Sorry for the late update! I've been busy and I changed the whole layout and time line for the rest of the story in the mean time. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Irena was immensely proud of herself for getting the whole island to give her parents the day off, but the day off was over now. It was the next day at breakfast. She and her siblings were sitting with their grandparents. Nova was sitting across from Irena. She was still a rather quiet girl, but she was opening up. She tended to hover around Irena, but it wasn't very bothersome.
Irena felt a presence behind her and didn't have time to turn around before someone kissed her head.
"Have we ever told you how sweet you are?"
Irena turned around in her seat to see her parents smiling at her. "Yes," They had on many occasions.
Lily and Linnea scrambled over to their mother to hug her.
"Well, we're telling you again." Hiccup replied.
"So you liked your present?" Irena asked.
"Absolutely."
Irena got up and hugged her father. "Even the chief deserves a day off sometimes. So do moms and dads."
"We love you guys so much." Astrid told the kids.
"We love you too." Irena told them.
Astrid kissed Irena's head and then turned back towards the table, hands on her hips. "Okay, where's my baby?"
"Mama! Mama!" Hic cried happily from his grandmother's lap, waving his little chubby arms towards her.
"He's been waiting patiently for you all morning." Ramona told her daughter, holding the baby out towards his mother. Astrid smiled and held him close. It was almost ridiculous how much she loved her children. Almost.
A few weeks had passed and things had fallen back into the pleasant cycle the Hooligans were used to. The temperature would hit its peak at around noon and then slowly cool down by night. Summer was ending soon and fall was fast approaching. Neither season stayed long on Berk because winter was the longest season. They had winter and then devastating winter.
On one of the warmer days, Nova left Evelina with Astrid for the first time ever one afternoon. Irena had insisted on Nova join her and Astrid had suggested Evelina stay and play with Hic and the twins, and Nova, though hesitantly, accepted. She felt lonely without Evie, but she supposed she couldn't have her baby with her all the time.
Irena sprawled out on the grass with her journal and pencil and Nova sat next to her.
"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just fly to the end of the world." Irena thought aloud.
Nova didn't say a single word.
"I guess it'd be kind of lonely there. No one lives at the end of the world." Irena mumbled, drawing the scene in front of her with the the steady hand and precision of someone who had spent years practicing.
"...that's good." Nova said, observing Irena's drawing.
"Thank you." Irena said, flushing a bit, drawing the distant sea stack. "My dad taught me how to draw stuff like this when I was little. He taught Mom too. They're better than me. He could show you too, if you want."
"No, that's alright." Nova said.
After a moment, Irena grinned into her journal. "Gabe has a crush on you."
Nova looked over at her friend in shock. "He does?"
"Daddy told me that Gabe told him that he thinks you're really pretty. He told me not to tell him that I know, but he didn't say not to tell you, so..."
Nova giggled a little. Gabe was ten. She was flattered, but he was only a little kid. Honestly, she was more flattered that he still thought she was pretty even though she was never very nice to him and that she had a baby of her own.
Irena smiled up at Nova. "You are very pretty, you know. I wouldn't be surprised if every boy on this island thought so."
Nova looked down. She doubted that. No one wanted someone used and dirty. Gabe was too young to understand.
"I think you're pretty." Irena said honestly, turning the pencil around in her fingers a few times. Nova had dark, curly hair, which if there was anything Irena ever wanted it was dark and curly hair. She liked having blonde hair, but dark hair might be nice.
"Thanks." Nova replied. She smiled back before something caught her eye on the horizon. "Is that... dragons?"
Irena turned her attention to the dark splotches. "I think so." There was a distant din of a dragon call. "Deadly Nadder..."
Another, louder, closer call came then. From behind them, and a yellow and blue dragon soared over them, towards the splotches. Stormfly.
"We should go find my mom." Irena said, closing her journal and standing up. "Come on."
Nova and Irena set off towards town.
