The mountains were alive with Dragons. Everywhere Gareth looked were winged shapes in the sky, some small and some startlingly large. They had fought (and killed) a Red who was giant, far larger than Gareth had ever imagined Dragons grew, but some of the shapes in the sky surely would dwarf even the Red if they drew closer. The shapes were all the same color, a bright silver sheen, but that hardly bothered Gareth at all. Of all the colors of Dragon he could have been surrounded by, silver was the safest, the friendliest and perhaps the most interesting. It came as no surprise that one of their progeny, Winter, was such a marvel herself.
She stood beside him, drinking in the sight of the place like he was, but his childlike wonder was replaced in her demeanor by a warm kind of comfort. Her bright red hair blew slightly in the wind, barely a foot from brushing along the ground--although perhaps it would if she untied it. She wore a soft expression on her face as she looked over the Dragon-flocked mountains and the small town far beneath them. It was clear how much being home meant to her, and just seeing her so happy after she had been so distraught over Zelly's brush with death... it did a lot for his heart.
Gareth reached out and took her hand, a gesture that at one time would never have even entered his mind but now, felt almost natural. He smiled kindly at her as they watched their companions depart for the town, Zelly play with her brothers behind them, her parents chat quietly to their side.
"Now you've got your whole family here, almost," he told her, trying to take her mind off the awful talks they'd just returned from. "Does it feel like home?"
"It does." She admitted, the words coming out like a breath; as if a weight had been lifted off and allowed her to breathe for the first time in forever. The chill of each step, the way the air thinned and cleared out above the human smoke and clutter-- it was the place her heart felt most at ease, most safe. And with the blessing, it brought of easing the burden that the sun-god had placed on Zelly she could not love it more than she did right now.
"I never knew how much I could miss a place, till now." She turned her gaze to him, her smile remaining soft, as if the world around them quieted her down. Eased her into a peaceful lul she could not find elsewhere-- not without great effort, anyway. "It feels like part of my heart I had left behind, and having all of you here, were it not for what we need to do, I'd fight to have all of you simply stay." There was room, among the tall icy walls, the warmly bundled clutches, or even deep in the earth for the more grounded sort. For the humans who found themselves part of the family, or others who did not curl in ice as they did cotton and wool. People like Gareth, she supposed. Even if not that, the village was under the protection of her family, the safest place she could ever think of.
"I do not regret leaving," she clarified shortly after, lest Gareth thinks anything of the sort. "I am lucky to have met you, and the others, blessed in ways I think only my mother really understands-- but I suppose... I'd never left, I never understood why people flock home so readily."
Her fingers squeezed his slightly, having taken his hand without even thinking of it. Staring out at the sprawling lands, feeling the way her body was so much lighter. The hidden desire to do as her brothers did, running forward off of the cliff's edge just to feel the wind passing by as she sprouted her wings-- she understood, now, why they soared so close to the sun. To be so warm and at peace was a blessing she had long taken for granted.
It was a joy to Gareth to see Winter so relaxed. It gave him an insight into her character, into her childhood, knowing this was the kind of place she had been raised. Among Dragons like this, with her father whom he vaguely knew and her mother whom he'd just now met. Among her family. It had no doubt been a more holistic childhood than the one he'd enjoyed--although "enjoyed" wasn't quite the right word.
Her soft smile made one raise to his lips without him even intending it. It was easy to see that path that Winter had led, since he'd been a part of so much of it. She'd gone out and experienced the world herself, against her father's inclinations, and now she was returning. Not only having survived but gained a great power of her own, a kind of strength that was uniquely hers. Uniquely Winter. It captivated him.
"I'm jealous," he said lightly, belying the weight of the feeling behind the words. "I never really had a place to call home, besides my Master's tower. Seeing all this... it's incredible. No wonder you want to flock home," he smiled, echoing her words.
