adventchallenge 2010: 6/25 (for iriththedreamer)
Prompt from iriththedreamer: Two friends meet up again after 'adventuring' for five years.
It turned out a bit different than I expected (as do all things, come to think of it), but I hope you like it anyway. ♥
for December 6th, 2010 (iriththedreamer)
Modret was waiting for him at the pub, seated alone in a corner by the fire, a pint of ale in his hand, feet propped up on the opposite bench. He rose when Chendao got close enough, and wrapped the slim man in a hug that smelled of leather, sweat, and mountain air. "It's been too long," he said, voice gravelly in Chendao's ear.
"It has," Chendao replied, laughing to himself as a slight hiss escaped despite the heaviness of his tongue. "I hear you've done some strange things these last five years."
Modret pulled back, clasping Chendao's shoulders to look at him far too shrewdly to be fair. "I hear I'm not the only one," Modret said. His eyes were sharp, and golden where they had once been green.
Considering his own eyes had changed from dark brown to ice blue, Chendao had a feeling he and Modret would understand each other all too well when Chendao got up the nerve to say-in private, of course-that when they'd separated at the crossroads, his path led to a dragon. He was lucky the dragon had chosen to turn him into a dragon and teach him, not eat him. When Chendao finally learned enough to make himself human again, almost five years had passed, his eyes had turned dragon blue, and all who'd known of his adventuring believed that it had killed him.
When he returned home, his family said Modret was dead. Chendao would have mourned had rumors not begun trickling in to the contrary. Magic located his old friend-magic, rumor, and hope. He was glad Modret agreed to meet him at all.
But Modret drained his mug, then clapped Chendao's shoulders. "Come to my room," he said, already guiding Chendao past boisterous drunks and laughing townsfolk crowding the bar. Chendao pretended not to notice the way people tensed and shifted as he and Modret slid past. "It's too loud here to talk about serious things."
Modret's room was plain, austere, and looked out over the rooftops at the mountains where their adventures had begun. Modret lit a few candles and a lamp, and closed the curtains as Chendao locked the door. "If you would?" Modret motioned his chin at the dark, dead coals of the fireplace.
Chendao paused, then chuckled, shaking his head at them both and setting the logs alight with a breath and a thought.
Modret's breath hitched as the fire burst to life. "You did change," he said softly. "I saw your eyes, but-"
"And I saw yours." Chendao slipped off his cloak and boots and curled onto the floor beside the fire, sitting much closer than was safe. "Some said a sphinx, some a lion. But I heard from a knowledgeable source-"
"A fire-breathing source?" Modret snorted and crossed his arms, but sat on the bed and removed his boots as well. "I was taken in by a griffon. Can't set fire to things, but I can fly a bit if I need to."
Chendao's eyes widened. "Fly? You've-you can fly?"
Modret nodded. "Among other things." He paused. "You'll burn off all that hair of yours if you're not careful."
Chendao rolled his eyes, then stuck his hand into the flames and made a barking dog with his fingers. His barks slid into hissing laughter at Modret's horrified expression. His blue eyes glowed.
"You-you-stop that!" Modret grabbed Chendao and pulled him away from the fireplace as if he were shifting a feather. "You really are crazy," he snapped, golden eyes bright.
"Be at ease, my friend. I was only teasing."
"Yes, well, my heart attack will be just as funny."
"You've gotten serious," Chendao chided, curling against him.
Modret slumped back against the bed. Chendao's head followed, settling again on his shoulder. "Griffons are serious," Modret said at last. "Life is not to be taken lightly."
"True, but dragons believe life is too precious to be spent in solemnity. If you don't enjoy life, how can you say you appreciate it?"
"I enjoy my life."
"I believe you." Chendao waited quietly.
"But for all that I am like a griffon now, I recognize how very human my nature is. I cannot be both, but I cannot be one and not the other, either."
Chendao frowned. "Why not both? Both are part of you. Why do you need to choose one or the other?"
"Because, like it or not, I'm different now. We both are. What person in their right mind would want that abnormality in a friend? A lover?"
Chendao sucked in a breath to speak, but Modret plunged on.
