The tribe splits up and heads their separate ways... (image issues, new group image coming "soon") They return to the Holt in fits and starts, all essentially at the same time, though some make it back earlier than others, and with of course - spectacularly varied results!

Timeline: Original elves arrive to Bald Mountain. 90 years or more later, Ainea and her dragon arrive to bring dragon bonding to the tribe. 20 years after that (or so) two more elves are born (the first of this holt's births). 10 years after that, a hand of travellers come to live there. Between 20 and 40 years after their arrival, several new births, and several more arrivals increase the Holt's population.

It is now 'year 160' of Bald Mountain Holt's history.

Apogee wants to go to the Zoorti Nebula for her bonding.

However... After a very long wait there, with no eggs even so much as stirring, she and Squall have set their sights on Avengaea - where elemental dragons roost and they might come home with some truly spectacular bond-friends!

Visit Avengaea here!

Apogee

Bonded to: Blue Light female Eurani Promontores (large) at Avengaea

Birth Name: Tantumble, changed at age 48
Soul Name: Tonde
Who Knows Name: Only self and Tallow, but he's dead. Most of the time she acts as if she doesn't have one. She thinks it's of no use to her now. At year 3598 Squall arrives and they exchange soul names.
Race: Elf, pure
Age: 220 (305) Born in Year: 3366
Sex: female
Relatives: Fleecehide, mother-d; Skyshot, father-d; Recognized mate: Tallow-d, no children came of her Recognition, see Tallow's Tale. ((**Please note - this is an ADULT story with TASTEFUL material in it, my mom liked it, so it should be okay)) Lovemate Squall.
Friends: Catcry, Talon, Squall, most bird riders, some of the better storytellers. (All either dead or left behind at Peaks.)
Enemies: cat-riders, particularly the one who let their cat chomp on her bird's feet!
Hair: Light brown, cut short and a little wild, tends to sweep upward in the back like a cowlick.
Eyes: Medium brown, sharply slanted, large.
Height: 3'9"
Weight: 70 lbs
Skintone: fair, usually reddened from sun.
Build: Small, compact with lean muscles. Long legs.
Voice: High, nearly 'cute' but she can whisper to make your hair stand on end.
Sub-Tribe: Bonders, Bird-riders
Bond-animal: A giant eagle named Silly-One (alternately Two-Claws), who is mostly brown, with a golden head and eye-markings, long black tips on feathers. Has only two claws on one foot because of an 'accident' with a lion. Often hunts for gophers, much to the disgust of Apogee, who tries to train him out of it. (Deceased about a decade before Dragons)
General Appearance: Spritely and lithe, smiling most of the time. Looks much younger than she really should, but with elves, who can tell? Because she is relatively pretty, she can disregard her appearance and still look good, which she does at most times.
Clothing:
Summer: Very small skirt and halter top over one shoulder in light green leather, frayed at the edges.
Winter: Tight fitting unitard-like outfit, long sleeved and down to ankles, in silvery green, trimmed in short brown fur. Second layer is cloak-dress, half-sleeves wider at elbow, down to knees, split in front. Cloak is greyish black, with brown fur inside.
Colors: greens, silvers, black.
Weapons: Favors the bow, and is very good with it. When arrows are not enough she throws javelins, only when cornered will she use her knife. She uses only wood and stone instruments, never metal (if available). Also, she makes fishhooks from bones.
Possessions: Few. Her weapons are the most obvious, then there are some tools useful for fishing, cleaning and gutting fish. She has a large basket filled with tanning scraps, which she intends to put together and use as some kind of crazy device to fly ((note that after her bonding to Silly she has almost forgotten this stuff, and she finally does put it all together and gives it to Jackdaw)). And her single most prized possesion is a candle made by Tallow, her deceased lovemate: it is an eagle in flight with two thin tapers that never shrink. She lights this candle once a year. (She becomes a packrat again at Bald Mt, and still has the candle.)
Skills: Fishing, swiming, diving of course, using bone for various applications. Has a little experience with the Humans nearby, and can attempt to barter with them. Also learned a little candle making from Tallow, as well as some phrases in other human tongues. She goes on long-distance scouting flights, and checks up on human scouting parties from birdback.
Likes: Fish, freefall, watching water and clouds, having things to do, wind, climbing trees and cliffs (if only to leap off of them), riding her bond-bird.
Dislikes: Restraints, returning to the ground, frozen lakes (though when someone invents iceskating, she may change this), going hungry, sticking to routines, overt changes in people, talking about her relationship with Tallow.
Personality: Certainly not shy, like her mother Fleecehide, though she gets her build from her. Once she finds something she likes, she will take pains not to over-use it, other than, of course, diving. She will do things like suddenly take up an offer to go on a long-range hunt or a scouting party just to have a break from everything. She is a fair hunter, preferring to shoot long-range from a high spot. She has no hatred of humans, in fact, she is rather curious about them, and will not harm them if at all possible. Trolls are a distraction and she considers them pests, but has also never tried battling them. (Armed with a knife? Get real! She'd run quick!)
Background: Born to Fleecehide and Skyshot, who both are now dead. Learned early in life that if she does not do something right Now, she will regret it. She is impulsive, but sane. No diving into shallows allowed. As a child, she would spend many long hours watching the sky from any given cave-opening, and knew that one day, she should soar in the clouds. Every time she saw a giant bird, her heart leapt into her throat...Is it for me? She asked herself. Of course, Silly was not at all expected in her life but then neither was her participation in getting a young Human to fly too! --see Flight Feathers...She took to water like a fish, one day, when Skyshot took her to one of the nearby lakes, and she accidentally fell in. She bobbed about for a moment, then happily splashed around. She can catch fish with her hands if the water is shallow enough, prefers to use her fishing lines and hooks in deeper waters.
On a long soul-searching trip, she ran into a male elf named Tallow, a wandering candle maker. They spent a while together, fell in love, but Tallow fell ill and died on the way back to Twin Peaks. This is partially responsible for her fear of closeness. She is very touchy about love. Losing both her parents to a rock slide was devistating, and this may also explain her need not to use her soul name. Since learning of Dreamkin and her 'talks' with spirits, she may try to get information out of her about Tallow, but that is unlikely at best. Since Tallow died before they could fulfill the bonds of Recognition (Apogee did learn his soul name and did speak it before he died) she has been a little too somber about children. What if there were children in her life and she were to fail them? To die even bravely is still to die leaving a distraught child. And since Catcry has Recognized, she has gotten a little bit jealous, but not enough to make it come between her and Cat for long. A big event in Apogee's life will be when she discovers that there are other people to love, all around her.
After the goundquake, she leaves the holt briefly on a scouting trip, to investigate the hostile Human's territory. While out there she meets Squall, a female weathershaper who returns with her to Twin Peaks. (After that, another more deadly quake sends the groups away from the Peaks forever.)

