One of her whelps (rather predictably) takes to this faster than the others.

She listens with watchful eyes while her mother speaks, at first finding it an interesting thing to observe, and then a neat thing to mimic for the novelty. It's fun to squeak back as if she definitely understands why this is happening and what's going on, when she really has no idea at all. Mom seems to think it's rather important, for some reason. Eventually she figures out how to form distinct syllables instead of indistinct whelpish squeaking, and finds it wonderfully entertaining to repeat the noises her mother makes. Especially when her siblings echo her like little parrots, that's the best part.

Then she slowly starts to realize that sounds have meanings, and that sentences have patterns, and her babbling starts to have more of a purpose.

She's talking! Eeee! That means it's time for names!

Mom is Alexstrasza, and that big dragon is Tyranastrasz, and that one's Lirastrasza, and that's Belnistrasz. The dragonkin are Hylat and Mara and Kellit and Ryze.

She dutifully repeats these names, and even goes so far as to realize these names correspond to people! She even makes a game of flitting from name-bearer to name-bearer, chirping their names at them and watching them react. It's fun! She likes this game.

The whelp needs a name too.

"What about Ranaestrasza?" says Mom, poking her nose. "Are you Ranaestrasza?"

The little whelp blinks. She checks her surroundings for any hidden dragons anywhere (she has figured out by now that the 'strasz' part corresponds to the large and impressive dragons) and notes that there very definitely aren't any. Just... her. Huh.

"Ranaestrasza," she repeats thoughtfully, tasting the word more than electing to be called by it. So... she's a dragon? She'll get to be big and impressive?

She chirps in approval. "Ranaestrasza!"

"Ranaestrasza!" This calls for cuddles.

Cuddles, yay!!!

"'Strasz'?" she chirps thoughtfully, looking at one of her siblings.

"Not 'strasz'. But how about you help me pick different names for everyone else?"

She gives an affirmative (if somewhat sad) chirp. Then she can help with names! She can come up with many syllables that she's heard before, and put them together into different combinations to see if her siblings like them!

Now there's Neol, Amaet, Tarek, Kadhil, Herathe, Ulvern, Rova, Kolob, and many more. Everyone's happy to have a name! They all mill about chirping their name at each other.

Aww! Yay, her siblings have names! She can snuggle them and chirp names at them, too!

Names!

Downside of having names: now when some of the whelps dig through the firepit and get soot everywhere, they're held individually responsible. Upside: the incidence rate of that happening goes down a lot.

Ranaestrasza is okay with this. Actually, if they're being held individually responsible, can she be The Most Helpful Whelp? She would like very much to be The Most Helpful Whelp, that sounds very exciting, she's going to flap around and ask if she can assist with things and then do that!!

She can help with things! The alchemists need more earthroot, if she can gather up some of that.

She will be the best earthroot gatherer!!! ... Just as soon as she knows where it grows and what it looks like. But after she learns that, she will be the best herb gathering whelp the world has ever seen! Do siblings want to help?

Siblings can help! Siblings can gather not only earthroot, but dirt, grass, bugs, peacebloom, and an armful of fallen leaves!

Okay, uh. No? No. Yes to the peacebloom, she saw that at the alchemist’s place, so that’s useful for something, probably, but uh. Everything else can just. Go back? Or the bugs can be reward snacks if anyone wants those. Good job, but everything else is not needed right now. Maybe later.

She sorts through it and brings back earthroot, and then also the peacebloom, if it is acceptable extra tribute?

Yep, that's always useful. Good job Ranaex, very helpful.

Yay! She's helpful!

She alternates between working on the whole 'talking' thing and leading her fellow whelps on Missions To Be Helpful! Being helpful is fun.

Her fellow whelps get the hang of the being helpful thing over time. And everyone's willing to take some time to talk with Ranaestrasza.

Yay!!!!!!!!

As soon as she's got a good grasp of language, she's a curious little chatterbox that wants to know all about everyone she talks to. Actually, she's a curious little chatterbox before she's got a good grasp of language. Also a little snugglebug that loves everyone pretty unconditionally and wants to help everyone!

She gleefully helps her siblings figure out how to be helpful because clearly this is the best thing ever!!! And then she snuggles them. And Mom. And other dragons and dragonkin that she recognizes and likes, which is all of them that she's met before. The ones she hasn't met before she happily introduces herself to, and then loves them unconditionally. Hi! She's Ranaestrasza, and she is excited to meet you, and she loves you!!! Is there anything she can help with??

One day, a dragon different from any others she has seen before shows up to speak with Alexstrasza.

!!!! Gosh!

Ranaestrasza flaps over to this fascinating new color of dragon, entranced.

"Hi!" she says, "I'm Ranaestrasza!! It's nice to meet you." Followed by lovelovelove, because she loves pretty much everyone unconditionally.

She's so cute when she's a baby!

"Hi Ranaex! It will have been nice to meet you too!"

The baby blinks, confused. "Don't you mean is nice to meet me too? 'Will have' means... not now."