A Heartfelt Reunion (Isrydia and Laetri)

[Aelodil]

Among the people walking through the streets of the city of Gil'ead, one of them stood out quite a bit. He was a tad taller than the rest, a lot fairer, and with pointed ears. The blonde haired man was, as was apparent, an Elf. He was wearing his normal attire, that same garment given to him by Arya years past, his long mane of blonde hair flowing behind him. A while ago, he and other Elves would've never dared to walk through this city without a disguise. Now, the man strode tall and proud, with everyone else staring after him. Some men stared with intrigue, others with suspicion, and others with intent. The women, however, seemed to have a different effect. The perfume clinging to the man, Laetri, set them into a rile. Laetri continued on his way. He was set on his destination. He was leaving the city a little, deciding to stay out for awhile with just Agaravel, himself, and Riptide.

As he reached the gates, he nodded in familiarity at the guards. They nodded back, noticing the gesture on his side. As he left the city, he tread towards the nearest body of water he could find, a relatively large pond. It was decently enough far away from the city. As soon as he arrived, he felt a disturbance in the water. As he stood next to the water, hands on his hips, Agaravel came out of the water in a display of magnificence, and childishness, as she soaked Laetri with the water that she had just rushed out of. Coming out of the pond just after her was Riptide, his entrance a bit more elegant. As his hooves clattered on the water, the pond stilled and the ripples vanished. It was as if nature itself was welcoming the Guardian. He shook his mane and neighed. Agaravel for her part nuzzled Laetri and said, "Hello little one. Where have you been? I was waiting so long to do that." her voice a smooth silky texture. Laetri laughed and hugged her muzzle as he sent the water from his clothes back to the pond, effectively drying his garment.

Riptide's hello was slightly more characteristic and slightly more pronounced, as the Guardian neighed, reared up, and tackled Laetri to the ground as he moved the sacred water he always has into a cocoon and trapped Laetri and. He said, to Agaravel, as well as Laetri, in amusement, "Well then, let's see you evolve into a beautiful butterfly, Mr. Caterpillar." Agaravel chuckled in amusement and Laetri put his hands on his hips again and feigned anger as he said, "Excuse me?"

They all burst out laughing. Laetri couldn't keep the fake anger up. He laughed with soul and body, relieved to be able to be relaxed. Riptide dissolved the cocoon, and Laetri got back up to his feet. He sat at the edge of the pond, putting his feet in the pond. Agaravel crouched down and rested her head at the edge of the pond, staring into the pond as Riptide slipped back into the pond and disappeared, more likely than not to rest in the Citadel. Laetri laid back, his feet still in the pond, perched his arms behind him, looked up to the sky and said to himself, more than Agaravel, "It feels like just yesterday I was any other Rider. No responsibilities beyond that. Then becoming an Elder, then the war happened, and now finally we have time to relax. It feels good. Shame we haven't seen anyone. It wouldn't hurt to see Isrydia and Arlyn again. We've not seen them in quite awhile." Agaravel looked at him, but didn't say anything. He seemed too lost in thought to hear her, anyway.

[Quetzal]

Since the battle, Isrydia and Arlyn had decided to travel a little to clear their heads. First they had gone to visit Isrydia's family, who were delighted to see her again. Kuasta, being so out of the way cut off by the Spine, rarely saw any Riders so were in awe of Arlyn. In her absence she and her family had become quite the local celebrities. As a child she had heard many residents boast of how Brom was from their town, and those had grown since she left when rumour spread that he was Eragon's father, and there was even boasting of a second Rider calling their town her birthplace. She took pleasure in meeting all the friendly faces from her childhood, and showing as many people as possible her dragon. Arlyn had been all too willing to accept the praise, answer questions, and play with the local kids and teenagers.

Now they had stopped off at Gil'ead, a pleasant small town. Here the vanquishing of the Empire involved a lot less rebuilding and a lot more celebrating. Colourful flags flew where Empire ones once had, the script rules were gone, and people felt safer. There were still problems, but life was definitely better. Things were more diverse, too; she saw the odd elf, dwarf and even urgal about in towns these days. In this one she was exploring as usual. There were always little gems to find if you searched hard enough, hidden rooms and old historical building with stories to tell, as well as the general feel of life in the city to soak up. She didn't spend long walking around, Arlyn at her side unafraid now there was no Empire hunting dragons down, when someone mentioned to her they'd seen another dragon about nearby.

Most of the Riders and dragons had met for one reason or another so she assumed it would be someone she at least vaguely knew. Whoever it was, it would probably be good to catch up! Arlyn was eager to see a familiar face since they hadn't met one for a few days now and he was feeling a little lonely, so they hurried out of town to see if they could catch them before they left. Arlyn took to the sky where he was able to see more ground.

"Over there!" he mentally pointed Isrydia in the right direction. "A blue dragon, but not quite the same blue as Saphira. Blonde male Rider. Weird horse thing. Wait, isn't that Riptide?" he sent her images of what was going on as she walked to where they stood. "Yeah, I think so. Laetri's the Water Elder and his dragon Agaravel's blue, it has to be them!" she replied. Sure enough, as they came into view, she recognised them. The last time they'd met had been in Ellesmera, when Arlyn was still just too small to ride and he had been acting king while Brenton was supposed dead. She didn't know them very well, but they seemed all right.

"Hello! It's Laetri and Agaravel, right?" she called when in earshot. Riptide had gone by then. Arlyn swooped down and landed near Agaravel, looking at her curiously. Isrydia caught up. "I'm Isrydia and this is Arlyn, we've met a few times before back in Ellesmera," she smiled at him. He was better looking than she remembered. She was determined that that sort of thing wasn't going to affect her judgement on people, though.

