Breath of Fresh Air

"Oh! Well, I don't mind sticking around if you'd like some company," Axle said at once. "I think Noah mentioned going out flying with Chaital, Nel, and Soot in a bit, so he's going to be fairly occupied. If you've got some spare parchment and a quill, Pumpkin and I can work on a few business ideas of our own while you carry out your duties."

Noah's eyes went wide, and he held a hand over his mouth. "He was shirtless in front of her? Damn!" He chuckled and shrugged. "We're both pretty, uh . . . well muscled. Sure, we own a huge business. But it's saddles and leather. And the saddles are huge. Someone's gotta carry those things back and forth, you know." He leaned forward on Chaital, laying on his belly to get more used to her movements. "Plus, I run all over the place and get into trouble. That in itself is a good without."
 
"Not one to stick around and watch his every move?" Malia asked as they walked, peaceful enough but curious. She knew some parents couldn't bear to let their children run off doing anything remotely dangerous without being nearby, even when they were mostly grown. "If you've nothing else to do I'm sure there's space for two of us in my office." She shook her head, a little smile on her face. "It's much too big for me, in any case." She hadn't started out at the Dragonry with visions of a large office and a large scope of responsibility. It was just how life had happened. She was much more used to getting her hands dirty.

***************

Jasper had to laugh at Noah's amused shock, wondering what would have happened if the younger man had been present instead of himself. "I just didn't picture your dad being the one to haul saddles. Seems like the sort who's got people for that, you know?" He shrugged and let it go, even though the strangeness of the idea lingered when he had until now pictured Axle Harn as a man who sat behind a desk and counted his money. "One of these days we're gonna arm wrestle and if you beat me I'm never gonna leave my shop again."

Nobu, shifting out of the way of Noah's limbs, waited until the teen was lying down and then walked onto his back to sit down, giving a little chirp once he was there and looking pleased with himself for being on top of the pile.
 
Axle chuckled gently and shook his head. "Well, I'd like, of course," he admitted at last. "And I used to, when he was younger. But he's an adventurous sort, and besides, I can hardly keep up with him these days. But he always comes back. And I like to give him trust and space when I can. He seems to appreciate it."

He pulled in a breath. "Anyway, I'd enjoy working in your office with you. I'll make sure Pumpkin stays out of trouble," he promised.

Pumpkin squeaked and hopped onto Axle's shoulder, tugging on his hair in protest.

The man laughed and playfully pushed on his head. "What? You're a troublemaker. It's one of the things I like about you."

-----

"Well, sure, he's got people who also lift saddles," Noah said with a shrug. "But he likes to be involved in the process and make sure the saddles going out are the highest quality." He chuckled lightly when Jasper suggested arm wrestling. "I'm pretty sure you'd win, Jasper."

He reached an arm up to pet Nobu's side and smiled. "You comfy, buddy?" he asked lightly.
 
Malia gave him a skeptical look, despite attempting to fight down a smile. "You're going to look me in the eyes and tell me you're not fit enough to keep up with him?" It felt like a joke, after what she'd seen, and perhaps she would have laughed if it didn't all fill her with a deep sense of longing. What she would have given to be able to see her own child grow.

"I'm sure Pumpkin will be perfectly behaved," She said with a shrug, giving the dragon a little pout. "Isn't that right? You wouldn't want me to be sad about my broken things, would you?" A mess was fine. So long as nothing broke irreparably, she didn't mind his flitting about the office.

***************

Jasper made a thoughtful sound at the idea of the man working hands on in his factory still, but shrugged off any other comments he may have had about it. He might not like businessmen from Upper Floaten, but Axle Harn seemed all right enough, and he was Noah's father, after all, and they were friends now. There was no easier way to hurt a person instantly than to speak poorly of their family.

Nobu gave Noah's hand a big lick to show how pleased he was, shuffling a bit to lie down across Noah,s back where he laid on Chaital's back. The sight of it made Jasper chuckle, and briefly glance up to be sure Naga was still around, flying back and forth on the path towards home so she wouldn't have to travel as slowly as they did but could keep them in sight. "That weight on your lungs is how I wake up most nights. He might be small, but he is not light."
 
