Back where it all started
Alvin was still processing what he just heard, he just couldn't believe it
"A-Are you sure?" Alvin asked, still stunned
"I am… if you want, we can discuss it inside" Blake asked
"Alright, come in" Alvin said as he entered his house with Blake following him
"Huh, it looks just as last time I was here" Blake said as he looked around
"Yeah, you know most things around here don't change much" Alvin said "I was just about to eat dinner, you want some?"
"Just a little… I haven't eaten" Blake said
Alvin served some food for himself and for Blake, so they both started eating with an awkward silence until Blake broke it
"You know… I'm sorry for… not coming to visit in the last year" he said
"I understand, the last time we saw each other you still had a lot in your mind" Alvin said
There was another awkward silence for a few seconds since none of them was sure of what to say
"So… what was that about you recovering your memories?" Alvin asked
"It's a bit complicated… I basically had an accident that made me recovered my memories from here" Blake explained
"Just like that?" Alvin asked
"Basically… yes but it's not that easy… that accident also made me lost my memories of Berk… and I was planning to take over" Blake said as he rubbed the back of his head
"And you succeeded?" Alvin asked with interest, so Blake looked at him and raised and eyebrow "Just asking, don't think I'm planning to go back to my old ways"
"No, I didn't… Hiccup and Thunder were able to stop me before I hurt anyone and I still don't understand how but I also recovered my memories of Berk" Blake said
"Sounds like you really went through a lot" Alvin said "And let me guess, you remembered stuff you wish you shouldn't have"
"Not really… it's just that now I don't know what to do" Blake said
"What do you mean?" Alvin asked
"I feel like I'm ready to return here but I can't just disappear from Berk like that… not after what happened" Blake said "And I still have a lot to process"
"As much I'd like to have you back around here, even I know you'll have to face the consequences of what you did" Alvin said
"You talk for experience, don't you?" Blake asked
"Yeah, I do" Alvin chuckled before noticing Blake was feeling a bit down, so he tried to change the theme of the conversation "Son, I was wondering… how did you meet that Skrill of yours?"
"You really want to know? That's a long story" Blake said
"We have time" Alvin said "And it'll be a good way to catch up"
"If you say so" Blake said
Even though Blake could've made the story short of how he met Thunder, he decided to tell him all of it
Since the night when Hiccup shot Toothless down, to the fight they had with the Red Death, it was a story they both enjoyed, especially Alvin… he gladly listened to everything Blake had to say
"Who would've said it? You and your friend shot a Night Fury down and you finished fighting a dragon of the size of a mountain" Alvin laughed
"Sometimes even I wonder if that really happened" Blake said
"I'm surprised you managed to take care of yourself at Berk so well" Alvin said
"I had some help… Gobber became my adoptive father and after you disowned me, I even chose a last name for myself" Blake said
"You did? And what last name did you choose?" Alvin asked
"Karlsen… that's the last name I chose… don't ask why… it just felt right" Blake said
"I still can't believe I disowned you back then… I'm sorry, son" Alvin sighed sadly
"Seeing the new you it's enough for me, you don't have to be sorry" Blake said before looking down again
"Son, I've noticed how you're feeling. You're still thinking about what will you do when you return to Berk?" Alvin asked
"No… well, just a bit… but there's still something that bothers me" Blake said
"What is it?" Alvin asked
"I don't have amnesia anymore but… I still can't remember my mother… who is she?" Blake asked
Alvin was taken by surprised but he managed to remain calm with Blake's question
"I knew you'd ask sooner or later" Alvin asked "Tell me, do you remember something about your early childhood? Like when you were three or four years old?"
Blake thought for a moment before answering "Now that you mention it… I don't… but I guess that's normal in anyone, but what does that have to do with my mother?"
