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Chapter Text

The thunder and lightning crashed and echoed through the cloud-filled sky, the sound waves causing the whole island to tremble.

“Damn, who pissed off Thor tonight?” Came the voice of Nuffink Haddock, a boy of 15, and the youngest of Chief Hiccup and Astrid Haddock. He and his family were seated together in the main living room, a fire blazing in the hearth, illuminating the room around.

“Who knows.” Replied his older sister, Zephyr Haddock, a young woman of 18.

This storm wasn’t the first of the spring season but was certainly the most intense so far. Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, couldn’t recall the last time the island had experienced such an intense storm before. He was already anticipating the severe storm damage that was to follow in the morning. Downed trees, damaged houses, water damage on the docks, and even potential sunken ships. And an occasional lightning strike. It was going to be rough.

He quietly uttered a prayer of safe travels for any poor soul who was out at sea tonight. A prayer that they would be spared from Thor’s wrath tonight.

His beloved wife, Astrid Hofferson Haddock, caught the distressed expression on her husband’s face.

“Hiccup?” She said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He quickly glanced at her and mustered a smile.

“I’m fine,” he assured, “I just know that this storm is going to be really rough on the sailors tonight.”

His concern was understandable. In the years following the end of the war with dragons and dragon hunters, more traders had migrated north into the archipelago, seeking to expand borders. Chieftains from other tribes to the south and East also began to expand their horizons, coming across New Berk. But Hiccup knew the seas of the archipelago were harsh and unforgiving for an inexperienced sailor, especially during the winter and summer months when the sharp cold, or unpredictable currents could ruin any trip on short notice.

New Berk was no stranger to the occasional poor soul who either washed up on the towering island’s small beaches or appeared in a barely-floating ship at the docks after a rough storm.

And Hiccup was already preparing for the worst, but as always, hoping for the best.

With the storm raging on, the Haddock family eventually retired to bed, anticipating the survey of storm damage in the morning.
***

A gentle breeze blew the light curtains away from the window above Hiccup and Astrid’s bed, allowing the sun to bathe the bedroom in a comforting warm yellow light.

With a groan, Hiccup sat up and stretched his shoulders. With a quick glance down, Astrid was still asleep next to him. Seeing his lovely wife still ever so beautifully asleep, a soft smile crossed his face. He bent down and pressed a loving kiss to her forehead, and then crawled out of bed to dress for the day.

After eating breakfast, Zephyr and Nuffink soon woke and joined their father downstairs. Before heading to bed last night, they had both offered to help out with the storm cleanup in the morning. It was good for both of them to help their village, especially for Zephyr, since she was next in line for Berk’s throne, and she took every opportunity to shadow her father during his duties.

The three then exited the house and were greeted by an absolute disaster in the village. Men and women were already up and surveying the storm damage on their homes and farms. Many homes were missing shingles, branches were strewn everywhere, and some areas had massive puddles that were more like small ponds with all the rain.

So far… it wasn’t as bad as Hiccup anticipated, but this was just the village from outside his own home. They still had the rest of the village to scout.

He decided to send his two children off by themselves to cover more area faster.

Upon Zephyr and Nuffink leaving his side, Hiccup went to go find his longtime friends and discuss with them.

He found Ruffnut, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Minden in a group together; Snotlout and Minden with tools at the ready and already beginning repairs.

Fishlegs spotted the chief first, waving him over.

“Fishlegs! How bad?”

“Not as bad for us, but I did overhear that homes near the docks might’ve gotten the worst damage.”

“What about the docks?”

“Eret is already out that way.”

Meanwhile, Zephyr and Nuffink were making their way near the quieter side of the village; fewer homes and farms, and more forest in these parts. While Nuffink doubted there would be much here to look for, Zephyr insisted they at least check it out just to make sure. On occasion, someone would wash up on the shores in this area, though it was rare. But even still, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

This part of New Berk had naturally forming terraces down towards the sea. Steep, moss-covered cliffs and narrow beaches of brown sand. There were towering pines perched precariously on the edges of the cliff edges, their weight slowly pulling them down towards the ground or sea.

So far, Zephyr didn’t initially see anything. It was still breezy, but nothing like the wind gusts of last night. The sun reflected intensely off the surface of the sea, slightly blinding the redhead as she shielded her eyes. When her sight adjusted, something blew in her face. Sputtering, she pulled it away, surprised to see that it was a tattered piece of cloth. But the cloth texture was unfamiliar, more plantlike. It was not linen, silk, or wool. On one corner she saw a partial design drawn in red ink.

“What is that?” Nuffink questioned, leaning over his sister’s shoulder to inspect it.

“I have no idea.” Zephyr scanned the terraced beaches below, and to her left, something caught her eye. It looked like the top of a mast, with a torn mainsail. Immediately, oh shit-

Alarmed, she carefully scampered down the steep slope, calling her brother to follow.

As she got closer, her sight confirmed that it was a beached ship. But its design was entirely unfamiliar. Though due to the damage, she couldn’t determine any distinct features. The mainsail whipped about in the breeze, and both Haddock siblings could see the damage. It was absolutely shredded, its edges tattered, and what looked like the burn spot of a lightning strike was in the dead center, which could have been a cause of the ship to possibly go off its course.

Zephyr observed the designs of the mainsail that she could make out. What looked to be painted figures, a sun, maybe birds? All painted with natural ink. With the sun shining through, she could make out the craftsmanship, it was hand-woven of what she could guess were plant fibers.

She then began to scan for survivors. Though she was anxious to find a possible corpse instead of a person, one could only hope for the best.

After pushing aside, scattered debris and fragments of wood, she saw something.

A figure, facing away from her. She spied dark skin, black hair, and red clothing. On the bare skin were intricate tattoos of unfamiliar design and origin. \

Whoever this was… they were not from here.

“Are they breathing?” Nuffink whispered. Zephyr nodded. They were alive.

Chapter Text

A perfect breeze in the sail, the current and waves were steady, and the sun was shining brilliantly overhead, with only a few sparse clouds to shield me from the intense rays of light.

Behind me, the hazy silhouette of Motunui, my home, slowly faded over the edge of the sea. Home was behind me, and the horizon was ahead.

For the first time, I was leading my own crew on a voyage on my own. I grew up waiting for this moment; my beloved mother, Moana, teaching me everything I needed to know. She taught me the signs of the sky, the sea, and everything in between.

And though this was my first independent voyage, it was only intended to be temporary. I was only going to be gone for about six months, with my main intention of finding the long-abandoned former home of my father and aunt. Decades ago, long before my parents even met, my father, aunt, and late grandmother were forced to leave their island alongside the rest of their village in a mass exodus. It led to my father and aunt being separated, and subsequently, my grandmother died of a broken heart in an unfamiliar village.

Ever since then, the island lay abandoned, and Mother Nature allowed to reclaim the remnants of the village. My father and aunt never journeyed back, due to painful memories.

But now, I felt the responsibility of finding that island and getting in touch with that part of my history. My father and aunt didn’t have much to share about their childhood outside of the death of my grandfather after my father was born, and then the exodus of their village. So family history was very much mysterious.

So my father’s former island was my first intended stop. After that, I would visit other villages which my mother had forged connections with. Being the eldest daughter of the chief, it was an additional responsibility of mine to maintain positive relations with other chieftains and their families.

And while I was out here, finding my own path, my little sister, Aihe, had stepped into the role I’d willingly let go. She was next to become Chief.

I was 18 upon leaving Motunui on my own, and my sister was 14; four years younger than me. So for right now, she wouldn’t be immediately stepping into an overwhelming leadership role.

Now, with so much behind me, I had even more ahead.

***

My senses suddenly surged through my body as I opened my eyes.

Looking directly up, the sky was sort of cloudy, with sun peeking through gray clouds. Swallowing, I slowly sat up, painfully becoming aware of the soreness in my shoulders and thighs. I shook my head, feeling slightly light-headed.

As I refocused my sight and hearing, I heard what sounded like someone talking, a feminine-sounding voice... Blinking, I looked around in confusion. Before I could stand, when I turned my head to my left, I was startled upon seeing a pale face, dashed with freckles across her cheeks, brilliant sky blue eyes, and fiery red hair tied in twin braids.

She seemed equally surprised to see me staring at her.

I immediately became aware of how differently she was dressed; with most of her body completely covered, save for her bare arms. And then I realized how… cold it was. I began to shiver, my teeth chattering together as soon as I became aware of just how chilled I was. The last time I could ever faintly remember being cold was swimming in the ocean in the early morning before the sun rose back home, and that was rare for the water to be that cold.

It was a different kind of cold, though. Breezier, I suppose.

I looked around as I took in my surroundings. A towering cliff of rock and soil covered in moss behind me, and a brown beach beneath me. Wait…

I leaped to my feet instantly. My crew! I had not heard a sound from them. I frantically began calling out their names, ignoring the sharp rocks beneath my feet and the chilling breeze tearing through my hair.

I scrambled through what was left of my canoe. It was completely wrecked, having been violently smashed into the rock. It was frankly a miracle I was even alive. Tears streaming down my face, the fear of being lost without my crew settled into the pit of my stomach.

I weakly turned to face the ocean. The vast expanse of it just felt… so different. It was not the ocean I knew. This was a colder, more violent ocean. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around my torso, rubbing my arms. I… I didn’t know what to do.

Looking around, I noticed that the red-haired girl had a fair-haired boy with her, with green eyes instead of blue. They had the same nose, and I had a good reason to believe they were related; siblings perhaps? The girl watched me with concern in her eyes. She hesitantly approached me, holding out her hand. She said something that I couldn’t understand, but I had the feeling she wanted to help.

With one last glance at the wreckage of my canoe, I begrudgingly took her hand, joining the fair-haired boys’ side. He removed the extra layer of clothing he wore and draped it around my shoulders. They said something to each other as they helped me up a path through the terraced cliffside. I assumed they were leading me to their village.

I did my best to keep my panic hidden. But I was shivering, and being scared didn’t help. I didn’t know these people, I couldn’t understand them, and I was obviously nowhere familiar. I had been prepared to meet different villages to help build relations and trade routes. But that would have been with people that looked like me, and whom I could talk to.

Here, I had no idea where to start.

Oh, gods… would I have to start over? Just like dad when mom first brought him to Motunui. He and my aunt Huihana had to start over completely, which, to be fair, did lead to mom and dad marrying and having me and Aihe.

As the girl and boy walked with me, I looked around at the village. Houses made of wood, brilliantly painted and decorated with intricate carvings, even on the smallest of homes, or sheds. The craftsmanship was truly remarkable. I noted the carvings were of fearsome creatures with wings and large, pointy teeth. Oh, Te Fiti…

I noticed various villagers abruptly stop doing their daily tasks just to stare at me. Both large men and women, some wearing shiny armor on their shoulders or chests. The bare skin shown was mainly the arms, and the same could be said for all the children running about. And everyone had various shades of hair and eye colors. Everyone looked… different.

It was mildly fascinating But it was still startling. I didn’t know what to make of it.

We walked through a bare patch of grass, and I was pleasantly surprised by how soft and fresh it felt under my feet. Better than that beach, for sure. Soon, we made it down a dirt path up to a much grander house compared to the rest of the village.

I didn’t need much to tell me this was the chief’s house. Though I was a little surprised by how easily they just went inside. Unless…

I heard their names called out by someone else within the house.

Zephyr… and Nuffink? I think. I couldn’t quite tell, but I’m confident that those were their names. I heard someone come down the creaky wooden stairs, and upon turning to see who it was, I saw two women descend the stairs to the first floor. One woman had the same blonde hair as the boy… Nuffink, but she had the same blue eyes as Zephyr. The other woman was older with brown hair and bluish-green eyes.

They greeted Zephyr and Nuffink with smiles on their faces. And then the attention was turned on me, and I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. The girl, Zephyr, came to my side, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder as she began to speak. Based on her body language, I assumed she was telling the women about me. As I studied the blonde woman’s features, I concluded she must be the mother. And based on her clothing, the detailing, and seemingly nicer fabrics, she could be the chieftess? Or the wife of the chief? I couldn’t tell. I did admire the band wrapped around her head, which Zephyr wore as well.

They spoke to each other about something else before the mother gestured for her kids to follow her. Upon that instruction, Zephyr gestured for me to follow as well, her hand hovering over my back.

I was led to the main room of the house. There was a massive pot in the fireplace, and whatever was being cooked, actually smelled quite good. Pork? I think, based on the smell.

Then, I was given a seat and a fresh blanket. I made sure to cover my entire body, toes included. It felt relieving to be wrapped up in something warm. But yet, I still felt uncomfortable not knowing what was happening, and what these people were going to do.

Despite fighting it off, my eyelids fell heavy from stress and exhaustion. I couldn’t fight off sleep for much longer, and soon I finally closed my eyes.

***

I don’t remember what I woke up to, but upon opening my eyes, I realized I was in a bed. Covered with furs and other blankets. I was still in my regular clothes, but I noticed a short blue dress laid out on the end of the bed. I looked out the window above me and saw that it was twilight. The stars were just starting to emerge from the inky blue of the sky. And I could hear the sounds of the village settling in.

I slid out of bed and picked up the short dress. I then noticed leggings, socks, and boots for me as well.

I was touched. This family hardly knew me and they were so incredibly generous when they didn’t have to be, I was a perfect stranger to them. I put on the clothes given and was surprised at how comfortable they were.

After properly dressing, I made my way downstairs, recalling the layout of the house from before, and made my way to the main living area. I saw the women with Zephyr and Nuffink from before, and now there were two new men there. A tall man with brown hair and a beard, and the same green eyes as Nuffink. Based on his attire, I was confident that he was the chief, and I immediately noticed the missing leg. And next to him, was a very large man missing a leg as well, a hand, and had a very long braided mustache.

The bearded man looked over at the blonde woman with a look on his face, and I overheard her talking to him, assuming she was explaining. Zephyr joined in.

The older brunette woman came to my side and led me to sit down. I could see the look in her eyes, and something told me she understood my awkwardness and validated how uncomfortable everything was right now.

The next few hours consisted of myself and this family attempting to communicate with each other. I found the only way that was easiest to explain was to draw out what I could. I was offered a sheet of parchment and ink. I immediately began to draw little doodles that would be easy to understand. With each doodle I made, I listened to them talking to each other as they deciphered what I was saying.

Zephyr went a step further to explain their words for the drawings and descriptions of objects and words I offered. I soon began piecing together their language. Eventually, I learned the names of the family.

Hiccup, the brown-haired man. He was the chief.

Astrid, the blonde. His wife.

Zephyr and Nuffink; Hiccup and Astrid’s kids.

Valka, Hiccup’s mother.

And Gobber, a family friend.

I don’t remember how long I spent learning Norse and adjusting to their world, but I know it took months. I finally started figuring things out, and on occasion, Hiccup and Zephyr would take me around the village to help me practice speaking to people.

Hiccup introduced me to his closest friends, and they were all very curious about me since apparently, Hiccup hadn’t told them much about me.

“She’s not from here, though I know you figured that.”

“I came from south. Much warmer there.” I explained in broken Norse, to the best of my ability. I was still insecure about my pronunciation of some words.

Over the next few months, things slowly began to improve. Even though I was happy it was all working out, I still felt like I didn’t fit in. I didn’t feel at home. And I didn’t know what it would take for that feeling to settle in.

Chapter Text

A few months following my arrival in New Berk, the weather suddenly took a downhill turn. It was already cold as hell to begin with, and now the temperature dropped even more. I soon began seeing white flakes fall from a chilled gray sky.

“Zephyr? What’s this… white stuff?” I inquired one afternoon, holding my hand out, allowing a few flakes to land on my hand. Upon impact on my skin, the white flakes melted, turning into water droplets.

“The white stuff? You mean snow?” She quizzed, raising a brow. I turned to her, still entranced by the white flakes landing on me and melting away.

“You’ve never seen snow before?” I wordlessly shook my head.

“I come from islands that are warm year round. We only get rain.” I explained.

“Oh, right, well, yeah. It’s snow. It’s frozen rain. We get tons of it every winter. And! The best part is Snoggletog.” I stared at her in response to that last word she spoke. Snog-... what?

“Snuggle-? Snuggletog?” I attempted to repeat.

“Snoggletog!” She corrected with a grin.

“You’ve lost me. What the hell is that?” With a snort, she patiently explained it was a holiday that Berkians celebrate every winter season. Filled with food, dancing, singing, fires, and all sorts of decorations. Oh.

The concept of celebrations was obviously not lost on me, however, the name of this holiday was… bizarre. Who in the world chose such a strange name?

As Zephyr continued rambling about New Berk’s different holidays, my ears caught the sound of someone calling our names. Turning, I beamed to see Ana and Dustin. The healer waved to us as she and her son approached us.

“Hello, you two! Enjoy the balmy weather?” Ana joked.

“Oh yeah! Good breeze coming in from the south.” Zephyr replied with a grin.

“So what’re you guys talking about?” Dustin inquired.

“I was explaining Snoggletog to Laeli.” I must’ve made some weird face at hearing the word “Snoggletog”, as Ana and Dustin snickered.

“Ah, an expected reaction.” Ana mused.

“Well, I was actually remarking about the… what's the word. Snow? Snow, falling.” I explained.

“I ought to remind you that you should start bundling up more. The weather is only going to get colder, and it’s going to last a long time.” I grimaced as I felt another shiver run down my spine; even under my long sleeves, my skin erupted in little bumps, the fine hair sticking up.

“That sounds ominous…”

“I’d recommend taking the advice. I’m worried that you won’t take the weather change too well. Especially since you’re used to warmer weather.” Dustin chimed in.

“What… else comes with winter weather?” I hesitantly asked. They made this sound all so terrible. Did winter suck that badly?

“Sleet, hail… lots and lots of ice.” Zephyr began, listing them off with her fingers, “oh yeah, blizzards. Polar nights.”

“Wait, polar nights?”

“It begins around this time of year. The sun barely comes above the horizon and doesn’t stay for long. It’s dark outside for months.”

“Oh, gods.” I cringed.

“It’s going to take some time for you to adjust, but we’ll help you through it.” Ana assured.

“Comforting.”

***

One morning I woke up and it felt like I’d been pushed deep underwater. My ears felt full and my nose was suddenly extremely runny. And my body felt… weird. I couldn’t find the words to explain it.

Clearing my throat as I pulled myself out of bed, I found a spare rag and blew my nose, feeling the rag become wet. I quickly glanced down only for several drops of blood to fall into the already blood-stained rag.

Shit.

I’d only had bloody noses a few times prior, not from the weather, though. The first time was when I tripped and fell face-first into some lava rock, scraping my face up and messing up my nose, it wouldn’t stop bleeding for hours. Mom and dad were understandably freaked out, especially mom, which came as a surprise since she rarely freaked out over injuries.

The second occasion was when I was sparring with my older cousin, Rua, and he socked me in the nose by accident.

Fun times.

By now I’d only been on New Berk for a few months, so I was still currently in the Haddock’s residence as they were in the process of building me my own place.

I’d been given my own bed next to Zephyr’s, who “shared” a room with Nuffink; a room divided by a wall with a blanket as a door.

As I attempted to wash the dried blood off my hands, it was useless as I couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. Zephyr was already out of bed, but since the blanket hadn’t been pushed aside, I could reasonably assume Nuffink was still asleep.

Finding another rag, and pinching my nose as tightly as possible, I pushed the blanket “door” aside, standing in the doorway to Nuffink’s side. He stirred at the sound and wearily turned over.

“Wuh-” He groaned. Running his hand through his mop of blond hair, he peeled his eyes open to stare at me. Once he processed I was there, his eyes widened.

“Oh shit… Laeli, you okay?” I wordlessly gestured to the rag I held to my face. He bolted out of bed, pulled on his boots, and rushed me downstairs and out the door to Ana’s before I could get a word out. I only had a short time to glance around at all the holiday decorations being put up in time for Snoggletog.

“Ana!” He called out, bursting through the door, startling the healer.

“Odin’s Beard!” She shrieked, “Nuffink! Would you learn to knock for once!”

“Sorry! I had to come, though. Laeli’s nose won’t stop bleeding!” I groaned, shoving him away.

“Nuffink! For Te Fiti’s sake, it’s just a nosebleed!”

“Alright, alright. Take it easy, Nuffink, she’ll be fine. Just head on home.” Once she shooed him out of the house, I sighed in exasperation, then coughed.

“It’s not like I’m bleeding out…” I complained. With a slight chuckle, Ana replaced the rag I had, giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“He means well. Just, a bit overbearing at times. Like his father.” I glanced up momentarily, but opted to not question right now.

After a few more minutes, I finally felt the flow of blood come to a stop. I wiped the dried blood from my nose and washed my face.

“Feeling better?”

“My nose, yeah. But I woke up feeling like shit.”

“In what way?” I half-frowned, trying to find the words to explain what I was feeling.

“I dunno… like, like I was pushed underwater? My ears feel full. And this part of my face feels full, too.” I explained, pointing to the spot where my nose bridge met the gap between my brows. When Ana stepped forward to take a look, I began coughing. And it was a gross cough; like something was stuck in my chest.

“Ugh… ew.” I groaned. Ana watched me closely, then pressed the back of her hand against my forehead.

“Uh, what’re you doing?” I questioned. She didn’t say anything as she then felt my cheeks.

“How does the rest of your body feel?”

“Huh? Uh… I don’t know… warm? But, cold?” Her eyes widened ever so slightly. “What?”

“I’m not sure, quite yet. You do feel a little warm.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your body has never felt like this before?” I shook my head.

“Not that I can recall.”

“Well, I think you might have caught a cold.” Huh? A cold? How do you catch cold? Upon realizing I didn’t quite understand what was going on, she quickly explained it was an illness that many tended to endure during the colder months. And those that became ill had the same symptoms I had. So I was sick?

“So… I’m, sick? I have a cold?”

“I’m 100% certain. Luckily, I have a few remedies that will help with the discomfort. Hopefully, it won’t get worse.”

“That sounds foreboding.”

“Just take it easy for now. You know you’re welcome to come by if you feel worse.” She offered me some remedies to take back to the house, and after a quick hug, I was on my way.

Chapter Text

Man, fuck winter.

Not even a day or two after I visited Ana for my nosebleed, everything got worse. I woke up violently coughing, my gag reflex triggered by phlegm forcing its way up my throat.

Swearing in my native tongue under my breath, I desperately tried to control my coughing by drinking some water, but it did little to help. Astrid came bounding up the stairs when she heard my distress, and she felt my forehead the same way Ana did.

“Laeli, you’re burning up!” She exclaimed, blue eyes wide.

“What…?” I mumbled in reply, suddenly feeling woozy. She threw on a thick wool blanket around my shoulders and just like Nuffink had earlier in the week, she rushed me off to Ana’s house. Knocking first and then bursting in, Ana didn’t even need to be told what was going on.

“Frigg’s grace, Laeli!” She helped me to a bed, cold washcloth in hand.

Nearly as soon as I sat down, I then felt nauseous. Seeing the expression, Ana told Astrid to get me a bucket. And I embarrassingly emptied my stomach.

Once I felt some relief, Ana tucked me into the bed, wrapped up in warm blankets with a cold cloth on my forehead. She then went off to the side to exchange some words with Astrid, both shooting me concerned glances during their conversation. I don’t know what was said, but I knew it was about me.

Even though I’d been up for maybe less than two hours, I had fallen asleep once more.

***

I woke up to the sound of footsteps approaching the bed. I had no idea what time of day it was, and I briefly forgot where I was.

“...Talofa…?” I mumbled, my eyes slowly fluttering open.

“Well hey there.” Came Dustin’s voice. I stiffly turned onto my back, my joints aching terribly. Squeezing my eyes shut and breathing intensely at the discomfort, I felt my stomach clench in an unpleasant way.

“Hey, easy easy.” He comforted, “mom gave me the lowdown. We both think you’ve got the flu.” I could hear him speaking, but I wasn’t really processing his words. Realizing I wasn’t listening, he stopped talking and continued taking care of me for the time being.

Maybe a few days after I became ill, Snoggletog rolled around. I could hear the festivities outside, along with the sounds of dragons arriving. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see such creatures. I was too overwhelmed and far too miserable to leave my bed.

Ana and Dustin even offered to keep me company for the festivities, but I insisted they go and celebrate with their friends and family. I didn’t mind.

“Are you sure? You could get to see Snoggletog and meet the dragons!” I flinched at the idea and turned down their offer again.

Conceding, Ana got me a few more blankets and made sure the hearth was keeping some pork stew warm.

Once they left, I got myself a small bowl and ate in front of the fire for a little while. After that, I changed and washed my hair, then snuggled into bed, cocooning myself in the warm wool and fur blankets, eventually nodding off.

***

Hours later, I stirred at the sound of the front door opening and hushed voices. Ana and Dustin were home.

“It was great seeing all the dragons, especially Dusk. I know you missed him, mom.” I overheard Dustin's comment.
“I have, very much. My boy looks wonderful.”

Dustin continued rambling about the visiting dragons, and I could tell both he and his mother had enjoyed every bit of the visit. I heard Ana mention something to him before she made her way toward my bed.

As she approached the bed, I rolled onto my back and blinked, allowing my vision to refocus. I smiled upon seeing Ana’s beaming face, but then I raised an eyebrow at a little figure on her shoulders.

“Laeli, how’re you feeling?” She gently asked. I just shrugged, not having much energy to speak. She then put her hand on my forehead, and she nodded approvingly, “your fever’s dropped considerably! That’s excellent. Did you already have food?” I nodded, sitting up slowly.

My gaze shifted to the little blue reptile on her shoulders, and I jumped.

“Maui…?” I choked out. It couldn’t be… I reached out my hand to touch him, only for the lizard to hiss slightly, and I snatched my hand back.

“Thundersong! That’s not nice, she’s a guest.” Ana scolded.

“W-wha- Thunder… Thundersong?” I repeated in disappointment and confusion.

“I’m sorry honey, this is my Terrible Terror, Thundersong. He’s been a companion of mine for years. I figured I’d introduce you to him before you eventually meet the other dragons.” She explained. I could tell she felt bad that she didn’t have Maui with her. But it wasn’t her fault.

The little Terrible Terror scampered down Ana’s arm onto the bed, and I got a good look at him. He didn’t have the same coloration as Maui’s usual lizard form, instead having rich blue scales covering most of his body, with dark brown/black on the edges of his wings. Thundersong’s wings fluttered as he stared at me with large beady yellow eyes. Hesitantly, I held my hand out again for him, attempting to show I wasn’t a threat.

He purred as he pressed his head against the palm of my hand, and I couldn’t help but crack a smile at the feeling of his scales and little horns.

“He’s beautiful…” I gushed, chuckling sadly as he curled up on my lap next to my stomach.

“Awww, he likes you!” Dustin congratulated.

“Your first dragon friend.” Ana grinned.

Together, the three of us, with Thundersong, stayed up for a little bit longer. I was weirdly emotional about the Terrible Terror for some reason, but I chalked it up to missing Maui.

It also hit hard that Hiccup, Zyrah, and the others were celebrating with their families and extended friends. Hearing the festive cheer kind of hurt, knowing I was so far from home. With a sniff, I pushed back the wool blanket curtain covering the window near my bed, peeking outside. It was snowing again, with a fresh layer of snow already covering up old footprints, and dusting the trees in a beautiful, delicate blanket of white.

In the distance, I could faintly see the massive silhouettes of dragons, along with hearing the variety of sounds they were making.

Then I heard an ear-piercing shriek echo from overhead. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach, not knowing what it was.

“Heart of Te Fiti, what was that?” I gasped out.

“Easy, it was just one of the Night Furies.”

“One of?” I repeated. Ana briefly explained that both Hiccup and their best friend Zyrah were/are dragon riders, much like other Berkians their age. But they specifically rode Night Furies. Once the most feared dragons in their world.

“Hiccup, and his Night Fury, Toothless, changed our world. We thought Toothless was the last of his kind, but then… Zyrah came along, with her Night Fury, Blueheart. But, it’s not my story to tell. When you’re better, we will sit down and tell our stories properly. Not just about us, but our dragons as well.”

I could tell the topic of dragons was an emotional one for her. And I did want to know more, despite feeling intimidated. At least the first dragon I got to meet was Thundersong, who I could hold in my hands. A gentle little guy, I didn’t mind him at all.

“Could… you tell me about yours?” Ana’s gaze softened at the question, and she tenderly placed her hand on my cheek in a very motherly fashion.

“I’ll tell you a little bit about him.” She offered with a smile, and so Dustin and I listened. Albeit it was short, and I could tell that Ana was trying to hold back painful memories, so I didn’t push the topic further.

Once she finished, she bid us goodnight, and made her way to bed, Dustin close behind.

“Happy Snoggletog, Laeli.”

Chapter Text

In the months following Snoggletog, the weather began to warm up and improve, with snow and sleet becoming springtime rain.

By the time spring rolled around, I had overcome my flu illness and felt much more like myself. And day by day, I became more accustomed to New Berk and its community, which felt more welcoming to me. The stares were less and less frequent, turning into respectful nods and even kind smiles. Even the children would approach me, beaming. One little girl offered me a flower when flower beds began to bloom, one of the sweetest gestures, I wore that flower behind my ear until it became wilted.

One warm day, I was sitting in the main living area of the Haddock's house, snacking on some bread and honey while sewing up some old clothes I offered to fix. It was fairly quiet, save for the occasional sounds of birds outside. The curtains around the house were pulled back, allowing sunlight and fresh air to circulate around the rooms, a soft breeze sending a sweeter spring aroma through the air. It was quite lovely.

My fingers had become sore and tired from sewing, so I paused, leaning back on the couch that was near the large fireplace. My gaze shifted around the living area, taking in the little details of the house, my sight eventually landing on the tapestry hung over the fireplace. A tapestry of Hiccup's beloved Night Fury, Toothless.

I often wondered about the dragon. I had yet to see him in person, but based on the knowledge I had of him, he seemed like an incredible creature. Remarkably intelligent and powerful.

From outside the front door, I caught the sound of Hiccup and Astrid's voices, alongside two other voices I didn't recognize. Putting my sewing to the side, I quickly stood from the couch, brushing myself off.

The front door opened, revealing Hiccup and Astrid walking a couple inside. The other man had dark honey-colored hair with a short braided beard and two long scars on the left side of his head, and a similar eye color to Ana. The woman by his side had jet-black hair that was half up, and I spied several braids scattered throughout her hair. She had six moles on her face, she carried a long stick at her side, and her most striking feature were her eyes.

She was blind.

Her stick was briefly caught on a gap in the floorboard, causing her to swear in a language I didn't understand.

Hiccup then spied me in the living room.

"Ah, Laeli!" He greeted, "come, I want you to meet some friends." I made my way over, smiling at the guests, even though I knew the woman couldn't see me.

"Hello, nice to meet you," I said, slightly bowing my head out of respect.

"Who's this?" The woman questioned, her eyebrows knitting together as she focused on my voice.

"Zyrah, meet Laeli." Astrid began, "Laeli, Zyrah." Zyrah… the name sounded familiar.

Oh!

"You're the Night Fury rider!" I realized, grinning in pride at my memory.

"Well, you are correct on that!" The woman, Zyrah, affirmed, "bragging about my history, eh, Hiccup?" The mentioned just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"No, actually… Ana made mention of you over the winter." I explained. Zyrah's mouth cracked into a smile. I'd only been given some insight into her history, mostly about her dragon-riding days and her beloved dragon, but that was about it; even with such a short introduction, I felt like I understood the type of person she was.

It was good timing for Zyrah and her husband, Konall's arrival. They'd just returned from a trip to the mainland, dropping off their youngest daughter with Zyrah's family.

Shortly after Zyrah and Konall arrived, Zephyr followed with a young man of our age at her side, and something told me the young man had to be Zyrah and Konall's son.

"Zephyr!" Zyrah greeted, pulled in a tight hug by Zephyr. "My son has been behaving?" She inquired playfully, quirking an eyebrow. She knew her son was there, he just rolled his eyes.

"He has, absolutely wonderful." The redhead drawled lovingly.

A short time following the two couples' arrival, I soon found myself surrounded by the company of the Haddocks, their family members, along with their closest friends. We were all seated in the main living area once more, as it seemed this was their main meeting area.

While I was seated next to Zephyr and Dustin near the hearth, I took notice of Hiccup conversing in hushed voices with Astrid and their friends. Hiccup made a quick glance at me in my direction, though I wasn't sure what for.

I leaned over to Zephyr and asked her what was up with her father.

"Oh, um. I think they're finally gonna tell you." She replied, her answer vague and unhelpful. Tell me what?

My attention drifted back to the chief as he emerged from what I believed to be his study, holding a few books in his arms. There was a serious feeling in the air as Hiccup set the books down and pulled out a large sheet of parchment from one. He then kneeled down and began to unfold the parchment on the floor in front of me.

My eyes scanned the parchment, noting the drawings of various islands, and I spied illustrations of dragons and various landmarks and other little sketches.

"Laeli." Hiccup began, his voice the most serious I'd ever heard it, "you have been on New Berk for nearly a year now, and I've come to the decision to fully let you in on the world myself and the others helped create." I raised an eyebrow, allowing him to continue, "you know about the dragons visiting us during Snoggletog," I nodded, very much aware, but I'd only seen Thundersong.

"But I think it's time to tell you the full story of why the dragons visit us, instead of live with us."

I was silent as Hiccup began telling the story of his friendship with his beloved Night Fury, Toothless, which changed their world. The 300-year-long war with dragons, came to an end when he and Toothless killed the Red Death. I was in awe of such an adventure. He had dared to challenge his tribe's traditions and beliefs to change their world and make it better.

It reminded me of my own mother, willing to go the extra mile to save our world from destruction.

Oddly poetic, in a way.

Hiccup passed the story along to his family, Astrid, Valka, and Gobber. And to his friends, Ana, Zyrah, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Snotlout, Minden, Eret, and Konall. They added their stories to Hiccup's, and they fondly recalled their short time with their dragons.

And I could see the impact of those bonds in their eyes, even in Zyrah's.

They discussed their adventures as teenagers before Zyrah, her brother, and Konall came into the picture. With mentions of Dagur the Deranged, his wife Queen Mala, and Dagur's sister Heather, the former and latter being children of a past chief.

And then there came the many people who stood as obstacles. Viggo and Ryker Grimborn, Trader "Traitor" Johann, Krogan, the Dragon Flyers, and Alvin the Treacherous, who had redeemed himself and was a trusted ally of the Berkians after a long-standing feud. It seemed that even after all these years, he was implied to still be living, though I was unsure.

Even though I was certain that the former Dragon Rider's children had likely heard their parent's stories dozens of times, I could see the sense of wonder and awe in their eyes. I mean, who could blame them? Their parents had helped change their world forever.

And then, came the serious discussion about the Hidden World. Hiccup began by saying it was believed to be a mariner's myth, about a great waterfall at the edge of the world; the ancestral home of all dragons. For some, I could believe that such a story was hard to believe, but I knew better, as did my mother and my family.

We had sailed the seas countless times, often witnessing the strange wonders of the deep sea. I've definitely seen things I cannot explain to this day.

Hiccup and Astrid were the first and likely only Vikings to ever venture into the Hidden World, and they proceeded to describe the marvel they saw. The bioluminescence, the plant life, and of course, the dragons that lived there. Just about every kind was an inhabitant. And the way they described it… it brought similar visuals to Lalotai, the realm of monsters that my mother and Maui visited all those years ago.

It seemed I must've made a face upon the mention of the Hidden World, as Hiccup turned to me.

"What's the face for?" He inquired. I caught myself and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, pff, nothing…" I attempted. His eyebrow raise meant that he knew I knew something.

"Laeli?" With a sight, I gave them a brief explanation about Lalotai, and how the worlds struck me as very similar.

"I don't want to get too involved in that yet, please, continue your story!" I encouraged with an awkward grin.

After a brief pause, Hiccup then proceeded forward with his tale, which led into this whole spiel about the relationships of the dragons. Especially once Zyrah and her Night Fury came into the picture.

Hiccup and Zyrah's Night Furies, Toothless and Blueheart, were both initially believed to be the last of their kind. And then, after a whole debacle and a traumatizing incident with Zyrah's birth parents, the group discovered that there was one last Night Fury colony left. Which then led to Toothless and Blueheart becoming mates, and then having a hatchling of their own.

This led to their encounter with Grimmel the Grisly, who claimed to be the Night Fury killer; a title he claimed for himself, but he proved to not have enough knowledge of the very prey he sought to slaughter. And I did find that ironic, as it seemed the others did as well.

The conversation got deeper when Hiccup reached the point of having to let the dragons go after a massive battle that left deep physical and emotional scars. Toothless and Blueheart became the Alpha pair of the Hidden World, and had two more hatchlings following the war. I found dragon relationships to be kind of complicated, and I zoned out slightly. I did try to pay attention, but I didn't feel that it was necessary information for me to remember.

Chapter Text

The other riders talked about their dragons as well, but even still, I didn’t fully pay attention.

“That all being said… Laeli. We haven’t really gotten to know your story.” Hiccup finished, turning the attention on me now. Shit, now I had to talk.

“Oh… uh. Well, my story is going to sound a bit outlandish. And, honestly, it’s not really… mine. It’s more of my mothers, sort of.” I started, scoffing slightly.

“Honey, we’ve seen the wildest things on our adventures, we’ve survived near-death experiences in some form or another, nothing can surprise us anymore,” Ana assured with a smile. With a soft click of my tongue, I started my tale.

“Okay… well, in that case. It actually starts long before my time, and before my mother’s time. In our culture, our goddess of Life is called Te Fiti, the mother island. She bears a heart that creates all living things. More than a millenia ago, Maui, the shapeshifting demigod of the wind and sea, ventured to the mother island, and he stole the heart. Beating any others who also sought the heart for themselves.” The room was silent from just the beginning of my story.

“But as soon as he stole the heart, he was confronted by a fire demon, Te Kā. There was a great battle, and as a result, Maui, his magical fishhook, and the Heart were lost to the sea. One thousand years later, when my mother was just a toddler, ventured to the beach one day, and after saving a baby sea turtle, the Ocean came to life, and gave her the Heart.”

“Wait, wait, wait, hold on… the Ocean is… alive? Like, a living creature?” Snotlout interrupted, absolutely dumbfounded. I nodded, confirming.

“Living like you and me. It’s intelligent, and understands our emotions. A bit sassy too, when it wants to be.”

“Is it the power of the Gods?” Ruffnut mused. I just shrugged. The Ocean being an active part of my life was never questioned, not by me, my sister, or my cousins.

“I don’t question how it’s possible, I’ve accepted it. The Ocean is a longtime friend of my family.”

“Of all the things we’ve encountered, I can’t believe you’re shocked by the Ocean being alive,” Zyrah teased Snotlout, who just rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, so the Ocean came to life and gave Te Fiti’s heart to my toddler mother. But nothing came of it for many years, since my mother was the daughter of the chief, and she had duties to attend to, and she was far too young anyway. Though, she told me and my sister she was always drawn to the water since the encounter with Ocean.”

“Wait wait, you mean to tell me after all this time, you’re the daughter of the chief?” Nuffink interjected, green eyes wide. I was confused, I thought I told them?

“Yes…?” I hesitantly replied. “Had I not mentioned it?”

“No! Not even when you started learning Norse! You simply told us that you were sailing from the south and got thrown off course, which is how you ended up on New Berk.” Zephyr reminded, equally as shocked as her brother.

“Oh. Well, uh yeah… I come from a long line of chieftains and voyagers,” I explained.

“That does explain why you and Zephyr bonded so well.” Astrid concluded.

“I’d have to agree.” Hiccup chimed in.

“Anyway, Laeli, please continue.”

“Um, okay. So… yeah, the Ocean gave my mother the heart, but she was far too young to even go about giving it back, and she had her duties to attend to. Her grandmother, my great-grandmother, did encourage my mother to keep a close tie with the ocean, though.”

“But were there any consequences to Maui stealing the heart?” Fishlegs questioned.

“In fact, there were. Him stealing the heart caused a great Darkness, an unforgiving kind that killed everything in its path. It would target island after island, decimating our crops, sending our fish away, and slowly kill the island from the inside.”

“My gods… that’s horrible.”

“Oh, it gets worse!” I replied with a sinister enthusiasm that was unlike me, I think I disturbed Zephyr and Nuffink with my tone. It was quite amusing to see their reactions.

I continued to relay the shortened version of my mother’s adventure with Maui, their journey to Lalotai, the outrageous encounter with the giant coconut crab, Tamatoa, and their battle with Te Kā, but it was the part about my mother standing in the hand of Te Fiti that garnered jaws to drop. Considering the mentions of the Kakamora, and a giant singing crab. I was very much amused at how they were taking my story.

“So… Te Kā was Te Fiti the whole time, and your mom stood in the palm of her hand.” Ruffnut reiterated, earning a nod of confirmation from me, and a whistle from Eret.

“Could you imagine? Standing in the palm of Odin’s hand?”

“That’s insane.”

I finished with Te Fiti restoring my mother’s boat, but the life within our world, our archipelago. Which ultimately allowed my mother to return home, and kickstart a new age of voyaging.

“Incredible…” Came Valka, the first thing she’d said since coming into the house.

“Oi, I’d reckon lass’s mam sounds ‘ike you ‘iccup.” Gobber remarked, scratching his scarred chin with his good hand. Hiccup just shrugged, though he wasn’t denying the observation.

“Can’t deny that.”

“Oh, wait, so how did your parents meet?” Minden inquired, to which I had to chuckle, because their story was just about as chaotic as my mother’s individual story.

I quickly explained how my father’s childhood was disrupted by the passing of his own father, alleged drowning, leaving himself, his mother, and his elder sister. It was a normal childhood for the most part, up until he was a teenager when the Darkness dealt his island a heavier toll than previous islands. It utterly destroyed everything.

The village left in an exodus in an attempt to flee, but the very storm that caused my mother to end up on Maui’s little rock island was the same storm that sent my father back to his home island, where he was forced to fend for himself for three years until my mother discovered him. He was a survivor.

“Fated.” Astrid mused.

“In a way, yeah.” I went on about their first meeting, the monsters they faced, to my father’s injury, and eventually, reuniting with his mother, who had become a goddess herself, a goddess of the stars. It was his mother that had sent mine on her journey to save my father’s life and to reunite him with his sister so that they wouldn’t be alone anymore.

My mother and father made it back to Motunui, where they began courting and eventually married, and had Aihe and me.

“Seems in some way or another, the gods have a funny way of leading us down a certain path.” Fishlegs remarked. Even though he was always enthusiastic about dragons, the desire of learning about anything he could was his drive, and he was full of facts to share. It was something I admired him for.

“Maybe we were all meant to meet.”

“For us, the Norns choose our fate, they know every decision we make, who we meet, who we marry…” Ana chimed in.

“The Norns…” I repeated softly. The gods of the Berkian’s pantheon fascinated me, though I still felt deeply connected to the gods of my culture; Papatuānuku, who we believed to be the sister of Te Fiti, Tāwhirimātea, who my parents believe brought on the storm that raged during my birth, Tagaloa, and of course, Maui, just to name a few.

For the Berkians, their beliefs centered around Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya and Frigg (two I often confused), Heimdall, and many more.

After a year on New Berk, their world and way of life never ceased to amaze me, and I knew there was a much bigger world to see.

Chapter Text

One day, during a short lesson with Hiccup about Berk’s naval history, one of his friends, Fishlegs, rushed into his study, absolutely winded. The rotund beefcake of a Viking nearly keeled over, catching his little winged helmet just before it fell off his head. His round cheeks were bright red and glistening with sweat from running.

“Fishlegs! Easy breathing buddy, what’s going on?”

“Nasty… altercation… on the… piers.” Fishlegs gasped out. Hiccup and I glanced at each other, he sighed and stood from his chair. I hid my annoyance that my lesson was interrupted, as I had requested to learn more about sailing through the perspective of a Viking to see how it compared to my own knowledge. It would be beneficial, as when I eventually decided to get on a boat again, I would know how to man the ship.

“Want to come with?” With a slight shrug, I followed him and Fishlegs down the scaffolding on the cliff sides down to the piers. It was a long walk, and as we made our way down, I glanced around at the seemingly endless construction going on. Hiccup had told me they were working on a pulley system to make moving stuff to the village more efficient from varying heights. Through some trial and error, it was finally working.

As we made it to the piers, I could already see a group of men gathered together next to a ship, and I could hear them arguing, their deep voices overlapping. I no longer understood a single word they were saying.

Hiccup yelled to get their attention, and upon doing so, they clamored to explain what was going on. I listened closely to what they were saying. The captain of one of the ships began to describe that they caught what they believed to be a stowaway rummaging through their cargo, they had no clue how he’d snuck on without being caught until they pulled into port. With a sigh, Hiccup assured them that he’d help resolve it. There was an opening through the crowd of men, and upon walking through it, Hiccup and I finally saw what was causing all the commotion.

Before us, two burly men held a young man between them in an iron grip. He was blonde, with fair skin and a growing beard. He was covered with freckles, and two scars marked his face; one on his right cheekbone, and the other crossing the bridge of his nose. He wore a leather vest held together with small buckles, braces on both his forearms, with a glove on his right hand. And one sword on his hip.

But the feature of his that caught my attention the most was his eyes. They were an extremely light hazel color, but in the sunlight, they almost seemed to be golden. I’d never seen such eyes before. Somehow even lighter than Ana’s or Konall’s. And I caught him staring at me as Hiccup approached him.

“Young man, what in Odin’s name is happening here?” Through gritted teeth, the young man spat out a reply.

“Just… a misunderstanding.” Hiccup crossed his arms.

“What kind of misunderstanding?” The man attempted to pull away again but was held back.

“None of your damn business. Let me go.”

“You were found rummaging through cargo. How do we know you’re not attempting to steal?” One Viking demanded, roughly pulling him back. I slightly grimaced at the imagined discomfort of his shoulder being yanked like that.

“Maybe because you should mind your business.” The man snapped, narrowing his eyes in irritation, not willing to explain himself. Shocker.

The anger intensified in his eyes. Hiccup could tell that a simple interrogation wasn’t going to get him anywhere. With a sigh, he then ordered the man to be taken to the holding house adjacent to the great hall.

“What’re you going to do?” I asked, following Hiccup as he bid goodbye to the captain and his men.

“Well, we’re going to figure out who he is, and what he wants. And see if he’s going to be any trouble.”

We made it back to the Haddock household. Everyone else was home for the evening, and when Hiccup’s mother Valka asked what he’d been up to, he explained the commotion on the piers. As Zephyr served everyone food, I couldn’t help but wonder about the man. What could he be searching for?

“Laeli? Hello?” I blinked hearing Nuffink call my name and snap his fingers in my face.

“Huh- what?” I blurted.

“You zoned out, you good?” He asked. I blinked to refocus and nodded.

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just lost in thought.”

“What about?” Astrid asked. I sighed, taking a bite of food.

“Nothing of importance, I suppose,” I replied. A half-truth, I didn’t feel the need to tell them about my curiosity about the blonde stranger. But I decided to ask what would be done about him for tomorrow.

“Well, anyways, the stowaway was brought to the great hall and I’ll be talking to him one on one. And maybe you can come to help out if he won’t talk to anyone.” Hiccup offered. I raised an eyebrow at the offer and glanced at Zephyr, which Hiccup noticed.

“Zephyr, if you’d like to come with, you’re more than welcome to.” She grinned.

“Sure, dad! Love to! Should be interesting.” The conversation about the stowaway ended after that, and I listened to the Haddocks talk about other things during the rest of dinner. Every chance I could, I’d listen to them chat to improve my Norse, even though I’d been told I was practically fluent.

After an early morning which began with me in Hiccup’s study eating breakfast, Hiccup brought Zephyr and me to the great hall. After talking with his circle of advisors, we sat down at the table of the chief. Zephyr and I sat on either side of Hiccup. In front of us was a lone chair.

“Alright, you can let him in.” Hiccup said. A few feet away I saw the man being shoved in. He stumbled for a moment before he awkwardly stood there. Hiccup gestured to the chair, and he awkwardly took a seat.

Zephyr and I shared glances at each other as Hiccup started asking him questions.

I had watched mom and dad have their fair share of resolving issues with trouble-making villagers before, and I had some experience with it myself.

I was mildly amused seeing the young man look both awkward and irritated at the same time. I didn’t actively pay attention to what Hiccup was asking the man, but through his facial expressions alone I could tell that he didn’t care about answering anything. And as if I predicted it, he finally gave up.

“Enough of the questions already!” He exclaimed as he stood up, knocking the chair over. Hiccup stood as well, narrowing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows together.

“I will not have an outburst from you, young man!”

“Like I give a shit.”

“Lose the attitude. You’re here because we need to know if Berk is safe with you here!”

“What, like I’m a criminal?

“Never assume that I would think otherwise. How do I know if you’re not dangerous?” The man arms and watched Hiccup carefully, smugly raising an eyebrow.

“Would it matter?”

“In fact, it would. I’ve been hearing word of vigilantes and vagabonds on the mainland stirring up trouble and bringing their trouble into the archipelago. I won’t have it on my island.” The man scoffed.

“You may not think it’s a big deal, but it is. It’s been my life’s work and mission to make the archipelago safe for everyone. It used to be for Vikings and dragons… but that time has long passed us.” I noticed that the word ‘dragon’ caught the man’s attention, as his demeanor shifted.

“Wait, dragons and Vikings… world safe for both…” I watched him closely as he thought hard, and then something dawned on him, “shit… you’re chief Hiccup!” The mentioned nodded his head.

“Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, first dragon rider of the archipelago.” The man looked panicked suddenly, pacing. “May I inquire of the sudden anxiety?”

“Um… you’re probably not going to like my answer.”

“And why would I not…?” Hiccup trailed off, indicating he wanted the man’s name so he could properly address him.

“Eyarr.” The man replied.

“Eyarr… why would I not like your answer?” There was an awkward pause as Eyarr figured out his reply.

“Because… I have a dragon-” silence, “and he’s in the woods.” Hiccup was left in stunned silence. This changed the whole situation at hand.

“There’s one… here?” Eyarr nodded in affirmation without another word. Hiccup swallowed hard and waved his hand in dismissal. Zephyr and I turned to each other, her eyes were wide.

“Meeting adjourned. Please show me where your dragon is.”

***

Eyarr led us into the woods on a rather overgrown path. As we walked, I could hear Hiccup muttering under his breath about the utter disregard for the safety of dragons, and other similar complaints.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, since after all, I’d never seen another dragon other than Thundersong. How big would this thing be? Obviously big enough for a human to ride one. Hiccup and his friends had described seeing dragons as large as mountains, and some that could sit in the palm of your hand. I was slightly jealous, as we had nothing as spectacular as that back home.

I could hear the sound of wings flapping and heavy footsteps trampling through the towering pines. Eyarr sprinted up ahead, with Hiccup close behind. Zephyr and I lagged behind, neither of us in a rush. As we were walking, Zephyr reminisced of the time her family journeyed to the Hidden World; it was something she and her brother loved to talk about with me, and to be honest, I loved to hear about it.

As we neared the end of the path, Hiccup shared with us that this path used to lead to old dragon stables, when the dragons still lived here.

Finally, we came to a clearing, and I spied a partially collapsed structure on the edge. At first, I didn’t see anything, but when Eyarr stepped into the clearing, I jumped upon hearing a screech and the sound of wings flapping. Zephyr put her hand on my shoulder to calm me down, and I saw Eyarr glance at me briefly.

And then I saw it.

A deep blue figure emerged from the woods, smoke wafting from its nostrils. Its eyes were a brilliant orange, much like the embers of a fire. The deep blue of its scales was contrasted with bright streaks of orange, red, and pink across its body and wings. It bore a brilliant crown of spikes and two massive horns, with spikes trailing down its spine. Upon further inspection, I spied smaller spikes lining the thighs and a row of them parallel to each other on the underbelly. I had to admit, it was a magnificent creature.

I also noticed a sturdy-looking saddle on its back, with several large packs secured to it. I guessed it was survival necessities.

Glancing over, I noticed the look of wonder and awe on Hiccup’s face. Eyarr approached his dragon, giving it a gentle scratch under the chin. Hiccup sighed and approached the pair, and they started talking, about what, I couldn’t hear.

“I swear dad went through like all 5 stages of grief today from this guy.” I snorted at the comment.

“Seems so. I do feel bad, though, since he had such a tight bond with his dragon.”

As Hiccup and Eyarr talked, I kept noticing Eyarr sending me weird looks. And Zephyr noticed it too.

“Why’s he looking at me?” She shrugged.

As she replied, Hiccup came back.

“What’s going on, dad?” Hiccup gave a quick recap of the discussion, explaining that Eyarr has been on the run and was told that New Berk was a good place to stay until he could figure his situation out.

“Unless he’s one of the best liars in the world, I believe him.” He told us.

“Maybe you should talk to mom and Gobber. You know Mom has strong opinions about that kind of stuff.” Hiccup apprehensively nodded.

“You have a point.”

“Where is he going to stay in the meantime?” I asked.

“He could stay with us?” Zephyr offered.

“No, until I talk to your mother and Gobber, that won’t work out.” I felt them both turn to look at me.

“What?”

“Don’t you have a spare room downstairs in your place?” Zephyr asked. I blinked and nodded slowly.

“Uh, yeah? What? You want him to stay with me? Why not with Zyrah and Konall? Or Ana and Dustin?” I asked in mild bewilderment. We barely knew this guy and he might have to stay with me?

“Zyrah doesn’t need the additional stress of a stranger in her house that she can’t see, and I don’t want to burden Ana. As soon as we get this straightened out he won’t have to be there, I assure you.” Hiccup assured.

I finally had my own place. I’d moved out of the Haddock’s maybe two-ish months ago. It had everything I needed for a place of my own, along with whatever survived from the wreckage of my boat. I had made it the home I needed, and now I had to bring a potentially hostile stranger inside?

I thought about it for a long while. I wasn’t willing to just let Eyarr in.

No.

“Can I think about this? I’m not going to just jump into a decision like this.”

“Of course, it’s no problem if you don’t want him in your house, we’ll find a solution.” Hiccup assured.

Chapter Text

After the discussion with Eyarr and the encounter with his dragon, Hiccup decided that for the time being, the two would temporarily stay in the holding house, a specialized extension of the Great Hall, that was constructed for any guests on New Berk whose fate was undecided. It sounded worse than what it was, as it was always temporary and anyone who had to stay there usually moved into the village or moved on with their lives elsewhere. Hiccup didn’t want Eyarr to feel like a prisoner, but there weren’t other options at the moment, so this is what we had.

Eyarr had reluctantly to stay in the spare space, albeit reluctantly, and I couldn’t blame him.

That being said, I empathized with his situation; being somewhere new and not knowing what to do, or if you could trust someone.

A couple of days following Eyarr’s arrival, I went to go see him in the Great Hall. He was sitting by himself at a table, and his dragon right behind him. One of his smaller bags was with him, and he had a book and several papers on the table in front of him.

My breath hitched, uncomfortable with being so close to such a massive creature.

He glanced up, an irritated expression plastered on his face, and a small scowl. I twiddled my thumbs, unsure of how I would even approach this.

“What do you want?” He demanded. My heart skipped a beat from the intensity in his voice, the dim light reflected off the taut skin of his facial scars, which enhanced his exhibited annoyance.

“I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Well, you did.” He snapped, his eyes averting back to his book. Shit. I swallowed hard, what should I say? If I said the wrong thing, he could do something, I’m pretty sure he had his sword on him, though it seemed unlikely.

I wasn’t leaving, and my presence was bothering him further.

“Listen, unless you have something to say, just leave.”

“Okay, I do have something to say,” I sat down on the bench across from him, “now, I really don’t want to get on your bad side, or whatever. But I wanted to assure you, I guess, that I’ve been in your position.” He raised a doubtful eyebrow.

“And how would you possibly know what my position is like? And for that matter, I don’t seen any dragons around here.”

“It’s not about the dragon, what I mean is about being a stranger here. Not really knowing where you are, what the people are like, and if you can trust them. I get it.” His expression shifted from being less judgemental, and I could tell he was actually listening.

“Try me then.”

“Well, first of all, look at me. I don’t look like anyone here. I don’t come from the north.” He blinked, crossing his arms. “I washed up on their beach about a year ago, and even though I’ve spent my time learning about their culture and learning their language, I know I’m different.”

Silence.

“All I’m trying to say is that, I understand. And I want to help. From one outsider to the other. If you’re willing, you can stay in my house, instead of living here.” I offered, gesturing the holding house. He didn’t have anything else to say, so I left him with his dragon.

I didn’t think anything would come with our tense interaction, I wouldn’t even call it a conversation.

But that evening, just as the sun was setting, I was surprised to hear a knock on the door. When I opened it, it was Eyarr and Hiccup.

“Hiccup? Eyarr?” I greeted, slightly bewildered.

“He’s decided it’d be best to stay with you.” Hiccup explained. My eyes shifted momentarily to process what was going on, but then I stepped to the side, allowing Eyarr to enter.

“Welina,” I said, hoping he didn’t notice the slight tremor in my voice. He paused and turned to me with a puzzled expression but still said nothing.. The anxiety turned into a rush of confidence as I smirked at him.

“Welcome, in my native language. Head down the hallway there and the room is on your left.”

As Eyarr made his way down towards his new room I turned to Hiccup.

“Uh, mind if I asked what changed his mind?” Hiccup was as uncertain as I was.

“He didn’t want to be in the holding house, not that I blame him. You told him you didn’t mind him staying with you, so when I went to the great hall, he requested to come here.”

Oh. Okay.

Well in that case. Hiccup and I worked out some kind of agreement or terms about Eyarr’s stay. I was promised full control over the situation, and if Eyarr gave me any problems, then I could kick him out.

After our chat, Hiccup then left me to figure out what to do now. I saw one of the packs that Eyarr brough inside set next to the couch, though I opted not to touch it. I didn’t want to invade his personal belongings after he just showed up into my house.

Once Hiccup was gone, Eyarr rejoined me in the main living area.

“Why a spare bedroom? Since you live here by yourself?” He asked, catching me off guard.

“In case I needed company,” I replied carefully. We both stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say next. In the moment, I gave him a once over, taking in his tall, strong stature. He still bore an intense expression, but it was softened compared to my prior interactions. There wasn’t a grin nor a frown behind that beard of his. He swallowed hard, a vein in his neck slightly distending from possible stress.

He huffed, crossing his arms, his biceps flexing under the muted blue longsleeve tunic he wore under his embellished leather vest.

“Alright, what are the rules?” He demanded. Now it was my turn to swallow hard. I pursed my lips, trying to think, twiddling my fingers again.

“Um, don’t touch any of my stuff,” I began, earning an ‘that’s obvious’ look from him, I shook it off and continued. “As long as you’re here, you’ll help me with any chores or making food. Ah uh… And I won’t go into your room unless you allow me, and vice versa.”

He bore an expression of surprise, and I was confused at his surprise.

“What? Why are you surprised?”

“Well, from the places I’ve been before, I usually am dealt much stricter rules, not that I follow them anyway,” I raised an eyebrow at him, “I’m not accustomed to… guidelines.”

“Hm. If it eases your mind, I don’t consider myself a strict type of authority figure; unless I absolutely have to be.”

The corner of his mouth curled into a half-grin as he processed my words. I couldn’t quite read it, but before I had the chance to ask him anything else, he then walked past me out the front door. Probably to go see his dragon.

While I couldn’t read his expression, I could sense that he was incredibly stressed and unsure of his situation, and I genuinely empathized. As I had felt the same not too long ago, it was overwhelming, and I supposed that the least I could do was assist him and get him sort of comfortable. It was what the Haddocks did for me.

An hour after Eyarr came to the house, Zephyr and Nuffink came by to check in with me. Eyarr still wasn’t back yet, but what could I do about it? If he had gone to see his dragon, I was not about to get in between them.

“So, how’d it go? You need anything?”

“Um, I’m not sure, honestly. I gave him some easy rules, or guidelines, to follow, and he was surprised at how lenient I am.”

“Hmm, well, guess we have some kind of insight to the kind of person he is.”

“I’m not going to get ahead of myself.” Meanwhile, Nuffink make himself at home on the couch facing the fireplace. I just rolled my eyes at him, since he always did the same thing whenever he came over.

Zephyr, on the other hand, did her best to assure me.

“Seriously, Laeli, let me know if you need anything. I know this is going to be weird. I know dad talked to you prior.”

“He did. And I’m going to take this one step at a time. I appreciate the concern, though. That being said, are your parents talking?”

“Yeah, they’re talking with their friends right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, I don’t think it’ll be that bad.”

“We just need to figure out what the hell is going on with him.” Nuffink remarked. Zephyr and I just nodded.

“Anyway, again, I appreciate the concern. I’ve got this convered, you’ll be the first I call if something goes wrong.” Zephyr elbowed me playfully.

“Just don’t stumble around him. He is rather good-looking.” I rolled my eyes.

“Give me a break, Zeph.”

“Just saying!”

***

After the Haddock siblings left, I decided to try and make dinner.

Once the fire was blazing and had a cauldron over it, I heard Eyarr finally return. Lovely; perfect timing. I didn’t care to ask what he was up to. I quickly glanced over to initially say dinner was almost ready, but my breath caught in my throat as he pulled a tunic over his head. I saw the muscles of his chest and abdomen flex with every slight movement of his body. What on earth was he doing outside without his tunic and vest? Eugh, whatever.

I looked away before he saw me staring. I casually informed him food was ready as he walked up and grabbed a chair and sat down.

“I apologize in advance if it’s not great. My cooking skills aren’t up to par.”

“I’m not much of a cook either. I don’t judge.” I handed him a bowl.

“I appreciate it. Where I’m from, women didn’t cook, the men did.” He took a bite before replying.

“You never learned?” I shrugged as I got myself a bowl.

“I never needed to learn, honestly. I’m the daughter of the chief back home-” Eyarr suddenly choked, interrupting my explanation.

“You’re what?” I shifted my eyes in confusion.

“...Daughter of the chief.” He hurriedly swallowed his food, trying not to choke again.

“Shit.” I looked at him, unimpressed with his reaction.

“What’s wrong with you?” He almost didn’t know what to say to me.

“I mean, you’re basically a Princess. It doesn’t feel right to be here.”

“What, do you want to stay with the Haddocks instead? I can arrange that. I’m sure the Chief will be more than happy to have you there.” I noticed him swallow hard. I narrowed my eyes at him, leaning forward and resting my forearms on my crossed legs. Gods, where did that attitude come from?

“Didn’t think so,” I finished with a smug grin. He glared at me, the scar on his nose bridge creasing as he narrowed his eyes at me.

“I don’t need that attitude from you.” I glared back.

“And guess what, that’s what you’ll get while you’re here. Until Chief Hiccup figures out a better situation for you, you’re stuck here with me. And you have to abide by my rules. Since I am a princess, in your words.”

“And something tells me you won’t make this easy despite your ‘guidelines’.”

“I’ll make it as easy according to your attitude. Don’t act as if you know me.”

“You don’t know me either.” He fired back. I doused out the fire and made my way upstairs without another word. It was getting late and I was not in the mood to bicker with him. He was certainly the stubborn type if anything from earlier was an indication.

I changed for bed and slid under the blankets. As I did so, I could hear Eyarr walking downstairs and opening the door to his room. I whispered a prayer to the gods asking for ease and any amount of patience they could grant.

Chapter Text

A few weeks following Eyarr’s arrival, it was Zephyr’s birthday, and there was a big party in the great hall to celebrate. Everyone insisted I attend so I could finally observe a Berkian-type celebration. How could I say no?

Zephyr gave me a nicer dress of hers that was embroidered with gold thread on the hem, collar, and hems of sleeves. The base color was a deep purplish-pink, and it had intricate knotwork going down the front panel in a slightly darker blue shade. It was not something I was used to, wearing such obstructive clothing, but it was very pretty… I couldn’t resist a party dress.

I arrived with the Haddocks and politely sat at the chief’s table during most of the early part of it. Maybe an hour later, I spied a family entering the grand front doors. Zyrah’s family.

I beamed at the sight of them; Zyrah, Konall, and their two sons, Tannr and Nyr. Tannr saw us first and made a beeline to Zephyr, and scooped her up, causing her to shriek in delight. I watched the two families greet each other and socialize.

I saw Hiccup and Astrid chatting with Zyrah and Konall, the chief gestured for me to join them, which I happily did.

“So Hiccup tells me you’re hosting a rogue in your house?” Zyrah started. Konall snorted at the choice of words and I just rolled my eyes.

“If you think it’s the right word to describe him, then yes, I suppose I am. By his choice though.”

“And not yours?”

“Well, I had offered it to him, but I didn’t think he’d accept. Hiccup practically escorted him to my house right before dinner.”

“He does have a dragon.” Hiccup added.

“Do we know what breed?” Astrid questioned.

“I think he mentioned it’s a mixed breed.” This garnered perplexed expressions.

“Mixed breed? That’s rare. The only other mixed breeds are the Night Lights.”

“That’s what I thought, too. But allegedly, it’s a Nightmare-Skrill mix.” Konall choked on his mead.

“Odin’s beard! What?!”

“Allegedly! I have to get a closer look and study the dragon with Fishlegs, but based on my initial observations, it bears traits of those species.”

“Damn.” 

“That’s a powerful dragon if that is true.” 

“So what then?”

“I mean, I can’t just kick them off the island. I’m going to have to play this carefully.”

As Hiccup continued his chat with Astrid and Konall, Ana came over to join us. Meanwhile, Zyrah offered we go and sit for a bit. She asked me more about Eyarr, and even though I didn’t have much to say initially, I did confess I was a bit stressed about having him in my house. I also admitted I was slightly intimidated by him. Zyrah just chuckled.

“I know it’s going to be a challenge for you. But… something tells me you shouldn’t worry too about him, just show him who’s boss.” If only it were that easy.

“If he bothers you, bother him back.” She concluded, giving me a playful wink, and I giggled a bit.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I know. And I know you’re smart, you’ll be able to keep him on his toes.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. I also wanted to mention, I know you have an adventurous heart, so when you get back to being on the seas again, my youngest, Hilda lives on the mainland. If you’d like, you’re welcome to visit her.”

“Oh, Zyrah, that’s so sweet of you. I’ll keep that in mind as well. Though I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to get back on the seas.”

“You do miss it.”

“Of course I do, but… I dunno, I don’t feel ready to face this ocean. Not yet anyway.”

“Well, Laeli, if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, it’s that the longer you keep yourself away from what you fear, the worse the eventual confrontation will be. You have allow yourself to face it.”

I sat there and allowed her words to sink in. How long could I keep myself away from the element that defined me? 

When I glanced back to where Zyrah had been seated next to me, she was gone, back by her husband’s side. 

As time passed, the rest of the village soon trickled in, and the party officially began. Zephyr danced with her partner, whose name was Tannr. Lovely young man, and it seemed like they were a perfect match. 

Later that evening, I made my way back to the house, taking in the ambiance of a Berkian evening. With the sounds of the yaks and chickens, along with the occasional snore from those who left the party early. It had been an interesting day, and after a full dinner and Zephyr’s birthday party in the great hall with her family and closest friends, I was ready to crash. Viking parties were different from parties on Motunui, different in that Vikings drink. 

They drink a lot.

And once they start getting tipsy… if I thought they were loud before, they get so much louder when they’re drunk. And it was too much, my senses overloaded with the sounds and smells. I bid everyone goodnight, and Zephyr happy birthday again and scurried out, not wanting any more interaction or attention. 

I turned a corner to get onto the main pathway, walking between two homes when I heard heavy footsteps behind me. I steadied my breathing and cautiously pulled my dagger out from my belt where it was hidden. I then turned around, dagger out, and I was startled to see Eyarr standing behind me, with arms crossed, and a cocky grin on his face. I huffed in frustration, lowering it slightly.

“Were you following me?” I demanded. Eyarr chuckled, smirking at me.

“Of course not.” Fat lie. 

“Don’t lie to me.” He snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Of course I was. You ran out of the party pretty quickly.” He admitted. I couldn’t read him, was he annoyed by it? Amused?

“It’s not cool to follow your host around like that,” I replied, holding the dagger up closer to his mouth.

“Relax, gods, you’re no fun.” 

“It isn’t very fun to be the followed.”

“And it isn’t very fun to have a dagger in the face.” I bit my tongue, pursing my lips together tightly in aggravation.

“Gods, you’re such a pain in the ass. Either go to the hall or go to the house. I don’t have the energy to deal with you.”

“That right?” He replied in a mocking tone. I huffed and turned on my heel, angrily stalking back to the house. I knew he was behind me and I did not care.

How was I going to deal with him? Somehow I agreed to it and now I didn’t know if I was regretting my choice. Sure, he was very good-looking, and gods damn him for being so. 

I opened the door and walked in first, Eyarr following and closing the door behind us. Even though I was beyond irritated and exhausted, I still had to keep my composure and remain somewhat polite.

“Did you eat?” I questioned, rubbing my face and pulling my hairpin out. He’d already taken a seat by the fireplace, but I did see a shake of the head.

“Do you want anything?” A shrug. With a groan, I pulled out the cauldron, filled it with water and broth, and lit a fire underneath. Once the cauldron began to boil, I threw in some ingredients for a simple soup. The aromatic, savory smell filled the room, and I could feel the tension ease a bit. 

As I stood to fetch a bowl, he got up before I did and served himself. I heard him utter a soft ‘thank you’, to which I silently nodded, acknowledging him.

We sat in the living room in relative silence, and I attempted to pay attention to the flames and embers of the fireplace, but my gaze would shift back to my guest. He ate quietly, appearing to zone out, as he did not notice my glances.

I finally decided to break the silence and pursue a peaceful conversation. 

“Were you out with your dragon?” Awkward silence. He broke from whatever he was thinking about, his golden eyes facing me. I made note of how tired he looked, though I wasn’t sure if that was a result of his day, or maybe I had just not noticed before.

“Why do you ask?” He replied, his voice softer, and he certainly sounded tired.

“Just curious.”

“Mm.” Okay. Not a bad start I suppose.

“I’d… I’d to know about him.” I attempted again. He again glanced in my direction, he considered my request for a moment, and then he cracked a small smile.

“What would you like to know?” 

“You tell me.” Trying to invite him to talk about himself beyond simple questions. I had figured out he wasn’t one to get joy from bragging or gloating, but maybe it was a façade? I couldn’t tell.

He reluctantly told me more about his beloved dragon, its name, and the dragon species.

Cliffire; a Monstrous Nightmare-Skrill mix. 

I recalled the discussion Hiccup had with the others in the Great Hall earlier about their speculations, and Hiccup’s hunch was correct. 

