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After a rather tiresome day of work as the Chief of New Berk, Hiccup Haddock entered his house, his back weary from age and his hair now long enough to cover his eyes. The fur cloak of royalty hung around his broad shoulders with the chieftain’s symbols holding its edges onto his tunic. Despite his hardships over the dragons’ departure years prior and having to build an entire village from scratch, Hiccup found himself surprised how much he’d grown since the age of twenty-one, when he refused to even talk to his father about becoming Berk’s next ruler. He didn’t feel ready -- unsure he would ever feel ready -- to lead an entire people, but he had taken the position in his hands after Stoick’s death, and nothing was more rewarding and pleasing than having the opportunity to keep all of New Berk safe under his own wings.
Hiccup straightened his back and hid his weariness, because another joy of his life awaited him as he opened up the door. A smile lit up Hiccup’s face as he met the sight of his daughter, Zephyr, whose footsteps scuttled down the hallway as she launched into his arms, slinging her hands around her father’s neck. She giggled with glee as he lifted her up and placed a gentle kiss on her hair. It was evident she was as happy to see him as he was to see her. “How is Papa’s favorite girl in the world doing today?” he asked, holding her close to his chest.
Zephyr grinned. “I’m doing great! I missed you a lot today, Papa!” Her smile was absolutely radiant until it began to fade. “You worked a lot today. You must be tired.”
Hiccup held in a sigh; she’d noticed his longer absences lately, and maybe even the bags under his eyes. Zephyr was quite observant for her age. If someone else didn’t catch something, she did. “I’m fine, Sweetheart,” he assured her. “Don’t worry about me. It’s my job to take care of you .”
Her smile returned as Hiccup ruffled her hair. Zephyr was his pride and joy, another love of his life he’d been blessed to have in his family. He’d had known that life after the dragons would have its fair share of grief and hardships. However, he still had people in his life that meant the world to him that would support him and one another through all the adjustments. After building New Berk, he’d married Astrid (which, in Gobber’s words, was the wedding of the century), and after a few years into their married bliss, they’d welcomed Zephyr, their firstborn into the world. As much as Hiccup’s heart ached to know Zephyr couldn’t experience the dragons in her life like he had, there would be less war and bloodshed in their world. So at least he knew she was safer this way.
The sounds of frantic footsteps filled the house as Astrid approached him. They shared heartwarming smiles and a brief kiss. Hiccup took notice of her slightly flustered state. Normally, his wife held her own well. Exposing her emotions, especially ones she deemed as weakness, was something she was always careful of. But he saw her knitted brows and how her eyes flickered down for a moment. “Is everything all right, Astrid?”
Concern laced her features. “I was told that as general, I should hear the reports of our troops. Some of them are slightly injured from their travels.” Her voice lowered to a whisper, but she lightly touched his shoulder, a gesture they shared between one another as a silent reassurance. “ The thought of outside conflict worries me easily, but should be fine. I’ll check and make sure.”
Hiccup nodded his head as Astrid kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon. Watch over Papa for me, okay?”
“Okay, Momma!” Zephyr promised.
Then Astrid disappeared from the home, leaving Hiccup and Zephyr to hold onto one another in silence for a few moments.
“Are you hungry?” Hiccup asked, breaking the silence.
“I’m okay, Papa,” she answered. “Are you hungry?”
Hiccup let out a chuckle that rumbled from his chest. “Zephyr, didn’t I just tell you not to worry about me?”
“I can’t help it! Plus, Momma does it all the time.”
He let out a sigh, shaking his head. “It’s a natural thing, but you should enjoy being carefree. You’re still young. Growing up is a bit hard...but it’s not as bad as people tell you it is.”
Hiccup lowered his daughter to the ground and made his way to the logs of wood and lit a fire for them. Winter was creeping around the corner once more. That was the main reason Hiccup started to feel a greater weight of work on his shoulders, having to make sure the village had enough resources to last the cold months and that all precautions were made for everyone’s safety. The chill of the air might have made his bones ache, but he still had a fire in him. He was nearing thirty, so he wasn’t too much of an old man. Yet.
Hiccup motioned for Zephyr to come to him, and she climbed into his lap as he held her close, the flames heating their bodies as the light danced on the walls. “Draw anything new lately?”
Zephyr looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks. “They’re not even that good, Papa.”
“What are you talking about? They’re miles better than your Papa’s!”
She huffed, her gaze still directed away from him until she finally reached out for her notebook and opened it in her lap. Hiccup peered over her shoulders at her new array of drawings. The pages were littered with anything from small doodles to concepts to wildlife. “This one’s new,” Hiccup remarked, pointing to a drawing of a bird.
“Oh, it was a bluebird!” she exclaimed, meeting his eyes. “She was so pretty. She even had a nest!”
“Is that so?”
“And the Papa bird was bright blue,” she spoke, pointing to her drawing of him as well. “And a little puffy, but you could tell he was the Papa. He looked really proud.”
Hiccup smiled dotingly down at her as she continued. “I didn’t really get to see the nest up close, but there were eggs in it. I came back a few days later with Uncle Fishlegs, and he got me close enough to see the nest without scaring the birds, and the babies hatched! I drew them too!” Zephyr flipped to the next page, revealing the small and fragile bluebirds that slept safe in their nest. “Papa?”
Hiccup swept her bangs away from her eyes and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Yes, Sweetheart?”
“Well, maybe now I get what you mean about saying I shouldn’t worry about you so much. Those babies are still so little. They can’t do much on their own. Their Mama and Papa have to keep them fed and protect them, but they do it because they love them.” She beamed at him, Hiccup’s heart swelling in his chest. “You and Mama take care of me and everyone else because you want to. You feed us and keep us safe. I guess I can’t worry since I’m like the baby bluebirds, too.”
Hiccup stared down at his daughter in complete awe. For someone as young as she, her intelligence and empathy were astonishing. Her heart was so full of genuine concern for people and she strove to capture the beauty in life. Zephyr had such a kind, steady head on her shoulders. And one day, when she’d lead these people, they’d look to her with all the respect and awe that they did to him and Astrid, but even more so. Her people would cherish her reign.
“You’re such a sweet girl, Zephyr.” His daughter melted into his arms, her head pressed against his chest as his heartbeat echoed in her ears. “And no matter what, Papa will always be there to protect you. I promise. Because..”
He placed his hands on her cheeks and met her eyes. “I love you with all of my heart, and I always will.”