A/N: First thing, I am deeply sorry for leaving you on that cliffhanger for so long! That wasn't my intention, I just got really busy. I'll try not to do that again, haha. I hope you enjoy this chapter! This is far from being the end of this story, there is still so much to come!

From the Depths

Astrid's mind was reeling and she had to force herself to focus so that she wouldn't wobble or lose her balance in her shock. Her mind raced with possibilities as she remembered past events. She supposed, it was possible, even if it was incredible and unlikely. However, the proof was right there in front of her, Ryker was alive. He was tied up and unconscious, but alive nonetheless.

"What do Grimborns and cats have in common?" Tuffnut broke the silence, the first to recover from the shock.

"They have more than one life?" Ruffnut responded, though she didn't seem as amused as she normally would be, eyes wide as she stared at the prone form of a man she never thought she would see again.

"It's too soon for jokes." Snotlout reprimanded disapprovingly.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Fishlegs turned away from the scene, Yrsa's body was still lying there, the bloody dagger sitting in the dirt not far from her.

Eret raised an eyebrow as the others reacted. He hadn't known Ryker, though he had heard things about their time at The Edge, from them.

"Ryker had a family." Astrid asked, though it sounded more like a statement. It was an odd reality and she was having trouble wrapping her head around it. Ryker had never seemed like the type to have a family, he didn't seem capable of love, and had even betrayed his own brother.

Astrid turned to Stoick and Valka who had filled them in on the more important points on their way there, feeling it necessary to check in and make sure Ryker was still bound and to show the group what they were up against. Ryker being alive wasn't something that could just be said, they had to be shown.

There was a girl standing between Valka and Stoick, hands bound. She had been with Hiccup's parents since Astrid and the others had arrived. She looked both ashamed and sad and maybe a little confused, all at once. She hadn't said anything yet, no one had paid her much mind, and even though Hiccup's parents hadn't introduced her or provided some kind of explanation for her presence, Astrid knew who she was. "You're Ryker's daughter."

Katla ducked her head down even more, wincing as she nodded her head. She had looked up to her dad for so long, had even wanted to be like him. Now, she was repulsed by the idea, but also confusingly grieved by the sight of her dead mother and unconscious father. She wanted to get away from them, didn't want to see them, not like this.

"So then where's Hiccup? You were a part of all of this." Astrid demanded, stepping closer, a threatening expression on her face, then she directed her next question at Stoick. "Why haven't you used her to find Hiccup? If she's unwilling to talk, I'm sure I can change that."

"Astrid." Valka put a hand on her shoulder. "We already asked her, she doesn't know."

"Doesn't know or won't say?" Astrid didn't push past Valka, but kept her steely gaze on the girl.

"I don't know." Katla finally met Astrid's eyes. "I'm sorry."

Toothless growled, not trusting Ryker's offspring in the least. His tail swished restlessly and his claws dug into the ground in his frustration. Heimdall was quick to react, sensing Toothless' distress, and came to stand by his side, offering his companionship.

"I understand your distress." Valka stood between the Night Fury and Katla. Valka felt bad for the girl, but she couldn't say that she trusted her just yet. Either way, blaming Katla in that moment was not going to help the situation. "But we don't need Katla to help us find Hiccup, not anymore."

Stoick was already taking action as Valka had been talking, leading Skullcrusher around the area to pick up any scents.

"Ullr went after Hiccup, this way." Stoick indicated the path that led to where Hiccup and Ullr had fought. "Do you have the scent?"

Skullcrusher was breathing in the scents around him, trying to distinguish them from one another so he could pick out the one he was trying to track. Hiccup's scent was very familiar to the dragon, having tracked him before and interacting with him on a regular basis.

Picking out Hiccup's scent amongst the many that were there wasn't the problem, however, it was deciding which trail to follow. One scent trail led back in the direction they had come, but that trail was faded the most. Another trail led in the direction Stoick seemed to want to go, but it wasn't the freshest trail either. The third scent trail cut through the clearing, circled around the area, then continued in the opposite direction of where Stoick was trying to lead them.

"I think Skullcrusher is confused." Ruffnut observed as the bulky dragon circled the area multiple times.

"We know where Hiccup ended up, where he fought with Ullr. I'm sure Skullcrusher can pick up a scent from there." Stoick tried to usher his dragon toward the trail that led to the site where they had found Katla before, but the dragon wasn't having it. He huffed and insisted on going the opposite direction.

"Stormfly?" Astrid gestured for her dragon to join in on trying to pick up the scent trail, but after a few minutes of circling the area much like Skullcrusher had done, the Nadder also insisted on going in the opposite direction.

"They seem to know something that we don't." Valka stated curiously.

"Ullr could have cut back this way with Hiccup while we were at the house, to try and confuse us." Stoick deduced.

