Trail of Tears -- written by DarkMoon
Chapter 3 -- A Discovery is Made
"So what poem do you think the two lines are from?"
They were all sprawled on a rocky formation in the field between Bale and the Limestone Caves, enjoying an unusual bit of warmth, the temperatures high enough to melt the snow for the first time all winter. Having gotten tired of watching Albert order people around (he was getting supplies together for the trip), they had all trekked out of the city and were presently pondering what the other clues could mean.
"I don't know. It sounds familiar though," said Fiora, who was languidly draped over a point of rock that stuck out over the ground. She was on her stomach, with her arms and legs drooping over the sides, like a big cat.
Dart, who had asked the question, sighed. "We should have asked Albert what he thought before we came out here. He probably knows."
"Not if it's Wingly, he doesn't," Fiora said. "Does it sound familiar to either of you?" she asked, looking over at Aasrin, who was dozing against the rock, and Meru, who was lying with her head propped on her arms, watching a Roc circling over the southern edge of the field. Aasrin didn't move, and Meru made a vaguely negative noise.
There was silence for a minute or two. Fiora joined Meru in watching the Roc over the field. From where they were, they could see the vague outline of something below the predatorial bird, moving slowly through the tall grass.
Fiora was just starting to doze off in the warm sun when the Roc let out a piercing screech. Her head jerking up off her arms, she watched as it dove straight into the grass, attacking whatever was there. They all watched silently as the bird ripped at its prey -- or tried to. A second later, an ethereal cry came from the thing in the grass, making the hair on the back of Fiora's neck stand up. The Roc took off immediately, screeching its displeasure to the sky.
"What in the name of Soa was THAT?" Miranda asked, standing up.
"I think I know," Fiora said, also getting up,"and whatever it was, it did something to them. Look." She pointed at Meru and Aasrin, who were both breathing very fast and looking ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Walking over to them, she knelt down next to Aasrin.
"It must be another Wingly thing," Dart said.
"'Sri, what was it?" Fiora asked gently. Aasrin, staring blankly into space, twisted his hands together into a shape that looked like the head of --
"A Dragon," Meru said quietly, her voice much higher pitched than usual. The others gaped at her.
"That's kind of what I figured," Fiora said, rising. "I'm going to go find it. Dart, you want to come?"
Dart closed his mouth and nodded. They climbed off the rocks and headed across the field toward the Caves. They had been walking for a few minutes when Fiora suddenly crouched, pulling Dart down with her.
"Look," she whispered, pointing. Through the grass, the outline of a small red Dragon could be seen. Despite having run the Roc off so quickly, it was lying very still, as if injured.
"It's a Psudo Dragon," Dart said. "I recognize it from when we were in the Moon."
"Wow," Fiora breathed, "I've only seen them in paintings before. It must have come all the way from the Volcano Villude, judging by it's color. I didn't think there were any left in the world." Creeping low to the ground, she approached it, making a whistling noise that rose and fell like flute music. The Dragon let out an ungainly squawk and pulled itself to it's feet, stumbling towards Fiora.
The others, with the exception of the two Winglies, joined them a few moments later. Fiora was sitting in the soggy grass with a lapful of Psudo Dragon.
"That's incredible," Miranda said.
"I know. I'm amazed it responded to me so quickly, considering I learned how to communicate with them from books and a teacher, not actual experience," Fiora said, scratching the base of the Dragon's left wing. It purred loudly. "So where are Meru and 'Sri?"
"Meru took off for the castle," Shana said. "Aasrin was still on the rocks looking panicked when we headed over here."
Fiora smiled. "Well, I figured out why it scared them so badly. That was a call that Dragons use to get rid of predators -- like this one did -- and flush prey out of hiding. It was usually the death sentence of Winglies during the Dragon Campaign."
The others nodded as if in remembrance of something. Then Dart said, "Well, we should be getting back soon. I don't suppose we'll be able to get you to part with him, will we?"
"Actually, it's a she, and no, you won't," Fiora said, standing up with the Dragon in her arms. "Come on, let's go."
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When they got back to the castle, Fiora was moving quickly enough so that the guards couldn't see what she had in her arms. Dart suspected there was some magic involved as well, but didn't say anything.
