Aero and Tajy ~Birds of a Feather~

Kol inhaled the crisp morning air as he lazily flew back in the direction of his home. Bathing himself in the early morning sun while breathing in the clean mountain air did wonders for the avian. Being just on his own for those short few hours was nice.

Living just outside of city, Kol's family lived atop a mountain. Owning practically the entire thing itself, they lived near the top. Several trails lead around the home and up to the top where a lake stood. To say the Seranoa household was wealthy would just begin to scratch the surface. They had the finest of clothing, food, weapons, and whatever else their hearts wished for.

Ten children lived in this home, Consisting of Kol, his elder sister Celo, younger brother Eniten, and seven other younger siblings one female and the rest of them male. All ten children did not come from the same parents, but that is a rather long story for some other time.

~~~~

A cool breeze touched her face as she glided towards the ground. Her raven colored hair was kept back in a high ponytail per her norm. Her light blue eyes squinted as the morning light shone brightly. Quickly snapping her wings in as she came to a landing. She stretched her arms far above her head and let out a long yawn. Traveling all the time can be exhausting even more so when its a profession. The life of a wonderer was hard with troubles but the rewards of freedom were worth the pain of being poor.

This female avian was poor indeed, wearing a long, button up shirt that she kept the sleeves rolled half way up. Two belts hung on her small waist criss-crossing each other. Her tight fitting pants had two or three holes in them but were good other wise. She wore knee-high boots that did their job well through not only the cold but the rain.

She was tired of flying and being so near to the next town a nice stroll through the forest and relax. That was something that didn't come easy or often for this avian. She adjusted her long bow that was sitting on her shoulder and started on her way.

Not long down the trail did the path begin to narrow as the forest became very dense. None of this bothered her until a rather large purple mass seemed to be smack dab in the middle of the trail. No doubt it was a dragon and being so close to the town it must have a master around somewhere.

"Oi, move it lizard." She called out. She knew many of the dragon creatures could communicate with almost all creatures so this one should understand her.

Telalia's head shot up at the name of lizard. A proud dragon that she was, and no small avian child was going to tell her differently. "I would not move for such a rude bird as yourself." She growled turning to face her. Telalia was in no mood to deal with this play thing today. Mai had another mental break down when she was out too late one night and got lost.

"Ha! Do not mock me, you are a flightless dragon, thus a grotesquely large lizard. Now move, I am sure your master would instruct you to do so." The avian had no energy for this and fighting with a dragon was not on her list of things to do.

Telalia didn't even bother with a response, rage filled her. How dare this avian show her such disrespect! How dare she?! Quickly she charged the female, her insanely long claws stretched toward to take down her new prey.

The avian didn't have time to take to the skies as a sharp pain tore through her shoulder and down to her wing as she was literally swatted from the sky. She let out a short yell before meeting the ground rather swiftly. Not having time to take in what happened, the female jumped into a tree and climbed as fast as she could going from one tree to another.

"Foolish girl." Telalia growled as she easily swiped her claws along the trees. The slow movement alone caused several trees to fall around her, knocking her pray to the ground. Telalia ran forward ready to consume this annoying thing.

The avian's eye's grew large seeing the huge rows of teeth charging after her. So, maybe she insulted it a little too much, that is not just cause to eat her! So, she did the only thing she could think of. Waiting for the dragon to get near her, she took two handfuls of dirt and threw it into the creatures eyes and ran like the wind towards the city.

As she looked back the dragon was rubbing at its eyes, growling and letting out a huge rawr. She also saw two long black feathers on the ground. Only then did she feel warm liquid running down her leg. How on earth did she pee herself? She thought as she looked down, though it was not urine she found. Blood trailed from down her shoulder. Having no idea where the wound stopped she thought to try and fly out of this mess.

At the very least she was a faster flyer, or so she thought. As she spread her wing searing pain shot though her back that brought her to a stop to catch her breath.She was lucky the dragon was now flailing around enraged. Telalia knocked down every tree in her way looking for the avian.

The female leaned heavily against a tree as the blood loss began to take its toll. The world began to blur and her limbs felt as if each weighed a hundred pounds. She hoped the dragon would cool down and leave her alone but at this rate it didn't seem likely

The day-to-day life in Turich was nothing spectacular or noteworthy. The people that lived in the small mountain town were secluded from the rest of the world. They were cut off from news, but were also spared from the unnecessary evils and momentous disruptions of life that plagued the southern regions. In this village, a small clan of avians had made themselves a home, living in blatant squalor, but with honor and integrity that was a surprise to see in such poor living conditions.

The ten Estoen siblings, their parents, a grandfather and two grandmothers, lived in a tiny little home near the edge of town. Out of the way, but close enough to call for help. All of them save the very youngest and the oldest all held odd jobs that would help to pay for their huge appetites that ate through coin like moths through clothing (and they had those too, unfortunately). Family lore held that the Estoens had once been a proud clan that lived in the mountains, lords of their land if a bit wild at heart and possessing uncanny magic that allowed them to do strange things to others. However, their reign as the kings and queens of the mountains came to an abrupt end when they were chased from their homes by the hated Serenoa’s, their arch rivals and nemesis forevermore. Since those ancient days, the Estoens had eked out a living in the city below, cursed with the most terrible bad luck that kept them thoroughly entrenched in their poverty, and if the family had ever held any magic outside of fairytales, then it had been a long time since their powers had been seen.

On this particular day, several of the Estoen family was out and about, helping where their services could be rewarded with pay or food. Among them was a rare sight, the second oldest son of the clan, Talos. He had been bit by the wanderlust bug a few years ago and had since made many ventures that lead him far away from home. Every once and a while he came back to the city to visit his family, but otherwise traveled where the winds carried him.

He had arrived back from his adventures a few nights ago, and was lending a hand just as he always did. He was, however, distracted momentarily by his duties when something caught his ear. Talos, like all of those of his family, possessed very keen hearing and extraordinary eyesight, able to see for miles on all but the foggiest of days and able to hear a mouse squeak in its den below the earth. The drawback, however, was that they became all but blind once the sun was down, their excellent hearing making up in part the fact that they couldn’t see their own noses in front of their faces once they lost the light.

It was his hearing that caused Talos to look up from what he was doing, scanning the trees for the disturbance. In the distance, he saw a flock of birds take flight, screaming in dismay as a few trees toppled to the ground. Instead of fearing the sight as he probably aught to have, the avian simply sighed, setting down what he was carrying and offering a quick apology to his current employer before taking flight toward the woods.

Most girls want to bring home stray dogs or cats, sometimes a fish or a snake… but no, his sister brought home a stray dragon, and it appeared to be tearing up the forest for whatever conceivable reason. As he rose above the forest on a thermal, he got a good look at the destruction. Telalia seemed to have sequestered herself away in a dense part of the forest, the only way in from the air seeming to be from where she had already sliced down a few of the trees, creating gaping unnatural holes in the relatively unbroken canopy of the forest.

Talos descended, alighting softly on the downed trunk of one of the trees and looked around for where all the noise was coming from. He walked into the gloom under the canopy and quickly spotted Telalia’s purple hide through the standing trees. She appeared to be searching for something, perhaps whatever it was that had caused her to start knocking down the forest? Whatever the case, he planned to stay out of her way if possible. An angry scythe dragon was not something that he felt like crossing.

Scanning the forest, he finally saw something of an anomaly, a flash of white between the green boughs. Curious, he made his way over, picking the best path through the trees and trying not to get caught in the brambles. It was hard, being six feet tall with a thirteen-foot wingspan, but somehow he managed to get closer without alerting Telalia to his presence. As he rounded a tree, he saw what had caught his eye, and took a moment to gape. It was another avian, but unlike any that he’d become accustomed to around Turich. She had white wings, quite unlike the Serenoa’s, whose wings were mostly black. One of her wings had two black primaries, and it took him a moment to realize that the right one was missing those two extra feathers, having either been forcefully yanked out or clipped off by Telalia’s sharp claws. The dragon seemed to have landed a blow across her back, red blood staining her shirt, pants, and the white feathers of her wings where a line of crimson that stretched from her right shoulder and over the muscle of her wing to its base wept bloody tears.

The crashing of falling trees drew his brown eyes from the wounded woman, Telalia seeming to be getting closer to her quarry now. The sight of the woman, appearing to have been weakened from blood loss and obviously unable to fly, tugged at Talos, his brotherly instinct to protect all women rising and guiding him to move closer to her, in full view of Telalia. “Oi! ‘Avin fun, are ya?” He called into the forest, hoping that he’d be heard over all the noise. He didn’t particularly fear Telalia, she had proved to be a loyal friend of his sister, but all the same, he would hate to sneak up on her when she was in such a foul mood. “Wot’s got yer scales all up ye great beastie?”

*~*~*

She felt exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally, psychologically, and emotionally, too. Maivaisa Silphy Estoen was a girl made of tough stuff, though built slight of frame and frail in mind when twilight came around. Her early years had been spent growing up under the assault of a rival clan of avian, their attacks always coming in the early evening or at nighttime when her abnormally keen vision utterly failed her and she, along with the rest of her family, were left practically blind. The reason for her disquiet today was that the night before she had been out in the woods with her dragon Telalia, a proud scythe-claw dragon that she had become friends with on an ill-fated journey in the south. Unaware of the time, she had been caught out in the forest after sunset and had promptly become a nervous wreck.

Telalia had been forced to save her from every conceived danger that Mai imagined in the forest that night. Eventually, the nervous avian had made it home, where she was then lectured by her father and two older brothers, Arthulur and Talos for staying out so late.

This morning, she had decided to just stay out of their way, lest another lecture befall her, and so headed out into the forest nearby, the opposite direction that she had last left Telalia in. Though she dearly loved the big female dragon, she did not wish to discuss her mental breakdown with her, either. Instead, she opted to do something useful, like finding mushrooms for dinner in the forest. Her basket was half-full with the white fungus by the time that noon rolled around, a few shoots of green tucked away in the bottom of rosemary and other herbs she’d found along the way. Honestly, anything was better than nothing, and the farther she wandered away from home, the easier it was to forget that she had made a fool of herself the night before.

Inhaling deeply, she reveled in the freshness of the mountain air, unworried by the fact that she was miles from home. Flying home was always an option, and it didn’t take nearly as long as walking. The forest around her lightened, the spacing between the trees becoming wider with each step. After fighting her way through some bushes, she found herself in the rolling meadow that lay beyond. It was late in the year for flowers, a few of the blooms still clinging on here and there but otherwise yielding to the incredible green of the place. Smiling to herself, she waded out amongst the waist-high grass, picking a spot on a slight rise and settling herself down, happy to lounge in the sun for the first time since she couldn’t remember when.

Telalia huffed an angry growl as she heard Talos' voice. She did, however, relax her claws standing on all fours once more. She slowly picked her way over to him, snapping her jaw once her twice. "Make haste avian, I am on hunt for an annoying bird that deserves far worse than she has already been given." She looked around as she spoke, still looking to see if she could find the female.

"I will not be made a fool of..." she growled in anger, her long claws digging into the soft earth beneath her.

The female blinked back spots in her eyes as she heard someone's voice. Where they actually speaking to the thing and not being eaten?! Perhaps that was the dragons master. Seems whatever deity might be out there was looking out for her. She pushed hard against the tree in order to stand fully, letting out a small groan. She quickly bit onto her lip to keep from making anymore noise.

She wobbled as she stood, and pressed forward. If she ever saw the man again she'd have to thank him. For more then he could possibly realize. God she was going to be sore in the morning. She made it several steps before having to catch herself on a tree once more. Sweat dotted her forehead and dark edges started to creep into her vision. She wasn't far from that blasted dragon still. This wasn't good....

