Pale Rainbows

[Magyar]

He grunted in response, and laid down his head upon his forelegs. He began to doze, smoke pouring from his nostrils and for all the world appearing like a guardian of treasure from myth and legend. Before he drifted off entirely, he wrapped his tail around Melly, and his wing, bringing the tip over to his mouth and wedging it in a gap between his teeth. It was something he had done since birth, and wasn't about to give it up now for some guest.

[DragonSong]

Melisma wriggled around a bit until she was comfortably settled against his side. She was completely encased in his wing, eyes fluttering closed and a few soft chirps and warbles breathing from her as she drifted off evidently quite content.

[Magyar]

Hvittraak was kept from sleeping immediately by the twisting, wriggling of Melly getting comfortable, but when she was, he relaxed, and closed his eyes. His scaled eyelids shut with a snickt noise, and his breathing deepened. Soon he was dreaming of flying high, high above the mountain peaks, the clouds around him and the sun his destination. He would fly with the gods.

[DragonSong]

Melly was evidently a  bit of a restless sleeper. She kept pressing closer into her companion's scaly hide in an effort to find warmth, and her feathery wings fluttered against his side every now and then as she seemed to be dreaming.

[Magyar]

Hvittraak awoke after one such disturbance, the clawed tip of one of Melly's wings catching a scale as one might catch their clothes on a splinter or nail. It didn't pain him, but was rather annoying and very uncomfortable. He lifted his wing and released his tail.

He brought it around behind him again, and whipped at Melly's flank. It was a light, playful strike, but a strike nonetheless.

[DragonSong]

The younger dragon came awake with a squawk, flailing her wings and jerking awkwardly to her feet. She snapped at the unknown projectile instinctively and wound up with the tip of Hvit's tail in her mouth, blinking up at him with wide eyes.

Too out of it to quite realize what she'd done, and half convinced she was still dreaming, she growled playfully and gave his tail a light tug.

[Magyar]

The pinch of her jaws on his tail gave him a start, but the tug he was ready for, and didn't jump the same. He did however extend his neck so that his muzzle came near her, dug his nose under her belly and flipped her over as easily as a wolf picks up a pup.

[DragonSong]

In a smaller creature the noise Melly made probably would have been called a squeak. She lay on her back for a moment, tail and legs flailing. When she managed to right herself, she sank into a half crouch and gave another playful growl.

Like a kitten baiting a larger cat, she pounced at him, feinting to his tail before leaping up to try to scramble over his back.

[Magyar]

He tried to shake her off, but in lieu of wishing actual harm on his playful combatant, he couldn't do much. He did however twist his neck around to see her, and snorted a jet of smoke at her.

[DragonSong]

Coughing, Melly slid down off his back to land in a colorful, sooty heap beside him. She shook herself, blurring snow and soot together around her, and sat back on her hind legs and stretched her neck to its full extent in an effort to be closer to eye level with him.

Her eyes glinted happily and she gave a playful chirp before darting in to nuzzle at his neck.

[Magyar]

Hvit rolled over onto his back as she nuzzled him, wings spread out and legs up in the air. In this position he stretched, expanding and elongating, his tail going ramrod straight, then swinging back and forth contentedly.

[DragonSong]

Melly gave another happy little chirp and suddenly scrambled her way up to lay sprawled over his belly.

"I never got todo this," she told him, seeming quite content. "I never had anyone like me to play with when I was a hatchling. Is this what it's like growing up with other dragons?"

[Magyar]

"More or less." He said quietly, which was kind of oxymoronic for him, "It's very competitive at first, establishing an order among the siblings, and for food and scraps, and parental attention. But from what I've heard, a lot of that is simply childhood across the species."

[DragonSong]

"Mm." She kneaded at his chest gently, claws sheathed. "I suppose that's true." She sighed and let her head flop onto her front paws. "Still wish I could've done it myself though, sometimes."

[Magyar]

"Well I guess you can enjoy it now," Hvit rumbled, sparing a glance up towards the sleeping dragonness above him.

[DragonSong]

Melly made another humming sound of recognition in the back of her throat, the sound thrumming through her chest, but she didn't comment.

Much as she wanted to go home, she was finding it more and mores difficult to think about actually leaving. She still had questions- and even little things like this, playful pouncing and tail chasing that she knew she'd miss when she was on her own again.

[Magyar]

"Perhaps we should set off now, little bird?" Hvittraak suggested, tilting his gargantuan head, "We shouldn't tarry if we wish to make the flight."

[DragonSong]

"Oh, right!" She slid off him to land rather gracefully at his side. "Have you eaten enough?" she chirped with a little tilt of her head.

[Magyar]

"Enough," he said simply, and righted himself from his upturned position. Steadying himself upon his feet, he flared his wings, but glanced back at Melly, asking, "Have you sated yourself?"

[DragonSong]

She nodded quickly. "Oh, yes, I'm full." Her wings flared out out, giving a little flutter to dislodge some of the excess snow she'd picked up. Her head cocked to the side. "Ready when you are."