:~::Rogue & Apollo::~: The Thief, the Satyr, and the Necklace of Uber-Awesome Power

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Terrowin should have expected the kick. After all, it was probably what he would have done if he was in the same position that this man was now. With a loud 'OOF' he hit the ground, barely softening his fall as he attempted to keep at impact at his shoulders. He muttered under his breath - something that sounded like a curse - and blinked up at the tall man. He had grabbed for his dagger, but instead of leaping for Terrowin's throat, he appeared to be backing off a little bit, reaching for his shirt and other provisions. Interesting.... The man apparently wasn't a fighter, if his tiny blade was anything to go by, and he didn't seem to be used to being in the upper hand. Terrowin held open his hands and placed them up by his head, out of reach from his own large dagger, as well as the sword tucked into its scabbard on his thick belt. "Calm down mate," he soothed, sitting up slowly. "Oi hate those men more than ye'd believe. They're awful creatures, plunderin' an' killing innocent people... Not tae mention kidnappin' women and rapin' them fer their own pleasure." He shuddered. He had always refused to take part in the bandits' sport; he couldn't stand to see anyone put in such a position, but he could never do anything against the twenty men to stop it. Most of the time the poor things died after a few days from fright, stress, or agony. It was horrifying, to say the least. "Oi don't know where they took yer lady, but Oi'm sure they won't go too far. Yer actually quite lucky - they usually kill most men on the spot. Oi suppose they just wanted ye tae suffer knowin' that ye couldn't do anythin' tae stop them." He groaned, attempting to stand; the kick had made his old wound on his leg throb, and he realized that he couldn't put all of his weight on that leg without falling over. Damn thing. Still, he couldn't blame Lutis for doing it. He pitied the poor man, looking distraught as he stared after where the bandits had disappeared.

"Yer lass is tough," Terrowin said, attempting to make him feel better. "She seems capable o' taking care of herself for a little while. That stuff they put on their weapons is nasty, but the affects are only temporary. They'll prob'ly let its effects were off after a while tae, ah, get some fun out o' her.... An' if she can do that firey thing again, they won't know how tae handle her." He nodded over to where Ink was laying; she had began shuffling around a bit, which was a good sign. "It's already wearing off on the dragon. After she wakes up, Oi'd suggest goin' after them. With 'er help, and surprise on yer side, ye may be able tae rescue her. As fer why Oi'm helpin'...." He frowned, scratching at the rough stubble along his chin. "Oi guess ye could say my conscience finally got the best o' me. Oi don't think Oi could take another day o' traveling with those bastards." Although there was someone that, he realized, may be able to help them. Myio. He was the only one in the group that knew her secret, and he realized that if they wanted her to join in on the fun, her cover could be blown. "We may be able tae count on another tae help," he muttered, blinking up at the dying sunlight. He shook his head. He was beginning to ramble. "Either way.... do ye want me help or not? Oi'm sure ye'll go after her either way, an' ye'll have a better chance o' gettin' her if Oi help. Oi give ye my word that Oi won't turn against ye, if ye can trust me." It was asking a lot of Lutis, but the man really had nothing to lose...

As Ink began to regain movement, she turned to stare at the strange blonde man that insisted that he wanted to help. Without him knowing, Ink slipped into his mind, searching through his memories and thoughts about the situation. What she saw both surprised and pleased her; he seemed to be telling the truth. Talking so only Lutis could hear, she said,I have searched his mind, and he seems truthful. We have to rescue the necklace, if nothing else, and we could use his help. She swallowed hard. She had had the necklace within her grasp, and she had let it get stolen by bandits. What a pitiful dragon she was! She struggled to stand, eager to go after the men and reclaim the trinket. Either way, I am going.

Ardere didn't understand what was going on. After she had attempted to attack the men with her fire manipulation, she had felt a sharp pain in her side, and before she knew it, she couldn't move. She couldn't even cry out as they lifted her and placed her on the donkey. She tried as hard as she could to say Lutis's name, but her lips were numb, immovable. All she managed was a pitiful mumble. And now these dirty men were taking her to who knew where, to do.... Who knew what? She had a guess, but she hoped she was wrong. True, she was far from being a virgin, but she had no desire to be anywhere near these filthy, ratty men. The one watching over her was oddly dark-skinned, and had rather interesting features, for a man. He almost appeared feminine, or maybe it was just her vision playing tricks on her. After a few minutes, when she still couldn't get her body to move, the man leaned down to her. She flinched internally, wondering what he was doing, but realized that he was saying something quietly. She strained to hear. He wanted to get her out of here? Why on earth would he want to do that, after all the trouble the men had gone through to capture her? She took a closer look at the man, and wondered if he was hiding something after all. "How... w' gon' do 'at?" she mumbled, hardly understandable in her paralysis. Her thoughts strayed to Lutis. She hoped he was alright. Maybe Ink would find him and help him escape his bonds... She could only hope. As for herself, how was she going to escape? She couldn't even move, let alone use her fire to attack the men. She was helpless. She needed Lutis.......

Lutis backed off towards Ink, watching Terrowin closely. He seemed genuine, from the way he was just sitting in the sand- even shuddering at his own words at one point- but there was no way he could be sure… He was certainly going to be at a disadvantage if he was lying, armed himself with only two daggers hidden in his coat- He had another hidden in the heel of his boot, but they were in the bag on the donkey, so that weapon was out of reached. Even with that too though, he would be completely out of his depth against any of the bandits- As much as he hated to admit to the man, he needed his help.

He gave a sigh, sliding the dagger back into its sheath and putting his head in his hands, trying to think. Wanted him to suffer? Well, he was suffering now… But he was definitely going to try and do something now, now that he had an ally on his side- and they seemed to have forgotten Ink too. Lutis dropped his bundle of belongings to the ground, sorting through them and pulling on his shirt again. It was still damp and scratchy with sand, but now was not the time to worry about trivialities like that- They had to get Ardere back- Before the bandits had their way with her.

“Yeah, don’t underestimate Ardere, she’s got a lot more bite than most people think she had.” He scrubbed some of the sand off his shirt, then pulled on his coat, feeling its comforting weight hang off his shoulders. There were definitely things he could use… Surprise was something easily achieved- He had stashed away a string of firecrackers in the bottom of his coat, and he always kept a few matches in his pockets too.

Behind him he heard Ink start to shuffle on the sand, slowly waking up as Terrowin had said she would. He snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye as he shoved the broken rope pieces in an outside pocket, seeing her staring blatantly at the rogue. Her voice came in his mind, sounding determined.
“Good to see you’ve got your priorities right Ink.” He said bitterly.” But I think I’ll be rescuing Ardere for Ardere, not for your blasted treasure.” He took a few steps away from the dragon as she clambered to her feet, not wanting to be in the way if she happened to lose her balance.

