For anyone wondering and lamenting about the angst and heartbreak coming with this development, I tried to keep it light. :)
And all marriage and wedding stuff is just not going to be historically accurate. They're helmets aren't correct, Berk isn't a real place, so I'm making up the lore for that topic (based on what we see in the third film).
A few days into her engagement to Snotlout and Astrid was ready to throw herself off a cliff.
Was that too dramatic? Or perhaps morbid?
Didn't matter. He was just so…obnoxious.
"And I told the guy, you know what I said to him? I said you mess with the Snotster, you get the horns! That's what I said!"
"And this was Tuffnut you were fighting with?" She drawled.
"No, that was the last story. This was a totally different guy. A guy you never would have met."
"Right." She smirked.
She was trying. The chief had worked so hard to get the ceremony delayed, she figured she ought to at least try to make the time worth it and attempt to fall in love with Snotlout in the meantime.
It wasn't working, but no one could say she wasn't trying.
She spent time with him. Time she'd normally spend with Hiccup. That was the hardest part, of course. When separating herself from Hiccup, she also separated herself from Toothless and Stormfly, and at such a critical time in her training too!
She tried not to think about that snowy afternoon in the hayloft with Hiccup either. It was for the best that she forget about him entirely.
That was easier said than done, of course. Especially as he sat at the table across from them.
"Snotlout, Astrid," he said cordially.
"Hey Cuz! How goes the Dragon Sympathizing?" Snotlout chuckled.
'How goes the woman stealing?' "It's great, thanks for asking," Hiccup responded, bitterness in his words. He unfurled a large piece of paper in front of them. "Now, since I'm working in the forge, have design experience, and the gods apparently hate me, I've been assigned the task of designing your…" he sighed hard. "Your wedding home."
Wow, the gods really did hate him.
"Oh really?" Snotlout said, with a disgusting curl to his lip. "Is that so?"
"Yes. So do you want to give me helpful input, or do you just want me to wing it?" He smoothed the blank paper out. "And don't worry, I've already planned two nice sized beds in different rooms."
"Haha," Snotlout stuck out his tongue. He considered all of this, his mouth scrunching up. A very unused thinking face, if there ever was one. "I want a nice big basement. A place to spar and tame these bad boys," he flexed his arms.
Hiccup didn't comment on it, just drew a box off to the side to signify the basement landing.
"Oh, and of course, I want a giant metal 'S' on the front. For Snotlout!"
"Or for 'Stupid'." Hiccup muttered.
"Shouldn't it be a 'J' for Jorgenson?" Asked Astrid.
"Or 'Jackass'?"
"This is my house, Astrid. Not my dad's."
"His name starts with an S too." She argued back.
"Okay okay," Hiccup butted in. "Let's talk about accessories later, once it's built. Focus on the house."
"Well," said Snotlout. "Make sure the bedroom can fit the biggest bed possible."
Both Hiccup and Astrid scoffed.
"Hey, it's not what you think! She kicks!" Snotlout pointed at Astrid.
"I do?" She sneered. "How do you know that?"
"Yeah. Remember that camping trip we all went on last summer? Me and Tuff shared a tent, the fish boys shared a tent," he pointed at Hiccup. "And you and Ruff shared a tent."
Hiccup did remember the camping trip, because it was the first and last annual trip for his generation. He was supposed to share a tent with Fishlegs, but the boy took up the whole tent by himself so Hiccup had to build a lean to to sleep in. He ended up laying in poison oak and got a horrible swollen rash and got the trip canceled. Of course, that had been another blow to his popularity.
"Ruff said she had bruises for weeks from you kicking her," Snot explained. "So I want a nice big bed. Preferably one with one of those chastity boards that I can drop if she gets too violent."
Hiccup started laughing then.
Astrid kicked him under the table.
"Ow! I can see why you'd kick in your sleep! It's muscle memory!"
She kicked him again.
Hiccup rubbed his sore shin and then lightly drew the main outline of the house while Snotlout and Astrid watched. He drew the area for the loft, and made a note of 'big bed with board'.
"That's all I care about," said Snotlout. "Astrid's going to be there more often since…" he attempted to whisper, though it was still full volume. "She's the woman!"
"Thanks, Snotlout." Astrid droned.
"Anytime. You kids have fun! I got stuff to do!" He waved with a flourish.
So Astrid was left alone with Hiccup to design her marriage home to another man. It started out awkward, but then it became kind of fun.
"Do you enjoy cooking? Would you like a dedicated kitchen area?"
"I think…if I had the space, I might try to cook more often. Mom's teaching me to make bread, but my loaves are pretty flat."
