Epinard

Name meaning: Épinard is the French word for "spinach."

ROLE: Storyteller. MATE: N/A FAMILIAR: Encouraging Quill NOTABLE RELATIVES: Cerulean (brother)

Inspired and influenced by her mother's love of books and her father's tendency to ramble, Epinard decided to be a storyteller.

Being the only Snapper hatchling in the clan at the time, while the rest of her friends were learning how to fly, she had private lessons with her father (En) and Rosette (the clan's honorary mother/grandma). She had felt a little lonely that she couldn't join the others or fly with them, but the stories she was told cheered her up. She learned perhaps the most valuable lessons from them: how to protect herself with her wings/build, how to use her knowledge for good, and how to make others smile with her words.

Unicorn Dust Organics A pinch of unicorn dust and happy thoughts can allow a dragon to fly! It seems impossible, but it is true! 48

Her favorite story from that time was the one about the little Snapper who used unicorn dust to fly against all the odds. Rosette had even given her a small bottle that Arseni had brought back from one of his expeditions as a reminder that, although the story wasn't real, it showed that joy and imagination could allow any dragon to soar through the pages of a story... and fly to other worlds without ever leaving the ground.

Epinard is a sweetheart with a devious side to her, much like her mother (Atsushi). She once discovered Atsushi's "secret" stash of steamy romance novels - it was never really a secret in the family, since En had already discovered it long ago and elected let Atsushi continue to believe it was - and proceeded to share them with her friends Perlite, Perla, and Argent. Epinard's intention was to get a chuckle out of their embarrassment or confusion, but she was surprised when they responded with curiosity and interest instead. So, the four of them ended up holding a book club to read the rest of the novels together... much to Atsushi's mortification to discover. Literally no one else was surprised.

What was a bit more surprising (but only slightly) was when Epinard suggested they try to use the horribly cheesy pickup lines from the novels to tease their friends Vesta, Sulfur, and Ignit. This resulted in a trio of very confused and a little unnerved Ridgebacks who refused to explain to their reasonably concerned parents (Io and Ryuu) why they did not want to leave the lair the following few days.

Despite how much she enjoys teasing her friends, Epinard cares very deeply for them and values their presence in her life. Part of the reason she teases them is to observe their reactions because, in her own way, it helps her understand them better. She feels that, by understanding people, her own stories will become more real. She wants to be able to tell the kinds of stories that resonate with people, get them caught up in the emotion of the tale, because it feels tangible to them. And if she can make someone feel a little less lonely in the process by giving them a story to carry in their heart, it would be the greatest gift she could offer.