When they got there, Gothi ended up keeping Caverna outside as Healers rushed in to tend to Iris who was screaming inside. Caverna could hear the screams from her friend and words of encouragement from the healers, but nothing seemed to be going well. Ruffnut stayed with Caverna throughout the whole ordeal, being the support that her friend needed in case Iris didn't make it. Eventually, the two were sitting on the edge of the ledge that was outside of Gothi's hut, when the door opened and they both turned as Gothi walked out. Caverna got to her feet as she saw the bundle that Gothi was carrying. When the elder got to Caverna, she held the bundle out to her and Caverna fell to her knees in front of her, and for once Gothi saw fear in her eyes, but pushed her into holding the bundle in her arms.
"The child is very small, we do not know if it will make it to the night."
Everyone looked up to see a healer standing behind Gothi, a grim look on her face as she watched Caverna with the bundle.
"What is it?" Caverna asked her voice quiet as she looked down at the innocent looking face of the baby that was wrapped in a blanket or furs.
"It is a son; Iris gave birth to a son." The healer told her.
"What about Iris, any news of her?" Caverna asked.
"She is weak; she lost a lot of blood, so we are unsure whether she too will make it to the night." The healer told her, before she went back inside but Gothi remained with the two Vikings and the newborn.
"He's gorgeous." Ruffnut whispered.
Caverna smiled slightly. "Gothi, what do I do with him?"
Gothi looked at her, and used a hand under Caverna's chin to get the young woman to look and her and when she was, she started to sign things with her hands.
"She says, take him home, rock him, look after him, love him, you might be all that he has now." Ruffnut told her.
Caverna looked between the two, then to the baby in her arms and she nodded. "Alright, are you coming Ruff?"
"Of course." Ruffnut told her, and together the two set off down towards the village.
The two headed down to Caverna's house and as Caverna held the child, Ruffnut fixed up the rocking cot that was underneath the window near the fireplace with a soft pillow and a warm blanket.
"Did Iris tell you the names she picked?" Ruffnut asked.
"No, she didn't...I guess I'm just going to have to wait until she's better." Caverna told her as she looked down at the infant who had remained asleep in her arms.
"Do you think that's wise?" Ruffnut asked. "I mean, there's no guarantee that Iris will make it."
Caverna just shrugged. "Let's just see what tonight brings." She advised. "Now do you mind going into the village for me to get some milk for him?" She asked.
"Of course, do you want me to get the others as well?"
"Yes, please."
Caverna watched the other woman leave before she moved to sit in front of the fireplace next to the cot, only she still kept hold of the baby. She stayed there for a while longer, holding the child and she occasionally moved the blanket from his face so that she could properly look at him.
"You're going to be fine." She told the child. "You'll make it through the night, because you're strong, just like your mother."
With that, she gently put the child into his new bed, and tucked him up so that he was comfortable and able to be kept warm. It didn't take Ruffnut long to come back with the milk, and Caverna put it in a safe place, before she watched her friend leave again to find the others and she sat back beside the cot watching the baby.
She stayed there for a while, watching the fireplace, her fingers gently brushing those of the baby, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye – a book. As she slid over to pick it up, she noticed it to b Iris' writing book where she wrote everything down from the day. As she picked it up, a piece of parchment paper fell onto her lap, and putting the book back down, she decided to read it.
CAVERNA,
I DON'T KNOW WHAT POSITION I'LL BE IN WHE YOU FIND THIS LETTER, BUT HOPEFULLYMY CHILD IS FINE AND SAFE WITH YOU. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT I KNOW WHAT TO CALL MY CHILD, SO IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME THEN YOU'LL KNOW THE NAME. IF I HAVE A SON, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CALL HIM THORIN, BUT IF I HAVE A DAUGHTER, THEN I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE MY SUGGESTION AND CALL HER ASTA. I HOPE YOU CAN KEEP MY CHILD SAFE, I LEAVE THEM IN YOUR CAPABLE HANDS AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, I HOPE THAT YO DON'T LET HIM OR HER FORGET ME. THANK YOU, MY FRIEND.
IRIS.
Caverna read the note over and over as she slid back over to the child, and she looked at him, smiling slightly as she put the note in her pocket. "Well Thorin, looks like it's just us for a little while." She smiled to herself when the baby simply whimpered, before falling silent in a deep sleep, and Caverna went to put together some food for her supper, before she returned to the child with her plate.
She wasn't sat down for long, before the door burst open, bringing with it a loud noise and a large blast of cold air that snuffed out the fire that had been built. Turning around, and ready to reach for a sword, Caverna saw Astrid, Hiccup, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Snotlout in the doorway.
"Nice of you to join me." Caverna told them, before she was kneeling beside the cot using the tips of her fingers to calm the baby who started whimpering.
"Caverna...What happened?" Hiccup asked as both he and Astrid sat next to her.
"I don't know, I was only told that neither he nor Iris might make the night, so I'm doing all I can to make sure that he has a chance." She told her brother, looking down at the baby.
