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As much as Natai hated to admit it, the bronzerider had been right on one thing: Iachixth soon became much too large to play with the village children. She shot up and out, her legs long and gangly, her hide deepening in it's colors as she expanded. Things were becoming... questionable, though she still had plenty to eat and enough oil to cover her for now. A Masterhealer visited often, brought things with him to help and lately, Iachixth had been attempting to fly.

She thought it would be super impressive to meet this new dragon in the sky like an adult. Natai always tried to meet new people in some sort of style and Iachixth, always curious to try new things, insisted on doing the same. Nana wrapped a leather color around her neck, a Frankenstein monster of two straps for the herdbeasts, and pasted wildflowers onto them to make her look decorative. The little (figureatively speaking) gold pranced just outside of the limits and out of sight to Cepheith, distracted with her task of becoming one with the air.

Half of the wildflowers fell off in her previous attempts. Natai stood on the ground, her head tilted and arms crossed over her chest. She dressed for the occasion as well, not wanting to be caught covered in soap suds or dirt like previous times. Brown sandals laced up under the ankle-length orange skirt, her waist sashed with yellow, a matching yellow hat shading her eyes from the sun.

"Iachixth, they're going to be here soon. If you want me to have enough time to paste your flowers back on, you'll need to rest."

But I want to fly. The gold protested, a whine in her voice. Her tail flicked to and fro, torn between her desire to be awesome cool flying dragon like the awesome cool flying dragons she saw when she hatched (not that she remembered them) and listening to Natai. The rider saw her chance and scooted closer, crooning reassurances and rubbing at her leg. Iachixth stood taller than her now, though that didn't stop the dragon from leaning in with a pleased rumble. It'd be nice to make mo-- Hey! Hey, Natai-Mine, there she is, look!

The larger dragon swooped in and Iachxith squeaked in glee, scooting her growing self over to where she saw teh other female descend. She bugled a greeting, Natai jogging after her. Hello! I am Iachixth! This is Natai and this is our Hold.

"You're getting faster." Natai huffed once she caught up, leaning on the gold dragon before Iachixth started to squirm. She smiled at Narisa, squashing down the initial spike of apprehension. "Thank you for your heads up, we appreciate it. I--well, like Iachixth said, welcome to our home."

I can't fit into the small spaces anymore. Iachixth agreed, her voice somewhat mournful. The little gold stretched her neck as far as she could to sniff at the older one and crooned in approval. Not even the barn. Mother says, she says it's because I can't be a bug forever and that my skin is fitting my personality. It's big.

Iachixth preened over the remembered compliment, just as pleased that she could conjure up the conversation as she was the words themselves. She paused when Cepheith brought up the other dragons, her eyes swirling a soft yellow of anxiety with the blues and greens. Her mindvoice lowered to a 'whisper' meant just for Cepheith. The other big shiny ones were a long, long, long time ago but whenever Natai thinks of them, she gets angry and scared. She says one yelled, my nest-mothers person, and the man tried to make her feel bad about not leaving. Iachixth's excitement dimmed somewhat. I like it here, it is our home. But there is Berath! She visits sometimes and now I am almost as big as her. She said she would bring me some more friends.

Natai cringed slightly with Iachixth's next words, her mind voice spreading to the two humans along with the other gold, piping soft and so sharding hopeful. Did she send you to be my friend? The little humans are too big to play tag with anymore and they can't learn to fly.

She stepped forward anyway and shook Narisa's hand as she'd been taught to do. Manners had been smacked into all the kids heads when they were still small - Mother insisted. "Nothing to forgive. It's a pleasure to meet you Narisa and Cepheith. We've had visits from other adult dragons before luckily, the Holders are almost used to it. She is most impressive, though."

Iachixth preened inwardly again. One day she would be that big. It would be exciting.

"It's not a bother at all. You're right, we aren't big but..." Natai tapered off, her smile faint but genuine. "My family runs the butcher shop in the middle of the town. We can explore on the way there, if you'd like? We have tea. ...with oil somewhere because yes, itching and growing is all she does."

With flowers.

Her smile brightened. Yes, dear. With flowers.

We used to have a room! It was the back room. Father tore down the outside window and built us a door but now I don't fit. Iachixth pranced anyway for the sheer fact that she could. The gold scooted closer, snuffling curiously again at the older female when that nose hit her leg. She squealed in mock anger and returned the nudge with one of her own. Ha! Take that older and nice Cepheith!

Delighted squirming followed. Squirming often followed when it came to Iachixth, it seemed to be her default method of standing still(ish). Does it count as being mean when ... when... She searched Natai's memories briefly and nodded in a most human fashion. Suunanth-who-clutched-me came with Hers, and her person yelled and was mad and Natai didn't like that. I don't really remember, I am looking at her memories like a picture book in Nana's room but it was loud. I was very small then, I fit in the metal outside tub, and was a fluttery bug. But! But! What can we do? Is it awesome? Are we awesome?

