Night Soul

Chapter 5

Hiccup listened, intently. The voices were getting closer. Fast.

"We need somewhere to hide until we find out who they are!" He whispered.

"Follow me." Valka whispered. She darted off into a side corridor. Hiccup followed with all speed.

They waited in the shadows, so they could see who the voices were. They grew closer... Closer... Hiccup hardly dared breathe.

Then they stopped. And then they heard footfalls heading away. Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at Valka.

"What's wrong?" He asked. She was standing rigid, a look of shock on her face.

"One of them- One of them was Stoick. Your father." She said.

"He mustn't know I'm here!" Exclaimed Hiccup. "I- I ran away. Thor knows what he might do."

"You ran away? Why?" She asked.

"Because I was chosen to kill the Monstrous Nightmare. I couldn't risk my friendship with Toothless. He's my best friend. I wouldn't jeopardise our friendship for the world." He scratched Toothless's chin, and Toothless purred affectionately.

"You really do have a strong bond with him, don't you." Valka smiled. But then she took on a more serious expression. "I need to get my helmet. I have your one, too. Bluescale caught it." They ran down a passage to find Valka's room. In it was Cloudjumper, sleeping on a rock.

"Here." She passed him his helmet. He donned it, and leapt on to Toothless's saddle.

"Let's go, Bud!" Toothless ran out. Valka climbed on to Cloudjumper.

"Come on, Cloudjumper!" She urged. Cloudjumper followed Toothless with all speed.

They sped through innumerable tunnels, Toothless tracking the scent of the strangers. Eventually they found them in the cave with the Bewilderbeast in. They saw them on a ledge at the other side of the cave. Toothless waited for Cloudjumper to catch up, not being as fast, having only two legs.

"There they are." Hissed Hiccup. "What do we do?"

"I don't know." Valka replied.

But their discussions were cut short by a shout of "There they are!" from the intruders.

"Uh-Oh..." Breathed Hiccup. "Let's go!" The dragons leapt into the air. Valka twirled her staff, and all the dragons in the cave (except the babies!) leapt into the air in a defensive formation.

"Stay behind." Valka said, and she flew forward, to the front. For the first time, Hiccup got a good look at the intruders through the wall of dragons.

Stoick, Brigitta, Heather, Eret, Gobber, and, his stomach did a backflip, Astrid. All with their dragons.

"Leave! Now!" Valka commanded.

"And just why should we do that?" Asked Brigitta.

"You see the large fire-breathing dragons behind me?" Asked Valka. "That's why."

"You took the Dragon Master!" Exclaimed Eret. "Where is he?"

"I'm right here, Eret." Said Hiccup. He flew through the line of dragons.

"Dragon Master! You're alive!" Exclaimed Heather and Eret in sync.

"Thank Thor." Added Brigitta.

"And this is..." Hiccup trailed off. He had a quiet conversation with Valka. "This is Shadowstaff. She's our friend." He swooped down next to his friends, followed by Valka. They landed, and got off their dragons.

"I'm Heather. And this is Windshear." Heather introduced herself to Valka.

"Brigitta, and this is Aurora."

"Eret, Son of Eret. This is Skullcrusher. He found you!" Skullcrusher seemed to exude an aura of immense pride.

"Stoick. Chief of the Hooligans on the isle of Berk." He peered intently at Valka. "Do I know you?"

"No! You don't." Valka exclaimed.

"I'm Gobber. And this is Grump. Wake up, Grump!" Grump snored sleepily and waved his leg ineffectually. "That's it, Grump. You're going up for adoption." Gobber sighed.

Hiccup chuckled quietly to himself. Grump was always the laziest.

"I'm sure I know your voice." Said Stoick, stubborn as ever.

"You don't!" Valka backed away.

"Take that mask off." Stoick ordered. He drew his sword.

"I think maybe we - should both take off our masks." Said Hiccup.

"Are you sure?" Asked Valka.

"We can trust them."

"Very well." Valka said. She hesitated, then took off her mask.

Stoick dropped his sword with a clang.

"V- Val?" He murmured.

"I know what you're going to say, Stoick. How could I have done this. Stayed away all of theses years, and why didn't I come back to you? To our son?" Valka began, but stopped when Stoick bowed his head.

"Our son is dead, Val."

"Dead?" She and Hiccup asked in unison.

"Yes. He was killed by a dragon."

"What makes you think that?" Asked Valka, stepping forward.

"We found blood and scorch-marks in a cove. And his dagger at the bottom of it." Stoick's voice cracked.

"Your son is not dead." Said Hiccup, stepping forward.

"How do you know that?" Asked Stoick.

Hiccup sighed, and removed his mask.

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🦅—Aquila