Hiccup woke up alone in the cave once again. He figured he must have fallen asleep without really thinking about it. I had been easy with how that evening had gone. Valka had fed him, sat and talked to him, helped him into his dry clothes and put him to bed. Hiccup was so . . . curious about her, and for the first time he thought he knew what having a mother was like.

But now she was gone.

A basket of food was next to him. There was a jug of water within reach, and it appeared that she had already tended to his cuts, but she herself was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of her dragon either. Where could she have gone? If anything, it looked like she had given him the means to take care of himself until her return, which would be in who knows how long.

"Valka?" He called for good measure, but there was no answer. "Mom?" He tried again, but sighed when there was silence. He looked at Toothless, hoping maybe the dragon had some sort of answer, but he only tilted his head and warbled innocently. "She could have at least said something." He said, thinking of all the possibilities of why she had left and where she had gone. "But I guess it's just you and me bud." Toothless just laid his head down next to Hiccup, and wrapped his tale around the boy.

Hiccup looked around a little more, hoping to find a note or something, but his suspicions were concerned. She hadn't left a single clue, and it made him feel a little frustrated. He told himself not to worry, and that she'd be back for sure. She had to come back, right? This was her home after all, and why would she rescue him just to abandon him, especially when he was in no condition to fend for himself? As his mother she loved and cared for him enough to come back before the provisions he had ran out . . . right?

He sighed and buried his head in his pillow. He hated not knowing, not quite trusting the woman he had just met, even though she was his mother, but he didn't really have a choice now. All he could do was stay put, and wait.

0o0o0o0o

The dusky air was cold and crisp as Astrid snuck through the village in the same fashion she had for the last two nights. The nearly three days since Hiccup had been exiled had been a series of well . . . failures. She had wanting nothing more than to get the village on Hiccup's side, but the more she tried, the more she realized how hard and sketchy of a thing it was to do. Trying to stop the fighting meant endangering the village to the other Vikings, but they didn't know the truth. They couldn't take in the truth. Still, her Viking stubbornness issues drove her to keep trying, just like their Viking stubbornness kept them fighting her. This was such a problem.

In the end, her efforts, and how secretive she was being, had only earned her name calling and some pretty nasty looks. She was just glad that, unlike Hiccup, she had some status, and the other teens had a reason to be afraid of her. She had also been discreet enough that when she rode off at night to try to find Hiccup on the back of the deadly nadder that she had begun to call Stormfly, no one suspected her. Of course that, like everything else, hadn't been working out either.

She had searched every inch of the island, and all the islands around it in search of Hiccup, but she hadn't had any luck. The only thing she'd found was a pathetic little abandoned campsite buried in melting snow. It made her sad and worried to think he might have frozen to death somewhere in the freak snowstorm, but how could he with Toothless at his side? Though she wasn't ready to give up on the village, she knew she could only search for Hiccup for so long. Tonight, she was going to give it one final shot, and if she came up empty handed, she'd just have to forget about him . . . and move on.

0o0o0o0o

Valka crouched on Cloud Jumper's back, wearing her helmet, looking out around her for potential trouble as the last light of the sun disappeared under the horizon. She had spent the entire day hunting, and she was pleased to find that she had done it relatively free of trouble, and had had more luck than she expected. Now she was exhausted, over a week's worth of food hanging from Cloud Jumper's talons, and even more in a basket slung across her back.

"Well I think we got a record haul this time, wouldn't you say?" She observed, looking at Cloud Jumper.

He only huffed beneath her.

Valka scoffed and crossed her arms. "Oh, don't be such a pessimist. Soon Hiccup will heal, and we'll teach him how to hunt with Toothless."

Cloud Jumper let out a doubtful growl and flew a little higher.

Valka sighed. "Yes, I know he's a wee little thing, but that doesn't mean anything. You remember what a clumsy oaf I was to start with."

The dragon just huffed again.

"You're just a sourpuss, that's what you are."

Cloud Jumper tensed, and started growling lightly.