"Mom?" Irena called towards Astrid, who had her back to her daughter, pointing towards the way Stormfly took off as she and Valka spoke to some villagers. Cloudjumper was close by, blinking owlishly at his surroundings.
Astrid whipped around.
"Mom, Stormfly went that way if you're looking for her." Irena pointed. "There were some dragons on the horizon, sounded like Nadders. She went towards them."
"Show us." Astrid said. Irena and Nova lead Astrid and Valka towards where Stormfly had gone.
Halfway there, Nova stopped. "Where's Evie?"
Astrid turned to the teenager. "I left her and Hic with Kristi. Don't worry, Nova, she'll look after her."
Nova twisted her hands into her dress anxiously. She hadn't trusted a soul to watch Evie ever. Astrid was the first person. She hadn't given Kristi permission. She didn't know Kristi that well.
Irena picked up on Nova's distress. "Mom, that's not... she's not your..."
Astrid didn't hear. "She's never just... flown off like this before for no reason."
"She went towards dragons, maybe they need help." Valka added.
"Maybe." Astrid sighed.
"I trusted you." Nova almost growled at Astrid, bringing everyone to a stop.
Astrid turned around, a little in shock.
"I told you that you could watch Evie. Not anyone else. And you left her with Kristi."
"Nova, I'm sorry. Really. But she was asleep and I didn't want to bring her along. Kristi was already over and said I could leave the kids with her for a few minutes."
Nova scowled, but said nothing else. Yes, it made sense, but she still didn't like it. She knew she should've brought Evie with her.
"I'm sorry, Nova." Astrid said again, before turning back around and starting off again.
"Kristi's really good with kids." Irena promised. "Mom would never just leave her with someone incompetent."
Nova bit her lip, but rejoined the little expedition to locate Stormfly. When they reached the clearing, they saw and unexpected sight: Stormfly was squawking at two young Nadders, one florescent green and yellow and one red and pink and they were talking back. There was another, smaller Nadder tucked under her left wing. Dark purple and deep blue with tiny flecks of yellow, like a night sky with stars. Nova gasped and hid behind a tree.
"These are last year's babies. They didn't stay, they left together." Astrid told Valka.
"Mm, I remember. Two males and a female, yes? And the littlest is the girl."
"Right." Astrid slowly approached the familiar, yet uncomfortable dragons and patted them both. They crooned and nuzzled her. She always spent time with Stormfly's babies and they always took to her quickly. She turned to Stormfly and stroked her snout. "Is she hurt, girl?"
Stormfly almost nodded and nuzzled Astrid sadly, crooning, before nuzzling the female yearling gently.
"Can we see? Maybe we can help her."
Stormfly lifted her wing and clucked sadly. The dragon was rather banged-up And her eyes were bleary and dull.
"Dragon fight." Valka said after scanning the three Nadders. "She got the worst of it, I'm afraid. I doubt they wanted any part in it. Probably stumbled into some other dragon's territory by mistake, poor dears. I've seen it many times." She looked up at Stormfly. "May I?"
Stormfly cooed and Valka skimmed her hand over the injured dragon. "She's bruised and needs to rest. And her wing needs to be bandaged. She'll heal though. It'll take a while, but she's young. She'll be alright. It's a miracle those two brought her her by themselves. We'll need to get her to the Academy. We can set her up in one of the larger stables so Stormfly can stay with her if she'd like."
Stormfly cooed and nuzzled at her baby, bringing the little dragon to her feet. She extended her wing and the dragon clumsily climbed onto Stormfly's back. Stormfly slowly made her way to the Academy without any instruction. Her sons clucking after her and the humans behind. Cloudjumper was proudly leading the way.
"Can I go home?" Nova asked Irena.
"Sure." Irena replied.
Nova ran off back towards home. Home. She hadn't had a home in such a long time. It was a nice feeling. But all she really wanted was her baby girl.
Irena followed her mother and grandmother to the Academy and helped fix up a place for the little dragon. Valka wrapped the little Nadder's wing and put a bucket of water near her so she wouldn't have to go far to drink.
