#baronyofthesilverwolf

"It looks... " Art purses his lips a bit, and shakes his head. "Unlike other draconets I have read about. Nor like the Bookwyrm I met at Earth Runes... though that is the closest thing I can imagine."

"Maybe it's a salamander."

"Ah, I sure hope it's not a cockatrace or something"

"Salamanders are true lizards, and are wingless. This has the... it looks like vestiges of wings, but see... the arms are also stunted, and it cannot stand. I wonder if being so near Mr. Blaine hurt it." Art whispers, as though to keep the creature from overhearing.

Art gives a worried glance over to Gwen. "If it is, it might not have grown feathers yet..."

"Poor thing. I could whisper it, but don't expect a lot of answers"

"But, see!" He perks up. "Arms. Little ones, but they're there. Cockatrixi are relatives of basilisks, and wyverns. They do not have true arms!"

"Art, you have any skittles left?" She frowns. "Mr. Blaine might've hurt it."

"Plus, a cockatrice is hatched from a cockerel's egg hatched by a toad. a Basilisk is hatched from a serpent egg, incubated by a cockerel. This is neither!" He grins to Gwen.

"But just... just because it's not perfect, I mean... it's a dragon. At an Ailil hold, too."

Art looks concerned at that. "Would an Ailil hold accept an imperfect dragon?" He tries to offer a candy to the creature, but it reels away from his fingers. Nestling, instead, in the scaled hollow of Thistle's hand.

"Maybe if you try?" He tries not to sound rejected.

"How do we even know what a perfect dragon is? Hey, Sparky, try and eat somethin'."

She takes the skittle from Art to gently bump it against the creature's snout.

"Then again, it IS small. REALLY small. Do we have to mention it at all?" Art says hesitantly. Like he could keep a secret to save his life.

The hatchling doesn't seem to respond to Thistle's words, but when her scaled fingers come close, it perks up, and snaps it up. A moment of readjustment, like a seagull repositioning a fish, and then - GULP! It swallows the candy whole, and opens it's mouth again, making the first sound they have heard - a weak hiss/creeling noise.

"Eeee!"

"Hey, it ate it!"

"It did" She says

"Art, hurry up!" She holds out her hand for another candy.

Another given! Art looks to Gwen, "I'm not sure if it is old enough to understand questions..."

"Hard to tell how magic will work, but okay we hold that in reserve. Do we have a book on dragons and other creatures in the library? "

Art BRIGHTENS. "No, but I bet Earthrunes would! They have a dragon."

"That's right. Skittles!" She feeds it the next.

"How the hell did you wind up in Blaine's Mausoleum?"

It snaps down a second, and a third candy, before setting nose back down onto her palm, and relaxing. A faint twitch - a burp, perhaps? Is her only answer.

"I don't know either. You might need to ask someone who knows more about that kind of thing. A scholar, or a magician."

Art sighs. Someday, HE will be that scholar...

"I could head to Earth Runes and check the book" Gwen says, though she doesn't look thrilled

"Well, we know it eats candy."

"Maybe it eats anything, and candy was what we had? Who knows what's good for it? I hope we didn't hurt it." Art is concerned. And puzzled by Gwen's reaction. Why would she NOT be thrilled by the idea of a library trip?

"Gwen, maybe Art can talk to the spooky librarian, and you can see the dogs?"

"Oh that's.. I like the library fine" She tries to put on a smile which fails

"Is there anyone here we should ask? If a sluagh knows a lot, maybe the fellow down at town hall might know something. Julius said he's been here forever. Like, since before the Baron ruled. We don't HAVE to go to Earthrunes." Art offers, looking up at Gwen.

"Oh, we could!"

"Sorry guys. I just worry Calaanthe might return. You didn't know her like i did. But even if she was back, she's not allowed at the hold so... library should be fine"

Wide eyed. "Wasn't she turned into a pigeon?"

"Oh, right. The sister."

"A dove and I haven't told you half of how bad she is.. or maybe was. I just know I hope she never gets her hands on either of you"

"Of course, it's closer to early September when her time has a chance of being up" She perks "So... yeah, with a trod escort you guys should be good there if you want"

"Should we bring the dragon?"

"That I'm not sure of... direct contact with the Dreaming COULD be good OR bad for it. " Gwen frowns "This is an area where the scholars you speak of dominate. Not warriors"

"It might get cold left alone."

Gwen ponders "My priority is your lives, not its. On the other hand, I hear you two decided to tackle some wonderland rejects without me so it might be a bit late to keep you safe" dryly

"Maybe we should do both... talk to the scholars here and there. Lest anyone believe that we don't have knowledge of our own to consult."

Art protests, "You were at the Farmhold!"

"And we were here... we could not do NOTHING. Well, Thistle - she knew right away."

He smiles at the Nocker. "I thought she was going to pop it one right in the beak if need be."

"I mean, we had to do something. Bluebell's alright, y'know?"

"I cannot say I think very highly of the knight. My apologies, Dame Gladiola, but it's true."

"I'm still confused about THAT. Since when does Bluebell volunteer to be hunted? That's like.. the opposite of her hopes. Lavender says he tried to use YOU as bait, Thistle. So...keep cautious aif that Trevyon comes back." Then a turn to Art "Yeah? What turned you off about him?"

"It can be hard to say no to a sidhe..."