Chapter 5: Armour
Released from her daily lessons, Ember walked out into the sunshine, smiling as the warm rays bathed her bare skin. Starfire settled down to sleep on the smooth stone surface outside the other entrance on the opposite side of the cave. It was a large cave, with a huge cavernous ceiling and went deep into the mountain. At the front was a long, almost tunnel like hole that went from one side of the mountain to the other. In winter a cold draught blew through it, but in summer it was pleasantly cool. Towards the back was a large pile of furs that she slept in and a large, bowl-like hollow where Starfire slept. A naturally occurring ridge in the wall served as a shelf for storage and cooking utensils. A darkened patch on the floor showed where they lit a fire to cook and warm themselves.
Now though Ember stood outside the cave. While Starfire's side was bare and really just a widened part of the original trail up the mountainside, the side she was on grew tough wiry grass in the shade and thicker, lusher grass away from the shadow cast by the mountain. The strip of grass ran round the side of the mountain as far as she could see to the left and right, stretching out towards the wooded area that covered the majority of the sloping ground in front of her. The first trees were a good two hundred yards away from the cave entrance leaving a warm patch of sunlight in between. Nearer the wooded edge of the clearing lay a large rock that sloped as if pointing upwards to the sky. Ember liked to climb on this, and its surface was smooth from many years use. In the warmer weather she would lie on her back watching the clouds pass overhead, wondering whether things would always stay the same for her.
But today she was a bit peckish and so she wandered down into the woods in search of a clump of berry bushes that grew near the river. She made her way through the trees until she found them and picked a handful, sitting on the bank with her feet dangling in the water as she ate. Soon her fingertips and lips were stained red with the juice.
She was just sitting down to eat her third handful when she heard an unfamiliar sound coming from further down the river. Jumping to her feet she ran into the cover of the bushes and looked down the trail.
"…I don't know why we had to leave the horses behind," grumbled Neal.
"It was too steep for them to make their way up it comfortably," replied Daine patiently, even though she had already explained this several times, "and none of them would appreciate coming face to face with a dragon."
"I just wish I wasn't wearing this armour," Alanna complained, "it's so hot! And I don't see what use it will be anyway against magic.
Thom grinned at the pair of them as he mopped his own brow, "I don't understand whatever possessed you two to voluntarily pair yourselves for four years."
"I blame his father," Alanna retorted.
"So does his mother I'd imagine," Faleron added with a grin, loosening his own armour. In fact the only one who wasn't struggling with the climb was Daine, she was only wearing a blue shirt and breeches, Kitten happily gambolling along beside her, stopping every now and then to look into the water at her reflection.
Neal glared at Kitten; the two princes exchanged a look and stifled laughs of their own…
Intrigued, Ember cast a quick invisibility spell and crept closer to them.
"At least it looks like we've passed the steepest part," Liam said.
"It would help if we knew where we were going," Thom sighed, pausing to dip his head into the water, shaking his red hair out causing a shower of fat water droplets to spray everywhere.
Ember giggled. The others froze. Kitten looked away from the river and saw Ember hiding in the bushes. She began to walk towards her making a series of chirrups and clicks.
-Hello,- Ember said to Kitten. The dragonet paused and cocked her head to one side.
"What is it?" Daine asked Kitten, crouching down beside her while her eyes scanned the bushes in front of her.
"Who's there?" Alanna asked, drawing her sword and walking towards the trees. The others had fanned out in a semicircle, their backs to the river.
Ember hesitated, looking uncertainly at the blades in the knights' hands. She didn't know what they were, but that didn't mean she didn't understand the gesture. Flitting out from behind the tree she was at she ran behind another, away from Alanna.
-What are they doing?- Ember asked Kitten as she stared in fascination at Faleron, the nearest person to her, -Do they want to… hurt me?-
Kitten whistled and shook her head, then voiced another series of croaks and clicks. Ember listened to what the little dragon told her and then smiled with relief.
-Hello,- she said again, this time so they could all hear.
"Who's there?" repeated Alanna again, pulling out the ember stone she wore round her neck to look for traces of magic.
-My name's Ember. Who are you?-
"I'm Daine, and these are my friends," said the woman with smoky brown curls as she stood up next to Kitten, "Where are you?"
Ember dropped her invisibility and peered round the trunk. Faleron exclaimed loudly and jumped back, the others span round to see the girl looking at them interestedly, head tilted slightly to one side. They lowered their weapons. Ember smiled shyly, not sure what to make of all these people. Kitten walked over to stand next to Faleron, the others not far behind, and rose onto her hind legs chirruping a greeting. Ember beamed at the little dragon, her face lighting up as she came up from behind the tree to give the dragon a hug.
"Great Mithros!" Neal exclaimed, staring at her. Faleron, Thom and Liam all looked equally astonished; Jasson blushed and looked at the ground. Alanna and Daine grinned at each other.
Alanna held out a hand in greeting, having sheathed her sword. Ember took a step towards her and looked at the outstretched hand with curiosity. Slowly she reached out and took it with both of hers turning it over as she looked at the palm. Neal laughed and Alanna grinned. Ember glanced up at him and walked over to stand in front of him.
-You're very tall,-she told him, then pointed to his armour, -what's that?-
"Armour," he told her, then turned to look at Alanna in confusion, "was it just me, or did her lips not move when she spoke?"
"It wasn't just you," Faleron said, looking at Ember curiously.
Ember had taken a few steps to stand in front of Liam, -you have…armour too. What's it for?-
"It protects me from weapons," replied the prince, trying not to be embarrassed by her lack of clothing.
She reached out a hand to knock on his armour. It made a ringing sound and she smiled and did it again, this time putting her ear to it. Liam coloured and looked pleadingly at his knight-master. Faleron just grinned, but Daine took pity on the prince.
"We're looking for a dragon," Daine said, Ember looked up.
-Starfire?-
"Maybe," Daine replied, "I just want to talk to it, that's all."
-She's probably still sleeping,- Ember answered, -but you can come and see her if you want.- Then she turned and ran up the hill.
Neal groaned as the rest of them began to follow the way she had gone.
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A/N: Right, well I'm back for the land of soul-destroying boredom where I've been for the last few weeks. So much work! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and it was worth at least a little of the long wait you guys have had. J