theworldunwinds | Deer and Dragon

Vincent's herd had only recently come into this forest, driven out of their previous one by deforestation, over-hunting by humans and host of other problems. The smaller village nearby promised less harassment and the forest was rich enough to support the herd.

He was a bit of an oddball among his people. A young buck...doe? Smelled like both, had both parts. Confused the stags. Fight or mate? He tried both options himself but neither would have him. Antlers too stubby to protect a doe and their potential offspring, likely infertile and therefore a waste of time to mate by a strong stag. And so, he was often left alone.

It was an unusually hot spring day so the herd made their way down to the river to drink and cool off. Vincent, being the klutz he was, tripped and fell in the mud. Those nearby laughed. He slunk off into the water to wash up, moving out of sight of the herd so as to avoid further humiliation. Washing the mud off his skin, he sat down on the grassy bank, hoofed legs drawn up so that he could rest his chin on his fuzzy knees.

Maybe he ought to run off and find another herd. Maybe of true deer. At least then none would laugh at him.

Scratching his ear, he sighed and got up, heading back to the herd. The forest was still too unfamiliar to stray too far for too long.

Too late though, they'd ditched him. Not a single one to be found...But they'd left in a panicked hurry according to the hoof prints in the mud and torn up grass. Which only meant one thing.

A predator was in the area.

His ears perked up, sniffing the air and on high alert now. Hunters? A bear? They'd not heard any wolves thus far...There was a scent now...but he couldn't place it. Was he just dumb or was the predator masking its scent? Maybe this forest had another kind, one not found in their old forest.

He could run. Always an option.

Alone...so alone.

Fear gripped Vincent, unable to move.

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Seeing that the deer wanted something to drink, the dragon fetched water from one of his drinking springs deep within the cave and handed him a cup of water to help wash down whatever he's eating.

"I think I told you. I thought about it and would like you as my denmate." Of course, the deer is asking for why. "I can't think of a good reason other than I was looking for a companion. There's few of us dragons in the world, and when mating season comes, we have no one to mate with or share our lives with. So often, I would take on a mate outside my own species if the arrangements are under fortunate circumstances, and there's an agreement between the both of us."

The dragon drank his own cup of water. It's hot, and summer season. Rutting season is usually late summer or when the weather gets cooler in the autumn when the leaves fall.

"In your case, I took the life of your herdmate instead of you. I wasn't selective who I eat, really. I'm nearsighted, so I can't see targets from a distance when I was flying in the sky. It's that...or I'll return you back to the herd, if you wish."

Edited Date: 2017-06-15 04:53 pm (UTC)

Vincent drank, the fresh cool water tasting delicious, washing down his meal.

Though he nearly spit up at the dragon's words.

When he meant denmate, he really meant it.

He wanted a companion and thought why not this deer? So strange.

"If you're so spread out, why not come together and make more dragons?" he asked, needing a moment to think on this strange turn of events.

The dragon was offering him a place here, with him, on the condition he become his mate. He'd apparently done this before in the past as he seemed very nonchalant about it all, though Vince wondered if he was the first deer or not. Probably not, he was never the first anything.

A life where he didn't have to fear anymore...Or, go back to the herd.

"If I stay...w-will you promise to never eat a deer again?" Maybe he could form some sort of deal, protect the herd from at least one predator forevermore.

It was strange for a predator type species to take on a prey for a mate. After all, why befriend someone that you can eat at any given time? Still, not far of a stretch as Abel is no longer picky. And he had done this before, with mates, so Vincent isn't the first. Just the first deer.

At his question, the dragon answered quietly, almost sad with emotion, if the dragon has any emotions left to call it that. "There's few of us in the world. We're almost on the brink of extinction because of humans."

Deers don't live for that long, so the dragon can't promise 'forevermore'. But at his plea for the terms and condition, the dragon thought about it. Is that all? Such a simple request.

Still, if he's willing to stay with him? Really? Maybe there isn't much left for him in the herd then, as Abel is curious about that, but choose not to inquire further. "If you want to stay here, then I promise I won't eat any more of you." Abel stated.