"Lost? No way!" he laughed. "Just look at how big your mother gets in her Dragon form! Imagine having to go up against that." His eyes gleamed in childlike admiration again as he glanced at Winter's mother: he was this close to such an old and powerful Dragon! And surrounded by even more! Although there was a sort of irony in journeying to find Dragons alongside one of their own who, it turned out, could turn into a Dragon herself. Not that he resented her for keeping that a secret, of course. She had her own reasons and he imagined they were good ones. "I'm surprised you ever left, if your home is like this."
He made her think, more than any others, and for a few seconds, she just offered silence-- appreciating her home with him in a way far different than she had before. "There is time, Gareth." It was almost sweet how it fell off of her lips as she nodded at the tower. "To find a home that makes your heart swell." A little nod, as if reaffirming her own thoughts. "Home isn't where you are born; my father was not born here but there is no doubt it is his home. And any place in which you choose to be, it will be your home, I don't doubt that." A little laugh. "Even here, if you wished. I'm sure Zelly would enjoy it." A bit of a tease, but something in her really longed for it all-- longed for Gareth to find this peace she had, for Zelly to have others to play with, for all of them to find the peace they couldn't yet rest with.
Soon, she hoped.
"She is, isn't she?" The biggest she'd ever seen, without a doubt; though it wasn't often her mother allowed herself to preen over her size and strength. There had been battles before her birth; to secure such safety and land for the Dragons and people alike. But now she thought of her mother as some sort of echoing peace rather than the strength she really was. It was eye-opening to hear it from Gareth as opposed to her own thoughts.
"My mother spoke so kindly of humans, so lovingly. I knew I needed to see you for myself." A little tilt of her head as she pulled him with her, to find a nice flat rock to sit on and rest in comfort. "Of the different lands, and the sights, and the beauty of man's inventions. How could I go without seeing everything you had to offer?" A little laugh. "And the foods, too, of course."
Her words were sweet enough, but the tone behind them were what made his breath hitch in his throat, just a little. It was clear not only how deeply she believed he could find a home like hers, but how much she wanted him to. How much she wanted him to have what she had. It was the type of kindness he'd come to expect from Winter, but his expectations never made hearing it any less touching. "So far," he managed, "my home has been with... the group. All of us, you included." And he smiled as he imagined all of them carving out a home here, in the crook of a Dragon's tail perhaps, like Zelly was coming to enjoy. He watched her sliding down Winter's eldest brother's tail with her youngest. The elder Dragon was trying to pretend he wasn't enjoying himself, but it was obvious from this perspective that his tail was getting raised at the right times to make the slide more exciting.
"She is. And I thought you were big!" he exclaimed, remembering how startled he'd been to see a large silver Dragon landing right next to him in Suzail.
He followed her easily, happy to tag along as they sat on a sun-warmed rock. "The foods, of course." He smiled and gave her a playful nudge, a playful squeeze, the joke of her eating habits nonetheless endearing to him. "And? What did you think, having seen a great deal of it now?"
His breath caught a little as he waited for her answer.
"I would love that." Without a doubt, she would. Having them all here, in the safety of her home? A dream, for now, at the very least. Something she would feel blessed to have. They were her family, much as he had said, and her home. Home away from home, as it were. She was sure her life would have been so drastically changed had she not been fortunate enough to step into the right rooms, to be blessed with the right people, and offered the few chances. As a strange creature in the land of man, she knew how lucky she had gotten in finding them. A makeshift family, a blessing of its own.
"Someday I hope to be as big." She admitted with a sheepish laugh; truthfully, if she lived to be that size, and that strong, she would be delighted. She never knew if she would, or could, being only half her mother's blood-- but still, her brother had grown even in her journey; so it was possible. Being able to circle the lands and protect her family and young was something she aspired to. To bring peace to people was a dream she didn't dare talk about too often.
"Humans are..." She paused, thinking hard on it. "So very complex." A little laugh, ducking her head briefly as she clarified. "So brilliant, you do so much in so little time-- yet, even with such brilliance, some are so content to do little, and live warm happy lives. You all do so much, have created so much and expanded so far in ways only humans could. Without wings you cross the seas, allowing nothing to stop you. Write tales of brilliance and love; perform shows and tell tales I think even Father would be impressed by.