Like Apogee, Squall thinks that the Zoorti Nebula dragons are just right for her. If she's going to be flying, she might as well look good.

And then again.... She and Apogee have moved their residence to Avengaea!

Squall

Bonded to: Water Male Stallano Altus at Avengaea (tiny)

Age/Year Born: 33 (118)/3567 Sex: Female
Soul Name: Tylesh Known By: none but self, later Apogee
Mate Status/Sex Preference: lovemated to Apogee, but they both 'shop around'/wildly prefers anyone who will match speeds with her
Children: hah. ha ha hah.
Parents/Relatives: mother, flier; father unknown, possibly glider or weathershaper, both deceased and from another holt
Height: 4'3" Build: slender and long limbed, gangly
Hair Color, Length, Style: black shiny, to thighs tied in 4-6 braids, heavy and very straight
Eye Color, Size, Shape: violet, large, almond shaped and slanted
Skin Tone: dark, tanned from the sun and very even
Voice Quality: husky, low and sexy, growls and uses animal noises in her speech a lot

Clothing -- Summer: halter top and bikini bottom in red-orange cloth, red braid yarn woven through, no shoes
Clothing -- Winter: loves silk things, and piles them on in great numbers when she's cold at all (up here, lots)
Jewlery Worn, Made: none, metal might attract lightning!
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: has a tribal insignia around her ankles, wrists and neck, over scars from bonds
Pets/Animals Kept: none, likes birds and sea mammals
Notable Posessions: nothing, she just wears what she wants from other people, gives them back

Holt Function: protector/hunter, weathershaper
Magic? How Powerful? A combination of flight and water-shaping at about 9 of 10 power! She loves to fly, and will do it anywhere, in any weather.
Climate/Locations Preferred: warm, rainy and wet climes, Twin Peaks was a little too cold for her year-round
General Likes: openness, people who are happy, storms, watching water and animals in it
General Dislikes: kids, trolls, humans, anything which keeps her tied to the ground
Fears/Worries: terrified of being captured again by humans, they are responsible for her injuries
Special Strange Info: her bestest friend outside of Apogee is Rasp, natch!
Basic Personality: Loud, cool, happy, blunt, open to a fault, dramatic and easy to fluster; when in holt discussions, she is quieter because she is unused to being the focus of any attention (a habit brought on by being a captive)

How they feel about
Humans: absolute terror, with growing anger
Elves -- shepherds: oooh, I'm impressed, you can watch sheep graze.
Elves -- magic users: like these guys, they're my kind of people
Elves -- bond-riders: yeah, up there in the sky, okay!
Trolls, etc: afraid, they're like humans

Bond Animal Info if any: none

Squall's history can be found here.

Farfire is very keen on bonding at Abri Weyr, if anything to get over the loss of her bond-bird. She thinks that the "look" of these fantastic dragons is far cooler than any other she saw - and she also thinks that Shatter will look just GREAT on one too.

Farfire

Bonded to: Black Female Lyesaseath (lie-SAS-see-ath) at Abri (small)

Age: 119 (204) Sex: Female
Soul Name: visiz Known By: no one yet
Mate Status/Sex Preference: very single, very looking/picky but not about which sex
Children: oh, man, that would mean messes!
Parents/Relatives: mother, eagle rider, father bond-rider, both deceased; sister, deceased also bond rider
Height: 4'0" Build: slender, willowy, suprisingly strong and resiliant
Hair Color, Length, Style: dark red, to mid-back, large wavy rings held up by leather strap
Eye Color, Size, Shape: rich blue-green, slanted and wide
Skin Tone: fair
Voice Quality: medium, talks fast and uses a lot of big words
Clothing -- Summer: wraparound brightly colored shirt, one sleeve, skirt with bright designs also wrap, sandals
Clothing -- Winter: heavy silk blouse over wool shirt, white and colored, thick bright cloth pants, boots
Jewlery Worn, Made: yes, lots of it any kind
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: none
Pets/Animals Kept: not with the big bird watching
Notable Posessions: riding harness inherited from mother, that she doesn't usually use, lots of teenager stuff (still kept after all this time)
Holt Function: learning to be a scout/protector, Eagle rider
Magic? How Powerful? only bonding, and medium sending ability
Climate/Locations Preferred: up in the air, where it is chilly and sunny at the same time, or on summer snow
General Likes: bright things, happy people, loud noises (thinks Shatter is way cool)
General Dislikes: stuffy adults, death and sickness, war with the humans who could be friends
Fears/Worries: that the disease which took her mother will take her (unlikely)
Special Strange Info: just a kid, flying through life with her first bond bird (of course, this changes later)
Basic Personality: lite (tm), fun loving, skittish around elders but respects them, gossips
How they feel about
Humans: would like to trade and meet some of them
Elves -- herders: the kids are allright
Elves -- magic users: depends
Elves -- bond-riders: most are too serious
Trolls, etc: no opinion
Bond Animal Info if any: eagle called Nightride, a fledge with as little flight experience as Farfire has on his back (at the time of the Dragons arrival, of course, Nightride is much older, and, well, you've read the story...)

Shatter will be going to Abri Weyr with Farfire, but his heart is set on impressing Rasp enough to convince her to lifemate with him. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't!

