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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:43 pm
 Home! Arbalète started to trot slightly faster as she spied the familiar trees that marked the edge of Tarragon's territory. She would have run if the conditions had been right, but sunk through the soft, powdery snow with each step. She had gotten bigger during her absence, and stronger and leaner as well. Wouldn't her parents be proud! Her parents... hopefully they weren't too worried. No, Jormangandr would have warned them, her homecoming would be perfect. Or almost perfect.
Smiling grimly to herself, she changed her course ever so slightly so that she was sure to pass within view of one of the hiding places the guards used. For some time now, she had had the sneaking suspicion that there was somebody following her, although there had been little to no evidence. Just a feeling... but sometimes her hunches were right. And if there was somebody following her - it had better not be Hazzard! - they'd be dealt with. Swiftly.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:25 pm
 Tayma followed Arbalete almost silently. She'd been tailing the young one for quite a while... The youth should've noticed. Tayma resolved to make the first lesson she taught Arbalete to be one on knowing when you're followed.
She peered around as she went, searching for signs of any other dragons. Hopefully Hazzard wouldn't show up... But Wolftongue... Wolftongue she wouldn't mind. He seemed to be a strong warrior. He'd been enthusiastic about helping her... He might have needed a few speech lessons, but he'd been nice to work with.
Plus, he was kind of a handsome fellow.
In any case, Tayma was half-hoping that they would meet up again...
She narrowed her eyes. Was that... a dragon in the distance... Two? Penamore thrashed around in the snow, wildly. Technically he was on guard duty - Aunt Maxine was around here somewhere, too - but that was boring... It was much more fun to think about things that might happen while on guard duty.
"Take THAT," Penamore cried triumphantly, clawing an imaginary opponent in the face, "Get out of my territory!!! and STAY out!" He gave a satisfied smirk as he pretended that the enemy dragon ran off into the distance. It had been a mountain dragon. Of course. With fangs as long as an icicle from the mouth of a great cave, and venemous saliva dripping from its jaws... It had had bad breath. But Penamore had triumphed! He had won! He had.... Humiliated himself in front of his aunt, whom he now saw was keeled over a few yards away, stifling laughter.
"Hey! It's not funny! I was just... Just... Practicing," Penamore finished lamely, running out of steam at the end of his protesting. "Kiddo," Maxine wheezed, "don't mind me; you need all the practice you can get! So, why don't you just go on, and, and, VANQUISH your fearsome foes!!!"
And with that, the elder dragon - someone who was supposed to be the person Penamore most looked up to and respected! - collapsed into giggles in the snow.
"A-anyway," Maxine chuckled, "Someone's approaching... Th-They're way too close, hehe, we should've noticed them sooner, but, um, heh, that's what they get for putting me and you on guard duty together, eh?" She straightened with a sigh, trying to appear a little more reserved, and dignified, and old; the age she really was. "Besides. I don't think this intruder poses any threat to the pack."
She gestured with her tail, and Penamore turned in confusion."ARBALETE!" Penamore cried in suprised glee, breaking into a gallop towards his long-missing sister.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 8:41 pm
Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. Of all her luck, Penamore was on guard. But if he was running out to her like that, did that mean she wasn't being followed? Impossible. She turned with a growl and looked behind her. There, a gray dragon. An oddly familiar dragon, but Arbalète tucked that thought away. "You there!" she shouted. "Don't move! One step closer and it's trespass." She drew herself up to her full size, doing her best to look big and threatening. Hard to do when your baby brother is running towards you and just might lack enough common sense to try and tackle you to the snow.
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:49 am
Arbalete had seen her. But only because Tayma let her.
At least that was what the seasoned body guard told herself.
She obeyed the young one, bowing her head.
"Please excuse my following you," she called, trying to sound nonthreatening, "but after you heard the news about Kai'lani, I wanted to make sure you made it back to your homeland safely. I meant no harm."
Maxine watched fondly as her nephew ran happily toward her wayward niece. What a little goofball. And he sure could tell a story. He was a great kid...
But maybe he wasn't in the right pack.
"What am I doing?!" she cried out loudly a moment later, "I gotta get in on this touching family reunion! ARBALETE!" She ran toward her niece, catching up with Penamore in a matter of moments.
Penamore grinned as Aunt Maxine caught up to him.
"Arbalete!" he called again, just in case she hadn't heard him. He couldn't believe she was back! It had been forever since she'd left! But now she was back! She was back and-- And she was being followed?
He screeched to a halt - if it was possible to 'screech' on snow. Who was that grey dragon? She was old, scarred...
She looked dangerous... She'd make a great villainous character in a story.
His fur rippled as Aunt Maxine streaked past him, still calling Arbalete's name.
"Aunt Maxine!" He cried, "WAIT!"
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:13 pm
"That may be true, but you never announced yourself," Arbalète called, "Why remain hidden if you truly meant no harm?"
