Once Upon a Dream

Uru'baen could be a quiet city... Sam mused as she sat down on the floor of Jared's cousin's house. She rested her back against one of the charred walls and sighed with relief. Her restlessness had quickly been replaced with exhaustion during her midnight wandering of the dreadful city. The sun was just rising over the tops of the houses and the sounds of people waking and getting ready for the day filled what had been a very silent night.

Too exhausted to stay awake and wait for Jared's return, the elf closed her eyes. She felt a tugging at her mind just before she completely slipped off and let herself fall into the void...


She awoke in her old room at the first guild castle... The light played tricks with the shadows on the cold stone walls... the dark red curtains blew back revealing the training grounds and, off in the distance, the mountains... The elf rose out of bed and walked out of the door... she raced down the hallway in elation racing past other rider's rooms.. through the kitchen... past the stables... through one more door... and she was outside... the training grounds opening up before her... the memories of the hours spent honing on her skills... she looked to the sky remembering the times she had flown with G'reth practicing different battle tactics... ... Thud - Thud - Thud... The powerful wingbeats buffeted the air around her... the dragon landed... her dragon landed... G'reth... His fangs jutted out from underneath his jaw in a playful smile... Togetherness... She felt a smile tug at her lips... she was home.

"Hey Sam, do you always fly with your eyes closed?" Darkest yelled up to the Rider as he began to help a Fledgling unhook G'reths harness. He flashed her a bright smile and left the young man to learn his work. Someday, he'd be doing his own harness, but the riders whose dragons were not yet old enough to fly with them were taught by working on other dragons. Darkest patted G'reths muzzle and said in a loud whisper. "If he pinches you, you're free to eat him." He winked at the wide eyed fledgling and offered a hand to Sam.

Sam stifled a small giggle as G'reth turned his large head to peer at the youngster. He looked like he was going to turn tail and run. The elf offered the fledgling a small smile and turned back to Darkest. She took his hand and jumped lightly down from the crook of the dragon's shoulders.

"You should try it sometime Darkest. It makes things a lot more interesting," Sam said with a small wink. She glanced down at her hand. Her gewdey ignesia was glowing brightly, but she didn't remember using any magic... or flying for that matter... The rider shook her head, coming back to her senses, and pushed her blonde bangs out of her face. She must have just zoned out that's all.

She looked at her dragon quizzically. He was eyeing the saddle with an odd expression. Their mental link confirmed that he was indeed confused about the ride as well. G'reth glanced back to her and with unspoken consent they agreed to discuss it further at a later time.

"You know what I don't get?" Darkest asked while he stretched lazily. "I don't get why it is that whenever YOU leave I, the THIRD member of the council gets stuck with reading all the requests for help and replying to them....Shouldn't we have someone else do the work while I work on steal- I mean getting funding for the renevations to the castle? I hear we have at least three new riders arriving sometime..you remember thier names?"

Sam gave a small laugh. "Get one of the dragon knights to do it. They would have the common sense to reply to appropriate ones." The rider glanced at her dragon.

New riders?
New riders...? he echoed.

The elf bit her lip and glanced back at Darkest. "I'm afraid I've forgotten..." ...

....

In the back of her mind, a little voice was saying this dream feels all too real...

"Me too, there're three of them...I think." He shrugged. "I know you don't agree with my methods, but at least my fire can burn away the cowards.....Do I have to play nice when they arrive?" He tossed a black fireball to Sam.

"Letta," the rider said quickly, stopping the black fireball right at eye level. She laughed musically. Darkest's methods.... What he said was true. G'reth chuckled, a deep rolling growl. The harness on him landed in the boy's arms and the fledgling took off to clean it. The red dragon rolled his shoulders, freed of the uncomfortable saddle, and looked at his rider.

The riders that remain are always true spirit and stronger. Especially if they strike back. The dragon said with a quick smile.

"You can play a little... ... Thrysta" Sam threw the fireball back at Darkest with a small wink.

"One of the new riders is called Blaze I think?" The elf's mind cleared for a moment as the name came to her. She paused, unsure of where it came from. "She was recommended by Trymaya." An amber eye blinked quickly in surprise. G'reth shuffled his feet and his rider was surprised by the apparent thought. She glanced at Darkest to see if the name meant anything to him.

Darkest caught the fireball and nimbly split it in two, tossing them up and down over each other in one hand while he thought.

