𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter thirty-seven; yrsa
❝ to a new era! ❞

    THERE WERE cheers; loud in Yrsa's ears. The entire village of Berk brought themselves to an uproar as the early morning turned towards blue skies, victorious for their new Chief who turned away from the churning waters that slowly became still. People cried, they applauded, the Twins knocked their helms until they were in a daze and Snotlout shouted: "I believed in him! I always believed in him!" (Something of which that made Astrid roll her eyes with a sigh). Valka smiled at Yrsa, and gently squeezed her in for a hug to her side that made Yrsa grin━she glanced up at the sky as all the dragons came to land; too many to count in such vibrant colours, coming to join them in such celebration ... in its own way, it was beautiful; and she was in absolute awe of it. 

     Toothless leapt from the ice fissure, his claws scathing the sand as he landed close by. Hiccup swung off the saddle, heaving a long breath as he, too, realised that it was over; Drago was gone. 

      He managed a smile as villagers cheered and clapped his back, though it did not reach his eyes. There was one man missing━one man who he knew would be proud of him, and yet Hiccup ached for him to be here to show it. He should be here to laugh a hefty laugh and squeeze Hiccup until he couldn't breathe. Yrsa knew that nothing would be the same ever again, not without Stoick around. It would be different, but in many ways, the difference would be something quite bittersweet. For she knew he was smiling down upon them all━but most importantly, smiling down upon his son. 

     Hiccup made his way towards Yrsa and she subtly reached out her fingers to him. He took her hand and she squeezed it. The cheers were deafening, but her whisper was as loud as any shout, "I'm proud of you."

     For a moment there, his smile did brighten in his eyes. 

     He glanced back as the cheers slowly died down. Yrsa's eyes widened, coming to stand close beside him━the two of them watched as each dragon turned their attention onto Toothless, circling him in attentive silence. His ears quivered, looking around him in a breath of confusion. 

     "What are they doing?" whispered Yrsa, careful not to raise her voice anymore. She met Hiccup's gaze and he shrugged.

     They all watched, stunned when Cloudjumper broke the circle of dragons━all of their own and each one from Valka's Sanctuary, even Drago's armoured creatures turned into weapons. The Stormcutter peered down at the Night Fury with wide yellow eyes, then, with a low rumble in the back of his throat, he bowed his head.

      And just like that, each and every single dragon followed suit. They bowed their heads, folded their wings and dipped their necks into low curtsies before Toothless the Night Fury who stared back, a look Yrsa couldn't describe as anything but shock on his face. She glanced at Hiccup, swelling with pride━a smile donned her lips, eyes bright.

     Toothless took a breath. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky━he bellowed a cry of victory and the dragons all followed; they pierced Yrsa's ears, shook the ground under her feet and yet made her so happy and speechless with amazement ... 

      Her grin did not leave her face as Toothless turned to face them━the two young teenagers who had found him that forest five years ago; far different from how they were, now, and yet, still the same. His ears fell back, gentle and he cooed, walking up to them with that gummy smile that showed Yrsa truly how amazing dragons were; that had changed her heart.

      She chuckled and rushed towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and resting her head against his cool scales. Yrsa sighed, closing her eyes and squeezing him. He purred, turning his head towards her. Hiccup followed, cupping his dragon's maw once he glanced over. The young Chief breathed a sad, but genuine smile━all forgiven and all anew. 

     "You never cease to amaze me, bud," he murmured. Gently, he set his forehead against Toothless's own; the Night Fury relaxed, eyes falling shut at the touch. He would take care of these two Vikings for as long as he lived━just like they swore to take care of him. "Thank you."

      Then, another dragon barrelled into them. Yrsa squealed in surprise, knocked straight off her feet as Helrose swept her up onto her snout. She laughed━and the rest of the village laughed, too━and wrapped her arms tight so she wouldn't fall off. As soon as the final member of their team within a team; their little family arrived, Toothless brought his tongue right across Hiccup's cheek━and the two Vikings were in a moment of blissful, happy laughter amongst the cheers of Berk. Yrsa chuckled, suddenly emotional as she clung onto Helrose. She thought she had lost her. She thought she would never come back. 

