Happy Birthday, thepurplewriter333! Have the wonderful day you deserve, and I hope you enjoy Part 2 of Always. Thanks to everyone who faved, followed, and reviewed, as well- your kindness has not gone unnoticed. Enjoy, my friends...

PART II

"Oh…"

A thread of consciousness trickled back into Hiccup with the thought that he was freezing. He shivered and groaned as discomfort shot through his body. He was so exhausted, and he just wanted to fall back asleep… but his foggy mind somehow worked out that he needed to get up, and ever so s-l-o-w-l-y, he forced open his eyes and gazed around. He was mostly surrounded by snow- actually buried in it. Fortunately, his face must've been upturned when he had fallen, and hadn't been beneath the white powder. If it had been, he would've either suffocated or frozen to death. He shivered at the thought. A few close feet away sat a stream, frozen around the edges, but the water was running fast enough that it was still flowing. Oh, he had been very lucky… If he had landed in that, Hiccup knew that he would have frozen to death, as he would've been unconscious and unable to move himself from the stream

"Oh… agh…" Great. Now he had a headache. His head pounded uncomfortably, as well as several other body parts. No, scratch that. All of his body parts ached. Even his stump leg twinged with pain.

He knew that frostbite was still a big danger. Hiccup had been lying on the snow for several minutes now (or it might have been longer… he couldn't accurately tell how long he had been unconscious) and his clothing was feeling very damp.

Suddenly, he realized something.

"T-T-Toothless…," he croaked out, surprised at how difficult it was to talk. His teeth chattered. "Toothle-less!"

His only reply was the wind howling in his hears… and silence. Fears bubbled inside of him. Toothless wouldn't leave him unless… unless… unless he had been seriously injured… or was… d-de...

No, he thought back harshly. Toothless is still alive. I know it. I can feel it. He's out there… Maybe… maybe he's getting help. Yes. Maybe he's gone to get help for me, and will be back as soon as possible.

That sounded plausible enough, but he was still at unease. As the minutes crept by, he grew colder and colder until he knew he was in serious danger of death. He had to get up, or die frozen and alone, his family and friends not knowing what had happened to him…

He pushed open his drooping eyelids and starting to shift around in the snowbank he was half-buried in. Powder spilled over his face, making him shiver and sneeze. Gods, he was turning into ice… Even for Berk, this winter was one of the coldest. Just his luck… Oh, how he just wanted to close his eyes and surrender to sleep and blessed warmness… float away…

Stop it, Hiccup, he told himself. I have to get up… go back to Berk… my friends… the village… they're all counting on me… come on, Hiccup… come on…

The young chief struggled to sit up, and a minute had gone by when he finally managed it. His head was pounding due to the previous blow from when he had fell in the snowbank, and he was shivering nonstop. He knew he needed warmth, and rubbed his arms to get his blood pumping. After a moment, he staggered to his feet, snow and ice pellets dripping down his body as he stood. It didn't seem that he was hurt too badly. The only place he was bleeding was his forehead, but he wasn't sure how bad it was. However, other than that, he was fine — although he was sore all over. Hiccup said a prayer of thanks to all of the gods for just letting him still be alive, and turned to survey the bank he had fallen down.

He could see immediately that he wasn't going to be able to climb up it without a dragon's help, or someone at the top holding a rope. Unfortunately, he had neither. So… he was stuck. Sighing, Hiccup glanced around till he got his bearings and, ignoring his throbbing head as best he could, he started to trudge downstream in what he though was the direction of the village. He was sure that he would eventually find a place where he could climb back to higher ground and away from the snowbank. Until then… he just had to keep walking. It was the only thing he could do… and the thing he must.

People counted on him returning. And if there was one thing he hated, it was letting people down.

Keep walking, Hiccup, he thought to himself as he stumbled through the snow, his walk more of a trudge, and his breaths more like a pant. Just keep walking...

"What are we going to do?" Fishlegs asked Astrid, his face screwed up with worry and panic. "It's going to be completely dark in an hour or two, but we can't leave Hiccup lost out there all night…"

"We must go after him!" Tuffnut declared.

"Save the chief!" Ruffnut piped up, shaking a fist.

"I know, Fishlegs." Astrid nodded, trying to control her worried stream of thoughts. Hiccup had told her something, years ago, about how if there were two crazy people in a conversation, nothing would be accomplished. She had to be calm and collected… It was the only way to save Hiccup.

