A Little Temper Tantrum

[banditfly2]

The forest was still and quiet. The trees stood tall and proud, casting dark shadows within the thick foliage despite the young morning shining so brightly up above. Creatures that called this forest their home were just waking up and starting their long and hopefully uneventful day. A squirrel was just emerging from its nest within a tree trunk, stretching and relaxing in the cool shade. It had no idea that two pale green eyes were staring at its every move with the utmost concentration.

A large figure that seemed rather out of place within this soft and beautiful forest was crouched as low as she could possibly make herself from within the undergrowth. The cluttered leaves were not quite tall enough to cover her entire body and an obvious lump of dark gray that was her back poked out into the open. Ever so carefully, her eyes wide but her pupils as slit as a blade of grass, she moved a large paw forward. From up above, her back slithered a foot forward and froze just as the squirrel atop a tree branch just ahead glanced her way. It stared suspiciously, sniffing, and then returned to grooming its ears.

She took another quick step ahead, this time proceeding three feet closer to her target and stopping just under the branch. The squirrel looked up again and stared longer this time. With an inquiring chatter, it lifted its head high to get a better breath. As it was doing so, the large predator rose up and broke her head out of the surface of the undergrowth. Having not noticed her yet directly beneath it, the squirrel was still scanning the surrounding trees and skies above, looking for a different kind of predator. Excitement pounded in the large beast’s chest as she curved her back into an arch and braced herself. Then, with a ferocious roar that sent the entire forest fleeing for cover, she pounced.

The initial roar probably wasn’t a good idea, as it was just enough of a warning to allow the squirrel’s lightning fast reflexes to kick in and launching itself off the branch just as the dragon’s jaws smashed down. Small but incredibly sharp teeth pierced into the branch with immense power. Not yet aware that her prey had escaped, the young Night Fury shook the branch until it broke from the tree. With the long stick on her mouth, she slumped to her feet and prepared to drop the branch onto the ground where she expected to find a delicious squirrel. However, just before she could do that, she heard a chattering that made her look up so fast she accidentally whipped herself in the face with the stick. On another branch just a few trees away was the same exact squirrel she thought was currently between her top jaw and the branch in her mouth.

Bewildered, she spat out the branch and stared at it. To her dismay, there was indeed no squirrel carcass anywhere on it. As though in denial, she lifted the branch again and looked under it. Nope; still no squirrel. As though laughing at her failure, the squirrel gave three individual chirps before dashing away through the branches. Frustration surged through the gray Night Fury as she watched her food mock her and leave. With a gurgled roar, she started jumping around in circles with the branch still in her mouth. She deliberately smashed it against every tree she came by until the stick was nothing but a little stub inside her mouth. She spat that out into the shadows and slammed her rump to the ground with a furious huff. There she sat with furrowed brows, pouting at nothing and breathing heavily as though she’d just run a marathon.

[ABYSS]

The air was calm and peaceful. There were hardly any birds around, and no bugs. He was the only one in the air, gliding as though he owned the skies with nothing to fear. His great black wings were spread out to their fullest extent, carrying his body in a peaceful manner, with as little disruption to the air around him as possible. He had a day to his own, today, because Asther was not feeling well. She had taken off his flying harness and told him to have some fun...explore a bit. He knew that the only reason she would do that is if she trusted him enough to return. Sure, at one point in their relationship, he would have preferred to remain free given the option, but now, there was no way he would leave her.

A sound in the forest caught his attention. A roar. He felt his body stiffen with alertness at the sound. The roar...it sounded similar to that of his species. He knew every dragon had a different roar, but the sound had been muffled by the distance and greenery surrounding its origin. He began a left-banking circle once he was over the east side of the forest. He cocked his head in the direction of what he thought was the origin, keeping a blue-ish eye fixed on the area. Seconds later, though, he heard a great rukus a bit further than where he was looking. He pulled out of his bank and began a well-angled dive to get lower and closer to the tree tops when he spotted something.

