Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD

A/N: Attention – we interrupt your not-so-regularly scheduled fanfic to bring you this canon divergent AU of an AU from Plot Bunnies Inc. This story will not impact on the main series.

Runaway

Hiccup raised his dagger, ready to plunge it down through scale and flesh. As he tried to gather his courage, he glanced down at the downed dragon…It looked at him with noticeable fear in its sharp green eye, which closed as the creature lowered its head to the ground, accepting its fate. At the sight, Hiccup's nerves failed him entirely. Who was he kidding?

He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill this dragon. The dragon looked as frightened as he felt, and helpless, and nothing like the terrifying offspring of lightning and death itself that Night Furies were supposed to be. "I did this…" He knew he would be throwing away his best, possibly his only chance to ever be accepted by his tribe…perhaps it was time he accepted the fact that he probably never would be.

Of course, if the dragon killed him, the village would probably be relieved, he thought as he cut through the ropes of the bolas. As soon as the Night Fury was free, it leapt and pinned him against a boulder. Petrified, Hiccup saw his life flash before his eyes, and stared into the dragon's own. He could see a very faint reflection of himself in those large, acidic green orbs…and as the two of them stared at each other, something inside them suddenly awoke.

Frozen in terror, Hiccup could only whimper as the dragon sniffed at him. The Night Fury was probably trying to figure out if he was okay to eat. Please think I'm too skinny, please think I'm too skinny…

Suddenly the dragon pulled back, with a sort of grunting squeak. It kind of sounded…surprised. Then it sniffed at him more urgently, even licked him, which was gross. Just my luck; I'm gonna get eaten by a dragon that likes to play with its food he thought miserably. To his utter confusion, the Night Fury made a noise that sounded almost like a purr, and slowly backed away completely. It kept watching him, but it made no move to stop him as he very, very slowly sat up and got to his feet.

"Err…um…nice dragon….err…look!" Hiccup pointed suddenly at something behind the dragon. It briefly glanced away, and Hiccup bolted. Of course, he didn't get very far.

"AAAH!" he screamed, sending birds and squirrels rushing off, as clawed paws wrapped over his thin shoulders and he found himself being lifted off the ground. "Oh, oh gods, no, no, no, put me down! Please! Put me back!"

He struggled before realising that was a really bad idea, as the Night Fury climbed ever higher and he saw the trees growing smaller beneath him. What had he been thinking?! He freed a dragon instead of killing it and now it was going to take him back to its nest to devour him. I really am the worst Viking ever.

"You really don't want to eat me! There is no meat on me at all; I'm all knees and elbows!"

The dragon carried him out to sea, dangling from its claws, until it finally swooped down (making Hiccup's stomach flip over) and dropped him onto the top of a large sea stack. He staggered, and scrambled to look back at the Night Fury who was hovering above him. "Err…"

Before he could say or do anything, the dragon swerved away. "No, wait – come back!" Hiccup was stranded now; there was no way he could climb down from there, or swim back to Berk. Speaking of which…he could just make out his island home, back the way they had come. It looked so much smaller from where he was standing…Hiccup didn't think he'd ever been on top of these sea stacks before.

As he tried to figure out what he could possibly do next, the Night Fury came back. It landed in front of Hiccup and stalked towards him, making him back away until he tripped on a hummock of grass. The dragon advanced until it was looming over him…and dropped a dead fish onto his lap. Then it backed away a few steps and sat down, staring at him expectantly. Hiccup stared back, glanced uncertainly at the fish, and back up at the dragon.

The dragon looked at him, and then at the fish, and back at him. It opened and closed its mouth. Hiccup bit back a groan as he realised what it wanted, but he couldn't stop himself from grimacing as he reluctantly lifted the disgusting dead fish to his mouth. I can't believe I'm doing this he thought miserably, as he bit through the scales. It was horrible; the flesh was slimy, the scales and tiny bones poked at his gums and tongue.

Through watering eyes, he saw the Night Fury gulp pointedly. Hiccup forced himself to swallow the sickening mouthful, shuddering at the feel of it sliding down his throat. The bones stuck in his throat, making him gag and choke until he spat them out. "Ugh….uh, here…you have the rest" he said weakly, nervously holding the fish out to the dragon.

At first the Night Fury did nothing, but merely stared at him through hooded eyes. It looked distinctly unimpressed. Then it spread its wings and looked at the notch in the membrane of one, where Hiccup's bolas had ensnared it. Then it looked at Hiccup again and growled a bit, before looking at the fish, swallowing, and purring. It didn't take long for Hiccup to get the message. Now we're even.

It crept forward, opening its jaws. For some reason, its mouth was… "Toothless. Huh. I would've thought you'd have"- Hiccup flinched as the dragon suddenly sprouted teeth and lightly snapped the fish up from his hands. It ate the fish in two bites and looked at Hiccup again. It was definitely purring. Hiccup gave a nervous, lopsided smile…the dragon tilted its head curiously, and to Hiccup's bewilderment, tried to mimic him.

The result was odd and a little grotesque, but also strangely cute. In fact… with its large eyes, those peculiar ear like flaps and rounded head…the Night Fury was cute. That wasn't a word one normally used to describe a dragon so terrifying, the Book of Dragons only said to 'hide and pray it does not find you'. It also hadn't attacked him, apart from pinning him down and then making him eat raw fish in revenge for trapping it. This dragon was clearly incredibly clever, if it could understand the idea of 'you get what you give'.

Hiccup decided that if he'd already risked his life once, he might as well do it again. I must be insane he told himself as he slowly, gingerly reached a hand out to the dragon. It stopped trying to smile and looked at his hand…amazingly, after a few tense moments it actually closed its eyes and pressed its snout against his palm. The dragons' nose was smooth, and warmer than he'd expected. Then again, if dragons breathed fire and lived in cold places like the archipelago, perhaps they weren't cold blooded like reptiles were supposed to be.

The Night Fury backed away, and spread its wings. With a jerk of its head, it motioned to its shoulders, and Hiccup suddenly realised it wanted him to get on its back. "Err…are you going to take me back now?" he asked hopefully. The dragon purred and looked past him. "No, back there" Hiccup insisted, pointing at Berk, "Back home". The dragon merely looked at him.

"Please" he begged, a little desperate. "I have to go back. My…my dad is there. He'll worry about me…" A nasty little voice in the back of his mind whispered Will he really? Or will he even notice you're gone?

