Chapter 7.

The sun shone brightly and warmly above Toemnir valley, indicating the beginning of the summer. Lots of Furies found the pleasant weather calming as everything blossomed, filling the valley with bright colours and vivid life.

Except for the gang of Lyara, Faelynn, Altarem and Garenald. They were in a special position, too old to be considered younglings, but too young to be considered full members of the clan yet. To officially become an adult, they all needed to partake in the ancient rite of initiation, but their problem was that nobody was willing to tell them what that is about. Every time they tried to ask someone, they mostly received secretive smiles and evasive answers. All they knew was that their initiation is going to be in the next month.

The thought of everyone expecting them to do something to prove themselves, but not letting them know what it actually is, frustrated them day and night, so they had to find an alternative solution to blow off some steam.

"Pinned ya!" Lyara chimed, sitting on Garenald, holding him to the ground with her forelegs.

"This isn't fair." Garen growled in annoyance "You've been practicing!"

"Oh well, Dad might have given me a few lessons..." Lyara grinned mischievously, leaping off him.

A few steps behind them, Faelynn was sitting between the branches of the Great Aspen.

"I certainly wouldn't mind if someone-"

"Lynn, please!" Altarem cut her off, looking up at her with an annoyed expression on his face "You've been saying that for two weeks now. They won't tell us anything. Period."

"Have you asked your brother?" Faelynn retorted.

"Yeah." Altarem frowned again "He said it'll hurt a lot, but I think he's just pulling my tail again."

"Probably, yeah." Garenald said after standing up. "How about we catch your brother and beat him till he spits?"

"Garen. He's a Guard." Altarem began to grin "You can't even beat a huntress, let alone a trained Guard!"

"Screw you, Al!"

"Hey guys!" Lyara interrupted, staring at a point somewhere far above them "I think someone's heading this way."

Faelynn crawled up to a higher branch, sticking her head out of the canopy to see the incoming Night Fury.

"You're right." she confirmed, narrowing her eyes at the incoming dragon. "Although I can't recognize him..."

"What makes you think he's a he?" Garen asked.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because his wingspan in bigger than even yours?"

The unknown dragon did a snap roll in the air, and began to dive right towards them. Once he was at the height of the tree, he levelled up, did a half-circle and landed elegantly just a few steps away from them.

"What a fancy flight." Lyara mumbled to herself.

"It's good to see you too, Lyara!" the dragon smiled at her cheerfully.

He looked vastly different, his voice was much deeper, and his size and build made the others look scrawny in comparison, but those blue eyes were unmistakable.

"Lohengrin?" she asked with wide eyes, closing her jaw after realising that it had dropped.

"Up close and personal." he replied with a broad grin on his face, glad to see faces other than that of Zorhen's.

"It's been so long! I'm so... you're..." Lyara could barely find the words in her excitement, and instead dived over to her long-missed friend, resting her head over Lohengrin's neck.

"You look so... old!" Garenald cut in as he stepped closer too.

"Uhh... you too?" Lohengrin was unsure if he had just been complimented or insulted.

Altarem, Garenald and Lyara all sat down in front of Lohengrin. He couldn't help but feel a bit awkward around his former best friends, unsure how one can pick up what it left off after spending fifteen years separated from them.

Upon asking, Garenald spoke up first, explaining how he would like to be a Guard. Only Lohengrin showed any interest on the subject, as the others have heard him quite a few times. After a short while, Al interrupted him. He clearly looked like he's stressing upon something.

"Say," Altarem began, "Being future clan leader and all; do you know anything about initiation? What's going to happen? How long does it take? The others won't tell us a thing!"

"Initiation? Well..." Lohengrin swallowed tensely, "Why no, nothing at all."

"Oh come on!" Garenald said impatiently, stepping closer towards Lohengrin "The others are making us crazy with constantly implying things and smirking in the background! So what is it exactly?"

The three dragons in front all began to walk towards him, making Lohengrin to flinch back at the direction of the Great Aspen.

"Guys... I don't know it either." he said with an innocent face.

"Oh really?" Lyara smirked, giving a mischievous glare at him .

Lohengrin gulped as his tail touched the bark of the tree.

