Alright, one out of three remaining chapters in this story before I move onto the next arc! I really hope you are all looking forward to this as much as I am! In a few short weeks the first arc of this fantastic story will draw to a close and the next chapter of Hiccup and Toothless' lives will begin! Two more chapters and the story continues! Stick around for updates and look out for the next story, The Gift of the Gods!
A few weeks had gone by since Dagur's death and the island of Berk slowly slid back into its usual routine. The air was colder as soft flakes of snow slowly drifted to the ground. Winter was quickly upon the village, wiping away any signs of the short summer that Berk could enjoy. Farmers had to rely on their cattle for a source of income, merchants had to slow their trade down as less villagers came by the market in the colder weather, but still, the inhabitants of Berk thrived once again.
It was strange today. A light snowfall, yet virtually no breeze at all, just the glowing petals of white slowly drifting to the ground in an elegant fashion. Hiccup's bedroom window was ajar, letting the outside sky peer down upon the sleeping dragon. Soon enough, one snowflake found it's way into the room and land on the dragon's nose. Hiccup twitched his nose, trying to get the tickling sensation to leave, but to no avail. With a soft sneeze, Hiccup jolted himself awake. He looked around groggily, noticing the empty room besides himself.
"Guess he already left," Hiccup said softly. Then he realized in more depth what today really was. His chest clenched, his heart was beating like a drum, his breathing was quick, and his whole body tingled with adrenaline, excitement, and slight fear. Today was the human ritual that binded two people together for life. Today, he was going to married to Toothless.
The dragon slowly walked down the steps, stretching out his legs as he went along. The house really was empty, not even the firepit was lit. Hiccup shot a soft blast of plasma at the pit, watching as it softly hit the wood, setting it ablaze. It felt more like home when there was the soft crackling of fire in the air. Hiccup walked towards the kitchen and sat on his tail. He looked down at his paws and used his claws to reach for a knife, grasping it with talons. Hiccup held the knife firmly in his hand, moving it over to cut up a few slices of bread. With careful precise, and a bit of difficulty, the dragon managed to cut the slices until he felt he was satisfied with the number.
Hiccup had been practicing ever since Dagur was defeated. Everyday he'd try to use his claws as fingers, moving them around and doing simple tasks with them that he used to find very difficult. The claws were like fingers, only one less joint towards the top, making it difficult for Hiccup to get the hang of using them. Toothless always encouraged him, telling him he was doing great. Considering Toothless had never figured out to use his claws as fingers, let alone think of using his claws as fingers, Hiccup couldn't help but feel just a little discouraged, yet the more Hiccup tried, the better he seemed to be getting.
Hiccup set the knife down and carried the few slices of bread he had to the fireplace. He sat down and stuck his paw over the fire with the bread. He heat didn't bother him as his tough hide protected him against the heat. It was more of a refreshing comfort feeling the warmth on his paw in contrast to the colder outside, though, he couldn't feel much coldness either. He almost always felt just about right, not too hot, or too cold. Just a perk of being a dragon, at least, in Hiccup's mind it was.
When he finished cooking the bread to a color he thought looked best. Hiccup slowly ate the toast, not daring to eat any fast in fear of losing his stomach from his nerves. While half way through his first piece, there was a prominent knock at the door followed by the door opening and then slamming close again. Astrid was there, slightly shivering as the young viking approached the firepit and sat down on a log, holding her hands out to get warm. Hiccup smiled and handed her a slice of toast. She smiled and took it, downing it quickly and returning her fingers to the fire.
"Is it that cold out?" Hiccup asked. Astrid shook her head in response.
"I wouldn't say its cold out so much as chilly," she said with slightly numb lips, making her speech just a little off, "but I don't know where my coat is at." Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked at her as her shivering quickly died down.
"Did you bring it?" Hiccup asked softly, his throat getting tight as he said those few words. Astrid looked at the dragon and a wide smile spread across her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of silk. It was a soft green color that almost perfectly matched Hiccup's eyes. Hiccup let out a soft sigh of approval, looking at the marvelously small object that matter so much to him right now. He looked up at Astrid, the two making quick eye contact.
"Can I try it?" Hiccup asked softly. Astrid nodded her head, getting up and wrapping the long piece of silk around his neck. With a few intricate loops and a tug or two, Astrid stepped back and stared happily at her work. Hiccup smiled, feeling the silk against his tough hide and the happy look on his friend's face. Astrid's smile left for a moment before she turned away and headed towards the door.
