Much to Be Thankful For
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The old and wrinkled brown Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus, known to all as the Wodensfang, wearily made his way to the cliff overlooking the Sea that led to the Eastern Archipelago — to Berk. They had recently celebrated the Feast of the Black Star, and the festivities had taken their toll on his ancient, shriveled body, and Wodensfang wanted to reserve some well-deserved time to himself, by himself, and reflect.
Wodensfang sighed as he rested his weary old body onto the ground, like an elkhound after a long hunt. Alvin was dead, the Rebellion disbanded, the bloody and costly Dragon-Human Wars ended, Hiccup the Third was made King of the Wilderwest, and the Curse of Grimbeard the Ghastly had been lifted. Now he could truly rest from his duties and obligations as one of the predecessors of the Dragonmarkers.
Now, it must be said that Wodensfang was of the sentimental sort, and thus acted accordingly by staring off into the horizon as nostalgia took him over. Memories began to flow over him like a sluggish river — old memories... dormant memories... cherished memories from ages past. Memories he had long denied himself to reminisce in; hopes and dreams he had previously been averse to entertain in favor of feeding his determination and desperation to never again allow a Human to take the Crown nor the Jewel (if he could help it). To never again allow sentimentality and optimism to take hold of him and make him twice the fool.
Never again... Never again...
Or so he thought...
But then, Fate always had an ironic sense of humor — much like the Hiccups that had intertwined themselves into his own Fate as thoroughly as the two dragons in the Jewel. And just when he had given up, along came a Hiccup — Hiccup the Third, who looked so much like his namesake and ancestor, Hiccup the First, that, at first, Wodensfang had to do a double-take, until he looked into his eyes and knew the truth.
Still... this new Hiccup looked like his former Bond-Brother, and the words he spoke... they were very much like what the First Hiccup had said to him when they had first met. That same optimism... that same determination... that same unassuming yet significant presence... that same passion... that same child's hope...
That same fire that burned in his eyes — that dragon's fire, the same that burned in every dragon's soul. Like with the First Hiccup, this current age's Hiccup was akin to a dragon in human form — if such a thing could've existed.
That fire, that dragon's fire, in this boy's eyes was gazing into his own with a fierce intensity, resisting their hypnotic effects (that any Human would feel if they gaze into a Dragon's eyes for too long) and was instead burning into Wodensfang's own.
And Wodensfang, for a moment, felt the one being hypnotized. And he almost welcomed it — to return to the realm of fond memories and even older friends long gone — had he not had a duty to fulfill.
But it did not take the little boy long to crumble the old dragon with his passionate speech, his bright and determined hope to bring peace to their burning world and have both Dragons and Humans live together in harmony once more. To rebuild the great Kingdom of the Wilderwest — the magnificent haven from the days of yore, back when all had been right in the world — and return once more the Dragonmark and have both Humans and Dragons bear it proudly.
Just like Hiccup the First... So very much like him...
Oohh... Bond-Brother, how much I miss you...
Were he a fanciful dragon, he would've suspected — even believed — that Hiccup the Third was Hiccup the First reincarnated, even resurrected from the grave!
But he was NOT a fanciful dragon, and that would be ridiculous!
Alas, a dragon can dream — much to his destruction. And Wodensfang was no different.
But the spell was working its magic on him. The longer he conversed with this Third Hiccup, the more he saw — and heard — the First Hiccup. His doom was sealed when he bore his gaze onto the Dragonmark emblazoned in all its purple majesty on Hiccup's forehead. And, once again, the Winds of Time blew him away towards that bygone age — where he once again stood before a young Hiccup the First, wearing the same look, giving him the same speech, and bearing that same Dragonmark.
And he could bear it no longer...
I see your spirit is inside this boy, your Heir, Bond-Brother. Alright. Then I shall listen to you, and trust one last time...
And he was thankful, oh-so-thankful, that he did. That he had. And shall do so again.
Thankful that he had listened to the little voice that had been whispering to him. Thankful that he had allowed this boy to live. Thankful that he had been given another chance — that he and Furious had been given another chance to redeem themselves, each for their own sins. Thankful that they could once again join themselves to a Hiccup. While he could never replace the Bond-Brothers they had lost to time and tragedy, respectively, Hiccup the Third was the healing balm they needed to heal and regenerate the old scars and wounds, the ancient grief, the regret, and the bitterness that they had both felt over their respective losses and failures.
Now they could move on and be at peace.
