Several children play in the sand here, building forts and roads and rivers in the wet sand. A small girl perhaps four, shouts "I'm a dragon!" and leaps up from the sand. Her arms spread out like wings, she 'soars' around the beach. All but one of the children follow her. The oldest, a boy of 13 turns, smiles at them, and turns to greet you. "I'm Ritonnak. Would you care to sit down?" He leads you to the edge of the beach, where a hut painted in bright colors opens onto the beach. "This is my home," Ritonnak explains, as he goes inside and fetches some chairs. "you're welcome to stay awhile. Would you like some klah? or perhaps a glass of cool fruit juice?" Disappearing into the hut, the slim, incredibly tanned blonde-haired boy continues to talk. "My mother is in charge of the children here at the cove, but they love to play on the beach, and I offer to watch them so they don't drown." He reappears with the drinks. "They never do though. We're hard to drown... we learn to swim at an early age." Ritonnak sits down in his chair with a glass of juice, and checks to see where the children have gone. Seeing that they're going to the main hall with his mother, he turns back to you, smiling. "Vallen's Cove is a really nice place. I've got my own hut, and I'm treated like an adult, even though I've only 13 turns. Why, a few sevendays ago, a searchrider came here. He said that I might get to be a candidate at Sapphire Weyr. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a dragon?" The Ritonnak smiles, and takes a drink. You chat for a while longer, then rise to leave. "Thanks for stopping by!" Ritonnak says, "feel free to come back any time."