Chapter 12: Dont Forget To Check Your Parachute For Holes!

(Heather POV)

My feet feel frozen for another moment before instinct kicks in.

Ignoring the fact that a dagger is pressed against my throat, I lift my leg up and stomp down as hard as physically possible on the woman's foot. She gives a small yelp and her grip loosens enough for me to rip her hand away from my mouth and slide my axe off my back moving back towards Windshear in one fluid movement.

The giant dragon gives an angry huff and I finally lift my gaze towards my opponent. She's taller than I am with long brown hair going down her back past her knees in a three messy braids joined in several places. Her shirt is a deep green with a longish leather/brown skirt and boots that reach her knees. Bits of her shirt are wet or have ice sticking to them. Her face is flushed and her fingers are wrapped around the dagger in her right hand so tight her fingers are white.

Her electric green/blue eyes meet mine with fire.

"You are not welcome here." She repeats looking like she's trying to do her best to mask her expression but failing. She's clearly frustrated and exhausted. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.

"Where is here?" I demand through gritted teeth. It's a nest of some sort but who knows how long I was in Windshear's claws, I was in to much pain to process anything.

Her lips curve down into a frown. "It's the Alpha's nest. Who are you?" She demands moving her dagger up, Windshear gives a long hiss behind me and my back goes rigid. What if she attacks me, what if-The Razorwhip moves in front of me cutting me off throwing her wings in front of my aching body.

My screaming muscles finally give in and I let my axe drop onto the ground my hair swinging in front of my face. The woman seems startled by Windshear's movement if even a little scared.

"Who are you?" She repeats her voice darker with an icy edge. She starts to move forward but Windshear's wings twitch and the dragon gives a low snarl.

I lift my head slightly staring at her with the most equal venom I can manage. "None of your business."

The woman raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. "If you want an answer to your question, answer mi-" Her voice dies as her gaze lands on my horn her eyes widening several sizes. She gives a choked gasp before lifting her eyes up towards my face again. I tighten my grip around my axe hilt trying to numb out the pain from my shoulders if this turns into a fight.

Windshear can assist but I'm not helpless.

The woman's eyes stare at me with shock breath unable to enter her lungs, "Heather?" She chokes, gaze unmoving.

What? How does she know who I am? I am not that important, I'm not! Stoick knew who I was because I was his daughter but this woman...I've never seen her or heard of her in my life. Who is she? "Uh...do I-do I know you?"

Her gaze changes to sorrow and she sighs letting her shoulders drop the dagger slipping from her grasp and imbedding itself into the ground. "No. But a mother never forgets."

But she's not..

Stoick said that she was killed in a dragon raid...unless she was taken like I was by WIndshear to this place. But that would...she's my- I suck in a sharp gasp of horror and she lifts up a hand shushing me before moving forward lifting out her hands towards Windshear. The dragon stares at her with wariness but lets her pass.

"Heather!" She exclaims and throws her arms around my shoulders pulling me close. I let out a surprised breath my spine going rigid. I'm not sure how to react. Do I shove her away, do I accept the embrace? Her grip is oddly comforting and freezing. Has the woman ever heard of a blanket before!?

"I-um.." I stutter before she pulls back resting her hands on my shoulders.

The fresh wounds scream at her touch and I flinch squeezing my eyes shut biting my lip to withhold a cry of pain. Windshear gives a low growl next to me and my mother pulls her hands back drawing in a sharp breath.

"Come." She says after a moment and I pull my eyes apart looking at her, "I have bandages. Where have you been?" She demands after a moment gently putting a hand on my mid back and leading me forward.

"Tijina." I say after a moment of hesitation. I trust her. I don't know why I just do. Something within me screams that her words are the truth.

"Tijina." She repeats muttering the word heavily, almost a curse, spitting it from her tongue like venom. "I should have known." She hisses between her teeth.