The idea of letting the Night Fury simply take him away…it was tempting. If the dragon wanted to kill and eat him, surely it would have done so by now. It finally occurred to Hiccup that he didn't even know the dragon's gender. "Um…are you a…a boy, or a girl?" he asked, before feeling very stupid. Why would the dragon be able to understand him? Yet to his surprise, and mortification, the dragon lay down and started to roll over.

"Agh! No, err, never mind!" he exclaimed, clapping a hand over his eyes and waving the other one wildly. The dragon got back to its feet and huffed at him. Face red, Hiccup cleared his throat awkwardly and murmured, "Um, well, you uh, look like a boy…are you a boy?" he asked hesitantly.

The Night Fury actually nodded at him. Then it…he…made the same 'climb on' gesture, but still Hiccup hesitated. "Are you going to take me back to Berk?" he asked…for some reason, he was under the impression that the dragon actually could understand what he was saying. The dragon whined at him, head cocked to one side, eyes large and round. He imagined the dragon asking 'why?'

"I'm sorry" he said, and to his slight surprise, he meant it. "I can't…I can't just fly off. Not like…this" he said, gesturing to himself. He didn't have anything but the clothes on his back. The Night Fury looked over his shoulder at Berk, his ear flaps drooping, and turned to face the island. He looked over his shoulder at Hiccup, who swallowed nervously and approached him, heart in his mouth. If the Night Fury didn't want to take him home, there would be nothing he could do.

The dragons back was lined with rounded spines along much of its length, but there was a space between its thick neck and its wings, on its shoulders that was smooth enough for him to sit there comfortably. He crouched a bit so Hiccup could heave himself on. "Err…" He realised he had nothing to hold onto, so he crouched awkwardly to wrap his thin arms around the dragons neck. With a powerful leap the Night Fury took to the air; Hiccup screwed his eyes shut and clung on for dear life.

After what felt like an eternity, he felt the dragon level out. The Night Fury purred in an encouraging sort of way, and Hiccup dared to open his eyes. Slowly, he sat up, bracing his hands against the dragons' shoulders. Instead of looking down, and feeling terror, he looked around, and felt…wonder. The ocean stretched as far as he could see in every direction, and from way up here, Berk looked so…small.

It dawned on Hiccup that there was a whole world out there, that there was so much more to life than working in the forge or daydreaming about ever getting with Astrid. He was probably never going to get her attention anyway. Then there was the Night Fury, who could have killed him – dragons always went for the kill, everyone said so – but spared him instead.

In that moment, he had never felt so alive, nor so free. A grin spread across his face as he dared to stretch his arms wide and let the wind blow his hair back from his face. "This is amazing!"

That very day, his father left on yet another search for the Nest, and Hiccup was expected to join his fellow teens for dragon training. Yet after having ridden a dragon, how could he ever bring himself to attack one? Defend himself if necessary, yes, but not kill.

The temptation to escape with the Night Fury was strong. The dragon had taken him to a secluded cove, somewhere secret for them to meet. Struck by his intelligence, Hiccup had introduced himself to the dragon and even asked for a name. It appeared the dragon did have a name, but could not of course say it; so he had accepted the nickname 'Toothless'. Hiccup knew it wasn't exactly befitting of a Night Fury, but the dragon was nothing like he'd imagined.

It would be so easy to leave, and yet Hiccup couldn't bring himself to. It wasn't that there was anything he would miss on Berk, or anyone who would miss him…except maybe Gobber. It was just…his father was still out there, and might not return. Hiccup knew he could fly out and find Stoick, but that might mean Toothless getting captured, and he didn't want to risk that. Toothless was quickly becoming his best – his only – friend.

For his own peace of mind – despite Stoick's flaws he was still the boy's father, after all – Hiccup resolved not to leave Berk until his father returned…and if the man hadn't come home in a month, then he would leave with Toothless regardless. He made a saddle so riding would be a bit more comfortable for both of them – mostly him – and every day after training he would sneak off to meet Toothless, who would take him on secretive flights out to sea…always towards the north, for some reason.

The time he spent with Toothless showed him a side of dragons no Viking had ever known about. They loved fish, but hated eels. There was a grass that made them relax and go a bit loopy, a spot under the jaw which made them collapse, and they would happily chase spots of light reflected off the sun, acting more like tame cats than vicious reptiles.

Hiccup wondered why the dragons, if they could be so playful and even affectionate, would ever raid in the first place. When he asked about it, though, Toothless would simply look confused and a little frustrated. Whatever the reason it was clearly something his dragon…yes, Hiccup thought of Toothless as his, and suspected that the dragon saw him as 'my human'…knew as much about as he did – that is, nothing.

Using tricks and deceit, Hiccup quickly went from being the worst in dragon training class to the best. Suddenly the whole village was praising him, and the other teens (except for Astrid) couldn't get enough of him. For the first time in his life he was accepted, popular, not an outcast; and all of it was a lie. The fact both amused and frustrated him.

His father finally returned, just when Hiccup was beginning to think he should just cut his losses and go. Stoick came back in time to see his son win the so-called 'honour' of slaying the Monstrous Nightmare. He praised his son that night, showing the fatherly pride Hiccup had always longed for…in a way. His words were more along the lines of "All those years of the worst Viking that Berk has ever seen! Odin, it was rough! I almost gave up on you… and all this time you were holding out on me!"

That was when Hiccup knew that he was making the right decision. His dad would never be able to accept him as he truly was, and if he knew Hiccup had been 'fraternising with the enemy' then Stoick would undoubtedly disown him, or have him banished. Really, he was doing the man a favour. Astrid, or even Snotlout – no, probably Astrid – could be the next chief in his stead, for all he cared.

Toothless was waiting for him in the cove, as usual. "I'm ready to leave" he said, and the dragon perked up immediately, lips curling back into that familiar gummy smile. Hiccup quickly continued, "But, um, do you mind if we bring a few…other escapees along?"

A tilted head and small grunt was interpreted as a 'What do you mean?' Hiccup swallowed and explained, "There are some dragons being held captive on the outskirts of the village…and tomorrow, everyone expects me to…to kill one of them" he admitted. He didn't think Toothless would be angry, he had grown to trust the dragon…but he still tensed.

Toothless stared at him intently, and then sighed, closing reptilian eyes in a slow blink. He wasn't upset. Breathing easier, Hiccup went on to say "But I'm not going to. I can't. I want to…I want to rescue those dragons, and take them with us. All of them; the Nadder, the Gronckle, the Terror, the Zippleback and the Monstrous Nightmare. Can you…will you help?"

