River

Ebony Filigree Helmet Apparel This ebony plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to secrecy. 2000 Zeeba Horn Organics Used in the production of a variety of natural remedies. The effectiveness of these remedies reportedly varies from dragon to dragon. 25 Blackened Warninghorn Trinkets A hollowed out horn, commonly blown to alert a clan of approaching danger. 85 "A Guardian's job is never over, I am never off duty." Greystone Deer Trinkets A simple statue often left as a territory marker by hunters. Pronghorn will often move them close to their lairs as a deadly lure. 47 Pulsating Pendant Trinkets The craftsman of this fine pendant remains unknown. 29 Expertly-Crafted Spear Trinkets This spear is extremely well-crafted. The balance is perfect and the edge is razor sharp. If only any of your clan-mates had the dexterity to wield it. 23

P E R S O N A L I T Y ______River is a serious dragon that takes her job quite seriously, much too seriously if you ask her mate or charge. She is quite like her Charge in some ways, in which she is curious about how the world works and will never turn down a good book, unless Crow, her charge, needs her to. Then she is at his side without hesitation. She will do as she is told without question by Crow, though he often explains why he after the fact. She trusts Crow and Mate with her life and wouldn't hesitate to lie down her life. During a fight, especially while in the Coliseum, she can easily turn bloodthirsty and vengeful. This is a change that never surprises her mate, but to the new dragons in the coli, it's a shock. She hates when Crow leaves on clan business, for she is often left behind, by order of Crow.

A B O U T Nickname: River Age: Gender: Female Pronouns: She/Her Sexuality: Hetero Residence: Night Court Birthplace: Unknown Likes: Books, fighting, training, time with her mate Dislikes: Failing, seeing her mate or charge in pain, not knowing Hobbies: None Mate: Garrus Vakarian Relatives: Lucent, Lustrous Friends: Crow, Sinopa, ShadowStrike Enemies: Reputation: Hard working, Vicious, Reserved Align: Lawful Good Virtue: Garrus Vice: F A M I L I A R S Tigerblood Foo Familiar Known to sit as still as a statue when they lay in wait, these sentries are capable of leaping into sudden and violent motion. 2240 Serpenta Familiar It's difficult to discern what the serpenta is hoping to camouflage itself as, but you're pretty sure it doesn't need to. Run! (Colored by arctictis.) 1200 Parda Familiar These evolutionary oddities lay eggs but nurse their young. They also chirp! 2550

She looked around, nose to the wind. The black and blue Guardian could smell many things, but the one thing she'd been seeking alluded her. She flared her fins, slightly irritated when she caught the hour old scent of what she'd been seeking. She walked up to a large archway made of caramel barked trees that leaned and branched across, tied together by numerous object such as chains, thread, rope and ribbon, giving the appearance of a dreamcatcher, which is how it got it's name. A small, handcrafted and painted sign read The Dreamcatcher, the style simple, yet elegant. She snorted, her nostrils flaring at the scent of her charge, a male Pearlcatcher.

She walked past a large, glossy, tree stump table with a pristine pearl in the center. The pearl sat on a silver pedestal that seemed so delicate that one might expect it to fall off at any moment, but it wouldn't. For Crow had woven a spell in which only him, herself and his mate, Sinopa, may remove the pearl. Should another attempt a quite nasty curse would be cast upon any other that tried to move it. She snorted and walked past the table, farther into the cave. Her charge's scent was everywhere, but he was not. She sighed, "Where is he..." she murmured under her breath, her voice deep for any normal dragon, yet still higher than most Guardian's.

"They left a few hours ago. a deeper voice rumbled next to her. A pair of electric blue eyes stared playfully from the darkness of only shaded area within the Dreamcatcher, "I sent Navy out, being the fastest in the lair he will be able to warn us quickly if anything happens." he rumbled again. A large, male guardian stepped out of the shadows into the dim light, to her, he looked as if he were in the light of day.

His white scales shimmered where dark armor did not cover, "Thank you, Garrus." she said, nodding her head slightly. She stood taller than him, her rank made clear in that moment, "I would have preferred that you..."

