Keiran sensed no sign of retreat from the man before him and Atreyu. Keiran didn't want any risk of danger coming near Atreyu -- he was already hurt after all -- so he decided to give their guest a little warning. Keiran raised his head and opened his jaws. At first there was only the spark of a flame, and then there was a blast of blue-white fire. It was pure and intense, and very, very hot. The fireball passed dangerously close to the man, but in its passing it did not hurt him; it burned through two trees before extinguishing itself. All the while, Keiran's steely green eyes remained fixed on the man. "There," Boromir pointed towards the sound of falling trees. "It must be the Dragon. Lady Goldwin, I suggest we proceed with caution."
OOC: I'm so sorry, guys! I'll try to post something soon. I'm finished with my performing arts commitments, so I've got a bit more free time. But with transferring schools and upcoming finals, I'm still pretty busy.
Atreyu was startled by the suddeness of this surprise visitor. Had the Dragon-hunters found them this quickly? He wanted to stand and fight to defend Keiran, but the Dragon pinned him still with his tail and kept his wing protectively around the boy. Keiran uttered a warning snarl, giving this man a chance to back off. Atreyu just stared at the man, trying to figure out who he was and why he was there. He appeared to have no fear in facing a Night Fury, and that worried Atreyu. Night Furies were famed for their ruthlessness and their no-survivors way of life. How could this man stand there without a flinch of fear?
Boromir mounted his horse, a sleek bay, and followed Goldwin. The citizens watched them go, some murmuring wishes to go along and others mumbling disgruntled upsets that they weren't even invited. This was to be an important moment in Numenor's history. A Night Fury being hunted down. Would the hunters come back? Or would the Dragon best them? The only response Atreyu got from Keiran was flick of his tail. Atreyu opened his eyes and sat up straight, asking, "What's that supposed to mean? You can't just kill them if they come after you. I know you could, but I'm not going to let you. Keiran, this just isn't right. If I could just get them to give you a chance--" Keiran's wing folded over Atreyu, shutting him up. For now, the Dragon just wanted to lie there with his friend. He didn't want to worry about what was going to happen, just what was happening.
"I doubt we'll be able to kill it," Boromi frowned. He'd never been up against a Night Fury, and knew little of them, so he didn't think there was much of a chance. "Killing it is the best thing we could do, but if we can't we must chase it as far away as we can. One hit from their fire and you get burned to a crisp. We can't have something so dangerous near here." "You can't stay here," Atreyu murmured. "They'll hunt you down now that they've seen you. If they don't come now, they'll come later. Lady Goldwin won't stand for a Dragon like you roaming around. But she doesn't know you. You're not dangerous; you're kind."
"Okay. First, you have to feel the wind." Fawn instructed. She hovered in front of Rebecca and David, her little wings fluttering to keep her in one place. "Which was is it blowing?"
"It could be some time before we find the beast's lair, Lady Goldwin," Boromi began. "I do agree that horses would be a good idea; they will speed the search." Atreyu staggered through the bush that was off the trail. He knew where he was going, so it wouldn't take him long to get to Keiran's territory. The Dragon's lair was on the east side of the Widfara River. Atreyu hoped that he would be able to get to Keiran before anyone else. There was no doubt in his mind that others were coming after him. From off to his left, Atreyu heard a territorial and defensive rumbling growl. He sighed, relieved, and smiled. "It's me, Keiran," Atreyu assured the Night Fury. He sat down, glad to be off his hurting left leg, and was welcomed by an enthusiastic Keiran. The Dragon was obviously sorry for dropping the boy, and was perfectly pleased to see that Atreyu was back with him. Keiran curled around Atreyu and laid down, his tail in Atreyu's lap and his head on the ground next to Atreyu. A pleasant pur-like sound emmited from the sweet beast. "It's alright, Keiran. You'll be okay." Atreyu laid his hand on Keiran's head. He laid back against the Night Fury, letting out a puff of air and closing his eyes. The steady rhythm of Keiran's breathing calmed Atreyu down. Maybe no one was following them after all.