Maxine. Arbalète tensed and listened to the sound of her aunt's approach. Penamore had stopped, but... oh dear. Arbalète dove to the left and rolled, coming back to her feet and staring at Tayma to make sure she hadn't moved, panting ever so slightly. Hopefully Maxine would stop, Arbalète would never forgive herself if something happened to her family because she had let Tayma track her home. She tensed again, ready to fight if it came to that. Hopefully it wouldn't. They had numbers on their side, but that was all, and against a seasoned fighter Penamore would probably be more hindrance than help.
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Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 3:26 pm
"Well, at first I wasn't planning to follow you all the way back to your home," Tayma confessed, "but then farther into the journey... There was just never a good opportunity to reveal myself without the meeting being awkward..." Tayma smiled wryly. "Much like this meeting. Once again, I apologize for not showing myself to you..." She frowned at the rapidly approaching dragons. "I assume that would be... your family?"
Maxine galloped forward, ready to embrace her niece. She could just imagine some elegent 'reunion' type music in the background... She leaped forward to hug her niece...
And landed face down in the snow.
Her niece had rolled to the side at the last minute.
"Arbieeeee!" Maxine whined, "come on, can't you give your auntie a hug?! Where have you been, anyway? The spirit realm? You've been gone for, like, ages!"
Just then, Maxine noticed the older gray female standing on an incline nearby.
"Oh," she blinked, "Oh."
An awkward silence ensued.
Tayma winced at the mention of the spirit realm. Kai'lani would be in the spirit world now... Unless of course she had already passed.... Either way, the words were a painful reminder of her old friend...
Penamore crept closer, feeling a bit tense. Who was this strange dragon? Why had Arbalete brought her here?
Story ideas flashed through his mind. Betrayals. Wars. Captured dragons. Torture.
He shivered and quickened his step, suddenly eager to be beside his aunt and sister.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:34 pm
Arbalète winced as Maxine finally realized that Tayma was there. How had she ever passed her adulthood tests? No, that was disrespectful.
"This is my aunt and my brother. Please excuse me while I speak to them privately for a moment."
She turned to Maxine and Penamore, her ears cocked for the slightest sound of movement from Tayma. "We can't leave her near the border alone," she said in a whisper too low to carry to Tayma. "How fares the rest of the pack? Are they up for the challenge if I bring her to see them? Or should I hunt out Yves and Sandhya and bring them to her? The first implies trust, but also imprisonment, and the second implies distrust, but also the approaching of equals and a certain mark of respect."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:42 pm
Tayma nodded and waited patiently as the trio talked. She couldn't make out what they were saying... All of her training willed her to try and figure it out; what if they were planning her demise?! But... Listening in on their conversation would be disrespectful... So, she waited, said nothing, and tried not to crane forward in an attempt to hear things she shouldn't...
Maxine's gaze flitted from Tayma back to Arbalete cautiously. Personally, she would rather go for the first option. Really, 'approaching of equals' and 'mark of respect'? It even SOUNDED boring. Plus, respect. Ew. The mention of respect usually meant that Maxine would need to sit still...
Which she hated.
But...
"The pack 'fares' well," Maxine told her niece, "we've been doing okay, had a good hunt yesterday and came back with two goats... I'm more interested in how you're doing. Where have you been?!" Maxine sighed softly. "Anyway, as for what to do about the intruder, who is she? Where did she come from? How did she follow you back here without being spotted? And my final question is the one that really matters, and will decide what we decide to do... Do you trust her?" Maxine paused. "Oh, and, if we decide to go with the second option... You do realize that that would mean you'd be leaving me and Pen to guard her..."
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:46 pm
"Didn't Jourmangdr tell you? I saw a mountain dragon and headed north to warn the Guardian. But... she died shortly before I got there. That grey dragon right there told me so." She frowned and thought over Maxine's question. "I trust her," she said at last, "she could have killed me at any point, but never did so. But it isn't my place to bring a newcomer into our lands, I'm but a youth. Although I suppose I passed one of my adulthood tests." She grinned at that last.
"All right. Either you bring her back, Aunt, or either you or Penamore runs back to warn Yves and Sandhya to talk with the stranger. I leave the decision to you, my elder." She bowed her head slightly in respect.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:37 pm
 Glacious peered out of the cave and got up, stretching stiffly. How long had he been asleep? He suddenly felt ashamed of himself; sitting here, doing nothing when there was plenty that could be done...He looked around and muttered a brief apology to any dragon that might be in the cave, and trotted off into the snow. He had gotten about fifteen feet when he remembered why he had been sleeping; he had guard duty that night. "Oh well," he murmured. "I cannot sleep more this afternoon. I will try not to sleep tonight." He shook his head and set off towards the border. He could at least find out how his sister and son were doing at guard duty. They are...not quite the best guards...perhaps they will appreciate some help... Until his family was completely reunited, he could barely sleep and needed something to do.
He scowled as he reached the guard cave. Maxine and Penamore were no where to be seen; but he heard voices not too far off. He gazed in their direction; he could see his sister, his son..."Arbalete!" he yelled, leaping off towards them. His daughter was home finally!
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:48 pm
((Uh, did Jourmangdr make it back to the pack yet? neutral I'm not sure...))
