“Finally! Hey kiddo, take a look at yer new home,” Hleowera announced as the first rune of her clan came into view, marking the boundary between their territory and everything else. A small, inquisitive chirp came from beside her and she grinned down at the tiny little snapper baby that had been following her from a remote clan in the Shifting Expanse. It had taken quite some time to track down the clan and all the sand and crackling energy had made her unbearably itchy. She was glad to be back and soon would be able to rid herself of the lingering grains of sand caught between her fins.
The guardian snatched up her young charge and leapt into the air, suddenly eager to reach home quicker now that it was so close. The snapper squeaked pitifully and curled up as tight as she could as the air whipped past her. Her fear would not last long, thankfully. The lair came into view rapidly as the massive dragoness’ wings ate up aerial distance. The sentinels caught site of Hleowera and one roared a welcome despite the questioning looks towards the new addition. The crimson lady didn’t stop to exchange pleasantries as she landed and headed into the warren of tunnels and caves. Her goal was deep within the lair network, to arguably the safest place within the vast expanse: the hatchling caverns.
The closer she got to her goal the more obvious the chattering of younglings became. She entered the caverns and was quickly met with squeaks and a few loud “Hleo! Hleo!”s when the younglings noticed her presence. Niehsta was quick to walk over to greet her friend, eyes trained on the fiery snapper now resting behind Hleowera’s left foreleg.
“So, this little one is what you went out Searching for?” Niehsta asked her friend, voice pitched to carry over the hatchlings trying to get better looks at their potential new playmate.
“Yep!” Hleowera exclaimed as she curled a protective paw around the frightened baby. “Turns out I wasn’t broken, this kiddo just hadn’t been born yet.” The lack of a charge after all that time had certainly been a sore spot for the guardian. She leaned down to nuzzle the snapper. “C’mon kiddo, don’t be afraid now. These are your new friends and Niehsta here will be your bestest friend of all,” she murmured soothingly, gently scooting the hatchling forward to meet the others.
“Did she have a name?” Niehsta asks as she watches the noisy hatchlings begin to interact with the overwhelmed orange snapper.
“Nah, found her too quick for her parents to have figured one out. She may think it’s ‘kiddo’, though, ‘cause I keep calling her that,” Hleowera answers with a chuckle.
Niehsta shakes her head and notes that the hatchling in question had indeed turned to look at Hleowera when the term was used…though that may have just as easily been her looking for reassurance due to the situation.
“My, my,” a silky voice said from one of the entrances to the caverns, “but you’ve found something interesting, Hleowera.”
Silence fell over the caverns as most of the hatchlings skittered behind Niehsta and the snapper child curled up behind Hleowera’s leg again. The pearlcatcher that wandered into the area had a certain presence that never failed to unsettle children and most of the adults in the clan. Neither adult guardian was particularly glad to see her, that much even the hatchlings could tell from their body language.
Niehsta was the first to say anything, sighing as she asked, “What brought you here, Tanhlyta?”
“Oh, nothing too special. I just knew that Hleowera’s precious charge had finally arrived,” the dark pearlcatcher purred. Her jewelry jingled and her glowing purple claws clicked against the ground as she walked ever closer to Hleowera and her small companion. “This one is pretty special, though. Oh, yes. Her big blue eyes may say she’s kin of the Stormcatcher but her lineage has its deepest roots in fire.”
“What are ya getting at, ya witch?” Hleowera growled as her fins flared in a clear threat display.
“No, no! Don’t get so defensive, my pet. I only wished to inform you that Agne there is descended from our dear sweet Forbaerna,” Tanhylta responded.
“Agne?” Niehsta asked while Hleowera looked down at her charge in bewilderment.
Tanhylta laughed, the sound tinted with a hysterical edge. “It means ‘to dedicate’ from what the reading has told me. Do remember to tell our esteemed leaders about their long lost descendant, won’t you?” With that answer the pearlcatcher swept back out of the hatchling space. She paused at the entrance she had initially come from and turned a smirk in Hleowera’s direction. “And do watch over your charge well, Hleowera.”
The crimson guardian growled again as she positively wrapped herself around young Agne. “Have no fear, Agne, for that witch won’t ever touch ya,” she assured the snapper snuggling up to the being Agne already knew to be safe.