She helped Toothless inside the Great Hall, seeing that the dragon was badly cut on his front paw. The appendage was swollen and the muscles obviously damaged. Toothless also seemed panicked, rearing around despite his injury. Astrid just knew his wildness was somehow because of Hiccup. But just how much danger he was in, she didn't even want to guess. Instead, she turned around and yelled at Snotlout, "Get Gothi in here to help Toothless while I go get some supplies so we can head out to go find Hiccup! Toothless's paw is badly hurt, but we don't have time to stay with him. Hiccup could be in serious trouble. No… he is in serious trouble, I just know it…"

With a nod, Snotlout ran out into the snow, followed by Hookfang. Astrid stroked Toothless's head worriedly, trying to soothe the alarmed Night Fury. "What happened to you, Toothless?" she wondered, and was responded by an anxious whine. Whatever it was, it must've been bad, because she couldn't think of a time where Toothless was ever this… terrified. So why now? What had brought the mighty alpha Night Fury to an agitated mess? She knew that it was about Hiccup, but couldn't fathom why Toothless hadn't stayed with his rider — or at least brought him back to Berk. Was Hiccup lying half-dead somewhere, unable to be moved? Was he sick? Hurt? Trapped? ...Dead? She prayed that he was alright.

"I'll get some water and towels," Fishlegs offered, and dashed off to go make himself useful. Though he knew the chances of them finding Hiccup in the snow were remote at best, he felt better at doing something else than standing around biting his fingernails. Tuffnut went after him while Ruffnut stayed with Astrid and helped with handling Toothless.

Soon, nearly the entire village was alerted to the fact that Hiccup was missing. News like this spread fast. Gothi arrived at the Great Hall in a short time and tended to Toothless while Astrid and the others packed to go out and find their beloved chief. They didn't bring too much, as they were all anxious to leave, but they knew that if they happened to get stuck out in the snowstorm, they would need provisions.

Within a surprisingly short time, they were ready to depart. Fishlegs went out and found Toothless's fading footprints in the snow, marking a trail that could possibly lead them to Hiccup. Astrid's heart lifted at the news. Now, they had some lead. Hiccup could be brought back very soon — maybe even tonight.

Toothless, of course, wanted to come with them, but Gothi and her assistant healer refused the notion. The black dragon was too weak to go out in the storm, and without treatment, his paw would grow to be infected. The risks were just too high. But Toothless was adamant about his decision. His eyes narrowed to slits, and it was clear that he was doing all he could to stop from shooting a plasma blast. After many trying minutes, it was Astrid who eventually convinced Toothless to stay and "keep watch".

"Hiccup could very well get back to Berk on his own," Astrid said to the Night Fury in argument. "We need a look-out here, and who's better than you to do the job?" After a while, Toothless settled down a bit, agreeing, but not happy about the arrangement at all.

The Dragon Riders decided to split up into two teams. Astrid, Stormfly, Fishlegs, and Meatlug on one, and Snotlout, Hookfang, Ruffnut, Barf, Belch, and Tuffnut on the other. After saying somber goodbyes, they parted, and went off to their separate ways in the growing gloom.

As she soared over snow-covered trees, Astrid prayed with all her might that Hiccup was okay. That he was alive. All she wanted to see was his face. His wonderful, beautiful face. She missed him more than words could express, and knew that if Hiccup turned out not to be alright, a piece of her would be torn away. As she had said, years ago, and often repeated… she could not imagine a world without Hiccup.

However, that forbidden world was drifting towards the one she knew and loved… and she didn't know if she could stop the two from colliding.

But she would try.

Yes.

She would try.

It was a hard journey. Hiccup continuously tripped over hidden obstacles in the snow, and he was soon even more bruised, if that was possible, and exhausted, but without having travelled any real distance. Hiccup found himself stopping to rest quite frequently. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't invincible... and he wasn't completely sure that he would make it back to Berk.

Don't think like that, he chided. You have to survive. For Toothless. For Astrid. For Fishlegs. For Tuffnut. For Ruffnut. For Snotlout. For Mom. For the village. He swallowed at his last name. For Dad. He wouldn't want you to give up… you'd be disappointing him, even in death. Keep moving. Keep moving.