"I should probably tell you the whole story, it might also help you to understand other stuff" Alvin said
"Alright, I'll listen" Blake said before Alvin began to tell the story
A lot of years ago at Berk, a young Alvin was walking around the plaza with a young Stoick
"I'm telling you, Alvin, the best way to kill a dragon is going straight to its head" Stoick said
"You might be right, but I still rather going for its wings, so it can't escape" Alvin said
"One of these days you'll thank me, trust me" Stoick sighed, slightly annoyed
Then, Alvin saw someone leaving the forge with a new sword, so he blushed and looked away, but that didn't go unnoticed by Stoick
He looked at the forge and saw that a female Viking around their age was the one who left the forge
She had black eyes, a brown and straight hair and she also seemed to be a bit shorter than Alvin
"I see… you still haven't told her how you feel, have you?" Stoick asked
"I'm starting to doubt if it was a good idea to tell you how I feel for Eira" Alvin said
"Well, you said you need it to say it to someone, so you tell me" Stoick said "And who knows, maybe she feels the same way about you"
Alvin thought for a moment he saw Eira walking towards them
"Alvin, Stoick, I was just about to look for you" she said
"For us?" Alvin asked "Why?"
"You see, I just got this new sword and I was hoping that you could help me to try it" Eira said
"Sorry, but later I'll be busy, so I won't be able to help you but Alvin can" Stoick said
"Yeah, I totally can" Alvin said
"Thank you, Alvin, I'll see you later" Eira said before walking away
Stoick and Alvin saw her walk away but she was far enough, Alvin glared at Stoick
"Why did you do that? I know you're not busy" Alvin said
"You'll thank me later, now's your chance with her" Stoick said as he patted Alvin's back
Alvin could only sigh annoyedly
Later that day, Eira and Alvin were walking towards the arena
"Thank you for helping me try my new sword, Alvin" Eira said "The last time I tried to fight a dragon without trying my weapon before, it easily broke"
"Don't mention it, Eira… it's my pleasure" Alvin said as he rubbed the back of his head
They arrived at the arena and Alvin grabbed a sword, Eira already had hers, so she got ready to fight with Alvin
"Okay, are you ready?" Alvin asked
"I think I should be the one asking you that question" Eira said
Before Alvin could react, Eira attacked him and he could barely dodge her attacks
Even though Eira was faster than him, he was physically stronger, so the fight was even
They kept going for a while until the fight finished in a tie, so they decided to take a break and sit down outside of the arena to look at the sea
"Thanks for your help, Alvin" Eira said "Now I know my sword is perfect to fight a dragon"
"Yeah, and I know every dragon will fear you when they see you charging at them" Alvin laughed
Both of them enjoyed the view of the sea and unconsciously, Eira put her hand on top of Alvin's, making them both blush. However, before one of they could say something… they heard a roar
"Did you hear that?" Eira said as she and Alvin stood up
"I did… it sounded like a dragon" Alvin said
Both of them quickly saw a big number of dragons making their way to the village, but all of the dragons were Monstrous Nightmares
"Monstrous Nightmares… they're about to attack the village" Eira said
"We better return" Alvin said before he and Eira began to run back to the village
"Wait… a Monstrous Nightmare attack?" Blake interrupted "Isn't that the attack when you and Stoick… you know"
"Yeah… it is" Alvin said, not too happy with the memory
"And Eira… is she, my mother?" Blake asked
"She is… I confessed my feelings to her the day after the attack and she felt the same way about me" Alvin said
"So… you got married and I was actually born at Berk?" Blake asked
"No… we did get married with the years but after I was in bad terms with Stoick, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let everyone know about it, so we married in secret in the forest" Alvin explained
"I see… and… what happened to her after you got casted out?" Blake asked
"She voluntarily came with me, I tried to convince her not to do it but she didn't listen" Alvin asked "Ironically, that's one of the things I loved from her, no one could tell her what to do, even Stoick had some trouble dealing with her"
"Ha, I can imagine it" Blake said with a chuckle "So, what happened between you and her after you came here?"
