Several children lay in the sand here, asleep on towels in the shade. The small girl who had pretended to be a dragon on your last visit, lay curled around a toy firelizrd. The oldest, a boy of 13 turns, isn't asleep. He smiles at them, and turns to greet you. In a whisper, you greet Ritonnak. His bright colored beachhut is more beautiful than you remember it. Someone painted dragon silouhettes on the shutters. The slim and tanned blonde boy brushes the sand off his shorts, and walks over to you, carefully stepping around the sleeping children. "It's good to see you again. It's been a while." He says to you, and leads you to a chair in the shade. If you thought Ritonnak was hospitable on your first visit, he's twice as friendly now. "Uh... Ritonnak..." you begin to say, but he stops you. "It's R'tonn now, traveller. I Impressed a wonderful dragon at Sapphire Weyr."
You stare at him in disbelief. "Do you think a dragonman would lie to you? Akalinth is over there asleep with the children. They all got tired out playing in the surf."
True to his word, a brown dragonet lay in the warm sand nearby.
You'd missed him before, his hide is so light-colored. "Isn't he marvellous?" R'tonn whispered. You nod, and rise to leave, thinking maybe that someday you'd like to ride a dragon of your own. R'tonn grins at you, and says, "feel free to come back any time."
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