Oblivious dorks are oblivious.
Also, RTTE Bewilderbeast canon is absolute nonsense and does not apply here. RTTE 'canon' as a whole is a hot mess, but I love the characters so I'm keeping them.
-HTTYD-
There was something about Valka and baby dragons that Eret adored. She looked so happy, like there was little more she could want in that moment. Except perhaps more baby dragons.
He'd never seen the dragon species before, but as it turned out that wasn't particularly unusual - based on what these women said, the Razorwhip dragons didn't venture far away. They didn't especially trust Eret much either, but he was getting used to that. And since Valka had vouched for him, there was no sharp-implement interrogation like the first time he'd met Mala's tribe.
And there were lots of baby dragons. That was a definite plus. Eret watched them amble around the nursery, bumping in to each other and tottering on legs a little too short for their long bodies just yet.
"Are they blind?"
"Yes. All Razorwhips are blind at birth. It is one of the reasons they stay with us."
Atali, the leader of the Wingmaidens, was quiet and polite and yet Eret was completely certain she'd tear him to pieces if he so much as appeared threatening to one of these small hatchlings. Instead, he got to sit and have them crawl all over him, chittering in that way only newborn dragons seemed to, sniffing at his hair and clothes and curling around his neck. Valka was also covered in baby Razorwhips, giggling as they perched on her head and roared little dragon laughs of joy. They still had a height perception while blind, he supposed. So they didn't walk off anything, maybe.
Cloudjumper and Tripfire perched nearby, watching their humans with the babies and letting the Wingmaidens stroke them. Eret tickled a little tummy and the Razorwhip rolled on its back, little legs kicking in the air until he continued. Atali watched him with a confused expression, shaking her head.
"What are you doing?"
"Tripfire likes it. Seems this little one does too. Ow! Hey, you're too small to have teeth!"
The Razorwhip turned and nipped his hand, wiggling more until Eret resumed tickling it. Valka laughed at them, stroking the jaw of one with several more scales golden than silver. Finally falling asleep, Eret got his hand back from the nippy little one and managed to wriggle away before they woke and bit him again.
"Are you afraid of the baby?"
Valka teased, eyes sparkling with mirth as Eret eyed the napping one.
"No, I'm just fond of keeping all my fingers. I need them to pet Tripfire!"
She laughed, nodding.
"Fair enough."
After introductions that Eret felt were personality tests, much like the Defenders letting dragons pass judgement on him, they reluctantly left the nursery to talk about more serious topics. The Maidens were pleasant hostesses, providing a spread of food and a lovely herbal tea that slid smoothly down his throat as they settled to talk Drago.
"Do we know what to expect?"
"No, this all happened while I was unconscious and injured. Eret saw the Bewilderbeast, but I felt it prudent to warn any who live with dragons as we do that I may not always be the one at the side of the Alpha."
Atali listened intently, lifting a small piece of fish to the Razorwhip that perched on her shoulder without appearing to even think about it.
"You know we would fight by your side if needed Valka."
"I had hoped to avoid any fight at all, but the idea of Drago in control of the Alpha is too horrid to contemplate. I don't know what will happen though... Eret?"
Eret blinked, not expecting to be addressed.
"Uh. Ok. Well, he's pretty set on building an army of dragons. I wasn't aware of the Alpha thing specifically before I met you, Drago didn't talk much beyond demanding more dragons and, well, slightly less polite stuff when he didn't get enough. So I always assumed he was going to build up enough to go on a massacre, probably starting with your nest. Then on to everywhere else, because who was ever gonna be able to stand up to that kind of firepower and brutality?"
The longer he spent with Valka, with Tripfire and the Alpha and the babies... the more Eret loathed his past, ever more determined to use what he knew against the bad guys, to bring down such an empire so dragons could live in peace. That fight had clearly gained a whole new level with the knowledge of the other Bewilderbeast.
"How many more of those Bewilderbeast can there be? How long do they even live? I'm trying to imagine the size of that egg."
Valka hummed, tapping her fingers against her seat.
"I think I encountered another, though it was smaller and incredibly furtive, I saw very little of it. I do remember it was not the colouring you described of Drago's, and I've not seen any colour change in the time I have spent with the Alpha."
She sketched the Bewilderbeast, and Eret used the paints that Atali provided to colour the Bewilderbeast from memory, so that the Wingmaidens would know which one they were looking for on the off chance they encountered another one, or Drago sent his on a lone mission somewhere and encountered this little tribe.
"How does one even bend such a beast to their will?"
"You can break anything with enough time and dedication. I can only guess Drago found it before it was fully grown and worked out how to break their will? He was talking about breeding dragons to raise them under his rule, but I guess he doesn't have the patience."
Minden, one of Atali's commanders, leant forward with her fingers steepled under her chin.
"You know an awful lot about his work."
Eret sighed, lifting his hand and pulling down his tunic to expose the brand.
"I used to work for him" all but Atali gasped - Valka must have told her "then I got dragon-napped, almost died from this brand... Valka dumped me back on an island, and I met Tripfire. And much to my annoyance at the time, I picked dragons over people. But now I could never imagine going back there. I learned the truth, and I put what trapping taught me to new use. Tripfire here" he gestured to his proud dragon, who warbled happily and licked his face "is an absolute expert at tripping trapper traps."
Valka nodded, offered Eret a smile that made his heart flutter.
"Eret has been invaluable. I was wounded in the encounter with Drago and he cared for me and the dragons perfectly, and there are undoubtedly dragons that could not have been saved without he and Tripfire helping me."
