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Ryslen Flurry 2006-7 resent 2022

Ea is the lord of the waters and creation, and his mind holds all knowledge. His words can become reality, and the domains of balance and gender are his. This creature is named Wali, the guardian.

"Come on, you can catch me from there!" Soulbind called down to her sister, who had grown as all elfin babes did, somewhat quickly and evening off to her young-adulthood. It was an hand-of-hands, sixteen years to the season, since she was born.

To say that Soulbind was protective of her sister would be true, and also that she was highly impressed with her abilities. Not everyone in the Holt could feel the powers churning in an elf's aura, but Soulbind could of course. She and Summerrain both, and the near-high-ones but only Awlvon would be really interested in the ways of genetics and inheritances and powers. He had taken note, of course, because any child was a good child in his opinion.

"Someone's ... done something," he suggested, and Ainea explained that most likely, Shy had taken some liberties with both Tallow's seed and Apogee's blood sample to get the cells to work right. Awlvon also went ahead and said, "whatever it was, it's certainly made her a powerful child. I wonder if we'll be able to train her when the time comes, to use any of the other powers she's got."

Those powers manifested reasonably quickly - even as a baby she seemed to keep warmer than the surroundings when it was chilly. Not too hot, never burning up or having a hard time in the heat. But certainly a survival power which was somewhat similar to one of the burly Go-Backs that had come to the Holt in the years long before now. And her ability to pick out the colors of an elf's magic aura, only her sister could help there, and probably Kid in the long run but he was a bit weird even as an adult.

So Soulbind helped with her sister almost every day - Apogee and Squall were happy about that, because truth be told neither of them relished yet another morning of changing messy cloth and tending to the chewing of food... But now those days of midnight feeding and learning to walk and talk were long past - Starbright had found that soul name which her mother and friends had largely forgotten themselves, and it served her better and better as she increased her telepathic sending range. Almost daily from when she could sense minds, to now, she practiced with her sister (who was also extraordinarily gifted in terms of thought-sending) and eventually she could be said to have a range on a par with very strong magic-users.

It was the other powers which started showing up a little later, after she'd become more or less able to fend for herself. Animals came to her at her own bidding, not just because they liked her scent or she fed them. The elders in the tribe, those who hailed from Twin Peaks at least, knew that this power was still strong in their kind - Apogee had bonded a giant hawk, many of those who survived since the fall of the Peaks had been bonders before then. But this was special - she had a very strong attachment to the dragons.

In other worlds, she'd have been praised as being able to 'hear' all the dragons nearby with her mind. Only once did she proclaim it was too 'busy' in the dragon-mind to remain there very long, and she refrained from explaining just what she meant by that, too. Almost all the dragons in the Holt would respond to her, if she needed help out in the forest or at the lake. Bonded or not, those dragons would treat her like royalty.

Obviously, at some point she'd have to find her own dragon to bond with. Soon, likely. It was to that end, however, that Soulbind was teaching her how to ride, on her own dragon. There weren't many bigger dragons in the Holt, there were plenty smaller ones. But this was about teaching her to ride, right - and Soulbind wanted Starbright to come along and reach for her hand.

From the edge of the highest ledge in the whole Mountain.

"Come on! You can do it, I've seen you leap farther than that!" Soulbind called from her dragon who circled overhead. He leaned down again, brushing the ledge with his wingtip.

This time, Starbright didn't hesitate. She lept out, like she'd seen her mother do many times off that high platform on the pond nearby - she caught Soulbind's hand, and wrapped her leg around the neck of the dragon. The dragon dipped down a bit, with the impact more than the tiny weight, but then swooped back up into the air to circle more widely.

"See! That wasn't hard, we'll keep doing this until you can jump yourself." Soulbind said.

"Mother jumps herself crazy!" Starbright laughed. "Did you see what she did that one time!"

"Squall never stops talking about it!" Soulbind chuckled, and they flew over the pond. Their mother was not present, she was out probably fetching more of the Humans' goods for trade. "So you think you're going to be out this next Winter? To find a dragon?"

