Selene

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Filled Shoes

Albion rustled his feathers from the topmost turret of Artorījos tower. Three Nightfurries fluttered about him, making it almost impossible to focus on all the dragons below, loading up for a long journey. In the past, he would never come this close to the humans. But there was something about that one with the golden hair...

"Fifteen teenage scuttleclaws?" I shouted.

"Check!" Gobber shouted.

"Six hundred seventy-eight Weapons?"

Check!

Boatful of Roman soldiers?"

"Check!"

"Boatful of Berks Treasury, stolen by said Romans?"

There were several guilty groans from the first boat.

"Check!"

"Boatful of fifty sheep?"

"Check!"

"Grain seed?"

"Check!"

"Provisions and extra winter clothing?"

"Check!"

"Shovels, hammers and building tools?"

"Check!"

"Thirty Terrible Terrors?"

Gothi wrote a checkmark in the dirt.

"Alright! Last call, everyone! Make sure your equipment is as carefully strapped down as possible or your losing it to the sea!" I shouted over dragon's making noise and Vikings making more noise. Hiccup, dressed in warm winter clothes walked out of the castle, Artorījos, Wynefreda before him, Liam and Myrddin at his side and Toothless close behind them. Trooper sat on Myrddin's shoulder.

"Mmmrrph," Ebony, who had been sleeping in the firepit of a bustling courtyard stretched and pranced over, sniffing noses with her fellow fury. She tried to get him to play by first licking his face in an annoying way, and then chewing on his ear. He snorted no and followed his boy.

"Artorījos we have plenty, thank you," Hiccup refused another offer of grain as I walked up to them. "It's been months and it will be at least one more before we get home; the fish should be on the return and I know that gronckles from other parts of the Archipelago have been seeding more plants and trees just by being there. We're Vikings, we make do with what we've got and what you've given us is more than enough to make do."

"If you're sure," Artorījos said through Liam. "It's a very long journey."

"It is, and we have dragons." Hiccup grinned. "Fire-breathing, fish-catching dragons. Not to mention the Alpha of all said dragons, right bud?"

Toothless straightened proudly.

"Hi Astrid," my husband turned as we came up. "And Gobber. How goes it?"

"We're all packed Hiccup, everyone is accounted for." Gobber answered.

Grace the three-legged Nightfurry skittered past. The Chief tried to hold back his smile.

"I'm proud of you for letting your Nightfurries go. They'll be much happier here where there's plenty of capable, loving hands to care for them, then all fifty going back with only you."

"Well umm," Liam cleared his throat. "That's the thing of it, Chief. I'm not going back."

Hiccup turned around.

"Y- you're not?" He repeated, dismay in his tone.

"Aye. My banishment's been lifted; my family is here, and we are safe. I think it's time I left that lonely old island in my past."