Last Sunday, my church pastor's wife passed away after a three-year battle with leukemia. Though I didn't know her as well as others, it was still very sad because she was an amazing woman. In her memory, I came up with this short one-shot. This one's for you, Diane!

If It's Time

This was never the way Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had ever imagined this moment. He'd always figured that she would depart for Valhalla in the midst of battle. She was strong, a fiery shieldmaiden, and fierce. Still, Chief Hiccup knew that his wife did not have much longer.

Astrid Hofferson Haddock, his Chieftainess, had grown sick and the illness had left her bedridden and weak. Hiccup and their son, Kennett sat by her bedside vigilantly, both hoping for a miracle. As the days stretched on, their hopes remained but they knew the possibility was wearing thin. Even the village healer was growing less and less optimistic. She continued to stop by the Haddock house a couple times a day with herbal medicines and remedies, but it never seemed to be enough for Astrid. What had started as a simple sickness had grown into a life-threatening illness.

Just a few days ago, the village healer had pulled Chief Hiccup and his 20-year old Heir aside to warn them that they should begin to prepare themselves for Astrid's one-way trip to Valhalla.

Kennett, usually a calm and gentle young man, had lost it, yelling out blame to the village healer for not doing enough to help and to the gods for even contemplating taking his mother away. Hiccup had remained silent, but he could definitely sympathize with his only son. He too wished the village healer could have done more and he did wish that the Gods would have planned a more heroic finish for his wife. He'd stayed silent, though. As Chief, it was not wise to let such feelings cloud his judgement.

Instead, Hiccup had let Kennett storm off to his bedroom and vent his frustrations in solitude. It had worked because the young Heir was much more silent and calm now as they again sat at Astrid's bedside.

Astrid's breathing was ragged and labored. Her hair was loose from its normal braid and lay spread across the pillow. Even with illness wreaking havoc upon her body, Astrid was still the most beautiful woman in all of Berk and the undiscovered worlds that Hiccup had not yet succeeded in finding. She looked like a fallen angel and that was one of the ways he would remember her. Hiccup pictured the fierce Astrid of their youth. He pictured the passionate leader who'd stood beside him as Chieftainess for twenty-five years. These were the ways that Hiccup would remember Astrid. He did not want to picture illness-weakened Astrid when he thought her name.

A soft knock on the doorframe caught Hiccup's and Kennett's attention. The village healer was back for her late afternoon visit. She had already prepared the medicine, but set it aside once she'd checked over Astrid.

"It won't be long now," she solemnly told the men. They did not even have to question her ambiguity; they already knew what she meant. "I will leave you all alone," she told the family, picking up the medicine bowl on her way out the door.

Neither Hiccup nor Kennett spoke. They did not know what to say. What do you tell a loved one who is dying? Hiccup did not know. His father had died instantly, leaving no time for Hiccup to say any last words. As for his mother, she was still around and probably would be for quite a while yet.

Kennett felt just the same. He'd spent so much time wishing and hoping and praying that his mother would get better that he'd never thought about what to say to her if she didn't.

Hiccup stepped closer to the bed and tightly gripped Astrid's hand in his own. Her skin was cool to the touch and that just made everything feel all the more real.

"Hicc...up," Astrid gasped, weakly opening her eyes. She tried to sit up but no longer had the strength or energy to will her body to move.

Hiccup was reminded of the time, almost thirty years ago now, when Astrid had come down sick with The Scourge of Odin. Back then, he had been so worried that they wouldn't find a cure in time. This time was different, though. No amount of Buffalord saliva was going to save Astrid from this.

"Shh," he gently shushed her. "It's okay. Save your strength." What little of it she has left, Hiccup reminded himself.

"I...I'm sorry. I tried...to beat this. I...really wanted to..."

Hiccup could feel the tears forming in his eyes. He refused to cry in front of Astrid though. He wanted her to enter Valhalla feeling fulfilled. If she were to see his tears, her last thoughts would surely be of guilt for leaving her two favorite men.

"It's okay, Astrid. You always were a fighter. This was just one battle you couldn't win." Hiccup took notice of the way Astrid's eyes were threatening to close. She seemed to be using a great deal of her remaining strength just keeping them open.

Hiccup squeezed Astrid's hand in reassurance; he had accepted this final outcome. "Astrid, I just want you to know that if it's time for you to go, I understand. This isn't goodbye. We'll meet again in Valhalla someday and feast together with the Gods."

Hiccup could feel himself choking up as he spoke. Luckily he remembered that their son was still there too, silently contemplating what to say to his dying mother. "I'm...I'm sure Kennett has some things he'd like to say."

Stepping back, Hiccup switched places with Kennett. The young man sat in the seat his father has just recently occupied. It hurt Kennett to see his mother like this. The only consolation to her impending death was that it would finally free her from her months long suffering.

With what little strength Astrid had left, she slowly raised her hand to brush away Kennett's bangs and run her hand down the side of his face. Kennett shivered involuntarily at her touch. When he was a little boy, he used to love when his mother would do this. It was a delicate sign of her affection for him. Now though, her touch lacked the warmth and feeling of the past; it was just the ghost of a moment that Kennett deeply cherished.

"Kennett...my only son...How you've grown. I almost...don't recognize...you anymore." She laughed weakly and the sound sent a painful twinge of sadness to the young man's heart. "You will...make an...excellent chief someday...just like...your father. I just...wish I could...be there to...see it."

Kennett looked down to the ground. He still didn't know what to say to his mother. "Mom," he spoke softly, his voice projected to the wood below him. "Dad said everything already. I-I'll miss you, Mom, but it comforts me to know that you won't be suffering from this sickness anymore...and that we'll meet again at Odin's table. If it's time, Mom, I-I can accept that." Kennett's voice broke a few times as he spoke, but, like his father, he did not cry.

Astrid smiled a weak smile. "Thank you," she told them both, her voice so soft that it was lower than a whisper. "I love you both." Her eyes closed one final time and her breathing stilled. It was time.

So, as I was writing this, I realized that my OC, Kennett, Hiccup's and Astrid's son has been in three stories now...and in all three, Astrid dies. I actually like Kennett and feel like I'd use him in more stories, but I don't want Astrid to suffer for it!

Anyway, I hope you all liked this little tribute to a woman that you've never met. Thanks for reading!