I Love You to the Edge and Back (A How to Train your Dragon Fanfiction)

Chapter Fifteen: Good Moon Falling Pt.1

"Morning sleepy head," Astrid said, coming from her house, well, Hiccup's house. His mother opted to live near the Academy. She walked in front of the lean-to, where Stormfly slept the night. A better home would be fixed as soon as Hiccup and Astrid were married.

Stormfly squaked in greeting, unfurling her giant wings. "Yeah, I love you too," Astrid said. She scratched under Stormfly's chin. Looking up into the highest window, she watched Hiccup's silhouette stretch and go down the stairs.

"Ah, I see your awake. Ready for the big day?" Valka asked.

"I guess," was Astrid's reply.

"I remember my wedding day. I was so nervous, I nearly forgot my vows."

"If Valka Haddock was that nervous, what chance does that give me?" Astrid asked. The pair began to walk to Valka's house, where they would prepare for the wedding.

"Ah, plenty. You are quite different than me when it comes to facing fears. You just dismiss them. I, as you can see, run away," Valka explained, looking longingly at where Hiccup's hut was.

"Hey, you did what you thought what's best. That's all a mother can do," Astrid replied. She put a hand on Valka's shoulder in attempt to comfort her.

"Thank you, for understanding," Valka replied. She noticed they had stopped, so she continued onward.

That was the last of the conversation, until they reached Valka's hut. On nights Hiccup wasn't home, Astrid visited her soon-to-be-mother-in-law. However, she wondered how one lady could have that many holes in her roof. When asked about it, Valka explained that once she lived under the stars for so long, she had to see them every night.

"Well, make yourself comfortable. I'll be down in a minute," Valka said. She bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time. Astrid sat down on the couch, taking in the simplicity yet elegance of the room.

The wood was stained dark, Valka showed the other Vikings how to do that. Before, the only dark wood was burning. They now understood that wood can be a decoration, not a stronghold. To be honest, do we even need a stronghold anymore? Toothless is the Alpha after all. I mean, sure, its security. But what's more secure than the Alpha?

"Here it is," Valka said. She pulled a beautiful white gown from a trunk.

Astrid gasped, barely able to form words. "Who's is it?" She asked.

"It was Stoick's mother's, before it was mine," Valka explained.

"But, your so much taller than me," Astrid said. Her eyes dropped. She couldn't wear a dress that was so much taller than her.

"Please. Your not the first short Haddock," Valka said. She took a single thread out of the bottom of the dress, and a large portion fell off the dress.

"Wow, that's."

"Ingenious, I know. I had my mother do this before my wedding. That way, I wouldn't be the last to wear it," she replied. She ran the pad of her thumb over the smooth fabric. "Do you want to know where the name Haddock came from?" Valka asked.

"Sure," Astrid replied. She moved over so Valka could sit next to her.

"A long time ago, the name Magnusun was a dishonored name among Viking lips. From one end of Berk to the other, Magnusuns were shunned. Well, when Martha Magnusun killed Chief Jorgenson, her brother was to chose his new family name, since he would be Chief.  He chose Haddock."