T'bell and Green Liliath's weyr | Page 5 | Rider weyrs | Guild Forums

The Night Itself

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Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:30 pm

T'bell and K'rel - The Beach Part 01

The day was as close to perfect as any K'rel had seen in a good while. Even with Turnover only days away, the tropical sun above Rias was successfully fending off any hint of winter, and the beach was free to be enjoyed. The sky was a brilliant blue, mirrored by the gentle waves of the ocean, and though clouds on the horizon promised rain later in the afternoon, said storm was easily a few hours away. The beach was flawless, sands brushed clean of any previous footprints by a growing breeze that still blew from over the water. And they had it all to themselves.

Of course, that didn't mean it was quiet, or that themselves were the only ones enjoying the beach. The brown dragon swimming far out in the cove and the four flitts intent on bathing him had been joined by a good score or more of wild firelizards, the combined voices of whom successfully destroyed whatever silence K'rel might have been hoping for. The brownrider had finally grown tired of the incessant trills and chirps and retreated to the beach, sprawling out on the sand to enjoy the sun and watch the antics of the swimmers while remaining safely out of range of most of the noise. Siventh, on the other hand, soaked up the attention like a sponge.

Where are you? Liliath sent to Siventh with a mild air of curiosity. Her surprise visit had become more of a surprise to her than him when she found his weyr empty.

T'bell was just setting the last of his things on the shelves that had been bare just that morning. He was fully unpacked, as far as he could tell. The whers were sleeping soundly in their room, the occasional grunt or snore was the only thing that hinted to their presence. T'bell lifted a hand to rub Flute's eyeridges when she dipped her head down from her perch atop the shelves. She cooed at him appreciatively and he leaned against the shelf, rsigned to a longer bit of attention for her.

The beach! Siventh replied brightly, even as he dipped his head beneath the water to examine the brightly colored fish who had come to see what all the fuss was about. Snorting a stream of bubbles after the fish, Siventh dipped beneath the water completely, sending up a cloud of irritated firelizards now chittering about how their island had vanished. My rider has finally agreed to relax for a day. Here. He sent her an image of the cove from the air. Come.

Liliath rumbled in amusement and wheeled into her own weyr, backwinging to land carefully on the ledge. Mine, her head snaked into the weyr and she shuffled forward a bit to get a direct view of her rider. Her mouth was open in a draconic grin. The beach. May we go to the beach?

T'bell looked up with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't thin kit would take long, after the weather at the hall." He smiled and left Flute to amble across the floor. After a moment, and half way to her, he paused. "Would there be dragons on the beach? Brown ones?"

You are learning. She rumbled with approval and withdrew her head, looking out the bowl. It will rain soon. I wish to be wet before it does.

With a sigh T'bell called an order down to the kitchens and resigned himself to being led around by his dragon. "When my lunch gets here we can leave. I assume K'rel is there too? I did intend on waiting a bit longer, love."

Blame Siventh. She was amused as he checked her riding straps.

Hurrrrry, the brown whined, lifting his head from the water to eye the sky impatiently. I tire of only flitts for company, he added cheekily, smirking draconicly.

Though his words were directed towards Liliath, the dragon's attitude did not go unnoticed, and from the beach K'rel cracked an eye to peek out towards the brown. "Should I expect visitors soon?"

It will only be soon if they stop wasting time, Siventh replied brightly before ducking back beneath the waves.

I hurry only for thread. Liliath responded pertly, and were I flying you'd tell me to slow down.

T'bell patted her shoulder as the answering rumble from the shaft told him food was ready. With quick hands he packed it up and pulled Zephyr from his hiding spot, mounting the little blue on his shoulders. He didn't want to think of what the flitt would do if he were to disappear without him. "Flute," He called, she looked up and chirped, then disappeared when she had the image of the beach.

Liliath practically dropped from the ledge before snapping her wings open and taking to the cold of between. Moments later she appeared in the air, circling above the beach and descending in slow spirals. She would not drop her rider in the water. Not to mention he'd already cautioned her against is, and he had food that would be ruined. She landed neatly on the sand a fair distance from the other rider so as not to pelt him with the wind her wings rose.

T'bell slid off her back and rose a hand in greeting.

We shall see about that when next you rise, he teased, but left it at that, rising to paddle lazily along the waves while the flitts resettled on his back and resumed the bath. He spoke again once more only when the green appeared in the air over the cove, and did so in the form of a bugle of greeting, a sound which nearly all of the group on his back echoed in their higher pitches.

K'rel reopened his eyes once more at the bugle from the brown, cracking a smile at sight of the green, though he really wasn't at all surprised that it was Liliath who had arrived. Sitting up, he dusted sand from his back while the green came to rest on the beach, ducking his head slightly to shield his eyes from any wayward sand-filled gusts. Looking up to find T'bell heading his way, he lifted a hand in reply, calling out a greeting as the greenrider neared. "I hope dear Liliath warned you that me and Siv were here?"

"I've learned to question her supposedly impulsive decisions." He smiled and hefted a sack. "I thought I'd make good on my offer of food."

Flute swooped in and warbled a greeting to him, and then to K'rel, before taking off for the perch in the water disguised as a dragon. Liliath slipped into the ocean without delay. Would I tell you when I rise? You got lucky, slow brown. She flicked water at him with her wings and arched her neck teasingly. I will be harder to catch next time.

T'bell's cheeks flushed and he made a face, then turned to the pair in the water. "Liliath! Don't even think about it!" What she'd been speaking of he didn't quite catch, but he knew that attitude.

The green looked over her shoulder, eyes whirling merrily. I know nothing of which you speak. We are talking of glows. Glows and herdbeasts.