"Stay there," she called back. Within a minute or so, the young viking returned with a small mirror. She carried it through the door and placed it against the wall of the kitchen.
"An early gift," she said with a smile, "Since you two have a serious lack of mirrors, I thought you guys might need one." Hiccup smiled an walked over towards the mirror, his eyes fixated on himself. It had been a while since he last really looked in a mirror, not since he had lived with his father. He noticed the contours of his face, the glint of his eyes, and the way the bowtie matched his eyes perfectly, at least to him it did.
"It looks...fantastic," Hiccup said to himself partially. It was weird, something to little, so common, mean't so much to him right now.
"How's he doing?" Hiccup asked softly, looking away from the mirror and towards the door. Astrid glanced over to the door as well, hearing the soft sounds of feet walking past the door as villagers went about their day.
"He seemed pretty nervous went I last saw him," Astrid said with a wink. Hiccup smiled a bit and cocked a brow at her friend.
"Toothless nervous?" he said with a bit of a chuckle, "Are you sure you met the same dragon I did?" Astrid smiled and nodded her head at the comment.
"He knows how much this means to you Hiccup, of course he'd be nervous," Astrid said soft and slowly. She had a smile on her face that was truly genuine. Hiccup nodded his head in understanding as he drew his eyes back to the mirror.
"I just want to know how nervous you are," Astrid asked quickly, "because I can't read you like Toothless." The dragon smiled and turned towards Astrid, his eyes shining with excitement.
"I feel like I'm going to puke," Hiccup said softly. Astrid scratched her arm and laughed.
"Just don't get any on the silk," she said in response.
The snow felt soft and slightly cold under Toothless' feet as he approached Stoick's home. He could hear sounds of feet shuffling when he stopped in front of the door. The dragon hesitated. Toothless breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. The dragon sat back on his tail and raised one paw slowly, and he cautiously knocked on the door. A few moments passed before feet began to shuffle again, this time in the direction of the door. The doorknob turned, but the door didn't open. Another few moments went by and the door quickly swung open, scaring Toothless slightly, but he tried not to let it show. Stoick stood in the doorway, an uneasy smile spread across his face.
"Toothless, please, come in," he said weirdly. Toothless walked in the doorway, noticing how uncomfortable he looked, but he still had an aura of excitement around him.
"Its the big day!" Stoick said loudly, following Toothless over to the firepit, "I'm sorry if I'm being a bit weird. I've never done this and probably never will again. Seeing my boy off." Stoick walked off into his room and returned with a bag full of different objects. Toothless assumed he would need something for the human ritual, and to be honest, he needed that something to be fantastic. This was for Hiccup after all.
Stoick rummaged through the bag, flipping through clothes and furs that were meshed together inside the bag with no real order or pattern. After a few moments, Stoick pulled out a long ribbon looking object that was a brilliant green color. The chief held it up eye level and smiled at the green piece of cloth. Toothless really didn't know what to think of it, the green piece of cloth, other than Stoick really seemed to like it.
"I wore this on my wedding day," Stoick said softly, "It picked it out because it matched her eyes perfectly. She had the most beautiful green eyes." Toothless quickly noticed the look of longing and slight despair in his eyes. He almost looked as if he was going to cry on the spot.
"Hiccup has her eyes," Stoick said, this time with more authority, "Toothless, I want you to have this." Stoick took a few steps towards the dragon and held the piece of silk out to him. Toothless eyed the object and sniffed at it a few times, not really sure what to make out of it.
"What do I do with it?" Toothless asked innocently. Stoick had to contain his laughter, but a bright smile still shone through. Getting closer to the dragon, Stoick wrapped the green silk around the dragon's neck carefully, looping it through and tying it together. Stoick had once worn the tie so it was already designed for a more burly man, but it wasn't exactly for a dragon. The tie wasn't as long as it should've been and was kind of short, but it still looked fantastic on him. Stoick took a few steps back and eyed the dragon, sizing him up with the tie.
Stoick's extended stare mixed with the smile on his face made Toothless a little uncomfortable. The dragon looked down at the woven green silk around his neck, seeing it slowly droop down his chest. He remembered seeing some humans wearing cloth like this during important events, though, they rarely ever did wear them. Now he understood the significance of the this cloth.
"Just incase you didn't know, its called a tie," Stoick said, his voice cracking at the end of his sentence. The old chief looked like he was about to crack, but he seemed to unbelievably happy.
