Frodi & Ardi
Avalonath arched her bright green
wings and watched the skies. How wonderful would it be to soar there and be
the best? Leave everyone else behind you and just be. The wind beneath her
wings, the clouds surrounding her…
"Ehm… Rider mine." She asked.
"What is it Avalonath?"
"Well, you see… I’ve been feeling kind of…How
should I put this… Horny." The green answered with a nod
of her head, "I think it’s time for you to
add me to the flight boards.
Frodi shook her head laughing at the strangeness of the use of ‘horny’
by her green. Avalonath had always been a tomboyish dragon, willing to go to
the extreme and show those male dragons what she was worth, but something
about her today was completely different.
"Is this going to be an open flight?" Frodi asked.
"Do you mean, have I got someone in mind?"
Avalonath asked innocently.
"That’s what I’m asking."
"Not really."
"Not even a certain blue who always wants to outsmart you even if he
is, how did you put it?, as dumb as a watchwher after several generations of
inbreeding?"
"No… I mean he can enter… but…"
Frodi could almost see the blush appear on her dragon’s cheeks, "Don’t
stress," she told Avalonath, "I’m just teasing you."
Frodi looked out of her cavern and sighed. She had known a change of scenery
might change the timing of her dragoness, but that it would change this soon
was rather unexpected. Only two days ago had she and Ardi transferred to
Lantessama Isle to fill up some recent openings in the laeders. Frodi felt
homesick to Darkling Dawn already, after all her dragon’s flight would
influence her as well and she knew no-one on the isle… well always no-one.
She had Ardi, but she wasn’t sure that she wanted her best friend to be a
part of this. They had never said anything about a possible mating and Frodi
had always assumed Ardi would make sure he and his Kleath were far far away
when it ever came to that.
"They wouldn’t." Avalonath
said, "Kleath wants to race with me."
"I know, he always does, but this is a bit different, don’t you think?"
Frodi asked.
"Not really. Either he will win or I will."
Frodi shook her head at such show of logic. Well, knowing Kleath, he wouldn’t
be able to catch the faster Avalonath anyway.
About a week later Avalonath
indicated that she was ready. She wanted a good traditional flight, no
taking off unexpected in the midst of night or the crack of dawn. No, she
kindly alerted her chasers for an honest race, blooded two prey and then
winked off, chasing her shadow as it fled before her on the ground.
Seemingly unphased, the three males chasing the green, or foliage, took off
and pursued her, each wanting to catch her as much as the other. Due to the
sudden readiness of Avalonath only three had been able to sign up. All of
them were blues, or rains, as Avalonath had especially requested that. No
strange-looking dragon would parent her babies and she would only allow the
last one flying the privilege of catching her.
In the group of chasers, blue Eklith was up front, the rain of Saranna, one
of the female finders, had already participated in a number of flights and
felt confident. Behind him Kleath was bravely hanging on, equalling the
tempo, but finding it hard to do so. Lastly, Blue Aviath, the rain of Sovyl,
the male finder was trying to take a wait-and-see approach to catching
Avalonath.
Aviath soon saw that this wasn’t a flight he could win on tactics alone.
He became further and further behind the leading foliage and had to admit
that he had judged her wrong. She was fast and loved the thrill of racing,
he could feel that even now as she was dodging his fellow chasers. A bit
disappointed, Aviath flew down and told his rider he would very much like to
find a few candidates, maybe even for this future clutch.
Up front, Eklith was ready to make his move. Without much frill, he speeded
toward Avalonath, extending his arms and grasping… nothing. Dazed, the
rain looked back and saw only air. Where had the foliage gone so quickly?
Had she gone elsewhere without him noticing it? The rain couldn’t believe
that.
Avalonath, chuckling, plummeted back toward the ground from the sudden lift
she had just made. Just like a blue to think that he could be just as swift
as a green. She crashed into Eklith, sending him to the ground and quickly
changed her direction to avoid being caught.
Eklith still couldn’t believe it when he barely avoided an unpleasant
contact with the ground. Where had the foliage come from?
Up in the air, Kleath had caught up with the two. He looked at the falling
Eklith and grinned: "I won’t fall for that
trick, again." He said.
"It only took you eleven times to master it."
"It did, but today we meet again."
"Today indeed. Can you keep up with me now?"
"Can you keep running away from me?"
he asked, "That battle took a lot out of you."
"So did the race take a lot out of you."
Avalonath smirked.
"Let’s see who’s fastest!"
Kleath called out.
Both dragons speeded of, following each other’s movements in a pattern of
wild evasion in the sky. Slowly they came closer together until, finally
Kleath, panting, grabbed hold of Avalonath’s tail. "Gotcha!"
he called out happily.
"Shush, there’s time for victory boasting
later."
On the ground, Ardi came toward Frodi. "I’m sure you hadn’t
expected this." He stammered.
"I hadn’t. But I missed one vital variable when I guessed the outcome
of this flight."
"Which was?"
"They like each other."
"How about us?" Ardi asked.
"I guess I could like you." Frodi shrugged before she dragged him
away to her cavern.
~***~
Frodi and Ardi impressed at Darkling Dawn.