To Hiccup's relief, the woman didn't hover beside him for too long. All it took was a pair of chattering Terrors to draw her away, but not without one last, long meaningful look. Her expression made it clear that she was not going to forget his presence in the nest any time soon.
Just great. His chances of staying under the radar had evaporated.
Hiccup watched her leave in the periphery of his vision, only relaxing his stance once her back was fully turned. He eyed her warily, wondering if it was even worth trailing her now, or if he should wait until she'd had time to be sufficiently distracted.
He opted for the former, reasoning that he only had so much time in the nest. He couldn't afford to waste it.
Hiccup was eager to put some space between himself and the unsettling creature – the Bewilderbeast , she'd called it – in the depths below. He took flight, seeking out a higher perch where he could watch the woman further from a less accessible place.
It wasn't hard to keep track often stranger's location – wherever she went, Cloudjumper was never far behind. The four-winged dragon was unmistakable, sticking out even amongst the diverse menagerie of species filling the nest.
Hiccup settled down on the ledge, trying to make himself comfortable. From the high vantage point, he'd be able to keep an eye on most of her movements without having to follow. He squinted down at her, trying to memorize the way she interacted with the dragons so that he could record it all later.
Still…whatever words he strung together wouldn't be able to do it justice. He curled his paws, wishing that it was night so that he could draw out what he saw below.
The woman's calm demeanor persisted until a long horn sounded from outside the fortress. Immediately, she leapt onto Cloudjumper's back and directed her companion up and through one of the gaps in the ceiling.
Hiccup stared after her for a moment, startled. Shaking off the surprise, he pushed himself to his feet. He took off after her, slipping out of the nest as quietly as he could manage. Just outside the wall of ice he paused, pumping his wings as he looked around.
Cloudjumper was below, resting atop the deck of a large ship. The woman had dismounted and was speaking to a man in strange black and silver armor.
"...nearby? I just drove them off a few weeks ago!"
"Yes, our intel suggests they have set up a new base," the man said, voice gruff and serious. "I'm afraid it only gets worse."
"Worse?"
"They're recruiting," the man spat, scowling. "I stopped at a few ports on my way here, and I've seen it for myself. They're offering any warrior interested in joining up a position in their ranks and a generous share, so long as they bring a dragon pelt to prove their skill."
The woman swore, fists clenching at her sides. "How many are there now?"
"Our source said seven men–"
The woman inhaled sharply. "Seven? It was only four before."
"Indeed. If left unchecked…who knows how many more will join? We'd hoped you could stop them from getting too comfortable. Perhaps drive off a few potential recruits?"
She hummed, eyebrows furrowed in thought.
"Queen Mala sends her regrets that we cannot interfere directly, but it is not our way."
The woman nodded, shifting her stance. "I understand. I would not ask her to break her vows – I would not ask any of you to do so," she said, then sighed. "Throk, I cannot make any promises until I've seen the threat myself, but I'll do what I can to slow their operation."
The man – Throk, Hiccup assumed – bowed once, low and respectful. "That is all we ask," he assured. "We are just thankful for your help."
The woman set a hand on Throk's shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "That's what allies are for," she said, voice gentle. "Now, head to the nearest port while there's still daylight, alright? Tell Mala that I'll send a Terror mail update once I've had a chance to do some reconnaissance."
"Very well, my lady. The Defenders of the Wing wish you safety and success in your mission."
Defenders of the who?
The woman dipped her head in a quick nod of acknowledgement before striding back to her dragon.
Hiccup took that as his sign to disappear, rocketing back down into the nest before she could spot him. His previous lookout point had been claimed in his absence, so he was forced to find another. This one was lower down, just a short leap to the grass below.
It wasn't long before the stranger returned to the nest. She was in a hurry, guiding Cloudjumper swiftly towards another opening in the ice.
A few minutes passed and Hiccup wondered if he should follow. There was more risk that he'd be seen or cornered by the woman within the tunnels, but after her strange exchange with the foreign warrior, his interest was peaked.
Hiccup didn't have time to dwell on it, as Cloudjumper emerged once more. On his back, the woman had donned a strange, painted helmet. It was covered in long spikes, almost dragon-like in design.
The duo wasted no time, slipping outside of the nest in seconds.
Hiccup watched them go, taking note of the colors of the sky above. Following would be unwise, as he was likely to strand himself out in the cold overnight. He'd have to make use of her absence in another way.
