Threads of Fire

By the time they were out of the alley and down the street she was less concerned for Calden. He seemed fairly unruffled by events and Sabelle was willing to be led by his example. She was still more alert then when they first got to town. It would be unwised to allow her sense of nostalgia lull her into a false sense of security.

"Dining inside tonight might be best for us. There is much here we are both unaccustomed to," her reply was soft, though not with regret. Sabelle did notice the very dragonish fashion he just spoke to her, but could it be so surprising? He had been a dragon much longer then he'd been a man. It was an odd thought, but it did not make her feel any less connected to him. It was just a new side to him that she was happy to get to understand better.

It did not take too long for them to find an inn. The building looked to have had a new paint job in the last few years and the interior did not have any unpleasant smells. The cost might have been a triffle high, but Sabelle felt that if the cleanliness was there it would be well worth it. There room was larger then the one she had had earlier in the week, as was the bed. There was a table to eat and the view from the window looked down into a small plaza. It was going to be much nicer then sleeping in the cave, though that had not been such a hardship.
 
Once they were inside, he relaxed, the angry dragon fading to reveal the uncertain young man who suddenly found himself alone in a room with his beloved after hundreds of years of not being with her. Well, that wasn't true. They'd had their time in the cave, and for her, it had only been a few days. For him, it had been years. Sudden guilt washed over him for each and every dragon female he'd ever lusted after. For once, he was glad his prowess with magic had never been enough to attract one of the ones he'd taken interest in, powerful mages all. And now he knew why he'd been attracted to their kind, and yet...

And yet he felt guilty. And confused. And, damn it all, his clothing was really starting to get on his nerves. He reached up, scratching lightly at his arm through the cloth. He tried to ignore the itching of the wool for the moment, attempting to corral his thoughts into some semblance of order. As he watched her get settled in the room, he was having the most difficult time concentrating, coming to terms with... dammit! This itchy shirt! It hung loose on him now and no matter how he tightened the laces, it wasn't enough. The pants were following suit, but instead of getting larger, they seemed to be slowly trying to cut off bloodflow to his legs. Still, he tried to ignore it.

"Sabelle, we have to talk. I... I'm all itchy!" Dammit, that had not been what he'd meant to say. He growled softly, focusing on the clothing. There was the loose thread in the spell, plain as day now that he looked for it. He tugged it, wove it, and the spell snapped back to normal, the clothes returning to their original size. "There, better. I have something I need to talk to you about."
 
Sabelle was happy to be in a secure room, alway from all the prying eyes. She felt so odd in this town, this place that once was home, and didn't like the fact that she seemed so out of place. She was use to people taking notice of her in town, but this was different. She had a comb in her hand as she looked out the window. It was a calming way to look out at this new world.

Calden's voice intruded upon her thoughts, which were not going anywhere anyways. She covered a giggle as he took care of his more pressing issue then headed over to the bed, sitting down looking at him. Even seeing him frazzled was wonderful for her. All these normal little things that were making things real once more. "What is on you mind beloved?" she asked even as she patted the covering beside her for him to sit.
 
He hesitated, joining her reluctantly. Calden did not look happy, and his expression was one of guilt. For a moment, he simply sat there, gently holding her hand and glad to be with her but incredibly worried that she would not understand. Oh, he knew she'd stay with him, but the thought of hurting her... sighing, he looked over at her.

"Before I found you, I grew up in a large cave complex with a host of other dragons and their families. A regular society. It was unknown at the time that I had ever been human. Well, of course it was. But, you see, I thought I was a dragon. I had no idea that I was meant to be with someone and, like all young men, I had interests. In... well. Females. I feel that was a mistake, that I never should have even entertained the idea of possibly one day taking a mate. I never did, though. I was always chasing the ones just out of reach. I suppose that doesn't matter. Please... you do not have to, of course, but I would hold onto hope that you might accept my deepest apologies. I love you. You alone. No other can make my heart sing or hold me so close without even having to touch me. And when you do touch me, it is like I am chained, willingly, held to you for eternity. That chain brought me back to you. Please. Understand the follies of ignorant youth. I could not bear to have you angered with me."
 
