Chapter 2: Two Expecting Vikings

Berk

February 29

As Valka Haddock sat at the kitchen table, she looked towards the window where rays of sunlight streamed through it and smiled softly. It was an icy but beautiful morning complete with a blue sky and a bright sun and later that night, a full moon was to come out. It was going to be the perfect day and night for Leap Day, especially since it only came once every four years. Then she turned her attention back to the small dragon toy she was making.

Humming to herself, she sewed the last stiches on the stuffed toy which resembled a blue Deadly Nadder with four legs instead of the usual two and thought about the past five years she had been married to Stoick Haddock a.k.a. Stoick the Vast.

Some people might have found it odd that she and Stoick were married. After all, they were as different as night and day, winter and spring, peanut butter and jelly, Loki and Freya. He was bulky, she was slim. He knew where he should be, she could never stay put. He kept his feet on the ground, she had her head in the clouds.

Even their ages were different. He was thirty years old and she was twenty. She had married him when she was only fifteen. Well, she supposed it was good that they had married while they were still young being how Vikings had such short life spans. It was very rare for Vikings to live all the way to their senior years.

But their number one difference was their opinions on the dragons. Stoick and the other Berkians believed that the dragons were monsters. But Valka believed that they were just misunderstood, something that Stoick and the Berkains strongly disagreed on. Not to mention the one too many arguments they've had about the subject.

Despite their differences and disagreements however, Stoick and Valka loved each other very, very much and in their opinion, they couldn't have found a better man/woman to marry.

And now after five years as a married couple, the two of them were expecting to have another someone to love very much: a baby. In fact their baby was the reason Valka was making this dragon toy. After all, the little one needed something to play with.

Valka put down the needle she had been using and examined the small dragon toy resting in her palms. It was finished. Or so it was. Maybe having the baby's name stitched on the side of it would make it complete. Valka's eyes drifted down from the toy to her abdomen which was bulging due to the little one growing from inside her.

But what is going to be your name? she thought.

Putting the toy down, she put a hand over her stomach and rubbed it gently. As she did, she could feel her baby kicking as though it felt her hand rubbing against it and that made her smile grow wider. She had been carrying this baby for nearly seven and a half months now. Just two more months and that child would be in her arms as well as in her husband's arms as well. That was going to be the same time spring would fully arrive in Berk.

Even if she had two more months to go, Valka still found it vital that she pick out a name for hers and Stoick's child before it was born. The trouble was there were so many wonderful names, she just didn't know which to choose. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Stoick approaching and calling for her.

"Val? Valka? Valka!"

That last "Valka" caused her to snap her back to reality. In rapid motion, she turned from her abdomen and up into Stoick's face as he stood over her. "Oh, I'm sorry, Stoick. I didn't hear you."

"Is everything all right?" Stoick asked. Even though his battle-hardened face was covered by a very large and shaggy fiery red beard, Valka could easily make out the concerned expression he wore.

"I guess I was just thinking," she replied.

"About what?" Stoick asked still looking worried.

"About what to name the baby."

The concern melted from Stoick's face and he smiled. "Is that all?"

"Well, yes. If it turns out to be a boy, what name do you think would suit him?"

"Well, we know that our child will someday take my place as the protector of our people and I want everyone to see how strong he will grow up to be. So if the baby is a boy, I'd like him to be called Magnus…or maybe even Sigmund. Then again, Gunnar is not such a bad name either."

"And what should we call it if it turns out to be a girl and we can't name her Magnus or Sigmund?"

"You choose, Val."

"Well, I'd love to name her Freya after the goddess of love and beauty," Valka decided. "Or perhaps Vanessa after my late grandmother. She told me on the day she was born, her parents thought she looked as beautiful as a butterfly emerging from its cocoon and that's why she was called Vanessa. Or maybe even Zephyr after the westerly winds." She laughed at all the wonderful names she and her husband were choosing for their young one before letting out a heavy sigh. "Oh, well, I don't suppose it matters what the baby's name will be."

