Hey Everyone! I'm sorry that I haven't updated recently. I was helping a friend with her Science Fair project and wasn't allowed any screen time. Well, here's the next chapter!
Mariah (Guest): Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Hiccup is already engaged to Astrid, so he won't fall for Amber. However, Amber might end-up falling for someone else :).
Amber will eventually tell them her past, but the gang will find out part of it themselves.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own HTTYD.
Chapter 3: A Clouded Past
Once Amber finished her "nap" and had gotten a bite to eat Astrid took her to the stables to visit her dragon. Astrid watched quietly as Amber rubbed Gem's neck.
"What happened to your arm?" she asked.
Amber visibly tensed. "How did you know about that?"
Astrid smirked. "I had to take your armor off to tend to your wound. I couldn't take off the armor below your right elbow, so I assumed that it wasn't your real arm."
Amber sighed. "Your right. Gem and I crash-landed on Slitherwing Island. Gem broke her wing so we had to fight. I stabbed one in the mouth and it bit my arm off."
Astrid looked impressed. "How are you still alive?"
"Gem stopped the blood flow so I wouldn't bleed to death. Then someone drove away the rest of the Slitherwings and saved me and Gem. He helped me make my metal arm."
"What happened to him?"
Amber sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it."
There was an awkward silence until Amber said, "I'm going to take a walk, alone if you don't mind."
Astrid looked at her suspiciously. Amber smiled. "Don't worry, I won't go far."
Still suspicious, Astrid agreed. Amber nodded solemnly as she left. Astrid watched her go and promised silently to herself the she would find out what happened to Amber.
...
Amber wandered around the huts on Dragon's Edge. She was still trying to decide how much of her past to reveal. Astrid already knew about her arm, and Amber wondered how long it would take for her to start asking about him. Amber was thinking so deeply about it that she didn't hear Hiccup come up behind her.
"Where's Astrid?"
Amber spun around in surprise, drawing her sword. Hiccup took a few steps back and Toothless growled. Amber relaxed.
"I'm sorry Hiccup," she said. "After living on my own for so long it just becomes natural to draw my sword."
"I understand," he smiled. "So, how are you doing?"
"Alright. My chest is still aching quite a bit. It's hard to get used to things at Dragon's Edge."
"Yeah," Hiccup chuckled. "Hey, that reminds me. I've decided who's going to be your guard tomorrow."
"And..."
"It's Snotlout."
"Oh."
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"No problem. Hey, I have a question. Can I ride Gem tomorrow?"
Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry, but Fishlegs said that you couldn't ride until your wound heals completly, about three weeks."
"What! But-"
"No." Hiccup looked at Amber sternly.
Amber huffed in annoyance.
...
That night, Astrid flew over to Hiccup's hut. "Wait here, Stormfly. I'll be right back."
She walked in and saw him reading the maps and charts that Amber had been looking at.
"Hey, Hiccup."
"What. Oh, hey Astrid."
"I wanted to talk to you about Amber."
Hiccup looked up. "What's wrong?"
Astrid sighed as she took a seat. "She's hurting, Hiccup. Someone did something to her and I feel like it's eating her from the inside out."
Hiccup reached for Astrid's hand. "Then talk to her about it. She's bound to open up to us eventually."
"But what if she doesn't trust us enough to tell us? I feel like she doesn't open up to people very often."
"It's okay. We just need to earn her trust."
Astrid sighed again as she leaned her head against Hiccup's shoulder.
...
The next morning, Amber woke-up early to try and sneak off for a flight around the island. She had just steped out of her hut and was walking toward the stables when Snotlout and Hookfang landed in front of her.
"Just where do you think your going?" Snotlout asked while Hookfang growled.
"Um, I was just ... going to feed my dragon."
"Well, in that case, let me give you a lift."
Amber was about to say yes when she was interrupted by Hiccup and Toothless who were on their way to the dome.
"Snotlout, you know that she can't go flying!" Apparently he'd heard them.
"Ug, fine!" Snotlout grumbled.
"And Amber! I told you yesterday that you weren't allowed to go flying."
"But Hiccup-"
"No! And that's final!" With that, Toothless flew off.
With a growl Amber stomped off toward the stables. There has to be some way to ride my dragon, Amber thought. She happened to glance over her shoulder at Snotlout who was staring at her with a dreamy look in his eyes. That's it!
"Hey Snotlout! Let's take a flight around the island. I know your just dying to take me out."
The light in his eyes told her just that, but then they were filled with suspicion. "Hiccup just said no flying," he reminded her.
He's smarter than he looks, Amber smiled sweetly. "Hiccup doesn't need to know. We just have to stay out of his way."
He looked thoughtful. Please say yes, please say yes, please say...
"Okay. But this doesn't mean we're friends," he said.
Amber chuckled. Even though it was obvious that he was head over heels for her he was still trying to keep up his "tough-guy" act. This was just too easy.
So that's it! What did you think of the Snotlout/Amber part? Please review or PM me your thoughts and opinions (this would be much appreciated).