The Dance of Dragons

Another Kind Of Art

It was quite sometime later in the evening, the sun having faded from the sky to be replaced with a sliver of silver that was the moon. The beauty that was Pegasus stretching across the air in the form of stars, always visible at night with the only light coming from the city. The south pier had been turned into massive gathering place, lights on tall stands lighting up the area as the speakers that the engineers had rigged up played a constant stream of music that Lorne had been put in charge of. It was how they spent every Fourth of July, while not everyone was from the United States they all seemed to enjoy the excuse that it provided. A chance to forget a bit of the horror that plagued them, and be human. Enjoy the simple things like dancing, beer, and French fries. Elizabeth had learned really quick that stuff like this made moral soar, and after the events of that day the entire population was buzzing.

The dragons arrival was the only thing that they were talking about, most everyone already imagining the things that could be accomplished. That evening was more than the ones in past years had been; it was celebrating the new found friendship between two great races. Within an hour of the festivities starting, a song filled the air. None of their music, but instead the calls of dragons. Their wing beats easily heard over the music as the forms of Castiel, Malco, and Cazador appeared in the night sky. Their cries echoing across the pier as they landed, the large animals causing the ground to tremble ever slightly below them. They shrank down fast, with Forrest hopping off Castiel to the ground. The welcome was nothing she had expected, as people around them cheered and called their excitement. She had never known that; what they felt, they expressed. It was something that she was learning to do from them.

There were distinct fractions amongst the people as they mingled and spoke. It did not take long for many of the marines to gather around the three dragons. Castiel acting as a translator as best he could, seeing as there were many different conversations happening at once. Scientists had been in their small huddles, all of them knowing that they would have to wait their turn to speak to the dragons, in a way much more appropriate for the questions they wished to ask. Everyone had problems they wanted to be answered, and soon as the dragons were caught up in talking, others sought out Forrest. She had been exhausted, but her will to learn more about the culture she now was a part of keeping her there with them all. It had been small group after small group, each one asking the young doctor the same questions the other had before. After nearly an hour of that, and have hardly been able to enjoy Dr. Pepper that Katie Brown had given her, Teyla came to her rescue. Managing to scare away the curious people who seemed to follow Forrest where ever she tried to hide. So now she sat, with Katie and Teyla. Forrest had grown close to the two women in the most recent weeks. Having spent some time with Katie in the botany lab helping to try and identify any plants they had in the database. With the hope that some may be similar to any found on Loonrian, the goal being that Forrest might be able to use the plants to help with recreating some other Loonrian medicines. Then, of course, her sparing and meditation lessons with Teyla. Forrest had found herself immersing herself in not only the culture of Earth humans but also that of Teyla's people. She enjoyed it, being able to learn so much from so many different people. Sitting with the two, she sipped on the pop she had been given, having found herself in love with the fizzy taste. She had never enjoyed alcohol; it was bitter and sour to her, she had too much of a sweet tooth. So while most the others enjoyed wine, ale, and beer, she let the caffeine high the pop had given her keep her awake to enjoy the party.

There were five people who did not take part in the flooding of the dragons or Forrest. Rodney, John, Ronon, Carson, and Evan were all contently standing by the end of one of the tables, the five happily talking and drinking. Well, four were doing most the talking. Carson had remained rather quiet, going against his nature he spent most the time looking into the drink in his hand. He had been lost in thought, ever since he had watched her take flight. She was in those thoughts that he could not shake no matter the drink he took a sip of with each passing minute. He had not even gotten a chance to ask her how the clans were doing, or how the flight had been for her. The things he always asked her, the simple things. He had never really asked her detailed questions unless it was about what they were working on. The day's earlier conversation had made him realize maybe he should. He had been an open book to her, at least on most things. He told her of Earth, his life, all the work he had done. After today he felt like there was more to her that he did not understand, but he wanted to. That voice that hid deep inside him longed to learn every detail about her. The sound that he had been attempting to drown in whatever drink John made him when he asked for another. The only problem was that that voice seemed to be using the alcohol as a fertilizer. He could see her just across the way, sitting with Teyla and Katie. He could see her smile, that was continuous, but ever now and then he could see her laugh, and even if he could not hear it, he knew exactly how it sounded.