"Well, I am confused." Tuffnut admitted. "Ullr is Ryker's son?"

"Yes... my brother." Katla answered, a hint of shame in her voice. "And that sounds like something he would do. He wants to play games."

"Games? You sure he's not Viggo's son?" Tuffnut responded sarcastically. The corner of Katla's mouth twitched in amusement at the sarcasm, though she knew it wasn't the proper time to be amused by jokes. She was just surprised by how well these people seemed to know her father and her uncle. Viggo did like playing mind games with people, but Ullr just wanted to cause them all as much pain and anguish as possible by keeping the hunt going as long as possible, even after they'd already lost everything. He was cruel, like their father, and he wanted revenge.

"We're just supposed to trust what she says?" Astrid glared at Katla again.

"I think she's telling the truth." Tuffnut said, giving Katla a considering look, then he shrugged when Astrid turned her glare on him. "When Ruffnut is trying to trick me, I can see a hint of crazy in her eyes. I don't see that in Katla."

"You should have seen me earlier..." Katla said under her breath, though Tuffnut caught it and also had to hold back a brief moment of amusement at her sarcastic comment. Katla knew she had a wild side, a part of her that longed for adventure, sought out thrills, and was mischievous, but she had let that part of her control her actions for too long now. It was the only part of her that seemed to somewhat fit in with her family, so she'd played it up. Now, she felt subdued as reality set in. She couldn't be like that anymore... she didn't have to be like that anymore. But if she wasn't trying to be what her family wanted her to be, then what was left?

"I say we trust the dragons." Valka settled the matter, breaking through Katla's thoughts. "They know to search for the strongest scent trail, and it must lead that way."

Stoick nodded his agreement and signaled for Skullcrusher to lead the way. He hoped Hiccup wasn't too far ahead of them, his son definitely wasn't in good shape and needed their help as soon as possible. Stoick was grateful that the dragons were there to help them, as well as their friends from Berk, it would make finding Hiccup that much easier. However, he was also concerned about what they would find at the end of the trail. Above all else, he feared losing his son and prayed that they weren't already too late.

A satisfied grin slowly spread across his face as he peered through the bushes at the group of Berkians. They were only getting farther and farther away from the person they were looking for, but they thought that they were on the right trail.

If Hiccup wasn't dead yet, he would be soon.

Ullr looked down at the blood stained, complicated prosthetic in his hand. There were moving pieces, and the wood was worn from constant use. Ullr didn't understand how it worked or why it needed to have so many gears, but that didn't matter. It was doing what he needed it to do. Hiccup's scent was all over it and the newly arrived dragons were following the winding scent trail that he'd purposely created in order to distract them.

He had gone back for it, to the spot where he'd torn it off of Hiccup's leg when he'd attempted a half-hearted escape. Hiccup had cried out in pain and instantly gone down, unable to hold himself up completely on his own for a moment. Ullr had tossed the prosthetic aside and grabbed Hiccup by his good arm, to drag him into an upright position. From there, Hiccup was forced to do an awkward hop, pain jolting through his arm with each movement. Ullr had enjoyed seeing the agony on his face.

Ullr hadn't originally intended to go back for the prosthetic, he hadn't had the need. However, once the dragons had flown overhead, Ullr knew that it was just a matter of time before he lost. There was no getting off the island, no avoiding being tracked down, not with dragon riders around.

However, if he was going down, he was going to take Hiccup down with him. By the time that Hiccup's friends and family caught up to him, Hiccup would be out of time. And Ullr had no intention of talking. He'd die first.

Knowing that he was going to be caught soon, Ullr took one last glance at his pursuers, then he turned and started a slow walk toward the shore. There was no point in hiding or trying to escape. His world was shattered, his family in pieces, there was nothing left but the satisfaction of sweet revenge.

Letting out a slow breath as he walked, Ullr thought back to when he'd returned to the site where his parents had fought Hiccup's parents. He had stared at the scene for a moment, seeing the disturbed ground where they had warred with each other, the blood stains in the dirt, the handle of a dagger protruding from his mother's abdomen, his fallen father.

Why didn't he feel anything?

When Katla had told him that their parents had lost, had died, he had been so upset. He had attacked her for saying such things, for switching sides. But she'd always been different, had always tried too hard. She didn't care about their parents like he did, because she didn't understand.

Not remembering when he'd gotten himself to move, Ullr took the last few steps to stand over his mother's body. He knelt down, set Hiccup's prosthetic on the ground, and cupped his mother's cheek with a hand, letting his thumb run over her skin. Then, he gently gripped the handle of the dagger and slowly pulled, not taking his eyes off her face as he did so.

There it was, a sharp sting in his eyes, a pressure in his throat. He could still feel, he wasn't completely numb. The dagger was set aside.

