Hiccup became aware of the pain first. An ache resided behind his eyes, abated only because he kept them closed. Without conscious thought he used his other senses to determined his surroundings, just as Mrs. Hofferson and Gyda had taught him. His nose detected the smell of bearskins, specifically those his dad used to give his bed privacy from the rest of the house. Warmth enveloped him and he heard the low crackle of the fire pit, though it was close. He was in his house and apparently upon the floor, laying on his dad's bearskins.

A weight pressed into his right side and by the regular breaths that tickled the hair of his right ear, he suspected Sharpshot was sleeping on him. A solid form gave him a backrest and he knew it was Toothless. The Night Fury never knew he made soft warbles in his sleep. Hiccup relaxed, despite the ache in his head. His brothers often slept close or upon him as winter set in. They had never fallen asleep on the floor the house though. Usually, Hiccup dragged furs to the rock slab Toothless used. Dragons were vastly better at keeping someone warm than threadbare sheepskin.

Hiccup winced as a paw twitched and connected with the top of his head, though not harshly. It would seem another dragon slept curled around his head. Hiccup cast his thoughts back, wondering if another snowstorm caused this. Then someone shifted and he realized he was holding Astrid. He cracked his eyes open. She had slept in his arms before, during the week the snow kept them in the Great Hall and during their time at the hatching nest. She had never once stayed in his house, never even came over unless there were adult, human chaperones within touching distances. This was dangerous on so many levels that Hiccup's head spun thinking of them.

Most of the tribe stood behind him now, since the Red Death battle and the fact the dragons obeyed him and aided to defend the village and the island. There were some who were not happy, no matter they had peace now. If they found about this, Hiccup knew they would cause trouble.

"Sleep," a voice somewhere behind Astrid whispered. "The sun is not yet up."

Hiccup stilled. Gyda's voice calmed him somewhat. If she was here in the house then they had a defense against any accusations, which Hiccup knew his grandfather would be the main one slinging them.

The man had not gotten over the fact the raids were no longer an issue Hiccup knew the man blamed him. With houses not needing constant repair, or even to be entirely rebuilt, the wealth and influence the Jorgenson once enjoyed had diminished. Old Man Jorgenson did not connect the fact most of his clan, himself included, had spurned the village with their rudeness back when the raids were happening. Now that the Hoffereson name was cleared of the honor taint, the village looked to Fintan for repairs and building purposes and had found a far kinder and polite person to deal with.

Hiccup knew his own status a Hero of Berk and Heir to Berk irked his grandfather. The man had never made it a secret before, and still did not keep it a secret now, that he felt Snotlout should hold those titles. The old man also made it a point to still tell everyone that Hiccup could never truly keep the dragons in line. Not like Snotlout could. Hiccup knew this because every dragon made a point to tell Hiccup what the man said. They did not understand why the man was allowed to voice these opinions about their alpha, but they agreed to let him be because Hiccup asked. They did make a point to tell Hiccup their agreement never included them not keeping an eye on the man and reporting every word he said and everything he did.

Hiccup knew what the man would say about Astrid being in his house and in his arms if Gyda was not present. Yet her presence, even Astrid's presence, in his house confused Hiccup. He tried to replay the events of yesterday, his brain finally awake enough to remember the Outcast's invasion attempts. His heart dropped. He had killed Bearspit after the man hit Gyda's barrier and been burned the magical fire coating it. Hiccup remember nothing more but was certain he must have fainted.

A knot of shame bloomed within him. The power that coated his voice rose and the thing that flared whenever he flew on Toothless joined the power, both protesting. He ignored both. He knew what had happened and why Astrid and Gyda was in his house, why Toothless and Moondust laid in a circle around he and Astrid and why Sharpshot and Sneaky slept upon him and Astrid.

Old Man Jorgenson had his proof of Hiccup' inability to lead even without seeing Astrid in Hiccup's arms. A Viking chief, a true Viking chief, did not panic and faint upon killing a man. Hiccup knew Astrid and Gyda must have dragged him into the house to mediate the fallout, but the damage was already done. Hiccup closed his eyes against the sting of tears. He had failed. He had shown cowardliness. He had messed up everything and disappointed those who cared about him. He had brought shame to his father and to the Tribe, again.

A solid something cracked against his real foot. He yelped. Sharpshot sprang up, snarling. Toothless, Sneaky, and Moondust leapt to their paws, also snarling. Hiccup saw Astrid's eyes snap open. Before he could speak, she yanked him close, half laying on top of him, placing herself between him and whatever danger the dragons were reacting to. If his heart was not breaking after his realization, Hiccup would have smiled at her loyalty. Now he felt worse than the dirt stuck to the bottom of someone's boot. Her loyalty would result in dishonor. The Hofferson name would once again be shamed by something that was not their fault.

"Gothi!"

Hiccup blinked at the force of his father's shout and the annoyance behind it.

"Hiccup be needin' his rest. Why ye be wakin'm? Why ye hit him? Ain't he suffer'd 'nough?"

