chilly times coming [OPEN!!]

[Kat]

The small market formed by the few craftsmen who dared to venture to the Eyrie was so pathetically miniscule compared to the marketplace in Sayaie. Ri’ley was not used to the limited shopping options, nor was he good at shopping without so many choices, since his needs were unusual and specialized. He wanted to purchase medical supplies, but after talking to the medics, he had been informed that he would probably not be able to buy any medical supplies at the Eyrie, which meant he would have to beg one of the riders to take him to Sayaie, a trip which the man would have to make without Dionyph. The thought of going anywhere without the hatching was painful, and Ri’ley was not yet ready for such a separation. So, instead, Ri’ley was preserving what supplies he had, and hoping that he could last supplementing his own stores with the supplies in the Eyrie until Dionyph was big enough to fly himself or until Ri’ley was emotionally controlled enough to remove himself from Dionyph’s presence. But, unfortunately, Ri’ley needed clothing, and he could not wait until Dionyph was older to dress himself. While his supplies could be supplemented, his garments could not, as Ri’ley could not even wear hand-me-downs from the older riders, as his size prevented him from sharing any items which fit other people. And the man had ruined a total of four pairs of pants, which meant that before the winter’s intensity increased to an icy power, Ri’ley needed to purchase some pants some sort of coat, which he neglected to bring with him, and if he could find it, some sort of surgical smock. He had brought winter clothing from Sayaie, but as the temperature dropped, Ri’ley could already tell that the barren system of caves which formed the Eyrie would be colder than the walled city from which he came. He just needed supplies suited for his new environment.

Even though he thought that his trip might be either expensive or fruitless, Ri’ley felt that he had no choice but to at least attempt to find what he needed in the small collection of venders in the Ground Caverns. To intensify the awkwardness of his visit, beyond the eccentricity of both his needs and his measurements, the man felt that Dionyph must come with him, as Ri’ley hated going anywhere without the hatchling firmly planted at his side. In the three months since the hatching, however, Dionyph had grown quite a bit. He was now taller than many people with which Ri’ley interacted, although not yet Ri’ley’s height, and he had expanded in length as well, so that he was a little over twelve feet long. So, the hatchling was quite difficult to maneuver through any common spaces not created especially for use by the winglets. He fit in the ground caverns only because of the fact that as Dionpyh moved behind Ri’ley, and they had to walk single file, people moved out of his way, either because of respect or fear, which meant that Ri’ley could walk through the small crowd unfettered.

Even though Ri’ley was put together, his self-grooming ruitines had diminished over the three months since he bonded with Dionyph. The time commitment of caring for the hatchling left the man unable to tend to himself most of the time, which lead to a more casual portrayal of himself. Instead of tucking his shirts into his pants, Ri’ley usually wore them out, which allowed him a bit more freedom about whether or not he pressed his pants. He usually did not have time to iron his pants, especially since he was obsessive and almost compulsive about pressing his clothing when he had the time to do so. He shaved almost every other day, which meant that on days like today, the second day, his face was shadowed with black stubble. As Ri’ley approached a tailoring stand, he brushed his black hair from his face. It was long enough now that it danced around the tops of his eyelids. It was almost long enough to obscure his vision. He could already tell nothing at the stand would fit him, but it was the only store selling suitable clothing at the moment, and he needed pants and a coat. He bit his lip, as he approached the woman selling the clothing.
”I don’t suppose you have anything that would fit me?”
The woman turned around and as she appraised Ri’ley, a panicked expression grew on her face. He knew that such an expression meant that she had nothing in her stock which would remotely fit his form. He was used to such a reaction for venders.
”Maybe a coat?”
She would certainly not have any pants, not with that look gracing her visage. The woman hesitated, before she slipped behind a curtain and produced a nice, fur-lined leather jacket, silver fur, black leather. It certainly looked warm enough for what Ri’ley needed.
”This is the largest one I have.”
The woman explained as she handed the coat to Ri’ley.

