Breath of Fresh Air

Noah was far too delighted by the success of his mission to pay Jasper's retort much mind. And after a few more attempts at mounting and dismounting while Chaital was on the move, he rested in the small of Chaital's neck, panting lightly.

The dragon chirred warmly at him and made sure to walk carefully on the way home.

Once the dragons had settled under the lean-to and the group made their way inside, Grandpa Jenkins smiled and waved. "Welcome back! C'mon in and get some grub in yer stomachs. We can talk after we all had a few bites in."

The entire home smelled like stew, and Noah made a beeline for his spot at the table and flopped down to eat.

"There's cornbread, too," Mr. Harn said with a grin. "And a bit of grape juice we picked up at a market nearby. There's also water, of course, and some berries if you want any."
 
Lily only hopped up and congratulated Noah on his success, not one to mock like Jasper did, however lightly he meant it. She walked along where Chaital could see her and cooed at the she-dragon that she was taking good care of Noah and they were doing so well together.

Jasper detoured a bit to get Naga the bone he'd promised her on the way back, and walked in as everyone was settling at the table. "You just couldn't wait, could you?" He accused, looking at Naga as she came up with a pock-marked piece of wood in her mouth. Shaking his head at her, he took the bone to the sink to be sure it was clean before he handed it off to her, so she wouldn't make a mess. "Here, as promised."

She struggled for a long pause, trying to figure out a way to take both things at once, then finally set the wood down to take the bone and laid on top of her old chew toy while she settled in with the new one where she could see the whole table. Nobu gave her a wide berth, knowing not to interfere when she was being possessive, and hurried over to Mr. Jenkins to paw gently at his shoe, begging for scraps.

Jasper only sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're gonna get fat if you keep giving everybody puppy eyes."

"Ooh, grape juice!" Lily hopped over with a cup from her spot at the table, excited. "Yes, please!"
 
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"Aww, ain't Naga's fault. I offered it to her," Grandpa Jenkins said with a laugh. Then he felt Nobu's paw on his leg, and he bent down and ran a hand down the dragon's back. "Ya gotta be patient, lad! I ain't finished the stew yet. You'll get yer portion. I promise ya."

Then he stood back up and began scooping stew into the rest of the bowls, whistling to himself. "Jasper, should I bring the dragons' bowls outside? Or can the little ones eat in here?" he asked.

Noah dipped his cornbread into the stew and sighed happily. "Shit, this is so good. Thank you both!"

Mr. Harn giggled lightly and poured Lily a glass of juice. "Only the best for this family. Anyone else want juice besides Lily and Noah?"

"I didn't even ask for juice yet!"

"No, but I'm betting you'll want it. Am I wrong?" Axle asked, raising an eyebrow.

Noah smiled. ". . . No. I do want juice."
 
Jasper made a thoughtful sound, running a hand back through his hair and giving his head a shake. "They can stay in here, I guess. If you put it in the kitchen, I'll clean the floor after." He was sure they would make a mess, with a food made up of so much liquid. "Let me know when you're ready. I'll have to convince Naga to give up her new things." Anyone else would get bitten.

Lily settled in with a big smile, happy both for good food and good company, and amused by Noah and Axle's playful ribbing. She mimicked Noah in dipping the cornbread into the stew once she had it, and made soft, happy sounds as she relaxed back into her chair. "So good. . . Thanks, Mr. Jenkins!" Even if there wasn't good food, she was just happy to be included.

Jasper accepted the offer of juice, mostly because he and Lily didn't get it for themselves very often, but stayed leaning up against his chair without sitting down just yet, ready to help Mr. Jenkins with anything that needed doing, like serving dragons. He wasn't big on wine, anyway, so grape juice would have to do. "Greedy little only child, aren't ya?" He teased, raising an eyebrow at Noah with a small smile even as he took a sip. "He's got you pegged."
 
