It was nighttime in the village of Berk. With out a soul out in the quiet town. In the Hofferson's home, sleeping in her bed is Hilda Hofferson. Both Hilda and Gunner did not leave their home for the whole day to no body's surprise. Because today is unfortunate the sixth year anniversary of the day Astrid when missing. She is dreaming about two children that she had dreamt about for six years now. But this dream is different from the rest that she had dreamt about in the past. There was no Hiccup or Astrid anywhere to be found, which was odd. Her dream grandchildren are running towards her with tears streaming down their checks. Their faces told the woman that they were scared. "Gramma," both children cried while hugging her like their lives depended on it.
"What's wrong, sweeties?" the woman asks. Hilda knows this is a dream but wishes more than anything for it to be real. But sadly, her daughter and Hiccup are gone forever. Even though this is a dream, she just could not crush these innocent souls of her dream grandchildren. Realizing that this is the first dream where she interacted with her dream grandchildren.
Normally in these dreams, the little boy and girl would play with other, with Hiccup and Astrid there watching their children. Sometimes, the two young adults would join in the children's games. When the dreams first started, Hilda used to try to interact with the family of four. But every time, they never reacted to her. It was like she did not exist to the family.
"The mean people that destroyed Mom and Dad's home are going to Berk," the small boy said in a scared tone that broke the women's heart. She got on one knee so she could be on the same level as the kids. Once on her knee, she then hugged the children tightly.
"Yeah, they're going to burn everything to ashes. Once they're done with that, they will make the survivors into slaves," the little girl says in the same scared tone as the boy that shattered her heart even more.
"Berk will be okay, sweeties. But where are your parents at?" she replies to the children's statements. She does not know what to make of these claims. Was Berk going to be in trouble? Who were these so-called mean people the kids were talking about?
"Mom and Dad can't make it time to save you all," says the blonde boy in the same frightened tone.
"Gramma, you've got to get everyone off of Berk today," requested the auburn hair girl, also in the same fearful tone.
"Okay," replied Hilda. She also noticed that the two children did not answer her question about Hiccup and Astrid. She did wonder where if they were in this dream or not. There is something else that the woman wanted to know. She wanted to know if these two had names. She knows that this is all a dream but she wants to have something to call them by. "Sweeties, mind telling gramma your names again? I've seem to have forgotten them in my old age?"
Pulling away from hugging their grandmother, they looked at her with confused faces. "My name is Zephyr Haddock and this is my baby brother-," answers Zephyr, but before she could finish, her brother would interrupt her.
"Nuffink Haddock," Nuffink says with a warm innocent smile on his face. Hilda just could not hold herself back and let out a giggle from her grandson's innocents. Zephyr and Nuffink sounds like perfect names for the both of them to Hilda.
"Gramma you need to find Dad and Mom to save Berk. You'll find them at-," Zephyr tries to warn her grandmother, but before she could finish Hilda is woken up by her husband. She sat up and looked around their room before looking outside though the window and seeing that it is night time.
"Sorry to wake you up, Honey, but we should go to the Great Hall for dinner," says Gunner, feeling guilty for waking up his wife. He knows that both of them have not eaten anything today. He just did not want her to starve herself over her heartbreak. He already failed at saving their daughter and that failure will always follow him to his grave. As Astrid's father, he should have saved her. A father's main job to his daughter was to protect her even if it meant giving up your life for her. He would rather be dishonored, like his brother Finn had been, if it meant Astrid would still be alive.
Looking at her husband and realizing that both of them needed to eat something, she answered, "It's alright, Dear. Let's go get some food." Both husband and wife know that Hilda did not like going to the Great Hall for meals for almost six years. The memory of the day comes to back to the both of them.
(Flashback)
It had been one week since the disappearance of Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson. Stoick, Gunner, Hilda, and Gobber every day had searched the forest from top to bottom, looking for clues that could tell them what happened to the two missing teenagers. The four of them did not find anything that tells them what happened. There was not anything that showed that the teenagers were abducted by an enemy tribe. So, the working theory is that they might have been taken by a dragon. They did find some black dragon scales of an unknown dragon. But there is a flaw with this theory as well. There was no sign of a struggle or battle with the dragon. Even if somehow Hiccup did not fight the dragon, Astrid would have fought the dragon to the death if it meant to not be taken. Some of the villagers came up with the theory that the two teenagers had ran away. This one seems the least likely one to have happened. There were no boats reported missing and to ensure that, they counted them. Not surprising to most, all the boats were there. Even if Hiccup had secretly made a boat, the boat would still leave tracks on the ground while Astrid and Hiccup dragged the boat towards the docks.
Stoick, Gunner, and Hilda walked into the Great Hall after another failed searched. Gobber did join them in the search but once they ended it, he went back to the forge. Ever since Hiccup had gone missing, the blacksmith has not been the same. The three heartbroken parents made it into the Great Hall to see a crowd around a certain old man named Mildew.
Mildew was someone that most, if not all, the village did not like at all. Mildew was an old man that always had something or someone to complain about. Mildew's home was located on the other side of the mountain because the villagers were tired of hearing the old man complain all the time. "I bet ya that Useless became a thrall. I do feel sorry for his new master as he tries make him useful," says Mildew without any remorse. Stoick freezes and balls up his fist trying not to harm the old man. "Astrid, she is a beautiful girl, so I bet she became some man's sex slave," once again Mildew says without any guilt.
