Tracking Trisha (26 page)

Kelan released Trisha, stepping back and watching as she began the transformation as her dragon emerged for the first time.
She is beautiful,
he and his dragon thought at the same time. Bronze, gold, and black scales rippled over her. Her face became elongated, changing as she transformed. Her eyes darkened even more with fiery gold sparks flickering in the deep, dark brown depths. In moments a smaller, more delicate bronze, gold, and black dragon stood in front of Kelan looking down at him with fire blazing from her eyes. That was the only warning Kelan got before she let out a growl and curled her tail around him tossing him into a nearby muddy pool of water left over from the storm. Kelan sputtered as he sat up, wiping the oozing mud from his eyes.

He stared at Trisha in shock before asking, “Why the hell did you do that?”

Trisha’s dragon snapped her teeth once at Kelan before giving an indelicate snort and leaping up onto a nearby tree, digging her front and back claws into it as she climbed. Trisha giggled at her dragon’s temper. It did not like to be told what to do. It did not like being forcibly taken from the tiny spark it was guarding, and it didn’t like the tone of voice her mate used when calling her.

Like I supposed to just roll over and lift my tail,
her dragon snorted.
My mate bad as yours.

Trisha rolled with laughter as her dragon grumbled more about horny males needing to learn to control themselves and how they weren’t the center of the universe no matter how much they seemed to think they were as she climbed up the tree to a thick branch about twenty feet off the ground. Her dragon stretched her wings out behind her several times as if she was testing them. Trisha decided the best thing to do at first was just to observe how her dragon did things. It was kind of weird being a part of something else. She knew everything that was going on around her, like she was doing it, but always was a by-stander as well. The pilot and the co-pilot all at the same time, Trisha thought with a kind of enlightenment.

You fly good, yes?
Her dragon asked as she peered down at Kelan who was struggling to get to his feet, her keen hearing picking up his muttered curses as he slipped in the mud.

Very good…why?
Trisha asked curiously.

We teach mates we hard to get. We play tag and have fun before we mate.
Her dragon responded as she blew out a stream of dragon fire in front of Kelan causing him to fall on his ass in the mud again.

Before we what?
Trisha asked startled just as Kelan let out an angry bellow of rage and shifted into his dragon. Kelan’s dragon stood glaring up at Trisha’s, daring her to move.

Trisha’s startled question turned to a squeal of surprise when her dragon leaped off the branch and soared down towards Kelan’s, missing him by inches as she snapped her tail at his head. Kelan’s dragon roared out at his mate’s behavior. Even Trisha could understand his demands for her to obey him. That was all Trisha needed to agree with her dragon that both males needed to be put in their place. The females were not about to roll over and, as her dragon said, ‘raise their tails’.

Kelan’s dragon growled in annoyance at his mate’s behavior. How dare she challenge him! He was the dominate mate of the pair, she should submit to him. Kelan had a bad feeling as his dragon took over, refusing to listen to him.

I don’t think the females like being told what to do.
Kelan tried to reason with his other half.
Maybe I was a bit hasty at letting you call your mate.

My mate. You mate with yours, I want mine! Now!
Kelan’s dragon roared as he spread his huge wings and leaped up after his female.

Bio laid in the shade of one of the trees enjoying the show the two dragons were putting on.
Yes.
Trisha was the perfect mate for all of them
.
Th
e symbiosis shimmered as it responded happily. It kept its focus on both dragons, watching through the small bands of gold attached to both the males and the females. Soon, the mating would be complete and all would be sated. Bio’s huge gold body shimmered in a variety of colors as the essence of his mates flowed through him making him stronger, healthier, and happier than it ever imagined possible.

Trisha's dragon darted through the thick forest, swerving around obstacles and using her small, sleek body to maneuver between fallen trees. They could hear the males coming up behind them. Their larger body would not be able to squeeze through some of the areas the females were flying. Trisha's mind was quickly speeding through one scenerio after another. They would need to put some distance between them or find a blind spot to just "disappear". Sometimes it was possible to hide in plain sight if you knew what you were doing - and Trisha knew what she was doing. Her coloring matched a lot of the surrounding foliage. If she could find a tangle of vines against the darker outcropping of rocks or a thick covering of the bronze, gold and black ferns, she would almost be invisible.

Go to the right.
Trisha whispered to her dragon.
On the way here we passed an area where we can lay down among the ferns. Our coloring matches it perfectly and it is thick.

Trisha felt her dragon shift to the right, swooping under a huge tree that looked like it might have fallen in the storm. Trisha laughed as she heard the roar behind her. Kelan wouldn't be able to see her with the branches still covered with huge leaves. Trisha instructed her dragon to stay low to the ground. They skimmed along the dense carpet of ferns covering the forest floor. Trisha saw a really thick area and knew she could hide most of her dragon in it.

Drop down lightly so that you don't disturb any of the surrounding foliage.
Trisha said calmly. She was in the zone, as her daddy would say.

