Hey everyone! I am so sorry that I haven't updated in such a long while. My Riders and Defenders of Berk story shall be updated next weekend. I am sincerely sorry for having not written anything for the past few weeks. School and whatnot.

Also, I've been celebrating with my fellow Filipinos because of Pope Francis' arrival here in the Philippines. Tomorrow, he departs for Rome. Let us all pray for his safe return to the Vatican.

Anyways, until Riders and Defenders of Berk is updated, I hope this somewhat satisfies your craving for Thin Ice.

Note: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING

Chapter 10

(Zenna's Dream)

'Zenna could hardly believe it...Had she and Eret really…?

"Yes! We did it, Zen! We made it! We made it!" Eret's excited yell snapped Zenna out of her daze and she looked at the spectacular view before her. The whole South seemed to be completely spread out all around them down below. Zenna smiled widely, now sure that she and Eret had really reached the very tippy-top of the Sky Giant. She and Eret were sitting on a branch, admiring the wonderful view.

"We made it to the very top…" Zenna breathed out, before looking at Eret and smiled. "And I finally got over my fear of heights! My acrophobia has been conquered!" she said victoriously, throwing her arms out only to nearly fall off! Luckily Eret steadied her before she took a tumble. "I am so proud of you…" Eret whispered as they watched the birds soar through the sky. Zenna sighed happily and, then, leaned against Eret. The boy looked at her in surprise before smiling and gently draped his arm over her. "See what you've been missing?" he asked jokingly, gesturing to the picturesque view from their amazing vantage point. "I never knew that you could see so much from high above the ground…" Zenna admitted. She was silent for a few minutes before saying, "Thanks for doing this with me, Eret…I couldn't have done it without you…"

Eret smiled and gently kissed the top of her head. "As long as you need anything, Zenna, I'm right here…" the young lad promised. Zenna smiled as they watched the sun set over the horizon…

(Zenna's Dream Ends)

"Zwenna! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

Stryka's frantic roar brought Zenna out of her slumber. Still half-asleep, the one-eyed Dragon Doctor found Stryka frantically digging herself out of their snow cave. "Stryka, what is it?" Zenna yawned. Suddenly a rumbling sound got her attention. Following Stryka out of their shelter, Zenna's one violet eye widened in horror as she saw what seemed like a wall of snow barreling towards her and Stryka!

"AVALANCHE!" Zenna screamed, mounting Stryka. Quickly the two of them hightailed it out of the danger zone and up into the skies. Stryka heaved a huge sigh of relief as they watched the avalanche from up above, glad that they hadn't been buried alive in there. "Okay, snowstorm and an avalanche…we've survived those, now if we can just avoid running into…" Zenna managed to say before, all of a sudden, a net came launching out of nowhere!

'Dragon Eaters…' Zenna managed to think before she and Stryka were ensnared and they fell back down to earth…

Back on Berk, Eret had woken up again. And Zenna still wasn't by his side. Rather, Astrid and Hiccup were the ones there. "Hey…you were out for almost an entire day…" Astrid said softly. Eret simply scowled and turned away from her and Hiccup. "Eret, we're sorry…Zenna didn't want to go either, but she had no choice…" Hiccup sighed. Eret was quiet for a bit before he sighed heavily. "I'm not mad at you two. It's just…why would she make such an empty promise to me…?" he said quietly. "She didn't want you to worry, Eret. That's why." Astrid told him gently. Eret thought about that for a couple of minutes…before his stomach suddenly decided to give him pain.

"I got your back, man." Hiccup said, handing Eret a bucket. Astrid grimaced as Eret sat up on his bed, throwing up the meager contents of his stomach into the bucket. "I hate this…I freaking hate this…" Eret groaned once he had finished puking whatever that could be puked up. "Everyone hates getting sick…And I guess pain demands to be felt." Hiccup told him, leaving to clean the bucket out. Astrid handed Eret some water to rinse his mouth. "He's right you know…Pain does demand to be felt, whether physical or emotional." She told Eret. The former dragon trapper lied back down and closed his eyes. "I'm feeling a lot of those right now…" he mumbled. "Zenna will come back with the medicine, Eret. Don't worry." Astrid reassured him.

Eret sighed, "I know she'll come back in time…before I die." Just as Hiccup came back. The former dragon trapper's words caused Hiccup to drop the empty bucket to the floor and Astrid to look at Eret in confusion. Opening his eyes, Eret saw the couple's stunned faces. "I'm dying from pneumonia, aren't I?" he asked them.

Hiccup and Astrid could only gape at Eret, shocked and speechless. How in Valhalla did he know?!

"You two okay?" Eret slightly chuckled before coughing. "Eret…h-how did you know? We…we never told you…" Astrid asked him in a strained voice. "I may be sick, Astrid, but I'm not stupid. I know that I have pneumonia. I know that it's bad and I know that I'm dying. You guys didn't have to keep quiet about it around me." Eret told her. "But how did you know?" Hiccup asked this time.

Eret's face suddenly turned solemn and he sadly looked away from them both. "Eret…" Hiccup and Astrid said worriedly.

Eret let out another sigh. He had to at least tell someone…

"My mother died of pneumonia when I was three…" he confessed. "Y-your mother?" Hiccup asked, surprised. "She got sick one winter…Da and I tried everything but…she never made it to spring…" Eret said quietly. Hiccup and Astrid kept silent before Gothi arrived to check on Eret.

"Your fever's gone up a little, but it's not too alarming…But she says that you might be feeling nauseous for a couple of hours…" Hiccup translated the runes Gothi had scrawled in the dirt to Eret. The former dragon trapper nodded, before clutching his stomach and turning pale. "Oh, not again…" Astrid sighed, getting the bucket this time. "So…freaking…hate this…!" Eret groaned as his stomach's contents were once again upchucked.

"Three more days…Gods, I hope Zenna's already found the cure…" Hiccup murmured worriedly while Eret threw up, Astrid supporting him.

Unbeknownst to Hiccup, Astrid and Eret, Zenna and Stryka were in a lot of trouble. They were at Dragater already, alright. But now…they had been captured by the Dragon Eaters…

Poor Eret…But it looks like he's not worried about dying because he knows that Zenna will make it back in time. He never gives up on her ;)

But Zenna and Stryka…what will they do now? Three days left to find the cure. Will they find the Frost Ivy in time?

Only time will tell…and time is running out.

Read and review, those two things make me happy!