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She hadn't meant to be late, of course, that would have been unbearably rude of her. But there'd been a fuss at home, and then a fuss with Dad, and it had held her up. It seemed like fussing happened a lot more these days and it was beyond her to understand why. Sometimes she felt like maybe her Dad didn't love her the way he used to. He treated her differently, now. Even if she couldn't quite put a finger on how.

So Earako wasn't in the best of moods when she arrived, just a bit late. But it didn't show, much. The girl walked with a grace that was so practiced at this point that it no longer looked practiced. It had become a part of her. Delicate thing that she was, she really wasn't good at Melee combat. Sure, she could hit just about anything with a bow and arrow these days, but ask her to punch something and... well... things kind of fell apart, there.

"Good Afternoon, Chath." She greeted the boy, and if she'd been in skirts, she would have curtsied. But this was her battle outfit, a thing of soft leathers, with few of the usual ruffles. So she inclined her head instead, not quite bowing, but being respectful. "Thank you for meeting me."

Vimber was following her, but the red dragon had little interest in these games. She was only escorting her Special, as was appropriate. And keeping an eye on the boy of course.

Vimber didn't trust boys.

Earako listened to Chath with every evidence of interest. And perhaps she was interested, or perhaps she was simply being polite. Either way, she nodded at all the right points, and followed Chath's instructions with care. The gloves she was wearing, silken and black, came off. The wraps went on, and her movements in this, at least, were graceful. Dressing was something she was good at, regardless of what she was being told to wear.

"Don't be nervous." Earako chided gently, as she finished with her wraps, holding out her hands to allow Chath to see her handywork. "I'll do my best to be a good student, I promise. I fear I might not be good at it, but I can listen, at least."

She blushed and lowered her eyes, hidden though they might be behind her dark sunglasses. "I just can't seem to get the knack of fighting," she admitted with a quiet sigh. "And as for magic--" A shudder there, as she cut herself off.

"But nevermind that, I am hear to learn from you, not chat." She looked expecantly at Chath, patient as winter.

Vimber, meanwhile, was only mildly interested in Keir. The boy was the greater threat here. Sure, Special preened over other dragons, but Vimber knew that she was irreplacable. But people... Vimber just didn't trust them. They were dangerous, she'd seen them be dangerous. She'd seen them try and hurt her special.

And so she sat, not laying down but sitting at attention, waiting. Special had explained the nature of this meeting, so she would allow some fighting. Indeed, it was needed. Special was too delicate for her own good. But should things get out of hand... well...

Earako was not unused to compliments. Her father and his friends were rough, but that very roughness made them all the more affectionate and protective of the delicate, polite young bat they found in her midst. All the same, Chath's comments on her appearance called up a mild blush. She didn't, of course, believe him, but it was nice of him to say so.

"Some people are dangerous." She agreed, her thoughts far distant from kids like Simon. Earako was many things. Delicate, sweet, ladylike. She was not, however, sheltered. There had been days when she had not worn black for fashion, coffins and green grass. "I want to be able to defend myself."

"I am not studying magic any more," she said firmly, with a brief frown. She paused, shaking off her brief distaste. "I find it doesn't suit me."

The m'lady brought back her smile, the batling could certainly be easily charmed. She gave a soft little giggle, and straightened proudly.

"I don't mind water, I promise."

"Are we ready, then?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. She fluttered her wings absently, and looked expectently at Chath. "How am I supposed to stand?"

Vimber was not unaware of Keir's regard, but she pretended to be. She was too proud to look at the black dragon, and she sure looked haughty. The jewels that decorated her glittered slightly, and her scales were oiled and healthy. Instead, she continued to watch the battle to be, proud too, of her Special, who matched her so nicely.

Earako sized up Chath's stance in one long glance, hers was a gaze used to looking at the details of things. It was not, in fact, difficult to get a sense of how the boy was standing. That part was easy enough. Different, of course, than the stance she used with her bow, but with some noteable and comforting simularities.

