Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hlal-son laughs wisely and helps him open the crate before going off to check on the younglings who are doing drills in the field.

Nearer to lunch time, he hears a clarion call that sends him running to the open area before Paladine's chambers, worried half out of his wits that somoehow the shield had been breached. Instead he finds all the youngsters gathering for a midday meal.

Silveria alights on a large protruding rock and speaks to all those present. "A meal will be served here twice each day for all who wish to attend, at the nooning hour and before dusk. This will give those of you who are too young or too old to hunt for yourselves a chance to have at least two good meals a day. If you are capable of hunting, it is encouraged that you do so. And if you can take a younger sibling or nest mate along with you to teach them the skill, we would be eternally grateful. For those of you who have yet to be assigned work, hunting crews will be going out at dawn and after lunch to provide for those meals. You can participate and get a bit of exercise in at the same time.

"Now I want you all to know that for the time being we will be running the valley along the line of a military school." She pauses to stare down a few grumblers. "We cannot rely on your parents and other siblings to arrive in time to defend us if something should get through the shield... and Hlal-son and I are too few in number to do the task properly. Therefore we will do what needs to be done. We will teach you how to defend yourselves. If you have any questions or comments, both of us are fully willing to listen. Now dig in kids... we've got a long day ahead of us."

When he arrives at the library, he finds a female draconian sitting quietly beside the stack of miscellaneous books, carefully sorting them. She looks up as he enters and nods a silent greeting.

She looks up and him, then turns to put a book on a stack, and he sees what Hlal-son meant by saying she had some difficulties. Hidden from view was a twisted spine, making her movements stilted and slow. She turns back and eyes him closely and he realizes she had made that move deliberately to test him.

"My name is Corriander." she says in a soft dead voice.

She shrugs. "I've been better. Why didn't you sort these books?" she asks selecting another one from the stack.

She snorts rudely and holds up the one in her hand. "A book of recipes for medicinals... ignore the prologue... the man knows absolutely nothing about surgery... and his diatribe on the battles he's seen are a bunch of drivel." Then she claims another from a smaller stack at her side. "Now this author tries to give accurate historical references, but the sources he quotes are all questionable. At best he is a good strategist. His study on battle formations is superb." She goes to reach for a third.....

She blinks at him then blushes furiously, quickly rectifying her mistake.

She brightens at his suggestion and between the two of them, they get the crate sorted and ready for filing by late afternoon. She doesn't exactly warm to him completely though. It is obvious she still has reservations, but she no longer appears to be waiting for him to laugh at her or insult her behind her back.