Roleplay

@Ravenshadow17

Niles glanced over at Ravenshadow and Iska. "So, Ravenshadow, did any of your babies--well, I suppose they're not babies anymore," he corrected himself, hoping that Iska wouldn't take offense. "Er, did any of your sons or daughters leave the nest yet to set off on their own adventure?"

@avianpoetry
Ravenshadow glanced at Niles. "Iska still is in my clan but she did visit a friends' for a while. My son Crag has stayed. The other two decided to serve the Arcanist." She explained. "I miss them but I know they are doing great."

@peachuwu @Ravenshadow17 @GoldenBeetle

Niles looked around at the Fae in surprise. "Me? Oh! No." He blushed. "No, I don't have any of my own. I just really like being around them, that's all!" He grinned sheepishly. "Hopefully I will someday. For right now, I just like playing with the ones I meet." He made a small hop, giving Ember a bit of a playful jostle.

Overhead, a small winged thing swooped and called out joyfully. It was a heartred croaker. Niles looked around and noticed a change in the forest. Janustraps opened their large mouths, waiting for flies; hedgehogs rustled in the foliage beneath trees, and Niles thought he saw a glimpse of a Dryad giving away her camouflage to yawn and stretch her arms. It was almost as if the forest was coming alive, yet not in a frightening way, as he had at first expected--in a way that buzzed with energy and made the air positively pulsate. Of course, it was strange that it was happening at night, but--Niles didn't give that too much thought.

"'The Gladekeeper smiles and nods her head,'" Fran called back to Niles, quoting the old Nature clan adage that Nurit often used whenever the Labrynth seemed particularly vibrant. Niles smiled. He wondered if Edel had ever heard that expression.

He was just about to ask Kougarex if any of her children still lived with her when something caught his eye. It was the first light he had seen since venturing into the forest, besides the moon, and as he looked closer he realized the trees had begun to thin. Before them stood a wide clearing, full of bioluminescent mushrooms that reminded him of those he had spent much of his time under as a hatchling, in the Wispwillow Grove of the Tangled Wood.

"Edel!" he called. "Look! Glowing mushrooms! Could some glowing flowers be near by?"

He was about to pass Fran in the front and head to the clearing when a sudden crackle of branches erupted to his left. He heard the clatter of hooves and jumped back as a large Dunhoof centaur landed before them.

@peachuwu @avianpoetry
Ravenshadow approached the centaur. "Hello there. We were just passing through. We apologize if we have trespassed." She reasoned. She knew centaurs could be territorial. Iska walked near Niles and protectively stood in front of him. After all Ember was on his back and the hatchlings eyes were wide with fear.

@peachuwu @Ravenshadow17

The centaur regarded Ravenshadow with cold eyes. His hide was splashed with brown and white patches. A large bow and quiver, almost half Niles' length, was slung across his muscular torso. "This is the territory of the Hammerhand clan," he said, his voice as icy as a tundra morning. "Dragons are not welcome here." He took a threatening step forward, his chest bumping into Fran's own.

Niles could see the flash of anger in Fran's eyes, and he willed her to bite her tongue. He peeked over Iska's broad back at Fran as he made soothing sounds to Ember, who he could feel trembling on his back. "It's okay, little one," he whispered. "Don't worry!" He tried not to show that he was worried himself. Half-aware of his action, he crouched lower, ready to fly the hatchling to safety if things took a worse turn.

@peachuwu @avianpoetry

Ravenshadow nodded in acceptance. "Very well. We will leave if that is what you wish. Your territory ends at the gorge(fast passed river) correct? We will go around it if that is alright with you. We meant no disrespect." Ravenshadow tried to reason with the centaur. She pushed Fran back gently. She could tell the other dragon was mad. She knew that causing a fight would be bad.

Iska noticed Niles was getting ready to take off and she nudged him. If he tried to take off the centaur could shoot him down. She turned toward the centaur. "Please allow us to go along. We have an orphan hatchling accompanying us." She tried to convince the centaur. He wouldn't attack if he knew there was a baby, right?

Ember curled himself into a tiny ball on Niles' back. The centaur was intimidating him and the other dragons' reactions weren't helping. He focused on Niles' reassurances and tried to calm down.

@peachuwu @Ravenshadow17 @avianpoetry

Edel had been listening to the hatchling talk a bit wistfully while walking alongside of the group. He wouldn't have minded hatchlings of his own but... Honestly he wasn't that great with ladies. Not that he didn't get along with them, it was just that when he tried to impress a lady he got awfully nervous and started stuttering and tripping over his own feet. It was always awfully awkward for both sides involved and Edel blushed a bit just thinking about it.

Edel smiled at the mention of the old expression, he had certainly heard it used even if it wasn't that common in their clan. He got excited at the sight of the glowing mushrooms, and would have ran towards if it wasn't for the sudden appearance of the Dunhoof that got Edel to whelp and skitter back behind Fran and Niles.

"Oh, oh dear.. well, we could certainly leave as Ravenshadow suggested, but.." He fidgeted behind Niles, turning to whisper to him. "Do you think they would know where the flowers grow? If we go around dodging territories it might soon be morning before we find any..." Edel sighed with his crest lowered. "..can you bargain with Dunhoofs? With some dried fish and frogs in exchange for some information?" He asked a bit hopefully.

((*has finally time from Uni* *gets sick* *laughs and coughs*))

@GoldenBeetle @peachuwu @Ravenshadow17

The centaur looked over the group of dragons slowly. His eyes found the small orange ball on Niles' back. For a moment, his eyes eyes seemed to soften. Then, they narrowed once more. "A dragon brat, eh? You should have left him where he lay."

"Hey!" Fran exclaimed. Her crest rose in anger. She hardly noticed Ravenclaw pushing her back. "What do you have against a little kid, huh?"

The centaur snorted and pawed the ground. "Dragons are not welcome in the territories of the Hammerhand clan. Go, before I prove my point with the tip of my arrow."

Niles lowered his voice to answer Edel's question. "Dunhoofs we might be able to bargain with," he said. "but I don't think this centaur is a Dunhoof." He nodded to the crest on the centaur's quiver. In place of the standard Beastclan sigil, there were two crossed warhammers emblazoned into the leather.

((no worries! that's a totally valid reason :P))