Advisory Training? (Wake)

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The old dragon had quite a happy smile as he walked through a tunnel and eventually emerge into a cave with a large opening above. To one side was another large opening that showed the ocean as waves rocked against the entrance, his paws treading through the warm sand that was present through the whole cavern as he headed for a wooden structure of sorts. This structure being the remains of different human ships that wrecked and washed up inside the seaside cavern, most of which he gathered and made into a den of sorts. Satisfied of a quick look over, he turned back over to where the light shone down from the roof.

Pretty well hidden and large enough for his plans as he walked over onto a large flat stone bathed in sunlight and sat, curling up with a slight yawn. A faint smile showed, "A perfect place to train indeed." He chuckled as he waited for the young dragon to arrive.

Wake slowly opened his eyes, which quickly picked up on the old dragoness. He got up and shook off a bit, taking a quick sniff of the air he did. He loved that salt smell in the air, and the hint of seaweed the graced his nostrils. He then looked at Casadora. "Alright ma'am. What do we need to do?"

Casadora smiled at him, "Just gathering a few herbs here and there I planted sometime ago. Would you care to escort me then young one?" She chuckled lightly and gestures to walk beside her as they head outside. It wouldn't be that far of a walk and she planned on showing Wake certain places around their home at some point.

Wake smiled at the dragoness, happy to help the older dragon, he quickly came up beside her. The small wyvern the answered the question. "Yes ma'am." A question then came to mind as they walked to where Casadora was leading him. "So how did you meet Thantos?"

A question she wasn't surprised to hear coming from Wake, "How I met him? Hmmm..." The memory wasn't hard to find and she smiled deeply from it, "It was at night...when I was around your age we met. I was gathering herbs that could only be found at night and once past some bushes,
there he was. Sitting on a cliff and looking up at the stars with no care in the world, he noticed me of course and asked if I was a star that fell to earth." She chuckled to herself.

"A charmer then and now still, so we laughed and that got me to join his star gazing. We talked for what seemed like an eternity, sharing what we knew of the lands so far. Then....he made me a promise that night, he would take me to a spot and we'd both watch the stars together all night until the day we both join them forevermore." She finished her short story with a content sigh as she stopped near a tree and looked at Wake with a smile.

That's how we met Wake, and why he calls me his star. I thank you for listening to my story and now," she pointed in one direction down a path, "You can gather some wild stalks for me, their dark blue roses and orange ones to. Gather a bit of both and be careful to not prick yourself,
my mate found out the hard way on what happens if it does." Then she gestured to the other path,"I'll be down this way, and don't worry, I won't be that far." She gave a kindhearted smile before heading off out of sight.

Wake smiled as he listen to the story intently. He was trying to visualize it in his head, just how it felt, sounded, looked. Wake hyperactive mind  did have some bonuses like this. Once Casadora finished, the young wyvern chimed in. "Wow. A beautiful story. Maybe me and a 'ness will have one like it to tell at some point?" The older dragon then asked him to go get something.

The grey scaled dragon listed to what the old healer need, and with a "Yes ma'am, was off to find the stalks. He looked around for a few minutes before finally finding some of his quarry, and began to carefully collect them, all the while keeping his ears peeled for even the slightest noise.

All seemed to go well for both and the morning looked to be a good day. That is until Wake would pick an audible gasp and crashing of undergrowth of something falling to the ground. Nearby, Casadora was on her side with a pained expression and could barely move. "W.....wake..." She said weakly in a vain attempt to call out to him, one of her back legs not moving at all and the stillness seeming to spread.

Wake was still picking stalks when he heard a gasp and crash. His head darted up, looking towards the sound, and heard something else. It was Casadora!

The wyvern spread his wings and lifted off the ground, quickly flying towards the sound. He hoped it was something simple. That thing weren't to bad when he got there. All Wake knew right now though was something happened, and he had promised to keep an eye on the dragoness for Thantos.

With an ever struggling effort, she used her other back leg and scratched something off her back foot. An orange rose fell off and floated to the side as she took heavy breaths. The dragoness thanked the stars above for being able to remove the stalk, she also hoped Wake was okay as well. Hearing wingbeats she tried to move her head, but couldn't and fell back. "Oh....Wake..." She said weakly as she knew who was coming.

Wake was surprised to find nothing on top of the older dragon, but she couldn't seem to move one of her hind legs. He checked the ground and surrounding area before landing.

The wyvern walked up to Casadora, trying to figure out what was going on. What could cause this? Wake had never seen anything like this happen before."Casadora? What happened? Are you ok?"

"I'm....okay." She manages to push up her head barely and eventually into a sitting position. Her hind leg though was still limp as she looked at it sadly, "After I just...warned you to be careful. I stepped...on one of the.....Thurgelds." She indicated the crushed looking orange rose not far from her hind leg. Then a coughing fit overtook her and nearly fell over onto her side again.

"Their...an important ingredient...but very dangerous if handled....incorrectly. The thorns....induce paralysis as....natural protection." She said weakly before coughing again.

Wake's eyes widened as he heard this. Paralysis? This didn't sound too good. What was he supposed to do? The wyvern didn't know anything about how to deal with something like this. Then he remembered that someone here did. He looked at Casadora, still worried about the dragoness. "Well, how do you stop the paralysis? You're the only one here who'd know."

"Its....okay..." She got up groggily and weakly, shaking as she stood up even with a limp hindleg. "It'll....wear off after some rest." The old dragoness looked at Wake and gave a weak smile, " I was...more worried for you Wake. Thurgeld...poison is more....dangerous to smaller dragons, which is....why is only my leg is paralyzed." Coughing came again and shook a bit, 'Could you.....help me back...to my den?"