"Bread's not too hard. You must be kneading it too much, or not letting it rise."
"That's what mom says! Wait, you know how to cook?"
"Of course! You think my dad has time to make meals with all his chiefing?"
"Hmm. I never thought of it before. I guess it makes sense."
"Of course, I don't always cook. We often get food from other people in the village. Mrs. Sorenson makes too much stew, or Fishlegs' mom brings a small shepherd's pie."
"Do you do the other chores too?" She asked.
"Like laundry and mending? Sometimes. The other ladies sometimes stop over and pick up our laundry. I assume they think 'I might as well do theirs while I'm doing laundry'. I do all the mending though. I made this tunic!"
"Not surprising. I saw your leather working on Toothless' tail."
"You know, I learned to sew from Snotlout's mom. She taught him too. Told him a man ought to know how to repair his own clothes if he can't find a wife."
Astrid snorted. "Are you saying Mrs. Jorgenson thought Snotlout would be single for a long time?"
"Your words." He smirked. "How about the bathroom? You want an inside tub?"
Astrid's eyes widened. "An inside tub? You can do that?"
"I'll put it under the stairs, and put a grill underneath so you can have warm water."
"Now you're spoiling me!"
Hiccup smiled. "You should enjoy something about this marriage."
"Pft." She shook her head.
Together they planned out a dream home. It raised Astrid's mood considerably. If she had to be married to a man she disliked, at least she was living in a cool house.
Astrid looked at Hiccup, a big smile on her face. It was nice to spend time with him again. If she was lucky, Snotlout would let her continue to be friends with him. Then again, jealousy might ruin that.
"I'll take these prints to Gobber, and we'll get to work."
"Where's the house going?"
"At the edge of the woods. If you're lucky, you can sneak out to see Stormfly." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "And there's space for a stable for her when the time comes."
"Thank you, Hiccup. That's so cool."
He beamed at her. "Anything for you, Milady."
—-
They were getting away from Berk for a few days. The village thought Hiccup and Stoick were going for a father-son bonding camping trip, but really, they were going on a secret scouting mission on dragon back. The idea had been passed back and forth a few times, that maybe the reason they hadn't been able to find the dragon's nest with the boats was because only a dragon could find it. It was Hiccup's thought, and he had just been able to convince his dad that a two man scouting mission was better than introducing Toothless to the tribe as a compass.
And getting away from Berk for a while would be a good distraction from Astrid.
"Remember dad, keep it light."
"Aye lad. I was about to say the same thing." He checked over his pack, as Hiccup peaked over.
"You don't need the flint."
"Oh. Right! That will be convenient." He took it out. "I packed a knife. Are they going to be alright with that?"
"Toothless trusts you now. You can bring your hammer too, if you want."
Stoick considered it, and decided to take it with him, just in case.
They left early in the morning, before people could see how little they were taking with them.
"You think Astrid will mind that I'm taking Stormfly?" Asked Stoick.
"I asked her, and she's thrilled that Stormfly gets to go on the trip. The poor Nadder doesn't get off island a lot these days."
Stoick nodded. "Astrid's been rather busy. She brought over some soup two nights ago."
"She did? Why didn't I get any?"
"You got dinner with the other men working on the house, didn't you?"
"Yeah…I guess…was it good?"
Stoick smirked. "You want to know what Astrid's cooking was like?"
"I asked, didn't I?"
Stoick chuckled. "That you did. It tasted a lot like your mother's cooking."
"That good?"
"Son, your mother was known for her kind heart and good looks…not her cooking."
Hiccup snorted.
They reached the cove, and Toothless and Stormfly started dancing around, full of energy and excited to see them.
"Hello, pretty girl," Stoick said cautiously, petting Stormfly's snout. "You've seen me a few times. I'm no Astrid, but do you think I could fly you for a while?"
Stormfly squawked and lowered herself so he could mount her. Hiccup brought over a saddle. "Here, don't want to get a sore butt."
"Thanks son."
Hiccup helped him strap the saddle on, before climbing on Toothless. "You think you can handle your first solo flight being a long one?"
"Astrid seems to have whipped this Nadder into shape. As long as she cooperates with me, we'll get along great."
"Sometimes I think you've made great progress accepting the dragons, and then you say things like that." He took off.
"What? What did I say wrong?" Stoick called back. He gave Stormfly a little pat, like Hiccup had instructed, and she took off into the air.
Once Stoick caught up to Hiccup, they started their journey in earnest.
"So," said Hiccup. "Where are we going?"
"The raids come from the North. I think that's where the Nest is. Hopefully as we get close, the dragons will take us right there."
