“Come on! You can do it!” I call out, my voice carrying on the wind.
Two young Night Furies perched on a rock ledge far above me, their scales gleaming in the sunlight. The breeze whipped through my auburn hair, scattering it across my shoulders. I looked up at them, while Nightstar shifted nervously beside me. Thunder Song, my Terrible Terror, gnawed contentedly on a fish at my feet.
“Don’t worry, girl. Dark Moon and Emerald are ready to fly. I know it,” I murmured to Nightstar, keeping my gaze fixed on the two dragons.
Dark Moon crept closer to the edge, sniffing the air. His big yellow eyes seemed to grow even larger with apprehension. Nightstar let out a distressed whine. I shook my head and sighed.
“If they can’t do it, we’re here to catch them,” I reminded her, knowing she worried more than she let on.
Nightstar snorted, pawing at her ear plate before bracing herself. Dark Moon took a leap, spreading his tiny wings. He plummeted for a heartbeat, squinting his eyes as his mouth opened slightly. The wind caught under his wings and he glided, flapping tentatively.
“Go Dark Moon! Good job!” I shouted, clapping my hands together.
Nightstar grinned and stomped her foot in celebration as she watched her son fly. She stopped, then turned to the second baby perched on the rocky cliff.
Emerald watched her brother, her big green eyes alight with curiosity. She took a step forward, claws scratching at the stone. Then, she too leaped off. The same initial drop as Dark Moon, then a surge of wind under her wings, and the two Night Furies zipped through the sky, flapping their wings with increasing confidence.
Without a word, I climbed onto Nightstar’s back. Thunder Song jumped up, still clutching his fish, and took off. Nightstar roared and launched into the air, swiftly catching up with her young offspring. We flew back towards the village, the sunset painting the clouds in fiery hues.
---
“Alright. We’ll make sure it’s ready,” I assured a Viking woman, my hands busy adjusting a stack of lumber.
“Thank ya, Chief!” she replied, hurrying away.
I wiped my brow, then brushed the sawdust from my apron. Even as chief of Berk, I still helped Gobber in the shop, taking orders and filling them. It had been three years now, and I felt confident in my abilities, though it was a different rhythm than dragon training.
“Headin’ home, Hiccup?” Gobber asked, poking his head out from behind the forge.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” I nodded.
“You could use some rest! You seem spaced out today, lad!” My old friend chuckled, but I didn’t return the smile.
Honestly, I *was* spaced out. My mother had been bringing up the same conversation nearly every day, and it was wearing me down.
“Hiccup, you really must think about what your future is going to look like. A young chief like you will need a successor one day,” her words echoed in my head. “I’m sure there’s quite a few girls who wouldn’t mind being your bride.”
I released a long sigh as I hung up my apron, offering a final farewell to Gobber before leaving the blacksmith shop. The Vikings of Berk were winding down for the evening, heading home and lighting torches.
I wandered towards the edge of the village, the perfect place to watch the sunset. People called greetings as I walked by, and I responded politely. I didn’t have the energy for much more.
My mind drifted back to the conversation with my mother that morning. I stopped, my boot tapping on the wooden dock for a moment before I let out a long breath, settling down next to the water. The memory flooded back.
“Hiccup, you really must think about what your future is going to look like. A young chief like you will need a successor one day,” my mother had said, adjusting the chairs around the dinner table. Cloudjumper watched her movements, her large eyes fixed on my mother’s. “I’m sure there’s quite a few girls who wouldn’t mind being your bride.”
I shrugged as I doodled in my Night Fury notebook, flicking a braid across my face absentmindedly. “Mom, I’m only twenty-three. I’ve got time.”
“That’s what they all say, but you can’t ever be sure in a world like this,” she countered. “Something could happen to you in a short time, then what?” She looked up at me, a small smile playing on her lips. “What about Astrid?”
“We broke up years ago. We’ve agreed that we’re better off as friends,” I mumbled, reciting the answer I’d given countless times.
“Ruff —”
“No.”
“Then what about Thora?”
My pencil paused on the page, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. Thora would be my choice, if anyone, but she wasn’t interested in marriage. Sure, we were already godparents to Dark Moon and Emerald, but that was all. Thora hadn’t shown any interest in getting closer, beyond friendship.