Some may be cruel, lost to their ego and anger; but so many are so good, just living to live, so skilled in things created generations before them; improving on those things! Think of it, crossing the seas eons ago when boats and wings were not a thought. Some human created that, and then did it-- and now, there are lands being traveled by men that I could not have dreamed of.
I can see why my mother loves you so much." A fluttery sigh.
"It would be... kind of a dream come true," he murmured. Ever since he was a young mage finding Dragons had been his drive. And now, to have the opportunity to live among them? He'd never even imagined being able to do that. But he wasn't ready to settle down just yet, he thought. Not quite yet.
"I'm sure you will be," Gareth encouraged her. He squeezed her hand and waved with his other, indicating an imaginary and very large Dragon in front of them. "You'll be at least twice as big as your brother is now. As big as your mom plus a little!" He winked at her again, playfully: "and you'll fly me wherever I want, right?"
He listened to the end of her speech. It was a glowing review of Humans, incredibly rose-colored... and more than a little naive. It was the kind of positive estimation that Gareth didn't think almost anyone but she might have had. And he wasn't sure he shared it. "I'm glad you think so highly of us," he murmured softly. Hearing her say it, it reassured the soft clench in his gut... but it made him worry for different reasons. "And you...?" he asked in response to her final statement, not quite sure what he meant by pressing further, or what he wanted to hear.
"And I..." She thought about it, harder than she probably needed to before she smiled gently. "I do find you all amazing, and in some instances, I believe that may be love." She twisted a few loose strands of her braid, thinking about everything they had been through. "Some humans can be so cruel, but the same as their ability to be cruel was the same as their ability to love. And that, I think, is what could be said of most."
She turned her head, looking back to him from the imaginary dragon in the sky, watching him gently as she assessed him-- after all, he was one of the humans that she addressed.
"I have learned a lot, especially from you Gareth." A kind smile as she lightly squeezed his hand. "And I am thankful for every moment of it, good and bad."
Gareth nodded slowly. It was the answer he'd hoped for, and yet he found it didn't quite satisfy him. Why was that? He puzzled over it for a moment, then pushed it aside for later examination. She was still talking, after all, and he was interested in listening. "I think you're right," he sighed. "People have the capacity to be endlessly kind, or cruel, and some end up one way while others end up the other."
He met her eyes as she turned back, captivated by her cool yellow gaze. And he felt warmth from deep in his chest spread as she smiled at him. "So have I," he answered easily. "You've taught me more than just about dragons... you've shared a great deal with me about all sorts of things I never got the chance to figure out on my own. And it's been a pleasure to learn with you."
He looked deep into her eyes, forgetting almost everything but her. She was beautiful, almost unscathed from her tussle with the priest of the sun god--and still there was that naivete in her that he found so endearing. "I--" he might have been about to say, but just then he noticed her parents had started eavesdropping on their little conversation. Zagan was frowning and Eira... her expression was unreadable to him at least.
Winter took his silence at face value-- sometimes, she found, as wise as he could be... or as worldly as he was, Gareth just seemed to lack the words when they talked like this. But it didn't bother her, in fact, she took it to simply be how he was. Another part of him, charming as the rest. She smiled as she leaned in, hand slipping from his and easing up his arm before she tugged him into a hug. Perhaps unaware of their spectators, or perhaps she did not care. She held him tight, the squeeze brief before she pulled back, leaving the faint scent of wildflowers behind.
"I do look forward to learning so much more, together." She admitted openly, allowing her hand to slide back to his. Savoring the contact that she had longed for since she left home. Warm and close to her heart. Of course, it didn't last long, a clearing of the throat behind her was all too obviously her Fathers. Turning her head she huffed a little at his scowl; but fortunately, they didn't say much, even if it was hard to miss his lingering glance at their hands.
