Hello guys! I'm back with another chapter. This is more of a 'filler' chapter and how I think the new Haddock family would spend their holiday. I didn't include the execution in the last chapter as I personally don't like that type of gore in stories I read. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!
Zephyr was surprisingly smart for her age, and that's why when she was drawing in her sketchbook in her bedroom after lunchtime, her father burst into the room without warning, announcing that she was going to be spending the rest of the day with her grandparents and aunt, she knew something was wrong.
He was normally working at this time, so it was a strange thing that he was even here. Plus, it was almost Snoggletog, it was less than two weeks before it, which is the busiest time for her father, with preparations all around the village for the holiday and for the devastating winter, which would be coming shortly after. He shouldn't even be home, which was certainly strange.
Her father was worried, he was frantic, stumbling his words, pacing quickly, and he wouldn't stop doing the shoulder thing that mom always makes fun of him for doing. And understanding that her father was worried for some reason she decided to not argue and listen to his instructions while he took her to the guest rooms where her grandparents and aunt had been staying for the last few days.
After her father had left her with her grandparents, she played games with them, listening to stories of her parents from when they were younger or messing around with her 'Auntie Anna'. She even got to play outside in the snow and build a snowman she named Olaf. She joined the other kids who were having snowball fights. Slowly forgetting about her father's worried state.
Eventually, when it was nearing dinner time, there was a knock at the door. Anna quickly got up from her seat at the dining table, where Zephyr had been sitting nearly for an hour while her grandmother Ingrid tried her best to feed her some beans. She looked at her aunt opening the door to reveal Hiccup. Zephyr immediately sat up in her seat excitedly when she saw him, he had a huge smile on his face contrasting the worried expression he wore when she last saw him.
Zephyr was excited! She was going to be a big sister! Everyone around the village for the past few months would come up to Zephyr and talk to her about being a big sister and how exciting it was that she was going to have a baby brother or sister. But now, everyone was suddenly so nervous! This was like an early Snoggletog present!
"How is she?" Granny Ingrid asked her father as Granpa Havlor and Granpa Stoick both walked over to congratulate her father, why were they congratulating her father? Had they won the war? Hiccup steps into the room and holds out his arms, and Zephyr rushes into them, allowing herself to be picked up by her dad.
"Hey, Zeph!" he exclaims, pressing kisses to her cheek, "Astrid is fine. Tired but fine… You all could come with Zephyr to meet him."
Hiccup chuckles upon seeing Zephyr's mouth drop. "I have a baby brother?"
Hiccup laughs. "You do, Zephyr! Do you wanna go meet him and see your mother?" he asks her while Zephyr nods violently. He leads her and her grandparents towards the Emperor's room.
Was her little brother going to like her? This was all she could think about in her tiny head as she held her father's hand. She was nervous. She was a big sister now. Her mom and dad had told her that it was a big responsibility. And now, after months of waiting, she was finally going to meet her little brother.
Her father entered the room and pushed the curtains aside to reveal her mother seated on the bed, her long hair messy and out of its usual braids. She looked exhausted, but she had a smile on her face as she gazed lovingly at a bundle of… blankets?
"Hi, Baby," Astrid says as she calls her daughter towards her. She walks nervously towards her mother and sits beside Astrid on the bed. Astrid slowly shows her that inside the blankets is a very small baby. A very small baby with his eyes closed and little tufts of blonde hair.
"What's his name?" She asks her parents with a smile. Astrid and Hiccup look at each other, then to Havlor and then turn back to Zephyr.
"Nuffink Finn Haddock," Hiccup tells her.
"Nuffink," Zephyr says, testing the name out. Zephyr can't help but smile at the feeling in her chest. She knew at that moment that she was going to try her best to be the best older sister in the world.
The winter sun crept up the sky, casting its golden glow over the thriving island, buzzing with excitement. The first snow of the season had painted the island white, and Hiccup found himself in a dilemma.
