#valka and stoick will always make my heart ache

[howtowhumpyourhiccup]

Straight Through

Summary:  WHUMP. HICCUP WHUMP. Hiccup was mortally wounded during their last battle, so why didn't he die? Immortal!Hiccup AU.

Rating: Teen and Up

Words: 2 432

Author’s Notes: Trying out something new by giving the rating and the amount of words this fic has.

Anyway, enjoy! Constructive criticism is appreciated!

The Dragon Riders found that caring for and loving their leader had come with its fair share of risks and even consequences.

Hiccup Haddock the Third was, by nature, prone to accidents and bad luck. He had been ever since the day of his birth.

Unlucky enough to be born too early, but fortunate enough to have the strength to survive. That was how one could sum up his kind of luck in a single sentence. And no matter how hard he tried to stay safe, which he honestly didn't try as often as he really should, trouble always seemed to find him somehow, someway.

The young Viking and his dragon could leave Berk for a nice relaxing flight and come back with a new declaration of war. It has happened before. It was basically how their war with the Berserkers and with the Dragon Hunters started.

Hiccup cared too much about way too many, he always got involved and in over his head. This lead to him being hurt or even almost killed in the past. More times than any of them were comfortable admitting to.

Through all of this the Dragons and the Riders who loved him deeply each did their part to keep him safe, as he did his to return the favour. They tried their best.

Sometimes their best just wasn't enough.

And now they were in mourning.

There had been a small fleet of leftover Dragon Hunters still preying on dragons to make a profit off even now, long after Viggo Grimborn's empire had crumbled down.

The group of eleven warriors found them through intel from allies and had made their move to end their effort at reviving that kind of business once and for all.

It seemed easy enough, they had fought countless battles like this before. They had faced much worse.

And yet the unexpected still happened.

Hiccup and Toothless, easily the most veteran fliers of the entire group, were downed.

None of them had seen exactly what happened. Hiccup had been giving orders on how to tackle the next ship armed with two powerful ballistas one moment and the next...

The two must've flown too close, because that was when his body jerked violently to one side. Even to the point of almost being thrown out of the saddle and knocking Toothless off course. His shouting had stopped instantly.

The Riders watched Hiccup try to recover by pulling himself back up before slumping forward and losing grip.

When they plummeted, Toothless caught him just in time.

They had crashed on the deck of one of the ships, painfully so, and the Riders had fought hard to get them back.

Once the remaining Hunters were defeated, that's when they could grab the Viking and the Night Fury and bring them to the nearest island they could find, the very one the Hunters had been trying to rob of its dragons. They needed to check up on Hiccup before deciding what needed to be done next. They found a cave in which they could rest. It was then that they were confronted with a cruel discovery.

The reason Hiccup and Toothless went down was to blame on a single arrow buried deep within the Dragon Rider's throat.

It had gone straight through. In one end and out the other. Though the head had broken off at some point it seemed.

Someone had been lucky enough to shoot Hiccup, ironically one of the few lucky enough to down a Night Fury long ago, and this injury he likely wouldn't survive.

There was barely any blood to be seen with the projectile still embedded in the wound, but his windpipe, his oesophagus or even the arteries in his neck, there really wasn't anything the arrow could hit that wasn't important.

It was a lethal shot. Lethal and lucky. It was why Hiccup was now so still.

There was a wide cave nearby where they settled for the night. Though Hiccup lived for now, with that injury he wouldn't last for much longer and no one expected him to make the trip back to the Edge, let alone home. He wouldn't even make it through the night.

Instead of returning to Berk, the Riders decided that all they could do now was to make Hiccup's last minutes, or hour, in this world a comfortable one. Flying would only make him suffer more than he needed to.

Astrid and Snotlout were uncharacteristically quiet as they cut through his armour to remove it without jostling him too much. His brand new prosthetic they left on simply because of how proud he'd been to reveal his newest invention just weeks prior. His gait had steadily improved since using it.

