Spectrer - maybe you're looking at it the wrong way. The point of scenes like that are not necessarily to cause you tension. Like in RTTE, all the times we saw characters come close to death when we knew Dreamworks wouldn't kill them off? The point of these scenes is to make you feel for the characters in story. The ones who have no idea what will happen.

-HTTYD-

Whether Drago let them escape or whether the panic flight of two dozen dragons escaping a madman could outrun the Bewilderbeast, Eret had no idea. He didn't care. He just cared that when he turned back five minutes flight from Valka's nest, there was nothing following them. The ocean was calm below, not a ripple or bubble to suggest a hidden threat.

Valka hadn't moved. Eret kept checking she was breathing, terrified beyond belief every time that he'd find she wasn't. His hands were numb from clutching her so tight, but he dared not let go for a second. They landed in the nest at last, Eret dropping his helmet and hers, her staff rattling as it hit the ground before he was on his knees, fearing for how cold her hands and face were to the touch.

Dragons huffed and warbled around him, and Eret realised he couldn't just melt down. Swallowing thickly, he straightened up.

"Tripfire, take the injured to the recovery bay. I'll be there in a minute."

His dragon looked ready to resist with Eret so scared, but she seemed to realise he needed her to help right now, and rumbled in agreement before gesturing to those carrying the wounded to follow her. Cloudjumper helped Eret move Valka to their room, any animosity between the two faded for the moment when Eret had opposable thumbs and Valka needed help. He felt the knock on her head, trying to be careful with the swelling though it failed to rouse her at all.

"I don't think it cracked her skull, but she was obviously hit or knocked down pretty hard. What were you doing back there, you mad woman?"

Resolutely unconscious, Valka did not answer. Rinsing blood from his hands for the moment, Eret slowly removed her armour, revealing the thin limbs beneath that he knew belied her true strength. Then he built up the fire to keep her warm, pushed a pillow under her head gingerly and pulled a couple of furs over her.

"I have to tend the injured. Call me if she wakes up?"

Cloudjumper nodded, cooing sadly as he arranged himself to sit next to Valka, his tail curved around where she lay. Eret didn't want to leave, but if Valka could talk or move she'd hit him with her staff and yell at him for daring to ignore wounded dragons. He panicked he might mess something up without her there, but months of practice finally showed themselves as Eret moved through the new recoverees, taking the longest with the wounded Nadder from earlier as Eret stitched a ragged arrow wound and placed a bandage over it.

"Don't pick that. It'll heal in a couple of days if you leave it alone."

He doubted the Nadder would listen, but Eret planned on keeping an eye on him. Sighing, he filled food and water troughs, changed more bandages, applied salves and soothed one anxious Monstrous Nightmare until the dragon took some dragon grass and went to sleep. Satisfied there, he went to ensure the scouts were swapping shifts, warning them to be on the lookout. He suspected that the Bewilderbeast would be aware if another got too close, but Eret wasn't taking chances.

Cloudjumper hadn't called for him, so Eret knew realistically there would be no change, but that didn't make it easier to return to Valka's deathly still body, only a little relief in him for the fact her skin was no longer ice-like.

Eret had dealt with sick sailors before, and ailing elders in his village. So he sort of knew what to do. Valka had sustained a head wound, so he got some willow bark, ginger and rosemary ground up and steeping, ready to get her to drink as soon as she was awake enough to swallow.

If she...

No. Eret wouldn't think that way. Valka was strong. She'd be fine.

He ignored the lingering fear that gnawed at his insides, insisting even as his mind twisted that he was worried for a friend. That all those thoughts of I can't lose you were nothing more than heat of the moment concern. Of course he cared about Valka. She'd saved his life and then opened his eyes. She brought him together with Tripfire, who he could not imagine his life without.

Just like he couldn't...

Eret made sure the fire would stay lit, then dragged another pillow and more furs over to the fire. He wanted to wake up when Valka did. And he slept in that spot mostly anyway... the fact he was sleeping right next to Valka was entirely incidental. He was... keeping them both warm. That was it.

Rather than take their perches up on the ceiling, both Cloudjumper and Tripfire laid on their fronts and stayed close to their humans. It helped, really, after such an awfully close call.

Owwwww.

Valka's first awareness was pain. Her entire body seemed to be bruised, and her head was throbbing so fiercely it felt like it might split in two.

