I think it really says something that I was happy to see it wasn't an entire month since I last looked at this fic. Time is a lie.

-HTTYD-

"You sure you're not gonna come back?"

Matti asked as Teeny and Edo finished loading up their ship, and Eret nodded.

"Yeah. My home is with the dragons, and Valka. But it was good to see you guys, and I'm proud of how much you all have learned. Take that and teach the others. Maybe you aren't gonna be able to live like this" Eret gestured to Berk as a whole, full of dragons mingling happily with Vikings "but you ought to be able to at least co-exist. Just respect them and take care of yourselves. And maybe show that famous right hook of yours to anyone who starts talking about trapping them again."

Matti laughed, leaning in to give Eret a hug. He was a little surprised, but returned it. Teeny came back over, and hugged Eret too.

"Good to see you made a home for yourself, and I'm glad you're happy. Sorry to know you're not coming back, but, well, I can see why."

Teeny inclined his head toward where Valka was standing a little ways away with the Stormcutters, giving them time to say their farewells. Eret couldn't help but smile at the sight, because it really did look like home to him regardless of the background.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be Sami and I'm proud of where we came from. But life takes us on different paths sometimes, and this is mine now."

Hiccup had kindly offered some supplies for the ship, just some salted fish and water and a pot of yak broth, but it saved the sailors worrying if they could catch their dinner the first night - the dragons and Vikings fished around Berk, after all.

Once the ship had pushed off, a few waves exchanged at a distance, Eret was approached by both Hiccup and Valka.

"Out of interest... why did you let them sail home rather than offer to fly them back if we're going up that way anyway?"

Hiccup asked curiously, and it was clear that his mother had the same question for her husband.

"One, they didn't ask. Two, keeping dragon riding as some weird vigilante thing only crazy people do rather than flying in as a demonstration that anyone can learn will hopefully mean none of the ones still willing to trap try. And three, for all we know, when we get close enough a whole swarm of Night Furies are gonna fly out and try and warn us off because they don't trust humans. Maybe we can deal with that, but I didn't want to put them in that situation."

Nodding slowly, Hiccup mulled over his words.

"Makes sense. Good thinking. So, when do you think the female Night Fury will be fit to fly back?"

"You'd have to ask her. Physically, she's alright, but we are talking about probably taking her back to where she lost her mate. She hasn't given any signs of wanting to go back yet, even though she doesn't seem too set on staying on Berk."

Though the mother Fury had free reign to go all over Berk (or even leave, as it wasn't like they could stop her), she'd spent most of her time pacing around the farmland area, or going for flights when the sky had darkened and she was content that Eret and/or Valka were watching her hatchlings.

"So you think she doesn't want to stay on Berk, but isn't totally sure she wants to go back either?"

Hiccup asked, and Eret nodded.

"Pretty much. I think if we explain to her that we need to find her pack to warn them about Grimmel or the hunters, she'll probably be willing to show us. Dragons tend to be loyal to their kin."

"Maybe you guys should talk to her. She seems to trust you two more."

"It's a sleep thing. Pack dragons bond with those they sleep near. According to your mom, anyway."

Hiccup laughed and looked over at Valka, who nodded.

"You do know your dragons. That makes sense. Alright, well, I have a lot to do today, but if you talk to her about maybe going in the next couple of days then I can make sure Berk isn't gonna panic because I'm gone for a few days."

"You got it Chief. You need anything else or can we get back up? The baby Furies are in the chew-everything stage and I'm not sure if I hid the spoons well enough."

Laughing, Hiccup waved the two of them off, giving the four younger Stormcutters a pat on the head each before he saddled up on Toothless and flew off. Valka was smiling at him, reaching to squeeze his hand.

"What?"

"Just... glad to see you two getting along more."

Eret smiled in return - he was glad Hiccup was warming to him. Especially now their trip up north was in the very near future. Still holding hands, he gestured to their dragons.

"Should we get back?"

Valka nodded, and so they hopped up on their dragons and made the brief trip up to their home. From so high up, Eret could still make out the sails in the distance, and his wife hugged him gently as he watched the ship sail away.

"You did a good thing for them."

"You helped. Which I'm grateful for. And to Hiccup for letting them stay for a few days."

