Talm and Gannonaji: Veo's Pre-Flight

It was a strange thing, being bonded. It had taken a while to get used to: having someone who knew her thoughts almost before she did, who adapted to her moods as easily as breathing, who seemed to make up for every lack she'd ever had in her life... but that was being sentimental and silly. Gannonaji was a treasure, but he was certainly not perfect, no matter how much she liked him.

::Perhaps we may explore this summer,:: he had suggested calmly that morning, like did every summer since he'd hatched. He knew that winter was not a time for running about, at least, but summer.... Summer was fair game.

"We've already been all over this continent, Gannon," Talm-Dai, just finishing cooking breakfast for them both and heaving it off the fire, had told him. The last summer has been spent "exploring", to Talm's way of thinking.

::That doesn't count,:: he'd replied simply. ::You already knew all of that territory. I'd like to explore something that is an adventure to both of us.::

Now, Talm-Dai wasn't really one for adventures... she much preferred quiet nights at home, with a book or a task or just him as her slow, steady conversational companion. But Gannonaji was a good bond, and if he wanted a bit of adventure, well, she decided she might as well indulge him now and then. Which was why she'd actually agreed to let him take her off-world for a few months. She even let him pick the world-- or worlds. Apparently he'd spoken to Tavarez more extensively than she'd realized, when the little rat-man had visited to "check on them" every autumn, because he knew far more worlds than just where he'd hatched.

On their third world for the summer, called Pre'Mian and home to a number of dragons called Avyndal-- or Spirit dragons-- one of the species in Gannonaji's own heritage, Gannonaji decided he might like to stay for a few days. Or so. Mostly to learn about his Spirit quarter, he said, and the magic it gave him, which he'd been trying to teach himself, since it was nothing like what little magics his bond had. Talm-Dai didn't mind; the place they'd settled at, after all, was a massive crater in a mountain, riddled with far, far more tunnels than her own warren. Wandering them would keep her occupied while he learned his magic and spoke to his people.

It was, she found to her surprise, a little lonely without him. Somehow, over the past four years, she'd gotten used to him being beside her, watching her work or even helping her, making a comment now and then or just being silent and content to be silent, stalking after her through the brush when they made excursions for food, learning to fly-- which, apparently, was more difficult than one first thought! Talm-Dai was an earth-bound creature, for the most part, and knew nothing of the ways of the sky except that wind brought her scents. Gannonaji knew a little more, but he was largely a creature of the earth, as well. They'd finally found someone to teach him, after many a failed attempt at teaching himself.

Self-taught magic was, they both thought, rather easier, since it rarely included falling from great heights or breaking bones-- just popping out of quicksilver in strange places, or causing a few awkward moments with the occasional guest.

But it was nothing like being taught, as he repeatedly told her when he found her again each evening. Rather than sleeping under the stars, like they usually did, they'd been advised to take a guest suite in the mountain. There was supposedly something dangerous that wandered around at night outside the crater. Buried under stone, Talm didn't really mind.

The evening of their eighth night, Talm sat against her bond-- human, since her more comfortable furry shape was far too hot in the heat of even a mountain summer-- and listened to him sedately tell her about his day. She'd already told him about hers; there wasn't much to tell, after all.

It was much like usual: Spirit dragons he'd spoken to, new ability he'd learned, the amount of practice he'd had to put in, what snippets of lore or history he'd picked up. Then he said something which was not like usual, and she turned to look at him.

::I met a lady-dragon today,:: he told her in his slow thought-voice.

"A lady-dragon?" she rumbled back at him, surprised.

::She is kind. If,:: he added with some private amusement, ::a bit hard to look at in sunlight.::

Talm just snorted softly at the image he dropped calmly into her head of a dragoness who's earth tones mocked the earth by being vibrantly neon. Each individual color was perfect for something that existed and was good, in and of itself-- the bright breen of a new leaf, or sunlight glancing off water-- but, when thrown together, created something less appealing.

"And she is kind?" she asked, turning thoughts away from appearance. Appearance, after all, was not nearly everything.

Gannonaji agreed without words, and then explained, ::She is kind, yes. Her name is Veo. A healer, and shy, in a way, particularly about herself. Apparently people think she is like a monster.::

"Eye-blinding, perhaps, but if she is kind, shy, and a healer, why would anyone think her a monster?"

::I didn't try asking her about that. I thought she might be upset if I did. All I said was she did not seem like a monster, to me.::

"Good of you."

::Only what anyone would do.::

They were quiet then for a while; it was normal, for them. Neither one was particularly talkative, and there was no harm in long silences. This time, though, Talm thought there was something he wasn't saying. She was patient. She waited until he was ready to say it-- and her patience was rewarded. At last, he turned one golden eye on her, cleared his throat-- though he didn't actually have to speak-- and suggested, with a shyness that surprised her until what he actually said penetrated,

::May I sign up to chase her in her flight?::

Talm-Dai blinked slowly up at him. "Chase her?" she repeated blankly.

::Yes.:: He gave a cough that, in a smaller beast, might have been delicate. ::You know about dragons... and flights. They told you about it in those classes where I was hatched.::

She remembered, then, and went red under her dark skin. Mating was not something she thought about regularly-- or, really, at all, since what Ursael would want a lover as small as she? The realization that her Gannon thought about it was... a little startling, and certainly embarrassing.

::I don't think about it much!:: he replied, a hair defensively, and she promptly stroked his shoulder soothingly. ::I just thought... it might be good for her. A friendly face, a fellow healer-- even though my healing is a bit different from hers. There are others who signed up, but a full flight... well, it would be good for her. Make her think herself less unwanted, less like a monster.::

Gannon, Talm-Dai thought, was much better at understanding others than she was, especially lately, what with his training in his strange, spiritual and emotional healing magic. Perhaps it was some strange form of empathy that he had, drawing him to strangers who felt badly about how they had been treated and finding a possible solution to help them heal. It was, at least, an admirable thought, and much better than him simply being young and male.

"If you want to chase her, I don't see why you shouldn't," she answered after a moment of that thinking. "Especially with such good motives. Don't feel too badly if you don't win, though."

::I won't be surprised if I do not. After all, I am not a particularly good aerialist. I just want to make sure she sees plenty of support, that's all. Perhaps if I do "win", as you say, I can do more good for her, but if not, I will be happy with what I did do.::

"All this for someone you scarcely know?"

Gannonaji shrugged awkwardly, wings shifting and brushing her hair. ::She has a lovely soul... I simply want to see it healed.::

Talm simply patted his shoulder in silence, wishing him well in his endeavor. All she hoped was that it wouldn't bother her, when the time came....