dragonmasterhiccup

[dragonmasterhiccup]

[dragonmasterhiccup]

"It's beautiful." Hyvell agrees.

"Berk is definitely one of the more colorful places I've been to. Everyone seems so content? Is that the right word?" He says, a bit unsure.

"Whatever it is, it's so pretty."

As they sit together, Hyvell is mostly quiet with the occasional yawn. It was getting later and colder, and when Hiccup got up, all he could respond with was a quiet "Mhm.." as he could feel himself dozing off.

When he finally decides to get up, he is sure he's unintentionally napped for at least a few minutes because he 'comes back to his senses' lying down on the floor.

Hyvell gets up and stretches with a yawn, feeling some of his joints pop. He walks towards the man's hut, and as he's about to open the door, he stops.

'Maybe I shouldn't just walk in...' He thinks, not wanting to come off rude even though the man said it was fine to enter. What if the first person Hyvell stumbled upon was Hiccup's wife and not Hiccup?

Hyvell knocks instead.

----

(absolutely cackling at the idea of Hiccup Haddock bringing a whole teenager to his house and showing him to Astrid like: look!)

The chief grinned. "Content is a great way to put it! I'd say we're a pretty content tribe."

Heading inside, he found Astrid was already home for the day.

"Hey! You're back early," Hiccup kissed his wife in greeting.

"Yeah, I thought I'd surprise you and work on my cooking. But you're back early too, everything go okay today?"

"Oh, you know, just catching up with my brother--"

"Your brother?!" The Chieftess' eyes were wide, not believing what she was hearing.

"Uh, well, he's--he's actually not my brother, but...it's a bit of a story. I'll just give you the shortened version: Johann told him that I'm his brother, and he's spent a couple of years searching for me."

"Oh," Astrid tilted her head, "Johann? What could he have possibly hoped to have gotten out of that?"

"I don't know. But I told him he could stay with us for a couple days, at least until he decides if he wants to stay on Berk or not."

She turned to face her husband, a little irritated. "Hiccup? This, it's our home. Before offering to let some random person stay with us, can you, oh I don't know, talk to me about it first?! I mean, what if he's not who he says he is?"

Hiccup placed his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Astrid. He's no threat. He went through a lot just to get here...only to learn that Johann lied. It's only for a few days. Give him a chance."

After a moment, she nodded. "Okay. Fine, I'll give him a chance. But if I see anything fishy about this guy, he's out."

That's when they heard a knock at the door.

Hiccup moved towards it, "That's probably him. Remember, Astrid, be nice."

Opening the door, he ushered the teen inside. "Hyvell, I'd like you to meet my wife, Astrid. Astrid, this is Hyvell. He's the one I told you about."

Astrid looked the boy up and down, arms crossed, trying to get a read on him. "Hyvell. Looks like you'll be staying with us for a few days. Mind telling me what island you're originally from?"

Hiccup, behind Hyvell, gave Astrid a look.

Her expression softened a little, clearing her throat. "Right, sorry, I'm just a little tense, I guess. Come on in, have a seat. Hiccup only told me a little about your story. You've been looking for Berk for a while, right?"

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Hiccup.

Hiccup wake up.

"Hmmm? Wh--what? I'm, I'm up, what...what is it?" The dragon rider sat up somewhat groggily, having been in a deep sleep.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

"...Often enough," keeping his eyes on what he was doing, he continued, "Having Toothless helps, but I've been able to diffuse situations involving people and dragons one way or another..."

Pressing his lips together, he thought about it. "If what that guy gleaned from harming Lyra had gotten out, if he shared, or more likely sold that information...and it was used against another fae...they'd die because Lyra's memory was erased. She's the only one that knows how to treat it, how to reverse it."

"I can't speak for Lyra, but I know she'd prefer to be able to save lives. It'd be best if she hadn't gone through it at all, but...if what happened to you last night happened to another, she would want to have the knowledge to save them, don't you think?" Drying the sleeping fae's hands off, he moved the basin aside.

Kiara's statement surprised him, and he tilted his head at her, waiting for her to explain further.

