Chapter 21
~ Hiccup's POV ~

When the ship finally docked back on Berk two days later than the dragon riders, Astrid and I were below deck.
She was cleaning my chest wounds with the herbal solution that Solomon had prescribed.
It helped heal the wound and hide the pain, it was good stuff and some days, I very much wanted to overdose.

"You took a nasty gash from one of those furies. It's a good job Toothless dealt with him." She sighed as she dabbed more onto the highest wound before her eyes fell on mine.

"Yeah...he was strong that fury." I mused, my thoughts distant

"But you were stronger."

"I miss Toothless." I suddenly admitted. I had held it back for the entire journey and now we had crossed into home waters, I really felt something was missing.

"I know." Answered Astrid sympathetically, a sad smile crossing her lips.

"I want to cry myself to sleep some nights, but I have no tears left..." I mumbled weakly, burying my face in my hands like a turtle never wanting to leave the comfort of his shell.

She rested her forehead against mine.
"I know...but," she pulled my hands away and looked straight into my eyes. "The hardest part is over. Just take my hand, we'll get through this together. We always do."

I nodded slowly as she stood and she pulled me to my feet also.

I slipped my shirt on and together we went back up on deck.
A roar of cheers followed our arrival. Dragons swarmed above us and Vikings were waving signs saying 'welcome home!' And 'victory's won!'
Children were scattered around the port running and laughing and blowing horns to let everyone know we had arrived, if they didn't know already.

My mouth gaped open and Astrid laughed at me. "You didn't think you would get this, did you, fishbone?" She joked, punching me gently on my shoulder.

I ignored her and wordlessly rubbed my shoulder.
I didn't know what to think or what to say, I certainly didn't feel like celebrating tonight.

I leant on the ship wall and huffed deeply. Astrid stayed on my right and Eret scooted in on my left.

"So tonight...we can relax right? No people trying to kill us?" He smirked jokingly.

I chuckled. "Not that I know of."

"Personally, I just want to go into hibernation." Decided Astrid with dramatic groan and a tired yawn.

Eret looked over at the Great Hall that had been strung in celebration ribbons and streamers.
"Revels?" He asked with a questioning eyebrow.

I nodded with a smile. "The dragons are safe, and so are we, so yes. Revels."

Eret clapped his hands once. "Yes!"

"Don't get into too much trouble!" Giggled Astrid with warning.

"What trouble?..." Replied Eret with a cheeky smile, holding his hands up in mock surrender, before strolling away in the direction of Sonya.

I rolled my eyes just as the ship came to a halt and people started pinning her down in the docks.

The ramp fell onto Berk's shore and the war-tired warriors of Berk descended down to their families below.

When my feet hit the ground I had missed so much I received some rather painful but loving pats on the back and hugs from my fellow Berkians.

"Well done, Hiccup!"
"You done us proud, lad!"
"Thank Odin you're back!"
"You would have made your father proud, boy!"

Then I heard her calls through the crowds.
"Daddy!"

I turned around and around and pushed past people trying to reach her.
"Lucy!" I called, excitement in my voice and radiating through my body.

Then some Vikings stepped out of the way and I saw her run to me.
I opened my arms wide for the bundle of love to come. She flew into me and I clung tight to her small body.

"Daddy, Daddy! You're back!" She squealed gripping tightly to me.

"Lu, I missed you so much!" I laughed, cupping my palm around her head.
She giggled and sat back.
"Great Odin's Ghost!"

It took me a moment to remember that moment we had shared what seemed a life time ago in our little living room by the fire.
"That's it, lass, I'm back." I smiled.

She dug around in her belt pouch and pulled out the little piece of paper I had given to her too.

"I protected it, for you and all the Night Furies!" She squealed excitedly.

I gave her a sad smile. "You did a great job! But, Toothless, he's not coming back. He went to live with the other Night Furies." I sighed, kissing her head.

Her smile fell but she kissed me back and forced a grin. "Well that's okay. Toothless is happy now. He wasn't very happy being all alone was he? Now he has his family back, and I have my Daddy back." She said with a sparkle in her green eyes.

I held her close, I never wanted to let her go again.

"That's it, my little Night Fury. Everyone's gone home now."

~*~*~*~

A great party was held in the Great Hall that night.
I enjoyed myself and celebrated the time Toothless' and I had shared instead of grieving for the times we could have shared.
Lucy was right after all, he was home now.

I was sitting at one of the wooden tables under the colourful lanterns hung above us with Eret, Astrid, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Snotlout, Fishlegs and Sonya.
Lucy was asleep on my lap and Avril asleep on Sonya.
It was late into the night and the party was still in full swing.
Gobber and his fellow musicians were still playing loudly on the dance floor, Vikings were busting some moves and we were all watching in horror and suspense.
Anything could happen?