"Yeah. I have nooo idea." he tried again.

"Fine. Faelynn!"

"PILE UP!" she screamed and launched herself from the tree.

Lohengrin sighed.

"Not-"

Faelynn crashed right into him, smashing him to the ground, and in a fraction of a second, the other three dragons threw themselves on top of him too.

"...again."

"Welcome back, Lohen!" Garenald exclaimed from the top if the pile.

"It's sure good to see you guys." Lohengrin moaned from the bottom of the pile.

"It's nice to see you too." said Lyara, whose head was right next to Lohengrin's, and she gave a soft lick to him just under his eye.

Lohengrin chuckled and smiled goofily. Then, he stood up with all the dragons on his back, and began to spin, causing them to scream and laugh, and one by one they lost grip and fell off, and tumbled over the soft grass.

After losing the excessive weight, he let himself fall back to his haunches, joining to the others' laughter whilst grabbing his own head with both forepaws in an effort to halt the dizziness.

A few minutes later as the laughter died off, and Lyara spoke up:

"Let's get you to the central cave! The others will want to see you too!"

"Fine by me." Lohengrin smiled "I'd like to see the others, as well."

Although Lohengrin had imagined his return a couple of times during his training, he never actually expected much of a welcome. He was content with the thought that his friends and adoptive family will be happy to see him again just as much as he will be with them.

Contrary to that, virtually the whole clan was around him, and everyone approached him to say a few nice words, from Elders to hatchlings who were born way after his departure. After the hunting parties came back, the commotion turned into a spontaneous celebration, with a feast, bonfires and revelry, lasting into the night.

By the end of the day, Lohengrin's facial muscles were aching from all the smiling, and his voice went hoarse after talking with everybody so much. He knew that this day would be memorable for him due to several various events, like how Wordy appeared, shouting, bumping into him and patting his back for minutes, how Elder Tamaana advertised her fish-diet by showing him as an example of a healthy lifestyle, how Melyan nuzzled him and said that he's a spitting image of his father, how Elder Ragnar expressed his excitement to discuss the complexity of Clan-matters with him, how a bunch of hatchlings bounced around his legs while he received their parents' greetings, and so on.

He felt completely drained but he gave away no signs of it, and after a while, the crowd started to dissolve. Wordy, Melyan and Lyara remained last, and the two adults were preparing to leave as well, when Lyara came to him and asked:

"Are you going to live with us again?"

"Nope." Lohengrin shook his head "I'm going to go back to the cave where my parents used to live. It might need some cleaning done, but it's mine, after all."

"Oh, okay." her ears dropped "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I'll have an audience with the Elder Council to deal with some formalities, but I'm free for the afternoon, so I might stop by and say hello. How about some casual hunting after it?"

"Sounds great." Lyara smiled warmly again "See you tomorrow!"

She turned and left, along with her parents, who wished a good night to him.

Lohengrin sighed deeply as he looked around the central cave. Then, he proceeded out, and leapt into the air, enjoying the opportunity to stretch his wings. He did a wide circle above the valley which gradually quieted down around him, as those with night duty left and the rest went to sleep. With a sudden idea, he decided to use his mind to further scan the area, the way Elder Zorhen taught him. His sight slightly altered to pick up traces of presence along the valley, and the result reassured him further. Everyone was in their place and accounted for. After his survey, Lohengrin allowed himself some time to admire the view, and silently compliment his forefather's decision for choosing this place to reside; Toemnir valley looked beautiful in the illuminating moonshine.

He touched down at the entrance of his own cave with contradictory feelings swirling inside him. He felt a slight reluctance to enter; this was the cave where, from a certain point of view, his own life had begun and ended more than thirty winters ago.

As he went inside, he concluded that the cave felt just as homely and comfortable as he remembered it, aside from the thick layer of dust on the floor. Everything seemed to have been left untouched, the wide boulder his parents used to sleep on, the hexagonally-shaped fireplace, and the tiny brook at the back, which formed a two-step wide and one deep pool in one of the hollows of the floor before flowing out at a smaller tunnel. He tasted the water: it was cool and fresh, as it was supposed to be.

