Hi friends!

So much has happened since we last updated. I have officially moved into a new apartment. I'm living on my own now! Oof… pray for me ya'll haha This could be very good or very bad. Nah it'll be fine and mostly good I'm sure. Probably.

I also got a yellow labrador puppy and named him Finn ;) Because I have no shame haha Literally though, the name fits. He's wild and fearless but very sweet, too. My family calls him Gator because he snaps his little jaws when he gets annoyed and his teeth clack together really loud haha He's loads of fun!

But as you can imagine it was difficult for me to get much writing done with all the busy-ness of the last month and a half, but I DID IT! I'm honestly shocked I was able to get this bad boy out as fast as I did. I'm SOO excited for you guys to read this. Much of it was pre-written eons ago and tweaked to get it up to date, and the latter scene I've been toying with in my mind for YEARS! I didn't think I'd ever actually write it, so to be able to do so (and not just for funsies, for it to actually provide some depth and character development) was such a pleasure. And it reads reeeally well… shameless plug, I can't wait for ya'll to read this chapter lol

Without further adieu, please enjoy! Don't forget to review! :)

*Final scene inspiration: The King of the Highlands by Antti Martikainen

~Em

Chapter 8: Rite of Passage

It was an exciting day at the Larson household. One that would be remembered for the rest of Adrianna and Erick's lives. One that they'd both longed for and dreaded with every ounce of their combined being.

Darin's first birthday.

Adrianna didn't know how to feel about this. One part of her was so proud of him and how much he'd grown. No longer was he the tiny snuggly baby that she'd held for long hours of the night and carried to and fro. While he still required much carrying and snuggling, Darin was now on the verge of becoming a toddler. He'd walked his first steps a few weeks prior and he'd begun exploring the house with so much enthusiasm that she and Erick could hardly keep up. It was wonderful and amazing and utterly beautiful.

But the other part of her wouldn't stop bursting into tears at random intervals.

Erick gave her a consoling hug but it was no use. Darin was growing up and before she could do anything about it, Darin would be leaving the house to fulfill his own adventures and she'd be an old hag.

Her husband choked on a laugh when she said as much. "Annie, he's turning one, not seventeen."

"I kn-know, I just c-can't handle it!" Adrianna blubbered into his shirt. "I'm not ready for the baby stage to be over!"

"Well I guess we'd better have more babies then."

Adrianna pulled back with a loud sniff and poked him sharply in the chest. "It's not funny!"

"I know!" Erick raised his palms, but was obviously fighting a smile. "I'm just saying-"

"Yeah, I'm just saying too." Adrianna rubbed her face. "Some supportive husband you are, you just want to go upstairs and-"

A gentle tap of footsteps sounded as Darin toddled into the room. His blonde hair shone in the morning light. His blue eyes were focused on a red rubber ball clutched in his hands, not paying attention as he nearly walked head first into a cabinet.

"Whoa there," Erick wedged his hand beneath the wood and his son's face, protecting it just in time. "Watch where you're going, kiddo!"

Darin looked up in surprise and then held up the ball.

"Throw it!" Erick squatted down and held out his hands. "Throw it to daddy!"

Instead of throwing the ball, Darin walked into Erick's open arms and gave him a hug. Adrianna promptly burst into tears again.

"Annie…"

"How much longer do we have until he understands what you actually said and he won't just give us hugs anymore?"

"Annie." Erick stood up and set his hands on her face. "Are you… feeling okay?"

Adrianna sniffed, blinking at him through swollen eyes. "What?"

"Are you feeling okay? Because if you're not, we can call off the party-"

"Call off my son's first birthday party?" Adrianna demanded, voice thick with emotion. "Why would you ever suggest-"

"Because you've been crying for an hour!" Erick said, slightly exasperated. "Look, I know it's hard to watch him grow up, but he's not leaving us yet! The kid can't survive without us, I mean look at him!"

She faced Darin in time to see him throw the ball, which bounced down the hall. He ran after it with a squeal, bumped into a side table and collapsed. He was up in seconds, as if he hadn't noticed anything at all, and disappeared around a corner.

"He still needs us and he'll still need us for a long, long time." Erick said firmly. "Don't fret the time away."

"Not fretting." Adrianna muttered, wiping her face.

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know."

"Well it's got to be something-"

"I don't know, Erick, sometimes a woman just needs to cry, okay!"

"Okay."

"You had two sisters, you should know this!"

"Yeah, but sisters are different."

"A girl is a girl, there's no difference."

"The relationship is different," Erick said, still slightly exasperated. "I never asked either of my sisters if they wanted a hug or to talk things out while they were-" He stuttered into silence, pursing his lips.

Adrianna squinted. "While they were what?"

"Nothing. Nothing." Erick said, turning down the hall. "Where'd Darin go?"

Adrianna grabbed his arm and wheeled him around. "While they were what, Erick?"

A blush rose up his collar. "While… while they were… indisposed."

She blinked. "Indisposed."

Erick exhaled deeply through his nose, the blush spreading. "While they were on their period!"

Adrianna blinked again. "Oh. Right." Then she snorted. "Is that what you think this is? For the record, I'm not on mine."

"Well… well…" Erick sputtered. "Gah, women. Darin, where'd you go?"

Despite herself, Adrianna couldn't help but laugh as he marched down the hall in search of their son. She reflected on the last hour and realized that it would make sense, how her emotional wreckage might seem to him that she wasn't feeling well. But that was one misconception. Sometimes the emotions would not be swayed, and there was no rhyme or reason for it.

"Babe," Adrianna said, striding after him. She found Erick trying to pull Darin out of a closet, from which was strewn a basket of old toys that they'd hidden from him. Unfortunately he had so many that they had to put some away to create space. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "You're sweet for trying, you know."

"Yeah well- hey, give me that. No, I'm sorry buddy, but you can't have sharp objects." Erick firmly prised a quiver of arrows from Darin's meaty fingers. "Sometimes it's just hard to tell, I guess. If you're just having an emotional day or if there's… other things going on."

Adrianna snorted. "Well, you can always ask me."

"I'd prefer not to."

"Well all the same, if it's easier to just ask, you can." Adrianna frowned. "What's that doing in there anyway?"

"I just threw it in here awhile back. We need more hangers." Erick said, still trying to remove Darin's hands from the leather strap. He seemed to be fighting a smile. "Or a shed."

"Or a barn."

Erick bobbed his head. "Or a shed. Hey, listen- buddy, you're too young for arrows!"

As the quiver was finally taken away, Darin threw himself to the ground and began to wail with anguish. Though his face turned red and he wailed up at Adrianna, there were no tears.

Erick rubbed the back of his neck and flicked his eyes up at her. "You were saying about him growing up too fast?"

Adrianna breathed a laugh. "Yeah. Come on, buddy, up you get. Let's make lunch and then we'll have a nap before your party!"

Darin didn't seem to find this an acceptable response to his woes and screamed louder.

Adrianna and Darin were in much better spirits by the time family and friends began to arrive. Erick had begun to wonder if today was the best day for a party, after nearly an hour of Adrianna's tears and another hour of Darin's own tantrums. But after their son finally went down for a nap and they began decorating the house with blue streamers and balloons, Adrianna's spirits rose to new heights.

She'd even found time to do her hair, which she'd braided into a coronet around her head. The golden locks had been swept away from her face and braided back, every hair tucked into place with a pin. When she'd come downstairs wearing a periwinkle blue dress with her hair up like that, his stomach had done a wild flop.

Even now he needed to remind himself to keep his eyeballs in their sockets, with so many friends and family over. Still, with her hair up like that, it was doing wonders for her neckline, and the dress was hugging her curves just right.

Gods, she'd drive him mad one day.

"Thank you! And the best part," Adrianna said, shoving her hands into folds at her hips. "It has pockets!"

"No." Genevieve said in a hushed voice.

"Yes! It was Morgan's idea."

"Well, I'll have to ask her to show me how she does it. That's something I must take home to Hjart. It's so practical, how did we never think of this before?"

"Because we're women, obviously." Inga said in a low drawl. "What sort of women need pockets to carry around day to day necessities? As if women don't need to carry around certain daily necessities when the certain time of month comes around!"

Adrianna and Genevieve nodded emphatically. Erick walked to the drink table, hoping they didn't notice he'd been eavesdropping. That was twice now in the same day-

"Bruh!" Cliff emerged, a glass of lemonade in his hand. "Where've you been?"