I look up at her in shock for a moment. Granted minutes beforehand she was pressing a dagger to my throat but she seems like she'd be a usually calm person. "Why are you here?" I ask after her face twists into a heavy scowl. Why isn't she on Berk? Explain to Stoick that she's not dead?

She gives a wary sigh, "I was taken by dragons nearly seventeen years ago, in the time I wasn't captured by Drago Bludvist, I was looking for you." She says looking over at me with a sad smile. "I knew you were taken by a tribe and searched but couldn't for the life of me find you."

She didn't leave me at sea.

She was looking for me.

Her other words click and my eyebrows meet in confusion. Drago who? We enter a small living space, a cleared out cave rather messy. My mother removes her hand from my back and moves forward towards one of the larger piles throwing things out of the way as she struggles to find the desired object.

I rub my upper arm an awkward silence falling between us, I'm bursting with questions but I don't know her. Yeah, she's my mother but does she like being asked thousands of questions at once? I don't want to lose her again.

She turns looking back at me holding up a pair of white bandages looking satisfied with herself. "A Razorwhip's tail can cut through anything, their claws aren't much different, you're lucky you're wearing shoulder guards, lass." She says as she moves forward and gestures for me to sit.

I do so, stiffly.

Valka moves down and starts to pull out the bandages wrapping them around my bleeding shoulders. I look away from the injuries as she does, I can feel that it's bad, I don't want to see the blood.

After a rather awkward ten or more minutes, Valka finishes wrapping my other shoulder off and sits back staring at me again. I open my mouth to ask a question when at that exact moment, a dragon flies into the room looking panicked, a Monstrous Nightmare. My eyes widen and I move back subconsciously as Valka stands looking focused and lifts her hands out towards the panicking dragon giving a few quiet murmurs of comfort.

The dragon calms under the words.

My eyes widen and Windshear moves forward next to me.

Valka looks back towards me for a moment, "Can you fly Windshear?" She asks after a moment. My eyebrows meet and I look back at the dragon.

"Fly?" I repeat dubiously.

"Yes." valka says moving away from the dragon gathering a staff and straps of armor from several straps shoving them on. "The dragon is stressed about something, I want to see what it is." She says and looks back at me.

"Can you fly her?" She repeats.

I look back at Windshear. She's crazy. I can't fly the dragon!

Seeing my disbelieving look she laughs, "You'll be fine. Are you coming or not?" She asks. Am I? I don't want to be left here with the dragons again. She's my mother I just can't...giving a long wary sigh, I get to my feet and look over at Windshear.

"Whaddya say girl?" I ask and the dragon gives an affirmative growl. Valka nods and swings her staff onto her back.

"Good. When we're done with this, we'll head back to Berk to your brothers." She says and I look over at her in surprise as I rub Windshear's neck. Brothers? Stoick said I had a brother. Not plural. My twin brother.

"Brothers?" I repeat and slowly swing a leg over Windshear's neck. The dragon looks back and gives a comforting growl. She's gonna keep me safe. I give a weak smile and return the gesture.

Valka looks back at me but doesn't answer the question. "Cloudjumper and I will follow behind the Monstrous Nightmare, you just try to keep up." She commands and I give a slow nod leaning down on Windshear's neck.

Just a quick swing around the agitations source and I'll be going home. I'm no longer alone.

000o000

(Hiccup POV)

My head pulses.

It's a raw, aching thump behind each heartbeat and I'm positive that my skull is going to split down the middle. Maybe more. I let out a soft groan and slowly shake my head pulling my eyes open. Darkness meets them. With a small groan, I slowly lift my hands up only to meet restriction with a heavy clang.

Gritting my teeth in frustration and slowly moving my left hand towards my right wrist I feel along the shackle wrapped around it. Narrowing my eyebrows I move my finger under the metal trying to shove it up over my wrist.

"Don't bother," A male voice calls towards me, "I've already tried."

I lift my head in their general direction panic racing through me. It's not Dagur. Or Toothl-oh Thor! Toothless! In my confusion I completely forgot about the dragon. Where is he? Is he alright?

