"I didn't think I would see you here."
Magnhild sliced the head of the haydoll, which went flying towards Mala who ctached it with one hand.
"I couldn't stay. Everyone is in a gloomy mood and I just needed to get away from Berk for a while." Magnhild said and sighed.
Mala tilted her head. "And your parents knows you're here I assume?"
"Yes," Magnhild began and pressed her lips together. "I didn't just run off like Stoick did and didn't tell anyone. At least he was on the island, but still. It wasn't the best moment to run away. It has been two days since the funeral and I-I made sure everyone was one their feet before I left. Vylma has gone back to Barvik, Stoick is back in the forge, Finn is more quiet than before, but he's on his feet. Mum and dad are trying to go back as it was before. Frida and Leif are still hurt and Frida still has fever but they are getting better. Ingrid is still… Ingrid and-"
"What about you?" Mala asked, caughting Magnhild off guard. "How are you?"
Magnhild shrugged. "Without the pain of one piece of my heart being empty, I'm fine."
Mala walked up to her, placing the hayhead beside the doll. "I think you need to talk with someone." she looked at Magnhild, who frowned. "And I'm not that person. Don't get me wrong, you can talk to me, but this is something your parents needs to hear. It's their job to listen to their children and even if this is hard for you to talk about and hard for them to hear, they will be there for you no matter what."
Magnhild bit her lip and looked down.
Mala continued; "Fly back to Berk and be with your family. They are in pain right now and I think you as their daughter would ease that pain."
Magnhild looked up to her. "Even if I tell them how I fell? Even if I probably would open up wounds?" she asked unsure.
Mala nodded. "They probably would be happy if you went to them and told them how you feel."
Magnhild looked away from Mala. She had a point. The pain was just sitting there, like weight on her shoulders and waited to be free. The only problem was that she didn't want to burden her parents with more… memories or pain from grandma.
She had locked herself in her room until the funeral and then she had been training in the forest or the training arena. Stopped just to eat or check on her family and friends. Making sure they were doing something and not just sitting around in pain. After two days, she had had enough of the grey atmosphere and pitiful looks from everyone. So she had told her parents at the breakfast table that she was flying to Berserker island and would be home before dark. They didn't have time to say anything before she was out of the house and on Temples back, flying high in the sky and feeling relief washing over her.
And here she was. No one welcoming her because she didn't sen a terror mail, flying straight to the training arena and started training with her swords. Mala hadn't come far after and here they were.
Magnhild sighed and looked at Mala again. "You're right. I shouldn't have left so suddenly." Mala smiled at that. "I'll fly back to Berk right away."
Mala nodded at that. Watching Magnhild climb on Temples back. Mala walked up to them before the flew off. "I'm so sorry what happened to your grandmother and what have happen to Berk."
Magnhild put a hand out, stopping her. "Thank you, Mala and I'm sorry I came to your island without telling you, it won't happen again."
Mala gave her a small smile. "No harm done. You're always welcome here."
Magnhild nodded and patted Temple, to singel to fly off.
Stoick surprised Ingrid when he open the door at the same time she did. She gasped and Stoick held the door open with his hand.
"We need to talk." was all he said and pushed her inside the little working place. Kyria looking confused as why he was pushing her rider back into the room they were about to leave. Stoick closed the door behind him and looked directly at Ingrid, who looked everywhere but at him.
"Why did you just leave me?" he asked, Ingrid open her mouth ready to defend herself. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable and I'm sorry, I pretty much made you sleep next to me." he was now blushing and so did Ingrid.
"Yeah, that's why I left." Ingrid mumbled, but Stoick did catch that.
"I'm so sorry." he rubbed the nape of his neck and looked down. "I was just- not in my right mind at that moment and I just didn't want to be left alone."
Ingrid nodded slowly. "I understand and that's what I thought." she said and looked up to him, he still was looking down at the ground. "Because we're just friends and that was just you craving comfort, so I stayed. It's not like we're a couple or anything like that."
Stoick looked up, but not at her. Perks of being a head taller. "Yeah, friends." he said quietly.
She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I'm sorry I left you, but if we were found like that- you know in each others arms- people would start talking and our parents would ask questions about our… relationship. If we had starting something romantic or something like that. "He now looked at her with raised eyebrows. "And I don't want to start something because you don't feel the same way that I do and I don't want you to be in a embarrassing situation and I definitely don't want that so… yeah I left."
He narrowed her eyes at her, which made her freeze and straightening her mouth. "And what feelings do you have for me?"
"Eh...well I- I kind of-" she stammered, feeling her cheeks getting more redder.
Stoick leaned down and gave her a light smile. "Kind of?"
"I kind of like you." she blurted out and covered her face with her hands.
Stoick gave a chortle and smiled. "Great. Than we're on the same page."
Ingrid slowly took her hands away from her face and stared at him like an idiot. "What?" she whispered, shocked of what he had just said.
The knock on the door interrupted them in their confessions and they quickly turned to the door. Olav sticked his head in, making sure the dragon eye wasn't in plain sight.
His eyes widened when they landed on Stoick. "Oh, Stoick good you're here." he walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
Stoick frowned. "Why?" he asked.
"Yeah Olav, why is it good that he's here?" Ingrid asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Olav smiled. "Because now we can at least tell one person of the translations of the dragon eye."
"You're done with the translations?"
Olav turned to Stoick. "Yes," he answered and walked toward the bookshelf and took out the book which held the translated papers. "And yesterday we - Ingrid and I- had found a possible location of where we can find this… hidden world."
Ingrid smiled at her brother, nodding her head. "Yes, but we also agreed that we wouldn't tell anyone until Olav and Frida are feeling better." than she turned to Stoick, her smile gone. "And that you, Finn, Vylma and Magnhild are feeling better... well as good as you can be in this moment."
