Something Worth Living For

[Trinn]

Tally felt her heart increase its pace at the sight of Zee. She took a step back from the force of Nessa's hug. Bending, she picked the younger girl up and hugged her tightly, before setting her back down. Glancing up at Zee, she returned the Ayati style of greeting. "The day has been wonderful!" she said, smiling widely. "You and the Ayati have returned to Celesti!" Remembering Tylon, Tally turned sideways and gestured towards the Ismalian prince. "Oh, Zee, this is Tylon, a prince of Ismalia! And Tylon, this is Zee, or rather, Zebulin. He's a great artist." she said, sounding perhaps a little dreamy.

[Tismri]

Tylon eyed the stranger as he approached, along with the little girl. They seemed eager to meet Tally, as they were the first of the tribe to arrive. He spotted the way she smiled at the boy, and something in his heart ached. They were probably closer than just friends. Although he tried to rationalize that that was all he and Tally were. Just friends. Still, he felt a twinge of jealousy.

Zee appraised the stranger standing with Tally as she indroduced him. A prince from Ismalia, eh? He was probably with the army he'd spotted on the other side of the town, then.
"A pleasure," he said, tapping his forehead again. Tylon gave him an odd look, not quite understanding the weird custom, but nodded civilly.
"It's all mine," he replied. The Ismalian seemed suddenly uncomfortable. He turned to Tally. "If you will excuse me, I should return to camp now, before the sergeant decides to severely discipline me." He took her hand briefly in a parting gesture before turning. "Perhaps I shall call upon you tomorrow?"
"You're from Ismalia?" the little Ayati girl suddenly burst out, running up to him and keeping pace as he strode away. "What's it like there? I heard it's really cold! Does it snow alot? I don't get to see snow very often. Is there really a city made of crystal? It sounded soooo pretty! I wanna see it someday!" Tylon opened his mouth to reply, but the girl just kept on talking! He glanced back at where Tally and Zee were standing, and he could see an evil smirk on the boy's face. He was just going to let this little girl go with him and keep talking?!

Zee smirked as Nessa tagged along after the Ismalian prince, glad her nonstop talking had shifted from him to someone else. Still, he would have to keep a close eye on her. He really didn't want her anywhere near a war camp of some sort.
He turned back to Tally, and suddenly grinned. "Hey, look at this," he told her, holding out his right arm. There was a new tattoo on the inside of his wrist, an elegant, abstract design that only certain members of the Ayati had. "I'm allowed now to mark the other tribesmembers when they earn them! It's like, I get to bestow the honor upon them personally. That's an honor of itself!" He was exceptionally proud of that achievement, and it was the one position in the tribe he had always longed for. He would also be allowed to design new tattoos with new meanings, and put his own thought into the old markings that had long been there. His artwork was finally becoming something that could last.

[Trinn]

Tally was a bit surprised at Tylon's abrupt dismissal. She had hoped he would be able to stay with her a little longer. But the day was growing old, and she didn't want him to get into trouble. Though, she doubted he could get into very much trouble as a prince. If he wanted, he could probably take control of the army at any moment. "Of course." She said, nodding. "I would very much like to see you tomorrow! Perhaps, Zee can you show you around the Ayati's tents. They have a wonderful culture." She watched Tylon walk away, feeling that, somehow, she had disappointed the boy.

Turning to Zee, her mood immediately lifted when he told her his exciting news. "That's great!" She said, inspecting the tattoo he showed to her. "Really, Zee, well done! Come on, let's go to the tavern! Rigley's got food waiting for us, I'm sure. My mom and dad will be too busy for making dinner tonight, what with the elders all gathered to talk things out." As they walked, Tally asked Zee some more questions. "So, have you anything in mind about a new tattoo? Oh! Don't you think your tribe should have a tattoo signifying a dragon rider? Perhaps you could make a tattoo for dragons!"

[Tismri]

Zee grinned as Tally caught onto his excitement. He was so proud of his achievement, and was glad she was excited for him as well. As he walked with her to Rigley's tavern, he thought over her question.
"I have thought of that, actually," he told her. He opened his satchel and pulled out a few sketches. "These are just a few ideas. Since Riderhood is an automatic leadership role in our tribe, I've had to think carefully about where it would go on the face." He showed her a paper with various angles of an Ayati girl's face. It was obvious his sister had modeled for her. On another paper there were a few designs resembling the form of a dragon. One was curled into a tight spiral with wings flared outward. Another was rearing into the air and breathing flames.
"Which do you like better?" he asked her. "I was thinking the second one, though it would take up a lot of space. The best place for it would probably be on the left side, near the ear, and it would trail down the neck a bit. The other, I would probably put on the right cheekbone." He looked back and forth between the two papers, wondering which would better reflect the status of the tribe member.

