Hellooooo everybody! Guess what guys: I'm turning 24 on Thursday! SAY WAT. Man, I'm getting old. Also, January is almost over. Where the heck did it go? 2017 is already under way and we've still got LOADS of story to tell. Yippee!
To my wee precious Guest reviewer who wants The Rebellion, that story is still in "production" if you will. Hiccups is not quite to the halfway mark so we still have a long way to go until it's time for TR. I'm super excited that you're excited, but we still have LOADS of progress to make before we can move onto TR ;)
I'm actually going to hop right into the next chapter tonight bc, as you will see at the end of this chapter, the coming scenes are very crucial to the rest of the series and I cannot wait to write them. Hehehe
Love you guys! Thanks for all the great reviews and PMs. Have a Happy Valentine's Day if we don't see you before then! :)
~Em
Chapter Twenty-One: Homecoming
A wise man once said, "Time flies when you're having fun." Well, that old man could zip it because these last two weeks sucked.
At least, that's what Fearless Finn thought as he slowly rolled out of the bed he'd occupied for a better part of the month. In all his life, he'd never known such exhaustion, physical pain, and serious boredom.
Occasionally he could still feel the ghostly pain of Ratri's beatings, even though the scars from his frightening past had healed long ago. But the grueling hours of recuperation from a stab wound? That one takes the cake.
Finn sighed, glaring down at the white strips of cloth still wrapped around his waist. Gathering his willpower, he looped his arms through his shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. He'd almost finished the minor task pain-free until he made the mistake of jerking his shoulders back and a sharp pain lanced up his side.
"Ow. Gods," Finn whispered, a hand at his side.
"Careful or you'll bust a seam! You'll dirty the sheets!"
Finn rolled his eyes, unsurprised that Inga was watching from the doorway with a smirk. In the last weeks it had been her duty to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't get sick or do anything stupid.
"Inga, as much as it pains me to tell you this," Finn teased. "I am going home today and I daresay you will not see me around here again for quite some time. I could very well be putting you out of a job."
Inga snorted. "Oh sure. Knowing you, you'll be back tomorrow whining for pain relievers." She sauntered into the room, donning a large frown and a hand pressing against her ribs. "Inga, my side hurts again, do you have any tumeric paste?"
"Ugh, I have had enough of tumeric paste for one lifetime." Finn grimaced.
"Inga, what am I going to do without you?" She pressed on, ignoring his glare. "I've become so accustomed to sitting on my rear all day, what am I supposed to do with my life? I think I've lost my sense of purpose!"
"HEY!" Finn abruptly stood. He just barely stopped himself from lunging after her as she danced away on light feet. "That is so rude!"
Inga cackled from the doorway. "Come on, redhead, let's get out of here."
Finn bit back a goofy smile, unsure why she'd suddenly started calling him "redhead". He supposed it was an improvement from words like "idiot" and "stupidhead". Was insulting one of Inga's love languages?
He strode out the door, not sparing the room another glance. He was leaving this place and he did not plan on returning.
The last few weeks had been rough. It had taken days to be able to sit up again, and even longer to stand and move around without feeling faint. Those days had been long and painful; despite Inga's jesting, he had to admit that those days had been the hardest. For most of his life, he'd always gotten up at the crack of dawn for an early-morning workout with his dragon, followed by a long day of working his body into a sweat with work and training. He'd never felt lazier and more useless than in the last two weeks.
He found Mara standing by the door with crossed arms. Her expression made Finn mentally prepare for a lecture that he'd not soon forget.
"Now Finn," Mara began, ignoring Inga's smirk from beside them. "There will be no working, no exercising other than those few strengthening exercises I have given you, no rough housing with the boys, and absolutely no flying. If you feel any pain or sickness outside of the norm, you will contact me as soon as possible. If I so much as hear a word of any of the above, I will find you and put you back in that healer's bed until you can move freely with no pain whatsoever. You will be here for another month. Do I make myself clear?"
Finn nodded adamantly. He'd do anything to keep from returning to this place anytime soon.
The healer sighed and she patted his arm suddenly, her sternness evaporating into something softer. "I'm glad to see you leave." Finn smiled, his heart swelling a little. "I don't think I can stand anymore sass."
"Hey, I was keeping you entertained."
"Well of course," Inga elbowed him in the arm. "Anyone on that many drugs at one time would be entertaining."
"Careful, I might have to come back for more later."
Mara rolled her eyes. "Do not come back to my home unless you need to, Fearless Finn."
Finn grabbed the door handle, but couldn't help adding: "But Inga's here."
Inga's face flushed and he couldn't help the grin. Mara shooed him out the door and he bid them goodbye before Inga could come up with a response. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Finn surveyed the village. Villagers milled the street despite the early hour and many smiled and waved at him as he finally left the healers.
It felt amazing to be outside, to feel the heat of the morning sun on his head and the gentle breeze blowing against his hair. Mara had been generous and allowed him to walk outside a little bit the last few days, but it had only increased his hunger for freedom. He hoped he'd never be bedridden again.
He bit back a gasp when he got too excited and moved too hastily. Ignoring the impulse to put a hand on his side, he clenched his jaw and kept walking. He still tired easily and wouldn't be able to exert himself for probably a few weeks yet.
"Finn!"
Looking over, he saw his dad and Toothless walking toward him. He smiled and allowed Toothless to sniff his side, probably checking how much pain he was in. The Night Fury warbled at him, his fishy breath blasting his hair out of his face.
"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm glad to be out too!" Finn furiously scrubbed the dragon's scales behind the ears, making him purr.
"Someone missed you, it seems." Hiccup grinned at the exchange. He clapped his son on the back carefully. "You're out already. I didn't think you were leaving until later."
"Are you kidding? I wasn't staying there any longer than necessary." Finn grumbled. He took another deep breath of salty sea air and sighed. "It feels so good to be outside."
