Val had left Berk once again, on bad terms, but the difference between the times before, Hiccup, hadn't even bothered to see her off. He seemed more distant, something he had never been, he would always be there when she came home, and when she left, he was always the first to greet her, and the last to let go of her hand when she left. Val looked at the pendant he had given her with a heavy heart, Pine, sensing her sorrow nuzzled close.
"Pine... I fear me leaving so much is driving a wedge between me and Hiccup." she said gripping the pendant. She loved her son, he was everything to her, and he just wasn't use to her being gone so much, once she found and trained a northern light, everything would go back to normal, at least, she hoped it would.
Jhoann's boat docked, and Val got off while everyone got excited to see what was new, as always. Val walked to the dragon Academy, where Hiccup and Toothless were, they were the only two there. Hiccup was sketching in his book, and didn't realize his mother was there. Val snuck up behind him and placed her hands over his eyes, "Guess who..." she said smiling. Hiccup put his pencil down, and turned around. Val was expecting a smile, but instead, a smile was replaced with a blank look.
"Hi mom..." Hiccup said blankly and continued drawing. Val wrapped her arms around her son, and held him close, she peeked over his shoulder to see what he was drawing. Hiccup was happy to have his mom back, he loved her, he loved his mother so much. But he couldn't help but feel like she didn't love him as much as she use to, she kept leaving, and she wouldn't tell him why, most nights when she was home, instead of tucking him in, she was in her room, and didn't like it when they disturbed her.
Hiccup leaned into his mother's embrace and closed his eyes, Val smiled and kissed his forehead, and the two of them stayed like that for awhile. The rest of the day, instead of studying her findings, she spent it with her son. But no matter how happy Hiccup felt to spend time with her after so long, knowing that she would leave again, really hurt.
Val started on dinner and Hiccup decided to help, meanwhile Toothless, being as curious as a cat, sniffed Val's bag, which had some of her findings in it. "No No No, Toothless, nothing in there is for you!" Val said snatching up her bag. "Hiccup, I'm going to go this away, just keep rotating the meat," Val said going into her room. After putting the bag in a chest, Val returned and closed the room door, she sat beside her son, and smiled.
Hiccup did ask about the bag, knowing she wouldn't answer.
That night Val tucked her son in and stroked his hair gently, he smiled up at her, "mom...?"
"Hmm?" she smiled softly at him and he blushed a little, "C-Could you..." he blushed more and bit his lip, "Could you sing to me... and stay till I fall asleep...?" he asked smiling. Val nodded and kissed his forehead, "Ofcourse..."
Val sang hiccup's lullaby and didn't leave his side until he was fast asleep. She gently tucked back his auburn hair as he slept, she would stay longer this time, she didn't want to grow further apart from her beloved son.
The next morning while Hiccup and the others where off doing what viking kids do, Val got ready for the resigning of the treaty. Oswald had always been a good friend of hers, his son however, well, she couldn't say she hated Dagur, she just worried about him, he was reckless, mean, and was a view vegetables short of a stew.
But still, with his mother gone, Val felt like it was her responsibility to give him a mother's love, after all, she had known Dagur all his life. But treaty or not, the day he tried to drowned Hiccup, was the day she threw all caution in the wind, she snapped at Oswald so bad it gave him a grey streak. She even even made most of the Beskerker warriors on the ship jump with fear, it was almost as if they had seen a monster. No beserker was dumb enough to challenge her after that.
Stoick was busy trying to fit into the belt, and even with Gobber's help, it barely fit. "Remind me to put you on a diet when they leave..." Val said as she finished braiding her hair. "And why would I remind you to do that?" Stoick asked. His wife rolled her eyes, "Because next year the belt wont fit at all if I don't put you on a well needed diet..." she growled at him.
When Hiccup came in to see what his father wanted Stoick explained, and Hiccup took pine, who was rather uncooperative. He hated leaving Val's side, and would no doubtingly try to come back to her.
Val walked down to the docks to great the visitors, with her husband, and Gobber. She had no doubt that Hiccup would get the dragons somewhere safe, it wasn't Oswald she worried about, it was Dagur, peace with dragons or not, he'd behead one on the spot. Hiccup ran down the docks and up to his parents, he tried to explain about Barf and Belch, but his father stopped him as the ships came closer and docked.
All four of them were shocked to see Dagur would be the one signing the treaty, and Val nearly threw that blade right back at the redhead when it nearly hit her son, but she held back her violent tendency, and just handed it back to him. "Auntie Val, its always good to see you," he said hugging her, she wasn't sure where he got the Auntie thing from, but it made her skin crawl.