Maxine ignored her niece's question, vowing to address it later. She had a habit of doing that... Answering questions at times other than when they were ask. Once, Penamore had asked her to go out and play snow-enemies with him, and she had answered nearly a month later... during a blizzard when they'd been snowed in at the cave.
She had answered yes.
"Grey dragon..." Maxine muttured, narrowing her eyes at the older grey female. Why did she look so familiar? "Well, if you trust her, than I do, too..." Although... Why was she around when the guardian died? Maxine shook the thought out of her head. She took a few quick steps back when Arbalete dipped her head.
"Oh no, not the elder-bow!" Maxine grunted, "I'm not THAT old, and- and I don't want to make a decision here!" She glanced around quickly. "Penamore! You make the decision!"
"ME?!" Penamore squeeked, "But... But..."
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:59 pm
((Who owns Jormungandr, anyway?)) Glacious raced the rest of the way towards the border. He came to a sliding halt through the snow at the sight of the grey dragon. He stared at her, taking in her heavy scars. Who was she? And why did she look so familiar? His eyes still narrowed, Glacious turned to his daughter. "Arbalete, who's this?" he asked. "Scent anything?" Wolftongue Iron-leg asked. His golden eyes beheld his adopted son, Jasper, nose to the snow. It had been a few weeks since Wolftongue had gone chasing after the clumsy, yet suspicious blue male known as Hazzard. Curse to the blackest pits of the deepest glaciers that avalanche! He must have caused it to get away! Tayma was right!
Wolftongue wasn't sure why he was following the former bodyguard to the late Guardian. Somehow, he wanted to be with her, a kindred spirit who was ready to fight if necessary. He had been tracking her ever since he lost the scent of that cursed liar Hazzard. "Yes, Father, I think I smell her," Jasper replied. He rose his head from the scent of the bodyguard on the ground to smile at Wolftongue. "She must have passed this way not too long past." Firegarnet nodded, looking around the surroundings. "Let us keep going," she murmured softly. "I will take the lead, Father, Jasper." With that, the pretty teen stepped out in front, picking up Tayma's scent and leading them along. It wasn't too long before they saw a gathering of dragons. She pointed with her nose at the grey female. "Is that Tayma?" she asked Wolftongue.
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moineau bavarde Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:44 pm
((Zactura. She never RPed his homecoming. *shrugs*))
"Father!" Arbalète called joyfully.
She turned back to the grey dragon. "This is..." She froze in mid-sentence. Yet more dragons! With a snarl, she drew herself up to her full height. "Halt!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Who goes there?"
She could only hope that her family would back her up. She knew her father would, but her aunt and brother? Four dragons, one wearing... was that armor? She took a deep breath. This could be a close one.
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Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:58 pm
Glacious growled at the intruders, swiftly stepping between them and his family. He wasn't a fighter--he was a very poor fighter--but he would not let his children or his sister be harmed. "State your name and business! And do not come a step closer!" he barked.
"Sit down," Wolftongue murmured to his adopted children. They nodded and obeyed a good fifty steps from the border. A safe distance, Wolftongue judged, for both parties in case one or the other proved hostile. "Wolftongue Iron-Leg," he called out. "In search Tayma the Bodyguard. To report, lost Hazzard the Avalanche in..." He shifted with a growl, "...avalanche. Thought you like know." He watched the young grey and blue female. That was the same one that Tayma was watching over when they first met. Wolftongue nodded approvingly and glanced at the rest of the gathered dragons. They looked enough alike to be two brother and sister pairs. They didn't look like fighters...But you never can tell. "These adopted children: Jasper, Firegarnet." He gestured to each in turn with a flick of his head.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:33 am
((Well, did anyone PM zakkie about this rp?))
Maxine glanced over at Glacious.
"Oh! Hey bro! Guess what? You decide whether we take 'em to Yves and Sandhya or whether we bring Yves and Sandhya here," she grinned, glad to be passing the responsibility on to someone more... responsible.
Her attention was captured by the arrival of three more dragons... Aw! The little dragon's coats were so... bright! Vivid! The only colors you ever saw around Tarragon were blue, grey, white, and different shades of all of the above. Since most of the surroundding landscape was also white and grey - snow and rocks - that got real boring, real fast...
"Howdee!" she called cheerfully, waiting for the annoyed stares from her family that she knew would be coming...
It wasn't that she trusted them yet... But they did have pretty coats.
Tayma allowed a small smile to flicker across her face as Wolftongue approached, followed by - she assumed - the young one's he'd been taking care of...
She frowned at his news about losing Hazzard in an avalanche. Figures. Well, at least Wolftongue hadn't been hurt...
"It's good to meet you, Jasper. Firegarnet." She nodded in their direction, then turned to Arbalete. "They don't mean you any harm either. They're just looking for me. Hazzard seemed a bit suspicious when you met him and that other female, Avale, - I was ready to back you up in case a fight broke out... fortunately none did - so when he left, I sent Wolftongue to follow him and figure out what he's up to."
Penamore gawked at the new arrivals. Was that one wearing... Armor?! That was definitely a heroic character... Unless... Maybe he was an evil general-type character; the servant of some evil dragon trying to take over the Northern dragons! ... The evil dragon would be a mountain dragon, of course.
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