Hey guys,
Yes, I know I have been putting this story on hiatus. But don't worry, I'm back to updating this story. I have been busy lately with college and also I have been...uninspired lately.
Anyway, with a bit of planning and motivation, I have come up with a new chapter you will all enjoy.
So I hope you will enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
-JenniferTjandrajana
(P.s pretend Hiccup looks slightly older in the pic above and he is wearing a hooded chainmail over his tunic. And they are in the town square, not the kill ring)
Valka was fuming.
It wasn't something she usually does, but she was a mix of worry and frustrated.
Her son had wandered off to Berk, a place she warned him not to visit, despite being their home.
Valka insisted he stayed in Edon, avoiding danger. She insisted they stay in Edon and not think about going back to Berk.
Seventeen years. That was a long time since Valka had stepped foot there.
Surely it must have changed.
Though, she doubts it, knowing Berkians were people who lived strongly by traditions and refused to change for the better.
The thought of Hiccup going there to convince those Berkians dragons weren't monsters made Valka's stomach churn.
She knew what these people were like; bull-headed Vikings who refused to listen.
"What was he even thinking?" Valka fumed, "Going back to Berk isn't safe! Worse of all, he rides a Night Fury! Doesn't he know how much danger he will get himself in?!"
A soft croon from Cloudjumper eased Valka a bit. She sighed, petting his head.
"Well, he was so keen to change their minds," Ingrid yelled over the roaring wind, "Valka, why do your people kill dragons? Don't they know dragons are kind, intelligent creatures? And how come you and Hiccup weren't like the rest?"
Valka let out a sigh, "Ingrid, some of us were born different. When I met Cloudjumper, I realized I couldn't kill him. His soul had reflected my own," she gently stroked Cloudjumper, "There is more to dragons than meets the eye. I just wish those Berkians could understand that. I tried to reason with them, but they just wouldn't listen," she shook her head angrily, "They're bull-headed, proud and narrow-minded people, I'm afraid.
Change is a foreign thing to them. I don't get why Hiccup would suddenly want to change their minds after being away for so long,"
Ingrid nodded, "Ah, like mother like son. Now I know where Hiccup gets his dramatic flair from,"
"I lost him once," Valka went on, "I didn't mean to abandon him, but it had been for the better," she drew a breath, "I'm just glad I found him again. If anything were to happen to him...I will never forgive myself,"
Ingrid gave a warm smile. Now she understood why Valka was worried sick.
Of course, when you were a mother who just reunited with your son, and realized he wandered off to danger, you would be terribly worried.
"So, is it true?" Valka said after some time, "You have feelings for my son?"
When Ingrid heard that, she jolted up, blushing madly.
"W-what? I..."
Valka let out a chuckle, "No need to be startled, my dear. I've noticed you two have gotten close. Hiccup does talk about you from time to time,"
"He does?" Ingrid chuckled lightly, "Oh, wow. I feel so loved. I...I guess I do have feelings..."
Ingrid had to admit, it was awkward telling her best friend's mother about this.
Yet, over the years, Valka had become a mother figure for her, and Ingrid knew she can trust her with these things.
Valka chuckled softly, "Well, perhaps you should tell him that when you see him,"
"No, I couldn't. He probably doesn't feel the same way," Ingrid replied, doubt sinking in. She shook her head, erasing thoughts about her feelings for Hiccup.
"Anyway, when we reach Berk, what do we do about our dragons?" Ingrid asked changing the topic before it got awkward for her.
"We must be discreet. We cannot let the Berkians see us. Just follow my lead," Valka replied.
Ingrid sighed, nodding, "If that's what we should do, then that is what we must do," she gave a bemused look, "So what's the plan? Do we find Hiccup and Toothless then leave?"
Deep in her heart, Valka knew she needed to pay Stoick a quick visit; to let him know that she alive.
He deserved an explanation for why she had left him.
Yet, part of me was worried about such a confrontation.
Many things could go wrong, and she didn't want to make things worse for the both of them.
