The day started bright and early for everyone the next morning.
Heth and Ravage had their claws full keeping their three new hatchlings in check. The little ones were curious and excitable, tumbling over one another and getting into absolutely everything as they cried out for food.
“Well if you would just hold still I could feed you!” Ravage exclaimed in exasperation as she wrestled with a wriggling Savir. The chubby little bogsneak growled at her playfully, then lunged at her claws when he caught sight of the chunk of meat she was trying to offer him. She yelped as rows of tiny little needle sharp teeth snapped closed on her fingertips.
Heth chuckled at the sight, using his thick tail to cut off the clever escape Siel seemed to think he had been making. He scooped up the protesting hatchling and began offering him food as well.
Zyl and Basil tag teamed to get Rue fed, Zyl holding her still long enough for Basil to start feeding her. It made a rather odd sight to see the coatl sitting on their haunches, holding a baby bogsneak against their torso while the spiral wrapped around their neck fed her bits of meat.
After eating their own breakfast and thanking Zyl for the food Arabella and Ishikk moved to the far end of the sandbar to start training in peace.
“It should help that we are in the Water territory. You should be able to tap into your magic much easier when surrounded by so much of your own element.” Arabella commented, settling herself down on her belly in the warm sand.
Ishikk nodded, settling down as well. “So…. What do I do?”
“I am going to teach you how to meditate. Its very important to learn, as it how you tap into your stores of magic.” Arabella explained. “Now close your eyes.”
Ishikk did as she instructed.
“Now,” she continued. “try to empty yourself of other concerns. Do not try to fight other thoughts, but let them pass on after they have come. Just focus on yourself. On your breathing. In…. And Out…. In… And out. Feel your heartbeat, the pulse of your blood through your veins. Magic is like that heartbeat, you just are not accustomed to noticing it, but it is an integral part of you. It has always been there, and always will be.”
Ishikk found himself lulled by the pearlcatcher’s voice. It was soft and velvety, he wondered what her laughter would sound like. He began searching for an appropriate joke for the occasion, then realized he was not at all concentrating on his breathing or heartbeat. Mentally chastising himself, he renewed his efforts.
. . . .
They practiced for several hours as the sun rose and approached it’s zenith, until they were interrupted by Zyl.
“Heth has finished making harnesses for the hatchlings, so after lunch we are going to head out. This sand bar isn’t big enough to stay on for long. Will that be alright?”
Ishikk’s eye snapped open, startled by the interruption. He had not even noticed the coatl approaching. He had felt like he was getting close to something. Something important. He was a bit thrown off by being pulled back to reality so abruptly, and was struggling to formulate a response.
Arabella watched his reaction carefully, and appeared pleased with his reaction. She turned to Zyl “Yes, that will be just fine, thank you.”
They joined the rest of the group to find Heth and Basil bickering over maps.
“I’m just saying that my map shows a larger island over to the east that looks like a better option.” Heth insisted stubbornly.
“Yes, but your map also says that this little sandbar we are on is an island too! And remember that island chain that it has down five miles south of where they actually are! Your map is a mess!” Basil retorted, rolling his eyes dramatically. The sweet tempered spiral wasn’t normally one to argue, but his love of cartography brought out passionate responses in times like these.
“Yours isn’t totally accurate either, and it is so old it was probably written at the start of the Age!” Heth scoffed back.
“It isnt THAT old, and while it isn’t completely accurate-which is why I am making my own map of our travels- it has still been more consistently right than yours! I say we go south to where there is a chain of atolls. It looks like there are a few large enough for us, and the pools would be a great place to tech the younglings to swim.” Basil pointed out.
Heth narrowed his eyes and stared at him for a few moments as he considered those points. “….Fine. But If they don’t work out I get to choose from here on out.”
“I don’t know why you two are arguing about it.” Ravage interrupted, looking up from feeding Rue. “I am the leader after all, so I make the choices.”
“We will go where Basil suggested.” Zyl said sternly “His map has been the most accurate so far and we are not getting anywhere by squabbling like hatchlings.”
“Is this a mutiny?” Ravage demanded, puffing herself up to look larger.
“Are they always this lively?” Arabella murmured to Ishikk as Ravage and Zyl began to argue.
“Basil only gets this heated when it comes to maps, he is really intense about them sometimes.” Ishikk explained, tucking into his bowl of greens. “Mother is always boisterous like this, and I haven’t really been able to tell if she really is the leader or not. To me it seems like she lets Zyl do the actual leader stuff, then likes to announce herself as the leader when it suits her.”
Arabella watched the bickering adults for a bit, before digging into her own bowl. “It seems like it is just a lot of noise at least. No one appears to be truly angry.”
Ishikk nodded, pleased that she was able to read his clan so clearly. He did not want her thinking they were an unhappy bunch, they just had their quirks. “That sounds about right. Really the only way to REALLY get one of them upset is to mess with the other’s mate. Zyl in particular is super protective of Basil, which is understandable considering he is so small.”
The hatchlings had apparently decided they had had quite enough of four larger dragons arguing above their heads. Siel had flopped onto his side and was making a low whining sound, Savir started headbutting his father in the side and growling, and Rue was pawing at her mother’s forelegs whining piteously.
“Enough! We’re upsetting the hatchlings. Let’s just flip a coin already!” Zyl said in exasperation, rummaging in their pack for a coin.
The coin chose Heth’s route, and Ravage crowed in victory, while Heth tried to not look smug. Basil huffed his disapproval but said nothing, carefully rolling his maps back up and returning them to their scroll case.
The hatchlings were strapped into leather harnesses which were attached to a belt on their parents. Heth took the two larger boys, while Ravage took Rue. Ishikk and Arabella adjusted their own bags, making sure they had all of their belongings. And everyone was prepare to head out for their next destination.
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