"Things didn't start to go too well" Alvin said with a sad sigh "We still loved each other and had our moments… but we start to argue a lot and I still had to do my duties as chief of Outcast Island"
Blake started to get nervous, he knew his father and started to think in how that ended
"We never got to the point to hitting each other but the arguments were still really bad… until… one day… Eira told me something that changed everything" Alvin said with a small smile
"What did she tell you?" Blake asked before Alvin continued to tell the story
One night, Alvin returned to his home, where he lived with Eira and found her sitting near the fireplace
"Alvin, you are back" Eira said with a smile as she got up
"Yeah, I did" Alvin said slightly annoyed after the tough day he had
"I have something really important to tell you" Eira said as she walked towards Alvin but he ignored here and walked pass her
"Not now, I'm too tired" he said
"Are you really not going to listen to what I have to say?!" Eira said, starting to get mad
"I told you, not now!" Alvin said also starting to get mad
"ALVIN!" Eira yelled as she placer her hand on Alvin's shoulder
"WHAT?!" Alvin yelled as he turned around
"I'm pregnant" Eira said as she placed her hands on her belly
"What… what did you say?" Alvin asked, feeling stunned
"Alvin, I'm serious… I'm pregnant" Eira said as she grabbed Alvin's hands
"When did you find out? Why you didn't tell me?" Alvin asked
"I found out this afternoon… Alvin, please… we need to stop this… for our child" Eira said
Alvin could not believe it, his wife just told him that she's pregnant, he was already a chief but he didn't know if he was ready to be a father
"Alright… I'll try… for our future child" Alvin said
"Thank you" Eira said as she hugged Alvin who hugged her back
The arguments between them stopped. Of course, they still had disagreements but they tried to solve them as calmly as possible
As Eira's pregnancy started to get noticed, Alvin became more protective of her and like so, their love started to grow once again
For eight months, the things between them were like they used to be, no more conflicts and no more arguments
Unfortunately, when Eira was close to give birth, the resources of the island like food and water started to run out, so Alvin was forced to leave and search for more with a small group of Outcasts
Before they left, Eira went to see Alvin and the dock
"Please stay safe, Alvin… I don't want our child to grow up without a father" Eira said
"Don't worry, I'll be back… I promise" Alvin said before kissing Eira on the lips
Two weeks later, Alvin and the Outcasts returned to the island, the first thing Alvin did was going to his home to see his wife, who was waiting for him outside
"Alvin, I'm so relief you're back" Eira said before kissing Alvin
"I'm glad I did, it wasn't easy but we got the resources we needed" Alvin said
"Come in, I have something to show you" Eira said, leading Alvin inside the house
Alvin was a bit confused but he quickly noticed that Eira's belly was back to normal… and that could only mean one thing
Eira led Alvin into a room that only had a crib, so Alvin got closer to it and saw a baby with brown hair asleep
"Is… is this…" Alvin struggled, he was completely shocked
"Yes, Alvin… this is our son" Eira said as Alvin gently carried the baby to avoid waking him up
"Have you named him yet?" Alvin asked
"No, I haven't… I chose to wait for your return so we could name him together" Eira said
"Thank you for waiting for me" Alvin said before looking at the baby "What if we name him… Fenrir?"