A long pause…and then Toothless nodded. Hiccup wondered where he had learned to do that, since he doubted it was a natural dragon mannerism. Had the Night Fury spent time around humans before?

Under cover of darkness, they snuck into the pit. The plan was that Toothless, with his keener eyes, would stay on guard whilst Hiccup opened the pens one by one and tamed the dragons. Armed only with some dragon nip, some fish and a shield in case one of the dragons breathed fire at him, Hiccup decided to start small and work his way up. The Terror was quickly distracted by a piece of fish and immediately decided Hiccup was their friend for life, climbing up to perch on his shoulder.

Then out came the Gronckle, the Nadder, and the Zippleback. None of them were exactly pleased to see him, but when they saw him with food and no weapons they relaxed somewhat. Still, they kept looking around as if expecting the other teens to leap out brandishing axes. "It's okay" Hiccup whispered to them, "It's just us here. Shh, shh" he hushed them. If they made too much noise they risked getting discovered, and then it would be all for naught.

The most difficult dragon to tame was the Monstrous Nightmare. It blazed up immediately, nearly snapping at him until it smelled the fish he had with him. It was a harrowing half hour or so, but Hiccup finally managed to lead all of the dragons out of the pit altogether. They all looked up at the sky as if they had forgotten what it was like to not have chains above their heads. "It's okay, you guys. We're gonna get out of here" Hiccup encouraged them all.

Toothless dived down from where he'd been hovering on watch, and bounded to Hiccup's side. The young teen did a quick inventory check of his saddlebags – change of clothes, stoppered flask of fresh water, some food that wasn't fish, his notebook and charcoal pencils…

Just as he was satisfied he had everything he needed, one of the dragons – the Nadder – gave an alarmed squawk. Hiccup spun around to see none other than Astrid – how in Midgard had she snuck up on all of them? – staring at him and the dragons in horror. "Astrid! Oh, gods – I know this looks bad, but just let me explain!"

She didn't give him a chance to; she glared at him with undisguised disgust, turned on her heel and sprinted down the path, yelling her head off. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP! HICCUP LET THE DRAGONS OUT! THE DRAGONS ARE LOOSE!"

The dragons growled; the Nightmare made as if to go after her, but Hiccup shouted "NO! Leave her, we need to go. NOW!"

He mounted up, quickly hooked the safety lines to his belt and Toothless took off. The other dragons followed suit, and soon all four of them – five, if you counted the Terror that had scrambled into Hiccup's saddlebag – were following the Night Fury and heading north. Hiccup looked back in time to see a procession of torches heading up to the training pit. By the time anyone got there, they would be long gone. "Goodbye, Berk" he murmured, hesitating, before adding, "Bye, dad".

Stoick couldn't believe it. Hiccup was gone – gone – taken by a dragon, just like his mother. Astrid had sworn she saw a saddle on the beast, and Hiccup had claimed he'd captured a Night Fury…but dragons were nothing more than vicious, bloodthirsty monsters! There was no way any dragon, much less the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, would let a man live long enough to try and ride them.

At first he'd refused to believe it, that his son had been lost – he'd barged into Hiccup's room to prove the boy was still in there, only to find it empty and bare. There was a note left on the bed, rolled up and tied with string.

Dear Stoick

If you're reading this, I am long gone. I've flown away with a dragon, that Night Fury I said I captured. I couldn't kill him, and he didn't kill me. I probably won't be coming home. Maybe I'm going to my death, but I trust Toothless (that's his name by the way). I've taken the other dragons too – they don't deserve to be murdered so you guys can feel like tough Vikings. There is so much more to dragons than you realise – you don't have to kill them. If there is any goodness in you, please, don't just capture more.

If you need an heir, make Astrid chief. She's a model Viking warrior…and I'm not, and I never will be. I was sick of everyone treating me like I was a useless nobody – the only time Berk ever liked me was when I stopped being me, when I lied. Yeah, all that stuff in the training ring was pretend. I faked being a mighty dragon conqueror. Tell Gobber…I'm sorry. I know you guys probably won't miss me, but this is better for everyone.

Yours truly,

Hiccup.

After reading the note, Stoick sat on the creaking bed, lost in thought and grief, for a very long time.

Hiccup had no idea where they were going, but Toothless seemed to. Wherever it was, he wanted to get there quickly, and got rather annoyed at the other dragons holding them up.

Speaking of the others, Hiccup figured out their genders (with help from Toothless) and gave them nicknames – the three females, Teeny, Gurgle and Flicker, and the two other males, Zip&Zap and Hot Temper. He had the sneaking suspicion they were just humouring him when they responded to these names – except for Teeny, who just liked being near him.

At last, a week after leaving Berk, they made it to wherever Toothless was going. Hiccup was shivering on his back despite wearing his thickest coat and gloves – not for the first time he wished that wherever Toothless was taking him had been in the south.

Toothless let out a joyful warble, and Hiccup looked up to see what looked like a gigantic spiky iceberg. Even from there, he could see dragons perched on the spikes. In the light of the setting sun, the ice glowed from within, a light and vibrant blue. "It's beautiful" he murmured, "Is that where we're going?"

Toothless purred happily, but the other dragons started to get restless. "Whoa – hey, guys, what's up?" Hiccup asked, when their friends recoiled from the ice. Gurgle panicked and tried to fly away, but Toothless quickly intercepted her.

He left Hiccup sitting on Flicker's back whilst he flew ahead to the icy mountain. "It's okay, guys" Hiccup tried to reassure the dragons he was left with. "I'm sure Toothless knows what he's doing".

Sure enough, the black dragon soon re-emerged from what Hiccup suspected was some kind of nest. Rather than fly out to meet them, he roared and the dragons made their way to him. Toothless led them through a wide fissure into a large cavern, that was filled to the brim with dragons of breeds that Hiccup had never seen before, except for a few Monstrous Nightmares.

As soon as Flicker landed, he slipped off her back and nervously looked around at the unfamiliar dragons. It didn't help that the dragons he'd met seemed uneasy as well; perhaps they didn't like being in a strange nest. Only Toothless seemed at home, warbling happily and touching noses with this nests dragons, who all seemed to recognise him and were very pleased to see him.

"You come from here" Hiccup realised, "This is your home".