[Aelodil]

Laetri had been swimming in his thoughts. Both literally and technically. Midway through, he heard someone call out his name and he snapped back to reality. He looked up and the first thing that hit him was Arlyn. Both literally and technically, again. The gale of wind brought from the flapping of his wings hit him in the face and he turned to see.. something he did not expect. Last time he had seen the dragon and his Rider had been a very long time ago. Arlyn had grown quite considerably, as had Isrydia. At the start, he just stared up at them, still seated. He looked both Isrydia and Arlyn up and down, his blue eyes inspecting them thoroughly. They had both matured quite a bit in the time that had passed. After an awkward pause of time, he came back to himself and remembered his manners, as Isrydia introduced herself and Arlyn. He stood up hastily, his blonde mane of hair falling around him. He smiled at them sweetly and said politely, "Of course I remember you. How could I not? Glad to see you remember us, by name, too. Other than that, it's quite refreshing to see a familiar face. How have you and Arlyn been? Also, what have you been up to up until now? Where have you been? Ah, sorry, if I keep barraging you with more and more questions, it'll be a bit of a hassle."

Agaravel gave a little rumble of amusement. She reached her mind out to Isrydia and Arlyn, "Well met, Isrydia. Well met, Arlyn. As Laetri said, we do remember you. We've met before in Ellesmera quite a few times haven't we? There was that incident with Nelfarion and Ashendale, then when Brenton disappeared and Laetri was made acting king. There was also the Branches, when they were first reopened. It's a pleasure to see you again. After all the time stuck in the Citadel, training the other dragons and Riders, then training with Riptide, Laetri and I have barely had any time to so much as rest. Seeing a familiar face is always welcome. Rather, Arlyn, would you care to join me? I've not had anything to eat, plus I could probably show you a trick or two underwater, and you perhaps me in the air." her voice both inquiring and suggesting. She didn't let it show, but she was anxious to enjoy time with another dragon on something other than official work. Also, she had not met another dragon near her age in a while. She took off to a nearby waterfall, and as soon as she was near, she dived into the water and began to swim about, snapping up fish at every interval. She rolled around playfully, signalling Arlyn to join her.

Laetri looked after Agaravel as she took off. She was beautiful, her aqua blue scales glittering, reflecting the sunlight. He looked back at Isrydia, the same smile still on his face. "Well, as Agaravel said, it'd be great to sit down and talk to someone. Especially considering, I finally only just got enough time to enjoy myself or relax. After all that time in the Citadel underwater, working official work, it feels great to be here and enjoy the sunshine and the wind on my face. Also, it's a great break from work. So, what brings you here, Isrydia?" He said to Isrydia as he relaxed and sat back down, dangling his feet once more into the pond, gesturing for her to do the same.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia was glad when the other pair remembered them and greeted them in a friendly way. "There's been a lot that's happened, I'm not sure where to begin..." she thought back on all that had happened since they last met. It was strange how far more had happened in the almost a year since Arlyn had hatched than had in the rest of her entire life. Riders might live very long lives, but they were never tedious. Since they left Ellesmera, they had witnessed the ghosts on the Utgard mountain on the day of the dead, been possessed by witches, been freed from that after doing horrible things, joined the Varden to fight in the Battle of Uru'baen which ended the war, and met many incredible people. Much had happened in Ellesmera too, as Agaravel reminded them both.

"I'd love to join you!" Arlyn said, playful excitement bubbling up. "I can show you a few things we've learned from the Air dragons. I've never tried going underwater though, except for splashing around," he was both nervous about the new experience and intrigued by what it might be like. He followed her to the waterfall, and hesitantly dived in after her. The shock of the cold water made him gasp, and he tread water warily. He hadn't been in water this deep before. He'd been in the sea when they visited Kuasta recently, but that had been a splash around in the shallows. He was reluctant to go under the surface of the water. "Don't you worry you'll get stuck or go too deep and not reach the surface before your breath runs out?" he asked. He wasn't a very good swimmer, only know what he needed to move around and not drown.

Isrydia sat down next to Laetri, kicking off her shoes so she could dunk her feet in the cool water. "I can imagine. I've not been too busy since the war, I've kept myself out of the politics and any arguing so far. Too much tension, and it can be boring," she said. "I've just been wandering where I please. I went to my hometown, Kuasta, after recovering from the battle in Uru'baen, and saw my family. Then we drifted. We went back to Uru'baen for a bit to check up on things, and left not long ago. Gil'ead didn't call to us for any particular reason, it was a fairly random decision," she shrugged. She was glad they had returned to Uru'baen; there Camarat had healed her leg, though scars could still be seen criss-crossing like a net of lightning down it right down to the foot currently in the pond. "I've met an awful lot of people since Ellesmera. So much has happened. It's incredible just how much happens to people during wars, and being a Rider can't help with that. I've been attacked, possessed, praised, helped, wounded, healed, you name it. I take it the Water Branch has been keeping you busy, from what you've said?" She felt more open talking about herself and Arlyn. Laetri was easy to talk to for some reason she couldn't put her finger on.

[Aelodil]

Agaravel gave a little hum of laughter as Arlyn voice his concerns. She reached out with her mind to him and let her thoughts flow with his so that he would understand she wasn't laughing at him, but rather the fact of fear beneath the water had long perished from her mind. She said to him, "Don't worry. Firstly, you'd have to be quite an expert to somehow manage to get stuck underwater. Second of all, as part of the Water Branch, Laetri and I can breath indefinitely underwater. But even as a dragon, whether or not you're of the Water branch, you have a very deep breath. You can last easily three up to four hours underwater before having to resurface for air. Plus, I'll help you, considering it'll be your first time swimming in deep water." and with that, tackled him under the surface of the water playfully while keeping her mind in check with his so that he wouldn't panic. She sent him thoughts of herself swimming underwater before the Branches had been released so that he could use those memories as a sample on how to swim as she herself began to perform tricks under the water, gesturing for him to join her. She wouldn't tackle him again or anything like that, not for now at least, until he was settled and calm about swimming.

