Phoebe

"Oh my goodness, is this where you've been?" Squeaky irritation – 'fury' was probably the better word – drilled through Phoebe’s dozy snugness. Her back and backside hurt, and her shoulders and her neck and basically everywhere, what the hell had she been doing?

The light brightened outside her eyelids and she scrunched her eyes up against it, but the sound of sharp heels on hard floor was approaching, auguring evil. Phoebe felt the bundle she was wrapped up in tighten, squeezing her shoulders. The same high voice said, "Soot, would you be so kind as to wake up your master for me?"

Blinking, Phoebe heard Soot huff. He could be petulant first thing in the morning.

Amity’s tone softened, "No, sweetie, I'm not mad at you. Your rider, on the other hand-"

"'m awake," Phoebe managed, mumbling into the scales on Soot’s neck where it was still curled around her. It took a long and complicated series of groans and aches, interspersed here and there with actual movement, to get to her feet and stretch.

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Then she had to actually face Amity’s confrontation. "What do you think you're doing? We've been looking everywhere for you!"

Phoebe screwed her face up again and rubbed her forehead. "Couldn't sleep. What time is it?"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to sleep next to a six hundred pound dragon?"

"Amity, babe, calm down." Vermilia’s voice approached from behind the doctor. Its owner followed it, an easy smile on her face. "Let her get her bearings. It's a quarter to ten, Phoebe, sweetie."

"Oog." Phoebe went looking for some words. She'd agreed to meet the team for breakfast, at the palace, at eight. The first briefing of the day was scheduled for ten thirty. There were press events, a parade and the formal introduction of the riders through the late morning and all the way to the race at two.

Vermilia laughed, holding Amity in a hug that also looked braced to restrain her if she decided to bite Phoebe. "It's ok, Phoebe, it's good you've slept. Let's get you stretched out."

"Wait, I should, I should go shower, is the café open downstairs, I'll grab something to eat, I'm sorry-"

"Phoebe." Amity cut her off, her voice like an axe. "Stretches first. Goodness only knows what you've done to that precious little spine of yours."