"I understand, it's hard to leave after just returning home. It happens to everyone," he said before starting a headcount..

"Goldenscale, can I ask you something," Nathan asked, tapping Goldenscale's side lightly.

Goldenscale turned her head.  "Of course, Nathan." she said with a smile.

"What's it like being so connected with nature? It must be so different seeing the world in such a way," he said, picking up the hatchling to cradle it.

She smiled.  "It is.  It gives me a better connection to everything around me.  It has made me more sensitive because I can feel so many more auras, like yours, and the trees and so many others.  It also gives me a larger sense of responsibility since I can feel what others feel.  I can tell if something is going on inside the forest.  It is amazing to be connected to nature.  I can teach you if you want.  Though I'm not sure how well it will go..." she told him.

"That would be nice, but you don't have to. We might give it a try some time," he said with a smile, "I don't know if Mom will be too happy aobut it though. She seems to have something against the teachings of nature."

"Well, then.  It seems as though I might have to speak with her as well.  Nature is something that is mostly good, but does have some bad in it.  It does take care of itself well though.  I'll start teaching you sometime then." she said with a chirp.  "Don't be afraid to follow your heart, Nathan." 

"I want to fallow my heart, but I don't know how. I don't know what my heart wants. Learning to be a beastkeepr feels like it would be a step in the right direction, but it also feels like that alone wouldn't be enough," Nathan said, watching as the keepers slowly gathered everyone together, "I don't know if I have what it takes though. I fear I wont be capable of the tasks to come."

"If you just tell yourself you can, you can do whatever you set your mind to." she said, placing a taloned hand on his shoulder.  "There is more to becoming a Beastkeeper.  You can always do something more."

"I know, but I don't know what more there is. All I know is that becomeing a keeper is just a step towards the right direction. I've always had these cravings to do something more than myself, to fulfill some unspoken duty," he said, slipping his ring back off and putting it in his pocket, "So far, the only pearson I could ask what that duty is, is my mother and she wont say anything. That's why I asked Moonlight if she could locate my  father."

"She'll be able to help you more than I can on that.  Though I do know quite a number of things, I am still young and don't know nearly as much as othe beings." she said with a chuckle.

"We all have something to learn, no matter how old or young," Nathan said, shrinking back a little as some of the hunters gave him disaproving looks when they saw him without the disguise, "The first thing I want to do though is stop hiding what I really am, even if it means making things harder on myself. Im getting sick of feeling so out of place and uncomfortable because of the magic in the ring."

Goldenscale growled at the men giving that look.  "I agree.  There's nothing wrong with being different.  Look at me, I have feathers and fur, and dragons definitely don't look like me.  But I embrace it.  As long as you love what you are and who you are, you should have no shame in yourself." she said with a smile.

"I know there's nothing wrong with being different, but it's everyone else that thinks otherwise, like those people over there," Nathan said, nodding to the hunters, "It just makes fitting in hard when there are people who are out to make you feel left out and a monster. My biggest enemy in that will be my own mother since she wants to hide what I am. I understand why, but it just makes things hard."

"Hopefully, in the future, she will embrace you as you are.  But if she diesn't I hope all goes well for you anyways...  I do not know what being you are, and there is nothing I can do to help people understand, but I can help by trusting you." she said with a gentle smile.

"I can only let time do its thing. I just need to hold true to myself," Nathan said, a soft pur coming fromhis ches, "Having your trust will be a great help if anything, and for that I thank you."

"OK everyone, everything we need has been gathered. It is time to head back so grab your load and we'll be on our way," Kial anounced to the crowd of hunters and gatherers. With each person picking up what they could, the group started back towards the town.