Ri’ley was skeptical that the coat would fit him, but he tried regardless, slipping one of his arms into the sleeve. The sleeve was much too short, as it stopped three quarters of the way down his arm. Still, of all the parts of the coat to alter, the sleeve was the easiest aspect of the coat, so Ri’ley wiggled his body into the rest of the coat. The coat did not fit anywhere, however; his shoulders were bent awkwardly in the leather, and with his arms in both sleeves, they rode farther up his arm than the first initial sleeve.
You look funny, mine, but that humorous appearance does not suit a blackrider. No one in the Eyrie will take you seriously.
Dionyph protested as his silver eyes scanned his bonded’s form. Ri’ley chuckled, which increased the pressure of the jacket across his body, and the sound was stifled by the restrictive leather.
Don’t worry, Dio, I am not going to buy it. I can barely breathe.
Ri’ley corrected as he turned towards the woman, the turn on his heel difficult and stiff.
”I think I am going to need help out of this, so that I don’t damage it.”
Ri’ley wheezed, and the woman scurried towards Ri’ley, her eyes focusing on Dionyph instead of on Ri’ley as she moved. Ri’ley presented her his arm, and she struggled to slip his limb from the encasing leather.
I am proud, mine, that you knew when to ask for help. A sign of a good warrior is the ability to know his limitations.
Dionyph chirped, and Ri’ley squirmed to free his body from the coat.
I always thought it would take fighting something more menacing than a small coat to display my aptitude as a warrior.

[/b]
Ri’ley replied, as one of his arms emerged unscathed from its prison. Dionyph felt confused by Ri’ley’s statement, so he hung his head, but did not ask for clarifications. Humans could be so baffling sometimes. He hoped he would understand them one day, as it would be his destiny to protect both humans and simourvs. Ri’ley lifted his head further up, so that he could meet Dionyph’s gaze, in a way which allowed the hatchling to spot Dionyph’s dimpled grin from above the shelves of the store.
[/blockquote][/size]

[winged]

Born and raised outside of city limits, the market felt plenty spacious to I'dou. Stalls were raised in an even approximation of a market's square which brought a moment's worth of reminiscing about the few times she and her father had ventured into Chydyn to sell excess foodstuffs for much valued coin. The air had finally cooled, bordering on slightly uncomfortable in the thin tunic she'd chosen to tug over her head that morning.

Not that she'd had much to select from, and thus the reason she'd braved the short jaunt out here. Her wardrobe had been in need of sprucing up when she'd arriven here - now after a few months' dedicated care for her gray, she was down to the slimmest of slim pickings. Laraph had teasingly pointed out Hers looked like 'something the simourv dragged in' before gentling her criticism once I'dou had shot her a venomous look. Still, the fact remained. She needed new clothes, and she'd been holding onto funds she'd inherited since her father had died. She reasoned that at least she could buy a heavier coat - that was a necessity, if the change in weather was any indication.

She'd allowed for Laraph to escort her down, both for the fact that the Gray could use the exercise as well as the very simple fact that she radiated warmth. One hand was at all times buried in the young simourv's down as they reached their intended destination and began making a slow circuit of goods on sale. There was the odd, gaping stare and a whisper or two as curious eyes settled on the little (not so little anymore) queen and rumors began flying. I'dou shot any nearby perpatrators an icy stare, while Laraph arbitrarily ignored the curious gazes in favor of studying the wares up for sale.

Oh, what's that? Fixated upon a set of pearly earrings, Laraph detached herself momentarily from her rider's side, to which I'dou reflexively swung her head away from the nicely tailored boots she'd been scrutinizing. 'Oh. That's jewelry.' She identified the glittery bits of decoration with a sniff (partly out of disdain, and partly because her nose was beginning to run) and a rudimentary second of attention, before turning back to her mental shopping list and the tallies of numbers she'd been running through her head.

