The Run-Around (Weyrling Funsies!)

[shouriko]

D'von had remembered what it had been like when he was new to the Weyr and how hard it was to learn where everything was. Maybe not everything was necessary, little dragons couldn't wander the halls of the Weyr exactly. In any case, the brownriding Weyrling had taken it upon himself to show his brown dragon the Weyr to some extent. It couldn't hurt and for once they had a chance to just be together. Seratanth had woken up from a food-induced nap and D'von had finished cleaning his space and oiling the brown. Exercise could be his other reason, he didn't want a fat dragon on his hands with Seratanth being so bulky to begin with.

"And this is the lake, we'll be coming here for baths more and more in the future." D'von said aloud, though he really didn't have to. It just felt more right to say it aloud. Seratanth was really his only audience, but that was just fine with him. "Do dragons swim very well when they're young? Or do they have to learn like people do?" D'von mused aloud as well.

I do not know Mine. Big dragons swim good, do they not? Seratanth replied, though he was certain that if he tried, he'd be able to. He started towards the water with the idea to give it a shot. Let me try.

"Uh... Seratanth, I don't know... " D'von was uncertain and he followed with some degree of concern. "Maybe we should hold back on the swimming until we ask the Weyrlingmaster, eh? You can wade, but..."

[stolenhart]

Oh look Seratanth is going to the lake, Nistelath did not care that I'stel was trying to catch A'mry's attention, between one minute and the next the little blue was skipping down the sand towards the water. Hiatus watched the clumsy dragonet before chirping to his rider. "What? Oh Nistelath!", the young man replied, rolling his eyes as he began to chase after his blue. "Don't, aww just great", he watched as Nistelath barreled into Seratanth, playfully growling the whole time, sending sand and water flying into the air.

"Sorry D'von, I couldn't catch him", I'stel apologized. Hiatus watched from his pet's shoulder, chirping encouragement to Nistelath, who now found himself in water up to his elbows and wasn't quite sure what to do. "Nistelath are you ok?", I'stel asked, catching sight of a tiny dash of green ichor on Nistelath's wing. It's just a scratch. Come on Seratanth, don't be scared, the blue cajoled his clutchmate, sending a wave off water over the brown. "I'm not sure they should be doing that".

[shouriko]

"Me neither." D'von said, just giving up in the area of being the stern parent to a child. He wouldn't be able to do it. Yet as he watched how Nistelath interacted playfully with Seratanth he couldn't help but release a deeply pleased chuckle, "but at least they are havin' fun, eh? No harm in that, is there?"

Seranth rose from how he had been pushed down and looked at Nistelath with some anger in his eyes. The brown snorted and shook as much of the sand as he could. So much for a nicely oiled hide. He followed the other little dragon and with a very large forefoot batted his fellow clutchmate full on the snout. Not that he had been aiming for it, but that he had aimed for the shoulder and having slipped on an exceptionally slippery rock, he compensated by hitting Nistelath full on the nose. The brown blinked at the other and then responded as if he had no idea what he had just done.

Ooops, did I do that? Seratanth looked over his shoulder to his rider on the shore. Honest, I did not mean to hit him there.

D'von just continued to laugh, it wouldn't stop now. "They're like kids, eh? Can't control themselves, not even their bodies!" The taller, older boy wiped tears from his eyes and looked at I'stel with a face that was trying to apologize for his dragon, but found the situation too amusing to do it properly.

[stolenhart]

Ma Nose!, the blue screeched in mock fury, trying in vain to wiggle and wrinkle his nose. "Oh you aren't hurt", I'stel called from the sand, turning to D'von. "More like playful canines, you know the ones that start out all legs and tail. Clumsy as any kids though", he replied, a loose smile on his face. Hiatus just about fell off of his pet's shoulder with squeaking laughter, pulling on the new Weyrling knots to keep his balance.

I'm'll get you, the blue lifted his head and ran at his larger brother, hitting him full in the side with his chest and falling over. "Nistelath?", I'stel asked, a moment of worry. It is like hitting a wall. How did you get so 'wallie'?, the blue asked, backing way from Seratanth. He shook himself, sending salty water and sand everywhere while waited on the answer.

