{"sf1_id":745152,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Five Dragons: TLoP: Chapter 6: Hard Training","author":"Lorddaventry","words":11772,"posted_at":"2014-08-16T22:54:00.000Z","tags":["Clean","Dragoness","Fantasy","Feral","Five Dragons Storyline","Friendship","Human","Magic","Romance","Story Series"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/745152-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-6-hard-training","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/745152","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=745152\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"Five Dragons: DLvP Chapter 6: Hard TrainingRoland was again faced with a decision. Only this time Kyndle was also with him. But with the opportunities he was\nnot entirely agree. \"What if I don`t want to decide?\" Roland threw the stranger accusingly at the feet. The figure raised his\nhead and looked\nat the companion empty. \"As you already told earlier. My destiny, my decision.\" added Roland. The figure in the\nrobe stood there motionless. \"This is open to you.\" echoed his deep voice through\nthe void. \"Fate\nis going his way anyway. With or without\nyour choice.\" the phenomenon raised his arm against the young man. \"Only then is the\nquestion of\nwhether you will be satisfied with the way that will come. Or not.\" The figure held both arms high, each pointing to one of the two cracks.\n\"One way will be chosen. Whether it will\nbe one of them\nyou can tell no one.\" \"Does that mean, they could die as well, even if I do not decide?\" Roland asked impatiently. \"This is left to the river of destiny.\" replied the shadow in the robe sober as he\nlowered his arms\nagain. \"Well,\ncompanion. Choose!\" came again from him. Roland went back to Kyndle. He sat down beside her and looked at her questioningly. \"What do I\nmerely want?\" Unsure of what could be the right choice, he crossed his arms over his knees, his face downcast lowered. The female sat down in front of him and placed\nher left paw on his right hand. Roland raised his face and looked at his companion with a smile. With a soft snort she nudged her\nnose against his and licked him\nonce on the cheek, accompanied by a quiet purr. He held\nout his left hand\nto her cheek and looked at her with a warm look. A short turquoise shimmer crossed their eyes. Both loaded with eyes closed the forehead together.\nWith a pleasant feeling Roland exhaled slowly. \"You know what?\" he began\nquietly. \"Choose\nyou this time.\" The dragoness gave\na surprised \"Chirp\" by and saw her companion skeptically. This smiled confidently. \"Is ok. I'm agree with\neverything you choose.\" he said to her. With a quick glance Roland pointed to the still pending cracks. Slightly nervous Kyndle considered to the cracks with faces in it. She glanced back\nto Roland. Why he let her\ndecide? He was finally the\ncompanion, and she merely his fellow. Her eyes widened for a fleeting moment. Or is it possible that she might be more\nfor him? With renewed courage she walked up to the first crack. She\nlooked at the faces\nin it exactly. Mardon had freed her from the clutches of the thieves a few years ago. But she do not had\nto this event much confidence in him. The king was unfamiliar to her as well. They did not understand the motivations to\nhelp them. The female\nsnorted at the image again and walked to the\nother picture. When\nshe looked at\nthe two men more accurately she felt a strange feeling, almost as if she had seen this two once already. What was strange, because she had met them today for the first time in her life. But whence came\nthis feeling merely. Kyndle knew that there had to be a connection, and therefore these\ntwo men were not\nallowed to die.Slightly confused,\nshe looked back to her companion. Roland saw it in her eyes, something\nwas going with her. Thoughtfully, he walked up to her. \"Have you decided?\" he asked\nher. Kyndle\nsat on the floor and gave a demanding \"Meep\" of herself while she pointed with her nose on Aaros\nand Torben. A loud cooing ended her gesture. \"Is that the chosen path?\" asked the apparition determinative. Roland glanced his female dragon in\nthe eyes. She\nnodded with closed lids once. \"Yes.\" he replied.\"Your destiny! Your decision!\" consider the voice of the phenomenon through the darkness. The crack with the\nfaces of\nMardon and King Harkin was gone. The burning circle behind the orange-red robe expanded with a bright glow of the fire. The apparition walked through it without looking back. The glow of the cold flames dimmed until they were gone. The companion and his draconic fellow\nstopped at the last crack. Slightly skeptical, he looked at the faces of the men. \"Was that a good choice?\" he asked himself in thought. Kyndle turned to him. But at this moment, a\nstrong suction\nfrom of the image forced which pulled both. Roland closed his eyes. There was silence. ......  In the throne room of Drakensang an elderly man walked a few hours later, up and down nervously. \"How could you let them go so easily?\"\ncomplained of this to the other two men. \"Now calm down Janosh.\" Mardon told him. \"It was the decision of the companion.\" he explained. The fighters sent\na hand on\nhim. \"And in your\nposition as a priest of the Five, you have to respect his choosing.\" he added determinative. \"But that was not so arranged.\"\ncame easily angry over the priest's lips. \"And?\" King Harkin went loud between. \"If the companion wants it so.\" The ruler walked to his marble chair and sat down on the\nsoft pillow.\n\"I have no reason to doubt his choice. You\nmaybe?\" With\na raised eyebrow, he saw the old man incredulously. Janosh short avoided the gaze of the king, before he once\nbreathed and just stood upright again. \"No I have not.\" he said calmly. \"Then we have\nnothing more to discuss.\" Harkin spoke aloud and pointed with fine hand at the priest to walk. \"I hear from you when the last companion has revealed.\" he added to his gesture. Janosh nodded silently and then withdrew\nsilently. Mardon looked after the man suspiciously. \"Something is strange about that guy.\" he thought to himself, shaking his head. ......  More hours went by since the visit of the companion in Drakensang.\nIn Ironwing there was a turbulent rhythm. Many of the people living on the estate, ripped their mouths of the new guests. Catherin was sitting in the chair applied to her office, in her\nhand she held an\nunrolled paper with the seal of the King on it. \"I do not know what I should think of that, Daniel.\" she spoke loudly in\nthe room. \"Is he really be serious?!\" she complained further. Daniel made with both hands a rising\nand falling movement. He\ntook a breath to begin a sentence,\nbut got no chance. \"Two escaped prisoners? Here?! And also even\nformer dragon hunters?!\"Daniel grimaced slightly his face. \"I know how it sounds.\" he tried\nto explain. \"But\nread the letter to end please before you continue talking.\" Tense he looked\nat his mistress\nwhile she continued to read the letter. ...... Behind the main entrance of the property,\ntwo men sat side by side on a bench. Left and right of\nthem a guard\nwas stationed respectively, which they did not let out of sight. One of the men looked calm and relaxed, while his colleague again nervously looked at the guards. \"That was your big plan?\" said Torben to his comrades. \"Courtyard in the castle and appear to\nhave insane luck?\" \"My plan was to add the course\nof destiny.\" he\nreplied. Aaros breathed once from left and looked at his colleague.\n\"I know you do not believe in fate and this companion\nstuff.\" he began quietly. \"But be you realize that you're\na part of this world\ndespite your lack of faith.\" He held\nout an outstretched index finger. \"We have now finally the chance to vouch for our mistakes.\"\nTorben looked at him slightly confused. \"I see no vouch\nin that. Neither have\nI wanted to go back to\nthe prison, so I try\nto make the best of\nit.\" he\nsmirked confident. \"But must we really\nplay the teacher for\nthis Roland?\"\nHe asked Aaros. His comrade lowered thoughtful his eyebrows. \"The companion, or we\nsay Roland, has pronounced for us\nboth. For whatever reason.\" he raised his eyes and saw Torben\nwith his dull eyes. \"We\nowe him our lives, so\nwe thank him by showing him what a\ndragon hunter can teach.\" A grin\ngrew on Torben`s\nlips. \"Then I suggest we start with ......\" \"But one thing must be clear to you, my friend.