$S_4$ has $3$ different subgroups of order $8$, which are all isomorphic to the dihedral group $D_4$, see here. We have indeed three different dihedral subgroups in $S_4$, as was explained here. Hence $N_8=3$, which is congruent $1$ modulo $2$. They are subgroups, because they are exactly the Sylow-2-subgroups.