Come Darkness, Come Light

Chapter 27 - A Year In The Life Pt 3

A/N: This one-chapter-turned-into-three-chapters nightmare is officially over. It only took...*calculating*...a lot of months. I can't wait to write some normally-formatted chapters now. You guys have been absolutely amazing, though! Seriously, give yourself a pat on the back for sticking with me through this mess.

CHSHiccstrid - I love how enthusiastic you are about Camicazi! I've never read the books so I kind of have to write her character based on little snippets of information I've seen, along with my own little personal touches.

Min's Awesomeness - I'm glad you like the story! And we'll know about Berk soon enough...

Alia - LOL, I didn't even consider Astrid when I wrote that part!

galahsrock - I'd say that's a pretty solid guess. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

cherryblxssom - This chapter might answer that...in a very vague way :))

AdamantJackal - I can assure you, Hiccup and Toothless will cross paths with every character I can think of, in due time.

P.S. — In my haste to get this chapter published, I did absolutely no proofreading. So...it is what it is.

Disclaimer: I've run out of clever ways to say I don't own HTTYD.

MONTH 10

HICCUP'S POV

I maneuvered through the dark, narrow passageway that led to the main cavern, crawling along on my hands and feet to avoid tripping. This portion of the tunnels was practically an obstacle course. The path involved climbing over large stone slabs and under sharp stalactites, and there was absolutely no light to rely on. I made my way both by memory—I'd been up and down these tunnels more times than I could count—and by touch. I kept near the wall and always felt for gaps before I went ahead. It would be easier to ride on Toothless' back, but he couldn't fit through this specific passage. This was the shortest route to the cavern, and I was in a hurry.

Toothless and I had just returned from a days-long journey to collect Arctic Willow, a medicinal flowering plant found only in the coldest regions in the north. It had been a rough trip for both of us. I'd had to endure the extreme temperatures, while Toothless had battled fierce winds and a never-ending snowstorm. There were moments I'd been tempted to give up and return home, but my mother needed us to succeed. Last week she'd come down with a rare sickness that the vikings call Traveler's Bane. It could be fatal if not treated quickly, hence my rush to get back to her. Last time I'd seen her, she was shivering yet hot to the touch and was barely coherent. It had been difficult seeing my strong mother brought down by something as simple as an illness, but I had faith she would fight through it until Toothless and I returned with the cure.

When the tunnel finally opened up into the main room, I came to a full stop. It was pitch black, and I strained my ears for signs of movement. If my mom was so sick she didn't even have the energy to keep a fire going, then it was good I was here.

"Mom?" I called out uncertainly, hoping she hadn't moved to another location. A sudden cough resounded off the walls, followed by some rustling of furs.

"Hiccup?" She replied questioningly, her voice weak and barely loud enough to hear. I quickly followed the source of the sound and crawled over to where she was laying, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. I couldn't make out any details, but I could at least see the general outline of her features. When I placed my palm against her cheek, it was ice cold, and she shuddered. "You're back," she sighed, sagging with relief.

I let out a sound similar to a dragon's croon, digging around in my bag and pulling out the Arctic Willow. I wasted no time, rushing to prepare the medicine. Since I knew this cavern like the back of my hand, I was able to acquire a cup off the table even without any light to see properly. I used the flat bottom of the cup to crush up the flower, then swept all of it into the wooden container with my hand. After filling it with water from the natural stream that flowed from the icy ceiling, I crawled back over to my mom.