He sighed and walked over to the water. She was waiting for him. Her tail was curled around her talons. She was unlike any dragon. She had stolen his heart. Her black scales reflected the sun where as his took it in. He slid himself next to her. She looked over. Her green eyes shined into his. She brought all the joy in his life.
"How was the market?" she said to him as he settled down.
"I sold all of the fish and lizards," he replied back. His black eyes scanned the top of the water. "But the camel fur was harder to sell. I ran into a thief as well."
"Hmm. The market is a dangerous place." she said, laying her head down.
He laughed. "I can protect myself, Sightkeeper." He lay his head next to her. "I can protect you."
She looked at him smiling. "We belong here don't we?"
He wrapped his wing around her body. "You belong with me. I belong wherever you are."
She started giggling. "Wow. Did you really just say that?"
"What?" he said innocently. "What's wrong with that?"
She rolled onto her back laughing hard. He smiled at her and stood up shaking sand off his wings. She stopped, breathing hard as he walked to their tent. He stepped inside grabbing a small scroll and putting it in his camel skin bag around his neck. He stepped out watching Sightkeeper dive into the water. Water splashed the sand on the beach. She surfaced and floated at the top. He gathered scrolls, food and cacti for his next trip. She clambered back up the beach as he was about to leave.
"Do you really have to go?" she asked, wanting him to stay.
He nodded. "Yes. I need to go and buy some things."
She looked at him like a young dragonet. "Please."
He sighed giving in to her eyes. "Fine. I can stay for one more night. Then I have to go."
She smiled and ran to give Swerve a hug. She wrapped her wings around him and he hugged her back.
They both sat out in the sand as the sun began to set with their tails twined. When it grew dark they both got up and walked slowly over to the tent.
"Sightkeeper," he spoke softly. "I love you."
She looked at him tiredly and smiled. "I love you too."
As they both walked to the tent the stars glittered about, one moon was full while the others were slight crescents. Sightkeeper planted herself on a pile of camel hides with some pillows as Swerve blew out the candles in the tent. After he finished with the candles he went over to the pile of camel hides and dropped his bag next to it then settled himself next to Sightkeeper.
The sun rose and they were still asleep. Swerve awoke first stretching and keeping quiet as he grabbed his camel hide bag. Sightkeeper let out a small yawn and opened her eyes.
"Hey," he said quietly, walking over to her. "Good morning."
"Hey." she said, yawning. "You're leaving already?"
He looked at the tent entrance. "Yes I'm afraid so."
She let out another yawn. "Ok. I'm gonna miss you."
He smiled. "I'll only be gone a day or two."
She shifted a little in the camel hide bed. "I don't like the idea of you leaving for day's at a time. What if something were to happen to you?"
He sighed knowing she was worried. "I will be ok."
He nudged her and gave her a small hug. He gave her one last goodbye and walked out. The morning sun shone above him as he began to unfold his wings. He stopped hearing wing beats coming from the other direction. He looked over and saw a group of Sandwings. For some reason they were in a protective formation. His mind stopped. Sightkeeper, he thought. If any Sandwing saw Sightkeeper here she would end up dead. He walked over to where the dragons were landing and saw a small yet built dragon. He saw some jewelry on her and around her neck laid The Eye Of Onyx.
"Your majesty." he bowed.
"Oh I'm still getting used to being called that, but it's good to see you Swerve." the queen said back.
He smiled at the queen. "What brings you here?" he asked, trying not to sound worried.
"Well I heard you moved to one of the oases and, sadly as queen I have to do a check on all of them, so I figured I would come and say hello. You were one of my best Outclaws." Queen Thorn said to him.
"Oh. Well I was about to leave actually so maybe we could meet up another time." he tried to get her away.
"Nonsense. Here I'll have one of my guards fetch whatever you need." she waved to her guards.
He looked over to her guards. He remembered them from his time as an Outclaw. He liked being an Outclaw but this was his life now. He was meant to be with Sightkeeper. He wanted to be with her more than anything.
"Your majesty." one of the guards hissed. "A dragon is in the tent."
The queen glared at the tent. His heart raced as thoughts of Sightkeeper being killed. His tail still curled into its coil slightly twitched ready to defend Sightkeeper. He didn't want to kill any of his tribe mates or even injure them, but if they threatened Sightkeeper he would.
The queen looked into his eyes. "Quiver, come with me." she said as she stalked towards the tent her tail ready.
