Ashton tried not to squeeze the angel too tight while still being careful not to lose his grip and drop him back into the water. The dragon felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him because, while he couldn't catch the rabbit and had to let it go, he had caught himself an angel. Preening, Celebrimbor gripped him with his other hand, using both to hold and being mindful of the dripping wings, not wanting to damage them, before he kicked off the rock towards dry safety.
It was a little awkward to carry someone that way, relying only on his rear legs to lift him skyward, but Ashton made it work and beat his strong wings to rise up and up. Breaking over the edge of the cliffs, Ashton carefully reached out a clawed foot and caught the rocks there, pulling himself in and maneuvering until he could safely, gently, put Ambriel back on his own feet.
He rumbled, a sense of possessiveness coming over him even as he let the angel go. He'd caught him, he was his. Ashton was still very hungry, too. The excitement of their flight was fading away and he could smell the wet bedraggled feathers. A black tongue flicked over his teeth before the dragon spoke again. "You are welcome."