"And I'm the weyrwoman." He mumbled in response.

"Food would be most welcome," he admitted, offering a smile of his own. "I hadn't thought to bring any from the weyr. Was just going to hunt down some redfruit if I got hungry. And good day to you," he added after Flute as se darted for the island that was Siventh.

I will know before you know, Liliath. The brown crooned a greeting as she swam out to meet him, eyes whirling a bright blue behind the first set of eyelids, lidded against splashes from the flitts. And I will not permit any other to catch you.

The dragon's conversation had gone mostly unnoticed to K'rel, but with T'bell's words the brownrider 'tuned in', quirking a brow when Siventh stubbornly snubbed him form the conversation. However, T'bell's blush and Siventh's smug attitude made it easy to decipher what the dragons what talking about, and K'rel rolled his eyes, sending a frown the brown's way. "Ignore them. Silly flirts."

"Oh I know she is nothing but," He huffed good naturedly and handed over the sack of meatrolls, a half round of cheese, and some nice breads. Nothing fancy, but he had redfruit juice in a canteen. "I didn't think Siventh would be so encouraging." He stuck out his tongue at the dragons, then pointed a finger squarely at K'rel. "I blame you."

Flute happily alighted on Siventh's head after Liliath splashed him, and warbled her own greeting to the big brown. Liliath tilted her head at him and bumped their noses together. Very much talk. Do not let a blue fly me. I would not forgive you. She dropped her head to water level and stretched out, her wings flattening across the water like soaked sails. The weather at the Hall is much colder than this. There is no big water.

"And you think he is any better?" K'rel laughed, waving a hand out towards the brown. "I'd wager he's worse than Lili is a good amount of the time." Letting his hand fall, he reached for the sack, offering a grin of thanks and setting it on his lap to peek inside at the food. However, he soon looked back up, affecting a confused look. "Blame me? And why's that?"

My lovely gold, the brown crooned as means of greeting to the little flitt, eyes all but crossing as he watched her. Returning his eyes to the green, he briefly touched noses, then went so far as to affectionately nuzzle her neck. No blue will outfly me. You need not worry. Quickly dropping the more serious subject, he half submerged his head in the waves, keeping it above the surface only so as not to disturb Flute. It must have been dreadful.

"I'm sure you're insufferable, deep down. I know I was a chore to deal with...my mother hasn't let me forget. She thinks it's fitting Liliath reminds her so much of me before I was searched." He trailed off at the last bit and frowned briefly, but sat down to join him. Zephyr chirped a greeting to the brownrider, sleepy still, and slid (literally slid) into T'bells' lap with a 'plunk'. He quickly emerged, affecting an air of completely having meant to do that, and padded out onto the warm sand. T'bell spared him an amused glance. "Hand me a meatroll while you're pawing through that? I skipped breakfast."

It was. She was briefly jealous of the exchange with Flute, but reasoned that she was much to small to be of any real competition. If she turned out to be? She'd just eat the little flitt. Only for the lack of water and dragons. Very busy, they are. Always very nice music. Just...colder.

"Insufferable?" Grinning with mock innocence, he returned his attention to the sack, reaching a hand in to pull out a few meatrolls and pass one to T'bell. "You're completely off. I was the perfect child, T'bell. I could, and still can, do no wrong." Breaking his own meatroll in half, he offered one half out towards Zephyr while taking a bit of his own half, waiting until after he swallowed to speak again. "And coincidentally, I was exactly like Siventh is now. I suppose the dragon really does say a lot about the rider."

Music is no fair exchange for water and dragons, he countered, though it is nice on occasion. A pause, and he flashed a dragon's grin, amusement clear in his voice. You've no need to be jealous of the little gold.

T'bell snorted at his words and took the meatrolls. "Insufferable, just as I said." He rose an eyebrow at the brownrider and suppressed a grin. "You were a horrible flirt? I don't know whether to be shocked or offended."

Zephyr blinked sleepily at the meatroll. Yes...yes it was a meatroll. Hm...With a quick look around to make sure there would be little competition for his prize he carefully took it, held it off the sand, and proceeded to wobble back to T'bells' lap to eat it in safe quarters.

I am not. She stated with certainty. She is too small. She would explode. And with that she ducked her head under water to watch the fish with curiosity.

Shrugging, he took another bite of the meatroll, eyeing the remainder critically to avoid looking T'bell's way. "Once upon a time. And then Siv turned up, and he was more than enough of a flirt for the two of us. Offended why?" he asked, looking up and popping the rest of the meatroll into his mouth.

Siventh bellowed a laugh at the green's reply, tossing his head back with the movement and accidentally unseating the gold flitt. Indeed she would!

T'bell was about to open his mouth to say something cheeky, then thought better of it. He wasn't that brave yet. Instead he waved a hand dismissively and changed the subject. "Where's your little flock? Somewhere with the rest of them? I never learned how the hatching went." He lifted the blue from his lap once the meatroll was gone and bounced him in his hands a bit before tossing him in the air. Zephyr opened his wings and chirped happily, spiralling upwards.

Flute squeaked as she rolled down Siventh's neck and scrabbled, managing to cling just quick enough that only her tail got wet. Well, that was certainly enough. With a small snort she took off, making her disappointment in him quite clear. Liliath was simply amused. How did you pass the time while I was gone?

K'rel recognized the attempt to change the subject, but let it slide without complaint, reaching for a second meatroll as he glanced out towards the bunch playing around the dragons. "Probably. I think they actually attracted the wilds, not Siv, but don't tell him that. The hatching was terrifying." He grimaced, shaking his head. "The shells had gotten so thick they almost didn't make it. I had to help all three when I realized they were stuck."