"Here," Erick said, pouring himself a glass and taking a sip. "A better question is, where is Darin?"

"What, you can't see him from his perch?"

Erick turned with raised brows, and then snorted. Darin was indeed perched high up on Finn's shoulders, his little hands grabbing at his uncle's red locks. Finn had his hands firmly around his nephew's legs, in case he should get any ideas about discovering gravity the hard way.

"One already, eh?" Cliff said, wiping a fake tear. "They grow up so fast!"

"Not you too." Erick warned, poking him in the chest. "I already had to take care of Adrianna once today."

"You don't say?" Cliff asked, slurping his lemonade loud enough to draw several people's attention. "Well, we are getting up in age."

"I'm literally nineteen years old, Cliff."

"Yeah, bruh. You're so old."

"You're eighteen."

"Yup. I'm still a young, spry teenager. You're an old man."

Erick gave him a flat look and then turned back to face the crowd of people all clustered in his house. Of course Hiccup and Astrid were present, as well as his own mother, Lara; Magnus and her husband, Gregory and their kids; Finn and Genevieve, as well as Inga, Helga and Taryn. Overall it was difficult choosing who to invite because there were so many people, but Adrianna wanted the party to be here with their closest friends and family. So they'd had to be choosey.

The only downside is the dragons weren't "invited", and it was only proving a problem because they kept blocking the light of the sun by pressing their noses against the glass of each window. Toothless, Stormfly, Lily, Charger, Zap, Max, and all the Shockjaw pups were each taking turns fighting over the windows. Hiccup had already gone outside on more than one occasion to break up a few squabbles.

Erick prayed to all the gods that their new house wouldn't be torched, and on his son's birthday, no less.

After a particularly sharp yank on his hair, Finn winced and pulled Darin off his shoulders. "You're a little tyrant, you know that?" He dug his fingers into Darin's belly and he squirmed and squealed. "Alright, get outta here."

Darin's feet hit the ground and he swayed slightly. Finn held out a hand in case he needed to catch him, but Darin caught his balance and toddled forward. Catching sight of Erick, he grinned and plodded forward until his arms wrapped around Erick's prosthetic leg.

"Hey buddy!"

"Oh!" Cliff said, setting down his drink. "I totally forgot. Here, little man!"

Darin seemed fascinated momentarily by Cliff's thick curly hair, just as he usually was by Genevieve's, as Cliff withdrew a colored cone hat with a rubber band. Darin pulled at the thin rubber string in confusion as Cliff set the hat on his head.

"There you go! Birthday boy mode: activated!"

Erick snorted. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, but he's adorable."

Indeed, Darin looked a bit confused at the chorus of awws as he turned. The cone hat atop his head had a tuft of multi-colored streamers at the top, which clashed brightly with his blond hair. He grinned and waved at the crowd, and was promptly knocked to the floor by a bright blue ball of scales and shimmering wings.

A gasp rose up from the guests as Erick lunged forward. The small blue dragon leapt through the legs of many guests as he pulled Darin to his feet. He didn't cry, thankfully, but he did look confused.

"Pepper!" Finn shouted, chasing after the baby Shockjaw. Genevieve joined the fray, even as the sound of tables and chairs screeched across the floors.

Adrianna was at his side in seconds, surveying Darin's condition. "Oh baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah, he's okay," Erick said in surprise. "I think he's just in shock."

"I know the feeling," Cliff said, unsurprised by this turn of events and watching in amusement as Finn and Genevieve chased the Shockjaw through the house. "Sometimes everything just collapses around you and you're just confused as to what happened and if it was your fault or not."

"Well yeah, you're a klutz!" Adrianna said.

Taryn squealed in surprise when Pepper leaped onto her stomach and dodged away, clearly pleased with the chase. Cups were upended and people yelped in surprise as her wings began to shimmer.

Erick picked up Darin and followed Adrianna to a safer corner just as Pepper began to run down the hall.

Finn dove out of the crowd and pinned her down. The sound of muffled sparks and growls emitted from beneath him before he struggled to his knees, his arms wrapped firmly around the squirming Shockjaw.

"You… are a bad… girl." Finn panted.

Erick briefly wondered how he wasn't flinching at the electricity coursing around his chest and arms, but then realized Finn was wearing one of his leather flight suits, reinforced with rubber.

Pepper growled indignantly. Her tail came up and nearly slapped Finn in the face before a firm hand caught her by the nose, and she came face to face with Hiccup.

"No." Hiccup's command was firm.

Pepper stilled and her eyes widened. With her paws drooped and her tail curling upward in a protective manner, she looked quite adorable. But Erick would not be swayed. The little pup needed to go back outside, no matter how cute she was.

Hiccup's expression brooked no argument. "Now you go outside and be good."

Without another word, Finn marched to the door and dropped her outside. She flapped her wings and landed on her feet, but turned a disdainful look up at him. "Stay outside, Pepper."

A sharp growl sounded and she cowered to the ground as Zap and Max turned the corner. Finn closed the door before they could see any more, but he turned an apologetic look on Erick and Adrianna. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Adrianna said, helping Helga mop up a few overturned glasses. "They're each a bundle of energy. It's part of raising babies. Trust me, I know."

A chorus of giggles sounded from the guests and soon enough, conversation resumed.

"You alright, little man?" Finn asked Darin, approaching with a concerned look.

"Yeah he's good." Erick said. "He hardly even blinked."

"Of course he's fine, handling dragons and surprises is in his blood." Hiccup said, holding out his hands. Darin was quickly transferred to his arms, and he pointed at something across the room. "Want to have a balloon?"

They watched as Hiccup took Darin across the room, and Finn sighed heavily. "I tell you what though, those babies are driving me crazy. Pepper especially. She's always getting into stuff!"

"Well yeah, I'd expect nothing less from a dragon named Pepper." Cliff said, snorting into his lemonade. "She couldn't have gotten into the salt jar."

"Little tyrant," Finn muttered, straightening his jacket. "Didn't stop sneezing for days."

"They'll grow out of it eventually." Adrianna said.

"Yeah, eventually. They're getting bigger by the day and their energy is only increasing." Finn sighed. "I can only do so much in a day."

Genevieve squeezed his arm. "I think someone else needs to take over training them."

"But they like me best."

"Well, like you said, you can't do everything."

A look of pensive worry had stolen over Finn's face. He seemed to momentarily forget where he was, lost in a mental list of all the things he likely had to do after the party. Erick couldn't imagine. He himself was fairly busy and yet he wasn't captain of the guard, training a brood of Shockjaw pups, traveling every few days to see his girlfriend, and being groomed to take the mantle as chief.

The worry on Finn's face disappeared in a blink and he smiled down at Genevieve. She gave him a sympathetic smile. Try though he might, Finn couldn't hide his emotions from those that knew him best.

Erick debated asking his brother-in-law if there was anything he could do when Hiccup and Darin returned. Darin twisted in his grandfather's arms and blinked at Finn. He lifted a hand as if to wave and said, "Winn."

Erick's heart stuttered in his chest.

Finn shrugged. "Ah shucks kids, I know I'm a winner."

"No," Genevieve said in a hoarse whisper. "I think… Finn, I think he's trying to say your name!"

"WHAT?" Cliff erupted. "Uncle Cliff! You're supposed to say Uncle Cliff first!"

"Excuse me," Adrianna said with a small pout. "What are me and Erick? Chopped liver?"

Finn was staring at his nephew with a look of shock. "Are you… are you sure that's what he said?"

"Darin," Hiccup said, drawing the small boy's attention and pointing. "Who is that?"

Darin blinked wide blue eyes at Finn and said nothing. He leaned forward with his arms outstretched, clearly wanting to be transferred. Finn took him a victorious smile. Erick snorted, remembering how terrified Finn had been at the prospect of a baby joining the family. He wondered if Finn knew how natural he looked with a baby in his arms. He didn't miss Genevieve's knowing smile.

"I don't know guys," Finn said, peering down at Darin as he fiddled with a rubber strap on Finn's shoulder. "I don't think he said it."

"I'm surprised," Hiccup said. "I would have thought you'd be cheering with victory, Finn."

"I don't want to be disappointed-"

Darin looked up at him and grabbed at Finn's nose. "Winn."

Finn's blue eyes widened.

"Oh gods," Adrianna sighed. "Darin, say mama!"

