Eliesmier hovered there, buffeting the little human with gusts of wind, watching her. He had backed off a little, flying backwards (it was much harder than hominids thought), so he could properly watch. He couldn't help but internally guffaw at the little one's attempts to threaten him. It was pointing an arrow at it! A little toothpick! It was adorable, and encouraged him to break his silence.

	With unconscious control, he reached his mind out to the human's- no, it wasn't human. How peculiar. He mentally poked it, testing its mental reaction.

	Abruptly folding his wings, he dropped to the stone, a large area on the side of his mountain that was maybe two treelengths in diameter. Taking a step forward to inspect the horse that was between himself and the little hominid, he sniffed it. Satisfied that it was a good horse, he casually opened his mouth just enough to allow a lazy river of oily flame to curl out and light the entire beast on fire. 

	The entire time, his eyes were on the hominid.

	Letting his horse roast- saddle and all- he sat back on his haunches, not too terribly unlike a cat, and stared at the hominid. Experimentally, he raised his snout and sniffed the air again, this time trying for the hominid's scent. After several seconds, he caught it, even through the thin wisps of black, oily smoke rising from the horse, and the horse itself. 

	This time, he did more than mentally poke the female elf. This time, he spoke.

	With thought-speak that was smooth, soft, undoubtedly masculine and almost unerringly calming and maybe even seductive, he thought at her, [color=moccasin][i]So an elf comes to grace my presence. How adorable, you are, with that little bow and your brave words.[/i][/color]

	One could practically feel the amusement in his words, and the pleasure he took from speaking to another intelligent being.

	Laying down- more like a dog than a cat, this time- he sniffed his roasting horse and blew on it, this time without fire. The flames shuddered and went out, leaving thoroughly roasted horse, and the faint whiff of air and fire elemental magic. 

	[color=moccasin][i]You know the last time someone came to sacrifice themselves, it was, oh, four hundred years ago? For the most part, people are threatened into it. You hominids are so self-centered, you know. Always worrying about yourself, but most of you will fall apart if a family or friend is threatened. Of course, us dragons are similar, but I suppose this was all up to the Spirits. Who are we to deny our nature, after all? You're more than you look, you know. You've got something to look out for, don't you? Is it just yourself? Or is there something else? Someone else? You came here on your own. Quite a ruckus you left behind; did you break out somewhere? I wonder if you're here because you have no where else to go. Am I hitting something? Oh, put the bow down. What do you think you're going to do, poke my eye with that thing?[/i][/color]

	He snorted, still clearly pleased with himself- immensely so. It was apparent that he liked speaking to something that could understand, even if he was going to eat it later. Shaking his head a little, resembling an animal of some sort preening in front of an audience, he looked off towards the distant thunderclouds, unbothered by the thunder and lightning.

	[i][color=moccasin]Listen, little hominid. Hear the Spirits' battle for dominance over the world. They always grow restless in the spring, have you noticed? Water always win in the winter, though, so Air freezes the land. Come Spring, they can never win against each other, and come Summer, they settle a little. Air always wins in the Autumn, however. Water can't do much about it, so it prepares to strike at winter.[/color][/i]