Snoggletog, the joyous and jubilee-filled holiday had finally arrived. It was one of the holidays that was marked on every Viking's calendar and the most awaited one to be celebrated. The night always ended with many drunk Vikings engaging in friendly fights, recounting exaggerated tales, and lovers finding themselves entwined in each other's arms, but that didn't stop them from celebrating the important festival. The way the Vikings partied on the night of Snoggletog surprised outsiders, shocked that the Vikings lived to wake up tomorrow.
However, it wasn't the impending mess or the decorations to be still hung around the village that troubled Hiccup. Rather, it was the fact that he still hadn't figured out the perfect gift for his wife. The thought filled his mind as he pondered the perfect gift to show his affection to his wife.
Since it would be their first Snoggletog after the birth of their second child, it had to be extra special, right? He didn't want to disappoint her or give her a less-than-perfect gift. He sort of knew from past experiences that she cared more about the thought he put in for her rather than the object itself, but irrational worries didn't seem to listen to his reason.
Maybe he could get her some winter clothes? That thought seemed easy enough but a new problem arose, he didn't know the first thing about women's clothing, and simply buying them for her seemed too unthoughtful. He could make something for her, something that she'd find value in beyond the gift. Something personal. Maybe a weapon. Astrid would like that, wouldn't she? The problem was, she already had her axe and didn't have any need to replace it.
Out of all her weapons, she favoured her axe the most, and it was something he'd made for her on her thirteenth birthday all those years ago while working at the forge. He'd told her it was made by Gobber back then, as he'd been afraid she wouldn't accept a weapon made by the village weakling. In the following days, he'd watched her treat it as her prized possession and had secretly been glad he had managed to gift her something, even if she wasn't aware of it. At least, that's what he had thought. Once they had run away and started dating Hiccup told her the truth, to his surprise she had already known about his lie. She then revealed to him it was the axe that had caused her to fall for him after trying her best to ignore him and train to be a warrior and that she had found his initials carved under the leather grip while she was replacing the worn-out leather around the handle.
Among all her weapons, the axe held a special place in her heart. It had been a gift from Hiccup on her thirteenth birthday, crafted when he was a mere apprentice at the forge. He had told her it was made by Gobber, back then, as he'd been afraid she wouldn't accept a weapon made by the village weakling. During the following months, he observed her treating the axe as her cherished possession, silently glad that he had managed to gift her a meaningful gift, even if she remained unaware of its true craftsman.
Once they had run away and started dating Hiccup told her the truth, expecting surprise or perhaps disappointment. To his astonishment, she already knew about his lie. She then revealed that it was the axe itself that had played a role in her falling for him, despite trying her best to ignore him and focus on warrior training. She further revealed that she had discovered Hiccup's initials discreetly carved under the leather grip, while she was replacing the worn-out leather around the handle, this small act further deepened her affection for him.
Hiccup smiled fondly at the memory before continuing his brainstorming session. Over the last few months, Astrid's stomach had slowly grown making him remember the months leading to his daughter's birth. Now that she was almost eight and a half months along, the bump was clearly visible and it restricted the blonde warrior from her usual movements. Hiccup smiled as he dreamt of holding another baby in his arms, to protect it and love it, just as he had done to Zephyr…
That's when it hit him, literally, both the idea for the gift and the unexpected leap of Zephyr onto his lap. He nearly fell out of his chair in excitement at the brilliant idea he had received, nearly stumbled but managed to regain his balance.
Zephyr looked at him with a curious expression as he ran to his wife, planted a quick kiss on her cheek, and grabbed his cloak before dashing toward the castle forge. His wife and daughter exchanged puzzled glances, staring at his running form in confusion before Astrid chuckled to herself and went back to folding Zephyr's clothes.
Right… folding clothes, such domestic chores weren't Astrid's domain, but since she couldn't fight or train, due to her pregnancy, she was folding clothes. She didn't want to be useless and had chosen the task as a way to escape boredom, not that she minded doing the task too much but she wasn't going to tell Hiccup that anytime soon. Besides she found amusement in observing Hiccup enthusiastically tackling household chores or preparing his incredible meals, with Zephyr eagerly learning each recipe.
