A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. I didn't want to update last week while the site was having issues. So I am updating this story and "Forge Window" today. If you haven't checked out my new story, "Forge Window," you should go give it a read!
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Making Plans
It had occurred to her quite suddenly as she watched Eret and Amethyst training, and the thought made her feel guilty. She had been in the space of the old arena, repurposed and altered to meet the needs of the Academy but to also still work for the dragon races. The old team was back together, training the new dragons and helping them to bond with people and live in a Viking world. Everything had been going very smoothly, until she had realized something.
Astrid hadn't seen Toothless all day.
In fact, she didn't think she had seen him since their evening flight the night before. Hiccup's dragon companion had been less than optimistic about the flight, finding no joy in spreading his wings without his best friend. He had wanted to steer Astrid out farther, but she couldn't just leave Berk, not like Hiccup did when he had his father to fall back on. Stoick wasn't there to chief, so someone had to be on Berk.
The disagreement upon their flight path had frustrated the Night Fury and, despite herself, had frustrated Astrid as well. She understood what Toothless was feeling, she missed Hiccup too, so much, but they couldn't just fly away.
In the end, the flight had been cut short and Toothless had stormed off before Astrid could try to offer some kind of comfort or reassurance.
With a sense of guilt and urgency, Astrid quickly excused herself from the reopened Dragon Academy, mentally kicking herself for allowing herself to forget Toothless. Yes, she was incredibly busy these days, but that was no excuse. Toothless had been her support and her ally as interim chief during her time taking over for Stoick. He had backed her and helped her, and she hadn't even considered him today and what he might be needing.
"Toothless?" Astrid let herself into the Haddock household when she hadn't seen Toothless anywhere else. The Night Fury had been staying in Stormfly's stable along with Heimdall each night, so he wouldn't be alone in Hiccup's loft and because poor Heimy had been so confused when he hadn't been able to pick up his Hiccup's sent on Berk anywhere and had cried pitifully, as if lost, in the middle of Berk until Toothless had calmed him.
When no sound or response was heard, Astrid ascended the stairs to Hiccup's loft. She peeked her head into the dim bedroom and saw the familiar dark shape of a curled up Night Fury. As she stepped into the room she saw Heimdall was there too, cuddled up next to his new, big brother.
"Toothless?" Astrid repeated. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you today."
A familiar huff could be heard from across the room, letting Astrid know that he was awake and very much in a mood.
"Hiccup wanted those new dragons trained... I'm just trying to make sure that gets done." Astrid tried, hoping that the mention of Hiccup's task would snap him out of his funk and get him excited about the job again. It didn't. "Toothless... look, I miss Hiccup too. You're his best friend, but he's my future husband. I love him too. You're not the only one missing him."
A soft growl emanated from the darkness. Astrid sighed, she had been too short with him and it hadn't helped his mood at all. When Toothless got attitude, he was hard to handle. Hiccup could do it but Astrid found it difficult.
"Still no letter in return." Astrid kept talking, approaching Toothless as she did so. At the sound of her boots against the wooden floorboards, Heimdall lifted his head, tilting it and sniffing at the air. The person approaching was the female— not the one he was hoping would show back up, not Hiccup. She continued talking. "I'm... I'm honestly getting a little worried."
At those words Toothless lifted his head and turned to Astrid, his green eyes nearly glowing in the dim room. He was worried too. He needed Astrid to understand that his worry wasn't unprecedented. It wasn't just the worry of someone missing their friend, it was a feeling. A strong feeling that something was wrong and that Hiccup needed him. If only he could get there without the help of a rider...
Toothless cooed sadly as Astrid closed the distance between them and reached out an inviting hand.
"It's been over a week..." Astrid looked down, dropping her hand before making contact. "I thought he would have reached out by now, or they would have returned."
She was getting closer to the conclusion that Toothless wanted. He stood up and gave her an intense look, missing the ease in communication that he shared with Hiccup. Even before this newfound connection, Hiccup was always able to understand him like no one else could.
"Do you think things will be bad when they return? Maybe they weren't able to reconcile and that's what's taking so long— they're trying to force something that is going to take time." Astrid came to the wrong conclusion and Toothless huffed again. How could he make her understand? He could feel something within, something that told him that Hiccup needed him. It had been a fluctuating, confusing swirl of emotions that he couldn't explain. Sadness, hurt, a glimmer of hope, despair, then... most concerning of all, panic and fear, grief... Toothless didn't feel these things all the time, but out of nowhere, he'd be hit with an emotion that wasn't his and it would be intense. He immediately knew where it was coming from. It was Hiccup. Though far away, Toothless was picking up on Hiccup's feelings.
