SUMMARY: Hiccup and the Dragon Riders face a fierce battle to defeat Grimmel and save the dragons at the auction from the clutches of hunters. In the end, they all welcome changes to their mission and their own lives.
CHAPTER 33: FINALE PART 6
When the Light Fury was announced, Hiccup quickly mounted her, bucking in a holding pen. Despite his dragon handling experience, he knew that this could be his most challenging ride yet. But as the gate to the arena opened, Hiccup felt a sudden rush of adrenaline, and he knew that he was ready.
Grimmel and his warlords from his tribe emerged onto the arena, drawing gasps from the crowd. They shouted for silence to quell the crowd's curious murmurs. The crowd gossiped about the meaning of Grimmel's new safeguards he sported on his vital areas. Like his warlords, he held the same large and slender oval shield with a matching ethnic crest, and a sturdy helmet weeping with chainmail under his arms. Grimmel proclaimed his and his most ruthless warlords' sudden presence on the field in a speech.
"I alone am the Night Fury killer, the first to take down the beast in my village and save my people from its reign over our hearts. If any of you truly believe you can possibly be capable of taking a Night Fury out of its cage like it is a mere Changewing, you are sadly mistaken."
Some of the bidders took offense to that challenge, drawing their swords and weapons. They taunted Grimmel to let them show him what they were made of.
"There is only one dragon I have not had my hands on yet. A dragon so powerful that it could only belong to the same species. The Night Fury's female, the Light Fury."
Grimmel, the coached dragon hunter, looked with challenge to the Light Fury snarling under the volunteer rider. The female dragon thrashed against its containers and holsters so roughly that Astrid and the guards surrounding her had to dig their spurs on the arena's dirt to keep from flying into each other.
"For your entertainment, a guard of Drago's men has volunteered to die with this Light Fury. If by a miracle the creature survives, all of the dragons will be released, including the selections many of you have been anxious to see for yourself all year."
The crowd cheered in excitement for the bloodshed to come, drowning out the protests of the bidders that had hoped for a dragon. Meanwhile, other hunters growled in anger that their bids were suddenly at stake by a mere guard's quest for fame atop the Light Fury.
"However, when I slay this female, I will offer to everyone all of the dragons I have won today, including those on my ship, and forfeit my bid on the rest. Then, the Night Fury must be brought to me immediately, and still alive."
On cue, a band of guards strained as they wheeled out the cages of all the remaining dragons, sparse in number. At the sight of the fabled Night Fury dragon, the arena gasped. Toothless shrouded behind his black wings as he adjusted his eyes to the sunlight. Viking screams covered his hearing in every direction.
Hiccup was gutted to see Toothless presented as a conquest, but said nothing, instead focusing on doing everything he could to hold on to the Light Fury and win the event.
Grimmel turned to the guard fighting to keep still on the Light Fury. "That is my request. The consequences for not honoring my request will be found out very quickly, for every last person daring to challenge me."
The crowd's volume descended to a nervous whisper.
"When all is said and done, you will learn to mark my words."
The crowd hushed at the sinister change in the air, some voices still excited at Grimmel's unspoken promise of gore against the legendary Light Fury.
Grimmel's warlords mounted on their helmets and drew their swords, taking strategic positions as they would in a regular dragon killing mission their leader had commenced as a young chieftain of their tribe. However, their grips around their weapons were tighter than before, for they didn't know what to expect from the obscure dragon about to be unleashed.
Grimmel fastened on his helmet and unsheathed a sword with two blades protruding from a large hilt, eliciting another reaction from the arena. Astrid also shuddered at Grimmel's forked weapon as she strained to keep the Light Fury still.
Grimmel then turned and pointed his gaze at the Light Fury. In his own language, with the consonants stinging and the vowels violent, he called on the protection of the god he worshiped. Then, he declared, "You unholy, bastard daughter of lightning and death itself, may Valhalla have mercy on you. It is time to return to Hel where you belong!"
