The fear that had instigated itself into Valka's heart soon melted into nothing. She felt empty, cold and clammy, like a shell with nothing inside; like the cold inside room on a warm summer's day; like a woman who had lost everything, all because she couldn't kill a dragon.

And as the huge beast carried her along in its great claws, Valka's screaming soon became hoarse and stopped altogether. Berk was out of sight and nobody could hear her. Nobody could save her. Not even Stoick.

Valka closed her eyes and a steady stream of tears rolled from beneath her lids as she thought of her husband and son. She remembered the way Stoick held her hand so gently in hers as they danced. She remembered the way Hiccup used to clutch onto her forefinger with his tiny little fist. She thought of the first time he smiled, his first gurgle of laughter, Stoick's joy at hearing it. The moment he had heard Hiccup hiccup for the first time, Stoick roared with laughter and held him aloft in his huge fists. This tiny weak baby in his huge muscular arms was so funny to Valka. An echo of a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth and her eyes glistened as she recalled this fond memory. Suddenly she gritted her teeth in a grim resolution: she had to get home to her family, to her husband and son. She needed to. But how?

Before she knew what was happening, Valka was dropped onto a huge cascade of ice. She crumpled into a ball from the impact, but when she straightened up again, her kidnapper was watching her intently.

Reaching to her belt, Valka drew out her small knife and brandished crazily it in front of her, warning the dragon away. "Keep back!" she stuttered, frightened to death. "D-don't come any closer!"

The dragon merely watched her. He was not frightened. He did not attack her. He just gazed at her trembling hands as they held the knife unsteadily before her slight body.

"Take me back!" shrieked Valka. "Take me back right now!" The tears began to stream down her face now as her barks became screams of terror and anguish. "Please!" she begged, still brandishing the dagger.

Valka was scared, and when someone is scared, however passive they may be, they will do anything to rid themselves of fear. Valka was prepared to fight off this dragon to make it take her home again. She was prepared to do what she had to to get home to her little boy. She sobbed and wiped the tears on her sleeves.

"Please! You have to take me home!" she cried out again and saw a flash of something in the dragon's eyes. It looked human, almost. Almost like sympathy.

The dragon came slowly close to her. It pressed its face close to her and examined Valka's every feature, every detail, every worn line on her face and scar and blemish on her skin. Each had a story, and the dragon wanted to know every single one.

It was at this point that Valka looked into the dragon's eyes. She saw her silhouette in the dragon's curious eye reflected back at her. He saw her soul, and saw no threat. He saw her person and saw a friend. He sees me.

She dropped the knife and her fear melted away. She knew this wasn't a dragon, a hideous killing-machine.

This was a dragon, a friend.