Timenall & the Captured Gryphon - Chapter 5

“Here it is,” Farloft announced as he landed on the ledge outside his newly established Lair.

Timenall landed a bit awkwardly beside him, trying to put his hind legs down first in order to spare his injured front paws the impact. He slowly turned around and looked back over the surrounding valley, hills and mountains bathed in moonlight. “Lovely view and easily defended,” he said agreeably. “Nice choice.”

“Come on inside,” the dragon invited with a toss of his head toward the cave’s mouth.

The gryphon mix limped in behind the young dragon, his feathers a bit ruffled and wings drooping due to the pain in his paws. The cave mouth sat in such a way that the moonlight illuminated all but the far back of it. Timenall could see the area where Farloft dug a sleeping pit and filled it with cedar boughs. The whole cave held the light fragrance of the tree. Not far from the bed sat a brightly painted wooden bowl of considerable size full of water.

“Where did you get the bowl?” Timenall asked.

Farloft wrinkled his muzzle into a grin. “I found it. It was discarded by a stream down in the valley. Had some wet rags in it.”

Timenall didn’t know if the young drag was naïve about laundry practices of humans or if he was joking. “A shame someone forgot it.”

“I think they were glad to be rid of it. Took ages to get the soapy taste out of it,” he said under a chuckle.

He was joking. He knew better. Timenall shook his head. The young dragon would not make friends in this land if he continued to steal. Of course, that was a dragon’s way. Even the hybrid’s mother had a stash of precious items she kept in the back of her cave. One man’s leavings were dragon’s treasure.

“You take the boughs,” Farloft ordered, and it did sound like an order. Even though he was far younger than the hybrid, since delivering the klnick for them to share he had taken on a paternal tone.

“I will be fine on the rock. I have slept rough and I am not going to take your nest,” Timenall countered.

Farloft gently shoved his newly found companion toward the cedar lined pit with his muzzle. “You will take the bed. You are my guest and you don’t argue with a dragon twice you size.”

The dragon was bossy, but good hearted. Timenall did think the boughs looked soft and inviting. He was a bit chilled and exhausted from his ordeal.

“If you insist.”

“I do,” Farloft said.

Timenall stepped into the pit. It was deeper than he had originally thought. He should have known better, it was built for a creature twice his size. It was very cushy and fragrant. He turned a couple of times and settled into a ball of fur and feathers.

“I don’t mind sharing if you are of a mind,” the hybrid invited. “In a dragonly friendly way of course,” he added. He didn’t want the young one to get any ideas. Weirim was his choice for a mate and as soon as they freed her he was going to stop stalling and ask her to be his life mate. That was one thing he had firmly decided during this horrible ordeal.

“Sure,” Farloft said without hesitation. He padded in and curled up around the half gryphon with his head lying outside the pit for lack of room. “Comfy?” he asked and with a deep sigh he closed his eyes.

Timenall swore the dragon was asleep the moment his eyes shut. He breathing grew heavy and he could feel the young one relax at his back. He really was a gentle young soul. Probably used to sleeping with his siblings. The hybrid tucked his nose under his wing and soon the new companions were both sound asleep.