Private Tales Flint to the Fire

[Nadya]

Oh, Nadya did keep quiet after that. She had no choice to, for a rebuttal was quick on her sharp tongue, but with the various words she could use to parry with him, all was lost within her storm cloud of a mind. And so she kept quiet, fuming in the deadly quiet as they both eventually settled to wait. She felt him relax beside her, but she knew sleep was not so close for him. Nadya let him rest.

Her senses were trained to listen. To watch. Her body having been trained for patrols, and she did not mind keeping watch for now. Every noise or shuffle, her attention moved to it with deadly grace, but still they remained undetected.

The sun had risen higher, just cresting over their heads now and her head was warm to the touch. A cry rang out through the quiet.

"Look!" She beamed, a hand going to knock his arm in some enthusiastic but hard hits as the smoke rose above treetops they could not quite see from their vantage point. "White smoke. Fresh, not quite something to spread yet."

She turned to him, eyes alive. "Shall we investigate?"

 

[Talorgan]

A smile spread from ear to ear. Talorgan gave her a sharp nod. He was happy enough that his luck had held, but it was her enthusiasm that made him smile.

"Keep low to the ground and move slowly," he said.

He mentally mapped out the start of his route. Phoenixes emerged on a gout of flame when they went flying, but they could still be spoked by anything closing on their nest.

He picked his way through the rocks. The wind was gentle so he was able to follow that first wisp of smoke.

She he felt they were close enough he held out his hand. Despite how dangerous she was, Nadya still looked small compared to him. Her wrists had looked slender when his hands had gripped them tight.

He brought a finger to his lips and pointed upwards.

They were just in time. There was a low rumble and then a deep hiss. On a gout of flame, the phoenix rose up above them. It was hard to see it at first. The bright orange plume made him squint.

Then the phoenix leveled out and flapped it's wings. It's feathers were yellow, but they were close enough to see both red and purple in its wing tips and tail feathers.

 

[Nadya]

She trailed behind him closely, the softness of each step from her light as air. Warrior trained, and a reminder that despite the strength she exuded, she also was capable of softness.

Nadya followed Talorgan with patience, and the moment the phoenix made it's presence known, she sucked in a breath. She was still, stunned into forgetting she herself was in existence when the presence of a rare bird stole every thought from her. This moment was was the briefest of tranquility.

"Where do they go?" She whispered softly.

She wondered if dragons had ever taken to the skies beside a phoenix before, what it would be like to fly alongside one of them. Viewing their flight was enough to begin wondering all of this.

 

[Talorgan]

"I don't know," Talorgan admitted.

"I feel like I should. Was tempted to make something up. See what I could get you to believe."

He didn't turn his eyes towards Nadia. Even knowing where to look, it was still a rare sight.

People said they were reborn from the flames every morning, but he had never found one before it took off. There was no way to know if that was real or just a story. They certainly rose on a plume of flames.

Talorgan stood in silent contemplation and watched the phoenix until his eyes could no longer follow it.

 

[Nadya]

She snorted, standing up straight now. "You're more than welcome to do that but you do know, once I find out, I wouldn't be merciful on you." Nadya slowly moved forward, towards where the phoenix had risen. "I know lots of punishments." She winked at him. "Such as letting Kalyss do many barrel rolls."

And with that innocent of promise, she turned around to walk ahead. Her eyes were vigilant, taking in their surroundings. If there was a phoenix's feather, she knew who would appreciate such a trinket.

It was several yards before they came upon where the phoenix had materialised from, the scent of ash and smoke burning her nostrils. Nadya scrunched her nose at the assault.

 

[Talorgan]

Talorgan looked at Nadya in genuine shock.

"You wouldn't..." he hissed.

"...you also wouldn't have known until you got back to the other riders and told them."

It would have been slightly too cruel, he realised, to have her reiterate some made up fact proudly.

"People might not even believe you saw this."

The smoke was clearing. The faint wisp of its trail was still fading above them. The grey art drifting out of the straight arc. There was a nest in the rocks below. There were scorch marks on the rocks and - down below - a few slightly singed feathers.

 

[Nadya]

Nadya snorted, following his lead once he joined her simply because if anything were to happen, she'd hope he'd be able to determine any threats. This was his domain, after all, and the skies her own.

"Oh, even then, I will be ruthless." She promised, joining him to peer over the edge of the rocks where the nest was located. There was no sign of eggs or anything other than ash and smouldering embers.

Not just embers... but a glow of some feathers too.

"You think it is safe to get down there? Those feathers would make a great keepsake. A friend of mine does amazing stuff with stuff like that, but a phoenix feather... that would be great on a glass vase..."