Through Smoke and Ashes

Twenty Two||Icy Depths of Nothing

Roland and Ton were next to find their dragons as the Airis Mountains were closer to where we were than Ceosil Lake. That would be our final destination on this island before they turned towards home. I was still trying to process that I would be leaving this island, Aeberuthey. I had grown fond of the occupants living here, having made multiple accomplices daily. I enjoyed living under the stars with Naxan, having nothing more than the howling of the wolves to break the silence that we shared hours on end. We had grown accustomed to living with each other, just us, and no one else.

Now, I was being shoved back into a world where I didn't even remember how to act in. I had to constantly refrain from eating with my bare hands when with these people. I didn't have the luxury of plates and utensils. It was hard for me to sleep at night with others snoring around me or their constant shifting about.

And to top it all off, I eventually had to reveal to these foreign people that I was a dragon rider, not just some girl and that I would have to stay at the Academy of Rhydderch instead of going back to where my parents lived. I would eventually tell them, but I was waiting for the right time. Though, there really wasn't one.

Happy to be broken of my thoughts, Naxan voiced his own. "Twolegs are slow creatures." He had been grumbling for the past couple of hours as he trailed behind us.

"We'll be done soon," I said through the bond as we came to the bottom of the Airis Mountains. There, the rest of us settled as Hames and the two Airis riders climbed into the mountains in search of their dragons.

I sat on my pack, keeping the snow off of my clothing. Baylen and Kayne were making ready to go hunting again. I watched them with a critical eye. "We'll be back," Kayne said, his eyes landed on me and for a moment, my anger simmered away. I tightened my jaw, there would be none of that.

The two of them left and once they were out of sight, I gathered my bow and quiver. We would see who the first person to bring back a meal would be.

"Uh... don't they have it covered?" Sige, the Dreo rider said, looking warryly at my determined face. His dragon laid beside him, basking in the sun.

"I think it will be quite comedically entertaining when she brings back an animal and to see how the other two would react," Aelric smirked at me. I was happy at least someone understood.

I extended my mind through the shadows, a boar was snuffling under a tree a mile east. I smiled, "I'll be back. Do you guys mind starting a fire? I shouldn't be too long." And with that, I had left the campsite.

"Hunting?" Naxan said as he made his way towards me.

I smiled. "Yes."

He was soon walking beside me, dipping his head and nuzzling into my arm. "I missed you too." I scratched under his jaw. "I have to be quick though, I want to show these fools what a pretty lady can do."

Naxan nodded in agreement. "Impress your mate. Then, he will want to mate with you."

I groaned. "That is not happening."

I had reached the boar in minutes. It had moved further away, but that was no problem to me. I counted five wild boars, all of them oblivious that I was around. I chose my target, the largest pig there was, and readied my bow. With a quick snap, my arrow was in the air. It landed right into the pig's eyes, burrowing deep into it. The pig dropped dead and the others around it became aggressive. Naxan growled and extended his wings as they came rushing towards us, but once they saw the intimidating dragon they ran away squealing.

"Good kill," Naxan commented as I grabbed my arrow from the pig. "How is tiny twoleg going to carry?"

Naxan had a point. It was rather large. My emotions were getting the best of me and I had wanted to get the best one. I sheepishly turned to Naxan. "Could you carry it for most of the way? I'll drag it the rest."