That said, it seemed her Mother's smile was a match to her own-- bright and full of life, and enough to make Winter smile. Eira was always better at moving on from awkward situations than any other in the family; her Father and eldest brother especially. "I was thinking of showing Gareth the younglings, since we have much time and he's always seemed quite interested in our kind." And the words were in earnest, even if they'd be awkward to anyone else.
Gareth froze for a moment as Winter pulled him into a hug, although it felt as good as it always did to be embraced by her. But if she wasn't worried about her parents, he supposed he shouldn't be either. He relaxed into the hug and wrapped his arms around her tight, feeling how good it was to just have a moment of intimacy between them. Although the kiss they'd shared did play in his mind once or twice.
He smiled openly at her offer, and he took it like it was water and he was drowning: "of course," he said emphatically. "There's so much more I'd like to learn with you. And I can't think of anyone I'd prefer to teach me." But Zagan cleared his throat and Gareth glanced up like he'd been caught making some kind of embarrassing confession--which, of course, he had.
"That's right," Gareth supplied to them. At least Eira was smiling, although he imagined the expression could mean just about anything. "I'm fascinated by Dragons, always have been. I'd love to hear anything and everything if you two have time."
The parents took to the statement as expected, one suspicious, the other kind. Though neither seemed inclined to stop them, as of right now. Instead, there was careful chiding about waking them if they weren't already awake-- and perhaps a reminder to be gentle; though it seemed that was more Zagan's warning for Gareth's sake than either of them worried about Winter hassling the young.
"Of course, of course." And in the moment it'd become apparent that it wasn't just for Gareth. There was a twinkle of excitement in seeing the young for Winter; her fondness for them not so expertly hidden. Not that any present would be terribly surprised about that. She had taken keenly to Zelly, the others, even the Vampire Children before they had turned on them-- it was in her nature. It's what made her a lovely Big Sister; if it was only to one of their brood. She still did her best, and the young were, by all of her accounts, adorable anyway.
Besides she was sure the longer they lingered the more unusual questions her father would press upon Gareth. She may have been naive as to why, but she was very familiar with his desire to interrogate humans for the safety of the brood.
Gripping him more firmly, she informed the pair they would be back to talk soon enough-- perhaps offering Gareth some time to adjust-- as she headed toward the great doors and away from the warm, sunning rock, her brother had been settled upon proudly.
"I'd never," Gareth assured her parents emphatically. Waking the little Dragon children seemed like a crime of the highest order to him--especially when they were being so kind to them already. And Zagan hadn't even tossed him off a cliff yet. Speaking of whom, he looked like he was gearing up to grill Gareth on any of a hundred things... but before he could, Winter tugged him away.
The two of them walked in a direction Gareth hadn't explored yet, instantly filling him with excitement... although soon it became evident why. They walked towards giant doors, about twice as tall as Winter at least, easily dwarfing both of them. "Is this..." he asked, not needing to finish the sentence: "the clutch." His eyes were wide and already bright at the expectation of meeting a real, baby dragon! Another milestone he never would have imagined.
"It is, sort of." She seemed to be thinking it over. She allowed her fingers to grasp at the door, the ice was thick and heavy; but witht he cold ground it slid against it easily. Pulled open and letting him see the tall shining walls of the inner castle. A temple fitting an elder like her mother; though she seemed unconcerned with it. "The younglings are kept below ground, odd as it might seem." She realized now, having seen human children, that keeping them underground seemed cruel; but she was sure when she shwoed him he would understand.
Leading him along she made for a set of stairs; carved of the earth and stone with many lights scattered along the way. "We don't really have locks like you humans do." She admitted. She allowed herself a moments pause as they found a curtain, something she pushed to the side slowly and what they found is not what one would imagine an underground clutch to be.
The area was huge, taking up much of the mountain, with large windows carved in-- the clear difference was the warmth. Something much more nurturing for the small ones; filled with dozens of what were probably mothers and more than that; dozens of nests. Warm, colorful fabrics and large branches wound together, filled with crystals of ice, pulsing with an odd magic and eggs tucked carefully away. Though not all of them were eggs; many little dragons curled up in the colored fabric; some looking like Winter might have, more human, others looking pure dragon. All of them more tinted purplish and lilac than blue.
