Growling Thunder -Open!-

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The flight to the Stormcallers had been generally uneventful, save for an occasional flock of birds to look at, or a glimpse of another traveler. Leaving the Aeria mountains, Shula felt a bit exposed after what had happened last night.

The thick grass and foliage had transitioned to sandy dunes long ago, the cloudy sky turning clear as they entered the Verula region. For her, the heat was a luxury, the warmth the desert offered a comfortable temperature for the young fire dragon. Spreading her tiny wings slightly, Shula sighed in content.

She could see the city up ahead, the great ball of thunder and lightning looming in the distance. "There it is!" she exclaimed, standing up on Silver's back and pointing. Joy turned her expression bright as she hopped up and down, although after a few seconds she slipped and almost fell, so she sat back down.

One could see the distant figures of dragons circling the storm, some departing, some entering the dark clouds. Shula's tail wagged with glee. It was a bit boring, but the Stormcaller City was her home, and it was always nice to come home. "I'll take you to meet Atlas first! He's very friendly, but he doesn't like stealing." His views on justice were certainly different to Shula's. The amount of times he had lectured her on the nature of thievery was so high she had lost count.

Leaning back, Shula relaxed, and enjoyed the ride.

Curled up against Silver's chest, Shula didn't pay attention to what everyone was saying. Steaming tears raced down her cheeks, joining with the ugly green blobs that emerged from her nostrils. Giving another great sob, she wiped them away, but in doing so smeared the substances on her face. Her little body shook with fright.

Shula felt Silver prying her away from her chest and weakly clawed at the air, not wanting to leave her side. She couldn't really see, as the Nigeria falls had opened up, so when the healer's tail grasped her, she gave a soft whimper. I want Silver.. she thought numbly. As the door was swinging close, she spoke. "Silver.." she mumbled, too tired to do anything else.

Shula had gotten a terrible fright. The aftershock was washing over her, the reason for her banshee wails. The plushie was a small comfort, and she curled around it like a snake, crying quietly as she gently gnawed on one of its limbs, not enough to damage it, but she did leave a patch of saliva on it. Every now and then, her eyes flew to the door.

Her throats was sore and itchy from all the screaming, so when the drink was presented to her Shula eagerly gulped it down. "Thanks.." she mumbled, briefly meeting her eyes. They were pretty eyes, like chocolate. Oh, she longed for a bit of chocolate now..

Shula went back to cuddling her plushie, still breathing heavily with the occasional sob escaping her, but she was in a better state then she had been.

Her thoughts wandered to Silver, and immediate shame filled her. She had just thrown a big fat tantrum, and though the hatchling felt it was justified, she was still guilty. She had seen the look of repressed frustration on her face, and knowing she was the cause of it made the image all the more upsetting. She hates me now.. Shula buried her head in the plushie as she began to cry softly, but these were not thick, wet sobs of a frightened baby, these were the soft cries of an honestly sad little dragon.

"Silver will hate me forever now.." Shula said in between her gasps, looking at the healer. "She won't want to be my friend anymore.."

Silver couldn’t help but feel taken aback by the question of how long she planned to stay. Did she do something to warrant such a question? Or was it simply that Stormcaller mannerisms were a little different than where she grew up. Normally, a dragon only asked such a thing if they wished them to leave.

Still, the ice dragoness treated it like a legitimate question—not being one to take offense in the first place.

“Quite honestly,” Silver spoke with more renewed vigor, “I do not know how long I plan to stay. Having never been to the Verula region before, I suppose I would stay as long as it took to meet new dragons and explore whatever other sights this area can provide.”

Her eyes flicked away for a second before returning her attention to Caramina. “Of course, I also do not seek to travel through the Tempest Ring again anytime soon, so perhaps my stay will be for some time. Assuming the rest of the Stormcallers would have me and not throw me out for being a Rogue.”

Silver proceeded to watch as Inisha swept Shula away, taking her into the room and shutting the door behind her. For a few moments after the door closed, she’d kept a cold glare on it. Part of her felt suspicious as to why this healer needed such privacy...but she truly didn’t know enough about medicine to question its methods. For now, she just kept her ear out for any of signs of distress.