"It had a boy in it's grip," Boromir told Goldwin. "He was dropped, but I'm not sure where he is now. I don't believe he was conscience when he hit the ground." Atreyu woke to find himself inside somewhere, and on a bed or couch. He sat up and a wave of dizziness passed through him. When he tried to figure out what happened, it all came back to him. "Keiran..." he murmured. "Who?" Atreyu was startled by the voice, but he calmed when he saw it was a girl. She was holding a plate of bread and a glass of water; Atreyu assumed she was taking care of him for some reason. He didn't wait to find out what her name was or where he was or why she was being so kind as to help him. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I have to go." He stood and found a painful spazim go through his left leg. He looked down but didn't see anything wrong with it, so he kept walking. Once outside, he saw and hear all the noise and nonesense that occured when a Dragon appeared -- and before an organized Dragonhunter party was sent out. Keiran came to the front of his mind instantly. He hobbled past everyone, and luckily a limping boy was not of much interest to all the people at the moment. It was all about how fast he could move now. He had to get to Keiran first.
"South, my lady," Boromir replied. "I suspect its heading for Stybba Lake. But there is no way to be sure. This Dragon, Lady Goldwin, it appeared to be --" He paused for a moment. "A Night Fury."
"Lady Goldwin!" A Dragon-hunter, Boromir ((yes, I just did that)), came bursting through the doors to see Goldwin. He was breathing heavily from the run and all the commotion outside. He'd had to push his way past serveral people, but he was one of the top Dragon-hunters and mere people would not stand in his way. "Lady Goldwin," He started again, when he caught his breath. "There's a Dragon.... A Dragon just outside. It had a boy in its claws, but dropped him. The Dragon had retreated, but the people are frenzied. We need you."
The cry of "Dragon!" was echoed by the other citizens. To most level-headed people, a Dragon that was flying away was not a big problem, but to a city of Dragon-hunters any Dragon was a big problem. The commotion started up. People gathered weapons of all kinds; the Dragon-hunters retrieved their personal weapons; and one of the Dragon-hunters ran to fetch Goldwin. "Father, what should we do with him?" the daughter of the man who'd shouted the first warning was outside now and asking her father's advice. "Take him inside -- gently, mind you -- it can only be that the Dragon had captured this poor lad for a snack, but he was lucky to get away." the man answered. The girl just nodded in response to her father. She wasn't a very muscular girl, or very old for that matter, but she was just strong enough to lift Atreyu into her arms and stumble with him into her home.
Dead Man Walking. Doing a report for my Ethics and Morality class on the death penalty.
There was no need for Atreyu to tell Keiran what to do, the Dragon spread its wings and with one great burst of air and muscle, they were out of the trees and the sky. The feeling was amazing -- wind rushing past you, clouds just within reach next to you, and the motion of a Dragon beneath you. Atreyu could feel the muscles of Keiran as the Dragon soared through the air. It seemed like nothing could go wrong. But of course, something had to. Atreyu hadn't accounted for how fast and far a Dragon could fly, and it was only minutes before they were above Numenor. A Dragon flying above the city known for its Dragon-hunters was not the best situation. Atreyu shouted over the wind for Keiran to turn around and get away from Numenor, and Keiran did just that -- but too sharply to Atreyu to keep his seat on the Dragon. The fall wasn't long in reality, but it felt that way to the boy. Atreyu had never free-fallen before (and he wasn't planning to after this), so he had no idea what to do. He couldn't call Keiran to come to his aid, or he might be killed. He shouted, "Go!" to Keiran and then landed roughly on the ground. It must have caused quite a commotion, but Atreyu wasn't conscience to find out what happened. He'd hit smack down into a haystack next to someone's house. It was just enough of a cusion to keep him from dying, but he was sure to have injuries. "Dragon!!" someone who'd seen the event shouted. It was a man, apparently the owner of the home Atreyu had crash landed next to, in his thirties perhaps; and he was pointing at the retreating form of Keiran.