"Fenrir? Like Loki's son?" Eira asked "Alvin, as long as I'm alive I'm not going to let you name our son as 'Fenrir'"
"Alright, alright… how about… Gunnar?" Alvin said
"Alvin, please!" Eira said
"What? that's a good name" Alvin said "This is my son and he's going to be the strongest Viking in the world"
"Alvin, I want our son's name to be simple, not something intimidating we don't know what he'll be like in the future" Eira said
"Well, you have an idea for our son's name?" Alvin asked
"How about… Blake?" Eira suggested
"Blake? Just like that?" Alvin asked
"I like it… it's simple" Eira said
"Blake?" Alvin repeated, not sure if it was a good idea but he heard some giggles
Alvin and Eira realized that the baby woke up and was looking at Alvin
"He seems to like it" Eira said with a chuckle
"Blake" Alvin repeated once again, so the baby laughed again "Alright, Blake it is"
Alvin gently placed the baby now named as Blake back in the crib to let him sleep, since it was already night
The next morning, Eira and Alvin were walking through the shore of the island while Eira carried Blake, who was looking around curiously
"What is it, Blake? Are you interested about your surroundings?" Eira asked gently "Don't worry, this might not be the safest island, but as long as your father and I are here, nothing bad will happen to you"
Then, Eira walked towards Alvin to let him carry Blake
"You should also carry him, Alvin, talk to him… let him know you" Eira said
"I don't think that's a good idea" Alvin said
"Ha, Alvin the Treacherous, scared of his own son… who would've said it?" Eira asked with a small laugh
"I'm not scared of my son… it's just that I'm not sure of what to say" Alvin said
"It doesn't matter what you say, just let him hear you and get used to your voice" Eira said, so Alvin carried Blake, but he was still not sure of what to say and struggled to find the right words
"Uh… Hi, son" Alvin said, so Blake giggled "I… I'm your father"
Blake only looked at him with curiosity, so Alvin began to struggle even more with his words
"And… well… I… uh" Alvin struggled until Eira grabbed Blake
"Seriously, Alvin? That's all you can say?" she said as she raised an eyebrow, feeling slightly disappointed
"I guess so" Alvin said as he rubbed the back of his head
"I cannot believe you" Eira sighed as she began to walk back to their home, not before giving a glare to her husband that said "You're sleeping outside tonight"
"Guess I deserve it" Alvin muttered for himself
Luckily for Alvin, as Blake grew and learned to talk, he didn't struggle to talk with his son anymore
As for Blake, even though he was growing in an island full of dangers he was still a happy and energetic child
One night, when Blake was already four years old, Alvin returned home with a gift for him
"Father, you are back!" Blake said happily as soon as he saw Alvin and climbed on his back "I missed you, I didn't have the chance to see you around the island"
"I know, I had a lot to do today… but I brought you something" Alvin said
"You did? What is it?" Blake asked curiously, so Alvin pulled out a small wooden sword
"It's this wooden sword, you said you wanted to become a warrior when you grow up, so I thought you'd like it" Alvin said as he gave Blake the sword
"It's perfect, thank you!" Blake said happily as he hugged Alvin
"Alright, Blake, that's enough, leave your father alone" Eira said as she walked towards them, so Blake jumped off Alvin's back
"Sorry… I just got a bit excited" Blake apologized
"Don't worry, son, I'm just glad to see you're happy with your gift" Alvin said
Suddenly, they heard a roar which mean that the dragons were about to attack the Outcast village
"The dragons again, it's the second time this week" Alvin said angrily
"You go, I'll stay with our son" Eira said, so Alvin nodded and left
Blake was obviously scared, so he hugged his mother
"Don't worry, son… we'll be fine" Eira said
Meanwhile with Alvin, he was doing his best to fight off the dragons with his men, it all seemed to go fine until Alvin heard a scream
He looked where the scream came and saw Blake trying to escape from a Monstrous Nightmare
Alvin got really mad and ran to protect his son and luckily, he arrived just in time to protect Blake from a fire blast from the Monstrous Nightmare
When Alvin managed to scare the Monstrous Nightmare off, he looked at Blake
"Son, what are you doing here? Where's your mother? Why aren't you with her?" Alvin asked
"I… I was with her… but… some dragons entered our home… and she told me to run" Blake said still in shock
Alvin didn't waste a second, he carried Blake on his back and ran back to his house, hoping that his wife was safe
Eira was a strong woman, but even she would have troubles to fight more than one dragon at once
