Hello you guys,
I am really sorry, this didn't come earlier, but I got sick last weekend. But here it is now ;) Chapter 12 for you, enjoy it!
After a long and exhausting flight, the Berkians finally arrived home. There were many, that wanted to check on Zephyr, especially the gang, but Hiccup quickly told them off. His daughter didn't look like she wanted to greet and talk. She needed rest and that was understandable for everyone. Even Aris, her brothers, Leifur and Angela kept their distance. They wanted to greet and hug their friend earnestly but they too knew it was best to leave her be for now. She would come and talk to them when she felt ready.
So they went their ways and the Haddock family back into their house.
There was an awkward silence in the living room. Zephyr had excused herself and disappeared in her room with Fearless. Toothless let out a heartfelt purr, looking towards the direction that led to Zephyrs room. Astrid gave her husband a sad expression, which he quickly replied. Valka wasn't looking much better and Nuffink seemed completely off in his thoughts. Nobody was saying a word. A few moments later, they could her soft crying sounds.
,,This is worse than I've thought"! Hiccup dropped his shoulders and looked down at his hands ,,I thought she would be fine once she's home but...". Astrid let out a quiet sigh. ,,Well, it has been hard on her. She had been apart from us a week Hiccup. Probably looked up in a cage or something. It is the best, we just let her be until she feels better. Then we can slowly talk to her". Everybody agreed on that. Nuffink looked down and then back to his sister's door. He wished he could go in there and soothe her, but he too needed to wait.
In her room, Zephyr slowly stopped crying. Sniffing, she wiped her tears away. Fearless who was curled up on her bed, had his head rested close to her. Purring, he tried to soothe her. ,,I don't even know why I'm crying Fearless"! Zephyr sniffed again. And she really didn't know. Wasn't she supposed to be happy? Something just didn't feel right and it irritated her. Maybe she needed some fresh air at her favorite spot to clear her mind. ,,Fearless"? She whispered and his eyes went bigger. ,,Can you help me get out, without anybody noticing"? Fearless blinked at her, looked at the window and then back. Purring at her, he agreed. Nodding. Quietly, Zephyr opened her window so Fearless could crawl out first. Once he was out, she went after him, jumped down the windowsill and got on his back. Flying off together, nobody recognized they went away.
The wind that blew in her face as they flew was calming. It felt good on her skin. Oh how much she had missed flying. Zephyrs feelings had never been that agitated before. Sure, she had been troubled many times but this was different. She had been so afraid and yet she'd remained calm and stayed strong. Somehow she was so overwhelmed happy to be back home and at the same time, she felt deeply sad. She felt terribly sorry for Evan and couldn't help wishing he would have come with them straight away so he could live the life he deserved. It was strange. If she'd never met him, she wouldn't even feel bad about it but that wasn't the case. She'd tried so hard to get to know about him and his past and now that she knew, it tore her heart. His face just wouldn't leave her mind. The way he'd looked at her as she left. That expression of emptiness, sorrow and fear. He was suffering and she knew it. Zephyr felt almost as if it was selfish of her to just leave him there. Was it selfish? There were so many questions in her mind. How was he now? Would he be ok? Would he decide to come to new Berk and start over? From below, Fearless purred at her and Zephyr wiped her eyes again. Why? Why was she so troubled? Fearless wished he could help her ease the pain but he didn't quite know how. If he could do anything to soothe her, he would do it. He hated seeing her like that. He rather had her happy and bouncy as she usually was. Together they flew over the large rivers and lakes, past the waterfalls and up to their favorite spot. The upper cliffs. It wouldn't take long until someone of her family would notice that she sneaked away and come after her. Zephyr let out a sigh as she got down from Fearless. ,,Thanks bud"! She whispered, patted his neck and started walking closer to the edge of the cliffs. Standing there, Zephyr let her gaze wander. Her bangs and hair wafted softly in the wind. The view of the ocean was the best up here. The endless horizon. Sitting down in the grass, Zephyr watched the water glitter in the sun. The last bit of sun, that made it's way through the upcoming rain clouds. Fearless had come next to her and laid down as well. Nudging his head at her softly. With a smile, Zephyr led his head down on her lap to caress him. ,,Thank you buddy"! she told him once more ,,For being there. I don't know what I would do without you. You're my best friend Fearless"! On that, Fearless lifted his head and licked over her cheek slightly. Giggling softly Zephyr wrapped her arms around her dragon's neck. ,,I love you too"! Both smiled at each other but then Fearless turned his head to her bag. ,,Hm"? Zephyr followed his gaze. ,,Oh, wait"! She called and reached in her bag, taking out her Ocarina flute. Maybe she could play and sing a bit. It always used to cheer her up. ,,What do you say buddy? Should I sing grandmas song again"? Instantly Fearless opened his mouth into a wide smile and purred loudly. ,,Grandmas song it is then"! Zephyr mimicked her father jokingly. Soft and slowly, she started playing the notes. Fearless rested his head on his forelegs, dropping his eyelids relaxed. He loved to listen to her when she sang and played.
