Teh wherwoman looks at the people before her and wonders if perhaps she has landed in an asylum. Clearing her face of cencern, she smiles and say: "Umm... yes, if we could be off to a herd of some sort, that would be welcome.

"You still have not answered my question: What can a dragon and rider do to repay the favor of a few fat herdbeasts and a night's lodging?"

__________________
GM Wolff

Sure...
you can do that...
Just let me roll a few dice here...
Hmmm....

"Cattle you want some cattle?" Buddy says. "I can buy you some if that is what you need. I'll tell you this around here you don't want to end up oweing someone a favor." He stops and thinks 'hmmm will she owe me a favor?'

"Oh well I must tell you though. I might seem like fool to you but I have live a life of seriousness for too long. To long I kept myself under the old code and it got me nothing but trouble and not being allowed back into..." he pauses and smiles.

"But that is the past and now I have the present. I can swing a blade of metal and conjure a few small magicks as per my past callings but for now I consider myself a learner of life, a liver of the future, and poet whom does not know it. My trade name is Nard the Bard. Might you have heard of me?" He takes a deep bow before looking up to see if anyone even cared.

__________________
"You see what around the corner?!?!?!"

"Ah, a bard! that explains much." Lessa thought to herself. The dragonrider smiled at Nard. "Ah, no, as I said, I am a stranger in a strange land." The weyr-leader looks once more up and down the streets of the city.

Meanwhile, Mnementh has decided matters have gone on long enough! With a flap, the mighty Gold launches herself into the air! The assembled GM's note that it is with one synchronized movement that workers, sailors, strollers, and shoppers stop, gape, and run!

The mighty dragon pays them no attention as she glides to one of the many stone jettys. Settling next to a just-in long-line fishing boat, the dragon delicately snags a 300# halibut from the deck. With a quick toss of her head, the fish is flipped end-over end, caught, and swallowed. The dragon repeats the procedure twice more, and, having consumed nearly half a ton of raw fish, finally looks up at her partner.

Lessa can only shrug. "Well, I told you she was hungry."

Meanwhile, the captain of the boat gingerly edges around his wheelhouse and out of the direct line of sight of the dragon before putting on his stern business face. Identifying the bard as the obvious person respponsible, the sea-farer steps up to Nard:

"Well? I am guessing yew owe me aboot nine shurrans dere. I will be having it now, if yew please."

__________________
GM Wolff

Sure...
you can do that...
Just let me roll a few dice here...
Hmmm....

[I] It begins already [/] Nard thinks.

"I agree that is if the fish last the minute. You see that is not just any Dragon good sir." Gm Buddy/Nard the Bard says.

"This a the Official Royal Golden Tasting Dragon of the Seekers themselves" he says with as much flourish as he can muster. "This Dragon is sent out to taste the foods of the area and if it keeps them down for an hour then the owner of such food will recieve a letter of writ from the Seekers to be an official member of their food chain of merchants."

"So if the Dragon does not regect the food then we will pay for it without a worry, but if he does then your fish is not worth.... well Dragon Fodder." Nard says and then turns to study the dragon with full intent of watching for some reaction.

__________________
"You see what around the corner?!?!?!"

"What!" The sea captain exclaims as his hand grabs the bard's shoulder turns him back to face the enraged ship's master. "Let me explain the facts of life to yew:

"Me boyos and me go out in a rickety wooden boat and cast lines to the bottom of the ocean. Sometimes we don't catch nothin but crab and octopus. When we haul up der fish, it is still alive and unless yew step lively it can break yer leg or take off a hand, quick as an eyeblink. We club 'em and we gut 'em, slipping and sliding in fish guts on a pitching deck. We fish day and night and come home with, at best, half a hold of stinkin' fish, salted down, but still fresh. Then we sell it to dose who pack it into barrels with more salt, and ship it off to gods knows where.

"So I don't care who eats me fish. I don't care whether I am an official member of Der Seeker's food chain. I don't care if yew gif me der gold star of exceptional blinkin quality.

"I CARE dat yer pet has yust taken what me and the boyos worked long and hard to own, and I CARE dat yew cough up nine shurrans NOW.

Lessa looks on in surprise. First, that the bard stepped in front fo her when she was about to offer an explanation, and then at the exchange that followed. She discards the idea of demanding wehyr-rights to the fish and decides to let the bard handle the situation.

__________________
GM Wolff

Sure...
you can do that...
Just let me roll a few dice here...
Hmmm....

Nard looks down at the man's hands gently wipes them off his shoulders. "Good Sir I am trying to be civil." he then takes step toward the captain. "I see you are a great sailor. One of skill and knowledge. I take then you know who's Island you are standing on. Look around is it yours? NO!!" he says firmly. "It belongs to the peole of Rhiaman, and who pray tell are thier leaders? The Seekers. Yes that is right the people who could have you thrown in a dungeon and your ship sunk to the bottom of this bay. So if you continue to question thier views on this dragon and its job for them I would advise you take it up with them. I am sure that would suit me fine." the Bard says as eloquintly as he can.

"Oh did I forget to mention that the dragon gets to eat people who make the Seekers mad as well?" He says pointing to the dragon.

__________________
"You see what around the corner?!?!?!"

"So it is the Seekers I haf ta see, is it?

"All right, then, come along!" The fisherman's hand clamps on the bards arm and the captain heads up the street towards an impressive set of buildings overlooking the docks.

Nard, perforce, follows.

__________________
GM Wolff

Sure...
you can do that...
Just let me roll a few dice here...
Hmmm....

Pulling himself to a stop Nard looks the Captain up and down. "You are either hungry to feed a dragon or just totally impatiant. You would rush down to bother the rulers of this land over some fish that were eaten out of your boat by one of thier own employees. If you but wait a few more minutes and my scaled friend does not regurge the meal then I am obliged to pay you. But you would rush down and tell the judges of crimes to stop ruling on murders and matters of state for you fish." Nard turns and stands there watching the dragon with keen interest.

Of all the ignorant fools. This is liable to cost me 9 coppers. Come on Dragon do something Nard thinks to himself as he will not let himself be drug any farther as he watches the Dragon.

__________________
"You see what around the corner?!?!?!"

By a miracle, or perhpas the captain doesn't really want ot bother the Seekers if he can help it, Nard is able to pull the captain up short. The captain pauses a beat and then grins.

"Well I gues it has been more than a minute, hasn't it? I don't see no regurgitated fish on the docks."

The captain holds out a callused hand. "I will be having my nine shurrans now."

Meanwhile, Mnementh takes a lazy wingful of air, two slow flaps, and settles next to her rider. The dragon's eyes whirl contentedly.

__________________
GM Wolff

Sure...
you can do that...
Just let me roll a few dice here...
Hmmm....