\" held him Aaros back. \"What do you mean?\" he prompted impatiently. \"Now this is a new beginning. For both of us. No contract or oath\nfrom the past still applies.\"\"That means?\"\nTorben asked again. \"The last assembly of Larzarus\nyou can now shoot in the\nwind. We will\ntake a new\noath. Invited\nor not.\" he replied.\nAaros saw his colleague seriously. \"You know which oath I mean?\" Torben stared aghast short on the\nground. \"I\nunderstand.\" he\nspoke softly. Torben raised his fist and looked at his\ncompanion. \"Then,\nto the new beginning.\" He said. Aaros looked at the fist of his colleague and slammed with his other hand against it. \"Let's give our life meaning\nagain.\"......  Back in the study room.\"Where are they\nnow?\" Catherine asked impatiently. \"They wait in the entrance area, mistress.\" said Sasha. \"And where is Roland?\"\n\"In his\nroom.\" he replied again. \"Good. I will talk to Roland, before we include the others.\"\nshe said encouragingly.\n\"Can you fetch him for me?\" \"Immediately.\"\nwas the butler with bent forward gesture of himself before he walked out of the room. ......    The\nevening sun had just begun their\nwork and\nran off with her red shimmer on the horizon. In one\nof the bedrooms of\nthe property Ironwing\nwas a still sleeping young man lying in bed. Beside him, an orange-red dragoness. Roland came back slowly from his sleep. He felt a pleasant warmth at his side and a gentle\nvibration that\nemanated from it.\nWithout opening his eyes, he knew that it could\ninvolve only Kyndle. The female lay beside her still dreaming\ncompanion on the mattress in the room. Snuggled\nclose to him she looked down at his face. Head tilted to the side gleefully, she watched him quietly purring\nwhile sleeping. A quick nudge to the\nnose, a slight tongue's touch on the cheek. With small gestures she tried to wake him up. Apparently with success. Roland shrugged few times at her\ntouch and\nslowly began to open his eyes. A bright turquoise shimmer glared at him from two beautiful blue\ndragon eyes.\nKyndle addressed happy cooing her moist eyes on him. \"Who wakes me up here?\" He asked in a whisper the dragon lady.\nA slight \"Chirp\" in turn was the answer. Then\nshe snuggled close to him. Laid her head on his chest, purring she watched him with\nhalf-closed eyelids.\nRoland felt the pleasant vibrations from her body and smiled at her.\nAlways keeping eye contact with her he enjoyed her\ntight society.\nHe felt it deep inside him as he\nplaced his hand\non her cheek. It was as if she touched his soul, and he would\nreciprocate the gesture. But something else seemed to be there, something he previously felt, but not yet clearly\nrecognized. He could feel her warm breath on his face and heard her\nsoothing heartbeat. Slowly she rose from him and gazed\ndirectly down at him. Roland was enchanted on\nthe mattress and\nsaw only two sapphires, which\nsparkled against him. She approached his face and purred softly.\nHe lost himself in her intense gaze. Let\ninhaling a weak, but which do not foreign odor rose to his nostrils. Roland looked at Kyndle\nover himself. His heart was beating fast. Perhaps it was this fragrance that his pulse was increased slightly, or it\nwas the way she\nlooked at him. Maybe\neven both.It appeared again as on that morning. A warm aura which had enveloped the\ndragoness. He gently ran his hand over her head and thought no more about\nit. Enjoying his\ngentle touch alone Kyndle closed her eyes and approached further on his face. Roland exhaled relaxed and pulled the head\nof his dragoness softly to himself. The face slightly tilted to the side, she was ready for this, their kiss. Three very loud knocker echoed from the room door. What both left startle literally. Kyndle more quickly by her companion back and looked disappointed\nto the side, accompanied by a barely audible, but plaintive \"Meep\". Roland turned around on the bed and watched to the door. The shock quickly\novercome, he stood up and\nwalked closer to\nthe entrance. He paused\nthoughtfully, looking\nslightly confused around the room. In short, he looked down at himself. He was\nonly wearing his pants in space. He could not remember to have arrived at the property again, let alone have since gone to his room. Eyes closed, he reflected the recent events.\nBut it was\njust gone. \"Why\ncan I not remember?\" He asked himself in thought. Puzzled by the gap in his\nmemory, he stood\nsilently in space.Three other knocker brought him from his thoughts. \"Yes, what is it?\" he asked through the door. \"Lady Catherine wants to talk to you.\" came in from the outside through the wood. Roland breathed out once and then looked\nback to the bed. Kyndle lay on the mattress, curled\ninto an orange-red\nball. Softly cooing she breathed to herself. He turned again to the\ndoor. \"I'll be right\nthere.\" He said to the voice. Roland\npulled a shirt on and\nwalked to the\nentrance. With the door handle in his hand, he looked back to the\nfemale. He watched\nher briefly slow breathing movements and then opened\nthe door.\nIn the transition arrived he faced Sasha, who eyed him critically. \"That should be enough.\" he said soberly, as he looked at the slightly disheveled\nhairstyle of the young man. Sasha began to go ahead. Roland glanced at the ceiling as if he just rolled his eyes. Then he closed the door behind him and followed the butler. Slowly striding down the corridor he tried to close the gap in his\nmemoirs. But\nhe remembered nothing a fact.\nThe last pictures were shortly after the two refugees had emerged from the castle courtyard. And connect its\nrenewed engagement\nwith the\nfigure in the orange-red robe. Then there is darkness. This was not the first time that he got lost a part\nof the memories.\nAfter the first visit to Barnabas, it was exactly the same. The shaded memories cleared aside he stood at the door of Catherine's\noffice. Sasha opened the door and gestured with\none arm, that he should\nenter. In the\nroom arrived he stood Catherine opposite. She sat in her\nchair and\nlooked at him encouragingly. \"Have you slept well?\" she asked quietly. Roland\nsmiled at her,\nnodding. Catherine's facial expression changed to a more serious face. Before her on the table lay an unrolled paper, with the seal of the King on it. \"I was initially\nvery skeptical about the recent events are concerned. Or should I say, your last decision?\" she started smirking slightly. \"Especially after returning with the new guests.\" she said gravely, as she rose. \"The letter of King Harkin brought luckily some light into the darkness.\" she went on. Roland looked at the woman ignorant. \"I had asked myself, what brought you up to\nthis setting.\" With a straight face she went back and forth in the\nroom, the view always directed to Roland. \"Harkins words were unmistakable.\" She stood before him and looked at him\ngravely. \"But\nI want to hear it from your mouth. Is it really the truth that\nthese two fighters\nshould be your new teachers?\"\nRoland looked\nslightly overwhelmed. The view just thrown on the table with the letter, he breathed out heavily. The attention turned\nto her again\nhe looked at her confident. \"Yes, it is.\" he said determining. Mentally, he wandered\nback, because he left the choice finally to Kyndle. Catherine looked at him a moment in silence. \"Then, good enough for me.\" she said, followed\nby her warm smile.\nRoland looked at her. A smile as it\nonly had his mother. For\na brief moment he saw\nthe face of\nClair to go before this reminder veil twisted again. \"You can now go back.\"\nshe said, waving at the door, which was immediately opened by Sasha. She looked at the young man slightly skeptical. \"Are you okay?\" she asked softly. Roland winced slightly at her\nquestion. The\nhazy image of his mother's face vanished quickly. The mind quickly\nrearranged he woke up from the short daydream. \"Yes, all right.\" he replied\nsoftly. He smiled at\nCatherine and then went out of the room, back to his room.                                           