Heading Home (Silver Shadows)

The sky was layered with ribbons of gold and pink, a soft wind blowing across the lands. The sun hadn’t even risen fully yet; hardly peeking over the distant horizon. Everywhere, things were just beginning to wake from slumber, birds filling the silent air with their musical voices. Feiner shook his massive green head, his brilliant array of scales gleaming in the early morning light. He extended out his wings, a dry, feathery sound whispering from them at the movement, and stretched out his long neck. Folding his massive wingspan again, he swung his head around to gaze at his Rider with one shimmering, emerald-green eye. Renee crouched by the remains of the fire, poking at the glowing wood with a stick and watching as the sparks flew upwards. A light wind wrapped itself around her, chilling her slightly, and she pulled her jacket tighter as she shivered. Feiner slowly moved towards her, crouching beside her. Renee smiled as his warmth surrounded her, placing a hand on the smooth scales of his underbelly. He hummed softly with contentment.

A moment later, Renee stood, slowly spreading dirt over the last few flames with her booted foot, and stretched out her limbs. The young dragon watched her carefully, waiting while she gathered her pack and secured them to the saddle, which she slowly lifted onto his back and tightened in place. Feiner shifted as she finished, shaking his head slowly. The elven maiden pulled lightly on the saddle once to make sure it was firmly in place, before she pushed her golden hair from her amber eyes and leaped lightly atop the Dragon. Tightening the straps around her legs, she ran a finger lightly over the gleaming scales before her as Feiner stood again, shaking his wings loose with a quiet rustle. Neither spoke as with two powerful downstrokes they were in the air; there was no need to. They knew everything the other was feeling and thinking without words, and the companionable silence was more than enough for the both of them.

Renee’s eyes tilted down as the ground slowly shrank beneath them, the plains and forests becoming nothing more than green blobs as Feiner leveled out, gliding on the warm air currents. Breathing out a sigh, she looked once again in the general direction the city of Olibian lay, somewhere along the horizon. With any luck, they would be there by noon, and Renee felt a slight tremor of mixed emotions course through her at heading home. She liked being on her own, she did; but still, she missed the familiar territory of the forests she had grown up in, and the craggy peaks where the dragons were born and raised.





So I guess we’re just taking this wherever it goes, so I tried to leave it pretty open… I hope it’s okay, I typed this up when I was half-asleep last night ^.^

Should it be Feiner that hit them?

Yeah.

Feiner was enjoying the flight; dipping and swerving, diving and spinning through the air. Renee didn’t mind much, and Feiner continued his play, tucking his wings in and angling downwards before expanding his wingspan again. They caught and filled with air, slowing his descent and lifting him back up into the air again. Dipping one wing in, Feiner started off a slow barrel roll that quickly increased in speed. The world spun dizzily around him, and he was just thinking of pulling out of the roll when something large and heavy struck his body. Flaring his wings out to catch himself, he lost his balance in the air and flapped heavily to regain himself. The wing tore at his wings, feeling as though they were about to rip out of their sockets, and Feiner strained against the wing current for a moment before pulling out of it. Renee’s head swung from side to side, anticipating an attack, before she saw the purple dragon falling from the sky. Pressing against Feiner, she watched with unease as the dragon landed. Feiner’s wings opened, and he glided slowly in a large circle over the purple dragon below, slowly drifting lower. His wing felt stiff and sore, as well as the side it was on, and he joined minds with Renee again, making sure she was okay. She seemed a little jostled and shaken, but otherwise was okay, and he quickened his descent, alighting once more on the ground not too far away from the dragon he had collided with.

Renee slowly pushed her blonde hair from her amber-colored eyes, climbing from Feiner’s green back slowly. She grimaced slightly when she saw the long white bandage standing out brightly against the purple scales of the dragon, sliding her hand along Feiner’s glossy scales. He seemed fine for the most part, just jostled and sore. Stepping away from him, she could feel his green eyes on her as she approached the other Rider, not knowing quite what to expect. Whatever she had had in mind, it completely fled her mind as the Rider dropped to one knee before her and bowed her head. She had expected anger, not… this.