"Amen!" His warlords hollered back in Grimmel's dialect, quickly losing all of their fear.
LaVerne felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as Grimmel remained still with his drawn weapon, holding a saintly resolve. He thought whatever Grimmel had just said, it sure as hell sounded like he meant it. LaVerne was launched forward into the moment when the Light Fury bit at his grasp.
"Hiccup," Astrid said quietly, next to Tuffnut beside the Light Fury. She saw the green of Hiccup's eyes shimmering with worry beyond his helmet's faceguard. She wasn't sure what to make of her sudden plea, but she hoped he understood how much she believed in him.
"I know, Astrid," he whispered.
The Light Fury screeched at Grimmel. Seeing the pointed weapon, she tensed and got ready to charge his direction.
"Release her!" Grimmel called.
On the slightest release of the guard's ropes, the Light Fury spread her wings and soared out of the pen with breathtaking speed and grace. Hiccup held on tight, his heart pounding in his chest. The arena became a dizzying blur as the dragon whipped in the air.
The audience cheered as they circled the arena, watching in awe as the dragon danced in the sky. Hiccup felt a sudden jolt as one of the warlords swung and launched a net in an attempt to capture the Light Fury.
Hiccup clutched to the Light Fury's head with all of his might, using his momentum to throw his body back onto the beast when she made sharp turns that nearly emptied his stomach. The Light Fury was nothing close to Toothless, and seemed even more unforgiving in her maneuvers and temperament.
With a flick of her tail, the Light Fury easily dodged another throw of the warlord's net, much to the disappointment of the crowd. Grimmel, however, was intrigued by the rider. He had never seen a simple guard with such skill in the air before.
The Light Fury breathed a blast of powerful fire plasma over the arena and incinerated some of the officiators' emergency shields, causing some of the auction's brigade to clamber up the arena walls into the crowd. The Light Fury set her sights on Grimmel who had endured her vomits of fire by cowering under his shield and sword.
Grimmel dodged a deadly swack of her tail in the air by a rehearsed launch maneuver onto his back. He rolled to his feet in time to witness another of the same attack to his partner. It kicked her helmet off and left her lifeless on the arena ground, hemorrhaging from her ears.
Another blast disarmed the remaining guards in the dragon's path. The Light Fury veered towards Fishlegs and Snotlout, who had little space to hide in the open field from the dragon that seemed to have a grudge against any human in its sights.
Hiccup took his own sword and slapped the dragon's temple with it to daze her from coming towards his friends. It worked to give Snotlout and Fishlegs time to escape.
Unlike Toothless, who would have cowered to Hiccup's correction immediately, the Light Fury snapped at Hiccup's heels by her head, and bit his leg clean off. Hiccup hissed at the sting of having his peg leg's swatches violently ripped from his old amputation.
He resolved to be extra careful about leaving his fully functioning leg vulnerable. He then realized there was no way he could let go of the Light Fury at any moment, for it would be impossible for him to run from the dragon, or his opponents below.
After a couple more evasions, Grimmel took an opportunity and swiped the net from his warlord's limp hands. He swung it and it whistled in the air, the iron bludgeon at its end ready to strike. Grimmel jockeyed it expertly at a fault in the Light Fury's arc in the air, and it struck the Light Fury's jaw.
Hiccup's eardrums rattled at the screech she made. He growled as the dragon tumbled down to the arena, her toppling weight disorienting him as it twirled him in a nauseating spiral. Her plasma blast bellowed from her mouth, scorching the air and igniting clouds of soot all around him. In the blackening arena, Hiccup slipped from the Light Fury, unable to hold on anymore, and out of oxygen to breathe.
"Hiccup!" Ruffnut yelled desperately. She watched helplessly again as Hiccup enacted the same near-death he had succumbed to as a boy, falling from the sky in a plume of white fire and black smoke from the Red Death.
Toothless battered his cages with his rams, but nothing gave. He collected a final burst of energy to try another lightning blast to burn his iron cage. At a twinkle of an eye, the plasma blast from the Light Fury and his own power collided, creating an explosion that blinded the arena. The other dragons in captivity poured from their freed cages.
