WARNING: Some strong language and sexual references are to be expected.

The Great Hall was easily the most important location on the entire island of Berk. It was there that the whole tribe gathered to discuss important issues, celebrate, and survive Devastating Winter. As Devastating Winter could last for months, the Great Hall had spacious cellars, adjusted to store big amounts of food and drink. Needless to say, there was also access to fresh water, which flowed through the sturdy rocks like blood. Though it was often doomed to freeze the moment it reached the surface, it was perfectly usable to those who sought refuge within the mountain. Thus, this was where the sauna was located.

Despite Valka's worries, the Bog Burglars did not seem to be interested in anything but the much needed relax. It was without hesitation that they stored their clothes, weapons, and prosthetics – If they had any – in the wicker baskets. Everybody was eager to sprinkle herself and her comrades with cold water. Most accepted the drinking water prepared by Decay – a housewife in charge of the Great Hall maintenance. The crew members helped each other get clean, used the chestnut soap abundantly and had a great time. The idyllic scene of all these women rubbing each other's back, smiling and breathing sighs of relief improved Valka's mood. These women were not at all different from the locals. It seemed she had nothing to worry about after all.

So she did think even when they sat down in the actual sauna. Even when Bloodybee, who sat next to her, spoke up.

"Why'd you keep the pin, of all things? If we were to steal anything, we'd go for the belt buckle."

She was referring to the wooden pin with which Valka secured her chest binding. Right now it was tied to its owner's wrist.

"Oh. It's a gift from Stoick," explained Valka, looking at the small object with affection. "It means a lot to me."

There was a whole story behind the pin, but the chief's wife was not about to share it with just anybody. It would remain her and Stoick's little secret.

Surprisingly, Bloodybee seemed touched with the simply explanation. "Aw, how sweet," she cooed and smiled disarmingly. "Y'know,," she continued, suddenly inspired, "Spitelout once sent me a wooden carving to remember him by, too."

"Oh, he did?" asked Valka, amazed. She didn't think Spitelout was this romantic.

"Yeah," nodded Bloodybee. "In return, I've sent him a five and a half page long description of how I used it. I purposefully finished with the mother of all cliffhangers. And guess what?" she smiled cunningly at Valka, paying no attention to the other woman's troubled expression, "He arrived at my doorsteps not a week later. Boy, was he blowing steam! We worked on the ending together! By the time we were done, the whole place looked like a sauna!" she giggled, sincerely amused. Sitting next to her, Valka felt her cheeks flush. She did not expect THESE subjects THIS fast. That didn't augur well.

Especially given she was the only one who seemed uncomfortable with discussing such topics.

"I could hear you two streets down, captain!" shouted one of the Bogs accusingly.

"Envious much, officer?" Bloodybee smirked at her subordinate, pleased with herself.

"Right on, captain!" yelled another woman happily. "She's been salivating over your hot stud ever since!"

"Like hell I did!" revolted the officer, jumping to her feet. "I never go after men shorter than myself!"

The other woman shrugged her shoulders. "If you say so."

"I DO say so!" insisted the officer, threatening her merry comrade with her finger. The crew giggled, and the captain the loudest of them all.

"Hah! You know very well I don't mind you going after Spitelout, girls. It's not like he has my name tattooed on his ass. Yet," she grinned.

"Are you serious?" asked Valka in disbelief.

"Yeah," nodded Bloodybee casually. "Though I'm sure I could tattoo whatever part of him I fancy without him knowing about it."

Valka eyed her strictly. "That's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant. I'm not as dumb as my son," assured the captain, mildly annoyed. She shifted on her towel towards the dragon whisperer, acknowledging that a more serious approach was needed. "Look, Valka," she spoke calmly, "We, Bog Burglars, are sisters. We never let a man come between us. No matter their looks, status, wealth, or the kids they gave us. Sisters before misters."

"Sisters before misters!" yelled all the Bog Burglars enthusiastically.

Valka sighed. She probably shouldn't be surprised. These women were known for taking men whenever they wanted, in any number they wanted, but she had assumed they at least did not go for men already claimed by their comrades. There had to be some sort of loyalty among them.