"No-," he was cut off from another guard stopping him in his tracks. Thorn slithered inside and he heard a small screech. He pushed his way past the guards and ran towards the tent. He came in as Thorn was pinning Sightkeeper to the ground with her tail aimed for her heart.
"Please let me go." she squirmed under Thorns talons.
Thorn let out a growl. "Who are you?"
Without thinking he pushed Thorn off Sightkeeper and stood over her protectively as she got up.
"Sightkeeper, are you ok?" he asked worriedly. Her eyes were full of fear and worriedness.
"Why are you protecting her?" Thorn snarled.
Sightkeeper flinched and moved closer to Swerve. Her talons close to his. He put his wing around her protecting her from everything he could. Thorn saw this and lowered her tail, her eyes showing she understood and walked out with Quiver. Sightkeeper collapsed into Swerve and cried. He put his wings around her and lay his head on top of hers. He heard wing beats as they faded into the distance then talon steps as Thorn walked into the tent again. She sat close by watching them.
"I'm sorry." she said, Hanging her head low.
Sightkeeper stopped breathing hard, still engulfed in his wings. His face was full of worry. Sightkeeper sniffed and sat next to Swerve keeping him close. He kept a wing around her.
"This is why I left," Swerve said to Thorn. "Because I love her."
Thorns eyes were full of sadness. Swerve knew she had once found love but he did not know who. Her head was hung low as tears started to appear in her eyes.
"I hope it works for you two," she said, wiping her tears away. "I had fallen in love but it did not go well."
"How can you say that Thorn," he bristled. "You have Sunny."
She looked away towards the tent opening. "Her father left me. He had a good reason but he left me."
Swerve looked at Sightkeeper. She had her eyes on Thorn. I would never leave her, he said to himself. He looked over to Thorn.
"Thorn," he said uniposing. "Who is Sunny's father?"
She sighed. "He was a nightwing."
Sightkeeper gasped. "Who?"
"His name is Stonemover." she said to Sightkeeper. "I'm assuming you know him."
She nodded. "He was our animus." she looked away. "BattleWinner wanted to use him for awful stuff. We all thought he died."
Thorn shook her head. "No. He fell for me." she smiled then her gaze went blank. "We had a fight before I got the news I was in egg. I was going to tell him when he apologized, but he disappeared. He's still alive. I haven't been to see him yet but Sunny has."
His gaze went back to Sightkeeper. Her eyes were sad at Thorns story. He hugged her closer and she gave a small smile. Thorn got up and shook herself.
"I'll leave you two." she said walking out.
Swerve got up and followed her. "Thorn. I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
She shook her head. "I kept Stonemover a secret. You can keep secrets too." she smiled a little. "Keep her close. I'll make sure you stay hidden." she opened her wings and took off. He watched as she turned into a small flying dot then turned to the tent. He walked in as Sightkeeper was cleaning up the carpet. He walked over to her and gave her a hug.
"I think we'll be ok for a couple of days, don't you?" he said to her as she hugged him back.
"You'll stay home? Really?" she asked.
"Yes," he said back to her.
They both relaxed for the rest of the day resting in the tent or in the water. His tail coiled perfectly so no damage was done. He lay sunbathing as she swam in the shallow oasis water. As it grew darker it began to get colder. They walked together to their tent and settled down in the camel hide bed. Sightkeeper shifted closer to him. He wrapped his wing around her. They chatted for a while staring at each other then slept.
A few weeks later
Sightkeeper raced out of the tent to meet him as he landed. He carried a big waterproof sack and dumped it in the oasis. Fish spilled out of it and swam in all directions.
"There." he said, rubbing his talons together.
Sightkeeper looked at the water. "So now we are keeping fish and camels? What else are we Keeping." she joked.
He laughed. "This is all I promise."
She smiled and walked back to the tent. He followed her in and sat himself at the table. She was folding scrolls and putting them on their racks. He looked over to her.
"Are you ok?" he said, noticing she was out of breath. He had been gone only three days, and she had not been sick.
"I think so, I'm just tired,"she said. "I don't sleep well when you're gone."
He knew this and usually when he got back from his trips she would take a short nap.
"Why don't you sleep?" he suggested. "I can take care of everything."
