LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 64: chapter 9
After a few hours of processing, I made my way through the nest in search of Kala. I found her near the area where we entered the main section of the nest. She was sitting on the edge of the rock formation in human form with her legs dangling over it, leaning back on her arms as she watched dragons fly past in large groups.
"Hey." I said as I claimed the spot next to her, resting my hand over hers.
She smiled as she locked eyes with me. "Hey. You feeling better?"
I nodded and intertwined our fingers. "Yeah, I am. Thanks for letting me process and all."
"Of course. You were overwhelmed. I didn't want to add onto that in any way." She said gently.
I smiled softly and pecked her lips. "Thank you. You never cease to amaze me, milady."
She nodded with a warm smile and kissed my cheek.
"So, have you just been sitting here the entire time I was sulking?"
"I wouldn't call what you did sulking my love, but no I have not. I spoke with the dragon lady to try and get answers. I am still quite skeptical about her claims of being your mother, but from what she told me she very well could be Valka Haddock. She knew a lot about Berk, not to mention Stoick and the night she was taken." Kala explained.
"I'm guessing she knows you can transform then?" I asked with a raised brow.
My mate nodded. "Yes, she is well aware that I can transform. I had to resort to transforming to keep her from going after you earlier. She does not know about you being a Night Fury, though. I made sure to keep that out of our conversation."
I nodded in understanding then looked out towards the rest of the nest, taking notice of the giant white dragon in the center of it.
"Did she by any chance tell you what kind of dragon that gigantic one is?" I asked curiously.
"That is the Bewilderbeast. He is the king of all dragons and the ice-spitter that destroyed the Dragon Trappers' outpost. He also made this nest." She explained.
My eyes widened significantly as I turned my attention back to my mate. "You're kidding."
Kala shook her head with a smile. "Nope. I witnessed his abilities. He dusted me in snow as a welcome to the nest."
I chuckled with a shake of the head. "Well at least that mystery is solved."
She giggled a bit and nodded. "Indeed it is."
I released her hand and stood as I dusted off my flight suit. "We should head out. Can't wait around for Drago to attack this place. We've gotta find him first."
Kala gained a determined expression as I lent my hand to help her up, which she accepted and dusted off her own flight suit once she was on her feet.
"I agree. This nest is too important. Not to mention it is well hidden and very well protected."
"Then let's go." I said as I took her hand, but before we could leave both our eyes were covered.
Kala and I screeched out of fear and struggled in the hold of the strong arms that held the both of us down.
"Easy now." We heard and after a couple of seconds we pulled ourselves out of the hold of my dad.
The both of us turned to him with irritated looks as Kala rested her hands on her hips and I crossed my arms.
"Are you kidding me? How'd you get in here?" I asked, rather upset that Dad caught up to us.
"The same way we're getting you out." He said firmly as he turned around and began to make his way back to the entrance.
"We?" Kala asked with a raised brow once we shook ourselves out of the shock of Dad finding the entrance to the nest in the first place.
Once we got closer to the entrance to the main area, Gobber came out of hiding.
"All clear!" He said before disappearing once more, my dad not far behind him.
"Dad!" I yelled as Kala and I dashed to keep up with them.
"There's something you need to know!" Kala said urgently.
"Yeah, yeah, tell me on the way." He said offhandedly.
"This isn't really an on-the-way kind of update, actually…" I quipped while rubbing the back of my neck.
"I've heard ENOUGH, Hiccup." My dad stated without looking at us as he trekked forward.
"...more of the earth-shattering development variety." Kala added to my last statement.
"Yeah, just add it to the pile." Dad sighed out.
Before any other words could be exchanged, Gobber turned around and hobbled back down the path, resting his hand on my dad's shoulder.
"Uh, you might want to take this one. Oh, boy." He said, walking past us as he did.
Dad drew his sword and continued forward with an angered, yet cautious air about him. Kala and I rushed after him worriedly.
"Stoick, can you put the sword away…please?" Kala pleaded.
The both of us stopped in our tracks when we heard my dad drop his sword in the area ahead of us, then looked at one another in curiosity as we heard the dragon lady begin to speak, making our way into the room. Gobber followed right behind my mate and I. The woman was standing on the other side of the room atop some ice with her staff in hand and helmet nowhere to be found, my dad in front of us frozen in shock with wide eyes.
"I know what you're going to say, Stoick. How could I have done this? Stayed away all these years. And why didn't I come back to you? To our son. Well, what sign did I have that you could change, Stoick? That anyone on Berk could?" She asked.
Dad, still shocked as he was, didn't say a word through all her words and instead slowly moved closer to her.
"I pleaded so many times to stop the fighting, to find another answer, but did any of you listen?" She continued.
"This is why I never married. This and one other reason." Gobber said to Kala and I.
The both of us smirked just the tiniest bit and shook our heads before putting our attention back at the scene before us, wanting answers to what exactly was going on.
The woman clutched her staff tightly and close to her as she continued with her rambling. "I know that I left you to raise Hiccup alone…but I thought he'd be better off without me. And I was wrong, I see that now, but…" She nervously backed up against the icy wall on the verge of tears as my dad got up close to her without saying a word. "Oh stop being so stoic, Stoick. Go on…SHOUT, SCREAM, SAY SOMETHING! "
Dad gently touched her cheek as if she would disappear at any second and the woman stared at him in fear, afraid of what would come out of his mouth. He was on the verge of tears just like she was when he finally spoke.
