sol lifted his head after a few hours of sleep. he could smell other dragons and even humans. he sighed this is why he normally moved around a lot. if he was found by humans they tried to kill him and other dragons always tried to force him into doing something for them. he stood up and walked outside of the cave. seeing no one near him he took flight and his black scales glinted as the light hit them. being a shadow dragon had certain benifits he could do a few things other dragons couldnt. but he never liked having to do that so for now he flew off towards the woods again.

Ada tipped his head to the side a bit, her eyes narrowing as she examined him. His brother, interesting plot twist. Lód blew out a snort of icy air in reaction to the offer of a warm room. She would much rather stay in an ice box. Ada regarded Randin's arm with contempt, "We'll take you up on that offer, but Lód and I will be staying together." She held her head tall with a bearing of a queen, this man seemed simply silly to her. What reason could there ever be to try to smite your own blood? She glanced over her shoulder and asked Lód, "That okay with you?"

Lód nodded, watching Malech in a slightly dreamy way, "Oh, I would love that..." Ada rolled her eyes but smiled faintly.

Then she looked back at Randin and said in a neutral voice, "We can discus prices back at your camp."

"To the barracks!" Randin said in an exaggerated shout.

Malech rolled his eyes his rider and then fell into step behind them. He wound up next to the other dragon.

Now that he was paying more attention, he could see that it was female. A she-dragon. Interesting. There weren't many of those left. When dragon riding became popular among the humans, they started killing off the females. They wanted only males. Males looked more powerful to the men, though every dragon knew better. The females were stronger. They had to be. When the humans started stealing the males away, The females had to become stronger to compensate for the lost mate.

"Greetings." Malech spoke aloud to the female dragon, nodding slightly.

Ada resisted the urged to roll her eyes, but just barely. She walked next to him on the way to the Baracks.

Lód panicked slightly, her thoughts along the lines of, oh my god oh my god oh my god he's talking to me oh my god! It wasn't obvious though, and she glanced over at Malech and mumbled slightly, "H-Hello... I-I'm Lód. B-But I guess yo already knew that because Ada said so more than once. Sorry."

Ada shot a glance over her shoulder, "Geeze Lód, calm down hun." before looking ahead again.

"Pleasure to meet you Lady Lod (I can't put an accent on that). My name is Malech." He gave her a slight nod.

Randin continued to lead the visitors back to the barracks, analyzing the strange woman. She had her head fairly covered. He wondered why. It wasn't quite cold yet. Maybe she was from the south? She did say she was visiting the capitol. "From where do you hail?" He tried sounding official.

(double post... sorry)

Lód nodded in return as Ada replied, "The far north." simply, not giving an exact location because she really didn't have one. Her people were strictly nomadic, and the longest they stayed in one place was about 2 weeks. She looked over at him and said in a strained voice like it pained her to ask, "And you? From where do you hail?" She reached up and tugged on the edges of her hat so it sat even lower down.

"I'm from the kingdom of Alton, but a disagreement with my brother, the king, has me out on my own." He gave her a little chuckle.

Ada paused and then looked at him surprised, emotion breaking across her face for the second time, "Wait... So you're one of the princes?" She asked him before sighing and tugging her hat off, exposing her pointed ears, "Well then I guess I don't need to worry as much..."

Randin stopped and looked at her in silence for a moment, trying to make sense of things. The ears... she was an elf? She knew about him and Rowan? "I-I'm sorry can you please clarify?" He couldn't hide the confusion in his voice.

Malech tilted his head to hear the conversation between the people in front of him a little more clearly. He too was confused.

Ada shrugged and rubbed her ears gently, she hated wearing hats over her ears. They made the tips sore. She glanced at him as she kept walking in the direction that they had been going, expecting him to follow. Lód sighed and rolled her eyes, mumbling, "Sorry about her..."

Ada glared back at her and said, "I heard about two prince dragon riders in the south when my clan wandered close to a villages to sell some furs. We didn't know that there had been more dragon riders as of late. I honestly thought I was the only one. Also, I figured that if your a prince you're not some random bounty hunter who will try to kidnap me and sell me for being 'exotic'."

Randin laughed. "I wouldn't call you exotic, but I do find you quite interesting." He took the lead again. "Please do tell me more about yourself. Ms.........." Unsure of what her name was, he just smiled at her.

"It's alright. It's interesting." Malech Looked at Lod. "Randin is a bit strange himself sometimes. But he is my master and I would give my life for him." He puffed frost-sprinkled air out of his nose.