"Katla thought you were cold and heartless." Ullr said quietly. "But you took care of us, you prepared us to take on the world and survive. You had to be tough on us."

Standing up, Ullr looked to his father. The last memory he'd have of his father would be having disappointed him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to say goodbye to his father yet. He wasn't sure if he wanted to. Part of Ullr wanted to apologize for his incompetence. If Hiccup hadn't gotten away on his watch, then his parents wouldn't have had to fight, and they wouldn't have died. They would have been able to go through with their plan to manipulate Stoick and his wife by using Hiccup against them.

However, part of Ullr was angry. He had always done what his father asked of him without question, had always been a good son, and yet, it was never enough. If only his father could see him now and what he was about to accomplish.

The glare he was directing as his prone father sharpened. Had he just seen movement? Ullr stepped closer, cocking his head, and looking more closely. His father's chest was moving, he was breathing.

Ullr stopped short, mixed feelings swirling in his chest. It was easy to miss his father when he thought he'd been dead, but if he was alive... Ullr didn't want to face the consequences of everything, didn't want to be blamed for all that had gone wrong, because he had let Hiccup get away. His father would punish him, would hate him. Ullr didn't need that, he was done with that.

Again, Ullr didn't remember moving, didn't remember kneeling down next to his father, didn't remember clasping a hand over his mouth and nose.

Ryker twitched in his unconscious state, his body protesting the lack of air. There was a colorful bruise forming on the side of his face, and Ullr focused on that. With a hit to the head that hard, his father probably wouldn't have woken up anyway. This was probably for the best.

Ullr pressed his hand harder against his father's mouth, determined to fight the rising guilt, his eyes watery as he tried to convince himself that this was the only decision he could make.

Then, he pulled his hand away and gripped his head in frustration. He couldn't do it. He wanted to, but he also didn't. Ullr didn't know what he wanted.

Standing abruptly, Ullr stormed back over to where he'd left Hiccup's prosthetic and picked it up. He turned back to glare at his father who was breathing hard but still unconscious.

"Fine, live. But things will be different when you wake up. You'll respect me." With that said, Ullr left to go back to his task.

He had left a false scent trail and was making his way to the beach where he'd wait to be found. After that, he didn't know what would happen. These people were weak, they didn't know how to do what was necessary, so Ullr was sure that he wouldn't be killed. Maybe locked up somewhere. He'd probably end up locked up with his father, forced to care for him until he woke up and recovered. His father's life would be in his hands once more, and he'd have no choice but to finally show his son some respect.

A blurred movement and the sound of rushing air ripped Ullr from his thoughts and he reacted on instinct. He stepped back just in time to see the gleam of an ax slice through the air in front of him.

There was cry of anger as the ax swung through the air again, nicking his arm as he dodged once more. Whoever this was, she was determined, fast, and fierce.

Ullr was unable to attack, constantly on the defense, using Hiccup's prosthetic to block the blade when it came too close, as his attacker forced him to back up in order to avoid being sliced to pieces. He was surprised, having thought that these people would show him mercy, would want him alive so that they could try to force him to talk. He hadn't accounted for the fury and passion that he was facing.

As Ullr tried to sidestep into a more open space so that he could try to get on the offense, a blue spike speared the ground and he was forced to continue backing up and dodging. The prosthetic was torn from his grip as he used it to counter an attack. At this rate he was going to be killed in no time at all.

The fierce blonde woman raised the ax once more, and with another cry, she swung. The blade swished through the air, narrowly missing his face, and then held its position. The blade of the ax remained in front of his face, barely an inch away. The dragon with the spikes stood behind her, tail poised to send another one his way if needed.

Ullr let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he dared to meet her eyes. He had flinched, thinking that he was about to be killed.

"I should have known better." Ullr smirked as he composed himself. "You people are too weak to do what's necessary."

Astrid merely smirked back as she lowered her weapon.

As the warm huff of air hit the back of Ullr's neck, his smiled faded. The menacing growl in his ear confirmed the fear growing in the pit of his stomach. There was a second dragon with her, and it was standing behind him.

It became apparent after some time that the scent trail they were following wasn't going anywhere. Why would Ullr, leading an injured Hiccup along, take such winding, illogical paths across Healer's Island? It didn't make sense, not unless the scent trail was meant to lead them nowhere.

It had been decided, mostly because Astrid wouldn't take no for an answer, that she would take Stormfly and Toothless and circle above, looking for signs of Ullr and Hiccup while the others followed the scent trail, just in case.

While the others had continued on foot, Stormfly had led the search by air as Astrid rode with Toothless. It hadn't taken too long before Ullr had appeared, though it concerned Astrid that Hiccup wasn't with him.

