The Fyreborn Islands, Saturday, Fandom Time

[glacial_queen]

So after a week like the one they'd had, Karla's desire for a cheerful day at the beach had grown to something akin to need. In fact, she'd sent Jaenelle and Lucivar early to set up so that by the time her guests arrived, they could just pile into a Coach and go.

Which, in fact, was exactly what they did. Kyle barely had time to boggle at SaDiablo Hall (or the portal or even Warren's wings), before Karla and Holt were herding them into the Coach and leaping up to catch the Opal Wind to the Fyreborn Islands.

By the time they arrived, Jaenelle and Lucivar had set up the picnic--packed by Mrs. Beale and more akin to a movable feast--including a veritable mountain of small green berries to eat and share with the wildlife.

What wildlife?

Oh, you know. Just dragons. Just your usual, every day, average dragons. Pony-sized--not counting wings and the tails. Didn't anyone say, Kyle?

In Kaeleer, dragons were real.

[NFB, for those who know who they are]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"You're very kind," Dinah told him gravely, "to put up with this." She held her hand under his snout, and scritched the ridge of his head, amazed at how warm and soft it was, even if it was scales. "Your mom over there playing in the water too?"

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

Threwl made a gurgling, huffing sound low in his throat--either a noise of contentment or of negation it was hard to tell. His eyes had half-closed in pleasure and his tail was steadily thumping in the sand, but his reply was at odds with his comfortable pose.

*Her? Eeew, no, that's Fayleen! She is all bossy just because she is an apprentice Healer,* he explained quite earnestly to Dinah. *She's always scolding and nagging and I think she has rock fleas.*

Welcome to the dragon concept of 'cooties,' Dinah.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Rock fleas?" Dinah said, barely managing to hold in the giggle. "That can't be comfortable, hunh? Poor Fayleen. I can't tell how old dragons are, so I was guessing." She smoothed back behind his ears in apology, palm tickling as he ate the pickleberries.

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*She's not even half-grown,* Threwl explained with a sniff. *For all that she likes to pretend her scales are losing their color.*

He took a few more pickleberries and added tentatively, *I am very grown up?*

Maybe he'd be a little more believable if he didn't make it sound like a question.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"You are!" Dinah said instantly, increasing the skritches. "I can tell by how big you are. And how well you fly." Even with a face full of sand earlier, sure! "I'm almost grown-up. But not all the way. That's no fun." She popped a pickleberry into her own mouth, and winked at him as her lips pursed up.

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*No fun?* Threwl's psychic scent almost buzzed with confusion. *I don't understand. When you are a grownup you can do anything you want! You don't get sent to the back of the aerie because you snuck pickleberries before dinner or have to go to lessons or anything you don't want to!*

Some illusions apparently crossed species.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I wish," Dinah sighed, then held out more pickleberries with her telekinesis this time. "You gotta do stuff for yourself then, is all. Sometimes it's nice to just play, instead of doing your job or going to classes." She snuck another pickleberry for herself. "You don't have to be in charge of anything." Or lose friends.

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*I want to be in charge of things!* Threwl protested. *Then I can make everyone else do my chores and sit in the sun and eat pickleberries.*

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah hooted, then rubbed under his jaw to cheer him up. "Would you make me sit in the sun with you? I think that would be fun."

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*Oh, yes!* Threwl said. *That would be nice. But--* he paused and looked up at her with big eyes, *But you will still feed me pickleberries, right?*

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Of course, sweetie," Dinah soothed him, petting his nose. "It's fun to feed you pickleberries. I wouldn't give that up even if you were in charge."

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*If I were in charge,* Threwl said, settling into the warm sand with a happy thrumming noise, *I would have you feed me pickleberries all day. And then when it got too hot, we would wave-whomp until it cooled down again.* Except if she were feeding him pickleberries, he should do something nice for her, right? *And I would shade you with my wing if you wanted to read or nap like the Lady does,* he added, raising his wing up for good measure. *That would be good, right?*

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"That would be awesome," Dinah told him, ducking under his wing a second, and peering up at him. She grinned, cheerfully. "You're a very good host, Threwl." She patted his side. "And I looove wave-whomping. We could do that, and have Kyle read to us. That's always nice."

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*You know how to wave-whomp?* Threwl asked, sounding surprised. *I taught Lady Karla's male how to do it. I am a very good teacher,* he added, all earnestness. *I waited until I found the best wave and made sure he was watching close and then I whomped that wave really, really good! I did!*

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I do! I did it the last time I was here, which was -- man, a while ago now, maybe two years here..." The time changes still messed with her. "And I believe you, 'cause Lucivar's the one who showed me! Wanna go do that now?"

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*Lucivar is almost as good at wave-whomping as a dragon!* Threwl said, dancing about in excitement. *Yes, yes, let's go!*

They could come back and finish up the pickleberries later, after they'd worked up more of an appetite flinging themselves off a cliff for awhile. In fact, Threwl was already taking to the air, though his take-off was not as graceful as he might have hoped.

*Last one to the cliff is a rotten pickleberry!*

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah cackled at that, and called, "I'll catch up to you, see if I don't!" And started air-walking, even if there was no way to catch him in time not to be a pickleberry.