Katrina ran her fingers along the worn leather spine of the book. A type of ancientness seemed to emanate from the cover and she couldn't help but crack open the text to the first page. Katri frowned when she scanned the first page; it was absolutely blank. The dip in her mouth turned down even more when she turned  a few pages in. It was the same blank parchment and she sighed, shutting the book when Marim talked again.

She wasn't going to make a jibe at the boy's uncle, so she stayed quiet and merely nodded when he said they should get going. Shard rested his narrow snout on her shoulder and she turned to wrap her arms loosely around his neck before she ran her fingers across his front leg. "I'll give your uncle our thanks for the items when we return," Katrina said as she swung her legs over Shard's scrawny body.

He raised his head and Katri's feet lifted off the ground a few inches. She grinned at the other riders as Shard fanned his wings out, cooing softly as he did so, edgy to get into the air. Without waiting for the other dragons--against Katri's protests--Shard leaped into the air and used frantic downstrokes to push himself away from the ground and into the sky. They circled above the other dragons while Katri flicked his back, chiding him on his behaviour.

Ooc; Internet is chancy...e-e

They had left her behind...typical.

Frowning and letting out a frustrated sigh Alessandra
glanced over at Morwydi before grinning tiredly. The half-hopeful and half-concerned
look that he put on during times like these always managed to cheer her up a
bit. At least pull her out of that grouchy mood she was always in…sort of.
Alessandra padded over to him and slid a hand over smooth golden scales before
moving to check the saddlebags. The worn leather packs were mostly empty, since
Alessandra had been notified an hour before and had grabbed whatever lay at
hand.

Some extra clothes, spare weapons in case of a
fight, two heavy cloaks and treats for Morwydi. Rolling her eyes at the memory
of the obstinate dragon's refusal to leave without them Alessandra checked the
straps and then patted his side comfortably

"Time to get moving big guy," she said
gruffly, though she was careful when she leapt dexterously up onto his back.
Settling herself into the saddle Alessandra tightened the straps that kept her
on Morwydi's back in flight and snapped on a pair of flexible leather gloves.
With a yell and slap on the back Morwydi shot into the air, his golden wings
glittering as the sun hit them. They rose to the height of the other
dragonriders and at the sight of them shuddered; she fingered the quill at her
neck nervously, wondering where they would go to now.

"So, did we ever get told what our quest
was?" she asked, trying to be somewhat social. Alessandra hated being
hated during long missions, despite her aversion to social interactions. When
the question came out a bit more sharply than she intended Alessandra winced
and sent up a silent prayer to the gods. She would need their help to survive
this damn quest, providing they had the time before she was killed by two very
irritated dragonriders.