"Oh what did I insult you or something?"

The dragon shook his head, and went into a silent glide, still tense and watchful.

Valka became tense too. "What is it, old friend?" She looked around, catching the form of a deadly nadder flying a ways off, seemingly with a rider. This made Valka both curious and suspicious, and she brought her staff into a defensive position. She had a policy concerning other dragon riders because they were a rare occurrence and she didn't often trust them. This was of course to kidnap them in hopes of either gaining a new ally or capturing a crony of Drago's that she could question, and instill fear in before sending them back to Drago with some good bruises and a horror story to tell. Usually, it was the latter.

"Shall we go greet our friend?" She asked, and Cloud Jumper swooped around to intercept the nadder.

Astried tensed when she heard the sound of another dragon in the distance, and saw it approaching. "Go, Stormfly." She ordered her dragon, and Stormfly sped up, but screeched and paused when she was intercepted by the larger dragon.

Astrid gasped when she saw the dragon's armored rider, getting the feeling that she was getting herself into some serious trouble.

Valka stood up on Cloud Jumper, surprised to see a teenage girl on the dragon's back, and deciding not to scare her further by plucking her from her dragon's back. She pointed her staff at her instead, standing up straight and intimidating. "Who are you, and what business do you have here?" She demanded, lowering her voice in the way she usually did to mask that she was a woman.

Astrid instinctively reached for her axe, wanting to get out of there before something bad happened and she couldn't get back to Berk in time.

Valka saw this, and held her hand out, motioning for her to stop. "Don't attack us, and we won't harm you in return." She warned, putting her staff down to her side.

Astrid took her hand away from her axe, but didn't relax either. "My name is Astrid Hofferson." She said confidently, trying to sound like she wasn't intimidated. "I am a Viking and I'm just out searching for my friend."

Valka paused. A Viking girl named Astrid? Wasn't Astrid the name of the girl Hiccup had told her about? The girl he liked? The one he had convinced to accept Toothless?

Valka tilted her head. "You mean Hiccup?"

Astrid gasped and her eyes widened. "What?! You mean you know Hiccup?! You know where he is?!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Valka nodded, deciding that she could probably trust this girl. "Yes. Come. I'll take you to him."

Astrid was reluctant, but followed, knowing it was a chance. She looked at the other rider, wanting to know more. She had never met another dragon rider before, but she kept quiet on their flight. Eventually they got to a cave, and Cloud Jumper landed, and Valka slipped off and continued on foot. Astrid decided to follow suit and got off of Stormfly, noticing that the larger dragon was dragging a haul of fresh game with him.

Valka took off her helmet, and Astrid was surprised to see that the rider was a woman with long auburn hair pulled away from her face. She spoke to her dragon like she was having a conversation with him, and other dragons seemed to be drawn to her. They followed her casually, letting her scratch their scales as she went along. This only sparked Astrid's curiosity further, and she couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer.

"So, who are you? And how do you know Hiccup?" She asked.

Valka looked back at her, wondering how much she should tell her. "Well to start off with, my name is Valka, and I'm Hiccup's mother."

Astrid's jaw dropped. "His mother? No way. His mother is dead."

"That's what everyone was led to believe when Cloud Jumper carried me off all those years ago, but go back to Berk and ask Stoick about his wife, and he'll describe me to you, if he even talks about me anymore." She sighed. "I found Hiccup freezing to death in the snow with Toothless trying to protect him. He was wounded so I took him in and fixed him up. I knew he was my son from the start, and I was surprised to find him with a dragon, because the only reason I stayed away is because I thought he'd be like the rest of the Berkians, fighting the dragons like they're nothing but monsters. He woke up only yesterday evening, and I found out just how wrong I was. He actually mentioned you, and that's why I decided to bring you to him."

Astrid stared at her. She didn't know if she believed her story, but either way it interested her. "Wait. You tried to convince them not to fight the dragons? Did you ever make any headway?"

