Toothless tilted his head, glancing between Gyda and Onyx before looking at his brother. Hiccup appeared as in shock as the rest of the humans, especially Skulder. The newcomer had no clue what was going on and Toothless felt a bit bad for him. Still, this did not lessen Toothless' confusion. The full poem did nothing to explain why Hiccup was the one Onyx, Sunburn, and Silent were here for. It seemed a mix wind of different events and even more different people.
Toothless got that the one out of time and provided proof had to be Gyda. She was from the future after all. Their time in her cave had shown everyone the proof of many things. Hiccup. The dragons. The fallen queen. Stoick's blunder as a father. The humans' deplorable lack of being a flock to one of their own.
He even understood that Hiccup was the third human in his bloodline to carry that name. Toothless did not understand why three sets of parents named their hatchling the same name. Especially since it seemed everyone hated that name, even Hiccup, before his brother became the hero Toothless knew him to be.
Toothless got that his brother's disownment had been known long before the second Hiccup had been a thought in his parents' minds. Toothless wanted to find Onyx's rider right then and demand to know why he could change things to stop some spooky vision he had but not stop Toothless' Hiccup from living the life he had.
In fact, Toothless got almost every line and could understand just how those he got pertained to Hiccup. What threw Toothless into an uncontrolled tailspin was the line 'Gives the skies to black tainted blue'. As far as he was aware, the general belief had been that line was about Onyx due to him achieving the blue hue to his back spikes and unlocking the ability that came with that.
Hiccup, Toothless' Hiccup, could not have given Onyx the skies. He had not been hatched when Onyx was reported to gain the blue. Stoick had not been hatched. Toothless doubted Stoick's parents had been hatched then but he was not an expert on human lifespans and things like that. At that moment, he decided he would learn just to find out when Onyx' gaining his power happened in regards to Hiccup's bloodline.
Honestly, if one were to get picky about it, Hiccup had only given one dragon the skies. Toothless could not fly without his brother. Toothless knew he was not the one that line meant. He still had not split his spikes yet and the time serving that false queen had caused what training he had done before to be null and void. He knew he would have to start at the beginning. There could be no way that line meant him.
Toothless shook himself. His mind still whirled as he tried to puzzle out just what this poem answered, because all Toothless could see was more questions.
"Explain," Meatlug growled, her tone sharper than Toothless had ever heard the gentle dragon use.
It seemed Toothless was not the only one confused.
Hookfang, as was his custom, did not crowd in around as the flock did while Elder Gyda read what Onyxwing wanted her to. He and Shadowfire had gotten used to being the biggest dragons so both tended to hang back in these moments. This afforded Hookfang many chances to observe. Something his father drilled into his mind every day while he grew and even after he was an adult. It did not matter the rank you held in the nest or the task your alpha assigned you, if you did not observe all that happened around you, you did a disservice to your nest.
It was that trait he had been trained to use that let Hookfang realize Shadowfire did not accept Hiccup's forgiveness. It had been that trait that let Hookfang see Shadowfire still feared exile. It was this trait that let him notice Shadowfire now looking as if something he had been puzzling over for a long time had just been solved.
Hookfang also realized that Shadowfire knew quite a lot more than he was telling. Hookfang suspected Elder Gyda knew as well as a mother always seemed to know as much, if not more than, her offspring. Certainly more than they thought their mother knew.
Hookfang wondered just what these out of time flock members knew and he hoped to the ancestors that it would not end up harming the flock. Hookfang loved every member of the flock they had all formed being dragons bonded to humans, but he would defend his alpha over the mage that gave back the Common Tongue.
"Explain."
He grinned when he heard that curt order in the Old Tongue erupt from Meatlug of all dragons. It seemed this had gotten to her as well.
Stormfly lowered her head, unable to turn it enough that she could see all three humans nearest to her at once. She, instead, took to gazing at each one at a time. Gyda looked shaken. Hiccup looked as if he was not quite in the cavern anymore. Astrid appeared thoughtful, if still a bit annoyed with Onyx, Sunburn, and Silent. Stormfly found herself also annoyed with the three. Their dodging the questions Hiccup and Astrid posed to them getting her mad. No one, human or dragon, ignored her alpha and her sister.
The only reason she did not lash out at the three dragons was because she knew Hiccup would frown upon such actions. Though after learning Onyx and Sunburn's riders had kept Gyda's from seeing both Hiccup and Astrid's magic abilities, which Stormfly gathered was dangerous since Gyda had been scared and Hiccup had been terrified this morning, Stormfly had wondered if Hiccup would lay into the three.