"And we're not going to hurt them, right?"
"I'm certainly not taking the nest by myself."
"I'm here."
"What are you going to do to a dragon? Let them eat you so they can choke on you?"
"Ouch, but fair."
"This is a scouting mission, first and foremost."
Hiccup nodded, trying not to think too much about what was so uncertain. What were they going to find at the nest anyway? It was a nest, after all. Were they storing it all for winter like the Vikings did? Maybe they'd find a bunch of babies. Then he'd feel really bad.
Hiccup wanted to end the raids. But he didn't know if he wanted to do what it took to end them.
"You've been busy lately," Stoick noted. "Between studying the dragons on the island and forge work, I rarely see you."
"I'm trying to keep busy. Besides, Snotlout and Astrid's house isn't going to build itself."
"We put up houses overnight. You don't need to work so hard on it."
"I want it to be nice for her…and Snotlout." He added as an afterthought.
"Should I invite some of our allied chiefs with young daughters to come and meet your acquaintance?"
Hiccup frowned. "No. And I don't really want to talk about my love life anymore."
"Fair enough." Stoick gave a respectful nod. Then, after a few moments of silence, he added, "knowing Snotlout, he won't live to see 20. You can have Astrid when she's a widow."
"DAD!"
They flew on and on. Conversation hadn't been easy for them for many years, but since that fateful night before the snowfall, when Hiccup had just shot Toothless down, their relationship had started to improve. Stoick was still a Viking with years of dragon slaying under his belt. While Hiccup was a boy filled with ideas of things that were—well, not dragon slaying. Bridging the gap between the two was difficult.
So it was no surprise that they flew for an hour without a single word exchanged.
"Hmph," Stoick grunted eventually.
"You say something, dad?"
"Just thinking," Stoick peered over Stormfly's side. "The ice on the sea is pretty thick. I don't know if we could've gotten a ship up here even in the summer."
"Then if we are close to the nest, it would make sense, right? Go where the ugly pink things with pointy sticks can't go."
"Who're you callin' ugly?"
"Not you, obviously. I meant all the other vikings."
Stoick snorted. "A fair theory…if you throw out the idea of them migrating for winter."
"Maybe they just…hunker down?"
"Perhaps." Stoick took a compass out from his saddle bag. "We're still heading north. I would have thought we would have reached the nest by now."
"Do you think we're off course?"
"Hard to tell what the right course is in the first place. We'll go a bit further, and then take a wide loop back."
"Looks like a bit further is fog." Hiccup pointed.
Stoick narrowed his eyes. It sort of looked like the fog he encountered at Helheim's gate. "Maybe we aren't so off course after all. Let's see if we can get above it."
The fog was thick, and it was impossible to see the ocean below it. But it did have a top, and they rode over it like a boat in the water. The fog went on for what looked like forever, to the edge of the world. Hiccup's heart began to beat faster, as a sense of unease settled over him. Somewhere in this fog, somewhere near, the nest of dragons laid.
Toothless' ear flaps raised, and he course corrected suddenly, making Hiccup jolt.
"Buddy?"
Stormfly let out a squawk and likewise jolted to the right, focused on something.
"Easy girl," Stoick said softly, but deadly serious. "I think they've got the trail."
Hiccup swallowed thickly, the anticipation of discovery thundered in his veins. He had a horrible feeling that by time the reached the end of this journey, his life would be irrevocably changed, and he didn't know if that was exciting or terrifying.
Stoick and Hiccup flew side by side, with maybe one wingspan of space between them.
They watched, with shock and awe as a figure breached the fog in front of them. A human in grotesque, animalistic armor holding a staff, rose in front of them, standing tall, proud, and unafraid.
If they were riding several hundred feet above the sea, what was he standing on?
Several deafening seconds passed before Toothless warbled.
The person swiveled quickly, startled by the sound. Hiccup could not see their face, but they clearly saw him, and tapped the staff twice. The figure sank into the fog, only to emerge quickly on the back of a huge dragon, easily twice the size of Toothless. It was orange and had two sets of wings.
"Toothless, it's okay, it's okay!" Hiccup quickly assured his dragon, but more to himself.
The stranger and his dragon flipped backwards and dove back into the fog.
"Wait!" Hiccup called, and urged Toothless after him.
"Hiccup!" Stoick shouted after. "I can't keep up!"
"Stormfly's a tracker, you'll find me!" And he raced off, afraid to lose this stranger.
The appearance of a human filled Hiccup with all sorts of emotions. If there was a person in charge of these raids, then perhaps they could be reasoned with? They could trade instead, and Berk could learn how to train dragons like this person had!