The conversation didn’t last much longer after that. I finally felt exhaustion creep up and it became more difficult to keep my eyes open. Eyarr noticed and told me to go to bed and he’d clean up.

“Are you sure?” I tried to stifle a yawn, eyes watering.

“I’m sure, you get some sleep.” He assured, waving his hand. 

With a sigh, I made my way upstairs and changed out of my party dress. As I slid into bed, I began to wonder about the stuff Eyarr and his dragon had encountered before coming here? What was their life like? And more importantly, what was Eyarr really like?

I fell asleep for a little bit but awoke randomly hearing something outside. I slowly sat up, turning around to the window above the bed. The window faced the forest, and initially, I didn’t see anything. But then I heard the sound of massive footsteps stepping on the forest floor, kicking up forest litter and someone speaking. I craned my neck to see Eyarr outside… with his dragon. I could just barely make out their figures in the dim moonlight.

The curiosity in me couldn’t help itself, and I slid on my boots, slowly creeping outside as to not be seen or heard. I ducked behind a bush a small distance away from them and strained my ears to listen. I couldn’t exactly hear what Eyarr was saying initially, but I was able to pick up on him venting his frustrations.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but it’s still fucking difficult.” I heard Cliffire snort in response.

“And not to mention, this girl… I have to stay with her.” I snorted quietly. While I did have to agree the arrangement wasn’t nearly as bad as it could’ve been, it still wasn’t exactly ideal. It was no fun with a distrusting houseguest.

“What am I going to do?” I heard his frustration and mild defeat in his voice. What am I going to do? I wasn’t interested in babysitting or therapy… but I still had to help him in some form. 

Patience was not my best virtue, but after hearing that tone in his voice… it was worth the try.

Chapter Text

It took some self-encouragement, but I actively tried to make Eyarr more comfortable. I showed him my kinder side, but I remained cautious, not letting him too close. It was worth mentioning that he struck up a good friendship with Ana's son, Dustin, and Zyrah's son Tannr. When Eyarr wasn't in the house, I often saw him with Dustin and Tannr, talking about Gods knows what. But I was happy to see him slowly come out of his shell.

In one conversation I'd overheard him chat about with Dustin, Eyarr was sharing tales of the sights he'd seen and that he picked up on a few languages. It intrigued me. And I felt there was more of a possible connection if I expressed my interest.

I was still taking mini-lessons with Hiccup to improve my Norse, per my request, even though he insisted I was fluent. But I was always eager to learn more. After all, I had the benefit of being the chief's daughter, which enabled me more access to learn new things others couldn't. On top of my people skills with my mom, my sister and I would learn survival skills from our father. Since, well, before he and Mom met, he was a fisherman. I learned to cast nets, build traps, and learn the behavior of schools of fish.

Around the same time, I recall Astrid chatting with Ruffnut and Minden about the possibility of his weapons range.

It made me laugh. The Berkians, all so fascinated by this stranger. I'd never seen anything like it. Valka had mentioned that Hiccup and Astrid didn't typically gossip, but when it came to dragons and weapons, respectively, they couldn't help it.

I decided I'd learn more about him independently since he was my guest, and I felt the obligation.

It just so happened I found Eyarr sharpening his sword one afternoon. I was walking by with Ana, and I spied him. It was a mundane chore here on Berk since I'd seen numerous people sharpen their weapons. I'd even visited the forge to see Hiccup and Gobber at work. The forge was utterly fascinating since there was nothing like it on Motunui.

Ana must have noticed my expression and let me join him since she encouraged me to get to know him better.

He didn't see me approach him, but he was pleasantly surprised.

"What, do you need anything?" He asked, putting his whetstone down. I shrugged.

"Mm! Nah, just curious, I just like watching the process of sharpening weapons."

"Do you want to try? It's not that hard." I shook my head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I prefer to watch." I then considered an offer that would be my way of getting a taste of his skills, "by the way… if you're ever down for it, maybe we could spar?" He blinked in astonishment at first, but then I saw a sly smile creep across his face. He returned to his sword and whetstone, slowly scraping the latter across the blade's edge.

"That would be very interesting," he paused for a moment. "Have you sparred before?" I grinned.

"Oh yeah. I used to spar with my dad and sister growing up. I'm capable." He raised his eyebrows and chuckled a bit.

"Alright. Tomorrow afternoon then. How about it?"

"Perfect!"

We parted ways for the day, doing our usual stuff. When I went to the Haddocks for dinner, Ana and her son Dustin also visited. I stuck with Zephyr most of the time and finally told her about my spar session with Eyarr tomorrow. She was surprised.

"No offense Laeli, but I don't think that's a battle you'll win." I shrugged.

"I never said I intended to win, but I just want to know what he's capable of." Ana overheard me.

"If you come to my house with a broken bone, you're helping Dustin gather my supplies for a week!"

"No promises!"

"You're okay with the possibility of a broken bone from him? Laeli, the man is jacked." Zephyr exclaimed, laughing in disbelief, "You're crazy!"

"Life's too short not to try."

"Good luck, idiot."

The next afternoon, I found Eyarr waiting for me behind the house. He looked prepared for this.

"How long have you been waiting here?" I asked.

"Eh, an hour or so, just preparing myself." I heard a guttural snort and jumped, not realizing Cliffire was watching us from the edge of the woods.

"Does… he have to be here?"

"Don't mind him. He's here for entertainment." Eyarr replied a bit smugly. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I picked up my linen strips and wrapped them around my hands and wrists. And I even removed my boots; since I was raised barefoot, it offered more agility. I caught his glance upon me doing so, but he said nothing about it. I then watched as he pulled off his tunic, and I finally had a better view of his chest and abdomen. His muscles flexed with the movement of his body, and Zephyr's words rang back in my head.

"Laeli, the man is jacked!" And damn, he was. Every muscle on his chest and abdomen was toned and well-defined, rippling with every movement. He flexed his fingers out, cracking them, his biceps were nearly as thick as my thighs, and I observed veins distending on his arms. Oh, Te Fiti, here we go…

We got into our spots, and now, it was just a matter of who would take the first swing. I decided to be smart and aim for where his kidney would be. He swiftly dodged my attack, laughing at me.

"Gutsy, huh?"

"No talking!" I snapped. I had to act fast, I didn't know what he was planning. Then he swung at me, and I dodged his fist, noting its size. I rushed behind him and struck his side, just under his rib cage. He jumped a bit, grabbing where I struck him. He didn't expect that, good!

But he recovered quickly, spinning around, barely grazing my waist as he attempted to grab me. I spun around, too, and swung my leg at him, but he managed to grab my leg.

I yelped, almost losing my balance. I tried pulling away, but he was gripping my leg firmly, his hand nearly wrapping the circumference of my calf. I looked at him with wide eyes and briefly made eye contact. His eyes narrowed, eyebrows knitted together, and a ghost of a smile crossed his face. Before I had time to process the next few seconds, I was on the ground underneath him.

I cried out in shock and felt an incredibly sharp pain in my ankle. I tried to move, but Eyarr's full body weight held me down.

"Get off!" I shrieked. I pulled my other leg, shifting it and kicking him in the back with my heel. He cried out and stood up, reaching for the spot.

"Shit!"

Groaning, I rolled over onto my back, looking up at him. My chest heaved, feeling sweat trickle down my face. Upon looking at him, his pale face was red, and his blond hair was sticking to his forehead. We watched each other for a few moments, processing the fight.

"Good spar." He finally said, holding his hand out for me. I squinted my eyes momentarily and reluctantly took him, letting him pull me up. I tried to stand, but my right ankle exploded in pain. I cried out and felt my knees give out. Luckily Eyarr caught me, holding me up.

"Whoa, you okay?" I shifted my gaze to my ankle, noticing it was swollen. Gods damn it.

Zephyr was right.

"I think my ankle broke…" I said in defeat. I saw Eyarr's demeanor soften just slightly, and to my surprise, he wrapped his arm around my waist and began to help me walk.

"Wait, what're you doing?"

"Taking you to Ana." He replied, "You're not walking on a broken ankle." I pursed my lips and huffed.

"I am so getting my ass handed to me." He asked no further questions as he helped me hobble to Ana's house, which wasn't far away. He opened the door, and we entered the house to see Dustin putting some stuff away. He took one look at us and immediately walked away.

"Oh, here we go," I groaned, rubbing my face. I lifted my head upon hearing footsteps approach us. I closed my eyes, waiting to see Ana's disappointed expression.

And sure enough.

"Laeli! What did I tell you!" She exclaimed. Dustin quickly grabbed me as Ana scolded Eyarr and shooed him out of the house.

Dustin helped me onto a bed, grabbed the proper supplies to set my ankle, and let his mother take over. As Ana got to work, first rubbed a salve around the red and swollen parts, placed the wooden splints, and securely wrapped linen and leather around my ankle. It was done almost instantly, with years of practice under her belt.

No words were exchanged until she was done.

"Laeli… come on. Zephyr told you it was a bad idea." She scolded me in a gentler tone than her scolding Eyarr earlier. I shrugged.

"Honestly… I just… had to. Fucked around and found out." I attempted. I knew it wasn't the answer Ana hoped for, but it was all I could give. Ana exhaled sharply through her nose as she fetched me some warm yak milk and honey. As I slowly sipped, she took a seat across from me.

"Well, you got half that answer right." She sighed.

"Ever since he got here, something about him… There's just something about him." I told her about what Zyrah told me during Zephyr's birthday. Ana did laugh a bit.

"Ah, Zyrah. Never change…" It was quiet momentarily, then she returned with a new question, shifting the topic slightly.

"So, how exactly did he break your ankle?" I snorted a bit in embarrassment. I relayed the spar with her, explaining that when he brought me to the ground, he had my ankle in an awkward position that caused the fracture.

"While I am not thrilled whatsoever you sparred with him, I will say that's a clever move on his part." She reminisced from when she was my age, being swifter on her feet, sparring and sword fighting with Hiccup, Astrid, and their fellow peers.

"Next time something like that happens, use your free foot and kick the chest right in the middle. Or the face." She playfully winked at me, and I laughed. I'd only seen Ana fight with the others a couple of times. She was fast now, and I could only imagine her skillset when she was my age.

"Also, you still have to teach me archery."

"How about we wait for your ankle to heal before we do that?"

*** Eyarr***

I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't feel bad about Laeli's ankle. But she did ask to spar, so I did what I could do, though I did not intend to injure her physically. I told myself that I would make it up to her later.

And, to be fair, I did deserve Ana's scolding.

I returned to Laeli's house, figuring I'd be in my room.

I was maybe by myself for 10 minutes; then I heard the front door swing open. Pulling on a shirt, I rushed out to see who it was, only to see Ana's son, Dustin, standing in the doorway.

"Dude, you broke her ankle?!" He exclaimed. I blinked.

"Well, hello to you too," I replied, crossing my arms. Some greeting.

"I knew about the sparring, but did you need to swing her down like that?" I rolled my eyes.

"I wasn't going out of my way to. It was an accident!" Dustin sighed.

"Some advice, when a girl asks to spar, she's hoping you'll let her win."

"Why are you giving me advice? I don't think the girl hosting me will want to do that again." He raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know her that well, I get it. But that was a huge effort on her part to get to know you, from what I can tell."

"What do you mean, huge effort?"

"You haven't heard her vents to Zephyr, Nuffink, and myself. She's trying to figure you out. I mean, not that the rest of us aren't. But given that you're living in her house, she wants to understand you."

"Understand me? What else is there to understand?" He and I stared at each other.

"Aaand something tells me you don't know the answer to your question." I pursed my lips, not wanting him to ask any further. But I knew he would.

"You've been difficult for everyone to even talk to. What gives? You know we want to help out, right?" He said, crossing his arms. I swallowed. Was it worth explaining to him?

"If you're uncomfortable talking to Laeli, you can at least talk to me, have another guy to talk to."

"It's not that, exactly." I wasn't sure if I was ready to explain everything to him, but before I could explain why not to him, he grabbed a chair and sat down, resting his arms on the back of the chair.

"Man-to-man talk. C'mon." I huffed, knowing he wasn't going anywhere. I thought momentarily, trying to figure out what I could tell him. What would be enough to get him out of the house? After careful consideration, I opted to tell him what he wanted to hear. Even if I was friends with him, I wasn't ready to unload my baggage on him.

"If it helps you get it, I've been on my own since I was like… I dunno, 14? 15? Since then, I've been figuring my shit out and proving my worth."

"Proving your worth? To who?" I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter now. The point is, I need more time to figure out what I want in my life. I'm just hoping living here will help with that." I watched his face, hoping he would get the hint and leave.

"That's rough, man, I'm sorry." I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need 'I'm sorry.' It is what it is. And I'm going to leave it at that." He pondered momentarily before finally standing up, putting the chair away.

"Alright, fair enough. But, I'm serious, if you ever need a guy or two to talk to, either me or Tannr. He's a good guy. He'd be down to help you out, too." I gave him an awkward half-smile.

"I appreciate the offer." He helped himself out, and finally, I was by myself. Now, I just had to wait for Laeli to come back.

Chapter Text

After a few rough weeks of hobbling on one foot, Ana determined my ankle was healed but could still swell once I started putting weight on it again. She instructed me to use herbs to reduce swelling and other pain. I thanked her profusely and was careful until I could fully use it again.

And much to my surprise, Eyarr remained helpful around the house. I kept telling him to stop, but he didn't give up.

"Take it as my way of apologizing for breaking your ankle." He told me.

"Alright, fine. I accept your apology." I had to say. His whole demeanor seemed to have changed after the sparring incident. He wasn't so… stiff, which is the right word. I couldn't quite place it, but he was slightly different but in a good way. Perhaps he was loosening up a bit. That didn't mean I wouldn't give him a hard time periodically to keep him on his toes. While I was happy he seemed to be adjusting, I didn't want him getting too comfy yet.

One night, I only thought about hearing Eyarr leave the house well before the sun rose. I frankly didn't care enough to chase him down and drag him back. Let him do what he wanted, I knew Hiccup would ensure he didn't get far anyway.

After waking up, I did some chores around the house, hung out with Zephyr, and helped around the village. After a long day, I made it home and was surprised that Eyarr still wasn't back. With a huff of annoyance, I made myself dinner and pulled out a book to read, stoking the fire occasionally. And I read myself to sleep.

Probably not much later, I heard the door creak open.

Alarmed, I bolted out of my seat and grabbed something to defend myself in my half-asleep state. Without hesitation, I hit whoever walked in.

"OW! HEY WAIT A MINUTE-" After a few thuds, I lit a candle only to see Eyarr on the ground. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, grabbing my dagger.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shrieked. He grunted as he looked up at me in bewilderment.

"Well, I was going just to come back in and go to bed!"

"Eyarr! It's the middle of the night! Where the hell have you been all day?!"

"None of your business." I glared at him, pointing my dagger at his face. I was impressed I could take him down like that. This tower of a man…

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but currently, you're under my roof. And as long as you're staying here, I need to know where you're going during the day." He rolled his eyes.

"Going to find my dignity." He replied as he stood up, brushing off his tunic.

"What dignity?" I quipped, raising an eyebrow. He glared at me.

"Gods, when are you not going to make our situation difficult?" He demanded in a frustrated tone. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I could ask you the same! You don't make this easy for anyone, especially me! And I think I've been pretty easygoing on you."

For once, he had no snarky remark to throw back. He didn't know what to say, and maybe he was too tired to think of something snippy, not that it mattered anyway. With a sigh, I put the candle down.

"Okay. Let's take a few steps back here." I pushed him to sit down.

"What will help you open up and understand that I want to help? What do I need to do?" He stared at me for a moment, and I stared back at him, taking in the details of his features. The way his eyebrows moved, his intense golden eyes… the little freckles that patterned his skin. His strong nose scrunched up a bit, and he scratched at his beard.

"I don't know… it's been a while, to say the least, since anyone was genuinely interested in being friends… or even helping me. I've had to help myself most of my life."

"Well then, help me help you. Please." I sighed deeply. Did I dare tell him? Seeing him struggle to adjust to trusting people… almost like me when I first came here. The only difference, the Berkians shared a culture and language with him. But at least one thing we have in common, we're outsiders. And had to show who we are to be trusted and accepted. I've made that accomplishment, and… I wanted to help him reach that, too.

"Eyarr, I, too, struggled to become comfortable here. It wasn't easy. I had to learn a language and adjust to new weather… new people. It was hard. You have the advantage of knowing their language and having cultural similarities. But one thing you and I share… being outsiders, I've already told you this. I don't know if that helps, but that's how I see it. And I want to share the comfort of having a home, a place to come back to." His eyes were wide when I finally looked at him again. But I held up my hand, I didn't need him to say anything else.

"I-..."

"It's fine if you don't feel the same, but I wanted to share what I've been able to piece together from the past couple of months you've been here." He didn't have anything to say, so I just got up and was about to go upstairs to bed. Walking past him, still in the chair, he gently grabbed my wrist. He straightened up in his seat.

"You're right."

"What?"

"You're right. I know I've been a pain in the ass. But there's a lot I'm not ready to share with people yet. I only told Dustin what he needed to know about me. He asked the same question."

"But… you're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Not tonight… but, I think, in time." The way he looked at me…

It would take time and patience with him. But luckily, I had a lot of the latter. However long it took for him to open up, I'd be there.

After a quiet lunch at home with myself as company, I decided a walk would be nice. A few minutes in, I walked past the path that led to the old dragon stables. I debated whether I should go check on him, I knew the two were there. I could hear Eyarr and his dragon a distance away. With my curiosity piqued, I turned and followed the path.

It was more of a trail at this point, overgrown and almost nonexistent from lack of use, even more so than when I first came down this way, but regardless, it wasn't difficult to follow. I saw enough bare earth to show me the way. Soon, I came across the familiar clearing where the stables were. There, Eyarr and his dragon were basking in the sun.

The dragon heard me approaching and lifted its head, snorting. Eyarr sat up and had a look of surprise to see me.

"Oh, hi, Laeli, wasn't expecting you to be here." I shrugged.

"I haven't been down that trail in a while. I wanted to see it again. It is quite nice here." The warm summer breeze rustled the rich emerald leaves of the trees and the tall grass around us. Soft rays of the sun shone through the canopy above us, casting a glittering play of light. The warmth eased me as I took a spot a few feet away from Eyarr. Without hesitation, his dragon extended his wing to shield me from the sun. Eyarr hmphed with a smile and leaned back against his dragon's side, crossing his arms across his abdomen.

"He likes you." I raised an eyebrow.

"He does?"

"Him doing that is his way of showing he trusts you." The dragon reached his head to me, his nostrils flaring. I looked at it hesitantly, slowly reaching out, anxious if it would bite my hand off or something worse.

"He won't bite. I promise. Let him come to you." Swallowing hard, I kept my hand out. The dragon watched me intensely before gently pressing his nose against my palm. For a moment, there was silence. Nothing but the sound of the breeze rustling through the grass and the occasional bird.

"Whoa…" I finally breathed out. The nose horn was rough under my palm, but the scales growing around it were surprisingly smooth. And there was a beautiful color shift of orange contrasting against the brilliant blue.

For the first time, I saw the dragon's sheer, raw power and beauty. I reminisced in the details of his body, covered with a brilliant deep blue, reminding me of the ocean's deep blue.

The crest of horns and spines around his head was a sight itself. And he had the most intense orange eyes that contrasted with the blue of his scales.

I had never appreciated it before, but sitting in the sun with Eyarr and his dragon gave me a new understanding. Cliffire was unlike any creature I'd ever seen. While not the first dragon I'd seen or formed an initial bond with, it was the first dragon I'd encountered more than once and was slowly getting to know. Hiccup and his friends and family had shown me illustrations and told me stories of their dragons, but I doubted I'd ever been able to see them in person.

But Cliffire was enough.

I think Eyarr saw me admiring his dragon.

"He's a beauty, isn't he?" I nodded slowly.

"He is. He's nothing like anything back home. I wish I could see more dragons." I wanted to tell Eyarr about the Hidden World since Hiccup entrusted me with the knowledge of that place. But it was now a matter of whether I could trust Eyarr. And what were the possibilities of him even knowing about it?

"Maybe sometime I could take you somewhere where I've seen dragons in the wild." I faced him with a perplexed but surprised look.

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen it with my own eyes. A massive waterfall in the middle of the ocean. Unlike any wonder, I've seen. The sound of the water cascading down into the earth was exhilarating. What I would give to go there again. I only went in once when Cliffire and I were bonding as dragon and rider. He took me there, and I met his family." I saw the wonder fill Eyarr's eyes, and it was beautiful. He had that same love and wonder of the unknown. But holy shit, Eyarr knew about the Hidden World.

He must've known what I saw in him.

"Maybe this is a lot to offer, but… we can go there. I can show you myself. I can show you everything I've seen. I know you've traveled far, and I wanna show you that. I know you would love it." I was astounded.

"You… you want me to travel with you?" He nodded sheepishly, shrugging and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I know I'm not an easy person to figure out, but I know that you have a traveling soul. I've heard you talk about your love of the sea and that you miss it. I've hardly found anyone who has that same love of seeing the world and learning what's out there. And despite everything… I've genuinely always loved going to new places."

"You've been paying attention?"

"Of course. I like to observe. That's how I've survived on my own."

"I feel like this is the first real conversation we've had where we're not arguing." He laughed a bit.

"Fault on my part." I shook my head a little bit.

"On both of us. Ana was right…" I saw him perk up at her name.

"What do you mean?" I gave him an awkward half-smile.

"Oh… well, uh, when she was setting my ankle after our spar… she talked to me about how to be a better friend." He shook his head in bewilderment.

"We have not been easy on each other."

"No. But I promise I'm fun!" I assured, "I swear. And there's a lot I can teach you."

"I can only imagine. You have a lot under your belt in sailing."

"Among other things… yes. But… you're completely right, I have a love of travel. It's in my blood. And it's something I intend to pass on to my children someday."

"That's a good goal to have. I don't think I have anything valuable to pass on." I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't serious…?

"Dragon knowledge? That's something I don't have!"

"I suppose you're right… But you mean it, you'd like to come with me?" He asked, circling back to his earlier question. I nodded.

"It's lonely not having the right person with you," I said, "I would love to. And I know exactly what waterfall you're talking about."

"You do?" He blinked in confusion, almost astonished I knew what he was talking about.

"Yes, because the first person to ever go there told me."

"Who?"

"The chief."

Chapter Text

After asking Astrid where Hiccup was, I led Eyarr to Hiccup’s study.

Massive bookshelves flush against every wall, a massive desk cluttered with books, papers, boxes, anything you could imagine. He was busy working at his desk, and he smiled seeing the both of us, a noticeable improvement since he only smiled at me for a time. Guess everyone was noticing Eyarr’s attitude change.

“Hello you two, what can I help with?” Gods, how to begin this? I knew the Hidden World was a very personal thing for Hiccup. This could not go well. I just decided to say it.

“Hiccup… Eyarr knows about the Hidden World.” And just as I expected, upon saying those two words, I saw the color drain from Hiccup’s face, even through the beard.

“How…?” He hesitantly asked, almost gasping it out in shock. Eyarr stepped in.

“My dragon took me there. I only ever saw it once… but Cliffire took me in. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. And no one else knows I’ve seen it except for you and Laeli.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want to show Laeli the world of dragons. I know your deep love and respect for them, and I share that. And it’s only right I show Laeli.” Hiccup leaned an arm on his desk.

“Are you sure? You only just began to settle down here.” Eyarr sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit.

“All my traveling didn’t have a purpose, I was just running. I was a nomad. But…” He paused before glancing at me for a moment, “I think I found a new reason.”

Hiccup looked between the two of us, thinking intensely about it. I saw something glimmer in his eye for a moment before he finally spoke up.

“Alright.” He chuckled a bit, “you two are more alike than I realized. But you’re right.” He sighed, placing his hands on his hips, and I saw his familiar goofy half-smile, “I do remember that need for adventure and the thrill of it.” I heard him murmur something about being like his father or something on the lines of that. Either way, it sounded like a resounding yes. I grinned proudly and turned to walk out. I saw Zephyr in the main living area and went to go tell her. As I was walking away, I overheard Hiccup talking to Eyarr.

“You be careful. She’s like a daughter to me, and I want her safe.”

“Don’t worry. I couldn’t agree more. But... you think we’re alike?”

“Yes. But I see more than just that.”

“What do you mean?” Hiccup just chuckled.

“I think you’ll realize that on your own.”

Whatever that meant. I excitedly told Zephyr about everything, who shared my excitement. She loved recounting her story of her visit to the Hidden World when she and Nuffink were children. She hadn’t been back since then, but she was ecstatic for me to have a chance to see it myself. And when I told her about me making a connection with Eyarr’s dragon, she smirked.

“And wouldn’t it be something if you came back with your own dragon?” I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t need a dragon, I just wanna see their world.”

“Eyarr seems like a solid dragon expert like dad. Dad was able to nab mom because of Toothless.”

“What does that mean?” I asked in a bit of a defensive tone. Zephyr laughed.

“Nothing! I’m just kidding. Just be safe out there. And say hi to Nightfire if you see her.”

“Nightfire?”

“Toothless’s daughter.”

“Ohhh right right.” I then recalled the relationships of the dragons that were conveyed to me a while back.

“Don’t be surprised if they’re a bit hostile at first. They may warm up to you, but be careful. Toothless is the Alpha of the Hidden World, so he’s super protective of his family and the dragons he leads.” I nodded.

“Understandable.”

That night, Eyarr and I were up late talking. He’d brought one of the saddle packs from Cliffire to the house, which gave me a brief look into what he had with him.

I was impressed with Eyarr’s supplies. He needed everything one would need when constantly on the move, and to boot, plenty of weapons. I didn’t have much that survived from my wreck, save for a few baskets and tools from home, along with some personal cultural items. While going through my stuff, I found my shark tooth club that my father gifted me. It was identical to the old one he had. I had yet to use it for myself, but I was an expert on how to use it.

Astrid and Nuffink had offered to show me how to use the weapons they made on New Berk, but I only used the dagger Astrid gave me. Metal was still a bit much for me, I used that dagger to threaten people; people being Eyarr initially.

But before we left, I needed to know if we were going to use both a ship and Cliffire for travel. I offered both.

“Both? No, it’s easier and faster to have Cliffire.” Eyarr replied.

“Are you sure…? Cause, like, it’s easier for me to navigate on a boat.” Eyarr glanced up at me.

“Are you nervous about flying on a dragon?” I pursed my lips.

“... I mean, I’ve never flown on a dragon before. I’ve never been in the air. I have sea legs.” I saw a small smile cross his lips.

“I understand. But it would honestly be easier to have Cliffire. I’ll help you get comfortable riding a saddle. Once you get it, it’ll be easy from there.” I was doubtful, but it would be easier to give it a chance.

“Can we do that tomorrow?” I asked sheepishly. I wasn’t ready to mount a saddle today.

“No problem. But let’s get up early so we have time to get you comfortable.”

“It might take a while for me to ride on a giant, fire-breathing lizard.” He snorted.

“Touche.”

Chapter Text

Okay, I forgot how big Cliffire was when standing. My head didn't even reach the shoulder. I swallowed hard, feeling my mouth run dry; damn, I wish I had brought a water jug with me.

I watched Eyarr mount the saddle easily, clipping himself on for safety and giving Cliffire a hearty pat on the neck.

"I… don't know about this."

"Come on, trust me. Cliffire won't let you fall." I watched the dragon's body move, trying to visually understand how he navigated with riding equipment on his back. Cliffire watched me intensely as well. I guess he sensed my hesitation as he gently nudged me with his nose. I goodheartedly patted his nose horn as I physically prepared myself.

With a breath, "Okay, help me up." I walked over as Eyarr held out his hand for me. I lifted my foot into the stirrup, where Eyarr moved his foot for me.

I grabbed a loop on the saddle and gripped his forearm tightly. His hand also firmly gripped mine.

"Ready?" He asked. I wordlessly nodded as he pulled me up in one go, hoisting me behind him. I felt Cliffire shift underneath the saddle, adjusting to the additional weight on his back. I swayed for a moment, trying to focus my weight accordingly. Once I felt balanced, I held onto Eyarr's shoulders, feeling the muscles flex under my fingers, and I tried not to dig my nails into his shirt.

"Okay, he's going just to walk around first. Don't move too much. Allow your body to sway." Cliffire tilted his head as he waited for me to adjust. I took a deep, shaky breath in and nodded in affirmation. He took a lumbering step forward, trying his best not to make any major movements. I wasn't worried about becoming sick from the movement since I've been on the ocean so much, but the ocean was vastly different than being on a dragon.

But soon, I realized that the gentle swaying of Cliffire was similar to the gentle swaying of waves. It actually didn't take long for me to adjust to it.

"You doing okay?" Eyarr asked.

"Actually, yeah, I am. It's not too bad."

"Great!"

Over the next few days, Eyarr helped me become used to everything a dragon did, from walking, running, and jumping. And flying was the last thing.

By now, I could easily pull myself onto the saddle with little assistance from Eyarr.

"It's going to be an intense rush, so hold on, okay?" I nodded, gripping the saddle with my thighs and wrapping my arms around his torso. Cliffire spread his wings with a gust of wind. He turned to face the exit of the clearing towards a cliff. He began to walk, turning to a sprint, and with a mighty flap of the wings, my heart dropped as I watched the ground vanish beneath us, taking to the clouds.

I couldn't help but yell as he climbed higher into the sky. I felt the chill of the air around me, the hair on my arms rising. The wind tore through my hair, and I pulled my half-braid out, letting all my hair loose.

Once I processed the takeoff, Cliffire leveled out, and I allowed my eyes to open fully.

I couldn't explain the feeling I felt deep inside my soul. It was… different.

It felt like something had been lifted off my shoulders. I'd felt free on the ocean, but I felt… freer. Freer than I'd ever felt in my life.

I stretched my arms out, letting my fingertips graze the clouds surrounding us. Despite the cold air, I could feel the warmth of the sun's rays on my back. I felt my heart pounding. Not out of fear but sheer joy. I sucked in the clearest breath of fresh air through my nose.

"CHEE HOOOOOO!" I cried out. It had been so long since I let that cheer of excitement escape me like that.

Every movement of Cliffire's wings seemed to reverberate in my body. In front of me, I heard Eyarr let out a whoop of adrenaline, he directed Cliffire in a deep nosedive toward the sea, and I could feel the sting of the whooshing air against my face, but I didn't care.

I saw the ocean concave as we approached the sea, but Eyarr didn't notice. He pulled Cliffire up just in time, the air pushing the waves up around us, ocean water foam splashing us as we banked around the wave.

Eyarr pulled us back up to the cliff where we took off from. Once we landed, I felt lightheaded and dizzy, and still felt the adrenaline pumping through me. Eyarr jumped off the saddle and looked up at me. He didn't need to say anything. He knew I thoroughly enjoyed every second of that flight.

I was still lightheaded from the air, and when I tried to get off, I lost my focus and fell, Eyarr swiftly catching me.

"Looks like we need to get you to bed so you can sleep that adrenaline rush off." He commented, carrying me bridal style. It was awkward, but I was too dizzy to care.

"Can you walk?" He set my feet down and held me as I attempted to balance, but I was still too lightheaded. When I lifted a foot, I lost my balance again and fell backward, being caught by Eyarr again.

"Alright, I'll help you back to the house." I couldn't help but laugh, and he laughed with me.

As we returned, Eyarr said goodnight to Cliffire, who made himself comfy in the stall.

As we walked back to the village, the sun was beginning to set, and I could feel my head regain its senses. I was able to lead us back to the house. Eyarr helped me up the stairs to my room before heading to his.

As I changed for bed, I couldn't believe I'd ridden a dragon! It was better than anything I could have imagined, and I couldn't believe I was hesitant initially. If only I could tell Mom, Dad, and Aihe. Mom would've loved to ride a dragon. I don't know about Dad and Aihe, but Mom for sure.

As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but think about what it would be like to see that waterfall in person. It took me hours to fall asleep. Once I did, I dreamt of the ocean. Feeling the sheer power of it and its transition into the weightlessness of the sky.

If that was what it felt like to be free, I've lived it.

Chapter Text

After a week of packing and organizing, Eyarr and I finally left. Hiccup and his family and their friends were there to bid us goodbye and good luck wherever we went.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." I teased Nuffink, wanting to ruffle his hair, but I was not quite tall enough to reach his head. He rolled his eyes, giving me a quick side hug instead.

"We'll be waiting for you when you return." Hiccup said, giving me a tight hug, "And we'll miss you."

"I know, I'll miss you guys, too." I gave Ana and Astrid hugs as well, but Zephyr was the one who held her hug the longest, her head resting on my shoulder.

"You're the best, I hope you know that. You've become like a sister to me." She sniffed.

"Oh, Zeph, don't get sentimental on me now." I teased.

"Be careful out there, and don't forget to write about your experiences if you can. I can't wait to hear about everything you've seen!"

"I will!" With our last goodbyes, Hiccup and Nuffink assisted with loading our stuff onto Cliffire's back. I heard Hiccup whisper something to Cliffire, patting his snout good-heartedly. It was lovely to see the chief interacting with the Nightmare-Skrill mix in the way he did. Every interaction was natural and carried a certain air to it.

"Safe travels." Came Hiccup's assuring words. With a small wave, Eyarr turned Cliffire towards the edge of the cliff, and after a small sprint, Cliffire took to the skies.

I watched as the silhouette of the towering island disappeared in the oceanic fog behind us. My home for a year now… my new home. But now, I was returning to what I felt I was meant to do. To follow wherever the wind and sea took me.

I was lucky I met Eyarr, because now I had a reason to travel again, regardless of the difficulties we'd given to each other. To see what I wanted, to explore.

We had presented different challenges to each other at first, and even though we still had much to learn about each other and figure out what we clashed on. But it seemed that we had a decent friendship building. I felt like he trusted me.

"You know, I'm proud of you," I said, breaking the silence. I felt his body shift under my hands, back straightening. He slowly turned his head.

"You are? Why?"

"Because you allowed yourself to take a chance and trust someone new. That's a very difficult thing to do, and I'm thrilled you allowed yourself to let down your wall." He twitched slightly, flexing his shoulders under my hands.

"You're the first person I've genuinely trusted in years. I don't know why or how you somehow knew what I was going through, but… I guess I needed it."

"To be fair, I think I needed someone new, too. My whole life I was told I was born to sail. To see the world, meet new people. And then I ended up on New Berk, and everything flipped upside down, and I was forced to ground myself. It felt like no one else had the same level of ambition that I do." I sighed, running my hand on the saddle seam, feeling the hand-stitched thread on my fingertips.

"Seems that once I came around, I was stuck in your head." I nodded in embarrassed agreement.

"Yeah, basically. I couldn't stop wondering about the kind of person you were."

We chit-chatted for hours, surprisingly able to talk about anything. But deep down, I knew I wasn't seeing all of him or knowing all of him. He was still hiding. But I didn't expect him to reveal everything about him. In time I would probably understand.

I looked down at the vast sea below. Occasional sea spires or a whale would break the surface. I was going to ask if we could fly closer to the water to see if Ocean was in the mood to respond. But before I could ask, Cliffire took a sharp nosedive down, causing us both to yell out in surprise.

A hard bank left, and he leveled out. He glided just over the surface of the water. I cast my gaze down to my reflection, distorted by the ripple of waves and the speed at which we flew over. But even then, I could still see enough of myself; I was different.

I was so used to seeing my reflection on the ocean's surface from the edge of my canoe, but seeing it from the back of a dragon was entirely different. Who was this girl?

"He senses something!" Eyarr exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts.

I heard it before I saw it.

The echoey roar of waves ahead. I peered over his shoulder and saw a great wall of mist rise from the ocean. Soon, I spied sharp rocks and boulders poking out.

"Eyarr." I breathed out.

"I see it, too." Cliffire lifted up before we made an impact with a rock and circled over the legendary waterfall.

I was breathless.

It was even bigger than I anticipated, and the waterfall's roar was deafening. But it was a sight to behold. I wished so desperately to capture this moment in some way. I felt my stomach drop out of my abdomen as I looked down into the abyss. I frantically looked around, trying to see as much as possible, take in everything. And then I saw draconic shapes on some of the rocks.

"Eyarr!" I shouted, pointing towards a figure. Cliffire angled over so we could see it up close. I was taken aback to see a dragon statue perched atop a rock. Looking around, nine more of the same figures surrounded the edge.

"Who put dragon statues here?" I exclaimed. Cliffire roared suddenly, and to my disbelief, the statue moved! I could hear the grinding of the rocks as the dragon's head turned to watch us.

And then I remembered.

Sentinels.

An ancient, Boulder class dragon legendary for guarding Vanaheim. According to Hiccup's story, this is the last resting place of all dragons. But since thousands inhabited the Hidden World, I assumed there were very few dragons traveling to Vanaheim anymore.

"What are they?!" Eyarr asked.

"Sentinels! They're Boulder-class dragons that are known for guarding the island of Vanaheim! But it looks like they're guarding the Hidden World instead!" It appeared Cliffire and the Sentinel were talking to each other.

"What could they be saying?" Suddenly, Cliffire nosedived down into the abyss.

"CLIFFIRE!" Eyarr shouted.

I squeezed my eyes shut and grabbed Eyarr as tightly as possible, becoming soaked in ocean spray. I coughed as water entered my mouth, and I grimaced at the saltiness.

Cliffire leveled, and I opened my eyes to an extensive cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Water filled the bottom, and small schools of fish vanished into the dark as we flew overhead.

"Is this it?" I asked. Eyarr shook his head.

"Just wait." Suddenly, the caves opened up even more to an endless cavern of towering spires and stalagmites that rose from a seemingly bottomless glowing blue mist. And to my sheer amazement, Cliffire's scales changed. They were glowing! I breathlessly grazed my hand over his wing.

"Did he do this when he brought you here?" Eyarr nodded.

"He did. Took my breath away for the first time. I don't know what causes it, but I've seen the same effect happen to other dragons' scales"

Incredible…

We continued to fly, and I was still amazed by the bioluminescence around us. It was absolutely gorgeous. But I knew there was more to come. Especially more dragons.

After a few more minutes, this cavern opened to perhaps the biggest cavern I'd ever seen. Filled with the strangest assortment of plant life, with enormous crystals scattered across the landscape. Almost as soon as we flew past the threshold, Cliffire landed on a rock below, Eyarr helped me down so we could both look.

I got on my hands and knees so I wouldn't be seen, and Eyarr joined my side.

Dragons of every shape, size, and color were everywhere. I could hear their various cries and calls to each other. I was breathless, I almost wanted to cry.

Eyarr pointed out the flocks of Light Furies, their pale bodies sticking out amongst the various colors of other species. Looking around, I could point out familiar species I'd seen in the Book of Dragons. Monstrous Nightmares, Deadly Nadders, Gronckles, Zipplebacks, Terrors, even Skrills!

Eyarr helped me identify other species that were rare to see beyond the surface. Like Rumblehorns, Flightmares, Armorwings, Timberjacks, and even Typhoomerangs! It was so much to take in.

"I see why you love dragons," I said.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" I nodded wordlessly. Eyarr stood and helped me up.

"Where should we go next?" I shrugged.

"You're the one that's been here before. You lead the way." With a grin, he grabbed my hand and ran down an embankment. As we were walking, I kept looking up at all the dragons flying around like giant birds. Mom would have loved to have seen this, and Dad, too, as apprehensive as he could be, I knew he would be amazed by all this.

We walked briefly before finding a rocky cliff with a perfect view of what I assumed was the Dragon King's "throne." A colossal crystal that had its own glow. We could see dragons gathering around, calling out to each other. I got Eyarr's attention and pointed.

"It looks like something's happening!" I whispered excitedly. I heard roaring from overhead, and a dark shadow flew over us. We ducked down to make sure we weren't seen. And my heart began to pound when I recognized the shape.

A Night Fury.

"Oh. My. Gods…" I couldn't even get words out. Hiccup's drawings did not do the real creature justice.

"Eyarr… Night Furies!" I whisper-screamed. We watched as the Night Fury landed on the crystal, and I noted its appearance. Intense forest green eyes, a powerful build… and its tail. I could faintly make out gears and cogs on its tail. And that's when I realized.

"Eyarr, that's… That's Toothless!"

"The Chief's dragon?" I nodded. We covered our ears when Toothless let out a deafening roar, I could see blue glowing from his spine and his nose.

"He's the Alpha for sure. Look at that!" We spied the Light Fury with her Night Fury mate and their three children, who definitely weren't hatchlings anymore. I remembered what Zephyr told me. Ruffrunner, Dart, and Pouncer. I pointed them out respectively to Eyarr.

But then, two more dragons landed on the crystal. Two more Night Furies!

"Wait, I thought Toothless was the last of his kind?" I shook my head.

"Nope. From what I can recall, one last Night Fury colony remained in the Archipelago. But after Grimmel's defeat, Toothless and his mate led the colony here, safe from dragon hunters." I saw the Night Fury nuzzle Toothless.

"His mate?"

"Yep. It's quite sweet, actually. That's Blueheart, Zyrah's Night Fury. Blueheart and Toothless are the Alpha pair. They have one daughter and two sons, like the Light Fury and her mate. I haven't seen Toothless and Blueheart's children yet, but I vaguely remember their descriptions. I know that the sons are much younger than their daughter." After I finished explaining what I could recall, we lay there for a while, watching the dragons converse with each other. And the entire time, Toothless and Blueheart remained next to each other, forever loyal and in love.

When Hiccup had told me that Night Furies mated for life, it added a special touch to the life the Alpha pair had made with each other.

"I wish I knew what they were saying," Eyarr remarked, interrupting my thoughts. I had to agree.

"Me too, I can only imagine the stories they have to tell."

I don't know how long we watched Toothless and his family, it felt like forever, but I loved every second of it. I felt lucky to be able to witness that. I knew that very few knew of the Hidden World's existence.

Later, I helped Eyarr set up camp under a rocky overhang with very little dragon traffic. Cliffire would guard us for the night. Once we had a fire going, Eyarr pulled out his maps of the places he'd been to. I couldn't help but be impressed. Eyarr mentioned all the maps he'd made himself, and I was eager to see them.

"Your maps look impressive," I complimented. He gave me a smile as a thank you.

"Thanks. It's not an easy skill to master, though. I've worked hard on my accuracy."

"You've been to all sorts of places, haven't you?" He nodded.

"I like being kept on my toes and not knowing where the wind takes me next."

"I feel the same way. Everyone back on my home island says I'm just like my mother. Since we both love the thrill of adventure."

"That right?" I nodded, laying down on a wool blanket.

"Yeah, according to my grandparents, I'm just like my mom in personality, though my aunt says I share many features with my father."

"Interesting."

That evening, as I shared stories with him about my family, I began to enjoy his company. He seemed genuinely interested and was an attentive listener.

After staying up chatting, I finally turned in for bed; but even as I slowly began to lose consciousness, I could still hear Eyarr murmuring something to Cliffire. What he said, I have no idea. He then doused the fire, and the cave fell dark.

Chapter Text

I was awoken by Eyarr gently shaking my shoulder.

"Hey, Laeli, come on. Time to go." I slowly peeled my eyes open, rubbing my face.

"It's morning already?" I asked, rubbing gunk out of my eyes. He nodded in confirmation.

"I'm looking at my map to determine where we're going next." While Eyarr studied his maps, I looked around outside the cave. It was slightly quieter since it was morning, and there was not as much boisterous activity from dragons, though I knew they'd be up and about soon. We had to get moving soon so we wouldn't be caught; I wasn't taking my chances.

I needed to wash my hair since it was becoming dry and a bit crunchy from all the dried salt. With a sigh, I found a comb in my bag and a towel and made my way to a small creek.

The water was surprisingly pleasant. It wasn't too cold, and it wasn't hot either. I held my breath as I scooped water into my hands, splashing it on my face and gently scrubbing it on my skin. Feeling the salt gently exfoliating my skin was soothing, bringing back memories of home.

After washing my face, I leaned forward while sitting on my knees, removed the pin from my hair, and began dousing water on my head. I ran my fingers through my hair to allow the water to soak every individual hair and then used my comb to detangle knots in my loose waves.

As I washed my hair, I barely heard something moving nearby, though I couldn't distinguish what it was. Then I briefly heard what I believed to be something walking through water. I couldn't see with my eyes shut, preventing water from getting in, and my hearing was partially obstructed also by water running down my face.

Blindly grabbing my towel, I dried my face and dried my hair while scanning my surroundings. There was nothing. At least I was done washing my hair. I combed it out again, returning to our small camp. But as soon as I made a few steps forward, I heard a throaty snort from behind me.

Oh, gods.

I knew it was a dragon. But I wasn't going to turn and face it. I was frozen in place.

"Eyarr," I called out firmly. He came outside instantly and froze as well. He slowly held out his hand in my direction.

"Laeli, do not move a muscle."

"What's behind me?" His light hazel eyes stared at the creature behind me, watching its movements.

"Sliquifier. Walk slowly towards me, don't run." I swallowed the pit in my throat and slowly made my way to Eyarr, my heart pounding a mile a minute in my chest.

"Easy…" A few more steps, and Eyarr grabbed me, pulling me behind him. He unsheathed out his sword, holding it out towards the dragon growing at us.

Its body was a deep, rich ocean blue, a much richer blue than that of Cliffire. Its wings and fins were tinted a deep pink at the edges, and three tendrils dangled under its chin, glowing intensely with every passing second, and intense yellow eyes. It flared its wings as a warning to us, snarling.

"Let's get out of here."

"Don't have to tell me twice." We scrambled onto the saddle with all our stuff packed and took off. All the while, the Sliquifier was watching us. We heard the warning roar of the Sliquifier echo behind us almost as soon as Cliffire left the ground.

"Cliffire is half Skrill, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"How fast can he go?" Cliffire must've heard me because he suddenly picked up speed. I felt the wind tugging at my skin, and I buried my face into Eyarr's back as Cliffire wove himself through the maze of spires. Behind us, I could hear the screeches and roars of dragons behind us warning the Alphas of intruders. I would not have a chance to meet them this time.

We burst from the waterfall at incredible speed, Cliffire's roar deafening in my ears. Eyarr was cheering. But I couldn't bring myself to celebrate. I gazed down into the abyss below us, the childlike wonder still reeling.

"Laeli? You okay?" A whole other world lay beneath the oceans, and I didn't know when I would have another chance to see it again.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm-I'm fine." I assured, though my tone didn't sound very convincing. Eyarr didn't push it further, thankfully. After Cliffire hovered above the waterfall, Eyarr gave him a pat on the neck, gesturing for us to move forward and find a new spot to camp.

Hours later, we found a desert island covered in a pine forest. The beach was decently sized, with a clear view of the vast ocean before us. The sun was setting. It was a very peaceful evening between the sounds of the fire crackling behind me, the waves lapping on the shore, and the night critters in the forest.

So much happened today, and I was still processing it. I so deeply wished to be able to tell my crewmates. We'd all grown up together on Motunui, and I wouldn't have had a voyage without them. They made everything worth it. I had always hoped that they were delivered back to Motunui safely.

I felt the water shift at my feet before morphing to face me.

"Hey, Ocean," I greeted with a tiny smile. It didn't rise enough for Eyarr and his dragon to see yet. I would introduce them later. I watched as Ocean made motions, splashing me in doing so.

There was no real way of knowing what Ocean was saying. It was cryptic that way. But it was still fun to interact with. It brought me a sense of comfort knowing Ocean followed me wherever I went. Ocean rose up a bit more and tapped my necklace, which I instinctively touched.

"Mom?" I asked. Ocean 'nodded'. There was a silent acknowledgment that my mother was okay. Though I figured she was missing me.

There was only one other who I had yet to see again.

Maui.

I last saw him when my crew and I visited Dad's former island. After that, he flew off. Doing demigod things, I guess. We never really knew what Maui did when he didn't periodically visit Motunui. Maybe that was good; he could be chit-chatting with the gods themselves.

I figured, though, if I could talk to Maui, or see him again, perhaps that could open some form of communication with home. I don't know how that would work, but it sort of made sense in my head.

My train of thought broke upon hearing footsteps in the sand behind me. Eyarr took a seat next to me, but not too close.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. Lost in thought…"

"You seemed really bummed when we left the Hidden World." I frowned slightly, rocking a bit.

"I wanted to see more of it. Learn more about another world that is right beneath the ocean! The adventurer in me is desperate to see as much as possible. Learn everything I can."

"Not voyager?" I shrugged. Both words were part of my identity, but they weren't interchangeable.

"I see myself as both a voyager for the seas and an adventurer for everything. I've always wanted to see the world. And knowing that there's a whole other world below us and the sea, it's exciting! Both my mom and I have that in common."

"You're lucky that you and your family have deep bonds and stuff. I didn't really get that growing up."

I paused, unsure of how to address that new bit of information. He didn't bring it up again, so I left it for now. I didn't expect him to unload his baggage on me now since we were still getting to know each other.

But the way he spoke caught my attention, the heaviness in his tone. Following the awkward pause, Eyarr turned his attention to Cliffire, tossing him some fish.

We chit-chatted here and there while we watched the sun dip behind the ocean. Ocean didn't interact for the rest of the evening, which was for the best. I wanted to wait for the right moment to introduce Eyarr to Ocean.

Eyarr turned in for the night, spreading a blanket for himself and a blanket a couple of feet away.

"When you're ready." He said before rolling over and falling asleep.

I smiled a bit, nodding as a thank you.

I fell asleep watching the stars.

Chapter Text

We camped at that spot for several days, mostly so Eyarr could track and map out our next location. And while he did that, I offered to clean our clothes, and he accepted.

I found his clothes bag and was surprised at how little clothing he had. He had a few spare tunics and pants, but that was it. And a couple of the tunics were worn to the point of almost falling apart. Who knows how old they were.

"Eyarr, I hate to be that person, but you need new clothing." He raised an eyebrow.

"They've lasted me this long. They were made to last." I widened my eyes, lifting the tunic that was falling apart.

"Eyarr, this will blow away in a gust of wind. It's barely hanging on." He sat back on his legs, putting his hands on his thighs.

"And what is your solution to that?" I shrugged.

"I have money on me. We could find somewhere that has fabric, and I can make some new clothes, or we can find something new." He watched me, and I assumed he was considering the offer. I couldn't find a reason why he would hold onto such a raggedy thing. And I couldn't imagine the last time he even wore it.

I looked at the tunic, and there was no way that he'd be able to fit into it. It was meant for a lanky teenage boy instead of a muscular, grown man.

I wondered what that young Eyarr was like. The thoughts of wondering what happened that he left his family for the unknown. Could it have been for the same reason as me? Or could he have been escaping something? I wouldn't find out anytime soon until he was comfortable enough to tell me.

"You may not want a change of clothes, but I need some. I think I've lost weight since being stranded so far from home…" I looked down at my body. While I still had my muscle definition, my body had changed over the past year or so. The food was different here, and my body hadn't quite adjusted.

I noticed Eyarr scanning me carefully.

"Well, if you need it, we can find a marketplace for you."

"Really?" He nodded.

"Whatever you need to be comfortable, then sure. I'm willing to help. I've saved up some money from bartering and trading with people." I raised an eyebrow.

"Trading what exactly?" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Eh, fake maps. Rare dragon scales. I was kind of involved in a black market, if you will. Dangerous stuff." I widened my eyes.

"What?" He held up his hands defensively.

"Look, I know, I know, it was not my best choice in life. But, it did get me somewhere."

"I hope you don't have current enemies."

"Don't worry, I paid my debts." I barely heard him mumble something else under his breath, but I couldn't catch it. Whatever.

"If you say so. Do you know a place we can go to?" He nodded.

"I do. It's one of the safest markets in the Archipelago. Plenty of clothing vendors there." I was intrigued by it. Back home, clothing was all handmade, mostly by certain members of families, or whole families made tapa together.

During all this time, a massive hawk managed to stay out of sight and under the radar, trying to adjust to the colder climate.

"Damn the gods for making this difficult." He mumbled to himself. "Where is she?"

Maui had found a way to cross into the north. Because he was a Demigod, he found other ways to circumvent any difficulties in traveling. After he had heard what happened to Laeli, he spent months trying to find her, to no avail, but he had a gut instinct he was close to getting a lead.

He was also trying to figure out why this happened. Did the Gods have something planned for her?

He spied a towering island that he recalled in a dream. He felt that was where he should start. He landed on a cliff away from prying eyes and transformed into sheep. It was the one animal he'd seen so far that he felt comfortable enough shifting. As a sheep, he knew he could be mostly inconspicuous and not get caught.

He wandered around the village, taking note of the environment. He saw other sheep watching him suspiciously, but he did his best to ignore them. If his hunch was correct, someone here knew Laeli or knew of her.

It was a bunch of walking, he'd lost track of time exploring the village. He'd gotten some stares from villagers, who he guessed were suspicious of the markings on his wool.

After hours and hours, he gave up. He was too tired to transform, plus that would give him away. With a sigh of defeat, he found a stable to hide in—plenty of straw and a good shelter.

He overheard someone talking, no, two people talking. He perked his ears, hoping to catch part of their conversation.

A benefit to being a demigod, Maui had learned a way to understand and speak any language.

But he could overhear the conversation: an older man and a younger woman.

"Yer rather confident in 'im keepin' her company." The man remarked in a thick accent.

"She can take care of herself. I think she'll be able to keep him in check."

"Y'know, they remind me of ye and 'iccup when ye were young."

"Oh, come on, Gobber, you know it's nothing like that."

"I'm serious, Astrid."

"Whatever. Let me take care of the sheep, I'll meet you back inside." Maui came rushing out, having an idea of who they were talking about. He bleated to get these people's attention. The woman, Astrid, with long blonde hair tied into braids, and Gobber, the fat, elderly man, both yelped out in surprise.

"Oi! These damn sheep! They're gonna give me a heart attack!"

"Quit being dramatic, Gobber. It's not like it's Phil."

"Don't ya bring 'im into this!" Gobber replied with offense.

"Will you relax?" Maui watched the woman observe him.

"Rather odd markings. Take a look at this." Gobber raised an eyebrow.

"Oi, I'd reckon those markings look like the stuff Laeli would draw sometimes!" Gobber remarked with a chuckle. That was it! Maui had a lead.

Without another sound, Maui bleated and transformed into his usual self in a flash of light. Gobber caught Astrid as she fell backward.

"HICCUP!" Astrid shrieked. Maui heard a commotion as people ran outside, the man, Hiccup, included.

"Astrid! Gobber! What's going on?" Hiccup rushed to Astrid's aid, and Maui quickly made the connection that not only were they a pair, but that they must be the Chief and Chieftess.

"Oh, my gods." Hiccup breathed out. He pulled out a weapon, and Maui was taken aback by the fire that burst from the sword.

"Hey, hey, whoa! No need for that!" Maui exclaimed.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" Hiccup demanded, trying to shield Astrid behind him.

"I'm Maui, demigod of the wind and sea." He replied, holding out his hook. There would be no theatrics from him. He had serious matters. The demigod watched as recognition spread across the chief's face.

"Gods…"

After a quick explanation, Maui came inside the Haddock house and relayed a short version of his story, and why he was here.

"You're here for Laeli?" The blonde boy, Nuffink, asked. Maui nodded in affirmation.

"What does that mean for her?"

"It means, that if I figure out why and how this happened, I could talk to the Gods themselves and figure out a way to get her home." Hiccup sighed.

"But even if that were possible, you'd have to talk to Laeli first. You don't know how she'll feel about that."

"I know that. So I that's why I need to find out where she is so I can talk to her. Do you know where she went?"

"All we know is that they went toward a place called the Hidden World. It's a huge waterfall in the middle of the ocean. You'll know it when you see it. But after that, we don't know where they went. They could be anywhere by now with the guy she's traveling with."

"And who is this guy she's traveling with?"

"His name is Eyarr Styrsson. We don't know much about his background, but we know he has a troubled past, and Laeli is trying to help him." Maui chuckled, like mother like daughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Not that it's funny; it's just interesting. She takes after her mother in that way. Always trying to help people."

"Not terribly surprising. One thing we can offer, at least in terms of location. We have a family friend that might have something." Hiccup offered. The chief turned to Zephyr, asking her to go fetch a woman by the name of 'Zyrah.' Interesting name.

A short time later, Zephyr returned with a woman around the age of Hiccup and Astrid with graying black hair, and blind eyes. She carried a tall walking staff in one hand, decorated with various carvings and symbols. Maui assumed it was to aid her in walking around.

"What's this all about?" The woman questioned, slightly irritated.

"Zyrah, someone here can get answers for Laeli."

"Okay? How does that involve me?"

"He's a demigod. And isn't Hilda still practicing her craft?" Understanding dawned on Zyrah's face as she connected the dots.

"Ahh. Okay. Well, in that case, uh- I'm sorry, what's your name?" Zyrah asked, swiveling her head to locate where Maui was.

"Maui."

"Maui… demigod… oh! You're the trickster Laeli has mentioned!" She pointed out. To the side, Hiccup facepalmed.

"Yeah, no shame in admitting it."

"Well, in that case. My daughter would definitely be of great assistance. She's working on her shamanism practice. As well as contacting the gods and other spirits." Maui grinned. It was a start.

"Show me how I can reach her."

Chapter Text

Eyarr was right about the market being welcoming. I saw people happily interacting with each other; children were playing in the streets, and people trading, buying, and selling. It genuinely seemed like a good place.

We found a local tavern that had a calm, quiet atmosphere. Patrons were enjoying themselves, drinking mead, and telling stories. A musician in the corner played a stringed instrument and sang tales, occasionally receiving a coin from a patron.

Eyarr and I took a seat at a table in a corner and decided to take a look at the money we had. The money I carried was from Hiccup and Astrid, both of whom told me to spend it wisely since the concept of money was foreign to me, and I was still learning.

Put together, we were both equally surprised to see that we had enough to get some new clothes, food, and supplies.

"This is perfect!" Eyarr announced with a grin.

"What do you suggest we do first?" I asked. He thought about it momentarily, tapping his finger on the table.

"Well… maybe we both need new clothes." He looked down at himself in the tunic he was wearing, making a face of what I guessed was disgust, disappointment, I didn't know. Either way, it was evident he was self-aware now. I raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Alright, in that case, let's go look and see what we can find."

We wandered the streets for some time. Eyarr was carefully eyeing the various vendors and what they were selling; meanwhile, I was taking in the sounds and smells. There was so much to be taken in. I heard people talking in all sorts of languages, none except for Norse, that I understood. I could feel stares at me, though. I shouldn't have been so surprised, honestly. There wasn't a single other soul in the market whose skin tone was as dark as mine. That being said, I didn't catch snide or negative remark…

While we were walking, something caught my eye.

A beautiful tunic. A warm blue, reminiscent of the waters of Motunui. And upon closer inspection of the lining, I saw a familiar pattern. The swirl. Just like on my necklace and just like Te Fiti's heart. I grazed my finger over it in fascination. The fabric was soft to the touch, evidence of a talented weaver.

"Ah, you have a good eye! Our seamstress was inspired by the symbol of water." The vendor greeted, announcing her presence. An older woman, close to her eighties perhaps. Wiry white hair, sporadically placed braids around her head, decorated with colorful beads.

"Is that right?" I replied.

"Indeed. Quite the traveler, too. According to her, many places have a similar symbol for water. That swirl. You are interested, yes?" I nodded.

"How much is it?" Surprisingly, she offered a fair price, and I didn't even have to negotiate with her. I happily paid and found Eyarr to show off my purchase.

"Look what I found!" I revealed with the excitement of a child. He seemed impressed.

"Nice find!"

"What about you? Did you find anything?" He nodded with a slight smirk.

"Uh oh, what's with that look?" I questioned. He wordlessly tossed his head in the direction of the camp.

"Let's head back to Cliffire first." After I bought a new pair of leggings, boots, a sash, and a few other things, we headed back to camp. I was curious to see what Eyarr had found.

"Okay, show me what you got." He placed a piece of leather before me, wrapped up securely.

"Something for you." I looked at him in curiosity.

"For me?" He nodded, gesturing for me to open the leather. To my amazement, it was a pair of daggers. They were simple but finely crafted.

"Eyarr, I-"

"When you feel ready, I want to teach you how to fight with daggers." He explained, gesturing to the daggers he already owned.

"What do you mean? What about my club? And I already have a dagger that Astrid gave me."

"That's a great weapon, don't get me wrong. It's very unique, but unfortunately, it won't last very long in a combat scenario. New kinds of weapons made with iron and other metals are being created all the time, and should, Gods forbid, you end up fighting someone with a longsword, that club is not going to last. And you've only used that dagger to threaten me."

"Touche."

Okay, I guess that made sense. Man, when we go back to New Berk, whenever that is, I'll need some more training from Astrid and Zyrah. They've been called two of the archipelago's best warriors. And Ana still promised to train me in archery.

I picked up one of the daggers, getting a feel for it. It was light, and I could easily twirl and toss it around. I moved it around in my hand, trying to find an ideal position to hold it. I knew there were many techniques for handling daggers.

Without much thought, I decided to throw the dagger into a tree. It impaled into the bark with a solid thunk. I removed it without much difficulty. Even though I suppose that was a good throw, I knew I had much to learn.

After playing with the daggers, I changed into my new outfit.

I emerged from behind a large rock wearing my new stuff.

"What do you think?" I asked. Eyarr looked up from eating, giving me a once-over. He nodded with approval, swallowing his food.

"You 'ook good!" He said.

"What about you? Did you find new clothes? You never told me." I replied, sitting down and grabbing a piece of chicken.

"I did. And a new sword."

"You do love your weapons."

"Hey, I'm a Viking. We're born to love weapons." I snorted and rolled my eyes. He quickly finished eating to change. I stoked the fire in the meanwhile, tossing a chicken leg to Cliffire, who gobbled it down.

I don't know how long he was gone, but eventually, Eyarr returned, and he looked like a whole new person. He fixed his hair and even trimmed his beard!

"What, did you give yourself a haircut, too?" I commented. He laughed.

"I decided I needed to fix myself up." His new leather vest was decorated with metal detailing down the front, with stamped patterns on the chest. And he had new arm braces; the one on his right came with a fingerless glove attached instead of both his hands being gloved. I did spy a small scar on the palm of his left hand.

"You look like a different person." He grinned.

"You were right. I needed a change. What do you think, Cliffire?" We glanced at the dragon, who snorted in response, smoke blowing from his nostrils.

"I think he likes it." I chuckled, "as do I." We glanced at each other, and I couldn't help but smile. He was slowly changing before my eyes, and I couldn't be happier for him. And I couldn't help but admire how the firelight caught in his light hazel eyes. Just like I'd seen before, they seemed to glow gold.

"You're the first person I've met with such fascinating eyes," I said, slightly tilting my head. He raised an eyebrow.

"That right?" I nodded.

"Mhm. They're very unique. Everyone else has blue, green, or brown like mine. You're the first with golden."

"Your eyes are quite pretty, too. They have a special warmth to them. Like you." I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Really?" He gave me a gentle smile.

"As I said before, one else has tried to help me like the way you have. You're genuine. And… you've opened my mind a bit, helped me understand the world a little better."

Together we sat in front of the fire, just talking. And enjoying each other's company.

With all the progress he's made, I still couldn't help but feel this was only the beginning.

Chapter Text

How did Laeli do this?

I asked myself this question almost every single day since my sister left. With my new position as chieftain, I had much more on my plate than before.

My big sister had a brief tenure as Motunui's chief before she left on her maiden voyage, and she handled her duties with exemplary grace and pride. We were all so proud of her.

But now, with her gone, it was up to me. It'd been almost two years since she left. I was 16 now, the same age our mother was when she became chief.

"Aihe, you're doing great. I promise." Dad would always assure me, or attempt to. He remembered being in my position, not knowing how to be a chief. But he wasn't born into it like Mom, Laeli, and I was. Though I was taught the same stuff as my sister, I just never thought I would have to put them to use.

But in the time since Laeli left, a lot had happened besides me stepping up.

Grandpa Tui died. Natural causes, our village healer informed us. He passed in his sleep one night, and his funeral was quite grand.

It killed me so much that I couldn't tell my sister. But in some ways, it was best she didn't know. She adored our grandfather.

The death was very difficult for Mom the most. After everything she had gone through, losing her father was just as painful to her as losing her grandmother.

But even despite it all, life carried on. The village continued to grow and prosper, and under Mom and Dad's guidance, I learned how to forge alliances and expand our trade routes. Unfortunately, that also came with proposed arranged marriages from chiefs desperate for themselves or their sons to be wed to the daughter of a chief.

"I remember dealing with the same thing when I was your age." When I complained, Mom said, "Men always want women for something." Dad would always send her a mock offended face, to which he received a tongue out in response.

During my first few months as chief, one or both of my parents would walk with me around the village and help me adjust to my new duties. Familial disputes were the worst, I hated getting involved in personal, private issues, but since I had a leadership position, people looked to me to tell them what to do—hardly any independent thought.

Dad often came with me as he and I had similar mindsets in resolving conflict; we tried calming everyone down so people could talk with a clearer mind. Angry minds lead to angry words, and angry words lead to even angrier families. He and I were walking around the village when we overheard yelling and profanity. We headed over and saw one of our tattooists, Paka'a arguing with another villager.

Dad looked at me. I took in a breath and walked over cautiously, greeting Paka'a first.

"Paka'a? Hey… what's going on?" He didn't even acknowledge me. But the woman he was arguing with, Kalamainu'u, saw us approaching and immediately ceased her argument.

"Oh! Chief! Aihe! I uh… I'm so sorry you walked in on this."

"What's going on here?" I asked.

"Just disagreeing about our property lines." I gulped. I hadn't had a lot of guidance about property disputes, so I nervously looked to Dad, who stepped up next to me. He patted me on the shoulder, assuring me it'd be fine. I watched him as he talked to Paka'a and Kalamainu'u and slowly began to understand. The whole argument was petty, to begin with, and I was able to help Dad resolve the issue.

"You did a great job, Aihe." I beamed.

"Really?" He nodded.

"Mom is going to be delighted when we get home." On our way back to our fale, we ran into Gramma Sina, who was chatting with my aunt Huihana.

"Your granddaughter helped resolve her first property dispute." Dad boasted. Gramma beamed.

"That's wonderful! I remember your mother's chief training." Huihana lightly shoved Dad in the shoulder, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Nicely done, bro." She laughed. Dad and Aunt Huihana went to talk about sibling things, I suppose, while I stayed with Gramma. We walked around, greeting villagers together. I remember Laeli, and I would walk around the village with our grandparents growing up. I missed him and Laeli so much. Grandpa was at peace, but there was no way of knowing where Laeli was.

Gramma must've noticed the look on my face.

"Aihe, what's wrong?" We sat together on a fallen palm, overlooking a social center, people-watching. I sighed dejectedly, I picked a frangipani flower from an overhanging branch, cradling it delicately in my hand.

"I just-… I miss Laeli so much. I miss everything we did together. I miss following her around, annoying her, and playing with her. And she's never coming home." I felt my eyes well up with tears and tried blinking them back. Gramma placed her hand on my back, pulling me close for a hug.

"I know, Aihe. I miss her, too. Very very much. I wish she and your grandfather were still here." I don't know how long Gramma and I sat there, talking and reminiscing, long enough that I saw Mom in the crowd, and she came to join us.

"There you two are! Everything alright?" Gramma nodded, holding her hand out as Mom helped her up.

"Everything is just fine. Your daughter and I were reminiscing."

"Missing Laeli… mostly," I added. As soon as I mentioned my sister's name, a ghost of a sad smile crossed Mom's face. She nodded and gestured for us to start heading back home.

"Your uncle is getting food ready for us. Everyone's already home." The sun was beginning to set, and people were starting to head home, cleaning up their activities for the day and lighting their torches. The sounds of the night critters filled my ears, the evening ambiance relaxing my mood.

As we arrived home, I saw Dad, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins already waiting for us. I could smell the pork only meters away. Ugh, it smelled so good. Everyone sat in their respective spots. Typically, Laeli and I sat in between our parents; I was usually next to Mom, and Laeli next to Dad. But in the months since Laeli left, the spot became smaller. Gramma Sina sat next to Mom, with Grandpa Tui next to her. But with two family members gone, the circle was smaller.

As we ate and talked, I looked around the family circle. My twin cousins, Amiri and Rua, making stupid faces at each other and bothering their baby sister, Siale. My other cousins, Kalani and Manuia, were seated next to my aunt Pania, mom's cousin. The two happily kept Siale occupied so her brothers wouldn't annoy her.

Overall, it was a very typical dinner at home.

After finishing our meal and cleaning up, we all went to bed. I fell asleep rather quickly, but unfortunately, I was always a light sleeper. I woke up to the sound of muffled crying. I opened my eyes and turned my body over to see the silhouettes of my parents sitting on the back steps, facing the ocean. I could see Mom's figure slightly shaking and Dad holding her close.

"Keoni… I… she's our firstborn… and she's never coming home. Every day, it hurts even more… she could be anywhere. She could be married and having children! And we don't even know!"

"Moana, mele, I know… it hurts me too."

"I keep trying to hold it together… for everyone… for Aihe, but it's so hard… and with dad gone… I feel like two lights are gone from our lives. And we haven't seen Maui in gods knows how long…" Dad gently shh'd her, rocking her in his arms.

"Wherever she is… she has Fetia to guide her back home. We both know our daughter, Moana. She's smart, and we taught her well. We'll receive a message if there's a message to be sent." I could hear Dad's voice crack slightly. I rarely heard or saw Dad cry. I couldn't have imagined how much Laeli being gone affected my parents. They hardly expressed any sadness about my big sister leaving the island. They had mostly expressed pride in raising us so well and their confidence in her skills. Of course, they always said they missed her very much and that if she chose to come home, she'd be welcomed with open arms, no matter what. But obviously, there was little to no chance of that. And for the first time, it hit me how much my whole family grieved.

I remember Dad and aunt Huihana telling Laeli, myself, and our cousins their story, how they found Motunui, and what they did to persevere. I always looked up to my parents for their accomplishments and only wished to accomplish half of what they did. But they never openly talked about their adventures all the time. They remained humble as they lead our people, always ready to learn something new.

And my goal was to walk in those footsteps, even though I sometimes longed to follow my sister.

Chapter Text

Eyarr and I had made ourselves comfortable at our campsite for a decent period of time. We stuck to our usual tasks; I'd fish for us, make sure our supplies were organized, and practice using my new daggers.

He had also set a target station, first showing me how to throw a dagger. In his words, "Sometimes you just need to throw something sharp." I didn't have any reason to question it, so I went along with his instructions. While my father had trained me with target practice for stationary targets, it had not been put to much use. My skills had deviated to oceanic fishing, using spears on schools of fish.