Darin looked at her for a moment before saying, "Winn" again.

Finn's face split into a grin. "Awww yes-"

"Oh no," Erick sighed.

"I win!" Finn cheered, raising Darin high over his head. Several people glanced at them in confusion.

"Winn!"

"YES! That's ME!" Finn cackled and spun Darin in a circle. "Who's the dream team? You and me, that's who!"

Genevieve snorted. "The dream team?"

"Yup. You only wish you were as awesome as me and Darin. He learned to say my name before anyone else's. That means I'm his favorite!"

Adrianna looked quite put out.

"Yeah well he's going to bless you with vomit next if you don't stop spinning him." Erick said in a flat tone.

Finn instantly ceased, but he was still grinning. "What's my name? Darin, hey. What's my name?"

"I don't think he understands-"

"Winn!"

"Ahh I could die of happiness right here."

Cliff gave her a derisive sniff and walked away. "I must admit I have lost my appetite."

"Oh don't be such a baby!" Erick chuckled as he disappeared into the crowd.

Adrianna slid an arm around his waist, smiling despite herself. "Ah well, I guess we'll let Uncle Winn have this one."

To her credit, Finn beamed.

Even as a slush-filled spring finally gave way to summer's warmth, the breeze of the ocean smelling of salt and brine and wishes, Finn couldn't believe what he was doing.

Hjart was as beautiful as ever, a shimmering star on the map of their world. He couldn't help but bask in the glow of that beautiful speck of land every time he and Zap arrived. Sunlight glittering across the turquoise lagoon and sparkled across the mist of the distant waterfall. A rainbow arched across the mist. It was exceptionally beautiful. Just as beautiful as the sight of the men, women and children riding dragons across the land far below.

Pride didn't feel like a strong enough word for what he felt in that moment.

After nearly two years since training the Hjartans, the humble village was finally out of its shell. There had been many arguments, or healthy debates as Kiev liked to call them, and even blood, sweat and tears, but they'd finally made it.

Hjart had slowly begun to change over time. So slowly that he hadn't quite noticed. Somehow, two years later, it was a different island completely. A safe haven for the west, a training ground for another generation of dragon riders, another ally, another team of friends and family.

A second home.

If he wasn't meant to be chief of Berk when his father retired, Finn might consider moving here. Living here. Marrying Genevieve and starting a family here.

His stomach twisted in his gut in a way that had nothing to do with Zap's swerve around a tall building. He could still do those last things… hoped and prayed for it actually. But he belonged with Berk. They needed him more than Hjart, which had Ivan and Thuggory and so many others. Finn had taught them everything he knew and more. They had even taught him new ways to fight, new ways to think and outsmart an opponent. Hel, all the Sullivan boys had taught him things he'd never known. New ways to hunt and fish and cook and wrestle.

A band of brothers. A second family.

Gods, all this introspection was enough to make him throw up. But in a good way.

Zap must have sensed his rising anxiety because she looked up at him over her broad shoulder and crooned.

Finn exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm alright, Zappy. Just… nervous."

Gods, what was he doing?

They landed outside the Sullivan's home. As soon as Finn's boots hit the ground and he hauled a bag off her saddle, Zap tore off down the street in search of her mate and pups. Now that the pups were older, they were finally old enough to make their own trips to see their father, though Finn suspected they did their own traveling.

It made him worry somehow. Max and Zap didn't seem bothered. They were dragons after all. The pups were a year and a half old. They had to leave the nest eventually, and at nearly half Zap's size, they had nearly reached maturity.

Pepper was still as mischievous as ever, all glittering turquoise scales and savage grins. Thunder was stoic like his father, his navy blue scales dusted with flecks of light blue. He liked to fly among storm clouds and play in the rain. As infants, while the other babies had fled in terror at the sound of thunder, he had leapt into the skies as if to challenge the gods themselves. Finn should have known from the very first day that the pup who'd zapped him in the hand would be fearless. The other female was a beautiful, nearly white shade of blue with big dark eyes. Genevieve had fallen in love with her almost instantly and named her Belle. She was docile and loving, but didn't back down from a fight when her brothers got on her nerves.

Naming the other two boys had been difficult as they were both outright rambunctious and liked to chew things. Eventually Cliff had firmly said, "Just name them Chewie and Snack" and somehow it had stuck. Genevieve had laughed herself hoarse and Finn had hated the names at first, but… well, they were accurate.

Chewie had literally chewed through almost every good pair of shoes the Haddocks owned, which was a real pain for Hiccup as he really only needed one boot, and to buy just one was a hassle for the seller. And Snack… well, there was simply no shortage of snacks for him. Both teal-green colored boys were tall like their father, but Snack… well, he was a bit chunkier because always seemed to be eating something. Chewie at least seemed to just chew on things, perhaps to sharpen his teeth or something. Finn wasn't sure.

Regardless these five pups were a lot of work, and more often than not he collapsed into bed without bothering to take his own boots off. He was glad Zap would be keeping them occupied while he and Genevieve-

"Ah you've arrived!"

Finn faced Kiev, who'd just appeared from the barn. "Yeah, just got here."

They shook hands and Kiev gave him a knowing grin. "Are you ready?"

Though his stomach gave a nearly painful flop, Finn nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good, good." Kiev smiled, and then slapped his shoulder. His expression was nothing short of proud and excited. He glanced up and down the street. "Everything is being prepared in the Town Hall. You both take your time, but not too much time-"

"Right." Finn nodded, hoping that he wouldn't say anything too uncomfortable. If all went well there would likely be no shortage of kisses, but he didn't wish to discuss these things with Kiev.

"Well I mean, I merely told Eamon that six would be a good time to begin. That's all."

"Ah." Finn nodded. Eamon was the local cook master of Hjart, and he preferred to serve his food piping hot. Finn would need to make sure they didn't take too much time, or Eamon would come after him with a wooden spoon.

"Then again," Kiev said with a smirk beneath his greying beard. "It's not every day one proposes. Enjoy it!"

Finn hissed through his teeth, glancing up and down the street. "Kiev, what if she's nearby?"

"She's not! She's in the lower town assisting with a few things, so she'll be occupied for a while yet." Kiev chortled at the relief no doubt showing on Finn's face. "In the meantime, the loft is yours as always."

Finn nodded, his stomach knotting. "Cool. Thanks."

Kiev seemed to understand he was feeling less cheery and more anxious than usual. With a gentle pat on his arm, he said, "Good luck. I'll see you in a few hours."

Finn watched him stride back into the barn. He forced himself to take a slow, deep breath. It didn't seem to help. In fact, he felt like he was about to throw up on Molly's begonias.

He strode into the house and found the matron of the Sullivan family in the kitchen, drying her hands. "Ah, Finn!" Molly rushed over and gave him a quick hug. "How was the flight?"

"Good."

She must have seen his nerves or read the discomfort in his eyes because Molly squinted. "Tea, I think."

"Tea would be good."

She nodded. "Something for the nerves. Why don't you drop off your bag and I'll bring you up a cup?"

Finn nodded. "Thanks, Molly."

She rested a hand on his arm as he passed. "You'll be just fine. Another hour and you'll be happier than you've ever been!"

The words brought a smile to his face. Gods, he hoped so. He nodded and marched up the stairs.

Genevieve was expecting him around the dinner hour, but she did not realize he was here already. No doubt she'd found things to do to occupy her time as she always did. So he had time to get ready, to at least look like he was about to propose. Here she was, probably thinking they were just going to have a nice dinner date with nothing particularly special.

Well, it was a date. But a date like no other. A date he hoped she would never forget.

Swallowing his nerves, Finn breezed into the loft and began unpacking his bags. He'd taken the weekend off so he could spend the weekend with Genevieve. Regardless of their date, he was looking forward to a three-day weekend in which he didn't have to work at all. He'd been working almost non-stop for months and frankly, he wanted a break.

A break in which he could spend time with his girlfriend… hopefully his fiancee, if the next hour went well, and relax and not have to worry about anything.

Well, almost. He was certainly worried now.

Exhaling heavily through his mouth, Finn shook off the nerves. "Stop. It's going to be fine. You got this." His stomach clenched in knots again and he huffed. "Fearless Finn indeed."

As much as he didn't enjoy tea, he hoped Molly would arrive with it soon. He'd drink as much leaf water as she wanted if it would just soothe his nerves. The last thing he wanted was to throw up on Genevieve while trying to propose.