"Ah..." She walked in, clearly excited as she snuck to the nearest nest, peering down at a sleeping wyrmling, watching it gently nibble on it's own tail in its bundle of furs and fabrics.
Gareth watched in wonder as she opened up the large, heavy doors. He wasn't sure what mechanism they worked on or if they were magic themselves, but relatively little exertion on Winter's part pulled them open effortlessly. "Not that odd," he replied to her as Gareth followed Winter inside. She seemed even more like a Dragon here, in some ways, than she had when she'd carried them on her back to and from her homeland. She was alien, strange and new. Fascinating. And it helped that the crystalline lights threw a beautiful light on her figure.
It grew warmer, not colder as they went deeper into the earth. And all at once they were in what must have been the main room, and he heard it as well as felt it: a warmth hung in the chamber, and a steady stream of small noises. Tiny wyrmlings cooed and yawned, while their parents breathed rhythmically. Winter went straight to a nearby sleeping baby, but there was too much for Gareth to take in at once.
He stood there, awed by the majesty of the chamber. His hand reached up, trembling, then falling. "It's..." he breathed, taking in the many crystal-like eggs and the vague shapes that floated within them, taking in the mother Dragons sleeping peacefully, taking in the carefully sculpted walls and the well-tended nests, taking in the winding white tree that grew from the base of the mountain. "...beautiful," he finished. And there were tears in his eyes.
Gareth's reaction was a surprise to her, but not an unpleasant one. Seeing something so pure, a reaction so honest, it took her breath from her-- not for the first time. A soft, fluttering breath escaping as she allowed a smile to bloom on her face. Something warm, soft and gentle. Approaching him, her touch is gentle as she lightly brushes against his shoulder, and then up, almost cupping his face before she thinks better of it and pulls back; nodding. "It's one of my favorite places, honestly."
She looked down, sheepish, before tucking some hair behind her ear. "I hoped you'd like it." She turned her gaze onto the nearby nest of already hatched wyrmlings. The little things all coiled around each other; tucked contentedly into a little messy pile with tiny, tired breaths puffing out. The occasional teeny yawn escaping here or there. One or two shifting to get better nestled amongst it's kin, the warmth shared between the little ones.
He was so absorbed in the scene, so drawn in by the mystical sights before his eyes that Winter's touch came as a complete surprise to him. He jumped a few inches and turned to her, willing his heart to slow down enough for him to breathe again. It must have been the surprise that made his heart race: it couldn't have been just how close Winter had come, just how far her hands had reached towards him. But whatever she'd intended to do with them was forgotten and he faced her with a soft smile.
"I do," he answered her, and excitement was evident in every part of him, from the set of his shoulders to the light in his eyes. "I'm surprised you'd ever venture outside, when it's like... this," he gestured at the room. At the sleeping babies, at the protective mothers, at the crystalline spires.
"Was it here you were born?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb any of the sleeping youngsters.
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The mountains were alive with Dragons. Everywhere Gareth looked were winged shapes in the sky, some small and some startlingly large. They had fought (and killed) a Red who was giant, far larger than Gareth had ever imagined Dragons grew, but some of the shapes in the sky surely would dwarf even the Red if they drew closer.
The shapes were all the same color, a bright silver sheen, but that hardly bothered Gareth at all. Of all the colors of Dragon he could have been surrounded by, silver was the safest, the friendliest and perhaps the most interesting. It came as no surprise that one of their progeny, Winter, was such a marvel herself.
She stood beside him, drinking in the sight of the place like he was, but his childlike wonder was replaced in her demeanor by a warm kind of comfort. Her bright red hair blew slightly in the wind, barely a foot from brushing along the ground--although perhaps it would if she untied it. She wore a soft expression on her face as she looked over the Dragon-flocked mountains and the small town far beneath them. It was clear how much being home meant to her, and just seeing her so happy after she had been so distraught over Zelly's brush with death...
it did a lot for his heart.
