Aimee stepped into the cave and watched the red-haired girl quietly. She was so absorbed in trying to walk that she didn't even notice Aimee.

"Fool," thought Aimee, "just like her friend."

Aimee cleared her throat, and the girl whirled- or tried to. She fell over about half way and the dragon caught her before she hit the ground.

"Thanks, boy," said the girl as the dragon pushed her back to her feet. She glared at Aimee. "Who are you?"

"My name is Aimee," Aimee said with a bow. "Yer friend told me ye'd been wounded."

The girl looked down at her bandaged foot. "I'm fine."

"Nonsense. Ye've sprained yer ankle, if not worse," replied Aimee, pulling a bandage out of her basket. "Let me take a look before ye hurt yerself further."

The girl sighed and sat down.

Aimee quickly scanned her foot. "Aye, just a sprain. Yer lucky ye weren't hurt worse," she said as she rubbed a salve onto the ankle.

Hope winced as she re-wrapped it. "Thanks," she said.

"Yer welcome. Here, drink this," Aimee told her, offering her a skein of water. "It has an herb that helps with pain in it."

Hope looked at it suspiciously.

Aimee chuckled and tipped some into her own mouth. "It's not poisoned."

Hope warily drank a few mouthfuls. "Thanks. It does feel a bit better."

Aimee nodded and held out a fish to Toothless. "You did a great job protecting her," Aimee cooed as he accepted the fish. Toothless purred and nuzzled her.

Hope yawned. " 'M tired. Did Hiccup say when he'd be back?"

"Soon," replied Aimee softly as Hope nodded off. "You'll see him very soon."

She looked over at Toothless, who had also dozed off, and smiled, her eyes glinting.

-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hiccup awoke to a throbbing head. He cracked his eyelids open and groaned as sunlight flooded his vision. His head felt like a rock. He slowly forced his eyes open and looked around. He had somehow ended back in Aimee's cave.

His arms felt strangely heavy.

As he lifted one, there was a rattling sound, and he became aware of cold metal against his skin.

He sat up and looked down at his wrists. As he had suspected, they were enclosed in shackles. "Great," he muttered. He followed the chain with his eyes, noting that they were attached to the bed he was sitting on.

He squeezed his eye shut, his mind racing as he tried to remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was entering Aimee's "short cut". He had just about to suggest trying to find a lantern to see in the darkness when something heavy had struck the back of his head.

He rubbed the spot gingerly, the throbbing increasing as he touched it.

A low chuckle came from his left, and he turned as far as the shackles allowed.

Someone was standing in the shadows nearby, a piece of glinting metal in their hand.

"Who are you?" said Hiccup, peering into the shadows.

"None of your concern," answered a deep voice. "Now be still."

Hiccup sighed and lay back down, the throbbing in his head easing somewhat.

Aimee shuffled back in and whispered something to the person in the shadows. They shuffled off down the tunnel leading to Hope's cave as Aimee stood over Hiccup, blocking his view.

"How's yer head?" She asked.

"Great. Just great. It's not like I got hit in the head or anything."

Aimee chuckled. "My apologies for that."

Hiccup glared at her. "Why? Why the shackles and the kidnapping?"

Aimee's face darkened. "In good time, Hiccup Haddock."

"Wait a-I never told you my name," Hiccup frowned.

Aimee hid a smirk and stood as a massive man stomped out of the tunnel, carrying Hope over one shoulder and dragging a large cage behind him with the other hand.

He placed Hope down on a bed in a surprisingly gentle way before pulling the cage over to a fireplace.

Aimee darted over to Hope and snapped shackles around her wrists.

The man opened the cage door and and began fidgeting with something inside, and Hiccup caught a glimpse of scaly black skin.

"Toothless!" he exclaimed, sitting up quickly.

The world spun around him, and he bent over with a gasp. He closed his eyes and tried not to fall over.

"I told ye to be still," growled the man.

Aimee poured a small amount of liquid into Hope's mouth, and after a minute her eyes opened.

"Where am I?" she groaned.

"My hut," said Aimee. "Ye'll be safe here."

Hope rubbed her head and stared at the shackles in confusion. "What...?"

"Well," sighed Aimee, "I suppose I owe both of ye an explanation."

She settled into a chair near both beds, took a deep breath, and began.