A/N: Thanks for reading! Flashbacks are in italics.
—
Hiccup and Zephyr: Part Two
Zephyr climbed out of her mother's arms, seeming to know when Hiccup could use her company, and climbed into her father's lap. Hiccup smiled down at her and stroked her head affectionately. Astrid glanced over and smiled, those two were so cute when they were together. She loved to watch them interact.
Fishlegs returned to their table with a plate heaped with food, but this time, he sat on the other end of the table, as far away from Hiccup as he could. This seemed about right to Hiccup. He was used to it, so didn't give it another thought and instead focused on getting Zephyr to eat her food.
"So Astrid, I saw you and Stoick at the storehouses today. How are we looking for the winter preparations?" Fishlegs decided to attempt another conversation, but not with the village pariah this time around.
"Uh, well..." Astrid wasn't sure if she should spread the news just yet. If Stoick hadn't made the announcement to the village, then she shouldn't say anything. "You know how it is, we can always use more food storage. It doesn't hurt to over prepare."
"That bad, huh?" Ruffnut commented in a bored voice.
"I didn't say-"
"Come on Astrid, we all know it's been a tough year. We've had a lot of bad dragon raids. Our food storage cannot be looking that great." Ruffnut interrupted.
"Oh... is it really that bad? Will we survive?" Fishlegs was getting worried, "I shouldn't have piled my plate up so high! What if I just took food from some poor, innocent, future, starving child?!"
"Fishlegs, calm down." Ruffnut instructed her betrothed, reaching across the table to pat his hand in a rare show of affection.
"We still have time to make up the difference. We'll be okay." Astrid tried to reassure everyone. "Hopefully there won't be any more raids though, we can't afford that."
"And what is Useless doing to help with this situation?" Snotlout asked loudly in a sudden outburst, gaining the attention of the tables of people around them. "Shouldn't you be working to feed your people, Future Chief, instead of playing the role of housewife? Do you do anything anymore?"
"Snotlout..." Astrid's voice was very threatening in that moment. Hiccup refused to look up from the table as he held onto his daughter, just a little bit tighter. Zephyr continued eating, not noticing the tense atmosphere around her.
"Yeah! Shouldn't the heir of Berk be pulling his weight around here?" A voice rang out from somewhere in the hall, following Snotlout's lead.
"You can't slack off forever!"
"You have a wife and a child, it's time to grow up!"
"Now everyone, settle down." Stoick's firm and commanding voice broke through the uprising of voices.
"You're going to take his side?"
"Make him step up and do something!"
"That's enough!" Astrid's voice echoed through the hall as she lifted her plate, flinging food across the table, and brought it down with a loud clang, emphasizing her words. The Hall went quiet and Zephyr flinched before starting to whimper and cry, startled by the loud noise. She turned and hid her face in Hiccup's neck.
"Just as pathetic as her father..."
"Zeph... sweetie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Astrid tried to comfort as Hiccup stood up from his seat.
"I'm going to take her home..." Hiccup muttered to her. Head down and avoiding all eye contact, he turned away and walked to the Great Hall doors, holding Zephyr protectively the whole way.
Astrid watched them leave, devastated. Sigrid approached her daughter and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She knew how much Astrid hated the way her family was treated. It only made it that much harder as she learned the role of chieftess over the very people who ostracized her husband and daughter.
"We're so sorry you have to put up with both of them." Someone spoke up, thinking that they were comforting her.
Astrid snapped, her mood switching to that of fury as she turned to face the people of Berk. She glared at them so fiercely, that the Vikings closest to her wilted.
"If anyone disrespects my family again." She spoke with a voice promising death, "I will personally chop you up into little pieces, make you into a stew, and feed you to the dragons!"
Some of the people flinched as her voice crescendoed. Others refused to look at her. Stoick was startled by Astrid's outburst, grateful to her for standing up for his son and granddaughter, but ashamed that he hadn't done it first. Gobber watched, wishing he could claim he wasn't as guilty as everyone else, but knew he hadn't been there for Hiccup either. Arne nodded his approval, family was important to him. But Astrid wasn't finished yet.
"You ungrateful jerks! Hiccup forges the best weapons on Berk! He is not useless. So what if he decided to play a different role? Why should he want to lead you lot of degenerate boneheads anyway?"
Some of the Berkians looked scandaled, others slightly ashamed, some slightly confused by the big words.