Toothless couldn't explain it, but he wasn't frightened by it. He had unlocked something when Drago had almost killed Hiccup, some hidden power he hadn't known he possessed. The Night Fury had spent most of his life away from his kind, he didn't know all that he could do. Risking everything to save Hiccup, feeling an overwhelming desire to protect a loved one, wanting to save his home, and free his kind from the villainous Drago— all of that had culminated in his heart and something had snapped inside, something had awoken. Toothless had felt a power like none he had felt before. He had felt a strengthened connection to Hiccup that he hadn't felt before.
There he was, curled up around his first friend while encased in ice. The one who had changed his world and shown him love. Who had become more than a friend, but a brother to him. Toothless could hear as Hiccup's breath staggered, he could hear the pounding of his heart caused by his fear of the end. And... Toothless could not let that happen. He could not let Hiccup die, though he would have gladly died alongside him, ever the loyal dragon companion.
There had been a blue glow and Toothless had felt a surge of strength and power. He knew what he had to do, what he was meant to do, and took his place as alpha. However, he would not rule alone. Toothless and Hiccup were a team, meant to be together and change the world. Together.
Toothless couldn't completely explain his new connection to Hiccup, but he was sure it had something to do with what had happened in that ice, with him becoming an alpha, and unlocking a Night Fury power he hadn't known he possessed.
Despite all of that, he still couldn't get Astrid to understand how badly he needed to leave Berk. He knew he had been a handful lately, more of a pest than a help. People eyed him, seeing his temperamental mood. The dragons under his care as alpha, stayed out of his way. Toothless didn't want to be that. He didn't want to be grumpy and unfriendly, or an intimidating leader. He just couldn't help his frustration at not being able to be there for Hiccup, whatever his human friend was going through.
Heimdall, disturbed when Toothless had gotten up, decided to get up too. If Hiccup wasn't there to give him attention, he would get attention from his female friend. Astrid laughed softly as the blind dragon nuzzled her side and demanded attention.
"You're a cuddler, aren't you?" She asked, dropping the topic of Hiccup and her worries. "Toothless used to be."
Astrid gave the Night Fury a pointed look and he responded with an unamused expression, snorting in protest.
"We have to take care of Berk while Hiccup and his parents are gone, Toothless." Astrid explained again while she pet Heimdall's head. "I wish I could just leave, we used to have that freedom, but now we have responsibilities."
She was only getting further and further away from the conclusion that Toothless wanted her to come to— that they needed to go find Hiccup. The people and the dragons were fine, Berk was fine, Hiccup and possibly his parents might not be. Toothless growled and started his restless pacing again.
Astrid really wanted to be sympathetic to Toothless, but it was hard when he stubbornly refused to listen and understand. They had to be patient, they had to do their duties.
"Have you ever been away from Hiccup for this long before?" It occurred to Astrid that Hiccup and Toothless were rarely ever separated.
For a brief moment, Toothless stopped his infernal pacing and looked back at Astrid with wide eyes, realizing that it probably was the longest he'd ever been away from Hiccup since they had met.
"How about we come to an agreement?" Astrid proposed after a moment of thought. With slight protest from Heimdall, Astrid stepped in front of Toothless' path, forcing the Night Fury to stop and look her in the eye. "We wait another couple days for Hiccup to respond, and if he doesn't... we can leave someone else in charge and go for a long flight. A flight that just might happen to take us in the direction of Healer's Island. What do you say?"
Toothless stared back at Astrid with his intelligent, scrutinizing eyes. He didn't want to wait that long. What if Hiccup needed him now? What if in a couple days... it was too late? Despite those thoughts, however, Toothless was a aware that this connection was new and he didn't know exactly how it worked yet. Could it be possible that his anxiety over being separated from Hiccup this long, might stem from some of his own personal feelings more so than from Hiccup's? If Hiccup needed them, he would have sent Sharpshot back immediately. Toothless had thought that Hiccup would have sent Sharpshot back as soon as he could anyway, simply because his best friend and his mate were waiting to hear from him.
