Lord Sia
Herder of Cats
Cloud could only rumble in response as Moon - His mate! He would never grow tired of those two words - nuzzled against him. Her cool exhalation brought him shivers as it washed over his hot scales, her tongue gently caressing his snout. The whole thing felt so dream-like, he almost found himself wondering if he had really woken up in the first place.
Was he still dreaming? The faint aches in his body, the odd moment of discomfort when Moon shifted and rubbed against his healing injuries, the faint smell of the dead cow - all of them told him that it was no dream and that he was very much awake. That it was real, not a fever-dream brought on by sickness and starvation, not a hallucination from loneliness and despair - real. It was real. She was real.
And then he would focus on the dragonette in his arms, remember their meeting - only the day before! - the negotiation with the humans, and their mating dance - mere hours ago! - and finally waking up by her side, he would find himself wondering again. The words "too good to be true" echoed in his mind, bitter experiences warning him that nothing good ever happened to him except to set him up for bigger disappointments - but he shouted them down, the triumphing roar of a newly mated alpha echoing in his skull, drowning out all lesser memories.
Still, even as he reveled in the fact that she had chosen him, he had to wonder. Why had she been all alone? She was gorgeous - unusual in appearance, but still nothing short of beautiful - and her breath was as strong as any he'd seen, ever. She was also very kind and gentle, and while not exactly the most respected of dragon virtues, they were good traits from a flock's perspective. She was unlikely to challenge the alpha, and would probably make a great guardian for the dragonlings, not to mention mother herself...
'Oh, that's right,' Cloud realised, once more numb with shock, 'I'm going to be a father.' For a moment, he fell completely silent.
Then the cave began to rumble with the force of his purr.
Was he still dreaming? The faint aches in his body, the odd moment of discomfort when Moon shifted and rubbed against his healing injuries, the faint smell of the dead cow - all of them told him that it was no dream and that he was very much awake. That it was real, not a fever-dream brought on by sickness and starvation, not a hallucination from loneliness and despair - real. It was real. She was real.
And then he would focus on the dragonette in his arms, remember their meeting - only the day before! - the negotiation with the humans, and their mating dance - mere hours ago! - and finally waking up by her side, he would find himself wondering again. The words "too good to be true" echoed in his mind, bitter experiences warning him that nothing good ever happened to him except to set him up for bigger disappointments - but he shouted them down, the triumphing roar of a newly mated alpha echoing in his skull, drowning out all lesser memories.
Still, even as he reveled in the fact that she had chosen him, he had to wonder. Why had she been all alone? She was gorgeous - unusual in appearance, but still nothing short of beautiful - and her breath was as strong as any he'd seen, ever. She was also very kind and gentle, and while not exactly the most respected of dragon virtues, they were good traits from a flock's perspective. She was unlikely to challenge the alpha, and would probably make a great guardian for the dragonlings, not to mention mother herself...
'Oh, that's right,' Cloud realised, once more numb with shock, 'I'm going to be a father.' For a moment, he fell completely silent.
Then the cave began to rumble with the force of his purr.