Well, there was – only that their definition of it did not exactly match hers.

"Yes, I get that. I suppose," replied Valka, mentally admitting defeat. "You have to care for your own tribe first of all."

Bloodybee nodded in acknowledgement, smiling widely. "Right on, sister. A tribe is a hive and we are the bees. A single bee may not do much harm, but a whole swarm could kill a hornet. In fact, that's why my mother named me Bloodybee. To remind me how important it is to stick with my own kind."

"Sisters before misters!" yelled her crew again.

"Yeah!" yelled the captain back.

"It does make sense when you put it that way," admitted Valka unsurely. "Although it must be hard, having to stay away from your own son."

She thought that, at very least, the motherly instincts were universal in all cultures. Bloodybee crushed those beliefs by waving her hand dismissively.

"Neh, not a tiny bit. The boy lives in the kind of tribe that will help him grow into a great man. He has a respectable name, hell lot of status, and I'll be damned if he doesn't end up with a rank as high as his father's. Really, if I were to be more involved with his life, I'd probably screw it all up for him. Better to keep things the way they are. Wouldn't you agree, Valka?"

Valka wasn't sure what to think. The Bog Burglar said all this without any hesitation, without a trace of doubt. She really did seem not to have any regrets.

But then, she's had a lot of time to come to terms with the situation. To convince herself that Snotlout was doing just fine without her. She's probably known her whole life long she wouldn't be allowed to keep a male child, if she had any. She was prepared.

Still, she might have cried at first. She might have missed him. Missed him so much it kept her awake for night after night until she had ran out of tears. Maybe she'd remember him in the most random moments and have to smash everything around to calm herself down. Maybe she had to constantly repeat that one line: 'He's better off without me' until she finally believed herself.

Maybe she was just like Valka.

The thought warmed the dragon lady's heart.

"Yes, I can see your point," she said, feeling a sudden connection to Bloodybee. "I know how hard it is, having to stay away from your family for the sake of greater good."

To her utter surprise the sauna exploded with laughter.

"What?" demanded Valka, bewildered. "What's so funny?"

Bloodybee slapped her vigorously on the back.

"Oh, quit it, dragon girl! Ain't nobody here gonna condemn ya, no need to put that wool over our eyes! EMBRACE what you are, just like we do!"

The comment was followed by a chorus of praise: "Yeah!", "Well said!", "Mead for the girl!". All to Valka's further confusion.

"What?" she mumbled.

Bloodybee considered her with a warm expression. "Sister,," she begun in a sweet, almost motherly tone, "my boys wrote me letters, and I read them to my girls. We know the entire truth. Your tribe thought you were nuts, so you ditched the lot of them and made a life for yourself at the end of the world," a spark of excitement lit the captain's eyes, her tone became more lively. "All this time you were studying dragons and having a blast while the oafs here got their asses whooped by those overgrown lizards over and over again! And you only ever returned when they were willing to see ya for the wonder ya're! Girl, you sure showed 'em!" she exclaimed, patting her astonished interlocutor again.

The applause from the crew was instant.

"Yeah! They wouldn't let ya be yerself, so off you went!" yelled somebody from the back of the room.

"Kiss my ass, Stoick the Vast!" exclaimed one of the women, jumping to the middle of the room. "Ya clean yer own kitchen while I take over the skies!"

"Yeah!" shouted the crew with delight.

Valka was terrified with the speed with which the things got out of control.

"No!" she cried. "You got it all wrong! I stayed away from my family to protect them!"

Somebody snorted. "Protect them? By turning your nose up at them?"

"Good one, good one!"

"I mean it!" revolted Valka, jumping to her feet. "My husband and son could have died, because I wouldn't kill a dragon! I was a threat to my family, to my whole village! A peace advocate in a Viking tribe? I was sure they were better off without me!"

She looked from woman to woman, desperately seeking understanding. Only to find nobody was taking her seriously.

"Blah, blah, blah," a voice said behind her. "Your family stood in the way of your hobby, so you turned your back at them. That's all there is to it."

Valka turned around, exploding with fury. "Stop! Just stop! All of you!" she yelled, her eyes firing hatred at everybody. "You have NO right to judge me!"