Nero stopped eat to look and see that he is now surrounded by wolves. Nero growled at them and stood over his prey. Some of the wolves tried to get closer but Nero knocked them away with the tail. The other wolves then charged at him jumping on his back and biting and clawing him. Nero roared in pain and then began to rip them off on himself using his claws, teeth, and tail. Nero then finally said "enough" and he then finally used his fire breath burning a bunch of the wolves and when the others saw it they turned and ran away knowing they were outmatched. Nero then growled because some of the trees had caught fire. Nero grabbed his prey and flew back to his cave on the top of the mountain.

"Snieg, Ada Snieg." Ada replied, ignoring his smile and staring straight ahead, "I called myself exotic simply because we stopped at another point on the way south and I was jumped by a group of bandits. That is what they called me when they saw my ears. I only got away because Lód came in to save me."

Lód looked at Malech curiously because of his wording. Then she looked at Ada's back and said in a much clearer stronger voice, "Ada is my before friend. I love her, so I would give my life for her if that's what she needed to be happy."

Randin's smile softened. "That's nice. Lod is your dragon, yes?"

"Loyalty is important." Malech nodded at Lod. "I know a few dragons whose men are cruel to them and yet, they still give their everything. It's sad to see the men mistreat them, but they have taught me a lesson in loyalty." Malech's eyes filled with a reminiscent emotion. "Randin may not be the kindest man, but he would never beat me. I wouldn't say I love him or that he loves me, but we both depend on each other. I chose him because I knew he could handle my power. He responded because he knew I would help him."

Nero landed at the mouth of his cave and finished eating his prey burying the rest in the snow to avoid attracting attention to the mountain cave. Nero then laid down again to began rest his new wounds still stinging from the fight. "not even the animals will leave me alone in these lands." He said to himself and to began to doze off.

Ada nodded, holding her hat behind her back as she began to relax a little bit, "Yep, I found her in a cave around 9 years ago. Well, not her exactly, more I found her egg and she decided I was good for her."

Lód looked at Malech and frowned slightly, "That's... kinda sad..." she said, not really thinking enough to filter out her words. She looked at the riders in front of them and said, "Is he not like family to you? How long have you been together at this point? A few years?"

"Since an egg, eh? That's quite interesting. I've never met anyone that's even seen a dragon egg, let alone hatch one." Randin motioned tot he guards that the woman and her dragon were welcome as they came upon the barracks.

Malech looked at Lod. "You think it is sad?" He was a little confused. "Family? I do not really know what family feels like, but I guess if I knew, I would assume it feels sort of like my relationship with Randin. He's a good man and I do trust him, but love? Well, I don't really know what that feels like either." Malech grunted letting icy air puff from his nostrils. "I guess you could say he's family." Malech thought about the concept for a moment. He not only trusted Randin, but Randin was the only other living being he trusted. He had good intentions though many didn't see them that way. It seemed unfair to the man. He'd been handed the short end of the stick most of the time that he'd known Randin. "I met Randin when he was four in human years. I almost killed him. But there was a fire in him that caught my attention. I was raiding his home and he was stubborn. He protected the things he loved most, even for such a young child. He was watching over his younger brother. He wouldn't move and that's when I knew that I needed someone fearless and protective to take up as my rider. He has never let me down. I do not regret my choice. He is a fine man." Malech nodded, clearing the fading images of distant memories from his mind.

Nero woke up and got up and decided to go out and fly around some to stretch out his wings. So he leaped off the cliff and began to fly around the mountain allowing the wind to blow over his wings.

Raethan stood at the edge of a cliff positioned at the edge of the city which gave a nice view of the smaller villages and their the rolling green hills with farmlands to his left and the monstrous like Mountains to his right.
He watched the sky as the sun began to set, he liked to do this as it was one of the few places where he could clear his mind and ready himself for his next battle which was never far away as it was not a quiet job being a Templar, never has been really but as of late a dark feeling has spread itself across the land. What it was he did not know but he and his holy brothers and sisters could swear that they too felt a presence. If they were just lying to him out of love or because he was their superior he did not know but he hoped that they were indeed being truthful.

Raethan took his foot of a rock and sheathed his sword which he had rested himself on. He turned back and was reminded that he was not alone. The great White and gold dragon stood proud and majestically looking at the distant sky with its feathers ruffling in the wind. "Come Selastius! It is time to return to the keep" Raethan said "Does the Child-man need us again?" Raethan sighed, if anyone else had dared to say that of the king then he would have slit their throat then and there but Raethan knew that it was only because the lad had not done anything to Valiant or Impressive in his short reign and when he did Selastius would change his tune. Or perhaps he may not as Selastius's loyalty was to Raethan himself and the Holy Order rather than the King and Kingdom. "No, but it is high time we returned" he replied, the dragon sighed as Raethan hopped onto his back "Very well"