The new chapter is out! And it's the seventh chapter. Well, I hope everyone still likes my story so far. And thanks to those that reviewed. So, here's the new chapter.

Previously on Different Path:

"I don't think so. I think he went off somewhere with that new girl." Astrid said.

"Okay, now we know. What do we do now?" Ruffnut asked.

"We're going to look for him." Astrid suggested.

Chapter 7: Returning Home

Currently, Hiccup is trying to eat. And he's putting a lot of emphasis on trying. Matthew was staring down on him rather harshly. And it was making it uncomfortable for him to even touch the food. After the 'Brimstone Incident', the older male had a watchful eye on him. Scarlet didn't seem to be bothered by it since she was hardly paying any attention to him. And the brunet must say, she had been yelling at her older brother a lot. And it was mostly for Hiccup to get out of any danger. Toothless was eating his fish with the other dragons in the house. He doesn't seem to mind making a friend or two.

"So, how long are you staying here, Matthew?" Scarlet asked.

"Oh, I don't know… I guess as long as I want to." Matthew replied back.

"Wait, does that mean you don't come home very often?" Hiccup asked with curiosity.

"No, I'm not the type to stay in one place too long. That's one of the perks of being a dragon researcher."

"Then, what about your parents Scarlet? I haven't seen them around."

"Oh… They're away right now. They're traveling traders. They normally bring new stuff home when they can." Scarlet answered.

"In short, they're never really home." Matthew said.

The table grew quiet. Scarlet was stirring around her mash potatoes. Hiccup was sipping on his drink. And for Matthew, he was just eating like normal. The brunet gave the brunette a side glance. He could see that his friend isn't really happy. From time to time, her eye would twitch and she would stab on her food. Yeah, Hiccup can tell when a girl is upset or someone brought up something they shouldn't. Charles came in just on time to brighten the mood. He brought more food and drinks on the table. The red head even cracked a joke. Unfortunately, no one really gave a laugh for that. Matthew continued on with his eating.

"Anyways, I'm just here for some rest and supplies. Then I'll be off to do my thing. And what about you, Hiccup?"

"Oh m-me… What about me?" Hiccup asked.

"How long are planning on staying? We got a rule around here saying no guests staying overnight."

"I'll take him home today. I'm sure his parents want him back." Scarlet said, unhappily.

Scarlet stood up and left her food behind. She then went upstairs, probably to bed if Hiccup was guessing. Sky caught her and followed her friend to her room. The brunet turned back to Matthew, who was staring at his drink. He wasn't looking so happy either. The brunet didn't know what to say. He was getting a feeling that the mention of 'parents' was the reason as to why it became so gloomy. Matthew stopped staring at his cup and looked at Hiccup. He looked like he was exhausted. Charles took the half-finished plate and went back to the kitchen to clean it. The older male sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry about that. But could you not mention about our family. She's sensitive about that." Matthew muttered.

"Is there a reason why? If you're willing to tell, that is." Hiccup asked.

"Scarlet and our parents don't get along. When she was a kid, they were never around. She only had me as support." Matthew explained.

"So, she was alone when she was a kid?"

"Well, Lelia was around but it didn't last long. Out of nowhere, she wanted a dragon to fly on. That's when I introduced the Skywing dragon to her."

"Did you give her the egg or hatchling? Is that how she met Sky?"

"No, that was all her. She did the research on Skywing dragons. She found the dragon on her own too. I just discover her secret of keeping one."

Hiccup looked back at the stairs. Sky and Scarlet are really close. It's like him and Toothless in a way. They couldn't imagine living a life without their respective dragons. The brunet could imagine the brunette being all alone when she's a kid. The only thing that could keep her company was two dragons that cared for her. He doesn't really know if Matthew was there most of the time. It's hard to picture it with his 'dislike staying in one place' personality. He was probably living out his life on his own too. Hiccup looks at Toothless. The Night Fury was finished with his food and was talking to the other dragons. Without Toothless, Hiccup wouldn't know what he would have become.