My mug was half full with ale and most of the group were drunk and on their fourth or fifth cup of ale now.

"Imma gonna train a Whispering Death and ride it to the moon!" Exclaimed Snotlout, leaning on my shoulder.

I laughed and shoved him off. "Is that so? I don't think you would get past the Great Hall in this state."

Snotlout shook his head. "Nope, Imma gonna ride it all the way up. He'll get up there quick as a bunny and we'll bring you back some cheese."

I smiled but Astrid knew I wasn't feeling the joke right now.
Not that Snotlout knew that as he was too busy exclaiming that he couldn't see his forehead.

Astrid took Lucy from me and said, "I'm turning in, any of you?" Fishlegs joined her and the three left the Great Hall.

I stood and said I was also going but, I wasn't going to bed.
I took a night walk up to the quiet cliff where I had shot Toothless from the sky a decade ago.

I stood on the edge and pulled my map from my suit.
It was battered and torn from the rough hands of the Skull-Hunters but it was still my map.
Our map.

I stretched it out and memories washed over me like the waves on the shores below.
I laughed to myself when my eyes fell on each place we had discovered.
So many moments we had shared on such a long journey together.
I could almost feel my dragon beside me sometimes. Hear his deep breathing, see his great green eyes glistening in the darkness, taste the stagnant stench of rotting fish on his breath.

I cried, and I laughed as each memory hit me like a tidal wave.
In my mind I could imagine him soaring as a silhouette across the black sky above.

Then I folded the map back up and again the night fell silent.
As if out of practice I roared like a Night Fury over the cliffs as we had practised so many times with the team.
My voice echoed over the empty cliffs and I did it again, my roar soaring like a dragon across the water below.

I felt satisfied and heart-broken that I received no reply but the echo of my own voice.

Toothless was really gone.

~*~*~*~
~ Six months later ~
~ Astrid's POV ~

I don't know why, but I had expected Toothless to return.
I think we all had.
The only ones who seemed to know that he was gone forever were Hiccup and Lucy.
They seemed to have decided that he would never come back.

Although when it was mentioned, I said I thought he wasn't coming back so I wouldn't raise any false hopes in myself or my family, but deep down, I think I knew that when we had left the dragon on Berdwick, it wouldn't be the last time we would see him.

It was always said we would travel to the Robin's Crest for a holiday and stay there so Hiccup could travel to the Isle of Night and he and Toothless could see each other again, but every time the matter was raised, Hiccup changed the subject.

He wasn't ready yet.

One day, when Hiccup and Eret were helping Lucy and Avril with their positions on the dragons, I strolled over to him.
"How's it going, you four?" I asked with a laugh, stretching upwards tiredly.

Hiccup hurried over to me and rested his hands on my waist.
"Don't move too fast! You might hurt him!" He ordered, being his usual nervous self.

I rolled my eyes and bent over to him.
"Hiccup...we have four months to go, besides, it could be a girl." I laughed, kissing his forehead and running a hand over my bump.

He stood up straight and rested his hands on his hips. "No, I'm sure this time. It's a boy."

"You said that about your daughter too, until the moment you held her. I don't trust your judgement."

He laughed and took my hand, pulling me over to Lucy who was sitting on Stormfly and Avril who was sitting on SkullCrusher.

"Look Mummy, look! I'm flying by myself!" Giggled Lucy as Stormfly did little hops and glided down again.

I celebrated with her, clapping my hands.
"That's fantastic!" I giggled, wrapping my arms around Hiccup's waist and leaning on his arm.

Hiccup rested an arm around my shoulders when Sonya came hurrying over to us.
"Quick! Come quick! Trader Johann is here!" She ushered in her excitement.

At her words everyone ran down to the docks, all except I and Hiccup as he insisted I should walk.

We strolled down to the port, hand-in-hand, in silence.
Lucy had skipped along with Eret and Avril so the only thing said was Hiccup calling for the crazy Viking to watch over his precious little girl.

"So we're back where we began." Hiccup sighed at last when we were just a few paces from the docks.

"Yup, so please, if there are any stowaways, tell the trader to keep them." I laughed, stepping onto the boat.

"I promise." Replied Hiccup with a cheeky glint in his eye as the merchant hurried up to us.

"Welcome Johann." Smiled Hiccup kindly, shaking his hand.

"Thank you, thank you, Hiccup, I am glad to be back!" He exclaimed vibrantly, he had much more energy than we.

Lucy hurried up to Johann.
"Mr. Johann!" She giggled, skipping in front of him with Avril close beside her, "Do you have any stories from your adventures?!" She gushed.

He knelt down in front of them. "Well lass, today, you're in luck! I was..."

I rolled my eyes and browsed over the goods brought to us.
"He's still a liar." I laughed.