     "Yes, yes!" she chuckled, tearful. "I know, I know━" she scratched her dragon's scales and Helrose's tail shook the sand as it struck the ground many times. "I missed you! I missed you, too! I missed you so much━!" she squealed a cry of delight yet again as Helrose spun her around, joyful and boisterous like she was still an energetic Short Wing. 

     Yrsa was more than lucky. She was the luckiest Viking in the entire Archipelago to have not one, but two dragons. Two companions who she loved just as much as the other, who helped her open up, who helped her smile, who helped her experience life with a laugh and without care what someone else might think. Who showed her the skies, and showed her to endless ocean━who showed her love and care, and what it was truly like to find two other beings like windows to her own soul. 

      And she almost lost them━and that pained her more than ever. 

     Helrose set her down for one final hug, bringing her into her underbelly with her tiny two front limbs. Yrsa relaxed against the warmth, finally at peace to have her back again. 

     "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," she whispered against her dragon's scales. "But I will protect you, now."

      She felt Toothless nudge against her back and Yrsa glanced back. He eyed at them with wide eyes and she chuckled, holding out an arm for him to join, as well. He bounded forward and ducked in under her arm. Helrose leaned her long neck over them to Hiccup who smiled up at her, reaching out a palm to her snout. She huffed against his skin, peering at him with the same pride Yrsa had━and he grew tearful, nodding and reaching up to pull her neck gently down to rest on his shoulder. The four friends, the four companions, the small family embraced together━all of them understanding just how lucky they were to find something so special; a bond each and every one of them shared with the other. 

     Vikings reunited with their dragons all around. Astrid cried tears of happiness as she ran to meet Stormfly across the sand, laughing into her scales. Gobber held out his arms as Grump dropped down, squashing him underneath his mass build━and all that could be heard of the blacksmith was a muffled, "Grump!" Valka smiled, touching her palm to Cloudjumper's snout in a gentle reunion. Snotlout and Fishlegs cared not for Ruffnut who awaited their attention, pushing past her to cry their dragons' names, latching onto them with joyful hugs. Ruffnut huffed, but her scowl only turned into a smile when Barf nudged her cheek. She hugged him close and when Belch sniffed at her shoulder, she scoffed and shoved him away━Tuffnut gaped, horrified by her actions before quickly coaxing his head that it was all right under his arm. 

     Everyone was happy, everyone was emotional━everyone had somewhere to go, some dragon to greet or to hug. All except for one man standing alone on the beach. Eret son of Eret glanced around, feeling quite small in a place he knew he didn't quite belong, amongst dragons he once trapped and laundered. 

      Astrid pulled away from Stormfly, frowning at the lonesome trapper by the docks edge. She glanced at her dragon who squawked, as if telling her it was okay to head over. She didn't even realise she felt the need to until then.

      The blonde took a deep breath and left Stormfly to awkwardly walk up to Eret son of Eret. He glanced over, quite surprised and she sent a stiff smile that somehow turned soft. "Hey," she greeted. 

      The ex-trapper wasn't sure on what to say, but soon, he found himself nodding and responding a soft, "Hello."

       "That was ... some pretty impressive dragon training out there," Astrid joked, smirking as she nodded to the Scuttleclaws play fighting by the ice. Eret took a moment to understand what she said, but as soon as he did, he snorted a breath of quiet laughter━somehow, from that moment, he started to feel less alone. 

      "Well," the ex-trapper clasped his hands behind his back, "I learnt a few tricks from the best dragon trainer I'm yet to know."

     Astrid snorted as well, but there was a sweet smile on her lips━a girl mostly guarded and rigid with duty, held the softest, most genuine glance of them all.

    But there was another; alone and without anyone to come to. A dragon who's rider perished━who watched each reunion and sat diligently there, as if still waiting for Stoick to show himself in the crowd. 

    Yrsa felt Hiccup gently leave, brushing away as he noticed Skullcrusher all alone. She watched his shoulder sag as he wandered over to the edge, bowing his head and the Rumblehorn did the same. She felt a breath of sadness, seeing the two of them mourn━Hiccup brushed his hand down the dragon's horn, muttering something to him no one else could hear. 

