Claiming the night (open)

[Anadwen]

The night was silent. Only the wind sung its slow, mournful songs on the sharp edges of rocks, passing through narrow valleys and circling around peaks of mountains. The sky was clear, and stars shone bright under its dark dome, like thousands of diamonds, tossed onto the black velvet of night.

Fire kindled on a few thick branches, laid down in a stone circle, dancing under a roasting piece of meat. Athran hummed an old song to himself, leaning on Maigrod behind himself, watching over his food. The dragon moved his front leg and softly poked him.

"Stop singing. I need some sleep." he mumbled. Athran sighed. "It's not even loud. I have my lute with myself - do you want to hear real singing?"
"Rather not. I surely wouldn't fall asleep! If you carried a knight on your back all day, you would want to sleep, too."
"Alright. I'm sorry." Athran stroke Maigrod's side. The black leather of gauntlets sled on his dark scales, glinting in the fire, and he saw the dragon's eyes closing again. "Good night."

He continued turning the stick with meat in silence. Maigrod behind him coiled up into an elegant arch, covering his legs with his wide wings, and slept like every night before. Athran often envied how he could fall asleep anywhere, and anytime - unlike him, he spent most nights wide awake except for a few hours. The dragon fully deserved his rest... After all, he carried him all day. All Athran had to do was hunt for his own food, and that was nothing difficult for a skilled and experienced hunter, although wild beasts weren't numerous in the mountains, and they were rather watchful. It only took one black-feathered arrow from afar, and he was provided with dinner and tomorrow's breakfast.

Something rustled the leaves of a nearby bush. Athran immediately sprung to his feet, but there was nothing - he and Maigrod were the only creatures around.

"Just wind." he whispered to himself.

[Tak]

Solgata and Lunaline where playing in some area they didn't care to name, but alas, they where playing. They hit some bushes as they rustled, then again, and again, again and again, after finally the two kittens flew through the bushes, went into a playful aggressive stance before looking to a large dragon.

[Winters-Feather]

Taiyou panted for breath, slipping in and out of conscious. Her mission to obtain the polished stone from the wild dragon had been successful, but she didn't come out un harmed. She didn't know that the members of secret order would be waiting for her at the mountain.  Squads of men are nothing to a weather-witch and her dragon she thought, clutching her arrow pierced side. Nothing. The polished stone in Shioko's saddle bag was proof of it.

I have to reach Ketra. Before they reach me, she thought, but the girl knew she was pushing herself far. She used up too much magic. She was hurt. Shioko sensed his rider's tension. Shioko tried to go faster, but he , too was wounded. The battle with the dragon had left him weary.

She clutched to her reigns tightly, grimancing. Shioko sensed his rider's tension, looking back at her now and then.
"I'm fine, keep going," Taiyou lied  weakly through clutched teeth. She was an Adelan rider and she had to make it... 
That was the last thought the girl had before her world turned to darkness, her cursed arm throbbing. Thankfully, she did not fall out of the saddle; it had a buckle to keep her in place when Shioko did loops.

Shioko shrieked in the night. What could he do? But the dragon knew- he smelled one of his kind up ahead, with a two-legger. A familiar scent, though one he only encountered once and in passing. They were Adelan riders. Exhausted, he clumsily landed by their camp. He stared and sniffed at Maigrod, a low growl in the back of his throat. Shioko wanted their help, but if this men  and his dragon proved unfriendly, he had a fire in his belly to answer for it.

[Anadwen]

Athran immediately jumped up upon noticing something moving nearby. This was no wind - it was a dragon! And it landed so close...

"Maigrod! Wake up, Maigrod!" he hissed. Maigrod was, however, already awake - he smelled the scent of another dragon and his rider long before even Athran's keen eyes noticed them. The elf drew his long sword, clenching his hands around the ornate handle, strapped by leather. He walked silently, only stones crunched underneath his feet, and taking a defensive stance, he moved towards the Shioko.

A rider and his dragon just as he and Maigrod, but even in the dark, he could see that the woman, seated in the dragon's saddle, was much younger than himself. She looked like sleeping, and Athran's arms came down a little, but he was still wary, keeping his eyes on the riders.

