T'bell and Green Liliath's weyr | Page 4 | Rider weyrs | Guild Forums

The Night Itself

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Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:51 pm

T'bell and Liliath

You are angry with me, the green dragon rumbled. Liliath had never been one to avoid a topic, especially where her beloved was involved.

"Of course I am." T'bell grunted. He faced the chest in her weyr, and was in the middle of a pile of many leather straps that, once untangled, would prove to be a riding harness. "How am I supposed to feel, Liliath? I asked you..." He huffed and and let his eyes search the stone in front of him for a moment before they turned back to the tanned straps in front of him. "I asked you not to rise."

Love, I am sorry. She rumbled quietly, her eyes swirling a greenish yellow. Her green snout lay on the stone floor, slowly inching closer to the rider whose back was turned. I did not rise to the blues, love. I promised I would not and I haven't.

Her rider let out another sigh and successfully placed a detangled strap across the top of the chest, out of the way. "I know. You...you rose to Siventh."

And Siventh is a brown. She stated matter-of-factly, as if it solved everything. Feeling her riders growing frustration, she decided to deter him from what was to come out of his mouth. What are dragons for?

"What-?" He looked over his shoulder, through his messy bangs, and regarded her with a mildly shocked expression. "Dragons? Well...dragons are for fighting thread. That's why they were made."

And we will fight thread as long as it falls. She rumbled with determination, But what else?

"Well..." He turned back to his detangling and thought, "To be a companion to their rider, to balance them out and be their other half."

Do you want a new dragon?

"No!" He turned to look at her again and heaved a sigh. "Liliath, I do not want a new dragon."

But you are mad at me for doing something I have no control over. She blinked slowly at him before rising her head and tilting it slightly. T'bell shook his head and pulled out another strap before standing up with what was left of the mess.

"Lili, that's not what I'm-"

I am a green. We mate. If I were truely a gold I would rise once every so often, and it would be a spectacle. A green head lowered to his level and looked at him squarely. But I am a green.

"Greens...greens rise more often." He sighed and looked away from her multi-faceted gaze, turning his attention to the straps. Ferenth only knew how they had gotten so tangled.

I have not since Fenith.

T'bell sighed and dropped the remains on the lid of the chest, running a hand through his hair. "Greens rise on average, four times per turn." He shook his head and patted her nose. "I...I suppose I know. You haven't risen in well over a year."

You did not want me to. Came her simple reply. I could not help this time, and you were more able to accept it.

"More able." He snorted and leaned against her green cheek, watching her eyes turn a more green-blue, the yellow fading. "I kept you from it. I'm sorry but..."

I wish I could have risen without you. She cooed softly, leaning her head into him and making him stumble a bit.

"Ah Lili, you're not a hatchling anymore, you're heavy!" He laughed despite it, and padded back to the wooden chest, picking up the straps. "I'll be fine, in a bit. I need to deal with a few things..."

I know, love. I will try to help. She turned her head to the straps and regarded them thoughtfully. I would like to fly, will you come?

"Fly where?" He asked with some surprise, already picking up the straps from under her snout. "It's getting late."

I am not sure. She refolded her wings and blinked at him. We can sneak out like weyrlings.

Her mischievious tone caught T'bells interest and he shook his head as he moved into the familiar motions of sliding the harness over her. "You're still a weyrling."

Maybe so.

T'bell had barely made it onto her back before she took off. He gave a yelp, which turned into a cry of surprise as Liliath dove off the edge of the weyr. Just as the ground neared she opened her wings and sent the soaring back out of the bowl and over the rim with lazy flaps. The drop and sudden rise did horribly wonderful things ot his stomach, and when they pased the rim, settled into a more rhythmic flight, he let go of the riding straps.

"Liliath!" He meant ot holler at her, but it came out as a laugh; an exhilerated, slightly scared, but amused laugh. "Oh shells, don't do that! You could have plowed right into the ground, Lili!" The laughter took the sting out of the scolding, and the green rumbled her amusement as she banked west, heading for the sea. Her rider took the breaths needed to get the air back into his lungs and leaned back, using his hands to hold himself up. "Lili..."

Yes? She turned her head to look at him and he smiled at her.

"Do you like Siventh?"

Yes. Is that all?

"I mean, more than another dragon..." He pryed teasingly and nudged her with his foot as she turned to follow the line of the beach.

More than some, but not all. Yours will be my favourite.

T'bell laughed quietly at that and rubbed at the tears in his eyes-from the wind. "I know Lili. You rose to a brown though...picked him over Zanylith."

I heard him coming. She rumbled in amusement, It's difficult flying more than two...they were everywhere. Did I choose right?

"I think so...you like him." Her snort let him know that was not the answer she wanted, and he sighed as he leaned forward, watching the sky and the water. "He's nice. It's nice to talk to another rider, I almost forgot they existed."

Liliath banked once more and took them in a smooth arc over the heavy forests so prevalent in the South. I did not forget there were other dragons.

"No, of course you didn't." He laid a hand on her neck and ruefully shook his head. "I like him though, he's friendly. He's someone to talk to, you know? Another dragonrider." a sigh passed his lips and he perred over her shoulder at the land below, "I'm not a harper anymore, I have to stop thinking like one."

I do not think like an egg. Liliath rumbled in agreement, and a silence passed between them, But I think like a hatchling.

"You do..." He patted her shoulder with a smile, "I suppose I can't help it though, hm? I just need to talk to some more people who know what it's like to have a dragon."

You do not like harpers?

"No! It's not that." He chuckled and poked her green hide as the weyr came into view. "It just that I should talk to more people from my new role...just like you wouldn't talk to flitts all the time. You'd want draconic company. Someone like yourself even though you may be part flitt."

I am not! She objected with a snort, soaring over the rim, But I understand. I like Siventh's company.

"Of course you do, you silly green. I like the company of harpers, but I should try to mediate between the two...harpers and dragonriders."

You should talk to K'rel more. Instead of dipping into the bowl, she rose above it in a lazy spiral. I like him.

"Mhm, and that has nothing to do with Siventh, right?"

Siventh looks better from behind than his rider.

"Liliath!"

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:51 pm

T'bell

Liliath and I had our talk after she returned last night. It went better than I expected, though she has left me with more to think about in the long run.

I'm quite certain that, despite the current circumstances, had I met K'rel before the flight, we would have been good friends. I say that as if I find it hard to make friends, and I suppose as a Harper I shouldn't, but that isn't quite true. I find it quite easy to make aquaintances, simple in fact, but friends are a much more difficult thing. To be friends two people have to work in a sort of improvised harmony, where neither knows what the other will play next but has to follow along regardless and still manages to do so.

It's difficult.

K'rel, however, seems to be friendly and honest and quite...respectable. Aside from the general awe he inspires in me (a leftover from my childhood dreams of being a big intimidating dragonrider) I also get a sense of kindness and...not quite the gruff personality one sometimes suspects of dragonriders.

Nevertheless, last nights watch went well. I'm getting better with Tabesk. Task is proving to be quite trainable, but his sister...I think it's something the females have against me. Between the two queens and Liliath herself, the queen of said queens, I think poor Zephyr, Task and myself are overpowered, if not outnumbered.

Liliath is hungry again. I suppose the feline hunt and the mating flight took quite a bit more out of her than I expected. She's never flown more than two dragons before...it must have been interesting for her. I would inquire, but the thought of the flights still finds me with a lump in my throat and stinging eyes. I miss J'kin, but I think he'd label me a deadglow if I were to pine after him for so long...

Or maybe not. He seemed quite possessive of his things at times.

See? This is why I try not to dwell too far into the feelings of others. It's a harper's work, of course, but when there are feelings involving me I'm never quite lucky enough to be able to stop worrying and guess properly.

I think Liliath is making my hungry again. I'll likely get myself some dinner tonight while she goes off to hunt for hers. I have no watch until a fly-over tomorrow afternoon, so I may as well treat myself to a late meal.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:53 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Late Talk Part 01

Liliath heaved a sigh in her weyr and rubled appreciatively. She had been hungry, but a nice plump herdbeast had fixed that perfectly, and now she was awake. Where was her rider? A quick check told her several levels below. And now, her brown? Siventh...

Siventh was bored. The brown lounged lazily on the ledge of his weyr, half asleep simply out of lack of anything better to do. He had spent the better part of the morning attempting to convince his rider into going somewhere, but K'rel repeatedly stated that he was working and couldn't be bothered. Working, pah. Siventh knew for a fact that all the Wingsecond was doing at that moment was checking on his flitt eggs. What a dull way to spend the day... Thus it was with considerable relief that Siventh replied to his green, head perking slightly as he snapped from his daze, carefully sheltering his words from his rider. I am here, Liliath. Is your rider 'neglecting' you as well?

No, he is not. Is yours? She rumbled with amusement and slunk to the opening of her weyr, taking flight with the ease of a green, I suggest you move over.

He is playing with the little ones, Siventh mumbled sulkily, chancing a glance back towards his rider. However, her following statement cheered him considerably. The brown immediately rose and moved over on the ledge to make room, earning himself a confused stare from K'rel but paying it no heed. There is plenty of room for both.

Mildly surprised at the size of a browns' weyr compared to her own, Liliath had little trouble making a graceful landing on the edge. You have much space...she remarked, eyes slowly whirling blue and green as she folded in her wings.

The brown rumbled smugly from where he lay beside her, turning his head to follow her movements. Benefits of rank. We had a good choice of weyrs, as there is only one Queen here at this time. The dragon's words were abruptly ut off by his rider, who had left the flitt eggs the moment he saw Liliath land on the ledge and was now nearing the two dragons. "Siventh, I told you, not today."

In reply, Siventh winked an eye at his green before swiveling his head to fix that eye on his rider. I did not call her. She came to visit me, and I will not send her away. We are not disturbing you.

Liliath, taking advantage of Siventh's distraction, settled down beside him and slid her head under his neck. For all the world, she looked quite smug. Love? She sent privately to T'bell. At his attention she continued, Siventh has said K'rel is not eating.

"Not eating?" The greenrider paused on the steps from the kitchen and frowned. 'Should I bring him some dinner? Is he alright?'

Siventh is unsure. I will watch them. She sent him an outside picture of the weyr so he'd know in which direction it was, and sent Flute after him to guide him. The little gold popped into existance over T'bells shoulder and trilled at him, full of duty.

'I'll be up in a moment then.' He replied with a small sigh, and rose his arm to Flute, who landed on it gracefully and far enough away from Zephyr that it wouldn't cause trouble. The blue chirruped at her warningly from T'bells hair. The smells of the kitchen made him hungry again, though he had just finished his own meal, but he shook his head and gathered a plate for the brownrider, unknowing of Liliath's tricks.

At Liliath's new position, K'rel frowned faintly, but his own dragon's stubborn tone quickly assured him there was nothing he could do about the situation. The brownrider sighed and turned away, waving a hand dismissively at the pair before starting back for the hearth, where Calt was 'guarding' the two eggs. "Fine, you two have fun. Least it'll keep you from complaining.."

Ignoring the comment, Siventh opened a wing to extend over the green, explaining his rider's bad mood. He is normally not so disagreeable. He is worried about the little ones. The eggs hardened as much as they should over two sevendays ago, yet have shown no sign of hatching. It is upsetting him... The brown's tone softened somewhat, then brightened once more. I believe they are fine, though. As does the little blue. That is why he watches them.

They do not seem dead. Liliath rumbled in pleasure at he wing extended over her and settled down quite comfortably, awaiting the arrival of her rider. T'bell will see them, his hatched well.

Food piled on the plates, a cup of juice and a mug of klah, as well as a bubbly so fresh it was still steaming. T'bell balanced everything carefully as he followed the flitting form of his queen through the weyr. Despite th darkness it some areas, he knew the halls so well that he didn't miss his step, and followed the glow of Flute's eyes until a small light caught his attention and the gold flitted out of sight and between.

She appeared abrupty in K'rels quarters, darting to Liliath's head with a small scale of trills. They were melodic, she must have been listening to T'bell and his instruments, earning her name. Liliath merely snorted at the extra weight that landed atop her head. Find a place, little one, that is not my head.

Outside the browrider's weyr, T'bell shifted nervously as he held the tray, thinking of a way to enter. Should he knock? What to knock on? Simply call in? If he wasn't eating maybe he'd feel annoyed that he bothered to bring up some food. But Liliath had said that Siventh said...

My rider would like to come in. Liliath sent to Siventh, amusement tinging her telepathic voice. He is being a wherry. May he?

The blue hatched correctly as well. That is why he fears for these two... Siventh dropped the subject with the arrival of the golden flitt, head lifting slightly to follow her flight. Rumbling smugly, the brown turned a green-blue eye to Liliath, then to the flitt now perched on her head. She can rest on mine, if you do not want her there. It is not often a brown can claim both green and gold.

Siventh paused briefly, then turned his gaze towards the doorway. But of course, send him in. Perhaps his company would cheer K'rel somewhat.

The brownrider in question hadn't even bothered to comment at the flitt's arrival, though he recognized her as T'bell's. That, to his mind, either meant that the greenrider was looking for Liliath, or that he was coming here. Preferably the former. Though... judging by the dragon's positions, Liliath wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. Perhaps some company would be welcome.

You can come in. Liliath relayed and closed her eye as Flute daintily walked across her eyelid and onto Siventh's neck. She would explore, it was her way.

T'bell entered carefully, clearing his throat and looking around the corner with trepidation. "K'rel, do you...I brought you some dinner. Liliath said I could come in..."

Siventh quirked an eye at the tiny gold, then closed the first lid of both eyes, settling down to relax with his green, and perhaps spy on their riders a bit. But only a bit, of course.

K'rel actually jumped slightly with the greenrider's voice, having failed to notice his arrival. Regaining him composure, the brownrider turned in his seat at the 'hearth' to fix his eyes on the doorway and the younger rider standing there. After a moment of silence he cracked a smile and gestured T'ell inside, rising to his feet. "I suppose I should've expected you, with her showing up so suddenly... Didn't think you would be here so soon, though. Dinner..?"

"Siventh said you hadn't eaten. Well...Liliath told me he was worried." He tilted his head to the array of food he carried and looked around for a place to set it down. "I thought I should bring some up."

Liliath snorted in amusement, covering it as a sneeze. The little gold was now between Siventh's wings, and she settled herself down in her claimed spot.

"Worried?" Raising an eyebrow, he turned a questioning stare to Siventh, who replied with affected innocence, despite the fact that he had not set up the charade. You always worry me, mine. And it is true that you have not eaten since this morning.

With a roll of his eyes, K'rel turned them back to the greenrider. He sighed, shook his head at some thought, then offered another smile and gestured to a low table not far from where he stood. "I think we've been set up, T'bell. Though, thank you for the food. It's true that I haven't eaten much today. I appreciate the thought."

"Set up?" He asked curiously as he sat the food down on the table the brownrider had gestured to. The brief silence before the smile when he entered the room had set him on edge. Maybe he'd not been welcome, no wonder if Liliath was playing her tricks.

Zephyr chirped from under T'bells hair as he stood and the rider layed a hand on him to quiet him. 'Liliath, did you tell me to come here because Siventh was truely worried, or for some other reason?'

Maybe it was Task who was worried...Liliath commented, Dragons have horrible memories, love.

"As far as I know, I'm perfectly fine," K'rel replied as an explanation, chuckling softly. "A bit gloomy over the eggs, but other than that..." He trailed off with a shrug, then stepped over to the table as well, eyeing the spread appreciatively. "Not that the company is not welcome... if you're not busy, of course. I need to get out more often."

At this, Siventh reopened one eye, projecting his words to everyone in the room. When I tell him that, he only denies it. You should come more often, greenrider. K'rel rolled his eyes.

T'bell's green eyes widened fractionally. He never got over how different another dragon felt compared to his own. "I suppose that means more if I bring Liliath with me, hm?"

I will be here on my own. She assured him, then turned her head away from the silly humans and into Siventh's side.

The rider sighed and folded his arms loosely over his stomach, shifting his weight. He'd been invited to stay...but was it only a formality? Why were humans so hard to read, even as a harper? Was it because he'd been around creatures he'd impressed so long that he couldn't tell anything other than what was projected to him? "The eggs?" He ventured quietly, eyes flicking around the room until they settled on the pair, "They haven't hatched?"

Siventh merely rumbled his delight at the green's statement, allowing T'bell to take that as a reply.

Glad for the subject change, K'rel followed the greenrider's gaze to the firelizard eggs. With a faint nod, he sighed and turned back towards the hearth, walking over and crouching before the eggs. "Not yet. And they should have long since. I found them shortly before Turnover..." With another sigh, he dropped to sit on the floor, reaching forward and carefully lifting the larger of the hardened eggs. "I'm not sure if I've done something wrong, or... Well, I haven't treated them any differently than Calt's, and he hatched as planned."

After a moment of hesitation at being in anothers weyr, T'bell padded over to the eggs and knelt down beside the brownrider. "You've kept them in warm sand, turned them every so often, and haven't had them between?" He asked as he peered over them. He knew the likely answers to the questions, but it was best to start with clear information. He reached out a hand to lay on the one still in the sand. "From turnover?" A small frown formed on his lips and he withdrew his hand from the egg. "What does Siventh say?"

He glanced up briefly when T'bell kneeled beside him, but merely nodded and returned his eyes to the eggs, carefully replacing the larger back in the sand. "They haven't been between since I first brought them back, and I've kept up with everything else. Warm sand off the Hatching Grounds, turning them when needed... The shells hardened, if a bit slower than I expected. But they've been at hatching hardness for a while now..." Pausing, he sighed, glancing over to the dragons out of the corner of his eye. "Siv says they're alive, as far as he can tell. Calt seems to think the same. But that doesn't explain why they haven't hatched."