Shatter

Bonded to: Male Brown Mortyreuth (mor-TIE-ree-uth) at Abri (average)

Age: 260 (345) Sex: Male
Soul Name: Tzchen Known By: none but self
Mate Status/Sex Preference: single/hetero and looking for a woman who will lifemate (Rasp), Recognized to Ainea
Children: Icecap, has high aspirations for them when they do come
Parents/Relatives: mother unknown, deceased, father Talisman, a flier, also deceased
Height: 4'4" Build: long, slender, chiseled
Hair Color, Length, Style: silver with black tips, short to shoulders with bangs, straight and slightly wild
Eye Color, Size, Shape: change with moods, small, round
Skin Tone: olive, tans well
Voice Quality: very quiet, sinister, dangerous -- note that his magic alters this in volume and texture!
Clothing -- Summer: white tunic to knees, with black lacing up sides and black belt, black and white boots, black bracers
Clothing -- Winter: same with black longsleeved shirt below, and black leggings
Jewlery Worn, Made: a heavy silver torc around neck, with inlay of turquois, silver and turq. earrings w/feathers
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: probably some where YOU won't ever see them
Pets/Animals Kept: none
Notable Posessions: some other silver jewlery, in a very nice carved rosewood box
Holt Function: hunter/protector, flier/soundshaper
Magic? How Powerful? Flight magic to a limited extent (str 2), and soundshaping at 6 of 10 power, which he uses to call animals, and sing, and terrify people
Climate/Locations Preferred: chilly early winter days, outside where he can sound off
General Likes: ice, things he can shatter with his voice, strong women
General Dislikes: weak willed people, those who won't decide things
Fears/Worries: unknown. he's pretty mysterious and keeps to himself.
Special Strange Info: offhand, you'd say he was a Goth, if he dressed in black more often!
Basic Personality: Aloof, careful, sinister -- lives up to his voice and name when he has to.
How they feel about
Humans: disgusted
Elves -- herders: they serve their purpose, little more
Elves -- magic users: are the ones who should be kept safe and mate more often
Elves -- bond-riders: neutral
Trolls, etc: hates trolls, and is convinced that there are other things out there which are worse (he's right)
Bond Animal Info if any: none

Rasp fell in love with the idea of attending a hatching at Lao Daemia's Moire Protectorate! I mean, look at those dragons!!

Rasp

Bonded to: Female RedStriped Snowy Brown Lorewrath from Moire (average)

Age: 40 (125), first Sex: Female
Soul Name: Krrh Known By: her brother only
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Single, hunts around/bisexual and loves it
Children: no way! hates the little rugrats!
Parents/Relatives: mother Brittlebough - plantshaper, father Warmhand - healer, twin brother Clearwater (born second)
Height: 4'0" Build: Strong, lean, a hardbody woman
Hair Color, Length, Style: Strawberry blond, short to ears, wiry tight frizz
Eye Color, Size, Shape: slate green, narrow
Skin Tone: fair with freckles
Voice Quality: hard edged, sharp, loud, hissing
Clothing -- Summer: tight 1/2 shirt of dark blue leather, white leather skirt (short), knee-wrap sandals
Clothing -- Winter: white furry sweater, long sleeved blue shirts, leggings beneath skirts (longer, cotton)
Jewlery Worn, Made: loves feathers and gaudy things, armlets and bracelets, anklets, anything-lets
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: thinking of getting a tattoo (who will do it for her?)
Pets/Animals Kept: she'd keep snakes, spiders, anything nasty, but prefers not to have to tend them
Notable Posessions: maybe keeps whips and chains around... you never know until she gets you in her lair...
Holt Function: hunter/protector, keeping to the hills
Magic? How Powerful? she can plantshape only toxic plants, at 1.5 out of 10 power, she's immune to them too
Climate/Locations Preferred: icy sleet rain, winter and cold conditions: but also likes being in a warm den with a lover during storms too
General Likes: hunting, sports and sex games
General Dislikes: being wrong, being stuck anywhere she doesn't want to be
Fears/Worries: deeply afraid of bears, but will hunt them when the party agrees to
Special Strange Info: she's open to suggestions
Basic Personality: High-impact, dangerous, hot-headed, takes being shouted at by someone she respects (not many) to agree she's wrong about something
How they feel about
Humans: afraid of being captured by them
Elves -- herders: boring...
Elves -- magic users: cool but aren't adventurous enough
Elves -- bond-riders: the best friends she could have
Trolls, etc: would kill a troll for sport
Bond Animal Info if any: nah.

Rib was enfatuated by the beautiful dragons of Ryslen Weyr - in fact the wonderful Flurry seemed like such a great idea she asked Ainea and Adisath if she could go see the eggs on those sands.

When she got there, with Clearwater (see below), she traded a shaped bone trinket for an egg which hatched into this beautiful bronze flit! She has named him "Charm" for what she traded.

Rib

Bonded to: Female Silver-Ecru Kylionith at Ryslen (tiny)

AKA Sureshot Age: 618 (703, the eldest of the Bald Mountain elves) Sex: Female
Soul Name: Mahrah Known By: lifemate, some other dead people
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Recognized Lifemate deceased/No interest any longer
Children: Son, White-eyes
Parents/Relatives: both parents Bond-riders, deceased, grandmother was a shaper
Height: 4'1" Build: Strong, curvy, good looking
Hair Color, Length, Style: Grey-silver, short (over neck) with a long thin braid to hips, straight and fluffy
Eye Color, Size, Shape: pale violet, narrow, heavily slanted
Skin Tone: medium to dark, tans often
Voice Quality: sharp, husky, mid-range to low, speaks in simple terms but very direct
Clothing -- Summer: loose charcoal sleeveless shirt, leather black skirt loose over charcoal leggings, black boots
Clothing -- Winter: mostly the same, adds fur hooded cloak (white with charcoal insides) and fur boots
Jewlery Worn, Made: likes silvers, collects belts of all kinds, and armlets/bands
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: has a tattoo on left shoulder of a 3-clawed paw -- her first kill was a rogue rabid cat
Pets/Animals Kept: has a fondness for mice and small furries, keeps what she finds in shaped hanging cages
Notable Posessions: belts, and her shaped bows -- most made herself, also some strange cages
Holt Function: huntress, bowmaker, bone shaper
Magic? How Powerful? strong sending; bone shaping at 5 out of 10 power which she uses for crafts and bows
Climate/Locations Preferred: workshop, or deep ground cover, forest in summer/fall
General Likes: hunting keeps her mind from wandering, creating makes her concentrate, White-Eyes and friends
General Dislikes: bright colors, obnoxious people, those who aren't as good as they think they are
Fears/Worries: fears for her son being ridiculed because of his weak body, of weakness of any kind showing
Special Strange Info: deeply hurt inside, wishes she could find a soul-sibling to share some of her pain
Basic Personality: stoic, to the point, shows her confidence in someone by not correcting them, fiercely protective of White-eyes but not overprotective
How they feel about
Humans: hates them, wants to fight back
Elves -- herders: keep the holt going in tough hunting times
Elves -- magic users: hoping for one to train her son
Elves -- bond-riders: are the backbone of the holt
Trolls, etc: wants to see one up close
Bond Animal Info if any: just her pets (kept in small cages, but let free for the duration of her dragon-searching)

This second-born twin, Clearwater has decided that he would love to see the Ryslen Flurry dragons firsthand. Because he is a weaver, and a rather talented one at that, he was able to trade a scarf he'd made earlier, for a small flit egg, which hatches into this lovely green girl he calls "Weft".