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked silently, walking around them. Maigrod was crouching behind his back, sniffing at the other dragon, and proceeded to let out a growl himself. Their scent was unfamiliar to him, but not different from many others...

She was still almost a child. Athran's sword sunk a bit lower again, and he released most of the tension in his body, noticing that both the dragon and his rider were apparently tired and maybe even hurt. He let go of the hilt with his left hand, and snapped his fingers - a bright flame appeared above their tips, trembling in the wind. He used it as a lantern, carefully checking over the girl.

"Are you alright?"

[Tak]

As soon as the dragon landed, the kittens went in a defensive stance, with Solgata bursting with Solar Flames and Lunaline with Lunar Frost. You could now clearly see them as they looked cute and adorable. After all, they where Kittens. Ancient Kittens. Ancient Kittens with Great Power. Ancient Kittens with Great Power somehow linked the the corruption and fall of an entire civilization. But you could never tell that from appearances... The Flames and Frost sparking from them may be a slight clue.

[Winters-Feather]

Shioko glared at Maigrod for a moment longer before Athran distracted his attention. The dragon rested his head on the ground towards Maigrod, demonstrating that he was submissive. He flicked his tail nervous and impatient. His eyes flickered towards the kittens. A dragon did not fear kittens... but they were strange, and at the moment, Shioko was wary of strangeness.

Taiyou moaned as Athran addressed her. She fluttered her eyes open.
I'm tried, she thought through shallow breaths.
she felt numb. It hurt to move. She turned her head towards the elf and slowly sat up, momentarily revealing the arrow  that pierced her side, before collapsing again in her saddle with a pained moan. 
I can't move, she wanted to say.
"Rider?" she managed to ask. "Adela? Agh!"
She curled up again, hissing. 

[Anadwen]

Athran almost let the flame above his hand blow out upon noticing the arrow. She was obviously hurt. He leaned over Shioko and grabbed her by the shoulder, trying to hold her up.

"Yes, I'm a dragon rider. From Adela." he assured her. The flame disappeared, allowing him to safely unbuckle the belt that kept her in the saddle, and he carefully picked her up.
"Maigrod... Take a look at the dragon, he seems tired, too. Maybe he's hurt like her." he ordered the great black dragon behind. Maigrod took a step towards Shioko, carefully avoiding the pair of kittens. They didn't seem dangerous, but there was something unusual about them.

Meanwhile, Athran laid Taiyou down near the fire. He unpinned his cape and covered her with the black fabric, much longer than she was tall.
"Can you talk?"
He held her head up a little, kneeling by her side. She seemed only a bit older than a child, at least next to someone like him.

[Winters-Feather]

OOC: gonna assume dragons can talk to each other :P
IC:

Shioko drew his head back slightly from
Greetings, elder, he said  in a low growl. He turned his eyes towards the cats.
Ancient ones.
The dragon turned his attention back to Maigrod.
My name is Shioko.  The girl's name is Taiyou. Enemies from afar attacked us in the mountains. They shouldn't have followed us here. They came on horse. The cowards took over the mind of one of ours, a wild brother.
His eyes wandered towards Athran.
I think I have some sticks in me, he admitted, sheepishly. The bites felt itchy and irritating, but nothing serious. It was the dragon scratches that were more serious, but dragons could sleep off some wounds. Humans, though...


Taiyou could barely hear Athran, her mind wandering. Taiyou didn't know she was cold until the cloak draped over it. She felt a bit more comfortable  than she had before. She tried to focus on the rider's voice, his face. He was pale for a rider, but that wasn't so unusual. Some of the riders had ancestors from far away. His ears, though. There was something strange about his ears...
"A little, sir," she rasped. Her throat was dry, her lips cracked. "Water, please."

[Anadwen]

Athran handed her a bottle of water from his bag, and held it by her lips.
"Here." He turned it up a little bit and let her drink, still holding her head with one hand. "I'll try to help, though I'm no healer. However, I'm afraid I'll have to take parts of your armour off..." He spoke softly, at least when compared to his usual tone, and begun searching for a short knife in his pockets, with which he could prepare bandages from whatever he'd find - even his tunic, if it would be necessary.