In his room arrived he threw a smile on the\nmattress. An orange-red female dragon still lay curled up on the sheets and strip cooed to herself. Roland closed the door behind him and approached the\nbed. Heavy\nbreathing in, he sat\ndown on the edge and buried his face in\nhis hands thoughtfully. The foggy picture of his mother seeing before him he pressed single tears out of the closed lids. Again, the pictures of that night came out and pulled the heavy sorrow with it.Gentle vibrations of a\nwarm body\njoined his downcast emotions. A slight puff of air flowed over his neck, followed by a wet tongue's touch on his cheek. Later, he felt a scaly face at his side. Kyndle had sat down beside him and snuggled\nher head on Roland zoom. Purring softly she laid protective a wing around him. Places the left hand on her head, he pressed her with light pressure per se. Once difficult inhaling he opened\nhis watery eyes.\nHe lifted his head and looked at his\ncomforter deep into her eyes. \"Thank you.\" he whispered to her. A gentle \"Churr\" was her answer. With a wet look he\nsought the turquoise\nsparks in the blue gems, and\nfound it without loss of time. A twinkle\nlater, both pressed each other's forehead together. With closed eyes he took the comforting moment into himself. An emotional hug from his draconic companion.......  Back in\nthe office\nnow sat the lady of\nthe house and\ntwo men in ragged\nclothes over. Behind the men were two security\nguards, who\nobserved the suspicious strangers. Catherine looked at them both gravely from her chair, holding Harkins letter in his hands. She looked at the older men. \"You must be Aaros.\" she began determinative. Her eyes wandered slowly to the\nsecond guest. \"And\nyou are Torben.\" Both nodded to the woman still. Aaros sat calmly in\nhis seat, while\nTorben slightly nervously glanced back and forth. \"And you two now shall to be the\nteachers for Roland.\" she continued\nin a serious tone of voice. Again, the men nodded silently. \"Since it was Roland's decision, I will not doubt this.\"The woman placed the document on the table and held on, strongly exhaling her hands over the plate together.\nAfter a short pause, she opened her eyes and looked at the two men demanding towards her. \"Gentlemen. I will not speak long around it.\" she began determinative. Aaros and Torben both\nswallowed hard once about her strong views.\n\"There is a lot to me on Roland's\nwell-being, including his dragon.\" The woman placed both hands on the table and again threw\nan intimidating look to their guests. \"If I, therefore, any evidence or reasons\ncome to my attention, which could harm this concern and fall back on\nyou two. So\nI will remove Wyverex the task and\nlead you personally into\nthe realm of the\ndead.\"Her eyes stung the men literally in the\nsoul. Aaros and Torben sat\nstunned in their seats. One moment she crossed her trembling\nglance with each other. Even the guards in the room had to swallow once empty. Catherine took up her hands from the table and held it together again. \"I guess we understand each other?\" she asked her guests to continue with a piercing look in the eyes. Again, the men nodded silently. Even the Guards. .......  Roland sat snuggled next to his female dragon. The\nquiet moment alone enjoying he felt the slight oscillations of her gentle purring. The faces pressed together they clung to each other, silently listening to the heartbeat of the other. A loud knock on the door broke the silence of the moment undesirable. Disappointed exhaling he opened\nhis eyes and\nstood hesitantly on the bed knew on.\n\"What is it now?\" He asked rather plaintively as he\nwalked toward the\nentrance. \"You will once again expected in Catherine's\noffice.\" invaded the voice of Sasha\nagain through the door. Dejected, he let his head fall heavily exhaling forward. With some resistance, he opened the entrance. And\nagain stood him upright the Butler\nwith the tired look against. This waved his hand in the\ncorridor and began to precede still. Roland remained in the doorway and turned his head to\nKyndle. With a quick head movement he suggested her to follow him. Which she did immediately. The female jumped off of the\nsheet and\nhad caught up with rapid steps to him. After a short walk through the estate were Roland and Kyndle in\nthe study, together\nwith Catherine, two guards and\ntwo other men. Confused, he looked at his mother's sister. \"What does this mean?\" he asked skeptically. \"Hello again, Roland.\" Began the woman and smiled at him here.\n\"These two gentlemen would like to tell you something.\" she continued. Her smile tightened into a serious expression as she\nlooked at Aaros\nand Torben. Silently she nodded to both. The two hunters were on at the same time. They introduced each other themselves down next to Roland. With a serious look she looked at the young man. Roland looked slightly nervous to his\nnew trainers. Kyndle looked these fellows skeptically too. She positioned herself\nbehind Roland, watching suspiciously. Aaros looked at Roland seriously. The young man watched the hunter uncertain in the\ndim eyes. This took a deep breath. \"You saved our lives, so it is in our interest to give this a new meaning.\" Confident he looked\nat his companion.\nTorben stood beside his comrades. \"It would be an honor for us to provide our savior an\ninsight into the techniques\nof the hunters.\" he said. Aaros and Torben knelt down in front of the companion. The inclined face\nforward and pulled the left fist to\nthe right shoulder. \"The\nrescuer owed. Defended to the death.\" they said at the same time. Roland looked amazed at the\ntwo kneeling\nmen. With raised eyebrows he let his mouth slightly open. Kyndles view extended also surprised when she heard the words of\nthe hunter.\nThe downcast faces of the two men she had again eyeing this strange feeling. As she knew the two. Where do these impressions came only? With a slightly puzzled look Roland saw at Catherine. This smiled back warmly and nodded silently\nthen. The two fighters stood up and crossed her\neyes briefly.\nA confident nod later they turned to the lady of the house. Catherine took a deep breath. \"Thank you, Roland.\" She said to the young\nman. \"That was all for today.\" Another\nsmile finished her sentence. Roland looked a bit awkward between the people back and forth. The rather plaintive \"Meep\" of an orange-red dragoness drew attention to herself. Roland shrugged quickly with his head between his shoulders when\nhe heard his\ncompanion. He turned\nto look at her skeptically. The female looked at him directly. A gentle cooing came from her throat, followed by a gaping yawn. Chuckling, he closed his eyes. \"Sounds like my cue.\"\nhe said quietly as he had\nalso yawn. \"I lie down again. Good night.\" he added and went on his way\nback to his room,\nfollowed by his dragoness. Catherine nodded with a smile as he\nwalked out of the office. Her gaze turned to the gentlemen remained in the room. \"As this is now clarified, we can now focus on what is to come.\" With a straight face she looked at the\nhunters. \"You\nget a lodging in the barracks. And also get access to\nthe property and\nthe required areas. A training\narea is located\nbehind the building.\" The woman held her finger in front of her face together. \"It is to\nyou now\nfree to go.\" With a brief gesture she pointed to the door. The\ntwo men looked at\neach other silently,\nand made themselves then on the\nway out. \"And do not\nforget. I'll keep an eye on.\" said the lady seriously, as the\nhunters stood in the\ndoorway. Both\nstopped short and inhaled sharply. After they went out of the room. Catherine looked after them suspiciously. Sasha took care of the men. He saw\nthe two men\nsearchingly. His tired eyes stared at the silent hunter.\nTorben looked a little perplexed to Aaros.\nThis quickly looked back and tilted his head\nslightly to the side\nwith a smile. \"If it makes the dominions no circumstances\nI would like to show them their quarters.\" Pointing with outstretched arm to the\nfront door, he looked at both\nof them. Aaros\nsmirked at the upright man.\n\"It would be a pleasure.\" he replied amused. Sasha leaned briefly with the upper body affirmatively forward. \"Then here along.\" he said and led the new\nresidents of\nIronwing to the barracks of the guard. The sun twisted silently under the edge of the sky and\ngave their\ntask at the\nrising moon\nnight. Roland lay sleeping under the covers, holding his dragoness close in\nthe arm recovering\nfrom the recent\nefforts. ......   A misty image forming in Roland's thoughts. A round beam of light appeared from the ceiling on his\nface. Holding the\nhand in the\nglare he\nstraightened up. As his eyes adjusted to the light changes he looked at a large\npicture on the\nground before him. The artfully crafted mosaic dragon was in front of a stone\npedestal in\nthe middle of the room. Roland came down from the altar and looked skeptically\nat. The room was familiar to him, because he had\nalready been here\nonce. Behind him, a shadow appeared. Roland raised the serious look\nwhen he noticed the stranger. \"Hello Roland. Is a\nlong time ago.