Nodding, he glanced back at Lyra's sleeping form. "The biggest part is to stay calm, but you have that handled already. After that...well, it depends on who you're helping, why they're reacting the way they are. In your case, for Lyra... remember how she gripped my hand? She was trying to ground herself, to stay aware of what is really happening right now. At least, I think that's what she was doing..."

"Having her focus on breathing showed to help earlier, so keep that in mind, and...well, it's a lot of trial and error, honestly. She may already know what would work best for her in situations like these. You can always ask her, when she wakes."

“Hiccup!” Lyra ran up to the chief, an excited grin on her face.

“Are you busy? I have something to show you!” She took his hand and pulled him towards Altair and Toothless.

“You know how last month the lightning strike caused the large forest fire?” Stopping in front of the dragons the fae all but buzzing in excitement. If her wings were visible they’d be fluttering.

“I did a thing!” She couldn’t wait to show him.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

STOP!

DAD! NO!

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Ch1 | P21 | The Breaking of the Waves [Mermaid Hiccup Au]

Masterpost of Pages

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Regardless of how cold his skin was to the touch, she allowed herself to remain as close to him as possible, shutting her eyes with him while their foreheads met and their hands interlocked. "You're the incredible one, going out there to find my sister in this weather.."

Ayla hesitantly nodded, blinking away the last of her tears. "…Yeah, and since we're best friends, you better keep your promises..! Okay? You better be fine! Very fine, in fact!"

As her boyfriend cupped her cheek, Freya reached up her hand to hold it over his, another warmth filling her when she observed the way he stared at her. He could speak a million words with just his eyes alone. "I love you, Hiccup Haddock, more than anything."

Breathing in the subtle piney fragrance that always seemed to waft from him, she spoke softly: "Then be extra careful now.."

Cloudjumper gracefully nodded, accepting his thanks as the Stormcutter glimpsed at the two humans. Of whom, Freya settled herself in the Chief's arms with a tender and yet poignant smile. She didn't want her thoughts to wander off into the scenarios of what could've happened, choosing to focus on the fact that he was alive and okay. "Thank you for being willing to go in the middle of a blizzard for Ayla.."

Silence was the only thing she gave at the mention of his dad, eventually guiding her eyes back onto his face after she had plaintively looked at the floor. "Yeah..they were both pretty great at that, weren't they..?"

She was relieved when he agreed to her concerns, quickly deciding to leave the topic for another day as he nearly dropped the cup of tea. She held her hand in front of him to help prevent an accidental spill, an apologetic upward pull of her lips showing as she made sure he kept his balance. "Of course…I'm sorry.."

Finishing the small braid, Freya grazed his cheek with the back of her hand, wishing she could put an end to his shivering. His skin hadn't lost its chilly tincture, making her slightly frown. "I'll be here while you warm up, for however long it'll take. I don't care if we're here for the rest of the day, I just want you to be alright."

Moving in to stick close by the Chief's side, she covered herself underneath the blankets as well, nestling against his shoulder while one of her arms rubbed his back, following Gothi's instructions. Her free hand traveled over to find his, intertwining them with a voice coated in a gentleness she exclusively used for him when it was just the two of them, "You did an amazing job today, Hiccup. Everyone's safe and we have all the supplies we need here.."

She glanced at him, eyes emitting her love and devotion towards him. "You're doing great, okay? Don't forget to give yourself some credit…You're always going above and beyond but..I'm not sure if you, yourself, know that.."

Shifting a bit in order to straighten herself up, Freya briefly let go of his hand to lightly hold his chin; the contact was feather-like, handling him as though he were a delicate piece of glass. "You're an outstanding Chief, okay?" She softly placed a kiss on his cheek, feeling herself tear up as she went to do the same for the other one, "You're an excellent leader." Another peck on his forehead, "You're a spectacular brother to Ayla."

She basked in the reality that he was truly there, still present, and not in the freezing storm outside anymore. He was alive. Hiccup wasn't gone. She gratefully pondered on those thoughts as she clasped one of his hands in hers for the second time, giving a quivering kiss upon it as she quietly started to cry. She couldn't have been more thankful.