On one of his many stops, Hiccup glanced up to check his bearings and realized that the trail above the snowbank he was following had vanished from sight. For an instant, panic flooded his thoughts, but after a moment or two, Hiccup forced himself to calm down. "Come on, Haddock," he muttered. "You just need to go back, and re-discover that trail…"

Feeling a little more organized, Hiccup retraced his steps to a point where he could see the upper trail through the woods curve away from the stream. He took a quick drink from its waters before moving on, wincing at the pounding in his head that started up again when he bent over, then glanced up.

There were few distinguishing marks on the banking to tell Hiccup where it would be safe to climb, so he just had to make a guess. He spotted a tree that could help steady him as he climbed up the snowbank that looked relatively safe, but still a little precarious. Well, it was better than wandering around beneath a snowbank with no sense of direction at all. He made his way over to the tree and reached out. The first branch he grabbed broke as soon as he touched it, but luckily, Hiccup hadn't put any of his weight on it, and although he staggered, he was in no real danger of falling back down the snowbank.

Thereafter, his luck was better and he scrambled unceremoniously up the banking. But just a few feet below the top, the stone under his right boot moved and Hiccup crashed down, all his weight hanging on his right arm, which was clutching the tree. The shoulder socket screamed in protest and it took Hiccup a second to realize that the cry had come from his mouth, and not his shoulder.

Panting, Hiccup scrabbled around frantically with his foot for another secure foothold. His prosthetic was an advantage, as it was small, and could fit on tiny ledges — but his grip on the branch was slipping and it gave an ominous crack to add to his panic. Flailing his left arm wildly, Hiccup managed to snag hold of another branch — and none too soon, for the one he was gripping with his right hand snapped and Hiccup was soon falling again.

He felt his good leg scrape against unseen rocks as his fall was halted once more. Somehow, Hiccup found a secure place for his right foot and he leaned into the banking, panting, sweating, and shaking hard. His right leg was bleeding, and prosthetic burning into his stump, but Hiccup didn't care. At that moment, he was just thankful that he hadn't tumbled down to the stream below — or worse yet, hit his head and been knocked out.

"Maybe… you're luck… isn't so bad… after… all…," he heaved to himself, and for some crazy reason, he cracked a smile. The situation he was in was just so ridiculous. But his mirth soon faded as the seriousness of his predicament came back into mind. He cast a nervous look downwards, and swallowed at how far away the ground was. Hiccup had never been afraid of heights (he rode a Night Fury, after all) but without the assurance that Toothless would be there if he happened to fall, he found himself a bit terrified with the prospect of slipping, falling, and slamming into the ground, burying himself in his own icy grave...

It took a lot of mental pep-talks to get himself moving again, but Hiccup eventually succeeded, knowing that he couldn't stay there forever. Not when he was this close. He took each move slowly, checking out the security of his hand and footholds, for he had nearly learned that lesson the hard way. When he finally — finally — reached the top of the snowbank, he was too exhausted to do anything but sprawl there on his stomach for awhile.

But the relentless chill penetrating his clothes and the aching of his body prodded Hiccup into moving again. He sat up cautiously and surveyed himself. His pants were ripped and Hiccup could see scraped and bleeding skin on both his hands and right leg. He sat there for a long moment before a sigh escaped him. There was nothing he could do but get back onto his feet (er… foot) and keep moving, sore arms and leg or not. He rolled to his side, then pushed himself up, using the nearest tree for support, and stood there for a second before striking out towards home once more.

Hours passed with no sign of Hiccup on either team. Astrid and Fishlegs had followed Toothless's pawprints, but they soon vanished into nothing. Astrid's hidden panic grew until she could barely contain it. How did one person make her so scared? So lonely? So desperate?

She sighed as she took a swig of water from her water jug. A cold gale bit at her eyes from the high altitude she was flying at, springing unbidden tears.

Oh, Hiccup… where are you?

"Astrid!" Fishlegs called from a little ways away. He looked exhausted and freezing. "The wind is too strong right now to keep searching for those pawprints — at least from above. We should land. And it would give our dragons a break from the hard flying we've been doing. It's a struggle to keep up in the air with these wind speeds."

Though Astrid wanted to protest, she admitted Fishlegs was right. But she wouldn't rest until Hiccup was found. They'd keep moving, if not in the air, then on ground. She would find Hiccup… no matter what state he was in… no matter where he was… no matter what had happened… she'd find him.

"Fine!" she yelled back. "You show me and Stormfly where to land. We'll follow."