"Are they from the North?" T'bell questioned as he let some sand fall through his fingers. It certainly was warm enough. "Sometimes the northern flitts' eggs take longer to hatch. The hall puts it up to building a resistance to the cooler temperatures, but that only happens with flitts who've been there two or more generations..." He chewed his lip thoughtfully and pushed curly bangs behind his ear, pausing when he nudged Zephyrs tail and murmuring to him as he uncurled him from his spot around his neck, despite mild protests. "What do you think, Zeph?"

The flitt gurgled at him in his throat, a sound of dissapointment. His attention was taken by the small eggs however, and he reached out a claw to them, eyes whirling curiously as little nails gently touched the eggs surface. Seemed alive, and familiar.

T'bell quirked a smile at the fuzzy images he got. "Seems excited, not worried, seems confused too, but I think that's because he recognizes his own hatching." He pulled the little blue back and set him back on his shoulder. "Watched Flute's though. Always late, females are."

Shaking his head, K'rel sat back away from the heart, palms falling to the floor. "I found 'em not far from here, actually. Siv and I saw the gold burying them. Remembered the spot and checked back every so often, then took a few when the time seemed right..." Trailing off, he curiously turned his eyes to the blue flitt, watching as Zephyr examined the eggs. He chuckled softly, relaxing visably with the blue's reaction, then returned his eyes to the eggs themelves. "Three to one, then. Good, then there's hope for them. Always late, hmm? Maybe I have myself a couple of greens," he finished, cracking a grin.

"Oh, careful what you say, she might be awake." He snickered at the snort that came from Liliath's direction and let himself sit back, looking over the eggs. "Seem a bit big for a green though, that one looks like it could be a bronze or a brown." He gestured to the bigger of the pair, "Flute's was a bit bigger than that, I think, but then again it was before turnover so my memory's a bit shoddy."

"I'm actually hoping for a green from one of them," the brownrider assured both T'bell and Liliath, sending a grin over towards the dragons before turning his eyes back to the eggs. "But I believe you're right. That one seems too big to be green... Hard to say between bronze or brown. Either would be nice..." Trailing off, her shrugged, then chuckled softly. "Listen to me. At this point, I don't care what they hatch in to. I just want them to hatch so that I know I haven't done something wrong."

"Well my dear Liliath hasn't said a word, and she points out my follies enough that she'd be quick to lable yours. She's right all the time, afterall." At this he rolled his eyes slightly. "I suppose flitts are a nuisance even before they hatch. It shouldn't be too long to go now though, you'll be wishing they stayed in their eggs longer when they do come out." He smiled and stood, more at ease with talk of the flitts. He was confident they would hatch, the flitts seemed to be and they were usually receptive to such things. "How about that food that I've been told you've been avoiding all day? They've cut up some good herdbeast since-" ah, and that's where the confidence and easy manny went right out the window, and he paused just a touch before continueing, "-the mating flight. Everyone's in better spirits now." He added quickly, in an effort to gloss over the mention, "I think they're all glad Ariath actually rose. I don't think we'll have a queen on the sands with a brown and all -no offense to browns, of course- but a clutch will be nice once it's out there."

"Dragons are always right," K'rel replied with a grin, chuckling softly. "At least in their own minds. And you're probably right... Though Calt doesn't give me much trouble, so hopefully these two will be the same. And they're good company when they're not terrorizing the weyr."

He glanced up when T'bell stood, then nodded at the suggestion and climbed to his feet as well, turning and starting for the tablet. He did catch the pause, but thought it better not to comment; T'bell didn't seem terrified of him today, so best not to risk that again. "Food would be most welcome, now that you mention it. Though I'm not sure it's the herdbeast that's different so much as the moral of the cooks. Everyone's been in high spirits since the flight." Upon reaching the table, he paused briefly while looking over the food, then resumed where he had left off. "I'm still surprised that Tallith caught her, actually. Siv tried, yes, but I never actually thought... but L'cian will make a good Weyrleader, and Tallith has more than proved his worth. A nice change, I think."

"Mhm, yes. I just hope he doesn't remember the greenrider who was put in charge of him for some odd reason." He sighed and tugged on the end of his braid. "I wasn't rude or anything, tried not to be anyway." He sighed and looked about the room, not with an intent to be nosey or anything, but to see what was different. His weyr was bare of most wall decorations, saving the one pelt from the recent hunt. He'd not had the chance to see many other's weyrs. He winced and tilted his head, detangling Zephyrs claws from where they had latched onto his braid. The flitt eagerly clamoured to his shoulder and flitted off, landing lightly on the table from which K'rel was eating and hunkering down on the corner. "Oh Zeph," T'bell sighed, looking at him with a rueful expression. "Do you guard plates now too?"

The flitt simply chirped and closed his eyes, curling his tail about him. He would stay there if T'bell didn't wander too far.

Giving a sigh, he laced his fingers behind his back and groped for a topic of conversation. Well, the weyrleader was at hand, maybe a logical step would be best. "What do you think of the weyrwoman? I've never actually spoken to her for any length, but compared to Serina she seems fully capable. I know she wouldn't have lasted long under her watch if she wasn't, but have you spoken with her, in conversation maybe? I'm curious to know what she's like as a person and not as junior -or now- senior weyrwoman."

"You forget, he was a Wingsecond before." K'rel shrugged, helping himself to a few slices of herdbeast and some pieces of fruit. "He knows what it's like to be in charge of things like that, and if you were rude at times, he probably expected it. Sometimes that's the only way to get things through." He paused briefly to sample a bite of the meat, mumbling his approval and waiting until his mouth was clear to continue. "He won't hold anything against you."

The main room of the weyr was relatively unadorned, a couch and a few comfortable looking chairs making up most of the furniture, as well as the solitary table and a large shelf against one wall, covered in various records as well as an odd trinket or two. There was a simple rug of dark reds and blues near the hearth, and a few nearly identical wall hangings kept the room from appearing too cavelike.

K'rel didn't immediately reply to the next topic, mostly due to the fact that his mouth was full of fruit. He swallowed, then shrugged slightly and spoke. "I've spoken with her once, though only briefly. Not long after Serina's passing.. When there was all the debate around the weyr about whether she would become Senior Weyrwoman or is they would bring someone else in. L'cian and I were actually discussing it when she joined the conversation." He paused briefly to offer a slight of herdbeast to Calt, who had landed on the table beside him, and when the flitt accepted it, continued. "Hmm... I can't remember as much of it as I probably should. At the time she seemed a bit nervous about the whole thing, but that was to be expected. Hmm... Dunno, can't tell you much."

"She's probably well suited...I don't think Serina would settle for less." He turned and padded over, worrying his lip lightly before he elected to sit across from the brownrider at the small table. "The clutch means searchings...I've only been on a searching once -except for my own." He face darkened a moment, it was J'kin who had searched him, but he shook it off and pushed it away, "There are some nice children at the hold. They came out after the hunt. A small girl was there, didn't seem too afraid. A few of the boys as well, I think."

"I'm sure she'll do a fine job. She was nervous, yes, but...you could tell." The brownrider glanced up when T'bell sat across from him, flashing a smile and forcing himself to keep it up when the greenrider's own good mood seemed to fade. "I've been on search...a few times. Siv isn't terrible adept at picking candidates, though he enjoys visiting the various holds. Hmm... I wonder how many will be in this clutch. Do you think there are enough between the lower caverns and the hold, or will we have to search elsewhere? Northern continent, etc."

"Well, maybe the fact that he's a brown..." He trailed off, not wanting to insult the other rider unintentionally, "But then again, you never do know. I'm sure we'll find a nice selection though. I know there are a few about the weyr, and the hold should fill that out, but you never know how well." He ventured a small smile and reached out to slide a finger over his sleeping blue's wings, face turning soft when they stretched out for more caressing. "We'll be making a lot of trips though, when the hatching's started. I know my mother would like to see another one since my own."

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:54 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Late Talk Part 02

"Ahh, a good point," K'rel admitted, reclining back in his chair and picking up a piece of fruit. "Well, whatever the case, I'm sure we'll find a good selection for the Hatching. As to guests.." He trailed off and took a small bite of the fruit, waiting until he swallowed to continue. "Hmm, I may bring some of my own, now that you've mentioned it. See if I can arrange pick ups to get to Keroon. I haven't seen my parents in...quite some time. I'm sure they would enjoy seeing another Hatching. I could use the Beastmaster as an excuse to drop by." He grinned.

"My mother wouldn't allow me to not see her for any great length. My sisters up and took off and so she hardly sees them anymore. If I stop by she likes me to demonstrate things to her apprentices..." He gave a self-depreciative shrug, "She thinks they listen more because I'm a dragonrider. I think they're just in as much awe as I was when I was a kid...though I don't think I'm exactly awe-inspiring. I remember a lot of dragonriders like you. Big, imposing, distinguished, intimidating...not short and just strong enough to carry the firestone I need."

"Ahh, I see. My parents couldn't care less, I think. I have a lot of siblings, mostly brothers. The loss of one to the Dragonriders was really no big deal to them. Though, they did come to the hatchings. I'll give 'em that much." He finished off the fruit piece in a few more bites, then returned his attention to T'bell, folding his arms and chuckling softly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but every time we have a conversation you say something that portrays me as some evil hulking monster. Examples, after the flight you were terrified of me. And now you call me intimidating?" He grinned, raising a brow. "Am I really that bad?"

"No no...I didn't mean it like that." He sighed and smiled a bit, waving his hand absently. "That's how I always saw dragonriders when I was a kid, basically a lot like you. Imposing because they're in a different league, intimidating because they have a giant dragon and fight thread, and big because I've always been rather short." He gave a small huff in annoyance at himself and his confusion with his words as he continued on. "It's not that I'm afraid of you, because I'm not .I don't think I have any reason to be. If you were someone worth beig afraid of I would have picked it up a while ago when I saw you around and about, you're just quiet and a bit withdrawn, not violent or anything of the sort. Not to mention, if there was any reason I should be afraid of you that I didn't pick up on, Liliath would have forbidden me from being anywhere near you. She's apparently decided to trick me to come up here, so that can't be the case."

He bit his lip and looked down at the table, sliding a finger along Zephyr's back and between his wings. "I was afraid after the flight." His voice was measured, this was the part he'd rather avoid speaking of, "But that didn't last very long. I was afraid during and before the flight much more. After it...it was mostly nervousness, and you know why-or at least partly." He gave a small shrug and looked back up, "But you are intimidating. As a brownrider you carry more weight than a green or blue, and that makes people look up to you more, not only holders but occasionally riders. I think I'm still in awe of dragonriders, to be honest. I would forget I was one entirely were it not for Liliath's constant loud and teasing presence. Even so long since impression, it still hasn't sunk in yet. I don't talk to many riders...maybe that's part of the reason."

"I meant no offense," K'rel assured him, straightening up somewhat in his seat. "Just an observation. But I know what you mean. We didn't get a lot of dragonriders at the Beasthold. Whenever one did happen upon us, there was always a sense of awe associated with it... Dragonriders're just a league of their own." He made no reply to the personality comments, though he did smile faintly, and nodded his understanding when the topic turned to the flight. However, he once again didn't comment, recognizing the subject as one T'bell would rather avoid and breezing on to the next. "Eh, I suppose. Though I've never really thought myself above any other rider, except perhaps during wing training, and then only because of official rank. Siventh, on the other hand..." He shook his head in mock despair at the very thought, glancing towards the brown out of the corner of his eye. "But then, Siv has the right to gloat. And he's more well known than I."

"He is." T'bell agreed, a slight bit of laughter in his voice. "Liliath had to place his rider for me when she first started mentioning him. I knew of you, and I knew quite a bit about him, but I didn't know that you were his rider." Gentle hands picked up the blue from the table and set him on his neck once more, where Zephyr quickly curled his tail about his neck and snuggled under his rider's braid. "I was more afraid I was offending you, to be honest. I can't talk to you like a harper -not that I'm as eloquent as a harper anymore, as I'm sure you've seen- and you outrank me." He tilted his head to the side for the sleeping flitt to rearrange himself, and loosened the tail's hold on his neck, "I tend to get nervous in those cases. My confidense extends only to the point where my talents end, and I'm afriad my talents are growing quite thin without the practice I should be devoting to them." He laughed quietly and Zephyr chirped from under his hair, more awake now and content to listen to the larger people's conversations.

K'rel laughed aloud, glancing fondly towards the brown. "Hmm, I suppose I can't ignore him when he says I need to 'be social' anymore. Now that I have new witnesses and all. Siv and I really aren't as different as we seem. He acts just as I did when I was at the Beasthold. Jumping from weyr to weyr...eh, I sort of..mellowed?" He paused briefly, then chuckled softly and continued. "I don't anger easily, you'll find. Nor do I care how eloquently you speak, or who outranks who. All I ask from anyone I know is honesty." He fell silent at a chirp near his ear, glancing up just in time to watch Calt come to rest on his shoulder. The blue trilled smugly at his bond before yawning and curling up, peering down towards what remained of the meal. Rolling his eyes, K'rel picked up a piece of herdbeast and offered it to the flitt, speaking while Calt was distracted with his prize. "I'm sure you have plenty of talents. Though, whatever they are, you shouldn't be confident only in them. 'Course, I'm not one to talk, 'antisocial' as I apparently am. I'm not sure where my confidence has gone since I Impressed Siv. Perhaps he stole it."

"Just as Liliath stole mine." He smiled and leaned on the table, Zephyr's blue head sneaking out from behind his neck to peer at Calt curiously, "But if I'm not supposed to only be confident in my talents, what's left? I've always found that anyone confident in things they can't do or have no knowledge of quickly turns into an annoyance, or a more serious problem when heir confidense turns to pride, and their pride is jeopardized. Pride, I know, is dangerous in large amounts. I'm prideful of a few things, of course." He smiled and nodded at the green dragon dozing on Siventh, "Some more than others."

"There's plenty left," K'rel replied, chuckling softly and shrugging. "Talents don't make a person. They just add to him a bit. And you, dear harper, are mixing up your words. There's a big difference between confidence and arrogance." He chuckled softly, nodding towards Siventh. "Trust me, with that one around, you learn the difference quickly. Confidence can lead to arrogance, but confidence alone is something completely different. I'm generally quiet, but that doesn't make me any less confident in myself during simple conversations and whatnot. And then Siv's overly confident and incrediably arrogant. There's a difference, see? And I don't have any talents that I could name."

"You've got me there, but at times there's a fine line between the two." He bent his head in minor defeat, but rested his head on his hand, "As a wingsecond you're telling me you have no talents? You must have some in the ways of organization and knowing how to fly a wing properly. Not to mention the talents of mediation a wingsecond should have, to moniter outbursts in the ranks." He held his free hand in front of him, counting down as he listed, "Then there's the ability you have with runners, your talent with conversation -as you've displayed by correcting a harper on his interpretations of his words nad being far more eloquent and less tongue-tied-, and your...well...I'm sure your talents with runners and your previous craft add up. I'm afraid I don't know enough about you to list off everything you posess. I should watch you more, but I've been more concerned with the Weyr as a whole rather than individuals."

"At times," K'rel admitted, chuckling softly. He shook his head, waving away the comments, though he did grin faintly. "But that's half my point. I suppose you could classify some of those things as talents, but when it comes down to it, they're not what people generally think of talents as. Save for maybe the runners, but....they're just me, you know? I didn't change a bit when I became Wingsecond, and I just pick up words as I go. Keep records, read old ones, etc." Realizing he was rambling, he paused briefly and shrugged, offering a smile. "Anyway, my point is, I show confidence in my work, but that starts as confidence in myself. ...Did that make any sense?"

"Yes, but it could be argued that your talents -and sometimes a lack thereof- make you what you are. Therefore the self confidence you have is directly related to them. Confidence in your work is closely linked to the pride you have in the work you do, and I think it's a bit different." He smiled and tapped his fingers on the table in an unintentional rhythm, getting into the conversation, "Self confidence is something one acquires through their accomplisments or something someone is born with naturally. Confidence in work is something that's acquired through the work itself and the results of it, because despite being confident in yourself, would you be confident in a harp you had to string up for a Master? Or," He laughed and tilted his head, "Would I be confident putting a saddle and bridle on a runnerbeast? It's the confidence that you've tried your best to do it in a task that you're unfamiliar with, and that's different from the confidence you have in a task that you're familiar with well enough to know you've given quality work." Again he ducked his head, looking up through his bangs with a small grin, "nd if that made as much sense coming out of my mouth as it did in my head, I might gain some more confidence in my speech."

"Hmm, a good point..." Falling silent, K'rel sat back in his chair, reaching up and scooping Calt from his shoulder. The flitt protested briefly, though immediately subsided when K'rel began to stroke his back, soaking up attention like a sponge. The brownrider kept to his task for a bit before looking up with a grin, countering. "But I'll not admit defeat yet. What you said is true, yes, but at the beginning you stated the difference between confidence in work and self-confidence. From what all you just said, wouldn't it make sense that confidence changes with setting and situation? Which we both know to be true. Hmm... this is getting much more complex than I'd intended it to." He laughed, shrugging. "All I'd meant was that, devoid of and sort of task other than conversation, why not state things as they are? Be confident in yourself. If someone accepts you, then all's well and good. If they don't, then, eh, they're probably not worth knowing at that point, hmm?"

"True...true...but how does that help someone who's shy, or others who take advantage of people?" He shook his head, his smile widening more, "No no, you're right, this is getting far too complicated. But ," He countered, flicking a finger at the brownrider, "I've succeeded where I think others may have failed, in that I've gotten into a conversation with you. I think Liliath would be proud of me...if she were awake." He glaned over his shoulder at the green, Zehpyr following his gaze, before he returned it to K'rel. "I may have issue with Siventh for being the cause of her fatigue, but I'm really too greatful that she hasn't been teasing me as much lately. Whatever he's done, he shold do it more often, the rest is nice." He paused for a moment, realizing with a slow blink what he had said, and the blush rose to his cheeks, "You know what I mean, and how that failed to come out like I meant it."

