Ryot

The same thing day in and day out. The ensnaring darkness that held the clan. And her father was ok with it all? Ryot wanted a change. How was the rest of the tribe totally cool with settling down trapped in the dangers of the tangled woods when there was freedom just beyond the trees? Sure, the clan meant safety, but how safe are you when you live in fear of wandering a few feet in the wrong direction? She heard the daily gossip, what happened to dragons who tested the forest like Lucky did, but she didn't care. There was one mistake all those poor souls made. There was safety in a clan. And now all she had to do was make one.

"Hey!" Ryot bounded up to Skystrider. The shy pearlcatcher shifted a little and glanced over to her.
"What's up?" he shifted his wings, watching a couple of clanmates go about their daily business with slight interest.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment."
"Oh ok."
"In private maybe?"
"Oh" The two strolled a little until the noise of the other dragons was muffled by the outskirts of the trees.
"What I'm about to say might get us in trouble. Can I trust you not to tell anyone?"
The pearlcatcher shrugged in response, but Ryot knew him well enough to see that meant a yes.
"Well, I'm tired of sitting around in the forest forever. I want to see the world beyond the darkness."
"But that's dangerous! Look what happened to Lu-"
Ryot shushed him with a flick of her wing and sighed.
"Yeah yeah I know. But she took that risk by herself. What is it the mirrors are always saying? Safety in numbers? Something like that. My theory is that if I take a couple dragons with me, I can start my own clan who's not interested in accepting whatever fate is given to them."
Skystrider shifted nervously and the star-like patterns in his wings glinted in the light filtering through the leaves above them. "Why are you telling me this?" He cocked his head at her.
"Because I want you tome come with me."
The pearlcatcher backed up suddenly, his claws making a rustling sound in the fallen leaves. "No, no I think it's way too dangerous. Don't drag me into this!"
"Calm down. You don't have to join. You're the first I've spoken to about this idea. I was just wondering if you'd be interested in joining? It's ok if you don't want to. I have a few others I need to talk to but I'm leaving in three nights if you want to come with."
Skystrider stared at the ground and was silent. Ryot knew the conversation was over. She hoped he might change his mind, but she figured it was probably unlikely.

After a few more visits to other friends, Ryot started to lose a bit of hope. She knew it was a stupid idea to go off alone and she desperately hoped someone would come with. She didn't dare share her plans with her sister. Taffy could never keep any kind of secret and Ryot was terrified of what might happen if word got out. As the sky tinted purple in the dying rays of the sun on the last day, Ryot gathered the few things she was taking with. A final look at her father and sister and she snuck into the night. The sand of the pathways along the creek that gave her home clan its name cooled quickly from the day next to the water. Despite her fears and guilt for leaving, she felt an adrenaline rush as her clawsteps carried her further from home. She let her mind wander a little as she listened to water running over riverstones. Suddenly, Ryot halted. There were voices up ahead. Slightly more cautious, she crept forward. Peering through the darkness, she spotted the shadowy shapes of nine other dragons.
"Do you think she's coming? My dad will kill me if I come back home this late..."
"She's gotta be. She told all of us for a reason. Would be a sick joke to have not meant it."
"Yeah..."
Ryot's heart fluttered as she recognized the voices of her friends Solstice and Snap. They had really come! She covered the short distance to where the others were circled and there was excited cheering from the bunch. A quick headcount told her all seven dragons she invited were there, along with two others. As far as she was concerned, the more of them there were, the better their chances were. The group traveled for a distance next to the river before making up their minds to rest for the night as the twin moons hung lazily in the darkened sky.

The next few days were full of discovery and occasional dangers for the young dragons. Fortunately, none suffered more than a few scratches, which Calliope quickly soothed with the herbs she brought from home. The tundra had been quick to claim the role of healer when the discussion arose.






"Back away! Coming through!"
Ryot looked up as Photos burst into the clearing. She appeared to be dragging something quite awkward and heavy behind her. As Ryot stepped closer, she saw the object in question was a rather bloodied young pearlcatcher, about her age. Calliope was already rushing out of her den and clicking he tounge absentmindedly to herself as she examined the newcomer's wounds.
"Where did you pick up this one?" Ryot asked the spiral.
Photos's many eyes shifted from the unconscious dragon on the ground to meet Ryot's gaze. "He was near the river. He had already collapsed by the time I found him. I don't know how long he had been there."
Ryot bent down to see the pearlcatcher's face better and she wiped blood away from a cut on his nose. She thought she recognized him but that didn't seem possible.
"Well," The fae turned to Calliope. "Make sure our guest is comfortable and gets whatever he needs. And keep me updated on how he's doing."
A small hum was the only acknowledgement from the tundra as she dressed the scratches on the pearlcatcher's shoulders and Ryot turned away to let her work.

All through the day Ryot couldn't shake her thoughts of the injured dragon from her mind. She didn't want to be in Calliope's way and was thankful to hear the tundra call for her sometime after midday. She scaled the steps to where Calliope had set up a kind of nursing area just in time to see the pearlcatcher nestle his nose between his paws and fall asleep again. So much for meeting him but he probably needed all the rest he could get.
"You just missed it. He was awake for a bit." Calliope turned to Ryot.
"That's good at least. Did he tell you his name or where he's from?"
"No but he seems familiar. Is there any chance he might be from Lonely Creek?" Calliope cocked her head, waiting to hear Ryot's thoughts.
"Maybe. Do you remember RiverWing? The youngest of FeverDream and Charger's sons? This guy reminds me of him but that can't be right."
"Why not? We left. Why can't he?"
"But that still doesn't explain what happened to him." Ryot gestured to the thin, bloody marks criss-crossing the other dragon's scale. She suddenly worried that something might have happened back in her old clan. She missed her father and sister in that second but shook off her fears to focus on the task at hand.
"Maybe he will tell us more when he comes to again." The tundra began to mash a few leaves together into some kind of poultice. Ryot took that as a sign to leave and pondered all her new questions as she made her way back down the spiraled steps.