Every day, Renisnow climbed to the top of the tallest tree by the clearing. She would gaze across the cloudy skies to the faint streak of sea blue on the horizon, waiting for her mate to come. The leaves she sat on were wet with tears. Five weeks. Five horrible weeks. Renisnow wouldn't eat, or sleep. She just watched the faint streak of ocean, and recalled how he saved her, and she him. That rat. Come back to me....... She thought, which led to another bout of crying.

Jersey was driven practically insane. He knew something had to be done. He had tried being nice, but she didn't even notice the terrier was there. The little dog spread his wings and growled, crouching low, he leaped up into the air, unfurling his wings and spiraling up. He loved flying, doing a barrel roll the dog closed his eyes. This was perfect! Maybe he didn't have to talk to her after all! Jersey opened his eyes serenely, he was upside down, and suddenly realized with alarm he was hurtling towards a tree! Trying to pull himself up, jersey covered his head.

WHAM....

With a strangled cry, jersey plummeted to the ground, and there he lay still.

Renisnow realized something had crashed into the tree with great force, for the branches shook wildly. Renisnow sighed, and took one last longing look at the ocean, before peering through the leaves. Pouncing elegantly down to the nearest branch, she leaned as far as she dared. She gave a startled cry when she saw jersey on the ground, one wing twisted at a weird angle, and a hind leg too. A small trail of blood leaked out of his mouth. The silver dragon plunged off the tree branch, and landed next to her friend.

Renisnow circled around the pup, wondering what to do, when she heard a rustling. A bunny hopped out of the bushes. It turned its head to her, and slightly opened its mouth. Renisnow gasped in horror as its front teeth became fangs! The monster bared its fangs and hissed, then hopped away. Bat winged birds careened over head, screeching and growling. Renisnow shivered as she saw red eyes peer at her from the bushes. Jersey moaned softly, and Renisnow dashed into the cave, sifting through the herbs. Which one?! Ah which one?! She thought angrily as she pawed at the leaves.

Renisnow ran out of the cave, and growled as she saw a saber toothed wolf growling over jersey. whipping around and slamming her tail into the gray creature, she pinned it down and glared at it. It's eyes were red... Blood red.... You should've killed her when you had the chance. She thought, because this had her evil sister written all over it. Renisnow reared up, and heaved down both front paws on the wolf's belly. A blood red shadow puffed out of his mouth. Renisnow quickly covered this in dirt, and let the panicked creature scamper away.

Renisnow dragged her wounded friend into the cave by his harness. Jersey coughed, which told Renisnow he was still alive. He opened his eyes.

"Renisnow?" He croaked.

"Shh, shh. Don't talk, you'll hurt yourself more!" whispered Renisnow through tears, "you're gonna be ok." Jersey weakly pointed with a paw.

"That herb, mix it with one of your scales, but crush up your scale first!" He barked, ignoring renisnow's warning. Renisnow plucked out one of her scales with a cry, and stared at it. She carried the silver object out into the clearing with the herbs, and mashed them together with a rock.

Renisnow carried her mixture into the cave. It was more of a powder, and Renisnow had to carry it with two leaves made into a basket-like shape.

"What now?" She mumbled through her burden.

"Mix it with water from that pool over there. Put it in one of those stone bowls, then give it to me," he replied. Renisnow hastily followed the instructions. She nosed the bowl over.

Jersey lapped at the cool water, he closed his eyes as strength flooded his body. Gosh, I thought I was dead! He thought. When the mixture was gone, he had enough strength to stand up.

"Renisnow," he croaked, then he teetered, and Renisnow ran forward, her silver paws making a slapping sound on the rock floor, and she supported him. The terrier leaned on her shoulder, and closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "Thank you."

Renisnow sighed deeply. She looked at jersey's sleeping form beside her, and out at the moon lit clearing. Dew sparkled on the ferns, and shadows seemed to leap from tree to tree. She couldn't sleep, she was stuck wondering. Laying her head between her paws, Renisnow flicked her ears and puffed a small plume of silver smoke, which dispersed by the small breeze. Renisnow closed her emerald eyes and sighed again, and then she thought, wait a second, dragon's scales are supposed to be indestructible! Her mind drifted back to herself in the clearing, crushing her scale with ease. Maybe it's because I'm young, yeah, that's probably it... Her thought trail wandered off as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Renisnow woke with a start. She had a nightmare, it was reniblood, with white glowing eyes, standing on top of a pile of dragon skulls, her wings spread and lips drawn back in a snarl. Jersey was at the bottom of the pile, his head was drooping, and he was in shackles! Renisnow swung her head around and gazed at her sleeping friend, who was twitching, like he was having a dream. She smiled, and looked outside. The moonlight still shone, but lighter. I have more time to sleep. Renisnow assured herself, and she lowered her head back unto her paws.

Renisnow... Reniblood glared down at her. Jersey raised his head a bit and looked at Renisnow, his neck weighed down by a shackle. He tried to step forward, but the chains there held him back. She was padding towards the pile of skulls, ever so slowly. Reniblood lept off the pile, sending skulls rolling, and she glided at Renisnow, claws outstretched and smiling, teeth glinting. Renisnow shrieked as her sister pummeled her down, digging her talons into the younger ones scales.