Laughing, K'rel held his hands up in surrender, only setting them back down when Calt protested to the end of the stroking. "Ah yes, a decent conversation with the elusive brownrider. Congrats to you, T'bell. I'm sure Liliath would be very proud. Siv too, at that." He grinned, laughing once more at the blush. "Hmm, well Siv may have benefitted you, but her fatigue's only added to his arrogance. And I know what you meant, though Siv wouldn't have. Be glad he's asleep, or neither of us would hear the end of it."

"My mouth seems to run off with me sometimes." The greenrider commented with a small sigh, a slight smile back on his face. "I should tell you that I only truely mean half of what I say. The other half is usually some form of poorly constructed sentament trying to make its way throuh my mouth to terribly confuse everyone including the person who spoke it. Of course, " he added with a mock huff, "I suppose you've already noticed that."

"Happens to all of us sometimes, I think," K'rel replied with a faint smile, sitting back in his chair with a light sigh. "I know I haven't talked this much in ages. Can't remember half of what was said already, so I'm assuming we were rambling. Nothing wrong with that." He shrugged, chuckling softly. "Everyone needs a good ramble on occasion."

"Small talk, mostly, until the part about confidence." T'bell smiled and sat back, putting a hand up to steady Zephyr, "Is there a reason why you don't go out to socialize much, if you don't mind me asking, or does it just end up that way due to your responsibilities?"

"Ehh, I dunno.." Shrugging slightly, he turned his eyes down to Calt, shifting his hand slightly to scratch the flitt's eyeridge. "I've been jumping from weyr to weyr since I was Searched. Never really got comfortable anywhere. And this is actually Siv's third weyr as well, at that. We haven't been here all that long. I suppose I'm just living as if I expect to be moved again. Trying not to get too close to anyone in case I have to leave. However, I've come to think this will be our permanent residence. I'll have to try and meet more people."

"I doubt they'd move you now. Rias needs all the riders we can get, so I think you're stuck down here in the balmy South." He grinned and gave a half shug, "Could be in Igen...isn't it windy there? Or Fort or Benden...too cold for me." A quiet chuckle passed him before he leaned on the table again, "I was happy to be taken from the cold weather that comes down to the Hall, I wasn't ever a fan of snow."

"The balmy South it is, then. They have the best redfruit." He grinned, then shrugged, absently leaning back in his chair so that it was propped on two legs. "Haven't been to Fort, though I was originally Searched to Igen. Not a bad place, though definitely not my favorite of the weyrs. Lesse, after Igen I was sent to Telgar, and from there to Benden, where I Impressed. Stayed at Benden throughout training and for a while after, then was shipped off to play Wingsecond at Ista, and from there to here." He grinned, shrugging. "Mostly warm weyrs, I've had good luck."

The greenrider's eyes widened in surprise, "You really have been everywhere! How many turns are you? Not more than twenty four, I'd guess. When did you Impress?"

Zephyr chirped at the surge of curiousity from his rider and peered at K'rel from his shoulder perch. He recognized this two-legger, at least.

"I told ya so," he countered smugly, then chuckled softly. "Twenty-six, actually. And about ten turns back. The third Hatching to attend... Though I hadn't been searched all that long. It was just one of those turns where clutches seem to come right after each other. I was lucky enough to get shuttled around, and happened to Impress Siv." He glanced fondly towards the brown, then back down to Calt, absently running a finger down the flitt's back. "Happiest moment of my life... Getting passed over twice in a row, only to get a brown who thinks he's a bronze the next chance. Can't get any better."

"I don't think there's ever a point that's better than Impression." He agreed, an affectionate smile on his face, despite Liliath's obvious annoyances. "Are you really twenty-six? You certainly don't look it, but I have been off before...were you a wingsecond before you came here, or did you get promoted after?"

He nodded slightly in agreement, glancing once more towards Siventh, then turned back to T'bell and chuckled softly. "Aye, and I'll take that as a compliment. 'Course, people have always thought I was younger than I am, so..." He shrugged. "Before. I was promoted at Benden, and sent to Ista because they needed the extra help. When things calmed down over there, I pretty much had my choice of Weyrs. So I came here."

"At least you look relatively near your age. I've been mistaken as fifteen, and they were surprised when they found out I was a rider." He ducked his head, "I tend to keep my knots on my jacket, and I don't like wearing my jacket anywhere but dragonback. Liliath has opinions on it."

"Fifteen?" He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head slightly. "I would have guessed quite that young. Of course, I know you're a rider and have been for a while." He hesitated momentarily, then cocked his head curiously at the greenrider, sitting forward so that his chair dropped back to four legs. "At that, how old are you?"

"Seventeen...I've been with Lili for four turns, from one of Sirana's last clutches." He gave a small smile, tinged with embarrassment at his young age, and honourable regret for the passing of the last weyrwoman, "I've only been here. I haven't quite travelled all of Pern yet."

"Seventeen? Eck, now I feel old." He mock-grimaced, then chuckled softly and grinned, shrugging. "Consider yourself lucky, then. In all honesty, I would rather have had one weyr and never leave than travel as much as I have. Think about how much I've changed..." He trailed off, then shrugged, nodding towards Siventh. "Remember, I used to be like him. Then they shuffled me around from Weyr to Weyr until I became the quiet, obediant, respectable Wingsecond."

"At least you're respectable." T'bell offered with a teasing jibe. "And a wingsecond. The thing is, if you-oh, excuse you." He paused in his wording, speaking instead to zephyr who was tapping insistantly on his arm with his claws, crawling down little by little. He lowered it obligingly and the little blue crawled to the table before looking around. "I was saying, if you are confident you'll be staying here, then what's holding you back from being who you really are, or used to be? I'm sure we have enough arrogant riders to fill Fort entirely, but not all of them are sociable." Another persistent chirp and T'bell looked down. "Oh...do you have a bath?"

"At this point, anyway," he countered with a grin, then shrugged. "Ahh, I dunno. Old habits die hard, but once they have, they don't come back." Pausing, he glanced down to the flitt and raised a brow, then nodded and straightened up. He quickly deposited Calt on his shoulder, ignoring the blue's chirp of protest, then climbed to his feet and started towards the back of the weyr, where a curtain hid the 'bedroom'. "Mmhmm, follow me. Water-flitt?"

"I don't want to be a bother." He offered as he stood, slipping around the side of the table and scooping up his flitt as he followed. Zephyr, for his part, had little to protest, and folded his wings, allowing himself to be carried. "I would think he's a dolphin, but he's too small. If it weren't for the fact that he won't go between I think I'd lose him to the ocean."

"No bother," he replied cheerfully, pushing back the curtain and continuing towards another further in the room. "Calt spends most of his free time swimming, so I'm used to it. Of course, he's usually down at the lake with Siv, not in the bath." Upon reaching the next curtain, he pulled it aside and gestured within where the bath was clearly visable. "He doesn't go between, you said?"

"No, he doesn't. Flute does without a problem, as I'm sure you've seen." He grumbled the last bit. It was her who played a part in Liliath's trickery. "The females are forever against me."

At sight of the water Zephyr let out a happy trill and nearly scrambled to get out of T'bells hands. Once free he dropped afew inches before opening his wings and gliding into the water, hitting in a sort of dive-bomb splash.

"Polite, as always." The rider mumbled, wiping some stray water off his arm, "Calt goes between, doesn't he? Most flitts do...all the ones I've seen. I'm just not sure why he won't. He doesn't like to be very far from me. I half think he'll toddle back out when we go back to the table."

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:55 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Late Talk Part 03

"I'd noticed," he replied with a grin, chuckling softly and taking a small step back when Zephyr darted past towards the water. Calt watched lazily from his shoulder, but merely uttered a sleepy chirp before curling himself tightly around K'rel neck for a nap. The brownrider rolled his eyes at the little blue, then turned his attention back towards the one playing in the bath. "Aye, often. He'll sometimes leave for days at a nice. No idea where he gets to. it's hard to tell from what pictures he sends. But Zephyr... hmm, s'odd. He's still rather young though, aye? Perhaps he'll grow into it."

"He's as old as Flute...Lemurrin -another harper here- his flitts were from the same clutch, I believe. Both go between quite a bit, and one's a green." Watching the blue in the water with a slightly confused smile, he rose in shoulder in a shrug. "I'm not quite sure how to teach him, but it hasn't been an issue yet. I think I've grown accustom to the extra weight."

K'rel raised an eyebrow, glancing briefly up to the greenrider before returning his gaze to the blue. "So, wait, you're saying he's never been between? Have you ever tried taking him somewhere with you and Liliath? Him just sitting on your shoulder or anything?"

T'bell nodded and cocked his head at the blue, "Oh, he's been between with us without a problem, but only when I'm there and Liliath takes us. Then, he's right up against my neck."

"Strange..." Chuckling softly, K'rel stepped away from the wall and crouched beside the pool, flicking a splash of water towards the blue. "Quite the oddball, you're little dolphin flitt. Have you taken him to the beach? As much as he likes water, I'm sure that'd get him between and back whenever he pleases."

"I haven't had time yet." He sighed, lingering behind the brownrider. "He seems perfectly happy in my bathing pool, and whenever it rains outside he plays for hours unless I go too far."

Zephyr squeaked at being splashed and sunk his head below water, a set of eyelids closed as he peered at K'rel and backpeddled away, wings stretching out under the water until he snapped them up with a return splash.

Laughing, K'rel cringed away from the splash, holding up a hand to block it and nearly unbalancing Calt, who woke just long enough to hiss his disapproval before returning to his nap. To make amends, he reached up with one hand to lightly scratch the flitt's eyeridge, sitting down near the water's edge so that he wouldn't disturb the blue again and sending another splash towards Zephyr with his free hand. "Well that's what you need to do, I think. Calt was pretty clingy until we took him to more places that he liked. He still is when he's around, but at least he doesn't hover constantly anymore."

"I'll make an effort to." He crouched down and smiled as Zephyr swam to the opposite side of the pool to escape the cruel rider's splashings, dipping under the water to see how deep it went. "I've got a bit on my hands with the whers though. I'd like to get them completely trained before they get too big to handle. Tabesk is still a bit reluctant to listen to me."
He left off the splashing when the blue retreated away, and let his hand fall now that Calt had gone back to sleep. K'rel glanced towards the greenrider out of the corner of his eye when he crouch down, grinning. "Quite understandable, though I'm afraid I'd be no help there. That encounter in your weyr was the closest I've ever come to a watchwher. Tabesk is..the gold, right? She tried eating anyone else lately?"

"Yes, she's the gold, and no, though you weren't the first." He laughed and draped his hands over his knees. "She went after that Harper I mentioned before, Lemurrin. I've got a good bond with Task, the pale one, and he listens to me fairly well. She's a bit stronger of mind though, but they both listen to Liliath without a problem. She doesn't like speaking to them, however. Says they..." He waves a hand and wrinkled his nose, "Feel bad, like sludge. Then again, she's not very polite."

"Good to know I'm not alone." He grinned, then shrugged. "Eh, be glad she speaks to them at all. I doubt Siv would. From the little I have heard, most dragons don't like talking to them. And even if they don't listen very well, from what I can tell they're very dedicated to you. At least they're loyal, if not the brightest things in the world."

"Now now, I think that's not quite right." He teased, tilting his head, "They're quite intelligent, certainly more receptive than and runnerbeast I've been on. I think it's just a misconception because they're hardly ever well taken care of in Holds, and teased all the time. With the masks on in the daytime they're quite well behaved. They're even developing a language of sounds. Remember when Tabesk tried to eat you? She made a rrurrl sort of sound." He shook his head at his own horrible imitation. "I knew what she was saying without her needing to transmit the image to me. That sound means 'stranger'."

K'rel glanced curiously back to the greenrider, raising a brow. "Is that so? I suppose it varies with the creature as well. Though, you may have a point. Treated right, it makes sense that they would be more social, so intelligence would be more noticeable... Anything badly treated turns more animalistic, I've noticed." he paused, then chuckled softly, grinning a challenge. "But I'll have to counter you as well. Some runners are extremely intelligent. Mine are just as responsive as Calt to emotions and voice tone, though, I suppose I'm a bit biased. Of course, runners can't 'talk' like your whers can. But they can come pretty close."

"I have a harder time with things I can't impress." He admitted sheepishly, watching as Zephyr surfaced and swam about with chatterings. He was getting fuzzy impressions of the flitts’ opinions on the pool.

"You get used to 'em," he murmured, glancing back towards Zephyr now that he had surfaced. "'Course, I grew up with them, so that probably played a part in it. And then, one of my runners is a direct descendent from my first personal one. Dragged him all the way from Keroon. So it's not as if they're just any runners."

"I suppose, being around them for a while and all. I've just never had time except for when I was at the hall." He laughed and looked down, "I always thought of sticking some wings I'd make to them and pretending they were dragons. Got in trouble a lot."

"I can imagine..." He chuckled softly, nodding back towards the weyr. "I doubt any dragon that passed would've much appreciated it either. Though if whers are all you say they are, perhaps dragons need to rethink their bit. If I ever get to know a wher, I'll bug Siv about it."

"You're welcome to get to know mine. Tabesk knows enough not to eat you now. Task won't bother you too much, I'd think." He smiled and sat down on the floor, stretching his legs from the crouching position, "Maybe we'll get another clutch...but don't cut yourself too deep when you blood yourself." Ah, the tone of someone who had experience.

"As long as they don't think I'm dinner, I'd be happy to. But I'll have to pass on actually Impressing, I think." He shook his head slightly, chuckling softly and nodding back towards the ledge and their dragons. "Between the runners and flitt--flitts soon, assuming the eggs hatch--Siv's sick of 'pets'. Plus he claims that I neglect him, and I doubt bringing anything else in would make him feel much better. Maybe if I start getting out more he'll relent."

"I'm sure Liliath will be plotting against you soon." He smirked softly, "It's going to be a nice change, her evil intentions elsewhere and all."

"Liliath too, now?" The brownrider mock-groaned and rolled his eyes, sitting back so that he was propped up on his elbows. "It's hard enough with Siv plotting at every turn. What's Lili trying to manipulate me in to?"

"Whatever she likes." A knowing nod was coupled with a sympathetic expression. "It's not too bad, you'll learn to cope. She gets me all the time."

"One I can deal with. I have Siv constantly scheming against me. But two..." He shook his head and sighed, then raised a brow and glanced back up to T'bell. "At that, why'm I the one to get stuck with the dragons? Can't they plot against you?"

"Liliath plots against me all the time, I'm used to it. She seems like the type to start things...I think she'd enjoying annoying someone new once in a while." A splash of water came up from Zephyr's latest dive and he cringed, ducking his head away from it and wiping the drops from his curly hair. "It might be fun to watch too."

"Anything to make Liliath happy," K'rel mumbled, hiding a grin. At the splash, he turned his attention to Zephyr and reached forward to send a return splash towards the blue, chuckling softly. "Ahh, that settles it, then. I shall suffer for your amusement. And then when the dragons reduce me to nothing, I'll get to laugh when they come after you."

"Well, at least she's already got you trained in her ways." He countered, "You'll be giving her whatever she asks for soon enough. Gives me a rest too, so I suppose I should thank you for it."

Zephyr chirped in as much defiance as a small flitt could muster, and ducked his head under the water. He would bide his time, oh yes he would. Bide his time until the two-leggers were distracted...

"She has Siventh to thank for that." He rolled his eyes, glances suspiciously towards Zephyr, then simply shrugged and laid back on the floor, resting his head on his hands. "Looks like I have no say in the matter. As usual. Wish I knew what they were planning, though."

"Well, if I find anything out I'll be sure to tell you..." He offered kindly, but his expression turned mischievious, "for a price, of course."

"A price, eh?" The brownrider raised an eyebrow, tilting his head towards T'bell, eyeing him suspiciously. "And what might that be, hmm?"

"I'm not sure..." He drew the last word out, lilting it in a sing-song sort of way. "It depends on how valuable the information I've been privy to is...and what sort of an effect it has on me if I tell."

Chuckling softly, K'rel returned his eyes to the ceiling, then unexpectedly closed them, shifting slightly to make himself more comfortable on the rock floor. "I take that to mean you already have some 'information' as to what I should expect? Well c'mon, name your price. There must be something you would trade it for. As to the effect...well, we won't know that unless you tell, now will we?"

"Not true...I could guess, knowing Liliath, what my punishment would be." He flipped his braid over his shoulder, tugging on it absently as a wide grin spread on his face, green eyes watching the brown rider with a harper's calculation. "I don't want marks, I have nowhere to spend them...hm...make me an offer. This is, of course, completely open to...negotiation. Afterall, I know what's planned..."

"A good point..." Trailing off, he heaved a sigh, then cracked an eye to glance back over at the greenrider and fighting to hide a grin. "You don't want marks, not that I have many to spend...Ahh, I don't know. I really have nothing to offer. Hmm... Come come, harper, surely you have something in mind."

"I barely know you, how would I be able to adequately judge what you have to offer if you make no offers?" He shifted his leg, nudging K'rels thigh with the toe of his boot. "Try again."

"You barely know me, but you still know me better than most." Leaving it at that, he returned his gaze to the ceiling, then reclosed his eye . "Hmm... I really don't have anything of much value. Of course, maybe Arina's...but no, you prefer whers to runners, don't you? Tell you what, I'll give you Siv. I'm sure you could get about anything for a brown dragon."

"Arina-wait, Siv?" His calculating harper facade dropped for a moment and he gawked at the brownrider. "I have Liliath already! I can't take Siv, not to mention he's yours, but he'd never fit in the weyr, and what would happen in mating flights?!"

"Sure you could," K'rel assured him, nodding cheerfully, though his eyes remained closed. "I'll trade weyrs with you. This one's big enough for both. And then you can have both dragons, and I can be the official weyr hermit. And you sound as if you expect Siv to win every flight from now on." He cracked an eye, flashing the greenrider a toothy grin. "High hopes for my brown, wouldn't you say?"

