“Jiah go away,” Bertani said to his green caer lizard as he rolled over in bed. The little female warbled and hopped over his back and sat in front of his face, crooning softly. “Jiah, go away,” Bertani said again as he pulled the covers up over his head. The lizard hissed but then curled up, giving up and falling asleep.

Three hours later Bertani sat up in bed and stretched, looking out the window and blinking in the bright light. Jiah was stretched out next to him, breathing lightly. He stroked her once and then looked out the window again. “Oh shards!” He cried out. Jiah jumped and looked up at her owner in annoyance. “I thought I told you to wake me up early you little dimglow!” He said as he jumped out of bed and pulled on some clean clothes. Jiah stretched and chittered at her rider angrily, picturing herself trying to wake him up and him batting her away. He threw his arms up into the air and said, “Oh I don’t care Jiah! I just know that I’m going to be late for class and Plio is going to slaughter me!” The little green crooned in reassurance and flew to her owner’s shoulder and clung to his shirt as he dashed out the door.

Bertani opened the door quietly and walked in, trying not to be noticed. However, as soon as he was halfway through the door the instructor, Plio, turned on him. “Where have you been Bertani?”

Bertani stopped walking and said, “I told Jiah here to wake me up and she tried to but she couldn’t and… yeah.”

Plio rolled his eyes and said, “I’m sick of your excuses Bertani, why don’t you come back here when you can handle your responsibilities a little better.”

Bertani let his mouth hang open for a moment and then he said, “But I’m telling the truth Plio, she tried to wake me but I batter her away.”

Plio sat down at his desk and said, “I’m serious Bertani, get out of here.”

He sighed and walked out the door, closing it behind him. “Well that’s great Jiah,” he said as he walked towards the nearby paddock that the village’s horses were kept. Jiah warbled in agreement and then flew from his shoulder, landing lightly on the bottom plank of the fence and watched as her owner plopped down on the grass near her. “What am I supposed to tell mom?” He asked as he pulled at some of the longer grass, braiding it in his frustration. The green warbled again and he patted her head, saying, “I wish that something exciting would happen here for once. For sixteen years it’s been, get up, go to class, come home, do chores, go to bed. I don’t think I can deal with much more of this.”

Jiah warbled in agreement again and then landed on her owner’s stomach as he lay back in the grass. “I wonder what Alex is doing now, I bet she has more of a life now than anyone in our family. If I ever get searched for bonding I think I’ll cry, just out of sheer joy for being able to get out of this stinking village.” Jiah cocked her head in question and squawked. “Yeah, I know,” he said as he patted her head. “I know I’ll miss this place but you know that the only people that welcome me willingly are my family and close friends, which isn’t a lot of people I’ll have you know. I think that if we moved to a Caer we could start over, have a new life I suppose.” Jiah snorted and looked out towards the herd of horses that were running across the paddock.

Bertani sat up, causing Jiah to slide down his stomach and land in his lap with a started squawk. “I wonder what’s got them spooked. Go see if there’s a feline of something will you?” The green looked at him oddly and he said, “Jiah, see if there is a feline.” Jiah sighed and took off, heading towards the horses. A few moments later she came back, chittering loudly and pointing towards the middle of the paddock with an excited front leg. “What’s you’re problem? Is there a feline or a canine out there trying to hunt them?” Jiah sighed and sat down, seeming to shake her head, trying to comprehend her owner’s stupidity. She warbled finally and pictured a blue dragon. He rolled his eyes when he got the picture and laid back down. “I thought I told you not to make up any more stories Jiah.”

Jiah clawed his stomach slightly and he sat upright shouting, “Ouch what was that for?” The caerlizard warbled angrily at him and pointed to the middle of the paddock, picturing the blue dragon again. “Jiah, seriously, stop it. I told you not to joke around and tell me that there are dragons here. If you’re going to continue this you can just go home and wait for me there.” Jiah snorted angrily and flew off, in the direction of the supposed dragon. Bertani sighed but lay back down. “Well at least I can sleep in peace now.”

About fifteen minutes later Jiah landed back on Bertani’s stomach and walked towards his face, lowering her head near his ear and warbling loudly. He sat up quickly and rubbed his ear as he glared at his lizard. “Oh hell Jiah, I might just roast your hide and feed you to the canines for that one.” The green preened herself as if nothing had happened and then looked behind her owner, crooning warmly. Bertani turned around and then caught his breath, picking up Jiah and standing up.

“Oh you didn’t have to get up, the young man said. “You would have been just as well in the grasses.”

Bertani looked at the patch on the mans arm and asked, “You’re a dragoner?”

The man nodded and said, “Yes I’m K’ran, rider of blue Murneth. We’re from Caer Brynmor and we’re on search as of now. Your caerlizard here caught my attention and I followed her back to you.”

Bertani rubbed his eyebrow, trying to put everything together. “Wait, you’re on search? Here? What possibly could have possessed you to look here?”

K’ran laughed and said, “Well it doesn’t matter really. What does matter however, is that Murneth has found a likely bonder, that is, if he would like to come back to the Caer with us and stand on the dunes when the clutch hatches.”

Bertani smiled and asked, “Really? I could become a dragoner?”

“If that dragon that is suited to you is in the current clutch then yes, you could become a dragoner. Are you interested?” K’ran asked with a hint of a smile.

Bertani nodded and said, “Of course I am!”