Chapter 7
All day, Hiccup could not stop thinking about the strange dream from the night before. Every free moment he had that day he was sketching something else in his notebook that he had remembered from his dream. He sketched everything from the great stone pillars to the tiny and mysterious blue flame-like spirit. He also sketched the mysterious woman. He tried his best to remember as much detail as possible in hopes it would help him figure out the meaning behind the dream or at the very least, give him some clue as to who or what the strange woman was.
He sat now at his workbench in the smithy leafing through his sketchbook. He paused at the sketch of the mysterious woman gently tracing the lines of the image with his fingers. He didn't know who or what she was, but he had a feeling that seeing her had significant meaning. He flashed back to the moment she touched his hand. All at once the feelings of awe and longing came flooding back to his mind.
"Hey boy," Gobber's voice broke Hiccup from his thoughts, "it's late, what are you still doing in my smithy?"
"Just making some adjustments to the old leg," Hiccup replied as he closed the sketchbook and stuffed it back in his pocket.
"All finished now," he said as he stood up and bounced on his prosthetic leg, "good as new." Gobber shook his head and chuckled.
"You know, I could make you one of these too Gobber," Hiccup smiled.
"No thanks," Gobber replied, "that contraption is too complicated. I think I'll just stick with old reliable." He stomped his wooden leg on the ground.
"Suit yourself," Hiccup shrugged. He got up and headed to the door.
"Alright Hic," Gobber said, will I see you tomorrow then?" Hiccup shook his head with a smile.
"Tomorrow is my first day off in a week," Hiccup replied, "and if I don't take Toothless flying, I'm pretty sure he'll roast me alive." Gobber chuckled.
"That wily dragon has got you wrapped around his tail fin, he has," Gobber chuckled.
"Yeah," Hiccup replied, "just don't tell him that; it might go to his head."
"See ya Chief," Gobber replied as he chuckled heartily.
"See ya Gobber," Hiccup said.
As Hiccup began to walk home, his mind drifted to the strange dream once again. He couldn't understand why he couldn't stop thinking about it. He was suddenly startled by a hand on his shoulder.
"Hiccup," Fishlegs said. Hiccup relaxed when he recognized his old friend.
"Are you heading home," Fishlegs asked. Hiccup nodded.
"Sure am," he replied, " Did you find anything else out?" Fishlegs sighed dejectedly.
"Nothing," he replied, "I even asked Gothi."
"You told elder Gothi," Hiccup replied.
"No details," Fish replied, "I just asked about the symbol that's all." Hiccup sighed in frustration.
"Well don't be discouraged Chief," Fish replied, "I still have a theory or two."
"Okay," Hiccup replied, "why don't you come home with me, I have some other things I want to run by you."
"Sure," Fishlegs replied. When they finally reached Hiccup's house, they were greeted with the savory aroma of roasted meat.
"Hey mom," Hiccup called out as he headed in the door, "you still here?" Valka came out of the kitchen with a smile.
"Great your home," she replied. She turned her eyes to Fishlegs.
"Nice to see you again Fish," Valka smiled, "how's your mother?"
"Oh, uh, she's great Mrs. H," Fish smiled, "thanks for asking." Valka turned her attention back to Hiccup.
"Come sit," she smiled, "I made your favorite, lamb stew." Hiccup smiled awkwardly.
"What," Valka's smile faltered, "is it not your favorite anymore, you loved it when you were little."
"No...no mom it's fine," Hiccup replied with a smile, "you just...you don't have to do all this all the time."
"What," Valka questioned, "take care of my only son." Hiccup rolled his eyes playfully. He reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"I just mean you don't need to fuss over me," Hiccup replied, "or make sure I eat, or clean my house. You do too much mom."
"Hiccup," she replied, "I'm your mother and I..., we missed out on so much time together. Doing things for you makes me feel like I...like I still have a place in your life. Besides I like mothering you." She chuckled. Hiccup smiled as he reached out to give Valka a warm hug.
"Thanks mom," he replied.
"Now," Valka said as she pulled away, "maybe lamb stew isn't your favorite anymore, but that's only because you haven't had mine in a long time!"
"Well I don't know about Hic," Fishlegs interrupted, "but I would love some lamb stew, it smells amazing!" Both Hiccup and Valka chuckled.
"Well, pull up a chair," Valka replied, "help yourself, there is plenty to go around." Fish happily served himself a bowl of the fragrant stew. Hiccup joined him followed by Valka.
"So Hic," Fish said with a mouth full of stew, "did you remember anything else about that dream?" Hiccup internally groaned, but kept silent for a long moment. Valka looked curiously between the two young men.