"Good to see you to Dagur, now put me down..." she told him and he did it without hesitation. "Dagur, where's your father?" Stoick asked as Val straightened out her dress. "My Father... Retired..." Dagur explained sending a chill up Val's spine, "He lost he taste for blood, I on the other hand, am starving" the teen looked around before speaking again, "So... where are you hiding them... Stoick?" he asked with a pleasant smile that sent a not so pleasant chill up they're spines.
"Where are we hiding what Dagur?" Stoick asked pretending not to know. "Do I look stupid to you?" Dagur asked offended.
"Trick quiestion, don't answer..." Gobber whispered to his friend as Val stepped between her husband and the teenaged chief. "I have under excellent authority, that your massing an army of dragons." Val became suspisious of that comment, "Excellent authority...? And who would that be Dagur?" Stoick asked. Dagur paused for a moment, "Nevermind..." he said after a moment, "Just know that if I find it to be true, my armada will attack with the strenght, of 3 thousand beserker soldiers!" he threatened, and Val was about ready to slap him.
While they talked Hiccup ran off to try and find a way to get Barf and Belch to safety. Val make no further interruptions as they talked, she walked with them into Berk with Dagur's men fallowing close behind, "So tell me Auntie, I hear you have been leaving Berk more then usual, have you become bored of this place?" Dagur asked with a grin on his face as he walked with the Chiefess. "No, even if I had a tough life on Berk, I still have my family here, and I could never become bored." she replied looking straight ahead.
"Well if you ever do, I am almost at the age of marriage..." he said slipping his hand into her's, which Val quickly snatched away. "Sorry Dagur... but I'm not one for younger men... plus I'm married, and I have a son, encase you forgot..." she said shivering at the thought. Her and Dagur where the same height, despite her being older then him, and the thought of them ever being married made her feel ready to hurl.
Stoick showed him the food storage, and acting the brat he was, he made it clear he was bored and wanted to play with the weapons.
Val watched closely as he played with a sword like it was a toy, more worried he'd hurt someone other then himself, "Dagur that isn't a toy... and keep a better grip on it or it'll fry right out of your hand...!" she demanded crossing her arms. Dagur just ignored her and kept swinging the sword around. It wasn't long before he let go of the blade, nearly hitting Stoick or Gobber. "Dagur! What Did I Just Say!?" Val shouted making all five of them flinch.
Now even someone like Dagur knew when Val was mad she wasn't to be messed with, he learned that the day he nearly drowned Hiccup, the look in her eyes that day was more frightening the a Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, which was in fact the biggest known dragons.
"Chief or not, we are going to have a long talk after this young man," she said grabbing him by the braid and dragging him out. "Ow, Ow, Ow!" he whimpered as she dragging him on the rest of the tour, luckily Barf and Belch had already disappeared by the time Val reached the doors. When Dagur's men tried to stop Val, she glared at them and her green eyes seemed to turn a fiery red, and they stopped dead in they're tracks, and Val kept walking, still dragging the teen by his hair.
"Ow... you didn't have to tug so hard... " Dragur complained when Val finally let him go. Dagur was somewhat impressed on how Val acted around him, even though treaty was to be signed, and a slip up could mean war, she still had the guts to treat him as she had always, with a stern hand, and the bravery of a viking who had been through treacherous battles. "Auntie, may I ask you something?"
"If its another wedding proposal you wont like my answer..." she said bluntly. Dagur laughed, "No No, I wanted to ask if I could fight you later this evening, ya know, before the Feast?" he asked catching both Val's and Stoick's attention. "Dagur I highly doubt that's appropriate at this moment, I mean with the treaty to sign," Stoick said butting in. "i wasn't asking you Stoick, I was talking to Val..." the teen growled. 'Only if it wont change you dissension to sign the treaty, I have no problem with it..."
"But Lovely-!" Stoick started before Val stopped him, "But nothing Stoick... it'll be fine..." she said with a reassuring smile.
Mean while in the caverns below Berk where the dragons were hiding, Toothless was having a rather hard time keeping Pine under control. The little Terror kept complaining about how he wanted to be by Val's side, no matter how many times Toothless told him they needed to stay hidden. The little Terror chirped unhappily as he laid down curling up in Val's fur, she had given it to him, so he wouldn't get too lonely while they were hidden.
Back at the arena Val and Dagur got ready for they're fight, and no one was aloud to intervene, and they wouldn't stop until the other was on the ground. Val, as always chose an Ax as her weapon, while Dagur, even though he preferred a crossbow, want a more hands on fight, so he chose a sword.