Edited Date: 2017-06-16 03:07 am (UTC)

The deer still wondered why the dragon didn't try to find a dragon mate even more urgently in that case. Perhaps to lower the chances of wiping them out entirely? There had to places where humans weren't that dragons could scratch a living and up their numbers. Perhaps they didn't reproduce easily as deer could.

Vincent quietly finished his bowl of food and the water, feeling better all around, though his cough would likely linger for a few more days.

This would be an exceedingly hard change.

Deer were social creatures. And while the herd had gotten colder towards him since the death of his parents, he was still used to herd life. He'd also have to get used to the dragon eating meat around him...

Oh and the mate part.

He blushed a tad. He'd get a mate?...Nah, once the dragon saw his strangeness then he'd likely change his mind...Perhaps he ought to tell him to spare the shock and possible abandonment later.

"There's...something you should know about me." he said "I'm...I have both mating parts." One was obvious, the other not so much, so he shifted about on the pelts to lift a leg and show the dragon. Indeed he was both male and female. Behind his balls were his folds. He put his leg down, ears flicking back, expected to be yelled at or immediately thrown out. Or of course killed and eaten.

That's a story saved for another day as Vincent's inward inquiry is really digging deep into Abel's past. But long story short: Abel simply stopped trying after his twin brother killed his primary mate, and kept on killing the others, and Abel has no choice but to stop him. He didn't successfully kill him, as Cain escaped from the last fight and he is still alive somewhere in the world. So much of Abel's energy now, old as he is, in the present, is saved and conserved for the final fight, that fated day where one shall fight to the death to finish what happened 50 years prior.

The dragon stood there and observed him demonstrating his "parts". At first, for a few moments, perplexed, and then reached the conclusion he was born like that. None of Vincent's expectations came to fruition as the dragon said, with a shrug of his shoulders and a sigh. "Come Fall during the rutting season, I just hoped that you could take my size when I'm in the mood."

With a yawn, the dragon curled up on his bed of pelts, getting ready to sleep. He pats on the empty side of the bed to invite him. "Come lay with me and sleep beside me." The good news? With that invite, the dragon doesn't seem so much as nonchalant as before, and he seems accustomed to Vincent's company.

The dragon didn't care what he looked like. That was a first in a very long time.

Vincent however was not quite ready to sleep beside him, still thinking over what this new life would mean.

If he stayed, he'd get a mate, someone to care for him the rest of his days. A mate he...could possibly grow to love. He didn't rule anything out. If he stayed, the herd was safe. They wouldn't miss him and they'd likely move to a different part of the forest in hopes of putting some distance between them and the dragon.

The dragon.

"Do dragons have names?" He asked. He always thought dragons hoarded shiny things and lived in mountains or stolen castles. Here, he seemed to live simply despite the rich feeding grounds...

It didn't bother the dragon if the deer don't feel like coming to him. After all, he got enough worries on his plate. He made it clear the deer has a choice whether to move or stay without worrying about being his next meal.

With a yawn, the dragon curled about, his tailed around his body, his wings folded in a relaxed state, his heavy body settled on his bed of furred pelts. The dragon heard his question. "I'm Abel." The dragon answered, with eyes closed. "And that's all you need to know to call me by."

The curt reply had Vincent a little alienated. He hadn't even asked for his name...He tucked his legs up and rested his chin on his knees, watching the fire awhile before getting up and going to the entrance of the cave. It was still hot out, even at this late hour, but not as oppressive like before he'd gotten sick.

He didn't stray too far from the cave, just enough to get a lay of the land nearby. There was a good amount of deer food near enough that he'd be able to forage close to the cave for a little while. But as soon as he was entirely back on his toes, he'd be eating a lot more than just the small bowl the dragon...Abel, had brought him to bulk up for winter.

But considering he was likely the only deer within a mile or so of the dragon's cave, keeping himself fed would be easy compared to traveling in a herd and devouring everything they could find. When he was a fawn, father would always manage to bring home honeycomb, unafraid of bees and seemingly impervious to their stings. Vincent always got the first sweet taste, then mother, before the rest was divided among the rest of the fawns and their mothers. He hadn't had honey in years, and his fur wasn't thick enough like his father's or Raul's to resist the bees' awful stings.

