Nightfall brought with it the sound of wings. Circling above the trees, the small blue dragoness sought out a place to land. Finding an opening within the tree tops, the hippo sized blue dragon descended slowly. Landing with a careful thunk. Serpentine neck lifted as nostrils twitched and flared. Taking in the scents of the forest.

A few branches cracked, and leaves crunched underfoot. Ice blue eyes searching the area. Water. She'd been flying most of the day and needed to find a spot to slake her thirst.

 A glance behind her as leaves crunched again, though it seemed as if she were alone.

Following the scent of water, soon she'd cautiously give the stream a sniff, before burying her snout into the cool water.

It looked like she'd be spending the night.

"Curse this place! Damn this map, damn it all!" Shouted a man named Tacitus Silanus from a distance. The man was wearing an ancient-looking armor. It was odd, the armor was not like the ones warriors use; it is from an old craftmanship technique. 

Tacitus Silanus was walking alone, in a huge forest, with no clue on where he was. It was dark, he had no sources of light, and he seemed nervous. Holding his spear, the man looked at every corner of the jungle, something was troubling him, but what?

Silanus listened carefully… Perhaps a stream? The nervous soldier walked to the water stream, however it seemed "something" was already there. Silanus could not see properly, but a big creature was drinking water there! The man stared at the creature, trying to understand what it was… Curse this darkness!

A sensitive ear twitched, and horned head lifted as she heard the shout. A rumble sounding as water dripped from her maw. Wings unfurled in a stretch, giving a testing flap, before refolding at her sides.

Ice blue gaze soon turned toward the armored figure, nostrils twitching, flaring. Trying to catch a scent.

Silanus raised his shield and spear in one hand. This thing looked like a wyvern, or most likely a dragon! It was small, but those creatures can cause havoc just by breathing! This dragon was to be taken seriously.

Silanus could not see the dragon's eyes, sometimes looking at a creature's eyes can reveal it's intentions; since he could not guess the blue creature's intentions, Silanus prepared for the worst…

Silanus slowly walked two steps away and said: "It is not likely you understand me, but if you do, treat nicely this warrior. My allies have been killed by some mercenaries, I am the only one of my group that survived!" While wandering the continent, Silanus and 12 of his troopers got ambushed and killed. He fled and hid in the forest.

Silanus continued talking: "However, if you, whatever you are, want a challenge, you'll get one! Rumors say that some eh… Dragons… Are nice to travelers. You better be one of them…"

Horned head canted, though she made no sudden moves, save to lick a bit of excess water from her jaws. "You have no worries from me, I only eat fish and wyverns and sometimes sheep, but the shepards know me well. I was traveling myself, but I stopped to drink."

Soon she was moving closer so the man could see her better. horned head held low to show she meant no harm.

"I am sorry about your companions. Perhaps you'd like some company?"

Silanus dropped his heavy shield and sheated his spear. He then, with a little distance between them, said: "Well… I can't feel bad for them, for they are in a better place. I can't… Refuse your offer… I don't even know the name of the region we are in and my map is not helping… Do you know this place better? You got a na-name? Mine's Tacitus Silanus…" 

A little nervous, Silanus raised his hands to show that he had no weapons in them and slooowly walked towards her. If she knew this place, he was saved! As he got closer, he saw something in the dragon's face… A sword wound?

An old sword wound, that ran through her left eye, but it didn't seem to bother her at all. "I do not unfortunately. I was taking a flight, and stopped before I'd return to my lair and kin." A smile to the man, no fangs shown. "Icer Shimmerscale, though most just call me Icer."

"Damnit!" Though Silanus when he heard that the dragon didn´t know the area well. When the dragon smiled, he was a little bit surprised for a moment, it was incredible how smart this dragon was, he has seen wyverns before and they are half as smart as this dragon. The soldier felt much more relaxed, Icer seemed to know better than to kill a random person without a reason.

"Very well then, is your lair outside this damned forest? I really need to get out of here without crossing the main road, since the mercenaries are probably seeking my head. I could never kill all of them, since they are too much…" Frustration could be seen in the man´s eyes; he really would like to murder each mercenary that killed his soldiers, but one thing at a time, he would send a small group of troopers when he returned to his home. "My clan´s home is at the Steppes, the land of the orcs. Do you know any shortcut to get in there?"

"Aye, our lair is far from this land. Up p in the mountains where it stays cool. I do not know a shortcut, but I will travel with you until you are safely back." Her smile never faltered, nor did she show any fangs.

"Perhaps if we follow the stream it will lead the way? And keep to the forest, it will be harder for the mercenaries to find you. Or we could take to the sky.."

"The sky? Better not, it's… Not my style. I thank you for the offer and will gladly accept! Following the stream to the north will lead us to my home" Silanus looked down with his hand holding his chin and said in a low voice tone: "If I only knew where the north was…."

Silanus smiled at Icer and said: "You are surely a kind one, I hope to not seem as an ungrateful person, but would adding my shield and spear to your back would be… Too much?" Silanus opened his satchel and got a rope. He then, without waiting for an answer, lifted his shield and spear and with a tight knot, he tied them to the dragon's back.

Silanus also got some dried pork meat and began to eat some of it. He looked at Icer and said: "Let's head that way, then! By the way; I've got more food, not too much but rather enough, I guess. You need, you ask!".