His father smiled, clearly excited to see his son finally out of the healer's. "Your mom is still at home. We were going to pull down a bunch of stuff from the attic, see what we can find for your sister. But you can stay outside for as long as you want."
Finn shrugged. "At this point, anything sounds good."
An excited growl caught his attention and he straightened, turning toward the sound. His beautiful Shockjaw hurtled toward him at top speeds and Finn threw out his arms to accept the hug. That's when he realized his terrible mistake and he gasped, bracing himself for the world of pain he was about to land in.
Without warning, Hiccup ran out in front of him and stretched out a hand. "Zap, wait!"
Zap slammed to a halt, her claws digging long streaks into the ground. She slid for the last few feet until her nose was a mere inch in front of Hiccup's hand. She stared at it, seemingly mesmerized.
Finn blinked in shock. His dad still surprised him sometimes, even after his entire life around dragons.
Hiccup stepped closer, gently resting a hand on Zap's snout. "Zap, you have to be careful. Finn's still injured. You have to be gentle. Okay?"
Zap stared up at him before looking at Finn. She began to dance in place in excitement, but when the Chief stepped aside she merely trotted forward and pushed her face into his arms.
"Hey, baby girl!" Finn laughed, but couldn't help the slight burn in his eyes. He'd missed his dragon more than anything these last few weeks. Zap whined and pushed into his chest farther, making him step back to keep his balance. "It's okay. I know, I know."
"Easy, Zap." Hiccup warned.
"It's okay, dad. I'm okay." Finn rubbed her scales and kissed her between the eyes affectionately. "Thank you for taking care of her."
His dad smiled gently. "The first week was rough. She wouldn't leave that window…"
Finn remembered the first day he'd been allowed to walk around his room. The first thing he'd done was hobble to the window and look out at Zap, lying in the hot sun with nearly opaque scales. Zap was the first Shockjaw they really had any knowledge on, but they'd learned a few things about the creature in the last few weeks. Now they knew what happened to depressed Shockjaws that refused to eat and avoided water for a week.
Thankfully when she'd seen his face appear in the window, she'd snapped out of her stupor and nearly run to the window. They'd pressed their faces against the glass, and he'd made faces at her until she howled into the air like she always did. By the end of that day, she'd nearly eaten an entire bucket of fish and spent the entire evening swimming in the ocean. Apparently all she'd needed was to see that her boy was okay.
"Still kinda dry, Zappie." Finn noted the dry scales flaking under his fingernails. "I'll have to lather you up with some fish oil."
Zap's head snapped up in excitement.
"Yeah? That sound good? Who's a good- ow!" Finn gasped.
Hiccup frowned. "Alright?"
"Fine, I just keep jerking around too much."
"We should get home. I don't want you overexerting yourself."
"I'll be fine, dad!" Finn whined. "Don't make me go home yet."
"You're still weak, Finn. There's no riding home on Zap and home is still a long way away." Hiccup reasoned. "If you walk around the village for too long and then have to make the long trek home… You're going to regret it. "
Finn sighed heavily, staring longingly at the village. He just wanted to run and be social without laying around in bed anymore. But his dad was right; the walk to their house alone would wear him out. Plus if he got stranded in the village and couldn't make it one, he'd have to go back to Mara's for another night. That simply would not do; he was never going back to that place. "Alright, fine."
"Atta boy." Hiccup slung an arm over his shoulder and led him through the streets, both dragons guarding their sides. "I know it's been a rough two weeks, but we'll do our best to make sure you aren't bored out of your mind."
"Mkay."
Finn was grateful he had been allowed to leave the healers so soon. Two weeks to get back on his feet from a stab wound? That was remarkable progress; even he was surprised. Mara and Inga and Heather had done good work to keep him in proper health. But he couldn't help the despondency rising up in his chest. His mind and soul said, "go, go, go" when in reality, his body was saying, "no, no, no."
Hiccup squeezed his shoulder. "One day at a time, kiddo."
"Yeah."
A typical walk from Mara's to the Haddocks home was about fifteen minutes. It seemed like the time it took to leave the village had doubled. Finn realized two things on this arduous walk. One, his dad had never been more right. He was ever so thankful he'd gone straight home. He wouldn't have made it there if he'd dilly-dallied around the village for hours. And two, it was embarrassing how easily exhausted he was now.
They had to stop at least three times on the walk home for him to rest. He could feel the exhaustion weighing on his body as if he had metal limbs. Once again he was glad they lived outside the village because this was embarrassing!
"I… hate… this." Finn panted, forcing himself to keep walking. Finally they could see the house in the distance; the dragons had darted forward and left them in the dust. His father could easily outwalk him and he had a freaking peg-leg. This was ridiculous!
Hiccup, however, was very patient and encouraging the entire time. Except now he was looking at Finn like he'd grown a second head on their travels. "Maybe we should-"
"I am NOT stopping now."
"Finn, your face is turning red."
Grinding to a stiff halt and ignoring the sharp pain it produced, Finn glared at his dad. "Don't coddle me."
Hiccup gave him a level stare. "I'm not coddling you. You're tired and don't have the physical strength you used to from blood loss and healing, and I know that frustrates you. But you have to give your body the time to heal or it will take even longer for you to regain that strength."
"I know!" Finn growled, stomping toward the house again.
His father matched his gait wordlessly, seemingly expended all his pep talks. Finn didn't even know why he was suddenly so crabby, but the house still felt so far away and the sun was hot and his legs felt like iron blocks-
Black spots danced in his vision and he stumbled. A strong hand grabbed his arm and he suddenly felt himself eased to his knees. He blinked away the spots and suddenly saw his dad crouched in front of him, patting his face.
"Hey, kiddo, stay with me."
Finn blinked, realizing that he must have started to black out. He sighed in defeat. "Sorry."
"Finn, do not apologize. You did nothing wrong." Hiccup stated calmly. "But you know this is why you have to be careful, don't you?"