Stormfly curled around her baby and draped her wing over her protectively.
"Well, since they'll be here a while, I guess they need names."
"Can we call her Midnight?" Irena asked, nodding at the severely injured female.
"I think that's perfect for her." Valka said, stroking Irena's hair.
"How about Rowan for the red one?" Astrid suggested.
Irena nodded enthusiastically.
"And Shamrock? For the green one?" Valka suggested.
Astrid nodded.
After a few moments, they left the little dragon family alone.
Nova was cooing to an awake Evelina in her lap outside. "How's the baby dragon?"
"She'll be alright." Astrid said. "I really am sorry about leaving her with Kristi."
"It's okay... it was necessary."
When Hiccup got home that night, Irena told him and the kids about Stormfly's babies.
"Maybe one of them will like you, little one. You like Nadders." Hiccup pointed out.
"Maybe." Irena smiled. Safira squawked and jumped into her lap. "Don't worry, I won't forget about you." Irena scratched Safira happily.
She'd like her own dragon to fly with.
"Cami saw them." Hiccup told Astrid quietly after a final check of the children assured they were all asleep that night.
"The pirates?"
Hiccup nodded. "They were... headed this way."
"To Berk? Why?"
He shrugged. "Who knows? But she thinks they're coming here."
Astrid looked out the window. "How long will it take them?"
"Two weeks? Three weeks, tops. I didn't want to say anything in front of the kids. I don't want to scare them, just in case it's wrong. The emergency plans are ready to be put into action in under a day. I'm having a meeting tomorrow. All adults and adults only. I need you to be there. To back me up." he put his hand up to stop her from interrupting. "We both know they won't listen to me until something drastic happens. You scare them." It was, sadly, true. The older Hooligans didn't like to listen to Hiccup much. Gobber, Valka, Astrid's parents, and Bucket and Mulch were the people he had come to rely on to help convince their generation to listen to him. It worked. Usually. Astrid was louder, more persuasive on occasion, and everyone knew she would defend Hiccup until the end of time and was capable of slamming someone into the ground without batting an eye, baby in her arms or not. It was good to have her as a back-up. It was best not to challenge or argue with her if you could help it. You'd probably loose if you tried.
She smiled a little smugly. "Good. That's my job."
"So you'll be there?"
"Of course, babe. I'll have to bring Hic, though." she glanced at the baby sprawled out on her legs, sleepily chewing on his fingers. The only child in the house not asleep.
"That's fine. Babies can come. They don't understand too much yet. Right, little guy?" Hiccup poked Hic's nose, making him giggle tiredly.
"Can you run me through the emergency plans again? Just so I know. So I can really back you up on this?"
"Of course." Hiccup stood up from the bed and dug out some papers before sitting back next to Astrid, who was rubbing Hic's back in a soothing, rhythmic patten to try to get him to sleep.
He'd run her through the plans as many times as it was necessary if it kept her and the kids safe. He had a rule she didn't really know about because he knew she'd protest it- All people under the age of sixteen must remain in the bunker, it was optional for those between sixteen and twenty, anyone older than fifty also had the option to remain in the bunker. The ill had a special room in the bunker. And all mothers of children under sixteen must also remain in the bunker.
Their kids needed one parent at least, in case anything were to happen. He knew Astrid loved the kids and would do anything for him, but he also knew he was his strongest supporter and the most willing to fight by his side. Both of the strongest parts of her would clash when she heard the rule, but it was for the best.
Dear Odin, he hoped he never had to put those plans into place. He never wanted his island in danger and he certainly never wanted his wife and children in danger.
But he would do whatever was necessary to keep them safe.
A/N: That's a lot to take in in one chapter huh? New dragons and a threat on the horizon. We'll learn the emergency plans along with the Hooligans.
What do you guys think will happen? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the future plot and of this chapter in general.
Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you next time!
~Pink