Toothless burst through the wall of fog to find a rocky island, halfway made of giant ice spikes. Distantly, he heard his father yell. "What in the beard of Thor is that!?" Before he and Toothless dove into a cavern.
"Careful, bud!" Hiccup attempted to slow his friend down, but Toothless blasted an echoing roar down the tunnel, and proceeded to nail every twist and turn. "Wow…" Hiccup whispered, delighted to learn something new about his dragon.
How did that other dragon navigate through here?
Toothless landed in a cave. There were a few other dragons resting that perked up when they entered.
"Halt your approach, viking!" A woman's voice called. "Your kind is not welcomed here!" Hiccup spotted her then, with the dim light shining through the ice. She was crouched up on a ledge, her dragon behind her. "This is a dragon's sanctuary, not a killer's playground!"
"I'm not a killer!" Hiccup protested. "I'm a friend to dragons! All I want is to bring peace between vikings and dragons." He hopped off of Toothless. "See? This is Toothless. He's my best friend."
The woman used her staff to lower herself to the ground, as she slinked closer.
"We're trying to find a way to get the dragons to stop raiding us." He stood rigidly as the woman crept ever closer. Her movements were like a wild animal. "I just want to talk."
"You're so young…just a boy…" She cooed, coming closer still, and reaching a hand out towards him.
"Uh…yeah…well, I'm sixteen. I just look small." He attempted to chuckle. "Late bloomer."
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him. "...Hiccup?"
His eyes widened and he blinked several times, stunned.
The woman removed her helmet and tossed it to the side. She stepped into his personal space and caressed his face, her callous fingers trembling as she touched him.
She had vibrant green eyes, auburn hair streaked with gray, and high cheekbones.
"Should…I…know you?" Hiccup asked, extremely uncomfortable.
The woman seemed to fight for words, then eventually said, "...no."
"You certainly seem to know me…" He desperately tried to joke as she touched his hair.
She had tears in her eyes as she kissed his forehead gently. "You're so beautiful."
"Okay!" Hiccup chuckled uneasily as he danced away from her. "That's…that's enough of that for me, thank you."
The woman kept staring at him, a wistful smile on her face. Then her brows drew into a crease. "That man with you…?"
"Oh, that's my dad."
"...Stoick?"
"Yeah! He'll catch up soon."
She backed up, fear rolling off of her in waves. "I have to go. He can't see me."
"Wait wait wait," Hiccup grabbed her arm. "You can't leave! We need your knowledge! Dad and I are training the dragons, but the rest of the tribe still hates them. Please, we need your help!"
"Hiccup!" Stoick's voice echoed down the tunnel. "Add to your notes! Nadder's don't have great night vision!" There was a clatter of rocks. "Ow! Watch it missy!"
The woman looked stricken towards the cavern entrance. "Please Hiccup, he mustn't see me!"
"Why? Dad's really mellowed out these last few months. I think since we're so close to peace, he's finally calmed down. Whatever you're afraid of, don't be."
"Hiccup…" Her jaw trembled.
Hiccup knew he wasn't that strong. This woman could break free of his hold easily, but she wasn't trying. Was she afraid of hurting him? Hurting his feelings?
Finally, Stoick and Stormfly all but fell into the cavern, Stormfly tilting so that he fell off.
She squawked angrily at him.
"It wasn't my idea!" He yelled back. He grumbled as he stood and dusted off his clothes. When his face raised to find his son, his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped in shock.
Hiccup got behind the woman and pushed her forward. "Go on. He won't bite."
As the woman turned and met Stoick's gaze, the look on his father's face changed to something he had never seen before. Awe? Reverence? He looked damn near tears.
"Well, go on!" The woman shouted at him. "Get ta shoutin'!" She stood a little straighter.
Stoick took off his helmet.
"I didn't come home, afterall. All this time…never said a word about where I was. And now—"
Stoick only stepped closer, eyes riveted on her.
Hiccup watched, goosebumps running up his back. A part of him had a guess at who this was, but the rest of him denied it vehemently. After all, she was dead…
Wasn't she?
"By the gods, Stoick! Won't you say somethin'?"
Stoick raised a hand to her face, touching her so tenderly. "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you."
All the fight went out of his woman, and she clutched onto Stoick as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
Stoick kissed her then, tenderly. Like someone who hadn't kissed in so long and wanted to savor it.
"D-dad?" Hiccup whispered, overcome with emotion. "Is…is she…?"
"Aye, lad."
