Firelizard discussion [B'jin]

Seijin had some questions about his firelizards  after the class was over.  He had ended up with two of them and while the class covered care and health of the firelizards. They didn't really truely  breach the topic of mating and greens. He remembered that green dragons didn't clutch but that green firelizards could. That was one of the differences.

He cleared his throat and shyly approached  the candidate Master.  " Candidate Master  B'jin may I ask a few questions if you have the time. He didn't want to interrupt if their teacher had to be elsewhere or had prior engagements.

Seijin was feeling really nervous cause B'jin didn't seem thrilled at all with the find of the lizards in the first place but he knew no one else to ask. He knew that his questions were probably a long way off from happening but being forwarned was a good thing or so he believed. He just hoped that asking him questions about his darlings would not make B'jin angry.

B'jin didn't like firelizards; he had never liked firelizards. They were flighty, squeaky and annoying little creatures that most people couldn't train worth a dime and the majority of them were nothing more than time hoarding annoyances that were as bad (if not worse) than brownriders themselves. B'jin really didn't like firelizards. However, with R'nd and Talian both getting themselves attached to one of the little shits, and Valerian prancing around with two of them, B'jin didn't feel he had a whole lot of choice as far as putting up with them went - not if he wanted to spend time with his lover, his son or his friend.

He really hated firelizards!

However, the little creatures also provided a strange opportunity for the candidates that had claimed one - or in a few cases, two - of the little mites as their own. They were, after all, the original dragons of Pern, and learning to take care of a firelizard, while nothing like a dragon, was a good stepping stone to taking care of a newly hatched dragonet. The difference would only be noticed by those who Impressed, or already had a dragon, but B'jin could see the benefits of the creatures, even if he were still unwilling to actually touch them.

A headache was creeping up the back of his skull, an annoying ache that had descended upon the greenrider about halfway through his part-lecture, part-practical lesson of firelizard 101 (well, dragonet, really, but firelizards were the current creature in possession) and was slightly surprised by the soft clearing of a throat behind him. B'jin turned with a mild frown, blinking up at Seijin; the young man had several inches on B'jin's own height, though the greenrider was hardly intimidated by the mellow young man.

"You may," B'jin replied mildly, one hand sweeping his hair back out of his face while he leaned back against the table his papers were still sprawled across, and watched Seijin mildly. The class he had unintentionally taken on were a mix and match lot, with a vast variety of young men and a few women splattered through the ranks. Those girls that were amongst the number B'jin was pleased to see didn't shirk their duties or expect special treatment because they happened to have a set of breasts. Some of the young men could be almost brain bleedingly delicate but a few waspish remarks from B'jin had pulled most of them into line. If he could do it, then they bloody well could too!

"What did you have in mind?"

" well I was wondering a few things about my little green beauty her. Green dragons mate but they don't clutch but the green firelizards mate and clutch.  Will Lana go to lay eggs where we found her or will she lay them here. Cause everyone has said they go where they were hatched and that would be here right?"  He wondered softly.

"And what would you do with the eggs? If she does happen to have a nest in the future? And how would I know that she was going to mate is that the same as with a green dragon? I mean I know they still young and all and these questions are not really relevant now it won't be till she grows up more. "  Seijin said quietly.

B'jin's eyebrows drew together thoughtfully as Seijin flung his quiet questions at him, brown eyes narrowing slightly and lips pursing. While Seijin was correct, and that his firelizards were indeed young yet, the questions were relevant and B'jin nodded slightly when the young candidate finished and awaited his reply. Full of questions, isn't he? Larrikith quipped, her tone amused as B'jin chewed on the questions he had been posed before answering. What order to answer them in? Hrm.

"Correct," B'jin started, raising one hand to push back through his hair once more before dropping to his front, fingers entwining. "For starts, Firelizards don't mature until they are about a turn old, though she may start flying at about six months. The likelihood of you finding her clutch is pretty slim. Green firelizards are terrible mothers." B'jin tilted his head slightly, frowning at the firelizards in question. "Besides, firelizards have ancestral memories. So, she's as likely to Hatch where her great-great-granddam Hatched as where she did."

Typical, Larrikith grumbled irritably into B'jin's mind, They get extended memories and mine die after a couple days. B'jin's lips twitched slightly, yeah, but you get intelligence in exchange. "Well, you'll be lucky to find any nest a green lays, and most of them are likely to be a dud at any rate. Their fertility rate is pretty cruddy."

Mating flights, though? B'jin snorted outright and shook his head. "Not at all. Firelizards don't bond with nearly the strength of a dragon. You'll probably find yourself suddenly randy and in an embarrassing state of arousal, but you certainly won't lose your mind or need to screw anyone. There were the rare issues where someone would take the opportunity to force themselves upon another, but such occurrences were handled firmly by the Weyrleader or Lord Holder or Craftmaster - depending on the location."

