Elwon took flight behind Rei, carefully following her path between the trees, twisting and turning whenever she had the room. She broke from Rei's path and climbed, circling one of the many trees until she reached the underside of the canopy. She pulled a quick backflip, reacquired the group through the branches, and then dove; wings tucked and body straight as an arrow. As she picked up speed she opened her wings, breaking the dive and sending her barreling through the branches towards the rest of them.

As she blew past Rei she spun on her back, flashing a conceded smile before rolling back upright and targeting Val. She tapped Val on the back of the head with her foot as she passed, then dove straight down and turned around, flying under Tyrith and back to Rei.

Val seemed about to launch herself after Elwon when a snarling roar echoed through the trees. This noise even brought Rei up short, stopping entirely on the trunk of a tree, her talons holding her securely against the bark. Tyrith however, did not pause but barreled forward, no longer caring what branches he broke as he went. Rei and Val now flew on their own, winging past Elwon and Ty, shooting through branches as if they were not there. Rei however, actually paused in midair to look at Elwon. "That's Petrichor." she said simply before flying on, all three of the clan's dragons trying to get there as fast as possible.

The sight that met their eyes had Tyrith in the air in seconds, his wings beating furiously as he circled the open space. Val stuck close to Elwon, her typically random movements as streamlined as she could. She flew looping over and under Elwon - in another situation it could have been part of their game - but she was doing her best to shield the youngling from any danger, creating a veritable wall around her of flashing teal and shadow. Val stopped when she (and the others at almost the same moment) finished evaluating the situation that had met their eyes. Val flew next to Elwon now, and quietly guided her down.

The space before them was impressive, if a bit in shambles. They stood next to a sheer cliffside, the bottom dropping out to a fast moving river, easily as wide as Tyrith was long. There was clear evidence of a fae colony on the sides of the rocks nearest them, a huge structure, many parts of it now broken and shattered, the amber that made it washed away in the waters as it had fallen.

The cleared space before them was enormous, three sides lined with massive trees, the fourth a sheer cliff face. The trees on one side seemed off, somehow, and upon closer inspection, it was because they were only propped there for coverage - another massive space lay beyond it, partly dug into the ground for the earths protection.

The immediate open space before them was packed with dragons, many of them injured, but none hurt so badly as their leader. A dark guardian stood in the middle of the wreckage, her sides heaving, open wounds across her glimmering sides and back. Another guardian, slightly lighter than her in color, seemed to be supporting her, though his own hide was marred with blood.

Tyrith still circled the air above them, his jaws curled into a horrible snarl as he patrolled the skies, aching for an enemy to sink his fangs into. Val landed at the feet of the crystalline guardian, even bowing her head. Rei had skittered to a stop in the midst of a chittering group of nocturnes, shoving through them until she reached several younglings, clearly just hatched, still ungainly on their feet and looking quite terrified, cowering under the protective wings of the adults. She nosed them, her normally haughty demeanor melting as she made sure they were not injured.


Two vivid imperials were moving steadily across the open ground, crimson hides glistening with their own injuries, yet they healed whomever they touched, slowing making their way through the chaotic mess. A blood-red fae accompanied them, helping as he could, and one of the few who appeared uninjured.

Elwon stopped for a brief moment as the roar sent chills down her spine. She turned to look at Rei just in time for her to explain before flying off, then located Val and in a fitful fear she resisted the urges to be bold; choosing instead to remain close to a more battle-worthy dragon. Elwon did her best to remain still as Val circled her, but by the time the others had surveyed the area Elwon had already slipped through a crack in Val's temporary shield and began descending. It was hardly a moment before the others had certainly come to the same conclusion: the enemy was gone. Elwon was hardly out of her egg when her clan was attacked, but she could see the signs everywhere.

An instinct took hold of Elwon as soon as she touched the ground and she immediately took flight towards the dragon with the most severe injuries; Petrichor, though she was unaware of her identity at the time. She circled the dark guardian three times, going over every inch of her body and determining which wounds were the most serious. She didn't bother with introductions, nor did she ask permission before slipping between Petrichor and her support and began healing the most vital wound she had found. Elwon had spent many days with Kayta and the young when they were first rescued, and she was glad now that she had paid attention.

