OKAY OKAY OKAY THIS IS IMPORTANT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING: I am sorry for what I am about to say, but it cannot be helped. Recently, I've been rushing my stories because of how busy I've been. So, I will be going on temporary hiatus and returning in January, 2015 (this coming January). I am sorry, but it has been crazy for me recently, and the entire month of December will be even more so. So, yeah. I will be going crazy in January, though on updates, so watch out. And again, I'm SORRY for all this, but I don't want to rush. I have a few shout-outs to answer some questions by my reviewers:
Night fury demon: In answer to your question: I will explain this in the easiest way I know how to. First, you need to make a fanfiction account. After that, access your account. I use a computer, so I will explain how to do it on a computer: on the left hand side of the screen, there is a sidebar with different options. One of the bars will be labled "Publish." Click that, and then it will open more options. Click "Doc Manager" and then it will take you to a page. There will be three thingies (I don't know what to call them). One of them says "Label" (which, to the right of it, has a bar where you type in information). The one below it says "Method" (where there are two selections, one says "File Upload" and the other says "Copy-N-Paste"), and then the one underneath it says "Format" (where there are also two selections, one of which says "Story" and the other of which says "DocX"). One of the easiest ways for me to explain how to post Fanfictions is to first write your chapter. Select the "Copy-N-Paste" on the "Method" area and then write out (or copy and paste) your first chapter onto the given area (it looks sort of like the place where you leave reviews on different stories). After you finish that, label your chapter (it doesn't have to be fancy; normally, I just call it by the stories initials and then put a number indicating which chapter it is). On the "Format" section, click the "Story" option (nothing big will happen). Once you do all that, scroll down. Beneath the "Format", there will be a grey, square button that says "Submit Document." Click that, and your work will save. Moving on...right underneath the "Doc Manager" button there will be one that says "New Story." Click that, and it will take you to a page where you select witch category your story falls in (sometimes, it will ask you to read the rules and regulations. When that happens, read them, scroll down, click the 'I have read the rules and regulations' thingy and then go back to the "New Story" icon). After selecting which category your story falls in, click "Continue" to move on. It should take you to a page full of stuff. There will be a "Title" tab, followed by a place where you type out your title. After doing that, write out a summary (the place to write it out is right under the "Title"). Then, you select a Genre (I think I spelled it right) for your story (Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Humor, Family, etc.), a story rating (K-which is like G in movies-, K+-which is like PG in movies-T-which is like PG-13 in movies-, and then M-which is like R in the world of movies), and then pick the content language (English, Spanish, etc.). After that, there is a label that says "Document." To the right of that, there is a line that says "Select Document." Click that, and it will show you all the documents in your Doc Manager. Click on the one you would like to post, and then scroll down a bit and type in the captcha code. After that, click "Publish New Story", and there you go! (sometimes they will tell you that you entered the Captcha code incorrectly, and you have to type it again, but nothing else). I really hope this helped, Night fury demon. I know I'm not the best at explaining things, but I tried my best. Thank you for reading my stories, and I hope to see some of yours one day! :D
Lord Jaric: This is just a small thing. I think after the "For the Dancing and the Dreaming" scene, the fic will end with HTTYD2 continuing as it did in the movies. :)
Hiccup groaned, and instantly, Valka and Astrid were broken away from their thoughts.
"We have to take him in if I'm going to remove the arrow," said Valka.
Astrid looked at her, shocked. They just met, and yet this woman suddenly thought Astrid was just going to sit back while she yanked an arrow out of her best friend's side? Nope, not happening.
"Not for the life of me," said Astrid. "Tell me what to do, and I willdo it." She was that desperate and distrusting towards Valka and anyone she met at that point. So what she claimed she trained and protected dragons? For all Astrid knew, she could have been lying, making up a story, cheating her and Hiccup, trying to get them to trust her just so she could yank back and kill them both.
Valka shook her head. "I can't," she said. "It's too complicated."
"Well, I'm not going to let you-" Astrid started.
Hiccup cried out in pain. It was beginning to get unbearable. Normally, he hated arrows in his side as much as the next person, but this was different. The arrow seemed as if it were meant to bring pain; bring agony; bring suffering.
"Okay, okay, do it!" said Astrid. "Just do it!"
Hiccup woke up. He looked around, first to Astrid, not seeming to notice a second figure beside the Berkian.
"Hey, what happened?" he said. "I had this weird dream we were flying and then I was...whoa!" He sat up suddenly, his eyes falling on his injury.
"What?" said Astrid.
He took in a breath, putting up one finger for just a moment before speaking. "There's an arrow sticking out of me," he said, pointing to it, saying it as if it were as easy as saying Pass the salt. "No, there is an arrow...sticking out of me..."
"Yes, I know, we're...I'm trying to get rid of it," said Astrid. "Just-"
"Weird," he said. "Should I, like...do something, or...?"
"Yes," said Astrid. "Stop talking. Please. The more you talk, the worse you make your wound."
