25.Mar.23, 10:03 PM
As the person on the shore responded to him, Valtala became certain that they were a stranger, someone he had never met before. Even if the Seacrafter had been born blind, that almost ecstatic way of saying ‘hi’ back had sounded way too friendly to be voiced by someone who came from the Hall. The little (adorable!) excited hops just added to the confirmation. Definitely not someone from around here.
Interesting, he thought to himself. What’s a stranger doing in these parts? Had his reputation proceeded him so much that news of ‘the mermaid’ had spread beyond his Hold and Hall? Valtala felt almost giddy at the prospect. He could go down in history, if that were the case! Finally, some recognition!
He watched as the person moved down the beach, closer to him, but out of the corner of his eye he caught something even more interesting than a stranger on the beach: a big, glorious blue dragon! A dragon! How had he missed seeing him (it was a blue, so of course he was a him!) in the first place? Now it was Valtala’s turn to gasp. What was a dragonrider doing at Fishercraft Hall? Now he was so curious that he almost couldn’t stand it!
His curiosity was momentarily distracted, however, when the dragonrider started talking to him. The blonde started to swim closer to the shore, so he and this fascinating stranger didn’t have to yell at each other.
“Aren’t you cold?” Came the bluerider’s excited sounding voice. Before the Seacrafter could respond to the stranger, came more questions. "Are you a mermaid? Merman? That's so cool! F'drel will never believe me,”
Now, it was Valtala’s turn to be delighted. He gave a full, silvery laugh. “I am a mermaid! I am!” He waded out of the ocean to the point where he was waist deep. “At least, that’s what they call me! ‘The Mermaid’!”
Now that half his body was out of the water, Valtala could feel a slight breeze, and the wind to him felt more than a little chilly. He hugged himself with a sigh, smiling back at R’dal. “And it’s colder out here than it is in the water!” He laughed again, then, since his curiosity could no longer be denied, he added, “Are you searching for candidates? Why are you here? I’ve never met a dragonrider before!”
Interesting, he thought to himself. What’s a stranger doing in these parts? Had his reputation proceeded him so much that news of ‘the mermaid’ had spread beyond his Hold and Hall? Valtala felt almost giddy at the prospect. He could go down in history, if that were the case! Finally, some recognition!
He watched as the person moved down the beach, closer to him, but out of the corner of his eye he caught something even more interesting than a stranger on the beach: a big, glorious blue dragon! A dragon! How had he missed seeing him (it was a blue, so of course he was a him!) in the first place? Now it was Valtala’s turn to gasp. What was a dragonrider doing at Fishercraft Hall? Now he was so curious that he almost couldn’t stand it!
His curiosity was momentarily distracted, however, when the dragonrider started talking to him. The blonde started to swim closer to the shore, so he and this fascinating stranger didn’t have to yell at each other.
“Aren’t you cold?” Came the bluerider’s excited sounding voice. Before the Seacrafter could respond to the stranger, came more questions. "Are you a mermaid? Merman? That's so cool! F'drel will never believe me,”
Now, it was Valtala’s turn to be delighted. He gave a full, silvery laugh. “I am a mermaid! I am!” He waded out of the ocean to the point where he was waist deep. “At least, that’s what they call me! ‘The Mermaid’!”
Now that half his body was out of the water, Valtala could feel a slight breeze, and the wind to him felt more than a little chilly. He hugged himself with a sigh, smiling back at R’dal. “And it’s colder out here than it is in the water!” He laughed again, then, since his curiosity could no longer be denied, he added, “Are you searching for candidates? Why are you here? I’ve never met a dragonrider before!”