Sleeping Dragon Inferno

AW but tagging @Hush if you're up for it ;)

Too many times did the Sophos wake up from a dream of Eldfell, that wonderful place, and all the wonderful wolves she'd spent days and nights delving deeper into the mind with. And the realization that she was no longer there always struck her hard. A piece of her heart had stayed in that place, but never did Uleön regret having gone out into the world. There was so much more to learn out there, and the Sleeping Dragon was a treasure for those curious about the world.

Never before had Uleön lived so close to an active volcano, and she was itching to see whether it was true their breath was fire for herself. She knew where the mouth of the dragon lay, having been drawn to the mountain by the smoke it created in first place. So she hiked by herself one morning, doing poorly on her way up and finally getting signs of activity by sundown. The dragon was a ruthless beast indeed.

The Dragon rumbled and roared all throughout the day, as it usually did, but today it was much fiercer. It didn't help that he was closer to the mouth than he usually was, but the coywolfdog stumbled every once and a while at the Dragon's guttural roars. By sundown, the mute walked towards the mouth, curious as to why it was more active than usual.

He was not alone. An unfamiliar woman, old and wizened, was making her way to the edge as well. Hush approached her, chuffing in greeting to the newcomer. She must be new; he hadn't seen her at the meeting.

Having expected to be alone, the old woman is startled by the announcement of the approaching male. She turns with eyes wide open to find his figure, but calms down the moment she sees he's friendly. She studies the male's colors and shapes, noticing the mixed blood.

With a smile she welcomes his approach, sitting as she sees the opportunity to take a short rest before finishing the trek up the mountain. In the distance the mouth of the dragon hisses, but Uleön knows she's not in danger. The beast is asleep.

He nodded back, matching her smile with one of his own. He walked closer to her, looking over the edge. He tried to match her gaze, wondering what she was looking at in particular. He couldn't ask, of course, and he hoped that she would indulge him in a bit of one-sided conversation. He hadn't met this old woman before, after all. They didn't know each other. The least she could do is allow him to attach a voice to the form.