It was daytime, Helios was starting to reach his highest point but it was not calm and quiet. The DracoStryx was restless and couldn't grasp her sleep, she couldn't enter Morpheus' world of dreamscapes and it annoyed her deeply.
She kept shuffling around in her nest made of feathers, straw and furs. It was soft but nowhere near as nice as her previous bed. Helios' rays also creeped more easily into her closed eyes than before in this new nest. She tucked her head underneath one of her silvery wings, it was darker here and that was nice. Glad she solved the immediate problem, her more relaxed mind slowly started to slip into her dreamscape..
*screech!* Suddenly her body jolted awake again from the noise. She rose her head with a very displeased expression at what was causing this irritating sound and found its source just slipping around a corner of one of the huts. Amazon children playfully chased after one another, right alongside Scyleias hut. Then another pair of young Amazons appeared again, giggling and chatting so Artemis screeched in primal annoyance at them. It startled the pair, not only due to the noise but also at the sight of the big white and silver bulk laying outside the hut of her rider. The Tyto had grown in size, towering over Scyleia when standing upright. They decided not to test the Stryx so they backed off and gave the dragoness her space.
"Noisy hatchlings.." Artemis thought annoyed. She shuffled her body once again to try and find a more comfortable position. It was the end of the afternoon by now, moving towards dusk. Artemis wanted to sleep some more since she did not sleep well at all this day. However, once again, a noise woke her. Horses hooves and nickering this time and that was the last straw! The Tyto jumped up and took on a threatening stance, feathers puffed up and screeching out of pure irritation.
The horse reared up and whinnied in panic.
'Ho! Easy boy, easy' The Amazon calmed her gelding while she looked confused at the dragoness' riled up reaction. Neither she or her gelding did anything wrong, they were just walking here.
'What's wrong with you, Artemis?' Shelala gasped as she was still calming her horse.
Artemis did not pay attention to the pair and stormed off by foot, leaving the still confused and startled horse. The blondes gray Andalusian calmed down more with the threat being farther away and he fell back into his usual breathing. His lush gray mane and tail slowly waving into the breeze again. Shelala shrugged her shoulders and gently spurred her horse to continue on their way.
Not too long after, she came upon Scyleia who just re-entered the village after getting some new supplies from a merchant.
'Hey Shelala! How are you?' the Amazon greeted her friend. She was still seated on top of Tsianina.
'Hey Scyleia' the blonde answered with a smile 'I'm good. Just taking a stroll with Silverdust here. Nothing special' she added. 'However, I came across Artemis when I strolled along your hut and she seemed irritated or startled or something. Restless overall' she finished, explaining what happened just now.
'She did? What happened?' the brunette Amazon curiously asked.
'Well, I was just strolling around and she took on a pretty riled up and defensive stance and even screeched at us. Poor Silver panicked at the display' the blonde further explained. She then saw the concerned face of her friend glancing over her and her horse. 'We're fine, no accidents happened' Shelala reassured her friend.
'I better go check on her then..' Scyleia decided as she spurred on Tsianina.
'Leia wait! She's not at the nest. She took off running afterwards. I think she went to the forest' Shelala told the brunette.
'Ah alright, thanks. I'll find her but first I need to get these supplies back to my hut' answered the Amazon.
'Good luck!' Shelala wished her and went on her way again.
Scyleia arrived at her hut and the nest was indeed empty. She dismounted her Appaloosa mare and took off the supply bag. She commanded the mare to wait outside her hut, she'd be back soon. As Scyleia entered her hut, she put all the bought supplies in their place and was about to make her way back to the entrance when her eye fell on some items sitting partly stuffed away. She got an idea and took the items before heading out.
'Hey girl, lets go find that hot-head shall we?' she spoke softly as she placed the gathered items in her saddlebag before mounting the horse. The pair made their way to the village entrance once again. It was dusk by now, Helios would soon finish his round.
The Amazon did not really have an idea where the Stryx had gone. She just hoped she hadn't gone far. It was a good thing that Artemis didn't truly fly on her own yet. Either way, she was mildly concerned as to why she was acting up. She had a vague idea, though so she just spurred Tsianina into a Canter when she found a trail of big bird like feet leading further into the forest.