And Wodensfang was grateful. Oh-so-grateful.
The ancient dragon looked up at the dawning sky. "You were right, Hiccup, at the end of things," he sighed, expression wistful, as he spoke to the First Hiccup in his mind's eye in the Dragon Tongue. "Glad I had listened to you."
But now Wodensfang's aging body ached and groaned, longing for rest... for the Deep Sleep to overtake him. And he longed to fly into the skies again, with his Bond-Brother and beloved Human riding on his back once more, as in the days of old now forgotten, known now only to him.
Oh, how I have missed those days... those days when we flew wherever, whenever — free.
A gust of wind blew past him as a cold front moved its way towards the Sea, carrying with it a ghost of a whisper — a sound that only a dragon could hear: "Not yet... Not yet..." Wodensfang's mind conjured Hiccup the First's voice speaking those words, as if to assuage him of his longing, but comforting him that he hasn't long to wait.
But this is true, Wodensfang thought. Hiccup the Third was still young, and needed much guidance on how to rule and build this renewed Kingdom of the Wilderwest wisely. And the Bond-Brother to the First King was the only one who had that knowledge. The only one who knew Hiccup the First best, and could teach the new King the stories of the Archipelago's First King, and the situations that Hiccup the First had to deal with in his time. Since both Hiccups were of a similar personality and circumstances, it's only fitting that Wodensfang be Hiccup the Third's tutor.
Yes, this is fitting.
Wodensfang looked to the sky again. "Thank you, Hiccup, my old friend." He now spoke in the Nordic Tongue. "Even an ancient and sagely dragon such as I needs reminding now and again. May we soon take to the skies as Dragon and Rider once more in the Great Heavens, where nothing that has plagued these mortal skies can touch us there. For the Future is another realm; things happen differently there. There we shall be free... forever. Farewell for now... Bond-Brother." And with that, Wodensfang flew off, a bit more lively now than before as new purpose fueled his veins.
And Wodensfang was thankful for this new purpose, this new hope, this new beginning that he was seeing unveil before his weary, wrinkled eyes — and was invigorated!
Yes, there was much to be thankful for!
And as the sun heralded a new dawn, if you could stand still and listen, when the waves pause before crashing onto the stoic cliffs, you can hear the wind blow the cold front towards the Sea. And as the wind passes by and over you, you might be able to hear a small, faint ghost of a whisper sighing through the currents.
"Patience... A little longer... A little longer yet... before we can rule the skies together once more... Bond-Brother..."
If we were fanciful people, we might have believed that it was the ghostly words of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the First adding a few more encouraging words for his Bond-Brother.
But we are NOT fanciful people... and that would be ridiculous...
Or would it?
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Author's Note:
Well met, my fellow Dragonmarkers! Welcome to another fanfic, after... a VERY long time since my last update. This year has been a rough one, particularly since I lost my house and had to live in a hotel before finally finding another one. So I haven't been able to write as much as I would like. But I plan on writing a few more fics for the year's out.
For those of you waiting for the last chapter of "A Birthday to Remember," I apologize for the wait. Hopefully, I should eventually get it finished after the holidays.
I had planned on writing a comedy fic called "Thuggory's Thanksgiving", but that'll have to be put on hold. Which is why I had written this one. I'll also be writing a Thuggory mini-series fairly soon here. Since Thuggory needs more love and limelight, AM I RIGHT, PEOPLE?! XD
I also have plans for a fic for New Years, but... we'll see if I can get to that or not. And since this fic for Wodensfang has inspired me so much and I had so much fun with it, I plan on writing another one for him fairly soon here. So be on the lookout! ^w^
Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this. I wanted to add some elements of thankfulness and blessings, and also focusing on Wodensfang's bond with Hiccup the First, and also allude to part of the reason why he eventually changed his mind and allowed Hiccup to take the Crown, because judging from what we've read and seen with Hiccup the First, Hiccup the Third is exactly like him. Eerily so. XD I also wanted to focus on Wodensfang's desire to go to the Afterlife and be able to fly free with the First Hiccup forever without anything to hinder them, and without ever having to land again. Just a little headcanon of mine and thought that it would be something Wodensfang would think. Plus it just adds to that hurt/comfort/angst feel to it. XD
Anyway, tell me what you think in the comments below! I hope that you enjoyed this story that I literally got done in a few hours for Thanksgiving, and I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. Skol! ❤❤❤
Long Live the Wilderwest!
— Companion of the Dragonmark