Post by Cansi on Aug 6, 2011 0:02:48 GMT -5
((If anyone wants to drop in, feel free.))
At one and a half months old, Tith was growing quickly, right along with the other young dragons. Alezri had been spending a good deal of time with her and little Squall outside the caves. He wasn't certain that the other outlaws would share their food even if he did have a dragon to feed, and anyway, he didn't want to have to find out the hard way that they wouldn't. He was trying to be self sufficient. The two pit traps he'd initially dug had been successful at first, but of course the local critters had become wise to their locations. There was nothing he could do about it but fill them in and dig elsewhere.
The purple was curled up with Squall right now, as Alezri sweated over finishing his new trap. He could feel Tith's hunger though she slept. His little bronze flitter was much more reliable about bringing back something when he hunted, but he didn't always go hunting when asked. Not even Tith could make him listen when he took it into his head to disobey. It was frustrating at times, but mostly the blond outlaw was just grateful that the bronze hadn't ditched him. Somehow, being loved and oiled (after Tith of course) was enough to keep him happy.
Alezri climbed up out of the hole finally, and glanced around, blue eyes squinting. He'd marked the trees on the way here, digging small pieces of bark out of them, so he would be able to find his way back. He'd gotten lost on the way back to the outlaws' cave recently - unthinkable as it was - and had no desire to repeat the experience. (Though it was in actuality a simple error on his part, rather than the recently-reported difficulty finding the caves.)
He knocked the dirt off his small shovel, grinning abstractly down at it, before replacing it in the worn tool belt. What a lucky find. If he hadn't stumbled over the stonesmith tools, he'd have been much worse off out here. Lastly, he covered the pitfall with some branches and large fern leaves. It wasn't as deep as it should have been, but he was tired. It was shallow enough that there shouldn't be any danger to a human, but maybe they'd be lucky and something unwary would stumble into it. An unwary something that couldn't jump out. Alezri stretched a little, watching Tith and Squall snoring. The purple might have felt his gaze, because she woke up with a sneeze, lifting her little head to look up at him. Are you done now? she asked. I'm getting hungry again.
You need another oiling too, Alezri told her with a sigh. Something wasn't right with his baby girl. She'd always been a bit delicate, but the sneezing had him worried. Mostly, he worried that he wouldn't be able to care for her adequately, and something bad was going to happen.
Food first. It wasn't a request. The purple nudged Squall to wake him, but the bronze let out a sleepy croon and tucked his head tighter under his wing. Alezri couldn't help but smile. He went and picked up the flitter, who protested volubly, and set him on his shoulder. Squall was only too happy to curl around his human's neck and fall back into a half-doze. I wish you could still carry me all the time, Tith said wistfully.
Me too, lovey. Aloud, Alezri added, "Come on. We need to get back to the stream before it starts getting too dark for fishing." Assuming the bronze would work for them. As yet, Tith hadn't been able to catch anything, and Alezri's own luck was mostly of the at-least-you-didn't-break-a-leg variety. The young outlaw spotted the nearest mark on a tree in the tiny clearing and led the purple toward it. There was no trail, but he was confident that the markings he'd so carefully placed would solve the problem of getting back.
A quarter of an hour later, they were back in the same clearing, the freshly-dug pit fall smack-dab in the middle. Mine, Tith began uneasily, flopping down wearily to take a breather. She had felt fine when they started walking, but she got tired so fast...
Alezri felt a chill run up his spine. "I thought I was following my marks," he said in a low voice. They weren't that far from the cave, and anyway they only needed to make it about a ten minute walk back the way they'd come before heading east. Maybe we can take a shortcut. See if you can get Squall to fly up there and give us the direction of the stream, he suggested, sitting beside His on the ground. They didn't need to be lost right now, they really didn't.
After a display of reluctance, Squall finally bounded off his human's shoulder and flew up above the treeline. He came back down, chirping a commentary that lacked any sort of excitement, and darted off through the trees. "Can you walk a little more?"
Just a little, she said bravely. She ducked her head slightly, his direct frown dragging the truth out of her in apologetic tones. I'm so tired... Tith sneezed again.
Shard it all. I'll carry you first, then we can both rest. For just a moment, Alezri spared a flicker of pity for the fact that he hadn't been able to fashion a workable travois yet. It would be useful- while she was still light enough to be dragged on it. Half a month from now, though, maybe not so much- especially if her rate of growth continued at its current pace.
Are you sure?
Just do it. Squall came back to hover, chittering inquisitively. He hadn't seen the purple in his person's arms in a while, but he didn't stop to think about it, just taking off in his original direction and leaving Alezri to follow. Though Tith was still small, her weight was soon taking its toll on the young man. He'd already spent most of a day digging a freaking hole. The hide around your nose is starting to crack, Alezri noticed unhappily. He couldn't speak aloud just then because he was panting.
Tith didn't comment, but her stomach had started making odd noises, as if it was turning on itself. It seemed to both of them that they should have gotten to the stream already, but with Squall leading them, it was possible they were going in the opposite direction.
