DragonTribes #2: ForestTribe

Chapter 14: The Entourage

Zoe laid in the field, hands folded behind her head. Petunia sat next to her, wings extended. The afternoon sun beamed on them.

"It's weird not having the dragonlings." Zoe stated.

Petunia opened her eyes, rotated her left ear, then nodded.

"I'm sure we'll see them every now and then though." Zoe said, trying to reassure herself more than Petunia.

Petunia's tail wagged. Zoe sat up and shielded her eyes from the sunlight reflecting off Petunia's bit.  Zoe looked her dragon up and down. Her eyes caught on the reins that rested on Petunia's neck. Zoe thought about the familiar feeling of the reins being held tightly in her hands.

"What do you think about running the barrels?" Zoe asked Petunia.

Petunia's ear immediately perked up, a squawk of joy escaped from her. She nodded her white head excitedly. Zoe smiled. She stood up and approached Petunia's side. Zoe hoisted herself onto Petunia's white scales. Her grunted. She extended her white wings then rested them back on her back, over Zoe's legs. Zoe admired Petunia's wings for a moment. Her white feathers folded neatly over her bright purple flight feathers.  Zoe gathered the reins in her hands. She smiled and rubbed the leather with her thumbs. Petunia cooed and looked back at her, ears rotating.

"Ready?" Zoe questioned her dragon.

Petunia nodded and cooed again. Zoe clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. Petunia trotted forward. Zoe laughed as all memory of how to properly ride flooded into her. Petunia's ears flicked. Zoe fixed her posture and whistled. Petunia snorted and dashed forward. She extended her neck forward and straightened her tail. I don't think she used to do this, but it makes her faster. Zoe smiled and leaned forward. Petunia's feet pounded on the ground as they gained on the barrel track. There was a group of children a small distance away gathered in a circle. One pointed at Zoe and Petunia. All of them turned and watched with wide eyes. Petunia shoved her ears forward as they came closer to the track. Zoe pulled her left hand back. Petunia turned left around the barrel. From memory, Petunia instantly glided right and around the barrel. Left, right, and then left, they slid around the rest of the barrels of the track. Petunia shoved her talons forward and they skidded to a halt. Zoe lost balance and nearly flew off from her dragon's back. Zoe relaxed and released the reins. Petunia chewed on the bit and breathed heavily, chest heaving. Zoe placed a hand on her chest and compared her heart beat with Petunia's, whose she could feel between her legs.

The group of four children ran towards them. Zoe recognized the first one as Zack, the boy who adopted the golden runt. Zoe dismounted and pat Petunia's side. Petunia slowly laid down then laid on her side. She spit the bit out of her mouth. Zoe turned back to the children, who were still running their way. They slowed as they approached, then stopped in front of her.

Breathing heavily, Zack exclaimed, "That... was... awesome!"

Zoe smiled, "How is your dragon?"

Just then, the little runt appeared, walking between two of the boys' legs.

"Spark is great!" Zack said and poked the dragonling's bright yellow spots on her sides.

Spark rolled over, exposing more splashes of yellow. Zack giggled and poked those. Spark squirmed in reaction to his tickling and clawed playfully at his hand. She squawked. Petunia rose from her side excited and chirped in their direction. Spark immediately rolled off of her back, shook her scales, then ran to Petunia. Petunia rotated her ears as Spark galloped to her. The dragonling jumped onto her and scrambled onto Petunia's white back.

"What's your dragon's name?" Another boy asked.

"It's Petunia." Zoe told him.

"What's with her eyes?" The shortest boy asked.