Kemp made his way to the doorway of the wooden hut or long house that housed the riders of the new dragonets. He was up and awake before even the first rays of the sunlight appeared. His excitement at the life that he now led made it hard for him to keep his eyes closed. 

[i]Sleep is necessary for a healthy body and sharp mind[/i] Came the even matter-of-fact voice of his brown Oroth via their mental communication. 

Though only a few weeks old, the brown was already the size of a farm horse in height and twice that in wing span. Kemp smiled as he exited the building and turned left towards the clearing that housed the dragonets. Unlike the Weyrs he had read about and seen in the North, the South did not house their dragons in bowl shaped weyrs dotted with ledges and caves.  Here, the buildings were much more simple and easy to repair after an earth quake or fire.  

Kemp, skirted the edge of the clearing, making sure not to make too much noise by foot or mind.  While dragons tended to communicate or talk only to their assigned riders, it was not uncommon that too strong an emotion could translate as a sort of white noise or annoying pitch to other dragons.  Unfortunately for the young boy, his excitement levels were always at its peak. Many of the dragonets shifted away from the boy, low murmur or rumbles escaping their throats as the slight uncomfortable “loud”  emotions of the boy disturbed their sleep. 

[i]Not all creatures look  forward to the dawn. It would be best to designate a meeting place away from the nesting area if this is to become a daily occurrence.[/i] Oroth remarked making a hissing sound as he let out his air in what Kemp took for an exasperated sigh. 

“you are right. Lets do that. For now, lets head to the salted fish barrels, we can grab you a snack while I wash and put oil on you. You grow so fast its hard to keep up with the peeling.  Can't have you bursting a seam when we finally go between.” The boy was whispering but his sheer glee could not be hiden and his voice reached a high pitch that caused many a dragonet to grumble. 

[i]Come, before you make me the target of sour eyes and vicious talk.[/i] Retorted Oroth, as the brown dragon  allowed the boy to climb on him.  The pair was not ready for long flight yet but they figured that riding the dragon like an awkward horse would train the brown to familiarize himself with  the boy’s weight.   Both headed to the river, passing from the still moonlit clearing along a wide path towards the store houses.