Toothless looked over at him, purring and wriggling with sheer joy. Then something caught his eye and he gave an excited yelp, rushing forwards to greet…at first Hiccup thought it was another dragon, but then he realised it was someone dressed up like a dragon. They wore a strange looking mask and clawed gauntlets, and they crouched like a dragon at rest.

Whoever they were, they seemed just as pleased to see Toothless as he was to see them. Before he'd really greeted them, though, Toothless suddenly bounded over to Hiccup. The next thing he knew, Hiccup was being pushed towards the strange masked person, who tilted their head curiously and started crawling towards him.

"Um, uh…" Unsettled, Hiccup stood awkwardly as the stranger came up to him and reached out a hand to grasp his chin. He didn't know what they were looking at, but then they gasped and pulled away, and said the last thing he was expecting to hear.

"It is you…Hiccup…"

The masked stranger rose to their full height, and removed their helmet. They were a she, a woman with long auburn hair and green-blue eyes... She stared at him as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing, and then looked at Toothless, who seemed very pleased with himself. "You found him…how did you…?"

"Erm…sorry…do I, uh, should I….know you?"

Her gaze found his again, and she looked incredibly sad, even regretful. "No…you were only a babe…but a mother never forgets".

It started with Toothless sparing his life, and with the recent revelation, Hiccup's life had been completely turned upside down. His mother was alive. She had been living the last fourteen years with dragons, after being taken away by a Stormcutter she'd named Cloud-Jumper (his real name was too tricky to pronounce) because she had reminded him of his lost sister.

She showed him a beautiful hidden paradise, a secret geothermal oasis in the harsh northern tundra. Valka apologised for not coming home, explaining that she'd thought he'd be better off growing up without a 'crazy, dragon loving mother'. So instead, she'd stayed away to become a 'crazy, feral, vigilante dragon lady' who rescued dragons from trappers.

Hiccup forgave her, and Cloud…but he still admitted that he wished she'd been there, that his life on Berk had been frustrating at best and downright miserable at worst. He confessed that meeting and running away with Toothless had been the best decision he'd ever made. "I…I can't go back. I freed the dragons, they'll all think I'm a traitor…"

He shyly looked at his mother, who smiled sympathetically. "Um…do you think, maybe…since I can't go home…I could, um…live here with you?" he asked, not sure how she'd react.

Valka's smile grew wider, and she knelt to embrace him, holding him close. "Yes. Yes, I would love that, son. Come" she beamed, taking his hand, "It's time you met the King".

The King turned out to be an absolutely massive dragon, that his mother called a Bewilderbeast, who breathed ice instead of fire and ruled the nest benevolently. Hiccup learned that dragons, who lived much longer than humans, were telepathic and that the King could bestow the ability onto certain humans, who shared a connection with dragons because they had the souls of one.

So far, Valka was the first human to have the gift in centuries…and now, her son had it too. Hiccup found himself able to understand the dragons. His five fellow runaways were amnesiac – they didn't remember what made them raid, but they did recall their real names. Sardine, Granite, Sun Sky, Fun&Games and Firestorm were all very grateful to have been rescued and led to a better Nest, a better home.

He was most interested in Toothless' story. The black dragon's true name was Midnight; he had left his home nest and found this one about a decade before Valka arrived. He would go out exploring, and he'd been missing for nearly five years until Hiccup had shot him down, snapping him out of whatever it was that compelled him to help raid the village of Berk. When he recognised Hiccup as Valka's son from his scent and features, he'd wanted to bring the boy to her as soon as he could.

He and Hiccup resonated with each other the way Valka and Cloud-Jumper did - they were two halves. The Night Fury said he didn't mind being called 'Toothless' – given names weren't as important to dragons – but Hiccup insisted on calling him by his proper name. "Whilst we're at it, I think I'm going to change my name" he decided, "if that's alright…"

"You can if you want to, dear. What would you rather be called?"

"Um…I have no idea".

"Well, you know…before you were born, I did think about calling you Hamish. After one of your ancestors, Hamish II. He was a 'Hiccup' too, you know".

"Really? Huh…Hamish… I like it" Hiccup…or rather Hamish… smiled at his mother, "Thanks".

Four years later

A sleek black Swift-Wing winged his way through a maze of sea stacks, the rider on his back keeping balance with practised ease. They swept upwards in a wide arc, pulling off a tight loop at the pinnacle that set them back on a horizontal course. Gliding through the air on a good strong wind, the dragon known as Midnight purred in contentment. *This is the life*.

"You said it, bro" Hamish replied from where he was stretched out on Midnight's back. The once small and awkward teenager had grown into a tall, handsome young man. Life in the Nest had been good to him; climbing through all the tunnels and holding on in madcap flight had strengthened his muscles, so whilst he was still slender he was stronger than he looked.

More importantly he had a family. No more absent, disapproving father; now he had a mother who loved and supported him. He had an adoptive uncle/father figure in Cloud Jumper, and a twin brother (technically older, but neither of them cared) in Midnight. All his friends were dragons, but thanks to their King, he could understand them all as well as if they were humans.

He barely thought of the island he'd left behind…occasionally, every so often, he would wonder what had become of Stoick, who Gobber's new apprentice was, whether Astrid was being groomed to be chief yet. Then there'd be a game to play or a race to win or a dare to do, and the thought would burst like a hatching dragon egg, with not even bits of shell to pick through.

He hadn't trusted Stoick to not imprison more dragons in the pit; and sure enough, they had rescued many new flock-mates from the Berkians clutches. Just like Firestorm, Sun Sky and the others, these dragons were amnesiac – none of them could really recall what it was that had compelled them to raid, and none of them particularly wanted to. Whenever they tried, they felt nothing but fear and anger directed at them from an unknown source.

Yet Hamish would be lying if he said he wasn't curious. The only way to save all of the dragons for good would be to end the war…but he hadn't been ready to face it. Perhaps it was selfish, but he wanted a chance to discover who he was, to grow up unburdened by expectations of being heir, unjudged for being different. Now, at last, he couldn't kid himself or put it off any longer.

He and Midnight had made their decision. The next time they went to Berk on a rescue mission, the two of them would sneakily follow one of the local dragons back to the source of their amnesia and madness. Before they could fight this threat, they needed to know what the threat even was.