But he could not ignore the faint traces of his parents' scent all around, especially at the flat boulder. As if the cave itself would still hold the memories of those who once resided in it. This strange aura brought age-old memories back from the deepest reaches of Lohengrin's mind, where they were buried away for a long time. Memories of comfort, love and safety, his father's caring voice as he told stories to him, his mother's gentle purring to help him fall asleep... Vague impressions and memory fragments, impossible to catch and observe properly, like when one's trying to remember a dream after waking up, or trying to hold a sip of water with his paws without letting any of it to flow away.

It was then that he noticed a dim shine coming from the water in the brook. He leaned over and dipped a paw into the water, pulling out a small blue gem. It took him a few moments, but his eyes widened and his heart fell as he remembered the day he had brought this to his mother, all those winters ago. He could still remember her words that day, just as vividly as ever:

"I am going to put it away in a safe place, and keep it forever. And it'll always remind me of you."

And after so many years, the lazulite was still there, still holding the gratitude and joy of Valerien inside its cerulean core. However, it turned out it would remind him more of her, than she could have ever expected.

Grasping the precious gem, he turned to the mouth of the cave. He looked up to see the velvety, dark blue sky, littered with shiny sparks of diamonds. Beautiful lights, each representing the soul of a loved one.

"You said you were proud of me" Lohengrin whispered "and you've asked me to stay strong."

He gulped in an effort to swallow the lump in his throat. Then spoke up loudly and confidently.

"I will. So you can stay proud of me forever."

He settled himself down at the mouth of the cave. As he slowly dozed off, his paws gently cradled the gem, protecting it like his mother had once done to him with her wing, when she covered him from the dark and cold nights with her warmth and love.

Lohengrin spent the next few weeks settling back to his clan, catching up with his friends and familiarising himself with the higher-ranking Guards and Hunters. He often accompanied them to their respective trips, gathering first-paw experience about who does what and how.

During one afternoon, when he was fishing together with Altarem, he noticed that something seemed to be bothering him.

"So, what do you want to do after our initiation?" he asked curiously.

Altarem was so surprised that he managed to choke on the half-chewed piece of fish he had in his mouth. To prevent him from suffocating, Lohengrin quickly jumped to him and forcefully shoved him in the back a few times. After some violent hurls, Al managed to free his windpipe from the inapposite fish and coughed a few times.

"It wasn't that serious of a question..." Lohengrin laughed.

"It's nothing," Altarem coughed, "Just caught something in the back of my throat..."

"So?"

"Honestly... I-I don't know." he blurted out after a few moments of thinking "Have you ever thought about going away for a bit and looking around somewhere else? I mean... this place is great and all, but... I have a feeling that I'm missing everything else from the world. I know that Lya and Lynn love to hunt, and Garen would like to be a Guard... But I have no ideas about myself. I just don't know."

"I haven't exactly thought about it, but I know what you mean. Have you tried to tell this to your family?" Lohengrin asked.

"Yeah, to my brother." Al said half-heartedly "He said I'm nuttier than squirrel poop sometimes."

"You know, there is a slight chance that your brother isn't always right." Lohengrin said half-jokingly. "Elder Zorhen himself was just like you when he was our age, in-fact; it's a perfectly normal thing to feel."

"You think so?"

"No, I know so. There's nothing wrong with it if you'd like to spend a few years away from here and come back, or to find your fortune elsewhere. It's a completely natural thing, and it happens every once in a while. If you'd like to be a strider; I and I'm sure many of the other Furies, only wish you luck."

"I feared I'm not right in the head, Lohen..." Altarem paused, as if unsure he should continue, "Thanks, I mean it."

"You're welcome." Lohengrin said lightly, and turned towards the pond to catch another fish. Stepping on to a rock, he leaned forward towards the surface of the water, concentrating to the task at hand with narrowed eyes.

Altarem just watched him silently for a couple of seconds, then asked away:

"And what's going on between you and Lya?"

The question made Lohengrin's paw slip, and he almost fell face-first into the water. After a few wobbles, he balanced himself out at took a few steps back from the pond before attempting to answer.

"W-why do you think there's something going on?" he asked back, his tone sounding a bit frightened.

