Draugr

Epilogue

Epilogue:

It had been a year, Stoick mused as he killed the engine and stared through the windshield, but it still seemed like yesterday. He took a shuddering breath as he opened the door and clambered out of the car. He had driven himself because on the Anniversary, he wanted to be alone with his son and the woman he had loved. The weather was cold but bright, the cool winter sun brilliant against the icy blue sky. Stoick pulled his huge camel coat tight around his enormous shape and grasped the keys before walking through the quiet space.

There were a few shapes distantly wandering through the gravestones as he walked to the two stones side by side and identical:

ASTRID FREJA HOFFERSON

HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK III

Stoick slowly lowered himself onto the small bench he had sited by the graves and stared at the cream stones. The words were incised precisely and inlaid with gold, detailing the couple's names and dates. Each stone had the same image of the couple snuggled together, with Toothless hugged to their middle, their smiles radiant and very much showing that they were in love. Stoick had one final word added to the memorials:

REUNITED.

The man stared at the stones and a small smile lifted his lips, recalling the last moments, the sight of their ghosts happy together and then...leaving. It wasn't something he had shared with anyone-not Mala and Throk, Eret-or even Gobber. Only Ruffnut Thorston had witnessed their departure-and she, for very good reasons, wasn't talking. She had left very rapidly after speaking to the cops as soon as they had arrived and taken Heather away. Stoick had summoned her to his office a week after the funeral and had stared very thoughtfully at the lanky shape-accompanied, as ever, by her brother.

"Miss Thorston-I owe you an apology," he had said gruffly, his eyes deeply shadowed. "You were telling the truth." The female twin folded her arms and cast him an unimpressed glare.

"No shit," she replied with typical directness. She wasn't intimidated by the big financier-because she felt sorry for him, losing his son and Astrid and because, after everything she had seen, she had a new perspective. The apology she had received from the Berk Police Department had also been something to treasure and she had framed the letter and it was hanging on the wall of the front office, behind Tuff's desk. Stoick had cleared his throat.

"You do understand my qualms?" he had checked pointedly. Huffing, she had grudgingly nodded.

"I'm sorry about Hiccup," she had conceded. "He was a nice guy-and he really loved Astrid. You know, weird as it is, I find myself thinking of her as a friend because-well, we shared so much together. Even though her singing sounded like a cat being put through a mincer. She didn't deserve what happened-and he had a horrible time after she died. And I know thinking I was lying didn't help-but she was desperate to speak to him, to warn him..but I think in the end, it was better. They were together."

Stoick had been silent for a long period of time and then he had nodded.

"You only get one soulmate," he admitted. "Mine died years ago, leaving me her son. Hiccup wasn't coping without his. He always threw his entire heart into whatever he did-his work, his relationship, his grief...at least Astrid will be with him."

"And Toothless," Ruff sighed. "That will make things complicated. Now people will be asking me for their pets as well as their recently departed. And I can't imagine what animal ghosts will get up to in my parlour. Is there a ghostly pooper scooper? Bleurgh!" Stoick stared at her and his eyes focussed again.