I do not own Brave or HTTYD.

AN: I apparently lied, I finished this in an evening I really should be working on my thesis. (You're welcome.)

Epilogue

Hail!

Merida's arrow hit the center of the painted bullseye on the tree, feeling herself smile at the sight. Another followed directly after, skewering it right down the center.

So much had changed, but some things will thankfully always stay the same.

And she had (almost) always been an excellent shot.

'Well,' a part of her couldn't help but remember her birthday so many years ago. 'Not always, I s'pose.'

A loud thump! landed behind her and her grin widened.

"Mummy!" She spun around with open arms to whip her squealing daughter into her arms. "Da let me steer on Toothless!"

She was an exact replica of her father, all dark hair and bright green eyes. But her sharp mouth was all Merida's.

"Did he, now?" She shot a look at her husband, who shook his head silently as if Merida needed any explanation. She knew well enough that Toothless and Hiccup were easily able to fly without a single order given, just a tap and shift of weight would have the Nightfury gliding effortlessly in whatever direction his rider desired.

"Mhm!" She grabbed a fistful of ringlets, "Da says one day I'll have my own dragon!"

"And he's right! Soon enough you will be flying all on your own," she rubbed noses with her. "Och, my brave bonnie lass!"

Her daughter and firstborn, Moira, laughed brightly and spoke in a fantastic broken pattern of accents and languages. "Mummy is bonnie!"

"And ye!"

"And ye!"

Merida laughed as Hiccup saddled up to the both of them to give her a kiss.

"How is my Queen this day?"

"Very well, my King."

He hummed in pleasure, tugging at her curls and raising a brow. No braids?

She gave him a little shrug, More me.

He shot her a look of promise and she told him to behave, knowing how deeply he loved her hair down and free around her.

"Mummy!" A less gentle tug on her hair made her huff a laugh and turn her face to her rambunctious child.

"Yes, my darlin'?"

She pointed to the bow still in her grip, reaching for it, "Can I shoot an arrow, can I? Can I?"

Merida laughed, putting her down. "Not with this you won't! But…"

She winked at Hiccup, who was quick to run and grab some of the gifts from Toothless' satchel.

"Why not use your very own?!" She crowed and spun her around so that she could see them held up in Hiccup's grip. "Happy birthday, my wee darlin'!"

Moira gasped, squealing at an octave that made poor Toothless nearly bowl over and went rushing to her father to yank the weapons from his hand and bounce around like some kind of wild sprite.

"Easy!" Merida laughed, reaching out before she spewed her arrows from the tiny quiver or skewered her foot, "Steady lass!"

"Sorry, mummy!" She quipped in Gaelic, "Excited, excited, excited!"

"I can see that," she drawled and Hiccup snorted. "Okay, come on then, over this way towards the tree. Right, now, hold it loosely, don't clench on it. There we go, now…" She stood to demonstrate, "You nock your arrows like so. You see?"

Moira followed clumsily, but managed while Hiccup watched from behind and most likely admired Merida's form.

"Now…draw all the way back to your ear, there's a good lass," she paused to adjust her stance and then copied her again. "And—loose!"

They fired at the same time, Merida's hitting the tree and Moira's flying off in another direction.

Her arm fell limply and she sighed. "I missed."

"Go and fetch it—!"

A dark head popped out of the underbrush, holding the arrow in it's tiny reptilian mouth. It was one of the latest batch of hatchlings, mainly all black with only white little socks on all four feet.

"Murray!" Moira cried and the little spotted thing came galumphing towards them all in wild strides that was part flight and part hop and part walk all at the same time.

"Lightfury!" Hiccup called from behind. "Get down!" He teased and Moira dropped to her belly to roll around in the game they played since she was a baby.

"Mm," Merida knew her dragon by feel alone, "Night-light, my dear."

It was Sharp, with Hubert.

"Oh, so it is," Hiccup waved him down. "Gobber must be on his way, too, if he let him loose early."

"Stoick and Valka will be on in a bit," she winked, "They're bringing something special."

"Special for me?" Moira bounced, always moving, never where she should be.

"Is da's gift not special?" Merida teased and she immediately clutched the bow to her chest.

"I love my bow! I'm gonna be as good as you one day, mummy!"

