I've decided to not upload weekly. When I started this in December I was thinking I would only get to upload every three to four weeks. Most people don't upload until a couple months. I'm of course not going to do that, but I didn't think I would've gone through 13 chapters in only four months. I can't upload weekly, but I'll try to upload as fast as my procrastinating brain is capable of. Thank you for all your support and hang in for chapter 14. Enjoy...

"... and that's how I got here." Pache finally finished her story which because of Valka's questions and her tendency to get into great detail, it lasted a few hours. Striker was asleep, curled up around Pache, and Cloudjumper was curled around Valka.

"That's a terrible story. I'm sorry for all you had to go through." She sympathized.

"It's not that bad. Yeah, the cuts and bruises hurt, but I got to see my grandpa, and mom, and I got to hit that ol' meany Alvin with a lightning bolt! C'mon, you gotta admit those were some pretty good times." The enthusiasm made Valka laugh, but at the mention of grandfather, she didn't laugh as hard as she might've.

"So, repeat your name again."

"Apachexaterrascorpioarosalight Treacherous Haddock."

"What were you parents thinking?"

"I know right? Then again, I guess it runs in the family. My dad's name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, so I feel like I got lucky on my part. I like long names, like my dad's, but I don't even know how they came up with mine." Pache suddenly had a coughing fit and Valka rushed to get a mug of water.

"Here, drink this. Oh, you poor dear." The cup was put to her lips and she drank it greedily.

When she was done Striker nudged her and asked, "Are you okay Pache?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little thirsty, that's all." She replied.

"So, you really can talk and understand their language." Valka observed.

"Yeah. I learned by being around them all my life. I learned two languages. My uncle Toothless, and my Dad helped me out. It was a little confusing, and I do tend to switch from norse to dragonese, but It's funny seeing people and dragons reactions for the first time. Priceless." She giggled.

"I'm not that surprised. I always figured there was a way for us to communicate. Of course we can communicate by bond, but It's good to know there's an even deeper level that our relationships can go."

Pache pondered on this for a minute, and noticed a slight tense in Cloudjumper's movements. "Well, I need to go tend to some dragons' injuries I'll be back in a short while. Cloudjumper, can you stay here and watch her with Dreamstriker?"

He nuzzled her. "Yes." Even though Valka couldn't understand him, she knew his answer. Just before she was about to leave Pache said, "Wait! I want to say something."

"What is it?"

"I think you would make a good mother." Valka tensed and sighed.

"I'm too old, and I wasn't there for my child to be a mother."

"Well, I think you would make a good grandmother at least." Pache tried to comfort the distressed woman. It worked as a smile spread across her face, and she left the cave.

Once she was out of sight and earshot, Pache turned to the stormcutter and asked, "She's not your bonded, is she?" He nearly jumped out of his scales and his eyes went to slits.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

"You tensed up when Valka mentioned bonded. Also, she can't understand you. Well, she can understand you, but not when you talk. She should be able to. My dad is on the verge, I can tell, because he's been with Toothless for so long. But you and her have been together for sooooo long she should be hearing your voice by now"

"Treacherous little girl." He grumbled.

"So, what's the real story? What happened? Where's Valka's bonded?" Cloudjumper paused for a minute, considering whether or not he should tell her. Finally, he closed his eyes and let out a puff of smoke.

"Dead. She's dead."

"What! How?"

"It's a long story."

"Hey, don't pull that on me! I just told you mine, now it's your turn to repay the favor."

"Very well. Valka's dragon was a stormcutter, like me. She was my mate as a matter of fact. No other dragon would take her because one of her scales was tinted an odd color. But, I looked past the oddity and saw how strong she was. Indeed, other than that one scale she was the perfect specimen, and we were a proud couple. She was pregnant with our eggs. It was probably around the same time Valka was pregnant with her son. One day, we were out, flying when something fogged our minds, and suddenly, we were unable to control ourselves. Something had taken over our minds."

"It was the red death!" Pache remembered the story her father told her about the terrible dragon he defeated, and how it would mind control others into slavery.

"Indeed, young one. Anyway, we raided a village and did the most unspeakable thing to the humans. My mate was on the far side of the island, so with what little control I had, I went to help her. But what I saw was unbelievable. She was playing with a young baby. She'd always had a thing for hatchlings, but a human was odd. A human was there, just as shocked as I was. Then, they turned to each other and I saw a spark in their eyes, and in that odd scale on my mate's chest.

"Then, a man attacked, and the woman was taken off by her. In the split second when a small bit of our minds cleared up, we flew back to this nest. Valka, the one who my mate carried off, was accepted as one of us due to her kindness, and skills in healing. Her inventions and brilliant ways of thinking was great. The sad thing is the only time she saw her bonded was during the raid.

"She was unconscious while my mate went out for a flight, and was killed by trappers. When I found her, the trappers had skinned her. I burned their camp, and killed everyone in it. I am ashamed now of my merciless thinking. To honor her death, I burned the rest of her body, took her scales to the peak of the clouds, and let them rain down into the ocean.

"Upon returning here, the human woman was shocked, and grieving. But then she warmed up to us, and became a great asset. The white king, leader and creator of this nest, can speak to us in our dreams, and because Valka had a bonded he was able to communicate with her too. He explained the bonded, but never told her who she was actually bonded with. She just assumed it was me. We have stopped trappers, and rescued other dragons, each driven for something great, but for different reasons. Valka does it for peace. I do it for my mate, so that she may feel honor in her death." Cloudjumper finished.