The way Calden looked at her as he took her hand, she worried. Something was seriously distressing him and that made her anxious. His words though we're not distressing in the least. She instantly relaxed, but knew that she needed to do something to assure her most precious did the same.

Scooting closer, so that she was all but leaning against him, Sabelle smiled. "So what you're telling me is that you had a normal childhood and had more then a few crushes in that time? Calden," reaching over she touched his cheek. "You grew up as a dragon because you are. It's as much a part of you as the history you share with me. I can't and I couldn't blame you for being what you are. I was with you for several days and you had no notion of where the memories you were having came from. Let us just be happy that you never had to struggle with those memories alone nor that you had to make a choice between happiness with another."

Kissing him seemed the best way to punctuate the point and so she did, deeply. Sabelle loved him, and was completely amazed at his return and felt there was no way she deserved such loyalty and dedication, but glad she had his. Pulling back only enough to get breath she looked into his beautiful green eyes. "I love you, only you, and because you are so wonderful to me."
 
He blinked, caught quite off guard by the kiss. By the time he was fully sure that what was happening was real and not another flashback, the kiss was over and he was regretting not allowing himself to give in to it. As she spoke, a grin lit his face. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close as he had out in the clearing. The touch of his lips to hers was not driven by undeniable desire this time when he moved to kiss her. Instead, he wanted to take his time, explore her lips and mouth and remember every detail of how it felt to kiss her.

His lips worked gently against her own, kissing, claiming, tasting her mouth as he ran a hand through her hair. The arm holding her to him pulled her close and held her there with the tenderest of touches. He needed to be here. Kissing her was just as he remembered. But it was completely new. Every familiar scent was amplified, every touch of skin lit fire within him as it had only hoped to approximate before. He'd always loved her, but now he loved her with the senses and passion of a dragon. He broke the kiss, overwhelmed and unwilling to relinquish his hold upon her. Only then did he speak.

"I love you. I wish there was a better word for it. I love you, I trust you, I adore you. I promise you, I will stay by your side and always, always return to you."
 
The words were unnessisary after such a kiss, but Sabelle smiled at the words just the same. After some time they settled into their room properly, getting a dinner which they shared in the room and then later curling up together in the bed to sleep. For between spells and travel they were both in need of rest more then almost anything else.

Sabelle feel asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow. After all, she was warm, and fed, and safe, and most importantly loved. She briefly realized that she had only spent one night without Calden since her release from the spell. That had been the hardest night. The other nights, in the cave with he dragon Ny had been odd but comforting. She now understood why.

Thus Sabelle slept peacefully, snuggled to her beloved, with every belief nothing would take him away from her. That was until the nightmare begain again, when the great bellow erupted in the air. Sabelle sat straight up, finding herself shaking. Surely, surely it had been nothing more then her dreams. "I woke you. I'm sorry dearest," she said in a slightly shaking voice when she saw that Calden was very much awake. Her jolting up must have woken him.

Then a second bellow erupted.
 
Calden sat bolt upright in bed at the sound of the second roar. The hairs on his neck rose, both a new and familiar sensation. That noise. It could only be another dragon. Pulling his shirt on, he raced to the window, leaning out and canting him body so that he could try and ascertain the location of the beast that made the sound. Unfortunately, the windows were not a good vantage point. Calden hurried to don boots, encouraging Sabelle to get her things.

"If one of my kind is attacking the town, then we should go. If they were to find us, they would see me for who I am. I am in no mood for a dominance challenge." As soon as they were both dressed, he grabbed her hand, guiding her quickly down the stairs and out the door. Hugging the walls, they made their way through town. Calden insisted that they stop and find a vantage point, the two of them scaling a trellis to get to a rooftop.

Calden froze. The shape was familiar, a shape from a nightmare. There could be no mistaking the sight of the Red before them. Unlike most reds, whose scales were tiny and hard and whose spikes adorned wrists and face, this one was a beast, with long spikes down his spine and wickedly serrated teeth. Yellow eyes looked out of a mask of dark crimson that shaded deeper than anything but his feet, though Calden only knew the color from memory on this moonlit night. The red was heavily muscled, not sleek, and when he roared, it was accompanied by a long purple gout of flame.