Once they'd finished staring out at the water, Eret looked around for the female Night Fury. They'd talked about naming her, but weren't sure if she'd be alright with it as the name often implied a bond that she wasn't necessarily invested in yet. Tripfire was nuzzling Cloudjumper and their four young were cuddled up with them, seemingly inspired to appreciate their little family after saying goodbye to Eret's old kin. He smiled at the sweet sight, then spotted the Fury watching her children play tug-of-war with an old length of rope. Well, it was better than them chewing the cutlery again.

He approached her slowly, always careful not to spook her. They'd reached a point where she'd turn her head toward he or Valka and expect a little rub on the nose, but still jumped if approached from behind unexpectedly. Eret patted her snout gently, chuckling when her two babies turned toward Eret and immediately began clamouring for pettings too. which Eret dispensed with a smile. Once they were pacified for the moment, he explained the situation to the Night Fury as best he could (her understanding of Norse wasn't as clear as their own dragons, but that was to be expected. Tripfire helpfully translated a few times).

She was clearly reticent to make the trip back, but it was also obvious she didn't want her fellow Furies at risk, and agreed to make the trip the next day. Eret gave her a few big tuna fish, which she seemed to really enjoy, and gave diced fish to the teething youngsters who were getting used to not eating momma's regurgitated food. They'd already raised or helped raise dozens, probably hundreds of baby dragons by then, some orphaned and some who lived close by like Alva, Vali, Storm and Junior. So it was old hat by then.

"So she wants to go tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I guess she doesn't want to dwell on it too long? Like, rest up and let's get it over with, plus the longer we wait the more risk there is Grimmel beats us there."

Eret had only met Grimmel once, and honestly that was more than enough.


Time alone had been in short supply for a little while. Time alone where Valka didn't feel tired, sick, hungry or a combination of the three had been in even shorter supply. And so she was rather keen to take advantage of it, and Eret was quite agreeable himself.

He'd been awfully patient when their previously rather energetic, active sex life had been cut down a lot by a mix of factors, though he definitely wasn't the only one of them missing it. It spoke volumes that Eret looked confused when Valka closed the door to their hut - unless there was a torrential downpour or heavy blizzard, the door was usually open to any dragon small enough to fit through it, allowing them to keep an eye on their visitors (and before that, to save them having to re-fit the door when a juvenile Stormcutter bowled through it excitedly).

"Everything alright?"

He asked, and Valka nodded. She wasn't really coy or a seductress, but she was confident enough to be forward with her husband without worrying he wasn't attracted to her. Even as her belly had begun to grow, he'd stroke the small swell idly and tell her she was beautiful. So when Valka got right to the point by taking off her clothes and beckoning him to the bed, Eret didn't need asking twice. One of the perks of a younger man, she supposed, idly remembering complaints of the women on Berk that their husbands weren't always in the mood or able to perform, or simply rolling over to sleep after a brief and unsatisfying tumble.

Valka had none of those complaints with Eret, still young and virile and a very generous lover. He shed his own tunic before joining her, and Valka always enjoyed the warm weight of him, solid and steady but not too big to get her arms around him. She fumbled with the tie in his hair so it would come loose, running her fingers through the fine black strands. Eret hummed against her mouth, turning over and pulling Valka to rest on top of him. He unwrapped the loose bindings on her chest and discarded them, fingers rubbing circles on her sides before his hands travelled up.

Still so sensitive, Valka twitched and moaned as soon as the rough pads of his thumbs brushed her nipples. Eret knew she was sensitive, careful to be gentle as he touched her, gaze intense and focused as he watched her respond. He was already hard, digging into her thigh through the fabric of his bottoms but Eret was in no rush as he thumbed and teased her breasts to make her grow steadily wetter. Her hips were grinding into his without conscious thought, but Valka still thrilled in the low grunts Eret let out in response.

Long past shyness and well into acceptance and enjoyment of the heat between the two of them, Valka squirmed free of his hands and got up to remove her underwear, Eret untying his bottoms and pushing them down at Valka's pointed nod. Sprawled out on the bed, bare and flushed with want, Eret was lovely to look at. Broad hands reached for her, heavy cock resting on his stomach where the muscles were flexing with his rapid breathing. Muscles clenching needily around nothing at the sight of him, Valka was glad her body responded so readily so she could have him sooner rather than later.