Siventh crooned an apology after the little gold, but was still chortling inwardly as he returned his attention to the green. I did not! he groaned, dipping his nose back beneath the water. I was terribly bored. My rider sulked for weeks and would go no where.

T'bell frowned and tilted his head, "At least you didn't lose any, right? How did Calt fare with the whole thing?" He smiled a bit, "More of a help or a hindrance? And all at once?"

He sulked? That is cute. She blew a few bubbles from her nose. What of the new hatchlings? I have not seen them.

"True," he admitted, saving himself further explanation for a moment by taking a bite of his meatroll. "Calt was furious with me for trying to crack the eggs open, but once I got them cracked, he realized what I was trying to do and started helping. All three made it out without too much trouble once the eggs actually had holes in them."

It was not cute. The brown huffed in irritation, snorting and sending a spray of water from around his nose. It was irritating. The hatchlings are the same as any other hatchlings. They are the same as any others, but they are doing well.

"I wonder why they were so thick." He mumbled, reaching for more food. His stomach was convincing him that skipping breakfast, while he hadn't been hungry at the time, was an oversight on his part. "You said you found them on the beach? Wonder if they're related." He gestured to the group of wild flitts.

If he was being a wherry head, it seems cute. She escaped the spray, being underwater. You seem uninterested in hatchlings. I am curious. I want to know who I will be sharing my weyr with.

"They just hatched late," he replied with a weak shrug before finishing off his meatroll. "They should have hatched a good couple of sevendays before they did, going by the shells. But who knows." Smiling once more, he glanced out towards the cluster of firelizards. "They're fine now, and that's what matters."

And why would that be cute? Siventh argued sulkily, but soon dropped the topic. Nevermind. Hatchlings are hatchlings, and until they are fit for a wing, they are of no interest to me. Weyrlings are weyrlings.

The greenrider nodded with a smile. "Of course. What did you call them? I know Calt and Grel, but I don't think you mentioned the other two last night." He laughed and shook his head, "You have an entire flock. Between us we could start our own Weyr."
Because it means he missed T'bell, like you missed me. She replied haughtily. I would not see you if he did not miss T'bell. She lifted her head out of the water and looked at him curiously. I have interest in them. I am a green, you are a brown. I suppose your colours don't like eggs. You do not lay them.

He opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it and whistled out towards the group. A split second later his small fair appeared directly overhead, though almost immediately Grel and Calt vanished once more as K'rel gave them permission to return to their bath. He bid the brown and bronze land, then kept the pair from complaining by offering each half of a meatroll, which they eagerly snatched up. "The brown's Murry," he began, pointing to the flit in question. "And the bronze is Vin. They're a bit better behaved than Grel is, and not near so clingy as Calt."

Perhaps... the brown admitted, lifting his head towards the shore and the two riders. Though I am not sure he would admit it. Rolling his eyes back towards the green, he twitched a wing to send a spray of water her way. Precisely. I do not lay them, I do not have to like them.

T'bell smiled at them. Above Zephyr chirped, still spiralling dizzily high and then back down low. "Wonder if it's the blue that makes them clingy...they don't look half bad for something washed up on a beach." He took a drink from his canteen and offered it to the brownrider. "But they had the right idea going for a swim. I think I'm going to join them."

But you will help lay them by flying us. She snorted at the water and ducked her head back under. Silly brown.

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:43 pm

T'bell and K'rel - The Beach Part 02

"I'm sure Grel would be terribly offended if she heard you calling her 'something washed up on a beach'." Accepting the canteen, he took a short drink before closing it and setting it aside. Glancing towards the water, he considered the suggestion for a moment before climbing to his feet and starting for the water. "Let's swim, then."

You will not lay eggs, my green, Siventh countered as he ducked his head to follow after her. Which is part of the reason I did not choose that stuffy gold.

T'bell snickered and stood, pulling off his shirt. "I'm sure she would." He looked out at his dragon and sent her his intentions.

You do not want your own hatchlings. She lifted her head back out of the water to look at her rider, choosing to not voice her thought that he simply couldn't catch Ariath. She didn't want to admit inferiority to the gold, though she admired her. There were things Ariath could not do; any gold could not do, that a green could. You swim? Do not step on spike-fish. Her head ducked back under the water and she resumed her fish-watch. I do not want hatchlings. I have many creatures, and T'bell. I think they are similar.

K'rel had already removed his shirt long before T'bell had arrived, and thus was the first into the water. He waded through the shallows until the waves reached just over his waist, then simply ducked under the water completely, resurfacing a short distance away and swimming out towards the dragons.

There are enough little ones around my weyr without hatchlings of my own. Lifting his head from the water, the brown snorted irritably. And my rider spends too much time with his runners to keep up with young of his own. Still rather irritated by the subject, Siventh glanced over towards the rider in question, sweeping a wing to send a wave his way.

T'bell followed him into the water at a slower pace, and was therefore thankfully back far enough that Siventh's wave-attack did little to him. He laughed though, and looked up to find Zephyr had followed him happily. The little blue was splashing about in the water between him and Liliath. He went under for a moment and resurfaced, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Liliath says to watch out for the 'spikey-fish'." He called to K'rel with a grin.

I know I am my rider's dragon. If your rider has no other dragon then why worry? She turned her head to watch her rider's feet under the water and was greeted also with a view of blue flitt-feet. They do not replace me. Does he replace you? I will keep you.

The wave caught K'rel off guard and sent him spinning in place before he managed to right himself a send a splash Siventh's way in retaliation. At T'bell's call he nodded, making a point of tucking his legs in slightly to avoid anything moving along the bottom, though it was a fair distance away judging by how deep the dragons were in the water. "Thanks for the warning," he called with a grin for Liliath, and promply disappeared beneath the water once more as he was attacked from the air by four young flitts.

