The Return of the Dragons

Part 41 Close to My Heart - Viggo POV

I pace back and forth. A tear comes to my eye. Since Freya left she hasn't come back in days. It has almost been a week and her baby needs her. I have been able to manage feeding her on the little bit of milk we had but she needs her mothers nourishment.

Beside that I am worried for my Freya's safety. Has something happened to her? Is she alive or is she... I cant say it!

..

Daddy Daddy! sounds in my ears. I blink my eyes open and a little girl is staring me in the face with an excited grin. Daddy wake up! she cries as she bounces on me, her long, dark brown hair swinging in my face.

"Carina love, it's not light yet." I say closing my eyes.

"But Daddy I can't sleep!" She says.

"And why is that?" I ask sitting up and she climbs into my lap.

"Because we were going to train me a dragon tomorrow!" She says jumping up and down. She certainly had her mother's energy.

I laugh and pull her into my arms. "Yes darling but tomorrow not tonight!" And I give her a kiss on her sweet head.

I hug her close to my heart . "I love you Daddy." She whispers in my ear.

"I love you too Carina." I say hugging her close to me. I run my fingers through her long hair and kiss her cheek. "Now," I say, "You get back to bed and go to sleep. We'll train you a dragon in the morning!"

"Yes Daddy!" She said and hopped off my lap and into her own bed.

..

"That's it, now hold out your hand, love." I whisper to my daughter as she extends her arm to the young skrill I had selected for her.

"Daddy I'm scared." she whimpers.

"It's all right love. I'm right here." I say trying to reassure her.

The dragon comes close to her. I do not hate dragons anymore, but if that creature dares to even think of harming my child I will tear him apart. But to my relief the dragon puts its scaly face to her hand. She has trained him.

"Daddy I did it !" Carina cries. "I trained a dragon! my very own dragon!"

"Yes love." I say, "Your very own.

..

"Daddy." I hear call from across the room that night.

"Yes love?" I ask sitting up a little bit, straining my eye in the dark to see her.

"I'm scared." she whimpers.

I sigh in pity. " Come here child. Let's see if I can't fix it for you." I hear the patter of little feet as my seven year old girl crosses the room a rustle in the covers as she climbs in bed beside me.

"Now love," I ask, "Can you tell Daddy why you are scared?"

She sniffles. "I had a bad dream." she answers.

"And would you like to tell me what it was about?" I ask gently. I pull her into my arms and gently rub her shoulder.

"It was about..." and she begins to snuggle harder. "It was about..." she now begins to sob softly. "My dragon didn't like you and you got hurt." and she begins to cry. I I'll her closer to my heart and kiss her head. A tear rolls from my eye."

"Oh sweet child," I say. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise you, and I will never NEVER let anything happen to you!" I look her in the eye. "Carina, darling, I need you to know something." and she looks at me attentively. "You are my most precious treasure. I have loved you since I knew you existed before you were even born. I have had the pleasure of raising you and giving to you all the love I can give. You remind me so much of your mother who I am so sorry you never met. You were the mark of the restart of my life. You mean the world to me Carina. I named you that because it means beloved, for that is what you are to me. I love you sweet child!"

She hugs me tighter. " I love you too Daddy!" she cries.

I smile and say, "Now you don't have to go to bed. You can stay with me if you'd like."

"Oh yes!" she cries and snuggles up next to me. I wrap her in my arms and give her a kiss... she my most precious treasure.

.....

Present

Hiccup POV

Tears roll down my cheeks as Viggo finishes his tragic and touching story.

"So what happened to Carina?" I ask.

I see a tear roll down his scarred face. "That was the last night I saw her. The next morning she was gone and I never knew where she went. I have been searching for her all these years since. And that, Hiccup, is what brings me here.