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Chapter 3: A day of needed breaks and care

Walking over the polished stones of the city of night, the sun beginning to show itself at the horizon, two nightwings and a half try to navigate through the many streets. Despite the older one's determination, such places remain worthy of being suspicious of if less crowded, with guards patrolling around each area as if the queen could not trust her own subjects...

With his wing covering her back, Thoughtful stays inseparable from his lover as they progress in their journey, her obvious nervousness making him all the more protective. But despite the glances many servants of the tribe give to the group, all seems to go well as the leading father reaches the edge of the city.

The earth and grass starting to be felt under his paws, Shadedtail looks back one last time before fully leaving the place. And as he does so, relief can be seen on his followers' faces as they slowly venture just outside of civilization, and outside of the crisis that stroke it…

- "Do you now understand that we all need to take a proper break?" Asks the older nightwing first gazing at his son, before his eyes turn to the snowy companion.

- "I guess… At least it is far better than the city and how crowded it was a few hours before. I mean, there wasn't more dragons, but when everyone is stressed…" Thoughtful replies as his partner reminds him of her presence with a turn of tail, her gaze still a worried one.

- "Again, you will fully thank me later, but our journey is not over yet…"

Unfolding his wings properly, the light of the sun making his shift in stance obvious, the father does not hesitate to soar, followed by his two companions. Now in the air, the trio takes a few minutes to fly over the farming lands and reach an area next to the river. One owned by seemingly no one as trees cover it entirely, adding difficulty to the act of landing.

But being experienced enough in flight like most dragons, Shadedtail uses all the time he needs to slow down in circle, before tightly gripping the top of a tree, its branches and leaves no more than minor annoyances. Turning back, the father watches his followers land on the nearby trees then climb down from them just like he does. His sharp ears getting the sounds of some caribou running away, he feels content enough as the son and his partner catch up to him.

- "A multitude of bright shades out there from stones and iron's children, just what we need to sooth the songs of our spirits." Declares the dragoness of night and snow, her more graceful body relaxing as she rubs the trunk of her mossy tree.

- "Whiteout, almost all your words remain a mystery for me. Maybe, if you painted like my son told me you excel at, I would understand you better…" Mutters the older nightwing as he looks around, the tall trees filling most of his sight while fallen leaves cover the entire soil.

- "So where do you think we should head for?" Asks rather bluntly the last one, his risen paw stopping his partner from wandering in his father's direction.

Hearing the words, Shadedtail does not answer immediately, preferring to maintain his focus on the vivid environment. Starting his gentle march, the pair follows him as he ventures for a few minutes, staying close to the river he does forget to look at… When finally, he voices his thoughts in a serene tone.

- "The river should be enough as a path, we are not really in search of being challenged after all…"

- "No… I suppose you're right father, though I would be lying if I told you I don't regret that mother isn't with us."

But while father and son talk, Whiteout is not one to listen to them until the end despite her attentive ears, taking a few steps toward the river and its soothing sounds. With her eyes gazing upon the landscape, the young dragoness remains slow moving, at peace and at rhythm with the flow of water. And when her mate realizes that, he stops himself takes the time to admire what she found worthy of focus.

Staying silent for a moment, Shadedtail watches over the two with quite a few questions in mind. His eyes sometimes glancing at what they are staring at, he can not say the view they got on the forest and its river is a boring one, nor that what they do is not what he planned. However, the older nightwing can not suppress the feeling there is something he does not see, but…

…

The sun remains somewhat close to the horizon, signifying the morning is not over while more than a few clouds are in the sky. But that's not what matters the most for a small team walking around the mountainous landscape.

Hours have passed during which a wounded one was transported, and despite breaks being taken to suppress the feeling exhaustion, the length of the task is still weighting on all. But in the middle of another step in their journey, as the group continues to follow their own path between the trees, something, or more accurately someone is about to change the threads…

Casting yet another glance at the young dragoness, Drytongue can not help but feel a tinge of pity in the back of her mind. A feeling shared by all the group despite the tiredness that touch their bodies… Yet now is not the time to halt and settle, not before reaching the end of the forest. However, everything changes as wingbeats are heard and leaves fall from above.

Believed at first to be nothing of importance, then the signs of a lone skywing patrolling, everyone is surprised to see black scales moving above them. Slowing down immediately, most look above, between the branches and leaves covering the sky… Until the unknown dragon decides to land on one, and begins to climb down as many anticipated.

Taking their weapons and unfolding them, the group is, however, proven wrong in its approach when the nightwing reaches the soil and its fallen leaves.

- "Who are you?" Asks the oldest sandwing in a clear voice, her expression firm but not hostile as she still holds her spear like the others.

- "A scout, and you, sandwings and skywings walking together in these forests for who knows why? Are you part of an organization, likely The Hidden Pyramid or The Mirror of Sol?" She responds with unrestrained curiosity, unafraid to approach them.