Toothless caught Hiccup inches from the ground, and Hiccup weakly took hold of the beast under his hands, and pressed his face into it, realizing his life had been spared. To his shock, his hands gripped the neck of a body of black scales, and a familiar heart rhythm pounded under his ears. "Toothless?" Hiccup said.
Toothless let out a rumbling purr, feeling relieved that his rider was safe in his arms. He nudged Hiccup gently, letting him know that everything was going to be alright. Hiccup sighed, looking around at the chaos that had erupted in the arena. It seemed that the other dragons had freed themselves from their cages and were now attacking the warlords and their minions.
The dragon's fury was only matched by the ferocity of their allies, the Defenders of the Wing Tribe and the Wingmaidens. To the Dragon Rider's delight, the guards who had safeguarded the dragon stables led a violent torrent against the dragon hunters, too.
The Light Fury lay crumpled on the ground, whimpering in pain. Hiccup felt a pang of guilt and hobbled over to her, occasionally using his arm to throw his weight forward at the expense of his lost peg leg. He knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her snout. "I'm sorry," he said.
All at once, a double sword crashed down on the Light Fury's neck, severing her head. Hiccup was sprayed with its blood, and he shook in horror at the mess over his hands.
"A deal is a deal," Grimmel panted, with his icy, grey eyes blazing. "The Night Fury is mine!" Grimmel's face paled in anger when he realized a brunette, green eyed boy looking back at him, indeed the guard that had braved the Light Fury. "You!" Grimmel bellowed.
Hiccup stood up shakily, his heart racing as he backed away from Grimmel. He had never seen the dragon hunter so furious before. The man's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword as he took a step forward, and Hiccup could feel his fear starting to overwhelm him.
But then, Toothless pounced in front of Hiccup, letting out a mighty roar, and tufting his inky, black wings at the hunter. Grimmel readied his sword, his eyes wide with reverent wonder.
Hiccup felt his heart pounding in his chest, watching as the two creatures stared each other down. It was as if they were locked in some intense battle of wills, each sizing up the other's weaknesses and strengths.
Sweat poured down Hiccup's face as he realized just how dangerous the situation was.
Toothless bared his teeth, ready to fight off the invading hunters. He placed himself between Hiccup and the oncoming onslaught, of Grimmel's sword, growling fiercely as Grimmel was surrounded by more of his warriors. Hiccup watched in amazement as his dragon took down one hunter after another, his plasma blasts sending them flying.
Grimmel's strikes were few and far between the ducks he made with his shield against Toothless's neon-purple deluges of electricity. Grimmel's sword striped Toothless' eye, and Hiccup's dragon let out a whimpering screech. Hiccup felt helpless at that moment, but knew he would remain so if he stayed in hiding behind Toothless forever. So, he clambored onto his dragon when he had the chance, and took off into the sky.
"Men!" Grimmel screamed to the audience, his voice carrying with a supernatural ability. "Do what you must! Capture the Night Fury at all costs!"
A considerable amount of people in the crowd, wearing unassuming and opulent costumes, raced from the audience to the arena floor and joined the battle. The rest of the crowd ran for their lives in any direction that led out from the castle.
Aboard their own dragons, the Dragon Riders attempted to smite Grimmel's impromptu army themselves, along with the Wingmaidens.
LaVerne, riding with Ruffnut, accosted several attackers coming after daughter, his combat skills taught long ago by Berk's finest Viking teachers and honed by a few too many sword-fights after school.
Atali, Mala, and Throk struck Grimmel's henchmen like three deadly musketeers. Tuffnut and Astrid made a fierce duo on Stormfly, Astrid steering the Deadly Nadder and slaying her axe in every direction, and Tuffnut covering her blind spots.
Right when Grimmel's surviving warlord came at Astrid with a double edged spear, a chicken flapped between them pecked at the warlord's eye. The warlord shooed it frantically, causing him to lose his grip on his flying instrument and plop into the rolling sea.
