Moondance is the one who speaks. "Abras, my shay'kreth'ashke thinks you ready to begin accompanying our scouts – the experience will do you well. I must needs leave the Vale this morning – we have reports of a colddrake attacking villagers. Would you like to accompany me?" He smiles. "I would much enjoy your company, and your aid in this mission." 

"What? Yes. Sure." He's nervous, of course, but there's no amount of preparation that would make him not be nervous, and if Moondance and Starwind think he's ready he's not going to disappoint them by refusing to help. And either they think he'll actually he helpful, in which case it will be good to do something useful for people who have been so generous to him, or they think he'll be useless but learn something, in which case he should still do it. He tries to recall everything he's ever heard about colddrakes.

Moondance is going to refresh him on colddrakes anyway while they get ready. Colddrakes are most likely a deliberate creation from before the Cataclysm, rather than Changecreatures, but they do cope well with the ambient Pelagirs magic. They are extremely dangerous; in addition to their formidable claws, teeth, and tail-spines, they have a native form of mind-magic, a hypnotic gaze that freezes their prey so they can approach it at will. As suggested by the name, they do best with cold; in fact, fire is an excellent dissuasion method against them. They tend to live in clutches, ruled by a queen drake. Most likely one such clutch has decided to nest near the village in question. Moondance would prefer driving them elsewhere to killing them, but they...can be stubborn about relocating, they're a lot more territorial than basilisks, and generally this type of situation ends with dead colddrakes. 

(And, unfortunately often, dead scouts. Moondance doesn't mention that part.) 

"Does regular shielding block their mind-magic or do you need to do something specific?"

"Your shields will block it," Moondance says, "but you must shield carefully. The attack has some force behind it." A quick reassuring smile. "That is why we never go out alone to confront one. It can focus the brunt of its gaze on one person, but if one of us falters, another can intercede with their own shields." He pats Abras' shoulder. "I will not let harm befall you. It will be a simpler mission if you avoid needing rescue, though. I will tell you when you must needs bring your shields to full power." 

They're ready to ride out. :You can do this, Chosen: Yfandes sends. 

Abras puts on his most confident face. :If you and Moondance believe I can do it then you're probably right.: He can do this. He can do this. He's not going to endanger Moondance or Yfandes, or embarrass himself by needing to get rescued. He checks his shields repeatedly as they go, and mentally reviews what calling up fire feels like without actually doing it.

Two other scouts, who went out ahead to speak to the villagers, rejoin them after half a candlemark or so of them riding double on Yfandes. They've narrowed down the area of the nest; it's not far.

:Abras, please cover me if anything unexpected should occur: Moondance sends. :I am going into trance to search the area with my Gift: 

(Abras knows that neither of the other two scouts is a mage; Skyfire is a strong Mindspeaker and Summerdance has weak Healing in addition to her Mindspeech.) 

Abras keeps his eyes peeled and sits ready to bring up a shield around the five of them.

Moondance is quiet for about five minutes. Nothing bothers them in the meantime, though there are a lot of ambient noises and rustles to jump at. 

Finally, he blinks back to alertness. "This way. Half a mile or thereabouts. Follow me." They move on foot now, spreading out into a wide line. 

Abras gets off Yfandes and follows, sticking close to her and trying to watch every direction at once.

...Moondance suddenly freezes. He gestures for Abras to come closer. :Be silent. Stay close: The other two are peeling off, left and right.  

:They will startle the clutch to bolt toward us: Moondance explains. :Bring your mind-shields to full strength now. When we hear the approach, I wish that you raise a physical barrier-shield also, so that I can focus on the offensive, but do not tire yourself by starting now. My plan is that if they are few and - relatively timid - I will chase them to the gulley that direction: he points with his chin, :and it ought be possible to herd them several miles. If they do not cooperate, then I will kill them, in which case I may also need your help. Ready?: 

He's not ready but he doesn't have the option of not being ready so he'd better be ready. He reinforces his mind-shields with plenty of power and checks them for gaps, checks his center and ground and prepares himself to pull up a barrier and maybe fire. :Ready.: He checks his shields again.

Maybe five minutes pass in tense silence, Moondance utterly focused on the forest ahead of him. 

:Shield: he sends suddenly, several seconds before Abras is able to make out that the distant rustling isn't just part of the constant background noise. 

Barrier-shield goes up; it takes longer than it should have, multiple seconds, but it's still done before he notices the sound. Thank you, Starwind. He can feel his own heartbeat, unpleasantly fast.

–And the colddrakes arrive. 

There are three of them, each the length of several carts. Moondance has described them to Abras before, but even so, they're surprisingly beautiful, in a way that exudes deadliness. Long salamander-like bodies, short stubby legs, oddly equine heads and enormous, deep purple eyes like perfect gems. Their scales are sparkling silvery-white, blending with the fresh-fallen snow around them. Spines like silvery icicles form a crest around their necks and down their backs; their claws and teeth have a similar pearly, half-translucent appearance.

They move elegantly. Not particularly fast. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't need to. Abras can feel the pressure of their gaze against his personal shields. 

Moondance is calm. :Steady, lad. Focus on the shield: 

They're beautiful. They're terrifying. His body shakes but his shield doesn't.

Moondance, holding a perfectly steady stance and barely moving his hands, throws dense, neatly targeted daggers forged of mage-fire at them. 

The colddrakes are very unhappy about this! The pressure against Abras' mind-shields redoubles, and then one of the creatures leaps at his barrier, straining the threads of energy, its razor-sharp claws nearly piercing through. Apparently they're very capable of moving fast when they feel like it. 

He takes a startled step backwards and puts a hand on Yfandes' side to regain his balance. He doesn't think he can hold the shield long enough if they keep coming but he's unwilling to Mindspeak Moondance and risk breaking either of their concentration. He reinforces the shield with more power, reflexively clenching his teeth.

Moondance knocks the creature off his shield with a burst of raw force, buys him a reprieve to strengthen it, keeps harrying them with various shapes and forms of mage-fire all coming from the left. 

They...are not particularly willing to be herded. Not when there are juicy humans to eat right there. 

:Not working: Moondance concedes finally, his mindvoice uncharacteristically terse and empty of emotion. :Going to lethal force. Hold the shield, but tap a node now, be ready to attack on my word: 

He reaches for a node, pauses at the last minute to check his center and ground again, then dips his mind into the coursing river of power and draws up a stream of it. :Ready.:

Moondance braces his feet and stares dead ahead, his mage-aura roiling as he pulls in node-energy. And – it turns out he was pulling his punches considerably, because the first of the creatures goes down with a splat, a spear of concentrated mage-energy piercing its chest. Moondance staggers a bit but regains his balance, already gathering power for the next strike, but it's going to take him a minute. :Abras, on my go, strike at the one on the right: