Hi everybody. I have another update here for the Mother's Day Special. Just eight nights left until Mother's Day.
This chapter might make your eyes water so have tissues handy.
NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD. I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS TO "Amhrán Na Farraige" by Lisa Hannigan from Song of the Sea OST
Chapter Two
Skullcrusher opened his great mouth wide to yawn as he followed his Rider up to one of the cliffs overlooking the sea. The Rumblehorn yawned again, still lethargic from having been woken up so early, and gently nudged the 25-year-old man from behind. "You know, Skullcrusher, you didn't need to wake up the same time as me this morning. I don't have any plans to go flying today," Eret, Son of Eret, smiled and gently patted his dragon's head. Skullcrusher yawned again but still plodded after his master.
'Well I don't have any plans to go flying today either and who knows what dangers you might get yourself into?' the Rumblehorn seemed to be saying as he looked at Eret with a bored expression that made the former dragon trapper laugh. "Okay, okay, if that's what you want then…" he chuckled as they finally reached the cliff.
Skullcrusher was about to go find a nice, comfy spot to go take a nap when he noticed Eret's face turn solemn. "Mrowr?" Skullcrusher growled curiously as Eret sat on the cliff's edge, his legs dangling over pure air, and opened the satchel he had on him.
Eret's eyes welled up with unshed tears as he pulled out a white shell flute and cradled it in his hands like it were the most precious treasure in the world. And, to him, it was. He remembered how he would always play it at night, as his ship sailed across the waters, under the countless stars. It was one way for him to cope with his suffering given to him daily by Drago back when he was still working for him as one of his trappers. And he could recall the time he had nearly gotten his skull cracked open when Drago had taken all of his meager possessions, which included the very shell he was holding in his hands right now. Drago had tried to smash it to pieces when he bravely threw himself over the shell to keep it from getting destroyed. Begrudgingly, Drago had let him keep it after he had gotten a really bad head wound.
And how could he forget when Teeny, one of the members of his crew, startled him one night while he was playing the thing and he accidentally dropped it into the water? Eret slightly smiled upon remembering how he had dove into the frigid sea to retrieve the shell, which he succeeded in doing so, and had swam back up aboard his ship. Teeny was very lucky he had only gotten yelled at by Eret for almost 15 minutes and didn't receive a harsher punishment from him.
And, most of all, Eret could never forget the day this shell was given to him…including the person who gave it to him in the first place…
(Flashback Starts)
'Three-year-old Eret watched with grave eyes as his sick mother coughed a bit while gently polishing the white shell flute she loved so much. His father was busy cooking dinner for them over the fire. It was snowing heavily that evening and Elisabeth, Eret's mother, just kept getting worse. Her pneumonia had taken a heavy toll on her body, making it gaunt and emaciated, and she could barely speak in above a whisper now. The healer had already come and had told Eret's father, unbeknownst to Eret, to start preparing for a funeral.
Husband and wife were both shattered but tried to remain cheerful for their only son. Little Eret didn't know…that his Mum was going to die soon.
Elisabeth finished polishing the shell and then smiled warmly to her dear little boy who was sitting at the foot of her bed. "Eret, dear, can you come here for a minute?" she whispered. Eret smiled and crawled into his Mum's lap. "Do you still remember what I told you about this shell?" she asked softly. "The selkies gave you that shell when you were a little girl right, Mum?" Eret asked, his amber brown eyes sparkling with curiosity. Elisabeth's own amber brown eyes glittered with pleasure at her young son's innocence. "That they did, Eret. But do you also remember that I promised that I would give it to you when you showed me that you can play it?" she smiled gently. Eret nodded and looked at the shell flute with keen interest. His Mum had been teaching him how to play the shell flute ever since he was two. It was hard for him at first, because he couldn't quite figure out which holes to cover with which finger in order to produce different notes. But, now, he was already beginning to master it and could play a few short tunes on his own.
Elisabeth coughed again, worrying Eret, before pressing the shell flute into his little hands. "Can you play me something, darling? Something beautiful?" she whispered. "I'll try, Mum…" Eret said quietly and glanced at his father. Eret the First smiled encouragingly and nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Eret began to play…'
(Flashback Ends)
Eret sighed heavily and turned the shell flute over in his hands. Then, hesitating slightly, he put his mouth to the mouthpiece and began to play. Skullcrusher had been watching his Rider carefully and was now watching in awe as sweet music suddenly came out of the shell Eret was holding in his hands.