"I know," he interrupted, standing a little taller now, chest puffed slightly, "I wanted to be here to let you know, so you didn't worry about them too much when you couldn't find them." Garrus said. Her eyes narrowed slightly, he seemed undeterred as he closed the space between them and rubbed his cheek against her's lightly He pulled back and chuckled, "Don't give me that look". Garrus' eyes gleamed gleefully as River gave the dragon's equivalent to a blush.

"Garrus!" she cried half-heartedly, "Calm down Shepard, no one is here, there's nothing wrong and technically we're off duty" he said, trying to reassure her.

Shepard snapped her jaws shut, "Technically we're never off duty..." she mumbled under her breath.

Garrus chuckled, "Then let's go wait outside for them." he suggested, walking towards the entrance. Shepard jumped ahead in front of him and stood at the entrance. When Garrus got to her side, he lied down, wrapping his tail around her, "Lie down." he chuckled, "We've got time." Reluctantly, Shepard lied down and eventually leaned against him, the fading light much lower than when she had entered.

---

River let out a vicious roar as she launched forward in chase of the golden Lumen. The sound of gears chattering and claws hitting the ground surrounded River and her party like a raging symphony. She jumped, landing on the Lumen's hind legs, her teal and black claws latching on as the golden creature stuttered to the ground. The Lumen scratched at the ground frantically, it's tiny claws unable to pull it away from the monstrous dragon that loomed overhead. River tore into the Lumen swiftly, her maw stained red and black from blood and oil. Garrus' lighter colored form dashed past her, River's head whipping up to see him pursing a Squawking Sentry. Garrus swiped the bird out of the air and pounced, the Sentry dodged just in time, but right into River's jaws. There was the sickening sound of metal against bone as the bird's tiny red eyes turned dull.

River dropped the dead bird, a ferocity burning in her eyes as Lucina flew up behind them, "Good job River, Garrus. You missed initially but you wasted no time in silencing the bird before it alerted the others." Lucina said. She stayed a distance off, resisting the urge to join the fray. She was a healer, not fighter, regardless of how well she can mimic others. River said nothing as she stalked forward moving deeper into the Golem Workshop.

Garrus nodded at Lucina, "I'm just glad we escaped that one without a scratch." he said, catching River's eye and flashing her a smoldering grin. River smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Let's go." she said in that husky voice of her's.

Lucina and Garrus nodded as they followed her. River's nose flared as she tried to scent other enemies but all she could smell was blood, oil and steam. Garrus perked up as he heard something, then whipped his head to his mate, "Shepard watch out!" he roared. Too late. Impact came as a Frost Delver came crashing through a wall. River snarled as she was thrown across the small corridor. A sickening crunch could be heard as she slammed against the opposite wall, trapped behind a large slab of stone. She clawed frantically at the stone, trying to get hold to pull herself out as the Delver started drilling through the slab to get to her.

A flash and Garrus was jumping on the Delver's back, clawing and biting at the machine, distracting it. The delver whipped around and caught the edge of River's helmet, throwing it off. It slid across the floor and landed near Lucina who was rallying Garrus, the movement nearly breaking the Nocturne's concentration. The Delver moved back from the slab, causing it to shift and slacken. River scrambled for a holes to get her claws hooked on. Midst the chaos, she felt the tug on her claws as she caught hold. She pulled up, scraping her hind legs against the jagged edges. The Delver caught Garrus' leg and threw him, straight into Lucina, who crumpled under the weight of her companion. River could feel the scratches on her under-plating and scales. The blood sliding down her back legs and face barely registered. She let out a mighty roar and bunched her hind legs, readying to pounce. The Frost Delver faced her. Too late. She pounce and collided, claws and fangs ripping through the beast.

She crouched there, frozen, jaws still clenched around a part of the Delver, waiting to see if would move. Once satisfied that it was truly dead, she rose. The vision of her right eye clouded red, "Bloody Windwaker..." she snarled softly. She turned to Garrus and Lucina, her face fell. She dashed over to them, ignoring the pain that webbed through her skull and hind legs. Garrus began to stir as she made it over to him, "Garrus..." she croaked, pain and fear coating her words, blanketing her scent.

