Chapter 7: Friendly encounter

Qahnaar and Tahliz stumbled up the steep hills, Tahliz carried his stag over his shoulders whilst Qahnaar traveled empty handed. Cheif Saxum didn't sound all that bothered that the apprentices stayed at their camp but appreciated the doe for their stay. "Well, here's the border" Captin Noctua stretched and turned his back from the rising sun to head back to his home. Leaving the apprentices to travel home by themselves.

The crater looked far more beautiful in the morning sun; soft lights drifted over the crater, the gentle shadows swayed in the wind, the trees rattling with each breeze. The twins staggered up hill, "I recognise this, this way" Qahnaar called to her brother.

"Think you'd hunt a fresher deer? Make up for being gone all night?" Tahliz suggested, his shoulders were sore but he'd push through if it ment his tibe would be able to eat a full meal.

"Yeah, the herd is moving north though, we'll catch up, take one then head home" Qahnaar voiced the mini plan she had made.

Tahliz nodded and followed her lead, dragging himself up the steep hills. The morning sun had only just began to shine, when they left the other camp, the sun wasn't up. So Tahliz was now feeling the drags of tiredness, "what does she have to be such a morning person? Why can't she just enjoy a nice lie in?" Tahliz complained but never dared to voice his opinion. He had made that mistake once before and Qahnaar took weeks to forget about it. Within that time, Tahliz remembered how she would wake him wake up even earlier, trian twice as much just to be petty.

Qahnaar stopped and looked in the distance, she didn't move an inch, soon she crouched and gestured for her brother to follow. Tahliz crouched behind her, now snapped out of his thoughts, as he looked on he couldn't see too far or what had caused his sister to freeze like that. "What is it?" Tahliz whispered hushly, narrowing his eyes to try and find anything.

"A howler" she whispered back. "Another one!? I thought they were supposed to be rare!" Tahliz thought, his heart now picking up its pace.

Qahnaar pointed to the river, her arm shook slightly but she was able to hold her hand out straight. Tahliz followed her gaze, seeing the five spikes on the end of a tail that was matted with rich brown fur. Tahliz couldn't see much from his position but he could hear the frustrated grunts and irritated growls of the creature as he paced along side the river. "What's it doing?" Tahliz asked, his voice so hushed that even he could barly hear himself. Qahnaar only shrugged, her body tensed as she looked towards it, at a better angle.

Soon the beast leaped, pouncing with the grace that Tahliz has only seen with the cats that the tribe keeps around to be-rid of the mice and rats. A loud splash drenched the surrounding areas and another frustrated growl came from the creature. He panted and shook, whining as he tried to lick the icy water from his fur. "Was it trying to fish?" Tahliz wondered, leaning just slightly to see it, when he did he felt a sligh relif.

Deep purple eyes stared at its fur with a frustration. Tahliz remembered how happy he was when he had fed the beast a couple of cods, "does it like the tast of fish but can't fish? Maybe it's just this one that can't?" He theorised. Qahnaar looked at him, a mixture of annoyance and warning in her eyes.

"Don't you dare try anything" she whispered, though Tahliz couldn't barly hear her. "I know that look".

"I wasn't gonna do anything" Tahliz whispered back in protest. Qahnaar only rolled her eyes as if to say, "yeah right, like I'm supposed to believe that". Tahliz pouted but then drew his eyes back at the howler, he whined and desperately tried to bite at a cod but his large jaw was too slow and the fish were too agile. "I can see his ribs" Tahliz's eyes widened slightly at the realisation, he knew the creature was wounded, possibly by its own kind but starved? Surly this creature would know how to hunt? Questions like this one raced Tahliz's mind.

The howler huffed and flopped himself on a rock next to the river to pout. "A big, scary dragon that has caused our tribe so much fear just for him to pout because a few fish got away?" Tahliz thought, amused. Qahnaar shot him another warning glare but Tahliz didn't want to listen, he pulled out the last of his rations and approached the pouting beast. Leaving his deer with Qahnaar, a good walk away.