     Eret didn't know how he had the courage over anyone else to approach the new Chief━especially after all he has done. But he left his small conversation with Astrid with a nod of his head and carefully met Hiccup as he tended to Skullcrusher amongst all the happy reunions.

      "That was some ... pretty fine dragon-wrangling back there," said the ex-trapper, hesitant. Hiccup glanced at him━and strangely, he gave him a small smile. "You'd make a good trapper━whoa━!"

      The nudge took him off guard. Eret stumbled, nearly tripping over before he steadied himself and frowned at what possibly could have pushed into him. All confidence he held fell when he noticed that it was Skullchrusher. The late Chief's dragon sniffed at him━he tilted his head and huffed a breath of steam into his chest; and then, he nudged him again. Gentle, expectant. Eret didn't know what to do.

     He chuckled, anxious━he glanced at Hiccup, scared of his reaction. But the late Chief's son just raised his brows, but made no move to stop Skullcrusher━instead, his sad smile broadened. 

      He didn't know Eret well, but a Tracker Class dragon smelt trust and the goodness of another's heart like they smelt scents of their own kin━if Skullcrusher reacted so well to a complete stranger, there must be something about him so similar to Stoick ... Hiccup watched Eret curiously, and he realised that if Skullcrusher trusted him so easily, he could, too. 

     "You know..." he began, "... Skullcrusher is gonna need somebody to look after him now..."

     Eret stared back at him, shocked. He froze from where his hand had inched towards the dragon's snout. There was a breath of silence before he stammered, "M━me?"

     Hiccup nodded. The ex-trapper's shoulders dropped in realisation. He glanced at Skullcrusher, and something determined settled across his face. He set his jaw and nodded, "I'd be honoured," he told him. 

      Hiccup knew he'd be in good hands. 

     Yrsa smiled to herself at them, looking away to cup Helrose's snout one final time. She scratched under her jaw before letting go. Toothless rubbed against her side, and her smile only brightened. In the end, through everything and anything, they always seemed to make it through. 

     She glanced back up, watching Hiccup smile at something his mother said to him. Yrsa remembered days she'd watch from a distance, quiet to herself to think that she'd listen to anything Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III would have to say━to be the only person out of nearly anybody on this island that liked him. She remembered the day he showed her he was more than capable to take care of himself, that he wasn't some Useless others called him. She remembered the day she knew she had fallen deeply, truly in love with him, and never found herself without that feeling ever again. 

      She was proud of him. She was always proud of him. And now, he had reached the day where he would face the responsibility he had run away from, and she knew he was going to take it on board with a courageous breath and set of his shoulders; and she'd be proud yet again.

      Yrsa walked back up to him, and when he noticed, he smiled warmly. His mother stepped away, giving the two of them some space as they met in the middle. 

     They stopped, and a soft silence settled between the two of them. Yrsa sighed, gentle as she placed her hand gently on his chest, right over his heart. She didn't need to say a word, she didn't need to tell him anything━he knew exactly what she meant, exactly what she thought. Hiccup knew Yrsa like the back of his own hand, just like she knew him. He breathed a smile, shaking his head at her━loving and sweet. Yrsa went into that forest when she was younger searching for Toothless after Hiccup declared he had shot him down, wanting to find a way to prove herself from the rumours whispered about her family and her father ... instead, Yrsa found something else━something incredibly special; someone incredibly special: she had found Hiccup. 

     The sweet smile on Yrsa's face quirked upwards━turning crooked; her eyes lit up with a blink of mischief, and before Hiccup could even get the chance to stop her, her fingers darted away━down to the crook of his suit to the only piece she liked━

      "Hey━!"

      His short outburst was drowned out by Yrsa's laughter. The moment his face contorted into a miffed scowl to feel the back fin of his suit shoot out, she lost it━doubling over, Yrsa clapped her hands together, very proud of herself. 

      "Yrsa!" grumbled Hiccup, but he was smiling, watching her laugh without care to anybody watching━at all. It was such a change from the girl she used to be, but even then, the same girl she has always been. Hearing him chuckle made her heart swell, happy to hear it. "You are━" she knew what he was going to say, nodding along with her lips trembling to try and keep her laughter in (and failing quite miserably). 

