Under The Full Moon

The Search

Gale's gaze on the forest was unbroken, both Toby and Broin had tried to draw her attention away, though it didn't last for more than a few seconds. The dragon seemed to grow more agitated each time they tried to draw her away from her focus, so much so that Broin began to worry every time someone approached her. Dillan had started toward her, though Toby had been quick enough to grab his arm and deter him from getting any closer. "Leave her alone for a while... Gale is not in the best of moods at the moment, it would be wise to stay away," Toby spoke, looking from Gale to the young man. Dillan watched Gale from where he stood with Toby, concerned. "We don't like it any more than you do. Her friend is missing, think about how you would feel if that were you in her place," Dillan gave a short nod when Toby finished speaking, looking to the ground at his feet. He turned his head a little, watching Broin as the man stood with his arms crossed, his eyes locked on the dragon. After a few minutes, Broin turned away and went to a group of the villagers that stood nearby as though waiting for his word. 

"What are they doing?" Dillan asked, his gaze shifting back to the older man. 

"They might be heading out to see if they can find any sign of Wysteria," Toby informed Dillan. As they watched, Broin left the group and carefully approached Gale, her ears signaling that she was already annoyed with his presence as they pinned back quite hard against the space beneath her horns. 

"Gale? I wanted to see if you wanted to go with us. A group of the villagers and I are going to see if we can find anything that might lead us to Wysteria..." His voice was hesitant, cautious. Gale didn't answer for what felt like forever before she finally shifted to stand, her gaze finally breaking from the forest. Nodding once, she looked toward the group that waited nearby. 

The villagers stood patiently, each one holding weapons that they would use to defend themselves if they ran into trouble on the search. As they headed out, Toby called for Broin's attention. The man stopped, turning to face Toby as he walked toward the group.

"Be careful. I'll hold down the fort here with Dillan until you get back," Toby reached out to set a hand on Broin's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. The two made eye contact for a moment or so before Toby finally lifted his hand and moved it away, allowing for Broin to move again. Starting out, Broin walked beside Gale, the villagers walking on her opposite side. She listened as they held quiet conversations among themselves, her own attention focused on the forest. If there was any sign of Wysteria out there, she wanted to be able to find it. 

For the first little while, they heard and saw nothing, though Gale slowed down to a stop when they reached a dense portion of the woods. When Broin looked, her ears were perked and her face showed she was attuned and focused on something. "What is it?" He asked, though a flick of her ear stopped his questioning. He followed her gaze, watching a little as he tried to figure out what was causing Gale to fixate. 

"I can smell her here somewhere..." Gale finally spoke, making a couple of the villagers jump when she did. She started forward again, Broin motioning to the others to follow closely behind. Gale followed the scent until it seemed to fade off, her head lifting into the air as she tried to catch it again. "I lost the scent..." Gale sounded distressed, the sounds of her breath inhaling in heavy sniffs filling the void between her words. She continued forward before she was stopped, Broin reaching out and grabbing her shoulder. Gale looked at him, confused.

"Stop... there's something out there," Broin whispered, the villagers readying their weapons. There was a low growl and a huff, the sounds of something shuffling around in the underbrush reaching them before one of the villagers shouted as he was tackled to the dirt. At first glance, the creature looked like a wolf, though Gale could see the shimmer of scales just beneath the fur. Growling, the beast tried to latch its jaws onto the villager's throat, its teeth snapping just above the man's skin as he held it back as best he could. The creature let out a sharp yelp as Broin released an arrow into its side. It jumped up away from the villager, stumbling into the underbrush. The other villagers helped the man to his feet, the men moving to stand closer to Gale. Broin joined them, looking around as the sound of growls reached their ears. 

Gale snarled, drawing in a breath and exhaling a massive roar at the underbrush in front of them, the wolf-like creatures snarling and giving yaps and whines in response. Gale paid no attention to these sounds, her growls showing she was larger, and could easily take them apart with her jaws if they came any closer. One of the beasts tried, rushing out of the underbrush behind Gale and grabbing her tail. She let out an angry roar, turning on the beast and slapping it off of her tail, sending it rolling away into the underbrush where it had come from. This seemed to trigger the rest of them, the beasts bursting from the bushes and for the group. A rumble in Gale's chest seemed to make the air tremble around them, and when a bright light erupted, for a moment Broin had thought Gale had breathed fire at the beasts as they fought to get rid of them. 

However, when he felt no heat, he looked up. A familiar figure stood a little ways away from where they stood now, the light making him squint. When it began to fade, both he and Gale felt a bubble of alarm in their chests. It was Wysteria. The wolf-like creatures had fled from the light, their hunt abandoned. Broin hurried forward as Wysteria wavered where she stood, catching the young woman as she fell forward. "We need to get her back to the camp... she's hurt," Broin said, lifting her and starting toward Gale and the others. Gale could smell the metallic tang of blood, and not from the wolf creatures. It came from large cuts and scrapes that covered Wysteria's arms and legs, a larger injury tracing along the side of her dress where the fabric had been torn open. Gale lowered herself, drooping her wings so Broin could settle Wysteria upon the dragon's back. Lifting her wings, Gale cradled the young woman as Broin retrieved the staff that she had dropped. 

Turning, the group hurried back toward the camp, Broin calling for Gale to get Wysteria there as fast as she could. Doing as she was told, Gale lowered her head and moved quickly along the underbrush, ignoring the tugging at her legs and chest when she brushed through the branches and weeds.