"Oh, you'll be getting stared at soon enough." Natai waved one thin hand, a smile once again warming her face. These two appeared... normal, or at least as normal as a person bonded to a giant animal could be. For her own part, Natai tried on a regular basis to remain as grounded as she could, to cling to a part of her past and her life as if by going elsewhere she would lose that part of her too. Each day in the Hold meant another inch or two on Iachixth but it meant one less day spent dealing with someone trying to push her into a mold she did not fit. Obeying someone like that first woman... "Does it include a mop and a bucket? I'm tempted to start climbing on top of her and just pouring the oil onto her and then scrubbing from above with one of the clean mops. It could work."

Her smile brightened even further. The goldrider rubbed the back of her neck and then blinked, an idea dawning on her. "If you miss it, well... I mean, it's not an actual vintner, they aren't making the wine here, I think, but there is a little wine shop? It smells a bit what the grapes in the market do. My father tends to forget he is roughly the size of a wall so we don't keep any in the house. There's only so many chairs a man can lean on."

Iachixth crooned her admiration for the impressive wingspan, her eyes swirling greens and blues, happy as anything. That would be nice! Could we? Then we'd be able to visit everyone and not have to wait and you wouldn't have to worry about scaring the Holderpeople. Iachixth didn't know who these 'everyone' people were but she knew enough to realize she didn't know them.

His name isn't really Father, Iachixth confided with a hushed mental whisper. Natai says it's Bjoronati but no one can pronounce it and so everyone in the Hold calls him Father. She says Mothers name is Naadina but Father is Father so everyone calls her Mother to match. But I'm sure they can build me something, he is big and they built the barn and the house and stuff. The only thing is that NataiMine says that if we stay outside of the Hold that we can be grabbed.

The little golds eyes whirled yellow with a quiet tinge of cloud-gray in her distress. She liked her Hold. She knew yelling happened when Natai said this, that even some of the Hold folk thought a dragon too big of a strain. Try as they might, even silly little curious Iachixth could not hide forever from the Looks of utter confusion and disliked from the few. In a small Hold, few turned to many on a regular basis but Natai's family had enough respect in the community to keep that at bay. Even so, Iachixth did not want to be grabbed. It scared her. Not many things did.

"I'm used to having a toddler constantly underfoot with a seven year old. Luckily Iachixth can be categorized under 'hyper well meaning child' until she gets older. Not that I think of her as a human or my child, it's just easier to plan how to keep her entertained if I think that way." She grinned, though it dimmed by a shade when Narisa brought up being a Junior weyrwoman. She wanted to ask just how she could stand working under that other one, the Kindra, Or even near that bronzerider. Her eyes crinkled in amusement anyway when Narisa laughed again, her gaze latched on to her dragon. "I will make sure to. One of the larger mops and a bucket to tie to a head knob or something. It will work out the arm muscles, that's for sure."

Iachixth squeaked in delight with the nuzzle, returning it with one of her own. Are you sure you are not Cepheith-who-clutched-me? Because that would be fun, Natai might have said yes if you were but she lost her - her - I can't remember his name, but she lost him and was sad, then there was anger. She found me in a cake. She wanted to prance, an eager filly among the sleek racehorses for the first time. Iachixth nudged at her, chirped, and flicked one wing out very carefully in a direction she knew to be correct. Animal lands out there! They've been moved, though, there are babies being born so Mother put there somewhere safe. She says she knows I won't eat them but other things might, so there is a big place, I just can't go. The outside fields are empty, though, and Natai and I go running there. She sits on me and I pretend to fly.

For not the last time that day, Iachixth preened. It is fun. We do it before we sleep at night so I just flop down and sleep after. Can we do it? Can we fly? Or - or try anyway, I know you fly. I saw you do it.

For a split second, Natai thought she crossed a line inviting the other woman to the small shop. It had to be much more rural than what the junior weyrwoman became accustomed to, especially if raised by Vintners, and she knew her home Hold to be smaller than the great sprawling Fort or even Crafthalls. The line of her shoulders tightened for that brief flicker in time and then, slowly, softened once again when Narisa agreed.

"Oh," she said, and did her best to pretend the rush of feelings didn't come from meeting a fellow rider not Bereck that seemed genuinely nice. Natai had her own masks, her own polite front that went with trying to be the daughter people wanted, and even if Narisa faked her kindness, the lie was appreciated. (She quite hoped it wasn't false.) Natai and Iachixth were very fond of the healer and Berath but they weren't near to her age, he wasn't a woman like Natai was - and as sexist as that sounded, it mattered a little. Her smile returned back to its previous brightness and she nodded towards the main area of the Hold. "While they go and coat the fields with the scent of huge predator, shall we go? I don't mind at all, the owner is very nice and it's a pretty shop."

I just don't see what's wrong with living here. It's a little small and it's sometimes sad when it's no other dragons around but- The little gold shifted, her wings giving a flick. She chirped and nudged back, her slim head angled up to look again to Cephieth. -But it's nice! I guess it could be fun, living with others like us. And being able to fly! We've met the Weyrlingmaster, she's nice too, and the Masterhealer. Do you like living in the Weyr?