"You've heard the rumors about me. About both of us. Who would-"
"Modret," Chendao said kindly, "you're being stupid."
Modret's eyes narrowed. "I thought you, of all people, would understand," he snapped, "but clearly-"
"I will not lie to you."
Modret snorted, but held his tongue. "Fine," he said a last. "How am I being stupid?"
Chendao met his narrowed eyes and smiled. "You've been given a tremendous gift. Yet you complain about what small-minded gossips think. Are griffons not wiser than that?"
"They are… But I'm still too human. Griffons don't need others. They don't need to feel connected."
"You're human enough to appreciate that this world is not a place to walk alone."
"Like at that crossroads?"
Chendao's eyes dropped. "Yes," he admitted. "We should have turned back. Together."
"You don't believe that. You're glad for your 'gift.'"
"I am," Chendao admitted. "But I would not have suggested we split up if I had known it would bring you such pain."
"It brought me pain then."
"I know. I knew. But I thought if you could see how felt to watch someone walk away from you, you'd understand how it always was for me, watching you. And you'd follow me. But you didn't-I even walked slowly so you could catch up. And then the dragon found me, and four years were gone, and I thought you were gone too, or dead. The dragon's gift was all I had when I returned." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I thought things would go better between us than they have-then and now." He pulled his feet under him. "I should go."
"Don't be stupid," Modret said, tugging Chendao back down. Then, "I waited for you, up the other path. The griffon said I sat so still he didn't have the heart to kill me. Didn't even notice me at first."
"You waited for me?"
Modret nodded. "And you waited for me."
Chendao snorted. "What a pair we turned out to be."
"Of idiots, you mean?"
Chendao jostled Modret with his shoulder. Modret bumped him back. They sat quietly after, smiling and warm, contented.
Then Modret said, much too casually, "The king posted a quest last week."
"No. No more adventuring."
"I'll follow you this time, I promise!" Modret's roguish grin held a shadow of the mirth it had five years before, but it set fireworks in Chendao's stomach just the same.
"I'm going to regret this," Chendao said, chuckling and shaking his head. "So tell me about this quest."
It turned out a bit different than I expected (as do all things, come to think of it), but I hope you like it anyway. ♥
for December 6th, 2010 (iriththedreamer)
Modret was waiting for him at the pub, seated alone in a corner by the fire, a pint of ale in his hand, feet propped up on the opposite bench. He rose when Chendao got close enough, and wrapped the slim man in a hug that smelled of leather, sweat, and mountain air. "It's been too long," he said, voice gravelly in Chendao's ear.
"It has," Chendao replied, laughing to himself as a slight hiss escaped despite the heaviness of his tongue. "I hear you've done some strange things these last five years."
Modret pulled back, clasping Chendao's shoulders to look at him far too shrewdly to be fair. "I hear I'm not the only one," Modret said. His eyes were sharp, and golden where they had once been green.
Considering his own eyes had changed from dark brown to ice blue, Chendao had a feeling he and Modret would understand each other all too well when Chendao got up the nerve to say-in private, of course-that when they'd separated at the crossroads, his path led to a dragon. He was lucky the dragon had chosen to turn him into a dragon and teach him, not eat him. When Chendao finally learned enough to make himself human again, almost five years had passed, his eyes had turned dragon blue, and all who'd known of his adventuring believed that it had killed him.
When he returned home, his family said Modret was dead. Chendao would have mourned had rumors not begun trickling in to the contrary. Magic located his old friend-magic, rumor, and hope. He was glad Modret agreed to meet him at all.
But Modret drained his mug, then clapped Chendao's shoulders. "Come to my room," he said, already guiding Chendao past boisterous drunks and laughing townsfolk crowding the bar. Chendao pretended not to notice the way people tensed and shifted as he and Modret slid past. "It's too loud here to talk about serious things."
Modret's room was plain, austere, and looked out over the rooftops at the mountains where their adventures had begun. Modret lit a few candles and a lamp, and closed the curtains as Chendao locked the door. "If you would?" Modret motioned his chin at the dark, dead coals of the fireplace.
