I wonder if Mala made a bet with herself about Valka and Eret. Though that begs the question of whether she wins or loses if they got it on...
-HTTYD-
Clinging to the saddle for dear life, Eret hoped that jolt his stomach did when Tripfire spun in mid-air would wear off eventually. He'd prefer not to feel nauseous every time his dragon felt a little energetic. They levelled out, letting Eret hop up to stand on his feet. He still couldn't do everything Valka could, and he'd fallen off a dozen times by then - still terrifying, but Tripfire always caught him - but Eret could now stand for several minutes of gliding without his knees giving out on him. He only had a few months under his belt after all, compared to her years and years, but it was important he learn how to move in the air if he wanted to go on rescues with her.
Which he really, really did. Valka had once been the bane of his life, freeing dragons left right and centre. Now he itched to be there with her, busting open cages and taking dragons to safety. By the gods that woman had changed him.
Well, two women, if he counted Tripfire. Which Tripfire would insist upon if he'd asked, Eret was sure.
"Alright, lets land for a minute, I still get dizzy from the thin air sometimes."
Tripfire graciously dumped him to the ground, pinned him down and licked him joyfully before ambling over to investigate the bushes nearby. Eret gave them a glance, didn't see anything immediately dragon-toxic and slumped back to the ground, wiping spit off his face. Damned dragon.
"Feeling alright Eret?"
Valka slid gracefully from Cloudjumper's back, looking less feral vigilante and more homely wife-type in the overlong green tunic she had on over a simple brown dress. That was territory his brain ought not to venture in to, Eret forcing his focus back to funny shaped clouds in the sky that was far away again.
"Uh-huh. Just finding my land legs again."
"You'll get used to it. You really are coming along well."
"Yeah?"
She nodded, smiled in that way that made Eret feel warm and happy inside.
"Yes. How is it moving around on the saddle?"
"Getting there. Had to adjust a little cus it was rubbing Tripfire, but she likes the new padding so I think we're getting there. I might try flying without it sometime, when I'm more used to standing but for now having something to hold on to is definitely needed."
After watching Valka mix all sorts of herbs and things, Eret made sure none of his ingredients were bad for dragons and mixed up an old saddle-sore recipe the Healer in his village taught him, and it had helped clear up any irritation on Tripfire while Eret tweaked the saddle itself.
"Have you decided what sort of armour you want to make?"
"Yeah. Well, sorta. I know I want my helmet to look Stormcutter-y. I probably won't make claws like yours on arm guards but I might make up some gloves if I can figure out how to fireproof them."
After a short break, Eret retrieved his dragon from where she was happily eating berries to fly back home. The fireproofing discovery was one that was entirely accidental - Eret was quietly working on a design for armour while a passing Gronckle stopped to scratch himself before continuing on, leaving a little pile of shed scales. Valka collected them up a lot, but she didn't like to trade with them lest they give her away so mostly she made little decorations out of them.
Tripfire, deciding Eret had ignored her for far too long, nudged his work from his hands and proceeded to nuzzle and lick her human until satisfied he had paid her enough attention. Rolling his eyes, Eret wiped the dragon saliva off of himself, stood to go clean up and heard a crackling under his boot. When he lifted it, he saw the scale had cracked, turning the Tripfire-drool around it the same turquoise colour as the scale.
"Huh."
Leaning down, Eret stirred the sticky mess a little with his finger, watching it swirl a little like paint.
"I wonder..."
Convincing Tripfire to drool somewhere other than on Eret was a slightly tough sell at first, but she seemed excited when he said he might be able to paint in her colours. Using the Gronckle scales to test, he mixed a few into the drool and crushed the scales with a pestle and mortar, coming up with the turquoise swirling colour again, mixing until it resembled a slightly disgusting paint.
"Right. Now we need to see if using your spit is more flammable than a gas flamer. Don't give me that look, I'm hoping this will be fireproof with scales but you have very flammable drool. So I gotta test it. I can still use your scales yanno."
Grumbling, Tripfire turned and dragged over a passing Gobsucker - there really were dragons everywhere now, and Eret couldn't believe how happy that made him. The Gobsucker kindly donated a puddle of drool, then resumed hunting for some fish to eat.
Valka found him painting strips of leather, visibly confused.
"What are you doing?"
"I think I'm making fireproof paint, but I will let you know after the fire test. Come on, lets head outside so we don't burn anything else girl."
Valka followed him, obviously curious herself as Eret and Tripfire headed out with excitement - this could be something he did, that he discovered, something that might even make Valka safer too.
"Fire when ready. Not too much though, just a test."
Tripfire flamed them, and Eret knew she'd huff when he pointed out the not-Stormcutter-spit one had lasted better than the other.
"Hey, it's cool. I like how very flammable you are, but painting it on armour would not keep me safe. I promise that's the only reason, ok?"
Eventually rolling her eyes, Tripfire let him cuddle her big head, warbling happily when Eret scratched her chin before dragging her big wet tongue over his face, grinning smugly.