Their clan had never been truly attacked such as this, and Val shot after Elwon in nervous protection. She was all too aware of the fact that should anything happen to the little noc, they would be hard pressed to explain that tiding. She, however, didnt dare approach Petrichor. She stayed in her spot on the ground, babbling explanations until Petri snarled at her, out of patience and in pain.

The crystal guardian flexed faceted wings as she felt the worst of her wounds begin to close, turning her head to puff the newcomer away. Her eyes were hard and cold, and although she desperately needed the help, she snarled so viciously it was perfectly clear that she did not want it - those she protected still needed it more, in her eyes. Her companion gave a softer look to the ruby nocturne, thanking her silently for her impromptu help.

Tyrith, finally satisfied that there was nothing for him to fight, landed heavily in the clearing, near to Elwon and the rest. He was promptly covered in crawling hatchlings, who streamed out of the second clearing's grounded nests, all of them still quivering in repressed fear. They had clearly slipped the dragons assigned to watch them, but Tyrith didnt seem to mind, lowering himself down to greet and reassure the young he typically watched after - when not chasing Val through the woods.

Elwon switched personalities in an instant, snapping at Petrichor as if to tell her to shut it; the same thing Gradiel had done to her on a daily bases, though Gradiel's was much more convincing. She crawled along Petrichor's belly, careful not to touch too close to any open wounds, and healed each gash just enough to stop the bleeding -- just as Kayta had done when the young first arrived in their lair.

When Elwon was finished she backed away from Petrichor, taking up a position hovering a few meters in front of her face. "My patriarch sent me to seek help.." Her voice was nervous again, quite and broken up. She looked around for a moment, still coming to terms with what was around her.

Petrichor seemed surprised at the backtalk, at first flaring her wings and crest fins, then slowly settling. The barest hint of amusement crossed her face, and she considered the nocturne now in front of her with clearer eyes. "None of us were grievously injured," she said, and with the exception of herself, it was quite true, "what aid does your clan need?" her grey companion, still by her side, looked at Petri with some surprise. She rarely offered help and even less often did she accept it as she had just done with the noc's healing.

It took Elwon a moment to get her thoughts in order. "We have injured hatchlings and need healers. Kayta can't handle this many on her own, she hasn't rested in days.." Elwon had to stop and think before she spoke again. "We also need to find a home for most of them.." She was clearly flustered at this point, having difficulty remembering.

Val, oddly maternal, nudged Elwon encouragingly as the noc got more and more flustered, sitting herself beside Elwon with a defiant look at Petrichor. The forbidding guardian looked to Tyrith and ignored Val completely. Ty merely confirmed Elwon's request with a nod. She, in turn, returned the gesture before focusing once more on Elwon. "Gwyn will go with you." her decision was hard and fast, her voice clipped and still hard-edged with anger from the fight. One of the two brilliantly colored imperials turned at the sound of her name, padding lightly over to the small circle. She, unlike her mate, was small for her kind, barely half of even Tyrith's size. Petrichor had done this on purpose, not knowing how small or large the other clan was in terms of space. She did hesitate on the next comment, looking from Elwon to Val with some reluctance, when Rei joined them, trailed by two shimmering hatchlings and the whole flock of nocturnes to boot. She, too, sat herself next to Elwon (though on the opposite side from Val), and looked up at Petri expectantly. This seemed to be the final factor in Petrichors mind. "ReiShann will go with you as well." she didnt give a reason, but it was fairly clear. She needed a voice and eyes besides the conscripted imperial, but she would not send Tyrith out again, not when she may need him to defend, should another attack come.

Elwon shot a brilliant smile at Petrichor, immediately bowing her head with a slight flare of her wings. She turned to her new, and old, company and spoke with urgency. "We should depart immediately, if you're well enough to fly." The last comment was directed towards the injured Imperial. Elwon was not familiar with her breed, and so assessing her injuries was difficult.

Val smiled to herself, watching Elwon regain confidence. She slipped away and wound herself around Tyrith's foreleg, and he bent his head to hers to touch her softly before returning his gaze to Petrichor and the circle of dragons.

"It is nothing." the imperial spoke to Elwon directly, stretching her wings above her briefly. And, indeed, even as she did so, the tears in her flesh began to close. "What is your name, little one?" she asked softly, lowering her head to look Elwon in the eyes on her own level.

Elwon's head cocked to the side as she watched the wounds close for a moment. She tore her attention away as soon as she realized she was being spoken to. "Elwon. What's your name?" The question came out more as a pleasantry than an actual question; she was obviously anxious to leave for home, and clearly not practiced in social manners -- though that wasn't uncommon in nocs, or the young.