~~~~

Kol reveled in the open afternoon skies, he decided to make his rounds around the grounds taking his time as he scanned over the forests, fields, and the lake of course. He did find that he went a bit further than expected when unfamiliar land came into sight. An open field seem to welcome whatever was passing by it. The scent of the remaining wildflowers lulled him further to the ground.

It was only then did Kol notice another scent. Avian, female. "How interesting..." He mentioned to himself and he banked right sharply to make his landing opposite from where he could smell her scent. As he took position to see more of her tan-ish wings caught his attention. An Estoen, so very far away from home. Could the little lamb be lost? Kol couldn't help himself as a cocky grin spread across his face. Might as well go see if she needed his help.

Kol scooped up a small flower and walked over to the girl. He kept a fair distance from her, making her clear of his intent. "What on Earth is such a beautiful lady doing so far in the middle of the forest?" He asked, a soft purr in his tone. She was, in fact beautiful despite her ragged looking clothing. He knew that the Estoen clan was more then just poor but for even the ladies to being wearing such clothing was sad.

“Made a fool of yeh?” Talos repeated, his accent thick and heavy. He glanced once to where he knew the girl to be, having not lost sight of her, through Telalia seemed to not have noticed her quite yet. His gaze was drawn back up to the dragon, the annoyance she felt clearly written in her eyes and all over her body from the claws that sliced through the dirt to her tail as it whipped back and forth. “Wot, did someone steal yer breakfast?” He asked, cocking his head with a well-meaning smile on his face. “I ‘ope that yeh don’t plan on cuttin’ down the whole forest just ‘cuz sommuat’s gone an stole a carcass from yeh.”

He was trying to distract the dragon, hoping that the girl would be able to get away. However, for all of his ability to distract Telalia, he was unable to distract himself. Her small groan of pain drew his eyes sharply to her form as she distanced herself from the tree, and Telalia probably noticed the movement of his eyes as well. With a mounting sense of fear, he saw her begin to stumble and loose her balance, the blood on her back appearing to be much greater in quantity than he had first thought. Gathering himself, Talos hopped over one of Telalia’s claws with a little half flap of his wings, landing on the other side of the irate dragon and running at full stride to catch the woman before she face planted into the dirt.

Immediately, he could tell that she was in terrible shape. The wound dealt to her was deeper than he had first thought, and her skin was terribly pale. Talos took off her bow and slung it over his shoulder in a way that told of his familiarity with such weapons, gathering the strange woman up in his arms before leveling a glare at Telalia. “What’d she do?”