"How dare you insult my daughter? A three-year-old, little girl? Of course she isn't going to flourish, not when she is treated the way she is. You can't judge her before she's even had the chance to show what she has to offer. You're doing the same thing to her that you did to Hiccup. Don't try to deny it. I know that deep down you all know. Hiccup is the way he is because of us! He put up a bunch of walls and hides himself away, because he never received a kind word from anyone. I am so grateful that Zephyr has Hiccup because he will never allow her to feel the way he does. And so help me, if you drive my daughter to the same depths of despair as my husband... I will come for your unworthy, pathetic souls and hand them over to the ruler of Helheim himself!"
With that declaration Astrid turned and strutted out of the Hall, her mother on her heels. The crowd of Vikings were left feeling rather abashed by the lecture. They had noticed. They had witnessed Hiccup completely shut down and withdraw into himself many times before. No one wanted to be the one who did that to a little girl. Perhaps it was time that they all take a look at themselves and their past actions, and make things right.
—
They all said that Stoick was right to push Hiccup into marriage. Astrid turned out to be good for him. She would be able to help guide Hiccup into becoming a great chief one day. She would have an influence over the next heir. And they were right, at first. Both Hiccup and Astrid shadowed Stoick during the first year of their marriage. Hiccup seemed to be taking to his new responsibilities and Astrid was supportive and helped in anyway she could, although she was pregnant during the majority of their first year together. Berk saw potential in Hiccup's new and growing family. They saw potential in Hiccup, for the first time.
Then everything went wrong. After the incident with Snotlout, Hiccup refused to shadow Stoick and insisted that Astrid continue in his place. Hiccup wanted to stay home with Zephyr while Astrid learned how to be chief. It was better this way, he had told them.
Stoick wasn't happy about it, but knew he had upset Hiccup the other day and didn't know how to fix it. Pushing Hiccup into the role of chief would only end in disaster if he was going to keep fighting it, and to be completely honest, Stoick wasn't so sure if Hiccup should take on the role anymore. Or, at least, not right then. There was something wrong with Hiccup, something broken inside, and it only got worse after he had overheard the conversation with Gobber. So Stoick didn't press the matter and Astrid learned the ways of a chief.
The people of Berk did not know the situation and therefore did not understand why Hiccup was suddenly slacking off on his duties. They thought he was getting better, so what happened? Maybe Hiccup had never really changed.
Many Berkians went back to complaining and grumbling about Hiccup, their screw up of an heir. It was a shame that he would have such influence over Zephyr, since he stayed home with her. They could only hope that Zephyr took after Astrid.
As it turned out... Zephyr did indeed take after Hiccup. This became more apparent as she grew. She was gentle, quiet, a little shy, and sometimes got anxious. The two were often seen together, and the similarities were evident.
People gossiped about how unfortunate it was that Zephyr was destined to be a failure like her father, but only when Astrid wasn't around to pound them into the ground. It seemed that Berk was to endure the misfortune of two generations of failed Haddocks as chiefs.
—
"Astrid, slow down." Sigrid increased her speed to catch up to her daughter who was storming home. Astrid stopped on the stairs to the Great Hall, as her mother gained on her. Before Sigrid could say anything further, Astrid turned around and flung herself at her mother, holding tightly to her. After recovering from her slight surprise, Sigrid wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close, stroking her head in comfort as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
"Can I ask you something, Astrid?" Sigrid said after a couple of minutes, but she was hesitant. Astrid was in this situation because she and Arne had arranged for her to be married. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Astrid had been so focused on one goal for so long, she had lost herself. Sigrid had hoped that her daughter's marriage to Hiccup would bring back the Astrid she remembered. Hiccup was sweet and polite. He had become very quiet and reserved, but would be good to her daughter. Hiccup and Astrid had been such close friends as young children, Sigrid was sure they could find that again.
"Astrid..." Sigrid tried again, hesitating because she was afraid she might not like the answer and that she would only have herself to blame. "Are you... are you happy? At home?"
Astrid finally drew back from their embrace, but still held onto her, and met her mother's eyes with her wet ones— tears still streamed down her face.
"Mom..." Astrid hoped her mom wasn't implying anything. "I wouldn't have defended Hiccup if I didn't mean those things."