[Trinn]

Tally studied the two drawings, marveling at how well Zee was able to take a concept in his mind and transport it to paper. The only way Tally would be able to paint a picture so well was to make a Fairth, and even then she would probably only create muddied images. "That one, I think, too." She said, pointing to the fire breathing dragon. "It would be in a good spot, not too conspicuous, but still flashy. Enough to say, look, I am a dragon rider, but I am not a tyrant." Tally smiled, liking the way that sounded. It would be an easy thing for a dragonrider to become prideful and arrogant. Putting a tattoo just a little out of the way would, hopefully, remind a rider to be humble.

They had reached the tavern now, and Tally stepped inside, into the somewhat smokey air. The older men of the town loved to smoke their pipes. Tally rather hated them, since the smoke always made the air cloudy and congested. She made her way to a table somewhat out of the way of the rest of the common room. She didn't really like crowds, even though she knew just about everyone who was there. She cast a worried glance about the crowd, just once, to check if Daeron might be here getting himself in trouble. Her search was interrupted by something jumping up onto her lap. Tally looked down to find the same werecat curling up on her lap, where it then looked out across the room with lazy eyes.

[Tismri]

Zee smiled appreciatively at Tally as she gave her opinion. She was surprisingly intuitive on both the Ayati and Riders. The latter probably came from knowing her mother, aunt, and uncle. He took one more look at the drawings and nodded.
"Thank you for your input, Tally," he told her as he placed his work carefully back into his satchel and took a seat with in in the tavern. Though he'd often visited towns and been inside places like this, buildings still somehow made him feel uncomfortable. Without the homey flexiblity of the cloth tents, he more often felt as if he was in a prison. Still, he tried not to mind it, as he knew he would have to visit these places often throughout his lifetime.
He glanced down at the werecat that settled in Tally's lap. He knew from her that the creatures would often come visit her, but he'd never actually witnessed it. The werecat seemed quite comfortable with her.
"Have you heard from Ian lately?" he asked curiously. He sorely missed his best friend and it occasionally caused him to regret not travelling to Bromsland when he had been invited. However, the regret was often short-lived, as he knew his responsiblity lay with the tribe.

[Trinn]

OOC: Not sure when this thread takes place... lol. Lets say right after Ian and Maude leave for their mission. And Tally think that Glory has just gone missing, but doesn't know she willfully joined the shade.

The werecats fur looked incredibly soft and silken. Tally felt the desire to run her hand down the werecats soft back, but new better. The creature would probably turn and bite her. Werecats weren't pets, after all. They were, more or less, companions and confidants. Looking at the werecat now, Tally wondered if she had perhaps just gotten a more permanent confidant. She looked up at Zee at his question.

"Ian... yes! He has just left for his first official mission as a dragon rider! I heard aunt Gianna telling dad yesterday. He's traveling with another rider to Melian. The city was attacked recently by that new shade army." Her voice dropped a bit, sounding more forlorn. "There's other news, too. My sister, Glory, she's gone missing." Unable to help herself this time, Tally began to pet the werecat, for the comfort of its warm fur. To her surprise, it started purring. "She was returning with Eva back to Bromsland, when, during the night, she just vanished. Eva doesn't know what happened. In the morning, Glory was just gone." Tally looked up at Zee with a scared expression. "I'm afraid something really bad happened to her, Zee. What if... what if that shade got to her?"

[Tismri]

OOC: Haha, interesting timing...I suppose this could very well be the day Daeron runs away...so it's basically taking place at the same time as "Misguidance." Hooray!

Zee frowned at the mention of the Shade Army. He didn't like the thought that Ian was getting close to them, but also knew it was his duty as a Rider. He had been thrilled to learn that his friend had finally impressed a dragon. His eyes widened at the mention of Glory's disappearance.
"She was just...gone?" he asked her. How likely was it that Glory would be captured and not Eva? "I'm sure she'll be fine," he tried to comfort Tally, patting her back. "If the Shade got her, well, Ian's in that area. I'm more than confidant that he'll manage to get her back. Or Eva...or any one of the many people I'm sure is looking for her." He frowned, though. The fact that Glory was missing was quite distressing. She was a tough little girl, and a genius magician to boot. There was no way she went without a fight. He glanced around for a moment. The tavern was noisy and crowded, and Tally looked as if she was about to burst into tears.
"Let's eat later," he told her. "We should just go for a walk and get some fresh air for now."

