Dragon Rider Play

Nightshade yawned and sleepily woke. Was it time to go? She asked her rider.

Pat glanced at Blackwater.  Most of the others hadn't made it back yet.  "I don't know, but Erika is hungry.  May she have some of your badger?"

Nightshade purred. She didn't mind. Erika was a clanmate, and there was plenty enough to share if she or the boy dragons wanted any.

Blackwater returned to playing his flute. Loam rumbled contently.

"She doesn''t mind if everyone wants a bite," Pat smiled at Blade.

Erika crowed happily, leaping out of Blade's arms and diving toward the badger.  Maybe a little older even would be nice, but it was still older than the birds.

Warrior looked at Mark and chirped curiously.  Eating time?

Blade smiled, glad Erika was now happy. he stood near Tithenor again as he watched her.

Mark smiled. "If you want to eat, go right ahead." He told Warrior.

Melloraumo bounded over to the badger as well and ate with his friends. What a strange tasting animal!

Warrior was only too happy to dive in, eating along he neck while Erika did her usual digging inside.

Tithenor winced in pain before he could catch himself as he leaned down to pick up his hatchling.  Ribs took a while to heal.  "/No, little one.  It is not frozen and will make you sick.  I promise I will get you some frozen meat as soon as the professor releases us./"

Pat stood as well then frowned when she saw Blade's arms.  "What did you do?  Go berry picking?" she asked, taking his arm without thinking to get a closer look.

Blade shifted a little awkwardly. "Uh, just had to battle a thornbush for a bird." This was a little weird. He pulled his arm out of Pat's grip. He still didn't like being touched.

Melloraumo churred and nuzzled Tithenor's arm affectionately. Okay. Just please don't hurt yourself more.

Pat moved back, flushing.  "Sorry... Just wanted to help."

Tithenor stroked Mellon, returning the affection.  "Mark, when we are dismissed, would you be kind enough to accompany Blade to visit 53?  I will help Patrick with what is left of the badger and your porcupine."

Mark nodded. "Sure. And then meet up with you two at the Rookery to go to lunch?" He asked.

Blade shook his head. "I'll be fine. Like Tithenor said, I'm going to go see 53 so it doesn't get infected."

"It is acceptable to me," Tithenor agreed.

"Sorry," Pat mumbled again, taking another step back.

Erika waddled out of the carcass then, her belly bulging.  She hiccuped then started cleaning off her spines daintily.  Warrior wasn't far behind, though he was a good deal less stuffed and less messy.

Blade crouched down and started to help clean Erika off. "You are a mess, little lady." He laughed softly. "But you look quite happy now.

Nightshade looked up at Pat. What's wrong, rider?

Erika blinked at him sleepily, seeming to smile as she purred.  Yes, yes she was.  That was a yummy badger!  Was it time to go sleep now?

"It's okay, I'm alright," Pat murmured to her hatchling.  "Nothing's wrong."

Blade smiled. "Try and wait until after I see 53, okay? Then you can nap while I eat lunch."

The rest of the students shuffled in, but none were as successful as Pat or Mark. Satisfied for their first day, Blackwater released them. A couple of screams could be heard faintly from the other island. Blackwater softly chuckled and Loam looked excited.

Erika yawned widely and chirped.  Okay, if she must.  As long as he carried her.

If Tithenor heard, he made no reaction as he looped a bit of rope around the porcupine's leg and carried it that way.  The badger by now was light enough for Pat to carry, which she did with a look of revulsion.  This was nasty!

Warrior ambled alongside Mark, yawning and chirping to himself as though carrying on a one sided conversation.

Mark smiled and walked with Blade, making sure the shorter guy actually went to see 53.

Blade picked up Erika and stroked the prickly dragon as he made his way with Mark to the Medical ward. He had no intention of betraying Tithenor's trust. Not now, and hopefully not ever. He saw the medic's dragon. "Hey, if 53 is around, can I ask him a favor please?"

Melloraumo bounded ahead of Pat and Tithenor, but always came back to check in every few seconds.

Nightshade, on the other hand, obediently walked behind Pat. The flute song the dryad had played earlier made her feel all relaxed.

The dragon turned and padded away into a back room.  53 soon came out, smiling when he saw the group.  "Hello, lads, how can I be of service?"  He noticed Blade's arms and asked, "Just here for a little patching up?"

Pat and Tithenor made it to the rookery, surprisingly without incident, and stored the extra meat.  Pat then asked Nightshade to stay with Tithenor while she ran a quick errand to the forge.  Tithenor was taking Melloraumo to see how the meat go frozen.