"That's not what I meant!" A dark blush rose on his cheeks and he had the look of a tunnel snake caught in the light of a glowbasket. A moment of unintelligable stuttering passed, a few waving hand motions, then a huff. "See?! See? I told you I don't always mean what I say like I say it!"

He laughed aloud and reopened his eyes, moving a hand from behind his head to wave away the greenrider's protest. "Mmhmm, of course. Whatever you say, T'bell. So that means you'll take Siv as payment, aye?"

"I can't take Siv, you wherry." He huffed, crossing his arms and ducking his head out of habit until the blush faded. "You wouldn't give him up anymore than I would Liliath." He fell silent for a moment, concentrating on making his blush disappear. "What's Arina?"

"Ehh, I dunno. There's some days where I consider it." He grinned to show he was joking, then yawned and sat up, one hand snapping up to catch Calt before the blue could fall from his shoulder. He politely ignored the greenrider's blush, focusing instead on resettling his flitt, who had slept clean through the 'fall'. "Arina's my runner mare. Beautiful little paint, sweetest thing you'll ever meet. No way you'd get her from me, but she's expecting a foal soon. 'Course, I'm not sure if the Beastmaster's keeping it or not."

"Oh no...I wasn't thinking of anything so big as a runner, not to mention Siventh himself. I wasn't even thinking of anything living..." He smiled at the blue flitt, glancing at his own who was somewhere near the bottom of the pool looking for treasure. "How long can flitts hold thier breath anyway?"

"Good. Then I won't have to worry about Arina complaining as well." Glancing down into the pool, he shrugged slightly, watching the rippling image of the blue. "A good while, I'd imagine... Miniature dragons, and dragons can hold their breath for...well, I've never timed Siv, but he'll dissapear under the water for ages. I'd imagine a flitt wouldn't be much different."

"Just wondering if I should go down and get him." He mumbled with a small smile to the flitt, who looked up as if he knew they were talking about him. "But, despite your attempts to throw me off, I must insist on a bargain for my services, brownrider."

"He'll come up when he's ready," K'rel assured him, smiling down at the blue. He didn't bother to look up when the subject returned to their 'bargain', instead flicking his hand towards Zephyr as a splash warning for when the blue resurfaced. "You don't want marks, you don't want anything living... Even the foal of my beautiful Arina. Hmm... I honestly have nothing left to give, greenrider. Unless you have some suggestions, I'll simply have to wait and find out what the dragons are planning as it happens."

"I couldn't take your favourite mare's foal from you. That wouldn't be fair at all." He waved a hand at him, watching as Zephyr blew a few bubbles at the brownrider before swimming to the opposite side and surfacing. "How good are your terms with the kitchen staff?"

"My only mare, actually. And if you did, Siv would be forever grateful." He rolled his eyes at the thought, mock-glaring across the pool at Zephyr when he surfaced out of reach. "Cheater. Kitchen? Headwoman terrifies me, but otherwise... You name it, I'll get it." He grinned.

"Now we're getting somewhere." He shook a finger at the other dragonrider and leaned back on his free hand. "Do you have any talents?"

He chuckled softly, turning to lean back against the wall, facing the greenrider with the pool to his side. "Ahh, but we've already had this 'talent' conversation. I said I didn't, you said I did. Hmm, what were they... Something about being a Wingsecond, good conversational skills, adept with runners and...Oh, I'm pretty good with throwing daggers. But unless you're planning on assassinating anyone, I doubt that's of any interest to you. Just a little hobby."

"You are?" He asked, eyes wide with surprise as he leaned forward, "Where did you learn something like that? Even what we learned as weyrlings isn't very strong in me anymore. How do you do it?"

He hadn't expected that much of a reaction. K'rel raised an eyebrow and shrugged, holding up his right hand with fingers spread; various small scars could be seen on both thumb and index finger. "Mmhmm. Learned a bit in Keroon, and taught myself the rest. One of my duties at the Beasthold was the sevenday watches in the farther off fields. Couldn't bring much food, was too much trouble to carry. So we would hunt, and I would use a dagger 'cause I've never been good with bows. Just kept it up since then. Something to amuse myself, good for self defense and whatnot."

"So you learned hunting?" He asked, tilting the brownrider's hand so he could get a better look. "The only knives I'm good with are the ones I use for instruments, and they're only for carving. I still nick myself."

"Mmhmm." He nodded slightly, absently turning his hand to T'bell's guiding. "Had to eat, didn't I? Saden didn't like sharing. I've tried carving, but, eh... not for me. 'M not very artistically inclined. I enjoy the arts, of course, but...can't do any of them. You're the Harper, not me."

"I'm not that good in singing. Once my voice changed there were too many in my range so I was taken out of choir. I can't play anything with strings much better than I needed to be a journeymen. Wind instruments...I made a Flute today. They're my specialty." He blinked at the rider's hand and let it go with a tinge of a blush. "Sorry, I get curious."

"Still better than me, I'm sure. And from what I know of the Harper Hall, they don't name Journeymen lightly. If you can play anything that well, you're much better than most could ever hope to be. Myself included." Chuckling softly, he let his hand fall back to his side, shaking his head. "Don't apologize. Curiosity's not a crime until you get caught where you shouldn't be."

Blushing at the acknowledgement of his talent, he ducked his head in a quiet 'thank you' before changing the focus of the subject. "Caught where I shouldn't be, hm?" T'bell gave a light grin, "You speak as if you have experience."

The brownrider caught the blush, but didn't comment, merely nodding slightly in reply before grinning and jumping to the next subject. "Recently, no. In the past... Much more than I should," he laughed.

"Oh really?" He questioned, eyebrows rising in query, "care to impart some of your adventures? I could...write a song about them." He grinned cheekily and shifted his weight, crossing his legs.

"A song?" He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. "I hardly think any of them were song worthy.." Chuckling softly, he shrugged and leaned back against the wall. "Most were back at the Beasthold...but they were just everyday things. Hmm... Had a few since coming to Rias...but I doubt they'd interest you. Close calls that'd likely get my rank revoked if too many heard of 'em." He grinned.

"Oh-ho," The greenrider's grin widened and he continued teasingly, "Doing things the weyrlings shouldn't see?" He tilted his head and lowered his voice dramatically, "You know, we do see them, and when we get our rider knots, we do them too."

"They can watch all they like, but I wouldn't recommend trying." He chuckled softly, then glanced cautiously around the room, lowering his voice to reply. "I don't mean little troublesome things like going between too close to the ground, greenrider... Hmm... You led that feline hunt recently, aye? Have you ever confronted one on the ground?"

"On...the ground?" He leaned forward, looking confused for a moment and lowering his voice to match K'rels. "Well, no, not exactly. During the hunt there was a blue...he tried racing through the trees and then over the ground. Didn't come close to catching it though so he took to the air. You mean you faced one completely on the ground?"

"Not willingly," he laughed, raising his voice back to normal and straightening up. "Siv and I were hunting wherries further south. Apparently some felines had the same idea, and when I went to retrieve one they..er...tried to get it from me? Siv managed to hold off the majority, so I only had to deal with one. Still didn't kill it, though. We had to run... Shards, those things are brave. We lost the wherry."

"Shards..." He blinked at him, eyes wide, "Did you get hurt? How many were there? I've been jumped at before, but Liliath's so fast they've never caught us with more than a light scratch..."

"Not badly.." Pushing up his sleeve, he pointed out a long scar near his shoulder. "It was actually pretty shallow, just scarred badly. Siv scored one on his flank, but you can't see that anymore. There were... five or six, I think. Dunno, I really only remember the one that attacked me." He let his hand drop and sleeve fall, then shrugged. "We got lucky. Siv was entertaining himself by scaring off the other wherries while I went for the one I'd already killed. So neither of us was prepared for the attack...but I don't think the felines had actually noticed us until we were on top of them."
"That must have been horrible...but..." He bit his lip, looking perplexed, "It's not like you can lose your wingseconds' rank because you were attacked, can you? You didn't go searching them out. They couldn't demote you for that...that's like demoting someone because they got threadscored..."

"Oh, I know." Shrugging once more, he moved his hands to pillow his head against the wall. "That wasn't that kind of circumstance. That was just an example. If you disregard the fact that Siv and I went back the next day and killed three of the felines. Those hides got me enough marks to bring Kaon down... That was shortly after we first came down here."

The rider paused for a moment, blinked, and then shook his head, trying to hide the grin on his face. "Well yes, yes, I think that might get you yelled at, at the very least..." He snickered and looked back up, "Kaon is your other runner?"

"Just a bit," K'rel assured him with a grin. He nodded, smiling fondly at the thought. "Aye, the stallion. Direct descendent from the one I left when I was Searched. I'd been wanting another of the breed... Pure luck that I was able to get him down here, and so young at the time. Raised him myself."

"What kind of runners are you breeding?" He asked as he shifted again, pulling his feet under him, "Something to bet on in a race, or something to work? You'll have to forgive me," He added quickly, a sheepish smile on his face, "I don't know too much about them other than what I needed to know at the hall."

K'rel chuckled softly, freeing one of his hands to wave away the apology. "To each his own. I couldn't tell you a thing about music or instruments. Kaon's a racer, one of the better ones of the Southern Continent, if I may say so. S'what he was bred for. Arina, on the other hand..." He trailed off, chuckling softly, then smiled. "She's a strange little mix, I think. A bit stockier than a racer, and too short for any real speed. She's a sweetheart, though. More than makes up for it."

"What do you use her for? If that doesn't sound too crude, I mean." He waved a hand and leaned forward, interested in learning things he wouldn't have to pour through records for, "Just riding? Were you trying to breed her for something specific?"

"Arina?" Shrugging, he moved his hand back behind his head. "I didn't breed her, actually. I bought her at the stables where I went to board Kaon. I'm not sure what the breeder was thinking... Probably the racer's speed with the pack beast's endurance. Funny little mare resulted."

The greenrider gave a quiet laugh and ducked his head. "I'd be more involved with animals if I had a choice in crafts. My mother pushed the hall on me, and I grew up there so it was easy to get into it. I've always loved animals though, so had I been holdbred I think it would have been a toss-up where I would have gone. Don't get me wrong," He added quickly, "I love the hall, and I didn't mind being a harper in the least. I just wanted more pets...seems I have enough now though."

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:23 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Late Talk Part 04

The brownrider nodded understandingly and glanced back towards the pool for Zephyr. "I've always wanted to visit the Harper Hall, at least. Dunno, I doubt I would have done very well there. I was just sucked into Beastholding... Whole family was there or nearby. But I like animals well enough, so it worked out. Much quieter here, though. I like your lot. Doesn't make the place feel as empty."

T'bell made a rueful face and didn't quite succeed in holding back his quiet laughter. "You 'like' my 'lot'?" He smiled and shook his head, "I should feel privileged, I suppose, hmm brownrider? Here-" He held out his hand for the other in retribution for the examination he'd given his scars earlier, "Harping isn't as soft as some people might think, especially if you're making things. A few nicks and cuts from carving, a string snaps and it'll get you pretty deep as well." A long thin scar marred half-way up his forearm, barely noticeable because of his pale skin. "Harps are the worst for that, and if you get a bad string it doesn't matter how much experience you have."

K'rel raised a brow, but straightened up and reached to take T'bell by the wrist, eyeing each scar curiously. "Huh, I wouldn't have thought... But I suppose each trade has it's dangers. And the Harpers' aren't all in their halls, I'm told." He lifted his eyes questioningly to the greenriders', then released his hand and slumped back against the wall.

"Of course not." He smiled and tilted his head, eyes traveling up to the stone ceiling, "There's talk of times when harpers were hurt or killed just because of their craft. It's not like that anymore, of course. I don't even remember that happening very clearly -I must have been young- but there're still some of the more remote holds that won't take harpers."

"At least things are getting better," he replied with a smile. However, he soon frowned faintly shaking his head slightly. "Still, I'm surprised some holds won't let Harpers in. What's there the gain in that?"

"Basically...no education." He gave a small shrug and edged away from the pool, as he was privy to some of Zephyr's plotting aimed towards his person. "With no education people won't have strong opinions, or if they do, they won't know what to do about them. Women especially, won't know there's more to do than have children. That's fine for some women, but a lot of girls that come to the Hall from more remote holds are really knocked off their routine for sevendays at a time."

"Ahh... I suppose that makes sense." The brownrider again straightened up, absently tapping his chin. "And it's sad, really, because those people have every right to an education…but don't know it because the information is denied them. Ahh, well, perhaps sometime in the near future we'll be able to work it out. Those holds are getting fewer and fewer, as you've said."

T'bell nodded his agreement, inching closer to the browrider and shifting so he was on the opposite side of him from the pool. "It's not as bad as it used to be. Some of the bigger holds now are taking on too many. We're having a bit of a problem keeping enough people at the Hall."

K'rel failed to notice any significance behind the greenrider's movements, merely chuckling softly and nodding. "Well, I doubt that'll get too serious. Pern can never have enough Harpers, I'm sure. Good that there're stations for so many."

"Indeed!" The last of his word rose to a higher pitch and he ducked behind the brownrder as Zephyr rose out of the water and beat his wings furiously, showering them with droplets.

The attack caught K'rel completely off guard, and by the time he reacted, he was already soaked. Shouting in surprise, he raised both arms to shield himself from the water, leaning away from the flit, towards T'bell. "Ahh, ya evil little runt! Alright, you win! Stop splashin'!"

T'bell couldn't help but laugh. He'd gotten Zephyr's hint from the flitts' schemeing mind. "Come on Zeph!" His scolding was full of laughter however, and Zephyr trilled in victory before diving under the water to escape any form of retaliation.

T'bell's laughter, along with the blue's triumphant trill, set the brownrider off as well. Once the torrent ended, he laughed and turned back towards the pool, leaning over and sticking an arm in the pool, snatching around for the flitt. He was already wet. A bit more wouldn't hurt. "Just you wait, Zeph!"

Snickering madly behind him, T'bell shoved the brownrider's shoulder. "Oh you big bully, quit pestering him!"

"Well he started it!" K'rel protested, sounding all the world as it he were five years old again. Laughing, he made a huge show of straightening up and splashed an armful of water towards T'bell while he did. "You see how you like it!"

"Hey!" He sputtered and coughed, wiping the water from his face. "Oh now you've done it!" And with that he leapt at him, likely tumbling them both into the pool in the process.

His laughter was cut off as T'bell's pounce knocked them both into the water, a series of bubbles the only sign that he was still laughing. Still underwater, K'rel squirmed out from under the greenrider and climbed to his feet, surfacing with a splash and resuming his laughter as soon as he caught his breath.

At the intrusion Zephyr gave a squawk of protest and clamored out the opposite side, strutting away to the wall indignantly.

T'bell surfaced with an impish smile, his braid had come unraveled in the process and he snatched the tie from the water. "Serves you right."

Rolling his eyes, K'rel waded towards the side of the pool, freeing his hair from it's tie and wringing it out as he walked. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Still say he started it. Evil plotting little blue. You knew, too, didn't you?" He shot an accusingly glare over his shoulder at T'bell, but then grinned and released his hair, shaking his head to dry it at least somewhat.

"Harpers always know, silly brownrider." T'bell teased as he followed him, watching with envy as he wrung out his hair. The mass of black curls that sat atop his head held victory over every attempt he had made to control it. Now they were plastered to his forehead and cheeks, or hung wet and limp to his shoulders.

"Indeed." The brownrider rolled his eyes, chuckling softly and quickly binding his hair back in a hasty ponytail. He climbed out of the pool and, without a thought for the greenrider, stripped off his dripping shirt and wrung it out over the pool. "'Could've at least warned me."

It took a moment for T'bell to answer, and he turned his eyes away with a light blush as he sat himself on the edge of the pool. "Why would I do something like that?" He managed to mumble as he ran his hands through his mess of hair -or tried to- and attempted to get it back in order.

"Save us both the trouble of changing, for one thing." He chuckled softly and shook out the shirt, then stepped over to a small pile of towards near the doorway, dropping the shirt beside it for the time and picking up a towel for himself. "'M sure I could find something for you to borrow, if you don't want to wear wet clothes."

"Much appreciated if I could..." He hesitated a moment, then due to his hair having decided to plaster itself over his face and attempt to suffocate him, asked quietly, "Do you have a brush, maybe, I could borrow?"

"Oh, of course." K'rel nodded and quickly dried off, then stepped out of the room, returning shortly with the brush and passing it over to T'bell. "Help yourselves to the towels, too. I'll go find you some clothes," he added, then headed back out the door.

"Thanks." He ducked his head and pulled his feet out of the water, toeing off his sodden boots before setting to the Mess That Tried To Eat Him with the brush. "I'll return them as soon as I can, tomorrow morning if you like..."

"Whenever works," came the brownrider's voice from the next room, along with the sound of a drawer being pulled back. "There's no rush. Just get 'em back eventually, and I'm fine." When he finally returned, he had changed into dry clothes and was carrying a set for the greenrider. He grinned and set them atop the pile of towels, , then stepped back out the door to give T'bell some privacy. "Call me once you're dressed."

"Mhm..." He gave a short nod, abandoning his hair for a moment and quickly fumbling into the clothes. He gave an exasperated sigh when he had to hitch the pant up so they wouldn't fall. Not the fault of K'rel though, but it was annoyance with himself for refusing to put on any weight despite the copious amounts of time he spent in the kitchen. He pulled the shirt of his head and wrestled his hair out from under it. "I'm done."
K'rel pushed back the curtain at his call and stepped into the room, leaning against the doorframe and eyeing him over once, just to see how the clothes fit. He chuckled softly a shook his head, but grinned and shrugged. "Ah, well, it's only temporary. Tried to find something smaller, but I guess I've given away most of those. Good enough for now, though."
"Thank you." He dipped his head and frowned at his hair, pulling it over his shoulder to slide the brush through it. "You could have made me walk back sodding wet."
He smiled and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. "It's no problem. Besides, I checked, and, as far as I can tell, Siv and Lili are still sleeping. You may be here for a while. Might as well be comfortable, aye?"