In the following days, Hiccup found himself immersed in a whirlwind of activities. Whether it was assisting villagers in filling the island with festive decorations, creating strategic war plans, spending time with Astrid, engaging in playful activities with Zephyr, or working on his 'secret project' at the forge.
The couple had slowly but successfully revived the strained relationship between their parents. After the Hooligans had moved to New Berk, the island transformed into a thriving island with the help of the Draconians, further mending the bond between the Berkians and the Draconians.
Ingrid, upon learning about the impending arrival of a new family member, was moved to tears, and Anna now spent her time either training alongside her older sister or helping Astrid in caring for Zephyr.
Zephyr, having reached the age of five, had outgrown the phase of easy piggyback rides from her father. The 'princess with her bright auburn hair and a satchel crafted alongside her father, mirrored Hiccup's intelligent mind and possessed an attitude that rivalled Astrid's. Fond of referring to her aunt as the 'Auntie Anna,' Zephyr had become particularly close to her aunt.
Ingrid and Havlor, also met the young couple regularly, both the Hoffersons had created strong bonds with their respective dragons and trained with the Draconian dragon trainers every day.
Stoick had given heartfelt apologies to both his son and wife, and over the course of several months, forgiveness had gradually found its place in their hearts. Now, they spent a lot of time together talking about the adventures the other had missed or just bonding over small unimportant topics. The wounds of the past had healed, creating a stronger familial connection.
Despite the initial heartbreak over Valka's relationship with Eret, Stoick managed to move on from his emotions and eventually accepted his ex-wife's relationship. He even supported the pair, but that didn't mean he was going to start finding another companion anytime soon.
The relationship between Stoick and Hiccup had transformed into an unbreakable bond, it had become so strong that Hiccup extended an invitation for Stoick to join the Council.
The Twins, Fishlegs and Gustav had now become close friends with Hiccup and Astrid, enjoying life with their dragons. Other Berkians had now trained or bonded with dragons, while Fishlegs was now in charge of the integration of Berkians into the Dragon Training Academy, Anna had become the head of New Berk's military. Gustav supported his girlfriend unwaveringly and after Astrid had threatened the poor boy mercilessly, she finally gave her approval to the young couple.
"Son! Could I have a moment to ask you a few questions?" Stoick asked Hiccup who was hunched over a table covered with maps and plans to defend the Empire.
Hiccup looked up to greet his father, silently nodding for him to continue, "I have been wanting to ask you this question for a few months… what did Spitelout tell you when you tortured him that day?"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask me about that… I knew Spitelout had hidden a part of the plan from us, even Snotlout didn't know the entire plan, so it was safe to assume he had planned something else…"Hiccup stated while motioning for his father to take a seat at one of the chairs around the table.
"After… spending some time with Spitelout he revealed that he and Mildew had tried to take our plans and defence strategies to Grimmel in exchange for Berk." Hiccup stated, a frown dawning on his forehead.
"That's great son, we caught both so Grimmel is still one step behind us!" Stoick said clasping his hands together, excited.
"Yes, we did catch the two of them but Ack managed to sneak onto the enemy ships when they had captured the docks during the battle. Grimmel now has the exact number of soldiers, dragons, ships and weapons on every base, fortress and island under the Draconian rule… He still hasn't used that information… due to the icy weather he won't be able to sail and attack us this month, but when winter sets he will have the element of surprise." Hiccup said.
He looked his father in the eyes, trying to show the gravity of the situation, "Our only hope is to attack before he does… "
Stoick nodded, "I will let my council know, our soldiers will be ready to fight when needed."
Stoick turned around, leaving the room, he would inform his council about these unfortunate developments. He might not know when Grimmel attacks but he does know that he would protect Hiccup to his last breath… he won't lose his son… not again.
Astrid's eyes blinked open on a snowy and bright morning, and she lifted her head from Hiccup's chest to find him still fast asleep. She was about to lie back down on him for a few more minutes of shut-eye when she suddenly remembered what day it was.
Snoggletog!
"Hiccup wake up!" she shouted excitedly into his ears while shaking his shoulders.