She yawned then nodded. "Yeah I guess so." She fitted herself in the camel hide bed and closed her eyes. Swerve walked outside and tended to the animals and gardens. He picked out the small sandy weeds that grew in the small garden. It was full of different kinds of cacti. Some of them were rarer than others. He grabbed a bucket and watered the camels they had. They were keeping camels for their hide. When they had enough water he grabbed the bucket again and splashed a little on the cacti.
"That's that done," he grumbled. He walked inside the tent staying quiet. He walked over to the unfinished scroll stack and piled them up nicely. He set them in all the small nooks for them.
After about two hours Sightkeeper woke up still tired. She yawned and looked at him. He was sitting at the table scribbling in an empty scroll. He glanced over to her.
"Hey," he said, walking over.
"Hey." she said, still tired. She yawned again.
He came up to her. "Are you sure you're ok?' he asked, worried about her.
She only yawned a reply. He gave her a worried look. He looked her over from talon to tail. All he noticed was that she wasn't as skinny as she had been when they first met. She was so bony and her breath rasped. The volcano had done its worst to the nightwings. She also looked like she had recently eaten.
She got up brushing sand off her talons. "I'm hungry."
He was thinking about how she had just eaten when she said that. His thoughts snapped in half. He looked at her again. Her face was more… shiny? He paused at that. She didn't look sick, only tired.
"Do you want a fish?" he asked.
She thought about it then nodded. "Yeah that would be great."
"Ok I'll go cook it." he said to her as he left the tent.
As he walked out he thought about the possibilities that she was sick. He dipped his head in the water as he caught one of the new fish.
"Aha." he said to himself. "I'll talk to Thorn. She is the only one who knows about us." He blasted the fish the way Sightkeeper liked it.
He walked into the tent finding Sightkeeper at the table with a scroll in her talons.
"Reading one of the new ones?" he asked as he put the scorched fish down.
"It's pretty good." she smiled at him.
He smiled back. "Listen, I have to speak with Queen Thorn. I might not be back for a day."
She looked at him. "But you just got back."
"I know but this is important," he said. "I'll be back in a day."
She looked at him and nodded then started to eat the fish. He gave her one last goodbye and took off. The salty air filled his nose as he rose. They lived by the ocean but they rarely went to the ocean. His wings cut through the wind as he flew towards the Sandwing palace. It was a longer flight than normal. He never really flew to the palace. As it started to be in sight he flew faster hoping to see Thorn sooner. He slowed down as he came to it. The red stained walls loomed as he landed. It had the faintest smell of dragon blood. He waited for a guard to let him in. He disliked being at palaces but this was where Thorn was so he needed to be here. One of the guards let him through and led him to the throne room. He bowed to Thorn as she nodded to the guard.
"What brings you here, Swerve?" she asked.
He looked at the standing guards. "Um, it's kind of private."
She nodded. "Of course. Anya Tarro you may leave us." The guards looked at eachother then nodded and left.
"So what is it?" she asked after they left.
"It's Sightkeeper. I think she may be sick." he said worriedly. "I was wondering if you may know of any illnesses."
She tapped her talon on her chin. "I don't know. I could send a doctor to your oasis but your secret."
He shook his head. "I don't care if our secret gets out, I just want her safe. I would like that though. Just to be safe."
"Follow me." she said as she got up. "We'll check out the doctors here."
He followed her. As they went through the palace he saw dragons everywhere. Dragons were flying from platforms at the openings inside the palace. He walked with Thorn past a torn down tower.
"What was this?" he asked, walking past the pile of rubble.
"That was Burns' weirdling tower." she hissed. "I tore it down as soon as I became queen."
They continued walking to a slightly big building right about in the middle of the palace. Thorn stepped inside and beconded for him. He stepped inside seeing dragons with torn limbs and dragons in small beds. Three dragons were checking on patients and two of them were writing in scrolls. Thorn smiled at the five dragons doing all of the work.
"These are our doctors here in the palace." she pointed her talons at the five. He suddenly recognized a familiar face.
"Quill? Is that you?" he asked the small male dragon.
"Swerve?" the dragon turned around. He dropped his scroll. "Wow it really is you."
Swerve looked at the dragon. He had about five claws missing and half of his Tail was missing including his tail barb. "What happened to you?"
"Oh this." Quill acknowledged his tail. "Well the war was no good for any of us. You were one of the only dragons I knew who didn't have scars."
"Wow. It's good to see you." he said to his old friend.
"Well what can I do for you?" he asked Swerve. "You don't look injured to me."