"But we aren't, sister!" assured Bloodybee, walking towards her. "We look up to you!"

"You WHAT?!" snapped Valka.

"Sure!" confirmed Bloodybee, obviously amused. "You personify all of our ideals! Right, girls?"

"Yeah! You chose harsh freedom over peaceful slavery!"

"Took your fate into your own hands!"

"You may well have changed the course of generations!"

"Atta, girl!"

Valka found herself totally at loss. These women were making no sense, no sense at all. Were they really admiring her for abandoning her family? For betraying her tribe? Have they all lost their minds? Or was she imagining all this, because of all this heat? Odin almighty, why couldn't she just have pretended to have fallen asleep?

"You…," she mumbled, not really sure if she should dwell deeper into this madness, but incapable of retreating, " you don't think I was selfish?"

"Oh, we do," said Bloodybee eagerly. "But that's a good thing."

"Yup," said one of the women. "One can only sacrifice her dreams, passion and health for a moronic husband and ungrateful kids for so long. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to remind herself she's still a person of her own, not just a house ornament."

Another woman jovially pat her on the back. "Well said, well said!"

Yet another woman spoke up. "Take me, for example. I spent a good portion of my life putting the well being of my family above my own, only to be taken for granted, belittled, and ridiculed. Now that I'm a Bog Burglar I work pretty much as hard as before, but I get to see faraway places, taste the finest wines, and men don't bother me. Unless I want them to," she winked meaningfully. "Good thing my old man kicked the bucket before me, or I would never have known how precious life can be."

Valka found herself at a total loss. "I can't believe you. Do you really feel this way? That having a family is a burden, that it's a good thing to just abandon them and sail away?"

Once again she scanned the crowd, hoping that somebody would prove her wrong. And once again she was answered by the partially amused, partially patronizing captain.

"No, not really. Husbands are a burden, sisters are family. Family is NOT a burden. You understand now?"

Valka did not like this. Did not like that Bloodybee spoke to her in such a patronizing tone, that she considered her with a mixture of amusement and pity. Like a loving, yet dominant older sister, who explained the obvious obviousness to a younger sibling. It disturbed Valka. Disturbed her way to much than it should. This conversation was costing her way too much. But she just had to continue.

"Is that how you feel about Spitelout? About Snotlout?"

It might have been foolish, but she still hoped to move the Bog Burglar's heart. To get that woman to admit that her son and his father were not something she could exclude from her life just like this. To spot some sort of twitch in her expression which would could be interpreted as regret.

Alas, Bloodybee shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, they are okay people. And good company for most of the time. But by no means as necessary as the air I breathe. I do, of course," she added hurriedly, "take pride in having such a strapping son, I did push him into this world after all. But his father…" she hesitated, her expression becoming troubled for a split second before she assumed her usual confidence, "his father, you see, is like my prosthetic. I do like it. It serves me well. Makes me feel safe and confident. But, at the end of the day, it's not my flesh and blood. It's a gadget I can replace anytime I want. Hell, I could handle myself just fine without a prosthetic. But if I somehow became unable to sail, to burgle, to have adventures, I'd feel as if I lost an entire arm. The good arm, mind you. I don't think I could handle that," at this point, her expression softened. "I suppose it's the same for you, isn't it? You liked your husband enough, but when you had to chose between him and your passion, you chose the passion. Your love for dragons triumphed the one you had for people. And only when you knew people will no longer stay in the way of your passion you allowed them back in your life. Am I right, sister?"

Time stood still. Despite the heat of the room, coldness found its way into Valka's heart. There were no weapons in the room, but she felt trapped, cornered. By all her regrets and mistakes. There was no way out, nowhere to hide. She had no choice but to be honest with herself.

And, in doing so, cast the finishing blow to her own heart.

"I…" she struggled, avoiding the other woman's gaze. "I suppose so…"

In her mind, she added: 'Forgive me, Stoick, Hiccup'

The answer, although so reluctant, earned her the Bog captain's wholehearted approval. "And this is why I like you so much, Valka. You understand that it's your actions that define you, not your relationships. You'd make a fine Bog Burglar."

After that Valka spoke no more.