It's pretty! You should buy some, you don't have any. Plenty tall enough for her head to hover over the wooden display, the shopkeeper cleared his throat nervously as Laraph's beak hovered over his pieces. "Ah, ma'am. Y-your bird..." A fidgety hand reached out to snatch away a particularly prized pendant, before I'dou's own clamped over top of his, and the woman scowled full-force. "Simourv."

"W-what?" "She's a simourv, not a bird. Get it straight." Obviously flustered, the spindly man lurched backward as though scorched when I'dou released the fingers that had been creeping too close for her comfort to her Gray, before archly turning her back and making a point of stalking off, Laraph ignorantly following after in continuing geniality. "Idiot." Grumbling over the unintentional insult, I'dou paused in her stalking to re-evaluate which stands she'd already visited, and which she hadn't. Laraph did much the same, though lacking the conviction Hers did. The jewelry was pretty, was there any more?

In her wayward search, she did come across something else of interest. Dionyph, perched at a stall nearby, preoccupied with Ri'ley - who looked very silly in that coat, if she did say so herself. Fortunately the man quickly shunted the thing, and Laraph nodded approvingly from her distant observation post.

Picking up on the impression of Laraph's thoughts and feelings in her mind, I'dou glanced up, and then over - and her face hardened just slightly so. It'd been some time since she'd had reason to speak directly with the blackrider, their last meeting being less than opportune. Unfortunately, it looked as though her next destination was his current stop. 'It was a silly argument anyways.' The woman nodded along, although she was uncertain if the thought originated with her, or the complacent simourv at her side. She wasn't going to let him ruin her shopping trip, at least.

Laraph was, unsurprisingly, agreeable to the idea as I'dou marched over. Strutted was more the word, actually - before she promptly buried her face in a rack of clothing in a rough approximation of height and size. The simourv settled at her rider's side, watching and waiting for the first signs of communication. She was not unpleased to find the black here, far from it, but there was no sense in initiating every conversation, when Hers was perfectly capable of doing much the same, and besides that, it was inevitable. She could feel it coming.

"Growing your hair out for the winter?" Stiff as ever, as starched as the collar of the shirt she was appraising (which her eyes never lifted from, mind you - she'd talk, but not with eye contact involved). She darted another glance in his direction - he looked scruffy, but at least not in an unclean way. Laraph chirped by means of hello, tacking on to what Hers had already said.

[Kat]

As if he was discouraged by the failure for the jacket to fit his body, Ri’ley shrank back, curving his shoulders further in an attempt to make his body appear smaller. He often slumped, despite the fact that he was a decently confident person, because he felt an involuntary need to feel as short as everyone else. Now, though, he almost stooped, as he held the jacket at an arms length and glared at it. He still needed a coat, and this one was much too small to even tailor to fit. While Ri’ley appraised the coat, Dionyph scanned the room. He was bored, even if the simourv managed to keep his body in attendance to his bonded, with his back straight and his posture tall. Dionyph even managed to react appropriately to Ri’ley’s since-faded grin with a small, and baffled chirp in the man’s direction, a sound which was surprisingly delicate from such a large creature, but that reaction did not change the fact that he found Ri’ley’s interactions tedious. The time Ri’ley spent interacting with the venders was time that could be used to interact with the other winglets. Dionyph did not care for the humans of the caverns when they were not being immediately threatened. Of course, he was responsive and attentive to his subjects, the people he would one day protect, but that did not mean that in this moment, he had to be interested by them. He wanted to play with his siblings, and he did not want to watch Ri’ley shop any longer. Even though his mind was antsy, Dionyph was not; he was the kind that believed he needed to look and act properly in all situations, and demonstrating his boredom in front of people would be inappropriate.

