The Truth {Zeppy}

[Boo]

{desc=Swarid and Mouse find out some information}

It was the day following a rather, in his opinion, disastrous hatching. Oh he’d heard that there were some new colours to join the ranks of the Dalibor dragons. Burgundies but that was hardly cause for celebration when a young girl had been killed by a wayward claw. Fortunately, he’d left shortly after that feeling ill and simply decided to avoid the rest of the hatching. Although this had proven somewhat successful, it had not stopped him learning about the iron wheret among many other maulings that had occurred.

He patted Naïve on the neck and dodged a bite from Killer as he climbed into the back of his caravan, taking a short inventory as he did each morning before he set up shop. After today, he would be heading back to the holds to trade with some of the holders. He’d set up a nice system where he secured goods for the crafters at Dalibor. One common customer was a brownrider apprentice weaver who often sent his things to the hold in exchange for supplies, which Swarid was more than happy to supply for it meant that the young man would also consider a number of other goods.

It was early in the morning and most of the Weyr wasn’t even awake just yet but there were still a few handlers moving into their rooms for the day. The trader pursed his lips and shook his arms out figuring that there was really no point in getting too upset about their presence. The movement, however, of another individual caught his eye before he started setting up shop.

Face lay on the ground beside him, head resting on the ground as he watched his master at work.

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[Zephyr]

Bray and Selene weren’t happy at all with Mouse’s extracurricular activities. They could tell that the brown wher who’d adopted their girl wasn’t the biggest fan of firelizards, but he was a very logical wher, and they had a common cause…which was, namely, keeping Mouse safe…most of the time from herself. This morning though, when Mouse snuck off, she made it known to the firelizards that she was going to go look for the babies from the day before. The hatching was scary…not that she’d ever admit that to anyone, but she did so love babies.

The firelizards had coerced Charlie into coming along, and the big, blonde dog followed quietly. He was still young, but now old enough to know when it was a good idea not to be so rambunctious. Selene was wrapped around his neck and Bray was settled on Mouse’s shoulder as she slipped out of the handler apartments just as most of them had already entered to sleep for the day. The child had this sneaking out thing down to a science, and as long as she didn’t get in trouble, or hurt, she’d be fine.

Unfortunately, both were bound to happen if she found any of the babies she was looking forward to, and Bray chittered in her ear, grumpy and riled up. Mouse mostly ignored him…even if she got into the middle of the weyr and promptly realized that she didn’t know where to find any of the babies. Selene suggested she actually ask someone, but Mouse knew she could find them herself, and was soon making her way out of the weyr…which was the exact wrong way to go.

Charlie stick his head out, grabbed Mouse’s shirt in his teeth and jerked her back onto her rear. Wrong way! The little girl glared at the dog. Want to meet the babies or not, Charlie? Bad dog. She got up and glared once at the dog before continuing on.

[Boo]

Rather abruptly, Face jumped to his feet and pointed his nose in the direction of the Weyr’s exit. He had been trained not to bark unless necessary and the movement was enough to direct Swarid’s attention as he looked over. Wasn’t that Genner’s daughter? The little girl who had been with him when he’d delivered the wine. The trader frowned and looked at his canine with a quirked brow then back at the girl. A canine accompanied the child so perhaps that was fine…

Ignoring her for the moment, Swarid continued to work before he looked back, the canine seeming to grab onto the child’s shirt and pull her over. Face let out a soft whine as the girl started her way out of the Weyr. Well, it wasn’t his problem was it? The kid should know better and where was her dad anyway. She’d probably be eaten by a wild wher out there.

Kids needed to learn. Swarid bit his lip and frowned for a moment. Then again, it he were the one to return the girl to Genner there would be no denying the business partnership between himself and the handler. Perhaps there would be times when he could even employ Genner’s services.

Thus, seeing a business opportunity, Swarid closed up shop quickly.
“Find her boy.”
With a gesture, the great canine bound after the girl, Swarid close on his heels. They hurried after the child and as soon as they were closer, Swarid called out.
“Hey, kid? You sure you’re meant to be out here?”

[/blockquote]

[Zephyr]

The scent of another canine approaching so close put Charlie on edge. With a whine, he whirled around, putting himself between the child and any potential threats. Mouse, herself, wasn't aware of the approach of the man and dog until she heard his voice and she stopped dead, turning to see who it was. Curiously, she came up beside her fluffy dog and put a hand on his back, regarding the trader and his canine carefully. Charlie relaxed slightly when he realized he knew this particular canine a wuffed towards Face, wagging his tail warily.

Selene was still on Charlie's back, and the green firelizard watched the interaction with little reaction, her wings fluttering nervously. Even though he knew these two, after that disastrous hatching, he was loathe to let anyone near Mouse, especially since he hadn't been allowed to come protect her. The child was the one who pushed the dog aside, getting right up in Swarid's space without a word. In fact, Mouse hadn't spoken a word since she'd been abandoned by her mother, and that wasn't going to change now.

