather's parents to get down, and punches the trained dragon for it to angrily burst flames against Alvin.

However, Alvin is unharmed and throws a bolas at Heather's father. Astrid tries to help him, but Alvin catches her and grabs the book. Alvin then notices paint on his hand when she was touching Astrid's hair and begins to grow suspicion to her true identity.

Moments later, Hiccup finds Astrid along with Heather's parents. Astrid signals Hiccup and he approaches her, Hiccup asks who are the people with her. She explains it's Heather's parents and tells him to stick with the plan, as he discovers it was a trap and that the Outcasts were expecting him.

Alvin seems to have gained the upper hand on him, and Alvin tries to offer Hiccup to join him, that with his knowledge about dragons and Alvin's experience and knowledge about warfare they make a good team of conquerors. Hiccup ultimately rejects, prompting to Alvin to capture him. They both commence their offensives.

The Riders and Outcasts battle out each other, however, the Outcasts overwhelm them and pins them down one by one. Hiccup and the Riders are overpowered, but suddenly Heather and Stormfly arrive aiding them in battle by freeing the pinned Riders. Alvin is confused to discover the actual Heather flying Stormfly. When Heather lands, Astrid apologizes for disbelieving her about her parents, but Heather forgives her and they both ride Stormfly to rescue Heather's parents.

Now reinforced, the Riders commence what they practiced. They manage to destroy and decommission the Outcasts' catapults, while also fending off the Outcast archers positioned in the trees. With the Outcasts retreating, Hiccup orders to head back, but Alvin refuses to accept defeat and uses Savage as ammo for the catapult and fires him.

Savage knocks Astrid out of Stormfly and they both plummet down, Alvin abducts her and takes her as a hostage, leading Hiccup to follow after them. Alvin demands Hiccup to surrender or he'll drop Astrid to her death. However, Hiccup commences Toothless to shoot. Meanwhile, Astrid sees the trained Monstrous Nightmare earlier heading towards her, unnoticed by both Alvin and Hiccup. So in the nick of time, Astrid tells Hiccup to not shoot and Alvin is knocked out by the dragon.

Astrid grabs the Book from Alvin, and she gets a ride by the Monstrous Nightmare, and she and Hiccup both head back to the Island. After witnessing the dragon coming back for Astrid, Alvin realizes that, in order to train a dragon so that their dragon can do what it just did to Astrid earlier, they need more than just the Book of Dragons, they need Hiccup.

Hours later at Berk's Harbor, Heather is saying her farewell and thanking Hiccup and Astrid for their courage to risk their lives to not only retrieve the Book of Dragons, but to rescue her parents as well. Hiccup tells Heather that maybe they can see again next time, but to promise them that if she ever needed anything again, just ask.

Heather promises and aboard the ship with her parents as they set sail back to their home island while she waves goodbye.

Trivia

 * Heather's parents appear to be recolored background extras from Berk.
 * This is the second time Outcast Island appears (the first time it appears is in the episode Alvin & the Outcasts). This time however it is shown longer and even the end battle between the Dragon Riders of Berk and the Outcasts is on the island.
 * This is the first episode in which Gobber has no dialogue.
 * The Outcasts have there own version of the Dragon Training Arena though with a much cruder design than the Dragon Training Academy of Berk.
 * Monstrous Nightmares are revealed to like having their horns pinned to the ground.
 * Alvin's opinion of Hiccup has drastically changed. The first time he met Hiccup he referred to him as Stoick's little embarrassment. In this episode he offers him a partnership in his plan to use trained Dragons to conquer the archipelago.
 * If you look closely you can see when Toothless had to hold his fire, he choked a bit.
 * When Hiccup and the teens ambush Alvin, the Book of Dragons is tucked in his pants, but in the next scene, it is tucked in his belt. The Book later disappears during the battle, and reappears when he threatens to throw Astrid off the cliff.
 * This is the second episode in the first season that didn't have Hiccup's narration at the beginning of the episode.
 * When Hiccup tells the twins to cover fire, Tuffnut's vest is gone.
 * During the fight, Astrid grabs a shield with the Outcast crest on it. In another shot, the crest is gone.

Major Events

 * Heather reveals she worked for Alvin to save her parents.
 * Astrid trains a Monstrous Nightmare.
 * The Dragon Riders retrieve the Book of Dragons.
 * Heather leaves Berk with her family.

Transcript
The full transcript can be found here