"Uh, I mean, uh," Fishlegs stammered, "did I say dream, cause I meant..."
"It's alright Fish," Hiccup sighed, "it's just my mom, besides maybe we could use another perspective." Fish smiled. Valka continued to glance back and forth between them with a baffled look on her face.
"Alright boys," Valka replied expectantly, "out with it." Hiccup smirked. He proceeded to tell her in detail about the strange dream he had the night before. Valka intently listened, seeming very intrigued by it all.
"I sketched some more things that I remembered," Hiccup said as he pulled out his sketchbook. He flipped through its pages until he found his most recent drawings. He showed them the blue spirit and the stone ring. He paused at the sketch of the mysterious woman again.
"I'm not sure why," Hiccup said softly as he continued to gaze at the sketch, "but I...I feel like I know her somehow."
"But you said you never saw her face," Fish replied questioningly.
"Yeah, obviously I couldn't recognize her by her face," Hiccup went on, "it was more like...like, how I felt when I saw her." Both Fishlegs and Valka gazed at Hiccup in intrigue as he spoke.
"And how I felt when she touched my hand, it felt like...like being zapped by a skrill! It sent a jolt right through me and my...my heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst through my chest, it felt like every hair stood on end, like goosebumps. It...it was unlike anything I ever felt before and yet it...it was somehow...familiar at the same time." Hiccup shook his head.
"Does that make any sense," he questioned as he turned his gaze from the drawing back to Fish and Valka, "I mean am I crazy?" Fishlegs and Valka gazed at him in curiosity.
"If I didn't know any better Hiccup," Valka smiled, "I'd say your were smitten with this dream girl." Hiccup felt his face flush slightly. He sat back in his chair and sighed.
"Really mom," he said flatly, "smitten...with a figment of my imagination." Valka shrugged.
"What you're describing sounds a lot like love Hiccup," Valka replied.
"There could be something to this Hic," Fish interjected.
"Not you too," Hiccup huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"No...no hear me out Hic," Fish went on, "this could tie into one of my theory's. Hiccup sighed in annoyance.
"See the pendent that the woman gave you in the dream; it had the Viking symbol for love on it. The other symbol was two hearts woven together. It must have something to do with love as well." Hiccup leaned forward in his chair in interest.
"I guess that makes sense," Hiccup replied, "but what does it have to do with me?"
"Maybe it doesn't, per se," Fish replied, "maybe who ever or whatever it was that made itself known to you in this dream, was projecting its own emotions onto you." Hiccup sat in contemplation of Fish's words. He glanced up to Valka and noticed the shocked look displayed on her face.
"Mom, what is it?" He questioned.
"May I see the sketch," she replied quickly, "the one of the pendent."
"Yeah, "Hiccup replied as he quickly flipped to the image of the pendent he had drawn. Valka gazed at the image with a look of astonishment on her face.
"What...what is it mom," Hiccup asked. Valka looked back at her son. She silently reached to her neck and pulled a chain from beneath her shirt. She grasped the charm at the end of the chain tightly for a moment before holding it up before him. Hiccup's breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon the exact pendent he had seen in his dream.
"What...how...wh...where did you get this," Hiccup stuttered in shock and confusion.
"It was a gift from your father," Valka replied, "he gave it to me the day we were married." Hiccup blinked in confusion.
"But it's more than that Hiccup," Valka went on, "this pendent has been passed down four generations starting with your great great grandfather, Hiccup the first. He passed it to his son Hiccup the second, then he passed it to your grandfather, Ragnar the Bold. Then he passed it to your father. It's been tradition since your great great grandfather. Stoick said that the pendent is to only be given to the woman you love and are to marry. He told me someday when we had a son he would pass it on to him as well when the time came." She carefully lifted the chain over her head, she then handed it over to Hiccup.
"Maybe that time is now," Valka smiled with tear filled eyes." Hiccup held the pendent carefully in his hands gazing at it intensely. He was unable to fathom this tangible evidence of his dream.
"But I don't love anyone," Hiccup said solemnly.
"Not yet," Valka replied, "but maybe this dream signifies the start of your journey. Maybe it's time to start looking for whoever it is you're meant to be with; your soul mate." Hiccup sat back in his chair still gazing intently upon the pendent as he contemplated his mother's words. He shook his head in denial.
"Come on," he replied disbelievingly, "do you really believe in that; soulmates?" He said, making mock quotations with his fingers.
"I do," his mother replied softly, "your father was mine."
" I don't know," Hiccup replied skeptically, "what about everything else, the blue spirit and the stone ring, a...and..."