"She was a loner, which I recall. And the fact that our parents didn't like dragons made it harder on her. That why she kept Sky a secret." Matthew explained.

"Then why aren't you guys on the Denians' side? They hate dragons, don't they?"

"Most of the reasons are to use dragons as guardians or protectors for children. Most parents do that. That why we keep Lelia."

Matthew stood up and decided that it's time for him to rest. He called for his Black Marrow to follow him. And the deadly dragon did. And upstairs they went. It was just Toothless, Leila, and Charles' dragon now. The Night Fury looked at his rider before talking to his dragon friends again. Hiccup sighed, pushing his plate away. He doesn't feel hungry anymore. The brunet thought about what he learned about the brunette. Scarlet had a lonely past as a child. That's probably why she was so sensitive with Sky when they met. That dragon of hers is really important to her. Hiccup would have done the same thing if it were him.

"To think a person would consider a dragon to be their only family…" Hiccup muttered.

–

Astrid was putting the finishing touch on Stormfly. She knew that Hiccup is somewhere outside of Berk if he was gone for so long. And having the right supplies would help her in a long shot. And who knows, she might not come back after a few days herself. The blonde settled herself on her dragon. The two then flew over the beach, where the rest were going to meet. Fishlegs, apparently, was already there. He was petting Meatlug worriedly. He was probably afraid of encounter the new girl again. Or he's having the fear of not coming back to Berk again. It could be that too. Snotlout was the third, followed by the twins.

"Alright guys, are you set to find Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"Of course, I was born ready for everything. But I don't get why I can't be leader. Seriously, why can't I?" Snotlout asked.

"Because your dragon doesn't listen to you… If you can't do that, how would you handle being a leader?" Tuffnut chuckled.

"Hookfang does listen to me! We just… don't communicate well…" Snotlout mumbled.

"Well, let's go. We'll fly north for now." Astrid ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Everyone answered.

–

Scarlet was finishing dressing up. She needs to get the brunet home. It was her plan from the beginning. The brunette didn't want her brother getting suspicious. Sky was lying next to her friend. The serpent-like dragon was feeling a bit worried lately about her rider's behavior. From time to time, Sky would slither around her. The sound of knocking of her door was heard. Scarlet looks behind and says for whoever it is to come in. The door opens with Hiccup's head popping out. He smiles at her when he stepped in. She smiles back. On his shoulder was Lelia and following behind was Toothless. The smallest dragon flew over to the brunette and cuddles against Scarlet's neck.

"Hey you guys… Why are you all in here? Is there something wrong?" She asked.

"Well, it's just that, there were some tension downstairs…" Hiccup explained.

"Oh, that… Sorry about that. I just want to get ready to take you home."

"I'm leaving today?"

"Yeah, I have a feeling that we need to. There might be a commotion at Berk or something."

"Then I'll get ready."

–

Astrid and the gang flew for hours heading north. At one point, they were planning of going back home to rest. But that was not they're intention from the beginning. The sun in the far distance was setting. And their dragons are getting confuse from leaving Berk's territory. However, Astrid wasn't planning on giving up too early. When hope was getting slim, the blonde saw that there was an island coming closer and closer. Everyone cheered. Maybe when they get there, they could find somewhere to rest. Or have a little lunch too. They soar down to the land. Maybe that's where Hiccup is. If not, Fishlegs might be some help to find the 'new girl'.

"Don't wander off. We're entering into an unknown territory. Be ready for anything!" Astrid warned.

"So, would that count us messing around with stuff? Because I would, you know." Tuffnut said.

"No, don't think about it. The worse thing we could do is attract attention." Astrid explained.

"I agree with Astrid. From the new girl, she had a dragon unknown to Berk. Who knows what dangerous dragon is here." Fishlegs said.

–

And that's the end to chapter seven. I hope you guys liked it. Please review also to tell me your opinions. So, that's it for now till the next chapter.