A dark gray figure, crashing through some of the branches caught his attention. It was large enough to be a dragon. Curiosity overcoming him, he dove to just above the tree tops to watch it in amusement until it plopped down and sat. He could hear the breaths taken as though a strenuous activity had just been finished. Before giving it the chance to spot him, he darted off, the speed of his acceleration leaving a clear sound in the air. When he was about twenty feet away, he dropped beneath the tree tops and landed, folding his wings in a manner that kept them ready for vertical takeoff in a seconds notice. He cautiously walked through the undergrowth until he came to the other dragon. Was it...a Night Fury? The build, physical characteristics, and scale shape was the same...but the color was off.

Deciding against initial hostility, he let a small rumble course through his body as he spoke "...Hello. I couldnt help but overhear your ruckus..." Sure, he had a small sense of humor about him, but, it wasnt much. Normally, when having a verbal exchange with another dragon, he was blunt and straight-to-the-point.



[[OOC: 1) Yuck, that was short. 2) Note, that since dragons have their own language, I figured they communicate through sounds and gestures like animals do XD]]

[banditfly2]

The gray Night Fury nearly flipped head over heals at the voice, having never heard him coming. She gave a little cough of alarm and spun around, causing leaves and sticks to go flying as her feet whipped about. Instinctively, she arched her back with her head low, swaying back and forth ever so slightly in defensiveness. The two ear flaps on her head perked up suddenly, as did the rest of her body, when she actually saw who was there. Her body posture changed completely after that, as she stood up straight, completely at ease.

"Hi!" The young nameless dragon chirped. Her tail wiggled behind her in excitement. She just loved other dragons. Whenever seeing one, her mind always concluded that it meant fun was going to happen. She had to resist simply jumping right on top of the other dragon and reminded herself that she was no longer as small as she used to be. As a youngster, pouncing on other baby dragons was perfectly normal, as that was all they saw in each other--play things. Bigger dragons were just a bit more complex than that.

She sat down, trying to calm herself, but it was useless as she was suddenly on her feet again. "Hey, you're a Night Fury like me!" She suddenly yowled, flashing her teeth in surprise. Her eyes scanned his body up and down. She cocked her head, confused. "But you're all dirty..." She purred quietly. His dark body bewildered her and she assumed, in the shadows of the forest, that it was mud. The gray Night Fury brightened again, lifting a paw as a friendly gesture.

"Hey! Were you just playing in the mud? Can I join you? I love playing in the mud!" She howled, bouncing a little in giddiness. She was so happy he had shown up that she completely forgot about her mishap with the squirrel or that she was hungry.

[ABYSS]

Puff sat down quietly, bringing his tail around his front feet, neatly folding it over his claws and twitching the end lightly. He was sort of amused by the nameless dragon's initial demeanor presented towards him. Judging by the reaction and her voice, the nameless dragon before him was female. She didnt give him the impression that she was any sort of danger towards him. His ear flaps perked up slightly as she got to her feet suddenly, the abrupt motion capturing his attention more than anything else. She seemed...antsy. Twitchy, even. She must be young... he thought. He hadnt seen another dragon as...hyper, for lack of a better word, as her, for a while.

She seemed to eye him for a minute before speaking. It was more of an exclamation, actually. She identified him as a Night Fury...like her. So I was correct... he thought. She was indeed a Night Fury, despite her strange coloration. He was snapped out of his thoughts about how this was possible, or where she might be from that would alter her coloration when she commented on his. Dirty? Puff thought, slightly affronted at the thought, letting his green-blue eyes self-consciously drift over his ebony scales before going back to her. He kept his expression controlled though, until she mentioned mud. His expression lapsed from more of a stoic one into a confused one.

"Mud?" he asked, still confused. It took him a few seconds to register, and then she helped clarify by asking if she could join him playing in the mud. What is she talking about? First, he was confused about her being a Night Fury, yet a totally different color, but now she was calling him dirty, and asking if she could join him in playing in the mud. "I...have not played in any mud recently. My scales are naturally this color..." he stated it carefully, giving her a small unsure look. She was young...that was obvious. Just how young, he didnt know. It was normal for young Night Furies to play wrestle each other to try to come out as a victor, to prove themselves dominant and stronger than other Night Furies their age.