“Alright, fine. I’ll trust you. I need your help anyway.” He said, stepping forwards with an offer of his hand. “Name’s Lutis. Who’s the other who can help?” If there was another man on the inside, it would make things go much better if it came to a fight. They might not all get killed… although five against eighteen or so still sounded pretty terrible odds.

~~~
Myio shot a careful glance at the closest bandits, covering her relief when she saw they were deep in bragging over their capture. Sometimes it was handy being one of the smaller, less notice members of the group- being able to keep her secrets more than made up for less pay. The satyr mumbled through her paralysis, her words slurring like a drunkard’s. It was clear she was going to be little help in organising a plan.
“I have no idea how.” She whispered back, moving back to the donkey’s head without a look back. She had to be careful not to attract unwanted attention.

“Oi Fossa, where’s Ter?” one of the other bandits hailed her suddenly, jerking her out of her thoughts.
“Dunno.” She replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “is he at the back?”
“No. He was with the prisoners before- Wot you doing talking t’her?” he asked brusquely, frowning.
“Nothin’. Wotcher think I’m doing?”
The man took a step closer, laying a hand on his sword. Myio slipped her free hand to the bow slung over her shoulder, ready to whip it off if he advanced further. “You best not be planning to keep her for yerself, ‘cos I want a part of her first.”
Myio gave a scornful laugh, throwing her head back but watching him all along. “Ye’ll get yer turn, just as t’rest of us.” She said.
“Yeah, you bet I will.” He said, the threat still in his voice as he turned away.
“Maybe Ter’s up front? Or he might be scoutin’.”
Terrowin not being around was not going to make her plan any easier to execute. He was the one person who knew she was a woman (that had been an embarrassing revelation for him), and would probably have given her a hand with the satyr’s escape- or demise, that would work too, although he probably wouldn’t agree with it- if he was around. Blasted men, never around when you needed them…

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Terrowin grinned, taking Lutis's hand and shaking it heartily. "Nice tae meet ye, mate. Ye won't regret me help, Oi promise. It'll be nice tae finally get a piece o' those awful men." He tapped the hilt of his sword, widening his grin. "The person Oi have in mind actually has a secret o' his - or, Oi should say, her - own. Oi'm the only one that knows she's a lass-" he blushed at the memory-"an Oi'm sure she's scramblin' right now to make excuses tae not take part in the, ah, 'fun'." He grimaced. "Myio can be a bit rough around the edges, but she's trustworthy." He rubbed the back of his head. "Oi know it's askin' ye a lot tae take me word fer all o' this, but, tae be honest, ye really don't have much choice. Although with this lovely dragon tae help, we may have a better chance o' comin' out o' this alive." He winked. "Ye ain't livin' unless yer on the edge o' death, eh?"

Ink laughed. I like him. I will help you to retrieve the girl, as well as the necklace that she carries. Let's just hope that they haven't discovered it yet, and taken it from her. She didn't mention that she truly wanted to get the necklace back more than she wanted to save Ardere; she didn't want to make Lutis angry, even if the trinket containing immense power that could cause destruction in the wrong hands was slightly more important than the life of one girl. She shook her head, sneezing, trying to get rid of the weariness in her limbs caused from the poison. Luckily, it seemed to be wearing off fairly quickly; maybe its effects were less potent on dragons.

"A'right, Lutis, so here's me plan. The bandits will travel until nightfall - which, now that Oi look, is only perhaps an hour or so away - an' then they'll find a place tae set up camp an' make use o' their catch. Until then, Oi'm certain that Ardere'll be okay. When they're distracted settin' up the campfire an' tents would be the best time tae strike. Oi can take out a few o' them from a distance with me bow, but Oi'm gonna need ye tae sneak in an' capture yer lass before they can use 'er as a hostage or shield. Myio will prob'ly start attackin' as soon as she realizes what's going on - she has no love fer those men. Look for her - she's a dark-skinned gal with short black hair an' smooth features - and help Ardere escape. Oi'll do the attackin'. Oi know how the men fight, and Oi know that Oi'm a better swordsman than most o' them. Once ye get her outta harm's way, though, Oi'm sure Oi'll need yer help, along with the dragon. If ye can, try not tae kill any more than ye have tae; Oi don't normally like causin' bloodshed, but, well, they deserve it." He finally grew quiet, waiting to see if Lutis had any plans or ideas of his own. Perhaps Ardere could help in the fight as well? She seemed pretty powerful when she wasn't drugged, and he knew that satyrs often possessed magical powers of some sort. Hers, apparently, was with fire.

Ink huffed, standing now, with only a slight wobble. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go! She began to trudge off in the direction the men had taken off in, then turned and looked back to make sure the men were following. They left a clear trail back into the desert. It will be easy to follow them, but the cover will be scarce once we get back to the sand. We'll have to follow from a distance until it gets completely dark. She flexed her claws, savoring the fierce power in her paws. She may not be capable of breathing fire, but her claws and teeth were deadly enough in close ranges. She could take out a half dozen men with weapons, easily. And most of those bandits appeared to carry little more than some rusty knives. She had a feeling this would be easier than they thought.

Terrowin nodded his approval. "Oi agree." He tuned to Lutis. "Wot do ye think?"

~*~*~*~*~

Ardere blinked, trying to comprehend the words as the feminine-looking bandit spoke to another. Have a part of her? She groaned. Of course this is what they wanted. She tried to form a flame in her palm, but all she got was a tiny spark on the tip of her index finger. Well, at least it seemed to be coming back, if painfully slowly. "Lutis'll save me," she whispered to the bandit, her words still slurred. "He won' le' me get taken li' this... He'll thinka somethin'." Even as she said the words, she knew it was true. Lutis was brave and strong and smart, and he cared about her more than she deserved. He would at the least be trying to help her, if he could. But... What if he got hurt, or worse? She suddenly felt guilty. Maybe this Terrowin person would be able to help too? He had seemed almost genuine when he had spoken to them earlier, if he was the same man. She had no idea who she could trust and what was going to happen next, so she stayed quiet for the next few minutes, until the procession stopped and they began to set up camp. She got tossed to the ground with her hands tied behind her back and tied to a pole, baring her nearly nude body to any man nearby. It was disgusting, though she, sadly, was almost used to it, from what she normally did with men in bars, though it never involved being tied to a pole... She spat in the direction of any man that leered too openly, and they laughed, finding pleasure in her misery. "Wait 'til we're done settin' up, then the fun'll begin," one sneered, tracing a dirty hand along her chin. She lashed out and bit his finger, and he howled, pulling back and glaring at her. "Fer that, I'll have ye first," he growled, already planning the ways he could violate her body. Ardere just glared.

Lutis cocked an eyebrow at the mention of a woman on the inside. Yes, he could see how
Ardere’s presence would get her into trouble. “A lady?”
Well, if Terrowin knew she was to be trusted, that was all there was he could go on. He crossed his arms, trying to keep his fingers from fiddling in anxiety. Every moment they stood here was a moment more Ardere could be getting into even more trouble…
“Don’t remind me I’m stuck in this.” he said, looking towards Ink as Terrowin reasserted how stuck he was in the situation. The dragon still looked wobbly from whatever poison she had been stuck with, but at least she was still on her feet- He only hoped that Ardere would recover as quickly- if she was a dead weight on their shoulders during an escape, it would make things all the harder. “How long does that poison stuff take to wear off on a human?”
Of course, Ardere wasn’t human, but she was still human-ish.

He huffed out a breath as Ink declared a new allegiance, giving up on trying to keep his hands still and starting to rifle through his pockets for anything that might aid their plans.
“Of course you like him, he’s complimenting you!” he shook his head in mock disapproval, but he himself was beginning to like the man too. Ink still seemed fixated on the necklace they had stolen- It must be worth a lot. He still didn’t know, but if it would do something magical to aid their escape plans, then it would come in handy.
“This is Ink.” he said to Terrowin, introducing the dragon with a wave of a hand. He had a handful of marbles, but they would be little help, especially as he had lost the bag they had originally come in. He dropped them back into his pocket and kept rummaging as Terrowin outlined his plans and Ink sneezed.

He nodded at the thought of sneaking. “Yes, I can do that.” He gave a wry smile, thinking back to his life in Kaionar. “I’m not so good at the whole fighting…thing though.” He had to be frank- He didn’t want brashness to get him into a sticky situation. After all, he was a thief, not a warrior, and that was exactly how he liked things, thank you very much! “As long as she doesn’t get in the way…” he paled at the thought of actually killing the men, repellent as they were. The worse he had ever done was cut someone badly (and even that time it had been an accident).

Lutis tapped two fingers to his lips, thinking for a moment.
“We’ll need a distraction if we’re going the sneaky route in.” He paused for a moment. “More of a distraction than you just firing arrows off, of course.” he added. “I think I’ve got the thing for that.” He withdrew the knife from his pocket again, picking up one corner of the bottom of his coat and slicing through the inner fabric. It had been torn and sown shut before, that was easily seen. “I’ve been saving these for a uh… Special occasion.” He reached into his coat, fumbling for a second before drawing out a long twisted snake of red and gold canisters and holding them up for Terrowin to see. “Firecrackers. Perfect for a big distraction.”
“And, Ardere’s not helpless either.” Or at least he hoped she wouldn’t be. He didn’t say any more, knowing her to be coy about revealing too much information about herself. With her powers and Terrowin’s skill with a sword (and this Myio woman too), they might actually be able to pull the thing off!

Feeling more positive, he turned after Ink as the dragon set off after the tracks of the men, shrugging at Terrowin. She certainly did have a mindset to be reckoned with.
“I think the dragon’s right. Even if Ardere gets free before we get there, I’ll have no hope in catching her if I’m not close.” He didn’t think that Terrowin would follow them- even with his words of venom against the bandits, why would he turn against them to set out alone (and probably pursued), when he could go back to the relative animosity of being with a stable group? Of course, there was always the chance of him coming too, but with Myio being in the group of bandits, it was unlikely, when they could just band together of their own accord.

~*~*~*~*~

Myio shook her slightly head in despair at Ardere’s words. Did she really think she was going to get saved by someone they had just left tied in undo-able knots? Was she a princess waiting for prince charming to come and save her? From the way the satyr was thinking, she would get little help from her in the way of plans. Thankfully she kept silent for the next while, allowing Myio to think (and saving her from who knew what trouble if she were to be found talking civilly to her.

They stopped to make camp soon though, throwing up barriers to her plotting once again. Nothing was going right! She tugged the donkey to a stop, wrenching at its reins when it threatened to bite her, a snarl on her lips. She had no time for a stupid beast like this. She lost track of where Ardere went- She was assigned to putting up the pale tents they slept in, pulling up the pale white tee-pees with practised ease by herself. By that time, she was starting to form plans- Terrowin still wasn’t around, so either he was scouting, or off doing something foolhardy or dangerous- possibly both- so she would have to work on her own. That meant she would have to kill the satyr. There was no way of getting her out of the camp when it was only her working alone, as repulsive a thought as that was.

She heard a howl behind her, and figured that Ardere must have upset one of the others. She rolled her eyes to herself- All she was doing was making it worse. A shadow fell across her, and she turned away from the corner she was securing to see their leader standing over her, a little vial in one hand.
“Don’t think I didn’t see you talking to her earlier.” He started, pushing the vial in her direction. “Give her this, don’t waste a drop.” He sneered. “She’s a feisty one all right, but when there’s fire an’ biting involved, I’d rather have ‘er sweet.” He narrowed his eyes at her, threatening punishment if he was crossed, then strode away to have at someone else.

Myio looked at the vial. She had never seen it before, but it must be pretty potent stuff, to come in such a bottle- and save it for a satyr too. Steeling herself, she strode over to where Ardere was tied to a pole, looking completely indecent by Myio’s standards. She uncorked the bottle and stepped round to one side, keeping out of the way of any abuse that might come her way. She wouldn’t take lightly to having this potion forced down her. She gritted her teeth and stepped forward without a word, pinching Ardere’s nose and pulling her head back, emptying its contents into her mouth and forcing her mouth shut until she had to swallow.

:~::Rogue & Apollo::~: The Thief, the Satyr, and the Necklace of Uber-Awesome Power - Page 2 3212014640_15605c8b05

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((Just a warning in advance, I’m really tired, so forgive me if I missed anything ^^; ))

“How long does it take tae wear off?” Terrowin mused, tapping his fingers against his thigh as they followed the dragon through the woods. “Well, it appears that it didn’ last too long on Ink here, but Oi don’t really know how it effects different beings. Normally when the men used the stuff on normal human women, it could last fer a couple o’ hours. On a… Satyr… As powerful as yer lass seems tae be, Oi’d guess it wouldn’t last quite as long, especially if they gave her the potion that….” He trailed off, grimacing. He shouldn’t have said anything; Lutis would probably freak out if he realized what the satyr might be getting into already. “She’s probably already getting some o’ her abilities back,” he tried to assure him, knowing that even if she was, she wouldn’t use them under the influence of the antidote-like liquid that caused giddiness and naïve behavior in those who were forced to drink it.

He paused when Lutis mentioned his lack of fighting skills, knowing that if he wasn’t one to harm others, then he would be more of a burden than a help in battle. “Well, Oi’ll leave the sneakin’ an’ gettin’ yer gel out tae ye, then, and me, Myio an’ Ink can take care o’ the bandits on our own. As long as ye can keep her out of it, then we should be fine. My only fear is that they’ll try tae use Ardere as a shield to protect themselves. As soon as they realize they’re under attack, they’ll most likely grab ‘er and get her in a position it will be impossible tae get her out of. That’s why Oi think ye should see if ye can get in and out the same time as Oi start attackin’, so they’ll be so distracted tryin’ tae defend themselves that ye’ll escape with ‘er unharmed.”

He grinned as Lutis produced the firecrackers from his pocket, already planning on what a ruckus those could cause. “That’ll be perfect, mate,” he crooned, reaching out and taking the dangerous items from his grip. “If Oi can strap these tae me arrows and shoot them into camp, all hell’ll break loose an’ they won’t have any idea o’ what happened.” He began to wonder if it would even be necessary to fight the bandits at all, but to be honest, he really was looking forward to putting the men in their places. If all went well, they could chase most of them away unharmed and take what the bandits had for their own; he knew they had a large stock of ale and mead, and he began to salivate thinking about getting them for himself. Ah, if all went to plan, they could all be dozing around a campfire later tonight, chugging the finest alcohol in the area and not having to worry about being attacked, at least for the night while the bandits fled the area. Grin in place, he continued onward until they reached the edge of the oasis, where the sand began once again.

The sun was now below the horizon, and they were mostly hid in the canopy of darkness, all senses alert for any bandits that might be keeping a lookout. However, once they caught sight of the camp, it appeared that they were all gathered together, preparing for the night ahead. “Looks like we’ll have out chance soon,” he murmured as the trio gathered behind the nearest sand dune, mostly out of sight of the camp; the only way the bandits would see them is if they knew they were there. Terrowin felt a little doubt though; there was practically no cover for the thief to hide behind, and he wondered how he would get to the camp unnoticed. At least there were plenty of tents and wagons for him to sneak around in once he got there. “When yer ready, Oi’ll begin the distraction,” he whispered, nodding gravely. His blood began to pump wildly as he notched an arrow to his bow, firecracker in place. He wondered if Ardere would start to fight as well once she realized what was going on.

Ink simply listened to the two men talk, adding in comments of her own when necessary, but mostly keeping silent and preparing to get rid of her wrath on these wretched, dirty humans.

----------

Ardere continued to glare at any man that came too near, and was pleased to see that they mostly left her alone, perhaps realizing that she might be more trouble than she was worth. She continued to try to work on getting her pyrokinetics back, finally conjuring a full flame about a half-hour after being tied up. It wouldn’t do much harm, but at least they were coming back. She hid the flame from the bandits, half expecting them to poke her with the poisoned dagger again. But none came. She allowed herself a grin smile, knowing that she wasn’t completely helpless anymore. She realized that perhaps she would have to be the one to go and rescue Lutis, who was, she thought grimly, probably still tied up in the oasis. She began to try to create a plan in her still slightly foggy mind.

That is, until the feminine-looking ‘man’ approached her once more, forcing her to swallow an oddly sweet-tasting liquid until the vial it was contained in was empty. “What the hell was that for?” she spat, glaring angrily at the bandit. Great, had they poisoned her now!? She groaned, slumping and wondering what they wanted. Information? About what? Were they going to torture her for reasons unknown to her? She let the dark thoughts whirl around in her mind until a funny feeling began to overcome her. At first it was only a slight tingle in the back of her mind, but it soon grew to larger proportions, and she suddenly let out an uncharacteristic giggle. Nothing was particularly funny, but it just seemed appropriate, for some reason. She began to feel bubbly and cheerful, and wondered why she had been worried in the first place. These men wouldn’t really hurt her, would they? They were so productive and confident! She gave a smoldering look at any man who looked her way, feeling a burning desire to curl up with one of them in front of the bonfire that they now had going. Her head lolled to the side, and she giggled again, all thoughts of escaping her predicament vanished as silly visions began to dance in her head. What a fun adventure this was! And Lutis, why, certainly he would be joining them soon, to join the party that was going on? He wouldn’t miss that simply because he was tied up! No, he would find a way back to her, and once he did, she would confess the deep, aching love she felt for him at this moment, and how she longed to be with him. She sighed happily, waiting for the thief to appear.

Lutis shot Terrowin a fearful look as he mentioned a potion, but didn’t press the point. He didn’t want to know what they might be doing to Ardere- It was bad enough the visions he was having of what they might be doing without the added fear of magic potions too. He would just have to hope that she wasn’t getting herself into more trouble by fighting back too hard. Terrowin’s reassurances didn’t really help, and he hid the fidgeting of his fingers in his pockets, rolling the loose marbles around amongst all the other trinkets he had collected.

“Yeah, sneaking is what I do best.” He spoke up, trying to concentrate on planning as much as they could before they tried to rescue Ardere, a bit like he did with an important heist. Only… this was a person… who he liked very much… He pushed the thought out of his mind. It was needless to say he was proud of his skills as a thief, although it was unwise to brag about them, unless he was in equally shady company. “I’m good with keeping out of the way.” Once again, there was a mention of a woman called Myio- he had known a Myio in the past, but there was no chance it could be the same one… She was a baker’s daughter, not a hardened desert bandit!

Lutis shared a weak grin as Terrowin took the firecrackers. “Careful setting them off it you’re gonna split them up. The guy who uh… sold them to me said they’ve got quite a bang.” He had seen a few set off, and it was true, they were some of the most explosive he had ever seen. They would definitely cause a distraction. Terrowin seemed pleased enough at the prospect, a wide grin stretching across his face. Lutis saved his for when they rescued Ardere.

As the desert turned from yellow to a dark blue as the sun sank below the horizon, Lutis continued to plot- The coming of the night meant his dark coat would blend into the land, allowing him to wear it still. It would help if he suddenly got into a situation where he needed something. The camp wasn’t in such a great place- It sat down a valley between two sand dunes, which made it easy for Terrowin to get his arrows down to the heart of it, but as for escaping out again, well, that would be another matter entirely. There wasn’t much cover, but all the bandits were gathered near a campfire roaring into the sky. It was just a matter of getting there. A mournful bray from the donkey said that his possessions might still be somewhere close enough to steal too- His boots would be especially helpful.

The thief pulled his scarf from a pocket when they came to a halt, tying it securely over his face and hiding his nose and mouth. His father had taught him that little trick- A human face was always the first thing you saw in a new place.
“Try and distract them all to one place- I bet you could torch one of those tents with a cracker or two.” he said to Terrowin before starting off along the sand dune, skirting along the hidden side towards where the donkey had revealed its position. He could feel the normal adrenaline pumping through him, but under that, there was also a fear for Ardere.

Sure enough, as Lutis crept closer to the camp, there was a heaped pile of random items stacked against the edge of a tent. He took a quick look around- Seeing the place empty, he crouched down and rifled through the pile- His boots! Not sparing any thought for gratitude, he pulled them on, ignoring the sand between his toes. Next, Ardere.

Suddenly he spotted her… tied to a pole. Well, that was fair enough, considering she was a captive, but what was the smoulder that she was giving the nearest men all about? The fear suddenly dropped out of Lutis’ stomach, leaving cold calculation and a little irritation behind. He would sneak in behind her and cut the ropes, and she would be free. And when they were out of there, the first question was going to be what that smoulder was all about.

~

Myio had watched the satyr slowly become intoxicated by the drug she had given her- As if her clothing didn’t disgrace her enough, she was no also making puppy eyes at whoever was closest. One of the others stoked up a high bonfire and she positioned herself near it, furthest across from the satyr as she could- For one, she didn’t want to be the object of her fawning, and the further away she was, the less likely she would be the one told to make the first move. Although from the way some of her companions (she shuddered at the use of the term, was it really true she had fallen in with such scum?) were acting, she need not worry much.

She had pulled her sword from its sheath and was rubbing it slowly clean of sand and dirt when the first arrow struck. She nearly missed it as it arched through the flames of the bonfire, dragging a line of smoke after it, before there was a loud bang and it shattered, pieces exploding across the ground. Someone gave a yell as hot wood burned them, then sudden panic erupted as more arrows started to fly, each accompanied by another bang. Myio leapt to her feet, her sword firmly in her grip- This was her chance to get rid of that satyr!

~

Lutis heard the first exploding arrow land and broke cover from the cart he was crouched behind, heading directly for Ardere. She was uncomfortably close to the bonfire, but it was a good challenge, and he took it in both hands. She was bound to the pole by ropes, tied too well for him to unknot fast enough- But he had a secret asset up his sleeve. Or rather foot. He kicked the toe of one boot at the heel of the other hard, and there was a click. A blade slid out the front of his boot, and he gave a grim smile at the fact that the sand hadn’t seized up the mechanism yet. He set the blade against the wood of the pole and dragged it quickly upwards, the sharp edge cutting cleanly through the ropes, making them snap free under the pressure. A curl of wood dropped to the floor. Another tap on the side of his boot made the blade retract and he was around to Ardere’s front in a flash, offering a hand to help her up.

~

Myio ran for the satyr, keeping her head low as more arrows flew. One made a “shink!” noise as it buried itself in the sand near her, and with a jolt she recognised the fletching- It was Terrowin’s! What the hell was he up to? She knew he didn’t like the way the other bandits had been acting, but was he insane to attack them like this? She saw another bandit reach for the arrow, a snarl on his face as he too recognised it. Unthinking- Well, if Terrowin was fighting back, there was nothing more to lose- she ran forwards to attack, her face hard and set.

Guest

As soon as the thief dashed off into the night, Terrowin aimed his bow, to, as the man had suggested, a cart near the middle of camp. Hopefully, he thought, it wouldn't create too huge of a fire, and burn everyone to the ground in its fury. Shrugging back the thought, and seeing Lutis's shape appear on the outskirts of camp, he lit the fuse and fired, watching in satisfaction as it leapt into the sky and landed just where it could do the most damage - the weapons cart. It erupted into flames and debris on impact, and, after he had shot off another couple of firecracker-laced arrows, slung his bow over his back and joined the fray, unsheathing his sword and dealing blows left and right. The unsuspecting bandits had no idea what was happening, and he easily dealt with them, knocking the ones that stood in his way unconscious with the hilt of his sword, the others simply fleeing at the sight of him, his slightly scared face grinning demonically in the flames surrounding them. "Tha's right, begone, ye filthy beasts!" he cried, sending another one reeling. It felt good to give them back a little taste of what they had done to others.

After giving a good dozen or so a good whipping and watching a few others tear away into the night, he finally crossed swords with a man who seemed to be able to hold his own. Or, he noticed on second thought, her own. It was Myio, and as soon as he recognized her, he threw back his weapon, holding up his other hand in a friendly gesture. She seemed, he thought, to be fighting against the men! "Myio, it's me, Terrowin!" he called over the commotion, his grin widening. "Oi thought it was abou' time tae give these wicked men a taste o' their own medicine. Lutis's around here somewhere, savin' the gel, Oi suppose, an' Oi already knocked a couple men out. We should be able tae drive them out in no time, especially if-"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when Ink came dashing up, her mouth and claws stained in a red shade that was a tad darker than strawberry juice. These men taste filthy, she complained, wrinkling her nose. I can hardly stand to wound them with my teeth. How other dragons can eat these disgusting things, I have no idea. She dashed back out into the night, and screams followed in her wake.

Soon, few men were left standing, and of those, nearly all of them ran away, sure that they were being attacked by some demon with tongues of flame and deadly beasts. 'Stupid superstitious men,' Terrowin thought smugly. Before long the entire camp was deserted, save for the men that had stayed and fought, some unconscious on the ground with bruises forming on their heads, others groaning from the wounds that the dragon had inflicted upon them. "Tha' was way easier than Oi had expected," Terrowin grumbled, scratching his head. A feeling came over him that this wouldn't be the last time that they saw the bandits. "Thank ye fer helpin', Myio," he finally said, turning to face the woman. She could fight nearly as well as he, he thought with a touch of pride. The warm glow of the bonfire played against the dark tones of her skin, creating a red glow that seemed to make her burn from within. Terrowin felt a rush of desire within him, then pushed it aside, looking around for where the others had gone.

Ardere had gasped aloud as the tents went up in flames, more giggles erupting from her throat as she watched the fire dance around the came. It all seemed like such a grand show, and it became even more so when none other than Lutis appeared before her. "Lutey!" she cried, oblivious to the attention it might draw; luckily, everyone seemed too distracted with the flames to notice. She struggled to get to him, but then seemed to remember that she was still tied up. As he tried to set her free, she babbled on. "Oh Lutey, I knew you would come. These men carried me out here like this and tied me to this pole, and kept staring at me like some sort of local attraction... But then, they gave me this weird drink, and now I feel all happy and giddy!" Laughter bubbled from her, and as the ropes around her slackened, she leapt into his arms, crooning,"I looove you, Lutis! You're so brave and kind, coming to save me!" She then proceeded to kiss him, even as the flames around them grew higher and the men yelled and fought, oblivious to their surroundings.

Terrowin finally caught sight of the two, but after hearing what was said, realized that the woman had, indeed, been intoxicated with the tincture commonly referred to as 'love potion' in the camp. It caused anyone who drank it to turn, well, into a naive, innocent, oblivious buffoon with the need to express their feelings to the extreme. And, it seemed, it had the same effect on satyrs as it did on humans. Leaving the two to catch up, he went to one of the tents and began scrounging around, soon producing a large amount of fine ale and beer, too much, even, for them to easily carry. His grin stayed plastered on his face. Tonight, they would feast like kings, considering the amazing variety of food that also sat in the closed compartments unharmed by the smoke and flames.

---------

A mile or so away, a man staggered doggedly on, his frustration and need to prove himself the only thing keeping him going. He was a so-called knight of Kaionar, though the term was used loosely, as he had hardly been drafted into the service for a week. So far he had only been asked to do petty tasks, such as inspecting suspicious crates for illegal goods, keeping children out of the streets after curfew, and so forth. He was young, at the age of only 17, but he was determined to make a name for himself. Sadly, his lack of coordination and usual air of confusion made it difficult for him to keep his head straight, and many often wondered how such a fool had even been allowed to join the service. Some thought it was pity, others thought for amusement. Either way, he was now scouring the desert for two people who had apparently left the city earlier into the desert and, suspiciously, never returned. Why anyone would care about two people disappearing into the desert, he had no idea, but he assumed it had something to do with the necklace that had been stolen recently. And how anyone expected him to find the two, well, that was another question he had. He knew that they had set him on this task because it seemed to impossible, and no one else volunteered to go on the ridiculous mission. And so, being the newest to the crew, he had been selected. None went with him, as his pride wouldn't allow it, and now here he was, out in the middle of the desert, with little more than a few canteens of water, some dry fruit and nuts, his armor, and his sword. He had disposed of his helmet soon after going into the desert, the heat from the sun too much on the dark metal covering his head. Now, Bronimir's dull, straight black hair clung to his pale head from sweat, and his usually eager and optimistic icy blue eyes were now narrowed with concentration and strain. He heard a disturbance in the west, and picked up his pace in that direction. Who knew what he would find.

Myio fought with a vengeance she hadn’t felt against any that they had taken when she was working with the bandits- The very felling of them below her sword brought a perverse pleasure to her. She wasn’t one for killing normally, but this was something different- So many had suffered under the hands of the men, women like herself that could have been strong and independent and free, to fall into their black hands and be shredded into nothing in a matter of days. As she crossed blades with what had been the leader of the bandits, she let out a fierce wordless warcry, driving him backwards with a flurry of attacks that dived around his own sword like a lithe otter in a river. His expression changed from anger to fear as she drove him to his knees, huffing at her exertions, her eyes wide and angry. The tip of her sword wavered over his throat, drawing beads of blood where it pressed against his skin. She was poised to kill for a moment, then bent close to his face, hissing.
“You can live, only to know you were bested by Myio Fossa, a woman.” She spat in his face then turned in a flurry, stalking away. His face contorted, then he pulled his sword from the sand where he had dropped it, slicing out at her lower leg. He caught it, the fabric of her trousers ripping, red streaking his blade. She gave another hiss and turned, her blade slashing as her leg gave way. It caught the side of the bandit’s face and he recoiled, his hands flying to the wound, scarlet blurring his vision. He wasn't dead, but he would be useless in a fight now.

Myio’s leg wobbled as she put a little pressure on it again, clamping her spare hand over the wound and swearing violently. How could she let herself get hurt like that? Hot blood spilled between her fingers but she ignored the pain, parrying a blow that came her way. At first she didn’t recognise the man the sword belonged to, her perception blurred by the adrenaline of battle, but as he suddenly withdrew his sword she recognised Terrowin.
“What the bloody hell’s going on?” she called over the noise around them. “Who’s Lutis?” Locking her knee in place so she didn’t fall she took his offered hand, gripping it tight when a dragon ran up, her black and white feathers speckled with red. Her eyes widened, nothing really making much sense. She didn’t have time to question before the dragon was gone again, and she withdrew her hand from Terrowin’s grip, putting it back onto her leg, where she could feel a line of blood running down to her ankle. She accepted the man’s thanks with a coarse nod, trying to keep the pain off her face. He was off again into the smoky darkness soon enough like an avenging angel, and she let go a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, dropping her sword and clamping the other hand on her leg. The wound might not have been deep, but it was bleeding a lot. Her knee buckled and she fell to the floor, only just getting her hands out in time to break her fall. She rolled off her side into a sitting position, pulling her trousers up to reveal the gash.
“Aw, crap!”

Well, Ardere certainly looked well enough, even if she was acting a little strange. Since when did the satyr talk so much… And…
“Lutey?” his expression became confused at the new nickname- What was that all about? “Since when did yo-“ his words were cut off as she leapt into his arms, taking half a step backwards to steady himself. He pulled her close to him, his arms tightening around her back- As much as he had worried about her before, relief was now washing in great waves over him, despite the danger that still remained. As she kissed him his eyes widened for a moment then closed, kissing her back, drinking in her warm spicy scent. He could stay like this forever. His eyes still shut, he mumbled through her kiss “Mm, as nice as that is…” he reluctantly pulled away, looking down at her with a smile that reached all the way to his sparkling eyes “… Maybe we should go somewhere we’re not so likely to be attacked first?”

It was so tempting to bend his head and kiss her again, but he resisted the temptation, unwrapping his arms and taking hold of one of her hands. He squeezed it slightly as he looked around for the least dangerous escape route- there were flames leaping from a cart, burning up the side of a tent and the bonfire too, arrows stuck in the ground where Terrowin had fired them and other stray weapons where they had been abandoned by the fleeing bandits. As for bandits themselves though, there were only a few lying groaning on the ground, the sand around them red- looked like Ink had gone all-out on the fighting. Dragons certainly didn’t take it lightly. He saw a movement a little way away, Terrowin giving the two a look (to see if they were alright) before heading off through the camp further. Despite the desperate urge to keep their privacy, a tent slowly being eaten by flames nearby posed a danger, and he started off towards where Terrowin had disappeared off to, wrapping his arm around Ardere’s waist. His eyes strayed to her face again, lit beautifully by the bonfire, bright and open like he hadn’t seen on her face before, a grin creeping across his face. She loved him…