"Oh, I didn't mean anything like that Astrid." Sigrid clarified. No, Hiccup didn't have the constitution for abusive behavior. She knew he was good to Astrid and especially to Zephyr. "But there is a difference between appreciating him and loving him."
"I love him." Astrid replied immediately, without hesitation, and firmly. Sigrid smiled in response. "But..."
Sigrid's face fell. What was wrong then?
"I don't think that Hiccup believes that I do." Astrid finished, concern on her face.
"Have you told him?"
"Well... kind of." Astrid looked down.
"And you expect him to just know?" Sigrid gave her daughter a look.
"I try to show him that I do... I've told him that I care about him."
"That's not the same. Some people need to hear it outright. Especially someone like Hiccup, who is constantly being told he isn't good enough."
"Yeah... that's true." A hint of bitterness touched her voice.
"If you really do love him and you don't think he knows... then why haven't you told him yet?" Sigrid asked curiously.
"Well... because..." Astrid hesitated. "I don't know if he'll say it back."
"Oh, Astrid..." Sigrid moved some of Astrid's hair behind her ear.
"I see the way he looks at Zeph, there is so much love in his eyes. But... I've never seen that when he looks at me."
"I have." Astrid's head snapped up to look at her mom. "I've seen it in his eyes. He loves you Astrid, but he doesn't have the confidence to do anything about it."
"Really?" Astrid seemed relieved.
"Yes, Astrid. I'm sure of it." She assured. "But it sounds like you two really need to talk."
"You don't know the half of it..." Astrid muttered.
"What?" Sigrid asked with concern, having heard her daughter despite the muttering. Astrid pulled away completely from her mom and fidgeted. "Astrid, what is it?"
"I, uh..." Astrid's hesitance had her mom concerned about what else might be wrong. "I'm pregnant."
Sigrid couldn't speak, she was so surprised. She glanced down, but couldn't tell by looking at her. She wanted to squeal in excitement but she wasn't sure if Astrid was happy about it herself.
"You-" Sigrid started saying, but couldn't finish. Another grandchild! She couldn't help herself, she smiled and pulled Astrid in for another hug. "Astrid!"
Astrid started laughing at her mom's enthusiasm and hugged her back. She really was happy about it, but also a little concerned. It helped, being assured that Hiccup loved her. It would help even more, if he told her that himself.
"I'm so happy for you!" Sigrid pulled back and cupped Astrid's cheeks with her hands. "Are you happy about this?"
"Yes, of course." Astrid answered. "Do you think Hiccup will be?"
"He adores Zephyr, I'm sure he'll love this one just as much."
"But... what will everyone else think? What if this one is also treated like Hiccup and Zephyr? I love my daughter and I'll love this one too, but I want something better for them." Astrid looked down again. "What if my children can't be happy on Berk?"
Sigrid wasn't quite sure what to say. She never had that problem with Astrid. Her daughter grew up happy enough. She was treated well. She couldn't imagine what it must feel like to raise children who were mistreated by their own people. To have a whole family be disrespected while having to learn how to chief the very people who mistreated them.
"I'm sure your words back in the Great Hall made a difference." Sigrid finally said.
"Maybe..." Astrid didn't look convinced.
"Let's just get you home to check on Hiccup and Zephyr." Sigrid started directing Astrid toward her house. "You need to have a talk with your husband."
—
Astrid led the way into her home, Sigrid following behind. It was warm inside and it smelled like delicious food. Apparently Hiccup had ended up cooking anyway, since they hadn't had the chance to eat much in the Great Hall. There were empty dishes on the table and one bowl full of soup, presumably for Astrid.
Hiccup looked up at them when he heard the door open, and gave them a small smile in greeting. He wasn't sure what Astrid's mother was doing here, but he didn't want to question it. He had been getting Zephyr ready for the night by helping her change. He was currently sitting by the fire with her and giving her some fresh, new braids.
"Hi mommy. Hi gramma!" Zephyr gave them a wave and started to fidget while Hiccup hurried to finish her braids before she got too impatient.
"There's my favorite granddaughter!" Sigrid exclaimed as she walked into the house, causing Zephyr to fidget even more. She really wanted to get up and hug her grandmother.
"Almost done Zeph..." Hiccup said in amusement, he tried to go faster but wanted to ensure that her braids were sturdy enough to hold up to whatever a three-year-old got herself into.