Thinking about what he could have possibly done to Hiccup fueled Astrid's anger. She had directed the dragons to swoop down, and she had attacked with fury and rage. She would get Hiccup back.

As Astrid lowered her weapon, the smirk still on her face, she met eyes with Toothless who had been looming in the shadows. Astrid hadn't actually intended to slice Ullr to pieces, though it was tempting, she had been cornering Ullr, leading him to the Night Fury who was just as furious as she was, just as eager to get Hiccup back.

Upon meeting Astrid's eyes, Toothless took his cue. He let out the most ferocious roar he could, rivaling the one he had let out when Drago had tried to kill Hiccup by trapping him in that ice, and pounced.

Ullr turned and put his arms up in his only form of defense, going down as Toothless knocked him to the ground and pinned him with a giant paw.

"Stormfly, lead the others to us." Astrid directed her dragon, then looked back down at her trapped enemy as her dragon flew away. "Thought you'd outsmarted us, didn't you?"

Sharp claws dug into Ullr's chest and he winced as Toothless applied pressure and growled menacingly into his face. 'Where is my brother?!'

Ullr only laughed, even as he wheezed from the strong pressure on his chest. He had no intention of answering and spoiling the fun.

"I would advise you to answer the Night Fury." Astrid threatened, assuming what question Toothless would be asking if he could speak.

"Whether or not I help you find him, it won't change what'll happen to me." Ullr rasped.

Astrid pulled out her ax and held it to his throat. "I think you will answer. How persuasive would you like me to be? Because I'll do anything to get my future husband back, I promise you that. And the Night Fury? He's Hiccup's best friend and protector. What do you think he'll do to you to get him back?"

Ullr let out a chuckle, only serving to antagonize Astrid further. "I don't believe you. People like you always lose the game, and you know why? You're not willing to do half the things that we are, because something holds you back."

Astrid narrowed her eyes, vaguely aware of her friends and their dragons landing behind her. They didn't say anything or interrupt as they listened to the conversation.

"You're at a disadvantage because you want to be good, and I don't care about morality." Ullr met Katla's eyes from his place on the ground, as she stood a distance behind Astrid. He'd been willing to attack his own sister, he had almost killed his father, all to benefit himself. His gaze returned to Astrid. "What does being good get you? You're here, frustrated and unwilling to do what you need to, wasting your energy and your time. So do your best to try and get me to talk, I guarantee it won't even compare to what I did to your lover."

Astrid let out a slow breath, trying to maintain control and her desire to raise her ax to him again. She lowered herself to one knee so that she could confront him, pounding the handle of her ax into the ground just above his head. Ullr tried not to flinch, but she saw the brief moment of fear in his eyes.

"I'm not at a disadvantage because I know the difference between right and wrong." Astrid told him. "I have something to fight for, my beliefs give me direction and fuel my determination. You're selfish, you fight for yourself. That's where you and your family went wrong, you weren't a team, you were divided. Tracking you down was easy, because I have a team I trust. We saw through your deception, I know Hiccup is probably on the other side of the island if you were leading us here."

Ullr narrowed his eyes at Astrid's words, feeling his ego take a hit. She was turning the situation against him. Astrid let a small smirk grow on her face.

"So... you see, I don't need you." Astrid dragged the handle of her ax through the dirt above his head, moving it closer to herself and allowing the blade of her ax to gleam in the sun. "And the way I see it, I would be doing the world a favor by taking you out."

Ullr did his best not to react to her words, but judging by the look on her face, he wasn't successful.

"You're alone and fearful. That's where your actions got you." Astrid continued, lowering the blade to touch his cheek. "I'm backed by my friends, and we'll find Hiccup-"

"He's already dead."

Astrid faltered, a deep pain spreading in her chest at his words. Her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to find her words.

"You're lying." Stoick's voice growled from somewhere behind her. The group of Berkians exchanged glances of hopelessness. Was Hiccup really gone for good? They didn't want to accept that.

Toothless' claws dug deeper into Ullr's chest and he growled. The scales on his forehead and the spikes along his back began to glow blue again, something that hadn't happened since he'd gone up against Drago and his Bewilderbeast.

'I would know if Hiccup were gone. I would have felt it. I would know.'

"Toothless." Astrid looked up at the Night Fury as she whispered his name. She didn't know what was going on with the dragon, but she knew that he had known that Hiccup was in trouble. He'd been trying to tell her for days, and she hadn't listened. She wouldn't be making that mistake again. "Toothless knows that Hiccup is alive."

"It's a dragon." Ullr got out as his face scrunched up in pain. "What makes you think that?"

"If Toothless thought Hiccup were dead, he'd have already torn you to pieces." Astrid stood back up, ignoring their captive as she set a hand on Toothless' forehead. "You've known all along that Hiccup was in danger, didn't you?"