Back in the living room, Nuffink finally lost his nerves. It had become awkwardly silent. ,,Ok, I can't take it anymore. She's been in there for an hour now. I won't sit around doing nothing when my sister is feeling down like that. I gonna get into her room now"! He declared, getting up and walking to her door. Astrid had lifted her hand to stop him, but let him go anyway. In front of the door, he stopped. Hesitating a bit, he swallowed but then knocked softly. ,,Zephyr"? He called just as soft ,,It's me, Nuffink. Can I come in? I know you probably want to be alone but...I'm worried. I want to help you. We can talk about everything remember? So...can I come in"? No answer. A bit confused Nuffink frowned. ,,Uhm, are you ok? Zephyr"? Again, nothing but silence. That was weird. Normally she would always answer him or open the door. Maybe she was asleep. ,,I gonna come in now ok"? He called a last time and then opened the door. As soon as he'd opened the door to look in her room, his face fell in shock- There was nothing. No one inside. The room was empty and the window wide open. ,,Mom, Dad"! Nuffink cried and they came running instantly. ,,Zephyr's gone"! He called. ,,What"? Astrid hurried next to her son. Hiccup as well, followed by Valka arrived in the room. Looking around. It was indeed empty. ,,She sneaked out"! Valka looked at the windowsill. ,,Not again"! Hiccup declared, turning, ready to leave. ,,I go after her"! ,,Wait"! Valka held him on his shoulder. ,,Let me talk to her"! Hiccup turned to his mother. ,,What? But why"? Valka let out a chuckle. Sometimes, grandmothers can help too". Astrid crossed her arms and smiled at her husband. ,,Let her go after Zephyr" she went up to him ,,Maybe she's just the right person now". ,,B-but..I'm her father"! Hiccup stuttered, still not understanding ,,And what about you"? ,,What about me"? Nuffink interfered the discussion. Valka snickered through closed lips. ,,Now, now, I know all of us would like to go after her but this time, I would like to talk to her"! She went up to her grandson, lowered herself a bit and rested her hands on his shoulders. ,,You're such a wonderful brother to her Nuffink. You're growing up, I can see. You'll become a great Viking. Like your father and your mother"! A big smile spread on Nuffinks lips, as he lifted his head to his grandmother. ,,Thanks Grandma"! Hiccup let out a sigh. ,,Alright. You go this time"! Hiccup gave in, smiling as well. ,,I'll be back soon"! Valka turned and went out. With a whistle, she called her dragon and a few seconds later, Cloudjumper appeared in front of her. ,,To the upper cliffs my friend"! She told ease, Valka climbed onto her huge dragon and together they lifted up into the air.
Back on the cliffs, Zephyr started singing softly.
,,I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne'er a fear of drowning,
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me.
No scorching sun,
Nor freezing cold,
Will stop me on my journey,
If you will promise me your heart
And love me for eternity"
Zephyr stopped singing and let out a deep and long sigh. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea after all. Now she felt sad again instead of happy. Suddenly she felt two hands on her shoulders and a soft familiar voice continuing to sing the song.