"You're a wonderful son.." She implicitly mentioned his relationship with Valka, acknowledging that the two of them didn't have the mother and son bond which most of the people around them had, for twenty years at least. Nonetheless, he had been open to developing their connection, something she persistently adored him for.

Pausing, Freya's gaze glued onto his eyes, revitalized by the sight of the emerald hues reflecting the luster of the fire. "And you're an admirable boyfriend… Splendid, marvelous, fantastic… I--" She exhaled, leaning in to dissolve the small distance between them, "I can't find the right words.."

And as the blanket seemed to provide a shelter for them both, a covering, she felt as if the Great Hall became empty, her kiss fragile as their lips met. She didn't mind the vague coldness that came from it, the warmth which suffused her on the inside allowing her the ability to ignore it. She loved Hiccup, with everything she had. Even then, she believed that he deserved so much more. If she could, she'd give him the sun if he ever requested it.

Unhurriedly, and a bit reluctantly, pulling away, Freya merely stared at him before resting her head on his shoulder again. "..That tea is kind of sweet.." She muttered, hiding her amused smirk that had formed as she implicated a teasing remark.

"I was just doing what any chief should...and I know my dad would have done the same. Though, he probably would have lasted longer..." Shaking his head, he continued, "I'm just glad she's safe."

Nodding, he reassured Ayla, "When have I ever not kept my promises? I have no intention of breaking them...so, I promise to do my best to stay out of trouble." He hoped that was enough, knowing that he may have no choice but to go headlong into danger, like he did today.

The corners of his lips turned up in a smile, "I love you too, more than I can say."

His gaze softened as he nodded, "I will."

Eyes on the cup of tea in his hands, he hummed in agreement, remembering the strange dream he'd had after collapsing in the storm outside.

I'm proud of you.

Would he be? Ayla wasn't out in that storm to begin with. Granted, he didn't know that, but shouldn't he have known to check the nearby huts first, before going all over the island in vain?

Pulling the blanket tighter around himself, he had a feeling that no matter what he did, he'd always be comparing himself to Stoick, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

Steadying his hands, he shook his head. "W-why s-sorry? It's a v-valid concern. We, we don't want to be overcrowded, exhaust our resources. We--we need to be smart about this, is all..."

Shivering meant he was making progress, but gods it was annoying. He hated it when his teeth chattered, when he couldn't stop shaking. Another tremor passed through him as he leaned back on Toothless' side, squeezing his eyes shut and focusing on relaxing his tense muscles. Anything to slow down how much he was shaking.

Gothi scratched out, 'Keep helping him warm up, he'll be just fine. If things worsen, I'll be just over there.' She pointed towards the edge of the crowd before leaving the young couple alone.

Taking a few deep breaths, he looked at his girlfriend. "That sounds good to me. We may be here all night, though," nodding towards the window, the world outside had grown dark, the sun long past the horizon. Scooting over slightly, he gestured for her to come closer. "If you're staying, then get over here. I need your warmth..."

He let out a relaxed sigh as she moved beside him, and between the warmth of the fire, the tea, Toothless, and now Freya, he hoped he'd stop shivering sooner rather than later.

After taking a long drink of hot tea, he set the cup down, leaning the side of his head onto Freya's, wrapping one arm around her waist, his other hand holding hers.

Hearing the muffled conversations of the Berkians, he gave a small nod, though part of him had trouble accepting her compliments.

"Sometimes it just feels like it's never enough...that I need to do more...but there's only so much that can be done, and...I don't want to run myself into the ground trying to do it all... especially when some isn't necessary..."

As she held his gaze, his eyes were full of longing. It was rare for someone to tell him he was doing a good job, usually people came to him looking for their problems to be solved. They were always wanting things, and he was always giving...giving solutions, alternatives, advice...

He so desperately needed to hear what she was telling him.

As she began listing words to describe him, he felt his eyes brim with tears. He was barely able to reciprocate her kiss, "Wait," he breathed, "I don't...I don't know how to...how to take what you're saying..." Shaking his head, his face angled lower, blinking rapidly to clear the wetness of his eyes, "I--I can't, uh, I don't know what to say to all of that..."