It was usually so simple. At first, all they'd had to is leave dragons on watch whilst Hamish or Valka snuck in and unlocked the cages, calmed the frustrated, terrified dragons within. Then the village started leaving guards; a quick dive and snatch usually took care of them, or if they did raise the alarm, the dragons would simply burn or blast the cell doors open and they'd be gone by the time the hollering hordes made it to the pit. So when Hamish and Midnight had seen a single guard pacing back and forth in the ring, face hidden by a hood, it had seemed like an easy fix.

That was how Hamish ended up rolling his aching, but thankfully not dislocated shoulder, and Astrid Hofferson ended up pinned by one of Midnight's paws. She had put up a good fight. He crouched down beside her, his face obscured by his helmet, and put a finger to his lips. Midnight bared his teeth to reinforce the message. They let her stand, and left her guarded by Fun&Games and Sun Sky in the corner whilst they got back to work.

Astrid reluctantly held her tongue on pain of fanged or fiery death (possibly a combination) but she couldn't take her eyes off the black clad vigilante. Half of her was saying That's him, that's Hiccup, that's the Night Fury that took him away… but the other half was denying it, saying It can't be, he's too tall, the Hiccup I know would never be able to last this long out in the wild…

Doubt niggled at her. Could she really say she had ever truly known Hiccup Haddock?

Whoever the stranger was, he certainly knew what he was doing. She could hardly believe her eyes as she watched him open the cells and lead dragon after dragon out. Beasts that usually raged upon release were inexplicably calmed just by him holding a hand out to them….how had he not gotten his hands bitten off? More importantly, how could he so gently pet monsters, and simply chuckle when all of them were released and the Night Fury gave him a nudge that nearly knocked him over?

His covered eyes turned to her, and Astrid bristled as if at a threat. He gestured for the Zippleback and Nadder guarding her to move aside, and then gestured for her to leave. Just like that, he was sparing her, letting her go free…but Astrid didn't want to go, not yet. Perhaps she would die for this, and so be it, but she had to know. "Show me your face" she demanded. He did nothing. Clenching her fists, Astrid insisted "I won't leave until you do. I just want to know, alright? I just want to know if it's really…"

The man relented and took off his helmet...thick, slightly too long auburn hair framed a face with familiar green eyes and freckles. "…You" she finished, looking at him. "You look…uh…"

"Yeah…you too" he murmured. Four whole years, and their interactions were as awkward as ever. He cleared his throat and asked, almost casually, "So…how's everyone been?"

Astrid gaped at him. "How's…you…of all the selfish, thoughtless" - she lunged at him suddenly, fist raised, but he grabbed her wrists and held her there, bracing his feet against the ground. He was stronger than he looked, damn it. Furious, Astrid glared at him and wished that looks could kill. "How have we been?! We've been fighting for our lives, Hiccup!"

Four long years of frustration spilled out as she wrenched her hands free and gripped him by the shoulders – the dragons, including the Night Fury, growled menacingly but Hiccup motioned for them to stand down. Taking courage, Astrid hissed out "We've been fighting just to survive, before these pet monsters of yours starve or burn us all out, whilst you've been swanning off on your own – oh, except for when you come and blast these cells open to let fire-breathing terrors loose"-

"We are doing you a favour" Hiccup cut in, "Every dragon we save from slaughter is a dragon who isn't raiding you anymore. Astrid, the dragons aren't raiding you on purpose! Something is forcing them to, taking over their minds and"-

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" she snapped. He was gripping her arms and she was gripping his and they were locked in a standoff. "You're a liar. First you lied about the training, and now you're lying about this. Or maybe you're not lying about dragons having mind powers and they've somehow taken over you. Maybe if I kill them all the spell will be reversed".

Hiccup gripped her arms painfully hard and glared at her. "Don't. You. Dare" he bit out. Astrid was only just starting to realise how much he'd changed. The old Hiccup would never have had the nerve to threaten her like this. "This, right now? This is why I left, because you're just like everyone else. None of you can be bothered to try and see that it's okay to be different"-

"No, it's not okay, not when being 'different' cost us shelter and food and – see, this is your problem. It's always been your problem. You have no sense of responsibility. No concern for everyone's difficulties and hard work. All you care about is dragons, and yourself" she spat at him. Hurt flared up in his eyes, and she revelled in it. He deserved it after betraying them all.

Yet Odin damn her, but she felt almost guilty when he recoiled from her, looking as if she'd just slapped him. Blindly he reached out to the Night Fury, and the dragon actually had the gall to give her a withering glare before crooning and nuzzling against Hiccup. It looked like it was really trying to comfort him. What he said next floored her. "You're right. I was…I should have come back sooner. I'm sorry – but I'm really not lying about the dragons, Astrid. There's so much…just let me show you" he asked, holding a hand out to her, "Please".

Astrid eyed him warily. He retrieved his helmet from where he'd dropped it and swung himself into the saddle; with his black armour and the dragon's black scales, the two of them seemed to merge into one. He patted the back of the saddle invitingly. She took a step towards him, another, and another…and then she bolted. The dragons made no move to stop her, because Hamish and Midnight had told them to leave her alone; but now Hamish sighed and wished he'd asked Firestorm to block the entrance.

*We should leave* Midnight insisted, but Hamish had already let Astrid chase him away from Berk once – he wanted to help her realise what he had.

"Let's go get her. Sun Sky, c'mon" he called, beckoning to the Spike-Tail as his brother bounded forwards and took off.

Astrid made it less than halfway down the path towards the village. She didn't shout this time, wanting to save her breath, but a scream was torn from her throat as large claws wrapped around her and lifted her bodily from the ground. Yelling her head off, she struggled and watched in horror as Berk fell away beneath her. The dragon who had snatched her up finally stopped, hovered, and deposited her onto the back of the Night Fury.

Frightened and desperate, she clutched at Hiccup, wrapping her arms around his waist like a lifeline since he and his dragon were the only things between her and certain death. As if nothing was happening, he looked up at the dragon – the Nadder – who had caught her and said, "Thanks, Sun. You and the others take our new friends back to the nest, okay? We'll be fine".

The Nadder chirped at him and flew away; the others followed, heading north, but the Night Fury stayed where he was. "Put me down! Hiccup, I swear, you put me down right now or I'll"-

"Would you relax? You can trust me. Take us up, bro" he prompted, and the dragon started climbing. Astrid hung on tighter and screwed her eyes shut. After what felt like forever, they levelled out and Hiccup said "Astrid, think about it. You're riding a dragon. You're in the sky! Enjoy the view".

