Bring on the chapter, woooo.
-HTTYD-
Caldera Cay was somewhere they'd visited a few times by then, but it was the first time they were visiting since his and Valka's relationship had tipped from simply friends to friends and lovers. Eret hoped Mala didn't hit him, remembering her threats to be careful with Valka before.
Valka got a hug in greeting from Mala, while Eret got the usual warning look from Throk, and Tripfire got a chin tickle and some sage fruit.
Well, it was much better than being threatened with swords, and after everything he'd done that gave them cause to doubt him, Eret was willing to put in the time to earn their full trust. Tripfire tottered back over to Eret, grinning dopily with the sagefruit taste and he knew soon she would be very relaxed. They headed off toward where they could sit and talk, catching up on things like Drago's campaign - currently a couple of days sailed south, meaning they were safe to leave the nest for more than a rescue. They wouldn't stay long, but it was worth catching up with their ally.
"We've been busier than usual lately."
Mala raised an eyebrow, and Eret immediately felt self-aware of how close he and Valka were sitting to each other.
"Yes, I imagine you have."
Valka stiffened next to him, and Eret did his best not to immediately reach and comfort her. They hadn't decided to hide it from Mala, but they weren't broadcasting their relationship either. They were new, really, and Valka was wary. Eret had no plans on going anywhere, but he understood that there was an adjustment period when it came to life outside their rather secluded mountain haven. So Eret tried to steer the conversation solidly on to Drago.
"Think he's gone to argue with the people who pay him, after we ruined a bunch of his operations and cost him money."
Valka joined him.
"Yes, well ruining his day is a good way to pass the time."
Mala hummed, took a sip from her cup and Eret got the feeling Mala saw right through any air of we-are-just-friends the two presented. Still, they continued on.
"I would say disrupting any hunters day is a worthy use of time. Is it not almost mating season for your dragons though?"
"Almost, a couple of the early birds have gone off to find nesting spots but we're only here a little while. We gotta get back before, well..."
Eret gestured toward Tripfire and Cloudjumper. One (Cloudjumper) definitely seemed more aware of the upcoming season than the other, though from the knowledge Valka had of Stormcutters, Tripfire would carry her eggs for a couple of months before she laid them, and then they would hatch within a week after that. That was more common for larger dragon breeds, apparently. Even now, he was still learning more almost every day.
Of course, with Tripfire being... Tripfire, Eret wouldn't have been surprised if she intentionally avoided Cloudjumper again for that particular time of year. He wasn't sure how keen she was on carrying eggs. Not that he knew what that was like, but it was probably uncomfortable at some point. Pregnant women had certainly said so when he was growing up.
"Ah, yes. The hesitation is gone, then?"
"Looks that way. She doesn't seem to be threaening to rip off his wings and stuff him with them, at least. And none of his gifts to her have been set on fire in weeks!"
Some of the Defenders laughed, having seen some of the dragon antics on their previous visits. It was definitely a lot less tense when Tripfire wasn't threatening to burn Cloudjumper where he stood if he got too close.
"Have you had much trouble?"
"A few hunters have gotten too close, and I am quite sure they would regret that choice if they were still alive to do so."
It was easy to forget sometimes, with her elegant posture and eloquent voice, that Mala was absolutely a lethal fighter with a lifetime of physical training and the fire to defend an entire island as their leader. Until she calmly dropped the death of hunters into conversation, brushing a speck of dirt from her leather bottoms with no flicker of distress at the notion of killing to protect her people and their dragon protector.
He certainly had a healthy amount of wariness when it came to Mala's opinion of whatever went on between he and Valka. Mala was protective of her friend, having been one of scant few humans Valka even interacted with, and one of even fewer out of choice rather than necessity. Plus, they bonded years before over dragon-saving, while Eret was the convert still proving himself.
Dinner and darkening skies caught them up before they were done talking all things Drago and dragon hunters, and Mala crossed her arms loosely as she looked to Valka and Eret.
"Your usual accomodations? Or lack of, I suppose."
Eret looked to Valka, and it was probably a giveaway. They hadn't even talked about sleeping arrangements on Caldera Cay.
"Perhaps we should stay indoors tonight, those two do love their late night flights together now."
As though that was that, Valka got up and headed over to check on Cloudjumper. Mala watched her go, small smirk on her mouth before she turned to Throk, who was rarely far from her side.
"Find them somewhere for the night Throk."
"Yes, my Queen."
Eret wondered if he ever called her anything else. Or if that got annoying. He and Valka had exchanged names pretty early on, for ease of communication but then they weren't speaking in deference to a leader then...
"Far away from my quarters. I would like to get some sleep tonight."
Throk stared after Mala, and Eret did the same after hearing her mutter that. Had she really just... Throk turned and threw Eret an unreadable look, then quickly followed after Mala. Eret sat there unsure what had just transpired before him, and Valka eventually returned with Tripfire in tow who looked keen to give Eret several licks before she took off to fly with Cloudjumper.