Tripfire preened as Eret rubbed her side, smug about being praised before she leant down and nuzzled him happily. He smiled at her, content in the company of his dragon.
"There will also be dragons enslaved or even dead because of him."
"And he does not deny that, but when shown the truth he understood. Would it have been better that he returned to that way of life?"
Minden leant back, frowning.
"I suppose not. Still, it's impossible not to be wary of a trapper."
His chest twinged, and Eret simply turned to Tripfire instead of trying to defend himself - they weren't wrong, after all. He was undoubtedly responsible for the death and capture and pain of many dragons in all his years of trapping. The dragon noticed his tension, butting her head against his shoulder before dragging her tongue over his face again and perking up when Eret groaned, unable to help laughing slightly as he wiped away slobber again.
"Thanks Tripfire. Maybe we should leave these ladies to talk."
"No, Eret. You belong here."
He turned to Valka, surprised by her vehemence. He knew she'd brought him along, but he didn't really expect her to speak for him against those she'd known for so long.
"Valka-"
"Nadia, if Eret isn't welcome here then I won't stay either. He has risked his life more times than I can count in the last few months, all for me and the dragons. I trust him. Tripfire trusts him. Even Mala trusts him to teach her warriors what he knows. I'd not even be here to tell you about this if he hadn't rescued me from Drago, and he was the one to see the Bewilderbeast."
It wasn't often Eret was lost for words, but even a sarcastic, playful quip was beyond him as he stared at Valka. Both Atali and Cloudjumper looked almost as surprised as Eret felt. He was happy to remove the strain by heading outside with Tripfire, but Valka was adamant he stay, that he was a part of this fight he'd been on the wrong side of less than a year before.
"I agree with Valka. He has proven himself trustworthy enough, though it does not erase his past actions we should not turn away valuable information, nor an ally with the integrity to admit that they were wrong."
Atali spoke, and her people listened. Valka gestured for Eret to sit back down, feeling incredible self-aware as he did so but nobody passed a judgemental comment for the rest of their conversation. Once they were done back-and-forthing for the moment, Eret was taken on a guided tour, he and Cloudjumper very much in need of supervision so they did not cross into territory where Razorwhips might kill them.
"Do male Razorwhips eat their own young? That seems impractical."
He asked Valka, looking around at the incredible greenery around them, the bridge beneath his feet feeling quite sturdy though Tripfire and Cloudjumper had to fly above mindfully, several bridges too narrow for their wide bodies.
"No, they eat the young of other males, which is not unheard of in quite a few species of dragons. Particularly Titan Wing dragons, they are very keen to ensure they breed the most and a female who has just lost her young will often be ready to breed again soon, regardless of season. Eating them is uncommon, but killing another males young is not uncommon."
Eret glanced up at Tripfire, contemplating. He got the feeling she and Cloudjumper was a when, rather than an if, as she'd been visibly distressed by Cloudjumpers melancholy when Valka was sick, and would sometimes bring him fish and sit nearby, quietly offering comfort and company. But they hadn't encountered other Stormcutters so far, so he supposed if they had babies her hatchlings would be safe.
"Does this happen between different species?"
"Not often. Only if one is encroaching on anothers nesting site and they feel threatened. Even then it's very rare, if their young are able to travel they will prefer to relocate than fight. With the exception of a few, but those are often species who already eat dragons, whether consistently or as a last resort."
He did a double take.
"There are species that have a diet of other dragons?"
"Yes. Not many, but there are... Slithersongs and Death Songs, which are two closely related species. Slitherwings have been known to, but they are also very poisonous and will kill and eat almost anything. Including humans. Scauldrons hunt Seashockers, but only if there is no other food source available and none that live with the Alpha. Changewings eat small dragons, like Terrors, but they'll equally happily eat rats or fish."
She spoke as they sat in an open spot, logs around a fire where Wingmaidens had been sat chatting, but were now listening to Valka elaborate. There was so much to learn.
"Drago used to threaten to feed some dragons to bigger ones, but I'm guessing that wasn't so much a dietary choice. Any others I should be worried look at me as delicious? I mean, I know I look delicious, but still."
Valka rolled her eyes, shaking her head but he caught her smiling.
"Honestly, Eret... and largely, humans are not a food source they regularly hunt. Kill, perhaps, in self-defence, but you have seen how most will fight to stun or injure before they shoot to kill. And if they were especially hungry, I suppose they wouldn't say no... so I suppose you always carrying smoked salmon and jerky might save your life one day."
With that small smile on her mouth, Eret wasn't sure if she was trying to wind him up, but he liked the way her eyes were lit up by the fire when she was in a good mood too much to care. With the threat of Drago looming so heavily all of a sudden, her relaxed and easy state was less common, and Eret was happy to see it back again.
"So do these guys fly dragons? Mala's tribe don't."
"They do... but not in the way you expect."
"Oh?"
Almost as if on cue, a couple of the Maidens nearby stood, each making a different sound to the Razorwhip on their backs who assumed the same position, spreading their wings and lifting into the air - from the front, it simply looked as though the Wingmaidens had wings themselves. They flew as instinctively as Valka and Cloudjumper, exchanging little more than a few small sounds and somehow steering and moving perfectly in sync.
"Wow. That's pretty cool, and strong. They're barely any bigger than Terrors."
"Indeed" Valka leant back, one hand behind her for support while the other lifted a wooden mug to her lips for a drink before she continued "as I told you, there are many ways to live with dragons, and each of our ways are different. But we all have a common goal."
Atali nodded sagely, watching her tribeswomen dip and dive through the air with a smile.
"Protecting them."
-HTTYD-
Not a spoiler, but I am very excited about next chapter!