But as soon as the black hatchling spotted Laraph, his demeanor instantly changed. His whole body brightened, his shoulders pulling up even higher, and his expression becoming enthusiastic and bouncing. His silver eyes flashed with wonder and thrill, but even though he was newly engaged, Dionyph’s body did not budge from his spot. Just looking upon Laraph was enough to excite him and fulfill him. He would not approach her until she approached him, as if she did not want to see him, he would oblige her every whim. Dionyph watched the gray pair with his white eyes, following their every moment, and so he realized they were approaching him and his far before Ri’ley could even contemplate the source of Dionyph’s newly energized mood. Ri’ley turned in order to spot what excited Dionyph so, and as soon as Ri’ley saw Laraph, he understood immediately. He should have know who it was by the way Dionyph reacted. Ri’ley turned towards Laraph and I’dou, and he dropped his head out of respect. Dionyph preformed a similar action, while he strained to keep himself from running out of his place to nuzzle the gray hatchling in greeting. His left ear twitched with the effort, but nothing else but his ear and his head, which bowed, budged and inch.

The last time Ri’ley and I’dou had really interacted alone was not the most positive conversation, and he hoped that she harbored no ill feelings towards him. It would devastate Dionyph if the grayrider did not enjoy Ri’ley’s company, as the black wanted Laraph to like him more than he wanted any other thing in the world, and the rider and simourv were intimately linked. The girl’s comment and tone seemed to signal that she was not still angry at Ri’ley, who grinned both at her remark and from relief. Ri’ley lifted the jacket at half-an-arms length, so that the coat and his chest could be easily compared. He was not entirely sure why he had even tried on the coat. The shoulders were obviously too slight for his girth.
”My hair might be the only thing I have to keep me warm this winter. I would grow a beard, but I’m afraid I would look too much like an animal.”
Ri’ley responded with his grin expanding. Of course, Ri’ley would never have a beard. Stubble was acceptable, but he found facial hair to be unsanitary and unhygienic, and Ri’ley believed strongly in the necessity of keeping himself clean. His tone reflected that he held no ill feelings towards I’dou, and that on the contrary, he was pleased that she was speaking to him. The fact that she did not look at him did not matter. He kept his gaze on her for a few seconds, but after a brief period with no returned eye contact, it drifted to look upon Dionyph. The hatchling still did not move beyond his small bow, and Ri’ley could almost feel the tension that the hatchling’s stillness caused. Or maybe, he just felt the mental strain from Dionpyh and imagined the visual cue.
Good day, Laraph, I am very pleased to see you, as you are a shining light in my life.
Dionyph greeted, and he controlled his voice so that he sounded properly admiring but not improperly eager. He hoped that Laraph would not find his greeting offensive, as he could not decide if he wanted to greet her or to wait for her to address him. At the hatchling’s words, Ri’ley smiled again, this time his grin directed towards the hatchling, whose excitement and glee was almost contagious. Ri’ley’s posture straightened considerably as he hung his arms, with the jacket gripped in his right hand, by his side.

[winged]

Dionyph's (and by extension Ri'ley's) enthusiasm was contagious, disconcertingly so I'dou found as she had to wipe the beginnings of her own smirk at the man's self-effacing humor. Laraph's good humor played a decidedly large role in her response as well, the simourv was quite pleased with the outcome she'd invariably predicted. Covering up her amusement behind a decidedly tacky cough, she lifted the most recent article of clothing she'd been criticizing, draping it across one arm in parallel to he and his coat. "You'd look like a mountain man, and I'd doubt you could stand it." She hadn't spent much time with the surgeon, but I'dou had visited the clinic a fair few times and had seen the man's handiwork in her spare time. If actions spoke volumes, then he was clean, orderly, and ah...sterile.

Finally she held the nerve to look up, considering her object of fascination was now tucked to her side. Catching the other winglet in a moment of endearment for his black, her own eyes began drifting accordingly towards Laraph who had acknowledged Dionyph's poetic greeting with a gentle dip of her head. She persisted with keeping her interactions to muted body language, although the brightness of her eyes was plenty indication she was pleased, as always, with Dionyph's mannerly approach.