[shouriko]

D'von recovered from laughing so hard and nodded, "Aye, I know how those ones look. Though if ever yer be seein' herdbeast or ovine calves, then they be right like 'em at times." Those critters really were nothing but legs for at least half a turn before their body caught up with the legs. They were all gangly and falling over themselves half the time. In a way he missed them, it wasn't the season for birthing, but he loved helping them up and getting along with the herd. "They'll be gettin' used to all this in time I'm sure."

Seratanth just watched Nistelath charge at him and fall down. The brown blinked at the blue as he stood there, his smaller brother down in the water. You felled down, how did you do that? He didn't understand what Nistelath meant by 'wallie' so he ignored it. I think you are just small, like the little dragon your mine has.

"Seratanth, be nice, he ain't that small." D'von said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're jus' barrel-chested an' have big feet, makes yer sturdy an' all."

[stolenhart]

"I certainly hope so", I'stel replied with a warm smile on his face. He'd always been the outgoing sort but it seemed his dragon was just a tad worse than he was. Nothing bad in that he supposed, it meant he'd never lack for friendship. He did voice a small chuckle when Nistelath fell down, the expression on the blue's face quite endearing and very cute.

How did I do that? How did I fall down? You pushed me and I am not small, I am just not as big as you, he replied with a harumph as he flicked a wing, sending sand and water away. "Nistelath, be careful about going in too deep", I'stel called out, stepping foward when he saw the blue take a step into deeper water. Though there were other dragons in the ocean nearby, he did not want to face the embarrassment of having one of them rescue his blue. Not today anyway.

You worry too much. I will be fine. Look at what I found, he put his head under water and in a few seconds came back up holding a very dull rock, tinged green with algae. It's treasure.

[shouriko]

Seratanth looked at Nistelath with confusion, he tilted his head one way and them another as if trying to understand it by looking at the blue one way and then another. Needless to say, it didn't matter how he looked at the blue, what he said made no sense. I did not pushed you, you runs into me and felled down.

D'von just shrugged and shook his head. He had no answers for all of this, he just had ideas and suspicions, none of which had steady standings and grounds. Say, he could ask I'stel and he glanced at him before even going so far as to actually say anything at all. Would it seem odd? No, it never hurt to ask questions and he remembered being told that no question is a stupid question.

"Can young dragons swim well in the beginnin' or do they have ta be taught?" D'von asked, keeping one careful eye on the youngsters and the other on his fellow Weyrling.

It's a rock. Seratanth pointed out with a snort. A slimey green rock and you has it in your mouth. The brown added with a snort and then went so far as to add a little more. The slimey is the same color as you.

[fauxfox]

If A'mry knew he was being watched (and considering his mood, he probably did and simply found his parchment a less troublesome place to look) he didn't show it, his gold-tinged eyes focused studiously on the scrap of paper resting against his knee. Leant against one of the rocks that peppered the beach leading down to waters ledge he glanced up only briefly when the nearby I'stel disappeared abruptly after his dragon, before returning to the matter at hand. Josef had mentioned gruffly that he might consider sending his mother a brief note entailing his... Impression, but the actual deed was proving harder than he'd imagined - and not just because of his issues with the written word. Save for a footnote on his Master's occasional report the boy hadn't had contact with the woman for something like eight years, and she'd always been so happy that her beloved firstborn was continuing the Harper tradition...

May I join them?

The unlikely Weyrling hesitated, glancing down at the petite green creature curled up at his side. Strangely respectful of his wishes Genilth been a quiet, though ever-adoring, shadow to him since the hatching, never intruding on his thoughts unless it was necessary, and never critical of his frequent fumbles or volatile mood. The pretty little green was gazing at the pair of hatchlings and their riders down at the lakefront through impassive, blue-green facets, and bemused he followed her attention to where his fellows frolicked. Frustratingly, as much as her intrusion on his life deeply disturbed him, nor could he seem to put her out of his sight for more than a few minutes before some unconscious part of his brain started panicking - which, in turn, only irritated him more. Had they been any other weyrlings but D'von and I'stel his reply would likely have been a flat no, probably with the addition of 'shut up and let me work', but seeing as they were the only two of his peers that he had so much as a glimmer of appreciation for, A'mry found himself giving in.