The arrow Fishlegs removed and the injury he dressed with all the care he could muster with his trembling hands. At that point Hiccup already looked so pale and his breathing had become worryingly slow. The blood loss hadn't been too terrible, but it wasn't a reason for hope either.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut provided blankets and something soft to rest his head on. The least they could do was make his passing a peaceful one and it was going to be cold out tonight.

Anytime now, they suspected. Both the Dragons and the Riders sat around him and wondered if Hiccup knew he wasn't alone. Especially with Toothless acting as his protector of this world's evils for one last time, curled up next to him and crooning a most sorrowful song as he gently nudged his cheek and huffed lungfuls of warm air on his hair.

"What do we tell Stoick?" Fishlegs was the first to break the silence since the battle and a new kind of dread settled in their stomachs. As if waiting for one of their best friends to slowly die right in front of their eyes wasn't enough to upset them.

"He's going to be heartbroken." He added and they all knew that to be the truth.

Hiccup and Stoick had their fair share of troubles, as many families did, but that man loved his son more than life itself. He was all that remained of Valka and the only blood-related family he still had left. The Chief had run through blazing fires and fought raging dragons to keep him safe. He had been trying to create a better world for him.

This kind of loss, the cruelty of a parent outliving their child, it might be enough to break him.

If anything could possibly break the one and only Stoick the Vast, this would be it.

Their hearts ached for him now too.

At least it was peaceful, they supposed. That was their sole comfort.

Hiccup was pale and unnervingly still, he simply looked as if he were sleeping. That at least meant he wasn't coughing up blood, crying from the pain, fearing the end or consciously and desperately fighting to draw breath to stay alive.

Knowing Hiccup, that was exactly what he would be doing if he were awake. Exert all of his strength and will for as long as he could for even the slightest chance to survive.

For everything he's been through, all the trouble he's gotten himself into, his death wasn't as violent as it probably could've been.

Astrid choked up. She wanted to stay strong for her friends, she knew they would need her after tonight, but her emotions were overflowing too.

She grabbed at his hair, the part of him she loved toying with and braiding because of how invitingly soft and wild it was, and lowered herself so her forehead could touch his.

It was still warm. She foolishly hoped that warmth would never leave.

This was her betrothed. They had gotten engaged just months ago and she felt herself growing sick at the thought of never being able to have that life she wanted to share with him.

She already hated the very thought of it. A life without him? A world in which he no longer existed? An Astrid without her Hiccup?

She didn't want to accept such a harsh reality.

"Snotlout, what're you-" She sniffed. Astrid wanted to question the Jorgenson boy's actions as he moved closer to their dying leader and carefully pulled on the bandages just enough to see underneath them.

"He's not bleeding." He answered.

"Yeah, I... I stitched it up. I just... I just couldn't let Hiccup go without doing everything in my power to save him first." Fishlegs inhaled a shaky breath, shivering and curling in on himself further. He knew he had done everything he could, but it would never feel like he did.

How someone so big could seem so small...

"Snotlout-" Astrid shook her head.

"He's breathing too!"

She stopped talking for a moment, but her exasperation stayed as she turned her head and watched the Jorgenson undo the dressings. None of the Riders were really stopping him, but they were questioning him.

The twins looked at each other, wondering if either of them should do or say something to their friend.

"What are you getting at, Snotlout?!" She didn't mean to snap, but she couldn't help raise her voice. Snotlout's nonsense was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

"Hiccup should be coughing up blood, but he's not! And... I think he's breathing easier? Didn't Fishf-Fishlegs say that things could get ugly earlier? Because the veins in his neck or windsophagus are probably hit or whatever?" Snotlout butchered the explanation Fishlegs had given them earlier whilst treating their leader, about how the arrow must've severed arteries or cut off Hiccup's air supply, but there was truth to his words.

Hiccup was peaceful when he should be choking on either blood or a lack of air.

These weren't the ramblings of someone in denial.

