Under The Full Moon

Surprise Reinforcements

Gale stayed with Wysteria well into the next morning and afternoon, keeping a careful eye over her as the hours passed. Toby would check in from time to time to make sure her injuries stayed clean, the young woman still in an unconscious state. Toby sighed, setting aside the herbal paste after he was finished, once more cleaning his hands off on a cloth before he looked up to Gale, who had been watching him in silence. "I'm sure she'll be alright," He said, lifting a hand and setting it on her nose, hoping to offer some kind of comfort to the large beast. Gale closed her eyes, inhaling through her nose and exhaling softly as she tried to take his words to heart, though she found it hard. Wysteria had been a large part of their fight against Alerone, and she and the young woman had grown close. Toby gave her nose a gentle pat before drawing his hand back and getting up, cleaning up the dirtied bandages that he had removed from Wysteria. Once he had walked away again, Gale laid her head on the ground beside Wysteria's shoulder, listening to the quiet breaths that left her friend. Silently, she wished that she would wake up already, or that she had still had the pearl to use on her. 

The dragon released another sigh, her eyes following the villagers as they moved about the campsite, carrying wood for the night's fires to the center of the camp. The wolf-like creatures had set the villagers on edge, especially knowing that they could get the jump on Wysteria when the woman could avoid most other attacks. Broin paused as he walked from the edge of the trees, having been checking on a few traps that had been set. His gaze was in the trees, his head c****d slightly to the right as he listened to the sounds of nature. He didn't hear anything out of the ordinary, which seemed to settle the man. Continuing what he was doing, he took a look at a few other traps before he went to help get the campfire set up. Gale soon rose from where she was laying, her stomach beginning to growl. Heading to the center of the camp, she found Broin and gave him a gentle bump with her nose, the man smiling at her over the bundle of wood he had in his arms.  

"I'm going to look for food. Our rations look like they might be running a little low," Gale said softly, lifting her head from where it had been settled against Broin's shoulder, the action almost a little reluctant. Broin set the wood he had been carrying down and turned to look at her. 

"That sounds good to me. Would you like me to go with you?" Broin questioned, brushing some of the wood chips off his arms and shirt. Gale contemplated this for a moment before she shook her head. 

"No, you need to stay here in case anything happens. The villagers need someone with a good sense of what's going on. I'll take Dillan with me," Gale said, Broin giving a nod before he turned to start working again. Dillan was nearby, clearing away a patch of grass, exposing the dirt for the new fire. "Dillan," Gale called his name, the young man's head snapping up from his work. "Get your bow. We're going hunting," She hummed, moving to step around the group of men that were gathered in the center of the campsite. Dillan quickly brushed away some dirt from his arms and hurried to grab his bow, though Broin stopped him before he got too far. The young man looked a little concerned for a moment, his expression reflecting it, though he was set at ease by a small smile from Broin.

"Take care of her out there. She may seem like she can handle things on her own, but all of this is taking a toll on her. She needs to be watched," Broin said, his voice hushed. The young man nodded, his eyes locked on Broin, who moved his hand from his shoulder and allowed him to follow the waiting dragon. Gale watched Dillan briefly before she gazed in Broin's direction, then turned for the trees. 

"If you would like, you can climb up onto my back and I can fly us to our hunting site," Gale offered. When Dillan looked up to her, he had an expression of hesitation on his face. Having never left the ground before, it was an intimidating thought, though he seemed to get over that rather quickly. When he agreed, Gale stopped walking and lowered herself to allow him to climb up. Once he was on and settled, Gale opened her wings and stretched them out for the flight. "Hold on tight to me," She said, taking a few steps forward and beating her wings. Soon, she carried them both into the air. She could feel Dillan's hands grip her fur tightly before he hugged against her back, though as she straightened herself out and flew, he slowly released his grip and sat up. Risking frightening himself again, Dillan peeked over her shoulder and down to the trees. 

"Wow..." He whispered, at first taken with the idea of being in the air. However, when Gale moved to adjust the direction they were flying in, he felt his heart lurch as he wobbled a little to the side. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward against the dragon's back once again. "Gale!" He shouted, half-muffled by his face in her fur. "C-can we get down now?" He asked, lifting his head just enough to be heard. The dragon gave an acknowledging rumble before he felt her dip toward the ground. As soon as Gale's feet touched solid ground, Dillan slid off. "S-sorry, I don't think that's my thing," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. Gale smiled a little and shook her head. 

"You've nothing to apologize for. Maybe after a little while, we can try again," She thrummed, watching ahead as they walked, her ears tuned to listen for their prey. She perked her ears a little at the sound of hooves, her head c*****g to the side. It didn't sound like deer hooves. Curious, she continued forward, Dillan cautiously walking at her side. What she did see surprised her. Her father, seated on Valor, was heading in the direction of the older camp. Behind him, several soldiers rode on horseback as well. Dillan looked up to Gale, his eyes wide. 

"I'll get him and tell him that the camp is the other way, so the horses don't get spooked," Dillan offered, moving a little to do so. Gale nodded, backing up some. She would talk to her father in person once he was away from the group. It didn't take long before Dillan came back to her, her father following on horseback. Valor watched her warily as her father climbed down off the saddle. 

"What are you doing out here?" Gale asked, watcher her father with a little concern on her face. "There are things out here that could have hurt you... or worse..." She spoke, closing her eyes as her father took her face in his hands and drew her into a hug. 

"I would take that risk if it meant seeing you. The men have provisions for your camp. Your friend here was nice enough to tell us where it's located," Gale's father spoke softly, placing a kiss between her eyes before he moved away from her. Valor, who had been watching her with wide eyes, soon seemed to realize who it was that was standing in front of him. With a snort, the horse tossed his head and pranced in place for a moment before he hurried forward, nickering at her softly. Gale smiled, bumping the horse's shoulder with her muzzle. 

"Hello again, Valor," She whispered. Gale's father chuckled, moving over to Valor's side and climbing up. 

"Let's get to your camp so we can introduce the soldiers to the rest of the party, hmm? I don't mean to interrupt your hunt, but we've got plenty of provisions for all. One of the men got a deer on the way here that you can have,"