"If you get dirty I will make you sleep outside."

The green seemed to find these acceptable terms, nodded, and got to her feet, a motion that was still ungainly thanks to youth and the gangly legs that came with it. Shaking her wings out a little to clear them of sand (much to the protest of A'mry when it scattered grains all over his letter) the hatchling made her way unhurriedly down the beach and towards the shallows. Compared to the muted colours that came with autumn Genilth was as vibrant as a jewel in a basket full of pebbles, her spring green hide about as subtle as a poke in the eye. Acknowledging the two weyrling rider's politely she continued past to stand on the lip of the lake, and consider the two bickering males speculatively.

And you are the same colour as mud, so I suppose you are a slimy too. She pointed out to the brown, not harshly or sarcastically, but simply in the manner of stating a logical fact.

[shouriko]

Seratanth turned his attentions to the newly joined green and with a tilt of his head replied with some amusement in his voice, I may look like slimy mud, but at least I do not feel like slimy mud. Seratanth turned and started towards Genilth, his oversized, but sure feet splashing greatly with each step. She didn't play with the others often and this was like a treat, even if she might not talk as nicely with the others. Still, Seratanth was not afraid of meeting others and this was a chance to get to know a new friend better.

"Hmm?" D'von had seen the little green come over and she stood right at the edge as if fearful of the water. He knew who she was and he turned around, looking for the first friend he had ever made. The blue eyes found A'mry rather quickly, having been accustomed to the harper now greenrider. "Ah! A'mry!"

Seratanth stopped a few feet from both shore and Genilth, Ah, Mine is friendly with yours, I should be friendly with you then. It was his way of nicely saying that if his rider was friends with hers, then he was friends with the rider and therefore it would be nice if they too could be friends. Yet he was young and saying so much was too complicated and beyond him at this early age. At least he felt it deep beneath his hide.

"She sure is right pretty, eh, A'mry?" D'von gathered that this was the green that had looked for A'mry from the stands. He knew that the harper was sore about impressing, but surely he did not blame her. In time he would come to love her, wouldn't he?

[fauxfox]

Strange as her rider was at times she did love him, and if he chose to distrust someone for whatever minor reason then, of course, she would try to mind herself around them, too. Even if that meant the number of individuals she could happily exercise the full extent of her friendliness was very few. Thankfully these two (and Theirs) seemed to be on A'mry's meagre list of tolerable companions, and she was free to enjoy their company as much as she pleased. I would hope that you do not, as you are a dragon, and for a dragon to feel like slimy mud would be most odd indeed. She reasoned, with a funny wrinkle of her nose to accompany the notion of oddness as the brown stomped towards her, with those impressive feet that were surely each as big as her head!

Apparently dismissing the dragon to go and indulge in whatever passed as dragon playtime had not given him the peace he'd hoped for. Instead of concentrating on grinding out a half-way literate letter his focus was torn between writing and watching Genilth from the corner of his eye. And then, of course, there was the insatiable hospitality of a certain ex-herder, who'd presumably already matched dragon with rider. How perceptive of him. Reluctantly aware that at this short distance there was no way he could feign not hearing his name without being thought deaf, A'mry looked up from the writing equipment in his lap and waved.

Genilth thought this over for a moment before nodding, since this ethos seemed to fit with the fact that A'mry didn't seem to see His as a threat, and therefore made the stocky brown dragon eligible for friendship. This would appear to be the case, yes. She agreed affably, sticking a paw in the gently lapping water to ascertain the temperature. Unfortunately, unbalanced on three feet, she was forced to take a hasty step forward into the shallows to save herself from nose-diving. Submerging her other front paw to join the first, with her hind feet still perched on the dry bank, she flexed her clawed fingers in the soft sand of the lakebed with childish delight. And so I shall be with you, if my A'mry does not mind. Saying so she craned her neck around to look back at her rider.

