Down By The River (Tajika)

[themidnightscribe]

Lykan sat on a rock on the wet sandy banks of the river Mellis, which ran through the canyon bringing rich silt to grow their much needed crops. Today his mentor Edorak, or Ed, the rider of Sapphire Thera, decided that they could have the day off. Since is was a warm afternoon, Lykan and his black dragon headed to the cool haven of the river.

He smiled, looking at the dragon, nearly half grown at 20 feet long. Ed figured that Utheron would be 45 feet before he was done growing, and he was a big boy, too, so unlike his lithe little mother. The black dragon waded into the wide, shallow river, dunking his head and creeling happily. Well, the river was shallow in a worldly sense, at it's deepest point, it was still close to 4 and half feet deep. Some rivers on Tirah were 10 feet or more.

A voice broke into the boy's thoughts, Lykan, come into the water, it's so nice!

[risa]

They had accepted her! It was real, no longer a fantasy. Her father would be proud when she told him, but Tajika would be unable to do so until later. That meant only one thing really, she had time to visit the river. It was among her favorite of places, second to helping in the mines with her father. The river was more peaceful though, and would give her time to soak in her joy.

She was surprised to almost to find someone there, with a black dragon. Had she stumbled on one of the riders? Tajika was tempted to retreat, but remembering the council word that she was now among The Chosen, she stepped forward. "Hello!"

[themidnightscribe]

Lykan turned at the female voice, it was certainly not his dragon! He saw a young brunette woman standing there, perhaps to some a little plain, and certainly more tomboyish than some girls he knew, but he thought she was sort of pretty. He smiled slowly to her and nodded his head in greetings. "Hello yourself."

The black dragon curiously creeped to the shore and peered eye to eye at Tajika, for he was as tall as she was, for now. He voiced to her happily, Hello, I am Utheron. What is your name? And do you have a dragon?

Lykan chuckled a bit on his rock and said mirthfully, "Is my dragon bothering you? He does like to get close to people. Some find it intimidating."

[risa]

Having a dragon look her in the eye was slightly nerve racking, but not enough to get her to back off. Laughing, she shook her head, stepping back only enought to have a few inches of space. He was a rider after all, so her silent question was answered. "No, it's alright. I'm used to close spaces from the mines." she replied.

Unsure how to reply to a dragon, she spoke her answer to him as well. "Nice to meet you Utheron, I'm Tajika. I don't have a dragon yet, though I may soon."

[themidnightscribe]

Lykan smiled, glad she wasn't offended by himself and his dragon- afterall, he was ultimately responsible for Utheron's conduct. Not that he'd want to change the black dragon, he always meant well, "Oh, that's good, Utheron means no harm, he just likes to, uh, get up close and personal. I think it means he likes you."

Well met,"and the dragon let out a small purr-like sound. I think Laylonas the Diamond is clutching. I wonder if you'll have an egg there? We dragons are good companions. Very good. Do you like to swim? Can you swim? Some Walkers (he meant humans) sink like rocks in water. Are you a sinker or a floater?

[risa]

Tajika laughed softly at the dragons questioning of her. It certainly seemed like dragons were great creatures, one of the reason she had petitioned to join The Chosen after all. Meeting the black dragon though was definatly a way to confirm her thought.

"Well, I am glad then if I am liked. To answer your question Utheron, I can swim. It's one of my favorite things to do really." she answered. She did not address the egg question. Best to be hopeful and leave it at that. "I don't think I got your name though." she said, looking to Lykan. "Perhaps you could tell me more what I just got myself into with my petition being accepted."

[themidnightscribe]

I like to swim too. Utheron's eyes narrowed as if he were happily smiling.

Lykan smiled for a moment in thought, "I'm Lykan, sorry 'bout that, never good with introductions. Well, if you are on the list, and you get an egg, you are in for a lot of responsibility, that's for sure. Hatchlings need a lot of attention. You can't really forget them, either, 'cause they are constantly in your head. Some say dragons speak to us with their minds because their throats can't make words. Still others theorize that it's how a mother dragon used to communicate with her hatchlings when she had to hide them from enemies." He shrugged, "Either way, they are always there, and most of them have commentary for everything. Some are unusually quiet, but often times, again I believe for survival's sake, they need to be vocal to get their needs met."

He motioned to his black dragon, "Now Utheron is on the whole, is more quiet, unless he meets a new person such as yourself." He laughed softly, "On the other hand, my cousin Phalina has a gold dragonling and she says that Marian is very naggy and bossy, and quite sarcastic for a dragon."

Lykan grinned, "But from every rider I've ever talked to, it's worth it. Dragons are more than work beasts, their ability to converse makes them friends, brothers, you inseperable twin. What kind of dragon personality is sort of random, I think, since you choose the egg, the egg doesn't choose you. But all dragons are relatively good, unless their riders make them evil, which is why a person's character must be checked out by the Council. You must be a good person to have made it on the list."

[risa]

Tajika shifted her gaze in an attempt to hide mild embarressment. People thought she was good, but was this really true? She was a mine-child, who's mother ignored her existance as of late. Yet the council had deemed her worthy, so that was the final say in that matter.

"It is nice to meet you Lykan, and Utheron as well for that matter. I can't imagine people wanting to make dragons evil. They are wonderful creatures in my opinion." she said, losing a bit of her confidence for a moment. Tajika was more thoughtful really, but managed to hold back the thoughts. They could be gone over another time.

"Hey, I know this is a bit... forward, but are you busy? I've got time until my father will be out of the mines, and nothing to do until then." Okay, so that was the worst way of wording something ever, but Tajika had few friends, and wasn't used to meeting riders in training.