Slowly, she adjusted her own pose into an echo of is. She was no perfect mirror, but it was a decent try, at least. There was, more than anything, a tenseness to the way she held herself, a rigidity that would not serve her well in battle. The batling was determained to learn combat. That didn't mean that she enjoyed the practice. Battle made her nervous.

She opened and closed her hands thoughtfully as he spoke of attack and defense, finally settling them into small fists. Her wings fluttered slightly at his mention of them, unfolding from where she had them half closed against her back. "I can, though not fast or far."

The comment about flying with a bow brought a thoughtful expression to her face. She flapped her wings a few times, lifting slightly off the ground, and mimed shooting a bow. Still looking thoughtful, she landed, and resumed the stance Chath had shown her. "I hadn't thought of that." She admitted, after a second. "I am still working on shooting while also moving. And shooting things that are moving. But that you, I will attempt it."

Vimber, on her side of the room, absently resettled herself. The wings opened in a mime of Earako's own, and then closed again, neat against her back. She tilted her head slightly to the side, sizing up the way her Special stood. Even she could see that Special needed to relax a bit. But she was not the teacher today.

"I can dance." Earako replied, hoping the slightly vague answer would keep the boy from the knowledge that she'd never been able to take formal lessons. D-corp kept her so busy, and then Dad... and it wasn't like they'd let her take Vimber to a lot of the dance studios. But she had watched the TV, and made her cousins be her partners while she lead herself through the steps that the books said was a waltz.

Streaching, however, she could do. Dropping the battle pose with ease, she slipped into a sitting position, placing one leg out in front of her so that she could reach for her toes. It was amazing how much flexibility was required to maintain the sort of poise that Earako sought. One had to know their body.

"I'm sorry I'm so nervous." She murmured, from where she was now grabbing her foot. An obedient student, if nothing else. "I, well, I don't really want to hurt anyone."

She paused a moment, switching legs before continuing on her train of thought. "But I do want to be able to, if I have to, you see?" She looked up at Chath, looking at him over her sunglasses. "I guess I'm strange."

From there, she moved into another streach, and it did seem to be working, she was certainly more relaxed then she had been.

The dragon had now settled into a more relaxed position, laying down with her head on her front legs. She kept her eyes open, watching absently, but what she was seeing now was nothing new. Nothing to be interested in, let alone concerned about. If things got dangerous, she'd get back up.

Earako stood to complete her streaching, taking care of her arms and her wings as well. She even gave a few practice flaps, just enough to lift her off the ground before she allowed herself to settle back on her feet. Rolling her shoulders, she looked thoughtfully to Chath, her expression one of neutral interest. She could be hard to read, good manners making for good armor.

Mentally, she was not nearly so quiet, Chath's words creating a worrying echo of memories of images. Kyle, and Da', and even Lithle. The dark in their eyes, the hard edge to their words. But Chath... he was being kind, right? There was no reason to believe that seeking a path meant seeking pain as well, was there? It was just... Earako was good at seeing patterns, and she had seen this one repeatedly.

"That's nice," she said, when he finished speaking. Because, of course, it was nice. It was very nice to want to protect people, to take care of them. "Someone has to stand up to the wolves."

Those were her Father's words, but as such they were a part of her vocabulary. Wolves, dogs, sheep. And Chath wanted to be a dog. She just hoped he didn't loose his kindness.

"I think I'm ready now." She moved back into the position he'd shown her, a little more at ease this time.

Earako watched in facination as Chath summoned water. It was nothing like how she'd been taught to do magic. But he was a different type then her, wasn't he? His type certainly seemed more interesting, but in the end it didn't matter. The man had--

Focus on the present.

In the present, Chath looked like it was exhausting, doing what he was doing. She felt bad for him, especially since he was doing it just to teach her. She'd have to do her absolute best, make it worth his trouble. She just hoped that that was enough. She just wasn't good at things.

Anything.

She cleared her mind, pushed away concerns and fears, focusing only on what Chath was saying. She was good at focus.

"Can you stop a spell? Even if you see that it's happening?" She really wasn't sure how these things worked. If there was a way to stop magic, stop that hateful intrusion, that was something that she wanted to know.