Her strength renewed, Gyda stood. She stared down at Gothi, a frown playing around her face. A mage was supposed to see the magic in those gifted with its power. That was how she was found to hold the gift. Her father saw her core fluctuate as her magic became active.
It still did not surprise her that Gothi held magic. Gyda actually began to suspect it. Gothi had not seemed shocked by the barrier Gyda used to spilt the cave and never once balked whenever Gyda used magic since coming to this time. Yet, Gyda could not figure out how she had not seen Hiccup's magic become active until the barrier and had not seen Gothi' magic at all.
The elder tilted her head and snapped her fingers. Gyda's eyes widen. She saw Gothi's core and saw it flashing the bluish-green of healing though a touch of black undercut the hue. Gyda blinked, now surprised. She had no idea why Gothi would chose illusion to master along with healing. Goth stared at Gyda for several seconds then placed her finger against her lips and jerked her head towards Astrid, who still carried Hiccup, and Moondust, who still worked to keep Toothless from falling over. Gyda nodded her head, understanding the silent command. Tend to those who needed it now, answers could come later.
Gyda turned to Stoick and frowned. "Sir, the bed? We need to get Hiccup laid down. Astrid is strong but she can't hold him all night like that."
Stoick, his gaze still on Gothi, shook himself. He turned and moved to the four full-size bearskins hanging along the back of the room. He took them down, revealing his bed behind them. Dropping them on the floor, Stoick moved to the small table and two chairs set between the bed and fire pit. He shoved them to the right wall and made sure they were out of the way. He then returned to the bearskins and laid two down side by side and put the other two on top of those.
He took Hiccup from Astrid. Hiccup began to fight his father's hold, reaching out and making a grasping motions with his hands. Stoick quickly, but gently placed him in the middle of the bearskins. Astrid claimed his left side. She wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head upon his chest. Hiccup calmed and rolled to is side, pulling Astrid closer, though he never once opened his eyes. Moondust aided Toothless closer. Toothless dropped, tucking against Hiccup's back and his tail curled around to lay against Astrid's back.
"No, Toothless," Gyda said. "I need to keep an eye upon Hiccup's core. Don't put your wing over them."
Toothless, eyes still closed, hissed something in the Old Tongue. His sister, laying upon the rafter above the fire pit, snorted.
[You have a fire at your back, brother,] she said. [I doubt they will get cold.]
Toothless grumbled and his sister chortled, shaking her head.
[Brother Protector,] Sharpshot said, [I will lay upon Brother Alpha. That way he can stay warm.]
Toothless crooned then warbled. Sneaky fluttered down from the loft.
[I will lay upon Lady Alpha so she stays warm, Nest Protector.]
Toothless huffed but made a soft warbling chitter. The two Terror gently climbed onto Hiccup and Astrid and laid down. Toothless' wing still twitched but tucked back against his body and did not cover those beside him.
Moondust moved to walk around those in the floor but stopped when Stoick placed a hand upon her back. Gyda tilted her head, a grin playing around her lips, as Stoick shook his head and pointed to the spot above Hiccup and Astrid's heads. Moondust's sensing lobes lifted and lowered, then twitched madly.
"Lay down, lass," Stoick said. "Ye deserve ta rest as well, and ye as much a part of this family as any here."
Moondust blinked. Stoick chuckled.
"I may not be well versed in dragons, not like me boy, Hiccup, but I not be blind. Ye care or else ye not help me other boy."
Moondust turned to look at Gyda. Gyda smiled. In the time she had been staying with Gyda, Moondust had opened up. At night, while the rest of the house slept, Gyda and Moondust would talk, much like Gyda did with Astrid while staying in the Hofferson's home. During the those talks Moondust revealed the full story of what happened to her as well as all the reasons she had asked Hiccup if she could live in the nest. Gyda had come to see the female as another daughter and Moondust had come to trust in Gyda's advice. Gyda knew Moondust was silently asking what she should do by looking at her.
Gyda skirted around those on the skins and knelt in front of Moondust. She leaned close so she could whisper.
"I know, but you do not have to fear. I promise you he is not that male. He will never act like that or hurt you like that. He will not take this night and read more into than you want him to, so long as you let him know what it is you mean. No human and no dragon can read another's mind, so you will have to explain to him what is going on. Just remember this: You are free to choose the future you want. Your alpha will never betray you and his brother will never dishonor you."
