.
When he walks out the door, his eyes do an instant deep scan of his immediate surroundings. A toddler is wandering away from her parents, pudgy little legs carrying her close to the smithy. A big, scaly green beast tugs her shirt, nudging her back to her mother gently. There's a pair of boys sitting by the fence, dealing trading cards. A tiny dragon trots past him with a flower in its mouth. He looks at it, and it looks at him, and then they both look away quickly. It's quiet. Too quiet. He doesn't trust it at all.
He walks along the side of the path uncertainly, his ears straining to hear the rushed footsteps, the husky voice. His eyes dart around wildly. He isn't this alert when he's working with dragons. But this is much, much worse than a dragon.
"Gooooooood morning," says a not so sultry voice.
He cringes. "Yeah," he shrugs, speeding up.
"On your way to the stables?" she asks, and she's got a slight pant in her voice from trying to keep up with him.
"No," he lies.
"Well, you know my brother could use your help over there," she says. "I mean—he didn't say it exactly, but it's pretty clear. That Blue Snout is pretty tough."
"Blue Snouts are tough," he repeats. It'll all be over soon. It'll all be over soon. It'll all be over soon.
"Needs a pro to handle it," she continues. "He's not a pro. Too skinny. Maybe we need someone stronger…"
He cringes again as her hand snakes around his arm, squeezing for a few seconds. He shakes himself out of her grip and walks even faster.
"I have something else I have to take care of first," he says quickly.
"Need any help?" she asks.
"NO!" his eyes widen, panicked. "No. I'll—I'll see to your brother when I get back."
And before she can say a word, his powerwalk becomes a sprint to the nearest bush to hide behind until she decides to wait for him at the stables.
.
Mealtimes are the worst.
"It wasn't really far from the fourth peak," Hiccup says, his nose centimeters away from the map unfolded in front of him.
"Hiccup," Astrid pushes his plate closer to him. "We'll look for it later, okay? Could you eat something, please? So you don't die?"
"Yeah, yeah in a minute," Hiccup waves his hand at the plate. "Look, I think you should come with me to this one. There's a crag there—too small for me—but you could fit through it and see what's on the other side."
"Sounds dangerous," Fishlegs says.
"Yeah, it probably is," Hiccup agrees. "You up for it, Astrid?"
"Why not?" she shrugs.
"You wanna come along, Eret?" Hiccup asks. "I know Skullcrusher's been getting antsy. It's been a while since he's flown in the open air."
"I think we could both use that right now," Eret says, his eyes briefly glancing to his right, where she sits nearly smashed against him despite the fact that there are a clear three feet between her and the edge of the table. Her chin rests on her hand as she stares at him with half open eyes.
"Open air," she says quietly, her half smile twitching slightly as her fingers snake around his forearm. "Count me in."
"Eat fast, then," Hiccup says. "I'm leaving in an hour."
.
Riding is euphoric. He knew it the first time he ever climbed onto a saddle and he knows it now. Skullcrusher zips and flips and soars and it's been so long since he's actually been out and he slows down abruptly and Eret knows who he's thinking about.
"Don't worry, boy," he says, stroking his neck. "I'll take good care of you."
And there is a slow rumble that seems to come from within the beast and he picks up speed again.
"Eret can take good care of things," comes her voice, and his eyes shut instinctively. "The best care."
"Can we please go a little faster?" asks Tuffnut. "This is so boring!"
"Shut up!" she yells. "We'll speed up when I say we do!"
Riding is no longer euphoric.
.
He knows how to take a sub-zero degree bath. He's done it before. Hot baths were a rarity in the trapping days. Dragons moved too fast for him to have time to boil water. But here there's so much time to heat up water and play around with soaps and fragrant oils and he'd be lying if he said he didn't like to experiment with the strange perfumes the apothecary would cook up.
The water is getting cooler but he's too lazy to get up and dry off, so he just soaks there. He's considering calling Skullcrusher to heat it up again, but there are at least ten different ways that could go wrong. He leans his head against the edge and closes his eyes, mentally willing the water to warm up again. After a few seconds, it does. Quickly. He almost smiles.
"I can't believe that worked," he mumbles to himself.
"Hm?"
His eyes open abruptly, widening at the figure in the dimly candle lit room. She eyes him questioningly, the half empty bucket in her hand.
"AAAAHHHH!"
"Whoa, there tiger," she says, emptying the rest of the bucket into the tub. Hot water does nothing to calm him now.
"How did you get in here?" he asks.
"Through the front door," she says as if he has missed something fairly obvious. "Is that Erik's brew I smell?"
"Could you get out of here?" he asks.
She doesn't seem to hear it. "So you're a perfume kinda guy, then huh? I like that," she says. "Though I personally would suggest Juniper for a bath after working with the dragons. I don't know why, but it loosens up those sore muscles. I bet you've got plenty of those. Here, you can use mine if you like."