\" echoed the deep voice of the unknown through the room. The young man turned hastily and looked at a big man in splendid\narmor. An orange red cape hung\ndown the knight on the right shoulder and the associated\narm. \"This is probably a dream?\" Roland said aloud to himself and took a few steps on the\nunknown. \"I remember you.\" he continued seriously. \"You were the one who had told me my approach to magic.\" he glanced\nat him silently.\n\"Is now another lesson\nin magic upcoming?\"\nhe asked the stranger. This gave repellent left hand. \"No.\" he began\nsoberly. \"You can safely leave that to your new teachers.\" The light from the ceiling flickered for a moment. Thoughtfully, he looked up at the ceiling. \"Listen. I do\nnot have much time.\" he said and threw Roland a serious look at. He took a\ndeep breath. \"I'm\nhere to deliver you a warning.\" Roland raised his eyebrows in surprise. \"What? A warning?!\" he hacked at impatient. \"There is a traitor in Ironwing.\"\nagain the light cone re-flashed, this time even shook the ground. \"I\ndo not know who it is, but this person has put events\nin motion that are now unstoppable.\" Roland took a step toward him, held up his hand. \"What events and from which traitors are you talking about?\" he asked impatiently. Again rumbled the floor of the hall. The light in the\nchamber gradually\nbegan to dim.\nNervously looked the stranger up and down. \"Prepare yourself as well\nas you can.\" said\nthe man loudly as he was\nsuddenly surrounded by lurid flames. One hand he held\nup open.\n\"Pay attention\nto the signs. Shadows on the horizon. The ash in\nthe gargoyle. Blazing home. Pay attention to th...\" His voice trailed off as the\nring of fire reached his head. The gleam of the fire was extinguished simultaneously with the light cone in space. Left in the void he heard only the sound of his own breath. ......  A bright morning dawned with a rapidly rising sun. Birdsong coming through an open window in the room. On the edge of the bed sat a young man, his head resting thoughtfully on his\nhand. \"Shadows\non the horizon. The ash in the gargoyle. Blazing home.\" he murmured with closed eyes before him. \"What do that mean only? What should I look at?\" he asked himself in thought. Behind him lay a peacefully sleeping female dragon. With cute twitching she dreamed to herself, while her companion zoom step with a slightly nervous expression to the window. With a critical eye his eyes wandered around\nthe grounds of the\nestate. Arriving at\nthe barracks he noticed Aaros. He sat\nin the grass next to the training ground and looked like he was meditating. Whose colleague was on the court and\nmade a mock exercise. With bare hands he smote\nupon the\nstraw person. Apparently, with much force, because the manikin could not hold long together and fell apart into\nits constituent parts after\nonly a few strokes.\"Today it starts.\" he muttered softly to himself. An affirmative \"Churr\" pierced his back. The head held to\nthe side, he turned\nhis gaze back.\nKyndle sat on the carpet in the\nmiddle of the room and looked at her companion with an awakened look. A short turquoise shimmer joined her gentle cooing.Roland walked up to her. With a warm smile he put\na hand on\nher head and stroked her slowly over the forehead. The eyes closed she purred softly at his touch. Their eyes met again and exchanged a nondescript\nsparks from it. \"Do you think I can\ndo that?\" he\nasked with a grin.\nKyndle nodded once to the head, accompanied by an affirmative \"Churr\". Then she nudged him gently\nwith the\nnose and cooed excitedly\nto herself. With half-closed eyes, he saw the female with\na smile. \"May\nyou want to be by my side?\"\nhe asked hopefully. Kyndle purred softly and gave him in\nreply a long\ntongue's touch on the cheek. Followed by a soft \"Chirp\". The bright sparkle in her blue eyes growing a wide smile on his face. ......  On the training ground next to the guard barracks sat Aaros upright\nwith eyes closed in the grass. Silent listening to the strained sound seemed to bring him a faint smile on his\nlips. Beside him\nwalked past Torben bit sluggish and dragged the remains of a straw doll behind him. \"That stuff does not really hold on much.\" he bleated\nloudly out of himself when he threw the portions of the dummy on a-growing pile of debris. In addition to the meditating man he stopped short.\n\"By the Five!\" he began loudly. \"Did you see the look of this\nCatherine yesterday?\" he asked his comrade. \"With that you bring even dragons to sweat.\" he added. This words called for Aaros face shows a weak smile, followed by a slow shake of the head. \"She do not trust us, and who could blame her for that.\" he began\ncalmly. \"Look at it from her perspective. Two strangers, in addition rather volatile prisoners emerge out of the blue to train her son. I would\nalso be suspicious.\"Torben bent forward and grabbed a\nnew dummy.\n\"But this Roland\nis not Catherine's son.\"\nhe said as he heaved the straw doll\nin the cradle. \"I had last night a little talk with this Timmy.\" Thoughtfully, he looked at the head of the dumb doll. \"Strangely type.\" he added amusement. \"Anyway, he told\nme that\nRoland is the son of her sister.\" Aaros nodded calmly. \"Hmm.\" was thoughtful of\nhim. He slowly\nopened his eyes and raised his brows slightly. \"Better late than never, what Roland?\" he asked in the\nair. Roland stood surprised still. Slightly grumpy he looked\nat the man. How did\nhe know that\nhe comes? Finally, he sat\nwith his back to him in the grass. \"Your dragon seems to have\na better skill on that.\"\nhe continued with a smile.\n\"But not good enough.\" he added, looking earnestly on the\nthick hedge near Roland. Behind it was a surprised and loud \"Meep\" to be heard before an orange-red dragoness appeared. With a puzzled glance she looked at the\nhunter and\nsnorted once condescending in his\ndirection. Torben came up and clapped with both hands. \"Can we start?\" he asked with a raised eyebrow the companion. Roland\nlooked at the man awkwardly and took a deep breath. Kyndle nudged him in the back and pushed her companion\nslightly forward, followed by a loud \"Churr\". An affirmative nod she added.  The three went to the practice site. Torben stood in front of Roland and looked at him searchingly.\nAaros stood there, holding the hands behind his back, he watched his colleague and his student. Kyndle sat next to Aaros on the\nground. Both\nlooked at each other and nodded quietly before turning back to the training. \"With this I can work.\"\nTorben began while he went around calculating to the young man. \"Do you have\nexperience with any fighting techniques?\" he asked his students seriously. Roland looked at his teacher with raised eyebrows. \"Well no.\" added Torben sober. \"Exercise in dealing with a known type of weapon?\" he hacked\nat. Roland\nthought for a moment.\n\"I often used to shoot with bow and arrow.\" he replied.\n\"In the past?\"\nasked the hunter. \"Before I came to Parem. In the house of my mother in Ordenary, I had a target.\" Roland told. Torben raised his arm and waved him over to a\ntable. On the wooden\nboard were a training bow and a quiver of arrows. \"Then show me what you can.\" invited him the teacher to. Roland walked up to the table and looked tense\non the training weapon. With slightly\ntrembling fingers he reached for it. Strapped the quiver he stood\non the marker before the target. He exhaled heavily and lowered with\nclosed eyes his forehead\nforward. An old memory was consolidated in his\nthoughts. The scent\nof a blossoming\nflower meadow rose to his nose. Aaros moved slightly surprised his brows. Kyndle looked at her\ncompanion a little\nskeptical. The Hunter\nbeside her looked exactly the female. The dragoness cooed\nsoftly, lowering her head forward and slowly closed her eyes. Weak vibrations came from the body of the female. ......  There was then a warm summer day. He stood\nin the garden of the\nhouse and\nlooked seriously at a large round target. Standing on the drawn distance line the boy was looking smiling to the side. A woman in a bright blue dress standing at the railing and watched her son with her arms crossed. A warm look sprang out of her eyes. The wind rocked playfully through her beautiful long hair. \"You can that.