Dragons of the Wild

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash's wing seemed fine, at least fine for the state it was already in. She cooed in pain, even as the gentle fingers of her rider brushed over the damaged appendage. She blinked slowly at him, gently pulling her wing closer to her body as if to protect it, only for it to get stuck at the awkward angle it was splinted at. She huffed, and looked at her rider sadly, 'm fine She mumbled, flicking her tail, 'm not doing that again She muttered, then moved closer to her rider slowly, huffing a small cloud of dark, thick smoke

 

[Lord Sia]

"Neither am I," Siegfried confirmed with relief as he finished his exam, not having felt anything out of place. "Not indoors at least, and certainly not until you're completely recovered." He leaned over and scratched her fondly as she shuffled up to him. Feeling his body tremble with the release of tension as his heart ceased pounding like a galloping horse in his chest, Siegfried staggered back to his cot and breakfast, sitting down heavily.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash slowly and carefully followed him back to their food, no longer feeling hungry. Instead she just stared silently at the remaining rabbit and the two chickens, and huffed yet another cloud of black smoke, moving slowly to her hay pile and burying herself in it. She seemed to try and hide her wing, her weakness, under the hay as well, but it refused and stuck out as it had before. She grumbled again, looking to her rider with said eyes

 

[Lord Sia]

Siegfried looked at the remaining food - the whole table basically untouched, save for a pair of breadbuns and some sausage - but he had no appetite. For all his intention of staying with Ash to help her heal, he only ended up causing her pain anyway. Seeing her slowly walk back to her hay-nest, still limping, both leg and wing still clearly tender, he felt another spike of guilt and shame. He almost wished for another arrow to the guts; compared to the feeling of having hurt his partner, of knowing that he was the cause of her suffering-


If he hadn't chosen her, the jealous lightning dragon wouldn't have attacked her. If he hadn't chosen her, she would not nearly have killed herself saving him from an assassin. If he hadn't chosen her, she wouldn't have been dying from untreated injuries just because he was too weak to help her. If he hadn't chosen her, he wouldn't have hurt her by playing around.


-compared to that, all the arrows in the world would be a relief. Forcing himself to meet her sad gaze, there was only one thing to say.


I'm sorry Ash.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash flinched as she felt the regret and guilt flooding from her partner. Did he not want her any more? Closing her eyes sadly, she buried her head in the hay so that he couldn't see the hot tears trailing down her scales, and tried to stop her own emotions from slipping through their bond. She needed him, but did he really need her? Her tail curled close to her body, her injured body quivering as her emotions mixed with the regret of her rider.


Because, if he hadn't chosen her, he would of had a bigger, better dragon, who could of protected him from any assassin, saved him from any danger, and he'd be happy. But all Ash seemed to cause was his suffering, and she hated that.


I-Its not y-your fault

 

[Lord Sia]

Siegfried felt as much as saw Ash curl up in sadness and pain, feeling as if the knife in his guts was twisting with each flash of emotion. He felt like throwing up; she was hurting, again, and it was his fault - again! What kind of prince was he that he could not even take care of his dragon?!


His self-reproach was interrupted by her message, but the stammering, stuttering, almost sobbing tone of her thoughts - not her words, her thoughts - hurt worse than anything he had ever experienced.


Yes it is! He countered, guilt heavy in his heart. If I hadn't chosen you, you would never have gotten hurt!

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

I would rather be with you and hurt, rather than be alone and healthy





Ash didn't look at him once whilst she spoke, weakly fluttering her good wing, itching to escape. The tension in the air was making her nervous, and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to run out of the stable and take to the skies, if only for a few minutes. But she knew to even get close to outside she'd have to pass guards, stablehands, and perhaps even the dragon master. Even then she'd have to do it with her injuries and struggle to stay upright, and she knew she couldn't fly with her injured wing. She couldn't handle the guilt flowing from her rider, and instinctively struggled to silence their bond, curling into a ball.


She whimpered, flicking her tail slowly back and forth, wishing now that she was alone to let her sadness out, not wishing her rider to see her in such a state

 

[Lord Sia]

I- Siegfried began in response to Ash's outburst, but could not finish. He could not say that he would rather have her alone and healthy, and denounce the bond. It would be the same as rejecting the bond, which he could not do. He wanted her healthy, but he wanted her happy even more so - and the nature of the bond left no doubt as to the truth of her words.


Oh Ash.


Siegfried began climbing into the hay, not even having noticed that he had stood up and walked over.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash listened for the words that she hoped he would never say, her heart beating fast, almost too fast in her warm chest. A puff of dark smoke escaped her mouth, seeming darker than before, in pure panic that she would be abandoned by her only friend, her rider. More puffs of smoke escaped her mouth, disappearing upward to the ceiling where it could escape through a small open window above her head, which allowed clean air and light in.