The IceWing nodded her head as Caramina left for a moment.

Whilst waiting, the dragoness’ ears tweaked a little as she heard Shula’s voice in the other room. It was too muffled to make anything out, but it was pleasing to hear her talk in a normal tone instead of screaming and crying like she was.

Suddenly, Silver realized that she was smiling a little. She was injured, sitting in the most uncomfortable weather she’d ever been in, surrounded by dragons she didn’t know a thing about..but most importantly, she was alive. She and Shula were both alive. Though the ice dragoness still felt a pang of frustration everytime her scratch marks throbbed, there was an undeniably exhilarating aftermath to cheating death once again with the hatchling.

Sitting regally next to the door of the healer, Silver began examining her talons. Picking away at any dirt or rocks that had gotten caught in them. She so desperately wanted a bath. Perhaps Caramina would know of one, once they were done here.

As she fiddled with her talons, she began to hum ‘Til the Silver Moon Rises, the same tune she and Shula had heard in the bandit camp. A tune that she found herself humming quite often recently.

Caramina approached, then proceeded to ask if it was okay that she and Shula share a room. Silver hesitated. “I...well, I suppose so long as she is able to sleep peacefully tonight. Part of the reason I am not a mother is that I do not have to deal with screaming hatchlings.” After a brief pause, she continued, “but yes...I cannot think of anyone more trustworthy than she to share a room with. Just ensure that there are quite a bit of pillows. She tends to enjoy those, or so I have noticed.”  

Silver looked to the door, then to Caramina. She raised an eye inquisitively, “since this is my first time visiting the Stormcaller territory, Shula intends to be my tour guide. However I am sure that she does not know of everything there is to see. Perhaps you would like to accompany us on our tour?”

She eyed the other dragoness’ longer body, still not quite used to the Eastern Dragon shape. “I have many questions about you, and I would be obligated to answer any you have for me after helping us the way you did.” The cold dragoness bowed her head respectfully, “thank you for that by the way.”

Sorry for keeping you two waiting. --

Inisha gently patted her tail on Shula's shoulder, a warm presence against the small one's shaking body. The drink seemed to calm her a bit, but the young one was clearly still very worried. She listened to Shula ramble her worries, and realised when the hatchling looked at her that she wanted an answer.

Inisha hurriedly made a piece of paper materialise in front of her and scribbled onto it in her slanted handwriting: "It's alright. Why would a friend leave your side just because you got upset?"

Outside, a flash of surprise briefly showed itself on Silver's face, nothing more than a passing expression, but enough to make Caramina wonder if she had asked the wrong question. She had merely been asking the question out of curiosity, not liking the feeling of not knowing anything about this stranger that Shula had taken to: Asking for personal details when they had met little over an hour ago would make her seem very nosy; besides, Silver hadn't brought up any topics in conversation regarding her own self (yet), so there was that.

It was Cara's turn to look surprised: Silver did not know how long she intended to stay here? But then again, it was her choice, and a neutral expression soon replaced the surprised look on her face. Cara, privately, hoped that the Stormcaller city would be impressive enough to catch Silver's interest, and lead to the rogue's (she assumed) decision to stay here; though wasn't sure if she was the best choice for a tour guide - Rihzome certainly did it better than she could ever hope to, and had a charming tongue and a pretty face to go along with his skills.

Still, though, Cara preferred that she do something herself without any help, so she simply said, politely: "I see. I hope the Stormcaller city will provide a pleasing experience for you," thinking of all the places she should show Silver. The castle itself was plenty grand, with rooms for jewelry and whatnot - probably a good place to take Silver to, as she seemed the kind to like shiny, pretty things.

She huffed a laugh. "Yeah, I can tell. Don't worry, the Stormcallers don't really care who you are or whether you're part of our huge family. As long as you intend no harm, you're welcome here." Noting Silver's suspicious glance towards the closed door, she said, "I trust Inisha," but provided no further explanation besides that.

Cara watched as Silver went quiet, her changes in expression hinting at her thoughts, the tune drifting from her lips an unfamiliar one. As Silver responded to her question, Cara noted that the dragoness seemed comfortable and trusting of Shula, and was glad that the little hatchling someone like her. Surely her caretakers had been a huge bore, to lead to Shula escaping through the Tempest Ring (how??).