,,My Dearest One, My Darling Dear,
Your mighty words astound me,
But I've no need of mighty deeds,
When I feel your arms around me"
And she got hugged from behind. Instantly a smile spread on Zephyrs lips again. All the worries seemed to lift from her. ,,Grandma"! And she turned around to hug her as well. ,,May I join you"? Valka asked softly. ,,Of course, you may"! Zephyr replied. Fearless heckled and jumped, happy to see Valka too. ,,Hello Fearless"! Valka chuckled and gave him a scratch. ,,Such a good boy you are, taking care of our beloved Zephyr"! ,,Mrrrooouu"! Fearless smiled openly. ,,I am glad to see a smile on your face again" Valka then started, as she sat next to her granddaughter. Right at that moment, Zephyrs smile faded again. Just as soon as it came. ,,I'm sorry"! Zephyr turned her gaze on her hands. ,,What are you apologizing for honey"? Valka asked her. ,,I...I caused so much trouble. I..I made you worry so much and...I am so sorry for that"! tears welled up in Zephyrs eyes again and she sniffed. ,,Aw, sweetheart"! And Valka pulled her closer into her arms again. Something told her, that there was more about it. ,,Do you want to talk to me about it all"? Valka asked and Zephyr thought for a moment. Maybe it was the best thing to talk to someone. ,,Can you..uhm...for now, just don't tell Mom and Dad and Nuffink ok? I don't want them to worry even more. I need to get this right on my own first"! Zephyr told her. ,,What are you talking about"? Valka blinked. ,,I am happy to be back home. Really...but" Zephyr wiped her tears. ,,But"? Valka continued softly. ,,I don't know why, but I feel terrible somehow as well". Now Valka started to understand slowly. ,,It's not just you processing what happened right"? Zephyr looked at her grandmother, pressing her lips together and blinking big tears away. ,,It's the boy am I right"? Valka hit the point and Zephyr started sobbing again. ,,Yes..I don't get it Grandma"! Zephyr sniffed ,,H-He...he was so mean to me at first. I couldn't stand him. He was rude and mean and snappy and snobby and such a dork. His mood swings made me furious but when I found out that he was Grimmels grandson, I got curious. I started questioning his motives. And as he locked me away, I realized he didn't really behave like a true villain. He gave me food, let me stay with fearless, he gave me paper to draw as I felt bored, he'd even let me out when I had asked him and told him, that I wanted to get some fresh air. I started wondering about him Grandma. I felt that there was something he was hiding. Sometimes he seemed so sad, so deeply hurt. And shortly before you guys arrived, we had a fight. He told it to me. Why he was so angry". Valka listened carefully, not once turning her face away. ,,His father blamed Hiccup for Grimmels death. He went mad, he snapped and abused Evan horribly as much as I could tell". ,,Evan? That's his name"? Valka blinked. ,,Yeah"! Zephyr replied and continued. ,,His mother got killed by his father. He got told lies all is life and he just grew up thinking Dad killed Grimmel and caused it all". Valka lowered her gaze. She'd heard a bit of the conversation that Hiccup had with Evan on the battlefield but she had no idea about his past. ,,Grandma, I feel so bad for him. I feel like I did a bad thing leaving him there. You should have seen the way he'd looked at me. So lost, so...so deeply hurt, full of sorrow"! Tears rolled down her cheeks again. ,,Don't blame yourself Zephyr. What happened wasn't your fault. You don't have to feel guilty of leaving him there, neither do you have to worry about the feelings you feel. You take after your father so much my dear"! Valka traced her fingers through Zephyrs bangs and then rested her hand on her cheek, caressing it. ,,Your father always had compassion with others. Even for those who threatened him. He was ready to forgive and make peace with every evil person he came across. Grimmel too". Zephyr sniffed again and wiped her tears away once more. Blinking. This made so much more sense now. Talking to her grandmother had been the best thing to do indeed. Now she finally felt her head clear up. She didn't have to worry about her feelings anymore. ,,So Dad had felt like I did too"? Valka let out a little chuckle ,,Oh yes he did. He might not have told you but I know. When he'd defeated Drago blood fist or Grimmel, he always had to process it and get his emotions right. That's just a proof of what a good heart he has. Just like you do". Valka smiled at her and Zephyr smiled as well. Finally feeling better. ,,Thank you Grandma"! Zephyr looked back to the ocean. The sun was soon about to set. The clouds got bigger and darker. ,,Do you think Evan will choose to come to new Berk"? Valka let out a quiet sigh and also looked out at the ocean. ,,I don't know darling. We will see. For now, don't worry about it anymore". Zephyr got to her feet. ,,Ok. Thank you again. I am glad I told you"! ,,You're welcome my dear. I am glad I could help by being a good listener". Together, they walked back. ,,Let's go home now. Who knows when the rain will start"! Valka told her as she got onto Cloudjumper again. ,,Hey Cloudjumper"! Zephyr greeted and the big dragon tilted his head at her. Smiling. Fearless waited until Zephyr was on his back and then swung up as well.