His attention snapped back towards the tunnel they'd briefly visited. If the woman had retrieved her helmet from within…did that mean that she lived there? It would make sense for her to carve out her own nook within the fortress, setting aside a private place to slip away.
If so, it could very well be the perfect place to uncover more about her.
Hiccup pumped his wings, darting towards the tunnel. Since there was no telling how long the stranger would be gone, he wanted to be quick in his search.
At first glance, the tunnel looked like any of the others. The walls were ice, the light was dim. As he walked, he noticed that there were no offshoots to this tunnel. Unlike the maze surrounding it, this passage seemed to be completely self-contained.
The walls were smoother than the rest, almost too smooth. It made Hiccup wonder if this particular tunnel had been created intentionally, unlike the rest. With a bit of dragon fire, perhaps Cloudjumper had helped craft this pathway.
Hiccup kept walking until he came upon a small, rocky cave. His suspicions were quickly confirmed – this had to be the woman's home.
One corner was occupied with a thick tangle of furs and blankets. To the untrained eye, it looked like a mess of fabrics that had been haphazardly thrown together. To Hiccup, it looked much more familiar. The makeshift bed wasn't too different from the one he now had back in Berk.
There were large baskets lining each of the walls. The ones nearest Hiccup were open, and he observed a few wrinkled tunics piled inside.
Several warped pieces of wood had been nailed together to create a rough desk in one corner, though there was no chair to accompany it. A smattering of weathered books and scrolls littered the surface, along with a stack of parchment.
Hiccup waited for his veins to ignite before striding over to investigate, carefully thumbing through the contents for any clues as to who the stranger was. There were a few sketches, a few to-do lists…nothing particularly helpful.
He moved on to the books, flipping through each quickly. They were annotated – it appeared the woman liked to write in the margins and underline sections that stood out to her. There were notes in several shades of ink, suggesting that she had reread each many times over.
Just how long had she lived here?
Hiccup set the last book down, careful to leave it as he had found it. He didn't want to leave any signs of his visit behind.
The scroll felt soft in his hands, as if the parchment was handled frequently. Curious, he unrolled it, spreading it out across the desk.
"My dearest Stoick, if you are reading this…"
Hiccup blanched, losing his grip on the scroll. It rerolled, shaking as it settled into place again. Had he read that right?
"Get a grip," he muttered to himself, reaching for it once more. His father was likely not the only Stoick in the archipelago, not to mention the larger world. Perhaps it was a popular name in other regions.
Taking a deep breath, he reopened it, this time bracing for the familiar name.
"...know that I have never stopped loving you. Fate has taken me far from our home and from our son, but my heart will always be with you…"
Hiccup bit his lip, feeling somewhat guilty to be intruding on such a personal letter. Still, he was fascinated by the stranger and fueled by his own need to know. The letter was clearly old and worn – and never sent. That mystery was interesting enough to keep him invested.
"...dragons! They're so much more than we were taught. I see myself in them…"
There was a whole section dedicated to explaining her love and respect for the dragons. It was bewildering to read, as Hiccup had never seen anyone so clearly put into words the awe and wonder of interacting with a dragon. His own feelings were reflected in her words, captured in a way he could never have penned himself.
"...I fear that I can never return home, though it pains me to admit that to you. If you knew the truth…I know you would wonder how I could do this…how I could leave you to raise our son alone. For that, I am deeply sorry. Losing you both will always be my greatest regret. I pray my actions do not harden your heart, but I must follow mine now…I cannot allow the dragons to be slaughtered, and I know that Berk will never change its ways…"
Hiccup's stomach dropped, a deep sense of foreboding settling within him as he took in the name of his village. A woman from Berk, who had left behind a man and child. A man named Stoick…
There was no question, only one woman fit that description.
His mother.
Astrid's first challenge in covering for Hiccup was getting them both out of weapons training. She'd planned for it throughout the day, rolling different excuses around in her mind to determine what Gobber would be most likely to accept without argument.
In truth, she probably hadn't needed to put in that much effort.
All it had taken was a suggestion that she wanted to give him some pointers by herself…and Gobber had been quick to agree. He hadn't been able to resist a quick joke about enjoying their 'alone time,' paired with a conspiratorial grin. She'd brushed that off with a roll of her eyes, choosing to just be grateful that she'd gotten her way.