"I can't, my eyes are closed!"

"So open them. Midnight and I won't let you fall" he told her, and something in his voice made her believe him. So she dared to open her eyes, and take in the view…the incredible, gorgeous view, of clouds all around, the aurora shimmering in brilliant curtains of light above them, and the lights of Berk twinkling below. Astrid's mouth dropped open, her eyes shone, and even though her arms were bare and the winds were cold, she barely felt it. For the first time, Astrid wondered if perhaps he was onto something with this whole mad 'riding dragons' thing.

Something occurred to her, and she asked "I thought…that note you left said your dragon was called 'Toothless', but you just called him Midnight?"

"Oh, right…that was what I called him, before I knew his real name. I changed my name to Hamish, by the way".

"What do you mean, his real name? How did you even-?"

"No, hold on. I've answered your question, now you need to answer mine. I've been gone for four years, Astrid, I just want to know what's happened since I left".

"…If I tell you what's been going on, will you put me down?"

"Yes". Maybe.

So as Midnight glided, Astrid filled Hiccup in on everything he'd missed. Gobber had taken on Gustav Larson as a replacement apprentice – the boy had done a fair enough job so far. Fishlegs was apprenticed to the village officiator, and the twins…were still the twins. She confirmed that yes, she was now the new heir…assuming Hiccup – no, Hamish – didn't come back. He said nothing. As for Snotlout, she had reluctantly agreed to let him be her second-in-command as his father was Stoick's, provided he got his act together before she was coronated.

In return, Hamish told her some of what he had been up to. He explained how their King, the Bewilderbeast, had given him the ability to understand dragons. He described their Nest to her, the places he'd seen as he and Midnight explored…he spoke of the daring rescues they pulled off, breaking traps to free dragons from hunters…the forge he'd set up in their caves to make things that could help dragons fly again. "Don't ask me where I get the supplies" he said wryly.

Finally, Astrid said "I have to admit…this is pretty cool. And where you've been, what you've done…I guess I can't blame you for not coming back". She hesitated, and then asked, "Why did you leave?"

"I thought you said you'd seen my note".

"I heard about it from your dad…but I want to hear it from you. I know life wasn't easy back then, but if you'd just tried"-

"I did try" Hamish interrupted, "And look where it got me. My whole life, I - I thought I could be myself and still fit in, but I couldn't. The only time I did was when I lied and faked being what everyone wanted me to be. I was all set to kill a Night Fury and change everything…and I couldn't, because he looked as frightened as I was. So I let him go. Turns out…that changed everything anyway".

He patted Midnight, before sighing and looking over his shoulder at Astrid. "I had to leave, Astrid. I couldn't keep living a lie and when I was expected to kill that dragon, I…I couldn't stay here anymore. I left because I needed to figure out who I was, not who I'd been trying to become. I stayed away because, after I rescued the dragons that night, you'd all see me as a traitor and I'd be exiled anyway" he explained. Then he sighed and added, "I know you probably won't understand. You know who you are, you always have…I didn't".

Astrid didn't know what to say. After a few moments, she licked her dry lips and asked quietly, "Do you know now?"

"I like to think so" he admitted. A few moments later he said "Hey, c'mon, Midnight. Let's take her home. We still need to"-

*Get down!* Midnight hissed, suddenly swerving to the right. Hamish ducked down, pulling Astrid with him. Other dragons were now flying in formation around them, dead sheep and clumps of fish hanging from their claws. "What's going on?" Astrid whispered, subtly tugging her dark hood over her distinctive blonde hair.

"Shh. Stay still!" Hamish whispered back, watching the dragons around them out of the corner of his eyes. He wished he had his helmet on. These dragons must have been raiding elsewhere other than Berk…Outcast Island was back that way, if he recalled correctly.

They were fixated on wherever they were going, but if the Swift-Wing in their midst were to break formation and try to escape, they would surely notice and give chase. Midnight, Hamish and Astrid's only chance was for the dragon to play along and the humans to stay very still and very quiet.

As they drew closer to the Nest, a sound could be heard…a low, constant crooning, of which the Astrid could only hear the loudest parts. Midnight and Hamish could hear all of it, and the words beneath, deceptively innocent and welcoming: come here come-to-me here safe welcome here come safe come-to-me mine mine stay come here stay mine come-to-me safe welcome here mine stay.

Midnight shuddered at the sound, and Hamish pinned his ear-fins down so he couldn't hear it as much. He was starting to remember…coming here, years ago, being lured in by the sound and the promise of a safe place to sleep…and waking up in a forest, years later, tangled in a rock-and-ropes trap with a hapless young Viking standing over him.

A terrible feeling of foreboding swept over them. This Nest was unnatural, too quiet and filled with fear…guarded by thick, languorous fog that muffled the senses, and a labyrinth of crumbling sea stacks. Midnight followed the other dragons lead, and they emerged at last beyond the barrier, before a towering and ominous volcano.

Into the depths of it they flew; it truly was like entering Helheim itself. Burning hot, and the only light spilling from a deep gash in the Earth, gaping like the jaws of a demon. Midnight circled and dropped to land on a ledge, hidden behind a stalagmite. The other dragons milled about above the crevasse, dropping their prey into its depths and darting away as quickly as possible.

Astrid couldn't believe that all their hard-fought-for stolen food just got dumped down a hole. Hamish and Midnight did not understand it either; dragons did not store food, they would eat all of a kill that they could and waste nothing. What were these dragons doing?

As they watched, all the dragons dropped their kills and landed on the surrounding ledges…until finally, a single Rock-Tail buzzed up and opened their mouth, letting a single small fish slide off their tongue. They scratched themselves with a hind leg, gurgling…and a monstrous groan emerged from the fiery depths below. All around, the dragons cringed and whimpered in fear.

The Rock-Tail barely registered what was happening, before a gigantic dragon, its head alone the size of the Great Hall, emerged from its lair within the Earth and devoured them whole. The eyes of the three intruders widened in shock and horror. "What. Is that?!" Astrid hissed.

"Shh!" Hamish warned her. He signalled to Midnight that they needed to leave, straightaway. The black dragon wasted no time arguing; he made a break for it at once, and just in the nick of time, as the monster noticed the intruders and lunged at them. The other dragons fled as well, shrieking in fear, but only Midnight emerged from the cloying fogs, flying up and up as fast as he could.

