[center][h2][color=5F9EA0] Stian Berland, Wyvern Rider [/color][/h2][/center][hr][hr]
Stian woke up at dawn, and before donning his armour, performed a long series of stretches to warm up for the day. The exercise in the mornings and evenings also prevented his muscles from aching too badly or cramping. As fun as flying was, and he could do it for [i]hours and hours[/i], his muscles and joints always started complaining once he hit the ground. And he was barely twenty! So, he trained and worked on improving his agility almost religiously. He dared say he was [i]good[/i] what with the way he could easily do handstands or splits or bridges, and moved as swiftly and sinuously as a snake in his attacks and dodges even from a crouch. He didn't neglect to practice his footwork and grip-power, because, yes, if the situation ever called for it, he was crazy enough to attempt standing on his wyvern to tangle with another flier.
 
After completing the thorough work-out, Stian washed up in a nearby water-full barrel, honestly [i]almost[/i] tempted enough to take a drink from the filthy water. With what he deemed a great self-restraint, he waited until after he clothed and armoured himself properly before fetching himself a water jug and draining it like the savage he was, trails of water left running down the sides of his mouth unattended for a moment or two until he finally wiped them off with a sleeve, burping contentedly. [color=5F9EA0][i]Right, still have to eat,[/i][/color] he scratched at his head, slightly sheepish. He was always half-expecting that a long-stretch of time where food would be unavailable was just around the corner, since he’d often had to ignore hunger in the past and was now practiced in doing so. However, the Red Branch was fairly decent as far as providing daily meals went, a fact both he and Gamleen were very well pleased with. 

The thought of Gamleen sent Stian into a dash, and he rushed to grab some nondescript foul-tasty but filling ration food for himself to munch on and a bunch of dried jerky for Gam, which he stuffed into a small string-bag. Carrying those, he practically jogged to the stables, managing to eat his ration on the way, but stopped and barely prevented the rest of his foodstuff from scattering at the sight he waiting for him. Cael was feeding [i]his[/i] wyvern with fish, Gamleen warily accepting each while staring at the male, the wyvern’s gesture conveying a warning for Cael not to attempt anything [i]but[/i] feeding it. True, this wasn’t the first time for [i]someone other than Stian[/i] to feed the gorgeous creature, and yet, the blonde couldn’t help but be reminded how long it had taken for Gamleen to warm up to him. [color=5F9EA0][i]Just shows I did good by him, it does! ‘Sides, he likes me way better.[/i][/color] While his thoughts took a teeny tiny bit of a possessive, maybe, just maybe, even jealous streak, Stian approached with a perky bounce to his step, his trademark grin plastered on his face.

[color=5F9EA0]“Gamleen, ya cheatin’ on me, darlin’? And here I thought we had something special between us,”[/color] he drawled in a sullen whine, fluttering his eyelashes in obvious exaggeration at the wyvern, his disappointed tone belied by the mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the miniature laugh-lines on his face – though the latter were admittedly somewhat hard to see past the scars he still sported. The wyvern, on the other hand, didn’t react past a snort that somehow managed to convey its disgruntlement and a what-can-you-do-about-this-idiot sentiment. 

Stian chuckled at the wyvern’s reply and approached as Gam gobbled up the last fish, waving at Cael. [color=5F9EA0]“Hey, man, thanks for the fish! You’re [i]almost[/i] as good at spoiling the old man as I am,”[/color] he smirked, patted the wyvern’s neck, and nuzzled briefly up at him. Gamleen nipped at the blonde youth's ear, and Stian still couldn’t tell if the action was playful, reprimanding, or both, but either way, it did sting enough for him to ease up on the affection. Stian lifted his hands, still carrying the dried jerky bagged in his left, and said [color=5F9EA0]“Easy, easy. So, still wanna share this?”[/color] he drew a piece of meat from the bag and waved it in front of the wyvern. 

Gamleen snapped at the piece lightning fast, chewing and swallowing it with a pleased growl. Stian proceeded to share half the dried jerky, alternating between eating a piece himself and offering one to the wyvern. After finihing, he stashed the now-empty-bag in a trouser pocket, led the wyvern outside the stable, got him ready for flying, then climbed onto the saddle easily. Stian briefly turned towards Cael again. [color=5F9EA0]“Oh, yeah, if anyone asks, we’ve just went for a bit of a fly. Just above our camp, so no worries, alright? If anything’s urgent, just give a whistle and even if [i]I[/i] don’t hear you, Gamleen sure will. But if you’d rather join the fun, that’s cool too, man!”[/color] With that said, they were both off in a great [i]whoosh[/i] of a rise, some dust flowing freely at their ascent.

[@Levias]