Fishlegs nodded wordlessly, squinting through the snow flying in his face. He then directed Meatlug to an open patch between the trees, where they came to rest. Fishlegs climbed off of Meatlug shortly after and looked around at the snowy landscape. Astrid and Stormfly flew down after a moment and landed beside them, the blonde jumping from Stormfly's back as soon as they touched ground. The wind was a bit more relenting down here, and it was much easier to communicate without shouting.

"Which way do you want to search first?" said Fishlegs, knowing Astrid would take lead of this situation no matter what he said.

Astrid looked around a moment, then pointed to her right. "That was the general area where we last saw Toothless's tracks. Maybe we could try and guess which way Toothless came from. It's the only lead we've got… and I'm not giving up hope. Not yet. Not ever."

With a sad smile, Fishlegs inclined his head, and the pair boarded their dragons to start their journey once again.

The world narrowed to but one thought: keep moving. Mechanically, Hiccup kept putting one foot/prosthetic in front of the other, although he couldn't really feel any of his limbs anymore. His arms were wrapped around his middle, trying to warm himself, and his coat's collar was turned up as far as it could go. Keep moving; keep moving. The litany was as automatic as his movements. He no longer knew how long he had been travelling nor had any idea how far he had come. Delirium began to set in from his exhaustion, and he found his mind trailing to random subjects. He was so cold that his whole body felt numb. He didn't mind it, though. He couldn't feel the soreness anymore that way. But deep inside the back of his brain, he knew that he was in deep trouble… however, he was too tired to care.

Suddenly, Hiccup's right boot heel skidded on a patch of ice and he found himself windmilling his arms in the air, trying to catch his balance. Clarity returned to Hiccup's thoughts with a shocking burst of adrenaline that began pour through his system.

No, no, no, this couldn't be happening! Not when he was so close!

Something dark on the outer limits of his vision caused Hiccup to reach out frantically, and he caught hold of a tree branch just as his body lost its fight with gravity. A slight downhill slope caused Hiccup to gain speed as he fell and he let out a yell as his shoulder, already abused from his near disaster on the stream bank, decided that too much strain and too much cold was a deadly combination and it popped right out of its socket. With a scream, Hiccup landed on his side and slid down the increasingly steep slope, picking up speed as he went down.

No, no, no, no, I can't die I can't die not yet my people need me I have to get back to—

The corner was the finish of him. Hiccup might have ridden out his wild ride if the hill had simply continued its one-way descent, but the slope took a sharp right turn… and Hiccup didn't. He crashed heavily into a tree, and with a last, agonized grunt, his body slumped, and he lay still as unconsciousness once again settled into his injured body.

As darkness engulfed him in its almost tangible tendrils, he simply felt too exhausted to fight it. He would go. Yes. Go with the darkness, away from this pain. Go… go… go…

He was gone.

In another world — Valhalla itself — Stoick was settling into a massive chair inside of his assigned hut that was only too comfortable. Valhalla was a timeless place, and one that he enjoyed greatly. He roared with delight as he saw old friends, marveled at the feeling of contentment he seemed to always have, and dined on everything this land had to offer. There was now a light snow falling outside — though no one in Valhalla could feel the wintry chill — and Stoick was content to just slump down and relax in his cozy armchair while watching the snowfall.

For a moment, he pictured his son and those friends of his sitting in front of the fire of the Great Hall. A few of them might be engrossed in a game of Maces in Talons, still a couple of others sipping warm broth on a chilly night… but mostly, they sitting in companionable silence. A silence that spoke many words, yet still none at all.

Stoick then imagined Hiccup, probably making some sarcastic quirk or describing a new land he had found today. Hiccup smiling. Hiccup laughing. Hiccup happy. It was a picture that comforted him. He knew his son was safe.

On a cold, snowy trail through Berk, Hiccup was dying.

"Find anything?" Astrid yelled hopefully over to Fishlegs. The pair had split up for a few minutes, searching for any clues of where Hiccup might be.

The young man who had just emerged from the other patch of trees shook his head in sorrow and exhaustion. "No… Astrid…" He swallowed, gathering his strength, as it was difficult to talk in the roaring wind. "We've been searching for hours on ground, and it will be daybreak soon. So maybe we should head ba—"

"NO!" Astrid thundered, her voice echoing out even in the heavy storm. "We are looking for Hiccup no matter what. Even if we have to search day and night, through blizzards and snowstorms, through biting cold wind, through anything… we… are… staying… here… and… will. Not. Leave." She made sure to put emphasis on her last words. "If you were missing, would Hiccup go back? No! If you were missing, would Hiccup give up? No! So until I drop, I swear it, I will not… go back home..." She was panting by the end of her threat, seething with anger, and worry, and a whole lot of other things she didn't have the time to figure out.