He raced across the ocean, trembling from nose to tail to wingtips, with no destination in mind but away. Even as he flew, he ranted furiously to Hamish about the horror they had witnessed. *IT ATE THEM! I CAN'T BELIEVE I USED TO OBEY THAT MONSTER! THAT MOON-DAMNED BELLY-CRAWLING OFFSPRING OF AN EEL JUST ATE SOMEONE!*

"I know! I saw" Hamish agreed, shuddering with revulsion himself, "It's okay, I don't think it sent anyone after us. Let's just take Astrid back and then go home. We're gonna need help".

"Hamish, what the heck was that thing?"

"That thing was this pack's Alpha. Every pack has one, a leader, but not all of them are good. Just like not all chieftains are good. Sometimes Alphas lure in dragons from rival territories and keep them - that's what this one is doing, but to cannibalise their own subjects…that is so wrong. This is why the dragons keep raiding, Astrid. They're forced to, and if they don't bring back enough food…"

"They get eaten themselves" she finished for him. It was disgusting, terrible, and it threw everything – the war, the raids, the slaying of dragons – into a whole new light. For years she had assumed the dragons raided because of mindlessness and greed and spite…and in a way, that was true, but not in the way she'd expected. How could any of them have predicted this?

Rather than put her back where they found her, Midnight swept around to the uninhabited side of the island and landed in the forest. Astrid dismounted, and Hamish helpfully pointed her in the direction of the village. "Astrid, listen. Midnight and I are going to go get help. Whilst we're gone, make sure no one tries to find the Nest. They'll get massacred. Can you do that?"

"Of course" she agreed, before punching him in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"That was for kidnapping me!"

"Oh. Okay, I guess I deserved"- Astrid suddenly hugged him, and he stiffened. She quickly pulled away and coughed, a slight blush rising on her cheeks.

"That was…um…for everything else".

Slowly, Hamish nodded. "Okay…Astrid? Thanks".

She nodded in turn. Something occurred to Hamish, and he motioned for her to wait a minute, before holding something out to her. "In case you need proof you saw us".

"We'll be back as soon as we can" he said, slipping his helmet on and bracing for flight. "Good luck!"

"You too" Astrid replied, long after he and Midnight had taken to the air. She turned and began to jog through the forest to the village. When she made it, the place was in uproar, and when her fellow villagers spotted her they ran up to surround her.

"Are you alright, Astrid?"

"Did they hurt ya?"

"What happened?"

"Astrid!" Chief Stoick's voice thundered above the rest. He pushed his way through the crowds to see her, holding her axe in one hand. She now remembered that she'd left it behind in the training pit. "Astrid, what is going on? We came to check on you and all the cages were wide open, the dragons are gone, you were gone – I thought" –

He cut himself off, but then he couldn't help himself. "Was it him?" he demanded, "Hiccup? Did you see him?"

No-one dared speak their doubts aloud, but Astrid could see them shifting uncomfortably, glancing at one another. She drew herself up, looked the Chief right in the eye and replied, "He's calling himself 'Hamish' now, and his Night Fury is called Midnight, not Toothless. Oh, and if you want proof they were here…" In the light of the torches, she held up a single, shining black scale.

Midnight and Hamish flew home as fast as they could. Both were horrified by what they had seen, and determined to ensure this evil was destroyed once and for all. However, they each had slightly different reasons.

For Midnight, the monster was a blight on his past; one he hadn't remembered until now. He felt violated to think that such a vile creature had ever lured him in and made him obey...if Monster had taken over his mind again, and forced him to fly with his beloved brother and the human girl right into their jaws, he would never have forgiven himself for such weakness.

Whilst his dragon-half blazed inside with wounded pride, Hamish twisted inside with guilt. He couldn't help thinking – should have gone back sooner, should have helped them, just abandoned them…He truly didn't know if he was talking about the dragons, or the people of Berk. Astrid's words had rattled him. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right - he'd been selfish.

No more…now, they would set things right. When they reached their Nest at last, to see the familiar spires of ice was an indescribable relief. Nearby flock-mates recognised them and called out in greeting, but Midnight did not stop to return the joyful cries. He flew straight for the heart of the Nest, the hidden idyllic meadow.

Their mother was there, with Cloud Jumper. "Hamish!" she cried out, running to them, "Midnight! Where have you been?! Why didn't you tell me you were going to Berk? Sun Sky came back with more dragons but when you weren't with them – Hamish, dear, what's wrong?" Valka asked worriedly, as her son dismounted and practically threw himself into her arms.

Hamish hugged her tightly. "Mom…we have to go back, we have to help them!"

"Slow down! Now, tell me everything – one bit at a time" she admonished gently.

Hamish told her how he and Midnight had rescued the dragons in the pit on Berk, and then they had found their way to the local Nest and discovered the reason behind the raids. "It's their Queen. She's…I don't even know what She is. She's a Monster. She's making Her subjects feed Her, and if they disobey or don't bring enough food, She eats them!"

Valka looked horrified. The dragons all around cringed and shuddered in fear and disgust. *It's true. We saw Her swallow a Rock-Tail whole* Midnight revealed. A nearby adolescent Rock-Tail shrieked in fear and bolted to find a nice safe hole to hide in.

"Maybe not the best choice of words there, bro" Hamish muttered to him, before looking at his mother and begging, "We have to do something. We've stayed away too long; the dragons are suffering, the villages are suffering…we're the only ones who can stop this".

"I agree, son" Valka nodded, determined, "but we cannot fight such an evil alone. Come. We must let the King know of this threat".

And so Hamish and his dragon-brother made their way to the edge of the seawater lake in which their Alpha resided. They knelt before His might and majesty, respectful and submissive. The great Bewilderbeast rose to gaze upon them, bidding them *PEACE*.

In emotions and images, His thought-speak too vast for words, He asked two of his beloved subjects what troubled them. Between them, Midnight and Hamish explained what they had seen, and begged for his help in defeating this evil.

The King agreed, this horror could not stand. He left it to the pair of them to rally others to their side, other dragons to come and fight this Monster and their trapped, brainwashed subjects. He would come with them, He would protect them from their luring calls, and they would break the trap to set everyone – the dragons of that territory, and even the humans they raided – free.

They returned with all haste to the Archipelago, with an army at their tails and the King with them. In but a night and a day, Midnight, Hamish and all their allies reached the forbidding Nest of the Monster. Their wingbeats all together and strong, and the blasts of their fire, made short work of stripping away the ominous fog and destroying the hidden fangs of rock jutting up from the sea.

