Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 19 - Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD

HICCUP'S POV

After a few hours, the bonfire faded to glowing embers and most of the humans dispersed, heading in the general direction of the docks. Camicazi rose and stretched, letting out a dramatic yawn. My gaze was wandering around in search of my mom, too distracted to hear Cami calling my name. Her sudden punch to my shoulder made me flinch and bare my teeth in a low growl, which I quickly cut off when I remembered I was supposed to suppress any dragon behavior. Camicazi's eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at me in silent curiosity. I jumped to my feet, taking a few steps away from her.

"I, uh, should go find my mom. I'll see you tomorrow," I rushed out, turning to leave.

"Guest lodging is down that way. Your mom is probably there," she pointed out, gesturing after the other humans. The forest was in the opposite direction, which was where I was headed.

"No! I-I mean...We agreed to meet over...there..." I trailed off, nodding at a random tent near the forest's edge. Camicazi followed my gaze, then looked back at me suspiciously. I knew I was a terrible liar, so I could only hope she let the matter go.

"Right...I'll see you later then," she drawled. "You better pay me back tomorrow! I mean it!" She added warningly. I smiled reassuringly. After a few more tense moments of staring me down, she waved and skipped away, humming loudly. I let out a breath of relief, running a hand over my face. Maybe I should find a dumber viking to befriend. It felt like she could read all my secrets in my eyes.

As soon as Cami was out of sight, I darted to the forest for cover, not wanting to risk running into any more humans. The shadows welcomed me in their familiar embrace, and I slumped against a tree as the day's events finally caught up with me. Being around so many humans was more draining than I thought. This whole day was one long test—a test of courage for the most part, I think. My mom had been right before—I needed some experience around humans if I wanted to be prepared for missions. But maybe, just maybe, today had been a little fun...at least when I was with Camicazi. Hopefully this "friend" of hers is similar in nature. Although the look on her face when she mentioned his name made me think otherwise.

The faint snap of a twig captured my attention, and my eyes snapped to the source. Luckily they were well-attuned to the dark. My rigid posture relaxed when I recognized my mother's outline. I pushed off the tree, jogging over to her. My carefully placed steps didn't make a sound as I approached—perks of being partially raised by a Night-wing.

*Mom!* I greeted happily, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. She returned it, chuckling softly at my eagerness.

"I missed you, too," she whispered, kissing the top of my head. "Let's get going before someone sees us, okay?" She suggested, patting my back. I nodded, and we began walking in step back to where we left the dragons. My body was practically buzzing with excitement. Separating from my other half had left a gaping hole in my soul, one that I'd been struggling to ignore all day. Camicazi helped slightly, but my thoughts were always with Toothless.

I glanced over at my mom. She was staring straight ahead, her jaw clenched with the same unease I'd noticed at the bonfire. *Something's wrong.* I stated, studying her face closely. She blinked in surprise, avoiding my watchful gaze.

"Nothing's wrong," she lied, shaking her head. I huffed in irritation. She knew how much I hated it when she lied. "Okay, okay!" She sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to worry you," she said, biting her lip.

"Mom," I pressed impatiently. The only sounds were her footsteps and the rustling of leaves in the wind as she considered her next words.

"I...saw a woman tonight that I recognized...a woman from Berk," she finally admitted. I took in a sharp breath. That wasn't what I'd been expecting at all. "Berkians stopped coming to this festival years before you were born! I didn't think...I wouldn't have..." She gritted her teeth. "I went down to the docks, but I didn't see any ships with the Berk crest. She might be the only one here, but I'm not sure."