Maigrod glanced at the pair of kittens, then turned back to Shioko.
I should rather ask my rider, if you need to have them pulled out, Shioko. He has hands. He growled back and stretched his legs.
Mortals are not trouble neither for me, nor for him, speaking of those. But one of us could be dangerous.
I am Maigrod. My rider's name is Athran. He introduced himself with a slight bow of his head. His crimson eyes glinted in the light of the fire, burning afar.

In the meantime, Athran begun treating Taiyou. He took off his gauntets, removed the arrow from her side and begun cleaning the wound.
"I'm sorry if I'm rough, or if it hurts. I'm not used to heal others than myself." His hands were fast and steady, though he tried not to be too hard. He saw her eyes, staring at his face, and instinctively moved a few wisps of his hair behind his ear.

[Winters-Feather]

"Thanks," she replied. She drank the cool water deeply and nodded at his words.
"Okay," she whispered, watching as he worked.
Under her leather armor, she wore  black shirt and a sarashi to bind her breasts. A whistle shaped like a wolf hung around her neck. Most maids would have blushed or protested against getting her clothes partially removed by a man, especially a stranger, but Taiyou was a Rider, and a wounded one. Modesty held no grounds here.

She sucked in a breath the moment he grasped the arrow. Though she mentally prepared herself for what came next, the girl trashed as he pulled it out, letting out a wild cry. For that moment, the winds picked up, the trees whistling. To their song, Taiyou passed out. 

Many thanks, Maigrod, Shioko responded.  We are in yours and Athran's debt. 

He lowered his head onto the ground and turned towards the kittens.
Are these your friends? he asked. What are your names?

[Anadwen]

Maigrod let out a low growl.
I have never seen them before. But they're no ordinary animals to my eyes. He gave them a short glance once more.
Whether you're in debt, that's Athran's business. I'm only doing what is necessary.

Athran flinched at her cry a little, worried whether he's too rough. It was a long time since he laid his hands on another person... The last time he held a woman was with Yhrana. The accursed witch, he thought. Holding her now, I'd be three times rougher every time I grabbed her backstabbing neck.

While his mind roamed through his dark memories, he cut off most of her clothes and cleaned her wounds with water. He had to pull out his long tunic and rip parts of the black fabric, soaked in smell of wine, fire and his sweat, to bandage them.
"I don't have anything better. I can't take good care of you. I'm sorry." he uttered silently. From a small pocket in his bag he pulled out a long needle and a piece of thread.
"This may hurt, but I need to do it."
The piece of steel between his fingers pierced the skin on her side and begun to sew up the wound.
"If it's too bad, tell me."

[Tak]

The kittens remained completely still. By now, flames and light flew out of Solgata and Frost and Darkness out of Lunaline. They where still still.
Still still.
Still.
Still.
Almost frozen. After a while they just dropped to the ground, watching the ones watching them.

[Winters-Feather]

Shioko puffed out a smoke cloud, gently nudging his head against Solgata.
I don't think they understand us, he told Maigrod. What do they want with us?
If anything at all! But still, for the two ancients to venture in the forest unharmed and to be here.  Fate had a curious design.

Taiyou was too proud to say anything. She had awoken when the needle pierced her skin, its touch like fire. She grunted and gasped, but said nothing during the whole precedure. She had carried her staff on her person, the carved wooden pole lying by her. With a gloved hand she gripped tight to it, as if to draw from its energy. To keep her mind busy, she hummed a song popular in the city. When the procedure was over, she peeked open her green eyes.

Her vision was less hazy now. Taiyou could make out the elf's ears, his hardened and scarred face, his armor. A true warrior, she thought.
"I'm indebted to you, sir Knight," Taiyou said.
Her eyes drifted towards his dragon, Maigrod. He was much bigger than Shioko, and carried an air of elegance and danger.
So beautiful!
She tried to sit up to greet the dragon, as it was polite to do, but she made a face and plopped back down.
Bad, bad  idea, she thought, her head swimming.

Her eyes widened in delight at the sight of the kittens.  Oh, it was a strange site indeed, to think that one that looked like the elf traveled on dragon back with a pair of kittens! Still, they were very cute.
So I wasn't going crazy!
"Sir knight keeps... pets?" she asked.

