Under The Full Moon

Tension Among Friends

Broin stayed with Gale, talking softly with her for a while before he began to take note of a few jealous looks from Dillan. The young man had stayed away from Gale, though it was clear in his expression that he wasn't happy with the fact that Broin hadn't taken his own advice. There was a difference in their need to be around her. Dillan had been showing concern for her out of his friendship with Gale... Broin cared on a deeper level. He knew her better. Gale let out a huff, distracting Broin from his thoughts. He looked toward the dragon, meeting her soft, purple-blue gaze.

"Are you alright?" Broin asked her, watching as her muzzle stretched open in a wide yawn, her teeth flashing in the sunlight. Lowering her head after a thrumming yawn, she exhaled softly through her nose before she nodded once.

"I am. I'm still a little tired, but there is much we need to do," Gale spoke, sitting up. She had been lying beside him for the time being, though her need to get up was growing more apparent. He stood up as well, reaching out to brush a little bit of dirt from the soft white fur of Gale's leg. She turned to him, reaching out with her muzzle to brush it softly against his cheek. "Go get your training done for the day and we can go for a hunt. The supplies here are going to need to be replenished. We need to keep everyone full and focused," She all but purred when she spoke and it made Broin's heart melt. Nodding once, he turned his head to softly kiss the dragon's muzzle before he started toward a group of villagers. He called to them, one of them waving to him. Dillan stood a distance away, his eyes following Broin before he moved toward Gale. She was watching Broin herself, a small smile on her lips. 

"Gale?" Dillan called the dragon's name to get her attention, her eyes turning from Broin to himself. He came to a stop a little ways from her, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I know... Broin wanted me to leave you alone but..." He scuffed a foot on the dirt before he sighed. Gale tilted her head a little before she stood. 

"Broin has his reasons, but to set your mind at ease, I am alright," She reassured Dillan, reaching to muss his hair with her muzzle. He smiled some, though it wasn't much of his usual bright smile. Gale noticed this, a soft frown forming in place of her own smile. She gave him a bump on the cheek before she spoke again. "Cheer up. Things will be alright and a lot less tense when this is over with. I am sorry that I have caused a rift between friends," She said. Dillan looked at her and shook his head some. 

"Don't be, it's not your fault," Dillan spoke, drawing a hand from his pocket and placing it on her nose. "If the wizard would have left you alone, none of this would have happened," He patted Gale's nose, turning to walk away. He seemed to be content with knowing she was alright, at least from what she could see. She couldn't account for what was going on inside. One ear flicking back, she watched Dillan as he moved off to go train a bit himself. She hadn't seen Wysteria yet, the young woman had gone off to do her own training long before Gale herself had even awoken. The dragon turned her attention to studying the camp, watching each of the villagers as they trained and rested around her. She was drawn away from her studies by a light bump on her side. She turned, smiling some at the old man Broin had spoken to earlier that afternoon.

"I see he spoke to you," he said, drawing a further smile from Gale. She nodded once, looking off toward Broin. 

"And I assume it's you I've got to thank?" She questioned, her voice light as she faced the man again. He chuckled a little at her words. 

"I simply gave him a nudge. The words were already there,"

Gale gave a warm thrum. "Thank you. I don't know if I would have been brave enough to say anything to him. There was always something in the way he would speak or the way he touched my face that I just..." she started but stopped, looking sheepishly toward the ground. "Thank you," She whispered. The old man gave a laugh this time, reaching to pat the dragon on her front leg. 

"We'll get this figured out, then you can give him the love he needs. For now, keep him safe," He said, giving her one more pat. "In the meantime, why don't we get a little practice in, hmm? We might not be fighting more dragons that I'm aware of, but it's always good to get the practice in just in case," The old man backed up, looking up to Gale. She stood completely from her seated position and turned to face the old man. He reached for a stick from nearby, brandishing it like a sword before giving a mock lunge forward. Broin watched from a distance as the two sparred, giving a soft laugh at the way they danced about each other. 

"That's always going to be something to remember," One of the villagers beside him spoke up, his own gaze focused on the mock battle going on a little ways away. Broin nodded in agreement. 

"I agree. Though, from what I've heard from Wysteria, she'll always be a dragon. She just won't be stuck in that form," Broin's words were soft, almost a whisper, as though he didn't want Gale to hear. He was sure she already had an idea, but that didn't mean he wanted to just go ahead and assume that to be the truth. He looked away from the little battle to the arrows he had resumed working on. He had to make enough not just for himself, but for the others that were training with the bow.

"Well, even if she does still have her dragon form, there's not really anything wrong with that. Maybe she can teach people that dragons aren't all meant to be feared. You got lucky with the village we are from. We've all been more curious than we really should be. I mean, look at you. You were one of the few that had the will to go out and actually provide for the village instead of being content to staying and farming," The villager spoke in length to Broin, who listened carefully. He gave a short sigh. 

"I guess you're right. And I'm glad I took the chance. Otherwise... where would she be now? What would happen to her?" Broin's words this time were somber, a tone that his friend didn't care for too much. He cleared his throat, shifting from one foot to the other before he looked away from Broin and to Gale. 

"She's going to be alright, Broin. You'll see to that," For a moment, he stood where he was before he started to walk away from Broin, going to see to his own duties around the camp. The older man had remained to speak to Gale for a time after their mock battle, speaking softly to her.

Before she could answer, she heard arguing from a little ways off. Dillan stood facing Broin, the two of them looking as though they were about to start swinging. Ears pinning, Gale started forward. However, the older man stopped her with a hand on her side. "Let them work it out... it's not going to be pretty but until they work this thing out between the two of them, it's not going to get any better," He said to her, his hand lingering on Gale's side. It pained her, but as he had said, the two of them soon went on their own ways. Lowering her head a little, Gale watched the friends as they parted, hoping that things would soon settle.