"We have to go! Come on, we need to find another way out of town that isn't past him."
 
Sabelle was wide awake, as she watched Calden race to the window, knowing as he did it was another dragon and wishing he could see what sort of beast it was, but it was not meant to be. With little choice she quickly dressed, not even having time to morn the loss of sleep and bed. Racing out in the middle of the night, hoping not to be spotted, did not have the same rush it did as when she was sneaking out of her bedroom for much more selfish purposes. On this night her fear of them being caught and the consequences of that was all that was on her mind.

With Calden she climbed up to the rooftop, and what she saw made her question if she was truly awake. It was him! She could not hope that it was any other dragon. Sabelle's hand sought Calden's and she squeezed it. Calden who she had lost because of that monster, who she could not bearer to lose again. Quickly, without words she got back down to the street. Once they were both off the rooftop, no longer looking directly at the red dragon that had harassed and persued them some three hundred years ago could she finally try to think.

"If this town is bigger then before, but the stream still will have run into the river." She at least hoped so. The sound of the water would hide the sounds of her footfall, and it would navigate them where they wanted to go without having to hunt in this town they knew but did not. Just as long as it kept them out of sight and going away from the red dragon's direction.
 
Together, they ran. Calden hoped that he knew the way to the stream, to the river, though as the moments dragged on, he felt more and more as though he'd certainly gotten them lost. Just when he was about to give up and call a stop, they found the water. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of another roar. For a moment, the dragon had to fight to control his human form, to keep it when he so desperately wanted to answer that battle cry with one of his own.

Skin rippled with faint tracings of scales and he gasped for air, clenching his free hand into a fist. Only her urging dragged him out of his impulse and back to sanity. There was no way they could defeat that creature. The Red. They'd never known a name, for he was as secretive as most dragons. But far more deadly. The two ran again, going as quickly as they could.

There was the sudden wind of a dragon rising to the skies from the ground, and for a moment, Calden feared they would be lost. Only ducking under a widowmaker tree saved the two from being spotted by the circling beast.
 
It seemed to take forever to reach the stream. Only when they reached the water did she have even the smallest sense of relief. Not that they were safe, far from it. The Red's roar caused shivers down her spin. It was the stuff of nightmares, but it was in waking she heard it and feared it. The sound caused her to want to move faster, only conscious of wanting to escape with Calden, and not having any notion of the brief internal battle he had.

The sudden wind was their only warning as they ducked under the dead tree. Closing her eyes she put her arms around Calden, wondering if they'd already been spotted. The seconds dragged on as the Red slowly flew in circles in the sky. It was actually a relief when she heard the angry roar of the dragon again. They had not been spotted, if indeed they were who he was looking for. Sabelle did not think her luck was so strong that the Red was looking for another. Not when she thought of the relentless pursuit that had taken place just a week ago, nay three hundred years ago. It was a dragon though and while the time wasn't meaningless, they had very good memories as a rule and that dragon had wanted her dearly.

"He knows, he knows, how does he know," she whispered in frustration. "He may still return, let us try to leave this place." If they could reach the river proper there would be plenty of trees.
 
He held her, one arm around her, the other gripping the bottom of the tree. At her words, Calden nodded, starting to slide down the slope and into the water. It would be cold and slower going but they would leave no more footprints in the soft bank silt. They traveled quickly as they dared, each stumbling once or twice and both thoroughly soaked by the time they climbed out near the river.

The sound of the water was enough to drown out whispers, but Calden feared speaking too loudly. He was soaked from the knees down and took a moment to dump water from his boots. He didn't want to think of how cold the water had been, how he might have somehow caused his beloved pain, and instead he dropped to the ground, pulling her feet one at a time onto his knee and rubbing them rapidly to force warmth and circulation back into them.