The tears on Valka's face doubled as she rushed back to Hiccup and crushed him into a fierce hug. "My baby…my baby boy!"
"M-mom…Mom!" And he hugged her back, coming unraveled at the seams. All these years, and he finally had his mother. She was here. She was alive!
Stoick surrounded them and lifted them off the ground in a hug. He was laughing and weeping, so overwhelmed with emotion, it just spilled out of him.
Hiccup looked at his beautiful mother. "Let's go home, mom."
Valka looked much more forlorn and reserved at that. She pulled away from the boys, slowly backing away towards her dragon.
"Val…?"
"I can't go back," she breathed.
"Why not, love?" Stoick wasn't accusing, just concerned.
"Hiccup said so himself, the tribe still hates dragons. I've lived alone, among them, for 15 years. I…I couldn't go back to a society that hates them. And…I don't know…" she looked at her hands. "Being away from people…it changes you. They'd hate me too."
Hiccup looked to his dad, pleading.
"We can't leave you here, Val. I just found you! I don't want to lose you again."
"I know, my darling. I don't want to leave you…but…"
"We're close!" Interrupted Hiccup. "I'm working on stopping the raids, that's why we came out here. It won't be long and then–"
"They won't understand." Valka said patiently. "They didn't back then. If I return before there's peace…it could endanger your father. He'd be a traitor. They don't know you've befriended dragons, do they?"
Stoick shook his head. "It's been our secret."
"The cove!" Hiccup chirped. "The shack in the cove! She can live there until we get everything figured out! And you can bring—um…" He looked at the large dragon that was now examining Toothless with wise old eyes.
"Cloudjumper."
"Cool." He smiled. "You can bring Cloudjumper, and come and go as you want, but that way, you'll be near, and we can see you!"
"Please Val…" Stoick begged. "That's reasonable, isn't it?"
Valka was quiet for a bit, mulling it over. It would be a slow start. Like stepping into water up to your knees instead of jumping right in. "Aye. It's reasonable."
"Then you'll come back with us?"
Valka swallowed, and then nodded. "To the cove. For now."
Stoick grabbed her into a tight hug and kissed her face. "Thank you! Thank you!"
Valka started giggling as she half-heartedly tried to escape. "Alright alright! Let me just pack up a few things."
The men followed her through the caverns as she led them to her living space. It was like a balcony to an auditorium, and she led them in through the back. She had fur pelts for sleeping, a large clay pot for cooking, and other odds and ends.
The boys didn't see any of it. In front of them, they had a perfect view of what was inside the giant ice pillar.
One dragon surrounded by hundreds more. This one singular dragon was the size of the mountain the Great Hall was built into. Not the hall itself, the mountain. It was mostly white, and had a great mane of fins from its back. Two huge tusks protruded from its mouth, big enough to wipe out the village with one swipe.
"I didn't know dragons could get that big." Stoick said, weakly.
"Every dragon colony has its queen, but this is the king." Valka said proudly.
"Is this the guy causing the raids?" Hiccup asked, desperately hoping the answer was no.
"No."
Both Hiccup and Stoick breathed a sigh of relief.
"The Bewilderbeast is a kind and benevolent alpha. But all dragons from a certain distance can hear his call, and come to worship him. It is likely how your dragons found this place." She picked through her belongings, deciding what was worth taking with her.
"But…something like this…is causing the raids?" Hiccup pried.
"It is likely." She bagged up some strange looking tools, only the gods knowing what they were for. "The night I was taken…" She paused and looked to the ceiling. "Cloudjumper had landed on our house. I went to protect you, Hiccup. You were just a babe. But what I saw instead…he was watching you with awe. I had expected a horrible sight, but I saw a kind and gentle creature. I don't know why he took me. Perhaps to fulfill his task? But as we flew from Berk, he broke away from the rest, and continued north. He brought me here, and the alpha graciously let me stay."
Cloudjumper appeared from the other wall, blocking the sight of the alpha. Toothless appeared next to him, tongue lolling out. He seemed to be having a good time.
"I can only guess that Cloudjumper is loyal to this alpha first, and whatever spell sent him to Berk…he broke from it before he could deliver me."
Stoick rested his hands on his waist and chastised the great dragon. "You could have at least brought her back, you know!"
Cloudjumper just cocked his head, looking mildly offended.
"It's in the past now, love." Valka stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
But was it really? That dragon, that other alpha, was still out there. A great tyrant. Was it the size of this alpha?
Or bigger?