May I be friendly with Seratanth?

The green weyrling, who was beginning to realize that he wasn't getting anywhere by staring at a blank piece of parchment, cast a somewhat exasperated look at his dragon before setting his writing things aside, pushing himself to his feet, and resignedly wandering down to join his fellows at the lakeside. Just in time for D'von to throw him a compliment that, for some reason he couldn't quite define, made him slightly uncomfortable. Oddly, the idea of having a pretty green inspired the vaguest sensation of dread, beneath the unexpected surge of pride. If he had to impress a dragon, at least she wasn't anything to be ashamed of. "I'm afraid I'm not very learned at dragon aesthetics," he said somewhat dryly, before addressing those patient, facetted eyes. "And I really don't care who you're friendly with." But even if it sounded slightly offhand Genilth didn't appear to mind, looking pleased as she turned back to Seratanth. I would be very glad to be friendly with you, I think.

[stolenhart]

I’stel shrugged, “I have always heard it was best to gradually introduce them to swi”, he was saying just as he was interrupted by Genilth’s appearance and then A’mry’s subsequent arrival. He was silent for a moment as he watched, and indeed listened, in on D’von and A’mry’s conversation. Even Nistelath, who had dropped his ‘treasure’, had paused, overhearing the conversation between the brown and the green dragonet.

And what of me? Am I to be left out?, the blue asked calmly, sitting his haunches down in the water, a bit of green slime on the side of his face. “You won’t have to be”, I’stel replied, interjecting himself smoothly into the conversation. “Genilth will do it for you being a green dragon and all”, he explained, “Or so Y’mer and the other greenriders always told me”. Everyone had assumed that because of I’stels proclivities he would Impress a green, it had surprised everyone, himself included, that he Impressed a blue.

May I go in deeper? There is more treasure, Nistelath prodded his rider, imperiously lifting one foot towards the deeper water, assured his rider would say yes. “No you may not. Come back here”, I’stel left the conversation to wade into the ankle high water to grab Nistelath’s tail. The blue dragon turned and pouted at his rider with a tiny whining sound. “Look you, there is plenty of treasure here. You are not to go past this rock”, I’stel replied firmly. But Seratanth is in deeper, the blue replied. “He is taller than you”. The blue mumbled something unintelligible and turned back to Genilth and Seratanth.

“This would be easier if they were not such troublemakers”.

[shouriko]

D'von just smiled and stood a little more open to a group of three with still a quick glance needed to keep a wary eye on his brave dragon. A'mry seemed reluctant to join, but that was because he was not anticipating his sudden impression. In time things would settle and come to terms, it would just take some getting used to. D'von could understand that perfectly.

"Well, I'm not a good hand at it me-self, but I like that there shade of green righ' well 'nough." D'von chuckled a bit. Really, he could judge a good many beasties, but dragons were still taking some getting used to. All he knew was what he liked based on himself.

I'stel had gone off after a curious Nistelath. D'von watched him and instantly found that Seratanth was behaving himself. Good. If he wasn't careful the brown just might try to swim, luckily he was preoccupied in making friends. That was good, too. If all three got into trouble, who knew what would happen at lessons and as they grew. It'd be a right awful circus. Though A'mry's Genilth seemed to have the same sensibility that he had and so there was a young voice of reason for the dragons.

"If they weren't, then they'd be all grown, eh?" D'von replied with a smile. It was a good day and he was happy about having decided to go for a walk. Who else would join their little group outside? "An' what'd be teh point o' us bein' Weyrlin's fer so long?"

Good, we're friends then. Seratanth said it with great certainty and finality. He looked back to Nistelath and called out with response to forgetting about him and the like. Are you going to be friends, too? I can be friends with you, Mine is friends with yours. We should be friends, too. The brown glanced back at his D'von and thought that he had things pretty figured out. It was very easy to read his rider's mind because it was so open and honest. Even a look was enough for the two of them to share a thought. He looked back to Genilth, now in the water a little bit, Can you be friends with Nistelath as well? He needs more friends than just me.

