"I suppose you�re pretty lucky I can�t weld worth tripe, or else I�d have a lock on this door like everyone else," Ripley muses as she meets you outside a chamber marked �My Room Do Not Disturb If Occupied�. "As it is, my bedroom is pretty much open to the public. As you�ll see."
You push the wooden door open and enter a rocky cavern much like the others, lit by a collection of oil lamps and candles. One wall appears to be wooden, and a small bed, piled high with woolly blankets, stands in one corner. A bright fire burns in an alcove and you realise the chimney must be a natural shaft in the stone, leading up onto the hillside - no wonder it�s cold.
As if sensing your thoughts, Ripley throws another log into the fire. "It�s this accursed draught," she says. "As well as the chimney, we have that monstrosity over there." She gestures at the wooden wall. "It�s a hatch and it opens straight onto a ledge on the north face of the hill. It�s great in the spring and summer but come autumn any loose rocks blow down there and in winter it�s freezing!"
You take a closer look at the hatch. There are two pieces of paper pinned to it.
"That�s a copy of my letter of application," she explains, pointing at one. "I applied to bond a Kellarian Dragon at Dragon Moon and I bonded a tiny green. She's called Danroe and she's a real little madam. Remember how bad I said she was when she was learning to fly and had designs on being The Great Warrior? Worrier was more like it, what with the stress she gave me... but anyway, now she's flying about, we're not doing too badly at all. Every morning now we're out for exercise, and we've been noticed by the people up at Dragon Moon. I was even nominated for Junior Wingleader... we didn't make it, but I can still be proud, can't I?!
"Anyway, if you want to see Danroe, she's probably out on the ledge doing the Big Tough Guard bit.
You can go out and see her, if you like." |