"Be patient for daddy." Astrid instructed her daughter. Zephyr held still for a couple minutes longer, but as soon as she was released, she ran into Sigrid's arms in excitement.
"Hello, sweetie." Sigrid gave Zephyr a kiss on the cheek and the little girl giggled.
"I helped daddy cook!" Zephyr told her proudly.
"Did you? Is that why it smells so good in here?"
"I made it better!" Zephyr continued to tell them of her accomplishment. Astrid could see Hiccup shake his head in warning from behind Zephyr and couldn't help but smile.
"Do you like cooking, sweetie?" Sigrid asked.
"I like making things."
"Then how about you come over to grandma's and grandpa's house tonight? You can help me make some bread."
"Okay!" Zephyr was really excited by the idea. Hiccup raised an eyebrow in confusion. He had no problem with that, but was wondering why it seemed like there was some kind of plan going on here.
Since Zephyr was already in her night clothes and had slept at her grandparent's house before, there wasn't much to do to get her ready to go. Zephyr gave her parents a hug, and a kiss on the cheek, each, then held Sigrid's hand as they left the house.
"Eat soup, mommy!" Zephyr called out before the door shut.
"I will!" Astrid assured, but wasn't sure if she had even been heard.
Hiccup and Astrid stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before both speaking at the same time.
"I'm sorry for the ruckus I caused..."
"Are you and Zephyr okay?"
"What?"
"Uh... sorry, you can go first." Astrid gestured at Hiccup to speak, but he seemed slightly unwilling. Instead, he walked over to her and led her to the table to sit, then sat next to her.
"By the way, I ate a whole bowl of that stuff so if you don't at least try it... I might just be the better parent." Hiccup lightly teased her. Astrid loved it when he got playful like that, it meant that he was comfortable enough to act more like himself around her.
"Oh? Well then I accept the challenge." She smiled at him and picked up the spoon. "I'll eat the whole thing. Maybe go for seconds."
"I admire your resolve. We'll see if it holds out once you get a taste."
Astrid filled the spoon and took a bite. She chewed thoughtfully before swallowing, Hiccup waited for some kind of reaction.
"That's not that bad." She took another bite. Hiccup looked at her incredulously. "I kind of like it."
"Really?" Hiccup seemed disbelieving.
"Yes, really. What did she do to it?"
"Well." Hiccup seemed amused. "I was making it the way I usually do and she decided to add some random ingredients. An odd mixture of seasonings... including sugar. Cheese. Some apple slices... and whatever else she could find."
"Huh. Who would have thought all of that would taste good together?" Astrid kept eating the soup.
"Literally no one but Zephyr and the mother she clearly gets her cooking skills from." Hiccup teased her again, but he was more quiet and shy about it this time. Astrid laughed and put a hand on his arm in reassurance that it was okay, his teasing was welcome and taken the right way.
Hiccup and Astrid stared at each other, comfortable in their quiet, little moment. Astrid hoped that what she was seeing in his eyes was love. Was what her mother had assured her was always there. She took a chance and leaned forward for a kiss, hoping Hiccup would meet her halfway. He did.
As they pulled away from each other a few seconds later Astrid decided it was time to tell him. At least, tell him one of the things she had been meaning to tell him.
"Hiccup... I love you." She said it with as much sincerity as she could. Hiccup seemed startled for a second and his eyes widened just a fraction. He stared at her with an intense gaze, seeming to gauge her sincerity and not really knowing what to do.
"You... uh, you don't have to say it back." Astrid continued. She was a little disappointed that he hadn't, but understood maybe why he didn't. He still seemed disbelieving. "But... I really want you to know. I love you and I have for a long time now. I'm sorry I haven't made that clear in the past. You and Zephyr mean everything to me."
Hiccup's eyes were getting watery as she spoke and he almost looked like he was going to cry. She wrapped an arm around him comfortingly and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"I love you too..." He said quietly. Astrid looked at him with hope that they could really move forward as a couple. "I've loved you since we were kids... back when we used to be best friends."
"I loved you then too, Hiccup." Astrid said, but maybe it was the wrong thing to say, because Hiccup suddenly looked unsure of himself. He looked uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Hiccup dismissed, leaning back and pulling away from her. Distancing himself yet again.
"Hiccup..." Astrid wasn't sure what to do. Whenever she thought that they were making progress, he pulled away from her again. "It isn't nothing. We need to get better at communicating. Something is wrong and I want to know what it is. So I can try to fix it."
