My feet are planted on the deck of the ship as it rocked back and forth. The fog hangs over us like a cold, wet blanket engulfing our vessel in a sad and weepy cloud. The whole gang is aboard as well as my mother, Gobber and Gothi. They all stand solemnly in silence with their heads hung as on front of them stands my family. Zephyr and Nuffink stand teary-eyed and beside them I hold my Astrid in my arms. Cradled in the arms of my bride is our poor baby Sieglinde wrapped up in her swaddlings.
Tears pour from our eyes as we look down on our deceased baby girl. Her tiny little face is as bloodless as though she had never been alive. There had not yet been a sign of hair on her little scalp for she had not been in her mother's womb long enough to have developed any. Her little eyes are peacefully closed as though she had died without pain and I could not be more relieved; it breaks my heart to think that she could have suffered in pain.
I look at my Astrid. She is strong but I can tell this loss has hit her pretty hard. Tears roll from her beautiful blue eyes as she clutches our baby girl to her chest.
"Astrid, sweetheart," I say fighting back my own tears, "It's time to let her go."
Astrid sobs, "Oh Hiccup! Why? After all these years, I finally get pregnant and now this? Why?"
It breaks my heart how she's hurting. I have never seen my beautiful bride so broken. Usually she is the strong one comforting me. Now it's my turn to be strong for her.
"I don't know Astrid. But what's done is done. It's time to put her to rest, baby." Astrid nods. I turn and look at Fishlegs and nod to tell him we're ready. I take Astrid to a little boat next to us and slowly bending down, she puts our baby girl in it. The boat has been drenched in oil and laden with wood
"May the waters see you safely to Valhalla sweet girl." I say with difficulty as I shove the boat off on its own. We watch it for a few sad moments as it floats away until it is finally far enough.
With fresh tears rolling from my eyes I put up my hand. Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff and my mom now have flaming arrows. I hold my breath as they draw back their bows. They release them and flaming arrows fly in an arc toward my lost child and hitting the boat they catch it aflame.
Astrid shrieks at the sight and I hold her in my arms as she hides her face in my chest. All of the rest of us watch silently as the flames go up high over little Sieglinde.
I look back at my two living children and I see Zephyr, my good girl, hugging her little brother, my brave little Nuffink. They both have tears in their eyes as they too watch the flames and in their hearts say goodbye to their sister.
Slowly the flame becomes only a glow in the thick fog and then it is extinguished as the old boat disappears under the waves.
My poor Astrid is still sobbing into my fur chief's cape on my shoulder. I kiss her head through her blonde hair and she looks up at me. Gently I wipe the tears from her cheeks and we kiss each other full of love and sorrow. "Let's go home Astrid."
But before I could do anything else about it the scene was disturbed by something else. Out of nowhere from the fog another ship plunges into view and I know on sight if it that it was not a Berkian ship. Before we can even utter a word it crashes into the side of our ship and I have a sinking feeling it wasn't an accident.
"Take that chief Hiccup!" Comes a haughty and evil shout from the fog. "Under the cover of this fog we have taken you!" I pull my family close to my side and as I look around I see a million torches light. We are surrounded by enemies and we didn't even know. And of course, we gave away our own location by setting Sieglinde's boat aflame. My immediate thoughts are of my family and that I will kill the man that touches them. But momentarily my thoughts come to how I am to protect them. Nuffink has run into the arms of his mother and Zephyr clings to my side.
"It's alright Zephyr. I'll get us out of this."
I scan around me as the rest of the gang reacts to the situation themselves and momentarily I am asked by a very worried Fishlegs. "What do we do Hiccup?"
"Yeah, what's the plan chief?" Asks Snotlout.
As I had looked around I saw that our enemies whoever they were had not close in fully just yet. If we sailed now we might be able to make it out of the circle before they cut us off and head back to New Berk for defense.
"Fishlegs, set us toward New Berk." I command.
"But can we make it son?" Asks my mother looking at the flaming torches closing in in us.
"We have to try." I reply. "I am not happy right now at all! These barbarians have just disgraced my daughter's funeral and now they dare come after the rest of my family!? They will NOT TOUCH THEM!
Though there are still tears in her eyes my warrior wife is now in protective mother mode and has her arms around Nuffink. I am so proud of her. She endures a lot and is still an amazing mother to our children. I don't know if I can say that much about myself. Sometimes I wish I was a better father but I also have to be a chief and a husband. But I WILL protect my family, whatever the cost. They mean the world to me.
"Hiccup tell me what to do. I'm ready to fight!" Says Astrid as we get closer to meeting our goal and making it out of the circle.
"Astrid! No, you are not doing any fighting!" I exclaim. "You have just had a baby and I don't want you getting hurt. You need to hide with the kids."
"I can help, Daddy!" Nuffink pipes up
"No son, you need to stay with your mother." I say. I am a little disheartened when I see the let down look on his face but I want him safe... I can't lose another child.
We are out of the circle now and have quite confused our enemy's plan or so it seemed. But when I looked again there was a whole other fleet surrounding New Berk.
"Get ready guys." I call to the gang. Looks like we're about to have ourselves a battle.
YOU ARE READING
The Return of the Dragons
FanficI do not own How to Train Your Dragon or any of its original characters