~~~~~

“I should probably stop an’ make camp now.”
Despite speaking aloud, there was only one figure racing across the desert dunes, a slightly brighter blur than the dark blue of the desert around her. There was only one dragon positive enough to have run through the desert day and still not be tempted to stop now night had fallen- The irrepressible Hone! The lash dragon had been in the desert for a while now, visiting the patrol of lash Elites, the desert guardians, that she had grown up with. She had changed since then- When she used to find that way of life fascinating, now she longed for a real adventure, and the patrol wasn’t the same without Aeron leading it. She was heading back to Kaionar, where her friend Lutis lived- there was always an adventure going when the thief was concerned. Also chocolate biscuits, which were a bonus. She wasn’t far away from the city now, but if she got a little closer before turning in for the night, she would be able to get to the city when the gates opened, and would probably find Lutis before the next day was out.

She had got into a steady running rhythm, her paws pounding the ground at a rate she could easily sustain for a good while longer, when she head a dull bang off to one side, the red flared into the sky, followed by more bangs. She slid to a halt, her mouth dropping open in surprise- What was going on? This was a chance for adventure! She started to turn towards it, but her sensitive ears picked up a much smaller sound to her other side. Which should she choose to investigate?

She dithered for a moment, sucking at one of her claws, then turned towards the smaller noise. “After all, tha’ big fire’ll be there la’er!” she sped off, swivelling her ears to pick up the trail. As she climbed a dune, she saw another figure trudging through the desert- What was with these humans who ventured out on their own? Didn’t they know the desert could kill in a thousand ways if you weren’t careful?
“Ahreet marra?” she called, loud enough for the human to hear. She kept her distance, knowing how they sometimes freaked at the sight of a dragon- especially the parti-coloured lashes.

Guest

Ardere frowned as Lutis pulled away, not understanding why he was already stopping this kiss. Was he not as into her as she thought? But then she realized that, indeed, the flames were spreading, and they were no longer safe where they were. Well, she was fine; she couldn't really be harmed by fire, and if she tried hard enough (has she not been intoxicated) she might have been able to coax the fire away. But in her current state, that was pretty much impossible. So, taking Lutis's hand and giving off yet another uncharacteristic giggle, she tagged along after him, babbling about what had happened since they had last been together. It seemed like ages! Even as they walked she pulled herself closer and closer to him, needing to feel him pressed against her. Oh, how strong her feelings felt! It was strange, she thought. Had it always been this way? But the potion addled her brain, and she couldn't grasp any thought for more than a few moments before it was replaced by something else. Where had all the bandits gone? Oh well, most had disappeared, except for some that appeared to be asleep at the ground. She prodded one with a hoof as they passed by, and he groaned. She snickered. How had Lutis come in without them noticing? Where were they going? Were they looking for someone? What had happened to Ink? Questions buzzed around in her brain until she thought she might explode. She fingered something around her neck, and looked down to see that she was wearing that stupid necklace. Why were they keeping it again? She shrugged to herself, then continued on. She felt frazzled.

Soon they caught sight of Terrowin, rummaging around in a tent that had not yet been damaged by the flames. He had a wheeled cart beside him, and was pulling out jugs, bottles, and caskets of who-knew-what. Ardere thought she tasted alcohol in the air, and grinned; if these bandits were experienced, then the booze was probably excellent. He seemed to be pulling out food as well, and even as she thought it her stomach grumbled. At least they wouldn't have to worry about running out, for a while.

As Terrowin pulled the last of the jars of mead and a few extra boxes of dried fruit out of the tent, he peered out at Lutis and Ardere, who had appeared from the smoke-filled camp. "Oy, glad tae see ye both are a'right!" he said, giving an 'uumph!' and placing the containers in the wagon thing that he had found. He wiped his hands and nodded, a smirk creeping up his face. They had done well. The bandits were unconscious, dead, or gone, and their camp would soon be burnt to ashes. They had a stock of food that would last them a while, at least until they found the nearest town. He realized he had no idea about what his new companions had planned, or why they were even in the desert in the first place. Were they rebels? Rogues? Criminals? There was no way to know, but he had to trust that him saving the lady's life would be enough to keep him on their good side, no matter who or what they were. "We better get goin' back tae that oasis; this camp'll soon be an inferno, and we def'nitely don' wanna be here when tha' happens." He gave a pull on the wagon, and was pleased to see it roll smoothly over the sand. "Let's round up that dragon and Myio, an' get outta here." He tugged the wagon out of the camp until it was a safe distance away from the fire, then trotted back in, wondering where Myio had gone. She hadn't followed him to get the food, and he hadn't seen her with Ardere and Lutis either. After searching for a dangerously long while, he found her on the ground, sitting next to the other bodies scattered around the camp. His heart leap to his throat, and he wondered if she had somehow been killed by a man that hadn't been as wounded as he had thought. But as he watched, she stirred, glancing at something on her leg. He saw red liquid oozing from whatever it was, and knew she had been hurt. "Looks like ye should keep weight offa that," he grunted, and, without asking, picked her up - she was quite light from someone so well-toned - and carried her back to where the others were waiting. He knew she would probably kill him later for making her seem like such a woman, being carried around, but he didn't want the bleeding to get worse by her trying to walk.

Once he made it back out, Ink had returned, and was preening her feathers to rid them of the blood. He nodded at her, and she blinked in reply, glancing at Myio but not saying anything. He sat her down on the sand and inspected the wound. It was shallow, but bleeding quite a bit. He would need to bandage it before she lost more blood. "Lutis, Ardere, Ink, this is Myio," he introduced as he tore off his shirt, and began ripping strips of cloth from it for a bandage. It wasn't much, but it was the best he could do. "She's been livin' with the bandits fer a while, pretendin' tae be a man. Oi, er, Oi was the only person in the camp that knew her secret," he mumbled, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks as he relived the incident. "We both hated the ways of the bandits, but we felt stuck in our positions until, well, now." He began to wrap the wound, smiling at their new companions. "If it wasn't fer ye bein' tied up, poisoned, an' kidnapped, we'd still be in that situation. So, thank ye." He finished off tying the strips, then glanced at his shirt, which was now too torn up to wear. He frowned, then stood and dashed back to camp, coming back a moment later with a somewhat fresh shirt. "Can ye walk?" he asked Myio, concerned. If she couldn't, he could probably carry her in the wagon with the supplies, but he knew her pride wouldn't allow her to do that unless it was absolutely necessary. He didn't think Ink would be willing to carry her either.

Ardere stared curiously at the new woman. Even in her fuzzy state, she recognized the woman, and felt smug when she realized that had been what she thought all along. Her disguise was great, but there was only so much one could do to look like the opposite gender. She snuggled closer to Lutis as Terrowin helped the woman - Myio? Strange name - and couldn't help but stare when he took off his shirt to help. What could she say? It was in her nature to stare at attractive things, and though this man, Terrowin, was by no means ripped, he wasn't a total blob, either. He must have gained the lean muscles from running through the desert and eating small meals to save rations. She grinned, but looked away as soon as she could force herself to keep Lutis from asking questions. She wanted to get back to their own camp in the oasis and find somewhere nice and quiet to be alone with Lutis....

--------

Bronimir had reached the bottom of the large dune that hid the oasis, gawking at the size of it, but his curiosity overpowered his weariness, and he began the trudge upward. When he was about halfway up, panting slightly and gripping his helm weakly in his right hand, he heard someone's voice. Or rather, something. He tensed, then turned to the source of the sound. When he saw the dragon, he yelped, flinging the helm into the air and promptly falling on his rear end. What the hell?! It was some- some sort of giant lizard! But no, that wasn't right, it was much too large and decorated to be a lizard. He had heard tales of dragons before, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that they really existed in this part of the world, let alone that he would ever see one. Was it friendly? Was it going to eat his face off? He began to panic, then fumbled around until he was able to grip the hilt of his sword, pulling it out clumsily with a cry that was meant to be fierce, but was more of a squeak. He stumbled to a standing position, pointing sword menacingly (at least, he thought) at the beast. "Don't come any closer, or I will kill you!" he sputtered, waving it back and forth for a moment before it slipped out of his grasp. He fumbled to pick it back up, the armor he was wearing making it awkward to bend over to retrieve it. No wonder the men always laughed at him behind his back.

Once he had a hold on the sword again, he began backing up the hill, so he would at least have the upper hand in altitude. While he was clumsy and confused a majority of the time, he really wasn't stupid. Not too much, at least.

((Please don't freak at the insanity of the length of this post. I know, I know, I got into novel-writing mode and got carried away =^^=))

Lutis listened to Ardere’s incessant talking with a growing incredulity as they headed through the camp, keeping a lookout for both Terrowin and any bandits that might have either returned or hid in the short time between the start of their rescue and the present. The light from various burning tents, carts and the bonfire distorted the dark of the night, throwing strange shadows all over the place, and Lutis jumped more than once at little more than a flicker of fabric. Ardere still didn’t seem phased at all though, still gabbling on and switching from idea to idea quicker than lightning, and pressing herself closer and closer next to him too- He wasn’t complaining about that, but the talking was starting to send him a little crazy… He shot a coy look at her as they walked, watching her for a moment as she prodded at a nearly bandit with a hoof.
“They gave you something, didn’t they?”

It was almost a relief when they found Terrowin- he had found quite a stock of what looked suspiciously like alcohol, and was loading it into a cart. No wonder he had been looking so pleased with the idea of revenge earlier. He gave a contented wave as he hailed them, one arm still wrapped firmly around the satyr.
“You too… Is that ale?” Lutis was already smiling, but it widened at the sight, not waiting for an answer but dipping into the cart and pulling out a bottle. “It is!” He gave an eager laugh, pulling out the cork and sniffing it appreciatively. Now this was how things should be- lots of alcohol, food, Ardere in a very suggestive mood and lots of space to get away for a while. He took a long draught from the bottle, gulping more down when it was good. It was more than good, it was bloody amazing!
“It’s really good ale too.” He passed the bottle to Ardere. Oh, this was definitely worth the risk of attacking.

“Good plan, the oasis’ make a better camp than this.” He said as Terrowin finished loading up the cart. He unwrapped his arm from around Ardere, leaving her with the bottle for the time being as he helped the other man get the cart to a place less-prone to catching fire, pushing at it from behind. Its wide wheels made pushing easy, but if they had to push it all the way to the oasis, their shoulders were certainly going to ache in the morning. Or at least, Lutis’ would- he didn’t know about Terrowin, the man looked pretty strong from living with the bandits. Ardere walked close by, and when Terrowin made his way back into the camp again, looking for Myio, he quickly abandoned it for her instead.
“Now, about that kiss…” he said, drawing her close and tipping her head up to his. She was beautiful in the firelight, her coppery hair looking like flames itself.

Myio sat on the ground, preoccupied with the state of her leg for a good while after Terrowin had gone- It was bleeding like anything, and putting pressure on it wasn’t really helping. She only looked up when she realised that she could actually see the blood now, instead of just feeling it, and engaged in a stream of colourful curses, both at herself and at the flames that were starting to lick closer to her. There wasn’t anything to help her stand, and when she took one of her hands away to push herself up, the pain just seemed to get worse, and she left a sticky red stain where blood had dripped off her ankle.
“Oh dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit.”

She started as she heard a voice behind her- Terrowin had come back! She craned her head, trying to see where he was, but suddenly felt arms around her, lifting her off the floor. For a moment, she was too shocked to realise that he had picked her up, then gave an exclaimation.
“Ter, what the heck?”
If she hadn’t had both hands on her leg, she would have given him a whack there and then, but one of her hands was stuck between his body and hers, and she had to endure the sudden vulnerability. She was glad of her dark skin as she felt the blood rush to her cheeks, knowing they were pinking even as the dragon that had been fighting earlier reappeared, preening her feathers fussily. When Terrowin eventually put her down, the first thing she did was give him a shove on the side, her face angry.
“What was that for? I can look after myself! It’s just a scratch!” Despite her strong words, her voice was tense, and she obligingly took her hands away as he inspected it. She had managed to get sand in it too now, and it stung as well as ached. She watched Terrowin pull off his shirt and rip it into strips, knowing whatever she said, it wasn’t going to stop him- he was stubborn like that. As his cheeks coloured at the memory she gave a laugh.
“Yeah, you be ashamed of that memory! You think it was awkward for you, think what it was like for me!”

Lutis had been very busy kissing Ardere when Terrowin returned, and had paid little attention to the new woman he had brought back with him. However, as she spoke, her voice indignant, he broke away, looking at her in surprise. He recognised that voice!
“Myio? Myio Fossa?” his mouth dropped open in surprise. “I… How are you here?”

Myio looked up as Lutis said her name, reacting equally as surprised. “Errol? What are you doing in the desert?”

“Rescuing Ardere, you’re a bandit now?”