"Gwynnestri." the imperial replied, noting the nocturnes impatience. She raised her head again, looking down at Elwon. "Flight is faster - can you direct us?" Rei, given her instructions, made a leap onto Gwyn's tail prooceeding proudly up the imperials back to her wing joints, settling there as if she was going to sleep.

Elwon looked ashamed for a moment, turning to look at Val. "I wasn't really paying attention on our way here... Val can show us though."

Petrichor nodded her head and looked at Val, who reached her head up to Tyrith's before leaping off and circling back to the others. "Be happy to!" she chirped, looking importantly at Rei, who stuck her nose back in the air and pretended not to hear this development.

Elwon grinned as Val flaunted her importance, glad that the attention was at least momentarily taken from her. "We must go, Petrichor." She bowed once more to Petrichor before flying the short distance to Gwynnestri's back, taking a spot close to Rei; and for good reason, for as soon as she had settled in she went back to studying Rei's immensely intriguing body.

Val settled between Gwyn's horns, goggles back in place in expectancy of the coming ride, and easier to speak to the imperial as they went. Petrichor gave a little dip of her head in farewell to Elwon, then targeted Rei with her dark amythest eyes. "We need allies, not enemies." she said pointedly to the haughty dragoness, "Behave yourself." Thus said, she promptly turned her attention back to her clan, beginning to move among them to be sure all were recovering well.

Gwyn shook her mane with a little flip of her head, leaping up and into the sky as she listened to Val's directions. Rei seemed content to hang on, concerned with keeping all her various accessories in their places as the wing whipped by them. Compared to Tyrith's mighty wings, they seemed to move much slower, the sun beginning to sink as they flew steadily on.

Elwon clung to Gwynnestri's back, finding it much easier to grip than Tyrith's hide was. She decided, regardless, to simply sit this one out; staying low to Gwynnestri's back. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off Rei as the sun reflected off her crystal body, which worked in Rei's favor as Elwon's tail caught one of her tail rings just before it slid off and fell to the forest. With a flick of her tail Elwon snagged the ring around her own tail, curling the end of her tail to ensure it wouldn't be lost; and wishing that she had some accessories as well.

Rei couldnt help but preen under the attention, flaring her wings out to catch the last rays of the sun before they were gone. She felt her golden rings start to slip and she spun around to catch one, very nearly losing her balance before her claws latched on to one of the gemstones encrusted on Gwyn. she looped her tail around another gemstone, stopping the same from happening again. She looked at Elwon consideringly, then gave a little grin and a shrug of her wings, thinking that it looked quite good on the redish female, thinking to let her keep the bauble.

Elwon couldn't help her ego at Rei's seeming approval, flitting her tail about. Elwon noticed that they were getting close, and tried to call up to Val, but her voice was too weak to be heard over the wind. She reluctantly climbed Gwyn's back and tugged on Val's tail to get her attention. A few words could be heard between wingbeats. "...straight to... lair. Look... big tree." She pointed at a tree that's top stood a few meters higher than the rest; sure that Val would recognize it.

Val nodded enthusiastically, her body wriggling into loops around Gwyn's horns. She called out to their crimson mount, who began a slow descent, curving around the treetop as they reached it, making sure she had room to land. She set down carefully away from the roots of the tree, glimpsing movement and not wishing to step on any tails - literally or boundary. She did not have the best eyesight in the dark either, and was glad to set back down among the various glowing fungi of the forest floor.

Rei sat up with interest, looking about her importantly, whereas Val rolled off, tumbling down Gwyn to the ground, who for her part stood quite still, unsure of herself in new surroundings without her mate.

Elwon left Gwyn's back before her feet touched the ground, quickly gliding over to Ohdaviing --still by Kayta's side-- to give him the news. "Ohdaviing, I brought a healer!" She landed on a confused Ohdaviing's back, crawling up to his head so he could hear her better. "Petrichor has sent Gwynnestri to aid us!"

Ohdaviing turned his eyes to the group that had landed, the golden noc on Gwyn's back standing out even more than the Imperial herself, despite her size. "Welcome." His voice was heavy, the weight of the situation still present on his shoulders; but unlike before he now showed it. "Please, if you could take over, I would like to give Kayta some rest." The mirror laid still in the same spot as when Elwon had left with the others, the carcass in front of her missing more flesh than before. Kayta moaned, her magic fluctuating, clearly weak; wanting rest.