She smiled, and nodded: "Sure, I'd be glad to," and seemed a bit surprised, "...oh, I don't see anything interesting about me, but sure, go ahead, and no problem. It was no problem."

A moment or two after her little ramble, Shula felt Inisha's tail on her shoulder, a small comfort. Her head was starting to clear, and she was quickly returning to normal. As Lydra the caretaker always said, hatchlings her age 'usually bounced back within a few minutes.' Shula felt a twinge of bitterness at the thought of the grouchy old dragoness, who for all her simpering smiles and sweet cookies had no charm and no exciting stories.

Shula was startled back out of her train of thought when a sheet of paper suddenly.. appeared, in front of her. Her mouth fell open for a moment, eyes wide with amazement. "Wow.." she whispered as Inisha quickly scribbled on the paper. "I wish I could do that." She wasn't the best reader, -studying and normal lessons had always bored her- but she could make out the sentence. Her shoulders sagged and she gave a small nod. "I guess so.." she said, still a tad uncertain.

Her eyes darted to the door. She could very faintly hear voices just beyond it. She wondered, for a moment, if Silver would decide to stay a while. She hoped so. She loved Silver, and not just for her flashy trinkets. She was a great friend, and someone she looked up to already. Images of the scary bandits hauling her onto the cart entered her mind and Shula stiffened.

"I guess she won't be mad for too long," she finally decided, offering Inisha a smile that was both cheeky and sweet. "I think I'm okay now. Silver has a really bad cut though," she stood up, legs trembling slightly, casting a longing glance at the door. She liked Inisha, but wanted to be back in her friend's company. "Thank you for your.." she hesitated. "Hopitaty," she grinned, really meaning to say 'hospitality.'


(its fine! ^_^
Short post. Apologies XD)

(Is okay for waiting nwn and yeah, my post is a bit short too xD)

Catching a glimpse of Cara’s smile made Silver feel a little bit more at ease. Everything had been so uncomfortable and miserable, that a bit of joy from anyone felt like a drop of water in the dryest desert of Nuira.

Such thought reminded Silver that she was quite parched after their journey. Any water she and Shula brought with them had run out a few miles before reaching the Tempest Ring. Perhaps their first stop on the tour would be somewhere that she could order something to drink.

Silver returned the smile the other dragoness had given her. “I am sure there is plenty about you that is interesting. For example, whom do you inherit your...body stature...from? Excuse me if this is embarrassing by any means, but I have not met a dragon that has looked like you before.” She looked toward Caramina’s mane a second time, staring at it longingly for a moment or two before returning her attention to her eyes. “...and how have you come to know Shula? From what she has told me, many here think of her as a troublemaker.”

Despite how formally the ice dragoness sat and spoke, the pain on her side felt like it was getting hotter with each passing second. The red of her wound a stark contrast to her pristine white scales. Yet, she kept her composure. A trait that she inherited from her mother during times of strife.

Inisha smiled at Shula's quiet exclamation, though it was lined with the faintest tinge of sadness. After all, she had her tongue cut out, so she couldn't speak, and that little trick she performed? Merely the fastest way to get her message across. Would Shula trade her ability to talk for the power to summon paper at will?

If you asked her, she'd say (write) that she did pretty well, this time: Shula had recovered quickly, mostly from Inisha's reassurances (reasoning?), the plushie, and the drink, or maybe it was just in the hatchling's nature to get over her brief moments of unhappiness. Perhaps both. She patted Shula on the back again, as if to say, "See, you get it now!"

She noticed how Shula's eyes flicked towards the door. Did she want to leave? Inisha shook her head with a smile, a silent agreement with Shula's statement. Silver - the rogue - didn't quite seem the type to hold a grudge for long, over such a small matter. If she did, Inisha would be disgusted, and would make all efforts to avoid her.

Inisha opened the door, allowing Shula to go out and rejoin her friend.


Caramina's eyes widened, and she met Silver's question with a brief moment of surprised silence. "Oh, that," she managed at last. "Nothing special, really, just... a bit of luck, I guess? My mother came from a clan where all the females have bodies like these, just with different colours. ...she was white with an ice-blue mane. She was... very cold." She gave a little laugh that sounded a bit strained. "Yay, I'm unique," Cara joked. "Nice to hear."

