They reached Gothi's hut as the moon became visible, high in the sky.

Astrid handed Hiccup off to Gobber, who had been standing by since Hiccup first went missing.

"What happened, lass?" Gobber asked he took Hiccup's limp form.

"Ryker threw a knife at him. He's lost a lot of blood. His heart's already stopped once," Astrid explained as she jumped off Stormfly. "How soon can Gothi start?"

"As soon as we get him into the hut," Gobber stated. "She has everything ready."

When they entered the hut, Gobber laid Hiccup on his stomach and began to take his armor and tunic off. That's when he noticed the missing prosthetic.

"Where's his leg?" Gobber questioned.

Astrid shrugged "We don't know. We found him without it."

Gothi set work cleaning blood off of Hiccup. As the blood was cleared away, you could see the almost black bruising surrounding the wound. You could also see bruises forming on his neck, wrists, and side. Astrid felt a bump on his head. Hiccup had been beaten, bound and knocked unconscious several times throughout the day. They used him as a human punching bag, all for the sake of gold. This made Astrid angry. She wanted to go back and pummel every single villain who laid a hand on Hiccup. Her Hiccup.

Gothi finished cleaning the wound and began to examine it. Once she was done, she picked up her staff and began writing.

"She says, 'Nothing vital was hit. He needs stitches and turtle medicine'," Gobber translated. "Turtle medicine?"

Gothi whacked him with her staff "Sorry 'herbal medicine'." The elder started writing again. "'She cannot do the stitching though. One of us needs to it while the other holds him down'."

"I'll do the stitching," Astrid offered. "My hands are steady and I have experience. Gobber, you hold him down."

After what seemed like forever, Astrid finished the stitches. Fifteen in all.

Gothi started writing in the sand. "She says 'We need to sit him up to bandage his shoulder and place it in a sling. After that she can examine the rest of him'," Gobber translated.

Astrid and Gobber did just that. After bandaging his shoulder and putting his arm in a sling, Gothi mixed some herbs together and ran them under Hiccup's nose, knowing the smell would wake him just long enough to find out what happened.

Hiccup slowly opened his eyes and looked around getting a grasp on his surroundings "Astrid?"

"I'm here, Hiccup," Astrid replied, placing a comforting hand on his good shoulder. "Gothi just needs to ask you a few question. After that, you can back to sleep."

Hiccup nodded, drowsily "Okay."

Gothi began writing as Gobber translated. 'Where's your leg?'

"The masked bounty hunter grabbed it after we went over the cliff. I untied and kicked it off, causing him to fall," The dragon rider answered.

'The bruising on your neck and stomach,' Gothi wrote.

"The same man wrapped a chain around my neck and used it as a leash," Hiccup explained with a yawn. "Ryker punched me the stomach, knocking me out for the third time today. Can I go to sleep now?"

Gothi nodded her approval as Astrid helped lower Hiccup on to his good side. "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

-line break -

Hiccup's dreams were disoriented. One minute he was back on the island. The next he was on Viggo's ship. When he wasn't in the hands on the Hunters, he was with his ancestors, calling out for his mother. No one would tell him where she was. All they did was tell him what a great warrior he was.

-line break -

"Why won't you tell me?" Hiccup asked as he tossed and turned. "Mom? Where are you? MOM!?"

Astrid wrung out the cloth in her hands and placed it on Hiccup's forehead. It hurt her to see him like this. Calling out for his dead mother.

The door behind her creaked open and Stoick walked in "How is he?"

"He has a fever. Gothi is having me keep an out for any infection," Astrid answered. "For the past hour, he's been calling out for Valka."

Stoick sat down in the other chair. "He did the same when he first lost his leg. It's times like this I wish she was still here. She would know what to do. She always did. She could calm even his darkest of dreams."

The petite warrior turned and stared at her chief. "Stoick you should know; he died earlier. If it hadn't been for Heather's quick thinking, we'd be planning his funeral."

Stoick looked at his son, whose breaths were shallow and fast. His son had died. He had crossed over to the afterlife. To Valhalla.

He placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder. "Go home and get some rest. I'll stay here with him."

Astrid shook her head. "I promised to be here when he woke up."

"Lass, it's going to be quite awhile before he wakes up. Even if he does, in the state he's in, he won't be able to tell who is here. Go home, and rest. That's an order."

Astrid's shoulders slumped in defeat as she got up. She needed to rest, but she knew she wasn't going to get any, she was more concerned about Hiccup.