Finn nodded, wiping the sweat off his face.
"Okay." Hiccup studied his face with worry. "Do you think you can stand?"
He nodded again and allowed his dad to help him back to his feet. His knees wobbled a little bit, so Hiccup firmly slung Finn's arm around his shoulder and kept him steady as they finished the short distance back to the house.
The front door flung open and his mom hurtled down the porch. "I saw what happened from the attic window! Is he okay?"
"He's fine; just hot and tired." Hiccup assured her, helping him up the stairs and inside the house.
His dad helped him into the comfiest chair in their living room and Finn heaved a great sigh. "Now I know what Benen felt like."
His parents laughed, sharing an amused smile.
"I'll get you some water." Astrid said, marching to the kitchen.
Finn couldn't help the contented sigh that escaped him as he relaxed into the chair. He hadn't been home in weeks and now that he'd returned, he finally felt like he could relax without some healer hovering at his side. Finn looked around the cluttered living room, surprised at the amount of boxes on the floor. He honestly didn't know they'd had so much stuff in the attic. He wiped his face on his sleeve once again, frowning at the weight of his arm.
A cup of water was held out to him and he looked up at his mom in surprise. "Oh, thanks." He bit back a scowl at the way his hand shook, but he managed to drink the entire cup without spilling. He nearly hated the way his parents were watching his every move like he might slip into unconsciousness at any moment, but they had every reason to worry. He'd just almost passed out in their front yard after all!
Finn rolled his eyes. His pride would be the death of him, one day.
"When do you guys think is a good time to start getting baby clothes?" Adrianna's voice suddenly wafted down the stairs, followed by her small footsteps. "Should I start collecting now or wait til the last-" She stopped at the bottom of the steps in surprise. "You're home!"
He nodded with a wan smile. "More or less."
"Gods, you look…" Adrianna winced. "You look awful."
"Addie!" Hiccup whispered.
"Well he does!"
"I feel awful to be honest." Finn winced, feeling pretty sick overall.
Astrid reached out to feel his forehead and he turned his head out of reach with a raised eyebrow. With a stubborn smile, she snatched the cup out of his hand to refill it.
"I'm okay, I'll just lounge in this comfy chair for a while." Finn sighed. "Nothing sounds bett-" He froze, his eyes on his sister's stomach. "Holy crap, did you swallow a melon?"
For the first time in months, he was seeing her in an item of clothing that wasn't long-sleeved or baggy, meant to conceal her pregnancy. Because of the rising summer heat, his sister was wearing a loose tank top with a pair of comfy pajama pants. Now her stomach was a perfect little baby bump, which turned Finn's head in on itself.
He'd known for a while now that his sister was having a baby. She'd come to visit him countless times while staying at Mara's and he hadn't noticed a thing. But now it was obvious: his sister was visibly pregnant.
Adrianna stared open-mouthed at him before looking down at her belly. "NO! It's not THAT big!"
"You weren't that big two days ago!" Finn insisted, turning his head side to side in the attempts of a different view. "It's huge!"
"Oh honey, if you think it's big now, you've got a whole other thing coming. Things are just getting started." Astrid said, handing him the second cup of water.
"Hm." Finn said, eyes still on his sister's belly even as he drank.
Adrianna rolled her eyes. "Do you want to feel it like everybody else?"
"What? No!" Finn cried indignantly.
"Good because I'd say no anyway."
Finn raised a critical eyebrow. "Who else touched… felt... Who else."
As he found a seat on the couch, Hiccup laughed. "I swear, Astrid, he's more awkward than I was."
"Hiccup, nobody in the history of mankind was, is, or ever will be as awkward as you."
"Hey!"
Finn laughed into his cup before forcing himself to stop. He couldn't even laugh without feeling pain!
Adrianna took a seat next to their dad on the couch. "Cliff, Taryn, Helga. Well, and mom and dad obviously. And Erick…"
The way she tapered off and bit her lip at the addition made Finn roll his eyes long and hard. They were such dorks, it was painful.
"Hey, don't judge me. I heard all about your endless flirting with Inga."
Finn ducked his head. "Dunno what you're talkin' about."
"Come on, kiddo, everybody knows at this point." Hiccup smirked.
"So?"
"So are you going to ask her out?"
"Are you out of your gourd?" Finn erupted, the idea sending fear bursting through his stomach. Or maybe that was the injury. "Snotlout would kill me!"
"Not necessarily." Hiccup amended.
Astrid snorted. "I'd love to see Finn duke it out with Snotlout for Inga's hand just to see a Haddock finally whoop his behind."
"I will not be whooping anybody's behind, let alone for Inga!" Finn exclaimed.
"Why not?" Adrianna asked teasingly. "You don't like Inga?"
"I never said that!"
"So what's the big deal?"
"Uh hello? This is Inga we're talking about."
"Duh, who'd you think we were talking about?"
"She's thirteen!"
Their parents amusement slipped off their faces and realization dawned on them. "Oh." Hiccup breathed. "That's a very valid point, Finn."
"I don't know what is between us exactly," Finn admitted nervously. "But I can't just date a thirteen year old without knowing how I feel. Right? Besides, would Snotlout even go for that?"
Astrid bunched her lips to the side as she thought. "Hard to say. I'd say talk to her. She's very mature for her age."
"Yeah, but she's thirteen. I'm… not." Finn replied lamely.
"Erick is a year older than me," Adrianna said. "What's the big deal?"
"It's different when you're older. You know how much growing takes place when you're between thirteen and fifteen."
Hiccup snorted. "Try thirteen to thirty, kiddo. You're not even halfway there yet."
Finn winced. "Good point."
"I still say you should talk to Inga about it. See what she thinks. And, if you have guts, talk to Snotlout and see what he thinks." Astrid said with finality. Pulling a large box toward herself, she began rummaging. "Now, let's see what we can find."