,,Oh dear, no"! Zephyr suddenly groaned in the middle of the flight. ,,How did they react as they found I sneaked out"? On that Valka suddenly started laughing heartily. ,,Oh well, you might guess they were quite shocked". ,,Argh, shoot"! Zephyr lowered her head and dropped her eyelids. ,,They wanted to go after you all at the same time. I told them I was going" Valka told her. ,,Ugh..I know they would do that. I am glad you came"! Zephyr smiled at her, shrugging her shoulders. Valka couldn't help but grin at her granddaughter. How much she and her father were alike. ,,I had a feeling you needed someone to talk to other than your parents and your brother" Valka replied. ,,Oh yeah" Zephyr sighed ,,As much as I appreciate Nuffinks concern. We're so close, as close as siblings can be but, I have caused him to worry enough already, I just didn't want him to suffer too". Valka nodded ,,I know you do". ,,And Dad" Zephyr opened her arms ,,He's done enough for me already. He looked exhausted enough. I just wanted to give him and mom a break". ,,You are selfless and caring Zephyr, these are very good and important character traits" Valka explained. ,,Yeah...Dad has told me about love and compassion many times when I was a child. I just hope they won't freak out too much when we're back". Valka shrugged her shoulders ,,It's on you to tell them"!
Arriving in front of the house, they got greeted by Hiccup, Astrid and Nuffink. ,,Zephyr"! Nuffink ran up to his sister. ,,Are you..". ,,I'm ok Nuff"! Zephyr interrupted him with a smile and hopped down. ,,I will tell you about it all later ok"? Nuffink just starred at his sister in confusion. She seemed so happy all of the sudden. Carefree almost. ,,Uh...sure" he replied a bit dumbfounded and followed her to their parents. ,,Mom, Dad"? Zephyr started ,,I am sorry that I caused so much trouble. I am sorry you had to worry about me so much. Also, sorry I sneaked away. I just needed some time alone but I am ok now. You don't have to worry anymore. I will tell you everything I promise"! Hiccup and Astrid shared looks for a moment and then lowered themselves down to their daughter with smiles. ,,Oh my dear"! Astrid hugged her ,,Don't be sorry. We are your parents and we will never stop worrying about you. We are just glad you're ok". ,,We aren't pushing you to tell us anything. The most important thing is, you are home, you're well and you're alive"! Hiccup caressed his daughters head. ,,Thank you"! Zephyr hugged both her parents. Hiccup lifted his gaze to his mother, nodding at her thankfully. Valka replied the gesture. Suddenly a loud purr interrupted the family and a huge black dragon shoved himself through to Zephyr. ,,Toothless"! The young brunette called joyfully and opened her arms. Just as quickly a long wet tongue slit across her face. ,,Argh, ew! No, no, Toothless"! Zephyr laughed. Now Fearless, Cloud and Skybreeze joined their father, cuddling Zephyr and knocking her over. Licking and nudging her. Snowflake had also walked up to give her some cuddles. Squealing and laughing, Zephyr wiggled and turned on the ground. Cloudjumper just sat next to Valka, watching the big bundle of fury dragons. He wouldn't do things like that. He after all, was the oldest. Zephyrs family watched in amusement as well. ,,Aaahrg, help me! Eeew"! Zephyr wiggled and pushed herself out of the bundle and wiped herself off, as she finally got free from the dragons and back to her feet. ,,You guys know this doesn't wash out"! On that Hiccup let out a loud laugh. ,,Believe me, they will never learn"! Now they all joined into the laughter as well.