Gareth reached out and took her hand, a gesture that at one time would never have even entered his mind but now, felt almost natural. He smiled kindly at her as they watched their companions depart for the town, Zelly play with her brothers behind them, her parents chat quietly to their side.
"Now you've got your whole family here, almost," he told her, trying to take her mind off the awful talks they'd just returned from. "Does it feel like home?"
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"I never knew how much I could miss a place, till now." She turned her gaze to him, her smile remaining soft, as if the world around them quieted her down. Eased her into a peaceful lul she could not find elsewhere-- not without great effort, anyway. "It feels like part of my heart I had left behind, and having all of you here, were it not for what we need to do, I'd fight to have all of you simply stay." There was room, among the tall icy walls, the warmly bundled clutches, or even deep in the earth for the more grounded sort. For the humans who found themselves part of the family, or others who did not curl in ice as they did cotton and wool. People like Gareth, she supposed. Even if not that, the village was under the protection of her family, the safest place she could ever think of.
"I do not regret leaving," she clarified shortly after, lest Gareth thinks anything of the sort. "I am lucky to have met you, and the others, blessed in ways I think only my mother really understands-- but I suppose... I'd never left, I never understood why people flock home so readily."
Her fingers squeezed his slightly, having taken his hand without even thinking of it. Staring out at the sprawling lands, feeling the way her body was so much lighter. The hidden desire to do as her brothers did, running forward off of the cliff's edge just to feel the wind passing by as she sprouted her wings-- she understood, now, why they soared so close to the sun. To be so warm and at peace was a blessing she had long taken for granted.
"It gives me hope that we are not lost yet."
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It had no doubt been a more holistic childhood than the one he'd enjoyed--although "enjoyed" wasn't quite the right word.
Her soft smile made one raise to his lips without him even intending it. It was easy to see that path that Winter had led, since he'd been a part of so much of it. She'd gone out and experienced the world herself, against her father's inclinations, and now she was returning. Not only having survived but gained a great power of her own, a kind of strength that was uniquely hers. Uniquely Winter.
It captivated him.
"I'm jealous," he said lightly, belying the weight of the feeling behind the words. "I never really had a place to call home, besides my Master's tower. Seeing all this... it's incredible. No wonder you want to flock home," he smiled, echoing her words.
"Lost? No way!" he laughed. "Just look at how big your mother gets in her Dragon form! Imagine having to go up against that." His eyes gleamed in childlike admiration again as he glanced at Winter's mother: he was this close to such an old and powerful Dragon! And surrounded by even more!
Although there was a sort of irony in journeying to find Dragons alongside one of their own who, it turned out, could turn into a Dragon herself. Not that he resented her for keeping that a secret, of course. She had her own reasons and he imagined they were good ones.
"I'm surprised you ever left, if your home is like this."
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Soon, she hoped.
"She is, isn't she?" The biggest she'd ever seen, without a doubt; though it wasn't often her mother allowed herself to preen over her size and strength. There had been battles before her birth; to secure such safety and land for the Dragons and people alike. But now she thought of her mother as some sort of echoing peace rather than the strength she really was. It was eye-opening to hear it from Gareth as opposed to her own thoughts.
"My mother spoke so kindly of humans, so lovingly. I knew I needed to see you for myself." A little tilt of her head as she pulled him with her, to find a nice flat rock to sit on and rest in comfort. "Of the different lands, and the sights, and the beauty of man's inventions. How could I go without seeing everything you had to offer?" A little laugh. "And the foods, too, of course."
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"She is. And I thought you were big!" he exclaimed, remembering how startled he'd been to see a large silver Dragon landing right next to him in Suzail.
He followed her easily, happy to tag along as they sat on a sun-warmed rock. "The foods, of course." He smiled and gave her a playful nudge, a playful squeeze, the joke of her eating habits nonetheless endearing to him. "And? What did you think, having seen a great deal of it now?"
