Much More Fun

Writers: Eimi, Noola
Date Posted: 29th March 2010

Characters: An'dr, Jarla
Description: A little girl looks for something to do and finds a welcome alternative to her chores.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 5

Jarla was bored. Harper classes were through for the day and she
wasn't ready to go home yet and do whatever chores her foster mother
probably had lined up for her. It had been a while since she'd had to
clean out from under her bed and she'd just bet that one was coming up
soon. And she was -not- looking forward to it.

She'd much rather go down to the lake and see if there was anyone
wanting help cleaning their dragon. Dragons were much more fun to
clean than dark, dusty, cobweby spaces under beds. Of course, to the
eleven turns old girl, who was still a couple of turns from being able
to even try to Stand for her her own dragon, anything to do with the
great creatures was great fun. She headed toward the water to find a
dragonrider to offer her services to.

That was where Pluserth found her. }:She looks helpful,:{ he told his rider
who was still sorting his gear.

After a quick glance around, the girl spotted a blue dragon looking
directly at her and she smiled, hurrying over toward it and the young
man who must be the blue's rider.

"Are you looking for something to do?" asked An'dr.

"Hello," Jarla smiled up at the blue first when she reached them and
then answered the rider's question with one of her own. "Can I help
you with him?" She wasn't looking for just anything to do, after all.
If that were the case, she'd go home and probably have to clean out
from under her bed.

"So long as you don't mind getting a little wet," came the response. "He has
been known to splash."

The girl beamed brightly, glad and excited to get to help with the
dragon. "I don't mind! That's half the fun," she replied knowingly.

"Good," An'dr gave her a smile. "This is Pluserth, and I'm An'dr."

"Pleased to meet you, An'dr and Pluserth, my name is Jarla."

The blue bent his head towarsd the girl, giving a draconic sniff as he did
so, }:I like her,:{ he told his rider.

An'dr repeated the comment to Jarla, hoping she would understand what the
dragon meant.

It took her a moment to get it. Thinking the lowered head was an
invitation or request, she'd reached up to rub the blue's ridges the
way she knew, from a life long exposure to dragons, that they liked.
But her hand hesitated halfway there as the realization struck. "He...
likes me?" She asked, a growing excitement in her voice.

"He said so," An'dr gestured to her to go ahead. "He likes a little scratch
now and then, prefers his left hand side for some reason."

Jarla complied, scratching and rubbing on the left sided eye ridges.
"I like you too, Pluserth," she whispered to the blue while she
scratched. The idea that the dragon had specifically said that he
liked her made the little girl very happy. Not only because she loved
dragons so much and had no further goal in life than to become a
dragonrider herself one day - and scorch the fact that she had almost
two full turns to go before she could even Stand! - but also because
he was a blue dragon. Everyone knew blue dragons made the best
Searchers. This pair wasn't a Search pair, she didn't think, but to
her young mind, eager to grasp any straw which might mean confirmation
of her life's dream, it was enough.

"Have you helped with bathing a dragon before?"

"I have," the little girl assured the bluerider quickly. Her foster
mother had started letting her do so last turn.

"Then lets get this blue monster of mine clean!"

Last updated on the May 3rd 2010

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