“Yeah, Dad went out of business and I thought I might find some treasure out here. I haven’t seen you since we were what, six, Errol?”

“It’s Lutis now, never liked that name. What happened to your leg? You should have asked for bandages, I keep some with me.” Since meeting Hone, it seemed as though either one or the other of them always needed to be bandaged up.

“I was too nice.” She looked back at Terrowin, who had just returned. “You didn’t tell me Lutis was Errol!” She suddenly realised how surprised she sounded and ran her hands through her short hair, making it stick up into spikes. She belatedly realised that her hands were still covered in blood. She gave a sigh of frustration. “I’m fine, just… Help me up will you, so I can lean on that cart.” She reached out a hand before Terrowin had even offered, tugging on his arm until she was upright and leaning on her good left leg.

There was a sudden mournful bray, and the donkey came bowling out of the camp, its leading rope trailing between its legs. As it trotted past Lutis he caught at it, tugging it to a halt. It could pull the cart, he wouldn’t have to push, and get more time with Ardere. Perfect. Even if it was a miserable little sod. He lead it over to the cart, fastening it to the front by looping the rope around the two hooks there. He pulled at its halter and it started off, putting its weight into the rope. Lutis kept his hand on its halter, just in case it tried to bolt.

Myio walked alongside the cart, leaning heavily on its side and limping. Even before they had hardly reached the top of the first sand dune it felt like her leg was on fire, and she was sure it was bleeding again. Getting all the way to the oasis was not going to be an easy task.

--------

Hone gave a similar yelp of shock as the human noticed her, taking a few steps back. She was glad she had kept her distance now, as he threw his helm into the air and fell over. She twisted her head to one side before scooting slowly along the dune a little further towards the man.
“Yahreet?” she tried to keep her voice a little more even this time- she always seemed to scare people, she wasn’t that scary was she? She had met much scarier dragons in the past who made her look like a complete sweetheart (and to be honest, she wasn’t far off that in reality anyway, despite her frequent arguments with herself as to how pirate she was). “Dun worry, I’m not gonna hurt yah…”

She couldn’t hold back her laugh at the “fierce warcry” he let out, holding her paws up in a gesture of surrender. “Relax, I jus’ wanted t’see if y’were ahreet.” She took a few steps forward again and picked up the helm he had thrown, tipping it up the right way. A pile of sand dropped out, making a hushing sound as it hit the floor. She gave the man a smile, holding out the helm, but he was waving around a sword now like nobody’s business and threatening her too? Humans were so ridiculous sometimes. She rolled her eyes and sat down on the sand, curling her tail around her and flattening the blade onto the sand with her front paws, just watching him.

“I’m Hone.” She said, speaking slowly. “I’m a lash dragon, we guard t’desert.” She put the helm down in front of her, bending down and admiring her reflection- it wasn’t very easy to see. “Tha’ armour looks pretty heavy t’be walkin’ in t’desert in.” her eyes flicked to the fire burning a little way away. “D’yarn know whistae?”

Guest

Ardere gaped at the array of food and other refreshments the rogue was carrying, and watched in delight as Lutis took a long draught of it. When he proclaimed its wonderful flavor and handed it to her, she eagerly gulped it down, gasping as it burned her throat on the way down. She normally wasn't a heavy drinker; in fact, as she used alcohol to seduce men on various occasions, she typically steered away from it as much as she could, knowing its effects. What if she ended up in bed with some ugly brute on accident? No, it was not her style. But in her current state, with the buzz of the potion still in her brain, she only concentrated on its cooling effects as it washed down her throat. Once she was through taking many long sips, she giggled and grinned up at Lutis. She gave a swift wave to Terrowin as he went in search of... Whatever... and slowly crept a suggestive hand down the front of Lutis's jacket. She didn't hesitate as Lutis tipped up her head, closing the distance between her mouth and his as she kissed him roughly. Again, not normally her style, but the alcohol was already starting to take effect, and, along with the potion, it was making her head spin so that she could hardly see or think straight.

Terrowin simply smirked at Myio's complaints, an impish grin that he seemed to have perfected over the years. After he had sat her on the sand and she shoved him, it was obvious that she was no less fiery than normal. "Glad tae see yer as charmin' as ever," he snickered, patting her on the back once he was through bandaging the wound. Once the couple had (ick) finally broken up their make-out, which made them look like they were trying to eat each other, he thought, he glanced back and forth between Myio and Lutis, trying to catch onto the conversation. "Wait, you know each other?" he asked, surprised. What a small world! Well, at least he wouldn't have to go about trying to get everyone to get to know each other. "How was Oi supposed tae know? He tol' me he was Lutis, an' tha' was tha'. Looks like we're gonna be one big, 'appy family," he chuckled, filling up the last of the cart. "An' don't ye remind me o' that, ye know Oi never would've watched ye bathe on purpose," he added, winking.

He was about to ask what exactly it was they were going to be doing once they had rested, then settled for silence as they headed back to the oasis, leaving the charred mess behind them to burn out on its own. The donkey was a nice surprise, and he was glad he wouldn't have to lug the heavy cart all the way back.

He kept a close eye on Myio, knowing that she was much too proud to admit when she needed help. She walked quickly, if somewhat stiffly, at first, head held high and using the cart only slightly for support. But as they went farther back into the desert, he noticed her limp, and he sighed, putting a hand on his hip and staring at her with raised eyebrows. "What will Oi have tae do tae make you get in the cart instead o' walkin'?" he asked, motioning at Lutis and Ardere to continue on and leave the cart behind. "This'll only take a minute," he assured them. He turned back to Myio, then inspected her leg, noticing that the bandage was nearly soaked through with crimson blood. "Oi don't think it's good fer ye tae walk on it like tha' yet, Oi'm afraid the brute sliced ye in a big vein, it's sure bleedin' like 'ell. Please, if not fer ye, then do it fer me. Get in the cart. Oi'm sure the donkey won't notice, ye hardly weigh an ounce." As if in answer, the donkey brayed, and he stroked its neck until it calmed. "It's either that or Oi'm gonna carry ye," he finished smugly.

Ardere had no problem with going on ahead. As the two stopped with the cart and began arguing, she tugged Lutis along, seeing that the oasis was now in sight and not too far away in the dark night. The bottle of ale was still gripped firmly in her hand, and she sipped from it every now and then, grinning the entire time. "C'mon Lutis, maybe we can 'ave a bit o' fun 'fore they find us again," she said, her words slurring slightly because of her thick tongue. She felt strange, but it was a nice sort of strange, and she vaguely wondered why she hadn't got drunk before. Whether it was the potion or the alcohol effecting her mind, she was very, very ready for some rolling in the bushes with Lutis. She glanced back at him, and felt her body burn with desire as she looked over his handsome features and wind-swept hair. Yes, he would be hers once more. But before she could continue, what had occurred between Lutis and the other woman, Myio, caught up with her, and she gaped at him, incredulous. "Errol?" she asked, giggling madly. "You're real name is Errol?" For some reason, she thought this was hilariously funny, and teased him the entire way back, knowing that she would never let him live it down. Besides, Errol started with the same letters as erotic, she thought with a smirk.

They reached the oasis about ten minutes later, and she immediately searched for some place they could go for a bit of privacy. She hadn't noticed Ink following along silent as a shadow behind them, and as she jolted in surprise once she caught sight of the dragon, she seemed to read her mind. I'll keep the humans busy, Ink said, hardly able to control her mirth. Ah, the two legs could be so strange and funny sometimes.

With an appreciative grin, Ardere tugged the man along once more, going deeper into the woods until they reached a warm, open-skied clearing. The trees stood around them like guardians, and the billions of stars sparkled brightly overhead, the only watchers over the lust-filled couple. Ardere stopped and, grasping Lutis's shoulder, returned to the kiss they had started earlier, glad that she hadn't taken the time to find more decent clothes from what she was wearing earlier. Sure, the other woman had seemed to disapprove, but that wasn't her problem. She only cared about Lutis, and his hard body pressed against hers as she stripped away the last of her skimpy clothing. She trailed kisses down his neck, waiting for him to embrace her and repeat what they had done the night before. Everything seemed clearer, more sharp and intimate than she had ever felt before. What drugs could do to the body...

Ink snickered at the retreating couple, then went back to find the other two and make sure they didn't get lost. Knowing the silly humans, they'd probably end up making out passionately and losing all sense of direction if she didn't go to intervene. She soon caught sight of them again, Terrowin a light shock of hair against the blackness of the night, and his companion deep and cool, blending in with the sand. She was a natural-born fighter, she thought with a touch of pride. It was always nice to see a female human with some dignity and spirit. Unlike the goat-woman that was the bearer of the necklace; she seemed to only have one thing on her mind at all times. She waited patiently until the two finished speaking, combing her feathers absent-mindly.

----------

"Not going to hurt me?" Bronimir called back, his voice barely a squeak. "You're a dragon! All bloody dragons eat people....... Right?" He realized that his actual education on dragons was quite little, and he wondered if maybe he shouldn't be so quick to judge something.... Even if it was a dragon. He watched warily as it came closer, his sword still out in front of him for protection as the beast picked up his helm and dumped out the sand, ready to fight at any moment. Not that he would probably stand a chance anyway. His thoughts were confirmed when the dragon swiftly pinned his blade to the ground, not giving him a moment to even blink. He yelped once more, and dropped the sword like it was hot. He backed away quickly up the hill, and fell backwards again.

"Hone?" he replied dumbly. "You have a name?" He realized with a jolt that the dragon was actually talking! No one had told him that dragons could talk. It was hard to understand, though; he/she/it seemed to have a rather peculiar accent, and he strained to understand what it was saying. "Guard... the desert? From what?" Even in the situation, he couldn't help but wonder what needed to be protected. If the dragon was even telling the truth, that is. He shook his head. This was all just a bit too much. "I'm in my armor because I'm a knight from the town of Kaionar." Even in the situation, he managed to puff his chest out a bit with pride. But he soon deflated. "Look, I'm.... Sorry that I didn't realize some dragons aren't mean and scary and will bite your head off before you can say "Dinner". But I.... I don't know that I can trust you, so I'm just going to..." He was about to say continue on up the hill, but his curiosity got the best of him once more, and he turned to see what she was looking at. "Oh, that. I was just going to inspect it myself." His words still trembled with fear, and he felt his heart flutter wildly with adreneline. He was weaponless and helmless against this beast, and if it changed its mind and decided that it did want to eat him, there really wasn't much he could do about it. He sighed. "Seeing as you have me at your mercy, can I have my sword back please? I won't try to hurt you, unless you attack me first." He didn't add the obvious fact that the dragon had stripped him of his weapon with hardly any effort. He waited to see what its next move would be.

Lutis quickly abandoned walking by the donkey’s head as they started off- it seemed in as much mind as the rest of them to head for the oasis. He wrapped his arm back around Ardere’s waist, walking in step with her and sharing the bottle she still held occasionally- the satyr seemed to be intoxicated already, although he couldn’t tell whether it was from the potion she had been given or the alcohol. Seeing her happy beam he grinned too, imagining the fun she was bound to suggest soon enough.

Great, a big happy family. thought Myio as she hung onto the cart, trying to ignore the burn in her leg and Lutis making puppy eyes at Ardere. Honestly, what sort of taste did he have? A giggly satyr… Ugh. Out of the five of them she was certainly in the worst mood, despite the fact they were finally free of the bandits, and had most of their stores too. With every step her leg hurt more and more, and she was soon leaning heavily on the cart. A bead of sweat dripped down her nose and she rubbed it away quickly, not wanting it to be mistaken for a tear in the low light- Although by now it was so painful to walk she felt like crying. Not that she would have, Terrowin would have laughed.

When Terrowin spoke she looked up, blinking furiously. She felt quite light-headed by now.
“I’m okay… it’s not very far now…” she huffed, leaning back against the cart as it came to a halt. Her eyes flicked to the other two briefly as they kept walking, leaving her alone with Ter and the cart.

As Ardere tugged him after her, abandoning the others without heed, he dug in one of his pockets, shoving a roll of bandages into Myio’s hands before turning away. He gave a laugh at Ardere’s slurred words.
“I should get you drunk and drugged more often!” he said. He blushed a little at her mention of his real first name though, giving her a playful shove.
“Yeah it’s Errol. But Errol doesn’t sound as good as Lutis when you’re a thief.” He twisted his face in mock exasperation as she teased him, even laughing at some of her more ridiculous comments. It was a good thing she was drunk he thought, she might not remember it in the morning. Otherwise she was never going to forget it and torture him for the rest of his days. He borrowed the bottle off her again- maybe he would forget it too if he got drunk enough?

The oasis was welcoming when they reached it, the sand slipping less under his boots as the trees started to hold it together. In the moonlight it was just as handsome as it had been in the sunlight, the stars forming a shimmering canopy above making it somewhat romantic too. He gave the dragon a wry smile as he too noticed her, having been wrapped up with Ardere on the short journey. At least Ink knew not to stick around, heading quickly back in the direction of the cart again. That was a relief, he knew another dragon that would have been pestering with questions for the whole evening if she had her way…

The secluded clearing that Ardere finally picked felt like a place nature had set outside time just for the sorts of things the satyr obviously had on her mind. He shrugged his coat off as she kissed him again, kicking it out of the way, returning her kiss just as passionately. She was beautiful under the natural moonlight. His shirt quickly followed the way his coat had gone, and everything else too before he pulled her close with one arm, tracing a finger along the length of one of her horns with a rapacious smile and sinking onto the sand…

Myio looked at the bandages in her hand for a moment before throwing them into the cart, bending over to look at her leg. She looked away again as Terrowin had the same idea, turning around to rest her forehead on the side of the cart. She sighed in frustration, whispering violent curses under her breath at the bandit who had cut her leg. More sweat dripped down her face but she ignored it, taking a breather. Even without any weight on it, her leg was throbbing painfully, not just where it was cut but across the full width of the bandages too. The sand that was invariably in the wound wouldn’t be helping. After a minute’s rest, in which nothing happened to make her leg feel any better, she turned, looking at Terrowin.
“Okay. I'll get in the cart. If only t’stop you worrying. You’re not carrying me.” she said, taking a few steps towards the back of the cart, her fingers curled tightly around its edge. Pain shot up her calf and she added her other hand to the rail, hanging on like it was her last lifeline. “Only weigh nothing because those bandits were lousy cooks...” she muttered under her breath, her face creasing in annoyance. She noted the dragon was back again, after following Ardere and Lutis. Oh, who could guess what they were doing.

The back of the cart looked dauntingly high, which was strange, because in actuality it wasn't. She put her hands on the edge, adjusting them for a second before trying to pull herself up, giving a little hop with her good leg. Her elbows wobbled and she slid back onto her feet off the wood. She gave a grunt as her leg jolted, biting her lip and trying to get onto the cart again. This time her arms wobbled before she even put any weight on them, threatening to give at the slightest touch. She gave a growl and whacked the wood with a fist, frowning before she put her head down and rested it between her forearms. Defeated by a cart. She gritted her teeth and looked up at Terrowin, who was stroking the donkey, trying to keep the pain of her leg and of defeat off her face, but it didn’t really work.
“Ter…” she sighed. “I… I can’t do it.” Her voice wobbled onto a higher note and she gulped, shocked at how feeble it sounded.

~~

“’Course we don’t all eat people!” Hone huffed, rolling her eyes. “Why, howee many people hasta heard been eaten?” Hone bet that it hadn’t been very many- She was a dragon, and she had only heard of one or two reports, despite the gossiping nature of lash dragons. And neither of those times had it been a lash dragon doing the eating, she was proud to say. She laughed again as the man fell over, running one of her claws along the edge of his blade. It made a ear-jarring sound and she hurriedly quit.

“Dunchoo have a name? How’dyeh pack tell y’apart?” the dragon sounded genuinely confused, shaking her head when he didn’t even know who the Elites were. “Don’t they teach y’anything? We guard it from stuff like… well… bandits an’ raiders… Y’know.” She gave a grin, probably looking more ferocious than friendly to the knight, who seemed completely out of his depth. He didn’t even trust her? Two-legs were strange, why couldn’t she be trusted? It wasn’t as if she was hiding anything (she didn’t have anything to hide, or anywhere to hide whatever she might want to hide), and all she wanted was to know if he was okay anyway.
“I can bite y’head off it y’like!” she crowed, unthinking. “You’ve said “dinner” already tho’…” She belatedly realised that this was probably the worst thing she could say. She batted a paw at her own muzzle to shut herself up. “Shut up Hone…” she hissed under her paw, chaisting herself

She removed it as the knight asked for his sword back, trying a less fierce smile this time. “Ahreet.” She picked her tail off the blade, comparing the sharp edge of her tail to the sword before sliding it back with the end, withdrawing her tail with a quick flick reminiscent of a sleeping cat. “Hey… Y’were garn see tha’ fire? Distha bring marshmellows?” her head fins perked up at that thought and she raised her head, climbing swiftly to her feet when she couldn’t see the fire. “Or choc’late, or biscuits…” she licked her lips at the thought. Why, if he knew there was a fire, then he must have packed in advance, and what better thing to pack than the ingredients for s’mores?

((SATYR BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!))

