Three days of warmth and comfort wasn't really enough for Catame to fully recover his strength, or for either of the boys to get used to their new environment, but it was all they had before they had to be at the bonding complex. Dana and Deep Kaur bundled the two boys and their luggage into a rented cart and they set off from the manor just outside the dome of the city, for the complex which, Dana told them, was on the other side of the dome. Kaur herself paced smoothly in the traces, completely unabashed by filling the role of cart-horse, while Catame, Daynoren, and Dana Danui rode in the back with their familiar guard, Ruther and Jameth.

Catame leaned over the front of the wooden cart, arms folded on the padded railing, watching Kaur's rolling shoulders and bobbing ears, drowsing quietly with his senses open but held close and mind drifting from one wonder to another in this strange, magical place. He had begun to be able to distinguish between different magics in Sanctuary, but only begun; when they had first arrived, the rush of magical sensations had actually overloaded his mind so badly that it made him black out. Since then, Kaur had been coaching him in keeping his senses veiled, their input faint or even blocked. Catame didn't really like being so shut off from the rest of the world-- it felt like walking around in a lush garden with a blindfold on when he could still smell the flowers!-- even when the alternative was being completely unable to sort out what was what, but he did as Kaur asked when she was paying attention to him. Now, though, he could try to sift through the myriad of magic that was Sanctuary.

Daynoren sat back in the cart, completely ignoring Dana's rare attempts at conversation and the idle chatter of their guardsmen, eyes instead on the city. His magic sense wasn't as strong as Catame's, not enough to overwhelm him, and he had enough control to make sure it only colored how he saw the world, rather than dominated it. Even in Sanctuary, where magic was literally everywhere, soaked into every stone and every leaf, he could still make sense of everything he saw and heard and felt. Right now, he was more fascinated by the alien architecture that dragons seemed to prefer, the northern plants that didn't grow where he and Cat grew up and which he had been too preoccupied to see during the trip here, and, most of all, the glimpses of dragons he saw between the few buildings they passed through, among the clouds high above, and taking the wide road towards the city proper, within its protective dome. It was better than dwelling on their true purpose here in the dragon city. 

Gaggles of blue Water dragons, both in human and dragon form, drifted chattering towards the city, as if they hadn't a care in the world. Massive brown and green Earth dragons trundled singly or once in a while in pairs, many moving off into the trees or, like the Waters, towards the city dome. A pack of young, bright yellow Air dragons and furry, red and orange Fire dragons darted about in the sky, laughing and swooping, playing tag amongst the clouds, watched by a pair of haughty-looking white Light dragons perched on a rooftop. A couple daemons, obvious by their fur or tails or size and posture, walked the streets of outer Sanctuary peddling wares, and unless one was buying from them, the dragons seemed to avoid them.

Of course they did, for dragons were wary around creatures who could drain their magic, the stuff they lived by and on, right out of them. Daynoren cast a surreptitious glance at Catame, wondering again what the dragons would think of a human who could do the same thing. Catame worried that they wouldn't like him, Kaur insisted it wouldn't matter, and Daynoren himself had nothing to offer. On the one hand, dragons were supposed to be kind and understanding, and certainly they would realize that no one as sweet and shy as Catame would ever willfully hurt anyone. On the other, though, dragons were only mortal, and were every bit as prone to prejudice as a human or daemon, and someone with Catame's ability, especially at the strength Kaur confided that she believed he had, was a significant danger if he could not be trusted.

Even so, Daynoren had long since begun to believe that Catame could win over anyone who spoke with him by his sweet innocence and trust. Dana had finally explained everything that was to happen in the next three or four days to the pair of them the night before, and though Daynoren had many misgivings about it all, Catame most certainly did not and was ecstatic about the whole ordeal. Daynoren could imagine his little brother paired with a young dragon every bit as gentle and shy as he was-- probably an Air dragon, with all their innocent cheer, or maybe a Light dragon, with their imperturbable goodness. Nothing would make Catame happier than being bound to a kindred spirit who happened to be a dragon, he expected, except maybe if their father showed up for the ceremony-- which, Day knew, was not only unlikely given Darkil's solitary habits, it was also difficult, given the storms already raging through the mountains as winter got its secure footing in the north.

For himself, suspicious but curious despite himself, Daynoren wasn't sure what to imagine. A Light, perhaps, with an arrogance to match his. What a pairing that would be! He had to reluctantly smile at the thought of future bickering. An Air, maybe, with freedom of movement and laughter? Surely not an earth-bound Water or Earth, though he could probably devise a way to give them flight if he and the dragon wished it; magic was a wonderful thing. Perhaps a Fire, with their passions and intensity, if he could find some kind of balance between them. No, Daynoren didn't know what to envision for his future. For all he knew, he wouldn't even be able to find a young dragon who thought he or she knew the strange, blonde human well enough to choose to be bound to him for the extend of both their lives-- or who Daynoren himself wished to be bound to, for that matter!

All of this had happened far too quickly, and without the boys being consulted once about what they actually wanted to do. They had been taken from their home, dragged across the continent into the mountains of all places, Catame had nearly died, and all for what Daynoren could only see as an attempt at gaining recognition and, thus, power for the small Danui family. As if having two mages in their family was not enough, their father and aunt felt they needed to have dragonriders, as well. Daynoren was of a mind to refuse the whole operation out of pure spite and in protest to his lack of a say in the matter... if not for Catame's all too obvious enthusiasm.

With a sigh, Daynoren scooted down the bench set into the side of the cart to settle again next to his brother. Catame didn't stir, gazing dreamily off into space, until Day put a hand gently on his shoulder. Then he blinked, starting slightly, and turned his head. Once his eyes refocused on Daynoren's face, the blank look melted into a sweet smile that drew an answering grin from Daynoren despite his thoughts.

"We're going to go meet dragons," Catame said softly.

Daynoren chuckled just as quietly, his smile making his words gentle rather than hurtful: "Is that all you can think about?"

Blushing, Catame shook his head, but smiled still. "No," he murmured, "but it does keep coming up, you know. In my head. Wondering and all, what's going to happen, what it'll be like...."

"How pleased our family will be," Daynoren added with a wry grin that turned sour when he glanced Dana's way.

A hand grasped his, and Daynoren blinked at his brother's wide, pleading eyes. "It's not important," Cat whispered, leaning close so Dana and Kaur wouldn't hear. "I know they're worried about what it looks like, about power and ambition and all that, like Uncle Decerin... but it doesn't matter, not really. Or, it doesn't have to."

For a long moment, Daynoren stared back into Catame's slightly anxious, completely earnest, and utterly guileless face. He was surprised, of course, by the depth of Catame's insight-- for a quiet, bookish boy, he saw more than Daynoren had credited him with. But even more important, he was right. Their family could try to manipulate them however they pleased, but if they didn't let themselves be manipulated, if the two of them made the Danui machinations work for themselves instead of the others, then it didn't matter what the purpose had been originally. He smiled and ruffled Catame's hair, making the younger boy giggle. "You're right, of course," he whispered back, guessing that Catame knew exactly how he felt. His smile turned wry as he added, "So we might as well be excited, instead of all bitter and angry, right?"

"Mmmhmm," Catame agreed, and impulsively tossed his arms around him. Daynoren stiffened a moment in surprise, then smiled again and settled his arms around the thin shoulders under their thick cloak.

"Thank you," he said quietly. Catame didn't answer, and Daynoren didn't see him smile contentedly.