Snowforest Taiga house of the dragon

Her nose led her further south. Raider gave the rise a wide berth as she hunted toward the widest stretch of the lowlands. As much as she would like to check in with her relatives there, she didn’t want to risk passing on this illness to them any more than she did her own small family on the peak.

Hours passed without success until Raider was forced to admit defeat. From the edge of the nearby moraine, she called out to let her mate know her location. She planned to return in the morning, assuming she felt better. Don’t worry, she told him, along with, I love you.

Despite her reassurances, she worried as she settled herself among the craggy fringes of the glacier’s ancient warpath. Raider could’ve trekked home and spent the evening at the foot of the mount, though she felt too fevered and weary to make that journey just now. She would rest here a while, then travel back to Dragonspine in the cool dark of the night.

She sprawled in the dry summer dust, closing her eyes and panting. Her breath settled some, though just as Raider was about to drift off into an uneasy sleep, her eyes snapped open. She sat up to nibble at a sudden twinge in her thigh, where the wound had long since healed. She soothed the skin with her tongue, then settled back down with a sigh.