Chilly Getaway [S'bel]

The amusing exchange between Rider and Dragon, this time said aloud for her benefit, chased away the remainder of whatever tension had been left in her shoulders. The quiet morning, her awkward place in the community rooms, and the true lack of anyone to talk to seemed such a faraway concern now. Not because S’bel was particularly affectionate, but because he acted so casual around her. Not tiptoing around Sennia because she had, in fact, been stolen. Or even unaware she wasn’t there – sort of hard to do since they were supposed to go foraging together – but still! To be included, regularly, in an exchange between his dragon was wonderful. Her smiles were genuine, lacking force or uncertainty, and it lit up her eyes like nothing else.

Besides, the idea of a rider calling their dragon a ‘daft lizard’ was a bit preposterous and prompted a laugh anyways. “I do not think he is daft,” she replied, feeling compelled to playfully defend the sweet dragon whose words were as wonderful as he was. Even if the sense that came along with them was lacking. The cryptic response was as entertaining as S’bel’s reaction to it. Maybe dragons regularly found focus in abstract ideas, or as Sennia hoped, this was a particular trait of Ipsyth. It set him apart, made him, in her eyes, unique. She loved him all the more for it.

Sennia watched S’bel easily climb Ipsyth, a small marvel at his form and familiarity with the motion, before she moved to join him. She paused only briefly to actually touch Ipsyth again, letting her hand pass over the smooth hide, before she took S’bel’s hand to be hauled up. His smile was encouraging for someone who didn’t usually spend their time atop a dragon or in flight at all. While some candidate lessons involved getting used to dragons, it was another thing entirely to be invited to fly on one of the Rider’s own accord. There wasn’t a teacher to supervise – just S’bel to keep her in line with what she should do. While S’bel was certainly the preferred choice of what Rider she would be spending her time, he also didn’t take into consideration things that might make a candidate nervous. Perhaps, she reflected as she settled on Ipsyth, that was why it was so much easier with him. She wasn’t treated like a candidate.

Sennia did tense as she settled on the dragon, but only for a moment. It wouldn’t serve Rider or Dragon for her to be stiff and unyielding. For all she knew that might mean she’d go toppling off because she couldn’t move with the way Ipsyth did. And while the idea of flight, of being up off the ground without a safety net, was terrifying the actual act of doing so on a dragon she trusted was breathtakingly exhilarating. Sennia found herself as excited as she was apprehensive. “As ready as I will ever be,” she finally managed, focusing more on how she was sitting and less on the idea they were about to be in the air.