\" she said with her soft voice. Roland looked into her eyes and picked out his hand to the quiver.\nThe first arrow packed he turned confidently to the\nplate. Lifted the bow he drew\nthe string back. Held a fingertip\nto the projectile, he focused on his target. The noise silent\nslow. The eyes briefly closed, he only heard his own breath. A\nslow air puff\nfrom the lungs and as a\nreflex his fingers triggered. The aim in view. A quick hiss accompanied the arrow from its rest position. The faint whirring echoed through the air. With a thud it hit\nthe goal. Testing\nlooking forward he looked at the disc. A lone arrow stuck in the plate and stood out from the center of the circle. A HIT! He had hit the target. Feelings of pride came up in him,\neyes wide gratifying his gaze on the\nviewer. Her warm smile hit him like a gentle ray of sunshine. \"You see. I knew\nthat you can do that.\" Her words of praise filled\nhis ear\nwith her soft tone. Almost like an angelic vocals. Reply to her loving gaze, saw\nthe boy proudly to his mother. A gust of wind passed over them going and ripped the vague image of his\nmemories. ......  Aaros was still watching\nthe female beside him. Kyndle opened her eyes and gave a soft cooing of herself\nas she looked at her companion. Slightly dazed Roland came back to himself. The hunter next to the dragoness let\nhis gaze wander thoughtful of her\nto his disciple. The target in\nsight, the young man breathed\nheavy. Pulled an arrow from his quiver he lifted his bow. The tendon tensioned he held\na finger leaning to\nthe projectile.\nOnce taken a breath, he closed his eyes. Kyndle wanted to go a\nstep toward him. But\njumpy remained standing as the\nman next to her\nnoticed her movement. Only a faint cooing came from her. \"You can that.\"\nRoland whispered softly to himself. Inhaling, he slowly opened his eyes. The noise ceased\ngradually until all he could hear his own heartbeat. A\nburst of air from his lungs and again loosened\nhis fingers like a reflex.\nThe feathered projectile rocketed forward. A soft whirring pulled through the air and bounced on\nthe target. A loud and pleased \"Meep\" of his companion confirmed the result. Slowly he let drop the training weapon and\nscrutinized his hit. The arrow sticking out of the middle of the circle. \"Not bad.\" Torben threw a laudatory.\n\"This allows us to work with.\"......  \"You can also\nkeep up staring at me! I will the\norder not retreat,\nPatricia!\" With the serious look looked a wrapped in a\nblood-red dress\nwoman at her friend. She turned away from her and motioned her\naway with one hand\nby herself. \"Now stop wasting my time and folders again at\nhis heel.\" Two clenched fists drove quickly down on the table. The wood cracked under the enormous force loud. \"You can`t expect me that!\" protested the redhead woman and sent a mischievous look to her\nprincipal. This\nturned and put her hand on her hip. Inclined her head sullenly aside she pulled her eyelids slightly. \"You know very well that I can so.\" Raised an eyebrow\nstared Patricia seriously and held a finger towards the entrance. \"So. There's the door.\" The woman turned after a short pause again from her and twisted her back to her. Heavy breathing in the strong woman pulled her fists down from the wrecked plate.\nMute stood up and she walked\nslowly to the door.\nAs part she remained short standing with a sloping forehead. \"You should have told me from the beginning who he is.\" she said aloud. \"Don`t come to me with something like that now, honey.\" Annoyed she looked again at the woman. \"Go out there and do, which is why you\nwere hired.\"\nAgain she pointed at the entrance. Patricia stood at the door and turned her head\nto the side, facing\nher moist eyes to Lizbeth.\n\"This will have a sequel for you, Liz.\" She turned back to the front. \"I'll come back.\" she said as she\nwent outside. Lizbeth stood thoughtfully behind the table, paying attention to the stubborn door. \"Hmph.\" She uttered muffled from her neck. ......   \"Urgh!\" With a thud Roland landed on his back. Heavy exhaling he writhed\nhimself next to\nTorben on the hard\ntraining ground.\nKyndle threw out a protesting \"Meep\"\nand began to reach\nout to\nthe teacher. \"No panic.\" said Aaros left and held up a hand before\nthe dragoness. \"No harm will happen to him.\" Kyndle looked at the man somewhat puzzled. She snorted once in his\ndirection and sat down again and watched hesitantly the tense training. \"Come again!\" roared Torben at his\napprentice. Roland\nstood up clumsily and looked rather\nexhausted at his\nteacher. Indeed,\nbut then as he was told and ran again to the\nhunter. Again a swift blow to the chest, a handle\non the shoulder and \"Peng\".\nOnce again, the apprentice\nwas on the ground. Easy coughing he was\nlie breathing heavily.\nKyndle shrugged again. How much she\nwould now went to Roland.\nBut she remained in\nplace. Aaros\nglanced briefly to the\ndragoness and smiled slightly to himself. \"I suggest we take a short break.\" said Aaros. \"What? Now?\" Torben bleated easily. \"But if you say so.\" He lowered his hands and turned away from Roland. Kyndle\nlooked a bit skeptical at Aaros. This nodded to her once, after which she immediately stormed\nto her companion. Roland sat up exhausted, but was thrown right back of an\norange-red female dragon\nto the ground. She licked him gently on\nthe cheek\nand nudged her nose against his, followed by a soft \"Chirp\". Then she sniffed everywhere\nwhere Roland\nwas hit. The young man put a hand to her cheek and looked into the bright\nturquoise glow of her\nmoist eyes. What drew her a gentle purr.\nThe eyes shortly closed, she nestled her head closely approached Roland's chest. \"It's okay little one.\" Roland began softly and clasped her in his arms. \"Is not so bad as it looks like.\" He stroked her lightly on the\nhead. \"She has against him a strong protective instinct.\" said Aaros, who observed the two. \"This could still turn out to be little problem.\" interjected Torben. \"We'll see.\" said his colleague and turned to the training weapons. He took\none of the wooden\nswords in hand and looked seriously at Torben.\n\"Please be polite.\" With a smile on his face he gave him the wooden weapon.\nCleverly caught his friend on the\ntraining sword. \"I do always.\" he added in amusement. Aaros nodded with a smile once and took the second sword from the table. He walked\nover to Roland\nand Kyndle. In addition to the two he stopped and nudged Roland with the pommel of the wooden weapon. \"The break is over.\" began Aaros. \"So. Get up.\" Kyndle went down a bit hesitant of Roland\nand let him get up. Tired of, the young man stood up and grabbed the training sword. Torben swung his weapon sent around in front of him. Then he turned to Roland. Ready for battle, he looked at his disciples and raised his hand. He gestured to\nhim to attack\nhim. Roland looked thoughtfully on the wooden weapon in his hand and turned his eyes briefly\nafter Kyndle.\nThis had sat down again to her place next to the training area and looked at him a bit skeptical. He turned to his teacher and exhaled heavily. Roland hesitated for a brief moment before he walked\nup to Torben.\nWith a loud roar, he swung over to the beat. Torben looked at the young man dumbfounded and lowered his weapon.\n\"What should that?!\"\nhe asked him dumbfounded. Roland stopped his attack abruptly when he saw the reaction of\nthe teacher. \"But,\nbut ... I should.\"\n\"No! You should not.\" Torben interrupted\nhim. \"Spare your breath for the attack. You can cut down nobody with a roar.\" said the teacher. \"But ..\" \"But nothing.\" he said again in between. \"There is a saying. Dogs that bark do not bite.\" He went back to fighting stance against the apprentice and\nraised his wooden weapon. \"So I suggest you stop barking and start biting.\" Roland swallowed once empty and looked thoughtfully\nat the ground.\nOnce inhaled sharply he turned\nback upright and made ready for battle. Again he charged toward the teacher, this\ntime without the roar.\nHe swung the weapon down from above, what Torben could counter with ease. The wooden swords met, just before the weapon of the teacher hit Roland`s right hand. The student let\nfall his training sword on the ground. Torben stood beside Roland and held the dummy\nto his throat. \"And\ndead.