úlfheðnar, httyd

xxix. From Morning To Eve

     This wasn't what she meant in finding who he was. Yrsa pursed her lips━how could she say that to him? She doesn't own him. He was a grown man who could make his own decisions, but was this the right one? Did she have the right to believe what decision was good and bad for Hiccup? Of course not ... but she was still wanted the best for him. She wanted him to see himself as everyone else did; as she did. She wanted him to take on his responsibility with a deep breath and a set of his jaw like he always did━like she knew he could. But this was his chance to run away, to live a life with his mother ... and what did that make Yrsa to suggest against that? If she had one more day with her father; one more chance to spend time with him, she would jump at the opportunity, too.

     But there was also that selfish part of her that wanted to beg: no, please, Hiccup, don't leave me. Because he was her friend, he was her future husband━she loved him, and Yrsa didn't think she could bear saying goodbye to him like that. Not after everything they've been through. Because she also knew that while he might want to stay, Yrsa was determined to stay on Berk. And she couldn't force him to stay with her, like he couldn't force her to stay here.

      Yrsa was torn, watching Valka pull him in for a hug and how he melted into her embrace, shedding a single tear as he clung onto his mother━the one person he needed, but never had for twenty years. 

     Helrose noticed the slump in her figure. With a concerned warble, she walked up to her and nudged her head against her shoulder. Yrsa chuckled sadly at her, scratching the sides of her snout. "You know me too well, girl..." she whispered. 

      "Oh, this is so great!" exclaimed Hiccup as he pulled away, grinning. "Now you, Yrsa and I can go talk to Drago together!"

      Yrsa glanced over, surprised. 

     Valka chuckled in her disbelief, "What?" Cloudjumper decided to walk up to her, towering over the lot of them even as he sat down. "There's no talking to Drago."

     Hiccup faltered. The smile on his face fell slightly as he said, "B━but we have to━"

    "No," his mother shook her head. She turned to Cloudjumper, "We must protect our own."

     The irony in her words━Yrsa could see Hiccup realised that too in the way he scoffed and flung his gaze to the heavens in his exasperation. 

     Before he could say anything else, Valka pulled herself up onto Cloudjumper's back. "Come on, we should be getting back."

      Hiccup sighed as she took off, hovering above in the clouds waiting for them. He clenched his hands. Toothless was still showing off his new skill, and Hiccup arched a brow at him as he stopped in at his side. He snapped his fins open with a gummy grin. 

      He then glanced over at Yrsa, and she saw a pained gleam in his green eyes. "You still think we should go talk to Drago?"

      Yrsa found it hard to meet his gaze. She pursed her lips and scratched Helrose a little more. Hiccup frowned, noticing her stance easily━she couldn't hide from him even if she tried. "Yrs ...?" he stepped up to her. "You okay, hon?"

       She couldn't tell him━how could she? What did that make her? So, Yrsa forced a soft smile on her face and turned to him. "Nothing," she lied. "Just━you know━waiting for the moment to do this━"

       And she hooked her finger under the spring-coil to snap out his back fin just after he spent time rolling it back in. 

      And Hiccup's face made her feel better. Just the furrow of his brows and the miffed puff of his cheeks made her heart light up and she chuckled, watching him twist the fin back in. "Stop it," he chided lightly. "I'm serious."