Starbright nodded. "I think I'm ready, but I don't know where! Or... or when." That was a significant thing to say, because it was known that a few of the dragons around had the talent to send themselves back and forth in time. Their mother's did it at least a few times, Ainea's was always bipping in here and there and they could never tell if it was from the future, past or today.

"Well it's kind of traditional that at least someone go to a Flurry this time of year," Soulbind said, more thoughtfully. "But I haven't heard about it yet." She paused, and looked over her shoulder at her sister. "But ... there is a way..."

***

"At least I don't really have to pack all those heavy furs," Starbright commented, as she did put away a few things into a travel pack. "But I want to work on these," she held up a couple metal bands. "If I can get this one to glow all the time that'll be fantastic."

"I don't know if that'll really work," Soulbind said, but not harshly. "I'm just not sure if you can give it power all the time."

It was the last of her weirder powers to surface: the first thing she did when Apogee showed off her father's large white candle of the flying eagle with the two tall spiraled bits with wicks... She lit the candles and the candles never melted. In fact, the candles light whenever she comes around. Perhaps proof that her father's soul rests where it will be loved the most.

Now she was trying to imbue these shaped-metal rings (well, one was simple stone, another a gem from Jade's stock, and the third was pure metal from Kolgar's workshop) with certain things. The stone one already was taking a shine to being unbreakable; the metal one had so far eluded any kind of magical tuning; and the gemstone was the one she intended to glimmer full time with a diamond-sparkle.

It was almost a cursory meeting with the elders, to say only that "it's her turn to Bond, wish her luck!" and then the pair vanished into Soulbind's aerie. Soulbind wanted to work quickly, because what she had in mind wasn't just a trip through the Healing Den and onto some world with sands.

It was to the Flurry - a particular one. There had been plenty of them, but one stood in her mind for some reason. The Go-Backs Udli and Nyidar commented about it, frequently, as their dragons had come from it. But they couldn't really pin down what they wanted to say: there were other elves there, sure, but apparently they didn't think much about it until questioned. It was no big deal, but now it was the thing that Soulbind wanted to see about getting her sister to.

But she'd have to travel back almost sixty years to do it! Twenty of those before she herself had been born! But she was confident. They'd be able to get there fine.

Especially if... Go ask their dragons for an image of their birthhome, Soulbind sent to her sister. She knew that there would be a bit of confusion about it, but Starbright asked anyway. They replied with a nice shot of a red-sanded big cavern - filled with dragons and people and probably snow outside since it was relentlessly winter. That thought, Starbright sent directly to Soulbind's dragon - upon which when they were ready to take flight - she left Abode and headed to Ryslen.

***

It took them several tries. Once they almost thought they had it, but for whatever reason there was nothing but the remnants of a hatching - and then, they found it. Ryslen's Flurry was a popular place. Starbright looked around from the Novo's staging area and spotted ...

"Look, it's Udli and Nyidar," Starbright said, "but they already have dragons to me and you... How very odd."

"Let's not think about that, and don't talk about it to them if you run into them here!" Soulbind said, urgently. "They didn't remember much about the other elves at this hatching, they're us! So... just..."

"I'll avoid talking to them. They look just as happy as can be - it's nice and cold, huh!" Starbright giggled a little.

Soulbind grinned but shivered and headed up to the other dragon-housing, where visitors would stay for the duration. Starbright began the process of becoming an official 'Novo' or candidate for the Flurry, and she was so excited she could hardly contain herself!

She tried that night, and succeeded in making the tiger's eye gemstone ring glow from within - it was a more yellowy shade than she expected but it was still glimmery and pretty. The ring of course would only fit on fingers of an elf or a human child's size - she couldn't sell it at the gather outside, nor to someone here. Maybe if they brought her things they'd made...

**

(( From Flurry ))

Some things took time.

Some things took time travel.

Some things took traveling through time twice, like a certain egg hatching today.

Some things took other kinds of time shenanigans, like your entire life.

I don't know that I will ever be able to explain the amount of effort that it took to get you and I together at the same time in the same place, and yet here we are. Could anyone else understand the complexities of the universe that brought us together, except for us? Will you know that when I say your name I mean ‘I love you'?