Elwon flew back to the group that Petrichor had sent with her, perching carefully on Gwyn's wing. She addressed Rei directly, seemingly unaware of the others. "Come!" She flew off again, toward's her own lair where the nocturnes of her clan resided; though the rest were off in search of insects for the clan. She paused a few meters from Gwyn and turned back for a moment. "Gwyn, please watch your step, try to stick to the footprints.. The ground is weak in some spots." She spun around and resumed her original path.

Gwyn seemed troubled, approaching slowly and carefully. "You have only one healer?" the question seemed to be more a thought to herself, and she quickly stepped into Kayta's place among the hatchlings with no further introduction, her magic spreading strong and unwavering over them, giving Kayta leave to step away. Only then did she look at the clan's leader, eyes a brilliant red in the wavering lights. Small for her breed, Gwyn settled herself among the hatchlings easily. She held Ohdaviing's gaze briefly before looking at Kayta. "You are to be commended, sister, for their lives. Rest now." Gwyn, in her element, took on a faint hint of command.

Rei launched herself away after Elwon, gliding swiftly and silently, head held proudly after Ohdaviings brief attention.

Ohdaviing dipped his head to Gwyn, now resting among the hatchlings, in silent thanks. He he carefully lifted Kayta by the scruff and brought her to a nearby den, located between the hatchlings and the clan's extra food. He laid her gently in the den, nudging her softly with his cheek to convince her into a more comfortable position. He stopped and stared at her a moment before heading to the pile of food to pick out a meal --one that was nearly the size of Kayta herself-- for when she woke. He set the food beside her and then wrapped his body around her and her meal; he laid his head to rest with her.

Elwon flew in excited loops on her way to her den, almost humming with excitement. Her den was among the spirals, buried underground with only one entrance; a crack created by a root of the tree that the lair had been built around. When she reached her destination she perched on top of the root --a root just barely thicker than the average spiral-- and turned to address Rei. "I'll just be a moment!" She did a backflip and slipped under the root and into the crack, her wings grazing the ground as she disappeared into the darkness.

Elwon poked her head out a few minutes later, practically giggling. She carefully climbed out of the crack and onto the root; in her back claw, very carefully clutched, was a length of golden silk. She took care not to let it touch the ground or the tree as she climbed.

Gwyn's attention was first with the hatchlings, but as she grew comfortable she transferred her gaze to the receding Odaviing. She 'smiled' to herself, stretching her wings out over the resting hatchlings as she did, giving them warmth as well as healing. Ohdaviing's actions reminded her of her own mate, Rajani, and so, she looked on him with softer eyes than she did her own clan leader - who dealt even with her 'mate' in harsh words and cold shoulders.

Rei pranced along after Elwon, sticking her muzzle in after she disappeared into the ground. Rei didnt follow, the dirt making her twitchy, but she tried to catch a glimpse of Elwon below. When she heard a light scrambling, she jerked her head back, pretending not to have been curious at all. It wasnt even a second before Rei's eyes landed on the golden silks, though, and her gaze stayed fixed on them til the young noc spoke again.

"Vermiit wont miss these." Elwon chirped, as if she hadn't just stolen something from another dragon's den; a smug smirk crossing her face for a moment before she approached Rei. She took flight and carefully looped around Rei as quickly as she could, spooling out the fabric around her neck, then landed in front of her and tucked the silk under itself to make a scarf. Elwon took a step back and smiled, proud of her work.

It was Ramoth, --with Ukko and Circe, two of the clan's fae-- who first approached Gwyn. He instinctively pulled his wings closer, hiding the Fae beneath them, as he always did around the unknown. The look he gave Gwyn was surely hard to interpret, however his Fae lent a helping hand from the shadows. "Ramoth wants to thank you!" Circe's voice could hardly be heard outside the confines of her temporary prison, and what was heard was nearly indistinguishable. "But he's shy!" Ukko continued, the wing around him pressing down as he laughed at his protector. "I can speak for myself!" He huffed, annoyance clouding his eyes. He settled himself and turned his attention back to Gwyn.

"They're right; I would like to thank you. I would also like to know if there's anything I can do to help." He looked around nervously, as he couldn't think of anything he could do; and he wasn't sure the new healer could either.