If she tried that, he wouldnt be completely affronted. He would simply pin her and warn her not to try it again. He was longer than her, taller than her, he had more muscle, a deeper chest, stronger neck, larger wings. In general, he was bigger than her. Not just because of his age, but because he was male as well. However, it wasnt as though he were just asking to be pounced upon. Given the choice, he would prefer not to...but then again, anything should be expected, right?

[banditfly2]

The nameless Night Fury frowned, a little disappointed. She was really in the mood to roll around in mud right now. She just loved the way it felt around her scales and made her feel so relaxed for some reason; as though all her troubles were also coated in wet dirt and out of sight--out of mind. Then, after it had dried, she would roll around in the leaves to peal it off her scales. Sometimes she would take a dip in the shallow part of a lake, but she preferred not to. Thinking about mud and the fun she wasn't going to be having in it made her overlook the second part of the other Night Fury's remark.

Without thinking about it, she kind of mimicked Puff's posture, sitting down with her tail over her claws. She tried to think of another game they could play as she stared at the stranger. She tilted her head one way as she considered wrestling with him. He was so big, though. Unless he held back, she had no chance of winning--and she hated being given a handicap. Her head tilted the other way as she considered hide and go seek. Oh, but he still had the upper hand. How would she ever find him in this shadowy forest with those dark scales? As for her, if ever she were to walk into a ray of sunlight breaking through the treetops, it would reflect off her silver scales like fire. She needed a game they could play that would be fair and the chances of winning would be equal for both of them.

Hey, I know!

Without warning, the young Night Fury suddenly leaped forward. She landed just in front of Puff and tapped him lightly with a claw. "Tag, you're it!" She laughed as she spun around and unfurled her wings. After just a second of positioning herself and gathering her bearings, she jumped up and burst through the trees out of the forest and into the sky. Without bothering to see if the black Night Fury would even follow, she flew off at top speed over the trees, wiggling her paws beneath her excitedly.

[ABYSS]

The unfamiliar dragon was silent for a short while, as though she was pondering what he had just said. Her face even dropped a bit into what he assumed was close to a frown. Her silence carried on for a fair few seconds, maybe even one minute. However, the silence and calm that had settled so peacefully in the air around them was disrupted when she moved. A second after she moved and sat, he realized that he was practically looking in a mirror of his posture. He flicked his tail ever so slightly, raising the webbed end about one foot off the ground before dropping it. He was rather amused. She was wild...probably....and he was tame. Seeing her mirror is posture sent an unfamiliar amusement through him. It was only unfamiliar because he had not felt it in ages...it had been a good number of years.

As she sat, she moved her head slightly up and down, and seemed to move it a bit to hold it at different angles. She's sizing me up... he thought, once again amused. He had a feeling he was correct about her. She probably wanted to play some sort of game. However, taking this time to size him up showed she was not as rash as other Night Furies. He had known some that would blindly charge in to do something, be it to fight or play, and would end up loosing because they hadnt observed the situation and stopped to think what to do. In truth, he found it a bit disappointing that a Night Fury would do such a thing, but then again....not every dragon was the same, right?

He was pulled out of his thoughts with the slightest movement. He saw her shudder with a small movement before she spontaneously leapt towards him. He didnt flinch away, just pulled his head back somewhat so he could watch her as she moved. She came right up close to him and held a paw forward, her claws extended as she lightly brushed it against him.

Tag, youre it!

She let out a sound that was comparable to laughter, spun around before taking a few seconds to unfurl her wings and take to the sky. It took Puff a few seconds to register what had just happened. A game of tag, huh? he thought. An amused expression was beginning to make its way over his face as everything set in. Hardly hesitating one second, he decided to test what he had been working on with Asther. A vertical takeoff. Relaxing his body for not even half a second, he opened his large wingspan before giving a small jump and snapping his tail close to the ground to orient his body for flight. It was a bit awkward, but he burst through the treetops with a bit of a roar.

