Rebirth

[Max452]

"But I like Boar! It add character!" Ian teased Maude once more, a bright smile on his face. "Ah, you worry too much - we'll just take him around when we get back." He assured Maude before rolling his eyes. "I'm not the one babbling about Boar!" He laughed and followed her pace, his hatchling bobbing along.

***
Ian crouched himself down to inspect some tracks he found. It looked like a group of deer had headed down this pass. He glanced over to his right, where Maude was slowly watching for their prey. He turned back to the tracks, jerked his hatchling back up on his head (he was sliding a bit whenever he looked down), and followed the path with his eyes upward toward the crowded trees. Ian made a bird whistle, notifying Maude that he found the trail. One he made eye contact with her, he pointed toward the hills. Taking out his bow and notching an arrow, Ian slowly, but lithly made his way up. As he was moving up on the hill, he was suddenly taken by surprise when a deer nearly cut him off and bounded pass him and soon to pass Maude. It took him a moment to recover, but it was enough for the deer to avoid his arrow as it lined up before Maude. Ian, afraid that his arrow might hit Maude, refrained from loosing his arrow. He hoped Maude could get it.

[Trinn]

At the sound of the whistle, Maude turned silently towards Ian, noting the path he indicated, and the direction they should follow. They began onwards again towards the hills, when the silence was broken by the sound of a large animal crashing through the bracken. Maude nearly smiled at the sight of the deer. It was coming right to them. Training her arrow on the creature, she followed it as it bound past Ian, came into her range... She released the arrow, and it struck the deer straight in the jugular. The herbivore collapsed and kicked a bit as it's life blood drained away, eyes rolling. Maude hated this part the most. The death throes. Watching the creature fight uselessly for its life made her understand why the elves chose to abstain from meat. At last, the deer did stop moving.

As if awoken by the smell of fresh blood, the hatchling resting in her sling stirred and popped its head up. It made a chirping sound and stuck its tongue out, tasting the air. Squeaking with more excitement, the hatchling flung itself out of the pouch and glided a bit clumsily to the ground. It had found the deer, and it trotted eagerly towards the fresh meat. Maude watched as the ruby colored dragon found the deers throat, where the flesh had been torn by the arrow, and began feasting there. Afraid the dragon might hurt itself on the arrow, Maude quickly retrieved the projectile, cleaned it, and stowed it back in her quiver. "It's a voracious little thing." Maude commented, watching her hatchling tear mercilessly into the dead deer.

[Max452]

Ian watched with a smile as Maude made the kill, but frowned when he noticed her discomfort with the dying animal. That part was always the worse: watching them die. He was quiete use to it, as he often went hunting with Uncle Marcus. He had learned from many experiences that it was best to kill the deer quickly to avoid its suffering, but sometimes, a slow death did happen.

Ian walked over to Maude, watching the newborn hatchling sprint out of its resting spot and attack the deer. "That was a good shot, Maude." He felt his own hatchling struggle on his head; it was getting bigger. Ian could sense its frustration at watching the meat being devoured before him. It was as if the hatchling wanted to eat too, even though, Ian had given him some dry meat before they went off.

The white dragon eyed the deer and after a moment, bounded off Ian's head and attacked the stomach of the deer, growling in instinctual hunger. "Hey! That's Maude's dragons food!" He maneuvered to grab the beast, but stopped, recalling a lesson from one of his Masters. Don't get in the way of a hatchling and its food. You might find your fingers missing.

"Sorry, Maude." Ian looked apologetically at her. "That was suppose to be your dragon's food. I'll make it up to you on the next kill." He promised her as he watched his hatchling chomp down. He gazed over to the smaller hatchling, as if debating something, but turned its bloody snout back to the stomach.

[Trinn]

"That's ok" Maude began to say, but her words turned into a horrified cry. Her hatchling had stopped eating when the white hatchling joined in. The little red dragon watched the white dragon, and there was something very primal in the ruby eyes. In the next instant, the red dragon was pouncing on Ian's dragon, trying to bite its throat and beat its belly with its claws. "NO!" Maude shouted, terrified that they would kill each other. "No, little one!" She screamed again, rushing to the tangled dragons. They were rolling around too much for her to get a good grasp on one, at least not without getting her own skin beaten bloody.