"I can aim for a moving target! Why can't I get one that's literally not moving!" I exclaimed in frustration.

"It's okay, Laeli. It's a different kind of aim. You need to remain steady and focused. I don't expect you to be perfect at this. It takes time."

"If I can get at least one on the target…" I mumbled.

"Here, let me help your stance." He positioned my arms, angling them in the right direction, and moved my feet accordingly. Then to my surprise, he stood against my back, so my head was against his chest. He gently took my wrist with his hand, demonstrating the motion, holding my opposite hand up.

"Watch this." He said. He waved my arm for a few seconds before throwing the dagger with a flick of the wrist.

With his guidance, that throw landed me a ring away from the bullseye, to my amazement.

"You did it!" I said with excitement. He grinned and shook his head.

"No, you did. All it takes is a good flick of the wrist." He demonstrated it again for me, and I mimicked him, "Go and try again, with that wrist motion this time." He said. I went and yanked the dagger out, returning to my original position. My body recreated the position from moments earlier, and I recalled that wrist motion.

I held out my other arm for my aim.

Once I was sure of my aim, I took in a steadying breath and threw.

Just outside the bullseye this time. My jaw dropped. I eagerly turned to Eyarr with the excitement of a child.

"Look! I did it!" He grinned again.

"You did!" He high-fived me, "Keep that up, and you'll be better than me."

"I haven't even seen you use your daggers."

"Because I haven't needed them yet. I need to train you on proper combat usage before we try fighting with them."

"One-on-one?" I asked. He gave an affirming nod.

We trained for a few more hours until the sun began to set. My shoulders and triceps were extremely sore from all the throwing, but I felt excited.

Our dinner was satisfying that evening; Eyarr told me stories about some of his travels with Cliffire and the experience he gained. I felt like we were becoming even closer than before. I could feel he trusted me. And I could never betray that trust.

We went to sleep, exhausted but happy.

I awoke in the middle of the night randomly. My mind swore it heard something splash in the water. I sat up, yawning and pushing a stray hair out of my face. I looked over, the fire had died, and Eyarr was sound asleep next to Cliffire, who was asleep as well, snoring-like noises emitting from his throat. Eyarr rolled over under his blanket but did not wake.

I blinked the gunk out of my eyes and groggily made my way toward the shore, clutching my arms and feeling the chill in the night air.

The ocean was pitch black, but the moon provided enough light that I could see the trees and outlines of sea stacks in the distance and surrounding our campsite.

What could've woken me up? Maybe it was a dream or something. Even though I knew Eyarr and Cliffire were asleep several yards away, I still felt like something was watching me. I scanned the water and the forest surrounding us but couldn't see or hear anything.

Suddenly I heard something in the water again, the same sound that woke me up. I blinked to refocus and swore I could see a dark shape swimming close to shore. It wasn't anything that I could think of. Whales and sharks wouldn't swim this close to shore without the risk of beaching themselves.

I took a few steps closer to inspect it, and suddenly I saw yellow eyes watching me from beneath the surface. The eyes seemed to be glowing, and I felt my heart drop out of my stomach.

And then, whatever it was, finally emerged from the water. And it dawned on me what it was.

It was the Sliquifier from the Hidden World.

"What in Thor's name-" I blurted. I had always used the name of the gods and goddesses from home, but this was the first time I'd uttered the name of a Norse god.

The Sliquifier was eyeing me, its yellow eyes glowing brighter now that it was out of the water. The tendrils that dangled from its chin were glowing a bright blue. It flared its wings at me in a threatening manner, emitting a guttural growl.

Frightened, I stumbled backward in an attempt to get back to camp, but I tripped over my feet, yelping as I hit the sand. The Sliquifier aggressively ran at me now that I was down, its maw open, and I screamed in terror. As I shielded myself in anticipation of a blast of fire, I heard a yell and a roar from the opposite direction. I twisted my neck to see Eyarr and Clilffire wide awake and running at us.

Cliffire roared ferociously at the Sliquifier, who roared back. The two dragons began to fight before my eyes, I wanted to move, but I was frozen in fear. I'd never seen dragons fight before, and my mind was stuck. I snapped back into focus as I heard footsteps trample across the sand as Eyarr came to my aid. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side, shielding me from the fire blasts.

Soon, the dragons settled down. Eyarr and I looked up to see the dragons staring at each other, snarling at each other, and sizing each other up. We were dumbfounded.

"What the Hell," Eyarr exclaimed. He was still holding me close as we tentatively approached the dragons.

"Eyarr, what's going on?" I finally uttered. He shook his head.

"I don't know. Stay here." He carefully approached Cliffire's side, who was breathing heavily from the fight but seemed to be calmed down. He observed the Sliquifier for a moment, which was pacing around on the beach until it saw me again. Eyarr and I looked at each other, and he slowly gestured for me to come to him. I did so, watching the Sliquifier with caution.

"It followed us," I said.

"It did. I can't fathom a reason for a dragon to leave the Hidden World." I looked at the Sliquifier. Now, I was curious but still fearful. The dragon had followed us for a reason. It didn't appear to be as enraged as before, but it was still wild; therefore, unpredictable.

I cautiously approached the Sliquifier, making eye contact with it, trying to indicate my respect for its power. I kneeled on one knee before it, and it cocked its head, lowering it to my level. Still watching me carefully, I could now make out the details in its eyes. An intense yellow, much like the flame of a torch. Its pupils were rapidly constricting and dilating, furthering my uncertainty about its emotions. But I don't think it saw me as a threat anymore.

"I think… it's interested in you…" Eyarr commented softly. And I could only silently nod in agreement. I was at a loss for words.

I scanned the dragon, taking in the details of its body, observing its streamlined shape and its fins. It was meant for the water. Tidal class, if I wasn't mistaken. In the same class as Scauldrons, Seashockers, and even Bewilderbeasts.

"It's beautiful…" I said.

"Very impressive creature." He agreed.

"I mean… if it came all this way, just for me… as wild as that sounds… we can see how it's doing in the morning, right?" Eyarr came to my side.

"If that's what you want, I'm open to it. Cliffire can keep an eye on it. Or him…?" The Sliquifier seemed to make a noise of affirmation that it was male. Eyarr shrugged.

"Fine by me. But it's still a wild dragon. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

It would be a huge risk for me to attempt any sort of bond with a wild dragon, but maybe… it would be worth it.

Chapter Text

Well after dawn broke, Eyarr and I were pleasantly surprised to see the Sliquifier still nearby, resting on the beach.

"Well, that's a good sign!" I remarked, cautiously approaching the Sliquifier. It opened its eyes and raised its head, facing me. I nodded to acknowledge it. I fully intended to approach this situation with patience and respect, as it was a creature of the ocean, and the ocean always commanded respect.

The Sliquifier was certainly not threatened by me anymore, but I wasn't going to allow myself to become too comfortable just yet. I needed to earn the Sliquifier's trust. If this plan worked well in my favor, then I could try the legendary 'Hand Thing,' coined by Fishlegs on how Hiccup tamed not just his dragon but many other wild dragons as well. Fishlegs had always spoken of it with pure delight, having witnessed this action many times.

It took me a while to go back to sleep last night. I couldn't stop thinking about how insane it was. A dragon came all this way for me. It was unfathomable, yet it was real.

The day was mostly a blur, but what I remembered was a simple and gentle approach, which was received well by the Sliquifier. In response, he was calmer and more docile around me. I found myself enjoying the interactions. The Sliquifier, later on, demonstrated his skills and maneuverability in the water, and I was rather shocked by its speed. I think I recalled reading in a volume in the Book of Dragons that the Sliquifier was like an aquatic variation of the Night Fury in terms of speed. Hiccup remarked that Light Furies didn't count since they didn't live IN the water, just near it. That made sense.

With the Sliquifier and I becoming more comfortable with each other, Eyarr and Cliffire also showed their ease with him as well. Cliffire allowed himself to be friendlier with the new companion.

One afternoon, Eyarr sharpened his weapons, and I was reading a book I brought; I suddenly had an idea.

Cliffire ate both fish and chicken and other meat occasionally. If I intended to gain the trust of the Sliquifier, I ought to offer him food. And since he was an aquatic dragon, fish was the best choice.

I stood and went over to where I had fish stored before I'd scale it and hang it to dry.

The Sliquifier and Cliffire both raised their heads.

"Sorry, Cliffire, another time." I patted his snout good-heartedly before approaching the Sliquifier.

"Here," I said, tossing the fish to him. He sniffed it, eyed me, and then swallowed it whole. "What? No chewing?" I commented. The Sliquifier didn't seem terribly impressed, but he didn't seem to mind it, which was a good start.

It soon became routine. Every morning and evening, I'd offer him fish; and each time I offered, he was more eager to take it.

Eyarr noticed the behavior.

"He definitely seems to like you." I nodded in affirmation. "What's your next step?" I frowned.

"Well… there is something I have in mind that I'd like to try. But it's something I want to show you and Cliffire as well." Eyarr raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

"Wait and see. You won't be disappointed." I think freaked him out, but I was excited. I was finally going to introduce the boys to the Ocean, officially.

The following evening, I finally felt ready.

Without another word, I took Eyarr's hand and walked towards a rocky outcropping overlooking the ocean. Below us, the waves crashed against the rocks. Cliffire and the Sliquifier stood behind us, both sharing expressions of curiosity.

I leaned my head over the outcropping, looking at the movement of the water. I was waiting to see that familiar glowing swirl form.

"You're kinda freaking me out," Eyarr said, uncertainty lacing his voice. I shook my head.

"I promise you'll be impressed," I assured. I knew the Ocean could be finicky with interaction, but I hoped it wouldn't disappoint me.

Suddenly, the Sliquifier made a noise, becoming antsy. Eyarr and I looked back at him before I then heard the sound of water in motion. I felt a smile grow as I turned to face the rising silhouette of the Ocean.

"Ocean!" I exclaimed, holding my hand out for it. In response, Ocean splashed me, grabbing a strand of my hair and twirling it around. After the short reunion, I remembered I had someone to introduce.

"Eyarr, this is Ocean." I finally announced. I gazed upon Eyarr's face, his fair features full of absolute astonishment and wonder, maybe with a little bit of fear in his eyes.

"Laeli… what in Odin's name…"

"Do you remember my mother's story?" He slowly nodded, "The Ocean is the one who chose her and helped her." I took his hand, gently pulling him closer to the looming wave, assuring him it was okay.

"Ocean, this is Eyarr." The Ocean's "head" leaned forward, making a motion indicating it acknowledged Eyarr's presence. I didn't know what was going through Eyarr's head, but I knew he couldn't believe what he was seeing. I wanted to show the wonders of nature beyond dragons.

"This is unbelievable." Eyarr finally said after a long moment of silence. He held his hand out, hoping to see if the Ocean would interact with him as it did with me. The Ocean hesitated, before lightly splashing his hand, creating a swirling spiral of water from Eyarr's palm to the Ocean's hanging figure.

"Laeli… this is absolutely incredible. I- I don't even know what to say." He said, awe lacing his voice. I couldn't help but smile broadly.

"I've been waiting for the right moment to share this with you." He looked at me, and a glimmer of something crossed his eyes. What it was, I didn't know. But I was thrilled the introduction went well. The Sliquifier also seemed impressed by the liveliness of the Ocean, too. Cliffire was… wary.

It seemed the Ocean changed the Sliquifier's attitude. It was difficult to explain, but it appeared the Sliquifier's mood towards the Ocean and their interactions, dare I say, improved. It seemed that they were communicating in sync in some way.

Eyarr noticed this and said it could be a good sign that the Sliquifier might be ready for a new interaction with me. And I had to agree.

My head began swirling with ideas of how to prove myself to this dragon.

"Hey, if you're dedicated to this dragon, it might soon be time to approach that. Plus, maybe once you do, we can move around again and find a new spot to explore." Not that it didn't sound intriguing… I just felt anxious. Having a dragon, sharing a bond with them, and flying with them every day. It was hard to fathom for me since I was raised on the sea.

"You're not wrong… as long as you help me accomplish that."

"Of course! It'll be different from Cliffire, but it'll be fun!"

Chapter Text

Two days following introducing the boys to Ocean for the first time, it was now my time for my test with the Sliquifier.

The Sliquifier had already entered the water and was monitoring me from offshore. I'd only given Eyarr some insight into what my plan was to prove myself. But what I was intending to do was challenge Ocean and test my endurance.

I'd only done this a couple of instances before as a teenager with my mom's supervision. It was risky, but it was a true test of endurance; learning to tread water and not to fight the current. I also learned how to hold my breath for longer periods of time. I built my strength in and on the water, so I felt ready.

I made my way to a short cliff where there were no sharp, dangerous rocks below, so it would be safe to dive in. I spied the shift of Ocean, knowing it was ready for me. I sent my prayers to Tangaroa and Te Fiti, and with a deep breath, I dove feet first.

I felt the rush of the chilly water envelop my body, and my heart rate shifted. But once I started swimming, I knew my body would warm up. I slowly opened my eyes to dark water, there was just enough light that I could see the refractions of water on my extended hands. I kicked myself forward, feeling no resistance.

After a minute or so, I caught the sound of something approaching me from my right. I slowly arched my body just in time to see the Sliquifier swimming up.

We made eye contact, and then he swam off. I quickly resurfaced and took another breath, and then dove back in.

The Sliquifier then began creating underwater riptides, forcing me to swim along with it, not trying to force myself into it. Every couple of minutes I would resurface, but soon he began making it more of a challenge, giving me less time to resurface for air. He soon began a game to see if I could catch him, and I eventually figured out it was a challenge to see if I could get on his back.

Alright, that's how you want it? That's how we're gonna do it.

With a surge of adrenaline, I swam as fast as I could after him, ignoring the drop of the ocean floor. It didn't matter.

He was faster than myself or any other ocean creature I'd seen before, except for tuna and sailfish. His maneuverability was astonishing, using his wings and tail to control his speed. And when he extended his wings out in the water, his movement reminded me of a manta ray. The graceful, elegant flap of his wings was mesmerizing.

As he led me through the underwater chase, I suddenly felt the current grab hold of me and surge me forward. Ocean was helping me!

Ocean practically fired me onto the Sliquifier's back. When he realized I caught up to him, he suddenly breached the surface, the rush of air chilling me to the bone.

"OH GODS!" I shrieked. I craned my neck back to shore and spied the small figure of Eyarr on the beach. I couldn't make out his expression, but I knew he did not expect this. He bounded over to Cliffire, but I screamed at him to stay, I didn't need his help. Yet.

The water made the Sliquifier's smooth scales even slicker, and since I was only in my undergarments, I was gripping onto his shoulders with the bare strength of my thighs, praying for the best. I tightly wrapped my arms around his neck but avoided grabbing his neck fins, as I didn't want to hurt him.

"C'mon… c'mon…" I quietly uttered, squeezing my eyes shut as the Sliquifier performed a corkscrew maneuver into the sky, arching back down and taking a sharp nosedive straight back for the water.

He was testing me on if I jumped off his back before he hit the water or if I trusted him to slow down in time. I knew he was powerful, and if he wanted to kill me, he would've while I was in the water with him. I allowed myself to be vulnerable in his natural environment, and so this was my final test.

The wind lashed at my skin harshly as he got closer and closer to the surface of the ocean, and I braced myself for what could be the last thing I saw, or a gentle dunk.

Next thing I knew, I was frozen in place.

But not dead.

"LAELI!" I heard Eyarr call from shore. I carefully opened my eyes, and once I came back to my senses, I realized I was comfortably sitting on the Sliquifier's back as he floated in the water. He angled his head around to face me, watching me closely. I was still breathing deeply, but I could feel my body relax now, with the fear of the Sliquifier wanting to hurt me long gone.

As if by instinct, my right hand lifted, holding it up to the Sliquifier's snout. I was going to do it.

I closed my eyes again, breathing steadily, hand outstretched, trusting the Sliquifier to meet my palm.

And he did.

It felt like time slowed down. Every sensation running through my body was heightened. The skin of my palm felt every scale and bump on the Sliquifier's snout. I could feel the heat of its body radiating, the flare of its nostrils as he watched me with the same wonder.

"By Na-maka-o-Kaha'i…" I gasped out. The Sliquifier made eye contact with me and gave me a gentle nudge. By this point, I'd completely forgotten about Eyarr and Cliffire on shore. But as the Sliquifier and I swam back, Eyarr was utterly speechless. He gave me a blanket to dry myself with, but he was still at a loss for words.

"Gee, thanks for the congratulatory speech." I teased him. He shook his head to refocus, and I swear he started breathing again.

"Laeli-" …

"Gods, that was incredible!" He grasped my shoulders, "I've never seen anything like that before." It was evident that too many thoughts swirled in his head for him to say anything coherent. I thought it was sweet, though, seeing him so excited for me.

"So what's next?" I asked. He paced around as he thought, hand on his hip and the other raking through his messy blonde hair.

"Well, you have to start developing your bond with him more, doing things together, a test drive. Oh! I gotta make you a saddle first. Then we have to see how well he takes the saddle, and then you have the test drive-..." He continued rambling for a few minutes, ideas jumbling together as he developed a game plan for me.

"Oh, am I going to make a dragon rider out of you!" He boasted, practically bouncing on his feet. I just stared at him in awed bewilderment. In the months I'd started getting to know him, this was probably the first time I saw him this excited. He had a new energy in him, and it suited him well.

In glancing over at Cliffire, I could've sworn I saw him crack a smile in whatever way a dragon could. This was also probably the first time he'd seen his rider this happy in some time. I had to admit; it was quite adorable. But now I had a new appreciation for how strong the bond could be between a dragon and its rider.

That evening, Eyarr and I were lounging by our campfire, relishing in the exhilaration of today's events. Meanwhile, Cliffire and the Sliquifier were by the shore, interacting with each other. As I watched them, I had an epiphany.

"Look at Riptide," I said with a grin. Eyarr turned to me, his brows raised slightly.

"Riptide?" I lightly tossed my head toward the aquatic dragon. Realization dawned on him, and he returned the grin.

"That's a really good name."

"Fitting, eh?" He nodded in agreement.

"You've come a long way." I chuckled.

"So have you. You're a completely different Viking than the one I met on the pier." I saw color flush across his freckled cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck, the muscles of his chest flexing as he did so.

"I suppose you could say that. But, let's not forget you still held a dagger to my face." I pursed my lips before I chuckled. He really had to mention that.

"You did deserve it."

"You made it easy." We shared a laugh. I found our banter to be fun, relaxing even.

Suddenly the Ocean reared up, greeting us.

"Ocean! Have fun with Riptide?" As if to say 'yes,' Ocean plopped water on my hair, pulling it up, swirling it around.

I briefly looked over at Eyarr in mild embarrassment, I saw something different on Eyarr's face. His eyes were wide, and his cheeks were red, different than anything I'd shown him that I knew blew his mind. I quickly looked away, and Ocean pulled back, allowing my soaked hair to drop around my face, wet strands slapping and sticking to my cheeks. I heard Eyarr's deep laughter next to me, and I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"So, what now?" I asked. Eyarr shrugged.

"Well… maybe it's time I show you something. Something I haven't shown anyone else." I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to begin it, I am fully aware of how I come across to people. Cold, withdrawn, and private. But… there is a reason for that." Wait, was he going just to tell me about his past? Right here? Before I had a chance to ask, he continued, "Considering the fact that you're the first person I've allowed to be this close to me…" he mumbled something under his breath that I didn't catch, "I think it's time I both show and tell you why."

"Okay…? Can you give me more insight? I wanna know what I'm allowing myself to know."

"To make it brief, I have a very shattered relationship with my family. If you can even call it a relationship. My upbringing left a lot of scars, and not just physical ones," he reached up to graze his fingers over his facial scars, and I felt dread slowly creep into my heart. What did they do to him?

"So… what're you saying?"

"I want to bring you to where I grew up, so I can confront my past and finally put it behind me. I've been running from it for long enough. And I think it would help me if I had someone like you there." My heart skipped a beat when I realized what he was asking of me. It was a heavy task to take on; that being said…

"Oh-... of course. If that's what you need, then I'll help."

"I trust you." He finished. It gave me a new kind of assurance of our friendship, but I also think that was a way for him to say thank you.

And all I could say back was;

"I trust you, too."

Chapter Text

The following morning, Eyarr and I made it back to the market we'd been camped near for the past few weeks. Eyarr wanted to make me a saddle that would fit on Riptide's back and just to show me how to work with leather, as I was unfamiliar with using the material. I always thought it was interesting to see how many people in the North wore leather and how they could make all sorts of things with it. The craftsmanship was remarkable.

Eyarr was gone for a couple of hours to get the supplies, leaving me with the dragons and starting to lightly pack our stuff in anticipation of our trip to Eyarr's past.

He finally returned with a bag full of supplies.

"Alright, Laeli, I'm gonna show you how to make a dragon saddle." I nodded and watched him first take measurements of the area on Riptide's back that would be appropriate for me to sit and where it would be most comfortable so that it wouldn't get in the way of his shoulders and wing movement.

After taking the measurements, he wrote them on a piece of parchment, appearing to make a few more mental notes. He grabbed the leather, metal, and twine from the bag.

"So… you made all of your gear by hand? Including Cliffire's saddle?" He chuckled.

"Not all of it. The saddle, yes, but a number of my belongings I traded for, like my sword and some of my books."

"Really?" He nodded, not saying anything further on his trading, and I didn't push it.

We sat near the fire pit, it being midday with plenty of light. He laid the leather out on the ground, tracing the shape needed with charcoal.

It was the first time it hit me how skilled and handy Eyarr was. It was one thing seeing the things he had made himself. It was another to see him make stuff. It was very impressive and fascinating.

For hours, he worked on the saddle mostly in silence, periodically requesting my assistance with certain tasks, such as holding the metal pieces and twine, cutting, and organizing. He was totally focused on his work, and even when he asked me to do something, I barely uttered a word not to distract him.

We worked on the saddle well into the late evening, by the time the moon rose. Eyarr worked on the finishing touches, finally leaning back, flexing out his sore hands, then placing them on his thighs.

"Finally done!" He boasted. I came over to take a look, and I was quite impressed. I looked at him, giving him an encouraging, proud smile. He stood and held it up in his hands like a trophy, turning towards Riptide, lifting the saddle for him to see. Riptide didn't seem too fazed by it; if anything, he was curious about it.

Eyarr gave me the saddle to remind Riptide that I was going to be his rider. Riptide observed as I gently set the saddle on his back, waiting to see if he would reject it. So far, so good, though. Eyarr helped me secure it in the proper places, making sure nothing was too tight or too loose.

Once we were confident with the saddle, we stepped back to allow Riptide to process it and start to get used to the new sensation. He grumbled from deep within his chest, and Cliffire made a noise in response from behind us. I guessed it was Cliffire just assuring Riptide that it was okay.

"Well, at least they're getting along!" I remarked.

"Let's wait another day before we leave, allow Riptide to get used to it, and so we can pack and get ready. Sound good?" I nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

After another long day, I was beginning to feel restless about being on the move again. I couldn't sit still, constantly pacing and looking out towards the ocean, watching the horizon.

"Are you doing okay?" Eyarr asked, concern in his voice. I nodded, hands on my hips as I continued to pace.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Just antsy."

"About what?"

"Being on the move again. I always get like this the day before I'm set to travel somewhere. I guess it's just my curiosity and excitement about the unknown. Just the anticipation of it gets my adrenaline going." I bounced on the heels of my feet, feeling my gut twisting up.

"Sure you're not just anxious?" I shook my head.

"I was always taught never to fear the unknown," I replied matter-of-factly.

"If you say so." I just rolled my eyes at him, "In the meantime, I found the map I was looking for."

"Oh?" He nodded hesitantly.

"Yup… I haven't looked at this in… a long time." I frowned.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't reply, but I could sense he was deeply bothered by the contents of his map. I couldn't tell if it was a fear of telling me or just unsure how to say it. I caught a glance at the map, where there were illustrations of a forest on a shoreline. Deep within the marked woods was a house, and next to that house were what I guessed to be instructions of some kind that read; "Everything you need is waiting here". I didn't get to read the rest of it as Eyarr hastily folded it back up.

"Are you okay?" I tentatively asked. He furrowed his brow for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. He pursed his lips, tapping the folded map against his palm. Finally, he snapped back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm good." He paused again, "Let's uh… finish packing." His hand grazed my lower back as he made his way to his supplies and started putting stuff away and extinguishing the embers of our fire pit. I glanced over at Cliffire, I knew that Eyarr and Cliffire had been bonded for many years, and the dragon knew things I didn't. Cliffire snorted, shaking his head.

I decided not to ask any more questions, instead just following Eyarr's lead and continuing to pack.

Once we were sure we had everything, Eyarr looked at the map again.

"Okay, just follow me."

"How long should it take?"

"From here? A few hours. It's not too far."

"Lead the way." Eyarr and Cliffire took off, heading west. I patted Riptide on the neck, and he took off as well. It was weird as I felt my body flail around as he climbed higher into the sky, but I maintained my grip on the saddle, trusting my dragon that he wouldn't let me fall.

Once he leveled out next to Eyarr, I stole a glance at him. He had a new look of determination on his face.

"Laeli, I need you to know something important." He finally spoke.

"What is it?"

"Everything you're going to see at this place is everything you need to know about my past. And why I've cut it out of my life. It's going to be overwhelming. Not just for you, but for me as well."

"Eyarr, it's okay. I know you've been through a lot, even if you don't tell me everything. I don't want you to feel obligated or forced to. It's your choice." He sighed.

"If I'm going to show anyone, I'd rather show you over anybody else." I could see some relief wash over him. I was mentally preparing myself for the worst, whatever it was. It had been eating at him for longer than I could ever know. And maybe this was like a final test of sorts, to see if I could handle everything about him, including his emotional baggage and whatever trauma was nagging his brain.

For hours, Riptide and I followed Eyarr and Cliffire's lead. I took the time in the skies to admire and savor the crisp air. It was exhilarating. I'd never reached out to the clouds before; they felt cool and wispy around my fingers. A soft vapor. I relished in it, hearing the wind in my ears whipping through my hair. It was still mildly nauseating to be so high above the ocean, looking down from thousands of feet.

I could see the tiny figures of whales breaking the surface below us. Their mighty bodies broke the powerful waves. Riptide and I shared a glance, and I nodded, confirming his idea. He then took a sharp nosedive at an intense speed, I hollered the whole way down as Riptide banked on a breaching whale, splashing us with ocean spray. I leaned over, skimming my fingers over the surface, gazing at my reflection. I couldn't help but grin ear to ear, seeing myself like this.

I craned my neck up, hearing the beating of Cliffire's wings above us. Eyarr was beaming. I gave him an exuberant smile in return.

"Looking like a real dragon rider!" He cheered above me. I nodded, pulling Riptide up so we barreled around Cliffire.

"I'm starting to feel like one!" I confidently replied, pumping my fists in the air. Together we flew, soaring through the clouds, cheering each other on. I finally felt like… I found myself.

We flew for hours, just being ourselves. And I loved every second of it.

Then, the energy changed just as the sun began to set. I noticed Eyarr visibly tense up after hours of being loosened up and relaxed. The emotional front he'd had when he first arrived at New Berk reappeared, his features becoming tense.

Cliffire dipped below the clouds, and I urged Riptide to follow. Upon leaving the cloud cover, the woods below us came into view, with a heavy fog covering the tops of the trees. I could pick up on the negative energy radiating off the land. I stole a glance at Eyarr, and for the first time since I met him, he looked scared.

I began to wonder if this was a good idea.

I saw the roof of a house peeking out from the dense forest. As Eyarr said, it was built near the fjord. If it didn't creep me out so much, I would have considered the landscape to be beautiful.

Cliffire landed in an open spot next to the house, and I did the same.

I finally got a good look at it.

The main house was long, with an extended roof, a front porch, and a short set of stairs. On the right side was an extension with a large window facing us. The front of the house had various carvings in the wood, with figures like Odin, Thor, and even Loki for some reason? It had depictions of slaughtering dragons carved on the posts. I felt a chill run down my spine at the sight of it.

"Are you sure about this, Eyarr?" I asked, concern lacing my voice. He straightened his back and slowly nodded his head.

"I am. Follow me."

Chapter Text

Nothing about this place was welcoming. Every step I took made me feel like I wasn't supposed to be here. Most of the house was the main living area, and various pieces of sitting furniture were scattered about, covered in animal furs and leather hides. Upon closer inspection… some of the hides had scales on them.

The walls were covered with what I could only assume to be more dragon hides, a dragon's foot, claw, and all, various horns, and of course, weapons.

Trophies. Everywhere.

I kept mentally hoping I could find something that had some happiness attached to it. A child's toy, perhaps. But I found nothing. I found a game of Maces and Talons sitting on a small table, the pieces scattered about. As I observed the main room, I started seeing various items that weren't traditionally Norse-made. Some of them were obviously from other cultures.

Against one wall, there was a large chest full of various richly colored fabrics and other clothing items. On the far right side was a large fireplace and hearth. It seemed somewhat normal, but something about it felt wrong, adding to the unwelcoming vibe of the house.

"Eyarr, what is all of this?" He lit a few candles, providing light. He held a torch in his hand.

"My past. Everything in here, in my parent's old room and even in the shed in the woods, is filled with stuff that my parents intentionally bought. But they got cocky and began ripping people out of their money. And somehow, that led them into the market for buying, trading, and selling dragons and their body parts," I hesitantly sat down on a chair and took it all in, feeling disgusted with the vibes of this place, "To this day, I don't know what got my parents into it. Still, nothing could convince them to leave."

"I can't even imagine what you were forced to do."

"I never killed anyone, if that's your worry, but I still did many things I regret." He hurriedly assured, and an awkward grimace plastered on his face. He was too quick to assure me on that, and while I was mildly suspicious, I opted not to question him further.

"Okay… final question. What's in the shed you keep mentioning?" He froze.

"Uh… um… I don't think it's time to show you that yet."

"Is whatever is in there that bad?"

"To put it lightly." The conversation ended there, and Eyarr led me to his old room, where he told me he demanded a separate room from the rest of his family. It definitely had different vibes from the rest of the house. It was a bit more comforting. I then took notice of various locks on the inside of his bedroom door, as well as old weapons hidden under furniture.

"What are you comfortable telling me about your family?" I asked, taking a seat on his bed.

"Um… gods, where do I start…" He mumbled, "Well, my parents were the masterminds behind everything. I have an older sister and younger twin brothers. I've always been the black sheep of the family; I never fit in. They always took my sister on their ventures, coming back with all sorts of stuff, mainly dragon parts that they'd use to scam people. But occasionally, they would come back with different 'treasures,' like personal belongings. They once acquired a Sámi drum many years ago. It was… very draining."

I was appalled, having expected his story to be bad. That was a bad start.

"It took me some time to break out of that life. I ran away when I was a teenager, and that first year, I was forced to deal with my parent's old partners just to survive. But eventually, I was able to break free from that. And I've been living on my own with Cliffire ever since."

It wasn't every detail, but I was fine with that. That was enough backstory to know.

"Eyarr…" He shook his head.

"I don't need the "I'm sorry's". It's okay. Coming here has helped me accept that I can't change the past. Whatever the future brings, I'm better prepared for it." I smiled.

"I'm very happy to hear that. But, um… let's not overstay our welcome." He smirked.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to." I decided to stay in the bedroom and let Eyarr do whatever he needed to do in the main room and outside. Throughout the rest of the evening, I could hear the sounds of furniture being moved around. I really didn't care to know what he was doing. If he wanted to tell me, he would.

The moon was at its highest point in the sky by the time I heard Eyarr finally come back. I half expected him to join me in the bed. But when I peeled open an eye, I saw him rolling out his makeshift bed on the floor, on top of various fur rugs. I didn't say anything and fell back asleep.

When I woke the next morning, the main living room was deserted.

"What the Hell did you do?" I asked in my groggy, bewildered state.

"Made some rearrangements." He replied.

"Obviously." He hummed as he stoked the fireplace, which had something cooking.

"What are you planning next?"

"Getting rid of anything that's tainted. And saving what's been stolen."

"Wait, we're… saving stuff?" I replied, taken aback. I had no idea he was planning this.

"Whatever can be returned. But I know some people who can help with the more difficult items from further south." He didn't offer much context, but it did get me thinking.

"If it helps, I know where to start with the Sami items." I offered. He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you?" I nodded.

"One of Chief Hiccup's friends, Zyrah. Her daughter, Hilda, lives on the mainland. It's a long story, but it's a start, at least."

"Do you know how to get there?"

"I know where it is… but I have yet to figure out how. But… I have a method. Just give me a couple of days." He stared at me.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, I promise." I assured him, "First though, got spare parchment?"

I spent the rest of the day looking at the horizon from shore, asking Riptide to give me a lift for a better view. I just needed to track where the sunset according to our position on our maps. I had convinced Eyarr to give me his most accurate and updated ones for comparison.

I scoured each map to find familiar locations and landmarks to deduct our position according to New Berk, which was my main point of reference. New Berk was far west of Old Berk, which sat in the center of the archipelago. And based on my observations, this little island, with its fjord, sat far to the southeast of New Berk, planting it between the mainland and larger islands to the south.

I waited for the sun to set, knowing it always set in the west. I planned on staying up throughout the night to chart the stars and then wait for sunrise.

As I watched the sky, I relished how much I missed it. Tracking the sky was how I traveled, how I found my way.

I sat there for hours, watching the sky as it changed. I marked the sun's position just as it set and began to prepare for nightfall.

This was my favorite part. I loved stargazing. The celestial bodies of the sky always brought me comfort. I had memorized the star charts of home, and now I could compare them to here. And I knew they were drastically different. I knew the constellations of the south, but now I had to find constellations of the north. I immediately noted three stars in a cluster, I was about to chart them down when it hit me. I took a headstand position, looking at the three stars again.

"Holy fuc-!" I cried out. I was so shocked I fell over. Eyarr came rushing over from bringing in some stuff from Cliffire's saddle.

"Laeli! You okay?" He helped me up, glancing at my charts, "You've been busy." I nodded frantically.

"Eyarr, see those three stars next to each other?" I pointed and made him follow the direction of my hand.

"Yeah, that's Frigg's Distaff. Why?" I quickly scribbled down the constellation before flipping it upside down.

"We call it Na Kao back home. But it's upside down for us." He raised an eyebrow.

"What're you saying?"

"Back home, I know the exact position of this constellation. And now I finally have a point of reference for it here! It's just right-side up! I'm finally seeing the same night sky, just… right side up! Partially at least! We have some of the same constellations back home, but upside down!" His eyes widened with that realization.

"Oh damn… that's, that's incredible! I had no idea your knowledge of the night sky was that extensive."

"It goes beyond just charting the stars. That's how we voyage. We measure the stars and anything in the sky, including the sun and moon. We follow the winds and currents of the sea. We listen to the earth, sea, and sky."

Fascinated, he sat next to me, and we stayed up the whole night charting the stars, and I would share my comparisons. He grabbed a blanket and a couple of pillows and eventually fell asleep. I didn't mind it, though. I stayed up for a little longer, and once the moon touched the top of the mountains, I decided I ought to go to sleep. I smiled at the sight of Eyarr's sleeping figure and lay down next to him.

I kept my eye on Na Kao, finally drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

As Eyarr and I became more comfortable inside his family's house, despite knowing the history, the peace was soon broken.

Eyarr had made us breakfast. The fire was warm compared to the cool haze outside. It was a lovely morning otherwise. We ate in silence, but then we heard Cliffire freaking out outside. He began snarling and roaring, and then Riptide joined in.

Eyarr and I glanced at each other in confusion.

"What on earth?" He said, placing his bowl of food down and making his way to the front door. I followed him to go see what was bothering the dragons.

Eyarr opened the door to a group of displeased faces.

"Well, well," the oldest man of the group sneered, "I knew you would come crawling back." The older man had a mostly shaven head, except for a thick section of hair on the top that was tied into a long braid. His beard was also long and also braided. His light hazel-green eyes were cold and judgemental. And even though he had a long beard, I could tell there was a permanent frown.

Based on his tone, I knew that was far from a happy response, and the expression on Eyarr's face told me everything.

His family had returned, and they were not happy.

Eyarr huffed, crossing his arms.

"Don't get the idea that it was for you."

"What other reason would it be?"

"For myself, for once." The older man rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"You believe this, Revna? After everything we gave him. Yet he still turns it away." The woman, Revna… Eyarr's mother. A woman with tanned skin, honey-colored hair, and brown eyes that were the furthest thing from warm. Freckles patterned her cheeks; I could see where Eyarr got it from.

"Still unappreciative."

"There's not much to appreciate." Eyarr retorted. My gaze shifted to the other woman in Eyarr's family. She was older than Eyarr and me. And if I had to guess, she was around my older twin cousins' age. Her honey-blond hair was also tied up, with loose tendrils framing her face.

"For someone who's survived out in the wilderness for so long… you look… somewhat decent." She remarked with a raised judgemental brow and crossed arms. It was hard to interpret her comment as a compliment. And Eyarr definitely didn't accept it as such.

"Feeling the love, Gislaug." And then the two youngest of the family, the twin boys, who said nothing.

"Mikkel. Rikvald." Eyarr greeted, and I noticed his tone wasn't as cold as it was towards his parents and sister, which was interesting.

Though I knew their names, I could not tell for the life of me who was who, though one of the two looked remarkably like Eyarr, which was a bit spooky. They were identical, though their hairstyles were their main differentiator, not that it mattered in this situation.

"So, are you gonna let us in?" Gislaug questioned. Eyarr poorly fought back a snort.

"You think I'm just gonna let you in?"

"Out of the way, boy. It is my house. I built it was my bare hands." His father hissed.

"Easy, Skarde. There are two dragons watching. I wouldn't threaten their riders." My eyes widened slightly; hearing Eyarr address his father by his first name in that tone, the respect between father and son was irreparable.

"I'm still your father." Another eye roll.

"If I really cared about familial bonds, I wouldn't have left, do you know that?"

Eyarr then turned his back to head back inside, and he opened his mouth to say something, but then his father aggressively grabbed Eyarr's shoulder. With equal aggressiveness, Eyarr pushed his father's hand off.

"Don't you fucking start." Eyarr snapped. "If you wanna fight, take it outside."

"Actually, yes! Let's go outside!" I encouraged, a nervous smile crossing my face as I guided the two men out and off the front porch. I don't think his father anticipated me to speak up and interject.

"This isn't your place to interfere." He spat.

"Well, if it has to do with this idiot's safety, then it absolutely is." I retorted.

But once we were all outside, what had started as a passive-aggressive dispute turned into a full-blown argument. And it was between Eyarr and his father. A constant back and forth between passing blame for a variety of things, both minor and severe.

The looks on Eyarr's sibling's faces told me that this had been normal while they were growing up, which was just so sad to imagine. And Eyarr's mother, Revna, made no effort to mediate.

Eventually, though, I was no longer processing the harsh words exchanged between father and son. I was over it, but I didn't feel safe interfering. And I caught Eyarr's hand resting over the hilt of his sword, and his father did the same.

"Eyarr- Do not make this worse," I warned him.

"Come on, boy, you've always wanted to fight your old man. Let's get it over with." Skarde and I both watched Eyarr, but I was really paying attention to his mannerisms and body language. His hand hovered over the hilt of his sword briefly before his hand eventually fell.

"I'm not stooping to your level." I heard Cliffire approach us, stopping next to the house, watching us, and Riptide watched us from the shore.

"Cliffire? Would you do the honors?" Cliffire shook his horns, opened his maw, and a torrent of fire exploded.

"EYARR!" We all shouted. The cabin erupted in flames in seconds, the force of the explosion causing all of us to duck. With Eyarr and I closest to the cabin, the sound of the explosion made my ears ring. But following the initial shock, I whipped around to face Eyarr's family, my expression mirroring theirs. But as I faced them, one of Eyarr's brothers, the one that looked the most like him, had raised the bow and sheath of arrows he wore and had loosed an arrow directly at me.

I didn't react in time, with everything feeling like it was in slow motion. I just barely turned my head as the arrow whizzed past my face. And I fell.

When I sat back up, I felt a painful sting on my right cheek. As I reached up, I was horrified upon feeling warm blood on my fingers. My hand trembled from the shock that coursed through me, not expecting his family to attack me.

My ears still ringing, I could just barely hear the sound of shouting and grunting. When I refocused, I witnessed the sight of Eyarr launching an attack on his father, sword drawn. Blood began to spatter everywhere, though I couldn't tell whose blood had been spilled. It didn't matter, not when I felt some spatter on my face.

There was rage in Eyarr's eyes, a rage that scared me, that I'd never seen before in someone. He did not look at me, his mind in one place. Beneath him, his father had his neck sliced, blood pouring from his mouth through gritted teeth, the skin of his face pale and becoming ashen. The slice in his neck was deep enough to expose the muscle and tendons, and blood spurted from one of the arteries.

His eyes… there had been no love in them anyway, but now, they were loveless, cold, and so very dead. It was like he was still staring into my soul, and the sheer sight of it sent chills down my body. My vision blurred, unable to discern the faces of Eyarr's family frozen in the background. Still shaking, I scrambled backward, not caring about my own blood streaking down my cheek.

Run. Run. Run. The voice in my head screamed.

And I listened.

Heart pounding, I clamored up and took off into the woods, forgetting about Riptide entirely.

Oh my gods…

I don't know how long I ran, but I had exhausted my energy, and my legs ached. Thighs screaming, I fell to the moss-covered forest floor, propping myself up against a fallen log. Sitting there, I tried to process what just happened.

My hands were shaking, but I couldn't feel anything. My fingertips were tingling. My chest ached from my running, and any deep breaths I attempted hurt even more. As I sat there, I became overwhelmed with emotion, and tears began flowing down my cheeks. I couldn't get myself under control, my head began to spin, and my eyes stung from my tears. The pain of my tears falling over my wound caused more tears to fall. They would not stop.

Gods… Gods… Eyarr.

I couldn't even think of the words in my head to describe the absolute horror of what I witnessed. To witness a life being taken away in front of me in such a brutal manner… I could never unsee that. And for Eyarr to break his composure, what was I going to do with him? Would he bring harm to me as well?

No, no. He wouldn't… His anger was directed at his family, he wouldn't intentionally hurt me.

I had naïvely hoped that I maybe, just maybe, could help sort of peacefully resolve the tension between Eyarr and his family. But it was clear now that there was no hope of reconciliation even before this. And in a way, Eyarr had accomplished what he'd intended; to cut off his family for good. The brutal murder of his father confirmed that.

I stayed in place for hours after running into the woods, barely moving a muscle. And as I began to drift off, with the adrenaline fading, I heard Eyarr's voice echo through the forest, calling my name.

But I did not answer.

He called my name numerous times, but it soon faded out as I finally allowed myself to sleep.

The smell of smoke woke me. Peeling my eyes open, my sight adjusted to the dim light of twilight. Along with the smell of smoke, I caught the whiff of copper. Or, wait, no, burnt blood.

Gagging slightly, I sat up and realized that Eyarr had found me.

Across the small fire, Eyarr sat cleaning his sword, and right behind him was Cliffire. And much to my astonishment, Riptide was also here.

My Riptide lifted his head, making a chirp-like sound when he saw I was awake. His sound alerted Eyarr, who glanced up from his sword.

Automatically, my heart sank into my stomach, and I pressed my back into the log behind me, hands digging into the soft, moss-covered earth below. I began breathing deeply out of fear as Eyarr came over, holding something in his hand. I stared at him with wide eyes, and it took him a moment to process the expression I bore.

"Laeli?" He finally asked, his voice gentle and low, tinged with worry. I wanted to say something, but my voice caught in my throat. He reached his hand up to touch my cheek, but I flinched, pulling away.

Hurt filled his eyes, but he, too, couldn't find the words.

As he leaned back to give me space, I became acutely aware of the stinging on my cheek. Grimacing, I delicately touched my cheekbone, feeling a gash that had started crusting over. It was at least an inch long, maybe slightly longer, and it occurred to me that it was in the same spot as Eyarr's cheek scar.

We were matching.

"I need to fix that." He finally said, not meeting my eyes.

I reluctantly relented, allowing him to care for my wound, cleaning it up and getting a needle and thread to stitch it up.

We sat there by the fire in relative silence as he focused on closing my wound. He had given me rags to bite on and to squeeze to help deal with the pain. I'd never had an injury like this before, and while I was no stranger to needles with all my tattoos, having one this close to my eye unnerved me, and I did not enjoy it.

I had no idea how long we sat there, but he finished the last stitch, carefully cutting the loose thread with a small knife. Then he grabbed a bottle of some liquid, soaking a rag he had and then gently dabbing it over the now closed wound. The sting startled me, making me flinch. I instinctively reached my hand up to touch it, but he grabbed my wrist, preventing me from doing so.

"Fuck! Eyarr!"

"I'm sorry, I need to keep it clean! Don't touch it." He gently scolded me. Teeth gritted, I yanked my hand out of his grip.

I was unsure if I was genuinely angry at him or the pain of the wound, and him stitching it up was pissing me off. Either way, I was not having any of it.

"Hey, what's your deal?" He demanded. I laughed, not out of amusement but astonishment.

"What's my deal?! The nerve of you!" I snapped.

"I'm a little confused here, I just took care of a wound on your face, and I get an attitude in thanks?" I shot him a deadly glare.

"And do tell me how I acquired said injury? Huh? Maybe, oh, I don't know, your brother shot an arrow at my face!" I cried, waving my hands in outrage. I could hear my voice rising, but I could not control it. I'd never been this furious in my life, and it was all directed at him.

"And then! Let's not forget! I watched you murder your FATHER! I saw those cold, dead eyes stare into my soul! Don't you know how upsetting that was to witness?!"

"I did what had to be done in the moment."

"At my emotional expense!" Now it was his turn to be angry at me.

"You don't know what I've had to do just to get away from them! They made my life hell! And just when I thought I was free from their shadow… I- I had to do something permanent."

"I'm sorry you got involved! That was never supposed to happen, and it didn't go as I planned. But you have to understand, I had to. Drastic moments call for drastic measures."

I stared at him for a long time, flashes his father's face crossing his. They had the same face, but Eyarr did not carry the same kind of darkness that his father had.

"I don't blame you for being angry… I know what I did was awful to witness, and I hope you can eventually forgive me… but I hope you also understand… why…"

My heart ached for him. I did understand, but couldn't accept it.

Chapter Text

The next couple of days following the tragic encounter with Eyarr's family, we stayed in the woods. He gave me space as I struggled to process everything that had gone down. I had been fearful of him, with a new understanding of what he was capable of, and a deep, primal instinct was terrified of that.

Any hope I'd had that his tension with his family could've been resolved peacefully was gone, and now I had to accept this side of him that he was keeping away.

I tried imagining things from his perspective, but it was difficult for me to fathom the kind of life he had to live just to survive. I'd been very fortunate to live a decently privileged life, even though I rarely ever thought of myself above my own people. That being said, I still knew I was, in a societal way.

I wanted to clear my head by making a visit to the beach, but the mere thought of revisiting the site where Eyarr murdered his father sent chills down my spine. I did not want to relive that horror.

Being near any body of water had always brought a source of comfort, especially growing up. Some of my earliest memories were of my parents wading in the water with me and playing with Ocean. But for the first time in my life, I could not bring myself to go near the beach. It was so confusing for me, and I didn't know how to overcome it.

The water will heal you. The voice in my head kept saying.

But the barrier between myself and the water was that beach. I was afraid of seeing the flashing image of blood staining the land.

I forced myself to leave the campsite in an attempt to overcome the crushing anxiety. I stopped on the edge where the forest met the beach, staring out into the small fjord, towering cliffs surrounding the land. My gaze landed on the opening between two cliffs that led out into the sea. It seemed so far away…

I was broken from my thoughts of Riptide gently nudging my back. His big yellow eyes watched me carefully, attempting to understand the conflicting emotions that I myself didn't understand.

"Oh Riptide…" I whined, sitting down, defeated. A rush of emotion overcame me, tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably. The want to face this new fear was palpable, but I just… couldn't. I didn't know what was holding me back.

As I wallowed in my own self-pity, Riptide kept gently pushing me towards the beach. He knew what I should do, but he just couldn't quite grasp my struggle. He warbled in a concerned tone, nudging my cheek with his nose.

"It's not that easy…" I attempted.

"What's not that easy?" Eyarr interrupted, startling me.

"Gods above, Eyarr. Don't sneak up like that!" I snapped.

"Sorry, sorry. Why're you sitting here?" I huffed quietly, crossing my arms.

"Something I'm trying to figure out myself."

"... Is there a way I can help?" I stared at him from my peripheral vision, my frustration building up again.

It was his fault I was afraid.

With an audible sigh, he took a spot next to me at a respectful distance, recognizing that I was not happy with him.

"Laeli." He turned to me, "Laeli, I need you to listen."

"What about?" Another sigh. He pushed his hair out of his face, his gaze shifted from the opening in the fjord to the partly cloudy sky above us.

"I… I know you're upset about what happened here… and I don't blame you for being upset. It wasn't my intention for you to get involved. That being said, there's something you need to understand about this world. I know you're already aware of how different it is from the one you were raised in. There's more that you haven't seen and that I hope you never have to. And… you need to be prepared for the violence that comes with the Viking way of life. New Berk may be different, but that's one island. There's still a whole archipelago out there, and the mainland and those places are nowhere near as peaceful as New Berk is."

"Being a Viking is already rough and tumble as it is, but bring dragons into the mix, and it becomes bloodier. It's a fight for survival, and as the world continues to change, you have to learn to change with it. And unfortunately, with change… comes violence and the trauma that follows it. And what you saw here… is nothing compared to what happens out there."

"So… what're you trying to tell me?" He grimaced slightly, interlocking his fingers.

"It's not going to get any easier. You have to learn to expect the worst and hope for the best. Sometimes you cannot avoid the violence. I've had to learn that the hard way on my own for years, but I can at least offer moral and emotional support to you. It won't be easy, but I will do what I can to help. You just have to let me."

Together, we sat at the edge of the forest, taking in the sounds of nature around us, from the soft lapping of water on the beach to the calls of birds in the distance and a gentle breeze rustling through the trees and bushes. Cliffire and Riptide also lounged quietly with us, with the occasional wing movement.

It was quiet for a while, permitting myself to think, contemplating Eyarr's words. And the more I thought about it, I began to understand that he was right.

Even with all the privileges and opportunities I'd grown up with, I was still sheltered—with little exposure to the violence of the world. Granted, there were very few conflicts that Motunui faced with other villages from surrounding islands, so there wasn't much of a chance to witness anything.

And now, in a different world, filled with people with different lifestyles, who were more accustomed to bloodshed. It was something I would, unfortunately, have to get used to in whatever capacity.

We did not leave our camp that night, at least not for the mainland. I was not in the mindset to fly anywhere right now, no matter how encouraging Eyarr was trying to be. The spot where his family's house used to stand was a pile of burnt wood, smoke still lingering. But his family was long gone. I did not bother asking what became of them after I fled into the woods, I really didn't want to know.

What Eyarr deemed important now was this new mission of his to return these items that his parents had stolen many years ago to their rightful people. He showed me the Sami drum, which was made of animal skin with a wooden and bone frame. Various symbols were painted on the surface, and I could figure out what some were depicting.

Sun, moon, stars, and a boat. But the other symbols remained foreign.

The other item he had was a small golden bowl, the outside edge decorated with various swirling symbols interconnected with each other. But on one particular section was an intricately designed tree, lines connecting the roots to the branches.

"What's that tree?" I inquired, pointing to the trunk, tracing my finger over the metallic surface.

"I don't know the traditional word, but I know it as "the Tree of Life." It's one of the most sacred symbols. In my travels, long before I met you, I learned that the Celtics worship a specific type of tree. The oak. And this is their main depiction of it. They believe oaks are the basis of wisdom."

"I see…"

"The tree is something my culture has in common with the Celts. We have our own tree of life, called Yggdrasil."

"Yg.. igdrasil?" He chuckled quietly at my pronunciation attempt.

"Close. Eehg-"

"Eehg…"

"Eehg-dra-"

"Eehg-dra…"

"Eehg-dra-sil. Try it."

"Eegh-tra-sil… no, Eehg-dra-sil!"

"There you go! It's a weird word, I know."

"Yggdrasil…" I repeated again, feeling a tad more confident with such a word rolling over my tongue.

Putting the golden bowl back into Cliffire's saddlebag, Eyarr then retrieved a fallen branch and rejoined me. He then began to doodle in the sand, and I realized he was drawing the Tree of life.

He reveled in sharing the mythos behind Yggdrasil, and I did have a new appreciation for the stories of the gods from his perspective. He continued telling me stories as we started a fire for the night, and well after night fell, there was a sudden glow of green light from overhead.

Craning my neck up, chills coursed through my body upon witnessing brilliant ribbons of green and blue light streaking across the inky-black sky.

"Northern lights."

"They're incredible…" I breathed out, "There's nothing like them back home."

"Some of us think it's the Bïfrost… the bridge from our world of Midgard to Asgard."

"And what do others think?"

"That they're the reflections of the Valkyrie's shields… taking fallen warriors to Valhalla."

I turned to him, taking in the dreamlike gaze he bore, the soft ambient glow of the lights above giving him an otherworldly look.

"Valhalla… that's the goal, right?" A slow nod, gaze still locked on the sky.

"One way or another, yes."

Chapter Text

"You've got this. It's just a few steps."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"I know. But it is. Just keep your eyes on Riptide and the water. Only that. I'm right behind you."

With a shaky breath and a flex of my hands, I began the process of overcoming the anxiety of crossing the beach by myself. Eyarr had talked me into it, encouraging me but not forcing it. He knew I wanted to overcome it, and he had figured out the right way to confront the issue.

A few feet in the water, Riptide was patiently waiting and watching. And with me, Eyarr and Cliffire also watched.

Eyes forward. Keep your eyes forward. Don't think, just do.

My thoughts focused on this one action, and with a deep breath, I stepped forward, one foot on the sand.

The first step.

Should we count our steps?

No! It'll break our focus! Eyes on Riptide!

Another step.

And another. And another.

My hands began to tremble, fighting away the horrid memories. Clenching my fists, I kept my steely gaze on Riptide, my eyes landing on his saddle. My eyes began to water, but I blinked the building tears. I wasn't going to lose this.

Only a few more steps to the shore.

Then I sprinted.

Sprinted right into the shore and made a sloppy jump towards Riptide, half-submerged as I scrambled for the reigns on his saddle. Sputtering, I clenched my jaw and pulled myself up with all the sheer strength I could muster.

Finally, on his back, I gasped, wrapping my arms around the base of his long neck, holding him tightly.

I slowly opened my eyes, pushing my soaked hair out of my face, directing my attention to Eyarr and Cliffire back on shore.

I couldn't quite read the expression Eyarr bore, but something told me he was pleasantly surprised with how I handled my confrontation. Nevertheless.

"You did it!" He cheered. Riptide angled his head around so he could focus directly on me. I managed to crack a small smile.

"Hey, buddy…"

"Hey! Laeli! Are you ready to go?" Eyarr called from overhead.

It was time to head north. Return the personal items that had been stolen from their people.

Using the map I'd made, I was able to guide us to the mainland within two days.

The dragons needed to rest, so we made a small camp just beyond the outskirts of a small village. My map could only get us so far, as I only knew of Zyrah's daughter living on the mainland with her Sámi village. Though I didn't know her yet, I knew her mother. And I was confident that Zyrah's daughter could help us. It was just a matter of locating her.

"What do you reckon we do?" Eyarr inquired.

"Well… there's got to be a way to find the village. Though I'm unfamiliar with Sámi customs, maybe we can find someone who is?"

"Worth a shot. Let's see how busy the tavern is." He suggested. I grabbed a bag with some money, a journal, charcoal, and a knife.

Upon entering the tavern, it was much quieter than the first tavern we went to at the beginning of our trip. That being said, I didn't feel uncomfortable, yet I remained wary. Given all Eyarr had informed me about the activities on the mainland, one couldn't be too sure of strangers and what goings on occurred.

We sat at a table positioned so we weren't in the direct line of sight of the front door but still close enough to escape if necessary. Eyarr then went to go give payment to the owner for some water and food.

As I waited, I scanned my star map alongside Eyarr's map of the mainland. I didn't know how many he possessed, but I knew he had many—maps he acquired through trade or as payments for a favor. Even though I'd gotten to know him personality-wise, there was still much I didn't know about his past, how he became the person I knew now.

When I glanced up after some time, he was chatting with the owner of the tavern, balancing a coin on his knuckles. He didn't turn to me, but I watched him carefully. The tavern owner occasionally nodded, and I could see his lips move, but I was unable to make out what he was saying.

"What's that map you've got there?" Came a deep, gravelly voice. Startled, I whirled to face my left, where I heard the voice. A man sitting a table away, face hidden by a dark hood.

"What's it to you?" I replied, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"I know many travelers in these parts," his eyes shifted to meet mine, though making out the color was difficult with the shadow, "I've guided many."

"Sure." I finished, uninterested in continuing the conversation. Come on, Eyarr, finish up your chitchat…

"Waitin' for the lad?" The man questioned again. I didn't answer him this time, hoping he'd get the hint. Unfortunately for me, he didn't. As he opened his mouth to ask me another question, Eyarr finally rejoined me.

"Oh, thank gods, what took you so long?" I demanded.

"Sorry, sorry. I was asking the owner if he knew anyone who could lead us to the Sámi village."

"And?"

"He knows of one."

"Who?" I lifted my head up at the sound of footsteps, turning, it was the owner of the tavern, and, much to my dismay and shock, the man who'd been hounding me earlier.

"I knew you were here for somethin'." The mysterious man grinned. He'd pulled back his hood, revealing ghastly pale skin, heavily grayed black hair, and intense dark blue eyes, and under those eyes of his were the darkest eyebags I'd ever seen. He bore a patchy beard, and bare spots riddled with scars. And even underneath the collar of his black shirt, I could see a massive scar on his neck.

"What's your name?" There was a pause, almost like the man was formulating something.

"Éiron." He finally said. There was a weird expression that crossed Eyarr's face.

"What?"

"Odd name. Not common in these parts." He whispered.

"Hmm."

"My friend, Gnýr, tells me you're looking for the Sámi folk."

"That's correct."

"Well, you're in luck. I was born and raised on the mainland. I've come to know many of the tribes. Tell me who you're looking for." I quirked an eyebrow at Eyarr and Gnýr, still unsure if we could trust him. It was difficult to explain, but Éiron gave strange energy. Gnýr nodded, and so did Eyarr.

"Okay… well, we're looking for a woman named Hilda Nilsson. I know she recently came to the mainland from the Barbaric Archipelago."

"Hilda Nilsson…" Éiron repeated, his teal eyes shifting around as he thought about the name. As he thought, I couldn't help but notice how similar his eyes were to that of Nyr's, Hilda's twin brother. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it did strike me as odd.

"Ah, yes… Hilda. I do know her. Not personally, but I am… familiar with her tribe. She lives to the north. From here, it takes about two days to reach her."

"Oh, wow. Uh, thank you."

"How do you know her? If I may ask?" Eyarr jumped in. Éiron shrugged.

"I have connections to another Sámi tribe very, very far north. Many tribes are in contact with each other in some way. It's usually by families, and I know Hilda's mother."

"You do? How?" Éiron paused, and something crossed his eyes.

"It's… not something I enjoy discussing." He answered quietly. He stood from his chair, making his exit, "I hope you find what you are looking for." And with that, he was gone, disappearing into the wilderness.

"What a strange man," Eyarr remarked. Gnýr grimaced.

"I've known him for years. He's certainly troubled. He always comes back in the spring and stays until late autumn."

Even though it was nice to chat with someone like Gnýr, I made a small gesture to Eyarr that we should get moving, especially now that we had the information we needed to find Hilda.

"Right. Well, thank you, Gnýr. I deeply appreciate your help."

"My pleasure. Please, feel free to come back. I'll be more than happy to assist if you need it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

We followed Éiron's directions with our departure, making our way north. He said we would be able to find the village with red and blue flags tied to trees that indicated the entrance. Easy enough. We were lucky to have good weather and a steady wind, cutting our time short on dragonback. We had not told Éiron that we had dragons, so his initial timespan of two days was cut down to roughly a little over a day.

After one day of flying, we opted to walk the remainder, as it couldn't be too far, and we didn't want to frighten any villagers with flying dragons. A ground approach would be easier to handle.

By dawn the following day, I spied the ribbon flags fluttering in the breeze, the brilliant jewel hues making them easy to spot.

And when we approached the village entrance, I was astounded to see the 'gate' was made of woven trees, branches, and reeds. The trees that formed the foundational structure were still growing, having not been uprooted. The branches and reed were finely woven into ropes, weaving in and out of gaps and holes. On the main trunks of the two trees were various carvings, symbols that reminded me of the symbols on the drum.

Well, this was it, I suppose.

We left the boys just outside the village in the trees so they wouldn't be initially seen. With our bags in hand, we made our way in.

Chapter Text

We both received stares from various villagers, me especially. I knew it wasn't malicious, but it was still not a pleasant thing to experience. Especially after having gotten used to New Berk and the New Berkians used to me, I was reliving that anxiety all over again.

Having been lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice a villager approach us, and Eyarr began talking to them. I refocused when I heard him mention Hilda's name. The villager stared at us for a moment, and I knew they were wondering who we were.

"We don't mean any harm." He said. It didn't seem to register with the villager, so I decided to try a different approach.

"I know Hilda's mother, Zyrah?" I attempted, grinning awkwardly. Mentioning Zyrah seemed to have helped, as their expression softened slightly, and they gestured for us to follow them.

We were led to a small house with a roof made of sod, grass sprouting from the top, and smoke emitting from the chimney in the center. The villager opened the door, and I heard them call Hilda's name and then something else in their language. We entered behind them, and I took in the sight of the house.

It reminded me of Ana's, covered with various plants and flowers hanging overhead and baskets filled with other ingredients. Jars and other containers were scattered about, and many talismans and other pieces of silver decorated the walls.

The villager then left us just as a young woman emerged from a back room.

Her black hair tied into a loose ponytail, with strands of hair framing her face. She had warm hazel eyes that leaned more on the brown side. And she bore one beauty mark under her right eye, much like her mother.

"Well, well. About time I finally meet New Berk's famous visitor." She greeted me with a bright smile.

"Considering this is the first time we've met, you seem to know much about me!"

"A girl's gotta stay in contact with her big soon-to-be-chief brother, I get all the happenings from him!" Hilda then came in for a hug, gently squeezing me.

"So what brings you all the way here? And how did you even find this place?"

"Well, to answer your second question first, we were guided here by a man named Éiron. Strange man, but he was actually helpful. Said he knew a lot of Sámi villages." Hilda blinked as she took in my explanation.

"Huh! Well, that does make sense. A lot of the villages take in travelers or traders. They don't cause trouble, so we let them stay as long as they need to."

"That's the impression we got, too." Eyarr agreed.

"Anyway! To answer your first question, Eyarr here has something that belongs to your people."

"Oh?" I gestured for him to show her the drum. And her eyes widened in utter disbelief. She whispered something in Sámi as she delicately took the drum into her hands, grazing her fingers over the surface, tracing the symbols painted on.

"H-how… how did you get this?"

"It's technically not mine. My parents traded for it many years ago. I don't know from whom or from where, but it's been a personal mission of mine to return it." Hilda nodded eagerly, pursing her lips.

"Yes… Yes, thank you, thank you… You did the right thing. I will discuss with the chief on taking action to keep it safe." As she went to go put the drum in a spot for safekeeping, I turned to Eyarr, and I could already tell that this had taken something off his shoulders.

"You look better already," I remarked, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"You do. Your face seems brighter."

"Well, I do feel better, actually. Doing the right thing."

"I'm glad to hear it." We turned our attention back to Hilda as she returned, and she had a huge grin on her face.

"I cannot thank you both enough for doing that. That being said, Laeli,"

"Hm?"

"How're my brothers doing?" I chuckled.

"I mean, I haven't seen them for the past year, but last I saw, they're both doing well. Knowing how twins are, I can figure Nyr is probably missing you a lot." She quirked a brow.

"Knowing twins?"

"Yeah, my older cousins are twins. Four years older than me. They'll never admit it, but when one of them leaves for a long period of time, you can tell it bothers them."

"Yeah… it is like that. It's hard." She paused, "And how're my parents?"

"About the same, though I think your mother is struggling. Even with her seeing stick, she's trying. I hadn't had a whole lot of time to get to know her too much, though. I'm sorry." Hilda chewed on her lip in thought.

"It was bound to happen. She has been slowly deteriorating, but at least she's got my brothers and the rest of the family."

"She's got you, too. Even if you're a distance away, you're still her daughter." She cracked a smile, a glimmer crossing her hazel eyes.

"No wonder you fit in on New Berk." I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but I took the compliment nonetheless. As we stood, Hilda stopped us, not ready to let us leave quite yet.

"Oh, Laeli. I just remembered. Your timing is impeccable."

"What?" She grinned, "There's someone here who's been waiting to see you." I raised an eyebrow.

She grabbed my hand and led us outside to the chief's residence before I even had a chance to ask. With Eyarr right behind me, I could make out a silhouette of a towering figure illuminated inside the animal skin tent.

"Come on out! She's here!" Hilda called. Upon my gaze recognizing the individual, my heart dropped out of my chest once I saw that fishhook. I couldn't believe it-

"It… can't be– MAUI!" I cried out, rushing towards the demigod with a tearful embrace. He held his arms out for a hug, just like he'd always done since I was little. As he embraced me, I couldn't stop the tears from falling into his curly hair.

"H-how? How are you here?" I exclaimed with breathless disbelief.

"Thanks to your chief friend and his family, I found my way here." Hiccup.

I was truly at a loss for words. I couldn't even fathom how this happened, but it didn't matter. It was the first time I'd seen Maui… since I started voyaging on my own, "And by the looks of it, you've grown up… a lot." He ruffled my hair with a grin.

The emotions were so real for me at the moment I couldn't stop crying from the relief of seeing a reminder of home.

"Hey, I gotcha, kiddo. I'm here."

Chapter Text

Seeing Laeli interact with someone from her background was a weird feeling. I didn't quite know how to process it. Hilda suggested we leave them to talk, as we both figured there was much to discuss.

"How long has he been here?" I asked.

"Eh, a week, give or take," Hilda explained. She informed me that initially, Maui had gone to New Berk, seeking Laeli, but was instructed to come to this village since Laeli knew Hilda's mother, Zyrah. At some point, they figured Laeli would find Hilda eventually. Acting only on a hunch, Maui flew out here.

He was lucky he didn't have to wait very long.

"Lucky coincidence," I commented, taking a sip of warm reindeer milk offered by a young woman named Áila, a friend of Hilda's.

"Or an act of the gods." Hilda contradicted. The three of us sat around a fire in the center of the village as night was falling. Laeli and Maui were still in the chief's tent, catching up.

"I don't particularly run with the idea that the gods play Maces and Talons with our lives," I remarked. I, too, was raised with the belief in Odin, Thor, Freyja, Loki, and all the other deities like many in the archipelago and mainland. But as I'd grown, I was no longer fond of the idea of being a pawn in a higher powers game—just one of many reasons I chose to do things my way.

"I don't know. Seems too good to be a coincidence for me. The Norns have a path for everyone, whether you like it or not. And I'm sure Laeli understands that the gods… they know." Hilda reminded with a knowing look. While she had adopted the beliefs of the Sámi, she had been raised with the Norse pantheon alongside her brothers. It made me wonder if she ever struggled with balancing two different religious and cultural beliefs.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"It's part of what I do, Eyarr. It's my job to understand the messages from the divine. Us Sámi, we believe in the forces of nature. But since I was also raised with Odin, Thor, and Freyja… I also balance the belief in the gods and their creations. You and I both know humanity was created by the sons of Bor…"

"And then Odin gave them their souls. I know the stories, too."

"And so you must understand… we cannot avoid the fate given to us."

I stared at her closely, and she stared at me back.

"What do you know?" She valiantly fought back a smirk that she knew I saw, but she didn't answer my question.

"May I remind you that Ana was my mentor. I learned a lot from her, more than you might think."
"Wait, Ana?" She nodded.

"Yep. Give her my regards when you get back."

Having enough of Hilda toying with me, I ended the conversation and left her and Áila's company to find Cliffire in the woods.

As I strode past the chief's tent, I was able to catch the sound of her and Maui talking briefly. And even though I'd never heard her native tongue or heard her speak it before, I could only imagine how comforting it was to be able to speak to someone she knew again.

Upon rejoining Cliffire and Riptide, I sat down by Cliffire's side, thinking intently. Everything that had been going on was… overwhelming. It also occurred that I still had so much to learn about her.

She had proven to be more resilient than I expected, and frankly, she was way smarter than me. Her navigation skills alone that brought us here were beyond impressive and way more accurate than some astronomers I'd met. To be fair, she was used to a different night sky, but that allowed her a broader view to learn from.

Gods, I loved her.

I genuinely, fully loved her.

And I wanted to do whatever it took to protect her and keep her motivated to find the answers she was looking for. She'd mentioned that if she was given the opportunity to see her family again, she would take it. That being said, as long as she was happy, I was too.

Several days following Laeli's reunion with Maui, Hilda requested our presence at her residence, the Demi-god included.

It was mainly to remove the stitches I'd done for Laeli's wound. Hilda sat Laeli down, offering her a rag to bite on just in case she felt discomfort as she removed the stitches.

"How did that happen?" Maui inquired. I caught Laeli's frantic gaze and figured that she hadn't told Maui, and I couldn't blame her for not wanting to. I just came up with the first thing that came to mind.

"Eh, a broken tree branch caught her in the face." I casually explained. I didn't… enjoy lying, and I really did not enjoy having to lie to a Demi-god, but given Laeli had implied that she didn't want him to know the real reason, then lying was acceptable.

"So, what's the next step for you two?" Hilda inquired. I choked on my spit a bit before realizing what she implied.

"Oh. Uh, well, the next plan is to fly south to return another object to its people." The young shaman quirked an eyebrow, indicating for me to share more.

"To the Celts. My parents kept this golden bowl that bears symbols of their culture. I don't know if it belongs to a specific clan, but I figure they'll be able to handle that."

"Noble mission," Maui complimented.

Meanwhile, Hilda finally removed the last stitch from Laeli's cheek, "Just be careful; apply this until it's finished healing. Though it will leave a scar."

"Lovely."

"Hey, you and Eyarr are matching," Maui observed, crossing his arms. Laeli glanced at me, fingers grazing over the healing wound. It hadn't occurred to me, but I realized she was right.