Jenkins waved a hand. "She can keep 'em both. No reason she can't bring 'em into the other room to set them next to her stew. Ah wouldn't want to take her new toys away fer no reason." He carried three bowls into the other room and whistled. "C'mere, dragons! Got ya some stew!" He carefully set the three bowls in different areas.

Pumpkin was the first one to squeal and bolt into the room, making a beeline for a bowl and stuffing his face into it.

Grandpa Jenkins chuckled and patted his head. "That's a good lad," he murmured before heading back into the dining room. "And you're very welcome, Lily! Glad to have you with us."

Noah very nearly spit out his cornbread from laughing at Jasper's comment, but he managed to keep it in and swallowed hard. "I'm not an only child any more, remember? . . . But I do like my food," he admitted.

Mr. Jenkins scooped some stew into a smaller cauldron in case anyone wanted seconds. Then he pushed a button, and the entire fireplace swiveled so Chaital, Infernus, and Boulder could get at the stew in the large pot. "Aight, big dragons! Stew's up fer ya!"

The group eventually settled into the meal. Only once everyone had at least had their first bowl and a drink did Mr. Harn glance over at Lily. "Pardon my bluntness, but how did the meeting go?" he asked gently.
 
"Yeah, but she can't carry 'em both," Jasper said with a shake of his head. "It's fine, I'll give it back when she's done." He crouched down for a moment to tell Naga exactly that, and after some very wary, defensive posturing she did eventually set the bone very delicately in his hand and stepped away from the stick, as if hesitant to leave them behind. He was probably the only one she trusted to have the things she was possessive of for any period of time, though Lily was rather close to being that trusted as well.

Jasper wrinkled his nose at Noah as he sat down to settle in finally, setting the chew toys down next to his feet to be protected so Nobu and Naga would run off after Pumpkin to eat. "Ugh, don't remind me." He grouched, but smiled just barely afterwards, no true heat behind the words.

Lily 'oo'ed and 'aw'ed at the rotating wall, but was quickly brought back to the table's occupants when Axle addressed her. "Oh, I, um. I don't really know?" She said a bit sheepishly. "It didn't seem great, but Malia didn't tell me what it said, and I'm real used to not asking." Her job was just to deliver messages, and trust that any information she really needed to know would be given to her. "Maybe we could ask her tomorrow?" She was probably in the middle of planning for whatever the response had been right now anyway.
 
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Noah stuck out his tongue at Jasper, smiling, and went back to happily eating his stew. In some ways, Jasper being annoyed at him in lighthearted ways was exactly how he'd pictured a brother acting - even if Jasper didn't consider the pair of them brothers.

Mr. Harn nodded solemnly. "I see. Well, hopefully we'll find out tomorrow and it won't be too terrible." He let out a breath. ". . . Yes, I think we should ask her tomorrow. It'll be awfully tricky getting sleep tonight with all of this hanging over our heads, but I'll do my best."

Grandpa Jenkins finally sat down to eat his own stew. "Well, tell you what you need, Axle. Need you one of them weighted blankets. Helps calm the body."

". . . I'll give it a try, Grandpa Jenkins. Thank you."

"Yup. Got a few of 'em up in the closet. Anybody else want to try one tonight?" Jenkins offered.
 
"She didn't look scared," Lily said with a little shrug, unsure how else to be helpful, "but she doesn't usually. . . I'm sure it's okay." Malia usually had a plan for everything, in her experience. "I think I'll pass on the blanket. Makes me feel like I'm suffocating."

Jasper shook his head a little. "I've already got Nobu to suffocate me, I don't need extra help." Naga was more cautious and stayed pressed against his side or legs, but Nobu had a tendency to lie on Jasper's chest or back, and he might not have been a big dragon but he was big enough. "Speaking of."

As if on cue, the little red dragon came bounding into the room, still licking the remains of his dinner off his mouth as he came to Jasper's feet, saw Naga's toys, and promptly ran off to sit under Lily's chair instead. He knew better than to be near them when she came into the room, and when she did she predictably went right back to guarding them, laying her body atop them between Jasper's feet to keep them safe.

