By the way, 'Gliders' are lower ranked Guardians. If you're a 'Blaze' you're the highest rank possible in Guardian society (Like an Alpha for the Haldis Guardians.) and other Guardians obey you. You also take orders directly from the Keepers, unlike Gliders.
And in case you didn't understand, it's Autumn. Winter was raking up the leaves on someone's lawn for money.
Another thing, if, anywhere, it reads 'Thank gawd', it's the same as 'Thank god' (as in relief) but I'm not actually Christian and I've had times before when me saying that actually offends people, so..
After a few short minutes of simply enjoying the opportunity to escape the harsh grip of the land below her, Winter twisted to the side, letting a slight blast of flame into the air as a streak of midnight blue scales tore through the air just below her.
Not one to be bested, she dove into a sharp downwards spiral, crashing into her scaled companion who gave a deep roar, flipping them so she was taking a quick route straight into the hard earth.
"Why do you insist do this every time we fly together?" His gruff tone broke through her mental barriers as she levered her wings out, settling into a spin and letting the wind carry her back to his level.
"Because you tempt me to do so, Tate. You're the one who makes everything a challenge... I just rise to it." She sniffed stubbornly, Tate himself returning the motion with a shake of his great head.
"Then maybe you should learn not to, darlin' " His deep chuckle trickled through the mental bond that had been formed.
She growled growled in response, flapping her monstrous wings and diving at her fellow Guardian, who, in return, linked his talons along what would have been arms had she been human and flung her forwards. Winter quickly reacted however, lashing her back feet against one of his wings and bringing him into her glorious free-fall.
They continued to fall until they were almost at the tree line, where they separated, Winter shifting back into human form and landing in the safe confines of a, luckily, still somewhat leaf-covered tree. Tate, however, made a clear effort to straighten out, instead crashing straight through some of the higher trees, tumbling down and destroying various parts of the landscape as he crashed through the pines.
Winter poked her head up from the tree, flicking a strand of hair out of her face and peering through the shaded forest. She shrugged to herself, throwing an arm around one of the branches and swinging her legs out, landing with a barely audible thud and wincing as a slight sting raced through her feet.
She flicked her eyes over the forest landscape again.
"Tate? Tate, where are you?" She called, (now significantly softer) voice echoing through the thick greenery, sounding almost disembodied. The response she received was nothing more than a low groan. She took a quick breath. Thank gawd. She followed the direction the groan had came from, any worries she had left dissolving when she came across the scene in front of her. She simply looked on for a few moments, before dispersing into howling laughter. Sprawled over a bed of flattened leaves, twigs and the occasional branch, was Tate, who's unfortunate fall had taken the majority of plant life along with him. He glared at her with piercing blue eyes that reminded Winter of the deepest oceans, shaking out black-blue hair, a fair amount more tameable than Rory's mess of what he liked to believe was hair, but still quite a bit longer.
"Just shut up, Winter" He growled in a low tone, pushing himself up and struggling out of the mass of forestry. The last of Winter's roaring laughter faded into the very shadows, leaving only an amused grin.
"What is it with you Gliders today? Acting like such scandalous little mice" She speculated.
"Wait, since when are we mice? Mice? You call us scandalous, Blaze, but you have a lot of gull yourself!" he proclaimed, jumping forward and tackling her to the ground. She broke in laughter again, leaping out of the dirt that rose around them and making a break through the trees. Tate gave a yell and charged after her, but he, too, had succumbed to laughter.
They slowed as they reached the tree line, this time on the other side of the forest from where Winter had entered.
She sighed, the only visible sign of the house that all the Guardians of her side of the mountain shared being the smoke rising into the chilly evening evening air from the barely visible dip that was the small valley just in front of the mountain closest to them.
They glanced at each other, deep blue eyes meeting icey grey. Winter was the first to speak.
"Last back cooks for everyone"...And the two of them took of running.