The Draconer

[Purpura]

A cold winter morning dawned, crisp and clear with nary a snowcloud in sight. Men, women and children bundled against the cold headed out to work and chores that never seemed to end. Some noticed the two women entering their town, but didn't seem to bat an eye at the smaller of the two beasts that walked through yesterday's snow beside the ladies. The second caused a buzz of gossip that reached The Merry Sisters Inn even before they passed the secondary gate of Rainsfort. After they entered, the wolfen clanswoman and her wolf friend headed back out to patrol.

By one of the outer wells near the second gate a woman with catlike grace looked up as the women passed. She waved in passing to the woman with the large grey wolf. "Hey Miriana!" A wave back was given. Miriana had long brown hair and blue eyes, and always seemed to be in sleeveless armor and a short leathery skirt to give her freedom in her movements. She had a sword and an axe with her practically at all times. The other woman with the dragon had black hair and green eyes and leather and silvery metal armor. The dragon was white and blue in color, almost like a cloud with grey claws on her feet.

Talya looked around as she entered."Easy Windwings.. don't be afraid..." She saw the women and men as they passed the gates and places in the town rush from one place to another and start gossiping about what they'd seen. One of the women almost looked like a cat, with her pale white skin and dark hair hooding her face almost, like one of the kittens she'd seen a day or two before at one of the outlying farms in the plains south of the town..."They're not going to hurt you."

<<Who's afraid Talya, me or you...?>> Windwings broadcast just to Talya as the young woman nearly misstepped and had to use her staff to prevent tripping.<<We've never been seen in these parts... Yet...>>


The townfolks were used to the Wolfen clans that came through during the seasons. They hunted and often brought in meat that would have been hard to find in wintertime. Sometimes one or two members of a clan had brought messages through the mountain passes that were difficult to get through when the blizzards of winter dressed the world in white. None had ever seen a Draconer before in the history of the town. Not even the oldest couple in town, could even remember having seen one. The couple were even told to come see as the pair headed towards the center of town so it could be recorded that the pair had seen one Draconer that day as they were the heads of the historical events society...


The wolfen clans were people that lived in the forest, and ran with the wolves. Some ventured near civilization and deep into the darkest caves for treasures that had been stolen. They learned things from the folk that surrounded themselves in houses just as those learned things from the wolfen clans as well. Some were friendly as others held themselves aloof from the townsfolk.

Far to the south, where stories told of hot deserts and warm plains that grew grain the height of cornstalks all year long, was where the Draconers came from. They had aeries along the edges of the deserts in sandstone caves. Some of the largest of the desert caves were used as places to keep cool despite the unrelenting heat of the sun deeper into the desert. Most Draconers chose to stay close to their home aeries, though there were a few with the urge to see the world. These few would travel sometimes in groups, sometimes alone, but always with trade goods they had picked up in other places they had been.



A knock rang out on the door of The Merry Sisters Inn."Pardon me, I have need of the Innkeeper...I need a place to stay for me and my friend here." The young draconer lady smiled as the maid that answered the door turned pale. The maid turned on her toes and ran squealing for the mistress of the house."Jayydaaa! D...ddrac....Jaaayyyddaa!"

"How can I... Oh my...What can I do for you?" She beckoned the young lady up higher on the slightly blocked from the wind front porch, and curtsied her welcome. The draconer and her draconic charge both came up the trio of steps. The winged one settled behind her human friend with a soft croon. "I'm Jayda...Come in... Come in...our common room is empty of people at the moment...Let's get you both out of this cold."This older woman was cloaked against the cold rather haphazardly her blonde hair streaming down her back as she removed her cape. A two piece dress made of brightly hued veils revealed her to be a dancer, and also her name was the owner of this inn's name as painted on a sign outside.



The young woman and her young dragon followed Jayda into the spacious room. "We're here to get a room or three, and perhaps arrange some trading between my people and yours...My uncle is coming in a couple days with his dragon and some others and had me come ahead of his group to get people ready for their arrival." She added,"I'm Talya, and my friend here is Windwings."

<<That is close enough to what my real name is going to be when I grow up and find a mate.>> The young dragon sent to Talya and Jayda. Jayda blinked staggering a moment before grabbing the back of a chair. She then regained her balance and smoothed her hair, trying not to look flabbergasted at the sudden contact in her mind.

"She can talk to people?" Jayda gasped."I'd only heard rumors and stories from those who'd travelled south and back again that they can do that..."