Her second awareness was warmth. There was the gentle warmth of a fire in front of her, burning down when she cracked an eye open only to close it again as light assaulted her senses. Too bright...

Someone was holding her. There was an arm over her waist. a warm, solid mass at her back. Not wanting to open her eyes and feel the splitting pain again, Valka felt the arm over her with her hand. Thick muscles, rough hairs, bumpy with small old scars.

For one second, Valka's mind conjured up a long gone memory.

Then the mass behind her moved, and Valka recognised the voice of he who was not Stoick.

"Valka? You awake? Gods, please be awake."

Eret asked, his voice low, rough with sleep and tight with worry. The arm over her tightened, then withdrew as he moved. There was a chill, his warmth moving and then replaced with heavy furs.

"Uhhh."

Her throat was dry, sore. Everything still hurt. Eret was moving, noise telling her he was now in front of her. There was a thunk as he dropped a log on the fire, crackling. Then fabric scraping rock right by her head, fingers gentle on her cheek.

"Valka? If you're awake, squeeze my hand but don't try to move."

His hand slid through hers, and Valka focused on squeezing it. The sound of relief Eret made was followed by two from dragons. Stormcutters. Cloudjumper! Valka tried to get her arm under her, but Eret pressed firmly at her shoulder.

"Stay. You got a nasty knock. I'm gonna help you sit up to drink, then you're lying down again."

His arm under her shoulders helped her sit up, and it was warm where it touched her. He was warm. The water he gave her was cold and revolting, but she was so thirsty Valka managed to swallow most of it. Coughing slightly, she felt Eret gingerly lower her down, making sounds toward Cloudjumper.

"You can check on her, but be careful. I know you're gentle, but she needs to rest."

Cloudjumper grumbled, then Valka felt a scaled head nudge her hand. Her arm felt like it was weighed down by rocks, but Valka lifted it blindly until she was stroking Cloudjumper and instantly she felt better. Cracking open one eye again, she saw his big beautiful face up close, sighing happily.

"I'll be fine, don't you worry Cloudjumper."

"He's been going crazy. You've been out for two days."

Had she really? Gods, no wonder they were worried.

"What... what happened?"

"I'll explain when you're feeling better. Drink more, it'll help your head."

She choked down more of the steeped water, and Eret finally gave her fresh after that, helping rinse away the taste. That brought a new need to the fore, one she really didn't want to mention to Eret but she had little choice.

"Eret."

"Yeah?"

"I need... I need the bathroom."

Her cheeks burned, but Eret thankfully didn't disappear and leave her to handle it.

"Oh. Uh. Ok. I'm gonna see if you can stand, but if not, I'll carry you."

Her legs wouldn't bear her weight, so Eret lifted her like she weighed nothing and moved her, the shuffle of dragons following them until Eret told them to wait. He put her down, told her to take her time and call him when she was done. Valka could see, though not very well through blurry vision and her arms were weak enough she almost had to ask Eret to help her get her leggings down. Thankfully she was spared that mortification.

Some awkward fumbling and much relief later, Valka called him back in. Eret carried her back to her room, asked if she wanted her bed or the fire.

"Bed."

"You got it. Hold up, I'll get your beddin- oh. Dragons got it."

He tucked her back in, warm and comfortable and on her side.

"Cloudjumper is gonna stay with you. I need to go check on the injured, then I'll be back. Stay. Cloudjumper, if she moves, yell."

"Rrow."

Apparently, they were friendlier now. Or perhaps bonding over Valka's illness, and they'd be back to mild snipping later. Eret left, and Valka settled amongst her furs and tried to ignore the aches all over her body. Cloudjumper sat sentinel near her, rumbling quietly to let her know he was close.

Eret was back soon enough, asking how she felt.

"Sore."

"I can imagine. Anything feel broken?"

"No. Just my head."

"I checked, couldn't feel any breaks. Think you could swallow some soup? Or watery broth?"

Valka doubted she'd be able to feed herself, but she was going to try anyway.

"Broth."

"You got it."

The smells were enticing, though her stomach seemed unsure about whether or not food was wise. Eret made a very weak broth for her, a couple of vegetables and a few tiny bits of meat. And he fed her when Valka couldn't lift the spoon without shaking. If it weren't for how comforting it was to feel him hold her up with one arm around her, the other feeding her small mouthfuls... she'd probably have turned him down to save her embarassment. But he was so tender with her, caring without belittling or debasing her, and it left her unable to argue.

