Samanayrs

~~~~~

Partners

I love trees. They never make me feel tiny like they do to some Samanayrs. When I am below them, I am sheltered, and when I soar above them on the back of Loro, I am awed by the view of them. They remind me at times not to forget about my past- like the rings in their trunks, I must keep track of where I came from, lest I lose myself in a whirlwind of life and futures.
*snort* Oh wow, do I sound stuffy! But you want to know more? Well…I guess I should start at the beginning?



I’m not really sure where my birth song is or what they were like. All I know is that a band of Tribals came across my little curled up form and Lag- that’s my dragonet- on a trail through the southern heated forests. They took me with them, and brought me up to be a good Tribal, decorating myself and passing on the oral stories. I’m not exactly brightly colored or patterned- as my adopted “family” used to say, I was camouflaged.

I didn’t hate my time with them, I just never felt…like I had found my niche. I always felt exposed… I did not like the plains, where everything was the same, earth and sky, a never-ending pair of flat lines meeting at a horizon.

Something possessed me one day, to just roam, stumbling over rocks with the hooks I have grown to love. At the time, though, I’ll admit, I might have been cursing their existence. Well, not cursing, more like scolding- That’s not true Lag! I did not curse like a Sharian sailor!- *cough* Anyway. I got lost, and by the time night fell, I was realizing how dumb I really was.- What do you mean, now she admits it?! Go away you little pest, I’m trying to tell my story!



It was dark when I stumbled into a rut, and came across a smashed…pen, of sorts. Looking back, it was probably some Human trader's cage or something. That’s where I found a tiny shivering bundle, with hardly any feathers on him.

I had empathy for the guy… I don’t know why, I just felt protective all of the sudden. – Lag calls it “motherly instincts, though we all know that there’s no way I’m ever becoming a mother!- Plus, I was barely older than a yearling then!



We were all cold, the three of us, and alone… so we all spent the night together. By the time dawn came and we set out, Lag and I had earned ourself a new companion. That little hatchling was the stubbornest thing I’d ever met, hopping and hobbling along behind us. Lag would fly about and find patches of roots and berries to feast on, along our way. Sometimes I’d find wet clay or use a mushy berry and decorate my coat- I couldn’t forget the Tribals, even if I hadn’t been totally happy there.

One day there was a smudge on the horizon. As time went on in our trek, it grew clearer and clearer, and soon we stood at the foot of trees, the first trees any of us could remember. (I assume, not sure for Loro though!) We were in awe at first, jaws hanging all open and dumb-looking, but within moments we were scuffling about in the leaves and rejoicing in this wonderful place. It wasn’t the tropical jungles of my supposed homeland, but it was so much better than the plains!
But time was moving faster than I’d like, and soon the hatchling- Loro, I’d named him by then- was now a fledging, almost ready to fly. I know that he was close to us, but I couldn’t help but worry if he might leave for good, fly off someplace. I wanted him to be happy, but at the same time, I wanted us to be together.



That’s when Rider of the Rolling Peaks showed up. At first I distrusted him- in fact, downright hated him, especially when he got my fledging to hop right out to him! But somehow the old stallion got me out, after turning Lag traitor as well. He asked me how long I’d had Loro, and well…I mighta fibbed a bit and said since he was an egg, but it was close enough! – Hey, who are you calling a liar?! Who made you my dam, Lag?! Rider’s gone, there’s no one for you to tattle to!- ah, um, anyway, Rider told me he had some tips for me. And while there’s no way I needed them, I listened.

….Okay, so I couldn’t have done it without him, I’ll admit it. I had no idea at the time what he was teaching me to be, I just thought it was cool stuff that he wanted to share with me since he had some bond with his owl Fiazo. I had no idea he was conditioning me to be a Rider like him. Not until a summer morning, with Loro showing all his true brilliant colors, and my hide bare of any paint, did he tell me he had an idea for my full name. Before he always called me “Stronghold”, joking that a flippant free-spirited filly like me needed a strong name to keep me from wafting away on a breeze.

“Rider of the Tropical Zephyrs.”

It fit, in a strange and oddly nice way, and I realized the magnitude of the situation when he handed me my own set of harnesses. I don’t know how he made them or traded for them, but I’ve had them ever since.

But before I could confirm whether I was a Rider, I knew there was one thing I must do… I had to ask Loro. I had to give him the chance to fly off without me. I had to be willing to give up the thrill of flying for his own happiness.

I can’t tell you that I wasn’t the happiest Samanayr on earth when Loro held that harness in his beak and dropped it at my hooks.



See, it’s hard to explain what being a Rider is like. It’s not something you’re born with, yet it’s a deep part of you. It’s not about the thrills of going fast and living on the edge.

It’s about being ordinary and discovering something extraordinary about another- well, two others. My story doesn’t feature monsters or epic quests or even all that much conflict. It’s just kinda plain and ordinary, like me and my coat.

But being a Rider isn’t about being extraordinary- it’s about being in a relationship that runs deeper than a friendship, or even Song members, I think. It’s about trust, and equality. It’s about being partners.

Your heart doesn’t just soar because it’s up high when you’re a Rider- it’s so much more than that.



……What do you mean I got cheesy at the end?! Listen here buddy, who was the one who said I should take this seriously?!



Notes:

Alright, so I worked really hard on this (Don’t know if it shows!) and I stressed out plenty about it, especially when I saw all the other awesome entries! But here’s my best shot! ^^

I am proud of myself because all the pictures drawn here are made for the story (One pose was reused a few times) but I did not use my actual ref picture that I sent Sushi, with her full adult markings!

Here is a better quality scan of Loro flying if anyone wants to see:



(Edited to change picture size)