“I’m fine,” she reassured him, shaking her head. “No need to apologize; the crash was our fault, we weren’t paying attention.” She grimaced. Yes, that was smart for an elven ambassador; not paying attention when she could have easily been attacked, out in the open like that.

“Renee,” she introduced herself, shaking her head slightly. “No need to bow; it was my fault,” she insisted once again.

Renee smiled slightly as she looked past him to the purple dragon. “Hello, Xenia,” she said, the name rolling smoothly off of her lips. “And this is Feiner,” she said, nodding towards the sleek green dragon as he moved closer to crouch beside Renee. ’I’m sorry,’ he added through his mind to Xenia, looking at the bandage on her, contrasting against the purple of her scales. After stretching out his wings and legs, he felt perfectly fine once again, and he wished the same could go for the other dragon. He hated to think he had caused that.

Renee’s small smile grew a fraction when he protested, and she shook her head slightly. “Well, it’s over now, as long as we are all okay?” The end of her sentence was more a question, looking over the other Rider and Dragon carefully. They appeared fine, as well, except for the already-bandaged scratch. Taken slightly by surprise when he spoke again, she met his gaze with her own with an intensity that was normal for her.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” she said sincerely, pushing her light hair from her shoulders. “Where are you headed?”

Feiner’s eyes met the dragon’s levelly, and he was easily able to pick up on her irritation and annoyance. ’Sorry,’ he said simply. He couldn’t help it if she were in a bad mood; it’s not like he had meant to hit her. ’I’m Feiner,’ he offered as a means to try to mend fences, but it didn’t seem to help improve her idea of him any. Huffing softly, a small plume of smoke rising from his nostrils, he looked pointedly away from her.

Cocking her head slightly to the side, Renee watched him stutter. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? Her eyes flickered over to Xenia, the purple dragon behind him, as she walked up beside Jackson. Renee was about to reply when he was shoved forward towards her. Renee’s body tensed automatically, but she didn’t have enough time to move, and Jackson’s weight forced her down onto the ground.

Wincing as she struck the ground, Jackson’s weight only helping in the force of her fall and then pinning her down so she was unable to get up. His eyes met her’s for a moment, her eyebrows narrowing when he stared at her, before he stood up quickly. Pushing herself slowly up off of the ground, rolling her shoulder blades back, she winced again. She was acutely aware of Feiner’s emotions rolling through their mental connection in strong waves as he stared at Xenia and Jackson, but Xenia mostly, with his intense emerald stare.

Xenia shook her head and snorted annoyigly. Did I not say I was fine?" She let out a roar and then heard him saw his name. She sighed and decided to let the small wound that would seem to heal go, I'm Xenia. she answered in return with a slight bow. She turned towards her human as he regained his balance from after she knocked him down and really, she was happy that happened because she wanted to.

When she pulled herself up, he dusted himself off. He was being a jackass acting completely retarded. She probably had no interest in him. As the only speak between Xenia and Feiner took over the air became silent, leaving them in awkard silence. He collasped on a rock and sighed, toying with the large and cold stone.

Feiner frowned, snorting in annoyance at Xenia’s roar before he turned away, deciding it was best to ignore her if she was in such a bad mood. A moment later she seemed to have switched moods entirely, and Feiner lifted his head up to study her carefully. After a short pause, he dipped his head towards her formally. ’Nice to meet you,’ he said, shifting his weight slightly and rustling his wings as he crouched down next to his Rider.

After the two dragons were done acknowledging each other and the air became silent, Renee frowned slightly. She wasn’t sure exactly what else to say, but she did know that she needed to be getting going. Preferably soon. Her gaze flickered from the distant Dragon Mountains to Jackson, watching as he sat down upon the slab of stone with an audible sigh. Arching an eyebrow, she placed a hand on Feiner’s side, feeling the warmth emanating from his body. “If you are traveling to Olibian, as well, perhaps Feiner and I can accompany you,” she offered.