Guest

Terrowin frowned at Myio's stubbornness, then crossed his arms as she insisted that she was fine. She looked anything but. He noticed even in the moonlight that sweat poured down her sable skin, and her normally relaxes face tight with effort and concentration. He waited as she rested for a moment, picking up the bandages that she had thrown in the cart. His cloth that he had used as a wrap for the wound were crimson with blood. He clucked his tongue, waiting until she finally gave in to the pain and hopped up in the cart so he could clean the wound and change the bandages. After all of his scuffles with demons and other nasty critters, he had quite a lot of experience tending to wounds.

He sighed in relief when she finally agreed to get in the cart, but managed a grin as he said,"Ah, ye know ye want me tae carry ya, lass, Oi'm so big and strong ye wouldn't even slow me down." He puffed out his somewhat scrawny chest and flexed his arms, showing off the sad bulge of muscle on his biceps and forearms. He was quite fit, but more wiry than muscular from all his time in the desert. His grin faded as he watched her struggle to get into the cart, the strain obvious on her face. She tried once, twice, and then surrendered. He was about to make some snide remark about her being a tough gal and getting defeated by a cart, but just then the moon cast a pale ray upon her face, lighting her features up beautifully. He stared for a moment, open-mouthed, then shook his head to clear his thoughts. What would she think if she saw him gaping at her like that? And also, why was he gaping at her like that? This was Myio, the tough, takes-no-crap gal that would sooner kick him where it hurts than hug him. And yet, seeing her in such distress made her realize that she really was a woman, and needed help every so often, even if she wouldn't admit it. And so, smiling gently, he picked up her light form and carefully deposited her on the softest part of the cart, making sure he didn't jar the wound doing so. Once she was settled, he glanced up into her dark eyes and said,"Oi'd like tae change the bandages, if ye wouldn't mind. Oi'm afraid leavin' the dirty ones on like this may get it infected." He peeled away the wet cloth, cringing as it clung to her skin and he was forced to yank on it slightly to get it off. Once it was gone he inspected the wound, glad to see that it wasn't bleeding as much, but sand was now clinging to the damp skin around it. He searched around in the cart until he found a clear bottle of water, then, after warning,"This may sting a bit," poured the precious liquid onto the wound until it was clean. A small trickle of blood poured from the wound as he grabbed the clean bandages again and firmly wrapped it around the scar. After a few moments his work was complete, and he nodded in approval. "That should do ye," he said, and managed one of his trademark grins. He still felt a few strange butterflies in his stomach, and made a mental note to keep his guard up from now on. Especially if he got drunk tonight... Which he was certain he would be.

He slapped her gently on the arm, a gesture that they had performed many times, and went back to steer the donkey towards the oasis. "We'll be there in no time," he assured her, and they trodded on, passing by Ink as she glanced around the dunes. She sensed something nearby, and went to investigate, knowing that she would be able to find the group easily enough once she returned. Terrowin gave her a short wave and continued on until they had reached the cover of the trees. Ardere and Lutis were nowhere in sight, and he wasn't sure he wanted to look for them; he knew the effects that the potion had on most people, and he was pretty sure that she and Lutis - Errol? - would have found some nice quiet place to do.... Well, fun things. He felt a momentary pang of jealousy that he hadn't known a woman like that in many many years, and wondered when he would again. He was very aware of Myio watching from behind him, and glad that he was turned away from her so she wouldn't see the pink tinge that touched his cheeks.

Soon they reached another clearing near the body of water, and he made camp. He chose a soft, grassy area for Myio to rest while he made the fire, and soon had a roaring fire going in the cool night. After setting everything up, he picked a dark bottle from the cart, then chose an amber-colored one for Myio. "That oughta make ye feel better," he chuckled, taking a swig at his own drink. He blinked as it poured down his throat. This stuff was strong!

He settled down next to the woman, taking the occasional sip at his bottle. "What do ye think o' these strange folk?" he asked, glancing at Myio. Her face looked quite pleasant in the light of the flames. "Ye said ye knew this Lutis... Errol person?"

--------

"How.... How many people have I heard been eaten?" Bronimir repeated, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, seems like dozens, but the folk 'round the city do have an awful habit of gossiping, 'specially the knights...." He sighed, wondering how he had believed all of the rumors flying about the city. This dragon really did seem rather harmless, goofy, even, and he was beginning to slightly -slightly - relax, especially once his blade was back in his hand. "My name is Bronimir, dear Hone," he replied, an edge of politeness creeping into his voice. He wanted to keep the dragon on his good side. He stood once more, this time able to keep his legs from trembling and remained in a standing position. "I didn't realize the desert needed protecting, and it's not something we're educated about in the city.... We're mostly just taught to yell loudly at the enemies and never drop our weapons." He stared forlornly at his sword. "Looks like I failed in that aspect."

At the mention of biting off his head, he stiffened, eyes widening. "I'm quite alright!" he replied, his voice an octave or two higher than it had been a moment before. "I... I'm sure I could provide you with something else, if you're that desperate." He took a few steps up the hill again, realizing that he had finally made it to the top. He looked down and gasped - there was a huge oasis down there! But it would have to wait - the fire seemed quite important, and he would investigate that before resting at the pool down below. "M...Marshmallows?" he floundered, looking back at the dragon. "Chocolate? Biscuits?" He actually laughed out loud at the absurdity of the question. "Do I look like a walking bakery? I'm afraid the best I have to offer is some dried jerky and fruit, perhaps a sausage or two, if you want to roast those..." He trailed off, hoping she couldn't breathe fire and, if she could, that she wouldn't do it here. "Let's just go see what it is," he quickly added.

With dragon in tow, he made his way down the dune, skirting around the oasis as they headed towards the fire. He didn't see the black shape lurking nearby, and was caught completely off guard when it leapt up and tackled Hone, letting out a wild gurgling noise that he hoped was laughter. He yelped once again and backed away, wondering if some wild beast had decided to have Hone for dinner.

"Hone, you rascal!" Ink crooned, giving her friend a friendly nip. "I haven't seen you in ages! I thought mayhaps you had finally gotten lost in all this sand and desert." She was grinning from ear to ear, a ferocious toothy gesture that would have most humans running for their lives. "And I see you've found a human!" she added, turning to Bron. He had realized, finally, that she was another dragon, and gave a stunned wave. To think, just a few minutes ago he had hardly believed that dragons existed, and now there were two of them! He was in shock.

"I'm Ink," the dragon said politely to Bron, flaring her feathers in greeting before turning back to Hone. "Were you going to go see the fire?" she asked, nodding to the red glow. "Me and some new friends just took care of an especially nasty group of bandits, and that's all that's left of their camp." She lifted her head in pride. "Silly two-legs went and scurried off into the bushes to do silly human things, though," she whispered, nodding to the oasis. "I'm afraid to go check on them lest I see them doing something private. There are two males and two females, and you know how easily they can become attached." She grimaced, then stood up once more. "If you want, we can go have a nice snack on some of those bandits," she suggested, then realized that the human was probably more terrified by this statement. She glanced at him (he was shaking visibly) and assure him that she would only eat roasted humans, and had no intentions of harming him. "I only eat humans that deserve it," she sniffed,"and these horrible things definitely do. Although I hope that the fire will cancel out their rancid taste. They were awfully dirty."

Bronimir simply trembled and watched the dragons speak, not knowing what to do. He wondered if perhaps he should just flee to the oasis after all.

((For youuuu: http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li1iu3w7zi1qbb6pjo1_r7_500.jpg ))

Myio huffed in ridicule at Terrowin’s boasting, raising one eyebrow at his show. Yeah, really impressive. She frowned as he gaped at her suddenly, resting the length of her arms along the cart and picking up her leg to rest it on her toes like a drowsing horse, keeping her weight off of it and leaning on her arms instead as she let her dizziness recede.
“What? Quit staring.” she huffed, looking away from his gaze. No doubt he was inwardly laughing at her because she couldn’t get in the cart. She folded her arms over one another as he lifted her into it, looking away. For all his boasting, the man was indeed strong enough to lift her easily. She begrudgingly gave him a “thank you” as he set her down in the cart, pushing her leg onto a soft pile of blankets he had thoughtfully picked up with the rest of the supplies he had gathered. She waved a hand at her leg. “Be my guest. You don’t have to be so nice though, just because I’ve dropped the stupid bandit accent and I’ve hurt my leg.” She had put on some of the coarse accent she had kept around the bandits, but she still wasn’t what you would call perfectly spoken- Who could be, when they had grown up in Kaionar?

“Ouch.” She curled her hands around the blankets underneath her as the bandages Terrowin had made stuck, pulling at her skin. She took a quick look around him at the wound as he hunted for water. Yeah, that was nasty- she gave a wry grin, no wonder it had hurt so much to walk. It might just keep a snide comment from Terrowin at bay for a while too. She winced as the water stung, turning her face away so he couldn’t see how much it hurt her, her face creasing up in pain. When it was clean she let out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding and looked back at Terrowin, relaxing her shoulders. She watched him work impassively, peering around him once he was finished.

“Thanks for… y’know, everything…” she gave an awkward smile as he jumped back down off the cart, shuffling into the blankets and crossing her arms again as she looked up at the starry sky, ignoring him as he started walking alongside the donkey again.

Myio sat up again as they reached the oasis, propping herself up on one elbow to look at the passing trees. It was strange to see trees, when all around her for months there had only been the unending gold of the desert during the day. She pulled a face as Terrowin picked her up again, huffing.
“I’m hardly a princess you know, you don’t have to carry me ‘round everywhere.” She watched him set light to a fire from the grassy patch where he left her, tugging the cork out of the bottle he offered and taking a swig. She gave a smile at the nutty flavour.
“Seems like they were keeping some good stuff hidden, ‘cos I’ve never tasted this one before.” She laughed as Terrowin took a drink of his own. “Starting on the hard stuff first then eh?”

“I dunno what to think of them.” She said as he turned the conversation to Lutis and Ardere, gripping the bottle with both her hands and running one finger absentmindedly around the rim as she stared into the fire. “I used to know him when we were kids back in Kaionar- That sticky-fingered thief used to steal the buns I made with my Pa.” she gave a nostalgic smile. “Best baker in Kaionar he was, those bandits’ cooking weren’t a patch on his. Bit of a bugger he went outta business really. ‘Bout the same time I lost touch with Errol… Lutis… Whoever he is now.”

~~

Hone giggled at Bronimir’s polite tone, covering her mouth with one paw. She kept her distance as he stood, letting him take a breather for a moment. Humans really did worry too much sometimes.
“Bronnymir?” She tried twisting her tongue around the strange name, but it came out sounding strange. “Canstah call y’Bron instead?” She gave him a smile, twisting her head sideways. “An’ I’m not an enemy, so wha’ does it matter? An’ t’other guards can’t be much good anyhap, jus’ yellin’ at enemies. Why, whistae do if y’got a sore throat?”

Hone waved a paw at the offer of other food. “Nawh, I’ve eaten already t’day.” She followed the man up to the top of the sand dune, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the oasis. “Ooh, lookee tha’.” It almost distracted her from marshmallows, chocolate and biscuits, but not quite, looking put out that he didn’t have any on him. She shrugged, waving a wing in decline. Perhaps there was someone else around that could provide ingredients for s’mores… She followed him down the dune, staring off into the sky, her eyes vacant.

She too was taken completely off guard when Ink leapt out of the shadows at her, the magpie dragon bowling her to the ground. She flapped out with her useless wings, flailing as her purple feathers covered her face. She gave a squeak as Ink nipped her, then realised who it was.
“Inky!” Her face split into a wide grin, rolling over so she dumped the other dragon on the sand too. She gave a laugh. “Can’t get lost if y’ain’t got nowhere t’gaar!” She climbed back to her feet as Ink introduced herself to Bron, shaking the sand from her feathers. “Don’t look so frigh’ned, Inky’s nawt to be afeared of.”

Hone pulled a face at the thought of silly human things, sticking out her tongue. The lash dragon had never understood two-legs and their romancing. No, Hone liked lots of friends and that was it. All that mushy stuff just sent her into fits of giggles.
“Y’made a good bonfire goin’ up there.” She pointed towards the bandit camp, flames still leaping up high into the air. “But y’know I don’t like eatin’ humans, they taste funny. D’you know if there was anythin’ else foodwise?” she looked at Bron momentarily. “I bet Bron here’s prob’ly hungry too, ain’t yeh? Don’t look so frigh’ened, she ain’t gonna eat you.” She shook her head at the frightened man, terrified even though he had his sword and helm back. Although, now she looked, and there was a little more light than down in the middle of the sand dunes, she saw that he was hardly more than a boy at best. She stepped closer and flicked a wing around him, pulling him in to her side. “I’ll protect you!” She gave a smile, looking back up at Ink.

“He’s not seen dragons afore, an’ he’s all on his own. But did’stha know there were Knights of Kaionar?”

Guest

"Oi know ye ain't a princess," Terrowin chuckled at Myio. It was rather amusing to see her so huffy and defensive, and he wondered if perhaps she felt vulnerable or uncertain of herself now that she was wounded and he was tending to her. He hadn't meant to act so tenderly to her, but it was just his way - he couldn't resist helping a damsel in distress. Even if the damsel would more than likely cut his hand off before she let him get so close to her if she was better situated. "An' yer welcome," he added a bit more gingerly. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been polite to him.

Once they were settled, Terrowin sipped at his ale as he watched the dancing flames of the fire, occasionally glancing at Myio, seeming to really see her for the first time. He had known, of course, that she was a woman, but he had always just seen her as one of the guys before, due to her no-nonsense personality and dirty sense of humor. But now, after she had dropped the coarse accent and began to act like a woman (well, somewhat - it was really his doing that made her seem so... 'princess-like' as she had put it), he wondered what their relationship would become. They had never been extremely close when they were with the bandits, but now that their alliances were made and both realized that they didn't truly want to live the bandit life, he mused at the thought of becoming friends.

He grinned at her once more, tipping the bottle before taking yet another sip. It trickled deliciously but harsh down his throat. "Aye, ye know me, always the rough an' tough one," he joked. He definitely had a strong stomach, that was for sure; some of the bandits couldn't take the fire of the alcohol that he occasionally consumed. While he didn't drink too often, it was a habit he had gotten into while living with the bandits, and he mentally reminded himself that he should drop it as soon as he could.

Of course, that could wait. Tonight, they would celebrate their victory! If nearly killing their many-month-long companions and ruining and pillaging their camp could be called a victory. "Anyway, if ye want anythin' else, just lemme know. Oi don't mind gettin' up fer more!" And there was definitely plenty to be had. Yes, he could foresee himself getting into trouble tonight. He just hoped he wouldn't get too terribly wasted that he would make a complete fool out of himself...

"Mmm, so, this Lutis is a thief, eh?" he asked after she gave her brief history. He nodded; he definitely seemed like a rebel, and a gifted one at that. It took quite a bit of skill to get into a bandit's camp undetected. "Well, it seems that he an' that gal have some sort o' business of their own out in the desert," he continued, glancing back as though he could see where the pair had run off to. Actually, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know where they had run off to, especially seeing the state of the satyr after consuming the potion. "Oi wonder wot would possibly bring them out into the middle of a wasteland like this... Maybe they're fugitives, eh?" Well, there wouldn't be any problem there - after all the stealing and pillaging he himself had done in the area, he was sure that there was probably a price on his head as well. The thought didn't really bother him too much. As long as they drew his nose right on the 'Wanted' posters....

He grew silent for a while and concentrated on his drink, letting the numbness of the alcohol take over until he felt like he was buzzing all over. Man, this stuff really was strong. He suppressed a burp, reminding himself that he was in the presence of a lady, a rather lovely lady, if his eyes didn't deceive him. With every draught she seemed to get prettier, until he found himself fantasizing about taking her into the woods himself and doing whatever he was sure Lutis and that satyr were doing now.... No. No, he wasn't like that, and she would never even think about possibly letting him do that to her. However, he couldn't stop himself leaning closer to her as the night went on, until his arm was behind her back, almost wrapped around her waist. "'Ow's the leg 'olding up?" he asked, throwing away his fourth bottle and settling down into the pile of blankets and sheets he had arranged around them to keep warm. Just to keep warm, he reminded himself.

"Yeah, you oughta have seen the fight, it was a rather hot one, but quick and painless to my new.... Friends. Human friends," Ink added, as thought that simple statement would draw all of the fear from Bron. It didn't. "Hone's right, I really am harmless. I've helped more than a few humans in my time, and only when they really get on my nerves do I think about harming them." In other words, don't get on her bad side. "As for food, I think my new human companions took as much as they could carry, but I'm sure that there will be plenty more stashed in the bandits' tents, as long as they haven't been burned to the ground." She offered a smile to the young human in their midst. "How's about we go and search around the burning camp for a while to see if we can find anything of use, and then I introduce you to the humans?" He would probably feel more comfortable around his own kind, she thought, though it was a bit sad that he most likely grew up being taught to be afraid of dragons, when really, the majority of them, especially in this area, were harmless.