Still tired from his journey home, Finn was very much content to watch his family rummage through the boxes. Occasionally someone would emerge from a crate with a pronounced "oh!" with the discovery of some old trinket of his or Adrianna's. Their mom's favorite so far had to be a pair of tiny brown boots.
"Ooohhhhh these were his first pair of shoes!" Astrid squealed, shoving them into her husband's face. "Just look at them!"
"Yeah," Hiccup drawled, eyeing his son's now not-so-small feet. "Just look at them."
Finn shrugged, even as Adrianna chuckled. He couldn't find the energy to come up with a sassy remark at the moment.
Astrid, however, raised an eyebrow. "Well he is your son."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hiccup sputtered, hands gesturing wildly.
"Your family has big feet!"
"Wha- they did not!"
"Look at these!" Astrid whipped a leg up so fast that he had to jerk back to avoid a broken nose. Their children sniggered in the background. "I have small, dainty feet! So does your daughter. So Finn got his gigantic feet from your side of the family!"
"Hey!" Finn cried indignantly.
"Now Astrid, let's not be ridiculous," Hiccup reasoned. "Who knows where the big feet really came from?"
"Are we sure he's not half troll?" Adrianna asked from the depths of another box.
"I am not!"
"I do not want to know how that even would've happened." Hiccup replied with much sarcasm.
Astrid's eyes narrowed, but then she smirked triumphantly. "No, we surely have proof of who had the bigger feet."
Finn raised an eyebrow interestedly, wondering what she was thinking.
His father also straightened in his seat. "And what's that?"
Astrid smirked. "Well," she looked down at his prosthetic. "Toothless did save you by grabbing your leg with his teeth. And you were so teensy-weensy back then. So obviously the biggest, easiest thing for him to grab was your gigantic feet!"
Finn snorted at her logic. "Obviously."
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "So I assume my left foot was the bigger of the two as well then?"
"Of course. Lefties always have the bigger head."
"What?" Hiccup demanded. "Everyone knows that right-handed people are more favored!"
"This has got to be one of the weirdest arguments in our family, by far." Adrianna announced as she pulled a wicker basket onto her lap.
"I agree." Finn nodded with a slow, heavy blink.
The small action wasn't lost on his parents, however. "You can go upstairs and sleep a bit if you want, Finn."
He shook his head. "I'm good."
"Alright." Astrid hedged. "Just don't feel like you have to stay awake. You should let your-"
"Body rest when it wants to. I know."
"Hmph. Okay then." Astrid sniffed, turning back to her husband. "Now, where were we?"
"Lefties are more superior to righties?"
"They are not-"
"Oooooh look what I found!" Adrianna interrupted, holding out a floppy leather notebook. "Dad, is this yours?"
Hiccup's face lit up in recognition. "Oh yeah! I never throw away a good journal."
"That's an understatement." Astrid drawled. "We used to have complete shelves covered in half used journals."
"I like journals!" Hiccup exclaimed. "Is that such a crime?"
"We don't have the space!" Astrid griped.
"Mom, headache." Finn muttered.
"You really should go to bed, Finn."
He frowned. "I'm just saying cuz you keep yelling."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Anyway," Adrianna held out the old brown leather journal. "Look at all these!"
Finn took the book and began flipping through the pages. Numerous pictures of dragons covered the pages, complete with scrawled notes on training the beasts. Size, height, weight estimations, favorite foods, allergens, anything you could possibly want on dragons had to be written down.
"I used to write it all down. Long before we had an actual book on training them." Hiccup explained.
"Oh here's some more!" Adrianna tossed another journal Finn's away, even as she rifled through a third book.
Finn flipped through this one, a stiffer backed journal that didn't seem nearly as old as the first. His parents chatted while they looked through their dad's old books filled with drawings and inventions and random thoughts. Finn smirked when he found a few pages on teenage drama between his parents.
"What are you laughing at?" Hiccup suddenly asked. His reputation preceded him; a Fearless Finn smirk was never a good thing.
"Oh," Finn sighed dramatically, holding the book close to his face. "Just reading your notes on pining after mom."
Hiccup suddenly jumped from the couch. "Don't read that one."
"Come on," Finn laughed, twisting away from his dad's grabbing hands. "I know how it ends!"
"Exactly, so you don't need- to- read- my- books- GIMME!" Hiccup snatched it from Finn's hands, and in so doing collapsed over the side of the chair with a loud bang. "Ow."
"Smooth." Astrid commented without looking up from her pile of journals.
"Better you than me!" Finn grinned.
"Awww look at the cute mommy and daddy drawings!" Adrianna cooed.
"Shoot!" Hiccup scrambled off the floor.
"Oooh I wanna see!" Finn tried to get out of his chair but decided against it when his side screeched in pain.
Adrianna evaded her dad's grabbing hands much easier than he had, since she had better range of motion. Seeing his dad's face go pink with awkward embarrassment was truly priceless however.
"Hiccup, do I even want to know what's in half these journals?" Astrid asked, eyebrow raised.
His skin tinged pinker. "Nothing inappropriate!"
"Then what's the big deal?" Adrianna asked, skirting around him into the dining area, still flipping through pages. "They're good drawings!"
"Let me see." Astrid held out a hand, waving her fingers forward insistently. "Adrianna."
The blonde sighed heavily and handed over the notebook. With quick but careful movements, Finn hopped into the seat next to his mom so he could see the images.
His dad was whining as he stood above them, hands flailing. "-always had to write everything down. Why didn't I ever learn?"
Adrianna peered over Astrid's shoulder as they flipped through the pictures. Many of them were pictures of people from the village, most of them their tight-knit group of friends. Fishlegs and Mealtug surrounded by rocks, Ruffnut and Tuffnut fighting on the ground ("I see some things never change," Adrianna had commented.), but their favorite by far was a drawing of Snotlout boasting about his pure awesomeness with quickly written dialogue above his head.
"Once an idiot, always an idiot." Astrid murmured.