The roar was for his success at a vertical take off, and at the idea of having a little game. He hadnt played in a long while. This could actually be...fun. Scanning his surroundings for a mere second, he saw her flying away across the trees, her scales sparkling like a bit of a silver fire. Giving a growl, he propelled himself forward at top speed. He pumped his large wings to gain ground before gliding to catch up. He figured that he would be able to catch up to her within seconds and tag her back. Once he did, he would barrel-roll in a corkscrew-flip backwards and speed off in the right adjacent direction.

This..might actually be fun...

[banditfly2]

Though she was trying to concentrate on flying away as fast as possible, she couldn't stop herself from daring a quick glance over her shoulder at the roar. She saw the other Night Fury burst out of the trees like a rocket and was amazed. She stared, eyes wide and mouth agape, even as she was still flying away. The only thing that snapped her out of her stupor was seeing his dark form advancing on her at a great rate. With a tiny yelp of surprise, she looked forward again and batted her wings furiously to ascend a bit. She had hardly thought a plan all the way through before she felt a claw tap her scales.

She looked back so fast she almost lost her balance and trying to turn around as such proved rather difficult. Finally, after a few seconds of clumsy wiggling of the wings and waving of her limps, she regain her equilibrium and flew after her playmate. She gave a bark of laughter as she sped forward to try and catch him. He, however, was easily much faster than her, especially given his wider wingspan and she soon realized she wasn't catching up at all. She had to pout a little at that. This wasn't quite as fair a game as she had hoped. But her ears perked up as she thought of an idea and a mischievous smile made its way to her wide mouth.

She hadn't tried this too many times and it was hard to make herself go in a straight line. Angling her tail just below her as steady as she could manage, she flew up. It wasn't perfectly vertical or impressive, especially when compared to Puff's performance, but she was doing it. Beating her wings she ascended to the sky and, when she felt she had gone high enough, steadied herself to fly straight again. She could feel the sun beating hotly against her back and the rays of light sparkling blindly off her scales. Below and ahead of her she could see Puff's dark figure flying over the treetops and casting an even darker shadow underneath him.

She couldn't stop the sudden twinge of uncertainty at the sight. Somehow a black Night Fury just looked so much more threatening and intimidating than lighter one such as her. Her entire family had been lighter shades of gray and never before had one member ever been even close to entirely black. Still, she had talked to this dragon and, as far as she saw it, he was her friend now. Friends didn't do bad things to each other.

With a spontaneous roar, she suddenly dove down toward the black dragon. Her speed increased at an incredible rate as she descended and, her mind focused on one thing only, she reached out a claw to touch a part of the endless darkness that enshrouded Puff's entire being. She had absolutely no thought of stopping herself once this was or wasn't accomplished. If she did touch him, she would crash into the trees. If she didn't touch him, she would still crash into the trees. Her entire plan was doomed to end with a mouth full of leaves.

[ABYSS]

Puff's lips curled in what could be called a toothy grin as he saw her expression while he flew towards her. He felt the wind beneath his pumping wings as he propelled himself forward. The air on his face ran through his scales as though they were little barriers set up that the wind had to pass through. He blinked a small yelp met his ears from the nameless dragon. She was startled by his advancing. He took a moment to humor her, simply thinking In the future, be sure to know what you're up against. Though youre rather bold, which is not always a bad thing. Seconds later he was hovering just above her, and he lowered one of his right paws and a talon dragged gently across her scales, sigifying that it was her turn to give chase again. Following through with his initial plan of action, he lifted the talon from her back and corkscrewed to the right, perpendiccular to their original line of flight and he performed a barrel-roll to get himself righted again after the corkscrew.