Glancing at each others for a short moment, doubts and suspicious show themselves in the group, the more focused ones thinking about how to act next while two others hold the young nightwing a bit tighter. But silence is broken when Dryspine, after approaching the newcomer in a genuine manner, decides to be honest, his wings remaining low but not too much.

- "Yes we are, from one organization or another. And you, a member of The Fourth Moon organization I presume?"

Seeing the nightwing nods, the rather young sandwing continues while a few including Drytongue come to his side, their interested picked if it was not before.

"So what is the reason of your presence? And why are you alone in these lands specifically?"

- "Like I said I am a scout, and I am alone because my team separated to better watch over the area we were tasked to two days ago."

- "And for what? It does not seem to have anything truly outstanding compared to Agate mountain, or rather what it has become." Replies the older sandwing dragoness, her words startling the newcomer as she puts herself before Dryspine, never missing any clue on the situation.

- "What do you mean by that?"

- "Our group observed that area, and the explicit influence of magic makes it worth watching over already. But what we truly could not ignore was the young and wounded dragoness laying at the crater's center."

More than impressed, the night dragon begins to walk toward the group, her attention drawn to the one of her tribe they are caring for. And seeing her approaching, none stop her though all remain mildly cautious, some still holding their spears even if the sharp end touches the ground.

- "These wounds… Do you know who she is, or who has done that to her?"

- "No, we do not. Are you or your group seeking someone?" Answers a sandwing, her talon holding the battered one in such a way she suffers little while the bandages stay on.

- "Well… We do want to know what happened to Clearsight, the greatest seer of our time, and mate of Darkstalker."

- "Greatest seer and mate of… Nightwing, what is your name?" Replies Drytongue as some of her sandwings begins to wonder about that mentioned dragon, with the nightwing scout hesitating to answer.

- "My name is Silverhorn. But I should go back to warn my group soon enough, talking is delaying my duties." She finally responds before doing a simple step.

- "Your response is appreciated Silverhorn… But are you sure you don't want to tell us something before? Our organizations are not against working a bit more with you after all."

- "No, I don't think I have anything before telling you before leaving, but I may come back with others to help you all. So goodbye servants of the sun and crude secrecy, and may our paths cross again."

Having said that, the nightwing turns her back before climbing on a nearby tree, probably to reach its top and soar. And seeing her doing it, the team watches in silence, before staring at each others for a moment, voicing their thoughts and resuming their journey…

…

It has been more than an hour during which the father, the son and his lover have been in the forest, distant but not too far from the capital of their queendom which should be visible if not for the trees and their rough landscape. Serenely swimming in the river, it is with her smiling partner that Whiteout continues to follow the older nightwing.

- "Your lover seems to be quite in tandem with the river, never tired of swimming… Are you sure she did not come here many times before son?"

- "No, I'm sure of it, Whiteout lived at the other end of the city before I came to met her, and she has not mentioned that place more than any other." Replies Thoughtful as his partner wraps her wing around him, her voice a certain one when she speaks to him.

- "Yes, my guardians did not brought me to such water, but that doesn't mean I can't see it while I sleep!"

- "So you often dream of that river and its surrounding forest?" Asks the young nightwing, startled in a way as the water continues to run around all, gently embracing their scales and the earth.

- "No, I'm sorry to deceive you…"

- "You should not young Whiteout. Though it may be time for us to return home…" Declares Shadedtail as he looks above, spotting that the sun has risen further.

With a last glance exchanged with her lover, the young hybrid begins to head out of the river a tad before the father. Laying their wet paws on the muddy soil now, the father and his pair no longer wander between the trees, having in mind to soar and reach the city they live in…

Taking only a few minutes to join its edge, the trio gets nothing but few suspicious glances from distant guards as they land. Worried but not devoid of will, the oldest one waits not to walk in his house's direction, his voice lower and more annoyed than anything as he speaks.

"Stay close to me just in case, you never know what orders from the queen truly reached their ears…"

- "Words after fear and hisses from a lonely crown seeing the countless claws of mirror and cold approaching, that's what the servants probably got in the end." Replies Whiteout before her partner moves a little closer to her side.

- "Please my dear, don't think too much about that, at least not before we get home and rest as we need to." He says with a caring gaze.

Staring back at Thoughtful, then at the father and his serious gaze, the young dragoness decides to not voice her thoughts as they walk through the streets being even less filled, the sun lighting all of the city. But as she and her companions can see as much if not more of their proud capital, the young hybrid can not help but remain a little worried, aware any dragon could see them from a distance should their view meet no obstacle…

Time passes and despite the doubts that the three dragons have, their journey is truly a peaceful one, with no dragon, armed or not, deciding to approach them… Finally, when the group reaches their house, it is with a sense of relief that the door is open by the father.

