Odahviing chuckled. "Nothing but a baby." He looked at the bronze dragon, who had apparently been distracted from the Dovahkiin by some wild goats not far away. He landed on the rocky ground, clumsy on land, yet to master the art of walking on the joints of his wings. He stumbled as he terrorised the goats, screeching at them to send them all a-scatter, leaping and panicking. Then the little bronze launched gleefully into the air to chase them, scorching their heels with a blast of flame.
"I want you to talk to him. He might be young enough. Just... just tell him to leave the towns alone, will you? I might be the only one who can end him, but any guard post could bring him down. And sooner or later, they will."
"This is too much," said Odahviing, shaking in full laughter. "My Dovahkiin. Eater of souls, slayer of ancient foes... protector of hatchlings!"
"Just do it, Odahviing," said the human. "I don't want to kill if I don't have to."
"As you wish, my Dovahkiin," said Odahviing, and folding his wings against his back, he leapt into the air.
Aloft, he spread his wings and soared. "Dovah!" he called. "Little Dovah. Come here and tell me your name."
The bronze looked up, swallowed a mouthful of goat, then took to the air ignoring him. He landed in a lake, sending water arcing into the cold dawn. The sun shone on his scales as he splashed. He waited for Odahviing to get close, then launched himself into the sky, screeching and spiralling.
He was fast, and Odahviing was old; he had no patience for such games.
"Command him to land," Odahviing called, and the Dovahkiin Shouted: "Joor.. Zah Frul!"
Flailing in terror the little dragon plummeted. He dropped to the surface of a plateau, not far from the Dovahkiin's outcrop, and thrashed about in a powerless rage. Odahviing watched, recalling the time the Dovahkiin had used that Shout on him - back when they were enemies.
Only then, for that brief moment, had Odahviing the snow-winged hunter known mortality; but he had never forgotten it. The human had stripped from him the power of flight, and bound him to the earth. To suffer such shame had been previously unthinkable, and yet, still more humiliation had followed as his head was bolted in place like a collared hound, or a herdbeast yoked to a plough; his powerful body made helpless by human will and ingenuity.
Odahviing had never truly forgiven the Dovahkiin for that. Although they were allies, now, Odahviing would always know that if he chose, the human could subjugate him, force him to the earth and bind him there.
As he had now done to the little bronze dragon.
Finding himself unable to take flight, the bronze staggered on his wing-joints as Odahviing approached him. He tried to roar, but the undeveloped sound came out as a squawk, and then a hiss.
"Calm yourself, young Dovah," Odahviing boomed at him. "Listen and you will not be harmed."
"What have you done to me?" the bronze demanded.
"I have done nothing at all, little Dovah," Odahviing told him. "It is the human who has bound you."
The bronze dragon hissed with rage. "We are Dov-rha! We must fly!" His small body shook all over as Odahviing came closer. "Am... am I to die?"
"Hush," said Odahviing. "Behave yourself, and you will live. Now. What are you called?"
"I am Yolviinax!" he said fiercely, flaring up with a burst of pride. "I am fire, and shining cruelty." He snarled, showing sharp little teeth. "And I would rather die than be bound."
Odahviing bared his own teeth in return, a gaping grin showing that he could fit the smaller dragon's head and forequarters in his mouth with room to spare. "Greetings, Yolviinax," he said, and the smaller dragon stared in unwilling awe. Then he shook his head.
"I am mighty!" Yolviinax announced, and rearing onto his hindquarters, he scorched the earth between them.
Fill: Fire, Shining Cruelty [2/3]
"I want you to talk to him. He might be young enough. Just... just tell him to leave the towns alone, will you? I might be the only one who can end him, but any guard post could bring him down. And sooner or later, they will."
"This is too much," said Odahviing, shaking in full laughter. "My Dovahkiin. Eater of souls, slayer of ancient foes... protector of hatchlings!"
"Just do it, Odahviing," said the human. "I don't want to kill if I don't have to."
"As you wish, my Dovahkiin," said Odahviing, and folding his wings against his back, he leapt into the air.
Aloft, he spread his wings and soared. "Dovah!" he called. "Little Dovah. Come here and tell me your name."
The bronze looked up, swallowed a mouthful of goat, then took to the air ignoring him. He landed in a lake, sending water arcing into the cold dawn. The sun shone on his scales as he splashed. He waited for Odahviing to get close, then launched himself into the sky, screeching and spiralling.
He was fast, and Odahviing was old; he had no patience for such games.
"Command him to land," Odahviing called, and the Dovahkiin Shouted: "Joor.. Zah Frul!"
Flailing in terror the little dragon plummeted. He dropped to the surface of a plateau, not far from the Dovahkiin's outcrop, and thrashed about in a powerless rage. Odahviing watched, recalling the time the Dovahkiin had used that Shout on him - back when they were enemies.
Only then, for that brief moment, had Odahviing the snow-winged hunter known mortality; but he had never forgotten it. The human had stripped from him the power of flight, and bound him to the earth. To suffer such shame had been previously unthinkable, and yet, still more humiliation had followed as his head was bolted in place like a collared hound, or a herdbeast yoked to a plough; his powerful body made helpless by human will and ingenuity.
Odahviing had never truly forgiven the Dovahkiin for that. Although they were allies, now, Odahviing would always know that if he chose, the human could subjugate him, force him to the earth and bind him there.
As he had now done to the little bronze dragon.
Finding himself unable to take flight, the bronze staggered on his wing-joints as Odahviing approached him. He tried to roar, but the undeveloped sound came out as a squawk, and then a hiss.
"Calm yourself, young Dovah," Odahviing boomed at him. "Listen and you will not be harmed."
"What have you done to me?" the bronze demanded.
"I have done nothing at all, little Dovah," Odahviing told him. "It is the human who has bound you."
The bronze dragon hissed with rage. "We are Dov-rha! We must fly!" His small body shook all over as Odahviing came closer. "Am... am I to die?"
"Hush," said Odahviing. "Behave yourself, and you will live. Now. What are you called?"
"I am Yolviinax!" he said fiercely, flaring up with a burst of pride. "I am fire, and shining cruelty." He snarled, showing sharp little teeth. "And I would rather die than be bound."
Odahviing bared his own teeth in return, a gaping grin showing that he could fit the smaller dragon's head and forequarters in his mouth with room to spare. "Greetings, Yolviinax," he said, and the smaller dragon stared in unwilling awe. Then he shook his head.
"I am mighty!" Yolviinax announced, and rearing onto his hindquarters, he scorched the earth between them.