"Oh, I dunno..." Al grinned, and made a few mocking gestures to think "Probably because you're all jumpy when she's around, constantly trying to show off, and always have to keep at least half an eye on her?"

Lohengrin tried to get away with an embarrassed chuckle, but as he saw Al's face, he knew he has to try and say something in defence.

"I-I'm fine around her, I don't know what you're talking about." Lohengrin avoided eye contact of any kind.

"You know it pretty well Lohen."

Now it was Lohengrin's turn to feel awkward.

"I'm not sure." he blurted out "I'm not sure where we stand with each other now. I mean, she was like a sister to me. Now I haven't seen her for fifteen years. Both of us have grown up, and changed a lot. I just... have to figure things out first."

"Alright, Alright!"Al chuckled, waiting a moment before continuing "Can't say I blame you though, she is beautiful." He admitted.

"That she is..." Lohengrin mumbled half-heartedly, with his gaze wandering away. Then he shook his head and looked at his grinning friend.

"And now that we've finished putting each other into embarrassing situations, can we do something else?"

"How about we go to the Great Aspen so you can carve in two 'L's and draw big heart around-"

"HEY!"

It was an old tradition in the clan of Toemnir, to scare the youth a bit with the initiation. It was an act of great significance, no doubt about that, but all the secrecy around it was just the mature dragons' prank on the young ones.

When the five dragons of this year's event were standing in the cave of the Elder Council, surrounded by everyone else, all of them with the exception of Lohengrin fumed in anger for being fooled.

"So much fuss about nothing." Faelynn growled.

"Excuse me for a moment, can I go out and kill my brother?" Altarem asked the crowd around them.

"Easy, guys, we're about to begin." Lohengrin warned.

Seemingly to justify his words, Elder Ragnar stepped forward, and scratched his throat to gain attention.

"Brothers and Sisters of Clan Toemnir" he began in a booming voice "We are here today to celebrate these five young dragon's maturation, and accept them into our ranks. This particular event however, will be slightly different from the usual. Lohengrin, son of Siegfried, please step forward.

Lohengrin did so, and took his place next to the elder, facing the crowd.

"By birthright, you are heir to the title of Leader and Protector of this clan. Are you willing to accept this position, and carry the burden of responsibility for the rest of your life, or until you step down?" Ragnar asked ceremoniously.

"Yes, I am."

"Are you willing to do everything in your power to preserve the lives depending on you, and to ensure this Clan's survival?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are you ready to put this whole Clan's needs before everyone else's, including your own?"

"I am. My life, for my Clan." Lohengrin answered, an unwavering expression colouring his features.

Upon hearing these words, Elder Ragnar placed a paw on his shoulder, and blew fire to the other paw. He kept it up with the continuous stream of fire, until his claws were glowing in a cerise shade, then touched Lohengrin's neck with them and began to carve.

"Then you shall bear the mark of the Leader, next to the mark of Clan Toemnir!"

The marking was supposed to be painful, so the reaction of the marked one can represent their willingness to do what they can, for the common good. Lohengrin didn't even flick an ear while Ragnar marked him, earning a few admiring glances from the crowd in front of him.

"It is done, then." Ragnar announced while he took a step backwards from Lohengrin. "You have entered this cave as a youngling before adulthood. Now, you shall exit it as Leader and Protector of Clan Toemnir. Long live Leader Lohengrin! Liien Lohengrin Valdr!"

"LIIEN LOHENGRIN VALDR!" the clan echoed thunderously.

Lohengrin allowed himself a thankful smile, and stepped forward to address his clan.

"Before I say anything, I have to properly express my sincere thanks for Elder Ragnar and the rest of the Council of Elders for the precious support and leadership they've provided in the past thirty winters."

He gave an acknowledging bow towards the Elders behind him, and much to his surprise, he saw Elder Zorhen amongst them, at the back. He wore a proud grin as he looked at him and motioned to go on.

"And now, let us go forward with the initiation." he looked at his four friends who were shifting from one leg to another in anxiety. "Is there anyone among you, who would wish to not bind its life with Clan Toemnir?"

After a few moments, Altarem stepped forward, earning quite a few curious murmurs from the crowd and scared glares from his friends.