[Trinn]

Tally nodded, thinking a walk was a good suggestion. She was feeling quite miserable now. Glory was gone... missing, possibly even dead. That thought made her feel both angry and sorrowful. Her parents were frantic over the news, too. Mother had went off to go find Glory, and father, well, mother had flown off before he could join her. That had left him quite furious indeed. Her whole family seemed to be in turmoil now. Cortell at least was keeping a cool head. The werecat jumped off her lap as she stood and went with Zee out of the tavern. She inhaled the fresh air gratefully. As they walked away from the tavern, she watched as Ismalian soldiers flooded in. Perhaps it was a good thing indeed that they had left. It was sure to be a roudy night at Rigleys this evening.

[Tismri]

Zee walked quietly through the town with Tally, taking in the cool, quiet evening. He was glad autumn had arrived. The hot summer days had always made the Ayati's daily travels an exhausting affair.
"I'm sure your sister is all right, Tally," he told her after several moments of silence. "She's smart, and besides that, there are a lot of people who are looking out for her. And don't forget about Sundavar. She would see to it that nothing would happen to her Rider."
They walked together past the town and into the woods nearby. Zee personally preferred the tranquility of the wild over the bustle of a city. And even though they were still near Celesti, this place felt as if it were miles away.
They were following a pathway through the woods when Zee noticed an odd sight before them. A number of large oval objects, perhaps three or four, were laid out plainly on the path before them. He recognized them immediately.
"Tally...those are dragon eggs!" he told her, shocked. He knew from when he'd watched over Lux and Chatura's hatchlings. His parents' dragons had taken care to find a protected spot well out of reach of predators and lovingly build a nest there. Zee had watched each of the eggs hatch and be cared for by Lux and Chatura as well as any parents would their children, until they were old enough to fend for themselves.
That made the sight before him very confused. These eggs seemed almost...abandoned. Or...he thought of their location. "Do you think...their mother wants to offer them to the Riders?" he asked Tally, the only explanation that made sense to him.

[Trinn]

"I hope so." Tally muttered as they made their way into the woods. This forest was her favorite place. It felt incredibly wild, for being so close to a town. Perhaps it was because Celesti was still a relatively new town. The forest hadn't been tamed yet. Tally hoped it never would be. Forests were meant to be wild. The evening sun played through the leaves and cast fading orange light onto the path. It wouldn't be long before night settled upon them. That didn't bother Tally, though. She was as comfortable in the woods at night as she was during the day.

Tally had been looking at her feet when Zee spoke up, sounding startled. Looking up, she instantly saw the source for his commotion. "Either that, or the mother has met an untimely fate." Tally said, feeling sad that these eggs were out in the woods unattended. Suddenly, the werecat that had been following her bounded forward and came to stand near the eggs. The werecat looked at them, then back at Tally. This is part of your wyrda. The werecat said, speaking in a knowing, yet frightening voice. Tally stared with wide eyes.

The eggs have been abandoned, as the wild one says. You must take them back to the village. Take care they do not fall into the wrong hands. Tally stared a minute longer at the werecat, wondering what it meant by wyrda. What was her fate? To carry the eggs back to Celesti? That wasn't very exciting. Unless... no, an egg would not hatch for her. "I think you're right, Zee. At least, the werecat agrees with you. Come on, we have to take them back to Celesti! The elders will no what to do with them."

Stepping forward, Tally carefully picked up two of the eggs, resting them in the crook of each of her arms. The werecat continued to stare up at her, unblinking. Feeling unnerved by the staring, Tally turned and headed back towards town, carrying her burden tenderly. The two eggs were beautiful. There was one, an amber brown, that particularly caught her eye. Most people thought of brown dragons as ugly or not as special. But Tally had never thought so. And most brown dragons were more than just brown. Like this egg. It's brown was flecked with a dark amber, like bronze. It would surely hatch to be a beautiful dragon.