It was then, that one after one, small drops of water fell down from the sky. ,,Oop"! Zephyr held her hand out ,,It's starting to rain"! ,,Then let's hurry inside. I am sure you could use a nice warm bath"! Astrid suggested. ,,Oh yes, that sounds amazing"! Zephyr cheered. A warm bath was just the thing she needed. After all, she hadn't taken a bath in a week and now she was sticky and slimy. Covered in dragon spit. Fearless pushed himself through the door, following Zephyr closely. Astrid gave it a laugh, as she saw Toothless, Snowflake, Cloud and Skybreeze already sitting in the living room. Now, the room seemed a bit full. ,,I think we could use a bigger house soon, Hiccup"! The called, looked around, shaking his head, he snickered. Hiccup loved the fact, that he and Toothless still stuck together like they had back then. Fearless and Zephyr were not one bit different. Cloud and Nuffink as well. Skybreeze and Snowflake just followed. Fearless would sleep with Zephyr and Cloud would sleep with Nuffink. Astrid and Hiccup had no trouble with it but a bigger house would be better in the future indeed.
Back inside, Astrid went into the bathroom to put water in the bathing tub and heat it. ,,I am glad you're better"! Nuffink told her and put his hand on Zephyrs shoulder. ,,Eeeh"! He quickly pulled it back, as he remembered she was sticky with saliva. Zephyr started laughing. ,,Did you just forget what happened"? Nuffink wrinkled his nose and wiped his hand on his legs ,,No, but I didn't think your shoulders would be covered too"! ,,Well, they left no spot" Zephyr snickered. ,,You mean Fearless and Toothless didn't"! Nuffink rolled his eyes ,,Cloud isn't that unrestrained. Skybreeze also". ,,But they did a good job on covering me in their spit"! Zephyr pushed her brothers shoulder slightly and he jumped. ,,Ew, get away from me. Uh...just until you bathed". After a while, Astrid came back into the living room. ,,Your bath is ready"! Zephyr opened her mouth and rolled her eyes up. ,,Finally"! Turning to her family a last time, she grinned at them.
Joyful, Zephyr went into the bathroom. She loved bathing. They had a big bathing tub made out of stone and wood. Big enough to fit the whole Haddocks in it. The room was already filled up by the fog that was caused by the hot water. Just as Zephyr wanted to close the door, Fearless stuck his nose in the room. Pushing his head under her arm. ,,Woah, Fearless, what"? Zephyr blinked. Purring in delight, Fearless went closer to the bathing tub and held his head over it. Sniffing at the water, curiously. Zephyr dropped her head to the side and let out a light laugh as she watched him. ,,Ok buddy, maybe I can let you stay, but you need to behave alright"? Fearless turned his attention back to Zephyr and opened his mouth, heckling. ,,I'm bathing now"! Zephyr called out, tilting backwards a bit. ,,Alright dear"! Astrid called back. ,,Dinner will be ready in an hour"! ,,Ok mom"! Zephyr closed the door. As soon as she turned around, her smirk got wider. ,,Phew they didn't see you get in"! Getting undressed, Zephyr climbed into the big round bathing tub. ,,Aaah, that's wonderful"! Zephyr laid back, swirling her arms slightly. Fearless watched her and the water with big round eyes. Standing on his hind legs, he had his paws on the edge of the bathtub. Zephyr opened her eyes again, smiling, she splashed a bit of water onto Fearless head. Instantly he shook his head a bit, wiggled his nose and then licked the water drops from it. Zephyr started laughing. Purring loudly, Fearless opened his mouth. Again, Zephyr splashed a bit on his nose. Shaking his head again, Fearless suddenly got on his hind legs more, pushing himself up, trying to climb into the bathing tub. ,,Aaak no, no, no, no, Fearless what are you doing"? Zephyr waved her hands at her dragon but he didn't stop. ,,No, no you can't get it the..."! Zephyr tried to push him off but he already sat on on the edge bathing tub, halfway. Faltering and slithering a bit. His right hind leg dropped but he pulled himself back up quickly and jumped into the water. ,,Eeek"! Zephyr let out a squeal and held her arms up to cover herself, as water splashed everywhere and overrun the edges. Roaring and laughing, Fearless looked at Zephyr. Blinking a bit taken off for a second, Zephyr eventually started laughing as well. Splashing more water onto her dragon. Fearless did the same, splashing his paws and his tail. The laughter got louder.
