Hiccup lays in his bed, which had been brought downstairs for emergency reasons, breathing peacefully, eyes closed, as Goathi patted his warm forehead.
"How is he, Goathi?" Stoick asks with nervous hands, fingers intertwined.
She looks to Gobber, who sits by the fireplace, gently stroking Toothless' now bandaged neck and the bass of his forehead. Gobber notices her staring and gets up as she scribbles in the dirt.
"She says, he'll be fine. His mind just overloaded with the battle of the Changewing. It's really important that he stays in bed. Who knows what damage could've been done to his brain."
"What happens if he wakes up?" Stoick asked.
"Well that's a very big IF Stoick. Hiccup had so much stress on his brain, it's possible he might have amnesia." Gobber translates.
"What?!"
"She wrote it!" he protests. "But, it shouldn't last long. If he was to wake up sooner than expected, then we need to help jog his memory while still keeping him in bed until he's fully recovered." Gobber concludes.
Goathi nods in agreement. "Thank you, Goathi."
She places a bony, long-fingered hand on Stoick's and simply smiles. Then Gobber helps to show her out and back to her home.
Stoick looks back to Hiccup and sees Toothless' head resting near his hand. He whimpers and gently licks Hiccup's hand.
Stoick walks over and strokes Toothless' head, "He'll be alright Toothless. If he can survive the Red Death, he can survive anything." Toothless looks to him with furrowed eyes and coos. "Now, I have to get to a meeting in the Great Hall. Think you can watch him?" he asks with a smile, and Toothless coos in reply.
With that, Stoick leaves the house, shutting the door noiselessly behind him. Walking to the Hall, he met up with Gobber. The two made a visit to the Academy, where the students were waiting. As if they were expecting a lesson. Stoick and Gobber walk through the gates and Astrid's the first to approach them.
"How is he?" she asks.
"Everyone in the Great Hall. We'll explain later." Stoick informs. And the students fly off without question.
But on the way there, Astrid takes a detour to Hiccup's house. She landed Stormfly out on the lawn while she took a quick visit inside.
She slowly opens the door, rippling her fingers around the panel before peering in. Toothless immediately lifted his head from his front paws and looked. Ears alert, he searched until his eyes found Astrid. At the sight he lowered his ears to a relaxed posture.
Astrid steps in and quietly shuts the door. She tip-toe's over to Hiccup, who is lying peacefully asleep. Toothless has been keeping the fire going, so the house is really warm despite the cold weather autumn brings.
She slowly moves to one side of the bed, easing herself down near Hiccup's hip. A small shiver from him sends Toothless up the stairs to retrieve another quilt. While she's alone, she just stares at the boy.
Over in the Great Hall, no one seemed to notice Astrid's absence. So they carry on with the meeting. Many Vikings were shocked and scared to hear the news of Hiccup. But soon their fear was replaced behind a cold wall of rage and hatred.
"Now we must be extra alert. Alvin will surely return to collect Hiccup. And if there's the case of amnesia, we must be cautious and patient." Stoick explained.
"And especially be careful when Hiccup sees the dragons. If he has amnesia, then the dragons could startles him and be seen as a sign of aggression." Gobber included.
Back at the house, Astrid tentatively lifted her hand and tucked a few strands off of Hiccup's forehead. How could someone seem so beautiful be so troubled inside. Astrid's cheeks turned a shade of pink.
Now that she had a chance to be alone with him, even if given the circumstances, she could now see what she had been missing.
His soft brown hair that ripples in the wind. His enchanting green eyes that are always filled with the upmost passion. The way his chest rises and falls when he's breathing. The smoothness of his skin sprinkled with freckles across his face.
Astrid's eyes flick to Hiccup's lips. A muted pink. Soft and dainty. His eyelashes were long for a boy. The thought of them tickling her cheek when he leans in makes her face become even pinker.
She intertwines her fingers in his hair. It came to a surprise how soft it was for a Viking. She ruffles it all the way to the side of his head.
Images of what Hiccup's done flash through her mind, and suddenly tears sting her eyes. While it's not his fault, she can't believe how he's changed. Her pointer finger braises past his ear, and it must tickle since he stirs. Her hand jerks back until he settles.
In the Great Hall, Stoick continues to explain, "Hiccup must stay in bed until he's fully recovered. And it's important that we help jog his memory if amnesia is to occur."
Gobber interjects. "And we must be sure that nothing startles him. He's as fragile as a new born lamb. And anything that seems like a threat could possibly, in a way damage his memory." He explains.
"Much like when a sudden move can startle an animal?" Fishlegs compares.
"Exactly." Stoick agrees.
He's so fragile. Astrid thinks to herself. Like a porcelain vase.
Toothless comes down with another blanket and Astrid gently drapes it over the lower half of Hiccup's body. Toothless spews a small flicker into the fireplace. He settles at the foot of Hiccup's bed, licking his paw before resting his head.
"Gobber, is there anything on the Changewing that can help us?" Stoick asks.
"Not that I can think of. The pages were ripped, remember?" Gobber points out.
Stoick turns to Fishlegs. "Fishlegs? Anything you can remember?"
