The Voyager and the Rogue

Chapter 49

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?"