*~*~*~*

Mai was drifting between the realms of sleep and wakefulness, the sun on her skin a gentle lullaby that tried to lure her into dreaming as she lay amongst the swaying grass. Her wings were spread out behind her, hand cupped behind her head and legs crossed at the ankles with her eyes closed. In such a relaxed state, she didn’t even think to keep her wits about her, content to relax after such a stressful evening the night before.

It was therefore unsurprising when she didn’t hear the stranger’s approach until he had landed, the sound of footsteps rousing her from her daydreaming. Mai sat upright immediately; the final traces of sleep quickly draining from her as her liquid gold eyes snapped to the approaching man. He didn’t appear to mean her harm, stopping a respectful distance away with a flower in hand, one of the ones that grew in the summer meadow. This strange man was rather handsome as well, made even more so by the beautiful tone of his voice as he inquired about her reasons for being so far from home. His black wings and blonde hair struck a chord of memory, but she could not quite place where she had seen such coloration before, the answer just out of reach.

“M-me?” She gasped, gesturing to herself and scanning around once to make sure that there weren’t any other gorgeous women that just happened to be lying about as well. Being of humble stock, Mai had never thought of herself as pretty, and was often on the receiving end of many disgusted looks for her extremely petit form that bordered on malnourishment. It was then somewhat of a surprise to hear the stranger call her so. “Oh, I’m well…” Mai gestured toward her half-filled basket, meeting the stranger’s eyes with the best smile she could muster under the circumstances. “I’m just gatherin’ some things to eat fer the night… yanno, some garnishins fer the supper table.”

Telalia let a wicked toothy smile come to her face when being asked about her breakfast. "No, young avian, my food was not stolen nor would I destroy my sanctuary for no good reason." And this really was her sanctuary ever since Mai had become her rider. The dense forest gave her coverage from many a creature that would not be happy to see her and the warm forest air was comforting to her.

Noting Talos' distracted gaze behind him, a low rumble of a growl filled her throat. She had only to wait for him to move to catch her prey. Telalia watched as the he hoped over her claw and to the direction he was looking at. Her growling grew louder as she watched him catch her. And then have the nerves to ask what she did, it should be obvious that the female had done something justified to receive her anger. Telalia thought herself a rather level headed dragon but this annoying bird pushed her limits.

She made her way close to them bobbing her head in rather close to the two of them. She knew very well that if she hurt Talos, Mai would never forgive her. She had come to befriend this male for the time being and she did value her friendships...Even with creatures of lower importance than herself.

She snapped her jaw at him, wanting to get to her meal. "This rather annoying bird insulted me, greater then anyone has before." Her throat hummed with her growling as she recalled the memory. "I've no reason to justify myself to you, boy, so release my prey." Her tail flicked back and forth several times as she hoped that the male avian would adhere to her wishes and abandon the female.

The female avian saw her world pretty much go black as she felt herself falling towards the ground. She was rather surprised when she didn't hit the hard ground but was caught in someone's arms. She opened her eyes to look at who caught her. She was surprised to see it being the same man that was speaking to the dragon. What was he doing?! Why wasn't he talking the dragon into going somewhere away from them?! Perhaps she had lost too much blood to make clear logic out of this mess but no matter what she thought this was a foolish plan. They were both going to be eaten now and she will have someone else's death on her conscious. She gripped onto his arm as best she could. "Run..." She couldn't get much else out but if she at least saved his hide her conscious would be clear in death.

~~~~~~
"Yes, of course, my lady." He spoke as she look almost confused that he was speaking to her.

Kol smiled softly as she gestured to her basket of mushrooms. "What a thoughtful thing for you to do." He took a step or two towards her. "May I?" He asked, not really waiting for her response as he took a seat near her but enough for her to still feel comfortable. (Well...as comfortable as she could get, anyway.) He looked at her for a long moment as he placed the small flower he picked behind her ear. "I picked this flower for you, my lady, but it's beauty pales in comparison to you." He cocked his head, looking as if it were a real problem for the flower.

"May I know your name?" He asked the purr in his voice even more evident now that he was closer to her. Kol really did enjoy the company of a woman and this one was rather cute. While she may be from his most hated rival, that was no reason for him to hold it against such a delightful creature such as herself. No female should ever be part of their raids on either end. Kol had only two sisters and both were very precious to him. He had no idea if the Estoen clan shared the same ideology but he sure hoped so.

After listening to this strange man speak, Mai decided a few things about him. One, that he wasn't much interested in observing social standards, and that secondly, he was an obvious flatterer, made all the worse by the incredibly cheesy lines that spouted from his lips. She was unsure whether to be embarrassed or laugh, but had no choice about the small spots of pink that rose to her cheeks in a blush as her mind tried to wrap around him.

When he reached over to tuck the flower behind her ear, she instinctively flinched away from his hand, but either he didn’t notice the movement or didn’t care, because he was not deterred from his course of action. His continued appraisal of her supposed beauty lead to another conclusion about him; he also apparently had very bad eyesight, or was so desperate he would compliment any lady. If it was the fore, then she felt sorry for him indeed, but if it were the later, she would have been well advised to keep her wits about her.

“Er, um… Maivaisia Estoen, ser. But tchu cun call me Mai. Ev’ryone else does.” She extended her hand in greeting before she could think about it, caught in the habits of polite society, and didn’t think that perhaps it would have been a bad idea until after her hand was already out there, too far away to recall without seeming rude. Well, he was odd, perhaps a tad touched in the head, but at least he didn’t seem mean.

*~*~*~*

Talos stood undaunted in front of Telalia, holding the slight form of the woman close as the angry dragon spun around and began snapping her jaws at him, letting him know about her anger over the perceived wrong dealt to her. “She… insulted yeh?” He asked, confusion coloring his voice. For all of her bluster, Talos knew that Telalia wouldn’t hurt him unless he really did piss her off, an eventuality that he hoped to steer well clear of. Even though they had something like a friendship, she was still a huge dragon with sharp claws and a temper. “Like… how? An’ if she made a smart crack at yeh, I can’t see how it gives yeh leave ter kill ‘er.”

A frail voice tugged at his ears, and it took him a moment to realize that it was the woman in his arms telling him to run, her hand weakly gripping his forearms. He noticed then that the blood on her back had soaked through his clothes as well, his arms covered in the warm liquid. His heart sank, and he quickly realized that he didn’t have much time to argue with the dragon if he wished to save the woman.

“Look, yeh cun get Mai to talk meh ear off fer stealin’ yer breakfast later, but I can’t leave ‘er with yeh in good conscious.” Talos tightened his grip on the girl, glancing up to see if he could make a quick escaped through the trees. Luckily, in her rage, Telalia had taken down quite a few of the close-growing trees, and a few holes had opened up. Now if he could just avoid getting ripped to shreds… “Maybe next time, Telalia.” He crouched briefly before launching into the air, his huge wings snapping open and pushing down with tremendous strength to get their combined weight off the ground. The tips of his feathers brushed against leaves and caught briefly on outstretched limbs, his muscles straining to get them in the air, then with another huge push, they were free of the forest, rapidly ascending over the canopy of the forest.

He hovered over the hole just out of reach of Telalia’s claws, knowing that she couldn’t fly despite having wings. “I’ll send Mai down later ter comfort yeh!” He called into the darkness, then angled for home, hoping to get there quickly before he lost his charge.

Kol could tell this one was a tad nervous around him. Perhaps more of a gentle approach would be more appropriate. Though, when her extended hand came his way pure instinct took over him. Ever so gently, he took her hand into his and brought it to his mouth. Slowly, softly he placed a warm kiss atop her hand. Savoring the feel of her soft skin for just a moment before releasing it. "I am called by the name of Kol." His voice soft.

Realizing he probably just freaked her out, he lowered his head. "Forgive me, my lady." His voice was softer than before, holding a real apologetic note to it. He couldn't much help his nature, and never had he minded it before...He just didn't want to scare this woman off. While his charming worked on many ladies, there had been several a time where he got a good slap to the face or a scared woman sent running. He was thankful for his many lessons at keeping at straight face, for at the time being a cocky grin would be covering his face otherwise at the not so distant memories.

Kol looked back at her to judge her reaction while his emerald eyes scanned her over. This had to be eldest daughter from the clan. Kol didn't know much of the siblings save for Talos. A sudden surge of anger hit him harder then he expected and he had to take a few deep breaths in order to keep himself in check. That man brought out the worst in himself and he knew it. Kol looked at her once more, he knew not whether there would be a slap to follow or if she would go off running but it was worth a shot.