Almost two years, and this is what it had all culminated to. Finn pulled out the small black box in his bag and opened it, peering down at the sparkling gold ring. It was perfect for Genevieve, the girl he loved more than life itself.

She would say yes.

She had to say yes.

If she didn't…

Oh gods, what if she didn't-

He snapped the box shut in his fingers with a loud snap. He needed to get a serious grip.

The sound of Molly's light footsteps on the stairs pulled him out of his own thoughts, and he set the box down on the dresser. Everything would be fine. She'd say yes. He was just nervous. And excited. But mostly nervous.

If Erick and Cliff had done it and survived, he could do this. He could do this.

Molly halted on the threshold with a steaming mug in her hands. She took one look at Finn's expression and chuckled. "Oh Finn, here. Drink this, it will help. Goodness, I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous."

"Give me a Monstrous Nightmare to wrangle any day," Finn said hoarsely, hating how his fingers shook as he took the mug. "It's fine. I know it's going to be fine. It's just… scary I guess."

Molly nodded. "Do you know my Kiev nearly wept with relief when I said yes? We were lucky to be a love match, but we were young and he was untried. He had many expectations to uphold as a new chieftain. He was prompted to ask for my hand not long after, and I daresay he was terrified."

Finn huffed a laugh and took a sip of his tea. Peppermint and ginger. "I find that surprising. Kiev seems confident in everything he does."

"He is, but he's an emotional man. More emotional than me. In fact, he wept with happiness after you asked for Genevieve's hand." Molly chuckled. "And my Genevieve, she has her father's kindness and gentleness. She loves you. She will say yes, Finn. Don't you worry."

Between her kind words and the tea, Finn did feel better. Her words soothed his nerves and the tea soothed his stomach. He nodded. "Thanks. You know you've always been like a second mom to me. I want you to know how much I appreciate it."

Molly's eyes went bright and she tsked her tongue before wrapping her arms around him. "And you've been like another son. In more ways than one. Thank you."

Finn pulled away and nodded. He felt more grounded. Calmer. He wasn't sure if it was the tea or Molly, but he felt ready.

Molly nodded with finality. "Your color's back. Get yourself handsome- well, more handsome, less rugged-" Finn laughed. "And I will see you at the Town Hall."

Finn nodded as she pulled the door closed. He drank the rest of his tea and set the empty mug on the dresser beside the ring box. "Okay. Go time."

Half an hour later, Finn stepped into the barn in the lower town and smiled at the sight of his favorite girl standing at a table, her back to him as she put various items in a basket. Multiple baskets filled the table around Genevieve as she worked.

For a few moments he leaned against the door and just watched her. She chewed her lip when she worked like this, deep in thought as she took great care in organizing each basket. With the setting sun outside, the barn had grown dimmer in the corners, casting more shadows throughout the room. She'd lit a few candles on the table. The flames guttered as she reached for another basket. The yellow light seemed to set her curls aflame even as the shadows darkened her eyes more than they already were.

Soundlessly, Finn crept closer and poked her left shoulder, ducking to her right when she turned. When she frowned and looked to her right, he was already there capturing her mouth with his. Genevieve gasped ever so slightly before realizing there was only one man in the Archipelago that would do something so silly to get her attention.

"Well hi there," Genevieve breathed when he pulled away, grinning.

"Hey." Finn lifted her off the ground in a hug and she squealed in surprise, her feet dangling half a foot from the ground. He kissed her neck and nuzzled her ear lovingly. They could stay like this forever, her arms around his neck-

"You're squeezing me!" Genevieve pinched his shoulders. He laughed and let her slide back to the ground, her clothes hissing against his. "How long have you been here?"

Finn shrugged. "Not long."

"Not long." Genevieve repeated as she turned back to the half-filled basket. She continued organizing it as she added, "You weren't lurking in the shadows watching me work?"

Finn crowed a laugh. "I don't lurk!"

"Oh yes you do."

"I do not!"

"You were totally lurking!" Genevieve elbowed his arm. "Creeper."

"Better a handsome creeper than an ugly one. And besides," Finn bit his lip and whispered against the shell of her ear. "Maybe I can't resist staring at you."

Genevieve flicked those dark eyes up at him, a knowing smirk playing against her lips. That sort of look was sure to set his blood on simmer, but he forced himself to remember the plan.

Fetch Genevieve. Go to their favorite place. Propose. Maybe kiss a little bit (okay, maybe more than a little bit). Dinner. It was a simple list and easy to remember, so long as he didn't get… distracted.

But it was very hard not to get distracted.

For a wild moment he wanted to drop to his knees right there. The ring was in his pocket. He could do it right here, right now. But no, he had a plan and there were things he wanted to say to her first, so… not yet. Besides, anyone could walk in right now and he knew she'd always wanted her engagement to be private, just between "her and her man" as she'd once put it.

Finn nodded toward the various baskets. "So what are you working on?"

"There are some families in need in the outskirts of the village," Genevieve replied, sultry look disappearing as she twisted a loaf of bread to make room for a few tomatoes. "I headed up an idea to collect extra food and give it to them so they don't go hungry."

Finn's heart swelled. He wondered if she knew just how amazing she was. "That's really nice of you."

"Well I can't stand the thought of sitting at home in comfort with more than enough food knowing that they have none." Genevieve said quietly, finishing off the basket and moving on to the next.

Finn ducked his head and kissed her cheek gently, content to rest his chin on the top of her head and watch her work. "How many more do you have to make?"

"Mmm… half a dozen or so."

He winced. He didn't want to wait that long! "Need some help?"

A smile ghosted her lips as she grabbed a few baskets and moved them closer to him. "Have at it."

"Sweet." Finn copied her movements, filling the baskets with the various ingredients as she had.

While they worked, Genevieve talked about her day, and he watched her as she talked. Her hair was half down today, multiple stray curls framing her face. She wore a scarlet shirt with a scoop neck that showed off her collar bones and thin neck. His Fortis necklace hung from its leather strap. His eyes slid downward toward the comfortable brown pants and boots with a thin braided belt tied loosely around her waist. It didn't matter what she wore or what time of day it was, Genevieve was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, and he loved her.

He didn't realize he was staring until she looked up mid-sentence and her dark eyes narrowed.

"What?" Genevieve asked, stepping back to look at her clothes. "Is there something on me?"

"No." Finn said quickly, watching as her dark eyes narrowed.

"You're checking me out!"

"Well… yeah."

Genevieve laughed outright, either at his open honesty or that he had no comebacks and couldn't even deny it. "You're ridiculous."

"Only for you, love."

Fighting a grin, Genevieve bit her lip and returned to her basket. "I do love it when you call me that."

Finn couldn't hide the broad grin if he tried. He gave a long curl at her shoulder a playful tug.

"What is with you today?" Genevieve asked.

Finn shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "What is with me everyday?"

"True, but this is different. You're not usually this… affectionate."

"Sorry, beautiful girl on the mind."

Genevieve grinned. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Nothing!" Finn laughed. "Can't I think about you without getting grief?"

"I suppose so. You're just acting weird."

Heart pounding, he shook his head and finished his basket. Starting another, he said, "I'm just in a really good mood."

"Obviously," Genevieve's eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. She blew a stray curl out of her eyes. "I just have a hard time thinking that I'm the only thing that's making you so happy right now."

Finn's smile faded ever so slightly, open honesty taking over his expression. "You're the only thing that makes me happy, Genni."

Genevieve looked up at him with a sappy smile and he looked away with a laugh. She had to suspect why he was being so weird today. She was right, he wasn't usually this sappy. He needed to get a grip. He didn't want to propose to her in a barn over cheese and apples!

"Almost done?" Finn asked, finishing his last basket.

"Yeah, almost." Genevieve nodded, topping off the basket with a wedge of cheese and some biscuits. She dropped a clean cloth onto the top and slid the basket beside the others. Turning to Finn, she pulled him down by the shirt and kissed him. "Thank you."

Finn kissed her again, tilting her chin up with both hands so he could capture her mouth more easily. She sighed against him, allowing him to turn her against the edge of the table. Without breaking the kiss, she planted her palms on the table and hopped onto it so they were nose to nose. Her hands slid around his neck and twisted into his hair. He bit back a groan. She slid her calves around his legs and pulled him impossibly closer even as she coaxed his mouth open with teasing kisses until he opened for her, until her tongue swept across his and all he could think about was her.

