R'old the secretary

[S'yal]

(I FORGOT WHO I WAS TAGGNG FOR INTERVIEW)

Mine, do we have to sit HERE? They're watching me... Roy's voice was extremely uncertain as she spoke to her rider, quivering. She kept looking at the herdbeasts over the fence, keeping herself as low as possible lest one suddenly decide to go insane and come after her. The small green whimpered, yet again looking like a beaten puppy. Mine! Mine! They're LOOKING at me! Mine, they want to eat me! Protect me! Roy tried to hide behind R'old, wailing sadly and shaking as she lifted her paws to cover up her eyes.

"Stop it, Roy. They're just dumb beasts... they can't hurt you." Roy whimpered sadly, pressing her head against her auburn haired riders back. "I already told you why we're here!" The rider snapped, though Roy was unaffected. Other people yelling at her made her wail, but she knew that R'old loved her. "We're here because ALL riders end up here eventually! It's the best place to ambush riders for interviews!" R'old grunted, obviously not pleased with the thought of interviewing someone. He hated interviews.

BUT MINE! THEY'RE MUCH SMARTER THEN THEY SEEM!

"No, Roy. Just smarter then you"

MIIIIINE!

[giftwrapped]

Starving.

You're not starving, Nicoth. You're probably hungry, but you're not starving. You fed yesterday. You're going to die.

Starving.

The insistent snarl from the green ripped through I'saac and sent him baring his own teeth even as his dragon rumbled at him. Glancing up from the hide on which he had been writing, he caught sight of a single whirling red eye in the window of the small hut. Nicoth had made a decision, and she would not be stopped until she was fed. He sighed quietly, straightening up and shaking his head. So much for a relaxing day off, apparently. "All right, all right," he said aloud, reaching for his tunic and pulling it on at a leisurely pace that irritated Nicoth.

If you moved more slowly you would be backwards, she hissed, gaping her jaws and rumbling her impatience. But I'saac would not be moved more quickly. Nicoth couldn't do anything to him or the hut, and so there was nothing to fear. He could be annoyed at his dragon all he liked. But when he moved out of the weyr and Nicoth met him with a half-irritated-half-delighted headbutt, rumbling fit to burst, he softened. Taking a moment to rub her eyeridges, he ran his fingers along her newest injury.

The cut was currently healing cleanly, which was good. I'saac hadn't wanted to go to a dragonhealer over something as stupid as this wound. It wasn't long or deep, a recent acquisition from facing off against Merceth while he was eating. The big bronze had cuffed her away and while I'saac had managed to stop her from going for his throat (just barely), he and C'ross had renewed their agreement to only feed their dragons separately.

And C'ross was in the sky on patrol for now, so all in all it was a good thing Nicoth was demanding to be fed. "All right, you, go on ahead," he said, slapping the green affectionately on her hindquarters and dodging out of the way of the first downbeat of her wings. Snarling with delight, she was quick to take aloft and wing toward the feeding grounds, descending like a hawk on the herdbeasts and scattering them with fierce delight. By the time I'saac had made his way down to the pens, she had chosen her target.

With a vicious screech, the green plummeted from the sky, hitting the poor creature with all four talons before adding her teeth to the mix. There was no chance for the beast to panic; it was gone in a splash of gore and a fiercely pleased snarl. As he moved to lean against the fence, I'saac found himself unconsciously mimicking the bared teeth and delighted growls of the small green, and though he forced the barrier between himself and his dragon back up, he realized with mild horror that there was another down by the pens. A man he wasn't familiar with.

And right about the same time I'saac noticed the man, Nicoth noticed the dragon. Swinging her head up, jaws dripping herdbeast, she cocked her head back in a tight s-shape and gaped her jaws.

HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Coughing quickly to keep himself from echoing the noise, I'saac frowned. "Nicoth, stop it. I'm sorry," he added quickly to the other rider. "She's not the politest feeder."

[S'yal]

Eek! She's hissing at me! R'oldmine, I don't want to die!

R'old hadn't even had a clue that there was someone with him until Roy panicked, the unfortunate Green trying to hide behidn her rider for protection. The lean man scowled, turning to look for the source of fear... and saw the most terrifying green he'd ever seen. Were greens SUPPOSED to have scars like that!? R'old blinked before grunting, deciding that maybe it was best to be polite. For Roy's sake, of course. He wouldn't want that... beast to touch Roy.

"Just ask her not to hiss again." R'old grumbled, unable to keep the displeasure from his voice. "It's going to take forever to calm down Roy, now. She's not the bravest of dragons." R'old glanced over the man, trying to place where he'd seen him before. He could have sworn he'd seen him, but where? R'old gave up and hid the thought away for later, tilting his head to one side.

"I'm R'old, of the dragon watch. Would you mind answering a few questions?" Stay polite- you've already gotten yourself in enough trouble... also that green better not eat Roy. "If your green doesn't plan on turning mine into her meal instead of that herdbeast, that is." It soudned like a joke, but it wasn't. R'old's mouth was pressed into a thin, displeased line, and it was obvious he was trying not to yell at the greenrider for not controlling his dragon. His wingmates would be so proud of him.

Nicoth won't eat me...?

No, you're safe.

Maybe she just needs a hug... Roy moved forward slightly, and R'old's eyes widened.

ROY, SIT. Do NOT go near the crazy green!

Yes sir...

[giftwrapped]

The fear response of the other green placated Nicoth somewhat, and the hissing stopped. She continued gaping her jaws for a moment, eyes glittering fierce orange, but then she snorted dismissively and returned to what remained of the herdbeast. There was enough that she could make a fine show of disemboweling the thing, gulping down kidneys and liver with singular focus. She wouldn't attack the other green without provocation, but the green was a stranger and Nicoth expected deference from anything that didn't live at Warden's.

Her rider, on the other hand, couldn't have been shyer if he tried. I'saac ducked his head with a sigh when the other rider snapped at him. "I know. She'll stay quiet now. She's made her point." He shrugged slightly, trying to place the other rider. Whoever he was, he looked strangely familiar. But he wasn't Warden's, which meant that - ah, Watch. That explained it. It also explained the look of irritation on the man's face as he continued on with a joke that wasn't funny at all to anyone who knew I'saac's green well. He forced a humourless laugh anyway "As long as she doesn't try to take Nicoth's food, Nicoth will leave her alone."

And for once, he was right. Nicoth had heard the word watch and her train of thought had jumped tracks from intruder to kill to former acquaintance? potential enemy? Watchdragon. One of ours? she asked, red eyes sparking green with curiosity, and she lifted her head to fix R'old with a speculative stare. I'saac shrugged.

I don't know, darling. He's not a wingmate, if that's what you mean.

Of course, that didn't mean R'old wouldn't have heard of him. Nicoth's Flights were singularly bloody affairs, and word of the dragon's murderous intent when she took to the sky had quickly spread to most of the Watchriders stationed near I'saac's wing. But he was hoping he could avoid sparking any memories of his fantastic reputation, and he gave R'old a slight smile. "I'll answer anything you have to ask me, R'old. No secrets here at Warden's."

Hollow, perhaps, but in I'saac's case, true. He was not secretive about his behaviour.