~~~~~~~

Telalia leaned in close to him. "Anything that insults a dragon, boy, deserves death." She knew that the avian wouldn't be giving the female to her. In fact her rage had died down quite a bit but being in such a foul mood, arguing came easy.

Telalia watched him struggle to take flight as he did, she snapped her jaws in attempt to grab the female but was not fast enough to do so. She growl after him, Mai would be even less for letting her eat the bird. She let one final swipe of her claw take town a tree and went back to her resting place. God help the next creature to stumble in near her and say the wrong thing.

The female avian bit her lip hard as the odd man took to the skies. The movement caused searing pain to run up and down her shoulder. She took short, shallow breaths as she heard him speaking. He sounds like a hick...She thought to herself and that was her last thought before darkness engulfed her.

Mai had been blushing before, but after Kol’s little stunt, her face had turned an obscene shade of cherry red. A shiver coursed through her body at the touch of his lips that ruffled even her feathers had her jerking her hand from his grasp, rubbing it with the palm of her other hand as if she could erase the sensation by doing so. She almost missed his name and nearly stood to take off and run before he uttered his apology. The calmness and sincerity in his voice had her blushing even more for some reason, and she turned her face away from him until she could get the pigments in her face under control.

“I-its fine!” She stammered, clenching her fists in her lap and tucking her wings tightly against her body, as if to protect herself from this strange man. “I jus’ don’t… well, er, normal people don’t jus’ go around kissin’ folks on the hand like that so I’m not, um… well, used to it, I ‘sppose.” She dared a glance at him, her blush dying down just a little bit, though she still rubbed her hand where he had kissed her. “Jus’ what sorta place do yeh come from where yeh learn to greet people like that, anyway?”

She was honestly curious, searching Kol’s face as if she could find the answers tattooed to him. When their eyes met by chance, she immediately turned her gaze down to her lap, blush returning in part.

*~*~*~*

The flight back home was troubling for Talos, made even more so when the girl he had rescued finally passed out. It was a little while longer before he landed on his doorstep, kicking the door open none too gently. His mother was home, and upon hearing the noise had rushed straight out of her room to see what the crashing door was all about. When she saw her second eldest son come through the door with a limp woman in his arms, she immediately escorted him to the common room, her maternal instincts taking over.

After shooing Talos back outside, his mother stripped the mystery woman down, cleaning and bandaging the garish wound on her back before binding it and redressing her with an old sackcloth shirt that had probably once belonged to Mai. She took the bloodstained one away to be washed, and let Talos back in the room to inspect his charge.

Now that her life wasn’t in immediate danger, he took a moment to really look at the woman, his eyes flicking from her face to her patched pants and weather worn boots then back. He knew a hungry adventurer when he saw one, having often been one himself on his travels throughout the southern regions of Dragon’s Cove. Her form was slight, much like Mai though a little less starved looking. They were probably the same height too, though there was a difference in the build of their faces, a more exotic look that lent itself well to her tanned skin. Her black hair seemed very long, his mother having let it down while she was tending to the woman’s wounds, reaching down to just past the middle of her back. A few strands of hair had fallen over her eyes, and he found himself tucking them to one side or the other before realizing that she was not, in fact, a relation of his, despite his urge to protect all things small and female.

Sighing, Talos withdrew from her side, wondering if he should return to work or keep an eye on her. She had lost a lot of blood, and knew that his mother wasn’t really much of a healer. She dealt with day-to-day scrapes and bruises like any mother would, but beyond that had little experience. She would probably need help if anything serious actually happened.

Kol found himself a little caught off guard by her blushing face. Cute. A word not often used by this male avian but he thought it was most suiting for such a look she was giving him. He gave a soft chuckle at her question. "I suppose it's just how I am, my lady." Having come from such a broken and dysfunctional family, he couldn't say that he picked up the trait from anyone. Having only two sisters, and really only one that needed protecting he knew females should be cherished. He guessed to most, his way was just odd.

Kol genuinely smiled after seeing her blush return once more. She really thought him to be a strange creature, and Kol was alright with that. At least she remained to speak to him to which he was grateful for.