OOC: I have a feeling this dragon might take after Viel a bit... lol

[Max452]

OOC: I'm thinking that is an accurate assessment. lol

Ian's eyes went wide as he spotted Maude's dragon attack his own. "Stop!" He tried to intervene like Maude, but the two hatchlings were rolling all over the place. He could hear the dangerous growls from both of them. "Stop, please!"

The white hatchling yelped in defense when the red dragon launched at him. He knew that was bound to happen, since he was eating so close. He snarled and snapped his jaws at the threat, eager to defend himself. He yelped in pain when he felt his throat getting clamped on and retalitated with a mighty swipe to the red ruby's face.

"ENOUGH!" Ian thundered and used magic to separate them. "Air separate the two fighting dragons from one another!" He felt the pulsing energy within him as a sudden whoosh of air gripped both hatchlings, intending to thrust them away from one another.

[Trinn]

The red hatchling continued her assault, unwilling to forgive the thief who was the white hatchling. Maude was worried immensely, unable to tell if the red she saw in her hatchling's scales was the natural color or blood. Ian stepped up and solved the issue, and Maude looked at him sharply. She had never heard him be so commanding before... so, well, manly. Her hatchling flew into the air from the powerful gust of air, it's wings flapping in surprise. Maude reached up and plucked it from the air as it sailed past her. "We do not fight friends!" She said sternly to the hatchling, staring it in the eyes. The red dragon stared back, at first stubbornly. At last, it blinked and looked down. Maude thought, hoped, that she felt shame coming from the baby. "Thank you, Ian." She said, looking gratefully into his eyes.

[Max452]

OOC: Ahahaha! I love Maude's reaction to Ian. =p

When the gust pushed back their hatchlings, Ian quickly grapped his own. The hatchling whined, as if he was the victim. "Don't give me that. Its your own fault! That deer wasn't meant for you." He scolded the white hatchling, who just chirped shamefully. "No, I don't want you to be apologizing to me." He turned his hatching around to face Maude's dragon. "Apologize to your friend." The hatchling gave a defiant snort. "Apologize!" Ian commanded again. The hatchling chirped something that seemed to say he was sorry, but Ian could tell it wasn't heartfelt. "Mean it!" He held the dragon up closer to the ruby one. The hatchling let out a sigh and seemed to roll his eyes. Ian seemed to growl, which caused the hatchling to make an odd sound of defeat. He gazed over at the ruby dragon and gave a crooning sound that Ian hoped, meant that he was sincerely sorry. "Better." Ian decleared and gazed up at Maude when she thanked him. He smiled at her. "Friends are meant to have fun, not fight. I didn't want them to hurt each other, especially you." He told her truthfully before placing his hatchling down on the floor. He glanced up at Ian and whined. "No, your punishment is to stay off my head." The hatchling snorted.

[Trinn]

OOC: I laughed at Ian sayin, "Mean it!" lol

The ruby hatchling stared grumpily at the white hatchling. Maude held it carefully in her hands, lest it should decide to spring and attack again. After all, Ian was holding his hatchling rather close. When it seemed that the white dragon had apologized, Maude could feel a peculiar sensation from her dragon. It was as if it were proud about something. "I think my hatchling has forgiven yours." she told Ian, though she wasn't at all sure that was the case. "And I wouldn't have gotten too hurt... After all, I took a Kull hammer to the shoulder once." She said, smiling wryly at him. He would remember, of course. "I think we should try and get one more deer. Then we can split the meat between us so both of our little troublemakers have food for a few days."

[Max452]

OOC: Hehe I had fun writing that scene. lol

"Well I'm glad; I would hate to have them not be friends." Ian stated as he glanced at his dragon and then back up to Maude. He snorted at Maude's assurance that she wouldn't have been harmed. "Well, I wasn't taking any chances. I nearly had a heart attack when that Kull hit you, and was worried constantly when you cried out in pain." A twinge of red blotched his cheeks. "I'm just glad you're fine now." He told her and gazed out into the hills. "I think that's a good idea." He glanced down at his white dragon. "Remember, don't steal other people's food; best behavior!" He told his dragon before heading out, his dragon whining as he followed his rider.