A very upset 14 year old girl stomped down the stairs one morning, shoving her messy red hair out of her eyes as she stomped. Once at the bottom of said stairs, she snatched her axe off a small table next to the banister and headed towards the kitchen. She was startled by the voice of her mother.
"Hold it," she said, crossing her arms. "What's wrong?"
Zephyr rolled her eyes. "Nothing."
"Come on, let's hear it." Astrid smiled, patting a spot next to her on the couch.
Zephyr joined her, sighing as she sat down. "I am so embarrassed, mom."
Astrid grabbed a brush and started to comb out her daughter's thick hair, knowing it helped her to relax when she was upset. "Why's that?"
"Well, in combat training yesterday we were working on scaling cliffs. I was doing fine one moment, as usual, and then the next I was completely stuck! Mom I swear I was hanging over the edge of the cliff! As if being stuck wasn't embarrassing enough, that Ingerman boy saved me. A boy, mom! A stupid boy!! The skinniest, scrawniest boy too! I am so embarrassed!"
Astrid couldn't help but chuckle. "Zephyr, that's nothing to be embarrassed about. You should have thanked him."
She snorted. "Yea, right! I'm a Haddock girl! I don't get saved!"
That made Astrid chuckle once again.
"What?" Zephyr turned and eyed her mother.
"Oh, nothing."
"No what is it?" She prodded, curious as to what her mother was thinking.
"Do you know how many times your father saved me? And I was a Hofferson! I'd be dead if he hadn't saved me in more than a few occasions."
Zephyr rolled her eyes. "No way. Dad? The Chief?"
Astrid smirked. "There is a lot about your dad you don't know."
"There's no way he saved you mom! No way! Give me examples!"
"Well let's see... he and Toothless saved me from falling to my death when I was fifteen. Snatched me right out of the air! He saved me from a group called the Dragon Hunters countless times in our late teens. So many times."
Zephyr simply could not believe that. She knew her father was courageous, smart, and very strong, and a great chief. But capable of saving her mother from stuff like that? No way!
"I still don't believe you."
Astrid grabbed Zephyr and tickled her, making her burst out laughing. "You are so stubborn! Just like me.."
"Mom! My hair!"
"Sorry." She said, releasing her. "Alright how about this. I'll tell you about a time your father saved me, and you can decide whether you believe me or not."
"Deal."
"Alright," Astrid smiled, snuggling into the couch. "We were in our late teens. Somewhere between 17-19. Hiccup and the rest of us were living on an island we called the Dragon's Edge."
Zephyr snuggled into her mother. She hated to admit it, but she loved nothing more than a good story.
"I was out on an early flight with Stormfly, when we discovered invaders on the north side of the island. Wait- was it the south? Oh I can't remember. Anyways, skipping all the boring details, the strongest dragon hunter, Ryker, who looked like a walrus except with muscles not fat,"
Zephyr laughed at that.
"Shot Stormfly with a dragon root arrow, which made her unable to fly. We fell into the cool, salty water. The dragon hunters loaded Stormfly on their ship, and left me in the water."
Zephyr gasped. "How far out in the water were you?"
"Pretty far. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't swim against the current. I drifted for hours, clinging onto a piece of wood. The current took me farther and farther out until I couldn't see the shore any longer."
Astrid pauses for a moment, shuddering at the memory of the sun blistering her skin, and the struggle to stay above water. After a while she continued.
"Eventually, it started to get dark out. That's when the storm clouds rolled in. It poured down rain and lighting flashed through the sky. It was so dark I couldn't see a thing. The wind came up, and the waves got bigger and stronger. I tried with all my might to stay above water, but it was no use. I had no strength left, and I lost my grip. The waves swallowed me, and I started sinking. I didn't even have the energy to panic about the fact that I was drowning. Down, down, down, I went. No one came to save me. And that is the story of how your mother died."
Zephyr threw her head back. "Moooom! Come on! Right at the good part!"
They both giggled. "How do you know when the good part is? You've never heard this story before." Astrid chuckled.
"I could feel it in my bones! Come one mom what happened next?!"
"Ok, ok! So, just as I started to loose consciousness, I felt arms around me. The next thing I remember is Hiccup shouting "Astrid! Astrid!" And shaking me.
"Dad to the rescue!" Came a boy's voice.
Zephyr turned on the couch to see Nuffink on the stairs behind them. "Shush!"
"Well sorry." Nuffink rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering under his breath. "Sisters."
Zephyr turned back around and said "Did he kiss you?"
Astrid chuckled. "No. I remember saying 'What took you so long?' Then your father exclaimed 'Oh thank Thor!' As he hugged me tightly. Then he carried me back to Dragon's Edge on Toothless."
"Then what?"
Nuffink answered from the kitchen before Astrid could. "That's the end of the story!"
Zephyr stares wide eyed at her mother. "WhAt?!"
Astrid chuckled. "He's right."
Zephyr jumped up and ran into the kitchen. "How did you know that was the end of the story?!"
Nuffink smirked, licking yak butter off of the knife he had just used to spread it on a piece of bread. "Dad told me the story from his point of view."
"OHHHHHH!" Zephyr ran back into the living room. "Mom! Where's dad?"
Astrid stares at her daughter in surprise. "....I think he's in the forge honey."
"Ok! See you later!" And just like that, the red headed girl was gone.
Nuffink came in and sat on the couch, nibbling on his bread. "You do realize she's not gonna stop asking for stories about you guys saving each other for weeks, right?"
Astrid sighed. "Yep. Might as well write you both books. Call it the Stories of Mom and Dad before they became parents."
Nuffink chuckled. "Well you have to admit mom, you guys lead pretty exciting lives form the stories you tell us!"
She smiled and kissed the top of her son's head. "You have no idea.."
****That night****
Hiccup lifted his tunic and and over his head and tossed it across the room, then slipped into his night shorts. Astrid smirked at him from the bed.
"What?" He smiled, crawling onto the bed and hovering over her.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about how I am to have you."
Hiccup smiled, reaching down and planting a kiss on his wife's soft, pink lips. "I feel lucky to have you too, Astrid. Every day."
She pulling him down for another kiss that lasted much longer this time. When they broke apart Astrid said
"The kids are apparently staying at your mom's house tonight. Whatever will we do with all the spare time?"
Hiccup smirked, rubbing his thumbs in circles on Astrid's hips. "I have an idea.."
Sorry if there's spelling mistakes or random auto correct words! I was too tired to edit and I was eager to get the chapter published! I hope you enjoyed!!!