Bronimir looked uncertainly between the two dragons. So far, neither had done anything to not earn his trust, and he wondered just how many of the myths in Kaionar were really true. His instinct told him that they were genuine, and he went with the feeling; it had never led him wrong before. "Alright, I'll come," he said, finally sheathing his sword. If they were going to kill him, one little sharp hunk of metal wasn't going to do him much good. He was surprised, shocked, and a tad bit terrified when Hone wrapped a wing around him protectively, almost like a mother hen. It made him think of his own mother, who had vanished when he was quite young. "Th-thank you," he stammered, wondering what, exactly, she would protect him from. What if there were bandits still around...? Suddenly the thought of his blade in its sheath didn't seem like such a good idea. "I suppose I am rather hungry...." Even as he said it, a loud growl could be heard reverberating from the inside of his armor. He blushed, a slight grin on his face. "Anything would be better than this crusty salted jerky I've been eating all day."

"Great!" Ink exclaimed, giving Hone another playful nudge before starting off towards the huge fire. At the dragon's question, she replied,"I was aware that Kaionar had some sort of defense against bandits and invaders, but I didn't know that it was an actual assembly of knights. So that's what ye are, eh, Bron?" He certainly looked the part, if a little gawky and young. The suit seemed a little too large for him, and his black hair was strewn erratically around his face from the helmet he had been wearing earlier, but he could almost be intimidating, if he had more confidence. If he hung around, maybe she would work on that. She always liked to help people find their full potential. Which made her think of the strange goat-girl, and the thief, and their possession of the necklace of power... Ah, she would worry about that later. They were certainly occupied at the moment.

They eventually reached the blaze, but by that time it had lowered down to mostly charred embers and sparks. "Search around an' see if ye can find anything," she told the other two. "Just be careful ye don't stir up the flames again. We wouldn't want to be trapped in an inferno of fire if it picked up again." She began to snuffle around the nearest wagon, delighted with what she found - biscuits (slightly stale), and rich, dark chocolate, definitely expensive and stolen. She was surprised that Terrowin hadn't found the stash.

((FOR YOU (again) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK7-YoSVNyg))

Myio started to smile as she made her way through the bottle of ale that Terrowin had given her, the drink making her bad mood from before slowly melt away. The thought of a good stash of the stuff helped with that too- With every sip she took from her bottle, the taste seemed to get ever more delicious. Why, it was rather pleasant lying by the fire like this, safe (in comparison to the few months she had spent with the bandits, which had been like living on a knife edge), warm, and with decent company too.

She gave a very unladylike snort at the thought of the other two being fugitives. “Heh, makes four of us if they are. Don’t suppose we’re in the good books with the local cities, I can see it now, splashed ‘cross the gates ‘desert bandits, wanted dead or ‘live, preferably dead’.” She gestured in the air, scowling darkly. That sort of thing really scuppered returning to Kaionar and going back to baking, always looking over your shoulder for the guards you knew could come and throw you in chains at any time. She took a long draught of alcohol, thinking to drown her dark thoughts. She hardly needed them ruining a perfectly good night.

Myio made herself keep up with Ter as they drunk their way through a good volume of the alcohol they had stashed, but by the time she was halfway through her third, the world was starting to twist into strange shapes, the flames of the fire leaping high into the sky and forming strange dancing shapes. She was sure she could make out a dancing rabbit, but before she could point it out, it disappeared into a flurry of dark embers. She put her bottle down on the grass for a moment, rubbing at her eyes. With the blood she had lost from the wound she had gotten, she had gotten intoxicated much faster than she normally would have- Although three or four bottles of alcohol as good as what they had been drinking was normally enough to lay her out anyway. As she reached to take hold of it again she knocked it over, spilling the liquid across the grass. Ah well, at least there was plenty more.

She gave an uncharacteristic giggle as the man leaned close. He smelt like ale, but it wasn’t completely dislikeable… But that might just have been her drink-addled brain thinking. She pushed the bottle away from her side and it clinked towards the fire, its mouth catching fire. The dregs left inside burnt harmlessly, the flames dancing like possessed creatures through the warped glass.
“Eh, feels good.” she slurred, hooking her wounded leg up onto the knee of her other leg. Despite her complacent tone, pain shot along its length and she hurriedly put it down again, sliding down the blankets so she could use Terrowin’s arm as a cushion underneath her shoulders. Yes, it really was rather pleasant out.

~~

Hone swished her tail in excitement at the thought of food, and the thought of going to explore that exciting-looking inferno that Ink had helped start.
“Tha’ sounds like a geet good plan.” she said, giggling as Bron’s stomach voiced his opinion on the matter. She hooked her paw around his elbow as Ink started off, pulling him after her, her wing still flicked around his back. Despite the boy’s awkward sort of demeanour, she was starting to rather like him- He was different to the normal self-approving humans she came across most regularly on her wanderings in the desert. It was most refreshing.

She had to pull a face at the thought of salted jerky though, a shudder running through her whole body. “Ughhh, tha’ stuff tastes bad! I had some once, an’ it left a bad taste in m’mouth for ages. How canstah eat it? An’ nothin’ else?” She looked up to where Ink was walking a little further in front. “Eh Inky, all ‘e’s been eatin’s salt jerky! Whistae two-legs like?” She shook her head. “Outta all the yum things y’can make, whistae pick tha’? Or, bit rum tha’s all t’other knights gave you for a brave ques’ like wotcher up to. Can’t be much geet two-legs if tha’s the best they can do.” She shook her head again, determined to find Bron something much better to eat.

When they got to the camp, Hone looked around in interest, her ears pricking at the sight. The few spots of fire that remained lit the camp well enough to see, the rest easily within raiding reach. She unwrapped her wing from Bron’s shoulders, testing the ground with her wingtip. Her feathers didn’t melt (they were protected with a waxy coating which stopped her catching fire, with the added bonus that it slowly melted if she lit the end, so they doubled as instant candles), so the ground shouldn’t be too hot for Bron.
“Care, it don’t feel too hot, but you two-legs don’t put up with t’heat as well as us.” She gave him a friendly pat on the head with her wing, then went to investigate to see if she could find anything to eat.

Her hunting through the camp lead her to the charred remains of a tent on its outskirts, the sticks that had held it upright piled in an ashy heap. What really interested her though was the little pile of bags to one side of the mess. She rooted through them, peering in interest into each sack. She found a bag of mixed… somethings (Bron would know what it was, some sort of trail mix she supposed) and a bottle that would hold water, but was currently empty. Before she turned away through, she was attracted to a scrap of blackened material that shifted slightly in a breeze that scooped across the ground, making it flutter like a sign saying “come and investigate!”

She nosed the fabric aside, blowing ashes off the strange object that was hidden below. She put her pawful of belongings onto the sand, tugging out the strange contraption that was half buried in the sand, and gave a little gasp of recognition. It was a pair of homemade wings, dark green sails, pale struts. But… only one person had something like that…

She hooked the wings over her paws by the shoulder straps, picked up her other new possessions and made her way back to the other two, where Ink had found, joy of joys, biscuits and chocolate. She almost leaped on the chocolate there and then, giving out a happy bugle of excitement, but the weight on her arm reminded her of her question, and she restrained herself… Just.
“Inky, those two-legs y’were travellin’ with… Was there one with a blue coat an’ hair in a ponytail?” she held up the wings, pulling at the edge of one sail so the green fabric was revealed for a moment. “These b’long to him…”

Guest

"'m fine wit' the wanted posters, so long's they get me handsome self drawn right," Terrowin replied, his words slightly slurred in his drunken state. Man, that stuff was strong! He could normally take at least another one or two bottles, but he already felt a little dizzy and buzzed. He hooted with laughter as Myio knocked over her own drink, and did so with his only a few minutes afterward. "Ah, Oi think we've 'ad 'nough," he sighed, tossing the bottle into the bushes behind them. Even in the dim light carst by the fire he could see Myio's eyes were closed slightly, and knew that the alcohol was definitely effecting her too. She was tough, though; he remembered she always kept up with the men in their drinking competitions, occasionally beating the weaker of them. He was always surprised how well she was able to keep her disguise in check, even while drunk. Now, however, she seemed to be letting her guard down a bit. Her giggle sent chills down his spine. He had known she was a woman for a while, but this was the first time he had truly seen her as one.

He wiggled slightly under the blanket. He hadn't been this close to a woman in... He couldn't remember how long. He never really did serious relationships, only flings; he was just too prone to wandering to be able to keep a lady close. They all went for the successful, handsome ones, the sons of blacksmiths and knights. He was just a rogue, forever wandering, never staying in one place long except to make some small crime that chased him away once more. Getting with the bandits had been his worst crime to date, and one he would not look fondly upon later in life. He was glad to be rid of them.

Terrowin didn't miss her slight flinch as she moved her leg, and he adjusted himself so she could lean more comfortably against him. "It should be good fer tonight, but Oi'll make sure t' check on it t'morrow mornin'. Ye lost alotta blood, so ye may feel weak in the mornin'." Not to mention with a major hangover.... That wouldn't help her heal much faster. Oh, well. A little drunkeness was good for everyone, he always said!

The arm that was around her back slowly made its way around her narrow, muscular waist, as though it had a mind of its own. She was already so close, it just came subconsciously. Whether it was the alcohol, the lighting, or something else, Myio suddenly seemed like the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, short hair, ragged clothes, and all. Here was a woman he could really relate to, one that knew the hard life like he did. Those seductive lips.... Suddenly Terrowin found himself positioning himself so that Myio was underneath him, a hand firmly wrapped around one hip, the other gently placed against her neck as he bent close to her, then, with only a slight moment's hesitation, kissed her full upon the mouth. He was able to control himself not to press too much into it, but it was difficult; the buzz in his head roared with pleasure at the feeling of her so close to him. But the jolt hit him a moment later, and he jerked back, breathing hard, but with fear and uncertainty in his eyes. Surely she would flee now; he had done something he really shouldn't have. He just couldn't control himself...

"Oi... Oi'm sorry," he whispered, extracting her from his grip and moving off of her to give her space. He had crossed the line. He wrapped the blankets around himself and hid his hands under them, so he wouldn't be tempted again. "Oi... Don't know wot came over me." But, of course, it was the ale, he thought. It had to be.... He normally had more control than that.

Ink snorted. "Ya know how silly humans can be. Thinkin' they can live off of junk like that for any amount of time! Hmmph! We'll find you some real nice food, take my word for it, Bronny boy." She giggled inwardly at the way Hone was already acting somewhat motherly over the boy, who, she noticed, really was quite young, despite his outward appearance with the knight gear and all. She wondered why on earth he had been sent out by himself. It seemed like he should at least have a companion with him. Unless perhaps he wasn't wanted... Well, she would make him feel welcome, as Hone obviously already had. He just looked so lost and confused!

Unlike Hone, however, Ink didn't have the waxy protection that she had on her wings, and had to be extra-careful not to catch her feathers on fire. Luckily the flames had nearly died out by the time they started rummaging around, so as long as she didn't stir up the embers, she thought she would be okay. Not being flameproof was obviously one of the reasons why she couldn't breathe fire, though! She thought it was annoying, a dragon that couldn't breathe anything, let alone fire... All she had was a beak.

She smiled with delight at her find, especially when she saw Hone's reaction to them. Only marshmallows would make the lash dragon more happy, she guessed. But the idea of food was brought to a halt at Hone's question. "Why yea, now that ya mention it, the male had rather long hair for a man, an' he was wearin'.... Well, he was wearin' a long cloak." Ink was slightly color-blind - should couldn't really tell blue from green - but she never had told anyone. It wasn't really that big of a deal. "He and his lady friend were quite distracted with themselves though, ya might want to wait until morning before you see him, if ya know him..." Well, what a small world, running across one of Hone's human friends! The day was getting stranger by the moment.

"Well anyway, I found this stuff, plus a couple o' bags of trail mix an' some ripe fruit." It was quite a feast, she thought, and set it all out for the trio to gorge upon. "What'd you guys find?" She settled down with a box of strawberries and began to chow down.

Bron followed obediently after the two dragons, letting a smile cross his face for the first time that day. The dragons really weren't so bad; actually, they were kinder than most of the men he worked with. Maybe it was because they were both female... To think, the only action he had with women were four-legged, scaly creatures! If someone had told him this was how his day was going to end up, he would have called them crazy.

He did as they said and carefully made his way into the camp, sticking to the areas that the fire had left mostly free of charred remains. He stumbled upon a small bag of bottles of water and some old strips of dried meat, but not much else; he decided not to bring them to the dragons. He was pleased and surprised at all they had managed to find, and eagerly dug into the food. It was delicious! Who knew, living as a criminal could provide such excellent food?

"Mmf, th's's great!" he mumbled over a mouthful of chocolate. He had never really had any before, and he was stunned at how delicious it was. He would have to get some again once he returned to Kaionar. Which reminded him... He was still supposed to be on the look-out for those criminals! With all the action that had just happened, he had totally forgot. He groaned and slapped his hand against his face. It would be nearly impossible to find them now, and he would be a shame to go back without any news... He sighed, nibbling on a bisquit. Maybe he could just live out in the desert with the dragons. That didn't sound so bad, unless they got hungry...

Reluctantly, Myio had to agree with Terrowin that they probably had had enough to drink, a warm buzz tickling at the back of her skull from all that she had drunk already. It was definitely better stuff than any she had been able to get her hands on back in the bandit camp. She suspected there had been some unfair play at work- But it was no matter, who was coming up trumps now, with the entire stock of alcohol at their fingertips? Yes, life was definitely starting to look up.

As Terrowin moved slightly so she could rest easier, she gave a sigh of contentment, closing her eyes. She murmured her agreement, the words not quite sinking in. Weak in the morning? Pft, morning was an age away, there was no need to worry herself about that yet. Anyway, Ter’s concern was enough for the both of them for the time being, she was going to make the evening as pleasant as humanly possible.

She didn’t flinch as Terrowin’s arm snuck slowly down to where it had been before, ignoring the little voice of common sense at the back of her mind that was telling her to quit while she was ahead- before Terrowin started to push the boundaries. But no, he wasn’t like that… Was he? Anyway, he would have no interest in her, she was rough and tough- And not to mention hardly the most attractive person around, what with her short spiky hair.

When he suddenly kissed her, not expecting it at all with her eyes closed, something unconscious inside her found it very nice- very, very nice indeed. One hand crept up to his shoulder, holding gently onto him, but then it suddenly clicked this was Terrowin! Her eyes flew open and she recoiled in shock, breaking the kiss as he did. Her jaw dropped open as he released her. She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what had just happened as he self-consciously tucked the blankets around him, stuttering.
“I…I…You…” Suddenly she was angry, her face creasing into a furious frown. “What the heck?”

She huffed out a breath, her hands clenching into fists, then lashed out, slapping him once around the face.
“The first bloody moment you get away from all the other bandits and you’re trying it on? What is wrong wit’ you?”

She climbed awkwardly to her feet, swaying slightly as she stood, aiming to stalk off around the fire and find somewhere more private to sleep. She had had enough of his company. However, fate didn’t like that idea, and at her first step her ankle twisted underneath her and she went tumbling head over heels down the grassy slope, coming to a spread-eagled halt near the fire, narrowly missing it. She gave a groan and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to ignore the drunken voice that was tantalisingly whispering he’s a really good kisser…

~~

“Huh, wonder if he’s t’same person I know…” Hone mused, tucking the wings up one of her paws out of the way so she could help carry their new possessions to a more comfortable (and cleaner) spot- eating amongst blood and ashes was all very well when you had to, but wasn’t the most desirable picnic spot in the world. She couldn’t hold back her loud bugle of delight at the yummy goodies that Ink produced, licking her jaws in anticipation of their feast. She showed the few little items she had found before turning with the others to a spot where they could eat in peace.

She flumped down on her side when Ink laid out their spread, picking a spot, and started to tuck in eagerly. Yes, she had eaten, but that didn’t mean that she was going to miss out on all these goodies now did it? She snaffled a few strawberries out of Ink’s box, cramming them into her mouth and adding chocolate… Then, as an afterthought, she managed to fit in some biscuits too, munching with delight at the concoction.

“Hasta ne’er had choc’late afore?” she asked Bron in surprise, pushing another bar in his direction. Poor boy- never had chocolate? What did they feed the knights back in Kaionar, porridge and bread?

When she was done trying all the various things they had found, and was pleasantly full, feeling quite in need of a long nap next, she started to clean the sticky juice from off her scales. “So, whistae do now? Are we gonna gaar see your new fren’s now Inky?” If Lutis was one of her new friends, why, that would be just perfect! And they could have all sorts of fun in the desert, it would be just like the adventures she had had with him before. Only much better, because Ink and Bron would be along for the ride too! And… whoever else Ink had found, but Hone was positive they would be just as good a friend as Bron was turning out to be.

((Sorry, way shorter than yours ^^))

Guest

Terrowin knew that he deserved the slap, so he didn't flinch as Myio's hand came flying at him. What he hadn't expected was how much it hurt. Damn! That girl could hit! He went reeling and tried to stay upright as his jaw throbbed in pain. Sure, he had been hit by girls before, but none as powerful as this. He should have known, but still! His skin burned where her palm had connected, and he knew that in the morning he would have a nice hand-shaped bruise to show off. Maybe even a black eye to go along with it. Nevertheless, he didn't blame her. He had gone way out of line, even if it was the alcohol affecting him. Maybe the lack of women while living with the bandits had made him desperate, because he normally wouldn't do such a thing. She obviously didn't think so either (although he had felt her return the kiss, if only for a moment). And, he wondered, why DID he do it? This was Myio, boyish and unfeminine, who would rather grapple with the men than put on a dress. Then again, maybe that similarity between their personalities was what made her so intriguing... So why hadn't he really thought about her that way until now? He let his thoughts buzz around in his head for a bit more before giving up on trying to understand his actions.

