Dragons of Arilla (Book 1 - Draft 2)

Chapter 1: Silent Regrets

"Damn it, Zephyr..." Red downed a huge gulp. "Forget about it."

"Nah, you weren't planning on skipping, were you? You never getta see Violet anymore!"

"Don't talk much when we do see each other."

"Just make up already, it's been years! Bet you don't even remember why you argued. Somethin' stupid, prolly."

"Guess it was, but that doesn't change the fact that we've barely spoken in years, I wouldn't even know what to say. Besides, that's the least of my problems."

"You can't avoid your dad forever. Coward."

"Don't know why you care so much in the first place." He took another long drink.

"I got a million brothers 'n sisters, and don't talk to hardly any of 'em. But I got Cove. You and Vi were like me and Cove, once. Don't know what I would do if I lost Cove, and I always hate to see you throw away your relationship with her."

"I think you've had plenty to drink." Red sighed.

"I know exactly what I'm sayin'!" Zephyr scoffed.

"Maybe you should go home? Leave the drinks with me."

"Not going's just gonna make it worse, 'n no more booze for you! Can't show up late and drunk, be worse than not going."

Red held eye contact as he finished his bottle and tossed it on the pile.

"Fine," Red sighed. "Just go home and don't make a nuisance of yourself. You don't need anything else to drink either."

"Always the responsible one," Zephyr said.

"Only 'cause you and Night are such a disaster. One of us needs to keep our faculties."

Zephyr stuck his tongue out, "Get goin', I'll clean up."

"As long as cleaning up doesn't involve dumping the empty bottles in the lake and pissing off the lahnya."

"That only happened once, and it was one bottle. On accident!"

Red could believe the accident part, but he wasn't feeling charitable enough to concede. If they weren't such close friends, he wouldn't tolerate even half of Zephyr's antics.

"You're lucky I like you." Red sighed, giving himself a good stretch after having sat there most of the afternoon.

"Oh, I know that," Zephyr said, popping open another bottle and taking a swig. "Can't imagine why though."

"You're supposed to be cleaning up, not getting more drunk."

"It's just one more, and this stuff is weak as piss. Quit nagging, you're already late."

He gave his friend a last look of displeasure before taking off. As much of a wreck as Zephyr was in general, he'd never been as reckless with alcohol as Night was.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

The home of his youth came into sight over the treetops. A small meadow, bordered by a few berry bushes, with a den in the middle. A large blanket was spread out on the ground in front of the den, and the family was milling around it, setting food in the center and finding their places on the edge.

He swept, a little unsteadily, into a landing at the edge of the clearing. By the time all four feet were on the ground, the whole family had spotted him, and a few choice individuals ran over to greet him.

The fastest of those choice individuals was his little sister, Poison. "Red! You made it!"

She tackled him in an embrace that nearly knocked him off his feet, through a combination of two facts. As a sixteen year old, beginning her third year of warrior training, she had more weight to throw around than when she was younger, and he wasn't quite sober.