Epilogue

                                    

                                          

A dark cloud hung over the island of Berk. Gathered, on one of the beaches that surrounded the island, was the entire Berkian Village. A lone ship floated in the water, containing only a body, which had been draped over by a white sheet. 
                          
Despite the many people gathered on the beach, the silence was deafening. They had suffered a tragic loss and this time there was no hope of ever seeing their Chieftess again, because this time they had her body. 
                          
Though this loss weighed heavily on the villagers, it was even worse for the family. Beside a crackling fire stood the Chief, a bear-skin cloak draped over his shoulders as he fiddled with an arrow in his hands, his forehead creased as he fought to keep the tears at bay and remain strong not only for his people, but also for his daughter. The Chief had not only lost his wife on that day, he had also lost a child he never had the chance to meet, which tore him apart from the inside out. 
                          
Not too far away stood the heir to the Berkian throne, tears rolling down her cheeks as she silently observed her mother's ship. She too had lost much that day, her mother, her dragon and a sibling she never knew she had. The heir hadn't known her mother for very long, but she had grown to love her equally as much as she loved her father over the time they had spent together. Had she known that their time together would once again be very limited, she would've made every hug, every conversation and every moment just a tiny bit longer. All she had ever dreamed of was a mother and her dream was fulfilled, if only for a moment.
                          
Beside the heir with her spiky tail wrapped around the teenager stood a blue and yellow Deadly Nadder who had been heartbroken by the death of her rider and best friend of nearly twenty years. The Nadder recognized the sorrow of the teenage girl as one similar to her own — seeing as the young heir had lost both her dragon and her mother in the same day — and made the decision that she would protect the young one of her previous rider and make sure that she lived a long, happy life. 
                          
A dragon cloaked in the colors of the night stood a little behind his best friend and rider, watching him as he suffered through the loss of his mate, which the dragon knew must be an awful thing to go through. 
                          
A group of Vikings, friends of the deceased Chieftess, pushed the ship out to sea and watched as it slowly drifted away before they took their places behind the Chief and his daughter, readying themselves for firing a flaming arrow at the ship.
                          
Not many words were said, simply because it was all too painful for anyone to say anything. The Chief himself uttered only five words before he fired his arrow and bid farewell to his one true love: "I'll always love you."
                          
What followed was a reign of flaming arrows, which all landed on the ship that was slowly floating away in the Berkian waters. The village watched as the ship caught on fire, burning away all the remnants of their Chieftess as she was sent off like the warrior she always had been, they were all certain she would be welcomed into Valhalla with open arms.
                          
A young man stepped up to the heir of the Berkian throne, wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as they watched her mother's ship sink beneath the sea.
                          
The Chief had never felt so empty as he did in that moment, he had never silently cried as much as he did in that moment and he had never felt like ripping his own heart out of his chest as much as he did in that moment. The chief silently vowed to himself that he would never love another the way he had loved his Chieftess, he vowed she would be the only one for him so that when they were once again reunited in Valhalla, they could simply be together once more. 
                          
The Chief's best friend nuzzled up against his leg, softly cooing as he attempted to make his rider feel better. Naturally, it was of no use, but the Chief appreciated the gesture nonetheless and shot his night fury a weak smile as he gently patted his head. At least he still had his dragon.
                          
Cold metal rubbed against the back of the Chief's hand and he found himself glancing down at dragon once more, who now carried a small, circular medallion between his teeth. Recognition flashed through the Chief's mind and he picked the medallion up, studying its intricate carvings as he ran his fingers over it.
                          
He had been the one to take it off her — and he had been the one to throw it out to sea. The night fury must've swam out and found it, as if he knew how much the medallion truly meant to his best friend. This time, the Chief had no intention to rid himself of the medallion, instead he held it firmly in his hand, memories of his beloved flashing through his mind. 
                          
As the ship disappeared beneath the waves, so did the sun, which left behind a dark sky that glittered with thousands of stars. In a strange way, this filled the Chief with a sense hope, hope that something beautiful would enter his life after his sun had set. He found himself glancing over at his daughter, who had her arms wrapped around the waist of her boyfriend as she rested her head upon his shoulder and he rested his head atop hers. Perhaps he would never love again, but he most certainly hoped that his daughter would. Although it was a day of great sadness, there was still a sense of joy that emitted from her — or rather, love. Perhaps had she found the one she would love the way her father had loved her mother? Perhaps the Chief would be lucky enough to witness his daughter's happiness and perhaps he would even get the chance to meet his own grandchildren.
                          
Yes, that's what he would like. For his daughter to be happy, for her to find love and for her to one day settle down and have children of her own.
                          
Suddenly, the world didn't seem half as bleak as it had mere moments before. He may not have had his wife, but he was lucky enough to have a daughter and that was all that he would ever need until the day came that he would once again be reunited with his Chieftess.
                          
Until that day, he hoped she would be watching over the two of them, so that maybe she wouldn't feel so far away. Yes, the Chief had suffered immense sorrow, but a seed of hope had been sowed within him and he was ready to see his daughter grow, there was nothing in this world he wanted more.
                          
The End.