It wasn't that he didn't feel the same way about her. He did, but he couldn't find the words, and after his ordeal in the blizzard, that dream, all combined with the intense cold that felt as though it were clinging to him, it felt like it was too much.

His grip on her hand tightened, "I'm sorry, you're--you're amazing, and gods I love you, I just...you don't know how much it means to me, you saying all of that."

Holding her close, he slowly, gradually shivered less and less, until all that was left was the occasional chill and goosebumps running over his whole self.

He began to relax as he warmed up, and laying there with his arms around Freya, his back resting on Toothless, and his eyes closed, he drifted off to sleep.

--

Waking up an hour or so later, he looked around blearily before groggily asking Freya, "Did...did I miss anything? Is, is everyone okay? No one needs anything, right?" What if the rest of the tribe noticed he'd been gone, missing from the crowd for so long? Did anyone stumble across him asleep and bundled in blankets, thinking he was too weak to be chief?

"I--I can't stay here anymore, someone else probably needs these blankets more, and I should make the rounds, check on everyone..."

Moving to get up, it was then he realized he wasn't wearing his prosthetic. "Where's my leg?"

[dragonmasterhiccup]

I’m gonna call this… “Inferno”! {x}

bonuses:

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Rubbing the back of his head, he looked away, "Let's just say I have a lot of experience. I've learned a few different methods to help calm a panicked person, or panicked dragon, actually..."

"She's been through more than we can imagine. She just needs time to process it all, I think..."

Nodding, he went to retrieve the basin, emptying it out and adding fresh, warm water. Kneeling down by the two sisters, he took out the clean cloth he always kept in his armor, dampening it. Taking one of Lyra's hands into his own, he began to clean off the residue from the antidote.

Hearing Kiara's words, he looked up at her, hands pausing. "I don't know if that's such a great idea. She already suspected where you were last night, and if that arm were to scar? It could bring on the same events. And what if you need another application of the antidote? We don't know exactly what was used and how much."

Shaking his head, he got back to it, finishing one hand and moving on to the next, "Lyra is strong, she will get through this. She wouldn't want you to erase her memory."

“Hiccup!” Lyra ran up to the chief, an excited grin on her face.

“Are you busy? I have something to show you!” She took his hand and pulled him towards Altair and Toothless.

“You know how last month the lightning strike caused the large forest fire?” Stopping in front of the dragons the fae all but buzzing in excitement. If her wings were visible they’d be fluttering.

“I did a thing!” She couldn’t wait to show him.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

When he came back, she opens her eyes again, giving a weak smile before attempting to sit up. Her head spins slightly when she does, and she has to steady herself a bit.

“Thank you.” Shakily, Melodía takes the warm cup, holding it close to her for its heat before carefully taking a sip. It felt nice going down her throat and warms up her belly, and she gives a happy little shimmy. “That’s really nice…” She giggles softly.

Nodding a bit, the girl takes the toast. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but Hiccup had gone through all this trouble for her, and she didn’t want it to go to waste. Besides, she wanted this to be as easy for him as possible. Not to mention she was too tired to argue.

Gently nibbling on it, the princess is only able to finish about half of it before setting it down. She plans to eat the rest in a bit, but she’s giving herself a short break.

Turning away, she sneezes twice into her arm before sniffling a bit and rubbing at her nose.

“This is so weird…” She scrunches her nose to stop any more sneezes from coming. “I… I can't remember the last time I was sick. Doesn’t happen very often for merfolk, yknow.”

He ate his breakfast with her, finishing rather quickly and noticing she didn't seem all that hungry. It was to be expected, given how she described how she was feeling.

"Don't feel like you have to finish it, just eat what you can."

Giving a small nod, he empathized, "I can imagine. Merfolk probably don't get anything like this...where we first experience it as kids, this must feel completely foreign to you..."

His eyes saddened, feeling guilty. She wouldn't have gotten sick if he hadn't in the first place. She'd caught it from him, and then tended to him while he was sick, exhausting herself, despite Hiccup trying to be as low maintenance as possible.

Worry did take its toll.

"Is there anything I can do, or get for you that could help?"

[dragonmasterhiccup]

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Hyvell frowns. It makes sense. The dragon technically could be lonely, Hyvell knows a thing or two about that. Loneliness sucks.