Vincent collected more berries before returning to the cave, knowing that if he didn't get them now then the birds would. He ate a few then set the rest aside. It started to rain again, just a drizzle this time, though between it and the crackling fire, Vincent drifted off to a comfortable sleep on his own little pelt pile.

He woke first the next morning, the smell of dragon still unsettling his senses and making sleep still uneasy. He watched the dragon snooze, eating the rest of the berries he'd picked.

A strange beast he was, fiercesome and yet smart enough to keep his appetite in check. Wolves traveled in numbers but between all of them they had little brain. They only thought of having more pups and killing every fawn they could with no regard to making sure there'd be numbers in the future. Bears were little better though at least they were mostly single problems and dared not fight a strong bull. Abel was a lord of the land, keeping the balance. Vincent supposed if any predator was going to take him in, the dragon was best.

He wanted to mate with him was the confusing part still. He wanted to actually be with Vincent. Wouldn't provide him any offspring, just relief from his rut he supposed...He hoped the feeling was mutual because he also would go into rut around the same time as Abel would.

Vincent got up, deciding the dragon had slept enough and lightly tapped his shoulder with a hoof, jumping back, just in case the dragon flailed when he woke up.

"My name is Vincent" he said once Abel was awake.

He completely forget to ask for his name, since he fell fast asleep, and anyway even if Vincent knew all names of dragons in existence, it wouldn't do him much good as most of them are pretty much spread wide and far, and a lot of them are very blood-thirsty and malevolent as they are depicted in tales the humans written.

Abel continued to sleep furthermore. He usually don't wake up until much later in the afternoon, but eventually when he did woke up, a draconic eye slowly open. First, confusion because he smelled deer, thinking it was food, but then it was an alive smell and not dead bloody carcass smell, and then slowly he remembered what transpired for the last few days. "Oh?" He mumbled. "That's your name, eh? So it is." He closed his eyes to steal a few more moments of sleep. "Not ready to be up yet. Later."

The lay of the land is in sight at the mouth entrance of the cave, like the dragon have chosen this place for collectible resources like the berries and fertile soil to grow a few crops. There is also some trees that contains honey close-by, and a stream with clean water for drinking and bathing, but the dragon haven't shown him how to get there yet.

It was only when the fire completely died down and it's starting to get uncomfortably cold, that the sleepy dragon woke up, gets annoyed for a few short moments. The bonfire from last night was burned and charred, "Ah, it's cold! It's raining again." And making sure Vincent is not close to the bonfire, gotten up and throw more new firewood and he took a deep breath and breathe fire to jumpstart the fire.

The dragon uncurled himself, fully awake, and feeling hungry. Vincent doesn't have to worry about the rutting business since it's not on the dragon's mind for now. "Still here?" Abel thought he ought to run and search for his herd, but it seem the deer, tentative as he is, remained with him. With a yawn, he noticed some berries stained on Vincent's lips. "Do you like the berries you found outside? I should show you some of the crops I grown." Then another thought, "Do you like to eat something sweet?" He asked him.

Vincent pouted when the dragon passed out again, but managed to occupy himself until he finally woke.

Indeed it was raining again. Vincent had plopped himself down just inside the entrance to watch the relatively gentle storm, turning when he heard Abel getting up and rekindling the fire.

He consciously rubbed his stained lips. Maybe he had eaten a few more than he intended. He cocked his head. "You grow crops?" He hadn't wandered too far from the cave so it was likely he'd missed them. But it was a surprise. Yet another connection to humans, but also the fact the dragon ate more than just meat.

He shrugged at the question. "Sure." Something sweet? What could that be?

The dragon gave himself a bit of a stretch, and then uncurled his tail and walked over to fetch water from his collective basin to drink. The dragon isn't much hungry today, as he eaten quite a lot for the past week, so today he thought he shall eat light.

"Yes, I can show you if you like. I would like to show you, but with the rain, perhaps later in the afternoon when the rain slows down and the sun comes out. I'll teach you about the crops I grow and when it's the right time to pick them." For the dragon, it's been a while since he taught a mate how to harvest crops. Has it been that long? He hoped Vincent is up for that, if he's going to stay with him through the fall and winter season.