Fishlegs places his pointer finger curved under his bottom lip, thinking. "There is one mystic legend surrounding the Changewing." He says.
"Which is . . ." Gobber urges on.
"There's a legend that says that victim's of the Changewing's hypnosis have an unknown connection to the dragon. Like some sort of physic link." He says.
"Normally I'd say that's just a myth, but after seeing Hiccup last night . . ." Gobber trails off.
"They say the Changewing can connect with their minions if they've been under their control long enough. They can find them, almost like a homing signal." Fishlegs explains.
"That's incredible." Stoic says intrigued.
Hiccup shifts in his bed with a soft moan. Astrid gets up and decides to head upstairs. She looks around his room, how spacious it is without his bed. She makes her way to his desk where she shifts aside papers and catches pencils that roll out of nowhere when their slumbers are disturbed from the moving parchment.
Hanging above his desk were more sketches of Toothless and modifications for a new saddle. The details were amazing, only to remind her of how deep his passion goes when it comes to dragons.
"We must guard Hiccup at all times. Who knows when and where Alvin will come again." Stoick orders.
Astrid finds her way back downstairs and finds her way back to her spot on the bed. Hiccup hasn't moved. Asleep deep inside of his dreams while she's here crying. She hopes there's not much damage done to him. She can't imagine a world where Hiccup's not, Hiccup.
She tries to imagine the mental battle within Hiccup's mind. How chaotic. Blurring and stirring the truths that are lies so he doesn't know what's real and what's not. Confusing the thoughts in his head, until he can't even trust himself anymore.
But she knows. How is it that she can see into his eyes like open doors? Leading her right down to his core, where he's now become so numb with fear. It's almost like his soul wasn't even in his body. Instead it's sleeping somewhere cold until she can find it there and lead it back home.
And wake him up inside. Save him from the nothing he's become.
And warm tear streams down her cheek. Scalding her skin with its heat. Only then she realized how cold she'd become. She moves to the fire and rubs her hands together. She begins to wonder how the villagers will react when they find out the truth.
About the thefts.
About Alvin.
About Hiccup.
She flashes back to the mask shattering. Skittering across the dirt.
Without the mask, she thinks. Where will you hide?
If some villagers decide to hold a grudge, what will happen? It doesn't take much to turn the villagers against one another. Mildew proved that already. What's going to happen to him now?
Deep inside Hiccup's mind, long lost words whisper slowly to him. He still can't find what keeps him here. Possibly the fact that's he's not alone. He knows they're still there.
Watching him. Wanting him.
He can just feel them pulling him down. But he won't let them. He can't.
Let me stay he says. Stay lost in my paradise. Where the wind will whisper to me. Where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story.
He knows well what lies beyond his sleeping refuge. Ramped chaos. Reality. I have nothing left. All I feel is this cruel wanting. As much as it hurts, ain't it wonderful to feel?
One Outcast Island, Alvin meets with his men in their Dragon Arena. A few soldiers were patting away blood from the scratch wounds left by Toothless. Alvin and Mildew walk up to the dragon.
"How is it?" Alvin asks.
"He seems to be handling the injuries well, he just can't move for awhile." One soldier said.
"Well, that's just great." Mildew complains. "How are we supposed to use a broken dragon?"
"Calm yourself Mildew." Alvin says impatiently. "There's more to this dragon than meets the eye."
Alvin pulls out the Book of Dragons, where he unceremoniously stuffed the ripped out pages. He flips past the cover and flips through the pages until he finds the wrinkled page of the Changewing.
"It says here that the Changewing can possibly control its hypnotized victims using some sort of, mind control method."
"That's just a myth, Alvin." Mildew says with a doubtful tone.
"Don't knock it until you try it old man." Alvin counters as he slams the book shut. "Men, disperse!"
He walks over and places his hand on the Changewing's snout. It purrs and licks his wrist. "All right my boy, it's time to prove your worth. I want you to find Hiccup and get him on our side."
The dragon pulls away and raises its head up high. Its pupils swirl and the air condenses. Alvin steps back. The dragon roars and it echoes in the night.
Back on Berk, Hiccup suddenly stirs. He cringes and shuffles under the covers. Astrid, who's been petting Toothless, looks over and sees him stir. She stops petting Toothless and places the back of her hand against his cheek. Hiccup relaxes and his face softens.
"I'll take care of you." she promises in a whisper. She strokes her thumb over his cheek.
The Changewing roars again, and Hiccup stiffens. Astrid braises her fingers along his cheek.
Hiccup gasps softly, and Astrid can't help but feel happy.
He's just so, fragile. She thinks.
She leans down and the brown ends of Hiccup's hair brushed feather-light against her face, caught in her lashes. She takes in a breathe, blinks, and parts her lips before she took Hiccup's in her own.
Time froze. Her heart ceased to beat. Her eyes fluttered shut. The warmth of his lips seeped into her skin as they kissed.
Even in his deep sleep state, she felt him react. Urgent. Gentle. So slow.
Sweet, soft demolition.
He tasted of parsnip and lemon tea. Smelt of charcoal and fire.
It was amazing.
She brought her hand to his cheek where she felt the softness.
Hiccup's fingers softly twitched.
And his eyes blinked opened.