Roleplay

Ardast fluttered in the middle of the meadow, barking orders at the rest of her clan. She shook her head slowly, watching as the faes struggled carrying the lightest of gems, and the mirrors crushed flowers and herbs in their jaws. Caustiously, her mate Cuprite flew to her side.

"Dar-"

"WHAT?" Ardast snapped, her frills flayed by her sides He hovered back nervously as she sighed.

"I'm sorry, I jst want it to be perfect. They are our neighbours, you know?"

He nodded and patted her back reassuringly.

Kylara stood at the mouth of her lair, her sapphire eyes overseeing the activities of her clan as dragons of all sorts settled themselves into a routine. She rather liked the forests, though she had been careful to find a lair that still had ready access to water. The clan had settled near a series of pools fed by the waterfall that obscured their lair.

Turning her back on the bustle of activity, Kylara moved to stand beneath the waterfall, eyes closing blissfully as the water cascaded over her head and wings.

Movement behind her caused her to look back over her shoulder and shake her head, water droplets flying from her iridescent scales. She smiled as her mate moved up alongside her, his wings held slightly away from his body.

"Do you miss it?" Kitalen rumbled, bumping his head against Kylara's as they stood together for a moment. "The sea?"

Kylara crooned, nestling against his side briefly. "It is a part of me, Kitalen... but I like it here. And of course, I am closer to my charge here." She regarded him curiously. "Do you?"

His response was a chuckle that vibrated through both Guardians at once. "You know full well that I am most at home wherever you are, brightwing." As he spoke, a tiny head peeked out from beneath his wing and blinked emerald eyes at Kylara.

"You have passengers?" she asked in amusement.

"We do not like getting wet," Gisala replied in her strangely musical monotone, her frills held close to her neck. "Guardian wings make very convenient shelter for Fae."

Kylara laughed. "So I see. Is Erath under there as well?"

A second gem-studded head poked out in response, as Gisala's mate confirmed his presence. He merely nodded at Kylara before disappearing back under the shelter of Kitalen's wing.

"Well," Kylara said, "since it seems that we are all assembled, shall we get underway? We have an invitation to honour."

"Let's," Kitalen agreed, as the two Guardians stepped through the waterfall and began to journey into the surrounding forest.

Cuprite gently lead Ardast to a large log covered in green, velvety moss. She sat down, her wings folded neatly by her side. Perching next to her, Cuprite nuzzled her cheek.

"It's going to be alright," He soothed. She nodded and shuffled closer to him while keeping an eye on the activity in the meadow. The larger members of the clan were moving bolders and logs for seating, while the faes busily gathered mushrooms and berries.

Her eyes found her daughter, Fancy. The young fae was unloading an armful of brightly coloured beetles onto an enormous leaf, a sneaky hand reaching out and tossing one into her mouth.

Almost oppressive, the tropical heat of the jungle soothed the older fae. The tightly packed trees kept most breezes to a minimum. Ardast could barely imagine what it was like for a fae in the Southern ice field. Clearing her throat, she rose into the air.

"I must help Aurelia, she seems to be having trouble with those wind chimes. Indeed, an Arcane fae was struggling. Thousands of tiny feathers and gems hung from the trees, all attached to one piece of twine. Despite her magical training, she couldn't seem to tie the end of the ornament to a tree, letting out quiet grunts of frustration.

Cuprite chuckled and flew over to a light brown mirror. She smiled at him, revealing a large set of pearly white teeth.

"How are you doing with the food?" He asked, glancing at the enormous pile of fresh game. He suppressed a gag at the slight smell.

She grinned, "I'm almost half way through de-clawing them. I know it can be such a bother when a talon gets stuck in your throat."

Moving through the dense trees was something that Kylara found took a bit of getting used to. She was used to living by the sea, where one found oneself surrounded by water or tidal flats - the press of the great trunks around her was disconcerting by comparison. There were paths between the trees in places where presumably dragons travelled often, but in other places it was a squeeze even to move single-file with her wings folded close to her body and Kitalen following behind her.

Once they had gotten clear of the waterfall Gisala and Erath had emerged from beneath Kitalen's wing, and the two Fae were now darting back and forth through the trees, trilling to each other as the odd beam of sunlight that managed to pierce the canopy reflected off their gem-studded bodies. They looked like living ornaments to Kylara, glittering as they led the way to the neighbouring lair.

"Neighbouring" in a loose sense, of course - dragon clans needed a fair amount of space, so there was a bit of travelling involved to get to the next lair. But Matriarch Ardast had sent word inviting them to meet with her, and Kylara had graciously accepted. She actually looked forward to meeting more of the local dragons; she had already formed a strong bond with Gisala and Erath, who were native to this area and had helped her to settle a lair without causing conflict with any other clans.

"Is that it ahead?" Kitalen asked, moving up alongside Kylara as the path widened and indicating a brighter section ahead of them which suggested an open space of some sort.

"I think it may be," Kylara replied, looking up at her little Fae friends. "Gisala? Erath?"

"We're here," Erath replied, his even tone belied by the little loops he was making in mid-air. He made an abrupt turn and flew back to settle himself on one of Kylara's horns, even as Gisala made her perch on the other. "You should present yourself. You are clan leader."

Kylara had to resist the impulse to nod, lest she dislodge her new passengers. "Sometimes I honestly think you two just stay with me because I make a conveniently mobile tree," she muttered as she led the way forward, eventually stepping out into the clearing.

"That's her," Gisala said quietly as she indicated a Fae which seemed to be coordinating everything.

Kylara raised a claw in greeting, her wings mantling slightly. "Well met," she began. "I am Kylara, and this is my mate Kitalen and our friends Gisala and Erath. Thank you for your kind invitation, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintaince."

It was Bramble who sensed them first. Her head swiveled towards the tightly packed trees, the'r branches only giving her glances of their new neighbours. The flash of dark scales, the glint of an outstretched wing. She lightly nudged the male fae, alerting him to the'r guest's presence. Swiftly, he darted off to Ardast.

Her wings fluttering rapidly, Ardast had her back turned to the entrance when a low voice spoke.

"I am Kylara, and this is my mate Kitalen and our friends Gisala and Erath. Thank you for your kind invitation, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintaince."

Turning swiftly, she fluttered up to her guests. Kylara- the one that had spoken- scale's shimmered in the low light. The dark colour tinted with various shades of green and purple. Her wings were adorned with skulls and feathers

"It is an honour to meet all of you," Ardast bowed lowly. She flew over to the faes and shook their hands, nodding her head. Cuprite followed her lead, smiling at the new comers.

Only a little bit flustered by the sudden arrival, Ardast lead them to the strategically placed logs and boulders, "Please, take a seat."

All of the other dragons in the clan had arisen, an act Ardast drilled into them until it was an instinct.