Valka rode on Cloudjumper's back for the short flight back to the cave she had made their home, she needed to think, and she needed to be alone. To think earlier this morning she had made the shocking discovery, that she had been tending to Viggo Grimborn, one of her most hated enemies, but from his story she believe he really had changed.
What was even more surprising was everything he had told her, about both Johann and Krogan's plans for the King of Dragons, but also everything he claimed to know about Hiccup, and now about herself.
She stepped off Cloudjumper's back and then walked around in a daze. Hiccup, her frail, fragile baby, her son, was not only a strong, powerful warrior but also a protector of dragons. From what Viggo said, he took after herself much more than Stoick but still had Stoick's hardheadedness and iron will to never give up what he believed to be right. Something she possessed as well.
She almost couldn't believe it. Berk was changed, and her son had done it? He had changed Stoick's mind about dragons. She really needed the whole story. She knew in her heart that Viggo was telling her the truth with every word. Her own instincts told her that just as much as Cloudjumper did. Could she…?
No, Valka couldn't even think about that. It's been nearly 19 years. Stoick and Hiccup would never forgive her for staying away. She had chosen her place long ago, and she wouldn't change a thing, she knew she made the right decision, for herself, for the dragons, and for her family. It was safer if they still believed she was long dead. Viggo claimed Hiccup was strong, but Valka had powerful enemies of her own, who would do anything in their power to exploit any perceived weakness of hers.
A mysterious buyer from the North could only be one man, and if he was dead set on the King of Dragons… Valka knew why, he was powerful now, but if he had control over a Bewilderbeast, Drago Blüdvist would be all but unstoppable.
Which was why she had a bigger problem at the moment. "Cloudjumper," Valka stepped over to him, gently petting the horn over his eye. "What do you think we should do? Can we find Alpha?"
Cloudjumper crooned at her but shook his head, and Valka sighed in response.
The Alpha had been absent from their nest for most of the past year, and based upon how Cloudjumper and the other dragons had acted, and in particular Cloudjumper's explanation gave her a reasonable guess as to why.
The Alpha had called the entire nest to him and explained something to them all directly using his mind, that had caused all the dragons to roar with happiness before he left the nest just like he normally did to go fishing, but this time none of the flock followed him, and he hadn't returned since.
After a few days of waiting Valka was worried and was starting to pull together a search party of all the tracker class dragons in the nest, but Cloudjumper stopped her, and through some complex charades and visual aides, including bringing her to the hot springs area where many of the nest's dragons laid their eggs, Valka slowly understood.
The Alpha had left the nest to lay his egg or eggs far from his own territory so that the hatchlings would be able to build their own nest without challenging their parent for the right to rule as alpha. But he would stay to protect the egg until it hatched and was ready to defend itself, but none of the Alpha's dragons could follow, this was his duty alone.
Valka had no idea when the Alpha would return, but she knew nothing had a chance of harming him or his offspring. And so she had waited patiently for the greater part of a year for his return and she was still waiting.
But this Dragon Eye that Viggo spoke of supposedly worked as a map to the King of Dragons. Valka just had more questions. Was it a map to her nest? She had no idea just how old the nest and her Alpha was. Surely hundreds of years at least, and in her time, no human other than Viggo had ever been here. The sea ice this far North was too thick for ships to travel through, other than Drago's massive army.
She had her suspicions that Drago knew her location already, but that he also surely knew if he brought his army here, he would be utterly decimated by the Alpha freeing all his dragons with a single thought. Although if he knew the Alpha was away, then they were indeed vulnerable.
Or could there be other Bewilderbeasts out there somewhere? Surely any other King of Dragons was just as powerful as her king. He could more than defend himself, and he was smart, he was a fully capable leader and protector. She also had no real idea as to what his nesting habits were since Cloudjumper and all the other dragons refused to disobey his orders not to follow him. He could be on any island, or he could have constructed another ice nest, or even be beneath the sea. Valka just didn't know.
While Valka could communicate clearly with most dragons based on their body language and roars, enough to take care of them and even lead them into battle, she couldn't speak Dragonese or anything. Which made finding complex ideas difficult, although she of course shared a much closer bond with Cloudjumper and the Alpha who could answer her questions better, but there were still limitations to her knowledge.