"Y'know, it's kinda funny," the Demi-god continued, "Laeli's parents both have tattoos around their right bicep. Not the same design, but the same placement. They swear it wasn't intentional." Laeli stared at her uncle incredulously.

"Okay?" She rolled her eyes. Hilda rerouted the conversation about her older brother and Zephyr's relationship. I didn't have much to add, so I just listened.

"I do know that he does need the occasional reminder that being engaged to Zephyr also means becoming chief." Hilda chuckled.

"Mhm! My father had to go through the same when he started courting my mother." Laeli remarked. Even as I sat there, listening and contemplating, I could consider today a success. But now it was a matter of returning the Celtic bowl.

The Celts always fascinated me as a people. They lived on the islands to the south and a good chunk of the southern mainland. As far as I knew, though, the Celts as a people were vastly diminished by the Anglos and the new religion of Christianity. I hoped that we could at least locate one group.

That evening, I pulled Laeli aside.

"Our final stop in returning the bowl is even further south."

"I guess it's going to be a longer trip?"

"Likely. I'm just hoping there'll still be some remaining Celtic groups. Most of the population has shrunk due to invasions. They may be hostile, so we have to be vigilant."

Chapter Text

Eyarr and I waved goodbye to Hilda and her village a few days later. Maui was with us this time, and I was ecstatic he was here.

He and I had spent several days catching up, and he had told me about what my family had been up to since I left. It left me emotional and with a deeper longing to see everyone again. Maui promised he'd been working on finding me a way to communicate with home and maybe a chance to see everyone. It was a shot in the dark but worth a try.

Despite the initial awkward interactions, Maui and Eyarr were getting along. Eyarr was dumbfounded seeing Maui transform into his favorite giant hawk form.

"First, the ocean is alive, and now there are demigods that can shape-shift? What's next? Magic?" I laughed.

"The world is wilder than you think! I didn't even know dragons existed until I came here!" I replied.

"Touché."

We did intend to fly to the south to find the Celts, but Mother Nature had different ideas.

A week after we left Hilda's village, a massive snowstorm blew through. Eyarr and I were both frustrated, but we had no choice but to stay put. Somehow, this storm was worse than the one for my first winter on New Berk. The trauma of becoming sick flashed through my head, making me shudder. I genuinely thought I would die, but luckily I was well taken care of until spring came, and my health improved.

I was better prepared for bad winters now. But I didn't think either of us were prepared for the storm. Ironically though, Hilda's village gifted us fur coats for our journey.

"The North Sea becomes even colder and more unpredictable during these months. We want you to be prepared."

The North Sea was cold, alright.

It was completely frozen over.

"Fuck." I uttered, looking over the sea, standing on a cliff. The sharp wind blew my hair, and I pulled my new fur coat around me tighter. This was a cold I had never experienced before. This was a deadly kind of cold.

"Laeli, come on. Staring at the sea isn't going to make it melt any faster. Cliffire and Riptide found a cave for us." Eyarr said as he came up behind me. He placed a hand on my lower back, "Ocean will have to wait until the spring melt."

"So we'll find the Celtic people during the spring melt?"

"We will." With a dejected sigh, I walked with Eyarr to the cave the dragons found. It was sizable, enough for all of us to fit comfortably. Eyarr had Cliffire help him put a strong, sturdy blanket to cover at least part of the cave entrance to protect us from nature's harsh winds. Maui said he would spend the winter in the realm of the gods for the time being, at least during the winter. He said while he was there, he would try and talk to the gods about how I ended up here.

We settled in just as the storm was picking up force again. Initially, I insisted I would be fine next to Riptide for the night. But then Riptide moved closer to Cliffire for warmth. I sat there for a moment, debating whether it was worth it.

Eyarr gave me a look seeing me sit there.

"Come on, I don't bite." He joked, patting the spot next to him. I rolled my eyes, bringing my blankets closer to him. He turned and patted Cliffire on his side. Suddenly, I could feel the heat radiating off of his scales.

"What's he doing?" I asked in wonder.

"Sharing his body heat. He can self-regulate. I don't know exactly how he does it, but regardless, it's kept us alive on many rough winters. This one won't be an exception." I leaned against Cliffire's side, feeling the heat seep into my skin, feeling the pulses through his body. I looked up at Cliffire, who craned his neck, nuzzling me gently.

"Thank you…" I said.

"Come on, I'll help you get comfy." Eyarr offered.

"You don't have to. I can make myself comfy."

"Let me." He said, a bit firmer this time, "The last thing I want is you to get sick. I can handle the cold better than you." He made sure I had enough furs and blankets. I don't know how long he stayed up, but I eventually fell asleep to the sounds of the dragons breathing, the fire crackling, and the icy wind outside.

I woke up in the late morning to the smell of fish cooking. I sat up, seeing Eyarr busy making food.

"Oh, morning," I said groggily, pushing my hair out of my face. He glanced over, smiling at me.

"Morning to you, too. How'd you sleep?" I bobbed my head a bit.

"Actually, quite decently." He offered me some fish with bread and honey, "How much fish do we have left?"

"Not a lot. We'll have to go fishing soon."

"And how will we do that with it cold and icy out there?" I asked.

"Easy, ice fishing."

"Ice… fishing?" I repeated. He nodded.

"What, you've never heard of that before?" I paused and shook my head.

"Nope."

"Hm. Well, when it's a bit warmer, I'll show you. It's pretty straightforward." I shrugged.

"Alright." After we ate, Eyarr went out to survey the land while I stayed inside, bringing one of his empty leather bags. I would have to find new ways to entertain myself during the winter. I found my Hoe Leiomano, or my shark tooth club, in one of my bags, along with some other weapons from home that I kept. And my Pikoi, a special tripping weapon that I was specially taught how to use.

My father taught me and Aihe everything about Lua, our ancient fighting style. Dad said he hoped we never had to use our skills, but if needed, we would know how to defend ourselves.

We had a small group of warrior women who, along with me, were taught the Pikoi and became extremely accurate with our throws. But despite its unassuming appearance, it was a deadly weapon, designed to throw rocks from long distances and to trip our enemies in battle.

I remember asking Dad where he learned all of this, and he said when he was a kid, before his island's exodus, he was offered training by an old master who had not had a student in a long time and saw potential in my father. He taught him traditional hand-to-hand combat styles, and also the proper use of weapons. When Dad came to Motunui, along with helping our fisherman improve their baiting and catching, he taught our warriors a lot.

And even though he just had Aihe and I and no sons, Dad wasn't deterred from teaching us typically masculine fighting and warfare.

"Regardless of who becomes chief, you must both know how to fight. You will fight with your people, never ahead or behind them. Remember that."

I took that to heart, and I wanted to make him proud. Make both my parents proud. Becoming the leader mom was meant to be, and the warrior dad wanted to be.

So while Eyarr was gone, I decided it would be a good time to refine my skills. I remembered the stances Dad taught me, swiveling my wrists around accordingly with each weapon. I even used the new daggers that Eyarr gifted me. I had to adjust a little bit, but the daggers weren't too different from the shark tooth clubs I was used to using. I created a small target on the soft dirt of the cave wall, bettering my target practice.

I wondered if Eyarr would ever be interested in practicing hand-to-hand combat. Granted, I knew his style would drastically differ, but I was still interested in practicing with him.

After several hours of refining and practicing, I was tired and sore. And by pure chance, Eyarr returned to the cave, with his leather bag full shortly after I was done.

"How was it out there? And what's in the bag?" I asked.

"Weather still sucks, but it's an improvement from last night. I found a good spot for ice fishing, the ice is pretty solid. So I was able to partially replenish our stock." He replied, setting the bag down. I grabbed the descaling tools and carefully collected some embers. I set up a spot near the cave entrance, placed the embers on the ground, and set up some sticks. Once I was done, I joined Eyarr's side, and together, we worked on descaling the fish he caught, cutting the meat, and putting the skin to the side.

I showed Eyarr a different descaling technique my father taught me that would be much more effective and faster. Once we were done, I took the cut meat and hung it over the embers, setting up stones and leather around it so the meat could be smoked dry.

In the past months of being with Eyarr, we learned each other's survival techniques, and I enjoyed it. We worked well together, and our skills were complementary.

Once we were done, we sat back and relaxed, enjoying a dinner of cooked salmon, bread, honey, and dried berries from the summer. I reminisced to him about family dinners from home, sharing old stories we would laugh at.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. What about your dinners with the Haddocks?" He asked. I chuckled.

"Oh, they were quite similar! Chief Hiccup was always cracking sarcastic jokes with us and Gobber, an old friend of his father's. Zephyr and Nuffink would bicker with each other, and Chieftess Astrid and Hiccups' mother Valka, and I would just watch in amusement. It was the closest reminder of home on New Berk." He smiled.

"Having dinner with you is far better than eating alone." Cliffire snorted indignantly behind him, "Hey buddy, I like having dinner with you, too."

"But it's better with a person."

"Absolutely."

After we finished dinner, I ensured the smoking fish would be fine through the night, with the embers still going. I poked them to keep them alive.

As we settled in for bed, I decided to mention the practicing.

"Hey, Eyarr?"

"Hm?"

"Remember when you told me you'd offer to teach me how to fight with daggers?"

"I do. Why?"

"Well, I want to practice with other weapons, not just daggers." He raised an eyebrow but seemed curious.

"Alright, hit me." I showed him my other weapons, to which I quickly explained their uses.

"But I'm skilled in more than clubs."

"Like what?"

"We call it Lua back home. It's a special type of fighting that only certain people are taught. Usually, our warriors are taught to protect the chief and their families. But my father was taught it, and therefore taught my sister and me those skills." He appeared surprised at first, but it quickly dissipated.

"That's pretty cool. What are the techniques?"

"There's a lot that goes into it. But bone breaking, joint locking, pressure points… uh, open ocean warfare are just a few."

"Huh! Alright, that's hella cool. Us Vikings have our own hand-to-hand combat, too."

"Is that right?" He laughed.

"Yes, we do more than use swords and axes. Our style is called Glima. It's similar to what you're describing, but we use more kicks and damage-inflicting blows."

"So you're saying if we were physically fighting, we'd be equal in technique?"

"To an extent." He answered, "It's interesting to think about."

We stayed up for a couple more hours just talking about our fighting skills and our interest in teaching each other. I was thrilled that he was on board.

Tomorrow, we would give it a go.

Chapter Text

Eyarr and I both woke shortly after the sun rose. It warmed up a bit compared to yesterday, the chill wasn't as sharp and painful to breathe in.

Eyarr grabbed his daggers and a short sword. I grabbed my daggers as well, and my clubs. We intended to start with the daggers first, and then move up from there. I picked my daggers up, holding them so the guard was above my thumb and the pommel below. I put the other dagger in the same position. When Eyarr came over, he was decidedly shirtless. And I noticed something on his chest that wasn't there previously.

A tattoo. On his left pectoral. It was a variety of lines crisscrossed over each other. I raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but stare. He noticed my expression, glancing at his chest briefly. He shrugged and got into a defensive stance with his daggers.

"A story for another time."

"You didn't have that tattoo when we left New Berk."

"I know. I'll tell you about it at the right time." He cut off the conversation there. Moving on, I noted the way he held his daggers was different from mine. And visually different, too. Mine was a simple straight design. His were curved at the tips and were jagged on the edge of the blade. It was intended to inflict more damage and was to be used carefully. The pommel rested above his thumb, so the blade pointed downwards. I mimicked his stance, shifting my feet according to the balance of my weight. My fingers flexed around the hilt of the daggers.

He then rushed forward, aiming his daggers toward my abdomen. Instinctively, I sucked in my stomach, bending backward slightly, swiftly avoiding his first attack. I listened to him move around me, I heard him come up behind me to my back right. I swirled around, holding my elbow to his chest and my dagger now facing down.

We swiftly dodged each other's attacks for hours. Taking breaks here and there, giving advice and tips.

Despite how exhausting it was, it was a lot of fun. This was way better than our first spar, and it was nice having someone of equal skill and like-mindedness. He thought the same way as I.

"You're way too fast for me!" He laughed after I pinned him down, my foot on his chest, holding one of my clubs at him. I laughed, too, lifting my foot off and holding my hand out to pull him up. He smirked at me, and I realized I gave him an advantage. He kicked his leg out, catching me as I fell forward, flipping me over, and soon I was the one on the ground. He leaned his head forward, close to mine, I could almost feel the breath escape his nose.

"You happy?" I said, making a face at him.

"Quite." He replied. He pulled me up and let me gain my breath back.

"You know, it's nice having an equal sparring partner," I said, twirling one of my clubs around.

"I agree. I would guess it's been a while for both of us." I nodded my head, putting my club down and stretching.

"To be fair, we're not fighting to be cocky." He commented, and I laughed, thinking about the first one.

When we picked it back up a few days later, it was a similar routine as we got used to each other's techniques and types of attacks.

We continued doing this whenever the weather was really bad or too cold to go out, and I soon could feel my body regaining its strength and focus with all the sparring. I started feeling more like myself. And Eyarr proved to be a different sort of challenge, as I was used to sparring with my sister or father.

One night, after a long evening of sparring, we sat in front of the fire, eating the smoked fish I had prepared prior. I knew how to smoke fish based on my observations on New Berk, but it was the first time I'd attempted it by myself. And much to my surprise, it turned out well!

"For my first time smoking fish, I must say I did a damn good job!" I boasted. Eyarr chuckled.

"I have to agree! This is really good."

"I should start trying to cook other meals."

"I know you told me women on your island didn't cook. Why not learn on New Berk?" I paused.

"Uhhhh… well. I didn't exactly have the best people to teach me…" I replied sheepishly. He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Chieftess Astrid isn't here to whoop my ass, so… she's a terrible cook. And so is Chief Hiccup's mother, Valka. I've heard cooking horror stories."

"Oh. What about Chief Hiccup and his kids?"

"Hiccup and Zephyr are the only ones allowed to cook. Nuffink doesn't bother." Eyarr busted out laughing.

"Now that's a good reason to go back." I couldn't help but giggle.

"Yeah, I would guess so. The only other person allowed to cook is Gobber."

"And remind me who he is again?"

"The village blacksmith. He's been friends with the Haddocks for decades, well before Chief Hiccup was even born. He has a witty sense of humor, but occasionally he's exceptionally clever. He even offered to teach me how to make weapons if needed."

I soon found myself sharing my experience living on New Berk, and how it changed me. I told him how fast I became fluent in Norse.

"Well, it definitely shows. You speak it so well that when you were talking with Maui, you transitioned to your native language very smoothly." I blushed.

"From months of studying and hard work," I replied.

"If it's okay with you…" he began, I glanced up, "Could you teach me something in your language?" I was shocked.

"What? How come?" He shrugged.

"Out of interest. I know you haven't spoken it much… but I'd still like to learn, in case you want to talk to someone but not in Norse. Andddddd also because you sound breathtaking when you speak it." I blushed even harder.

"Eyarr, you're giving me way too much credit."

"No, I'm serious!" I sighed.

"Alright, we can start with something easy.."

"I don't mind a challenge!" I just chuckled.

"You say that now." I nodded slowly, thinking of something to teach him. Then it hit me.

"Fa'afetai mo le avea ma a'u uo." I gave him a cheeky grin, my hope was that one day when he became better at my language, he would realize what I'd said.

Eyarr's interest piqued even more as if he could almost understand my words. So for the next few hours, I taught him pronunciation. We found it quite fun!

"You have to fluctuate your voice like this, and put your tongue in this position to make that sound." He said it was weird for him, but I assured him it was just as weird for me to learn Norse.

"We'll work on your pronunciation later. But uh… do you know other languages?" I asked him. He nodded.

"They're very old languages, I know a bit of Latin, which the people far south of here on the mainland speak, variations of it, but they speak it. And then I'm more fluent in Gaelic, which'll be useful when we go see the Celts, as that is what they speak."

"How did you learn these languages?" He shrugged.

"From listening to other people, and getting my hands on books that provided some insight on how to speak it. But mostly through listening. It's been quite handy when talking to other foreign travelers."

"I can imagine. When I was growing up, my parents exposed me to different dialects and variations of our language, that way, on my own voyage, I could communicate. I don't know if I'll get to speak to anyone else like me except for Maui in our language. But… I'm slowly accepting that reality."

"Well… like I said, if you ever want anyone else, the offer still stands." I smiled at him.

"That genuinely means a lot. I'm touched you have such an interest in my background." He opened his mouth to say something, and I heard something, but he quickly caught himself.

"Ah, well, y'know… if we're still going to be close when we get back to New Berk, I think it's the respectable thing to do. I imagine the Haddocks have some skill in speaking your language?" I shrugged.

"Sort of, mostly Zephyr and I. Since she's like a sister to me, she was the best one to talk to."

The moon was past its highest point in the sky by the time the fire died down, and we got ready for bed. And I soon found myself enjoying the sound of the icy wind outside.

Chapter Text

The weather was finally calm enough for both of us to venture outside. It would be a good time to teach Laeli ice fishing. I knew she wouldn't have another opportunity otherwise. She was perfectly capable of catching fish during the warmer months, but I knew how to catch fish during the winter when its resources were scarce.

I had to remind her that she still had to remain bundled up since she didn't have the same tolerance for the cold as I could. She was so cute wrapped up in all that fur, though.

Together I showed her the path I found to the small fjord that was frozen over.

"Wait here," I said. She nodded as I went to pick up a sizable rock. With a flick of my wrist, I skimmed it over the surface of the ice. I knew the ice would either crack or break further away from shore from the weight of the rock. And roughly 30 feet or so, I heard the sound of ice cracking and finally giving in.

"Alright. So we don't go anywhere beyond that distance in the ice; otherwise, we risk falling in."

"Okay. Lead the way." She replied. I pressed my boot down just to be extra sure. I found a spot after being confident with my footing and leading us through the strongest parts of the ice. I pulled out my serrated dagger and stabbed it, sawing a hole.

I broke through the remaining ice and looked into the deep blue water. I saw the flashes of fish far down. They were there.

"So, how do you know if there's fish down there?"

"Well, I just saw some. But they're skittish. I'm going to lower some bait, and we'll have to wait until we get a bite." She nodded in understanding. I remember her telling me about her father's extensive fishing skills. He too, spent time alone fending for himself and became an excellent fisherman. If I could ever meet the man, I'd have a lot to ask him.

I pulled out some string I had in my bag, attached a makeshift hook to one end, and tied the other around the end of the stick we brought. I jabbed the end into a part of the ice, packing on ice shavings and snow to keep it in place. Once our setup was done, we sat there and waited, occasionally checking the pole to make sure it was still stable.

Our first round was partly successful. We didn't get as much fish as we hoped, but we were satisfied to have caught something.

Soon, Laeli figured out the routine. On our fourth-time ice fishing, she insisted on finding us a spot.

"Okay, you remember how to find a safe place?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Yup! Throw a rock, see where it breaks in the ice, and carefully step on the ice to ensure it supports your weight, and never go beyond where the rock fell in."

"Perfect! Alright, you lead the way." She beamed, taking our supplies bag while I held the fishing pole. She was very excited to be able to use her new skills, and I was proud of her. She was a fast learner and was always eager to apply her skills to something. After some time walking, she stopped and gestured to a different spot on the fjord's shore. I watched as she found a heavy rock and, with all her strength, threw it as hard and far as she could. We both heard it crack the ice.

But no sound of it falling through.

"What should we do?

"Not try to push it in. Leave it, and we'll stay closer to shore for safety. There may not be as much fish, but it's better than risking falling through the ice."

"Sounds safe." She replied. And with that, we made our way to a sturdy spot. We set up as we had before. So far, everything was going well; this time, Riptide followed us since we were further away from the cave than usual. But that was fine. Riptide was good company, and it was fantastic that he and Cliffire got along so well.

It wasn't an ideal spot, and we weren't getting a lot of bites, and the time passed sluggishly. Bored, Laeli got up, slowly inching her way toward shore.

"Where're you going?" I asked her.

"Find a spot to relieve myself," She answered. I shrugged.

"Alright, just be careful." She was gone for a bit, but I wasn't worried; Riptide would alert me if something happened to her. And eventually, she returned and made her way back to me.

"SHIT!" I heard her exclaim. I then heard an echoey thud. I whipped around and saw Laeli flat on her back. She quickly sat up.

"You good?!" I asked her in mild panic. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. I just lost my footing. Fell on my ass." She laughed it off. With a light chuckle, I turned my attention back toward the pole. I would regret that split second.

I heard a sound I didn't expect to hear—the sound of ice breaking and a voice full of panic.

"EYARR-" I jumped up, realizing Laeli had disappeared. I heard Riptide roaring and growling. He screeched in my direction, and when I looked slightly to my left, I saw a hole in the ice that wasn't there before.

I don't remember the immediate moments after I noticed the hole; I only remembered when I broke the surface of the ice, calling out to Riptide to pull Laeli and me out, gripping the jagged edge of the ice with a death grip, ignoring the cuts on my hand, staining the ice with splatters of blood. He did so without hesitation, using his teeth to pull us out.

I was soaking wet and shivering, having taken off my coat so it wouldn't weigh me down underwater.

But Laeli was unconscious. She wasn't responding to me repeating her name.

I forgot all about the pole and the fish as Riptide brought us back to the cave where Cliffire was waiting. I could see Riptide understandably panicking.

She was underwater for too long, even though it was only a few seconds more than me, and she was ice cold to the touch.

"Laeli! LAELI!" I lightly smacked her bright red cheeks, trying to wake her up. But she wasn't responding. She was shivering violently and was getting colder by the second.

I recalled the one time I was taught what to do if someone fell through the ice. Take off their wet clothes, all of their wet clothes, wrap them up and keep them warm. That meant I had to take off Laeli's clothes.

Fantastic…

Cliffire seemed to know what was going on, he got the fire going even stronger than before, and I could feel the heat radiating off his body. I lay her down on her furs, and her eyes partially opened. She tried to speak, but I shushed her.

"It's going to be okay… just trust me. I'm going to have to take off your clothes, okay?" She didn't give me much response, but she didn't have much of a choice. I undid her belt and removed her tunic, pants, socks, and boots. I did peek at her thigh tattoos as I removed her pants. I'd only seen them a few times, but their intricacy never failed to amaze me. Now came the difficult part of removing her undergarments… I pursed my lips and averted my eyes so I wouldn't directly look at anything; just pay enough attention so I removed any soaked clothing. I wrapped my arm around her, slowly pulling her up to undo her bra in the back.

I quickly dried off what I could and covered her immediately with a blanket, pulling her wet hair back. I kept her close to Cliffire's side to keep her warm, ensuring every part of her was covered.

I kept a close eye on her that first night, trying my best to keep her warm. I would rub my hands together, pressing my warm palms on her forehead and acceptable parts of her body.

I was still cold too, so I bundled myself up as well. I couldn't lie to myself, I'd wanted an opportunity to fall asleep under blankets with her, but I never wanted it to go like this. But I knew she wouldn't bode well sleeping alone. With some mild hesitation, I made myself comfortable with her. She was positioned right against my side, and I place her head in the crook of my arm and chest.

She opened her eyes upon feeling being moved around. She looked exhausted.

"Eyarr…?" She whispered, shivering. I shushed her as I made her comfortable.

"It's okay, Laeli. I'm here."

"Eyarr… my head hurts…" She said, letting her head fall back. That caught my attention.

"Where?" She agonizingly lifted her arm, trying to point to the back of her head. I winced; she must've hit her head when she fell in. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the kind of skill to remedy that. All I could offer was that she rest, so her body could recover naturally. If I had the proper medicine to help her, I'd give it. I gently pushed her arm down.

"Easy there. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"Not… really. I'm just… cold." I parted a few stray hairs from her face, rubbing my hands together and pressing my palms on her forehead.

"I know, I know. I'm doing what I can to keep you warm. Are you able to move your fingers or toes?" I noticed the end of the blanket wiggle a bit. And she slowly flexed her fingers through another shiver.

"Kind of…"

"That's a good sign. Just keep them covered."

The next few nights were about the same; I kept the fire roaring as much as possible and double-checked to ensure she could move her fingers and toes. She eventually regained her strength and became warmer to the touch.

It brought me a huge sense of relief when she could stand on her own again. Her fingertips were still slightly cold to the touch, but most of her body regained its normal temperature, and she wasn't as sickly. Her nose was still red and very runny from all the sneezing and a couple of nosebleeds, but she was much, much better than before.

"This winter can't be over fast enough," she complained one evening, bundled up in her blanket.

"I know. The weather will be a bit nicer further south, I promise. Plus, I've been thinking more about our coming visit to the Celts." I replied, stoking the fire.

"How so?"

"Well, I've heard stories about the Druids."

"The what?"

"Druids. They are the religious and spiritual leaders and guides in Celtic communities. They're very wise and very much in tune with nature. When we were talking with Hilda, my head was swirling with remembering everything I know of the people. And there's a chance the Druids could have a way to help you communicate with your family." I saw her face warp into one of surprise and intrigue but with a touch of sadness.

"That's uh… a very interesting thought."

"I feel a but coming," I replied, hearing doubt lace her voice. She rubbed her face, shrugging.

"I mean, I'm not saying it's a bad idea… I just, the anxiety, the thought of any chance of talking or seeing my family again. It's always been in my head, and I thought I almost convinced myself it wasn't possible. And now… I don't know if I have the strength to go through with it. I feel like I've changed too much… I'm not the same daughter that left after all this time."

"What makes you think that? Why wouldn't you have the strength? You can show them the young woman you've become." She sighed.

"I don't know Eyarr… it just… I'm scared. I want to see them, but I'm… terrified. I can't explain it right…"

"Hey, hey, try not to overthink it. I know it's overwhelming...but we're going to a people I have confidence will be able to help. Just give it time."

"You seem awfully sure about this." I couldn't help but give her a playful smirk.

"Well, I'm lucky to know someone who's good at giving pep talks." I saw her cheeks flush a deep red, and she laughed nervously.

"Giving me too much credit again."

"Oh, come on, never," I replied with a laugh of my own. I patted her knee gently and stood to prepare our things to be on the move again and prepare for the spring melt.

I could tell our hopes were on the rise again.

Chapter Text

As eager as I was to be on the move again, Eyarr told me we had to wait for my body to recover fully and for the weather to warm. It irritated me, but I knew he was worried about me. Every gentle touch of his to help my body heal itself, I began to long for more of it. But I couldn't decide if that was something I truly desired, or if it was… what was the phrase…? "Cabin fever," or something like that. I pushed every desirable thought out of my head, trying to focus on other things.

During the remaining weeks of winter, I couldn't help but wonder what fate had in store. Were the Celts the answer to helping me reconnect with my family again? Was it worth the risk? I didn't want Eyarr to listen to my worries and doubts, but those thoughts swirled in my brain every night.

The snow and ice began to melt eventually; I could see bright green slowly beginning to peek out of the white. And even the night air slowly began to warm, too.

One unusually warm night, when the moon was slightly past its highest point in the sky, I took the opportunity to leave the protection of the cave. I felt a calling to go outside. Feel the wind around me. See the stars I missed so much.

I followed the foot trail we'd created along the fjord's shore. Walking along, I saw a large outcropping up a small hill. It stood out from a clearing, providing a perfect sky view.

Eagerly, I scraped a large stick in the ground leading from the trail to this outcropping and made my way up. I brushed away dead leaves and dirt and made myself a spot to sit. It felt like forever since I was last able to stargaze. I had stargazed with Eyarr before winter hit, but I longed to do it by myself again. And finally, I could.

I lay my head back on a mossy spot and craned my neck.

From having been stuck in the cave, to being sick and cold, it was like the sky had a new kind of light. I could see the brightest stars twinkling at me, almost as if they were happy to see me again.

I don't know or remember how long I lay there. I remember my eyes feeling heavy. As I fought off sleep, I heard what I swore was someone calling my name very faintly. Startled, I jumped and sat up, suddenly wide awake.

"Eyarr?" I replied. I heard my name again, but it wasn't Eyarr calling me. I looked around frantically, but I couldn't see anyone. Okay, my head was playing tricks on me or something… right? I took it as a sign to start heading back to the cave. Walking through the small foot trail, I felt a presence behind me. Confused, I hesitantly turned around. I didn't know what was there, if there was anything, and it was just my mind playing tricks on me.

As I walked, my eyes became strained, and my vision became spotty. I began to hear the voice clearer and clearer as it whispered,

"You are almost there." Over and over again. I dizzyingly made my way back to camp and pulled myself under the covers in an attempt to sleep. And even when I was completely out, I started having dreams… or visions. I wasn't sure.

But I saw a village filled with warm, friendly faces. The sight of them rapidly pulled back, revealing a village to be on a fog-covered island.

Eventually, the dream dissipated into normal weird dreams, which I slept through. But I couldn't shake the feeling of the first one. Ever since Eyarr told me about the Celts and the knowledge about the Druids, I began to wonder what they were capable of and whether there might be answers for us there.

By the time the sun rose, I was already up. And I woke Eyarr this time.

"Huh…? Oh… geez, Laeli. You're up early."

"We should start leaving. Like, today." He sat up.

"Why?"

"Because I had a dream about the Celts. And I feel a certain urgency to get to them as soon as possible."

"You had a dream about it? What do you mean?"

"I saw their village in my dream, it was hidden by fog, and it's on an island. I don't know what else is supposed to happen, but something is telling me we need to go." I knew that Eyarr didn't take my weird dreams very seriously, but I was genuinely trying to convey my urgency and wanted him to understand. And I stared at him, looking into his golden eyes.

He blinked at me as he processed my words. Then he gazed around at the cave and then back at me.

"Well… you seem to have your normal energy again."

"Thanks for your analysis, doctor. We need to go now." I pulled him up and started to pack.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. Relax for a moment."

I made sure that not only did we pack everything but also that we destroyed any remnants of us being here. Even well after our encounter with Eyarr's family, he and I agreed we didn't want to risk them following us. Even after everything there, my hand subconsciously reached up to graze my cheek at the thought.

Eyarr took the lead, following a map he revealed to me that the Sami chief gave him while I was busy catching up with Maui and following my description of the island in my dream.

I felt the air warm slightly; based on that, I could tell we were close. The islands below us were a brighter green than I'd seen before. And I knew enough that it was to be expected the further south you went.

I scanned our surroundings constantly, waiting for that heavy fog to settle in.

And my dream was right on the dot. After a few days, the fog cover settled in, and Eyarr began questioning my dream.

"Are you sure about this? Cliffire can hardly navigate this."

"I know it, Eyarr. We just have to keep flying. I'm confident in this." He said nothing else, but I knew he had doubts. But I was waiting to see the white cliff faces and beaches.

We flew a bit longer before I spied a silhouette peeking through the fog. And much to my surprise, we broke through the fog, which acted more like a barrier. Once we passed through, it was clear blue skies, not a cloud in sight. And just like I expected, white cliffs and beaches. There was a forest that grew on the clifftops and expanses of greenery. The island didn't seem that big, but I knew this was the place.

I urged Riptide to land, where I saw a small break in the treeline. Cliffire followed close behind, landing next to Riptide.

I dismounted, pulling out my club since it was still my preferred weapon, but I kept my dagger under my belt, just in case. Eyarr did the same but pulled out his sword instead.

I cautiously approached the opening in the forest, eyeing a path that seemed to open up magically. It felt like… the forest was alive. The foliage was almost too green. And the blooming flowers were brilliantly colored, like splashes of paint against the intense greens. I don't know exactly what told me to step in, but I followed my instinct. I quickly turned back to grab Eyarr's hand.

"Come on!"

"Laeli! Are you sure about this? Something about this forest feels off." I couldn't help but agree slightly. But something told me it was for a reason.

"I just-... I'm following my gut. And my gut tells me we need to keep going." I replied, hearing the confidence in my voice.

We walked forward a bit more, following the path I found. I kept hearing ravens call out deep within the woods, beyond my line of sight, but not out of my hearing. I also felt like I was being watched, and something told me Eyarr sensed the same.

"You feel that, too?" He asked. He almost sounded nervous just asking me. I nodded wordlessly.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks. The path stopped before a circle of mushrooms, crystals, and flowers. I briefly looked to Eyarr, who had a look of mild horror.

"What's wrong?" He swallowed.

"Do you know what that is?" I shook my head. I knew it had some meaning, but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

"Laeli, that's a fairy ring in Celtic lore. In Norse lore, they're elves. But either way, these rings are powerful. I was always taught never to step foot into a fairy ring. They're either grown from unnaturally green grass, mushrooms, or flowers. But this is the first time I've ever seen crystals used."

"Is it good or bad?"

"... I don't know. But I don't trust it. Legend has it that the rings are created when the fairies dance together in a circle." Fairies… little people.

My father and aunt had stories of little people from his old island. Stories passed on from their families.

The concept wasn't unfamiliar.

I observed the ring, I knew it wasn't supposed to be good, but I was still fascinated by it. And my dream couldn't have been for nothing if it guided us here. I didn't see any sign of civilization within the woods, disregarding the feeling of being watched.

Suddenly, I noticed something that seemed out of place.

A shimmer in the air. If I stood at the right angle of light, I could just make it out. It was so odd.

"Eyarr," I called out.

"What is it?"

"Come look at this!" I gestured for him to come to me, and I pointed out the weird shimmer of the light. He didn't know what to make of it. I looked at the weird shimmer and then at my hand. I didn't know if this was a good idea, but I just had to know.

I slowly held my hand up and held my fingertip just beyond where I saw the shift in light. I briefly looked at Eyarr, who had his hand on my shoulder. As I moved my finger, I was mystified to see the shimmer move along with my finger, like a ripple in the water.

I went for it, shoving my hand into it, only for it to seemingly disappear.

"What in the fuck-" I exclaimed. I stepped forward in an attempt to get a better look.

"LAELI-" I heard Eyarr's voice become distorted. I briefly looked down to see I accidentally stepped within the fairy ring, but before I had time to call out for Eyarr, I grabbed his hand and pulled him in. We looked at each other and squeezed our eyes shut, not knowing what would come.

***
I opened my eyes to shouting and clamoring footsteps on dirt. When I glanced up, I jumped upon seeing a spearhead pointed at my face. I scrambled back, bumping into Eyarr, who was already up. He glanced down, pulling me up and then shoving me behind him.

And then, much to my shock, I heard Eyarr speaking, but in a different language. Once I processed what was happening, I noticed the people he was talking to. They were dressed sort of similar to the people on New Berk, but the fashion seemed a bit older. But in physical appearance-wise, they were much alike, with all sorts of hair and eye colors, but all were fair-skinned like Eyarr.

Some, I noticed, kept glancing at me. One man poked at my right forearm with the blunt end of a spear, the one with star tattoos. I yanked it back, not wanting to be touched. Eyarr wrapped an arm around me protectively without even breaking focus.

The frantic exchange soon calmed down, and everyone was talking normally.

I heard a familiar roar in the distance, knowing it was Riptide.

"Riptide!" I called out to him. Much to my utter astonishment, he graced the top of the forest, joining us, and Cliffire did the same. I legitimately did not know if this was the same place, but I was still happy our dragons found us.

The people cried out in shock and backed away, giving room for Riptide and Cliffire. I heard Eyarr speaking to them again, and I assumed he was assuring them the dragons meant no harm.

"Eyarr, what is going on?"

"… Well, for starters, we found the Celts. Secondly, they're not entirely happy we stumbled into their village or found the fairy circle."

"You speak their language?"

"Yeah, remember when I told you? I speak Norse, Gaelic, and Latin. And the Celts speak Gaelic."

"Ooohhh…" I looked at the group of people watching us, "they don't want to kill us, do they?"

"Unless we give them a reason to, no. But we need to be careful. I'll translate for you and explain our situation to them." I couldn't protest; he seemed to be handling the chaos well.

After more explanation, we were gently forced to walk into the village. I didn't know exactly where we were going, but it gave me time to gather my surroundings. It was like a fairytale—white plastered homes with thatched roofs, covered with overgrown foliage blooming with flowers. Yards were filled with various plants as well. Brightly colored mushrooms lined the pathways between the houses and other buildings. And various decorations made of gold and silver stuck out from the green. Again, it was like something out of a fairytale.

After we walked for a few minutes, we were led into the largest building out of all of them. Immediately I already knew what was about to happen. Talk to the chief and explain ourselves.

A group of people were all sitting in a circle, surrounding a pit with a large bonfire in the middle. Hanging over the fire was a cauldron and something was boiling inside. An outer ring surrounding the fire pit allowed space to move and walk around. And within the immediate line of sight upon walking in, there was an ornately decorated table with a matching chair. Upon seeing a man take a seat, I correctly assumed that was the chief's table, and he was dressed up far more than his counterparts.

As soon as I stepped foot, I heard whispering in Gaelic make its way through the circle of people. While I couldn't understand them, something told me I stood out too much, yet again.

Eyarr did all the talking, and I gave him extra info as needed as he explained ourselves. I noticed a woman who had her focus on me. I noted the circlet around her head and the white ribbons woven through her intricate hairstyle. Her face was rounded, and her brown eyes were full of warmth. When she noticed me looking at her, she gave me a tiny smile and a nod of acknowledgment.

I also noticed a man in the corner of the room. His white beard was long and appeared hardly combed. His skin was wrinkled and slightly muted with age. The usually white part of his eyes was yellow, also from age. And one eye was blind, reminding me of Zyrah. His posture was hunched, and he leaned against a wooden staff decorated in gold. His thick eyebrows furrowed as he processed the exchanges throughout the room, and I caught his expression shift when he glanced at me. I wasn't intimidated by him, though; intrigued, I'd say.

I honestly didn't pay much attention to Eyarr talking. I zoned out and only refocused whenever I heard my name thrown in.

Finally, it was over, and he told me we were in the clear. He also mentioned he negotiated for us to have a place to stay, and they would help us.

"Eyarr, how on earth?" I sputtered out. He grinned and winked at me.

"Years of practice. You always have to offer something in return and keep going back and forth until you meet in the middle. It's how I survived my first few years alone."

"Well, however, you did it, thank you. And you'll have to teach me some Gaelic so I can get around while we're here."

"Don't worry, we'll work on that."

Surprisingly, the woman from before with the white ribbons showed us a smaller house that we could use during our stay. I made myself comfortable while Eyarr chit-chatted with her. Outside, I heard the dragons starting to relax, which relieved me.

Finally, Eyarr came back and started unpacking his stuff.

"What were you two talking about?" I asked as I started a small fire.

"Just formal introductions. She told me that she and that old guy that was brooding in the corner earlier practice ancient Celtic magic and that, after hearing what I told them, might be able to help us." I raised an eyebrow.

"And what did you tell them?" He quickly relayed the short version, just about our history and what led us here, and what we're trying to accomplish.

"Oh. Huh… alright. So, that old guy, is he… what's the word… a Druid?" Eyarr nodded.

"He is. The woman, her name is Morgan, by the way, told me his name is Eir. He's experienced in what he practices."

"When will we get to see him?"

"Morgan told us not to rush. But in a couple of days, once we're settled." I chuckled a bit in amusement.

"What's so funny?"

"You're a man of many talents, Eyarr. Every day I'm more impressed with what you're capable of." He slowly grinned.

"Well, I'm just glad I have someone to show them off to." I couldn't help but laugh. His sense of humor was beginning to grow on me.

Chapter Text

For the next few days, Eyarr went over basic Gaelic phrases with me so that I could easily exchange with one of the villagers. I wanted to learn more, but Eyarr said the pronunciations were a tad complicated, and he didn't want to overwhelm me.

Leaving it at that, I worked on an easy way to introduce myself, especially when we met with the Druid, Eir, and his apprentice, Morgan.

The second evening of being in the village, I returned to the house and found what appeared to be a shawl spread out on my bed. It was a rich, deep blue, with quilt-like stitching and delicate knotwork embroidery lining the hem. And I could see faint light blue outlines of swirls patterning the fabric. I almost didn't want to take it, but I couldn't just leave it out.

I showed it to Eyarr when he came back after sunset.

"Look at how beautiful this is… I don't know who left it here. But it's so generous of them." He didn't look directly at me, but I could see a smile on his face.

"Maybe it's their way of saying welcome." I decided to wrap it around my shoulders to get a feel for it. It had weight to it, but it was well-made and rather comfortable. The wool was finely woven and soft to the touch, and it didn't irritate my skin.

I loved it.

"Whoever brought it to me, I'll thank them personally. It's wonderful."

With this gift, I felt more comfortable. Maybe Eyarr mentioned I get cold easily? I had to guess he had something to do with it.

Either way, Eyarr and I could now go see Eir and Morgan. I had no idea what to expect, but Eyarr assured me he'd do what he could. He did encourage me to try introducing myself in Gaelic, though.

I promised I'd give it a try. But before the meeting, I wanted to spend some time with Riptide. We found our way to the beach down a rocky path on the cliffside. The rock was creamy white and sort of crumbly to the touch. The sand was the same color as the rock, but upon removing my boots, it was soft. The feeling of soft sand under my feet always reminded me of home.

I left my boots and socks on a pile of rocks and approached the shore, listening carefully to the lapping water. I let myself walk further to feel the cold water touch my toes. I expected the cold shock, and I didn't mind it.

Riptide stood beside me, and I just guessed he was waiting to see if Ocean would interact with him. I encouraged him to go for a swim for a bit. And while he did that, I let my body feel…

Out of instinct, my arms and legs guided me into a dance, and I closed my eyes to savor the feeling. A dance that great Gramma Tala taught my mother, who then taught me and Aihe. A dance to the Ocean. Reminding us that the ocean is a guiding force in our lives and we're meant to listen.

With every movement of my arm, it was like I could feel the water moving in sync with me. My heart pounded in rhythm with the waves. I slowly opened my eyes and was taken aback to see the Ocean having surrounded me, swirling intensely.

"Ocean?!" I exclaimed. I held my arms out, letting my fingertips graze the surface, and instantaneously, the water released the tension and exploded around me. I turned around and saw Riptide's head peeking out from the surface not too far away, he cocked his head in curiosity in noticing my shocked expression. I just shrugged. I didn't know what to say.

I'd done that dance many times before, and Ocean had never done that. It didn't feel threatening, but it was so unexpected. I shook it off at Ocean just being weird, and took it as a sign to head back to the village.

I was just glad I wasn't soaked or anything. I didn't need anyone asking me what I was up to.

When I returned, I grabbed the shawl, wrapping it around my shoulders, just in time for Eyarr to come in and tell me Eir and Morgan were waiting. I didn't need to ask what he was up to. My focus was now on wondering what this meeting would be like.

We made our way up to a house covered in various symbols and assorted objects. Religious stuff, I had to guess. As we entered, I was surprised upon noticing how expansive and cozy it felt. The main room was the center of attention, with a fire pit in the center, like the main gathering hall with the Chief. Benches were placed between posts connected at the top, and wrapped around the posts were various floral arrangements. Some of the plants appeared to be dried. And golden decorations were everywhere. Some were intricately decorated with faces and symbols of animals. Others were simply made, like some of the pots and cups.

Morgan appeared, greeting us with a smile on her round face. She offered us a place to sit and gave us a warm drink while we waited. She stirred the fire, grabbed some of the dried plants, and tossed them in.

A few short minutes later, we heard a scratchy voice in the other part of the house. Upon turning to see who it was, Eyarr stood up immediately and greeted Eir. He then started an extensive conversation with Morgan and Eir, both of whom would send glances my way as they occasionally nodded. I had no idea what they were discussing, but I waited until I was personally addressed.

Finally, Morgan and Eir began softly talking to each other. While they did that, Eyarr turned to me.

"What's going on?"

"I gave them the lowdown of your situation. How you ended up here in the north mysteriously, and want to know why… and if you'll be able to see your family again." He said that last part with a tinge of hesitation. I awkwardly half-smiled, knowing he talked about me.

"And what did they say?"

"That's what they're discussing now. They are interested in helping in whatever way they can. Eir did mention that he was suspicious of godly interference."

"Godly interference? From…?"

"Possibly my pantheon of gods."

"Like, Odin and Thor? What would they have to do with me?" Eyarr shrugged.

"That's what we're going to find out." I couldn't believe it. If that was the case, I would have to find a way to talk to Maui and let him know. Before the winter hit, I knew he would be in the realm of gods to talk to them anyway, but this was important.

After our meeting, I returned to the shore and asked the ocean to pass my message to Maui and ask him to come as soon as possible. After that, all I could do was wait.

I told Eyarr about it, and he was supportive.

"It would be interesting to know what he's learned. Especially if he was hanging with the gods over the winter."

While we waited, Eyarr worked with me on my Gaelic. He was patient with me, and I found myself loving my moments with him even if we weren't going over basic phrases.

And I told him how much I enjoyed spending time with him.

I swore I saw him blush.

"Did I just make you blush?" I exclaimed, poking his shoulder to tease him. He grinned at me.

"Don't tell me you're surprised you enjoy being around me!" He joked, pulling me in and beginning to tickle me.

"Eyarr! Stop!" I squealed, flailing my limbs around as I attempted to squirm from his hold. Much to my amusement and surprise, he immediately stopped. But he had a huge grin plastered across his face.

"I really enjoy my time with you, too." He said, "I've been waiting to hear you finally say you like being around me."

"Well, today's your lucky day." I chuckled, sitting up beside him, "You know, I feel like I haven't thanked you enough." I ran a finger through his blonde hair, parting a strand behind his ear. He glanced over at me in confusion.

"Thank me for what?" I shrugged.

"For taking care of me during the winter… and teaching me how to fight. I'm grateful to have learned from you this past year." He turned to face me and gave me a huge smile. A genuine smile.

"That means a lot. And geez… has it been a year?" I nodded.

"It has been; pretty crazy, huh?" It was safe to say we were both equally shocked to realize all of our traveling and the chaos we'd endured had been going on for a year. And somehow, even after being here for maybe a few days, I could already tell that being in this village would change things.

Chapter Text

After some hard work, I could finally converse coherently with Eir and Morgan. Morgan and I established a friendship, and she was eager to learn about my culture. I remember one day we took me on a walk to show me more around the village, and I even showed her the dragons, which she was mesmerized by.

"I remember hearing stories about dragons as a child," Morgan said, grazing her hands over Riptide's scales.

"You heard stories about dragons?" I replied in surprise. She nodded with a laugh.

"Oh yes. I desperately wanted to see the world. In my naive child brain, I had been convinced that the creatures in my bedtime stories were real… and my inner child is ecstatic to know that at least the dragons are real." I chuckled as Riptide nuzzled my face.

"I didn't even know the concept of dragons growing up. I had stories about other fantastical creatures. Even shapeshifting demigods. And when I ended up here in the north… Dragons changed everything for me." Not just the dragons, to be honest. So much more.

"Something tells me that more than the dragons changed you," Morgan noted. I felt my cheeks warm and quickly changed the subject, eager to learn more about her past. She led me to a cliff edge overlooking the ocean, and together we sat down, letting the sharp wind rip through our hair.

"My father was a lord in a different land south of us. As I mentioned, I grew up listening to fairytales and was convinced they were real. I was naive and wanted to believe the unbelievable. And as I grew up, I slowly learned more about the world around me. On a trip through my father's land, we encountered a group of Druids practicing some of their rituals in town for a crowd. My father feared them since he didn't understand what their magic was for," I raised my eyebrows in curiosity.

"He tried to teach me that the ancient Celtic magic was dangerous. But I defied him. I was desperate to learn something new over the same old lessons about being a proper lady. I escaped my home to find the Druids I saw. I followed them through one of their special portals and wound up here. At first, understandably, things were rough and they didn't trust me. But over time, after extensive observation and demonstration, I proved I could be trusted. And then Eir took me in, seeing my interest in magic. And taught me his extensive knowledge of ancient Celtic magic."

Needless to say, I was blown away. Her defiance of her father's fear led her to become a Druid's apprentice.

"That's really something, Morgan." She grinned, "But do you ever miss your family? Even sometimes?" Her expression changed, and she shrugged.

"Sometimes… but they only supported a fantasy as a fantasy. They didn't believe in me having independence and the freedom to choose something different. So, some things are better left in the past." I frowned.

I wasn't so sure I agreed with leaving everything in the past. But, I guess that I never had a reason to leave everything behind willingly. Morgan and Eyarr both had legitimate reasons to leave behind their past, they had families who didn't support them, so they made their own choices. And now that I thought about it, Zyrah had a similar situation. How was it that so many people I've met here all had horrible things happen in their past that forced them to leave everything behind?

It felt awkward now… knowing that I didn't want to leave my family behind. I simply wanted to explore the world a bit and then go home. Everything that happened to me wasn't my choice. And I still wanted to see my family again.

After spending the rest of the day with Morgan, sometime before the sun set, we headed back to the village where Eir and Eyarr were chit-chatting around the fire.

"Hey, girls, what were you up to?" Eyarr asked. He and I exchanged a tiny smile, and I took a seat next to him. We talked about the dragons, chilling on the cliff, and our lives.

Eyarr also shared what he'd been up to throughout the day, and I was thrilled to see him happy to talk about his day. I watched him as I ate, taking in his stories. I momentarily glanced over and saw Morgan and Eir eyeing me. Morgan's words from earlier echoed back in my head.

"Something tells me that more than the dragons changed you."

After getting to know Morgan and now Eir, I felt more comfortable and didn't feel as out of place as before. Granted, I was the only non-white person in the village, but nothing could change that.

With that in mind, Eir and I could also communicate better after some more coaching from Eyarr and Morgan. And now that I could talk to him more fluently, I had so many questions about the extent of his magic and what he knew. I could see the smile through his beard when he led me to the same fairy ring that sent Eyarr and me to the village.

"The fairy ring? You use this for magic?"

"In a way. I perform the chants and spells… and I allow the elements to take control. In my practices, we're in tune with the earth and its changes. We learn from nature," he paused for a second, taking his wood and gold staff in his hands and swirling the top of it around him in a circle over the mushrooms, flowers, and crystals. Much to my amazement, the crystals began to glow upon this action, "but sometimes, you need to add a little something extra to find what you're looking for."

I wasn't sure if he meant that he was referring to me or the general masses, but either way, I was incredibly intrigued by his handiwork. Back home, we sometimes had a specific person to communicate with the gods and certain rituals. But communicating with the gods was a community effort, especially on a voyage. We always called upon the gods of the sea and wind to guide us on our journey.

"So… what are you doing exactly?" I asked.

"When Eyarr explained your goal in finding answers… about how and why you're here, Morgan and I discussed the options and various ways we could figure it out. And I've concluded it does have to do with godly interference… and perhaps some elemental influence."
"Wait, what?"

"I have yet to determine why. But he was smart enough to mention a certain demigod of the wind and sea you have a familial bond with."

"Who, Maui? What does he have to do with this?"

"Considering what I've learned about him, surprisingly, nothing. But he does offer a potential solution."

"Well… before winter, he did mention he was going to be in the realm of the gods to chit-chat." Eir turned and raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Have you seen him since?" I shrugged, shaking my head.

"He comes and goes as he chooses. Sometimes I don't see him for months on end. I don't know when he'll be coming back. I mean, I hope soon. I do miss him."

"I see."

"What'll you do in the meantime?"

"See how I can connect to the gods. Or their messengers. The sooner we get an answer or a solution, the better."

I left Eir to his thing, returned to the house, and found Eyarr chilling in bed.

I didn't mind sharing a bed with him since we were given one large one, not two pushed together. I joked with him that at least he wasn't a violent sleeper. At first, it was a bit awkward, but now I didn't care. I had become so accustomed to his presence that it was now easier to sleep at night.

After I fell through the ice during the winter, it'd been a challenge for me to remain asleep through the night for a bit. But Eyarr never left my side. And even now, he went out of his way to ensure I was okay.

He looked up upon seeing me.

"How'd your hangout with Eir go?" I rolled my eyes at the use of the word "hangout", but I took a seat on the edge of the bed and pulled my hair loose from the wooden pin that held it in place, releasing the twists on the side of my head.

"Not bad, actually. He demonstrated some of his magic to me, explaining how it's supposed to work. It was rather fascinating. And his staff makes the crystals and mushrooms in the fairy circle glow! I've never seen anything like it." His lips curled into a smile.

"I told you we'd find something here." I smiled back and combed my hair. Then another thought came to mind.

"Soo… about those stolen Celtic items from your family's cabin. Did you give them to the chief?" He blinked momentarily and then nodded in confirmation, gesturing to the empty bags that once held those stolen items.

"Like with Hilda, the chief here said that he'd make preparations to send some of the stuff to other tribes south of here where they originate from."

"Oh, that's good! Do you feel better about returning all that stuff?" He slowly nodded, placing his arms behind his head.

"I do. I don't… feel guilty about it. Holding onto that stuff anymore. Less burden from the past on my shoulders," he paused for a moment, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes, "and it kills me knowing that if my parents wanted to, they would've sold all those religious items for outrageous prices and take advantage of more people. It makes me feel better knowing I'm ending that cycle."

"I'm happy to hear that, genuinely. Every day you look more relaxed as we settle down a bit more. You're a different man than the one I met." He chuckled.

"I am still that man, just with fewer burdens."

Chapter Text

Together, Eyarr and I worked with Eir on understanding his magic. It was about finding the right access point to communicating with the gods.

Then one day, Maui showed up. It was a pleasant surprise, though. I was happy to tell him about our progress. He, however, didn't exactly share the same sentiment.

"I found a way." Maui finally blurted. I blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"While the two of you have been chilling with the Celts and doing stuff, I was off conversing with the gods." Eyarr and I glanced at each other.

"You mean, my gods?"

"Both of yours."

"What?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means I have an understanding of why Laeli was brought here… and a possible way for her to see her family again, see home again." I was in shock. My legs felt heavy, ready to give out. I slumped down on a rock to process Maui's words.

"Please. Tell us. We deserve to know." Maui stuck his hook into the ground and unloaded everything he'd learned. Eyarr was notably surprised upon the mention of the Norns and Njord.

"Who's Njord?"

"Basically, my counterpart. Fun dude." Maui said. He continued explaining how specific gods from mine and Eyarr's respective pantheons worked together in a way that allowed us to meet. And that the Bïfrost, the magical rainbow bridge that the Norse gods used to travel to Earth, was what brought me here. This information blew my mind. I couldn't help but think back to the story of how Mom and dad met, with some mild godly interference. I would never have been born if it wasn't for Fetia.

"Just like Fetia…" I breathed out. Eyarr raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember when I told you about my family? How my paternal grandmother became the goddess of the stars? Her role is to write people's destinies in the stars. Without her, my parents never would have met."

"So… what you're saying, the gods wanted us to meet? We were meant to?" Maui nodded.

"Did they say why, though?" Eyarr inquired. Maui shook his head.

"They said something along the lines of "That is something they must reveal themselves," Maui replied, faking a godlike voice.

"Great. Very helpful." Eyarr sighed, exasperated.

"Hey, I'm just the messenger."

"Nothing against you. I just don't get why the gods think it's fun messing with mortal lives? Like, they're the reason why humanity exists, so why can't they leave us alone? I'm not a pawn in their game. I live life the way I choose."

"But don't you get it? That's how it's supposed to work. The Norns know how your life works out. They know you live your life independent of society. But the gods… they always know." I spoke up. I still didn't heavily worship the Norse pantheon, but I understood it and how the deities functioned.

"Look, that's not the point." He replied.

"What is the point then?"

"That they chose to bring you here for whatever reason."

"I do need to mention one last thing," Maui spoke up.

"What?"

"They did say… if Laeli so chooses, she will be able to return home," My eyes widened at the mention of this, "but you cannot jump back and forth between here and Motunui. It's a final decision either way. You choose to stay here, and you don't see Motunui again. But if you go back… you'll never see the friends you've made here ever again. And everything will be reset."

What?

"What?! What kind of choice is that?!" Eyarr exclaimed.

"That's what the Gods said. That's how they envision it working out."

"But… what about the afterlife? Even if I stay here… could I see everyone again in the afterlife?"

"It's… complicated. I don't know the answer to that." I remained sitting on the rock to process Maui's words. If I stayed, I would never see Motunui again, and who knows what would happen in the afterlife? But if I went back to Motunui, I would be forgotten here. It would be like I never existed. It was a harsh reality… and I never imagined I would have to choose, but it was a tough call.

"I… I don't know. I don't know how to make that choice." I glanced over at Eyarr, who stood like a statue. After everything we've been through, I could only imagine how nervous he was to know what I was thinking.

At least without going back to Motunui, my family wouldn't forget me, right? That was the most important thing. He knows how much my family means to me. And if I couldn't see them again in life, there was a chance of seeing them again in death.

"Laeli… I-… I don't want you to make the wrong choice. But I don't want to forget you…" I don't think I've ever heard Eyarr stumble over his words like that.

"Like Hell if I don't either! I hate these options as much as you do."

"I feel a but coming." I pursed my lips, thinking about my parents… my sister. My sister… I knew for a fact that she was forced to take up the role of chief without me there. And I felt guilty about it.

"But yet… I feel like there are unresolved things with my family. Things I never got to say."

"But you'll have the chance in the afterlife."

"You heard what Maui said! There's no guarantee!"

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you! Of all the choices in my life, I have to choose between you and my family!"

There was an uncomfortable silence as my words sat in Eyarr's ears.

"So, is that what I am? A choice?"

"I mean-… isn't everything in life?" Our back and forth soon turned into an argument.

"I don't want you to leave!" Eyarr shouted, "After everything we've been through, everything we've done, you just intend to leave?"

"I want to see my family, Eyarr! I shouldn't have to defend that!"

"At least you have a family that wants you back! I never had that! I finally thought that with us traveling together… I'd have someone by my side!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'll be alone again, Laeli! You've become everything to me… I almost lost you when you fell through the ice. And now… I could lose you again. You finally helped me understand the future is worth it if it has you in it."

I blinked.

"…What…?"

"I love you, Laeli! I have for a while! I didn't know how else to tell you or make you realize it! I never wanted to force it on you either!"

"Eyarr…" He held a hand up, shaking his head.

"No. Forget it. I know how you are once you're set on something."

"Eyarr… no. That's… that's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?" Before I could answer, a strong gust of wind blew around us. I glared at Maui.

"Maui, now is not the time!" He shrugged.

"It's not me." Eyarr and I stood as the wind blew stronger and stronger to the point that it was slightly pushing me around. Suddenly, I heard the sound of water. Looking down, I saw a familiar swirl pattern of water circling us.

"Laeli? What's happening?" Eyarr asked in a panic.

"I don't know! Maui!" The swirl suddenly surrounded us in a sphere of spiraling water and wind. And to my surprise, it looked like the wind was… glowing? I could see various symbols swirling around. I recognized one as a symbol of Tangaroa. Out of curiosity, I reached out and touched it, and upon doing so, a burst of light exploded, and then there was white.

I opened my eyes, groaning. As I refocused, my senses reignited. I felt around me, expecting cold dirt and grass. I did not feel either. I felt… sand.

Warm sand slipped through my fingers, the grains catching underneath my nails.

The air felt warm, and I could feel the sun on my skin. Blinking, I whipped my head around.

A brilliant blue sea, white sands, a clear sky, and a warm sun shining on me. Turning around… palm trees. And a village.

I felt my heart drop out of my body when I recognized the village.

"Motunui…?" I choked out, "I'm… home…?" I scrambled to get on my feet and realized my clothes were different. They were my voyager clothes. The outfit I wore when I left home almost four years ago. I was missing the woven shoulder piece and headband, but everything else was normal.

"This can't be real," I whispered. I pinched myself hard with my nails, "ow!" No… no, no, no. This was real. It literally was not a dream. In my head, I swore at every god under the sun.

My boots were gone, and I was barefoot again. I took two cautious steps forward towards the soft earth of the village. I could hear the sounds of my people in the distance. I couldn't make out what they were saying, it sounded like a Haka chant, I think. I made my way forward, looking around, taking in my surroundings. Absorbing the changes that had occurred since I left, plenty of new buildings, new farm fields…

Never, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined that I'd actually be… home.

I was home. But now… I felt like a stranger.

"We'll catch up with her later. Let her have fun." A voice came—an all too familiar voice.

Mom.

I felt my heart begin to race faster than the winds that carried me into the sky on Riptide's back. My hands shook and became sweaty. I didn't know if I had it in me to turn around.

"Oh, do you-…" A second voice said, trailing off. Dad… I sucked in a sharp breath, turning around, only feet away from my mother and father.

My mother's face twisted into a flurry of emotions all at once. Relief, concern… confusion, worry… Every emotion a mother could feel. She tentatively stepped forward, placing a hand on my cheek.

"E moni o oe?" She choked out. I nodded slowly, feeling my eyes become hot with tears. Her eyes became glassy as reality hit her… both of us.

"O a'u, tina," I replied with assurance. She bit back a sob as she pulled me in for the tightest hug, her fingers running through my hair. After taking a moment to process that this was real, I glanced up at my father, who joined the hug as well. I don't know how long that hug lasted, but it didn't matter. The feeling of being in my parent's embrace again was unlike anything I'd felt. It made me realize I had never experienced a hug from Eyarr… And the crushing reality of being home meant I would never see him again. That rush of emotions pained my heart, causing a new rush of tears to spill. No more words were spoken as Mom and Dad rushed me home to comfort me.

"Where's… where's Aihe?" I asked through hiccuping sobs.

"She's hosting a Luau right now." I sniffled, wiping at my cheek.

"… That sounds… like… fun."

"I know. But don't worry about that. Please rest. I know you have a lot on your mind." Mom assured, "We'll stay here with you." I nodded, falling back into Mom's embrace, who ran her fingers through my hair like when I was a child. I reached back to pull out the wooden pin that held my hair up; as I took it out, I looked at it sadly. Hiccup's mother, Valka, gifted it to me for my first Snoggletog with them. It was a deeply cherished gift, and I didn't want anything to happen to it.

Together we sat in our fale, relishing in the reunion. It still felt so… surreal, like a trick of the gods. Mom ran her hand through my hair, and Dad rubbed my back. I had noticed that Dad had grown out some facial hair on his chin and under his bottom lip, reminding me of when I was very little, around the time Aihe was born, when he had the same style. So many memories…

Acceptance finally sank in when I heard my little sister approach the fale.

"Mom! Dad! You won't believe how well-" I scrambled to the front steps, wanting to be the first to greet her. Upon seeing her, I saw how much she'd grown up since I'd left, her curly hair was longer and half down, a pink flower decorating her bun. She'd also filled out a bit more and had a new tattoo covering her upper chest, connecting to and around her shoulders, trailing down her stomach past her navel. Her big brown eyes became even bigger when she saw me. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came. I saw her eyes glass up with tears as she slowly stepped forward.

A cry broke as she lunged forward and tackled me in a hug.

" O'u atua... o oe...fale?! Ou te le talitonu i ai!" I fought back more tears as I nodded. I felt our parents embrace us as well. My first family hug in so long.

"This is real," I said.

Chapter Text

The sound of the Manumea's call startled me awake, having almost forgotten the sound of my island's birds calling in the morning. But once I remembered the events of yesterday, my pounding heart slowed. I looked around to see my family had woken up before me and already left to do their daily tasks, knowing they wanted me to rest.

Upon sitting up, I took in everything all over again. I had accepted it was real, but overwhelming. The fact that I was home again with my parents, my sister… my family. I ran my hand over the foundation of the fale, feeling the stone's smooth surface. Smooth from generations of my family living here.

I picked up a piece of rounded fa'atosina, looking at my reflection. I felt like the last time I saw myself was so long ago, and I knew I wasn't the same person. I looked and felt different. I combed out my hair, choosing not to style it like I had for my years on New Berk. I pushed back a section on the left side of my head, twisting and braiding it back, holding it in place with a shell comb.

Then I found some clothes I could wear. A rich coral top with shells sewn into the fabric and a cream-colored skirt with red floral patterns printed. I wrapped it around my waist, securing it with some thin rope at my hip.

After one last look in the mirror, I determined I was ready for the village to see me. After Mom and Dad found me and brought me home, they said to wait until the next day if I was ready for the village to know I was back since everyone was at Aihe's luau last night.

Just as I was leaving, Aihe came back to the fale. Upon coming up the steps, she froze when she saw me.

"What?" She slightly shook her head and blinked.

"… Nothing. I just-… it's kinda weird seeing you. I… honestly started getting used to the idea that you wouldn't be coming home..." I heard her tone change at the end of her admission, fumbling around with her fingers, still barely able to look at me.

"I mean… I'm still your sister." I assured her, teasingly poking her shoulder, "Just a bit more grown-up. That's all."

I saw the corner of her mouth twitch into a small smile. She stood there momentarily, observing me, before rushing into a tight hug. I was momentarily taken aback, but I quickly embraced her back.

"I'm still your sister." She laughed weakly.

"C'mon, let's go to mom and dad." I grinned widely, and we ran out of the fale. I followed her through the village's paths to the main gathering square.

I waited in the tree line just behind the platform, seeing Mom and Dad talking to the village. I could hear people's questions through the murmuring.

"Is it true?!"

"Is she back?"

"Where did she go?" Before my parents could answer, I ran up to their side. The crowd gasped upon seeing me. They were too stunned to ask any further. I felt my eyes well up with tears a bit, it felt wonderful to see my people again. All their faces. My aunts and uncles and my cousins. I realized two faces were missing from the crowd, though. But I'd talk to Mom and Dad after. For right now, the village deserved answers.

"Yes, I'm back. I'm here, and I'm safe. I know I was gone for a long time, but I promise an incredible story is behind it." Mom and Dad watched me, waiting to see what I would do or say. I smiled at them. I sighed deeply and happily recounted a shortened version of events. I caught my family's shocked expressions at what had occurred at sea.

After I finished my story, my people cheered again to celebrate my return and began to disperse, going about daily activities and chores. My family and I left the small stage to meet up with the rest of the extended family for a private celebration.

I brought up my observation from earlier.

"Where's Grandma Sina and Grandpa Tui?" I noticed everyone's faces fall upon mentioning Grandpa's name. I didn't like the look everyone had, especially Mom.

"How about we explain when we get there?" Dad offered quietly. I raised an eyebrow but nodded in agreement.

"Uh, okay? Sure." I followed them back to the larger Chief fale, where I saw familiar faces. My cousins shrieked with glee and came stumbling out, all to give me hugs.

"My gods, you're back!"

"We missed you so much!"

"You gotta tell us more about what you've seen!" Before I could start answering questions, one of my oldest cousins, Rua, spoke up.

"Did you meet anyone?" The questions immediately stopped upon his asking. And I wasn't sure how to answer. Aihe saw my uncertainty and stepped in.

"How about we settle down for our celebration, and we'll let her explain how she wants to." I sent her a thankful expression, and she just grinned back.

We all sat in our respective places like we had before I left. And the familiarity began to set in. Once we were all sat down, I finally spoke up, repeating my earlier question.

"Where's grandma and grandpa?" Upon asking, I saw Grandma Sina come up the stairs with the assistance of her cane. I saw her light up when she laid eyes on me. I don't think Mom and Dad broke the news to her yet, so when she saw me, I rushed up to catch her as she stumbled a bit.

"Laeli…" She choked out. I brought her in for a tight hug.

"I'm here, grandma."

"Minnow… why didn't you tell me?" She wheezed out. Mom stood to help her sit down.

"We didn't want to overwhelm you, we agreed it was best to have Laeli see you." Grandma's eyes welled up in tears as she touched my cheek.

"It hasn't been very long, but you've grown up so much. A lovely young woman." My cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much today. But there was still the other part of my question.

"I'm so relieved to see you, Grandma. But… no one's told me where Grandpa is." The air fell quiet and still again upon me bringing Grandpa up. Dad turned to me, a sullen look on his face.

"We're still processing it ourselves, even after all this time. But… not long after you left, your grandpa Tui passed into the next life to join your great-grandmother." I heard a few sniffles from my family, especially Mom and Grandma.

I felt my heart sink listening to Dad's words.

"Grandpa's… gone?" Dad nodded slowly, placing a hand on my shoulder. My breath felt shaky as I processed the news. I never… I couldn't tell him about my adventures…

I got to say one last goodbye…

At least I knew he was at peace. But it killed me knowing I couldn't have more time with him.

"I'm so sorry, meli… we wanted to break the news to you, but it took us a while to figure out how. And I couldn't bring myself to overwhelm you upon your arrival home." Mom explained.

There was another pause as the reminder of Grandpa's death sat in our minds. Aunt Huihana awkwardly offered to start eating together, and eventually, the chatter returned to a normal volume. And while everyone talked and ate, I ate my food silently, still processing the news. My heart hurt knowing Grandpa was gone…

"Laeli?"

"Laeli!" I blinked as I focused on Siale, Rua, and Amiri's younger sister.

"What is it?"

"Did you meet new people? Did you meet anyone…?" She raised her eyebrow and smirked at me, the pitch of her voice rising with her second question. I get my stomach twisted into knots. Do I tell them about the Haddocks? Do I tell them about Eyarr? What would they say?

"I, uh, yeah! I did meet some new people. They live very, very far north. Further than I'd ever been in my life."

"Oooh! That's cool! What were they like?"

"Yeah! Were they nice? Do they look like us?" I laughed.

"They were incredibly kind, actually. I had to learn their language to settle down for a bit. And no, they look nothing like us. Their skin is white, and they have all sorts of hair and eye colors, like blue and green eyes. And some of them have light-colored hair, too! Or even red!" I heard my family react in awe.

"Could you imagine? Red hair? Blue eyes like the ocean? Or even hair the color of sand!"

"Laeli, that's incredible!" Mom exclaimed.

"It is. I spent most of my time with this one family. They were the chiefs of their island. They're also incredible people, too."

"How so?" I sighed. This was going to blow their minds. I knew they would have difficulty comprehending what I would tell them.

"They learned how to train these incredible creatures. Giant lizards with wings that can breathe fire! They're called dragons! And they're huge, but not all of them are dangerous. Some can be aquatic! Like my dragon!" There was a pause.

"Your… dragon?" Dad sputtered out. I saw Mom place her hand on his back where his scar was. I nodded, grabbed a blank sheet of cloth and some loose charcoal, and drew a picture of Riptide the best I could.

"I learned how to train him. He's a fast swimmer and an incredible flyer. He came from a place called the Hidden World."

"The Hidden what?"

"Hidden World. It's literally a whole other realm beneath the ocean. Through a raging waterfall in the middle of the North Sea, through underground lava tubes into this massive cavern. I've seen it in person… there's, there's nothing that can truly describe it. It's full of dragons and other creatures. And it's so brilliantly colored, too." Mom's eyes were wide.

"Lalotai?" I shook my head.

"It's not Lalotai, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were connected. Both have massive creatures that live there."

"You never saw a Taniwha?" Dad hesitantly asked. I shook my head again.