‘Starbright.'

The elf turned, and before her was a small furry hatchling, one with big eyes, strongly shaped wings, long ears, fluffy glowing vanes on her back and similarly glowing antennae linked to cheetah-like tear tracks down her face.

Her white face.

Her white everything .

‘My name is Whitesnow, Starbright. I hope I have not kept you waiting too long.'

***

The birth of an elf would always be cause for celebration, and as usual Awlvon was on hand for the event just in case. It was one of the quieter members of the Holt that sired the child being delivered in one of the healing nooks, but Awlvon knew perfectly well that this 'Kid' was far older than his name implied, due to having been preserved in wrapstuff for... well, quite a while. For now, the expectant mother, her recognized mate, and the healer were in the nook near where Farfire had her den, and where black Lyesaseath eagerly waited to see what all the fuss was about. And with this being only a hand and one years after Whitesnow's hatching and arrival to the Holt, she was unsure what all was going on, herself.

"I think it's quite exciting," Starbright breathed, eyes wide. Kid had been there to help teach Starbright how to focus on the energies and colors of auras, and indeed how to begin coaxing those auras onto things that didn't normally have them. Quite a few people had wondered whether Kid would Recognize her; of course they also wondered whether he would ever change his name...

Whitesnow was not-quite fully grown, but already if she sat next to Starbright, the dragon could easily place her chin over the elf's head. She did so now, causing a giggle and flinch, "that tickles!" Starbright laughed as quietly as she could. There were voices in the healing nook, not raised nor worried sounding, but she didn't want to make it seem like too many people were standing around waiting for the birth.

There were quite a few people now, waiting. Whitesnow gently asked, should we be here? This seems like it should be more private. Our shells broke where many had before, but this seems... different.

"We have traditions," the elf replied. "I've heard more than I've seen. Only one has been born here since I was! In fact, I was only the same age as you were when Chelden was born, I remember being excited but I don't remember much else." She sent an image, the white-haired pale skinned young elf almost resembled Whitesnow! "Sometimes a mother will want to be alone, or with her wolf or dragon or other bonded friend, or just her lifemate, or a healer."

They heard Farfire's high whine of pain, she was not a large bodied elf, this pregnancy wasn't terrible on her but it wasn't doing her any favors just now. Also heard was Kid's soft and now-deep voice, soothing her. It wan't long before another was heard, the strong and high sound of a first howl; the child of a pair like this had a surprisingly loud voice! Whitesnow seemed to be peering into the walls, as if she could possibly squint hard enough to see through them. She didn't need to, in a few minutes.

Kid held his daughter, pale skinned with a flame-orange halo of short hair on her head, as he emerged from the leather-curtained den. "She's here!" He said, still softly but with much pride. Among those gathered were the 'elders' of the Holt, not the oldest members, but those who had been with Farfire when the Holt itself was formed. They would always be somewhat closer as a group than many others. Starbright and her sister who had come up when the call went out to see, were both part of and apart from that group. Their mother was the chieftess, the founder of this place. But they were very much another generation... Just like this little spark-haired girl would be in her own time.

Whitesnow gently padded forward. The night would be ending soon, and like some in the Holt Starbright had been mostly nocturnal even before bonding to a night-specific dragon. They would want to say hello, see the little girl, give a sniff. The dragon's fluffy antennae danced near the swaddled child, but she didn't dare touch her with them. Too soon to introduce a little life form to the oddities that might come from her magic, after all.

A little later, though, when the mother and family were proclaimed healthy returned to their normal den and everyone else had gotten in their congratulations... Whitesnow once more approached her bond while they were getting ready to snuggle down and sleep.

Where was their egg?

"W-...what egg?" Starbright paused, still smiling from the day's events, but now with a furrowing of her eyebrows. "We... don't lay eggs, Whitesnow, dragons and birds and lizards lay eggs, but... we don't." She glanced around, "the wolves don't, the um, cats or other furry creatures generally don't."

I am furry, though?

It was true, it was very, very true. Starbright ruffled her hand over the heavy belly fluff, and Whitesnow stretched like a cat into that motion.