Gods, one day she'd be the death of him.

He could have kissed her for hours and still wanted more, but perhaps it was a message from the gods themselves that reminded him of his mission and why he'd sought her out to begin with.

Their lips separated with a loud pop, breaking the silence of the barn that now seemed deafening. Finn tried to catch his breath, which proved difficult with her lips skimming his jawline.

"Gen?"

"Hm?" Genevieve hummed, nuzzling the skin below his ear.

Finn forcefully turned his face toward hers and nudged her up with his nose before she drove him completely insane. "Do you… do you want to take a walk?"

Genevieve blinked, a look of surprise cutting through the haze. "Take a walk?"

He blinked, swallowing hard. "Yeah… it's a nice day out. We could look at the sunset."

She raised an eyebrow up at him. "I should think I'd rather be in here with you all alone than out there where probing eyes might see us."

Finn swallowed hard. If he was being honest with himself, he did too. But he had a plan and a schedule and he had to stick to it, or they'd be late to their engagement and the surprise dinner her father was currently planning, all of which she had no knowledge about…

"Yeah, umm… as much as I'd love to stay, it's getting a little hot in here." Finn murmured.

Genevieve gave him the stink eye, dropping her hands from his shoulders. "Hmph."

"Well, not that that's a bad thing…" This wasn't going as planned.

"No, it's alright. We did agree not to get too carried away after all." Genevieve sighed heavily. She slid from the table and straightened her shirt. She tried for a smile and said, "A walk sounds nice."

Finn held back a frown of dismay. That hadn't been it at all. He felt really bad for making her feel like this (because in the past he'd never choose a walk over his completely hot, extremely kissable girlfriend), but he knew she'd understand soon. Taking her hand, he kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, we can continue that later."

"Hmph." Genevieve said again, leading the way out the door.

Finn followed her without another word, heart pounding with anticipation.

Hand in hand, they strolled across the street between a few houses and took the nearest dirt path leading into the woods where they often walked. Genevieve was quiet for a few minutes, but soon she was gazing up at the tangerine and pink sky with a beatific expression. She pulled his arm over her shoulders and tucked herself snugly against his body, wrapping her free arm around his waist even as she twined the fingers of her free hand around his own.

Gods, he loved this girl.

"You're very smiley today."

Finn breathed a laugh. "I told you, I'm just in a good mood."

Genevieve brushed her curly hair out of her eyes. "Why?"

"Because today is a special day," Finn hedged, trying to drop hints without being obvious. Genevieve was curious and loved surprises, which meant his job was both easy and difficult at the same time. She was smart, but luckily she didn't put two and two together right off the bat if she didn't have enough information.

His lovely girlfriend pursed her lips in thought but shook her head. "Why is today special?"

"You'll see," Finn squeezed her shoulder, guiding them around a particularly large boulder. "Though having the weekend off certainly adds to it."

Snuggling into his chest, Genevieve smiled mischievously up at him through her lashes. "Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because that would ruin the surprise."

Genevieve sighed, clearly trying not to get impatient with his cryptic words.

Finn pecked her temple. "We're almost there."

"I know, we're going to our spot, which is where we always go when you visit."

"Yup!"

"Did you bring something and set it up?"

"Maybe."

"Finn…"

"Genni…"

"Tell meeeeeee!"

"No!"

"Agh…" Genevieve frowned.

He tried not to show it with his goofing off, but in truth, Finn was nervous. Just as he'd been so nervous to leave Berk and visit her that first time, he was so incredibly nervous, he could feel butterflies in his stomach. He was very excited too, of course. He'd dreamt of sharing this moment with Genevieve for countless months now. It had taken lots of planning to get to this point and now that it was happening…

Finally they arrived at their little clearing, which overlooked the hillsides of Hjart and stretched out across the ocean. The sinking sun cast an orange glow across the sky, giving them the perfect view. She'd always loved a perfect sunset, so he hoped it was perfect enough.

He thought of their first adventure together. Their first "date", he'd joked. She'd scoffed and blushed at the idea, calling him a flirt for being so forward. But it almost had been their first date. They'd strolled through the woods and he'd listened to her sing in the caves, her hand tethering him to the world as he remembered what it felt like to be in a dark, cold place. She'd been his tether for a while now. For so long he'd thought it impossible to find someone, anyone who would ever look at him and see him for who he was, not judge him for his emotions or the things he'd been through. For the things he'd done.

Genevieve had been a gift and a blessing. She'd healed his broken heart, filled those cracks in ways he'd never thought possible. And without intending to, it had all started on that first deep conversation on that rock right over there, when she'd asked him what it meant to be free and told him what she wanted to do with her life. Suddenly he'd seen the opportunity he had, ripe for the taking. To show her what freedom was like, why he took advantage of every breath, every step, every decision he made on his own every day. Why he brooked no arguments with those who didn't deserve it and why he fiercely protected those he loved.

Because he'd been loved fiercely and had been protected. He'd been wounded and mistreated yes, but he'd also been so loved. She'd heard all of this, his life's story, and not wavered. She hadn't shuddered. And somehow, day by day, their lives had twined together, Genevieve growing into the woman she was meant to be with a nudge of encouragement from him, and somehow healing his soul in the process.

And he wanted to share his life with her. From now until forever, until the gods took him.

Finn exhaled a little shakily. Apparently he wasn't as quiet as he'd hoped because Genevieve looked up at him with concern. She stopped, halting their walk.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head with a small smile. "Nothing."

Genevieve looked up at him unsurely. "You're nervous."

"Nervous? I'm not nervous-"

"Finn… stop." She looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

He stared into her eyes unwaveringly. "Nothing, Genni. Nothing at all."

"Then what is it?" Genevieve asked.

"I…" Finn breathed a small laugh, looking down at their hands, his heart in his throat.

Genevieve stepped closer, her blonde hair alight with the orange glow on the horizon. She stood beneath his gaze, dipping her head to make eye contact. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I love you, Genni." Finn whispered.

Genevieve smiled, breathing a laugh. "I know, Finn. Is that what you're worried about?"

Finn laughed, trying to grasp some form of control and spit out what he'd mentally planned for days straight now. "No, of course not. I just… wanted to say it again."

With a smile, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. The gesture was so soft and sweet, so calm, so Genevieve; it gave him courage.

When she lowered back down to her own height, she smiled up at him and strolled across the open space. Finn watched her walk around, watching the sun set. He took a moment to catch his breath, gather his thoughts, and check his pocket for the fortieth time since they left the barn.

He joined her by the rock. "Genni…"

Genevieve turned, eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

Finn swallowed again and decided to just go for it. With a deep breath, he said, "I have to start thinking about the future." He watched her carefully to weigh her expression, but other than the slight rise of her brows, she didn't make a move to comment. He continued, "You're my best friend. I've been through a lot and… despite all of that, you've never given up on me or treated me differently. You're kind and patient and you love to help people. You've helped me heal in ways I didn't even know I could after losing so much."

Genevieve gave him a small smile and stepped closer. "And you've done more for me than I ever would have dreamed. You opened my eyes to a whole new life."

Finn took her hands in his own, so small and delicate, fit for painting and playing music. For a moment he wondered if she deserved better. But no, he didn't give that horrible, selfish thought one inch and said, "We balance each other. You soothe my dull edges and I gave your boring life character-"

Genevieve gasped and withdrew her hands before pushing his chest. "You are so rude!"

He laughed and closed the space between them again. "I'm sorry, I had to." Truly he did, what with the nerves flowing through his stomach again. "No, but seriously." Genevieve pursed her lips expectantly, teasingly. "I… I want to make you happy more than anything. I want to protect you and be there for you and raise kids with you." He smiled with her at the admission. "I've never wanted to do anything with anyone as much as I do with you. I love you, Genni."

Tears began to well up in her eyes and she quickly rubbed them away with a laugh. "Finn…"

"I'm going to be chief one day," Finn continued, brushing her hair out of her eyes with his fingers. "And I've never met anyone more kind or selfless than you; nobody else has ever matched me like you do. I can't see any other woman in the world standing by my side to lead my people than you, Genni."

Genevieve laughed again, still speechless. Her dark eyes glittered with tears in the sunset. She'd never been more beautiful than in this moment right now.

"So…" Finn stepped back once and got down on one knee in front of her, still holding her hand.