Hiccup slowly looked up at her, but he seemed almost scared to say what was on his mind. They remained silent for a couple minutes.
"I won't get offended... if it's about me." Astrid tried to reassure him, but was a little anxious that she was the problem.
"Uh... I..." Hiccup stuttered, not really wanting to voice his thoughts but hoping that if he did, and she really did love him like she said she did, that maybe things would get just a little better. "Astrid... We used to be best friends. When we were kids."
"Yeah, we were. I hope to have that same ease in our relationship in the future..."
"Yeah... But..." He was silent for another minute. He was sure that he was about to shred the little bit of a relationship that they currently had. "One day, we were best friends. We couldn't wait to see each other in the morning and didn't want to say goodbye in the evening. The next day...? You wouldn't even speak to me. You ignored me, leaving me wondering... what I did wrong?"
Astrid closed her eyes as she reprimanded herself. Of course. How could he trust her to be there for him now, if she hadn't been back then?
"Can you... uh, maybe tell me? Tell me what I did wrong, so that I can avoid doing it again in the future...?" It broke her heart to see how fragile he looked right then. He had finally told her what had been holding him back all this time. And he was sure that it was his fault. "I don't want to get close to you again just to... uh, lose you."
It would completely destroy him, to go through that again. Hiccup knew. Astrid was beginning to understand.
"Hiccup... I, I can't apologize enough for my past actions." She tilted his head to look up at her, so he would meet her eyes. "I am so sorry. I know that will never be enough, but maybe I can explain what really happened."
Hiccup cocked his head in confusion and curiosity. He still looked so sad, but he wanted to know. Astrid hoped he would forgive her.
"Our friendship was very important to me. You were very important to me. I used to tell my mom that I would marry you one day..." Astrid smiled at the memory, Hiccup recalled Sigrid saying something along those lines. "She told me that you were to be the future chief, and that if I meant what I said, I would have to be up to the task. To understand what it meant. I told her it didn't matter, that I would be willing to do anything if it meant being with my best friend forever."
Hiccup narrowed his eyes slightly, not knowing where this was going. Nothing she said told him why she had abandoned him as a friend when they were ten years old.
"I mean, we were kids so... even if I meant it, I didn't fully understand everything. But then... one morning, after I got up and was going to go meet with you, I found my parents downstairs, they looked so upset. They told me that my Uncle Finn, who I had been so close to, had died. That it had been a dragon that caused his death. I was upset and so angry. I told myself that I would become a fierce warrior and protect Berk from all dragons. To honor my uncle and prove that the Hoffersons weren't cowards."
Hiccup remembered hearing about what had happened to Astrid's uncle. "Fearless" Finn Hofferson had been shamed for not being brave enough to fight off the Flightmare. Hiccup had wanted to comfort Astrid the next day, but she had pushed him away and never played with him again. Had he offended her when she was mourning?
"I was old enough to start training that year, so I did. I'm so sorry Hiccup... I told myself that you would be a distraction, especially since your dad wouldn't let you start training when I did. I lost myself and became obsessed with my goal. I became someone I wasn't really proud of. I saw you get picked on, and I did nothing. I wanted to protect my village but I let everyone push you around. How hypocritical is that?" Astrid was looking down, her head bowed. She had tears in her eyes as she confessed everything to Hiccup. Hiccup couldn't help but sympathize. She had been dealing with her own losses, and he hadn't been able to be there for her. He hadn't known. "I think losing my uncle had a big impact on me. I realized how easy it is to lose those you love and then I foolishly pushed away one of the people who meant the most to me. And I kept doing it. I was never really a part of the friend group with Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins. I hung out with them, but I was never really one of them. Then I pushed them completely out of my life and became a bitter, angry, obsessed warrior. I was unhappy and alone."
Hiccup had always thought she was friends with the others. He assumed she had lots of friends. She was a popular person and was looked up to and admired for her fighting skills. He would have never thought she had been lonely. Lonely like he had been.
"So... when my mom approached me and told me that she and my dad were arranging me to be married to you... I wasn't upset."
Hiccup looked up at her. She hadn't been upset that she was forced to marry him?