"Almost ready?" Albert asked as they walked in, not looking up from his work.
"Yes. How are we going to get there?" asked Fiora, shifting the Dragon's weight from one hip to the other.
"Well, I sent a messenger to the mayor in Donau so he knows that we're headed that way. If it all works out, we'll be taking a ship from there to Furni."
Miranda frowned. "Not that I'm against the idea of getting to Deningrad sooner, but aren't we supposed to go through the Death Frontier?"
"No, I think that was just a clue to try to throw us off track. Our goal is Deningrad. We should be -- " Albert looked up as the Dragon made a burbling noise. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes indeed. A Roc tried to attack her out in the Long Meadow," Fiora said, beaming like a proud mother. Albert gazed at her thoughtfully, not seeming too terribly alarmed.
"Well, that explains the panicked-looking Winglies that came charging in here about half an hour ago. I suppose she'll be coming with us?" Fiora nodded. "All right. Come with me. We can rig something to make it easier on you, at least."
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Between the two of them, a harness was made that Fiora could wear on her shoulders that would neither keep her from her weapons nor be uncomfortable. The Dragon fit in it nicely, and seemed to like riding in it.
"I think I'll call her Caliron," Fiora said as she took off the harness and lifted the Dragon out of it. "It means 'Firey One' in the old Wingly speech."
"It suits her," Dart said, having come in before to help.
Albert strode back in from the other room where he had gone to speak with one of the Knighthood. "We should turn in, if we're going to start out tomorrow." Fiora opened her mouth to say something but instead yawned widely.
"Good idea," she said. "One last question though. How are we getting to Donau?"
"Horses," Albert said. "They'll be going with us on the ship, too. That way we won't have to find some at the other end, should we need them."
"Oh, we'll need them all right. I have a feeling Deningrad won't be the end of this," Fiora said.
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Author's notes: Short, I know. But I needed to stop where I did so that the next chapter would be that much better. This was just a brief interlude to give me something fun to write about. Next up (next one or two chapters): the adventuring starts, problems at sea, and a delay in the forests of Mille Seseau.
Chapter 3 -- A Discovery is Made
"So what poem do you think the two lines are from?"
They were all sprawled on a rocky formation in the field between Bale and the Limestone Caves, enjoying an unusual bit of warmth, the temperatures high enough to melt the snow for the first time all winter. Having gotten tired of watching Albert order people around (he was getting supplies together for the trip), they had all trekked out of the city and were presently pondering what the other clues could mean.
"I don't know. It sounds familiar though," said Fiora, who was languidly draped over a point of rock that stuck out over the ground. She was on her stomach, with her arms and legs drooping over the sides, like a big cat.
Dart, who had asked the question, sighed. "We should have asked Albert what he thought before we came out here. He probably knows."
"Not if it's Wingly, he doesn't," Fiora said. "Does it sound familiar to either of you?" she asked, looking over at Aasrin, who was dozing against the rock, and Meru, who was lying with her head propped on her arms, watching a Roc circling over the southern edge of the field. Aasrin didn't move, and Meru made a vaguely negative noise.
There was silence for a minute or two. Fiora joined Meru in watching the Roc over the field. From where they were, they could see the vague outline of something below the predatorial bird, moving slowly through the tall grass.
Fiora was just starting to doze off in the warm sun when the Roc let out a piercing screech. Her head jerking up off her arms, she watched as it dove straight into the grass, attacking whatever was there. They all watched silently as the bird ripped at its prey -- or tried to. A second later, an ethereal cry came from the thing in the grass, making the hair on the back of Fiora's neck stand up. The Roc took off immediately, screeching its displeasure to the sky.
"What in the name of Soa was THAT?" Miranda asked, standing up.
"I think I know," Fiora said, also getting up,"and whatever it was, it did something to them. Look." She pointed at Meru and Aasrin, who were both breathing very fast and looking ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Walking over to them, she knelt down next to Aasrin.
"It must be another Wingly thing," Dart said.
"'Sri, what was it?" Fiora asked gently. Aasrin, staring blankly into space, twisted his hands together into a shape that looked like the head of --
"A Dragon," Meru said quietly, her voice much higher pitched than usual. The others gaped at her.
