The Dragon Master Part III: End of an era (A Httyd Fanfiction)

Chapter 40: Together from afar

I let out a shuddering breath and smile at both Zephyr and Nuffink while caressing their hair and added. "But with love, also comes loss my children. Its part of the deal." Nuffink cocks his head and asks. "W-What does that mean Mommy?" I turn to my son and smile lightly at him and answer his question. "It means not everything you love will be on Midgard forever. Like me. I'll die one day, either in battle or of old age and when I do? I'll be reunited with your father."

"No! You can't die! We need you!!" Zephyr cried out while tugging on my white wolf cloak, I turned to my daughter and kissed her forehead and gazed into her ocean blue eyes. "There will be a time when both you and your brother will have to live without me Zephyr. Its my job as a parent to raise both of you into legendary warriors and its up to you two what you do with everything you've learned from me, your grandmother, Gobber and everyone else here."

Zephyr nodded in understanding and embraced me tightly, as did Nuffink, I chuckled lightly and embraced my children back while kissing both their heads. The moonlight outside told me that it was my children's bedtime, so, breaking off from children's embrace, I caressed both their cheeks and pointed upstairs. "Alright you two, its bedtime." Both Zephyr and Nuffink looked at each other and groaned in disapproval and turned back to me with pleading tones as they spoke. "But Mom..." They both said, but I quickly cut them off.

"Uh uh, no 'buts.' C'mon, you two are going hunting with Eret tomorrow." I informed, both Zephyr and Nuffink sighed but nodded as I smiled at them and led my children to their rooms and kissed them both goodnight and extinguished the candles in their rooms and let the dreams come for them both.

Heading back down stairs, I gazed into a mirror and took in my appearance. I was wearing black leather armor with an ocean blue tunic underneath, I wore a studded leather skirt, I wore gray leggings and sleek black leather boots and was wrapped in my white wolf cloak. Taking a look at my hair, it was in a Summer braid style with multiple gold cuffs in my hair. Sure, I couldn't deny I was pretty, because many men not only desired me because I was a legendary shield maiden, former wife to Hiccup and Dragon Master, but they also desired me for my... "drop dead beauty."

Turning away from the mirror, I open the door to my home and gaze upon New Berk, the late hours of the night tell me that everyone is asleep by now, only the Berk Guards and Black Guards of both Hooligan and Strike people were awake; ensuring our home was secured and that no intruders were present.

Knowing that sleep was what I needed after an exhausting day, there was one more thing I needed to do, or more specifically, say goodnight to someone. Making my way to where our people built a massive memorial ground for everyone we lost during the bloody wars we fought. The names were engraved in stone and were on a massive stone tablets, but the leaders of our combined people stood and their legacy was engraved at the base of their statues.

Looking up at the statue of my beloved Hiccup, I smiled up at the engraved face of the man I loved with every fiber of my being and greeted him for the first time in five years after his death, much to my regret, but now? I needed to speak to my husband. "Hey Hiccup. It's me again. Astrid. Your wife. Remember me?" I laughed lightly before continuing. "How are you in Valhalla? How are you and Stoick? Hope you both are good. We... we here we... everyone here is fine we... so many things have happened since you... you'd be surprised." I sighed heavily before clarifying. "The twins built a shop where they sell crazy inventions. Yeah, I have no idea how that worked out for them. Fishlegs is a teacher now, and the children all love him. I gave Asbjorn the title of Commander of Berks army, both Hooligan and Strike. Heather and Fishlegs are about to be married in three moons too! About time." I said with a light chuckle, a chuckle that didn't last long and soon turned into a sorrowful sigh.

"Hiccup... I don't know if you can hear me or... if I'm just talking to myself like a crazy person. I just..." I pursed my lips as tears clouded my vision and I whispered out while placing my hand at the foot of Hiccup's statue. "...gods, I miss you so much Hiccup." Whimpering slightly, I continue speaking in a hushed tone. "I miss the warmth your body gave me to keep the cold away after we'd make love, I missed your dorky smile, your sarcasm... I miss you. All of you."