"Hurry up! Hurry up! We are late!"
Anna was running with her nine-month-old baby in her arms towards the harbor followed by Kristoff, who carried each of their four-year-old twins on each arm, and by an entourage of servants carrying boxes filled with a huge variety of things.
"Really. Do you think it was necessary to bring all those fry-pans with us?" Kristoff asked shocked.
"Oh, you should have a chat with my cousin about her security system."
"Why?"
"It's flawless!"
"What?" he said understanding less and less.
"Never mind. There they are!"
Anna saw Elsa and Hallan waiting for them on the deck of the ship and ran to them. Once there, Liv and Keldan jumped out of their father's arms and ran to hug their aunts.
"Hey, little guys! How are you?" Hallan said hugging them back.
"We are fine! Let's play!" Keldan said excited.
"Yeah! Let's play! Do the magic, aunty Elsa!" said Liv even more excited.
"Of course we'll play," Elsa smiled. "But let me greeting your parents before."
"Fiiine..." the both said pouting.
"Hi, Eir," Elsa carefully caressed the baby in Anna's arms.
"Hi, aunty Elsa. How are you?" Anna said making a tiny voice and moving her daughter's arm.
"You are late," Elsa looked at Anna and Kristoff making an angry face.
"Of course we are! A queen has a lot of duties," Anna replied.
"You overslept, right?"
"Totally soundly," Anna admitted with a grin making Elsa laugh.
"I missed you, Anna! You are the best!" Hallan laughed loudly and hugged the couple.
"We missed you too," Anna assured the Ahtohallan's spirit.
"Wao, Anna!" Olaf exclaimed appearing from behind Elsa. "What eye bags you have! You look like a panda!"
"Thank you, Olaf," Anna said frowning.
"You're welcome," the snowman said genuinely.
Anna smiled at his innocence. "How long have you arrived, Olaf?"
"We've been on the boat for two hours. Sven and I are early risers," he smiled.
"Mommy..." Liv said with her brown puppy eyes. "For whom are these gifts that Gerda just carried?"
Anna smiled and crouched down to her face level. "Those are for Zephyr and for the baby to be born. Do you remember Zephyr? We also went to meet her when she was born two years ago, although, of course, you were only two years old. You grow up so fast... but you also saw her when she came to meet Eir last year." As usual, Anna continued speaking without allowing anyone to answer her questions. "We also bring a lot of chocolate for Astrid. She's about to make very hard work."
"Poor Hiccup," Kristof said shaking his head. "How cruel marginalization..."
"Oh, c'mon. His side is easy peasy!" she objected.
Kristoff looked carefully at his own hand as if losing himself in his memories. "It is?"
---
About 930 miles from there...
"Ahhhhhh!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!"
"Don't be a crybaby!!" Astrid yelled to her husband. "I'm the one who is giving birth!!"
"I know, I know! But if you keep tightening like this I will need another prosthesis! Where do you get so much strength?!"
"Shut up and hold on!"
"Astrid, don't push now. Breathe and wait for the next contraction," Valka instructed while assisting the birth.
"No way! I've had enough of all this! This child is going to be born right now!"
"Oh, dear. Stubbornness will not make the baby born before..." Valka sighed.
"No, mom. Don't challenge her..." Hiccup shuddering mumbled.
"We'll see."
Astrid smiled confidently while grunted in pain and began to push with all her power. In a few minutes, in front of the stunned eyes of Valka, the little Viking came out of his lair.
"You... made it!" Valka said examining the baby's condition.
"Oh, Thor..." Hiccup managed to say as Astrid caught her breath.
"He's a healthy boy," Valka smiled at his son and put his own son in his arms.
"Oh, Freyja! He is wonderful!" he said contemplating him. "And you have been so brave."
Hiccup brought the baby closer to Astrid for her to hold.
"I always am," she smiled back and took her baby.
"Thank you," he whispered in her ear.
"Thank you too," Astrid kissed his lips softly. "I love you."
"I love you too," He turned his gaze back to his son. "Well, I guess this little buddy is going to need a name."
"Look how he eats. It shows that he is a strong and brave warrior," Valka proudly said.
"No, he isn't," Hiccup answered smiling at his son.
"Excuse me?" Astrid replied offended.
"He is nothing but what he wants to be. Let's leave it to him."
"Hmm..." Astrid regained her smile. "Then, what about Nuffink?"
"I- I... I love it!" he stammered.
Hiccup kissed her forehead and leaned his head on hers and Valka, feeling like she should leave them a little bit alone, stood up and walked to the door.
"I'm going to find Zephyr to bring her to meet Nuffink. Where she is?"
They both nodded in gratitude.
"She is walking along the cliffs with Gobber," Hiccup informed.
"Ok. See you later."
Valka left the room and headed for the cliffs while Astrid and Hiccup cooed warmly their son.
---
Meanwhile, in the cliffs...
"Can you smell it? A new opportunity for me is coming to this world!" the weakness spirit said eagerly. "I'll start to corrupt it now and one day that one will be mine!"
"Maybe you should just give up, grumpy shadow," Gobber proposed as advice. "You've already tried with all of us, even with the children! And you haven't achieved anything."
"Someday I'll get it," the spirit said shaking the area that would match his fist.
"You're so stubborn," Gobber laughed. "I think you are already one of us."
"Zephyr!" Valka's voice was heard as she ran towards them. "Your brother is born!"
"Alreary? Go! Go! I wanna see him!" Zephyr said trying unsuccessfully to put all the letters in their place.
"You come, Viking?" Gobber invited the spirit with a smirk.
"No, thanks. I'm going to stay here hatching my plan."
"As you want. Just remember we have a horror story contest tonight," Gobber said walking off.
"I won't lose this time, gammy-big head!
"You can try it!"
Gobber laughed and he, Valka, and Zephyr disappeared towards the town.
The sea was calm and reflected the sunlight. The breeze was nice, and somehow life there was being funnier than expected.
"Well, is not so bad this being a Viking. I'll stay with them, gather all the Viking troops out there and together we will conquer the world!"
---
Some days after, Elsa and Hallan were silent looking over the railing of the ship during the final stretch of their trip to New Berk.
"Hey, Hallan," Elsa said breaking the silence.
"Hm?"
"There is something I have been wondering about since we met Astrid and Hiccup. Isn't it supposed to be like 800 years ago that the Vikings disappeared?"
"Of course it is," Hallan said with absolute nonchalance.
"So..." Elsa raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, I'll tell you," Hallan said pleasing her beloved. "In fact, on the way to the battle of Stamford Bridge a shipwrecked and some of its crew managed to reach a desert island in life. They lived there until they ran out of resources and went to sea until they found Berk eight generations ago, where they founded the Berk where Astrid and Hiccup were born. Although, as you know, a few years ago they moved to New Berk."
"So they are the only Vikings left?"
"Yep."
"And do they know that?"
"Nope," Hallan answered a little amused. "And it's not necessary for anyone to tell them."
Elsa puzzled stared at Hallan. Life with her was never dull. Hallan winked at her and smiled as she turned her gaze to the sea. Then, with the illusion of who debuts new life still coursing through her veins, she took a deep breath and shouted with joy.
"Land in sight!"