<<Of course I can, can't you?>> The young dragon fluttered her wings a moment before settling them down as she sat next to the roaring warm fireplace.<<I'm cold and hungry can you get me something to eat?>>

"Manners, Windwings, We should try to remember them...I know you're hungry, and we need to ask before you just go barging into someone's mind to talk to them. I'm sorry Jayda... I forgot to ask for permission for Windwings to talk to you." Talya sighed."We're not in the south where you can just talk to the other winged ones to see if it's okay to talk to them...And back home at Sunstar..."

"You stay there at that table and near the fireplace. Warmest spot in the inn." Jayda winked at Talya, but turned her head and barked out an order at one of the bouncers that stood guard at the door. He had nearly wet himself when the draconer and her winged friend had entered, but had put up a brave face. He ran into the kitchen followed shortly by Jayda."Be right back."

"Not me sheepshanks I was gonna save for the dinner cook! You can have th'hams an'that venison I just got from Carian last night!" A shout rang from the kitchen, and the man and Jayda rushed back into the room. The man carried a tray of what definitely was the meat that had been shouted about. Jayda had a quickly prepared tray of warm oat cakes and a skin of water and a bowl, and a cup of a hot steaming tea. Becca, a short bubbly woman chased the pair wielding a cleaver."Give me back my mea..." She too jumped when she saw the dragon. "What under th'seven sisters is that?"

Jayda giggled as she set her tray down by Talya."Becca, these're Talya and Windwings, and have come to stay a while." Becca glared a little at the burly bouncer who inched gingerly towards the dragon holding out his tray as far in front of him as he could."Just put the tray down Nio, Windwings will choose what she wants to eat... and it won't be you..." Talya began to eat, listening quietly to what was going on. Jayda poured the water into the bowl and set it down by the dragon's tail.

"Okay Mistress..." he knelt and slid the tray towards the young dragoness, blinking when she stopped the sliding with a single toe. Something about the metal tray going across the semismoothed stone floor sounded quite irritating to some ears.

"Someone shuffling in here? Step straight whomever ye be or face me outside." A clipclopping noise announced the next arrival into the common room."I thought I smelled someone's famous oat cakes from out by the old stables." Carian, a female centaurin had arrived. She slipped off her furry cape and tossed it onto a carved coat rack in the corner of the room."Already got some meat for later I hung in the smokehouse Jayda."

Becca blushed."Not famous yet." She then ran back into the kitchen. Sounds of more cooking happened with Becca and the kitchen help getting breakfasts for a large crowd ready.

Jayda smiled looking after her friend, and then turned to Carian."We have a guest that will enjoy your venison very much staying with us sitting by the fireplace." Carian looked over towards the table near the fireplace nodding her head, not even seeming surprised.

"Well well we actually do have a Draconer here...Scuttle I heard was true from the women at the hot springs then..." She smiled and smoothed a curl out of the way of her eyes and clopped straight over to where Talya was sitting, and then proceeded to shove a chair aside."This space taken?" Jayda moved the chair to the wall and then with a nod excused herself to see to more guests that were beginning their day. Some entered and were served by others peering out of the kitchen, not even believing they were in the presence of a draconer. Windwings ate the meat and drank the water in the bowl rather like a large dog causing people to look.

"No not really." Talya looked up at the centaurin."I've seen your kind before... we had tribes down south where I'm from, that hunt things too." She added."Windwings thanks you for the venison you brought, and looks forward to possibly helping you hunt while we're here." The dragon looked up from her tray and bobbed her scaled head, licking blood away from her maw."I'm Talya, by the way... and If we have your permission, Windwings would like to talk directly to you if possible...She has talked to your kind before...Down south that is..."

"Of course you may, Windwings. I've never talked to a dragon before either...Always a first time for everything isn't there?" Carian's laugh was something between a chuckle and a whinny. She turned her head and shouted at the kitchen door."Becca I'm starvin' When do I get to eat?"

"When do you think? When the cows come home to roost!" was Becca's retort, and soon the table in front of Carian was laden with all sorts of things. Meats and cereals, and oat cakes with a small keg of apple juice and a kettle of tea."We'll need more venison tonight... Looks like venison will be off the guest menu but for the dragon unless more can be found." Becca set more food in front of Talya and Carian, having stopped to wipe at her brow."Better find more wild bird eggs too... You're eating us out of house and home Carian." She teased.