Mr. Harn burst out laughing. ". . . I should clarify. I can't keep up with him when he's riding Chaital. I don't have wings, for one thing. Actually, that's probably the main thing." He sighed happily and nodded. "But he'll come back and visit once he's finished for the day. I bet I can convince him and Grandpa Jenkins to join me for some tea after dinner."

Pumpkin chittered and flew over to Malia's shoulders instead, lightly curling his tail around her arm for balance and licking her cheek happily.

"I'd say that's a yes," Axle said with a smile. "And thank you, for letting us tag along. You're very easy to get along with."

-----

Noah smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Damn, he sleeps like this on you all night? You must have lungs of steel." He patted Chaital's shoulder and laughed. "Good thing you don't try to do that. I'd probably be actually crushed alive."

Chaital snorted and swished her tail, as though to say of course not.

"So Nel and I are gonna take Chaital and Soot flying after this," Noah continued. "Do you wanna come with? You could learn how to ride a dragon if you want. Chaital wouldn't mind carrying two."

She chuffed happily and bobbed her head. She wouldn't mind. Noah was already so much lighter compared to her last rider.
 
Malia laughed at Axle's reaction, and when Pumpkin came to sit with her instead only reached up to pet gently at him with one hand. "See? A perfect angel," she teased, giving Pumpkin a little nuzzle before just letting him perch on her shoulder without bothering him.

"You are a more accepting father than many," she said more softly afterwards, as they neared the Dragonry's main offices. "There are a lot of people that balk at the idea of their children flying off out of their sight, worried they won't come back. I'm glad you two are both very happy together."

***************

Jasper just shrugged, mostly unaffected by or at least used to Nobu's cuddles. "I wake up if he ends up with his weight in the wrong place, and he and Naga listens to my lungs anyway." If Nobu didn't realize he was beginning to wheeze, Naga would. It had happened many times before, and he'd always woken up to her nipping at Nobu to get him off.

"I've ridden before." He added with a little tilt of his head, as if debating. "Infernus doesn't mind carrying me around sometimes when Lily is busy, or resting. He helps me deliver parts when they're too heavy." He was a real workhorse, that dragon. He knew Jasper was important to Lily, and he liked his human's roommate too, so he had never really minded. "I don't know how I feel about riding with a rookie. No offense."
 
Axle smiled warmly at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck and briefly averting his eyes. "Yes, well . . . I certainly worry more times than not. But I trust Noah a lot more now that he's older, and he's always had a kind heart. I'm very glad he enjoys being with me, too. We're both quite lucky to have each other. And now, with everyone else Noah's managed to make friends with, our family is growing again," he added happily.

-----

"Oh! Neat. So you kind of already know how to ride," Noah said, nodding. "That's good. And no worries, none taken. I can't even go up without a safety harness yet. But I'll get there!" He yawned and relaxed a little further. "That's kind of cool your dragons listen to your lungs. I wonder if Chaital tries to do that sometimes? Maybe that's when I woke up, she was staring through the window at me." He chuckled. "Kinda scared me at first until I remembered I was friends with her. She's a big dragon."
 
"But you don't let your worry constrict him," Malia said with a little nod, preceding him into the building and holding the door so he would feel welcome, then angling towards her own office once they were inside. "There is nothing on this planet that will stop you from worrying, Axle. You're doing well to just be happy for him, and support him. I'm sure he appreciates it." She had no family of her own, not anymore, but the Dragonry had become a bit like her family. Every dragon and every staff member had become very familiar to her over the years.

****************

Jasper made a low, thoughtful hum, eyes forward as they walked but mind wandering. "She rests her head on my ribs when she thinks I'm not awake," he said, and gave Chaital an amused little smile. "I don't know if she could hear you from the distance, but I'm sure she was watching your chest rise and fall. She's just checking on you. But it can be a little creepy." The few times Infernus had stayed in their place, Lily had slept on the shop couch because she knew Infernus would try to find her in the night and break their stairs.
 