She tilted her head. "Oh, no, I don't know her that well. I just met her during an occasion, spying on me and the rest, and, yeah." She made a vague gesture that said "and stuff happened," just as the door opened and Inisha gestured for Silver to go in.

"After we get your wound patched up - it looks like it hurt - I'll show you to your rooms. I'm sure you'll want some rest. Unless you have any other plans?"

Shula burst out of the room as if she were a rocket launcher. After, of course, giving Inisha a gummy smile of thanks that revealed her lack of teeth. She shot straight to Silver, skidding to a stop on her backside in front of her. For a few moments, she gazed up at her sheepishly, yellow eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Silver," she mumbled, fins flattening against the sides of her face. She hoped she would forgive her. Despite Inisha's reassurances, she was still a little uncertain of whether she'd accept the apology.

Her wound looked nasty. Painful. Shula winced, taking a sheepish glance at her clawless but still unpleasant paws. She met Silver's eyes. "I won't do it again. Please be my friend again?" she requested, sitting up straight to make it appear more formal, but the fear of rejection shone on her face. "I still want to do more treasure hunting," she added, trying her luck by giving her a cheeky smile.

Inisha beckoned to Silver and Shula backed away to let her move without stepping on her. When she was gone, the little hatchling turned her attention to Caramina, trotting over to her with a swishing tail. She stared up at her blankly for a few moments, deciding on what to say. She ended up make an experimental poke at her leg before dashing ways, bashfully hiding behind the corner of the corridor. She peered out at her, unsure of what to do now that Silver wasn't here to charm anyone for her. Her earrings flashed in the indoor light.


After a few moments, Shula decided to be brave and impress. She bounded out and paused in front of Caramina. "Did you know I'm an adventurer?" she asked, suddenly looking pleased with herself. "I'm the best there is!" she declared, raising her snout in an attempt to look regal and superior. "Silver and I are partners!"

(Tiny post ;-; sorry for the long wait!)

“A whole clan?” Silver responded to Caramina’s talk of her mother, “that sounds fascinating. I would love to meet this clan one day. I imagine everyone there to be just as stunning as you are.”

When Caramina went on to say that she and Shula weren’t too familiar with one another, Silver looked a little confused. Then, when she explained that Shula had simply been spying on them, everything began to make sense. The hatchling had said others deemed her a bit of a troublemaker, and it sounded like she earned that title with her very sporadic and mischievous nature. Ambition plus youth usually equalled big problems.

Caramina pointed out Silver’s wound, and the ice dragoness fought not to look at it. She didn’t want to see her own injury, as it only served to make her angry. All she wanted was for it to be fixed and made absolutely unnoticeable by anyone else.

“I would love some rest, actually,” Silver responded, distracting her progressively frustrated thoughts, “And perhaps some food and beverage. It has been--”

Shula burst into the room, interrupting Silver’s sentence and distracting her. She looked much better now, back to her old energetic and optimistic self.

The young one did, however, seem to dim around Silver. She looked up at her with sad eyes, and offered an apology. Judging by her body language, she was quite afraid.

Silver’s jaw went taught, and she stared down a Shula with a cold and almost judgmental gaze. Seeing her like this, happy and well, made the IceWing a bit more bitter. It felt like a ball was forming in the back of her throat that consisted of all the cutting things she wanted to say to the hatchling...but she managed to swallow it. All she could do was simply sigh.

“I accept your apology,” Silver spoke slowly.

With that, she stood up and followed Inisha into the room so that her wounds would be treated. She wasn’t precisely going to be angry at Shula for much longer, especially because she knew her anger was somewhat unreasonable. However the wound on her side wasn’t the only one that needed a bit more healing.

Caramina smiled, but it had no right to call itself one, so lined by sadness and pain it was. "The only ones remaining are me and my mother. Who's in Xoya, and looking for me -- so if you do go there, do not ever mention the name Caramina. The rest... They're all dead, lives either claimed by a disease or by poor conditions in captivity. We're nice at look at, but extremely fragile. Like a vase." What was the use of being a pleasing sight if you didn't last long? She was helpless once, subject not to the threat of death's shadow hovering over her, but to the government, the higher-ups, of Xoya. And she would never be helpless again.

