Griss

The big red dragon, Grabon’s friend, Redseth’s sire, the brewer of the Combined Territories. What manner of mate does he need? He has a human boy companion, a Taylor’s son, a young man who is maturing under his watchful eye, learning to brew the cures and treatments that can keep a territory healthy and safe.

Now that Fin was older he was helping with the brews that bring camaraderie and trouble in equal measure. The wine brews that helped with healing, but also were consumed for pleasure. Griss was not just the brewer of the clan, he was also possessed of a fighting spirit that filled him from his nose to the tip of his tail.

His best friend, Brom, has found his mate. Something he was not sure could ever happen. When Mox first came, Griss was so relieved to add a new healer that could fight the worst diseases, he did not get to celebrate his friends joy. As he watched them embrace the changes, become the mated pair the planet intended, he set aside his own loneliness to celebrate with them, with the whole community. But other mates have been found, bonds forged, and Griss could feel the hollow ache in his heart.

When their territory discovered that one of the new humans was a mate finder, everything in Griss seemed to freeze. What could he offer? What was such knowledge worth? Later as he spoke with her, he realized how foolish he was being. She was a new member of their clan, and he was a patient dragon, mature and established. Never mind the feeling of wanting to jump and leap and force her to give him everything she knew.

Later, when Mory had told him his mate was moving slowly in their direction, he had flown, hoping to find her, leaving his youngster with Brom and Mox. It had been frustrating to accept he must wait. Grabon had laughed and told him to practice patience, he would need it when his mate arrived in whatever condition she was in.

Griss, the big red dragon was good at many things, but this waiting for his mate to arrive, was a new kind of exercise. What if he wasn’t what she needed? Could he become what she needed? Was he ready to set aside being who he had always been, to be part of something? What needs did she have? He would need to protect Redseth from feeling excluded and show him the joy in finding a mate. He wanted the joy in finding a mate, he wanted it now.