Hiccup is an intuitive Berkian runaway who wants to prove himself to the Barbaric Archipelago. Raisa is a spitfire with sticky fingers who was raised by dragons and an odd outcast of a man named Tazimund. Regardless of how opposite of the spectrum the two may seem, they make quite a fearsome pair along with Hiccup's dragon, Toothless, and what's left of Raisa's family. They spend close to thirteen years building a swashbuckling, nomadic life for themselves and their family. Until Hiccup's past brings everything's they've worked for crashing down.
The world was blanketed in cold. Snow had been falling for days, keeping Sarani and Jord cooped up in their Uncle Tazimund's barn with the rest of their crazy family. Today, however, the snow had stopped and the two childrens' mother had said they could go play as long as they stayed away from the village. So, naturally, the two young children were peering over piles of snow into the village.
"We really shouldn't be here, Ani," Jord wheezed beside her. His nose was red as a ladybug's backside and his lips were chapped. "Mom told us specifically not to-"
Sarani groaned. "I know exactly what mother told us. We just need to lay low. Stop being such a yellow bellied jellyfish."
The snow made squishing sounds beneath their feet as the pair casually started for the village. Smoke rose from the village square and buildings began to come into view as the children tredded in the cold.
The children didn't get out much. Their parents had raised them on a fantastical nomadic life. They spent their first few years slung onto their mother's chest or back, then high up on their father's shoulders then in his lap. Nonetheless, they were always on the backs of dragons. Dragons that were just as much family to them as their parents and their Uncle Taz.
Their mother was a worrier and their father was something of a peacekeeper. Both has their tempers and they had their fair share of spats and squabbles. Their mother constantly did her best to keep her children out of trouble and their father tried to encourage their sense of adventure. Their mother would try and downplay the stories their father told them. Stories about fights with pirates and Romans. Stories about taming the wildest of dragons. The stories that came in first few years they spent together before they had their first child. Even then, they still lived a life of adventure. Ani tucked on her young mother's back by a sling. The children knew nothing else.
The children knew no other humans. They were raised in Dragonese. Though, they both knew a bit of Norse from their father and a little Russian from their mother. They spoke to dragons as if it were a completely normal human thing to do. Much their parents, they had some very feral like qualities: they had fearsome growls, and could crouch like a dragon. They were big on nuzzling and biting and licking. When the pair were little, they would have full on play fights. They would be egged on by Toothless and Nessa, their parents dragons, until their mother intervened, pulling the growling, scratching children apart. They grew out of the brawls, but they seemed to constantly be wearing each other's bite marks.
Ani held her little brother's hand as they trudged through the snow. Now they could smell the village: smoke, pine, and seawater. They were still puzzling their way through leafless trees and muddy snow when something caught Ani by the scruff of her dress. Its hot breath coiled down her neck and it's warm scales pressed into her skin. Ani almost let out a scream as it bounced back up into the air. Jord managed to scramble up to the dragon's back before it took off. Ani would have screamed, if she hadn't recognized the voice.
"I told your mother," The dragon said around her hold on Ani's dress. "not to trust you out without supervision."
Ani sighed, hanging her head, letting the grey dragon drag her back to her mother. Ani already knew she would be in trouble. Ani always did the exact opposite of what she was told. Always getting into mischief. The only person who tolerated this was her father, Hiccup, who said he'd been much the same when he was her age.
Jord padded alongside the dragon. "I told her not to," He said softly.
The dragon sighed. "I'm sure you did, Jord."
The family's home was actually a barn. And it wasn't really a home, more of a rest stop. The family never stayed in one place too long, the barn was a familiar place to hide from the cold in. It slumped to the right and the roof bowed under the weight of the snow. The dragon dropped Sarani in the snow to slide open the barn door.
"Aye! Close that quick! It's finally starting to warm up in here." Ani's father called from the loft above. He was patching up the roof again and dusting snow away.
Ani's mother was already standing in front of her, hands on her hips. Her escort dragon curled up by the fire. Ani's mother, Raisa, scowled. "And where did you two go?" She was angry. Ani could tell, anyone could tell. Jord was shaking behind her, clutching her arm.
