I just love your takes on Valka’s character! What do you think of the idea of Valka traveling the world to go look for any dragons that may have been left behind (injured, captured elsewhere, etc) after the third film? Probably not permanently, but for extended trips away. (Maybe even a Valka-Eret team up???) Or would Hiccup and grandkids be a big enough pull to keep the vigilante-dragon-lady on New Berk full-time?
I think YES.
Valka spent more than half her life fighting with dragons, and even before that fighting for dragons. We can imagine that there are still dragons out there that had been separated from the horde for so long they wouldn’t know how to find the HW, or been in captivity for so long they’ve been desensitized to summons.
Hiccup had an entire village to rebuild; he’s grounded more than ever, but at this point is appropriately distracted as he slowly works through his internalized heartache. Valka wants to support him, to help where she could, but even Hiccup begs her to go. See if there are other dragons still in danger. Let him live vicariously through her.
It would put them both at ease to be more thorough, even if the sheer length of how long it takes to travel is already riding on their nerves. So Valka, a few other vikings, spend the next few years making excursions to ensure that all dragons made it safety out of human clutches.
(Don’t even get me started on the threat of War Lords and conquering and how humans so quickly turn to fight each other as soon as the “threat” of dragons is eliminated).
Even on Toothless’ end, I can imagine he’s sending his own dragon parties out, searching for stragglers.
... and yes, Valka/Eret team up is a must. They were already Hiccup’s top scouters.