Mr. Harn did, indeed, feel welcome when Malia held the door for him. So much so that he found it even easier than before to drop his business man persona. And that was saying something, considering he was going into the office to do business. He smiled and followed Malia before making himself comfortable on the floor again, sitting down with a soft groan. "You know, you know a bit about my family already, but I've never asked about yours," he said pleasantly. "Who do you have in your life?" Half of him was asking to be polite. The other half wanted to know whether she had a significant other.

Pumpkin licked Malia's cheek. Then he flew around the office a few times, selecting a place to settle down for a nap. Eventually he landed on a stack of old papers, curled up, and rumbled happily as he closed his eyes.

-----

"Yeah. But it's really comforting, too," Noah said happily. "Like, I know as long as I'm nearby her, I'm going to be safe. Very few humans would ever mess with a dragon. You know?"
 
Malia gave Pumpkin a little pet and let him fly off to explore, smiling a bit to herself as he found a place to rest. When he was settled, she sat down amongst her paper scraps once more and did her best to finalize the placement of personnel so she could send off suggestions to the Grandmaster for who he might be able to spare unnoticed.

"No family to speak of, I'm afraid," she said casually, a bit distractedly as she shuffled papers around, and considered for what was probably too long of a pause before deciding to continue. If she was going to do anything about the blooming attraction she felt towards him, he deserved to know, and it wasn't as if it was really a secret. Her past was done and over with now, and she had done a lot of growing in her later years. "I have a son, a little older than yours, but he was raised by his father. I write, now and again." The father, at least. She had never written to her son directly, wanting him to live his life without becoming confused about his parentage. If he ever wanted to seek her out, the man knew where she was. It wasn't something she spoke of often.

****************

"Not anyone with half a brain." Jasper said. Not unless they were heavily armed and very prepared, or had their own dragons. But there was no need to dampen Noah's spirit with things he would figure out on his own if he thought about them long enough. "You get used to having eyes on you all the time. Eventually, I'm sure she won't insist so much on being near you every second of the day. Fern doesn't cry about it too much when Lily leaves him at the Dragonry to come home." He knew she needed to rest, and that the house and shop weren't comfortable for him. He missed her, Jasper was sure, but he didn't fight. They still saw each other every day for most of the day.
 
". . . Oh. I'm very sorry," Axle said softly, holding a hand to his mouth. He could barely imagine, but what he did think about hurt to even consider. Knowing he had a son, but never getting to visit him or talk to him? That must have hurt deeply. "That must be difficult for you," he decided at last. He had a few questions, but none that seemed appropriate for small talk, and he didn't want to dredge up Malia's past if it was painful.

He cleared his throat and averted his eyes for a moment. Then he took another breath. "You know - it would be after dark, but - you're more than welcome to come have tea with us when I return home this evening. We all often enjoy a cup before bed together. Good for sleeping."

------

Noah giggled. "I bet she'll get sick of me before I get sick of her," he said. "When I like somebody, I hang around them as much as I can. Which is hard, when I like a lot of different people who all have different schedules. But Chaital has a really close schedule to mine, so it's way easier to find time for her!"
 
Malia only gave a small, fond smile, despite the hint of sadness behind it. "You needn't pity me, Axle Harn," she said softly, with a bit of humor mustered into her voice. "My son may not be at my side, but he lives a good life, and I have a long night ahead of me. Thank you for the invitation, regardless." She wouldn't get in the way of his time with his family, and while she enjoyed his company she really didn't have the time to be traveling back and forth and taking long breaks from work more than once a day.

"Tell me," she said when a short silence had passed between them, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable, "how did Noah come to befriend our little messenger girl? They don't exactly travel in the same circles."

****************

Jasper only shrugged, clasping his hands lightly together over the back of his neck as he walked and giving a little stretch. "Yeah, well. Not everybody can run around goofing off all day like some people." He gave Noah a teasing little smile, without a hint of the malice that had been in him when they had first met, and after a pause came closer to retrieve his dragon. "Come on, Nobu, you can stop crushing him now. I'll carry you, you big fat baby."

Nobu gave a gurgling whine and flopped dramatically flatter across Noah's back, as if trying to refuse to get up, but eventually let Jasper drag him away, completely limp noodle in protest.
 
