Two dragons lie like starfish in the sand. Jade is a lithe pearlcatcher with smooth, dark green skin. Eyes closed, she breathes deeply. Her bright green wings stretch out limply on the beach, bits of sand sprinkled over them. Resting across her torso is Silt, a black-bodied fae, strong but small and delicate, with spotted brown butterfly wings that hang down on either side of Jade, just barely touching the sand. Her black tail hangs across Jade's thigh.

They rest in a hidden cove. Tall limestone cliffs tower above them on all sides, lit up in stripes of gold by the setting sun. The rising tide laps further with each wave, now splashing over Jade's tail and depositing a bit of seaweed. Two gulls fly across the small mouth of the cove, one crying out after the other.

After some time, Silt slides down to her feet. Shaking off the sand, she walks to a small pile of rounded stones. She picks out the perfect skipping stone and turns to the sea, shielding her eyes from the sun with her right wing as she pulls back her left arm and then, with an awkward jerk, flings the stone into an oncoming wave. It does not skip.

Silt uses a few shallow wingbeats to glide to the water's edge and dips her toes in the surf. Little shorebirds run back and forth with the waves, pecking at the wet sand. Silt looks down at the water and then up at the sky. Finally, she turns back toward the green dragon lying on the beach behind her.

"Where were you?" she asks, calling out to Jade above the sounds of the sea.

Jade shakes her head slightly and slowly opens her light green eyes. She lifts her one-horned head and blinks, looking toward Silt.

"Mmm?" she intones sleepily.

"You didn't come practice with us this morning. And you were late coming here this afternoon. Where were you?"

Jade swishes her tail in the water, dislodging the seaweed.

"I went the long way around the cape. Figured I'd attract less attention that way."

Silt crosses her arms.

"Everyone already knows about us, Jade. You know that. You're the one who told them."

"I only talked to Eíith about us and he had already figured it out before I said anything. I don't know how everyone else found out. Someone must have overheard us talking."

"Where were you?"

Jade rolls over onto her feet and stands. She lifts her wings, shaking the sand off of them.

"I was out on a walk with Saguaro. We were just talking, Silt. Mostly about cacti. Did you know that the giant cardón cactus has three different genders? Some have only male flowers, some have only female flowers, and some have flowers that are both male and female."

Silt sighs and looks down.

"It's not like that," Jade explains as she approaches Silt. "I just wanted to do something besides hitting targets with my wind magic. And then I didn't realize how late it had gotten. I'm sorry. There's nothing going on."

"Then why did you make up that story about coming the long way?"

"I didn't, exactly. I really did take a different path since I was out on the other side of the cape already. I just... I didn't want to upset you. I knew you'd think this was something it wasn't."

"I wouldn't be thinking anything if you weren't trying to hide things from me."

"I'm not even attracted to him, Silt."

"If it's not Saguaro, it's just going to be someone else. It's only a matter of time." Silt slaps at the water with her tail.

"I always said I wanted to find a mate and have children. We agreed this would be a casual sort of thing between us. Why can't we just enjoy the now?"

Silt looks up. "Is that still what you think this is? 'Casual'? After all these years of training and fighting side-by-side? Of exploring the world, flying over mountain and sea, sampling alder spittlebugs and reedcleft sparklers? Of holding hands as we listen to the the eerie drums of the Tangled Wood? Of sneaking out at night to see the sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and confiding our highest hopes and our deepest fears? After all of that, is 'casual' all I am to you?" Silt's voice cracks.

Jade bites her lower lip and meets Silt's plaintive gaze. The wind ruffles the fins around Silt's face and the bright green mane on the back of Jade's neck as they look at each other for long moments. Finally, Jade responds.

"No, Silt. You mean a lot to me." Jade reaches out and traces a claw across Silt's face. "I don't want things to end between us. And they don't have to, do they? Even after I've found a mate. I'm sure he won't mind."

Silt sighs.

"I'm not going to come between you and your mate. You'll need to be focused on your family. You won't have time for me."

"You could live with us. Help us raise the hatchlings?"

"I'm not Ázeth, Jade. I have my own life. I need to keep the garden growing. I need to focus on my martial arts. I need to push my limits. I can't turn my back on that. Taking care of little ones isn't my calling. You know that." Silt reaches out and gently touches one of Jade's long whiskers.

"What am I supposed to do, Silt?" Jade asks.

"Just tell me the truth. You can talk to me about anything, even looking for a mate. I remember when you had a crush on Kuru and could barely talk about anything else.

Jade laughs. "That was a long time ago."

Silt droops her shoulders. "I guess I'm just cursed."

"Don't say that, Silt. Aren't we blessed to have each other?"

Silt spreads her wings into the wind and glides into Jade's arms. Jade softly caresses Silt's tail with the fluffy tip of her own. "

"Easy for you to say, Jade."

"This isn't easy for me, either, Silt."

The sun sets and the cool wind whips against the the pair of dragons as they hold onto each other tightly in the salty evening air, sheltered from the strongest gusts by the steep walls of the hidden cove.

(© 2013 Cassander)