Chapter 2: A branch in the forest

Ramirez looked into her eyes, they were deep blue with a glance of hope, they were beautiful. Her scales were purely white, with a hint of silver when you looked closely, the scales looked rather soft and comforting, she was indeed a beautiful dragon.

He walked past her and towards a fallen tree, a bag was by the tree, and on the right side of it was a bow, a long bow and on the other side was a sword.

This sword was a type of long sword, but with a longer and firmer handle than normal, wrapped in hardened leather for better grip. Neither of the weapons were of the two slain Dragoons, they had to be Ramirez's weapons, a quiver was also by the bow, filled with normal steel tipped arrows.

Ramirez reached down the bag and fumbled around, and then he stopped and pulled something out of the bag. A leather satchel with a lid, he opened the lid and put the opening to his mouth and drank the cool water inside, he noticed that Na T'hel followed his every movement. He lowered the satchel and wiped his mouth dry with his gloved left hand. "I would bring you water, but all I have is this satchel, I would need something a bit bigger, sorry."

There is however a river with water from a clean spring nearby, so when you can move...

Na T'hel just lay there, trying not to move at all, her wounds were still healing after the crash, and she wondered how long time has gone since that. "Ramirez, was it? How long was I out?"

Ramirez was a tall male character who had not shaved his beard in a couple of days; his face looked kind of shaggy. His hair was of a dark blue color that seemed black at first glance, and his eyes were of a silver or gray shade. The eyes were proud, and of a man who would fight if necessary.

He closed the lid on the satchel and put it back in the bag, he turned towards the Dragon, who looked frail and weak, and very sad for some reason. "About a day, approximately."

She slowly turned her head to take a look at the damages her legs had taken, it had already started healing. Her neck didn't hurt anymore, but she should probably still not move her head too much. And the smaller wounds caused by the branches of the trees she hit had already healed. "I will be able to move in about a day."

She turned towards Ramirez again, and laid her head on the soft grassy ground, she was thirsty, but she would have to endure to tomorrow. Na T'hel rested on the ground, Ramirez sat and sharpened his sword, and soon he would have to go out hunting for dinner. He looked over too where he had buried the two Dragoons, He had put their swords into the ground where he had buried them, he didn't like to kill anyone, dragon and human alike. "I have given you some pain reducing medicine made from a common herb, you should feel less pain."

A few hours passed and Na T'hel had now fallen asleep, Ramirez had gotten most of the blood stains from her scales, but some just wouldn't go away. He stood up, looked into the forest, grabbed his bow and quiver and went hunting, it would soon get dark in the forest, and then vicious monsters would appear.

He walked towards the denser part of the forest, critters are assured there, the forest smelled fresh and wild and he noticed a deer not far away. He readied his bow, took an arrow in hand, and prepared to fire, he took a small step forward, but he stepped on a dried branch, a *snap* echoed throughout the forest. The deer looked at Ramirez, and then ran away; Ramirez took up the chase still with his bow and arrow ready to fire. He saw light pouring in from the trees further into the forest, it was probably a glen or something, the deer disappeared in the light, he continued his chase, but as he got closer to the light, he had to squint not to be blinded by the sudden burst of light. He felt a gentle and fresh breeze against his cheeks; he did a sudden stop, and nearly fell over, as he had realized that he had to be at a somewhat high place. He opened his eyes, he stood at a high cliff and before him vas the vast and clear blue sea, a lone ship was sailing the horizon. The deer hastily turned towards him, it had nowhere to go, and Ramirez put down his bow, and put the arrow back in the quiver. He took out the knife that he had in a pouch on the underside of the quiver, he readied himself and pounced the deer and slit its throat, dealing it a fast painless death. He was close to the edge, a bit to close; he quickly threw the knife to be the bow was lying on the ground and dragged the deer away from the edge. He turned to the edge he had just stood on, it crumbled and pummeled to the ocean below, he had been very lucky.

He saw a bright light further into the forest, the forest would soon end, and he saw the deer by the light and kept running. He reached the light, and he squinted not to be blinded by the sudden light, he heard a fresh wind blow, and fresh air, he had to be somewhere high up. He did a sudden stop and nearly fell over; he opened his eyes just to see that he was on a cliff, and the deer by the edge. He sheeted his bow an put the arrow back in the quiver, and took out a knife that had been in a ouch on the quiver, he took a fast step towards the deer, and grabbed its neck and slit its throat, dealing it a fast and painless death. He dragged the corpse back towards the forest, and walked back to the steep edge, if he had missed the deer with his step, he would have died from the fall. He put the knives side to his upper arm and wiped off the blood, looked down the cliff, below was the clear blue ocean; a lone ship was by the horizon. It was probably a trader vessel.

He turned towards the dense forest, grabbed the deer and started to walk back to the glen

When Ramirez came back to the glen, he tried to be quiet not to wake the sleeping Dragon, he once again stepped on a dry branch. "This is not my day, is it...?"

He thought to himself. Na T'hel looked up, her eyes seemed to glow in the dark, like two blue fireflies in the night, and he put down the deer corpse with a thud, "Sorry to wake you, Na T'hel."

Na T'hel looked up, and slowly stood up, Ramirez backed off as she might have fall over him. "I'm fine, I've healed enough now, I should be able to stand."

She now stood up, Ramirez was paralyzed, she was bigger than he had anticipated. She raised her head; she truly was a magnificent Dragon.

He looked around; he needed to find a few rocks and dry branches. "Well, the branches should not be a problem; they seem to be plenty today..."

As he had thought, dry wood was all over the place, it must have not rained in at least 48 hours, he stepped on a few smaller pieces of dry wood, snap after snap. He had gathered a few big, sturdy pieces of dry wood; he dug out a hole in the ground and surrounded it with rocks, a fire place. He places the wood in the fireplace, when a drop fell on his head.

"Really, rain?"

He was annoyed by the rain, it seemed to fall just to mock him, and it worked.

He tried in vain attempts to light it with two rocks and leaves; he threw the rocks away in a desperate anger.

He calmed down, why was he upset? He knew it could drive him to insanity in his current.

A flash of a blue-silver light came from behind him, it dampened, and flickered. He turned around, the fire place was covered in a flickering blue fire, smoke was somehow absent, Na T'hels mouth was slightly open, a weak blue glow was coming from her. Blue fire... an old legend within human society, and a rare element for even the Dragons. "Your element?"

He asked the Dragon and nodded to the fireplace. "Yes, it's a different kind of fire, fiercer, hotter and faster than any fire."

Ramirez smirked; he had met a fascinating dragon indeed.

~End of chapter ~