Toothless glanced at Astrid out of the corner of his eye, his attention divided between her and Ullr. He let out a huff of breath in answer.

"I know, I should have trusted you." Astrid looked down in shame for a moment, before turning determined eyes back on the Night Fury. With her hands, she guided Toothless' gaze onto herself, turning his head away from their captive. "He's not important, Toothless. Ignore him, and focus. Whatever caused you to believe that Hiccup was in danger, use that. Lead us to him."

Toothless stepped away from Ullr, leaving him gasping for breath and clutching his chest, on the ground. The Night Fury closed his eyes, the blue glow emanating from him intensifying. Then, he opened his eyes, a determined look on his face.

He could lead them to Hiccup, but they were running out of time.

Toothless bolted through the trees, all thoughts and his focus completely on Hiccup. Their connection seemed to be fading, and that scared the Night Fury, it meant that Hiccup was fading away, that they were running out of time.

The dragon didn't even know where he was going, was barely paying attention to his surroundings as he let himself be guided by some kind of instinct, by the connection he still shared with his best friend.

Behind him, the others tried to keep up, either riding their dragons as they ran, or as they flew just above the trees. The blue glow emanating from Toothless helping them to keep track of him.

In their haste, Katla had ended up riding Cloudjumper with Valka. She had been hesitant to climb aboard, but the urgency of their situation had forced her to set aside her fear, and allow Valka to help her up. Ullr had been hastily tied up by the twins and Snotlout, then left behind as they rushed to catch up with Toothless and the others. They were confident that their enemy wouldn't be able to escape. Besides, there was no where for him to go, and the dragons would alert them if he actually managed to escape and tried to sneak up on them.

Toothless raced across the island, heading in the opposite direction that they had gone in order to follow the scent trail. Ullr really had been trying to lead them away from Hiccup. The Night Fury maneuvered around trees, jumped over obstacles, and splashed through streams. It seemed as if he would keep running forever, but then, he came to an abrupt halt.

Toothless didn't know why, but he knew that he had to stop. Hiccup was there, somewhere. The others slowed as they arrived in the clearing behind Hiccup's dragon, looking around in confusion. There was nothing there. Just a dirt clearing, some rocks, plants growing at random, and... some clothing items discarded in a pile.

"Where is he?" Fishlegs asked, observing the area like everyone else. Something was off, but none of them could figure out what it was.

"Toothless?" Astrid slid off of Stormfly's back and approached the dragon.

Toothless merely responded with a growl. His eyes were narrowed and he was trying to figure out what had caused him to stop there. He knew Hiccup was close and he knew that he was also running out of time.

Closing his eyes, Toothless focused on Hiccup once more. There was a familiar feeling... that feeling of panic, of claustrophobia, the struggle to take in air. Just like when he and Hiccup had been consumed by that ice.

Toothless knew where Hiccup was.

Eyes darting across the ground, Toothless spotted a disturbed patch of dirt and pounced on it, tearing into it with his claws. Hiccup was down there and he was running out of air.

For a moment, the others watched Toothless with confusion. His actions didn't make sense, but then it dawned on them as Heimdall quickly joined in the digging.

"That patch of ground looked like it had been disturbed." Fishlegs pointed out, the random pile of clothing starting to make sense.

"Oh my gods." Ruffnut exclaimed as it started to make sense to her too.

"Get in there!" Tuffnut motioned for Barf and Belch to start digging too, a few of the others also trying to help though there wasn't enough room for them all to dig.

"They buried him alive." Astrid was finally able to use her voice.

"Don't worry, so long as he was trying to conserve air, Hiccup could survive down there for a while." Fishlegs assured her. "It looks like there was a cache of goods here, Ullr probably buried him in some kind of a crate. Hiccup has a chance."

Stoick and Valka met each other's eyes, exchanging worried glances. They hoped that Fishlegs was right. Hiccup was smart, he would know what to do to increase his chances of survival.

"Hurry!" Snotlout ushered the dragons to dig faster, a rising sense of panic starting to consume him. They had wasted so much time getting here, what if it was too late?

Suddenly, there was a scraping sound as Toothless' claws met with the wooden lid of the crate. Toothless' ears perked up and he scrambled to uncover more of the wooden box.

"Help me pry this off." Stoick was kneeling by the shallow hole, reaching in to grab hold of the lid in an instance, gesturing for Gobber to use his hook hand to help lift the lid off.

With the creak of wood and a grunt from the old blacksmith, the lid popped up enough for Stoick to get his fingers in and tear it free. He didn't even have the chance to see what was inside before Astrid had jumped in.

"Hiccup?" Astrid wanted to be relieved as she hovered over her betrothed, but she couldn't yet tell if he was alive.