Laetri stared at Isrydia as she told him her tale, listening intently. He shook his head in wonder. Life was quite illustrious, he thought to himself. He nodded in approval as she set her feet into the cool water. He felt himself take an inward swift breath as he noticed the scars on her foot but decided against saying anything. It might be a sensitive subject for her and he wouldn't say anything about it unless she wanted to talk about it. He found this was the easiest way for him to relax, next to water. He nodded once again in approval as she stated her opinion of politics. He agreed wholeheartedly, and if it wasn't for the fact that he had already agreed to being Elder, he would have backed out long ago. He smiled as she finished and said, "Quite the feeling to be able to roam around without worrying about anyone noticing you being a Rider, isn't it? I remember two friends of mine and I were roaming once, back when Galbatorix still reined. We were spotted by an Empire Rider who called for back up. Another Rider appeared, both of them with Eldunari and a squadron of Empire soldiers behind them. I managed to flee, but my two friends sacrificed themselves in exchange for it. The worst part was that the Empire did not kill them. No. They tortured them and then turned them into Shades and sent them after me. After I received news of Galbatorix's death, I could not help but feel satisfaction. Not in the death of a man, no. But rather that justice had been dealt."

Shaking his head, he smiled again and said, "Enough unpleasant stories. Those times are done. But yes, actually, I have been quite busy with the Water Branch. For one, with so many Riders and dragons coming to the Citadel for training, and with my own training sessions with Riptide along with Agaravel, we've not had much time to relax. Though I'm glad to see you well after all that has happened. But here; listen to this. What do you call an alligator in a vest?" he paused for a moment before continug, "an Investigator." he smiled, partly to himself at the joke and partly at Isrydia.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

What Agaravel told him surprised Arlyn. Humans died of drowning all the time. They weren't as strong as dragons in fast moving rivers. Even still, big places in which he couldn't breathe weren't safe. He was impressed they could breathe underwater indefinitely, assuming they would have managed to stay underwater for longer, but not thinking they could breathe in water completely. Each Branch had their skills, and he clearly was not very well educated in those skills. No one knew the full extent of those skills anyway what with the Branches being sealed off so long ago. He had just enough time to take a gulp of air before Agaravel pushed him under the surface. Thanks to her calming his mind he didn't open his mouth to gulp or gasp in shock, but he did kick wildly when she gracefully moved away. Referencing from her memories, he tried and failed to get used to the feeling of having to hold his breath, and copied the way she moved in the past. Nothing made him move as he wanted it to. His kicks and tail and wing movements never quite did what he wanted them to. "This is harder than you make it look," he commented, feeling clumsy next to one who moved so gracefully and with such ease.

Isrydia had heard little of Riders interacting during Galbatorix's reign before Eragon and Saphira revealed themselves, and the outcome was as she would expect. It was a sad story indeed. "That's terrible. I like to think anyone can change and do good if they put their mind to it, but Galbatorix breaks that completely. Even with him gone and those bound to him free, the Shades he created and recruited will be just as twisted as ever. I hope someone finds a way to banish the spirits possessing them one day," she thought of Navarog, who she had last seen fighting the spirits in him. Surely if he could fight back, the same thing could be done for ordinary Shades. The evil spirits could be sent back to whatever hell they came from and the person might be a person once more. "Though I doubt a healed Shade would ever be the same as they once were," she added, wondering how much of the original host was still in there, or if they became one with the spirits.

Moving on to a lighter tone was fine by here. She liked to stay positive. "It's good to hear other Riders are finding time to work on their Branch's skills. Arlyn and I have found it a lot of fun to try discovering what the Air Branch has to offer," she said. There was some more sure guidance with the basics, which was great to have after figuring out so much for themselves, and more still was to be learned by exploring their possibilities of their own accord. The joke the elf made was out of the blue. She laughed softly, smiling back at him. "That was cheesy," she told him.

[Aelodil]

Agaravel felt slightly amused, though she didn't let Arlyn hint on it. It wasn't that she wanted to make fun of him, but rather she knew that at one point she had been just like him when it came to swimming. She connected her mind to his, allowing him to experience the exact same memories and feelings as she swam. She guided his body with her body and mind as she swam. She reached out to him and said, "It's okay. I'm sure you'd make me feel the same if we were to take flight. Actually, once you perfect at least the basics, I'd like to see what you can teach me in the air. Other than just basic flying, really, I've never experimented with flying. Maybe for combat back when it was needed, but nothing that advanced, really. Flying never was my knack, really."

She felt happy to enjoy her time with Arlyn. It wasn't often that she met another dragon who wasn't very formal and enjoyed spending time casually. Plus, he was the only dragon she had ever met that was near her age. She swam with her emotions, heart giddy at the prospect of having a playmate.

Laetri felt Agaravel's thoughts and gave an inward smile. He was glad to see her enjoying herself. For sure, Isrydia and Arlyn were two of the funner and more mature Rider pairs they had interacted with. Many of the older Riders fancied themselves as wise, intellectual, and mature. In reality though, Laetri found they tended to be quite childish and rather dumb. Their arguments tended to be extremely petty, and they held a grudge over every little small stupid thing. He turned to Isrydia, his eyes glistening as they reflected the sunlight. She was still so young compared to them yet was better suited for politics than they were. Though he was glad she dodged politics. After his short while in position of king of the Elves, he realized just how terrible politics were.

Snapping to the present, Laetri listened to Isrydia before he said, "I'm pretty sure it is that simple, really. Purifying a man of the spirits in him. Knowing our "elders" though, they'd probably be too arrogant and say he deserves death for his actions. I swear, it's annoying how conceited they can be. Of all the older Riders or magical creatures I know, only a handful are actually as intellectual, wise, and mature as they should be at their age. In addition, those few always have their hands full with so many different things to do." he paused, considering her latter comment.

