Tanith flapped her mighty wings, rocketing over the ocean. Tracyn clutched onto the saddle as the speed increased. He tapped her side, indicating that they turn towards the beach. She tilted slightly, but enough to send them into a swift turn. She slowed, opening her wings wide. Despite the rapid speed and approach the landing was unusually soft. By soft, it still meant that Tracyn was almost hurled from the saddle but it worked none the less.

He dropped into the sand, sword in its hilt, shield on his back, and crossbow with bolts tucked under his arm. He squinted into the sky, the sun blazing down onto the beach. He eyed the water, its cool lapping waves becoming very attractive. He dropped down next to Tanith however, who raised her wing to help block the sun. Tracyn patted her hard side in thanks. He set down his equipment, under the protective guard of Tanith, and rose slowly. He looked around the beach for a moment, patting Tanith again.

He finally turned towards the ocean, its waves were even more appealing now that the sun was baking his body. He wandered up to its surface, watching a crab scuttle into its hole. He looked back to Tanith who was resting comfortably under a tree, his gear still nestled by her side. He smiled as Tanith huffed happily, once again turning his attention to the beach. He shrugged, might as well swim, and discarded his shirt, then dived in.

He swam about for a while, ridding the waves and occasionally getting a mouthful of salt water. Tanith would always snort in humor when that happened. Tracyn shook his fist playfully at her remark. He decided to simply rest in the water and relaxed.

Rosamira was tired and hot as she came towards the ocean where Tracyn was relaxing. She could hardly breathe as she approached the ocean; even the air was hot today. Even though it was winter, Rosamira did not feel the least bit cold. She sat and dipped her feet in the ocean as she tried mightily to keep from taking a drink of salt water. She knew it would taste terrible. But the water in the skin she'd packed had run out hours ago. What was she going to do? Where was she going to go? How could they get rid of her like that? It had not been her fault she was born human. She knew that some elves did not trust humans, but she was different. For her whole life, even from her birth, she had lived in the little elven village. She had been raised by elven adoptive parents. Why now would the community decide she was not to be trusted? It just wasn't fair.

Tracyn crossed his amrs, watching Tanith. She was trying to snatch fruits from a tree, but she was a little too short. "Fly?" Tanith glared at him, huffing defiantly. "Ok ok, do it your way." She made a 'hmph' and went back to trying to snag a fruit. He shook his head and turned his attention towards the person in the distance. "Hrm?" He made slowly towards Tanith, which was where his equipment rested. He reached it, and kept it in distance of his reach...just in case.

Rosamira noticed Tracyn coming toward her and tried to say hello, but she could only manage to cough with her thirst. She had tears running down her cheeks she was coughing so hard, but she had no idea how she could even have enough water still in her body to shed tears. When the coughing had finally stopped, she felt so tired that she flopped onto the sand. She was going to die now; she might as well accept it. But she couldn't. Rosamira sat up on her elbows and looked at the young man coming towerd her. With her last bit of willpower, she willed her last bit of strength out and called "Help me. I need water." It was weak, but hopefully the young man would be able to hear it. Otherwise, she was doomed.

Tracyn paused as she fell. But as soon as she called for aid he broke into a run. He ran to his gear, grabbing his water. As soon as he had it, he darted back towards the girl. Tracyn skid to a halt, dropping to a knee and handing his water over. "There, you think you'll be alright?" He waited for her to get her fill before doing anything else though.

"I'll live," she said, the tears streaking her cheeks. She had no idea if she would ever be all right again. "Thank you. I thought I was going to die. My last bit of fresh water ran out hours ago, and I'm so tired of traveling." Rosamira wasn't usually this somber, but then again, she did not usually have to leave the only place she had ever called home either. Before she could stop herself she was pouring out her heart to him. She was so sad and so tired.

"My name is Rosamira Astrophel. I'm 17 years old. I'm a human who was raised by elves after my mother died in childbirth. But some elves fear humans and now that I'm 17 my little elven community in Yomeniampa decided that it was time I lived on my own. But I have no idea why. I haven't done anything to harm or displease them. I guess they just figured if they feared humans so much then how would it look to let one live there? So they sent me away. It took me a few days to get out of Yomeniampa and now I'm tired and hot and my fresh water has run out and I'm homesick. My elven parents were two of the few elves who did not fear humans and the other elves of the community I lived in outnumbered them. So here I am all alone." She sighed and looked up at him, fresh tears glittering in her eyes even though she tried to wipe them away. "What's your name? Why are you here? Did the elves try to kick you out too?"

She dabbed at her eyes with the hem of her dress and sniffled pitifully. She longed to just lie down and go to sleep, but it was too hot to do that. She didn't know where else she would get to sleep either. By the gods, she didn't even know where she was supposed to be going!

Tracny nodded in sypathy to her story. Though he didn't understand the context, as having never experienced living with elves before, he still understood the gist of it. "I'm Tracyn, the dragon over there is Tanith," Tanith snorted in response, stomping her way over. "We're just passing through, hot day. We decieded to take a break till it cooled. I hope you feel better soon, bandits like to prey on people too preocupied with the past or future to notice them near."

"Nice to meet you, Tracyn and Tanith." The thought of bandits scared her, and goose bumps began to pop up all over her arms in spite of the hot day. She shivered. "Bandits? Where can I hide from them? I can't just stay here right out in the open, can I? Honestly, though, I doubt I have anything that would be worth stealing. I have only the clothes on my back, a skin to hold fresh water, and...oh no! My instrument! I guess that might be worth something, as it's gold. I used to be a singer," she explained. "Where do you and Tanith live? Perhaps if you don't mind, you could take me there.

