The Gift of the Princess (HTTYD)

Clashing

Chapter 9: Clashing

Eira gaped at the woman. "You're Hiccup's mother?" she said.

The woman nodded. "I am Valka. This is Cloudjumper." She nodded at the Stormcutter by her side. "Now, come." Before Eira or Hiccup could respond, Valka and Cloudjumper ran through a tunnel.

"Hold on!" Hiccup called as he, Eira, Toothless, and Swiftwings raced to keep up. "Wait just a minute!"

"This way."

"Come back here!"

Valka led them through a maze of caves filled with rocks jutting out everywhere, only pausing when she realized they were far behind. "Come." Then she was off again. The young Vikings had to scramble over the rocks and found it difficult to keep up with the older woman.

"You can't just say something like that and run off! You're my MOTHER?! I mean, what the -- do you grasp how INSANE it sounds?!"

"Come. Quickly!" They could no longer see her, but they followed the sound of her voice.

"I have questions! Where have you been all this time? What've you been doing?! They said you were dead! Everyone thinks you were eaten by-"

Hiccup and Eira finally reached an opening and were nearly blinded by the light. Eira looked around in awe as hordes of various dragon species flew around peacefully in a lush environment that seemed made for them. "Wow," she said.

Hiccup looked up at Valka and Cloudjumper, who hung on the cave roof. "This is where you've been for twenty years?" Valka nodded. "You've been rescuing them." Valka nodded again, this time, smiling. "Unbelievable."

"You're not upset?" Valka said. She appeared as if she were afraid Hiccup might start yelling at her.

Hiccup blinked. "What? No. I don't know. It's a bit much to get my head around, to be frank. It's not every day you find out your mother is some kind of crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady."

"At least I'm not boring... right?" Cloudjumper helped her climb to the ground, where she gave Hiccup a hopeful look.

Hiccup frowned. "I suppose there is that... one... specific... thing..."

"Do you like it?"

"I don't have the words." Hiccup glanced at Eira. "Uh, this is my friend, Eira. And this is Swiftwings and Toothless."

Valka curiously approached Toothless, stopping when he looked at her. She glanced back at Hiccup. "Can I...?" Hiccup nodded. Valka reached out and stroked the Night Fury's head. Then she examined every part of him. "He's beautiful! Incredible! And he might very well be the last of his kind. And look, he's your age! No wonder you get along so well. And retractable teeth! Ah! How did you manage to--"

"I found him in the woods," Hiccup explained. "He was shot down and wounded."

Valka's expression darkened. She approached a Snafflefang and stroked down his back. "This Snafflefang lost his leg to one of Drago Bludvist's iron traps." She turned to a Raincutter and offered her the same treatment. "This Raincutter had her wing sliced by razor netting. And this poor Hobblegrunt was blinded by a tree snare... then left to die alone and scared." She hugged the Hobblegrunt, causing him to turn yellow to signify happiness, before returning to examine Toothless' tail. "And what of this? Did Drago or his trappers do this, too?" She motioned to the artificial tailfin.

Hiccup chuckled awkwardly. "Heh. Well, crazy thing is... I'm actually the one who shot him down." Valka looked at him in shock. "It's okay though, he got me back. Right, bud? You couldn't save all of me, could you?" He playfully rubbed Toothless' head. "You just had to make it even. So... peg leg!" He held up his prosthetic leg for his mother to see. He and Toothless laughed, but the woman did not join in. Eira bit her lip and looked between them nervously.