Clearwater

Bonded to: Male White Winged Blue Iizzith at Ryslen (tiny)

Age: 40 (125), second Sex: Male
Soul Name: Iasa Known By: sister and some very close personal friends
Mate Status/Sex Preference: takes lovemates constantly/will swing both ways, prefers females though, and has become slowly enfatuated with Heartshy - Recognized Heartshy
Children: Morning Glory, likes being left in charge of them for a day
Parents/Relatives: mother - Brittlebough - plantshaper; father Warmhand - healer, sister Rasp
Height: 3'11" Build: skinny, bony but strong
Hair Color, Length, Style: tannish with blond streaks, to hips, slightly wavy
Eye Color, Size, Shape: clear green, wide and almond shaped
Skin Tone: medium with freckles
Voice Quality: Clear, smooth, sexy
Clothing -- Summer: Light blue longsleeved robe with dark blue trim, silk, blue silk and fur shoes*
Clothing -- Winter: wool undergarments and a brighter blue robe*
Jewlery Worn, Made: he loves getting and wearing things from lovers, and has a large collection
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: no way.
Pets/Animals Kept: not enough time, other than the silkworms, do they count?
Notable Posessions: a very nice loom he's assembled and uses constantly - * indicates an item he has made himself
Holt Function: silk worm breeder and weaver, clothier
Magic? How Powerful? a very small amount of sense-enhancing during lovemaking, small with the silkworms??
Climate/Locations Preferred: likes being inside decorated areas, or gardens and flower patches
General Likes: flowers, silk, dancing, people and music, hanging out with the girls...
General Dislikes: only being interrupted while he is weaving, or getting intimate
Fears/Worries: has irrational and odd-ball fears about anything, anytime
Special Strange Info: he's a fruit at heart, but you know, he also just loves kids, so you gotta start somewhere!
Basic Personality: lighthearted, naive-seeming, but sexy, eacygoing, easy to like
How they feel about
Humans: constantly marvels that they made it this far in those disgusting clothes!
Elves -- herders: loves them
Elves -- magic users: loves them
Elves -- bond-riders: loves them too
Trolls, etc: afraid of trolls
Bond Animal Info if any: none

Warmhand wishes only for a bond at Lantessama's sands. He thinks their smooth shape and strong bodies will compliment his ability - and their wings will clearly be able to carry him to any wounded!

Unexpectedly, when he arrives at Lantessama's shore, he locates a pretty little egg - which promptly hatches into a hungry black flitter! He names this flit Dusk, for her dark color.

Warmhand

Bonded to: Blue Fern at Lantessama, smallish

Age: 410 (495) Sex: Male
Soul Name: Hvish Known By: Brittlebough
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Recognized Lifemate Brittlebough/Hetero, mates only to her
Children: Twins: Daughter Rasp, Son Clearwater
Parents/Relatives: Parents both shepherds, deceased; father's father was a healer.
Height: 4'1" Build: Slender, Muscular, pretty strong for a slight build
Hair Color, Length, Style: Russet, shoulder length with a tie, curly in large ringlets
Eye Color, Size, Shape: Grey-blue, large, almond shaped
Skin Tone: Fair with freckles
Voice Quality: Soothing, soft, very pleasant to hear. Sings well.
Clothing -- Summer: Tunic to thighs, in yellow-tan leather, wide black belt, high green-yellow boots, wrist bands
Clothing -- Winter: same as above with a dark green long sleeved shirt and black leggings added
Jewlery Worn, Made: likes golds, wears simple rings and necklaces, has both ears pierced twice.
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: None obvious, would heal them away.
Pets/Animals Kept: None, though likes being with the sheep and lambs.
Notable Posessions: a guitar with inlay that his mother used, passed to him, though he is a better singer
Holt Function: Is a healer, generally available at all times, to most of those living in the low lands.
Magic? How Powerful? Healing, at about a 7 out of 10 strength, pretty good with breaks and scrapes, not so good with messy internal organs and brains, unnerved at burns.
Climate/Locations Preferred: Summer and outdoors, warm rain, lowland forest.
General Likes: being with family and friends, celebrations and singing parties
General Dislikes: emergencies and stressful times, but works well when told what to do.
Fears/Worries: afraid of heights, but not terribly so.
Special Strange Info: not always very confident, likes being told what to do.
Basic Personality: Pleasant and nice, takes things slowly and steadily, there when you need him.
How they feel about
Humans: dislikes them, neutral.
Elves -- herders: loves them
Elves -- magic users: thinks some need attitude adjustments
Elves -- bond-riders: are haughty but provide a great service to all
Trolls, etc: afraid of trolls, never met one but hears things...
Bond Animal Info if any: no bond animal (flitter impressed at Lantessama!)

After voicing her opinion about leaving the Holt to bond to these dragon things, Brittlebough was convinced by young White-Eyes that she ought to go ahead and choose a place. That place became more interesting to her, as she explored it. Darkling Dawn has too many humans and flittery things in it for her taste, but she's going to try her hardest to get along.