"I never saw one. It might be too cold there for them."

"How did you go there?" Aihe asked, swallowing her pork. I felt my cheeks heat up knowing I'd have to tell them about Eyarr. But before I could even begin to explain, Siale saw my flushed cheeks.

"Laeli! You're blushing!"

"Is it a guy?!"

"W-what? Why is that your first question?"

"You blushed when we asked how you got there! And a guy totally took you!" I could feel Mom, Dad, and Aihe watching me.

"Uhhhhhhhhh…" Aihe elbowed me.

"C'mon! Let's hear it!" My breath hitched for a moment.

"A guy… did take me there, yes." I heard the girls faintly squeal in delight. I saw Aihe and Dad's expressions change once I finally admitted it.

"Tell us, tell us!"

"What does he look like? Is he strong and handsome?" Another cousin asked gleefully. Oh Te Fiti…

"What is this? An interrogation?" I was baffled that my cousins had an interest in relationships. They never asked about such things when we were growing up. But I knew they wouldn't stop asking.

"His name is Eyarr."

"What a unique name," Grandma commented. I couldn't help but smile with his name on my lips. I proceeded to describe him to everyone. And with every word I added, I could sense everyone's investment and fascination growing. But I could also feel Mom, Dad, and Aihe's gaze on me. What was on their mind? Hearing me talk about a guy?

I gave them what they needed to know. But I didn't want to talk about him too much. I couldn't bring myself to mention our fight. I already felt guilty enough about it, I bunched my skirt up in my fists at the mere thought of it.

"How about we let her eat and enjoy herself before we ask anything more?" Mom stepped in, shooting me an assuring smile. I gave her a grateful one back.

For the rest of dinner, everyone updated me on what had transpired after I left—new relationships, expanding families, engagements, new trade ties, Mom and Dad's retirement. I was thrilled that everyone found happiness and was moving forward with their lives.

But I did not feel the same.

Chapter Text

After dinner and saying goodbyes and goodnights to everyone, it was just Mom, Dad, Aihe, and I. Mom offered that we go to the shore and wait for Ocean. One part of me was ecstatic with the idea since this is what we always did after dinner when I was little, but the other part felt that Ocean would communicate my guilt about Eyarr with my family. Even though Ocean never spoke, it had its own way of communicating everything it felt.

I said I'd join them for a bit and then go to bed.

"Meli, what's wrong? You used to be so excited about seeing the Ocean after dinner." Mom commented. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I'm just… I'm not feeling it right now. I'll still stay for a bit, though." I tried forcing a smile, but I knew Mom could see through it. She was silent for a second or two before telling Dad and Aihe just to go check on Grandma and that she'd stay with me.

When Dad and Aihe left, Mom gently offered me to follow her. Initially, I wasn't sure where we were going, but then I recognized the path. It was the path that led up the mountain where the stone tower of past chieftains was. As we marched up the steep inclines, I ran my hand against the plant growth on the sides. The soft greenery under my fingers was comforting and brought back memories of Grandpa Tui and Mom bringing me up here as a child, giving me insight, and teaching me lessons from my chieftain ancestors.

Upon reaching the top, a strong gust of wind blew through my hair, a strand blowing into my face. I sputtered it out and pushed it back behind my ear, quickly following behind Mom as she stopped next to the stone tower. The conch shell mom had placed on the top so many years ago was now covered in moss and vines, keeping it in place.

On the day of my voyage, I placed a conch shell, too, not on top but rather at the base of the stones. It was my way of honoring the new age of voyaging brought in by Mom. And now, with Aihe as chief, she placed a shell next to mine. Upon gazing at the tower again for the first time in years, I could envision the generations following us.

A spiral of shells, just like the spiral on Mom's sail, the rock tower in the center, and the shells extending out like limbs on a tree.

It was a beautiful vision of what could be.

"Laeli," Mom said, grabbing my attention. I joined her side where she stood, overlooking the cliff's edge, providing a perfect view of our village below and the reef and ocean before us.

She turned to face with a look of concern.

"Laeli… I'm still your mother, I know when something is wrong." The way she looked at me, I just knew I couldn't hide it. I may have only been home for like a day, but I knew to Mom, I hadn't changed all that much. With a defeated sigh, I took a seat and rubbed my face.

"I… I don't even know where to begin." She took a seat next to me.

"Thoughts don't have to make sense." She assured.

"I-I… didn't expect to ever be able to come back home. It was just supposed to be a simple plan to talk to the gods about how I ended up so far away from home. Then Maui told me that the gods said I had to make a choice, and then Eyarr got upset because he thought I was choosing between him and my family, but it's… way more complicated than that! And I got mad at him for assuming, and then the wind and ocean started getting aggressive, and then the next thing I knew, I was on the beach, and I didn't want to believe it was real. It was too good to be true, and then I saw you and Dad… And I just knew this was real, but I still don't know how to handle it!" I heaved in some heavy breaths after feeling a mild sense of relief getting that off my chest.

I turned to Mom, and she was taken aback, to say the least.

"You've been holding a lot in, haven't you?" In response, I let out a shaky cry, harshly running my hands through my hair, pulling my shell comb out, and letting my hair fall around my face.

"I don't know what to do…" I could feel my body shaking as I explained my and Eyarr's fight to her. I didn't blame him for being angry, but I was angrier with myself. I never intended for him to feel like he was a choice, my wording was garbage, and I could never take it back.

"Laeli, why do you think he feels that way?" Mom asked, "Why do you think what you said hurt him?" I looked at her from the corner of my eye, feeling tears well up, feeling even more guilty.

"Because I made him feel like he wasn't worth the same as you all." I saw her raise an eyebrow. I didn't know how else to explain it.

"I didn't want to make him feel like that! I really didn't! But when Maui told me everything, I guess… I think I needed to think my reaction through, I acted on how I felt at the moment. And I regret everything I said and did. Like as soon as I said what I did, I regretted it. But… now I don't think I'll get a chance to fix that."

"Laeli… relax. I promise there is a way to fix anything if you just give it some time."

"That's the problem. I had time… and I still fucked up."

"Laeli, take a deep breath. Listen, I may not know everything about this young man, nor do I need to know everything, but it seems to me both your feelings got lost in translation. In a situation like that, listening to each other is important."

"Mom, I don't think it's that easy. I don't think I have a chance to reconcile, or if I even deserve it… there's no point. He trusted me with so much emotional baggage, and then I just… I turned my back on him. I can't forgive myself for that."

"You would never go out of your way to hurt someone. I raised a smart, confident, and loving daughter in you, same with your sister. " There was a pause as I processed her words, but then she had one more thing to say.

"He loves you, doesn't he?" For a moment, my heart fluttered.

"What?"

"You heard me. My mother's intuition tells me that he confessed." I was stunned, but she wasn't wrong.

"He… he did… say that he… loves me. Yes." I slowly admitted. I saw the corner of Mom's mouth twitch into a small smile.

"Mmm… and another thing tells me you haven't quite processed that." I couldn't even bring myself to admit anything else. Mom was right.

"How do you know all of this?" I flatly asked. I felt her nudge me with her shoulder.

"One, because I'm your mother. Two, because I understand, sort of, what you're going through." I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion.

"How?"

"You know the story of how I met your father," she began, and I slowly nodded, having heard it numerous times, "but it wasn't just as easy as confessing our love for each other. It took a long time. Your father still suffered nightmares from the pain he endured and had to physically and emotionally heal. I had to give him space, which was challenging; I didn't want to see him in pain. But when you're on your healing journey, sometimes you need space from the ones you love. And, after your father took as much time as he needed, we finally married and had you." I brought my knees to my chest, resting my arms and chin.

"But, I feel like, for me and him. It's more than giving him space. I'm so far away from him. I can't just fly back and help him."

"You will find your way."

After the conversation with Mom, I felt I had way more on my mind than before. But somehow, I began formulating a plan to fix my relationship with Eyarr. Mom tried to tell me not to stress about it too much and to enjoy my time at home. It was like she knew something I didn't.

Either way, I took her advice and focused on being a part of my community, just like I used to.

One afternoon, Aihe and I were working on repairing frayed ropes on some of the canoes. I climbed down from a mast to secure the knot through a hook.

"So tell me about him!" I glanced over at her.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, c'mon! About time you actually had an interest in a guy." She smirked at me, resting a fist on her hip, her other hand gripping a rope.

"And since when do you care?" I glared at her.

"Since the fact that he's not from around here! I mean, let's be real. Based on what you've said about him, he sounds cool! He's got white skin and fair hair… very interesting…" I had to roll my eyes.

"Oh please, you never liked talking about boys. You don't even prefer guys."

"Yeah, but this one is mysterious, ooohohooooo." She annoyingly wiggled her fingers in my face.

"Shut up, Aihe."

"What! Forget about me never being interested in boys, you have always been hard to impress! 'Specially when we were teenagers!"

"Well, maybe it's because I had a huge role to fill, and I didn't want my time wasted with a bunch of horny, unfocused boys. Besides, I'm an adult now."

"And so am I. How does that make it any different?" I sighed in defeat. I couldn't hide much from my sister.

"Because I messed up with him!" I exclaimed, unable to take any more of her bothering me. She watched me with wide eyes, holding her hands up defensively.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to get you riled up." I sighed and rubbed my face.

"No, no, it's fine… I just… I'm just really frustrated with myself."

"Why? What do you mean you messed up?" I swallowed hard and relayed a shorter version of what I explained to Mom last night. Once I finished, she leaned against the mast with wide eyes.

"Laeli…" I put my hand up to stop her from saying anything else.

"I don't want to hear the 'I'm sorry," I paused momentarily, realizing Eyarr had said the same thing to me. My sister looked at me awkwardly, waiting for me to say something else. But I couldn't, I couldn't bring myself to say anything else.

"Uh, you okay?" I pursed my lips and let my arms fall to my sides.

"I… I'm just gonna go for a walk. I need to clear my head." I hopped down the canoe without another word and headed away from the village. I was not in the mood to talk about my situation with Eyarr anymore. And I didn't care if anyone came looking for me, I wanted to be alone, and I knew returning to the village wouldn't help.

Maybe the old cave of ancestors would be a decent spot to chill out and get some of the frustration out. I followed the path up to the cave entrance, finding a torch and lighting it. As I made my way through the lava tubes, I gazed up at the carvings on the walls done by my ancestors thousands of years ago. I ran my hand over the carvings, almost hearing the whispers of the past echo in my ears.

Upon entering the cavern, I took in the ambiance, water dripping from the ceiling, the roaring of the waterfall echoing into the cove, and the sound of the waves lapping in the shore.

It was peaceful compared to the busyness of the village. And I already felt I could relax for a moment. I sat against a rock, leaning on it, and digging my feet into the sand. For a moment, it was quiet, and I took a deep breath in, feeling it reach the bottom of my lungs.

"You know, you get your handling of stress from your father." I practically jumped out of my skin, hearing a voice from seemingly nowhere. I frantically looked around to see who was here with me, but I didn't see anyone… which felt more concerning.

"Huh-wha-?" I exclaimed.

"Easy there." I turned to my right and jumped again, looking at a glowing blue figure standing to my left. I rubbed my eyes to get them clear again. Once I refocused, I made out the figure. I was initially caught off guard because it looked almost like Dad. But after a moment, I soon realized that it had to be my grandfather…

Lawai'a.

I'd heard his name in stories from Dad and Aunt Huihana. But it'd been a long time since I thought about or talked about him.

"Grandpa?" I asked in disbelief. Grandpa's figure refocused once more so I could take in his features. Dad's hair and cheekbones, but he and Aunt Huihana shared the nose. And I recognized the moles on his face and shoulder that my twin cousins, Amiri and Rua, had.

"Laeli." He replied with a smile.

"How-… why are you here?"

"Well, something told me my granddaughter was struggling, and I came to help. Just like your great-grandmother came to help your mother." I was still baffled by this whole thing, but in my mind, I knew nothing was threatening about him. After a moment or two, comfort ran through me, and I felt calmer. Grandpa didn't have to say much for me to unload everything. He sat there and listened to me, patiently waiting to get it off my chest. I saw him smile upon mentioning Eyarr's name and the conflicting feelings going on.

"Well, you're your father's daughter…" he sighed. I turned to him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Your father had- well, still does have the tendency to overthink."

"How am I overthinking?" He comfortingly touched my back and looked me in the eye.

"You've told me everything about how you've been feeling, not just about the situation, but about this young man and what your mother and sister have said about it. You've told me about what he said he was feeling, too. And to me, it seems that you were, and still appear to be, convincing yourself that unfinished business is left here." I shifted my eyes around, already feeling uncomfortable with the thought of knowing where he could be going with this, "Laeli, look at me."

I faced him, feeling my lip quiver a bit, but I tried to fight it.

"This may seem harsh to say, but I feel that deep down, you know that your life here on Motunui has come to its end. It's time for you to turn to your future on New Berk. You said that it's another home for you. And you found bonds with new people you didn't want to lose despite the choices given to you. You know your sister has taken up the mantle as chief, and she is just as capable of it as you are and were. But I think now, it's time for you to refocus your mind and turn towards what your future holds. The longer you hold onto the past and what you couldn't control then, then the more difficult the future will be."

Those last few words echoed through the cave as I processed his words. I could feel my heart fluttering around with anxiety as I thought about it. I didn't want him to be right… but I knew he was. Just like he said, deep down, I already knew.

"But I'm here now anyway. What do I do?" He pulled me close for a hug.

"For now, just think about what your family has told you, and when it's time, I think you'll have no issue getting back."

"How do you know that?"

"Call it… intuition." I fought back some tears with a shaky laugh.

"If you say so."

"I do. Now, go back home. I don't want your parents and sister worrying about you. And I promise I'll see you soon." I gave him a grateful smile and shared hongi with him, slowly making my way through back the tunnels and towards the village.

Maybe I was just overthinking a bit.

If I played my cards right, I could go back and rectify this.

Chapter Text

I got home shortly after dinner. When I came up the steps, Mom quickly came to give me a tight hug.

"Oh, I was so worried about you! Are you alright?" I nodded assuringly.

"I promise I'm okay. I just really needed alone time, but I cleared my head." I saw Mom visibly relax, and she cupped my cheek.

"Thank Te Fiti. Have some food and get some rest for me, okay?"

"Sounds good to me. Where's dad, by the way?"

"With your aunt helping her out with something. He'll be back later."

As I sat down with Mom, Grandma, and Aihe and ate my food, I thought about what Grandpa said, and how I knew he was right. But now, I guess it was a matter of waiting for the right time. How would the gods know? How would I know?

After dinner, I settled into bed, thinking of what Grandpa, and Eyarr said before I left. Everyone had essentially told me not to overthink it too much, especially Mom. I knew she wanted me to cherish the time I'd have while I was here, for however long that would be.

But I couldn't help but wonder how Eyarr was feeling. He should be fine, right? He's a tall, tough guy who's handled a lot on his own. Surely he'd be able to handle whatever was going on by himself.

As the days passed into weeks, any overthinking soon dissipated as I distracted myself with my old way of life. I usually hung out with Mom, Dad, and Grandma while Aihe did her chief stuff. Periodically she would ask me to assist her with some things. It was weird seeing her all grown up, but I was also incredibly proud and happy for her. Being an older sibling, especially having a larger age gap, I could remember more of Aihe growing up, and it was oddly satisfying to see her be an adult.

And the same could be said for my cousins. One of the twins, Amiri, was already married with a son of his own. His twin, Rua, however, hadn't been particularly focused on getting married; he preferred the sea. And Siale, their baby sister, was looking into finding someone to court. So the three of them had something going, and I was happy for them.

One day, Aihe asked if I wanted to tag along for a short voyage to a neighboring island. I happily accepted her offer, knowing it'd been so long since I'd sailed. But it also reminded me how much I missed Riptide and the feeling of being in the sky.

Rua joined us for this particular voyage, wanting to tag along for the fun of it. It would also be fun for me to see how well my skills were compared to his. Together, the three of us worked to check the rigging and sails to make sure everything was secure. I knew they knew it'd been a while since I sailed, so it was more of me testing my skills. I secured the halyard, making sure it was tight.

"Alright, we're set," I assured. I put the oar in place, rotating it to catch the current after we left shore. I could feel Aihe and Rua watching as I took the lead in directing the canoe. After Aihe told me which direction we were going, I readjusted the canoe, following the current and feeling where the wind was taking us.

I missed flying with Riptide, but I also just missed the feeling of the canoe swaying on the water. This was what I was raised on. It was invigorating, and I felt so alive.

"This is the happiest I've seen you since you came home!" Aihe shouted over the crashing of a wave against the canoe.

"I'm in my element! That's why! I will admit, though, I do miss flying!"

"Flying? Who needs flying when you've got the ocean?" Rua called out with a laugh.

"Oh, if you guys knew the feeling of flying, you wouldn't be saying that!" Gripping a rope, I leaned over the side of the canoe, balancing my feet on the side and stretching out my arm so my hand could skim the surface of the waves. I thought back to when Mom showed me how to do this particular move and how to hold onto the rope so I wouldn't fall into the water below.

"Flying is a whole new type of freedom. The weightlessness, the feeling of the wind ripping through your hair… it's beyond words!" I dipped my hand in the water, feeling the current with my fingers, wiggling them around. Looking below, I tried to imagine Riptide swimming under the canoe. His intense yellow eyes glowing through the rich blue waves.

"Laeli! Take a look at the sky!" Rua called to me from the deck. Pulled out of my daydream, I hoisted myself back up and spied an intense dark cloud growing above the horizon. In the distance, I spied lightning flashing as well.

"You guys ready for this?" I challenged. Sailing through a storm was a true test of navigation skills and challenged everything within you. I'd only sailed through one storm before my maiden voyage. And as we moved closer, I could feel the wind intensifying, whipping the sail around.

It didn't take very long for us to catch up with the storm. The wind gusts began to rip at our sails even more than earlier, and the waves grew, aggressively swaying the canoe.

"Aihe! Rua! Double-check the rigging and close the sail!" I shouted over the screaming wind. The temperature dropped, and soon hard raindrops pelted my skin. I quickly braided my hair back. Aihe and Rua also tied their hair up as we prepared to navigate our way out.

"We need to figure out how big this storm is! Rua! Measure the clouds from the horizon if you can!" Aihe called.

"On it!" While he did that, I ensured the oar was in place and kept my eye on the rigging closest to me. Aihe remained near the mast in case any ropes came loose, or the sail was busted. I knew Aihe was a little more strung up with storms while sailing; she and Dad shared the same anxiety. But I somehow wasn't stressed out about storms, or at least not for the most part. Mom attributed it to the fact that a heavy storm made landfall the day I was born, which was how I got my name. Though Mom and Dad would joke that since my name meant "cool breeze," the cool breeze that Mom felt while giving birth to me soon turned into intense gusts of wind, giving them the sign of the kind of woman I'd become.

I fondly recalled telling Eyarr the meaning behind my name and the story that went into naming me. He remarked he loved the thought process that went into naming me.

"Whenever I have children, I want to do the same. Listen to nature and see what she says." I had told him.

I kept the canoe stable as we made our way through the storm. And I had the feeling it would pass over us shortly, and we'd arrive at the neighboring island in no time. As we sailed, I couldn't help but remember my maiden voyage and how much fun it was.

Then, I randomly remembered a factor that made me feel weird.

I recalled a weird feeling of anticipation of some kind. I had told my crew that I felt something was going to happen or that we would encounter something odd. Neither of them felt the same, but they all trusted me anyway. And then we had just entered a storm much like this one, and I remembered the sound of an explosion that did not sound like thunder coming from the sky, which was followed by the electric, zapping sound of lightning; there was a flash of light, and the next thing I remembered, was Zephyr's face.

The explosion sound and flash of light… transported me somewhere else…

I racked my brain trying to think because it sounded familiar. It sounded like something out of a story.

What was it… What was it?

And then I realized.

The Bifröst.

The Bifröst… the magical bridge made of a rainbow of light that connected the world of people to the realm of Asgard, the home of the gods. I remembered both Hiccup and Eyarr describing it to me on separate occasions, and that the Bifröst was guarded by a God named Heimdall. It could only be 'activated' by him.

Does that mean…

The gods of Asgard took me to the North Sea on purpose.

It… couldn't be.

This meant that the gods intending for us to meet was true.

My realization did not mean I could just turn the canoe around. No, I had to finish this with my sister and cousin and figure this shit out when we got home. It would only be a few days.

I kept face when we finally arrived at the island, accepting the gifts given to us as a welcome. We gave the chief our gifts as well and exchanged pleasantries. Aihe and the other chief went to have a meeting with some elders and their priests. While they went off and did that, I stayed near the boat for the remainder of the day, checking for any damage and adjusting the rigging.

However, Rua could see that I had something on my mind.

"Yo, what's got you all strung up?" He noogied my head, ruffling up my hair. I groaned and undid my braid.

"Nothing, Rua." He glared at me in a weird, loving, cousin way, if you will.

"Come on, I'm way older than you, I know how you get when you have something on your mind." I shook my head.

"You know, I've had way too much of that said to me lately. "I know how you are," I spat out in frustration, "I know everyone knows me well. I don't need that reminder. But I'm tired of it."

"Whoa, jeez, relax. I'm sorry." I sighed, pursing my lips and squeezing my eyes shut in agitation.

"It's- It's fine. Just drop it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm still trying to figure it out." He sighed, knowing not to push it further. He did encourage me to enter the village with him so we could go to the fale we would have during our stay.

A few women came up to me, giving me a lei. One insisted on doing my hair. I was slightly baffled at it, but I accepted the offer and let them treat me.

"Why are you pampering me?" I had to ask.

"Well, you are the visiting chief's elder sister. And we did hear the story of your journey in the north. We figured we should treat you with some extra hospitality." One of the women, Mareva, explained as she combed my hair.

I was still a bit taken aback, but I was still grateful and appreciative of their kindness. I spent a few more hours with them, allowing them to give me fresh new clothes for our journey home. After bidding them farewell and expressing a few more formalities, I met with my sister and cousin at our fale.

Aihe was notably excited to see it. And Rua had a big grin on his face.

"Well, both of you are in excellent moods. I assume the meeting went well?" I asked. Aihe nodded excitedly.

"I did tell you the purpose behind this trip, right?" She questioned. I could hear her fighting back a squeal of delight. I just waited for her to tell me.

"Just spill it!"

"Okay, okay; so before you came home, Mom and Dad were talking to the chief's father about possibly being able to arrange a marriage for me," I raised an eyebrow. Aihe and I were never interested in arranged marriages growing up, so this was a bit out of character for her. But I bit my tongue and let her finish explaining.

"And so, this trip was about meeting with the chief, his father, and his sister! And his sister and I have begun the process of getting married!" I was stunned. Not about Aihe marrying a woman, but the fact that she was actually ready for marriage.

"Oh, gods. Aihe! I'm incredibly happy for you! I just didn't expect this to come up so fast!"

"I know I never seemed like the type to get married so soon… but I guess I just needed to wait for the right person, you know?" I grinned ear to ear.

"I'm really happy for you. What's her name?"

"Heilani." I could see the glimmer in my sister's eyes saying her new fiancee's name. Even though I didn't initially have the trip's details, I was genuinely happy to know the purpose as long as my sister was happy and found the right person, that was all that mattered to me.

We spent a few more days allowing Aihe to get to know her fiancée better, and I finally got to meet her. And based on pure vibes, I already knew they were an excellent match.

The next step was to bring Heilani to Motunui with us, where the other half of the wedding preparations would begin. And then Heilani's family would come for the ceremony. It was very exciting, yet surreal, to think about. But I couldn't help but think about the possibility I may not have the chance to see my sister get married. I couldn't explain it but felt it would be my reality.

I safely sailed us home with no storms to hinder us. I allowed Aihe and Heilani to do their thing as Mom and Dad assisted Heilani to life on Motunui.

It all felt like it was happening so fast, watching my sister mature and step into her role as a leader and now as a wife. And as happy as I was for her, I couldn't help but feel my own sort of longing for that kind of fulfillment, too.

I spent a day with Grandma a week or so after returning from Heilani's island. I knew she was becoming frailer and frailer by the day and didn't have much time left. So I was desperate to spend whatever time I could with her.

We sat together on the trunk of a fallen palm, which lay across a solid patch of lava stone. Together we watch the reef before us, listening to the waves and the wind rustling through the bushes.

"Gramma, I want to tell you something."

"Mm?"

"Before I went with Aihe to meet her fiancée, I went to the cave of ancestors to cool my mind for a bit, and Grandpa Lawai'a came to visit me."

"Did he?" I nodded.

"Yeah…"

"What did you two talk about?" I relayed what she needed to know to her. I heard her hum softly as I explained what Grandpa had told me.

"Seems like you're just reiterating what you already know."

"I am?" She sighed, closing her eyes before facing me.

"Laeli, listen to me. I know you're stubborn sometimes, just like your mother and grandfather. But I think you should really accept the facts of what you know to be true. You're meant to be with him. You're meant to be there. Your future is there, with him. I know you've missed being here, and I know you've missed us so much. But you know that family is forever; nothing can change that. But now it's time you focus on your own happiness. Go after him."

"You mean that?" I asked, stunned.

"I do. And I know your parents and sister feel the same. And whatever it takes to help you get back, we will help. Even if it takes a little magic." I snorted a little bit.

"I appreciate it, I really do. I guess it still hasn't sunk in yet. That everyone wants this for me."

"But Laeli, is this what you want for yourself?" I thought about it for a moment. Everything I helped him with, everything we faced together. It was worth it to see him happy. And I wanted a fulfilled life with him.

"Yes, it is."

Chapter Text

When Aihe and I were growing up, we shadowed Mom and Dad through the village as they taught us how to lead and unite our people. Although I was excited to be chief then, I felt the same pull to the sea mom had. And so I was taught early on to work a canoe and begin to navigate at sea, Mom being my teacher and heavily involved with each lesson.

It didn't take long for Aihe to develop a similar interest, but she was not as focused on wayfinding as I was. Among many things that differentiated me from my sister, my other interest in combat was one more thing that did.

Combat, surprisingly, was something Dad was rather skilled at. I recalled being shocked upon learning my dad knew how to fight. I asked him how since all I remembered being told for years as a child was that Dad was an incredible fisherman. He said that before he learned how to fish, in his old village, he was taught combat by an old master.

Lua. 

I remember almost begging Dad to teach me; luckily, it didn't take much convincing. From my childhood up to my teen years, Dad would teach me everything he knew, from weapon use, to hand to hand, and even taught Aihe a few methods, though she was not as invested as I was. I now had three different skill sets under my belt.

Leadership, wayfinding, and now combat. And I had applied my knowledge to my survival instincts on New Berk and with Eyarr.

And now that I was back home, I hadn't had much use for my leadership skills or my combat training. And given that Eyarr had helped to extend my combat skills, it was something I wanted to show Dad. I was bummed that I didn't have the daggers that Eyarr gifted me, but something told me that it was better since they were so different than what Dad was used to fighting with.

I knew Dad was usually up early, just after dawn. I woke shortly after he did one morning, and understandably, he was a bit surprised to see me up as early as him.

"Feeling like an early bird, huh?" He commented. I shrugged.

"I felt like waking up early today." I paused momentarily, trying to figure out how to ask simply.

"Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember… teaching me how to fight when I was a kid?" I slowly asked. I saw a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, the fine lines of age becoming more prominent.

"Of course I do. I remember how eager you were to learn. Why do you ask?"

"Well, uh… I used the skills you taught me when I was away, but I was also taught other ways to fight." I saw him raise an eyebrow, "I was thinking I could show you what I've learned. Just to remind you, I've still got my spunk." Dad chuckled.

"I never doubted that. Sounds like a plan." We got our weapons with that assurance, and Dad led me to a corner near the forest. In a large bare patch of ground, I could still see the ghosts of feet and handprints in the soil. I kneeled, grazing my fingertips through the dirt, feeling the spot where I spent a good portion of my childhood.

"Where did you want to start?" He asked, breaking me out of my daydream.

"Oh. Uh, hand me the club." I replied as I stood up. He handed me one of his clubs, and upon grabbing it, I spun and twirled it around in my hands, getting used to the weight of it. It was slightly larger than the one Dad gifted me years ago, but it still felt familiar.

Still holding it, I shifted my gaze to the woven basket of Dad's weapons, taking in each item. Then I spied one I hadn't seen before. It was a dagger, but black and very shiny, it couldn't be…

"Is that a fa'atosina dagger?" I exclaimed, putting down the club and picking up the dagger, feeling the weight of it. Dad just grinned.

"It is. Something new I made. You like it?" I nodded eagerly.

"I do! Fa'atosina is incredibly sharp, it makes for a good weapon. Reminds me of the daggers Eyarr gifted me." I answered nonchalantly. I felt my heart pound upon saying his name, and when I turned to face Dad, I could see a look on his face that I couldn't quite read.

"This young man impacted you, didn't he?" Dad commented, swinging his club around. I sighed in affirmation, swallowing hard.

"He has. He helped expand my combat knowledge. When… we started traveling together, he gifted me a set of daggers. They're made of a completely different material than we have here, they're incredibly strong and durable, and I wish I had them here to show you." I was surprised to see a smile on Dad's face as I rambled on.

"What?"

"Nothing, it just makes me happy to hear you talk about someone so fondly." I blushed a little bit as I reached back to tie my hair up in a ponytail, a hairstyle I rarely did. Usually, I put my hair in a braid, but today I felt like a ponytail would be a good style.

"Something tells me you'd like him, Dad. You and he share some similarities." Dad chuckled in astonishment.

"That right? Do indulge me." He got into a defensive stance, and I mirrored his pose with a smirk.

"Well, for starters, he was on his own for years, very self-sufficient! He taught himself many survival skills that kept us alive while we traveled. He even saved my life at one point!" I dodged a frontal attack, swerving around him and sending a punch toward his shoulder, which he dodged as well, though not as swiftly as I did.

"He saved your life? How?" He asked, putting his weapon down, now opting for hand-to-hand combat.

"Well, in the north, where he's from, it gets extremely cold. And instead of rain, they get snow, which is basically frozen rain. It gets everywhere, and water freezes. They call it winter there. We were supposed to travel south when winter hit us, and he taught me how to ice fish. But I fell through the ice at one point and almost drowned," I saw the look of horror cross his face upon mentioning this. I remembered being told about Dad almost drowning, not once, but twice. So him hearing I almost drowned scared the hell out of him, and I didn't blame him one bit.

"He saved me, Dad. He swam through freezing water to save me and kept me alive and warm." I caught myself before I gave into the soft emotions of that memory. Even though I caught myself, I still slacked a little too long, giving Dad the advantage. He swept his arm under my leg, knocking me off balance, and gently pinned me to the ground.

I groaned in defeat, letting my head fall onto the dirt. Dad chuckled.

"I may have gotten older, but I still got it." I rolled my eyes at his brag, letting him help me.

"Yeah, yeah."

"You've gotten better, though. Whatever he taught you, it's effective and stuck with you." I brushed the dirt off of me and gave Dad a smile.

"He's… incredible. He's taught me a lot, and I really wish you could meet him."

"If the gods allow it. Your mother told me some of the thoughts you've been struggling with and your fight with him." For a moment, I felt my heart sink. I wasn't ready to have this conversation with my father.

"Oh… uh, she did? … How much did she tell you?" He shrugged.

"Just how you've been feeling about it. She didn't tell me everything, but I get the gist of it." I chewed on my lip, unsure how to respond, knowing Dad knew. Though it was fair, he knew, he's my father. He deserved to know.

"Your mother also mentioned that he confessed his love for you." Now that caught me off guard.

"She did?" He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Meli, it's okay. Whatever is going on between you two, you will overcome it. It'll take time, but I can promise, from experience, that you two will find a way to overcome it."

"Very inspiring."

"Laeli, I'm serious. Whoever he is, something tells me he's a good man, however complicated he might be. Trust your gut."

The conversation dissipated into another spar session, and there was no further mention of Eyarr. I was fine with that. Even though I didn't mind talking about him sometimes, I was getting a little tired of the advice and people asking about him. Not that I blamed people for asking since he was different from my people, at least visually. I sometimes wondered what it would be like if he were here on Motunui. He'd stand out like a sore thumb with his fair hair and skin. He was also very tall compared to everyone else, it would be quite something if he were here.

I also tried to return the new blade to Dad, but he told me to keep it.

"You deserve it. Something to hold onto for the future. You never know when you may need it."

Later on, through Mom and Aunt Huihana, I was rather surprised to learn that one of the shamans had been working on his practice in the realm of the gods. Growing up, I wasn't exposed to the practices of shamanism on Motunui.

We watched him forge a connection that sent ripples of energy through us. He said he could sense Eyarr's pantheon gods growing eager and anxious for my return. They were ready.

I was brought to the platform where I first told my people about my journey. And standing here now, I could feel different energy pulsate through the stone. I shivered at the feeling.

My family stood before me. Mom, dad, Aihe and her fiancée, gramma, my aunts and uncles. They all knew what was about to happen. And they wanted to send me their final well wishes.

Mom, Dad, and Aihe came up to me, one final moment as a family here on Motunui. It was hard to fight back the tears, I didn't want this to be a final goodbye, but given my circumstances, I knew it was.

As the shaman began to chant, summoning the energy from the gods, Mom brought me in for the tightest hug.

"Never forget how much we love you and that we want the best for you. You make yourself and that man happy, no matter what happens." Mom pulled the hibiscus from her hair, gently placing it behind my left ear. I watched her wild mild confusion.

"Wh-" Mom gently shushed me before giving me a wink. In our culture, a flower behind the right ear meant you were single and ready to court whoever wanted to court. A flower behind the left meant you were taken and with someone.

Considering that aspect, realizing what this meant for my family was a big deal. I was going back to him.

Moments after Mom placed the flower behind my ear, I heard the wind shrieking as it blew violently around. I heard the same explosion and saw the flash of light from those years ago.

"I'm coming," I whispered, mostly to myself. I briefly glanced back at my family, who waved goodbye to me as their figures faded into light.

Chapter Text

Whispering in the wind encouraged me to open my eyes.

I felt my hair being gently tugged by the gusts of wind around my face. I felt the wet chill in the air, shivering at the sensation. Upon opening my eyes, I saw myself in my old clothes from before, which now seemed brighter in color. And I noticed I also had my bag with my belongings inside. I didn’t know how on earth that was possible, but I guess the gods wanted me to be prepared.

As I took in my surroundings and the new sensations, I heard a loud squawk beside me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I whipped my head around to face a large boulder protruding from the ground. And standing on the boulder was an unusually large raven. I watched the raven awkwardly, and it watched me back, cocking its head.

“Uh… I don’t suppose you know where I’m going…?” I grunted in frustration, pinching the bridge of my nose. What the hell am I thinking? Talking to a bird?

It squawked at me again, watching me intensely before taking flight and waiting for me. Considering what I knew about ravens, I determined it was wise to follow them.

With my stuff in hand, and the raven leading me,  I made my way up the familiar rocky path to the Celtic village.

I wasn’t nervous. But determined. If I could fix this, then I knew Eyarr and I would be okay. The faces of the people I’d become friends with all came running up to me with expressions of delight and confusion. Morgan was the first one I recognized. 

“We’re so glad you’re back! We’ve been waiting for you!” She said, bringing me into a tight hug, “you were greatly missed.” As she led me deeper into the village, I noticed she didn’t wasn’t leading me down the path toward mine and Eyarr’s house.

“Morgan, where are we going?” Morgan looked at me.

“Well, uh… perhaps Eir should show you.” I raised an eyebrow but followed her nonetheless, and now I was getting worried. Was someone sick? Dying? Dead? Morgan led us to Eir's house.

“Well, look who finally showed up.” Eir’s scratchy voice came as soon as we passed the threshold.

“Thanks for the pleasant welcome back,” I replied.

“Eir, what’s going on? No one will give me a straight answer.” The old man sighed, closing his eyes. It was a sigh of disappointment. Out of instinct, I put my stuff down and immediately made a beeline for the backroom where Eir typically had the sick or injured stay. I somehow knew exactly what I was about to come face to face with.

I pushed the heavy curtain to the side, and directly in front of me, on the straw and linen bed, was Eyarr.

I can’t quite describe the rush of emotion that ran through me. But I hurried to his side, evaluating him. His hair and beard were a mess. Hadn’t been washed or trimmed in gods knows how long. He was covered in bruises and cuts, and several bandages were wrapped around his arm.

“Eir… What happened to him?” I questioned, mouth agape.

“To make a long story short, his past came back to bite him in the ass. He did fight valiantly alone, but he was unfortunately unsuccessful. One of our men found him in the local tavern drinking off the pain.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This mighty young man, my guide, my best friend, a trainer… a partner. He just fell apart.

“How long ago did this happen?” 

“A couple of weeks after you left. Maybe a month. He’s been in recovery since. He often speaks of you.”

“In what way?”

“He regrets what he said during your fight. But he feels like he has nothing to live for. He became a different man after you left.” Eir said. It was the way he said that… it tugged at my heart. It brought me some relief that he felt bad, but at the same time, I felt… exhausted. Guilty that he fell into this state of depression without me. I sat there, letting it all sink in. And then I remembered one of the final things he said to me.

“I love you!” He said he’d loved me for a while… never knowing how to say it, but being by my side regardless and trusting me with so much emotional baggage. And thinking back to what started our argument, me still wanting to go home despite everything and was willing to leave everything behind; the relationships I’d built. With the Haddocks and their family friend, with the random people I met when on the move. And, of course, with Eyarr. We had an understanding of each other that I never experienced with anyone else. We shared similar approaches and were passionate about seeing the world around us.

I let out a defeated sigh, feeling a tear escape.

“Could you… leave us for a moment, Eir? Please?” The old Druid nodded, letting the curtain fall behind him. Once alone, I returned to the rugged Viking asleep before me. I pursed my lips, reaching to the table next to the bed, holding the bowl of water and the washcloth, gently wiping at his face, hoping the cool water would bring his senses back. And I was right.

I heard him stir, reaching a bandaged hand and pushing away his blonde hair. He opened his eyes and groaned. I let him wake up as he processed his surroundings. When he noticed me, he jolted, immediately reaching his hand out to feel my bare arm.

“It’s you…” He gasped out. 

“It’s me, Eyarr. I’m back.” I replied softly.

“…How?”

“It’s too long of a story for right now. Considering what I’ve learned you’ve been through, you need to rest first.”

“No, no… I… I need to get up.” He insisted, sitting up. I gently put my hands on his chest and shoulder.

“No, Eyarr. Please, rest. Eir says you still need to recover.” He didn’t dare try to argue with me. Even then, I wanted to know what else he’d been doing besides fighting people. I needed to know.

“I was hoping to return to you taking care of yourself while I was gone. Though it seems your past caught up to you again.” I said, crossing my arms.

“Hey now, I handled that like a champ.” I gave him a look, gesturing to his state. He rolled his eyes, “Okay, maybe not the best! But besides that, I’ve been perfectly fine!” Eyarr insisted, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.

“And where’s Cliffire? I haven’t seen him, or Riptide for that matter.”

“I let them go. There was no point in holding onto them if they were going to be under threat because of me.” He answered almost a little too fast. I was stunned. My beloved Riptide… and Cliffire. Just, gone? 

“You let them go? Just like that?”

“I didn’t have much of a choice! I couldn’t risk having them injured or killed or the village being under threat because some fools are obsessed with dragons!” 

“Where did they go?”

“I told them both to go back to the Hidden World. As you said, Chief Hiccup did with his Night Fury.”

“So you’ve given up on being a dragon rider?” He sighed.

“I didn’t want to let them go, Laeli. You know that as well as I do. But they had to go home… just like you did.” He whispered that last bit under his breath, hoping I couldn’t hear him. Fortunately for my hearing, I did.

I glared at him, once again taking in the disastrous state he was in. I pursed my lips and tried to bite back an insult. Enraged still, I threw the wet cloth to the ground, jabbing my finger in his face. We exchanged equally frustrated glares.

“First of all! I didn’t choose to be sucked back home! Secondly! You survived on YOUR OWN with a damn dragon for years before I met you! And then I’m gone for what, a month? And when I find you, you’re… you’re getting in fights with people from your past? And getting drunk?! Have you gone mad? And now I have to fix you up with Eir because you decided to be an absolute IDIOT!” 

He gazed up at me in his delirious state, deep shadows cast under his eyes even in the dim light. But I could see the frustration building up in him.

“Why are you so angry?” I balled up my fists, feeling them shake.

“Because I thought you were better than this! We traveled for over a year together! I’m gone for what, a month? And when I come back, you’re a mess! I was so worried about you!” He sat up in disbelief.

“Why would you worry about me?”

“Because the first thing I learned coming back is that you were fighting! And then drinking! That’s not like you!” I could hear my voice shaking as I let out my frustrations. And I let the tears out, too. “I’ve cared about you since I first met you on that pier! I always wondered how someone could be so tired with life! I wanted to help you! But I never wanted to FIX you! And I’ve gone on this incredible journey with you! Hell! You saved my life when I fell through the ice! You kept me alive. I just started teaching you my language! And for gods sake, I just started accepting that I have feelings for you!” I shouted. “And the last thing I remember you saying to me before I went home was “I love you.” For the entire month I was home, that was all I could think about! My family wanted me to come back to you… for you!”

There was silence. I’m quite sure the whole village heard my outburst, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was all of that sinking into Eyarr’s thick skull. And for once, he didn’t know what to say back. 

“Laeli…” He started. I shook my head, my body heaving from my crying and yelling. He gestured to the spot next to him, and I reluctantly took the seat. To my surprise, he opened his arms up, and I instinctively went for the hug. A hug I’d waited so long to feel. He held me close and tight against him, close enough that I could feel his heart beating. And I felt him soothingly run his fingers through my hair.

“You know… you’re one stubborn ass woman.” He said. I gazed up at him, and he laughed a bit, “Stubborn but kind, brilliant, and you have the kind of good in your heart to see beyond what people portray themselves as. And I’ve told you before, I don’t know how you knew I needed someone like you, but you did. And you know what? That brought us here. It’s not ideal, but guess what? We’re alive. And yes, I know I’ve been a huge moron and made some bad decisions. But the past month I’ve been recovering, and I’ve thought a lot. As shocking as it might seem, even if you’re still angry at me… I still love you. I meant it the first time I said it, and I mean it now and always will.”

I didn’t know what to say. He still cared about me. It didn’t matter the personal hell he’d been through; he still cared and loved me.

I hadn’t figured out if I felt the same yet. I’d always felt something, but I didn’t know what that something was.

Following my return, Eir gave him a couple more days to regain some strength before he allowed me to take Eyarr back to our house. Once we passed the threshold, he regained some energy and excitement.

“We can start fresh, at last.” He told me with confidence.

“And you’re 100% sure?” He nodded.

“I know it, Laeli. I’ve never been more sure. Just as long as you’re willing to start fresh with me.” 

“You want me in your life that much?” I asked. He nodded in affirmation.

“I truly do. Believe me, Laeli. You’re the only woman in the world I know that has been able to keep up with me and keep me on my toes simultaneously. And for me… I needed that. Remember all those months ago, I told you that you gave me a new purpose? I still mean that.”

The conviction in his voice let me know I couldn’t doubt him. The faith he had in us and his love for me. Seeing it in those golden eyes of his… was when I realized.

I loved him too.

Chapter Text

I woke to morning rays shining through the linen curtains on my face, bringing warmth into the room. I stretched to wake myself up, feeling more refreshed than ever. Like a weight fell was lifted from my chest, and taking a deep breath had never felt more relieving. 

I rolled over to face him, sound asleep, the sunlight making his hair glow gold. I could now see how peaceful he truly looked when asleep. I couldn’t explain the new kind of heaviness in my chest, the feeling of my heart leaping every time I looked at him. I couldn’t believe I truly never appreciated his features in this way before.

I grazed my fingertips over his cheekbone where one of his scars was, stroking it with my thumb, running it down his cheek to the start of his beard. After we returned home from Eir’s house last night, we stayed up so I could help him fix him up; he desperately needed it. I helped trim his hair and beard, cleaning old and new scars and wounds.

When I reached his chest, I couldn’t help but stare at the tattoo. 

“Will you finally tell me what it means?” I asked. He gazed at me lovingly.

“Laeli, it’s you.” I blinked in confusion.

“What?”

“This…” he began, tapping his chest with his finger, “is an amalgamation of your name in runes. Each letter of your name combined into one symbol.”

“Eyarr-… I…” he just smiled at me.

“I’ve known how I feel about you for a long time, Laeli. I know it took you longer to feel the same, but it was something very personal for me. Getting your name tattooed, kind of like an assurance, a sense of self-protection.”

“Very confident in that, huh?” I chuckled. He just smirked at me. 

After running my nails through his beard, he finally woke up. He rubbed his face and rolled onto his back. I noticed his expression change once he laid eyes on me. 

“Good morning, beautiful.” He whispered, pulling me up on his chest. I blushed and pushed my hair out of my face.

“Morning to you, too.”

“I do feel much better, by the way.” He assured me before I even asked. I half smiled at him.

“Cleaning you up and a good night's sleep does wonders, doesn’t it?” He nodded in agreement.

“I have to say, a comb through my hair has never felt that good before.” A laugh escaped me hearing him admit that. 

“I’m glad to hear that. You definitely look way better.”

“Thanks to you.” We watched each other momentarily, just taking in each other’s presence. The energy in the air was quiet and calm, filled with just the sound of our gentle breathing and the morning birds and their calls. 

I gazed into his eyes, taking in the glow of the morning sun. I swore I found a new detail whenever I looked at them. And I took in the freckles splattered across his face, connecting them like constellations.

“Admiring the view?” He joked.

“Taking in what I haven’t before,” I whispered. He suddenly cupped his hand on my cheek, and I almost immediately sensed what was to happen. Did I want to? I knew I felt that spark like he did. And I could feel my heart pounding in anticipation. My eyes darted from looking into his eyes and then at his lips.

And I decided just to let it happen. He slowly brought me closer, sitting up so we were comfortable—one hand on my cheek, the other behind my head. And soon, our lips were barely grazing each other. He watched me intensely, waiting to see if I’d pull away. But I was involved at the moment now. There wasn’t any turning back. And with that, I let him pull me in.

I couldn’t quite describe it… it was… beyond what I could ever imagine kissing someone would be like. It was soft, gentle… oddly comforting… and welcoming. I pushed against him further, garnering a small sound of surprise from him, but I knew he didn’t care; in fact, he pulled me as close to his body as possible, moving a hand to my lower back. I raised my hand and rested it on his chest, and I could feel his heart beating almost as fast as mine. 

I didn’t want it to end. The sensations I felt, the excitement coursing through me. Two years spent with him led to this… I couldn’t ask for anything better. I knew I loved him.

I loved him so much. 

I felt him initially pull away, but given I wasn’t, we kissed for some time, making up for all the tension we’d built up for so long. 

Finally, breathless, I pulled away. He watched me, eyes wide and chest heaving slightly. And I couldn’t deny my quick glance at his crotch, which had enlarged enough to be noticeable.

“Wow…” Was all he could utter. I grinned, kissing him lightly once again.

“I somehow didn’t expect you to be that good of a kisser.” He admitted with a laugh. 

“I’m glad I can surprise you.” We lay there for a little longer, just enjoying the moment together. I closed my eyes again, feeling the sun's warmth on my body, and I began to think about everyone back on New Berk and how they were all doing. Surely they missed me? What had been occurring since I left?

I soon realized I was repeating my train of thought when I first got to New Berk about Motunui. I had a weird feeling of deja vu and didn’t know how to feel about it. How was it possible to have this become a cycle? How many times would I wonder about my family and the places I called home?

I didn’t want him worrying about me overthinking, however. Despite his playful protests to sleep in, I encouraged him to get out of bed.

“Come on, at least now we can actually live in a village and do stuff. Stuff that I have experience in.”

“No need to brag, miss smartypants.” I stuck out my tongue at the nickname, but yet I couldn’t keep in my laugh. I cleaned myself up, wanting to look decent for a new round of village life. It was constant readjustment for me; I wanted something more stable, consistent…

A couple of men called Eyarr to help carve wood for shipbuilding. I wasn’t called for any kind of tasks, so I opted to stay around the house to clean things up a bit and make it feel more homey, even though I wasn’t sure how long he and I would live here. I did want to return to New Berk, I sorely missed everyone there. They’d all become my second family, with Hiccup and Astrid as my surrogate/second parents. I didn’t want to start crying while fixing the roof supports. What an awkward scene that would be for someone to walk in on.

As much as I loved to travel and see new things, I still always wanted to go home in the end. Wherever I could build a connection could be my home, it was all I wanted.

The heaviness of my longing became too much. I couldn’t hold my shoulders up anymore, I tried to fight the waves of sadness, but I couldn’t. It was like… like I was grieving. Grieving the lack of a home… a real home I could call my own. The one I’d been given on New Berk had just started to feel like one when Eyarr came along. I missed that bed, the slight musk in the air, and the sound of the wood creaking under my footsteps. It had the last remnants of Motunui in there, safe within my bedroom and in the line of sight, I looked in whenever I woke up. Those reminders were what I always woke up to, and while I loved being here on this island with the Celtic people, I didn’t have those reminders of home anymore. 

It became too much. I couldn’t quite describe the rawness of the sob that came from me. It was a sob that came from deep within me. A deeper kind of grief that I couldn’t describe with words.

I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this kind of pain. 

And then I realized.

When I first arrived in New Berk. I recalled the first rough few weeks, realizing something had happened out of my control, and the fear of it being permanent, never being able to see my loved ones again. And now, after having established myself within the community and then winding up here, it was a cycle. A cycle I needed to break free from. 

I wanted my home. I wanted my family. 

And while having Eyarr as a partner was a positive step forward in stability and consistency, it still wasn’t enough to quell the inner cries from my heart.

I want, I want, I want. It would scream.

What was enough?

I stopped what I was doing and simply curled up in bed, hugging Eyarr’s pillow tightly, breathing in deeply, taking in his scent. The scent of old leather, smoke, and a hint of deep pine. All of that… was profoundly comforting, and I let my tears soak into the linen, eventually allowing myself to fall asleep.

I don’t remember how long I was asleep, but I recall stirring at the sound of iron clattering on the floor and loud cursing.

“Shit!” I sat up, realizing Eyarr accidentally dropped the iron spit into the hot coals. Sitting up, alert, I grabbed my shawl and approached him. He grimaced awkwardly upon seeing me approach.

“Sorry… didn’t mean to startle you.” He apologized. I let out a wet snort, wiping my nose, with it still being runny and stuffy from my crying. My whole face still felt wet, and my eyes dry; I felt like shit. And I knew he noticed my disheveled state as I saw concern cross his face.

“Laeli… What's wrong? Have you been crying?” I laughed wetly, sniffling.

“No, just… runny nose, that’s all…” I replied, tightening my shawl. Gods, I was bad at lying. The next thing I knew, he swept me off my feet, carried me back to bed, and gently sat me down, taking the spot next to me. Before I could protest, he gently wiped my cheeks, running his thumbs over my cheekbones. And I let my head rest against the palm of his hand.

“Eyarr, I… something so… heavy came over me.” I choked out. His eyebrows furrowed.

“What do you mean?” I harshly ran my fingers through my hair, shakily exhaling.

“I-... I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe it’s not a feeling you’ve experienced before… but it’s like, it’s like a kind of grief. Grieving, grieving the lack of somewhere to truly call home.” I turned to him, unsure of his reaction, letting my head fall onto his chest. He said nothing, but I knew he wanted me to continue, comfortingly rubbing my back.

“I love to travel and explore so much. I love learning… but ultimately, I want to go home. Have something to come back to, someone to welcome me home. Where I can settle in… and nothing else in the world would matter. And I am ready to have a home, a place for us together. And it’s taken me so long to understand this feeling I’ve had.”

There was nothing but the sound of the fire crackling as Eyarr processed my words. And it worried me how long he took to react finally.

I expected him to say something, but instead, he pulled me in for a hug, holding me close to his chest. I moved to sit between his legs, be physically closest to him, and feel his arms wrap around me. He kissed the top of my head, still not saying anything.

Then finally, he whispered something.

“Whatever you need, whatever it takes for you to finally feel at home, we will do. And I’m not leaving your side, no matter what. I chose to be with you for a reason, and we’ll have a home to call our own together. I promise.”

Chapter Text

We stayed up a little longer to allow me to get my feelings off my chest, and I did cry a bit more doing so, but I remembered him laying us down. I was cuddled up close against him as I let the tears fall until I fell asleep again. I felt his hands running through my hair and periodically pressing a kiss on my forehead.

That was the soundest sleep I’d had in months.

I woke up right before the crack of dawn, feeling incredibly well-rested. I slowly turned to Eyarr, who was still sound asleep. 

I lay there and watched him sleep for a bit, internally very grateful he did not obnoxiously snore like some of the men on New Berk. I snorted softly at my own thought, which caused him to stir. He blinked his eyes, pushing his blonde hair out of his face and running his fingers through it.

“Well, I do love the sound of you laughing.” He sleepily commented. I just smirked and shrugged, “And you’re in a way better mood. Did you sleep well?” 

“I did.” He sighed and pulled me in for a hug.

“Seeing you cry like that last night pained me,” he admitted softly. Concerned, I shifted to face him, stroking his beard.

“Eyarr… I’m sorry.” He shook his head.

“You don’t need to apologize. It’s my job to worry about you. And I wish I’d known about that pain in your heart sooner. Because, as I said, whatever it takes to heal that, I’ll do.”

“I know. It’ll take time, but I know we’ll be okay. But in the meantime, come on. Let’s go do something just for fun, just the two of us.”

“What did you have in mind?” He inquired as he changed out his tunic. I just smirked and interrupted his task, wrapping my arms around his torso and gazing into his eyes. I loved feeling his toned muscle under my hands. I had appreciated it before, but now… I could truly love all of it. I ran my hands down his abdomen, feeling the texture of old scars and nicks. Somehow, I was still amazed by the fact that I fell in love with him, yet I could not believe it. He was everything I could ask for in a partner. Someone who could challenge me but still support my endeavors. He could be a huge asshole sometimes, but I didn’t mind it. I loved his snappy remarks, even when we were exchanging sarcastic comments. I loved all of it, and I loved all of him.

Suddenly I had an idea. After we dressed for the day and had breakfast, I took his hand and lead him down to the beach. I sensed his confusion, but I assured him with a gentle squeeze of the hand.

We reached the sand, and I immediately removed my boots and socks, relishing the feeling of the cool, soft sand slipping through my toes. I spun around to Eyarr, indicating he should do the same, he was hesitant initially, but then he followed suit, removing his boots and socks. I then led him to the shoreline, absorbing the shock of the cold water hitting my feet.

“What’s on your mind?” I heard him inquire from behind. 

“I want to teach you something, or… show. I guess. I know you and Ocean have already met, but it’s been a while,” I took his hand, bringing him to my side. “I want to show you a dance my mother taught my sister and me that her grandmother taught her. A dance to express our connection to the sea.” 

“Alright. Let’s see it.” I inhaled the salty ocean air, letting the wind blow my hair around my face. I adjusted my feet accordingly and soon let the dance overcome me. I thought back to the days when Mom taught Aihe and me as children, embracing our connection and feeling the presence of great Gramma Tala beside us, guiding us along with Mom. I knew how much mom loved Gramma Tala, and growing up, I always wished I’d gotten to know her. Mom promised that Gramma Tala would come to us when we needed her guidance, just like she did for Mom all those years ago.

I broke myself out of focus to look at Eyarr, gesturing for him to follow my lead. I figured he wasn’t much of a dancer, but I knew he would appreciate a dance that meant a lot to me. 

He took my hand, playfully spinning me around through my dance, both of us standing ankle-deep, splashing the water around. He brought me against his chest through another spin, gently swaying us side to side. I couldn’t help but let out a relieved laugh with he joined in, and then I felt the water shift around my feet.

Ocean reared up to greet us for the first time in months. Upon seeing me, it flung water at me, to which I shielded myself from the cold water, but at the same time, I didn’t mind it. It reminded me of some mornings when I would wake up ridiculously early and go to the shore for an early swim. And during some of those morning swims, Ocean would play with me, swirling and spinning me around in the water.

I watched as Ocean shifted its focus towards Eyarr, swirling around his legs before rising to meet him eye to eye. Eyarr was initially caught off guard by the sudden change in attention, but he knew Ocean wouldn’t hurt him and welcomed the interaction. Ocean then took Eyarr’s hair and swirled it up and around in a tunnel of water, styling it. 

I couldn’t help but bust out laughing at the absurd hairstyle, but it genuinely warmed my heart to see them interact so positively. It did make me wish Cliffire and Riptide were here with us… and Maui. I hadn't seen him since he told us about the gods and their interference with mine and Eyarr’s lives. Not that I worried much about him, since he was a freaking Demi-God, but I still wondered… was he hanging with the gods again? Getting more answers? 

Not that I was sure there were more answers to be had.

With that in mind, I returned my attention back to Ocean, sensing it was eager to do something different. I held out my arms, waiting to see what it would do. After a moment, it wrapped around my arms and threw me in the air in one swift motion. I gracefully spun around, diving headfirst where the water began to deepen, submerging myself completely.

I opened my eyes, my hair swirling around my face. I let my eyes readjust to the dimness of the water and faced up when I saw Eyarr’s form splash in to join me. I knew he could swim, given he dove into freezing wintertime water to pull me from the ice. He then opened his eyes, and I held out my arms to him, encouraging him to swim to me.

I felt Ocean whirl up some currants that pushed him right up to me, almost in my face. I tried not to laugh underwater at his look of mild irritation. I just brought my hand up to his face, placing a kiss on his lips. In response, he wrapped an arm around my waist, his free hand running through my hair, which swirled around us.

After a tender moment suspended underwater, he gestured to get to the surface. 

We broke the surface, inhaling the ocean air deeply, pushing back our wet hair. I couldn't help but appreciate how he pushed his hair out of his face. It was oddly stylish! I chuckled, swimming up and clinging to him.

“I have to say, you looked absolutely ethereal underwater.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

“Oh, please.”

“I’m serious. I don’t know what it was… maybe the mood or the lighting, but you looked stunning.” He admitted, “And every moment I’m with you, I fall in love more and more.”

“You are so corny,” I giggled, kissing him again, “but I love you, too.”

I don’t know how long we spent in the water, certainly long enough for our hands and feet to get wrinkly. But we called it a day, bringing our clothes back to the house to dry as we got comfy and started dinner before heading to bed.

Eyarr and I soon fell into a more domestic routine as we began to settle down. The idea of living together was ever more appealing, yet, I still wanted all of this on New Berk. Even though we’d been on this island for months, it didn’t feel like home to me.

Chapter Text

Days turned into weeks, and the idea of talking Eyarr into moving back to New Berk became ever more present in my head.

“Babe, can I ask you something?” I finally asked one afternoon. He was busy sharpening some of his daggers, and I was mending one of my tunics.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I know you and I are both movers and whatnot, but do you think, eventually, you’ll become comfortable with living on New Berk permanently?” He glanced up at me in mild surprise.

“I mean… In time I suppose. Why do you ask?” I awkwardly frowned, struggling to articulate my words.

“I dunno, I guess, I just often wonder… If given the opportunity to, I’d go back to New Berk. But you’ve been hesitant; I’ve noticed you don’t exactly feel the same.” I finally explained, twirling and twisting my fingers around, a nervous tic I developed. I watched his face, trying to read what crossed those fair features.

“And… whatever’s got you hesitant, I at least want to understand why. I won’t force you to move if you don’t want that, but I want to understand what’s happening.” I finished assuredly. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to move around again if he didn’t want to, but I wanted to make it clear that I wanted to return to New Berk. But it was still important to understand and listen to him first. I truly attempted to help him feel that he could share his feelings and thoughts without judgment from me.

He sighed deeply, holding the whetstone in one hand, his dagger in the other. I saw his eyes shift around, assuming he was thinking about his response.

He then broke the silence, putting the whetstone and dagger down.

“Honestly… it may sound stupid, but it’s because of Chief Hiccup.” I was silent. I did not expect that answer.

“What? Why?” He rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“I mean, you remember how I interacted with him when I first arrived? Not particularly on the best terms.”

“Eyarr, he let you take me away from New Berk. I dunno about you, but that sounds like he trusts you enough.”

“But even still. I don’t know if I’m ready to go back there yet and… talk it out. He kind of intimidates me.” I wanted to laugh a bit but didn’t, not wanting to embarrass him. I understood where he was coming from. Hiccup could be a bit intense and sometimes let his emotions get the better of him, especially with dragons.

But that’s what they had in common. Hiccup and Eyarr both had a love and respect for dragons. I even remember Eyarr bringing it up at one point!

I took his hands in mine, grazing my thumb over the visible veins and his rough skin. I appreciated the size difference between our hands. His being considerably bigger than mine.

“What is it?” I heard him ask.

“You know I love you,” I started, “and I don’t want to force you into anything you’re not ready for yet… but I hope you’ll eventually become comfortable with the idea. New Berk has everything left of my home on Motunui, and sometimes it physically hurts…” I gazed at him through my lashes, waiting for his reaction. For a moment, I saw a fleeting glimpse of sympathy cross his face, but then it was gone.

“I know that… but I’m not ready to go back yet.” I felt tears well up in my eyes in frustration.

“You understand what I’m saying, right?” He nodded slowly.

“I do… I’m just… not ready.” I pursed my lips together, standing up and grabbing my shawl.

“I don’t understand! You say you understand what I’m saying, yet I can’t help but feel you don’t appreciate or actually get my feelings about it. New Berk has all I have left of home… I don’t have that here!”

“Laeli, it’s nothing personal. I need some more time to mull it over!”

“We’ve been doing that for months! When will you accept that it’s time to move on?”

“Laeli-”

“Don’t you get it! Can’t you see the signs? I don’t feel at home here! This isn’t my home! I have not been able to fully settle down here. I was fine with this being a temporary place to stay, but the longer we’re here, the less at home I feel… I want to go home, Eyarr. And home isn’t here.”

I didn’t let him get another word in as I left the house, slamming the door behind me. I didn’t even know where I planned to go. I just let my legs take control and lead me to wherever. I was so tired.

Tired of his stalling, for whatever reason there was. I knew he ‘understood,’ but I felt he didn’t understand what I was trying to say. He never got the feeling of a real home before, and I’ve been trying to help him appreciate the feeling of one. But gods be damned, he was so stubborn and resilient, and it was exhausting.

I don’t know how long I walked and zoned out, but I found myself somewhere in the forest. With a shaky sigh, I sat on a fallen log, covered almost entirely in moss.

Why didn’t he get it?

“He’s being a little too stubborn again?” A familiar raspy voice came.

Turning around, I somehow wasn’t surprised to see Eir standing a few feet away, leaning on his staff.

“Oh, hi, Eir. How’d you guess?”

“Frankly, I just know. You’re an easy woman to read.” I rolled my eyes.

“Thanks for the compliment.” He rested a boney, wrinkled hand on my shoulder. When I glanced up, he had a twinkle in his one good eye.

“Come with me. I think I know what will help.” He said with an assured smile through his white beard. I deduced I didn’t have much say otherwise, so I followed him out of the forest, where he took a new path I was unfamiliar with down to the beach.

“I didn’t know that trail was even there,” I remarked. He let out a cough and a chuckle.

“The forest has paths everywhere. You just have to know where to look.”

“Fair enough, I suppose. What is it that you want to show me?” He wordlessly led me to an unfamiliar section of a beach. What made this place different from the other ones I usually went to, I saw sacred symbols carved into the rock. Just beyond the shore were towering rock spires sticking out of the ocean like jagged knives. Two were connected via a tree's roots like a bridge. The tree grew into the sky, its roots cascading down into the crashing waves below. It seemed to be a miracle that the tree survived in such a precarious spot.

“What’re we doing here?”

“I’m going to help you channel your connection to the sea.” I raised my eyebrow, confused.

“Channel my connection? What do you mean?”

“In the time you’ve been here, I’ve observed how you interact with the ocean and how deeply connected you are to it. You see, we Celts have a deep appreciation and connection to the elements. The sea is one of them. My responsibility as a Druid is to remind my people who we are and keep our connections strong.”

“Okay?”

“Come to the shore.” I did as he said, and Ocean greeted me, swirling around my body. I could somehow sense Ocean was anxious… stressed, as if it was mirroring my emotions.

“How on earth-”

“You sense it.”

“I’m supposed to?”

“Yes. That tells me your connection is powerful. Powerful enough to make you feel its emotions mirroring yours.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And given that I found you in a less than enthused state, I figured this would be the best way to help you channel your frustrations.”

“… My frustrations with Eyarr.”

“Exactly.” The understanding finally dawned on me. Being able to get my anger out through Ocean, that wasn’t through sailing. This could work… at least it was worth a shot.

I removed my boots and socks, and Eir turned away to give me privacy. I then removed my tunic and belt, leaving me in my bra and the wraparound skirt-turned shorts that allowed for better mobility.

I dug my feet into the sand, positioning them just so. And just like that, I let my limbs take control, feeling the force of the ocean deep within me. I sent punches and kicks flying, feeling the power of the ocean surging around my body. Upon opening my eyes, I saw Ocean swirling around me like I had seen weeks ago.

It hit me when I realized what Ocean had been trying to tell me. I guess it knew how long I’d pent up my frustration and anger for the past two years, frustration with everything. Ocean wanted me to channel that out and start over.

I then mentally acknowledged that Eir had known this for a while and had been waiting for the right time to assist me. Whatever way he used to figure it out, I was thankful for him going out of his way to demonstrate my inner power, providing a way to discover it.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t still annoyed with Eyarr’s stubbornness about moving back to New Berk. Again, I didn’t want to force him into it. I just wished for an easier way to ease him into the concept. I knew he knew that we eventually wanted to settle down and finally have a steady life, but I simply guessed it was a matter of finally making a choice. He was hesitant to take that first step, which made sense. To make such a big change… needed confidence and courage.

Whatever the case may be, I was determined to help him just like I was when I first met him. 

Chapter Text

One particularly sunny day, Eyarr randomly announced he wanted to make dinner for the evening. I never turned down the opportunity when he made food, especially since he’d developed a knack for cooking.

“I don’t see why not. Go for it.” I encouraged. I noticed he had been noticeably giddier in the past couple of weeks, like bouncing on his feet, something he did not ever do. I’d never seen him express himself with this kind of giddiness, but he was happy, and it made me feel good to see him happy, for whatever reason it was.

I spent most of my days following my disagreement with him with a girl named Siobhan, who’d become a good friend within the village. She had no association with magic or Eir or anything of the sort. She was, by all accounts, a perfectly normal Celtic girl. And while I loved spending time with Morgan and Eir, some days, I just needed to be around ordinary people.

She’d offered some resources to Eyarr and me when we first came here, being one of the first villagers to welcome us besides the Chief, Eir, and Morgan. With fair skin, tons of freckles, soft hazel-green eyes, and short, curly black hair, she was a delight to be around. She always wore silver rings and a gold chain necklace, and I always saw her in cool-toned dresses, usually in blue or purple. She was a bit shy, preferring to keep to herself, but she was remarkably observant, always sharing little things she saw with me. Overall she was a delight to be with.

On this particular day, she requested I come to her house to lend a hand with a few demanding chores. She lived alone, having not found a partner to share her home with. She did remark that she didn’t mind living alone, it let her feel more in control of what she did have. Though she’d also said she wouldn’t mind a partner one day, just hadn’t found the right person yet.

While I folded some blankets and clothing, I heard her whisper to someone outside her front door. I strained my ears to catch what she said but couldn’t make out anything. When she rejoined me, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Who were you talking to?” She shrugged.

“Oh, just a neighbor. She said she saw Eyarr leaving the blacksmith with something. She said it seemed odd.” I raised an eyebrow.

“I mean… he does have a lot of weapons. Why’s that weird?”

“He didn’t even leave with a sword or one of his daggers,” she replied, her green eyes wide. I gave her a look.

“And what of it?”

“She told me he left with something small.” Again, I failed to see the big deal or the need to gossip about it. Eyarr going to the blacksmith was hardly a surprise to me. I simply shook it off as unnecessary gossip and moved on with helping Siobhan out for the remainder of the day.

***

After a long day, I returned to the house, already smelling food as I walked in.

“I don’t know what you made, but it smells incredible!” I complimented, stepping towards the cauldron hanging over the fire pit.

I then noticed how… clean everything was. Clothes were folded and put away, furniture was dusted and wiped clean, and assorted items were stored. Our little dining table even had a plate and fork at our respective spots. But I did not see him upon entering. I hung my shawl up on a hook, looking around for him.

“Eyarr? Are you here?” I called out.

“One second, babe, be out in a minute!” He answered from the bedroom.

“Dinner smells really good!” I told him.

“Thanks! I did my best to put together some of your favorites.” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“You made pork?”

“Bread, honey. The good stuff.” I chuckled a bit.

“Sounds delicious. Come on out! Let’s eat.”

“Hold on, I need to get something.” He replied. It was silent for a moment, and then he exited the bedroom, greeting me with a beaming smile. He’d given himself a haircut, trimmed his beard again, and overall looked very clean.

“Touched yourself up, huh?” I commented. He just kissed my head, gently sitting me down at the table.

“Eyarr-”

“Shh.” He cut me off. I decided not to press any further and let him carry on.

He served us both, and we began eating together. It was mostly quiet save for the sound of the fire crackling, the cauldron, and the sound of us eating.

“Siobhan told me one of the ladies saw you leaving the blacksmith,” I began as I took a bite. I caught him glancing up, and there was a look of slight alarm in his eyes.

“That right?” I nodded and shrugged it off.

“Mhm. I didn’t see the big deal behind it, and I still don’t. But they were all excited since you weren’t leaving or walking around with a dagger or something.”

“Huh… didn’t know it was that big of a deal if I’m not carrying a weapon!” He couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the absurdity of it. I giggled a bit as well, shrugging it off.

“I dunno. I have noticed your attention to detail, though. I’ve never seen the house so clean before.”

“You’ve… noticed?”

“Babe, we have been living together for months. It’s hard not to notice when you’re acting a little differently.” I saw him blush.

“Touché.”

“Hey, I’m just glad you’re in a good mood and you’re happy.” I shifted my gaze to him again and caught his stare directly into my eyes. I swallowed hard, feeling his gaze so intensely, and I opened my mouth to say something. The air felt different.

“Eyarr, I-” He didn’t let me finish my sentence.

“By Freyja’s grace, marry me!”

The air was quiet and still. My eyes were wide, and I almost forgot how to breathe.

Almost immediately after, he began to stumble around his words, just like when he first told me he loved me.