Fishlegs looked stunned at her outburst. "Astrid… I. Um… I wasn't going to say we should head back to Berk."

Astrid deflated a bit. "What?"

"I was just going to say we should get back into the air. You know, for a better look." Fishlegs shrugged awkwardly. "Astrid… you know I'd never abandon Hiccup after only a few hours of searching. He's my best friend. I'm definitely with you."

"I… um…" Despite the weather, Astrid's cheeks warmed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so quick to judge."

"No, it's fine. You're worried. We all are. That makes people snap. So, what do you think? Should we get back on the dragons and start flying again?"

Astrid allowed the tiniest of smiles. "That sounds like a plan. Let's go."

The two friends trudged through the snow to Stormfly and Meatlug, and quickly pulled themselves on them. They were soon up in the air and flying over Berk's forests for what seemed to be the hundredth time. From this height, Astrid could see a faint glimmer of sun in the east. She felt a little dazed. They had been searching for only one night? It felt like longer. Much longer. Days without Hiccup were stretched out… and in this case, until it was painful.

"Hey, Astrid?" Fishlegs shouted from Meatlug as they flew.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"What if… what if we don't find Hiccup?"

The question was disturbing and unsettled Astrid greatly. She licked her lips, trying to come up with an answer. She at last settled with, "We're going to find him, Fishlegs. Even if I have to go to Valhalla itself, I'm bringing Hiccup back home. He isn't getting away from us that easily…"

"Yeah." Fishlegs smiled grimly. "We're Hiccup's friends… and friends look out for each other. We're a team. Hiccup has done so much for us… it's time to pay him back for all he's done."

Astrid nodded. "That's right. And if he turns out to be dead, I swear this time, I really will kill him."

Fishlegs gave a shaky laugh, but there was no trace of mirth in it. Because there was always that chance, gods forbid. The chance that Hiccup wasn't alright, as he seemed to always be. The chance that their chief may be gone forever.

"Look!" Astrid shouted. In a frozen spot of trees, Astrid had seen a flash of color. Like clothing. Could it be…? "Over there, by the trees up front!"

At once, Astrid and Fishlegs nudged their dragons to the ground. Fishlegs got down to investigate the sight. This was not the first stop that they had made since earlier, but a small part of Astrid yearned for it would be the last. Each time they saw something, Astrid's hopes rose that it was Hiccup — and each time they had been dashed. Every defeat hit her hard.

"Astrid…!" Fishlegs' panicked cry brought Astrid out of her thoughts, and she was on she feet, stumbling through the snow before she was even aware of it.

Fishlegs was kneeling on the ground, cradling Hiccup's slack head in his arms. The young man was almost as pale as the snow he lay on, only his damp, limp hair contrasting with the whiteness of the landscape. Crimson blood streaked down the side of his face, running from a gash on his forehead. He had numerous other scratches he had gotten from Odin knew what, as well as numerous bruises, and an eye that was swelling shut. Though he was unconscious, there was a slight tremor rippling his body, and his lips, normally a healthy light pink, were now infected with blue. Astrid felt herself blanch of all color as she took in the sight of the man she loved looking like death itself.

"HICCUP!"

The cry ripped from her throat, and for a moment, Astrid didn't even know that she was the one who had screamed. In a heartbeat, she was on her knees too, drawing Hiccup into her embrace, and frantically checking for a pulse. Oh, please let him still be alive… please… don't let him be…. I just couldn't bear it if… Her own heart raced as she listened for it… and she waited… waited…

Ah!

It was there — however weak and slight. Hiccup was alive, and that was all that mattered to Astrid. Overjoyed tears formed in Astrid's eyes. He was alive. Hiccup was alive. He was living and breathing and right there in her arms, and it was only now that she admitted to herself that she had doubted whether she would be able to do that again. She glanced up at Fishlegs, who had drawn back fearfully, unable to deal with the bad news he expected.

"Hicc-Hiccup's alive," Astrid breathed, watching as relief flooded Fishlegs' features. "He's alive."

"Thank Thor," Fishlegs murmured, and his eyes too had moisture in them.

