Mbaiki

Mbaiki left her clan on Search when she was very young, and promptly stumbled upon her charge in the Sunshield Clan's territory. There Calabar found the young hatchling, grimly enduring the stings of the rare bees she knew he had to protect; out of both respect and pity, she scooped up hatchling and hive alike and hauled them home. Ever since then, Mbaiki has silently admired, almost worshipped, the senior guardian, and upon reaching breeding age discovered herself painfully attracted to her as well. Though she does her best to keep her love hidden, considering it inappropriate, it is an open, unspoken secret to several of her closer peers, including Calabar herself. In the meantime, her fierce loyalty, level head, and battle prowess have won her the position of lieutenant to her beloved clanhead.

Devotion is unquestionably Mbaiki's watchword, given her dedication to her difficult charge. Once she has committed herself to something, she belongs to it entire, and would die rather than fail at her task. Because of this, she dedicates herself only with great thought or a great deal of feeling, and is loathe to make commitments or promises that she doesn't consider worth it. To many people, this disguises her bone-deep, grim stubbornness and complete inability to be turned from a course. Her grimness and humorless intensity make her seem imposing to many dragons, an impression which is aided by how short-spoken she is. Few know that her quietness and social isolation are in fact due to a deeply-felt shyness; she's not comfortable in social situations, and would rather fade into the background and hold her tongue than risk the discomfort and potential embarrassment of attention. Though acutely sensitive to insults, jokes, and embarrassment, she refuses to show her internal cringing, preferring to put on an uncaring face. Like many guardian dragons, she is a protective warrior, and loves to fling herself into battle for a good cause. She's quick to jump on those in the clan who insult or bother others, too.

Though her deepest love belongs to Calabar, Mbaiki holds a deep but non-romantic affection for her mate Diepdale--he is the only one beside her clanhead who knows about her bees. (Most dragons who care presume that Calabar is her guardian charge, an illusion which both guardians allow to persist.) Even if he's not her soulmate, she finds him a highly satisfactory mate, a good friend, and an excellent co-parent. Her other close friend is the fae Seattle, with whom she can speak or sit quietly without ever having to worry about being embarrassed or viewed as strange. She has a sort of battle friendship with most of the mirrors in the clan, particularly Talca and Peritoro. However, she emphatically does not get along with Ghanzi or Kalavasos. Her relationship with Zhukovka is strange; they fight together, and Mbaiki disapproves of most of her behavior but regardless trusts her not just with her own life but also with Cartagena's. With everyone else, she's rather cold.