Such a loud onslaught could not be missed by the dragons of the Nest – at their terrible Alpha's bidding, they emerged from the volcano in a great swarm. *COURAGE. DETERMINATION. ATTACK!* the King urged them, and his loyal subjects surged forwards to meet the ensuing horde with fangs and claws and flame.

The dragons battled fiercely, and the King bellowed *CHALLENGE!* to the Monster within, His icy blasts tearing into Her domain. Yet still she did not emerge; she would rather remain safe inside whilst her subjects dashed themselves to pieces against anything that threatened Her! The cowardice! Hamish and Midnight burned with righteous fury, and in a single glance, agreed upon a risky and daring plan. They were born for this!

They dashed into the fray, towards the volcano, dodging around rivals and flock-mates alike. Into the depths of the Nest they dove, following the distant sullen crimson light. Midnight and Hamish shut their ears against the call of the Monster, listening only to the call of their King: stay strong firm stay mine hold stay strong mine stay-with-me loyal beloved protect-you stay firm strong stay strong.

Compared to the madness outside, the volcano was deathly silent – until a piercing shriek echoed within its tunnels, and a blast of blue-purple fire burst from Midnight's jaws. He fired it right into the fiery chasm, and dodged away right after. There was a pause, and then a terrible bellow of rage blasted forth. "I think we got Her attention!"

Midnight rumbled in agreement, just enough for Hamish to feel it, and fired another blast into the pit. This one was followed by a shriek of pain, and he liked to think he'd hit Her eye. *Come out and fight! Coward!* he goaded Her.

They had to hide and shrink away from the scorching flames that erupted forth, the mad Queen blazing at them. *OBEY! DESTROY! INTRUDERS!* She screamed at them, battering at their minds with her will. Neither of them were swayed; Midnight shrieked defiantly, and Hamish lifted the faceplate of his helmet to shout "If you want to destroy us, you're gonna have to catch us!"

They waited mere moments…before hearing the terrible scraping of fearsome claws against stone, and seeing the monstrous head emerging from the depths. Midnight didn't stick around; he fled, and sure enough, the Monster gave chase. They emerged from the volcano, quickly flying away and getting screamed at by Cloud Jumper. *What the fire do you two think you're doing?!*

There was no time or need to explain – the Monster crashed out of Her Nest in their wake. The mountain trembled beneath Her massive footsteps as She heaved out Her hideous, bloated form. Rather than rally around Her, as they would have done for their King, the dragons under her command howled with fear and tried to flee, or land, or fight even more madly.

The King bellowed *RAGE! DISGUST! CHALLENGE!* at the Monster, and She responded with a scream of *FURY! DESTROY! MIGHTIEST!*

She would defeat Him, this rival Alpha, take his flock and they would obey Her, they would feed Her because she was powerful and great and deserved all things! Furious at Her threat and Her arrogance, the King blasted at her with freezing ice. He would defeat Her and He would rescue Her flock from Her evil clutches!

The Alphas battled, and their subjects fought, and the sky was filled with roaring like thunder, flames flashing like lightning. To their horror, the mad Queen spread Her filth encrusted wings and took to the air – She could fly, heavy and ungainly but She was in the air and the King, though He reared to his full height, could not reach Her.

She blazed at Him, and blinded Him, and made to lunge and tear into Him… "NO!"

At the sight of their King in peril, and the Monster in their sky, Hamish and Midnight had raced to the defence. The Swift-Wing blasted at Her, and on his back, his human-brother yanked off his helmet and shouted "Stand with us! Defend our King!"

Their flock-mates rushed to their side and together, as one, they blasted the Monster. Even Her subjects joined them, finally turning against their vile Queen as the onslaught distracted Her and Her command over them slipped. Roaring in rage and pain, She fixed her eyes on the intruders who had goaded Her and defied Her, and reared, preparing to burn them from the sky.

The King shook off the temporary blindness and lunged first, His great paws crashing into Her and knocking Her aside. She had made it abundantly clear that She did not deserve mercy, and He would not risk His subjects being stolen from Him by such a creature. He struck hard, and before she could regain her footing, He stabbed his tusks into Her underbelly.

Thus was the Monster of the Archipelago silenced forever. The King roared His victory, and all around, His subjects and the freed dragons of the mad Queen roared triumph in return. All of them came to land before their King, bowing to him. Hamish dismounted and offered a bow of his own, and then he heard his mother calling for him.

"Hamish!"

"Mom!"

He ran to her, and she to him, and she embraced him as tight as she could muster. "When I saw you- don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Sorry" he murmured. Valka pulled back, kissed his forehead, and beamed at him. "I am so proud of you, son. You've done a great thing here today".

"Thanks, mom" he smiled, before sighing. "Let's go home" he said, and she knew exactly what he meant.

The residents of Berk were terrified when a massive flock of dragons, more than had ever attacked at once, appeared in the sky above their village. Some of them made an attempt to fight back, but the dragons remained out of reach of the catapults, and they didn't attack.

If the dragon horde scared them, then the leviathan that emerged from the depths of the ocean, with it's white and blue tipped crown of spines and piercing eyes that stared down at them…the sight of such a dragon left them dropping their weapons and falling to their knees, begging for mercy.

Astrid alone was unfazed; she was even glad to see the behemoth, even as she stood in awe of it. "It's alright! Everyone, it's okay! This must be the Alpha that Hiccup – I mean, Hamish – told me about! The one who"-

"Look!" someone shouted. A bit annoyed at being interrupted, she looked…and smiled to see a Night Fury swooping down from the flock hovering above, along with a larger dragon of a kind she didn't recognise. However, there was someone in the crowd who did.

Stoick made his way forward, as the Night Fury who had run away with his son, and the Stormcutter who had stolen his wife, landed on the cliff edge. Their riders dismounted, and removed their helmets. For the first time in four years he saw his son, tall and strong…for the first time in eighteen years, he gazed upon the face of his beautiful, beloved wife.

The three of them – father, mother and son – faced each other. No words were said; no words were needed. There would be time for questions and explanations later. At last, Stoick held out his arms to them. He would forgive them both everything, if they would only come back into his life. For the first time in years, Valka and Hamish realised how much they had missed him, missed this, missed being a family. They stepped into his arms and hugged him back, all three reunited at last.

Whatever happened, it would be worth the wait.