So long as he didn't notice Hiccup's absence, she'd let him think whatever he wanted. She'd kissed him in the ring once – it wasn't too much of a stretch to believe she'd do it again. Besides, she wasn't ashamed of her feelings and no amount of teasing was going to change that.
Once satisfied that her work in maintaining the ruse was done, she'd slipped away for the night. She watched the sunset from the lookout point once more, reveling in the beauty of Berk's shore at dusk. There was something wondrous about seeing the colors bleed across the sky.
She idly wondered if somewhere out there, Hiccup was watching the same sunset.
Once it was fully dark, she found herself following her instincts back towards the secluded cove. As crazy as it was to think, she genuinely wanted to visit Stormfly again. A part of her briefly toyed with the idea of doubling back to sneak a fish or two for the Nadder, but she couldn't take the risk of being spotted alone in the village.
Even without the peace offering, her presence seemed to be enough to satisfy the dragon. This time, the Nadder required no encouragement upon seeing Astrid enter the cove. Instead, Stormfly made a beeline for her, eagerly greeting the viking girl.
"Hey girl," Astrid returned with a smile, pressing a hand to the Nadder's neck. "Miss me?"
Stormfly squawked in response, leaning into her touch for a moment.
"Me too," admitted Astrid, realizing just how much she'd been looking forward to seeing the dragon again.
Though she couldn't fully describe it, she felt a sort of bond had begun to form between herself and the Nadder. The more time they spent together, the more connected she felt to the creature, like they understood each other on some deeper level.
Like they weren't so different.
Stormfly shuffled a few paces away, slowly and deliberately stretching out her wings. Based on the stance, it looked like the dragon was preparing for flight.
Astrid was a little disappointed by the realization. While she couldn't blame the dragon for wanting to take advantage of the nice night, she'd hoped they could spend some time together. It had helped her feel a bit less lonely before, and a part of her ached at knowing she'd be left behind again.
To her surprise, the Nadder did not take off as expected. Instead, the dragon crouched low to the ground, her wings extended out. Stormfly cocked her head, fixing one bright eye on the viking girl with a look of anticipation.
"What?"
The dragon pumped her wings once, then tilted her head once more.
Astrid furrowed her brow, trying to decipher what the dragon was trying to tell her. She took a step forward, trying to see if she was missing something obvious from her vantage point. If she had been, it still wasn't clear.
Stormfly cooed, bending down further towards the ground and angling her back towards Astrid.
She can't possibly mean for me to…no.
Yet, she couldn't think of anything else to explain the behavior. Astrid took another step forward, placing her hands on the dragon's exposed back. It would be beyond reckless to climb up, but she'd already come this far, hadn't she?
Astrid Hofferson was not afraid of taking a risk…so why did her knees feel shaky?
Pushing aside that thought, she heaved herself up onto Stormfly's back. For a moment, she found herself shuffling awkwardly as she struggled to find a comfortable position against the blue scales.
The last time she'd been on dragonback, Hiccup had been saving her from the wreckage of a ship. It had been a fast, terrifying experience borne strictly out of necessity – one that she was certain adrenaline alone had gotten her through.
This…this was different.
As Stormfly straightened out, Astrid's breath caught in her throat. What was she doing? This was a wild animal, and she'd willingly put herself on the dragon's back!
Gods, have I lost my mind?
She reached out to grip the spikes on the dragon's head, already feeling her leggings sliding against the smooth scales beneath her. Just as her fingers closed around the spikes, Stormfly flapped her wings, rising up above the ground.
Astrid leaned forward, shrieking in surprise. She tightened her grip, knuckles growing white from the effort.
Stormfly ignored her cry, instead taking to the night sky with a few fluid wingbeats. Soon they were sailing above the island, tiny specks of torchlight marking the buildings and streets below.
Astrid's breath caught in her throat.
That's…amazing.
Hiccup was angry.
All these years – he'd mourned someone who wasn't lost. Someone with the means to return home, but who had chosen instead to allow others to believe in her death. Someone who had chosen to abandon him.
He was sad.
Stoick had never fully recovered from losing his wife, having lost a part of himself in the process. Knowing what he knew now…Hiccup's heart hurt even more for the man, who had suffered all this time…for nothing. Throughout his childhood, he could recall several moments where he'd witnessed the man grow teary and break under the weight of memories. He'd seen what the sheer pain of it all had done to his father, and it troubled him greatly.
He was elated.