My rider does not replace me. Siventh rumbled a huff, turning slowly in the water to swim further from the shore. He just does not spoil me as much as I would like, and spoils the runners far more than I like. There are too many of us.

T'bell treaded water for a time, reluctant to get involved in the attack. He swam out closer to his dragon and took a dip under the water, looking at the fish there for brief moments. Liliath occasionally sent him pictures of the more interesting ones that would come out to investigate her feet. He resurfaced and looked around for the brownrider, locating him by the flitts in the air.

Too many? You do have many flitts. She stuck her head up and followed him out at a leisurely pace, I will still keep you.

Finally wrestling away from the flitts, K'rel sent a splash to ward them away, then swam back towards the dragons. With Siventh's help, he climbed onto the brown's back, only to run the length of the Siventh's shoulders and jump down into the water below. He landed with a monstrous splash, four smaller splashes a split second later signaling the firelizards' attempts at following him.

My rider and I will always find time for you, Siventh promised, brightening up somewhat and letting out a draconic laugh as K'rel went flying from his shoulder.

T'bell whooped at the jump and the flitts mimicry and swam over to join them, waiting for K'rel to reappear.

I will throw you? Liliath offered with a turn of her head to nudge her rider. T'bell held her nose to keep from going under.

"Throw me? I'd rather not."

Suit yourself. She bobbed him under the water and left him sputtering, amusement clear in her 'voice'. She rubbed her neck along Siventh's and stuck her head back under water, Your rider too? I will have many men to oil me. I like this idea.

My rider will help. It will do him good, lazy thing. And perhaps we can persuade yours to help oil me in reply. He looped his neck over the green's, playing guard while she peered about beneath the waves.

K'rel popped up a short distance away and swam back towards the dragons with easy strokes, the flitts following lazily behind. "Turning down the lovely green's offer, T'bell? I think I trust you with throwing me a bit more than I do Siventh, Liliath." He grinned. The brown snorted.

That would be nice. Oiling is always good. Liliath snorted bubbles in response to K'rels' words. He does not know me well then, Mine. But I am lovely.

T'bell grinned at her words. "She says you don't know her very well, but thanks you for the compliment." He pushed his bangs out of his eyes again and made a face when he felt his tie unravel. He spun around and snatched it out of the water, wrapping it around his wrist with a huff. "I'd agree actually, she's probably planning something when she offers."

"Quite the contrary," K'rel argued, again pulling himself onto Siventh's back, though only to take a seat on the brown's nearest shoulder. "I know that if Siventh likes her, it isn't at all safe to judge by first impressions, and she is quite likely as wiley as he is. Which means that she probably did have something planned for you, but wouldn't do it to me so she could save it for you when you took the risk after I did. Because that is how Siventh would do it."

".....True."

He is smart. Too bad he is a grumpy man. She sent to T'bell with amusement.

T'bell snickered and patted her haunch before swimming backwards away from the dragons. His hair was coming out of its braid now that the tie had decided to give up its battle. "She says you're smart, but grumpy." He stuck out his tongue.

"Well see, Liliath knows me as well as I know her." Grinning, he scrambled further up the brown's back, then somewhat awkwardly stretched out to lay along Siventh's back. "I am smart and grumpy."

"Well if you weren't being so mysterious." He waved his hands for effect, making him duck under the water. When he resurfaced he flipped his hair out of his eyes and swam back over. Liliath was a measure easier to climb than Siventh, if only for her smaller size, and he slipped a few times as he scrambled up her slippery skin only to find Zephyr perched on her watching him. "Well I'm sorry I can't fly like you, odd little thing." He rubbed between his wings and sat up, straddling his dragon as he pushed the ringlets over his shoulders. "What are you planning for Turnover, K'rel?"

We are not trees...yet they climb us as if we were.I would go under but for the little one on me...

"I'm not mysterious," K'rel called back, waving his hands in a mockery of T'bell's motion. He watched out of the corner of one eye as the greenrider clambered onto his own dragon's back, but immediately turned his eyes back to the sky with the question. "Nothing just yet. I'll probably just watch the ghosts from my weyr. The idea of mingling with the crowd doesn't much appeal to me."

Silly things, Siventh agreed with a nod. The come out here to swim, and only end up using us as rafts.

"You should make a brief appearance." T'bell wheedled, then stretched and laid back on Liliath. "It's a new Turn, can't begin it hiding away."

Ask him. Liliath rumbled with amusement at both T'bell and Siventh's words and sent to 'her' dragon, a dragon's new purpose is to float. We provide transportation in many ways, this is a new one...or we are big shipfish.

"I'll drop by the dining hall before the festivities begin and sneak away as everyone's arriving. That way people will have seen me to say I was there, but I'll not have to endure the crowds all evening." He turned his head towards the greenrider, but soon closed his eyes against the sun. "Good enough?"

We are far greater than shipfish! Siventh scoffed, looking offended. Flighty things. No, they could never be as patient as we are. Imagine a shipfish sitting still while a rider naps on him. It could not happen.

"Would you want to stay longer at all? I mean, longer than that..." T'bell trailed off and ran his hand over the blue, who had spread his wings out to soak up then suns' rays. "If you had company or something."

They are not as big, true. She sent thoughtfully, But they are good talkers. They see many fish. They help two-leggers who do not have strong dragon-rafts.

For a long while the brownrider was silent, and, by his position, one might almost assume he had fallen asleep. However, he finally replied, cracking an eye. "I might consider it. Why? Do I have company?"

They do have their merits, the brown assured her. But they are not dragons, and in more cases than not, I would trust a dragon over a shipfish.