Atreyu kindly held out his hand to Keiran. "It's okay, Keiran. You can trust me." The Dragon gave a flick of his tail as a response and another disgruntled growl. Getting food from a human was one thing, but letting a human on your back in flight was another. Atreyu didn't rush Keiran into anything. He wanted Keiran to be comfortable with whatever they did together. It had taken him months to get Keiran to eat out of his hand, and he was willing to take the necessary time on this as well. But patience wasn't one of Atreyu's strong suites; and just as he was getting fed up of waiting for Keiran to come back towards him, the Dragon was at his side. "There you go," Atreyu smiled with a genuine good nature. He took it slow at first, stroking the Dragon in spots he learned the Dragon loved (just like areas where dogs cannot scratch themselves) and speaking sweetly. It was only ten minutes until Atreyu got onto Keiran's back. And it was only then that he realized staying on the Dragon in flight would be difficult.
"Just wait till you get in the air," Fawn said to David excitedly. She like his enthusiasm. "There!" Cubby yelled, a little too loud. The twins covered their ears and sent Cubby a dirty look. "That's the place to practice." "He's right," Curly nodded. He was antsy to see Rebecca and David get their flying lessons. It was always very entertaining to the Lost Boys. "Head up to the top; we'll wait here," Nibs told Fawn, Rebecca, and David. "The top" meant the peak of a ten foot tall, grassy hill... with a sheer drop off. It wouldn't hurt too badly if someone fell from it, but it certainly wouldn't be fun either.
Atreyu, now lost in thought, was nudged back to reality by Keiran's nose. The Dragon's eyes were large and friendly, asking for more of the tasty treats. Atreyu just laughed and stood up, dusting his pants off. Keiran stood as well, his massive tail swishing along the ground in anticipation. Atreyu stretched his arms over his head and yawned. What Keiran did after that made Atreyu stare at the Dragon in wonder. Keiran stretched first like a cat and then tried to mimick what Atreyu did, but using his wings instead of his forelimbs. Atreyu had to laugh-- it was just too funny a sight. Every day, he learned something new from Keiran, and it was most often a pleasant learning experience. "Okay," Atreyu began, facing the sleek black Dragon. "Today, Keiran, we're going to fly together." Keiran growled feircely and backed away from the young man. The Dragon's stance was warning and nearly hostile. This idea did not appeal to him.
OOC: It's all good, Fayt. =) I always take that stance whenever dragons are concerned. I just love them too much! ^^ Atreyu happily hurried off to Keiran, but not so fast that he made a lot of noise. While he and Keiran were friends now, the Dragon was still territorial and tended to shoot flames first and ask questions later. He slowed his pace as he got closer to Keiran's area of the woods. The smell of a dead animal was enough of a clue that a random wanderer should turn around, but Atreyu was here with a purpose. "Keiran? Hey buddy," Atreyu smiled as the Dragon came out of hiding. "I brought you some snacks, but it looks like you've already eaten." He glanced to the carcass of a large elk. It looked like it was a filling meal, but Keiran still stared at Atreyu with hungry eyes. "Oh, alright. But just one or I'll never get you to do anything today." He tossed a leg of pork towards Keiran, and the Dragon egarly ate it. Atreyu rolled his eyes. Keiran had come to love his food more than Dragon food. While Keiran ate, Atreyu sat down next to him and patted his side. Today was going to be a dangerous day. Atreyu was going to try flying for the first time.
Atreyu sat on his bed at him home, packing a bag for his trip to see Keiran. He mentally checked off everything he needed: food for himself, food for Keiran, and materials to make notes with. He slung his pack over his shoulder, said a good-bye to his parents, and headed out. It was a nice day to get some training in. There was no sign of any sort of storm or bad weather, and Atreyu was thankful for that. He'd never done anything with Keiran in bad weather and didn't feel like starting today. He walked discretely through the town, watching his feet and then the sky and then his feet again. He stopped near the edge of the forest to make sure that he wasn't being followed, and that no one was going to follow him.
Just finished watching Tinker Bell, and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure on Disney channel. They're such cute movies!
Yay! I can't wait to see where this thread goes! :D
