amaris

dragonborn

Anticipation mounts, the seconds taking eons to pass. With Dramyrth resting upon her withers, the golden girl takes deep, steadying breaths, pushing away the fatigue and clutching with all her might on to her mental acuity - she did not want to miss a potential second with her cousin, she wanted to be fully conscious, completely and wholly in the moment so that she could fully embrace every second she was allowed to spend with her beloved Tandavi. For Amaris was still under the impression that she would be turned away, exiled from Tandavi's heart, never permitted to dream or hope of return - it simply was in her nature to assume that others thought of her the same way she thought of herself (the worst).

But dream and hope she did, for her heart could not help itself - selfish though it was, she wanted nothing more than to be welcomed back like no time had passed at all ( because it hadn't, not for her ), she needed the reassurance that her sunkissed cousin was alive and thriving, because Tandavi deserved nothing less than that.

Her ears, which were pricked already, seemed to rise to new heights as her eyes widened at the sound of approaching footsteps. Then it happens - she sees her, she holds the beautiful Fire Dancer in her sights, and she breathes her name through quivering lips and twitching nostrils. Her heartbeat seemed to lurch, to skip a beat or two or three as she hears her own name crafted by her cousin's crimson lips, and then accelerate again with a flourish of excited shivers down her spine. And suddenly the rest of her body was moving too, and she was falling into her cousin's embrace, a deep purr humming from somewhere in her chest, a sound altogether soothing and expressing the sheer joy and relief the sight of her made Amaris feel.

"Tandavi," she said into her cousin's glorious mane, laughter on her voice and vibrating through her very soul as Dramyrth moved further down along her back to better inspect the sunkissed mare (and make way for Natraj as he guesses the kitsune's intentions). Tandavi pulls away some and alarm flares briefly within her (was that it? Was she leaving her now, scorning her, rejecting her already?), but it is swiftly squashed as she feels the dancing paws of Natraj upon her spine. Amaris turns her tiara to greet him warmly, and it is evidence of the intensity of her feelings that Dramyrth immediately feels the same and offers a playful bow to the smaller vulpine creature.

Amaris breathes deeply and happily, almost afraid that this was only going to be temporary, fleeting - but no, she would not let it be. Not ever again.

And Tandavi asked the question, sought out the answers Amaris knew she would, and Amaris hated that her reply was to be so insufficient, so unfair, so unbelievable and yet, the dragonmare had to try. Her compliment to Dramyrth did not go unnoticed by the little dragon king, who preened himself quite happily, fluttering with a fourish of his generous wingspan over to land lightly upon Tandavi's back, purring a deep, guttural sound not unlike that which Amaris was making before. She will understand, he reassured his bonded, she is wise. (Internally, Amaris wanted to question him further on this assessment, knowing full well how vain he was, but she instead chose to ride on the wave of confidence he was permeating and push on.)

"I travelled fast, as I promised I would. Our trip to my father's birthland was swift and I only intended on staying there three days - but on the morn of the second day, he - " (she indicated with a tilt of her crown) " - fell ill. I don't know what it was exactly - he was out of synchrony with me, the bond was faded, obscured somehow - oh, Tandavi, I was so afraid!" It was the first time she had admitted just how much Dramyrth's condition had shook her out loud, and it was only to her cousin that she knew she would ever utter those words directly to. "I carried him back here, the return journey took half the time, such was my rush. When we crossed the Threshold, I felt the bond return, I felt him again and - " here she hesitated, for here, now the implications of everything was to finally being revealed.

Would Tandavi believe her?

What else could she say if not the truth?

"Tandavi, look at me. Look at my pelt, it still has winter's cloak upon it. I travelled for barely half a season, I expected to return when the snowmelt was flooding the rivers." She was almost pleading now, desperate for her cousin to believe her, to understand she did not mean for this to happen, it was an accident, a magical rift, a shift in the timelines, unexplainable and yet, evident. The dragonmare leaned and stretched to show her thick, warm, sweaty body, ignoring the slight tremoring that rattled her limbs, betraying the utter exhaustion that she refused to recognise (who had time to be tired when one was greeting their beloved cousin for the first time in forever?). "Dramyrth aged at the same rate as if he were here - he is the size and maturity of a dragon of two full turns - but it has not even been half a season since we bid you farewell."

"I went to the Throat first, looking for you. Ampere was there, she helped me find you, and, and -" and there was so much else, but the dragonmare could not speak anymore, for her throat was dry and crackled, her voice fading and the energy from her excitement of finally seeing Tandavi again diminishing. She had explained enough, she hoped, and would keep explaining if Tandavi needed her to - but for now, she breathed a deep breath, and leaned upon her cousin's slender but sturdy frame, blinking back tears of joy and exhaustion, hoping she would not be turned away - selfishly taking this embrace for herself anyway. There's no place like home.

sky above me — earth below me

and fire within me