Lyria had been gently scratching the inside of her left wrist again, which wouldn't matter really except she had been doing it for nearly three hours now. Rend was laying down in the corner of the underground room and caught scent of her riders blood and emitted a low growl. Lyria jerked her hand away.
Sorry. She said to her dragon.
She made her way over to the great white beast admiring the way the candlelight bounced off the scales of her dragons body making the room dance with every colour of the rainbow.
They are going to die if we do not help them. Rend thought projecting her thoughts into Lyria's mind.
The source of Lyria's anxiety was stumbling it's way around in the storm not too far from the entrance of her underground home.
We may have to kill them if we help them. She countered.
The argument had been going back and forth between the two of them for several hours as they had sensed the presence of a young man and a dragon making their way northward near their home. The two of them had been caught in the middle of an ice storm that could cripple even the strongest of their kind.
Let's see if they've found shelter yet at the very least. Rend implored.
Groaning but not rejecting the idea Lyria joined her mind with Rend and their combined their strength to cast their minds out to the freezing mess that was above ground. A stab went through their hearts when they found both dragon and rider had frozen to the point of unconsciousness and were curled up together perhaps fifty feet from the entrance to the safety of their home.
Making a snap decision Lyria pulled on as many furs as she could in a timely manner as Rend readied herself to open the door. Be careful.
This was your idea. Grumbled Lyria before making her way up the stairs and making her way out into the cutting wind and ice. She could barely see anything. Once I get to them shoot flames into the air so I can find my way back, and try to rouse the dragon. I won't be able to carry him back.
As a response Rend began to roar into the air but it was barely audible over the rushing winds. She immediately abandoned the practice and instead probed the consciousnesses of the stranger. All the while Lyria stumbled her way to the place where they had fallen she made it close enough to see that the man was under the wing of the red dragon. Cursing she told Rend to redouble to efforts to wake the red beast. She could see now that while the red dragon was thicker through the chest and limbs than Rend he was also considerably smaller.
She was glad for that at least, if it came to a fight she thought it likely that Rend could easily dispatch of the younger dragon.
Let's finish saving them before we figure out how to kill them shall we? Came the judging voice of Rend across their mental link.
Despite the ice that was cutting it's way across her face Lyria smiled.
When she finally reached the quickly growing mound of snow that was the strange dragon she went the direct approach and simply smacked the thing across the head. It started and despite it's blurry eyes and slow movements it had the strength to roar threateningly right in her face. Both she and Rend took offence to this and letting her white dragon complete control she emitted a fiercer roar right back at the red fellow.
It attacked her with it's mind and she surprised it but not fighting back instead thinking in the ancient language. We mean you no harm, we are here to help you.
Despite her proclamation he (for now she knew it was a he) emitted only distrust and mislike.
If you want your rider to live I suggest you listen to her. Rend said to him.
He did not speak but rather broke the tenuous mental link but not before they both felt his surprise at the voice of Rend.
Thankfully he must have realized the truth in both their word because he stood and lifted the wing that was covering his rider and allowed Lyria to haul the man over her shoulders and the lopsided three of them made their way back to the beacon of white fire that was the waiting Rend by the hatch.
The red dragon eyed them both suspiciously but made his way down into their burrow nonetheless. Again surprise was clear from him as he beheld their home. A fireplace danced merrily in the centre of the far wall, a massive pile of furs that was Rend's bed was sitting in the corner and to the left of the hatch was a small bedroom for Lyria. There was a massive tunnel leading off into the darkness between the sleeping places. The cavern was plenty big for both dragon's to lay down in.
The red dragon said to both them Promise in the ancient language you will not hurt him while I sleep. They both swore. I am Thorn. He is Murtaugh, take care of him.
Without another word he curled up on the bed that was not his and fell into a deep, healing sleep. Rend's tail twitched with displeasure. Lyria was amused What is it?
Look how he just makes himself at home in my bed! Did ask! Didn't even thank us for saving his life!
I may get sick of this at some point but may I remind you that this was your idea. Laugh Lyria before making the way through the door to her bedroom and depositing the dead weight of the unconscious man onto her bed. She struggled to wrestle him out of the layers of clothes that had failed to keep him warm. Even the innermost layer was soaked through. She took the red sword on his hip and all his knives and hid them safely under the stairs to the hatch.
He was quite effortlessly handsome, not that she had much for comparison. Well muscled and slightly tanned with black hair and strong features.
She was sad to see that frost bite was making it's way on two of his fingers and nearly all his toes, that was hard to heal but she went to get to it as quickly as possible once he was naked and wrapped in several of her largest blankets. She drew on the magic and tried to gently heat the tips of his fingers trying not to damage the nerves. She growled.
What is wrong? Asked Rend as she stuck her head into the bedroom, once again scratching the door frame.
The idiots ward prevent all magic from reaching him, even healing. Lyria sighed. I will just have to do it the old fashion way, otherwise he'll lose the feeling if not the fingers themselves.
She took a pot and filled it with water from the tank and set his right hand in the water, very gradually she heated the water with magic till his fingertips went from near black to light pink. She repeated the slow process with the rest of the effected areas, unfortunately there was no way to tell if there was nerve damage without him being awake.
She was tired from her efforts so she curled up in a cat like ball in the arm chair by the door and fell into a light doze.