"Well, I can definitely say I never thought my son would be marrying a dragon," Stoick said softly, "but I can also say that I couldn't have picked anyone better." Toothless smiled without realizing, feeling his cheeks fill with a heated sensation. Stoick rarely complimented him, and when he did, it always made Toothless feel so happy inside. He always wished for Stoick's approval, and it seemed, at the end of the road, he finally did.
The chief got up slowly and walked over to Toothless, looking at the dragon with soft, yet sharp eyes. Quickly, the chief pulled the dragon into a tight hug. Toothless hesitated for a few moments before slowly wrapping his arms around his future father-in-law.
"Take good care of him," Stoick said softly, "Son."
Hiccup felt an itch on his cheek, but he didn't dare move out of fear of messing something up or ruining the paint on his face. Both the dragons had requested they don the markings of protection given to them by Frey, the chief of the Magnhild tribe. Hiccup distinctly remembered what the lines looked like and how they flowed. It was strange to him how much detail he could retain with his new mind.
Hiccup stood in the dimly lit room, waiting patiently for Stoick to come and lead him towards the altar where Gothi was waiting patiently with Toothless to begin the ceremony. The young Night Fury had truthfully only seen the ceremony performed once or twice, and he knew his was different in just about every way. Trying to keep his thoughts suppressed and calm, Hiccup drew close to a mirror and looked at his reflection. He'd been doing that a lot lately, trying to soak in the details of his face. In those first few weeks he rarely wanted to look at his face, fearing what he might see. The weeks after that, he didn't really have time to do anything of the sorts, nor did he care very much what he looked like. Now, however, he wanted to look his best, no, he needed to, for Toothless.
In the reflection, Hiccup saw the green body paint that matched perfectly with his eyes and tie. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he looked at himself. It was weird to think, but he actually thought he looked good, almost good enough for Toothless. The soft, curving lines that created a melody of the sorts on Hiccup's contours brought out his features more, making him seem different, but in a good way.
"Would it be weird to tell him I've loved him since before I even became a dragon?" Hiccup thought to himself, and after a couple seconds, shook his head no, "That would definitely give off a weird vibe."
"Are you ready?" a strong voice said as the sound of a closing door echoed through the small room. Hiccup looked to his right and saw his father standing there. He wasn't wearing his usual furs and clothing, but more formal attire, yet still strikingly viking and rough. Hiccup new it was an improvement, even if by a small margin.
"I..," Hiccup started off, "I think so." Stoick walked over and pulled a stool close to him, looking at his son.
"Son," Stoick started off, "You know I'm not good at this kind of stuff, but I'll give it my best. I've always been proud of you, and I always will be. You always made the right choice, even if I wasn't willing to believe it. You went against the majority to do whats right. You are one of the bravest vikings I've ever met, and I couldn't ask for a better son. Today is your day, son. No matter what I say, or what I do, just know I'm just trying to protect you, even if it means my own life for yours. I will always love you, Hiccup." Hiccup could feel his eyes welling up when a tear drifted from his eye and started down his cheek before Stoick stopped it, wiping it away quickly.
"Thank you," Hiccup said, "I know it was hard without mom here, but you did the best you could. I'll live up to your expectations and your hopes dad, I promise. I will always love you, even if I do get angry with you. Thank for being the dad I needed." Stoick quickly pulled his son in for a hug, careful to not let him see the tears flowing down his cheeks. He'd never let his son see him being weak, especially not today. He needed to be strong, not just for his son, but for Berk. Stoick pulled away, wiping away the tears before Hiccup could catch a glimpse and motioned towards the door.
"Its time," he said softly, waiting for his son to get in line with him, "Hold on." Stoick knelt down and straightened out the bowtie and smiled at his boy. Standing upright, Stoick held the door open as Hiccup exited the room and out into the chilly air. It was snowing lightly, yet the sun still shone in the distance, ready to go under the great expanses of the oceans. The walk to the where the ceremony would be held was still a few minutes away. The pair walked in blissful silence, just enjoying each others company for the time being.
The ceremony was being held on the ridge where Hiccup original shot Toothless down at. It was symbolic to them both. The start of a new era began there, why not the start of another? The soft dirt path that lead up there was covered with a light layer of snow that crunched under their fit as they went along, creating a strange rhythm of music composed by the Gods themselves. Hiccup could hear the idle chatter amongst the small amount of guests gathered at the ceremony. The dragon and the chief rounded a tree and stood at the end of the rows of crudely arranged seats. Hiccup could see Astrid, Stormfly, Snotlout, Hookfang, Fishlegs, Meatlug, the twins, and Barf and Belch. He saw Spitelout, Gobber, Johan, and a few others. Hiccup wished Iona could've been there, but he already knew her answer, and to be honest, he didn't think Toothless would enjoy having her there too much.
