Book One: Onnu and Pannu

Exchange of Ideas

Their compromise was that Trey would listen to any knowledge pertaining to travel, survivalism, and anything else a nomadic dragon would need to know. They didn't like learning that he was a nomadic dragon, and it took a while to settle them, but he promised to stay for a while after Onnu left, and it bought them a bit of peace.
   Onnu would listen to any sort of homemaking or crafting knowledge, or animal husbandry. Anything they thought could help the other, existing colonies, she would pass on. She, in turn, relayed any Tupin tweaks they'd discovered.
   It was far too inefficient to simply line up and list every random fact they had. Instead, they gathered into two roughly equal groups, and took turns listing what they thought was useful. That way, if someone else in the group knew the fact, they could omit it from their infodump. They could, however, add on to what was said, if they kept it brief.
   There was some repetition, of course. While Onnu could hear everyone, not all of them could hear each other. If she'd heard the same fact four times, she would repeat it where all could hear. She and Trey had roughly a hundred kin to listen to, apiece. The less repetition there was, the more efficient it would be.
   With Trey adapting the same method, it only took a day to get through everything in both groups. They did break for meals, where they learned that they could eat the grass that was getting in their way so badly.
   "Well, some of you can. Others may find it unpalatable," she clarified. "As with everything else here, the only way to know is to try."
   :You know darned well which ones won't like it. What are you getting at?: Trey asked, where they couldn't hear.
   :I know, but they don't. Getting them to try new things might be hard enough. Starting with something as innocuous as grass is a good starting point, don't you think?: 
   He couldn't argue, as usual.
   :Besides, while Tupin orcs might not like grass, these might. Even we don't know until they try it.: They could be fairly certain, of course, but not positive.
   There was, indeed, some variation in what types of kin enjoyed grass, on this planet. Most of them were the same, but it only served to prove her point when a couple of ogres and a giant liked grass. Even a catkin or two enjoyed it.
   :Maybe game isn't as plentiful here, so they need more kin who will eat veggies?:
   He hadn't thought of that. Since exploration was more his bag, he adjusted his thinking on food aversions. They also found more pescatarians here, so perhaps there was more water on this planet than on Tupino? He hadn't been making note of that. Yet another thing to add to his roster of countless details to remember.
   I wish I had someone to write all of this down, he thought.
   Onnu overheard the thought, and pointed out a dragonkith in her own group. At first, the idea of lugging around a small person repelled him, because that was yet another thing to remember to do. Then he realized that he would actually reduce the amount of things he had to keep track of!
   Trey made a mental note to keep tabs on the dragonkith.
   Those who were holding scraps of uneaten grass were showed how to write on it, and they immediately knew who the artists were. The writers would wait for papygrass, and maybe emdief, depending on their preferred writings.
   Some of the more meticulous kin wrote down the things they learned from their peers on the grass, and then made mental notes not to eat their notes.
   It grew late, and the dragons felt it imperative they show the kin how to locate a sleeping niche. "Remember what I said, if you stay in here, the night winds cannot sweep you away," Onnu said firmly. "The crystals help divert the wind away from you, as do adult dragons. The very shape of the Bowl, and the spires, are designed to protect you as much as we can. Each Hold was made by a dragon. This, and the adjacent ones, were made by Trey. No, don't stop to listen. You can hear me from any niche. I am merely filling time while you find open--over here, look. Those are filled, but these are empty. Hurry now, little ones. Off to bed."
   She could sense Charon nearby, so she gave a few a boost across the Bowl if they needed it. Winged kin would later help their brethren, but none had mastered flight yet. They were arguably more vulnerable, as the winds could catch their feathers or membranes, and lift them up. The dragons did have to tug a couple back to firth, but everyone made it in time.
   Onnu nearly forgot to cover the eggs, but one wobbled enough for her to sidestep over it. She didn't think Trey really needed to help, but neither did she mind when he curled up against her. He draped his neck over her shoulders. She lay hers on the grass near one of his wings. The wind bothered her after a while, so she tucked her eyes and earflaps under the wing for shelter. She'd forgotten that was why she and Pannu tucked their heads under each other's wings at night. A pang of guilt struck her, then, but what was she to do? She hadn't instigated the embrace, she simply tolerated it.
   I didn't ask for Dwayne, either, but would he see it that way?
   She kept her thoughts buried where neither Brother could hear, just in case either were awake and lurking. This world was closer to Dwayne's "timezone" than Tupino, despite being further from Dwayne's world spatially. She didn't understand this planetary system at all!