"You could, if you wanted company." T'bell answered with a forced light tone and a shrug K'rel may or may not see. "I feel kind of worried about going in after being gone so long."

Some two-leggers would say different. She turned her head to him, eyes covered by her extra lids against the water. They eat thread. We could not swim like them...unless we were brown. She teased with a dragon-grin.

K'rel waved a hand in dismissal of the greenrider's words, shaking his head. "It anything you'll be assaulted with 'welcome backs', nothing negative. And I'm sure you don't want me hanging around and interrupting your reunions with your old friends."

We flame thread, and we can swim just as well as them. They have to surface for air just as we do--and they cannot fly. We can. He rumbled smugly.

"Yes...two of them. You'd be a right bore K'rel. Nevermind I asked." He rolled his eyes and skritched Zephyr as the blue slid off of Liliath's back. He landed in the water with a tiny splash and eagerly paddled down to watch the fish.

They eat it. She replied. I think the shipfish would beat you...they beat me and I am not as slow. I would like a fish.

He raised a brow, but let his head fall back down, moving his hands behind it and closing his eyes. "If you say so."

I could eat it once it was dead. It probably would not taste good, but I could. They do not eat it while it lives. The brown gave a haughty sniff, peering down in the water at the multicolor fish circling them. All of these fish are very small.

They eat it all the same. She looked at the fish as well, clearly enjoying them, I do not want to eat them. They are bright, and much quieter than flitts.

T'bell heaved a sigh, "I'm more afraid for the questions I'm going to have to answer or artfully avoid. More afraid for not being able to scoot out when I need to."

"So you want me to spend the evening playing bodyguard, is that it?" He chuckled softly, but nodded, not moving from his position. "I may be able to manage that, provided your friends don't blame your impromptu trip on me."

Good, because I do not want to catch one. We will find bigger fish later. Less pretty ones.

"They won't...or I'll correct them." T'bell rolled over to look at the brownrider, "And not bodyguard, but you are big enough to hide behind. Some people like your company, though I privately think we're all crazy." He stuck out his tongue and slipped down Liliath's back, dunking in the water the same way Zephyr had done, and began a lazy swim back towards the shore.

It would be nice to go flying with you without Mine thinking we were flying in that way.

He wrinkled his nose in reply and opened his eyes at the splash, his own reply cut short as the brown dragon beneath him suddenly leaned sideways and tipped him down into the water. He resurfaced sputtering and, after a glare Siventh's way, struck out after T'bell for the shore.

We could terrify them? Siventh flashed a dragon-grin, lifting his head towards the sky. I am sure he would realize quickly enough that it was not that kind of flight.

Mine would not be happy. I do not wish to scare him. She remained thoughtful for a moment. Not yet .

T'bell heard the splash and looked back in time to see K'rel come up sputtering. He snorted and then caught a small blue shape streak past him under the water. Zephyr was booting it quite well. "Someone drop you?" He called to K'rel as the brownrider neared.

I could have my rider tell him we are only going to fly together, that you are not rising? Siventh looked positively sulky. Pleeease? If you will not fly, I will fly without you, though I would rather you came.

"Siventh always was a clumsy one," K'rel mumbled as he waded the rest of the way towards the shore. "I'll have to start typing myself to his back before long if I want to stay on."

Liliath lifted her head from the water, considering it carefully. She did not want to unbalance her rider after he seemed so nearly normal. Mine, do you mind if I fly? Not to mate.

T'bell stopped in the water where he'd been following K'rel to the shore and pushed his hair out of his eyes as he looked to his dragon. "You swear by your shell and Faranth's egg?"

I do...I do not remember my shell. But I do, you saw it. I will not go if you do not want me to. She stretched her wings experimentally. I do not wish to rise yet. It is too easy for him now. There are no herdbeasts.

T'bell stood in the water for a time before he sighed and waved a hand at his green before trudging back to the shore. She turned and nudged Siventh in turn, casting drops of water from her wings.

As he stepped clear of the waves, K'rel paused to glance back for T'bell, tensing himself as he saw Liliath take flight from the water. A split second later Siventh had spread his wings and was after her, and K'rel's order for him to return to the beach was stemmed off only by an explanation by the brown himself.

She does not rise, he said simply, eyes glowing the calm blue as he followed after the green. We merely fly.

The brownrider exhaled slowly, watching the pair for a moment longer before returning his attention to the beach, turning away from the water to walk back towards where he had left his shirt.

"I let her go." T'bell mumbled, then sighed and gave K'rel a slightly amused look. "What, do you think I'd seclude us and then have her go off as a trap?" Nevermind that was exactly what he'd thought Liliath was doing, and his tone said as much. "She'll be the death of me."

Liliath was happy to be in the open air. Most air was open, but over the ocean there was nothing, absolutely nothing to be in the way no matter how low to the 'ground' she dipped.

"A trap? You act as if there would be a different outcome if we were back at the weyr." K'rel kept his expression decidedly neutral as he took a seat on the sand, head turning to follow the progress of the two dragons. "Siventh would not permit anyone else to fly his Liliath."

Siventh shared her opinions entirely. The sky over the ocean was always a welcome change, with the knowledge that he could quite literally dive straight into the 'ground' and survive uninjured. The updrafts rising from the water also made for easier flying, which in turn meant they could think less and enjoy themselves all the more.

T'bell threw up his hands. He wasn't going to touch that one, the water had cooled him down enough that he'd rather not heat up from a blush again. Shaking his head he went to fetch his shirt from where he'd cast it on the beach, but thought better about putting it on right away. Instead he attempted to finger-comb his curls and, when that didn't work, just shook his head so they wouldn't all dry in a clump. "So you'll go with me?" He asked, both changing the subject and confirming.

She pulled ahead of him with a flick of her tail and then lost he speed in favour of a swoop lower to the water, watching her reflection and the shadows of the racing fish underneath.

"Sure," K'rel agreed with a sigh, pulling his own hair free of its tie to wring the water from it. "Between you and Siv, I doubt I'll have any say in the matter."

The brown likewise slowed his pace, but only to fly a couple of dozen yards directly above her, matching her pace to hide her in his shadow.

T'bell glanced over, thinking K'rel was still talking about the flight until he fully processed his words. After that he smiled, "Well, Harpers are persistant. It'd be nice having a friend there who won't question me. Not to say I'm expecting them to go at me like hungry tunnel snakes, or even find me...but better prepared than sorry."

She banked and turned sharply, looking up at the brown and keeping out from under him. You shadow the fish. She sent an amused note with her next words, But the view is not bad.

"Alright, alright." He lifted a hand as if to fend T'bell away, smiling. "I'll go. But I can't promise I'll stay very long. Agreed?"

Siventh let out a draconic laugh at the compliment, but nonetheless banked to the side to allow Liliath her light.

"Agreed!" He said happily, then went rooting through the bag he'd brought to see if there was more food. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as either of us think."

She swooped down again to follow a school, then tilted her wings to rise up in the air to watch them as a giant underwater shadow from above. They are like two-leggers, except they do not hide in rock.

A slight patter of rain from above alerted both the dragons to the storm. As they winged back to the beach their riders were hit by a smattering, and then a full on torrent. Within moments the meeting had degenerated into a race to get back to the weyr, even though both were already soaked.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:17 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Turnover

Turns End Event - In which T'bell and K'rel brave the social throng of celebrants, and wine is consumed. User Image

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:22 pm

T'bell and K'rel - Turnover, the Heights

The Heights - In which the two disappear for alone time, only to be pulled into a fight because of the wine. A short trip to the beach results in K'rels' drunken ravings and other...fun things.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:30 am

T'bell and K'rel - The Night and Morning 01

The brown dragon snorted, but humored the green by flying a touch higher before popping between after her, reappearing over the bowl and beginning a lazy spiral towards his own weyr. He was the first to land on the ledge, and immediately sidestepped to make room for the green, even as K'rel slid down from his back and started into the weyr to find the components for their tea.

Liliath landed delicately after and let her rider dismount before she took off again. She was back in a moment and eagerly slid into the weyr behind Siventh, using her nose to push her reluctant rider more into K'rels' area and less in theirs.

"Thank you." He mumbled to Lili, his tone put off by the shove. She'd sent the whers to the heights, where they needed their run. He peeked around the corner for K'rel as Zephyr took to Liliath for a perch. He would tell the big green of his escapade.

K'rel, meanwhile, had already given up on efforts to attract the attention of someone in the lower caverns and was digging around for cups and kettle and, well, the tea itself. "The noise must be distracting everyone in the kitchens... I know I have tea somewhere, I just, ah, can't remember where I put it. Make yourself at home, by the way."

"At home, huh?" T'bell mumbled and padded into the weyr. At least it wasn't totally unfamiliar. "Do you want some help?"

"Mn, I'll feel better if I'm the one destroying my weyr for the search. You can fix the tea itself. Ahh, here it is." He withdrew a small jar from the cabinet and closed it behind him, peeking inside briefly before stepping over and handing it to the greenrider with a smile, already considerably cheered from how he had been on the beach.

T'bell took it obediently and set to making the tea. He was less nervous if he had a means to distract himself, and the tea preparation would provide a temporary distraction.

While T'bell was fixing the tea itself, K'rel retrieved two cups and placed them on the table, then took a seat with a yawn. "Would you like anything to eat? You didn't eat much at the celebration. I can have one of the flitts bring us up something."

The offer made him smile but he shook his head. "And that'd get how far and have how many bites in it?" He grinned as he poured the tea, "I'm fine, actually. I'm good at sneaking food."

"You do have a point," he admitted, grimacing slightly. Any food he asked Calt to being was sure to be missing at least a few bites, and the other flitts probably wouldn't show up at all. Picking up his cup, he nodded his thanks to T'bell before taking a small sip. "I'm making you pay for that wineskin, you know."

T'bell rose an eyebrow and sat near him, "Should I make you pay for my expertise as a healer and harper? Between your hand andyour lectures." His eyes widened for a moment, "Your hand! Let me see that in the light."

He shook his head, frowning. "Remember, I never asked you to look at my hand, and your lectures counteract my own," he teased, stalling for a moment by sipping at the hot tea before holding out his hand for inspection.

"Don't care." T'bell mumbled as he looked over the wound. It wasn't too bad, "Where is your aid kit?" He glanced up at him, "I'll choose not to mention the broken glass to the kitchen staff."

"It won't be the only glass broken over the course of the night," he replied with a grin. Freeing his hand, he set down his cup and rose to his feet, heading towards the curtained-off bedroom and, from there, the bathroom to retrieve the kit, taking the time to wash the dried blood from his hand in the pool-like tub before wandering back out to meet T'bell. "Help yourself," he offered, setting the kit down on the table and returning to his seat.

"True." He opened the kit and flicked through to the stuff he needed, then move K'rels' hand to his lap and begin picking out the smaller glass pieces as gently as he could. With hands used to the fine-tunued motions of instrument crafting it wasn't long before he was done, and ah the wonderful smelling-but ever-useful numbweed. "When did that happen? Your manly grip or between?"

