circle. Kam couldn't tell what it was because the image was so hazy. Slowly it began to resolve itself and Kam could see that there were two somethings arriving by some sort of magical means.
Suddenly the image snapped into focus. Kam could see two people holding tight to each other in the middle of the cleared space. One had hair that was a strange mixture of gold and red colors. A bright red ruby hung around his neck. The other had light brown hair and his eyes were blue. A topaz hung around the second man's neck, clearly visible when he looked up in alarm.
"See, Jerney, I told you it would work!" the strangely colored one chirped happily.
"Define 'work', Tori," the brown haired one, Jerney, snapped.
The first young man, Tori, finally looked up and his golden colored eyes widened comically. "Oh. Whoops."
Beside Kam, Lor started snorting with laughter. "Next time just announce that you're coming first," he called, waving down the fighters as he stepped forward. Mae quickly joined Lor as he walked up to the two strangers.
"I'm sorry!" Tori sniffled. To Kam's surprise, it almost seemed like Tori was about to cry. Kam could feel a sort of upset contrition from the child-like Tori. Jerney pulled Tori into his arms and patted Tori gently on the back.
"It's all right. Just a bit of a scare. Welcome to the Tribe of the White Dragon," Lor replied in a placating tone. "You are a witch and a dragon, but I don't believe I ever caught your names."
In a sudden emotional turn around, Tori bounced forwards. "I'm a dragon. My name is An'tatori. Call me Tori. This is Jerney and he's my witch," Tori added as he pulled Jerney forward by the arm. "What's your name? And who's the white dragon?"
"My name is Lor. This is Mae," Lor replied, pointing to Mae standing beside him as he spoke. "And the white dragon was our leader and caretaker centuries ago."
"Oh," Tori grumbled with a pout. "I wanted to meet him. I've never met a white dragon before. Mama-Gail is the only red dragon anymore, but even Toel never mentioned a white dragon."
The constant stream of information lacking almost totally in context had more than just Kam wishing for Tori to elaborate instead of continuing to babble. Jerney, clearly used to the dragon's behavior, reached up and placed a gentle hand over Tori's mouth. The babble cut off suddenly, but Tori didn't look the least bit abashed. Instead, Kam thought Tori felt intensely curious about everything around him.
"We are here to ask for your help," Jerney explained.
"Well," Mae cut in, "this calls for some tea." She glanced around the circle of watchers critically before continuing. "Cara make the tea. Kam, guide our guests to the communal tent."
"This way," Kam said as he stepped forward. Everyone else quickly dispersed, but Kam had no doubt that the rumor mill would be running rampant until the full story of why the two strangers had suddenly appeared came clear.
Kam led Jerney and Tori away from the main fire into the area where the largest tents were set up. The communal tent was in the very center of the camp where it could be shared and used by anyone for anything.
"Are you some sort of guard?" Jerney asked politely as they settled onto cushions on the floor to one side of the tent, well away from anything else stored there. On the other side of the tent some of the women were setting up frames to stretch skins, but this little sitting area was kept clear for anyone to use.
Kam couldn't stop a quick laugh from escaping. "I'm from the human city so I'm probably the most used to dragons out of all of us," he began explaining before he was forced to stop. Tori had left the security of Jerney's arms and was slowly creeping closer to Kam. Those bright, golden eyes were fixed on Kam's face.
Tori felt curious and so very young to Kam. He wasn't an animal, not entirely. There was more human in him than in the white dragon frozen in the mountains. Kam wondered if that was because Tori was in human form or if
Suddenly the image snapped into focus. Kam could see two people holding tight to each other in the middle of the cleared space. One had hair that was a strange mixture of gold and red colors. A bright red ruby hung around his neck. The other had light brown hair and his eyes were blue. A topaz hung around the second man's neck, clearly visible when he looked up in alarm.
"See, Jerney, I told you it would work!" the strangely colored one chirped happily.
"Define 'work', Tori," the brown haired one, Jerney, snapped.
The first young man, Tori, finally looked up and his golden colored eyes widened comically. "Oh. Whoops."
Beside Kam, Lor started snorting with laughter. "Next time just announce that you're coming first," he called, waving down the fighters as he stepped forward. Mae quickly joined Lor as he walked up to the two strangers.
"I'm sorry!" Tori sniffled. To Kam's surprise, it almost seemed like Tori was about to cry. Kam could feel a sort of upset contrition from the child-like Tori. Jerney pulled Tori into his arms and patted Tori gently on the back.
"It's all right. Just a bit of a scare. Welcome to the Tribe of the White Dragon," Lor replied in a placating tone. "You are a witch and a dragon, but I don't believe I ever caught your names."
In a sudden emotional turn around, Tori bounced forwards. "I'm a dragon. My name is An'tatori. Call me Tori. This is Jerney and he's my witch," Tori added as he pulled Jerney forward by the arm. "What's your name? And who's the white dragon?"
"My name is Lor. This is Mae," Lor replied, pointing to Mae standing beside him as he spoke. "And the white dragon was our leader and caretaker centuries ago."
"Oh," Tori grumbled with a pout. "I wanted to meet him. I've never met a white dragon before. Mama-Gail is the only red dragon anymore, but even Toel never mentioned a white dragon."
The constant stream of information lacking almost totally in context had more than just Kam wishing for Tori to elaborate instead of continuing to babble. Jerney, clearly used to the dragon's behavior, reached up and placed a gentle hand over Tori's mouth. The babble cut off suddenly, but Tori didn't look the least bit abashed. Instead, Kam thought Tori felt intensely curious about everything around him.
"We are here to ask for your help," Jerney explained.
"Well," Mae cut in, "this calls for some tea." She glanced around the circle of watchers critically before continuing. "Cara make the tea. Kam, guide our guests to the communal tent."
"This way," Kam said as he stepped forward. Everyone else quickly dispersed, but Kam had no doubt that the rumor mill would be running rampant until the full story of why the two strangers had suddenly appeared came clear.
Kam led Jerney and Tori away from the main fire into the area where the largest tents were set up. The communal tent was in the very center of the camp where it could be shared and used by anyone for anything.
"Are you some sort of guard?" Jerney asked politely as they settled onto cushions on the floor to one side of the tent, well away from anything else stored there. On the other side of the tent some of the women were setting up frames to stretch skins, but this little sitting area was kept clear for anyone to use.
Kam couldn't stop a quick laugh from escaping. "I'm from the human city so I'm probably the most used to dragons out of all of us," he began explaining before he was forced to stop. Tori had left the security of Jerney's arms and was slowly creeping closer to Kam. Those bright, golden eyes were fixed on Kam's face.
Tori felt curious and so very young to Kam. He wasn't an animal, not entirely. There was more human in him than in the white dragon frozen in the mountains. Kam wondered if that was because Tori was in human form or if
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