Fly On Your Own

Chapter 10

  New Berk came to life the moment the sun set. People lit a giant bonfire in the middle of the dwellings, just far enough from tents so they wouldn't catch on fire from a random ember floating free. I'd smiled and allowed myself to be in the thick of it for quite a few hours, but after a while, Alith and Kerrigan began to fuss, and I knew I needed to put them in their crib for the night. Since we'd packed up quick, the twins only had one big crib they had to share. Carefully, I swaddled them up in blankets, then set them down on the sleeping pad Hiccup had made for them, filled with feathers. Sighing, I rested my hands against one of the wooden bars that held the posts together, smiling down at my two girls. They were always pretty quiet, but often taking in the world. They looked so peaceful now.

I heard the curtain to our tent rustle, and turned my head to see Hiccup standing there, looking at me with the sort of expression I could never define. It almost fell into a mix of love and pride, but something else always rested behind all that. I returned the warm expression, and he made his way over, then wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. His eyes floated down toward the twins, silently within their dreams. My hands drifted to his, letting out a content sigh and squeezing slightly. Neither of us dared to speak, not wanting to risk waking our daughters.

Our daughters. Something about that still felt slightly foreign, almost unreal. All of this could have been a dream, reflecting back on it. It all seemed too perfect to ever have happened. Sure, Hiccup and I had been through quite a bit, sometimes nearly forcing us apart, yet in the end, we still ended up here. This destination certainly made the journey worth it. Although, something told me we still hadn't arrived quite yet-- we just didn't know it.

Hiccup placed a kiss on my shoulder before speaking in the faintest whisper.

"If you want to get some sleep, I can keep an eye on them." I shook my head, my short hair brushing his cheek.

"I should at least make another appearance before we call it a night."

"I'm sure everyone will understand if you want to stay in here with the girls." I'm sure he felt the single, quiet exhale I let out.

"Really, Hiccup, it's fine. They've got Shriek looking after them." I gestured to my Thunderdrum, staring intently at the crib. Hiccup chuckled to himself before removing his body from mine and leading me out of our tent.

"Well then, Mrs. Haddock, let's go greet our people." I cringed slightly at the title, starting to feel old, but I didn't have time to dwell.

The people were still bustling, shouting, dancing, and, of course, drinking. Somehow, Hiccup managed to get lost in the thick of things, swept up by his people and carried over the crowd. I laughed as I watched him travel, the expression on his face uneasy. His hand flew to his mouth as he finally landed, grabbing onto Gobber's shoulder for balance. I raced over and helped try to support him, but I couldn't contain my laughter.

"Gotta say, thought you were well off your rocker," Gobber rambled, "but this spot ain't that bad."

"This was supposed to be a temporary solution," Hiccup groaned.

He'd been oddly silent throughout most of the celebration, his eyes never quite looking up from his own hands, or the grass, or whatever else he could focus on. It wasn't hard to see that, despite his best efforts to hide it, Hiccup's mind was miles away from the island.

"It's unanimous." Hiccup and I turned our heads to see Eret jumping over tables to make his way toward us. "Everyone agrees we've definitely traded up." He slugged Hiccup in the chest. "Nicely done." Hiccup chuckled nervously, not really sure how to respond.