At one and a half months old, Tith was growing quickly, right along with the other young dragons. Alezri had been spending a good deal of time with her and little Squall outside the caves. He wasn't certain that the other outlaws would share their food even if he did have a dragon to feed, and anyway, he didn't want to have to find out the hard way that they wouldn't. He was trying to be self sufficient. The two pit traps he'd initially dug had been successful at first, but of course the local critters had become wise to their locations. There was nothing he could do about it but fill them in and dig elsewhere.
The purple was curled up with Squall right now, as Alezri sweated over finishing his new trap. He could feel Tith's hunger though she slept. His little bronze flitter was much more reliable about bringing back something when he hunted, but he didn't always go hunting when asked. Not even Tith could make him listen when he took it into his head to disobey. It was frustrating at times, but mostly the blond outlaw was just grateful that the bronze hadn't ditched him. Somehow, being loved and oiled (after Tith of course) was enough to keep him happy.
Alezri climbed up out of the hole finally, and glanced around, blue eyes squinting. He'd marked the trees on the way here, digging small pieces of bark out of them, so he would be able to find his way back. He'd gotten lost on the way back to the outlaws' cave recently - unthinkable as it was - and had no desire to repeat the experience. (Though it was in actuality a simple error on his part, rather than the recently-reported difficulty finding the caves.)
He knocked the dirt off his small shovel, grinning abstractly down at it, before replacing it in the worn tool belt. What a lucky find. If he hadn't stumbled over the stonesmith tools, he'd have been much worse off out here. Lastly, he covered the pitfall with some branches and large fern leaves. It wasn't as deep as it should have been, but he was tired. It was shallow enough that there shouldn't be any danger to a human, but maybe they'd be lucky and something unwary would stumble into it. An unwary something that couldn't jump out. Alezri stretched a little, watching Tith and Squall snoring. The purple might have felt his gaze, because she woke up with a sneeze, lifting her little head to look up at him. Are you done now? she asked. I'm getting hungry again.
You need another oiling too, Alezri told her with a sigh. Something wasn't right with his baby girl. She'd always been a bit delicate, but the sneezing had him worried. Mostly, he worried that he wouldn't be able to care for her adequately, and something bad was going to happen.
Food first. It wasn't a request. The purple nudged Squall to wake him, but the bronze let out a sleepy croon and tucked his head tighter under his wing. Alezri couldn't help but smile. He went and picked up the flitter, who protested volubly, and set him on his shoulder. Squall was only too happy to curl around his human's neck and fall back into a half-doze. I wish you could still carry me all the time, Tith said wistfully.
Me too, lovey. Aloud, Alezri added, "Come on. We need to get back to the stream before it starts getting too dark for fishing." Assuming the bronze would work for them. As yet, Tith hadn't been able to catch anything, and Alezri's own luck was mostly of the at-least-you-didn't-break-a-leg variety. The young outlaw spotted the nearest mark on a tree in the tiny clearing and led the purple toward it. There was no trail, but he was confident that the markings he'd so carefully placed would solve the problem of getting back.
A quarter of an hour later, they were back in the same clearing, the freshly-dug pit fall smack-dab in the middle. Mine, Tith began uneasily, flopping down wearily to take a breather. She had felt fine when they started walking, but she got tired so fast...
Alezri felt a chill run up his spine. "I thought I was following my marks," he said in a low voice. They weren't that far from the cave, and anyway they only needed to make it about a ten minute walk back the way they'd come before heading east. Maybe we can take a shortcut. See if you can get Squall to fly up there and give us the direction of the stream, he suggested, sitting beside His on the ground. They didn't need to be lost right now, they really didn't.
After a display of reluctance, Squall finally bounded off his human's shoulder and flew up above the treeline. He came back down, chirping a commentary that lacked any sort of excitement, and darted off through the trees. "Can you walk a little more?"
Just a little, she said bravely. She ducked her head slightly, his direct frown dragging the truth out of her in apologetic tones. I'm so tired... Tith sneezed again.
Shard it all. I'll carry you first, then we can both rest. For just a moment, Alezri spared a flicker of pity for the fact that he hadn't been able to fashion a workable travois yet. It would be useful- while she was still light enough to be dragged on it. Half a month from now, though, maybe not so much- especially if her rate of growth continued at its current pace.
Are you sure?
Just do it. Squall came back to hover, chittering inquisitively. He hadn't seen the purple in his person's arms in a while, but he didn't stop to think about it, just taking off in his original direction and leaving Alezri to follow. Though Tith was still small, her weight was soon taking its toll on the young man. He'd already spent most of a day digging a freaking hole. The hide around your nose is starting to crack, Alezri noticed unhappily. He couldn't speak aloud just then because he was panting.
Tith didn't comment, but her stomach had started making odd noises, as if it was turning on itself. It seemed to both of them that they should have gotten to the stream already, but with Squall leading them, it was possible they were going in the opposite direction.