"Oi... Oi don't know wot t' say. Oi didn't mean anythin' by it, really. Must be th' alcohol gettin' tae me..." His words were no more than a mumble, and he wondered if she could even understand what he said. He wanted to crawl into a hole until this embarrassment passed over. She would believe that alcohol or no, he should still be able to keep his hands to himself. She knew him too well. He stayed silent, letting the throbbing of his cheek be his punishment for his behavior. He would make it up to her in the morning. Somehow... if anything could make up for it.

He jumped in surprise as Myio abruptly stood, took a step, and stumbled forwards towards the fire. "Myio!" he shrieked, but she stopped before she reached the flames. He debated with himself whether or not he should go to her, as she was already pissed at him enough, but eventually his heart won over his sense. He stood, nearly as wobbly as she, but took slower and more deliberate steps towards her until he was kneeling by her side. He kept his hands and face away from her, but his gaze was full of concern. "With the blood that ye've lost an' all the booze ye drank, no wonder ye lost yer balance so ealisy." With her sense of dignity and pride, he had nearly forgotten about her wound. He was tempted to check it again to make sure it hadn't began bleeding again, but decided that would be too much. "Look.... Oi'm not gonna try anythin', but Oi'm gonna pick ye up and set ye a little way from the flames so ye don't catch fire in the middle o' the night. A'right?" Before she could protest, he carefully picked her up and positioned her a ways from the fire, close enough to feel its warmth, but far enough not to be in danger. He stumbled back up the small incline and returned with some blankets, laying them next to Myio to do what she pleased with them. "There, that oughta be enough," he mumbled, then gave an awkward pause before saying,"Well, let's just try tae forget about this by mornin', eh?" He scratched the back of his head, a habit he found he did when he didn't know what to say or do. "So, erm... See ya tomorrow." With a small wave he turned and trudged back up to where he would sleep, cursing at himself all the way. "Bloody idiot, tryin' tae do that t' her... Ye probably just ruined any friendship ye had with her, dammit. After she helped ye and yer knew mates too..." He sighed, then crashed down into his blankets. Within minutes he was asleep and dreaming about things he shouldn't be....

"My strawb'rries!" Ink laughed as Hone snuck a few away, then followed her example and stuffed some chocolate into her maw along with the fruit. Her mouth wasn't quite as large as Hone's, though, so she skipped out on the biscuits. She wasn't used to such a feast - her normal meals consisted of whatever desert rodent or lizard she could find, along with a drink of water from the nearest oasis. Now she hid the small bottle of blackberry wine she had found in the crook of her tail. Eventually she brought it out and downed half of the bottle in one gulp, relishing the sweet flavor that exploded across her tongue. "'Ere, ya oughta try this!" she squeaked, and handed it to Hone. She continued to eat along with her friends as the night grew later.

Bron shook his head sadly at Hone's question, but brightened visibly as she passed him another bar of the sweet brown food. Why didn't people eat like this all the time!? It was delicious! He laughed at the dragons' lack of table manners as they seemed to compete on how many food combinations they could make before they got sick. Eventually, though, the food dwindled, and soon vanished before their eyes. He leaned back and sighed, quite content after the feast. At Hone's suggestion, he hesitated. Did he really want to meet these other humans that Ink had met? What if they didn't like him. A sudden thought hit him, and he bolted upright. What if these people were the ones he was supposed to be looking for!?! "I think that's a good idea," he blurted out before he could stop himself. He paused and continued,"Meeting these people, I mean. It'd be nice to see some human faces again after such a long day." He mustered up a smile. "Not that your faces aren't pleasant!" he added hastily. He stood and brushed himself off, then waited for the other two to reply.

"Sure, Hone, let's go an' see if the silly humans are still awake," Ink agreed, also standing and shaking the ash off of her feathers. "It's not too far, just thataway for a half mile or so, back to the oasis." She took a moment to lick the fruit juice off of her claws, then began in that direction once the meal was complete. "However, the man that might be 'Lutis' an' his gal ran off into the woods to do whatever it is that humans do in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night, so we may not see them until morning..." She suppressed a shudder. "However, Terrowin an' another gal were headin' in that direction too, so we might run into them before the night's through." She yawned, only now realizing that she was fairly tired after eating so much. She was looking forward to a good night's sleep under the canopy of the oasis.

Terrowin’s yell echoed in Myio’s ears as she sulked, not really caring if she had scared him. Well, that wasn’t quite true if she had to admit it, but she wouldn’t be. Served him right for kissing her like that, yes it did. She ground her hands into her eyes, making them throb. Bloody hell… What was she supposed to say to actually kissing him back? Maybe he hadn’t noticed… No, that wouldn’t be true, it looked like had some experience with kissing- ‘Course he did, she was probably the latest in a line of girls. Which brought her back to the question again- What the hell did he see in her?

She suddenly heard a shuffle of feet next to her as he came over to her side, her brows creasing into a frown as she pulled her hands away from her face to look at him, shrinking back into the ground.
“What?” She eyed him mistrustfully for a moment, pulling her chin back so he had even less chance of trying it on again. If he did… Well, she could always find a use for her dagger. Good thing they were relatively good friends (well, had been, she would have to see about that now), otherwise they would have become acquainted already. As it was, she stayed stiff against the grass beneath her back, watching him with narrowed eyes. “I’m not a firework, people don’t just catch fire.” she snapped, then his other words sunk in. “Wait, wot? Don’t you touch me!”

She gave a yelp as he slipped his hands underneath her, clutching at the grass with one hand as he straightened, the greenery slipping through her fingers, then gave him a weak thump on the chest, seizing the front of his ruined shirt as he wobbled slightly and set off, spitting with wordless rage like an angry cat. As soon as he put her down again she scrabbled away, but didn’t get far, her wounded leg dragging and making her wince as she had to quickly quit the act.

When he gave her a pile of blankets she grabbed the top one, throwing it over herself like a barrier between them. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing, right? She huffed at his words, laying back against the grass and folding her arms over each other without another word. He could bloody well leave her alone, well alone. Her mind was buzzing, and it seemed like there was little chance of her getting to sleep any time soon.

She rolled over onto her side as Lutis appeared through the trees, giving her a wave as he tossed his boots into the cart, the bottles they hadn’t attacked clinking together as he knocked them. He picked his way through a handful, squinting as he read the faint labels, then tucked a few under his arm and sauntered off again, tugging at the cork in one of the bottles with his teeth. It came free with a satisfying pop! and he gave a smile, spitting out the cork and taking a swig. It was just as good, if not better, than the last bottle.

He wandered along the edge of the water, jumping in up to his ankles when the trees grew too close. Ardere certainly had picked a secluded spot… he gave a grin and took another swig of the… what was it? He checked the bottle- blimey, gin, strong stuff- and wandered on, heading back towards where he had left Ardere. It didn’t look like Myio wanted company, and he had passed Terrowin sleeping already, wrapped in a pile of blankets.

~~

Not being a great fan of any sort of alcohol, Hone quickly turned down Ink’s offer of the blackberry wine with a wave of her paw, wrinkling her nose at the smell. See, it smelt good enough to start with, but then you tried it and it tasted like mouldy fruit- Why would you do that “fermenting” thing to perfectly good fruit? It just didn’t make any sense. She continued with her preening, discovering that she had made quite a mess of her feathers with her strawberry and chocolate concoction- Although it certainly wouldn’t be stopping her from eating it again. She saw, with a pleased smile, that Bron looked much more relaxed now, laying back against the sand. Now that was much better, couldn’t have him freaking out all over them any more- knowing the desert, they would probably come across something actually worth being frightened about sooner or later- like dustwishes. Now they really were something to run from. Or hide from- either option was good.

She curled up onto her side, shuffling a little in the sand to get comfortable, then decided she wanted a dustbath and flipped onto her back, shaking out her wings in the sand and scuffling it up, burbling with delight as the little grains worked their way between her feathers. She flicked her tail this way and that in happiness, peddling round in a little semi-circle and swiping the remains of their picnic aside with a poorly aimed wriggle. She turned back over onto her belly, biting one claw as she saw the mess she had made. “Oops…”

Hone laughed at Bron’s sudden eagerness, both to visit Ink’s new friends and to please them, pushing herself up to sit in the sand again, then to her feet. “Good-oh!” she squeaked with a grin, flicking her wings a couple of times and disappearing in a cloud of ash and sand as she dislodged it all from where it had gathered between her flights. She sneezed, blowing soot off her nose, then leapt away from the haze, fluttering her head fins. “Ooh! Ooh! Lutis? Ooh! Tha’s him! Lutis ista my friend!” Her grin widened and she gave a little bugle of excitement. “Coo-ee! Whatta lot o’luck, thought I’d have t’gar all t’way t’Kaionar t’find him, but no, ‘e’s here!” She bugled again, her tail waving from side to side in excitement. “Ooh, how ‘xciting! An’ someone new, Terrowin?” She wrinkled her nose at the new name, trying to make sure she got it right. Her sleepy feelings gone, she gave a little skip into the air as they set off towards the oasis, bouncing in excited circles around the other two as they walked, and chattering all the while.

Guest

Ardere shifted slightly and yawned, taking a moment before she realized that Lutis wasn't around. She felt like crap, and the effects of the love potion were beginning to wear off, leaving her wondering what on earth she had been doing the past few hours, as she could remember hardly anything. Ah well. It didn't matter, she was with Lutis now, and away from those horrid bandits. It took another minute for her to realize that she had yet to get dressed, and an involuntary giggle bubbled out of her throat. She covered her mouth in surprise, then chuckled again. Apparently the potion was still working a bit.

But now, where was Lutis? She looked around for his sleeping form, but she knew that he would probably be too worked up from their rolling in the sand to go to sleep anytime soon. In fact, she wondered why SHE had. Maybe she had blacked out? It was possible, from all that she had been through that day. Soon, however, the man appeared again, and a somewhat loopy, somewhat seductive grin lit up her face. "Heyyyy baby," she cooed, holding out her arms in invitation. "It's cold here at night. Come warm me up." She felt oddly heavy, especially in her lower stomach, which she found strange, but ignored it for the present. Probably just another side effect from whatever it was the bandits had given her.

Once she found the comfort of Lutis's warm, slightly drunk body, she nuzzled against his neck and let herself drift off into oblivion once more.

Bron sneezed as the dust swirled around him, and the sneeze soon turned to hacking coughs and gasps. The sand was fine, but mixed with the ash from the flames, it caught in his throat and sent his senses wild. Even after Hone stopped rolling around he continued to cough, until he finally rid himself of the nasty particles. "Do me a favor and, uh, don't that again, okay?" he croaked, rubbing his throat. "My sensitivity to things is greater than a dragon's, I think." He couldn't help but grin at Hone's obvious excitement at seeing an old friend. "Lutis, eh? Sounds like a promising name, 'long as he isn't the person I'm supposed to be looking for..." The last part of his sentence was a mumble, and he sighed. He wouldn't be able to return to Kaionar until he found the pair that everyone was looking for. Maybe he would just stick with the dragons - they were friendlier than most people!

Ink giggled at her friend. "Just don't go looking for this Lutis fella until tomorrow morning, okay? He seemed like he didn't want t' be interrupted for, er, a while." She shifted awkwardly, then shook her head. "Anyway! Let's be off. Terrowin seemed nice enough." The trio headed off towards the oasis, arriving there a short while later to find only Terrowin and Myio, both seemingly asleep in their funny square pelts. Ink found a spot away from the fire and curled up, and after talking a bit longer with Hone and Bron, fell into a comfortable sleep. Bron sat near Hone, and slowly fell into unconsciousness until he was leaning against Hone's side in sleep, still in full knight armor. Apparently, he was quite tired.

*~*~*~*~*

Terrowin woke the next morning with the worst hangover he had ever had in his life. As soon as his eyes flickered open, he groaned, and made no move to get up. He lay there for what seemed like hours, but eventually got the strength to lift himself on his arms and glance around the camp. His head was pounding and he felt sick to his stomach, but not just from drinking; he still felt awful about what he had done to Myio the night before. He groaned again, then somehow stumbled his way over to the lake and dunked his head in, then, losing his balance, fell completely in. He flailed back to the surface and gasped; the water was freezing, and his shirt was all but gone from... whatever had happened to turn it to shreds. Well, at least it seemed to have cured his hangover. He floundered over to the bank and clambered out, then flopped on his back and lay there for a while, catching his breath. His blond hair was plastered against his forehead, but he made no move to brush it away. He felt just downright miserable.

About ten minutes later, he finally rolled over and took a closer look at his surroundings. Ink had arrived sometime in the night, but wait - there was another dragon in the clearing too! It was bright and exotic-looking, and Terrowin's eyes widened at the sight. Where on earth...? He shook his head; maybe he was imagining things. But no, it looked too real. He crawled a bit closer to the strange creature, and realized that there was a man there as well! Actually, he looked more like a boy than a man, but he was dressed in the armor of a knight of Kaionar. He scratched his head, then shrugged. Well, maybe they were just more tagalongs that Ink had picked up. He rolled his eyes. They would have a great company of misfits if she kept this up.

He glanced over to where he had left Myio the night before, guilt churning in his stomach. It looked like she was still asleep, or at least pretending to be. Should he talk to her? Try to convince her it was the alcohol's fault? Or pretend like nothing had happened? He opted for the final option, and kept silent as he packed his belongings away. If she wanted to talk, he would let her make the first move.

The splashing of the water around Lutis’ feet sounded loud in the quiet of the night, but as he headed back to where he had left Ardere, a different noise interrupted it. He stopped for a moment, listening as he took another swig from his bottle. The sound of giggling floated through the trees towards him, and he gave a foolish grin- it looked like Ardere was awake. He started off again, reaching the clearing soon enough, his grin widening at the sight of the satyr.
“Hey sleepyhead.” he said, dumping the unopened bottles of alcohol a little way off before dropping down next to her and pulling her close. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as she snuggled close, taking another drink from the bottle.

He regarded the sky through the trees for a moment, thinking over the events of the past couple of days. Crazy, to think yesterday they had been in Kaionar, and the day before, he had just been going about his normal illicit business. When he looked back at Ardere again, his eyes widened in surprise- Why, she had fallen asleep again! He was just that good company. He gave a wry smile and tossed away his half-empty bottle into the shadows, laying Ardere softly on the ground nearby before shrugging off his coat and lying down next to her. He threw it over them both like a blanket, wrapping his arms around her middle and watching her for a while before he too dropped off to sleep.

All the way to the oasis, Hone couldn’t stop her jumping around in excitement- even Bron’s little addition on his sentence (which she caught, but didn’t think much of- lashes had good hearing, with two sets of ears and all) didn’t dull her good mood. There wasn’t much that could have dulled it at that moment- maybe a demon, perhaps some bad weather, but not much else.

She regarded Terrowin and Myio with interest when they arrived, but managed (somehow) to restrain herself from waking them with a noisy greeting- from the number of times Lutis had shouted at her when she had woken him up ridiculously early in the morning when they had been up late the night before, she knew not to wake humans when they were sleeping. Besides, they could have introductions in the morning… over breakfast…. She flumped down on the grass between the fire and Ink, flicking her head fins in content when Bron sat down nearby. As he fell asleep on her side she gave a soft smile, shuffling slightly so he was resting against her side, flicking a wing over him to make a feathery purple tent before she too shut her eyes and drifted off into dreams of chocolate, strawberries and adventure.

~~

A faint splash woke Lutis the next morning. He gave a sleepy yawn, blinking slowly when a headache decided to announce its presence. A couple of strands of Ardere’s red hair lay curled over his face and he blew them away, turning to look at the fiery satyr. Looked like she was still asleep- understandable really, sleeping off the inevitable after-effects of the love potion that she had been given by bandits the day before.

The morning light was glaringly bright when Myio woke up, even with her face half buried in the pile of blankets she had been sleeping on. She groaned, squinting for a moment before shutting her eyes tightly again, a headache pounding behind them. Ugh, if she had felt bad the day before, today was like waking up in a living nightmare. She scrubbed one hand against her face, trying to remember what had happened the night before- things were blurry, which could have been caused from the drinking, or the consequential headache she now had. There were faint noises in the background as Terrowin shuffled around the camp, tidying up whatever mess they had made, but she ignored him for the moment, trying to recover.

She swore out loud as she suddenly remembered what had happened, a steady stream of much quieter curses following as she now realised that Terrowin would know she was awake- which in itself would probably cause awkwardness. She rolled over onto her back, peeking one eye experimentally open and sticking out her tongue- her mouth felt all fuzzy. She supposed she should probably get up, but right now, she was feeling like crap- well, worse than crap really. Letting her eyes adjust to the light for a moment, she lay still before shoving back the blankets from her front and pressing her hands against the ground either side of her, sitting up. The world swung sideways, its features fading to a sparkly silver for a moment before slowly reappearing. Blimey, this was the worst hangover ever- and she had had some pretty bad ones, keeping up with the other bandits’ drinking competitions. The world had never gone the wrong colour before…

Her hands gripped at the ground for dear life as she managed to stay sitting, pulling her knees up towards her to curl into a sitting ball. At the movement though, pain shot up her right leg and she gave a groan, one hand flying to try and stop it. She topped over onto her side as she lost her balance, her grumbling muffled by a faceful of grass. Well this was just going to be a tip-top, absolutely fabulous day, wasn’t it?