"Guys, I'm telling you something isn't adding up! And have you noticed that Hiccup isn't wheezing anymore?" That sentence Snotlout barely needed to finish before Fishlegs scooted closer. He shared a look with Astrid before he crawled to Hiccup and rested his head on his barely heaving chest, Snotlout allowed him his space.

"I think he's right." Tuff hesitantly spoke up.

"Yeah, Hiccup made that really terrifying sound earlier when we pulled him out of Toothless' arm... legs and brought him here, but it just sorta stopped." Ruffnut piped up aswell.

Astrid didn't reply.

Was there truly something they were missing? Or were they simply giving themselves false hope because they couldn't bear the thought of losing one of their own to something other than old age?

The answer wasn't provided by her as Fishlegs came back up and held up his hand to Hiccup's slightly parted lips.

And he found Snotlout to be right.

Hiccup's breathing had gone from wheezy, laboured breaths to ones too hard to notice, but it was more evident now. And with the wheezing gone, he could only conclude that Hiccup was breathing just fine. Somehow.

"Astrid, Hiccup is... I think he might actually make it." Fishlegs spoke words, but not one of them seemed to really register in any of their minds. They didn't understand.

Hiccup was going to die and now he wasn't?

"You never followed any classes with Gothi, did you?" Snotlout was suspicious to say the least.

"What?! You're the one who started it!" Fishlegs was quick to defend himself, offended.

"But you're sure, Fishlegs? You're sure Hiccup is going to live?" A part of Astrid was still fearful, but the relief was already trying to ban any and all fear from her heart.

"I'm sure, Astrid. And... I'm really sorry to say this guys, but if Hiccup was dying, he should've passed already. It's been hours since the battle!" Fishlegs hated the very words that rolled off his tongue, but that didn't make them any less true.

Hiccup should not be holding on for as long as he had.

"Hiccup-" Astrid wanted to speak to him, wanted to see if she could wake him up, but someone beat her to it.

Toothless had been listening to the Riders, much like the other dragons circling them who had grown anxious themselves.

Moaning louder this time, he tried to wake his Rider up instead of trying to lull him into a peaceful passing. His more comforting nudges turned a little less gentle and his tongue poked the injury on accident while it wet his cheek. His clawed paw grasped Hiccup's tunic as if attempting to hold him closer.

And then...

"Toothless, Bud...?" It was a mere whisper, but they came from Hiccup himself and the Riders could only look on, dumbfounded, as he opened his eyes and smiled up to his Night Fury. And Toothless retracted his teeth to give his Rider the gummy smile usually only reserved for him.

The others stared. As Hiccup released a breathy laugh while fending off Toothless' affection, followed by a pained yelp and a grimace that caused Toothless to settle down and worry about him again, their friends simply stared.

They were happy. Of course, they were! But just minutes ago they believed Hiccup was dying a slow and silent death.

The Dragon Riders gazed at each other, every one of them silently wondering if this was something they should tell their friend about.

No.

This was a secret they would keep to themselves. At least for the time being.

"I'm... I'm okay, Bud." Hiccup was curled up on his side, holding onto his painful throat as he tried to swallow the aching away, face still contorted. Toothless was lying with his head in front of Hiccup's, softly whining, his nose wiggling as he sniffed and his breath wafting gently over his face.

Their wordless decision made, Astrid bend down to rest her head on Hiccup's shoulder and wrap her arms around him in a comforting embrace. Whether it was to comfort him or herself was up for debate.

She stayed quiet, but cherished her boyfriend, this moment and the fact that she would still get to share her life with him.

Meanwhile, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, while happy, weren't quite sure what to feel or even think now.

It was one thing to have Hiccup's luck to survive time and again, which was already quite questionable at times. It was a whole other story when that same person managed to crawl their way back from the edge when they should've died hours ago.

No matter, their friend lived. The how and why weren't as important to them.