He watches him in silence before turning over to look back at Berk. The boy can't see that far, so soon enough, all he sees are shapes, outlines, and colors.

"Your village is pretty," He mentions. "I can't see it very well, but the colors are everywhere. It's so lively and colorful."

Hiccup telling him that there's really no trouble has him smile slightly, too. "Thank you. I will let you know." Hyvell says, though not getting up. He doesn't feel like going inside yet. Instead, he stays seated, enjoying the breeze.

Looking out to the painted buildings, Hiccup smiled. "Yeah, once we were no longer at war with dragons, we didn't have to constantly rebuild our huts anymore. It allowed us to be a little more creative, go all out. I like it. It's a reminder of how great things have been, since making peace with the dragons."

Seeing that Hyvell was feeling better and enjoying the view, Hiccup sat with him for a little bit.

Standing up, he said, "I'm just going to get that room ready for you. Come on in when you're ready." With that, he headed inside.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

His reminder of not getting rid of him made Freya chortle through the waterfall of tears that gushed from her eyes. "You're such a dork.."

Lightly shaking her head, pure love and devotion was evident on her features, briefly wiping her nose as she huddled as close as possible to him. "..I'm so proud of you, you know that?" Her voice had been submerged in such an adoration, she knew that only Hiccup would ever hear her talk that way.

She concurrently mirrored her boyfriend's expression and lowered her brows at Gothi's information, assuming he shouldn't be doing what was said. 'He's already cold as it is..' After the elder explained, however, she made a faint distasteful pout - although not realizing it. "…Wow, so..shivering is a good thing, in this case..?"

As Hiccup scratched Blaze's chin, the Sand Wraith continued to stare up at him with eyes that were alleviated from his worries. He was delighted the human seemed to be okay for the most part, and his best friend wasn't as anxious as she used to be, leaving him content. He didn't get upset seeing her pet Toothless either as she grinned at the Night Fury, smiling widely towards them both.

Ayla, whose grip around the Chief hadn't loosened one bit, spoke in a quaver: "I-I will! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I went right next door, I-I didn't think you'd go..searching for me..!"

Both her and her older sister tensed up in the slightest, coming to terms that Hiccup was right, that he was in a place of risk when being Chief - something they couldn't always prevent. The younger Leif glanced towards her sister, a flash of dejection seeping through her expression before it returned to a neutral one. "…Okay. Just…just make sure you have your..flamey sword weapon on you all the time… That should help you a lot, right..?"

Becoming aware of how much he had started to shiver, Freya attempted to enlighten the mood and tilted her head, pretending to examine his eyelashes as she blinked ingeniously. "…Hm, I think I see a few snowflakes in there.." She was partly joking; there were minuscule specks of snow in them but it had already begun to melt. "Here, close your eyes for me?" Her fingers gently reached up to his lashes, studiously brushing off any remaining fragments.

Once she completed her task, her hand rested on his cheek for a moment. "Okay, done." Offering him a quick smile, she went back to work in drying his hair, "I'll get you your tea when I'm done here.."

'There he goes being selfless again..' She was about to say something in return, probably a comment of “Well, I'd much rather prefer to have you safe!” but stopped as he looked at her, gaze softening by the use of her nickname. "..And I can't let you die.." Sighing, she sat closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Just… please be careful.."

Blaze plopped down in front of them, guarding the two alongside the Stormcutter. "Oh, actually…me and your mom searched for you on Cloudjumper… We heard Toothless' signals for help and we came as fast as we could.." Freya glanced at the Night Fury in an appreciative manner, "He wrapped his wings around you and stayed like that until we showed up.."

Straightening her posture, her eyes skimmed over the cluster of Vikings, slowly rising from her spot. "Let me go get your tea, okay?" She pecked his forehead before leaving, swiftly maneuvering through the sea of Berkians in a way as to not grab their attention. The last thing she wanted was for someone to notice the Chief in his current position, solely because they would begin panicking.

They had barely lost Stoick a year ago, and despite the village still thriving, she knew a lot of them were in the process of recovering from the unexpected demise. At least she was - alongside Hiccup. Therefore, if they saw him now, fear would be ever tangible in the air.

