Prologue: Taken
She whimpered. “Don’ wan ge up.” She mumbled and stuffed her face further in the pillow.
But still, the cries continued. “Can you get her, Hiccup?” The woman said, finally awake, but not having the strength to get up.
He smiled lovingly and sat up, leaning over his wife’s smooth, naked body to softly kiss her angle cheek. “For you, my dear, anything.” He said willingly. Then rolling over, he threw the hides off of himself and stood up from the bed. He grabbed a robe, wrapping his own naked body in the fur, and then started for the door.
He walked the short distance to the next room and fully opened the door that they always kept slightly ajar. In the far corner, a wooden cradle covered and cushioned in thick furs, rested by the moonlit window. Inside the cradle, a small form laid squirming and crying sleeplessly.
He bent over the high crib and gently picked up the form. “What’s going on, sweetheart? It’s ok. It’s ok. Daddy’s here, baby girl. Calm down, Vidya.” He cooed as he held the baby girl up on his chest, and kissed her tiny head.
In almost an instant, the girl stopped crying and just nestled herself into her father’s chest. She lightly scratched her fingers against the stubble of his neck, crooning happily as she drifted slowly back to sleep.
He smiled as he swayed gently from side to side. “That’s it. Go back to sleep, my little darling.” He whispered. A few minutes later, she was once again fast asleep, and he rested her back in the cradle. Returning to his own room, he set the robe back on its stand and crawled back into bed beside his wife, who he knew was still wide awake.
“She calmed down quickly.” She breathed out when he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and kissed the back of her neck.
He smiled and squeezed her lightly to him. “Guess daddy’s got the special touch.” He teased. He began to softly stroke the bare skin of her belly, slightly missing the curve that had been her baby bump when she’d been pregnant with Vidya. “I remember when you told me you were pregnant. Feels like just yesterday, we found out we were going to be parents.”
Vidya Trine Haddock had been her parents’ little miracle. For a year they had tried to have a baby, with no results to be shown. They even began fearing that they wouldn’t be able to have a baby. So when they received the news that Astrid was with child, they were over the moon.
Now, their baby girl was here. She was currently a month old and in good health, though a bit small. She had short tufts of brown hair, and dark green eyes, darker than eve Hiccup’s. And she was a ray of sunshine. The entire village held nothing but love for the new heir. She was more than just an heir to them, though. Within a glance, people could tell that she would grow up to be her father’s image. Her sweet smile and adorable giggle could bring them all to nothing more but mush in front of her.
And her parents, well...what was there they could say? They didn’t just adore their new daughter. She was their whole life. Hiccup could carry her around the village for hours while he went about his chiefly rounds, and Astrid enjoyed rocking her to sleep. While going around the village, Hiccup would show her off with a proud smile, lifting her hand to wave to everyone that passed. And he could never get enough of showing her new things, telling her he couldn’t wait to teach her more as she got older.
And as for the dragons; well...Astrid didn’t much care for it, but nothing made Hiccup happier than taking his little girl over to the stables and showing her the dragons. The biggest smile would light her face, and she would reach out eagerly when a dragon came close to her. “When you’re older, I’ll teach you to ride. We’ll go on flights together, just you and me. You’re going to love it, Vidya. Just as much as I love it.” He would whisper these words into her ear as he held her to his shoulder in the stables. He couldn’t wait for the day Vidya would be old enough to ride her own dragon.
She chuckled and rolled over to face him. “While I miss the connection Vidya had inside me, I don’t miss being pregnant. It’s painful and, at times, miserable. I’m just glad she’s here.” She told him.
He snickered and leaned in close to her face. “I am too, milady.” Leaning in the rest of the way, he planted his lips on hers in a passionate lip-lock. Closing his eyes and losing himself in the moment, he rolled them over slowly and hummed in her mouth. The kiss grew deeper, and all he wanted was to make love to her for a second time that night. “Gods, I love you, Astrid.” He mumbled against her neck.
But a loud, shrill cry interrupted them yet again.
He sighed and rested his forehead on her shoulder. Shaking his head and chuckling, he pecked her lips chastely and moved to get up. “I’ll get her, sweetheart.” He said and got up.
Heading back towards Vidya’s room, he was prepared to find her squirming and crying in her cradle. Instead, he found a shadow by the window, Vidya in their arms. He gasped. “What the fuck are you doing with my daughter?” He shouted and took out a sword that he always kept in the corner of the doorway. “Put my baby down, now.” He growled slowly.
The person just chuckled, it was distinctly female. “I don’t think so, Hiccup. You took something from me; and now, I am going to take what matters most, your daughter. Say goodbye, chief. You’re never going to see your precious girl again.” And just like that, the woman jumped out of the window with Vidya tight against her.
Hiccup had just barely gotten a glance at the woman. Her cloak hadn’t done very well in hiding her features, but the dark of the night kept her well under guard. All he’d been able to see was that she had red hair and violet eyes. A strange mixture, and one he didn’t recognize as the description of anyone on Berk.
But it didn’t matter now. What mattered was that this woman had his daughter. She’d kidnapped his daughter, right in front of him. “Astrid!” He called quickly, running for their room. He stumbled in the doorway as the tears finally caught up in his eyes, and he looked to his wife as she sat up in bed with her azure eyes wide. “Vidya’s been taken.” He whispered.
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There you have it! The prologue. Hope you are enjoying it so far. Look out for chapter one, and several more books coming to the shelf. Peace out people!