[wolfie-dragon-rider]

Bursts of Light, Day 20: Dancing

Sorry I’m so slow on these updates. I promise I will finish this series. 

This one takes place two months after the wedding. 

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"I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning," Hiccup heard his father's booming voice drifting outside as he and Astrid walked closer. Ever since they got married and went to live in their own house Stoick and Valka had been living here on their own, so Hiccup wasn't too surprised they were getting closer again.

"Ooh, that's our song. Remember our wedding night?" Astrid said, skipping a step next to him. He suspected she did some dance move, but couldn't be sure.

"That part sucked. But the song did… salvage it," Hiccup chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they walked up to the front door. Stormfly chirped curiously, and Toothless answered with a warble.

"Yup! I'm glad your parents like it too!" she said, opening the door and walking in with no warning.

"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry, I only want your hand…" Valka's voice was clear and happy, interspersed with her feet hitting the floor at rhythmic intervals. She was clearly dancing, but then her voice quieted, along with her body. Had she noticed them come in?

"Oh, don't mind us! Keep going! It's great to watch!" Astrid shouted, pulling Hiccup along to a chair and making him sit down. He considered making a sarcastic joke about the fact that he couldn't watch it, but decided not to break the happy mood in the room. The dragons stayed outside. Stormfly wasn't comfortable in most houses.

"Well… alright then… I only want your hand to hold," Valka sung again, her feet joining in near the end.

"I only want you near me!" Stoick joined in, and then they were off in their own world again. Astrid clapped along to the singing, clearly enraptured by the performance, and Hiccup felt a little awkward. He always felt conflicted about music. It made his heart spin, but at the same time it distracted his mind and confused his limbs, leading to him stumbling and getting lost.

And don't even get him started on dancing, where his skills were somewhere between painful to watch and "dangerous for anyone on the same dance floor".

So Hiccup couldn't help but feel a tinge of pain at Astrid being so… happy at experiencing music and dancing. He couldn't give her that. Not like she deserved.

No no no, these were the bad thoughts they were trying to get him to stop thinking! Stop it, Hiccup! She loves you, even if you're blind and can't do everything other people can! You know that's true!

But no matter how hard he tried to remember that, it still stung.

The song was reaching its climax, his father's heavy footsteps that made the house shake lacing around his mother's light jumps, faster and faster and faster. Astrid kept clapping along, and he could feel her excitement radiate from her.

"If you would marry meeeeeeeeeee!" Stoick and Valka finished, drawing out the last note before suddenly smothering it in a wet sucking noise. Astrid's slight noise of disgust made him suspect the dancing was devolving into making out. He loudly scraped his throat, hoping to remind them of their audience.

It took a few scrapes, but eventually his parents separated, though he was sure they were still giving each other lovesick glances. For a second he felt a searing jealousy: Why could they look at each other like that when he could never look at Astrid? But he forced himself to stop thinking that. Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts.

"For someone who lived away from Berk for 18 years you're an amazing dancer, Valka!" Astrid said, jumping up and buzzing with energy.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm starting to feel my age, though Stoick does make me feel young again. This was the song we danced to at our wedding. Remember that, love?" Valka said. Hiccup heard her clothes shift as she turned to his father.

"Like it was yesterday."

"Can you teach us that dance? I want to be able to dance like that with Hiccup 20 years from now!" Astrid said happily, and Hiccup nearly fell off his chair in shock.

"Uhhhhhh" was the smartest thing his brain could produce, and it clearly didn't convince his parents of his concerns. Stoick just grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to his feet like he weighed nothing. Hiccup felt like he was 12 again, being pushed around by the adults while pining for Astrid, knowing deep down he could never do what she'd truly found impressive.

No, bad thoughts! Stop doubting yourself, Hiccup!