- "We doubted more than anything it seems…"

Letting his son and the lover he covers with a wing enter, Shadedtail looks content but decides nonetheless to do one last check. His eyes getting more focused for a moment, the older nightwing can spot in the distance a yellow shape. Blinking, he realizes the dragon, probably a sandwing, heads to the side.

A trader walking among the streets at this hour? How strange…

Looking a moment longer, the father tries to see something more, something that could answer his own thought. But when he realizes Thoughtful and Whiteout are waiting for him, the older dragon looks away from unmoving guards and close the door behind him, feeling more than ready to rest for the day...

…

Feeling tired enough after hours of moving through the skies, the sun giving light to the sea and the lands from its height, a pair has decided to land. With their paws now touching the grassy earth, the two dragons watch over the landscape as the wind blow, before the purple one chooses to look away.

- "We are roughly halfway in our journey… You better settle and rest with me Fathom, you needs it." She says in such a natural tone while she takes off her satchel, her wings falling as she does so.

- "I suppose you're right…"

Far from indifferent to his doubting tone, Indigo hesitates not to come at his side, her paws helping him taking off his load.

- "Still worried about those rainwings from last time?" She asks mundanely before her mate answer, his voice getting erratic.

- "How could I not?! We were literally at their mercy! They could have harmed us, or worse, taken the Scroll from us!"

- "Okay, I understand my dear! But please, breath and calm yourself, worrying over the past won't help you."

Settling down, the young prince looks away from his partner for a moment, his gaze now drawn to some little flowers near him while she curls her tail around... When he crosses her gaze once more, it is in a calmer but serious voice that he expresses his thoughts.

- "How can you feel so… unaffected by the past Indigo? How can you always have that will to go forward and stand despite how close we were to... fail?"

- "I am who I am, and in years you have seen how my will never fade and I stay focused. I have made a promise to you after all." The young dragoness replies, a paw brought to her chest as she tries to looks into his eyes with convictions.

- "Yes, but… I want a better answer mate. I want to understand you fully now that we are together yet… not out of trouble it seems."

Getting his sincere voice hinting at desperation, indigo begins to doubts but quickly extend a wing over his companion, hoping such a feeling will be kept at bay. But when the seawing prince leans into her gesture while keeping his gaze on her, the young dragoness can only reflect on her motivations…

"Do you fear something deep down? Why are you so quick to dismiss my worries?"

- "I… I suppose I love too much to let you fall into despair. If you could see how you looked from the outside, you would see how you were bringing yourself down constantly…"

Hearing such words, the bearer of green scales remains silent, but that does not mean he has nothing to say. Feeling his body moving against her own with these regretful eyes, his lover sees all the more about how he feels.

"That's why I decided to doubt of your words first Fathom, and I still do." Indigo says before hugging her mate, an accepted act that brings his snout close to her ears.

- "So the way I behaved… hurt you?"

- "Well, I suppose it had kind of the same impact on me as it had on Darkstalker's ego."

- "Indigo!"

- "Sorry, sorry… But yes, I- we were worried for you, all the time." The young dragoness finally admits as her partner recoils a bit, her ears no longer feeling vulnerable.

- "That's quite something for you to recognize that of him."

- "Don't get too hopeful, must I remind what he did to me and tried to do with that enchanted goblet?" Indigo replies as she recoils more than a bit, her wing retracting before she realizes it and resume her supportive stance.

- "I… Yes, you're right, but… I just can't help but think he was a good dragon, a good friend that wanted to help… before he lost his soul."

- "Well, now it's me who has a hard time understanding you my matching pearl."

Seeing her prince looking down, rubbing the grass as he thinks, the purple dragoness decides to lay a paw below him. Before speaking again, her voice devoid of its usual wilful tone.

"Now don't get the idea I'm not with you, I can look past that difference and… If you can still see the good he had in him, then it must not be impossible for me to see it as well."

- "Really...?"

Seeing his doubtful gaze reminiscent of a mind bearing the weight of such heavy memories, Indigo shifts in attitude. Taking his talon, she brings it over her neck before adopting a resting stance, one that her lover does not oppose to despite his little surprise.

- "I think you're starting to be really tired, you should rest for our next flight and… the good of your mind."

- "And what about the risk we are taking?" Fathom says while looking around, feeling unsatisfied at the lands they find themselves in, with trees, but mostly bushes and grass to "cover" them and their satchels.

- "I must admit we haven't done much of everything this time, but it shall be alright as this is a break in the middle of nowhere. And beside, my senses are sharp and I still have enough vitality left to act if needed."

Immediately feeling the tickling claws of his mate, the young dragoness being more than quick in her movement to go with her energetic voice, the prince begins to see of her way. With his feelings of worry lessening, a faint smile appears on the green seawing's snout before he takes on a resting stance too. And bringing his body fully against her, it is with less difficulty that Fathom keeps his eyes closed, before falling asleep, all with his lover's warmth and comforting wing...