"Of course not, Val," smiled Stoick. "What really matters is that it grows up to be the strongest of them all." As he said that, he raised a clenched fist triumphantly.

Valka gently rubbed her stomach again hoping to feel her little one kicking again. "I just can't believe that after five years of marriage, we're finally having a child. My mother's been begging me to present her with a grandchild that she can hold in her arms the way she did with me."

Stoick nodded. "Aye, and the rest of our friends have been expecting us to present them with an heir these past five years as well."

Valka nodded and then frowned. "Starting with right after our wedding ceremony when six of our friends accompanied us back to this house to watch us consummate our marriage." She put a hand to her forehead and closed her aqua-green eyes. "How embarrassing."

Stoick laughed. "Now, Valka, there's nothing embarrassing about six witnesses accompanying a newlywed couple home. It's all part of a traditional Viking wedding. If our friends hadn't escorted us home that night, our whole wedding ceremony just wouldn't have been completed."

Valka couldn't help but smile at her husband's sermon. "Ah, Stoick, ever the tradition follower."

"Eh, speaking of our wedding, Val, how come I never see you wear the breastplate that Chief Colborn of Hardstone Island sent to you as a wedding gift? Especially after all that trouble he went through having it crafted and sent just for you."

Valka laughed loudly. "Oh, those two enormous bowls? Oh, honestly. He must've thought you were marrying someone of much larger stature." She held out her hands in a wide sort of way to prove her point. "I suggest you give it to someone else or make better use of it."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Perhaps," Stoick said as he grabbed his four-horned helmet off a hook on the wall and placed it on his head. "Maybe that's what I'll think about in the Great Hall. I have a lot of work to get done there today."

"Perfect, I'm going with you," Valka said as she placed both hands on the table and slowly got up from her seat. With her baby still growing inside her, it was a little difficult for her to stand up from her seats nowadays.

"Oh, no, you're not," Stoick said and this time he sounded a little more firm.

"Why ever not?"

"Because you need to rest," Stoick replied matter-of-factly. "In case you forgot, you're still carrying a rapidly growing baby."

"True but the baby's not due for another two months," Valka pointed out.

"All the more reason for you to take it easy," Stoick insisted.

"So I'll take it easy in the Great Hall," Valka said. "If you take me with you to the Great Hall, I promise to continue resting and I'll let you do your work without any interruptions. You could find me a nice comfortable corner and I'll do my resting there."

Stoick strained his face in thought, considering this. Finally he sighed and said, "All right. I'll take you with me to the Great Hall and find some spot for you to rest there. But remember, you have to rest." He said that last part very firmly.

"All right, Chief, I'll rest," Valka joked.

Stoick sighed and shook his head but he secretly smiled as he did it. "Even in the middle of pregnacy, you can never stay put."

"Well, at least I'm not as worse as Gobber was when he refused to stay put even after having lost both his arm and leg last summer right?" Valka pointed out.

"Of course you're not," Stoick replied, shaking his head and his smile growing wider. Taking hold of her hand, he led her to the doorway and opened it.

Shielding his eyes, Stoick looked around. Valka didn't bother shielding her eyes. The view before her was a sight for sore eyes. Being the final day of February (or at least this was the final day of February once every four years), there was still some snow on the ground and on top of the houses down the hill. But the snow on the ground was in small piles and large patches of green grass were showing. Soon the piles of snow would be no more and the ground would be nothing but patches of green grass. Straight ahead, the great blue sea stretched as far as the eye could see and the blue sky and the grayish white clouds above it seemed to go on forever. The sky had always been Valka's favorite thing about the world. Oh, what a joy it would be to soar through those clouds.

"Now be sure to step very carefully and slowly," Stoick warned as he led her down the steps of their house. "The last thing I need you to do is slip on some slushy pile of snow. And when a freeze comes to an end, the snow gets very slushy indeed."

"All right, Stoick," Valka reassured him as she looked around and took extra careful steps. Then an idea popped into her head. "Could you at least pick up some snow for me so that I can touch it."