That was when all hell broke loose. Blinded by pure rage, Hilda threw her axe towards the heartless old man. The axe landed by the old man's feet. The man jumps backwards in fright at the sudden appearance of the axe. Most of the village stays away from her because they know that Astrid did not get her temper from her father but from her mother. Several women had quickly held the grieving mother from murdering the old man. While most of the men had to quickly hold Stoick and Gunner back as well. All three parents were struggling to free themselves to make the man pay for the lack of respect he had shown.
Knowing that this is a fight he could not win or even survive, the old man cowardly tries to run away from the grieving families he had the gall to insult. But he was stopped by four teenagers blocking his escape route. The four glared daggers at him for the disrespect he had shown. With super human strength, fueled by pure non-controllable rage, Stoick broke free. He stormed towards the man that not only disrespected his son, but also Gunner and Hilda Hofferson as well. Everyone moved out of the way knowing full well that they did not want to cross paths with their chief when he was this livid. Once he was in front of Mildew, he grabs his throat which chokes the man and lifts him up so the old man could look him in the eyes.
"Mildew, I want you off my island within one hour. If you ever set foot on Berk again, I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand. Do we understand each other?" demanded the chief of Berk. Mildew nodded his head to answer his former chief. "Good, now get going," ordered Stoick as he drops the old man to the ground.
The moment Stoick and Mildew left the Great Hall, so did the adrenaline fade from the Hoffersons' systems. Falling on her knees and covering her face with her hands as she starts weeping was Hilda. Everyone left in the Great Hall watches with pity for the grieving mother. Most just could not imagine what type of pain the mother was feeling at the moment. The terrible things Mildew said clearly did not help her worry. Gunner, knowing that his wife would not want anyone to see her crying, rushes towards her. Once there, he gently picks her up and carries her back home. Both of them wished that their daughter was home safely, but sadly that would not happen.
(Flashback ends)
After remembering the events of when Mildew was banished, they started to head towards the Great Hall. While walking, the woman just coud not stop thinking about the warning her dream grandchildren gave her. On top of that, she also just could not shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Also, what did they mean that only Hiccup and Astrid can save Berk? But they are dead and gone as painful as it is for her to admit.
Sensing that his wife was lost in thought with most likely regretful memories with their daughter, Gunner decides to bring up a happy memory to uplift her spirit. "Do you remember when Hiccup made Astrid's axe and dragged it all the way to our house?"
After the death of his brother Finn and dishonored as a coward, Astrid pushed everyone out of her life, except her parents. Hiccup had felt heartbroken for their daughter. So, he spent a lot of hours making his best friend the perfect axe for her. At the time, Hiccup could not pick the axe up, so he ended up dragging the axe all the way to the Hofferson's house from the forge. Once Astrid's parents opened the door, they just could not help themselves and laughed heartfelt as the poor tiny boy almost fell over with the axe he held. Hiccup shyly asked them not to tell Astrid that he made her axe, but to tell her that Gobber was the one that made the axe. Sadly, they never got the chance to tell Astrid the truth about who really made her axe.
"Oh, yeah. I remember that. I thought it was adorable that he almost fell over with that axe," replies Hilda as they both started to laugh at the fond memory.
Once they were done with laughing, Gunner asks, "Remember all the times we had to drag her away from Hiccup when they were little?"
"I remember those days. She would always yell at us for taking her away from Hiccup. Then she would tell us that one day she would marry him so we wouldn't have to take her away from her best friend," Hilda replies with warm smile while her husband laughed at the memories.
The warning words from Hilda's dream came back to her again. She wonders if she should tell Gunner all about the dream she had. She knows that her husband would not know what to make about her dreams of Hiccup, Astrid, Zephyr, and Nuffink. She decides to tell him about the dream in the privacy of their house. It's not like there is going to be trouble from then to when they return home.
Moments later, they made it to the Great Hall. Once there, everyone made their way inside the Great Hall. When everyone is inside of the room, there is an unknown man standing in the middle of the room. The second Stoick's eyes landed on the man that stands before, they widen in pure shock. "Hello, Stoick. It's been a long-time, old friend," says the stranger, who looks at their chief. Hilda just could not help but feel dread fill her to the core.
"How did you get on my island Grimmel?" demands the chief of Berk, wondering how the Night Fury Killer got on his island. Stoick had not seen or heard from the man ever since they ended their alliance on bad terms many years ago. Then, out of nowhere, he shows up here. Something is not right with this and Stoick was going to find out what it is. The villagers are wondering who is Grimmel? How does Stoick even know him at all? Even Stoick's best friend, Gobber, did not know who this Grimmel is. Stoick always tells Gobber these things.
"To answer your question why I'm here, Stoick. Simple, my colleagues and myself are looking for two people from here. Tell me where they're hiding and we'll leave in peace," offers Grimmel. Stoick looks back at his people. He knows that all of them did not go beyond the Archipelago where Grimmel did his hunts for dragons. Maybe he got them mixed up with someone else. Even if that was the case that somehow two of his people did go beyond the Archipelago, he would not hand over any of his people. The creed of Haddock was that a chief protects his own.
"I'm sorry, but none of my people have gone beyond the waters of Archipelago before," answers Stoick. He knows that he cannot trust Grimmel. Knowing him, they might walking into a trap right now.
"You don't have to protect them, Stoick. They did betray the Viking way after all. But since you want to play dumb, I'll tell you their names: Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson soon-to-be Haddock," replies Grimmel.
THings are starting to look very instering with Berk learning that Hiccup and Astrid are still alive. I do want to thank everyone that favorite, follow, and review since last update. What did you guys think of this story so far? I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Have a wonderful day and stay safe.
