The clouds had seemed to loom forever, darkening by degrees, leaving Echo to wait for the fulfillment of their promise of the storm to come. It was an exciting time, to feel the link to her element strengthen as the sun's hold upon the skies was choked into meagerness. Her only regret, as she glided through the cooling air, was the chance that she might not be able to bask in the light of the moon should the storm seek to claim its reign as well.
Shadow chirped from where he was nestled between the mystic's many wings, huddled upon her back to rest his own much smaller set of feathery appendages. Then came a repetitious peeping as the catgryph begged for something or other. As he and Echo had been so long together, she surmised that her little friend wanted something to drink. It didn't hurt her decision to note that the mystic was feeling a mite parched herself.
That was going to be somewhat of a challenge to find, since the pair had been exploring a wide expanse of plains that day, and were not familiar with the locations of sources of water. Making a mental note to be less careless in the future, Echo redirected herself from admiring the scenery to searching for something with which she and her companion could quench their thirst.
They were in luck! On Echo's second circling, she spotted a cluster of trees, a rare sight to be sure amid the miles of tall swaying grass. Trees usually meant water, so she partially tucked in her wings and dove in for a landing. Shadow poked his head over one of her shoulders to feel the wind rush against his face. All too soon the thrill of speed was gone, and Echo was buffeting her descent with quick but steady flaps. Shadow hopped from her back once they were safely on the ground, and together they navigated through the trees.
Perhaps it was a twist of fate, or irony, that lit up the sky behind the mystic as she advanced past the treeline. The sudden light revealed Flash of the Summer Storm in all of his glory, catching Echo off guard. Fluffing her wings in alarm, the mystic's legs slightly spread to steady her. Giving ground when there was potential for trouble wasn't something she was accustomed to, not unless it proved to her advantage. Sea green eyes gazed steadfastly at Flash's profile as Shadow hopped to be between the stallion and his Echo, puffing himself up to look as threatening as a catgryph could manage when facing off against a being at least twice his size.
As Shadow's posturing was bound to get them noticed, Echo twitched her head wings before offering in what she believed to be a pleasant tone,
"You have my apologies if we ayre distuyrbing you. May any use this wateyring hole?