The howler instantly snapped his attention to the sound of the heavy boots on the snow. He snarled a warning and his wings flexed, Tahliz felt his heart jump with every step he took closer. He pushed himself through and the best let out a low growl but his jaw relaxed and he put his teeth away. The dragon's wings relaxed back to perch on his back but he still kept his claws gripping the stone.

"Hey boy" Tahliz called, throwing a handful of rations at the dragons claws. The beast sniffed and let out a hushed pur as he snacked on them, this time the howler fully relaxed. "Hard winter?" Tahliz asked, not expecting an answer but still received a soft grunt. Tahliz chuckled, to which the dragon tilted his head curiously and backed away a little, though the glint of curiosity stayed burning in the dragon's eyes.

Tahliz took our his rod and baited the hook, the dragon narrowed his eyes and watched as Tahliz cast his line into the river. This time of year, the fish were bursting in the rivers so it only took a minute for Tahliz to reel in a catch. The dragon sniffed towards him with hunger in his eyes and an excitment. Tahliz smiled softly at him and tossed the fish towards him, to which the dragon happily scoffed down the fish and his pur rumbled through the trees.

The dragon stepped forward and sniffed Tahliz the way Canis-ferre would in a greeting. Tahliz's felt his instinctual fear to run away but instead he shakily put his hand to the bests chin, the two smaller horns on his chin were longer than Tahliz's forearms alone. "Those look like a twisted dagger, imagine the damage they could do?" Tahliz thought, careful to stay clear of them. The dragon stood stiff for a seconed before jumping away and scratching where Tahliz had pet him.

"Ticklish?" Tahliz mused, watching the dragon itch and shake off some more water. The dragon then tilted his head and sniffed Tahliz again, huffing curiously. His gaze went to the trees where Qahnaar hesitantly stumbled out of hiding, "Tahliz get over here!" She called, her fear evidenced in her voice.

"I think" Tahliz called back, stubbornly, "I think he's friendly, well as friendly as a wild creature can be".

"It'll kill you! Come on, let's go now when he's calm" Qahnaar basically begged, refusing to walk any closer and her tone grew impatient.

Tahliz frowned, looking at his sister then at the dragon that had a hushed pur, sitting quietly. "But-" Tahliz tried to argue but Qahnaar immediately hushed him.

"Get here now! Or so help me I'll keep you up till midnight to train!" Qahnaar snapped, the dragon growled softly at her but didn't get up. His leg alone was three times the size of Tahliz but yet his tail shivered and his shoudlers tensed when eyeing Qahnaar's sword. Tahliz thought for a moment, "she's just scared, can't blame her, as friendly as he seems, he's always growling until he's fed".

Tahliz sighed and walked towards his sister, the dragon watching curiously, "fine". Tahliz picked his deer up, looking over at his sister. Qahnaar kept her eyes on the dragon, she slowly walked back north, never loosing her gaze off the beast. Tahliz followed, the dragon staying put from where he sat, that was until he sniffed and slowly began to follow. Qahnaar tensed but Tahliz knew she was smarter than to start a fight with a howler dragon, especially when it's so passive right now.

They walked in silence, through the forest and soon broke to a clearing, a clearing that was filled with the sounds of hooves stomping and the sounds of male elks whistles. Qahnaar crouched, Tahliz kept his distance. "I'll just shoot one then we'll be done" Qahnaar whispered, reading her bow. The dragon crouched with them, sniffing curiously and titled his head as two bulls thrashed through the pushed and frozen ground as they fought and clashed. Their crowns of antlers clashed and charged with the sound of clunk's and bashes.

The dragon's shoulders tensed, Tahliz observed as his eyes glared and pinned onto one of the bulls. He stood stiff, even Qahnaar stopped to see what he was doing. Soon one of the bulls backed down, having his leg hit. It limped away but as it did, the dragon pounced, catching it instantly and biting its neck with a snap. The herd immediately disbursed, dashing into the trees to flee from the predator. The dragon trotted back to the twin proudly and dropped the elk infront of them, gently nudging it towards them with happy grunts.

"Did he? Just hunt for us?" Qahnaar questioned, her tone both impressed and unsure.