"I'm sorry, mommy." Jord sputtered. "Ani made me."
Sarani elbowed her brother in the ribs. He cried out and let go of Ani's arm.
Raisa tapped her foot. "I'm sure she did." Raisa, unlike Hiccup, did not put up with her childrens' shenanigans. She had been raised by Sfinxa, an elderly Night Fury, who also happened to be the dragon who dragged Ani and Jord away from the village. Sfinxa had raised her with tough love and prowess. Raisa had spent too much time and passion into creating this life for her family and would not let it be ruined by her mischievous child. "Jord, go help your father."
Jord didn't need to be told twice. He scampered away from his mother and sister and clambered up the ladder to the loft.
"Why do you never listen, Sarani?" Her mother's voice had turned soft.
Ani blinked. Her mother's expression had saddened. Ani thought her mother was going to yell and scream but she wasn't.
Ani's mother sighed. "Why can't you follow simple orders? I give you rules to keep you safe. To keep our family safe. Those people aren't like us, Ani."
"I know," Ani says. "You and dad tell me that all the time." Ani exhales solemnly and looks at her feet. "I just want to meet another human."
Her mother smiles sadly. "I know, dear. But we have to be careful who we befriend or we could lose Sfinxa. Or Nessa, or Toothless. I know you don't want that."
"Yeah," The little girl says softly. It's true. She couldn't imagine her life with the dragons. Sfinxa was like a grandmother to the children. She hovered constantly and always plucked them out of trouble in the nick of time. Nessa was Raisa's dragon companion. She was the fruitiest dragon Ani had ever met and needed supervision most of the time. Nonetheless, Ani curled up beside Nessa at night. And Toothless. Her father's other half. Toothless clung to her father's side and teased Nessa to no end. They were family too. Even if they were different species.
"If there is one rule I want you to follow it's to stay out of the village. All villages. Unless told otherwise. Understand? We're only here until the morning and then we're heading west. Can you please behave yourself for one evening?"
Ani's heart sunk. Her mother couldn't even trust her with one simple order. An order that was made to protect the family. Ani's mother was not strict in the slightest. She gave her children lots of leeway to go about their lives and explore. However, she did had boundaries. Ani's mother was usually very affectionate and did everything in her power to keep her family out of harms way. Ani got in trouble a lot, but her mother used showed anger, which Ani had gotten used to. Though, now, she showed disappointment. Something Ani had never seen her mother have. It hurt. It made her feel vulnerable and sickly. She wants to curl up against her mother and apologize on no end. Her mother has always been a safe place, warm and familiar. Looking at her now, Ani was sick to her stomach.
Ani's father climbed down the ladder from the loft, baby Vent balanced on his back. She clung onto his back like a monkey. The moment she saw Ani she squeaked, revealing all two of her little teeth. Hiccup placed the infant on the floor who promptly waddled her way over to Ani.
"There," Hiccup said, dusting off his hands, slicing through the heavy atmosphere without knowing it. "Should stay for a while. Or at least till the snow melts." Jord followed his father down the ladder, almost falling off the last step.
Ani lifted the infant from the floor and sat her on her hip. Vent was the chubbiest baby of the three. Ani had been right on schedule. She was perfect weight, perfect health. Jord had been early and tiny. No one thought he would make it. Raisa had tried to convince Hiccup to let her name him Hiccup the Fourth, since he was very much indeed a 'hiccup'. Though, he refused not wanting to set his son up for the same fate as himself. So he was Jord. Vent came late. She was the biggest child of the three and Hiccup feared Raisa would die in childbirth. She nearly did. Raisa pulled through and now had the sweetest, chubbiest little baby. She never outgrew it. Vent had big rosey cheeks and brown eyes like their mother. She, like Ani, had bright red messy hair.
Vent gurgled and drooled, making Ani desperately try to hand the child off to her mother. Her mother chuckled and happily took Vent from Ani.
Hiccup woke his partner up earlier than usual to get ready to leave. She was curled around their youngest child, Vent, who was drooling in her hair. Their dragons dozed above in the loft, Sarani and Jord resting under their wings. The barn was silent other than the loud snores from the dragons overhead. Raisa slept peacefully, tucked perfectly against him, even though she was an inch or two taller. She wiggled and grunted as he sat up. The infant in her arms coughed and made a whimpering noise. Her lip began to wobble and her brow furrowed.
