you should see me in a crown; your silence is my favorite sound
He liked the way she would submit to him, the way her eyes dropped and she almost appeared smaller somehow. Yes, good. She must have recognized him for more than a mere horse. He was glad of that. Perhaps some of them had rare intelligence after all. Or at least natural instinct. Hers may have been slightly faulty though, unless she was just brave, because she continued forward regardless.
"I'm Evenstar," she gave to him just as her eyes started wandering over his features, his face and wings and glimmering gold. He couldn't help but to straighten proudly a little, pleased with her perusal and rewarding her with a flash of sunlight reflecting off his gilded tobiano. A secret part of him almost felt self-conscious to be created to look so different from her. But no, obviously that was a good thing. More beautiful, not less.
He watched closely from where he was as she bent down to inspect his temporary gift, studying her as he tickled his lip over one of his bones absently. She made a small noise and nudged it with her little soft nose, then smiled at him. "It's lovely. Thank you." He grunted and let his blue-green eyes fall to his own treasures, satisfied with her acceptance of it and glad she didn't want more of them.
"What's your name?"
Oh, that again. The naming thing. A loud sigh dragged airily through his mouth and he lifted his head again, giving her a dubious look with bored eyes that clearly said not this again. He hadn't even been practicing his name as he probably should since this seemed to be their favorite thing to ask him. He supposed he couldn't blame them for being curious about what to call him. So he smacked his lips quietly and wetted his mouth, preparing to force his dragon mouth to shape words that didn't fit right, came so unnaturally and with so much effort.
"Gghhh," he growled, aided by the gravel of annoyance. The last bit was the hardest, and he was nearly embarrassed at how difficult such a short little name was for him. Well, it wasn't his fault they insisted he speak their tongue. Embarrassment was more often led into irritation. He tried again anyway, swallowing the end of the growl, eyes glaring again.
"Gghh-ilt!" he hissed the end sharply then snorted the tingling from his nose. And he damn well wouldn't be repeating it. He straightened and watched her expectantly, his eyes set hard in a stern little face. Now it was her turn, obviously. That was how this speech thing went, so he waited, only mildly curious what an emerald gem like her would be named. He doubted it would be one that he could speak, anyway.
Gilt
the gilded stormdragon