Wake smiled at the news, happy that she'd be ok, and quickly came to her side, being sure not to step on one of the roses. He slid himself under Casadora's wing, and began to help her up. "Ok. You ready?"

Casadora nodded to Wake and so began the slow walk back to the hidden cave. "I was...so excited to spend....the day getting to know you Wake." She looked down sadly, "Yet...this old dragoness....stumbles once and....you have to help me walk back." I knew this path like the back of my paw and yet I stepped on a Thurgeld, no wonder he worries about me, Casadora thought to herself sadly.

Wake walked along side the older dragoness, helping keep her from falling over. The thoughts of how this could have gone bad, and he gave a silent prayer to Kelarth to keep anything else from happening to them.

As they walked, Casadora began to explain what she had hoped to do. As she spoke, Wake's grey eyes easily noticed how sad she seemed having to cut the trip short. The wyvern just smiled. "Well, we can get to know more about each other once we're back at the den." He hoped the offer would help the dragoness's spirit, even if she wasn't up for it.

"True.....but I planned to show you.....different herbs and what each can do." She gave a sad sigh, but smiled a bit. "Funny enough....this is quite similar....too what happened when..my mate got pricked." Chuckling lightly as that memory came to her.

"He tried to act brave....as I helped him back...guess he didn't like his pride....being taken down by a flower. Especially, when I told him....to take a special blend to recover....and one whiff..." Shaking her head and chuckling. "The best medicine....is always the most bitter."

Wake let out a soft chuckle as Casadora recounted the Thantos's dealing with the flowers. He couldn't help but think of another time her words were true. "That reminds me of the time my clutch mate brother and I got sick. The heal gave our parents some disgusting concoction." The wyvern laughed again at the thought."I can still remember my older brother and sister's faces as they watched us drink whatever the elixir was supposed to be. They laughed so hard they couldn't stand." Wake the looked over at Casadora to be sure she was ok.

Casadora gave a lighthearted chuckle after hearing Wake recount his own story. "My mate is the very same....he knows its....supposed to be good for him. Yet he makes....such disgusted faces as if I was poisoning him." She chuckled at the memory and gave Wake an affectionate nuzzle. "Thank you....for helping this old dragoness young one." A kind hearted smile shown on her face.

Wake smiled at the compliment, happy that she seemed to enjoy the story. "It's no problem, Casadora. I'm just glad I was able to help."

As the pair continued on, a question crossed his mind. Thantos and Casadora's den was large enough for a family, yet the two didn't seem to have had an hatchlings. It was something he had tried to figure out, but couldn't. "I've been meanin' to ask, did you and Thantos ever have hatchlings of your own."

She was silent when he asked the question and had a solemn look, as if contemplating an answer. Then finally, she answered his question after a minute of silence. "I couldn't have hatchlings." The words seemed to have weight in tone alone, but what it meant was quite clear. "We both didn't know of course....until me....and another healer confirmed it."

"I thought....Thantos would leave me.....after finding out." She shook her head lightly and a small tear formed. "He said.....it didn't matter to him, that he would stay with me, and still loved me." A sad smile formed and she sniffed. "I cried....so much after hearing that." They both were soon inside the cave tunnel and almost into the center.

"Oh." Wake's horns went limp as they continued walking. He couldn't imagine what hearing that must have been like. Knowing that you couldn't have hatchlings of your own.

The wyvern then realized that he may have hurt the dragoness's by bringing the topic up. He didn't know what to do real. "I... I'm sorry to bring it up, but it's also nice to hear just how much Thantos loves you."

As he and Casadora finally entered the den, Wake looked over at the older dragon. "Where do you want to rest?"

"Its....its fine Wake, you didn't know." She sniffed and finally calmed herself down from the memory. Then she gestured to the wooden den, "Over....there, if you can please." Weakly she replied back as they shuffled over to her den and once inside she sat in the center with a weak groan. Once on the ground she nuzzled Wake and sniffed, "Thank you....for all your help....and for listening to my story...Wake." She rested a paw on his wearily, "Thank you.....so much."

Wake smiled a bit as he lowered the old dragons. He was happy to help, but his legs had gotten tired. After helping the 'ness, he thought about how she would have handled this if he wasn't there. Thankfully, the thank you that Casadora gave snapped him out of the thought. "No problem, and it was a great story."

He then thought of something. The healer had mentioned a mixture that helped Thantos when this happened to him. Maybe she could walk the wyvern through it. He looked over at the paralyzed dragon. "Hey. Maybe I could make that stuff you said you made for Thantos. Could you walk me through it?"

"I'm sorry dear....I know....you want to help." She gave a kind smile and nuzzled Wake again. "But its....not the first time...something like this....happened to me. Just....a little rest...for this weary soul." A slight cough came before she rested her head on the ground. "Your...like...the grandchild...we've always....wanted..." Her eyes closed slowly and finally soft snores could be heard as she fell asleep from exhaustion from today's events.

Wake just smiled at the Casadora's compliment, though she surprised him with her final words before she slept. Wake wasn't sure what to think about them. He felt good after hearing them, but it made him wonder what they had missed out on.

The wyvern was pulled from his thoughts by a growling from his stomach. Wake had eaten yesterday, but, in spite of his size, he needed more food than other dragons. With this in mind, he slid out of the den and flew out to the ocean, looking for a nice meal.

After some time, the Sea Spirit found a school of fish. Wake tucked his wings in, and dove for the school. Once he hit the water, the dragon was able to so tasty fish before heading back to the den.