Sheyada

Pronunciation: SHAY-uh-duh

Glimmer, Shimmer, Flicker and Fade
Warriors of Light, be not afraid!

It was an old recruiting slogan, and put to music, it was a melody that forever wound its way into Shay's brain. When Savik scathingly suggested she name their worthless offspring whatever she wanted, she took him at his word. Thus their firstborn children: Glimmer, Shimmer, Flicker and Fade. It was their lullaby, and when they trained to serve Lightweaver, it was those proud names they bore.

Keeper of Beasts for the clan. A talented healer. Shy around other dragons.

During a time when Savik was particularly busy with his duties, Sheyada found the attention of another of the clan's males. The affair was brief and intense, and resulted in a pair of eggs. Thankfully, the hatchlings were close enough to Sheyada's colors that Savik was never the wiser. The eldest, Sheyalis, broke with the family's tradition by leaving Light's lands and going to live with an allied Ice clan. Lissad, the youngest, bucked tradition as well and shed even his identity as a skydancer. While Sheyada remained Savik's mate, seeing her two offspring shine as a result of her small rebellion makes her content.

And then one day, everything changed. A new band of beastclan captives arrived, prisoners of a skirmish at the edges of night. Their tribemates mounted a brazen attack against Gryphonwing Aerie in a bid to rescue the captives. Dragons and beastclan alike bled and died on the broken stones of the aerie. Though the attackers were repelled, the clan's casualties were alarming. Savik, overseer of the clan's captives, was among the dead. Sheyada found herself suddenly free and bereft all at once.

Time passed, and although she remained a shy and gentle dragon at heart, she found her voice as the clan's Keeper of Beasts. Apprentices from within the clan and without came to her to learn the ways of beastkeeping and healing. Teaching them was wearying, but gave her purpose and pride, and she even led expeditions to far-off lands to train journeyman dragons in her ways.

It was on one such journey that her son, Lissad, learned that she was meant to be his charge. Their relationship before then had been familial, yet distant, as he journeyed in search of his charge. At first, she was uncertain of how to handle his sudden devotion; from her youngest days with an uncaring partner, she had learned not to become too attached to her children. Since Savik's death, in fact, she had remained aloof from all, taking occasional lovers, but never letting herself love anyone--partner or family--other than the mute beasts who looked to her for care.

Something about Lissad's fervent protectiveness wended its way through her emotional armor, and gradually she began feeling motherly tenderness where once was nothing. With time, perhaps, her ability to love will grow once more, and perhaps even let her find romantic love and a long-deserved happy ending.

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Lovely adoptable art by Amaterasu.