Hearthwood River We're Bound Together

For @Bennet <3 - RE: Kyrios, you catch a rare sighting of a hummingbird!

"My heart is strong because now I know where I belong"

The water drew Kyrios, like a moth towards the light of the full moon. There was something magical about the ever changing currents, the shifting hues of deep blue and aqua green, white foam at the edges. The pale pup often spent his time trekking along the shores of the river, watching how the flow had changed from the days before. He'd realized from the first time he laid eyes on it that the water was not dead like the towering trees, standing tall and straight, always in the same spot, never changing. But the river was brimming with life, from the water itself, supporting the wolves and other animals, even the plants around it, and too the many creatures that lurked in its depths.

As such it was not unusual to find the young adventurer at the banks, paws deep in mud or even submerged in the shallows as he gazed into the water, searching for the many secrets he knew it hid. On warm days like today, he would take pauses in his exploration, finding a place to rest as close to the water as possible. At the moment he'd lain down in a pool of cool mud, the flowing water lapping over his outstretched paws as the stream formed small waves against the bank. His eyes were half closed, gazing out over the azure expanse, vast like a sea to the small pup. Lying like this, he would dream of getting even closer, becoming one with the river and traveling along it, seeing all the new and exciting places it would pass through on its journey. Far away in those daydreams, he half mistook the sudden glimpse of color as his own imagination, a small dart flitting over the water, shimmering like a rainbow in the sunlight. The kid's head jolted up, eyes opening wide as he tried to follow the creature, seeing it slow near a cluster of flowers further down the bank. It was a bird, but unlike any one he'd ever seen before.

Word count: 339

"Speech"

The fluttering movement in the corner of her vision caught her attention. Sitting quietly in the shadow of the clustered tall plants which grew by the bank, Bennet had been contentedly oblivious to her brother's proximity, too enraptured in her own world just as he was. But where his eyes had been downcast, fascinated by the river, the girl's had been skyward. She had spotted it again that morning, the wide, distant shape in the sky, from this very spot. In hopes that it might pass by again, the black child had parked herself here and waited, impatient.

But it hadn't been mighty wings from above to snatch her gaze but a tiny, delicate pair which hovered down near to the patch of colour on the same bank. Ears lifting and twisting around as her brain slowly disengaged from its search and decided to pay attention to this new curiosity, she only had a few moments of peering at it when she was distracted by a white shape following along behind it.

Stepping out of her shaded hidden spot, she chuffed at Kyrios in automatic greeting, having clocked that they were both interested in the same thing - and that alone made her even more interested in the bird, small and delicate though it was. Dragons weren't like that. She wanted her shadow-maker back. But maybe Kyrios knew what this was, or would want to catch it, and she was down for that.

"My heart is strong because now I know where I belong"

His body moved swift and fluid, slipping through the reeds to follow the fluttering creature. He'd only ever seen such colorful animals in the water, trout and salmon shimmering in the sunlight. But something with wings?! The curious boy paused some steps away, not wanting to frighten off the bird, then the soft call drew his attention. His head whirled, a wide grin spreading on his face,  a rapid tail-wag returning his sister's greeting. Of course she'd been nearby, she always was when something interesting happened. Swampy eyes met her still blues briefly, then trailed back to the colorful creature they had both spotted. His ears were perked in interest, nose quivering with an instinct he still didn't quite know how to exploit. The bird was hovering above a small flower, appearing to hang completely still midair, only its wings were a blur of motion, he'd never seen anything like it.

Unlike his sister, Kyrios was less pragmatic about the nature of dragons, though he would defer to her seniority any day. But he looked at this shining animal and he thought, well maybe not a real dragon or a full-dragon, but perhaps… It was a fools hope he knew, the desperate wish that such a thing as half-dragons might exist. Regardless, this bird was certainly new and interesting, and with a sidelong glance at his sister, the captain knew that they both had the same idea. Though, like a true gentleman, he would let the lady take the lead, bowing his head to signify as much. Then they would see how much dragon might be in the colorful creature.

Word count: 270

"Speech"