"Hey girl, let me get your saddle off."
She'd been so keen to get to the sage fruit, Eret hadn't had the chance, but she didn't need it for flying without him. He rubbed where the straps had sat to make sure she wasn't itchy, smiling as Tripfire cooed happily before she turned to nuzzle him.
Eret relayed Mala's quiet comment, and Valka's wide-eyed reaction was amusing.
"She's far too observant for her own good."
"Honestly, I'm mostly relieved she seems to know and hasn't tried to gut me."
Valka tsked and rolled her eyes, butt she had a smile fighting to come up on her face soon enough, a smile he was utterly lost on. Gods how he adored this woman.
Throk cleared his throat loudly, interrupting their silent staring and gestured for them to follow him. Eret hefted Tripfire's saddle over one shoulder and collected his armour in the other, Valka bringing her own and grabbing the nearby water bladder to take with them. Tripfire and Cloudjumper roared in their direction before taking off, and Eret supposed that was goodnight from them before their flight. Valka explained that dragons nearing mating season often had extra energy, possibly to prepare for winning mates or caring for eggs and then babies.
The hut Throk showed them to was sparse, but functional. Their bed frame and the small table and chairs were all carved and shaped and decorated like the other Defenders furniture, the walls kept the elements out and the torch on the wall was lit to fill the room with warm, flickering lights.
"Thank you Throk."
"Of course, Miss Valka. Good night."
The one bed kind of said it all, Eret mused. They weren't far from the nearest bathroom either, so despite the awkward sense of "well, they definitely know don't they?" they were getting, Eret reckoned they had done alright. The bed didn't even look booby-trapped.
They stacked their respective armours carefully against one wall, Eret resting his saddle nearby before he pulled his tunic off; whether they only went to sleep or not, he rarely slept in it. He didn't feel so compelled to hide his scar anymore, with Valka so clearly accepting the mark of his past. He felt the newest scar on his side pull slightly as his arm extended over his head, but it had healed well and scars usually loosened eventually.
Valka left for the bathroom, and Eret took a swallow of water before he fussed with the furs and blankets on the bed until it resembled the nest of warmth he and Valka often slept amidst back home. He heard her come back, but didn't get time to turn around before she was hugging his back, humming softly as she squeezed him around the middle.
"Coming to bed?"
He asked as he turned when she let him go, and Valka nodded with a smile before she sat on the edge of the bed to take off her boots and leggings. Eret kicked off his own, pulled off his socks and wriggled newly freed toes before he turned with every intent of burrowing amongst the bedding. It wasn't cold out that night, but a bed warmed to skin was hard to beat.
Well, a bed warmed to skin in which he was holding Valka was pretty much impossible to beat.
"You can wear my spare tunic if you forgot to bring nightwear."
Eret commented as he saw her slowing to undress herself, possibly knowing she had nothing else to put on once her bindings came off for the night. She smiled and thanked him, retrieved it from the saddlebag and Eret smiled in turn when it fell down her body. Their heights were similar, but he was a fair bit broader and it hung just past her hips, baggy on her slender frame. After the multiple times his clothes had been damaged in fights or captivity, Eret had learned; take a spare.
He doused the torch once Valka was in bed, and promptly banged his knee on the frame finding it in the dark. Valka stifled a giggle, but they were practiced enough in sleepy cuddles to find each other once he was in the bed with her despite the darkness.
"Are you alright?"
"I'll live, despite my terrible injury."
Eret didn't need to see to know Valka was rolling her eyes.
Valka was almost asleep herself, and Eret was lightly dozing nearby. They'd been on watch for hours now, and it was almost dawn but without the rush and need of a battle to keep them alert, both were feeling the late night.
Something rattled.
"Eret!"
He jerked upright with a grunt, looking around with an imaginary sword held out.
"Whazzit?"
Shaking her head at him, Valka pointed to where Tripfire was nudging her eggs toward the pool. Cloudjumper was beside himself with excitement, and had been every single day since Tripfire had begun to show signs of egg-carrying. When those eggs were finally laid, two sizeable purple-blue shells with bumps on the sides and a ridged band around the middle, Cloudjumper had been hard-pressed to leave the nest until Tripfire sent him to bring her food. She'd left for a couple of flights while he watched the eggs, but the soon-to-be-mother dragon had been relatively glued to her nest for all the days there were eggs in it.
It was lucky they hadn't had any serious rescue runs to make, as Eret was nowhere near as skilled flying other dragons and his well-adjusted saddle only really fit a Stormcutter, so he'd had to go without after so long with one. They both knew it was worth any inconvenience; their family was hopefully about to grow!
Eret sat up straighter, rubbing his eyes and twitching a little himself as he realised what was happening.
"Is it time?"
"It looks that way."
The water rippled along the top, both Stormcutters peering over anxiously. There were two brilliant flashes of light, water disturbed and displaced but absorbing the explosion as intended, before they all waited on tenterhooks until one, then two horned heads broke the surface of the pool, clumsily flinging water until Tripfire leant down and pulled them out one by one, Cloudjumper practically dancing and ruffling his wings as they squeaked and wailed up at their mother.