He didnt need to look back to tell she was coming after him. He heard the flapping of her wings in the air as she changed direction to pursue him rapidly as possible. A sound escaped from her that sounded comparable to that of a bark. She was amused. Amused enough to laugh, even. A small, short, gruff-sounding snort escaped his nostrils, accompanied by a puff of smoke. He glanced back behind him after a few seconds, in time to see her ears perk up and a peculiar light enter her eyes. It was a light he hadnt seen for a while in any dragon, and especially not a light in himself. The closest he came was when he had an idea that could somehow help himself or Asther improve their bond. Though he was curious, he slowed his wingbeats and glided, just waiting to hear any notation of her accelerating to gain ground...or...air on him.

He was still for a while, his wings catching the air and keeping him aloft...gliding at a relatively easy speed. He let his green-blue gaze sweep over the land and across the tree tops as he flew. A feeling to be like this was unavailable to be described by words. He had been free once, and at times he missed it, but in place of it, he'd gained Asther...a friend, a companion, and somebody that trusted him with their life. He couldnt replace her with his freedom, even if he longed for it at times. He was satisfied just with the fact that she trusted him enough to let him fly like this, without her, and without a harness. Then a thought struck him I wonder if this dragon is companions with a human as well, and where she comes from... he asked himself.

Gliding easily, he also reflected on the strange coloration of her scales. It was peculiar, and he had never seen something like it. And to further things, she thought he'd been rolling in the mud. There are more her color where she comes from? he thought curiously. That was something he would perhaps ask her later, in addition to something about a human companion. He was snapped out of his query of thoughts with a roar that resounded through the skies. Tilting his head at a slight angle so his left eye could gaze into the sky, he saw her figure plumeting towards him at an awesome speed given the downwards angle. So she went into the clouds... he thought. She was smart if she was at a disadvantage, which she was.

Her shadow cast over him like a cloud had moved in front of the sun and cast its shadow on him before it touched the earth. She sped downward and he felt a claw gently drag across his scales. He skirted out of the way as soon as she touched him. She'd been plumeting towards him as though she'd forgotten how to flap her wings. She was going to end up in the trees, he figured. She didnt appear to have attempted to halt her free-falling. A crash met his ears that was filled with breaking bark and rustling leaves. Spinning around, he hovered for a minute before lowering himself to a nearby branch and sitting on it, the top of the tree bending beneath his weight.

He couldnt help but let out a rumble of laughter and a puff of smoke from his nostrils as he asked her "Are you alright? You're supposed to stop before you hit the trees, you know...."

[banditfly2]

With a mix of confused and irritable growls, the gray Night Fury wiggled and thrashed about within the tangle of branches. Their pointy ends pinched her wings in a way most uncomfortable and became painful as she tried to escape their grasp. Finally she stopped with a heavy sigh, staring down at the earth just ten feet below her. How in the world had she ended up in this position--hanging almost vertical over the ground, her weight bared by the trees' protective arms, as though forbidding her entrance back into the forest? Her initial feeling of irritation immediately melted into hot humiliation at the sound of the other dragon's growling chuckle.

"I know, I know, I know, I know, I know!" She snapped rapidly in frustration, beginning once more to struggled against the relentless branches. "Stupid trees!" How dare they make such a fool of her in front of her new playmate. This was all their fault! She felt a heat built up in her throat and an unmistakable rising shriek filled the air. A blue light flooded out of her wide mouth before shooting out of her throat five times. The shots were remarkably small compared to a normal Night Fury's and that was why she was allowed five shots at a time. They stabbed into the a tree in front of her, unable to break the bark singly but eventually eating it away the more it was struck. By the time she was done, there was a round, steaming indent in the trunk that more than half its width deep. However, it still held strong and the gray Night Fury gave another angry huff.

She couldn't quite see Puff from her position, but she suddenly remembered his presence. "Um... this doesn't usually happen--I swear!" She moaned, trying to retain at least an ounce of her dignity. She stared at the ground with dejection, then suddenly became a little cheerful, trying to look up again. "Did I tag you?"

Almost the instant she finished the question, there was a loud snap and the tree she had fired at finally gave way. She felt the branches twisted and push against her scales as the trees fell toward her and thrashed her paws around wildly to escape its heavy descended. As though recoiling in fear, the branches snapped and released her. Flapping her wings crazily as the ground rapidly approached her face, she managed to dodge the tree as it crashed onto the earth with a deep thud. She covered her face and crouched in the ground as twigs flew all about everywhere like shrapnel.