Garrus let out a huffy chuckle, "I'm fine."he looked anything but. He looked up at her, "I'm fine." he said once more, grimacing as he attempted to smile.

River's head whipped towards the direction Lucina had ended up. The small, blue and white nocturne was now sitting up. She had dirt and grease along with a few minor scratches, but otherwise fine. "I think I might be bleeding internally." she said, her expression panicked, "I need to heal myself." she said, tears starting to flow from her soft, honey eyes.

Garrus and River nodded, "We will stand guard." River rasped, "When you have finished with yourself, Garrus is next." River added, her tone saying she wouldn't take no for an answer. Garrus opened his maw to argue, and was met with a growl.

Lucina healed herself as much as she could, "I need to see another healer before I'm all good but... I only have enough magicka to heal one of yo-"

"And I said it would be garrus." River snapped, her icy eyes blazing. Lucina blanched and beckoned Garrus over.

"Y-you'll have to carry me back... I cannot walk." Lucina said softly, her fore-claws glowing as she healed his wounds. River watched from the corner of her eye as Garrus' wounds closed shut, the blood cleansing and receding back into him.

River felt her strength fading as the last of Garrus' wounds here healed, "Let's return home so Latskaia and the High Lady may have a look at you..." River murmured, her eyes sliding across the landscape. She didn't move as Lucina slid up onto Garrus' back, soft sounds escaping her as bruises and soft spots were poked. River started moving, pooling all her strength into not collapsing right then and there.

They soon made it back to the outskirts of Astralis, River collapsed. Her adrenaline had worn off, leaving pain shooting throughout her entire system, not to mention the blood loss. Garrus shrugged Lucina off of him, albeit gently, and rushed to his mate, pain and fear saturating his features, "SOMEONE GET LATSKAIA AND THE HIGH LORD AND LADY." Garrus bellowed, his roar no doubt echoing through the entire city. River knew no more.

River awoke in the residency in which Garrus and she inhabited. Her mate wrapped around her protectively. River shifted slightly and Garrus was immediately alert, he moved to stand, no doubt to alert the healers, "No..." River rasped softly, her throat dry, "Just water and... I want-" she cut off as she let out a cough. Garrus nodded, his electric eyes livid. He stood ever so gently, so as not to jolt River, and soon returned with a small flask filled with water. River tilted her head upwards so he could pour it down her throat. Once finished, he set the flask aside and curled up around her once more.

River was jolted as she realized she'd managed to doze off the few seconds it took him to get settled. She was awoken to Garrus whispering in her ear, "Don't you dare ever do that again."

River's gaze slid to him, "Do what?" she asked lowly, eyes flashing angrily.

Garrus let out an uneven breath, "Don't you dare ever scare me like that again, Latskaia and High Lady Sinopa almost lost you." he said softly.

River's breath caught, the anger winking out from her eyes, "I.." she gaped, unable to find the words she so wanted to say.

River blinked, noticing she couldn't see out of her right eye. She felt adrenaline rise like bile as she fought back the terror of not being able to protect Crow anymore, "Calm down..." Garrus murmured soothingly, noticing the panic that rose in her left eye. "It's only a bandaged... Latskaia said there will be scarring over your right eye and on your thighs, but otherwise you will be ok." Garrus explained as he pinned River down with his wings and tail, "That is, if you don't move too much for the next few days." he added, pulling her closer.

She felt the adrenaline pumping through her slowly cease as his warmth penetrated her armorless hide, "Where is my-" she cut off, noticing his was off as well, "Where is our equipment?" she asked softly, heat rising up the column of her neck to her face.

"You were undressed once most of the bleeding was staunched. I gave our armor and weapons to a younger warrior to clean. They seemed to be having too much fun doing nothing." he said warmly, a smile blooming on his maw. River relaxed slightly, "She will be delivering the armor and weapons here later." he added, seeing she didn't quite look satisfied with his first answer. She nodded and began to shift, moving to see him better. She felt him stiffen around her, "Sleep Shepard..." he murmured. Her eyes fluttered as his warmth seeped through her scaled hide. As sleep claimed her, she swore she heard Garrus whipser, "I love you..."