"Is he...?" Stoick leaned over the edge to look down, unable to finish his question. He was surprised he had been able to say anything at all, not after the shock of seeing his son in such a state.

Hiccup was laying on the bottom of the crate, his hair disheveled, covered in dirt, scratches, and bruises. One of his hands was bloodied from having pounded at the lid for so long, and the other arm rested across his chest as if he hadn't wanted to move it, as if it were injured. Hiccup's chest didn't appear to be moving along with his breathing. His eyes were closed, and his expression was surprisingly at peace despite the situation he had been in. That only served to worry Stoick even more, now knowing the depths of Hiccup's emotional trauma from the past. Had Hiccup given up and accepted his fate? Stoick knew Hiccup was a fighter, and hoped that he had held on as long as possible.

Valka could feel her emotions in her chest, just waiting to erupt in the form of overwhelming sorrow as she waited. Hiccup looked so beat up, he had probably been in so much pain. He had been all alone, probably scared, and maybe even feeling abandoned once more.

"Hiccup?" Astrid repeated herself as she set a hand on his chest and gently shook him. Her other hand was cupping his face and stroking his cheek. She could feel tears stinging her eyes. "Please..."

Astrid moved her hand from his chest and gently set a few of her fingers on his lips, hoping to feel even the slightest breath escaping him. She froze as her fingers hovered there, all focus on his potential breath.

"Oh gods." Astrid nearly collapsed onto Hiccup.

"What?" Snotlout nearly demanded.

Fishlegs let out a whimper, the twins held onto each other. Eret didn't want to believe that this was how things ended for Hiccup, not after everything he'd been through and survived with Drago not that long ago. He didn't want to have to mourn a friend he'd just gained. Gobber felt like he'd just been in this situation, when Hiccup had been consumed in the ice, and couldn't believe that he was worrying for his friend's life once more. Valka nearly let out a sob, and Stoick felt completely empty inside at the thought of having lost his son. Toothless paced restlessly next to the hole they had dug while Heimdall tuned in to Hiccup, listening carefully. Katla was shocked, she hadn't known the depths her brother was willing to sink to, just to harm others. It scared her.

"No, its's okay." Astrid tied to clarify, though her tears of relief caused some confusion. "He's breathing, just very softly."

"Listen to his heart, is it beating rapidly?" Valka quickly kneeled next to the hole so she could be a little closer. The hole wasn't that deep, Valka could easily touch the top of Astrid's head. There just wasn't a lot of room in the crate that Hiccup had been buried in, there wasn't much room for anyone else down there other than him and Astrid.

Astrid tried to move the arm Hiccup had draped over his chest, out of the way, but as soon as she tried to move it, Hiccup flinched, taking in a sharp breath of air and then letting out a few soft coughs. For a moment she thought he would wake up, but he didn't. At the very least, the reaction meant that he wasn't too far gone, and that made her hopeful.

"Ullr did something to his arm." Katla had told Stoick and Valka, but Astrid hadn't known.

With that new information, Astrid did her best to listen to Hiccup's heart, leaning her head against his chest, and trying not to move his arm again. She tuned everything else out as she focused on his heart. Valka's assumption was right, it was beating faster than normal.

"It's beating fast." Astrid confirmed.

"He's not getting enough air." Valka said. "Can you lift him up enough for us to pull him out? We need to lay him on his side to help him breathe better."

"I can lift him." Astrid knew she could, Hiccup wasn't that heavy. She'd assisted him plenty of times before, when his leg had been bothering him.

Carefully, Astrid managed to maneuver herself into a position where she could lift Hiccup's head and shoulders, being as careful as she could with his injured arm, bringing him into a sitting position as he limply leaned against her. Then, she slipped an arm under his legs so she could carry him in her arms, and stood.

Stoick and Valka were immediately there, taking Hiccup from Astrid. A soft groan left his lips as he was moved around and his arm was shifted, but he still didn't gain consciousness.

Accepting Snotlout's assistance in climbing back out of the makeshift grave, Astrid was quick to be back at Hiccup's side, allowing his head to rest on her lap as he was gently maneuvered onto his side. He was already breathing better and deeper, and Astrid was immensely grateful that they hadn't gotten there any later than they did. If they had, Hiccup would have either been gone, or permanently damaged from the lack of air.

"Hold on, Toothless." Valka used a hand to gently nudge the dragon's nose away from his rider so she could inspect Hiccup's arm and look for any other injuries. Toothless made a sad moaning sound but stepped back as Valka began looking her son over and feeling around his arm.

Hiccup was vaguely aware that something had happened, though everything was confusing. He couldn't think straight, trying to remember what exactly had happened to him to cause him so much pain. Part of him wanted to fight for consciousness, but the other part wanted to fall back into a deep unconscious state where the pain wasn't so bad. He had wanted to go, to be done. It was peaceful there.