He stretched his legs out in front of him, enjoying the warm rays that the sun gave and the slight breeze in the air. "Lady Maivaisia, was it? Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?" He asked while his eyes never left her face. He was almost as interested in her, as she was curious about him.

~~~~~~~

Throbbing pain brought the female avian back into the conscious state. Her shoulder and wing gave off a dull ache that couldn't be ignored. She opened her light blue eyes slowly, letting herself take in the surroundings. Her eyes settled on a man, that she assumed was the foolish one to save her.

Despite remembering her last thought of him being a hick, she thought he looked rather attractive. His strong jaw and sandy blonde hair gave him a classic look and his build wasn't...too bad. His chest appeared strong at least. His clothing seemed worn and tattered like her own. Perhaps another wonderer.

She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips as she began to sit up. She felt the dry blood on her back crack and give way as her muscles glided underneath. Nasty lizard got her good. She propped herself on her elbows for a moment to catch her breath. She had seen worse before and didn't feel comfortable having to rely on someone to take care of her. As soon as she could get herself up she'd give a hearty thank you to the odd man and be on her way once more.

Although it was not nearly as in-depth as she would have liked, Mai was satisfied with Kol’s simple explanation of his behavior for the moment. Just being a certain way without any real explanation was something she could understand, given her family’s background. She wasn’t, however, satisfied with the “Lady” part tacked onto her first name. Any Tom, Dick and Harry could see that she was perhaps the furthest thing possible from being wealthy or belonging to any sort of noble family. In fact, the more one knew about her origins, the more and more they seemed separated from that world of glitter and glitz. If there had ever been a time when the Estoen family did not wallow in poverty, it had been in the days of lore and myth when they had owned the mountains outside of Turich. Even then, thinking that this family plagued by incredibly bad luck had owned anything other than their small hovel was a stretch.

“Please, iffin yeh don’t mind, yeh cun drop the “Lady” bit. Hand kissin’ is all well ‘an good, but really, just Mai is fine.” She inclined her head slightly, hoping that he’d do as she asked. Being called “Lady” made her cringe mentally and almost physically. “An what could’ja possibly wanna know ‘bout me? More importantly, why? We’re complete strangers.”

*~*~*~*

Talos stirred, hearing something in the next room that woke him from his light doze. He had no idea how long he had been asleep for, but by spotting the sun, he quickly decided that it must have been for an hour or two. Standing, he looked into the common room where the mystery woman had been lying and saw that she was awake. Not only awake, but foolishly trying to sit up.

Frowning, he strode forward, crossing his arms over his chest and leveling a stern look at the woman. “Yeh shouldn’t be movin’ ‘round much. Telalia got yeh pretty bad, ‘an if yeh open up yer wound again, ye’ll bleed all over the place. We jus’ got tcha all bandaged up and clean.” His eyes darted to the tip of her right wing where two of the primary feathers were missing, his gaze softening slightly. “Well, even if she didn’t nearly fee-lay yeh, ye’d still be in a tight spot tryin’ to fly without all yer feathers.”

Kol blinked several times once being asked not to call her a lady. It is what she is. “As you wish, ….Mai.” The informal sounding name rolled off his tongue in an odd manor. “Strangers, we may be, but if we know more about one another, no longer will we be. To ask why…” He thought for a moment, running a hand through his hair. “Is simple curiosity not good enough? It’s not every day you see a beautiful lad-…woman such as yourself just sitting in the middle of the forest.”

Kol shifted how he sat, a boyish grin across his face. What more could he offer her than the simple of truth of what he thought? He wanted to know more about her, her family, what terrible living conditions she probably had. There was no doubt that the conditions were poor though. He thought to himself, waiting for her to answer him as he looked at the slowly setting sun. The sky was stained with orange and red giving the field a light amber glow.

~*~*~*~*

The female frowned, almost in annoyance when it seemed that this man was scolding her for moving. What right did he have to tell her not to move? She knew when she was ready or not.

“And what gives you the right to tell me what to do? It’s my own body, if I chose to move that is of my own doing.” Her words came out far harsher then she had meant but in all her question was still justified.

When the mention of her wings came up she looked over to her left and then right. The two black feathers she had seen at the location that lizard attacked her were her own. A scowl came to her face, she knew without those flying would be near impossible. Putting that aside she looked back up to the male avian, almost to size him up. He sounded as if he wanted to help but he sure had a bossy way of doing it.

“Who are you?” She asked bluntly. She had never seen such wings before in all of her travels.

A small smile crossed her face at the pained expression that Kol wore as he tried to refrain from using her full name. Well, at least he tried, despite how apparently distasteful the attempt was. She considered his words for a moment longer, giving in with a sigh and shrugging her shoulders. What could he tell her that would hurt? He seemed like a nice enough fellow, if a bit on the strange side. "Well, if yeh jus' wanna know fer fun, I 'sppose it can't hurt..." Tapping her finger to her lips, Mai wondered where to begin, glancing down to her lap. "Well, meh family is big... huge! I've got seven brothers 'an two younger sisters. 'An meh two older brothers, Arthulur and Talos are super protective of me 'an the other girls, so don't think you cun pull nothin' funny 'round them!" She laughed, obviously recalling some fond memory of the brothers. It was then when she glanced at the horizion, her smile dropping considerably.

"I've gotta get back now." She mumbled, standing and patting the grass off her backside, flashing Kol an apologetic smile. In the distance, she heard something the sounded like a roar and wondered if Telalia was getting restless, or even worse, if she had been hurt. She hoped that she could reach the dragon before dusk settled in full, or risk spending the night in the forest. "It was nice meeting you, though." With a small nod, she gathered up her basket and took flight, angling toward where she heard the roar, heaving a small sight once she was airborne. What a strange man...

*~*~*

There were a few reactions that Talos would have expected for the female to have upon waking. One, that perhaps she might be confused, wondering where she had been transported while she was unconscious. Or, a thank you for saving her life might have been nice too. But blatant anger was not something that he had expect for the slight female to show, especially after loosing such a large quantity of blood. She had to be weak from it, but aside from the pain in her back that she couldn't hide feeling, she showed no signs of being distressed after the fight with the dragon.

"I'm Talos, the guy that saved yeh from gettin' eaten by the beastie in the woods, do yeh remember that?" He leaned against the wall, studying her with a cool gaze. Maybe her way of dealing with fear was getting angry? Anyway, it wouldn't be too kind of him to fly off the handle at her, despite her being so rude for no apparent reason. "I dun't 'sppose that I've got any rights ter be tellin' yeh what ter do, but it dunnit matter really, all I've said is common sense. The wound in yer back is deep, 'an if yeh start movin' 'round before it's healed enough, yeh might do yerself some real damage. But hey, if yer aim is ter bleed teh death, then go ahead." He shrugged, affecting an unconcerned tone, but watched her closely, prepared to force her back down if she was hell-bent on getting herself killed.

Kol listened to her speak of her family. He knew that there were many of them, but to have the exact same amount as his family was shocking. Before he could say anything more, he heard her give her apologies for having to leave.

Kol, having excellent hearing, heard the roar of the dragon rather clearly. It didn't sound to him as if it was in distress, better yet, why would this woman be flying it it's direction. Curiosity tugged at him as he waved her off. Letting her get a good distance away from him. He had her scent now so finding her would be no problem.

"How very interesting you are, my lady..." He whispered and let the wind carry his words off before taking to the skies himself. Kol knew that anyone from the Estoen clan couldn't see once the sun went down and it wouldn't be long before that actually took place. It wouldn't set right with Kol if she was stuck out here in the dark so very far from home. Or worse yet, getting herself entangled with a dragon.

While Kol knew better than to evoke the wrath of a dragon, he had seen their destructive forces and the carnage they leave behind if their are in a foul mood. He flew rather far back from her so she wouldn't notice him. Following a woman to make sure she is safe isn't stalking, right?

Kol felt a sudden sense of fear as the wind blew, it was laced with smoke. He knew that there were no homes this far back into the forest and if that dragon was around here that only spelled danger. Kol beat his wings harder in order to gain more speed. He cursed himself for not being able to smell it sooner. He just hoped he could catch up to Mai before something happened.

~~~~~
The female studied Talos closely, she didn't get what he was after. First he acts all stern and then fens an uncaring attitude. Not very hick-ish, if she had to say. "I see, my name is Lena...Well then, if you don't mind, Talos, I will be on my way. Thank you for your help." The female sat herself up the rest of the way and peeled the covers off of her.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from letting out a groan. She could feel every inch of the laceration and moving caused a fiery sting up and down her shoulder. While not moving would have been a better option, this female avian felt even more uncomfortable leeching off of someone.

Lena was not one for any beings company, preferring to be on her own for great periods of time. So took a moment to think that this Talos couldn't be a wonderer of any sort if he had a home to come back to. She shook the thought from her head and began to look for her own shirt.

"Where on Earth is my shirt?" She glared at him for a moment and her eyes only narrowed more as a thought came to her. "Don't tell me you are so low as to take advantage of a wounded woman..." It hadn't come out as an accusation but more of a question.