      She watched him step closer to her, shaking his head with a look in his eye that made her heart pound and her cheeks grow warm. Yrsa continued to giggle, her fingers clasped together at her lips. He tugged them away, chuckling with her as he pulled her in, "You never listen," he told her softly. 

     "Me?" she countered, chortling, "I never listen? Have you met yourself?"

     He raised his brows, the smile tugging at his lips something she still could never describe━but she knew he only ever looked at her that way, and she knew that she wore it whenever she gazed at him, too. It was love━but something even stronger, as well: love built upon years of friendship, of companionship━of knowing the worst and the best of each other. And still, even that didn't describe it. "I believe I have, surprisingly."

     She rolled her eyes, "Then, you must know how impossible you can be. And how insufferable━"

     "Oh? Insufferable━?"

     "━Yes, insufferable and stupid, constantly throwing yourself into danger and expecting Toothless to save you despite my advice not to━you never listen to me━"

      Yrsa's words were cut off into the back of her throat as Hiccup kissed her with such passion it almost sent her off her feet. She heard gasps━there was some laughter and murmurs━she didn't care. She stopped caring a long time ago. 

      As she felt his arm wrap tight around her waist to hold her flush against his chest, Yrsa broke her lips away to have the last word, "You're still not listening to me━"

     "Shut up," he kissed her again, and she didn't fight this time. Yrsa let herself be swept up in the moment, loving the feel of his lips against hers━holding her tight with every breath of love he had within him, and it made her weak at the knees. She held him just as close, wondering if he felt the same━whether she made him just as undone as he did her. 

     She was breathless when he finally pulled away, slowly━savouring the moment for as long as he could. When he did, he set his forehead against hers and Yrsa closed her eyes, finding even amongst all the happiness, there was sadness, as well. She felt it, and she cupped Hiccup's cheeks━not saying a word, but he knew; he knew she would always be there for him. 

      Yrsa knew what was to happen next. "Are you ready?" she asked him.

     "No," he shook his head. "But I'll get through it."

     "We'll get through it," she corrected him. "I'll be there to remind you if you do something stupid."

      Hiccup managed to crack a final grin, "Or something crazy."

     Yrsa tucked some of his hair out of his eyes, "Always," she whispered. 

     She nodded, telling him it was time. He took a deep breath, but nodded back and let her go. Yrsa stepped away, giving him the space he needed as he turned to Gothi who was waiting by the charred wood of the nearby, broken catapult.

     It wouldn't be a proper ceremony, but right now, it seemed right.

    Under the gaze of Berk, Hiccup knelt before the village elder. Yrsa stepped back with the rest of their friends, smiling as she squeezed in between Snotlout and Astrid. She took their hands, admittedly a little nervous as she watched Hiccup be crowed Chief under everyone's gazes━now more than ever she started to see it was long ago the times when he could barely hold a sentence in front of these people, and now, he was to lead them. 

     Gothi set him a sad smile that he returned. Silent━as she always was━the village elder scraped her thumb along the ash and brought it to his forehead. Amongst his hair and above his brows, Gothi drew the symbol of a chief━of a king. And a boy finally became a man. 

     When she was done, she stepped back and she bowed her head. Hiccup took another deep breath, having never experienced it before. He swallowed down his heart and stood back up, glancing back with a gaze that was unsure, but determined━Hiccup was determined to make his father proud.

     With a nod from him, Gobber hefted a breath and declared: "The Chief has come home!"

     They cheered, they applauded. Yrsa called at the top of her lungs, clapping her hands. She heard Astrid whistle, Snotlout throw his hands up in the air and saw the Twins leap up in excitement. Fishlegs laughed, and Yrsa joined in━each and every one of them proud of their mutual friend. "LONG LIVE THE CHIEF!" they bellowed. "LONG LIVE THE CHIEF!"

     Yrsa smiled gently, bringing down her loud applause to meet Hiccup's gaze from the crowd. She mouthed to him, "Long live the Chief."

     And what a long, exciting life it shall be. 