\" he said with a sarcastic tone. Kyndle shrugged literally in Roland's\ndirection at the sight, but she could hardly suppress.\nThe teacher gave her a serious look at, but what she\ncountered with\nan equally serious facial expressions. \"Well, again from beginning.\" said Torben while he placed himself again in front of his student. Thoughtful glanced Roland the training weapon on\nthe ground. One moment later he picked\nit up again\nand turned back to Torben.******  \"Sounds like a hard training.\"\ndrove a listener into the story. \"You could say that.\" replied Roland, rubbing his right hand back. \"The first few days were literally a hell for me.\" he continued. He was\nnudged from an orange red female dragon. Smiling,\nhe paused for a\nmoment. \"Yes,\nfor Kyndle it was\nnot easy either.\" he\nadded as\nhe slowly turned his gaze back to his\ndragoness. He stroked her gently on the\nhead while he looked at her, what her drew a soft purr. \"Anyway, took me Torben quite through the wringer. The first few weeks were\nmarked by sword\nfight training, archery and almost endless running trails around the grounds of the estate.\" Absorbed in memories he raised his forehead high with closed eyes. \"Aaros has only watched\nduring this time, just occasionally leave a comment\nor two.\" \"But you said that both were your teachers?\" asked the audience curious. \"It was that way.\" said Roland. \"Torben was the fighter of the two. And Aaros was\nmore the magician.\"\"And how was it with\nhim?\" hacked\nthe listener again. \"Well.\" Roland began thoughtfully. \"As I said. Initially he did\nnothing.\" \"Nothing?\" asked another confused. \"He was during the training always there, but just watched\nsilently. It was strange. Whatever. Torben was... \"******  Torben was pleased to make a varied training every effort. Not only the exercise bouts, but also the running training, as well as hunting in the forest were important ingredients in it. The first hunt was a sort of revelation for Roland. Torben\nsent him to the widow forest in the north of Ironwing.\nKyndle was of course one of the party. Armed only with a bow and his dragoness\nin tow, he walked uncertainly under the thick canopy of leaves above. His teacher gave him the task to hunt a deer and bring it home. He\ntold him also,\nif he should\nnot bring one, he had to just watch over the dinner. As a little incentive. After an hour of fruitless strip wandering, Roland sat slightly annoyed at one\nof the many trees, the bow he leaned\ncloser to the trunk. Reduced downcast head he breathed\nout heavily.\n\"How can I find a deer in this big wood easily?\" He complained softly. Kyndle sat down in front of him and looked at him a\nbit puzzled, a questioning\n\"Chirp\" she added. Roland raised his brow and found his views in two\nshiny blue eyes. The small turquoise\nedges stood out from them and drew him a brief smile.\"Have you an idea, how we can speed up this\nthing?\" he asked\nsoftly. The female closed cooing her eyes and came closer to him. Gently she rested her forehead against his. A low murmur came from her. Roland felt something in himself.\nIt was strange, as would awaken something in his body to life. Startled, he breathed in and out frantically. The image before his eyes began to flicker and the ambient\nnoise participated in\nan uncomfortable volume. Then followed a brief moment of silence and the image\nseen disappearing\ninto a black veil.\nAs the light gradually came back he could\nnot believe his eyes.\"That's me!\"\nhe said, surprised when he saw himself in the\neyes. The own voice sounded strange somehow from that perspective. But that was not the only weird. The\nlook confused\ndistributed around he saw\nbetween the sheets ceiling through a small shadow ascend. The sharpness of the first faint outline rose and seemed to\ncome closer. But\nhe did not come to him, Roland's view simply approached to the dark shadow. He could see the bird razor sharp in the sky. Even the wing beats were\nclearly heard in his ears. Inhaled through the nose, drove in dozens\nof odors\nthrough the head. Plants, animals, a human and a dragon. Nothing was hidden from the precise sense\nof smell. The look thrown back on his image he heard faint breath sounds, which were accompanied by a faint cooing. This seemed to come from within. At that moment, something clicked. He considered himself\njust by Kyndles\neyes. It was her sense that he could\nobtain. He\nwas a part of her feeling, their flair. But she was still herself, with her actions and her will. He acted\nonly as a\nspectator. The image became increasingly blurred, and one more black moment he saw\nthe orange red female dragon in front of him. Her eyes half closed shone a short turquoise shimmer of the\ndeep blue pupils.\nRoland held the dragon lady\na hand to her cheek. \"Unbelievable everything you get with.\" he said\nsoftly to her,\naccompanied by a warm\nsmile. The female closed her lids quite softly and began to\npurr while\nshe slightly leaned against his hand. Roland felt her close deep in his soul. But it seemed noticeably\nstronger to him, just as he\nwould have a better access to her. He opened his eyes dreamy and made with his companion eye contact. A turquoise glitter later, he cast a quick glance at the bow, which was inspired by the\ntree. With renewed courage he grabbed\nthe weapon and slowly stood up. Kyndle cooed softly to her\ncompanion during\nthese straightened up.\nHe saw the female with\na smile. \"On\na new one?\" he asked with a grin. A loud and affirmative \"Churr\"\nwas the answer to the question, followed by a deep cooing from her throat. Roland was preceded further into the forest. Kyndle closely followed him at his\nheels. Suddenly\nhe stopped. From the bushes ahead came a rustling noise. Kyndle lifted her head against the bushes and sniffed curiously\ninto the\nair. Roland held up an open hand to side. \"Wait, I .....\" But the female made a sudden spurt in the\nlower leaves wall. It rustled\nand crackled loudly in the\ntrembling bushes.\nRoland sat up and watched with a smile the undergrowth. Between the snorting of the dragoness also broke out loud beeper.Roland took a big step onward the bush and cleared his throat loudly. Then the brush was suddenly silent. After a short jumpy break, a small squirrel jumped out between the leaves. Shortly thereafter soared an orange-red dragon head out of the bushes. Two blue eyes sparkled out of it, accompanied by a playful \"Meep\". The female stretched teasing her tongue out\nof the mouth. Roland\nlooked up at the bright gleam of her blue pupils and held a finger\nto her nose.\nKyndle snorted against his hand and purred softly.\"When it comes to hunting, you have to be quiet little one.\" he said in a whisper and looked her straight in her\nbeautiful dragon\neyes. The dragoness slowly closed her lids and cooed softly.\nThen she jumped out\nof the bushes\nbeside her companion. With a nod and a soft \"Churr\" she answered him. Roland knelt before her, always gazing into her pupils. \"Let's try it again.\" He held a finger\nto her mouth. \"So, Shhht.\" he hissed\nsoftly. The female cooed softly and nudged her companion slightly with the nose. The young hunter stood up again. Inhaled a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the new access to his companion. He felt the keener sense of his dragoness and heard a lot\nof noise in\nthe shadow of the tribes. The smell of a deer was in the air, not far from them in distant. Roland\nturned to Kyndle. \"Do you smell that?\" he asked her, smiling. The female rolled her eyes slightly and nodded then\ncooing about. After a shortly hunt, the two found fresh tracks in the mud. The smell of the deer had become stronger and resistant to a\nclearing stood\nthe loot eventually. A faint light invaded through the canopy and fell like a light curtain on the\ndeer down.\nNone of the lurking hunters realizing the cloven held\nhis head above the\ngreen place\nlowered. Roland held an arrow ready on the string and threw a\nquick glance over\nhis guard. The deer raised his head and looked slightly startled around nervously. The young hunter pulled his face back frantically and looked seriously\nat his companion. The dragoness look\nat Roland with obliquely down held the head, but did not make a sound. He\nthought to himself how he could\nbest get the prey\nand went in thinking\nsome scenarios. Kyndle lowered her head and disappeared with\nfast and silent steps in the thicket. Roland saw the females\nafter slightly\nskeptical, but then turned back to the\ndeer. The bowstring slightly tense he breathed\nout. Eyes closed,\nhe got ready for his shot. \"You can that.