“Shit… That slipped out- uhh… dinner is fantastic, isn't it??” He gave me the most awkward half-smile I’d ever seen, and I initially tried to fight off a laugh, but I couldn’t. It was so out of the blue but so damn cute. And I could not help but laugh, which I knew caught him off guard.

“Sorry, heh, how about you repeat that a little more formally?“ I gave him a smirk, knowing he’d understand my answer. As if I was telepathic, he recovered from his shock and grinned back.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then?“

“What do you think?” As a response, he slid something across the table to me—a little leather drawstring bag. I raised an eyebrow at him, to which he grinned more, crossing his arms on the table, watching, and waiting for my reaction.

I opened it, hearing something inside. I carefully dumped it into my hand, revealing a bronze ring.

I couldn’t even get the words out as I admired it. It was Celtic-made, one stretch of bronze melded to form a swirl. And in the center of the swirl was an added star on top, similar to the design of the star tattoo on my right forearm. For it being a simple design, it was beautiful.

“In our culture, this is how a proposal is usually done.” He said, “Granted, not the typical setting, but nonetheless.” He gently took my hand and the ring, sliding it down the third finger of my left hand and kissing it softly.

“I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time.” He admitted.” I beamed.

“You know, I never took you for a romantic,” I teased. He just shrugged.

“I’m always happy to surprise you. And… take this as my way of apologizing for being so stubborn about moving back to New Berk.” I widened my eyes, not having expected that admission.

“You never needed to apologize,” I began, taking his hands in mine, “but it still means a lot to me.” He burst into a huge smile, his freckled cheeks practically glowing red from joy. He reached his hand up, resting it on my jaw. His rough thumb grazed over the smoothness of my cheek. He gazed at me, taking a deep breath through his nose, nostrils flaring. And then he pulled me in, our lips finally meeting.

“Oh baby…” He mumbled against my lips. Then he suddenly pulled away. Startled, I watched him as he scooted his chair right against mine. He sat back down and wrapped his arms around my waist, yanking me close and pressing his lips against mine again.

As soon as his lips met mine again, they melted together. And I felt my own body practically melt into his embrace. My hand came to rest over his chest, where I could feel his heartbeat.

His hands migrated down from my waist, sliding under my thighs. Figuring out his next move, I shifted onto his lap, causing him to let loose a groan. With a grin, I sucked his bottom lip and gently nibbled on it, swirling my tongue against the tip of his.

He groaned again, and I felt him shift his legs around beneath me. My pelvis felt the bulge growing, and a new ache developed in my core. I took in a deep whiff of his heavy, musky scent, which only furthered the growing ache of desire.

I mindlessly began slowly grinding my groin against his, and I could somehow feel the bulge beneath me quiver ever so slightly.

Upon feeling said movement, I pulled away from my passionate kiss, chest heaving, a bead of sweat trickling down my cleavage.

He stared at me with a new kind of intensity I hadn’t seen before. It was a new drive. I loved it.

Still clinging to him, he stood from his chair and sat me on the table on my back. He wordlessly pulled his tunic off, gently tossing it onto his chair behind him. I pulled the pin from my hair, ruffled it up, and lay back down.

He exhaled, wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his lips against mine, then felt him smoothly undo my belt and push off my tunic. I exhaled sharply at the move, feeling the rush of air on my bare skin, but welcomed it as it only intensified my desire. I ran my hands down his chest and abdomen, feeling the scars that patterned his freckled skin, grazing my fingers over any flexing muscle, up to his chest, where I gave him a feather-light kiss. I observed how he reached to my touch with a small smirk.

He leaned in to kiss me again, more passionately, and I could feel him slightly pushing his hips into me. I knew we were ready, but I wanted to tease him more and see how long he could tease me back.

In one swift motion, he undid my bra, and I felt the relief of my breasts as they were freed. I couldn’t help but sigh in delight at the feeling. His eyes shifted to my breasts, and he grazed his thumb on the curve of one, pressing the gentlest of kisses near my nipple.

“By Freyja…” he swore under his breath, planting both his arms on either side of me, gently thrusting his hips forward, pressing himself against me.

“You should see the throbbing boner I have right now.” He murmured in my ear. Fuck. My thoughts went into a tailspin.

“I know you want it,” I replied in a daze.

“I do…”

“What’s stopping you?”

“The desire to push myself as close to the edge before everything becomes undone.” He replied in a deep, raspy tone.

I didn’t have a chance to get more words out when he yanked my leggings down, along with my socks, letting them drop to the floor. I shivered at the rush of cool air against my now bare body, but at the same time, the ache and heat intensified. To get back at him, I leaned forward, pulling down his pants, and finally seeing it spring up for the first time. I felt something in me when I laid eyes on it. He must’ve seen my expression because the look in his eyes changed.

“I’ll only proceed if you’re ready.” He assured, running his finger along my cheek and down my body to my hip. No words escaped my mouth as I took it into my hand, eliciting a groan from him. I ran my finger along the bottom, stroking up towards the head. I heard him moan and felt him shudder. The moan was a confidence booster, and I brought it down to touch me, swirling it around, already feeling the sticky pre-cum seeping out.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. We have something to do, don’t we?” I whispered. Wordlessly, he picked me up by the hips, bringing me down on him. I moaned in response, clinging to him. I did feel the discomfort at first, but it soon dissipated as I focused on him and the movements of his body against mine. I somehow knew it would feel like this, but at the same time, it still felt foreign.

“Oh Eyarr…” He brought us down on the table, thrusting against me deeply, but slowly. He pressed his lips to mine through his heavy panting.

“I’ve waited so long to fuck you…” He said through a guttural groan.

“Shit…” His pace increased, pushing himself as deep within me as physically possible, and I swore I felt him poke at my cervix. I can’t quite describe the feeling that coursed through my body. Still moaning, I craned my neck to look up at him, his head hung, his hair waving with every movement of his body.

“I want to confess… something… to you…” He groaned, his eyes meeting mine, filled with pure lust and desire. For me.

“What is it?” I panted out a reply.

“I want… a… family. With you…” he leaned in closer to my ear, so close his lips touched the rim, “I want all of that with you… and I wanna fill you up,” he gave me another thrust, fondling a breast.

I couldn’t help but release a breathy laugh.

“How about we cross that bridge when we get to it.”

“We can stay here, Laeli… get married, have a couple of kids… you and me.” He lifted his head, blonde hair sticking up every which way, to which I bit back a snicker.

“I know… we can… but maybe… we can have that on New Berk, which is so much better. I promise…”

“We both want a life together…” I nodded.

“More than anything… and I’ll admit… You’re my first.” He gave me a gentle smile before kissing me.

“And you’re my first, too.” He gripped my hips tightly as his pace increased. I ran my hand up his abdomen to his chest, letting my hands rest on his shoulders. He leaned forward once again, his forehead pressing against mine, our noses touching.

“What is it?”

“I’m about to finish…” He gasped, his gaze shifting up. There was something about the way he looked at me, eyebrows slightly furrowed, the way his forehead creased, something intense hiding within those gold eyes of his. I loved his intensity, his grit, and stubbornness. I mean, his usual expression was an intense stare and furrowed eyebrows anyway, but I loved that expression, even though I sometimes couldn’t always figure out what he was thinking. That was the intrigue about him.

“Don’t hold back…”

“I had no plans too.” He breathily laughed. He then thrusted faster than he’d done before, holding my hips in a vice-like grip. I felt something pulsating… and then a wet warmth rushed into me. His whole body shuddered as he released everything within me. I held him close, kissing his cheek as his body relaxed.

“Fuck…” He panted, swallowing hard as he caught his breath. He peppered kisses around the crook of my neck and up to my lips.

“So that’s what that feels like,” I commented as he retreated, still leaning over me, his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead and the nape of his neck. He inhaled deeply as he regained his senses before slumping to my side.

“That’s what it feels like…” He echoed.

Together we lay there in silence, taking in the atmosphere, which now felt heavy. But it was a good kind of heavy. He turned to face me, reaching his hand to rest on my cheek, and I couldn’t help but grin. Grinning like a lovestruck fool. I pushed my hair out of my face and then twisted my body towards him.

“You’re the best, stubborn as hell, but you’re the best.” He burst out laughing, pulling me close to him.

“A double-sided compliment, that’s my girl.” We laughed a bit more as we settled into bed, getting comfy. I had one last loving gaze at my new fiance as I slowly drifted off, falling into wonderful dreams of the future.

Chapter Text

Word got around the village fast about mine and Eyarr’s engagement. Morgan and Siobhan were the most excited; Siobhan playfully bragged she saw it coming.

Morgan asked Eyarr and me if we were ready to start planning a wedding, but that’s where we were… held back. I still wasn’t sure if Eyarr and I had agreed to move back to New Berk yet, even though his proposal and then our lovemaking, we hadn’t actually… agreed on it yet.

“Why not? If that’s where you want it-” Siobhan started asking. But I had to interrupt her.

“That’s the thing, he knows that’s what I want, but I’m just not so sure if that’s what he wants yet.”

“Didn’t you discuss it?”

“Yes, but we never… officially agreed on anything.” Siobhan slightly raised a questioning eyebrow but quickly reverted to a neutral expression.

“Hmm.” I sighed. I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea. Eyarr and I were just having a disagreement.

“It’s not as easy as saying “this is where I want to get married.” It has to be an agreement between us. Because… wherever we choose to get married is where we’ll finally settle down and have a family. Have a home.”

“... Which is what you’ve wanted all this time.”

“Yeah, and I love him very much, but he hasn’t figured out if he’s ready for a permanent place. And I don’t want to force him into it. And if it takes a bit more time, I’ll happily wait. I don’t mind.”

“But it’s still going to bother you.” Morgan pointed out.

“I didn’t say that.” I defended, chewing my lip.

“But you’re thinking it. Come on, Laeli. You’ve lived here for months, and we’ve learned much about you. Maybe Eir’s already told you, but you’re an-”

“-An easy woman to read. I know. He beat you on that.” I interrupted, rolling my eyes. Again with everyone saying that. Did I just have everything up front and center? Was I not good at concealing emotions or expressions?

There wasn’t much else to say, so the girls left it alone. As they left the house, though, Siobhan peeked her head back in for one last thing.

“Oh, by the way, the chief is throwing a party tonight to celebrate your engagement. Lots of food and dancing! It’ll be fun!” I turned to her, taken aback.
“Wait, what? A party? For us?”

“Yes, silly! It’s a big deal you guys are finally engaged! The whole village will be celebrating!” I was too stunned to say anything else as Siobhan and Morgan finally left.

I could never turn down a party, honestly. I always took any opportunity to dance with others, which I’d always loved. And back home, we made a big deal with celebrations—birthdays, weddings, engagements… and even funerals. Funerals were a celebration of life and honoring the souls of the passed.

When Eyarr returned from running an errand within the village, I mentioned what the girls told me. And he was equally surprised the chief wanted to throw a celebration for us.

“Really? That’s… quite an honor.”

“I know. But it’ll be fun! It’s been so long since I’ve danced around a fire.” I took his hand, twirling myself around. He grinned and grabbed my waist, pulling me close.

“You’re a very talented dancer. I can’t wait to see you bathed in firelight.”

“A romantic and a poet? Wow, I got a package deal here!” I teased.

“Maybe two package deals.” He commented with a cocky smirk. I just poked his chest.

“You could say that. Now come on, Package Deal, let’s get our chores done for the day and then get ready for the party.”

***

Hours later, after we did some stuff around the house and dressed ourselves up, we joined where the villagers were gathered around a massive bonfire.

I wore the purple dress Zephyr gave me to attend her birthday. It was the nicest dress I owned and my only party dress. Eyarr took off his leather vest, and I helped him look nice in the dark gray-blue tunic he wore underneath.

Hearing the music was so soothing to my ears. It was similar to the music on New Berk, which helped in making me comfortable. Siobhan and Morgan saw us coming up and immediately pulled us into the crowd, and I noticed Morgan had a look in her eye. A look that told me she knew something I didn’t.

My attention shifted to the chief, who stood before the fire, all decked out in his garb, decorated with gold and bronze. Eir stood beside him, and he appeared to be standing up straighter than usual. The chief gathered everyone’s attention as Morgan pushed Eyarr and me forward, holding his goblet up, followed by quiet murmurs in the crowd.

“Attention, everyone! I would like to thank you all for gathering here tonight to celebrate the engagement of our voyager and rogue! They’ve been through quite a journey together, and wherever they choose to finalize their bond, they will always have the backs of our people! Here here!”

“HERE, HERE!” The crowd echoed, followed by cheering and applause. The music and singing kicked up again, and people began to dance together. I turned to Eyarr, holding my hand out to him.

“I’ve shown you how I dance, but now it’s time I think we both danced together.” I offered with a gentle smile. He gazed down at me, his golden eyes seemingly glowing from the fire.

“Offer accepted,” he whispered. With his approval, I led him into a rhythm of movement. Showing him where to place his feet as he twirled and spun me around. We clapped along to the drumbeats, occasionally humming along to the songs. I’d forgotten how long it’d been since I danced with others, danced with a village.

The energy pulsing through me was unlike anything I’d felt before. I loved every moment of it.

And for a split second, my attention was diverted to Eir, who I spied using his staff on the fire, seemingly making it move in a manner I had never seen before. It was like the fire was alive, every bend and spin…

I then witnessed him take a ball of fire, levitating in place above the head of the staff. I watched him closely, gripping Eyarr’s hand.

I didn’t know what he was doing, but the next thing I knew, Eir spotted me watching him. Before I had any time to say anything, he sent this ball of pure light directly at Eyarr and me with a flick of his wrist. I only had time to hold my hands up for protection as everything disappeared into white.

***

I slowly pulled my arms away from my head and opened my eyes to the initially bright light. When my eyes refocused, it looked like… a garden but with no grass.

It was like walking on pure light. Around me, various plants and flowers sprung up from this light. And each plant had a light of its own. I heard a familiar annoyed groan behind me. When I turned, I saw Eyarr sitting up. I came to his side and helped him up. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked around.

“Where are we?” He asked. But I shrugged, as confused as he was.

“I don’t know.” Curious, I let my fingers graze the leaves and flowers. Not only did they emit their own light, but upon touching them, they released a tinkling sound like bells, and glittering lights fell around us. It was oddly magical.

A bit frantic but relieved, I rejoined his side, unsure and confused about what was happening. Whatever Eir was up to, he would have to explain when we got back.

“It reminds me of the fairy circle a bit,” I remarked with a tiny smile. Eyarr didn’t verbally agree with me, but I knew he did.

“Ah, there you are,” came Maui’s voice. I spun my head around to look where he was.

“Maui? Is that you?” I saw his hulking figure approach us. My vision refocused, and I could see more figures standing behind him.

“Hey, kiddo! About time!”

“What do you mean, ‘about time’??” I repeated a bit too sharply. He placed a massive hand on my shoulder, gesturing for Eyarr to follow as we made our way through this… garden — if you could call it that.

We approached what appeared to be a meeting place. A semicircle of chairs surrounded a table, with various symbols hanging on pennants behind the seating, seemingly hanging in thin air. Wherever, whatever this place was… seemingly ethereal. Beyond the glowing beams of light, I could faintly see the inky blue of the night sky, with splashes of rich purple and gold dotted with stars.

“I’ve been excited to introduce you guys.” We finally approached the circle, and the outlines of the figures I’d initially seen behind Maui finally became solid, and features became clear. The feeling of seeing that the gods you worship are very much real… is beyond anything I could explain.

Tangaroa.

The god, who probably heard millions of my people praying to him for safety as we crossed the sea, stood before me with a smile. I admired the lines of tattoos covering his bald head, face, and body. Tattoos that were symbolic of his strength, just like Maui’s. His form was solid, but I could see a pearlescent glow coming from him, indicating his godliness. He wore a lavalava with dried palm fibers, green leaves, and dyed quills overlaying it.

The other two I did not recognize. But based on the look on Eyarr’s face, it appeared he did. I saw him mouth their names in disbelief.

Ran.

And Njörður…

Somehow I didn’t take into account that Ran was a goddess. A very intense looking one, at that. Her physical appearance was akin to that of a drowning victim, minus looking dead. But her features were gentle, with soft cheekbones and normal-sized lips. Her hair was constantly wet, but I could see pearls adorned in loose strands. Her hair itself was inky black, almost reflecting blue in the light. She wore a simple white dress but intricate golden brooches connected with a chain of shells and pearls. She was hauntingly beautiful.

And then there was Njörður. Looking equally as intense as Ran. But somehow, with kinder eyes. His hair was a light chestnut brown, and he bore a thick, full beard scattered with a few braids and metallic adornments, which reached where his navel would be. He wore leather intricately decorated with various representations of the sea.

“The Norns would have been here, but they have mortals’ destinies to plan,” Ran said, standing from her spot and greeting us. Eyarr and I could not find the right words to address our revered gods.

“The Norns helped these guys plan to bring you both together. From entirely different parts of the world. That’s a huge feat.” Maui explained, “Njörður chit-chatted with Thor and Heimdall about opening those bridges.” I blinked as I processed his words.

“He what? I don’t understand,” Ran gave us an awkward smile, raising her eyebrow.

“What is there to be confused about, Laeli?” I was startled by her addressing me by my name, but I ignored it.

“I’m just perplexed as to why exactly this had to happen? Why go out of your way to bring two mortals together?” I turned to Eyarr, hoping that my words didn’t confuse him. He just shrugged and crossed his arms.

I was surprised when Tangaroa spoke up.

“Laeli… this string of destiny is as old as you and Eyarr. In fact, as old as Eyarr, frankly. The moment he was born, the Norns saw that he would eventually meet someone. They see someone's life as a glowing strand, and important moments in their lives will glow like the pearls on your mother’s necklace—their importance factors in their size. And your meeting was impressive on the line, among a few other moments to come. And your lines of destiny had the same marker the moment you were born.”

“Our strings of destiny? Sounds like a fairytale.” Eyarr snorted.

Suddenly two glowing lines appeared in between us. Each one had different-sized dots until two matched about 1/3rd of the way down. I leaned in for a closer look, the glow of the marker casting light on my face. Eyarr leaned in as well, glancing at me. We both somehow concluded to reach out for the matching moment that glowed so intensely. Once my finger reached the surface, it expanded and, much to my utter disbelief, replayed the day I met Eyarr.

That fateful day on the docks when I agreed to go with Hiccup.

I looked at the figure of a formerly vengeful man, glaring at the past figures of Hiccup and me. I momentarily glanced at Eyarr, who looked rather embarrassed, but I didn’t comment on it. I replayed a few of our other shared moments, such as when I flew on Cliffire’s back or went to the Hidden World. Us confronting Eyarr’s family…

Then another question occurred to me.

“Wait… how long have we been away from New Berk?”

“As of now? Two years and 27 days.”

“Shit…”

“One more thing…” I sighed. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you let us go through all that hell? Why did it take a month of separation to figure out we wanted to be together? Also, who was the one who sucked me back to Motunui?!” I exclaimed. Njörður tentatively raised his hand, opening his mouth to explain.

I can never explain my reasoning or recall my exact movements from this moment.

But my feet took me towards Njörður, and then my arm had a mind of its own. And all there was, was the sound of skin slapping skin.

There were gasps all around as everyone processed my reaction. And I regained my sanity, wringing out my hand from the force of my slap.

I turned to Eyarr, whose eyes were outrageously wide, a stunned expression crossing his face. Maui mirrored the same expression. Tangaroa was stoic, and after a moment, Ran busted out laughing.

“About damn time!” Njörður couldn’t help but chuckle, unfazed by my action. I was not impressed, however. But before I could get anything out, Eyarr pulled me back.

“Okay, hon, that’s enough. Let them talk.” He assured me gently, rubbing my arm soothingly. The snort/growl that came from me was a different kind of frustration I hadn’t felt before. But now, the realization of my actions ran through me.

“Oh shit… I slapped a god in the face.”

“Oh, trust me, a very well-deserved slap.” Ran assured, “But, with some of that deserved pent-up frustration out of the way, I think we ought to focus on what’s most important,” she turned to face me and Eyarr, “You two.”

“I have a hard time believing we’re that important. Like, what about Chief Hiccup? He brought Vikings and dragons together after centuries of war.”

“We know that. And I can promise that when the Norns decide his time on Midgard has ended, he will join his father, Stoick, and all the past chiefs of Berk in Asgard. Where our noblest Midgardian warriors can relish a second life among gods.” Ran explained.

“But, there is a reason why the Norns chose both of you to come together. It was more than just bringing two cultures together. The lines of succession and greatness run in both of you. Not just necessarily through your bloodlines but in you as individuals. Eyarr forged his own path despite the looming threat of his family looking for him after an act of defiance; through the basic means of survival, he’s become his own person.” Tangaroa spoke up next.

“And Laeli, you have an intricate bloodline of both voyagers and warriors. Your mother and father, respectively, and you know what brought them together, do you not?” He raised a bushy eyebrow from me, garnering a confused expression from Eyarr. I just nodded slowly, trying to understand where he was taking this. But the God of the Sea didn’t have to say anything more as I saw a beam of glowing, ethereal light come from the corner of my eye. I turned to my left, and my heart practically fell out of my chest when I recognized the features.

Fetia.

My father’s mother… the Goddess of the Stars, the One Who Sees Fate in the Stars. I’d only seen her once, as depicted by Ocean as a child, but I had never physically met her. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be possible, but I had never lived in typical circumstances.

She greeted me in our tongue, and I didn’t hesitate to hug her tightly, knowing my relation to her.

She whispered comforting words in my ear, tilting my head to look at me.

“If those aren’t your father's eyes…” She tearfully chuckled before sharing hongi with me. I turned my attention to Eyarr, holding my hand to introduce him formally.

“This… is the goddess I’ve told you so much about. My grandmother, my father's mother.” He was utterly speechless, slightly bowing his head out of respect for her.

“No need for the formalities, young man.” She patted his shoulder good-naturedly as we rejoined the group to continue discussing this situation.

I observed Fetia spinning her hands around, creating a glittering, glowing sphere of starlight, gently tossing it up into the air above us. It exploded into the space above us, and much to my astonishment, the stars fell into place, creating various constellations and familiar patterns I had observed while at sea.

“Much like the Norns, I can foresee many things in people’s lives when they’re born. The most important moments will glow brighter on the line than anything else. And Laeli, when you were born, the Norns visited me. They showed me what they saw for you, and we realized our visions matched. And then, when I saw what Eyarr’s was, everything connected. And I can’t begin to describe how excited I have been to see this moment since I watched your parents finally come together.”

“So bottom line… we were meant to be from the beginning.”

“Soulmates,” Ran spoke up from behind.

“Eyarr wouldn’t have found his peace without Laeli,” Maui said, leaning on his hook.

“Laeli wouldn’t have found herself without Eyarr,” Fetia finished.

Those words would echo in my brain for eternity. I turned to the man I loved, and needless to say, I was sure I knew what he was feeling and thinking. He looked into my eyes, and when I looked into his, I could see an epiphany hit him. The understanding that he truly no longer needed to run from his past, run from whatever may have haunted him. The only running he needed to do, was run for the future—a future for both of us. But I could still sense one lingering question that was eating him up.

He still looked at me as he finally asked, “Who would I have become had I not met her?” We turned to Fetia as she spun starlight in her hands, now creating a massive sphere in the center of the room. We approached to get a better look, gripping each other's hands.

“First, I think it’s important to ask, Laeli. You know of Chief Hiccup’s story, yes?” She asked. I confirmed with a nod I not only knew his story but everyone else’s within his circle of family and friends and how everything was connected.

“Had Hiccup chosen to run away with his Night Fury when they were first dragon and rider, the challenges Hiccup would have faced… that’s what Eyarr could’ve been. He would’ve turned into a dragon-riding mercenary. And by then, nothing could be done. Too far gone. Your stubbornness would have turned into a deadly arrogance that would have truly gotten you killed. Messing with the wrong people, misplaced confidence.” The vision of an alternate Eyarr soon vanished into a small explosion of light.

I saw Eyarr’s look of horror and despair as he appeared to understand that where his life was currently was the most positive outcome one could ever have.

“By Odin…” He choked out. I saw tears build up in his eyes. I put my hand on his shoulder, garnering him to pull me into a tight hug, kissing where my jawline met my throat, “thank the Norns we met.”

There was a moment when the only sound was a faint breeze blowing through the glowing garden. The unrealness of everything was rather overwhelming but a confidence booster. My gaze shifted to the ring on my finger, using my other fingers to swirl it from side to side, and then I touched Mom’s necklace, grazing the smooth surface of the iridescent shell with my fingertips.

“Eyarr, do you trust we can have the life we want on New Berk?” I quietly asked, gazing up at him through my eyelashes. He was silent as he processed my question, and for a moment, I worried he would say no. His gaze scanned our surroundings carefully, I could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“I do.” He finally replied with a confident smile, eyes meeting mine again, “But… I think there is an important matter of getting our dragons back, don’t you think?” I closed my eyes, chuckling a bit.

“You’re not wrong.” He turned to the gods.

“Send us back. Please. We both understand what’s led up to all of this now.” He said, nothing but pride and confidence in his deep voice. There were smiles all around, hearing that we accepted our destiny, as corny as it sounded. As Eyarr talked to them a bit more, my ears perked at the sound of something on our life paths. One of the glowing dots was glowing brighter than before, the soft sound of tinkling bells faintly echoing. I didn’t have time to look at what that dot represented as Ran, Tangaroa, Njörður, and Fetia stood before us.

“I can see that you’re both ready for what comes next,” Fetia said with a broad smile. Eyarr and I shared a glance and nodded in agreement.

“I’m so proud of you both.”

“We all are,” Maui affirmed, moving to stand behind us.

I closed my eyes as I heard the sound of gusting wind and rushing water surrounding us. I took in the sounds of this realm as we were sent back to Midgard, where our potential awaited us.

Chapter Text

I finally opened my eyes upon hearing soft chatter echo around me. As my vision adjusted to the darkness of the night, I saw the faces of the villagers watching us with wide eyes. I turned to Eyarr, who was just now opening his eyes.

“Welcome back, you two.” I heard Eir greet us.

“You sly fool, you had this planned the whole time!” I exclaimed, realizing I was back in my purple dress and Eyarr in his regular tunic. Eir chuckled, playfully poking my shoulder with his staff.

“As soon as I heard you were engaged, I knew it was time. I’d communicated with the gods months ago, and we were waiting for the right moment to set things straight and explain everything.”

“Well, we certainly understand everything that’s been laid out for us,” Eyarr said with a grin, resting an arm around my waist and pulling me to his side. He gazed down at me, nothing but love in his eyes, “I think we finally know what we want… and need.”

Eir looked to Morgan and Siobhan and then turned to the chief.

“Chief, it’s your word.” While neither Eyarr nor I had developed a particularly strong relationship with the chief, Bradan, we still knew we had mutual trust and respect.

“Anything for the both of you. You’ve proven how smart, trustworthy, and, most importantly, responsible you are.” I encouraged us to continue the conversation within the chief’s house, as since we were to sail to the Hidden World, I wanted to make sure it was clear that as important as this was, the location of the Hidden World only be known to Eyarr and me.

“So, what is this place you plan on sailing to? Where is it?”

“Well, see, the thing is, we don’t have a pinpoint location of where it is. But I have a vast knowledge of how to read the stars and guide myself that way. Even on the back of a dragon, I can read nature’s signs of where to go. And we’ve been there before.”

“Forgive me for being somewhat intrusive, but what is this place called?” Eyarr and I glanced at each other, and he shrugged. Would it matter if we told him? They wouldn’t know where it was, and we only knew its location because of Cliffire and Riptide.

“It’s called the Hidden World.” Bradan raised a brow.

“The Hidden World?”

“Yes, sir. Legends say it’s the ancestral home of all dragons, including ours. Only a few know where it is, us being two of them. But it’s imperative we keep its location secret because, for decades, dragon hunters have searched high and low to find where to eliminate all dragons. And I was entrusted with the knowledge through the first person to go there. I promised I’d keep the location secret.”

“I see. So what is your plan?”

“We wish to take one of your boats and sail it there. Once we get our dragons… we intend to let the ship fall down into the abyss so no one will ever know we were there.” Eyarr explained. And I nodded to confirm his thoughts. We knew that would be the only way for this plan to work.

Bradan looked between the both of us as he thought about it. It was a big risk, taking someone's boat and then letting it be wrecked. But I hoped he understood enough and trusted us to do this.

It was very quiet, as Bradan thought, and I glanced over at Eir, who stood next to Morgan and Siobhan. Eir must’ve known what I was thinking as he approached Bradan, placing a hand on his shoulder. The two whispered softly for a moment, and I hoped Eir could ease the chief into this plan.

Finally, after a long moment of quiet chatter, Bradan turned back to face us.

“Well, from what Eir was able to explain a bit more… I’ll allow it.” My eyes widened.

“Wait, really?” He nodded.

“Yes, Laeli. I understand and trust your insight on this journey. And while I’m not thrilled with the idea of a ship intentionally being wrecked, I understand why. And I respect it.”

“Thank you, sir. I deeply appreciate it.”

“My pleasure. It’s been a joy having you both live here, albeit temporarily. We all wish you the best and blessings on a safe passage. And once more, congratulations.”

***

I could feel his gaze on me as I checked the ship's rigging; I tightened the halyard and adjusted the sheets. Based on what Eyarr and I had observed at the waterfall all those months ago, the sailing conditions would be unpredictable; after I calculated where the waterfall would be compared to Old and New Berk’s locations.

Upon thanking the chief profusely for providing us with the ship and supplies needed, we were going to the Hidden World to get our dragons.

“Eyarr,” I began, glancing over my shoulder as he put our stuff away. He turned to face me, “While we are on this ship, I am in charge, and you’ll have to learn how to navigate this ship. Am I clear?” He nodded with affirmation.

“Of course.”

“You may know the sky, but I know the sea,” I said with a slight grin. After all those months of watching Eyarr masterfully fly his dragon through the skies, I could finally demonstrate my skills and knowledge of the sea.

Slowly I opened the mainsail upon feeling a steady gust of wind come from the south. I released the ship from the docks, and we were off.

I could tell he was impressed and intrigued with my adaptability to the sea. He would offer help occasionally, and I would give him simple tasks to do so I could focus on the more difficult parts of navigation. I planned to show him how to measure the stars since my people traveled without maps. It was a perfect skill to have when you’re in the wilderness and lack supplies.

One slow night, I sat on the edge of the starboard part of the boat, craning my neck up and observing the night sky. Hearing creaking footsteps approaching, I let him take a seat next to me without glancing behind. We sat there in silence, with nothing but the sound of the boat rocking in the waves, the wood creaking, and the faint wind blowing against the sail.

I turned to face him, and he caught my grin, smiling back.

“What?” I simply took his gloved hand in mine and brought it up, positioning it like so.

“What’re you doing?” I positioned myself in front of him, my back against his chest.

“Showing you how I navigated without a map. Only the stars, wind, and sea.” He didn’t ask any further questions and let me guide his hand. I explained how I measured the stars and used them as markers and guides for long travel. I showed him how to use his fingers for degree measurement. He chuckled for whatever reason before pressing a kiss on my head.

He gently rested his hand on mine, bringing it down, both of us gazing at our hands together. I had always loved how much bigger his hands were compared to mine. I could feel the callouses and old blisters on my knuckles compared to the softer skin of my hand, though not by much.

“Every part of you is beautiful.” I heard him whisper ever so softly. He leaned forward, resting his face near the left crook of my neck, planting a light kiss on the bare skin. I tilted my head to the side, exhaling slowly. He wrapped one around my waist, pulling me closer to his body, humming quietly.

“Enjoying the mood, eh?” I commented. He just hummed more in reply.

“It’s romantic, Y’know? Being under the stars?” I hmphed in agreement, kissing his hand.

“I can agree on that.”

“How about you take a brief break, and rest your eyes.” I playfully scoffed.

“I don’t need to. A real Wayfinder never sleeps.” I remarked, echoing Uncle Maui’s words that he taught Mom and was subsequently taught to me.

“Lack of sleep makes you go crazy.” He replied, crossing his arms. I just stared at him, knowing damn well he wouldn’t let me function without sleep.

“Look, I promise I won’t touch any ropes or sails. But I want you to get some sleep. Can you do that for me?” I watched him again, clenching my jaw to fight off a yawn.

“I’ll lay down for a bit. Only for a bit.”

“Hey, any sleep is good enough.” He led me over to a covered area he set up for sleeping (he mostly slept). I let him care for me as he pulled a blanket over my body and kissed my forehead.

“I’ll be right here.”

Chapter Text

I stirred at the sound of ropes and metal clasps clanging against each other in a strong gust of wind.

“Wha-” I groggily said, rubbing my eyes. After letting my eyes focus, I saw Eyarr standing near the stern part of the ship, next to the rudder.

“Morning!” He called out, seeing me finally wake up.

“Eyarr? What’re you doing?”

“Just watching the sea. Haven’t touched anything, just to assure you.” I yawned again, joining his side.

“How’s the weather look?”

“Doesn’t look too bad, some clouds here and there, and the wind is picking up a bit.” With another yawn, as I stretched, I went to grab the archipelago map. I tapped my lip with my index finger in thought, trying to visualize the sky from the previous several days.

It took me longer than I wanted, but I eventually figured out our approximate position and how much further the waterfall would be. It would take a week or two to get there. And then from the Hidden World to New Berk on our dragons… if my calculations were correct, that would add another week.

“So, with the remainder of our passage to the waterfall, in addition to getting to New Berk once we get Cliffire and Riptide, that will take a fortnight, plus an additional week for the last leg of the trip.”

“Damn, I would not have expected it to take that long.” I folded up the map with a shrug.

“Ocean traveling is very different from flying. You have to take into account all the elements that hold you back. The wind and sea are our biggest allies but can also be our greatest enemies. It took me years to master being able to travel in violent storms…” I trailed off, my memory flashing to the storm that brought me to the north. I swallowed hard, anxiously tapping the folded map on the palm of my hand.

“You okay?” He questioned, a tinge of concern lacing his voice.

“Huh? Oh, yeah yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.” I replied, not entirely paying attention.

“Babe?” I eyed him momentarily, contemplating whether I should relay my first independent journey on the sea with my crew. It then occurred to me I hadn’t told him everything about my first year on New Berk…

“I’m just… thinking…” I mumbled in reply.

“About?” He leaned on the boat's edge and crossed his arms, his muscles flexing under the sleeves of his wool tunic. I pursed my lips for a second, trying to figure out how to explain it to him cohesively. I wanted to tell him everything, knowing full well that it would result in him worrying more about me. But… he deserved to know.

“I… a lot of things. Mostly reminiscing about my first voyage… my first year on New Berk. So much happened to me within a year, it’s still a challenge to comprehend it fully.”

“Did you want to talk about it more?” He offered. I gave him a tiny smile.

“... I think so, yeah. I think you deserve to know.”

I sat beside him and relayed my memory of leaving Motunui for the first time on my independent voyage. I made sure to mention that was when my mother gave me her necklace.

“I have always wondered about that. I wasn’t sure if I should ask about it.” I unclipped and removed it from around my neck to show him. I let his finger feel across the iridescent surface of the shell and up to the white carved part where the tiny carved stars and ocean swirl were.

“The white part and the rest of the shell represent the connection between land and sea. It comes from a sea snail that we call pūpū ʻabalone. We harvest them for food and use their shells for ceremonies and decorative purposes. This shell has been in my family for generations, from my great-grandmother to my mother. And now me.” He appeared impressed with my knowledge and clipped it around my neck to let me continue.

“And on the day of my voyage, my mother gave this necklace to me.”

“That’s symbolic! Your mother sounds wonderful.”

“She would love you, she encouraged me to come back to you.” He lit up at the mention of that. I continued relaying my story to him, explaining the history of voyaging and why it was vital. I made it a point about my intent to pass on my knowledge to my children someday, and then it hit me… I’d pass on that knowledge to our children.

“What’s that face?” He commented with a slight chuckle.

“Oh, heh,” I blushed at the mere thought of us now on the road to having kids eventually, “It just hit me that I’ll be passing on the history of voyaging to our kids,” I told him. His eyes widened at the mention of kids, but he had told me first that he wanted children with me.

“Damn, how about that?” He laughed, pulling me in for a hug, “We’ll be on our way there eventually.” I nodded in agreement. I didn’t dwell on it for long, but I sometimes thought about what it would be like to be a mother. Experience the whole journey of pregnancy and then raising children. It was a goal, eventually. But a goal for later.

When I eventually got to the part about the storm that still affected me, I sensed his demeanor change.

“Babe, you’re tense. Relax.” He whispered in my ear. I didn’t fully hear him, though; I kept replaying that memory of the storm and its violence. The thunder and lightning, the enormous waves that threw our canoes around like toys in a tide pool. I flinched at the memory of the sound of the explosion and burst of light.

“Easy, easy… you’re here, you’re here,” he assured, rubbing my arms.

“Gods, it was the worst storm I’d ever seen… ever been through…” I managed to utter.

“I know. But you’re here now; you’ve endured a lot already, but soon we’ll be able to settle down.” I let out a mostly steady sigh of relief at the thought. And then another memory came back.

“By the way… if you thought caring for me this past winter was rough, my first winter on New Berk was the worst.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve never been anywhere as cold as New Berk during the winter. I’d never seen snow or ice before. And my body simply isn’t built for the extreme cold, and I got really, really sick, as I’ve mentioned before. Ana and Dustin spent the entire winter keeping me warm and alive until my body finally recovered.”

“Makes sense; you come from a warmer climate. Your body wasn’t meant for the cold.” He affirmed with a nod.

“But every winter, I get sick. So when we return, you can inform Ana you kept me alive during the winter.” He chuckled.

“It was just by sheer luck,” he told me.

“If you say so.”

“I do say so. But you spent the entire winter in Ana’s house?”

“Basically. My first, eh… what’s the stupid name… Snug-… No no… Ah! Snoggletog! Their winter holiday on New Berk! I spent my first one sick as hell. But they still included me; Hiccup’s mother even gifted me my hairpin! Ana even introduced me to her little Terrible Terror, and I mean little.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Do tell,” I repeated how every Snoggletog, the dragons venture out of the Hidden World under Toothless’s guide to New Berk to celebrate the holidays with their riders. And while I spent the entire time inside and was very sick, Ana still let me meet one dragon. Not her boy, Dusk, but a dwarf Terrible Terror named Thundersong.

In my weakened state, I had mistaken him for Maui’s iguana form initially, but the wings gave him away. It was the first dragon I’d seen before Cliffire.

And it now occurred to me that I’d missed two Snoggletogs while away from New Berk.

Damn. I didn’t expect there to be much waiting for me except a very anxious Viking family awaiting my return.

Chapter Text

Two slow weeks dragged by as I taught Eyarr the sacred wayfinding methods I was taught. He faced more difficulties and took longer to understand everything than expected, but it didn’t bother me much. I knew he preferred the sky to the sea, anyway. Either way, I was proud to share my knowledge with him, and it brought me a different, yet excited feeling to see how receptive he was.

Despite the challenges, he understood enough of the basics, so I wasn’t the only one guiding the ship. I became very jittery when I finally realized how close we were.

And soon, I heard it before I saw it.

Adrenaline surged through me upon hearing the waterfall's roar and seeing the towering mist rise above the sea. We were here.

But now came the problem of getting close enough without the risk of overturning the ship too soon. I leaned overboard and peered at the water, spying the rocks at the bottom, and I swore for a moment… there were bones down there. Bones of sailors from centuries past were killed the moment they approached the waterfall, unaware of the rocks and abyss that lay before them.

I turned to Eyarr, giving him a nod. He gave one back and dropped the anchor, securing it in place.

Now it was a matter of waiting. Would Cliffire and Riptide know we were here? Surely they would… They were smart, and they knew our scents. I just hoped the mist didn’t obscure it too much that they couldn’t find us.

While we waited, I leaned on the ship's edge, taking in the salty sea air's smell and the gentle breeze blowing my hair around. The waterfall's roar was almost peaceful, although it was somewhat deafening. I could see the figures of the Sentinels on their respective posts, still as statues. They didn’t move upon our arrival, and I took it as them knowing us to a degree.

I watched the water and the rocks for a while, and the sun began setting. I yawned, exhausted from the lack of sleep from navigating us here.

“Babe, come on, get some rest. We have enough supplies to last us while we wait.” Eyarr encouraged.

“Are you sure?” He patted the anchor system with a grin.

“This thing isn’t going anywhere. Just relax for a bit, okay?” I sighed in mild defeat, following my fiancé as he took a seat and patted a spot between his legs for me to sit. I yawned again and closed my eyes, allowing the boat's gentle rocking to lull me to sleep.

***

I didn’t know how long I was asleep but I woke suddenly with a slight jolt. Eyarr had fallen asleep as well, probably not long after me. I stood and went to look at the waterfall again and then at the sky, which was approaching sunrise. I didn’t initially see anything, but when I looked into the water, I nearly jumped out of my skin upon seeing intense yellow eyes.

“Holy shit-!” I shrieked. I stumbled backward onto the deck, startling Eyarr awake, who instinctively grabbed a dagger.

“What the fu-“ He sleepily exclaimed. He immediately relaxed, seeing me.

“Thor's hammer, Laeli. You scared me. What happened?” He said, helping me up. I rushed back to the edge of the boat, and I saw the eyes again. And then I spied a very familiar figure rising up.

It couldn’t be…

“Riptide!” I exclaimed, holding my hand out to him. His serpent-like head broke the water's surface, leaning forward to greet me and pressing his head against my chest. I could feel the vibrations of a guttural rumble from deep within his chest. I missed him so much and took a deep whiff of his intense salty scent.

Eyarr greeted Riptide with an affectionate scritch under the chin, which Riptide appreciated. And then he turned his head and roared toward the waterfall.

“Huh?” Then we heard a roar back in reply. And Eyarr knew that roar.

“Cliffire!!!” He called enthusiastically, waving his arm around. I watched as Cliffire’s massive figure rose through the mist. Soaring and circling above our ship.

“My boy! Come here!” Eyarr cheered. Cliffire roared and swooped towards us, and I ducked as Cliffire snatched Eyarr clear off the deck.

“Woooooo!” I laughed in delight, the wind of Cliffire picking Eyarr up and blowing my hair around. Riptide nuzzled my face, another soft rumble emitting from his chest.

“Flight?” I said, echoing his thoughts. He didn’t let me get another word out as he slid his head through my legs, and I slid down his neck onto where the saddle used to be.

Eyarr had kept the saddles for both our dragons when the time came to get them back. I was eternally grateful for him being considerate of that, having held onto the hope I’d return and we would reunite with our dragons.

My thighs gripping him tightly, Riptide took to the skies, roaring to get Cliffire’s attention. The boys turned to us, and there was a massive grin on Eyarr’s face. I hadn’t seen him this happy since he proposed, and it thrilled me just the same. This was Eyarr’s element. Riptide hovered as we watched Cliffire fly around us, Eyarr navigating him effortlessly. They had a bond that couldn’t be beaten, only by Hiccup and his Night Fury.

Together, we flew above and around the waterfall, enjoying the thrill and joy of being with our dragons again. Eventually, I circled Riptide back to the ship.

Now was the time.

Cliffire swooped down again, and Eyarr landed on the deck after leaping off Cliffire’s back.

“What’s up?” He asked.

“Babe, it’s time,” I told him, shifting my gaze towards the waterfall, the roar of it filling my ears. He touched my shoulder, bringing me close for a hug.

“Let’s do it.” He whispered in affirmation. With that settled, we called the dragons over to secure their saddles. We then grabbed our bags with all our stuff and placed them on the saddles. Once we were sure we packed everything and everything was in place, I grabbed a heavy rope, Eyarr helping me tie it around the carved head at the front of the ship.

After tying it securely, Eyarr gave the loose end to Cliffire, putting it in his maw. We then mounted our saddles, and the dragons took flight.

“Cliffire, we’re gonna bring that right over the waterfall,” Eyarr instructed, pointing him in the right direction. Riptide then took the opposite end of the ship in his paws as we flew it over the edge. My ears caught the sound of the Sentinels shifting, knowing they’d be curious yet cautious of what we were doing. Riptide growled at them in what I assume was some form of assurance, and the Sentinels then moved back into their usual positions.

Once we were in the right spot, just as Eyarr was about to tell Cliffire and Riptide to drop the ship, both Riptide and I perked up at the sound of something.

“What’s going on?” Eyarr called.

“Don’t drop the ship yet!”

“Why?”

“I think I heard Ocean!” Suddenly, the sound of the waterfall cascading down changed, dissipating into the sound of water swirling violently. We both looked down and saw Ocean come alive in a frighteningly massive whirlpool below us, causing the Sentinels to react.

“By Tangaroa…” I gasped out. I had seen Ocean’s power before, but never on this scale.

“Laeli? What’s happening?” Eyarr cried. I could hear the horror in his voice. And at first, I wasn’t sure either. Then I spied Ocean’s “head” rise up from the center of the whirlpool, grabbing the ship, and Riptide let the ship free.

“I think… Ocean is going to destroy the ship for us!” I called out.

The ocean protects all its creatures, from the depths to the tide pools, no matter their size.

Ocean was protecting the dragons.

“You know what would make this better?” Eyarr replied, interrupting my epiphany.

“What?”

“Blowing it up!” Before I could get a word out, Cliffire dropped his jaw as a torrent of charged fire exploded from the back of his throat, setting the ship ablaze.

And that’s when I realized I’d never seen Riptide use his firepower before. Or… acidpower; as I recalled in the Book of Dragons that Sliquifiers spit acid instead of fire.

“Riptide? Follow his lead!” I instructed. After glancing at me, Riptide also opened his mouth, and I just about fell off his back, seeing the acid explode.

“Shit-!”

“I didn’t know Sliquifiers had acid!”

“I did! I’ve just never seen him fire it!” With Ocean holding the ship in place, the dragons set it alight. And the combination of fire and acid then caused an explosion of epic proportions.

“Watch out!!!” Eyarr cried as he and Cliffire dodged wood shrapnel and molten metal as it went flying.

“I’m okay!” I assured him.

Ocean gurgled as it sent the wood and other pieces of shrapnel around. Finally, the whirlpool disappeared into the cascades of the waterfall again, the roaring filling my ears again.

I couldn’t quite describe the satisfaction of watching Ocean help us prevent more of humanity from finding the Hidden World. Its secrets would be kept with those within the deep caverns and tide pools—those mighty creatures living below. I still couldn’t get the image of Toothless out of my head, the very dragon who somehow made it possible for me to ride on Riptide's back.

As Eyarr gestured for us to start flying in the direction of New Berk, the thoughts of seeing the dragons of the original dragon riders swirled in my head.

Toothless… Blueheart, Dusk, Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf n’ Belch, and all the others. They were all living down there, awaiting the return of their riders someday.

But now we were on our way. One more week until New Berk’s towering silhouette would welcome us back.

Chapter Text

The return to New Berk would only take roughly a week, so I wasn’t terribly concerned about timing. It would give me more time as Riptide’s rider and bond with him more.

One day, I noticed that Riptide’s course had changed. We were no longer flying west; instead, we were flying roughly northeast. 

“Riptide? Where are you going? We’re supposed to be going the other way.” He growled at me, maintaining his course. Eyarr directed Cliffire to follow.

“Where’s he going?” 

“I don’t know! He refuses to change his course. I think he wants to show us something?”

“I can’t fathom what he wants to show us. Most of the islands northeast are barren or uninhabited.” I shrugged.

“Let’s find out.” 

It was mid-afternoon when I saw an island rise from the horizon. Tall, sharp mountains were the main eye-catcher, with sea spires and stacks surrounding the main island.

I did notice two crumbled statues in the sea, the old rock having become smooth over decades of crashing waves. I could faintly make out the old carvings on the barnacle-covered rock. But I still couldn’t fathom why Riptide led us here.

My interest was piqued by the sight of the old village we approached. We landed the dragons in the village square, and I took it all in.

Towering houses, many of them nothing but rotten and burnt husks of former homes. I could see decades-old paint peeled or chipped off, and the carvings were in worse shape. Everywhere you looked, it was a disaster. Every home was burnt to a crisp, and anything leftover or survived had rotted away or become overgrown with moss, mushrooms, and lichen. The stone paths were cracked and splitting, and the dirt paths were in the same condition; old and overgrown.

Eyarr and I both had the same thought: "What happened?” There was little evidence of the people that used to live here, but based on some surviving structures, I could conclude that dragons once lived here as well.

It was depressing just at the thought that people once lived here with their families and simply left.

I looked around for Eyarr and saw him making his way up a massive stone staircase with Cliffire behind him. Riptide and I ran to catch up with them, approaching the massive double doors. As we made our way up, I gazed at one of the statues on my left. The face looked familiar… but time had worn away at the stone, making it difficult to pick out discernible features. The other statue looked to be of another figure that I didn’t recognize, but I decided that, for now, it didn’t matter much.

I joined Eyarr’s side as he stood before the massive wooden doors. It was intricately carved, but many of the carvings had become worn down with time and slightly overgrown with the village. I ran my hand over it, feeling figures of dragons and Vikings. 

“This village lived with dragons at one point.” I pointed out. 

“I noticed that, too. Makes me wonder what happened.” He rested his gloved hand on the door next to mine, and we took it in. The feeling of being here was sad, knowing the generations that grew up here.

Eyarr attempted to push in the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Even Cliffire’s draconic strength couldn’t push it down. So Eyarr took out his sword, chipping away at the aged wood, and Cliffire assisted with the massive claw on his wing. After a few moments of hacking and chopping at wood, they finally made a hole big enough to peek inside but not enough for one of us to get through. Cliffire gently pushed Eyarr to the side as he tore down more wood so we could get in. 

After the sound of wood breaking down reached our ears, I grabbed a decent-sized chunk and let Cliffire light it for a torch, Eyarr following my lead.

We crawled in, and I immediately reacted to the intense musk in the air. 

“Whew… this place has been sealed for gods knows how long,” I remarked, sniffling and coughing with all the dust in the air. I waved my torch around to get an idea of what was in here and noticed something glinting in the dim light. Holding the torch as a guide, I approached the glint ahead and nearly jumped out of my skin upon seeing a dragon's head suddenly appear from the darkness.

“Oh shit!” I cried out, tumbling back into Eyarr, who caught me. He looked up and was initially startled but relaxed once he realized it wasn’t real.

“Easy, babe, it’s not real. It’s metal.” I breathed out a sigh of relief and gathered myself. I brushed myself off and held out my torch again, this time trying to get a better look at this statue that I now realized hung from the towering ceiling. 

I took a moment to figure out the species, noting its long, slithery body and the way its body was twisted around to show movement. My attention was diverted to the long metal pole that plunged its way through the metal body, only for me to realize it was supposed to be a sword stabbing through a dragon’s heart. I still racked my brain trying to remember the species, and when I glanced back at the round head, I recognized it.

Grapple Grounder.

From my recollection of the Book of Dragons, it was a Boulder Class dragon with an attacking style very similar to snakes. They weren’t a commonly seen dragon, I hadn’t even seen any in the Hidden World with Eyarr.

Regardless of its elusiveness, it was quite the sight to see a statue done in its likeness hanging from the ceiling.

Eyarr found old torchposts around the hall, and he lit them up, finally allowing us to see everything bathed in the firelight. I grazed my hand along the surface of some aged tables and benches, sweeping up a thick layer of dust on my fingertips. I took note of the circular wooden table surrounding the fire pit in the center of the hall, right under the Grapple Grounder statue—a meeting place, I would guess.

“Babe! Come look at this!” Eyarr’s voice echoed from one side of the hall. I grabbed my torch and followed his voice to where he stood, holding his own torch up to a wall covered with what appeared to be tapestries. It was a miracle most of them still hung on the wall.

Many of them were of Viking battles with dragons; blood and guts were depicted everywhere. I scrunched my nose up in disgust at the sight. I made the assumption that this was a long, long time ago before Vikings and dragons formed bonds with each other.

For what it was worth, the craftsmanship was impeccable. From the towering pillars, the stonemasonry, and the woodwork, the attention to detail astounded me. And it gave me a new appreciation for Norse craftsmanship. When they put the effort in, they could make something incredible. It made me wish I had more handiwork from home to show off.

As we admired the tapestries, one caught my eye.

A tapestry that looked more recently made, like the past 30 years. I took multiple steps back to see the whole thing, and my heart stopped when I recognized the two figures.

It was Hiccup… and his father, Stoick. 

I distinctly recalled a tapestry of Stoick hanging in Gobber’s shop, and the massive red beard gave it away—the same red hair as Zephyr. 

I couldn’t find the words as I realized this island was Old Berk. Hiccup’s home island, where he, Astrid, Ana, Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins, and so many others their age grew up.

As I took it in, I swore under my breath, not even paying attention to Eyarr joining my side. I heard him swear, too, when he recognized Hiccup’s face.

“Beard of Thor…”

“I know…”

All of Hiccup’s stories began to make sense to me. All the chaos that happened here, from the war with the dragons to peace… and then to war once again. It made me think about how these people could never seem to agree about dragons.

People like Hiccup and the Berkians believed in peace with dragons, working with them to protect one another for the greater good, who saw each other as equals.

And then others like Drago Bludvist or Grimmel the Grisly saw dragons as slaves and meant for nothing more than to serve humans or be eradicated if the former wasn’t an option. Until Hiccup let me in on that part of Berk’s past, I remained innocent of that bloody history.

My people believed that humanity was an extension of nature. To work with what was provided and give back. Sustainability and community were important to us, and to be fair, Vikings were also about community, but not quite through the same lens as my people.

As Eyarr and I settled down for the night next to the massive fire pit, I vented my thoughts. I always sought to see connections and similarities between people and then realize how hateful others could be.

“Based on what Dustin and Tannr told me, that’s how Hiccup has always felt,” Eyarr remarked as Cliffire lit a section of the fire pit. We got the dragons inside to be near us, not out in the open. We couldn’t risk them being exposed even if no one had lived here for decades.

“Oh gods, I sound just like him!” I cried out. It was funny to me to realize Hiccup, and I had similar views.

“It’s sweet, though, you’re very empathetic, and that’s a good trait,” Eyarr assured. Shrugging, I took his word for it.

As we settled in, he wrapped a blanket around us, stoking the fire. He pulled me in closer, and I decided to sit between his legs, as it was incredibly comfortable to sit there. I felt him wrap his arm under mine and then around my torso, pulling me close. 

The dragons settled in a spot a bit away to give us some privacy, but still close enough that they weren’t out of sight for safety’s sake.

With us having broken in, the still musk in the air was mostly gone, so it didn’t feel like I was breathing in straight dust. The ambiance was a little chilling, with the hall still quiet. As being the first humans and dragons inside in almost 30 years…

I was broken out of my train of thought when I felt his hands shift around my torso. I heard him sigh, resting his face on the back of my head, almost at my neck. He parted my hair so my neck was exposed, and I shivered at the feeling of his lips trailing down. His facial hair did add to the sensation, tickling me.

I tilted my head back, enjoying the feeling of his lips there. When I glanced up at him, he was smirking.

“You like that, huh?” He remarked. I blushed a bit.

“I do. It feels good.”

“There’s something else that feels good, too.” He murmured in my ear. I pursed my lips, suddenly still thinking about what he was referring to.

“You’re right…” 

“May I?” He softly asked. I hummed in response, then nodded, suddenly feeling a wild urge with him. Without much warning, I turned around, grabbed the collar of his tunic, and pulled him in for a kiss. He made a noise in reply, not expecting me to do that, but he welcomed it, pulled me close to his chest, and wrapped his arms around me.

I pinned him down, fervently kissing him, not just on his lips but all over his face. I rested my hands on his cheeks, gently squeezing them, making the kiss deeper. He grabbed my hips and shifted them so I was on top of him. Out of sheer instinct and a primal drive of desire, I began to grind against him. And just as I expected, he groaned through a bewildered chuckle, tilting his head back.

Deciding not to let it go too far, I held back my teasing, leaving him hanging.

“That was mean.”

“Get used to it.” I snickered. 

We finally settled in for bed. The plan was to head out in the morning and hopefully arrive at New Berk as soon as possible. If the winds were generous, we could possibly arrive ahead of schedule.

“Let’s hope that Maui gives us generous winds,” I remarked, cuddling up next to Eyarr, “The sooner we arrive, the better.” 

We stayed up talking a bit more, making sure the dragons were also comfortable and finally falling asleep.

We packed our stuff bright and early that morning, making sure that even with the hole in the front doors, we still left little evidence of our stay here. 

With that done, we took off with the boys, following my map. And somehow, I felt more like a dragon rider than before. I didn’t know what made this different, but I guessed it was the anticipation of returning.

The remainder of the trip was uneventful and went by in no time, my prayer for good winds had been heard, and I was ecstatic. And seeing that towering island peeking over the horizon had my heart racing. 

“Follow me!” I beckoned, leading Riptide to a cliff where we could land and get to the village. I knew from my recollection that an opening in the forest from this cliff led directly to the village. 

As the dragons landed, I could hear shouting almost immediately. I spun around to see who was calling out, and my heart dropped to see the faces of Zephyr and Nuffink running toward us. A beaming smile crossed my face as Zephyr pulled me in for a massive hug, nearly picking me up, Nuffink was excited like his sister, with a huge grin plastered on his face, but I caught a ghost of something cross his face.

“Laeli? Eyarr?” He exclaimed in disbelief. I grinned as he, too, pulled me in for a tight side hug.

“What? Don’t look too happy seeing us, eh?” I joked.

Eyarr gave Nuffink a brotherly smack on the back, nearly toppling the blond to the ground, garnering laughter from Zephyr and me.

“How’ve you been, stringbean? Your sister keeping you in check?” Nuffink rolled his eyes. Nuffink may be slightly taller than Eyarr, but he was still thinner.

“Eh, yeah, yeah, she has.” He scoffed.

“What’s got you all down?” I asked him, he was usually energetic and goofy, yet his usual energy was not the same. 

“Oh, don’t mind him; his mind has been… occupied, to say the least,” Zephyr answered teasingly. I wanted to ask more, but Nuffink must’ve seen the looks on my and Eyarr’s faces, and he immediately started asking us questions.

He pulled me in, walking me by my shoulders as he led us to the village with Zephyr and Eyarr in tow. I heard more calling as Dustin and Tannr came to greet us.

“Holy shit, you’re back!!! Hey man!!!” Tannr exclaimed, affectionately slapping Eyarr on the shoulder.

“Soooo, how was your guys’ trip? See anything cool? Mom and Dad are gonna be thrilled to see you guys back!” Nuffink rambled, not realizing Eyarr wasn’t paying attention. But then Zephyr stepped in front of us.

“Oh, hold on there, lover boy. Shouldn’t you tell them the news?” Tannr and Dustin’s expressions changed almost immediately; Eyarr and I turned to Nuffink, both confused. Barely an hour back and there was chaos abound, as per usual. I did miss it, though.

“Loverboy?” Eyarr commented, crossing his arms. Nuffink blushed, being very obvious with his fair skin, and covered his face in embarrassment.

“Zeph…” he groaned.

“Uh, what news?” I asked. I was still taking everything in, and now suddenly, something was going on with Nuffink. He tapped his foot awkwardly, and I could tell he struggled to get the words out.

“Well, since cats got his tongue, might as well share it for him! It may come as a shock… but! Nuffink… has a girlfriend!” She exclaimed, absolutely beaming. Eyarr raised an eyebrow.

“Oh! Great?”. Zephyr wagged her finger.

“Ohoho, my boy. This one is the real deal. I heard Nuffink say it himself.” She boasted, giving Nuffink a slightly aggressive punch on the arm. 

“Zeph! Come on!” He cried out. Zephyr didn’t mind it, though. But something told me that this was true. The way he reacted to Zephyr exposing him, I could read his face. He was in love.

“You’re really in love, huh?” I commented, grinning at him. What’re the chances my little sister has fallen in love and now Nuffink? He didn’t reply verbally, but I saw it in his face.

“You are!” I exclaimed, hugging him.

“Never thought I’d see the day.” Eyarr chided with a smirk and a slight eyeroll.

“Neither did we.” We turned to see Hiccup, Astrid, and Ana approach us with beaming smiles. Emotions came over me as I rushed into my surrogate parent's arms. Eyarr remained behind me but kept a cautious distance.

“Hey, you two, welcome home.” Hiccup said, giving me a tight hug back. I pulled back to look at him, Astrid, and Ana; only two years away hadn’t done too much, they still looked the same.

“The seas and skies treat you well?” He asked, his tone shifting upon glancing at Eyarr, who shrugged.

“As well as it can. How’ve things been around here?”

“You won’t believe…” Hiccup began before Astrid interrupted him.

“How back we continue this conversation at the house? I’ll make dinner!” As soon as she turned her back, there were expressions of cringe on everyone’s faces. Nevertheless, we followed the Haddocks and Ana back into the village, greeting familiar faces.

“So… I gotta know more about this girl you’re into,” I commented as I caught up to Nuffink.

“Aaaaand we’re changing subjects!!!” He declared, speed walking ahead. I rolled my eyes, waiting for the others to catch up. Zephyr shrugged upon seeing my expression.

“Oh, I’ll get to the bottom of this!” I briefly overheard Zephyr talking to Eyarr as I walked off to catch up.

“Glad to hear she hasn’t changed whatsoever.” She chuckled.

“You have no idea.”

Chapter Text

As dinner was being prepared, Eyarr and I happily caught up with our friends for the first time in years. It was still wild to me that we'd been away for so long.

I made sure I covered my left hand in a way that wasn't suspicious or brought too much attention yet. I wanted to wait for the right moment to reveal it to everyone since I knew it would be a huge surprise. I knew that Zephyr and Tannr were already engaged, having also seen the ring on her finger. But their relationship had always been evident to everyone, from childhood friends to lovers. It was a true fairytale for them. I could only imagine the excitement from both of their families.

Gobber insisted on making dinner for all of us, telling Astrid to sit with the family. He'd always been a decent cook. Zephyr informed me that her mother had improved her cooking skills since we'd been away.

"Let me taste it first, and then I'll be the judge of that."

We finally sat in the main living area next to the massive fireplace. My gaze momentarily shifted to the tapestry of Toothless hanging above the mantle, and I pondered Hiccup's reaction when we would tell him we saw Toothless and his family in the Hidden World.

Eyarr and I were first brought up to date on the situation with Nuffink and this girl he'd met, Saoirse. I was caught off guard by the knowledge of New Berk having an enemy like Saoirse's village. However, I was very excited for Nuffink to have found someone, even if I had yet to meet her.

Following that, the conversation then turned to us. I knew everyone was dying to know what Eyarr and I had seen while we were gone. I glanced at Eyarr, fumbling with the ring on my hand. As I turned back to the group, I saw Zephyr's expression, and before I could get a word out, she grabbed my hand and inspected it, nearly pulling me to her side of the table.

"I KNEW IT!" She shrieked with glee, I had never seen a person grin so widely.

"Knew what?" Nuffink asked, raising a confused eyebrow. Zeph held my hand up so everyone could see the ring glinting in the firelight.

I swear you could hear a pin drop with how silent the room fell.

"Beard of Thor-…" I heard Gobber mumble under his breath. Hiccup was equally caught off guard. Astrid was somewhere between Zephyr and Hiccup's reaction. Ana and Dustin were the only ones who didn't appear to be shocked.

"Andddd somehow, you two don't seem surprised at all," Eyarr commented. Ana just smirked.

"Oh I saw it coming." She informed us, waggling her eyebrows teasingly, her smirk partially hidden behind her drinking from her cup.

"How?"

"I just knew. It may not have been obvious for you two then, but the way you both interacted with each other in the beginning, I just knew in time you would come together"

"Lovely insight," Eyarr replied, taking a sip of mead.

"Obviously, we need to plan your wedding!" Zephyr enthused.

"Us? Zeph, you and Tannr have been planning yours for a while! Well before us." I replied, stunned that she would suggest that.

"It's okay, we actually want to wait a little longer before we tie the knot." Tannr assured, "We want to wait for my entire family to attend the ceremony, especially my sister. But they have things to attend to on the mainland." I nodded understandingly.

"Anyway! Please! Tell us what you guys did and saw!" Zephyr asked, giving Tannr a quick peck on the cheek.

"Well, Eyarr took me to the Hidden World-" I began, and another hush fell over the room. And I expected that. I knew the Hidden World was still a touchy subject for the Haddocks and their extended circle. But I felt they deserved to know their dragons were happy and safe.

"I… also saw Toothless," I added, albeit a bit hesitantly. The room remained silent as everyone processed my words. I couldn't quite describe the expression that crossed Hiccup's face; I almost felt guilty for saying it, but what was done was done.

"… you did?" He finally replied. He knew that I hadn't formally met Toothless during Snoggletog since that was the only time of the year when the dragons came back to New Berk to visit their humans again.

"That's a lot of information to know in 30 seconds…" Astrid mumbled.

I nodded, remarking how beautiful Toothless was and that Eyarr and I saw the Light Fury and their family.

"I also saw Blueheart and their kids." I finished, "The Hidden World was unlike anything I've seen before. There's nothing like that back home." I heard my own voice change at the mention of home. I had to tell them.

"You alright?" Nuffink asked. I sniffled and nodded at the memory of reuniting with my parents and sister.

"I am… just… some memories are overwhelming."

"What happened?"

"I uh… I got to see… I got to see my parents and sister again…" A few gasps were uttered since everyone knew my family's impact on me.

"You did?" Astrid asked in disbelief.

"How?" Dustin inquired.

"An act of the gods," I replied. I didn't want to bring up the fight Eyarr, and I had that led to me being sent home in a whirlwind.

"My sister is chief now… and my grandfather passed shortly after I left Motunui. And my parents retired and are assisting my sister and her fiancé."

"That's wonderful to hear!" Hiccup commented, but his smile faded once he saw my expression. Eyarr saw it, too, bringing me in for a hug.

"Laeli?"

"That's the last time I'll ever get to see them in person… a month with them was not long enough…" I admitted. I couldn't fight a tear that escaped, slipping down my cheek. I knew they wanted to comfort me, but nothing else could be said. I got my wish to see my family again, and they all wished for me to be happy.

"My family extends their gratitude to all of you for taking me in and caring for me like a daughter," I turned to Eyarr, "they wanted me to come back here. Come back for Eyarr, and have a life here."

"And we send them thank you," Hiccup replied, squeezing Astrid's hand in his, "we know how important family is to you, and I think I can speak for everyone here that we're grateful to have you in our lives."

"Absolutely. We've learned a lot from you." Astrid affirmed, placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Shifting the topic slightly, what can you tell us about your family? Especially since you were able to see them again." Dustin inquired. I gave him a small smile, delighted that he still wanted to learn more.

"What do you wanna know?"

Chapter Text

Following our lovely reunion with the Haddocks and their extended circle, Eyarr and I were working on adjusting to the house again. After about two years away, it would take time to get used to this environment again. But I sorely missed this place.

Eyarr and I were busy putting away some crates away for storage when Tannr burst through the front door.

"Tannr! You could've knocked!" I exclaimed. But he grabbed my wrist and pulled me outside.

"No time to explain! Come on!" Eyarr hurriedly followed us outside as Tannr dragged me to where a crowd was gathering.

"What the hell is going on?"

"The girl Nuffink is seeing?" He reminded me.

"What about her?"

"She's back!"

"Oh! Well, why didn't you just say that? You didn't have to drag us out to greet her. Right, Eyarr?" I turned to my fiancé, but he appeared preoccupied with the guest that just arrived. He wordlessly patted my shoulder and forcefully made a beeline through the crowd.

Baffled, I pushed my way through as well.

Eyarr was still as a statue when I broke through the crowd, gaping at the small group of people surrounding a brunette woman.

Next to her was an older woman who resembled her; she had the same brown hair and blue eyes. Then another red-haired girl who wasn't Zephyr. This girl had a massive scar trailing down her face. And then there was Nuffink.

The girl looked understandably overwhelmed by all the attention. She quickly turned to Nuffink, being swept into a hug in his arms. I smiled at the sight, quickly figuring out who she was and what she meant to Nuff. Turning to Eyarr, however, he didn't appear to share the same sentiment.

After Nuffink and his girl exchanged a few words, I overheard Hiccup, Astrid, Ana, Zephyr, and Zyrah approach us, and the small crowd dissipated. I was pleasantly surprised to see Zyrah here, and then I saw a very familiar dragon figure-

Blueheart.

Amidst the chaos and clamoring of overlapping voices, I couldn't help but stare at the female Night Fury, who carefully watched her disabled rider. She was beautiful, with intense blue eyes, and caught my stare. I awkwardly smiled, unsure how to acknowledge her, having heard many stories. She watched me back for a few moments before shaking her head and letting a snort escape her nose.

I then refocused on the situation at hand. There would be another chance to interact with her.

"Saoirse!" Hiccup exclaimed. Nuffink brought his girl, Saoirse, over to Hiccup, where they discussed something. She appeared to be welcomed by them, so I still wasn't sure what the big deal was.

Then Saoirse saw us standing to the side. And her eyes grew wide, and at that point, I noticed three scars over her left eye.

"You've got to be kidding me." She said, jaw dropping. I noted that her accent was somewhat similar to Siobhan's, so I deduced that Saoirse had a similar Celtic background.

"No fucking way, Eyarr?! Is that you?" She shouted, making her way to us.

Now I was baffled. I looked over at the others, including the other woman. The other redhead girl appeared to share the same reaction as Saoirse.

Wait, these girls knew Eyarr?

"Saoirse? Fae-? Odin's beard-" He echoed their shock.

"Sorry, what's going on here? How do you guys know each other?" Nuffink interrupted.

"I could ask the same," I spoke up.

Eyarr, Saoirse, and the other girl, Fae, all glanced at each other awkwardly, and I crossed my arms.

"Eyarr?" His broad shoulders slumped slightly upon realizing he had to explain himself. Saoirse appeared to share a similar reaction.

Not long after the chaotic arrival, we found ourselves again back at the Haddocks, where Eyarr and the girls proceeded to unravel more about his past that was not conveyed to me.

Saoirse and Fae explained their history with the Ravagers and how complicated everything had become. I wasn't listening very much until Eyarr was brought up.

"I think I was 17 or 18, and I was desperate and needed somewhere secure to stay after…" he trailed off, fumbling around with his hands and bouncing his leg, "after some past… issues, where no one I knew would find me. I met with someone with connections and was led to the Ravagers. For some reason, they trusted me and allowed me to stay for a while. I struck up a friendship with Saoirse and Fae; they were the most helpful. But anyway, I think I spent a few months with them. I never participated in their raids, y'know, not being a "team player." But I digress. After I left them, I was on my own again with Cliffire for… a while, and then I wound up here."