"It'll be fun, Hiccup! Come on!" Astrid said, grabbing his arms and putting them on her hips in a way that would have given 12-year old Hiccup a heart attack. Hell, it nearly gave current Hiccup a heart attack. Despite having been married to this woman for two months now, and having been her boyfriend for years longer, there were still moments where he couldn't quite believe Astrid Hofferson ('now Haddock!' he thought with a shiver running down his spine) wanted his hands on her.

"But… " he couldn't finish the sentence, not knowing what he was trying to say or what his objection was. His body slumped, and his cheeks burned with shame.

Astrid was silent and still for a few seconds, apparently assessing whether he was okay and not about to have a panic attack. "It's okay. We can stop whenever you want to," she whispered. Stoick huffed, but tried to hide it as a cough. It only made Hiccup want to sink through the floor more.

But Astrid was counting on him, asking him to dance with her. Her hands on his shoulders squeezed him gently, and he slowly nodded.

"Alright then… with the first lyric you'll want to circle around each other like this," Valka took Astrid's arms and guided her through some kind of step, and then did the same thing with Hiccup. He stumbled, but managed the awkward side-step on his second try. Astrid was quiet, but he could almost see her smile at him. It made up for his father's burning stare.

"So this circling keeps up through the whole song, with variations. You'll switch directions, grab each other, go faster or slower, but this is the basis. So during the entire first part where you're singing, Hiccup, you'll circle like this but not touch yet. Each line you switch directions. Go on, try it!" Valka said, stepping back. It took a second of awkward silence before Hiccup realized he was supposed to sing.

"Right… I, uhhh, I'll swim and sail on savage seas," he more recited than sang, trying not to fall as he went through the steps. Somewhere right in front of him Astrid mirrored his movements, but at the same time it was like she was a million miles away. Why did he have to start singing?

"With ne'er a fear- OW!" he suddenly bumped into Astrid, jerking away from her and falling backwards.

"Oh, that counted as a new line, so you were supposed to switch directions, Hiccup. With the sun instead of against the sun," Valka said as Stoick pulled him back to his feet with no apparent effort. For a second Hiccup considered calling it all off, but then he sensed Astrid bouncing back to her feet with so much excitement, and he couldn't let her down.

They went through the first line again, without bumping into each other this time. It continued like that for the first few slow lines, them circling without touching, until Astrid's first line.

"Alright, now you put your wrists together like this," Valka said, gently moving their hands until their arms brushed against each other. It felt weird and unnatural, and all Hiccup wanted to do was just grab her hand for real. But then she started singing and he had to dance with her.

"My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me…"

It took a few tries before he got the switches right. He kept swatting her hand away accidentally. One time he nearly punched himself in the face when her arm wasn't where he expected it.

"Now your line, Hiccup. During it you're gonna face each other, hold hands, and put your legs forward and back like this, interlocking. Astrid's foot on that side goes forward, yours goes back at the same time, and vice versa," Valka explained as Stoick chuckled, and Hiccup didn't feel ready when Astrid grabbed his hands.

"Ready? We can take it slow," Astrid whispered, and he nodded.

"But I would bring you rings of gold," he said slowly, moving his feet and hoping Astrid would follow his lead. He wasn't completely sure she did, but at least he didn't stomp on her toes.

"Well done! Now, Hiccup, you're gonna go on one knee, and Astrid will dance around you…" Valka instructed.

Over the next hour they went through the entire song, and slowly Hiccup's confidence increased as his steps became surer. He wouldn't call himself a good dancer by any stretch, and he was sure Astrid's toes ached from how often he stepped on them, but it didn't turn into the disaster he expected.

"-If you would marry me!" they finished the song once again, Astrid pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Thank you for this," she whispered in his ear. He nodded, squeezing her tightly.

"Thor's beard! Look outside!" Stoick shouted, opening the door. Vibrations and stomping that before had just been background noise suddenly became overwhelming. Hiccup had thought it was simply dragons walking around outside, maybe Toothless and Stormfly playing.

"They're… They're dancing! I think they're mimicking the dance!" Valka said. The entire family moved outside, Hiccup still not quite sure what was happening.