Genevieve gasped, eyes wide, her other hand flying to her mouth. As if she truly hadn't seen this coming. Finn fought a grin as he dug a hand into his pocket. Even with that speech, she was still shocked that this was where he was going with it. Everything in their relationship had led them to this moment, to this final question.

"Genevieve Sullivan," Finn said, holding up a beautiful golden ring that he'd designed himself and his father had crafted. "I love you with my entire being. Will you marry me?"

Genevieve closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks, instantly nodding. "Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

A grin exploded across his face as he stood and pulled her into the biggest hug he'd ever given her. Her arms were tight around his neck, and she laughed when he lifted her clear off her feet and spun. His heart raced in his chest almost painfully, but he didn't care. She said yes! He loved her more than anything and one day, she was going to be his wife. He'd become chief and they'd lead Berk together and they'd have kids and have all sorts of crazy adventures. He was so excited he had to keep himself from crushing her.

When he stopped spinning, Genevieve pulled back, tears still falling as she held his face in her hands. "I love you, Fearless Finn."

His eyes burned even as she pulled him down by the shirt and kissed him passionately, her tears wetting his cheeks. He couldn't stop smiling after they pulled apart.

"Oh, here!" Finn opened his fist and held up the ring. She held out her left hand and he slipped it onto her ring finger, where it not only fit perfectly, it glowed in the beautiful sunset just like she did. Finn kissed her again. "Gods, I was so nervous."

Genevieve laughed and hugged him tightly. "Well, be very glad; you won't ever have to do that again."

Finn grinned again and kissed her head. "I love you."

"I love you too, Finn." She kissed him again and slid her hands down his chest, stopping to admire the ring. "You made this?"

"My dad did, but I thought up the design."

"Where did you get the diamond?"

"Local jewel shop."

"Ah, how convenient!" Genevieve grinned.

"Lots of convenient things came from that Treaty." Finn crooned.

Genevieve smiled up at him through her eyelashes in a way that made his heart leap. Then suddenly she gasped: "I have to tell my family!"

"Oh they're already waiting for us," Finn smirked, taking her hand once again and leading her back down the path.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, so your parents insisted that we have a celebratory feast for our engagement," Finn explained.

"Oh no..."

"It'll be fun!"

"Yes but do we have to go so soon?" Genevieve asked, leaning into his shoulder. He barely caught her mischievous look before she added: "We've barely celebrated ourselves!"

Finn snorted. "Naughty girl."

"You've been a terrible influence, I must say."

"A terrible influence," Finn asked, nuzzling her neck. "Or bringing out the best in you?"

"Oh gods." Genevieve sighed, making him laugh. "Wait until after the wedding, handsome."

Finn choked on his laugh, trying to return his thoughts to less scandalous ideas. For now, they had a party to get to, and he couldn't wait to celebrate his engagement with his brand new fiancee.

When the doors opened to the Town Hall, Fearless Finn marched down the aisle hand in hand with Genevieve. He held up his right hand holding her left, and the crowd exploded into cheers.

Chief Kiev had never seen his daughter look so happy as she looked up at her new fiance. Vikings around the room pounded their cups against the tables as the couple reached the center of the room, where Finn gently pulled his baby girl into his arms and kissed her right there for all the world to see.

More cheers exploded throughout the room. Kiev clapped and accepted a kiss on the cheek from his wife and even winked knowingly at Ivan, whom he'd told ages ago that these two were right for each other. His son smiled and laughed with a shake of his head.

Kiev caught Hiccup's eye from nearby, all the Haddocks and Larsons having arrived after Finn as a special surprise. Hiccup gave him a knowing grin. As if they hadn't schemed and plotted this union since the beginning. Astrid beamed with pride, her blue eyes bright. Adrianna and Erick grinned, Darin gazing about the room in Erick's arms. Cliff whooped, his hands cupping his mouth as Finn and Genevieve separated at last.

Finn held Genevieve so carefully like she was a precious gem that needed to be handled carefully and lovingly. Like she was priceless. Genevieve smiled up at him like he was the entire world she stood on. With Finn by her side, she had nothing to fear. And what better man to marry than Fearless Finn Haddock?

Kiev wiped a small tear out of his eye, even as his daughter turned about the room and beamed when she saw him. The crowds parted for her as she walked to him and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.

"I love you, daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Kiev kissed his daughter on the forehead chastely before releasing her to see her mother, and turning to Finn. He'd never seen the boy look happier or more relieved than he did now. "I won't say I told you so."

Finn laughed and held out a hand. "To new unions."

Kiev grasped his hand and shook firmly. "To new family."

Cheers erupted across the Hall once again as Genevieve hugged her new fiance, properly ensconced in his arms.

Kiev turned to the crowd and clapped his hands. "Let the feast begin!"

Hiccup gazed at the arena below, curious about the large pile of weapons in the middle. Tall stone platforms had been wheeled in and placed on the massive stone floor, providing a similar layout to what he and his friends had trained in as kids, way before he'd befriended Toothless. Except while those walls were tall and narrowly thin, these walls were blocky and sturdy, good for climbing and scoping out territory.

The perfect layout for the Rite of Betrothal.

The Hjartans, he'd soon found out, had a tradition with official betrothals, particularly for those of royal blood. The two clans whose children were set to marry would participate in a public event. The young man's victory or defeat symbolized his ability or inability to be worthy of the opposing clan's maiden's hand, and therefore prove if he was ready to become a head of household.

Kiev had assured them this was purely for amusement and tradition now. Their ancestors would disband any betrothal if the man lost, but that had not been practiced in years. "Strictly for funsies, as Thuggory would say!"

"So basically," Snotlout said. "Finn has to beat Thuggory to a pulp to officially win Genevieve's hand?"

"Well the first to conquer the other side wins. A mock battle if you will." Kiev said. "As the Haddock clan is so small and my own clan so large, Thuggory and Finn have each chosen their teams to represent their side. I don't think it would be fair for Finn and Adrianna to fight all of my boys alone."

"I don't know, Kiev," Finn said from nearby. "I'd love to see my sister break Callan's nose."

"Hey," Callan Sullivan crossed his arms. "I have no doubts in Adrianna's abilities in a fight, but it's you we're here to inspect, not her."

"Amen!" Adrianna said from her seat nearby, Darin in her lap. "In the meantime, please try not to break my husband!"

Erick rolled his eyes, tightening the straps on his prosthetic. "I'll be fine!"

Hiccup peered around at the gathered group. Finn and Thuggory had each chosen six people to fight on their team. Callan, Thuggory's second, looked exactly like Molly with his dark curling hair. He was joined by four other young men, all of whom were armed to the teeth.

Finn had chosen his own assortment of warriors-in-training. Erick was naturally his second, and they were joined by Helga, Evan, Thorein, and Kaelan. Hiccup had blinked at Finn's choice of the small thin girl, but Finn had merely smirked. As if he knew something Hiccup didn't.

Hiccup frowned at the quivers leaned up against swords and other weapons, all sitting in the middle of the arena. "So how is this mock fight supposed to work without killing anyone?"

"It's a mock fight in name only," Thuggory said. "The weapons are as real as our fists. Hopefully nobody will lose any limbs. Well, any more limbs. I'm looking at you, Larson."

"Careful Thuggory," Erick said. "Being kicked by a hunk of metal is never pleasant."

"Probably, but I'd hate to call you Stumpy in the future if you end up losing both legs."

"Anyway," Callan interrupted, lifting a quiver and withdrawing an arrow. "The arrowheads have been replaced with sacks of colored powder. Each side gets a different color, red for Haddocks, blue for Sullivans. When struck, the little powder bag explodes."

Erick lifted one of the arrows to inspect the weight, his brow creased. He said nothing though and handed it back.

"Alright, into the ring with you all! The crowd is getting restless." Kiev said, striding toward a set of stairs that would lead him up into the stands.

Hiccup watched the two teams file into the arena before following. He took a seat beside Kiev's on a raised platform, the rest of their families sitting around them. Cheers sounded from the gathered crowd, mostly Hjartan. Many Berkians had come for the celebratory feast and Rite of Betrothal however. He could hear Ruffnut and Tuffnut jeering nearby with Snotlout and his twin sons. Fishlegs' excited voice could be heard beneath the cheers, spouting statistics and comparing brute strength with cunning between those fighters now squaring off in the arena below.