With another sad coo, Toothless relented. This was the best offer he was going to get. He couldn't make Astrid understand. He couldn't force her to leave. No one else was good enough at flying with his rigging for such a distance. Maybe Fishlegs... but the boy was just too panicky.
For the hundredth time that day, Toothless cursed his useless tail fin. He didn't blame Hiccup, he didn't hold a grudge, he loved flying in sync with his best friend. He just wished he could fly on his own, just this one time, so that he could reunite with Hiccup.
—
The forest around him was a blur as he did his best to run from his pursuer, not recognizing his surroundings. It was a struggle to move fast and it felt like the harder he tried the slower he became. Looking down, Hiccup saw that his prosthetic was missing. He had to hop or crawl, those were his only options.
His breath became heavy and raspy at the continued physical exertion. He felt panic and fear rising at his helplessness— he hated not being able to run on his own. His movement felt awkward because his hands were tied together in front of him.
The feeling of rough rope wrapped around his wrists wasn't unfamiliar, but the feeling of cold, metal chains wrapped around his neck was something new. As the chains caught around his neck, Hiccup was tugged back, his leg flying out from under him as he landed on the ground, on his back.
The pain in his neck was sharp and severe, he had to swallow a few times as he recovered, coughing as he tried to find his breath. The distant sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention and Hiccup forced himself to blink open his eyes, expecting to see the form of the creepy girl looming over him, having captured her prize.
Alarms went off in Hiccup's head as the looming figure wasn't who he had expected. Towering above him with a cruel smirk on his face, was Krogan. Hiccup swallowed again, feeling the pressure of the chain against his throat as he did.
"Did you think you could escape me?" Krogan said in his deep voice. The sound of a familiar chuckle sent Hiccup's heart racing and the sight of Ryker appearing from behind his captor made his eyes widen.
Ryker passed a heavy bag to Krogan in exchange for a dagger, then he circled Hiccup with a murderous glint in his eyes. Hiccup struggled to sit up, but then felt the chain around his neck being tugged once more.
The dagger was raised up in position to strike, and Hiccup decided that he'd rather have the chain tug at him again than have Ryker bury a dagger in his chest. Hiccup struggled some more, trying to get up and move away but finding it difficult without his prosthetic to aid him.
Krogan and Ryker laughed at his panic and helplessness— they had him right where they wanted him. With a quick movement, Ryker thrust the dagger down toward Hiccup's chest.
Hiccup sat up, gasping, suddenly wide awake. There was someone hovering nearby, gentle hands stroking at his hair and patting his arm. He vaguely recognized that the gestures were an attempt at comfort, but the last thing Hiccup wanted in that moment was someone to be touching him, not after the memory of the day the bounty on his head had caused him to be captured again and again, passed from adversary to adversary in their greedy quests.
Hiccup shook off the hands touching him and tried to orient himself, slowly coming to realize that someone was talking to him.
"...Hiccup?" The gentle voice of Valka came from right next to him. "You were dreaming... it's okay."
Stoick and Valka had taken turns either standing watch or sleeping that night, insisting that Hiccup needed the rest more than they did. After a little stubbornness, Hiccup had given in. He was very tired, having spent a good portion of the day running all over the island. On top of that, his amputated leg was sore, and that had him worried. He feared it cramping up and causing him pain, making him vulnerable at the worst times. It had been a developing fear ever since he had lost his leg, to be incapacitated when enemies were near or when people were counting on him for something.
However, when he had wanted to reattach his prosthetic before trying to get some rest, his parents had both insisted that he give his leg a break from the device. Hiccup had wanted to protest, not sure if he could sleep while worrying about being left vulnerable, but he hadn't wanted to explain to them why he was insisting on wearing it. Eventually, he had managed to fall asleep anyway, though it was restless and full of bad dreams and traumatizing memories.
"Where's my...?" Hiccup looked around himself frantically, still disoriented from his sudden wakefulness, the lingering fear of being unable to run away while being pursued still there. When Hiccup spotted his prosthetic laying nearby, he reached for it and immediately began to reattach it.
"Maybe you should keep it off for a while longer." Valka suggested when Hiccup winced as the prosthetic connected with his stump. It wasn't like they were planning on leaving the cave anytime soon. They didn't know where else to go. Hiccup simply ignored her as he tightened the remaining straps. He was already feeling better, his anxiety slipping away as he was assured by the prosthetic's presence.