Valka didn't take much with her. Some things she had made from whatever she could find she would start to pack, and then Stoick reminded her gently, "Love, I can get you actual socks made of wool," or "darling, Hiccup is a very talented blacksmith, I'm sure he could make you a better hammer than a rock tied to a stick." In the end, she ended up taking some armor she had made from dragon hide, and a stack of journals she had made herself from homemade parchment and leather. As Hiccup held one for her, he studied it, seeing a few doodles in the margins. It gave him a strange feeling.
He and his father had been polar opposites. He could never see much of his dad in him, besides a few physical traits like his nose.
He took after his mother. Knowing that gave him a sense of belonging. He wasn't the only one of his kind. He wasn't the odd one out anymore.
Before leaving, Valka made a point to say goodbye to the alpha. She spoke to him like an equal. She introduced Hiccup and Stoick, letting the beast breathe a wisp of ice onto them. She explained that she was leaving for now, but may come back to visit. Then she kissed his scales and gave him a hug.
As much as one could hug a mountain.
Stoick just stood amazed, enraptured that his wife could speak to such a creature.
Then it was time to leave.
"What's this?" Valka's voice came hard as she finally noticed Toothless' tail. "A wound from the tribe?" She snarled.
"Actually…that was…my doing?" Hiccup tensed up. "It's kinda…how we met. I knocked him down, and when I went to finish the job…" He patted Toothless' snout, feeling that old guilt bubble up. "I couldn't do it. I cut him free, but he couldn't fly. So I decided to study him. I made him a new tail, and learned how to fly with him. Dad and I made a deal then. I wouldn't go into dragon training, if I worked in the forge and tried to find a way to end the raids."
"He did good, for a while," Stoick rubbed Hiccup's head. "Figured out the dragons don't like eels–"
"Aye, reminds them of sea serpents," Valka added, nodding like it was common knowledge.
Hiccup filed that tidbit away for later.
"So we had vikings waving eels around during raids instead of weapons. Scared the beasts right off!"
Valka laughed. "That's a funny thought."
Hiccup's mouth pulled to a thin line as he admitted. "The eels are gone on migration, so the tribe is going to have to go back to weapons unless I can come up with something else…that's why we went out. To see if we could find the nest and stop the raids."
The pieces to the puzzle seemed to click for her then. Where Berk was, what was going on… "how long ago did this happen?"
"Ah…about a month or so before Snoggletog." Hiccup mused.
Valka looked surprised. "That's been six months now? It took me three years to get Cloudjumper to let me ride him!"
Hiccup tried not to feel too smug.
"Well of course!" Stoick said, smug on his behalf. "He's our son. So he's a genius."
So they were just having a smug-fest, huh?
Valka smiled at both of them. "Let's go home, my loves."
The flight home was fascinating. While Hiccup may have trained the dragons faster, Valka still had several years of flying under her belt. She occasionally stood on Cloudjumper, but most of the time, she was climbing and jumping to sit behind Hiccup or Stoick. Like the height of a 400 foot fall didn't scare her at all.
Hiccup supposed that it really didn't. Cloudjumper would catch her, he was certain. Like Toothless would catch him if he fell.
Stormfly might catch Stoick with some prodding, but he didn't want to test it.
"I never pictured you as a Nadder fan," said Valka to her husband. "Not that I imagined you liking dragons in the first place. But if you were to appreciate one, I thought it'd be a Monstrous Nightmare."
"Aye. Those boys are mighty impressive. Too afraid he'd light me on fire though. No, this Nadder is–she belongs to Hiccup's friend, Astrid. Our one other dragon lover."
"Astrid…Astrid…the Hofferson babe?"
"Oh she's a babe, alright. Tell her, Hiccup!" Stoick laughed.
"Not funny dad," Hiccup droned.
"Where's the lass now?" Valka asked, missing the resentment in Hiccup's tone.
"She's been busy. Her parents have her in cooking and sewing lessons. And this is all a secret, so she couldn't get away."
"Oh, I see." Valka nodded astutely. "You're sixteen now, Hiccup? That's marrying age…" She began to tease.
"Yeah, and that's my least favorite topic. If we could steer clear of it?"
The ride back was much more animated. Hiccup told his mother all about the things he had discovered about the dragons. Valka shared her own insight, her words occasionally being garbled together into nonsense.
It quickly became apparent that she really truly hadn't had anyone to talk to in years. Once she started talking, she went on and on, admitting things a bit too easily. Neither Stoick nor Hiccup minded, but Hiccup could picture a few judgmental vikings that would give her a hard time if they saw her now.
Eventually, they arrived at the cove.
"Oh, this is darling!" Valka cooed. She looked over the little shack with fondness.
"It'll be a little cramped, but since the weather is nice, Toothless won't try to get in there with you."