Before he could even try to make a decision, he became aware of someone touching him. At first, it was more gentle, but then it started to cause the pain in his shoulder to become more severe. He began to flinch and breathe harder, pained sounds escaping him against his will. His mind immediately went back to his fight with Ullr, how he had wrenched his arm, causing a horrible popping sound that seemed to echo through his body, and resulting in some of the worst pain he'd ever felt. Ullr had lowered him to the ground, had continued to force his arm to move even though it was out of place. Hiccup hadn't been able to stop himself from crying out in pain. He wouldn't let Ullr do that to him again.

Suddenly, Hiccup jolted violently, startling Valka and Astrid. He felt the hands leave him and he sat up so he could have a better chance at fighting back. He lashed out blindly with his one good arm, feeling it connect with something. However, before he could do much more, there were even more hands on him, grabbing at him and trying to pull him back down. Hiccup panicked, it wasn't just Ullr. Had Ryker gotten away? Had he and Yrsa defeated his parents and then come to help Ullr in torturing him? Hiccup struggled harder. He had to get away, he had to make sure his parents were okay. He should have fought harder before, when it had just been Ullr, so that he could have helped his family.

"Hiccup, stop!" A familiar voice broke through Hiccup's delusions and he tried harder to blink his eyes open, to see clearly. Then there were only two hands on him, and they were gently holding and caressing his face. "You don't have to fight anymore, okay? You're safe now. You can calm down, I'm here."

Still tense, but starting to calm down as the familiar, comforting voice continued to assure him, Hiccup finally managed to make his way to full consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with the brilliant blue, loving eyes of the girl he never thought he'd see again. Tears immediately sprung to his eyes as overwhelming relief washed over him. He leaned his forehead against hers, letting the tension leave his body as he tried to catch his breath and gain control over himself. He was safe, it was all over.

A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing, and favoriting! There will be more angst and resolution to come!

Jhousa: Haha, I know, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger. It is close to the end of the chapters on Healer's Island, but the story will still go on for a while longer. I still have to do my version of HTTYD3. I'm glad you liked the chapter though. I do have some plans for Katla in the future. Hiccup and Toothless were kind of reunited, there will be more of them interacting together in the future. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like the new chapter!

GuardianDragon98: Yeah, "Something Wild" is a pretty upbeat and happy song. It just seemed like the right lyrics and song for the situation. Hiccup needed to think about something that would comfort him in that moment, and it was that song. I really like Lindsey Stirling's music.

Silver Sentinel: Last chapter did have a lot of action and fighting, this chapter had less of that. Katla seems to have come to her senses, and a big part of that was seeing that she was expendable to her parents, especially to her mother. Viggo seems to have had an impact on Katla too. The knowledge that Ryker is alive was a shock to everyone, but they couldn't linger on it since they had to look for Hiccup. Ullr has gone a bit crazy. By the time Hiccup started singing the song to himself, he wasn't too concerned about his air anymore. He had accepted his situation and just wanted to calm himself down before he went. Not a lot was resolved in this chapter, but I had to set some things up for later. More resolution is to come!

Millythecatlover: Thank you! I'm so glad you like! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

gandalf nho: Yeah, poor Hiccup. Ullr takes after his father, and it even seems like he is surpassing him in cruelty too.

CHSHicstrid: Haha, I'm sorry about the cliffhangers. Hiccup still has a long recovery ahead of him, but I think this experience is helping him to move forward from some things. I'm glad you like Katla's story arc, I wasn't so sure how people would react to her. She seems to think fondly on her Uncle Viggo, and he had an impact on her in the past. Thank you, it's good to hear that the fight scenes read well. Hiccup's thoughts were very sad and depressing. There is still plenty of angst to come, but Hiccup is learning that he is loved and he is gaining confidence in that knowledge. I'm glad you like Katla!

lilbrowngirl: Your compliments mean so much to me! Thank you! It is true, it can be hard to balance being true to the characters and also putting your own spin on the story at the same time. I put a lot of time and effort into each of my chapters, and I even do quite a bit of research too. It is because the emotions and repressed feelings that these characters are feeling isn't shown in the shows or movies, that I really wanted to write about them in depth. I enjoy exploring all of the characters' feelings and how things have affected them. And yes, all of that symbolism was put in there intentionally! I'm so glad that you noticed it. Thanks again for your kind words, they mean a lot to me. There is still plenty of angst to come, haha, so I hope you enjoy!

Lightbrightfury: I thought the song fit the scene very well, and worked for Hiccup too. I tried to look at the video, but it wouldn't work for me.