The fight began and Dagur, throwing caution to the wind as he always did, was the first to attack, he ran at the older viking and swung his sword, Val blocked with ease and hooked her foot behind his leg and swung throwing him of ballance, "Your timing and the speed you put in you swing needs work..." she said pointing at his flaws as he fell to the ground, Val jumped back giving her space between he and Dagur. The teen got to his feet and attacked again bringing his sword high above his head before swinging down, Val knocked the blade out of his hands and kicked him in the chest sending him back. "You left you body wide open, you have to be careful, you shouldn't run at someone with your only means of defence high above your head..." she pointed out making him angry.
But Dagur wasn't about to give up, he picked up his sword and ran at her again, this time Val ran away and Dagur laughed, "Running away are we!? Where All That Criticism You Just Had!?" he asked chasing her, but quickly falling behind, he knew she was named Val the Swift, but he had no idea she was so fast.
When she started to slow down dagur took his shot only to miss as she dodged, with the dull side of her ax she hit his hand and his sword fell to the ground, Val picked it up and stood before the boy as he looked at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Sloppy... you let your guard down the moment you thought you had the upper hand... it doesn't matter whether your opponent is younger older, smaller or bigger, you mustn't allow anger fog your judgement, nor should you attack with out caution... I've made many of those mistakes, once it almost cost me my life..." she said throwing the sword on the ground. The fight was over as quick as it started, and Val made it clear that she wasn't impressed with Dagur's fighting style.
Rage boiled in side Dagur, and without a clear head, he lifted his sword and attacked the chiefess from behind, but his usual battle cry is what gave him away, that's why Val didn't have one, she stepped aside and Dagur hit nothing but air, meanwhile Val hit him on the back of the helmet with her Ax, sending him to the ground with a sure sign of defeat.
That night in the great hall they had the feast, and Hiccup had no luck in getting Barf and Belch under control, Val sat between Stoick and her son, while Dagur sat across from them poking at his food looking down about being out Vikinged by a girl. Dagur had never been beaten in a fight, at least, not so quickly, but Val was quick on her feet and even quicker to react, she even had time to point out all of his mistakes, and it pissed him off.
Val rubbed Hiccup's back to reassure him everything would be ok, but that hardly did anything to comfort him, they're bond was weakened, and he still feared she'd leave him, no matter how many times she told him she loved him, he was starting to believe she had stopped.
Things went bad to worse when Barf and Belch rammed through the great hall like a maniac.
The next day Dagur, his men, Stoick and Val went to look for the rouge zippleback, even if Val tried to stop him, he might suspect what Alvin told him was true. Hiccup and the kids went to see where the twins were and hoped they'd find them in time.
But it wasn't long before Dagur's men caught Barf and Belch, Val had half a mind to taker her husbands sword and cut the young chief down to size, he could use it.
After the zipple back was dragged away, Snotlout ended up saying something useful for once.
When it came time for the dragons to attack, Pine, not fallowing Val's hand signals decided to bite Dagur's ankle, he really did not like this boy, he was drenched with the smell of blood, which meant he was a bad person to Pine.
Dagur started to get worried as more dragons made they're way into the arena, and Val, who was close to him, decided to trip him as he tried to get away, she tried her best not to laugh when he crawled half way to the exit.
It was a pretty successful day, the twins were friends again, the Beserkers were gone, and once again there was peace on berk.
Two weeks passed and Val only had one more night before it was time for her to depart Berk again. Val packed her bag and made sure her journal would be ok, all of her research was in there. "Mom...?" she turned around to see Hiccup standing at the door, his head down, and his fists clinched at his sides. "Hiccup, darling whats the matter, why aren't you in bed...?" she asked walking up to him, Hiccup didn't anwser, instead, he wrapped his arms around his mother and held her close.
"Don't leave..." he begged nuzzling her shoulder, "Hiccup..." she whispered stroking his hair, "Why...? Why do you keep leaving...?" he asked looking at her with tears in his eyes. "Don't you love us anymore...?" Val felt her heart twist, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Hiccup, I love you very much, you, your father, even Toothless..." she said wiping away is tears.
"Then why...?! Why do you keep leaving!? Why Wont You Tell Me About your Adventures Like You Use To!? When ever I ask... you just act like I didn't hear..." he whimpers breaking down into tears. "I can't tell you just yet Hiccup... but soon... I promise.." she said softly, she helped him to bed and stayed with him until he fell asleep, she tucked him in and stroked his hair as he slept. She really did love her son, but curiousity was pulling her in more and more, the next morning Hiccup saw her off, and she sailed off to learn more about the Northern Lights.
