A long overdue account of a date...

[Lord Panther]

Well, as the topic suggests, this is from last year's auction, and is WAY overdue. I hope you enjoy this account...

 

co-written with Tanny, thanks for all your input.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Panther pads along silently through the vast hallways of the Pen, searching for Tanuchan's place. Not being fully aware of the layout, as of yet, probably doubled the time involved in this rather simple task. Making one last turn down another corridor, he feels that he is the right place, and to his relief, he is right.

 

Before knocking on the door, Panther looks himself over from head to toe, making sure everything is in place. His brand new robe of the finest silk he could find, a midnight purple, of course, shimmers in the light and flows softly just above the floor. His fur has been meticulously groomed, shining almost as much as his robes. Satisfied with his appearance, Panther extends his paw and gently raps on the door.

 

Nervously fidgeting with his paws, he smiles as Tanny opens the door. He bows to her in greeting, hoping that he is not overdoing his manners.

 

"Good Afternoon Milady. I hope that you are ready for an entertaining day."

 

Tanny smiles, a bit surprised and extending her hand to Panther.

 

"Good afternoon, Lord Panther. I received your message, but I'm afraid I am a couple of minutes late... would you enter and give me a minute?"

 

She gives him passage, showing him to a comfortable sofa while she goes back to her bedroom to finish doing her hair. Quickly combing it in soft, glossy curls, she deftly ties it in a high bun and clasps a silver pin to hold it in place. She looks at the mirror one last time, checking the overall effect.

 

A beam of light comes through the window, reflecting softly on the tiny crystals embroidered in the hem and neckline of her dress, almost making her glow in a bluish tone. On closer look, the embroidery shows a pattern of wavy runes and vines, showing her link to the earth and water. The cool breeze makes her glad for the sleeves, gathered right below the elbow and with slits giving her freedom of movement.

 

Smiling to herself, Tanny concentrates on her dress and changes slightly its length - now right at her ankles - thanking once again Peredhil for his lovely gift on last Summer Carnival date.

 

It's been so fun also to learn how to control the dress... it's a shame I don't have quite the chance to experiment a bit more.

 

Blushing slightly she takes notice of the time, having spent more than the couple of minutes she has claimed to be late, and goes back to Panther in her sitting room.

 

"Sorry, Lord Panther... it seems that women are always late..." Her smile is embarrassed, and she blushes in spite of herself.

 

Panther gives Tanny a warm understanding smile. "Do not worry, the days are long, and a few minutes does not make them shatter to pieces."

 

After having waited patiently for Tanny to finish her last minute adjustments to her lovely dress, Panther sees that she is ready to go. He rises from his most comfortable seat, walks over to Tanny and offers her his arm.

 

"Shall we be on our way?"

 

Tanny accepts the arm with a graceful nod, and tries to cover her slight embarrassment by talking to him in soft tones.

 

Don't be a silly girl... he's a nice guy, and he doesn't mind your lateness.

 

.. But he's so formal!

 

They walk through the passageways and halls of the Pen Keep, talking about this and that, Tanny taking the time to explain the uses of some of the rooms to Panther, as he is still getting used to the way of things.

 

Finally reaching the vast gates of the Pen Fortress, the two walk out on to the grass, Panther leading Tanny towards the forest that backs upon the fortress. Panther, now happy to be out in the wilderness, looks over to Tanny and smiles.

 

"I hope a stroll in the woods would be enjoyable to you..."

 

That said, Panther smiles once more, mischief in his fiery eyes, and changes his shape mid stride to that of a large black panther. Beckoning for Tanny to follow, he quickly makes his way to the tree line.

 

Tanny doesn't waste a minute, a bit surprised but following Panther with a hint of a smile - shimmering into her wolf shape and bounding after the feline.

 

Did I say formal?! She giggles, tickled by the wind on her face and its caress on her fur. Her sharp sight catches the tip of Panther's tail just turning left, and she almost crashes into a bush when suddenly changing direction.

 

Ooops... Recovering, she slows a bit, sniffing the air and catching Panther's unmistakable smell.

 

There, big cat...

 

The dog-chasing-cat similarity doesn't escape her, and still grinning she just enjoys the feel of muscles stretching in an easy loping run.

 

Looking back over his shoulder now and again, making sure that Tanny is still in pursuit, Panther heads deeper and deeper into the forest, with an apparent sense of where he is headed. Not wanting to bore his date, he decides to have a little fun, and when he is pretty sure that Tanny can't quite see him, he deftly leaps up to a low branch and waits for Tanny to rush by.