"Is there anywhere we can speak privately to you?" he asked quietly.
Quill nodded and they followed him to a room in the back. "So what seems to be the problem."
He hesitated for a moment. "It's my friend. She's… Well I don't know but I think she's sick."
Quill looked at him. "Your friend? Does she have a name?"
He looked at Thorn and she nodded to him. He trusted Quill with his life, so why couldn't he trust him with Sightkeeper. "Her name is Sightkeeper."
Quill eyed him suspiciously. "Ok well to figure out if Sightkeeper is sick I would need to see her so can you come over with her?"
Swerve shook his head. "No… No she uh…"
Thorn interrupted him. "As queen I am sending you with Swerve to do a check on Sightkeeper."
Quill nodded and bowed. "Of course your majesty."
Swerve looked at Thorn. He let out a little thanks as she left the room.
"So are we going now?" Quill asked as he grabbed a bag from his table.
Swerve nodded. "Mhm."
They both walked through the hospital avoiding all the tails they could. When they got out they took off in a small take off area. They flew over the wall and Swerve angled himself towards the ocean. They flew for about an hour before the scent of the ocean came to him. Then he saw his home. He was still quite a distance from the oasis but he felt more comfortable out here in the desert.
Quill squinted. "Is that it?"
"Yes," he said to his friend.
As they both approached about to land, Swerve stopped to talk with Quill. "I need you to wait out here for a second."
Quill looked at him. "Why?"
"I need time to tell her something, ok." he said quickly.
Quill nodded allowing him to take a second. He walked over to his tent hopping Sightkeeper was still inside. She was. She was sorting through some more of the new scrolls. She looked up with joy in her eyes. She raced over to him.
"Oof." he said as she ran into his arms.
"Oh I'm so glad you're back." she said, hugging him. She let go. "I found an old Nightwing scroll. It dates back to the time of Darkstalker." she ran over to the table.
"You sound like you're not tired." he smiled.
"Oh no i'm exhausted." she said. "But I want to read this scroll."
"Mhm." he said, trying to avoid the conversation about Quill. "So, don't get mad, I brought a friend."
She looked at him. "Why?"
"It's to help you really, see he's a doctor…" her look made him cut off. Her eyes showed the same worry his did.
She gave him a small nod. "I know. I'm worried too. I don't feel sick but I'm afraid of what would happen if I was. Because of the volcano my immune system Isn't what it used to be."
He looked at her. Her eyes showed she cared for her home but he knew she hated the island. He gave her a small smile.
"Wait here," he told her, walking out of the tent.
Quill was sitting in the sand going over a scroll he had put in his bag. He looked up hearing Swerve. "Are you ready now?" he asked.
Swerve nodded. "Yes, follow me."
Swerve walked into the tent seeing sightkeeper still at the table. It made him happy she enjoyed reading the scrolls he brought her. Quill stepped into the tent and stopped in his tracks, his tail uncoiled as if he had his tail barb was ready to strike.
"Quill, this is Sightkeeper." Swerve said calmly. "Sightkeeper, this is my friend Quill."
Sightkeeper looked at Quill. "Hello." she spoke softly.
Quill spoke back, not meaning to be sharp. "Hello."
Sightkeeper looked at Swerve. He gave her a small nod. He could tell she wanted to say no to this particular dragon. Quill was not the friendliest to other dragons he didn't know. He glanced at Quill. Quill was looking at Sightkeeper and trailing his eyes across her entire body looking for any hidden knives. Swerve resisted a sigh. It was never easy to not look at a new dragon and scan them for any hidden weapons.
He cleared his throat. "Quill here is a doctor. He was a friend of mine when I was an Outclaw."
Quill looked at Swerve, his train of thought broken off. He looked at Sightkeeper. "Yes. Swerve told me you might be sick."
She nodded. "I don't know. I don't feel sick, but I would like to be sure."
Quill looked at her again this time he was looking at her scales and head. He took the bag around his neck off and walked towards her.
Swerve sat next to the table waiting for Quill to finish.
"Say ahh." Quill said to Sightkeeper.
She did as he asked, opening her jaw. Her white teeth gleamed in the candlelight.
"Ok." he said, moving on to her eyes.