As she thew her legs over the bed, sweat dotted her forehead the simple movements sent waves of pain that she hadn't expected. She mumbled a few unlady like curses. As she pushed herself off the bed, she was overcome with a dizzying feeling and the edges of her vision began to darken once more.

Mai flew for as long as she dared, settling on the ground before her vision went completely. From her poor vantage point among the trees, she couldn't see the rising pillar of smoke in the northern forest, and with the sun setting, there was no chance of her being able to do so any longer even if she wanted to. The smell of wood smoke did reach her though, and her suspicion that Telalia might be in danger only increased. She couldn't think of a good reason for her to have lit the forest ablaze, and so began calling out the name of the dragon at the top of her lungs. "Telalia! Where are you?!" Her fear for the dragon overrode her natural fear of the dark, determined as she was to find out where her partner had gone.

There was, however, another dragon in the woods that heard the girl's call first. Curios, Arasolra turned from the tree she had been torching for her own amusement, cocking her head toward the sound of the small voice wafting through the forest. "What fool is lurking about at this hour?" She mused, her tail whipping through a burning tree completely unharmed. The sun blaze dragon had grown bored, and being a creature of fire as she was, had decided to set some things on fire for her amusement. Twigs and branches had been set to fire at first, and then trees, and then pretty soon a whole section of the forest had been lit ablaze. Arasolra had reveled in the heat and utter chaos of the massive fire, and now it seemed some creature had wandered into the blaze. She un-tucked her huge banner-like wings, springing into the air with a great heave of her body and rode the currents of the flames high into the sky. Up where it was quiet, she could pinpoint the yelling below with more accuracy, and headed down, blowing a huge burst of flames as she landed to fell the trees and make way for her bulk.

The little creature she had been tracking took cover some distance away, though Arasolra could still pick out the creature's features fairly well. "What's this? A little birdy that does not fly in the face of danger? You must be very brave, or very stupid." She purred, hunkering down amongst the glittering embers that surrounded her, the trees having been instantly seared of their leaves when she blasted them directly with her fiery breath. "But which is it little birdy? Can't, or won't?"

The descent of the dragon was unlike anything Mai had ever seen or felt. The sudden burst of light and heat had her averting her eyes and ducking behind a tree to avoid being singed by the intensity of the fire that the dragon poured from its maw. Hearing the huge beast address her, she stumbled out from behind the tree, taking in the scene as best she could, her vision improved with the light of the fire that the huge dragon had settled in. From it, she could make out its massive form and the wolfish grin that spread across its maw, exposing a row of sharp white teeth that could only mean trouble. In the face of such obvious danger, she found herself unable to speak, backing slowly away from the creature.

"And now you deign to run from me?" The dragon hissed, seeing Mai's retreat. "Very well little birdy, let us play, yes? You run for you life, and I will try and catch you. A most amusing past time, no?" A laugh issued from Arasolra's throat as she stood, tail whipping back and forth like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. "Well? What are you waiting for? Run!"

*~*~*~*

A blush rose to his cheeks quickly when she half accused half asked if he had been so base as to be the one that undressed her, a denial quick to spring to his lips. "No! My ma patched yeh up after I rescued yeh!" His slight embarrassment didn't last long however, for when she started to get up, that look of pain returning to her face, he acted nearly without conscious thought, striding the length of the room in a couple of steps and placing his hands firmly on her shoulders, restraining her from rising any farther. "What do yeh think yer doin'?" he hissed, pushing her back down into a sitting position and keeping his hands on her shoulders, his brown eyes practically boring into her. "You really do wanna die, don't yeh? Look, yer clothes were soaked with blood, so my ma took 'em and is gonna wash 'em with the rest of our stuff. She cun probably patch the hole too if yeh wait a little bit." Talos looked her over quickly, noting her pale skin despite her dark tan, and grew worried. "Why won't you just rest?" He asked, sounding harsher than he meant to, concern coloring his voice. "Yeh probably won't make it even to the door."

Kol knew immediately that Mai was in rather grave danger when he saw the great red dragon make its way from one part of the forest to another. Presumably where Mai had been looking for, hopefully someone else than this dragon. It didn't look like a friend of any creature but itself.

Kol hovered over the scene below him, he felt his heart jump not only in fear for the girl, but the adrenaline rush that quickly hit his system. By the actions he just witnessed from the dragon before he hoped that it wasn't as fast of a flyer as he was. If he could quickly grab Mai and run that would be the best chance for survival.

Kol tightened the hilt on his sword and let a thermal take him just a bit higher. He knew he didn't have much time and Mai's quivering body would not make it far against this dragon if she did chose to run. Peaking at his desired hight Kol went into a hammer head like fall, tucking in his arm and wings as he plummeted towards the ground.

As he fell the heat coming from the intense fires caused him to break into a sweat. What a beautiful creature...The thought crossed his mind just as he snapped open his wings and forced his body into a vertical stance. He took two running steps towards Mai and wrapped his arm around her waist.

He didn't take the time to look back or wait as he continued on with his momentum and forced himself to take flight. He pumped his wings hard several times as they gained in hight. He had no intention of stopping to check if the dragon was following or not. Gaining a better grip on Mai, he gained speed and went as far as he could away from the beast before looking back. It seemed that they were not worth the effort to chase for that dragon. Thank the heavens.

After a half hour of flight Kol landed just outside where he knew Talos' home would be. He knew exactly where it was, actually. Considering his many raids on this place, how could he not? A pang on guilt hit him, now that he knew of Mai. Though he pushed that aside as he gently sat her down and looked over her. He pushed a bit of hair from her face.