His breath caught a little as he waited for her answer.
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"Someday I hope to be as big." She admitted with a sheepish laugh; truthfully, if she lived to be that size, and that strong, she would be delighted. She never knew if she would, or could, being only half her mother's blood-- but still, her brother had grown even in her journey; so it was possible. Being able to circle the lands and protect her family and young was something she aspired to. To bring peace to people was a dream she didn't dare talk about too often.
"Humans are..." She paused, thinking hard on it. "So very complex." A little laugh, ducking her head briefly as she clarified. "So brilliant, you do so much in so little time-- yet, even with such brilliance, some are so content to do little, and live warm happy lives. You all do so much, have created so much and expanded so far in ways only humans could. Without wings you cross the seas, allowing nothing to stop you. Write tales of brilliance and love; perform shows and tell tales I think even Father would be impressed by.
Some may be cruel, lost to their ego and anger; but so many are so good, just living to live, so skilled in things created generations before them; improving on those things! Think of it, crossing the seas eons ago when boats and wings were not a thought. Some human created that, and then did it-- and now, there are lands being traveled by men that I could not have dreamed of.
I can see why my mother loves you so much." A fluttery sigh.
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But he wasn't ready to settle down just yet, he thought. Not quite yet.
"I'm sure you will be," Gareth encouraged her. He squeezed her hand and waved with his other, indicating an imaginary and very large Dragon in front of them. "You'll be at least twice as big as your brother is now. As big as your mom plus a little!" He winked at her again, playfully: "and you'll fly me wherever I want, right?"
He listened to the end of her speech. It was a glowing review of Humans, incredibly rose-colored... and more than a little naive. It was the kind of positive estimation that Gareth didn't think almost anyone but she might have had. And he wasn't sure he shared it.
"I'm glad you think so highly of us," he murmured softly. Hearing her say it, it reassured the soft clench in his gut... but it made him worry for different reasons.
"And you...?" he asked in response to her final statement, not quite sure what he meant by pressing further, or what he wanted to hear.
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She turned her head, looking back to him from the imaginary dragon in the sky, watching him gently as she assessed him-- after all, he was one of the humans that she addressed.
"I have learned a lot, especially from you Gareth." A kind smile as she lightly squeezed his hand. "And I am thankful for every moment of it, good and bad."
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He met her eyes as she turned back, captivated by her cool yellow gaze. And he felt warmth from deep in his chest spread as she smiled at him. "So have I," he answered easily. "You've taught me more than just about dragons... you've shared a great deal with me about all sorts of things I never got the chance to figure out on my own. And it's been a pleasure to learn with you."
He looked deep into her eyes, forgetting almost everything but her. She was beautiful, almost unscathed from her tussle with the priest of the sun god--and still there was that naivete in her that he found so endearing. "I--" he might have been about to say, but just then he noticed her parents had started eavesdropping on their little conversation. Zagan was frowning and Eira... her expression was unreadable to him at least.
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"I do look forward to learning so much more, together." She admitted openly, allowing her hand to slide back to his. Savoring the contact that she had longed for since she left home. Warm and close to her heart. Of course, it didn't last long, a clearing of the throat behind her was all too obviously her Fathers. Turning her head she huffed a little at his scowl; but fortunately, they didn't say much, even if it was hard to miss his lingering glance at their hands.
That said, it seemed her Mother's smile was a match to her own-- bright and full of life, and enough to make Winter smile. Eira was always better at moving on from awkward situations than any other in the family; her Father and eldest brother especially. "I was thinking of showing Gareth the younglings, since we have much time and he's always seemed quite interested in our kind." And the words were in earnest, even if they'd be awkward to anyone else.
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He smiled openly at her offer, and he took it like it was water and he was drowning: "of course," he said emphatically. "There's so much more I'd like to learn with you. And I can't think of anyone I'd prefer to teach me." But Zagan cleared his throat and Gareth glanced up like he'd been caught making some kind of embarrassing confession--which, of course, he had.