Swerve was still sitting patiently as Quill looked over Sightkeeper. He got up and walked over to the scroll rack and grabbed one about the past animus dragons. He read this scroll whenever he had the chance to. He only knew of a few animus dragons that lived now. One or two Seawings, One Sandwing and One Nightwing animus. He looked through it. He also knew of an animus that lived hundreds of years ago. His name was Darkstalker. He was a Nightwing Icewing hybrid animus who had killed many dragons including his own father. Some say that he is still alive and is in a deep slumber awaiting his return. He didn't believe it though.
"Alright." Quill said, stepping back. "I'm finished here."
Swerve got up from his scroll. "Is she ok?" he asked.
"She's completely fine," he said truthfully. "I mean aside from having eggs be in you."
Swerve tilted his head at Sightkeeper then looked at Quill. "What?"
He smiled. "She is going to have dragonets. It's too soon to tell how many eggs but she will."
Swerve looked at her again. "Really? Wow."
She bumped his wing with hers. "I told you I wasn't sick."
He smiled at her. "I was worried, you know this."
"Oh… Ooh." Quill said figuring out the two. "Actually that makes sense."
Swerve wrapped his wing around her slightly. "Yeah. It was soon after the dragonets had chosen Thorn as queen. I found this oasis and we moved here."
Quill smiled at the two. "I wish you would have told me."
"I didn't know who to trust." Swerve said. "I still don't know who to trust."
"Well you can trust me." Quill bowed jokingly. "If you ever need anything you know where to find me."
Sightkeeper smiled at Quill. "Thank you."
Swerve nodded. "Yes thank you."
"It's no problem." he shook his head. "Well if it's ok with you I'm going to head back to the palace."
"Would you like me to come with you?" Swerve asked as Quill was leaving.
Quill smiled then shook his head. "No, stay with her. But if you ever need anything I'll be here in a snap. If you let Queen Thorn know you need me she'll reach me too."
"Quill. Thank you. For everything." Swerve said.
"You too." he said back.
Swerve stayed in the tent with Sightkeeper as Quill took off towards the Sandwing palace. He sat with his wing around her smiling.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes and smiled. "I'm having dragonets."
He hugged her. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be a father."
They sat together for a while. As it started to grow dark he got up and walked over to the table. He looked through the scrolls. He grabbed an empty scroll and scribbled something down. Sightkeeper stood up and walked over to him. She wrapped her tail around his.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm writing a list of some things we'll need soon." he smiled at her.
She sighed happily and walked over to the camel hide bed. She sat herself among the camel hides. He continued to write a small list then walked over to Sightkeeper. Her eyes looked tired but happy. He couldn't believe it. Of all dragons in Pyrrhia they were having a family. He looked out the tent opening. Wind slightly stirred the sand outside. He looked at her. She had started to doze off against his scales. He curled his body against hers and lay his head down next to hers and closed his eyes.
About 10 months later
Swerve landed at the oasis with Quill. They were talking about the way dragons use attack patterns.
"Well I suppose the Skywings could use their fire but they like to use their claws." Quill said while landing.
"Yes but they have more combat skills because of this. Using their fire would be more efficient, yes, but using their claws has been their tacktick for hundreds of years." Swerve argued. They walked into the tent finding Sightkeeper curled in the bed. As they came closer Swerve could see the three outlining ovals one black as night the other two like onyx dusted with sand. She had her wing over them so he could only see the sides of the eggs. Her face lit up when she saw them enter the tent.
"How have you been?" Sightkeeper asked Quill as he came up.
"Good," he replied. "Now that the war is over I don't have that many patients. When I do it's dragons who get injured during training or dragonets playing around and dragons who are sick."
"Well that's nice." she replied.
"So how are we today?" he said, sidelining over.
"I think we are doing good." she said, raising her wing to show three eggs.
Quill looked at the eggs making sure there were no cracks along the smooth surface. "Everything looks ok. They look healthy."
"Yeah we've kept them warm like you told us to." Swerve said. He was sitting next to her, his tail curled around his back talons. He looked at Sightkeeper. She looked tired and hungry but she didn't say anything. Her scales looked a little roughed up but nothing would stop her from protecting these eggs. He always loved how she was so protective.
"They should be hatching soon." Quill said standing up.
"Really?" Sightkeeper asked. She looked at the eggs. "Soon we'll have three little dragonets."
Swerve got up on his talons and walked over to Sightkeeper. He twined his tail around hers and smiled. "I can't wait."
"Well I ought to be going. I have a patient back in the palace who is expecting me soon." Quill said dipping his head.
"See you around." Swerve said to Quill before he left.