"Oh we can share!" She said enthusiastically. She then spoke to Toothless, making nonsensical noises. He responded with a friendly warble, his mouth opening wide. "Retractable teeth!" She chirped, sticking head fully into Toothless' mouth. "Amazing!" She pet his tongue.
Stoick looked quite ill.
While Valka was making herself at home, Stoick started up a fire to make dinner. "Now, all we need is some fish."
On cue, Cloudjumper barfed up a dozen long dead fish. Toothless, wanting to be included, barfed up a half of one on Hiccup's lap.
"Oh…thanks buddy." Hiccup patted his nose.
"Good boy, Cloudjumper!" Valka praised, and talked to her dragon in that weird garbled language. Then she scooped up three of the slimy fish and took them over to the lake to wash the dragon saliva off.
Stoick looked even more ill. "You know…I think I have some yak jerky stored in the shed…"
The little family gathered around the fire and for the first time, ate together. Hiccup ended up trying his mother's fish, which wasn't that bad. It wasn't good either, but at least it was cooked.
They sat and talked past sunset, when the cove grew dark and the only light came from the fire and the half moon.
When silence fell, and Toothless laid his head on Hiccup's lap, Stoick started to whistle.
Hiccup found it odd, as he rarely heard the man do so.
Then he started to sing, and Valka gasped.
"I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne'er a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me…"
Valka gazed at him, eyes shimmering with tears.
"No scorching sun
Nor freezing cold
Will stop me on my journey!
If you will promise me your heart
And love…" He held the note for a second, hoping that she would finish it.
And she did. "And love me for eternity
My dearest one, my darling dear
Your mighty words astound me
But I've no need of mighty deeds
When I feel your arms around me." Valka stood, holding her hands out to Stoick, and they began to dance. A dance that Hiccup had seen at weddings before, but never experienced, obviously.
"But I would bring you rings of gold
I'd even sing you poetry
And I would keep you from all harm
If you would stay beside me."
Hiccup had never heard his father so full of joy. Genuine, down to the core joy. He got goosebumps the moment he realized it was because his wife was taken. His very joy had been snuffed out, and he hadn't been this truly happy until she was back in his arms.
"I have no use for rings of gold
I care not for your poetry
I only want your hand to hold
I only want you near me."
Hiccup watched his parents; his long lost mother, and his emotionally distant father, as they danced and batted their eyes at each other like teenagers. Their love had never left. It was always there. After 15 years, it only took a glance, and they were the same as they had been.
"To love and kiss, to sweetly hold
For the dancing and the dreaming
Through all life's sorrows and delights
I'll keep your laugh inside me."
A cold, hollow feeling swept through him. A very sad and lonely thought rattled in his mind, and interrupted the happiness he was feeling.
'You'll never have this,' the traitorous voice said. And it was true. In only a few months, Astrid would be married to Snotlout. Then what? Hope his father found a good match for him? And then be stuck on the same island as her and see her miserable everyday? No. He wanted what his parents had. This intense love that transcended time. He was desperate for it, even. When Hiccup had his worst days, he'd think back to the afternoon in the hayloft, when they kissed and held each other. Sure, the kissing had been amazing, but her touch was addicting. The embrace they shared, that was so much flesh against flesh, he craved it. It was an intimacy he had never had with anyone. A connection that gnawed on his soul.
Much like his connection to Toothless, a friendship that went beyond the ability to speak…if he and Toothless had to separate, there wouldn't be any other dragon to fill that hole. Likewise, there wouldn't be another woman to take Astrid's place.
Maybe in a few years, it wouldn't hurt so bad.
"I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne'er a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me!"
Stoick and Valka laughed in each other's arms once they finished their song. They giggled and kissed and muttered sweet nothings in warm tones.
Hiccup was content to leave them in their bubble of love until Toothless let out a sad croon.
Valka and Stoick looked at Toothless, and then at Hiccup.
"Son?" Asked Stoick, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing, nothing!"
"You say that, but you got a waterfall on your face."
Hiccup wiped the slew of tears from his cheeks, hoping they had been invisible in the night.
"Oh, my baby boy!" Valka cried. She rushed to him, and scooped him up to sit sideways in her lap.
Hiccup went from desolate, to confused and embarrassed. Sure he was small, but he was still 16, almost an adult, and she was holding him like a toddler. He looked at his father.
Stoick just gave a half hearted shrug and said, "just let her have this, son."
Hiccup chose to relax, and Valka took the opportunity to comb her fingers through his hair and kiss his temple. "It's okay, sweetheart. Momma's here."