Hiccup heard some shuffling then heard Gobber's voice.

"She says the lad be thinkin' ill thoughts 'n nare listenin' ta Gyda and get his rest." Gobber sighed. "Nothin' new 'dere, sadly," the man continued. "Boy's always assumed da worse at times. Canna blame'm 'fter all he been through." The man paused, sighing again. "All we put'm through."

"Hiccup," Astrid began, lifting slightly to stare down at him. "What were you thinking ill of?"

Hiccup shrunk back, shoulders trying to hunch in close. Astrid's arms became iron and would not let him.

"Hiccup," she prodded gently.

Hiccup grunted, knowing she would not let it go. Knowing he would have to tell her.

"I know I messed up again," he whispered. "I know I panicked and fainted. I know you all put me in here so the tribe did not have to see the coward would could not deal with killing a man."

That caused four dragons to roar and Hiccup knew they were sounds of protests. It earned him another crack to his foot by Gothi's staff.

"You are no coward!" Astrid snarled and the humans not close to them screeched.

To his everlasting surprise it was Toothless' sister, up in the rafters, that came to his defense.

[Yelling at him won't make the situation any better! He was unconscious! He does not know what happened! Stop shouting and let someone explain before you have the entire nest trying to stick their muzzles into this den!]

Everyone stilled and went quiet. Toothless' sister made a pleased sounding warble, something Hiccup did not need the Common Tongue to translate. He heard it enough from Toothless whenever the Night Fury was right about something or won any argument.

[Young alpha that my brother follows,] she began before anyone else could speak, [you are far from being a coward. You almost died defending your nest from an invasion attempt. That is why you are in this den and all these dragons and humans are here with you.]

Hiccup felt Astrid jerk and heard her tear-choked whisper.

"It's true."

"I…what…huh?"

Gyda moved to stand behind Astrid, staring down at them. "Do you remember that barrier that Bearspit ran into and the fire that burned him?" she asked.

"Yes," Hiccup said slowly. "If you think I'm mad that you did that in front of everyone, I'm not. You protected Astrid."

Gyda smiled softly and shook her head. "I didn't make it. I wasn't close enough. You made it."

"I….Huh?... Wait…What?...No….How? Huh!?"

"Close your eyes," Gyda said.

Hiccup frowned. Gyda snorted.

"Close your eyes."

Hiccup huffed but did as she asked.

"That power in you that coats your words and the one that rises when you fly on Toothless," Gyda began, "do you feel them?"

"Yes," Hiccup answered, not sure where the mage was going with this, but if it answered his questions he would play along.

"Is there something else there with them now?"

Hiccup frowned. That made no sense. Why would there be anything else? Hiccup actually did not want anything else. He was still trying to get used to the first two, though he loved the second over the first due to it coming to bear when he was Toothless.

He felt something shift within him. Warmth flooded him. Warmth that had nothing to do with the fire pit or the dragons, though how he understood that he did not know. He gasped as something caught his attention though his eyes remained closed.

A ball of light pulsed, clear as anything he had ever seen, and flashed multiple colors and sensations. Icy blue like Frostfire's scales held a biting cold that all in Berk would soon feel when Devastating Winter crashed upon the island. Fiery red like the lava in the Red Death's lair burned but left no pain or scars. Bluish-purple that reminded Hiccup of Toothless' breath attack crackled with the power of thunderstorms that rushed across the island in the spring and short summer. A deeper black than the deepest of shadows held the secrets of the night. A blue-green that calmed Hiccup and held the serenity of the waves softly lapping against the shore of the pond in the cove.

Hiccup groaned, rolling away from everyone and everything, as more colors and sensations from the ball of light threatened to drown him.

"Open your eyes."

He jerked at Gyda's commanding tone, the same one she used when teaching them karate. His eyes snapped opened. His jaw dropped. He saw that same ball of light as he stared at the mage, but this ball flashed blue, red, black, and the bluish-purple.

"Look to Toothless."

Hiccup shifted, obeying Gyda's command without thought. He gasped. His brother also held a ball of light but the one seemed to reside near Toothless' throat instead of his head as Gyda's ball of light did. Toothless' also flashed but just one color, bluish-purple. Hiccup's gaze lifted to the rafters. Toothless' sister's ball of light also flashed the bluish-purple. Hiccup looked down, finding Sharpshot sitting, instead of standing, upon him. Sharpshot also had a ball of light lodge into his throat but this one flashed red.

"How?" Hiccup whispered.

"This," Gyda replied, her voice low and holding a great deal of awe, "is what the world looks like to those who can wield magic."

Hiccup's gaze moved back to her.

"I'm a mage?" he asked, softly, worriedly.

"No," she answered, and he felt hope until her next words crushed that hope. "Not yet."

Hiccup slumped back against the bearskins as every dream he had ever entertained about making his father proud of him crumbled into dust.

Kirika: Hehe, maybe.