In the living room, Valka and Hiccup lifted their heads, as loud laughter and squealing, mixed with roars and purrs came from the bathroom. Astrid too, tilted her head from where she was standing in the kitchen. ,,What in the world is going on in there"? Hiccup let out a snickering snort, as a suspicion crossed his mind. Valka too couldn't help but smirk a little. ,,Hiccup, don't tell me she took the dragon with her in the bath"! Astrid dropped her wooden spoon and stomped to the bathroom, opening the door, she almost screamed in shock. From the scene in front of her, her mouth dropped. Zephyr and Fearless sat in the bathing tub together, splashing and laughing. ,,What are you..."! She stopped, as Hiccup, Nuffink and Valka came next to her to watch as well. At the same time, Zephyr and Fearless realized they weren't alone anymore and turned their heads. Stopping the splashing. ,,Uh oh.." Zephyr dropped her hands and Fearless lowered his ears, slimming his pupils a bit. Astrid crossed her arms. ,,What in the world are you doing? Zephyr! Taking your dragon into the bathing tub? Look at the mess, who's gonna clean that up later "? Astrid lifted her feet a bit ,,And you're causing a flood"! ,,Astrid"! Hiccup snickered, trying to calm her but Astrid looked back up. Remembering how bad Zephyr had felt just a few hours ago. Seeing her with Fearless in the bath, was also a very amusing and funny picture. Snickering as well now, Astrid dropped her head. ,,Alright, alright. Continue. But don't flood the whole house alright"? Smiling widely Zephyr nodded. ,,Err, I'm in my room again"! Nuffink turned ,,I didn't see anything"! Hiccup winked at his daughter and closed the door again.
After a while, Zephyr stopped splashing and Fearless did after her. ,,I need to wash myself now"! She told him and grabbed the shampoo and the soap. Fearless stayed in the bathing tub and watched her. ,,You really are enjoying this bath don't you"? Fearless roared at her. After Zephyr was all cleaned and washed, she took some of the foam and blew it up. Fearless watched the soap cloud fly and then bit into it. Quickly he realized it didn't really taste nice and stuck his tongue out. Zephyr laughed again. ,,You're not supposed to eat it! Here"! And she started taking the sponge and the soap and rubbed it on Fearless head and neck. Instantly his pupils went wide and he started purring loudly. He loved being washed. After some time, both were squeaking clean. Fearless got out of the bathtub and sat next to it so Zephyr could pour clean water over him. Taking some towels, Zephyr wrapped herself up and started drying Fearless. His scales were shining now. ,,Oh look I polished you"! Zephyr giggled ,,You've never been cleaner"! ,,Wrooow" Fearless started hopping around. Splashing the water that was still on the ground. ,,Ooof, we need to dry the ground". Zephyr took the mob that was standing in the corner and started drying the ground as far as she could. Finally finished, Zephyr opened the door again. ,,I'm done"! She called, walking into the living room. Fearless after her. Heckling proudly. ,,Goodness, Fearless, you're shining"! Hiccup laughed. ,,Looks like he got polished"! Valka joined in. ,,Yeah, he's never been cleaner" Zephyr patted her dragons cheek. ,,Well, I used to take Toothless into the bathtub as well, and since Fearless takes after his father that much, I doesn't surprise me he jumped into the bath with you". Valka snickered ,,Fearless isn't the only one who takes after his father that much"! Her gaze fell on Zephyr and she smiled. Hiccup too smiled at his daughter proudly. ,,Dinner is ready"! Astrid called and started to place the food on the table. ,,Nuffink"! She called and soon after, the door of his room upstairs opened and he came down. ,,Oh"! Zephyr jumped ,,I get dressed quickly"! Rushing in her room, she disappeared again. ,,Uh.."? Nuffink followed her with his eyes and opened his arms. ,,I guess she's back"!