Axle smiled gently and patted her shoulder. "Apologies. It just hits a little close to home for me, that's all. You're more than welcome to come and spend time with me and my family whenever you like."

He leaned back and pulled out some parchment, finally starting to do some actual work. "Ah, well - now there's a story. Evidently he saw some dragons in an abandoned warehouse area and fell through a broken part of the floor all the way into Lower Floaten. Lily found him, and she and Jasper kept him safe until he was able to come up and meet me in person again," he explained. "And, Noah being Noah, he meg a dragon and the pair became quite attached, so he's decided to stay in Lower Floaten with his grandfather."

------

The young man laughed again and rested his chin on his arms. "Hey! I don't goof off all day. Chaital and me are training now. And pretty soon we'll be scouts, with actual jobs and responsibilities!"

Nobu was eventually dragged off his back, and Noah smiled and waved. "Bye, Nobu. See you soon," he called cheerfully. He let out a deep sigh and relaxed a bit more. "I wonder if I'd stay on if I fell asleep?"
 
Malia sighed softly, but with a small smile on her face still, and reached up to give his hand a few gentle pats before it retreated. "Thank you. I promise to keep it in mind."

She raised an eyebrow at the story of Noah's arrival, attentive despite her eyes and hands being back on her work again. "A small miracle he survived the drop," she said thoughtfully, trying to picture where he must have dropped if Lily had been the one to find him. "I did hear about the trip that brought the flock of ferals to us. They're behaving well, after being under Chaital's care. I should thank your boy for that." He had brought her home, and by doing so kept the others out of trouble. They may still decide to leave at some point and be free, but for now they wouldn't be bothering any townsfolk and this drawing the ire of the rich and possessive.

***************

"I don't know if I'd say 'soon.'" Jasper advised, a bit of strain in his voice as he struggled to get his dead weight dragon appropriately settled in his arms. "Training can take a while, and you've got the circumstances to take it easy, so don't worry if it doesn't happen as soon as you think." Expectations created disappointment. Noah had the money and the backup to take his time, so stressing if it didn't happen as fast as he wanted it to was unnecessary.

"I don't know what he's gonna do about Soot," he added after a thoughtful pause. "He goes everywhere around the dragonry, checking in on everyone. Soot was doing good today but I wonder what'll happen if he tries to follow Nel around instead of waiting." Whatever happened, he was sure Nel would keep an eye out and figure a way to make it safe.
 
"A very large miracle, considering his track record for getting into dangerous situations," Mr. Harn said. He smiled and let out a small sigh. "But he survived, which I'll be forever grateful. Not just the fall, but the atmosphere. He wouldn't have made it if not for Lily."

-----

"Well . . . soon-ish," Noah said with a chuckle. "I have no idea how long training like this usually takes. But it's fun training! So I don't mind if it's gonna be a while. I just can't wait to start actually helping, you know?"

He closed his eyes and yawned slightly. "Hmm, I don't know. But I notice dragons sort of mirror their humans sometimes, so -maybe Soot will try and help out around the Dragonry the way Nel does. Might be helpful to have a dragon who can help other dragons. Especially if there are dragons who are scared of people, you know?"
 
Malia made a soft, thoughtful sound, not quite as concerned as she could be given Noah had survived and seemed none the worse for wear now. "Lucky she was there, then. She's always been a do-gooder, that girl. Had he ever been to Lower Floaten before?" It must have been quite a shock if he hadn't. Hearing about it in school studies and neighbors stories was one thing, but actually breathing in the polluted air would be an extremely unpleasant experience for someone not only new to such dense pollution but also the lower altitude.

***************

Jasper gave Noah a dry look, gesturing with his chin down at the limp dragon in his arms. "Do I look this lazy to you?" He teased at the thought of dragons mirroring their humans, but just shook his head about it afterward. "I'm sure Nel will figure it out, anyway. You'll have to tell us all about your scout training when it starts. I'm sure Lily will be excited to know." She was used to flying all day, so that wasn't new, but it wasn't like either of them knew the finer details of actual scout work, having never been one or been extremely close friends with one. It would be interesting. Jasper was sure Lily would be eager to learn anything about her new friend and his work. She was always ready to be excited for other people.
 