Finn and Thuggory's teams were standing on one side of a line drawn in white chalk on opposite sides of the arena. None of them had any weapons, all having been disposed of in the center pile. Sunlight gleamed off of silver daggers and swords. Two wooden bows gleamed, tucked safely inside quivers.

Cheering rose up in the crowd and Hiccup looked around. He soon realized why.

Genevieve strode down the center of the arena, her hair done up in a crown around her head. She wore a floor length white dress with long, flowing sleeves. A braided belt of gold hung around her hips, matching the strands of gold woven through her hair.

A chorus of oohs and aahs replaced the cheers and Genevieve blushed as she approached the dais. A quick glance at Finn had Hiccup choking on a laugh. His son looked like he'd drop to his knees in supplication. He took Astrid's hand and gave it a squeeze, remembering that it was just yesterday that he'd been the same way about her. Still was, actually.

Genevieve took the stairs and took her father's hand. Kiev held her hand aloft atop of his, every bit a king before his throne, though retired. Even though this whole thing was purely traditional, Hiccup couldn't help but take the symbolism seriously.

"Gentleman!" Kiev said, the crowd hushing around them. Then he glanced at Finn's side of the arena and added, "Oh, and ladies! First time we've had female fighters for such an occasion, you see." A chuckle passed through the crowd. "Today we celebrate the coming union of Fearless Finn Haddock to my daughter, Genevieve Sullivan! But first, as tradition demands, he must prove himself worthy-"

A long drawling yawn sounded down the line. Hiccup leaned out of his chair just as Astrid whipped around. Both of them glared at Snotlout, who merely smacked his lips and smirked back. Heather slapped his arm.

"-to your marks!"

Hiccup faced forward just in time to see the nearby guard swing a mallet into a gong, which crashed with sound through the arena.

The two teams bolted forward, Finn and Thuggory two of the first across the line and raiding the weapon pile. To Hiccup's surprise, Finn grabbed one of the quivers and tossed it over his shoulder without looking back. Erick snatched it out of the air and darted down one of the stone aisles, Kaelan on his heels. An arrow slammed into the stone over their heads, blue powder exploding. Just missed.

Thorein knocked aside the archer on the other team and one of the other fighters retaliated. In moments the whole arena seemed to be chaos, multiple duels going as fighters scrambled for weapons and tried to get an advantage over the other, all while the crowd erupted in cheers and screams. Finn and Evan had swords and were dueling Thuggory, who seemed more than capable of keeping his foes at bay. It wasn't easy fighting two at once. Helga's twin daggers flashed in the sunlight as she took on Callan, who grinned and seemed intrigued by this new opponent.

"This is crazy," Adrianna said over the din. She bounced Darin on her knee, unaware of the long stream of drool hanging from his fist. He seemed properly distracted by the fight and completely unbothered by the noise. "Where are Erick and Kaelan?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want to get caught in the blood bath."

Thuggory spun around Evan, who nearly ate dirt when the butt of Thuggory's sword went crashing into his upper back. A gasp of sympathetic pain echoed from the crowd, but it was lost as Thuggory launched into combat with Finn.

Finn backpedaled, clearly not anticipating the speed of the attacks. He quickly gave up ground, meeting Thuggory's hits blow for blow until their swords locked at the hilt-

Thuggory kicked him in the chest and sent him staggering back. Finn's gasp of pain wasn't faked as he stumbled. Genevieve gasped. Hiccup winced, wondering if that old stab wound flared up. But Finn had given up so much ground and they hadn't been fighting long. Now he was half-cowering, looking as if he was in genuine pain-

Astrid leaned forward. "Is he alright?"

Thuggory's fire for the fight seemed to dim and looked as if he was about to ask the same question. Then an arrow struck him in the chest, red powder exploding in his face. Finn gave a triumphant grin, all pretense of pain disappearing before he launched back into the fight with a very surprised Thuggory.

Multiple heads turned, looking for the other archer. Hiccup gaped at the sight of Erick perched atop one of the stone walls, a second arrow notched.

"How the Hel did he get up there?" Snotlout demanded.

"I… have no idea." Hiccup said.

"But… but…" Kiev sputtered. "There are no ladders! How…"

Adrianna laughed.

Erick fired another arrow, too fast for them to see. At a shout from Thuggory, Callan dove to the ground. Red exploded on the cobblestones right where he'd been standing.

"Get him, go!" Thuggory shouted.

Two of Thuggory's teammates sprinted around a corner. Erick had gotten up there somehow, perhaps with Kaelan's help. The small blonde was nowhere to be found, but the crowd on the opposite side of the walls seemed to be cheering. He wished he could see what was happening over there.

But it was brilliant, he realized. Finn and Erick had planned this out ahead of time. Draw their enemies in close and then hit them hard. He wondered whose idea it was. But the organized fighting, the way Thorein and Evan had Finn's back despite the injuries they'd already sustained, Helga picking off any stragglers, and Erick's sharpshooting…

A fully trained unit of fighters. And they'd been training and fighting since they were young teenagers. Suddenly Hiccup felt a new level of respect for his son. These were the kids who had ganged up against their village and torn it apart a few years ago and, despite himself, he could admit that even back then they'd been a force to be reckoned with.

And now, years later, it seemed Finn had never forgotten what good assets his friends were. Their skills, their roles in fighting. Only now they were all directed properly and had learned to use those skills for a better cause than any gang.

Finn would make a fine Chief one day. And he already had a team to back him up.

If the look of pride on Genevieve's face was any indication, she already knew this to be true.

Erick fired another arrow, this time hitting true. One fighter went down with a shout, more of surprise than pain. Suddenly Erick looked over his shoulder and then was running across the stone wall. In moments Hiccup realized why: one of Thuggory's fighters had found his way up and was sprinting toward him. And the second wasn't far behind.

"Oh gods," Adrianna said.

Noticing the second fighter climbing onto the platform, Erick nocked an arrow and let it fly, hardly breaking stride. The fighter flinched as a red cloud exploded in front of him. For a moment he disappeared from sight.

Stashing his bow back into his quiver, Erick kept running. Clearly the only part of the wall to go back down was occupied. Hiccup found himself gritting his teeth, wondering where he was going to go. Erick's gaze was downcast as he ran, likely focusing more on his balance than evading his opponents. He knew they were going to catch up. But it was better if he didn't fall off the wall-

Adrianna hissed through her teeth as the opposing fighter closed in. He raised his weapon in a battlecry-

At the last second Erick spun, drawing twin daggers out from the sheathes at his belt and caught the weapon overhead. He parried the blow, still giving up ground as the Sullivan fighter pressed his advantage, but...

Hiccup sat forward in his chair. When had Erick learned to fight like that?

"His training with Finn has paid off it seems," Astrid said, pride filling her voice.

The silver daggers flashed in the sunlight. Erick met the fighter blow for blow, slowly giving up ground- but the other fighter was gaining, coming in from the opposite direction. He'd be hard pressed to keep them both at bay from opposite directions.

Face set in grim determination, Erick suddenly rushed forward, daggers slicing and jabbing. His opponent backed away but even on the defensive, there was little use. There was no time as the other fighter finally caught up, his face and clothes spattered in red powder-

Slashing out with his dagger, the first fighter leaped back to dodge the blow. Without breaking stride, Erick ducked and caught the other fighter in the middle, easily and flawlessly flipping him over his shoulder. The man hit the stone wall with a loud groan.

Erick didn't stop to inspect his handiwork. He turned and sprinted toward the edge of the wall, sheathing his daggers as he went. He leaped off the edge, drawing out a shout from Adrianna and many in the crowd. He landed on a smaller ledge some feet away and rolled, though the snap of metal cracked through the arena. Erick gritted his teeth and came up with another arrow knocked, somehow drawing the bow and arrow as he rolled. He twisted and aimed at the fighter who'd tried to follow. The man skidded to a halt at the edge of the taller platform, his eyes going wide. Slowly he raised his hands and backed away until he returned to his fallen foe.

Erick lowered the bow and got to his feet but his right leg buckled. He hissed and inspected his prosthetic, though the sounds were lost in the chaos.

Hiccup winced. Whether by the height of the jump or the force of the impact, Erick's prosthetic was probably broken. And his face looked rather white.

"Oh gods," Adrianna groaned. "That was very, very stupid."

"And yet he's fine." Astrid said, nodding as Erick turned on his knees toward the other group of fighters down below.