She was partly angry at Stoick for banishing his son from Berk. She didn't want to speak to him nor see him again.
Conflicted, Valka didn't know what to do about Stoick.
Surely he would want to see her again.
"We go back to Edon," Valka declared, brushing away thoughts about Stoick, "I will have a long talk with Hiccup when we get back. That boy is in serious trouble,"
Ingrid couldn't help but laugh.
It amused her to see Valka react this way, but she understood how worried she must be for Hiccup.
She had to admit, Hiccup was lucky to have a mother who cared so much about him.
A frown suddenly cast on her face.
Growing up without a mother had been tough for her. She always wondered what it was like to have a mother, who cared about her, who made sure she felt safe and sound.
"Come, we must keep going," Valka declared, breaking Ingrid out of her thoughts.
They continued on with their journey, often stopping by to rest, and at times, they were attacked by dragon hunters.
However, they managed to dodge their blasts and continued their journey.
Berk was almost a one day trip.
When the island finally came into view, Valka's heart pounded. She was anxious about being here, and why wouldn't she be?
Seventeen years of being away made her feel uneasy about being back.
The sooner she finds Hiccup and Toothless, the better.
It was almost sundown when she and Ingrid reached Berk.
People were probably heading home or to the Great Hall for dinner.
Ingrid glanced at the scenery of Berk, amazed at everything she saw.
To her, Berk reminded her of Edon, except it was slightly smaller in size, and the buildings were a lot older.
She wondered what it must have been like for Hiccup to grow up here. He grew up being different to the rest of his peers; to the rest of his village.
It must have been tough, and honestly, Ingrid felt sorry for him.
"Welcome to the Isle of Berk, Ingrid," Valka murmured, "We must be careful now. We mustn't let anyone see our dragons,"
Ingrid nodded, "I can't believe this is yours and Hiccup's home. I bet it feels strange being back,"
Valka let out a dry chuckle, "Oh yes it is. But we won't be here for long. Come, let's keep searching, but remember; we must be discreet,"
Arrow gave a worried growl, which startled Ingrid.
"Shh. Stay calm, girl," Ingrid soothed her dragon, "We don't want to get caught,"
Cloudjumper gave an anxious growl.
"Looks like we are not the only one who's uneasy being here," Valka petted her dragon's head, "We must hurry before anyone-''
"Dragons!" A Viking yelled from down below.
"Quick! Go sound the horn! We must warn Chief Stoick!" Another Viking yelled.
Ingrid opened her mouth to speak but was cut off as a bolas fired in her direction, tangling her and Arrow.
She let out a shriek as she and Arrow plummeted towards the earth below.
"Ingrid!" Valka gasped, "Hold on!"
Cloudjumper dodged a few arrows as Valka steered him towards Ingrid.
More arrows and bolas fired in their direction.
Cloudjumper released a few blasts, alarming the Vikings down below.
"It is too dangerous for you, Cloudjumper," Valka stood up, pulling down her mask, "Go somewhere safe. I will handle them. Just don't let yourself be seen,"
With one leap, Valka landed on the ground. She turned to Cloudjumper, signaling for him to leave.
The Stormcutter immediately flew away, letting his rider deal with the attacking Berkians.
Pulling out her staff, Valka tried to fend herself from incoming Vikings.
She dodged as a scruffy looking Viking swung his ax in her direction.
With a grunt, she fought off his attacks, kicking him in the shins.
Finding Hiccup will have to wait. Right now, Valka knew she would be preoccupied with fighting these Vikings.
At least Cloudjumper was safe. That's all that mattered.
~
All afternoon, Hiccup had been telling the other teens about all the things he's learned about dragons.
He was keen for the others to get their own dragons. But he knew they needed to wait until after sundown to sneak into the arena to help them train.
When it was finally sundown, Hiccup led the teens out of the cove with Toothless trailing behind.
Of course, the Night Fury would need to be as discreet as he could when wandering through the village.