Judging by how Silver pointedly avoided looking at the wound, she did not appreciate having it pointed out. Whoops. A slightly apologetic look crossed Cara's face, and she did not say anything else on the matter. She wanted to ask Silver how she had met with Shula, but decided to keep the question for later. Silver was obviously exhausted.

"Sure," Cara said warmly. "I'll show you to your rooms after this, so that you can clean up. Then I'll give you the best food the Stormcallers have to offer. I hope it will meet your expectations." She fell silent, just as Shula burst in. She wasn't crying any more, and Caramina offered Inisha a small smile of thanks.

Though, Shula's usual excitement seemed to be a shadow of what it was, a quiet apology hanging in the air as Shula looked up at Silver. Hopefully, the dragoness would forgive the young one. But if they were truly close to each other, such a matter would not interfere with their friendship. She hoped.

Some of the tension drained from Cara's slim shoulders when Silver accepted Shula's apology. That was good, at least, and she tilted her head at Shula, watching her curiously. Meanwhile, Inisha would begin to clean up Silver's wound, dabbing some alcohol on it and gently wiping away the crusted blood that marred her beautiful scales. She would then place a paw near the wounds, very gently, and Silver would feel a cooling sensation that smothered the burning of her injury.

Then it was gone, the wound fully healed.

Inisha smiled and opened the door.

Bump!

Shula felt Silver's eyes, colder than the north seas, burrowing holes into her small body. She dared raise her head to meet her gaze, sunny yellow clashing with icy cerulean. She saw the larger female's jaw tighten, and winced, preparing for the scolding or any biting remarks she was going to throw at her. Her tail curled over her small paws as lowered her head again, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

"I accept your apology." The words were spoken slowly, and without malice, but it didn't make her feel any better. Shula didn't say anything, just looked up to watch her head into Inisha's room. The sound of the door shutting made her flinch. For a few moments, she sat there, intently watching the door. Please don't be mad anymore, she tried to beam her thoughts through the thick walls. I really am sorry. She knew in her heart that if she hadn't marred Silver's scales, she would have surely died. She still felt bad about it, though, and knew it would take a while for her to get in the female's good graces again.


Deciding that Caramina wasn't very interested in her titles, Shula sat down, peering up at her with an intrigued yet saddened expression on her face. "I've never seen a dragon like you before.You're very pretty," she said, tilting her head. Her remaining earrings gleamed in the light. Caramina was very beautiful, oh and she had the most lovely wings. Her own, tiny, marred ones extended from her sides, little more then brittle bones with no skin between them. Maybe they were still growing, but at the moment, she felt like the only hatchling her age in the world that couldn't fly properly.

The door opened, and Shula's head snapped around. Her golden eyes immediately flew to Silver's wound had been, and found unmarked skin and scales. Her little tail flicked back and forth in delight as a little smile appeared on her face. "You fixed it!" she exclaimed at Inisha, overjoyed that Silver was back to her old self, appearance-wise. Shula leaped to her feet and spun in a few tight circles, resembling a dog chasing its tail. She then stopped, staring sheepishly up at Silver.

Silver listened to Caramina as she spoke about the annihilation of her tribe. How weak they were to an outside force. It was strange, but the first thing that came to the ice dragoness’ mind wasn’t sympathy for her kind...rather an imagining of how peaceful they must have been. It was so interesting how the weakest tribes always seem to be the most peaceful, as was shown in various books Silver had read.

“That must have made life very difficult for you,” the snow-white dragoness remarked, “however, I am happy to see that you managed to sustain yourself this long. Protecting yourself by staying with the Stormcallers was definitely a good decision. I, myself, would have done the same.”

If Silver were in Caramina’s place, she’d feel quite hungry for revenge. She would have stopped at nothing to convince the Stormcallers to go to war with the Xoyans. A plan not too different than what she had in mind during her visit here. After her run-in with a clan of bandits, she was itching to get back at them for what they’d stolen from her.