If Drago, Krogan, or Johann were indeed searching for the King of Dragons near her nest, she'd have to be prepared, whether the Alpha returned or not. She would increase her patrols of the nearby islands, especially on the lookout for any signs of Drago's fleet. Beyond that though, all she could do was wait. Wait for Drago to make a move, wait for the Alpha to return, or… if Hiccup has a Dragon Eye as well…
Wait for him to appear in her nest? Riding a Night Fury of all things. Even Valka had only seen one once, from afar. And then what would she do? Reveal herself to him, or hide? Return to Berk and Stoick, or force him to keep a terrible secret from his father? She couldn't place that much of a burden on him, it wouldn't be fair to him, and why would he listen to her? His mother who'd abandoned him for 19 years, or his father who raised him, if he knew, Stoick would know within a fortnight.
Valka felt a stab of familiar guilt, and she instinctively stepped closer to Cloudjumper, who knew what she was thinking gently curled his wings around her until all she could see were his rust-colored scales and golden eyes.
Ever since the first few months of her time in the nest with Cloudjumper, she had never seriously considered returning to Berk, once she realized that Cloudjumper and the other dragons truly meant her no harm, and the Alpha accepted her, she knew this was where she was always meant to be, helping them to protect and care for all the other dragons of the nest.
She of course missed her old home terribly, but she couldn't go back. If Cloudjumper returned with her, he would surely be killed, or even worse, stuck in the arena for Dragon Training with Gobber. And she'd be forced to witness Vikings and dragons slaughtering each other in an endless war for their very survival.
Cloudjumper had shown her the Tyrant Queen's nest, once, and she had learned that while no dragon was a mindless beast, just like humans, they had the potential to be something even worse. Compared to her Alpha, who built and ruled his nest to provide sanctuary, and even worked with the flock to feed every dragon, the Queen was the opposite, forcing her will upon her subjects to feed her endless hunger, and even preying upon her slaves when they didn't bring enough.
She had at one time tried to convince her Alpha to act against her, but he and Cloudjumper had refused. Both rulers had their own territories, and while he sympathized with the dragons' peril, the Alpha would not risk the safety of his flock by sparking a war. A fight between alphas could only end in death, and he knew that if he died in the challenge, most likely his subjects would become slaves or a feast for the queen, both of which were unacceptable, and not worth the risk.
Valka had accepted his decision but had made it part of her mission to save as many of those trapped dragons as she could. Flightmares, Speedstingers, and Deathsongs in her flock could safely temporarily incapacitate most other dragons. Who could be captured from the Queen's hunting parties and brought back to her nest, where the Alpha would free their minds, and then grant them the choice of staying in the nest or leaving to go somewhere else, most chose to stay, often joining Valka's teams to rescue their trapped brethren.
She knew of the Queen's death, but she never knew the cause, much less imagined it could be her own son who slayed her. She had noticed the change immediately on her flights through the archipelago, and when she investigated the Queen's island, she found it mostly abandoned except for a few small flocks of dragons, who had reported to Cloudjumper what had happened, but Valka couldn't understand, all she could find was a massive hole in the side of the mountain, that must have been made by the Queen herself. There had been a massive crater on the shore of the island, the black rocks that made up the beach had been scorched into a circle of glass for hundreds of feet across. She had noticed the burned and flooded wreckage of ships and catapults, but she couldn't have imagined any Viking force that could have destroyed her.
She had almost theorized that it was Drago who took her down but wouldn't have killed her when he could have captured and enslaved her himself. It only made sense that only a dragon could even stand a chance against her, apparently a night fury. She wondered how Hiccup had destroyed her so completely so as to leave no trace of her gigantic body. Not even her bones had been left, it was as if she had never existed in the first place.
Cloudjumper cooed at her, looking concerned, and she opened her eyes, brought back from her whirlwind of thoughts.
