Found again (HTTYD FF)

★9★

Astrid was getting more and more confused. Hiccup, the chief's son, her long-forgotten friend, was supposed to be dead. Was it possible that it was him? Or did he just have the same name? Was he lying to her? What about the wings? The eyes? The tail?

Why would he lie about his name?

Fatigue fell from her like dew evaporating in the morning sun and she started toward the village. The comfort of rest had to wait, it was not important now. She ran through the village to the chief's house. The only person who could help her now was Valka. Hiccup had been her son after all, she should be able to tell her if it was really him. It had been a long time, he had wings, maybe he was more dragon than human, but there was a chance, wasn't there?

She paused outside the door and switched her axe from hand to hand. Gothi might be able to help too, she knows, like, everything... There's no time for that. I don't know when he'll wake up. He might run away.

She knocked on the massive door. She waited impatiently for a moment, then knocked again. Finally, she heard hurried footsteps from inside. The door opened.

"Hello Astrid, what brings you here? Stoick's in the docks - something must be up. If you're looking for him, I'd advise you to go in there," Valka greeted her warmly without giving her a chance to say anything.

Astrid usually didn't notice other people's moods - she had no reason to, but now she couldn't help but notice Valka's absent, thoughtful gaze. She was looking somewhere only she could see.

"Actually, I came to see you." Valka gave her a curious look. "It's about that... boy with wings. You know, I talked to him and there's something I need help with."

"And that is?"

"I..." Astrid was at a loss for words. How could she tell her everything she had to say? How could she tell her that her long-lost son was still alive? That he was in the Dragon Arena right now and had wings? "Come with me. He somehow got out and destroyed the cell he was in, so I need to get back quickly. I'll explain it there," she muttered quickly.

"Okay. Let's go, then," Valka urged her on, walking briskly towards the Dragon Arena. Astrid followed her.

It didn't take them three minutes to reach the stone room. One of the wooden doors was ajar, a tiny bloody path leading to it. Astrid hadn't noticed it until now.

She led Valka all the way inside, trying not to notice the blood on the floor. It was her work, her responsibility. How dare she harm such an innocent creature as Hiccup? How could she allow herself to lose her head in the presence of such a strange creature - well, perhaps that was quite understandable.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Hiccup sitting in his corner. He was still asleep.

~~~

Something shook his shoulders. Something touched his wing fleetingly. Panic overcame him. He opened his eyes and pressed himself against the wall, startled - as if he could press to that wall more. He hugged his wings tighter and braced himself for anything. Inside his cocoon, he reached for Inferno. He could have used it all this time, but he didn't feel the need to - it would be useless anyway. But if danger came, he was ready to defend himself to his last breath.

Listening to the whispering voices for so long, their crazy wailing, got under his skin. They were driving him mad.

It was just Astrid. Which didn't lessen the potential danger. Had she come to kill him? Then he spotted another person a short distance behind her. She was a middle-aged woman, with long intricately braided braids swinging down her back. She looked strangely familiar to him - more familiar than Astrid did.