"Nope. Doesn't even ring a bell. I-" Darkest head ached, and he dropped the fire. He shook his head, damn paperwork must be getting to him. "Should I be concerned?" Darkest looked at the flame sputtering on the ground "Eitha." The flames dissapeared.
"

"No wait... it's not Blaze." The elf laughed hesitantly at her mistake. Everything was slowly come back to her. "One is named Salah, another is named Adela and the last is Percy I think. No need to be concerned I think... Where is your dragon?"

"Graendl went off hunting last night, she should be back sometime today, hence the reason why you'd find ME out here working, instead of shirking my duties." Darkest smiled brightly. "I didn't think the name was right...does have a familiar sound to it though...speaking of familiars....I wonder how that cat is doing with my paperwork?"

* * *
Midnight snored lightly atop a stack of papers, most with the word urgent written in large bold letters on top of them.

* * *

"Ah well," Darkest said, "He couldnt be doing any worse than me. How was your flight?"

"Good," Sam said as the memories of their flight came back to her. "Practicing some dives for fun. Paperwork? Oh dear, you for one should not be allowed to deal with anything involving paperwork." G'reth shifted his weight and then crouched down even lower.

Speaking of hunting, I saw some plump deer in the foothills of the mountains that would make for a marvelous snack after such a flight The elf smiled and scratched underneath his jawline. The dragon growled with affection for his rider. Sam stepped back and he jumped away from the pair, took one more jump, opened his wings and propelled himself into the sky.

As Sam watched her dragon fly away, she felt a surge of excitement as she watched his wings work and his scales shine in the sun.

"What to do now..." the rider pondered.

In the woods of the southern lands of Alagaesia, Heir and Knurla sat around a fire in the woods with each other's dragon laying behind their rider. They had just come back home to reunite after a long time away from each other, and the brothers had much to discuss that day. They were both very glad to see each other.
When Knurla brought up the subject of an emerging guild of Dragon Riders in the land, Heir was reluctant to listen. Skolifr, however, perked her ears up with excitement.
The shade explained what he had heard, "A few miles west they are gathering Dragon Riders. What for, I haven't a clue. I think you should go join them."
Heir shook his head. "I'm fine with Skolifr and no one else." He held his head high with pride and said nothing else.
Knurla wouldn't hear it. "Heir, you need to go to keep yourself from getting lonely." He looked up to his bronze dragon, who growled with pride of her own for being Heir's company. Knurla added to his last statement, "Skolifr may find a friend at this place too." Skolifr smiled.
Due to his author's writer's block, Heir reluctantly became instantly convinced that he should travel to this guild and see what trouble he can go get himself into. He stood up and climbed on Skolifr's back and looked to his brother. "Will I see you again?"
Knurla closed his eyes and nodded. "Later, brother." His black dragon Knurlheim yawned.
Skolifr roared, and took off into the air in the direction Knurla instructed. Heir wondered how far this journey will really take him.

"Who knows? After a week of waiting for an elven envoy, signing papers, and trying not to glare at your kind for thinking they're SO much better than humans, I'm ready for anything.....except paperwork." Darkest made a face at sam. "Why would two elven guards travel ahead of the official anyway? I mean, it's not like you would stab them in the back or anything...."

Sam laughed. "Well the paperwork can wait. I guarentee you are going to leave it on the desk in my room tonight anyway." She rubbed her pointed ears self conciously while pondering.

"I know! I'm going swimming. Come if you want. I'll race you," and the elf took off like a bullet towards the forest, heading for one of the hidden lakes. Her feet drummed into the earth with a constant beat ad she ran flat out, enjoying the freedom and the breeze on her face. She glanced quickly over her shoulder before jumping into the cover of the trees.

Darkest smiled and broke into a sprint. Easily avoiding the trees and branches, running just behind Sam, he felt envigorated by the wind and sheer joy of the exercise. A shadow rippled ahead of him and Darkest laughed. He wasn't the only one having fun.

Sam felt the chill of the shadow above her and ran faster, thinking Darkest was in the trees. She opened up her mind and lightly felt his conscious behind her. The elf grinned and jumped over a fallen tree, racing towards the lake.

She skidded to a stop just before the edge of the water, admiring the stillness of the surface. Her open mind sensed all the animals in the clearing, their minds full of energy and excitement. She smiled.