But, even as he played the familiar melody, Eret felt the tears beginning to well up in his eyes as another memory came back to him…
(Flashback Starts)
'Elisabeth had tears in her eyes as her son blew out one last note and clapped while Eret took a bow. Her husband smiled, having set dinner on the table, and fixed a bowl of stew for Elisabeth while Eret left the shell flute on his Mum's bed to have dinner at the table.
After dinner and a few minutes before Eret's bedtime, Elisabeth handed the little boy her shell flute. "You're ready, Eret. This is yours now…Promise me that you will still practice every day when I'm gone…" she whispered, suddenly feeling very weak. "Elisabeth…" Eret the First whispered softly, tears welling up in his pale green eyes. Eret, on the other hand, tilted his head to the side. "Gone? Mum, are you going somewhere?" he asked curiously. "Valhalla…I am going to Valhalla…" Elisabeth told him. "What's Valhalla? Is it far?" Eret asked curiously, still too young to know about the afterlife.
Elisabeth looked up and saw the worry in her husband's eyes and chose her words carefully. "Eret…Valhalla is a place where no one grows old, nobody gets sick…those who have suffered in life will be instantly healed when they arrive there…and they feast with the gods…" she said haltingly. Eret's eyes widened in awe and he smiled widely. "So if you go to Valhalla, Mum, you will get better?" he asked, excited. "Good as new…" Elisabeth laughed weakly. Eret looked at his father with the biggest grin on his face. "Da, did you hear that? Once Mum gets back from Valhalla, she'll be all better! Isn't that great?" he asked, his brown eyes shining with joy at the prospect of his Mum finally getting better soon. Eret the First smiled, his smile not quite reaching his eyes, and ruffled his son's hair. "It's wonderful news, indeed, son…" he said softly.
Eret looked at his Mum with inquisitive eyes. "Can Da and I come to Valhalla with you, Mum? I'd like to see you get better with my own eyes! And can I meet Odin and Thor?" he asked, smiling. Elisabeth smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but I must go to Valhalla on my own…But don't worry. I'll give Odin, Thor and all of the gods and goddesses your regards," she whispered. Eret slightly frowned but shrugged, respecting his Mum's wishes.
Elisabeth coughed a bit before beckoning Eret closer to her. Eret crawled into his Mum's lap and was instantly swept up into a tender embrace. He smiled as he snuggled closer to his Mum as she gently stroked his raven black hair. "I love you, Mum…" Eret said, feeling sleepy as his Mum rocked him in her arms like he was a little baby again. "I love you, too, Eret…I love you forever…" Elisabeth whispered to him. Eret smiled and clutched the shell flute closer to his chest.
That was the last thing he remembered before falling asleep…'
(Flashback Ends)
The music began to falter as the tears began falling from Eret's eyes. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the tears. Another memory, probably one of the most painful ones in his entire life, mercilessly came back to him…
(Flashback Starts)
'He woke up in his room, the shell flute still clutched close to his chest, to the sound of his father crying. Eret got out of bed, placed the shell flute on top of it, and cautiously went to the den where his Mum's bed had been placed ever since she got pneumonia.
To the little boy's confusion, Elder Mara, the healer and Mr. and Mrs. Fiersome as well as some other people from the village were there with his father. Eret the First was hunched over his beloved Elisabeth, sobbing and holding his wife's pale hand. Elisabeth's eyes were closed, meaning to Eret that she was sleeping.
But the people in the house and his Da crying over his Mum, who was still there, made Eret worry. Quickly going over to his father, Eret looked up at his Da. "Da, what is it?" he asked quietly. His Da just scooped him up and hugged him tightly, still crying. Eret was beginning to get scared.
Why was his Da crying? His Da rarely cried. And why were all these people here? Why did they all look so sad?
"Da…? What's going on?" Eret asked softly. "Eret…son…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…" his Da whispered brokenly, hugging him and running a hand through his hair. Eret was now beginning to get frustrated with everyone not answering his questions and managed to wriggle out of his father's arms. He climbed onto his Mum's bed and gently shook her shoulder. "Mum? Mum, wake up. Why are all these people here? Mum, wake up…" he said softly, wondering why his Mum was taking so long to wake up.
Elder Mara sighed sadly and had the little boy sit on the edge of the bed. "Your Mum…has gone to Valhalla, Eret, Son of Eret…She is no longer here…" she said gently. Eret was confused. How could his Mum be in Valhalla already? She was still here sleeping!
As if she could sense the three-year-old boy's confusion, Elder Mara said, "Her body is still here, but her soul has gone to join the gods…She can never come back here to this world, dear child…I'm so sorry…" her wise, blue eyes dull with sadness.
It only took a second for Eret to fully understand the shaman's words…and he didn't want to believe them.