Chendao paused, then chuckled, shaking his head at them both and setting the logs alight with a breath and a thought.
Modret's breath hitched as the fire burst to life. "You did change," he said softly. "I saw your eyes, but-"
"And I saw yours." Chendao slipped off his cloak and boots and curled onto the floor beside the fire, sitting much closer than was safe. "Some said a sphinx, some a lion. But I heard from a knowledgeable source-"
"A fire-breathing source?" Modret snorted and crossed his arms, but sat on the bed and removed his boots as well. "I was taken in by a griffon. Can't set fire to things, but I can fly a bit if I need to."
Chendao's eyes widened. "Fly? You've-you can fly?"
Modret nodded. "Among other things." He paused. "You'll burn off all that hair of yours if you're not careful."
Chendao rolled his eyes, then stuck his hand into the flames and made a barking dog with his fingers. His barks slid into hissing laughter at Modret's horrified expression. His blue eyes glowed.
"You-you-stop that!" Modret grabbed Chendao and pulled him away from the fireplace as if he were shifting a feather. "You really are crazy," he snapped, golden eyes bright.
"Be at ease, my friend. I was only teasing."
"Yes, well, my heart attack will be just as funny."
"You've gotten serious," Chendao chided, curling against him.
Modret slumped back against the bed. Chendao's head followed, settling again on his shoulder. "Griffons are serious," Modret said at last. "Life is not to be taken lightly."
"True, but dragons believe life is too precious to be spent in solemnity. If you don't enjoy life, how can you say you appreciate it?"
"I enjoy my life."
"I believe you." Chendao waited quietly.
"But for all that I am like a griffon now, I recognize how very human my nature is. I cannot be both, but I cannot be one and not the other, either."
Chendao frowned. "Why not both? Both are part of you. Why do you need to choose one or the other?"
"Because, like it or not, I'm different now. We both are. What person in their right mind would want that abnormality in a friend? A lover?"
Chendao sucked in a breath to speak, but Modret plunged on.
"You've heard the rumors about me. About both of us. Who would-"
"Modret," Chendao said kindly, "you're being stupid."
Modret's eyes narrowed. "I thought you, of all people, would understand," he snapped, "but clearly-"
"I will not lie to you."
Modret snorted, but held his tongue. "Fine," he said a last. "How am I being stupid?"
Chendao met his narrowed eyes and smiled. "You've been given a tremendous gift. Yet you complain about what small-minded gossips think. Are griffons not wiser than that?"
"They are… But I'm still too human. Griffons don't need others. They don't need to feel connected."
"You're human enough to appreciate that this world is not a place to walk alone."
"Like at that crossroads?"
Chendao's eyes dropped. "Yes," he admitted. "We should have turned back. Together."
"You don't believe that. You're glad for your 'gift.'"
"I am," Chendao admitted. "But I would not have suggested we split up if I had known it would bring you such pain."
"It brought me pain then."
"I know. I knew. But I thought if you could see how felt to watch someone walk away from you, you'd understand how it always was for me, watching you. And you'd follow me. But you didn't-I even walked slowly so you could catch up. And then the dragon found me, and four years were gone, and I thought you were gone too, or dead. The dragon's gift was all I had when I returned." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I thought things would go better between us than they have-then and now." He pulled his feet under him. "I should go."
"Don't be stupid," Modret said, tugging Chendao back down. Then, "I waited for you, up the other path. The griffon said I sat so still he didn't have the heart to kill me. Didn't even notice me at first."
"You waited for me?"
Modret nodded. "And you waited for me."
Chendao snorted. "What a pair we turned out to be."
"Of idiots, you mean?"
Chendao jostled Modret with his shoulder. Modret bumped him back. They sat quietly after, smiling and warm, contented.
Then Modret said, much too casually, "The king posted a quest last week."
"No. No more adventuring."
"I'll follow you this time, I promise!" Modret's roguish grin held a shadow of the mirth it had five years before, but it set fireworks in Chendao's stomach just the same.
"I'm going to regret this," Chendao said, chuckling and shaking his head. "So tell me about this quest."