Stoick looked at her suspiciously but nodded. "Fine but let's wait until we get to the last step."

And so, slowly and ever so carefully, Stoick and Valka made their way down the steps of the hill where their house stood at the very top until they got to the last one. Then Stoick bent down and scooped up a big enough handful of snow and handed it to Valka. Valka smiled as cool water from her pile trickled through her fingers and she brought the pile closer to her face and inhaled its cold, moist scent.

"Why don't you take about five steps away from me, Stoick, with your back turned?" she suggested.

Stoick furrowed his brow suspiciously. "Whatever for?"

"Just because," Valka answered. "And don't turn back to look at me until I say so."

Stoick stared at her suspiciously for a few more seconds and then he finally turned his back and started to walk away from her just as she instructed him to. She heard him mutter to himself, "One, two, three, four, five…" as he took said five steps.

"All right, Valka, I'm five steps away from you," Stoick announced. "When can I look back at you?"

Keeping her pile of snow in one hand and taking a handful in the other, Valka announced, "Right now."

And no sooner did Stoick look over his shoulder, did she throw her small snowball right at him and it hit in right in the face.

"Augh!" Stoick exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut and holding up his hands to wipe the bits of snow that stuck to his bristling beard. "Valka!"

Valka laughed. "Gotcha!"

Stoick glared at her but then he smiled deviously and looked down at another small pile of snow sitting on the left side of him.

"All right, you asked for it," he said, bending down and picking up a large handful of snow and threw it at her.

Valka managed to dodge it, scooped another small handful of snow from the pile she was holding and threw it at Stoick but he too dodged it. Soon the husband and wife were throwing snowballs at each other and laughing heartily.

Valka was just about to throw another snowball at Stoick when suddenly a small but sharp pain shot through her stomach.

"Ow!" she cried, dropping the snowball and clutching her swollen stomach, her eyes squeezed tight.

She heard the sound of rushed footsteps and felt Stoick's heavy hands gently grasp her shoulders.

"Valka, what's wrong?!"

Opening her eyes, she was greeted to the sight of Stoick's worried look. In fact he looked a lot more worried than he did just a few minutes ago when he was trying to get her attention in the kitchen.

"Nothing," she answered quickly.

"You don't say "ow" for nothing," said Stoick sternly. "Now come on. Out with it."

"Oh, it's just a small cramp in my stomach," Valka admitted, rubbing her belly, still surprised and wincing a bit.

"A cramp?" Stoick echoed, looking at her stomach anxiously.

"Yes, but it's gone now," Valka assured him.

"Are you sure?" Stoick asked uncertainly.

"Of course," Valka said forcing a smile.

"Now do you see why I wanted you to take it easy?" Stoick pointed out.

Valka nodded guiltily. "Yes, of course. I guess I went a bit too far."

"Maybe I should just take you back to the house," Stoick said.

"Oh, no, please," Valka pleaded. "I'm fine, really. I promise I'll rest in the Great Hall and I won't have any more excitement. Please, Stoick."

Stoick considered this and sighed. "Fine." And with that, he took her hand again and the two of them walked side by side.

"But first I'm going to find your mother and ask her to keep an eye on you while I work," Stoick added. "And if you feel any worse, just let me know."

"Oh, don't worry, Stoick," Valka assured him, patting his bicep. "I'm fine. After all, it was just one cramp."

Then she looked down at her abdomen and rubbed against it, her brows knit with concern. At least she hoped it was just one cramp.

…

About what Stoick and Valka discussed about six of their friends escorting them home after their wedding, it is actually a true fact about Viking weddings. After the ceremony, six witnesses would accompany the bride and groom back to their house by torchlight. Once they were in their bedroom, the bride and groom had to make love in front of their witnesses to prove that their marriage had been consummated. To learn more about traditional Viking weddings just read these other two pre-HTTYD fanfics, "Growing Love" by loveslife12 and "Flightless Bird" by eyeslikethecosmos. You can also learn about them via Google searches and books.