[Anadwen]

Maigrod narrowed his eyes and softly growled at the kittens.
I don't know. I doubt even our riders would know, if we asked. But I don't think they want us harm...
It was strange to find something so ancient and powerful in such an innocent, soft form. But that is the beauty and wonder of such meetings.

Athran laughed a little at Taiyou's last question, but shook his head in surprise. "I don't. Those aren't mine - I haven't ever seen them in my life. Before, I thought they were yours." he replied.

His hands begun carefully bandaging the wounds. "And don't call me sir. Please. My name is Athran..." he wagged his head towards the mass of muscles and black scales afar, "And that's Maigrod. You're in no debt at all, my lady. I'm doing what's necessary and what I, as a knight and dragon rider, feel as my duty."

He, suddenly moved by the silent melody he heard, begun singing, quietly, an old song that came to his mind. He wondered how did he even remember it, because it was a very long time since he last heard or sang it himself - it was one of the songs he learned in his youth, while still living with his father. The melody had roots deep in his mind, and the words came by themselves, flowing like a river from his lips.

And the wind sang along.

[Tak]

The Kittens started looking around, unsure of what to do. So, in a sign of confusion, they, in unison, meowed. Now it was obvious, even to the riders, that they where no ordinary kittens. Power flowed from them. One was one fire and glowing, the over had frost and darkness. They where so adorable...

[Winters-Feather]

Shioko scoffed as the kittens ignored him, confused. He realized when they started to glow that they had no rhyme or reason to their actions. The dragon almost wanted to eat one, just to see what would happen.

Taiyou's lips tugged into a grin at Athrans response. He was at least a little humble- most knights liked the flattery. Taiyou didn't like titles much, either, and was thankful to drop them.
"Then thank you, Athran and Maigrod," she said. "My name's Taiyou.  I'm a soldier. I'm not a proper knight yet. But I"m working on it!"
Taiyou's chest almost puffed out with pride at that. She tilted her head towards her dragon.
"That's  Shioko. "

Anthran began to sing.The melody was beautiful and vaguely familiar, though Taiyou did not understand the words. The song could've mesmerized Taiyou, but something else occupied her mind. The girl struggled to sit up. Slowly, as she leaned on her staff for support, Taiyou struggled to her feet.

"I have to pull the arrows out of Shioko's scales," she grunted.
She frowned at the cats, her green eyes growing wide. If they weren't Athran's, then whose were they? Kittens all by themselves. The young woman was inclined to think they were just some beings in disguise or something equally disturbing.

Shioko emitted a  stern and low growl at his rider.
Lay back down!

[Anadwen]

"It's a pleasure, Taiyou and Shioko. I'm sure one day you'll be a good knight. When I was as young as you seem to me, I was just a soldier, too. It all comes with age." he replied, grinning.

As she stood up, it was clear she was struggling to at least keep on her feet. Athran grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back to the fire, giving her a hard stare down. "No. I will. You keep down. There should be some food and a small wineskin that's still half full somewhere in the bag over there, so if you're hungry, have a little. But I'll take care of Shioko. Don't stand up." His voice was much harder than before, giving orders instead of advice and suggestions. Just like he was used to.

He walked to Shioko and slowly put one hand onto his scales. "I'll look for the arrows and pull them out. It may hurt a bit, but I can't do anything to help except for that. Just keep still and it will be gone in a moment."

While talking, he started searching for the arrows and carefully pulling them out, one by one. Maigrod's crimson eyes flashed from him to the young dragon and back again, narrowed, but perceiving every detail.

It's unusual to see a dragon and his rider so young. I only met Athran when we were both much older. he growled shortly, putting his head down onto his crossed legs.
"It requires talent," nodded Athran. "You tried to rip me to pieces. And I couldn't stop you even though I was already 30." He chuckled a little.
And you did the same to me in return... But forgive a young dragon for considering knights intruders and food in a hard shell.
Athran burst out laughing. "Maigrod! Damn the gods, stay quiet, or I'll never get those arrows out of Shioko! I bet it's not what you want..." he groaned, gasping for breath.
I'm sorry. Maigrod made a silent, but playful growl. You don't resemble food to me today. You're all bones.
"I've always been all bones."