At the mention of food, Silver’s expression lit up a little. She was certainly hungry and parched after their journey. Especially for food and beverage that was the best of what the Stormcallers had to offer. The mere thought was making her stomach churn with desire.

After entering the room with Inisha, Silver sat and observed the other dragoness whilst she cleaned the wound. She closed her eyes and hissed as she felt the alcohol burning her. Her whole body was tense, and she struggled not to simply move away or attack the healer.

The burning sensation began to fade and was replaced with a surprisingly cold feeling. Not only did this help her wound, but it also brought her quite a bit of comfort. Anything cold against her scales had a way of making her feel at ease, especially after spending so much time flying in the desert.

Suddenly, the healer stopped. Silver looked at her, then looked at the wound (or where the wound used to be). It was completely gone, healed over and concealed as though it never even happened. A smile formed on the ice dragoness’ maw, and she nodded a silent thank you to the healer before rejoining Caramina and Shula outside her doors. Shula, of course, seemed delighted the the injury had been healed so well.

With a sigh, she looked between both of them.

“Yes. Well I suppose that was not so bad. If you are ready, Caramina, I would not mind being shown to our rooms, and perhaps being shown where we can eat...preferably somewhere cool.” Part of her knew how silly it might have been to ask for a colder environment whilst visiting a desert, but she figured there was no harm in asking.

Cara was pleasantly surprised to find no sympathy on Silver's face, having seen the exact same emotion on every dragon who'd prodded her about her past, to the point where she expected it to appear at the mention of her clan's death. "Eh," she said, shrugging, "difficult or not, I managed to survive, and that's all that matters. I'm grateful for the Stormcallers for taking me in when I showed up, weak and near the point of death, and offered me a warm bed and a meal." She smiled a little at the memory, apparently finding amusement in the recollection, then to Silver, said, "Keep this in mind, the Stormcallers will always welcome you," before Inisha appeared with Shula and it was Silver's turn to receive treatment.

She smiled again at Shula's compliment, sincerity shining in the young one's eyes. "Thank you." She saw how Shula's gaze moved to her own tiny ones, sadness seeming to cross her face, but only for a brief moment. "Don't worry, they'll grow. Just give them a few years," she said reassuringly, "but if they still don't, you can always come to Inisha. She can attempt to boost the growth of your wings."

Inisha came out then, the door swinging open and Silver emerging, looking tired but perfectly healed. Inisha offered a sweet smile to Shula and bent to pet her on the head, while Cara said, "Please, call me Cara. Caramina is such a mouthful," she laughed, nodding her thanks at Inisha before leading her guests to their room, walking through winding corridors and occasionally passing large rooms, from which drifted laughter and chatter.

Inisha watched their retreating backs, loneliness sitting heavily on her shoulders.

It wasn't a very long walk, and Cara stopped in front of a door, wooden and gleaming dark brown, obviously well taken care of. She opened the door and let them in, to a rather large room with two plush beds, a small door leading to a bathroom where a warm bath awaited, and some tasteful works of art hanging by the walls. There was a bell hanging by one of the beds, and Cara said, "Ring this and someone will come to offer assistance. I'll come back at two, which is when you'll have your lunch." She nodded her head towards a large clock and headed out, leaving them alone with each other.

Shula didn't really pay attention to what the adults were saying, taking more interest in sniffing around and looking at the walls. She was pleased when Caramina smiled and thanked her for the compliment, her yellow eyes lighting up like the sun and her tail twitching in delight. "You're welcome! I wish I looked like you," she said.

Caramina's words of encouragement were appreciated, but they did little to improve the hatchling's mood when it came to her wings. Oh, how badly she wanted to fly! To soar the skies and chase the eagles far above the clouds, to fly with the sun at her back and dive at one hundred miles per hour! However, at the moment, it seemed as if that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. "It stinks," she sighed, giving her useless wings a little flap. "Everyone else can fly."

By 'everyone else,' she meant the other hatchlings in what she liked to call 'Prison.' Or, the Orphanage. I wonder if Agnes is looking for me, she thought with bitter amusement, a cheeky smile appearing on her face at the thought of the frantic old female darting about the place looking for her. Again.


