A Working Dragon [Breach OTA]

Who: Buck (B), Annika (A) and OTA
When: During the breach
Where: All around the dun and outlying settlements
What: A dragon and her rider doing their jobs
Warnings: None for now

I. Taking care of business

When you pick up any odd job you can at any time you can, you tend not to spend a lot of time at home. But Buchanin, who mostly goes by Buck, and Annika, who mostly goes by Ann, don't really mind being on the wing most of their days as they fly over caravans or search for disaster victims or rout bandits, and don't mind curling around a campfire or a human wagon protectively most of their nights. Ann is a fairly large dragon, deep indigo on her belly and wings, chocolate brown on her back and sides, a kink in the end of her tail, with one missing eye and plenty of scar tissue along that side. She still flies true, using her bonded's sight as much as her own. Buck himself is missing one hand, replaced by a hook, and has scarring that makes one leg a little achy in bad weather.

Buck and Ann keep busy, and can be found all over their dun's human territory working and flying and landing to have a chat with humans on the ground-- or diving on a herd of deer for dinner. They're friendly and cheerful, for all their scars and experiences.

II. Back home

He can't stay away forever, of course, and every other week or so the pair fly back to the dun for a night or two, whether protecting a caravan on the way up the mountain or dropping off passengers and mail. They check in with all their friends, have a soak in the hot springs to sooth tired muscles, and retire to the cavern they share with Stevyn and Jo.

They probably have gifts for anyone they visit, too, even if it's just candy from a distant village, fresh paper for notes and sketches, or a pretty river-carved pebble.

III. Hatching day

Of course Buck and Ann are here for the hatching. She's perched high up in the hatching sands bowl, watching with big-sister-type energy, and Buck sits on her folded foreclaws looking down, himself. Then they both head to the post-hatching feast to brag about a candidate they brought in, or praise the size and health of the babies, or just toast their friends with whatever drinks are on hand.

Come get a slap on the back, a hug, or a story while everyone celebrates a hatching.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's probably a good thing that the four of them don't work together more often, given that Stevyn and Josephira largely specialize in search and rescue, but it does happen. Sometimes they tag along as caravan guards or scouts. But this time, there's a levee that broke in the bad storm that swept through yesterday, just one day after the caravan Buck and Ann had been escorting had passed through the little town that was struck.

Steve of course makes it a habit to know where Buck is and who he's with, and it's not even a detour, really, for him and Jo to pass over the train of wagons and carts making their way through the muddy road, scanning for Anne's familiar, dark form before Jo darts in and Steve raises a hand to further get their attention.

Steve's not a small man, and Jo's large enough to carry him easily - but she's still rather small and lithe as dragons go, golden-tan scales not quite glinting in the sunlight. They're clearly kitted out for a rescue operation, coils of rope and blankets and an axe and long knife strapped strategically to Jo's saddle or, in the case of the latter two, Steve's person.

Ann catches the sense of her friend and partner's mind before either of them actually see the pair, and veers off from the caravan to find a spot to land. Buck looks up at that, spies them, and waves back.

There something you need help for? Ann asks first, as she settles on an outcropping above the road, where she can keep an eye on the horses and wagons while also giving her room to duck her head and nuzzle at Jo. Buck doesn't hop down yet, as much as he'd like to get his arms around Stevyn for a moment. If they're needed somewhere urgently...

Jo follows Ann, and Steve thinks if she could purr like a cat, she probably would be right now, despite everything. Her tail curls and swings a little, a sure sign she's pleased. "There village you would've just passed through, it's washed out," he says, pointing further down the road as soon as Jo's relayed Ann's question to him. This way he can catch them both up at once. "The levee broke, the river's gone wild. We're on our way there to help."

We thought you might come, too. If your detail can spare you, Jo adds, although the question Steve left unasked is likely clear enough, even unspoken, that Buck can pick up on it, too.

If the levee broke and the river's overflowing, there won't be many bandits on this road, Ann says immediately, eye narrowing and wings mantling a little at the idea of a whole village washed away. And there weren't many to begin with, according to the locals. This is a lazy assignment.

"What she means is, we'll come," Buck puts in to the both of them. "Let me tell the caravan master. I think she'll understand we're going to be more use there than here." Also Ann makes a few of them nervous, so they might be happy to see them fly off.

Exactly, Jo agrees. They're both pleased and a little relieved for the company, even if the situation is a serious one. And Ann's size and strength may come in handy.

Steve nods, and they both stay put a moment while Ann and Buck go to do just that; they've been flying almost nonstop, and while Jo seems made for endurance, it's nice to take the small rest while they can. But as soon as they see the nods taking place in the conversation down below, she gathers herself and jumps back into the sky, circling until Buck and Ann can join them.

It's a little harder to speak out loud with the rushing wind, but Buck and Ann just came down this road, so they shouldn't need directions. Steve and Jo make sure they seem ready, then head off down the road, following it toward the village.

It will hopefully be mostly pulling people and livestock off roofs and out of trees, Jo sends over, for Ann to relay to Buck. But there's likely some missing we'll search for.

Then we will find them, Ann says firmly, making sure Buck gets settled on her back again before crouching and launching into the air after Jo. She knows how to follow her friend's mind, and knows basically where they're going, anyway.

It's a long day's work, and continues into the night before everyone in the village is accounted for, whether confirmed lost or confirmed rescued. Ann curls around Jo, Stevyn, and Buck around a fire they made at the edge of the camp the villagers are making. She and Jo might make it back to the dun, if they pushed, but Buck and Stevyn are surely too tired and they might be needed again in the morning.

But for now, Ann is making them all rest.

Stevyn is, like his brother, stubbornly prone to trying to push on when he shouldn't. Jo isn't much better, although she does know better than to fly with a Stevyn who's likely to fall asleep - and off her back. So in the end she doesn't mind curling up to catch a little rest, especially when it will be good to take another full look at the area from the sky in the daylight, and Stevyn certainly can't fly home without a dragon. So he ends up pressed up against Buck on one side and a combination of Ann and Jo on the other, and he is aware there are far, far worse ways to spend a night.

"Thanks for helping," he murmurs, rolling his head to look at both Buck and Ann. Of course, it wasn't really a question, but it warrants saying, anyway. "Especially that last house."

It had been carried off its foundations, partly smashed against some trees, with a family trapped inside. Ann's strength had been more than helpful, when she and Jo had all but ripped off the roof together. Much faster than Stevyn hacking through with only Jo to help.

This is why they need Ann and Buck around, obviously. They know when to take care of people. (Less so about themselves, granted, but this is why pairing up with Stevyn and Jo is useful: looking after them necessitates looking after themselves.)

I do enjoy tearing off roofs when I'm allowed to, Ann agrees with the sleepy contentment that comes from having her three favorite people right there, a fire glowing against her scales, and a good day's work behind her.

"She said she had fun with the roof," Buck translates, amused but sleepy. He tucks his arm more securely around Stevyn, safe within the curl of wing and tail and fire pit. "Thanks for getting us. Coulda been worse without us."

Edited 2026-08-26 02:54 (UTC)

A Working Dragon [Breach OTA]

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