He doubted that a man would be the same after the spirits in him were purified or removed. After all, those memories from the spirits, their different personalities... it should be too much for any normal man to handle. "I'd think that purifying the spirits or removing them from the host wouldn't quite solve it. The man or woman that would result would be too mixed between different personalities that they'd'd forget who they actually are themselves. he told her, a hint of emotion in his voice. Noticeably, Laetri was among the more emotional Elves. Rather than being a cold-hearted machine at all times, he was only like that when he or his loved ones were threatened.

Thinking on it, Laetri realized how much the Branches had made him happy. Sure, it was plenty of work, but he enjoyed it. To see the other Riders and dragons so happy. The time he spent with Riptide and Agaravel. They were all precious memories he would treasure for his entire life. He chuckled at Isrydia. "What's important is it made you laugh, don't you think?" he said, a smile planted on his face. He found himself at ease chatting with Isrydia. He planted his arms behind him on the ground, arching his back backwards as he looked up. He closed his eyes for a while, feeling the gentle sunlight on his face. He asked Isrydia, "So, what do you think of the weather? Lovely and beautiful, isn't it? Kind of makes me doze off."

(OOC: Poor Navarog, rotting away )

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Aelodil]

Bump

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

((Sorry it can take me a few days to post. I do know which threads I'm in so I haven't forgotten, I just can't post to all my threads each day and often want to do other things when I'm off work. The same lack of motivation is gonna drain this and probably other posts' quality too))

Arlyn was grateful for Agaravel's guidance and patience. By concentrating hard on copying what she told him, he was able to manoeuvre himself a little in the water. It was enough to get more or less where he wanted to go, a big improvement on the random splashing, but he lacked any technique to speed him up or for more subtle movements than turning. He paddled over to Agaravel, pleased with himself for what little he'd achieved. "I can do it! You might not have tried many fancy techniques in the sky, but at least you can fly to start with! Swimming is harder than I thought," he knew he had done the right thing to go with the Air Branch of the whiteness of his scales over the Water Branch suggested by their blueness. He too was pleased to be relaxing and having fun with another dragon. Too many were all wise and serious.

Isrydia knew too little of spirits and Shades to make a reasonable judgement on the topic of freeing Shades. What Laetri said made sense. She picked up on the hint of emotion in his voice. Something was there, and she didn't feel comfortable asking about something that might be a pretty deep issue to a guy she hardly knew. "Of course, they definitely won't be the same after going through that, especially if they've been a Shade for a long time. Who knows what the spirits do to their host's mind, or if the body's previous owner is still there at all. I've not spent much time learning about Shades. And yes, all the Riders are in high demand. I think a lot get arrogant because for too long they've not had anyone telling them they have faults, and by the time anyone does they just get angry and can't understand." They needed more empathy, and a lot more patience for others. A little less pride couldn't hurt either.

She shrugged. "Yes, I suppose. Laughter's important, as much as people like to be serious these days. Since being a Rider, or even before that when I was a knight's apprentice, I've noticed people getting more and more serious," she said. Joking and being silly made you look an idiot in politics. That or no politicians had a sense of humour. "Maybe all the politicians are bitter because they aren't funny," she added. "The weather? Erm, yeah, it's nice. I like being able to feel the sunlight. Then again, I'd probably say the same thing about rain if it was raining."

[Aelodil]

('s aight, I don't mean to push you. If you have other things, do them. I don't want to steal all your free time, especially if there's something else you'd rather do)

Giggling slightly, Agaravel agreed, "Yes, you can do it. Maybe just slightly off a master but yes, good for a beginner I guess." teasing him slightly. She remembered when she had first tried to swim before the Branches had been unlocked. Swimming had been an impossible challenge for her. She had struggled much the same as Arlyn was now. Reassuring him, she sent him her memories of when she had first ever swam and said, "Don't worry. I wasn't exactly elegant when I first started either. Like you said, swimming is quite a challenge." climbing out of the water, she turned back to the body of water and asked Arlyn, "So, would you mind teaching me some fancy tricks in the air Arlyn?" her voice silky smooth, enjoying slightly teasing him.

Sighing, Laetri both shook his head and nodded his head. She was right in that. Though he didn't know what the spirits did, he frankly didn't want to try it first hand. "I'd like to figure out what happens to the spirits - on the other hand though, I don't want to experiment it on someone else and I wouldn't want to try it out first hand myself. Hopefully now that there are no more wars the Riders, Dragon Spirits, Wizards, Spartans, and any other magic race can start working together to deal with purifying Shades that way." he said hoping it would become reality. After all, they did have the means.

"I'd imagine they'd be more serious. Back then with Galbatorix it was sort of necessary. But now, as it is, I'm hoping people can relax a bit more. Maybe not those who are hard at work on the Council or other business, but rather the people of Algaesia. It was gratifying to see Dwawrves, Elves, Urgals, among other races freely mingling in the cities. It's only a shame that we haven't gotten this earlier. Though at least we finally got it. You're right though, it's a shame that no one has yet to tell them they're wrong. If only more people were like you and Arlyn." he said to her with a sigh.

Raising an eyebrow at Isrydia he said, "Laughter can sometimes heal wounds that not even magic can heal. I'd have to say it's nothing to laugh at" hoping she realized the pun he used quite intentionally as he smiled.

Nodding, Laetri said, "That explains why they're always uptight. They're just bitter is it?" he paused and laughed softly, "You know Isrydia, you're quite something else. I mean in the good way, of course. It's a shame I hadn't met you earlier."

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Paddling around underwater was more fun now he didn't feel like he was about to drown. Arlyn was keen to get into the air though. That was where he was in his element. It was also much easier to breathe up there. "Sure! But we should still swim again. It's fun," he hadn't thought proper swimming would be much fun, but it really was. Splashing around was fun and he hadn't thought anything more serious would be that good. He struggled to lift off the water, but when he did take to the air water droplets sprayed off him and glittered on his scales. He spun to shake the majority of it off. "All the Air Branch stuff is about using the wind to your advantage, however unpredictable it may seem at first. It's about balance and working with it rather than forcing and pushing against it," he explained one of the first things they had been taught.

