saw a Journal I wrote, a couple weeks ago, and instead of reading "Surgery," she thought that it said "Sugary" She laughed about it, and then sent me a Get Well Soon, Gift! He's a Wyvern & Raptor Hybrid, a cross that she made up, called a Ryvern, for short! Here is the story of how he and MiLayna meet:

MiLayna can see the beast, through the trees, being the keen huntress that she is. Her traveling companions are worried, as none of them are sure what type of beast it is; friend or foe... MiLayna moves, stealthily, through the small grove of trees, that separate her company, from the pale, snowy-colored, breathing "rock" that she noticed, just up ahead. If she were not trained as such a huntress, she never would have even heard the huff of a sigh, that the creature made. She tells her friends to hide, so that she will be the only one it scents, longing to keep her company from danger... It lies, stretched out, on a slab of natural marble, and granite, basking in the afternoon sun... the perfect camouflage for a creature with such coloring... it reminds her of her home, and how everyone, and everything blends in, with the usually snowy background. She sits at the edge of the treeline, and waits, in full view of the Ryvern. Some of MiLayna's companions, have moved, silently, above her, in the trees, and they watch her, in amazement, as she sits, patiently, waiting for the beast to notice her. Some fear for her, but say nothing, as they know their MiLayna, can take on any creature, that they have encountered. But this creature, is unlike any they have ever seen before! It LOOKS like a dragon, but it doesn't have any front legs or arms! It just has what look like a couple of claws, sticking out of the top of its wings... Normally, this would just be a harmless Wyvern, a creature closely related to the dragons in their company; but this creature has the head of something else, entirely! Something that looks considerably more dangerous!

MiLayna has her bow and quiver full of arrows, as well as her spear, but she has chosen to lay them down, just behind her. She decides, instead, to sit and listen to the creature breathe. She can almost feel the rythm of its energy. She begins to sing, in a low, soft voice. Some of her companions have come closer, and she motions for them to stay back, where they will be safe, in case this new creature, should turn out to be dangerous. They do as she silently instructs, but strain to hear her song. They can only hear a few notes here, and there, but can't piece anything together. They go back, to waiting among the trees, and smattering of rocks, spread throughout the grove, near the marble cliff.

The Ryvern opens one eye, lazily, and spots her right away. She doesn't even try to hide. Instead, she sings a slow, but lovely tune. He can see her weapons behind her, but she doesn't even have her hands on them. <She's not afraid of me?> he thinks to himself. <Maybe she doesn't see me. Maybe she doesn't know I'm here.>

MiLayna begins to inch closer to the Ryvern, purposely leaving her weapons behind. She continues to sing, that same, unfamiliar tune, but he begins to realize that her song is in perfect rythm with his heart... or perhaps, his heart is beating in time to her song. The song relaxes him, and he shifts, yawning, to show large, sharp teeth, and rolls onto his back. He knows that she knows he's there, so why pretend to be a rock, anymore? MiLayna has stopped moving toward the dragon-like creature, now that he has rolled onto his back. It is clear that he is male, and she relaxes, just a bit, because females tend to be more likely to attack, when there is a nest nearby. With this one being male, she is less worried about her safety, as she would have been, had he been a female. She settles, still several feet away, and continues her song, never wavering from it.The Ryvern opens both eyes, and looks at MiLayna.

"Where did you learn such a beautiful song?" he asks her.

"My mother taught it to me," MiLayna replies.

"She must be an Angel..." says the Ryvern, a wistful smile on his face.

MiLayna takes her ease, as she is no longer worried about this large snow-colored, dragon-like 'beast'... "I know nothing of Angels," she says, truthfully, "My mother was Bagheema, a Snow Cat, like me."

The Ryvern sits up, still looking at MiLayna, and cocks his head to one side. "Was?" he asks, noticing her use of the past tense.

MiLayna responds to his question, a touch of sadness in her voice, "My mother walks among The Stars, now."

"Forgive me, m'lady," after a short pause, and a dawn of understanding crosses the Ryvern's vision. "She must be quite proud of how you sing, as your song must make it to her ears, even among The Heavens. For you, m'lady, do sing like an Angel!" The Ryvern bows to her, one wing stretched forward, over his head, and the other, stretched out behind him.

This time, MiLayna cocks HER head to the side. "What does this mean? To sing like an Angel, I mean? What is this Angel, in which you keep mentioning?" she asks the Ryvern.

He sputters slightly, not quite ready for such a deep question. He realizes she is quite the literal Snow Cat. "Erm, it's... uhhh... <Think! Think of how to describe an Angel!> he chides himself, in his mind. "Well, it's a Heavenly being... erm... with wings-"

"Are YOU an Angel? MiLayna interrupts him. She has never seen an Angel, and she has never seen his kind, so, maybe he is trying to give her a clue as to WHAT HE is...?

