Buoyant on the night winds the dragons floated. For three decades he and his life-mate had hunted together. They circled, rolled and went into a dive as one. So strong is the bond that they share that each little shift of wing tip or tilt of head was instantly mimicked by the other.
Full and bright the moon cast long black shadows on the ground below. With their ability to see into the infrared, the moonlight was more of a hindrance than a help to them. But tonight was not a night for the thrill of the hunt. Together they would dance their aerial ballet just as their kind had done for eons. This night the intellect was set aside and instinct ruled alone.
Looking at her, he thought of the scores of hatchlings they had reared, and yet she was as beautiful to his eyes as the day they met. He loved her and she loved him. This mating flight was as sensual and stimulating as all the others had been. They continued until early dawn.
The next evening he roused from his day long slumber and let the warm memories about the evening wash over him. She returned his thoughts warm and gentle but the time of the Mating Moon was past and the emotions did not begin the endless loop. They had mated well and soon she would lay her eggs. Happy memories of their earlier hatchlings crossed his mind. The thoughts of those first awkward flights of the new dragons brought him joy. He was a good parent and he knew that very soon he would be responsible for feeding a whole nest of hatchlings, plus his mate. She would spend many months teaching and caring for the young dragons before they could be left alone for even a short time.
This night they would again fly wingtip to wingtip but the dance would be different. Tonight they would hunt.
Herds of grazers had begun moving through his territory. Seeking refuge from the coming cold and looking for new feeding grounds to the south the warm-bloods would make for good hunting. Many of the beasts were day travelers that rested at night which dropped there body temperature and made them harder to detect. However, many of the herds traveled at night when many predators also slept and their bodies glowed in the dragon’s eyes. The dragon’s ability to sense subtle differences in temperature was their main advantage in night hunting. However, their speed and strength were nearly unmatched.
Silent as falling leaves they rode the night breeze. Searching and finding. Near the edge of a forest was a small band of the one-horns. Patience! They would be circling high above, waiting for the creatures to move away from the trees and into the flat expanse of low growing shrubs. He didn’t want to strike too soon and drive them into the cover of the branches.
Suddenly there was a fiery movement below. A cave lion had lain hidden under the coolness of the shrubs! Now it attacked the herd which drove them into the trees where others of its kind waited. One young and two old one-horns were taken by the cats. The remainder of the herd ran far into the forest and was lost from sight. These prey were now beyond the dragon’s reach. They must search elsewhere this night.
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