Author's Note:

Hello everyone and welcome. This is a quick chapter set a few years before HTTYD 1 and shows a little interaction between Snotlout and Valka. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

I do not own any aspect of How to Train Your Dragon.

Sneaking In

Moonlight danced upon the ocean waves and spray sparked in the light as a dragon swooped low over their crests.

The Monstrous Nightmare ascended to the sky and lazily flapped through the clouds, on his back, a boy laughed happily, "Nice one Hookfang!"

Hookfang rumbled in response then grunted when he saw their destination ahead, the boy's expression turned serious and he muttered quietly to his friend, "Okay Hooky, let's slip in quietly now."

The Nightmare did as requested and like a shadow, he swooped into a cave entrance to land upon a stone floor, the boy dismounted and tiptoed along the tunnel. The dragon did likewise and his human companion grinned at him little, "We just slip in quietly and no one will know."

"And where have you been!?"

The boy jumped and grimaced, before turning around and smiling guiltily, "Aunt Valka! I couldn't sleep so I was just out for a little walk with Hookfang."

Valka glowered, her stance clearly showing that she was not fooled, "Snotlout, why were you and Hookfang out flying in the middle of the night?" Her eyes fell on his upper arm, where a cut had been hastily bandaged and hidden, "And what happened to your arm?"

Snotlout swiftly covered it with his sleeve, "I just tripped and cut myself slightly, nothing to worry about."

She grabbed his arm and examined the cut, "This is a graze from an arrow…" She fixed him with a look, "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing, honest."

The boy had answered far too quickly and Valka folded her arms in demand of the truth, he sighed and answered reluctantly, "We were freeing some dragons from trappers."

"What were you thinking!" The woman's voice rose in pitch, "Don't you realise how dangerous that was, I've told you to stay close to the Sanctuary and certainly not go after Dragon Hunters."

"But you do it all the time!"

"I've done it many times before and I always have other dragons for back up." Valka sighed, "They're far too dangerous for you and Hookfang to take on alone, you only got a cut this time but it could have been far worse, you could've captured or even killed."

"I know, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"It's just…I can't just leave dragons in the hands of hunters!" Snotlout looked down, "They've been my family for as long as I can remember, I don't like just sitting safely here while they're in trouble, I have to help them."

Valka stared at him then pulled him into a gentle hug, "I understand Snotlout, but I was so worried when I woke up to find that you'd vanished." She ran a hand through his hair, "Ever since the dragons found you as a baby in that boat with your mother's body, I've loved you as if you were my actual son. I am so proud that you feel so strongly about saving the dragons but you're still young, you're barely in your teens and I'm terrified that something will happen to you if you keep doing this." She stepped back and smiled at him, "I promise I'm doing everything I can to help the dragons but we can't save them all, no matter how much we want to. Sometimes we have to remember the other people in our lives, how much they need us as well." She crouched down, "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, so please, don't go taking Dragon Hunters on your own again."

Snotlout looked away, thinking her words over, before finally looking her in the eye, "Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Valka stood, "Now then, let me tend to that cut of yours and then you're heading straight for bed." The boy nodded and she wagged a finger at him, "You're also grounded young man."

He looked up at her in shock, "What! Why?"

"For sneaking out." She tapped him on the head, "You're not going to get out of this one unpunished, even though you've promised to not do it again." She smiled at his glower, "It's just for tomorrow so don't worry, I've planned a field trip for the day after."

Snotlout's glower immediately turned into a grin, "Awesome!"

He scampered away, Hookfang right behind him, and Valka smiled fondly.

PS-So that's that. Please let me know what you thought and if you have any suggestions for future chapters, these one-shots won't run in chronological order so feel free to give ideas from anywhere in the timeline. I'll hopefully update soon.