At this, the Ryvern chuckles, "No, no! I'm definitely no Angel!" He continues to laugh, a little nervously. "I am a Ryvern. Half Raptor, half Wyvern. A Raptor is a..." he swallows, visibly, obviously nervous, now, "type of dinosaur, and a Wyvern is a type of Dragon. But a Wyvern has no front legs. A Raptor can run very fast, and a Wyvern usually just likes to relax in the sunshine. I am called Wyndemead" he finally introduces himself.

Satisfied with his explanation of himself, and forgetting all about Angels, MiLayna introduces herself, in turn. "I am MiLayna Swiftpaws, of the Bagheema Tribe," she says, matter-of-factly.

"Ah! You are Tribal! Are you a Hunter, or a Warrior?" Wyndemead asks her, motioning toward her weapons, by the treeline, with one great, wing.

"I am the best Huntress, in my Tribe. Females are forbidden to become Warriors." MiLayna looks Wyndemead in the face, fully taking in his Reptilian features. They are much different from those of her Dragon friends, but not unfriendy, at all. She admits one more thing to him, softly, "I miss them."

Wyndemead looks at MiLayna, seeing sadness in her eyes. "You miss...?" He looks a little confused. "your Tribe?"

"Yes. I left them many Moons ago, on a quest." she answers him.

"Well, can't you just go back to them?" Wyndemead asks her.

"Not until my quest is done," she says, flatly.

"Is that their choice? Or your own?" he asks.

"I cannot abandon my task! It is very important! And I cannot go home until it is completed!" she tells him, fiercely.

He lifts the claw tips, of his wings, skyward, "Ok, ok... I get it! You're on a mission. But, can't you just visit them?" he asks MiLayna.

"That would be very difficult," she replies, sadly. "I live many worlds away, from this one."

Wyndemead looks a little confused, again, "How did you get HERE? In a spaceship, or something?"

"I walked," she says, plainly.

"You... walked? I'm sorry. I'm having a bit of a hard time following," he says, his head cocked to one side, again. "How did you 'walk' if you live many worlds away?"

"Elanka, my Tribe's Medicine Woman, taught me that time is broken. It is happening all at once, in straight lines, but those lines are broken in some places, and when they find the broken places, The World Walkers can pass between The different Worlds, and find other Worlds, in search of what they are looking for. She told me how to find these tears, in time. She said I would know them when I saw them, and she was right. That is how I came to be here, on this World!"

Wyndemead just gapes at MiLayna for a moment. He then shakes his head, like he's shaking a stray cloud loose, out from between his ears. He can't decide if this lovely Snow Cat, before him, is really a 'World Walker' or if she's just plain crazy. "That is really fascinating," he says to her, in order to placate her, but she has been on THIS World, long enough, to know sarcasm, when she hears it.

"You don't believe me," she replies, looking defiant.

"No, no... I DO!" he tries to back pedal, raising his claw tips skyward, once more. "It's just---"

"It's TRUE!" comes the reply, from above! Two Dragons, and a Gryphon, fly down, and stand between Wyndemead and MiLayna. True, that they are all smaller than Wyndemead, but they are MiLayna's friends! And she is just short of being accused of lying. "We are her traveling companions, and we have gone with her, to these other Worlds! In fact, some of us, are from these other Worlds!" Scarlett, a smaller red dragoness, speaks for all of them.

Seeing that their friends have come out of hiding, all the rest of MiLayna's traveling companions, come forward, out of hiding. Thistle gathering MiLayna's weapons, along the way. Ember and Cole stand forward, and Wyndemead is awestruck. He has never seen the likes of many of MiLayna's companions. MiLayna takes up her weapons, from Thistle, and gathers her friends, and moves, to walk away, from Wyndemead.

"WAIT!" he cries. MiLayna turns to face him, once more. She looks at him, with not quite anger, but something close to it, in her gaze. "I want to see these other Worlds!" he practically pleads. "Might I come with you, and see for myself? Please?" Wyndemead's wings are drooped, straight from his broad shoulders, down to the ground. MiLayna turns, and looks at her friends, looking at each, as if to ask their permission. "I'll do whatever you ask!" Wyndemead practically yelps. "You're the only one, who has never been afraid of me," he adds. "I'm tired of being lonely." he admits, more to the ground, than to anyone, in particular.

MiLayna looks back at him. "You may come, but we protect each other!" she says fiercely. "If one of our company is in trouble, we ALL come to their aid!"

Wyndemead nods, agreeing, and begins to bring up the rear, of the group. The others look over their shoulders, at him, still unsure, but if MiLayna trusts him, he must not be too bad, right? And on they go, to find more adventures.

All Characters mentioned in this story are ©

Artwork ©  Wolfymewmew