I get to my feet and tug at the chains extending towards the ground trying to break the metal. It's pathetic, I'm not my father. I can't even lift a hammer without nearly breaking my neck at least a month ago when I was on Berk. Dagur. Where is my brother. On our way towards the healer's hut, he explained about the peace treaty. That feels like it was years ago rather than days.

Has it been days? Who knows how long I was unconscious after I our crash.

"Hey!" The same voice calls again. I don't stop tugging against the chains but lift my head in their general direction. "Stop it, kid. There's not point." He says.

I'm not giving up on Toothless or Dagur.

I tug at the chains again ignoring him.

"Fine." The man says seeming to roll his eyes and lean back against something, I nearly vision him folding his arms across his chest and leaning back against something. Another set of chains clink and I grit my teeth before tugging at the chains wrapped around my wrists.

A sudden rumbling shake rings through the air and it's at that moment that I realize that the movement is what woke me.

I freeze. "What was that?" I ask finally voicing something. My voice is dry and feels like sand clawed it's way down my throat leaving little water and is laughing evily at me as I speak.

"Dunno. Sounds like an attack." The man says in a motto tone.

"...Of what?" I ask.

"Dragons probably. You are aware this is a dragon hunter ship, right?" The man asks and I bite my tongue and clench my fists for a moment letting out a long breath. I'm not because I can't see it. I can't confirm with my own eyes that it is what he says.

"No." I say honestly.

The shake rumbles through the air again and I struggle to keep my balance jerking my head upwards as sounds of battle start to catch my attention.

"Eret." The man says abruptly and I lift my head up in surprise.

"What?" I demand.

"Name's Eret. Yours?" He asks and a small sound of disbelief escapes my lips.

"Now? You wanna talk about this now?" I demand and there's a small beat.

"Don't have anything else to do." He says.

"Hiccup." I say after a moment and he snorts.

"Wow. Fits you well though." He says dryly and I roll my eyes opening my mouth to give a sarcastic retort to that before the ship rocks again and I hear the sounds of battle moving closer towards us, I can make out a pair of swiftly moving feet racing towards our cell.

"Get out of here as quickly as you can." A woman commands, her voice is accented and sounds familiar. I don't know from where.

"Unless you've got a key, love. We aren't going anywhere." Eret retorts. Metal screeching against metal makes me cringe and a moment later a hand grabs my forearm shoving a key into the lock and the cuffs hiss before popping off.

Footsteps move across the ground and I hear another set of metal do the same. "Toothless." I blurt suddenly and I feel both their gazes move towards me, "Have you found a Night Fury?" I ask. I don't care if they attack me or do something to me, I need to know if he's alive and if I can get him out. If I can find Dagur I can get Toothless and him out of here.

"Why?" The woman asks her voice cold.

"He's…" I trail off for a moment. Think of a good lie, think of a good lie, think of a good lie…"mine." I say my voice coming out awkward and stuttering. I inwardly curse.

"I have." The woman says.

"Have." Another voice says and causes a flood of relief to wash over me. Dagur. "You nearly got eaten alive by him."

"Hush, son." She says angrily and my brain makes the dotted line connections in a moment. Son, Dagur. Is this woman our mother or his fake one?

"Well, this was fun." Eret says and I hear him move forward and give a yelp before his voice is drowned out in the chaos above and in the hallway. A shape suddenly shoves itself into my chest and I let out a laugh rubbing over Toothless's head.

"Hey bud." I greet with a smile. He coos and I close my eyes pressing my fingers against his forehead. A small stab of pain washes over me before I open my eyes and stare forward through my dragon's. Dagur stands in the doorway. He looks terrible, the woman, his mother stands next to him.

My eyebrows flurry as Toothless stares at her. She and I despite our ages could be identical twins. A louder shout and a harder rock against the boat rings out and the woman turns to Dagur.

"Go grab Shattermaster and get into the air, you," She turns to me,"Do the same with your dragon, HIccup. Your sister is waiting." She commands and I look at her.

"My what!?