Against his better judgement, Cal was on his way to the one place he'd most like to avoid, hitching a ride on a tithe caravan bound for Western Weyr. They'd taken one of the smaller ships a short way up the strait that split the continent, before docking at a local port. Cal knew a trader there who often oversaw the tithe ships coming into the Weyr, and offered to help in return for transportion up to the Weyr.

Finbar was bouncing in the seat next to him, looking very smug after convincing Neri to make Cal bring him along. He'd been sitting up his knees since they got within a mile of the Weyr. Facing the wrong direction half the time, he was keeping an eye out for dragons returning to the Weyr, when he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for any danger on the road in front of them.

"Why are you here again?" Cal grumbled.
"Dragons like me." Finbar boasted with a smile.
"No.. A dragon liked you. Once. There's a difference."
Finbar shrugged. "Triptith likes me." he said, undeterred. Neleus likes you, more like.. Cal thought. Triptith was just being polite. "Alloth likes me." he went on.
"Alloth likes everyone."
"Squall likes me."
"Alright, alright..."
"Darling likes me."
"Okay, I get it. Dragons like you." he gave in, rolling his eyes.

Finbar turned on his knees, watching Cal with a curious expression. "They'd like you too if you weren't so scared of them." he said after a moment.
"I- I'm not scared of dragons!" Cal spluttered, glancing over at him. "Shells, what put that idea in your head, Finbar?" Finbar lifted his shoulders slowly. The way he did when he had an answer, but didn't feel bothered enough to say it. "Well, I'm not. Okay? I just don't like the Weyr..." he muttered, quieter.

"Why?" Finbar asked.
Cal sighed. "Fin.. You know what a gold dragon is, right? What it can do?"
"No." he said, finally settling down in his seat again.
"They can make other dragons listen to them. They could force Neri and the others to go back to the Weyr. They could force them to fight thread."
Finbar leaned back in his seat, seeming to consider that for a moment. "They wouldn't do that though." he said with an easy shrug. Cal wished he could have as much confidence on that... "Dragons are nice."
"Not all of them." he warned. "I mean it, Fin.. Promise me-"

But whatever else he was about to say was cut off when a pair of brown dragons swooped low over the road leading up to the Weyr, causing Finbar to stand up right on the front of the carriage, losing any and all interest in their previous conversation. By the time they disappeared out of sight, they were practically at the Weyr.