It was snowing. Clouds had blown down from the north during the night, and as the cold air clashed with the moist winds from west the sky had begun to darken, effectively locking away what little sunlight there was to have these winter days. Howling winds and whipping perspiration more reminiscent of icy needles than of snow had chased the herd away from the few meadows, to instead huddle next to the blazing campfires with the back against the wind.
The Glazier still hadn't quite gotten used to being among the others of the herd again. Two seasons of self-imposed solitude had left him quiet and withdrawn, more introverted than before. His bond with Fajira had deepened if possibly even more, to the point where they rarely ever spoke anymore; they were simply connected, always sharing everything they saw and felt and thought. They were not really two separate entities anymore, but rather one soul split into two bodies. Now they lingered in the outer rim of flickering firelight, Lace nibbling in whithered grasses among the roots of the trees and listening with half an ear to the muffled conversation of some nearby herd mates, while the white dragon lay outstretched along his back like a lazy feline, gnawing on the remnants of her dinner.
"Maybe I should join them..." Lace pondered quietly through the bond and raised the head from the ground, thoughtfully chewing the tasteless grass as he glanced over toward the others.
"If you want to" the dragon replied and cracked a bone open with her powerful jaws, eager to taste the sweet marrow hidden within.
"I don't really know them though. I don't wish to bother them."
"Then don't join them." She began scraping out the jellylike substance of its pale chamber, using the sharp claws as often as a long, surprisingly pink tongue.
"You're no help at all... Do you have to eat on top of my back?" A black-rimmed ear sunk backwards in faint irritation, nostrils flaring at the scent of blood and sound of crunching bone.
Fajira paused in her meal and looked at him, chilly blue eyes narrowing until the slitted pupils were half-hidden behind scaly lids. An image passed over and settled at the forefront of Lace's mind, a vision of himself seen through the eyes of the dragon. He never really got used to seeing himself from outside, and this image felt particularly disturbing; like a dark cloud he seemed to disrupt the view of dancing snowflakes slipping down through the dense canopy, a black hole sucking away the light and peace of the afternoon. A taste of blood and marrow, the sensation of crushing hardened calcium between sharp teeth, a faint ache at the back of the head at the sound of his indecisive thoughts...
Now both ears slipped backwards and with little warning the stallion whipped the head around and snapped at the dragon, annoyed over her lack of support and interest in him. So he was a depressing bore who gave her a headache with his nagging? Fine. If it was like that then she could find another perch. The sensation of annoyance spilled over to her, and quickly as to avoid another snap aimed at the sensitive tip of her tail the little dragon sprung into the air and out of reach, her meal clutched firmly between the front paws.
"Grump" she accused scathingly and flew past him once, retaliating with a slash from a leg that cut three thin lines into his nose before Lace had the time to duck. Then the White disappeared in between the trees and left her bonded to sulk on his own.
"Dragons" he muttered to himself with distaste, having to pace a bit and thrash the tail wildly before he once again was calm enough to stand still. With slightly excessive force the glazier bent down and ripped out a few strands of grass, wincing as the cuts stung in the cold air, blood beading and trickling slowly down the skin.
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