Dragons: The New Chief

Chapter 3: Vacation *Edited*

As she walked into the kitchen and began to fill both the cauldron and kettle with water to be placed over the hearth to boil, Valka hummed involuntarily. A beautiful song emitted from her lips while the black, cast iron cauldron filled near to the brim with liquid. Valka meandered over to the kitchen and filled a steel kettle with water as well before wandering back to the hearth. She simpered as she realized what she had been humming.

After setting the kettle on stand that kept it just out of reach from the fires tongues, she sighed. "If you would marry me..."

Her song, their song...a Haddock's song. Singing it made Valka feel like Stoick was right there, holding her hand once again. She had sang the song so many times during the last twenty years, and each time it made her feel the same...like he was there. The woman's mind wandered and she walked back into the kitchen, pulling out a knife and the vegetables from counter. Hiccup's face beamed when Stoick had sung her that song, she had seen it. It was glowing with amazement and awe, most likely from the beauty and love put into the tune and words. Valka also thought, or rather hoped, that maybe it was because the song was perfect...perfect to sing to the blonde that so obviously cared for him immensely.

But only if he can pull himself out of this rut, she thought as well.

"Valka?" A female voice called from behind the woman.

Valka halted, mid-slice into a carrot, to turn. When she did, Astrid and Toothless were both descending the stairs. Toothless sauntered over to Hiccup's chair and curled himself at the feet with a deep huff. Besides the dragons actions, Astrid grim and defeated face told Valka her son was not yet out of that rut.

"Has he already deemed today as a bad day?" Valka questioned.

Astrid nodded solemnly as she approached, placing a hand on the counter beside her and rapping her fingers against the grain. "He's awake, but unspeaking."

Valka's brows furrowed. "He's not talking to you?"

Astrid shrugged. "Well, he has said a few words, like so few I can count them on one hand, but in a deep, depressing voice. Not his usual peppy voice."

The woman huffed, putting her knife down and crossing her arms across her chest. "Well, we should probably come up with something to help him..." She began, until she became cut off by the sudden hissing of vapor through a metal pipe. "Oh!" She exclaimed, rushing over to the hearth with a cloth in her hand.

Carefully, the woman grasped the handle of the kettle and swayed back to the kitchen, setting the kettle on the counter. Valka quickly let go of the handle once it was safely on the counter and shook her hand in attempts to dissipate that heat that sweltered through the cloth onto her skin. Astrid's eyes widened as she prepared to ask the woman if she was alright, but Valka quickly responded.

"It's alright, I'm fine." She said. "Would you like some tea?"

Astrid pursed her lips, thinking. She wasn't much of a tea drinker, but right now she was feeling the tension in her muscles due to her constant worry for Hiccup. "Camomile?"

Valka smiled. "Of course." She said, walking to the window of the kitchen, where a full bushel of Camomile flowers were blossoming.

"What were you saying before?" Astrid asked as the woman harvested the heads of the flowers.

"Oh, right." She said, pulling out her mortar and pestle to place the flowers in. "We need to think of something that could help Hiccup pull through this. I know it's hard for him, losing his father, but the village needs him. He needs to be strong." She said as she began to grind up the flower.

Astrid huffed. "Are you sure that's right to do? I mean, he did lose his father, it's hard and devastating. Should we really push him to get over it?"