The meat was chewy, but flavorful, with spices and sugars glazed into the strip. The different essences practically exploding on her tongue as she snapped it down, leaving a pleasant, muted aftertaste as she left her lair. Inside, her sharp hearing picked up the sounds of the prince finishing the rest of the little snack he had drawn, and then the [i]click clack[/i] of his boots as he made his way back towards the entrance. The scraping sound of metal on stone rang out, bouncing off the walls of the cave as he scooped the royal scepter off of the uneven stone floor.

As she stepped out into the snows, she saw a handful of men and women standing before her, decked out in thick furs and leathers to insulate them against the bite of the mountainous chill, hands resting on the hilts of their swords, axes, and hammers or on the grips of their bows. None dared draw on the dragon, small though she may be, but it was apparent they were concerned that they saw their prince enter the lair, and the dragon leave it. They backed away slowly, giving the hatchling a wide berth, and by the time she had caught her meal, all that was left in sight was the footprints in the freshly fallen snow marking their hasty retreat.

Kendrick stepped out a few moments after her last bite, tugging at the lapel of his thick coat to shield his neck from the cold. With a shiver, he donned a cap that appeared to be woven wool from some poor beast that was unlucky enough to have fur colored to match the rest of his royal winter garb. "Just because you [b]can[/b] do something on your own, doesn't mean you [b]have[/b] to, and there is some comfort in that knowledge, no?" The frigid air around them made his breath visible as he spoke, but he didn't bother looking at her, instead keeping his eyes focused on the now empty clearing. He saw the footprints in the snow, signs of his little expedition's departure, and though he was certain they wouldn't abandon him, or even wander too far away, he was somewhat irked by having to inconvenience himself in the slightest to get back to his mount.

He passed the hatching on his way to the small caravan, turning to look at her expectantly before breaking line of sight, "There is still a deal to be made," he said definitively, silently inviting her along... For now.