One day they might see a Shade purified, perhaps. They sure did have a lot more magic users in practice. The elves no longer kept to themselves, and the other races had been integrated into larger communities outside their little groups. Shades were a matter affecting all of them, sooner or later someone must give it a go.

People were more relaxed already, though the important ones were largely trying to maintain that professional air by staying serious. Such an attitude did make them look smart, but Isrydia knew her own intelligence herself and didn't see a reason why she should make an effort to make everyone else think she was clever. Let them think what they wanted, so long as she knew her own strengths and limits. "Seeing them all together makes me so happy! Little over a year ago I'd never even met an elf or dwarf before. I remember being amazed going to Farthen Dur with my master and seeing their culture for the first time. Urgals were scary barbaric enemies, stupid and barely people, and so many other races were rumour or unknown. Now the elves and dwarves that it used to be a special occasion to meet are living with us, urgals have been seen as the regular people they are, and the mysterious races have made themselves known to help. I love how everyone gets to be surrounded by different cultures," she said. It warmed her heart to see different races working or socialising together as if there were no differences between them.

She liked the compliment he paid her. "Perhaps coming from a pretty average common background makes me feel weird trying to be official. I'm not sure what everyone else's upbringings were like, mind," she knew there were some nobles or rich people among the Riders and leaders. A lot of them too had their families die while they were young, they can't have had cushy upbringings. She laughed at the latest pun. "It's a good relief from stress too. Relaxing and letting themselves unwind would ease their nerves a lot. It can be hard to try being more carefree sometimes. I'm glad I met you too, it's nice to find someone with whom I can talk about things aside from work and fighting and plans."

[Aelodil]

Agaravel was glad that Arlyn seemed to be enjoying himself since he had gotten the hang of it. Though, much like him she was anxious to get in the air. Not to embarrass herself in front of him or that she preferred it over the water, but rather to get a different change of pace. Plus she didn't want Arlyn to feel out of place. "For sure, some time soon we need to meet again and repeat these activities. It's nice to have someone to play with. Besides, it seems as if Laetri and Isrydia are taking a liking to one another. That gives us another excuse." she told him, amused at the conversation between Isrydia and Arlyn.

Confused at Arlyn's explanation, she took off with her wings flapping heavily. Go with the air? That wasn't something she was exactly used to. If anything, most of the time she felt like she had to fly against it. Unless she was lucky and there was a tailwind behind her, that is. Trying to balance herself out and go with the flow of air she felt, she found herself stumbling in the air like an unwieldy beast. "You make it sound so easy." she complained to Arlyn as she fumbled about in the air.


"That's for sure, aye. Just a year ago, finding an Elf or Dwarf in the Empire would be both few and far in between. In addition, they'd be using something to hide their appearance so that they could pass by as a human. Urgals were, as you said, barbaric monsters. I think the only few species that haven't changed at all are Shades," he paused here for a moment, remembering his short time in a fight against Ashendale 1 on 1. It had ended with his right wrist broken for a few months. "Dragon Spirits for the most part haven't changed. Same for Rangers - I've yet to see a single Ranger. Luckily, it seems the Raz'acs are mostly gone." he finished.

Raising an eyebrow, Laetri pondered what Isrydia had said. His background was that of nobility, though he never had the time to spare to think about it. Even if he did, it's not something he particularly cared about. At a young age of around 20 his mother, also a Rider, had died. Luckily the deceased queen Islanzadi - here he paused, mourning her death. His face visibly saddened. Those he had known as family were all dead save Arya and Blodgharm. A slight sliver of a tear streamed down his face.

Waking back to the present, he smiled at Isrydia, "I'm inclined to agree. Besides, it's not everyday that your dragon gets to enjoy another dragon of nearly the same age so much. Perhaps we can meet up some more times from now on?" he proposed, feeling Agaravel enjoying herself.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Now it was Agaravel's turn to be the clumsy one. It was a tricky concept to grasp. Different to learning a new trick. Instead of developing old ideas of flying, this was almost like stripping flying back to the very basics and starting all over again down a different path. You had to ignore some instincts trusting the air would do its job. Sometimes that was hard, say when attempting something that was late to kick in, so left you feeling like you would fall. "You've sort of got to ignore bits of what you already know about flying. That can be frustrating, and it takes a while to figure out exactly how to move to make the wind's job easier. You need to be extra aware of what the wind is doing, I suppose like you have to think about what water currents are doing when swimming," not that he knew much about the finer points of swimming. He took a peek at how Isrydia was feeling. As Agaravel said, she definitely liked Laetri. "For sure, I don't get enough of a chance to mess around! Isrydia's enjoying speaking to Laetri, too," he agreed.

Dragon spirits were the same, yes. And rangers. Probably. Every group had been affected in some way all the same. "I think the only thing about people like the dragon spirits and rangers is that more people are aware of their existence. A few more are living near humans, but from what I gather most tend to be more solitary than a big lively community, and they stick to themselves rather than socialising and becoming properly integrated. I've never seen a ranger either. Dragon spirits are around a bit more, but I'd never even heard of them before about a year ago. That was certainly a surprise," she smiled a she remembered her shock at discovering a person who could turn into a dragon. "We're lucky the only race we lost was the Raz'ac, as far as we know. I'm not so sure. I ran into a few with my friend Ragdar a few months ago. We killed them with difficulty, but where there's smoke there's fire," she wondered where those had come from. More might still be lurking, biding their time. Who knew what they wanted?

She noticed his sadness. "Are you all right?" She asked, concerned she had said something wrong. He came out of it fairly quickly, though. "Yes, of course!" she blurted, then paused, realising that had sounded more enthusiastic than she had hoped. Smiling a little sheepishly, she tried again. "I mean, it'd be nice to relax like this more often. Especially with the dragons having fun." She wasn't sure why, but she felt herself caring what Laetri thought of her.