"Don't worry Cloudjumper, I'm alright, it…just a lot to take in. Everything… Krogan and Johann, looking for an Alpha, which means Drago, and Hiccup…"
Cloudjumper cooed softly again, looking slightly guilty.
"Hey no. That isn't what I meant." She reached up to gently scratch Cloudjumper's neck. "I don't blame you, you did the right thing by bringing me here all these years ago, and I made the decision to stay here with you because this is where I belong. If only I had known who Hiccup was destined to become, maybe I could have returned for him. But it's too late now. Until the Alpha returns we're in charge of protecting everyone, and that is a duty I will never give up."
Cloudjumper nodded in understanding.
"Now come on, we may be under threat or we may not be. Let's get our patrol team together. I want to know of any threats within three days' sailing distance."
Valka stepped away from Cloudjumper and hurriedly donned her brown, dragon-scale armor. It was actually made from the massive shed scales of the bewilderbeast himself, so it was strong, but light, and easy to move in the air or on the ground while also insulating her in the frigid air. The shape of her armor and helmet was inspired by the bewilderbeast, but the coloring was meant to resemble Cloudjumper through and through.
After she finished suiting up she and Cloudjumper flew to the center of the nest, near the pool where the Alpha normally rested. Cloudjumper roared and Valka raised her staff high, one at a time calling her patrol team to her. Clawlifter the shovelhelm, Sailback the thunderclaw, Incognito the changewing, Mercy the monstrous nightmare, Search & Rescue the seashocker, Pestbud the snifflehunch, Gustnudger the windnasher, Winged Warden the windstriker, and Icecutter the raincutter. This team was her best squad, trained for missions to rescue other dragons from trappers and other hostile territory. She also decided to call for Sirenade, a Deathsong, just in case she ran into Krogan's flyers. He should easily be able to take on any of Krogan's singetails.
And with her flock gathered around her and ready to go, then she was off on her mission, happy for the distraction from her thoughts that kept flying in circles. She still had no real idea what to do other than wait and prepare for whatever happened next, both with Drago and Krogan and with Hiccup and Stoick. Or what exactly she would have to do with Viggo, other than his skrill he was weak and defenseless, but as Valka kept healing him, she knew his helpless state wouldn't last forever. She just had to make certain Viggo was her accomplice, and not Drago's when the time came for him to choose a side.
Back in his own cave, Viggo got some more rest for his weary body, and he couldn't help but notice with a slight chuckle, that while Thunderstorm was still resting nearby, either Valka had forgotten to send the night terrors back on watch duty, or even more astounding, perhaps she trusted him now that he told her about Johann and Hiccup. Or maybe, he thought wryly, she knew he was literally no threat to any dragon in this place in his current condition. He didn't even have any weapons on him.
Viggo paused on that thought, he knew he didn't have his dagger, he had used it to guide the skrill in his fight against Johann's flyers. He gently reached for the pockets of his trousers, but discovered they were empty. Viggo knew he still had one canister of nightmare gel and one of zippleback gas remaining when he had made his final stand, so Valka must have undoubtedly searched him and taken them, whether she knew what they were or not.
Viggo though was more concerned about his sword. He wasn't ever a sentimental man, but part of him longed for it. He had spent over a month designing and constructing it in secret. He was by no means a blacksmith, and so he had sought out an ally of his. The same blacksmith that had helped him design the blueprints for Project Shellfire. That was one secret he had still kept to himself from Johann and Krogan.
He had known even once he first had the idea that the minute Johann saw it, he would know where he got the idea, and most likely would have seen it as a sign of Viggo's shifting loyalties. Viggo though at the time had merely seen it as a powerful tool. Not only as a weapon but as a tool with many uses. While the flames made it more dangerous than a normal sword, Viggo knew from watching Hiccup it was also a tool that could be used to calm dragons. It appeared that seeing a human wielding flames gave them a sense of hesitation that Hiccup could be a dragon, giving him a chance to get closer to tame them. Perhaps Viggo could do the same, perhaps a better way of trapping dragons than Deathsongs or Dragonroot arrows, making them your ally, and not your slave.