"I thought that you already maybe... knew those things, but I guess you're still going on dragon lore and not... well, elf lore." Starbright chuckled. "Thing is, elves, we don't really have that many children. Not like humans, or even trolls I guess."

Nyidar and Udli seem to think that elves have many.

"They're Go-Backs!" Starbright laughed, "they have their reasons for being so prolific," she now knew why that word existed.

Then I will not see many new events like that, Whitesnow seemed a touch sad. They were so very pleased! Everyone was! And all of the magic from them, it was delightful. It was almost as strong as what I could produce with my magic.

"I'm just glad your other magic wasn't needed, your gravity magic. Sometimes I've heard that lifting the weight from the body allows a newborn to thrive here."

But where do they come from?

Starbright simply stared at the ceiling of her den with a baffled, amused expression, and finally got around to explaining 'mammals' more properly to the dragon. Furry though she was, and there were other furry dragons here, elf conception and birth was so much harder than it had to be. But they did rely on quality over quantity (hush, Udli, hush...) overall.

What if I found Recognition?

"I'm... not really sure you can? I've heard that to the elves who've impressed, that the bonding between dragon and elf is quite a bit like Recognition. Maybe you could, I don't know - would you leave me, your one, for a mate?"

"Never!" Whitesnow blurted out. She was still young, but now she was more knowledgeable. They drifted to sleep together, warm and snug, and dreamed as they sometimes would, as one.

But with all dragons in groups, knowledge spread quickly. Most other dragons already knew full well how elves and humans or whoever else reproduced. But what they gossiped about was how dragons did. And with the curious young Whitesnow now prodding these questions, they let their imaginations and memories run wild. Who had sired a clutch, who was going to rise, who had a secret nest, who didn't remember where their kin now lived. Whitesnow began listening to these whispers in earnest.

Starbright was a touch worried, because she'd heard things about 'rising and flying' from those with the 'old world' dragons. And had heard from the Dragonry course instructors over at Carramba (which she had visited a few times, she didn't think she needed to attend) that it could be stressful for the riders should the dragons have disparate tastes in bonds.

She knew what was going to happen, it was just a matter of when.

***

Time had a way of running strangely around the Nexus. Even now, with them together in one place and one time, after jaunting around so much even to exist, and afterwards to find one another, Whitesnow and Starbright knew that it was 'time'. It had been another three years, to them, Whitesnow was two hands of years old, 'eight', a magical number to four-fingered elves.

They decided to return to her birth place, it was one that she easily might reach having been there personally. No assistance was needed. Besides... Adisath and Nivoan and possibly others wanted to see whether the new Flurry flight might be of interest! The power that Whitesnow had, to assist in moving between dimensions and locations, aided them now. She'd leave odd magical trails for others to follow if they were unclear on where and when to go. There would be decisions to make, appraisals to do, would they all participate? Who would be there? Who would merely attend and watch, or wait for the inevitable hatching?

They would go, and they would see. To the Flurry once more!

Whitesnow
Female
5.0 feet at the shoulder
Bonded to Starbright (Zekiran)
** Very bright lights and direct sun on her bioluminescent parts is uncomfortable, but indirect light is tolerable. -- Above Average Magic

Cheritha & Thicksnow
Breed: Nightmourner Mutt
-- Color by Dray

* Telepathy
* Teleportation (self): The ability to go “between” places to places they have personally been, or if they receive clear coordinates from another dragon.
* Verbal Speech
* Physical Magic: Magic can be gathered from their glowing antennae and vanes to create small physical objects.
* Narcotic Magic: Magic can be gathered from their glowing antennae and vanes for ingestion to induce hallucinations, feelings of euphoria, and dulling of pain. Abuse causes feelings of remorse and suicidal thoughts.
* Bioluminescence: Allows Nightmourner to glow; tolerance varies by individual (see below)
* Call Wildlife
* Gravity Magic: Can increate or decrease the effect of gravity on an object or in a limited area.
* Tandem Teleportation: The ability to coordinate or assist in coordinating a jump between
* Inner Temporal Compass: Enhanced ability to know When they are as well as where.