 

Tanny, just losing sight of Panther for a few seconds, relies on the tracks that he has been leaving on the forest floor, as well as his scent in the air, to keep headed in the right direction.

 

All at once, the tracks stop, and his scent is no longer present at the ground level of the woods. Looking around for her date, puzzled, Tanny is startled quite literally out of her skin as Panther silently drops out of his perch, right behind her, and taps her on the back with his paw.

 

He gives a short leap backwards as the wolf leaps away in a much faster way than a normal wolf, at the same time blurring into a smaller shape and disappearing in a shower of lights.

 

With a slightly perplexed look on his face, Panther wonders where his companion has gone. He is sure she isn't far, as her scent is still strong in the air, but his eyes are deceiving him.

 

Calming her rushed breathing, Tanny blinks from behind the illusion wall at the puzzled Panther. With a wave of her tail, she dispells the illusion.

 

Formal the... She purses her lips, but ends up giggling helplessly. Panther grins, pouncing on her - careful to not hurt her, but fast enough to prevent any further reaction.

 

Her shriek of surprise isn't very lady-like as she raises her paws, changing back again into wolf shape and tumbling with Panther onto the leaves covering the forest floor. Disoriented for a bit, Tanny lays still as Panther laughs softly and nudges her up. There's both apology and mirth on his eyes, and Tanny grins at him.

 

After making sure that she isn't going to fall over dead from a heart attack, Panther is once more on his way, weaving through the trees, headed for a destination that only he knows.

 

A few more minutes of this game of dog and cat pass, until Panther reaches a clearing in the forest. Without breaking stride, he quickly changes back to his mage form, somewhere stuck between man and beast. He looks over to Tanny, who has also changed to her human form and is standing at the edge of the clearing, catching her breath.

 

"Please stay there a moment, M'Lady. I would hate for anything to happen to you."

 

A little confused by Panther's statement, Tanny heeds it nonetheless and stays at the edge of the clearing as Panther makes his way to the center of it. He shoots a grin at Tanny, which is unmistakably mischievous with fires burning brightly in his dark eyes.

 

With his look on his face changing to one of great concentration, Panther starts to chant the words of a spell, while motioning with his hands the sigils needed for his spell to work. Tanny can feel on her face the intense heat that is now being given off by her mage-date as he starts to conjure what appears to be a sphere of pure fire between his fingertips. The heat, so intense that it wilts the grass beneath Panther's feet, seems to have no effect on himself.

 

Finishing the last of his motions and chants, Panther hurls the sphere skyward at an alarming rate. Aided by the magic itself, the sphere reaches what must be a few thousand feet in the air, then explodes into a massive, beautiful firework. One that, most certainly, would have been seen halfway over the Pen lands, and by anyone looking in the right direction, back at the fortress. With a smile now on his face, Panther walks over to Tanny, extending his hand to her.

 

"It is safe now, you can come out from the tree line."

 

She accepts his hand, smiling in a delighted way. "It was beautiful... really beautiful. I've never seen anything like that."

 

Still smiling, Panther turns to Tanny:

 

"That was not all, there is more to come. Can you hear that?"

 

Straining against the silence of the forest, Tanny can faintly hear a sound that she can only describe as a disharmonious screech coming from somewhere in the sky.

 

Not having time to ask her date what the sound is, Tanny jumps as a massive shadow passes over her and the clearing, blocking the sun completely for a second. They hear a second, much louder screech, before the great beast makes a second pass over the clearing and landing before them.

 

Smoke still trailing from the beast's nostrils, Panther leads Tanny up to the beast's head, where he pats it lovingly on the snout with a great smile on his face.

 

"I am glad to see you again, old friend. May I introduce to you Lady Tanuchan of The Pen. And Tanny, may I introduce to you Anguis, one of my faithful followers and personal battle mount. You need not worry, he strikes only what I will him to strike."

 

Still quite nervous, Tanny inches closer to the massive red dragon and nervously pats his scaly snout. Anguis lets our a small snort, and contorts his face into what can only be a dragon attempting a smile.

 

"So, are you ready for a ride?"

 

"What? On that, uh, I mean him?"

 

"But of course, it is the best way to get around, I swear, short of teleportation and portals. Besides, the view is amazing from a thousand feet up."

 

Panther offers his arm to Tanny, who accepts it a bit nervously. He hoists her up onto the dragon's back and lets her get comfortable. Before mounting himself, Panther walks over to a bush at the tree line and pulls out a picnic basket, which he had planted there earlier in the day. Basket now it tow, he trots back to the dragon and quickly hops onto the back of the dragon with the ease of much practice.