"I really wasn't." Astrid had read his face correctly and assured him. "I had realized how far I had gone for my goal and decided that it hadn't been worth it. My uncle would have wanted me to be happy... and I wasn't. I thought that marrying you was the opportunity I needed, to mend what I broke with you. To have love in my life again. And I don't regret that. I love everything that I gained by marrying you. I love you. I love Zephyr. I love our little family."
The family that was about to get a little bigger... She still needed to tell him. But first she wanted to know what Hiccup thought of what she had just told him. He had a blank look on his face, like he was taking it all in and didn't know what to think. Maybe she had just ruined everything between them.
"You... didn't leave me because you didn't like me?" Hiccup asked.
"No. I always liked you Hiccup." She was a little confused.
"You didn't think that I needed to change? To be better, in order to be your friend?" Hiccup seemed kind of hopeful.
"I didn't abandon you as a friend because of anything you did or because of who you are. I always liked that you were different than everyone else." Astrid explained, since he apparently needed to hear it. "It was all me. I was a stupid, little girl who didn't know what I really wanted."
"I don't think you're stupid." Hiccup said, he had a light in his eyes that she only ever really saw when he was with Zephyr. Did he forgive her, then? "And... I don't blame you. I'm sorry I didn't understand what you were going through."
"Hiccup." Astrid shook her head, half amused and half sad that he still felt it necessary to apologize for everything. "You did nothing wrong. You have no reason to apologize. I don't think there was anything you could have done to get through to me back then anyway."
"I could have tried harder. But instead, I pretty much gave up on you. I didn't think we would ever be friends again. Or married, for that matter." He gave her a little smile and held her hand. "But I love that I have you now. I love that we have Zephyr."
"Do you... forgive me then?" Astrid asked timidly.
"Of course." He gave her hand a squeeze. "And thank you... for telling me. It means so much to me to know that you always cared. That it wasn't something I did. That you love me for me. That we have a chance now."
"Can I ask you to make a promise with me?" He gave her a curious look, but nodded. "Let's promise that we'll start talking to each other more. That if we have a problem, we'll let the other know."
"That... sounds like a good idea." Hiccup gave a small laugh.
"And... um. Speaking of telling each other things..." Hiccup's face became serious again at Astrid's words. What was wrong now? He wasn't sure how much more of this deep, emotional stuff he could handle. "I've been meaning to tell you for a while now... but it never really seemed like a good time."
"What is it? Are you okay?" Hiccup was worried.
"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine. Uh, I am..." She finally looked Hiccup straight in the eye. "Hiccup, I'm going to have another baby."
Hiccup blinked in surprise. She was pregnant? She was pregnant. They were going to have another baby.
Astrid grew concerned by his silence. What if he didn't want another baby? What if he was unhappy by her news? They had just promised to talk things through. So she decided to speak up.
"Hiccup-" She started, but was cut off.
"Oh my gods!" Hiccup suddenly exclaimed, startling Astrid. "Really?"
"Yes..." She still wasn't sure of his reaction.
"Oh my gods, Astrid! This is so great!" He pulled her in for a hug. "I'm so happy to hear that."
"You are?"
"Yes!" He pulled back, but still held her close. "I love Zephyr and I'll love having another child in the family. Zephyr will be so excited to be a big sister!"
Astrid laughed at his enthusiasm. She was so happy that they had finally had this talk. So much unresolved stuff had been hanging over their heads for years. But now it was all out in the open. She and Hiccup were truly happy with each other. And their family was going to get a little bigger. Things were going better than they had been in a while now.
—
A/N: I appreciate all the reviews, faves, and follows! You guys are awesome! This story will be pretty long, by the way. Its way more than two parts.
htvhtgjtdhzr: Quite the username you got there. I'm glad you like my fan fic! It is most definitely not a one shot. I have a big, long plot line planned out.
Kitten Pinkmations: I don't think Hiccup would take well to that, at all! There's plenty more to come, so I guess we'll see!
Tellemicus Sundance: I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Silver Sentinel: Glad you read it! Hiccup's life has been pretty rough so far, and he's holding up the best he can. Zephyr brings him happiness, however, so at least he has those moments with her.
CajunBear73: Hiccup isn't in the best place, thanks to Stoick and the Berkians. But perhaps things are changing for the better. Still plenty more angst to come in later chapters, though!
Guest: Thanks! I hope you liked this new chapter.
Night Fire or The Creature: Thanks for being the first to review, I hope you continue to enjoy the story!