Rise

Chapter Fifteen - News Unexpected

"Carrier, carrier! Look what I found!"

The femme let go of her sparkmate's hand as she paused, turning to face the youngling that ran up to her. She knelt in a crouch to be on level with her youngest.

"What did ya find, sweetspark?"

"Look!" the navy and black seven-vorn-old said, thrusting his hand forward. In his open palm, laid a large piece of metal gravel, orange in colour.

"Ooh, now ain't that a pretty one?" the femme said, picking up the rock to closer admire it.

"It's for you, Carrier," grinned the youngling, bouncing on his pedes.

The femme placed a hand on her youngling's helm and smiled. "Thank you, Steeldust. I love your gift." With a quick kiss on the youngling's helm, she stood, placing the rock in her subspace pocket.

Turning back to her sparkmate, she paused.

"Wingracer?"

The youngling glanced up at his sire, noting the worried tone in his carrier's voice.

His sire was standing not very far away, perfectly still, as if listening.

"Wingracer, what's wrong?" his carrier asked, moving to stand next to the tall, wiry mech.

Steeldust moved to stand between them. He was getting a funny feeling. His carrier's doorwings were twitching erratically, just like his were.

After a few astrokliks, his sire turned to face his carrier. "I thought I heard something."

"Like what?" Harmony's optics narrowed as she looked into her sparkmate's face. "Wingracer- "

"Sire? What are you and Carrier talking about?" Steeldust asked, seeing that his creators were talking through their bond.

He also was getting nervous and worried emotions through their bond with him.

"We have to keep moving, Steeldust," his sire replied, taking his hand.

The mech walked forward, gently pulling his youngling with him. Steeldust glanced back to see if his carrier was coming too.

"Ah'm right here, sweetspark," she said reassuringly. She moved to walk beside him, taking his other hand.

How she always knew when he was scared, Steeldust didn't know. It must be cause she was a good carrier.

The three walked on, for awhile in silence.

Then, suddenly, Steeldust was shoved backwards. He fell to the ground on his back in shock. Had he tripped and fallen?

"Steeldust! Run!" his sire yelled, looking back at him. He then fell to a crouch with a pained yelp, holding his pede.

Steeldust tilted his helm. What was going on?

His carrier yanked him to his pedes. "Do as your sire tells you, Steeldust! Run!"

"Harmony, take him and go! Leave me!" Wingracer said, staggering to his pedes. With one more look at his sparkmate and youngling, he ran off in the direction they'd been traveling. In a flash of navy and blue, he was gone.

Harmony was already pushing Steeldust in the opposite direction.

"Carrier, where'd Sire go? What's happening?" Steeldust squeaked, running along side.