 

"Ok Anguis, let's be on our way. You know where we are going, but make sure to take the scenic route."

 

With that, the dragon recoils and hurls himself into the air with his massive legs and huge leather wings.

 

Shortly after take-off, slightly distant screams can be heard coming from the ground below them, as a red dragon hasn't been seen above the walls of the Pen for quite some time. Panther chuckles to himself and looks over to Tanny, feeling how tightly she's holding to him and making sure she is alright.

 

Tanny has a look of utter bewilderment in her eyes. Panther understands her reaction, as riding atop such a large beast, and that beast flying through the air, it is quite the experience for someone who is used to keeping her feet or paws on the ground.

 

Anguis climbs higher and higher, touching the clouds, making the Pen fortress and the forest beneath them appear as mere toys with ants running around their daily business. He takes his two riders above the snowy peaks of the mountains, further and further from the borders of the Pen realm. Little by little Tanny relaxes, listening to Panther pointing out interesting or just beautiful sights around and below them. Passing through clouds makes her laugh in a delighted way, and Panther smiles, noticing the brightness in her eyes.

 

Suddenly, Anguis starts to descend from the clouds. They are still in the mountains, and Tanny wonders where they are heading. Panther points out a mountain plateau, covered in snow, and a few other things that Tanny just can't quite make out.

 

As they get closer, Tanny realizes that she can't make out the whole scene, because there is a plume of steam blocking the way. The steam, apparently coming from a high mountain hot spring, is blocking what appears to be a finely set dining table, complete with fine plates and silverware.

 

Anguis lands surprisingly softly on the snow and ice covered plateau, where Panther has magically calmed the winds so that he and his date will actually be able to talk and walk about. Panther dismounts quickly, and offers his arm to Tanny to dismount. She slips, though, and he catches her deftly on his arms before she harms herself.

 

"Thank you...." she gasps softly, blushing. "I... don't use to be this clumsy..."

 

Panther smiles, setting her on her feet. "It's natural, how many times have you ridden dragonback?" He winks, what makes her relax and giggle.

 

Now that they are both standing on the plateau, Panther takes his basket over to the table, where he unloads some fine red wine as well as two packages, that can only be some food for the both of them.

 

Panther moves behind one of the chairs, pulling it away from the table, and motions for Tanny to take a seat. After seating Tanny, he moves over to the other side of the table, and takes a seat himself. After pouring some wine for the both of them, the two of them engage in some deep conversation, picking at their food and sipping their wine from time to time, enjoying the stories they tell each other.

 

Once the bottle is exhausted and the food gone, Panther packs the utensils back into the basket, while Tanny continues one of her tales.

 

Intent on getting them both back to the Pen keep before the night is upon them, Panther ushers Tanny back over to Anguis for the flight home. Much more at ease with the beast this time around, Tanny has no troubles getting onto Anguis' back.

 

With Panther's signal, Anguis once again takes them skyward, through the few clouds in the beautiful sky, on their way home towards the lands of the Pen. Tanny takes the time to point out a few landmarks to Panther, who doesn't quite know his way around the area surrounding the Pen completely, yet. Panther makes notes in his head to go and see some of the more interesting ones.

 

Before long, the Pen Keep is in view, and Panther directs Anguis towards the main gate, intent on landing right in front of the Keep, instead of out in the forest like before. He chuckles to himself as he sees a few villagers catch a glimpse of the dragon, and run into their dwellings. The guards, on the other hand, stand stunned, not having seen a dragon in this area for an age, and not sure what they should do about it. Thankfully, no one raises a weapon towards the faithful dragon as he lands on the road in front of the main gates. Panther gestures to the guards that all is fine, and that they have not to worry about this particular dragon. That done, he helps his date down from his mount, back onto the solid ground.

 

Panther walks up to Anguis' face, puts his brow against the dragon's snout, and whispers to his beloved friend.

 

"Thank you again, my friend, for bearing us today. Please return to your dwelling, and be weary of any man other than myself that comes there. I will call you again in not too long. Take care, my friend."

 

With a gesture of his hand, the dragon throws itself skyward one last time, and heads off into the mountains to live his life and await the call of his master once again.

 

"Well, m'lady. We should get you home. It has been a long day, and I am sure you are exhausted. Will you point out the way, I'm afraid I still get lost in these corridors from time to time."

 

A smile from Tanny, and they are on their way to her quarters, deep within the walls of the Pen. Arriving at her door a few minutes later, Panther bows deeply to his date and thanks her for her company on such a wonderful day. He then makes his way back to his quarters, making a few wrong turns along the way, partially because of his lack of knowing, partially because he was going over the day in his head, with a smile on his face.