"Maybe they are all clues of where to find her," Fish interjected excitedly. Hiccup rolled his eyes. He sat back in his chair and sighed.
"Seriously Fishlegs," he scoffed.
"Well lets think about this for real Hic, when did all this dream stuff start," Fish questioned.
"Uh...I guess shortly after I got back from my scouting mission," Hiccup replied.
"You discovered that new island,"Valka replied, "just today you said you felt drawn to the place. You said you had a good feeling about it. Did you see any strange stones during your fly-over, anything at all that could resemble the place you saw in your dream?" Hiccup thought for a few moments.
"No," he replied, "I mean nothing stood out to me anyway. I mean I would have remembered seeing something like that."
"Well you have to admit, it's pretty interesting that all this started after you found that island," Fish replied, "maybe you're supposed to find this woman there! Maybe she is your soul mate!"
"This is ridiculous," Hiccup huffed. Both Valka and Fish stared at Hiccup unamused.
"Oh come on," Hiccup said flatly, "you can't really believe this dream is some cosmic sign that I have to go...find a love life!" Valka smiled at her son, Fishlegs shrugged. Hiccup groaned dramatically.
"The both of you are incorrigible, you know that," Hiccup groaned, "ever since Astrid's wedding you've been hinting that I need to find someone too, no matter how many times I tell you that I don't need anyone. I'm perfectly fine on my own!"
"What about your dream Hiccup," Valka replied.
"Uh..., it was just a stupid dream," Hiccup replied, as he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly, "it was just my subconscious telling me what you've already been putting in my head all this time."
"If you really believe that, how do you explain the pendent," Valka replied.
"This," Hiccup replied as he held up the charm and dangled it in front of Valka, "is a coincidence."
"Hiccup there is no way you could have known about the pendent," Valka replied, "you drew it exactly, how do you explain that?"
"Well maybe it's just some sort of repressed memory," Hiccup went on, "I must have seen it on you when I was little and forgotten about it." He shrugged as he placed the charm down on the table in front of her.
"Hiccup," Valka replied as she shook her head.
"It's your's Mom," Hiccup said softly, "it was a gift from Dad to you. I don't need it and I'm not gonna take it from you." Valka gazed at her son as she placed her hand over the pendent.
"It was only temporarily mine son," Valka replied," it was always meant for you." She slowly slid the charm back to Hiccup. Hiccup sighed heavily in aggravation.
"Deny it if you will Hiccup," Valka replied, "you know in your heart that this dream has meaning. Now, I can only speculate on that based on what you, yourself have already said. Whatever meaning this dream holds, it's for you and you alone to figure it out. But, I urge you, do not dismiss it simply because you fear it's meaning."
"I don't fear a dream, "Hiccup scoffed.
"No," Valka replied, "but you do fear love." He gazed at his mother silently, her words swirling through his mind.
"Uh...I should probably go," Fish said awkwardly as he excused himself, "I'll just...let myself out, thanks for dinner Mrs. H. Uh...see ya Hic." He quickly headed for the door. Hiccup sighed as he leaned against the back of his chair and gazed back at his mother once again.
"Good job scaring Fishlegs off," Hiccup smirked. Valka's serious face broke into a half smile as she chuckled softly. Hiccup sighed heavily once again. He remained silent for a few long moments.
"I'm not afraid of love mom," Hiccup replied, "I just, I...I've had enough of it, besides there are more important things to worry about than...than finding my soulmate." Valka reached out and affectionately caressed his stubbled cheek.
"Fate is a funny thing," Valka replied, "it's mysterious, it's illusive, but it's always there. Some people spend their whole lives chasing it, but sometimes Hiccup, sometimes we meet our fate on the very road that we take to avoid it."
Valka stood and began collecting the dishes, leaving Hiccup to his thoughts. He sighed as he leaned forward on his elbows and gazed down at the pendent that still lay upon the table. His mind flashed back once more to the mysterious woman and the undeniable feelings he felt when she touched his hand. He still did believe the dream held meaning, but his pride was urging him to deny what he already knew in his heart. He sighed heavily as he picked up the pendent and headed to his study. He flopped down into the chair beside his desk and gazed at the pendent once again. He leaned forward resting his chin upon his hand. He rolled his eyes and sighed once more. He then draped the chain around his neck and tucked the pendent into the collar of his shirt. As he leaned back in his chair he suddenly he noticed the old trunk that sat in the corner of the room. He remembered earlier Valka mentioned bringing out the trunk that held his great great grandfather's things so he could look through his old maps and journals.
"Great," Hiccup muttered to himself, "a distraction."