"...Mai, are you alright..?" his voice boarded fear as he spoke. He hadn't the time to look her over while flying to safety. He scanned her over seeing not apparent signs of danger but had no idea if mentally she was alright.

~~~~~
Lena would normally have had smirked at the blush on his face but the room seemed to be spinning. Despite her grave situation, a smile found a way to her face. How silly this all seemed. She place a hand on her forehead, as if to stop the spinning as she looked down from his gaze.

"I'm not used to being taken care of..." The small confession was barley audible as she felt herself depending on him holding her shoulders to keep her up. A light blush covered her face as she looked up and locked eyes with him. "Against my nature, you could say...." She mumbled as pain etched across her face. Stupid dragon.

Her rescue was so abrupt and so unexpected, at first she cried out in fright, thinking that the dragon had somehow snuck up on her and had attacked from the side instead of the front. When she realized that it wasn't another dragon, but somebody with wings and blond hair, she stopped screaming, simply holding on and waiting for him to put her down.

When they landed, she couldn't bring herself to let him go right away, her fists bunched tightly in his shirt almost entirely unconsciously, her body still trembling with nerves. It was full dark out now, and she couldn't see much more than a foot in any direction. Were it not for the sounds she had become accustomed to at night in Turich, she wouldn't have even known that she was within the city. As it was, she had no idea how close to home she was. To his question, she nodded, then swallowed, and replied in a shaky voice. "Yeah, m'fine... It was just a... a bit ofa scare... I didn't think that- well, I was 'spectin somethin' else."

She inhaled slowly, taking a deep breath before letting it out and released her iron grip on Kol's shirt, backing away a step which instantly made his entire form little more than a blur. "Thank yeh fer savin' me."

*~*~*~*

"Even rogues need help sometimes." Talos muttered, taking her momentary weakness as an opportunity to push her back on the bed. "I get it, really I do. I dun't visit my family much, seein' as I'm always out on the road, but ev'ry once 'an a while I drop in to say hi, yanno? Catch up with the siblin's, see what ma and pap are up ta now..." He knelt down next to her bed, propping her feet back up on their hastily improvised cot that he and his mother had set up for her, hoping she wouldn't be so reckless as to try and flee again. "If it makes yeh feel any better, I'm sure yeh could strike a deal with my ma to help 'round the house once yer good enough to stand again. Besides, what kinda people would we be if we didn't help out somebody who was bleedin' ter death?" A small smile graced his face as he knelt there, watching her carefully as he could with the diminishing light outside hampering his vision as it was. He stood slowly, relying more on his sense of touch and memorization of the layout of the house to guide him. In the next room, he could hear everybody coming through the front door for the day, voices weary as they trudged through the small house to their respective rooms.

One of them came into the common room and clapped Talos on the shoulder, staring curiously at the stranger lying there. "Boy Talos, I nevar knew yous was sucha rough lover! Nearly kill'd 'er, looks like!" Though nearly a foot shorter than Talos, the newcomer looked slightly older by a few years, presumably an older brother, though they held very little family resemblance. He had dark brown hair that was streaked with two locks of white, one directly in the fore center of his head and the other slightly off to the side, the sweeping locks of hair brushed to the side of of his eyes, which were golden in color, though were more yellow than orange, almost appearing to glow from within in the late evening light. He had more muscles in his arms than Talos, though the younger of the two had a wider more defined chest and was certainly more lean than his older sibling. His accent was also much thicker. Where Talos' had been tempered to a more moderate degree by traveling about, the older one had never been outside of Turich, his outlandish accent completely undiluted by the influences of the outside world and was of such a heavy inflection, he seemed to almost be speaking a different language entirely.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Talos brushed off the older man's hand. "You've got the wrong idea, Arthulur. Mai's beastie caught 'er in teh woods outside of town."

"Sure sure." Arthulur replied with a shrug, lifting his hands in a submissive gesture. "Dat's what they all say, lil'bro."

Kol had let her hold on to him for as long as she had needed. The poor thing was a ball of nerves and sounded as if she were about to break down and cry. The urge to hold her close to him was over whelming but when she pulled back he remained where he was to give her the space necessary for calming down.

"Never have I seen that dragon in these parts before..." He mumbled more to himself than anyone. "I'm glad to see you are well, my lady..." He looked over her in concern. He knew that being almost blind couldn't have helped with he shot out of the sky to grab her but it was the only way to get them both safely away from the dragon and it's ever growing fire.

Kol would have to go back to the fire to ensure that it wasn't spreading towards him home and family. His clan preferred to be under the blanket of the stars and enjoyed the sounds of nightlife over the busy daylight hours.

"May I escort you back safely to your home, Mai?" He had no want to be so close to Talos' meager home, though the chances of him actually being able to see Kol were slim to none....but he wanted to make sure she got home safely.

~~~~~

Lena listened to him speak, honestly glad when he gently pushed her down that she was laying down once more. She nodded at the idea of being able to pay back her debts of being saved by them. Never did she like a debt on her shoulders. As he finished talking to her Lena found herself blushing light at his soft smile. She looked away from him and focused on the suddenly interesting wall next to her.

She kept herself awake long enough to hear another person come in and talk. He had an even thicker accent than Talos. Goodness these people lived in the sticks. Though, this one did sound interesting while teasing Talos. Lena soon found herself unable to deny the whispers of slumber that called to her shortly after the two avians conversation. A slight smirk on her face remained as she drifted into a light sleep.

Mai closed her eyes and after thinking for a moment, nodded her head. "Yeh, iffin ye'd be so kind as ter show meh home... I can't- er, um, well, I can't exactly see righ' now... so urm... Well, meh house is on the edge of town. If yeh'd tell me where we're at righ' now, I could tell yeh how to find it." She kept her eyes downcast, messing with her fingers in a nervous way, a slight blush on her cheeks from embarrassment. During the day, she had the best sight of any living creature, but at night she was completely helpless, her vision shot, and feeling so utterly useless was more than a little frustrating for her, especially with a stranger around to see her in such a weak state. Not to mention by the time she actually got home, she would probably be ridiculed by her brothers for staying out so late again. "Thank yeh... fer savin' meh life." She murmured, her embarrassment rising. How was it that she always managed to get into the most terrible of situations?

Kol couldn't help the smile that found its way to his face. It was obvious to see that Mai was distressed over her situation...but the look on her face was undeniable cute. He bowed down low, at the waist, even knowing she could probably only see a fuzzy outline of him. "It would be my honor." He spoke softly, hoping that his calm tone would help ease her.

He stood once more, and slowly made her way back over to her. "We are just outside your city, if I am correct, my lady." He picked his way over to her and loosely linked arms with her. Before she could say anything in protest or freak out he said, " If only to assist you to your home." In truth, he didn't mind the contact one bit he would have went for her waist but thought it may be pushing the line a bit too far at this point.

Kol lead her the long way around the city, so as he was not spotted by anyone. He knew that he was being over caution, seeing as how they were all as blind as old men, but caution never hurt anyone. A slight surge of adrenaline hit Kol's system as he neared her home. He had never been here and not pulled any antics. The urge to taunt the blind creatures tugged at him, but he restrained himself. If he had any hope of seeing this woman again, he would have to behave himself. Another cocky grin spread across his face, and this time he was glad Mai was also blind.

"You'r home is directly in front of you, no more then twenty paces or so." He released the link he had on her arm, but retained her hand. Once more he pressed a soft kiss onto it. "Mai..." He tried hard to let the distaste roll off of his tongue before continuing. "Would it be possible to see you again, perhaps in a less dangerous situation?" He smiled at her as he spoke, keeping a light hold onto her hand.

She recognized the sounds of home as they got closer, her spirits lifting when they finally stopped just outside her house. She could hear her way back to her front door now, which was a wonderful outcome indeed. "Yeh wanna meet again?" She asked, not bothering to hide her confusion. "I 'sppose I could... I mean, I've gotta pay yeh back somehow fer savin' meh life." She tapped her finger to her chin, apparently in deep thought over the subject. "I 'sppose that I cun meet yeh temarra, seein' as I've got the day off again 'cuz the barman dunnit need my help... But why don't 'che come in?"

Mai gestured toward the vague vicinity of the front door to her small hovel, guided by the lights that flickered through the windows. "My pap and brothers'll be happy te thank yeh fer bringin' me home after dark. I guess I'm sorta the trouble child that way, always comin' home late..." A rueful smiled passed over her face, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Yeh... Arthulur and Talos would be happy to thank yeh for lookin' out fer their wayward sister."

A hopeful glint came to Kol's eyes as she agreed to meet with him once more. Though, he was slightly confused as to why she would be working under a barman but he decided that topic better left for another day. Tomorrow, in fact. He grinned in satisfaction.