A loud beat of drums started up suddenly as eyes turned towards Stoick and Hiccup as they slowly walked down the isle created by the chairs. Up ahead, Hiccup could see Toothless, standing there with a loving look in his eyes. He looked so beautiful as snowflakes slowly drifted past his face. The lines drawn on his face were commanding and fierce, but provided such safety and grace that it just captured Hiccup. Toothless' emerald eyes were matched with the paint color and his cute tie. Hiccup's heart was beating faster with each step he took.
"How did I get so lucky?" Hiccup thought to himself.
"How did I get so lucky?" Toothless thought to himself. Hiccup was walking towards him, that absolutely adorable bowtie carefully woven around his neck. It looked so good on him. Toothless could feel his heart pounding hard with each step Hiccup took closer to him. Those soft lines on his face just brought out his flawless features. They were soft and melodic, yet they had an essence of strength and courage that intertwined with his beautiful face.
With a few more steps, Hiccup stood face to face with Toothless. The two dragon's stared into each other's eyes lovingly as Gothi prepared herself in front of the dragon's. She cleared her voice and in a frail, but majestic tone, she carried on.
"Under the laws placed by our forefathers, and our traditions as vikings, I do hereby commence this ceremonial bonding between these two male companions. You've showed your courage on the battlefield, as well as proven yourselves worthy vikings, and worthy dragons. Through our age old traditions and rites, I must ask each dragon to hold out their hand," Gothi said. The dragon's happily obliged and held their respective paws out. Gothi pulled a small knife from her belt and made a small cut on each dragon's paw, making sure she drew blood. Turning around, Gothi moved a bucket in front of her, one filled with coal.
"As a tradition exclusive to you two, I ask for you to light the coal with," Gothi said. Hiccup and Toothless sent a small, gentle flame down to the bucket, watching as the flames roared to life. She held both of the dragon's paws and moved them over the bucket of coals.
"Squeeze the blood from your paws," she said softly, "Extinguish the ties you've had in the past, purify your hearts for one another." The dragon's slowly squeezed their paws, watching as a few drops of each of their blood intermingled and crashed into the coals, ending their short existence with a swift sizzle.
"As our customs would say, 'Now we must place the rings on the engaged fingers,'" Gothi said, in a louder voice than before, one that shone with a hint of pride, and a was filled with happiness and excitement. Toothless reached behind him, and took a band from Hookfang and held his paw out to Hiccup. In a swift movement, the dragon placed the band on Hiccup's left wrist. It was a golden color that was accompanied by soft, melodic, twisting lines and a magnificent design. Hiccup couldn't help but smile, feeling the band go around his wrist.
Hiccup reached for his band and carefully took it from his father. It was golden, and had more of a commanding presence. It's lines twisted and had harder edges, but still maintained that graceful motion. Both of the bands were carefully designed after the dragons' symbols of protection. With each other, they will always be safe, always be happy, and always be brave.
Hiccup slowly placed the band around Toothless' wrist, taking more time than Toothless to make sure it was on right and just the way he wanted it to be. Gothi looked at Hiccup sweetly, and continued on with her speech.
"The two have been purified and bonded physically by the bonds of their ancestors," Gothi said softly once again, "Unite spiritually with a bonding kiss that will forever bind your destinies together." The two dragon's looked to each other. Toothless' heart was pounding, but he tried his hardest not to let his nerves show. Hiccup, on the other hand, was slightly trembling and a light tint of blue flooded his cheeks. The two slowly leaned in and shared the kiss Hiccup had been waiting his whole life for.
Hiccup could feel the heat Toothless gave off as their lips touched softly together. Through the darkness of his closed eyes he could still see Toothless standing there, looking so amazing handsome and beautiful. It was hard to believe this was his life now, but, it truly was.
Cheering erupted from the seated vikings. Hoots and hollers were going left and right as Hiccup smiled, pulling away from the kiss and resting his head against Toothless'. They remained quite while the cheering went on, just immersing themselves in each other's warmth. Today was their day, and nothing was going to ruin it. Dagur was gone, and they could move on to their next adventure.
As the snow fell and the light wind blew, the two dragons stood intertwined, their destinies, now forever bonded.