Finally, when everything settled and a silence once again overcame the forest, she lifted her head and opened her eyes. The tree had landed flat on the ground about six feet behind her. After expelling a quick sigh of relief, she suddenly stood up and puffed out her chest proudly. "See? No problem! I had it under control the whole ti--oof!" She had begun walking forward as she spoke with confidence and suddenly felt a tug behind her. Dismayed, she spun around to see that the end half of her tail was trapped beneath the fallen tree. "Oh no!" She shrieked, jumping about awkwardly as she tried to force her tail free. Her tail wasn't budging a inch, however, and she finally dropped to her side with a childish pout. "Stupid trees..."

[ABYSS]

Puff swayed slightly on his branch at the top of the tree slightly as he watchd her thrash against the branches she had so ungracefully collided with. After a short time, she stilled and gave a sigh. He couldnt help but give more chuffs of laughter at her positioning. She was almost vertical and the tree eventually stilled, the branches holding her from getting back to the earth once again. His laughter was cut a bit short by her frustrated response. Though it had been snappish, and normally he would have lost all amusement at that point, he couldnt help but keep a somewhat toothy grin on his face. She struggled again and the air was soon split by a sound that any Night Fury would know. She was preparing her flames. He looked down in interest, leaning forward and having the tree creak beneath his weight as he did. Would this strangely colored Night Fury have strangely colored fire?

Seconds later, his question was answered. Though it was not a different color, the shots were larger in quantity, but smaller in size. Interesting... he thought, making a bit of a note in the back of his mind. Curiously, he looked at the tree to see the damage. It was unwavering, and he could guess her reaction...another thing soon answered, correctly this time...a frustrated huff. A slightly amused look replaced the grin on his face when the air was broken once again with her voice. She tried to make a bit of an excuse to the antics that happened. He didnt care if it had been on accident or on purpose, or if it happened normally or not...it was simply amusing, and she was okay, so that was all that really mattered to him.

Opening his mouth to answer, he was cut off by a loud snapping. The tree finally seemed to quail from the fire that she had assaulted it with. In a flurry of branches, wings, scales, and feet, she and the tree that was restraining her pummeled to the ground. His ear flaps perked up in mild concerned. He soon saw that the tree managed to fall beside her, but she was still protecing herself as the twigs and branches showered her back and the ground around her, pelting her like raindrops on a leaf. The echoing thud finally subsited and he relaxed slightly. He couldnt even help but give a bit of a grin when she sat up and tried to act as though nothing had happened.

At an exclaimation from her, he looked down to what was happening. She couldnt seem to walk forward, and Puff soon saw why. Her tail was trapped beneath the fallen tree. A worried look crossed Puff's face and the expression even reached his blue-green eyes. He heard a slightly dejected murmur from her, and he jumped off his treetop, unfolding his wings a few feet from the ground to catch the air and let him land more gracefully beside her so he didnt cause any forest distrubance himself.

Pacing over to her, he tilted his head downwards to look at her, before going over to the tree and placing his forepaws on it, his large claws digging into the bark. Looking back at her before he did anything, he asked "Are you alright?" It was a simple question that had come from impulse, but it was now followed up with a point of humor and then help. "And for the record, you did tag me...just before the tree crashed into you. And also, if you lay still, I could probably push this tree...or log...off of your tail. I'd just need you to lie still..." Without truly waiting for an answer on the latter part of his comment, he pushed his weight against the tree. He heard bark snap and the wood groan with his weight, but it was slowly but surely rolling off the end of her tail.

