"Yeah, looking forward to it," she said, waving as Geir and Razeth set off. Juniper lingered for a moment, Aynir nuzzling into her neck, watching the pair fly out of sight. Immediately she dropped the stoic act, sighing as she slumped against her dragon. He made a sound similar to purring while she stroked his head.<br/><br/>"We'll get better soon, boy, just you wait," she said. Juniper wasn't sure who she was reassuring, Aynir or herself, but it was enough to perk herself a little to get home. She straddled the dragon and pushed off from the ground. Once in mid air, they rode the wind a while; enjoying the view of the setting sun before heading home. Her father wasn't too strict on curfew, especially if she had a good enough reason to be out. Typically the house was quiet anyway, her father would be busy with dragon rider business. In fact, they saw little of each other. Her fingers clasped around the necklace that fluttered in the wind; it was a small wooden oval pendent with an engraving of tree branches 'dancing in the breeze', as her mother described it.<br/><br/>On ground again, she refocused her thoughts. She thought of Geir, how shy he was when he first approached her. She felt honoured that out of all the riders, he felt that she was the right one to talk to. She had a training partner now, a friend that relied on her and vice versa. Suddenly she became all the more determined. "Alright Aynir, no more pity parties from now on," she declared. "I can't get better if I'm going to wallow, right?" Aynir cocked his head to the side, surprised by the sudden statement but happy to comply.