Freedom at Last

Chapter 11: A surprise reunion

Hiccup

After what Stoick said about coming back to Berk, the home that he forced me to leave, was quite the shock to me.

I couldn't bear it as I run away from the Chief of Berk, and I need to think about this decision carefully.

And the only way to make it easier to think was to fly with Toothless.

We flew up to the sky, which made me felt comfortable and calm, which is no big surprise for Ingrid and Dragon Paradise.

Toothless looks at me with concern in his eyes.

"Don't worry, bud. It's just I need to think about this decision. Stoick is basically asking me to throw sixteen years of my life away, and I don't want to abandon it. I really don't know what to do right now." I explained to him.

The Night Fury nods as if he knew that it was too much for me to bear.

Suddenly, I hear an unfamiliar dragon.

I was stunned by it, unsure of what type it was, or what it wanted from us.

Toothless was protective of me, by looking at the strange Dragon in anger mode.

The Rider however seemed to be curious of me. He pointed down to so we could have a chat.

Toothless and I were in total confusion as we landed.

The Night Fury puts its tail surrounding me, as if I were in mortal danger.

The mysterious Rider came closer to my best friend as he knew his weak spot and then makes him unconious.

I backed away slowly, keeping my distance, not sure what the outcome might be.

Suddenly, I hear a voice, a woman's voice asked through the mask, "H-Hayden?"

The woman pulls her helmet away, and we stare in each other's eyes. They were familiar, as if I met her before.

I asked, nervously, "Uh... should I know you?"

The woman was silent just for a moment, before answering my question.

"No.. you were just a babe when we last seen each other. But a mother never forgets her child." She replies, revealing her identity.

I was in total shock that I was meeting my own mother.

Valka

I couldn't believe it. After all these years... I get to meet my little boy. Well, I can't call him that anymore since he looks like sixteen years old and more mature.

Hayden said, "Why you didn't come back to me after all this time?"

I sighed, "I'm so sorry, Hayden. Cloudjumper needed me to protect the Alpha and other dragons for sixteen years. It broke my heart to stay away, but I felt like I belong with them."

He said, "I know exactly how you feel. It's not that easy for people to accept of who you really are. Stoick still needs to learn that lesson after what he did to me and Toothless."

I was confused by his words. What did Stoick do our son that make him so angry?

Hayden said, "I really have to go check on Ingrid, Mom. I did promise her that I have to check on her injury from saving me from Viggo."

"Hayden, what did your father do to you?"

"He... banished me, Mom. Out of the tribe. I just came back to Berk to help them from a battle and my best friend, more like a sister figure, got hurt in the process." He said, bitterly.

"Hayden..." I said, reaching out to touch him and then he said, "I'll be back, just stay hidden."

He shook Toothless up and flew back to Berk. Oh, Stoick, what you done?

Ingrid

I got up from Hiccup's bed and I felt a little bit better than before. I looked around in my surrounds.

From what Hiccup has said, this was his old room, which meant that I must be inside his old house when he used to lived in Berk.

As Sly was roaming around in excitement that I was out of bed, the Titan Nightmare wanted to go flying.

I laughed, "Oh, no, Sly. We're not going to flying, that is something I need to cool off. I knew that Hiccup and Dad would not like the idea of sneaking off."

The Nightmare groans in despair that she couldn't go flying as she used to, but she quite understand what I've meant.

As I was about to reach for the door, it was opened by no other than-

"Hiccup!" I exclaimed sheepishly. He seemed to be smiling that I finally decided to get out of bed.

"Well, it looks like you managed to get off bed. I was pretty worried for a while there." He said.

"Come on, Hic. You know that a little injury is not going to slow me down." I smirk at the sixteen year old.

Hic smiles for a bit, but I knew him well. Something had happened to him that shocked him.

I said, putting my hands to my waist, "All right, spill."

"What you mean, Ingrid?" He asks nervously.

I replied, "You really can't fool me, Hiccup. When something big happens, you try to act that nothing happened."

"Ok, the truth. Stoick wanted me back into the tribe."

I gasped, in shock, "Really? Why would he want you back?"

"I really don't know, actually. The question came so sudden and cut me way off guard. I really don't know what to do, Ingrid. Dragon Paradise is the only place where I felt being myself, having freedom, not what Stoick wanted me to be."

I said, "Maybe I should let my father speak to him, Chief to Chief. I'm sure that my father will make him understand how you felt about this."

"Maybe, but what if Stoick doesn't listen to Tames, like he did to me a year ago? I still don't have trust in him anymore."

I didn't know what to do, except for one thing: I embraced him in a tight hug.

"Everything would be fine, Hiccup. You'll see." I whispered into his ear.

We didn't let go of the hug.

After a while, he finally lets go of me and said,

"Thanks, Ingrid."

Author's note: What you guys think of this chapter? Find out what happens soon! - Jan