Jasper only sighed, shaking his head at them. "It's hard teaching her she doesn't need to be so possessive when she spent the beginning of her life hunting for scraps." Resource guarding was just a remnant of her life as a stray when each little morsel was important to staying alive. He should probably talk to Nel about it, but Nobu was nice enough about sharing and respecting her things that it hadn't become a huge issue yet.
 
"You can hardly blame her for it," Mr. Harn said gently, watching the young dragons interact on the floor. "You know, maybe with enough time, she'll begin to learn that people won't be taking her things, and that she won't have to fight to survive any more. But in the meantime, I'm sure the group she's with will show her all the kindness and patience she needs."

Noah cleared his plate, and then hopped up to carry it towards the sink. "That was so good! Anyone else done? I can take your plates and shit for you."

"Thank you kindly, Noah. I'll be a bit yet, though," Mr. Harn said with a chuckle. "Can't get enough of that stew."

Pumpkin meandered back in after taking his time eating, making his way towards Lily. Then he chirped and pawed gently at her leg to ask to be picked up.

"In any case, I'm glad yer all home safe an' sound now," Grandpa Jenkins decided. "Anybody need anything afore I start turnin' in to bed?"
 
Jasper gave his head a little shake, not ready in that moment to go into the depths of how long it had taken to earn her trust for himself. "At least she knows her stuff is safe with me, and Nobu's not territorial at all." The chubby dragon was extremely well assured of the fact that he would always have all the toys, food, and other treats he could want.

"I'm all done!" Lily said with a smile when they were mostly done eating and Noah started looking for dishes, and handed hers off to be cleaned before leaning over to pick Pumpkin up into her lap and idly massage the base of his wings. "Thanks, Mr. Jenkins, it was really good! I think we're gonna head home tonight. I've got actual work in the morning, I think."

"What kinda potty mouth??" Jasper said incredulously even as he handed over his bowl as well, raising an eyebrow at Noah. "We need to keep a swear jar around now?"

Lily only rolled her eyes at his theatrics. "Like you're one to talk. I've heard you when you drop things on your foot."

"That's extremely justified," he insisted, lifting his chin with a hand pressed haughtily to his chest. "This one just spouts four letter words at random intervals."

She laughed, staying seated to keep petting Pumpkin for now. "Jasper, stop. If we got a swear jar you'd fill it up yourself."

He paused, as if to mull over the thought, and finally held his hands up in an exaggerated shrug. "Point."
 
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Noah snorted and scrubbed the dishes a bit more fervently. "I mean, if you mind, I'll try to knock it off. Emphasis on try," he added with a laugh.

Mr. Jenkins nodded to Lily and Jasper. "All right. Well, safe travels to you both! I hope we'll see ya sometime soon. Would you like to come over for dinner again tomorrow?" he added hopefully.

"I will!" Axle replied, raising a hand.

The old man laughed. "I know ya will, on account of stayin' till the crystal thing's cleared up. Lily? Jasper? What do yer schedules look like? I was thinkin' of having a big ol' barbecue of sorts - one big enough fer the dragons to join in. Ah can roast some meat plain, no spices, an' make the rest fer us."
 
Lily shook her head at Jasper, waving Noah off a bit before going back to massaging Pumpkin where he sat in her lap. "He's only pulling your leg, don't worry. He just likes to pick on you 'cause people think rich people are supposed to be fancy."

Jasper gave her a dry look but made no actual arguments, and just looked over at Mr. Jenkins while he talked. "I'm sure we could make dinner. Let me know what to bring."

"I might be a little late," Lily said thoughtfully, wondering how much work she would have the next day. "But I've gotta drop Fern back here for the night anyway, so I'd love to come! It'll be fun!"
 
"Well, yeah, sometimes. But only when I have to be," Noah said with a scoff. "I don't really like being fancy."

"We noticed," Axle said, smiling.