When they arrived, they say their house with some damage, the dragons already left, so Alvin had the opportunity to look for Eira
And he did manage to find her… but not in the best conditions… she was gravely wounded but she was still alive. However, when Alvin took her to a healer… it was already too late, Eira passed away that same night thanks to her wounds
Alvin was devastated, the woman who was there for him and loved him was gone
To make things worse for Alvin, Blake saw everything… at first, Alvin thought that Blake was too young to understand but with time he noticed how his son's behavior started to change
He started to act more distant and he wasn't as enthusiast as he used to be, he seemed to be either angry or sad all the time and Alvin also noticed how Blake had some bruises
A month later, Alvin arrived home earlier than usual and didn't see Blake, so he looked for him in his room and found him practicing how to use a sword on a dummy, he was also using the wooden sword Alvin gave him
Of course, Blake was pretty bad and he even hit himself with his wooden sword and fell a few times, that's why he had some bruises
"What are you doing, Blake?" Alvin asked with a serious tone as he crossed his arms
"I… I was just… uh" Blake hesitated, not sure of what to say
"You should be asleep now" Alvin said
Blake didn't say anything, he just looked to the floor
"I'll go lit the fireplace and return to check on you, and when I do, you'll better be asleep" Alvin said before walking away to lit the fireplace like he said
When he returned to check on Blake, he found him on his bed asleep, so Alvin closed the door to let him sleep
Alvin sat near the fireplace to think, he just saw his son trying to learn how to use a sword on his own
Even though Blake's movements were clumsy and imprecise, Alvin could see potential in him as well as he was able to see the anger in his eyes
Alvin couldn't help but to smile to himself evilly
"So that's when you started to train me" Blake interrupted
"Indeed... I don't think I need to tell you what happen next" Alvin said
"That's the reason of why I acted so coldly?" Blake asked
"I think so, seeing your mother die must have really affected you back then" Alvin said
"It all makes sense now… at least I'm happy to know all of that now… to know something about my mother" Blake sighed, so Thunder nudged him to comfort him
"Are you okay, son?" Alvin asked
"I am… I just need to think" Blake said as he stood up "Anyway… I should probably leave now… I don't want to bother you"
"Actually, it's late now, you should stay for the night" Alvin said as he also stood up "You can stay in your old room"
"Thanks, father" Blake said as he looked at Alvin
Two hours later, Alvin left his room and walked towards Blake's, when he was about to open the door, he heard a growl
It was Thunder who was lying on the floor near the fireplace, he had to sleep in there since Blake's room at Outcast Island was smaller than his room at Berk and couldn't fit
Also, Thunder still didn't fully trust Alvin and tried to protect his rider
"Don't look at me like that, dragon" Alvin said angrily "I'm just trying to look after my son"
Alvin opened Blake's room and found him sitting at the edge of his bed
"Son, are you alright?" Alvin asked as he entered
"I can't sleep… there's a lot in my mind right now" Blake said with a sigh
"I know how it feels" Alvin said as he sat next to his son "You're thinking about your mother, aren't you?"
"Yeah… I wonder how things could've been if she hadn't… you know" Blake said
"Sometimes I wonder that too, son" Alvin said
"I'm sorry" Blake said
"For what?" Alvin asked, rising an eyebrow
"The day to suddenly arrived at Berk to help us with Dagur… I told you that if my mother saw you back then, she'd be really disappointed in you… now that you told me what happened with her… I can't help but to feel ashamed of myself" Blake said
"Don't worry, son, back then you had a lot of reasons to be mad at me, besides… once I told you that you weren't my son, so we're even" Alvin said as he placed a hand on Blake's shoulder
"Well… I think I should try to sleep" Blake said with a yawn "It's embarrassing to say this but… could you stay until I feel asleep?"
"Don't worry, son, I'll stay" Alvin said as Blake lied down
"Thank you" Blake said as he closed his eyes, it didn't take him long to fall asleep. In fact, it just took him a minute
Alvin as quietly as he could, he left the room and closed the door, allowing his son to have a deserved peaceful sleep
A/n: Hi, I'm back with another chapter, it took me longer than I expected but I managed to do it
I just want to say that the next chapter will be the last one, and then I will continue with Race to the edge
See you on the next chapter