Curious as to why Laraph was being so quiet, I'dou raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry, to receive the mental equivalent to an amused 'hush'. Stopping herself short of a snort, the woman let the matter go with a mental shrug of her own. Let the Gray play her own little games, then. She had her own fishing to do, on the level of something else to discuss. She hadn't really thought this through ahead of time, and a little frown creased its way between her brows as she glanced with diminished interest at the wares still on display. She had one shirt...she needed more, logic dictated so.

"Did you ruin all your nice clothes, then? Or did you outgrow them?" Nodding, as indication, at the coat currently decorating his arm (and obviously of too small a size) I'dou did manage a smirk that time. "Maybe if you sewed another coat onto that one, it'd fit." There was something to discuss, ready material for a quip - his enormous size. He towered over her, but not menacingly so. For one, he was grinning - secondly, she had a feeling she could wrestle him into submission if the need called for it. She'd had no problem with what ornery livestock her father had kept, and Ri'ley was not nearly as prone to violence as an animal with a grudge to repay.

[Vanman]

H’kan took a big inhale of the air, it smelled of fresh fish, which reminded him of home. It had been almost a year since he had been there, no contact with mom or dad, for all he knew they could have moved. It didn’t matter now; his home was now the Eyrie. It was time for him to set out to do what he had intended to do in the first place, entertain and amaze! (And if he earned some money, he wouldn’t mind). He started to attract a crowd by pulling eggs out of people’s ears, a signature move of his, and then making them disappear. Once he had his crowd, he was ready to start the show.

“Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to witness feats of magical proportion! For I will perform for you the art of MAGIC!” said H’kan. With that said he started his routine. He started with a dye tube routine, producing beautifully colored silk cloths of different shapes and sizes. Then using Gaoph’s tail as a table, did a wonderful chop cup routine in the end producing a potato. Moving on he did some card magic known as an ACR, otherwise known as an ambitious card routine. He finished off with some powerful mind reading and then through his ‘please tip me’ line in the end. Be more gentile next time you use me as a table, it hur...LOOK its R’ley and I'dou and their bonded, lets go over mine and see what they are up to.

H’kan looked over to see his bonded was right, and then he started to laugh when he saw him dancing around in a surprisingly small jacket. He walked over to the stall where the two were at. “You look funny, you should get a bigger jacket, by the way nice hair. Acually, I don’t believe we have met formally. I am H’kan and this is my bonded Gaoph.”

[Kat]

I’dou had read Ri’ley correctly. He was far too obsessed with keeping himself clean to grow a beard. The thought was enough almost to make him cringe, an action he only narrowly avoided performing. Beards were like contaminate farms, and the thought of anything growing on his face but hair was quite unsettling. He smiled regardless of his bleak thoughts, and shook his head.
”I suppose mountain man is better than mountain beast, but you’re right. They itch.”
Ri’ley replied, ignoring the obvious reason he hated facial hair for a funnier, and quite true, response. Ri’ley, though, did not mind stubble, as it was clean, and it also aged his young looking face. Ri’ley disliked how much younger he could look than his twenty-three years. Of course, his height conveyed certain maturity, but the structure of his face and his dimples possessed youthfulness which Ri’ley disliked. At least some sign of facial hair showed that he was old enough to produce it, which to Ri’ley meant that he looked appropriately his age. He did know that he needed to cut his hair, which was the other sign of his slip in personal grooming, as it was reaching the point on his face where it threatened to obscure his vision.