"So I'm forgiven? Come on, let's go find a bag of your scales so I can start making Tripfire paint."
After finding himself in the vaguely ridiculous place of asking various dragons to spit into buckets for him, Eret got to work. He mixed up the colours to see how the shades came out, tested the paint on rock and wood and steel as well as leather. Running back and forth to test and mix and chase Tripfire when she stole his paintbrush, Eret was exhausted when he finally felt he'd nailed the mix to get the right colours, the right level of fireproof over flexibility for the leather.
Valka laughed when she saw him, splattered with colour and groaning as he laid down on the floor next to the fire, batting aimlessly at his dragon trying to get his attention.
"What's so funny?"
"You. If somebody told you six months ago you would be making dragon paint out of spit so you could not only go on vigilante rescue missions, but match your dragon when you do it, what would you have said?"
"I would have thrown them overboard, but that was then. Everything hurts. Stop laughing, meanie."
He heard Valka tut, but she was giggling again a few beats later.
"Very mature. Are you going for a bath before dinner?"
"Ughhhh. I should. But moving... nope."
Apparently feeling 'helpful', Tripfire picked him up by the scruff of his vest and carried Eret off, paying little mind to his pleas to be freed until she dumped him at the cave they bathed in.
"Are you saying I smell bad?"
"Rrroww."
Tripfire nudged at the paint splatters on his vest with her head, possibly telling Eret he was covered in the stuff or simply trying to push him into the water. Eret stripped off, and admittedly the heated water felt divine on his sore body, easing aches and strains until washing himself didn't seem like a terrible exertion. The paint was stubborn to remove, which Eret supposed was good - at least it was waterproof - but he managed to scrub it off in flakey bits eventually. Only when he clambered out of the water did Eret realise he'd forgotten-
"Oh my gods, I'm sorry!"
Eret turned around, whistling as Valka baulked and backed away herself, covering her eyes.
"It's fine. Although I'm curious why you're down here other than to check me out."
"Oh do behave. I didn't even see anything. But I noticed you probably didn't have time to pick up a towel, so I brought you one."
Peering around, Eret saw an arm and a hand in the cave doorway, fabric hanging from said hand. Tripfire was too amused to help, so Eret had to head over there himself. It was lucky he wasn't shy, taking the towel from Valka with thanks.
"You can leave now, unless you want to take in the view again."
Valka fled, though Eret didn't blame her, chuckling to himself as he threw on his bottoms - he'd hunt out clean clothes and change back up in the living quarters. There was a visible flush still staining Valka's face when he saw her, which didn't fade any when she turned and found him shirtless.
"I forgot clean clothes too, but I spared your blushes and wore something."
"Mhmm."
Valka was resolutely not looking at him now, so Eret shrugged and dug through his assigned trunk for a clean tunic and bottoms. His brand scar was a darker shade than usual, but that happened after a hot bath. He rubbed it absently, feeling the raised lines and phantom pains of when he was held down and punished.
"It's fine, I'm dressed now."
He had his round-the-nest boots on now, some he'd made for the purpose of running around the inside of the mountain, which was too rocky and covered in dragon bits for bare feet a lot but Eret didn't want to wear out his other boots either. They were well made, after all, had survived a lot of work already. Dumping his soiled clothes in the wash basket, Eret stretched out looser muscles than pre-bath, then dropped next to the fire and began fixing up dinner. Valka finally looked at him to take it, seeming relieved he was dressed. Eret wasn't sure if that was an insult or not.
She wasn't easy to fluster, so he'd take what he could get.
They took it easy the next day, testing how the paint had dried overnight and then just enjoying the rarity of a brightly lit, sunny day outside. Valka joined him out there, Cloudjumper staring wistfully at Tripfire stretched out on her side, basking in the sun on her belly scales. Feeling sorry for the oversized pining idiot, Eret pulled the metal pin off his chest. Holding it up at the right angle, he grinned at the reflection that skipped across the ground and immediately grabbed Cloudjumper's attention.
Valkla watched him, bemused until she realised that her dragon was now batting at the light with his wings, leaping around to try and capture it and growling when it escaped him yet again. The movement and noise stirred Tripfire, who initially looked ready to commit murder but then she too was grabbed by the shiny thing passing her line of vision. Both immediately began chasing it, springing forward with their wings to trap the light only for it to skitter away again.
Eret underestimated how big they were for such a game until they literally jumped into each other, knocking heads and both straightening up, a little dazed as frills fanned and wings ruffled. Tripfire looked annoyed, but Eret caught her softening when Cloudjumper warbled what could only be considered an apology by the look on his face. After a short moment where they just sort of looked at each other, Tripfire huffed and turned away. Cloudjumper followed suit. Eret shook his head.
"Imagine being that oblivious."
Eret commented as the Stormcutters intently ignored each other. Valka looked at him, nodded slowly.
"Yes. Imagine."
-HTTYD-
Yeah, I can't think WHO ELSE MIGHT BE REAL OBLIVIOUS HERE!