While Derek was slowly crushed back into the life he'd ran away from, Hope had her mind focused on Magnus' thirteenth name day. Name days are the exact same thing as birthdays, except they are not celebrated on the day of birth. They're celebrated three days after the birth, the day the person was named. On the day of the birth, the family and close friends of the person celebrated quietly. On the name day, especially in the circumstance of anyone in the Haddock family, the whole village celebrated. It was Hope's job to come up with a gift for Magnus from the whole village, but, as you can imagine, this put a lot of pressure on her. She'd decided on a music piece, and practised with the other musicians in the village day and night.
Meanwhile, Magnus himself wasn't the least bit concerned. The only thing he had to do was sit back and look handsome while everyone praised him and honoured him as their future chief. He decided to do a flashy routine on his dragon, Hellhound, a small Stormcutter. On the morning of his day of birth, he rose with the sun, taking the last banana on his way out. He saddled Hellhound, fed him a few fish, and then soared off in the air. A smile came to his face as the wind rushed through his dark blonde hair and hand-me-down clothing. Up in the air, he felt like he was a god.
He knew that his family was aggravated with him. He knew that every word that came out of his mouth irritated Hope. He knew that no one had high hopes of the chief he'd someday be. He was annoying, like the kid brother he was. So, to compensate, he pretended he didn't care. He covered up any show of emotions with sarcasm or snide comments. He surrounded himself with people he could barely stand and pretended they were the best friends in the world. All so that he could feel like no one was disappointed. Hellhound was the only one Magnus knew didn't judge him. Hellhound was never disappointed when he saw Magnus.
While Magnus flew high in the sky, trying to erase his worries, Frigga sat at the toll booth of the tunnels, watching him. She smiled after checking to see if anyone was watching. She liked Magnus, as was obvious to everyone. She still acted like it was a secret. Hell, even Magnus knew. However, Magnus just blocked her from his mind. So what if one of his parent's friend's daughters liked him? It's not like it meant anything to anyone, even if he couldn't stop doodling the blue ink tattoo on her right wrist in his free time. It was just a mesmerizing design. It had nothing to do with the girl who wore the tattoo…
Days passed, and Hope worried. She was stressed about making the song for Magnus perfect, and she was anxious about Derek. It was hardly the first time he'd flown off into the sunset and not come back for days, but she worried every time. After yet another practise with the village musicians, Hope made the final adjustments to the sheet music, changed a few of the lyrics around, and finally declared the song finished. One final practise, she was certain it'd be perfect. Now all she had to do was find someone to sing it. She'd do it herself, but she was going to be playing her flute during the performance. She couldn't exactly play the flute and sing at the same time. She would figure out the singer later on. At the moment, she needed to get away from her stress.
After a short flight, Hope arrived at Dragon Island Two, as the villagers had so affectionately nick-named the island that the dragons were now residing on. Valka was still there, tending to the dragons and living off the land. Hope wondered why she continued to stay with the dragons when she could've just come home. Then again, Valka was just as at home with the dragons as she was with her family. Hope smiled as a group of baby dragons ran past her, chasing after a butterfly. She shook her head and walked towards the little fort Valka had built for herself. After a quick knock on the wall, Hope lifted the blanket that served as the door and crawled in.
"Valkyrie!" said Valka, a smile creasing her features. She pulled Hope in for a hug then stepped back to take her in. "I expected you to crack and visit me a bit sooner."
"Oh, shush, Gran," teased Hope, rolling her eyes with a smile on her face. "I would've come sooner, but I was busy writing the song for Magnus' name day celebration."
"Is it finished?" asked Valka, sitting down on her makeshift cot. "Not to pressure you, but his name day is tomorrow."
"Well, the lyrics and music are finished," said Hope, plopping down next to Valka. "I just have to find the right person to sing it."
"You'll do fine," said Valka. She rose to her feet and held open the flap of the tent. "And now, I believe we should go back to Berk. I haven't even chosen what I'm going to give to Magnus."
Hope smiled, following her beloved Gran out into the sunlight.