[banditfly2]

The nameless Night Fury was scratching at the ground miserably, still lying on her side, before Puff jumped down beside her. She quickly stood up, a twinge of fear on her face as he examined the tree over her tail. "I'm fine, but... What if I can't get out? What if I'm stuck here? What if I'm trapped to just lie here like a vegetable and you'll have to bring food to me everyday?!" She stopped and cocked her head slightly, looking ahead of herself and barely hearing the other dragon's words over her own. "Hey, that might be kinda fu--owww!" She lowered her head and looked back quickly as the tree was rolled slowly across the tip of her tail. She crouched down with a wince, anticipating for it to hurt more. It didn't, though, and soon she was able to pluck her tail free from the tree's relentless grip.

Happily she jumped up, but then suddenly cringed. "Ow, ow, owwww!" She curled her body as her tail swiveled to her face so she could look at the damage. There really wasn't any to be seen. It was just very sore and felt stiff. It hurt to flex the flaps at the end, so she didn't. "Oooo! I can't fly with this!" She growled angrily. She then looked at Puff with a smile, suddenly chipper. "I guess you'll have to bring me food everyday anyway," she joked. Surely the tail would heal entirely in less than a whole day, but it wasn't uncharacteristic of her to over-exaggerate. Plus, this was a good excuse to get the other dragon to visit her everyday. She had had more fun with him today than she had since she arrived on this island.

Her tail forgotten, she slowly walked toward the black dragon with a look of interest. "Where do you live, anyway?" Being as she assumed he lived in this forest as she did, she looked to the side and pointed with her claw. "I like to stay in that big hole a bit over there. It's, like, huge! And no one else goes in there. There's no food, though, so I have to fly out to hunt and--Oh no! Now I can't go in there or I'll be stuck with my tail like this!" Her calm explanation ended on a loud note as she examined her tail again. She then paused, staring at nothing in thought, before looking at Puff with another smile. "Speaking of which, I'm starving!" She just remembered the tiny meal she had missed earlier that day. Flying around had distracted her from her hunger, but now it was almost painful.

The game forgotten, she sat down with her head tilted. "What do you like to eat? I like fish, but I hate getting wet! So I usually catch birds and rodents." There was no embarrassment in her voice as she spoke and she even seemed to take pride in the confession. "I'm pretty good at it, too. I know where every mouse burrow and bird nest is in this forest!" She gloated, a paw to her chest proudly. Finally she fell silent, looking at Puff expectantly and giving him a beat to speak after her endless chatter.

[ABYSS]

Though Puff didnt actually ignore her comments before he began rolling the log off of the Nameless Night Fury's tail, he gave a small smirk, grateful that she couldnt see his expression. She seemed to be giving a bit of an over-reaction, fretting about being stuck with a tree on her tail for a while, having him bring her food. He gave a small eye roll as the log rolled off. He heard an exclaimation of pain escape her jaws, and he gave his head a small tilt backwards to look at her out of the corner of his eye as he lowered his forepaws off of the ground and turned towards her in time to see her leap up. She complained loudly about the pain coming from her tail, and twisted her body to look at it. A low growl escaped her. Tilting his head to the side, Puff almost opened his mouth to say something before she spoke again, her mood a direct contrast to the growl he heard seconds earlier.

Bring her food everyday? Puff thought silently. Though he wasnt particularly against helping an injured dragon out, he was more concerned how he would even go about doing something like that. Asther probably wouldnt see anything wrong with it, but it would require more time and resources, possibly, than they were alloted. Before he could finish his thoughts to respond, he was snapped out of his moment of thinking by a movement from her end. She slowly approached him, her eyes alight with curiousity. He sat back on the ground, curling his tail up and laying it neatly over his long claws from habit. Folding his wings, the tips of them propped out on the ground a little, and he bent his head down to watch her as she moved around him. She asked where he lived.

Thats bizzare... he thought normally, he would expect another dragon to proudly announce their human comrade's name before asking simply where one lived. He knew there were other populations of humans scattered around, but she didnt seem to indicate any. Blinking, he noticed she was pointing with a claw, and he turned his head to look. She lives here? he thought, a bit taken aback. Then again, she hadnt provided him with any name, which suggested she was unnamed. That, and the indication of where she lived suggested she was wild. Blinking, Puff couldnt help but let a bit of a small smile creep over his face to return hers. However, not for the reason of humor that she aimed for. He wasnt normally the nostalgic type, but meeting a wild dragon that didnt seem to be entirely aggressive about their territory took him back a bit to when he, too, roamed free. But that was before I discovered what it would be like to live with a comrade....Asther is...worth that freedom... he reminded himself.