He sat up before Valka climbed into his lap, hands sliding up and down her back before his fingers dug in slightly as Valka gripped him, aiming and lowering herself until their bodies were flush. She settled there, simply enjoying the connection for a moment. Eret continued to stroke her back, panting into the crook of her neck as her fingers toyed lazily with the end of his hair; it was longer than it had been before, since Eret knew she liked it he'd stopped cutting it as often.

"You alright?"

Eret asked after a minute; they normally spent longer on foreplay, and so it was likely he was checking Valka hadn't hurt herself in her rush to the main event. She felt the stretch of him filling her a little more than usual, but Valka had been more than wet enough to be ready for him, and so she nodded, reassuring him with a kiss.

"I'm fine. Just... savouring the moment."

He smiled.

"By all means, savour away."

The scratches on his face were healing well, though it looked as though they may leave faint scars along his cheek. Valka still thought him handsome, caressing his jaw with her thumb before simply sitting there no longer met her needs. Shifting her weight on her knees a little told Eret she was moving, and his hands slid down to cup her backside to help support her (and also to playfully grope her, judging by the mischevious look in his eye as his hands splayed over the curve there).

As soon as she began to move, rising and falling as Eret made shallow thrusts to meet her, Valka knew she'd not be able to hold the slow and steady rhythm, heat already starting to simmer low in her belly with every motion. His little groans and sighs of pleasure only served to spur her on, burying her face the base of his throat to muffle her own sounds as she whimpered and keened, her nails digging into his back when he bucked up into her a little harder. It was a powerfully intimate position, his warm chest pressed against her own and barely a breath between their faces when Valka managed to raise her head and look at him. They could scarcely have gotten any closer, and Valka soaked in his scent and body heat, feeling cherished, loved within his embrace.

Eret was only slightly more able to hold out than Valka was, knowing fingers finding the spots on her body that made her quiver and quake until she was biting down on his shoulder to quiet her cries (because too much noise often attracted dragons attention, which was tough to remember in the heat of the moment). As Valka trembled and gripped tighter at him, Eret grunted, the hand still on her ass tightening as his pace faltered, hips jerking before he slowed to a twitchy stop.

Valka was a little achy when Eret helped her off of him, but she glowed with contentment all the same. He grabbed water and cloth so both could clean themselves up a little, but then his arms were around her, nuzzling her sweetly as they cuddled.

"Well, I wasn't expecting such a nice send-off, but I'm certainly not complaining."

Valka chuckled, shaking her head as she turned to press her face into his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat.

"I wasn't even thinking of that. It was just that I finally felt like I wouldn't get nauseous and we had some time to ourselves."

"Either way, no complaints."

The mark on his shoulder would have brought a flush to Valka's face a year or so before, but she'd gotten used to the fact she became a little... primal during sex, and Eret had said he was more than fine with that fact. So she simply rolled her eyes when Eret looked from the mark to her, expression clearly one of smugness.

They laid there for a little while, enjoying the closeness and comfort of the others company before Eret left the bed, visibly reluctant but needing to answer natures call. Valka shuffled deeper under the covers, gleefully taking the spot Eret had left nice and warm and watching him move around naked quite happily as he searched for his discarded clothes. The dragons weren't fazed by a naked human, but given how Hiccup dropped by quite often lately, Eret usually opted for a little modesty when leaving their hut for the outhouse.

Plus, it was cold outside sometimes.

He returned a few minutes later, rinsing his hands in the wash bucket before he rejoined her in their bed, skin a little chilled from outside but soon warming up beneath the covers again.

"I hope Hiccup has some warm clothes, Berk's chilly but my homeland is even colder."

Eret commented, drumming his fingers lazily against Valka's side.

"I'll be sure to tell him to wrap up warm."

Valka answered, hoping their light conversation would keep her from fretting. It didn't, but it helped.

"Don't forget to give him a snack and make sure he goes to the bathroom before leaving."

Eret joked, and Valka snickered lightly, though she felt her smile fall as an urge to say something more serious sprung up. She turned to look up at Eret properly, and he seemed to understand the shift.

"Look after him up there."

Her husband nodded, and Valka knew he meant it genuinely when he answered.

"I will."

-HTTYD-

This chapter was meant to be the start of their trip, and then Valka decided to take off her clothes and I just couldn't argue with her.