FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A quick investigation of the town and some judicious questioning of the shopkeepers confined what Osine had told me and the direction the men had left in. They were heading down the mountain as I expected though that was no great leap of logic or intuition; there was precious little reason to stay on the mountain.

I briefly considered purchasing a pack animal but discounted the notion. For one it wouldn't move all that quickly if speed became an issue and for two I doubted any such creature would be happy walking next to a dragon who like as not would consider it a possible meal.

I did, however, purchase a large pack and haversack to replace the one that I was carrying and quickly repacked it with the supplies I had purchased along with what I was already carrying and stowed the old sack within. I placed the large backpack on my pack, shouldered the haversack, and headed out of the town to meet with Teras, briefly nodding to the guards as I walked through the gates.

It was all I could do to keep myself walking at a normal pace from the town gates, worry for Teras gnawing at my heart as I walked. The feelings did cause a stab of worry to course through me. It had only been days, scant days, before that I would have condemned the creature to death and now I was worried for it.

Further, why worry for a dragon that should be able to take care of itself quite well by all I knew of them?

Though Teras…

After I had walked distance enough that I felt safe I picked up speed, walking at a brisk pace down the path until I was out far enough I walked into the pine trees, my booted feet crunching the needles and occasional cones as I moved in further towards the general area I had agreed to meet up with the dragon.

I stopped and looked around, my hand shielding my eyes as I scanned the skies for him but there was no sign. Looking around the woods and in a small clearing yielded no results either, no sign of him, no tracks, nothing that would indicate that he had been here.

My heart started to thud in my chest and I tried to calm myself, feeling irritable that I was becoming upset and trying to clamp down on it. He was just a dragon, I told myself again, seemingly by rote, but I knew that I didn't actually believe that for a single moment.

I set haversack down next to a large rock and let the back pack down, then climbed up to the top to sit and wait, my hands gripping my staff tight enough that the whites of my knuckles shown.

Sometime later my mind was racing with what could have happened to the dragon. Did the same sickness that took his mate suddenly effect him, perhaps having caught it when he cremated her? Did he somehow injure himself and was unable to move?

I scrambled down from the rock and started to pace, scanning the sky now and again, and found myself whispering a prayer for his safe return.

My stomach grumbled and I decided to make camp. There was no point in not eating and making myself weak. If something had happened to the dragon I would do him no good by starving myself if he did need my assistance.

Not that I had any idea what I would do if he had been captured by the men who had taken his son. I was more than a match for a single person or even a small group if I had time to prepare but there was no way I could take stop a small squad or army, especially with the training and weapons they likely carried.

I prepared the tea and some roots that I dug up, still scanning the sky occasionally for signs of Teras. I ate the roots and sipped at my tea, the taste barely registering as I continuously kept watch for the dragon.

Darkness fell with no sight of him and I was nearly beside myself with worry and totally at a loss of what to do. If he had changed his mind and simply left I would have no way to find him, at least none that I would attempt. There were Sisters that were adept at scrying but I could scarcely ask them for help without endangering the dragon.

Further, if he left of his own volition what claim did I really have on him?

I sat down on the rock and looked into the fire, muttering a prayer to the maker and no longer caring if it was right or wrong, only wanting to be assured that Teras was safe.

My head snapped up at the soft sound of wing beats reached my ears and I stood, looking around the sky trying to find the source. A moment later Teras glided over the trees and landed easily in front of me.

He folded his wings to his back and took a few steps forward, ears perked. “You are well!"

“Where the hell have you been?" I shouted and Teras flinched and took several steps back, his ears lowering as he ducked his head. He spread his wings out partially, letting them droop.

“I was waiting for dark. Did not want to be seen," he mumbled, not meeting my eyes.

“You about scared me to death! I was worried that someone had captured you or you had taken sick!"

He ducked his head lower, chin nearly touching the ground. “I did not mean to worry you."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath at the sight of the cowering dragon. I opened them and tried to soften my tone. “I'm sorry, Teras; I didn't mean to yell. You just worried me is all. I expected you to be here after I left Frostford."

He whined softly. “I was going to wait here but too many humans along the road. Felt nervous and waited farther away until dark. Humans see poorly in dark."

“I understand, Teras. It just worried me when you weren't here."

He lifted his head and his ears came partially up. He drew his wings in tight to his body. “Why worry?"

I stared at him, briefly speechless. “Well, I'm helping you. That's reason enough to worry I think."

“But if I were gone you could go home. I know you want home, not want to wander."

I sucked in a breath, not expecting him to be so observant. How in the hell had he figured that out? I had never said anything! “Teras…I said I'd help you."

He shook his head. “Help is one thing. Danger is another. Worry for a dragon another still. You are involved more than that."

“Teras, stop it!"

He lifted his head and considered me. “The sisters…will kill you for this. You said. I know they would. They kill me, they would surely kill you. Risking life is more than just help. Why? What is making you risk your life and abandon teaching?"

“Teras…" I said, my voice nearly a moan.

He flinched back. “Sorry. I should not ask such. You should not be upset. You are tired and should rest. I will watch."

I stared at the dragon and then nodded, feeling oddly numb. “Alright. Wake me to keep watch when you are tired."

He bobbed his head and positioned himself up on the rock to watch as I climbed into my sleeping roll. After a few hours of tossing and turning I opened my eyes to watch him quietly as he looked around, ears perked, eyes alert for danger, standing over me, over a Sister who should by rights want him dead.

“Damn it, dragon, what the word have you done to me?", I muttered to myself as I rolled over, tears running down my cheeks.