Moondust pressed into Gyda and Gyda lifted her hands to hold the female's head for a heartbeat.
"Lay down and get some rest."
Moondust nodded, her head still pressed against Gyda. She then stepped back and laid down, curling around Hiccup and Astrid's heads. Gyda smiled as Toothless shifted his tail back so Moondust could get closer to Astrid. Her smile grew as Toothless tucked his tail along side but not touching the female Night Fury.
"Okay," Stoick said. "They be down. Now what be this core ye speak of?"
Gyda opened her mouth to answer but the door opened. Gobber, followed by Byrnjar and Eydis, walked in.
"The boys are asleep in the nursery, Chief," Eydis said before anyone else could speak. "Torgeir and Hilda promised to keep an eye upon them. Now, what is wrong?"
"Gobber, shut the door," Stoick said before he turned back to Gyda. "Ye want ta explain, lass?"
Gyda stood. "According to all I have been taught, magic is part of the foundation of this world. It is a gift as well as a burden to bear. Those who can wield it can do miraculous and marvelous things, but it has a weakness. It takes the strength of the caster to operate. The greater the spell the greater the toll upon the magic user. Time, training, and conditioning gives endurance to the magic user so that they won't die but a novice does not have that."
Gyda paused and looked at Gothi, who moved to the stairs and sat down upon the lowest one.
"Magic in a person is also something other magic user should be able to see. Until right now, I had not seen evidence that any in the tribe had the gift."
"Okay, but what does that 'ave to do with Hiccup?" Brynjar asked. "And why is my future son asleep and my daughter holding him like he almost died?"
Gyda took a deep breath. "Because he almost did. The barrier of solid air that Bearspit hit and that fire that burned him was magic and I did not do it. I was not close enough. Hiccup is a magic user. He has the gift. He also used the strongest barrier spell known to a mage and added cage of fire with it. That much magic drained his strength and almost cracked his core. He was dying but his core stabilized and now he's just recovering."
Eydis gasped, hands flying to her mouth. Brynjar grunted and his eyes narrowed.
"That be why ye ordered him in here. But what is this core ye speak of?"
Gyda titled her head. She knew this would go against what they, as Vikings, believed, but she knew of no other way to explain.
"Everyone in the world holds within them a core, a ball if you will. It is the seed of magic placed within us when we are born. For some that seed will remain asleep because they are not gifted with the ability to wield magic. For those who do have that gift, there will be a point in their life where the core wakens and allows them to access the magic. The awakening is never without its dangers. Back home, most awakenings happened under the supervision of master mages skilled in keeping the novice alive during the process. Hiccup's core awoke with him using that barrier and fire spell to keep Bearspit from attacking Astrid again. It was neither gentle nor quiet like most of the awakenings back home."
Gyda looked down when she heard Astrid shift on the bearskins.
"Don't, Astrid," she said. "Do not blame yourself for this. Bearspit is at fault, not you."
Astrid stared up at her, eyes narrowed.
"Hiccup would rather die than to live in a world without you and those he loves in it," Gyda stated. "You know that."
"She be right," Gobber said. "Both 'bout it being Bearspit wot caused all of this and 'bout Hiccup not wantin' his family gone. Ye included in that, lass."
"So, Hiccup is okay now, right?" Eydis asked, looking as if she wanted to join her daughter in holding the teen.
"Yes," Gyda replied. "His core is stable and he is recovering. Though he will wake during the night and has to be reassured his loved ones are near or his core could become unstable again. Come morning if nothing goes wrong, he will be fine and no immediate danger of death. I will then need to train him so that his gift does not sap all his strength."
"Now I see why Gobber came fer us," Brynjar said.
"Yes," Stoick said. "And as we be keepin' eyes on Hiccup, maybe Gothi will be so kind as ta explain how she can wield this magic and never once tells her chief."
Gyda saw Gothi cut her eyes at Stoick and had to refrain from giggle. If Stoick thought his tone of voice would unnerve the elder, he really had another thing coming. Gothi tapped her staff on the floor and then pointed to the piece of bark Gobber still held. The blacksmith handed it to the elder. She scribbled something then handed it back to Gobber. Gobber read it and choked.
"I canna say that! He's the chief!"
Kirika: I'm glad you had fun. And yep, lots of discoveries.