Their dad's ability to draw was uncanny. They knew exactly who every person was in each drawing. Occasionally there was an individual that didn't resonate with Finn, and Astrid would flip the page faster.
"I hated that man."
Hiccup frowned. "Who?"
"Alvin."
"Oh." Hiccup sounded surprised. "I don't remember drawing him."
The next image was an exact likeness of Stoick the Vast. "Aww Poppy!" Adrianna exclaimed.
Finn smiled. "Looks exactly like him."
Hiccup sighed in resignation and plopped down in the empty seat beside his wife, Adrianna looming over their shoulders.
"I forgot about all those braids in his beard." Adrianna commented.
Hiccup snorted suddenly. They all looked at him with interest. "What?" Astrid asked.
Hiccup shook his head. "I remember this one night he took the cords out of his beard for wash day and…" He stopped to laugh a little. "His beard was three times the size as normal because his hair just got all frizzy."
"Oh dear." Astrid sighed.
"I couldn't help laughing! I was eight!"
Finn snickered even as his mom kept flipping through the pages. This particular notebook was larger than the rest and the binding wasn't as worn. Halfway through, Hiccup guessed that this notebook wasn't as old as the others.
Astrid smiled knowingly at her husband when a portrait of her from the shoulders up came next. Her hair was braided back with swooping bangs across her forehead, over her headband, and her big blue eyes were crinkled at the edges in a smirk, like she was telling Hiccup "I told you so".
"I'd say our son got my smirk." Astrid teased.
Even as his dad met her eyes, Finn could tell there was some nervousness there. Probably because his kids were looking through his old drawings of his, but he had to admit that his dad was still crazy over his mom, even twenty some years later.
"How old were you in this, mom?" Adrianna asked.
"Ask him," Astrid nudged Hiccup in the ribs.
"Oh…" Hiccup looked back at the picture. "Maybe seventeen?"
Finn breathed a laugh. It was strange to see a drawing of his mom at seventeen when he and his twin were currently seventeen.
They paused when an image of Dagur the Deranged appeared on the next page. "Why did you draw him?" Adrianna asked quietly.
Hiccup shrugged. "I used to have nightmares about him. I hoped getting it down on paper would help."
"Did it?" Finn asked.
"No." Hiccup reached up and flipped the page, hoping to close the conversation. Instead, they all froze.
Next was a single image of an elderly man sitting at a table, whittling a piece of wood. Wrinkles covered his face, but his eyes crinkled at the sides from smiling and laughing often. He looked calm, happy, content, just as they remembered him.
"Benen." Finn whispered.
"Oh honey," Astrid wrapped an arm around him and kissed his temple. It took him a second to realize a few tears had slid down his face. "We can-"
"No, it's okay!" Finn swiped his face quickly. "It's fine. I didn't even…" he stopped, unsure what to say. His dad was fidgeting on the other side of his mom, probably feeling guilty.
Benen's sudden death had taken a toll on all of them. He'd been a warm, happy light in their home in the aftermath of so much family struggle. He'd become another grandfather to the kids, a mentor and friend to the parents. Finn didn't doubt that a day didn't go by where his family missed Benen just as much as he did.
They didn't talk about the past nearly as much as they should. He didn't know if that was partially his own fault, because he'd handled Benen's death so badly. He hadn't been able to speak his mentor's name for months and months in the midst of grief. But those days had gone and while he still missed Benen dearly, he'd come to terms with the fact that death was a natural order of life. You can't prevent it and sometimes it comes when you least expect it. But you should still love and remember the times you had with that dear person you lost.
Finn swallowed. "Do you have anymore drawings of Benen?"
Hiccup look up at him, eyes strangely bright. He smiled wanly and took the book from Astrid. "I might."
A mutual feeling of understanding passed between them and Finn smiled at his mom and sister. He suddenly realized how much he'd needed this. Not after sitting at the healer's for so long, but after all the hard things that had happened in the last months. The feeling of security with his family was something he didn't realize he'd needed.
Despite all the bad things he and Adrianna had gone through, Finn realized that these were the times that got them through. The little moments of sitting quietly as a family, reminiscing in the old days and the friends and family they'd lost. Simply spending time with one another.
It was these thoughts that solidified something in Finn's mind. He loved his family. His hard-working, quirky, sarcastic dad that thought outside the box and cared about everyone he came into contact with. His strong-willed mom that didn't take no for an answer but had just the right words to say when something was troubling you. His compassionate, snarky and smart sister who somehow kept going when he'd probably have given up by now.
And now, he realized once again, she was pregnant. What sort of person was going to join their family in less than a year? What personality would he or she have? Would he like to draw like his grandfather or throw axes like his grandmother? Would she be smooth and sarcastic like him, or snarky and energetic like Adrianna?
Only time would tell. But for the first time, Finn could feel hope rising, and dare he say, a little excitement.
The next day, the village buzzed with excitement. Men gathered spare tools no longer needed and women collected things from around the house they no longer wanted. Finally, after a long time of waiting, Johann the Trader was coming.
Taryn herself was alight with excitement. She enjoyed Johann's visits as much as anyone else, but after almost a year of traveling, her little brother was finally coming home.
The last few times the trader had visited, Alton had spent nearly all his free time glued to the man's side, soaking up the stories of travel and adventure and other cultures. He'd begged their parents to let him go with Johann, but they'd refused because of his age. Finally, the last time Johann had come to Berk and Alton's begging had grown insistent, they'd relented. Only they insisted he must wait until he was fourteen.
Now, finally, he was coming home! The chief had received a letter that morning from Johann announcing their recent departure from an island west of Berk.
Taryn steered clear of her parents while they cleared out some areas of the house, wishing to trade old furniture for something newer. After choosing a few things of her own to hopefully trade, she left her house and gazed longingly at the sea. No ship could be seen yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.