[fauxfox]

The green'ling went so far as to offer a small, though slightly wry, smile in return to the tall young man's favour of Genilth's shade, glad that the ex-Herder wasn't prone to adopting pretence when straightforward honesty was sufficient. Oddly, I'stel had gone quiet since his joining them, though perhaps because his dragon had a recklessness in him comparable to the most headstrong of toddlers. Only when the new bluerider did finally cut in his comment was more bemusing than his silence. "What's that meant to mean?" he enquired sceptically, quirking an eyebrow ever-so lightly. That Genilth was a better judge of her species than he was? Well yes, he had no doubt of that. I'stel had to wade in after his overeager dragon, and A'mry frowned at his back for a moment before glancing to his own hatchling. The green was far from interested in deeper water, but seemed to have forgotten her hindquarters on dry land, and the more she inched forward the more elongated she became. She seemed to become somewhat distracted by this quandary, until Seratanth addressed her directly, this time in regards to the bold blue.

I think... yes, I would be very pleased to have a friend in Nistelath, also. She said, eyeing the blue, and finding the prospect to her liking. Finally at the point that she had no option but to either back up to have her hind legs join the fore, the hatchling oddly did both, and ended up sitting rather perplexedly in the shallow, lapping water. I think though, as your friend, I should tell you that you have slime on your face. And on mentioning the fact, gestured to the location on her own face with the crook of a wing, head tilted quizzically. If you are looking for treasure, perhaps we can help? What does it look like? Though she knew treasure in concept, Genilth had never seen any with her own eyes, and if one was to have a treasure hunt it only made sense to know what one was hunting for.

"The same point as it always would be," said A'mry in response to D'von's rhetoric, half shrugging and then smiling without mirth. "To train you up into willing, mindless fodder for the front line." Yes, he truly was a ray of sunshine in every conversation. Still, it struck him as galling to think of these fumbling hatchlings as war machines. He hadn't even noticed his use of 'you' instead of 'us', the distinction being firmly rooted in his subconscious still. They were the dragonriders, not him; like they could have as much fun shooting one another down as they liked, so long as he wasn't a part of it. The entire sharding thing was ridiculous, anyway.

[Femisis]

Though she hadn’t been here long, she couldn’t believe what a relief it was to be out of the Weyr and away from those sharding Bronzeriders. Faranth, could they GET any more annoying? Impress for not even two sevendays and they wouldn’t leave her alone, not for anything. The Weyr could be on fire and they’d still be sitting there staring at her breasts until the wherries came home. She hadn’t seen any of her fellow Weyrlings yet today, though whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to become apparent. She really only knew F’kir and B’ral somewhat and she wasn’t getting very good vibes from the latter.

You’re being too picky, Mine.[/color] Anaelth commented arily as she walked with Hers, her gait reminiscent of a show horse. They are all wonderful.[/color]

“Their dragons might be, but beyond that…” Cresce snorted, tossing her braid over her shoulder as she walked. She was in search of the other Weyrlings now, hoping to get a chance to talk to them without any Bronzeriders looking over her shoulder or trying to get into her pants. If she’d known things would be this frustrating she’d have stayed far, far away from T’ran when he’d come to the hold.

Anaelth snorted and butted her rider’s side lightly, nearly knocking her off balance. Why?[/color] She asked, sounding hurt. You would have left me alone?[/color] Her eyes whirled sadly as she stared up at her rider.

Cresce blew out a sigh as she wrapped her arms around the Queenling’s neck tightly. “Of course not, silly.” She replied, lifting a hand to scratch at her eyeridges. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” It was true, really. They hadn’t been together long, but in that short period of time they had grown close, so close that the blond couldn’t image life without her dragon.