"Hey, Hiccup, have you ever come across any legendary dragons?" Fishlegs asked, "You know, like the Skrill or the Whispering Deaths? Man, those dragons sound deadly but fascinating,"
Hiccup thought about his adventures with Toothless. He didn't recall confronting any dragon Fishlegs had described.
"I don't think so. But we did rescue a Thunderdrum, who was severely hurt," he drew a breath, "It looked terrible, like close to dying. We were too late to rescue it, though. But that was the day when we met this dragon hunter named Horas the Merciless,"
Snotlout quirked a brow, "Horas the what?"
"I'll pound him if he touches another dragon," Tuffnut declared, curling his fist.
Ruffnut gave him a deadpanned look, "You know we're no different than him. We kill dragons. Well, we used to,"
"Well, after seeing how awesome Toothless is," Tuffnut gestured to the Night Fury, "I decided to never hurt a dragon again. They don't deserve to die when they can be our friends, right?"
Hiccup smiled warmly. At least his plan; changing the teens' minds about dragons, was working.
If he could change their minds, then there was a possibility he could change the others.
"Anyway, Horas claims to be the leader of an elite group of dragon hunters," Hiccup explained, "I've confronted him a few times. He hates dragons with a passion. And he wants to use them as-''
He was cut off when a loud horn blew in the distance.
Alarmed, Hiccup sprung to his feet.
"What's happening?" He asked.
They reached the outskirts of the village, the horn being a faint sound in the distance.
Astrid stared at the village ahead, "Warning signal. Something must be up. We gotta go now,"
"I wonder what's happened," Fishlegs asked, slightly nervous, "I hope we won't get any Outcast attacks. This would be the third time this week if my calculations are correct,"
Hiccup blinked in surprise, "Outcasts? Why do they attack Berk frequently?"
Snotlout shrugged, "Who cares? We got the best warriors. We can fight them off in one go,"
Toothless sniffed the air. His eyes became slits, once he sensed trouble.
The Night Fury ran off, leaving the teens perplexed.
"Toothless? What-where are you going?" Hiccup called as he tried to catch up to him.
The others exchanged looks then quickly trailed after Hiccup and Toothless.
"Uh, what's gotten into your pet lizard?" Snotlout asked with a raised brow.
Hiccup shrugged, "I have no idea. He could sense something is wrong. He has that ability like most dragons do,"
Fishlegs became interested in that fact.
"That's interesting. I read tracker class dragons have the strongest smell, but I wasn't sure about Night-'' (a/n: I don't know if this is true, but that's what I heard in the Book of Dragons short)
"Shut it, Fishface!" Snotlout snapped, "Come on, the village needs us, and I am not going to stand around listening to you blab on about stupid dragon facts!"
Fishlegs muttered bitterly to himself.
With a sigh, he followed the others towards the village.
When they reach the town square, there were no signs of Outcasts.
Instead, they found a dragon- a Timberjack tangled in tight ropes with a figured hunched over, struggling to break free.
Some Vikings held down the human and the Timberjack.
The rest were fighting against a masked intruder. Though it wasn't just any intruder, it was-
"Mom! Ingrid!" Hiccup exclaimed, before running towards them.
He was confused. Why were they on Berk and what was their purpose being here anyway?
The teens watched him go with blank looks on their faces.
Pulling out his flame sword, Hiccup swung it around, alarming the Vikings that attacked.
Toothless fired plasma blasts as Vikings charged forward, swinging axes and drawing out well-sharpened swords.
Hiccup backed the Night Fury behind him as he swung his flaming sword, scaring off more Vikings.
He dodged a few attacks, knowing out some incoming Vikings.
He didn't intend to fight, but at times like this, Hiccup knew he needed to fight to protect those he cared about.
The teens watched in awe, amazed that the scrawny they once knew excelled at fighting.
"Whoa, how did Hiccup learn moves like that?" Tuffnut whispered, awestricken.