A clatter caught her attention and noticed Erick struggling with a few boxes stacked on top of one another. The smallest had fallen and sprayed its contents in a variety of directions.
She jogged forward and bent to pick up the items, wincing when the sunlight glittered off Erick's prosthetic and caught her in the eye.
"Thanks!" Erick said gratefully when she stood back up, the small box in her arms. "Excited?"
"You have no idea." Taryn grinned. "He's been gone so long!"
"Yeah, he has." Erick heaved the boxes in his arms a little higher, piquing her curiosity.
"What are you going to trade?"
"Oh, a whole bunch of stuff." Erick conceded. "There's a few geodes in there, some old leather shop tools that I don't use, some riding gear. A few pairs of boots that I never really wore." He shrugged. "I'm hoping to make some money, more than actually trade."
"Yeah?" Taryn's eyes glittered. "Why is that?"
Erick turned away, pretending not to understand. "Why is what?"
"Erick Larson, don't play dumb." Taryn followed him down the street. She was ever so thankful she'd worn comfortable shoes and pants today; she could keep up with the boys and their longer gaits when she wore pants and well-worn leather boots. "There's a reason you want to make money rather than stock up on things! What is it!"
Erick gave her a long suffering sigh. "I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it yet."
Taryn scoffed. "Why's that?"
"Because technically I haven't talked to Hicc-" Erick broke off, his cheeks going red.
Taryn giggled uncontrollably. "I knew it! You're trying to save money so you can provide for Ad-"
"SHHH!" Erick shushed her loudly, looking around nervously. "Don't be so loud! Like I said, I haven't even talked to Hiccup yet! And anyway, it's just financial preparation. It's not like I'm ready to… to propose or anything."
"What are we proposing?"
"ANNIE!" Erick whipped around, very nearly knocking over his tower of boxed. Taryn struggled to keep her laughter inside. "Proposing? Who said anything about proposing?!" He laughed awkwardly.
Adrianna's left eyebrow shot ip into her hairline and Taryn noticed Erick's struggle to come up with some excuse. Luckily she was good at making excuses.
"We're proposing a welcome home party for Alton!"
"Yes!" Erick grinned at her, and faced Adrianna again, nodding vigorously. "Yes. A fine proposal to have a welcome home party! Obviously."
"Obviously." Adrianna's eyebrow hadn't lowered.
Erick gulped. "Yeah."
"How's Finn?" Taryn asked.
Adrianna's face split into a smile and Erick shot Taryn another thankful smile. "He's good! He still gets really tired very easily but he's hoping to come see Johann in a while, probably when the first big rush slows down."
"Great! I'm glad he's doing better."
"Guys guys guys!" Cliff suddenly pelted toward them around the corner and Taryn's heart did a somersault. "Do you think Johann would trade a butterfly for a brooch?" He screeched to a halt when he saw Taryn and very narrowly missed Erick and his tower of boxes.
Taryn's heart was hammering in her chest. Cliff stared at her with wide eyes, almost as if he'd done something wrong. They hadn't spoken since the day he'd shown her his oasis and her father had forbidden them from speaking. She felt awful, avoiding him like this. She could tell how awkward it was for everyone, not just them. Erick and Adrianna were sharing a sympathetic glance in her periphery.
Erick broke the silence. "I don't think Johann will find a butterfly an even exchange for a brooch."
"Besides," Adrianna added, glancing at Taryn. "If it's a brooch you're looking for, I'd suggest it as a gift for someone slightly older, like your mom."
"Oh." Cliff replied flat, still staring at Taryn.
She couldn't take it anymore. "Sorry, my mom wanted me to help clean out Alton's room since he's coming home. See you later!"
Taryn strode away as fast as she could without running. She knew she was good at coming up with excuses on the fly, but her friends knew her better than that. She couldn't hide her true emotions.
She entered her house and closed the door behind her with a heavy sigh. She stared down at herself, wishing she could talk to Cliff. She didn't know what was between them, but she felt strangely empty without being able to talk to her friend. Cliff was her friend before she'd ever considered him as something… more.
This was affecting all of her friendships. Every one of her friends was one of Cliff's "bruhs and sistas". She couldn't avoid him without avoiding them too, which she didn't want to do. But she'd been given a strict order. She didn't know why her dad held so much distaste for Cliff, but she couldn't be a recluse forever. Even though she wanted to please her parents, she'd never asked for anything before. All she wanted was her friend back. Was that such a bad desire?
"Taryn? Are you alright?" Her mother asked from across the room, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Yes." Taryn lied.
Suddenly the horn blew from the nearby docks, announcing the arrival of Johann's ship.
"Alton!" Taryn flung the door nearly off its hinges and she ran to the docks, not waiting for her parents to give her permission. She didn't care; she didn't need permission to greet her brother home and she didn't need to hold their hands to the docks.
She made it to the docks in mere minutes, feeling out of breath. It felt good to run for once. The ship was still out in the harbor, steadily coming closer. Taryn bounced on the balls of her feet, listening as the chief kept the crowds back for now to give Johann some time to breathe before opening up shop.
At long last, the ship docked and Johann's familiar face appeared over the side. "Ahhhh Berk! My favorite island of all my travels!"
"Johann, you say that to everyone you visit." Hiccup drawled, reaching up to shake the man's hand. "Welcome back."
"Thank you, Master Hiccup!" Johann smiled, cocking his head to the side. "You know, sir, if you return to my ship in an hour's time, I might be able to find a tonic for greying hair."
"What?" The chief's hands flew to his hair. Taryn snickered, waiting for her brother to emerge.
"Joking, sir, only joking."
"I might have to draw up a trade sanction law for that one, Johann."
The crowd gasped but Hiccup waved his hands in a calming matter. "Only kidding!"
A collective sigh swept across the docks, including a heavy one from Johann. "Worst words a man of this occupation can hear, Hiccup."
"You see who has all the cards, then?"