Good.[/color] Anaelth said after a short silence in which she had tucked her head under her rider’s chin. I would have been very cross if you hadn’t been there.[/color] She said primly as she disentangled herself from her rider’s grip. I am going to go join the others at the lake now. You can join me if you wish.[/color] She turned to go and trotted off, leaving a dumbfounded Crescentia in her wake. For a moment, the girl wondered if her dragon was really angry with her before she found a golden head pressed to her chest. I was only teasing.[/color] Ana giggled, nudging Hers again before shepherding her off toward the lake. Hers was so funny!

“Faranth…” Cresce sighed, rolling her eyes good naturedly as she followed her dragon’s prodding. They got to the lake just in time to catch A’mry’s remark. From what she’d heard, he was far from pleased with his Impression and his attitude reflected it. Idiot… “You’re only fodder if you want to be.” She snorted, a hand on her hip as she came up behind the harper. Her gaze wavered for a moment as she watched Ana slip into the water with her brothers and sister before turning back to the others. “But the sooner this fighting it over, the better. It won’t be pretty if I have to jump in myself.”

What are you doing?[/color] Anaelth asked as she approached the other three hatchlings, trying and failing to keep her tail from getting wet. She stuck her nose in the water a few times, stirring up quite a bit of mud before she pulled her grey coated muzzle out. Is it anything fun?[/color]

[stolenhart]

We are doing dragon business, the blue dragonet replied, turning away from Anaelth. In typical, old Terra, schoolyard fashion Nistelath had decided to ignore Anaelth. Of course that just meant he liked her but just didn't want her to know it. You are a girl and not a real dragon, thus you cannot help us find dragon treasure, he pointed out to her, oblivious to the fact that Genilth was a girl as well. He wandered over to the smaller green and added It's lumpy, large and it's purty, then as an afterthought, Like you. Now that they had established their friendship, he felt he could take such liberties with her.

"Nistelath", I'stel said in exasperation, running a hand through his much shortened hair before turning to answer A'mry's question. "Genilth is a female dragon, she'll rise in a flight", I'stel pointed out matter of factly. He had never met anyone who did not realize that fact, "Her first one will probably be after we graduate or so", he added thoughtfully, "Though you can't tell". He glanced over to the green as Cresce said something about only being fodder if you wanted to be. "A'mry you won't be fodder, neither will I. More than likely we'll be scouts or searchriders or watchriders. It's D'von here who'll be fighting more", I'stel pointed out.

Anaelth has cooties, Nistelath suddenly whispered to Seratanth.

[shouriko]

Seratanth was quite happy not to look for treasure, especially if it was treasure according to Nistelath's standards. That would mean that every slimey green rock was trasure and to him that was just silly. The brown had been happy about his accomplishment of having made two friends and having convinced Genilth to befriend Nistelath as well, even if the blue was a little odd. You can look for treasure, but I think I'll try learning how to swim.

"Nuh-unh, no you won't." D'von's usually friendly voice was suddenly hard and cold and even his smile was gone as he looked sternly at the brown. "I won't see yer swimmin' t'day. Yer not old 'nough yet an' don't yer go runnin' int hinkin' yer brave, yer gotta be smart too, Seratanth." And that was that, his voice was all finality and he would not budge now that he was fairly certain that swimming at so young an age was not recommended.

Seratanth snorted unhappily, I guess I'll be helping you after all. When Anaelth appeared, he looked at her and noticed the greta difference of her color. It was bright, shiny, and quite pretty. He looked back at Nistelath and ignored how rude he was, but did recall his definition of treasure. Seratanth looked at Anaelth and said, Well, I think you're a treasure then. You're big and sort of lumpy I guess, but you are def'nitely pretty. And then he added just to spite Nistelath, But most 'portantly you're not slimy. And I think Genilth is a treasure too, because she's a girl and she's pretty and she's smart too.

D'von listened to Cresce and tried to remember where he had met her before... Then he recalled that she was the one who had shouted out and slapped A'mry. He wasn't too sure if he liked that she had impressed the gold and therefore would one day be Weyrwoman with Gimna. If she was like that she might not be a very good leader. Still, it would be impolite to say such things aloud and he kept his mouth shut. He was a gentleman after all and as such he'd best talk with her nicely.

