Hello guys :D

Announcement: I am putting "Riders and Defenders of Berk" on a temporary week-long hold so I can try finishing this. Don't worry, I'll restart writing my new update the week after and post my next update hopefully on the first week of March…provided that I'm not gonna get swamped by tests and homework due before graduation.

In the meantime, I hope this new chapter for Thin Ice will make it up to you all.

Note: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING

Chapter 14

For Skullcrusher, time didn't have any significance to him at the moment as he watched over Eret. The only thing the distressed Rumblehorn knew…was that his Rider wasn't getting any better. And fear gripped Skullcrusher's heart as the terrifying realization that he could very well lose his master again…

Skullcrusher let out a mournful whine and nuzzled his snout into Eret's pale, clammy hand. The former dragon trapper moaned and weakly turned his head to see Skullcrusher whimpering into his palm, the tears running down his dragon's scales.

"Hey…Skullcrusher…" Eret whispered hoarsely. Skullcrusher crooned and gently gave his Rider a lick to try and clean him. "Heh…yeah, I know…I could really use a bath…Thanks for reminding me…" his Rider chuckled weakly. Skullcrusher gave Eret a toothy grin. It was good to see that his Rider hadn't lost his sense of humor yet. Then Eret's face turned sad.

"I don't wanna die, buddy…I don't want to leave yet…I'm trying so hard to hold on but…" Eret managed to say before getting into another violent coughing fit. Skullcrusher let out a distressed rumble and helped Eret sit up. After he had pretty much hacked his lungs out, Eret slumped back against the covers. Skullcrusher began to whine, seeing that's Eret's eyes were barely open. Eret couldn't die! Not now!

Then, to the Rumblehorn's relief, Eret managed to open his eyes a little bit more and focused them on his dragon.

"I'm scared, Skullcrusher…But I'm not giving up just yet…Zenna will come back with the medicine for me and I'll get better…We'll be back to beating everyone in the Dragon Races in no time…Just you wait, bud…" Eret reassured Skullcrusher, weakly patting the Rumblehorn's head. Skullcrusher rumbled softly and draped a wing over Eret as he fell into another heavy sleep.

In the silence, Skullcrusher made a wish to the gods and his former master, Stoick.

'Odin, Thor, Freyja, all the gods…and my old Rider, Stoick…I beg of you…Don't take Eret away…Please don't take him…Please…let my new master…my friend…live…Please let Eret live…' Skullcrusher prayed as he curled up next to Eret's bed, one wing still draped over him like a blanket.

Zenna woke up to the sound of roaring dragons. Getting up, the one-eyed Dragon Doctor realized that Stryka was gone! Fearing that the Dragon Eaters had taken her in the middle of the night, Zenna rushed out of the Ironside Family home…only to see Stryka completely unharmed and being fed by Orland and Kirsten. Then Zenna looked up and saw that a wild Hideous Zippleback had flown over the area.

"Wild Zippleback…steady now, Daniel…" Anya cautioned her brother. "I'm always steady, Anya…Aim…" Daniel said as he loaded something into what resembled a cannon! One look at the device that a dragon trapper would usually use (and she had seen devices like that when she helped Eret and his crew get rid of them when they moved in to Berk) and Zenna had launched herself at Daniel screaming, "Don't!"

Daniel yelped as the young woman suddenly tackled him! "Are you crazy?! Were you trying to trap it?!" Zenna yelled, furious. "I-I wasn't, Dr. Zenna!" Daniel stuttered, fearful of her wrath. Anya gently got Zenna off of her brother and began to explain. "This is how my family and I keep the dragons away from Dragater, Zenna. We load these capsules into the cannon and fire them at the dragons. They contain a special eel-smelling smoke that drive the dragons away." As Anya explained, she fired a capsule from the cannon. Zenna watched with fascination as the capsule exploded in front of the Zippleback and a cloud of red smoke erupted. The wild Zippleback roared in annoyance and flew away.

