"Legi.." she murmured, but the thief scowled.

"A bug in Bird territory? He knows he doesn't belong." Legi smirked, with Kol mimicking her expression.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Kol asked, puffing out his chest to try and seem older than his thirteen turns. The Insect scowled, a feline weaving in and out of his legs, hissing.

"I'm looking for your leader. If," he snarled, "you have one."

"Why?" Katixa asked simply. "You have your own; it doesn't concern the Birds the problems the smaller gangs are having. We're untouched. It's not our fault you keep losing members." The Insect bristled again.

"Who are you?" Kol pressed, insulted that his question wasn't answered.

"Stinkbug," the boy spat. "She's the Mockingbird - everyone knows that." Legi preened. She was famous for just being herself; most of the brats in other gangs quailed at being face to face with her.

"Mockingbird, Crane will deal with them," Katixa murmured. "He wants to see Crane anyway." Stinkbug - Hamir - listened carefully. The Birds' leader was a secret; obviously this Crane was someone in charge.

"I," Kol was saying haughtily, "am Duck. That's Dove, and you know Mockingbird."

"Duck," Legi barked, "shut up." Kol scowled, but obeyed the older Mockingbird.

"Why are you here?" Hamir asked Kol; by the looks of things, he at nineteen, was the eldest here, even if he didn't look it.

"It's our turf. We can go wherever we want," Kol answered, glaring at Hamir. "You still haven't given me a satisfactory answer."

"That's because, squirt, you are in no way in charge of any organization. Spider and Locust don't care about you." Hamir stared down at Kol, who scowled back.

"They do too," argued Kol. "Crane and Falcon do so know who I am." Hamir smiled, a dangerous, wolfish smile.

"Thank you, Duck. I will take that information to heart and just be.."

"Staying right here." The new voice was sharp, and made all four jump. The Birds swiveled around to see two new people there; they were definately not Kelvar-folk.

"Who are you, and what are you doing on Bird territory?" Legi spat out, reaching for one of the daggers that she kept in wrist sheaths. Their pockets would be quite easy to pick when the Birds made their escape.

"Clya and W'han," the second person - a man - answered. "The bigger question is, who are you? I'm sure not many parents would name their child 'Stinkbug'." He gave Hamir a mild smile. "Unless they were quite unique." Stinkbug's eyes narrowed.

"They were," he ground out. Hamir reached down to pick up the feline, Scat, holding her in the position that he taught her as the prelude to 'attack.' He felt Scat's muscles tense, waiting for his signal.

"Why does it matter to dragonriders a simple manner of nicknames and such?" Katixa took the front, voice soft and soothing. Even brash and bossy Legi recognized Katixa's diplomatic skills. "It is a game, played by most of the youngfolk of Kelvar." Healer-trained, Katixa knew how to calm down irate persons; however, these dragonriders were.. different.

"It's not a game when three gang up on one," 'Clya said with a snort. "Then it's dangerous, and why are you shaffiting smiling?" The Birds hid their smiles - Clya's choice of words was so close to what they were actually doing.

"Nothing, lady dragonrider," Katixa murmured. "It was just.. word choice. Similar to what a good friend, Crane, often says. Is there something you wanted to discuss with us?" 'Clya's eyes were sharp as she shook her head.

"Not you three - just him." She jerked a shoulder at Hamir. "The Bug." She scowled once more as Katixa, Kol, and Legi covered smiles. "That's really quite annoying, you know."

"I believe we're aware of that," Kol muttered, surprising everyone who could hear him - it was quite an unDuck way of speaking.

"Shush, Ducky," Legi hissed. "What's wrong with us?" she added, glaring at W'han, who seemed the weaker of the two.

"Em.. nothing, really. You're normal. He's just special. Going to stand, you know." Legi's jaw dropped as Hamir smirked and went to stand next to W'han. Normally he wouldn't have chosen to stand, but it was worth it, seeing the look on the Mockingbird's face.

"Well then, I'm going to as well," Legi announced to the riders. "As the Mockingbird, I can imitate anyone and everyone - which means I can do him as well as he can be himself, thus I'm quite able to stand."

"That's not how it works, girl," 'Clya snapped. Legi glared.

"Ducky!" she glanced at Kol. "Find the dragons." Kol grumbled, but complied. He had a knack for speaking to one or two dragons; he couldn't always do it, and the 'connection' was fuzzy, but it was what got him a position on patrol.

Hello? he asked, and felt the two dragon-minds. They were rather close by. Please - take us with. We.. ah.. need to go. Rather important, you know.

No, yawned the one dragon, sounding rather like W'han, we don't, but I'll talk to Sjirith about it. Trenda' and Ch'vi just brought in four candidates, and we should be bringing in just as many.

Kol knew the quick dragonspeak had worked when 'Clya scowled.

"Fine. You're coming with us - all of you. And you're all going to Mukuiruth's clutch because you're beginning to annoy me."

"Is she always annoyed?" Katixa inquired when she got close enough to W'han to ask. The bluerider shrugged.

"Not really. Maybe because Haeth's been flying dragons that aren't her Sjirith. Quite complicated. But you'll impress fine in Mukuiruth's clutch. Don't worry."

enzan shi: http://enzanshi.sphosting.com