Blade shrugged and set Erika down so 53 could see his arms. "Mostly just need to make sure these don't get infected, or else Tithenor will have my head."

Nightshade whined softly, but did as Pat asked.

"Indeed," 53 chuckled, leading them to a side cabinet.  He took down a clear solution and some gauze, washing Blade's arms off with regular water first.  "He's doing incredibly well all things considered.  I believe you two are part of that.  This will sting."  He doused a cotton ball then began dabbing at the scratches.

Tithenor attempted to distract the feathered dragon by showing her and Mellon how he froze the squirrel and chipmunk, setting it down for his own dragon to eat.

Blade jerked his arm back at first when the cotton ball was dabbed. It stung and was cold! However, he endured. The stinging wasn't that bad.

Nightshade seemed a little curious and interested in it, but quickly grew bored as Mellon happily ate the frozen food. She started to climb on the cages and locking and unlocking them all, making sure to only do empty cages.

Erika jerked into alertness, growling at the healer, he spines bristling.  Why was he hurting her rider?

53 patiently waited a moment then took Blade's arm back.  "Most elves fall into a deep depression their first while here," he mumbled, focusing on the arm.  "Blue is doing surprisingly well."

Tithenor cleaned up after Mellon, letting him finish the meat.  He was nearly done when Pat came in lugging a box.
"Here we go!" she huffed, setting it aside.  "I got you something, Nightshade, but you have to sit pretty in your cage to get it, okay?"

Blade gently shushed her. "It's okay. He's making sure I don't hurt a whole lot later." His attention turned back to the healer. "Why does that happen to elves?"

Nightshade chirped and unlocked her cage. She slipped into it and locked it again, sitting very prettily.

Melloraumo chirped and rubbed Tithenor's leg affectionately.

Erika sat with a huff, going over to bug Warrior for something to do.

"Elves are raised in a strict environment.  Everything has a set of rules attached, and those rules change depending on their age.  To those outside the culture, it looks stifling, but as that is how their entire lifestyle is built, they are content with it.  They like knowing exactly what is expected of them at all times and where they have lenience.  Upon transferring to our culture, even the most rule-bound parts are barely a scratch on what they are used to.  Without knowing what to do, they become anxious and uneasy about their every decision because they don't know the rules.  Making friend is especially hard, and they are a very social people, so being alone is detrimental to them.  They don't know how to act or bond with those outside of the Elvin community, and there are stories of elves taking their own lives after bein separated from their kin for too long.  None were Riders, because having the dragon bonded to them helps, but a dragon isn't a person."

Tithenor knelt and stroked his dragon, intrigued by what young Pat was up to.

Pat smiled.  "Very good!  I'm so proud of you."  She opened her box, careful not to let Nightshade see inside, and pulled out another small box with a small lock on it.  It was simple but more complex than the one on the cages.  Pat unlocked Nightshade's cage and set the box inside.  "If you can open it while I'm at lunch, you can keep the little prize inside.  If you can't, you can try again tomorrow, okay?  And if you finish that really fast..."  She attached a new lock to the cage.  "You can practice picking this one."

Blade looked down a little. He had no idea. No wonder Tithenor seemed uptight most of the time. He was used to lots of rules and following them to the letter, which made it funny he became friends with Blade, since he saw rules more like strong suggestions.

Mellon purred happily.

Nightshade sniffed the small box, intrigued. She laid down and turned the box over and over, examining it. This would indeed keep her entertained and mentally stimulated while Pat was gone.

53 finished up on Blade's other arm, saying as he did so, "Having you, Mark, and young Pat to look after help him to focus, learning through you what's to be expected.  Unfortunately, I believe you will see some relapse in his behavior with what happened.  Elves never do, say, or respond without thought.  Everything they do has a purpose, so the idea that someone would react purely out of emotion is unnatural to them, and he will see his attack as a punishment for his actions, confusing him.  If you three stay with him, though, he will learn, and he just might teach you some things as well."  53 looked at the pair nd smiled as he released Blade.  "Keep it clean and you'll be fine.  Lunch should be ready soon, so I'd get a move on."

"/Time to return to your cage,/" Tithenor said in Elvish, lifting Mellon up and placing him inside gently.  "/Rest and sleep while I am gone, alright?/"

"Have fun!  I'll see you after lunch,/" Pat promised Nightshade as she headed toward the door.

Mark nodded, and Blade did as well, more determinedly. "Thanks." Blade said as he left. The duo collected their dragons and headed to the rookery to put them away while they ate.

Mellon churred softly and went to take a nap.

Nightshade squeaked a farewell at Pat before puzzling over the box some more. She would get inside it!