Kol smiled almost nervously at the avian. "I think for tonight, it would be best for me to go, my lady. I am sure your family is worried." He bowed once more before take a few steps back into the darkness. "Please meet me in the same field I found you in today." He knew she wouldn't be able to see him now, but hoped at least she would hear his instructions for where the rendezvous point would be.

Taking a few running steps, Kol was back into the sky heading to his home. This day had been far more interesting then he had intended it to be. A beautiful woman, a daring rescue and not to mention his charming personality swooning said beautiful woman. His usual cocky grin planted itself on his face for the duration of his flight home.

The rest of the evening passed in a rather undefined blur that involved a lot of yelling and mass amounts of confusion, toe stubbing, and general mayhem for Mai. As expected, her eldest brother Arthulur descended upon her like a vulture on a carcass as soon as she walked through the door, berating her for staying out so late with clipped sentences like "What were you thinking", and "How did you even find your way home?". When she explained that some stranger had helped her home, he seemed a little less angry, especially since she left out the part where she had nearly been fried by a dragon. Roused by the racket, Talos had sought her out just as Arthulur was finished and added his own two cents to the conversation, which sparked up another round of bullying on the part of the two brothers that they held in tandem as Mai began to doze on her feet. It was her turn to be accusing when she walked into the common room and found a random woman asleep there, instantly assuming that Talos had dragged some poor wretch home from his travels. Seeing as she wasn't too far off, Arthulur joined in on the teasing, turning easily on his former ally.

The conversation ended with an uneasy truce and all three siblings heading to their respective rooms, blowing out candles and lanterns as they went. The next day found her in better spirits, and after getting clean for the day, Mai took a short flight to the forests outside of Turich, looking for Telalia. She told the dragon everything that occurred the day before, sparing no details and received little more than an exasperated sigh for the tale. After spending a few more hours with her friend, she took wing back to the meadow, wondering if her rescuer from the day before would really be there.

Lena stirred as the early afternoon hours had started. She was pleased that the throbbing in her back had lessened some. She knew, however she was far from being healed. Even more so when she sat up and felt the dull burning sensation start once more. She looked around the room for signs of life and found none. Confused, she slowly made her way to a standing position and began to look around. It was a small house, to say the least. A common area, a few bedrooms, and a place to fix meals. Lena was honestly comfortable with the modest settings and made her way outside.

The bright sunlight caused her to squint and she lifted her left hand to cover her eyes. Walking onto the dirt road she starting exploring this little town as to clues of where she was.

~~~~

Kol had been at his and Mai's meeting spot for around an hour when he saw Mai coming into view. He sat atop a boulder over looking the field. He had no idea what really to expect from this meeting but was more than elated to see that she actually had kept her word despite her ordeal the previous night.

He stood as she approached, giving her a charming smile and a wave. "Good afternoon, my lady. I hope you had a more of a peaceful night once being home?" The question was more rhetorical seeing as how any night not fleeing from a dragon seemed far more peaceful indeed but he asked out of formalities. Though Kol was unaware of just how protective Talos was over his sister, so the thought of her being lectured till she could hardly keep her wits about her, never crossed his mind.

Talos, like most of his siblings, was trained to wake up at the crack of dawn, ready to meet the new day with a working attitude. It was for their own survival as much as anything, for the little clan of dirt-poor avians wouldn't get very far with the money that they collectively pooled together to afford housing and clothes. Life on the road was hard, eking out a living by what you could catch, the money supply tighter even than city life. But in a way, it seemed easier to Talos. Out in the wilds of the open country he survived on mostly skill, and not what others deigned his services were worth. He was filled with a sense of fulfillment when a young buck fled from him with an arrow in its heart, his tracking skill required to find the fleeing deer to where it had laid down and died once enough of the ruptured blood filled its brain. The backbreaking work of the city was fulfilling in its own way when you received your pay at the end of an honest days work, but there was no thrill of the chase, no need for the finely-tuned skills of a hunter. It was a repetitive endless line of work that when compared to the wild freedom that lurked outside the city's borders was almost depressing in comparison.

Mulling over such thoughts, he hardly was aware of it when Lena crossed his path, the bright white of her wings startling him from his self-engrossed sanctuary. So startled by her presence, he dropped the heavy box his had been carrying, but seemed to pay it no mind. "Whut on earth are yeh doin'?" He nearly exclaimed, staring at her with a cross between horror and concern. "Yeh shouldn't be up walkin' around!"

*~*~*~*

Mai's fingers twitched in Kol's hand as he kissed her, and she withdrew the appendage quickly when Kol let go of it, rubbing her knuckles in her opposite palm. A rueful sort of smile passed over her face as she considered his question, lacing her fingers together once she had apparently rubbed away the feeling of Kol's lips on her hand. "Well, yes 'an no. My brothers... weren't too happy 'bout me stayin' out at night again. 'Two nights ina row!'" Mai said sternly, doing a startlingly good impression of Arthulur's voice, wagging her finger at Kol. "'Didn't know yeh could see in the dark now lil' sister. Got more special powers we should know 'bout?'" She shook her head, letting out a long sigh and rand her fingers through her hair in an exasperated way. "I know they love me 'ter death, but showin' yer siblin' love so loudly in the dead 'o night ain't cute more'n once."

She looked surprised then, as if she had caught herself saying something she wasn't supposed to. "But yeh didn't wanna see me again so I could gripe." Mai raised an eyebrow in question then, the look on her face clearly asking: What did you want to see me for?

Lena, then somewhat startled by his own surprise jumped back, flexing her wings as if to take to the skies. Immediately she regretted such an action. The swollen muscles on her back felt as if they had been set a blaze. She let her wings droop to relax once more and leveled an angry gaze at Talos.

"Now why did you go and start yelling like that! A fine greeting that is!" She completely ignored his question and the pain that was once on her face was replaced with a renewed spark of anger in her eyes. "As you can see, I've no trouble standing." She said defiantly. No person, let alone this little man was going to tell her what to do.

Being on her own for such a long time, Lena had a hard time telling the difference between bossy commands and concern. Being on the road had cut her into tough stuff and showing any weakness, even more so to men, would land her in hot water. She vaguely called her first weeks on the opens plains when a band of merchants offered her shelter from the biting wind. Little had she known, they were offering far more then shelter. If not for her quick thinking she might have been a far different, and broken person.

The very thought of being so weakened sickened Lena. She was a strong young avian and was damn proud of herself. Perhaps sometime, her pride got the better of her...but she dealt with it when the time came.

~~~

Kol watched Mai rub her knuckle with an unphased glance. She had said yesterday that it was perfectly fine in doing such. He had intended that she keep those words true. As she retold her story, Kol watched her with an amused glint to his eye. For the first time in awhile, an unbridled laughter erupted from the male avian. He was not only amused with her impression but the thought of that hick Talos or Arthulur scolding her was just precious.

"Forgive me lady, I don't see that as gripe at all. Please forgive me for keeping you so late last night, even before our run in with the lizard." He tipped his head slightly in a form of a bow. "My request to see you once more, my lady, is simply to learn more of you. You are not only beautiful, but interesting." He thoughts flickered to her attempting to head the call of a dragon. Could she be a rider or foolishly curious?