Chapter Text
The warmth was gone when he woke up.
The powerful winds carried snow, blowing it all around. He shivered, cold and he couldn’t see anything. The snow that hit him was painful from how hard the wind was blowing.
His leg hurt. It hurt a lot. The wound on his leg was what caused it. It had frozen over and made his entire leg stiff, all up to his shoulder. The red-ish pink meat that showed looked completely white from the snow and frost covering it.
The dragon was nowhere to be seen and Creature had no idea on how to get down. With a wounded leg like this and so far to go and the snow storming around him strong enough to nearly make him fall he was sure that he’d be dead before he could reach even half the way down.
But what else could he do?
On trembling limbs he stood up and shook his head to get rid of the snow that covered it, but it was useless as it was quickly covered again by the snow blowing around.
Creatures' steps clacked against the rock but the wind silenced them. The rocks were icy and slippery and he only made it a few steps before plummeting down.
‘This is it.’ The goat thinks as he feels the winds hit his body painfully. ‘At least no one will miss me.’
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“Little messenger? What are you doing in the snow?”
The rumble is familiar. Like thunder it is terrifying yet somehow so oddly comforting.
“I fell.”
Small and weak, the shaking voice comes out.
“Yes, Creature. I can see that. Oh, little goat, I can see your ribs and the snow is all red… Did you really want to go back to the valley that badly?”
Creature can’t tell if the large powerful being sounds upset or offended. Why would he be either?
Silence falls for a moment. The dragon is thinking about how to move the frail animal to a safe place and Creature is thinking about how he can’t feel his body at all.
“Stay still. I will carry you to somewhere safe. I shall be as careful as I can but it might hurt considering your… current state. But we have no other option.”
Carefully the dragon picks Creature up in his claws, gently lifting him from the ground before large feathered wings carry his body up into the wind, letting him fly.
Those feathers are so warm and soft. Creature knows that. He was protected by them all night. It was so warm and so unlike anything the goat has ever felt. And now his body was hurting and his head spinning and he wanted to feel it once more.
He wasn’t that hurt. He hadn’t fallen long and when he scraped his side against the rocks it only scratched some skin off. The dragon was overreacting.
Soon the wind stops hitting him and his body falls onto soft moss. The dragon had landed inside of a cave. It is high up, but it protects from the wind and has a soft bed of moss. It was much more calm than outside.
“Why did you not stay where I left you?”
The dragon lays down on the ground next to Creature.
“Because you left me.
His words are weak. He feels small and his head is still just spinning.
“I left to look over my kingdom. My treasure. I needed to know everyone was alright. And I gathered moss and found a cave to keep you safe. I was not gone for long. But it just ended up hurting you more, little messenger.”
The rumble is comforting, soft and quiet. The dragon uses a wing to cover Creature’s body, trying to warm him up.
“You left. I didn’t want to be there anymore.”
“Do you really want to go back to the valley so badly? They do not care for you.”
The dragon rumbles, he sounds unsure.
“You don’t either.”
The goat knows this. Why would a dragon care for him? This is all just… some strange dream. Surely he will wake up soon and lay on soft grass with the warm sun on his back and he can watch as everyone else does whatever they do while he waits for something. Anything. A message to deliver or something to do. He just wants to not be alone.
“I care for all of my treasure. The herd is my treasure.”
The dragon mutters out, his tail curled up slightly. He wasn’t relaxed like usual, but instead tense and nervous.
“But I’m not part of the herd. They do not like me and they do not care for me. You’ve been happy to let me know. As if I didn’t already.”
“Then why would you ever want to go back?”
“I don’t.”
Silence falls for a moment. Then the dragon looks over at the small goat under his wing. Creature is laying on his side. He looks dead already. The dragon looks away, he can’t look at that.
“Then why did you leave?”
“Because I did not want to be there anymore.”
That answer makes the dragon even more upset.
“Where do you want to be then?”
Creature is silent for a moment before answering.
“Nowhere.”
This wasn’t a dream. He was not going to wake up and feel better.
“You can’t be nowhere, Creature.”
This wasn’t a dream.
“Isn’t that where I am going now?”
Creature won’t wake up and feel better.
“No… You’re going to the stars. You will shine bright at night, brighter than the others. The brightest piece of treasure. All of the herd will admire you.”
The dragon doesn’t want to say those words, but he might never have the chance to say them again.
“I guess that sounds quite nice.”
Perhaps Creature had underestimated his injuries. He had thought the dragon was overreacting, now he is not so sure. He doesn’t want to turn his head and look for himself. His lungs hurt with every breath he takes. He can’t feel his injured leg at all and his others are starting to go numb as well.
“I’m cold.”
He shivers.
“Do you want me to warm you up?”
The dragon offers. He wants to.
“Yes please.”
Creature nods.
The dragon curls up around the small goat. He warms him and keeps him safe.
“Rest now, Creature.”
Together they rest. Creature can hear those soothing purrs once again. They make him fall asleep despite the pain.
In the morning the sun rises, its beams hit the back of the dragon, warming his scales.
In the morning the herd rises, it is a new day now.
In the morning the dragon doesn’t rise. That would mean leaving Creature.
In the morning Creature doesn’t rise. He never will again.