His mother had lived. He'd felt the hole in his family throughout his life, desperately wishing that he could have had the opportunity to know her. Now, he knew that she was alive and within reach.
He was confused.
The stories of Valka's abduction were all clear on one thing: she'd been taken by hostile dragons, assumed to have been killed soon after. How could such a scenario evolve into her living in this sanctuary for dragons, at home and at peace with all the creatures within?
Hiccup felt so many things at once, the full force of it left him nearly numb. It was as if all his competing emotions had cancelled each other out, twisting and hardening into a shield of sorts around his mind as they wove together.
He couldn't dwell on this – not now. It was too much.
After the revelation in Valka's chambers, he'd been quick to retreat to his own hidden space. He'd intended to write it all down, to capture every bit in detail…but the charcoal stick sat frozen in his hand, just inches from the page.
The words wouldn't come.
Hiccup groaned, resting his head against the ice wall behind him. It seemed his curiosity had once more landed him in a life-altering situation. This one came with a lot less magic, but perhaps just as much heartache.
The gods hate me, he mused. It was becoming a mantra of sorts, as he continued to find himself in overwhelming situations.
A part of him wished Astrid were there, longing to get her thoughts on what he should do with this new information. Even if she didn't have a clear answer, she might be able to help him sort out his own jumbled thoughts.
Alone, he had no idea where to start.
The next morning, Hiccup had just enough time to roll out of his small hideaway before sunrise. It was pure luck that he'd gotten out of the space when he did, as the confines of the cave didn't provide much light to guess the time. Any longer and he would have been trapped.
The close call grated on his already frayed nerves as he stalked towards the heart of the nest. A small bit of resentment had taken hold overnight, festering like an untreated wound.
He spotted the woman – no, his mother – immediately, feeling his lips curl back into the beginnings of a snarl. He wanted to go to her – to demand an explanation for her choices, but knew he could not.
Instead, he was forced to observe, seeing her with fresh eyes. Now that he knew, the familiar feeling made sense. The shape of her nose, the color of her hair…it was nearly the same as his own reflection. The part of her he recognized was the part of her he'd inherited.
Valka: the warrior chieftess of Berk. The most widely whispered tragedy in the history of the village. A story of heartbreak and despair – used by many parents as a cautionary tale to keep their children inside and away from the raids.
A lie.
Hiccup knew that wasn't fair. The people of Berk didn't know the truth – they didn't lie, they'd been misled.
That didn't make it better.
Valka looked healthy and happy, at peace with her surroundings. There were faint laugh lines around her eyes, but the way she carried herself was very light. Grief and guilt did not weigh her down. If anything, she seemed…free.
Hiccup shadowed her, no longer bothering to feign otherwise. He was by all accounts a legitimate dragon, after all – what could she possibly suspect?
It was a few hours before she caught sight of him, excitement giving way to confusion as she took in his posture. He could feel the tension in his body, muscles taut and ready to spring away.
Valka raised her hands in a placating manner, speaking in slow and soothing tones. "Something got you rattled, dear? It's alright, you're safe here."
Hiccup snorted, smoke expelling from his nostrils. It left an unpleasant burning sensation in the back of his throat, and he swallowed hard in an attempt to clear it.
Valka was still watching him, puzzlement clear on her face. She cast her gaze widely around the nest, likely looking for the cause of his distress. If only it were that simple.
He settled to the ground, laying his head down on his crossed paws. It felt silly, but he hoped the subdued pose would be enough for her to lose interest. There was only so much he could learn about her if she was distracted by his behavior.
Still, looking into those kind eyes was like a fresh blow to the chest. There was such warmth and concern within them, it was hard to reconcile that with the woman he now knew her to be.
Such kindness towards a dragon, but none for her own family. It didn't matter if he was both things – she didn't know that, and it made all the difference in the world.
Cloudjumper warbled, mercifully drawing his mother's attention away and towards a member of her flock.
Her flock. Like she was the mother hen to a whole nest of dragons.
It stung like rejection. Hiccup felt a tightness in his chest, unable to stomach watching her and her new family any longer. He rose to his feet, slowly making his way across the grassy hills in a sort of daze. When he reached the familiar tunnel, he didn't pause, slipping into the shadows.
Hiccup's mind was so focused on his inner turmoil that he failed to notice he was being watched. From across the cavern, Valka's keen eyes tracked each step, expression unreadable.