The happy moment ended fast, however, and Astrid was reminded of Hiccup's dire state when he gave a slight moan. She quickly set aside her emotions and became businesslike. "Quick — help me get him onto Stormfly. He's freezing, bloody, and bruised… he needs to get back to Berk as soon as possible."

Working together, the two friends carried Hiccup onto Astrid's Nadder, where Fishlegs shed his furry coat and tenderly wrapped it around Hiccup's shivering body. Once boarded on her dragon, Astrid held Hiccup as though she would never let him go.

"Come on, girl," Astrid whispered to Stormfly, and the Nadder obeyed and took off. A few seconds later, Fishlegs was flying beside her. Astrid willed Stormfly to go faster as they turned for the Haddock residence, all the while knowing that by the time they got there, Hiccup could slip away from her, into the oblivion of death. But thankfully, it didn't take long for them to reach the village.

Hiccup had been less than a mile from home.

The combined warmth of Astrid's body and Fishlegs' massive coat started to penetrate through Hiccup's frozen body. He was extremely cold, but not dangerously so. As his body warmed, he made the difficult climb back to consciousness. He came aware of just how much his body throbbed, and he groaned in response to the discomfort.

"Easy, Hiccup," Astrid's voice soothed as he moved restlessly in her arms, trying to squirm away from the pain. "I've got you; just lie still… you'll be alright… you're okay..." Her voice cracked at the end, signifying that everything was not okay.

"...Astrid...?" Hiccup mumbled, confused. His eyes fluttered open (well, just one eye, as the other was nearly swelled shut from the crash into the tree), and the first thing he saw was his betrothed's concerned face. "Astrid," Hiccup muttered again, and tried to move himself into a more comfortable position. His injured shoulder at once protested this and Hiccup gave out a loud, ragged gasp.

"What's wrong, Hiccup?" Astrid said anxiously. Hiccup was then aware that Fishlegs was beside her, looking just as worried. What's going on? Hiccup wondered through his pain. Where am I? Where are we going…? He could sense that they were traveling, probably by dragonback. But where? Why? The last thing he remembered was falling down a slope… screaming… then crashing into a tree… He was so lost in his jumbled thoughts that he didn't answer Astrid's question.

"What hurts?" Astrid repeated. When Hiccup didn't answer, she sighed, "Come on, Hiccup, tell me… we can help you…"

"Shoulder," Hiccup moaned at last. Claiming that he was fine was beyond him now at this point. His good arm clutched at Astrid, desperate for some assurance. She took his hand and squeezed it tight. He was ashamed at being so weak and helpless, but couldn't help but want someone to just lean on and tell him that everything was going to be fine. He squinted up at Astrid and was stunned to find her eyes glimmering. Glimmering with tears. Hiccup felt even more disoriented, if that was possible. Because he had never seen Astrid cry.

"Astrid — we're here," Fishlegs announced, as if they had just arrived somewhere. Hiccup blinked. Where were they? Surely Fishlegs couldn't mean they were home… could he?

"Help me take him into the house," said Astrid. "He needs to get out of this cold. After that, we can send ask someone to go get a healer, and do what we can for him while the healer isn't here."

"I can go find Snotlout and the twins," Fishlegs offered, and Astrid was startled to realize that she had forgotten about the other team in all of the craziness. She nodded in reply, then aided Fishlegs in carrying Hiccup inside of his home. It wasn't until they were indoors that she realized that she was shaking. And not from the wintry weather. She was shaking because she had been so afraid that Hiccup wouldn't make it.

But he's alive, she told herself over and over again. Hiccup's alive.

And gradually, she stopped shivering.

Stripping off Hiccup's wet clothes didn't take too long, and Fishlegs had had the foresight to put a fire-warmed blanket in Hiccup's bed. Hiccup snuggled into the heat with a sigh of relief, the warmth soaking into his bruises and numbed body. He was beginning to feel a bit more human now, although the pain from his shoulder was coming in waves and his hands and feet throbbed as the circulation improved in them. Fishlegs then left to go ask someone to fetch a healer, then took Meatlug out to find Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

"Mil… milady?" Hiccup suddenly whispered. Astrid at once bent over Hiccup's bed. She had thought he was asleep, but apparently not. "How did… you find me?"

"I didn't really think you would've sent Toothless back to Berk alone," Astrid said, a bit sarcastically. Hiccup had rubbed off on her these past few years. "Especially with an injured paw."

