Emma: The Glow Within (Book 2, HTTYD Fanfic)

Chapter 11: Jayden

***Jill wrote most of this chapter for me. Thank you Jill!!! :)***

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I was in Eret's room...in bed just like I had been before.

No, no, no, I swear to Thor that was not a dream.

I looked up and the sword was back in it's place on the wall. There was no glass on the floor, the window was slightly cracked and the lamps still burned brightly.

What....the heck...was that...

I looked down at my arm, my markings were gone.

I did not dream all that! My mind, coming up with something like that?! Yeah right! That was real!

"Hey, Em." I jumped as Blaze entered the room. "How did you sleep?"

How did I sleep. How did I sleep??

"Uhh...I..." I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them. "...have no idea..."

He rose an eyebrow. "No...idea?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. I don't keep a diary with me while I sleep Blaze. I don't remember how well I slept."

He snorted in laughter, and I softly smiled, trying to lighten my mood.

It didn't work.

I pulled the blanket off of myself and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. I shook the broken one, wincing as I do. It hurt more then it did yesterday.

That's because Mr.I-like-to-scare-the-crap-out-of-people-and-trash-places decided to stand on it.

I wasn't dreaming. It was real...right?

I heard a knock on the door, and Blaze went to go get it. A second later, he and Hiccup appeared, carrying some sort of...wooden contraption.

"Hey, Emma." Hiccup beamed at me.

He held a wooden stick thing, in the shape of a "T", with a smaller piece strapped to it half way down.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Uh--I invented it with the help of Gobber...they're called crutches. You hold on here,"--he pointed to the shorter piece--"and lean on them here"--he pointed to the top--"and then you don't have to put any weight on your injured leg."

I softly laughed, smiling. "Wow, thanks...Hiccup."

"See ya, Em, I have to go work."

I waved at Blaze as he walked down the stairs.

I turned to Hiccup, raising an eyebrow. "So... How are we going to get me down the stairs...?"

Hiccup furrowed his brow."I hadn't thought of that..."

I laughed. "Put the crutches downstairs first, then help me down the stairs."

"Okay...I'll try..." He said with a bit of doubt.

He placed the crutches against the wall at the bottom of the steps, before helping me up. I put my arm over his shoulder for support and managed to limp down the stairs with Hiccup's aid, grabbing the crutches when I reached the end.

I smiled at him, but he didn't smile back, looking off into space.

I nudged his shoulder. "Hiccup?"

He didn't look at me, and it took him a while to respond. "...yeah?"

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to look him in the eye.

He softly smiled, shrugging. "Just...bad dreams..."

My eyebrows shot up. "Dreams...?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Nothing to worry about. I'm just a little shaken, that's all."

I gulped softly, looking to the ground. "What was in your dreams?"

But were they real...right? Maybe Hiccup just didn't want to admit that they were real...

He half heartedly laughed. "Just some guy...uh...he just said things..."

"Said things?"

A terrible terror flew into the room, carrying a letter. The dragon dropped the letter on Hiccup's head. Hiccup flinched, before awkwardly bending over to pick it up. He read it before stuffing it in his pocket. "Mom wants me to go find Ruff and Tuff, apparently they're doing something...stupid...as usual...But do you want me to stay or...?"

"No, Hiccup, go, really. You're the chief. You have responsibilities. I understand."

"You sure?"

"Positive." Hiccup stared at me for a long moment before nodding.

Though, I could tell he was glad that I said he could go. He wasn't too keen on telling me what Mr. I-like-to-scare-the-crap-out-of-people-and-trash-place said to him.

At least, I hoped that was who it was...

"Okay, I'll see you later then." He opened the door and I wandered outside behind him.

Toothless appeared out of nowhere, allowing Hiccup to hop onto him and they flew off.

Once they were gone, I stood still for a moment, the cogs in my head turning.

So...Mr. I-like-to-scare-the-crap-out-of-people-and-trash-place was...a Darkstalker? No. He couldn't be. Because he called me "Darkstalker" and he wouldn't call me that if he was one too...right?

"I need to clear my head" I muttered to myself, looking about.

I spotted the woods, and I shrugged. Why not go on an adventure? And I have a broken leg; even more adventurous!

I headed towards the woods. It took forever with the stupid crutches. They weren't one of Hiccups finest works either, cause it felt like they were going to collapse underneath me.

I came out of a line of trees that surrounded a beach. I stumbled a bit making my way through the sand, and I groaned.

Note to self; crutches and sand don't mix.

I heard a rustle in the trees behind me and I spun around, my fear spiking.

Was it Mr. I-like-to-scare-the-crap-out-of-people-and-trash-place-? Drago? Someone else that I should be terrified of?

I familiar face poked out from the trees, and slowly walked over to me. He slowly raised a hand, touching my cheek.