It was momentarily silent as we all processed his revelation. I wasn't exactly sure how I felt, but I guessed I wasn't… mad—just disappointed that I found out now, not before when he told me about his family.

"What was the past issue before being with the Ravagers?" I asked.

"I-... I'd rather not talk about it now." He slowly admitted. Hiccup put his hand on my shoulder, indicating it wasn't the time for that discussion.

Once we got past personal history, the girls revealed that the leader of their rogue clan was ready for war, a full-blown attack, allying with Saoirse's former village.

On top of all the information unloaded, I was informed that everything that had happened to Saoirse was because her birth parents were despicable human beings and didn't believe in a woman being chief. They intentionally tried to get rid of her.

I was appalled learning this. I hadn't even had a full conversation with her yet, but I felt a connection to her, and without another word, I brought her in for a hug.

"I can't fathom doing that to a child…" I managed to say.

I could sense her confusion, but I looked her in the eye, attempting to indicate that I understood some of her inner turmoil to a degree. But nevertheless, I knew now was not the time to form bonds over something like that.

Eyarr and I went home, and I couldn't bring myself to do much. I stared at the fire pit, holding a cup of water. I didn't even notice Eyarr trying to get my attention.

"Babe?" He repeated, my ears suddenly tuning to his voice. I shook my head, refocusing.

"Babe? Are you okay?" I heard him come to my side, resting a hand on my thigh. I exhaled sharply, knowing not to pry, instead just venting.

"I'll be fine. I'm just-... processing all of this. We're back in our home for not even a week, and we already have to deal with war? I never had to deal with this back on Motunui!" I exclaimed, raking a hand through my hair.

"I know… I didn't expect this to happen either, and I know it's unfair. But I'll help you navigate through this. I won't let anything happen to you." He affirmed with a half-grin, pushing my hair back gently and resting his hand on my cheek.

He helped me up and brought me in for a tight hug. Flush against his chest where I could feel his heart beating, one hand on the small of my back, the other resting on the back of my head, running his fingers soothingly through my hair. His embrace had become my new form of comfort, where I felt safest and relaxed. I let the full weight of my body rest against him, and I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head.

"Come on, let's get some rest. We'll figure this out in the morning." He offered quietly. I slowly nodded, pulling away to douse the fire for the night, and followed him up the stairs.

We undressed for bed, and I fell like a heavy flour sack onto the fur mattress. I was exhausted from readjusting to New Berk again, and I knew with confidence that this would be the last time I'd have to readjust on this level.

I was home again.

Chapter Text

The next few days were hectic as Hiccup rallied New Berk's forces to prepare for the oncoming battle. Given his history with them, Eyarr was off helping Hiccup, Saoirse, and Fae prepare, providing insight on how to tackle the enemy's forces that I knew were on their way.

I was reassured that I didn't have to do anything since I was unfamiliar with this kind of warfare and the warring parties. And to be fair, I had little knowledge of Viking battles. And, of course, I knew nothing of the Ravagers or Saoirse's birth clan.

I could recall Dad educating Aihe and me on war tactics should we ever get involved in a conflict with another island. I had the skills, but said skills remained unused and, frankly, out of practice. I wanted to help but didn't know how much help I could be.

All I could do was sit by uselessly as villagers prepared supplies and weapons as needed and watched my adopted family prepare for war. It was surreal and frightening.

Accepting that I wouldn't be of much use or support in the village, I decided to go to one of the cliffs and watch the horizon. Riptide joined to keep me company, and I knew he could sense my distress and anxiety. The clouds rolled over the vast ocean before me, and I marveled at the bouncing of light the sun cast. I mustered a half-smile and exhaled deeply, leaning against Riptide's side.

He arched his head to face me, nuzzling his nose against my cheek, warbling in concern.

But I was unsure of what to tell him. How could I comfort my dragon if I couldn't comfort myself?

For a bit, I closed my eyes, letting my senses take in the sound of the wind whistling, the feeling of the grass beneath me, and the faint but distinct smell of the salty ocean air I loved so much. I allowed myself to imagine being on my home island again.

The memories of my parents and how they gazed at each other always filled with love, trust, and confidence in each other. My sister, her strong-willed heart, and her passion for us as a family.

Then, deep within me, I could sense the spirit of Ocean stirring at my whirlwind of emotions. Since Eir showed me how to channel my emotions through Ocean, every interaction had become more interesting. It was almost like I could understand what Ocean was saying. I didn't think Tangaroa or Njordur could directly communicate with me beyond the realm of the gods, but I was okay with that. Communicating with gods sounded too overwhelming.

Upon noticing Ocean's shift in energy, I felt a new presence that I never felt before, yet it felt familiar.

I stood and looked behind Riptide, and I was caught off guard when I saw a shimmering blue figure only yards away.

The last time a deceased family member visited me was Grandpa Lawai'a back on Motunui. Could it be Grandpa Tui?

The figure finally became clearer, and I could make out some discernible features. It reminded me of Mom in a weird way, but more aged.

"I'm surprised you do not recognize me." The voice came, "Then again, I've never truly shown myself to you…" It added in an amused tone. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, taking in the female figure before me.

"You seem familiar, but I can't place it," I remarked, feeling disappointed that I didn't know who this ancestor was.

"It's alright, Laeli. It's not your fault. But it does not matter anymore; I'm your great-grandmother, Tala. I know your family has shared many stories about me while you and your sister were growing up."

Tala…

I spied the manta ray tattoo on her back, and it clicked.

When Mom and Dad would take Aihe and me out to practice sailing before my independent voyage, I recalled a massive manta ray that would follow us, and Mom always reacted positively to its presence. Aihe finally asked why the manta ray was so important, and Mom shared great-grandma Tala's story with us. And that whenever we were on the seas and needed guidance, we should look for Tala's tattoo.

It was rather overwhelming when I finally recognized her, I couldn't explain the choked-up sob that came from me as I fell into her embrace.

"I've waited so long to see you finally…" I admitted. She shh'd me softly as she ran her hands through my hair.

"You've grown up so beautifully, just like your mother." I half-smiled at this, knowing Aihe and I were always told we looked like our mother, though I felt I took more after Dad, at least with having a stronger nose like his.

"It's wonderful having someone from home here with me. It's been lonely sometimes."

"I know. The gods have done a number with you and Eyarr." I perked up hearing her say his name.

"You know his name?"

"Laeli, your other grandmother, and I chit-chat all the time. I've seen what comes ahead, and I must say, you've got yourself a good one!" I laughed awkwardly and blushed.

"Gramma…" I groaned out of mild embarrassment.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. You should be very proud. He is a fine young man who has overcome many challenges to be where he is now."

"I know. I've watched him grow these past few years. I am very proud of him. But I still feel like there's a lot I still don't know about his past. When we sat down with Saoirse and Fae, Eyarr mentioned something that complicated things that led him to the Ravagers. But he hasn't said anything about it since."

"From my perspective, you must give him time. I can promise you'll understand further why he is the way he is." I couldn't figure out if that were good or bad, but I decided now wasn't worth the time to go into it.

It was quiet, save for the gentle breeze blowing through the grass and the sound of Riptide moving about.

"Gramma Tala?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"What do I do? These people have become my second family, and I want to help… And all of this is overwhelming, and I can't understand the conflicts they always seem to face, but I want to help. How can I do that?" Gramma offered a tentative smile.

"Listen, and watch. I know you'll have much to gain from observing them and how they prepare to deal with their conflicts. It's different from our people, but as you said, they're family. Go be their support." She said.

I wasn't sure what I expected to hear, but I knew Gramma Tala was wise and was confident in her advice. All I could do was interpret and take her word.

Chapter Text

I knew that Eyarr was busy during the day helping the others prepare for the oncoming fight, but it was comforting to come home to him.

I fell into his embrace, where he squeezed me tightly against him.

"I missed you; what were you up to all day?" He asked, cradling me in his lap as we sat in bed.

"Off with Riptide, doing some thinking," I told him, resting my head in the crook of his neck.

"Of?" With a sigh, I unloaded everything I'd thought intensely about during the day and told him my great-grandmother came to see me and offer advice. He appeared surprised at my feelings of uselessness rather than my great-grandmother coming to see me.

"Oh babe, I'm so sorry you've felt that way. I don't want you to." He said.

"It's not your fault," I assured him, "I attribute it to me not being used to these kinds of conflicts. I mean, your culture and my culture handle and approach conflict differently."

"To be fair, this is rather abnormal. I never knew about Saoirse's past until now, I had no idea her parents intentionally tried to get rid of her."

"I know. What're we going to do?"

"Well, I'm going to do some training with you. I want you to be ready for when the attacks start, though. I'm worried about how soon they will encroach the island."

"That makes sense. But I hope I don't have to fight actively. I don't like the idea of getting involved in someone else's war."

"I hope so, too. But I have no idea how this will go down. I know the Ravagers; they are not going down without a serious fight. Saoirse's clan… I wouldn't be surprised if they share that same mentality." I thought about his words and deduced that it didn't matter how serious this battle would be. What mattered is that I was prepared for what was to come.

For roughly two days, Eyarr and I honed our skills together. We occasionally allowed some friends to join, as we all wanted to be prepared. The only ones who didn't join us were Nuffink and Saoirse, I expressed concern for both of them, but Zephyr told me that it was best for us to leave them to handle what they could.

In the midst of training one day, Hiccup called Eyarr and me to a council meeting to discuss how we would help if the enemy attacked us first.

Because of Eyarr's past relations with the Ravagers, he would go with Saoirse to attempt to talk them down. I listened as everyone was given roles on what to do.

And then Hiccup turned to me.

"Laeli?"

"Hm?"

"For you, I want you and Riptide to scout the waters around the island. Given your connection to the sea, I can conclude that you and your dragon can help counter attacks via the water." I nodded my head in agreement. At least I could do something, Riptide, and I could spy with a considerable advantage.

After the meeting, I took Riptide down to the bottom of the island, checking out if there were any sea caves and tunnels we could navigate.

I wasn't surprised to find several sea caves. To my delight, there was one sea cave that would be perfect for Riptide and me to hide out. We were expecting the Ravagers and Saoirse's clan to come from the south, and this particular cave faced west. They wouldn't expect anyone coming in from that direction.

"Well, Riptide, looks like this is a good place for us. And depending on how this goes, I think I might have a perfect plan that'll work in battle." Riptide snorted in acknowledgment.

After several hours of flying around the island and making observations, Riptide flew us back to the village. I immediately reported back to Hiccup.

"One sea cave facing west is a perfect vantage point for Riptide and I. I have a plan on how to use it. But I'll need one of your smallest ships."

"Perfect! Thank you, Laeli."

The following day, Eyarr and I were at home, trying to rest a bit, and we started talking about wedding plans when suddenly, an explosion outside rocked the house.

Eyarr ran to the door to look outside, then immediately slammed the door shut.

"Babe, get the dragons. The Ravagers are attacking!" He cried, shoving me out the back door with our stuff as we ran to Cliffire and Riptide. As we made our way through the village, dodging fire from above and scrambling Vikings, we mounted the boys and took to the air.

My body was shaking from the anxiety as I processed the battle. Eyarr and I were two of the few with dragons, and we aimed to use them to our advantage.

I noticed that most of the battle took place on New Berk's shores, with the symbol of Saoirse's clan painted on ships' sails. I could tell Eyarr also recognized the Ravager's symbol, and we turned to see Saoirse and her aunt join us in the sky.

"Eyarr! Follow us!" Her aunt, Bronwynn, called out. He turned to me for approval, and I gave him an affirmative nod.

"Go. They need you. I'll be fine." I assured. I watched as they dove down to the armada below, and I urged Riptide to go down to the sea cave. As we approached the cave from above, I spied a singular ship waiting at the mouth.

It had everything I'd need.

"Alright, Riptide, I need you to go out and survey the battle from the water for me. I'll go sailing around the island and meet you there. Then we attack alongside Eyarr and Cliffire. Got it?" Riptide bobbed his head slightly, snorted a puff of smoke out of his nose, and then dove underwater.

With a deep breath, I steadied myself, adjusting the sails accordingly.

"Maui, give me some good wind," I whispered, mostly to myself. And as if he was right here with me, the sail blew open, sending me forward.

I felt my heart pound as I brought the ship around the island and approached the battle. I could already hear screaming and roars from Vikings and dragons alike. It was horrifying, and as naive as it was, I just wished for it to all be over.

I heard a familiar roar from overhead and saw Eyarr and Cliffire approach with Saoirse and her dragon, Zenn. Ahead of me, I could see Riptide's figure begin attacking various enemy ships, firing his acid on them, causing bodies and ships to sink. He then turned his body around, roaring when he saw me approach.

"Get ready, Riptide!" I called out. I angled the ship so that it would crash into the other ships when I released control.

The plan was to aid in destroying ships so the enemy would have less firepower and tools to navigate a battle at sea. Granted, doing this alone wouldn't cause major damage, but it would help slow them down even slightly.

I secured the sail and the rudder, calling to Riptide as the ship got closer and closer. The wind sending the ship forward was faster than expected, but faster wind meant more damage upon impact.

I braced myself for impact and dove into the water as soon as I heard wood begin to splinter.

Riptide screeched and grabbed me by the belt, breaking the surface and slinging me onto his back. I felt water fling off me as we climbed higher into the sky to join the others.

And Eyarr was beyond relieved to see me.

"You did it!" He cheered. I shook my head.

"My act alone won't do much. This battle isn't over." I told him. I gestured to the raging battle below and indicated it was time to get involved.

I don't really know what happened next, but my brain came back into focus as Eyarr, Zephyr, Tannr, and I leaped behind a wall to duck behind as a flurry of arrows flew overhead.

"Fucking hell! They're relentless!" Tannr exclaimed, briefly peeking behind the wall, but was pulled back by Zephyr as an arrow whizzed by his face, missing by mere inches.

"Fucking Ravagers…" I heard Eyarr swear under his breath next to me.

"Yeah! About that!" Zephyr snapped. We turned to face her, a bit taken aback by her outburst, "You didn't tell us you were a Ravager!" Eyarr held up his hands in defense, glaring at her.

"First of all, I wasn't an actual Ravager. I just happened to spend time with them when I was desperate and needed supplies."

"But you were still with them! And you knew Saoirse!"

"Of course, I fucking knew her! She actually was more kind and helpful than the others!"

"Fuck Eyarr! That would've been helpful to know a while ago!" He glared at her.

"Well, not like it was exactly relevant at the time! Secondly, how the fuck was I supposed to know she was involved with your brother?!"

"Both of you! Shut up!" I cried out, finally having enough.

"I can't believe he didn't tell you!"

"Zephyr! Stop! As he said, it wasn't relevant, and I've never forced him to reveal anything of his history that he didn't want to share." I explained. It's not like I wasn't happy about it, but we had an actual problem, and arguing about it wouldn't help.

I knew it was because of personal bias, but at this point, nothing about Eyarr's past took me by surprise anymore. He'd done a lot since he was a kid, and now this part of his past had finally caught up to him.

I'd never fought in a battle before, and I was incredibly tense and mildly shaking with anxiety, having lost sight of Ana, Hiccup, Astrid, and Zyrah. The rest of Hiccup's inner circle were off fighting other Ravagers, and of course, Dustin, Nuffink, and Saoirse were nowhere to be found.

I mentally reassured myself that Dustin was likely fighting beside his mother. And that Hiccup and Astrid were with Nuffink. As for Zyrah, I had no idea where she was, but I knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

"How about we focus on finding Ana and Dustin first and getting through this chaos, and THEN we can argue about ethics later," I announced as I stood, looking over the wall, and saw one of Saoirse's clansmen sprint in our direction.

I pulled out the dagger Dad gave me, and with the technique that Eyarr taught me, I threw the dagger with a flick of my wrist, impaling the clansman in the shoulder. The man stumbled back and tripped over his feet, falling flat. I leaped over the wall and sprinted toward the clansmen's body, yanking the dagger from his shoulder.

"Nice throw, babe!" Eyarr cheered from behind me. I just winked and gestured for him, Tannr and Zephyr to follow me. As we scrambled to get our bearings, Eyarr called for the dragons. We weren't sure what else was happening in the battle, but I prayed everyone was safe and unharmed.

We helped Tannr and Zephyr onto the saddles behind Eyarr and myself, respectively and took to the smoke-filled skies.

Chapter Text

Zephyr directed us where she saw a dark shadow dart ahead of us, recognizing Bluehearts form.

"I'll be honest, every time I see Blueheart, I somehow expect to see Toothless…" Zephyr admitted to me. I mustered an awkward half-smile, unable to comprehend that feeling. We followed the direction where Blueheart flew; as we approached where we saw her, I glanced down, spying the body of a man on the boat where Zenn, Zyrah, and Bronwynn were. I noticed Bronwynn helping Zyrah up off the deck as she rebalanced herself.

As we landed and ran to the group, I realized that Nuffink was holding Saoirse in his arms. I couldn't determine what was happening but saw blood on her clothes. I already knew that wasn't good. Eyarr stood by me as we found Ana and Dustin, who stood to the side as Hiccup, Astrid, and Zephyr rushed to Nuffink's side.

"Ana? What happened? Is Saoirse okay?" I questioned upon joining her side. She gave us the rundown of what happened, a final altercation between Saoirse and her father, who was the body I noticed earlier.

"Who killed him? Saoirse?"

"No, Saoirse's dragon fired the fatal shot." The altercation left Saoirse's father dead and Saoirse injured. I'd never seen Nuffink cry; seeing his face warp with intensity like that was heartbreaking. I wanted to comfort him, but I knew it was best to give him space.

The battle was over; with Saoirse's father dead and the Ravagers in shambles. No lives were lost on our side… but many were injured.

But now the focus shifted towards getting Saoirse back to the village and for Ana to figure out the extent of her injuries.

Due to her blindness, Zyrah was disoriented and was immediately rushed back to New Berk with her family and Blueheart for rest and recovery. As everyone attempted to regain some composure, I stood on the deck of a burning ship, observing as the chaos simmered down, ignoring the sizzling, cracks, and pops of the sparks of scorched wood. My ears could only tune in to the sound of creaking wood. My heart was racing a million miles a minute, my hands trembling, and my club falling out of my hand.

I came back to my senses upon feeling Eyarr's hand brush soot off my cheek.

"Laeli, are you hurt?" He asked, worry filling his voice. I stared blankly at him, slowly shaking my head. He wordlessly pulled me into a hug, gently squeezing me.

I said nothing, still trembling slightly as Eyarr called our dragons over. He hoisted us up on Cliffire's back, instructing Riptide to follow us back to the village. I buried my head in his neck and closed my eyes.

I woke up suddenly, unsure of what exactly woke me up, but I was immediately comforted to see Eyarr asleep next to me, limbs sprawled out, but not invading my space. I didn't know how long I'd been asleep, but upon craning my head around to look out the window, it was the middle of the night.

Which still didn't tell me how long I was out, but it'd been a while. I didn't know what to do with myself. Should I wake up my fiancé? Go for a walk? I didn't know.

I heard him shift when I sat up in bed. His eyes fluttered open, and he tilted his head when he noticed me. I couldn't help but crack a smile at his messy hair.

"Babe…" He mumbled as he sat up. I exhaled slowly, moving to sit next to him. He pulled me in for a hug, pressing a kiss on my head.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked him.

"Eh, like half a day. You were knocked out when I brought you home."

"Wow." That was all I could say, but then an important question came to mind, "wait, is Saoirse okay?" That's when I noticed his expression change.

"I don't know; last I heard was that she was struck in the scarred eye. But we don't know the damage. I caught Zyrah mumbling about Saoirse possibly losing sight in that eye." I cringed at the thought of it, on her behalf at least. I'd been looking forward to getting to know her better, but that would have to wait.

"I guess we'll ask in the morning." He nodded slowly.

I couldn't find anything else to say, I presumed we were both still processing the violence we witnessed.

Despite being exhausted, I couldn't get myself to fall asleep. My body was tired, but my mind was wide awake, and I felt restless. And I think Eyarr could sense that.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, rubbing my back. I shrugged, unsure of how to articulate my words.

"I… I don't know how to describe it. My mind has a million thoughts, too many to explain. But… at the same time, my body is just… exhausted. The last time I felt like this was when I first came to New Berk," I paused, rubbing my eyes with the bottom of my palm, pressing them into my eye sockets, feeling some relief, "I hate this feeling."

"I think that's just your anxiety, babe." I turned to him.

"I didn't think of that… but you're right."

"Maybe it's because I know that feeling." I scoffed a bit.

"Eyarr? Feeling anxiety?" He gave me a look, and I exhaled sharply from my nose."Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I've been able to hide it well, I trained myself to mask my anxiety for years while being on my own. I didn't have anyone close to me to figure it out." I gave him a half-smirk, nudging him slightly.

"Guess it's good you've got me now, huh?" He nodded, giving me a gentle smile back.

"It is a good thing, I'd say. I can finally release all this tension and the need for self-preservation. It's nice not to be alone anymore."

"That's why we're a perfect match," I assured with a soft peck on the cheek.

"Exactly." With that being said, I felt my eyelids become heavy, and I yawned, despite an attempt to fight it off.

"Come on, let's get some sleep, and we'll figure out everything in the morning, hm?" He offered, laying back down on the pillow. And how could I resist?

Chapter Text

That morning, we woke up late, feeling much better and well-rested. After we changed for the day, we left the house and could finally observe the damage done to the village, even though it was not nearly as bad as it could've been.

Some Vikings were out and making repairs to damaged roofs. It impressed me, not even a full day after a battle, and they immediately made repairs.

I led us to the Haddock's house, expecting to see one of them at least here, but the house was empty. Or so I thought.

I heard someone approach from one of the back guest bedrooms, where I knew Zyrah was staying.

And much to my slight surprise, we spied Zyrah hobbling in our direction, followed by Konall, her husband. Konall expressed surprise when he noticed us.

"Laeli? Eyarr? What're you two doing here?" Eyarr and I glanced at each other.

"Uh, well, not sure I can exactly ask the same of you, but we were looking for the Haddocks. We thought they'd be home?" Zyrah shook her head, leaning on her cane.

"No… they're at Ana's. Hiccup, Astrid, and Zephyr left this morning to go see Nuffink, Bronwyn, and Saoirse."

"How bad is Saoirse's condition?" Eyarr asked. Konall's expression changed of visible discomfort.

"It's not good; her left eye was filled with blood last I heard. I hope Ana and Dustin were able to quell the bleeding somewhat."

"Should we go see them?" I inquired, unsure of whether to have asked to begin with. Konall shrugged.

"I don't think now's the best time."

"Where's Tannr?"

"He's with them, currently."

Zyrah moved to take a seat with Konall's assistance; Eyarr and I decided to stay and keep them company until we got more news.

As we sat there, Eyarr asked Zyrah about her association with Saoirse, and Zyrah relayed her whole excursion with Saoirse's situation and how she met Bronwyn.

"So it was all by chance?"

"Essentially. But I will admit, that's the last time I'll have an adventure like that. With my condition, I… can't go out like I used to. Even whenever I'm with Blueheart." Blueheart's mention made me think of a question.

"Does Blueheart visit you often?" Zyrah bobbed her head from side to side.

"Periodically. Outside of Snoggletog, she comes to visit once or twice a year. It's mostly to bring me comfort. I may have adapted to my blindness, but having her alongside my family brings extra comfort and peace of mind." To a degree, I could understand that feeling of needing familiarity.

"Do you ever wonder about her relationship with Toothless?"

"Not really; it was a whole matter settled decades ago. I know that Toothless is aware of how independent she is… but she and the Light Fury get along, which also offers Hiccup peace of mind."

"Dragon relationships are so odd sometimes," Eyarr remarked, leaning back into his seat, crossing his arms.

"Indeed they are. Now Eyarr, what breed of dragon do you have?"

"Skrill and Monstrous Nightmare mix. I rescued him from a trap when I was young. I'm pretty sure he was born in the Hidden World but left to go see the surface world."

"Interesting. I didn't even consider other dragons would mix. My old boy, Lightbolt, is a Skrill." Konall remarked.

"Well, I can tell you that Cliffire retained the 'need for speed' gene. He's wicked fast when he wants to be. To be fair, I know he'll never be faster than a Night Fury, especially female Night Furies." Eyarr answered with a slight grin. Zyrah chuckled.

"I can confirm that. Female Night Furies are faster than males. It wouldn't surprise me if Toothless would ever admit that if he could talk. I am curious, though; how are you familiar with Night Furies?" She asked, turning her attention to Eyarr.

"To be frank, I heard stories when I was on the run. I guess they were stories passed from the archipelago to the mainland and the southern islands. I never saw one in the wild. Granted, dragon sightings to the south are few and far between. Laeli and I never saw another dragon besides our own while in the south."

"It's true. One of the girls we met told me that before we brought Cliffire and Riptide to her village, she'd never seen a dragon in person, only in drawings. And I'm the same. Back home, we don't have dragons. The only mythological creature we have is Maui, and he technically doesn't count!"

Our conversation lasted a bit longer, and it was lovely to catch up with them. Sometime in the mid-afternoon, we turned to the front door as Zephyr, Tannr, and Astrid came in.

"Laeli! Eyarr!" Zephyr exclaimed, rushing to hug me, "What're you guys doing here?"

"Well, we came to see you guys, but you were out, Zyrah and Konall weren't, so we've just been talking," Eyarr explained.

"We know you went to be with Saoirse, Bronwyn, and Nuffink. How're they doing?" I asked.

"Honestly… it's not good. Ana said that Saoirse's injury was too severe to save, and she will be blind in that eye."

"Oh gods… poor Nuffink…"

"He's devastated. I tried telling him it could be worse, but then Ana told me to leave." Tannr said, crossing his arms.

"Babe, I love you, but that wasn't exactly what my brother needed." Zephyr sighed in admonishment.

"No, no, I know." Zyrah gestured for her son to take a seat with her.

"Well, Hiccup is still with them." I was confused as to why.

"Why's that?" Astrid and Zephyr glanced at each other and proceeded to explain all the tension that had occurred between Hiccup and Nuffink… all because of Saoirse. It caused a rift between them, and they had a massive fight.

"Because of Saoirse?"

"Not entirely. You know Nuffink doesn't always make great decisions," Zephyr reminded me, and I couldn't help but awkwardly nod in agreement, "it was also because of that. Not to go into detail, not that it's necessary, but yeah. The past two-something years have been a mess. And honestly, it's good that you weren't here to witness it, Laeli. It would've made you uncomfortable."

"Thanks, I think?"

We didn't stay much longer after that. Eyarr and I felt it was best to go home and have dinner just to decompress. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get too involved in this fiasco. On one hand, they were my second family, but because I'd been away for so long and still had a lot of stuff to catch up on, I was familiarising myself with them again.

Eyarr and I had been excited to start planning our wedding, but I knew that would be pushed back as we waited for everyone to be in better moods and fully recover. It just wasn't the right time.

Chapter Text

A week and a half passed since the battle, and I noticed people's moods started improving. The lingering heaviness in the air was no longer, which brought me some major relief. I saw Hiccup and Bronwyn outside Ana's house maybe two days after our initial visit.

It was nice to get to know Bronwyn and hear her story. However, it was still heart-wrenching to me to know that hers and Saoirse's family was just awful. There were barely any redeeming qualities in any of them; Saoirse's little brothers were the only exception given they were still young.

One morning, I woke up to the feeling of Eyarr kissing me on the cheek. I stirred, rolling over to face him.

"Well, good morning to you." I sleepily mumbled. He chuckled, bringing me in for a hug and another kiss.

"You look absolutely ravishing." He whispered in my ear, his husky morning voice getting to me.

"Wow, you just woke up and are already in the mood." He hummed a bit, starting to kiss my neck.

"What, opposed to morning sex?" He mumbled.

"I didn't say that," I replied, tilting my head to allow him better access. He rolled me over so I was under him and fondled my breast. I couldn't lie; morning sex didn't sound that bad. He lifted up the hem of my nightgown, and as he began pressing kisses to my stomach, he abruptly stopped when we both heard pounding on the door.

"What the hell…" He grumbled in annoyance. "Who is it?" He called out.

"It's Zephyr!"

"What the hell are you doing banging on the door?" He replied, trying not to sound annoyed. I bit back a giggle.

"Guys! Get dressed and come outside! Saoirse finally woke up and Nuffink wanted me to pass on the message!" Eyarr shook his head, messy morning hair flying about.

"Good, great, FANTASTIC!" He said as we heard Zephyr leave. I finally burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, we'll have another opportunity," I assured him with a peck on the cheek. "Let's go see your old friend." He shook his head again but followed anyway. After we changed, we made our way to Ana's house.

Upon entering the door, Dustin was organizing some linen strips and putting them in a crate. He glanced up and gave us a welcoming grin.

"We were waiting for you guys," he said, leading us to one of the back rooms where I could hear faint chatter. I recognized Nuffink, Hiccup, Zephyr, and Ana there. I couldn't hear Saoirse speaking, but I figured she was still exhausted.

Dustin gently knocked on the partly opened door with his knuckle, "Saoirse? You've got two guests." He announced, standing to the side and allowing us in. I immediately noticed Nuffink by Saoirse's side where she lay in bed. Half her face was wrapped in linen bandages, and I could see bloodstains, and something in me flinched.

They all, save for Saoirse, lit up at seeing us.

Ana greeted us with a smile, "You two doing alright?"

"We're okay, a bit miffed that Zephyr woke us up," Eyarr commented, shooting Zephyr an annoyed look. I just rolled my eyes.

"That's good to hear. Take a seat, I'll be right back."

Saoirse craned her neck to look at us easier, and I noticed her attention on Eyarr.

"I still can't believe the chances of you being here."

"I can say the same to you! Both you and Fae."

"Well, the Ravagers fell apart." She replied. I couldn't tell her tone; was she happy about it? Or did she not have an opinion? I couldn't quite read her.

"And a good thing, too. I knew the leadership was unstable. What happened to the others?" Saoirse quickly explained that because of her relationship with Nuffink and the unraveling of her background caused a huge rift in the Ravagers, and upon it falling apart, many of the former members fled.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised. They could've left way sooner." Eyarr remarked, "Then again, I don't think they would've survived alone."

"I remember you once offering to get me out of the group," she chuckled. Nuffink, Hiccup, and Zephyr were shocked by this revelation.

"Did he actually?" Nuffink exclaimed. Eyarr shrugged.

"It started with her asking about my rogue, nomadic life and expressing admiration for it. I half-jokingly offered to take her with me somewhere she and Zenn could live peacefully. But Saoirse chose to stay. She and Fae bid me goodbye when I finally left."

As they conversed, I sat there and listened, fascinated to learn more about Eyarr's past from someone new and also sort of learning about her.

I must've zoned out since I jumped a bit hearing someone address me. It was Saoirse.

"Huh?" I reacted.

"You're Laeli, right?" She asked. I nodded affirmatively.

"I am." She smiled at me, wincing a bit at her discomfort.

"How'd you know my name?"

"Nuffink and his family made mention of you. They didn't tell me much, though."

"We wanted to wait for you both to meet formally." Hiccup explained.

"I wish it was under better circumstances…" I replied, shrugging a bit awkwardly. I couldn't explain why, but I felt awkward and shy, beginning to play with my hair a bit.

"Me too, but I'm still glad to meet you." I offered a half-smile.

"Same here. What… uh, what did they say about me?" I could sense that she understood my awkwardness.

"Nothing but good things. They said you came here suddenly from somewhere to the south and had a lot of stories to tell. Nuffink and Zephyr told me they consider you a sister to them." I glanced at the mentioned, and Zephyr just winked at me.

"That's sweet of them." After that, I couldn't find anything else to say, so I allowed Eyarr and the others to chat with Saoirse. But after a bit, my brain zoned out again, my inner voice rambling in my native tongue. I began picking at the skin around my nails, not paying attention. I also fumbled with my ring, picking at gunk stuck in little crevices.

"What's that ring?" I heard Saoirse ask through my brain fog.

"What? Oh, uh, it… it's my engagement ring." I replied, glancing at Eyarr with a smile, to which he returned.

"Oh my gods, Eyarr. I knew you two were together, but I didn't realize you were engaged!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, we're still sort of planning the wedding." He replied, "But! We want you to recover first."

"Gods… it's all a mess." She groaned.

"It's not your fault, you know that," Nuffink assured her, pushing a strand away from her face.

"I know…" I looked to Eyarr, wondering where to go from here. He sensed my urge to let the pair be and stood up.

"Well, I think we'll leave you two be for today. Get some rest." He announced, taking my hand and saying our goodbyes for the day.

Chapter Text

Thanks to Ana and Dustin's efforts, Saoirse could make a full recovery but completely lost sight in her already scarred eye. She was understandably overwhelmed and distressed, unable to stabilize her emotions and help herself emotionally heal.

I empathized with her feeling overwhelmed with the new change and offered to help her with her anxiety. But I knew accepting her new disability would not happen overnight, and it would come with many shortcomings as she learned to live with it.

But the one we all knew could help her was Zyrah. Even though Zyrah was completely blind, she never lost her sense of awareness. For the next few months, Zyrah worked to help Saoirse accept and cope with the loss of sight. Zyrah knew Saoirse would be imbalanced at first, constantly stumbling and tripping, with a lack of depth perception.

Saoirse desperately wanted to use her sword again, but even Zyrah told her that learning to swordfight with one working eye would take some time.

"But you relearned how even being completely blind!"

"I know, but that took a very long time; even with my expertise and training, I had to refocus all of my senses. It did not happen overnight. I don't want you overexerting yourself."

Saoirse's training would be put off as she readjusted, not just to her eye but also to living on New Berk. And despite the adversity, I could tell she was truly happy to be with Nuffink at last, and I could tell everyone was delighted with how happy they were now that they were together.

"Well, it seems we finally have a moment of peace!" During a meeting in the great hall, Hiccup remarked, "And with summer approaching, we can move forward with our postponed plans."

"Finally!"

"Plans? What else were you guys planning before we came back?" I asked.

"There was the discussion of my retirement and allowing Zephyr to claim her chieftain title," Hiccup replied, grinning at his daughter, "and her and Tannr's wedding. But Tannr still has to do some chief training." I couldn't help but chuckle, noting that Zephyr and Tannr's relationship reminded me of my parents.

"But I think the top of the list would be your guys' wedding." Hiccup finished.

"Wait, really? I thought it would get shifted until later."

"Laeli, I don't think you'd want your wedding to be in the fall or winter. You know how sick you get." Astrid commented.

"Oh, that's true."

"Plus, c'mon! You guys came back here engaged and already prepared to get married!" Zephyr added with a beaming grin, "I can just see it! You and Eyarr, summer wedding, standing in front of Grandpa's statue, Ana holding the ceremony! Gah! I'm excited at the thought of it!"

"Never took you for a romantic!" I teased.

"In all seriousness, we've seen the change you've brought out in each other. A very positive change, and we're happy to celebrate your wedding." Hiccup assured.

"I've been waiting to plan your wedding since you announced your engagement!" Zephyr enthused, her round cheeks practically glowing red in excitement. I was so flattered by how thrilled she was for me and incredibly touched by what the Haddocks were happy to do.

That being said, the preparations began almost immediately.

I soon found myself being fitted for a dress, and while I let the seamstresses do the fitting and the selections of fabric, I did mention I wanted to make my dress… well, me. I ended up choosing a lightly woven wool fabric, that had fine silk trim on the bodice, with slightly gathered short sleeves. I'd only seen and felt silk fabric a couple of times prior to this, and feeling it for the first time was nothing short of fascinating.

I opted to make my accompanying belt later on.

Of course, the men also began helping Eyarr with his prep, granted it wouldn't be as elaborate for him. But it was high time he got a new tunic!

"So, what's a typical wedding here like?" I asked one evening while Astrid, Ana, and Zephyr were visiting. Eyarr was in his old bedroom putting stuff away while the ladies and I chatted around the hearth as I worked on embroidering traditional patterns onto the dress with a lovely, shiny red thread.

"Oh, very boisterous." Ana laughed.

"It is, but the ceremony is quite lovely. Our elder at the time, Gothi, held the ceremony for my and Hiccup's wedding. She wrapped this gold and white fabric around our hands, signifying our bond. And we both wore capes, I wore a white one, and Hiccup wore a brown one to represent our chieftain titles."

"So I guess the bride and groom don't wear fur capes at other weddings?"

"Only if one of the couple or both are of a noble birth." I stopped my embroidery and thought for a moment.

"Would that mean I'd wear one? But Eyarr doesn't?" I slowly inquired.

"Well… that would be up to you." Astrid replied, "Since you're the daughter of a chief, you would already wear it anyway. Again, if you choose to."

"Wear what?" We turned to the sound of Eyarr coming into the main room.

"Oh, we're just discussing bride and groom attire." I explained, "According to Astrid, capes are a common accessory for someone of noble birth or marrying someone of noble birth." He raised an eyebrow at this.

"What of it?"

"Well… since it's well known I'm a chieftain's daughter, it's assured I'd wear a cape at the wedding. But you could as well. I wanted you to decide on that." I saw him purse his lips in thought.

"I guess I never really had the thought occur to me before… but to be frank, I'll opt out. Since it'll be during the summer, I don't want to overheat with fur on my back." I chuckled a bit.

"That's fair. Will everyone else be okay outside during the day? I know I will be." Gods, I was so looking forward to the warming weather.

"Oh, sure! We'll be fine!" Ana assured with a slight scoff.

"I suppose it's settled then. I just gotta finish this embroidery. Then what's next?"

"The brooches for you."

"Oh, that's right."

"They will be made of gold, so they'll be heavy."

"I know. I was wondering, though. Would it be possible to have the ocean swirl as the design? It's the one thing I couldn't stop thinking about. Astrid, I saw Stormfly's face on your old brooches, and it gave me the idea of having something personal be a part of it."

"That's so sweet of you." She beamed, "I don't think that will be an issue. Just talk to Gobber. He'll also help make the rest of the gold accessories."

"Nice! How's his new apprentice coming along?"

"From what I've heard Gobber say, the young man is showing good promise! If Gobber likes him, I'd say he's a good fit."

Chapter Text

One day, roughly a week or so before the wedding, Hiccup was out with Astrid on a walk. He led her into the woods to get some fresh air, a short distraction from Eyarr and Laeli’s wedding preparations. As they walked, he heard an odd noise not too far from where they were. Hiccup spied a familiar flash of purple explode through the brush in the distance, and for a split second, he thought of Toothless’s plasma blasts, but no explosion sound followed. Instead were voices in a wildly different language; the only familiar voice Hiccup and Astrid recognized was Maui’s.

“Maui?!” Hiccup called out. He expected Maui to attend Laeli’s wedding, knowing their close bond as an uncle and niece. He felt confused about hearing more voices in addition to Maui’s.

“Hiccup! My man! Be right there!” The demigod hollered back. Astrid raised an eyebrow at her husband, who shrugged.

“He’s a demigod. I mean, they’re always up to somethin’.” Hiccup remarked with his familiar awkward grin. They turned their attention to footsteps making their way through the brush, surprised to hear more than one pair of feet.

Hiccup and Astrid’s breath caught in their throats upon seeing Laeli’s face. Or, not quite. No…

If it wasn’t Laeli, then…

“Oh my gods…” Hiccup breathed out once he realized who the woman was before him. Her curly hair was the giveaway.

“Moana.” Hiccup finally said. The aforementioned Moana smiled at him upon hearing him say her name. Several other figures appeared behind her—a middle-aged man, keeping his hand on Moana’s back. Hiccup and Astrid knew that it must be Laeli’s father, Keoni. They could see Laeli in his face as well, especially the nose. His black hair was short, though the gray hairs were evident.

Then the younger woman was revealed to be Laeli’s sister, Aihe; she took more after her mother, mainly in her hair texture and face. An elderly woman by the name of Sina, Moana’s mother. And a short, curvy young woman by Aihe’s side named Heilani, who was Aihe’s fiancée.

Hiccup pulled Maui to the side, asking how this was possible.

“Well… long story short, a little help from higher up.” The demigod grinned, pointing to the sky for emphasis. Hiccup and Astrid were astonished this was even possible. They knew that Laeli told them about her being able to see her family again for a month. But everyone had thought that would be the last time that Laeli would get to be with her family.

But that was no longer the case. 

“Also, while they’re here, you’ll all be able to understand each other.”

“Huh? Meanwhile, Laeli had to learn our language?” Astrid exclaimed, “That doesn’t seem very fair.”

“Hey, this is the gods doing, not mine. But I’d hate to ruin it for Laeli by keeping them here.”

“Fair enough.” Hiccup and Astrid returned to Moana and her family, formally introducing themselves.

“We didn’t mean to be rude, we weren’t expecting you to be able to be here.” Hiccup said, feeling awkward. Moana shook her head in assurance.

“It’s no worry! We didn’t know either until Maui told us.”

“Yeah! Initially, he just said Laeli was getting married, and then he threw in that he was bringing us to the wedding!” Aihe exclaimed. Hiccup chuckled. Yep, this was Laeli’s sister.

“I’m just glad this was possible,” Keoni said with a gentle smile.

“As are we. Come, we want you to meet some folks before we shock the bride with your arrival.”

“Understood. Please! Lead the way!” Moana said, helping her aging mother along.

As Hiccup, Astrid, and Maui led them through the village, Moana and Keoni noticed the stares they received and noted how truly different these people were.

“This must’ve been how Laeli felt first being here,” Aihe mumbled, a bit uncomfortable.

“What matters is she adapted,” Sina remarked. Moana silently agreed, eager to surprise her oldest daughter.

Hiccup and Astrid led them to their house, and while Astrid and Maui helped them get comfortable, Hiccup went to get the extended group. Understandably, they were astonished this was possible.

“But do not tell the kids yet. I don’t want to shock them too much, especially Laeli.“

“Of course, that makes sense,” Fishlegs assured.

Upon the group's arrival back, Moana was not expecting the assortment of people she was meeting. They all looked so different; their fair skin was the only thing in common.

“Everyone, this is Laeli’s family. Her mother and father, Moana and Keoni. Her sister, Aihe, her fiancé, Heilani. And her grandmother, Sina.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all finally. Laeli told us so much about you when she came home. And let me be the first to extend my deepest gratitude for taking her in and making her part of your community. We taught her always to be open and accepting of different places and people, and being here is proof of that.”

“It’s our pleasure, too. She’s been an absolute joy to be around, and you all raised her well.”

“Thank you. Where is she now?”

“With her fiancé and her group, most likely.”

“I think they were actually giving rides to the others on their dragons,” Ruffnut commented. Keoni’s face temporarily warped into confusion and slight worry before Sina assured him.

“Don’t worry, she’s practically a professional dragon rider,” Eret laughed.

“I would certainly say so.”

“Dragons…” Keoni mumbled.

“Don’t worry, I promise they’re safe to be around.” Hiccup said, gently patting his new friend's shoulder, taking note of the scar on his back. Hiccup briefly glanced at Moana, and she gave him a look of “I’ll explain later.”

As the adults were all chitchatting and getting to know Laeli’s family, Zephyr, and Tannr came in, laughing. But their laughter immediately ceased when they saw the new people before them.

“Well, I was gonna say that my uncle was gonna be here for the wedding…” Tannr began. Zephyr had no words, her first instinct was to bring Moana in for a hug, which caught everyone off guard.

“You’re Moana!” She exclaimed. Confused but smiling, Moana nodded.

“I assume you’ve also heard a lot about me.” She chuckled.

“Duh! Laeli talks about you guys all the time! You guys are heroes in your part of the world. Saving goddesses!”

“Zephyr! Zephyr! Easy.” Tannr said.

“Ah, Zephyr. Hiccup and Astrid’s daughter?” Moana asked. Zephyr nodded, grinning ear to ear.

“Heir to the throne of Berk!” Moana and Keoni glanced at each other, both smiling.

“Well, it’s no wonder you and Laeli get along so well. You both being firstborns.”

“Yep! But I know now that Aihe has taken up that role.” Zephyr said, giving a nod of respect to the younger woman.

“Indeed she is.”

“Did you ever worry that Laeli would be unhappy about that?” Tannr asked. Given he was never born into nobility, he always wondered how younger siblings felt about birthright.

“Not really,” Aihe replied with a shrug, “she and I both knew that one of us would be chief. We were both raised the same and taught the same leadership skills. I guess it was just a matter of how we used those skills. She took them voyaging, I took them to our people.”

“Laeli always talks about voyaging. She’s very proud of it.”

“I expect nothing less. It’s a part of us, just like the ocean is a part of us.” As if by instinct, Moana reached for her necklace, forgetting it wasn’t the same one she always used to wear. Everyone noticed.

“Laeli wears her necklace every day. I’ve never seen her without it.” Zephyr assured.

“I know. She treasures it.”

The conversation was then interrupted by the sound of crackling lightning outside. Hiccup instinctively rolled his eyes.

“What was that?”

“Eyarr.”

“I- what?” Keoni sputtered in confusion. Astrid couldn’t help but let a laugh escape.

“That would be your soon-to-be son-in-law.” The confusion was still there, so Hiccup led everyone outside.

“I finally get to meet my brother-in-law?” Aihe grinned mischievously.

“Aihe, be nice.” Keoni reminded her.

“I’m not promising anything.” As they made their way outside, the massive blue figure of Cliffire stood before the statue of Stoick the Vast. Eyarr was seen dismounting the saddle, sharing a handshake and brotherly pat on the back with a raven-haired young man of the same age.

“Eyarr! Get over here!” Hiccup called out.

“I’m coming!” He replied, making his way up to the chief's house. He didn’t make it too far when he noticed faces that already seemed familiar. 

Moana immediately took note of his features. Freckles splattered all over his fair skin, intense light hazel eyes, a strong nose, two visible scars, and a mess of blonde hair that trailed into a beard.

This was the man her daughter was marrying.

“Beard of Thor…” She heard him whisper. She smiled at him, somehow already feeling like she knew him. But she didn’t want to come off too strongly on him; with Keoni behind her, she approached Eyarr and held her hand.

He slowly took hers in his, slightly shaking it.

“Moana.” He said. She nodded, acknowledging him. She knew he was at a loss for words and didn’t blame him. Keoni also stepped forward and shared a handshake with Eyarr, both nodding respectfully at each other. Moana tried to read the look on her future son-in-law's face, she knew he was stunned, given everything he might know about her.

Given its silence, Hiccup came over to whisper in Eyarr’s ear to take her family to his and Laeli’s house.

“And what about Laeli?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered.” With that said, Eyarr led Moana and the others to his home, making sure to help Sina along the way.

When they arrived, Moana and Keoni were stunned to see the remnants of Laeli’s voyage hung up around her home. 

“She’s always kept up her reminders of home around.”

Moana grazed her hand over a section of a sail hung up on the wall. She always knew Laeli never forgot Motunui, but seeing a remainder in person was comforting. 

“So where’s my sister at?” Aihe asked, still taking everything in.

“She’s at the forge. Waiting for her wedding brooches to be done.”

“Brooches?” Keoni repeated with a confused tone. Everything about this island was odd, and he couldn’t help but express his confusion. Eyarr glanced around momentarily to find an example and picked one up, gently tossing it to Keoni to take a look.

“In our culture, women traditionally wear brooches; usually, they’re plain for everyday wear, but for special events, such as weddings, they’re more elaborate.” Keoni felt the weight of the brooch in his hand, having not expected it to be so heavy.

“So… she’s going to wear something like this?” Eyarr nodded.

“What, um… do your people do for weddings?” He hesitantly asked, not wanting to offend.

“For our wedding, given it was for a chief, it was a big deal. It lasted for days, not just the main ceremony. It was a celebration for the whole village. All our families were there,” Keoni began, slightly trailing off at the mention of family. Moana placed a comforting hand on his thigh.

“We wore leis, a symbol of peace. I wore a white and red dress, affirming my role as chief-“ Moana stopped when she saw Eyarr’s face change at the mention of a red and white dress.

“What is it?”

“Laeli’s dress is also red and white…” He said. Moana couldn’t help but beam, her daughter carrying on a wedding tradition…

There was silence for a bit, and then Eyarr offered them food.

“Please, have something to eat. I figure you’ll be here for a bit, I want you to be comfortable with our food here. I think you’ll appreciate we got pork and chicken.” Moana and Keoni shared a chuckle.

“I imagine those are her comfort foods?” Eyarr laughed with a nod.

“Very much so. I’m afraid we don’t have any tropical fruit, though.”

“It’s alright, Eyarr. We’ll be fine with whatever you offer.”

Maui arrived a bit later, and Moana was relieved that the pair got along so well.

“Where’s Laeli?”

“Hiccup is talking to her.”

“Do you know what he’s told her?”

“He said there’s some wedding surprise waiting for her at home.”

“Alright, that works; it won’t be too much of a shock.”

“I’ll walk her in,” Eyarr said, making his way outside. Once he left, Moana turned to her family.

“We don’t want to overwhelm her, I know it’s going to be a lot to take in seeing us again.”

“We know.”

“I just can’t believe this is happening. We’re here…” Aihe mumbled; Heilani took her hand, softly kissing it.

Meanwhile, Eyarr went to the forge to find his fiancé. He was still stunned that this was real; he kept pinching his arm to remind himself that this was reality, no trick of the gods. He kept thinking of Moana and Keoni’s faces as he walked and how he could see Laeli in both.

Upon approaching the forge, he could see the group with her. Dustin, Nuffink, Saoirse… He heard a shout and saw Tannr and Zephyr approach. Tannr, Zephyr, and Eyarr all nodded as the others turned their attention toward them.

“You all have such weird faces; what’s going on?” Nuffink asked.

“Ummm… Eyarr, I think this should be something for you to share.” Zephyr replied, slightly tossing her head.

The tone changed as everyone turned to Eyarr, and Laeli came to her fiancé's side. 

“Eyarr?” He gave her a soft smile, taking her hand.

“Did Hiccup come talk to you?” She nodded.

“Yeah, he just said there was a wedding surprise at home. Didn’t say anything else.”

“Well, come on, time for you to see it.” He said, leading her through the village with their friends behind them.

Once they arrived in front of the house, Eyarr suddenly covered Laeli’s eyes.

“Wh- Eyarr?”

“Easy. Zephyr? Open the door.” He instructed. Laeli strained her ears as the door creaked open, and Eyarr slowly led her inside.

She heard a group of people stand and a few slight gasps.

“Alright. Hon, take a deep breath, okay?”

“You’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

Eyarr glanced at Laeli’s family as Keoni put a shawl over Moana’s shoulder. Everyone shared nods as Eyarr took his hand off Laeli’s eyes.

“Alright, open your eyes…” Eyarr whispered in her ears. Laeli opened her eyes and fell eerily silent as she took in the people before her. She felt her heart pound, almost falling into her stomach. She watched as her mother and father approached her and Eyarr, unsure how to react. 

“Meli?” Keoni whispered, placing his hand on his daughter's cheek. Her eyes were wild, brimming with tears.

She wordlessly threw her arms around her parents, a sob escaping from deep within her chest. She mumbled something in her language, addressing Moana and Keoni, to which they whispered something back to her.

Eyarr didn’t need a translation to tell him what was going on. He knew Laeli was beyond overjoyed to see her family again, only being able to utter words in her language to comfort herself.

After an emotional family reunion, Laeli and Eyarr spent the next several days with her family, and Eyarr was determined to get to know them. 

Chapter Text

Much shorter chapter here

After Eyarr and I worked on setting up accommodations for my family, with new bedding, especially for Gramma, everything felt comfortable and familiar.

Our first night having dinner with them was something special. Mom expressed pleasant surprise when she saw me helping Eyarr with preparing food.

"He helped me learn how to cook! We both learned to cook from each other." I explained, placing a platter of chicken on the table.

"Your daughter taught herself how to smoke fish. She's damn good at it!" I scoffed, tossing my hair.

"Oh, it's nothing!" I couldn't help but laugh, "he was surprised when I told him I never needed to know how to cook on Motunui."

"Not that we ever really needed to. Guess I never thought other places didn't have that same kind of practice," Aihe remarked matter-of-factly.

"So… what was it like when you were in the wilderness?" Dad inquired, picking at his food slightly.

"It was a unique, challenging experience, to say the least. It was rough at first, we both had the skills to survive, but we quickly realized how different they were. Our first winter together tested us."

"That's an understatement. He had to keep me alive."

"Keep you alive? What happened?" Mom exclaimed, eyes wide with alarm.

"Uh… oh gods. Well… I fell through the ice and almost drowned." I awkwardly explained. Dad's expression didn't change much since I had mentioned that Eyarr saved my life, but I'd left out the details.

"What?" Eyarr asked, confused by their reactions.

"I've faced two near-death experiences in drowning. When I was young, and my home island had an exodus, I was knocked off our boat and nearly drowned to death." Dad then gestured to the massive scar on his back, "The second instance was when Moana and I first met, and we encountered a monster we call a Taniwha. It slammed me into a rock wall, and I almost drowned in its lair. Luckily, Moana saved my life and my shoulder. When the girls and my nieces and nephews were young, I used to freak them out by popping my shoulder out." I shuddered at the memories of it and noticed Aihe had a similar reaction.

"Ugh, it was disgusting!" My sister exclaimed with a nervous laugh.

"You have been through a lot, huh" Eyarr mumbled, confirming the stories I'd told him.

"I wasn't kidding, babe," I affirmed.

"And my daughter almost drowned as well before she left on her journey to Te Fiti," Gramma said, raising an eyebrow at Mom, who cleared her throat and distracted herself by picking at her food.

"What, is this a family trait?" Heilani inquired, glaring at my sister, who held her hands up in defense.

"Hey, don't look at me. I haven't nearly died via water. Ocean wouldn't let that happen."

"Anyway! Eyarr, tell us more about you. I've been eager to get to know you since Laeli first told us." Mom said, redirecting the attention onto my fiancé. I saw him shift slightly with the new focus on him, but I patted his thigh reassuringly. He cracked a smile and straightened up.

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, tell us about your family. Where are you from? That kinda stuff."

"I'll be honest, I didn't have an ideal childhood. I have one older sister and younger twin brothers, I was always belittled and teased for everything I did. Sometimes things were… okay, but it wasn't the best. I finally left when I was about 14 and was alone for years, doing my own thing… getting into trouble… Then I wound up here… and I met your lovely daughter, and it's been a whirlwind since then." He finished with a broader smile.

"I'm glad she's a positive change in your life!" Mom beamed.

"We both are."

"I wish my family weren't as complicated and problematic as they are… otherwise, I'd wish for them to be here, talking with us," Eyarr said, and it pained me to hear the disappointment and frustration in his voice.

"You don't need to worry about the lack of family," Mom spoke up, "I know we won't be here for very long, but you have a family with us now. Nothing will change that." Dad nodded in affirmation, as did Gramma, Aihe, and Heilani.

"And I know you've been accepted and welcomed here," Dad added, "so you both have two families that care."

Eyarr cracked a smile at Mom and Dad's words, "I definitely know that now."

Chapter Text

Also another short chapter.

Laeli and I had various chores and responsibilities within the village, even with our wedding fast approaching. The chore load got heavier with Laeli's family here now, but they did insist on helping.

It was initially awkward, but I soon became comfortable around the women, especially Moana and Aihe. Sina was quiet most of the time, but I enjoyed her company. At one point, though, Aihe told me her father wanted to chat with me.

Gods help me. Okay…

He was sitting on the front porch fumbling with a small dagger, which I couldn't decide if that made me nervous. Wait, why was I nervous? I always carry a small dagger with me. Who am I kidding?

I don't think he heard me close the front door, so I cleared my throat to get his attention. He was wearing a deep red tunic Hiccup provided him and dark brown pants with boots. I knew he had to be feeling awkward with the different attire, but it was for his benefit. Hopefully, the wedding day will be warm enough...

Keoni twisted his head to face me, offering a friendly smile.

"I… uh, Aihe told me you wanted to chat?" I began, hoping I wasn't visibly nervous. He stood, patting me on the shoulder.

"I did. You know a place to talk?" With a nod, I led him to one of the cliffs near the house with a good view of the vast sea below us. We stopped near a towering pine that provided some shade. He leaned against the trunk, crossing his arms; his dark hair blowing slightly in the sea breeze. I caught sight of graying hair around his hairline and where he parted it.

He was very quiet, and Laeli had told me her father wasn't super talkative, so I wasn't sure how long he wanted to talk with me.

"You know, when I met Laeli's mother, I had no idea my life would change so drastically," he began, still facing the sea.

"Huh?"

"I know Laeli's told you about how her mother and I met," I nodded.

"She has."

"When she was home for a month, she remarked to me about how similar your situation was to mine, once upon a time. And based on what you mentioned during our dinner the other night, I'm inclined to agree."

"... What are you getting at?" Keoni chuckled slightly.

"I'm trying to tell you that we fell for the same kind of woman, Eyarr. When I was young, I lost a lot in a short amount of time, and I thought I would die alone. Moana never 'fixed' me, but she was long-awaited support, and her love and patience made me better. She gave me the room I needed to grow. Physically and mentally, I didn't realize it until Laeli was born, but Moana was everything I needed. She made me into the man I am today, and I have every reason to still thank her for it." Keoni finally turned to look at me, making eye contact, and that's when I understood how serious he was, "I don't know everything that happened to you, but I do know that my daughter is also exactly what you needed."

"So… you approve?"

"Very much so! I'd even say Laeli and her mother have the same taste in men," he smirked and playfully elbowed me. I couldn't help but laugh slightly, seeing he was comfortable around me. Based on what I knew about Keoni's background before he met Moana, it was… actually quite similar to my own past. The only difference is that I chose my isolation; he did not.

We hung out there for a little longer, chatting and getting to know each other better. Realizing how much we had in common gave me the assurance I needed that I fit into Laeli's family just fine.

It still struck me as incredible that this man's mother was transformed into a goddess to save her family and create a lasting legacy. Moana and Keoni had done so much for their communities, and now the torch was being passed to Laeli and Aihe to continue that legacy; their family's connection to the sea and sky defined them. And now I was marrying into this family, as was Heilani, in time.

The conversation had left me thinking about something Laeli had said a while ago about passing on what she'd learned to our kids when the time came.

I felt myself suddenly eager for that part of our future together.

Chapter Text

Finally the wedding! The reception will have a bit more substance I promise

"Okay, close your eyes," Zephyr told me as she gently brushed some soft dark brown kohl over my lids.

Zephyr surprised me with her makeup skills as she touched me up, emphasizing my cheekbones and eyes, having mentioned in passing that those were my most prominent features. I was already dressed, carefully standing on a stool as Heilani did some touchups on the hem.

I was excited but incredibly nervous that the big day had finally come. I could feel my fingertips beginning to tingle, and I attempted to wring them out, but I just couldn't get myself to quite relax. I had also become acutely aware of my heartbeat, which led me to start chewing on my bottom lip.

Thankfully Zephyr was finally done with her makeup work. Heilani finished her touchups, and all that was left was to put on the lovely fur cape and pin on my brooches.

Once they all finished, they left me and Mom in the room to help quell my nerves, having seen my fidgety hands.

"Breathe, breathe slowly, Laeli."

"I can't get my heart to slow down, Mom," I told her, wringing my hands, feeling my tingly fingers.

"I know. Just sit for a moment, close your eyes, and breathe. It's okay…" Mom gently took my hands and sat me beside her on the bed.

Growing up, Mom would always help me and Dad with our anxiety, as we shared similar reactions and general habits. Given mom was experienced with helping dad, both of them were always able to soothe me, and today would be no different.

I closed my eyes as Mom instructed, taking in slow, deep breaths, and I began to feel my heart slow to a normal pace. I knew I'd feel jitters today but wanted to avoid freaking out too much.

After a few quiet minutes, I felt my body relax, and my body released its tension.

"There you go. Feel better?" I slowly nodded, then opened my eyes, and turned to Mom.

"I do," I replied, slowly exhaling. Wordlessly, she stood and brought over something wrapped in linen, carrying it delicately; she unfolded the soft fabric, revealing a beautiful blue flower crown.

"Ana and Astrid were kind enough to help me assemble this for you. It's good to know that flower crowns are a thing here, like back home!" We both shared a chuckle at this.

"Why the blue?"

"It complements the red on your dress. We know the red symbolizes your heritage and your noble birth. But the blue represents your freedom on the sea and in the sky. It brings everything together, your reminders of who you are." She said as she gently placed the crown on my head, weaving some strands of my hair to secure the stems of the flowers in place. She then tenderly pushed my bangs aside.

"There you are."

"We gave each other a chance… that's why we stand here now."

"I let you learn the real me."

"And I let you give me a new adventure."

My heart leaped even more as we concluded our vows and exchanged swords. Eyarr gave me his, and I gave him my beloved club. On the handles of each, our rings were attached with a piece of ribbon. Beaming as I held the sword in my left hand, I felt his thumb graze across my right hand as Ana wrapped the ceremonial scarf around our clasped hands. The gold thread glinted in the summer sun, as did Eyarr's eyes; they were alight with pure joy.

I could not stop smiling, my cheeks hurting as Ana's proclamations rang in my ears, gently slamming the foot of her staff into the stone below us. And wordlessly, Eyarr pulled me in for a kiss, bringing me flush against him.

Time slowed, and the cheering of the crowd echoed around me. I felt lost in the moment, feeling goosebumps as the wind blew around us. We pulled apart and turned to face the roaring crowd before us. Family and friends, I felt so blessed they could be here with us.

I couldn't deny that I wished my extended family could be here, Aunt Huihana, Uncle Enele, the twins, Siale, Aunt Pania, and her family.

But to see the proud faces of my parents, grandmother, sister, and future sister-in-law was enough. And the beaming smiles of the Haddocks, Tannr, his family, and Saoirse included, all cheering for us. Dustin pumped his fist in the air with a huge grin alongside Eret and Gobber, Hazel and Jon, a pair of siblings, dear friends of Ana, and the Haddocks I hadn't seen in quite some time, were also amongst the crowd.

With squeals of excitement, my sister, Heilani, Zephyr, and Saoirse all came running up to me, hounding me with a huge group hug.

Through exuberant cheers and shouts of congratulations, our friends and family circled us, and one detail I noticed was Mom and Gramma sharing Hongi with Eyarr for the first time. It was such a tender gesture of them to officially welcome Eyarr into our family, and I couldn't help but wipe away a tear that escaped.

The crowd began to disperse as we moved to the after-celebration, with a huge banquet. Lots of food and dancing, something that we all shared. No cultural boundaries, just pure joy.

Chapter Text

The celebration that took place after our ceremony was one that I would never forget. Even though I knew it was about Eyarr and me, I wanted to make sure the other couples in our circle had as good a time as we did.

I saw Mom and Dad dancing together near a torch, and I could see the love in their eyes. I could see the love in their eyes, especially in the way Dad watched Mom's body sway to the music. I knew the music was different than at home, but it felt comforting and familiar. The drums, the flutes, and the rattles were all things that we had in common.

There weren't any stringed instruments on Motunui, but I could tell my family enjoyed the sound of them - the gentle strumming in the background added to the energy.

The Great Hall wasn't big enough for everyone, so we gathered in the main village square for the celebration. But that was okay. The warm summer evening, with a beautiful sunset in the background, bathed the village in brilliant oranges and pinks that slowly faded into the inky black sky. I could see the first stars beginning to twinkle, announcing their presence to the world.

I saw Mom and Dad dancing together near a torch, and I could see the love in their eyes. I could see the love in their eyes, especially in the way Dad watched Mom's body sway to the music. I knew the music was different than at home, but it felt comforting and familiar. The drums, the flutes, and the rattles were all things that we had in common.

There weren't any stringed instruments on Motunui, but I could tell my family enjoyed the sound of them - the gentle strumming in the background added to the energy.

The Great Hall wasn't big enough for everyone, so we gathered in the main village square for the celebration. But that was okay. The warm summer evening, with a beautiful sunset in the background, bathed the village in brilliant oranges and pinks that slowly faded into the inky black sky. I could see the first stars beginning to twinkle, announcing their presence to the world.

There were various torches lit, adding extra light and warmth to the mood. There were even lanterns of different colors hanging in between houses and posts. And around us, there were tables and chairs set out. Some tables had food and drink available. There was also a little area for the village children to play.

As Eyarr and I wandered through the crowd together, I noticed that there were all sorts of shells and different plants in various arrangements as decoration.

I don't know how Hiccup and Astrid managed to pull this off, but I was incredibly grateful for them going to all these lengths for my wedding.

After some more socializing, Zephyr and Tannr came to join us. Zephyr gestured to where Eyarr and I were sitting; in the middle of a long table that faced an arrangement of other large tables and benches where our guests would be seated.

Finally, the time came for the celebratory feast. As Eyarr and I took our seats, I could tell that he appeared a bit overwhelmed with all the attention. But I gave him a loving smile and gently patted his back. He sat to my left, and to my right was my family. Mom sat right next to me, with Dad and then Gramma, Aihe, and Heilani.

To Eyarr's left were the Haddocks, including Tannr and Saoirse. Next to them were Ana and Dustin, and then Zyrah and her family. The extended family and friends of the Haddocks sat at nearby tables, and everyone seated accordingly.

The warmth and love was palpable in the air, and I fought back tears seeing everyone I called family sitting here with me and with my new husband.

Once everyone was settled, Hiccup stood, clinging a fork against his metal goblet, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"Before we proceed with the festivities, I first want to thank everyone for their hard work on making this joyous day a brilliant success for our newlyweds," there was a round of applause, and I couldn't help but join in, "But of course, I also wanted to share a few words, especially for the bride, one of whom we honor here tonight."

Hiccup turned to me, his green eyes twinkling in the lantern light around us, and I could see the beaming smile through his graying beard, "Laeli, I just wanted to say that you have brought a kind of wondrous change to New Berk that I can't quite describe. Even though our island was quite different, you proved your resiliency and adaptability, something that I can say fits right in with us. Not only did you become part of our community, but you've also become family to us. And I think I speak for all of us here that we're beyond proud of the woman that you've become. I am proud to call you an honorary Haddock and, of course, a true New Berkian. From Astrid and I, we wish you and Eyarr the best possible future together. Cheers!"

His smile was even broader, he raised his goblet, and others followed suit, and a chorus of "Cheers!" echoed through the crowd. I couldn't fight back a couple of tears that rolled down my cheeks, touched by Hiccup's words. I'd always known he cared for me, but hearing him express that in the manner he did meant more than I could've imagined.

Then, to my surprise, Mom also stood. I glanced at her, not knowing she had planned this. But at the same time, I had a feeling she might.

She also glanced at me, also with a beaming smile.

"I'd also like to share a few words," She began, turning her attention to Hiccup, "from one chief to another, I'm incredibly grateful for the hospitality and kindness you've shown to my daughter, myself, and my family. Learning about this place from her was nothing short of incredible, and I feel a sense of connection knowing that even though we didn't know it then, we became leaders during great times of change, and I applaud you for what you were able to accomplish."

Mom then turned to us.

"To my wonderful daughter, I'm so incredibly proud of you for creating a new life for yourself, taking what you've learned, and bringing it here. I know that your grandfather is just as proud of you as we all are. And to Eyarr, I know you faced many challenges before you and Laeli met each other, but I can see the positive change you bring out in each other. From Keoni and I, it's an honor to call you family. And to our friends and extended family, we're all a part of each other. Cheers!"

"CHEERS!" Our guests echoed, raising their cups together.

"TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!" A voice called, and the crowd followed suit.

Eyarr and I looked at each other, and in the firelight, I could see his beautiful golden eyes glimmer with tears. There was a huge smile on his face, creasing his scars. Just seeing the way he gazed at me made my heart leap in a way I couldn't quite describe.

As we sat there with our friends and family and the village before us as dinner was being served and passed, I couldn't help but allow myself to reminisce on the years before all of this. The memories of adapting to New Berk, to all the pain I had felt being away from home— to meeting Eyarr, and everything we experienced and survived.

It was easy to say I deserved this. The joy of my wedding day, and the fact that my family could be here to see it.

I sniffed and wiped a tear off my cheek, and at that moment, I saw the musicians beginning to pick up their instruments again, inviting the guests to dance and celebrate even more. From a laugh to my right, I saw my sister and Heilani leave the table to go join the others.

As the music picked up, there was also the distant sound of nighttime insects beginning their evening songs. Night was falling, but the village remained lit with firelight and lanterns glowing brilliantly. There were also the sounds of the various animals moving about, some probably getting ready to sleep.

As I was taking in the warm and cozy atmosphere, I caught sight of Eyarr standing from his chair out of the corner of my eye. Turning to him, I realized he was holding his hand out for me.

"Dance with me." He grinned.

He and I had only danced together for our engagement party in the Celtic village. We hadn't danced together since then. I didn't know what he had in store for me, but I welcomed whatever surprise was coming.

The music slowed a bit to a gentler tune, and the crowd gave us space to dance together as a married couple. A bonfire was lit in the center, with the musicians off to the side.

With a grin, Eyarr placed his hand on my waist and took my other hand in his. As he spun us around in a circle, I marveled at how natural it all felt. The way he gently swayed me, his hand on my lower back, keeping me close to him. I could feel his thumb lovingly caress my back and the way his fingertips lightly scratched the fabric.

He gazed at me, his eyes filled with pure joy, radiating genuine love.

"You look incredible." He said.

"So do you," I replied, grinning.

"I think you're the more attractive one, honestly." I just rolled my eyes but couldn't fight back the chuckle.

"Whatever you say."

"You know I do mean it. You're truly the most incredible, most beautiful woman I've had the luck of meeting. You're talented, smart, creative… and, most of all, kind. The fact that you gave me a chance… Gave me the time and space to grow, to understand… it means more than you know. And I'm beyond blessed to call you my wife."

My heart practically flew out of my chest hearing him actually call me his wife now. It was indescribable. And I loved every second of it.

Soon, the night began to slow, and guests bid us their final congratulations and goodnight. The crowd trickled thin, and soon, it was Eyarr, myself, our families, and friends left.

Chapter Text

Seven months later…

"Zephyr, will you just let me handle this? You have a whole list of things you need to work on anyway!"

"I dunno Laeli…"

"Zeph, for Thor's sake, I've got this." Zephyr chewed her lip and tapped her foot, she was waiting, "My dear sister from another mother, you have a wedding AND a coronation to plan. Both of which are your own. Shoo."

"Fiiineee."

"If Tannr needs help, just go get Eyarr."

With an impatient huff, Zephyr finally left me at the entrance to the docks. I turned to the small group of men waiting for me to negotiate with them.

"So eh… that's the Chief?" One asked; tall, burly, brunet, and covered in tattoos.

"Technically, yes, her ceremony is being planned," I explained, fighting my slight grimace, "I'm her second in command, so here I am."

