úlfheðnar, httyd

xxxi. For The Dancing And The Dreaming

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter thirty-one; yrsa
❝ for the dancing and the dreaming! ❞

     THERE WAS something warming to see Hiccup and his parents finally together again after all these years. Something that made Yrsa smile where she sat, watching them all make dinner together like nothing had even happened. But if one knew Hiccup as she did, they'd see how nervous he was; in the way he bounced around, chuckled and spoke so fast they could barely hear a word he said. But he was also excited; his smile was so bright it'd warm up a cold, winter freeze. 

      Yrsa was in a good mood herself. All her worries were diminished, and she no longer felt guilty over them, either. She wrapped her arms around her legs and set her chin on her knees, watching Hiccup and his parents with a smile, thinking ... perhaps one day she'd have a family of her own, too. She didn't look and see how she wished her father was still alive; she missed him, but she's grown. She's grown enough to realise that wishing someone was still alive was okay, but letting it overtake her life, and her future, wasn't what he would have wanted. No, she saw her and Hiccup, and her mother━their family; the one she has now, and the one she'd might have in the future.

     Because Hiccup told her. He wanted to get married. He wanted to have kids. He wanted to live a life with her. On Berk, their home. He was in for the long haul with her. And she him. 

     Helrose purred, resting at her side with her flank warm and pressed against Yrsa's back. Skullcrusher was snoring off in the corner; each draw of breath rattling the ice above him. Toothless matched Hiccup's excitement, dashing around, trying to snatch up fish when he wasn't meant to and annoying Cloudjumper, who just watched him with hooded, annoyed eyes. Grump was asleep as well (wasn't he always) with Gobber laughing beside him. 

      Yrsa loved this. She loved this so much. It was peaceful, and it was happy━it was a family, and it was also hers, too. Yrsa had a huge family for a girl who's only ever lived in such a small home. 

     "Mum, you'd never even recognise it!" Hiccup was saying, holding a open-weaved basket at his hip. He walked backwards to the fish basket with a bright smile upon his face. "Where we used to make weapons, we now build saddles, wing slings ..." he opened the lid and filled his tray with enough fish. Toothless's eyes widened and he hurried over, skillfully trying to slip his head in to steal his own salmon until Hiccup shut the lid on his snout and he had to pull away. Yrsa chuckled at him, shaking her head. "We━we even fix dragon teeth! You━you wouldn't believe how much everything's changed!"

     "Aye," agreed Stoick, helping Valka with cutting the fish and deboning them to be put on a long stick for cooking over the centre pit fire, "your son and Yrsa have changed Berk for the better."

     Yrsa guffawed when she was mentioned, shaking her head and chuckling. Stoick laughed at her reaction. "No, I haven't━it's all Hiccup, honestly. He's━he's━" she gestured to her betrothed who was smiling at her, "━it was all him."

     "I can't take all the credit," Hiccup cradled her head and pressed a sweet kiss amongst her hair in passing. She blushed and swatted him away. "I mean, Yrsa was the one who found Toothless with me, and the Dragon's Nest. And I couldn't have led the Riders or created Dragon's Edge without her."

     He scratched Helrose who lifted her head for attention. Yrsa smiled, and Hiccup knew she was grateful for his words even if she didn't say it, or accepted the compliment outright. He met her smile. 

      "Aye," Stoick turned to Valka, holding Hiccup's basket of fish to debone, "I think we did well with this one, Val━" he set his hands on her shoulders and she jumped. Yrsa's brows shot up, startled. Some of the fish fell to the stone and Toothless rushed to try and grab them, but Cloudjumper gobbled them up right before he could. He left the Night Fury sniffing the stone they had been, whining.