"Chicken!" Tuffnut shouted. His pet cawed. "Where have you been?"
Astrid had to give the chicken credit. It did save her life, and it was very good at hiding. "Hold onto that bird!" Astrid cried as she sliced the cables of another parachute of Grimmel's henchmen. "We're gonna need it!"
Hiccup knew that Toothless needed him in the battle. He struggled to his feet, his body still weak from the fall and the loss of blood from a recent injury. "Toothless, let's show them what we're made of," he said fiercely, his grip tightening on his sword. Toothless roared in response, and the two of them joined the fray.
It was a brutal battle. The hunters were relentless, but the dragon riders were equally determined. Hiccup swung his sword with all his might, slicing through armor and flesh alike. Toothless breathed his plasma blasts with deadly precision, torching anyone who dared come near him.
But the sheer number of hunters was overwhelming. Toothless was getting tired and injured, his movements becoming slower and more labored. Hiccup knew they needed to get out of there before it was too late.
He grabbed onto Toothless' saddle, pulling himself up onto the dragon's back. Toothless took off into the sky, the hunters chasing after them, and Grimmel taking flight on a device Hiccup had never seen before. Hiccup and Toothless weaved in and out of the clouds, dodging plasma blasts and arrows from Grimmel's crossbow.
"We can't keep this up much longer," Hiccup said, looking back at the swarm of hunters pursuing them. "We need a plan."
Toothless growled in agreement, his eyes narrowing in concentration. Suddenly, he made a sharp turn and headed towards a nearby mountain range.
Hiccup held on tight as Toothless flew into a narrow canyon, the hunters close behind. Just as they reached a dead end, Toothless shot out a plasma blast that caused a rockfall, inciting a small avalanche and causing the hunters at their tail on their flying contraptions to be knocked backward into the surrounding sea of the castle. "That a boy!" Hiccup screamed. Toothless screeched triumphantly.
Taking advantage of the moment of safety, he peeled off the armor of the auction's guards and felt refreshed to have only his own armor left on, and much lighter without all of the metal.
However, Hiccup felt a chill on his back. he turned over his shoulder and saw Grimmel riding after him on another flying contraption of his own. His crossbow had a mysterious dart pointing from it, and Hiccup wasn't sure if it was aimed at him or Toothless. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to find out. "Fly, Toothless, please, bud!" Hiccup urged.
Out of desperation, Hiccup fished a whip from his armor. He struck Toothless on each side of his chest, not hard enough to cause him great pain, but sharp enough that Toothless would feel it through his scales.
Toothless cried. He had only felt the snap of Hiccup's whip when they were in grave danger. Without hesitation, he put his powers into overdrive, going so fast in the sky for his rider that his wings crackled with purple sparks. Hiccup squeezed Toothless until his arms numbed, knowing the gravity of what he had just not-too-nicely asked of his Night Fury to do. Hiccup screamed for his life as Toothless zipped forward at a speed they had never reached before.
Hiccup could feel Toothless vibrating beneath him, the dragon's speed approaching an almost uncontrollable level. But it was what they needed to escape Grimmel and his freakishly fast flying contraption. Hiccup glanced back just in time to see Grimmel's crossbow release the dart, but Toothless was already moving too fast for it to hit them. Instead, it ricocheted off a sea rock and disappeared into the distance.
Hiccup and Toothless finally made it out of the canyon and into the open sky. They had lost Grimmel for now, but Hiccup knew they needed to keep flying and put as much distance between them as possible.
Suddenly, Toothless nosedived into the black water of the sea. Hiccup took a split second to hold his breath as his Night Fury urged down into the water, setting the ocean aglow. With his lungs burning, Hiccup saw a deluge of splashes around him, faintly seeing the outlines of Stormfly, Belch and Barf, Meatlug, Fanghook, and Hookfang. They had all unexpectantly followed Toothless to the heavy depths of the ocean. Toothless waited until Grimmel and his airborne army passed over head, then he motioned to the other dragons to serpent their way to the surface.
