" my son..."

Edited oct21 /2021

It took me a moment to remember where I was, I had woken up in a bed in a small room, I could hear voices of villagers outside, despite the late night I had woken Pretty early for sleeping in a actual bed for the first time in a long time. Valka lent me some of her clothes to wear since I had none and I quickly changed into them the fabrics feeling soft against my body compared to the worn and torn clothes I had previously.

I went to the main room to see valka cooking some lamb over the small indoor fire," good morning valka"" morning alayah, did you sleep well last night?"" immensely, I can't remember the last time I slept that comfortable let alone on a bed. So you said chief hiccup was going to introduce me to someone today, his adviser was it?"" yes, you should eat first though, he went on a fly early this morning and hasn't been back yet, hiccup was sent to find him they might be awhile"

Nodding I sit near the fire, valka handing me a bowl of lamb and some bread and cheese from the goats. I must have had three servings of the lamb, valka though her cooking isn't the best it was something outher than fish and I don't mind a few burnt prices here and there. We talked through the day about dragons and what we knew I even attempted to teach her a few words in dragon speak, she was close enough with some words like friend and danger. It was noon when a knock just was herd on the door, valka told me to go to my room until she gets me so they can explain to him what's going on before I show up.

It was weird waiting in a room for someone, I could hear voices first and quiet talking it felt like eternity and I don't know why I was so nervous, maybe it was because this man was hiccups second in command and I had very little knowledge on him or it was that this was the next step to being introduced to the entire village. My heart nearly stopped when the door opend and valka stood with a smile.

"You ready?"" as I'll ever be, let's go"

The main room though quite big, felt suffocateingly small in those moments, I saw a young man talking to hiccup in confusion, his back was away from me. Something about him was familiar and I stared at him trying to see what he was going on about. It wasn't until hiccup cleared his throat and gestured to me that he stopped talking and turned around. in those moments I felt my soul left my body, I was speechless I watched his face carefully to see if this man in front of me was a stranger but all I saw was my son, once a boy, now a man right in front of me, I had barely got enough air to whisper a single word," b-bunny?"It was like someone had smaked him across the face, and I was in disbelief tears started to gather before falling in my eyes and my legs moved hesitantly towards him, like he would disappear or shatter if I stepped or moved the wrong way."M-momma?"" oh my son..."That was all it took for him to break now we were both crying and we walked closer and I slowly reached up and gently put my hand on his face. He was real and alive and here, I started to laugh launching myself into his arms for a hug. this was the happiest moment of my existence.

" oh Eret, I thought you were gone to the gods, I never thought I'd hold you like this again my son, the fates has blessed us, I love you so so much my son!"

" mom, I-i thought you had died! I'm so happy"

We hugged and cried in that moment rocking back and forth in joy, I hadn't realized hiccup and valka left until we pulled apart. I too his face in my hands placeing as many motherly kisses on his face as I could, him not even bothering to move away as he too was soaking up the joy of the moment." I thought you had died with your sister my son what happened?"

"It was drogo, he didn't like me refusing his offer and he stole me that night from my bed, setting our house aflame, I woke to a man in my room and he hit me on my head, I don't realize what had happened untill i was on his boat miles away when I woke. He made me work for him for years, and I had gained his trust in the end doing what it took to survive, I went back to our house one year when we were in the area in secret, there was nothing left and the villagers didn't find anything I didn't already know. "

" that- that bastard! After we had all packed our things I went outside for a walk, to clear my head before we left and it being a full moon I didn't need to bring anything, I was on my way to tell my friend who worked with me that we came into trouble and would be gone by the morning, b-by time I got back the house was aflame and I couldn't do anything, drogos symbol was on a flag at the entry. I had no idea what I could possibly do then, I went and stayed in the woods for the night untill the fire calmed down and I could go back to the house. I didn't even see your sister, I-i couldn't bare to go near her room or yours."

We sat as we talked and he held me in his arms, last I saw him he was small enough where I would be holding him in my arms. I felt like I could fly at that moment I had my son back and there was hope for our future. We sat and talked about what has happened since then, I told him after the fire I had gone into a depression of sorts and was so lost the only thing I could do was walk, so that's what I did I felt no meaning of existence and it wasn't until a week passed when I collapsed in a cave from exhaustion and dehydration. A female dragon lived there at the time and she in a way nursed me to health, we bonded and I noticed certain sounds she would make, that's when I learn d dragon speak, it was a difficult process but I learned it nonetheless. The dragon and I lived together for about two years before I met valka and helped her with her sanctuary.

A knock at the door made up realize that we had been talking for awhile and I still needed to be introduced to the rest of the village. Hiccup and valka walked in shortly after and I rushed to give them both a hug," thank you both so much, you have given me a part of my life back I'd thought I'd lost forever."

"Anything for a friend alayah. Now we should introduce you to the rest of the village soon, hiccups friends will meet us before the rest of the village in the great hall."

" sounds good, do I- do I look alright? I have really been around a village let alone many people in a great while."