Skipping up to Silver and Inisha, Shula returned the healer's grin, leaning into her pat with a quiet purr. She heard her friend request food and a room, and felt the chill of her scales leave her side. The red hatchling glanced over her shoulder to see Caramina (or 'Cara,' as she'd suggest they call her) leading Silver away. Shula looked up at the speechless female and smiled. "Bye," she whispered, before she turned and followed, bounding after the pair like an excited wolf pup.


After a short journey, Caramina halted in front of a brown door. Shula was first in, darting into the room as soon as the crack was big enough. She skidded to a stop in the middle and looked around, eyes wide. "Woooow," she whispered. "We never get stuff like this." She felt like a queen, a princess, just from standing in the room.

She hardly noticed the slender female take her leave, not until the door clicked shut behind her. Shula calmed, her twitching tail stilling on the carpet. She turned around and looked up at Silver, tilting her head like a lost puppy. "... I'm sorry about cutting you," she said quietly, feeling more able to speak now that they were alone.

She sat down and lowered her shoulders, looking down at the floor. "I didn't mean to.." she hoped Silver wouldn't be mad at her for too much longer. Even though they'd only been together for a short time, Shula felt a connection to her. She was the first adult to really get to know her, and not push her away for her boisterous and naughty personality. The youngling prayed that this wasn't the end of their partnership. Friendship, even.

As Silver kept up alongside the the lengthy dragoness, she looked forward at where they were being taken. Thus far, the Stormcallers seemed to be very kind and pleasant. This was evidence to Shula’s claim.

Despite her apprehension, the ice dragoness thought that perhaps staying with the Stormcallers for a little while was not such a bad idea. Although, she had no intention of ever staying here permanently.

Silver hoped to one day become a ruler of her own territory, not settle down in one spot. The idea of stopping her quest for power and fortune unsettled her. It made the comforting hall that they were walking down look like it stretched for miles and miles. A feeling like the walls of a room closing in on her and tightly containing her passionate spirit.

She needed to keep moving. Needed to meet who she needed to meet in the Twilight Palace that might be able to help her dreams come true.

As Cara opened the door for them, Shula wasted no time in pushing her way in. Silver followed soon after. The room itself looked very comfortable. Not quite as good as her cave, but certainly more enjoyable than some other places she’d been.

The ice dragoness nodded her head to their guide as she talked about coming back for them at about two. Quite honestly, Silver was ready for a meal and a beverage now, but she knew that she really should wait if she wanted to maintain her consistent eating schedule.

When Cara left, Silver turned her attention to Shula. The youngling once again apologized for accidentally cutting her side. As angry as the ice dragoness was at her, she couldn’t reasonably stay mad. She knew full well that this hatchling was not at fault for what she did, and that the winds had gotten a bit intense for the both of them.

Silver sighed through her nostrils, keeping her chin up as she looked down at her companion. “I understand you are sorry. And I truly do forgive you.” She looked to her side where the scratch marks used to be. It was a wonder that magic could do such a thing. “Perhaps it all has turned out for the best anyway. You are not just another pile of bones floating about in a windstorm, and my scales are still intact.”

The larger dragoness gave her a small grin before making her way towards the bathroom. “I do agree with you, however. Aside from the weather, this place certainly seems like the treatment I was hoping for.“

After entering the bathroom, she looked toward the hot bath that had already been prepared. She felt the heat rising from it and making the room a bit humid, much to Silver’s disdain. With an indignant huff, she remarked, “that certainly will not do.” Without another moment of thought, she opened her maw and breathed her ice breath over the water, doing so until it was a nice cold temperature.

Once the bath was to her liking, she very delicately slipped into the water. Instant relief from the hot temperature washed over her body. In addition to this, she noticed some of the dirt from the storm being cleaned from her scales. The dragoness took off her various accessories and the satchel around her front leg, then set them beside her bath before submerging her whole body under the water for a few seconds.

When she reemerged, her horns and spikes were wet but clean, and she felt like she could actually enjoy their current situation. A new place filled with plenty of opportunity.

“Shula!” she called out, “I am surprised you would want to leave a place such as this! It seems like it would be paradise to most younglings!” While the statement was meant to get to know her traveling partner a little better, part of her also wanted to see if there was anything about this place that might be disreputable.