Darkest stopped beside her, smiling.

"I could have sworn i saw-"

SPLOOSH!!!! Graendl dove into the lake, sending a giant plume of water into the air and thouroughly soaking darkest. He laughed and splashed some water back at her. "Was that really necessary?" Graendl snorted, spraying darkest with mist.

'yes.' she sent him tumbling into the water with a quick swipe of her tail.

The elf jumped slightly as Darkest came to stand beside her. His comment was literally washed away in the huge wave that assailed the pair. Sam gasped, her body soaked, not to mention cold. She shivered, refreshed, and sent a mock glare Graendl's way. The rider laughed as the dragon threw Darkest into the water and retreated out of reach of Graendl's tail.

"How's the water?" Sam yelled to Darkest playfully. She removed the wet jacket she had been wearing while flying and hung it on a branch to dry. She also quickly took off her leather boots and socks. The elf felt a probe towards her thoughts and reflexively blocked the contact. Another huge wave errupted from the water as a second red shape hurtled from the sky and broke the surface of the water.

The deer will still be there later tonight. G'reth said mentally to her as he swam back up to the surface. He looked at his rider with bright, excited amber eyes.

darkest laughed. "Cold. Coming?" He mouthed something that set graendl laughing again, then , he sent a big wave crashing into the dragon, and that just made her laugh harder.

Sam pursed her lips and dove straight into the chilly water. It wasn't as col since she had already been soaked. She surfaced quickly, taking a breathe of air and looked around for G'reth. She found him not with her eyes but with her mind as he swam up underneath his rider. The elf grabbed onto one of his neck spikes, careful not to hurt herself on any of the others, and pulled herself onto his back. Two amber eyes twinkled mischeviously and then they were under the water once more.

Sam felt her body straighten out in the water and she held on tight. With a thought she switched her vision and allowed herself to see clearly under the water. Small fish hurried out of the dragon's path and the elf laughed as G'reth rocketed forward. He banked a hard left, using his powerful tail as a rudder. The sunlight streamed through the surface except where the tress were and the pair zoomed in and out of the light and shadows to emerge just beside Graendl. Sam removed the spell and shivered as a small breeze chilled her body.

Darkest smiled, and climbed onto Graendls neck. The two smiled as one when their minds merged and they found out they were thinking the same thing.

"Hey Sam?" Darkest called out to her as the breeze sent a chill running through his body, a chill only partially warded off by the leathers he was wearing.

"What?" The elf glanced over at Darkest and Graendl quickly before leaning onto G'reth's neck. His internal heat warmed her slightly. Sam scratched the hollow between his neck and shoulders and the dragon hummed in content and took a long draught of water from the lake.

She paused, taking in her surroundings. Everything was as it once was. The castle, the grounds, the mountains, everything... She reached down and picked up a handful of dirt, letting it run slowly between her fingers. Same soil. Her feet walked on, guided by all of her memories. She made it inside the castle and up to her old room. It was exactly as she had left it before the sinking of the castle. She stepped out onto the balcony and reached out a hand to the white dragon sitting there. The vampire smiled.

Everything as it should be Salah thought with a smile and Eldor hummed in content.

((I've learned that Heir went back further than I think he was supposed to, but lets see where this goes. ))

Heir and Skolifr flew through the air towards the guild. His dragon landed a few yards away from the entrance, and Heir patted him on the neck. "What now, do I just walk up to the door and meet someone?"
I don't see why not. Skolifr said.
Heir jumped off the dragon's back and stayed by her side for a while.

Finally... Salah thought with the glimmer of a smile. Her concious lightly brushed over the newcomer and his dragon, identifying them to be sure that they were riders. The vampire hopped onto the back of her dragon and Eldor shuffled his feet in anticipation. With one push of his wings and a small jump, they were off the balcony, hurtling towards the earth. At the last possible moment Eldor opened his wings and glided right over the ground. His rider's excitement chorused through their mental connection and the dragon hummed happily. With three pumps of his wings he regained his altitude and headed towards the new pair. His trimmed his wings, cutting neatly between two towers, to emerge at the front of the castle. Eldor landed lightly trying to make sure his rider was comfortable.

His blue eyes took in the new rider and dragon and the white dragon sniffed the air, remembering their scent.

"Ho Rider!" Salah said from atop Eldor's back, giving the man a wave.