[Aelodil]

Agaravel appreciated the effort Arlyn had put into swimming. She knew swimming was complicated, but flying was another matter altogether. She struggled to keep up with what Arlyn had told her to do. Normally flying was easy. Not as fluid as swimming, for sure, but simple. Though now she felt like she was going to fall any minute. She didn't want to risk it and her instincts screamed at her to beat against the wind to pull up. "I appreciate just how much effort it took to swim like I said. Fighting against your instincts is easier said than done. Every fiber in my body is screaming at me to fight against the wind." she told Arlyn, her voice tight in fear.

Unable to put her hand, or rather paw on it in this situation, she realized just how much she enjoyed this. Being able to chat freely. Being able to enjoy time playing. Learning new things with fun. Plus, like Arlyn pointed out, their Riders were enjoying themselves. She let out a small quiet roar of happiness even while she struggled to do as Arlyn instructed her.

He agreed. Laetri completely agreed with what Isrydia had just said. Like she said, the Dragon Spirits had just barely changed. At least now you hear of them though. Plus, a few have actually started to inhabit areas nearby human, elven, or dwarven civilization. It was gratifying in a sense, at least. Even if most remained arrogant and naive. The Rangers however made a huge step as Isrydia pointed out. A few months ago no one would have known what a Ranger was. Now however many more people knew about Rangers. Very few ever actually met one but at least they know of them.

Raising an eyebrow at the latter comment, Laetri explained, "Ragdar a friend? That's new to me. I don't mean to be rude Isrydia, but I daresay you're the only one who considers the other a friend. He's changed a lot, that's for sure. He's a better man. But that doesn't change who he is - and I don't mean his father or anything. I'm not gonna judge him based on who his father is. Rather his personality. It's heartwarming to know how much you think positively of people. It makes me feel a bit more at ease to know I'm not going to be judged harshly. You're a sweet woman Isrydia."

Laetri bit his lip. He hadn't meant to spook her or anything. In addition, he much rather preferred staying positive at all times. Thinking back to his early years really made him realize how solitary he was. He took a breath to respond and said, "It's just.. I had to be uptight and serious before. But now that I don't need to be serious I find that I finally think about everything that I had to ignore before. Finally I can take a break and mourn the death of my only family." his voice softer than usual.

Smiling, he agreed, "I must concur. It's nice to be able to have a relaxed chat with someone who doesn't have an ego taller than the tallest mountain. Also, it's nice to be able to be true to my feelings. I don't want to have to lie to myself about my own feelings. Sorry, I realize how this sounds. It's just that after all I've been through it's extremely gratifying." he laid his back on the ground, one arm covering his eyes from the sun.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Just as Agaravel appreciated his efforts to swim, he appreciated her efforts to fly in the way of the Air Branch. "And I appreciate the effort you're putting into flying this way. Swimming felt like going against instinct, and it felt like this for me too when I was starting out in the Air Branch. Just remember that if you really think you are going to fall, you can save yourself by flying normally," he said. When he had first learned this, he had been taught very high in the air, which made feeling like falling a little less scary since he had a great distance in which to recover before he hit the ground.

Flying as any dragon did was easiest, so even now he tended to only use the Air Branch's way if they were in a hurry or if he felt like going fast and doing tricks for fun. It took a little more concentration than usual, but was handy for getting to places quickly and avoiding having to camp out in dangerous and uncomfortable wilds. "Here, if you just stay calm... there's a knack to it, like humans using fiddly tools. I guess instruments are the best comparison. It feels alien at first, but after a while you can just feel how to work it to anything you have in mind," he shared a few memories of how wobbly he was starting out, and how he felt presently, letting the wind push against his wings and feeling instinctively the tiny movements to let the current flow with him and give him more lift. It was all a matter of getting the right amount of air flowing over and under his wings, so there was a difference in pressure between them keeping him up. It was similar to eagles really, hence he didn't need to beat his wings so often.

It was disappointing to hear bad things about Ragdar. "Well, I can't say we're close," she admitted, "but he's definitely an ally. Acquaintance, maybe. He didn't seem as hot headed as some Riders I've met, but he was quite stressed out and didn't seem the relaxing sort. I put that down to him having just escaped the Empire." On reflection it was hard to judge someone when you met them in exceptional circumstances. Ragdar and Lenora probably were fairly different to how they'd acted when they'd last met given how much anxiety and fear they must have been feeling.

Isrydia glowed a little red at the compliment, looking down unable to meet Laetri's eyes for a moment. She was finding relaxing helpful too, which was mostly the point of her and Arlyn travelling. Spending too long wound up without letting yourself calm down was one of the ways to becoming like the angry short-tempered violent Riders she knew. She didn't want to be like them, snapping aggressively at any disagreement. Nothing would be solved that way, and it would only serve to make things worse.

She wasn't sure how to react to the comment on the death of his family. Pretty much all Riders had some sob story in their past, seeing their family killed or being rejected or something. It seemed Laetri was one of them. She didn't understand why so many of them had such backgrounds, you'd have thought seeing things so terrible would mess you up too much to make a good Rider, make you too touchy or broken or twisted by a desire for revenge. Indeed some seemed to be like that. Others acted unnervingly as if nothing had happened. Her background was very ordinary. No remarkable events there. Her family were all still alive, weren't related to or even knew anyone noteworthy, and were all working hard to get by as ordinary commoners. As far as she was aware no one had ever even been a magic user, let alone the Riders you got in some Rider's families. She had been the first to take an interest in discovering something new like her research on the stars, and while others had been adventurous she had been the first to actually take the risk and leave the usual routine of marry, work, retire.

