𝓑𝓮𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓭

Chapter 53 - The Sanctuary

The riders pushed against the icy northern wind, they had reached the northern waters about halfway through their journey, Astrid was experiencing this feeling for a second time. This mission was risky, even more so with her betrothed angry and upset, his emotions were clouding his judgement of those around him, he was still suffering.

"He's stubborn Astrid, he won't stay put," Heather flew up beside her friend, Dagur on the other side nodding as he made sure his armour was tight, he didn't like the cold. The blond flipped her mask up and looked over at Heather rolling her eyes, she knew that Hiccup was stubborn.

"I mean, he's 21 and he's Stoick's son, not that we will acknowledge him as family," Dagur added, Shattermaster grumbled in agreement with his rider. Astrid shook her head, something caught her eye as she turned, seeing a massive hole in a sheet of ice on the water, it was unnaturally cracked.

"Stormfly, double back," She pulled on the handles and the Nadder swung round in a loop, the other riders halted and watched as she leaned to one side and snatched something up from the water. Returning to the group and continuing forward she held Hiccup's helmet in her hands, worry coursing through her body before a wave of determination washed over and she chucked it to Eret.

"Alright boy, find Hiccup and Toothless," Eret leaned down and let Challenger sniff it, he grumbled before roaring, he had found a stronger scent trail to follow and took off flying. The others all smiled and followed in pursuit, Astrid gripped the handles tighter, she really wanted to have Hiccup back and live a life without all this flying around.

~ Line Break ~

"Now wait, just hold on a minute?!" Hiccup called out to his supposed not deceased mother, who was expertly climbing over the oddly shaped pillars of rock. She was both ecstatic and worried, her son was here and he was alive, she had been told he wouldn't last a year, but Stoick must have kept him safe and cared for him.

"Come quickly," She urged him to continue following her, but something nagged at the back of her mind. How could he speak Draconic and why was he with a Night Fury, had Berk changed their mind or was there something else going on.

"I have questions, like you're my mother, do you even grasp how insane that sounds?" Hiccup called out to her as she climbed up a ramp and looked down at him, the Auburn struggled to get up. Toothless rolled his eyes and pushed him up using his snout and chuckled as his friend rolled over while climbing up himself.

"Thanks, bud, but where have you been all this time, what have you been doing?" He pulled himself up and ducked under a few lower pillars, he couldn't see his mother anymore, this doesn't make sense. His mother was alive, he had been reminded nearly every night that it was his fault that she died, but she was alive and could speak Draconic.

"They said you were dead, all of Berk said you were eaten by..." Hiccup walked out of the stone tunnel and gasped looking up into a huge open cavern, a smile spread across his face. Toothless blinked in shock, dragons of every species flew around a huge supporting pillar, it was incredible and Hiccup had a hard time standing up as Toothless caught him.

Hiccup watched as Gronckle hatchlings tumbled around on the mossy rocks while their mothers watched, looking up he spotted the Stormcutter hanging from the ceiling with his own mother holding onto his talons. Toothless kept his gaze on the dragon and woman, he was sceptical that this woman could be Hiccup's mother, why show up now and not when he had needed her most.

"This is where you've been, for 21 years?" Hiccup asked as he took a step forward, Toothless stayed by his side and watched as the woman nodded. She had a smile on her face while watching Hiccup look out at the mass of dragons that were flying around.

"So, you're some kind of vigilante dragon rescuer?" He was just so astounded, his mother was alive and she had been doing what he had been doing, it just seemed to much of a coincidence to be true. Valka chuckled as the Stormcuttter used his wings to let her down onto the stone ground.

"Well, at least I'm not boring, right?" She smiled and knelt down, she was very dragon-like in her movements, she had spent 21 years of her life with minimal contact with other humans. Hiccup shrugged as a young Timberjack wandered over to him and began nuzzling his shoulder pads, purring happily. Toothless however had his attention on something else, a dragon flying around the pillar that he was curious about, it wasn't like the others.

"Well, I suppose there is that, one specific thing," Hiccup looked at the Timberjack and smiled, running his hand down its neck which made the dragon purr more. Valka edged closer to him, she could see the resemblance between him and her, but she also saw Stoick, but there was more, a deep past had etched itself through him.

"Do you like it?" She asked, Hiccup just looked around and smiled, he loved it, he just couldn't believe that he was so much like his own mother. He nodded, then realised that he had to tell his mother that he had run away from Berk, how was she going to take it, would she be mad.

"I just don't have the words," He smiled and looked around as she stood up beside him before they both noticed Toothless being surrounded by other dragons. They all thought he was a girl and sniffed him, he grimaced and snarled, telling them to leave him alone.

"Can I?" Valka asked, gesturing to Toothless, Hiccup shrugged and nodded as the woman smiled while holding her hand up to the Night Fury. Toothless purred and smiled upon smelling her hand, giving her a gentle nuzzle as the spines down his back split and flapped in excitement.

"Well, aren't you amazing, just look at you," She smiled as Toothless pulled himself across the ground and curled around Valka, crooning happily. She chuckled while counting the small nubs under his chin, the Night Fury purred and lifted himself up.

"You seem to be Hiccup's age as well, you have quite a bit of scarring," She took note of the number of scars, but Toothless moved his paws and showed her that it was his armour. Hiccup smiled and walked over, his mother looked up at him, he must of made this.

"You made this?" She asked, Hiccup nodded as Toothless got up and retracted his teeth, Valka gasped upon seeing him do it. She was very impressed, but soon noticed the red tail fin and stirrups, looking up at Hiccup as Toothless sighed.

"I was shot down, lost this while barreling into a pine tree," He smiled and lifted his tail, Hiccup shifted uncomfortably, he needed to tell her the whole truth. Toothless nudged his side, knowing it was a hard subject to talk about as he put his tail down.

"Mum...the thing is...I shot him down, but he's the reason I left Berk," Hiccup answered, rubbing the back of his neck as Valka stood up and looked at him rather shocked. Her mind was already ticking things over, her son had left Berk, which meant that they had not changed their minds and Stoick was...she hated to think of what he had done.

"Your father...did he...?" She stepped towards him, Hiccup sighed and slowly nodded while rubbing his upper arms, memories still plagued the far corners of his mind. Valka gasped and shook her head, how could Stoick have done this, what had happened in her time gone, she hated to think what he had done to Hiccup.

"He didn't actually know about us, Hiccup didn't hurt any dragons but in the end, we knew it wasn't safe for us to stay on Berk," Toothless answered, nuzzling Hiccup knowing how hard it was to talk about his teenage years on Berk. Valka looked at her son before gently placing a hand on his shoulder, he wiped his tears away and looked up at her.

He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, acceptance, his mother was alive and his mother cared about him, his mother was just like him. He took a deep breath and hugged her, burying his face into her fur hood, for once he felt like he had a family besides his friends and Astrid.