\" he muttered\nsoftly to himself. The ambient noise fell into the background as Roland\nopened his eyes slowly. Gazing determinative forward, he stretched forth the bow and sat up there.\nHeld a finger to the arrow, met\nhis eyes on the target. The young hunter took a step to the side in order to have\na clear shot. But a cracking\nroad under his feet startled the prey. The deer looked at Roland, who taught still his bent bow to\nhim in a\npanic. For a brief\nmoment the silent glances of hunter\nand prey met.The cloven made an attempt to escape and jumped to the side. Roland followed the animal and before it\nhad disappeared in the bushes he left the bowstring going. The feathered projectile\njumped the deer behind the thicket. The loud whine, which invaded out of the bush confirmed the hit. Roland ran after the prey. After\nhe had crossed\nthe bushes he saw the limping deer, which continued his panic escape. The arrow of the hunter put the deer\nin the rear left thigh. This has slowed the beast indeed, but passed it could\nnot keep up with it from Roland. The young hunter attacked the quiver. A new arrow packed, he sought his target again, but only looked at\nnumerous logs and bushes. No noise\nremained. \"Damn!\" Roland mused to himself. The loot was gone. Dejected, he lowered his eyes to the front. \"If not, you got to watch while the others eat.\" With a sarcastic undertone the words of his teacher echoed in his head again. Rustling noise attracted his attention forward. Stretched the arrow in\nthe tendon he walked\ntoward the origin of\nthe noise.\nObserving the dense undergrowth, he pointed his weapon out. Surprised, he took a big step back as he\nleapt the wounded animal. The deer threw the hunter order while trying to escape and ran away from\nhim. Roland\nlay on his back, turned around and looked lying behind the refugee. Suddently, an orange\nred dragon sprang from the thicket towards the deer. Kyndle buried her black claws into the flank of the animal and grabbed her\nprey with the jaw\nin the neck. The taste of fresh blood on the tongue let her instinct\nrise. The pupils\ncontracted to narrow slits, came a deep and loud growl from\nher body. The\nclearly audible crackling between her powerful jaws let the panic twitching of the deer limp. Beaten the fangs in\nthe prey remained the female strongly\nsnorting a brief moment in this position. Roland was still lying on the ground. Slightly shocked, he looked at his companion. He clearly\nfelt her heartbeat.\nIt was an incredible impression. This noise, the ecstasy, it was like he tasted the\nblood on his own\ntongue. Kyndle left slowly from the hunted deer and sat down next\nto it. She licked her\nbloody lips clean and then threw a satisfied \"Meep\" to her companion. This had now got up\nand stood next to the prey. Still\nslightly shocked his gaze to Kyndle.\nThis looked at him as usual with her innocent blue eyes, accompanied by a bright turquoise shimmer. \"Was that now really the same Kyndle?\" thought Roland. The female took a step towards him and nudged cooing with her nose against his. An affirmative \"Churr\" she added. Roland\nclosed his eyes with a smile, then he looked\nat the lying deer.\n\"Now we don`t\nhave to watch.\" he said, amused at his\ndragoness. The female sent another turquoise spark in his\neyes and stroked\npurring with her head past his face. He held\nher head with both\nhands and\ngently pulled him in front of his. Again their eyes crossed. The female dragon snorted\nat her companion slightly, followed by a quiet purr. Roland stroked her with one hand gently on the cheek. With closed lids they pressed the\nforehead against each\nother and\nenjoyed the quiet moment after their first hunting. \"Will you carry it or should\nI?\" he asked,\namused, always holding up the contact. Hilariously he smiled.\nA condescending snort was her answer. ......  Over the\ntime, significant\nchanges were noticeable. The hard weeks of combat training began to bear fruit. Roland was stronger, smarter\nand more persistent.\nLonger running routes now he brings effortlessly behind. His skill with the sword could also be seen. And dealing with a bow and arrow are decorated with many successful hunts, where Kyndle was not entirely disinterested. The former dragon hunters had settled well in Ironwing.\nTorben became friends with the guards and had also found\na good rapport with Koris. Mainly because they had both survived the battle of Sorlacom,\nfrom the time of the Hunters War. Aaros still limited to short instructions and tips during the training. He made it also, that the wordless Conrad\nelicit some\nsentences. Conrad's collection of books included many textbooks from the school of magic. Aaros showed great interest in these works. He spoke\nat length with\nhim about it. Conrad had a strong sense of the magic. Unfortunately for him, he possessed\nnot to have an access to it. What had not prevented him\nfrom studying\nit. As then\ncame also a magic caster as a teacher on the\nproperty it\nsparked his curiosity again. Cathrine was also a little looser with the trainers. What it changed\nnothing to get her suspicious glances upright. But she was always aware of the progress of Roland.\nShe talked occasionally with Aaros about it. ......  Some day\nlater in the\nafternoon, Roland\nstood on the training ground in front of a straw doll, which he already\nworked with several blows. His draconic companion\nwatched him as always cheerful about it. Torben came with Aaros from the barracks. Slightly annoyed, he went ahead. \"If Tim wants to give me\nsomething to calm again.\" He lifted a clenched fist. \"Then I wipe him his grin from\nthe face.\"\nAaros raised an eyebrow and looked at his\ncolleague skeptical.\n\"Maybe he's right?\" he said soberly, accompanied by a faint smile. Torben paused, brow lowered exhaling forward. A wide grin was reflected in his\nface. Shaking his\nhead, he\nwent on. Once on the training pitch he threw a searching glance to his pupil. Roland's powerful blows shook the dummy by\nliterally while he had an idea. He nodded Aaros smile. This quietly replied his gesture and walked beside Kyndle.\nKept his hands on his back, he stood there and looked at the lesson.\nHe cast a quick glance at the female beside him. This also looked at him. A silent nod later, she went\nback to\nthe training ground. \"How about if we make\nthe whole thing a little more interesting?\"\nsaid Torben to his student. A faint smile graced his face as he looked at him demanding. Roland turned away from the manikin and\nlooked at his teacher questioning. \"Interesting?\" he\nasked skeptically. \"What do you think of a fist fight?\" he spoke. Roland drew his brows questioningly. \"A melee exercise?\" he asked.\nTorben waved his head. \"No training. A regardless\nfight this time.\" he gave his students a dodgy\nlook. \"How about?\" he asked him encouragingly. Thoughtful Roland threw a skeptical eye to Kyndle,\nshe looked at him a little confused and cooed softly. His teacher seriously viewing he began\nto smile. \"Why\nnot.\" he replied determinative. Torben turned sideways to him and raised his fists ready to fight. With one hand he waved him toward you. \"Well\nthen.\" he added.\nRoland shook his arms and danced loosening\nup on the spot.\n\"So here we go.\" he said, his head tilted to the side briefly. Torben lifted a finger.\n\"One more\nthing.\" he began determinative. He waved\nhis hand\nto the orange red\ndragon. \"She\nmust disappear here\nduring this.\" he continued seriously.\nKyndle threw out an unsafe \"Chirp\"\nin the round. Roland looked at his teacher skeptically. \"Why?\" he asked.\nTorben took a breath while looking at the dragoness. \"It\ncan get a little rough carry and I know that she\nhas a strong urge to protect you.\" He turned back to his student, his gaze earnestly into his eyes. \"I'm not an idiot. I know what such a protective instinct can do, and I am not in the mode for that.\"\"So?