He watched her move a bit more, and let a bit of an amused expression move in as she admitted she hated getting wet. He wasnt a fan of it himself, but he would tolerate it from time to time, or if it were necessary. The corner of his lip pulled upward, revealing a tooth or two as his grin widened. Her small gloat was acceptable. He would have once bounded around saying what he could do, what he could catch, and what he'd done for the day when he was younger, himself. He twitched his tail in slight amusement as her chatter finally quelled. Needless to say she was amusing, he let that thought pass through his head fully before he spoke.

"Where do I live? I live in the Village not far from here...with my comrade Asther. I dont live out here anymore." He used here in the most general sense possible, not specifically in the forest. "I used to live closer to the mountain range, but not anymore. I dont..quite miss it either." That much was true. It got a bit lonely sometimes, but he couldnt say that and then be unhappy with unwanted company. "As for what I eat, I like fish, but I generally eat sheep, too. If im out on my own like I am today, I'll catch some rodents, or maybe a larger mammal..."

He let a somewhat amused flash flick through his blue-green eyes before continuing. "And although you might not be able to fly very well like that, I'm sure you can still stalk and pounce to capture prey." It was true. He'd once been injured after a mock combat practice with some of the fellow villagers and their dragons, and he had wanted time alone. He wasnt able to fly for the time, so he'd practiced his stalking skills. It had also given him a bit of insight into how some of the few, flightless dragons survived.

[banditfly2]

The nameless dragon perched herself on the ground soon after the other Night Fury had, copying his neat position as though it were a game. This dragon was obviously bigger and older than her and she sort of found herself looking up to him. She hadn’t been around another Night Fury for quite some time and being in Puff’s presence reminded her of her family and the way she used to try to be as tough and brave as all her older siblings. She was restless by nature, however, and could not bear to keep her tail lying flat over her claws without twitching it rhythmically.

The gray dragon’s reaction to Puff’s words was gradual. At first she cocked her head, confused. What was a “village?” She smiled at the word “comrade,” naturally associating it with another dragon partner. Maybe she could meet this “comrade” later. The more dragons the better! His remark that he didn’t live “out here” anymore made her wonder. Perhaps this “village” was a more suitable place to live for dragons like her and Puff. She wondered if there were more Night Furies there. Maybe she could join a colony of dragons like she had with her family!

The twitching of her tail sped up and she leaned forward with interest as Puff continued. She nodded understandably to his saying that he didn’t miss living on the mountain. Sure; why not. Perhaps there weren’t many dragons up there. It must have been lonely. The thought only further increased the young dragon’s fascination of this so called “village.” His mention of “sheep” made her cocked her head again. She had never heard of such a thing. But if her new friend liked it, surely it must taste good!

The last thing he said caused her to lean back and frown, her tail suddenly still. “Oh…” She responded quietly. Was he trying to tell her he didn’t want to see her again? She knew very well that she could catch just about any animal in the forest without the use of her wings. The suggestion was really just an excuse to see him again. He was the only Night Fury she had met since coming here, so naturally he must not have lived close by. What if after he went back home, they never saw each other again? Then she would be lonely and bored all by herself all over again…

“I know!” At first the nameless Night Fury seemed to be physically weighed down by her own depressing thought, visibly lowering her head after Puff had finished speaking. But then, out of nowhere, she perked up again. “Why don’t I go to your home? Your ‘village.’ We could catch food together and play together again like we did today! It’ll be fun!” He stood up and made an tight circle before sitting again, tilting her head with her claws close together in a pleading gesture. “I’m really friendly and polite. I’m sure everyone else will like me. I promise I’ll be good,” she begged hopefully. If the dragons in this “village” liked her, they might ask her to stay with them forever. Then she would never be alone! This was going to be great!