Stoick watched from his position, nearer the cave entrance. It had been his turn to stay up and keep watch as his son and wife slept nearer the back of the cave. Then Hiccup's sudden sounds of distress and his agitated movements as he slept fitfully, had woken Valka and gained his attention. Valka had done her best to comfort Hiccup as he woke in a frenzy, but it didn't seem to have done much good.
Stoick knew that Hiccup sometimes had a hard time sleeping. He remembered how when Hiccup had lost his leg, he had tossed and turned a lot, in his sleep, reliving the battle with the Red Death. Since then, Hiccup had gone through a lot of things fit for nightmares— battles, near death experiences, being snatched from his own home... So many things. Stoick was not surprised that after everything with Drago and coming to Healer's Island, that Hiccup's fitful sleeping was back. Though it still worried him.
Hiccup was not a warrior at heart, even if he could do battle, he was not violent or rough, his tendencies were more gentle and kind. Hiccup wasn't like everyone else— the Vikings who did what was necessary, could be merciless, and fight without remorse, because if they let those things get to them, they would be weak and would fall. Hiccup may be brave, willing to fight for his people and loved ones, and strong in his own way, but he let himself feel everything and sometimes those things haunted him.
"This isn't the first time you've..." Valka paused as she thought of the best way to word her worries, not wanting to make her son uncomfortable or embarrassed. "You've woken like this before, from a fitful sleep. Is there... is there anything you want to talk about?"
After having secured his prosthetic to his stump, Hiccup had been able to calm down more, his breathing slowing, and their situation coming back to him. However, at his mom's words, he felt an inkling of panic return, still afraid to confide in his parents. He had agreed to work on their relationships, to give them another chance, but... sharing his feelings and fears wasn't something he was very accustomed to.
"It was just a dream." Hiccup answered quietly with a shrug, as if waking in a panic once again, was nothing.
"...well, what happened in your dream?" Valka was hesitant to ask, not wanting to push Hiccup to share when he was just beginning to let them in. Hiccup glanced at her from the corner of his eye, still not entirely comfortable with the attention he was getting from both of his parents.
"It was more of a memory, really... or at least based off of one." Hiccup answered vaguely, though his answer only served to alarm his mom. What memory could have caused him to wake in such a state? Before Valka could ask any more questions, Hiccup winced and rubbed at his leg, feeling as if his leg was about to tense up again.
"If you took off your prosthetic more, your leg might not get this bad so often." Stoick softly reprimanded, having told Hiccup on countless occasions. "My father had a prosthetic too, he didn't wear it all the time, said it wasn't good for the stump."
"I take it off when I need to." Hiccup replied shortly as the feeling in his leg thankfully subsided, then remembered himself. Glancing between his parent he could see the worry on their faces. He didn't need his mom to remind him, he was getting defensive again. His dad only wanted to understand why he put himself through this— irritating the skin of his leg, putting too much pressure on it— when he knew what it would lead to. His dad was trying to look out for him, to make sure that he wasn't in pain or bad health.
"I don't mean to make you feel the need to be defensive, I only worry." Stoick said softly as he walked across the cave to be closer to his family, affirming Hiccup's thoughts. With a sigh, Hiccup gave in, having already told his parents that he wanted things to work out between them. He had to make an effort too, not just them.
"I know... I'm sorry." Hiccup said in a more gentle tone. He looked up at his dad, nervously, before continuing. "I've been having a lot of dreams lately, of past... experiences. The fight with the Red Death, nearly drowning, being stuck in that ice... and just now, the time that there was a bounty on my head and Krogan tried to turn me over to Ryker for a prize."
Valka placed a hand on Hiccup's back, though she didn't know the whole story behind all those incidences or even who Ryker was. Stoick, after looking over his shoulder at the entrance of the cave, finally decided to sit down next to his wife and son. The morning sunlight was starting to fill up the cave, but there was still no sign of the cruel people out there who were hunting them down.
"I guess the whole, being hunted thing, was what brought on the dream about Krogan." Hiccup guessed. "And... Drago brought back everything else."
"You and Toothless nearly died." Valka commented. "Going through something like that would affect most people."
"You made it out of all of those incidences. When you were taken because of the bounty, we came for you." Stoick assured his son.
"...I know." Hiccup answered without much confidence.
"Then what is it that's really bothering you?" Stoick finally asked after a moment of silence.