Hiccup wiped his face again, making sure all those pesky tears were gone. "I'm fine, mom. Really. Just got emotional about you and dad."
"Ah," said Stoick with a nod. "I know what this is about."
"It's not anything! I was just—"
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III you are a terrible liar and you know it. This is about Astrid, isn't it?"
The use of his full name made him shut up. He just gave a little nod.
"What happened?" Asked Valka. "Do I need to talk to her?"
Hiccup sighed. "No. Astrid's engaged to Snotlout."
"Snotlout? My nephew Snotlout?"
"Yeah."
"Well my boy, unrequited love can be hard."
He shook his head. "It's not that." Then he spilled the truth, telling her all about how Astrid was there at the beginning, when everyone thought he was just a screw up. How she had studied the dragons during training, and in turn he had given her pointers to help in the ring. How she had gotten hurt from the Nightmare and everyone had cast her out, except for him. How they rebelled and freed the dragons from the arena.
It was surprisingly easy to talk to her.
"And then…she kissed me. I think she was happy that I did what I could to help her feel better. Ever since then, we had occasionally exchanged kisses in private. We didn't want to tell anyone right away because we both knew contracts and marriage and babies would be brought up. I don't know if she had any deep romantic feelings for me, or just…liked me more than the other boys." He sighed. "But Spitelout and her father bet on her fight against the Nightmare. If she lost, she'd have to marry Snotlout. It's all been arranged. He even admitted to noticing how close Astrid and I were and decided to act quickly so Snotlout could marry well. She didn't get a word in." He didn't mention anything about the hayloft. That was his little secret with Astrid. Besides, a kiss was a kiss. That's all that mattered for the sake of the story.
"Well how do you like that!" Valka barked. "Why the little Hobblegrunt! I can't believe he would pull this stunt! You know, your father and I were married first, even though Spitelout is older. My father kept trying to marry Spitelout off to other ladies but he refused every offer. He threw tantrums and ripped up every contract that was made. When he was 20, he brought Helga home and said he was finally ready to get married." She shook her head. "He was seeing her the whole time. Dad could have arranged a contract for them, but Spitelout decided not to say anything. We all knew they liked each other too. Helga's father said she wasn't interested so dad never bothered."
"Well, Snotlout likes her. I think that's about it." Hiccup shrugged.
Stoick cleared his throat. "You know that's not it, Hiccup."
"Dad, you're not going to tattle, are you?"
"Tattle?" Valka chuckled.
"Oh! I'll tell the whole sorry truth! That lout brother of yours is doing this to slight us! Apparently, I didn't protect you, so he's been holding a grudge for 15 years! He saw a great opportunity to embarrass us, and took it!"
"But I think Snotlout really does like Astrid, shallowly." Hiccup added. "Two birds, one stone and all that."
Valka scoffed with a little headshake. "Men can be so petty."
"So…would you talk to him?" Hiccup asked, hesitating.
"Oh my darling," she hugged him closer. "I would. For you, I would do anything. But I don't think it's wise right now. If I suddenly reappeared, I'd have to explain where I'd been…there would be a lot of accusations of me being a traitor, and your father could get in trouble. Spitelout might even feel more betrayed and double down. No dearest, I can't help you."
Hiccup sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."
"I know!" She perked up, a wicked grin on her face. "You should fight Snotlout! Show who's the better mate!"
Hiccup chuckled weakly. "Except Snotlout would smear me across the arena floor. I'm the weak one here."
"Oh. Right…well then you'll simply need to bed her!"
Stoick choked while Hiccup froze, wide-eyed.
"It's quite simple! Once your scent is on her, it will deter any other potential mates!"
Stoick started laughing then. "My love, these are young people, not dragons. If Astrid sleeps with Hiccup while under contract, there would be outrage, scandal! Remember? That happened to the Ivarson lass."
"Oh," Valka blushed. "Of course. Perhaps I'm not the best person to ask for advice now, hmm?"
"At least it's entertaining," Hiccup chuckled, leaning on her shoulder.
Suddenly, there was a sharp crack up above, like someone stepping on a stick.
Stormfly perked up and gave a happy little squawk.
Astrid appeared at the entrance, her axe cutting through the air like she had a grudge against breathing. "Stupid barbaric idiot! Who does he think he is, '3 foot massages a week'? Gah! Oh I'm massage his feet alright! With a hammer!" She then realized there was a fire going and she wasn't alone like she thought she'd be. "Oh, you're back…" But as she took in the sight, she realized Hiccup sat in the lap of a strange woman. "Uhhh…"
"I can explain."