"Anyway, Lily," Noah continued, "Drop in any time you want tomorrow! We'll all probably be up pretty late."

Mr. Jenkins smiled at Jasper. "How about ya bring yer favorite sauces an' spices? You've always had a great taste fer barbecue."

Pumpkin flopped over in Lily's lap, exposing his belly with a happy rumble.

"Aww, look at him," Axle murmured. "Wish I could relax that easily."

"What? Father, you're always relaxed," Noah said with a scoff.

Mr. Harn smiled thinly. "I'm glad it appears that way." Then, realizing he might say too much, he rose from the table and nodded. ". . . I'd better head off to bed. Have a good night, everyone."

Noah hurried over to give him a hug. "Night! Love you!"

"Love you, too."
 
Jasper raised an eyebrow at Noah, a small, amused smile on his face. "Something tells me you'd happily roll in dirt if no one stopped you."

Lily rolled her eyes at them, laughing softly and giving Pumpkin the belly rubs he asked for so adorably. "All it takes is some good company," she said softly, and tried not to look worried when Axle seemed stressed. There were things going on that she was sure she didn't feel the full weight of, but it seemed as if he did. At least, for a little while, they could help him relax at the barbecue. When he got up to leave, she smiled for him and scooped Pumpkin up into the cradle of her arm as she got to her feet. "Sweet dreams!"

Jasper was careful not to squish Naga in scooting his chair back, and took a moment convincing her to hand over her chew toys for him to carry before getting to his feet. "We should get going, if you don't need help cleaning up. It's probably time we slept in our own beds." Lily was tired, he knew, and as much as she liked the people around her she would want to shower and sleep at home, where everything was hers rather than something she was borrowing.
 
Noah waved a hand at the pair, smiling and ambling back to the sink. "Nah, we'll be fine. You two go and get some rest. You've more than earned it," he added. "See ya tomorrow!"

It was hard to sleep that night, though for Noah it was due to excitement. The next morning, he raced through breakfast. Then he and Chaital galloped towards the Dragonry. Hopefully Nel would be around, or another rider who could help them train. "Ready for another fun day of training?" he asked Chaital.

The copper dragon chuffed and swished her tail. She was very ready. Noah was learning quickly, and even today, his posture on her was more confident and relaxed than before. She sniffed the air to try and catch a scent of Nel. He was the first one they'd been instructed to train with, after all. She knew he'd be around somewhere.
 
Lily wanted to help, but she also hadn't slept well and was very tired, so she thanked Noah and said goodnight, and after making sure Infernus was settled she walked home with Jasper to have a restful night. Jasper didn't come back with her in the morning, as it was safe enough for her to travel in daylight hours by herself, and she made the trip pretty much every day. She was recognizable enough, given she'd lived in Lower Floaten for most of her life and often times delivered mail inside the city as well as out.

Nel was always around, though he could most often be found far off from the Dragonry's main buildings, wandering amongst where the dragons lived on the less developed land and making sure everyone was doing all right. Spending his day out in nature, amongst creatures rather than people, was how he'd spent most of his life before he'd come to the Dragonry, so it was where he was comfortable.

He had risen early, and so had already eaten breakfast and was wandering back to the Dragonry by the time Noah and Chaital made their way there. He was soaking wet from head to toe, after a brief, unplanned dunk into the nearby stream, and needed to go back to the living quarters to change his clothes. Still, when he saw them he only smiled and waved. Just another day.
 
It didn't take long for Chaital to spot Nel. And with no other dragons in sight, she was free to greet him with her usual excitement. She bounded towards him, skidded to a stop, and gently head butted his chest with a gentle rumble.

Noah laughed and hopped down off Chaital's side. "Hi, Nel! Good to see you." Then he blinked and tilted his head. ". . . Why are you all wet?" he asked. "Did somebody push you in a river?" He pointed at Chaital, snickering lightly. ". . . Was it a dragon? Anyway, we came over to ask if you had some time to train us more today. Maybe after you've had a chance to change into some fresh clothes," he added lightly.

