"Well, if she ever wants more, let me know. I bet just about every coast without an ocean weyr has lots of riches like this just waiting to be picked up." Xander shrugged. "Even a hoarder like Calypso can't want it all."

"Not that she won't try, I'll bet," Faith teased. "I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to get these sapphires cut for Lapis. I know they'll be amazing once they're cut and polished, but it's getting them to that state that's proving to be a problem." Stretching, she leaned back on the sand. "Every so often they find opals and moonstones in the mountains when they dig up metals, but they're pretty rare. Though I've heard that they find a lot of diamonds in the Hotrocks mountains, because of all of the volcanoes."

"There are a lot of diamonds at the bottom of the sea because of the pressure and the heat and all that." Xander shrugged. "And I know you want those sapphires cut properly, but I'll show you another way."

She picked up a diamond and grabbed a ruby, placing it against a tree. Then she hit the ruby as hard as she could with the diamond. It shattered, leaving lots of fair-sized shards throwing off light.

Faith jumped a little when Xander cracked the ruby apart. The pieces glittered prettily in the sunlight, and immediately drew Lapis's attention.

How lovely, she murmured. Is that what the sapphires will look like, Faith?

"The sapphires are blue, sweetling," Faith replied. "And if I can get them cut properly, they're sparkle even more."

I would like that very much, Lapis said.

"Here." Xander tossed a couple pieces over to Faith. "Rough, I know, but pretty. Only thing I don't know how to do is polish up a diamond."

"When did we get ruby dust?" Corey blinked, having just come back to find glittering things in the sand.

"Since I got impatient and cracked a ruby with a diamond." Xander shrugged.

"That's nuts. And brilliant."

Faith caught the pieces of ruby and held them up for Lapis to look at.

"You know, these shards are small enough we could probably cage them in wire," she commented. "Something silver-toned, maybe. It would be pretty enough to wear." She turned over one of the ruby pieces in her hand and nodded a bit to herself. "Silver-toned wire, leather cord... It wouldn't be half-bad."

"Sorry, metalworking isn't one of my strong suits," Xander said, drying herself off to the best of her ability as Calypso came back up, starting to rifle through her loot. She picked out what she wanted and moved off to hoarde it to herself.

"Alright, anyone who wants some can now go through this pile." Xander moved to the side so they could get at it.

Corey chuckled as Vyren went over to poke at everything with some interest.

"It's not really metalworking, per se," Faith said as Lapis darted forward to root through the pile. "I mean, anyone can bend wire." She watched as Lapis pulled a few emeralds and another ruby out of the pile before backing away again.

Can we have these ones 'cut' too? she asked Faith.

Of course, Faith replied. She grinned. "We're going to end up giving some poor jeweler out there a lot of work to do," she added aloud.

Xander snorted. "Oh yeah, that's going to be fun. Good luck finding a jeweler."

"Don't remind us," Corey grumbled, looking at the stones Vyren brought him. He kind of liked them. Black shot with white and silver and red.

"There's got to be someone out there who would be willing to help," Faith said. "Somewhere." Even if she had to go into town by herself without any of her riding gear, she'd figure out a way to get someone to cut the gemstones for her.

"Let me know if you end up finding someone. I have things need cutting too." Xander shrugged. "Although with the number of jewels you'd think you'd have to go to a few different people, otherwise they're bound to notice something is up."

"Yeah, probably," Faith agreed. "Although I might be able to pass off two or three as a gift. Maybe."

"Yeah, maybe." Xander shrugged, unconcerned. She'd figure somehting out eventually. If she needed to.

She glanced up when a few dragons flew overhead, practicing flying formations.

"Oh yeah, the weyrleaders said thanks for all the bones, and if you find any more they'll take 'em." Corey shrugged.

"I know we didn't get all of them. I'll find more later. When I'm not quite so sandy."

Faith went over and sat down against Lapis. The dragon was turning her new jewels over in her claws, admiring them. Faith reached out and gently took one of the emeralds, looking it over. Once it was cut, it would be very pretty. Getting it cut, that was the trick.

Xander let Yue and Vyren at what was left of the treasure, going over to pick up all the pieces that Calypso had chosen.

I'll store these for you until we can get home again, she said to her dragon. And then we'll find you an eyrie and we'll decorate it with these.

Very well. So long as you do not let anyone else steal them. Calypso rolled over so her stomach was up as she floated. She had a swim bladder, rather like a fish, that she could inflate and deflate at will so she could float or sink.

Faith relaxed with Lapis until it was time for the evening meal again. When it was time for them to head in, she gently took the ruby and emeralds from the dragon.

"I'll stash these with the pearl and sapphires," she said. "They'll stay safe till we get home."

Alright, Lapis replied, nodding. She knew Faith would keep the gems safe.

Xander headed over to the hall again to get dinner, followed by Corey. He was hungry. Xander, on the other hand, wasn't really, but she thought she probably should eat.

So she got some food, picking at it.

Corey got a lot of food, scarfing it down. He was male; he was a bottomless pit. He was therefore allowed.

Once Yue had finally chosen some diamonds from the treasure pile and left the rest to Vyren, Ryan went with her back to the eyries for a little while before dinner. Once the evening meal rolled around, he went out to join the other riders.

Faith didn't inhale her food like Corey did, but she ate a bit more than Xander seemed to.

"I wonder where they're going to end up sending us next," she commented.

"Well, we haven't been to the north, River, Lake, Desert, or Plains," Corey said. "So we could be headed for any of those. Although I'm boycotting the Desert."

"Vyren might like the desert," Faith pointed out. "The plains wouldn't be bad, though. Or the rivers. Though I'm kind of starting to miss home. I wouldn't mind heading back to the mountains in between."

"I'm sure Vyren would like the desert. It's hot. But I don't want to deal with that much sand and dryness." Corey shook his head. "I'm not a giant lizard." He paused for a moment. "Although going home for a while does sound good."

"I'm willing to bet I'll need a separate bag just for treasure at this rate," Faith said. "At least, as long as we keep going to other weyrs before going home."

"You will, but I don't. I only have a few things." Corey grinned briefly. "But I do want to go home between weyrs. Get our proper eyrie and all that."

"It would be wonderful to see my own room again," Faith admitted. "And have Lapis back in her own eyrie. You know, we should ask if we can head home with the next batch of people heading that way, I'm sure some people from here will be going there."

"Wouldn't surprise me in the least," Corey said with a shrug. "Seems like people are going all over now. Although you know if we do go back there'll be people from other weyrs and other dragons there, too. Which will be interesting."