Dakota, Artificer of House Domina, also known as "Keeper of the Rings"

Female, age 22; Standing at Moire

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Bonded to Kastanja-kupari, chestnut dun-striped copper caprice
male (let's call him "copper" and leave it at that shall we?) blue-to-brown sized.

Dakota's smile and eager helping hands apparently were getting to some of the locals at Moire. It was kind of true, she did sort of get into everything she could. But she couldn't help it. There were items everywhere at this place and she couldn't resist trying to see if she could make them work 'better'.

What worked just fine, however, was her sense of time. With the Time ring upon her finger, she was keenly aware that in the sands those eggs everyone was waiting for were about ready to hatch. In the evening, she got her dorm straightened up, and then took a nap.

So when, at some ungodly hour of the night, the dragons began to croon the eggs open - Dakota was in fine spirits and awake as ever. She almost wanted to relive the day over again, just to make sure that everything fell into place. But that would be stupid - the eggs were hatching now!

She put herself in front of a mirror and then walked down to the sands. The dragons were humming and singing, and Dakota's heart swelled with it. That was a good thing, because it would have gone cold at the sight and touch of some of the candidates... They were a little queer, even to Dakota.

The first of the eggs broke open, and a beautiful hatchling came out. He was followed shortly by several others - and then...

Hey! said a strong young voice in the head of every sensitive in the room. Hey, where are you? A searching feeling passed over each candidate until it came to a certain smith. Dakota! That’s where you are. Anyway, if you could give me a hand here, I’d appreciate it.

While Dakota looked around sharply trying to locate the source of the voice, sure it was a dragon within one of the half-buried eggs, another dragonet sprang from its shell and ran to another candidate. Dakota felt like her whole brain was humming - loudly, louder here by this one particular egg...

So when she got the egg a little unburied, the dragonet inside it came struggling out. There was finally contact - whirling eyes that met the woman's own. A beautiful sound sprang into Dakota's mind.

“Tell the nice people,” the coppery hatchling urged, busy retrieving something from the sand around his feet.

Dakota grinned. “His name is Kastanja-kupari,” she told the archivist, laying a hand possessively on the dragon’s shoulder.

Her new lifemate reared up with something clutched in his ‘hands’, and solemnly presented it to her, remarking, “Maybe this is what you’re looking for. Besides me, that is.”

Dakota looked down, and noticed that Kastanja-kupari had a small shard of his own shell pressed into his hands, opalescent and unriddled by any cracks. It was not small - but neither was it any bigger than a thumb's nail.

Dakota looked over the little prize, and then smiled widely. "You know, that is just what I was looking for. You know where it's going, don't you?"

The dragonet nodded, and purred as they walked away from the sands. His first meal was a brilliantly messy one - and his first slumber was one that Dakota almost did use the Time ring to re-live. He was so happy, and that made her immensely proud.

She knew that her ring would be complete now. This piece not to sell but to keep... And what would she enchant it with, now that was the next big question...

(continued)

Dakota smiled and watched the quidditch match with glee. She'd been caught betting - and cheating at betting - so she wasn't allowed to do any more of that. She of course had the advantage of having that Time ring...

I do not quite understand why they will not allow you to participate any more, Kastanja-kupari said, lounging in the mid-winter sun. The other dragons also laid out when they could, while it was cold like this. The meager sun shining onto the field was enough to brighten anyone's spirits.

Because it's not fair to already know the outcome, and then place money on it.

But how is it not fair, if everyone knows you are doing it that way? Doesn't it make more sense to punish the ones who can't remember well enough? Kastanja grumbled a laugh, and Dakota swatted his muzzle.

"That's totally not nice of you to say," she said. But of course he knew that in the back of her mind, she was thinking hard about how best to relieve some of the staff and students of their funds...

I was thinking we could go for a flight, Kastanja said, when the winning capture of the snitch was made.

"Well, where to? It's a nice day, we could-"

There is a beautiful marked female flying at Draco's Inferno, and she needs good males such as myself. He puffed up and stood, folding his wings down and ignoring the obvious shock on his rider's face. And if you do not want to go, I can always teleport myself to be there on time.

"K... kastanja-kupari what has gotten into you?" Dakota asked. The groups of players and their fans (meager in number though they were) made their way past the dragon ledges and some waved. "It's ... I'm not ready for some flight like that!"

But I am, he pointed out. I am an adult, we have been back here for some time now, and I have spoken to Dairruinth about mating. He is very knowledgeable.

"I'm sure he is," Dakota cast a glance toward the black's lair but didn't see him. Probably hiding from her, as he should be.

And Mistylia is not my type, she likes me, but she is more interested in her own kind than another breed.

"You're acting like I've already agreed to go," Dakota muttered. But it was clear from her copper's demands that he was in fact ready and willing to fly a mating flight. So she cleared it with Zora, and then packed a few things. She could always reach back through space and get more supplies, should she need them.

"Maybe there will be something I can use there," Dakota said. "It's been a while since I've located any special alloys or ingredients."

Then we both have something to interest us while I am there, Kastanja-kupari proudly announced. I know I will be able to mate with this female, she sounds quick but I got the impression she was quite keen to mate. Unlike her bond. He's residing at Star City, if you want to know...

"How, exactly," Dakota muttered while packing, "do you even know these things?"

Dragons talk, was all he would tell her.

Kastanja-kupari is flying for SCD Mutt Bronze-Violet-Maroon Meroclaisen at Draco's Inferno.