"The great oafs." He continued to wrestle with his hair, and darted a glance to Zephyr, who had snuck up on his bare foot, eyes a yellow and green whirl. "Oh, you silly flitt, I'm not angry at you." He lifted the blue up and Zephyr clung to his arm happily, as his shoulders were covered in wet hair. "You're learning evil things from the womenfolk, aren't you?”

"Evil little thing," K'rel murmured, narrowing his eyes at Zephyr. Then, chuckling softly, he turned and stepped back out of the room, leaving the bedroom after that and returning to the weyr in search of his own blue, who was sleeping on the arm of the couch. The brownrider slid onto the couch beside him, raising a hand to lightly pet along the blue's back. "At that, they all are…"

He carried Zephyr out and set him down on the table, where he curled himself up into a ball, and leaned against the wall, pulling the brush through his slowly-taming curls. "How do you get your hair to behave so easily?"

The brownrider glanced up when T'bell spoke. Smiling, her shrugged and reached back to pull the ponytail over his shoulder. "It's naturally straight. Really easy to keep up. Actually, I don't bother with brushing half the time. I just put it up and it falls naturally. Gets in the way if I leave it down."

"Lucky." He waved the brush at him. "You manage to keep it soft too, and that's hardly fair. If your hair behaves it should be like straw. Mine is as soft as I could ever want, but look at it!" He flicked a few stray curls from his face. "My sisters have it too, but they do their...girl things, and it all works out fine. Lovely long luxurious hair...and I get this thing, that takes on a life of it's own when it's wet or too humid out."

"Not everyone can have perfect hair," K'rel replied with a grin, then shrugged. "And I like yours better as is. Sure it's a bit...wayward..." Chuckling softly, he reached over and flicked at a stray curl that seemed to be sticking straight up, laughing a bit louder when it just popped up once more. "But it suits you. You wouldn't have anything to complain about if it was agreeable, don't you think?"

T'bell's eyes witched the curl bounce back up, almost crossing, and he gave a rueful grin. "Oh I'd find something, I am a Harper after all." His cheeky smile grew distant a moment as he felt a rustling on the edge of his conscious.

Your beastlings are waking up, love. Liliath confirmed, her voice groggy in his mind.

He gave a sigh and pulled his hair into a make-shift ponytail to last him. "I'm sorry to cut this short, not that you're probably not tired of me by now anyway, but I've been informed my charges are waking up, and that they're rather hungry." An apologetic smile was on his lips as he scooped up Zephyr and stood, offering a hand to the brownrider. "If I don't get back I might lose one of my chairs to their hungry mouths."

The greenrider's reply provoked another laugh from K'rel, but it soon died away with the announcement about the whers. His grin faded to a faint smile and, taking T'bell's hand, he climbed to his feet as well, eyes turning in the general direction of their dragons on the ledge. "Ahh, I understand. And not tired at all. Drop by whenever you'd like." Grin returning, he shrugged and turned back to the greenrider. "Siv would be happy for the company, as would I."

"Liliath would give me no choice." He said with a smile as he stepped out of the bathing room. A flash of gold told him Flute had disappeared to check on her belongings, keeping them safe from the whers. Liliath was where he had left her, but the green dragon heaved a reluctant sigh and began to carefully untangle herself from her brown companion, grumbling all the while.

You will want a ride. She said, just as he was about to ask K'rel if he minded an extra dragon, I do not want you walking back in the dark. You're clumsy, and you might fall down the stairs like that harper girl of yours.

This news seemed to cheer the brownrider. He followed T'bell out of the bedroom and towards the ledge, choking back a laugh and settling for a polite nod to the grumbling Liliath.

Beside her, Siventh cracked an eye as his nap was disturbed, moments later looking more than annoyed at the realization that his green was leaving. Yawning, he climbed to his feet to see her away, joining in on her mumbled complaints with a will.

With the help of his green, T'bell lifted himself gracefully onto her back. "I expect to see you in the dining hall every now and again." He called over his shoulder, giving K'rel a teasing smile, "It would do you good to socialize, and the food really isn't that bad."

We should hunt together, I could show you how to do it properly. Liliath sent smugly to Siventh, her tail tapping lightly against his haunches as she all but dropped from the gave, flicking out her wings and soaring back to her weyr.

K'rel remained just inside the weyr, leaning sideways against one wall while T'bell climbed onto his green. He rolled his eyes at the comment, laughing and waving away the greenrider. "Well see. Mayhaps I'll drop by once or twice. Showing up too often could hurt my reputation."

I'm sure you could, Siventh replied, along with a silent laugh. As Liliath took to the air, he bugled a good-bye, eyes whirling a calm blue as they followed the green back to her weyr. Once she was out of sight, he turned and left the ledge, making his way back into the weyr to his own 'bed'. They shall have to come back soon, minerider.

Turning from the ledge, K'rel wandered to sit beside the brown, leaning back against him with a smile. "Yes.. They certainly shall."

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:36 am

T'bell

A few nights ago I put in a request for a change of position. I asked to be moved to the Harper Hall due to both personal reasons and to relieve one of the pairs they have on watch. Now I’m not so sure if I made the right decision or not. At the time it seemed like the smartest thing to do. With all the death and the restructuring and now the flight, I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams worse than a new weaver’s gown. I can’t handle so much pressure on me, and it’s not even from outside sources anymore, it’s mainly me putting pressure on me. Add to that my flits and whers and the training they require…I just don’t know how I haven’t broken down yet.

Now however, it seemed a rash thing to do. It’s not as if I don’t want to go, but more like I’ve come to a realization –or a few- that has helped lessen the pressure. I’m remembering that I have friends alive here…but then I have family alive in the Hall and it would be so nice to return home. I’m not sure what to do. I can’t take back my request. Hopefully they will deny me.

I met K’rel today…for the first time really since the flight. I delivered some food to him and we had a long talk in his weyr. It wasn’t so bad. He still sets me on edge something fierce, though I think now that it’s more my fault than his.

I really wish I weren’t such a wherry-head like Liliath calls me. Under other circumstances it’s possible, even probably, we would have been friends. I’m not sure how we would have met or what other things we could have bonded over, ideally in a less literal manner, but we could have gotten along together very well if it weren’t for the flight.

I’m still not sure how I feel about that. My emotions are getting mixed with Liliath’s again. She is very happy over Siventh and I…I’m just terribly glad that it was not a bluerider. It is not as bad as I thought it would be, I’m slowly dealing with it. He’s not a monster or a legend, he’s just a simple brownrider. Liliath really likes this brown, and I don’t even know if I am beginning to like him simply because of her or if it’s truly me.

Did no one tell me a dragon’s emotions and my own would be so hard to untangle?

Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:36 am

T'bell and K'rel - Beach Meeting and Weyr Leaving?

"Siv...C'mon, Siventh.." No reply. It had been well over a week since the brown had spoken to his rider, and today was no acception. Out on his ledge with his back to his rider, Siventh simply blocked out the man's voice, entertaining himself instead with his view of the Weyr, which was altogether rather boring. Ignoring his rider was so tedious...but K'rel was starting to crack.

The brownrider in question, honestly, was seriously considering dropping his reclusive habits forever if the brown didn't speak soon. It was one thing to live and speak only with one's dragon; both halves knew each other completely, and the unconditional love between them was better than any other relationship K'rel had known. But with Siv silent, even that was gone, and the weyr became more of a lonely cave than the home it had always been.

(Of course, the flitts helped a little. At present, all four were splashing around in the bathroom, Calt eagerly exploiting his 'eldest' position for the short time he had until the others were bigger than him.)

K'rel frowned up at his brown, waiting for a moment longer just in case...then just sighed and returned to the weyr and his couch within, flopping lazily onto it. Minutes passed where the only sound was that of the flits' conversations in their 'pool', but the rider soon gave in, mumbling over to his dragon. "Where are they, then?"

A big green lump broke the water about ten feet from shore. For all the world it looked as if a giant rock had suddenly appeared, and the waves splashed against it just like the surrounding protrusions. The rest of the dragon was below the water, conducting an observation of the local aquatic wildlife.

"You'll never catch one like that, you know." T'bell mumbled out loud. He'd witnessed her attempts at 'fishing' moment before. With a snicker at the bubbles that rose from a snort (one he heard more in his head than with his ears) he turned back to the little blue flitt who was searching a tide pool near his feet. Flute passed over him, casting a shadow over his legs as she winged to land on a small pile of driftwood gathered by the greenrider.

I knew you would give in, Siventh smirked as his rider mounted, tail twitching smugly. The rider ignored him, and the brown gave a bugle of triumph, kicking off the ledge and starting into the sky. Instantly four flitts appeared around them, tiny ice shards evidence that they had come straight from their bath. As one, the group went between.

Only to reappear over the beach, the sight of which sent the flitts into fits. The four down for the water as Siventh let out another bugle, this one of greeting to the green 'rock' and her bond. With lazy wing beats he started towards the shore, but soon changed his mind and whipped out towards the green, smirking as well as a dragon could. Hang on.

"Siventh, bring me to the--" Both rider and dragon disappeared beneath the waves, K'rel popping up moments later amid the waves the followed. Loudly cursing his dragon, he waited until the waters settled and started his swim back to shore, 'helped' along by Calt, who fluttered near his head. The brown dragon, meanwhile, approached Liliath beneath the waves, smugly surfacing beside her.

At the brown's bugle Liliath head came up from the water, her extra eyelid opening as she shook the droplets off her face. Flue let out a screech of surprise and clamoured off the driftwood, while Zephyr practically bowled T'bell over. "What in-!" He spotted the brown only moments before both dragon and rider splashed into the sea. Liliath had the foresight to duck her head back under, and she resurfaced (just to the eyes) to peer haughtily at the brown when he came up beside her.

You scared off all the fish. She scolded as she watched the brownrider swim to shore, but bumped her head against Siventh's shoulder. What took you so long?

For his part, T'bell was on his feet by the shoreline and awaiting K'rels arrival. His shirt and riding gear were draped over a log further up on shore, and his wet breaches and damp hair was a sign he'd been in the water previously. The blue in his arms only cooed and chittered angrily at the brown for causing such a ruckus. "Graceful landing!"

They were too small anyway, the brown cheerfully assured her, sidling up alongside her with an affectionate nuzzle. He spared a glance back towards his rider, rumbling in annoyance. He would not come. I had to...talk him into it.

The water shallowed, and K'rel gladly gave up swimming in favor of wading, absently swatting the blue flitt away from his head. He struggled out of his shirt and wrung it out as he continued towards the beach, glancing up only when he heard T'bell's call. Cracking a smile, he slung the bunched-up shirt over one shoulder and allowed Calt to land atop that, pausing in the shallows with a helpless shrug. "Wasn't it, though? That's the skill that got him Wingsecond."

Talk? I was not aware he knew the practice. She rumbled laughter and stuck her head back under the water.

"And here I thought it was his charming personality." The greenrider snickered and shifted Zephyr obligingly so the flitt could peer at Calt, deem him recognizable, and trill a greeting. "How are you?" His query was interrupted by Flute darting past him to chitter angrily at Calt, puffing her small gold chest up regally and scolding him for letting his two-legger and giant scare her. "Flute!"

He is learning. He replied with a rumble of his own, then mimicked her motion, first lids closing as he ducked beneath the surface. You were fishing?

He chuckled softly, relaxing as Calt returned the other blue's greeting, eyes following the flitts' trilled conversation for a moment before rising back to T'bell. However, before he could reply, the gold was in his face and Calt was furiously burrowing into his hair, attempting to hide from the angry queen and successfully scratching up the back of K'rel's neck in the process. The brownrider hissed through is teeth, more in annoyance than pain, and reached back with one hand, attempting to pry the blue off him. meanwhile, he nodded politely to the gold, hoping to calm her somewhat. "I'm very sorry that Siv and I bother you. Calt tried to stop us, but we just wouldn't listen. It shall never happen again, promise?"

I was watching the fish. Bigger ones are further out. She blinked her lidded eyes at him and gestured to a tenacled crature with her snout. They are interesting.

Flute seemed appeased and chirped imperiously at him before she was snatched out of the air by her impressed. "Flute! Behave yourself!" The golds response was to screech and disappear, reappearing high above to glare at the others below. T'bell sighed and lifted Zephyr to his shoulder ot free his hands. "Sorry, did you get badly scratched?"

They are quick, Siv countered, eyes following a small school past his head. But most are boring. They are only fish.

Breathing a sigh of relief, K'rel dragged the blue from behind him and set about calming the small flitt, lightly stroking along Calt's back until the blue relaxed to enjoy the attention, the gold's anger already forgotten. With a smile, K'rel looked up once more, pausing in petting and reaching back to lightly trace over a few of the large scratches. "I don't think so. They'll heal quickly, I'm sure. No worries."

What do you find more interesting? The green asked curiously, eyeing the school.

T'bell gave a small frown, leaning around him to see. "I have some numbweed in my pack if you want. I'm sorry about her..." His eyes flicked upwards to the circling gold. "She gets as snooty as a queen dragon sometimes, despite her size."

Birds, for one. He shrugged absently, turning an eye towards the green. Anything can swim, few can fly as we do. And birds can talk. Fish cannot.

"Really, it's fine." K'rel chuckled softly, hand returning to stroking Calt's back at a chirp from the blue. "It's not bad. And it gives me something to complain to Siv about." He grinned. "Teach him a lesson for dropping in so suddenly.

Not everything can swim forever. She answered, I can already fly, but I could not live down here.

"If you're sure." He frowned a bit as he backed up. Zeph's head stretched out to where it had been before his impressed moved, and he continued peering at Calt, cooing softly. "Anyway, as I was saying before we were interrupted, how have you been?"

I could, Siventh countered with a smug rumble, eyes nearly crossing as they focused on a particularly colorful fish. As the shipfish do. They cannot breathe beneath the waves, yet they survive. I am sure I could do the same.

K'rel smiled reassuringly, any words interupted by a cheerful trill from Calt, who, now that the gold was gone, was soaking up all the attention he could get. Once the blue quieted to a soft croon, the brownrider chuckled softly, grinning. "In all honesty? Bored out of my mind, despite being busy with the new flitts. Today was the first Siv's spoken to me in over a week, so life's been...quieter than ever. But what about you? It's been..a while."

You're more the size of a ship than a fish. She nudged him with her nose and the little fish swam off, You are too big. Her tone was amused, teasing.

His mouth opened to answer but the words died on hid tongue, "New flitts?" green eyes widened in excitement, and he peered around. "Your brood hatched? What'd you get?"

I could do it, he repeated, eyes refocusing. He cocked his head towards her, flashing his own rendition of a dragonic grin. But I would not. Water is nice, but not all of the time.

"Oh, aye!" Turning, he gestured further down the beach to the trio splashing in the shallows. "They're not as..er...protective as Calt just yet, thankfully. A bronze, a brown and a green. Odd how that worked out."

Yes it is. She flicked her tail, splashing what part of him was above the water, and proceeded to terrify the marine life by paddling farther out.

T'bells eyes followed his gesturing. They then flicked up to Flute, who was circling above the trio, inspecting them. "I told you they'd hatch. Don't you feel silly for being so worried?" He grinned and plopped down in the sand. "What did you call them? And how does Calt feel about them...and Siv."

K’rel opened his mouth to answer but Liliath cut him off. Mine, we must return to the weyr. She sent it with a sense of urgency, and T’bell looked over to find his green’s head bobbing closer to the shore. He gave an apologetic look to the browndrider.

“I’m sorry, we have to get back. I’ll meet them another time.” He waved quickly and took off down the beach for his things. A moment later he was aboard a very wet dragon and the cold of between had nearly frozen him to her hide. “What is this about?” His teeth chattered as they circled over top of Rias Weyr. Liliath had come in lower than usual and he hoped no one had seen. She was winging to the Weyrwoman’s rooms.

We have been reassigned to Harper Hall. Liliath answered. Like you asked.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:28 am

T'bell

I am writing this from the Harper Hall, where I've just finished unpacking. To say my mother was happy to see me would be an understatement. I'm still not used to being seen as 'heroic' by the younger ones, but I remember too well what it's like to be on their side. It would be nice if one of them could be a dragonrider some day like I ended up.

I am...confused. Of course that really isn't all too new to me. Liliath has made it known that she is disappointed with the lack of dragons here. I've told her some will come and go, and there is a fine other green that does watch here, but doesn't interact with the Hall too much. Rider's choice, I can't fault her for it.

Of course, I'm using up ink in the offchance hope that I will run out of it before I have to talk of the things that really bother me. I have a full well though.

I don't exactly know how to go about letting others know I've left. Right now I'm ashamed to say I'm embarrased. I've run off like a hatchling. No doubt the time here will do me good...but I've already asked Liliath not to bespeak anyone at the Weyr unless there is an emergency or she is giving her regular reports. I think I need to disconnect from my life there, if only briefly, so that I can figure out how I feel about everything. With the sickness and J'kin and Fenith and then everyone else on top of it all...I just haven't had time to process anything. I think I've grown more in these past four years than I have in my entire life.

Funny that I'm acting like a hatchling then, isn't it?

I am unpacked here, but I will fly out to fetch Imirin and the whers. I hope their transport goes well. Imirin is eager to be in the North, I don't think he's travelled this far. He has no wagon, I think he is looking at the timber here to build one. I don't fancy carrying that back, though I suppose I can run errends for him.

Maybe I will send K'rel a letter when I find the courage. It will be short. I'm disappointed in leaving so soon after I met him. Maybe after I calm down here -if I calm down here- I will be able to talk to him without fumbling all over myself like a Holder's girl.

