Epilogue
Five Years Later
Light footsteps peppered the wooden floors of the two story hut on a small, elevated island.
"Mommy! Kara pulled my hair!"
"No I didn't! Adaira is lying!" Two three year old girls ran into the dining room where a slim woman was standing at the stove. She wore a light brown pelt, high-low skirt with light tan fur around the edges. She wore a spiked belt and a green, shoulder sleeved shirt that barely made it to her toned, creamy stomach. A black cloak was fastened around her shoulders by a golden clasp and string. Her fiery hair was tied back into a long braid, and constellations of freckles lined her body. She stooped down and picked up the two girls, one in each arm.
"Now girls, A know A raised yah better than ta fight like this." Both girls nodded their heads and apologized to each other. "There. Now we can go visit Auntie Astrid and Kari while we wait fer yer da'." Both girl's eyes light up and they each grinned toothy grins. They squirmed out of their mother's arms and to the door. Merida smiled and ran after her daughters, who had already made it halfway there. She smiled at the petite woman in the doorway, her armor glittering in the sunlight and her golden hair tied back. As always, her bangs were still in her face. Merida wrapped her arms around Astrid and walked into the kitchen to see her two, tanned ginger daughters playing with a darker skinned, black haired girl with grey eyes.
"Hi Aunt Merwida!"
"Hello Kari." Merida said, ruffling the girls hair.
"Okay girls, go have fun. Don't burn anything this time." Astrid chided and the girls nodded before running up the stairs.
"So, how's Eret?"
"He's good. We're good. Actually, we're expecting. He says it's going to be a boy, but I feel it. It's going to be another girl." Merida laughed. Eret wanted nothing more than a son, if only to pass down his name, like that was going to happen. But that didn't keep Eret from loving his daughter, she was his princess.
"Did yah here about Ruff and McGuffin?"
"It's about damn time!" Astrid said, leaning back in her seat.
"Yer damn right." Astrid smiled at the woman sitting across from her. She took her in, the Chieftess of Berk. Mother of two, and one on the way. She nodded her head. Merida had done so much for Berk. She had helped them all mourn the death of Stoick. She created a better doctor system. She had made systems to help trade, she had made so much more contributions in daily life. It was funny. Berk needed Merida. It was hard to remember how Berk worked without her. More important than Berk was Hiccup. Hiccup couldn't breathe without Merida now that he had her, and the same for her. Thinking about her and Hiccup being apart was impossible.
The two went on talking, and listening closely when things got too quite. They were in the middle of lunch when the door opened, and two figures came through the door laughing. Eret, who now had a beard, and Hiccup walked into the room. Hiccup walked to Merida and placed a kiss on her cheek from his position behind her chair. She smiled as she tilted her head back to get a better look at the man. Eret rummaged through the cupboards.
"Hey hon, where's the-"
"Down two, over one. Farthest back."
"Thank you dear."
"You're welcome." Astrid said as Eret placed a quick kiss to her lips. Three pairs of feet were heard and three voices rang out through the air.
"Daddy!" The girls threw themselves at their respective fathers, who enveloped them in warm hugs and soft kisses.
"Hello my princess!" Eret said as he blew a raspberry on her cheek. Kari giggled and pushed his mouth away.
"Daddy! Stop!" The air was light and the conversations flowed easily. The children had long since went upstairs and the adults were left to themselves.
"So, Ruff's getting married, but what is Tuff doing?"
"From the letter from Ruff, I hear he's gotten himself into a serious relationship."
"What's her name?" Eret asked.
"Allester." Merida said as she took a sip from her cup. They men's eyes widened, but they nodded their heads.
"Well," Hiccup said, "I hope Tuff brings him home after Ruff's wedding. I want to meet him."
"From what Ruff says, he's really cool, but he's the complete opposite of Tuff."
"Isn't tha' what he needs though?" Everyone nodded and laughed. "Hic, how's Fishlegs' trip going?"
"It's going well so far. I got a message from him a couple days ago. I haven't really read it, but from what I did see he's in Norway right now. He says he's found a lot of new dragons, and that the book has at least doubled in size."
"Have you heard from Snotlout lately?" Astrid asked.
"Last I knew," Eret started, "he ran off with Heather somewhere. When they left she was getting bigger, I think she's pregnant."
"Mmm… A saw et commin." Merida said as she sipped from her cup again. Astrod let out a bark of laughter and shook her head. The conversations went well into the night. They lasted through dinner at the Great Hall and, while the girls slept, the adults still chatted. They talked about what was happening, what was to come, and what they wanted from the world. They talked about dragon riding, and how their dragons were doing. Bonnie was pregnant. Toothless was, of course, the father. They talked about who would get a baby dragon for the girls, if nature allowed. But mostly, they reminisced. Those of Berk would never forget Hiccup and Merida. They would never forget how they had changed their way of life. But most of all, the world would never forget what happened that year, the year of the Dragon Games.
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Alright guys, I hope you loved this story as much as I loved writing it. Leave comments, review it! Thank you so much for everyone's support. Thank you so much!
And if you want to read another story, I have one called Quest of the Guardians that you should totally check it out! Alright guys, I love you! Thank you so much
Love,
Tessa The Fandom Queen