Then, relief flooded her body as he changed the words that could of broken the apart, and she watched as he approached her. Almost immediately the injured and upset creature grabbed her rider gently, and drew him close to her body, pulling him to her chest and placing one wing, her good one, over her riders body, laying her head beside his smaller form

 

[Lord Sia]

Siegfried allowed himself to be pulled into his dragon's embrace. No words were spoken, but he made his message clear through the bond none the less.


Never leaving you. Ever.


They had not lain together for long before Siegfried's stomach protested his neglect. Loudly. The prince could not help but chuckle a bit, snuggled up to his dragon's neck as he was.


"What do you think, Ash?" He mumbled, half-word half-thought, while rubbing his hands along the warm, dry scales of her neck. "Want to finish breakfast?"

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash gave a soft purr of amusement as she heard his belly rumble with her sensitive ears. She licked her rough, cat like tongue across his cheek with a caring fondness, purring louder and letting out a deep black puff of unhealthy smoke as he ran his fingers gently over her scales.


Upon hearing his words, both in her head and aloud, she allowed him to escape her warm embrace, and gently nudged him up with a nod of her head, Go on my rider she replied, slowly moving herself to her own food once more, eating with less enthusiasm and with slower, gentler movements this time.

 

[Lord Sia]

My dragon, Siegfried fondly retorted as he returned to his bed and the serving tray.


The two took their time, interspersing the breakfast with small talk. Once they were done, Siegfried knocked on the door and asked for the serving tray to be removed and for dragon-care supplies to be sent; rough brushes, soft brushes, linen rags, braziers and buckets of water and oil.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash was content to softly talk to her rider, glad that she had someone to talk to. Back when she was riderless, she was stuck speaking to herself in her mind, and occasionally speaking to a stable hand or two.


Once they finished their food, Ash had half expected her rider to leave, but her eyes instead grew in excitement when he asked for grooming supplies. She hadn't been cleaned in so long, and the dirt and dried blood on her scales was annoying her. She purred, licking her riders cheek

 

[Lord Sia]

Siegfried could feel Ash's rising anticipation, her rumbling purr - and her tongue rasping across his face, though he would literally have to be dead not to notice that.


"Easy, Ash," he admonished teasingly, reaching up to scratch behind her jaw.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash practically dissolved into a puddle when he scratched behind her jaw, closing her eyes and purring lowly, tail twitching like a excited dog. A puff of dark smoke escaped her mouth and drifted upward, as the happy, though wounded dragon waited in an almost impatient manner. She stayed where she was, not daring to move after her last stunt that had caused pain

 

[Lord Sia]

The servants, having anticipated the order, were as efficient as ever. Before long a small parade of men and women entered the room, carrying the requested supplies. Siegfried ended up feeling as though he had reassured each and every one of them, twice, before they accepted that he wanted to care for Ash on his own - partly as an apology, partly out of a strange sense of possessiveness.


Once the last servant had finally left again, and the cauldron of healing oils were placed over the brazier to heat, Siegfried turned to Ash.


"Do you want me to start with the wings, or save them for last?"

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash watched with growing excitement and anticipation as the humans brought in the supplies, and felt like running in circles like a hatchling trying to fly, the only things stopping her being her injuries and her riders pride. Her eyes widened and a happy purr rumbled through her chest, as her rider assured the people that he could groom her himself, and felt even more excited as she realised his possessive he was being of her.


At his question, she paused to contemplate, and finally decided to do her wings first, so that any pain came first, and replied softly "Wings first please my rider"

 

[Lord Sia]

Siegfried feels a flush of warmth surge through him as Ash rumbles happily in approval, and the lingering aches in his body abruptly fades, almost as if by magic, as the guilt in his heart over the pain he has caused her lightens.


"Wings it is, m'lady." Siegfried nodded solemnly, and began the laborious process of unwrapping the bandages, slowly and carefully, so as to not jostle the still-injured membranes or the sprained muscles. Nimble fingers loosen the soft ribbons of linen, while he hums a quiet song, broadcasting the calm and love to help keep his partner still.


*She's got a smile, that it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories, when everything was precious...*

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Staying obediently still as her rider gently unwrapped her injured wings, feeling each gentle movement over her torn membranes, even those causing twinges of pain. She was broken on the outside, but far from it on the inside, where her riders soul wrapped around her, warmth and protection smothering her worries and pain.