Valka shook her head. "No. there was no changing their minds. There never will be at this rate, seeing as it's so deeply ingrained in them. They don't realize how lucky they are to have some people among them who think differently and are willing to change."

Astrid looked down and nodded. "Yeah, that's true." She thought back to her own struggle, and though she herself had changed, Valka's words didn't give her much hope for the rest. "But I still want to try, because anything that's worth fighting for shouldn't be given up on."

Valka looked back at her, smiling a little bit. "I admire your determination, Astrid. Just be careful, alright? Being different can often be a dangerous game."

0o0o0o0o

Hiccup laid down on his stomach, rolling his pencil across the floor with his finger, and letting it come back to him. He had been sure to bring his notebook with him the night he was exiled, and was pleased to find it was still dry and intact. His day had been spent being really bored and drawing Cloud Jumper on the notebook's weathered pages. He was a little anxious, because he still hurt everywhere, and he was getting really hungry. Toothless had found some raw fish, but Hiccup wasn't that desperate yet. He just hoped his mother would return soon . . . if she even was his real mother.

He wasn't exactly sure why he doubted her. This just all seemed weird, almost unreal. What were the chances that his mother of all people would find him, and then again, why would she lie? She had told that story before he had given her any information about himself. If it was just a coincidence she would have said so, wouldn't she? He pushed the theory out of his mind. She had described his father perfectly, and knew his name. There was no way she couldn't be his real mom.

There was talking outside, and Hiccup perked up. Had Valka brought someone with her? He recognized the other voice, and gasped a little. That couldn't be . . . Astrid's voice, could it?

"Hiccup!" Exclaimed a worn out looking Astrid once she entered into the room. Valka followed her, a smirk on her face, carrying a basket on her back and her helmet in her arms.

"Astrid?" Asked Hiccup, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at her with a surprised grin on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been looking for you." She smiled a little as she sat down next to him. "Everyone thinks you died in that snowstorm, but I had to make sure. I was about to give up when your mother found me and brought me here. I'm glad to see she's been taking care of you." She noticed the bandages through the slit at the front of his shirt. "How are you doing?"

Hiccup glanced over at Valka, surprised she had told Astrid that she was his mother right off the bat. "I'm doing okay. I still have a long way to go recovery wise, and my wounds still hurt a lot, but I'll be okay. I just can't do a lot on my own until they heal further. Thanks for coming after me, Astrid. It really means a lot." He spotted the blue nadder that walked in after Cloud Jumper. " . . . Is that the deadly nadder form the arena?"

Astrid nodded, smirking a little sheepishly. "Yeah. I named her Stormfly, and I've been riding her every night since you were exiled trying to find you. No one's been on to me . . . from what I know anyway, but I don't really think they trust me. I've been advocating for the dragons lately after all."

"You've been what?" Asked Hiccup, surprised that she would do that. "Astrid, I just got exiled for that. Don't you think that's a little dangerous, you know, especially so soon after all this drama with Toothless?"

"Hiccup, I have to." Insisted Astrid. "I can't let the whole village continue to be so ignorant and fight dragons for no reason. I saw the nest too. I know what's going on, and we can't just keep going on like this. I know it hasn't been working so well, but I at least need to try."

Hiccup frowned. "Astrid, you're up against three hundred years of Viking stubbornness."

"I know, but you changed my mind, so why can't I change theirs?"

Hiccup looked at the determination in her eyes, and decided not to argue with her. For all he knew, she would have more success than he ever did. "That's true. I hope you can Astrid. Just be safe."

Astrid nodded. "I will be."

Valka scoffed. "It's certainly worth the try, but in the case that you can't, you're always welcome here. I'll even set up a bed for you."

Hiccup sucked in his lips and gave her a look. She wasn't helping him at all. "So where exactly were you all day? You kind of left me here all day to worry and wonder how long you'd be gone, you know, without even a goodbye or any clue of what was going on."

"I left everything you needed, didn't I?" Asked Valka, taking out a knife and rolling up her sleeves as she grabbed a dead rabbit from the pile.

