As the day had neared the anniversary of Thread's return, R'tansky's sleep became more and more fitful. It wasn't strange for the man to wake up suddenly, breathing heavily his eyes staring widely at his surroundings as he did his best to recollect himself. If it had just been he and Atalith the man would have allowed himself to be a bit more vulnerable, the bronze could already see into his mind and his heart anyways.

But things were different now, he had decided to take in a drudge who clearly had a problem with felis. The woman had approached him grungy and desperate, wanting to do anything for a fix or to get money for a fix. He was sure his response had surprised the woman, especially when he had brought her back to the cave system he had made his home in the area outside of Nabol.

Atalith was pleased with his rider's response, glad to see him showing compassion to another human. The bronze had been doing his best to push his rider into caring for others, to create another attachment to another person. It was hard, the man had steeled himself from getting close to anyone. He had learned the day Thread fell that your life can be changed and things taken from you in such a quick instance. What did it matter to get close to someone.

The main cavern of the cave was where R'tasnky and Atalith slept, having turned one of the branching caverns into a room for Lilah. As the nightmares continued, R'tansky had begun to take refuge beneath the bronze's wing as he slept. It wasn't strange to find the man and dragon curled together most mornings, but this morning was different.

The pair had roused early and Atalith had insisted that R'tansky not go and wake Lilah to tell her where they were going. We will not be gone too long, the sun has not even risen yet. We should be back before she awakens. The man just grunted at the bronze's words, already noting how the dragon was becoming attached to the woman. Once the straps were on, R'tansky swung up onto the bronze's back and the pair took to the air outside before disappearing to the cold of between

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It was about five candlemarks later, the sun already up, that the pair returned. R'tansky was visibly drained as Atalith alighted through the opening in the large cavern. The man hung, almost limply, against the bronze's neck though he did not appear unconscious. Perhaps it was more like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, one that began to grow and grow as each day came and went.

Atalith landed gently waiting just a moment for R'tansky to slip from the straps and then begin to robotically remove them. It was clear the man was in his own mind still, where ever the pair had returned from was still effecting him.


-_Wish of Tevarae_-
So, I FINALLY decided to do this.