The dragon joined the deer at the mouth of the cave's entrance to greet the cool rain coming down, with a bit of refreshing splash from the rain every now and then. When the deer show interest in wanting something sweet. "How about honey? Have you ever had honey before?"

The way the dragon unraveled himself from the sleeping position was...oddly fascinating.

A predator awakening for the day...

Vincent looked to the weather then nodded, having no desire to get sick again.

Honey? Was he...serious?

"Y-Yes...I have...a long time ago...My father used to bring it to the herd...always giving mother and me the first bites of the comb before dividing it among the rest of the does and fawns...Raul tried it once when he first took over..." he couldn't help but smile, the first time doing so since meeting the dragon. "Poor guy walked into a wasp's nest instead."

Abel merely watched the raining falling down. What a strange calming scene. To him, it was just another ordinary day though part of him hoped his deer can get used to a normal day like this. It's relaxing.

He is, the dragon is considering it. Part of it, he wanted to gather honey for himself anyway.

The dragon looked at him, listening to the deer's story about his family. "What happened to them?" As Abel recalled that the deer has no blood relatives, and that was why he's hesitate going back to the herd...to stay with him. "Your parents, I mean."

Edited Date: 2017-06-18 05:18 pm (UTC)

Vincent's smile disappeared at the question but answered regardless.

"Shot by hunters. Mother was unique, a white deer. Targeted likely because of that. Father avenged her, killing the three men, but died of his wounds, holding mother in his last moments." he elaborated.

"My sister was killed by wolves when she was just a fawn, my older brothers never wished to challenge father and so left to start their own herds some time ago, I do not know where they are or if they are even alive."

He stuck his arm out of the cave and into the gentle rain. "I haven't had any family for three years now." Wasn't long he supposed compared to Abel who had likely not seen another dragon in his own life time, but for a deer, a creature whose life was all about the herd, it was exceedingly lonesome.

The dragon listened to the deer's sad tale intently. "Shot by hunters. Your father is a strong buck to take on three men." He said softly, a compliment. Parents were killed by humans as a source of sport for humans and sister got done in by wolves. Deers are the most hunted lot of creatures, besides rabbit, caribou and bison.

To be fair, since they exchange life stories, "I have a brother and a sister. They're both out there living on their own." The sister, he doesn't worry much about. The brother...someday, he'll face him for their final duel against each other to finish a personal score. Abel didn't like talking about his kin at all, so he leaves it at that.

The rain finally slowed down and stopped by the late afternoon. Abel wanted to check on his crops and show the deer the lay of the land. The rain softens the ground, and there are puddles everywhere, so it'll be wet to walk around.

Abel turned to his new friend. "Are you well enough to walk beside me....?" He trailed off, thinking if Vincent isn't well enough to walk, he can stay here in this cave waiting for him and Abel can bring him back something from his land.

"Indeed, he was very strong. He'd taken on humans before, a bunch of men were harassing mother. I was only a few months old and hidden in the brush. Finally, father came and dealt with them. Mother said she remembered the men calling him Forest Shadow. He was apparently known to humans, he'd killed and injured many of them to protect the herd over the years."

He sighed, thinking about his family. All gone. But he'd done his mourning. No use crying. Father would prefer he look to himself and not what could have been and the like.

Vincent turned to Abel as he talked about his siblings, however briefly. He didn't pry though, felt like a touchy subject. Perhaps one day he'd know more about them.

Vincent nodded and got up, more than well enough to walk. The cough would linger and he'd have to get back to the cave if it started to rain again, but he was good with following alongside the dragon.

Strange. The urge to run was becoming less.

He fluttered his tail once, stepping out into a sunny patch filtering through the branches. The ground was squishy under his hooves but he followed beside Abel just as easily.

[OOC: Also took a guess, but happy birthday? :>]

The dragon listened more to the deer's tragic tale. The father is strong to be sure. Protected the herd for many years, only to meet his tragic end against the humans with the rest of his family, leaving Vincent the sole survivor. Humans can never be trusted, so at best, the dragon kept his relationships to them to business only such as trading books or for seeds to grow in his garden.