She was glad he moved the subject on from dead families. "No problem. I try not to lie to myself too. Arlyn helps a lot with that. If he catches me assuring myself with something that's not true, he'll point it out. It's often a lot harder to face up to those things, but I think it's usually better to sort them out. Nothing gets solved by ignoring it. If anything the problem will grow. And I always know it's there, deep down, and that can start to bug me. Sometimes I hate having lies pointed out, but it's better in the long run." She was glad to have someone like Arlyn, closer than friend or family, to help her with matters of the mind.

[Aelodil]

"Going against instinct indeed. Every fiber in me screams to beat my wings down more often. I can see the reason behind it but.. it's not something I'm particularly familiar with. It's like how an eagle would fly. However, it feels unnatural to me as a dragon. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna end up falling out of the sky." she told Arlyn. She felt a warm feeling blossom in her chest. It wasn't something she had ever felt. The only person she had ever felt such warmth for was Laetri. Even then, this was different.

With her mind preoccupied by thoughts on what or how she felt, she was startled by Arlyn when he spoke again. Skipping a beat, she began to wobble. Listening to him, she wondered to herself, How am I going to stay calm like this?" with her mind preoccupied with a warm feeling. With all her thoughts jumbled and preoccupied, she missed another few strokes and began to descend rapidly. Yet she didn't feel any panic. Just a sense of blissful serenity. Instead of panicking as the situation would've dictated she found it enjoyable. With her chest busting in warmth, she gave out a soft laugh as she fell, the sound of her laughter flying past her in the wind. Finally, when she fell, landing in a small pond she let herself sink a little. Not bothering to move or do anything, she stared out of the water, waiting to see what Arlyn would do.

Laetri looked Isrydia in the eye, his own deep blue eyes catching the sunlight. "I trust you're a good judge of character, Isrydia. Though I wouldn't think he acknowledges you as more than an acqauintence. It's more likely than not what you said. After all, if he had just escaped the Empire as you said, then it's more likely than not. However, it may be that he actually was a changed man. I'll leave it to you to decide. After all, I'm quite confident that you're a much better judge of character than I am." he told her. Laetri had barely met Ragdar before. Only during the times when he had met the man on official Branch business. Though he had never come off as hotheaded. Perhaps straightforward and sometimes slightly narrow minded, but not hotheaded.

Laetri noticed Isrydia's lack of reaction at the touchy subject. In all honesty, Laetri rather preferred to not bring up the subject. However, he felt this kind of charismatic feel to Isrydia that invited people to be friendly. But he respected it, after all he didn't like to discuss that kind of subject either. For one, what was done was done. You can mourn it in your own time or you could respect the dead in your own time and live up to their expectations. He rather preferred to do the latter over the former. It was why he had agreed to becoming Elder of the Water Branch. Because he wanted power. Power to be able to defend his friends. Those who died were dead. There was no changing that unless you delved into dark magic, something he wasn't planning on doing. However, those who were alive weren't. That was why he wanted power. To defend those who were alive. With those thoughts in mind, he heard a crash in water a decent length away. He immediately put it to Agaravel playing around so he left it at that. Thinking on people he loved and wanted to defend, he looked at Isrydia. Giving her a smile, he thought about it. He hadn't gotten to know her for too long now, but she would definitely be someone he'd lay his life down to protect.

"Didn't you once say something about the bond of friendship being strong enough to overpower even Nelfarion and Ashendale at one point? Guess you were right, Isrydia." Laetri began, his voice soft. Noticing her brief period where she was flustered, he gave a sly smile. Laying back, with his head in her lap, he looked up and said, "Humor me. Sometimes my mischievous side gets the better of me." before beginning to hum a song. It was a tune that his mother had used to hum to him the few times she had been home. Now he hummed it, thumping his fingers on his fists with the rhythm of the tune, keeping his eyes closed in concentration.

((Indeed, do humor me. With this new bull springing up on me every day now, this is all I could scrap up, sorry if it's not.. satisfactory?))

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Arlyn watched Agaravel instead of focusing much on his own flying. He liked her. She was fun, carefree, it was easy to be around her. He felt himself just as he was around Isrydia. There was no worrying about being sensible and respectable as he sometimes felt pressured to around other dragons. He was playful by nature, serious when he needed to be, and it felt great to feel no need to force any particular side of him to make an appearance around this dragon. It felt so natural.

She wobbled in the air and fell. He wasn't worried. She could fly normally and pick herself right back up. It was all part of the learning experience, no doubt just as splashing and flailing in water was a part of learning to swim. The very first step was to feel comfortable. After a beat he realised she wasn't going to pick herself up. Why was she just letting herself fall? There was water below, but when you hit water at speed it was no different to smacking into stone. He dove down after her, but it was hard to overtake anything falling with gravity doing its job. He need not have worried. She reached the water unharmed. He pulled out of his dive, not knowing what he would have even been able to do to help the larger dragon anyway. Of course she was fine, the Elder of the Water Branch was hardly likely to be stung by her own element. He felt relieved, maybe a little silly, and splashed her playfully with his tail before letting himself drop into the water with a plop. "You had me worried for a moment there! I guess it was silly to think water would hurt you," he felt oddly happy just at being with her, though he wasn't sure why or what that was all about.

Isrydia wasn't sure how good a judge of character she was, but she knew she was gradually getting better. The more she saw of different people, the easier it was to predict traits in others. Often people still surprised her. Still, there were little things people did that made it easy to pick up on certain aspects, especially basic things like tempers and how relaxed or serious they were. Ragdar was hard to pin down completely because of the circumstances they'd met in, but both times he had seemed to have his heart in the right place. "Well, it's not always easy to judge a person's character, especially by a couple of meetings in exceptional circumstances. Everyone makes mistakes," she pointed out.