What glass shards remained had long since embedded themselves well and good into the skin on the brownrider's palm. Actually spotting them was not so difficult, but the digging that was required to remove many did not sit well with K'rel's stomach. He distracted himself with his cup of tea, fliching every so often, but otherwise remaining silent, and sighing audibly in relief once the numbweed was placed over the wounds. " Between. I think. The glass shattered as we emerged, as far as I can tell."

"It happens." T'bell said simply as he wrapped up the hand, patting the uninjured side. "You're done, and none quite the worse for wear." He picked up his somewhat neglected tea cup and sipped appreciatively. "So...did you really wait a whole turn?"

"Thank you." He offered a smile, but quirked a brow at the question, sitting back in his seat with a shrug. "Mhm. Though I made it sound harder than it was. It's not all that difficult when you're only contact with anyone is during wing training. Though, I'll admit, dragging Siventh back was difficult."

He snorted, he knew the feeling. "That was..." He frowned, "I don't think 'nice' is the right word. Considerate? It was considerate of you." He lifted his glance, "That still doesn't ecxplain why you didn't send me letters? Unless you were as chicken as me, then it's explained."

"I was as chicken as you," he replied shortly, eyes on his cup as he took another sip. "I thought you were running from me, remember? I didn't want to risk alienating you further if you were. And since you never wrote... I didn't have much excuse to write."

"I wrote once...but granted." He nodded, a light smile. "We'll never tell my mother. I'm going ot have to force that agreement right now. Should she figure we've both been wherries I'd rather not deal with the 'I told you so' lecture that will come. And she's a Master, so she lectures better than I do." He grinned. "At least you were the first to visit me, by choice or not. You had gallant purposes, saving me from your flock. You should visit more often."

"You're letter consisted of a single sentance," K'rel countered, sending the greenrider a steely glance. "What was I supposed to make of that? I should have randomly shown up and embarassed you in front of your mother, come to think of it." He grinned, shaking his head. "You'd be the talk of the Hall all over again, I'd imagine." He paused to take a sip of his tea, then continued. "Mn. I was still convinced that you were trying to stay away from me. I'm sure I'll be around fairly often. Siventh wouldn't let me stay away now."

"You'd never." He poked him, "Don't encourage a flock of Harpers, you have no idea what they're capable of. It'd backfire on you sooner than not." He huffed, but smiled at the comment about Siventh. "Like that would be any different from how he is now? Or will he let up now that you've kissed me?" He blushed lightly at that.

K'rel laughed. "I just might. I could show up and visit your mother even tomorrow. Rave on about how worried I was when you vanished without word, how Siv and I holed ourselves up and pined for a full turn." He feigned a sigh, then flashed a teasing grin. "That won't change a thing with Siv, just watch. But as long as I keep finding excuses to visit you, or vice versa, he won't complain."

"Oh please don't." He buried his head in his hands, "Not at least until I've talked to her...at length." She had been just wonderful with J'kin, and she'd known him growing up. He didn't want to imagine her with a stranger.

Chuckling, he shook his head. "I think I would need a more valid excuse than a joy trip to interrupt a day at the Haper Hall. Siv and I won't go provided you don't randomly show up at the Beasthold."

T'bell would not mention that to his mother, he was always a valid excuse. "I don't know where it is." He pointed out fairly, "So my half of the bargain would be filled. I don't suppose I could go flouncing between to visit your parents, or that you'd enjoy it."

"On the contrary, I would find it quite amusing. They, on the other hand, would not." He grinned wryly, shrugging. "The only thought they had to the notion of a dragonrider in the family was one less set of hands to help out around the hold. They respect the riders, of course, and they're proud and all, but they would be less than thrilled to lose daylight chatting with anyone, dragonrider or not."

He nodded, "Seems fair. When we search we do remove hands people need just as often as hands people ignore. My mother bemoaned the same once or twice." He sipped his tea, happy to see the angry and somewhat raving K'rel of the beach had disappeared between. Tea solved most things, same with klah.

"Mhm," he mumbled past his cup, then set it down with a yawn. "S'cuse. I can't say I much miss the Beasthold. I wouldn't go back. If something were to happen to Siv, I mean. I'd find somewhere else that suited me."
"Like Liliath appropriating him for her own purposes? Finally becoming the first dragon to ever own another dragon?"

I like that idea. She rumbled sleepily. You can keep his rider.

"In that case I've been gifted you. I'll have many chores for you, rest assured."

"After watching how he hangs about her, that's exactly what I was thinking," the brownrider replied dryly. "Have you, now? Well, I'll do my best to live up to expectations, oh.. wise...greenthingy." He wiggled his fingers sarcastically, finishing off his tea and setting the cup back on the table.

"I've been downgraded from 'lovely' to 'little' to 'thingy' now?" He quirked a brow and sipped what was left of his tea. "And here I was thinking I'd be upgraded...or was it the dunking? That was Liliath's idea...mostly."

"Ah, but I've gone from Wingsecond to 'equal' to 'property'," he replied, chuckling. "If I have to be owned, the least you can do is let me refer to you as 'greenthingy'."

"I should be in charge if you're owned." T'bell pouted, "And as much as I dislike 'little green' I certainly dislike 'thingy' more." He set his tea down. "I'm sure Siventh doesn't mind being the property of a green. He's big enough to be property. You're not big enough to be...anything more than an item, I'd say."

I do not mind, Siventh agreed sleepily, snuggling sideways against the green.

"You're no help," K'rel muttered, then blinked, frowning. "An item? So I'm still moving down? That's really not fair. Here now, you can pick your own title if I can pick mine. Agreed? Go."

He fidgeted, "I'd rather just be upgraded again. I can't be introduced to your friends, "This is T'bell, my greenthingy. Rider of greenthingy Liliath.', I don't think that's go over well."

