Wings of Fire • Dragon of Warriors [3]

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Thank you to all of those who stuck around me for this past year. The growth is amazing and it surprises me every time I see it. I am grateful for those that stuck around me during my writer's block and I hope that you, dear readers, will continue to support me through future speed bumps. Just know that above all I do love writing, though sometimes I may run out of juice. It won't stop me from trying. Thank you again.

A special thanks to my very first follower: Ender. You've followed me for twelve years of my life and I can't wait for twelve more. I am ever grateful for the fact that you have stuck around this train-wreck for so long. Without you, these stories wouldn't exist in the first place.

Sincerely, Thunderclan sarrior12.

Aaand without further adieu, the thing you all came here for:

- ❈ -

The waves battered the cliffs, seabirds shrieking madly as two dragons glided above the water. The bravest of the nesting birds flew up and tried to peck at their wings to make them go away, but the two trespassers ignored them and rode on the thermals anyways.

     Brisktail smiled at Rainwind as she brushed her wing with his. She was teasing him, he knew, and he flapped his wings faster to chase after her as she flew out of his reach. She swooped away, careening past the cliffs as she came down to land on a small stretch of a black pebbly beach.

     "I win!" she called happily, looking up at him with a smile as he landed. Brisktail touched down slowly, gently, tucking his wings in once all four talons were on the pebbles.

     "Yeah, yeah, I let you win," Brisktail said, smiling. He sat down, facing the waves. Warmth settled in beside him and he rested his head on top of Rainwind's.

     She cooed, the rumble in her throat resonating against his body. Brisktail did the same and he smiled to herself. Her tail snaked around his.

     They sat and watched the waves roll in and out slowly. After a while, Rainwind wrapped her wing around him. Brisktail studied the way the sun sparkled over the waves and the way the clouds were shaped. He pointed one out to his loyal companion that looked like a turtle. She giggled and pointed another one out that looked like a fish. Brisktail's stomach rumbled at the mention of 'fish' and he snorted sheepishly. Rainwind giggled at him.

     "We can go back home to catch something," she said, taking her wing off of him to prepare for take-off.

     Brisktail took the edge of her wing and pulled it back down. "No, stay, please. I finally have a break from planning and I want to spend that time with you."

     He closely admired the way the scales on her face turned rosy. She smiled and leaned back into him. Over the years, she had grown out of her small size and now they were closer to the same height.

     Rainwind opened her mouth to talk to him, absentmindedly stacking pebbles along the way. Brisktail didn't listen as he was too busy studying the way her green eyes looked.

     Those eyes turned to him and Brisktail looked away hastily. "Uh, yeah! I was totally listening. Sorry. Could you repeat that?"

     "What's it like working with a SkyWing?" Rainwind giggled.

     Brisktail sighed and arched his back to stretch. "Oh, that. It's nice to have Plateau's experience and expertise in the way buildings work but I'd rather he didn't push down my ideas so much. I know it's his job to make sure it's structurally sound but I think he's jealous of the way the smaller details come to me."

     "How so?" Rainwind asked. She smiled at him as she spoke.

     "Well, he carves the model out of wood and when I see it I notice several mistakes and the like. I think he's annoyed that I focus on the details too much."

     "Well, isn't the castle supposed to be very detailed?" Rainwind asked. Her stack of pebbles fell but she got right back to building a new one.

     Brisktail picked up a smooth black stone. He examined it, noting the way it shimmered. The small shard of gabbro looked crystalline in structure with the way the light reflected off of it. Brisktail pocketed the igneous rock into his pouch. He knew there were mountains behind him. He also knew that Rainwind loved to explore, so he would ask her to go out with him on a little trip back here sometime to see if they could find any hints at a dormant volcano.

     "Brisktail? Hello? Earth-to-handsome!" Rainwind sang, waving a talon in front of his face.

     Brisktail blinked at looked up at her. "Oh, sorry, I spaced out again. I just found a beautiful rock to add to our collection. It's a volcanic rock and I was wondering if you wanted to come back out here sometime to explore the terrain some more?"

     Rainwind tapped his snout with a talon. "Brisktail, I'd love to, but ya gotta pay attention sometimes!"

     Brisktail ducked his head sheepishly "Sorry. What were you saying?"

     "That it'd be great to get the gang back together again! You, me, Lightningtail, Thunderclap, and Quickclaws. We could go out and do something together, like catch a few fish and explore. Like the old days!"

     Brisktail smiled, bringing her closer with an arm. "Yeah, like the good old days." He resumed watching the waves, his head resting against Rainwind's.

     After some time, his mind began to wander. The events after the settlement with the other Queens, the peace that had finally settled in. It was nice to not have to look over one's shoulder constantly.

     Rainwind had tried to get close to him immediately. Brisktail would subtly push her away at first, fearing the effects of his damaged soul but Rainwind persevered until all of his defences broke down and she had free rein to do what she liked.

     "Thank you," Brisktail said out of the blue. He hadn't even expected that.

     Rainwind tilted her head a bit so she could look up at him. "You're welcome." She didn't pry right away and it was nice, a welcome break from others at work always asking and probing. It allowed Brisktail to open up in time, just like how he eventually did with her help.

     "You know, if it weren't for you I'd still be holed up in that cave. I might've starved by now if I hadn't enchanted myself."

     "Would you have?"

     Brisktail sighed, his tail tightening around hers. "No. I would have let myself go with the mindset I had. I was terrified of myself and what I could do."

     Rainwind brought an arm around him. "Well, lucky for you this smart dragoness saw you were phoney and didn't stop until you learned there was more to you."

     It was true. If he didn't have Rainwind he would still feel like he was dangerous and unpredictable, preferring to study the outdoors all day alone instead of actually doing something. He still liked to do that, but now he didn't do it to isolate himself. Now he thought healthier thoughts and he felt lighter because of it. It no longer felt like responsibility weighed him down. Yes, he was still an animus, but he didn't use his powers and he learned to live without them. After all, if it meant he could keep Rainwind, he would do it.

     He would do a lot of things for her. As he looked down at her, he smiled to himself. he touched his nose to hers and the dragoness beside him smiled and pressed back.

     The seabirds called wildly.