Chapter Text
Menolly was glad to visit Robinton, especially as their last meeting had been cancelled due to something that had come up on his end. HIs request of her to bring her entire fair was odd, but not out of the ordinary. Occasionally, he’d ask her fair to perform a small concert after official business or he’d ask about their vocal exercises.
Sebell was also joining her today, having decided to come early for his own meeting, though really he was just curious about the reason behind the previously cancelled meeting himself.
The rider who’d dropped them off had left almost immediately after they were clear of his dragon, having more errands to run. The pair would either spend the night or send a message to ask for a ride back to Harper Hall.
A quick glance around the beach showed a higher than normal amount of fire lizards, especially considering Ruth wasn’t around. There were also a number of small fire pits on the beach with what looked like nests.
“Menolly! Sebell!”
The pair turned their attention at the call to the building and the people on the porch. There was Robinton, who called their attention, Lytol, D’ram, and Brekke. There was also a stranger who looked at them warily around the fair of fire lizards settled across the available surfaces near him.
A wailing cry of hunger came from some of the fair and the young man turned his attention to his fair, reaching for something at his side while a pair of golds settled between him and them, along with a handful of various other colors.
“Is this why you canceled on me, Robinton?” Menolly asked teasingly, “You’ve found a new student to replace me with?”
Robinton laughed and Menolly noted eyes flicker to her and Robinton before returning to handing out meat scraps to hungry mouths.
“Yes and no, my dear,” he said, grin as evident in his voice as on his face, “Yes and no. Our new friend here is the reason, but not to replace you.” His grin turned sly and his eyes twinkled, “even if his fair is bigger than yours.”
Sebell laughed as they reached the shade, enjoying her shock. “More fire lizards than Menolly? By how many…?” he trailed off as he realized a number of the fire lizards on the porch were white.
“What…?” Menolly found herself studying the fire lizards and realized that even those of the regular colors had spots and patches of white. One of the browns flared its wings and for a moment she thought the wing sails were missing or translucent before it registered that they were pure white.
“Like Ruth,” Sebell muttered, eyes stuck on the whites on the table.
The dark haired stranger lifted his head and Menolly gasped at the sight of the burn that covered the left half of his face, stopping mid-cheek and just that side of his nose, curving around out of sight. His dragon hide gold eyes glanced across the fire lizards and people on the porch, then out to the cove. His brow furrowed, the scar making it look worse than the obvious confusion in his eyes portrayed it to be, before he reached back to the bucket that could now be seen at his side, for a handful of what smelled like fish pieces.
Robinton smiled at them, amused. “Yes, quite like our white dragon.”
No reaction from the young man.
Menolly and Sebell traded befuddled looks.
Brekke leaned forward, catching their attention. “This young man doesn’t speak Pernese. We’ve been teaching him some, and he recognizes more, but he’s best with names. Ruatha’s dragon and rider are names he recognizes. They got him in to talk to AIVAS to get a language sample and create a book to help with the learning.”
Lytol grimaced. “It’s been going slower than anyone would like. Between these pests and his frustrations, we don’t get much time for learning.”
Menolly frowned as Beauty settled on her shoulder. “It doesn’t take that much more effort to care for new hatchlings. With older fire lizards, they can help take care of the new ones.”
Lytol grimaced as Brekke, D’ram, and Robinton laughed. The young man glanced briefly at everyone again and scowled.
“By the First Egg, you'd think so, wouldn’t you?” D'ram got out around his chuckles, the stranger once again glancing around before focusing his entire attention back on feeding the fire lizards.
Sebell and Menolly traded a look of confusion.
“Ie!” The sound brought their attention back to the stranger who was staring at Auntie Two, who had perched among the white marked fair in curiosity, with something akin to horror. “Mo nai! Shi~tsu! Doko ka ni itte! Go!”
With one hand free, he flapped it at the green, who fluttered back to Menolly with an indignant squawk while the others chittered in amusement.
“We'll introduce you once he's done,” Robinton said. “He sends the older ones hunting and scavenging after meals, or to play in the water. He won't be able to give us any attention until they're all fed.”
“And since he's just started,” Brekke added, “he'll be a while. So, what new song did you mean to share with us before Robinton postponed?”