" you look fine mother, they will love you. I however will see you after you meet the riders, I must gather the villagers for a meeting and that's as hard as gathering a herd of young dragons."

" all right, stay safe dear I love you and we will talk later."

I give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he left, slightly more nervous now that he's gone. I take a deep breath before leaving the house with hiccup and valka by my side, hiccup talking about the village and how it works along with the fire system they've installed. Looking At the village as a human vs a dragon are very different perspectives, as a dragon I could care less about their advances and I focus on trying not to destroy anything. As a human this village is one of the best I've seen, they have dragons, and so many things to make their life easier and the dragons too. Once we got to the great hall the size of it was amazing and the details in the stone was quite intricate, along with the giant double doors.

The other riders were there when we walked in and I realized that some were taller then me, both the twins were and the men also I was about the same height as Astrid it seems," guys this is alayah, she's my moms friend she helps her with her dragons when she needs it"

" hello, it very nice to meet you all I've heard many stories of the famous riders."

" the two twins are ruffnut and tuffnut, there's fishleggs, my girlfriend Astrid, and that's sno-"

" - im snotlout and you are the most beautiful women I've seen today alayah."

" oh, I- um thank you snotlout, and it's nice to meet you all, if you don't mind me asking Astrid can I see you dragon a little closer?"

" yeah, this is stormfly, she gorgeous isn't she?"

"Yes indeed,"

I walk around stormfly, gauging her reaction to me checking for anything that makes her uncomfortable, I stop in front of her head letting her sniff me. I start to talk in dragonspeak to her and I can see everyone's reactions turn to shock.

' hello child, how are you?'' I'm doing good elder, your form is different but us dragons can allways sense a elder dragon no matter the form.'' I'm glad, is there anything you want me to tell your rider? I will be able to pass the message on"" my saddle is rubbing oddly near my left wing cause if some itching when I fly, nothing too drastic but it can be a bother.'' ok thank you child'

" Astrid dear? Stormfly says her saddle is rubbing oddly near her left wing, it's not hurting her but it distracts her when she's flying it's itching."

Astrid nods confused and goes to her dragon to check the spot I was talking about. Soon after I start hearing questions from the outhers.Like 'How did you do that? 'Can you talk to my dragon' ' what was that thing you did with your mouth?' And the classic 'what are they saying right now?'. I let out a hearty laugh telling them to calm down a little before makeing my way to fishleggs and his dragon, I went around talking to them all they all had something to say good or bad, while I was talking to meatlug when hookfang made a comment

" you are quite ugly for an ancient dragon in this form, I liked your scaled better"

" HEY you can't tell an elder that! That's rude and it doesn't matter what form they're in they could take you down either way"

" no she couldn't! Look she's all pink and soft there's no armor on her anywhere I could slice her in half with my smallest spike!"

" ok ok relax you two! Yes that was very rude to say that and even though I may look harmless now I still have power over you no matter the form child remember your place. and thank you child, though you didn't need to defend me I appreciate you standing up for me."

Everyone could see the visible tension between the two dragons as they started to growl at each outher before I resolved the situation. At that moment I smiled having met everyone. I started to talk to fishleggs and snotlout, tuffnut butting into the conversation now and then. I didn't really know what was going on because the boys nearly started to argue over me, and when I realized I look young though I'm very much older then all of them, let alone have children. I could see ruffnut talking to hiccup and Astrid on the side, and I glanced over in a plea for help valka was the only one who saw and did nothing to help.

The boys were fighting each outher at this point and I tried my best to diffuse the situation as best as I could. I felt a presence behind me and a arm on my shoulder, I looked up to see my son thank the norn's, a smile makes its way into my face as I give him a little hug." hello, dear"

Oh the looks from the boys faces were hilarious I nearly broke down laughing, they straightened themselves out and trued to look intimidating to Eret though it failed because they were all shorter then him. Eret got this look on his like he was planning something cunning, I look at him in confusion and he just gives me a smile.

" now what were you three arguing about now?"

" what's it too you? You know her or something?"" -yeah what's it too you?"

" as a matter of fact I do know her, longer then you all have in fact, isn't that right..... mother?"

The boys went silent looking between me and Eret in shock, and I wish I could have a drawing of it because it was hilarious, that's all  it took for me to crack and I start laughing, eret joins in and we're both laughing at the shock on their faces, once they get over they try to act cool about it and laugh a little, we walk over to hiccup and the others tears still in our eyes, I could see Astrid and ruffnut we're confused while hiccup and valka were smiling.

" ohoho, that's the hardest I've laughed in a long time whew wow that was amazing, ahem hehe, ok whew, Astrid, ruffnut your probably confused but alayah is my mother."

I could see Astrid smile and ruffnut looked releved that I wasn't after the boys, though she looked quite shocked that eret was my son. The rest of the day went smoothly with me being announced to the villagers and talking to the healers and dragon tamers, decideing that I could help them both with my knowledge. When I went to bed I felt overwhelmed and releved in a way but more happier then I've been in a long while.