~~A/N: I was supposed to update last month, but tests were keeping me busy. I still have Finals, but I don't have any more classes for the next few days, so I'll hopefully spend some time writing. Maybe not for this story, but I'll try. 😓 Also, I'm going back to correct grammar, mistakes I made with the accents (I'm keeping a few words normal because it might be a little hard to read the differences), and changing some lines of dialogue. Nothing too drastic (for now).~~

~Back at Castle DunBroch's docks~

    "King Olaf before ye depart, please, let us discuss a few things," Queen Elinor told the other monarch.

            Most of his ships had already set sail, including the one with his wife and child. He, however,  had refused to leave before most of his men, and so Elinor was able to see him before he left.

            "Very well, make it quick," King Olaf replied impatiently.

            Speaking so disrespectfully toward another monarch would have been unfathomable, but after all the events that happened within one day, he simply couldn't make himself care. Elinor understood and therefore didn't reproach him.

            "Please, when ye arrive home draw a list o' men that have gone missin', includin' distinct physical characteristics, so we may send their bodies, if found, to yer home," Elinor told him.

            "You do realize how furious this makes me? This is outrageous! This was meant to be a peaceful assembly, a fun excursion for our youth, and yet some of my men may never see their families again," King Olaf told her with a glare.

          "Aye, it was meant to be a peaceful assembly, but the events that transpired could not be prevented," Queen Elinor tried to reason, but then let her annoyance show by asking, "How, pray tell, would ye have handled the situation?"

         "I certainly wouldn't have done what the princess did. She should have known better than to handle it herself with the help of those scoundrels who have done nothing but pillage and take from all our lands," the King of Norrmannaland began to bellow. "And they'll do it again just as they always have."

          Elinor, having had enough, raised her hand to interrupt him and clarified, "The Hairy Hooligan Tribe was not to blame for this. They are friends and if it were not for them we might have all died in a horrifyin' ba'le."

King Olaf scoffed, "Magic. It seems to me like the princess was involving herself with things she shouldn't have."

Elinor's eyebrows lowered into a slight glare before she replied, "My daughter is almost old enough to take the crown, and I can assure ye that she knows very well not to mess with magic."

"So you stand by her decisions to handle it herself and entrust those Vikings?" King Olaf asked, his gaze daring her to agree.

Elinor stood straight and nodded. It was only then that the king noticed she stood as tall as he. He couldn't look down on her.

          King Olaf scowled and replied, "You've made your choice, and I can respect that, just as I hope you will respect mine in cutting off all contact with Dunbroch after the aftermath of this event has been completed. I would have preferred to say this directly to the king, but the queen consort will have to do as I am in a foul mood."

          He walked away from her without so much as a formal goodbye and got inside the last ship. Elinor, deciding that his condescending words weren't worth a reaction from her, carried herself with dignity and waved goodbye as she always would.

          "Politics. I've never been a fan. It's always such a mess. Especially when they have such big egos," Valka commented as she walked over to her.

          Elinor sighed but didn't turn to look at her.

"And yet ye married a chief," Elinor teased her friend.

"That I did," Valka chuckled. "But Vikin' politics are more fun. Sometimes just a good one on one fight will fix a conflict."

    "Sounds more dangerous to me," Elinor replied with a smile and turned to look at her friend.

    "I suppose it was, but Stoick could take on anyone," Valka said with a wistful smile.

    Elinor put her hand on Valka's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. Valka smiled and nodded her head.

    "What are ye doin' here anyway?" Elinor asked her. "The sun is almost up, ye should go rest."

    "I can say the same thing for ye. Besides, I saw Tuffnut and Ruffnut's Hideous Zippleback flyin' by. I thought all o' the kids would be back, so I came to greet them, but it seems like they went on ahead for some other reason," Valka replied and looked out to the dock.

    It was still dark out despite there being a faint light in the horizon, so it was hard to see ahead. The good thing was that the larger boats had torches on them to help them see. After that, it was only a matter of seeing which one illuminated the two-headed dragon's green scales.

"What dae ye think they're doin'?" Elinor asked her.

"I don't know, I haven't really had the time to talk to any of the kids about what's been going on between them," Valka replied then shivered and bit and pulled her fur vest closer.

"Why dinnae we head back inside?" Elinor suggested.

Valka nodded her head and then two women began to make their trek all the way up the mountain Castle Dunbroch resided on.

"It's quite cold out," Elinor commented.

"Yes, but you should see how it feels back on Berk," Valka commented.

"What is Berk like? Ye've never had the chance to talk about it. All I remember from yer le'ers are that it's dragon infested, 12 days north o' Hopeless, and a few degrees south o' somethin' to Death?" Elinor said as she tried  to remember.

Valka chuckled, "Aye! Well, actually with the dragons it's now only about a 3 days trip of Hopeless and a few degrees south o' Freezing to Death. We've made peace with both places, but they haven't given us their official names yet."

"They have any?* Dae ye know the reason?" Elinor asked. ("have any"= "haven't".)

"The usual. Language barrier and the fact that they dinnae have dragons, so their messages are sent slowly," Valka explained.

"Ye know, yer accent sort o' goes away sometimes," Elinor commented. "I assume it's due to yer time with the dragons?"

"Aye," Valka agreed and began to explain. "I lived with them for 20 years. I think I even went full years at a time without utterin' a single word. There was really no need."

"Who would have thought that both our nightmares could go away? Dragons are nae longer a threat to Berk, and Mor'du can nae longer terrorize our home," Elinor said.

Valka looked at Elinor, and wondered if she really meant to use the word "our" to include her. It had been such a long time since Valka had been in the highlands. Her original home, though, not in birth. While away for those 20 years, she had always thought if Berk as the home she longed for. Still, she found the highlands held a special place in her heart.

"Our 16 year-old selves would have never thought it possible," Valka agreed.

"Aye. Ye know, our situations are almost perfectly in sync," Elinor thought aloud.

"What do ye mean?" Valka asked.

"Well, we grew up together, both met our husbands at 16, waited a few years to have children. Then, once they grew up, our children are the ones who changed our old ways of life," Elinor explained. "And now, somehow, after years o' bein' apart, our families have united."

"Odin must have wanted it that way," Valka replied with a content sigh.

They were maybe half way through, passing men carrying boxes with various possessions outside and toward their ships, when they heard a faint yell. They turned back toward the dock, barely able to catch a glimpse of something flying directly into the air.

"Should I be worried?" Elinor asked and glanced at Valka.

Before Valka could respond they heard some faint laughs overhead and saw the other dragon riders land outside the castle.

"I dinnae think so," Valka assured her with a chuckle.

Elinor relaxed and the two old friends continued to make their way back to the castle.