"Crescentia, righ'? Yer like bein' a dragonrider so far, too then?" He asked her as nicely as he could and being that he wasn't sure what to say, seemed well enough. Of course he did have something to say about I'stel's words. True enough he would be a warrior, but that was just what would be expected of him. "If I hafta fight then I'll fight, I jus' hope it'll be fer the righ' reasons. It's me job an' I'll do it teh best I can. Herders best."

Cooties? What're cooties? Seratanth looked at Nistelath as if the blue had just swallowed a rock and it bulged in his neck. He was an odd dragon all right.

[fauxfox]

Swimming did not sound like a particularly appealing option to the young dragon. Her A'mry was not particularly confident in water, and his wariness of it was rather influencing her opinion of the benignly swaying current. She rather liked this paddling stuff, but even what the other hatchlings considered shallow was substantially deeper to the smallest of their little play group. Spared the trouble of sending a caution in her new friends direction by his own rider's firm rebuff, Genilth was reassured when the stocky brown rejoined them, just in time for the arrival of a new potential play mate. A large, golden one at that. We are looking for treasure. She clarified after Nistelath's less than gracious welcome, polite as a rule. Though she looked to A'mry for guidance on the new dragon, the boy seemed rather distracted, to the point that he blindly ignored Crescentia's approach (not, to be honest, that he would have greeted her either way).

The Harper-slash-Weyrling was currently giving his dragon an intensely analytical look, as if seeing her for the first time - or waiting for her to sprout another head. It had taken a couple of seconds for I'stel's matter-of-fact reply to strike any kind of deeper meaning, but having done so A'mry's brain had stalled, a light, sceptical frown still lingering in place as he tried to digest the concept in a way that didn't make him want to panic and run, or hit the other boy for having made it all sound so... routine. For a kid who'd only come within a 'length of his first dragon about four months ago, it wasn't. Of course he sharding knew the basic facts of dragon-kind, all Hold or Hall children did, like he knew the hatchling was green and so female, but having been stubbornly trying to refute Genilth's existence since the hatching he'd not really made the connection between his subject of denial and dragons in general. Or maybe some part of him simply didn't want to make that connection. He really was very good at pretending that certain troublesome details didn't exist.

I'm lumpy and large? Genilth enquired quizzically of the blue, head tilted slightly in bemusement. As for 'purty', well, she wasn't nearly old enough to understand what he - or Seratanth for that matter - meant except that, perhaps, their treasure was as brilliantly coloured as she was. However, the brown did make one additional mistake that appealed to some inherent understanding in the little green. I am not a girl. I am a green. She stated definitively, without ego, just... fact. Obviously she understood that she was both, but all green-kind knew that there was a huge wedge between gold-female and their cast. They would not be treasured or made an exception for because of their gender, they were, for all purposes save for their need to rise, one of the guys. Genilth was not a precious daughter to be coddled, and she knew it. Of course, it was very hard to explain the distinction eloquently when you were days old, but the little dragon was intuitive enough to be aware of it.

"Its strange... I know you're not dim witted enough to really believe that because, after all, gold's are meant to go for the intelligent types, but thus-so-far you're making it very hard to see you as anything more than blindly ignorant," commented A'mry, in that offhand, sardonically amused manner of his that dripped acid more effectively than any heavy-handed disdain. Apparently he'd emerged from the strange quiet I'stel's reminder had sent him into, and found a convenient target for his caustic mood in the form of Crescentia. He turned to regard the gold weyrling, arms loosely crossed, and if she'd hoped that he was going to be any more tolerant of her because she'd impressed a young queen since their first run-in she was going to be sorely disappointed. "It doesn't matter if you're a fighter, a sweeprider, or a broodmare," he smiled pointedly at the girl, "every dragon in this weyr is a pawn to be sacrificed or manoeuvred according to higher agendas, and not for the 'right reasons'. Mores the pity if you're too entrenched in self-importance to see it, ma'am." He snorted.