On Dragon's Wings - [Survivor00 & CanvasofWhite]

[Survivor00]

Jarâ??ril was flying, his wings spread wide as he soared over a seemingly endless field of snow, the pure white drifts stretching on forever towards the horizon. The wind washing over his scales was cold and strong, but it made his feel powerful. He roared loudly in his satisfaction, his Rider sitting proudly on his back, guiding him along in his path. Jarâ??ril never felt lost when she was around, having been with her since he was but a hatchling. He felt her hands rubbing his neck softly; always comfortably warm even in the cold wind. He closed his eyes and smiled a draconic smile, rumbling deeply in his throat. He twisted his head back to look at his Rider, smiling softly at the human. She smiled back at him, even though half of her face was covered in layers to keep her warm. She rubbed his muzzle, saying his name. Her voice was strong, firm, full of confidence, always making his heart warm when she spoke it. He leaned in closer to her, gently biting and pulling down the scarf that covered her mouth.

â??Jarâ??ril? I donâ??tâ?¦â? She questioned him through her mental link with him. He just smiled lovingly back up at her and shook his head. The small puffs of white mist that were swept from his Riderâ??s mouth were enticing, showing her inner warmthâ?¦something that always captivated him. She watched him with curious eyes as he leaned in to kiss her softly with reptilian lips, purring deeply. Her eyes widened in surprise, unsure how to react to his actions. Jarâ??ril stopped flapping his wings, just choosing to glide for a while as he shared the moment with her. He smiled softly, watching as she leaned back to return the kissâ?¦

Jarâ??ril woke suddenly, the strange pleasantness of the dream quickly fading in his mind, dissolving into the warm enclosure that kept him protected from the cold outside. He groaned in annoyance, shifting against the pile of hay that served as his bedding before standing to his feet. He was a smaller dragon, only eight feet tall and twelve feet long from nose-to-tail, but he was more than large enough to carry his Rider on the deliveries they made. He padded over to the water trough and lapped at it, the cool, melted snow sluicing down his throat to his empty belly.

Jarâ??ril lived with his Rider in the Northern Slopes, serving as her means of transport to deliver packages and messages throughout the kingdom. There werenâ??t many roads up here, and with the heavy snows, they were more often than not hard to access. This made dragons like him one of the fastest forms of transport around. Only a lucky few people had them though, which made being a Rider a good business.

He walked over to his feed bag, munching on some of the substance within. While he preferred meat, the food within the bag gave him enough sustenance to keep him going for a while. Pacing around the enclosed pen, he silently wondered what his Rider would do today, if they were going to be receiving a job anytime soon. Business had been rather slow recently. Closing his eyes and rumbling softly, he tried to drag the dream he had back, to try and remember every detailâ?¦

 

[Canvasofwhite]

"Melwena. It is urgent that you get to the West Kingdom as fast as you can."

"Understood, sir." Melwena bowed her head at the commander before her. Her blond hair fell from her shoulders and down to cover her face when she bowed her head. Standing back up, she turned and walked out of the commander's room, in her hands a rolled-up parchment laced in red and tagged for the king to read. Melwena's blue eyes looked around, seeing that the castle was rather empty today for some odd reason that she couldn't explain. Shrugging her shoulders, she went to her quarters where she would pack for the trip. If this message was so important, than she would do her best to deliver it with haste.

It didn't take long to pack since she figured that the trip to the Western kingdoms wouldn't take long, if the weather over the mountains were calm and the goddess grant her safe passage through the slopes. But to Melwena, it wasn't just the goddess that would grant her bearings, it would be her dragon that will do so. While it was improper to wear normal clothing to meet the king of another country, she wouldn't wear her battle armor for a message either, since the mountains were most dangerous to fly in over in the west. Melwena smiled at the thought of Jar'ril. He was always there for her, and they've been together for too long to be considered just companions. They were friends, so she believed.

"Jar'ril! We're off!" Melwena announced as she entered the dragon stables. Walking toward his chambers, she unlocked the gates, and went inside to greet her friend. She wasn't surprised to see him half-asleep almost. The poor guy must have gotten bored with the lack of missions and errands. Melwena felt good about today, she she came to him, kneeling down and rubbed her forehead against his. "Rise Jar'ril! We have a mission to the West Kingdom!" She announced, tapping the encased message on his nose. She took hold of his reins and padded his neck for him to rouse in his sleep.

She wore simple leather armor for this trip. In addition, warm clothes and acessories including a hat, scarf, and gloves to fit with the cloak to endure the mountain pass. She felt confident that the pass would be easy to navigate since the mountains have yet to howl for the coming season.

 

[Survivor00]

Jarâ??rilâ??s remembrance of the dream was broken as he heard the door to the stables opening, his Riderâ??s scent filling the air and making him smile. His eyes met hers, the exact same shade of shimmering blue. â??Melwenaâ?¦â?? He â??spokeâ?? regally as she entered his stable, smiling and rumbling deeply as she rubbed her forehead against his. He could not contain his excitement at her mentioning of a mission, â??I am most pleased of this newsâ?¦â?? He stood to his feet again yawning and pacing the stable to loosen up. He blinked and made a confused noise when she tapped the message against his nose, but smiled at her again.

â??The Wester Kingdom? That is a long journeyâ?¦â?? He intoned to her, walking to her side and rubbing his head and neck against her side. â??But I assure you I am in well enough condition to make it.â?? He shifted his wings slightly, desiring to spread them fully, but there was not enough room in the stable. He crouched down, making it easier for her to attack the harness and gear he would need to carry to support them both on this trip.

 

[Canvasofwhite]

'I know you'll be okay, we will always pull through.' She told him though their mental link. Her words were filled with confidence and faith in their abilities. Grasping the reins tightly, she secured the buckles around his neck and slung the saddle just a little behind his fore legs and wing joints. Strapping the thing tightly around his body, she took hold of the reins and led them outside where the cloudy skies loomed overhead, though the sun peaked through bare openings in the clouds, shining down on the castle grounds. She allowed him time to stretch and exercise his wings since being stuck in the stables too long wound affect one's flight. Most of all though, Melwena didn't take a liking to the fact that her friend was stuck inside a small space.

Speaking through the mental link, Melwena told him as much as she knew. 'We are suppose to take this message to the emperor of the West. They say that we already have been granted permission to land at the main captial, so we shouldn't have a problem giving this to him with full haste.' She turned to Jar'ril and held his head between her hands as she placed her forehead against his. "I'm counting on you, friend." She spoke this time. Walking to his left side, she eased herself on, strapping herself in connection to the saddle in case fierce winds run risk of pushing her off. Taking hold of the reins, she leaned over to his ear. "Let's fly, Jar'ril." She commanded.