Artemis ended up at a forest clearing and nearby water stream decently close to the village. She didn't feel like wandering off too far but she needed space. Her irritation had not disappeared yet and the sleep deprivation wasn't helping. She did not agree with the newest developments. She had noticed Scyleia started gathering feathers, straw and furs a fortnight ago but she did not fully understand why. Until it dawned to her three nights ago and she was not agreeing with it but she did understand why it had to happen. Well, why it was needed as she found out that Scyleias hut started to shrink as she went along. She did not fit through the door normally anymore. Which confused her at first but later she understood, she was growing too big. It didn't make it more fun though.. It was colder outside, the bed was less soft than her previous spot, it was lighter but the most irritating were the heightened amounts and volume in sounds.. She slept not well twice in a row now already, she had not gotten used to it yet.
Suddenly, she was dragged out of her train of thoughts by a familiar whistling sound. It was a bird call but not fully natural. Soon she registered it as an Amazon whistle and quickly afterwards, she recognized the tone of the voice and the scent closing in. She would recognize that sound and scent anywhere, it was her rider and she had that horse with her too.
Instinctually she reacted with a call even though she was still annoyed. The brunette snapped her head to the direction of the sound as she too recognized it. She guided Tsianina towards the silver and white Stryx and was happy when the familiar form materialized from behind some bushes. She halted the mare and dismounted, keeping some space between the two animals just in case. She slowly made her way towards the Stryx and she noticed by her body language she was not too happy. Not dangerous, just displeased. Or for a lack of better term, annoyed.
'Hey girl..' she started gently.
Artemis partly turned her body to her riders approach but her feathers were still puffed up a bit and her shoulders tense.
'I heard something happened?' she asked the Stryx but it was more of a gentle statement.
Artemis only ruffled her feathers and emanated a displeasing call, not wanting to explain it then and there.
'Are you feeling ill?' Scyleia tried to probe the dragoness for more. Artemis scratched her feet on the ground as response but she did not act ill because she wasn't, just restless. She blinked her eyes, then partly closed them as she emanated something that was like a deep sigh and slumped down a bit. Scyleia by now started to decipher what was going on and her guess started to solidify. She tried again. 'Are you tired, girl?' she asked the Stryx and got a slow blinking pair of forest green eyes as answer. She was tired. 'Ah I think I understand now..' the Amazon started. 'It's the new bed huh?' she continued and Artemis ruffled her feathers and looked annoyed as a confirmation.
'I'm sorry Moonlight, but my hut is not big enough for you to sleep inside anymore and you're still growing' she explained with a sad face. Artemis understood but again, it did not make it more fun.
'It is going to be getting used to. But over time, I promise it will be easier' she reassured her.
Scyleia by now stood in front of her and lifted her hand to touch the Stryxes cheek. Artemis leaned into the touch, she liked her riders strokes. Scyleia smiled at the reaction, Artemis was starting to calm down.
'Tell you what. Until Winter, I'll sleep with you outside sometimes if it's not too cold?' she suggested. Artemis perked up a bit at that. It was at least something and maybe it would be warmer with the Amazons body into her feathered fluff. It also would give Scyleia more restless nights in the beginning, that was a good revenge in her mind. Scyleia stopped stroking the white and silver bulk then turned and made her way to the waiting Appaloosa, who nickered at her owners approach. She tapped the muscled neck and then put both her hands into the saddlebag. Artemis followed her every move with curiosity and skewed her head in the process. The Amazon found what she was looking for and walked up towards the Stryx again, holding some items. Artemis sniffed the items and slightly skewed her head again and blinked.
'Peace offer?' Scyleia offered the items higher so Artemis could see them more clearly. She did not understand what the items were yet, though.
'I made these some nights ago but had not given them to you yet.. I think this is the perfect time' she smiled. 'It are two leather bands with feathers and these are leather straps with a hold latched onto it' she explained. Artemis glanced from the three feathers towards the necklace and then the belt of Scyleia.
'That's right, girl. These feathers are the same as the ones I'm wearing' she smiled. Artemis bobbed her head, her annoyance subsiding. The brunette then explained what the leather straps were. 'These straps are for your legs and each hold can hold a dagger. It is going to be a defense for you. When you're in a pinch and you can't use your normal defenses or offences, you still have two daggers for protection. I wear these too' Scyleia hovered her skirt up a bit to reveal the same straps with a shining dagger in each of them. She then turned back to the leather bands and feathers. 'The leather bands with feathers are for your tail. I'm sure it will look very beautiful on you. I want you to wear them' Scyleia finished. Artemis' annoyance now had dissipated completely as she trilled in excitement. The peace offer was accepted.