The rain stopped, the sun peeked out of the thick grey clouds, and some of the clouds lighten up to show blue skies. Abel took a moment to gather his beekeeping supplies, which is a hat with net, gloves, and a beesmoker.

Walking together side by side, dragon and deer, the dragon guided him to the way to his field. The deer missed it because the thick trees surrounded the field, but it wasn't far away from the dragon's home. Surrounding the field is a wooden fence, which the dragon maintains it in good condition, and therefore the fence effectively keep out hungry herbivores. In the middle of the field, a tall scarecrow tied to a pole was installed in place.

There are many rows of vegetables, all grown neatly in a row, though some of the vegetables are withered, destroyed by the constant raining. "This is my field where I grow crops." He said. "I grew a lot of tomatoes, cabbages, onions, potatoes, corn just to name a few. There's a patch of pumpkins and gourds over there, which I'm growing for the fall season."

Vincent was a little apprehensive about not getting any sort of armor while Abel did, but he figured he'd just hang back instead of risking a sting.

They made their way through the brush, coming out into the field. The fence wasn't high enough to keep deer out as even he could jump it, but as the area smelled of the dragon, few would likely come near anyway. Human fields were worth the risk. Dragons? They could fly.

There seemed to be a little bit of everything in the garden. He wasn't fond of onions as they left a conspicuous smell and tasted weird, but everything else sounded delicious.

"Its amazing" he said quietly. Incrediblt to think Abel had done this all himself and upkept it at that. Vincent looked to him, "Any fruit trees?" he asked. Finding fruit-apart from berries-in the forest was almost impossible, which was why orchards were especially tantalizing.

Edited Date: 2017-06-23 05:10 pm (UTC)

The garden was inhabited by some crows and ravens, but they were the dragon's friends, and they took a bit of this and that as they come and go, so the Scarecrow wasn't that really effective in scaring them off. The dragon didn't bother shooing them off, because every so often those clever birds will find treasure and shiny gems or coins and collected them, and whenever they returned, they paid him back with their findings as he needed whatever money he can get to use it to trade with the humans to get seeds to grow in his garden.

"Just a few apple trees and bushes of berries." The dragon answered. "If there a specific fruit I want, depending on the season, then I have to contact some of the humans I know who live in lands outside of my territory. The tropical ones, the fruits that grow on tropical countries and islands are the hardest to get."

Once the deer took in the sight of his garden. "All right, let me show you where I get the honey." And the dragon continued to take a longer route around the garden to an area of the forest in the back, which is much further away from the cave than before. While the dragon walked ahead, he prepared himself by putting on gloves, and putting his beekeeper hat with a net, and carried a clean bucket that will be used to collect the honey.

They approached the destined tree. There was a hole in the middle of the trunk, and the large buzzings of the collective hive can be heard.

"Stand back and watch," Abel instructed, and at this time, he was adorned with his beekeeping attire for armor, with the net hat, gloves, and all. He used the smoker to puff smoke into the trunk hole to calm the bees down, and with the gloves donned, he collected a large piece of honeycomb to dump it into the bucket. He didn't take more than he has too, or else he'll affect the health and well-being of the hive. Just a necessary chunk and size enough for the both of them to eat.

"Okay, collected enough. If you want to taste a bit, go ahead. Just save enough to pour the honey for toast once we head back to my kitchen."

Vincent was delighted. An apple tree??! Oh how he missed apples!

His tail gave a pleased flutter and he followed Abel closely, only keeping far back when he began to harvest. It was fascinating how he accomplished it, not even getting stung once! The protection and whatever he was puffing into the trunk must be the trick to it all. Had he come up with it?

He looked down into the bucket. Not a lot, father always raided the hive far more, but then again he had a whole herd to provide for, not just two. The deer looked to Abel, smiled and then dipped a couple fingers into the sticky sweetness and brought them to his lips.

Heaven.

He smiled around his digits at the dragon, sucking on them all the way back to the cave contently.

"What is toast?" he asked as they returned to the cave.