"Altarem, son of Albarad." Lohengrin spoke up, and everyone went silent again. "Everyone shall forge their own fortune. If you desire to explore lands other than our own, you are free to leave. However, I would like to ask you to keep in mind two things wherever your path shall take you: Always remember where you have come from. And always remember, that we are happy to welcome you back here."

"I... thank you for your understanding, Lohengrin Valdr." Altarem made a bow, and stepped back.

Lohengrin nodded, and then looked at the other three impatient youngsters.

"The rest of you, please come forward."

Lyara, Faelynn and Garenald all walked up to Lohengrin and sat down in front of the crowd.

"Are you willing to swear upon the spirits of your ancestors that you will be a part of our clan, treat it's other members with respect and care while receiving the same, and do what is expected from youfor the common good and better future of our clan?

"I am." they said in unison.

One by one, Lohengrin marked them at the right side of their neck, using the same method as Ragnar did. It was just a small but elaborate mark, which would turn into a barely visible scar on their scales over time. But they all wore it proudly, as it symbolised the most defining and important aspect of their future life: their everlasting unity with their clan.

When Lohengrin finished with the rite, he stepped back and addressed them for one final time:

"From this moment, you three are one with the rest of us, until the Spirits call your souls to the Starpath. May Their goodwill accompany you on the ways of your fate."

Soon the three dragons disappeared between the crowds of congratulating Night Furies. The initiation was finished; all that was left is the usual celebration with a feast. The congestion of the central cave slowly began to decrease as the dragons were starting to head out to the valley, where the hunters were already setting up bonfires and bringing the food.

As Lohengrin slowly walked out, he noticed the slight change in the attitude of the others towards him: almost everyone seemed to show little signs of respect, like stepping out from his way, making little bows and saying a few nice words to him as he passed.

When he was outside, Altarem approached him.

"Hey Al!" Lohengrin greeted him with a smile.

"Lohen, I... I'd like to leave at dawn."

"Oh. So soon?"

"Y'know, I'm not really good with farewells... I just want to be off before I change my mind."

"Alright then, I'll leave you to your family." Lohengrin glanced behind Altarem, to see the young dragon's parents and older brother who didn't seem too happy with Al's decision. "Remember this is your life, you only get one, so be sure you're the one living it. I'll see you at dawn."

Altarem nodded, and paced back to his family. But before Lohengrin could move two steps, Lyara and her family found him.

"You certainly know how to make a good show!" Lyara exclaimed, and bumped her head into his shoulder.

"Well, it is my job from now on." Lohengrin smiled at her. "Go ahead and eat, I have a few remaining things to sort out, and-"

"No way, kiddo, you're eating with us!" Wordren stated.

The outburst earned the disturbed glances of Melyan, Lyara and Lohengrin.

"Oh. Umm... I mean... Would... you share your meal with us-"

Lyara and Lohengrin burst out laughing, while Melyan buried her face into her paws.

"Alright, alright I'm hopeless, okay?" Wordren cried out, smiling awkwardly.

"I would never miss a chance to be with you." Lohengrin smiled warmly "Just go ahead, and I'll follow shortly."

Melyan shook her head in disbelief, and nudged her mate away.

"You mind if I stay?" Lyara asked and sat down next to Lohengrin.

"Of course not. I'd just like to speak with-"

Elder Zorhen stepped out from the cave, looking a bit anxious and occasionally letting out growls of irritation.

"Zorhen Ahltar." Lohengrin nodded to him.

"I am not your Master anymore, son." Zorhen said, and took a nervous look around.

"I just wanted to thank you for dropping by..."

"Do not get used to it, son, the crowd still freaks me out. I am better on my own."

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" a soft voice called behind Zorhen's back.

Lohengrin just watched in astonishment as Zorhen's expression turned from annoyed to being terrified. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh in resignation.

"Of course you can." he turned around, revealing Elder Tamaana behind him.

"Please, excuse us." she said, nodding towards them before walking away with Zorhen.

Lohengrin and Lyara silently watched as the two Elders disappeared.

"What the... what?" she asked.

"I don't have clue about what's going on." Lohengrin shook his head "Feels like these two go way back together... I'd say lets go and eat instead of trying to figure out centuries-old relationships."