"Aha." Johann nodded resolutely. He looked around in confusion for a moment. "I thought I told-" He marched away suddenly, his voice echoing across the deck. "Alton, tell me you haven't lost the ladder."
"No, I found it!"
Taryn's heart leaped as an auburn-haired teenager came to the edge of the ship, carrying a ladder. He heaved it over the edge with a strength she hadn't seen before and he grinned down at her.
"Hey sis!" Alton exclaimed, hopping down from the ship onto the dock with ease.
Taryn stared up at him. He was taller than her! He was no longer the little boy who left at an early fourteen. While he was still technically fourteen, his birthday was nearing, and apparently he'd had quite the growth spurt in his time away.
She engulfed him in a tight hug and was shocked when he nearly lifted her off the ground. "Alton, I missed you so much!"
"You too, Tare." He set her back down, brown eyes glittering. His skin was tan from long days in the sun. "Just you wait to see all the stuff I brought for you and mom. You're going to go insane."
"Travel was kind to you, Alton!" Hiccup clapped the teenager on the shoulder. "You had to have grown… six inches!"
"Four and a half," Alton replied sheepishly.
"Alton!" Their mother ran through the crowd and nearly tackled her son in a hug. "Oh my little boy!"
"Hi mom." Alton grinned up at his dad when he walked up to his family. "Hey dad!"
Clyde blinked a few times in surprise before smiling. "Welcome home, son."
"Come along, then! I've just prepared lunch!" Their mom tried to steer him away, but Alton paused.
"I should help Johann-"
"Nonsense, m'boy!" Johann waved a hand. "You've been talking about you're family nonstop for the last two weeks! Go on and spend time with them. You can take over for me in a few hours."
"Alright then. Thanks!" Alton quickly followed his parents up the ramp, accepting pats on the back from the line of people as he went.
Taryn paused, looking up at Johann. "Thanks for bringing him back in one piece."
"Of course my dear!" Johann patted her shoulder. "He's a good lad, that one, just like his brother."
Taryn's smile slipped for a short moment, but her interest lifted again when the man suddenly turned to Hiccup.
"Oh Chief, best have a look at this. You'll be expecting visitors soon enough."
"Visitors?" Hiccup asked, unrolling a piece of parchment Johann had given him.
Taryn was very interested in this, but remembered she wasn't part of the chief's council or Johann's trading business. Plus her family had already left. She eagerly bid them goodbye and ran after her family. Maybe she could convince Alton to tell her who else would be visiting Berk, and on such short notice.
She caught up with her family just in time to see Inga tackle Alton into a hug. He spun her around once and set her back down. Alton's words were suddenly cut off when Inga rounded and punched him in the arm.
"Ow! What- you never change, Jorgenson!" Alton whined.
"You did!" Inga gasped. "You're not a noodle, anymore! Now you've actually got muscles!"
"Oh come on," Alton rolled his eyes. "Working on a ship will do that to a person, but I'm still weedy!"
"Whatever you say!" Inga grinned, slapping his arm again. "I'm glad you're home! We have so much to talk about."
Taryn and Alton's dad cleared his throat nearby. Inga rolled her eyes and gave him a sweet smile. "Later, obviously."
Taryn stiffened but thankfully her dad didn't respond to the sass. Probably because not many people could argue with a Jorgensen and win.
"Seriously though, I'll catch you later okay!" Inga jogged back to the healers and the Brand family hustled back to their house, Alton already launching into stories.
Just before disappearing into the house, Taryn caught sight of a certain curly-haired boy watching from a few streets away. Taryn wanted to wave, to smile, to so something to raise both their spirits. But then her name was called and just like the quiet, demure, obedient daughter she was, she slipped inside and shut the door.
Greetings, Chief Haddock of Berk,
Please excuse our lack of formal greeting, but we felt the time was necessary to meet face to face. Trader Johann has kindly recommended we reach out to you, singling you out as the most level-headed of chieftains in the Archipelago. We humbly request a peaceful meeting with you and your council about the future between our villages.
A delegation of men will arrive at Berk forthwith. We will respectfully withdraw our men if you disapprove of our intrusion without prior request. Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you.
Respectfully,
Ivan Sullivan, Chief of Hjart
"A delegation?"
"Apparently."
Finn frowned down at the strange note before trotting after his dad, wincing at every pound of his feet against the wooden boards.
"Wait, when are they supposed to get here? Where exactly are they from? How many are coming?" The questions flew out of his mouth without thinking.
"I'm not sure, Finn," Hiccup replied calmly, striding up to Johann's ship. "That's why I'm setting up a perimeter just in case."
"Where is this…" Finn frowned at the paper once again. "Huh-jart Island?"
"Hjart, Finn." Hiccup chuckled.
"Hee-yart, then." He rolled his eyes, frowning with displeasure. Whoever these people were, they had a very strange name for an island. Berk was much simpler.
"As for where it is, it's west of here, about three hours flight."
"You've been there?" Finn asked in surprise, climbing onto the ship after his dad. He sighed, bracing a hand against his ribcage as he touched down.
"No. My grandfather tried to make peace with Hjart in his early years as Chief; as far as I can remember, they didn't take too kindly to the offer. Therefore, my dad was also unsuccessful." Hiccup frowned. "Come to think of it, I don't think he ever tried."
Finn perused a table covered in all sorts of items to trade or buy. He could already feel his bag of coins getting lighter at his belt. "So why are they coming here?"
"I expect we'll find out soon enough." Hiccup lifted a jewel-encrusted dagger with interest.
"Oooh let me see that!" Finn hopped over with wide eyes.
A chuckle sounded behind them. "You surely are your mother's son, Master Finn."
"Hey, Johann!" Finn turned and shook the man's hand.
"They both have very good taste," Hiccup commented, turning to Johann. "Astrid was looking at it?"
"Indeed! However, she decided on a less handsome piece. I believe her chosen phrase was," Johann threw up a couple fingers for air quotes. "'More practical for daily use'."
