“Anthus and I REALLY need to tell Rhune about our relationship… or this ssneaking into the house in the morning iss going to get annoying.” Ruby said into her star ruby; which once again was activated and recording her every word.
The sound of Ruby opening the basement window of the Astherion house can be heard before she resumed: “Everyone should be asleep thiss early so it shouldn’t be any problem sslipping through my window…”
“Ruby!” Lamorra shouted happily.
“Welcome back!” Lakorra joined in.
The sound of Ruby groaning in dismay can be heard and then the sound of a window closing.
“Where were you Ruby?” Lamorra asked cheerfully.
“You weren’t here last night.” Lakorra observed.
“Sshh! I was hunting alright?” Ruby said with some annoyance. “What are you doing in my bed anyway? Sshouldn’t you be in your own room?”
“Papa and momma wanted to spend time together last night. So they sent us to spend the night with you! Only you weren’t here so we just camped out waiting for you till we fell asleep.” Lakorra explained.
“Dun worry! We didn’t tell papa.” Lakorra added. “We thought you might be with Anthus.”
“Oooh! Ruby’s blushing! WERE you with Anthus?” Lamorra asked giggling. “No lying if we’re sisters now.”
There is a pause for a moment and then Ruby reluctantly answered: “I WAS hunting… but yess I was hunting with Anthus. The first hunt together is a very important in dragon courtship rituals. It signifies wishing to be more than just… uh…”
“Just… uh… what Ruby?” Lakorra asked.
“Errr… well… for those who wissh to announce they want to do more than have hatchlingss… er… children together.” Ruby tried to explain.
Lamorra asked sounding a little confused: “Isn’t that backwards? Wouldn’t you only have children with someone who you wanted to spend time with?”
“It’ss… different with dragons. But it doesn’t matter ssince Anthus isn’t a dragon and we can’t possibly have hatchlings anyway.” Ruby said sounding embarrassed. “Now enough about that.”
“Then why does he have to go on a first hunt with you if he isn’t a dragon?” Lakorra chimed in.
“Becausse he respects the traditions of my kin and wants me to know that… and because we had fun Lakorra.” Ruby tried to explain.
“But what did you hunt?!” Lamorra asked in a rush.
“And did he kiss you?” Lakorra giggled.
“We hunted bears in Dun Morogh and…” Ruby trailed off suddenly.
Lamorra and Lakorra can suddenly both be heard giggling together and Lakorra burst out: “Ruby’s blushing again! He kissed her!”
Lamorra squealed: “Think he did!”
“I taught him to hunt as a dragon…” Ruby continued trying to ignore them. “We firsst tracked down a bear and while Anthus distracted it I leaped from the top of a hill onto it’ss back and killed it. It was… nice. We worked together as a team and he didn’t sseem to mind the more feral aspects of a dragon on the hunt.”
Ruby paused and then: “He… he really does seem to love everything about me… no matter how alien I must seem to him at times.”
“You’re not alien Ruby.” Lamorra chided.
“You’re our sister in everything but blood.” Lakorra added.
Ruby laughed, the sound seeming joyous and affectionate: “I am indeed. But dragonss and humanss can be drastically different in outlook and tradition… but Anthus doesn’t care about that at all… in fact I think I worry about it more than he does.”
“Anyway…” Ruby continued, “Next Anthus tracked a bear of his own which I then distracted and Anthus brought down the way I had taught him. Then I ate of his kill and he ate of mine and the ritual wass finished.”
“What else happened?” Lamorra asked eagerly.
“Didn’t take you till morning to do that.” Lakorra agreed.
Ruby paused again and then relented: “I may have… pelted him with a ssnowball or two… though I think that wass at the beginning… and after the hunt we rode down to Loch Modan and sat overlooking the lake. We talked a lot… and…”
“And?” Lamorra persisted.
“You’re blushing again Ruby… I think he kissed you!” Lakorra giggled.
“You ARE more red right now than when you are in dragon form.” Lamorra snickered.
“Yess… well… fine you little busy bodiess… we kissed.” Ruby finally relented. “But don’t go telling anyone.”
“Ruby and Anthus sitting in a tree… K…i…s…s…i…n…g.” Lamorra and Lakorra both sung at once.
“Sshhhhhhh!!” Ruby hissed in embarrassment.
Giggling once again Lamorra said: “We won’t tell. We’re happy that you’re happy.”
“We really are Ruby.” Lakorra said seriously.
“Thank you,” Ruby said seeming moved. “Now let’ss try to get SOME sleep before your papa and mamma wake uss up.”
And with that the star ruby was turned off with a click.
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