"I have not." The tease came back."You know perfectly well, we centaurin have large appetites to match our bodies... come to think of it, you'd be a good centaurin too wouldn't you?" Carian whinnied again."You've got the energy of a centaurin too, cooking in the morning, dancing practically all night..." Becca slipped back to the kitchen laughing at the old tease from Carian.

Talya giggled nearly choking on the last bite of her oat cake. A quick sip of her tea stopped that from happening. "I'm alright.." Both human and nonhuman eyes had settled themselves on her when she had begun coughing."We still need to arrange for quarters somehow..." She looked around, Jayda having disappeared from sight."I don't think we'd be allowed to stay here....would we?"

[Purpura]

Carian shook her head."The Merry Sisters Inn has been known for its hospitality to nonhuman and human sorts for a long long time... I have heard stories of wolfen clan members and centaurins staying here even when the other inns in town wouldn't take them in at all. I don't see why you couldn't stay here either."

A howl interrupted their conversation and all eyes looked toward the door. A lone wolf, large and grey with yellow eyes looked around the room. He howled again a despairing sound and then turned to walk out. Windwings raised her wings and made a chuffing sort of noise that got his attention. She seemed to whine a little and then he answered her back in kind...

"Whoa." Carian went a little pale."That's Greypaws...Miriana's wolf-friend..."She dropped her oatcake on her plate."Wish I could talk to him..." She took a step to follow the large wolf licking at her fingers."What's happening boy? Miri in trouble?" The wolf loped out of the room with another howl. Windwings was nearly right on his tail, stretching her wings and preparing to walk out of the inn eyes alight with excitement.

<<Avalanche... His human's helping survivors He needs all the help he can get... Says the note he'd had was torn off by the underbrush.>> Windwings said to Talya, and Carian. Then wingbeats were heard as the dragoness took off outside the inn. The wolf's howls continued as he ran away as well. Talya rose to her feet pulling her cape from the chair where she'd just let it flop behind her. She started moving toward the door.

"Avalanche...let's go, You get over here Talya..." Carian grabbed her cape from the stand and then knelt awkwardly. She gestured for Talya to get on her back."Get on... I'm faster..." Jayda re-entered at the word avalanche. The Draconer mounted the centaurin and held on reaching around Carian's stomach as the centaurin rose."Ready to go, Draconer?"

"Aval-Ugh... I'll get the townsfolk out...." Jayda barked some orders and then said."You come back here to stay Draconer...We'll be talking of your room and payment for it when you return..." She ducked away to spread the word and the very shy maid ran forward with a large bag of oat cakes handing them up to Talya.

"We'll bring more food out to the pass too...Carian'll be hungry later You can bet your boots." She seemed braver with no dragon in sight.

The Centaurin headed out of the inn at a canter, but soon sped up."How are you doing back there Talya? Ever ridden a fourfoot before this long a distance?"

"Not really... with a saddle yes, and definitely not on a centaurin...My mare is still with my uncle and his group of Draconers. Let me know if you get hungry one of the maids gave me some cakes for you."

Carian pulled a horn from her side as she galloped. Three short toots and a long blast brought more of her kind from the woods at full rumble."What news Cari?" Some asked as they headed toward the pass."Avalanche...and a dragon's helping..." Once in a while she also asked for part of some cake from Talya as they kept moving.

"Dragon? Oh my... Never had a Draconer come this far north..." They looked and saw a definitely draconic shadow in the distance. Some even bowed their heads in greeting to the woman jouncing along on Carian's back now realizing whose friend the dragon was."You the Draconer?"

"Yes. Can the pass get cleared enough for more to come?" Talya asked a grizzled stallion Centaurin running to Carian's left. She noticed other colors and ages had come at the sound of Carian's horn and other humans and nonhumans were following, albeit at a distance, though some were riding their wolves to catch up to the thundering herd of centaurin.

"Course it can, we've got some ropes an'poles t'clear the big rocks... and th'folks comin' can help with clearing the pass too." He replied, bobbing his grayed head towards Talya for a moment."What brings you t'this northern area?"

"Trade..."She hmmed."And adventures... My uncle said this part of the world had the finest leathers, though we'd never picked this route to get to the capital before."

"The capital?" One redheaded wolfen lady riding on a pale gray wolf had caught up to where they were. Carian had stopped for some water."Hardly anyone I've seen ever comes this way... too many passes get snowlocked in the winter... And anyways the king an his court always seem to head down towards Blue Ridge at this time of year..."

