A chance encounter [Brisinger!!]

[Klezmer Gryphon]

"I'm not familiar with either of those names, sir." Liarri said, still bowing towards the elder dragon. "If I may, can I have your name, sir?"

Her mind was split. One half was afraid of this dragon, the other wanted to learn more.

[Brisinger987]

Oh dear. The elder Nightspinner was that old... Wow. "I k-k-know of them, s-s-sir..." She tried to think of how to explain to this dragon one awkward fact.

"They are used as fairytale m-m-monsters in cautionary t-t-tales..." She spoke truthfully and tears began to well in her eyes and he bottom lip quivered as she tried not to break down. This dragon would slaughter her mercilessly if she told him, and if she didn't and he found out, she would die too.

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"I am Veraxitoc. I am nearly 2150 years old. I am old. I have seen many things. And it is good to know. Who is the hero of these tales?" Veraxitoc was curious to see if other dragons knew of his intervention. Or if he was an unsung hero.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri looked at Veraxitoc, then looked at Seh'lvah, who look ready to burst into tears. She then felt she had to clarify things.

"Veraxitoc, if I may call you that, we were only playing a harmless game. If anything, I should be the one to blame for starting it." She said, hoping it would help diffuse the situation.

[Brisinger987]

Seh'lvah finally broke. A combination of fear, sudden stress and a mood swing as well as several other emotions just broke her. And she cried, planting her face into the snow so she couldn't be seen. The elder dragon would just think she was weak if he saw. So she sobbed quietly into the snow, trying to think of her happy place.

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"I understand that now, and I do not fault you for playing the game, although your friend makes me suspicious. She looks like Rubidya. Which is a bad thing." Veraxitoc looked over at the young dragon. Bugger.

She was crying.

Alarm bells went off in Veraxitoc's brain, and he felt a pang of guilt as he watched the poor girl sob into the snow, the warm tears melting the snow.

"Uh, Seh'lvah? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset, I was merely worried I hadn't killed Emeraldia all those years ago, and she killed a dear friend of mine. P-please don't cry." His state of mental panic was not helping. He had no idea how to deal with younglings that weren't fighting.

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OOC: Veraxitoc is crap with kids, haha! XD

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri looked over at the sobbing mess that was Seh'lvah. She felt bad for the poor dragon. However, she couldn't help but feel angry with Veraxitoc.

Suddenly, she walked over to the elder dragon, and got right in his face, and pulled down her hood, revealing her cervine features.

"I can't believe your nerves. You come down here, and make a poor girl cry! Shame on you, Veraxitoc, SHAME ON YOU," she yelled, the anger booming in her voice like a loud roar.

[Brisinger987]

In her head, Seh'lvah was drowning out all sound, just trying to stop herself crying. She wanted Veraxitoc to leave, so she could cry in peace. She hated elder dragons, they always left her upset, and she always cried because of their constant scolding and criticism. They didn't understand that teenage dragons these days were different from when the elders were teenagers, and they always criticised what they couldn't understand. She hated it. And she couldn't do anything about it.

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Veraxitoc was worried as things were, before the deer-woman started yelling at him angrily. Angry women terrified him. He could take the undead, angry ghosts, psycho killers. But angry woman had this overwhelming power. And considering that Nightspinner society was female dominated, that bolstered the effect.

To him, he was a young hatchling being scolded by his guardian. So he instinctively backed up from her. Plus, she was half deer!

"I had no intention! I was merely making sure that if it was Emeraldia, she was dead! I was about to apologise!"

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri backed off from the ancient dragon, her anger cooling off. She felt relieved that Veraxitoc wouldn't attack either of them again, but she did feel bad for Seh'lvah, who was crying face down in the snow. She reached into her cloak and pulled out an apple, and placed it in front of the elder dragon.

"I'm sorry I got in your face like that. It was wrong, but I just couldn't hold back my anger. Please, take this apple as an offering of peace."

She sincerely felt bad about yelling at Veraxitoc. Even more pressing was Seh'lvah's current state. Feeling that there was something wrong, she walked over to the sobbing dragon, and put her hand on the dragon's head.

"Seh'lvah, is there something you need to get off your chest? Veraxitoc won't hurt you."

[Brisinger987]

"I think she needs the apple more, I don't like them." Veraxitoc said. He gently plodded over to Seh'lvah, nuzzling her to get he attention. She was a pretty dragon, but too young for him. And she reminded him too much of Emeraldia.

"I really won't hurt you, I swear. You can tell me anything. I'm a Nightspinner after all. Who would try and worm secrets from me?" He tried to be as reassuring as he could. He didn't want a family. He was crap with kids, no matter the age. He was built to defend. He could guard a family. Hell, a whole colony. But teaching a wingling how to fly was too difficult.

