The Beginnings:
"It has been five long endless months since her very best friends Sigmund and Garsir, her Night Fury Toothless (who I call my dragon brother) and I left Berk.
Although we had finally bought peace between our tribe and dragon kind, I felt I couldn't face the faces of those who mistreated me and those I loved the most, our whole lives.
I wanted to leave to be alone until I was ready. And wherever I go, my boys come too.
We had sworn to return one day. But not just yet. For the time being, we just wanted to enjoy the freedom that we were all experiencing.
"Whoo hooo!" Hester screamed cheerfully into the wind as Toothless was doing twirling tricks in the air.
"This is scary but in a fun way!" Sigmund screamed as he clutched his grip tight around her waist.
"Just enjoy it!" Garsir cheered as he waved his arms in the air behind him.
The three riders astride the Toothless were enjoying a wonderful morning flight around the small island that they had taken refuge in for the past five months.
They loved to fly out during first light where the sky colours would turn from a morning orange to a bright morning blue. Other than that, when the daylight turned to dark nightlight they would fly invisibly in the sky across the light of the full moon.
"This is so FUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!" Hester cheered.
"Enjoy it!" Toothless roared encouragingly. He really adored his new tail aside from his new comfortable saddle. He loved his human sister Hester so much. He also cared a great deal for Sigmund and Garsir.
An hour later, Toothless flew back down to their small refuge island. It was a small yet simply beautiful one. There was a grand forest grove with colourful trees, a freshwater lake with lily pads where they would drink and also swim about and a glorious beach to relax in. Near the beach was a small cave.
Inside this cave was a fireplace made of stones and sticks with a cauldron hanging over the top, some mattresses with blankets and pillows and their baskets containing their supplies.
The three humans and the Night Fury walked inside, carrying a large net full of freshly caught fish as well as some apples that they had picked from the trees.
They settled down the net of fish and the small basket of apples.
Whilst Sigmund started chopping up the fish into small pieces and dropped them into the cauldron and she cut up the apples in separate slices and putting them into bowls, Garsir lit up the fire and dumped the remaining fish into a small pile for Toothless.
Immediately Toothless started gauging on the fish like a hungry pig. He loved fish of all sorts. He loved them all so much that he didn't have a favourite.
The fish in the cauldron was cooked into a delicious soup. It was poured into some bowls and around the fire comfortably seated, the three Best Vikings Forever sipped it down. They then munched and chewed on their healthy apple slices.
They were delicious.
"Nothing like a tasty fish soup in the morning," Hester said after settling down her bowl and she laid against Toothless.
"This is by far my most favourite soup," Garsir said once he sipped from his bowl as if it was a cup.
"You mean the only soup you love, considering other soups aren't your type," Sigmund joked earning a playful glare from his best boy pal.
"Well..." Sigmund stood up and walked over to a large cave wall. "Another day bites the dust," Sigmund scrapped a line on their large tally chart that recorded all the days they had spent upon arriving.
The other three behind him stared at him longingly. All those days away from Berk seemed to have taken a toll on them. The lofty number of lines made them reflect on every day that they didn't feel ready to go back.
Sigmund took a seat back where he was. They just stayed where they were. Silent and still as statues as thoughts filled their minds.
"I miss my father," Garsir's depressed voice broke the silence. He was twiddling with the bone belt buckle that his father had given him on the day they left.
Sigmund held a sad solemn face to him. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I miss my parents too – even if I didn't say goodbye to them," Sigmund admitted.
"Why didn't you go and say goodbye to them?" Hester asked gently. She had always wondered about that question.
"Yeah. Why didn't you?" Toothless wobbled.
"Because of what they did to you Hester," Sigmund told her as he turned to her. "I didn't know how I could face them either,"
"I can't help but feel a bit homesick too," Hester confessed. "I know that…life was never the best there but…" she didn't finish. She didn't know what to say.
"It's okay Hester," Sigmund consoled. "Even I feel the same way,"
"Me too," Garsir added in before taking a bite out of the final apple slice on one of their plates. "Life wasn't always so bad back there,"
"You guys were the only family and happiness I ever had," Hester wholeheartedly said to them. "It was always being with you guys that kept me going back there. But ever since peace was brought and since I woke up…" she hung her head down and stared at her prosthetic leg. A painful reminder of what she had endured through to save those she loved. "I don't know if I can live up to having another kind of happiness with people who never respected me or you guys,"
"When do you think we'll be ready to go back?" Sigmund asked gently, once another long moment of silence had passed.
"I'm still not sure," Hester confessed a bit agitated.
"It'll be okay. You'll see," Toothless licked her cheek and she kissed his head. "Until then we'll all stick together,"
This brightened up Hester's spirit a bit.
"Why don't we go for a swim?" Toothless offered.
"Let's do it," Hester agreed instantly. 'What do you guys say about going swimming? Way to lift up our spirits," she asked eagerly to her boys.
"Yes!" They both exclaimed together. "Jinx!"
"One day we will go back," Hester promised. "But for the time being, we'll stick together forever and enjoy what we have,"
The group of four rushed out of the cave and sprinted straight towards the freshwater lake. They jumped and SPLASH.
They all got damp and wet but started tossing water at one another and swimming about.