"Blue Ridge? My uncle's been there, but this is my first time out seeing the world with Windwings." Talya said to the redheaded woman. Carian stopped drinking and smiled at the redhead in greeting with a bob of her head. "What's Blue Ridge like?"
The conversation continued as they headed west.

The large group had finally made it just before the sun began its dipping toward the west behind the mountains farther in the distance. Torches were being lit and the wagons of townsfolk had settled into a large circle with a grouping of bonfires in the middle. Everyone was taking shifts helping to dig, and removing what they found under the snows as well to clear the pass.

"Here, have some fortified tea Draconer... You're turning blue as the stones from Blue Ridge...Come to the fire." A couple warm hands partially wrapped against the cold covered Talya's and pulled softly."You've done enough diggin' for an army o'your sort with that winged beastie of yours...an'we're thankful." The sky was finally full dark."S'too cold to do more at this time an'we'll start in the morning when we get th'old magicker to rouse out of his wagon." Talya noticed this female that was getting her to come to the fire was hooded against the cold yet had a feline like step and took it all in stride.

"Alright..." She followed settling down by Windwings who had been covered by a blanket near one of the cooking fires."I'm Talya, who are you?" She shivered and was at once covered by a warm blanket and handed a cup of the steaming tea. A man walked past pouring seconds and thirds for those that asked.

"Cleoba." The part human part tiger woman's lips purred out the name."I'm one of the dancers at the Merry Sisters...But I was one of those that saw you come into town." She had bandages on her hands."I would have helped dig but..." She held her hands out to Talya with a rueful tilt of her head."Hurt m'paws yesterday night." She sighed."I'm also willing to talk for your friend if she'd like and you're not around."


"Soup's on!" came a call from one of the other fires."Turkeybird and winter vegetables!" A black haired male Centaurin was ladling out the soup into large bread trenchers that had been brought from kitchens all over Rainsfort."Got meat for the purely meat eaters too." He called out as lines formed for the bread and then the soup.

Some of the younger centaurin were amazed at how deft Windwings was at digging and helping to haul the large rocks to get the pass cleared. She had worked hard and was tired. When she landed and shimmied the rope collar off from her neck the moon had just risen above the trees. The grey wolf that she had followed also had his temporary rope collar removed by his human friend.

"Greypaws, why don't you and Windwings go find Talya...I'll follow you..." Miriana barely whispered. She had worked herself to exhaustion clearing branches and snow in order to reach the victims of the avalanche and what they were carrying. She barely had turned to follow when Greypaws looked back over his shoulder, eyes glowing in the night when she began to topple forward accidentally stepping wrong on a tree branch."Whoopsy!"

He slipped backwards letting her catch herself on his left shoulder, her fingers tightening as she straightened herself up. One of the centaurin bearing a torch saw this and came over. Greypaws supported her, picking their way between some uncleared foot tall rocks and came to where Talya was talking to Cleoba. With a tired sigh the wolfen and wolf sank onto the ground. The torchbearer brought both Miriana and her furry best friend blankets and the soup and some raw meat.

Carian wandered the fires, helping pass out bandages and tea. The last fire brought her worries to an end, as she saw Windwings stretching her wings."Thank the heavens." She had passed out her last bandage when the healer told her to take a break. "So here's where you've wandered off to Miriana...Thought I'd be seeing you in town, instead of out here..." She paused."More tea anyone? This is some of Jayda's clementine tea she got last month for her natal day..."

"She's giving up her special tea for this? She must think this is really an important occasion." Miriana's voice rasped, before she sipped her soup directly from the trencher."Ahhh Turkeybird...Anyone know if there's wishbones?" She smiled a moment before reaching over to settle more blanket over Greypaws back. He had been given a few boneless steaks and one steak with the bone left in that he decided to gnaw on first.

"I'm not sure if there are any...I think they gave the worn down carcasses once the soup was done to Windwings here,"Talya said, looking at her scaled friend. Bits of bone littered the blanket in front of Windwings and a large wooden tray covered with large green leaves with pieces of meat atop those were getting the dragon's undivided attentions.

The pale moon was a thin sickle in the sky rising slowly as Cleoba slipped back out into the shadows on the outside of the circle of wagons. She had had the need to hunt since leaving Rainsfort. "Be back in a while." The cape she was wearing was soon discarded on the ground by a wagonwheel as well as her clothing and boots. A low growl came from her throat as her hands and feet changed. She began then to run, first on two feet then on all fours. She sniffed the air before heading away from the group, scenting prey.