I, on the other hand… it was different.
“She isn’t interested,” I said.
My mother sighed. “Now, Hiccup, I don’t think that’s true. You’re very close with her, closer than anyone else. If you just brought it up…” She trailed off, noticing my discouraged look. “Oh… I know that you want to marry for love, but I do think that somewhere inside that reclusive heart of hers, she does love you, Hiccup. All you have to do is ask.”
Yeah, and asking was going to be terrifying. The last thing I wanted was her giving me the cold shoulder.
I heard the steady beat of wings as I left my reverie. My eyes fell on three black figures and one smaller one in the distance, instantly bringing a bright grin to my face. I scrambled to my feet and dashed off the dock, heading towards the nearest knoll.
Thora and Nightstar landed safely in front of me, while the two babies managed to stick their landings. Dark Moon rolled a bit, while Emerald landed on her head before somersaulting. She shook her head, looking adorably confused. Thunder Song took off towards the village, leaving his half-eaten fish on the ground.
Thora smiled, sliding off Nightstar’s back and taking a few long strides towards the young Night Fury. She knelt and brushed the dust off Emerald’s head, earning a loving look from both the dragon and me.
She had gotten prettier over the years, or at least I thought so. Her red-toned hair, usually braided, was loose today, falling in slight waves around her shoulders. She wore a purple headband, a black shirt, a brown skirt with studding, and leather boots. She also had a pair of shoulder pads and leather wrist guards. On her shoulder pad was a purple symbol, like my red one.
“What are you looking at?” she asked, getting to her feet and brushing her hands off.
I gulped and averted my eyes. “Uh… so, the kids learned to fly!” I said, changing the topic.
She arched an eyebrow but dropped the subject. “They did indeed. Nightstar was so nervous… it was kind of comical, really.”
“Who was first?”
“Dark. Emmy followed.” She scratched Nightstar’s neck as she looked around. “Where’s Toothless?”
As if on cue, my dragon dropped from the sky. He shambled up to me and planted a large dragon kiss on my whole body. I laughed and pushed him off, wiping off the spit. His self-flying tail fin shook as he wagged his entire body.
Toothless and Nightstar ran to greet each other as the little ones started to wrestle over Thunder’s leftovers.
“Did you learn anything new about them?” I asked, still wiping off the gunk.
“I did, a few things actually,” Thora replied. “Do you have the book?”
“Of course,” I said, pulling it out.
She smiled and grabbed both it and the pencil strapped to the cover. “Well, now we know that Night Furies are able to fly at around three years old,” she started writing, reading out loud as she went. I found myself smirking at the way her forehead wrinkled when she concentrated. “Also, they are curious creatures that attempt to understand new things they observe and are intelligent enough to attempt to recreate the actions that they see. Evidence of this is how young Night Furies watch their parents fly before actually attempting it themselves,” she finished, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.
“You’re so good with them,” I commented.
“Thanks.” Her lips twitched as she cast a quick glance my way. “At least I’m good at something.”
I frowned at the comment, but didn’t say anything. Since Vikings knew next to nothing about Night Furies, it was our job to document their growth. They were three years old now, reaching their parents’ shoulders. Thora did most of the work with them, considering I had the chief duties to attend to.
Thora took a long breath, her fingers fiddling with the pendant on her necklace—the one she never took off.
She had three more pendants, but kept them at her house for safekeeping. One had a yellow gem, another a dark green one, and the third was bright green. The original blue one was the sole remainder she wore. I had gotten the first three for her as Snoggletogg gifts these past three years, thinking the colors represented our Night Furies’ eye colors.
Dark Moon’s eyes were golden yellow, and Emerald’s were a slightly darker green than her father’s. The light green was for Toothless, since she already had one for Nightstar.
“Thora, look… uh…” I swallowed, feeling the dry, anxious sensation in my throat again. “Can we talk about something? It’s important.”
She gave me a questioning look, then nodded slowly. “Uh… sure. Nightstar will be fine with the kids.”
I forced a relaxed smile. “Awesome, so… come with me. And—” I took a short breath before exhaling. “And try to keep an open mind.”
She just nodded again, still looking utterly skeptical. This should go well.