"I'm dead center in a herd of children. Your skills are much more useful here than mine are," Natai chuckled, her lips twisted in amusement. "Iachixth used to be entertained by riddles and chasing moths around the yard." Iachixth crooned her agreement.

Questions, all of them, and the little gold nudged her once more. The question of the cake caused Iachixth to pause again. This time, she hummed, kneading at the ground as she flipped through Natai's memories of that day. It was a really really long time ago so I don't remember how I got there, just that Natai was there and I needed to find her because she's Mine. There was a table all full of meat and then a big cake on another table. She was going to get hand-uhm - handfasted? That! Yes. With the dress and party and that's why there were people there so I thought the cake would taste good. I think, anyway! Why else would I be in a cake? So she came out and I was eating the meat because cake isn't good. I had icing on my eyeridges. So we turned it to a Hatching feast! Iachixth brightened more, her eyes swirling pleased blues despite the conversation. He gave her my first bottle of oil and I dug for worms! It was fun. I still like worms.

Through the little speech and rose-tinted view of what had happened, Natai shifted from foot to foot in the slightest change of weight. Iachixth didn't understand the feelings behind the pictures she saw, or what the words translated to for humans. But! Narisa agreed to go look at the winery and that meant Natai could pretend their dragons weren't discussing what they both (likely) knew they were. She started towards the wine shop when Narisa agreed, pausing to make sure the other woman was going to come with her. "Most of them were about to stab the ones that stole her, quite honestly. Then we were more worried about the members of the revolution coming to steal us off or kill us."

Thin shoulders rose and fell, Natai's fingers playing over the soft fabric of her skirt. "It's not as if any of us went running off to the Weyr to Impress, either. I was expected to do one thing and instead..." Her smile turned mild, polite, and her tone wry. "It's moved from being puzzled over expectations changing to 'shaff and shards, how are we going to feed this huge creature?' but not Iachixth herself. The children like her. She likes them. It's the path she brings with her that is strange. The world is changing and our situation isn't exactly normal."

Natai paused and huffed out a sigh. Her expression smoothed into something sheepish. "Sorry. That was an incredibly long answer."

Iachixth watched Natai and Narisa before Cephieth once more had her complete attention. She all but bounced and started off towards the animal pen, average size for her color and age, but svelte even then. She wriggled. We will have fun even if there is no eating! Are we jumping off high places? I used to do that when places were high.

Iachixth breamed excitement up at the older gold, her mind nothing but cheer and gold and happiness with the world around her. She squirmed in place with the other dragons kind words and tone, little tail wriggling happily. We like changes. I like humans too, they're very interesting things, but they are small and can't run very fast or fly. If I fly, when I fly, I can come and see you! I am trying now, with a hill, and then... And then we can visit. I'd like to meet the other dragons. She hummed in thought, head tilted. That quickly changed when Cephieth leaned in for surely such a thing meant that nose touchings were required. She squeaked, leaned up, and poked her in the muzzle with her own, possessing every bit of young enthusiasm she had in her. Visions of the wallow, the hut, the bronze males glittered in her mind. Iachixth sent back pictures of the herdbeast pens and the barn (though really, Cepheith could likely see that herself if she looked about) and Mother and Father and her little human friends. But yours are much brighter

She scampered along then, squeaking and chirping as she did so, her tail flicking behind her. Cephieth was larger and her legs longer, meaning the little dragon had to frolic about at twice the speed in order to keep up with her. She knew the way to the pens well enough, wings flaring every so often with a little hop-bounce she kept since infancy.

Natai clasped her hand to her chest with a dramatic sigh. "It's something everyone has to learn. Yes, dead center, you'd think I'd end up one of those long-forgotten middle children but in the midst of hyper active and all but muscle bound siblings from both sides, at least I don't get lost in the fray. We will most certainly come and visit you. It would be fun to see what normal Weyr life is like, and what Goldriders do." But she laughed with the story of young Cepheith, one slim hand rising to cover her mouth as she chuckled.

She did not expect the friendly hold on her shoulder, the other young woman speaking quite seriously for so light the previous conversation. The goldrider quieted, listened, even took another moment or two to allow it to sink in.She brightened either way and stepped closer to touch Narisa's elbow, a brush of fingers, of acknowledgement.

"Our lives are now political mish-mash. It'd be silly to ignore it. I appreciate your words and offer. Please know that if Iachixth and I can offer you help that you can call on us." Natai paused, lips quirking. "So long as it's not something along the lines of 'stab this person!'. I'm quite against that. As for Iachixth and flying, no. She's been jumping, I've been watching."

Natai chuckled again and led her towards the small door of the winery, pulling the door open. "She's getting stronger, though. I'm not sure if I should ride with her at first."

Iachixth bounced. She may or may not have headbutted Cepheith just a little in her excitement. Yes please!