Ri’ley missed I’dou’s gaze, as his own vision with filled with the vast body of his black hatchling. Dionyph had finally given in to his urge to move towards Laraph, and he took one stride forwards, not too close to her to be invading her space, and then bowed again as he dropped his large body into a chest-puffed sit. He was not sure why Laraph did not respond to him, but he would respect her silence and not question her. He would never question her, because the gray hatchling was his life, besides Ri’ley, and he would not dare challenge her superiority.
You are more radiant than even the sun, gentle Laraph.
Dionyph added as he bowed his head again and waited quietly and patiently for her to show interest in his conversation or for her to reject him. If she did not want to talk to him, then Dionyph would understand. He would be disappointed, as he had so much to say to her, but he would not press the issue. That was why he remained respectfully quiet, for fear of overwhelming her with his conversation if she wished not to hear it. Ri’ley stifled a chuckle at his hatchling’s over-the-top comment, and his face brightened as he fought to keep a large, amused grin from his face. He failed, and his dimples emerged in the middle of his cheeks as he smiled affectionately.

Since he had grown so comically tall so quickly and so late in his life, Ri’ley had never been sensitive about size jokes. He had outgrown the stage of his life when he needed to conform to the exact standards of everyone else, and by the time he finally grew, he was so relieved that he was no longer short and chubby, that he never took insults seriously. Ri’ley was sensitive about many things; rumors, making mistakes, or attacks on his direct honor, but he was not sensitive about his size and he was capable of making jokes at his own expense.
”Luckily, once I reached tree size, I stopped growing.”
Ri’ley replied with a small, polite grin pointed towards the grayrider. This was the first time they had talked when Ri’ley was not insulting or apologizing to I’dou.
”I just seem to be a terrible packer. I needed about four times as many pairs of pants as I brought, as well as some clothing for the upcoming winter, but it looks like I will be both half-naked and cold for the entire season.”
Ri’ley replied. Dionyph, who had been focusing far more on Laraph than his bonded, turned his head quickly to the side to glare at Ri’ley in a horrified manner.
Mine, it is inappropriate to discuss your lack of pants with Laraph’s! What if she thinks you are a bad person because you speak so out of place! You need to watch yourself and act correctly reverent.
Dionyph instructed before he turned his attention back to Laraph.
I’m sorry for Ri’ley’s inappropriate conduct. I hope that he has not insulted your I’dou.
Dionyph apologized to Laraph, and he hung his head in a small gesture of shame. Ri’ly ignored Dionyph’s scorn. He was pretty positive that I’dou was old enough and mature enough for Ri’ley to joke about not wearing pants around her. It was not as if he was demonstrating.

At the mention of a way to alter the jacket, Ri’ley lifted it again, as he shook his head.
”I’m afraid the sleeves would be too short, still.”
Ri’ley explained as he reached across his body, the jacket folding accordingly, to show on his one arm the spot the sleeves had reached, right above his elbow.
”Hopefully, you will have more luck finding adequate winter garments that I have so far. I may have to find a way to shop in Sayaie, but I am not sure I am willing to leave Dionyph behind for the day that such a trip would take.”
The comment was both the truth and also a confession. Dionyph, Ri’ley was sure, would be perfectly content on his own. The hatchling could find some other winglet and hatchling pair to harass, probably poor Ze’el and Dareph or L’nan and Eoreph, if not Laraph herself, but Ri’ley did not want to leave the black hatchling by himself. He was too attached to Dionyph to imagine parting for a full course of a day, if not longer, as if he visited the city, he would almost certainly have to spend some time with Donovan. And also, underneath Ri’ley’s hesitance to leave Dionyph, Ri’ley did not want to see his parents. He could avoid them, of course, but his distaste for them extended so far into his perception of the city, that he was worried that entering Sayaie, as large of a city as it was, might entitle him to a confrontation. And without Dionyph, Ri’ley did not want to even be in the same general area as his parental units.
”Or, I could just fabricate myself a wardrobe out of patched together items. It might be fashionable.”
Ri’ley added with a small grin. He hoped that his joke would not fall to flat as he looked at I’dou. He wondered if he was talking too much about himself. She had talked about him, after all, and he did not want her to think that he was egotistical or self absorbed. It was just easy to talk about himself, especially when he was mocking himself. Ri’ley did not want to ask I’dou any questions. He did not want to seem to nosy or intrusive.
”Can I help you find anything?”
Ri’ley finally decided that a question would be the safest bet, as it was not too intrusive or nosy, but also politely about I’dou and not a statement about him. Ri’ley, though, was distracted by the sight of another in their class. H’kan, Ri’ley realized, had been performing magic tricks in the middle of the market. Used to the bustle of Sayaie, the man had been taught and trained to ignore background noise. Street performers were always overlooked by Ri’ley, who found the performance arts rather pointless and hasty. He rarely even paused in his busy life to watch such festivities. Ri’ley was constantly in a hurry. When the man approached, thought, his identity snapped into focus, and Ri’ley realized that perhaps he should not have overlooked the identity of the performer previously. He was rather embarrassed that he had not noticed the other winglet earlier. How he had missed the large red hatchling, Ri’ley was not sure, and the fact that Dionyph had not acknowledged Gaoph was odd. Of course, the black hatchling had not interacted much with his red brother. While Dionyph’s relationships with the other two red hatchlings in his clutch was established, one of respect and friendship and one of dislike, Gaoph was unknown to Ri’ley entirely.