After maybe half an hour of chatting with the men, I was able to sort of finalize a new trade connection with New Berk and some island to the northeast named Thunder Ridge.

I sent them into the village to further talks with Hiccup and Fishlegs so Zephyr could work on her plans in peace and then proceeded down to the docks.

In the 7-ish months since mine and Eyarr's wedding, we'd settled into our routine — both in the village and at home.

I had taken up the job of teaching sailing skills, especially to the village kids. But I also helped regulate who could or couldn't come to dock their ships, plus I would be tasked with assisting with repairs, and loading supplies, among other things, and keeping track of traders.

I would be tipped or paid generously because of how important it was to man the docks. So it put food on the table.

Eyarr, meanwhile, became more or less the village "handyman", so to speak. Sometimes he'd help out in the forge, sometimes leather working, household repairs, or assisting with building houses, as he had a variety of talents, and so he began offering his services, which were gladly received.

Life had finally settled down after all that turmoil. Saoirse was more accustomed to her blinded eye but still needed help with a few things, so Nuffink and Zyrah helped her as much as Saoirse would allow them.

Zephyr and Tannr were preparing for their wedding, and it was going to be a big deal. Many of New Berk's allies' chiefs and their families would be in attendance. Plus! Tannr's baby sister, Hilda, was also coming, and Tannr and Nyr were super excited to see their sister again. The wedding was planned to be on Freyja's Day, so it would be extra romantic, which, shockingly, was Zephyr's idea. And it was a little funny.

I was waiting for Hilda's ship to pull in; she had communicated that she would arrive maybe a week before the big day. So it was my job to wait for her to arrive and bring her to her brothers.

As the day came to an end with the sun beginning to set, I began double-checking that the boats were tied to the proper locations and all the ropes were tightly secured. It was pretty easy, especially having a couple of extra hands. Once my assistants and I were done, I bid them goodnight.

"Finally, you're done." I just rolled my eyes at the sound of my husband's voice.

"Based on that tone, so are you."

"Sure am. Ready to settle in for the night?"

"Sounds perfect."

Even after a long day on the docks and directing boats, I still had the energy to help Eyarr make dinner. Among other things, heh. The night was inviting and very romantic for us.

We had actually started trying to conceive a baby, and had been trying for a couple of months now. Despite meticulously tracking my cycle, no baby.

But we weren't too devastated about our attempts falling through. We were focused on our life and just being a married couple. Life was stable on New Berk, not just for Eyarr and I, but for most of the village and our friends and family.

Nuffink and Saorise had their own house now, feeling more comfortable as a couple themselves, still making the adjustments necessary for Saoirse's blinded eye.

Tannr and Zephyr still remained in the Haddock house but with a separate wing. Mainly so that Tannr could still learn his chieftain duties from Hiccup and Astrid.

Tannr's mother and father, Zyrah and Konall, continued their life, living peacefully. Zyrah had decided that she would no longer be giving sword-fighting lessons to New Berk's children, feeling that she did not have the same energy and strength she once did. She was already totally blind, but after a minor fall, she nearly took out her left eye on accident, and Ana told her that maybe it was time to put the swords down. And understandably reluctant, Zyrah gave in.

Her other son, Nyr, the eldest of hers and Konall's twins; was taken under Fishlegs' wing. Fishlegs was New Berk's curator of the only library in the village. Nyr had never really expressed interest in settling down with someone and getting married, rather focused on learning and studying. Nyr had eagerly taken Fishlegs' offer to help with the upkeep of New Berk's books and other documents. Ruffnut, Fishlegs' wife, was supportive of it, and Nyr became close with the couple's two children, Daftnut and Oafnut.

…No one ever said that the Thorstons were ever good at naming things, no less kids.

With an abundance of good fortune all around, New Berk felt like a fairytale.

Zephyr had also begun forming her official council once she was crowned chief. It was already agreed upon that I was her second-in-command, and she had contemplated asking Eyarr to be a part of the council as well, but he politely declined, stating that he respectfully couldn't be a part of any governmental body. She attempted numerous ways to convince him, attempting to rationalize with him that his expertise in the outside world beyond the Archipelago would be beneficial, but the answer was still no.

That said, he tentatively offered some occasional advice when he felt necessary, which Zephyr was pleased with the compromise, so it was a start.

Two days later, early in the morning, as I was preparing breakfast for myself and Eyarr, who was still asleep, I heard a knock at the door. I called for the visitor to come in, and much to my surprise, it was Hiccup.

"Oh! Good morning, Hiccup." I greeted. A visit from him this early in the morning was extremely unusual for him and only occurred if he needed something important to be done.

"Good morning, Laeli. I apologize for stopping by so early," I offered him a bowl of pork and eggs, which he accepted.

"You only stop by if there's something important happening," I remarked, and he nodded.

"You're correct."

"So? What's going on?" He carefully explained that he needed my help with something, but didn't clarify what. He seemed anxious, glancing up the staircase where Eyarr was still asleep.

"He's still asleep, he won't be up for a while." I crossed my arms, "what's going on? Does this have to do with Zephyr's wedding?" He shook his head, furthering my confusion, as Zephyr's wedding was all the community was chattering about. I had overheard gossip from some older women about the important guests who were attending, and that a few of them saw it as a perfect opportunity to present their own daughters.

Whatever.

"Finish up your food and then come with me. I've assigned a substitute at the docks for you for today." Huh?

"Should I be worried?" I asked as I followed him out the door, closing it gently behind me. He shook his head again.

"No, of course not. But it's important you keep this between us for the time being. It's a project I've been brainstorming for some time now."

"…I do not like the sound of that," I admitted.

"Just trust me." We made our way to his and Astrid's house, and I fought back a yawn as we made our way inside his workshop. I could see the scattered blueprints of various mechanical designs pinned to the walls and haphazardly laid about his desk. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. I was used to the precise mess that was his workshop. I avoided stepping on a few screws on the floor, taking a seat on a chair across from where he sat, crossing my arms.

"Okay, so what gives?" I asked. He wordlessly brought out a pine box, setting it down on his desk. He opened it, and removed a cylindrical metal object, setting it across from me. "Uh, what is that?"

"This," he said, then unfolding a blueprint that he had also removed from the pine box as well, "is what I've requested your help with." His expression shifted to one of a more serious nature, which worried me. "After you and Eyarr returned from your travels, and your mention of seeing the Hidden World for yourself… it got me thinking. Only myself, Astrid, Zyrah, Konall, you, and Eyarr have physically been to the Hidden World ourselves, and have seen inside. Only six of us. For over 20 years, it's been my goal to protect the Hidden World and make sure no one can find it. You remember the legend that my father told me, correct?" I nodded.

"Well, I decided it was time to try a new approach. I've only just started this, and I will continue to work on it until I feel it's perfect." He explained, tapping the metal cylinder.

"Okay? So how does this involve me?"

"Because of your navigational skills. Tell me, how did you and Eyarr find the Hidden World without dragons?" Gods, I hadn't thought much about it since it occurred, but to humor Hiccup, I explained how I memorized the positions of certain stars and constellations relative to the time of year. As well as the positions of the sun and moon. It was a long-winded explanation, and I didn't want to delve too deep into the technical stuff, but that was about it.

"So, the Hidden World can be found using dragons, or by using the stars, sun, and moon." He concluded, to which I confirmed with another nod.

"Essentially, yes."

"Good, pretty much what I figured. So, my final question to you is, have you ever heard of a cryptex?" I shook my head. He briefly explained what a cryptex was, and how he came to hear about such a thing. He explained his inspiration came from a device he possessed many years ago that contained many secrets about dragons and the different classes they belonged to.

"So, what I am requesting from you, is to help me create a cryptex that contains the exact location of the Hidden World."

"Huh? Why?" A wistful smile crossed his face.

"Because… my one hope has always been that the dragons can safely rejoin us, without fear of being hunted down. That humans and dragons can safely and peacefully coexist, work together for common goals, and share bonds with each other. Not as pets, but as lifelong companions, which is what Toothless and I fought for so many years, a fight that so many others joined because they genuinely believed in that idea, even my father. I don't care how long it takes, I just hope that maybe… our descendants can accomplish what we haven't, and live in a better world." He turned to me again, "I believe that a cryptex will provide our descendants with the answers they'll need to bring the dragons back, but only if it is done precisely and accurately."

"You seem pretty confident that your descendants can accomplish such a task, or would even be willing," Hiccup sighed, turning to the window and clasping his hands behind his back.

"Both Zephyr and Nuffink understand how important this legacy is, and they agree to uphold it, especially as my children. And you yourself have stated how vital it is to remain connected to our heritage; to share the stories of our elders."

"That I have…"

"And… I know you have your own legacy to maintain for when you and Eyarr eventually have kids of your own as well." All right, I could sort of see where he was leading with this.

"Okay, let me see if I got this guess of mine correct; you want to create a codex that will lead your descendants to the Hidden World when the time is right to reintroduce dragons into a future society where they can coexist peacefully."

"That's right! And frankly, this extends to the rest of my inner circle as well, as we were among the first." I nodded, half-frowning as I thought about it. It was an ambitious, yet exciting prospect, if a bit haunting with the reminder of how different the world would be by the time dragons could even be possibly brought back.

It was the responsibility of every older generation to pass on wisdom and the right tools to help better the future, granted, not every generation contributed to that bit of human nature, but it was a concept most of us mutually agreed upon. And sure, not everything worked out according to plan, but every attempt was always worth the try.

"Alright… I'll help," I finally said, "just show me what I can do."

Chapter Text

Lil bit of smut in this chapter! ;)

Under Hiccup's watchful eye throughout the day, I worked to create my most thorough star map for his codex. As I worked, I chatted with Hiccup about how I was taught to measure the stars, and I could see how intrigued he was, listening intently. It was when I mentioned finding the position of the sun on cloudy days that something crossed his mind. He stood from his seat and went to one of his bookshelves, muttering something under his breath. I didn't say a word as I waited, observing as he rummaged through some boxes, and then withdrew something out of a small leather pouch.

Fumbling with it in his hands, he gestured that he wanted me to hold whatever it was, so I held out my hand. The object was cool to the touch and was crystalline in texture. I glanced at my hand and was a bit perplexed to see a clear cubic stone resting in my palm.

"Uh… what is this?"

"That, is a sunstone." He replied, "It was given to me by a friend who acquired it through trade. It's said to find the sun on completely overcast days. If you hold it up to the sky at the right angle, sunlight will reflect through it, and you can find your way out at sea. I had only heard of it through legends of fabled Viking sailors well before we started riding dragons. But it's real, and you're holding one."

Huh…

I toyed with the crystal, feeling it in my hands. Each face of the slightly slanted cube was perfectly smooth, and just to test Hiccup's claims, I held the crystal up to one of the candles, mildly intrigued by the way the light of the flame was gleaming through the stone.

"Fascinating…" I mumbled. I would put this to the test outside later on. But I needed a place to keep it… then an idea occurred to me. I glanced down at my necklace and realized the stone would fit perfectly inside. I wordlessly lifted the top half of the locket, placing the crystal inside, and then closed the top, and set in place. The stone shifted slightly with me moving, but it did not fall out.

"Thank you, Hiccup," He grinned.

"Ever since you first arrived here, I've wanted to give you something that I felt would encourage your love of the sea, and push your skills, too. Think of it as an extra wedding present from me." I couldn't help but scoff and playfully roll my eyes.

"You know that's not needed,"

"I know, but I do mean it. You are an honorary Haddock." He reminded, giving me a quick hug. I thanked him again, and seeing that the day was coming to an end with the sun setting, I bid him goodnight and made my way home, quickly saying hi to Dustin and Nuffink.

Upon making my way inside the house, Eyarr was already working on dinner, and I was greeted with a lovely savory smell, seeing the lid on the cauldron over the fire pit. I hurried to his side, slinking my head under his arm, and hugging his waist.

"Hi babe." He greeted me with a smile, pulling me even closer, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "How was your day?"

"Interesting," I replied. He arched an eyebrow.

"Oh? In what way?" I then explained that Hiccup came to the house early this morning requesting my help with some project of his. Eyarr inquired what said project was, and given Hiccup had asked me to keep this between him and me for the time being, I simply explained that it was some experimental navigation tool and he needed my input on it. I hated not telling Eyarr the whole truth, but I wanted to keep my promise, and luckily, Eyarr did not question my answer.

"The man will be experimenting until his deathbed." He commented with a snicker. I scoffed.

"He'll be trying to make blueprints on his deathbed," I added. He chuckled and we worked on making dinner together, and he chatted about his day as well. Even though we had three seats around the fire pit, I wanted to sit with him on his usual chair. I nestled myself on his lap, wrapping a blanket around my legs.

We ate in relative silence, save for the sound of the fire pit crackling and popping, and the distant sound of the village outside starting to quiet for the day. A normal evening, by all accounts.

As we finished eating our food, I suddenly became acutely aware of Eyarr's arm wrapped around my waist. It was normal, of course, he loved pulling me in by my waist, which was often how he prompted a sweeping, dramatic kiss. Genuine village life made him quite the romantic, and Zephyr enjoyed teasing me for it.

His large hand shifted, casually brushing his hand up and down my abdomen in a comforting manner. I exhaled deeply, savoring the exhilaration his touch left me feeling. He must've sensed this, as he wordlessly took our bowls and put them in the barrel to be washed later. Circling back to me, I could barely make out a smirk hiding behind his beard; he bent down, kissing me deeply, one hand on my waist, the other cupping my jaw, his thumb stroking my cheekbone. Instinctually, my chest arched up toward his, and I could feel my heart beating hard with excitement. And with a quick glance down, it was obvious he shared my excitement.

"Bed," I uttered. He grunted slightly as he scooped me into his arms and made his way up to our bedroom. With only slight force, he set me down on the bed, undoing his leather vest and tossing it to the side. I began to follow suit, ready to untie my belt, when he came forward, his hand resting on the knot, stopping me. At first, I was perplexed as to why he stopped me, but then it occurred to me that he wanted to undress me himself.

He removed his boots and then mine, leaving them by the foot of the bed. Giving me another quick kiss on the lips, he then took his leather vest off, tossing it to the side.

He hungrily lunged forward, pinning me below him on the bed, pressing his lips against my neck to which I whined in response, feeling the tickle of his facial hair against my skin. With a soft groan from his throat, I felt his hand snake down to undo my belt, aggressively pulling it off and tossing it to the floor below. With little barrier, he snuck his hands under my tunic, feeling my underdress and leggings. His golden eyes glanced up at me, practically glowing with an intensity I'd only seen once before from him.

At that moment, I truly understood exactly what he intended to do, and by the gods above, was I ready for it.

He silently pulled my tunic off, careful to not accidentally rip the seams. With my tunic off, he acquired a better sight of my figure, which had filled out a little more over the past few months, and Eyarr had naturally complimented every aspect of me. He enjoyed sneaking in a few playful slaps to my ass while at home, always delightfully catching me off guard.

"Gods Laeli, even when you're not in the nude you're a sight to behold." He breathed out, leaning forward to pepper me with kisses. I shifted around to accommodate him as he was on top, spreading my legs and wrapping them around his waist, smirking at him. He mirrored my smirk, bringing me in for another deep kiss as I felt the roll of his hips against my groin, which furthered the already growing erection I knew he had.

Barely able to suppress a growl, he yanked off my pants, unable to contain himself. I didn't mind, allowing him to fully undress me, knowing he could remove my clothes with little struggle.

Even with his pants resting on his thighs, he thrust into me with little hesitation, causing me to yelp a bit from the suddenness, but I quickly adjusted.

His intensity did not change much as he pounded against my pelvis, feeling him deep inside. I snaked my arms around his torso, hugging him close, savoring his body heat melting into me.

The rest of the night was a blissful haze, as he released every drop he could inside me, leaving me utterly breathless. As we fell asleep together tangled in each other's arms, paying no mind to the sweat that covered us, my mind drifted into sleep, with a deep-rooted desire that, Freyja willing, our efforts would be rewarded.

Chapter Text

"Okay, explain the mechanics to me again, but slower."

"Right, right. So, the main body consists of two cylinders, one inside the other that rotates via soldered connections to the exterior. The interior cylinder contains a mechanism that when twisted in one direction, will open the "eye". I plan to eventually implement a way to unlock the eye via a key of some sort, something I have to brainstorm further."

"I see. Alright. So, what's next then? Besides the key."

"The lens, like the Dragon Eye."

"What would it be made of? I believe you mentioned the Dragon Eye lenses were made of gemstones?"

"Something like that, yes. And I have also yet to figure that out. The lenses were designed in a way that the information about dragons could only be seen via the fire of a dragon from the specific class, and each gemstone was a different color according to the class."

"Did you ever find out its true origins? Who made it?" Hiccup shook his head.

"Unfortunately no, its origins were as mysterious as the Dragon Eye itself. All we ever knew was that the ancestors of the Dragon Hunters we faced were its supposed creators. How they acquired the information in the first place is beyond me, and only the gods know."

"Pretty ingenious invention, having all that information locked away…"

"It's something I wonder often myself," he paused, contemplating something, "you know, we ought to come up with a name for the thing. Cryptex is nice, but it needs more… substance." I frowned in thought.

"Ummm… I don't know. Naming objects is not my forte." He chuckled a bit.

"No worries, I'm sure I'll think of something that'll stick."

Later that day, I made my way down to the docks to check in on my replacement and see if any wedding guests had arrived, and just as I had anticipated, I spied a familiar face disembarking her ship.

Hilda.

With a squeal, I hurried over, momentarily startling her, but upon seeing it was me, a huge smile crossed her face and she pulled me in for a tight hug.

"Thank the gods you've arrived safely!" I exclaimed. Even through her smile, she exhaled sharply as I aided her with her belongings.

"You can say that again, we hit stormy seas halfway through, and lightning almost struck the mainsail."

"Oh, goodness." My heart briefly skipped a beat, I hated hearing any challenges at sea, knowing how traumatic it could be for an inexperienced sailor.

"But a prayer or two to Thor and Njörður ensured our safety. And I'm grateful to be home and to see my family." She assured, seeing the alarm in my eyes.

"Of course, of course," I agreed, "now, come on! I know your brothers will be eager to see you!" Together, we made our way up back to the bustling village, which could be more or less described as a town with how many people lived here now.

In the weeks up to the wedding, Zephyr confided in me that she intended to bring New Berk into the expansive trade routes within the Archipelago. New Berk was the westernmost island and had the potential to be a vital trade route for sailors heading west; as rumors had spread about a huge land believed to be entirely wild and untouched. I had overheard many whispers of traders eager to take advantage of the opportunities and hopefully establish themselves there, though I had my doubts that the land was entirely uninhabited; just seemed implausible that nobody lived there. My thoughts aside though, I understood the eagerness to explore a new land and see what it had to offer, and I hoped to hear more about it in the future.

We arrived at Zyrah and Konall's house, knowing one or both of them would be home. Hilda called out to her parents and twin, and we immediately heard the clamor of footsteps come down from the upper level as Nyr practically crashed into his sister.

"You're home!" He exclaimed, squeezing her tightly, "Thank you, Laeli!"

"Of course! Would you like me to let your brother know?"

"Yes, please do!" With a playful salute, I headed off in the direction of the Haddock's, though I briefly stopped as I felt discomfort in my stomach, leaving me slightly nauseous. Taking a few deep breaths, the nausea left as quickly as it started, and I continued my way over.

Letting myself in, I saw Valka and Tannr chatting.

"Chief-to-be! Your sister is here!" I called. Tannr rolled his eyes, bid Valka a quick goodbye, and headed in the direction of his parent's house.

"You coming?" He offered, extending his hand.

"I dropped her off already, she's with your brother. I'm going to head home, not feeling too good." I replied, feeling another wave of nausea hit me. Concern crossed Tannr's face, but he brushed it off, telling me to tell Eyarr he sent his regards.

"Of course!" With a departing wave, I made my way home, and immediately went to sleep, not hearing Eyarr returning home later in the evening.

I stirred awake when I faintly heard him come to my side of the bed and press a gentle kiss to my temple.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He apologized, brushing a stray hair from my face.

"No, no, it's alright."

"You feeling okay?"

"Just oddly nauseous today, just from walking around. Hilda returned, by the way."

"Oh, well I'm glad to hear she arrived safely. She with her family?" I nodded, another wave of nausea hitting me. Third time today.

He noticed the discomfort and headed downstairs, returning a little bit later with a warm cup of milk and honey to drink, with some ginger added, courtesy of Ana.

"I'm guessing you feel pretty tired?" I shrugged, as the nap had given me a boost of energy, but yet also felt tired despite having not done much.

"Well, try to get some more rest. Maybe the stress of helping Zephyr with her wedding is wearing you out a bit."

"Maybe. Thank you for the drink," He smiled through his beard, kissing me.

"I'll clean up downstairs and then I'll join you later." He assured. Once I finished my drink, I lay back down and fell into a dreamless, restful sleep.

Chapter Text

Six days following Hilda’s arrival was the big day! New Berk was bustling with activity as decorations were put up and everything was arranged accordingly for a ‘royal’ wedding.

Thankfully, Zephyr did not have the severity of nerves like I did for my wedding. She was calm, cool, and collected, yet antsy for the ceremony. I helped to style her hair, and I couldn’t help but compliment the red waves cascading down her back. As often as I was around Zephyr, I rarely saw her hair entirely down and loose like this. Her bangs were styled out of her face as Astrid wove the white flower crown atop her head, weaving it with white ribbons, complimenting her creamy white dress, embroidered with red, blue, and gold thread. Zyrah then placed several decorative silver brooches brought by Hilda specifically for the wedding.

A brown fur cape was pinned with gold brooches with Toothless carved in, surrounded by a traditional knotwork design. And with a little rouge to her cheeks and some soft kohl around her eyes, she was ready.

The ceremony was quite grand, and I spied Hiccup and his inner circle chit-chatting with allies and close friends that they hadn’t seen in years. Zyrah and her brother, Rurik, were speaking with three other men and their wives, whom I assumed to be their older brothers. I had only heard Zyrah and Rurik talk about them, and for the first time, I truly observed the contrast of Zyrah’s appearance to her older brothers. The oldest of the men hugged Zyrah close, and I sensed the bond between them was strong.

Tannr and Nyr were speaking with their cousins, and Hilda was with Ana, the two gossiping together. Hilda was in more formal attire, as she would be aiding Ana with blessing the ceremony, as well as representing Tannr’s Sámi heritage.

Finally, a horn blew, and everyone gathered together as Ana and Hilda began the ceremony, presenting Zephyr to Tannr. The both of them were beaming, and the sun radiated off of Zephyr’s red, freckled cheeks. The blessings came, and the couple exchanged swords, each respective sword belonging to their grandfathers.

The vows were exchanged, with Tannr saying his in Sámi. Then, Zephyr kneeled before Ana and Hilda, the latter who handed a bowl of crushed charcoal. Ana brushed Zephyr’s loose hair and the flowers aside from her forehead, and then dipped her fingers into the black powder, and drew the seal of the chief on Zephyr’s forehead. Bearing the new symbol, Ana wrapped the embroidered cloth around their hands, binding them, followed by Hilda banging on a ceremonial drum and calling upon the gods to bless the union.

Upon the drum being brought out, I saw Eyarr’s expression out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t initially discern what he was feeling, but a quick squeeze of my hand assured me he was proud of his good deed, and how I helped him through it.

At last, the ceremony was sealed with a kiss, and cheering broke out, “to the chief and chieftess!” Whistling and whoops followed, the loudest from the respective families. Zephyr grinned even wider, her joy was utterly palpable. She married her childhood best friend and sweetheart, and now, she was the chief of New Berk.

The following celebration was filled with music, singing, and dancing around the large bonfire. A feast was prepared, and mead was poured, as well as expensive wine imported from the southern mainland for Zephyr and the royal family. Some wine was offered, but I politely declined, not in the mood for the alcohol, as just the smell was making me feel dizzy. That of course, didn’t stop Zephyr from happily indulging, getting quite tipsy in no time.

Eyarr was pulled into a rowdy dance with Tannr, Nuffink, and the boys, becoming quite loud. I let him enjoy himself, happy to see him getting along with everyone, and also indulging in some drinking games. He and Saoirse were also quite giddy around the fire, playfully firing insults at each other in Gaelic.

The reception gave me flashbacks from Zephyr’s birthday years ago, the first time I experienced New Berkian celebrations, and saw how loud and rowdy they became. But I was accustomed to it now, and it was more amusing than anything. Though, I felt that homesick ache in my heart, missing my family on Motunui. Lost in thought, I wandered away from the festivities, with the sun beginning to set and the stars beginning to peek out.

I took a seat on a fallen log, watching the sky, allowing myself to feel and listen. I tuned into the nighttime ambience from the woods, and the distant echo of the ocean below.

New Berk was my home, and I loved this island, but I would always miss Motunui, no matter how long I had been away from my family. Gazing skywards, I began to pray and wish good fortune for my family back home, that my sister and Heilani would be happy and perhaps start a family, that my parents would be comfortable, and that my extended family would prosper and continue to grow.

I also wished for peace for my ancestors, asking them to watch over us and continue to guide us into the future.

With my wish made, I felt a bit more at peace and relaxed, feeling comfort wash over me.

Through the distant sound of the party and the sounds of nighttime creatures in the woods, I did catch the sound of footsteps behind me. Quickly glancing back, I relaxed seeing that it was Ana.

“Feeling all partied out?” She quipped with a teasing smile, taking a seat next to me.

“Something like that.”

“I feel that you should know that your husband has a remarkably good singing voice.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh goodness, at least he’s not scaring anyone off,”

“Quite the opposite, he and Hiccup were singing some sea shanty together, I think they’re having a wonderful time.” She and I shared a laugh as I pictured such a sight. “Anything on your mind?” I shrugged.

“Not… really? I’m overjoyed for Zephyr, of course, that’s mostly it. I sent a little wish up above for good fortune for my family back on Motunui.”

“I’m sure they’ll feel it.” She assured, putting a hand on my shoulder. We chatted together for a little bit, and Ana began to reminisce on her mentoring Hilda when she was younger, and how Hilda inherited her mother’s tenacity and confidence. She also reminisced on her attending Tannr and Zephyr’s births, and seeing them grown up, and was understandably emotional.

“I’m so proud of all the kids growing up and becoming so accomplished. I’m excited to see how Zephyr handles her new duties.”

“Well, the first calling of the council will be in a few days,” I mentioned, receiving an encouraging nudge from Ana, who grinned.

“That’s right, she’s officially naming you her second-in-command!” I nodded, grinning. It was going to be incredibly exciting to witness Zephyr officially bring her official council together for the first time, and it would also be another passing-of-the-torch ceremony to be witnessed by all the tribes of the Barbaric Archipelago. The tribes who were unable to attend the wedding would be attending the council gathering in a week. Marking the beginning of Zephyr’s reign.

Even though my family couldn’t be here, I knew they’d be here in spirit to support her. I was proud of what my new position would be; though not to replace my position at the docks. What I was to become to Zephyr was what Gobber was to the late Chief Stoick. A personal counsel and advisor. Zephyr understood how important this was to me, with what my own birthright had been.

But now? Following Zephyr into the future of New Berk was more than I could have ever wished for.

Chapter Text

I was later informed that what I dubbed as the “calling of the council” was actually informally called the Gathering of Chieftains; a meeting that had not occurred in many, many decades. Marking Zephyr’s reign with the Gathering of Chieftains was a huge deal, as the forefathers of all the current chieftains had perished in the great fire caused by Drago Bludvist all those years ago.

Chieftains from the farthest reaches of the Archipelago were attending this gathering, as well as their councils.

Gobber, who, even in his frail state, was adamant of attending alongside Hiccup, Astrid, me, and Ana in support of Zephyr and Tannr. Hiccup informed me that while Zephyr was not the first female chieftain in the Archipelago, referencing the Bog-Burglar tribe, she was the first female chieftain in the Haddock line, and never had a chieftain brought their spouse to this meeting. So Zephyr was truly making history, and in a way, so was I.

Oswald II, the son of Dagur the Deranged and Queen Mala of the Defenders, was also attending. He and Zephyr were close friends growing up, and she was excited to see him. Additionally, Oddný, daughter of Camicazi of the Bog-Burglars would also be there; another close friend of Zephyr and Oswald, Oddný would be shadowing her mother, as she was not yet Chieftess.

***

In the days following the wedding and partying, the Gathering finally came together. I was impressed with how many representatives gathered in the Great Hall at the large table specifically crafted to handle all the people there.

Tannr was excited to see the chief of Firewind, the island that his parents and his uncles came from.

So the chiefs of the Berserker and Defenders of the Wing, the Wingmaidens, the Bog-Burglars, the Outcasts, Northlanders, Meatheads Thunderheads, and Firewind tribes were all in attendance.

The meeting commenced with the blow of a horn, and each chieftain sat in their respective seats, with Zephyr and Tannr at the head. It began with the new generations of chiefs formally introducing themselves to the older chiefs and introducing those who had accompanied them. Once all the others had finished, it was Zephyr’s turn to speak. Tannr was sat to her left, and I to her right, as she insisted I sit with them.

With introductions finally out of the way, the topics discussed included what had changed on each island over the past few years, with trade, population, and wide-scale challenges they were facing. It soon became apparent that the majority of the tribes were dealing with an influx of new, foreign traders from the mainland who were stirring up trouble and bringing it with them, leading to skirmishes out at sea.

“The Byzantine Empire has expanded greatly, and we are seeing their influence spread. But the biggest problem the tribes closest to the mainland have been facing is this new religion. “Christianity”, they call it. Worship of a “one, true God,” that we’ve heard,” Camicazi remarked, resisting the urge to scoff. I raised an eyebrow, as I was familiar with the term, yet I remained silent.

“Yes, I’ve heard of the followers going wherever they can to spread this new belief of theirs. It has not been received well in many parts of the continent. Yet there is still much we don’t know.”

“I’ve heard that the Byzantines are the Christians,” the Outcast chief mentioned.

“It seems that there’s a lot we don’t know quite yet,” Tannr spoke up, “perhaps we can look further into it.” He offered. A few murmurs of agreement circled the table, which led to Zephyr turning to me.

“Laeli, you’ve done a great deal of traveling around that area, anything you’d like to add?” All eyes suddenly on me, and I swallowed nervously. I sat up straighter, glancing at the table of faces studying me closely.

“Yes, it is true I have heard word of… Christianity spread throughout the mainland. I didn’t hear much, as those I heard it from had fled their homelands. But I can say without a doubt, that the world as we know it is changing, and we must anticipate whatever is coming. We don’t know what consequences there will be, but being ready for it is better than nothing.” I offered, resisting the urge to shrug to not seem indifferent or uncertain

“You seem very familiar with all of this. You are Zephyr’s aid?”

“My second-in-command, actually,” Zephyr corrected, “Laeli comes from a long line of chiefs herself, in a different part of the world we are not familiar with, but she lends her insight and expertise, and she is an incredibly experienced traveler, and has seen a great deal of the world that I have not.”

The other chiefs began a barrage of questions about my experience and the things I had seen, and I was careful to exclude my interactions with the gods. I was then asked if the Celtic people could be trusted, a question that caught me off guard.

“I- yes, I have no reason to think otherwise. My husband and I only stayed with a small village, but they’re good people.” I mustered a smile as I reminisced about Eir, Siobhan, and Morgan, hoping that they were doing well.

Food was then passed around, as well as mead and wine. At just the smell of the drinks, I became nauseous and dizzy.

“Laeli? You alright over there?” Came Tannr’s concerned voice.

“You look a little green.” I hurriedly excused myself and rushed off, making my way outside and emptying my stomach into a trash barrel. The fresh air did help, but I truly felt ill. Suddenly my head hurt and I couldn’t focus. I sat down on a bench near the great hall to rest and collect myself, feeling dazed.

“Laeli? You okay?” I looked up, surprised to see Minden and Snotlout walking by.

“You don’t look too good,” Snotlout commented. I couldn’t muster the energy to verbally reply but I just shook my head.

“Come on, let’s get you to Ana.” Minden offered, helping me up.

“She’s… inside… with Zephyr,” I said slowly. Minden told Snotlout to go get Ana as she walked me to the healer’s house, helping me onto a bed, getting some clean water to drink, and staying with me until Snotlout and Ana caught up.

Minden and I chatted about Nora, hers, and Snotlout’s daughter for a bit until Snotlout and Ana finally joined us.

“Oh, Laeli! What happened? I was told you left the meeting?” Ana asked, and I nodded.

“I don’t know what happened, the smell of the mead and wine made me sick,” I explained as Minden comforted me, rubbing my back.

“Hmm,” she mused softly, “well, let’s have you rest in the meantime. Do you want me to get Eyarr?” I shook my head.

“Not right now, I don’t want to worry him while he’s working. He took some kids into the woods for target practice.”

Ana thanked Minden and Snotlout, gently shooing them out as she made things comfortable for me. She tried to offer some food to see if that would help, but it only made me sick again. She sat by as I unfortunately emptied my stomach into a small bucket. She fetched some crushed ginger and had me smell it as she boiled the rest of it with water, making some ginger tea.

“I can give you some of the ginger to make your own tea at home,” she offered, which I accepted. I took a cup of the tea, slowly sipping it and feeling its soothing effects. I took a quick nap once I was finished, and afterward, she offered a small loaf of bread, another quick remedy.

I soon began to feel better, feeling a bit more energized, though still worn down.

“Let me take a quick look at you, just in case you’re not coming down with something,” I followed her instructions, and lay back down in the bed in just my underwear, and was surprised when I noticed my stomach looked different. A look crossed Ana’s face but vanished as she did her exam. She softly hummed to herself but said nothing.

Once it was finished, she did remark that after eating my stomach was a bit distended, but she didn’t have much to say beyond that. Though she did say she wanted to keep an eye on me just in case.

“Eyarr did say it could be the stress from helping Zephyr with the wedding.” Ana made a face in agreement.

“I can see that. The body does some strange things when under a lot of stress. That said, try to take it easy, don’t overdo it, and continue taking the tea for the nausea. If it gets worse we can try something new.” I thanked her, and she walked me home once I felt ready. Luckily, Eyarr was already home, and he thanked his mother for walking me home. Not too long after Eyarr and I were married, Ana formally claimed Eyarr as her adoptive son, knowing he needed a positive maternal figure in his life, and he gratefully accepted it, as they had a tight-knit bond, and she adored him.

“Take care of her, she’s feeling a little ill today.”

“I will.” He assured, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and then helping me upstairs to bed, “what’s wrong?” He asked gently.

“I don’t know what came over me, but at the meeting when they were serving food and drinks to everyone, just the smell of the drinks made me feel sick. I’m so embarrassed for leaving Zephyr like that, but I felt so awful.” He brought me in for a hug, rubbing my back.

“I’m sure she understands. You’ve been under a lot of stress lately. What did Ana say?” I told him she had said the same, and had told me to rest.

“And that you will.” He assured with a kiss.

Chapter Text

A few days following the Gathering of Chiefs, I was feeling much better and went to go see Zephyr. She was delighted to see me, more concerned about my well-being given my abrupt departure.

“I’m so sorry for leaving you like that, but I was feeling like shit,” I admitted. She brushed it off, hugging me tightly.

“Oh, never mind all that, I’m just glad you’re better! What did Ana have to say?”

“Just to take it easy, she thinks the stress of everything going on is making me sick.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Well, you won’t have to stress much more. Tannr and I’ll be handling most of the politics, with help from mom and dad of course. And you know I’ll call you if you’re needed.”

“I know, thanks Zeph. How did the rest of the meeting go?” She excitedly shared that she and Tannr secured New Berk as a new major trade outpost for the western Archipelago, as well as securing allies in the east and on the mainland. Not to mention, New Berk would be importing more valuable goods such as expensive fabric, gemstones, and foodstuffs. And we would be exporting dragon-scale paint.

“Wait, really? I thought that would be the New Berkian secret.”

“It wasn’t my idea, it was dad’s.” I expressed further surprise, and she explained her father’s reasoning.

“Trust me, I was as surprised as you are. But he said he would only export it to New Berk’s closest allies; the Berserkers, Outcasts, and Bog-Burglars, and Hilda’s Sámi tribe, as they deal with more outsiders and unfortunately have more skirmishes and confrontations. He offered the paint for fireproofing and extra protection.”

“Huh, interesting.”

“Because it’s dad, I know there’s more to his reasoning, but I know better than to ask further. He’ll explain it if he feels inclined to. He did say that its production would be kept secret, so there’s that.”

“True. Makes sense.”

With Zephyr’s reign firmly established in the archipelago, she proved to be smart and incredibly formidable, with Gobber remarking that she reminded him of Chief Stoick’s early days.

“Gotta be the red hair,” Eyarr joked.

~*~*~

Another couple of months came and went, with the town adjusting to Zephyr’s leadership. I had joined her and Tannr at several council meetings, with my insight needed when it came to trade and outside relations with foreigners. The discussion of an official currency was also discussed and would be expanded upon, which would allow for an economy to take root and hopefully flourish.

Things were turning out well, and Zephyr was receiving positive reception and encouragement. With the addition that Nuffink and Saoirse, who had been keeping to themselves for the most part, were now engaged and intended to plan their wedding soon. It was also around this time that I learned I was pregnant.

The news had been a pleasant surprise, but certainly shocking. Through my meticulous tracking of my cycle, I continued to have periodic bleeding that didn’t alarm me. However, I was still dealing with nausea and increased sensitivity to smells overall. But it was a fainting spell that brought me back to Ana, where she conducted a pregnancy test of sorts, and also felt my stomach, and she concluded that I was still early on, but enough that she could feel the growth.

Needless to say, Eyarr also nearly fainted at the news but was utterly ecstatic knowing he was going to be a father. We received an outpouring of congratulations and well wishes for a smooth pregnancy.

Everyone within the extended family and friend group pitched in to help with the preparation. Dustin, Tannr, and Nyr worked on putting a cradle together, and I had to admit, I often forgot how good their woodworking skills were. Myself, Zephyr, and Saoirse worked on the clothes, these adorable little tunics, and nightgowns. Astrid, Valka, Ruffnut, and Ana, offered their midwifery experience when it was time for the baby to be born.

Through roughly 6 ish months of preparation, I went into labor while helping the Haddock siblings with their respective engagements and future weddings. I’d been feeling contractions for days with little results, and frankly, I was surprised that Eyarr wasn’t freaking out. But he kept his cool up to my water finally breaking. Which luckily happened at home, as in me waking up to a massive wet spot on the bed. Eyarr had been awake prior, so my water broke sometime after he woke.

“Eyarr!” I called. I heard him clamor up the stairs and came to help me up off the bed. He leaned down to pick me up when he felt the wet spot on my nightgown and the bed. I just watched him as he processed what was about to happen.

“It’s time, isn’t it?” I groaned as a heavy contraction hit, nodding slowly in confirmation. For a moment, I just wanted him to stay with me, don’t get Ana yet…

He held me up, softly humming in my ear, helping me away my hips to help ease the pain of the contractions as I gripped his tunic tightly. He walked me around a bit to get some strength in my legs, rubbing my back gently, and kissing my head.

Weeks before, Ana asked me if I knew any of the women in my family ever had difficulty during labor. I mentioned the faint memory of when my sister was born.

“What do you mean?”

“My sister came early into the world. There was fear amongst my family that my sister wouldn’t survive the birth. And my mother said the labor itself was difficult.” I was only about 4 when Aihe was born, so I couldn’t remember much.  But I did remember the stress my family was under, especially Dad.

“Back home, birth wasn’t regarded to be about pain as suffering. We honor the strength of women to bring life into the world. I never heard my mother scream in pain when having my sister, even when it got difficult. Or my aunt when she had my cousin.” I explained.

After some time of Eyarr soothing me through the beginning, I finally told him to get Ana and the others.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“The quicker you get them… the quicker I’ll be better,” I said, trying not to snap at him. Now was not the time to hesitate on making decisions. Bouncing on his feet, he quickly scurried out of the house, leaving me alone, though not for long. I sat back down on our bed, leaning forward and gripping the wooden frame as I focused on breathing. Astrid had said that our monthly cycles were like a way for our bodies to practice for the real thing. That said, only a few weeks ago did my body start practicing contractions.

I recalled the first instance that it happened during dinner when Hiccup and Astrid came to stay for the evening. I had gotten up to get something, when suddenly a contraction came out of nowhere, nearly causing me to fall. Luckily I didn’t, and no labor, but it sent us into a tailspin. Since that moment, Astrid and Valka had been helping me with breathing exercises and ways to help relax my pelvis for an easier delivery.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as I heard footsteps make their way up the staircase, Eyarr leading Ana, Astrid, Valka, and Zephyr into put bedroom.

“Her water broke earlier. She’s been contracting.” He quickly explained.

“That’s a start! Hopefully, the baby won’t take its time.” Astrid commented.

“Take its time?” Eyarr echoed.

“Well, sometimes some babies take longer to come out than others. It all depends.” I chuckled a bit.

“I mean, Mom told me that I took a few hours to be born from when her water broke. But my sister took almost a whole day, even being born early.”

“Every woman has a different birthing experience.” Valka threw in with a faint smile.

“I may not have birthed my baby, but from helping other women, I can say that each birth is unique.” Ana also added.

After some preparation, Astrid slowly helped me walk around the room, talking to me to keep my mind off the pain. It did help, as I could feel my hips ache from the new adjustment. I could feel the baby sinking lower and lower into my pelvis, adding additional pressure. Upon feeling the shift, I grimaced, squeezing my eyes shut.

“Let… Eyarr walk with me.” I finally said, feeling the need for his presence next to me.

“Of course, come Eyarr.” Astrid smiled, gesturing for him to join me. I could see the fear in his eyes as I grabbed his hands.

“What do I do?” He asked with a faint tremble in his voice. I knew he was rarely ever afraid, but I could sense this time he was. Following a whimper, he brought me closer to him, allowing my head to rest on his chest.

“Just listen and feel,” Astrid whispered.

The room fell silent for a bit, with just the sounds of me heavily breathing. Eyarr encouraged me to sway my body as we did earlier, and I felt the discomfort dissipate slightly. I could feel the baby move around as it readjusted.

“Freyja and Haumea give me strength.” I gasped out through a massive contraction. It was hard to explain as I felt the head begin to aim downwards. But I didn’t yet feel the need to push yet.

Ana noticed my stance.

“How’s the dilation?”

“Let me check.” Astrid and Eyarr slowly walked me to the side of the bed where a small stool had been placed. Astrid lifted the loose linen dress I had on and Ana quickly inspected me.

“She’s almost ready. It’s good progress, I can see the baby has already dropped.” Ana remarked.

Right, she was, I could feel my hips adjusting again. I knitted my eyebrows together, my chest heaving with every breath I took. It finally began to settle in that this was happening, I was bringing a child into the world, and I was lucky to have my husband by my side.

I blinked upon feeling Eyarr tenderly wipe my sweaty forehead, and I craned my neck to look at him.

“It’s okay, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.” He assured, running his hand through my hair. I gave him a weak smile in return.

“Could you tie my hair up?” I asked. Zephyr handed Eyarr a leather string as he pulled my hair back, tying it up.

“That feel better?” I nodded, my back already feeling cooler even with sweat running down my spine.

As Eyarr and Zephyr helped me get comfortable, Ana, Astrid, and Valka positioned my legs accordingly so it would allow for a smoother delivery.

“Fuck… I feel it coming…” I groaned out.

“All right Laeli, I want you to listen to your body, and whenever you feel that contraction, push along with it. Follow your instincts.” I took a deep breath, ensuring it reached the bottom of my lungs. It was go time. This was real.

I felt tears run down my cheeks as I felt each contraction deep within me. And with each tear slipping down my face, Eyarr gently wiped them away. Through my partially shut eyes, I could see Eyarr glancing down as we waited for the baby to crown.

“Laeli? Speak to us, are you doing all right?” Ana asked.

“Yeah… I’m… I’m really tired…” I mumbled.

“Can she take a break?” Eyarr then inquired.

“Of course, she can. As long as that’s what she wants.” Ana replied.

“Please. I need one.”

“No worries, honey. Take your time. This is your baby.” Astrid assured.

We all took a break for a bit, letting the ladies chat for a bit. Meanwhile, I leaned against Eyarr; him sitting right next to me on a small chair. He readjusted so I was leaning between his legs. Zephyr also sat next to me, and I was happy she was there.

“Thank you for being here, Zeph.”

“Of course! I’m so happy you asked me to be here. And I’m glad Eyarr allowed me here.” She added with a giggle.

I just nodded in response, rubbing my belly. It was still surreal that this was happening.

“You doing okay, babe?” Eyarr asked quietly.

“I am. Just ready for this to be over.”

“Are you ready to push again?”

“Yeah.” As soon as I affirmed that I was ready, almost immediately we were back in our circle.

This time I put every ounce of my energy into each push, grimacing a bit as I felt the head leave.

“A head of hair!” Ana exclaimed.

“That would come from me.” We all shared a chuckle.

I couldn’t help but cry out upon feeling the shoulders pass through.

“Well done, the shoulders and head are the most difficult.” Ana said encouragingly, “This babe will be here in no time!”

I mentally counted down the moments as I felt the rest of the baby pass through me, and instinctually reached my hands down, where Ana’s hands also waited, catching the baby in my hands, gasping out at the relief that washed through me. Behind me, Eyarr helped my body up in support, lifting me slightly as the baby left my body.

The room was silent at this moment, no one breathed.

Until finally a piercing wail broke the air. And we all released our bated breath in relief. After a few seconds to process the experience, I brought the baby to my chest and gazed down in wonder.

A boy.

I birthed a healthy baby boy into the world. My first. My firstborn.

I cradled him close to my chest, allowing my emotions to release, heavy tears falling down my cheeks.

“Thank you Freyja and Haumea.” I cried out, “It’s a boy!” I heard Eyarr laugh in relief behind me, pressing a passionate kiss to my cheek.

“You did it… I’m so proud of you.” He said into my ear. I heard him sniffle, but I didn’t care, I knew he was ecstatic.

We sat there for a few minutes, just taking it all in, this new wonderful thing I did. Now I knew why giving birth was nature’s miracle. I took in the presence of my son, feeling his soft skin and hair, the latter being incredibly curly, even for a newborn.

My body shuddered intensely as I felt the afterbirth leave me. It was such an odd feeling, even if it was like passing a large blood clot during my cycles.

After Ana cut the cord and placed the afterbirth in a bag, patting it dry, Zephyr and Valka helped make the bed for me. Fresh blankets and soft furs to make me as comfy as possible. As they helped me to bed, Ana cradled my son in one arm, telling Eyarr to take a seat next to me where I lay. In the other was a blanket.

I outstretched my arms as Ana handed Eyarr the blanket, who put it in my arms and then delicately placed my son on the blanket. She had tenderly bathed him, rubbing the womb’s remnants into his skin.

With the baby carefully propped up against my chest, I wrapped the blanket around his little body. After I wrapped him up, I then readjusted the top of my dress, pulling it down, and allowing him to nurse.

It all felt like it happened so fast, but at the same time, it was like everything slowed down.

It took the baby a few minutes, but I felt him finally latch up and begin to suck my nipple. I made a face at the discomfort, not expecting it to hurt.

“The first time is always uncomfortable,” Astrid explained. “Just let your body absorb it, it’ll eventually become less uncomfortable.”

Together, we let this moment sink in. We had a baby. A beautiful little boy, with fairer skin, just like his father, and thick, dark brown, curly hair.

“The curls come from your mother,” Eyarr observed, gently twirling a curl around his finger. I nodded my head in agreement, delighted that something of my mother had passed on. Then a thought occurred to me.

“This is an odd question, but what is the weather outside?” Eyarr glanced at Astrid and Zephyr, the latter shrugging.

“Sunny, but with some clouds. Why?” She replied after peeking her head out the window.

“Back home, we used the weather as an indicator of what the child would be like the day they were born.”

“Ah. What was the weather like when you were born?” Valka asked. I took a moment to remember.

“I remember my father telling me that around the time my mother went into labor, there was a storm coming in. And by the time I was born, the storm made landfall.”

“What does that mean?” I snickered.

“Headstrong, stubborn… you know… me.”

“That’s right.” Eyarr gave me a gentle hug in affirmation.

“Well, what shall the lad’s name be?” Eyarr and I looked at each other, and then down at our son.

“Torin. During our time in the south, I learned name meanings… and Torin means ‘chief’… a little symbolism of my original birthright.”

Once we squared away the name, everyone finally left to give us some peace together. Eyarr took off his tunic as I handed him the baby to place on his chest. And at that moment, I saw it finally hit him. As Eyarr cradled our son against his chest, he stared at me and whisper-shouted, “I’m a father!” I grinned, trying to not laugh too much, still feeling discomfort as my body now had to adjust to no longer carrying a baby around. Yup, everything hurt, including my tender breasts, and very much full of milk.

“He’s perfect.”

“He is.” It amazed me at how tiny Torin was, cuddled firmly against his father’s chest. And it amazed me, even more, knowing that once, a long time ago, Eyarr and I were that small. Tiny and innocent. After a few more moments, Torin began to wail, and my new motherly instincts fell into place. I held out my arms as Eyarr ever so delicately placed Torin in my embrace. And I gestured for Eyarr to sit next to me, and he didn’t hesitate to do so. He was careful getting on the bed, not wanting to cause too much disturbance. Eyarr watched as I attempted to figure out the right angle to help Torin latch as he fussed. Even though I got him to latch onto one nipple, the other began to leak milk, and I groaned at the discomfort.

“Gods, everything is so sensitive. And sore.”

“Do you need me to do anything?” I shook my head, gazing up at him, eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

“Please don’t go anywhere, don’t leave my side.”

“Hey, shhh… it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I’m staying here to watch over you and our son.”

I did want to be out of bed to put my first baby down in his cradle for his first night. Eyarr gently helped me up and out of bed, giving me a moment to regain some strength in my legs, slowly walking us to the cradle only a couple of feet away.

“Is it time?” Eyarr asked. I nodded. I began to quietly hum a lullaby to soothe our baby as he began to coo. I rocked him slowly, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead as I ever so carefully placed him down in his cradle, giving it a light rock.

Once we were sure he was asleep for now, Eyarr then helped me with wrapping soft linen around my abdomen that would allow my stomach to return to normal size eventually. I gazed down at my stretch marks resulting from the pregnancy, still somewhat in a daze that I’d given birth. I was a mother now…

“Babe? Hey,” Eyarr whispered, getting my attention as he secured one end of the linen around me. He pressed a gentle kiss against my stomach, noticing my gaze on it.

“Yeah?”

“You all right?” I took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling as Eyarr tucked me into bed.

“I’m okay… still… in a daze. My body hasn’t processed all of this yet.” I admitted. He kissed my forehead.

“Hm… I know. It was a lot for your body to do. But… I can say I truly appreciate and understand what the female body is capable of. And I may not have witnessed it firsthand, but damn. It’s truly something.” He told me, sitting next to me, “now, I’m going to stay up and watch you and the baby until you’re asleep, okay? You need rest.”

“I know…” I agreed through a yawn, rolling over and cuddling against him, resting my head on his muscular abdomen.

“You both are my everything.” I heard him whisper as I closed my eyes, allowing myself to finally fall asleep.

The following morning, Eyarr took the afterbirth outside, along with a pine sapling. Laeli had told him about a particular tradition back home with the birth of a child. Burying the afterbirth along with a baby tree was symbolic of a new life, and was a promise that the baby would grow strong and healthy. And a prayer of thanks to the gods for a safe delivery. Laeli stressed the importance of the privacy of it, as she knew few Berkians would understand. Eyarr was perfectly fine with it and assured her he would handle it.

With the afterbirth in a leather bag, he stepped out into a cool morning, dew drops dangling from blades of grass.

He made his way to the back of the house, finding a spot to bury the afterbirth. He dug for a moment, before placing the leather bag in the hole. He covered the bag, and then planted the sapling, making sure it was stable.

After he was sure of the spot, he kneeled before the baby tree, taking in the moment, breathing in the chilled morning air deep into his lungs.

He had always thought new beginnings were corny and embarrassing… but they were real. They were real, and they were full of love. Laeli deserved all the credit for never giving up on him.

Chapter Text

The next 18 years were filled with Zephyr's growth in leadership, as well as the births of hers and Tannr's firstborn daughter Lydia one year after Torin, with rich brown hair and her mother's bright blue eyes; Nuffink and Saoirse's wedding, which was followed by the birth of their son Cian, as well as Eyarr and I welcoming a daughter we named Noma, a few months after Cian. However, a few days after Cian's birth, Valka passed away. She had suffered a fall a week prior, and although Ana was sure that the former chieftess would be fine, her condition suddenly dropped. And she soon succumbed to the call of the afterlife.

Nuffin was crushed, as he had been close to his grandmother. Valka's death equally affected Hiccup as well, even more so. Emotions were strung out as everyone found it difficult to celebrate the birth of a child while also mourning a death.

Noma's birth did bring a light once more, Saoirse and I were delighted that our children were only months apart.

In the time following Noma's birth, Zephyr and Tannr welcomed a second daughter whom they named Siv. A beautiful little girl who bore the same bright red hair as her mother and great-grandfather. Then came Nuffink and Saoirse's second son, Baelfire, who bore his mother's hair and bright blue eyes. And at last, came Aurnia, their third and final child, a little girl who looked just like her father. Due to the fertility issues that apparently ran in her family, Saoirse's pregnancies had taken their toll on her, and she no longer wished for more children. She was happy with the family she had.

As was Eyarr and I with our two children. Torin had a crown of curly hair that reminded me of my mother, and fairer skin, closer to his father's. Noma had deeper skin, more like mine, and bore a splash of freckles on her cheeks and nose. Her hair was straight like her father's but was a deep, rich brown, which complimented the beautiful brown eyes that she got from me. They were the light of my life, and I was so proud to have them as my children.

Torin was smart and insightful and enjoyed involving himself in conversation with adults whenever he could. He was curious and eager to learn, and could often be seen shadowing Eyarr, watching his every move. Noma took after her father's rough-and-tumble attitude, and I often found myself bathing after roughhousing in the dirt. But I adored seeing Eyarr reflected in her personality. It suited her.

Maui also paid a few visits to see how I was doing and was utterly delighted to meet Torin and Noma, very nearly bursting into tears, which was admittedly jarring, as I had never seen the Demi-God cry. He had then informed me that Aihe and Heilani welcomed a daughter of their own named Vea, but also dropped the news that gramma Sina had passed, which broke my heart, and I couldn't imagine the pain my parents, sister, and extended family must've felt.

And knowing I had a little niece filled a void in my heart that I didn't know was there.

But now, in the 18 years since Torin's birth, New Berk had truly grown and prospered, just like I had imagined it would under Zephyr and Tannr's leadership. The latter proving himself to be a capable, determined, and driven leader, a perfect complement to Zephyr.

Time had flown by us too fast, parenthood becoming a blur as Eyarr and I watched our children grow and figure themselves out. Torin had already set his eyes on a lovely young girl about his age named Íma, with long brown hair done in twin braids, and one wrapped around her head like a crown. She was soft-spoken and kind, and to me and Eyarr, it was obvious how much Íma adored our son, and we welcomed her with open arms.

The biggest twist of all though, was Noma and Cian finding themselves utterly enamored by each other. It was quite striking, as Cian was a copy of his grandfather, with all those who watched Hiccup grow up, remarked at how much Cian resembled his grandfather. The hair, the freckles, and the lively green eyes. It was adorable to see how Cian followed Noma around wherever she went, eagerly listening to whatever she had to say. She was always in the lead.

And of course, I kept my culture alive while raising them. I taught them my native language and the sacred dances. They knew Ocean very well, and I already knew it had sworn to protect them as it did with me and Aihe.

For the longest time, I had wondered if either of the two would plan on leaving New Berk to go explore the world, though I was doubtful Torin would. Íma was reluctant to leave New Berk, as she was quite happy with her place here, and I doubted Torin would want to leave her side. In contrast, Noma had always expressed interest in the Archipelago. And so, it should've come as no surprise to me when she announced plans to not just leave New Berk, but that Cian was adamant about accompanying her. She had the skills to navigate out at sea, and she was not afraid of a challenge.

The idea was a bit unnerving to Nuffink and Saoirse, and understandably so. They weren't particularly keen on their eldest leaving New Berk. But the topic gave me flashbacks to all those years before when I had planned to leave Motunui.

Noma had made her plans clear; she wanted to see the mainland for herself and see what it had to offer. But this time, Eyarr was apprehensive, and it didn't take long for me to understand why. Even though he had cut his family out of his life so long ago, he still feared them, and the idea of Noma wandering about the land they once inhabited bothered him. Torin and Noma knew little of their paternal family, but they hadn't asked much of them, which was a relief to Eyarr, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

"This is my choice," Noma had said, "you taught me the dangers and how to face them. And I won't be alone, just as you weren't alone when you faced them."

Our families came together to discuss the plans more thoroughly, and Aurnia was especially upset with the idea of her oldest brother leaving. Yet Torin was seemingly at peace with his sister's decision. I could sense his apprehension, but he understood his sister in a way that Cian's siblings didn't. They grew up with the stories of their grandmother and Maui, and how Ocean remained an integral support.

"As long as Ocean doesn't abandon you," he remarked, to which Noma didn't need him to finish. She knew.

As Noma and Cian worked on solidifying their plans, Hiccup had pulled me to the side to discuss the Eye of the Ocean, as in the years of being a mother, I hadn't had much time to work on it with him. It still remained a closely guarded secret between us, and he had made progress on it in my many absences, which he didn't mind.

Returning to his study, he revealed what he had added to it. The eye mechanism was finally functioning as he wanted it to, with a twist of the exterior cylindrical body, the metal plates pulled open, revealing the Deathsong amber lens. He then revealed that he had made three lenses, each with a set of engraved stars. He explained that he had taken my star map and calculated how each lens would display it using light.

"I melted Deathsong amber and did a little alchemy to get this right, mixing in various components. When Toothless was here for Snoggletog, he aided me in ensuring that the light of his fire worked with the lens the way I wanted it to. It took a bit of tweaking, but I think I've got it." I raised my brows in curiosity as he explained his experiments and how he was satisfied with the final result. "This coming Snoggletog, when Toothless, Blueheart, and the kids come, I'll show you that it works. This might be one of my best inventions yet."

I could see the gleam in his eye of how proud he was of himself, and it was well-earned. He had worked on it on and off for years, having been preoccupied with helping Zephyr and Tannr, Nuffink, and Saoirse with raising their respective children. And then of course, with Valka and eventually Gobber's death; which came not long after Baelfire was born. Valka's death hit Hiccup hard, but Gobber even more so. He was the last father figure Hiccup had, and even though Gobber passed from old age, it didn't hurt any less.

Even if he didn't die the warrior's death that so many of his generation sought, he lived a long, fulfilling life, and it was an honor to have known him till the end.

Chapter Text

That coming Snoggletog, Hiccup and I were once more in his study, this time with Toothless. For the last two decades, I had truly gotten to know the Night Fury, being sure to spend time with him, his mate Blueheart, and their three children. In the time bonding with Toothless, I also spent time with the dragons of the other riders; Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf and Belch, Dusk, Blueheart, and many others.

It was especially sweet at how emotional Zyrah would become when Blueheart came to her. Getting to feel her scales under her fingers, feeling new nicks and scars the female Night Fury got as the second Alpha of the Hidden World. And of course, Eyarr and I were elated to see Cliffire and Riptide also join the Berkian dragon flock. Both of them had gotten mates of their own and were delighted to show off their respective clutches.

Eyarr had mentioned how curious he was as to whether Cliffire would choose a Skrill or Monstrous Nightmare mate before the hybrid began joining us for the holidays, as neither of us was sure. But he eventually chose a Nightmare as his mate. And she was beautiful; a deep burnt umber with bright golden patterns about her scales, with equally brilliant, warm gold eyes. Eyarr had named her Goldenwing, for the patterns on her scales. Ana had remarked that Eyarr was better at naming dragons, though she was sure to say so out of Hiccup's earshot, and we all shared a laugh.

In Hiccup's study, he unveiled the Eye of the Ocean, which now bore a completed exterior, bearing a silver body, the head and tail made of polished gold. The silver body was decorated with crisscrossing lines which I couldn't determine the meaning of. Interrupting the crisscrossing lines, were several gold rings engraved with incomprehensibly organized runes.

Hiccup and I sat down, with Toothless also lounging next to me, a deep rumble coming from within his chest as he nuzzled my leg, and I happily gave him an affectionate scratch near the small spines on his head.

"Alright, you ready Laeli?" I gave an eager nod. Hiccup set the Eye of the Ocean on his desk facing the blank wall and blew out the candle, darkening the room. Hiccup nodded to Toothless who opened his maw and emitted a brilliant purple glow from within his throat, casting the room in a eerie light, shadows dancing about the wall. Hiccup then positioned the Eye carefully, twisting it open with an audible click, and the wall lit up with a circle of purplish-blue light, revealing my map of the stars.

Tears began to fill my eyes as I took in the map, seeing all of my hard work brought to life.

Even Hiccup couldn't help but be a little emotional himself. He looked at me, his eyes glimmering with tears, he then reached for the Eye once more, shifting it, and with another click, another layer of the map was revealed, connecting the constellations, with their names in runes listed next to them.

Each of the crucial constellations were in the perfect positions, from Man's Chariot and Woman's Chariot due north, and the Asar Battlefield as well. The Guiding Star at the bottom of Woman's Chariot was perfectly visible, as it was one of the most crucial stars to guide at sea.

"Hiccup, you genius. It's perfect."

"You are to thank for this, you know. If it wasn't for you watching the sky, we wouldn't have been able to do this." He replied with a broad grin, "Your parents and ancestors would be so proud of you." I knew he was right, and I smiled back, a tear slipping down my cheek.

The stars had never failed me, and I knew they would never fail those who would come after.

Hiccup and I chatted a bit more, detailing further plans on what to do with the Eye. Then came the important question of how it would be kept safe from falling into the wrong hands.

Although it was a grim idea, I suggested he could always be buried with it, but he shook his head.

"Once people get wind that I created the Eye and figure out it contains the location of the Hidden World, they will seek out my grave, no matter where I am laid to rest. It's too risky. No, we need something else."

"Okay, to play Loki's advocate, say it is buried with you and someone gets ahold of it. How are the lenses inside protected?" He handed me the Eye, allowing me to finally get a clear view of it, observing all the details. It had a good weight to it, feeling solid in my hands. The metal was cool to the touch, having not been overheated due to Toothless's fire.

Hiccup explained that he designed the outer and inner cylinders with a mechanism that could only be unlocked by twisting the engraved gold rings to form a word.

"How will those in the future know the word to use?" Hiccup glanced up at me, and I couldn't quite read the emotions in his eyes.

"They will know." That was all he said. It was the first time he'd been vague about a part of the project, and I wanted to understand. But I soon realized that only someone whose mind worked the way Hiccup's did would be able to unlock the Eye and be able to read the stars

They had to think like Hiccup.

It struck me that it wasn't just intelligence and sheer determination. Whoever was meant to unlock the Eye that wasn't Hiccup had to understand the history of the Archipelago, and understand why the dragons were vital to the culture, but… they also had to know who they were, who came before them, and why they were meant for something greater.

They had to be a Dragon Rider themselves. That was the only way.

With a mutual understanding between us, Hiccup wordlessly put the Eye away for the time being, with both of us knowing that the time would come eventually. But we had families to return to and to celebrate with; and with Toothless in tow, we rejoined our families and friends to continue the party and have fun.

Chapter Text

The day I had been dreading for months now had finally arrived, and I felt a weight in my chest as I bid my only daughter goodbye as she departed with Cian. This was how my parents felt when they said goodbye to me all those years ago. And the realization was so much more painful than I had imagined.

Noma was 17 now, a few months shy of 18. She and Cian had completed their plans for what they sought out on the mainland. Our family and friends had come to the docks to say goodbye and to help load their ship for their journey. I could sense Noma's antsiness, as the feeling was all too familiar.

Next to me, I could tell Eyarr was struggling to hold himself together. Nuffink and Saoirse were equally emotional to see their eldest son off for the first time. We were all a mess, yet I was the strongest, having once been in Noma's position, and I understood her perspective; that didn't stop me from wishing she would stay home, but I knew I couldn't stop her, just like my parents couldn't stop me, and neither could Zyrah and Konall when Hilda left.

Someone would always leave New Berk one way or another to see what the rest of the world had to offer. But Noma had Cian, they weren't alone, and that was enough to give me peace of mind.

With the ship prepared, and the young couple ready to embark, I hurried to my daughter's side right before she stepped foot off the dock. She gazed up at me with those big brown eyes, and I fought back tears, my heart flashing back to when she first opened her eyes in my arms.

"Mom?" Pursing my lips together, I held her cheeks in my hands, trying to formulate the words. Holding back tears, I brought her close, pressing our foreheads together; sharing Hongi.

"You'll always be with me," she softly assured. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then paused, contemplating my next choice carefully. Noma watched me intently, unsure of what I was about to do. Swallowing the pit in my throat, I reached back, fingers trembling as I undid my necklace. Removing it for the first time in decades. The air was silent and still around us as I took my daughter's hand in mine, opening it and gently placing the shell in her outstretched palm.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and I could tell she was doubtful, her eyes shifting rapidly as she attempted to read me. But I wordlessly assured her, gently closing her fingers over the shell.

Her ancestors would guide her, and she would find her way, just as I had, just as my mother did, and so many before us.

"Follow the stars, let Fetia guide you. Never forget where you came from, and when you are ready, the stars will guide you home, as they did with me."

Her hand trembled, and she swallowed, fighting back her tears. She clipped the necklace on, the shell sitting just above her breast as she took in a steady breath.

"I'll make you proud," she whispered as she stepped aboard, Cian taking her hand and helping her down.

"You already have."

Watching her ship sail off into the horizon was one of the most painful things to witness, but one of my proudest moments as a mother, watching one part of my legacy chase her dreams.

And seemingly in an instant, the years passed us by, and I watched as Hiccup and his generation of riders grew old and more frail by the day. Snotlout had already gone to Valhalla after dying of an arrow to the heart from a skirmish out at sea. Minden and Nora were devastated, but they knew he had found his place.

Zyrah was the next to go, and her death hit hard, with her blindness preventing her from knowing that we were all there as her soul departed. We all maintained the belief that Valhalla and the gods would restore her sight so she could enjoy the afterlife with no qualms or worries. Blueheart would be utterly heartbroken once she learned her rider was gone, but something told me that the bond she and Zyrah shared would let her know.

Two and a half years after Zyrah's death, Tuffnut and Fishlegs passed within a week of each other, with Ruffnut grieving her twin and husband. Tuffnut never married or had children, so Ruffnut was left to grieve with her and Fishleg's two sons and their families.

It was quite hard to watch the Riders grieve as they lost their spouses and closest friends. But my will to remain strong for the rest of the riders and their families crumbled away when Hiccup fell horribly ill. Ana did everything she could to treat the mysterious illness, attempting to quell his fever, but it soon became evident to her and Dustin and her newest protegee that Hiccup didn't have much time left.

She urged all of us to come to the Haddock household where Hiccup was now bedridden, with Astrid clinging to him, running her thin fingers through his white and gray hair. His beard had grown considerably, and despite Nuffink's offers to trim it, Hiccup refused, though he did not refuse Astrid's desire to braid his hair.

It was utterly inexplicable to how Hiccup fell so ill so suddenly. Zephyr begged Ana for an answer, but the healer couldn't offer one, just as lost as we were. I could tell she was struggling to be strong for us, just as I was trying to be strong for the others. But with a mutual understanding, we acknowledged our shared struggle.

Zephyr, Tannr, Nuffink, Saoirse, and their kids gathered around Hiccup's bed, refusing to leave his side. Against the wall, Konall, Nyr, Eyarr, Torin, and Íma stood silently, Torin leaning against his father. I stood like a lone island in the center of the room, near the foot of the bed, watching silently as Ana, Zephyr, and Astrid spoke softly with Hiccup. Eyarr chatted to Torin to distract him from the situation.

While being lost in my thoughts, I heard Astrid calling me.

"Laeli, come," she said, gesturing me to come to Hiccup's side. Zephyr stood, allowing me to take her seat as she and the others backed away to give us space.

"Hiccup?" I whispered, feeling uneasy. He cracked his eyes open, the wrinkles creasing as he focused on me.

"Laeli," He whispered back.

"What is it?" He swallowed, taking my hand in his.

"You need… to take the Eye." He said, his voice straining barely above a whisper. I widened my eyes slightly.

"Wait, what? No, no."

"Laeli, you need to take it. You know it will not be safe with me." I saw the pure conviction in his eyes, he was trusting me with everything we put into building the Eye and keeping its secret safe. And I would never say no. Fighting back tears, I nodded, accepting, "I'm counting on you to do what is necessary to keep it safe." He said, gripping my hand tightly in his.

"I know," I admitted softly.

It was a tremendous responsibility to shoulder, but it was a responsibility I was willing to take. Doing this for Hiccup, in a way, I felt like I was doing it for my mother… my ancestors. Those that had left a legacy within me, and that I had passed to my daughter.

Three days after gathering by Hiccup's bedside, Ana broke the news that he had passed in his sleep. It was utterly devastating, and I felt like I had lost a parent, a best friend… It did hurt to not be there in his final moments, but I felt comforted knowing he had departed this world knowing he could rest with his knowledge being passed on to the right people.

The entire community gathered at the docks as Astrid, Zephyr, and Nuffink sent Hiccup's ship out to sea. They rejoined us, lining up together, with Zephyr lighting her arrow. She and I shared a glance, a connection of sisterhood and grief. Zephyr swallowed as she aimed, and exhaled, releasing her flaming arrow, it landing perfectly. Myself, Eyarr, Tannr, Nuffink, Saoirse, Astrid, Ana, and Ruffnut, as well as our children, all aimed, and following Astrid's lead, loosed our arrows as well.

The ship caught quickly, the wind pushing it further and further away as it became fully engulfed. My heart felt heavy as we watched the ship slowly burn and begin to sink beneath the waves. In a whirlwind of emotions, I felt lost as to whom to call upon for Hiccup's safe passage into the afterlife.

I prayed to whatever deity of the pantheons I worshipped, whoever would listen. Turning my gaze towards the sky, closing my eyes.

The dragons will come back; maybe not in my lifetime, or Torin and Noma's… but someday, I knew the right people would come by the secrets left behind, and if they listened to the echoes of the past, the lives that came before them… they would find their way. They would answer the dragon's call, and the call of the ocean, just like Hiccup and my mother did.

Someday, the call of the ocean would be answered once more.