Trust Must Be Earned | Eret Son of Eret (HTTYD)

CHAPTER ELEVEN - SHOCKING DISCOVERIES & REVELATIONS

A/N: Here are some tissues for this chapter, guys: 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧

Atlas sucked a breath in. Everything else dissolved as she processed what her brother had just said.

Mother? How was that possible? She had a hazy memory of fire, smoke, and fear. She remembered panic, and watching her mother being carried away. She remembered screaming for her mommy. No doubt that dragon had eaten her.

So then how-?

"-tlas?! Atlas! Are you okay?!"

Shakily, Atlas turned and looked her brother in the eye.

"Not really." She said.

Hiccup nodded his head. "I get it. I didn't understand at first either. But, apparently, she has been alive this entire time! A-and she's been living with and taking care of dragons! And with the alpha! I mean- can you believe it, Atlas? That is amazing!"

Atlas frowned. "And so, that's it? You're okay with it?" Her forehead creased. "Why did she stay away from us?! We grew up without a mother, Hiccup! And for what?" She scoffed.

Hiccup winced at her harsh tone. "No, i-it's not like that, Atlas! She said it pained her to stay away." Atlas rolled her eyes. "A-and she said she didn't want to return to Berk because of the terrible treatment of dragons!"

"Oh, yeah, sure. And she wouldn't return for her newborn child and little girl? Or her broken-hearted husband? Couldn't she at least try to speak to Berk?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to speak, but Atlas cut him off.

"Forget it, Hiccup. I just need time to think about this."

With that, she flew off.

- - - - - - -

Hiccup watched his sister fly off. He understood what she was feeling, but he also understood his mother's reasons to stay away. He knew his sister had been more affected by their mother's 'death', because it would be harder for a girl to grow up without a mother than a boy. And so, right then, Hiccup made a promise to Atlas. He would help her and their mother repair the years of time apart. He would fix the broken pieces, and they would be a family again.

Looking down at the havoc below them, Hiccup pulled his mask back down.

"Come on, Toothless. Show them what you got, bud."

Toothless spread his wings further out and dived down, and shot a blast at a trap, destroying it.

"Woo-hoo-hoo! Attaboy!"

- - - - - - -

Nearby, one of Drago's dragons was carrying one of Valka's dragons, attempting to take it out of the fight.

Cloudjumper swooped in and gracefully grabbed the armored dragon, freeing the other captured dragon.

But out of nowhere, from the smoke, emerged a net, and it tangled itself around Valka and Cloudjumper. They crashed to the ground, and Valka fell off of her dragon, landing roughly on the snow.

- - - - - - -

Atlas was upset. That much was obvious. There was a frown on her face and tears pricking in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

She supposed she partially understood her mother's reason to stay away, as she herself would be angry at the mistreatment of the dragons. But to stay away for 20 years? How could someone do that? Leave your husband who loved you to raise your two children alone who needed you? That was unfair.