"You're as beautiful as the day I lost you." He said softly.
The woman, who we now had full confirmation was my mother Valka, quietly wept in relief as my dad kissed her. Kala and I looked at one another with relieved smiles, glad to see that my dad hadn't gotten into a fight with her.
~~~HTLANF~~~
After the sweet reunion between Stoick and Valka, we were led to Valka's living area in the nest and to the kitchen where she made us a meal. Hiccup, Stoick, Gobber and I sat at the table as Valka made her way about the room.
"You'd never recognize it, Valka." My mate said happily as we talked about the changes done with Berk, but he didn't take notice of the sad looks from his parents he received when he addressed his mother. "Where we used to make weapons, we now build saddles, wing slings–we even fix dragon teeth. You wouldn't believe how much everything's changed."
"Aye, your son and Kala have changed Berk for the better. I think we did well with this one, Val." Stoick said as he ruffled Hiccup's hair, which got him to laugh and dodge away from his father's hand.
"Thanks, Dad."
Valka dropped the fish she hand in hand from the over-stimulation of the conversation, which Cloudjumper took advantage of and gobbled up the fish once it hit the ground.
"Oh, ha-ha. I got it." Stoick said as he stood and went to help her with the cooking.
"I'm…a little out of practice." Valka admitted as she handed Stoick the plate in her hands.
"Well, y'know…I didn't marry you for your cooking." Stoick said with a smile as he put a new serving on the plate and handed it back to her.
"I hope not, her meatballs could kill more beasts than a battle axe." Gobber joked as Valka made her way over to the table carefully. "I've still got a few knocking around in here. Ha-ha."
Gobber then took a bite of the food that was already in front of him, but grimaced in disgust at the taste and fed the rest of it to Grump, who lazily accepted the offering. As he did, Valka set the plate she had in front of Hiccup and the rest of us stiffened up as she did.
"What? What is it?" She asked worriedly as she took notice of our actions.
"I-it's nothing. Thank you." Hiccup said as he waved his hands about, then looked away from his mother nervously.
Stoick, Gobber and I loosened our bodies as we nodded in agreement.
"Are you sure? All four of you seemed worried when I gave it to you, Hiccup." Valka questioned, not getting why all of us got so worked up.
"It's nothing, really. We're alright Valka." I reassured, looking away nervously just as my mate did moments before.
Stoick rested a hand on Valka's shoulder and smiled softly at her. "He's just worked up from everythin' Val. Give the boy time."
Valka nodded with a sigh. "I suppose you're right, Stoick. I must have read too much into it."
Stoick smiled with a nod, then his eyes lit up with an idea and he began to whistle a familiar tune.
"Oh, I love this one!" Gobber exclaimed as he sat on the edge of his seat.
"Remember our song, Val?" Stoick asked, then he began to sing the lyrics. " I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life, if you would marry me. No scorching sun, nor freezing cold will stop– "
Gobber then butted in as he rose from his seat. " Will stop me on my journey! " Stoick, Hiccup and I all glared at him and he shrank back. "Sorry."
Stoick shook his head then put his focus back on singing to Valka. " If you will promise me your heart…And love… " He paused and we all waited to see if she would sing her part.
She nervously took a breath and continued the verse. " And love me for eternity. My dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me. But I've no need of mighty deeds, when I feel your arms around me. "
Stoick laughed as they began to dance, Valka's weariness dissolving as they did.
" But I would bring you rings of gold, I'd even sing you poetry, " Stoick continued.
"Oh, would you?" Valka asked with a laugh.
" And I would keep you from all harm if you would stay beside me. "
" I have no use for rings of gold. I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold. " Valka sang happily, beginning to let loose.
" I only want you near me! " Stoick sang before they began to sing in unison.
" To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold. For the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep your love inside me. I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with ne'er fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me! "
During the last verse, Gobber had joined in at the last minute. " Meeeeee! I'm still goin'... " I elbowed him in the side, which got him to lower his arm with a smile. "I'm done."
"Ah…I thought I'd have to die before we'd have that dance again." Stoick said with a soft smile.
"No need for drastic measures." Valka laughed out as she lightly hit Stoick.
"For you, my dear…anything. Will you come home, Val? Will you be my wife once again? We can be a family!" Stoick exclaimed as he pulled Hiccup and I over and held each of us on either side of him, smiling at Valka as he did as Hiccup and I smiled at him, then looked at Valka with a bit smaller smiles than with Stoick. "What do you say?"
Valka laughed and nodded happily. "Yes!"
"Great! I'll do the cooking!" Gobber joked, which got all of us laughing.
As that was going on, I was pulled out of my laughing fit as Hiccup took my hand and led me out of the room. I raised a brow in confusion as we left.
"Hiccup? Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see." He said softly.
I stayed quiet and let him lead me away from the kitchen, just curious and also confused as to where he was leading me.
~~~HTLANF~~~
"Thank Odin you didn't listen to me, son. We never would have found each other." Stoick said before turning to see that Hiccup and Kala were nowhere to be found.
Valka noticed too and her eyes widened. "You don't think they went to go after Drago, do you Stoick?"
"Don't worry, Val. I'll go after 'em." Stoick reassured her, kissing her gently before leaving the room to find the young Night Furies.
"I'll go, too, just in case." Gobber said before following after his friend.
Valka sighed and held herself as the two Vikings left her and the dragons alone in the kitchen.
'I hope I'm wrong about this…' She thought sadly.
~~~HTLANF~~~