Sorry it's been a while, here's the next instalment

Hiccup sat beside her, he hadn't moved since Gothi had stitched her up. He just prayed she'd be ok. She had saved him. Astrid and the others had rounded up the last of the Berserkers and put them into the cells. Hiccup had been here for the last few hours, pacing and stressing.

"Hiccup!" Astrid burst through the door, her eyes wide and tearful.

"Are they all secured?" He said his voice hoarse.

"Yes, but Hiccup... You really need to hear what Savage has to say..."

"Don't go... Please don't go. I need you."

"I have no choice. I can't choose whether to die or not"

"Yes you can. You always have the choice."

"Don't leave me. Please."

"How can I decide otherwise? Who's there to care? Who would miss me if I left?"

"I would, you're my human. And I am your dragon. Do not leave me. I beg of you."

"I would care"

"I would"

"Me too"

"And us."

"Who is this? I have no one. Well... I have Sparky. But that's all. No one else. I have no family."

"Family does not always have to be blood ties. Listen carefully child, you'll hear them asking after you. You'll know they care. You are not alone."

"Don't leave me."

"Don't leave us. We've been watching over you for a while Dragon-Whisperer. Do not leave now, we care, and there are others, other humans who care. Come back to us. Don't leave. Return."

"Please come back. Please don't leave me."

With a sudden sharp gasp Camicazi stirred as if coming back from the dead. Hiccup spun around sharply. His eyes were tired and there were dark circles beneath them, they looked watery and weary. He'd been there for days, only dozing off every now and then. The dragons had been there the whole time. Toothless and Stormfly taking it in turns to lay besides her, calling softly to her, but they had not been alone. Other dragons including Hookfang, Meatlug and Barf and Belch had sat outside the house for hours calling to her softly.

"You're ok." His voice was very hoarse as he spoke to her. She turned to look at him, his voice and eyes were full of relief. Before she could even try to respond he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "You're ok." He said again as if to reassure himself his words were true. He let go and brushed her blonde hair from her eyes, he was crying. Why was he crying? "You foolish girl. You foolish, foolish girl. What were you thinking? You nearly died. And then Sparky wouldn't let me near you. Thank Thor you're ok." He said smiling broadly and he held her again. Camicazi just couldn't understand.

"Were you... were you worried about me?" She stuttered. Hiccup held her at arm's length and looked at her, tears staining his face.

"Of course I was! Everyone has been so worried. It seems despite everything, you've had quite the impact young lady, and everyone has been asking how you are." He stroked her face with his thumb and smiled. "Everyone will be relieved to know you're awake."

"But... I... I don't understand..." None of this made sense, why did he care, why did anyone care? Why had he been worried? And what was the feeling inside of her as she looked at the tears on his face? The feeling she got when he hugged her like that, a warm feeling in her heart... What was it? The only thing she could relate it to, was how she felt about Sparky. But how could this be? How could they care? What was it to be cared about?

"You're safe now. And for now, that is all that matters." He whispered hugging her tightly. What was this? Was she still dreaming as she had in her cell in those dark hours? Or was this Valhalla? No if it was Valhalla Sparky would be here... Sparky, the thing she had risked it all for...

"Sparky." She croaked "What happened to Sparky? Please, please tell me you didn't hurt him, you didn't send him back there..."

"Camicazi, it's ok... Sparky is safe, he's here."

"I want to see him, I need to see him. Please... Just let me take Sparky and you'll never see me again."

"That's not going to work I'm afraid. But of course you can see Sparky, he's been quite upset. I'm afraid we had to restrain him to keep him and everyone else safe." She didn't begin to think about what he meant when he said that wouldn't work. She just wanted to see her dragon. That was all she wanted right now. Hiccup helped her stand, and she tried to walk but tripped, Toothless caught her and helped her, her side hurt so much, she felt weak. She hated feeling weak; it reminded her she was still only young, that she was only human.

"Are you ok to walk?" Hiccup asked her, concerned.

"Of course I am." She snapped, slightly more harshly than she had intended perhaps, she wasn't used to such a question being asked out of concern rather than being condescending.

"Ok, if not Toothless can carry you, don't push yourself or else the stitches will come undone..."

"STITCHES?!" She pulled frantically at her top, her side screamed in protest as her fingers grazed the wound.

"Careful! Careful!" Hiccup took her hands in his to stop her pulling the stitches. "Here, look, let me help." He pulled her top up just enough to show her the stitches, she tensed. She feared the touch of men. Back home, when a girl reached a certain age, she'd be manipulated or abused by men. Camicazi had so far avoided that but she'd seen the looks in men's eyes, in the eyes of Vott's friends as she got older. It made her sick, and fearful. She trained all the harder for it.

Hiccup noticed her flinch and tense and his gaze darkened. He knew some people would abuse young girls and women; it disgusted him, especially when he saw the damage men had already done to her.

"It's ok, I'm not going to do anything to you, trust me. I'm just showing you the stitches since you panicked about them. The wound was pretty bad and needed stitching. They're healing well; you'll have another scar though..."

"Another scar." She mumbled tracing the stitches lightly with one finger. Stitches were new; she'd never had her wounds tended properly before. Her own gaze darkened to match Hiccup's exactly as she thought about the ones responsible for each scar. She tenderly lowered her top again and held herself up as steady as she could, leaning only slightly on Toothless for support.

"I want to see Sparky now." Hiccup nodded.

"There's someone I promised I'd take you to when you woke up, we'll visit them on the way to Sparky."