-----

Mr. Harn, meanwhile, made his way on foot to Malia's office. Eventually he arrived and knocked lightly on the door. "Ms. Malia? It's Mr. Harn. May I come in and speak with you?"
 
Despite the state of his clothing, Nel had a ready smile for when Chaital came to greet him. He opened his arms for her, unafraid of the speed with which she approached, and when she had stopped only wrapped his arms around her and leaned his weight against her head. He knew she was more than strong enough for it, and her greetings had always been very physical. It had been a long time since she'd accidentally bruised him that way, so he fully embraced it.

"Good morning, my friend," he said warmly, always appreciative of her excitement to see him and her care with him regardless. When Noah hopped down off her back, he smiled a bit sheepishly, shifting his weight back onto his heels though he continued petting at Chaital's scaly head with both hands. "Ah, yes, actually. . . In a way. I was checking on Naydra, who lives in the deeper parts of the stream, and . . . well. She pulled me in." It had been a playful thing, not a dangerous one, so he couldn't really hold it against her despite not wanting to go for a swim. "I should be able to spare some time after I've dried off." If it had been the full heat of summer he would just have sat in the grass to dry quickly, but it wasn't really warm enough for that now.

***************​

When Axle arrived at her office, the door was open and Malia was seated on the floor, looking between a few dozen pieces of paper spread out in the space in front of her, each with the name of dragons and riders on them. It was a great, shuffling game, trying to figure out who would be where and when, and just how many resources they did and did not have to work with.

"Hm?" She murmured softly, distractedly, but raised the hand that was not braced thoughtfully on her chin to wave him into the room. "Oh, yes. Come in, come in. If the door isn't shut, you are free to enter at will, Mr. Harn." Thoughtfully, she picked up one piece of paper and moved it to a different group, to see if it would even things out. "What can I help you with?"
 
Noah could tell from Nel's tone that the experience had been an overall pleasant one, so he smiled and nodded. "Sounds like fun! And don't worry, Chaital and I aren't in a rush. Where should we meet you for training?"

Chaital snorted at him, as though to say, "speak for yourself." While her main breath power was water, she also had the ability to create steam or scalding water, in various temperatures. She blew a light breath over Nel in the hope it would help him dry off faster, knowing it wasn't hot enough to hurt.

Noah chuckled. "Are you steam cleaning him, Chaital?"

-----

The man nodded and stepped carefully inside, picking his way around the papers before sitting nearby on the floor. "I came to check how things are going. And I have to admit, I was curious about the letter the dragon riders sent. I hope it was only mildly distressing news, not terrible?"
 
"I can meet you near the storage sheds," Nel suggested with a little shrug, since they would need to go and get the training saddle again. When Chaital blew a warm, careful breath at him, he only gave a soft laugh and patted lightly at her head. "It's all right, my friend. I promise I will go and change quickly. The dorms are just there." It wouldn't take very long for him to run off, dry and change clothes. His hair could stay wet, he would just have to wander around without shoes for a little while.

***************​

Malia glanced over when Axle actually sat on the floor nearby rather than stand or sit in one of the available chairs, but didn't comment on it. "Mildly distressing is correct, I suppose. Grandmaster Oneras and I had a chat last night, after I received it. The powers that be are going to be of no help to us, so it's become necessary to go behind their backs. If we can rearrange things well enough, he can send a few of his riders on their off time, but only smaller dragons that won't be easily missed. Anything very large is going to have to come from us."

She had a list of dragons next to her, as well, on a notepad rather than the small strips of rider and dragon pairs she was shifting here and there in front of her as a sort of visual guide. The trouble was that many of their larger dragons had no riders, whether because they had never chosen one, outlived their chosen human, or begun their life out in the wilderness and only come to the Dragonry when they were hurt or in need of other aid. They would need a sizable helper not only to defend themselves but to carry a crystal large enough to replace the one helping power an entire city.
 
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