Arastina

Bitterness and wist, encased in a membrane of stone. They say she was beautiful, once.

Formerly a bold young warrior approaching her prime, she had the misfortune of offending a higher mage of the Earth flight, who promptly cursed her scales to turn to stone.

Unable to fight or fly, she was abandoned by her clan - an unofficial pariah left to diminish into waste. Pikk found her alone in the Wandering Contagion, malnourished and close to delirium, and pity moved him to take her in.

She returned his kindness with hatred. Resentment drove her to desperation and she continually pushed him away, repelled by the idea of needing help.

But Pikk is a persistent soul. He lingered patiently by her side for the next year, feeding her and goading her to exercise her stiffened limbs. Eventually, as her limbs grew stronger and she began to regain some of her movement, she began to tolerate him. He kept his distance and never probed her for answers, allowing her to open up of her own accord. She grew to trust him as a confidant; and then as her dearest friend.

When Pikk first spoke of his plan to set up a sanctuary for exiles and abandoned dragons, her reaction was one of disbelief. Then, when a bedraggled Coatl stumbled into their territory and Pikk welcomed them with open wings, this turned into outrage. More dragons arrived and she grew resentful once more; possessive of Pikk and their private little life, she shunned the newcomers, snarling threats if they approached.

Eventually, it was Pikk who reasoned with her. He told her about the life he planned and explained some of the outcasts' stories.

"I helped you," he told her with sadness in his eyes. "Now let me help them."

"Only if you promise I won't lose you," Arastina hissed in response.

This, if nothing else, was proof to him that he was doing the right thing. It was something of a confession on her part, too - for she rarely ever let through the exact extent to which her attachment had grown. Pikk promised that she wouldn't, and has remained true to his word since.

A year into the Haven's establishment, Arastina laid two eggs. As customary with the first clutch, the oldest hatchling, Chamois, was exalted into the Plaguebringer's domain. The second, Fala, grew into an outgoing young dragon with a passion for flight and exploration. Arastina is fiercely protective of her daughter, and although she herself cannot fly she will always adore watching her.

She's still as truculent as ever, granted - especially towards the Haven's newest members. They generally don't pick fights, though; for the most part, they're scared of her.