As Gaoph came closer, Dionyph broke his straight stance, and he stalked towards the red hatchling and dropped his head in greeting.
Gaoph, how nice to see you. I am sorry we have not interacted since our hatching. Three months is such a long time to be separated from one of my brothers, especially one as strong and noble as you.
Dionyph greeted before he glanced back towards Laraph to wait for her cue to continue his interaction. Ri’ley eyed H’kan, who commented on the jacket. Before Ri’ley nodded his own head and flashed a hesitant and uneasy smile towards the redrider. He had not met H’kan officially, and he did not know how to talk to the other winglet yet.
”As I told I’dou, I’m growing my hair out in order to keep myself warm this winter. I can’t seem to find a coat which fits.”
Ri’ley responded with a small shrug of his shoulders. He gestured to the jacket in his hands with his head, tilting it downwards to signal that he referred to it directly. One of his hands draped the jacket against the opposite arm before that hand drifted up to stroke his long hair. He supposed it was time to cut it, as two people had mentioned how long and unruly it was becoming. He was not sure he trusted himself with a pair of scissors, so he would have to find someone willing to trim it.

The man then stuck out his hand in a stiff gesture towards H’kan. He kept the smile on his face as he nodded his head towards H’kan. Ri’ley then turned towards Gaoph and dropped his head in a small bow to the red hatchling.
”I am glad to meet you H’kan and Gaoph. I am Ri’ley, and this is my Dionyph.”
Ri’ley responded to H’kan’s introduction with a small and loving gesture towards his black hatchling. Dionyph, though, did not notice his rider’s glance. Instead, he occupied his own gaze flashing his silver eyes between Gaoph and Laraph, the excitement bouncing in his eyes. He loved being around his siblings! They completed him! Why, Laraph was his queen, and Gaoph was his brother in arms. The large black hatchling waited for the other two to interact with him further, but he warbled with contentment and excitement.

[Fox]

The last time that L'nan had ventured into the small market at Eyrie with the intent to actually buy something, it had been in the company of an extremely experienced shopper. Trailing behind T'ia, the tawnyrider hadn't actually had very much say in what was purchased, which would have been a good thing since Lea was somewhat of an amateur at the whole haggling business. Now, alone but for the company of Eoreph, the young woman drifted from stall to stall in an undecided manner, picking up this coat and that shirt and inquiring after prices, but ultimately not finding anything that she thought was worth the price set. It wasn't that the things here at Eyrie were of bad quality; Lea was simply all too aware of the sadly light state of her purse, and finding something warm (but within her budget) to tide her over until Spring was proving to be quite the challenge. Thus far, she only had a scarf that she had bought a few days earlier; an almost eye-wateringly multi-coloured stretch of knitted wool that was currently wrapped around her neck. It did a fantastic job of keeping her neck warm (especially since Lea disliked the cold very much) but otherwise did not ward off the chill as she would have liked. She wished she had thought to bring warm clothing from Itnala; winters in the little fishing settlement were often harsh, what with the sea so nearby. The midwife had had more than enough thick winter clothing without having to buy more, but for some reason it had not occurred to Lea that she would remain in Eyrie over the turn of the seasons.