"I don't know..." Hiccup drew his knees in and leaned against them. "There's just been a lot of things going on lately. It's been one thing after the next... I've just been stressed... I don't..." Hiccup took a deep breath, not sure how is dad would respond to what he had to say. "I don't think I'm cut out to be chief. I made a mess of things. I make too many mistakes and I can barely even take care of myself— I'm always relying on Toothless to get me out of situations. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."
Valka and Stoick exchanged a glance as Hiccup closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face. He really did look stressed. Stressed and tired. They had thought he was only worried about their family trip, about trying to mend their family. They both should have realized that Hiccup was dealing with a lot more than just that. That while they were only focused on trying to fix what was broken between them and their son, Hiccup was dealing with that and so much more.
"And now I can't even walk on my own, I have to rely on this." Hiccup gestured to his prosthetic with some bitterness. "I don't like taking it off... because it makes me feel vulnerable."
It spoke volumes that Hiccup was deciding to open up to them without a lot of prompting, that he was willing to share with them some of his deepest fears.
"I don't like the idea of being caught unawares, or being unable to get up in a hurry if I need to, or... being unable to move or get away if there's danger. I can't protect myself properly if I can't even stand right." Hiccup admitted. "What if my leg cramps up again and I'm completely incapacitated? Or they find us and I don't have it on?"
"We'll protect you." Stoick said simply, and Valka nodded her head in agreement.
"...I don't want to be a burden to anyone." Hiccup took a moment to respond. It was such a simple answer from his parents, it almost wasn't satisfying. Hiccup didn't like to ask for help, he didn't like not being able to take care of himself. It made him feel weak, to have to rely on others. Sometimes it was hard to trust in others to be there for him when he really needed them.
"You're not a burden to us, Hiccup." Valka stroked some of his hair behind his ear, her hand brushing against one of the braids that she knew Astrid had placed there, causing a small smile to come to her face. "We're a family, we take care of each other. If one of us needs help, the others will happily be there for them."
"We won't let anything happen to you. If your leg is hurting you, we'll protect you. I promise." Stoick looked into his son's eyes, promising him safety in earnest. Hiccup would get out of this. If any of them were to make it, Hiccup would, even at the cost of his own life. Stoick knew Valka felt the same way. Ideally, though, they would all make it, and then they could all finally be together as a family. "And you'll make a great chief, Hiccup. Gobber had a lot of good things to say about your time as interim chief, all the people did— you have their support. If you ever need help or are struggling, I will always be there to help you, and so will your mom. And you'll have Astrid and Toothless by your side, and your friends. Being chief doesn't mean you have to do everything alone. You won't be alone, you'll have support."
After a moment of consideration, Hiccup accepted their answer and nodded. Even if right now his relationships with is friends seemed uncertain, they had worked together as a team in the past. In their best moments, they made up for each other's weaknesses with their own strengths. They had each other's backs and took care of one another. Hiccup would trust in his parents to have his back, just like he would have theirs if they needed it.
With a smile, Valka pressed a kiss to Hiccup's head and embraced him. She liked that Hiccup was allowing it now. Though, she leaned away from him with some embarrassment as her stomach made an obvious sound in hunger. They hadn't eaten since the previous morning, if she was remembering correctly.
"We need to find some food." Stoick stated the obvious, he was getting hungry too.
Hiccup twisted his body so that he could reach his satchel that he had previously been resting his head against. Once it was in hand, he rummaged around in his bag before pulling out a cloth where he had several strips of yak jerky stored— Hiccup was glad that he had restocked it back at camp before all of this had happened. He offered some to his parents before taking one for himself, wrapping up the rest and storing it back in the bag.
"You have just about everything in that bag, don't you?" Valka commented with amusement.
"I like to be prepared." Hiccup answered. Valka and Stoick exchanged another look, though this one was more in amusement than their previous worry. That made sense, that Hiccup liked to feel prepared, especially after what Hiccup had just confided in them about. Perhaps they should have realized.
"It's certainly coming in handy now." Stoick said gratefully. He hadn't known what they were going to do about food. Going out to hunt would only put themselves at risk of being hunted. How exactly do you fight against an enemy you can't see, who can attack you from a distance with arrows? Their enemies knew the forest so well, had been able to watch them without being seen. He had yet to come up with any form of a plan.
"My supplies won't last long, though..." Hiccup brought up the very issue Stoick had just been thinking about. Eventually, they would have to leave the cave.