Astrid resurfaced with a gasp, right after Tuffnut. Together, they and the Dragon Riders looked in awe as Toothless emerged from the water, his scales shimmering and glistening in the moonlight. Hiccup was relieved to see that Toothless was unharmed from the sharp descent into the sea. It was clear that their Night Fury had a plan all along, and it was a brilliant one at that. Hiccup could see the determination reflected in Toothless' eyes, and he knew that his dragon had always been much smarter than they gave him credit for.
Without a word, Hiccup climbed down from Toothless' back and waded over to Astrid. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling delighted at seeing her alive.
Their hug was interrupted by the gasps of air of the rest of their team, including the Wingmaidens clutching to their floating baby Razorwhips, LaVerne and Ruffnut, and finally Mala and Throk and their Defenders of the Wing tribemates who had all been saved by Gustav and his trusty Monstrous Nightmare.
As Hiccup held onto Astrid, he noticed that her body was trembling in his arms. Looking down at her, he saw tears streaming down her face. It was then that he realized just how close they had come to losing each other. He brought his hands up to her face, wiping away her tears with his thumbs and gently cupping her cheeks.
"I'm here, Astrid," he murmured, looking into her eyes. "We made it. We're okay."
Astrid nodded, her breathing beginning to steady as she looked back at him. "I know," she said softly. "It's just...it was so close." She hugged Hiccup fiercely, letting out a sob she had held in since she had witnessed him falling from the Light Fury. Tuffnut swam over to her and embraced her, too.
The starry sky twinkled peacefully over the united allies. "Let's fly somewhere to dry off," Hiccup said. The team mounted their dragons and retired to a nearby rock formation with a beach on its perimeter.
As the team's hearts relaxed, Mala and Throk looked increasingly concerned. "This is certainly not all of the Defenders of the Wing that journeyed with us. We will have to go back and find who ever may still be on the sea."
Hiccup obliged her. "Of course, Mala. I think it's too dangerous for Toothless and I to escort you, but this may be something Gustav can handle. Gustav, find us at the Wingmaiden's tribe. It's one of the only places I'm sure is too hard for Grimmel to find."
Gustav nervously let Mala and Throk board Hookfang, and took off in his brief mission into the night.
"As for the rest of us, let's take another detour. Atali, can you lead the way?"
Atali nodded firmly and lifted into the air. Hiccup and the Dragon Riders tailed after her in Atali's secret path to her home island of Wingmaidens.
As they approached the island, Hiccup could see the beautiful architecture of the Wingmaidens' fortress up ahead. Atali guided them through a hidden passage, leading them directly into the heart of the island's village.
The Wingmaidens greeted the Riders with warm smiles and open arms, but Hiccup could see the fear in their eyes that Grimmel might be following their allies to their home.
"I assure you," Atali addressed her people, "Grimmel has not followed Master Hiccup to our land. Help them rest and recover. They've had a long battle."
The Wingmaidens quickly got to work, bringing food and drink to Hiccup and the Dragon Riders, and patching up the wounds of the allies or their dragons. Despite the his hunger, Hiccup couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Grimmel had been relentless in his pursuit of the dragons, and Hiccup knew that he wouldn't rest until he caught Toothless.
Ruffnut smiled when she saw her father sleeping against Atali, a smile she had never seen before plastered on his face. She covered them with a blanket and stepped out into the night to clear her head in a bath.
As the Dragon Riders rested, Hiccup couldn't shake off his worries. He stood up and walked towards the edge of the fortress, gazing out into the darkness. He came to a stream to wash himself before he went to sleep, but no matter how much he scrubbed, he couldn't get the stench of the Light Fury's blood off of his skin.
He gave up, and lowered himself in the stream until he could sit and bob comfortably with the waves. He could see the stars twinkling in the sky trying to appease him, but his mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of Grimmel's relentless pursuit.