"Wow." Pache said, stunned slightly by the story. "If you don't mind me asking, what was your mate's name?"

"Her name was…. Orescala. But, I'm sure Valka would've called her Scale gold. I'm sure of it."

"It's a beautiful name."

"It fit her features." His eyes were shiny, and had a glimmer in them as he recalled memories. "Our hatchlings would have been beautiful, fine specimens. I can only imagine what they would look like now." And he did imagine. His heart swelled with joy and sorrow, and it radiated off of him so obviously that it almost made Pache cry. Almost.

"Do you feel better now that you've told someone?" Pache smiled.

"Of course I do. You planned this didn't you?" He turned and cocked his head toward the young girl.

"I made me feel better to tell my story, and I could see sorrow in your eyes. It's so obvious it nearly killed me." She said in a dramatic, fake way, and covered up her face with her hands to hide her smile.

"You're a treacherous little thing aren't you?"

"What else would I be? You know, I should make this my trademark."

"Your what? Oh no, no,no,no. No crazy ideas."

"Too late."

A note. It was a simple note, but it held so much more. It held hope and comfort that Pache was okay. Alive. It was one more clue, one more step, to finding her.

And Astrid couldn't stop re-reading it. It read…

To whoever will find this,

I need you to give this to Mr and/or Mrs. Haddock. I want to tell you I am alive so don't worry. Alvin needs me for something big, and he won't kill me. By the way, Alvin Kidnapped me. He says he's taking me to someplace called Camelot, which is on the other side of the world. We will soon stop for some things and it will give you time to catch up. I overheard him saying something about where we are. We are going to…

The note was a big help. The problem is that the rest was blurred by wet ink. Still, Astrid knew Hiccup could put together clues, along with Berk and the dragon's help.

Over and over again she read it as she rode on Stormfly to Freyja. Over and over and over and over again. All the while thinking, Am I a good mother? Even though I know I couldn't do anything to stop my daughter's kidnapping, or her loss of power control, I still could've been with her all those years. No, I should've been, despite my situation on Berk. Family is more important.

When arriving she hopped off her nadder and ran inside, where a nightmare was guarding the entrance. He looked skeptical at first to let her in, until he saw Stormfly and recognized her as Pache's mother. He bowed his head in respect and moved aside to let Astrid pass.

Astrid then turned to Stormfly and asked, "Can you find Hiccup for me girl?"

"Of course, Astrid." She responded, but Astrid only heard a squawk. She sniffed the air for his scent, and walked on, Astrid following not far behind. After stopping to ask a few other dragons for questions, the nadder knew immediately where to go. Pache's room.

When they arrived at their destination, Astrid ran into the cave toward where Hiccup was sitting on Pache's bed, holding something. A piece of paper. "What have you got there?" He jumped, startled, at his wife's sudden appearance.

"Oh, it's just you Astrid. You scared me."

"I see that. So, are you going to answer my question?" He looked at the paper for a moment, and then smiled.

"I, with what little free time I have, was looking for clues that could help us more in finding her, and I found this under her pillow." He handed her the paper, and her eyes widened.

It was the one letter she was able to send to her daughter. The only one. The one with the lullaby on it. The one Astrid spent so long thinking about what to put. The only letter she'd cried for two days over. The one she was afraid would hurt Pache if she said the wrong thing. The one that could've jeopardized their secret. It made her eyes water, and she wanted to cry again, but she didn't.

"I just realized I have been staring at it for a while. You snapped me out of my daze." Astrid looked away for a moment and saw his eyes were watering. "When you sent that, it made me wonder what would've happened if the roles were reversed, and you were here for her. She'd probably be raised better. A little girl should have a mother more than a father. While I feel so blessed to have had her, I feel bad as well. For you, and for her.

"I know you love her, and she loves you more than you think. Every night, she's asked Thor to look over those she most loves, you being one of the first. Every night she wanted me to sing that lullaby, and she'd sing along. I'd hear her hum it in the morning, and at noon. She doesn't know it, but I've seen her sneak a glance at the letters you sent me.

"Astrid, she loves you so much, and you love her just as much. I know you wish you could've been there for her all those years, but the truth is… you were. You were always there with her. When she sang, when she read your words and handwriting, when Stormfly came to visit every now and then, and when she prayed. Even when she looked at dragon mothers she smiled and knew you were there. She drew your face based on my sketches, and when hearing stories about your heroics and physical training she'd attempt what you did.

"There was you in everything she did because… she is you. She is you and me, but you most of all. I see it everyday in the way she walks, the way she talks, the way she looks, and the way she can smile, immediately brightening everyone's day. It's amazing how much you two are alike. You weren't there physically, but she's turned out more like you than she could've ever turned out like me. You're a good mother, even if you're unsure of it. I just want you to know that." Hiccup finished. Astrid's eyes were leaking tears, and her jaw was dropped.

Suddenly, she hugged (tackled) her husband, and kissed him hard on the lips. When she pulled back she was smiling hard. "I love you so much, Hiccup. Thank you." She said.

"For what?"

"For always knowing what to say. Now," She held up the note from Pache, "let's go find our beautiful girl."