Tales of the Dragon Riders

Reunion

A mother never forgets.

This woman was Hiccup's mother. This mysterious woman, who kidnapped Heather and Hiccup and their dragons, was his mother. Hiccup felt a swirl of emotions. First of all, shock, second of all excitement, third of all joy, and fourth of all...

Gah, who were they kidding? They didn't even know what to feel.

In front of her, Hiccup gasped in shock, taking another small step backwards. The woman who claims to be his mother put her hand out towards them, and then, she smiled. "Come," she said.

And just like that, she turned and raced down another corridor. After exchanging glances, Hiccup and Heather chased after her.

But if she's his mother, who was the other rider?

Gobber and Stoick flew through a hail storm, the dragon's wings pounding against the cold air. Stoick assessed their surroundings for any sign of his son or daughter in law, but so far, nothing.

"Boar-headed!" Stoick shouted to Gobber. "Just like his mother! Ah, she could never stay put, either!"

"Ah, they're just twenty!" Gobber said. "And they're Vikings and parents, too! I mean, could there be a worse combination? Ha, when I think of how stubborn and senseless you were back in the day..." Gobber paused, his lips curving into a frown. "Well, not much has changed, actually," he mumbled to himself.

Stoick sighed. "You know what he's like," he said. "I expected a little bit more sense coming from Heather, but Hiccup...he won't give up, Gobber. If they find Drago, before we find them..."

"Bah!" Gobber said. "Nothing can hurt them as long as they've got their dragons with them! They're dragons!"

Stoick wasn't listening anymore. He'd caught sight of something floating in a large piece of cracked ice, and Skullcrusher headed downwards to investigate. Stoick grabbed the brown object and held it in his hands.

Hiccup's helmet.

This was bad. Hiccup and Toothless must have crashed, somehow, but where was Heather and Windshear? Stoick put the helmet in front of Skullcrusher's nose. "Find them, Skullcrusher!" he commanded. "Find them."

Skullcrusher roared and surged onwards. Stoick could only hope that if they found Hiccup, they would find Heather as well and stop them from doing anything stupid.

"Hold on!" Hiccup called after Valka as they raced through the corridors of the tunnel as Heather followed him closely, as did Toothless and Windshear. "Wait just a minute! I-"

"This way," Valka cut in, turning around to face them briefly before leaping over a stone as if she had done it a gazillion times.

"Wait!" Heather shouted. "Come back here! I have questions!"

"Come," his mother said in reply, maneuvering herself over rocks and between stones, and even under a few more jagged pieces of ice.

"You can't just say something like that," Hiccup went on as they make their way through the small corridor, "and runoff! You're my mother!? I mean, what the...? Do-do you grasp not insane it sounds!?"

"Come! Quickly! There's someone you need to meet!" Valka urged, climbing up a steep rock and disappearing over the side of it. Heather and Windshear jumped up it with ease, but Hiccup struggled, slipping every time he was certain he had a grip.

"I have questions, too!" Hiccup shouted. Heather grabbed his wrist and pulled him up with the help of Toothless, and they continued following his mother, who was still jumping around the rocks like some sort of super squirrel. "Where have you been all this time!? What've you been doing!? They said you were dead! Everyone thinks you and Hala were eaten by..."