Beside her, Eoreph lowered her head to butt her beak gently against L'nan's shoulder as she felt her beloved's conflict. The tawny had grown in the three months since the hatching, and had already outstripped her bonded by a good few inches. She would never be as large as Laraph, Dionyph and the other black, Rixasileuph, but she would still be a large simourv in her own right. Lea only had to look at Altaph to have an inkling of how large Eoreph would be when she eventually reached adulthood. But no matter how big she grew, Eoreph would remain as the sweet, shy creature that had whispered into Lea's mind on that fateful day. Why did you not choose that one, Mine?[/color] She asked L'nan, her soft voice tinged with curiousity. With a tilt of her head, the tawny indicated the last coat that Lea had decided against; a garment of brown leather with a furred ruff and lining. In truth, the young woman's eyes were drawn to the jacket with a force similar to magnetism, but the price had dissuaded her almost immediately. It was so expensive, Eo. She lamented to Eoreph, sighing. It's lovely, but...[/b] The feeling that rolled along their connection was one of mild reproach. Both L'nan and Eoreph knew that she had enough to buy the jacket, if only just, but the young woman winced at the thought of such a drastic toll on her purse. Eoreph thought that she should just buy the thing, hang the price, because wasn't warmth more important?

Let's just look around some more first, love, and then maybe we'll come back. Lea justified hastily, feet already beginning to move. It was unusually easy to move through the crowd with Eoreph's large body acting as a buffer because most of the people gave the simourv a wide berth. The tawnypair continued along their meandering search before Eoreph called her bonded's attention to the small gathering of simourvs that she had spotted a little ways away. Lea glanced over in surprise, only to recognise the distinctive forms of Laraph and Dionyph, with another red that she had not yet met. Well, it seemed like today was designated shopping day. Laraph meant I'dou, and Dionyph meant Ri'ley. And the red... Gaoph, Mine. And His, H'kan.[/color] Silently, the young woman thanked Eoreph for providing the information, and automatically turned to make a beeline for the group, a pleased smile breaking out over her face. The tawny kept pace reluctantly; not because she disliked the company of her siblings- far from it!- but because she was afraid that she might not know what to say to them. Conversation was not Eoreph's strong suit.

As she finally caught sight of the group of winglets beyond the hulking forms of the three simourvs, L'nan grinned cheerily. "I'dou! Ri'ley!" She greeted, drawing level with them and offering both a short wave. Her brown eyes fell on the respective articles of clothing that both held in their hands. "Doing some winter shopping?" Because that was the obvious conclusion. Lea did raise an eyebrow, though, on looking up the enormous height difference between her and Ri'ley after a passing glance at the coat he held in his hands. "Do they even have anything in your size?" If they did, she would honestly be surprised. Ri'ley was not small by anyone's standards. After a moment during which Eoreph's mental nudge reminded her of her manners, L'nan turned to the last winglet; the only one to whom she had not spoken before, though he was definitely a familiar face from winglet lessons and the barracks. "Hello there, I don't think we've spoken before. I'm L'nan, and this is Eoreph. You're H'kan, right?" Briefly, she offered a hand to shake, as beside her Eoreph bobbed her head in acknowledgement of the introduction, before turning her attention to her siblings.

Hello, Laraph.[/color] She said to her gray sister, bowing her tawny head formally for a moment. I trust you are well?[/color] It was only polite to greet Laraph first, for she was Queen as well as Sister, but Eoreph did not say much beyond that. She was not comfortable with speaking to so many at once. To Dionyph and Gaoph, she offered no words, but instead let loose a chirp of greeting before lapsing back into her comfortable silence. [/size]