Obsidian Nova returned to the stables as Irin was departing. Upon sensing his dragons arrival, Merrik opened his mind to fill him in on the visit and in turn, Nova expressed the events of his flight and his visit with Quaking Sand. For a moment, the two stood looking at each other, both concerned with the information they had just exchanged, there was already obvious twists and turns appearing on their adventurous road to forming an army. Hopefully all the years they had spent preparing for this would allow them to deal with whatever issues came up accordingly.

[b][i]"Speaking of... issues...[/i][/b] the dragon thought, [b][i]"The woman bonded to Felynn... She will need, unique attention and training, perhaps even a restriction placed on her alcohol consumption until we get her back to health. We can hardly afford one of our soldiers to be staggering in battle and spewing vomit on our enemies."[/i][/b] Merrik fully, wholly, and immediately agreed. 

[b]"Indeed, my friend. But that is a task for tomorrow, tonight, we need to rest. Come, let me skin that elk before we retire, it should be prepared for our meals tomorrow.."[/b] The black dragon nodded in acknowledgment before placing the carcass on a stone tablet along the back wall of his stall. Merrik climber down and withdrew a skinning blade and set to work on the carcass, retrieving the meat and tossing bones up in the air while Nova snatched them up as snacks. After storing the meat away, he washed up in the wash house and made his way back to his loft. He stopped before his life long friend and held the massive drake's scaly head in his arms. [b]"Good night dear friend."[/b]

[i][b]"And to you."[/b][/i] he covered the man in a wave of emotion as they shared a moment not so often shared anymore, a physical manifestation of an unspoken friendship over two decades old yet as strong as the day the Oracle handed Merrik that large, black egg.