Astrid van hofferson: It is a really good song! Lindsey Stirling has a lot of great music. I often listen to her albums while I write. I think "Sleepwalking" is my all time favorite of her songs. Thanks! I'm glad you're liking the story!

corbinace: Astrid kind of gave Ullr a piece of her mind before they found Hiccup, haha. I'm sure she's not done with him though.

Svenhilde: Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words. I'm glad that you like reading my stories and that you think I'm writing the characters well. Sorry I have been slow in updating lately. The next chapter that I post will be the last chapter of "Forge Window." Hopefully I can have that finished in the next couple weeks. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Livre'YsARI: There will be plenty more angst to come! I'm glad that I could give you a chapter to read after finishing your finals. That's true, Hiccup has a long recovery ahead of him, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He's been injured and he's unburying all of his emotions and feelings about the past and finally confronting them. I won't ever stop working on my stories, it is just taking me a little longer to get chapters out because I'm working again after a year off. I appreciate that you think I write Hiccup's mental health so realistically, I really try to get into his head when I write him. I agree, Hiccup is a forgiving person, but there are some big things that have happened to him, caused by his loved ones that would have an impact on him. The others really should be more considerate of him. Katla seems to look up to Hiccup, he's treated her differently than anyone else, showing her kindness. I'm not so sure if she has a crush on him though, haha. But maybe someone else, hinthint. Astrid is being very much an overprotective mother hen though, even if she isn't jealous. Sorry about the wait! I feel bad about that, I haven't had much time for writing lately. That's a lot of questions to answer! All will be answered, over time. The story will get there, I promise. I do a lot of research for my stories and I try to be more realistic with the injuries, though I am definitely not a doctor or medical professional! I'm glad you like my writing so much and that I can provide you with what you're looking for in a story! Thanks for such a great reviews! I am recovered from being sick, though I was pretty much in bed for most of February. I am always working on my stories, but it has just been slower going lately as I have gone back to work. Sorry the updates have been slow to come, but they will never be abandoned.

Romantica 543: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I hope you liked this one too. Thanks you, it's nice to hear that you like "Deviation" so much. I'm also glad that you liked the way I wrote the fight scene. Ullr is stronger and a more experienced fighter than Hiccup. Hiccup was aware of that, but he knew that he was going to lose, he just did it anyway in order to protect his parents. I guess he didn't completely lose then, because he accomplished what he set out to do. That's true, Ryker and Yrsa aren't great parents. I actually did a lot of research on sociopathic mothers in order to write Yrsa. She should have those motherly instincts, but she doesn't. She uses her children for her own gain, she manipulates them. Yes, Ryker is alive and his wife, Yrsa, is dead. Katla is their daughter. As for what is going to happen to Ryker, Ullr, and Katla, you'll just have to wait and see. All of that will be addressed in later chapters. I did bury Hiccup alive, and it is sad to see him in such pain and sorrow, but... I have a tendency to hurt Hiccup in my writing! Sorry, haha. He was saved in this chapter though, but he still has a long way to recovery.

KN Hudson: I'm glad the actions scenes read well and were descriptive enough to help you see what was happening. Hiccup and Astrid trained together, as seen in RTTE, and it looked like Hiccup got a lot better. He is injured, which makes it harder for him to fight, but also, even after his training, I think Ullr is probably the better fighter. Yrsa is a sociopath, and I actually researched sociopathic mothers in order to write her. Ryker and Ullr also seem to be that way. Poor Katla is the only one in that crazy family with any empathy. For sociopathic mothers, their children are just means to an end. They use them for their own benefit. Hiccup was saved in time, though if they were any later, he might have suffered some brain damage from lack of oxygen, but thankfully it didn't get to that point! And yes, Sharpshot lives! Poor thing. Poor Hiccup too, he went through a lot before succumbing to his situation, being buried alive. Sorry about the cliffhanger!

Whiskerface: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the chapter so much. Stoick and Valka are still a good team, even after twenty years apart. Hiccup was determined to keep Ullr from going after his parents, so he fought hard, fully knowing that he was going to lose. It's good to hear that the action scenes were done well and allowed the reader to imagine everything! I went over those action scenes so many times, to make them as clear as possible. The dragons were useful in searching for Hiccup, but it was Toothless' bond with him that saved him in the end. Astrid seems to have noticed something about their bond, though she doesn't understand it. Katla's story isn't over yet! She'll play her part in the story going forward. I think Viggo was the only one in her past who seemed to understand her, even a little, and that helped her when she lost everything and was betrayed by her family. Lots of angst and reconciliation to come!

Tommy: Sorry it has taken a while! I hope you like this chapter. I will keep working on my stories. Thanks for the review!

Guest: Thanks for the review! I will keep working on all of my stories! I hope you liked the new chapter!