I’d have never noticed if Dawn hadn’t pointed it out, but dragons apparently live in these mountains. Now we notice them at times soaring high in the sky. When Dawn first noticed them, we took cover each time one flew overhead. As it became apparent they have no interest in us, we stopped taking cover. Why waste the time hiding repeatedly? On the plus side, Tora’Sor made an interesting analysis of their presence. The presence of dragons requires a steady source of food, and if that’s the case, we should also find a steady source of food. We welcome the thought of finding food, but I cautioned her that just because a dragon could kill and eat something the size of a telef does not mean we could.
There was a brief rain early today, but not enough to do more than wet the ground. I guess it helps the few plants that do grow in this region since I noticed several small flowers after the clouds disappeared. They were light blue with white centers. Tora’Sor said it’s a plant called riophawea, and is known to grow along the coastline of the Kiremo Desert, the only remotely habitable part of that desolate wasteland. Even though it’s technically the winter season, this place is still warm enough for plants and flowers to flourish. I guess, as usual, that it’s our proximity to the equator.
Boktoseethet and Alkaar practiced some swordsmanship today, and Boktoseethet landed a blow on the soldier for the first time. The look of surprise on Alkaar’s face was amusing, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure what to do. That duel ended quickly, and not in his favor. My training with Pelmarco ended about the same way, with my managing to land a blow on the elderly Red Exemplar. However, we continued to spar at times, merely to keep our skills active and honed. Without Pelmarco, I am probably well out of practice by now. As for Alkaar and Boktoseethet, the training will not stop. Rather, it will progress to a new stage. They are gathering materials, and Alkaar will teach Boktoseethet how to construct a crude shield. He will then instruct Boktoseethet in the proper use of the shield in conjunction with his sword. Alkaar does have a shield among his supplies, but he said it’s for battle, not training.