T'ran woke that morning with a groan. So nice of you to wake up, Surrith said with a chuckle, lifting his head to glance up at his rider. "Very funny," T'ram grumbled, sliding down from the dragon's back to stretch his legs. "Damn it all...why'd we have to find a girl that so fully fits the description of a dragon rider? I could have been home in my nice warm bed last night..." What're you complaining about? You weren't he one constantly feeling the stares of a hundred or so homeless people in your head throughout the night. T'ran smirked, patting the white hide of his beautiful dragon as he walked around the vacant lot the two had spent the night in. "Wonder how long it'll take for her to get here..." he muttered, looking out towards the old abandonded house. Are you so sure she'll decide to come? There was a lot of doubt clouding her mind last night... "She'll come..." he stated firmly, trying to hide the next thought from his dragon...She has to... I heard that you know, Surrith said with a grin. T'ran also smiled, nodding as he swung himself up into the straps of his dragon once more. "I know." Dulcinea's packing took longer than she thought it would. Iloris from left and right kept trying to keep her from putting things away, hiding articles that were important, or just plain sitting in her suitcase and refusing to move. You can't go, Dulcinea, a cat pleaded with her. Another sent a picture of the house in worse ruins after both she and Aldan would be gone. "Please stop," Dulcinea whispered as tears streamed from her eyes. "This is already hard enough to leave you all...but I feel like I have to do this now. It was what Aldan wanted." After that quiet plea, most of the cats left her alone, going off to cry themselves. A few of the older cats stayed to help her pack, and by the time she was done it was only an hour or so before noon. Do you want us to go with you? a queen asked, walking Dulcinea down the stairs. "No. I'll be ok," the young woman whispered, offering the female a smile. All of the cats came up to her then, nuzzled and rubbing about her, mewling and purring and whispering their goodbyes. They were all so sad to see her go...watching her look around the old house one last time before ducking under the board, and heading down the street. The last time they'd ever see her again. The sun was climbing higher and higher into the sky. T'ran started to become worried only as the hour neared noon so quickly. Several times he had climbed onto the back of his dragon and climbed off, walked about...taken a stroll around the block or even down some street only to find most of them went in one big circle. "I don't think we can wait for her any longer," he confessed to his dragon. Oh calm down, she has plenty of time... But Surrith knew his rider was right. Time was growing short for the young human girl. Human? Who would have thought. Several more minutes passed, and T'ran sighed as he walked over to Surrith and mounted for what would be the last time in this town. The white also hung his head as he started to beat his wings, preparing to take to the air... "Wait!!" Dulcinea shouted as she came running, nearly tripping over herself, towards the vacant lot. They couldn't leave without her...they just couldn't. And with an inner cheer, T'ran slid off his dragon's back, regaining his composer as he stood tall and proud as Surrith landed again. "Didn't think you were going to make it," the cat-man confessed. Dulcinea offered him a weak smile, wiping the extra tear from her eye as she looked up at the great white dragon. "Aldan's dead..." she whispered, feeling that dead part of her wince in lingering pain. The looks on both rider and dragon's faces dropped at the news, and T'ran shared a worried glance with Surrith before looking to Dulcinea. "He and Finlay...they fought over my leaving. And Aldan...Aldan just, didn't make it," the tears pooled, and soon the girl found herself crying once more. T'ran felt his face cringe some, and he reached out to hug the poor woman. Quietly she sobbed into his shoulder, Surrith bringing his tail and wing around to also embrace Dulcinea, and comfort her. "Are you sure you want to go?" T'ran asked once Dulcinea had found some control over the tears. She hesitated some...and he shook his maned head. "Dulcinea, you can't second guess. Are you sure you want to do this?" This time, the girl did not hesitate. She nodded her head, her eyes set with determination. "Aldan said I was a dragon born. If this is what he saw me doing, then I'm going to try." T'ran smiled, and nodded, taking Dulcinea's bag and tying it securely to Surrith's side. "Up you go then..." It's good to hear you'll still be joining us, Dulcinea... Surrith added, helping the girl to slide up onto his back. T'ran soon followed, slipping into the stirrups. "You ok?" Dulcinea nodded, laughing some to herself. "This is so weird. It's like, not natural...but it feels right." T'ran smiled, and nodded his head. "You'll get used to it after a while. Brace yourself, the first time is..." And he continued to talk to her as Surrith once again made for flight, his white wings beating sharply to lift his body off the ground. WAIT! Dulcinea, please don't go! it was the second shout, but by this time Surrith had taken a few feet to the air. Three heads whipped about to look, the streak of molted white rushing towards them. The dragon's great tail flicked, and connected as the furry form leap high, tiny claws barely managing to grab hold of the sparkling white scales and scale the ivory wall. Surrith let out a slight roar that shook the foundations of several near by buildings, but there was nothing he could do but continued to climb the skies and Finlay crawled into Dulcinea's waiting arms. I'm sorry, Dulcinea...I'm so sorry, the tom cat cried as the young girl held him close to her chest, nuzzling her nose into his fur, whiping her tears away. Surrith turned his head about to glare and complain, but was silenced by a shake of the head from T'ran. You knew he was going to show up just as well as I did, don't give me that... The rider spoke privately to his dragon. Yes...but did he have to use my tail as a ladder? grumbled Surrith as he tried to focus on flying. "Like I was saying...better brace yourselves. The first trip is always a shocker..." With a brief nod from Dulcinea, who clutched the calico cat so close, they disappeared from Citrus's skies, heading off for the Nexus and the Healing Den's Summer Swim. |
Text, Characters, and Ilori cats are (c) Jennifer, yr 2002 & Beyond. T'ran and Surrith (c) The Healing Den. |
Will Dulcinea Impress a dragon? Check back and see... |