Posts
You will stay here during your time with me, Galindakherithan said, waving imperiously at the room. Feel free to find a place for your things. I will come back for you shortly.
And with that, she walked out and shut the door.
Almonihah looked around the room, growled, and paced around for a bit. After a moment, he decided he might as well take his pack off. He leaned it against the wardrobe, then took a seat on the bed. He was startled so much when he started to sink into it that he jumped back up on his feet. He glared at it, already feeling a little bit ridiculous. He may have been sleeping on a bedroll on the ground for years now, but he had slept in a real bed in inns a few times. Muttering to himself darkly, he sat back down on the bed and thought.
It was obvious that he couldn't escape while Galindakherithan was around. If he was lucky, she wasn't serious about this whole teaching him Great Eagle thing, and she'd let him go tomorrow after she felt she'd made her point. If not... well, she had to leave to hunt sometime. While he was more accustomed to hiding from lesser (and stupider) predators than dragons, he was certain he could disappear well enough once he reached the forest outside that the copper dragon wouldn't be able to track him. He'd be good for a day or two while he observed her habits, but the next day, when the time was right...
His keen ears picked up the sound of footsteps outside the door after spending a while ruminating. He quickly sat up from the bed as the doorknob turned.
Galindakherithan, again in human form, opened the door. I trust you've had sufficient time now to settle in... she said, her words half-question, half-statement. Her eyes flicked to the pack leaning against the wardrobe. When she looked back at Almonihah, there seemed to be a hint of disapproval in her gaze.
Almonihah nodded. Galindakherithan waited for a moment, but when it became clear that the half-dragon had nothing to say, she said, Well, why don't you come out here now so we can start your first lesson?
The Ranger grunted in acquiescence as he walked to join Galindakherithan in the hall. She led him back towards the main chamber of her lair. Once they were out of the narrower part of the tunnel, she shifted back to her dragon form.
Much better, she said as she stretched out her legs and wings. I'll never understand how you manage to live your whole lives cooped up in your little bodies.
Almonihah's only response was another grunt.
Galindakherithan taught Almonihah the basics of Great Eagle for the rest of the day. Despite how much he hated the fact that he was being forced to do it, he had to admit that he almost enjoyed it. He was rather proud of how many languages he knew and how proficient he was at learning new ones.
Not bad... for only being half dragon. Galindakherithan said at the end of their session. I guess you inherited a bit of dragonkind's vocal flexibility. Most humans can't even make the sounds required to speak Great Eagle.
Almonihah just grunted again. He wasn't quite sure how much she was actually complimenting him. He found her attitude towards him and his half-dragon status... well, he wasn't quite sure what to think of it yet. The Ranger sincerely hoped that he wouldn't have the time to figure it out.
The copper dragon interrupted his thoughts. Well, it's time for me to go out and hunt. Do be a dear and don't try to run away or go anywhere I've told you not to.
Almonihah's response was a snort and a nod. He knew better than to touch a dragon's things, and as for running away, he needed a bit more information before he tried that.
Seemingly satisfied by her “guest's” response, Galindakherithan made her way back out of the lair. Almonihah stood for a little while in the main chamber, then decided to look around some more. He started with the main lair chamber, where he already was. He explored around, noting the subtle differences in slope in the cavern's floor, the interesting formations in the corners of the chamber where the dragon hadn't destroyed them, and the small grooves and smooth areas made by the daily habits of Galindakherithan. After a couple of hours, he felt he knew the room almost as well as its resident did.
And after that, he felt quite bored.
He didn't quite dare study the other rooms in the kind of detail he'd studied this room, as the other cave chambers were closer to the entrance—which would hardly look good if Galindakherithan flew back in while he was studying them. And his room and the hallway... well, he suspected that studying them would be at least as boring as sitting on his bed doing nothing.
When Galindakherithan returned, the half-dragon was pacing about the main chamber of her lair like a caged beast. The copper dragon observed him with amusement as he turned to face her. Almonihah looked at her for a moment before speaking.
“Took you long enough.”
That is hardly an appropriate way to welcome a dragon back to her lair, she replied, her voice and manner oozing with mock majesty.
Almonihah replied with his characteristic grunt.
Galindakherithan shook her head a bit, chuckling deep in her chest. For such a seemingly humorless fellow, you do have quite a number of amusing quirks.
The half-bronze dragon didn't deign to respond.
The remainder of the day was spent on more lessons in Great Eagle. Once it was night (as far as he could guess from so deep inside of the lair), the copper dragon ushered her “guest” off to his room.
The next day dawned bright and clear... not that it mattered to Almonihah, deep in the mountain. He was already awake when his hostess came to awaken him. If Galindakherithan was surprised at all by this, she didn't comment on it. She did, however, tell him to come out for some breakfast. The meal consisted of some roasted meat, as well as various nuts and berries. Almonihah wondered when she'd gotten the food, but decided not to ask.
Lessons came after breakfast. They seemed much more intense than the day before, as if the copper dragon had decided that her pupil could learn at a much more rapid pace than she had first thought. The increased pace of his lessons didn't bother Almonihah, as he actually enjoyed exercising his talent for languages... not that he would admit it to Galindakherithan. He had a feeling that she knew about what he was trying to hide, though.
The dragon left after several hours of teaching Great Eagle, and Almonihah quickly went to work scouting the front two chambers of the lair. Unlike in her nest chamber, he was looking for something in particular this time. Most dragons were skilled in sorcery, and often used magic to guard their lairs with wards of some type. Hopefully they'd be more to keep things out than in, but he'd still rather know they were there.
It didn't take him long to spot one. Near the tunnel leading further into the lair, there was a strange pattern etched slightly into the stone. While the Ranger couldn't make any sense of it, he noted its location for future reference.
He spotted several more in that chamber, and even more in the entrance chamber. Once he was fairly certain he knew where they all were, he went back to the main chamber to think. If he'd really seen all of them, and if she stayed out hunting as long as yesterday...
He had a fairly good idea of what he wanted to do by the time his “host” returned. She had, indeed, stayed out about the same amount of time as yesterday. Good.
I trust you've been keeping yourself entertained, Almonihah? The dragon's voice made it half-statement, half-question.
The half-dragon's response was a combination of a shrug and a grunt. I've been looking around. I haven't been on the inside of a dragon lair before.
And what do you think? Galindakherithan's tone seemed to imply that she already knew he was impressed.
I prefer the woods, was Almonihah's blunt reply.
The dragon looked at her guest in shock, as if unable to believe that the Ranger would say such a thing to her face. After a moment, though, her expression smoothed into a smile.
You probably think you're clever, don't you? Trying to get me angry and have me throw you out into the woods, aren't you?Well, I think it's time for some more lessons. You're not going anywhere until you hear my joke in Great Eagle.
Almonihah suppressed a groan as he moved to the place she indicated for him to sit. Hopefully he hadn't just made it harder to escape...
**************************
So... it's been over a month. School happened. It's getting better.
