Greetings all! This is the SEQUAL to Storm on the Horizon, but it is not entirely necessary to read the first one to understand the situation. PLEASE R&R! (But if there are any errors in spelling please PM me about them.

The italics are thoughts not spoken words.

-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-

How could they just up and leave me like that? Crouching down behind a fern, a girl with long dark brown hair held a bow in her hands. Her deep emerald green eyes focused on something just slightly forward from her current position. They leave to have a good time…they leave after three years of being friends… What kinds of friends leave you all alone in an empty village?

Closing her eyes, she calmed herself, bring her every breath to a near standstill as she attempted to blend in un-noticed. It helped that she wore a green shirt that covered most of her arms and half of each hand, and pants of brown leather. Her shoes were also an earthy dark brown color, which pulled the entire hunting outfit together.

Hair fell in her face as she waited for the perfect moment, and memories of the day she had been so willfully left behind filled her mind.

FLASHBACK~

"I'm sorry Ember." Hiccup climbed out of one of many ships preparing for launch. The tone of his voice depicted his frustration toward her, and couldn't have made it any clearer that he wished she would disappear for a little while. Grinding his teeth and trying to get what needed to be done, done, he turned to her with a sigh. "It's like I said the last forty-five times you've asked me. You CANT come with us."

"Hiccup's right." Astrid walked up with the rest of the group following close behind. Tossing the sack in the boat, she looked up at Ember. "It's a VIKING tradition, and no outsiders or strangers can come with us. It's…sort of like a family reunion."

"But…" The words had come out of her mouth like a river of acid, and Ember could feel her heart sink. "What am I supposed to do while you and the dragons leave for six months?"

Walking over, Ruffnut placed a hand on Ember's shoulder with a smile. "You've got other friends don't you?" This, for Ruffnut, was a nice way of saying, 'get the picture?'. "You've got Frankie and Alyssa don't you?" Again, this was a nice way of saying, 'go bug someone else for a while'.

Looking around, she could see that no-one stood on her side in all of this. She also knew good and well that they knew that both Frankie and Alyssa were going home for a three month vacation.

Closing her eyes, Ember curled her fists and walked away looking very hurt. She didn't like for people to see her cry, not anyone. Though, at the moment nothing mattered. "At least I know SOMEONE who will be around no matter what…" Her words were spoken under her breath so no one would hear.

Seeing her walk off so disheartened caused both Hiccup and Astrid to look at one another with regret.

Walking up to the group from behind with Gobber at his side, Stoic placed a hand on his sons shoulder. "It's just the way things are Hiccup. She'll come to understand that." Trying to cheer his now much older Viking son up was something Stoic had become very acquainted with.

"Aye, just let the lass come around to the idea." Gobber looked up as the others did, and watched Ember storm off without even as much as a good-bye.

-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-

"You're leaving too?" Ember couldn't believe what she was seeing. Both Toothless AND Marble were walking toward the docks from the forest with satchels full of newly caught fish for their journey in the boats.

Indeed, Marble, Ember's most trusted and loyal friend, was leaving for Dragon Island with the other dragons of Berk. The reason being that it was breeding season. He didn't seem to be the least bit concerned with Ember's plight or her obviously hurt expression. His instinct had taken control of his every action, and thought he was aware of both her anger and her sadness, he did nothing but continue to walk toward the docks.

Seeing his harness, she reached out to hold on. Her feet drug the ground as she attempted to stop him so they could see eye to eye, but nothing worked. Once she had been able to slow him down even a slight bit, he pushed her away forcefully with his tail and proceeded to walk after giving her a few scolding roars. This hurt her more than anything.

As she watched both dragons walk out of sight without even looking back, tears streaming from her eyes and she grasped her chest. It had been a long few years since she had arrived on the island at the age of 15, and in all that time she had never been alone, and now…no one even seemed to care that she would be all alone in an EMPTY village. Not even Frankie whom she had spent so much time with.

-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-

Sitting atop the highest gassy sea cliff she could find, Ember watched as the ships set sail. Each ship carted loads of food and supplies for the long trip, and as they sailed from the harbor the dragons of Berk flew off for Dragon Island.

Every dragon with the acceptation of the two aboard the ships.

Looking up, Hiccup caught sight of Ember and shouted a loud Viking goodbye and began to wave. He was soon joined by the rest of the group and both Night Furies. Even Frankie and Alyssa shouted a goodbye from their boat.

Everyone's happy attitude stopped immediately and everyone slowly lowered their hands and voices as Ember stood up and walked into the forest.

That night, Ember lay on the sand next to the bones of the massive Sea Serpent that had nearly claimed her as its victim within her first week of living in Berk. They bay still looked as it had all those many years ago…on the day everyone truly became tied together as friends. A boat stood beached only a few feet away, and inside was a bag of supplies and everything she had accumulated over her last three years in Berk.

Astrid's words played over and over in Embers mind as if to remind her of what she really was to them.

(" It's a Viking tradition, and no OUTSIDERS or STRANGERS can come.")

Standing, she looked over and patted the serpent's massive skull. "Thanks…you gave me what I needed. Even if it was only for a little while. Thank you for the trouble you caused…and all the good luck you brought. Watch over this place for me ok?" Talking to a Massive sun-bleached skull would have seemed strange and crazy to anyone else but her, as it should have. She did this because the serpent was a symbol. A symbol of the life she would now be leaving behind.

As she sailed out to sea, she looked back for what she figured would be the last time…on the island she had begun to call home.

END FLASHBACK~

Outsider…stranger… Even after all I did for them, that's all I am. After everything I did to help defend Berk. The missions, the extra jobs within the village, and even after nearly losing my life saving them. I'm still a stranger. Not family. Ember Sat slumped with her back now against a tree. She still remained hidden behind the shrub with an arrow now accompanying the bow in her hand.

The deer he had been hunting was now her main objective. She had been tracking it deep into the mountains for days trying to get a good shot, and she wasn't going to miss this time.

The sudden memory of how she met Marble played through her mind, causing her to become distracted as sadness crept in. One slip up was all it took.

Losing her balance, Ember found herself readjusting her position. In doing so, a twig snapped under her foot. "Damn!" Standing, she stretched the bow back and released it as the deer went to leap away. Unfortunately she nabbed it just as another arrow hit it from the opposite side. "What the…"

Walking forward, Ember looked down at what exactly it had been to impale the opposite side of the deer. Oddly enough, it wasn't an arrow at all.

But…who killed deer with a black dagger?