Tracyn shifted in the sand, bitting his lip he muttered, "Well we do have a home, we just don't exactly live in it anymore. We're always on the move you see?" He smiled and stretched. He soon realized that he should have put his shirt back on, the sun was bright and it was cooking him well. The last thing he needed was a sunburn. "One moment please." With that he ran off to his stuff and slipped the shirt back on, confident that he wouldn't get burned he returned. "Though if you really want us to, we could take you.... but the saddle is only meant for one person so it could get kinda uncomfortable. Tanith huffed, not too happy about the prospect of carrying two people now. As though reading Tanith's mind he replied, "Don't worry, she doesn't look too heavy now."

"I'm not heavy. Only 123 pounds, probably less since I haven't had much to eat in the last few days. I'm trying to make my food last, you know. I don't eat very much even when I don't have limited food." She sighed and went over to Tanith. "What do you think? Will you take me?" She petted Tanith's nose as if the small dragon were a horse so she could sniff her scent. It was a bit scaly, but to her surprise, Rosamira found she liked the feel. "Maybe once I have a home again, I'll get myself a dragon just like you. Then you would have a friend to play with. Would you like that?" Rosamira smiled at Tanith. "How old is she, and how did you get her?" she asked Tracyn. "I used to have a horse, but he died not long before I was ousted from Yomeniampa."

Tracyn sighed, pleased with himself. "I found Tanith by a lake, was kinda starved...not much unlike yourself actually..." He paused eying the comparison, it was rather startling for him. "Yeah, very similar." He looked out into the ocean, so deep and vast.

Tanith looked happy, she always loved affection. Soon Tanith had stretched out on the sand, basically inviting the elf raised girl to ride. She snorted playfully, blowing sand at Tracyn.

"Oi! Tanith!" He ran at the dragon, jumping onto her. "Ha! Can't get me with your sand now!" She snorted, and with a mighty flap of a wing, dislodged Tracyn. "Alright, fine! You win this round!" He laughed and so did Tanith, in a dragon sort of way. "Right well, we could head out soon, seeing how it is about mid day, would be a good idea to go now." He walked over to the saddle, and then went about hooking his equipment up to it.

"Is she the fire-breathing kind of dragon?" Rosamira asked, giving Tanith's belly a gentle scratch. "I've heard that kind has to have their teeth brushed a lot. Their teeth will get black from all the soot otherwise," she said with a giggle. She picked up a small bag which held her instrument and what remained of her food before joining them again. "It's kind of nice to see another human," she admitted. She missed the elves though... but here was one of her own kind, someone who accepted her for who she was instead of getting defensive and deciding she had to leave.

Tracyn laughed, "Fire breathing? Naw! She is so much better! You could beat a fire breather any day couldn't ya Tanith?" She snorted in agreement, "Yup! Holy breath, healing blow, and a mind blast too. She is one awesome dragon." Tanith pounded the ground in joyful agreement now.

He double checked everything to make sure it was all hooked up right. "Ok so have you ever ridden on something like a dragon before? Its rather simple, just gotta hold on tight, really really tight." Tracyn finished checking and looked back at Joelle. "Yeah you grew up with elves right? Well there are a whole lot more humans where I come from." He laughed and pat Tanith on the head. "Time we start moving, eh Tanith?" He checked on Joelle, "You commin?" He smiled, squinting in the mid-day light. It was time he left, she probably would come, but still he was leaving now.

She followed him eagerly and petted Tanith's nose again before deciding to climb onto her back. "I had my own horse; his name was Hydion. Perfect name for him... he was kind of...strange looking; his former owner called him "Hideous" and he had a temper to match. He was kind of spirited. Don't worry, I won't fall off," she said with a smile. "Where are you from, that there are so many humans there?"

Tracyn smiled, helping her onto the dragon's back. "I'm from Estolad, used to be a stable hand back then. Boy have I come far, eh?" He grinned again, tapping Tanith, signaling for her to go. Soon they were moving swiftly across the beach, gaining speed. "Hold on tight, there is a sliiiight jostling at takeoff." He clutched on tight as Tanith suddenly, and jarringly, flapped her wings. He shook on the saddle, his equipment rattling at their holds.

The rattling slowed to a simple rhythm as Tanith steadied. One, two, three, steady steady. Tracyn turned back to look at Joelle, "See? That wasn't too bad. Just wait till the landing. So where you want to go?" He turned back to his twelve O'clock. Tanith lowered slightly, and with a single snatch of her claws she went back up with a fish in her claws. "Mid flight snack, eh Tanith?" He chuckled and patted her comfortingly.

"I have no idea where I want to go, really. I guess I'll go wherever you do." Rosamira giggled as she saw Tanith swipe the fish from the water. "I wish I could do that, Tanith. Maybe I wouldn't have almost died back there if I could get food and water for myself." She looked at Tracyn, her cheeks coloring. "Thank you, by the way. You saved my life back there on the beach. Is that what you do for a living?" she joked. She was halfway serious, though... he looked like he did something good with his time. What was it?

The dragon-knight kept his focus forward, trying to decide where he wanted to go next. "Well we could go to the mountains..." She then had spoken, "Thank you, by the way. You saved my life back there on the beach. Is that what you do for a living?" Tracyn looked back to her, "Its nothing, really." He smiled, "Saving people in good will isn't a living, I do it alright, but doesn't make any money. So I do things here and there, I've got a decent stash of money from working as a stable hand." He looked back to the horizon, untold secrets waiting to be discovered.

"If it made you decent money then why did you leave?" she wanted to know. "Did someone hurt you or something? That's the only reason I could imagine leaving a job that made me a lot of money." Rosamira sighed. In her haste to leave, she had left all her money back home. She wondered if she could get her parents to send it to her if she wrote them a letter.