Freya also recently remarked on the large groups of dragons they had been bringing to their island, noting that they were becoming a bit…crowded. Of course, Berk has always been…Berk; its population wasn't the biggest, but also wasn't the smallest. Having additional dragons, though, caused them to be bursting at the seams.

She was hesitant in telling her boyfriend this, being that he already had a lot on his mind, but it was too large of an elephant in the room to ignore for much longer. Over the course of an entire year, she tried speaking out what she felt more often when it was appropriate to..but this required a different approach, one she wasn't completely confident in comprehending how to do.

With a cup of tea in hand, she settled herself next to Chief once more and carefully gave him the drink. "It's fresh…don't forget to blow on it.." She double checked the blankets, ensuring he had enough breathing room while keeping warm.

After a few seconds passed by, Freya wordlessly began to unite one of his braids to redo it again. The habit had been developed slowly but surely, continuously 'fixing' the two plaits Ayla put in his hair since she remembered that he didn't particularly like having too many of them. "…We told Gobber to distract everyone so they wouldn't get scared…They don't know what happened to you or Ayla…and neither do my parents.."

She remained quiet for another couple of seconds, tentatively clearing her throat as she obtained the courage to speak. "…Hiccup, these, uh…raids are happening a lot more, don't you think? Y'know…freeing trapped dragons and then bringing them…here." Her fingers interlaced his strands together, nearly done finishing the braid, "I'm sorry I'm talking about this now but…it's becoming a little…too much, Hiccup.."

"I mean, look.." She gestured at the Vikings in the Great Hall, "All of our people plus these new dragons we're keeping on this island? I'm pretty sure we'll be…overpopulated.."

"I do now," resting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes, grateful to have made it out alive against the odds, again. Taking her hands into his own, he whispered, "You are incredible, you know that?"

Deciding to ignore Freya's pout, Gothi just nodded. Hiccup still didn't understand it, but he knew better than to question Gothi. She knew everything there was to know about healing.

The young chief shook his head at Ayla's apologies. "Hey, hey, of course I'd go looking for you. We're best friends, aren't we? I just wanted to make sure you were safe... but don't blame yourself for this. I'm going to be just fine, and I've certainly survived worse."

Nodding, he reassured her, "Always. Between Toothless and the Dragon Blade, I'll be ready for anything." Well, as ready as he'd ever be. He didn't want them worrying about him, but what happened to his dad had shaken them all up.

She stared at him so closely, he would have blushed if he wasn't so cold. His cheeks did have a redness to them, but it was from the ice and snow, combined with the harsh wind.

Confused, he asked, "Really?" Closing his eyes as asked, he felt as she brushed at his lashes. Feeling her hand on his cheek, he leaned into her touch, the warmth coming from her hand felt good on his icy skin.

"T-thanks," even his insides felt cold, and it wasn't pleasant. "Tea is good..."

Her words made him ache, fully realizing just how hard this must've been for her. Reaching up, his hand shakily cupped her cheek. "I'm not dying anytime soon." Eyes softening, his gaze showed just how much he loved her, "I have far too much to live for."

Resting the side of his face on her head, he responded. "I always am. Today was just... well, you know."

Sitting up, he turned, resting a hand on the Night Fury, "You always have my back, bud! You saved me, yet again!"

In response, Toothless nuzzled Hiccup, who hugged the dragon's face. He then looked to Freya and Cloudjumper. "Thank you. If you hadn't come when you did..." He didn't want to finish that sentence. Instead, he pulled his girlfriend closer. "Thank you."

Nodding, he hesitantly let her go, settling back in among the dragons, trying not to shiver.

She wasn't gone long, but it felt like ages before she returned. Greeting her with a smile, he took the cup gratefully, soaking up the warmth he felt just from holding it.

"Good idea...always best to keep things like this quiet. Gobber was the perfect choice...he really knows how to command a room. The only one who was better at that was--" he paused, "Uhm, was my dad."

It did help to learn that Yrsa and Ragnar didn't know. He didn't need to worry about their reactions to all of this too.

