It had been almost three months since Deathwhisper's death. Swiftstream was finding it difficult to support her two children. However she made do and even found enough to give to the queen to keep themselves under the radar. It was difficult but she did it without ever showing how much it wore down on her.
Skypacer had taken care of Darkflight and Stormchaser when Swiftlight couldn't and she had almost became a second mother to the two growing Night Furies. They were growing slowly but still were far from adult or even teen Night Furies.
However when they were finally old enough and their wings were strong enough Swiftstream decided to teach them how to fly. She bounded up to the two younglings as they wrestled with each other and tired to pin each other wings down. They bit at each other's throats gingerly.
"Are you two ready for some flying lessons," asked Swiftstream as she flicked her ears upward a bit.
"Now," asked Stormchaser as she pushed her brother off of her and pushed toward her mother with bright and unblinking eyes.
"Dad was supposed to teach us how to fly," complained Darkflight in a flat and deflated voice.
Swiftstream tried not to let her disappointment show. "Yes but he's not here so I'm the next best thing," she assured as she nudged Darkflight forward gingerly. "Now don't expect to be good on your first go. You're still young."
"Yeah but powerful," cut in Stormchaser as she puffed out her chest in pride. "Dad said do."
Swiftstream bit her tongue. "Yes you are but you must pay very close attention to what I say so you know what do you." They both nodded so she took in a breath to try and calm her nerves. She was aware of Skypacer watching her but luckily she didn't chime in.
"Now the first thing I'm going to teach you is power skills," she explained as she spread her wings. "You have to thrust yourself upward and flap it under your stomach so that they almost touch. That's at least to get up." She began flapping her wings and abled herself to stay where she was with her wing tips almost touching. They would need that to get up but rarely in the air.
Stormchaser lowered down before spreading her small wings. She then began flapping them and she took off into the air. However she flipped herself forward and she fell on her back, pawing pathetically at the air.
Swiftstream nudged Stormchaser back on her feet. "Now try not to flip forward. Lean backwards a bit until you're stable in the air," she instructed.
Darkflight took those hints and spread his wings. He began flapping them and he took off. He had the strong power in his wing. He made it pretty hide before he became tangled in some branches. He grunted as his wings snagged and he couldn't move.
Stormchaser broke into a yowl of laugher and rolled on her back. Darkflight narrowed his eyes. "Stop laughing," he snapped to his sister as he dangled from the tree.
Swiftstream rolled her eyes as she padded to the tree and reared on her hind legs. She stretched her head outward and Darkflight landed on his mother's head. She lowered her head down and he jumped off, shaking each paw in turn.
"Are you alright little one," she fretted as she began sniffing her son.
Darkflight pushed her away. "I'm fine! At least I got higher than Stormchaser!"
Stormchaser narrowed her eyes at her brother so Swiftstream decided to break up the arguing. "How about we work on something else," she decided quickly. "Gliding."
"Gliding," the two echoed as they exchanged uneasy glances with each other.
Stormchaser nodded. "Yes. Skypacer could you help me?"
Skypacer dipped her head and padded forward. She lowered her body to the ground before Darkflight darted on her back, positioning himself on Skypacer's shoulders.
Swiftstream looked to Stormchaser and lowered down. Her daughter clambered on her back and sunk her claws a bit into her mother's shoulders. "Hold on," she howled before she took to the air with Skypacer beside her. They didn't go too high and when Swiftstream was comfortable she turned her head to her daughter. "Alright all you're going to do is fall from my back and spread your wings to glide. You'll land and then we'll try again."
"Birds train to fly the same way," butted in Skypacer. "They call it branching."
"I'll go first," offered Darkflight as he wiggled his haunches a bit, his tail hitting Skypacer's wings.
Skypacer turned her head to look at Darkflight. "Alright nice and easy. Glide into it. Don't try and fly yet. You don't have the strength."
Darkflight nodded before he leaped and spread his wings. The wing caught him and he glided down gingerly. He landed harshly but he bounded a bit as he turned to look at his mother. "Did you see that mom? Did you?!"
Swiftstream let out a happy rumble. "Great job! Now it's your turn Stormchaser."
Stormchaser looked a bit hesitant but she wasn't about to let her brother out do her. She lowered a bit before leaping and spreading her wings. She glided as gracefully as her brother before landing on skilled paws. She spun around and looked up at her mother and Skypacer. "How was that?"
