Hello! Sorry in advance for the short chapter. As usual, a few shoutouts:

lorde: Thank you for expressing your opinion! And no, you did not insult me. I enjoy negative criticism. Makes me a better author. :) I considered putting Astrid in Valka's role, having Astrid and Hiccup being the ones to race at the beginning, but then I realized that I wanted to write some Mother/Son bonding between Hiccup and Valka. In the one-shot series I create after this fic's done, I WILL add more Hiccstrid. I'm also terrible at romances, but I think I could manage. :)

Everyone else who reads without reviewing, favoring, or following: Thanks for reading! I know not everyone favs, reviews, or follows, but I know that lots of people out there read this who don't do either three. I know you're out there. Don't be creeped out about it, but I do. THANK YOU FOR READING! And now...ON WITH THE SHOW! :)

Valka's POV

"Mom!"

She was vaguely aware of a terrible ache in her head...

"Mom!"

Also the fact that it was freezing...

"MOM!"

There was also something shaking her...

"MOM!"

And a voice calling her...

"PLEASE WAKE UP!"

She soon recognized the voice...her son's voice. But her eyes wouldn't open. Her eyelids wouldn't let them.

"SAY SOMETHING! PLEASE!"

She cracked her eyes open a little bit. It wasn't any lighter than when they were closed. She could still feel someone shaking her arm.

"Hiccup?" she whispered.

"Ah!" Hiccup cried out in either shock or joy (she honestly couldn't tell) and threw his arms around her and started crying. Valka took the hint and welcomed the embrace, wrapping her own arms around his back.

"Don't. Do that!" Hiccup cried. "You were lying so still and-and for a second I thought that maybe-" he continued to cry. "I thought I'd LOST you!"

He and Valka hugged each other for what felt like hours, when in reality only ten minutes had passed. Hiccup and Valka parted their embrace, Hiccup keeping his eyes focused on Valka as if she would just disappear in front of him. She looked around at her surroundings. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was able to make out the fact that they were in a cell, the door being made of rusty bars while the rest of the cell was made from stone bricks cemented into place.

"Where are we?" asked Valka.

"In truth?" asked Hiccup. Valka nodded, although she could tell by his tone of voice he was hoping she would do the opposite and shake her head. "I have no idea," he answered dolefully, sighing before speaking.

"What happened, after I was knocked out?" asked Valka.

"Well, naturally, since I was the only one not to get knocked out at that point, all their aim was on me," said Hiccup. His voice trailed off, Valka realizing he didn't want to continue. But she had to know.

"Go on?" she offered.

Hiccup sighed again. "After they knocked you out, they turned their focus to me," he partially repeated. "And then they knocked me out. After that it's all a little-hazy, but they knocked me out a fair few times every time I regained conscious before I could really learn anything."

"What do you mean, a fair few times?" asked Valka.

"I don't know," said Hiccup, shrugging. "Maybe eight, nine times?"

"Hiccup!" she shouted suddenly, causing him to wince. The pain in her head was unbearable, and here Hiccup told her he had been knocked out eight (or possibly nine) times. And that metal rock barely grazed her head. No doubt the Berserkers didn't miss when they were firing at Hiccup, seeing as how there were ten of them and one of him. "That's awful! How-how dare they do something like that!?"

"Okay, you don't have to yell, Mom, I'm right here," said Hiccup.

"Right," said Valka. "Seriously, though, Hiccup-Hiccup? HICCUP!" She shouted suddenly as he became unresponsive. Panic set in as he fell backwards, unconscious, his eyes closed, mouth drawn in a straight line. Valka caught him by the shoulders and then dragged him over to the corner of the cell, leaning him up against the wall to examine him.

"Hiccup?" she asked, still not getting a response. She now took notice of a large, swelling welt implanted on the side of his head. Valka realized he had passed out, from what exactly, she didn't know, but she could guess.

She sat next to him, her side pressed up against his. "We're going to get out of here," she promised her unconscious son as if he could hear her. "We will. Don't give up on me now."