[ip] It's a fine late evening on a day that Nellie is taking a small break from her studies. After a wonderful dinner that Wind Dancer prepared and she, with several other of the villagers, lounge on Carmo's warm sands watching the moon rise. There had been chatter about the day which evolved into storytelling. Nellie pipes up, "I have a story!", and all settle back to listen.

Nellie looks at them all, notices that Ochre isn't present, and says, "As you may know Dryads were created from pools of celestial essence that remained after the creation of the world. This means they do not relate to time and things of this world the same way as we do. Sometimes time flows differently for them and they experience things that are real to them that are uncanny and ghostly to us. My story this evening is Ochre and the Dragon's Tale...."



Hmmm...thought Ochre as she flew towards the sandstone outcrops on New Trismus, "I'll have to make quite a few shards tonight. The consigner's choice of spells is quite mediocre again." Chuckling to herself about her name and the word mediocre she whispered to herself, "But when I'm done it will be a Grand-Ochre!"

Although merrily amusing herself with wordplay (as she buzzed up to the pool where she usually can find large outcrops of sandstone) Ochre did notice others in the area, both biped and quadruped, and almost no sharp upthrusts of sandstone marring the edge of the pool. "My! things have gotten busy here! It looks like they have Nature's hype-activity due to reacting to the Withered Aegis partly under control.", she thought, "But gone are the days of quiet work with just the breeze to talk to me."

Scratching at the itchy cargo gear with the point of her mining pick Ochre finally found some sandstone near the pool that needed to be irradicated and set to work. As she was demolishing a sandstone pimple on Nature's face, Ochre slowly realized she was being studied. She looked up to see a hatchling intently watching her like he had never seen a Dryad before.

She chuckled as she flew to the quarry shed to store the sandstone on her disk. "Why is it hatchlings are so curious about Dryads? Maybe because we can be as brightly colored as they and we are the only other race that flies." she mused.

"I hope he won't try to eat me! Like Monarch butterflies we look oh so yummy, but taste nasty and we give hatchlings horrid stomachaches. So many just don't learn until they are losing their dignity and their lunch for several hours. Nellie told me of all the groaning coming from the caves at Chiconis those first few weeks that we returned and distraught adults actually having to turn to bipeds for council. She said she didn't know a dragon could blush, until she noticed that a hatchling was throwing up glittering bits of butterfly wings and told his parent that he needed to stop eat Dryads. ...And I do hate having to reform after being chewed on!!"

As Ochre went back to the pool to gather some more sandstone the hatchling walked up to her. She had noticed his strikingly dignified coloration of silver and grey scales and so said to him, "You're a handsome, but unusual color." He seemed pleased with her assessment, his eyes sparkled and he grinned slightly, and said, "Thank you."

Wondering if he was lost or confused with all the things a hatchling needs to learn when they still have eggshell on their ear Ochre asked him, "Are you finding your way around alright?" He nods his head affirmative but says, "Though, I have yet to leave this island." Ahh! he is very young she thinks and councils him, "Take your time to sharpen your talons here before braving the outer world."

As she is saying that, the hatchling intently studies her, even turning his head to the side to look at her from a different angle. "I must ask you, why is it you choose to cover yourself in the color of plants?", eyeing her light green cargo gear.

"Hmmm...that's a different question", Ochre thought and gave him one of the reasons why she liked green instead of just saying....I like the color.

"I enjoy the color, since where I live is warm, but always brown and gold. And this particular type of covering gives me pockets like the Gruok to help me store and carry things. Otherwise I'd be much more comfortable in just my skin. These coverings itch, but are handy." The hatchling pondered the answer before nodding in understanding with a slight grin. "I have always found the naka-duskael interesting creatures. Your inventive clothing is no different.", and the hatchling's slight grin widens to a smile. "We are much the same then."

Ochre's eyes twinkle merrily as she replies, "Aye!", and takes the wonderful excuse to doff the itchy gear at least for a little while, throwing it on the grass. "This is the way I prefer to be and when I'm not crafting for others or building I play in the surf this way."

The hatchling stops apologizing for interrupting Ochre's work and steps closer to inspect his eyes widening with fascination that a Dryad would stay still long enough for him to study. They usually are always buzzing around like they've eaten way too much spun sugar. Her skin was a golden orange like her name with silver leaves and vines trailing all over. Her hair was deep forest green with violet blue flowers growing out of it and her wings were a dark moss green with silver tracings and bright saffron spots. "You are a beautiful creature.", the hatchling exclaims. Ochre blushes and her toes go rosy. "Thank you!", she replies. The hatchling smiles again and nods as he finishes his study, as Ochre is saying, "Although your silver and grey are very striking!"

He suddenly changes the subject as the young will and says, "I hope my kin welcome me..."

Ochre's immediate response is, "They should! A fine hatchling like yourself!!", and he replies with words weighted in heavy dignity, "I have much to prove before hand."

Ochre, thinking he has the normal hatchling worries about measuring up to prove his worth when he finally attempts the Rite of Passage says, "True, but if you study hard and dilengently you should do fine." As she is about to continue on with her pep talk he responds, "I will. What I meant, is that I will not disturb the gathering of Dragons until I am worthy of their respect." Ochre continues on, what he has just said not quite sinking in yet..."And through your path you will find some that will be true friends and will be there when you need them."

With that statement the hatchling's eyes glaze and his gaze goes distant. "Perhaps.", is all that he says. Ochre finally realizes that this is not the regular hatchling fretting, after all most hatchlings seem to love to pester the heck out of older hatchlings and adult dragons whenever they can, not isolate themselves. "Is there something wrong brave one?" she asks. He replies, "No, there is not, but again I apologize for keeping you from your work. I will leave you be. It was nice speaking with you, fair dryad." She knows with those words that he is not ready yet to let go of whatever burden he is carrying and does not pressure him further. Although she reaches out to him one more time hoping that perhaps he'll accept a small token of friendship. "Seek me out if you need a carrier when you have your lair. I will help.", she promises. Lowering his head in a bow the hatchling replies, "You are generous.", and then walks away to some nearby sandstone. Ochre blows a kiss in blessing after him, hoping he will seek her out in the future, for like the lesson of the bees and ants, many hands make light the work. She gathers back up the itchy cargo gear, turns to look for some sandstone, and when she raises her head again, he is gone.

Hmm...she muses to herself, "I wonder what that hatchling's name was?" and the breeze whispers through the grass, "Metaniono".