A/N: Alright. Here's chapter two. Sorry it's taken me so long. Work gets in the way of my writing.

Anyway, enjoy!


Gobber hobbled up the steps to the Haddock household and banged on the door, yelling, "Val! Come out!"

Valka did not answer him and just continued to stare into the crackling fireplace.

"Valka! It's been a week and you still haven't come out!" he yelled.

"Leave me alone!" Valka answered, cradling Hiccup in her arms.

"Come on! I know you're still sad, but the village needs you." Gobber protested.

"The village needs Stoick, not me." Valka answered, tears forming in her eyes.

"Well I can't be the chief and the blacksmith. You are the only person that is eligible to be chief. Hiccup is too young." Gobber said.

Valka slowly stood up and opened the door. Gobber laid his eyes on her for the first time in a week and saw how disheveled she was. Her usual tightly braided hair was a mess and she had huge bags under her eyes. Gobber stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He knew Valka didn't want the village to see her in the state she was in at the moment.

"I-I just can't think straight right now." Valka said, her voice wavering and Gobber put a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"The village is suffering because I'm not two people, Valka. You have to step up and be chief until Hiccup is old enough."

"I know. It's just a lot to take in. J-Just give me a few more days." Valka sighed.

"Just a few more." Gobber confirmed as he started to hobble off. He stopped in his tracks and turned to say, "Also, your good friend Ingrid had her baby."

"S-She did?"

"Yes. She had a girl; Asta or something." Gobber answered and left the house, shutting the door behind him.

"Hear that, my little Hiccup? You're going to have a friend." Valka said, kissing her son's forehead.


Gobber hobbled back to his home and shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door and took in a deep breath.

"Why did ya have ta leave, Stoick?"

He looked down and sank to the floor. Valka lost her husband, the village lost a great chief, and Gobber lost his best friend. And Hiccup. Gobber knew he needed to help Hiccup become the best chief he could be.

A single tear ran down Gobber's face, but he didn't care.

"I hope you're having a wonderful time at the table of kings. I'll miss you, brother."


Valka put Hiccup in a sling and decided to go for a walk around Berk. A walk would do them both good. Hiccup curled up in the sling and Valka smiled down at him. She walked out of her house for the first time in days and the fresh air and wind on her face felt amazing.

She said hello to the villagers that greeted her on her way to the woods. She wanted to just be with nature for a little while.

She walked and walked and before she knew it, she ended up where Stoick had proposed to her a year and a half ago. She found the oak they carved a heart in and traced it.

"Oh, Stoick. I miss you so much."

She became lost in her thoughts and she didn't notice the footsteps approaching her.

She turned a little too late and was only feet from a large dragon.

Valka gasped and held Hiccup close to her and the dragon came a little closer, curious to see what she was holding. Valka kept stepping back, but it was no use, since the dragon wasn't ready to leave her alone. This close, she would admit that it looked magnificent. Valka was up against a rock wall now and she would admit she began to panic. The dragon was face to face with her now and it lowered it's head.

"W-What do you want?" Valka managed to ask.

It looked at her with eyes that reminded her of an owl's and made a indication of what it wanted with it's head.

"You want me to get on your back?"

The dragon seemed to understand her and nodded. Valka hesitated, but did it, mostly out of curiousity. The dragon tried to take off into the air a couple times, but Valka told it no. She didn't want Hiccup to fall out of his sling somehow. The sun started to descend and Valka realized she had been out here just walking on the dragon's back for hours. Hiccup started to wake and grabbed for her, indicating that he was hungry.

"I have to go now, dragon."

She slid off of it and began walking back towards Berk.


Valka walked into her home and saw there was a note on the table under Stoick's helmet. It was from Gobber.

Holding feast for Stoick. Great Hall. -Gobber

Valka sighed, knowing she would have to put her brave face on and probably give a speech in front of the village. She walked up the stairs and placed Hiccup in his crib and pulled her best clothes out of her trunk and put them on. She re-did her braids and braced herself for what was coming. She had to be the tough cheiftess that the village needed; the brave mother to Hiccup. Gods help her. Hiccup, the pride of Berk. She would have to prepare him for the long journey ahead; becoming chief. Valka and Gobber helped Stoick figure things out so it shouldn't be that hard to do it again. Once Hiccup turned eighteen, he would take the place of chief.

Valka checked on Hiccup who was still sleeping and made the quick walk to the Great Hall to see if everything was set up.

"Ah. I see ya got my note."

"Yes I did, Gobber, and you really need to work on your penmanship. I could barely read it."

Sven snickered and kept working.

"Is everything ready, Gobber?"

"Aye. It is."

"Good. I'll be back in a bit."


A/N: Sooo? Now that Cloudjumper has been introduced... Still not entirely sure where I was going with that, but whatever. And yes, I did cry while I was typing Gobber's little point of view. Hopefully I can crank out the next chapter quickly