Jerboa led the small dragonet- Beetle into the wood hut. Their talons clicked on the floor as they crossed the room to the small table. "What's inside the pouch, Jerboa?" she asked, somewhat nervously.
"You'll see," Jerboa put the pouch on the table. Something clinked against the glass bottles inside it. Slowly, she undid the drawstrings. Beetle watched with agitation as she pulled out a parcel wrapped in thin camel hide. Beetle fidgeted with her talons.
"This is for you," Jerboa said, "If you want it." Beetle wrung her talons. "What is it?" She asked. Jerboa frowned at the package thoughtfully, "Well," she started, then stopped and looked at it again. What is it? Is it something bad? Is it a gift? Beetle thought worriedly, Is she sending me away?
The sound of Jerboa drumming her talons on the table jolted her out of her reverie. Jerboa's face was solemn. "I have something to ask you," she said carefully, "I know you don't care for hurting living things- but- I think you should learn how to fight." She paused for a moment, "Would you like me to teach you?"
"Learn to f-fight?" Beetle stammered, "Why-y?" Jerboa sighed. "Like I said, I know you don't like ti hurt things, but you should learn self defense." Beetle just stared, from some fleeting memories, she new she was bad at fighting. She hesitated, "I don't know- would you really teach me?"
Jerboa nodded, "Of course. I'd do my best." Beetle looked down at her talons- and her gaze shifted to her tail. Her useless stub of a tail. "But I'm a useless fighter- she said so." "Who said so?" Jerboa asked. Beetle blinked, "I don't remember." Jerboa shrugged. "I'm sure you'll remember sometime." She didn't seem to care that Beetle couldn't remember all the details, only that she remembered something.
"So," Jerboa said, "do you want to learn?"