Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tony and Lilith have moved to this thread.

-----Just After the Raid-----

Lilith! Tony's dragon whispered out as he ran, not sure who might here his searching mind-speak. They're coming! Find me if you can! If he had to keep his dragon half here too long, he could get mighty hungry.

A few of the raiders headed back to Lilith, waiting for them in the woods. All in all, they probably had too many horses ready.

----- Original post: -----

The dragon had let his quarry go, concerned as he was for her health, and for her slowing him down. His own queries of her had yielded little beyond what he could have guessed about the counter-raid forces, and if the woman would not tell a dragon with charismatic influence, then she would be of no more use to them.

Normally he would have switched back with Tony, but with his back paw injured, that meant that Tony would be hobbling around on one leg; he'd risk his size to keep along on three legs as he headed south, essentially parallel to Lilith. The woods began to thin out, and the dragon was able to insert his considerable, full grown bulk somewhat within their protection by the time that day dawned. He felt quite exposed, and was wishing that he could switch when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of somewhat approaching from the west. It would take a bit for the man to reach him, so the dragon hunkered down facing that direction, sitting on his rump to take all of the weight off of his injured back leg and, with any luck, to hide the injury as well.

Lilith stood next to the dragon, frowning at his hind leg like she could see something that Eska couldn't. But once Eska had come up, she turned to him, and immediately recognizing him as one of their raiding party, forced a smile.

"You survived," she congratulated him warmly, "but you are limping. Have you twisted something, or been shot?"

The dragon swayed his head to the side, his noise sniffing away from them like a wolf harried by its own pack. He didn't seem much interested in the two humans at the moment. All Eska knew about the dragon was that it had appeared during the raid and aided them, and even given commands, but he knew not how. The raiding party had been briefed in a scrimp manner on the idea that most men do not believe in or are afraid of giant lizards with wings.

"Yes," Lilith agreed morosely, "but you are not the only one injured, and this one is quite big." She gestured towards the large, shimmering copper scales beside her.

The dragon swung his head back around, his mouth hinged loosely open as his nose came level with Lilith's face. Decide, human. Can you carry a full-grown injured man, or shall I stay as I am and risk our being spotted?

"Switching forms is tiring for you?" Lilith checked, although she guessed the answer.

The dragon snorted. "Yes." He swung his head towards Eska. "YOU decide, then."

The dragon let out a sigh, one of relief. In an instant he was human, complete with freckles, red hair, and blinking brown eyes. Tony sat on the ground where the dragon's haunches had been. The sight was not nearly as impressive, Tony being a medium-sized man sporting a grey sweater. Tony began to stand up on his good leg.

"Wait!" Lilith begged, suddenly seeming more worried. "He needs to be bandaged better than that."

Tony shrugged, seemingly unmindful of his cut off pant leg, the extra cloth tied around his ankle. "Don't make me more useless to you, by holding you up more," he asked in a quiet tone.

Disregarding Liliths remarks, Eska grabbed tony, lifting him with his muscled and scared arms, grunting as he did so, it was unusual to be carrying someone who just seconds ago was a mighty dragon, especially when in his human form he didn't look up to much. Eska was uncomfortable carrying Tony, with both his arms in use he had no room to use a weapon. He shook his head, he was just being paranoid surely, no one would attack them if they got moving now.

Stumbling slightly at first before hurriedly getting the hang of it, Knight began to walk with Tony in his arms, his leg was stinging, but as usual he let nothing on, forcing himself onwards as he took one last look behind through the dense undergrowth of the dim and dreary place.

Eska decided not to protest against her decision, it meant more work for him, but if he had to keep this 'dragon' safe then that was what he would do. He leant over to Lilith and whispered quietly "We're being followed you know." with little concern in his voice, almost excited at the prospect of another fight.

His gaurd was up now as he forced himself not to speed up, if he did then whoever was following them would realise that Eska had noticed and that wouldn't lead to anything good. They had to trick Mælily somehow...

Eska stopped suddenly, setting Tony down slowly without a sound and catching one of the leaves in the palm of his hand. He held it close to his nose and sniffed it a few times before tossing it to the winds and drawing his blade in one smooth movement.

He signalled Lilith to come closer as he took his shield in his left hand, turning backwards and scanning the forest intently with his eyes for the spy, there was no more time for running.

Tony grit his teeth together as he was lowered to the ground, but without audible complaint. Lilith stood in front of Tony, to Eska's left*, and to Tony, it seemed to happen very quickly.

And then the girl was in front of them, and talking.

"Please, no more fighting today!" he said, bowling over her mention of him as a dragon. He was more concerned with drawn weapons.

Lilith frowned back at Tony, not sure whom she disagreed with more. As for herself, she had her hand on the hilt of a long knife at her side. "We have no room for your curiosity," she explained curtly to Maelily. They had a priority to get the hell out of dodge. But there was something else that concerned Lilith, for it seemed to her that they should have come across her horse and her companions by now, or at least the horse. Was it possible that she had gotten lost? Her eyes wandered to the grown, wishing that she had learned to track in a forest instead of in a field.


*(unless he is left-handed)