It did not really surprise that Astrid forgave Onyx when he spoke of his son. Knowing that the dragon had suffered such a loss and that it had been his son's choice, Stormfly felt her own anger fade. To have raised such a son that would give his life to ensure his nest's safety, Onyx could not be all bad, so he did not deserve her anger. Her annoyance, that he deserved, but she no longer wanted to actively, and repeatedly, fling tail spikes at them.
"Explain."
Stormfly's eyes did widen at that. It seemed the three had managed to do something Stormfly did not think was possible. They had annoyed Meatlug.
Barf did not need his brother to speak to know what Belch was thinking. He was as confused as Barf was. While most humans, not their humans though, thought a Double-mind was one full dragon and that one head was dominant over the other, Barf and Belch, like every Double-mind, found that thought funny. That only happened with the Four-mouths. Double-minds were brothers sharing the same hide. Both heads of a Double-mind held different minds and different thoughts. Both even held different beliefs at times. This did make for arguments amongst the heads and Barf would be the first to admit he had done his far share of annoying his brother so Belch would snap back.
In this though, Barf knew he and his brother were in full agreement. Onyx's answer did not really answer anything. It was a lovely poem to be sure but something was missing.
"Explain."
Barf shared a shocked looked with Belch. They had never heard Meatlug speak with such a tone. This would get interesting.
Shadowfire wanted to drag his mother away as she finished. This was another moment where they needed to fly without the flock. There was one element in that poem he knew no one but he and his mother would understand.
Shadowfire did not move though. He had already done something that almost cost him the nest he had come to love and wanted to live in for the rest of his life. He would not push his luck by accidently knocking Astrid to the stone floor in his zeal to get his mother and both get away so they could talk.
First chance he got though, they would fly, though he would probably drag Frost along as well. His brother had asked Shadowfire let him know everything they learned when they all got back.
"Explain."
Shadowfire's horns flared and he turned to Meatlug. That was not expected. Not from her. She never raised her voice.
Shadowfire vowed to never annoy the calm and sweet dragon to the point she turned that tone upon him. He knew he would have an extremely hard time keeping Loki's oaths then.
Sharpshot shared a glance with Sneaky and Moondust. Both females wore the same confusion he felt upon their muzzles. Every line in the poem fit Hiccup but one. Onyx was the only dragon he knew of that was black tainted blue and Hiccup had never given Onyxwings the skies. He only gave Toothless that.
"Explain."
Sharpshot's eyes widen. He saw Sneaky and Moondust's eyes also widen and knew his intended and future sister-in-law was a shocked as he at Meatlug's tone. The gentle Rock-biter was no longer gentle.
Meatlug looked up from where she had been staring at the stone she could not eat as Elder Gyda recited the words she had read. Her gaze first found her brother and rider. She gave her own version of a smile. Fishlegs looked as if every wish he had ever held was granted to him and he was unsure of what to do now. Her gaze found her alpha next. She wanted to move closer and nuzzle him in comfort as he looked as if was here with everyone but also not here at all.
She also knew she would not get near enough to him without knocking Astrid or Gyda over. Meatlug would never do that. Both humans, as all the humans here, were crucial to the nest and this flock surviving. Hiccup selected the flight they all flew on, but he did not do so as a lone dragon yelling commands. Every human, some more than others, gave him advice and support.
Meatlug also would not harm any member of the flock because she only wished to be a mother to this strange group of humans and dragons, considering she believed herself the oldest in the flock. So, she turned to Onyx, Sunburn, and Silent with a curt demand, well as curt as she would allow herself to be.
"Explain."
Kirika: Funny enough there is scientific studies out that says a pattern of three is appealing to us humans. As for what's up, that would be telling.
SnowBriar: Hehe, well not really. I worked with the teenagers at my church's young group until my grandmother's health had been stepping out. You're welcome. I will answer all questions that will not spoil things. Those questions get dodged or answered in such a vague way as to be a non-answer. Balance is a good thing to have. And yes, it takes discipline and a stubborn will to be an author or authoress. Though I have found posting has kept my focus upon this story whereas not posting and having people read it and comment on other stories has meant I didn't stay focus on those.
Literally Nobody: That they do. Haha, that is just the name he said to call him. Remember that. SOD is fun. You should play it, if you want to. Yep, the poem and now we know the parts Toothless did not. Hehe, one could say that. Have a good day/night as well.