I feel bad for leaving Lemurrin without notice, perhaps I will send him one too. I have no doubt he will be busy though.

~T'bell

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:30 am

T'bell

"Get off me."
chirp.
"Get off of me."
chirp.
"Get off of me."
chirp!

Imirin took a swipe at the gold thing perched on his head and cursed when he felt little claws sink into his scalp. "T'bell! Your wretched little parrot won't leave. Me. ALONE!"

The greenrider cringed and whistled for Flute. She squawked in response and pulled at Imirin's red hair before using his head as a launch pad and taking off into the trees. "She's not so bad. It's just because you don't like her."

"So it doesn't like me because I don't like it?" He swore and poked at the food in the fire. "Sounds like a woman's logic."

"Well she is a woman, not an 'it'. She's gold, Imirin. They're the same as dragons with their colours." He sighed and leaned back against the tree log behind him. He could hear the whers snuffing about at the line of forest far behind him. "They're little dragons."

The trader snorted and waved his fire stick at the dragonrider, "And twice as useless- Ow!" He glared at the green lump to his left.

Liliath didn't even open an eye, but she curled her tail back around herself and bespoke her rider. He forgets I am bigger than him, I can hear him, and that I will eat his herdbeasts.

T'bell shook his head. "She can understand you, you know that Imirin. You're in a foul mood."

"Of course I'm in a foul mood." He rubbed his head where the dragon tail had smacked against it. "Nothing but five of them for company and you, and you're half one of them." He kicked a rock at T'bell. It rolled to the dragonrider's boot. "I didn't have much of a choice in this bargain."

"You haven't had much choice lately." T'bell sighed.

Imirin's mismatched eyes glinted in the firelight, "No, but I've been playing nice." He nearly hissed, "Don't be thinkin' I'm happy with my lot right now, rider."

T'bell rolled his eyes and kicked the rock back. "You're not the only one Imirin. More people than you had their lives turned over."

"See you've got a mouth on you outside the Weyr, don't you?" The trader smirked and crossed his legs. He picked up the rock and tossed it in the air a few times. "Between the flights and all the action you've been getting-" Whastever he was going to say was cut off by both a gold and green head staring him down. Tabesk had appeared at his back, and Liliath's large head snaked around to look him in the eye, her own orange with anger.

You speak too much. She sent with distaste for touching his mind.

He jerked back from the pair of them and his quick eyes found Tasks' pale form at T'bells back and Flute upon Liliath's head. "Call them off, T'bell."

"Lili, Tabesk..." T'bell said with a sigh. His teeth were clenched but the firelight wasn't bright enough to show his blush. Liliath removed herself from Imirin's prescense, Tabesk hissed at him.

Imirin hissed back and crossed his arms. "Go on. I don't taste good anyway."

"He's right Tabesk," T'bell stuck in before his wher could eat the Master trader. He made the sound for 'calm'. Tabesk mumbled as she stalked off. "I didn't call them on." He pointed out after a moment of silence passed.

Imirin grunted and fished the stew from the fire. Silence passed for longer while they ate before the trader's accented voice spoke up again. "You're right. I'm in a foul mood. I shouldn't have mentioned the flight." He griten it out through his teeth and spoke more to his bowl than T'bell.

The greenrider let the silence go on for a few more moments. "I can understand how you feel a bit. I know you're not with your people and how unsettling that could be for you. I donn't know why you don't like dragons or their cousins, but with all of them around you, and having been stuck in a Weyr of all places, can't have helped either." He sighed, "But cheer up because you're leaving. Try not to take it out on me when I'm leaving for similar reasons too."

"They're your people."

"True, but my people of all the dragonriders have pretty much disappeared." He bit his cheek before he continued, "So I can be feeling alone too, Imirin. It's not only you. Even with Liliath and the other riders, I can feel alone too."

"True." The trader sighed in frustration.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:32 am

T'bell to K'rel

I've been assigned to Harper Hall for a long period of time. Best wishes.

~T'bell

Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:35 am

T'bell

The sun was beginning to set and the golden light slanted in through the windows and brightened small triangles of the floor. A pair of people sat at otherwise empty tables, one a woman with curly greying hair that had once matched the rich black of her companion. The young man that sat across from her had his curly mass braided as best it could manage, but hers hung in ringlets down her back. Her face had the strong lines of someone who had been a beauty once, and though wrinkles had appeared her green eyes were still sharp and matched her sons'.

Shoulder knots on the boy showed his status as a green wingrider from Rias Weyr, a long way south from the northern Harper Hall. The woman was a Master Craftswoman from the Hall itself. Smile on her lips, she reached out a hand to the miniature goden dragon that sat between them.

"She's a fine specimen Tabellan -or is it strictly T'bell even now?" T'bell saw her eyes flick up to him as she stroked the complacent Flute, who was always hppy enough to hold still for admiration.

"Whatever you like." T'bell smiled as he untangled the smaller blue flit from around his neck and placed him on the table beside his gold sister. Zephyr hunkered down in the open space but calmed when T'bell kept a protective hand on his back.

Merida smiled and held out her other hand to the little blue. "In private then, otherwise my son is a dragonrider." She favoured him with a bemused smile. "You should favour your sisters with a visit while you're here." At his nod she continued, "Where will your watchwhers be staying?" T'bells' sheepish look made her frown at him even as she petted the blue. "You're not staying with them, areyou? I'm not surethey'd be comfortable in the Hall." Meaning that she wasn't sure they wouldn't eat a curious hand.

T'bell knew she meant as much and ducked his head, "I thought I'd sleep up with the watch, where I'm supposed to be. They're mostly awake at night so I'll take the time to train them then as well." He laughed as Zephyr made Merida's frown disappear when he wrapped his little claws around her finger to get a goodb sniff.

"I suppose it's protocol, isn't it?" She tapped the little blue on the nose and laughed as he blinked more than his first pair of eyelids at her. "He's an odd one, isnt he?"

"As far as I can tell." he shrugged, "He come out that way, and I swear I haven't dropped him." Zephyr looked at him, knowing he was being talked about, and crawled back over to sit on his shoulder, rather than curled around his neck. At least from this vantage point her could peer about this new place.

"She was from the same clutch?" Merida asked, still rubbing the gold's slim nose.

Another shurg, "As faar as I know." He petted the blue with a smile, "He's strange, but he's not so bad. I've gotten used to the weight, and he's no trouble."

Merida tilted her head at him with a bemused expression. "You were forever searching for them, you and Jakin. I'm glad you finally got yours." T'bells' fac took on the typical clouded expression when his friends' name was mentioned and she reached out to pat his shoulder. "It takes time."

He mumbled a respoonse and sighed. "It's nice being back, even for all the memories."

"This was a nicer time in your life." She watched Flute take off to explore the rafters and rested her chin on her hand, "Liliath was a wonderful thing to happen to you, but everything to follow..." She sighed, "It's no secret how you felt about him. It's supposed to take time T'bell." She frowned, "If I didn't know better I'd curse the Weyr for keeping you working so hard." She rose a long-fingered hand to stave off his protests, "I said if I didn't know better. A mother's priorties are rather selfish."

Her son snorted and leaned forward on the table. "I know, I'll forgive it. I need the time though..."

She touched his face and he smiled. "You are too empathic, it's because youre a Harper." She flicked his nose lightly, "But you're not as good as you used to be. You're very off-balance right now T'bell. A mother can tell, but I'm nearly positive anyone who knew you before the plague could point out as much as well."

"They're all Harpers, they're suppposed to." He pointed out, and earned another flick that made him wrinkle his nose.

"Don't be smart." She smiled, "Have a wander around. Dinner will be out soon." The sounds and smell from the kitchen showed as much. "But you'll have a bit of time with the halls empty." She sighed and pushed herself from the table, "I have to look after children other than you. I'll come up to see you and my other child after dinner."

"Yes mother." He said with a smile. Liliath was amused that she had been adopted despite that she was not a two-legger, and she sent as much to him. He pushed himself up and embraced her before she left. "It's nice to be back."

She laughed as he let her go, "Oh you'll be put to work soon enough. We'll fix you." She ruffled his bangs and pushed him off in the other direction.

A portly women stuck her head from the kitchen and wved her spoon at him, "And don't think I've forgotten you! You may be a dragonrider but there will be no appropriating food for your own purposes."

Merida laughed as she walked away, her blue skirt flowing around her ankles. T'bell ducked and held up his hands in a gesture of defeat, "I hear your warning! Heard and understood!"

"Play innocent..." She mumbled and disappeared. T'bell shook his head and obediently steered himself out of the kitchen.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:37 am

T'bell and K'rel - Return from the Hall Part 01

T'bell let out a groan and flopped down on his bed. It was bare of anything but the cushy part but regardless it was somewhere softer than the floor. His things were piled against the wall in what was really a skeletal version of his room. It was with mixed feelings that he returned, and he did not envy unpacking. Imirin for his part was being his typical sour self due to the trip and his proximity to dragon-kind. He groaned and rolled over to find Liliath staring at him with whirling eyes.

She blinked slowly and huffed. We are back.

"We are." He pushed himself up and grumbled something. "I would rather in the morning."

I would rather now. She felt impatient with him and her eyes whirled blue and green.

He rubbed a hand over his face and nearly pouted at her. "Well fine then. Do what you want, go ahead. You can't help unpack anyway." He waved her off with a hand and looked at his flitts, a ball of blue and gold on one of his packs. The whers had run to their room.

Liliath grunted and stuck her head into the night air of the bowl without taking off before bespeaking Siventh. Hello... She'd wait for T'bell to figure out the draconic happenings in his absence on his own. Telling him more than ‘the hatching went well’ would ruin th surprise for him.

***

Turnover was soon, Threadfall was soon; K'rel was fairly drained. Days were long and filled with preparations for both events, which, for the most part, suited the Wingsecond just fine. It meant he could keep busy, which mean he didn't have to think. It also meant that he didn't have time to socialize even if he had wanted to, so Siventh couldn't pester him on the subject.

The brownrider had long since sunk back into his old routine of things, spending time around the other riders only when courtesy absolutely demanded it of him. What little free time he did have was usually spent on the beach with Siventh and the flitts, where even the occasional meeting was fleeting and left no lasting impression on him. He didn't trust people enough to get attatched anymore.

He was tired and worn, and he was taking a bath before bed, and that was that. If anyone dared interrupt him, it would be their head, and that was that.

Which was why Siventh kept from immediately dragging his rider up and off to Liliath's weyr when the green bespoke him. The brown had been dozing sulkily on his ledge, a quartet of flits curled up between his shoulderblades. However, when the green's words reached him, his head snapped up, whirling green eyes turning in the general direction of Liliath's weyr despite the distance. You have returned?

My rider requested I keep a 'low profile' and not bellow my entrance. She did not sound sarcastic, she loved T'bell even if he confused her at times, We are both back to stay.

T'bell moved with more grumbles to the floor and began untying the leather thongs that kept his belongings from spilling about. First the decorations, and then the small things like his writings. He'd only need to use those late tomorrow. Besides, the flitts were on those packs. He could hear the whers snuffing around in their room and hummed to them. In return he got a variety of grunts and chirps and he chuckled. Their training had progressed well, and soon they'd be more fully awake...but hopefully soon to sleep after the long trip.

T'bell's reasoning behind the instructions was lost to Siventh as well, but he did not say so. Where have you been? My rider told me yours had left a note, but he did not say what was in the note. /The green eyes dimmed, and Siv relaxed to rest his head on his forelegs. We were worried. Would your rider be upset if I came to your weyr?

Harper Hall. She looked around her weyr and snorted, I fear you would not fit comfortably, unless you have shrunk. She sounded disappointed. He is grumbling over his balls of things, but not over anything else. He is...better now.

We would have come to visit, if we had had word. He risked a glance back towards the bathroom, then scooted over a bit on his ledge, ignoring the squawked complaints from the firelizards. You could come here? he invited, sounding hopeful. If he is 'better', he could speak with Mine without being afraid.

He will be akward. He is always akward. Like an upside-down wherry. She was amused and a coy tone followed, I would visit you.

To T'bell she sent, I go.

T'bell nodded. "Have fun, love." He muttered absently, somewhat entangled in furs.

She cooed at him in a mothering way and took off easily from the ledge. Her wings protested slightly, she had been flying long days rather than her usual quick bursts, but it would not bother her for long. With whirling blue eyes she circled once and then spotted Siventh's weyr

After nearly a turn at the Harper Hall, I would hope he had learned to speak like one, Siventh teased, lifting his head to follow her progress as she flew across the Weyr to alight beside him on the ledge. With the green's arrival, the half-awake flitts were up in an instant, chittering a deafening chorus of enthusiastic greetings before vanishing between as Siventh sent them away.

A split second later, the same obnoxious chittering could be heard from the bathroom, though there was a slightly peeved tone to the sound, especially the higher pitched shrieks of the little green. K'rel cursed through his teeth as his bath was interrupted, waving the flitts away from his head and bidding them sit at the edge of the bath before reaching for a towel. ‘Thanks Siv, I needed that.’

Liliath is visiting us, the brown quipped in reply, ignoring the sarcasm in his rider's voice.

Immediately K'rel lost interest in the firelizards, falling still for a briefly moment before snatching up his towel and climbing out of the bath to dry off. "You lot, swim." he instructed the group, all of whom took up the offer without complaint and dove into the recently vacated bath to play until they wore themselves out again.

He is a fine speaker. Liliath defended her rider as she landed lightly. Ever the green, she paused with her wings outstretched to show off before she curled them neatly to her body. But he is shy. Her green head ducked and she blinked slowly at him, looking him over like a herdbeast. No, you have not shrunk.

Well at least the fur was hung on the wall. Its charcoal fur broke up the monotony of the stone. There was more of a bed to his bed with the other furs draped across it, and he was eyeing it appraisingly. No, he would not sleep yet, He'd only be busy tomorrow. With a sigh he used his foot to push his trunk to the end of the bed, at least it involved less work, since all of his clothing was already inside. He bit his lip as his fingers worked over one of the ties on the bundle that held his spare riding gear. How would he face people?

He had the same sinking feeling he remembered from after the flight with K’rel. The thought of the gossip had nearly imprisoned him by his own choice. This time it was the thought of the hurt he may have caused at leaving, and the wonder of the multitudes he’d missed. The second flight, the hatching, the new candidates. He sighed and resolved to go out despite his worries. He’d only miss out on much more if he stayed in his weyr all day tomorrow.

The opposite of my rider, Siventh drawled, turning his head to admire the green, and not only for the landing. K'rel is not shy once he is...forced to speak. I meant no offense, he added reassuringly, but huffed indignantly at her words. I most certainly have not.

Quickly drying off, K'rel escaped the splashes of the bathroom for the safety of the curtained bedroom of his weyr, where he discarded the towel on the bed and lazily redressed. If he focused he could hear Siventh chatting with the green despite the brown's efforts to conceal the conversation. So he hadn't been lying. They were really back. K'rel reached for his boots, changed his mind, and, after quickly binding his hair out of his face, flopped back on the furs. If T'bell had wanted him to know, he would have alerted him--through Liliath and Siventh, yes, but no message had come from either except that Liliath was in the weyr. So K'rel wouldn't worry about it.

You could have been smaller than I remembered. Dragons have terrible memories. She stretched her neck out to him and rumbled low in her throat, You may fit, you did before, but it would be a tight fit. She looked over as K'rel exited his bath and watched him briefly. Mine has much to unpack. If you wish to visit my weyr he will need to finish with it first. She arched her neck and nudged Siventh's cheek. I have not had much dragon company, I am tired of two-leggers. She a teasing tone coloured her ‘voice’ and she flicked her tale at K'rel by way of hint.

You are making excuses for having forgotten me. There was a pout in Siventh's voice, but it brightened somewhat as he stretched his neck over hers, extending a wing to draw her against his side. He cocked his head slightly to follow her gaze towards his rider, but quickly lost interest. We shall stay here. I would rather not be squished against the walls of your weyr. Mine, he added, directing his words towards his rider, You should help him unpack.

"I'm sure T'bell has enough on his mind without me barging in on top of things," K'rel replied from where he lay, not bothering to look up. "And probably wouldn't appreciate the flitts following me there."

My, he is grumpy. He is no match for the trader. T'bell has only had him and the little ones to talk to. A picture of a sour-looking redhead and the flitts and whers accompanied her words. Yours is not bad company. She happily settled against Siventh’s large brown side and stretched out in the space the dragon's weyr provided. You have seen my weyr. It is not big, but it is nice. She dragon-grinned at him and sent quietly, more like a mumble, If I knew you did not shrink I must have remembered you.

K'rel snorted, half amused by the green's words but reluctant to agree, and rolled onto his side, tugging down a pillow from the head of the bed.

He is grumpy, Siventh agreed good naturedly, eyes whirling blue-green. I will see your weyr again some day, but not today. Today mine is more comfortable, however nice yours may be. That settled the matter, as far as Siv was concerned. He was comfortable, there was plenty of space for both, and he was more interested in the green than the green's surroundings. They would stay in his weyr. He rumbled a laugh, gracing her with a nuzzle before bespeaking his rider once more. I shall send the little ones to aid him, if you will not.

"Siventh don't you--" But the sounds from the bathroom had vanished, and K'rel cursed, tossing the pillow away from himself and reluctantly sitting up. "Shards Siventh, they'll destroy his weyr." The brown rumbled brightly in agreement.

Meanwhile, four flits appeared in unison over the piles of bundles in T'bell's weyr, directed to the young man by an image from Siventh. All immediately made themselves at home, chittering and trilling amongst themselves as they dove to inspect the packages.

No, today you will not fit. Today I am comfortable. Her eyes whirled blue with amusement as she watched the scene unfold. Perhaps browns were not as dull as some thought. They had better not ruin the weyr too much however.