Hiccup shifted about sleepily and mumbled, "Five more minutes…" and pulled the covers over his face.
"But it's Snoggletog!" Astrid exclaimed, climbing on top of him and rolling her eyes at her husband's childlike behaviour. Hiccup said something incoherent beneath the blanket, and Astrid decided to switch gears.
Leaning down close to his ear she whispered, "Come on… wake up, we can open the gifts with the children, go to the Hall and give the speech and then you could give me the present I really want." She smirked as her husband's eyes flew wide open at the dirty implication. She quickly pecked his cheek before climbing off his lap and going to dress herself, leaving poor Hiccup in a bewildered state.
As he dressed, he walked towards his bed, where he saw his son, who was asleep silently, with his thumb between his lips. It brought him immense joy to see his newborn son, Nuffink. Zephyr walked in along with her mother dressed in her usual attire with her satchel hanging beside her hips.
"Close your eyes" Hiccup insisted. "Hiccup" Astid whined, but to no avail. He was putting on the whole show. She did as she was told and then heard shuffling as Hiccup shifted something heavy in front of her.
"Open them" He said excited for the big reveal.
When she opened her eyes she saw it, a crib. Painted in pristine white paint, it held intricate golden designs on its wooden frame. The interior held a mattress crafted from feathers and soft white furs, resembling clouds basking in the sunlight. A smile covered her lips as she glanced at her husband, showing Nuffink his new crib.
"I know it's more of a gift for Nuffink, but I thought you'd appreciate having him play in his crib instead of our bed," Hiccup shared, his hope evident in his eyes as he awaited his wife's reaction to the thoughtful present.
"Thank you" she whispered. "For making me this gift, and for always thinking what would be best for me."
Hiccup smiled at her before asking teasingly, "Now am I also gonna get something or not?"
Astrid's smile widened, and following Zephyr's heartfelt gesture of presenting hand-drawn cards to both her parents, Astrid gifted thoughtful gifts to both her husband and daughter.
After the exchange, she spoke, "Now that we have the gifts out of the way, let's head to the Great Hall for the celebrations and the speech!" Astrid said excitedly, tugging at her husband's hand, "And don't you dare start a snowball fight with me on the way" Astrid warned. Her husband just gave her an enigmatic wink, before running out onto the castle grounds while holding Zephyr's hand and yelling "No promises!"
The Snoggletog festivities were nothing short of spectacular, filled with dancing, laughter, occasional sparring, and the sharing of tales. Astrid found it continually surprising that everyone was still able to party after drinking barrels of mead for the past four hours. It never failed to shock her each year, including the fact that Hiccup, to her amazement, could endure the effects of mead for an extended period.
However, Astrid couldn't keep up with the celebrations, so she volunteered to take Zephyr and Nuffink to bed. Zephyr, already tired, drifted off easily. On the other hand, Nuffink proved a more challenging case, requiring a full hour of lullabies before falling asleep.
As she looked down at her son she let a few tears fall. She could count the number of times she had cried on one hand. She was a Viking while others would cry, she would just let rage consume her. Anger filled her so easily that every tree on Dragon's Edge was littered with marks from where she'd thrown her axe on the innocent trees in rage.
The first time she had cried was when she had learnt of her Uncle Finn's death.
The second time was when Hiccup had defeated the Red Death and she felt that she had lost her long-time crush to the flames of the Dragon Queen.
The third time was when she watched Bertha get a sword plunged into her chest, those minutes she felt her heart drop into her stomach and her limbs each felt like they were dead weight causing her to cry as she realised who had saved her.
The fourth time was when she had seen her husband almost die of an arrow wound.
The fifth time was when her daughter Zephyr was born. And the most reason was when she laid eyes on Nuffink for the first time.
There he was, perfect, gorgeous and safe in her arms. Feeling Hiccup's warm embrace from behind her only caused the droplets to fall faster down her cheeks. She looked up to her husband and then to the sleeping form of Zephyr beside her, nine years ago she wouldn't have imagined her life like this, but now, this was all she wanted.