Blowing on his tea, he took a sip, the warmth settling in him slowly. "That's perfect..."

She was right. They were becoming overcrowded.

"...I've been thinking about that, actually. The more dragons we bring back, the bigger of a target we are...and we're not exactly a secret anymore. I just don't know where else to take them so the dragon hunters won't recapture them..."

"I just need a little time, I can come up with a plan..."

Another shiver ran through him, causing him to almost spill his tea. "...I think maybe I oughta rest a little first, yeah?"

[dragonmasterhiccup]

"As entertaining as that would be, you're right," this wasn't working, she was getting worse. As she grabbed his hand, he placed the other one on top of hers. "Everything's okay, Lyr. You knew how to fix it, she's going to be fine..."

His heart sank when she spoke again, knowing now that she was being haunted by her past. Moving the hand that rested over hers, he protectively wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she moved closer. The young chief was at a loss for words. What could he say to make her feel better?

Hearing her speak of what had been done to her, Hiccup locked eyes with Kiara, his expression pained. When the fae briefly mentioned what she'd come across in those books, he knew it had to have been a gruesome experience for Lyra, but hearing it from her made it all the more worse.

All he could do was try to continue to soothe her. "It's all over now, just take a few breaths..."

He could feel the wings closing around them, but it didn't register just yet, as he was solely focused on helping Lyra calm down.

As Kiara commanded the half fae, his eyes widened, watching as Lyra had no choice but to listen.

It was strange, unsettling, the way her eyes clouded over.

Her grip loosened, but he didn't let go, thinking that she could know at some level he was still there with her.

Only once she was asleep did he let go, placing her hand in her lap.

"...will she be alright?" His eyes moved from Lyra to Kiara, "Will you be alright? You will rest as well, yeah?"

Seeing the remnants of the paste on Lyra's hands, he asked, "If I clean her hands off, it won't wake her, will it? I just...I think it might be a good idea..." The smell was strong, and it could be disorienting, waking up with red stained hands.

“Hiccup!” Lyra ran up to the chief, an excited grin on her face.

“Are you busy? I have something to show you!” She took his hand and pulled him towards Altair and Toothless.

“You know how last month the lightning strike caused the large forest fire?” Stopping in front of the dragons the fae all but buzzing in excitement. If her wings were visible they’d be fluttering.

“I did a thing!” She couldn’t wait to show him.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

You’re right. I’ve been pushing really hard… They deserve this {x}

[dragonmasterhiccup]

"Hiccup Horrendous Had--" The Roman had been writing down notes, but abruptly stopped. He flicked his gaze back at the boy. "You? You're THE Hiccup the Dragon Master?"

He took out another notebook and flipped through the pages to find what he was looking for.

"Young Viking male, missing left leg, frequently spotted riding a Black Nightfury with an adjacent missing tail fin..." He glanced back at the boy. "Active status: Protected." He sighed. "That's certainly what I'm looking at. First Viking I've pulled over in six years and its...ugh, Septimus is going to have a field day."

He put his reference book and citation book away, and took out a third book. Then he reached for the tickets he had put in Hiccup's hand. "Alright, Mr. Haddock, seems like the egg is on my face. If you'll just give me back those citations and bare with me another minute, we'll have you and Toothless on your way. Oh, and there's no need of this 'I'll leave and never come back' talk, heh?" He smiled nervously.

Hiccup blinked in surprise, genuinely not expecting the word of his deeds to have spread quite this far. "Uh, y-yeah. I mean, I prefer 'Friend of Dragons', but some friends of mine insisted that 'Dragon Master's sounded way cooler. And, well, it uh, it spread...so, yeah, I suppose that'd be me..."

He stared in disbelief as the guard read out a perfect description of himself and Toothless. Was this something he needed to worry about?

Protected?

Tilting his head, he was having trouble comprehending exactly what was going on. "Wait, I--I don't understand...what's happening?"

Still in disbelief, he handed the citations back to the guard.

"No, I just... Toothless and I fly everywhere. I didn't want to be brazenly breaking your laws, that's all..." Blinking, he shook his head, as if clearing it. "I'm sorry, what exactly is going on?"

[dragonmasterhiccup]