Chapter 2

"Mother, please, if you are out there watching, please watch over Toothless. I can handle myself, but please keep Toothless safe. I could never live with myself if I lost him." Hiccup prayed as she sat in the Outcast's ship's hold wondering how she was going to get out of this. Without Toothless, she couldn't fly away, without the strength from the Dragon's Bond she couldn't fight back and without her knife she couldn't cut her ropes to engineer her escape. She hated to admit it, but she was trapped. "I'll have to hold on 'til Dad or Toothless or Astrid or anyone else can come for me. I can do it, I know I can. I'm not as weak as I was in the past. I have gotten stronger since then and I will not give in, I will not." Hiccup promised herself as she sat up straighter and closed her eyes picturing all the good times she had with all those that she loved. She knew she had to hold on for them, for Toothless.

"Toothless, I promise, I will come back to you alive. I promise." Hiccup said as she laid her head down on the straw in the hold.

As she laid down, her thoughts kept drifting back to earlier that day. Toothless somehow knew that Alvin was there and had tried to hide her. But how did he know and why didn't he want her to help him? She closed her eyes and let herself drifting with some part of her hoping that today had been a bad dream and that when she woke up, Toothless would be there on his bed at the end of hers waiting for her to wake up.

Hiccup could feel her legs growing tired, her heart pounding so hard she felt like it would burst if she kept going. But something was pushing her to keep going. She looked around her and something about her surroundings was so familiar to her.

"Hiccup!" Hiccup heard a woman cry out behind her. She turned to see her mother running toward her and when she reached her, she scooped her up into her arms and hugged her close. "Oh thank Thor I found you. Come on you have to hide." Valhallarama said in a hurry as she started to run for the barn.

"Why do we have to hide mommy?" Hiccup asked as she to her mother.

"The Outcasts have invaded our shores. Don't worry. I'll protect you no matter what." Val said she closed the barn doors. "Come on sweetie, we have to hide you somewhere in here."

Valhallarama looked around and saw the large pile of hay at the back of the barn. She ran to it and placed little Hiccup inside and cover as best she could so Hiccup could get out afterwards.

"No matter what happens sweetheart, do not leave this hay pile. No matter what you see or hear, do not move or make a sound. Everything will be okay. I promise." Val said she walked back toward the front of the barn.

Hiccup heard the door crash against the back wall. She couldn't help herself. She crawled out of the hay and hide behind a stall close to the entrance. Once she got a good view of her mother she crouched down listened to what was going on. She could see her mother and Alvin standing not far from the entrance. Val was kneeling down in front of Alvin with blood on her forehead and clutching her arm. She looked like she was in a lot of pain.

"If I tell you what you want to know, do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone?" Val pleaded with tears in her eyes. Alvin nodded. "It's me. Take me as your prisoner." Val said as she looked up at Alvin as if she wanted him to do it.

"I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today." Alvin said as he drew his sword.

Valhallarama tried to get up and run, but Alvin was too fast. He took his sword and drove it through her heart. Val gave a groan and fell to the floor as her blood started to pool beneath her. Alvin turned to leave and whispered something to Savage. Hiccup tried to listen but all her thoughts were on her dying mother. Once Alvin was gone and Savage with him, Hiccup emerged from her hiding place and ran over to her mother, tears streaming down her face.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Hiccup cried as she shook her mother as best as her little arms would allow her to. Valhallarama slowly turned her head and looked at her daughter. "Mommy please don't die. I need you, I love you."

"I love you too my precious girl. Don't worry, even in death you and I will always be together, in here." Val said as she weakly raised her hand and placed on Hiccup's heart. "I will be in your heart, and you will be here in my heart, always." Valhallarama said quoting the lullaby she had always sang to her every night. With that, Valhallarama breathed in and let it out and the light left her eyes.

"Mommy, please, please don't leave me!" Hiccup screamed.

Presently, Stoick walked in eyes wide at the sight. "What happened?" he asked as he came closer to his daughter and his wife.

"A big scary man killed her. He wanted to know something and when Mommy told him what he wanted to know he drove his sword through her heart." Hiccup sobbed.

Stoick looked at his daughter and then at the body of his beloved wife. He then turned to Gobber and ordered him to take her to Gothi. Gobber walked over to Hiccup and tried to calm her down to get her to leave. Hiccup reluctantly followed her future mentor to Gothi's hut where Gothi gave her a strange medicine. The next thing Hiccup knew she stared to feel very sleepy. Her eyes felt heavy and she eventually gave in to the urge to sleep.

Hiccup woke up in a cold sweat with a start. She could barely bring the breath into her lungs. "What was that all about? Why would I see Alvin kill my mother if my mother died in a dragon raid?" she gasped.

"Maybe you really are crazy." Hiccup heard from outside her cell. She turned to see Savage standing in the door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked trying to hide her fear.

"Alvin wants to see you up on deck."

"Well tell Al I appreciate his invitation, but I am afraid I will have to gratefully decline." Hiccup said sarcastically.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter." Savage said unlocking the chains and grabbing Hiccup's arm and dragging her out of the hold.