Then they were moving again, following the twisting river upstream, deeper into the woods. The cold was getting worse the longer they went on, the night breezes unkind to the young couple. Calden had no idea how long they'd been going, but his feet were cramped from cold, wet boots and, though he'd stopped and warmed his beloved's feet and legs three times, he knew it wouldn't be enough if they didn't have time to stop and warm up by a fire or at least get away from the river and have a spell or two done. They just kept getting wet in the riverside soil and sand and sinking mire pits that one or the other would occasionally put a foot in.

"Are you alright enough to use your magic again? I think we need to dry out and get away from the riverside. Are you alright to manage that?" He looked at her in concern, afraid she might still be suffering shock at the sight of the Red.
 
There trek through the creek and then along the rivers edge was sheer misery, but Sabelle did not wish to stop. Only when her legs started to cramp and Calden insisted on warming up her feet opamd legs did she pause. Where once was a sweet and rational priestess, was now prey being hunted. Sabelle did not know what to do when hunted but to flee.

Cold, wet, dirty, and miserable Calden had them pause after they'd traveled a long distance along the river's edge. In the summer the river was a refreshing cool spot, but in the middle of the night in the early spring it was icy and if one wasn't careful the cold could be deadly. As Calden questioned her, she heard the concern in his voice and she frowned. He was worried, not about the dragon that was the source of this flight, but about her. It occurred to her he had been splitting his focus between a sucessful escape and worry for her.

Wrapping her arms around him, Sabelle sighed. She then looked at him and gave him a quick kiss. "Yes, I can do so. Let's go a ways into the woods first. I feel far too exposed here." Again hand in hand they walked away from the river and into the woods. Once a good distance away, Sabelle sat on recently fallen log that did not have much growth on it yet.

With a soft glow about the both of them, the water extracted first from their clothing, then their boots, until finally they were dry. "Do we want to stay here for the night? A fire would be very nice right about now." The thought of moving again was waning. Her adrenalin was depleted and she was cold and tired and she hoped they were safe.
 
He sighed with relief as they stopped, then winced as his feet were suddenly much dryer. A grimace, then, for his feet and legs now had pins and needles.

"I think that sounds like a good idea. I'll get some firewood." He rose to his feet, limping into the forest. This would be easier with any tools at all. Or as a dragon... Calden grinned, remembering that he had Ny's strength. Fallen logs were easy enough to rip chunks from, and in a short time, he had a sizable stack of kindling and enough firewood to last them til midday. He knelt, working to arrange the fire as he recalled from his old life. It seemed so long ago sometimes, other times it felt as if it was all happening now. Shaking his head, Calden started trying to work a couple stones to get a spark, but it was to no avail. Well, now was as good a time as any to see if he had any control over his fire in this form.

Concentrating, he focused on summoning fire. This was far more difficult than clothes or a bed. His focus had to be precise. It hurt. This much concentration made his muscles clench and his jaw ache and ten minutes later, there was still no fire.
 
Sabelle was rational enough to know the sounds she heard in the woods were her lover, but alone in the dark woods after a long run through the town and along the river, her nerves were still wound up tight and she found herself pacing until Calden returned. Once he did she settled down against a tree not far from where he was making the fire. Or rather attempting to.

After some time, where Calden's own patience seemed to be giving out, she stood up and walked over to him. Placing a hand on either shoulder she rubbed. "It's all right there you know. What you're doing is possibly more natural to you then you realize. It's like moving your finger. You can think about moving your finger, or you can just do it." Leaning forward she kissed his cheek. "Just your finger though, we don't need more then a spark dearest."

Easily Sabelle could have started the fire, and she was very cold. No doubt Calden could feel her cold fingertips through the fabric of her shirt. She wanted him to do this. Ny's magic had great potential, but he lacked finess and Sabelle wondered if it played into his confidence in his magic when it did not work exactly how he wished. They had a little time still before a fire would be imperative, and she was willing the minor inconvenience to see Calden triumph.
 
Calden sighed, then drew a deep breath. This was... no, he refused to think about just how difficult this was. He was a dragon. He could breathe waves of flame. Fire should be easy to work with. It was, indeed, a part of him, though he was unsure that was what she'd meant when she'd said that it was right there. Calden let himself relax, let him feel the fire come into being.

