Title: Annual Visit
Summary: Drabble. With Astrid sick and Hiccup busy doing his Chief duties, Nuffink and Zephyr got to visit an old friend – to take up their father's mantel.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Their mother was sick and their father was too busy. 18-year-old Zephyr Haddock and her brother, Nuffink, had commandeered a ship. They were headed to a place their father had taken them to once, when they were children. Zephyr sighed as she released the anchor and peered into the mist that hid the entry to The Hidden World of the Dragons. She could make out the rocks at the top of the entry. She was looking out for what her father had seen. She jumped when four large dragons flew towards the ship. One landed on the front, one on the back and two on the deck. She hid her shock by closing her eyes for a moment before opening them to focus on the biggest on the Dragons. A handsome, all black Night Fury – the other three must be his offspring. If she recalled her father had once called them Night Light. The offspring of a Night Fury and Light Fury.
"Toothless?" The Dragon frowned and cocked his head, "you used to belong to a young boy Viking, from Berk. Hiccup Haddock." Toothless' eyes widened as he remembered his rider, his human, his master, his best friend, his brother, his family.
"You met Zephyr and I when we were little kids. You let us ride you, with our father. And Stormfly with our mother." Nuffink said. Toothless now crept closer to the two humans, sniffing them. As soon as he recognized the scent, he nudged Zephyr knocking her off her feet and nuzzled her making her laugh.
"It's good to see you too, Toothless. Mom's sick and Dad's really busy so, we thought, perhaps, we could do the visits now. At least for a while. Then when we get married and have kids, we can do what dad did for us." Zephyr said. Hearing that Astrid was sick, Toothless turned and gave a roar, as the three smaller dragons took to the sky, a larger dragon appeared. Stormfly. Their mother's Dragon.
"Yes! That's a great idea Toothless!" Zephyr cheered. Nuffink smiled at his sister's enthusiasm as he began to turn the ship about. Stormfly and Toothless continued to follow them back to New Berk. Hopefully the sight of her Dragon would make their mother feel better, and maybe even put a smile back on their father's face to see his best friend.
Zephyr ran ahead of Nuffink and the dragons. She raced towards her father, who was talking to an ailing Gobber. Hiccup Haddock had recently turned 43 and he was starting to mimic his father in placing ice to his head nearly every night.
"Dad! Dad, you're never gonna believe who's here!" She called.
"Who, Zephyr? And where's the fire?" He laughed.
"Look!" She pointed to where her brother was coming up the path, Stormfly at one side and Toothless on the other.
"Stormfly?" he breathed in disbelief, "Toothless?" His voice was only just audible. He'd missed his best friend for a long time and thought that this year would be the one he missed the annual visit.
"Dad, we thought that since you couldn't go and Mom being so sick, we would go for you." Zephyr said.
"I didn't expect to see dragons here on Berk for a few more years yet." Hiccup admitted, "but let's hope that it helps your mother to feel a bit better. Come on." He lead Zephyr, Nuffink, Stormfly and Toothless to the house where Astrid was in bed. It had been accepted that if she got much worse, she would soon pass into Valhalla.
"Astrid? Astrid, babe? I have a surprise for you. Some one has come to say hello." Hiccup whispered close to his wife's ear. She stirred but didn't speak, her eyes struggling to open, but when Stormfly put her head in through the window and bowed to Astrid, gently nuzzling her, it helped Astrid to open her eyes, possibly in disbelief.
"Is that…" She asked.
"Yeah, it is, Stormfly has come to say hello. She missed you just so much." Hiccup said.
"Stormfly…" Astrid sighed, as she closed her eyes again.
"Astrid, she's come to see you. She missed you so much. The bond is still strong enough she knows that you're not well." Hiccup said.
"I'm ok, girl. Just tired." Astrid told the dragon, softly.
10 years later
26-year-old Nuffink Haddock stood with his arm around his 4-year-old son, Arran, holding him on his hip as they sailed slowly closer to the entry to The Hidden World. Smiling both males put their hands on the anchor and pushed lever releasing it. To view the scene, it would have been reminiscent of how meeting Toothless and Stormfly had been when he was just 3 years old and his sister, now Chiefess Zephyr Haddock, had been 5. The first time their father had taken them out on the boat. He gave his wife, Evelyn, a smile as she heaved a sail up with their daughter, 6-year-old Rowan, helping.
"Dad? Are we there?" Rowan asked.
"We are. Let's see if they're around, shall we?" Nuffink said. Sure enough, after a short wait a large shape loomed through the mist and landed on the bow of the ship. It wasn't Toothless – not this time. No, this was Dart. The oldest of the three pups. He was now fully grown and ready to defend his father's 'kingdom' from any intruders. Nuffink recalled his father saying something.
"Hold your hands out, like this. That's it. Let him come to you." That first touch of nose to palm was indescribable. So now, faced with a Dragon that had grown as he had, he carefully turned his face away and held out his hand. Just like his father had taught him. He waited patiently until gently a scaly nose pressed into his palm, warm and soft until his hand. Opening his eyes Nuffink turned his gaze to the Dragon.
"Hi, there. Dart…right?" The Dragon cooed in agreement, Nuffink's gaze went to his children as did the Dragon's.
"Come on. Come. He won't hurt you." Nuffink took the hands of his children and showed them to do what his father had.
"Hold your hands out, like this." They copied him, "that's it. Let him come to you." He warned. It had to be the dragon's choice to accept the human. He watched the apprehension then the wonder bloom on their faces like it had for him and Zephyr.
"Dad?" Rowan whispered later after they had gone for a quick fly and as far as Nuffink could tell, forming a friendship.
"What is it, Rowan?" He asked, softly.
"Are there girl dragons too?" She asked.
"Yes, there are. Boy dragons, girl dragons. Dart – who we just met – he's a boy and I know he has sister and mother – so there has to be girl dragons." Nuffink said. As he turned to watch the Hidden World disappear into the mist, he hoped that with the annual visits continuing that when his children had grown up and had children of their own, they would visit as well. And maybe, like most Berkians that could remember hoped, someday the Dragons would return to live in peace with Vikings. And maybe there might just be a few Dragon Riders among them.