Stryka sniffed the eel smoke and whined, turning her nose up at the scent. "The smoke isn't made with eels and it's harmless to the dragons." Anya reassured Zenna. "I have to say that I'm impressed. How do you guys make all of this?" Zenna remarked, looking at the cannon and loaded capsules. At that moment, Tristan arrived with a bunch of dead and already skinned rabbits which Kirsten promptly took to cook for breakfast. "Ah, my young Orland here is the mastermind of these innovative devices." He said fondly, ruffling Orland's brown hair. "Dad!" Orland giggled.

"You remind me of my Chief…Hiccup's also a great inventor like you." Zenna smiled as she sat down to breakfast with the family. "We're very lucky. Canis and his men didn't think of venturing out here to search for you. I take it that you're raring to go find the Frost Ivy?" Tristan asked Zenna, who nodded quickly.

"Then you better get going if you want to get back to Berk in time. Daniel and Anya will lead you and Stryka. But for your safety, it's best that you head to the meadow on foot. Some of the Dragon Eaters might still be out and about." Kirsten advised them. Nodding, the trio and Stryka headed out.

"Be safe!" Orland called out to them. "We'll try our best, little brother!" Daniel called back with a smile. "I'm 10 years old, not little!" Orland retorted playfully. "Still pretty little to us!" Anya laughed before Stryka let out an urgent warble for them to move along. And Zenna was more than glad to hurry along.

Time was running out!

Unbeknownst to the Ironsides, Zenna and Stryka…a Dragon Eater had been spying on them. Mouth turned up in a vicious, bloodthirsty smile, the Dragon Eater disappeared into the shadows of the woods to report to Canis…

Was it morning…? Noon…? Night…?

Honestly, Eret didn't care anymore. Everything just seemed to blur into nothingness as his condition worsened. Hiccup, even though he was busy as Chief, was extremely worried as he kept an eye on him. Eret was now beginning to look really sick, his face pale with only a faint red flush around his cheeks indicating a raging fever. He'd fall into violent coughing fits that would render him unable to breathe for several minutes before sinking into a heavy sleep that gave him no relief. He'd begun to hallucinate, too. And that was after waking up from potent fever dreams of Drago torturing him. In fact when Hiccup arrived to look after Eret, the poor guy had just woken up from a terrifying dream and had hallucinated and thought the young Chief to be Drago and let out a terrified scream before burying under the covers! Luckily Gothi managed to calm Eret down…

Hiccup was just thinking about those things and realized that today was the third day…

And Zenna still hadn't come back yet…

'Oh gods, Zen, where are you…?' Hiccup thought, sighing deeply.

"…Chief…?"

Hiccup quickly snapped to attention and noticed that Eret had woken up. The former dragon trapper's eyes were beginning to dull and looked almost completely glazed over.

"H-hey, Eret…Good to see you awake…Uh…are you…?" Hiccup said cautiously, wondering if Eret was delirious from his fever. But Eret looked like he was fully conscious this time, much to Hiccup's relief. "I think so…Is Zenna back from getting the medicine…? I'd really like to get better soon…" Eret mumbled weakly. Hiccup managed a weak laugh. "I know how you feel…I've been sick before…It totally sucks, right?" he said softly. "Really, totally sucks…" Eret chuckled weakly.

Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through his auburn hair. "Sorry, man. Zen's not back yet…" he sighed. Eret exhaled deeply, slightly saddened at the news. "But I'm sure she's on her way back now. You know Zenna. She'll…she'll do whatever it takes to get back to you…" Hiccup said quickly. Eret smiled a little bit. "She loves you so much, Eret. Do you know that?" the Chief asked gently. "Of course I do, Hiccup…And she loves you too…" Eret replied.

Then looking at Hiccup, Eret whispered, "Hiccup…Can you promise me something?" Hiccup nodded silently and tipped closer to Eret so he could hear him better. "Promise me…that if I…if I don't make it, you'll…you'll tell Zenna that I'll always love her…even in death…and that you'll keep taking care of her for me…Can you promise me that, Chief?" Eret requested.

Hiccup let Eret's words sink in before gravely nodding. "I will, Eret…Zenna's my sister and I'll always look after her." He replied before getting worried.

Was Eret, Son of Eret…giving up?

