Niaomi: The Journey

6 | Standing

I shall be sleeping, Sky told them, gliding past to a tree opposite the clearing and nestling into one of its many holes. Please do try to keep the noise to a minimum.

"Of course, Sky," Gedwëy agreed as the gem owl's mind closed off from the others. The fairy flitted to her dragon's head, and Luminous visibly relaxed as she asked, "So, what's the game?"

Riddles, the dragon told his now mostly captive audience. We can each take turns creating a riddle based on what we can see from this clearing.

I'll go first, Toparien interjected, ignoring the glare his brother sent his way. By night unseen, by day unheard, I wander behind and wander forwards. I can't exist without this world, as onto the earth do I unfurl. What am I?

I've got it, I've got it! shouted Dew, shaking his black ruff in delight. It's a log!

Everyone stared at him in disbelief until Rumble broke the silence by asked, How in Zeus's name could Toparien be describing a log?

Well, a log can't be seen at night, because you trip over it, and it can't be heard during the day, because it can't talk, and they're long enough to be both behind and in front of people; plus, they can't exist without this world, since they're made of trees and lay on the ground - the earth!

He smiled at the griffin with pride, sure that he was right, and Rumble merely shook his eagle's head. Ava was not one to be quite so tactful and so told him in a blunt voice, By the Gods, you are a slow one.

The mistwolf skittered back a few steps, deeply affronted by her words. That was cruel!

It was truthful, the werecat replied as she stretched out on the rocky outcropping in the center of the clearing.

Dew hoped that she got sunburn. Well, do you know the answer?

No. Ava pinned him down with a cold blue stare as she continued, But I know when to keep my mouth shut if I don't.

The unicorn beside him snickered, and he gazed at his best friend in betrayal. Bramble tossed back his mane and just said, What? It was funny, Dew.

No it wasn't! Dew shot back in disgust, flopping down onto his fore paws and glaring at the blades of grass before him. It was just plain cruel.

Stop pouting, Flair called to him from her perch next to Ion above Ava, talons carving a deep scratch into the stone. It does no one any good.

Have you all already forgotten about my riddle? asked Nathan's dragon in mild outrage.

Dew heard the quite hiss of a darksnake's laughter as Ruyi answered, I've already devised the answer: a shadow.

"Of course!" Gedwëy murmured, nearly tumbling off Luminous's head as the she-dragon laid down. "It's no surprise you got the answer, Ruyi."

Don't see how it makes anymore sense than a log, he grumbled quietly, expecting the others to just ignore him as usual.

The mistwolf was pleasantly surprised when the firegem dragon glanced down at him and snicked one emerald eye shut before suggesting, How about you devise the next riddle, Dew?

His tail began to wag once again, though more slowly and hesitant than before. Really?

Go on, Ava encouraged in a drowsy tone that suggested enjoyment of her sunbath. You can't be any worse at making riddles than you are at solving them.

Of course, her encouragement always came with a biting insult, but Dew brushed it aside and hopped to his feet, eagerly searching the clearing for something to use to make a riddle out of. He spotted a log and snorted, quickly deciding against it. But something sparkly flashed as he turned his head which caught his eye, and he stared hard before deciding to choose it.

A spark of darkness catches the eye! But what am I, and where do I lie?

Emere mused over the words. "A spark of darkness"... he repeated to himself, looking towards the direction Dew had been facing when he'd the riddle, that "catches the eye"..."spark", meaning sparkle. So something dark that sparkles - perhaps a gem of some sort? But "where does [it] lie?"

The dragon examined the crannies in the tree where the gem owl slept and the nooks of the log the mistwolf had been eyeing, yet found nothing but shadows and foliage. Heat rose in his throat at his irritation, and Emere wished was old enough to loose it in a torrent of flame. I see nothing that could fit your riddle, Dew.

Too hard for you to solve? Dew teased, yellow irises gleaming in triumph.

You were no doubt speaking of a gem, his brother cut in, once again stealing his glory. Sometimes he really hated Toparien. But where is it?

What would a gem be doing in a clearing? Ion wondered as he preened his stormy feathers. We are too far from the mountains for there to be any quantifiable gem deposits.

It's right over there! Dew relented. By that log next to Sky's tree.

I didn't see anything, the brothers voiced at the same time, making the larger of the two laugh. Emere just gave him a toothy grin, for most times (and, indeed, all), he really loved Toparien.

Angered by their disbelief, the mistwolf shot towards the log with his incredible speed, nosing his way along the bark as he tried to find some trace of the black gem that he knew had winked back at him. It was over here somewhere...

Forget it, Dew, Bramble told him kindly. Let's just try and figure out another riddle. I believe you about the gem, but maybe it fell down into the log or something.

It's not in here!

The unicorn sighed at his friend's determination. Well, it doesn't matter now. Your riddle was unsolvable, which makes it the best.

As long as he wasn't lying, that is.

Bramble winced as Dew's head shot up at the werecat's words, covered in leaves. He quickly ran back to defend himself, while behind him, the unicorn blinked his violet eyes at the spark of darkness that flared a few feet from the log. But when he looked again, it was gone, and Bramble was sure it was just his mind playing tricks on him.

He turned back to the conversation - or rather argument - at hand, sneaking peeks at the sky to see if the pegasi - or rather Cloud - were returning from guard duty. If there was any danger approaching, they would be the first to see it.

But neither Bramble nor the others thought of what would happen if the danger was already there.