Edited June 29, 2006 by Lord Panther

[yochva]

Hee hee! That was fun to read! Thanks for posting it!

[Tanuchan]

Co-written with Panther. Thank you for the date, it was a wonderful one

 

~~~~~~

Early in the next morning Tanny is already out in the forest when dawn's first rays touch the lake. A soft breeze creates small ripples that reflect the golden rays, creating an overall silvery-golden effect on its surface. Sitting on the grass in the exact spot those first rays touch, Tanny has in her hands something that glows in golden-red hues.

 

A closer inspection shows that it is a reddish crystal, and that the golden tint comes from the sunrays reflecting and playing within it. Humming softly, Tanny throws a grounding line to earth, and reaches for the threads that run clear and strong under the lake.

 

She concentrates on the crystal in her hands, and little by little the tiny facets grow brighter, smoother. The delicate threads of energy that run through the crystals are not easy for her to manipulate, in spite of being of earth in nature, but her patience and care show the results she had planned some time later. In her hands, there is now a small crystal dragon that glows golden-red, sunrays trapped and reflected in the myriad facets that make its scales.

 

After a careful examination she nods in a satisfied way, and leaves it on the sun while she stretches and, on an impulse, dives into the lake changing into her wolf-shape mid-leap. As the water closes over her head, she smiles and remembers the details of the date of the previous day. The marvel of being immersed in clouds, their ghostly whisps of condensed water touching her skin while feeling the powerful muscles of the dragon under her; of seeing the land far below, with the forest and mountains spreading in mysterious shapes beneath the flying dragon; and the gentleness and charm of her mage-date - they are all burned in her mind, and treasured deep in her memory and heart.

 

Surfacing, Tanny swims to the border and reassumes her human shape after shaking the water off her fur. Sitting again by the lake she picks up the crystal dragon, feeling now the warmth it absorbed from the sun. Smiling, she again grounds herself and bends her skills towards water and earth threads.

 

Red for the warmth

made of earth that heals all

crystal with many facets

each holding a small thread:

for healing, for respite,

for steadiness and strenght.

 

Her mind bends towards the threads within the crystal once more, remembering the hidden vein from which she had collected that piece. The color had reminded her of fire, and it reminded her now of Panther's irises - flames dancing in mischief and that, she suspects, would glow in anger if the need arouse.

 

She weaves the threads around the golden sunrays trapped within the crystal, smiling and keeping in her mind the marvel and exhilaration of her ride.

 

Golden for the memory

of dawn and hope

sunrays that bring

a bright new day.

 

Keeping the threads firmly held, she reaches now for the water. Choosing carefully, she picks the flimsiest but strongest thread, and weaves it carefully around the others.

 

And blue for the water

for clouds in the sky

for comfort and soothing

the touch of friendship.

 

 

 

 

It's not too long later that Tanny, still strongly linked to earth, senses through it a familiar presence threading on it and coming toward her. Standing up, she waves to Panther.

 

"Good morning, m'lady... I have received your message." His voice is curious as he holds her hand and bows over it in a greeting, and Tanny squeezes his paw warmly.

 

"You must stop calling me 'm'lady'... unless you want me to make it clear to you that formalities usually embarrass me a lot." Grinning, she looks at him and to the lake behind him in an unmistakable way as she adds, "In some places it is said that felines don't really appreciate water, though I don't know how much of that would apply here..."

 

Panther chuckles, and nods. "I can swim as well as any wolf, I can tell you that. But I hope you haven't asked me to come here just to check my affinity to water...?"

 

"No, indeed not - though if you want to take a swim, the lake is really soothing and relaxing at this time". Still smiling, she grabs his paw again and puts into them the crystal dragon, now in a delicate silvery chain.

 

"I shaped it using the earth threads that are part of its nature, and it is laced with water. You're a mage, so you will be able to bend your will into it - it'll warm your heart and give your mind the strength and healing of earth if you need it, and soothe and comfort through the water threads. I know they aren't your elements, fire-mage, but I hope that you accept this from a friend's heart."

 

Panther looks down at the dragon in his paws and smiles at its little shape.

 

"Many thanks, M'Lady. I am sure that it will help remind me of my home, where I had many dragons, but alas, I could not bring them with me, and now, only Anguis remains loyal to me. It is a great gift, and one that you did not have to give. It will receive a place of honour within my quarters."

 

Carefully tucking the dragon within the folds of his robes, Panther smiles at Tanny before giving her a bow and excusing himself, saying that he has some errands to take care of, and arrangements to make as he is still getting settled.