T'bell looked up in shock as flitts appeared from between. A too-close wing that skimmed the side of his head and he ducked to avoid it. Flute was awake in a moment and squawked in indignation at the entrance of the uninvited flock. With a pair of orange eyes she scrambled away from the shocked Zephyr and rose herself to her full height, stretched out her wings, and trilled loudly at the intruders. Her demands were practiced now, with the gaggle of firelizards she had joined in the Hall that had looked to her for guidance. That was her hall. This was her room. She was the queen and she would not be disobeyed.

T'bell rolled his eyes and scooped up Zephyr before the long-tailed flitt could scramble under the wrappings of the bundle he had napped on top of. The little blue was still rather timid with surprises and buried his nose in the crook of his rider’s arm. "And I wonder whose you would be." T’bell mused as he tried to get a solid look at the new flits. The idea his weyr had been taken over by flitts in his absence didn't surprise him but it would pose problems if they would not leave.

A grunt from the wher's direction made him chirp reassurances to them. The pair were somewhere between grumpy and curious. The intrusion came as an irritation to them and their eyes too whirled in the dim light of the glows as they exited their room. “It’s fine, they’re visiters.”

"Call them back, Siv," K'rel demanded, though he was already pulling on his boots. As he had expected, the brown was either pretending not to hear, or had simply chosen to disobey, and no flits returned to the weyr. Hair still dripping from his recent bath, K'rel stormed from the weyr, attempting to remember how exactly to get to T'bell's and rescue him from the flitt attack. He was quite sure Siventh wasn't about to move to bring him.

Of the flitts, only the little green took any heed whatsoever at the gold's call, and then only to retort with a furious squawk of her own. Abandoning the bundles, Grel swooped towards the larger gold to chitter angrily at Flute for daring to command her wing.

Calt was on her tail in a moment, but, rather than heading for the gold, he swooped towards T'bell, recognizing both the young man and the shy little blue--who was actually his target. Without so much as a by-your-leave, Calt alighted on T'bell's shoulder, greeting him with a chirp before peeking down to trill curiously at Zephyr.

Flute matched her squawk with a oud and high pitched series of notes -likely picked up from the Hall- and took off quickly to dart at the insubordinate little green with a warning hiss. It may be the green's wing, but not only was she a green not nearly as big as Liliath, this was the gold's territory.

Zephyr hunkered in T'bell's lap and looked up curiously at Calt when he landed. T'bell took a moment to recognize the blue but his memory was fuzzy and he seemed to have grown. "Are you K'rel's lttle one?" He asked quietly, then shuddered as a particularly shrill sound came from Flute. It making his ears ring. "Flute..." He groaned and carefully stood with the two flitts on him to see if he could calm her down.

Tabesk stomped out of her room with a brrrrrk sound and stretched her neck up toward the flitts, letting out a mighty hiss in counterpoint to Flute's displays of dominance. Another gold. Task simply watched from the doorway, too many golds for him to wander over. When the women argued he knew to stay away.

Grel made her best attempt at matching Flute's vocal assault, which ended in a rather off-pitch screech, but it was enough to have the grating effect she was undoubtedly hoping for. However, when the gold took off after her, the little green took up a retreat without hesitating, shrieking in terror as she darted about the weyr before vanishing between--to reappear inches above K'rel’s shoulder and twine her tail about his neck, fussing about the evil gold's attack.

The brown and bronze were unmoved by both golds, flitt and wher. Indeed, neither had taken any notice at the green's retreat, and were chirping curiously back and forth as they freely inspected T'bell's belongings. Calt considered himself safe only because he was on T'bell's shoulder, and made a point of looping his tail about the greenrider's neck to show as much, cocking his head to eye T'bell approvingly for a moment before lifting his gaze to follow the irate gold.

T'bell hunched his shoulders at Grel's answer to Flute and sighed in relief when the little flitt disappeared. He helped Zephyr to his other shoulder when the blue attempted to crawl up, and then reached out a hand to Tabesk with his chirp for 'calm'. She snorted and shoved her nose into his hand, tail thrashing behind her. The light, however dim, was making her even more edgy. With a light push from her Impressed she grumbled at the remaining flitts and stalked back to her room.

A moment later Task's pale form slunk out with whirling eyes and the wher went to the ledge of Liliath's weyr to escape his companions’ temper.

T'bell snickered and ducked his head as Zephyr tried to half climb onto it and half behind it to investigate Calt. He sat back down against the bed trying not to jostle the flitts and sent calming pictures to Flute as he tugged over one of the packs that was facing an inspection. It contained rather fragile items that he'd rather they not get broken. For her part, Flute alighted on a shelf and hunkered down to watch the remaining pair of boys. They didn't seem to be trouble and she would let them be. For now. Barring any annoyances.

The return of Grel's fussing signaled K'rel's arrival, and the moment the brownrider stepped into the weyr the little green redoubled her complaints, alternately shrilling harshly across the room at Flute and crooning pitifully to her bond, all the while anxiously racing back and forth across his shoulders. Over the green's noise, Calt rose on haunches to chirp a welcome, then lost interest in favor of trilling the same hello to Zephyr. The brown and bronze were none so quiet now that their bond had arrived, and immediately took flight to fly circles around K'rel, unable to land for the green stalking his shoulders but intent on leading the brownrider to the bundles they had found.

The noise was horrible, K'rel's temper was already frayed, and his patience did not last long. He pulled the green off of his shoulder, attempting to pin her against his chest with one hand while waving away the brown and bronze with enough, then gave up entirely and simply dropped her, bellowing, "QUIET."

Instantly the flits fell silent, and without skipping a beat K'rel jabbed a finger towards the ledge, at which the brown and bronze immediately darted out. The green uttered a soft whine, but at a glare from K'rel followed the pair, most likely back to their own weyr. The brownrider took a deep breath, then risked a glance around the weyr for his blue, frown deepening slightly when he picked out the flitt on T'bell's shoulder.
"Calt." The word was an order, and the blue knew better than to disobey. However, he merely cocked his head towards the ledge before deciding that he would risk K'rel's wrath a bit further and abandoned T'bell's shoulder in favor of his bond's. Grel's anxious pacing had done a wonder on K'rel's shoulders, shredding the shirt a good deal and likely doing the same to the skin below, but he only flinched briefly when the blue settled beside his head.

However, as the blue had undoubtably hoped, K'rel did not send him away, more concerned for the moment with the awkward situation he now found himself in. The noise finally past, K'rel let himself relax a touch, greeting T'bell with a nod but otherwise remaining silent for the present. He was half tempted to leave, but felt he owed T'bell an apology for the flitts' attack, at the very least. "Sorry," he finally offered, gesturing weakly towards the ledge--and, in doing so, his own weyr. "Siv sent them to...help unpack."

Flute did not take well to Grel's re-entering her weyr, and responded in kind with her high-pitched trills and screams, flapping her wings from where she perched on the shelf.

T'bell nodded quietly back to him -but no, behind him. At the brownrider's raised voice both whers had come from their den to crouch in a menacing attack pose. T’bell made an odd sound, somewhere between a whistle and a mumble and the whers looked from their prey to their owner, and back. The pale brown was the first to drop to his stomach, wary eyes still on the rider, but the gold remained in her position and gave a pointed 'Rrrul', the noise for 'stranger'. T'bell repeated his noise and the gold sat, her whirling eyes still focused on K'rel with a predatory glint. "Come over here, please. Slowly." T'bell said quietly to K'rel and nodded towards the bed as he simultaneously fished a blue flitt from his shirt (where the poor Zephyr had fled) and kept the mildly distracted look of someone talking to their impressed. Task, the brown, was quicker to quiet only on the surface. Underneath his temper still boiled, but Tabesk's overt temper had always kept him more reserved. Right now the queen was making enough of a scene for the both of them. Tabesk hissed and made the sound for 'stranger' again and T'bell shook his head, once more repeating the sound he'd made before. She looked at the brownrider again and heaved a large sigh.

The defensive behavior of the two whers was enough to unnerve K'rel, especially when the gold seemed determined not to listen to T'bell's insistance that he wasn't dangerous. The brownrider's unease in turn rattled Calt, who flared his wings, eyes whirling an anxious yellow-orange as he hissed a quiet warning towards the whers. K'rel quickly shushed him, taking a small step towards T'bell without removing his eyes from the whers, but paused almost immediately, whispering, "They won't get more defensive if I come towards you? Seems like the last thing I should do right now."

"No, standing in the middle of my weyr acting uncomfortable would go against me calling you a friend." T'bell said levelly, his eyes flicking between K'rel and Tabesk. He smiled a somewhat encouraging smile. "Come and sit down, try to relax. She won't attack unless I give her word or sign...not without good reason." He placed Zephyr firmly in his lap. The blue's eyes whirled and he scooted as far between T'bells' legs as he could go. Things were far too loud and exciting, and he was napping when it had all started!

He nodded slightly, but said nothing, instead forcing a smile for the whers' benefit and slowly walking over to the bed and sinking down to sit beside T'bell. Only once he was seated did he really consider himself safe in the least, but he did his best to pretend he wasn't concerned with the whers, turning his attention instead to calming Calt and convincing the pair that he was actually a friend. Plucking the blue from his shoulder, he set Calt on his lap, stroking the little flitt's back to reassure him and keeping careful watch on Tabesk and Task out of the corner of his eye.

Tabesk let a quiet mumble escape from her lips and stalked over to T'bell, her head low. She went straight for him, deeming the brownrider not worthy of her time unless he was to make himself lunch. When she stuck her head out T'bell rubbed her eyeridges and patted her neck. She relaxed marginally and looked over her Impressed's shoulder at K'rel, then sauntered back into her mini-weyr. If she had to come out again she’d be very annoyed. Task stayed where he was, but offered a 'mrrt' in reply to T'bells' silent questioning.

The greenrider sighed, then turned an apologetic and rueful smile to K'rel. "I'm sorry, they're in a mood from traveling. The run was good for them, but Imirin's temper can be hard on anybody. He's a match for Tabesk when she's in full rage."

K'rel breathed a sigh of relief once the gold departed, though he continued nervously petting the little blue until he was sure Task was staying out of curiosity and not malice. Calt recovered from the scare much more quickly than his bond did and fled K'rel's lap in favor of T'bell's, hunkering down on one of the greenrider's knees to peer curiously at the cowering Zephyr.

The fact that the greenrider was sure enough of the situation to resume conversation was enough to make K'rel relax completely, and he echoed T'bell's sigh, offering a weak smile in reply but avoiding the greenrider's eyes. "Understandable. I shouldn't be surprised that they've forgotten me, eh? They were still young when you left. They've grown a good deal."

"I'm not sure they ever formally met you." T'bell replied and cast a fond look at the still-visible Task. "You only escaped getting eaten the first time. They’ve grown alright. They're about full size now I think. They really are well trained, they're just on edge on don't remember this place very well, letalone the people." T'bell bounced the knee Calt was on slightly, smiling at the pair of flitts as Zephyr stuck his snout out curiously. He made a sound very much like that of a high-pitched burp at Calt by way of greeting, then crawled over T'bells shoulder up onto the bed and -giving K'rel a wide and suspicious berth- burrowed under the furs so that only his snout was available.

T'bell watched him with amusement. "He gets tired when we go between very much. As a matter of fact only Liliath seems to be any sort of social. I hope she didn't drive you out?" He looked up at K'rel with slight worry.

"Mn, I suppose they didn't," he agreed with a shrug, peering over at Task and offering the brown wher a slight wave in greeting. "Travel wears on everyone. I don't blame them for being cranky." Disregarding Zephyr's behavior, more interested in the much-larger-than-he-remembered wher, K'rel ignored the flitt and shook his head, chuckling weakly. "No, not at all. Siventh sent the flitts here, so I came to rescue you. I didn't think you wanted half of your belongings ruined before you had the chance to unpack. ...Of course," he added, glancing towards T'bell and raising a brow, "I wasn't sure if you were genuinely back, or just dropping by before heading back to the Hall."

Tired and cranky though Zephyr might've been, Calt wasn't about to let him escape without a proper greeting, and promptly followed the other blue. Tucking his head beneath the blanket, he crooned a confused query as to why exactly Zeph was being so standoffish.

"Ah..." He gave another self-conscious grin and dropped his head, apparently he hadn't lost the habit of hiding behind his bangs quite yet. "No, I'm certainly here for as long as the weyrwoman will keep me. I've brought all my things so I don't think I'll be heading back out." He fiddled with one of the packs, silent for a moment. "I've um...well. I'm sorry I rushed out like that." He huffed, more at himself than anything. "I reacted badly to a whole lot of things and I put in a request for some time out before I really had a chance to process anything. I needed time out of the Weyr but I should have been more open about it with people. It likely messed up your wing a bit, with me being gone. Not that I'm a centre point or anything. I should have given you more warning."
Zephyr responded with a tired coo and opened an eye half at Calt, who had surprisingly followed him. Or it would have been surprising if he weren't too tired for surprise. He lifted his wings an inch, opening the blanket-cave up for the other flitt in an offer to join him.

K'rel grunted his acknowledgement of the apology, but didn't immediately reply, instead turning his attention to the two flitts. Calt seemed utterly perplexed by the knowledge that Zephyr would rather sleep than play, but merely uttered a slightly miffed chirp before waddling under the blanket to join the other blue, sulkily curling up a his side. Once the lump in the blanket failed to provide any further entertainment, K'rel reluctantly refocused on the conversation. "I would have appreciated more than that one note. Siv was furious. With me and you both, mind. He sulked for weeks."

T'bell's shoulders hunched and he ducked his head. "I requested to be transferred almost immediately following the flight. I forgot about it afterwards. When it happened...I didn't know how you would react, if at all." He pulled one of the bundles towards him and distractedly began working the knots with his fingers. "I don't know if I was more afraid of you being angry or of you having no reaction. Liliath wasn't pleased with me but she welcomed the change of scenery. I should have let her talk to the Weyr more, but we had work to do, and again...I didn't know how you would take it. I sent that one note...at least you got it." Ok, it had been a brief note explaining his whereabouts, but nothing more. "I just needed some time away. I think I'm the better for it." He bit his lip and tried a more cheerful smile at the sullen brownrider. "Have I missed very much?"

"I got it," he replied shortly, not feeling at all social but unwilling to just up and leave without reason. His mood was fairly spoiled between the antics of the flitts and the defensive attitudes of the whers, he was fairly peeved with T'bell himself for having vanished so long without word, and he was irritated that Siv was already falling all over Liliath again. Not to mention he was already tired, and Threadfall was soon, and the sharding gather was soon, and--. He took a long, deep breath to resettle his thoughts and shook his head. "Life goes on. M'xan's as difficult as ever. Some weyrlings have moved up to riders here and there. Flights, falls, and weyrlife is the same as it has been for turns."

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:49 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Return from the Hall Part 02

"M'xan?" T'bell asked carefully, wracking his mind to place the name to a face. He new the name, yes, but the face and reputation came empty to him. He was annoyed that he couldn’t remember…sounded important. With an eager expression he pushed himself off the ground to sit beside K'rel. He was mindful of the flitts under the covers. Zephyr could be heard snoring lightly somewhere near the edge of the furs. "How did the hatching go? Lil refuses to tell me who impressed."

"The Weyrleader?" He raised a brow, grinning faintly. "You have been out of contact. He was Weyrleader before Ephia became Weyrwoman, then lost to L'cian. But his Enelth caught Ariath during the last flight." His smile grew somewhat at the mention of the Hatching, but he simply shrugged. "Amazing as any hatching. Went off without a hitch. Promising bunch, I think."

"Oh, L'cian..." T'bell frowned, he liked the brownrider that had luckily flown Ariath. He made a note to pay more attention to this M’xan in the future. "I suppose I never got in his way much when Lil and I were younger." He smiled at the news of the hatching. Liliah had told him that it had gone well. He opened his mouth to ask a question, then shut it. That one he would save to discover on his own, perhaps in the morning. Instead he pulled his legs up onto the bed and crossed them under him. "So things ahven't changed much then? Aside from a new Weyrleader and a bunch of new weyrlings everything is...just the same as when I left?"

"You forget who you're talking to, T'bell." K'rel shook his head, grinning sheepishly. "I'm not the one to ask for up to date gossip on the Weyr. I mind my wing and my business, and leave everyone else to theres. So for me... things haven't changed. For the weyr, I couldn't say." He paused, then rose to his feet, stretching his arms out over his head, wincing midway, and lightly touching one clawed shoulder before letting both hands fall. "I should be getting back. I'm sure you're busy, and I've been enough of a disturbance."

"Well, no." T'bell started, then stood to get a look at the scratches K'rel had gotten himself. He whistled. "I can get you some numbweed for those, if you want." He didn't wait for an answer, but began digging through one of his packs. "It was more your flitts that you that were the cause for the disturbance, and I'm not that disturbed. Flute is, maybe." He glanced to the queen who was dozing atop the shelf. "Saved me the trouble of having to screw up my courage to go see you, or learn very well how to dodge you in the halls while I looked for that courage." He held up a small covered pot of the salve. "I suppose those would be your flitts then. I know I've seen them before, only just. What did you call them?"

"I'm fine," he assured T'bell, but dropped to sit on the bed once more when the greenrider went searching for the numbweed anyway. "Apologize to Flute for me once she wakes up. Grel's managed to convince herself that her green scales are a figment of her imagination. She's used to being able to bully the boys and it gets her in trouble with other flitts." He plucked the small pot from T'bell's hand, removing the lid and eyeing the salve within almost warily. "Aye, those're them. You know Calt, of course. An' then the bronze is Vin, the brown's Murry, and the green is Grel."

"She might have trouble with Flute then. She had her own little flock at the Hall.' He shook his hea and dipped his fingers in the salve, wrinkling his nose slightly at the smell. It was common in the weyr, and most halls, but it was still not entirely pleasant. Task got up and returned to his room. T'bell smiled at the wher's actions and picked gently at the shirt K'rel was wearing. "Do you want to take that off to make it easier? The shoulders are decently shredded, though it can probably be mended."