Brittlebough

Bonded to: Female Green Ashtoreth from Darkling Dawn (small)

Age: 365 (450) Sex: Female
Soul Name: Akla Known By: mate Warmhand
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Recognized Lifemate Warmhand/Hetero, joins in at parties
Children: Twins, Daughter Rasp, Son Clearwater
Parents/Relatives: mother was a plantshaper, father was a herder, both deceased
Height: 3'9" Build: very thin, long, sharp
Hair Color, Length, Style: Blond (vibrant), short to neck, straight, full
Eye Color, Size, Shape: Green-gold, narrow slanted
Skin Tone: Olive, even
Voice Quality: high and sharp, nasal, annoying
Clothing -- Summer: simple sundress of cloth, yellow and red, with pouches for plants; sandals, often gloves
Clothing -- Winter: heavy wool dress with layers, blacks and browns, long stockings and leather shoes
Jewlery Worn, Made: just earrings
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: has a scar up her back, from her buttocks to left shoulder blade, from accident, which her mate has healed recently
Pets/Animals Kept: none, doesn't like them much.
Notable Posessions: all the wicker furniture in the world...
Holt Function: basketweaver/plantshaper, could do huts or larger projects using her power, but she weaves with her skilled hands
Magic? How Powerful? Plantshaping, at about a 3 out of 10 power. weak, but present enough to shape things.
Climate/Locations Preferred: likes stormy spring weather, contrasts between sunshine and overcast
General Likes: fruits, wines, making baskets and being busy are her favorite things
General Dislikes: being forced into something that she doesn't agree with or believe in
Fears/Worries: worried about being crippled and having to be under someone's care -- wants independance
Special Strange Info: she is FINALLY okay with her lifemate having healed her wound.
Basic Personality: arrogant, irrascable, loud, voices her opinions boldly, got into her kids though she was pissed at first about having to raise and bear them.
How they feel about
Humans: hates them in any tribe
Elves -- herders: good people, likes them the most
Elves -- magic users: gossips about them
Elves -- bond-riders: and gossips about these guys too
Trolls, etc: is terrified of trolls and convinced that they set the trap she fell into
Bond Animal Info if any: none, doesn't like most bonded animals (this is going to have to change, huh?)

Because of his delicate build, White-Eyes thought he might have to try for a different kind of dragon. Dulath suggested he come with her to the Lian Dragon Nook! With their small, shining dragons, White-Eyes thinks he stands a much better chance of bonding there than anywhere else. When their nest breaks, he'll have to do the same work as any other bonder, but he's always had it in him to do that.

White Eyes and Enele are looking for another Lian bond at Ryslen!

White-eyes

Bonded to: Lian Dragon Aquamarine (male) Enele (tiny) and Orange Glitz (male) Torre (tiny)

Age: 6 (91, the youngest of the Bald Mountain Elves) Sex: Male
Soul Name: unknown - has not found it even yet, Known By: none
Mate Status/Sex Preference: single/hetero, tends to idolize before asking to join
Children: none yet but he apparently loves the idea of taking care of them -- helped with younglings when still at Twin Peaks
Parents/Relatives: mother Rib, bone shaper, father unknown deceased
Height: 3'9" Build: thin to the point of anemia but remains somewhat healthy
Hair Color, Length, Style: white almost transparent, to shoulders, wispy and thin
Eye Color, Size, Shape: white on white, narrow and almond shaped
Skin Tone: pinkish, with large slowly changing reddish-brown marks (port-wine like) burns in sunlight
Voice Quality: sweet, high and nice, will remain soft and musical all his life
Clothing -- Summer: thin beige long sleeved shirt with woven vest of grey, loose shorts, sandals
Clothing -- Winter: all bundled up, doesn't like it
Jewlery Worn, Made: wants earrings, but mom won't do it yet (isn't sure if he's a bleeder or what)
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: skin is marred with currently large-mole sized spots, they'll grow and change - Warmhand has tried shaping them away but they are not an injury, so they cannot be removed
Pets/Animals Kept: loves cats, ferrets, other small and clever animals, but doesn't keep them in cages
Notable Posessions: a bone flute given him by Rib which he is learning to play for the babies
Holt Function: will probably be a child tender, musician, or storyteller, perhaps inheriting Rib's magic?
Magic? How Powerful? is already a good sender, it's about 70% likely he'll be a bone shaper too
Climate/Locations Preferred: likes early mornings with fog, seen from the edges of the caves
General Likes: babies, songs, smiles
General Dislikes: bears and other huge animals, swift water, harsh noises or explosions
Fears/Worries: doesn't know why father is dead, but has a strange memory of it (from before birth!)
Special Strange Info: he's really intelligent, calm, and will be thought of as an elder long before he's old
Basic Personality: knowing, careful, plans things, deliberate, very caring, takes information and uses it
How they feel about
Humans: wants to meet them, but is swayed by Rib's feelings
Elves -- herders: tend the lambs and kids, must be nice
Elves -- magic users: some are like mother, even tempered, but some don't deserve all that attention
Elves -- bond-riders: respect, some fear
Trolls, etc: unknown
Bond Animal Info if any: none, has an affinity for slinky things

Hammersmith needs a strong, well-muscled dragon. For that reason, he decides that Draco's Inferno is the right location for him to try standing at. He hopes that the folks there will appreciate his ability to work metal - otherwise he's going to be kind of lonely.

Hammersmith

Bonded to: Brown Halith at Draco's Inferno (medium)

Age: 350 (435) Sex: Male
Soul Name: jharr Known By: himself, cousin
Mate Status/Sex Preference: lovemates, looking/heterosexual, pretty normal
Children: none yet
Parents/Relatives: father and uncle bond-riders, deceased, mother shepherd, still alive? cousin Whip
Height: 3'10" Build: stocky, wide shouldered, very musclebound
Hair Color, Length, Style: brown-tan, short away from eyes with a band, wild
Eye Color, Size, Shape: yellow-brown, small, round
Skin Tone: sunburnt, fair
Voice Quality: burly, deep, jolly?
Clothing -- Summer: tank-top of brown cloth, black breeches, soft shoes, with protective overalls & gloves
Clothing -- Winter: long and short sleeved shirts in contrasting colors, long heavy pants, high boots
Jewlery Worn, Made: none
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: old ones from the forge, mistakes, and weapons training
Pets/Animals Kept: a pair of near-deaf wildcats who like the warm forge-den
Notable Posessions: he is usually making weapons at an anvil, any of those count
Holt Function: weaponsmith and trainer for spear, sword, and staff weapons
Magic? How Powerful? none but weak sending
Climate/Locations Preferred: dry weather, clear skies, with pools of cool water nearby
General Likes: perfection, in everything
General Dislikes: fouled up works, confused people, lack of commanding air in chiefs
Fears/Worries: that his cousin Whip will really kill himself someday
Special Strange Info: nothing special
Basic Personality: open, but fairly gruff and short when something isn't going well
How they feel about
Humans: wants to know more about them
Elves -- herders: effective, neutral
Elves -- magic users: are lazy and need to work more like the rest of the Holt
Elves -- bond-riders: do their job and get all his respect
Trolls, etc: intrigued by their metalworking ability, but not enough to go find a forge!
Bond Animal Info if any: not bonded, but carries that magic very weakly.