[OOC: First, I apologize profusely for photobucket's fucked up there. *fell over* Second, took a RP hiatus for a break until muse cooperates and came back. Lastly, if you like to continue, I'll try my best. If not, feel free to ignore.]

Seeing how easily pleased the deer is, at that moment, the dragon is truly sorry for having hunted on his best friend...but that was the past, even if it's a shy a few days ago, and in a dragon's nature, they don't apologize easily to those they see as natural prey. Deers are food after all, it's the natural way of things, but to make one as a friend is not within the range of impossibility. He stepped back away from the bees and leave the hive. If the deer truly wanted apples, the dragon have some in stock in the jars that the deer must have missed.

"It's a type of crunchy bread." The dragon answered, as they walked back to the cave. "I can show you how to make it right now actually. It's easy" In the kitchen, he showed him where the loaf of bread is in the pantry, so the deer knows where to find it next time, and puts it on the skill over the fire on the stony oven, where the dragon breathe fire into it to heat it up.

"Make sure the skillet is hot and then you place the bread on it. Do not add oil." Said the dragon matter-of-factly. He wonders what else he can teach the deer? He didn't have company like this for a long time, and the deer is young, as his mates have a shorter lifespan then he does, and they die naturally before he do, but for the short time he knew of Vincent, he thinks the deer is actually sweet (and it's not like he has anywhere else to go, at least for a while), and he wonders if Vincent wants more honey and other types of sweets too.

[totally fine all around C: always good with continuing, had re-read the thread XD]

Vincent watched intently as Abel showed him how to make this "toast" Bread? He'd never had bread before, so he asked for a small slice to try. It was soft and good! As he nibbled it, he watched as Abel put some in the skillet and cooked it. Fascinating really.

He suspected dragons cooked a lot of their food. As deer didn't use fire, this was all new to him.

"And you put the honey on top when its done?" he asked, ears flicking forward "Can you put other stuff on toast or only honey?"

The dragon has been dealing with humans for so long, usually to do business with them or to gain books to fill up his library. Of course, he surmised the deer isn't able to read yet. But there are stories the dragon is willing to share.

"Really? This is simple stuff." Deer aren't natural hunters, much less cooks, but they are gatherers, he thinks. "I usually put fruits like strawberries, berries, or honey on top, yes. Sometimes, I will add in brown sugar or maple syrup. Once in a while, if I'm lucky, a human will trade me this sweet called chocolate. But I don't have any of those right now." Chocolate is rare and he always ran out. "I have plenty so if you want more, I can make more, and I can teach you how to make it."

Though he imagined dealing with fire is a scary thing for a deer. "Much of the toppings I have to buy and trade with humans. Have you ever seen humans, Vincent?" Meanwhile, he figured the deer is really eating up honey toast, so the dragon made more crunchy slices using the skillet.

"We don't like fire." he stated matter-of-factly with a shrug. Mmm, toast with honey, it was warm and sweet with the added crunch of the bread. Fruit on top would be nice too.

Licking the back of his hand where some honey had dripped he looked to Abel. "From afar, yes, a few times. We avoid them though, they smell strange, and usually bring death." he said.

"Did you learn this from humans?" he asked, licking his sticky fingers as Abel made more.

"I see. Oh yes, yes I did. I learned from them. Out of necessity. It's hard hiding the tail and wings, much less finding trusting humans who would do business with me on the outskirts of their towns." Still, the dragon is pleased to see the deer like sweets. "If you like toast, I can make it for you as much as you like. And there is some fruits in those jars." He said, pointing at the jars on the shelf and at the ice box. "So help yourself."

Since Abel started the fire, he's already hungry and it's becoming noon-time, and a dragon has a huge appetite, Abel begins cooking lunch, by cooking meat over the skillet, which he stored in one of his ice box. The heavy smell of meat, and by the smell of it, it's beef using a little bit of oil filled the chambers of his kitchen. Make sense, the dragon is a carnivore.

If the deer isn't feeling well enough and haven't recovered from his illness yet, there is still a bed of furs back in the other chamber. Or sit at the table to lay his head down. Thinking about it now, "Are you feeling better or are you still feeling ill?" The dragon asked him.