Sorry for the wait! I just got caught up in homework and regular work and life. But here it is! Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Not, I don't own.

What should I do? What can I do? I doubt she'll remember me. They all probably think I'm dead.

Why? Embrald tracked her across the cave as he lay curled up on the stone bed carved out of the wall.

It was years ago. I'm half elf, side effects included. Mellary snapped. Then she yawned widely.

Do yourself a favor, and sleep before you fall over. You can worry tomorrow. Mellary yawned her agreement.

Embrald carefully dropped through hole that the star sapphire had once fill. Mellary hadn't been able to see it, but she had heard the dwarves describing it. It had sounded so beautiful. Even in it's shattered state, with the gleaming red shards all over the floor, seemed to have it's own sense of majesty.

Do you think it could be put back together? She wondered.

I think it would drain whoever tried it. Embrald warned.

Not if that person was careful. Worked slowly. And had help. Come on, lets see if their kitchen can feed a dragon. Embrald gave his growling chuckle.

They didn't run into very many people as they followed Embralds nose down to the kitchen. The people they did see were soldiers, battle worn and too tired to stare at the dragon passing them in the wide halls. Mellary was glad. She didn't have the patience to deal with grateful civilians and wide eyed children.

The cook didn't jump when Embrald poked his head around the door.

"I thought you were blue." He said.

"That's the other one." Mellary leaned against the doorframe. "Got any food for a starving dragon and company?"

The cook shook his head as he handed her bread. "Any more dragons and I won't be able to feed anyone. The meat's around there." He jerked his head toward a door on the far side of the room. The room was small. Embrald had to loop his long tail around his body to fit.

Not too much. You know they can't have much to spare. Mellary warned as she settled down at a table.

Others wandered in as she savored the rough taste and texture of the bread, a luxury she hadn't had in months. Embrald retreated after a while, telling her he was going for a flight.

Mellary sat undisturbed, listening to the talk of the rebels. They left her alone, noting her swords and marking the hard, worn look to her face and eyes.

Mellary was savoring the last scrap pf bread when the conversation in the room suddenly dropped. She looked up, and straight into Arya's black eyes.

Their eyes locked for and instant Then Arya looked away, sweeping through the room and disappearing into the kitchen. Mellary's shoulders, which had been tight with tension, relaxed. She was suddenly very happy she had inherited her fathers common pale green eyes rather than the striking black of her mothers.

Arya wouldn't recognize her. Too many years had gone by, she had changed too much. When she had left Elllesmera, sneaking out in the middle of the night, her hair had been short, the red laced with gold blonde. And she had been soft, untried against the elements. But now nature had stripped all traces for fat from her body long ago. Her skin was scarred and tough. Arya wouldn't recognize her now.

At least, that was what Mellary was telling herself.

And just how long has it been? Embrald asked.

No less than a decade. I lost track a long time ago. Mellary said.

There was someone standing at the bottom of the dragon roost when Mellary walked in. The person had short cut grey hair and was holding a folded roll of leather.

"Hello?" Mellary said cautiously.

"Hello, young miss." The man turned and gave her a pleasant, if absent, smile. "I'm the leatherworker for the Varden, and I'm looking for the Rider. Do you have any idea where I might find him?"

Mellary crossed her arms. "I might. Why do you need to see the Rider?"

"Ajihad asked me to fit the Riders dragon with a saddle. Apparently, he and his dragon have been flying without one"

"Well, I don't know if he and his dragon need a saddle. I haven't seen them fly yet. But she and her dragon would certainly appreciate your efforts." Mellary said, just as Embrald swooped in one of the holes in the cavern wall and landed behind her.

The tanner's eyes widened slightly. "Of course." He recovered swiftly. "Would you like to be fitted for a saddle?" He addressed Embrald directly with a small bow. Embrald's head snapped up at the movement. Mellary started too. Amazement and uncertainty vibrated across the bond between them.

"Please.. Don't. Bow, that is." Mellary stammered.

Do you really need a saddle? Embrald asked skeptically. You hang on pretty well.

And what happens in battle when I'm hanging on for dear life when I need to be fighting? What happens if I fall? Mellary asked. Trust me, it'll help.

"He'd be alright with a saddle." Mellary told the tanner as Embrald nodded his emerald head once.

The tanner looked exceedingly nervous as he began to take Embrald's measurements with a knotted string. Mellary was sitting on a set of steps that wound around the outside of the cavern, watching.

"So how do you know how to make a dragon saddle?" Mellary asked.

"We do have another dragon currently residing here. Also, there are several books on dragon lore in the library." The tanner replied, keeping an eye on the tips of Embralds fangs as her worked.