And she pulls a bottle of liquid out of her pocket and places it beside his hand. She picks up the sponge and soaks it in the water. He watches in disbelief as she rubs it in a circular motion on his shoulder. "You're so tense," she says. "They're just dragons. You'll get used to it soon. I remember the earlier days when we first started working with them. It felt weird, you know? To be playing around with them instead of trying to kill them. To have them play with us instead of eat us. Those days were so tense for me. I didn't know about Juniper back then. Wish someone had told me sooner. Would have saved me a lot of sores and aches. Oh, my…what happened here?"
The back of his head hits the edge of the tub. She has found the scar.
"Line of duty," he says. "The exit is that way."
She is deaf to this as her fingers trace the pattern on his chest. "It's…almost pretty," she says. "Nice…"
His eyes shut tightly. "Thank you. Can you please go away now?"
"I've got a few scars myself," she says. "Some of them aren't really from dragons…none of them in the line of duty. Not as cool."
"Okay."
His mouth contorts as the sponge inches further and further down his abdomen. Her eyes are half closed in concentration as she counts to herself.
"…six…seven…eight…" she smiles at him. He scrunches his face and sighs in defeat.
.
The mornings have begun to carry a special dread for him. He has an idea that he could try sneaking out before the sunrise. Otherwise he might have to try sleeping with someone's wife. He'd rather avoid that kind of conflict.
When he opens the door, all is quiet. The baby dragon walks past him and this time it's carrying what looks like a half chewed axe handle. He looks at it, and it looks at him, and they both look away. He hides his torso behind the door as his eyes scan the area. All is quiet. He's learned not to trust it. He inhales deeply and makes a mad dash down the path. He can't hear anything behind him. The wind in his ears isn't that loud. He hazards a glance over his shoulder. The two young boys trading cards. A balding man with a sheep in his hands. Nothing else. No sign of her ash blonde head. He raises a brow. Without even meaning to, his lips curve into a brilliant smile. He dances his way to the stables. The dragons seem to sense his good mood. They're extra loving, and when he walks out of the stables to eat lunch, he's extra purple.
.
"I can't ride out today," Hiccup says at the table. "The elders want to talk to me. Ice is gonna set in soon."
"I'll fly Toothless for you later," Astrid says.
"Don't go anywhere new without me," Hiccup pleads.
"No promises," Astrid says. "You coming, Eret?"
Eret focuses his peripheral vision for a split second. He has ample room to breathe today. Tuffnut is tucking into his mutton contentedly. Across the table she sits, her eyes glued to the hilt of her sword, her brows furrowed in concentration.
"I suppose so," he says.
She doesn't flinch. Astrid seems to be fighting a smile, but it's gone before he can think about it.
.
Riding is euphoric again, but it's kind of irksome without the husky voice in his ear making him recoil. The only sound now is the wind and Astrid and Tuffnut's distant yelling. He looks around at the clouds and the rocks and the green and the water and Skullcrusher groans abruptly. Eret pats him calmingly.
Riding is a little boring now.
.
The water is cooling off. He's forgotten how fast it does that. His legs are aching and his back is definitely going to be purple in the morning. He reaches over the edge of the tub, picking up the small bottle she left behind. He pours a little into the water. In a few minutes, he can feel himself loosen up. Hm.
He tilts his head back, closes his eyes, and mentally wills the water to warm up again. For a split second, he thinks that it worked, but then he opens his eyes and nothing's changed.
.
He doesn't poke his head out the door this morning. He just walks right out the door and looks up and down the road. The boys are trading cards. The baby dragon is carrying a fine toothed comb. He looks at it and it looks at him and then they both turn away. He walks out leisurely, his head turning every time he hears a sound. The walk to the arena is quiet and peaceful and the silence is what irks him the most.
.
"Astrid is gonna work with the baby dragons," Hiccup says. "So it's just you me and Tuffnut."
"Just us?" Eret asks, his eyes travelling over the table. She is sitting at the far end, and this time her eyes are glued to a sheet of paper. Astrid sits directly across from her, arms crossed triumphantly. "No one else is coming?"
"Nah. Why? You think we could try to get Fishlegs to come?" Tuffnut asks.
"He hates the West Grove," Hiccup says.
"What about Snotlout?" Eret asks. "Or…Ruffnut?" he says her name quietly.
"Snotlout's stuck in the stables with the Blue Snout," Hiccup says. "And Ruffnut…well I don't really know why she isn't coming."
"Who cares?" Tuffnut asks. "Can we go now?"
"Yeah, yeah," Hiccup takes one last bite of his lamb and gets to his feet. Eret averts his eyes as they walk past the girls. In the corner of his eye, he sees Astrid lean in toward her. He hears the words 'threshold theory', but then he hears no more.
.
Riding is not very freeing when you have a weird nagging in the back of your mind. Eret is beginning to wonder why the nagging isn't directly beside him saddled onto one of a dragon's two heads. Skullcrusher huffs glumly, and Eret guesses that he's missing more than one person right now.
Riding is a little melancholy now.
.
