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She didn't answer, but had to agree with him. Besides himself and the shop owner, she hadn't said anything well of anyone. There wasn't much time to think about it, after the way her brother reacted. Maybe he didn't recognize her, or maybe he went to tattle on her. What could it mean? Ah, what did she care what he thought?

Her attention was back on N'tren and she spoke, "Yes, Mr. Ravioty's shop." Without another word, she took a silent breath and walked into the store. The smell of cured leather hung in the air like an aromatic musk. The shop was made of stone, but had a light and life to it because of the atmosphere. It wasn't oppressive or overbearing, but had a cheeriness that could only be brought in by the owner's personality.

The man behind the heavy desk, wearing a leather worker's apron with the tools of the trade in the pockets. He had a gray mustache that had silver streaks and an unevenness that suggested playfulness in its groomer. His face was thin and heavily wrinkled with a healthy sun-kissed glow. There was dancing mirth in his dark green eyes with caterpillar-y gray eyebrows complimenting the look. His full head of hair was neat and thick with no signs of thinning most men found in their old age.

He looked up to her, obviously very surprised once he recognized her. He walked over to her, freely hugged her.

Caleten froze in absolute horror at being hugged. A hug was a gesture she hadn't received since she was a young child running into Mr. Ravioty's shop. Stiff, though she was so tempted to hug the man back, she moved out of his arms and said, "Mr. Ravioty, your the best in the South hold, my friend, N'tren needs to get leather from you." She felt bad seeing the expression on the old man's face.

Mr. Ravioty, seemed down a moment then recovered saying "Have either of you seen a little girl? She was about this high" Puts his hand out to about four feet, then shrinks it, "A really pretty little thing, family seemed confused, the sun mess with their heads, they confused that sweet little girl as a boy. Silly people, good people, but silly. I was hoping to find that bright eyed little girl one of these days." He was obviously talking about her, and confused about the adult that stepped in the place of that child.

Caleten blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment before saying, "Anyone who goes holdless, is lost forever, it doesn't allow for weakness and careless joy." She then walked away; bothered greatly by the cold harsh way she had to speak to the kindly old man.
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Ravioty looked to the bronze and said with a smile, "Such a lovely young bronze, with the spirit of a fighter. They say a flit is like its owner, but more true in their feelings and in their expressions." He looked thoughtful and brightened up as he looked to the young man with her and smiled as he waved him over with an open, friendly gesture, "I am honored you have come into my humble shop, dragonrider N'tren. Well, well, come I will show you." He was alight with humor and good spirit. Always open and warm, he headed to the corner of his humble shop, displayed on hand carved stands.

The leather was sturdy and vering lenghts of thickness. All was well oiled, it was clear that the cravter took pride in his work and cared for what he made. He brushed his hand on his apron and says, "If I don't have what you need out, I'll whip up what you want in quick time."

Caleten said nothing about the fact the man thought Splotch was hers, not Gem. Instead, she petted the young flit and said nothing. Looking around, it looked so much like how she remembered it. Out of curiosity, she walked over to the desk she reached over to under the lip of the desk. The hidden draw was still there and she pulled it out. Sweet hard cadies were still there like they were when she was a child.

The old man said, obviously very happy she remembered it, "Help your self, young lady." Then he turned most of his attention back to the dragonrider. Looking to the golden flit, he comments, "She is a lovely flit."

Gem trilled holding out her wings a bit and puffs out her chest, showing off.

With a chuckle in his voice he adds, "She is a smart one to." He didn't sound surprised at it, just commented on the flit.

The old man looked to the young woman then back to N'tren. He looked serious and spoke low. "If you promise to look after that girl, you can have as much as you need and want for nothing. Knowing she is safe, I'd owe you." Now he spoke louder, back in the jolly tone, lightened, "Yes, weyr marks are honored here. Thank you for the compliment, good rider. I care about my work, and when a man cares about something, it shows." His kindly eye held a twinkle in them, the kind old folks get when they are meddling a bit, but mean well.


Caleten had taken a pink ball of hard, sweet candy and slipped it into her mouth. Looking away from the man, she smiled and hummed, a sweet sound coming from an extremely rare moment of pure happiness. She was reminded days long gone where she would run into this very store, excitedly chattering before throwing her self into the kind man's arms. Back then, she would freely dance around the store, calling him grandfather out of affection.