Father and son chuckled. "Still," Hiccup pulled out a pouch of coins. "Sometimes there's a place for nicer things. How much?"
"Ah take it, Hiccup! A gift for the missus!"
"Johann, we've talked about this."
"I couldn't possibly!"
"Johann, I know for a fact that this has traveled a long way. I'm not taking it for free."
Finn scoffed as he inspected a variety of metal shields. "How could you possibly know how far it's traveled, dad?"
"And tell you all my secrets?" Hiccup asked, incredulous. "Absolutely not."
"Pft." Finn rolled his eyes while the older men laughed behind him.
Chief and Trader finally settled on an agreed price, including a few items that Johann admitted he would need for his next trip. It was then that Finn realized Johann had been doing this job for decades, long before his dad had become chief. Hiccup had known Johann for most of his life. Johann's hair and beard were streaked with grey, the skin around his eyes wrinkled. Finn knew that Johann was getting up in age; surely he'd need to retire in the next few years. He seriously doubted the old man would be able to keep going for much longer.
Despite these thoughts, he watched in amazement as Johann scurried around the boat, lifting items of various heights, lengths and weight. He seemed spritely enough, but Finn would have to ask his dad later what he thought of the elderly man and what would become of his business when he retired.
"-wanted to ask you about this delegation, Johann."
Finn snapped to attention, even as he continued shopping.
"Ah yes, what about it?"
"Why are they coming?"
"Nothing to fear, Hiccup. They're coming under the banner of friendship."
Finn's brow wrinkled, even as his dad replied: "Hjart has never shown us friendship before. In fact, they've shown quite the opposite."
"Fifty years ago or more years ago, Chief. Hjartians are still a highly traditional people, but trust me, Master Hiccup, I would not recommend this meeting if I thought they were hiding ill-contempt."
"Wait, you suggested this?" Finn whirled around, wincing at the annoying pain in his side.
Johann gulped under the hard gaze of the chief and his son. "They asked who I might recommend. They will explain everything when they get here, I assure you. I trust them as much as I trust you, sir."
"Still," Hiccup said quietly. "I hope next time you might ask my approval before risking the security of my island, Johann."
The Trader winced but stood firm in his words. "I understand, sir. Just give them a chance to speak, that's all I ask."
"Oh I'll give them a chance," Hiccup amended. "Just don't make me regret it, Johann."
Finn returned to the table covered in weapons in front of him, growing bored of the discussion. The coming delegation had piqued his interest, though he could sense his father's unease. He hoped nothing serious would happen, mostly because if anybody got violent, he was in no position to fight. In fact, he knew his dad would have him removed from the area without discussion.
With a sigh, he withdrew from the weapons table and walked to a closed cabinet. Opening it wide, he found a large stack of old animal skin maps, brown and musty with age. Unrolling one, he scanned the worn page for Berk, then moved his finger to the west. It took a bit of time but eventually he found the little island of Hjart, looking small and insignificant on the map. He didn't have much experience going west. Most of their allies were to the north and south. Berserker Island laid to the east, Outcast Island to the southeast. The only time he'd traveled with his dad on a delegation trip himself, they'd had no reason to go west.
Running footsteps drew his attention. He replaced the map and turned in time to see Alton Brand swing onto the deck of the ship. He blinked in surprise; the teenager was nearly to his nose in height!
"Wow, look at you!"
"That's what I said." Hiccup smiled, nodding at the teenager in greeting.
Alton clapped Finn on the shoulder with a modest shrug. "What can I say except thank the gods I'm taller than Inga now."
Finn snorted. "Luckily I've never had that problem."
"Yeah, lucky." Alton rolled his eyes. "Johann, I can take over whenever you're ready for a break."
"That sounds mighty nice right now, thank you laddie!"
Before another word could be spoken, the sound of a loud horn blasted across the harbor. Hiccup swiveled on the spot and ran to the edge of the deck, closely followed by the others. Finn elbowed his way between his dad and Johann, blue eyes on the horizon.
A ship had cleared the sea stacks and was heading their way through the stone warriors that guarded the entrance to the island. The delegation from Hjart had arrived. Hiccup wheeled around and left the ship without looking back. Finn sorely wished he could follow, but knew he didn't have the strength or energy to follow him up the steep incline.
"Where's he going?" Alton asked.
"Probably to gather the council." Finn murmured.
He watched as the ship slowly crept toward the docks. He began to see the vague outline of men on the ship, looking eagerly toward his village. Were these men peaceful? What did they want with their humble village? Was he worrying for nothing, like his dad, or was there something less than friendly in their intentions?
With a jolt, Finn left the ship and whistled for Zap. He didn't know what to expect, but as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't protect himself. Not with his side still healing. He needed his dragon by his side, at least until they knew what these people wanted.
He smiled with satisfaction as Zap dove out of the village with Toothless on her tail, following a wide variety of councilmen and women on their dragons. They spread out across the area, following the ship's movements with well-trained eyes. Zap touched down beside him and he turned to face the ship as finally, it docked.
Since Em wrote this chapter herself, I'll be brief. The reason I haven't been writing for this series is much is because I've been hard at work getting my game off the ground. And guess what! The demo is out!
The link on my profile didn't work but if you want to play it yourself, you need only search for "The BOSS: A Jacksepticeye Fan Game" on google or GameJolt. It was made by KateMarie999, same as here, so you'll know it when you see it. It can be downloaded and played if you have Windows. Some adblockers are finicky about it but I've downloaded it off the page myself and there are absolutely no security risks whatsoever. We're still working very hard on making the rest of the game so I'm afraid that my involvement in this series will be minimal while I work on it. However, I think it'll be worth the wait. Currently, the demo is averaged at 4.7/5 stars and all the reviews I've gotten have been very positive so I think you'll like it!
Anyway, that's all on my end! Thank you so much for sticking with this!
~KateMarie999