"There's a bucket next to the bed, I know head wounds can cause sickness so I promise not to take it as an insult to my cooking. Try to rest."

"Stay?"

Eret didn't laugh at her sudden utterance, thankfully.

"I am. I'm just getting something to eat myself, but I'm literally the length of Cloudjumper's tail away."

Of course. He'd probably need to eat too. Eret wasn't gone long, and then he sat back next to her, talking quietly to Tripfire. Valka dozed, not quite asleep, not quite awake but very aware of Eret's fingers brushing her wrist, as though checking her pulse to see she was alive. She only realised how long they stayed that way when Eret moved again.

"I gotta take the dragons out for lunch and do the injured bay feed. When I get back I'll feed you. If you need me, send Cloudjumper."

Valka wondered what had hit her, but she also wondered what might have happened without Eret there. Sure, the dragons could take care of feeding themselves, and bringing excess to those who couldn't hunt, but human hands could treat injured dragons in a way other dragons couldn't, and there were always some that needed healing help. And there would be nobody to help her if she'd never turned Eret to the right side.

He came back smelling like sea air and salmon, most of which seemed to go to Cloudjumper with a little coaxing from Tripfire.

The next two days passed much like that, Valka's vision slowly clearing up until she could see well enough to move around, and with Eret keeping her fuelled on increasingly sustaining broths, her legs were strong enough to hold her. She still felt battered and bruised, but according to Eret the scouts came back with no need for rescues yet, and so she had time to recover.

"What happened?"

Eret looked her over, obviously deciding she was well enough to hear it.

"Drago. We were freeing a bunch of dragons while he was on the move... do you remember any of it?"

Valka shook her head, then regretted it. The knock on the back was still sore.

"No."

"Ok. Well, it went alright mostly, then kinda bad, then really bad. We didn't lose any dragons, but we did find out Drago has a Bewilderbeast. Next thing I know, you've vanished and I find out squaring up to Drago.. By the time I reached you, you were out cold on the floor, helmet off. I rammed Drago into the drink, then..."

Mind already reeling, Valka didn't like the look on Eret's face any more than any of the words he'd spoken.

"Then what?"

"This... soldier of Drago's... it was him or y- us, I swear. He came at you with a sword, ready to take you out. I fought him off, but I'm pretty sure I killed him."

He... Eret killed someone. To save her.

"Anything else?"

"No. Cloudjumper and Tripfire got us out of there, and we flew like mad to get out. Then we waited two days for you to wake up."

Gods, she really had missed a lot.

"Wait. Drago has a Bewilderbeast?"

Eret nodded.

"Yeah. I knew it seemed familiar, but I remembered where I saw it. It was there when Drago branded me, I just blocked it out from all the pain and burning."

"Oh my gods. He... he's going to challenge the Alpha."

"And... thats bad, yeah?"

Valka nodded, head pounding.

"Very. The Alpha... he could control all of dragonkind. Without even trying. My gods, what has he done to that creature to bend him to his will? Eret, every peaceful, tranquil life that goes on here would be over. Gone. Completely. Were we followed?"

Eret shook his head.

"No. I checked. A lot. I knew we'd be vulnerable with you out of action. I made sure the scouts took extra shifts to be sure, but it's been quiet out the whole time."

That was lucky, she supposed, since Valka was definitely still too weak to fly. Especially in a fight. She'd probably fall off Cloudjumper in her current state.

Which raised another issue.

"What's the big deal?"

"Are you serious?"

"I'm not gonna look!"

"That's not the point!"

Eret rolled his eyes.

"I grew up in a village with one place that you could take a bath and not freeze off important parts. And then I spent years on a ship with between six and ten other men. This is not a big deal to me."

He made her feel silly - Berk had had communal bathing, after all, but Valka had bathed alone for fifteen years save a few times when visiting the Wingmaidens or Mala, and the prospect of Eret in there with her made her feel... odd.

"It is to me."

"I know. And I will do my best to not make it tough. But I can't leave you alone in there to pass out and drown, and you have so much hair I cannot get the all the blood out with a bucket rinse. You can undress, or not if that suits you, and get in while I'm not looking. Then I'll get in, wash your hair and get out to wait outside. Cloudjumper can yell if you start drowning. Does that work?"