Looking at Caleten he laughed deeply, a rumbling sound of benevolent tremors deep in the earth. "I see that." He lit up a bit more reaching out a lightly petting the gold.

Gem all out sang with trills and chirps, her eyes whirled with the speed that they seemed to be made solidly of happiness. There was enough of her for both of them to pet her, and she made sure that she did. Speaking to Splotch, she chirped a few lines of approval of him and Caletens' mood, and invited him to join her in the petting.

Caleten rose a delicate eyebrow, and raised her hand up as she petted the bronze, she offered another of the sweets to him, careful for it not the be seen. The humming didn't stop, so long as they are far enough away not to hear it.

Ravioty looked serious, but still managed to hold that warmth and joy. He responded again in hushed tones, like wise not wanting to be overheard. "She has always been a stubborn one, willful enough to survive. I love her like a granddaughter; I rest easy now after hearing your pledge."

He looked at the strap, nodding approving the choice. "You have a fine eye, dragonrider." He was clueless as to the conversation between rider and dragon. Rather, he was watching the young woman they were both talking about. He heard what he wanted to, and nodded knowingly, "That you do, I am sure." The man looked able enough, and a dragonrider was surely even more so. "Is there anything else you need, good N'tren?" His kindly eyes were on the young man, but he was also paying attention to Caleten.

Caleten blinked and quickly stroked the bronze and said softly, "Don't swallow it whole, little one, try tasting it until its small enough, my silly little friend." The hum didn't really die, but neither did her curiosity over what the men were up to. N'tren, she didn't think would really be up to something but her grandfather figure, she wasn't so sure about.

The gold trilled, nuzzling N'tren's cheek and puffing out her chest more. She knew that nice things were being said about her. She rose her right foreleg, posing a bit and showing off in a pose. There was a sense of when it was too much, and for all her showing off, she was also reserved and well behaved.

The old man was perceptive, and meddlesome, he spoke looking at the gold and petting her a moment, "Ah, a spirit like that, treat it right, and she'll always be true." Hearing what he said, the man spoke again, "I am truly honored, dragonrider N'tren." He was still up for meddling, so he left N'tren in peace, and went to break that granddaughter of his out of her shell; he saw her as family and would take care of her.

Caleten ignored the men for the most part, N'tren knew what he was doing and they seemed to agree on everything. Instead, she was watching Splotch, very amused by him. She told him, "You are a clever little flit." About then, she noticed Ravioty walking up to her.

He smiled at the girl and pulled out the 'pathetic old man' routine. He had that little pout, those sad eyes, and a good story to tell her, "You know, it does my heart well to see such a lovely young woman in my shop. Why, its been so long since I have so much as laid eyes on someone so beautiful. You know, I lost my wife, now, I am so lonely. It can often be hard to get out of bed." It was hard not to laugh when she rolled her eyes.

Caleten had heard this story before; his wife had been dead ten turns before she had left the hold as a child. Still, the look, sad words, it got to her. Prideful as she may be, she gave the man a hug to cheer him up.

The old man, facing N'tren, beamed and winked. He knew a few ways to get to the soft hearted little girl inside the cold and proud near adult and he was showing N'tren one of them. Appealing to her good heart to care for and want to comfort.

The old man may not be done meddling, but he saw something at the door that made him step back, assuming a more serious, protective posture.

Caleten's mother came in to the store, harsh brown eyes zeroing in on her target. The woman was still beautiful on the outside, but lacked that certain something that spoke of true beauty on the inside. Her face turned harsher as she stormed over to Caleten and started to affront her, "There you are, worthless child, can't do anything right, can you? Worry us all to death, running out on your family as you did. Mr. Ravioty paid your debt to us, did you even think to thank him? Of course not, you useless child" She had her hands on her hips as she spoke, ignoring everyone else in the shop.

Ravioty did the best he could, "She didn't have to thank me, Kelceya, now you leave her be. This is my shop and I can't have you yelling at the customers. She came in with his nice young dragonrider, as much as I appreciate you not yelling at her at all, at least hold your tongue now." He wanted to completely tell her off, but he livelyhood had a lot to do with trading with her and her family. Even so, he tried to protect her as best the man could.