"Is he alright?" said Hiccup anxiously, making a move to sit up but abandoning the mission before Astrid could even put her hand out to stop him. As much as he hated to admit it, moving around was painful, and he didn't plan to be doing it again anytime soon.

"I haven't checked him over that carefully," Astrid told him, if not a bit shameful. "But Gothi was taking care of him when I left and you know that she won't rest until her patient is better, or at least in a stable condition. He's in good hands; I bet he'll come to see you before you know it, and soon you'll be complaining about dragon slobber and wishing Toothless would get off of you." A faint smile crossed Hiccup's bruised face — the response she had been aiming for. She had missed that smile for coming on a week now.

Astrid looked worriedly at Hiccup's shoulder. She wasn't sure if she should attempt to put the shoulder back into place or not. It was something she had done once before, although not to Hiccup, but she had hated doing it and she would especially hate having to subject the man she loved to the pain. She decided that she would wait for the healer, unless he or she took too long.

Fishlegs soon arrived back, along with half the village who were anxious about their chief, but they were quickly shooed away, and Fishlegs was welcomed inside.

"The others are coming — they're just putting the dragons in the stable, as it's too cold for them to be outside," he said when he entered the Haddock home, snow dripping off of his shoulders and clothes and onto the floor. "And so is the healer."

"Thank goodness," Astrid breathed. That was a huge weight off of her mind. Astrid set about washing Hiccup's hands and face and cleaning up the superficial grazes on his leg, arms, and face. Hiccup mostly dozed through his administrations, although he winced several times. The warmth was making him very sleepy. He just wanted to let go and drift away.

"Hiccup?" The voice was persistent and Hiccup reluctantly opened his functioning eye. His other eyelid was still too swollen to lift. Hiccup blearily saw Astrid was leaning over him, almost like a guardian Valkyrie, stroking the hair back from his forehead. It felt nice. "I think you should stay awake, at least until the doctor has seen you. You have a nasty gash on your forehead." Her finger hovered over the irritated streak on Hiccup's temple. Though she had wiped away the blood, there was still a painful-looking injury left there.

"I think it came… when I was knocked… off of Toothless," Hiccup murmured. "I fell through a snow bank… Nearly landed… in a stream."

"Wow, Hiccup. You sure know how to comfort your girl, don't you?" Astrid teased, although she was instantly aware of what would have happened had Hiccup landed in the water at the temperature outside. She shuddered at the thought.

"I try hard," Hiccup replied with mock modesty, but his humor receded quickly, and a spasm of suffering flickered across his face. In clear discomfort, he turned restlessly in his bed, but only succeeded in worsening his pain. This caused a choked back cry to force its way from Hiccup's mouth, which was at once followed with, "I'm fine…"

"Sure you are," said Astrid, rolling her eyes. But she felt helpless. She hated seeing a loved one in such a painful situation. Wanting to take Hiccup's mind off of his injuries, Astrid asked, "How did your thinking go, Hiccup?"

"My thinking?" Hiccup looked confused for a minute before Astrid's meaning sank in. "Oh... about Dad. It went… well, Astrid. It actually went pretty well." Hiccup moved slightly to a more comfortable position. His eyes took on a faraway look. "Astrid, I… I was afraid," he admitted in a low voice, almost sounding like a child. He began to speak, though it went slowly. "I was afraid of everything… changing forever because… Dad's gone. It felt like… I was standing on… the edge of a cliff… and no one was there… to catch me. Like I had… to be the 'grown up'... because my father… wasn't around to help me… By then, I was… used to him being there. Because he's… said to me a few times when I asked… that he'd never… leave again. But… he did." Hiccup focused on Astrid, who was listening intently. "I also realized… I was angry… at him for — for, I don't know… dying. Breaking… his promise. Leaving me. But I know… now that he was only… trying to protect me... and though I mourn… I will honor his sacrifice… for the rest of my life."

"Just as he wanted," Astrid agreed, seeing from the corner of her eye that Fishlegs had silently joined them. She was pleased to see her other friends behind him as well. "It was just something a father had to do."

"I know that now," Hiccup said. "It just took me… a bit longer to get my… head around it. No," he corrected himself almost instantly. "My head knew that… my heart… didn't." Hiccup glanced at Fishlegs in the door, who smiled in acknowledgement, then nodded.

"We've all sort of felt the same before, Hiccup," Fishlegs told him. He walked over to sit on the chair by the bed, as Astrid was perched right by Hiccup's side. "Everyone's lost someone. Maybe the impact wasn't as bad as Stoick's death was on you, but we get the basics of what you're feeling. But, Hiccup… you're not alone. We're all here for you, no matter what happens."