Mr. Harn chuckled. "Well, yes, when he was younger. But it had been years since he'd been in Lower Floaten, and he didn't have a breathing mask when he fell. Anna and I used to bring him down when we could. Anna more than myself. He spent a lot of time with his grandfather as a young boy. He was probably around two the last time he had a chance to visit."

----

Noah snorted. "I wouldn't call that lazy. I'd call that trusting. Content," he added with a smile, opening his eyes and glancing over. "And Naga's your other half. But yeah! I'll definitely let you guys know once I begin my more official training and tests. Nel's already giving me basic training!" He patted Chaital's shoulder, receiving a happy rumble in reply. "And Chaital's helping, too! She already knows what she's supposed to do."
 
"So small," Malia said in a soft baby voice, imagining tiny little Noah toddling around the old windmill. "I bet Grandpa's house was his favorite, hm? Always a special treat when there's something different." She still did love children, despite not being able to watch hers grow. She always did her best to not feel bitterness over what had been the best for him, and really she was just encouraging Axle to talk more. It would be good for him to feel able to speak about his late wife without it feeling negative. She hoped that not every one of his memories of her were tainted by her absence.

***************

Jasper made a small, disbelieving pff as Noah talked, looking down at Nobu's happy little face and not quite glancing up when Naga caught them on her latest circle back, giving a confused mrr at the sound of her name. "All right, I'll give you that she's as thorny as me," he said with a shake of his head, because he couldn't think of himself as 'trusting'. "Nel's probably seen a lot of riders come and go from this place. I'm sure he's got some good advice, even if he doesn't ride all the time." It wasn't that he hadn't ever done it before, or was inexperienced, he just hadn't had a dragon on his own. "I bet most of the riding he's done has been without a saddle, too."
 
"Absolutely. But to tell you the truth, Noah's favorite thing to do was try to play with Pumpkin," Axle said with a fond smile. "Or any dragon he was near, for that matter. Poor Anna had her hands full trying to keep him from wandering off once he was big enough to crawl."

He sighed happily, leaning back and making a few more marks on his paper. "Of course, I had my hands full trying to keep Anna safe as well. She was just as adventurous as Noah is. Heck, I know exactly where he got his troublemaker streak from." He sighed and ran a hand across the flower in his hair. "The house has been far too quiet with everyone gone."

-----

The dragon rider smiled softly. Although he wouldn't say it out loud, there was another similarity Jasper and Naga shared. They'd been hurt in the past, one way or another. And both of them were a bit slow to trust others. But once he did, Jasper was just as trusting as Nobu. He'd seen it with Lily and Grandpa Jenkins.

"Oh, yeah. Nel's got great advice," Noah agreed. "Every day he gives us something a bit more challenging to work on. I can't wait until we start flying with extra tight turns and corners!"
 
"Oh, is that right?" Malia laughed softly at the image of baby Noah, going after Pumpkin with both hands. "Somehow I'm not surprised. He took to them very quickly as an adult, as well, the way I hear it." It was sweet, to think he'd learned that much from his mother before she'd passed. She couldn't help a small, warm smile at the look in Axle's eyes as he talked about them. He was a man who truly loved his family, and wanted to do right by them. They had both gone about their lives very differently, but they at least had that in common.

"I take it you'll be visiting quite a lot, then?" She asked after giving him a moment for his own thoughts, looking back at her own papers to give him some semblance of privacy so that she wouldn't stare. "Having an empty house for the first time can be difficult." It was how she'd felt when she'd gone from working with the dragons outside to sitting at a desk inside. The world was too quiet without all the ruckus around. She'd hardly been able to stand it, at first. But they were talking about him, not her, and having family no longer close by was a different sort of pain. She wouldn't interrupt just to talk about herself.

****************

Jasper gave a little chuckle at Noah's assessment. "And he's got a soft touch, so he's good for beginners. Nel's too nice to push you like a drill sergeant. If you want to do more, faster, you're gonna have to push for it yourself." Nel was too gentle and polite to make Noah do anything too hard before he'd done all the easy stuff a hundred times over. "But nobody gets dragons like he does, 'cept maybe Malia. I'm sure he's a good teacher."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back