Hiccup then looked at Eret seriously. "But listen to me, Eret…You're not dead yet. And I'm asking you not as a Chief…but as a friend…You can't give up just yet. You gotta keep fighting and just hang in there. If you die…we'll all be pretty miserable without you…And Zenna…Gods, Eret…she'll be heartbroken. Just…please don't give up just yet. You just hang in there. Can you do that? Please?" he said pleadingly. Eret, slightly surprised to see Hiccup so worried about him, managed a nod. "I'm doing the best I can, Hiccup…I'm really trying…" he replied before going into another coughing fit. Hiccup could only watch with increasing worry as Eret coughed himself out and lost consciousness once again.

'Zenna…I don't want you to hurry but…HURRY!' Hiccup mentally screamed as Gothi took over his duty as Eret's caretaker for the time being and went outside to do some Chiefing with Toothless.

"Well…here we are, Dr. Zenna." Daniel said as they arrived at the meadow. Zenna took in the scenery. Everything, from the trees to the ground, was covered in ice and snow. Icicles dangled from the tree branches and the sunlight made them shine like diamonds. "Prwettwy…" Stryka warbled, smiling her gummy smile. "It's beautiful…" Zenna said in agreement.

"And we're in luck. Look, Frost Ivy everywhere!" Anya said, pointing to the snow-white ivy creeping along the ground. With a bag to collect the Frost Ivy in hand, Zenna, Stryka and her two new friends went into the meadow and collected as much Frost Ivy as they could. Zenna took a minute to examine the plant. Frost Ivy was as white as snow with tiny blue berries and was ice cold to the touch.

"It's best to make the brew while the plant's still cold. Luckily, Daniel and I come prepared." Anya said, taking out a mortar and pestle along with a steel pot. Daniel, meanwhile, produced a pile of wood and flint and steel. Then, noticing Stryka, Daniel pocketed the flint and steel. "Would you do the honors, Stryka?" Daniel asked politely. Stryka then used her fire to melt some snow for Anya to use in concocting the cure and lit the wood pile Daniel had set up. Zenna handed Anya a handful of Frost Ivy and watched as the young lady pounded the Frost Ivy, berries and all, into mush and mixed it with melted snow water in the pot.

Once the cure, a milky white liquid had been brewed, Zenna took out her case of glass syringes and loaded all three of them.

"Three syringes? But I thought you said that only one Berkian was sick." Daniel said, confused. "I like to be prepared." Zenna answered, pouring the excess cure into a vial and pocketed a handful of Frost Ivy into her bag.

"This Berkian must be a very special person for you and Stryka to risk it all going here." Anya said with a sly smile as Zenna clutched her lucky pendant to her chest. Zenna looked at Anya strangely before realizing what she meant and blushed.

"Okay! I am not going to listen to girls talk about guys!" Daniel said and quickly covered his ears and went to a nearby tree to hide. Anya rolled her eyes at her brother's sudden immaturity and turned to Zenna, smiling mischievously.

"This sick Berkian…is he your boyfriend by any chance?" she asked. Zenna, still blushing furiously, smiled and said softly, "He is…He's my one true love…"

"What's his name?" Anya asked curiously. "Eret. Son of Eret, to be exact." Zenna replied. Anya slightly laughed. "Wouldn't it be easier to call him Eret II?" she giggled. "He likes to have a bit of flair. And he can be like a proud rooster, always carrying on about the things that make him special. But he's a good-hearted man who does his best to do what's right. Eret's pretty selfless too…In fact…the reason why he got sick was because of me…" Zenna said, her face turning sad at her last sentence.

"Your fault? How can that be?" Anya asked softly. "I accidentally dropped a stuffed dragon I made for my brother while we were ice skating…And Eret went to retrieve it and fell into the water when the ice broke…" Zenna said softly. Anya then gave Zenna a reassuring hug. "Well, I'm sure that this Eret fellow's a strong man. He's still hanging in there, I'm sure…waiting for you to come home and heal him…" she said softly.

Zenna could only nod in agreement, hoping for the best.

Little interaction between Eret and Skullcrusher, slight bromance between Hiccup and Eret, a little Dragon Eater spy suspense and the Ironsides being an incredible dragon protecting family…

I can only hope you guys liked this. Feel free to review and give me suggestions for this story. It'll help me grow as a writer

Thanks guys!

-GuardianDragon98