Mellary could swear the tips of her ears perked up at the word library. "What type of materials do they have in this library?" She asked casually. Embrald raised his eyes to meet hers before he sighed. Mellary rolled her eyes.

"Manuscripts, books, scroll. Many of which are original copies or potentially the only ones that exist today. I'm not certain. I rarely enter."

"Excellent. Where can I find it?" The tanner looked nervous being left alone with her dragon but gave her directions. Soon Mellary was settled at a carved table with a stack of books and a pile of scrolls, lost in a maze of words. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before Embrald's voice pulled her out of the pages of the tome she was reading.

Alright, what are you looking for? He demanded. Mellary set the book down and rubbed her eyes. Everything's so cluttered between those pointy ears of yours that I can't make head or tail of it.

I'm looking for mention of a sorcerer passing through Du Weldenvarden. Mellary closed the tome, an extremely dry record of a clerk at a far outpost of the Riders. Her head was buzzing slightly.

Sounds boring even from this angle. Embrald commented as he picked through everything she had been reading. Want to go flying and try out this new saddle?

Absolutely! Mellary jumped up and wound her way through the halls in record time. Embrald met her on the wall.

The new saddle, a system of ropes and pads, didn't look very promising until the tanner had showed her how to strap into it. The ropes clung to her legs, keeping her firmly in place as Embrald crouched and leapt off the wall, snapping out his wings before the hit the ground. Mellary was pressed into the leather. Embrald pumped his wings, gaining speed as the corner of the sun hit the rim of the crater miles up and light began to fill the area.

Let's test this thing. Embrald growled as he suddenly shot upward, completely vertical into the sun. Mellary was thrown back, but the straps kept her firmly seated on Embrald's back. She leaned back, her arms clenched together behind her back, and laughed as she squinted into the sun coming over Embrald's head. She drew one of her swords as Embrald rolled over and fell toward the ground. The blade left as sparkling path as Mellary slashed at the air.

Embrald was swooping out of the dive inches from the ground when Mellary saw a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye. It came from the entrance to the dragon roost above the city wall. Mellary twisted in the saddle in time to see the sapphire dragon shooting toward them, low to the ground and almost hidden in the gloom of the cavern.

Incoming. Mellary warned Embrald. He flapped once, gaining enough height for the Rider-less dragon to pass under them. Embrald tilted his wings and they turned. The blue dragon turned also, till they were circling. Mellary studied the blue dragon. She was much bigger than Embrald was, and longer. Her muscles were bigger, bulkier compared to Embrald's streamlined shape. There wings were almost the same size.

Embrald jerked, twisting sideways with enough force to throw Mellary from his back if she hadn't been strapped in. They shot away over the barren landscape. The sapphire dragon trumpeted in surprise. Mellary looked back to see her shooting after them.

The wind whipped Mellary's face as Embrald picked up speed. The city lay in front of them, looming closer and closer at an astonishing speed. Mellary twisted around and saw that the sapphire dragon was rapidly falling behind.

Your wings are the same size as hers. Mellary said

Yes.

She's twice as big as you.

Your point?

You have goofy, oversized wings. Mellary said. Embrald growled and rolled over in the air. Mellary laughed as she spun around. That doesn't work anymore, remember?

Her dragon rumble and did a back flip in the air, twisting around and shooting over the head of the blue dragon. She jinked in surprise, her wings missing a beat. Mellary glanced over he shoulder in time to see her try the same move. She managed to pull it off, after almost falling out of the air as she lost all momentum at the top of the upward curve. It wasn't any fault to the other dragon; Embrald had done the same thing many times when he was mastering the trick. He had a flare for aerial acrobatics Mellary didn't even try to understand.

Embrald and the sapphire dragon kept dodging around each other until Mellary's stomach began to feel sick from off the twists and turns. And she didn't wear out easily.

Could you perhaps drop me on the wall before I loose my breakfast? Mellary asked.

Fine. But I'm not stopping. The reply was short and crisp. Mellary worked the straps off her legs and crouched on Embralds back and he soared up next to the wall. When he was only a few feet over the stone she jumped, rolling with his momentum as she hit the stone. Mellary straightened up as the blue dragon flashed by in a blur. She shook her head as they vanished around the curve of the roost.

"Crazy energetic overgrown lizard." She said affectionately, leaning against the stone.

"They are quick, aren't they?" Asked a silky voice next to her. Mellary tensed, the voice digging deep into buried memories and bringing them to light.

"But you would know that, Rider." Arya said.

Dun-Dun-Dunnnnnnnnnnn

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