"Mn, I really should've just let Flute at her, I think. Someone needs to set her back a few notches." Unconsciously mirroring T'bell's expression as the smell of the numbweed reached him, he nonetheless nodded, passing the little jar back to T'bell before gingerly tugging off the shirt, careful both to avoid touching the scrapes and to keep from tearing the shirt any further. Once free of the garment, he set it on his lap and accepted the jar once more to make T'bell's work a bit easier, picking at the torn shoulders with his free hand. "Sharding little thing."

T'bell gave his hand a light tap as he slid behind him on the bed. He couldn't see what he was doing with hands in the way. "Flute would have if I weren't here. She tends to get hotblooded. Sweetest little thing when she wants to be." With gentle fingers he smoothed the smelly salve over the scratches, making sure not to miss any. He tried to think of who to send him to to get the shirt mended, but with a start he realized his contacts may not have even been there anymore. He bit his cheek and suppressed a sigh that betrayed his annoyance with himself. Tolara? Talera? There had been a weaver here, she would have done a good job. He didn't even know if she was still present in the Weyr or not. He could have sent her a letter too.

"I'll take your word for it and never hope for a queen of mine own." The very thought made him grimace, and he let his hand fall back to his lap. "Four are more than enough, thanks. An' Grel must count for at least three on her own." He shook his head slightly, but fell still with the first touch of the numbweed. Smelly as the stuff was, it was certainly worth having around. The sting left the scrapes the moment the salve touched them. K'rel bowed his head slightly to keep his hair out of the way while T'bell worked, shoulder slumping somewhat as he finally relaxed. The flitts had shut up, the whers weren't eyeing him as their next diner, most of the awkwardness had past... He could breathe again.

"I have two, and well...you're familiar with greens thinking they're queens." He smiled, "Mine's bigger." With a quiet laugh he gave the rider's ponytail a light tug and put the top back on the numbweed salve. He put it away with a mild groan at having to bed over, then flopped back onto the bed a safe distance from the encased flitts. "If Liliath isn't sore I envy her. She should be." He winced and rotated his shoulders as best he could without sitting up.

"Bigger maybe," he chuckled, tilting his head to the side to watch T'bell while giving the numbweed salve a chance to settle. "But yours isn't arrogant enough to flat out challenge a queen." He watched enviously as the greenrider stretched out on the bed, turning his head to watch the numbweed with a faint frown. It wouldn't do to smear it all over T'bell's furs. "...I feel obligated to ask," he began, then laughed, "though I'm sure I'm just making things awkward again, but...did Liliath rise while you were away? You were gone a full turn."

T'bell opened a green eye, then closed it again. A faint blush lit his cheeks, but he shook his head. "She's good at holding herself in for a while. She takes long flights when she feels pent up. Cold shock of between, you know. She was eyeing anyone that happened ot stop by," He snorted, there hadn't been many, "But the blues are off limits, the bronzes are boring and high-end, and the browns don't have large enough wings." He shrugged, "Can't argue with women."

He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he released it, and he would almost swear Siventh had been doing the same. And T'bell hadn't reacted badly to the question, which brightened him further. "Large enough wings, eh?" Grinning, he shook his head, leaning back to lay on the bed--and catching himself before he could when he remembered the numbweed, propping himself up on his elbows so he could lay back without disturbing the drying salve. "Don't let Siventh hear you. We'll never see the end of it."
T'bell coughed once, then sat up and scratched his head, looking out over his weyr and catalogueing things he had to unpack tomorrow in his head. "Yes well...with her back I expect her to rise eventually. She can hold off for want to make me happy, but she is a green. I feel I should probably just let you know...about...that." He was blushing again and he worried his lip, intent on thinking of what was actually in that pack behind his spare riding gear.

Lifting a hand, he carefully tested the numbweed with one finger, then either decided it was fine or grew tired of waiting, for he laid back and moved his hands to pillow his head. "I don't think I could expect a green not to rise eventually." He paused momentarily, then casually added, "Siv hasn't risen after anyone since you left, actually. He didn't even fly after Ariath."

"No worries then." T'bell said quickly, "He'll be so out of shape that even if Lil does get in in her head to rise he won't even be able to match her. Eating herdbeasts all day, mooning about." He managed to hide his smirk, but the teasing tone in his voice was full out.

"It wouldn't surprise me, honestly," he countered just a brightly, pleased the that more serious moment had passed. "Lazy beast. The only reason he's remotely in shape is because he's scared his wing will show him up, but otherwise I've never seen him so...content to do absolutely nothing. It's probably me fault," he joked, shaking his head in mock-despair. "I neglect him. I'll have to see about getting him back in shape. Both of us back in shape."

"You don't seem to have been hitting the meatrolls too hard." He poked the brownrider in the ribs and flopped back on the bed. "You're too busy being Mr. Moody Browndrider, all silent and lonesome like the fierce feline, to go down to the kitchens to eat." He gave a thoughtful look to the lumps under the furs. "Or your flock is stealing it from your hands."

"A bit of both, I shouldn't wonder," he countered, quirking a brow at the greenrider. "An' that doesn't mean I'm in shape. Skin and bones does not make for muscles, little green," he teased, nodding pointedly towards T'bell. "Spending half of my time in my weyr isn't helping matters. I'm sure my runners're furious with me. It's been over a week since I've checked on them."

"Oh I had my fair share of running around, both on and off my Liliath." He shook his head, "You forget, the Harper Hall holds my mother, a stream of old faces, and a bunch of Harpers who know me all too well from before I was all nice and respectful as a rider. I had quite a bit of dodging to do. The cook still hasn't forgiven me." He chuckled

"I almost came and visited you once or twice," he admitted, eyes turning to examine the rock ceiling of the weyr. "When Siventh grew exceptionally irritating about it. I still haven't really seen the Harper Hall. I know the view from the sky well enough to direct Siv between there, but otherwise..." He shrugged, then craned his head back towards the greenrider. "You enjoyed your stay, then?"

T'bell smiled at his words and blushed again, though he schooled his expression when he caught K'rel looking. "Very much." Charcoal bangs bounced as he nodded. "Mother is getting older, and she was happy to have me there to keep the young ones' attention in classes. I was something of a show-runner the first few days, just there for looks and whatnot. Eventually the apprentices realised i used to be a harper too, and that the big strict lady ordering me around is in fact my mother." He laughed quietly and shrugged, "It was nice to be home, away from things for a bit. There're some flitts there, not many. Three queens including Flute came and went during my stay. It's....just the same setting with different players."

"And fewer dragons," he added, words dissolving into a yawn. "Though if dragons could sing half as well as firelizards can, I'm sure the Harper Hall would be stealing even more of them from us." He sent T'bell a teasing grin, then sat up, nodding towards the pile of bundles in the center of the room. "Need any help unpacking that? I think that was Siventh's actual intention in tricking me here. Or so he claimed."
T'bell looked at the bundles, then let his head flop back to the bed. "It would be appreciated, but I really don't want to right now." He quirked a smile, "My gear's fine, my clothes are in their trunk. All of that is mostly dishware, personal effects, doubles, camping gear, things for the beasties." He shrugged. "Tell Siventh I whole-heartedly appreciate his leanings to the darker, or greener, side."
"Tomorrow, then," he insisted, meanwhile relaying the message to a sleepy Siventh, who replied with only a thought of amusement before losing interest in the two riders. K'rel chuckled softly and used the greenrider's refusal as an excuse to lay back down, legs from the knees down still hanging off the end of the bed. "I should go back to my weyr, but I'm scared to face my flitts."

"With the way they stormed in here you're quite lucky I didn't know they were yours at first. I would have hopped right back out, thinking you were going to come in here and chew my head off." He shook his head at the entrance the flock had made.

He laughed, but shook his head. "It wasn't my intention in coming here, but I will say I was sorely tempted to once I actually saw you. I think a combination of a realization that you aren't obligated to explain your actions to me and the threat of becoming dinner for your whers prevented it." Laughing once more, he grinned and closed his eyes. "Now, if it were about three months after you left and Siventh were still pestering me about Liliath every waking moment, then I might've chewed your head off."

"You're welcome to say your piece you know." T'bell put in gently. "Though I dare say I've repeated it to myself a few times, you may have come up with something new." He fidgeted a bit. "I could point out that you did not write me. But that would be silly, and I'm not holding it against you in the slightest. I should have explained my actions, I owe you that at least as a friend."

"I didn't," he admitted with a shrug, opening one dark eye to glance briefly towards T'bell before reclosing it. "But I thought I was the reason you had gone, and I didn't want to press the matter if you were trying to avoid me. Siventh said I was being foolish, but I think he blamed me to a degree as well, though he may have just been upset because I never attempted to contact you and he didn't get to see Liliath."

"You were, at first." T'bell said softly. "Not The Reason, but the final one. There was just too much for me to handle here. I needed some time off. After all the sickness and everyone dying and then, well." He swallowed and tugged the end of his braid nervously, "It added up and I requested to be repositioned for a while...when I left you weren't the reason."

"Well see, I was mostly correct." Reopening his eyes, he again sat up, shifting his shoulders to test the numbweed. "And I'll trust you to tell Siventh so he can apologize for badgering me." Gathering up his shirt, he pulled it back on, careful not to rip the shoulders further. "I take your return to mean that you're feeling better, aye?"

T'bell sat up quickly, worried he had offended the brownrider, and caught his wrist. "I don't know if that came out the right way. After the flight I was a complete wreck." He spilled his words out quickly before K'rel could walk away, "It wasn't your fault anymore than it was Siventh for flying Lilian, or Lil for choosing to fly. It was my reaction to a whole lot of things. That is why I requested a change before I came down to talk to you. Once I'd spoken to you I realized I was being a wherry-headed fool and calmed down some...but by that time it was too late to take back my request and plans had already been set. Then...then I was just too scared to tell you after I left. I figured I could work things out on my own, back in a place I was familiar with but not...not as familiar as here." He frowned and hurriedly pushed his bangs behind his ear with his free hand, "And I know I’ve heard many hold girls say this, and my own sisters, but it wasn't you. It was me. I don't know if I'm 'better' yet but I'm not...not like I was before. I don't know if I'll know what better is when I get there. I think I'm hoping someone will tell me I've normaled out again..." He trailed off with a slight frown.

K'rel wasn't offended, persey. He had known from the moment he had woken up beside T'bell that the flight was the last thing the greenrider had wanted. He honestly wasn't upset with T'bell; he was upset with Siventh for failing to believe him, and upset with Siventh for pushing a relationship neither rider, at the time, had wanted. Did either of them want it now? Dragons were supposed to follow their riders’ choices, not vice versa.

No, he wasn't offended. Indeed, the more T'bell spoke, the more irritation gave way to amusement, until, as the greenrider fell silent, K'rel smiled. The brownrider cocked his head to the side, eyeing T'bell curiously for a moment, and didn't bother to pull his wrist free. "You're not afraid of me anymore."

T'bell's eyebrows pulled down in confusion for a moment, "Well when you came stomping in here I was. I'm sure if you start yelling at me I will be. But for now, while you're being what I think is normal....no." He took his hand back and looked down at the ground, a light blush rising to his cheeks again. At least he wasn't a redfruit every five seconds anymore. "Not exactly super comfortable, prance around naked and sing old gather songs sort of comfortable, but no, you don't terrify me. As often." He looked up again, "Rightly I might just be too tired to cower in awe."

The reply provoked a laugh from the brownrider, and K'rel lifted both hands as a gesture of innocence. "Never fear, I don't think I'm quite at the 'super comfortable, prance around naked and sing old gather songs comfortable' phase with anyone just yet, and there's certainly no rush. But I do like not having to worry that every word I say is going to send you running in the opposite direction." Pausing, he let his arms fall and rose to his feet, nodding back towards the bed. "You haven't said anything to offend me, so don't think you have, but if you're considering cowering in awe of me, of all people, you're more tired than I thought. You rest, I'm going to get back to my weyr and hope my flitts haven't destroyed it."

T'bell nodded with a small smile. "Of course with our dragons coming and going, feel free to drop by. If I'm not around and the whers are, just speak to them like a human. They can usually gather more than flitts. If you make a luwrrrr sound they know it means 'friend'." He rolled the 'r' and changed his pitch half way through. "If you're not busy being antisocial and watching Siventh grow as large as a bronze purely by eating twice as much, I may ask you to join me for a meal sometime?" It was worded as a statement but asked as a question.

K'rel briefly considered attempting the sound, but quickly decided he would give it a few practice runs once T'bell was out of earshot and couldn't tease him over butchering it. Instead, he nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, though I doubt I have your talent for sounds." He took a moment to consider the question, primarily because of the careful wording, but soon nodded, chuckling. "You'll have to remind me. I've been extremely busy of late, and I'll probably forget. Siv and I are determined that he be larger than Enelth by the time Ariath rises again," K'rel teased, fighting a grin.

"Liliath would be jealous." T'bell smiled, "Green with envy is terrible when they're so green in the first place." He stood up and stretched his arms behind him, "Do you mind her being in your weyr so much? Feel free to send her home when you like."

"Ahh, we wouldn't want that. We may have to rethink our plan," he agreed with a slow nod, frowning faintly. However, almost immediately he dropped the act and his smile returned, along with a shrug. "It doesn't bother me at all. She keeps Siventh from pestering me. She's welcome in my weyr so long as Siventh still spares me a sentance or two a day."

"Siv will fit in mine with her, but only just barely. She will come and go with your permission though." He smiled and thought of offering a hand to shake but turned that away as a silly idea. "You can leave Calt here if he won't have a fit when I crawl in bed. Which I intend to do...quite soon."

As he talked both Task and Tabesk poked their heads from their room. They would be awake for a few hours yet, but luckily they were both tired from the trip, too tired to want to be taken to the heights or the weyrbowl. Both of them spared K'rel a glance and padded past him. Task bumped him with his head as he went. It was no lick, but it was mild acceptance. T'bell smiled, "Hopefully you two will keep quiet, huh?" He patted Tabesk as she slunk by with a 'murrr' under her breath, a happier noise. "I'll have Liliath ask Siv when you're free then." He looked down then watched the whers circle Liliath's section of the weyr. "Thank you for coming to see me, even if it was to yell and save me from the flitts. It was nice seeing you again."

"She's free to come and go as she pleases, provided she accepts that I'm going to have to steal Siventh from her from time to time for actual duties. Contrary to popular belief, we do get out of our weyr and work from time to time." He flashed a grin, then glanced towards the tell-tale lump beneath the blanket, grin softening to a fond smile. "I'll let him stay the night. He probably won't wake before morning, and if he does he should have enough sense to just come find me."

The brownrider tensed briefly as both whers returned to the room, but relaxed as Task passed with only a nudge, smiling after the two before returning his attention to T'bell. "I look forward to it. It's good to have you back, T'bell." He nodded slightly in goodbye, then turned and left the weyr.

T'bell watched him go, then looked around the weyr and sat promptly on the floor. The whers came over to inquire as to his state of mind and he happily put up with the licking and head butting that was now common. He felt tired, but he knew if he went to bed right away he'd be no good for night watches when he went back on them, and the whers had been with Imirin most of the time in their travels, so the quality time would be well for them while they were awake and unmasked.

He patted and scratched each of them where they liked it, making sure to keep both his hands equally busy. They'd gotten into some slight tiffs over his attention and he'd learned that normally they were solitary creatures. They seemed to be doing fine together for the most part. He was glad.

With a sigh he shuffled over to the remaining packs without getting up. He could do a little more unpacking, maybe for a little longer, and then sleep. He had a bit to think about anyway.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:28 pm

T'bell

Well, I'm back. Needless to say I've been neglecting this in my absence, but at the very least I have been keeping busy. The Hall was alive with the sort of activity that the plague here produced, but...living activity, not the horrible franticness of people running, crying, dragons keening every time you thought it was too quiet. No, there it was frantic, but in the productive sense, the living bustling busy-things-to-do way of life. Always sounds, never quiet until late at night, when me and the whers would take our late shift on the heights.

I managed to get a long way in training with the pair. I'm ecstatic that they've progressed so well. I took some visits to the closer mine holds and learned a great deal that the records couldn't explain clearly. The records...I've mentioned to my mother to steer the apprentices towards their copying. They're very old and have that particular old-moldy smell.

The Hall was not only a vacation for me, as I was quite obviously working hard both as a dragonrider and a Harper, it was a chance for me to come to terms with my feelings about J'kin and Fenith. It was a chance to remember them, how I felt about them, and to let them go. Of course, not to forget them, but as my mother and even I myself have pointed out many times...J'kin would not think well of me dwelling on him. He'd call me all variety of names, including a wherry. In essence he's correct. It hurts and I believe it always will. What happened was unexpected, unfair, and truly hurtful not only to me but to his family and to the weyr. Along with that one bluerider were many many others. It was a tragedy, but it is not the present and it does not deserve to spoil to present and even less so the future.

So I find myself with a new attitude and while I sometimes feel like the greenrider wandering aimlessly through the stone walls of plague and death, I am now more often feeling like the 'old' me, when I was young and just new to this whole dragonrider thing.

Liliath is pleased with this change. I can't say I'm not. Now that I've returned to the weyr I find myself acting with more ease towards the others around me. I suppose I may be saying this prematurely, but considering my first test on my return was dealing with K'rel I think it's a fair representation of my change that I managed not only to not stumble and fall all over myself and my words, but greet him more comfortably. I missed the presence of another dragonrider.

I think some of my uncomfortable feelings that caused me to leave were confirmed by the fact that I missed him.

Regardless, I was happy to see him, and very happy that my immature actions in leaving -and in effect running away- were forgiven. I don't know what will happen now, but I am more comfortable, and that is a start.

For now I am tired. Imirin and traveling have taken the energy out of me and I still have much to unpack tomorrow. Hopefully the whers won't be too unhappy if I retire.

~T'bell

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