The Final Storm (Part 3)

Attack of the Evil Bunnies

Arianna sighed as she lay in her tent, stroking the baby dragon, which lay on her chest. It was still asleep. Arianna wished she was too. They had spent all day looking for the stupid cats yesterday, even until after night fell. Arianna had taken first shift until Fraylon kindly told her he’d take over. It was amazing how the dragon could function with very little sleep. But Arianna wasn’t used to so little sleep. She felt like she had turned into a jellyfish overnight, with every part of her sore. Her body had grown back accustomed to palace life. And besides, she had slept on a rock the size of her thumb, which had practically dug a hole in her shoulder blade. Then the little dragoness had coiled so tight around her arm that it had practically turned blue.

Suddenly light flooded the tent. “Time to get up,” Daemon said gruffly, “Rise and shine, Princess.”

“Argh!” she yelled, snatching the blankets around her before chucking a shoe and smacking Daemon in the face. “Daemon! What is your problem!” she screamed in Grundian, “You do NOT just barge into my tent!” The dragoness on her arm hissed tiredly at him.

“Sorry, sorry!” Daemon said, just barely deflecting another flying shoe.

“GET OUT!” Arianna hollered.

Daemon did so, hurriedly.

Arianna harrumphed as she saw his shadow retreat. “I can’t believe he had the guts to do that!” she muttered, setting the dragoness down on her blanket. She started getting dressed, still muttering about the Rider’s audacity.

When she stumbled out, she found Daemon slowly turning a fish over a fire, Fraylon digging into his own pile of fish, Sprite was grazing on some flowers near the camp site and Drake in human-ish form, sucking a fish dry. He looked up when he saw her, “Morning, Arianna!” he called brightly, his fangs still abnormally large.

At his call, Fraylon also looked up, “Good morning Princess. How are you?”

“Horrible,” Arianna replied grumpily, sitting down hard on the stump, not even caring that her hair was practically a rat’s nest (actually it was a bat’s nest- Drake had made his own little comfy hole in her bun) and reached for some fish.

Sprite caught sight of her hair and nearly choked on her flowers. She swallowed hard. “Girl, you need to do your hair. And while you’re at it, do mine too.”

“Thanks,” Arianna gave her the evil eye.

“Just saying,” the Pegasus shrugged her wings and got back to grazing.

Daemon handed her some more fish, purposefully not looking at her. “Sorry about looking in at you, Arianna.”

Arianna snatched it from him, “You better be.” She was in a bad mood and wanted everyone to know it.

After they had finished and packed up their tents, Fraylon dipped his head and asked, “Hey, Arianna, I understand it’s been a rough night. Want to take a ride on me? I can carry you, easy.” He smiled graciously, his ears perking forwards.

Arianna looked at him and couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks Fray, but I think you’ve got quite enough to carry.”

Fraylon half-spread his wings, straightening to his full height. “I am strong. I can take a little thing like you, no problem. Us ice dragons may look delicate, but we’re made to weather blizzards. Come on, it’s my pleasure.”

Arianna patted his flank, “I’m fine.”

Fraylon crouched, the pots and pans hanging from his back clanging with the sudden movement. He raised his eye ridges at her, “You know you want to get on,” he purred.