"Rah!"
Suddenly, Hiccup felt arms clutch around him, and he gasped. He sighed in relief when he heard Ruffnut giggle.
"Scared ya," Ruffnut whispered. She could feel his heartbeat through his skin as she held her arms around him.
"This is a very good time to not do something like that, Ruff!" Hiccup said seriously, still trembling. When it came to the twins, he reasoned, anytime was prank-time. Hiccup felt her weight on his back, and he leaned back against her, taking comfort in her embrace.
"I thought we would never make it out of there," Ruffnut quietly spoke.
"I know," he replied softly, closing his eyes. "But we did. We made it. And Toothless is safe, for now at least."
"Don't think so much about it. We're here, and we're alive. I'm here."
Hiccup inhaled sweetly. "Maybe you're right about that." His green eyes down-casted at the rolling water. "But it cost the life of that dragon. She's the only one I couldn't save." His thoughts drifted back to his experience riding her over the arena. "She was really something," he said. He hoped to cross paths with another Light Fury one day, just to observe it.
Ruffnut sensed he needed a way to forget about the Light Fury that was murdered. She leaned forward, letting her lips caress the nape of his neck. "Let me help you forget," she whispered huskily.
Hiccup stiffened for a moment, but then he nodded. He steadily relaxed into her touch, his head lolled back onto her shoulder. Ruffnut ran her fingers up and down his chest. "You were out of your mind to get on that Light Fury."
Hiccup chuckled, "I had to do what I had to do. Toothless needed me."
"I know, I know," Ruffnut said, "But you were really something back there. Crazy."
Hiccup shrugged, feeling a sense of pride swell in his chest. "I guess."
"You know how much I love that about you, Hiccup," she said, planting a soft kiss on his ear. Hiccup shuddered, knowing she had admitted it before, but hadn't realized how much she meant it. "You're so insane, it drives me wild." Ruffnut's fingers traced down his stomach, softly grazing over his groin.
Hiccup groaned at the sensation, his body responding instinctively to her touch. He turned around to face her and their lips crashed together in a fierce kiss.
He cupped her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks as he deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body closer to his.
Hiccup ran his hands across her back, feeling her soft curves against his palms. Ruffnut moaned in pleasure, her body arching into him and warmed to her toes with Hiccup's love.
The waves splashed against their feet as they embraced, the moonlight casting a warm yellow glow on the pair. And for that moment, the two of them were free from the troubles of the world.
The next morning, Atali, the Wngmaidens, and the Dragon Riders had a large farewell feast. They were all uplifted by the news that Mala and Throk had recounted most of their army, and they haven't seen Grimmel or his ship in days. As mysteriously as he had arrived on Dragon's Edge Island, he disappeared just as quickly. Although Hiccup had a nagging feeling that this wasn't going to be his last brush with Grimmel, he took the good news as something to consider about the grace on his side.
LaVerne had been a great help to Atali by skinning some of the animals they had hunted together, and Ruffnut had found the best firewood for the job to be finished quickly. Atali summoned the table to attention with a toast to Hiccup. Ruffnut beamed at Hiccup while he cowered slightly at all of the cups of berry juice raised silently for Atali's words.
"Master Hiccup, you are a brave and selfless man. Your courage has saved Toothless and our dragons, along with all of us. May your courage and strength guide you through life, wherever it may take you."
There was a cheer from the table, and Hiccup felt his heart swell with pride.
"And to the Dragon Riders, our dearest allies, may our bond grow stronger with each passing day. We have fought together, laughed together, and now we feast together. May we continue to stand united against all who would threaten the peace we have worked so hard to achieve."
Another uproarious cheer from the Riders and the Wingmaidens resounded through the main tent.
Atali finished her toast to a single visitor. "LaVerne. You have been a great help to everyone, a wonderful model for your family, and a beautiful friend."
LaVerne looked at Atali with concern, his smile fading. Atali's commanding, green eyes brimmed with tears and leaked. "My heart sorrows to see you leave," she admitted in front of everyone.