"Where'd Cleoba go?" Talya looked around as one of the healer people at the fire left with one of the other Centaurin to check on the wounded. "Does she do this alot?"

"She does. She's the only Weretiger in Rainsfort as far as I know." Miriana looked over Greypaws at Talya."I'd heard some rumor long ago that she was found trying to steal from some meat wagon and they turned her over to Jayda's aunt to tam- raise I suppose would be a better word..."

"Why Jayda's aunt and not try to find Cleoba's people?" Talya shivered a little then shifted herself a little closer to Windwings, and pulled her blanket up a little higher up her neck. The wind was starting to blow a bit and sparks flew from the fire as one of the men across the fire poked it, and then added a couple more logs.

Miriana scratched her chin a moment and also pulled her cape closed a little more."It was winter, Cleoba's mother was in an avalanche to the north... Some of the other survivors came to Rainsfort, with Cleoba and left her behind as far as I know... and Jayda's aunt is the main source of the felines you saw as you came into Rainsfort- she raises cats as well as some other animals at her farm. The cats are the best mousers we've seen. Even my wolven clan has some of her cats in the caves."

"That must be quite a sight, cats in with the wolves." Talya grinned,"I bet it's hard to separate them if they start a fight."

"It isn't easy to do that... but if the cats are raised side by side with their wolf opposites they don't pick a fight very often." Miriana smiled back.

"Ladies, please pick a wagon. Some of us have been picked to stand watch while the rest sleep." The grizzled Centaurin that had talked to Talya on the way to the pass gestured to the wagons. A couple of the wagons were full of the wounded already, and one larger than normal wagon caught Talya's eye.

"What's that wagon for?" She saw that it had a couple of large draybeasts and a female Centaurin unhooking the large grey skinned creatures. They disappeared into the shadows and a thunk of a spike hitting the ground. "That's not the healer's wagon is it?"


"No. That's a Centaurin long-traveller, We Centaurin use them to travel long distances. It provides heat or cool comfort depending on the season. It also has stalls and everything that Centaurin need on trips."Carian said."It's a stable on wheels basically."

"I know I don't want to leave Windwings out here in the cold... Where should I go?"

"Go to the owner of the big wagon, Tell her I vouch for you..."Carian smiled at the Draconer, and made shooing motions."I'll get Windwings to get up." Miriana and Greypaws walked over to one of the other wagons and slipped inside, wolf first.

Cleoba re-entered the circle of wagons carrying a deer by its' neck. She was still in the feline shape she had altered into. She had hunted well, capturing some birds for herself and then the deer.

The old centaurin smiled."Midnight snack for us Centaurin?" She bobbed her head and dropped the deer by his feet. "G'wan and get warm...I'll get you for the next watch unless someone else takes your place..." He had picked up Cleoba's clothes and held them for her."I'll follow ye to the wagon y'choose to sleep in an' drop the clothes off there."


"Who goes there?" A voice asked as Talya knocked on the door to the big wagon.

"I'm Talya and I ask for shelter from the cold... My dragon and I want to come in... and Carian vouches for me."

"Come in then." The burly Centaurin female smiled and opened the door from where she had sat in the shadows next to the wagon. "I'm going to keep watch out here."

Talya and Windwings settled down in a warm stall with plenty of thick hay on the floor and a couple warmer blankets. They were about to doze off totally when a cold blast whisked for a moment around the stall.

Cleoba entered carrying in her boots, walking slowly."May I stay in here with you?" She also had a blanket over her and her cape was over an arm.


"Of course of course." Talya was running her hand over Windwing's head idly."Mind if I blow out the candle?"

Silence answered her, broken only by the sounds of Cleoba and Windwings' breathing. She looked over at Cleoba and saw she had curled up rather like a giant cat and smiled. She blew out the candle and was just about to close her eyes when she heard a whisper.

"Draconer...come outside... Something you oughtta see you don't see down south..." It was the voice of the centaurin lady, not worried or anything but just calling to Talya."Come outside lady."

Talya quietly stepped around Windwings the other way so as not to disturb Cleoba as a hand with a covered lantern reached into the stall. The covered side was toward the sleepers however the light gave the female Centaurin a pale gold dusting over her roan horsehalf."What is it?"

"Something special... only happens in the winter." The older female Centaurin chuckled softly and opened the door gesturing the young draconer out first,closing the side of the lantern to hide the light.

Talya blinked on the first step looking around and then up at the sky as her eyes got used to the night yet again."What's that?"