Whip came along with his cousin - not wanting to be left alone again - to Draco's Inferno. He thinks that this whole thing is a bit strange, but he is ready for anything now. As long as he doesn't have to deal with too much between-spacing.

Whip

Bonded to: Brown Loireth at Draco's Inferno (medium)

Age: 144 (229) Sex: Male
Soul Name: Brass Known By: himself, cousin
Mate Status/Sex Preference: formerly lovemated, deceased/heterosexual, not looking
Children: deceased, boy of 2 from a recognition with ?? who also died in earthquake
Parents/Relatives: mother, father, uncle bond-riders, deceased, cousin Hammersmith
Height: 3'11" Build: Strong, muscular, wide-shoulders
Hair Color, Length, Style: brown, dark, to shoulder with bangs, straight
Eye Color, Size, Shape: brown, small, almond shaped
Skin Tone: olive to tan
Voice Quality: even, deep, dark
Clothing -- Summer: yellow and white embroidered shirt with a long tan vest, brown leather breeches, boots
Clothing -- Winter: add a long heavy black cloak and heavier pants, in the same color
Jewlery Worn, Made: none
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: some very old scars from practicing his chosen weapon
Pets/Animals Kept: none, he's had the cat to worry about (and now the dragon)
Notable Posessions: a collection of throwing darts, whips for hunting and show, and leather juggling balls
Holt Function: cat-rider, protector - now Dragonrider!
Magic? How Powerful? no magic apparent beyond sending, average strength
Climate/Locations Preferred: forest in the fall, when the first snows have hit ground
General Likes: cats and playing with them, showing off his skills, learning new weapons
General Dislikes: people who want to try lovemating or getting close
Fears/Worries: he's already lost his whole family, he dreads losing Hammersmith too
Special Strange Info: totally insecure, he gave his soul-name away because he thought he was going to kill himself after the 'quake
Basic Personality: blunt, rough, gruff, sometimes gets into a nice mood and is easy to talk to, but rarely
How they feel about
Humans: hatred, but some pity
Elves -- herders: some are cool
Elves -- magic users: arrogant jerks, mostly
Elves -- bond-riders: these are who I'm meant to be with
Trolls, etc: hates the trolls, but has no good reason
Bond Animal Info if any: Alliance, a female sabercat with champagne fur, green eyes, and black tips on ears, very well behaved and sensible, however she died several turns before the Dragons arrive

Taking the longest to decide where to go to bond, Heartshy and Orangepeel finally make up their minds to head with Warmhand, to Lantessama weyr. Because the story of the one clutching was so amazing, Heartshy felt it was entirely appropriate to stand at a true-lover's clutch.

While staying at Lantessama, of course Heartshy wanted to see everything. She wound up with a flitter! So unlike Warmhand's black, Heartshy's tiny white male creeled loudly but didn't seem to want to take food until Heartshy assured him it was okay. "Pause" is his name - not to be confused with "paws"!

Heartshy

Bonded to: Black (f) Shivay at Lantessama, small

Age: 190 (275) Sex: Female
Soul Name: frell Known By: none but herself
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Recognized to Clearwater, heterosexual, shy and very naive - just wait to see what happens when she's bonded a dragon!
Children: Morning Glory
Parents/Relatives: Hillrun, mother, deceased shepherd, Cloudshift, father, deceased shepherd
Height: 3'8" Build: slender and busty, not particularly strong
Hair Color, Length, Style: pale brown, to lower back, wavy with small ribbons here and there
Eye Color, Size, Shape: deep brown, large, round
Skin Tone: fair, freckles in sun
Voice Quality: high, sweet, sing-song
Clothing -- Summer: v-neck dress with off-shoulder puffy sleeves, in light flower prints, sandals
Clothing -- Winter: long white turtleneck shirt, heavy brown leggings, overdress of brown, boots
Jewlery Worn, Made: loves ribbons and spangles, anything with more than one color to it, gets lots of gifts
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: none, absolutely!
Pets/Animals Kept: songbird in a wicker cage, varies from year to year depending on how often they catch one
Notable Posessions: a small hand harp, made of metal and wood, which she sings to; she's got a lot of little shiny things, too
Holt Function: Shepherd, and proud of it
Magic? How Powerful? none, moderate to strong sending
Climate/Locations Preferred: outside in the bright summer sun, flowers blooming, all that nonsense
General Likes: everything, just everything!
General Dislikes: oh, those grumpy people - you know the type
Fears/Worries: hopes not to lose anyone else close to her, but that's unlikely
Special Strange Info: will save herself for her recognized mate, but goes to all the best parties to find "Him"
Basic Personality: flighty, softspoken, wishywashy, nice all around, agrees with whoever gets the most attention
How they feel about
Humans: ugh, nasty things!
Elves -- herders: well, we all love each other
Elves -- magic users: wish I could do that, dear
Elves -- bond-riders: if they didn't think so much of themselves, they'd be okay
Trolls, etc: horrible, the things I've heard about them
Bond Animal Info if any: none, but really thinks that this year's sheep are wonderful, don't you? (ewe?)

Along with Heartshy, Orangepeel thinks that this clutch of Zaranyth's is going to be a good one. He just hopes there is going to be an appropriate dragon for his needs - he's going to want one who can shield him from the sun, but won't need to go so deeply into the caves of the Holt.