"Oh, no you don't." Hiccup whispered, reaching over Raisa to pick up Vent. The infant's eyes fluttered open as he cradled her. "Please don't scream yet, I'm waking up mommy. Promise." Vent didn't look like she would be keeping up her end of the promise. She wailed and shook her tiny fists.
Everyone was awake now. "Shut her up!" Sarani groaned from the loft. "Every morning…" Toothless huffed. "She always makes it sound like you're beating her with a switch." Nessa moaned.
Raisa sat up. She rubbed at her eyes. Her dark hair was sticking every which way and there was a stain of Vent's drool on her chest. Sleepily, she swept Vent from Hiccup's arms.
Vent clung to her mother's breast as the family made preparations for leaving the barn. Eventually Vent was placed in her sling and pulled tight against her mother's back. Hiccup kept throwing snowballs at Jord and Ani. Raisa kept swatting at Hiccup as he did so, and Toothless laughed. This, is what their family was about.
Tazimund came to see the family off just as the snow began to drip off tree branches in the morning sun. "I'll miss you guys," He boomed. He was burly man. At least six and half feet and looked to be made of boulders. Nonetheless, he hugged Raisa gently. And the children as well. "Come back soon. The barn is yours, ya know."
"I know, Uncle Taz," Raisa says, mounting onto Nessa. Vent was tucked tightly against Raisa's back by a sling. She drooled over her mother's shoulder and gurgled at Taz.
"Bye little one," He waved at Vent. "And you," He turned to Hiccup who was adjusting something on Toothless's prosthetic. "Watch after them,"
"Always do," Hiccup says, grinning. "Though, they make it difficult."
Ani groaned from on Sfinxa's back. "Let's goooo dad."
Hiccup chuckled. "Alright, alright."
They all flew. It was something they knew as second nature. They chatted with their dragons and yelled to each other over the wind. Occasionally, it would turn into a race. They screamed insults into the air and the dragons whistled and hooted and laughed through the whole competition.
The sun began to set and Raisa and Hiccup were laughing and talking. Toothless and Nessa were chattering and arguing. Jord had fallen asleep against Ani's back and Sfinxa was humming to herself.
Toothless and Ani's father flew closer to Sfinxa and the children on her back. "You guys ready to land for the evening?"
"Sure," Ani said, trying to reposition herself as her shoulder began to go numb from her brother's weight.
"Whenever," Sfinxa said, following behind Toothless.
Hiccup nodded to Raisa and they circled the island they were flying over, looking for a good spot to land. They landed in a little forest. Toothless and Hiccup chatted as they set up a fire. Ani sat in her mother's lap, having her hair rebraided. Jord was already sleeping, curled up with Sfinxa. Vent was chasing after Toothless's tail, stumbling and giggling on her unsteady legs. The sun was almost completely gone from the horizon, only an hour or so left of sunlight.
Ani, Jord, and Vent were tucked in against Sfinxa before their parents headed off to scavenge and wash clothes. Their father threw a fur over them. Vent was curled up in between Ani and Jord. Sfinxa, in her old age, didn't enjoy it as much as she used to and happily stayed behind with the children. Toothless and Nessa, however, craved adventure. Each child was kissed on the head before the two climbed back into their saddles, the satchel of clothes hanging from Nessa's saddle.
"We should be back before you even wake up." Hiccup told them. "Don't wander off, please." He was looking at Raisa. "Love you,"
The couple only flew a few minutes before deciding to walk. They had been copped up with their children and dragons for the past few weeks, waiting out the heavy snow. Now they could have a few minutes alone.
The clothing satchel was now draped over Raisa's shoulder as the couple walked hand in hand. They could hear Toothless and Nessa going at it behind them.
"You're such an idiot," Toothless groaned giving her a shove.
"Look who's talking you big blue hatchling!" Nessa retorted.
"I happen to remember you hatched after me! You were bluer than I ever was! Probably because you're always going to be a big hatchling!"