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟

    HERE, ON BERK, things have always been rather unusual. 

     They've been unusual for the longest of times, in fact (for three generations, really)━stuck in the same unusual, stubborn cycle ... much like its dwellers. And granted, it didn't look like much. It was rather broken down and in need of rebuilding currently; a land of pastures and ice fissures, construction and lively workers. They had a glacier up North, a vast woodland that has been explored to every nook and cranny it held. 

     But the most stubborn thing on this island was not the people that resided on it, nor was it the weather that constantly expelled the wrath of the gods down upon them. In Yrsa's vast and long experience, it was the sheep that held the most stubborn bones out of all of them. 

    "Come on!" she pulled at the blasted thing's horns with one hand, dangling sideways off her saddle at a dangerous angle. Helrose crooned, not very happy with her rider that somehow managed to hold herself━dangling down━with one foot latched through her saddle's stirrup, the other pressed against her hand bar and her hands outstretched upside down off the side of the cliff. She had no idea how this sheep had managed to hide itself here, but she was not going to let herself lose this chance at grabbing a point in Dragon Racing none of the others would even dare. "Come on━move, you stubborn thing!"

     The ewe had planted her hooves into holes of an old Terrible Terror nest and would budge━

      "I want to win!" whined Yrsa, tugging and tugging. The ewe bleated, annoyed, but kept her hooves still. "Let me win you stupid mammal!"

     Yes, this was her home: a wet heap of rock that did pack way more than a few surprises. Life here, on Berk, was rather amazing ... just not, of course, for the faint of heart. 

     "Coming in hot and blowing out snot━!"

     Yrsa glanced up and gasped with horror. She cried out, desperately trying to grab the sheep before it was too late━

     A second pair of hands reached in and snatched it right from her grasp. 

    "NO!" screamed Yrsa with fury after Snotlout who sped past her dangling figure, laughing at her misery. "DAMNIT, SNOTLOUT!"

     She struggled to get out of her predicament (that she, of course, put herself in). Yrsa pulled herself up to grasp the side of Helrose's saddle, and her dragon helped her━in the end taking her by the scruff of her fleece by her teeth and setting her back down. Yrsa gritted her teeth and launched them back up into flight. 

     She raced after Snotlout through the wind━hearing the cheers of the stadium of onlookers as they wrapped back around towards the centre of the island. A beautiful island surrounded by ocean that stretched out far on every end; with twisting docks and rocky sea stacks, high mountain peaks and underground tunnels. 

     "You're losing again, Yrsa!" taunted Snotlout over his shoulder. She scowled at him and urged Helrose to fly faster. 

     Yes, this was Berk. Beautiful, vast, a bit tramped and busted and covered in ice, but it was home. It was their home. It was her home. 

     Together, the two competitors spun through the construction of their home. Buildings that have been rebuilt many and many times, and possibly many more━underneath walkways and past annoyed villagers who hadn't found themselves with the rest of the village at the arena. They barrelled past the growing Hangar and the Great Hall, scaring the workers chiselling away at the mighty statue of Stoick the Vast. They cursed the two rascals of Vikings, though they weren't the only ones causing trouble. 

     For no matter how many years have passed, nor how many generations, the unusual island of Berk was always made delightful and fun by the minds and hearts of its young heroes━a band of reckless, brave (and sometimes idiotic) Vikings who loved competition so much, they never spent a day without it. 

    Because even while those who attacked them were relentless and crazy━very crazy, those who stopped them? Oh! Even more so! 

     Yrsa wouldn't win this by chasing after that sheep (no matter how much effort she spent trying to grab it). She gritted her teeth and dived down, searching for another. And then she saw it. She grinned, bracing herself as she dipped Helrose down, steep, after a sheep hidden in-between two homes, harassed by an ambitious Terrible Terror who tried to drag the animal away into the air. 

     She wasn't lucky with that sheep, either. Not even two feet away did Yrsa have to pull out━or be crashed right into the Twins, who took the sheep before she or the ambitious Terrible Terror could even have a chance. 

     "Are you serious?!" she cried up after them━and to the Gods, even. This just wasn't her game, today. 