Gem's eyes whirled so deeply with concern and anger so quickly, that it was hard to tell there was joy there just a moment ago. She took off from N'tren's shoulder and hissed mightily as she battled the foe that made Caleten so angry and scared.

Caleten was dealing with the horror and anger over having her mother speak to her as if she were five, and in the space of three sentences, made her feel worthless. Gem's actions, and her mother's shrieks, were enough to pull her out of it and she recalled her flit. "Leave me alone Kelceya, I renounce you as my mother and your whole family as mine. You have no right to speak to me like that." Her hand was shaking though, nightmares of her youth seemingly turning this woman into a threadbearing monster.

The woman looked confused and started up again, " Bothering good dragonriders with your leeching ways? Stole a firelizard's egg on top of that. Do you know how valuable a treasure you took?" Looking to the dragonrider, she about died from embarrassment. Blushing she bowed and say, "I deeply apologize for whatever trouble this child put you through" Right now, the woman thought, she could just die. How dare that cancerous child cause so much mischief? A bad egg, she thought, now a scared bad egg.

Caleten put a hand back, trying to calm the bronze, attacking her mother wouldn't do. Her eyes were on her mother, not on N'tren or the kind old shop owner.

Mr. Ravioty was quick to work with the dragonrider, "Seen and heard, I also bear witness. I am sorry Kelceya." He really wasn't, but the man needed the business her family brought so he had to save face.

This was why she wanted him to come; she knew that for a guy, N'tren was very smart. He was helping her out of her nightmare and she was going to gratefully take that help. "A bronze rider and a respected shop owner both bear witness, Kelceya, leave me alone." Swallowing, she waited for her renounced mother to do something.

The woman's cheeks flushed bright read and she glared so angry that she rose her hand as if to strike the child, but didn't backing down at the weight of a bronze rider. "You ungrateful child...fine let the thread eat you! Good day, Mr. Ravioty, bronze dragonrider." Ignoring Caleten completely, she turned and stormed out of the store, slamming the door behind her.

Caleten leaned against the desk, in shock and deep relief.

Gem took her perch on Caleten's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek, forced not to hiss much at the lady that tried to hit her friend. Caleten was very firm on her not to do anything.

Caleten looked to N'tren, trying to think how to respond. Suddenly this huge weight had been lifed. She didn't have to be holdless anymore, so she was free to be a bit more of her self. Giving N'tren a smile, an actual warm smile, though not dropping her pride that still showed itself, she says, "You did very well, I am glad I decided to trust you and allow you to help me fight that threadsore." She had no qualm with calling Kelceya what she was to her.

Ravioty mentioned, probably just loud enough for N'tren to hear, "She has the gold flit, I see. The two fit, both do for her." He wasn't sure if the bronze was Caleten's or the dragonriders, but it seemed pretty clear who owned the gold. Asking allowed he inquired, "What color dragon did you impress, young lady? Such bravry and judgement you have shown" A capable girl like that, able to stand up to the woman she feared, had to be fit to be a dragonrider if anyone was.

Caleten looked confused and told him, "I didn't, I was 'searched', which should be called kidnapping, but I have never stood on the sands." Her, a dragonrider? Now that was a silly thought. Her train of thought was knocked off course when she heard Datiath in her mind. 'I don't know, I faced a woman that scares me worse then thread and survived, but I feel hallow. Everything I went through, everything that made me who I am was because I was running forming her, from being caught and dragged back. Now, I find myself wondering where to go from here, and kind of wanting a hug.'

The last part may have sounded strange, but she was trying to sort out what to do with herself, and her relationships with others. She could stay here with Mr. Ravioty. Well, no she couldn't not with having to deal with her renounce family until they stopped coming and Mr. Ravioty lost his best suppliers. However, she could go anywhere else and not have to fear anymore. So the question was how tough, cold and detached did she have to be now that she could actually stay in one place and freely make friends?

Ravioty, a meddlesome old bugger that he was, stepped away from Caleten. He, instead walked around the counter and asked, "Can I get you two young folks something to eat or drink before you leave?" He smiled a twinkle in his eye as he just watched the two young folks in his store. He may have a queen's wrath to deal with from Kelceya and her family for this, a temper being something ex mother and daughter have in common, but its completely worth it.