Viggo also though saw it as a challenge to improve the design. This is why he had added the zippleback gas feature, and by using gronkle iron for the blade, it could be made thinner and lighter, but just as strong, while also allowing the fire more access to the air for fuel, allowing it to burn hotter. As well as the simple refueling canisters. Viggo was quite pleased with himself when it was finished, and even more so when he revealed it to Hiccup in their brief duel.
At this point, he had no way of knowing, had Thunderstorm brought it to the nest with him? Had Valka taken it? If it was in the nest she must have. Or was it now in Johann's hands as his trophy? Viggo didn't know what was worse. Maybe if Valka had it, she would return it eventually.
Viggo, with nothing else better to do, kept on thinking. So Valka was Hiccup's mother. That was a valuable piece of information. Although he knew he couldn't be the one to share something like that. Hiccup would certainly believe him if he were to tell him. He was too pure, if he had enough evidence, even just a description of Valka's appearance it would be enough. But Viggo couldn't now even if he could leave. Hiccup needed to be the one to stop Johann.
As for Stoick. Viggo knew exactly what would happen if he was ever face to face with the chief of Berk and told him that. Stoick would most likely kill him with his bare hands. Any of the other riders or Berk's allies wouldn't dare trust him either, capturing or killing him themselves as well. So as much as this secret intrigued him, it did him no good, the real question was what would Valka do with the information he had provided.
In the best-case scenario, either she would find and assist Hiccup in defeating Johann, or most likely stay away as she had been. There was nothing stopping her from returning, at least as far as Viggo could tell, other than her own doubts about such action. And if she had spent 19 years away from him, Viggo doubted she would change her mind now.
But enough of this. As much as Viggo loved thinking and making plans to himself, he began feeling restless. He was still in pain, but the longer the medicine-soaked bandages surrounded him, the better he felt, and he really wanted to move, even if it was just a walk around the cave.
Viggo sat up once more and did his best to gather his strength. He used his hands to try to push himself up into a standing position, but he didn't yet have the strength, and he sat back down on the floor with a gasp.
Then Thunderstorm padded over to him, and surprisingly extended one wing out to Viggo's reach.
"Really? You would help me more now?" Viggo asked incredulously.
Thunderstorm nodded in response.
"OK then, Thunderstorm. Thank you." Viggo grabbed onto the edge of the wing and slowly managed to pull himself up. First into a standing position, and then he slowly walked closer to Thunderstorm's body, still using the wing as support, until he was leaning his weight against the side of Thunderstorm's neck.
Thunderstorm seemed to have no problem with this, and they slowly, walking at Viggo's meager pace, circled the room on foot. And thankfully Viggo was able to keep standing, and even felt a little bit better, shaking the stiffness out of his legs as they traveled the meager distance still felt like an immense improvement. But it also took him a few moments to adjust to now only having sight on one side. Right now, he was walking on Thunderstorm's left side, and even though he knew the cave was empty except for the two of them right now, Viggo didn't like the vulnerability he now faced.
So after their first lap around the cave. Viggo stopped Thunderstorm and then walked in front of him to stand on his right, so that Viggo's right eye could scan his outer side, while Thunderstorm was covering his blind side. After they took a lap like that Viggo realized, despite his years as a hunter, and a criminal leader who expected treachery at every turn. He trusted Thunderstorm to protect him, even if he himself didn't understand what he had done to deserve that trust.
They stopped once more near Viggo's bedroll, which indeed was a fur pelt, that looked like a polar bear on the floor. Viggo walked in front of Thunderstorm and held his hand out to him.
"Thank you Thunderstorm. Once again, for everything, for saving me, and for sticking by me. I would be a dead man ten times over without you. So thank you."
Thunderstorm let out a low growl of thanks, and Viggo could swear, maybe even a bit of loyalty and respect was shining in his eyes, before he stretched his neck out, placed his muzzle beneath Viggo's hand, and closed his eyes.
"You truly are a magnificent creature aren't you?" Viggo said softly. "I don't understand you yet, but I promise I will protect you, as you have protected me."
