The Journey, Chapt 29 = previous chapter
Chapter 30: Sleeping
Tara lay in a cot in a room inside the town hall. Some of the townsfolk took it upon themselves to take it in turns to guard Tara. Elqiana lay outside, keeping an eye on the window. Tara’s mother, who Elqiana had learned was called Cassandra, would get up early in the morning to open the curtains allowing the dragon to see inside.
Only this morning Cassandra opened up the curtains to find a ginger tabby cat curled up asleep on top of the dragon's head. She couldn’t help but giggle. Elqiana opened her eye, and looked at the giggling woman.
‘Feline’s always like lofty places, just like dragon’s’ Elqiana commented in her mind.
Cassandra opened the window. “It’s kind of cute, definitely not something you see every day.”
“I am very cute, adorable in fact” Commented the ginger tabby, stretching lazily.
“Oh?!” Exclaimed Cassandra! “Well hello, I wasn’t aware there were cats with voices.”
“Tabby… with message I have come.”
‘Can you get off my head now Tabby?’ Elqiana inquired.
“No…” Tabby yawned and stretched again as Elqiana rolled her eyes at the pesky feline. “Message, you must take Tara to Edena. Elqiana must fly high, well out of sight, important that is. People, or creatures will meet you along the way, to guide you. Vivi is who you seek.”
“Umm… creatures? Like you, perhaps?” Asked Cassandra curiously.
Tabby looked at her with a blank face, then deftly jumped from Elqiana’s head, on to her nose, and then on to the floor, stretched once again and disappeared into the trees and foliage.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to this, am I?” Cassandra commented, more to herself.
‘How do you think I feel? I had a four-legs sleeping on me half the night’
Cassandra laughed out loud, “you could have growled, or shook your head, or done something to scare Tabby away.”
‘She snuck up on me, and do you know how sharp were-cat claws are?’
Cassandra looked at Elqiana, “Were-cats? Never mind, don’t answer that. There is no change in Tara, she looks like she’s in a peaceful sleep.”
‘Her mind is like an echo, in a cavern full of water.’
“So, to Edena then. Do you know who this Vivi is?”
Elqiana subtly shook her head.
“I will get Tara into a canvas roofed wagon, we can’t use horses, that will make us stand out, donkey’s won't be strong enough, we’d have to use an Ox to pull us. Borneo has an Ox we could use.”
A few hours later, Tara had been carefully carried from the room and laid down on a bed of soft flat cushions inside the wagon, the Ox was harnessed at the front, Cassandra called out, “Yip-yip!” and the Ox started to move forward. Elqiana waited for some time until there was some distance between her and the Ox drawn wagon before taking off into the air with some powerful beats of her wings, she flew high up above the clouds, circling and watching with a keen eye, refusing to let another ambush catch them unawares.
‘While I’m flying high up Cassandra, keep your mind open to me, I want contact with you at all times’
‘Yes, of course… this really weird talking you in my mind like this… and Tara is ok talking like this?’
‘The bond between dragon and rider is stronger than wind, rain and snow. We don’t need to talk to know how each other is feeling.’ Elqiana said nothing more, choosing to watch and observe.
A few long slow days on the road, Cassandra came up to an old broken tower. There she recognised Tabby curled up on a tree branch. “Take the left fork of the road towards Colkeeth, the portside town.”
“Umm, ok.. Thank you Tabby.” The werecat just blinked at Cassandra with one eye.
Cassandra relayed what Tabby said to Elqiana, who replied by sending Cassandra an image in her mind of the portside town that she could see in the far distance.
Their journey continued, ever so slowly, the Ox slower than a snail. “I wish I’d chosen horses instead…” Cassandra muttered to herself.
Way up high in the sky Elqiana saw an eagle flying by, ‘Well met o’fair dragon’ Came a husky voice.
‘Well met eagle’ Replied Elqiana bluntly.
‘Queen Gabija of clan Panther would like to meet you, in the middle of the forest up yonder tonight. Tarasque’s mother need not know yet’
Elqiana grunted in acknowledgement, the eagle flew away as she continued to circle ever watching below her.