"I have no doubt!" Merida took the little arrow from the baby Nightlight, Murray, and passed it back so that Moira could put it in the quiver. "But you must take good care of the things you love, yes?"

"Papa Stoick says that all the time. We are the leaders of the village and must defend it!" She quoted gruffly and Hiccup guffawed behind her.

Her brother set down his dragon with a wave, "Where is my little baby bear?!"

"Uncle!" Moira was swept off her feet again and into the swinging arms of Hubert. "Where are uncle Harris and Hamish?"

"Close!" He chirped in beautiful Norse. He learned it much earlier and was much better than she was, even now. "Gobber, too! Now," he put her on her feet to sit and look up at his older sister. "How old is she again? Twenty? Forty summers?"

Merida rolled her eyes as Moira cried 'Noooo!' behind him. He looked good, hair in complicated braids but curled like their father's, dressed in sparkling white hide with black shoulder pads and armguards to match his black greaves. His brothers looked much the same, most only able to tell them apart because of the different beads they sported in their ringlets or the amount of stubble and the patterns of armor.

"Night-light," Hiccup commented again and Merida laughed as she saw the other two triplets arriving on the backs of remaining first batch of hatchlings.

"I'm five!" Moira cried, holding up the right amount of fingers.

"Yes, you are!" Harris kissed his sister on the cheek before diving down to do the same to the little one. "So you must know all the secrets of the universe, right?"

"Mm," she tapped her chin, before declaring proudly, "Yes!"

Merida looked to her husband and raised a brow, That's all ye, I hope ye know that.

He was grinning, I'm so proud.

"Where are the boys?" Harris asked.

"Valka is bringing them," Merida had arrived first to the clearing to set up the tent and all the food. Hiccup had assisted for a bit and then left to get the little birthday girl.

"And dad is getting the, uh," he mouthed over Moira's head, "Cake."

Moira demanded they all see her shoot her new bow before Astrid and Bjorn showed up, along with Zephyr.

Merida shot a look to Harris, "Which I'm sure ye're happy to hear."

"Meri!" He blushed, "Stop!"

Hubert and Hamish teased him relentlessly.

Soon after, Valka arrived on Cloudjumper with two bundles in her arms.

"There we are," she lowered one down to Merida. "Safe and sound!"

"I hope they weren't too much trouble," the redhead sighed as she took one of the twins into her grip.

"Not at all, they slept the whole time!" Valka popped down and kissed her cheek. "Ye know I never miss a chance with my grandsons!"

"Wee devils, more like!" Hamish laughed.

Merida hushed them as Hiccup was handed the other twin, cooing over his pale face and bright curls.

"Where is—?"

Just as they asked, Gobber and Stoick landed together with a great and monstrous shake of the earth.

"Papa!" Moira went racing, "Gobber!"

"Ah-ah!" Gobber held out a finger and she stopped, mid-run. "Close those eyes of yers! Yes, yes, that's a good girl!"

She covered her face and giggled while Stoick produced a brown butter apple upside down cake that had been made off-island, special for the granddaughter of the once-King and first-born of the current King.

"Okay, darling, open yer eyes!"

"My favorite!" She hopped up and down some more and Merida wondered if her brain would rattle in her skull. "Oh, thank you, papa! Thank you, Gobber!"

"Nothin' but the best for my little one!" Roared Stoick and Merida rolled her eyes at how spoiled her daughter was.

"Ye were no better," Hamish accused lowly, "Got whatever it was ye wanted!"

"And God forbid she did'nae!" Hubert chimed in. "She'd bring the whole castle down on everyone's heads!"

"Ye do'nae ever remember what ye're on about!" She cackled, "And bringin' down the castle?! Kettle, meet cauldron!"

The sibling laughed at the good memories of their homeland, the main thing that remained after the years.

"Okay, everyone! Let's get this party started!" Hiccup cried from the tent, the long table strewn with food.

It was a day of laughter and love and light and their beautiful dragons, one of the best and Merida would never forget it.

Tucked in next to her husband, Merida and him spoke in low tones so as not to rouse the infants in their cradles next to the bed and the palettes that housed three new hatchlings and their equally tired parents.

"Was she happy?" He asked what must have been the tenth time that day.

