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Ruinnth had already launched herself from the ledge she shared with Meridoth by the time Lyveana realized that the green intended to hunt. Admittedly, it wasn't as if the green needed her rider's supervision or permission, Ruinnth was a dainty eater, and was careful not to gorge herself. These days, however, Lyveana preferred to look over the beasts in the pens herself before allowing her green to feed. More often then not the tithes contained decrepit and diseased stock that was better off being destroyed long before a dragon had a go.

Rui, dear heart, you know I must come with you. Circle back and pick me up please. Lyv called, abandoning her stitching to meet the green as she regretfully swung back around to alight on the ledge. Agilely, Lyv vaulted up the green's extended foreleg and settled between the ridges on her neck without bothering with the riding straps. With such a short drop, she hardly needed them.

I have been watching how you select what I should eat Lyveana, I can do it myself. Ruinnth rumbled, keeping her tone a thread above a complaint probably only out of pride. Ruinnth seldom complained about anything, and she would hardly start over something like this!

Smiling as the wind whipped her short hair back, Lyv pat the green on the shoulder but otherwise left the comment unanswered. She wasn't going to compromise her dragons health for anything, even if Rui thought she knew better. "Set me down by the pens, I'll look them over and then you can stampede them to your hearts content." She replied, readying herself for the drop.

I do not stampede them! Ruinnth replied, helpfully backwinging gently so as not to stir up too much dust into the eyes of another human already along the fence line. Lyveana only laughed in response as she dropped off, giving the green the wave off to go and wait on a ledge off to the left where her presence wouldn't bother the creatures. Being midday, Lyveana did not immediately take exception to the presence of the other person, until she drew closer and recognized the tell tale signs of someone just standing about. Her expression hardened almost immediately, and she strode with a bit more purpose towards the fence.

"Working with the beasts today, girl?" She asked, hard pressed to keep the suspicion from her voice. Between candidates touching eggs, things going missing, and random acts of spoilage all across the lower caverns... Lyveana had little reason to think anyone who wasn't obviously busy with something legitimate was up to anything good.

Lyveana briefly considered sending the girl off to find something useful to do with a bark, but she knew Ruinnth's hunger was probably influencing her negatively. Added to it was the certainty that when she did actually head over to the Lower Caverns, she was going to find a lousy meal for her troubles. Plus, there was no use in yelling at children when they weren't doing anything obviously wrong anyway, though this girl looked a tad bit older then most candidates and probably couldn't be called a 'child' anymore. She was allowed a little bit of the pride that would shape her as an adult.

Still.

All those sour thoughts about the state of things (not to mention the necessity of her current activity) added up to a rather frustrated sigh as the greenrider stalked past the girl and vaulted herself over the fence. Ruinnth was practically salivating up on the ledge, and had nudged her rider mentally more then once since landing.

"Interesting hobby. Most people are terrified." She remarked while passing the girl, reaching the nearest herdbeasts that were still within earshot. "And fewer candidates have the time for hobbies. That is what you are, correct?" Lyveana continued as she cautiously approached a likely female cow-type. Her sharp green eyes missed little, even if the beast was covered in mud and had the course wiry hair of the plains regions. From this distance, the beast looked to be in good enough shape, if old. She had obviously been given as tithe because she was past calf bearing age.

Lyveana took her attention away from the beast long enough to cast speculative eyes on the girl who had followed her into the pens. Not working with the beasts today, eh?

"No, a candidate wouldn't be worth much if they couldn't adapt." She said, turning away to study the rest of the milling hoofstock. The other beast the girl had pointed too did indeed look awful, likely suffered from all sorts of diseases aside from malnutrition. Some of the runner stock looked healthy enough, if one could ignore the limp of the two fattest geldings. Still, with runners lameness was not a physical deformity one had to worry about when considering prey for dragons, so Lyveana sent the mental go-ahead for Ruinnth to hunt.

"Aye, that old girl has seen better days, but she'll suit Ruinnth just fine. Have you previous experience with beastherding?" She asked, stepping back as the dark green fanned her wings and sprang aloft above where they stood. The livestock in the pens shifted, and a few mooed nervously, but Ruinnth wisely waited until her rider and the girl were safely out of the way before stooping into a dive.

The sally was lost on Lyveana, as she was not the type taken in by charms of any kind. She did, however, recognize the nuances of a youngster with a healthy sense of humor, so she merely smiled lightly in return. Never mind the severe overcrowding, the lice, the thievery, and the rampant disrespect, this girl was apparently quite stubborn on becoming a dragonrider. Their were good qualities here, and she was not one of those deadglows who openly scorned a green wingleader when they themselves were not even dragonriders. Whomever had searched her had done a good job bringing this one here. "I am glad someone brought in a girl candidate with sense." She said, watching her green in the sky.

"And don't lose your sense of humor, no matter what toddles your way on Hatching Day." The greenrider eventually added, her bright eyes following Ruinnth as the green landed neatly on her quarry and killed it with little fuss or pain. Like rider, like dragon indeed. Even when she had relied on her own bow and knives to obtain dinner, she had never let an animal suffer before killing it. Ruinnth, blessedly, shared in that and displayed disgust whenever other dragons went out of their way to stampede and torment the hoofstock.

You should ask her name, Lyveana. She is very like you. Ruinnth said quietly, glancing up with a muzzle only lightly speckled with blood. You should also take more time to get to know candidates, rather then thinking they will all do bad things.

Lyv's eyebrows came up at the last, before she hurriedly set her expression to a more neutral one. "Forgive me, I haven't asked your name Candidate." She said, looking over at Rinfala directly. "Ruinnth reminds me I am being unnecessarily rude, though I am sure you understand." The reference was obvious, since even Lyveana couldn't help glancing over at the mouth of the Hatching Sands as she said it.