Sigrid The Relentless - How to Train your Dragon

61. Odin's Gates Have Opened

If you would've asked her what she was feeling in the moment, Sigrid would stare at you with a blank expression on her face. She didn't know whether to blame her changing hormones for this, or her tumbling mind, as she tried to once again get a grip on reality. 

Her mother, Valka, was alive. The same mother who'd been presumed dead for twenty years, was alive and well. Betrayal, confusion, shock, sadness and relief flooded Sigrid's system at the same time, overwhelming her as she sat in silence. 

Luckily, her father seemed ever joyous to have found his wife again, and whilst Sigrid couldn't find it within herself to be angry, it didn't mean that she didn't feel hurt. Hurt that the person she'd been mourning for two decades, had never ever thought of returning. Her mother's 'death' had been her motivation for years, the fire in her soul that wanted to destroy every dragon left on this world. Now, she just felt silly for it. 

But in her predicament, she felt she was entirely alone. As no one else seemed to display the same complexity as her. For the first time, Sigrid stared down at the ground, and wondered if this was a her-problem, if perhaps this was all in her head. She should be ecstatic, shouting from the mountain tops that her mother was alive. She should've tackled her in a hug as strong as Thor could give. But she'd done no such thing. She just stood there, frozen.

"Mom, you'd never even recognize is. 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" Hiccup told as he moved around the cave, basket in hand. "And look at Sigrid! Chieftess of Berserker Island, who would've ever guessed. Honestly, I never imagined that she was even the type to get married willingly, but here we are."

Thanks for the info-dumping, Hiccup. 

Stoick agreed. "Your son changed Berk for the better." He grabbed a hold of the fish basket, setting it beside him. "I think we did well with them, Val."

As the Viking put his hands on his wife's shoulders, Valka gasped, before dropping the fish on her board. It was obvious she was still shaken by everything going on, not unlike her daughter. Seeing her reaction, Stoick lifted his hands away and didn't let it bother him. Chuckling at the dragons, as they scourged on the dropped fish.

Gods, that smell was dreadful.

"I'm- ah, a little out of practise." Valka stumbled as Stoick loaded a new row of fish on the board. 

Stoick shrugged. "Well, you know, I didn't marry you for your cooking."

"I hope not." Gobber shuddered besides Sigrid, as Hiccup walked up to them with the fish. "Her meatballs could kill more beasts than a battle axe, still got a few nogging around in here."

Taking a bite of the fish, Gobber gagged from the taste. Sigrid let out a small chuckle, seeing him quickly feed the entire tray to Grump, who happily ate it whole - wooden sticks included.

"Once you move back in, with all of your dragons, Drago won't even stand a chance." Off in fantasy land, Hiccup spoke enthusiastically. "Everything will be oookay!"

"Slow down, son." Stoick spoke softly, putting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "It's a lot to take in."

Yeah, you could say that again.

"Oh, gotcha."

A shiver ran down Sigrid's spine like a Whispering Death, as soon as she heard her father start to whistle. A song that held both joy and sadness. She thought she'd changed the meaning of Dancing and the Dreaming to herself after her wedding, but it seemed that when it came to her parents it still gave her a sense of nostalgia that shook her to her core. Bringing her back over twenty years ago, when they used to be a happy family.