Thunderstorm opened his eyes, stepped back for a moment, but then stepped forward again, this time to give Viggo's bandages another sniff, and then nodded approvingly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure now that with yours and Valka's help, assuming I stay in both of your good graces, I'll be back to myself in no time. Perhaps even a bit better than the old me." Viggo chuckled.
"I'd have to admit I hope to agree." Valka's voice called out as she and Cloudjumper walked back into the cave, Valka was still holding onto her staff like always, but Viggo certainly noticed her change in attire. She looked to be wearing an armor that Viggo could tell had to be made out of some sort of dragon scales. The brown and blue color scheme matched Cloudjumper's hide, but Viggo could make a fairly certain guess the scales weren't his, and Viggo couldn't see any signs that pointed to a specific dragon that he knew.
"I see you are feeling somewhat better?" Valka stepped closer to him from across the cave.
"Indeed." Viggo nodded his head. "At the very least it appears I can still walk."
"And I see Thunderstorm is helping you."
"Yes. Although he surely doesn't know my full history, I still can't believe our brief time shared was enough to earn such loyalty."
"Well, in my experience," Valka walked back over to pat Cloudjumper's frills, "once a dragon decides to trust you, there is nothing a dragon won't do for you."
"It certainly seems that way." Viggo gave Thunderstorm a pat on the side in appreciation as well. "But what about you?"
Valka smiled. "I'll admit for the past half of my life, there aren't very many humans I trust, but there have been a few over the years. As for you though, I believe I can trust you. So don't worry, I won't let you die from your wounds, and I won't be ordering Cloudjumper to eat you or anything."
"My thanks. May I ask why?"
"Well, a few reasons. I know you are smart, and based on your story even I can tell you it would be suicide for you to attempt to return to your old life. From the sound of it, in the battles over dragons, you've alienated yourself from both sides."
"Yes, that is indeed true. One side I could certainly never trust not to stab me in the back, while the other would either shoot me in the face with dragon fire or lock me up for the rest of my life. All except Hiccup of course."
"And why is that?" Valka asked, him her demeanor shifting the moment he mentioned Hiccup, instead of casual conversation, it was like she was hungry for any knowledge of him.
"He has a forgiving nature. Some might say too forgiving, but it seems his strategy is always making enemies into friends. He did it with Toothless, Alvin, Dagur, Mala, and admittedly even me. I respect him too much to call him an enemy any longer. And I hope I can say the same for you."
"You may Viggo. We are not enemies, and I will tell you and show you more about the world you've flown yourself into. I'm certain we can be beneficial allies to each other."
"Thank you, I would appreciate that. It would be nice to have allies I know I can trust."
"You trust me?" Valka asked.
"I do." Viggo nodded, "both from the care and hospitality you've shown me, and all your dragons already, but because I am literally a dead man walking. If you had killed me the second you found out my identity, literally, no one would have ever known, but you didn't. But also, I can tell you are truly Hiccup's mother, and I have a feeling, he received his good nature, his kindness, and his mercy from you. And so I trust you, just as much as I would trust Hiccup as my ally."
"Thank you, Viggo, that means a lot. But one request I ask, don't compare me to Hiccup or Stoick just don't."
"Are you going to do anything with the information I have already provided you?"
"No. The dragons are more important. Hiccup and Stoick have survived this long without me, knowing I'm alive and choosing to stay away would only hurt them. They don't need me, even if they have changed Berk for the better. My place is still here."
Sounds like she's scared. Viggo thought to himself, but he kept quiet about that. "Very well, but if you ever have questions I will be happy to answer them to the best of my ability."
"I will keep that in mind, Viggo." Valka nodded. "Now I believe you should get some more rest. You've had a long day, and so have I."
"Not really, even with talking to you, which has been a pleasure, I've still felt like I've slept for months."
"Well, in either case, I need my rest as well. You'll see how busy I am when you feel better." Valka smiled jokingly. "Good night."
"Good night to you too," Valka. Viggo returned and after Valka and Cloudjumper left again, once more not placing the Night Terrors on guard. Viggo noticed, he quickly realized his exhaustion and fell back into sleep, this time with Thunderstorm curled up only a few feet away from him. But still, he felt a measure of safety having him nearby.