Stoick smiled at her. "I'm sure my siblings would be happy to get out of Berk for a few days. Magnhild has already flown away from here and Finn needs to do something to keep his mind on something else. Which leads to asking Vylma when she has time to spare for a trip."
"Than we'll send Vylma a terror mail as soon Olav and Frida are better." Leif ended.
It felt like the desk was getting higher and higher with papers with things to do. And Vylma was getting more and more tired. She and Brie and flown to Barvik the day before and was greeted with worried servants and a council. She had told them what had happen and they had let her be for the day and night, until the morning when she sat down by the desk and people came to her, thinking she was done mourning and was back working. But she was sitting there so she could think of something else.
After a night of nightmares from the fall and the sight of her grandmother, she had barely gotten any sleep and was thinking of flying to Berk so she could curl up in her mother lap and pray for sleep. But she hadn't, which she was grateful for because she would probably stay on Berk until her nightmares went away and that could take years. No, she had instead curled beside Brie and had falling a sleep until she woke up sweating from a nightmare.
After taking a quick bath, she had dressed for the day and hadn't bothered with her hair because the servants wasn't up and she didn't want to wake them. Her hair was loose, she hadn't have any breakfast and people and the messenger boy had come in and out of the room for an hour now. She was a mess and all she wanted was quiet and peace.
She crossed her arms and laid them on the desk and placed her head on them. She wanted everything to go away. Wanted everyone to go away, the memories of her falling into the water and the picture of her dead grandmother to go away! Gods, why was her life so…. So unlucky! So miserable? Was it because she raised a red death in secret? Or is it because she had no idea where Delia was? She had searched for her, but there were no sign of her anywhere.
"My queen?" Vylma looked up. It was the messenger boy, well man. He was three years older than her. And if she was honest; he was kinda cute. With that curly brown hair and those blue eyes. Strong jawline and that strong nose of his. His body was well trained for someone who was just a delivery man. Yeah, he was handsome, but Vylma didn't want a boy right now. It was already bad enough that her servantes ladies asked if she was thinking of getting a king. Which meant marriage. Which meant children. Which meant even less freedom.
"Close the door." she said and he obeyed. "I'm sick of people right now." he came walking towards the desk and laid a latter down before her. She didn't even bother open it right away, another request from the people.
"Than why are the queen sitting at her desk, if I may ask?"
She snorted. "Because I can't sleep and I'm going insane with the lack of sleep I've been having lately." she lazily flipped threw a stack of paper.
"Well, than I'll be on my way and I will close the door after me. My queen." he bowed and started walking to the door.
"Wait!" she said and he turned around. "Alvar, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, my queen." he answered confused.
Vylma smiled at him and took a paper out from the bottom of the pile she just lazily went through. "What last name do you think would fit me instead of Haddock?"
Alvar looked lost at that question. "What do you mean, my queen?"
She shrugged. "I mean, everyone wants me change my last name and I thought; why not? Let's make everyone happy."
Alvar looked concerned at her and walked back to the desk. "I don't think you want to make such decision right now, in your state."
"In my state?" she said, sounded offended.
"No. I meant-" Alvar quickly said, thinking he said something offended.
Vylma giggle. "I'm just playing with you, Alvar. But seriously, what last name would fit me?" she asked and leaned forward.
"Eh…" Alvar began, feeling uncomfortable answering such questions to the queen. "What's your mother's maiden name?" he asked.
"Hofferson." she simply answered.
"Than maybe Hofferson?" he tried, wanting to get out of this situation.
Vylma nodded and bite her lip. "Yeah, I've thought of that, but it feels… so simple in a way. I want something unique."
"Maybe the former king last name or-"
"Already thought of that and all the other last names Barviks leaders has had." she leaned back into the chair and tilted her head. Waiting for Alvar to give her suggestions. "What's your last name, Alvar?"
Alvar froze. Startled that she asked that question. "Well, Björnsson, but I don't think you want that. It's not like we are married or anything."
"I know and I don't like Björnsson." she frowned and shakes her head. "No, I want something else."
Alvar looked back to the door then to his queen. "I'm sorry but I have duties to do so I need to ask to leave you, my queen."
Vylma jumped out of her thoughts and looked up to him. "Yeah, sure leave." she waved her hand to the door.
He bowed and once again walked towards the door, but before he open it, he turned his head and said; "Maybe you can put Haddock and Hofferson together? So you have both of your parents with you." he open the door and closed it after him, leaving a wondering Vylma.
She looked down at paper or more of a contract. She grabbed a pen and tapped it on the table. Looking down at the empty space where she would write her new last name. The last name she thought she would never change to. Maybe it was because she was really tired and she could feel a fever kicking in? Or the fact that she had just lost someone who had hold her together through this whole queen-thing? Or was it because she wanted to start new? Maybe this was the start of something new?
She loved Berk and the people. Her family lived there and her friends. People she could die for, people who she cared about and they cared about her. She didn't want to leave them and not the Haddock name. But she wanted to feel new and the Barvik council was right; two island couldn't have leaders with the same last name, even if they were father and daughter. No, she needed to change.
But to what? Alvar had given her a suggestion of putting her mother's maiden name and father last names together. But how? Haddson? Hoffock? Hoffdock? Hoffhadd?
She laughed out loud. Those names sounded worse than having the last name of a fish! No she needed something better. Like…. Eh… why did her parents have so... Stupid last names? Should she just change it to Hofferson? Her mum would be happy that she didn't just chose a random last name, but it was too simple.
Vylma sat up straight and wrote down her new last name in the empty space. She smiled to herself when she was done and signed it. It was done. She wasn't Vylma Valka Haddock anymore. No, she was Vylma Valka Hadderson.