It hadn't happened often, but B'jin was well prepared for there to be a sudden influx of such with the rediscovery of the firelizards. Almost all of those that had Impressed the little shits had not been alive during the turns before the Plague - or had been far too young to be in possession of a firelizard. Mating flights of the little creatures wouldn't be known or understood by them then, and in the turns since, such details had been forgotten. But, B'jin hated firelizard: he remembered everything about the little bastards, usually in the most negative view.

"They are young now," B'jin drawled mildly, "but they will be sexually mature within the next six months, so..." B'jin shrugged. "You're questions are relevant." The greenrider smiled slightly, an eyebrow arching delicately as he offered a silent encouragement to the young man to ask more questions.

Seijin blushed softly He hated to bother the man after teaching class and worried that he might of got offended to him asking so many questions. But as he asked some candidate master B'jin seemed to not be angry with him so he relaxed a little more and tried to get comfortable.

"How much can they eat is there a possibility of overfeeding them?Like with the baby dragons you know where they get sick from eating to much. I'm worried cause they seem to always want to eat  and wasn't sure if they would have the same issues. " He asked softly. He remembered lessons about not overfeeding your dragons when they were small but  he wondered if it also applied to the  firelizards.

He especially worried cause of having two of them. He hoped it wouldn't hurt his chances about someday being a rider. But maybe if he showed he could do well at taking care of the little firelizards he could prove that he was responsible and ready.

“Well, that would depend heavily on the nature of your firelizard,” B’jin said lightly, smiling at Seijin as the young man relaxed and stopped looking like he was worried the greenrider might bite his head off. B’jin supposed he had reason enough to be a little skittish, but he hadn’t actually done any damage to anyone’s firelizards, and he’d even prevented Larrikith from eating them at the Hatching! No one knew, of course, but part of the benefit of being bonded to a dragon is being able to pick up on their thoughts. It was part of the reason B’jin had been so quick to get her out of that situation. Never mind Amorandii trying to grab hold of R’nd’s firelizard! And that… That was still something that made B’jin tremble with horror. He’d treated poor R’nd so badly!

“Some of them will have more of a tendency to over eat than others, so it will take you keeping an eye on them and getting to know them. Much like dragonets, they’ll be inclined to do their own individual things. Their lack of ability to speak in words won’t make it any easier, either,” B’jin warned. “Dragonets can be real pains for not wanting to worry or bother their rider.” Except for Larrikith, who had made it her lifetime goal from before Impression until after death (in all likelihood) to bother B’jin about any and everything. “So even though they can tell you when they hurt or are sore, often they won’t. That’s why these little shits will be a good help in teaching you before you are so luck as to Impress.” Or not, depending on the personal view of the Candidate in question, of course.

“At this age, you can expect them to eat and sleep a lot. They’ll probably not do a whole lot else for a few sevendays. Make sure you keep a close eye on their hide, and watch out for any developing dry patches or cracking like I showed you earlier.” That had been fun, pointing out his own failing as a dragonrider by showing all his Candidates the scar tissue on Larrikith’s hide, and explaining how it had come about. He supposed it was there, and he might as well prevent these guys from putting their dragonet through the issues he had put Larrikith through when he was young, and unhappy to find himself with a dragon. At least most of his class seemed more enthusiastic and a lot of them seemed thrilled with the little firelizards they had managed to attach themselves to.

“Taking good care of the firelizards can only help you in the future, Seijin. These two look quite healthy so far, and I expect they will continue to grow well. If you have any issues with them, you know where I am and I’m happy to help you out.” Even if he couldn’t stand the creatures on a personal level, that wasn’t the fault of the young men and women he was now responsible for teaching, and well, as long as the little critters were proving useful, B’jin couldn’t see how using them as an early form of education could possibly hurt. It would help the candidates take better care of their dragonets when they finally got to Impress.

Seijin nodded softly he was glad that his two seemed to be doing quite well. He made a note to check their hides often as you do with the dragons as they grow. He knew communicating with the firelizards was more difficult they spoke  mostly in images and with the way their bodies moved. Sometimes he felt Lana was easier to understand cause her needs seemed more simple then Claus. Claus seemed to be more complex but much more independent then  little Lana who was more clingy.


Seijin tried not to smile when B'jin called the firelizards little shits. He could tell that B'jin wasn't to trilled with them even though he was working with them." Thank you so much Sir for answering all my questions. Its been very helpful and taken a lot of the weight off my mind. " He said sincerely.  He had a lot to think about in what they discussed and the clarification of the questions he had. He was determined in one thing though to keep them safe and well behaved so that they never gave anyone any reason to go after them.  He only hoped the Claus  listened to him.

"I have taken up enough of your time I'm sure your more then ready to get out of class and get back to your family. " Seijin thanked him again before heading out to think about everything as he headed back to his room.