"That's kind of what I figured," Fiora said, rising. "I'm going to go find it. Dart, you want to come?"
Dart closed his mouth and nodded. They climbed off the rocks and headed across the field toward the Caves. They had been walking for a few minutes when Fiora suddenly crouched, pulling Dart down with her.
"Look," she whispered, pointing. Through the grass, the outline of a small red Dragon could be seen. Despite having run the Roc off so quickly, it was lying very still, as if injured.
"It's a Psudo Dragon," Dart said. "I recognize it from when we were in the Moon."
"Wow," Fiora breathed, "I've only seen them in paintings before. It must have come all the way from the Volcano Villude, judging by it's color. I didn't think there were any left in the world." Creeping low to the ground, she approached it, making a whistling noise that rose and fell like flute music. The Dragon let out an ungainly squawk and pulled itself to it's feet, stumbling towards Fiora.
The others, with the exception of the two Winglies, joined them a few moments later. Fiora was sitting in the soggy grass with a lapful of Psudo Dragon.
"That's incredible," Miranda said.
"I know. I'm amazed it responded to me so quickly, considering I learned how to communicate with them from books and a teacher, not actual experience," Fiora said, scratching the base of the Dragon's left wing. It purred loudly. "So where are Meru and 'Sri?"
"Meru took off for the castle," Shana said. "Aasrin was still on the rocks looking panicked when we headed over here."
Fiora smiled. "Well, I figured out why it scared them so badly. That was a call that Dragons use to get rid of predators -- like this one did -- and flush prey out of hiding. It was usually the death sentence of Winglies during the Dragon Campaign."
The others nodded as if in remembrance of something. Then Dart said, "Well, we should be getting back soon. I don't suppose we'll be able to get you to part with him, will we?"
"Actually, it's a she, and no, you won't," Fiora said, standing up with the Dragon in her arms. "Come on, let's go."
******************************************************************************
When they got back to the castle, Fiora was moving quickly enough so that the guards couldn't see what she had in her arms. Dart suspected there was some magic involved as well, but didn't say anything.
"Almost ready?" Albert asked as they walked in, not looking up from his work.
"Yes. How are we going to get there?" asked Fiora, shifting the Dragon's weight from one hip to the other.
"Well, I sent a messenger to the mayor in Donau so he knows that we're headed that way. If it all works out, we'll be taking a ship from there to Furni."
Miranda frowned. "Not that I'm against the idea of getting to Deningrad sooner, but aren't we supposed to go through the Death Frontier?"
"No, I think that was just a clue to try to throw us off track. Our goal is Deningrad. We should be -- " Albert looked up as the Dragon made a burbling noise. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes indeed. A Roc tried to attack her out in the Long Meadow," Fiora said, beaming like a proud mother. Albert gazed at her thoughtfully, not seeming too terribly alarmed.
"Well, that explains the panicked-looking Winglies that came charging in here about half an hour ago. I suppose she'll be coming with us?" Fiora nodded. "All right. Come with me. We can rig something to make it easier on you, at least."
******************************************************************************
Between the two of them, a harness was made that Fiora could wear on her shoulders that would neither keep her from her weapons nor be uncomfortable. The Dragon fit in it nicely, and seemed to like riding in it.
"I think I'll call her Caliron," Fiora said as she took off the harness and lifted the Dragon out of it. "It means 'Firey One' in the old Wingly speech."
"It suits her," Dart said, having come in before to help.
Albert strode back in from the other room where he had gone to speak with one of the Knighthood. "We should turn in, if we're going to start out tomorrow." Fiora opened her mouth to say something but instead yawned widely.
"Good idea," she said. "One last question though. How are we getting to Donau?"
"Horses," Albert said. "They'll be going with us on the ship, too. That way we won't have to find some at the other end, should we need them."
"Oh, we'll need them all right. I have a feeling Deningrad won't be the end of this," Fiora said.
******************************************************************************
Author's notes: Short, I know. But I needed to stop where I did so that the next chapter would be that much better. This was just a brief interlude to give me something fun to write about. Next up (next one or two chapters): the adventuring starts, problems at sea, and a delay in the forests of Mille Seseau.