Dragons of Arreous (The Dwarf Princess' Dragon Prince)

Derykar's Sister and Ailashiel's Shimmer

Traveling with Waynah was infinitely more boring than Ailashiel had expected. All they did was walk. There were no conversations, joking, singing, pranks--just endless hours of plodding along in absolute silence. 

They apparently didn't believe in setting up camp either.

As the suns dipped low in the sky Ailashiel finally spoke up, "Are  we to walk through the night as well?"

Derykar's face showed that he had heard him but was in deep thought, so Ailashiel waited, keeping his gaze steady and expectant on the other male as if that alone could force him to answer.

Finally Derykar sighed, "I do not like leaving my sister alone for long."

"Oh," Ailashiel wondered, "is she very young?"

"No, she is grown."

When Derykar did not elaborate, Ailashiel pressed, "Then why do you worry about leaving her alone? Is she too much temptation for the unmated males?"

Around him several males snorted, but at Derykar's glare their faces instantly blanked, and their gazes dropped.

"No, she does not tempt the males more than any other."

To the side Ailashiel heard one of the Waynah whisper, "More like not at all."

Derykar stomped over to the male that had spoken and punched him in the face. The male collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

"Idiot," the one he had spoken to spat. 

"Does anyone else wish to speak ill of my sister?" Derykar demanded.

All eyes averted as they continued walking, leaving the unconscious man to catch up with them at a later time.

What was so undesirable about Derykar's sister? 

"You return quickly in order to ensure others do not mistreat her?" Ailashiel guessed.

Derykar sighed, rubbing a hand down his beard, "How I wish that it were only that. No, Kaet is... impulsive. She Sees things that are to be and acts without second thought. Sometime she does not See far enough, and her actions cause hardship. Especially for me."

"Oh," Ailashiel said, trying his best to keep a straight face. The girl sounded amusing at the very least.

"I never know what to expect--"

"DWARVIA!"

The shout came from the front of the line, and Derykar immediately sprinted forward, hand resting on the war hammer swinging from his belt. Ailashiel followed, hand automatically moving to grip his sword, eager for whatever danger awaited.

What they saw at the front, however, was not a horde of dark creatures or even a dangerous animal. Instead, in the distance, he could make out a lone figure approaching on a--what in Wayden's name was that creature?

"Feckin female," Derykar growled. To the rest he ordered, "Stand down. It's just Kaet."

The other males relaxed, watching together as the figure drew closer. The creature she rode looked to be a cross between a centaur and a minotaur - a horse's body, human-like torso, and a bull from the shoulders up. Perhaps the oddest thing, however, was that the silver-black beast glinted in the fading sunslight as if made of metal.

The Waynah males next to him did not look impressed or alarmed. In fact, they looked resigned, put-out even. Ailashiel, on the other hand, wanted to know how the rider had tamed such a fearsome, rare beast. Were there more? Could he tame one as well? Imagine the looks on his brothers faces were he to ride home on--