Gerard

Gerard

---

Euryale briefly fought with Gerard's parents to steal the child away. While Thomas and Calcifus were herding him away, the young sky dancer asked the Tundra why they has come. When told that his parents weren't taking good enough care of them, Gerard replied "I knew that. How did you find me?"
Though Euryale, battered and bloody, was concerned that the hatchling would be forever scarred by his first den, Gerard has made remarkably good friends among the other babies Euryale has collected, particularly Mirinae.
Though Gerard is not as fond of battle as Mirinae is, the grim-minded couple have become ambassadors of a sort, helping to smooth over troubles caused by Raziel's borrowing or Euryale's adoptions. His own emotion-sensing finds adequate use sussing out the opinions of allied clans. The arrangement seems to be more convenience for them rather than bonding; though they find each other attractive, they make much better working partners than mates.

Gerard lays a claw on Mirinae's shoulder. "Are you sure you're ready for what's coming?" She shakes herself, flaring her wings as high as she can (only a limb-length above his own head). "I know what needs to be done." She growls. Gerard is less sure; not of her conviction but her understanding of the fall out.

---

He knew he was right. He just wishes he wasn't. It falls to him to get support from their allies (Mirinae spends their visits seething quietly). He visits clan Katsra to enlist the aid promised ages ago, only to find that they too suffered losses greater than their own. Coriandr and Calan are prepared to help. In the Windswept Plateau, he finds no support from the Abbey, but a small fae from another Windclan pulls him aside to say that they know about the creeping shadow monster laired in the den on their mutual enemy. He smiles slowly, small sharp teeth bright in the wind as Mirinae's eyes focus and sharpen. Now they have prey to hunt.

---

The dull thunder of an arriving Imperial and the emotional throb of exhaustion has Gerard on his feet, brushing past the guards-in-training to stride up to Goldfoo and Euryale. Zei's head lifts as he sweeps past and Gerard doesn't bother to glare; it would be too overt and honestly, a bit of an overstatement of his feelings about the coatl. He doesn't dislike the drake so much as he doesn't understand what Mirinae sees in him. She doesn't act like the dragon he knows when she's around him and it leaves him... uncomfortable. Outside, Goldfoo kneels and Mirinae, brushed in blood and wings lagging, peers over his shoulder at the ground.
"Steady, steady." The skydancer soothes, reaching for her paws and she lets herself fall into him, her energy flagging like an empty waterskin. Zei comes up beside her, a multi-toned soothing hum emanating from his throat and he wants to flatten his feathers at the drake, but Mirinae thoughtlessly lifts a wing to rest on Zei's back.
He hesitates. The wildclaw heavily lifts her head and rumbles back at the coatl, eyes close to closing.
"Let's all head back inside." Gerard finally remarks, Zei blinks at him and she nods once. Together the trio wearily trod down into the soothing dark of the tunnel.

---

As if the bad reputation of Raziel and her mate wasn't enough to make his job harder, Belael keeps putting his nose where it doesn't belong. Worse, he keeps bringing back useful information. Mirinae shares his dislike of the pearlcatcher, but Zei urges them to hold back on their wrath. His relationship with Zei?

....Zei is the ambassadors' conscience.

By MistyGold