"Saying goodbye is always hard for all of us, Atali. But there's a whole world out there full of dragons that need us," Hiccup declared. "We don't have Dragon's Edge anymore, but our mission remains alive, anywhere we go."
LaVerne spoke up. "I've lived my life, Hiccup. This is your fight."
The Riders shared glances in surprise. It had been awesome to have the twins' dad fighting alongside them, and they deflated at the notion that he wasn't interested in staying on.
"I will always be there to help ye, but," LaVerne muttered, locking eyes with Atali. "I've found what I'm looking for right in front of me. I don't think I'll be staying away from it for too long."
Atali's tears turned into a soft smile as LaVerne spoke those words. She knew what he meant and felt proud of him for finally finding the peace he'd always been searching for. At that moment, she felt a sudden urge to run to him and wrap him in her arms, but she held back, not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone.
Hiccup noticed the exchange between the two and raised an eyebrow at them before turning his attention back to the rest of the table. He felt happy for Mister Thorston and Atali for finding something they had been looking for, but at the same time, he felt a pang of sadness at Mister Thorston's decisions to not become a Dragon Rider for good.
As the night wore on, the mood shifted from celebratory to reflective on Wingmaiden Island. The alcohol flowed freely, and soon, the Riders and Wingmaidens were laughing and sharing stories from their past adventures. Atali couldn't help but steal glances at LaVerne throughout the evening, her heart swelling with pride and admiration for the man who had become such an integral part of their success at freeing the dragons from the hunters. LaVerne met her eyes more than once when only they had noticed as well. He admired Atali's strength, her bravery, and most of all, her unwavering loyalty to those she cared for.
As the night grew late, Atali found herself alone by the fire, staring up at the sky. LaVerne approached her, and gave the stars a look.
"You see more stars at the outskirts of Berk," he commented.
"Is that so?"
"Aye," LaVerne said.
"Perhaps you can show me one day."
"I'll show you everything there," LaVerne added, making Atali smile shyly. His look became somber. "Ye promised you would take me to see Ingrid's resting place? I didn't know when to ask ye, but I think I would like to see her now."
Atali was honored to take him to visit his wife. She rose, understanding written on her face. She took LaVerne's hand in hers and they silently descended a mountain, the stars twinkling above them like a promise of hope and peace.
They navigated through the dark woods until they arrived at a clearing where a large cairn of stones were arranged in Ingrid's memory. LaVerne knelt beside the cairn, tears streaming down his face. He touched the stones gently, his fingers tracing the inscribed runes that spelled Ingrid's name.
Atali knelt beside him, her heart heavy with emotion. She watched as he paid his respects, her own thoughts of Ingrid, quiet yet strong-hearted in her defense of Razorwhips from hunters, filling her mind. She too had lost someone dear to her, and she knew how much it hurt.
Eventually, LaVerne rose to his feet. He looked at Atali with a newfound strength in his eyes, as if the visit had rekindled his hope and given him direction in life. He thanked Atali for bringing him there and they embraced, the stars twinkling above them like a reminder that their adventure was just beginning.
The next few months unfolded quickly into winter, when the Dragon Riders returned to Berk to regroup. The village welcomed them with open arms and even larger feasts when Chief Stoick heard about their successful dragon rescue against notorious hunters in the earlier season.
Braving the snowfall, Hiccup had finally mustered up the courage to visit Mister Thorston for an important reason. On the way, he almost didn't recognize the Thorston's house. It was spruced up and had a new fence, like it was reborn with pride. Hiccup looked with confusion at the flowers from Astrid's house thriving in their yard. Hiccup could grow dizzy from the amount of sheep roaming the once weedy pasture they owned. There was only one way to describe it all–there was definitely a woman's touch somewhere–well, everywhere.
Nevertheless, Hiccup knocked firmly on the Thorston's front door. Mister Thorston left the door open for Hiccup to walk in. Hiccup was surprised to see Atali in the twins' kitchen. She greeted Hiccup warmly and said she was there to visit LaVerne's family for Snoggletog. Atali looked completely different without her armor, and with her fiery, red hair let down in soft waves over her shoulders.
