Until They Can Return in Peace - How to Train Your Dragon

Chapter 31 - Hiccup

The freezing air against our tired faces made me reconsider going on a voyage in the dead of winter.

My sweet little Zephyr is shivering with a blanket wrapped all around her.

"Come here, sweetheart", I say pulling her into my arms. She cuddles close against my chest.

"Are we almost there?", she asks with quivering lips.

"Yes. Just another little bit", I say kissing her head and she closes her eyes.

Astrid is wrapped in her white fur cape and several other layers as well as a sleeping Nuffink. I hope he's breathing okay, he's wrapped up so much. But I am sure is snug and very warm in her arms.

"Snotlout, bear southward slightly. It's just to the right of these sea stacks", my wife instructs. He rolls his eyes... but still does as he's told.

This makes me chuckle to myself and Astrid smirks at me.

"I think I see the treehouse!", Fishlegs points.

"Shhhhhh!!!", Astrid and Ruffnut hiss in unison.

"What?!", he whispers.

"The babies!", they both look at him with such anger.

Oh my Thor... what different times we are in.

As we neared our island that we called home nearly 7 years ago comes into our view.

Dusted with snow, the edge still stood in all of its glory. The sun hazily peeked from behind the over-cast sky and it lit up the faded paint that still looked slightly vibrant.

"Look Zeph...", I say and she gazes up from behind her blanket.

Her eyes are wide with amazement as we near the dock.

"Did you train dragons here?", she asks.

"Oh yes. Some of the toughest ones that existed", I smile.

We tie off the boat and we all step off onto the beach where Astrid and I used to share picnics and the twins would Loki us.

Memories filled my senses as I become overwhelmed with nostalgia once again. Sure Astrid and I felt it when we visited on our honeymoon, but we were... distracted with other things at the time.
This trip is solely for remembering what made us bond as a group and fought alongside one another time and time again with the dragons.

We get to the huts and the groups disperse.

I put a hand on my wife's back and with the other I held the hand of my daughter.

Before I could walk through the door to my hut, I have to pause and think about how Astrid and I went from close friends to boyfriend and girlfriend here, how I brought her back here as my new bride, and now I brought her back as a new mother of two!

Time has absolutely flown by.

We open the door and Zephyr goes running in.

Astrid and I find ourselves looking at the walls more this time around, actually taking in the things we left behind.

There still are papers pinned to the walls with plans of attacks and rescues, the original layout for the Edge, notes on the species of Dragons we found and even Plans for Toothless' different tails...

"Wait a minute...", I say softly.

"What is it babe?", Astrid asks concerned, bouncing the stirring baby.

"These plans for the tails... I think... no way...", I say now running over to my large trunk and shelving across the room.

"Daddy what are you doing?", Zephyr follows.