"Toothless and Stormfly are?" he asked, barely audible over their rapid stomps and growls. Now that he was paying attention, he could vaguely recognize the melody in it.

"Yeah… They're doing the circling, and pushing their wings together like we do with our arms," Astrid said, amazement clear in her voice.

"Wow. Sounds like we shouldn't let them do that indoors, though," Hiccup chuckled. Stormfly let out a loud screech and dug her talons deep in the earth as Toothless jumped around her.

"I think they need some more dancing lessons, though. And so do you kids!" Valka said, ruffling Hiccup's hair.

"Oh, alright. Can it wait until tomorrow though? My feet hurt. Even the missing one," he said, shifting his weight trying to find a more comfortable stance.

But then Astrid grabbed his hand, and it was all worth it.

"This is what you used to say about combat training, and look how far you've come with that," she whispered, squeezing his hand and drawing a little heart with her finger. His first instinct was to duck his head and hide, but he forced himself to remember the fun they just had.

Don't think the bad thoughts. Good thoughts instead. Astrid is happy and proud. He felt good.

And with the dragons still dancing away, and Astrid's hand squeezing his, those good thoughts were suddenly very easy to think.

[epag88]

Dragon Treasure Chapter: 20

Summary:  Hiccup is just a little seven year old boy running away from his father’s disappointment and meets a new friend hiding in the woods. Stoic is about to learn that one man’s burden is another man’s treasure. 

Kelda walked through the village enjoying the rare warmth that had come with the morning and couldn't help but smile as she made her way to the great hall. She remembered before the dragons came, her job was to help school the young girls of the village on how to be a proper wife. It seemed funny now that she should be teaching such things when she had bashed her own husband over the head with a mace little over a month ago and had him exiled. According to the village her actions to save her child from her husband gave them all the more reason to respect her teachings not only as a Viking but as a mother. After her husband was exiled Kelda had changed her teachings a bit with the approval of Stoick the Vast since it was something near and dear to his heart as well. Her class now not only taught both boys and girls of the village how to be proper partners to each other and how to take care of babies but also taught the children how to run a home as a single parent.

'Would you be proud Valka?' Kelda wondered as she continued her walk.

The Viking new very well that her friend was alive and well but her presence almost seemed like torture since she remembered nothing of them. She was the one that had encouraged Kelda to become a teacher in the first place and was her rock after she found out about her arranged marriage. It still ate at her that she could not save her friend during the dragon attack since she was pregnant with Astrid at the time but Valka would have been furious with her if she tried.

Humming distracted her from her thoughts. She looked down smiling at her daughter as the little girl continued to hum and focus on kicking the rock on the ground like a ball. She could not get over how much she loved this child. The only reason she had stayed with her husband was that she was under the impression it somehow was in her daughter's benefit. Thankfully those dark days were behind them and now brighter ones laid ahead for the pair. For the first time in their home there was laughter, warmth, and safety for the little girl that always felt so afraid of her father.

Neither of them noticed the rock Astrid was kicking had rolled into the heel of someone's foot until the person turned around to pick up the round stone.

"Excuse me," the voice of the person called.

Both Kelda and Astrid turned around to see Valka holding the rock out with a smile on her face. When she had their attention, she walked over to return the rock to its owner.

"I believe this is yours, child," she said gently as she knelt in front of Astrid a place the rock in her hand.

"Thank you," Astrid replied smiling back.

The little girl felt strangely comfortable around this stranger and immediately took a liking to the new woman. Kelda watched the interaction and felt her heart ache in that moment for her friend that had been very much like a sister to her.

"You are quite welcome. You seemed very determined to kick that rock all over the island," Valka said the little girl with a chuckle.

"Not the whole island," Astrid said giggling at the idea of someone kicking a rock around the entire island of Berk.

"Just to the great hall. Mama has a class," the little girl explained proudly.

"My, that is impressive," Valka said.