"Well, I suppose we have a few options." Valka decided that it was better to make plans now, then to put it off and not know what to do. "Hiccup mentioned that we could try to get to the boat. Or, we could wait things out, our people will come for us eventually." She looked to Stoick. "You left our stash of food on the deck, where out boat used to be. We had a few other supplies at the camp too."
"It would be risky to fetch them. We'd risk leading them back to this cave." Stoick pointed out a flaw. "I'm not sure about the boat either. What if we risk everything to get to a boat, and it is no longer in one piece?" Stoick had his doubts. Hiccup had told them, the family that was hunting them down had made their house of horrors out of planks of wood stripped from ships.
"I don't think they would have taken it apart so quickly." Hiccup addressed Stoick's concern. "I had the same concern, but they were looting the trade ship yesterday, they hadn't even gotten to ours yet. It takes time to take apart a well built boat like ours anyway and even longer to take apart a large ship. If one is unusable, we take the other."
"And if they damaged them both, so that we can't escape?" Stoick questioned, wanting to go over every option. Between him and Hiccup, they could contemplate every option before them. With Valka's help, they only became that much stronger of a team.
"That might be giving them too much credit." Hiccup muttered with his usual sarcasm. Once the sarcasm made it's appearance, it was usually a good sign that Hiccup was acting more like himself. Stoick chuckled softly, despite their dire circumstances. It was nice to see Hiccup coming out of his shell once more.
"Perhaps for the... for, uh, Katla and Ullr." Valka thought it felt odd, referring to the murderous siblings by their names, but she didn't know how else to refer to them. "They don't seem very well educated, though they're certainly conniving. Their parents, however, sound like very manipulative psychopaths. They may have thought of that."
"Who teaches their children to hunt and murder people?" Stoick, though he knew he had his failings as a father, couldn't approve of how these children had been raised. They thought themselves obligated to what others had gained through hard work. They felt entitled to whatever they could acquire, through any means. They had no sense of right and wrong. The two siblings had worked together, but they also acted like rivals. Katla was jealous of Ullr's success and how their parents seemed to favor him. She wanted a chance to prove herself, which was why she had targeted Hiccup and come up with some plan that involved his capture. On top of that, the boy had been named after a god who hunted with the bow. He had been groomed to be the hunter he was today.
"Is there somewhere else we could take shelter, after retrieving our supplies?" Valka asked Stoick, he was the one who knew the island best.
"Probably, but we wouldn't know if we were safe. They're good at hiding. They could even be watching us now." Stoick didn't think fetching their supplies was very safe either.
"No matter what we do, we'd be taking a risk." Valka pointed out. "But our situation can't get any better if we don't try something."
"They're hoarders." Hiccup spoke up. "They probably already gathered the rest of our things anyway. The best place to go for infinite supplies, is their makeshift house."
Stoick and Valka looked to Hiccup with interest and some surprise. It was certainly unorthodox, not something that would be expected of them as most people in their situation would try to put as much distance between themselves and their enemies as possible.
"That's assuming that we decide to gather supplies and then try to wait for some kind of rescue, and we have no idea how long we'd be waiting anyway, or if they'd find us before being hunted down themselves." Hiccup said.
"You didn't respond to Astrid, she'll be getting worried." Stoick pointed out. "Same with Toothless. They'll come for us, and those people won't stand a chance against them either."
Hiccup looked down for a moment, trying to reign in his grief and sorrow at the reminder of Sharpshot's loss. He felt his father's hand on his back in support, and Hiccup was actually grateful for it.
"I suppose that's true." Hiccup finally agreed. "Hiding out just seems..."
"Cowardly?" Stoick finished when Hiccup didn't seem to know how to finish his sentence. Hiccup shrugged. "They have the advantage and unless we know how to turn the tables, I don't see fighting our way out as an option."
"Perhaps we should hold off on taking any form of action right now." Valka suggested, thinking things through. "We have some supplies if we use them sparingly. They might not know where we are right now, so going out would only draw attention to ourselves. What if, during the time that we're living off of the supplies we have now, rescue comes? Then risking ourselves wouldn't have been necessary. We can worry about taking action when we don't have any other choices left."
"That won't be in too long." Hiccup stated. "I don't have a store of water and not much more food."
Water was the one thing that Hiccup didn't have. Using ceramic containers for storing water was common, but not something he wanted to put inside his satchel that got bumped around a lot and often held a sketchbook.