"Oh my gods, look!"
"I know!"
One was a gorgeous midnight blue, a more uniform colouring than Valka expected for a female Stormcutter - she'd seen the lacking protrusions on their face already - and the other bore several shades of pink, ranging from dark over the bones of their wings to the soft pink of the wing membranes and the tips of their horn.. Tripfire licked them both, then looked over at the watching humans as though saying "look what I made" with her joyful face.
"Can we come say hi Tripfire?"
She seemed to think about it for a moment, but nodded. As they headed over, Cloudjumper was snuffling curiously at the pink hatchling before making noises at his mate. Tripfire made a sound that immediately had Cloudjumper back up a bit, and Eret laughed.
"That's my girl!"
Valka knew what had Cloudjumper confused as they got closer, seeing the fairly stubby but certainly-there protrusions on the face of the pink baby Stormcutter. They knelt down and held hands out to let the babies get their scent, and it took little time at all (and a nod from Tripfire) for the hatchlings to tumble clumsily over toward them. With their big, heavy heads and four wings to learn to control, they weren't the most graceful of babes but Valka's heart swelled with love when tiny tongues began lapping at their hands, exploring the brand new world with as many senses as they could.
"Their colourings are remarkable, and quite unique."
"Really?"
Eret asked, already giving small, excited strokes to the night-coloured baby trying to clamber up his body but failing to understand how to grip with their wing claws just yet.
"Indeed. For starters, such a fully dark coat is very uncommon in any Stormcutter. And here" Valka held the wriggling hatchling up "we have a brightly coloured boy. Male Stormcutters are often more plain-coloured, with their colourful markings concentrated. Like Cloudjumper, his colours are largely concentrated on his spines and his head. And Tripfire is very bright, but she has lots of colours available. So these two are quite unique."
"Huh. Awesome. You did good Tripfire, they're adorable!"
Tripfire preened, bumped her head on Eret's gently but it was enough to distract the babes, who immediately turned and began tripping over themselves to get back to their mother. Valka gestured to Cloudjumper, who got the message and dived from their spot, returning with fish in his mouth a minute later. Tripfire chowed down on them, then brought up the softened, mushy mess her newly hatched offspring could get down them.
"That's so gross, but it is effective."
"Quite. Come on Eret, let's give them a little time. Come home when you're ready you two."
"I'll make baby beds for them!"
Eret added, grinning. Valka wasn't surprised. He liked to make things.
"So, what should we call 'em, do you think?"
He asked as they climbed down from the nesting area, some of the dragons who had a different season altogether waiting patiently to fly them back to the mountain'; it wasn't far, but there was a lot of icy ocean to cross and dragon-back was by far the safest way to go.
They considered names back and forth all the way through Eret making baby beds full of small and soft cosy blankets, adding pillows for the small dragons big heads, and then some more through his cooking breakfast to perk them up a bit.
They'd settled on ideas when the Stormcutter parents returned, smaller heads popping up over the horns of larger, parent heads in a rather adorable way. It was one of those moments Valka wished she could freeze and re-visit, look at it exactly as it was for years to come.
"So, blue girl here is..."
Eret indicated one, though it was unnecessary when the little ones looked quite so different.
"Alva."
"Right. Hey there Alva. That makes you, little bright boy, Vali."
Not entirely sure what names were and how they worked yet, the conversation earned them no real comprehension from either Alva or Vali, but they did get more cuddles and nosy exploration of the area all around them. Eret showed them to their beds, and both promptly fell asleep - the wrong way round, tails curled over the pillows, but the spirit was there.
Valka was especially warmed when she looked at Cloudjumper, who looked like the world had answered all his wishes at once. After so many years alone, never finding another like him, Cloudjumper had seemed as resolved as Valka to them having each other and their work and nothing else.
Until Eret crashed into her life, and was adopted by the fiesty Stormcutter female who eventually came around to becoming Cloudjumper's mate. And now... now there were babies running around, and Cloudjumper had never looked happier. Valka had Eret - she had love, support, a new little family of sorts.
Valka spared a minute to think of Hiccup again, imagining a skinny, slightly clumsy little boy with messy hair and scuffed knees tottering around with the baby Stormcutters. It was an impossible fantasy, but it was the sort of life Valka wished she could have given her son if only Berk had been willing to listen.
But they hadn't.
Eret nudged her, brushing a stray tear from her cheek.
"You alright?"
She nodded, and she meant it. Valka would always miss her son. And she found her mind drifting that way more often since she took up with Eret, his presence living proof people could change their mind with the right push. Not that Valka expected there were many Tripfire-sized nudges in the right direction kicking around, but still he gave her hope.
-HTTYD-
I never said the new characters would be human. Alva and Vali were named by Corona a couple of months ago, and as she was so very integral to this story ever coming to life, I promised myself I'd keep them in when this time arrived.