Oldreth had flown far, to a place well beyond the range of the normal
flight of dragons of Whiteriver. He never tired of saoring with
Wintermoon, and he felt her elation in flight with him, it was a wonderful
thing. The swooped down on a heard of wild cattle, and Wintermoon's claws
deftly snagged one. 

Landing a fair distance away, Oldreth cut a hunk of meat from the beast,
and set it aside as he made a fire to roast it on, grinning as he glanced
over to see Wintermoon tearing into the carcass messily.

<Slob>

<<Hungry, you silly>>

Oldreth chuckled and deftly charred his meat, gnawing on it. He paused a
moment after the first bit and tied the light cloak like a bib over his
front, then resumed eating.

When he'd finished, he and Oldreth lay in the grass under the sun and
basked contendedly, stuffed, and napped quietly for a couple of hours.
After a fashion, Oldreth stirred, and stood, pulling the cloak off and
rending it into small strips. then he went and began to gather flowers. He
returned every few minutes with a large bundle of flowers, bound with a
cloth tie.

<<That's nice of you Oldreth>>

<Call it self preservation, I remember how your mother was when she waited
for your hatching.> Oldreth chuckled.

<<Hrmph, she was just...Distracted, I'll wager>>

Oldreth laughed, <Indeed.>

Together they gathered flowers for the next couple of hours, with Oldreth
doing most of the picking, and Wintermoon sneaking around and either
trying to pounce on him, ot trying to nip him. He bore it well, but she
was almost more than he could handle, and more frequently, he feared
broken bones when she pounced. He was certain when she reached full
growth she'd squish him.

It might have taken less time, but it wouldn't have been as much fun. In
the end, they'd collected a couple dozen huge bouquets of wildflowers,
which Oldreth secured with the remains of his cloak and climbed back onto
Wintermoon.

<<You need to go on a diet.>> she teased.

<Not a chance...besides, you're bigger than I am...You weigh a tonne.> 

Wintermoon sniffed indignantly, and  launched into the air, winging back
toward Whiteriver. They appeared in the air over the warren a while later,
Oldreth guided Wintermoon into a steep dive, pulling up and leveling at
the last moment to swoop over the people on the green. She landed on the
ledge and he lugged his burden through the apartment and down to the
sands.

<Cricket...I brought you a present.> and tosssed the huge assemblage of
flowers to her.

<<FLOWERS!>>

Oldreth laughed <You're welcome>

Oldreth was hungry again and strolled through the corridors toward the
dining hall he'd been shown the previous day by Xanthia. He smiled when he
thought of her, she was odd, even for a warrenborn, a strange mix of the
nomad he knew and this  life that was so strange. He was musing quietly to
himself when  the fates smiled on him, or were testing him again,
depending on the perspective. He encountered Xanthia. 

"Hello little sister..." he smiled.

"Oldreth" she beamed, shifting the squirming form of Oberon slightly on
her hip.

"I was going for a nibble, care to come nibble with me?" he grinned.

Xanthia giggled "Silly, I was going to have lunch, Oberon'll get cranky if
I don't get some food in him"

Oldreth decided to let it pass, in a roundabout way, their intents had
met, do he picked up the diaper bag for her and they made their way to the
dining hall.

> "Moira!" Someone called her name. Looking about, she spotted the woman
> who had awoken her this morning heading in her direction, with a tall
> blond haired man following her. Moira vaguely recognized him as one
> of the people who had been sitting with Merissa and Xanthia last night 
> when she had arrived. Her boyfriend perhaps. Had it truely only been 
> last night that she'd arrived her?
> 
> "Hello again." Moira told the woman as she and her companion arrived
> at her table. "Grab some food and join me, your friend is welcome too."
> Oldreth smiled and leaned across the table, taking her hand. "I am
> Oldreth, I ride Wintermoon." He introduced himself. Moira 
> hastily stood, intending to curtsey and introduce herself but then
> remembered she was in pants and tunic. She settled for nodding and 
> answering, "I'm Moira, recently from the Weaver's guild. I haven't
> been joined yet."
> 
> Oldreth chuckled at the "yet" part and looked down at Xanthia, "shall
> we go and find some food and join Moira in eating?"

He smiled at Moira, his best come hither smile, "Why not come talk with us
while we get something, I'm sure Xanthia would appreciate a hand with
Oberon."

Moira nodded and smiled "Of course..." and fumbled over a title, intending
to say sir or something. Terribly nervous around all these riders, with
new customs and ways that were just different enough to set her off
balance, she let it fade unintelligably.

Oldreth let Moira move ahead of him, behind Xanthia, and surrepticiaously
admired the way her body moved as she walked. He grinned to himself, and
decided  that he could  come to like it here.

After retrieving food for all, and enduring a brief juggling act involving
Oberon, the three returned to the table. He found Moira to be an afable
woman, if a little timid.

They talked amiably, Xanthia, although Oldreth wouldn't have known it, was
talking more than she ever had to date. Perhaps the influence of someone
who treated her as an adult, sho knew. Moira was quiet, but managed to
describe her job with the weavers in detail when queried directly.
Oldreth remembered the times sitting on the ground near his mother,
fascinated as her fingers flew between warp and weft, guiding the shuttle
back and forth, to make the cloth for the clothes he wore. He shared his
recollections with them as he ate, and in time Moira relaxed, and even
seemed to enjoy the conversation.

"Perhaps if you want, Moira, we can talk Wintermoon into taking you up for
a flight" Oldreth offered as he polished of the last of his midafternoon
repast. 

Moira's eyes widened, "Ride a queen?" she almost stumbled over the words.

Oldreth chuckled, "Wintermoon...Queen seens kind of much don't you think?"

"I...I'd love to."

Xanthia frowned, "You're not s'posed to."

"What?" Oldreth cocked an eyeborw at the girl.

"Queens aren't s'posed to go for rides, or fly alone, or stuff like that"

Oldreth laughed and ruffled Xanthia's hair "Bah! Tell Wintermoon that and
she'll likely bite you. We go where we want."

Xanthia didn't seem convinced, "Trinale'll tell you."

"Trinale, horse dung, I forgot I was s'posed to meet her this morning."
Oldreth slid away from the table and stood.

"I should find her and talk with her." he said, and leaned down to kiss
Xanthia's cheek, then turned to Moira, and reached down to stroke his
fingers softly over her cheek, he crouched down to speak with her.

"You're a nice woman, so take this as you will...Relax. Don't take all of
this so seriously, you'll feel better in the end."

He smiled warmly to her as he stood again and then smiled to Xanthia, and
offering a wave, he turned to leave. People moved aside as he passed,
cearing a path for him as he went.

Oldreth asked someone in passing directions to the Warrenlady's office. He
listened carefully and closed his eyes to make the route sharper in his
mind, and thanked the man. In short order he was at the indicated door,
but stopped another to make sure.

"Is this the Warrenlady's office?" 

"Yes" replied the young woman, gesturing up to the sign on the door
"Didn't you see the sign?"

Oldreth studied the indicated plaque for amomnet the smiled "Thanks, I
must have missed the sign." not letting on that the sign meant nothing to
him.

He opened the door and let himself in, looking around at the empty office.

<Wintermoon dear? Can you let Cricket know that I am ready to see her
rider in her office.>

<<Certainly. I had fun today. I like it here.>>

<And I as well, thank you>

With that he sat down in what appeared the most comfortable chair, the one
behind the desk. He propped his boots up on the desk and set to honing the
edge of his axe with loving care.

		*	*	*	*	*	*

NRPG: Tag Kat :)


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