"Okay...WHOA who is that!?" he shouted, finally realizing Valka's presence.
"I don't know," said Astrid.
"What?" said Hiccup. "You don't...wow, arrow wounds hurt." He was so calm about it, it was almost terrifying. But Astrid liked that about him; he knew when to be calm.
"Yeah," said Astrid. "I bet. Just hang on another minute, it'll get better, I promise. It'll be okay. Okay? For now, just relax."
Valka was just hoping Astrid would trust her. Because if she didn't, there was no way she could help Hiccup. She couldn't tell Astrid that she was Hiccup's mother at that point. It could just trigger more doubt in Astrid's mind; make her think Valka was just lying in order to win the two of them over. But she did have to help Hiccup, though.
Hiccup nodded, and then slumped up against her, his eyes closed, though he was still conscious.
"Come," said Valka, rising to a stand. Her son? Alive? She almost couldn't comprehend it. But she didn't have much time to think otherwise. Her son wouldn't be alive for much longer unless she did something about that arrow wound. "I can take him on my dragon..."
"No way," said Astrid. She was shocked the woman so much as thought it was okay to do something like that. Astrid still wasn't about to trust her, no matter what she said about dragons; no matter how on their side she may have seemed."I take him, or we don't take him at all."
"Okay," said Valka. She turned and mounted Cloudjumper, watching Astrid pull Hiccup to his feel, whispering encouraging words to him the whole time. She pulled him and herself onto her own dragon and then faced Valka.
"Oookay," she said. "Now what?"
"Follow me," said Valka. Without waiting for a response, she turned Cloudjumper, and then headed for the entrance into the ice cave. Astrid had no choice but to follow, keeping one arm around Hiccup, making sure she didn't touch anywhere near the arrowed area, her other hand wrapped firmly around her axe handle. She leaned herself and Hiccup over Stormfly's neck as far as possible. If Valka somehow had archers on her side that were hiding, she didn't want to be sitting upright.
She followed Valka through a hole in the ice, leading inside a darkened cavern. Astrid couldn't see anything except a small light coming from inside what looked like an overhang. From what she was able to make out in the darkness of night, it was a large, open area, probably with a massive capacity. Anything that big would have to be that huge for a reason. Astrid feared the worst. Unbeknownst to herself, she gripped her axe tighter.
"You wanna tell me where we're going?" said Astrid.
Valka decided not to answer. Cloudjumper turned and headed inside Valka's cave, where he landed and allowed her to dismount. Astrid came in closely behind on Stormfly, hesitating little (although she did at first, ever so slightly) before landing. She slid off Stormfly's back as easily as she could, keeping her axe still drawn while also fighting to keep Hiccup on his feet.
Valka wanted to offer help, but then knew Astrid would just shun any attempt, and decided against it. The young girl seemed irritated enough already with Valka; and Valka didn't want to do anything to make it worse.
"Remember," said Astrid, breaking Valka out of her thoughts, "I still have this." She held her axe in front of her, showing off the polished, well-sharpened blade. Valka didn't even back down. She had been tempted to throw back, "If you hurt me, you'll have to answer to all the dragons in the sanctuary," and then realized that that statement sounded almost like a declaration of war. Almost as if daring Astrid to make the first move.
Really, they didn't need to be enemies. Especially since her and Hiccup seemed so close. When the time came for her to tell them both the relationship she shared with Hiccup, she didn't want them to be in the middle of a fight, and then randomly shout, "Oh, and by the way, I'm your mother."
Would that really work? No.
Hiccup moaned and leaned his head against Astrid's shoulder. Astrid shot Valka a somewhat harsh glance, waiting for her to say something. She had said she'd wanted to help. Why the sudden silence?
"Come on, bring him over here," said Valka as if reading her thoughts, gesturing to her makeshift bed. Astrid stumbled over, clutching Hiccup as tight as she dared, not wanting to hurt him further. She put him down carefully on his back, making sure he didn't lay in a way that would cause him more pain.
"Okay, what do I do?" said Astrid. "To help, I mean." She didn't trust this woman touching Hiccup at all, but at this point, she didn't have another option. Well, she did, but that was letting Hiccup die, and she wasn't going to allow that even if her very own life depended on it.
"Wait here for a minute," said Valka. She knew they had to move quickly; by how pale Hiccup looked, it was apparent he had already lost a dangerously large amount of blood. They didn't have much time left.
She stood up and ran to the back of the cave, gathering herbs and long, slightly thick fabrics that would work as bandages. Years of dragon attacks had taught her what to do should an accident occur. And this was an accident. She heated some water over her makeshift hearth and then started assembling a small medicine. She knew she had to hurry. They were running out of time.
Astrid watched as Valka disappeared. Just where did she think she was going? She was supposed to be helping them, and then she just runs off without a word of saying why or when she would return? It angered Astrid to no end. Any other day, it wouldn't have been a problem. But now it was, with Hiccup dying.
She waited for Valka to return, having mixed feelings all the same.