Typical.
Hiccup pressed a kiss into Raisa's hair. "Love you," He whispered.
Raisa grinned and caught his lips. "Love you more."
He rolled his eyes. "You wish,"
Raisa had stripped down to her underwear, as did Hiccup. The two threw sarcastic remarks and water at once another while they washed the clothes. The dragons eventually caught up and splashed about in the water.
The two redressed and laid the clothes out on the rocks to collect in the morning.
Sfinxa growled, waking up the three children. Ani shot up, pulling her baby sister into her arms. Two men were illuminated by the fire. They were definitely not her parents.
"Where is he?" The man in front yelled. He spoke in Norse. Ani took a moment to process the words. Norse was not her native language.
"Who?" She sputtered, Dragonese accent heavy. It came out sounding very serpent like.
"Stay away from my grandbabies," Sfinxa growled, tightening her tail around the children. "I'll rip you to pieces and through you into the sea with the shrimps where you belong."
"The Dragon Master," He spat. Ani didn't know the word master in Norse.
"Which dragon?" Ani asked, pulling to her feet. She didn't have her weapon. She wasn't a great swordsman like her father, she was an archer like her mother. But her trusty bow and arrows, Flicka, were laying a few yards away with some other objects of her familys'.
"Not a dragon you foolish girl, the Dragon Tamer," He held out his sword and moved closer to her. He was obviously waiting for an answer and Ani only had one shot. One chance.
Ani dove for her bow and with only a half of a second did she manage to load it. Sfinxa scrambled to her feet, but the age would make her less of an asset in battle. She roared a great big roar and shot a blast straight the two men.
Jord shook from his spot behind Sfinxa, cradling Vent as she screamed.
Ani aimed her bow up. "Come closer and I'll kill ya!" Ani yelled.
The man laughed. He laughed! Ani's blood boiled. Ani was raised by Raisa, who was raised by Night Furies. And a Night Fury never misses. She let go of the arrow. The men were still laughing as it pierced a chest. He fell to the ground, spluttering and yelling blood seeping through his shirt.
The other man stopped laughing. His face turned puffy and red. He looked scarier than any dragon Ani had met in her life. Ani froze. He was massive, bigger than Uncle Taz. His beard was long and looked as though it might have been electrocuted. He had bloodlust in his eyes. He grabbed Ani by the throat, making her drop her bow in surprise, and held her up.
"I'm only going to ask one more time, girl," He snarled. "Where is the Dragon Tamer you were riding with?"
"I don't know," Ani tried to catch her breath but his grip tightened. "Who you're talking about!" She rasped.
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third." He got some sort of develish light in his eyes as he said it.
"My father?" Ani's eyes widened. "Dragon tamer?" She wanted to laugh. Dragons were already tame. What was this man going on about? Her father just knew how to get on a dragon's good side, he had a knack for that sure, but he doesn't tame them himself.
He grinned evilly. "Father? Hiccup is your father? Your his ickle pretty baby girl from all those years ago? Oh joy! You'll be even better. We'll make him give himself up to us for the life of his pretty little girl." His grip tightened and Ani's face turned red.
"Jord stay," Ani rasped.
The man snapped his neck and grinned again. "More Haddock children!"
Sfinxa roared her mighty roar backing up, trying to protect Jord and Vent.
"Get away from my children!"
Hiccup dashed through the forest his sword, Endeavor, raised. Raisa had her dagger pointed outward. Toothless and Nessa dashed in below, ready to blow the place to bits.
The man pulled his blade from his belt and held the point against her throat. "Come any closer and your little girl dies," He gave Ani's neck a squeeze to show he meant it and she wriggled, her fingers trying to pry his hand away.
Hiccup and Raisa froze. Their little girl. The little girl who was full of adventure and life. The sweet little baby girl who had fit perfectly in Raisa's arms. Hiccup's pride and joy. Their daughter. Her life was in this man's hands. A man that had threatened them before. But never had he gotten this close to their children. Nessa scurried to protect Jord and Vent from the man since Sfinxa looked dead on her feet. Toothless stood beside Hiccup, growling, ready to pounce.