"No…Mum's still here…She's still here…" he said, in denial, and began to lightly pat his Mum's limp hand. "Mum, it's time to wake up! Mum, wake up! It's morning!" he said in the most cheerful voice he could muster. Elisabeth refused to stir and this made Eret be in denial even more. "Mum, this isn't funny! Open your eyes, please!" he began to beg now, the tears pooling in his amber brown eyes but not yet falling. His father and Mr. and Mrs. Fiersome could only watch, shedding silent tears, as he began to cry out.
"Mum, you can't be dead! If you've gone to Valhalla then you've gotta come back and be okay! Mum, wake up!" Eret cried, shaking his Mum roughly now only to get no response.
Finally some of the men made a move to carry Elisabeth's body away to prepare it for the funeral. Eret clung to his Mum stubbornly and it took both his Da and Mr. Fiersome to get him off the bed so they could take his Mum's body away.
"No! No! Mum, you gotta wake up! You gotta wake up! Mummy, don't go! Mummy, don't leave me! Mum! Mum! MUM!" he wailed, thrashing in the arms that held him as he desperately tried to go to his mother. But it was no use…
His Mum was dead…
Gone…
The funeral was solemn. Many tears had been shed. Elisabeth had been such a great member of the community, always sweet and kind, and she would be greatly missed.
As his Mum's coffin was lowered into the ground, Eret silently held the shell flute his dear Mum gave to him. It wasn't until all the people had gone and it was just him and his Da standing in front of her grave when he played a soft, melancholy tune…before singing the ancient Celtic song his Mum, a Celt herself, always sung to him…
Idir ann is idir as
Idir thuaidh is idir theas
Idir thiar is idir thoir
Idir am is idir áit
Casann sí dhom
Amhrán na farraige
Suaimhneach nó ciúin
Ag cuardú go damanta
Mo ghrá
Idir gaoth is idir tonn
Idir tuilleadh is idir gann
Casann sí dhom
Amhrán na farraige
Suaimhneach nó ciúin
Ag cuardú go damanta
Idir cósta, idir cléibh
Idir mé is idir mé féin
Tá mé i dtiúin
Right after he had sung the last verse, Eret felt his legs wobble. He managed to stagger over to his Mum's gravestone before his knees buckled under him as he began to cry.
"Goodbye, Mum…I love you forever…"
(Flashback Ends)
Eret stopped playing the shell flute and began to sob, his shoulders shaking as he cried. Skullcrusher crooned in concern and gently nudged his Rider. Eret sniffed and dried his eyes. But his tears had dropped onto his precious shell flute, making it slippery, and it slipped from his hands!
"No!" Eret howled in horror as his Mum's shell flute fell down the cliff, shattering into a million white fragments against the rocks rising from the sea down below. The former dragon trapper looked down at the cliff, his eyes wide in horror. He wanted to get on Skullcrusher, fly down there to retrieve the pieces, but he knew that there was no use. His Mum's shell flute, the only physical connection he had to his Mum, was gone.
"Mum…" Eret sobbed out, crying a fresh set of tears. Skullcrusher cooed gently and nudged Eret with his nose. Eret turned around and buried his face in his dragon's warm hide, trembling as he cried. "Mum, I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Eret sobbed.
"Now, why are you saying sorry, dear?"
Skullcrusher was the first to notice the woman wearing a white dress and seashell necklace and snorted in surprise. Eret was still crying when a gentle hand gently patted his shoulder. Turning around, Eret saw her.
Holding the shell flute, that was now whole and looked as good as new, was his mother Elisabeth.
Elisabeth had a warm smile on her face as she handed Eret the shell flute. Eret then realized that he could feel his Mum's touch and he just stood there, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.
"Mum…?" he squeaked out. "Hello, dear," Elisabeth greeted her son with a smile.
Upon realizing that he could see and, amazingly, touch his long-dead Mum, Eret did the most logical thing a person having been given this strange yet wonderful blessing by the gods in Valhalla would do.
And that was to pass out.
'THUD!'
Elisabeth winced as her son slumped onto the ground in a dead faint and looked at Skullcrusher. "Did I perhaps startle him?" she asked meekly. The Rumblehorn could only rumble in a way that meant, 'What do you think, lady?'
I've been watching Song of the Sea lately and I can't help but get inspired to expand more of Eret's background. He has a bit of a Gaelic look to him so I figured that maybe he isn't a full-blooded Nordic. My Gaelic and Celtic knowledge is quite slim so I just thought about Eret's mother being a Celt while his father was of Nordic descent so that makes Eret half-Celt.
Anyways, read and review. These two things make me very happy :)
-GuardianDragon98