Still, she realized she knew this man, even if they'd only met briefly. Maybe he could help her find what she was looking for. Just...communicating what she wanted would be hard. Stepping back, she tugged lightly on Bray's wing, whispering something mentally to the young brown before the firelizard decided to accept her request and leaped into the air, fanning his wings out and transmitting pictures of the baby whers from the last hatching into Swarid's mind. There was creepy Dardrask, lumpy, evil Rask, stick thin Jossk, and Jafask, dripping in all his metallic glory. The pictures weren't the clearest, but they were the whers, and surely Swarid would recognize them if he'd seen even one of them.

After, Bray returned to perch on Mouse's head and the child looked up at the man with an almost imploring look. If he could help her, she'd very much appreciate it and be his friend forever and ever and ever.

[Boo]

As they approached the girl, Swarid huffed, folding his arms and looking down at the canine pup that had put itself in front of its charge. Of course, Face just hesitated a moment at the stance of the other canine and stood stock still even as Swarid walked past and came to a stop in front of the child. As soon as Charlie relaxed, so too did Face as he wagged his own tail slightly and then sat beside his master.

The trader noted the presence of the firelizards with caution. He had known such creatures to attack at barely a moment’s notice, some of them flying at his face. He’d only tried to take their eggs so he could trade them, what was so wrong with that anyway? As far as he was concerned there was nothing wrong with taking something from the wild. Fortunately, he had escaped that particular encounter with no scars and only a couple of scratches.

The girl got very close to him just then, Swarid stepping back with a surprised expression, “Err…” He looked away, unnerved by the way she wasn’t speaking. That seemed odd to him but perhaps there was something going on, how could he know? He wasn’t a healer. The flurry of images that came then caused the trader to widen his eyes at the memory of the hatching.

“Yeaaaaah… The less we see of those ones the better I should say.”
Especially given the fact that she was showing him images of the creepier whers from that hatching. He remembered the black, the one that had looked as though it walked backwards and it had since haunted his nightmares. Swarid shivered. It would take him a little while before he’d be comfortable sleeping out in caves again on his own, that was for sure.
“I mean, one of those whers even looks backwards, try telling me that’s normal.”

Suffice to say, Swarid was neither a fan of whers or dragons after the most recent hatching but at least he recognised the fact that their bonded human counterparts tended to have some interesting things to trade. Oh not all dragons or whers were bad and he recognised the need for them in society but he would just remain very wary of them from now on.

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[Zephyr]

Once he was sure neither of these two meant any harm to his girl, Charlie flipped onto his belly with an opened mouthed yawn, his tail smacking the ground. He was pleased that someone had finally slowed Mouse down for half a second so he could finally rest.

Mouse was hopeful that this man would be able to help her find the wherlets, but that hope was rapidly fading, and she backed off of Swarid with a pout. He wouldn’t be able to help her after all. He did have some good points. All whers are beautiful and perfect. She said solemnly to the man, even though he’d never be able to hear her, and there was no way Bray would be able to translate that to him. The firelizard just chirped at the girl quizzically, and Mouse shrugged at him.

The child though about what she could show the man that would put across her intentions. The perfect picture came to mind, and though he was alarmed, Bray cheeped and showed Swarid a picture of mouse cuddling Jafask, something that would never, ever happen in reality. Not only would the wherlet himself likely not let her, but none of the lizards she was currently in the company of would let her get close enough to the wherlets…and especially Jafask.

She didn’t understand, not really. She just wanted to be everyone’s friend! What was so wrong with that? Even if it would get her in trouble constantly.

[Boo]

At the next image sent into his mind, all Swarid could do was chuckle. Jafask, the iron that had deliberately caused harm to so many candidates was hardly likely to allow such a thing to eventuate. The trader rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, looking towards the sky and then back at the girl when he froze. With the movement it must have been dislodged.

Eyes widened for a moment as his heart hammered in his chest. It was only slightly visible under the tunic she wore but it could not be mistaken. The craftsmanship was far too similar and the token worn down in some places. He reached out at that point and, with the reflexes of someone who had lived long in the wilderness, tugged it out into full view.

It was just as he remembered it. Just as he remembered receiving it from his mentor and when he passed it on to that woman… What was her name? She had been a very interesting young woman and at that moment, he wondered what had happened to her. Erilana. Yes, that was her name.
“Where did you get this?”

Face, sensing the distress of his master was tense but only so he might defend Swarid if necessary. Not with aggression but with his own body should Charlie take exception to Swarid’s actions. Face didn’t like sudden movements himself and Swarid had alarmed him this much.

“Did you take it from someone? Where did you find it?”

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