[Tismri]

Zee reached down and carefully picked up the remaining two eggs, glancing around just in case the mother was in fact still alive and protective. Nothing happened, however, and he felt that this was the right thing to do. He cradled the two stones in his arms as he followed Tally back to Celesti. Dragon eggs always left him in amazement. They seemed just life precious gemstones, perfectly cut, shaped, and polished, but he knew they housed a far greater treasure. There was a tiny life within each egg. As they entered the town again, his gaze drifted down to them. He found himself staring at a grey one, that almost seemed to shift in shade like the morning mist. Within the darkening woods, he had taken it to be very dark in color, but now out from beneath the trees and in the torchlight and remains of sunlight, it seemed lighter.
"We should go show these to the elders immediately!" he said, feeling excited and worried at the same time. It seemed an odd chance that he and Tally happened to stumble upon them. "My parents and your Aunt and Uncle will be especially interested in this, I'm sure."

[Trinn]

Tally nodded, and picked up a faster pace into town. Her aunt and uncles house was lit up already, ready for the twilight that had settled over the land. Tally skipped up the few steps that led to the porch, before letting herself in, shuffling the eggs around so she could open the door. Murmuring voices drifted in to her from the sitting room. Warm firelight drifted in through the door way. Tally hurried over to the threshold and peered into the room. Aunt Gianna, uncle Einar, her father, and Cirilai sat around in cushioned chairs, somber expressions on their faces. Tally figured they were probably talking about the inevitable war that loomed just on the horizon. "Dad!" Tally said, striding into the room towards him.

Marcus looked up, and Tally noticed that deep lines had developed under his eyes. His skin almost seemed to droop and didn't look as healthy as normal. It made Tally feel nervous. Losing Glory had hit everyone hard, but her father was the only one who was physically showing it. Being neither magical nor a rider took its toll sometimes.

"Tally, what... are those dragon eggs!" He exclaimed, standing in a hurry and grabbing Tally by the shoulders.

"Yes! Zee and I found them just outside in the woods! They seemed to be abandoned. The werecat told me that they were!" She looked at her feet then, expecting to see the red werecat standing there, but it had vanished. Her father seemed to believe her though. "Well... if they've been abandoned, they are wild. We can't have wild dragon's hatching here."

"Gladia would be able to look after the hatchlings." Gianna said, speaking up. "My bond is a good mother. I've seen her nurse hatchlings before."

"Aye, and Chatura, too." Cirilai said, also speaking up. Tally frowned slightly. The werecat had said the eggs were her destiny... shouldn't there be more to it than just hatching wild dragons?

[Tismri]

Zee followed after Tally into Einar and Gianna's house, which was the closest thing to a permanent abode he'd ever had. He'd spent many nights as a guest here growing up, getting into all sorts of mischief with Ian. Again, he felt a pang of loneliness missing his best friend. He hoped all was well with him as he was going on missions as a Rider now.
He didn't miss the somber expressions on everyone's faces as they came in. He knew about the war that was coming. Although he didn't relish the thought of going into battle, he knew it was necessary to ensure the safety of the Ayati and their friends. He would do anything to defend them.
Zee frowned slightly as the adults all started making assumptions about the eggs being wild. He didn't think that was the purpose of having them left in the middle of the road.
"But Mom," he spoke up toward his mother, "What if they're not wild? Or at least their mother didn't intend them to be so? I mean, they were left in the middle of the road. And if they have been abandoned, wouldn't they be safer in Bromsland destined to be Riders' dragons?" He hoped his reasoning would sway his mother. He didn't like the thought of the hatchlings being raised wild without the help of their mother. He'd seen the care Chatura put into watching over her young while they were still growing. In Bromsland, these dragons would be normal and not feel such loneliness.

[Trinn]

Cirilai pondered Zee's suggestion about the eggs. "The eggs would no doubt be safer in Bromsland, son, but the war has begun in Alagesia. Riders are needed here now more than ever. Even though your father and I are not technically part of the dragon rider's order, this is one war we must fight in. I'm not sure if it would be wise to travel to Bromsland and leave Alagesia without another rider or two."

"I agree, to a point." Gianna said, after Cirilai. "The eggs must be taken care of. We suggested Gladia or Chatura take care of the eggs when they hatch, but, thinking more on that, it would certainly leave us without a fighting dragon longer than if we were to travel to Bromsland." Gianna paused, then nodded. "I say we take these eggs to Bromsland. As fast as possible, of course. Indeed, in the morning, we should leave. What say you?" Gianna asked, glancing around the room to take a vote. Cirilai looked at the floor, then at last nodded and gave her agreement.