Yeah. This is my SECOND update today, and now for some shout-outs! *fistpumps* FINALLY! :D Here we go:

Lord Jaric: Thanks! Glad you like it!

AnimeAngel: AHAHA! You're right! Mocha is like the Pumkin of Winter. :) And it's good to hear from you again. :D How's Aquaria doin'?

silverwolvesarecool: Thank you! :D

One Bright Light: YES! I wish there was a little bit more of Mother/Son bonding in HTTYD2, but I suppose you can only put so much into an animated film, after all. :D

Edlover23: Yeah, Toothless is an over-protective dragon if I've ever seen one. :D And I love Hiccup/Valka bonding! It's so adorable and sweet and just AH.

Not too long afterwards, Hiccup leaned back up against Toothless and closed his eyes, once more falling into oblivion. Valka smiled at him and ran her hand through his hair for a few moments before she heard someone else speak up.

"It's more of a touchy subject for us than it is for him."

Valka's head shot in Astrid's direction. Astrid was sitting up, Stormfly laying beside her, almost in the same position.

"You heard that?" said Valka.

"All of it," said Astrid. She smiled and shook her head. "Hiccup's never been able to be too quiet, and now I know where he gets it from."

Valka smiled and laughed softly before she considered Astrid's statement. "What do you mean, 'it's more of a touchy subject for us than it is for him'?" she asked.

"Because," said Astrid, "it's our fault he lost a leg."

"What...do you mean, exactly?" said Valka. "Hiccup didn't say anything like that."

"Of course he didn't," said Astrid. "He's not one to blame someone else for anything. You see...he tried to show us, and we didn't listen. Instead of paying him any attention, the Berkians, once they figured out how to find the nest belonging to the dragons that kept attacking us, they left to take it."

Valka leaned forward.

"There's a lot more to the story then Hiccup let on," said Astrid. "Like how for the first fifteen years of his life, people hated him. They absolutely hated him. They called him 'Hiccup the Useless', actually. We all did. All of us Berkians."

Valka nodded, trying to think about what Astrid had told her.

"Hiccup knew the Berkians didn't stand a chance fighting the Red Death, and no one listened when he tried to tell them that before they left," Astrid went on. "And so you know what he did? It could have been easy. It would have been so easy for him to just say 'Oh, they never cared about me. Why should I care about them?' but he didn't. Instead, he trained the dragons we were supposed to fight, and then we went after the other Berkians. Hiccup and Toothless killed the Red Death at the expense of Hiccup's leg. He saved a village who hated him. And I guess after that, we finally started to see what he was really like. And...I don't know. He forgave us pretty quickly, too. That's another thing. He's forgiving. He's not one to hold a grudge against anyone, once they genuinely apologize."

Valka remained silent, trying to take it all in. There was a lot more to the story than Hiccup had originally let on. She tried to think about it, but the more she tried, it seemed that the harder it became.

Hiccup the Useless? Did they really call him that before he lost a leg? Had it really taken him losing a physical part of him to finally get people to enjoy his company? His own island, though...did it really take him nearly dying to finally gain respect in the village he was born of and into? It just didn't seem right.

And Astrid said he had forgiven all of them, too? There was obviously more to Hiccup than Valka had originally thought. No wonder Astrid said she still had yet to understand him.

"And his leg..." Astrid started, bringing Valka out of her thoughts. Astrid suddenly hesitated, glancing over to make sure Hiccup was asleep. "He doesn't know, and we don't tell him," Astrid looked torn between whispering and shouting. "But after we found him unconscious, his leg was just..." Astrid stopped, trying to find the right word. "...gone," she decided. "There was no saving it, so we amputated it, right there, on that accursed island. It was...awful, to say the least. None of us really know what happened exactly that mangled it, but there were tooth marks."

"Tooth marks?" Valka asked.

"Yeah," said Astrid. "Some people believe that Toothless bit his leg in order to save him, but no matter how it happened, the outcome was the same. He lost a leg. And so...that brings us to the now, I suppose. He lost a part of himself to save a village who never accepted him. I guess it was after all that that we Berkians finally started seeing Hiccup for who he was, not for who he wasn't. "

Valka smiled and nodded, still trying to take it all in.

"It's a hard subject to talk about," said Astrid. Valka nodded. She understood, possibly better than Astrid realized. "But sometimes it's good to get it out there. Especially since you're Hiccup's mother...you have the right to know."

"I have a lot to make up with him, I suppose," said Valka.

Astrid nodded. "Well," she said, "you're off to a great start."

"Why do you say that?" said Valka.

"Well..." said Astrid, "you've already saved his life, with the arrow and everything. My mother told me once that the key to building a relationship is to first take it slowly, and wait for them to make the next move."

"That's actually a good idea," said Valka. "Thanks." She looked back at Hiccup and frowned slightly. "I should look at that wound again," she said.

"Oh," said Astrid. "Well, is there something I can do to help?"

"Yes, actually," said Valka. "There is a satchel in the corner..."

Astrid was on her feet, instantly racing to the assigned location. "This one?" she asked, holding up a small satchel.

"Yes, exactly," said Valka. Astrid brought it over and handed it to Valka, who took it and opened it.

"What is it?" said Astrid.

"Just a little bit of medical supplies I managed to get," said Valka. "Back on Berk, I wasn't one to kill, and so for some reason I took to the art of healing. And so when Cloudjumper took me here, I found out that I had actually brought some of this stuff with me."

"What is 'this stuff', quote on quote?" Astrid asked.

"Stitching supplies," said Valka. "I might have to stitch it in order for it to heal properly."

"Oh," Astrid said. Needless to say, she wasn't excited. "Um...he won't...fell it, will he?"

"No, of course not," said Valka. Thank goodness he wouldn't, Valka thought. "I have something to insure that. I might not even have to stitch it. It was just a maybe." She began to undo Hiccup's bandages, and then looked back at Astrid. "Actually, it's a probably."

"Figured just as much," said Astrid. "Arrow wounds are nasty stuff."

"Oh don't even get me started," said Valka with a half-smile. "I've lived among dragons for twenty years, and Drago's always trying to take them. He goes to great lengths to get dragons, you know, even to the point of arrows."

"But...he doesn't...poison his arrows, does he?" Astrid suddenly thought of the possibility. She had seen poison before, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Hiccup had even been poisoned once or twice by Alvin or Dagur in the past, and Astrid didn't want a repeat.

"Oh thank goodness no," said Valka. "No, Drago needs his dragons alive and ready for war. When he does shoot the dragons, he always goes for the wings to down them. And then after that, throws them into battle after poorly treating the wound. There have been a few dragons I've found with arrow wounds. Poor things. Drago is a madman, Astrid."

"Well, his trappers are madmen, so it doesn't surprise me," said Astrid. "It does unsettle me, though."

"Yeah, I do think I'll have to stitch it," said Valka.

"What?" said Astrid.

"The arrow wound, dear," said Valka.

"Oh, right," said Astrid. "Can I do anything?"

"Not at the moment, but thank you," said Valka. "I might a little bit later, though."

"Okay, well I suppose I'll be ready," said Astrid. "And thank you, you know, for everything you're doing."

Valka smiled at the girl. "Any time."