Chapter 30: Sleeping
Tara lay in a cot in a room inside the town hall. Some of the townsfolk took it upon themselves to take it in turns to guard Tara. Elqiana lay outside, keeping an eye on the window. Tara’s mother, who Elqiana had learned was called Cassandra, would get up early in the morning to open the curtains allowing the dragon to see inside.
Only this morning Cassandra opened up the curtains to find a ginger tabby cat curled up asleep on top of the dragon's head. She couldn’t help but giggle. Elqiana opened her eye, and looked at the giggling woman.
‘Feline’s always like lofty places, just like dragon’s’ Elqiana commented in her mind.
Cassandra opened the window. “It’s kind of cute, definitely not something you see every day.”
“I am very cute, adorable in fact” Commented the ginger tabby, stretching lazily.
“Oh?!” Exclaimed Cassandra! “Well hello, I wasn’t aware there were cats with voices.”
“Tabby… with message I have come.”
‘Can you get off my head now Tabby?’ Elqiana inquired.
“No…” Tabby yawned and stretched again as Elqiana rolled her eyes at the pesky feline. “Message, you must take Tara to Edena. Elqiana must fly high, well out of sight, important that is. People, or creatures will meet you along the way, to guide you. Vivi is who you seek.”
“Umm… creatures? Like you, perhaps?” Asked Cassandra curiously.
Tabby looked at her with a blank face, then deftly jumped from Elqiana’s head, on to her nose, and then on to the floor, stretched once again and disappeared into the trees and foliage.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to this, am I?” Cassandra commented, more to herself.
‘How do you think I feel? I had a four-legs sleeping on me half the night’
Cassandra laughed out loud, “you could have growled, or shook your head, or done something to scare Tabby away.”
‘She snuck up on me, and do you know how sharp were-cat claws are?’
Cassandra looked at Elqiana, “Were-cats? Never mind, don’t answer that. There is no change in Tara, she looks like she’s in a peaceful sleep.”
‘Her mind is like an echo, in a cavern full of water.’
“So, to Edena then. Do you know who this Vivi is?”
Elqiana subtly shook her head.
“I will get Tara into a canvas roofed wagon, we can’t use horses, that will make us stand out, donkey’s won't be strong enough, we’d have to use an Ox to pull us. Borneo has an Ox we could use.”
A few hours later, Tara had been carefully carried from the room and laid down on a bed of soft flat cushions inside the wagon, the Ox was harnessed at the front, Cassandra called out, “Yip-yip!” and the Ox started to move forward. Elqiana waited for some time until there was some distance between her and the Ox drawn wagon before taking off into the air with some powerful beats of her wings, she flew high up above the clouds, circling and watching with a keen eye, refusing to let another ambush catch them unawares.
‘While I’m flying high up Cassandra, keep your mind open to me, I want contact with you at all times’
‘Yes, of course… this really weird talking you in my mind like this… and Tara is ok talking like this?’
‘The bond between dragon and rider is stronger than wind, rain and snow. We don’t need to talk to know how each other is feeling.’ Elqiana said nothing more, choosing to watch and observe.
A few long slow days on the road, Cassandra came up to an old broken tower. There she recognised Tabby curled up on a tree branch. “Take the left fork of the road towards Colkeeth, the portside town.”
“Umm, ok.. Thank you Tabby.” The werecat just blinked at Cassandra with one eye.
Cassandra relayed what Tabby said to Elqiana, who replied by sending Cassandra an image in her mind of the portside town that she could see in the far distance.
Their journey continued, ever so slowly, the Ox slower than a snail. “I wish I’d chosen horses instead…” Cassandra muttered to herself.
Way up high in the sky Elqiana saw an eagle flying by, ‘Well met o’fair dragon’ Came a husky voice.
‘Well met eagle’ Replied Elqiana bluntly.
‘Queen Gabija of clan Panther would like to meet you, in the middle of the forest up yonder tonight. Tarasque’s mother need not know yet’
Elqiana grunted in acknowledgement, the eagle flew away as she continued to circle ever watching below her.
The Journey, Chapter 31
The Journey, chapt 30 = previous chapter Chapter 31: Distance Nekonata, ran and stumbled, and ran some more, he was scared, and skittish. He kept to the trees, staying off the road. His bow behind his back, and his sword at his waist. He didn’t know where he was going, he had no idea. There...
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