The boys followed Zyrah back to the family house where Eðla and Halvar were with Eindride. Eðla was stoking the fire pit, sitting next to husband and son when Zyrah and the boys burst through the front door.
"Oh good! You're back- Whoa, Zyrah, honey! What's wrong?"
"Something's bothering her," Rurik said, following his sister up to their room.
Once Zyrah made it up to their room, she went to her bed, picking up her old baby blanket. It was a deep muted blue, with tattered edges from years of cuddles and childhood tears. She loved this blanket, sleeping with it every night over a small stuffed animal. Her name had been embroidered onto one side, and a hem had been replaced.
"Zyrah, what's going on?" Rurik demanded, a bit more gently this time. Konall sat next to Zyrah as another form of comfort as she tried to explain what she was feeling.
"Rurik... I don't know how to explain it... but... listening to that couple, hearing their story. It felt like something was clicking with me."
"I... don't get it."
"Think about it, you and are only nine months apart. And I've heard mom and dad talk about Olsen, Alvar, yours, and Eindride's births, but no one's ever talked about mine... You don't just conveniently 'forget' to talk about that. None of the midwives talk about my birth. It doesn't make sense to me."
She began to pace around.
"Nothing about me seems to make sense. Olsen never talks about my first month, but he has about you and our brothers. Mom and dad only remember things about me as a baby after a few months. Plus, how old has Olsen said he remembers me being when he got to meet me?"
"I dunno, two months? Still pretty tiny." Her brother wasn't getting it, so Zyrah stormed downstairs to where her parents and Eindride were, still clutching her baby blanket.
"Mom, dad!" She exclaimed.
"Is everything okay?" Eðla exclaimed with worry.
"I don't know. Please, explain something to me."
"Take it easy, Zyrah."
"What do we need to explain?"
"Why does no one remember me being born? You guys talk about my brothers' births, but never mine!" Suddenly, she remembered another obscure memory from her childhood, her mother yelling at Alvar for accidentally knocking over a basket that her parents had in their room.
"Also, that basket you have in your room, I remember mom yelling at Alvar 'cause he knocked it over!" Eðla and Halvar stared at each other in alarm. Deep down, they knew that somehow, she'd start asking questions. But not in this way, they'd hoped to break that news to her eventually, albeit a bit more gently.
Eðla and Halvar slowly stood, and Eindride remained in his seat, absolutely baffled by his sister's outburst.
"Halvar, go get Olsen and Alvar..." Halvar wordlessly did exactly that, leaving the house immediately, "boys, Zyrah, please sit."
"Mrs. Trygstad? What's going on?" Konall asked.
"We'll explain everything, Konall. Just give us a moment to gather ourselves." As Eðla went to fetch the basket Zyrah had mentioned, there was a knock at the door. Eindride went to go get it, and was surprised to see the riders plus this couple standing at the door.
"Oh, uh... hello?" Eindride greeted in confusion. The woman he was looking at had a look of wonder and sadness about her.
"May we come in?" She asked softly.
"Uh, yeah. 'Pose so." He let the group in. And following close behind were Halvar, Olsen, and Alvar, who all expressed surprise at the gathering in the house.
"Dad, what's happening?" Alvar asked.
"Son, we're about to do a lot of explaining. So all of you, please find a seat." He looked to the couple, who Hiccup haphazardly introduced.
Once Eðla returned down the stairs, Ragnhild and Einar were speechless as to what was going on.
But tears streamed down Ragnhild's face when she saw two familiar things.
That basket the woman was holding... and the blanket Zyrah clutched against her.
Overall, there was a lot of confusion from the riders and the three youngest of Halvar and Eðla.
Zyrah looked between her parents and the strangers on either side of her.
And Eðla began.
"That morning started normal, as any other did. With the boys still young, and we had Rurik now, still a baby, we were incredibly busy-" Almost as soon as she started, Olsen's jaw dropped.
"Oh shit."
"Olsen!"
"Your father... came into the house, holding something in this basket... wrapped in that blanket." The tears that were already spilling out of Ragnhild's eyes flowed heavier, "Zyrah... you were all wrapped up... left on our doorstep. Left with only your name written on parchment. We didn't know where in the world you came from, but we knew you were left in the night."
"Your mother already knew what to do. But a million questions ran through our minds. Where you came from... and who left you there. But yet, I think I've figured out the answer to that one question," Halvar turned to the strange couple standing in his living room. He didn't know how to explain it, but he could see it.
He saw Zyrah's eyes in the woman.
Eðla could see it too. Not just her eyes, but her skin tone, too. And her hair... the same hair the man, Einar had. It was starting to add up. In 16 years, questions were being answered.
"Oh, my gods..." Hiccup breathed out. It didn't make sense at first, but now it did.
Ragnhild tentatively stepped forward, watching Zyrah.
"It's you..." She whispered, placing her hand next to Zyrah's cheek, her thumb grazing the three birthmarks on Zyrah's lower left cheek, "gods... I'd remember those birthmarks anywhere."
There Zyrah stood, eyes wide and brimming with tears, at a loss for words.
Her birth parents.
YOU ARE READING
Left In The Night
Fanfiction(REVISED) Even with Drago gone, the aftermath of his reign opens old wounds. Leaving Zyrah, the unwanted child of two of Drago's former hunters, to uncover her history. And her beloved female Night Fury brings Toothless to his roots. A/N: This fic...