Trisha's dragon dropped down in the thick ferns, folding her wings in and burying her long slender neck down into the ferns, letting the leafy plants drape over her. She lay still, barely breathing and waited. Trisha couldn't resist the smile as she felt her dragon's joy at being out. Trisha let her senses spread out, absorbing the smells and sounds around her. She could hear the males approaching from above her. Her dragon started to stir but Trisha calmed her.

Patience…if you stay still
,
they will miss us.
Trisha whispered soothingly.

How do you know?
Her dragon whispered back.

They won’t expect us not to still be moving and definitely won’t expect us to be out in plain sight.
Trisha responded.
I used to do this all the time. As long as you don’t move, you probably won’t be seen.

Within moments, the males were past them. Trisha’s dragon lifted her head above the ferns just high enough to watch the back of her mate fly by. She giggled as she watched him looking upward into the higher branches instead of down towards the forest floor.

It worked.
She breathed in amazement.
Now we play tag?

Now we play tag.
Trisha said.

Trisha’s dragon slowly stood up. She swung her head towards the direction the males went watching them as they flew further away. With a push of her wings, she lifted off the ground moving quietly behind them. She kept the larger trees between them so she wouldn’t be seen.

There is a waterfall
with a small meadow
to the west of here about a mile or so. I saw it when I was up in the trees before the storm. Let’s head there. It may take the males a little while but I bet they will end up there. We can hide behind the falls and surprise them when they land.
Trisha said as her dragon landed on the thick trunk of a tree, hanging there silently when the big males landed on a branch further ahead.

I surprise my mate. He not know I tag him till it too late.
Trisha’s dragon responded with a chuckle. She liked playing tag with her mate.

They waited until they heard the roar of the males again and the crack of a branch as the huge male swung his tail in frustration at not finding his mate. Once the males took off towards the north, the females let go of the tree and headed west keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Trisha’s dragon landed on the edge of a small grassy meadow. There was a waterfall that Trisha estimated to be about three hundred feet high falling into a small pool of water which flowed into a fairly decent size stream. Trisha’s dragon raised her head sniffing the air carefully for any predators. When she felt confident there was no danger, she stepped out into the thick purple grass that was sprinkled with thousands of small flowers in a wide variety of blues, yellows, pinks, and reds. Trisha giggled as her dragon swooped down and gobbled up a mouthful of them.

Good.
Her dragon said.

You know you just left tracks the guys will be able to see.
Trisha chuckled.

Want my mate to find me. I tag first then lift my tail. I do it when I want
…
Her dragon growled back playfully.
…but, not make it too easy.
She added with a snicker.

Trisha just chuckled as her dragon rolled around the meadow trampling some of the grass down before she lifted off the ground just enough to flutter over to the rocks near the falls. She carefully maneuvered her way until she ducked her long, slender neck through the icy water. There was a recess behind the falls just big enough for her to fit. Trisha felt her dragon’s muscles bunch as she gauged the distance before she jumped, landing on a small, slippery ledge. Trisha’s dragon shook from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail, shaking the icy water off her scales. The water actually felt really good in her dragon form, Trisha thought distractedly. After a few moments they both settled down, curling into a ball and watching through the sheets of water falling. They had a clear view of the meadow. Now, it was time to wait.

Kelan’s dragon was furious with his mate. They traveled several miles north before turning back. It was only when Kelan began working with his dragon, reminding him of some of the tricks Trisha used when he was tracking her that his dragon finally let him have some control back. Once they backtracked, they found where she clung to the trees. Kelan chuckled when he realized the hunted had become the hunter. She had been following them. They traced back to the thick foliage where she laid down. Kelan’s dragon growled out about Kelan needing to whip his mate’s ass again when he realized he had flown right over her without even seeing her. Now, they knew what to look for, they moved slower, with more precision, following the faint tracks.

Kelan paused on a high branch overlooking the small meadow. They could see where some of the flowers had been eaten recently and a spot where the grass was laying down from being trampled.

They are here…somewhere.
He said softly to his dragon.

He let his dragon’s keen eyesight swept the meadow carefully. Raising his nose up, he sniffed. He caught the faint scent of his mate but couldn’t be sure if she was still here. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if she wasn’t. She could have made a big circle and either headed back to the small cave where they started or was coming up behind him. Kelan spread his wings and leaped off the branch he was on, landing a few feet from where the grass was trampled. He moved slowly looking for clues and sniffing the ground. His mate’s scent filled his nostrils and heated his blood. He wanted her. Kelan’s huge head came up and he let out a loud roar followed by a series of coughs, demanding his mate to answer him. When there was no return answer to his call, he growled low letting the sound rumble across the meadow. Kelan lowered his big body down to where his mate had rolled in the thick purple grass and rolled on top of it, marking his scent along with hers. He rolled back and forth for several minutes before getting to his feet with a snarl and stomping over to the small stream to get a drink. Kelan decided he would head back towards the small cave they spent the night before in to see if Trisha had returned there. He was just lowering his head to drink deeply from the icy water when a sixth sense warned him he wasn’t alone. It came a split second too late.