The two fighters who'd chased after Erick hobbled back to the edge of the wall, but were suddenly blocked by a small blonde girl. She bore no weapons.

"Oh boy, what's the tiny girl going to do?" Cliff said from nearby. "Against those two meaty buffoons, she's like the size of a toothpick."

Taryn scoffed. "Kaelan's made of tougher stuff."

Indeed, the two Sullivan fighters swooped in. They were moving too fast, their heavy weight carrying them too close to the edge as they swiped. But Kaelan was already gone. With a twist, she dodged the first attacker and gave him a shove from behind. He hit his knees with a cry at the edge of the wall. The other fighter swung hard. Kaelan ducked and jabbed her small fists into his chest, right beneath his sternum.

The fighter collapsed almost instantly, gasping and clutching his middle. With no mercy, Kaelan slammed a fist between his shoulder blades. He went sprawling, his eyes bulging.

Hiccup began to laugh. He never should have doubted her, though he did wonder how one so small could pack so much power.

The other fighter got back onto his feet and had barely turned around before Kaelan ducked low and spun, her leg catching him behind the knees. He collapsed onto his back but not before she tackled him, a small silver dagger in her hand. Hiccup couldn't hear what she said over the din as she leaned in close, but it looked an awful lot like "surrender". Indeed, the man looked quite defeated and raised his hands. Placing her free fingers between her teeth, she gave two sharp whistles that echoed over the noise.

Two. Hiccup glanced around and realized that most of the Sullivan's team had been walloped. Finn and Evan and Thorein bore the most injuries, blue paint or otherwise, but they seemed to be winning. With Helga fighting at his side, Finn looked triumphant.

Until Erick disappeared behind a cloud of blue powder with a shout. The other archer had found him and gotten a clear shot. He collapsed onto all fours from his perch, unable to run with his prosthetic. Or see apparently, judging by the powder covering his face.

"I… don't think Marvin meant to shoot him in the head." Kiev said apologetically to Adrianna, who'd leaped to her feet.

Finn had whipped around at the sound of Erick's cry. His second, and sharpshooter for that matter, was down. His resolve seemed to harden. With a battlecry, he launched into a fierce set of attacks. Helga joined him with a cry of her own, their weapons flashing. Thuggory and Callan backed off, parrying their blows. Helga caught Callan's sword in her daggers and gave a sharp twist, yanking the heavy weapon from his hands. He ducked her next blows, but slammed right into her upcoming knee.

Genevieve flinched with a hiss, but Helga was victorious as she dropped onto Callan's chest with a fierce and wild grin reminiscent of her mother's. Her daggers crossed at his throat. Despite the blood dribbling down his face, Callan slowly lifted his hands in surrender. But the grin on his face was unmistakable.

Hiccup realized then that only two were still fighting. All other duels had been stopped one way or another. Everyone seemed to watch Thuggory and Finn now. They were equally matched and faced off with brutal efficiency. Every attack, jab or swipe was blocked, parried or dodged. Soon Finn's expression filled with a different light, less aggression and more unfiltered joy for an evenly matched, fair fight.

With a screech of metal their swords locked, the sharp edges of each landing on the other's shoulder. Finn and Thuggory panted, grinning. Yielding to each other.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the mock fight apparently over. It probably wasn't supposed to end this way, Hiccup thought as he stood to join the others in applause, but the Hjartans didn't seem to mind. He certainly didn't. Tradition or no, he preferred his son to remain in one piece.

Genevieve seemed to agree as Kiev pronounced the Rite of Betrothal over and officially gave Fearless Finn Haddock his blessing. She shoved the door open and dropped into the arena with quick steps before her father even finished speaking. She rushed over to her fiance and brother, beaming at both of them. She moved to kiss Finn on the cheek and then faltered, grimacing at his sweat-soaked face.

The cheering died down enough for them to hear his laugh. Finn shook Thuggory's hand and then gave him a hearty shove.

"Battle brothers," Kiev said to Hiccup, slapping his arm. "These two will make fine warriors someday."

"You forget Kiev. They already are warriors. But even in a symbolic mock fight, there's no question how talented they both are."

"Indeed." Kiev frowned. "Perhaps you should check on your son-in-law."

"Oh, right." Hiccup said, taking the stairs to the ground level of the arena.

Adrianna, who had left Darin with Cliff and Taryn in the stands, was standing below the outcropping which Erick still lay upon. She was soon joined by Finn and Thuggory, who jumped to try and see his condition.

"Are you alright?" Adrianna asked. "Babe-"

With a low groan, Erick rose to his knees and peered down at them with squinted eyes. His face and hair was covered in blue dye, even his teeth. A purple welt seemed to be forming on the left side of his face.

"Oh gods!" Adrianna squeaked. "Come down, we can clean you up."

Erick nodded weakly but didn't move.

"Is it your leg?" Hiccup asked. "We can get a ladder-"

"No." Erick hissed. Setting his jaw he swung around until his legs were dangling. He was definitely in a lot of pain, but due to the many eyes watching he was doing his absolute best to hide it.

"Here," Finn stepped beneath him and offered his shoulder to stand on beneath his left foot.

Erick seemed to debate this for a moment but seemed to agree that this might be the least painful option. And, he probably hoped, the least embarrassing.

It was slow progress but by taking his hands and carefully using Finn and Thuggory as a sort of step stool, Erick was slowly lowered to the ground. He wiggled his prosthetic against the ground and instantly pitched to the side. Adrianna lunged forward and caught him around the waist.

"-why you had to get so competitive!" She was babbling. "And you broke your prosthetic too-"

Recognizing the irritation in Erick's eyes beneath the pain, Hiccup intervened. "We can easily make a new prosthetic, Addie. But you fought brilliantly, Erick. All of you did. Well done!"

A grateful look flickered in Erick's eyes and he nodded in thanks.

Finn nodded as well, but he kept glancing down at Erick's leg.

"Right," Adrianna said, her voice brightening. As if realizing too that Erick wasn't pleased with the criticism. "I've actually never seen you fight like that!"

Erick shook his blue-tinted, sweaty hair. "Finn said one day all that training would pay off. I guess he wasn't wrong."

"There's a compliment in there somewhere." Finn remarked drily.

Swallowing thickly, Erick said, "I taste dye."

"I think the proper term is death," Thuggory said. "You taste death. That arrow really addled your brains."

"No, you idiot. I taste the blue dye!"

"Well let's get you cleaned up then!" Adrianna said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and helping him to the stairs.

Hiccup watched them go, eyes on Erick's leg. So sensitive compared to his own amputation.

"Adri has a point. He shouldn't have made that jump." Astrid said in a low voice, but loud enough for Finn and Genevieve to hear. "If he's not careful he could hurt himself permanently."

"He's already hurt permanently, Astrid. The difference is he doesn't want to be weak or defenseless. I think he proved today that he's neither."

Astrid nodded. "Still, if he plans on doing jumps like that again then he will need something more durable."

Hiccup's mind was already whirling with ideas. Stronger metal, better coils and parts to absorb impact.

Finn sighed and slid an arm around Genevieve's shoulders. "Well, that was loads of fun. Let's do it again sometime, Sullivan."

Genevieve crossed her arms. "Excuse me, the Rite of Betrothal is only supposed to occur once in a person's lifetime!"

"Yes, but I can always make time to pummel Thug into the ground."

"Ha! Dream big, Haddock." Thuggory grinned and sauntered toward a water barrel that had been lugged in.

Finn, Genevieve and many of the other fighters followed. Hiccup surveyed them all. The symbolism of the Rite of Betrothal was one thing, but he did not miss the very real possibility that these warriors… these kids could be fighting for everything they lived for, possibly soon. If Brandyn ever showed his face again.

Somehow this brought him comfort. Not Brandyn. Never him. But Finn and Thuggory were two future leaders of their own villages, and behind each of them stood at least six well-trained warriors, each with their own skills. Even if Finn's own team had seemed to take down Thuggory's in quick succession, it was in that classic Hooligan way of fighting. Unorthodox, seemingly random, but precise. The Hjartan warriors had been quick and efficient and practical.

If today was only a minor fraction of the skills held within two villages, well. Hiccup didn't need to do the math. If Brandyn ever did show his face again, and Hiccup had no doubt that he would someday, they would be ready.

Hiccup nodded to himself, eyes on the distant horizon. Wherever Brandyn was, whatever he was scheming, they'd be ready.

He'd accept no other alternative.