The dragon panted and huffed like a dog that was excitedly showing his the kill they had made. He flicked his ears and nudged the deer closer to the twins, hesitantly Qahnaar took it, holding the deer with the twisted neck over her shoulders. The dragon purred and looked back out at the elk herd, trotting after the stampede, heading off into the denser forest.
Tahliz looked into the denser forest, "so he can hunt" he thought, watching the the trees roar in the wind. "Let's go, before he comes back, less friendly" Qahnaar sounded so unsure with each word, her voice laced with confusion and a hidden curiosity.
"He's never acted all that aggressive with me?" Tahliz pointed out.
"Yeah, for you maybe, do you not remember how he almost froze, Ventus yesterday?" Qahnaar argued, moving faster towards camp; "I just want to hurry up and be home, where it's safe".
Tahliz didn't argue further, simply matching her pace through the melting bramble of the forest floor. Qahnaar pushed through, soon they broke into a field, a softer incline of a hill lead up to where the camp could be seen. Both twins let out a sigh of relief, Qahnaar glad that she's finally in a better spot in case the howler shows up again. Tahliz glad that he could finally sit down and relax for more than five minutes.
"Come on, we're home" Qahnaar huffed, panting as she slowed her pace and headed up the hill, towards the gate. Tahliz not too far behind her. The twins soon arrived at the gate, two bull elks on their shoulders. Their eyes met with Captin Glacies who had a mixed expression, he looked impressed with the two bulls but there was also a judgmental look. "Maybe wondering what took us so long" Tahliz wondered as he regained his breath. "Where have you been?" Captin Glacies asked, his tone laced with stress, "we cannot afford our apprentices taking two days to complete a hunting trip that should only take half a day". Tahliz felt a cold shiver run down him, "he didn't sound pleased, he sounded angry" he thought.
"My apologies" Qahnaar stood forward, "I didn't check our surroundings and got lost on the southen borders, the Laas tribe allowed us to stay the night. But it was my fault we had gotten lost" Qahnaar reported, confessing. Captin Glacies narrowed his eyes but then relaxed his shoulders with a sigh.
"You've learned, don't let it happen again" Captin Glacies warned, walking into the camp, "take your kill to the kitchen" he ordered.
Qahnaar nodded and followed, Tahliz not too far behind her, "am I being paranoid? Did he look more mad at me? I didn't even speak!" Tahliz thought but shook it off. Lately it felt like Caprin Glacies was always disappointed in Tahliz, even when he does try his best. Captin Glacies followed them, which was odd since being a caption ment he was always buissy, was them being away for the night that big of a deal?
Qahnaar put her deer on the butching table, stretching her shoulders with the new relief once the weight was off. "What happened to its neck?" Captin Glacies asked, his eyes narrowed at the bite wound of the elk as Tahliz layed his elk next to the other. He waved at the butcher and turned his attention back to the captin.
"Found it" Qahnaar answered before Tahliz could even think, "she'll lie? Why?" Tahliz wondered but nodded along.
"Found it?" Captin Glacies raised an eyebrow, "where? Why take it? Do you not recognise the bite?" He sounded more furious.
"It was fresh, still warm" Qahnaar answered, though her tone was careful.
"It's a howler dragon's bite" Captin Glacies sneered, "which is interesting since the Cheif is asking for you two about said creature, don't lie, you're not good at it". Qahnaar lowered her head, Tahliz just stood there silently, not sure how to react.
"Apologies" Qahnaar spoke hushly, Tahliz knew his sister was embarrassed, especially with how she held her head low like that.
"Come on, Cheif's been waiting all night" Captin Glacies began to walk towards the grate hall, Tahliz was the one to follow first, Qahnaar keeping back, behind him.
The old, wooden doors opened and revealed a buissy sight, "not surprising, after all that blizzard wiped half our resources, plus the forge is connected to the hall" Tahliz observed every elf buissy with their own choirs. Warriors were up and down the narrow paths, paths leading to the upper wall and to the forge, many carrying new weapons or improved gear. The usual cooks were taking in the meat that was just hunted and the few vegetables that survived in the winter farm. Tahliz gaze fell onto the healers though, "why are they here? Shouldn't they be in their healer hut?" Tahliz wondered though didn't voice his concerns. Two of the newer healers seemed to be checking their supplies whilst their former mentor furrowed her brows at the checklist she held.
"Yeah, storm has hit us harder than we thought" Captin Glacies answered his unspoken questions. "Don't threat, we'll be back on our feet soon enough" Captin Glacies then continued his path up to the back room, where the Cheif usually works. Tahliz could feel Qahnaar struggle to find her footing in the tight space, after all, their armour isn't made for narrow paths. The apprentices had to wiggle their way behind Captin Glacies, before they finally made it to the the smaller door. With a knock, their Cheif's voice called, tired and dry.