"Mm, husband," she leaned on her hand, "She will never forget this day."

"You think?"

"I never forgot my fifth birthday!"

"Yes, but your party had a demon-bear that mauled your father, I don't think that counts, beloved."

She conceded, "Fair enough."

"…How long d'you think before she tosses the bow?"

"Knowing her?" Merida snorted indelicately, "I give it a month, tops."

"What'll come next, do you guess?"

"Ah, well, seeing how she loves her Papa Stoick, I'm going to vote for an axe."

"Oof, no!" He ran his nose along her temple, "No axes, please."

"And no hammers."

"Deal. Flaming swords and bows in this family only."

"Deal," she echoed before dissolving into giggles that made him start to snort and then both of them furiously shushing each other so as not to wake up the babies.

"I'm just happy she had fun," Merida sighed after a moment, "No demon bears. No angry dragons. No witches or warlocks. Just family."

"How it's meant to be."

Merida sighed against him and he tilted her chin to look into his eyes. "I know, my beloved. I know and I'm sorry. One day, when the Nuffink and Liam are old enough, we'll take them and Moira all to meet their grandfather."

"Stoick—?"

"He doesn't have to know and he doesn't have that much of a say now. I want them to meet him, I do. Your dad seems to be doing so well and they should know of your mom, before she lost herself."

Her father farmed the MacIntosh lands with reverence and care. His last letter went on four pages about how beautiful his cabbages were this year. He seemed happy and content, but at times he would wax on and on about Elinor and how he wished he had done things differently in the end. Merida would always respond in kind, pages upon pages of good memories that she and the boys shared over mead in the dining hall.

The story of the Valkyrie and the Bear Queen was a favorite among the Hooligans.

"I might go soon, just…in case," she shrugged, "It's important to me. That they know. Harris might like to come with me."

He had forgiven his parents, he had the sweetest disposition despite the other two still holding onto a grudge after all the horror they endured. The other two were simply too furious, too hurt, holding onto what happened and keeping it too close to ever let it go. They had been able to move past it on Berk, with the dragons, their new home and new lives, but couldn't be dragged back into it with any solid footing.

"Mm," Hiccup's hand rubbed against her waist. "I've missed you."

"You've been with me all day, ye numpty."

"No," he rolled over her, looming, "I've missed you."

"Pig."

"Are you insulting me? I feel insulted, honestly."

He kissed her like stars falling, like lightning crashing against sand, like the ocean whipping itself into a frenzy. After all the hours and terror of pregnancy and childbirth, still he made fire sing in her blood like she didn't know what it felt like to be burnt.

"Hiccup, wait," she commanded and he paused, pulling away. "If you get me pregnant again, I'll skin you alive."

"What?" He teased, "No more? But our babies are so pretty!"

"I will castrate you, husband."

"Ouch." He kissed her cheek, "I'll be careful, I promise!"

"Liar," she accused hotly as his head disappeared under the down comforter to begin doing torturous things to her. She tried to stifle herself but jerked once and felt him laughing under her.

(They would have five children in total—two more boys in the next six years.)

"Hiccup," she moaned, "Gods!"

"Shh!" He teased, "You'll wake the children!"

"Fuck!" She hissed in Gaelic and he shushed her again.

Hiccup rose above her and yanked her knees up to situate her, her hands over her mouth to keep from crying out as he set a slow and damning pace with her.

He always had more patience.

And he loved using it against her.

They shook as they broke around each other, her falling first and him following right after.

Afterwards, they lounged in the comfort of satiated lust.

"How d'ye always manage to convince me, ye bastard?"

"Because you love me and you know how good I am to you," he teased back in Norse. "If we have another, I won't be upset."

"I will be making my tea, don't you even think of more until the boys are done teething."

He chuckled in her ear. They were drifting between that sacred space between sleeping and waking, bliss in every bone.

"Merida," he murmured against her skin.

"Mpfh?"

"I love you."

"Oh, husband," she kissed his shoulder, where he sported a laughing Hooligan tattoo. "I love you, too."

"Stay with me?"

"Always."

And she did.

And it was enough then and it would be enough to the end.

Thanks be to the gods.

Final page count: 699

Final word count: 341,689