"Yeah," Tuffnut said, stepping into the room. "We're your friends."

Ruffnut followed her brother inside, smiling slightly. "And friends are there for each other."

Lastly, Snotlout nodded and, for once, looked sentimental. "Always."

"We're a team," Astrid added. "And good teams work together, fight together, die together. Whatever you're facing… we're right there by your side, facing it with you." A growing light spilled in from the windows, signifying a new day — and maybe a new hope. "You know that, right?"

Hiccup swallowed, and was surprised to find it a difficult task. "Yeah," he said hoarsely… and for the first time since Stoick's death, he didn't feel quite so alone.

Outside in the yard, they could hear approaching voices and Hiccup knew that it was most likely the healer arriving. He was relieved to think that his shoulder would soon be back in place, although he dreaded the actual procedure. He had experienced more than enough pain today. Or yesterday. Time was something hard to keep track of… As Astrid made a move to rise, Hiccup took hold of her arm. He needed to say something.

"I'm sorry for leaving… well… running away," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt you, or anyone else."

Astrid shook her head slightly. "No, Hiccup… don't worry about it… you have every right to do what you want, and if it helps, who am I to stop you? I just want you to be happy. And safe, of course. Just… promise me you won't ever disappear like that again?"

"I promise."

"...so you'll stay? You don't need anymore time to think about your father?"

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," Hiccup said lightly. He didn't add that although he now understood and accepted his father's fatal actions, he had been hurt by Stoick's death. He couldn't quite express the pain, and so he chose not to mention it.

But no matter what he chose to feel… tomorrow morning, the sun would still wake up and rise in the east. The tide would continue to turn. Dragons would still stretch their wings and take off into endless blue skies. Life... would keep on moving on. So maybe Hiccup would have to, as well.

It was time to let go. And though it sounded frightening… there was nothing to fear at all. Because Stoick would be with Hiccup for the rest of his life — and maybe that was enough to hold him over. It was comforting, that thought… through thick and thin, through better or worse… he'd be there.

Always.

Standing at his hut's window in Valhalla, Stoick looked out at the land of the Brave. Valhalla was everything Vikings had claimed the heaven it was to be, and more. He then turned away and walked over to the door to leave the house, but his eye caught himself in a mirror that had been placed inside.

Looking at his reflection, Stoick saw a brave young warrior, almost golden in his prime. Massive muscles rippled his arms, and the finest clothes adorned his body. He had a certain glow to him that everyone in Valhalla had to show who they were, despite their change in image. He was many years younger, after all, probably in his early twenties, and no one on Berk would recognize him. He looked completely different from the old chief he had been for many years, and Stoick was pleased. This was more like it. This was truly him. Valhalla's fine glamor was paying off. He grinned at his reflection.

I must ask Hiccup if he'll believe that his old father once looked like this, Stoick unconsciously thought with a chuckle.

He caught himself, shaking his head slightly.

Hiccup wasn't there. Hiccup was far, far away. In another world… Valhalla's blessing of contentment on its warrior faltered, and his smile vanished into an almost scared look… He felt… he felt… oh, how could he put it...

Stoick felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff as loneliness rolled into his stomach.

He swallowed as it began to fade… yet there was still a lingering, bitter taste of it that he couldn't shake away. And he felt that it would stay with him for the rest of the day. This feeling was not one that someone could easily forget, no matter how much he wanted it to disappear.

"Well… at least Hiccup's alright," he said aloud to himself. "At least my boy's safe…" Nodding, he turned away from the mirror and headed out of his hut. Hiccup was alive. Hiccup was happy. Hiccup was fine… just fine. And maybe… just maybe that was enough to hold him over.

Plus… Stoick would see Hiccup again. Maybe not for twenty years, if Hiccup happened to die in battle early in life. Maybe not for forty. Maybe it wouldn't even be until seventy years had gone by. But, no matter what, the last time Stoick had seen Hiccup would not be the final one. And until then, Stoick would be there for his boy. Perhaps not in person, or a physical form… but Stoick would forever stay with Hiccup, willing his son to just keep on living. For he was a father, and even though death itself separated him from his son, that everlasting — perhaps overprotective at times — parental feeling would remain. And yes… he'd be there.

Always.

...

THE END