"Would you like to walk with us?" Kelda asked suddenly surprising herself.

Valka seemed just as surprised by the question but it quickly disappeared and her expression suddenly turned into a happy smile.

"I would love to," she replied and the trio began walking towards the great hall.

The two women walked in a comfortable silence as Astrid continued to contently kick her rock just a little ways up ahead.

"You have a beautiful daughter," Valka said suddenly.

"Thank you, Valka is it?" Kelda replied hoping she still went by her name before she was taken.

"Yes, and my apologies I didn't catch your name," the other woman said smiling.

"Kelda, and this is my daughter Astrid," she explained.

Valka seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment as the name seemed to ring a bell somewhere in her memories. Her heart seemed to leap at the sight of this woman and felt a bit guilty knowing that this woman had clearly meant something to her a long time ago but she had forgotten her.

…

Stoick stood in front of the doors of the great hall waiting for Kelda to arrive for her class. The students already inside having their breakfast with the other Vikings. Everyone in the village knew that they had to be out of the hall by the time Kelda got there to teach the class or they had to stay to participate. Needless to say, most of the men were finishing up their breakfast quickly before they had to start learning how to sew clothes. A lot of the women and some men stayed for the class however interested in her class on running a home as a single parent. It was a realization a lot of them were ready to face being Vikings.

The chief tried to encourage more of the older Vikings to attend and even took them himself feeling it would benefit the tribe to know how to care for themselves and their children should they lose their partner.

A smile crept onto Stoick's face when he saw Astrid run up ahead smiling at him before she picked up her rock and walked over to him.

"Morning Chief," she greeted politely.

"Morning Astrid, where is your mother?" he asked the little girl.

"Oh Mama made a new friend this morning and she walked with us to see her class," Astrid explained before she looked over her shoulder to see the two women approaching.

In the short walk the pair had suddenly started to act as if they had never left each other's side. The pair had their arms loosely intertwined as they laughed and smiled about whatever they were talking about. Stoick thought that for a moment he had travelled to the past to when they were much younger when this was a constant sight that warmed his heart.

"Oh, good morning Stoick. We were just talking about you," Kelda said wiping a tear from her eye.

"Two she-devils laughing away, tell me that they are talking about me. Oh, that's comforting," he joked at pair.

"Oh, come now Stoick. It was only the story of how you and Gobber lost some kind of bet…"

'Oh Thor not that story' he thought.

"…and you and Gobber had to dress like a couple of maidens…"

'Please stop talking.'

"…then Kelda's brother truly thought in his drunken stupor that you pair were the pretest Vikings he'd ever seen," Valka explained laughing hysterically.

Stoick glared at her before turning his sights on Kelda who was looking quite proud of herself at the moment before she excused herself, taking Astrid inside with her.

"So glad my misery brings you such delight," he joked with the hint of a smile on his face which he tried to cover up with a glare.

"I'm so sorry but it was funny," Valka replied wiping the last of her tears away from laughing so hard at the image of Stoick in a dress.

"Uh huh," Stoick said.

Valka smiled as she walked over and tapped the man on his face. Her expression suddenly changed which did not go unnoticed by the Viking chief.

"You look like you have something to say," he said encouraging to say what was on her mind.

"Can you keep a secret?" she asked and smiled when he nodded.

"I actually, remember her. Kelda I mean," she explained surprising the chief.

"It was from a long time ago, we must have been children then but we were walking through the forest and found some boys swimming. We stole their clothes and we ran away with them back to the village," Valka thought fondly with a chuckle.

"That was you chuckleheads," Stoick said not realizing he had used the nickname he had given the pair from when they were children.

"Sorry," she replied with a smile.

Stoick couldn't stay angry, how could he? His beloved was slowly having her memories return to her and soon she might remember him as well and how much he adored her.

"I asked her about the baby," she said suddenly.

"What did she say?" Stoick replied slightly scared of the answer.