"Reniblood stop!" Renisnow shouted, and choked as reniblood pressed a paw down on her throat. "Stop!"

Jersey awoke with a start, he looked over at Renisnow, who was writhing and moaning in her sleep.

"Stop..." She muttered, "STOP!!!!!" Jersey jumped back, startled by the shout, then he jumped to his feet and nosed Renisnow.

"Bad dream!" He told her, but she was still in her trance, eyes squeezed shut and shouting stop, over and over. "RENISNOW," jersey barked forcefully, and the silver dragon's eyes snapped open. She shoved jersey off with a cry and snarled.

Jersey backed to the far corner of the cave, stumped tail between his legs, and whimpering. The flame in Renisnow's eyes disappeared, and she sat down, panting. Jersey nervously trotted over.

"What-gasp-what was that?" Renisnow panted, cocking her head. Jersey told her it was just a nightmare, but he was concerned. Is she ok? Is she insane more importantly?! Am I friends with a crazed lunatic! His thoughts shrieked.

Renisnow got up, and smiled, asking jersey,

"Do you want to go for a fly? You love flying!" Jersey looked at the Ceiling, thinking.

"As long as we go up high," he concluded, "I don't want to run into any trees." Renisnow held back a chuckle, and the two of them bounded outside. Renisnow spread her wings, and jersey did too. Renisnow gazed smugly at jersey, whose jaw had dropped at the sheer size and beauty of the silver dragons wings. Renisnow leaped into the air. Jersey smiled, and did too, but instead of flapping upwards like Renisnow, he fell to the ground with a yipe.

Renisnow stopped, and looked down. She hovered, watching her friend try again, crouching low to the ground, then springing up, wings outstretched. Again, he slammed back down. Jersey growled, glaring at his wings. He jumped, flapping like a robin fledgling trying to fly, but he again fell, right on his snout! Renisnow landed next to her friend, who was sprawled out on the ground. At first Renisnow thought he was grievously injured again, but she soon realized he was just frustrated.

Jersey sighed, still sprawled out, as he pitied himself. Renisnow lay down beside him. Jersey was ready for the, "oh are you ok?" And the "poor jersey," but none came. She was not sympathizing, she was empathizing. Jersey sighed again, relaxing. He cleared his mind of all thoughts, and focused on the faint rise and fall of renisnows sides. The thumping of her heart beat, the faint rustle as she shifted her position. Jersey smiled, but then he realized something. First of all, he was grounded, he could not fly, may not ever again! Second, it was pods fault. If the stupid pile of scales and blubber hadn't left, he wouldn't have left Renisnow heart broken, hence the tree, hence the crash. He felt a cold deep heart felt hatred for the dragon, he broke renisnows heart, and made him flightless. But Renisnow, this is her fault! She should've moved on, but she made me crash! He growled softly. Oh yes... Renisnow is to blame!

Renisnow smiled in her sleep. Grumbling, and opening her eyes, Renisnow realized she had spent the night out in the clearing with jersey. She shuddered to think of what would've happened if one of reniblood's evil creatures got at them. Renisnow turned her head and discovered what had woken her up. Jersey was springing into the air, hovering for a second, almost invisible by the cloud of feathers dislodged by his flapping, and then falling back to the ground. Blood oozed from a small gash on jersey's leg, which Renisnow had no idea what it was from.

The silver dragon heaved herself up, and padded over to jersey, who crashed down again, and heaved himself up into a sitting position, were he sat panting.

"Jersey! What are you doing?!" Renisnow asked groggily, "and where is that cut from?" Jersey glanced at her, but continued panting, not moving his position. Renisnow noticed the bags under his eyes, and his course fur covered in dust from the bare part of the clearing. She noticed his paws, with grit in between the pads, and bruises on his side he fell on.

Renisnow took a defiant step forward.

"Jersey! What has gotten into you?" The dog looked away. "Come on! Talk to me!" Her voice cracked. The realization crashed into her. He thought she was to blame for this. Renisnow thought back to jersey's tree, and the manticore, and the fire, she had thought she was to blame then, but jersey told her that was not so, and you should only think that if you have strong proof.

Had this been her fault? She ran it over in her head. No! Pod's? No! Now that she thought of it, it was more jersey's fault then any, or maybe the wind's!

Jersey glared at Renisnow, fire in his eyes. You took my flight away from me. I will now hate you forever. He thought dangerously. You will now pay! Jersey lept at Renisnow, teeth bared. Renisnow ducked out of the way and he rolled in the dust, springing to his feet and growling.

" jersey stop this madness!" Renisnow cried, almost in tears. The dog halted, and turned away. Fine. I will. But don't you think this is over.

That night, jersey was startled awake by a rustling sound. He squinted through the dark.

"Ah-!" He shreiked but his voice was cut off by a paw clapped over his mouth.

"Shut it dog!" Hissed a voice. The figure stepped into the beam of moonlight. It was reniblood. She opened her mouth and a beam of red shadow sprinted from it. Jersey was knocked to the ground, and when he got up, his hackles were raised, and eyes red. Good. Thought reniblood. My work here is done.