"Exceptional," chimed in Skypacer as she landed beside the two and dipped her head. "Now I think that's enough for one day. How about you two run off and have some run while I'll talk to your mother?"
The two nodded before bounding in the direction of the forest. Skypacer turned to Swiftstream and looked into her friend's eyes. "They're exceptional Night Furies," breathed Skypacer as she turned her head a bit.
Swiftstream nodded absently. "I know but they deserved to have their father around. The father usually teaches the young to fly."
Skypacer stretched out one of her wings and rested it on Swiftstream's shoulder. "I know but you're doing a fantastic job raising them by yourself. They look up to you and one they they'll be dragons that everyone will fear."
Swiftstream frowned. "There aren't a lot of us left," she pointed out in a billowing sigh. "They might be the last offspring of Night Furies."
"Then they'll have challenges ahead of them but they have their father's spirit. They'll make it just fine," assured Skypacer as she forced Swiftstream to look at her. "Just have faith."
Swiftstream smiled and brushed the side of her cheek against Skypacer's shoulder. "I'm trying. I just can't bare to see anything happen to them."
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Stormchaser stalked forward, keeping her nose up in the air. She saw a strange mouse looking thing and began stalking it. She kept her haunches up in the air as she continued forward. Darkflight danced around his sister, watching as she stalked the mouse creature.
He leaned a bit on his side before he fell forward on his sister, pushing her to the ground. The mouse jumped forward and Stormchaser growled as she pushed a paw against Darkflight's muzzle to push him off of her.
"What was that for," she snapped as she allowed her tail to slice through the air. She saw her mother do this a few times when she was made at her father. "I almost had the mouse!"
"Mouse taste awful though," pointed out Darkflight as he stuck out his tongue in disgust. "It's all hairy and the meat isn't as juicy as fish."
Stormchaser shrugged and mumbled under her breath. "Well it's better than nothing."
Darkflight narrowed his eyes before he heard something that sounded like a howl. He smiled a bit before waving his tail. "Follow me!"
He bounded forward with Stormchaser following. They headed deeper into the forest but Stormchaser began to feel uneasy. Something about the forest was warning her to stay away but for some reason she wasn't listening. She kept forward and she even saw her brother tense a bit in fear.
Stormchaser heard another howl and saw wings slice through the air. A dragon was attached to the wings with thick scales that almost seemed like fur, wolf fur. "Darkflight," she breathed in shock as she darted to her brother's side and pressed her head into his haunch.
"What," asked Darkflight as he turned his head to look at hi sister. "What's wrong?"
"I saw something," she whispered as she felt her scales stand on end.
"Something what," pressed Darkflight before a large brown furred looking dragon landed with wings spread out. It was larger than their mother but not as large as Skypacer. It looked at the dragons with hunger in their eyes and let out a monstrous howl, fire glowing in his mouth.
"Run," cried Stormchaser as she veered away from the dragon, fear showing in her eyes. She made it a few paces but when she realized that her brother wasn't behind her she halted and saw him trying to take on the full grown dragon. "Darkflight!"
"Go I got this," he called as he launched himself at the dragon's throat and dug his claws into the scales. The dragon wasn't fazed. He thrust a paw against Darkflight and he fell to the ground easily.
Stormchaser couldn't abandon her brother like that. She turned and surged toward her brother, her muscles rippling under her scales. She tried to fly but she faltered and ended up falling right on the dragon's back. The dragon turned and sunk it's teeth dangerously close to Stormchaser's wing. She rolled away and landed on the ground beside Darkflight.
"Now what," asked Stormchaser as she dragon bared down on them, his breath reeking. "We just succeeded in making him angry."
Darkflight gave a nod. "Go for the legs," he decided. "Take him down that way." He pushed forward and sunk his sharp teeth into the dragon's leg.
Stormchaser did the same to another leg and tried to pull it down but it was a long stronger than the Night Furies. It launched it's head down and grasped Stormchaser's scruff. He threw her aside before throwing Darkflight along with her. They looked back and saw fire billowing from the dragon's mouth.
Stormchaser and Darkflight darted behind a tree before flames began gnawing on the bark. The two Night Furies then ducked behind a rock with the dragon pushing forward with fire spilling from his mouth.
The dragon let out a howl and terror gripped the Night Furies hearts. They feared this was the end.