"What you said, to give it time before I crossed that bridge," she explained slightly frustrated that perhaps the one person who could lead her to her child wouldn't tell her.

Stoick nodded his head as a plan began to form in his head that he hoped would give him an opportunity to tell both her and Hiccup of what happened that night.

"She did tell me one thing though," Valka said sounding hopeful.

"Kelda told me the child lives in the village and is one of the most beautiful, kind hearted and smartest children she had ever laid eyes on," she explained feeling proud of this child she had yet to meet.

She stared at Stoick with a smile looking determined to learn as much as she could about herself so she could meet her child. She wanted to hold it close and never let go again. Even in the time she had spent among the dragons Valka had always felt she had left something very important behind the day she was taken.

"Kelda speaks truth to you. It will happen in time," Stoick said trying to sound supportive.

"Come let us go see this class. Perhaps afterwards you would do me the honor of having lunch with my son and I," Stoick said leading them inside the great hall.

"I would like that," Valka said feeling her heart flutter at the invitation.

…

It was later in the afternoon that Valka had come into the healer's hut to check on Eldrid and Hàkon to make sure they were comfortable. The dragon immediately noticed the smile on the woman's face and the way she hummed to herself as she busied herself with the tray of food.

"You seem happy here Valka," Eldrid said quietly surprising the other woman.

"M'lady you are awake, how wonderful. Shall I fetch your daughter?" Valka replied excited to see the dragon with her eyes open.

"In a while, I wish to speak with you a bit. Come sit," the dragon queen said inviting the woman to sit in the chair by her bed.

"Tell me what brings you such joy. This happiness in your eyes pleases me," the dragon said genuinely happy to see Valka happy.

"M'lady, I believe some of my memory is returning to me. My heart is remembering a woman that was dear to me as a sister. I also believe there may be a child that is mine in this village, St-the chief has been kind and wants to help me," Valka explained happily.

Eldrid smiled fondly catching the way she almost referred to the human by his first name and said, "You very much like human ruler, don't you?"

The dragon queen already knew of Valka's connection to these people from her mate. As she gazed at the human woman she had come to love she could see the affection Valka held for the one known as Stoick, even if she couldn't remember why.

"He is a good man-"

"With a handsome face and a soft spot for you lass," Eldrid said interrupting her.

"His heart is with his wife m'lady and their child. Any affection he could have for me is platonic," Valka explained glaring at the dragon.

"Yet something he's done is exciting you I can feel it," the dragon said.

Valka was quite for a few minutes as a small smile grew on her face and she said, "He has invited me to have lunch with him and his son."

Eldrid's smile grew back at the woman as she reached over and squeezed the human's hand affectionately. She still remembered the young woman her dragons had brought to her ship injured and frightened. It had taken no time to earn her trust which the dragon queen found remarkable but it was something she cherished dearly for she had also quickly found herself caring for this woman as a member of her clan. She rewarded that trust by offering her own to the human by entrusting her with the care of her only hatchling. Valka would come to her for hours about anything and everything that was on her mind. Knowing that her dear friend had finally found home in this place and possibly even the human family she yearned for made her feel like she wasn't abandoning the human after she passed away.

"Tell me child. Are you happy in this place with that human?" Eldrid asked needing to know for sure.

"Yes m'lady," she replied.

"Then I leave you in their care my precious friend. Embrace the opportunities that have come before you and find peace in them," Eldrid explained with a smile.

The dragon queen's face suddenly became scared and her hand went to her chest when she felt she could no longer breathe. Eldrid quickly turned to her mate and realized he begun to make chocking sounds and suddenly sat up coughing up blood.

Eldrid turned back toa  frightened Valka with her own blood running down her mouth and wheezed, "Find my daughter and please make haste."

"I will m'lady. Please both of you stay strong for her," Valka begged.

With that the woman bolted and ran out of the hut yelling to the Vikings to fetch the healer before she quickly ran to find Tyra, Stoick, and Spitelout.