"Step any closer to my rider or his family and you'll die," Toothless snapped.
"Toothless…" Raisa warned.
Nessa was crouched in front of Jord and Vent and let go of a blast. It threw the man and Ani back. But he did dropped her. She fell from his height and hit the ground unconscious.
Hiccup scurried over to his daughter, cradling her head in his hands. He saw Raisa. He saw the same dead look that he's seen on her all those years ago on the clifftops. He saw the same sweet nose and strong cheekbones. He knew under her pale eyelids she had the same warm brown eyes. He tried not to sob, watching her chest rise and bow slowly.
Raisa, however, was boiling over. She had a hard grip on her dagger. "Teach him to mess with my babies,"
"Raisa!" Hiccup yelled. He knew that look. That was the Raisa he had met on the clifftops. The feral girl with wild hair who preferred to walk on all fours and couldn't figure out how spoons worked. Her eyes shined with murder.
"Not this time, Hiccup!" She snarled, baring her teeth. "This has gone on long enough. I'm tired of them looking for you. I'm tired of running. This is the third time they've endangered our children in hopes of capturing you and selling you back to Berk. I'm killing him this time Hiccup."
She was right. They'd come for him once just a few days after Ani had been born. He left the new mother and child to go get fish. Toothless managed to have swooped in just in time as the man rambled on about how Berk was willing to pay a hefty price for chief Stoick's son's return. But Hiccup wasn't so convinced that was the true purpose of it all. The second time was only a few years ago, before Vent was born. Hiccup and Raisa had left Ani and Jord with Nessa and Sfinxa while they went for wood. Raisa had been pregnant. She only had a few months left before they would have their child and the two were singing and laughing and they piled up the wood. Only for the quiet evening to end with a battle, a risky escape, and the loss of their unborn child.
Raisa drove the dagger right through his heart. He sputtered, arms stretched out as she pulled the dagger. The sound of metal in flesh heated Raisa's rage. She dug the dagger in again. And again. She screamed, stabbing and slashing. Mutilating the already dead body. Blood dripped down the dagger and onto her arm. It covered her clothes and splattered onto her face. His eyes were filled with fear just before they had closed. But she kept at it. She growled her animal growl. Raisa roared prowling around her kill on all fours, covered in his blood.
Hiccup approached her slowly. Sfinxa had dragged Ani away from the scene. She hadn't come to yet, but Nessa was fanning her with her tail. Jord was sobbing, holding onto screaming Vent.
Hiccup held out a hand to Raisa. "Hey," He said softly. She looked at him as if she didn't know him. The same way she looked at him thirteen years ago. It made Hiccup want to crumble over in pain. His love, lost to her rage. "It's just me, Hiccup. I know," He says over her soft growl. "I know they took our baby from us. I know they've hurt our children. But you need to come back to me. Back to me as the Raisa I know. The mother and the lover and the daughter. My Raisa. My sweet, stubborn Raisa. The curious, daring girl I nursed at fifteen. The adventurous, adrenaline seeker I promised myself to at sixteen. The gentle, kind woman I have a family with. The woman I share a bed with. Please. The Raisa who can steal anything out from under anyone's nose and can make anyone laugh. The Raisa who could seduce any man she pleased, but she chooses me. And I choose her right back." He got closer to stroke her cheek. She was teary eyed as he touched her. "My love, please. It's okay. We're all okay now. You can let it all go."
Raisa pounced at Hiccup, wailing. He held her tight. He hushed her and rocked her. He planted kisses anywhere he could reach. She smelled of blood. "I love you, it's okay." He said over and over. He said it in Norse, Russian, and then in Dragonese. It was a mantra as Raisa sobbed.
Nessa cut through the moment. "Look, I hate to interrupt. But they could have more coming for us. So… we better get our tails out of here."
Raisa nodded into Hiccup's shoulder. "She's right. You take Vent. I want to fly with Ani."
so we have met Hiccup and Raisa's little ones! Sarani 'Ani' is about ten, Jord is about eight and Vent is two ish. we also have met hiccup's partner, Raisa. i dont call her his wife bc they never really got married. ive already set up the plot of this so please leave reviews and stuff?