There was a spark. Then another. The kindling caught, and soon, the fire was blazing warmly in the center of their little camp. Calden slumped, utterly exhausted. Too exhausted to feel the triumph that he should. The luxury of rest was only momentary, though. He needed to be awake, to keep watch.

"Get some sleep, love. You need not fear... I'll keep watch." He scooted down from the windfall tree to the ground, drawing one leg up to rest his wrist upon it. "In the morning, I will wake you. Til then, I shall keep up safe and warm." It was with great effort that he managed to stifle a yawn at that moment. How he wanted to sleep. He'd not had nearly enough in the past week, and his human form might have had draconic strength, but his resilience was wearing thin. Still, he refused to take no for an answer.
 
"Are you sure?" She was tired, very much so, but Calden looked equally exhausted. He had been through just about as much as she had in the last several days, if not really more. After all even his sleep had been more active then restful as his memories tried to bubble to her surface. He was stubborn though, and she had a hunch that Calden's stubborn streak might be wider now that he was a dragon.

"Wake me in the morning, but I want you to sleep while I take care of finding and preparing food. You can not stay awake forever after all love." With a brief kiss, for she was too much in need of rest for more, she curled up beside him and the fire. How often had they done this before? How much more running must they do?

Sabelle quickly fell asleep once she closed her eyes. Her sleep though was fretful at first however. Memories and dreams colliding.
 
It was almost impossible to stay awake, especially while remaining next to Sabelle. She needed him, though, so he dared not leave her side. Several times, he found himself nodding off or entranced by the fire. It's light and warmth were a beacon to the weary dragon and lulled him more than they might even a normal human. In fire was life. In fire was safety. But also death and danger. He could not allow himself to forget the fire that hunted them for a single moment.

When morning came and he forced himself to move weary limbs and wake his beloved, Calden was exhausted. He needed to sleep, but he was afraid, afraid that if he closed his eyes for a minute, something would steal his beloved away. Thus, he found himself standing and following her around as she tried to find food. It was clear the recalcitrant dragon was not about to go to sleep til they had found safety. It was also clear the the depth of his exhaustion would put them in danger were they to have to run again.

Calden was at the point where merely staying awake was causing him to sweat, even in the cold away from the fire.
 
Sabelle did not get as much sleep as she needed, but it was enough to function and get through the day. With on,y slight reluctants did she wake under Calden's shaking hand on her shoulder and even wishing for nothing more then to go back to sleep, she smiled upon seeing his face. The smile did not last long as Calden looked exhausted.

Try though she might, she could not convince him to rest. She understood why, he was worried. She was too but if he kept on going he was going to be worthless if trouble did arise, though she did not voice that fact. Sabelle did not wish to argue with him, yet knew he could not continue indefinitely without sleep. He might have been a dragon, but they were still mortal and he had already been sleep deprived before the previous night.

After breakfast, a meal gathered from not magic, but by survival skills taught priestesses should they ever find themselves traveling in hardship, she looked at Calden, hoping the meal finally brought him to the breaking point. Instead his stubborn will kept him awake. There was no helping it.

"I think I know where we ae from the temple grounds. There we can find sanctuary and there we can rest, if for nothing more then a day." Sabelle knew that she was going to have to be the one on alert and she would have to protect Calden.
 
He nodded, letting her take the lead and following diligently behind. Fire extinguished, they began to plod through the undergrowth and tangled thorns. Calden yelped the first several times the berry brambles scratched his skin. Normally, something so flimsy could not have harmed him, and yet they drew blood. Spurred by exhaustion and anger, he ripped an entire blackberry bush from the ground, not caring that the thorns bit into his hands. He tossed the bush aside, growling low in his throat.

"Annoying shrub! I should just transform back and carry you away from here, Sabelle! You should not have to fight through such things that can so easily be circumvented." In truth, he was mad at himself, feeling unable to protect her no matter what form he took. It grated upon him. It stressed him and frayed his nerves more than the pain or sleep deprivation.

He took the lead for a short time, shoving briars out of the way and hooking them upon themselves to give her a path, not even thinking that he might be leaving a trail of particularly abused thornbushes.
 
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