It had been a while since Ashendale and Nelfarion had last been seen, at least as far as she was aware. Friendship had definitely played an important part in that. "It took an awful lot of us to bring them down, and we all had to work together. But what finally brought them down was talking to Navarog, the dragon spirit Nelfarion had been before being corrupted, which helped him overcome whatever was possessing him. Ashendale was weaker alone, and Camarat sent Navarog off somewhere. I don't know what's happened to them since," she recalled the fight. It hadn't been much fun, being in that much danger against someone so strong. She leaned back too, hearing the splash from nearby and checking with Arlyn they were just playing. He was in a great mood. "Mischievous side, huh? I'm glad you have one! Ever get you into trouble?" she asked, sure that he could be sensible when necessary but wondering if there a good story to be told.

[Aelodil]

Agaravel gave the best impression of a smile she could and said, "I'm sorry Arlyn, but I enjoy teasing you. Maybe it's because of your innocent nature. Maybe for fun, laughs, and to enjoy overall. Whatever it is, I'm glad you and Isrydia came by. Not to discredit Laetri but there's only so much he can do for me. After all, he's no dragon." her voice coated with amusement. She meant well and didn't want to embarrass Arlyn but she still enjoyed it all. Plus she was happy that he had rushed to try to catch her. In response, she nuzzled him and said, her voice soft, "Thank you Arlyn. I was happy to see you rushing after me. Though maybe it was a little silly. I don't know. I don't care. It was lovely to see you rush to help. You're my knight in shining armor, then. It's decided."

Giving a laugh, she went with the slight stream of water and tapped him gently. "Tag, you're it." she said, still laughing as she sped away from him. She knew it was slightly immature but she didn't quite care. She was enjoying herself now more than anytime before. Besides, the time of war had already ended long ago. Now was the time for some R&R and she planned to do just that.

Laetri smiled, his face turned up to the sun. "I could tell you you are indeed quite a good judge of character. I'd like to say I'm a great judge of character too but I'm not too sure about it. What I am sure about though is that you're a sweet, nice, and gentle person. I'm glad to be your friend." he told her, tilting his head to look at her face. He felt an urge to stay near her and never let her go anywhere that might be dangerous but knew better than that. For one, he doubted she'd appreciate it. For a second, she probably didn't want him to think that way.

"Well the important thing is we took them down. Rather, I'd say you took them down. The rest of us.. we were kind of just pawns in a chess game. The most thing was, as you said, you talking to Navarog. Plus the Guardian did save us with that shield as well. Arathale and Camarat fought off Ashendale and the other Shade that arrived. Ah, well, glad to put that behind us. It was a terrifying time. I thought I was going to die then and there." he said, remembering how it felt when he broke his wrist while fighting Ashendale.

Laetri laughed. Mischievous indeed. He raised an eyebrow at her, his long hair flowing on her lap as he asked, "Glad I have a mischievous side? That's a first - wait, no, it's not. But yes, over the years I've managed to get myself into the worst of situations thanks to it. For one, when I was a lot younger - considering I grew up with Arya due to my mother being busy at the time, I used to spend most my days with her. One day I thought it'd be a good idea to try to hide in her closet and scare her. Yeah, no. See, there are ideas that are brilliant, then there are good ides, then bad ideas, then there are my kind of bad ideas. I'll tell you; you don't want to try one of my kind of bad ideas. Ever since I never again ventured into her room without her permission." as he rubbed his cheek, remembering how angry she had been.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Arlyn wasn't used to being teased by other dragons. He had only ever been around older dragons, who had either treated him like he was too young to take much note of, or take on a teacher role. The few younger dragons around, ones hatched from the stash Galbatorix formed from which the Varden stole a number, he hadn't spent much time with. Those he had were pleasant to be around, though sometimes he found himself accidentally taking on that mentor role. He tried not to. Being teased was both annoying and nice. It felt friendly, a confirmation that they were getting along, but it was also somewhat frustrating.

He felt a weird giddy sensation when Agaravel nuzzled him. If he were human, he might have blushed or giggled. "Hey, you could've warned me! I'll get you!" he said in mock irritation, taking up the chase with a lot of loud splashing. Knight in shining armour. His scales definitely counted as shining armour, but his Rider was the knight.

Isrydia felt a lot more tempted to modestly brush away the compliment than usual. She looked back at him, possibly for a moment too long. No need to make him feel uncomfortable when they were getting along so well. She knew how horrible it had been for her with Brenton acting as he did to her, she didn't want to put someone else through the same thing. "Me too," she couldn't forget that kind of fear. "Arlyn was only just big enough to ride then, we were pretty new and inexperienced. I was a knight for a little while before becoming a Rider so I'd been in scary places before, but never anything that dangerous."

She waa surprised he knew Arya growing up. "I assumed elven royalty were like human royalty and only let their kids play with highborn children their parents approved of. How come you knew Arya?" she asked.

[Aelodil]

((Time to jump two steps forward and wrap the gifts for Santa, I'd think))

Agaravel knew she might have annoyed or embarrassed Arlyn slightly. She also knew that he didn't mind it. He was a lot like her in the sense that they both enjoyed to just let go of any care in the world and enjoy their time. Neither of them liked being in an uptight mood. Being serious was only for when the occasion demanded for it. Else it was fun and games all the way.

Pretending to be scared, she dashed away from him as he gave chase. Soon after though, she turned around to him and tackled him out of the water and onto the ground. Looking him in the eye, she began to nuzzle him on his face. "I've never felt at such ease with another dragon before. Thank you Arlyn, for making this day the happiest day in my life." she told him.

Laetri caught Isrydia's eye and didn't look away. Giving a small sly smile, he asked, ignoring the comment about Nelfarion and Ashendale. He wouldn't bother with the past. What's done is done and that was it. However, what he did care was the present and the future. Remember the past, think about today, live for tomorrow. That was how he lived his life.

Sitting up slightly and turning to Isrydia he moved closer until they were inches away. Leaning his upper body to her, he said, "I'm sorry Isrydia, but I did say I'll be true to my feelings." his voice so soft it was barely audible. Cupping her chin, he placed his lips on hers tenderly and gave her a kiss, wondering what he had just done but not regretting it.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem