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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:32 pm
((If you want to join, ask in the main thread. This RP is strictly northern dragon only though.)) She had failed. She had done the impossible, gone north all the way to Guardian Kailani'e's cave, surviving on her own, and she had failed.
Guardian Kailani'e was dead. Dead! The one dragon who could have done something about the mountain dragons' return was dead. And who else could she talk to? Who else would listen to her, a mere teen? No one. She had had enough trouble convincing her brother!
And now she was starting to have trouble convincing herself. Trouble avoiding the easy lie that she had let her hopes get away with her, that it hadn't been a mountain dragon after all.
So it was time to go home, to drag her weary body back to her pack, turn her back on a life of grand adventure. Because she. had. failed.
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:37 pm
"Oh, dear."
Hazzard tumbled head over heels, making various wincing noises as he carved a reckless path down the small slope. His Navy Blue fur picked up a great amount of ice crystals and various plants - mostly weeds and things - that could survive in the cold weather.
Finally, he came to a stop at the feet of a light grey - with various blue-tinted markings - teen dragon.
"Oh, hello there!" Hazzard remarked cheerfully, not the least put out by his painful encounter with the ground. "I don't suppose you saw a rabbit run by here, did you?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:46 pm
A'vale fearlessly trotted across a slope. She could feel through the thick layers of snow that there was sturdy ground underfoot. She hadn't failed to predict that before, so she charged recklessly onwards.
She could hear the faint sounds of other dragons like herself, so she turned towards that direction; her bell softly clanking in time with her footsteps.
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:54 pm
 Tayma moved softly behind the teen. She had hated to break the news to the poor young one that Kailani'e was... dead. But she couldn't just send her off like that... She had to make sure that the young one was all right.
The older female dragon allowed a small smirk to come onto her face as the navy blue male crashed down a hill and fell at the young one's feet. Now she might really need help; with that lummox running about. He'd been hanging around in the area recently, and in the brief span that Tayma had known of him - what was his name again? Accident? Something ridiculous like that... - she'd managed to figure out that he seemed especially prone to accidents, though that never seemed to relieve him of his good attitude...
All in all, a pleasant dragon to be around, Tayma decided to herself... But not a very safe one...
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:57 pm
Arbalète lowered the paw she had raised to strike the blue dragon. She had seen him coming down, and tensed for an attack, but this... no, it looked like he had fallen. He appeared to be friendly enough, but she didn't let down her guard. That had the potential to be the last mistake she ever made.
"No," she said cooly, "I haven't seen a rabbit."
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:03 pm
Good, Tayma thought to herself with approval, The young one is alert... not letting down her guard... If I were sure she didn't already have a family, I might be tempted to take her under my wing... train her to be a bodyguard...
"Oh, that's a pity," Hazzard frowned and shrugged, "Neither have I... I was sniffing around up there, looking for one, when I slipped and fell." He grinned sheepishly. "I really should have learned by now to not travel to altitudes above one foot, unless I feel like falling." He laughed at himself good-naturedly. "My name's Hazzard... Fitting, huh? What's your name?"
Hazzard, that's his name! Tayma made a mental note....
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:28 pm
Arbalète didn't trust the male or his story one bit. Falling from such a height and remaining in a good mood? No, it had to be a trick. But at the same time... no, there was no reason to attack him yet. She'd play along and find out what he wanted. "I'm Arbalète," she said stiffly. "Pleased to meet you." Act friendly! Don't let him know you're on to him...
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 3:39 pm
No, No! Too Formal! I can see you're still suspicious, but trying to act like you're not... Loosen up! Tayma frowned to herself as she evaluated the teen's actions. She certainly showed promise, but she needed training... If another dragon - not Hazzard - had been the one to find her, and if that 'other' dragon actually meant her harm, he would already have figured out that the young one was suspicious, and... that wouldn't be good for the young one at all...
"Arbalete," Hazzard repeated thoughtfully, "that's a very pretty name. I've been hanging around here for a while now, but I've never seen you before... You new in the area? Here to stay, or just here for a visit?" Hazzard grinned, when an idea of who she might have been visiting crossed his mind. "Oh!" He leaned in a little closer, looking around suspiciously, though he really had no idea why the information would be a secret. "Did you hear about the Guardian, Kailani'e?"
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:53 pm
Arbalète fought the urge to run. Or attack. The former was too risky - her back would be exposed - and the latter? Suspicion wasn't a good enough reason to maul somebody. And he was an adult, at that... no, best to put him off guard. Make her look like a dangerous target. "I'm visiting my sister," she lied. "She decided to live in her mate's pack, but asked me to visit to help her settle in since she's not used to being around so many strangers." There. Now she should look dangerous. She had a pack behind her, and somewhere close. And she hadn't threatened him openly, either, or used a threatening tone. Brilliant!
She hesitated for a moment, then continued. "As to the Guardian... yes, I heard of her death. But I've only recently arrived, to visit my sister for a while, and haven't heard very much."
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 2:13 pm
Tayma frowned at the young one's lie. It wasn't bad, and she'd had least had enough sense to not tell the whole truth - that she was all alone up here, with no allies - but it wasn't the best possible excuse. Hazzard had already mentioned that he'd been spending time in the area, which meant that he already knew a lot of the dragons in the area. Plus, even knowing what little she did about him, she knew enough to guess that Hazzard would no doubt ask--
"No kidding, your sister?" Hazzard grinned, "well, maybe I know them. What's the pack's name? And if I haven't met them, I would love to... Meet them, that is. Making new friends is so..." He paused, searching for the right words in his head. "Well, anyway, it's a good thing. So what's the pack name?"
"and Yeah, there are a lot of rumors surrounding the Guardian's death. Some say that it was just old age, others swear that a strange dragon came and murdured her... Some dragons are even speculating that maybe that body-guard-slash-advisor of hers turned on her. She didn't get that job by choice, you know..."
Tayma bristled, for several reasons. 1) They were talking about Kailani'e's death; a painful discussion to listen to... 2) Tayma hadn't known there were rumors that doubted her loyalty to her master... She'd find out who was spreading such tales later, and stop that kind of talk. 3) How did Hazzard know so much about Tayma's past? They were by no means close...
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:52 pm
A'vale followed the sounds in the direction that she heard them. She leaped over a loose patch of snow, which caused her bell to clank around loudly, opposite it's usual musical ring.
The scents and sounds helped her to picture what she would see ahead of her. One was a male. His low rumble made him sound full grown, but she couldn't be sure. The second one was a female. A'vale knew that there were other rogues around here, but they didn't seem familiar.
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:25 pm
Arbalète smiled as Hazzard asked the question she had most dreaded. Damn. Damn damn damn damn. "Icecliff," she lied, "and I doubt you've met them. They've only settled here recently, and they tend to keep to themselves. My sis only met Harar - her new mate, that is - because he left the pack as a teen to go find himself a mate." Careful. Too many lies and you'll lose track. And make him suspicious. Not to say that you haven't already slipped up...
Arbalète barked a laugh. "The Guardian? Turned on by her own bodyguard? Or killed by a stranger! They don't get the job for nothing, you know." She grinned at Hazzard, although her denial of his suggestions was mostly just an excuse to distract him, to get him thinking about other things.
Clang!
With a growl, Arbalète crouched down low to the ground and turned to face the sudden sound, although she kept one eye firmly on Hazzard and her ears open for the slightest noise. Movement, search for movement. That's always the easiest to spot. Or shapes, an odd shape that doesn't belong there -
Oh god, I hope this isn't an ambush. I let myself get distracted like a damn fool.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:40 pm
"Well, that's true; bodyguards don't usually just show up and get the job immediately... But like I said, Kailani'e's bodyguard didn't choose to become a bodyguard. Apparently when she was a kid, her pack and a neighboring one got in this big feud! It ended up that the body guard's brother was killed, and then they called Kailani'e in! Supposedly the bodyguard's pack was the one that Kailani'e decided was at fault, and as punishment they made the bodyguard (what's her name again? Tayma?) go and become Kailani'e's assistant, or advisor, or guard, or whatever she is... Of course those are just rumors. Crazy, though, huh?" Hazzard grinned. "So, Icecliff, huh? Nope, haven't heard of them, though... Waaait a minute though, did you say Harar? I think I know Harar! Last time I saw him though, he was in Snowpaw pack... Did he switch over to another pack? Hey! Do you know how I can find him? It'd be real good to see him again!" He grinned expectantly, looking at Arbalette.
Tayma frowned. Who was this guy? He knew her whole story... And did he really know this 'Harar'? Or had he guessed that Arbalette was lying and wanted to lure her into a trap?
Suddenly the sharp 'tong'ing of a bell jerked Tayma to attention. Blast it! She'd been distracted by Hazzard and his 'knowing too much'... But had he planned it that way? Or was it unknowingly?
"Oh!" Hazard's smile grew at the sound of the bell. "Another new dragon to meet?" He took a few steps in the direction of the noise, then called, "HELLOOOO!!! ANYONE OUT THERE?! DON'T BE SHY!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:58 pm
 After ensuring that they wouldn't crawl out of their hiding place, Wolftongue Steel-Skin left the hatchlings behind under the fir bush and made his way through the shallow snow in search of prey. It would be some months before they would be old enough to help him bring down large prey like deer or elk, but for now his little pack could probably survive on rabbits--besides, by the time they could help him, they'd be old enough to survive on their own. If I want, he added. And if they want.
He stopped at the sound of voices up ahead and the smell of other dragons. He frowned and walked cautiously forward, peering down on a pair of dragons facing each other, an attractive striped female wearing bells approaching them. He sat down on the hill, his eyes soon spotting a scarred silver dragon watching them as he was watching. Wolftongue frowned. He had heard of someone of her description before...
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:55 pm
Hurriedly, Tayma looked around to make sure that she hadn't missed anything else. Suddenly, she spotted a blue-ish dragon standing on a hill. He was wearing armor... That looked threatening...
Silently, Tayma slithered through the underbrush, emerging mere feet from the strange dragon.
"If you know what's good for you," she hissed, still keeping an eye on the proceedings with Arbalette and Hazzard, "you'll tell me what you're doing here... quietly."
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