Ruffnut sighed dreamily, "I have no idea, but I like this new Hiccup. So brave,"
Snotlout scoffed, "Moves? Pfft. Anybody can do that. Besides, he's an amateur fighter,"
Astrid rolled her eyes, "Well, he can certainly fight better than you, Snotlout. Anyone can. You forget, I won our duels three times in a row,"
The Jorgenson boy opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it, realizing he had nothing to say.
"Shut up, Astrid," Snotlout muttered, crossing his arms.
Once the Vikings were knocked down, Hiccup quickly rushed over to Arrow and Ingrid, cutting the ropes that bind them.
"Hiccup!" Ingrid exclaimed, relieved to finally see him.
However, Hiccup wasn't too glad to see her. In fact, he was perplexed and shocked to find see her here.
"Ingrid, what are you doing here?" Hiccup asked once he cut the last rope, "It's too dangerous. You and Arrow need to go back now,"
Ingrid shook her head, "Your mom's idea. Not mine. She's worried about you, Hiccup. And so am I. It is dangerous for you to be here,"
Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Stop worrying about me. I'm fine. Everything was going fine. Seriously, you guys need to go back-''
"Hiccup!" Valka pulled off her mask, and then rushed over to embrace her son. "Oh, thank Thor you're safe,"
Realising she was still mad at him, Valka pulled away, narrowing her green eyes.
"What were you thinking? Running off without telling- Never mind. We are leaving now, son. You and I are going to have a serious talk. I just can't believe you would...''
"Mom, please," Hiccup groaned, "I just thought I could come here to convince people we don't need to fight dragons. Peace is possible,''
Valka shook her head in disbelief.
"No, son. Peace is not possible. Change isn't something that happens instantly. Believe me, I know,"
Hiccup held back his protests because, as much as he hates to admit it, his mother was right.
He should have told her of his plans for coming here. If he did, then probably she wouldn't be this worried.
Hiccup was seventeen after all. He could take care of himself, especially when confronting dragon killing Vikings. He didn't need to be constantly watched over, but a part of him was grateful that his mother had been looking out for him.
"Come on, we must-''
A loud, desperate roar was heard from behind.
Hiccup whirled around to find Toothless being held down by three strong Vikings.
"Toothless! No!"
Anger boiled inside Hiccup's blood.
Maybe his mother was right; the Berkians were hard to change. Always having a taste for violence; for blood.
Doubt sunk inside after realizing change wasn't something the Berkians could take lightly. Though, the teens were an exception.
Maybe coming here had been his terrible idea yet.
At least his father knew his own son was alive. At least he was no longer banished. That's all that mattered.
The Night Fury roared, shooting a few blasts.
No matter what, the Night Fury struggled to break out of the Vikings' stronghold.
Vikings crowded around him, holding him down from escaping.
One Viking drew his ax, ready to strike Toothless' neck.
"No, don't hurt him!" Hiccup yelled, running to stop the man, "He won't hurt you,"
But he was suddenly restrained by two men, stopping him from moving.
Sweat rolled down his cheeks as he anxiously watched the man moved his ax closer and closer until-
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"
The crowd parted, letting Stoick storm through to see the commotion.
Hiccup swallowed a nervous lump as Stoick moved closer.
When Stoick saw the Night Fury, rage burned through his sea-green eyes.
"What?" he shot Hiccup a murderous glare, "You brought a dragon in our midst? You brought YOUR dragon?"
Lowering his eyes, Hiccup could feel déjà vu. He had been in this situation two years ago at the arena where Toothless had come to rescue him from that Nightmare.
"Dad, I...I can explain everything if you let me," Hiccup said, hoping his father would listen.
Stoick hadn't been listening. Instead, his gaze fell upon the long-haired woman before him.
Thoughts about the Night Fury; about his son betraying him; about anything else stripped away.
His sea green eyes met Valka's mesmerised green ones.
Familiarity hits Stoick so suddenly. Déjà vu collides with him as his gaze lingers longer on Valka.
The woman standing before reminded him of his late wife, taken by a dragon long ago.
Could it be that his wife had been alive all this time?
"Val?"