"Well, yeah, but that isn't the point. I would have appreciated it if you had told me, so I wasn't left with all that uncertainty."

Valka paused for a moment, and then realization crossed her face. She looked down and sighed. "That's right. I'm sorry Hiccup. I guess it's been too long since I've lived with another person. I'm so used to not having anyone to look after that I . . . forgot. I went out to hunt for food for the both of us and I didn't even tell you goodbye. What kind of a mother am I?"

Hiccup noticed that she looked really stressed out all of the sudden, and it occurred to him that she really was trying. She had been out doing something for his benefit. "I-it's okay mom." He said, trying to be reassuring. "I guess I didn't think about that. I really should have. Sorry."

Valka shook her head. "No, it's my fault. I'll do better. I remember your father used to insist I let him know whenever I went somewhere. Always so stiff and protective, he was. I bet he made you do the same thing."

Hiccup tensed a little at the mention of his father, and he looked down at his notebook. "Yeah, but I don't think I did it nearly as much as he would have liked."

Valka chuckled. "Same, but I understand you're in a position when you're very dependent upon me, so I won't go running off without telling you." She smirked. "Not until you're well enough to go running off yourself, that is."

Hiccup decided that the more Valka talked, the more intrigued he was by her, and the more she cooked, the more quickly he wanted to get back up on his feet so he could make them decent meals. Astrid took Valka's invitation to stay for a while, and helped her skin the meat while Hiccup found himself drifting off again. When he woke up again, they were talking like they had hit it off really well, and dinner was ready. The fact that Astrid had helped Valka cook didn't make it taste any better, but he was still glad to have Astrid there. He was convinced he'd never see her again, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he would have missed her.

The three ate and talked until the food was finished up, and Valka helped Hiccup out of his shirt so she could change his bandages. Astrid's face fell when he saw the mark of exile on Hiccup's back, but she didn't say anything. Hiccup was glad for it. That was not a memory he wanted to think back to, even though it threatened to come back every time Valka worked at his wounds. It wasn't just because of the fact that it was a painful experience, though that definitely was a factor, but also because it made him think of his home and the life he had there. Sure it wasn't the best home, nor the best life, but the looming fact that he could never return left an emptiness inside of him that he was convinced neither this cave, nor his mother could fill.

o0o0o0o0

Astrid woke up on the floor, covered halfway by a blanket with a warm body behind her, and an arm draped over her waist. She looked around in confusion, and heard a snore which made her jump and sit up quickly, realizing that the person she'd been sleeping next to was Hiccup. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and she gasped when she saw how light it was outside. She jumped to her feet, waking Hiccup in the process.

"Astrid?" He asked groggily.

"I've gotta go." Said Astrid, pulling on her boots.

"What?" Exclaimed Hiccup, suddenly alert, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I have to get back before the village realizes I went off with Stormfly." Astrid explained.

Hiccup's face dropped. "Oh yeah . . . that's right, but . . . but this won't be the last time I see you, right? You'll come back to visit when you can, won't you?"

Astrid paused, and looked back at Hiccup, before kneeling next to him, and hugging him softly. "Yeah. I'll come back, I promise. Don't worry."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Said Hiccup as Astrid stood and walked over to Stormfly.

"I know you will." She mounted her dragon. "Uhh . . . so I guess I'll see you later then."

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah . . . uhh . . . see you later."

Astrid nodded, and Stormfly started walking out the door with Astrid on her back. Hiccup bit his lip. What was he doing letting her leave like this? What if she didn't keep her promise and he never saw her again? He started to panic, and he really wished he could get up and run after her.

"Wait!" He called out, and Stormfly stopped while Astrid turned around, looking at him. Hiccup was still panicking, and he couldn't really form the words right as his heart pounded in his chest. "Just . . . be careful okay? I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Astrid's face softened and she dismounted Stormfly. "Don't worry about me, Hiccup. I can take whatever they throw at me. You . . . umm . . . be careful too." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then she was gone, leaving Hiccup blushing and wishing she would stay.