\" he said, pointing with his head to the\nfemale. Kyndle took a few steps toward her companion and gave him a\nprotesting \"Meep\"\nin front of the feet. According snorting she looked at him directly. Roland looked back a little perplexed. He did not even pronounce the words. The dragon lady\nknew only through his eyes. Slightly out of tune she drew together\nher eyelids and showed him for a brief moment her\nteeth, accompanied by\na patronizing\nsnort. Roland took a step toward her, but Kyndle turned\nwith head tilted away from him. The otherwise bright turquoise spark he was looking for in her\nlast look in vain. She made a few quick steps away from him and then jumped\nwith a powerful set in the\nair. Elegant spread the wings she flew with a few strokes over the garden across to the\nnarrow terrace of his room. Thoughtfully, he watched as she disappeared into the door. It felt strangely empty in his heart at this moment. He set out to have\njust made a mistake the weak charge. Aaros looked at him soberly. \"No panic. She will understand it.\" he began quietly. He looked\nup at the terrace.\n\"Give her just a little time.\" he added encouragingly. \"Good! Where were we?\"\nthrew Torben a fight.\nRoland was a bit scattered back from his thoughts and looked a\nlittle perplexed at\nhis teacher. \"Um,\nyes. Right.\" he replied hesitantly, before he went into his attack position. ......  Kyndle landed on the narrow terrace and cast a sad\nlook back\non the training ground. Why he did not\nwant to have\nher there? With this question in mind she watched her companion for a short while and then walked\nthrough the open door\ninto the room. The female marched across the great carpet and jumped on\nthe wide bed. Slightly confused she lay down on the mattress, her head thoughtfully on her\npaws. Torben's words swirled around in her\nthoughts. What was wrong with it,\nto protect him?\nThe eyes closed she cooed softly. He was\nher imprint partner.\nNothing should happen to him. Her companion. Her Roland. Her soft cooing transformed gradually into a weak purr as she\nthought of him. This\ngave her a pleasant feeling in the body. A faint scent filled the room. Kyndle breathed in through the nose and registered her\nown smell. The head stroking over to the mattress she sniffed the\nlinen cloth. Roland`s smell was still clearly present. Lazy she rolled over in the\nbed linen. Curled into a red-orange ball she thought no more about it. Why she found it so\ndifficult to show him\nher true feelings. She had numerous occasions, but always it\nwas something or someone in between. Was that a sort of a sing? Shouldn`t she have such feelings? But still she felt that way. This emotion was so undeniably present, such as the connection to her companion. The nose buried in Roland's pillow, Kyndle made a decision. She wanted to show him her feelings when he should\ncome through the door. Nothing would stop her this time. ......  The sun announced with the reddish glow, which it threw the evening at the horizon. Two men fought on the site of the barracks a\nbitter fist fight.\"Urgh!\" With a lot of momentum Roland landed on his back. Coughing, he straightened\nup and held\na hand to his chest. Torben turned back upright and wiped the blood from his lower lip. \"Hmm! Not bad kid.\" he said, praising his student. A\nwide grin\ngraced his face. Roland stood facing him bent and breathed in and out exhausted. \"I'm still not finished!\" Threw\nthis one decisive and\nbegan once more rush to his teacher. Struck out with his right arm to beat, he took a step toward him. Torben countered the attack and attempted a counter-attack,\nwhich was defeated by Roland. The arm of his\nteacher clinging\nhe looked at him seriously. Chuckling, Torben saw at his student and\nsimultaneously pulled his head back. With a muffled bang his forehead hit hard on Roland`s.\nThe apprentice let the moment go his\ngrip and stood\nfor a moment dazed. Long enough for Torben to\nplace a hit in\nthe stomach of his opponent. Roland collapsed heavily exhaling and coughing remained\nkneeling on the ground.\nSquinting he groaned painfully. Torben stood up in front of him and looked at him satisfied.\n\"Now you're finished.\" he said, breathing heavily. Aaros step closer to the two. \"That`s enough for today.\" he spoke,\nnodding to his\ncolleague once. Roland had his head facilitates backwards traps. He breathed\nin and out as he let the painful cramping in his\nabdominal region subsided. \"A break would be perfect!\" he thought aloud. Exhausted, he sat up and looked at his\nteacher tired. \"Go wash yourself and rest.\" began Aaros and patted him once\non the shoulder. \"We have a lot to do tomorrow.\" he added and went back to the barracks with Torben. Roland dragged himself to the front door of the property, where the door was opened by Sasha. The tired look of the older butler looked searchingly the exhausted man. \"A cooling jacket would be perfect for this rounding on the forehead.\" He pointed primarily to the bump on Roland's face, which he had\nreceived from Torben.\nRoland closed his eyes exhaling once and went over Sasha to the staircase. Before\nthe first stage he stopped and held up a\nhand to the\nside, as a sharp pain shot through his body. Torben's last strokes were still their effect. With a slightly twisted face he looked at the steps. Sasha walked up behind him and leaned his\nupper body\nslightly forward. \"Shall I help the Lord to climb the staircase?\" The butler asked politely. Roland smiled slightly as he\nexhaled. The\nserene attitude of Sasha\nmade his remarks amusing a lot more.Roland clung with one hand on the railing and raised the first\nstages. \"Will\nyou be present at the evening meal?\" asked the butler further. The young man paused. \"No. Not today.\" he answered wearily and limped up the\nstairs. ......  Aaros and Torben joined the others in the dining room. By now everyone was accustomed to their stay. \"That was perhaps a little too much of a good thing?\" Catherine asked the hunters. \"Too\nmuch? Or probably just right?\" he replied easily amused. However, his grin twisted abruptly when Catherine met his look. Torben choked on his first bite and coughed a\nfew times to himself.\n\"I wanted to\nsay. He is making a good progress.\" he began after he had recovered. \"And then I thought, why not even a dance\nregardless.\" He looked hesitant to Catherine,\nwho had her piercing gaze still directed at him. \"But I assure you. He was\nnever really in serious danger.\" The lady blinked once and then turned back to her plate. \"We'll see.\" she added shrug. \"How exactly does the further training look like? As far as I've noticed it, Roland had\nonly combat training.\" Aaros raised his eyes upward and turned to the mistress. \"The teaching in magic, we will take in attack\ntomorrow.\" he\nsaid soberly.\n\"The magic requires a certain physical and mental resilience. And after what\nI saw today, I have\ncome to the conclusion\nthat he is\nready for the first lesson.\" he explained. \"Would it be okay if I could\nbe aside the lesson?\" Conrad asked suddenly in the\nround. Catherine\nwidened surprised her eyes. \"Why that?\" she asked skeptically. Aaros smiled with closed eyes. \"I have no problem with that, provided it is right for your mother.\" replied the magician, and sent a serene look to Catherine. The lady turned to her son. \"We'll talk about that privately.\" She said to him determinative. Grimacing grumpy he lowered\nhis head again\nover his plate. \"I want to be there too!\" Rebecca called across the table. \"We absolutely need small flags for the fan club.\" Timmy\nsaid to himself, grinning at Daniel.\nThis kept shaking his head a hand to his forehead. ......  The dinner was left somewhat up to\nthe many questions to\nbe allowed to attend\nthe magic\ntraining. Torben and Aaros went\nback to the barracks, where they were making preparations for the next day. Conrad led still a long conversation with his mother in her study. He wanted to explain why he wants to\nbe there. But she did not seemed to think that`s a good idea. And Rebecca sat\nangrily in her room on the bed and stared angrily\nat the wall, because she got to hear a\nresounding no. ...... The next morning, Tim strolled leisurely through the long corridor with the paintings. He held a piece of paper in his hand, which was given to him by Aaros.\nHe should give it to Roland after breakfast. But as\nRoland not let look in the\ndining room, and it's\nbeen a while that the sun rose, Tim made his way to\nawaken the late\nrisers. Stowed the little letter back in his\npocket, he raised his\narm to knock on\nRoland's room door.","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/744483-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-5-the-agony-of-choice.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/747630-five-dragons-tlop-chapter-7-magic-for-beginners.json"}