On Love's Wings ~ A Snotlout Jorgenson Fanfiction

Chapter 22 ~ Dragon Scales & Drool

When I arrived home that evening, Snotlout was already there, sharpening the sword I had given him and humming to himself. Astrid had given me permission to tell my husband her news, and I did so with enthusiasm. Though, to my surprise, he gave no notion of any interest in having a child of our own. And to be honest, I was relieved. Of course I wanted to have children with my husband one day, but even still, it was a big step and to be honest, it sort of scared me. Snotlout simply said he would have to give them his congratulations the next morning, before heading to bed, obviously exhausted from a long day of combat training with some of the new riders. Not wanting to bug him, I left the subject alone, and sat in the main room for some time, Nightwing resting her head in my lap when I was sitting in a chair beside the fireplace. The cool autumn breeze came in from outside, but I remained where I was, content to think about what the coming months would have in store for my husband and I.

After that, Astrid often came back to see me in terms of discussing her pregnancy. Eventually, she had no choice but to ditch her normal tunic and skirt, having to wear either a dress or long tunic and leggings due to the large size of her belly. This time Valka was accompanying her, Hiccup's mother completely ecstatic at the idea of having a grandchild. I looked over my very pregnant friend, feeling her belly to find the baby's position, checking to make sure she didn't have a fever or cold, making sure she was eating well. "Astrid is already showing!" Valka noted excitedly. I smiled, grinning at my friend in congratulations, eyes falling upon her firm belly once more. "Well, she is almost five moon cycles along, so that doesn't surprise me at all." I commented, patting Astrid's shoulder. She ran a hand over her stomach shaking her head in disbelief. "I guess I should've paid more attention to my monthly cycle, huh?" My friend joked. "We all lapse from time to time. You've been pretty busy too! With everyone trying to train these new dragons, it would be difficult to constantly pay attention to when you've bled or haven't. Freya knows I don't always remember mine." Then my own words hit me, and I realized the irony in my statement. I couldn't recall experiencing my own monthly cycle in at least the past month or two. And I had been pretty tired lately. Maybe...no, not yet. I miscounted, That's all. Overwork and exhaustion. I brushed the thought away, trying to finish taking care of my best friend. "Would you and Snotlout like to come over tonight for dinner, maybe we can cook some salmon and rice. I don't know why but I'm really craving seafood right now. Must be the baby. And I'm sure my baby would like to eat something from someone who can actually cook for once. Thor knows Mommy can't make a meal to save her life." Astrid chuckled, talking sweetly to the baby inside her. Nausea hit me immediately after she mentioned the fish. Generally I loved salmon, but the thought of eating any anytime soon was sickening. Wait...oh no..what if I am? I wondered, thoughts returning to my original concern. Politely declining Astrid's offer, I mentioned that I thought I may have a bug and I didn't want to give it to she or Hiccup. My best friend understood, taking her leave with a grateful smile, while Valka bid me farewell and followed her daughter-in-law out of the hut.

When Astrid and Valka left the room to update Hiccup on the news, I sat down, lost in thought. As much as I wanted to deny it, the signs were pointing toward the fact that I may very well be pregnant too. After being a healer for so long, you come to know the signs and expectations of such events, and also the complications that can occur. It was an idea that worried me. I reflected on the past couple years of marriage with my husband, and at any point when I could've gotten pregnant. My mind flashed back to a number of occasions as of late. As I pondered, I knew that the circumstances and coincidence was too much. It was more than likely I was going to be having a baby, but I needed a second opinion.

Gothi came back a while later, one of her Terrible Terrors sitting on her shoulder and snoozing. "Hey, Aunt Gothi...could I ask you a question?" I began uneasily. She tilted her head, then blinked and gestured for me to come closer. I sat down in front of her, nervously pulling a strand of hair over my shoulder and braiding it. She used her staff to draw in the sand. "Whatever is the matter, child?" I sighed, closing my eyes. "I-I think I might be...with child..." I admitted, waiting for the sound of her staff hitting the floor below us in acknowledgement of my words. There was no noise indicating her reaction to the matter though. Opening one eye, I glanced up at my aunt, only to see her nodding expectantly and crossing her arms. "You knew?" I asked. Again, she dipped her head, before drawing in the sand once more. "Yes. You have not been eating as you generally do and you have been complaining of back and stomach aching." She stated plainly. "Well, maybe I am just sick. Some sort of bug." I tried to argue. Gothi motioned for me to stand up, and so I did, albeit a bit more winded than usual. Her frail hand suddenly pressed against my belly. I watched her, unsure about her actions. She squinted her eyes up at me, then added another drawing on the dirt. It was a baby in a circle, representing the womb. "Pregnant." She confirmed, slightly pushing on the soft skin over my stomach, showing me how much it resembled Astrid's in the early stages of her pregnancy. Closing my eyes, I had to breath deeply to settle my mind in order to grasp the situation. I was with child. Snotlout's child. Our child. This was it. It was real...