Orangepeel

Bonded to: Green (f) Sinas at Lantessama, small

Age: 10 (95) Sex: Male
Soul Name: unknown Known By: none yet
Mate Status/Sex Preference: shy and single/clearly hetero
Children: none
Parents/Relatives: both parents shepherds and both are deceased
Height: 3'11" Build: skinny, scraped and usually with one or more bumps on head
Hair Color, Length, Style: Orange with light undertones, to shoulders -- out around head wildly as a halo
Eye Color, Size, Shape: pale amber, wide, always open
Skin Tone: pale, burns easily
Voice Quality: timid, but when around friends can get boistrous and bubbly
Clothing -- Summer: long shirt in faded yellow with orange sash tie, sandals, sometimes hooded cape in brown
Clothing -- Winter: bundled as per usual childhood wraps, more clothing than they can walk in
Jewlery Worn, Made: none yet, except a bead necklace he was going to give to his mother before she died
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: none
Pets/Animals Kept: likes goats a lot, tries to hang out with them
Notable Posessions: has nothing since his parent's den collapsed, except what he's wearing - since moving to Bald Mountain he has assembled a lot of little bangles and wool
Holt Function: he's born to be a shepherd, he may yet display more artistic ability though
Magic? How Powerful? none, weak sending
Climate/Locations Preferred: open airy places, is afraid of deep caves now, and won't go inside during storms (this fades with time at Bald Mountain)
General Likes: grass, goats, other kids, fruits
General Dislikes: ground quakes, darkness from being inside places (likes to see the sky), 'adoption' by so many people (loved his parents)
Fears/Worries: that another quake will occur, severely claustrophobic
Special Strange Info: he prefers to watch a storm from a small shelter, than go inside the caverns (again, slowly changes at Bald Mt.)
Basic Personality: strong willed in youth, but only displays this when he is in comfortable company, will remain silent rather than crying even when there is something bad happening. Might make a good chief later in life?
How they feel about
Humans: unknown
Elves -- herders: best of friends
Elves -- magic users: neutral, a little fear
Elves -- bond-riders: more impressed but still afraid of the big cats
Trolls, etc: totally unknown
Bond Animal Info if any: hangs out with a goat-kid every spring, usually likes the darker brown ones but knows that they're going to be food sooner or later.

Ryslen 2004

Morning Glory (formerly Honeycomb)

Bonded to: Winter Blue (f) Tariym (parents Ishrym and Naphredeari) at Ryslen Flurry 2004, size medium

Age: 18 Sex: female
Soul Name: (unknown) Known By: Orangepeel
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Single, unmated, occasionally thinks about Icecap of course, straight; Recognized (lovemated only) Orangepeel
Children: daughter Camomile, wants more!
Parents/Relatives: Mother Heartshy, Father Clearwater, Grandparents Warmhand and Brittlebough
Height: 4'4" Build: slender
Hair Color, Length, Style: honey yellow blond, long, wavy
Eye Color, Size, Shape: Green Yellow, large but almond shaped
Skin Tone: Fair
Voice Quality: Quiet, high, musical
Clothing -- Summer: Silken skirts of violet pink, small leather shoes, halter tops and sleeveless tops
Clothing -- Winter: almost the same, but occasionally with leggings in leather, and a fur cloak
Jewlery Worn, Made: none, isn't really fond of most
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: none
Pets/Animals Kept: none, plans on having a flitter, or birds
Notable Posessions: none known
Holt Function: vegetable farmer/gatherer, herbalist
Magic? How Powerful? Plant sensing at 7 out of 10, but cannot actually shape plants; animal sense of 3/10
Climate/Locations Preferred: Summer and spring, forest terrain
General Likes: dancing and singing, working in garden, listening to birds
General Dislikes: night time and darkness, bears
Fears/Worries: doesn't like bears - they dig up her plants, and sometimes run her off from her own garden plots
Special Strange Info: is curious about humans, not afraid at all
Basic Personality: Happy and curious, outgoing, free
How they feel about
Humans: very curious, knows that dragon riding humans are much nicer than local ones
Elves -- herders: very useful!
Elves -- magic users: wishes to have stronger power herself
Elves -- bond-riders: the whole tribe is, now
Trolls, etc: never met one, but if they bother her she'd be likely to fight rather than run
Bond Animal Info if any:
Bond siblings Copper Licymri (bondless) and Blue-Brown Eymri (bondless)

Ryslen 2004

Icecap

Bonded to: Blue-White m Irathe Syaess (parents Fanya' and Rindel-Syaess) at Ryslen Flurry 2004, size small

Age: 16 Sex: Male
Soul Name: nkal Known By: himself, Ainea
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Single, straight, eager to learn
Children: none yet
Parents/Relatives: Mother Ainea, Father Shatter
Height: 4'0" Build: strong, muscular
Hair Color, Length, Style: Icy white-silver-grey, shaggy to shoulders
Eye Color, Size, Shape: Sunset orange-yellow, dark brown iris and yellow-whites
Skin Tone: Tanned, almost leathery
Voice Quality: Rich, deepish, very smooth
Clothing -- Summer: Tunic in leather with fur trim, medium wrap boots, wrist wraps
Clothing -- Winter: Heavy tunic, leggings, boots and wrist wraps
Jewlery Worn, Made: none, but likes feathers and bright objects for summer
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: none
Pets/Animals Kept: None regularly, but birds love him
Notable Posessions: Doodads a plenty from mom and adoring tribe mates
Holt Function: hunter, scout, animal collector
Magic? How Powerful? Sound shape, 6/10 power, which he uses to call and respond to birds and animals; Rock Sense (2/10) to seek crystals, Crystal Shape 5/10 when easily available; Cold control 3/10 that he uses to freeze water or take the summer heat off things
Climate/Locations Preferred: Chilly winter or autumn days, he prefers the high peaks to lowlands except when it's been snowing
General Likes: talking and playing, roughousing, hunting and wrestling
General Dislikes: being alone, dislikes it when his mother leaves
Fears/Worries: That Ainea will not return - he's always been a little wiggy when she goes north, but won't admit it
Special Strange Info: Plans on finding other elves - the tribe is not big enough, and he knows they're out there
Basic Personality: Strong willed, confident, sly
How they feel about
Humans: neutral, doesn't mind them at dragon gathers
Elves -- herders: not much call for them these days
Elves -- magic users: everyone can contribute, why not use everything available?
Elves -- bond-riders: all dragon riders are great, has heard of others like cat and wolf riders, deer folk, who else?
Trolls, etc: wants to see what the fuss is about, they make weapons don't they?
Bond Animal Info if any:
bond siblings - Natalie and Cream-White Tamrai Syaess and Juinyiir and White Koiri Syaess

Irathe Syaess, AKA Featherdragon

Bonded to: Icecap (semi-bond) at Ryslen Flurry 2004

Caretaker of: yellow opal black-booted (f) Latodoba Promontores (offspring of Eurani) BWR (large)