Valka took a deep breath, realizing that Hiccup was right. They couldn't hold on that long without water, it was more important than having food. Besides that, they needed to keep their strength up as best they could, in case while they were hiding out in the cave, they were attacked by the family of hunters.
"So what do we do?" Valka asked the big question.
"I think Hiccup had the right idea." Stoick answered after a moment of thought. "We should go to their hut. It's our best chance of getting supplies and maybe... we can sabotage them somehow."
"What if they're there?"
"We'll need to draw them out." Hiccup answered his mom's question.
"Do you still have you paper and pencil?" Valka looked to Hiccup. "It would be helpful if you could draw the layout of the house and the area around it, so we know what we're working with."
Hiccup nodded his affirmative answer and dug through his bag, pulling out his sketchbook and charcoal pencil, then opened it to a blank page.
—
A/N: Thanks for reading! I had a couple of you reach out to me and inquire about when this story would be updated and asking how I am, since I hadn't posted in a while. It was so thoughtful! I love getting feedback from my readers and I appreciate every one of you supporting my stories and encouraging me to keep writing!
JustANormalHTTYDFan: It was about time that the three sat down and had a good talk. Both Stoick and Valka had a lot they needed to admit to and apologize for. Hiccup opened up even more in this chapter, telling his parents about his fears and worries.
Silver Sentinel: They've spent all this time together and their relationships were only deteriorating. They did need this talk, badly. They are going to need to work together and trust each other if they are going to get out of there alive. Stoick and Valka had to be brutally honest, even though their words were hurtful to Hiccup, it was what needed to be admitted. Stoick has worked hard to change for his son and Valka is in the process of trying to make changes for her son. Hiccup wants to trust them, and he's willing to give them a chance so that they can be a family and stop hurting each other.
Yubel578: I know, right? Poor guy.
Guest: It was always my intention to take this story in a darker direction. If only HTTYD and the shows weren't at least partially intended for children, it could have have gotten into darker and angstier themes, it could have escalated the battles. My story won't ever go above a 'T' rating though. I'm glad you are liking the direction I took. I am a Hicstrid fan too, so don't worry, there will be some cute moments between them as well as more interactions. Thanks for reviewing!
CHSHicstrid: It was finally the right moment for them all to come together and resolve some things. They will be needing to work together and despite everything that has happened between them, they do all love each other. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and thank you! I could definitely see how emotional you were! This chapter had some emotional moments too, though not as many as the last one.
Romantica 543: Hello! Oh, yeah, I don't think their relationships could be mended in a few short sentences. I don't really like that in stories either. There was a lot that Stoick and Valka had to admit to and put out there in the open. Valka expressed her weaknesses and how she wants to work on being better and how she regrets her mistakes. Stoick had an answer for Hiccup this time. And Hiccup had gone through something similar with Astrid, in needing to express pains from the past and move forward, but stronger and with some changes. So Hiccup was willing to do the same with his parents, because he wants them to all be a loving family and doesn't want anyone to feel hurt anymore. I'm glad you liked their reconciliation scene. I have considered finding a way to write Hiccup and Astrid's story about how their relationship became stronger, into this story, but I haven't figured out quite how to do that yet. So it is a possibility that it will show up in this story as a flashback or something someday, but we'll see.
KinglyRoom59363: Thank you so much! Their family relationship has been a big part of this story so far, so it did need to be addressed. It seemed like the right moment for them to all come together and have the talk that they've needed since the beginning. Now Hiccup is starting to open up to them more and they are all making an effort to be a loving family.
corbinace: That's true! Astrid would tear Katla apart.
Ysabelle Anne R. Inoncillo: I'm doing well, just didn't update last week because of the glitches on the website. Sorry about the wait! And thank you so much! I'm so happy that you like my stories so much. And I'm sure I will find a way to keep bringing up Hiccup's issues, angst is what I like to write most, haha. I already brought up some more issues in this chapter, with Hiccup's fears and worries. Thanks for the review!
watermelon04: I hope you liked this chapter!
KN Hudson: It does make sense that Stoick would have some issues with Valka. So far he was willing to set those issues aside in favor of moving forward and having time with his wife to cherish, since they didn't have the last 20 years together. But when it comes to Hiccup's safety, he will speak up and he did have issue with Valka's actions. Hopefully now Hiccup can be more open with his parents and feel less vulnerable when they see his weaknesses. He opened up a bit in this chapter and they assured him that they would be there for him.
