ORIGIN

She sat herself back down, as bidden--which was a strange feeling, really. She wasn't used to just taking orders like that; her family had been one of suggestions, mostly, but she knew that Charon meant it as a kindness. It was still an odd sensation, and one she sort of noted for later, though she didn't know what to make of it; unbeknownst to her, Mother's form of control had always been suggestion. Bone had barely taken an order in her life.

'I ain't no whelp, I'm Charon, I'll live.'

"That's a good attitude," she told him, in encouraging agreement. "We'll both be fine after a rest, I guess, yes?" If her draconic face could've smiled reassuringly, it would have; her eyes crinkled up as best they could, in any case, and her voice was warm.

It was strange watching her brother fold his only set of non-wing limbs; she couldn't quite tell if they were legs, or forearms, and for a moment she studied his odd, but interesting, build. Ahh--her attention was taken as he spoke of Mother (real Mother-), asked of her, and at once she felt saddened. "You didn't know her-?" she half-blurted, in surprise. The mention of Carja (and she placed this name correctly to the face; this was the dragon Svartis and Blight had adopted, she thought) and Dread had her snorting back sour amusement.

"Dad is... ah, he's not as smart as Mom. As Asimona," she explained. "He loves family but he tends to get angry at things he doesn't understand, and that's... a longer list than it is for most. But he'll defend us with his life," she said, then realized that maybe "us" wasn't the best word to use. She'd meant herself, Svartis, and so on, but now it sounded like she was including the whole extended family in that, and she doubted Dread would defend anyone he didn't know. He was more likely to warn them away from those he did, she guessed. "He's had a lot of big threats attack the family, or our home, so he's pretty suspicious of others. If you ever want to meet him, I can introduce you so he knows you're family; he's very kind if he knows who you are." The implication and acknowledgment, of course (a little dry) being that if he didn't, he wasn't. She didn't blame anyone for calling him names, though she still loved her father.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to know Mom better, though. To be honest, she didn't stay around long after Svartis and I were hatched, either, but she was very kind. She used ice magic, like Svartis does. But when we moved to Dad's cave--he was back in Monoceros, then--I think it was mostly too warm for her. We ended up with a cooler... sort of iced? Section of the ravine, there, but I guess it wasn't the same as Pisces for her. She's--hmm. Gentle? Attentive? I think she could be as dangerous as Dread if someone threatened us, but it never happened. And she was definitely smarter than Dad," she repeated, with amusement. "Svartis is... Very nice? He's like Mom, actually, really. I guess we both are, sort of. He uses ice, too, and if you want to visit him he's around here, sometimes, or sometimes visiting Dad in Leo. He's smarter, too, and he likes kids, but he's usually pretty quiet."

Bone considered, shifting in place. It was pleasant, talking about family; and it was a nice distraction, too, from both of their situations. She hoped it'd be the same for Charon. "There was Blight, too. A kid Svartis picked up, one day. He's sort of... green, and smaller than us, and his magic is different--he's the one who can heal or make things sick. He's a good kid," she added, though he wasn't any more of a "kid" these days than she was. "Then there's... Bug; she's part cat? And part dragon. She's a troublemaker but she's sweet. I've no idea where she's living, these days, but that's the whole family, I think."

There'd been others, after she'd left, but she hadn't known them either at all or any better than Charon did, so she wasn't too confident of speaking about them. "Svartis or Blight could tell you more about Carja, I think," she added, thoughtfully; and then, half to herself, she said:"-am I missing anyone?"