On the dragon hunter island, Evan was back in his house. Leaning over his table, he tried to process what had happened. His head was spinning. With empty, glassy eyes, he just stared at the table. He felt empty, almost numb. Like he got hit by a rock. Everything was falling apart. He had lived a lie, his whole life was a lie. The only men he had held responsible for his cruel fate had just turned out to be the nicest and merciful human being he'd ever come across. What was he supposed to do now? Now that everything was gone? Everything was taken from him. He had nothing. It was this cold bitter truth, that made everything even worse. The things his father had done. All the pain was crashing over Evan like a wave. Almost dizzy, he tumbled to the door and went out. Cloud watched him, worried. It was dark by now and it was raining. Driven forward and without even thinking, Evan walked towards the beach. He didn't care for the rain, didn't care for anything anymore. The pain got worse. He tried so hard to not think about it, to stay numb but it wouldn't work. He had no idea why he was even walking outside. Shortly before the water, he stopped. The ocean was wild and stormy now. Waves crashing against the shore, mixing up with the rain and the wind. Evan just stood there, his gaze far out. All the memories flooded him, the pain the sadness, the sorrow, everything filled him and overrun him now. The wall he'd build crumbled down and he just let his feelings overtake him. Shaking, Evan opened his mouth to let out a heartbroken, sorrowful scream. His scream went over to loud sobbing and crying and he dropped to his knees. Crying loudly, Evan dug his fingers in the stony ground, trembling and shaking with every sob. The rain was getting stronger now, soaking his hair and his cloth. It hurt, he was hurting so bad and nothing seemed to stop it. Never before had he cried like that but he couldn't take it anymore. He was so tired of everything, so sad about everything.
Ghost had followed Evan, he wouldn't leave him alone. Sniffing around, he lifted his head. He had heard him. His scream. Running to the beach, he stopped. He'd spotted his owner. A deep sadness filled Ghost as he spotted Evan on the ground, crying and sobbing uncontrolled. He'd never seen him like that ever before. Walking up to him carefully, Ghost spread his left wing over Evans' head so the rain wouldn't hit him anymore. Sitting down next to him, Ghost let him cry and then nudged his head on him, purring. For a few seconds, nothing happened but then Ghost felt Evan wrap his arms around his neck. Purring even deeper Ghost rested his head on Evans back, closing his eyes. I'm here for you.
Moments that felt like hours passed until Evan stopped crying and went totally still. He still hugged Ghost. The white dragon let out a questioning purr and Evan let go of him. Lifting his head to look at his dragon, Evan put his hand on Ghosts head and caressed over it. ,,Thank you Ghost"! He muttered in a hoarse voice. Instantly Ghosts pupils widened. Evan had never been like that to him. Putting his head under Evans' arm, he helped him up. Both were dripping. ,,Come on, let's get back inside. I don't want us to catch a cold"! Evan sighed. He had a lot of things to consider.
After everyone had eaten, Zephyr started telling her parents and Nuffink everything that had happened and how she felt. They all understood. However, Nuffink didn't really seem to like the idea of Evan coming to new Berk. Not because he didn't begrudge Evan a new life but because he didn't trust him. And most of all, he couldn't forgive him that easily. He didn't quite understand why he sympathized his sister, but as long as she was happy, he didn't care. The day ended quickly and Zephyr went in her room. Getting under her blanket. Fearless had laid himself down close to her. A knock on the door made her look up again. It was her mother. ,,Mom"! Zephyr lifted herself up a bit smiling. ,,Hey honey"! Astrid walked up to her daughter and sat at the bed. ,,How are you feeling"? Zephyr still smiled. ,,Way better mom. I was a bit confused like I said earlier. It was good to talk to grandma. I know Evan is the grandson of Grimmel and all, but the way his life had turned on him until now was just not fair. Nobody should suffer like that". ,,I know sweetie but sometimes we cannot do anything against it" she caressed her daughter's hair. ,,Evan is a good guy, I know. He's just scarred and hurt. He deserves a good life. I really hope he'll take dads offer" Zephyr relaxed, as she felt her mother starting to braid her hair for the night. ,,I do too. Everybody deserves a second chance. If he's willing to turn his life around, then yes". ,,Mom"? Zephyr asked her ,,How did you fall in love with daddy"? Astrid's mouth curled up into a smirk. ,,Well, it all started with Toothless"!
Music used for this chapter:
for the dancing and the dreaming cover by Erutan - (for Zephyrs flute and the first few strophes)
Cheerful Celtic 0:00-3:28 or just the first two minutes :) ( Zephyr bathing with Fearless)
Celine Dion Ashes - Evans sorrow (the second strophe and refrain for the breakdown)