Her tail flicked back and forth like a happy puppy tail, careful not to hit her working rider, and a low rumble growing louder in her chest, listening to him

 

[Lord Sia]

As the bandages were unwrapped Siegfried finally got to see what the damage was, and it was all he could do to keep singing, keep projecting love and care, while sadness warred with rage in his chest. The wing was a tattered mess, the thick, tough membrane pierced and torn in more places than he cared to count, and far too many of the wounds were infected, swollen and hot, leaking sickly-sweet smelling pus. No wonder Ash had been in pain.


Forcing himself to continue, Siegfried finished unwrapping the soiled bandages, before stuffing them into the laundry basket. He then picked up one of the clean rags, dipped it in the boiled water, and began to gently wipe the wing clean.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash whined as a odd scent reached her nose when he removed the wrappings on her wing. Turning her head carefully, trying to see what it was, she hissed in horror as she realised it was a odd substance leaking from her wounds. She knew that wasn't good, and whimpered softly, looking to her rider before letting out a cloud of dark smoke, much preferring the warm clouds scent to the other stuff, even when her smoke wasn't right either.


The dragon was obediently still after that, wincing and twitching as he cleaned the wing with boiling water, which soothed her further, warming the membrane to a comfortable temperature (for a fire dragon) and making her purr in pleasure, even when pain sparked through her body at the gentle touches. But she knew it wasn't her riders fault, he was simply trying to help her, and instead she blamed the attackers, swearing once again to tear them limb from limb, and to burn their remains to a crisp. At least that way, they'd die painfully, and she was sure not even the scavenging birds would want to eat something as corrupted as she was sure the attackers were.

 

[Lord Sia]

"Good girl, that's my girl," Siegfried soothed gently as Ash hissed and whimpered, while continuing to cleanse the wounds. He would be having words with the healers and the stable hands later, there was no way they had cleaned her wings properly before wrapping them. As it was, they would be lucky if she healed in less than a season. The puff of smoke that followed was not entirely expected, but welcome none the less - the familiar, acrid scent did well in masking the smell of festering wounds.


Siegfried could feel the fear and anger building in his partner as he worked, and decided to try distracting her.


"You know, I know almost nothing about you," he spoke. "What was it like, growing up in the stables?" He knew it couldn't have been easy. Not that being a prince was all milk and honey, but the master of dragons was harsher than any of his own teachers - and harsher still towards his charges. Still, he was curious what it was like from the dragon's perspective.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Ash was distracted from her thoughts on her many ways of barbecuing people, by her rider. Blinking slowly at him, her amber eyes watched him work for a moment, wishing she in turn could help him heal, although she was well aware that she was too big to do anything but cause him more pain. But his question cheered her up slightly, excited that her rider wished to learn more about her, though not too excited to tell him all the details.


So, giving another huff of smoke to prepare herself, she began, "In the beginning it wasn't so bad… I was a only hatchling, my siblings died in their eggs after our mother died, apparently she and her rider were killed in a fight or something, and she had left us behind. I'm not sure if that was true, I can't remember, but its the only story I have to explain it…" Here she paused, sighing,


"but without our mothers warmth and care, we all grew sick. By the time anyone noticed us, three tiny hatchlings hidden in the hay of our mothers stable, it was too late… there was just be left, curled up to my siblings bodies, trying to wake them…" She shuddered, whimpering at the memory, "They'd have been stronger than me, I think. Faster, more agile… Would have grown up great. Instead they died, and me, the little runt, who only survived because they curled around me and protected me, grew up alone instead"

 

[Lord Sia]

Siegfried was heartened to feel Ash's thoughts cheer up... Only to be brought low by the story. Two images super-imposed themselves on his mind, first Ash as a hatchling, small and fragile, shivering and sad as she tried to wake up her dead siblings... And then pictured himself in the same position, a child - little more than a babe - alone in the darkness and filth, surrounded by his dead sisters and brother.


*Oh Ash,* he broadcast, stopping his ministrations on her wing so that he could walk forward and embrace her head, *I am so sorry.* As she continued to describe her lost family, how much greater they would have been, how they sacrificed themselves for her, he could not even form the words to comfort her. Instead, he just dove into the bond, embracing it and through it, her, like he never had before. He would never know her siblings, but he would be forever grateful for their gift.


[LOVE. CARE. JOY.]

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Shaking her head at his apology, Ash looked at her rider, comforted by his embrace, even if he was only big enough to hug her head. That small thought made her purr in amusement, the image of her tiny rider hugging her. She fell into their bond, into his love, and sent her own back, swirling around him, "Don't apologise. It wasn't you. Just the stable hands who only really realised we existed when they went to clean out our mothers stall, for a new dragon to take." She said softly, nuzzling him again, "Besides, they'll always be alive in my memory"