He smiled. "Emma."

I felt a smile creep on to my face. "Jayden. How did you know it was me?"

His hand trailed up the side of my head, and came down my forehead, down my nose and back to my cheek.

"I can never forget a face as smooth as yours."

I giggled. "Aw, my face isn't that--Ah!"

My crutch slipped from underneath me, and I tumbled to the sand. Jayden gasped, his hands searching the hair in front of him.

"Emma?! Oh my gods where are you?!"

I couldn't help but laugh, and I reached up and grabbed his hand as it searched the air for me. I squeezed it in reassurance.

"I'm down here. I...fell..."

"Fell?"

"...I'm on crutches."

He gripped my hand tighter, helping me stand back up. "Really?"

I dusted the sand off me, smiling. "Yeah. I broke my leg...well...my leg was broken..."

"You okay now? From the break?" he asked, cupping my cheek.

I giggled. "I'm fine."

It wasn't as unnerving now as it was before; how he didn't actually look at you when he was talking to you.

He pulled his hand away awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Sorry about the touching...it helps me see..."

I grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "It's okay. I don't mind you doing it."

He smiled. "I wish I could see you. I bet you are...beautiful."

A blush crept across my cheeks, and I giggled. "I'm not...beautiful..."

He smiled, and it was a dorky smile. Almost like one of Hiccups smiles, but this had Jayden's touch to it.

"A girls heart is more beautiful than her appearance" he said softly, smiling at me. "So...you must look extraordinary."

I felt my cheeks redden, and I giggled again. "You look pretty good too."

He smirked, running a hand through his white hair. "Yeah. I have no idea what I look like though." His smile faded, and his gaze dropped to the ground. "I...I don't know what...what anything looks like..."

I pouted, tilting my head to the side. "Doesn't that make everything more exciting?"

He shrugged.

I smiled, walking off the sand. "Come on then Jayden. Let's go do something exciting!"

He laughed, following me.

We walked along the side of Berk, talking about everything. Mostly about myself though, because Jayden insisted that his life was boring.

"And then they fought" I sighed, finishing up the story of my life. "And they ended up breaking my leg--"

"Gah!"

I turned my head to see that Jayden had run smack bang into a tree. I gasped, quickly hobbling over to him. I pull him out of the trees way, and he groaned, rubbing his head.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Your voice..." he said softly. "It...it was distracting...and I ran into a tree."

I laughed. "Are you hurt? I'm a terrible person for laughing."

He laughed too. "No, you're not a terrible person Emma. Laughter is the best form of medicine."

I smiled. "True."

We continued on our walk, talking, laughing. There was something about Jayden that was...different. I couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was his personality, or the way that he tried to shake everything off, or the fact that he was blind and he still carried on living anyway.

I noticed the bow slung across his shoulder, and the bows in the quiver on his back.

"You hunt with that?" I asked him, gesturing to his bow.

He looked to me, confused, and I mentally face palmed.

"...do you hunt with your bow?"

He nodded, slipping his bow off his shoulder. He unsheathed an arrow, loaded it on to his bow. He pulled the string back, aimed at a thick tree closest to him, and released the arrow, lodging it into the middle of the trunk.

"Wow" I said, nodding in astonishment. "How? You are...well you can't..."

He chuckled softly, shrugging. "You can say that I am blind. It's not offensive. And yeah, I've done it through practice."

"Hey...I was kinda taught how to shoot...can I try."

He smiled, shrugging. "Sure, knock yourself out."

He held out the bow and an arrow, and I took them from him. I looked to my crutches, sighing.

"How can I do this..." I muttered, adjusting myself so I stood correctly in front of the tree.

I left my crutches under my arms, and I loaded the arrow, pulling the string back and shooting the arrow.

It missed.

Jayden chuckled, handing me a new one. "Don't worry Emma. Tense yourself; it won't be accurate if your muscles are tense."

I loosened my muscles, looking to the tree with the arrow.

Jayden then ran his fingers over my arms, adjusting my elbow, then his hands slithered to my waist, and he stood me straight.

"You don't crouch forward when you are shooting" he whispered softly.

His hands then went to my hands on the bow, and his body is pressed up against me. I softly gasped as his body was cooler that I had thought.

His hands move mine on the bow, and he smiled. "You hold it here, and not so tightly." His other hand went to the hand holding the string, and he loosened my grip on it softly. "Relax. Breathe...wined down."

He leant his face down right next to mine but his gaze didn't even look to me. I stared into his cloudy, grey eyes, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Listen. Let the sounds of the forest calm you...let them focus your mind."

I closed my eyes, and I listened to the sounds around me. The wind blowing through the trees, ten soft rustle of the grass, the chirp of birds...

I opened my eyes, and I released the arrow.

It flew through the air at super speed, slicing right through the other arrow.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, almost falling because I'm not holding the crutches. "Yes! Did you see that?? Wait--sorry. I mean...I got a good shot...yeah.."

He chuckled, smiling dorkily.

"Hi-five!" I giggled, and we rose our hands.

He missed my hand, and got my face instead.

"Oh my gods Emma! I'm so sorry!"

I chuckled, finding his hand and squeezing it in reassurance. "It's okay. Here, let's to it like that."

I held his palm up in the air, then I smacked my hand to his, giggling.

"Hi-five!"

He laughed. "You, Emma, are so childish."

"I know" I smirked.

He chuckled, taking the bow back. He walked over and felt around a bit, until he found the arrows. He chuckled some more when he saw how mine sliced through his.

He sheathes them, and he walked over to me, smiling. "You've done it before?"

I smiled, remembering when Danny did that to me. "Yeah. I had one, short lesson."

He snorted. "Your teacher wasn't good...he put your hand in the wrong place, and your muscles were too tense, and, he did the chicken wing."

I snorted now. "Chicken wing?"

He nodded, flapping his elbow around like a wing. "Yeah. Your elbow was crazy."

I laughed, hobbling along beside him.

**later**

It was now night time, and me and Jayden sat under the stars, the moon shining down on us.

We were just talking, about happy things really. We were so different, but at the same time, we were so similar.

We laid on the ground right near the cliffs, our legs sprawled out, and my crutches beside me.

"So...what do you look like?" he asked me.

I sighed, curling a hair of mine. "Well...I have blue eyes and Carmel hair...wait...you probably don't even know what the colour Carmel is.."

He chuckled. "I wasn't always blind."

I looked to him, eyebrow raised. "Really?"

He nodded, biting his lip slightly. "There was an explosion...at my old village...and it blinded me."


I gasped. "That's...oh my gods. That's terrible."

He shrugged. "No biggie. That was nine years ago. I'm eighteen. Turning nineteen soon. A few days."

"Really?" I said excitedly.

He nodded.

Note to self; a party for Jayden.

Silence passed through us, and we laid under the stars, smiling. He gaze went to me, and he just looked at me, without really looking at me.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Do you have any siblings?" I asked him.

His face went cold, and his gaze went up to the stars. I felt bad, for he couldn't see anything as beautiful as that. As those stars.

"...triplets" he said softly, playing with the black strand of hair in his mess of white hair. "Ullorn, Burpie, and Covra."

I was going to say something about Burpie, but I decided against it.

"Two boys...and a little girl. They were so sweet...bubbly...playful...I loved them so much. They were four...and they were so...outgoing. Covra loved to chase the boys, and Burpie liked to tickle you. Ullorn was a little shy, but he was loud."

"Where...where are they now?" I asked him.

He looked away from me, a dark look crossing his face. I scooted closer to him, putting my hand over his. He looked shocked by my affection, and I just smiled at him.

"I can feel you smiling" he chuckled softly, looking to me, and amazingly, he managed to look right into my eyes.

"That's because I am" I smiled.

He sighed, a small smile on his lips. The smile vanished, and he sighed. "They were in the explosion."

I gasped, my heart throbbing.

An older brother...losing his siblings in an explosion...

I squeezed his hand, sighing. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how you feel...but no matter that. Because I am here for you."

He smiled.

Silence passed for another minute.

"...what's your greatest fear?" I asked him.

He softly smiled, then his smile faded. "That...that I will be an outcast to every village I go. That people will judge me for me...that I will never find the one..."

I heard a small sniff, and I saw that he had tears in his eyes, and some ran down his cheeks. I scooted over to him, wrapping my arms around him.

He gasped, unsure of what to do, but then he wrapped his arms around me.

A nice, cool sensation ran through me, and I hugged Jayden tighter.

"Well, I like you Jayden, and I could never judge you. I'm...I'm astonished that you were able to survive alone, blind. I'm proud. You are not an outcast. Trust me when I say this; I know how you feel on that."

He pulled back, smiling, and he lifted his hand and touched my cheek. He then put a lock of hair behind my ear and I giggled.

He smiled. "Beautiful..."

"Emma? Emma! Where are you?"

I gasped, snapping my head to the direction of the sound.

"Blaze" I said, and Jayden helped me stand up.

He sighed. "See you around Emma."

I grabbed his hand before he left, and I have him a smile. "I want you to meet Blaze."

He looked shocked. "What? No! He-He won't l-like me...and I...and I'm blind and he might...he's your brother..."

"Don't worry" I smiled, squeezing his hand in reassurance. "He's different; like you."

Jayden gulped, but nodded.

"Over here Blaze!" I called.

We stood here and waited for him to show, and I couldn't wait until he met Jayden.