Reluctantly, Valka agreed. Solely because her hair felt disgusting, and she wasn't sure she could hold her arms up long enough to unbraid it, let alone wash it. Definitely the only reason.

She debated for several minutes before telling herself she was being ridiculous, and took off her clothes. It wasn't easy, particularly undoing her bindings but Valka was relieved to get them off - her clothes were filthy. She definitely needed a bath.

"Eret, did you bring me a clean shift?"

"Yep. And two towels, since I figure your hair needs its own."

His voice came from outside, echoing off the walls and while Valka doubted he'd have peeped anyway, Eret wouldn't be able to see past Cloudjumper. She shuffled closer, lowering herself into the heated water.

"Ohhhh thats good."

"You in?"

Valka swallowed. He couldn't see her under the water.

"Yes."

Eret walked in with no tunic on, several bundles of fabric in his hands. He laid her shift on the rocky hook she always used, eyes not even lingering on her discarded underthings that Valka realised she'd just left in view. If she wasn't so comfortable in the hot water, she'd probably blush.

"You watching me strip? You can if you want."

"Oh. No."

She turned away, heard Eret chuckle.

"Your loss!"

Valka heard fabric hit the floor, then footsteps, then the water rippled as Eret dropped down next to her.

"I'm gonna untie your hair, if I hurt you then just say and I'll try and be more careful."

Eret was so gentle with her Valka barely felt him, his knuckles brushing the small of her back a few times as he gripped each of her braids to lift and untie, combing through them with his fingers until they came apart enough. How were his hands warmer than the water steam rose from? His hand moved in the side of her vision, grabbing the soap solid waiting.

"I'll be gentle."

His words were as soft as his touch, doing his best not to jar her still-sore scalp as he worked the solid over her hair, shifting stubborn dried blood and dirt that matted the greying strands. Over and over - Valka had a lot of hair, but never seemed to get to cutting it shorter - until he placed the solid aside, using his fingers to work it into the more resistant spots. Valka's hand tightened where she gripped the rocky edge of their bathing area, unsure if she was dizzy from the heat or his hands.

Her scalp was so very sensitive, no wonder it had hurt so much. Now it was letting Eret reduce her body to some kind of semi-liquid state, not realising until his elbows touched her shoulders that she had sort of... melted back into him. Eret didn't stop, kept going until Valka hissed as his thumb brushed the healing lump on the back of her head. And even then she didn't pull away from him. Eret didn't move either, just apologised quietly and let her use him as a leaning spot.

Valka only pulled away when she felt something, a rather solid something that could not be Eret's hands, since they were resting nearer head heights. Eret seemed to realise the same thing, clearing his throat loudly taking a few water-steps back.

"Wanna just... dunk down and rinse?"

"Oh. Yes."

Both their voices were definitely a little higher than they were earlier. Valka kept hold of the ledge as she took a breath, dipping down under the water and using her other hand to rub away the soap in her hair. She came back up, felt Eret touch her hair to check but there was no lingering, stroking. Valka wondered why she missed it.

"Once more."

Valka complied. He said she was done, then he was climbing out of the water rather quickly.

"I'll be outside. Try not to drown."

He left with his bottoms and towel before he even got dressed, leaving Valka in the water feeling very, very strange. She stayed until the water began to cool, then reluctantly washed her body as best she could around all the still-painful bruises, finally climbing out and thankfully not falling back in or falling over. The first towel went around her hair to try and contain the drips, though it was near hopeless with Valka's slow-to-return strength. She pulled her shift back on after using the other towel to dry herself, then stood up and tried to wring her hair out.

"You all good in there?"

"Fine. I'm out, you can go."

Eret didn't answer, but when Valka padded out he was gone. Cloudjumper carried her up through the mountain until she was back at the fire. Eret's back was to her, still a little wet and shiny with missed droplets of water. Valka's hairbrush was at his side - was he planning to brush her hair too? Granted, she could use the help braiding it back up...

"Eret?"

He turned to her voice, then turned away rather quickly and cleared his throat.

"You uh... you might wanna put something else on."

Valka frowned, looking down before she realised what he meant. Her wet hair had rendered her pale shift almost completely see through, wet fabric clinging to almost every curve and bump of her body. When she looked back at Eret, his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter. In a moment of madness, or maybe it was the head wound talking Valka decided she could finally get one over on him.

"No no, I'm fine."

-HTTYD-

Hehehehe. Oh, I love these two.