"Are you sure that you can handle it?" Hiccup asked her, though he wasn't prepared for the tenseness of his sister's arms and shoulder.
"Why would you ask?" She asked him, she hid her hurt quite well and kept her eyes focussed on Thorin.
"I only ask because you aren't exactly...Well...You aren't the motherly type, so I just thought that the baby would be best with someone who is used to having children around." Hiccup told her.
"And you aren't the fatherly type, and Astrid doesn't look like the motherly type, has anyone ever told you that?" She asked. "Of course not, you're the chief and Chieftess."
"Caverna, that isn't fair." Astrid told her.
"What isn't fair is that you all being worried of how the child will be in my care if I am left to look after him, when I can tell you that despite all everyone thinks I do know how to care for children." She told her. "Now, if that's all you're all here for, then I suggest you leave." She told them, and she moved to pick up the child when he started crying. "Thorin and I will be fine."
She turned to watch everyone leave, even her cousin, Ruffnut and Fishlegs, before she looked down at the baby and went to get him some milk.
Together, the group walked up towards the Great Hall, Hiccup winding his arms around Astrid as they were flanked either side by Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Snotlout.
"Well, that went well." Snotlout observed.
"Shut up Snotlout." Hiccup sighed. "I've really upset her."
"Don't take it to heart Hic, I'm not." Astrid told him. "But you know that she only said that because we upset her."
"But we still don't know if she will manage, so are we just supposed to leave the child with her?" Fishlegs asked.
"Yes." Astrid told them. "Look, we knew that Iris always intended for Caverna to look after the child if anything happened to her, so this was something that Caverna must have prepared for...But how could she have learnt about how to look after children?"
"Well, she wouldn't have asked mom...Maybe other women of the village?" Hiccup offered.
"She could have asked Gothi, that woman is always there for Caverna." Snotlout told them.
"She might have asked my mother, I have started to notice that they have been both talking a lot more nowadays." Fishlegs told them.
"Yeah, that's most likely." Astrid agreed.
"Wait, doesn't Dagur still want the baby dead?" Ruffnut suddenly asked.
"And Iris..." Astrid agreed, before she suddenly realised something. "Hiccup, if he finds out about the child he's going straight for Caverna."
Hiccup tensed up at the mention of Dagur's supposed plan. "We can't let that happen, no one but us will know about the child, no one is to say anything to anyone in case it gets back to Dagur."
They then spent the rest of their night in the Great Hall, whilst Caverna spent hers awake, weapons within reach, sat beside Thorin's crib as she waited out the night, praying to the gods that the child would survive.
By the time morning came, Caverna suddenly jolted into a sitting position from where she had fallen asleep on the floor during the night. Her entire body hurt, but she went straight for the baby, and she beamed in relief when she saw him asleep and snoring softly.
"Well done Thorin, you made it." She told the baby, kissing his forehead.
Whilst the baby slept, she walked to make herself some breakfast, just as there was a knock on the door and after making sure everything was ready, she walked over and pulled the door open to reveal Fishlegs' mother and Fishlegs.
"Hey, what's up?" She asked, looking at them.
"Fishlegs told me that Iris had had her child, I merely came to visit and make sure that you had everything that you needed." Mrs Ingerman told her.
"I was just about to sit for breakfast feel free to join me." Caverna told them, letting them in and she closed the door.
Together, all three of them sat at the table, after Fishlegs made both him and his mother a plate of food. Sitting there, they ate in silence, until there was whimpering from the cot and Caverna got to her feet, walking over and se picked up the bundle of blankets that Thorin had been wrapped in and she brought him back to the table with her, picking up a drink of milk for him on the way and she sat at the table feeding him.
"You're a natural." Mrs Ingerman told her, smiling softly.
"Thank you." She smiled, glancing up before she looked at the baby once more.
They lapsed back into silence as Caverna finished feeding the baby and rocked him gently in her arms.
"Caverna..." Fishlegs started, causing Caverna to look at him.
"Yes?" She asked.
"I'm sorry for how I presented myself yesterday; it wasn't fair to judge you as quickly as I did...Can and will you forgive me for that?"
Caverna thought about it for a moment before she nodded. "I can and I will."
Fishlegs smiled, getting up and he walked around the table to where his girlfriend was sat with the baby and he slid an arm around her, kissing her head as he looked down at the baby. Mrs Ingerman took this as her cue to leave the couple alone and she made sure that they didn't notice.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Fishlegs asked.
She looked up at him. "I am."
"I just worry, because if Iris does get better and she wants to take the child from Berk, would you leave too?" Fishlegs asked.
"No, I wouldn't." She told him. "My home is here Fishlegs, so if she took Thorin away from Berk, I'd adapt to life without him." She shrugged. "It's not a big deal."
Fishlegs looked at her and for once, he didn't believe her, he thought like everyone else, Caverna wouldn't lose her one chance to be a mother, and there was one thing that worried him and everyone else. How far would Caverna go to keep Thorin in her life? Time would only tell.