Title: Sand Picnics

Summery: Valka realises that it is probably a good time to let go of the past and just start living the second opportunity she has been given

Prompt: Holding Hands

Word Count:1,112


She watched him arrive on Grump with a smile. Every time she saw him she was amazing that the dragon was able to get off the ground and yet still look comfortable in doing so. With a loud crash the two made it down to earth in front of her house. That was one thing that hadn't changed thankfully. Gobber still liked to make his presence known.

"Evening, Valka," he called as he got off his dragon. As soon as he did so the dragon got up and started eating the flowers that Valka had only planted two days ago. Her eyes flickered over to it, and Gobber must have caught something in her expression because he spun around.

"Grump! Don't eat the pretty lady's flowers!" he cried and walked over. Once there he used his hook and moved the gentle giant's head away from the flowers. "I'm so sorry about that."

"It's ok," Valka laughed. "I chose those flowers because whilst they aren't deadly to dragons, they certainly aren't enticing. That and they look pretty. I guess I was wrong in that however as now they are eaten."

"Nah, Grump likes eating everything in sight. It's how I found him, ya know."

Valka tilted her head questioningly. She had never heard the story of how Gobber had come across the dragon as she had assumed that he had found him the same way as most of the other dragons before she came.

"Come with me down to a tiny, peaceful beach I know and I'll tell you," he offered with a grin. She hesitated for a second. Technically she wasn't married anymore and so to be seen going off with a man where there wasn't anyone to watch would be scandalous. At the same time she could say that they were looking after a wild dragon Gobber noticed needed help with it's teeth and he asked her to come along to pacify it.

Or she could not worry about lies, about excuses, about having to please anyone, and just go, relax and have fun with an old friend.

"Of course," she responded and quickly grabbed her stick from where it stood just inside the door of her house.


The flight down the the beach wasn't the shortest trip she had ever taken, but at the same time it wasn't the longest. Assuming that Gobber hadn't wanted them to be found, she had expected it to take longer, and it may have been that long, but with his jokes she didn't notice the time pass at all.

"That was surprisingly short," she commented, getting off Couldjumper. Gobber nodded bashfully. Hiccup would know the spot they were in but he doubted that anyone else would have. It was a beach that would have been uninhabited until the acceptance of dragons, and even then there was no reason why majority of the people would use it.

"Where are we?"

"Just somewhere I found whilst flying around. No one goes here really," Gobber explained. He got off Grump and began pulling a basket down. As he was doing so, Valka walked around exploring the small beach.

"There's a cave here," she called out to him.

"I know. That's why I was still planning on asking you if you wanted to come here. I cooked something earlier today and then was going to come find you. If the weather turned horrible I figured at least there was a cave and food."

"And you planned on leaving Hiccup all by himself in the forge?"

"Shh. He thinks I didn't think any of this through. I taught him what he knows, but I didn't teach him everything I know!" Gobber responded. Valka turned around and laughed at him.

"So what did you plan for us to do here? Considering you planned everything and all."

"I just wanted an afternoon away from everything and figured that you would want it as well. This way, we both get what we want and don't have to do it alone!"

"But I have Cloudjumper with me?" she mentioned and together they begun to set up for a small campfire on the beach to warm up the food he had brought.

At once his face fell and Valka wished she could take back what she had just said.

"I-"

"You're-"

They both spoke at once.

"You go first," Valka murmured.

"I… uh… You're so much like Hiccup, you know. He'd be happy if the world just boiled down to him and that night fury of his," Gobber said and shifted awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I do appreciate this all. And shouldn't it be Hiccup is like me? Anyway, I don't think he would be really happy unless Astrid went with him."

Silence fell again as she drifted off to remember Stoick.

"You know, he would have been proud. This village is safe and thriving, Hiccup is happy and if he doesn't get with Astrid sooner rather than later Stoick would have done it for them himself. But there is one thing I don't think he would have appreciated; you acting all sad like this. He has gone to Valhalla. Is there a greater reward possible? He is one of the Einherjar," Gobber said.

Valka looked down and away from him. To die in battle was one thing, but to die protecting those you loved was something that not even she could aspire to. The respect and love she felt for Stoick was still there but perhaps she could let go of him to the halls of Asgard. Perhaps it was time for her to move on and realise that even though there was no hope of seeing him again until after death, something which had kept her going during those twenty years, they had managed to sing their song one last time. For a moment they had been a family.

Gobber could see her debating this all in a rare moment of uncertainty that she wouldn't have shown anyone else. Slowly, as to not startle her, he reached out with his remaining hand and held her small one within it. He would be there for her, no matter what she decided.


Back in the town, Hiccup and Astrid were slowing walking through the middle holding hands. There was the normal rush around town as people settled in for the bitter night that was sure to follow. Even though people were walking around with places to go, there was still a sleepiness that had taken over.

Well that was until someone rushed up to him asking for him to sharpen his axe as no one had known where Gobber had gone.


So I am writing (at least the beginning of this story) before I start my first French class in roughly 3 1/2 years. I am nervous but have been preparing by muttering random French words and attempting to say things. I was seriously surprised at the semi-coherent sentences that I was able to get out. If there is a point halfway through this story where nothing makes sense anymore in terms of the English language and my word order is messed up, don't blame me. The other half of the day I will be spending in the nice familiarity of Classical Greek.

There will be things in these oneshots that I am aiming to have appear across all of them. It probably will be fairly obvious (at least the first one will), but it just adds an extra challenge and at the same time makes it easier because if I get stuck I add in one of those.

And I'm slightly more comfortable in writing Gobber today. I think it will just be a day to day thing and will be a while before I'm fully comfortable with it all.

Is there a technical term for the stick?

Aly