[Winters-Feather]

Taiyou cried in surprise as Athran pulled her by the fire.
"O-okay," she replied, a little shaken.
The girl couldn't help but to smile as Athran attended to her dragon.
He's so nice, she thought, admiring the elf. IT was rare to find a knight that fully embodied the entirety of the code. Of course, there were always the men who acted courteous around women... Still, Taiyou was deeply grateful for his help.  She made  a face at the bag of food. Despite her pain, she was hungry.
But it's so far...
The girl took a deep breath and carefully moved over towards the bag. She found a loaf of bread and broke it in half. She didn't want him to think she was greedy. What sort of thanks was that?

Shioko grunted in response to Athran. His eyes met Taiyou's.
Are you alright little one?
I'm alright, she reassured him with a small smile, wincing a little.
At least she'd live.
Taiyou arched her brow listening to Athren speak to Maigrod.
"Ripped to pieces? Thirty?" she said, giggling. She looked at Shioko fondly.
"That one burned me the moment he got out of his shell," she explained.
"I was seven, not yet a student."
The girl winced again. Talking too much hurt too, apparently.

Taiyou took a sullen bite of bread as she eyed the kittens with deep suspicion.
Tell a secret in front of them and they'll give it away.
She told herself she was being paranoid. After all, she still had that mission to carry out.
She examined her cursed arm, the curse seemingly like a tattoo.
I want it to go away, she thought stubbornly.

It was just then that she noticed something was up with the kittens.
"Oh, my gosh," she squeaked, scooting a little back.
"Why is that one glowing? And the other... "
They're older than the forest, Shioko told  her.
That's so, so creepy, she thought, resolving to keep her distance.
Shioko chuckled.
Scared of kittens?
Taiyou scowled.
A warrior's not afraid of kittens! Just... They're weird.

"Are you returning from a mission, too?" she asked Athren, her green eyes still focused on the cats. She had a hand on her staff if they tried anything.
She didn't want to reveal the nature of hers if she had to. Especially not in front of cats!

She was unware of the stone vibrating in Shioko's saddlebag.

[Tak]

The cats had no idea what was going on. They where nervous, and that made the Kittens nervous. Then finally, they just dropped before walking up for them. They where hungry, even though he couldn't die of hunger. Solgata nicely meowed in the way that would mean "Please people, we are very hungry and would like some food" but they would probably translate it to "HELP!" while Lunaline  just looked at the food.

[Anadwen]

Athran grinned. "Maigrod did try to set me on fire..."
Unfortunately for me back then, you are fireproof.
"Not claw-proof, though. When fire didn't work, you skewed those pretty deep into me." he glanced over his shoulder at his back, "You can still see the result of that on my back. I even feel it at times..."
I already apologized for that three hundred years ago. However, I'm a dragon, not a healer. Maigrod seemed almost annoyed by Athran constantly bringing up the past.
"And I'm an elf, not an idiot!" Athran growled. "You don't have to get angry every time someone speaks about your past! Lower the ego, Maigrod. Everybody makes mistakes."
The right one speaks... growled Maigrod, and turned his head away from Athran.

It wasn't that unusual for them to have smaller arguments, which usually resulted in a few minutes of silence between them. Athran remained silent for a while, and Maigrod pretended to be asleep.

"Seven is not much, though. I was already learning to fight at seven, too, but I didn't see a dragon till I was fifteen." And my mother was still alive when I was seven.

He noticed the kittens' unusual behavior shortly after her. They seemed like ordinary animals... But he was sure that they weren't. Even Maigrod wasn't behaving in his usual ways around them. "None of them has seen them before," he uttered, "they must have come on their own. But to me, they come different than normal cats. There's something in work in here what I cease to understand. I'd put my right hand to the fire that they're not anything ordinary."
Maigrod winged off and growled. You notice it rather soon... He sniffed at the kittens. They are ancient. Older than us, as old as those mountains.
Athran only nodded. "So now you're talking to me again? Make up your mind."
Not talking to you. Only attempting to show you what your ignorant highness doesn't see.
Athran sighed. A hot-blooded dragon and a hot-blooded knight were not a good match for arguments.

It took him a while to realize she asked him something. "A... A mission? Me? That's a good joke. Nobody sends me on missions anymore." he answered, shaking his head.
"But there's something... In your saddlebags. It's warm and it moves - are you sure you didn't forget any possession of yours in it?"