"That's right," Gareth supplied to them. At least Eira was smiling, although he imagined the expression could mean just about anything. "I'm fascinated by Dragons, always have been. I'd love to hear anything and everything if you two have time."
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"Of course, of course." And in the moment it'd become apparent that it wasn't just for Gareth. There was a twinkle of excitement in seeing the young for Winter; her fondness for them not so expertly hidden. Not that any present would be terribly surprised about that. She had taken keenly to Zelly, the others, even the Vampire Children before they had turned on them-- it was in her nature. It's what made her a lovely Big Sister; if it was only to one of their brood. She still did her best, and the young were, by all of her accounts, adorable anyway.
Besides she was sure the longer they lingered the more unusual questions her father would press upon Gareth. She may have been naive as to why, but she was very familiar with his desire to interrogate humans for the safety of the brood.
Gripping him more firmly, she informed the pair they would be back to talk soon enough-- perhaps offering Gareth some time to adjust-- as she headed toward the great doors and away from the warm, sunning rock, her brother had been settled upon proudly.
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The two of them walked in a direction Gareth hadn't explored yet, instantly filling him with excitement... although soon it became evident why. They walked towards giant doors, about twice as tall as Winter at least, easily dwarfing both of them. "Is this..." he asked, not needing to finish the sentence: "the clutch." His eyes were wide and already bright at the expectation of meeting a real, baby dragon! Another milestone he never would have imagined.
"...How do we get in?"
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Leading him along she made for a set of stairs; carved of the earth and stone with many lights scattered along the way. "We don't really have locks like you humans do." She admitted. She allowed herself a moments pause as they found a curtain, something she pushed to the side slowly and what they found is not what one would imagine an underground clutch to be.
The area was huge, taking up much of the mountain, with large windows carved in-- the clear difference was the warmth. Something much more nurturing for the small ones; filled with dozens of what were probably mothers and more than that; dozens of nests. Warm, colorful fabrics and large branches wound together, filled with crystals of ice, pulsing with an odd magic and eggs tucked carefully away. Though not all of them were eggs; many little dragons curled up in the colored fabric; some looking like Winter might have, more human, others looking pure dragon. All of them more tinted purplish and lilac than blue.
"Ah..." She walked in, clearly excited as she snuck to the nearest nest, peering down at a sleeping wyrmling, watching it gently nibble on it's own tail in its bundle of furs and fabrics.
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And it helped that the crystalline lights threw a beautiful light on her figure.
It grew warmer, not colder as they went deeper into the earth. And all at once they were in what must have been the main room, and he heard it as well as felt it: a warmth hung in the chamber, and a steady stream of small noises. Tiny wyrmlings cooed and yawned, while their parents breathed rhythmically. Winter went straight to a nearby sleeping baby, but there was too much for Gareth to take in at once.
He stood there, awed by the majesty of the chamber. His hand reached up, trembling, then falling. "It's..." he breathed, taking in the many crystal-like eggs and the vague shapes that floated within them, taking in the mother Dragons sleeping peacefully, taking in the carefully sculpted walls and the well-tended nests, taking in the winding white tree that grew from the base of the mountain.
"...beautiful," he finished. And there were tears in his eyes.
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She looked down, sheepish, before tucking some hair behind her ear. "I hoped you'd like it." She turned her gaze onto the nearby nest of already hatched wyrmlings. The little things all coiled around each other; tucked contentedly into a little messy pile with tiny, tired breaths puffing out. The occasional teeny yawn escaping here or there. One or two shifting to get better nestled amongst it's kin, the warmth shared between the little ones.
"It always felt most at home."
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"I do," he answered her, and excitement was evident in every part of him, from the set of his shoulders to the light in his eyes. "I'm surprised you'd ever venture outside, when it's like... this," he gestured at the room. At the sleeping babies, at the protective mothers, at the crystalline spires.
"Was it here you were born?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb any of the sleeping youngsters.