"That's actually not a bad idea."

Lohengrin decided to not think about anything else and enjoy the evening with his adoptive family and friends around him. He will have plenty of time to deal with the dozens of matters regarding the clan's life later, and Wordy wouldn't let him think about any serious things anyway with his constant efforts to be funny. He literally bombarded him with question after question about Elder Zorhen and his training. And Lohengrin happily shared some of his funnier experiences with everyone around him; it felt good to be like any normal Night Fury, without the additional weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

The celebration lasted well after midnight. Lohengrin went to sleep with a feeling that this night was the most fun he'd had in a very, very long time.

The first rays of the morning sun just began to appear above the white capped mountains of Toemnir valley, finding Altarem standing under the Great Aspen, in the company of his friends for the last time. He had already bid farewell to his family, and now he was clawing the ground in awkwardness, being unsure what to say to those whom he grew up with, and might never see again.

"I have to say I admire your decision." Lohengrin commented "I know I would not last long without any company in distant lands. But again, if this is what you want, I wish the best for you."

A grateful expression coloured Al's features.

"Thank you, Lohen. Like you said, I must be the one living my life." he turned his head to see the rest of his friends "All of you. I'll never forget you, guys."

"You better not." Lyara bumped heads with him.

"Yeah, take care of yourself, buddy." Garen said.

"We won't forget you either." Faelynn told to him, and gave a small lick to his face, earning a sheepish grin from Altarem.

With one last smile, Al raised his wings and leapt into the air. The four dragons at the tree watched him becoming a black spot on the horizon, before vanishing completely into the blur.

The next few weeks were quite busy for Lohengrin. He'd spent a lot of time reforming lots of things, including hunting parties for example. He reduced the party numbers from the traditional seven to four, since according to his observations, a smaller group worked almost as efficiently as a larger. The changes resulted in more frequent hunts, but the party members had more time to spend with their families, which they valued greatly.

Another burning issue was Guard duty. Third Guard Lohranne, who was in charge of the recruiting and training of new Guards, expressed her wish to step down and take some rest after three hundred years of active service. Lohengrin appointed Salkonyr to her place. He might have been younger than the usual higher-ranking Guards, but he was skilful, and more importantly, had personal experience with fighting the Skrills.

In an effort to counter the increasing number of Skrill-sightings, Lohengrin, together with First Guard Naveron, redrew the patrol lanes so the Guards can be closer to each other whenever the situation would demand it. Another possible solution would've been to increase the number of patrols, but they simply lacked the numbers to do it.

Finding a way to deal with the Skrills caused a great headache for Lohengrin. It seemed that there was no good solution to end this problem. Words only will not convince them to go away. A show of force would result in bloodshed, something Lohengrin really wanted to avoid.

He became restless. He often spent the nights up, trying to come up with something, but he just couldn't.

During their precious little time together, Lyara could sense her friend's tension. She did everything she could to keep Lohengrin's mind off the subject when they were together. Lohengrin greatly valued her efforts to keep him collected, especially because it worked. The only dragon, who could make him forget about the daily troubles and have fun, was Lyara.

But they met so rarely, since she worked hard to get into a hunting party, and once she was accepted she worked just as hard to progress forward. In only a few months, she became the prime of the newest hunting party, making her parents very proud.

After running through multiple scenarios inside his head, Lohengrin slowly but steadily began to formulate a plan. A plan which needed him to take a great risk or possibly a sacrifice, but he saw no other way which was even close to being acceptable. If his plan works, nobody has to die. If it doesn't, the price of one life measured against multiple ones makes the question pretty obvious.

He quickly paced through the tunnels of the central cave system in his search for Naveron. He found him at the cave which he used for private meeting while he was on duty.

"Lohengrin Valdr!" he said in surprise, backing away from the map carved into the cave wall "How can I be of service?"

"I think I know a way to get rid of the Skrills once and for all. I'm going to need your help."

"But of course, anything I can-"

"I need you to capture a Skrill for me." Lohengrin said calmly, with strict determination on his face. "Alive."

Countdown until the sh!testorm in 3...2...1... ;D

As always, review, criticize, ask! And I'll answer.

Until next time o/