Hiccup chuckled and picked up a pot of squid ink for his writings. "But a good one. When I was a kid I believed every word."

"I marvel at how he can make a story out of nothing...he spends way too much time by himself." I decided, watching as children surrounded him to listen to his dramatic tales.

Hiccup shrugged and glanced in the same direction. "All good stories deserve a little embellishment."

We watched as the Trader spilled all his silly stories of fighting mythical creatures and going to great lengths to secure each item so it had a story, then when he was finished he came back to us.

"Ah! Hiccup! I almost forgot! I have a gift sent for you."

Hiccup raised a curious eyebrow and we followed the merchant trader to another part of the ship below deck.
He pulled from a cabinet a small crate with a letter taped to the top and handed it to Hiccup with a smile.
Hiccup took it and struggled under the weight. "Thor, that's heavy!" He laughed awkwardly, nodding his thanks to the trader.

"Agreed. Well, enjoy." Said Johann, waving us off.

We left the ship after everyone else as that was the chief's duty and carried the mysterious box to the house.

Hiccup laid it on the dining room table and stared blankly at the cursive writing of his name on the letter.
He stood frozen still, just looking at it.

"Well, aren't you gonna open it?"
I asked at long last, Lucy and I anticipating to see what was inside.

Hiccup slowly nodded and reached out, pulling the letter from the top.

He opened it and read aloud.

"Dear Hiccup,
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write. I had no paper and we were last on Johann's list, I have been bursting to tell you everything for a very long time.

A few months ago, Erik and myself decided it was time to visit the Isle of Night. We sailed over and nervously arrived on the silent island.
Night Furies were everywhere, yet nowhere. They stayed hidden in the cracks of rocks and caverns away from the light, but then we attempted the Night Fury call you taught me. Toothless slowly emerged from an alcove in a rock, he was followed by a female.
He saw it was us and suddenly he was running against us and purring. He pushed us down the alcove and it was here we saw nestled in the rocks, a little Night Fury.
It was very small, born prematurely and was dying. His breathing was laboured and his heart beat was slow. We weren't sure what to do with him but Toothless had called on our help, so we took him back to The Crest with Toothless and his lady friend whom we call, Mara.
Solomon took him under his wing, pun-intended, and began the tricky job of nursing this little guy back to health.
We succeeded but, even with Toothless' and Mara's care, with one wing smaller than the other, little Jackdaw, cannot survive on his own.
He is very strong, a born warrior, but he is only small and easy prey. We decided Jackdaw would need a strong person to raise him.
Who better than Miss Lucy Haddock?

So, in this letter I have enclosed a selection of my best drawings of Toothless for you to add to your book, and one of his teeth on a leather strip for you to keep with you.

I hope all are well, just as we are,

All my luck with your gift,

Luca."

I was smiling but Hiccup simply finished the letter, tossed it aside and ripped the lid from the crate.

We all peered inside and there in the corner, was a young, little black Night Fury curled up in a ball fast asleep. Hiccup reached in and lifted it out.
Inside the box was a small paper with the 'the offspring of lighting and death itself' written on it in the same writing as the letter.

Hiccup hugged the little guy to his chest. "He looks just like Toothless..." He murmured with a sad smile.

I picked Lucy up so she could see the little'n yawn and wake, his green eyes shining bright.
Hiccup held his finger out to him and the baby snapped at it, his gums holding fast.

"Lively little fella aren't, ya!" Hiccup laughed, scratching his head.
Hiccup bent down to his daughter's level and handed him to Lucy.

"Here," he grinned, his daughter wrapping her short arms around the bundle, "he's yours."

Lucy's face lit up with joy and she cuddled him tight. "Really Daddy?!" She squealed.

"Yeah. Little Jack is all yours." Hiccup assured her, standing straight.

The child scurried upstairs, anxious to show him her room and make him a bed and feed him.

I took my husband's hands.
"Toothless ey, I never would have thought him the marrying type?" I giggled, coiling my arms around him.
Hiccup smirked.
He was trying not to show it but really, he was chuffed with Toothless' accomplishment.

"Good for him, he deserves it." He decided, wrapping his arms around me too.

"You ready to train a Night Fury all over again?"

"I'm not training him, Lucy is. I'm training her." He corrected, bopping me on my nose.

"Right. Are you ready? Daddy. Soon enough, you're going to be training more than one offspring." I chuckled, glancing down at my small bump.

He laughed lightly, his breath brushing softly over my face. "More ready than ever."

~*~*~*~

Thank you so much for sticking with me until the last chapter! I've  loved writing this and watching the reactions of my readers! Did you expect me to end it this way? Were you expecting Jack Daw? I've left the ending quite open so there's opportunity for you to create your own endings! More closure will follow in the epilogue!

Thanks again!

~ Httyd_2014 <3