Roleplay

The hand he had held out dropped to his side. "Oh. Okay, sorry." He swallowed uncomfortably and turned away, walking back to his dragon. He dropped his sword into its sheath and packed away his hourglass. With a bit of a boost from his dragon's leg, he hopped onto her back.

"Oh, quit fretting, you silly thing." He said as Aeira looked back at him worriedly. "Let's keep moving on, we ought to have left a while ago." He held on as she reared up and spread her wings, shooting up into the sky like a homesick angel. Within moments, she broke through the cloud cover, and raced onward towards Ravenfort.

Ren was silent for much of the flight. His dragon tried to get his attention with a soft warble but he was too preoccupied to listen at the present. This encounter, like many before it, still made him think he made the wrong decision. Aeira warbled again, more insistently, and that broke him out of his stupor. He patted her flank in thanks as they flew on.

It was dusk when the great city finally came into view. Aeira, bolstered by the view of home, put on an extra burst of speed, dashing though the clouds down towards the walled clearing near the royal palace where her and many other dragons resided while in the city. Ren meanwhile gathered the papers and maps for delivery.

(I have no idea what to expect in the city, so a little bit of guidance or introduction/setting would be great ^^)

Even as Aeira spiraled down into the clearing, Ren was already dangling off of her side, holding onto her harness. Once they were down low enough, he let go, falling the last little bit to the earth. Aeira had dropped him off right by the barracks. He entered quickly, clutching the parcel full of information.

"I can explain, sir!" He said immediately, fully aware that he was late, very late. "We were delayed at the border and Aeira was hurt-" He would have continued, but the icy glare the captain was giving him shut him up instantly. He meekly handed over the parcel and waited for the inevitable shouting to come.

Ren was rather relieved when he realized he wasn't going to get an earful. He nodded dutifully and found that he felt exhausted. He wobbled on his feet somewhat as he recounted the day's events.

"We had to take a detour because of inclement weather on our way out - that alone cost us nearly an hour. After running our rounds Aeira was struck by a ballista bolt - they're really shoring up their air defenses, it's getting more and more difficult to find a safe way in and out," he took a breath after that tangent, "we were forced to set down just outside of Eaglewood because of her injuriy, but I was challenged by Lord Ironskull-Ironhand, Lord Ironhand who thought I was an imposter or a spy. I had to duel one of his soldiers first, then him." He sighed, "that whole mess was what cost most of our time." His head dipped, "I'm sorry if I'm being troublesome, I swear I don't intend any of this!"

Aeira flapped steadily to her corner of the clearing after dropping Ren off. She landed softly, careful to not jar her shoulder too much. After settling in, she curled her tail in front of her and bowed her head at the caretakers in thanks. Despite her exertions, she wasn't hungry, or at least, that was what she told herself. She drank thirstily, however, using that to block out her aching shoulder.

Once she was sated, she looked up at the barracks, wondering how much trouble Ren was in this time. It seemed their luck had been down recently, and while their missions were more difficult and farther away on account of her greater endurance and faster speed than some other dragons, she never seemed to be able to make anything on time. Her ears drooped at that revelation as she laid her head down.

Ren shifted uncomfortably, "sir, if I may, while Aeira is a fast and capable dragon, many of the schedules don't allow for any circumstantial delays. As much as I would love to control the weather, I can't, and neither can she." He glanced up, wondering how his captain would take his point.

"As for the wound, it did not go deep enough to cause permanent damage or scarring, but I suspect she will be unhappy and unable to perform to her best over the next week. He wondered to himself who the soldier responsible was, could it be the one he dueled?

Aeira growled softly, not as a threat, but merely in discomfort as the bandages were removed and the injury dressed. She thought it wasn't necessary - Ren had done a good job earlier, she decided, but it would be rude to refuse. She continued to make low, unhappy noises as she watched the barracks, waiting for her rider to return.

(also, how'd Ironhand's letter get there before they did? Couriers must be fast haha)

Ren nodded in response, he knew to hold his tongue about his past issues. He had to admit, there were times when he ought to have pushed Aeira little more, but he had not done so in order to keep her happy as not to wear her out, and the other times when they had taken a slightly more leisurely route for her to stretch her wings before a mission. He knew how those choices reflected on him now.

"I understand, sir." He said softly, of course he wished to keep Aeira safe and sound. He knew her value as a scout given her smaller stature and lighter weight. He swallowed hard, knowing that the missions they would be sent on from now on would get more and more dangerous as the two nations careened towards conflict.

"I just had one more question, sir, Aeira's armor - will she be furnished with a set when... when..." he didn't want to finish the question, instead lowering his gaze.

(now that's gotten me thinking about dragons snapping courier pigeons out of the air as a snack XD Canonically, how fast should our dragons be, then? I meant for Aeira to be a lightweight - fast and agile but not exactly the best for fighting)