Guest

Terrowin was doing surprisingly well for a man who had spent the last night drinking; the shock of the cold water must have worked miracles to his senses. He still had a bit of a headache, and the sun seemed terribly bright and warm, and his stomach hurt a bit, but he was much better than how he had been when he had first gotten up. He jumped as he caught sudden movement to his right, but it was only Myio, finally stirring from her sleep. From her movements he could tell that she was in pain, and the guilt in his stomach increased. He shouldn't have let her drink so much, especially after losing all of that blood. In fact, as he watched, she seemed to try to get up, but failed as her leg twitched in what he assumed was great pain. He bit his lip, torn on what to do. On the one hand, she might not let him near her, after last night. On the other hand, she was in no condition to look after herself in that state. He battled with himself for a few more moments before making a decision. He grabbed a wooden bucket from the supply cart they had taken from the bandit camp, carefully made his way down to the pond, and filled it with the icy water. He then took what was left of his shirt, and stripped it into neat, longish bandages, as he had nothing else to use as clean linen. He frowned. He would look even more suspicious coming at her without anything on by trousers. He hesitatingly rifled through Lutis's belongings until he found a light tunic that was far too long, but would have to do; he would make it up to the thief later. Thus prepared, he cautiously approached Myio, but even if she did want to hurt him, she appeared in no state to do so. "G'mornin'," he mumbled, taking a kneel at her side and placing the wooden bucket close by. "Lutis 'n' Ardere ain't back yet, an' yer leg needs lookin' at, so um, Oi just wanted tae check tae see if it looks alright." With a few uncertain glances at her, he slowly reached out and unwrapped the dirty bandages, tossing them into the bushes as he studied the scar. It was already healing, but it had left a rather nasty purple bruise around the area, and it was crusted with dried blood. He took one of the strips of cloth and cleaned the wound, then used the rest to firmly wrap it once more, after patting on a poultice of wild herbs he had found in the area. Satisfied, he nudged the bucket closer to her, then retreated a few feet. "There's some water left in th' bucket. Throw it over yer head, an' ye oughta feel a lot better." He paused for a second, then, seemingly lost for words, turned at went back to his belongings, feeling like there was now a wall between the friendship that they had used to have. He hated the fact that it was his doing that had caused it.

Ink yawned and stretched, blinking a bit before standing and taking stock of her surroundings. The humans were already awake except for Bron, but the other two still weren't around. She frowned. Hopefully they hadn't run off in the night... No, that was ridiculous, there was no reason for that! They were probably still... Occupied. She shuddered. She then shuffled on over to Hone and Bron, who were both still soundly asleep, and nudged the brightly colored dragon. "Up an' at 'em, sunshine!" she crowed, waking up Bron immediately. He jolted awake, flailed a moment, and then fell promptly, as usual, on his backside, as he had spent the night in a slightly upright position against Hone's side. He freaked for a moment, forgetting where he was, before the past night rushed back to his memory, and he grinned. "Time to get up, eh?" he sighed, rolling up into a sitting position again. It was quite hard, considering he still had on the knight armor... "Heck with this," he grunted, and finally pulled off the metal suit, revealing a plain gray shirt and leggings underneath. At least he had stayed warm in the armor, but it was about time he realized he wasn't in danger, and took it off. He rolled his shoulders and sighed in content. "So! What're the plans for today?" he asked to no one in particular,"and what're we doing for food?" His stomach growled on cue. He frowned, then looked around. There was a man apparently tending to another man - or woman? he couldn't tell - a short distance away. "Hey!" he said, waving. "Glad to see I'm not the only human around!" The good night of sleep had made him feel refreshed and more alert than he had been the day before, and though he still wasn't used to the odd presence of the two dragons, he had to admit that it was a bit nice to have a change of pace, instead of circling the city all day looking for trouble...

((hope it's okay if I PP a bit here!))
Ardere, however, didn't wake up nearly as easily. It took Lutis several tries to get her to regain consciousness, and when she did, it was to a hard, aching pain in her stomach. She moaned and curled into a ball, oblivious to her surroundings. "Hell," she grunted. It took nearly twenty minutes for the pain to subside enough for her to sit up, and even then did so only with help from Lutis. She recalled absolutely nothing from the night before, though Lutis's retelling of the story made her both groan and giggle - groan at the bandits and the potion, and giggle at what had happened later that night. "Well, at least we're safe and together," she sighed, shaking away the messy crimson curls of hair from her face. "I guess we'd better get back to the others..." She trailed off, smirking, then wrapped her arms around Lutis and gave him a long, slow, deep kiss, earlier pain forgotten. After a while, they eventually broke apart and made their way back to the campsite, to be met with a much larger crew than they had originally planned on traveling with...

((Sorry it's kinda short >.< ))

Lying face down in the grass wasn’t as uncomfortable as one might think, but Myio couldn’t enjoy her newfound pillow for long, pain continuing to shoot up her leg. She rolled over, groaning as the movement made her head throb. Her eyes slipped shut as she massaged her temples, ignoring whatever else was going on in the camp. It looked like Ink had brought back a friend with her- wherever the hell she found a friend in the middle of the desert. Ah, who cared, as long as they kept out of her way and didn’t make too much noise- the thought was broken as Ink crowed a morning greeting to her new friends, the loud noise making Myio’s head ring.
“Shut up! Shut up you flipping, noisy, bloody dragon!” she yelled, shooting the dragon an irritated look.

Her expression only soured as she saw Terrowin heading for her, bucket in hand. She scowled and bunched her discarded blankets in a pile underneath her, propping her up slightly so she wasn’t lying down- and feeling completely vulnerable. Although, she hardly felt much less vulnerable half-sitting up- in all honesty, it was actually making her feel worse, her head spinning from what now she recognised was bloodloss. She eyed him haughtily as he set the bucket down, fiddling with bandages and such next to him.

“Piss off, I don’t want to… talk to you.” She tailed off as he finally looked at her, her scowl lightning slightly. He had a black eye, an angry purple bruise spreading across his cheek where she had slapped him. The fact that he was sopping wet didn’t really help his appearance either- hair stuck down all over the place, water still dripping in rivulets down his face. Despite her protests, he still seemed stubborn to check that her leg was healing- he must have been taking lessons from the donkey (which seemed to have wandered off to sulk somewhere else).

As he dealt with her wound she couldn’t help but wince, flinching at the cold of the water. She watched him as he worked, not quite trusting him, despite it being obvious that he was stepping cautiously round her, seemingly… well, it looked like he was afraid of her.

When he got to his feet she grudgingly took his advice, gasping involuntarily as the water splashed over her face. She tossed the bucket away, shaking her wet hair away from her face.
“Terrowin!” she shouted after him, calling him away from what he was doing. If he thought he was going to get off scot-free, he had another thing coming. “Tell me why you… y’know, last night…” She lowered her voice and shot the others a suspicious look, bewaring prying ears.

Dreams of running through a land made of chocolate, marshmellows and pancakes were interrupted by Ink’s greeting, abruptly waking Hone from her slumber. She shuffled slightly, fluttering her ears at the noise, then gave a wide yawn and sat up, stretching her wings up into the air as Bron floundered. She watched him in curiosity, her head fins twitching in amusement, then burst into laughter as he fell over onto his back, one hand catching her on the nose. She wriggled it, giggling, then gave him a nudge as he rolled back upright.
“Mornin’ Inky! Hooista ‘smornin’? I had t’best dreams, choc’late’s geet good t’eat afore bedtime!” She grinned, tucking her wings back against her sides as Bron started to pull off his armour. She couldn’t help but squeal aloud as he tugged off his chestplate, promptly nosing at it in interest.
“Y’like a turtle, all tucked up in a metal shell!” Humans really did wear the strangest things sometimes. She pushed the plate around on the grass a little longer, intrigued by the buckles that held it together, then got distracted by the thought of breakfast.
“Plans?” She gave a snort of laughter at that. “Las’ time I had a plan, it weren’t mine! Jus’ whate’er the day brings f’me! Brekkist though, mayhap Inky’s friends can ‘elp?” She looked at the magpie dragon eagerly, hoping she could volunteer more concrete information. If not, well, maybe she could just go and catch themselves something- she didn’t have any experience with cooking, but Bron, or one of the other humans could help with that. Maybe the angry woman that had shouted at them- although, looking closer, it didn’t look like she was in much state to be doing much more than sitting around. How dull. Ah well, there were plenty others to play with!

When Ardere finally woke, Lutis couldn’t help but pity her as she curled up, her pain obvious to see. He stroked her hair away and gave her a kiss on the forehead, letting her recover on her own. When she finally sat up, he kept his arm wrapped firmly around her middle as he told her about the night before, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. It was obvious she hadn’t a clue what had happened, and he quickly forgave her for her shameless flirting with the bandits the day before- she hadn’t had any idea about it now, so she must have been really out-of-sorts the night before. He should have guessed that though, what with the alcohol-drinking and her over-zealous (but not completely unlikable) kisses. Of which one was forthcoming…

“Glad those weren’t part of your drugged state yesterday.” He grinned as they parted, his eyes sparkling with humour as he helped her to her feet and they headed back to the main campsite, collecting up the two bottles that he hadn’t drunk and shoving them in the pockets of his coat for later. There was no point in wasting good liquor, even if there was plenty more available.

When they got to the camp, appearing from between the trees, he immediately noticed the brightly coloured dragon lying near the fire, talking to Ink and some other new kid that he didn’t recognise. It was so like Hone to bring along a new friend… Wait a minute, how had Hone got there?
“Hone?”

The dragon had picked up on the two’s footsteps as they made their way through the woods, and at their appearance, a huge smile spread across her face. She leapt to her feet and immediately leapt on Lutis in a hug that squashed him to the ground, licking his face enthusiastically.
“Lutis! Y’are you! An’… An’ a goaty-person?” She regarded Ardere in confusion for a moment, then licked Lutis on the cheek again, making him squirm awkwardly.
“Gettoff, you crazy dragon!”

Guest

Terrowin had ignored Myio's first greeting, but it stung nevertheless. She seemed hardly willing to let him take care of her leg, even though it was obvious that it was giving her pain, but he was glad that she didn't move away from him completely. Maybe she couldn't... Either way, he was done soon and with less curse words than he had anticipated.

He hadn't realized until after he was done that his face sore around his eye were Myio had slapped him, and he groaned. He was certain to have a very attractive black eye to go along with his hungover appearance, and add the wetness into the equation, and he was certain to look like a bloody model. He sighed grumpily and rubbed the sore spot, wishing he had something to cover it up with. The others were certain to ask what had happened, and he didn't exactly want to tell them the truth. He would say.... that he had gotten it in the fight with the bandits last night? Yeah, maybe they had been too distracted not to notice that he hadn't had it the night before. He smirked as the story unfolded. He had been surrounded by four men at once, each wielding a dull cutlass. In a split second he had taken out two of them with his kicks, then buried his sword in the third before turning to meet the last one's fist. He had then decapitated the man before meeting up with the rest of the group. Perfect cover story. He glanced up as the young man he had seen earlier greeted him, and managed a wave. Great. Another guy to ask him what had happened. He grimaced.

He had been finishing tying up his bag when Myio called him back, and for a moment he just stared at the ground. What was he supposed to say? He glanced around uncertainly to the two dragons and young man that were nearby, then after giving them a forced smile, wandered back over to Myio. "Look..." he began, scuffing a boot in the sand. "Oi don't know why Oi did wot Oi did. Oi don't have any excuse fer me actions, an' Oi ain't lookin' fer an apology. Oi just hope that we can leave that behind us, and pretend it never happened." Pff, yeah right, like that was going to happen. "Oi won't do it again, Oi swear. Oi guess if ye really wanted to, ye could beat me up a bit more.... If that'd make ye feel better." He prepared for her to smack him again, turning his head to the side so she would hit the eye that wasn't sore from the night before. He hardly noticed Lutis and Ardere appear in the clearing.

Bron noticed the nasty black eye that the man had, but if appearance was anything to judge by, he seemed like he might get in scuffles often, so he didn't comment. He didn't look in the happiest of moods anyway. He stretched once more, oddly happy. He felt so much lighter without the armor on, if much less intimidating. He was a rather tall, lanky boy, and the plain gray clothing he was wearing did nothing to make him appear otherwise. He was about as different from the guy with the black eye as one man could be from another, or so he thought. He frowned. Was he perhaps the thief he was looking for? But no, that man was supposed to have long brown hair, not messy blond hair.
He laughed as Hone nosed around his armor. "Well, unlike dragons, we humans have quite soft flesh, so we need to wear metal to keep us safe in battle." To further prove his words, he struck a proud fist against his chest, but only succeeded in nearly knocking the wind out of himself. He coughed. "Well anyway, I've had enough of it for now." He frowned at the mention of breakfast though. He was used to three full meals a day, and wasn't sure how long he could go on just jerky. "Well, I have a few rations of food from Kaionar, but it's not enough to feed a human and two dragons..." He looked up at the trees above them, and grinned. "But we humans are also gatherers. Look, these are all fruit trees!" And indeed they were. The tops of the trees, high above human reach, were loaded with an assortment of sweet foods, from apples to oranges to pears. Apparently this was a special oasis, because he was certain those fruits normally grew at different times of the year. "I suppose I could climb up and get some...." His grin faded. He would most certainly fall and break his neck if he tried so. "Or... Maybe one of you two could fly up and get some?" He turned as he heard footsteps behind him, and was nearly blown over as Hone rushed past to knock the man to the ground. He laughed. "I take it you're Lutis?" he asked as Hone energetically licked him. "I'm Bron. Your dragon friend here kind of, well.... Picked me up out of the desert." As he stopped talking, he froze, and took a closer look at the two. What he saw made him catch his breath. He should have noticed right away! These were the two he was looking for! He flailed around a moment to try to grasp his sword hilt, but realized he had taken off his belt along with his weapons earlier. He was defenseless! "You... You stole that necklace from Kaionar!" he sputtered, pointing an accusing finger at the pair. "I'm supposed to arrest you!" They didn't look like he had imagined, though.... The woman was actually quite attractive, and he gulped, losing his nerve as she glared venomously at him. "I mean... I'm a knight of Kaionar, it's my job!" His voice took on a bit of a whine, and he took a step backwards towards his armor, prepared to do... Something. He wasn't quite sure what, but he had to do something. Maybe fling his armor at Lutis to distract him...?

"I can get us some food!" Ink chirped, quickly ascending and gathering a bunch of the ripe fruits. She placed them in the cart when she was finished, just as Ardere and Lutis appeared, and chaos erupted. Well, sort of. Hone took a flying leap and Lutis, as Ink had anticipated, but Bron's accusations were a surprise. But of course, he would be looking for them if he was indeed a knight of Kaionar.... She sighed. Hone was busy with Lutis, so she would have to take matters into her own hands. She stepped between Bron and his armor as he began to back off, saying,"Oh no you don't, young one. The necklace didn't belong to the vendor in the first place. We're taking it back to its rightful place, so in fact, we're doing Kaionar a favor!" Well, they were about to start their search for the place that the necklace belonged, since she really had no idea where it was, but she wasn't going to mention that. "Welcome back, you too," she added as an afterthought to Lutis and Ardere. "I take it you had a nice evening?" Both looked hungover and bedraggled, so she assumed it was a yes. The strange events happening with Myio and Ter were completely forgotten in the reappearance of the two, and Ink kept her gaze locked on the humans, prepared to take action if any of them made a sudden move.

Ardere almost screamed as the dragon came flying towards them, and instead scrambled backwards at the thing viciously attacked Lutis. "Lutis!" she screamed, thinking he was about to be eaten. But no, it was..... Licking him? What the hell? She blinked in confusion. Apparently the two knew each other? She couldn't remember Lutis telling her about knowing a dragon.... She gingerly stepped forward, but halted and glared hatefully at the brightly colored thing as it saw her. "Goaty person? she repeated in disgust. "What a horrible thing to call someone! I'm a satyr, dammit!" Flames flickered wildly through her hair and at her fingertips, tempting her to toss the flames at the irritating dragon. She continued to glare daggers at the Hone, until Bron's words caught her attention, making her even angrier. "A knight of Kaionar?" she hissed. "You must be a pretty pathetic bunch, if you're anything to go by. You don't even have a weapon." She reached up to clutch the necklace, which was currently around her neck, but seemed unaffected by the flames. "Where the hell did you even come from?" Her hand traced down the string until she felt the little button at the bottom, and without another thought pressed it firmly. Without another warning, the oasis vanished, and they were suddenly in darkness. The only source of light came from Ardere, who was still glowing with angry flames. "What...?" she gasped, releasing the necklace. Wherever they were, everyone had been transported along with them, including Terrowin, Myio, the donkey and, thankfully, the cart of supplies. With a shaking hand, she held out a hand and produced the brightest flame she could, lighting up the area. They were in some tomb-looking room, with sandstone walls and strange, old decor. From the heavy feeling she got above, too, they also seemed to be underground. "Where are we?" she cried, frightened. Were they going to be buried alive? Attacked? The room seemed to branch off, she noticed frantically, and she could only hope that there would be a way out.

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