Age: 20 (after bonding) Sex: Male
Soul Name: unknown Known By: Latodoba?
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Lovemated with Latodoba
Children: none yet
Parents/Relatives: mother White RysHathian Fanyaramaremea, (Ryslen 2003 flurry) father Feather-Duowing Rindel-Syaess (wild whirl Shivran parent Miro-syaess and ?)
Height: 5'1" Build: long, slender, sexy
Hair Color, Length, Style: icy blue, short and straight
Eye Color, Size, Shape: very blue, large, almond shaped
Skin Tone: white/silver
Voice Quality: like chiming icicles in the wind
Clothing -- Summer: Very simple smock, often a long tunic of blue and a loincloth in leather
Clothing -- Winter: pretty much the same, if it's cold he'll just shift to dragon
Jewlery Worn, Made: none worn, that gem is his own ornament
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: gem in his forehead turns to one on a horn
Pets/Animals Kept: none
Notable Posessions: it's likely he has a selection of interesting shiny baubles, somewhere, but he won't say
Holt Function: scout, flier, border guard
Magic? How Powerful? Self-shaping 10 to dragon form only; telepathy 8 to Icecap, 7 to others; Flight (dragon form)
Climate/Locations Preferred: winter, ice, daytime
General Likes: being surrounded by good friends, intimacy with minds, and shiny stones
General Dislikes: hot wet summers, fire magic, loud dragons
Fears/Worries: that he will not be able to find an appropriate female to pair with, among elves, humans or dragons
Special Strange Info: wants to have the best of both worlds, and wants his children to be shapeshifters as well
Basic Personality: quiet but not solemn, intense, a bit up-close
How they feel about
Humans: protective from them here, but takes them as they come
Elves -- herders: interesting, meat on the hoof right at your doorstep
Elves -- magic users: best kind
Elves -- bond-riders: what else is there?
Trolls, etc: worried that these troll things would steal his collection, but curious that maybe they could make something nicer out of them in their forges; off-world is very interested in seeing the sights but will always come back home
Bond Animal Info if any: none, but is looking for a mate now

Crystalstorm

Bonded to:

Age: 18 (+) Sex: Male
Soul Name: isto Known By: himself
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Single, bi, gregarious
Children: none yet
Parents/Relatives: Mother Squall, Father Icecap
Height: 4'3" Build: tall, muscled
Hair Color, Length, Style: Opalescent silver-graphite, lightly curled, long
Eye Color, Size, Shape: twilight-sunset (violet through orange), slanted, large
Skin Tone: darkly tan, bronzes in sun
Voice Quality: quiet, deep, like velvet
Clothing -- Summer: loincloth (greens) and occasionally a tank-top (cloth)
Clothing -- Winter: adds a long tunic of golden brown leather, soft boots
Jewlery Worn, Made: crystal ear pieces, scattered bangles in hair, loves making new things for lovemates and friends
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: tattooed (by mother)
Pets/Animals Kept: none
Notable Posessions: stones and gems, crystals and other objects ready to be shaped
Holt Function: shaper
Magic? How Powerful? Levitation 10/10, Sound shape, 3/10; Rock Sense (1/10), Crystal Shape 8/10; Weather sense 8/10, control (water shape) 4/10 (wind+water) 2/10 - he's a very powerful elf!
Climate/Locations Preferred: anywhere but the ground - though when he's on the ground it's deep into caverns where he finds gems and stones to shape; loves chilly weather to the extent that he's all but immune to cold
General Likes: being alone, storms, shinies
General Dislikes: mind games, bad puns, people who mock him
Fears/Worries: he feels that his mother is distant even though she does love him, he is not Apogee's child and always wonders if she'd accept him as a son too
Special Strange Info: has shaped crystaline versions of all the elves and their dragons, kept in a secret cavern den deep in Bald Mountain
Basic Personality: uncomfortable around many people, observant, impressive
How they feel about
Humans: curious, why all the fuss?
Elves -- herders: very handy to have fresh meat without hunting
Elves -- magic users: he's the top of that heap, of course!
Elves -- bond-riders: dragons are essential, but are there others?
Trolls, etc: admires the work they supposedly do
Bond Animal Info if any:

Chamomile

Bonded to:

Age: 17 (+) Sex: Female
Soul Name: snaa Known By: herself only
Mate Status/Sex Preference: Single, very straight
Children: none but loves them and wants them
Parents/Relatives: Mother Morning Glory, Father Orangepeel, Aunt Rasp, Grandparents Heartshy and Clearwater, Great Grandparents Warmhand and Brittlebough (Biggest family tree of living elves in the whole Holt!)
Height: 4'0" Build: skinny, shapely
Hair Color, Length, Style: honey-orange-gold, fluffy, shoulder-back length
Eye Color, Size, Shape: yellow with a faint green rim, wide, slanted
Skin Tone: very pale, but doesn't burn like father's
Voice Quality: high, almost shrill, but exceptional singing
Clothing -- Summer: light silk wrap and skirt, dainty shoes all in violets
Clothing -- Winter: warm natural colored fur tunic, leggings and boots
Jewlery Worn, Made: necklaces, wire rings, little earrings
Tatoos/Markings/Scars: none
Pets/Animals Kept: probably goats, like dad's
Notable Posessions: none really
Holt Function: herder, animal tender
Magic? How Powerful? Plant sense 4/10 (excellent for planting and keeping poisonous plants away from animals), animal control 3/10 (herd and poultry)
Climate/Locations Preferred: warm and sunny days, hillsides and steppes for gardening and herding
General Likes: small animals, dragons when they're sleeping
General Dislikes: being inside, having to do hard heavy work
Fears/Worries: large animals scare her, including dragons
Special Strange Info: senses ghosts of the parents of the elders - those who died at their old Holt but did not vanish to another time or the Palace (mainly Orangepeel's mother, Bluebead)
Basic Personality: Calm, a follower, comfortable giving or taking orders
How they feel about
Humans: a bit of fear: they're pretty large
Elves -- herders: she's keeping up the tradition
Elves -- magic users: not everything needs to be shaped to be good
Elves -- bond-riders: dragons are nice, she's not sure she wants to fly though
Trolls, etc: ick! they sound so dangerous and smelly!
Bond Animal Info if any: