How to Deal With Amnesia

Chapter 7: Let's Go For a Walk

Right behind the stables was where they kept water and food for the dragons.

Hiccup got a bunch of fish for Toothless, who started eating eagerly, then, he filled a bucket of water so the Night Fury could drink later, but he stopped midway as he saw his reflection on the water. He certainly looked different. If there was still a doubt that time had passed, there was none anymore.

Sure, he had seen all the gang older, he had witnessed the dragon's behavior, and he had felt his body completely different, bigger and with a lacking foot. But it was not the same as seeing his reflection completely changed with his own eyes. He wasn't a boy anymore; he was now a young man.

And honestly, it was scary. Scary because he now confirmed he had really lost three years of his life, people told him he was the cause of big amazing changes in the whole world, yet... he didn't remember any of it. How all of these events changed him? What was he like after all these experiences? He wanted to know the person he was now.

"Why are you hugging this bucket of water?"

He almost let the object fall in shock, he was so deep in thoughts he didn't even realize a Nadder landing right beside Toothless. The Night Fury stopped eating to look at him, puzzled, then he greeted Stormfly and her rider.

"Oh, I... I wasn't really, you know, hugging, I was just thinking... while holding it tight..." He looked away in embarrassment. She chuckled a little as she dismounted; she was still finishing to eat her bread and cheese. "And, well, I kinda wrapped my head around on the fact that three years had passed. As weird as it sounds..."

"Really? And what made you change your mind?"

"After the shock of the initial surprise, everyone is older and different... Even me. I mean, I knew for sure it had to be a while since I last remembered, after all, my stump is completely healed and it hurt less than I'd imagine, but I guess it was still hard to take it for a while and then, I saw myself in the reflection and then I thought 'wow, I do look different, maybe I really am older', and now I think I might be going insane again and do I look like that bad? I mean, I don't think it's so bad, but I'm still no more than a fishbone, and I, well..."

"Hiccup, calm down." She said, noticing he had barely stopped to breathe this whole time.

"Sorry, I ramble when I'm nervous..."

"I know... But no, you don't look that bad. Fishbone or not, I like you just the way you are."

She chuckled looking at him squeeze the bucket even more as if he suddenly lost all the air in his lungs, getting redder by the second. The eighteen-year-old Hiccup wasn't that embarrassed anymore and would probably joke if she said he was probably the most handsome lad on Berk, and she wanted to say that, but she knew this fifteen-year-old one would either faint or run away.

"Thanks..." He looked at the blue Nadder who got closer to him, concerned for the boy's health, just like she'd be worried for Astrid's well being. "So, you have a Nadder..."

"Yes, this is Stormfly."

"I should have known you had one of these, they're beautiful and fierce." He then realized what he had said and felt his heart racing. He was starting to get annoyed by how much embarrassed he could be in such a short time. He wasn't used to that, because he usually had no interaction with no one else besides Gobber. He wanted to stop looking and sounding ridiculous in front of Astrid all the time! "Well, I mean, you know, I guess, it's just..."

"It's okay, Hiccup, I know what you mean. And thank you, I do agree with you. Now calm down before you get redder than Hookfang."

"Hookfang... It's Snotlout's dragon, right? I haven't seen him, yet..."