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Seh'lvah smelt the apple and rose to the nudge, containing her tears. Instead of an elder dragon who frowned at crying she saw concern. And genuine regret in his eyes. She used her tongue to grab the apple and eat it, and got up, letting the last few tears run down her cheek.

"You said I looked similar to Emeraldia, that's cause she is my great-great grandmother. I'm not proud of it. Never will be." She sniffled in an attempt to recuperate.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri looked at Veraxitoc, who seemed to be surprised at the revelation. She then looked at Seh'lvah, who, while not sobbing, was still shaky.

"Seh'lvah, you can't let the evil deeds of your ancestors define who you are." She said in a reassuring voice, sitting down next to the dragon.

"Whatever your great-great grandmother did doesn't mean anything to me, and never will."

Smiling, she picked up another wad of snow, compacting it into a ball....

[Brisinger987]

"If you were Emeraldia herself it would mean something. My adoptive father was a Thunderblack who burned many villages. I am not him. I never choose to be him. It is purely choice if you are like someone. If you choose to be Emeraldia, and to let your family ties affect you, then it will." Veraxitoc nudged her again, playfully this time.

Then he saw Liarri making a snowball. Perhaps a little fun in the snow would be good. The snowballs he would make would be too big. He would just have to flick snow with his tail.

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Seh'lvah thought briefly about what Veraxitoc had said, his understanding bringing her mood up. "Ok then, well I choose not to be." And then she noticed the snowball being made. That would cheer her up.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri was glad that the situation had resolved, but now there was an even greater issue at hand: the snowball fight. Snowball in hand, she decided to throw it at Veraxitoc this time.

"Catch me if you can, old-timer!" She said playfully, throwing the snowball at him. She then, for the second time, ran into the woods. It wouldn't be too hard to find her though, since her feet left very distinctive tracks in the snow.

Hiding behind another tree, Liarri compacted another snowball.

[Brisinger987]

Veraxitoc tried to flick snow at Liarri, but missed. He was about to give chase when something odd happened. He got hit by a giant snowball. Seh'lvah had thrown it at him, and now the war had begun.

Picking up a huge mound of snow, he made the biggest snowball he could, and launched it at Seh'lvah, who was literally caked in snow. Then picked up more and launched it at the tree Liarri was hidden behind.

This snowball was hardly compacted and shattered on impact, but it was forceful enough to knock snow from the tree, and make a huge mound.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Popping up from the mound of snow, Liarri shook her head, little bits of snow flying everywhere. Pulling herself out, she proceeded to make another snowball, but then got an idea..... After making a few snowballs, she carefully climbed up the tree, seeing that her two dragon friends were occupied. Then, making sure she could stay up there, she threw a barrage of snowballs onto them, pelting them with snowballs.

[Brisinger987]

Seh'lvah and Veraxitoc both got slaughtered by the snowball barrage, so Seh'lvah used her  wings to flick snow at Liarri. The spray of snow went everywhere, including over her and Veraxitoc. Veraxitoc shook off, while Seh'lvah went to get Liarri.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri, seeing Seh'lvah coming, jumped down from the tree, and started running through the denser part of the forest, playfully laughing the whole time. Seeing the opportunity for rest, she sat down on a log, and thought about the day's events.

After a good few minutes, she got back up, and realized she had left her staff back where the two dragons were. Well, I suppose I deserve some snowballs in my face. she mused, playing with the thought. She then started back to where the two dragons presumably were.

[Brisinger987]

Veraxitoc had gotten so enticed in playing around that he didn't realise he was laughing. And now Liarri had gone somewhere and left her staff. But she would be back. Surely. So instead Veraxitoc pushed Seh'lvah over into the snow. Then she flung snow in his face. He had forgotten some of the simple joys.

Then they just pushed each other into the snow.

[Klezmer Gryphon]

Liarri emerged from the woods to see the two dragons playing like little children. Smiling, she tried not to interrupt them while she went and picked up her staff. She then had an idea. She made a snowball, but she didn't throw it. Instead, she put it on the ground, and started making it bigger, until it was about two or three feet across. She then repeated the process for another one, except smaller, and put that one on top of the larger snowball.....

[Brisinger987]

The two dragons were blowing gentle bouts of fire in playfighting, mostly cold fire, and then they spotted what Liarri was building.

It was an interesting construction, made of huge snowballs. It wasn't small enough to throw. It was huge. The construction was comprised of snow....

"What are you building Liarri? Surely whatever you build will melt?" Veraxitoc was curious. Then Seh'lvah butted in. Pushing him over, she spoke.

"It is a snowman,  numpty."