He doesn't bother heating up the water before he settles into the tub. But he keeps the little bottle close. He opens it every now and again to inhale the fragrance deeply, and he sinks a little deeper into the water when it occurs to him that she smells just like Juniper.
.
He walks out the front door and the baby dragon is carrying a small kettle. He looks at it and it looks at him and then they both look away. The boys are trading cards. He walks along the path. He turns left and heads for the smithy. Quiet. Definite, lasting quiet.
"Ugh," he turns around and walks back along the road, pausing outside of a door. He knocks on it, crossing his arms and waiting impatiently until it opens.
"Dude," Tuffnut rubs his eyes. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Where's Ruffnut?" he asks.
"I don't know," Tuffnut says. "Probably off picking flowers or something. Why? You need her for something?"
"I—yeah," he lies. "I…they need her help at the Smithy."
"I'll tell her when I see her," he says, yawning. His eyes narrow to some point beyond Eret. "Is that dragon carrying a kettle?"
.
"Are we riding today?" Tuffnut asks him. Eret looks up from his rabbit stew. "Everyone else ducked out."
"Fishlegs chickened out again?" Eret asks.
"Nah. Sis is going to harvest berries with Erik for his Juniper brew. You know those guys…they can't pass up a chance to impress her. Come on. Saddle up. I'll be waiting by the dock."
He doesn't even notice his jaw has set until Tuffnut claps his back on his way out the door.
.
"I miss a perfectly good chance to fly out for this?" Tuffnut asks.
"We're being good Samaritans," Eret says. "Helping our fellow villagers."
"Erik doesn't need our help," Tuffnut says. "He's got Ruffnut and her wooing gang."
"Her wooing gang is useless," Eret says. "Erik! You need any help?"
Erik looks up at them as they land their dragons on the ground. His eyes travel to Fishlegs and Snotlout, who are nose to nose as Ruffnut walks past them with a crate in her hands.
"Yes, please," he says. "Tuffnut, bring that dragon over here!"
Eret watches Ruffnut hand her brother the crate of berries and help him strap it onto the dragon's back where her saddle was.
"Fly slowly," she says to him. "Don't tip too much or it'll fall off."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tuffnut says. "You gonna get on or not?"
"It's too heavy now," Eret says. "I'll take her."
Her eyes only turn in his direction briefly as she walks past him, climbing onto Skullcrusher. Eret hurries after her and waits for her fingers to find their favorite place on his arms. Nothing. He turns to look at her. Her hands are gripping the sides of the saddle. He kicks his heels inward and Skullcrusher gently rises from the ground.
He waits. Flies and waits for her touch but it never comes and he's feeling a little thrown now. He yanks the reigns tightly. Skullcrusher comes to a sudden halt.
"Whoa!" her arms clamp around his waist tightly. "What was that?"
"No sure. Boy's probably nervous," Eret says, patting Skullcrusher. "I don't think he's ever been ridden by a girl before."
Skullcrusher turns his head, eyeing him in what appears to be disbelief.
"Onward, boy," he says. "Don't be shy."
She doesn't let go for the rest of the ride. He can feel her face press against his back, right over an aching spot. The smell of juniper coming off her skin makes it feel less sore already.
.
He has a bucket of hot water by the tub faithfully waiting for him. He reaches for the Juniper bottle, but when he holds it up, it's empty.
"Here," says a voice, and he fights a smile as a tiny bottle is handed to him. "It doesn't take me long to get through a bottle, either."
Her hand almost brushes on his shoulder as she tips some of the liquid into the water. She sets it down and seems to disappear into the shadows.
"Have you ever been bitten?" he asks before he can stop himself.
She reappears. "Huh?"
"By a dragon," he says. "Cause I think one bit me today and I'm not sure if I should get it looked at."
"I got bitten by a baby," she said. "Harmless."
"Did it leave a scar?"
"Yeah. Not a very impressive one."
"Can I see it?"
There's something in her eyes as she pulls back her sleeve to show him the tiny puncture dots on her forearm. He can't be sure exactly what it is, much less if he can trust it. But it's okay because she's here, and that makes him feel like something is normal again.
.
He walks out the door and the boys are trading cards. The baby dragon walks by with a crossbow dangling between its teeth. He looks at it and it looks at him and then they both look away. He steps out onto the road, ready and willing to turn back and knock on Tuffnut's door if the need arises.
"Goooooood morning," says a familiar voice.
He smiles. "Good morning."
"And where are we headed today?" she asks.
He slows down so she can keep up. "Now? Just…walking, I suppose."
"Sounds awfully lonely," she says, her fingers already reaching for his upper arm.
"Good thing I've got company," he says as the familiar squeeze on his arm makes him smile wider.
They walk past Astrid on her way to Hiccup's house. They smile at each other and Eret eyes them both, because now they both have that same look in their eyes that he saw the night before and it occurs to him now that it might be triumph. Triumph over what, he's not sure, but he doesn't care because she's running her hands over his arm again and he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss that.
"Is that a…crossbow?"
-end-