The Centaurin nickered softly."It's the Princes' capes..The ones that woo the Seven...least to the those humans that live here in the north... don't know what you'd call it or even the ones that live farther south than you..."

"I've heard them called Candy Bridges, and had seen the paintings that some of the other ones that have travelled north painted...Seven Sisters this is amazing to see." Talya whispered out these words to the Centaurin, causing her to chuckle whinny again.

"Go on back in...you'll get used to seeing them in the late night sky if you stay around north for a while..." The Centaurin shooed the Draconer back into the warmth of the long traveller."My man's coming to guard us and I'm gonna turn in too."

"This'll be something to write home about..." Talya thought quietly as she sank down next to Windwings. Nothing disturbed the rest of her night and she was asleep in no time at all.

Dawn streamed in through the windows. Cleoba woke first and silently left the long traveller. She went to check on the different fires that had burned throughout the night and found a team of Centaurins mixed in ages cooking breakfast. She waved at a few she knew and joined the line of those that were being fed. Just in front of her was the old Magicker and his apprentices. Some were yawning and grumbling about being up so early but they knew the earlier one got to work the faster the pass would get cleared.

Talya and Windwings woke and were more noisy about getting up."Get your wing off my head I can't see." Talya pushed at the sleepy dragon's right wing."Move it or I'll gnaw on it I smell something good..."

The Centaurin couple had gone out to the breakfast lines and returned with their food, amongst which was a rich hot cocoa and eggs and bacon and honeyed oatcakes. The male bobbed his head and pulled a centaurin style table slat from a wall in one of the empty stalls as the female put the tray she carried on it.

Carian had entered while Talya and the others had been sleeping and fell asleep in an unoccupied stall. "What's the noise? Oh it's you Talya... Hello." She stepped back into the stall and pulled on her shirt, stepping back out to see what was going on."What smells good?" She ran her hands through her hair and rolled her head around stretching her neck a little bit.

"It's breakfast time Cari." The male centaurin bobbed his head in greeting."Better hurry I think they might be running out of honeycakes." He nickered at the much younger centaurin as she dashed back to her stall for her cape and then raced out the door at a fast canter."She loves those...I've even seen her gallop in circles for those as a filly."

Talya dressed quickly and put on her cape."I think I will follow her. Thank you for letting us share your long traveller." Windwings moved out behind Talya and then when they were outside took off in flight."Going up to hunt?" Windwings was raising herself up higher.

<<I see some nice fat boar. Some Centaurin are hunting them, and are waving at me to come down. Some are from the group we left town with. Cleoba's here too and says she'll ask for me to talk directly if they want to hear me...>> Windwings sent back to Talya.<<Mmm Breakfast!>>

Talya joined the line as the Magicker and his apprentices went to work. She looked over her shoulder when she heard the roaring of the wind and saw flames rising from the pass. She had seen some other magicker's working on some things when she was back home, casting a cooling spell on a newly discovered deep cave that she and her dragon had accidentally wandered into before Windwings had learned to fly. It had an opening to the sky, that was eventually blocked off before the spell was cast.

Talya grinned at her friend's thoughts."Tell me when you're coming back so as to help with the magicking if they ask for nonhuman aid..."

<<Yes I- Oooh fat bear! We gots us a bear now. Cleoba says to find out who wants a bear hide.>>

"Who would like a bear hide? Hunters got a bear in their hunt just now..." Talya asked just as she was handed her cocoa and honey cakes." Windwings says Cleoba wants to know."

"I do." Carian waved over at Talya."Tell Windwings." She didn't repeat the rest of her message."I need a new bearskin cape... This one's getting ratty."

"Message passed. Cleoba'll turn the hide over to the tanner when they get back." Talya then sipped a bit of her drink moving to sit on a rough chair someone had wittishly started making from thick branches and thin strips of younger branches. Breakfast on her lap and she was good to go."She says it was a reddish hide too."

"Perfect... goes with my hair." Carian whinnied before she ate.

Carian looked over at Talya curiously after a few bites."How is it you can hear Windwings from a distance, and how did she become your friend...? I'm just wondering..."

"It's... Hmmm hard to describe... When Windwings had hatched from her shell, her mama told her to pick someone she'd like to talk to..." Talya sipped some of her cocoa, then swallowed."We were told by the older Draconers- including my uncle... to think of our favorite things... I'm originally from the southern coast so I thought of boats sailing in the ocean wind... and she came to me... and suddenly we were able to think to each other...after she looked in my eyes that is..."