Hiccup sat at the Thorston's table, which Atali dressed with a large shepard's pie, inviting Hiccup to try a slice. Although the pie smelled savory and delightful, Hiccup declined, too nervous to be hungry.
"Suit yeself!" Mister Thorston grunted. He heaped a large piece for himself, knowing Atali's cooking was delicious, not quite as hearty as Ingrid's, but much prettier to look at. Atali joined Mister Thorston, looking intrigued by their new visitor.
Tuffnut walked in the door, sending a squall of frigid air through the house. "What's Hiccup doing here?"
"Would you like some pie?" Atali asked, trying to appeal to Tuffnut with generosity.
"No, thanks," Tuffnut said. "Mom made it way better." He disappeared quickly up the stairs to his room.
Atali sighed with a defeated smile, but LaVerne held her hand compassionately. "Go on, boy," LaVerne said.
Hiccup cleared his throat and paused, taking a deep breath before he spoke. He had to get these words out quickly, or he knew he wouldn't say it at all. "I… I've come here today...to ask for your blessing on something I wish to pursue with-with your daughter. Ruffnut. Well, you obviously know her name, dunno why I said that..."
Atali smiled with pride, while LaVerne exhaled slowly in contemplation. "Aye, what of 'er?" LaVerne said in an approving voice.
Hiccup continued with a gulp, feeling courageous enough to speak more openly about his intentions: "Ruffnut and I have grown close in the past few months while protecting dragons from hunters and searching for new lands. We make a good team, both in battle and friendship- something that is hard to find nowadays. But now I believe our relationship may be moving beyond teamwork… into something more meaningful."
Mister Thorston nodded thoughtfully as Hiccup spoke, and the corner of his lips curved slightly upwards, hinting approval. Mister Thorston nodded in agreement with Atali's smile, and said gruffly yet kindly: "I know my daughter well enough to recognize when she's been struck by a real match. You two have had each other's backs through thick and thin, which is more than I could ever ask for. So if you intend to make Ruffnut your bride, we'd be honored to have you as part of our family. Will ye stay for supper, and talk more of it?"
Hiccup was completely taken aback by their overwhelming acceptance. He hesitantly looked around the room before he realized that they were all waiting for his response. Smiling with relief and joy, Hiccup softly replied: "Yes please! I'd-I'd love to stay for dinner with your family."
Atali smiled warmly at Hiccup's answer, quickly moving up from her seat to fetch a collection of plates from the Thorston's cupboard.
Mister Thorston went on with a hint of caution, "you do understand you're marrying into a different clan. Our traditions may be a little different than what you're used to of the Haddocks. For one, we respect Odin, but we only worship Loki, unlike the Haddocks."
Hiccup nodded eagerly at the older Viking. That was something he definitely had a hunch about, from how outrageously silly the twins' could be sometimes. He had no idea it could be tied to their clan's religious beliefs. "I understand, Mister Thorston. But I'm willing to learn and adjust to your traditions to make this work. Ruffnut means everything to me, and I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy."
From the staircase, Ruffnut grinned at the sight of her father and potential stepmother encouraging Hiccup about his decision. Tuffnut, taking up his sister's space to listen in on the conversation, let a smile rest on his face too at witnessing the welcome changes happening to their family.
Mister Thorston grunted in approval, satisfied with Hiccup's response. Then, Mister Thorston smiled warmly at Hiccup, knowing that Ruffnut had made the right choice in falling in love with someone so dedicated and loving. Ruffnut knew from that moment on, she would follow Hiccup anywhere their dragon adventures would take her and her loyal friends.
THE END
Words: 6188
A/N: -Thank you everyone for reading and supporting. This was a lot of fun to write, and I'm glad it's finished.
-Tuffnut's dad I named LaVerne because that's Tuffnut's middle name.