     Spinning around, Helrose matched her disgruntlement and displeasure━and the two of them were back in the chase, falling very far behind. 

     They ducked around for the final lap. The Twins were in the lead with eight sheep (most curtesy of Fishlegs and Snotlout), Astrid was following close behind with six, Eret son of Eret had managed to grapple himself four, and Yrsa was hanging in the deep end with merely just two. 

     But the final round━the final round would be it. The final round enticed the loudest cheers over all of Berk, lifted the Vikings from their seats and to pound each other on the heads with their drumsticks. The final round would have Yrsa come out on top and win. 

      The Dragon Riders all darted around the side of their home, laughing and jeering at each other with all the warmth within their own hearts. Yrsa led the fray to dip beneath the Hangar and back up to the sky on the other end. All of them waiting for the moment the Black Sheep would be let loose. 

      Snotlout barged right into Yrsa, sending her off course. She shouted, livid after him and Helrose matched her anger━if she wasn't going to win this game, she was at least going to get back at Snotlout Jorgenson at least once. 

      The two of them soared overhead of the only other Rider in the sky not apart of their game. Yrsa cut it quite close, making Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III duck his head low. She gasped, quickly glancing over her shoulder to shout, "SORRY, BABE!"

      Hiccup watched them speed off, the smile on his face turning mischievous. 

     He glanced around at the workers he was helping and with quick word of them, dipped Toothless down into a dive as well━and was gone faster than the wind. 

     Here, on Berk, they may be small in numbers. They may be reckless, and loud, and boisterous (and quite the good singers, surprisingly). They might be unusual, and stubborn, and overly competitive, and often struck each other across the face with fish after a fight━but they stood for something bigger than anything the world could pit against them. 

     While they may not be at all peaceful to each other, they were the voice of peace to everyone else. And bit by bit, they were going to change this world. 

     Something small, and something covered in black wool, launched up into the sky.

     Yrsa lit up in her saddle, "The Black Sheep!" she cried. "Yes! Come on, Helrose! Come on━We can still win this thing!" She pulled her up and Helrose thrashed her wings, just as desperate to wing as her rider. "There it is!" she cried as they grew closer and closer. The Black Sheep screamed a terrified bleat, trailing its small legs as it started to fall back down. "Come on, girl━you can do it. Up! Up, up, up, up, up!"

     The shriek pulled her to a sudden stop. Yrsa's breath hitched, surprised when Toothless darted up between them, and a pair of hands took the Black Sheep in nothing more than a blur. 

     Yrsa threw her hands up, trying to be annoyed, but all she could do was chuckle━impressed. "Seriously!" she called up after them.

     Toothless ducked down. He gave her a gummy grin. 

     Because the thing was, they had something every one of their enemies didn't. Yes, sure, they had armies and they had armadas ...

     The hair rose up from everyone's scalps and everyone's arms as the fastest dragon alive dived down towards the stadium. They cheered, they stamped their feet━they called their Chief's name as he stood up on his saddle and jumped into the air. He soared over the winnings stretched out across the length of the race track. He grinned, shifting the Black Sheep in his grip and awaiting the right moment, threw him down into the basket painted a shining pink and purple━

     The crowed went into an uproar. Yrsa threw her hands up with the rest of them. "YES!" she screamed, victorious. "YES!"

     "SO UNFAIR!" shouted Tuffnut, miserable. He threw his head forward into his arms to whine. 

      Yrsa landed down on the platform beside Hiccup, jumping off her saddle to run forward and kiss him on the cheek. The crowed went wilder at the sight. The rest of their opponents landed around them. Their bestest of friends, their team, their family. 

     Oh, yes, their enemies had armadas, and they had the guts to come to their island and threaten their safety and their families. But what they didn't have, what none of the world had that only Berk was lucky enough to find themselves with...

     Their dragons!

END OF ACT TWO

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟

    a/n: in comparison to valhalla, the ending to this act was way less epic i am sorry. 

    also I love writing parallels they warm my heart. 

     like the parallels between hiccup and yrsa from this book to the companion book is just- 

     you might not see them but I know and I love-

     also me 🤝 rushed ugly drawings