"Come in", Captin Glacies opened the door but didn't follow the twins in. Inside, Cheif Nix sat at his usual desk, report papers and checklists from the storage rooms organised messily. Tahliz and Qahnaar stood in their usual guard pose, keeping a formal footing as they greet their Cheif.
"You have asked for us?" Qahnaar spoke softly, her voice calm and she perged any sign of tiredness.
"Yes" Cheif Nix nodded, when he moved Tahliz noticed that his son was asleep on his lap, young Lux was clinging to his father, his cheeks flushed and his body looked weak. "Is he sick? That doesn't look good" Tahliz thought, not meaning to put on the concerned look on his face.
"My nephew, Ventus, had told me on how you two handled an encounter with a howler dragon" Cheif Nix started but he flashed a look of gratitude to Tahliz before returning to his usual, serious, expression. "How young Tahliz had actively sought out for disturbed snow and immediately thought to feed it and how young Qahnaar seemed to have followed without question. Sometimes tells me you two have encountered one before, or this one" Tahliz could tell that, Cheif Nix didn't sound mad, more worried, like a worried father. Qahnaar stood forward but Tahliz was the one who spoke first.
"About two days ago I ran into that howler dragon" Tahliz confessed, he didn't see a point as to hide his discoveries. "When I was walking back to camp after we hunted the bison, he jumped out of the snow, he was wounded and starved. I didn't want to start a fight and for the most part neither did the dragon, so I tried to give him a cod to see if that would calm him and it did. That's when I saw the dragon burrow it's nose into the snow and seemed to have been able to slither underneath. When we saw signs of a howler dragon at the bandit hideout, I thought maybe I could see if it had left that way and I saw that it did" Tahliz finished, he couldn't think of any other details that the Cheif would be looking for.
Cheif Nix had narrowed his eyes, in thought for a moment before he spoke up softly. "This dragon" he started, though his tone was full of disprovel, "it was the same one?". Tahliz nodded and answered.
"As far as I'm aware, he had the same eyes and injuries at the very least" Tahliz observed the Cheifs expression, there was a mix of worry, concern and amusement.
"Have you seen it again? Or any signs of it?" Cheif Nix asked, more cautiously this time, Tahliz could feel the thick wave of fear that came with his words.
"We have" Qahnaar answered this time, her tone more calm and following her brother's, honest lead. "This morning, when we were heading back from our hunting trip, the same dragon had hunted us a deer in exchange for a cod".
"Trade?" Cheif Nix sounded more suspicious now, his eyes narrowed in disbelief, "it trades?".
"In a way" Tahliz answered, he had a theory though he barly put a thought to it until now; "in my opinion, I think it's repaying us, since I was the one who fed it, maybe he was able to remember me and wanted to feed me the way I fed him? A little like a wolf pack maybe".
"Maybe" Cheif Nix didn't sound too sure, he looked suspicious of this situation, "but three days in a row that you've encountered this dragon? It might have made a territory here". Tahliz could sense the tension of both Cheif Nix and Qahnaar, "for a howler to make a home here? Wouldn't we have to compete for food with it? Or could I maybe be able to form an alliance? It did hunt for us after all" Tahliz wondered. His mind went back to the horses at the Laas camp, they looked peaceful and calm sharing a home with the elves there.
"Not to mention that they could ride them, what he say the trianing was like? Like a friendship based? Would it be the same for this dragon? Or am I crazy? Maybe a good crazy" Tahliz couldn't help but feel excited. The image of riding on a fearsome beasts back as it flew in the air or even just ran across the fields was enough to make any elf feel untouchable. Tahliz soon snapped out of his thoughts though, instead focused on his posture as he awaited his Cheif's words. "Thank you, apprentices, you may go" Cheif Nix dismissed them, "you two must be hungry so take your brake now".
Qahnaar nodded and left, Tahliz not too far behind her, the office seemed so quiet but the moment they left the howling sound of buissy elves entered their ears. "After our brake, we have a lot more work to do" Qahnaar announced to her brother, "looks like we'd be put on assistance".
"Wouldn't be surprised, everyone seems to be having to work on something" Tahliz added but the smell of mutton stakes made Tahliz's stomach grumble.
"Breakfast first though" Tahliz looked over at the kitchens when Qahnaar scoffed.
"Oh, now your think of eating, once we have work to do you remember that you need to eat" she patted his head playfully.
"I don't want to slack off, carrying a deer up hundreds of hills is exhausting" Tahliz whined and headed to the kitchens, their deer being cooked up.