"I think Liliath would drop me between if I called her a 'greenthingy'." He stiffled a laugh at the greenrider's reply, then reluctantly nodded. "Very well. So back to 'lovely', is it?"

"I suppose if that's the best there is." He hid behind his bangs. "And what would you be? K'rel, my item of incomparable use? K'rel, my hot property? K'rel the barbarian?"

"Barbarian?" He raised a brow and gave T'bell a long look, apparently debating whether to take offense or not at the title. However, he soon shook his head, reaching a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Let's just...stick with K'rel, shall we?"

"Well with your ranting and swimming habits." He stifled a smirk, "And here I was just about to suggest 'K'rel, my third and odd-looking flitt.', I thought it had a ring to it."

I do not want another flitt. Liliath sent, He is very large, and not as pretty.

"Both of which are provoked by you and your dragon," he replied dryly, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair and his cheek against his knuckles. "Whichever you prefer, I'm leaving it up to you. But if I'm to be a flitt, I get to sit on your shoulders."

"Not likely." He snorted. "You can be K'rel for now, but I'll inquire of my sisters at a later date, and they'll find something equal to 'thingy' for your monicker." He shrugged, "I retain the rights to 'silly brown' when needed."

He chuckled, smile returning as he nodded an agreement. "But in that case, I'm still free to use 'little green' at my leisure."

"...blast." He sighed, then pouted. "I suppose if you say so. Just not in public." He tapped K'rels' nose, "That's the last thing I need, for it to become a common nickname."

"Not in public," he promised, grinning. "Though, if anyone else did start using it, Siventh would eat them at once. So I doubt that will be much of a problem."

"It would cause problems, Siventh going around and eating people." He sighed, "So what priviledges do I get as 'lovely green'?"

He nodded seriously, then sat back in his chair, sweeping his arms in a lazy gesture of the room. "Free reign of my weyr. And permission to tell me when I'm making a fool of myself without becoming Siv's dinner."

"Free reign, huh? Well that's not so bad. I'll save telling you you're being a fool to the most severe cases, elsewise I'd be following you around everywhere." He grinned cheekily, "Do I get a tour?"

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing," he replied brightly, folding his arms across his chest. "Siv tends to miss the foolish moments as easily as I do. It would be good having someone around to knock some sense into me. You've already seen the place," he added, quirking a bro, but nonetheless let his hands fall and rose to his feet. "It's the same as any other weyr, just a touch bigger. Not that I've much use for the size."

"I've seen here, and the pool." He pointed out. "Hardly a grand tour." He shrugged and played with the end of his braid, "I have no problem dunking you again, if need be. Liliath will lift you highr next time." He grinned, "We'll not do it in fornt of the wing."

"Ah yes, allow me some dignity infront of my wingriders." He raised a brow, eyeing the greenrider curiously for a moment, but nodded, waving out towards the dragons. "That's the ledge. This is the living room," he paused, gesturing vaguely around the room they were standing in, then started for the curtain to the bedroom and pushed it aside enough to let T'bell pass. "And this... is apparently the only room you have not seen yet."

T'bell stood to follow him and hung back a little. "Well it would be fair to show me where I'm sleeping, don't you think?" He mumbled, "I may be bonded to a wher but my night-vision extends only to places I know...or where they are, for that matter. Long enough and they'll be down here too I suppose." He peered in. "I don't see any traps, I suppose it's safe?"

"It's perfectly safe," K'rel assured him, rolling his eyes. "What kind of person do you take me for?" While he spoke, he let the curtain fall and stepped over to a shelf to unshield a glowbasket, then around the bed to do the same for a second. "On second thought, don't answer that." The bedroom was fairly plain, but neat, and it was clear that not much time was spent there. The only furniture was composed of the bed, a chest for clothes, and a small desk shattered with scraps of writing hides off to one side. The bedfurs themselves looked like they hadn't been touched in days. "I usually sleep on the couch," he mumbled in explanation, nodding back the way they had come. "Or with Siv."

"You were the kind that slept in the stables, were't you?" He smiled, "Impliments of death and torture would b a deal breaker. I just had to make sure. You know," He sidled up to the brownrider, "I don't think I can compete with a dragon, so how does using the bed sound? At least while I'm present."

"Mhm," he affirmed, smiling and glancing down to the greenrider. "Still do, in fact, when Siv's peeved at me." Grinning, he looped an arm around T'bell's shoulders, nodding towards the bed. "I think I can live with that. Tired already?"

"You were the one yawning," He nudged him lightly with an elbow, "I have whers, I'm used to late nights." He looked distracted for a moment, "They will be needing to get used to you. They got accustomed to Imirin fairlu quickly, and you're not as bad as he is."

"Oh, I'm exhausted," he brightly assured T'bell, nodding. "But I can stay up. Though, I'm afraid every time I've met your whers they're tried to eat me."

"And failed." T'bell chirped with a smile. "We can go to bed if you like. Actually..." He reached up to play with K'rels' ponytail and pawed at his shirt. "The salt is drying on you, and you could probably use a soak. You'll bel ittering salt crystals everywhere, and in that state I'll get them all over me. The next thing you know my whers will have turned on me because I'm so delicious."

"But tried nonetheless," he pointed out seriously. However, he soon grinned, cocking his head to the side. "Someone is growing clingy with the late hour. I'll have to keep that in mind. In the mean time, a bath would be most welcome before bed... Care to join me?" he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Not clingy!" T'bell huffed and backed off, sending him towards the bath with a light push. He blushed at his words and fidgeted, looking at his feet. "No...I'll...I'll clean up the tea. You were the one who took a dunking. Maybe next time?"

"I knew I'd see that blush again," he replied with a grin, but nodded, letting his hand fall and stepping past T'bell for the bathroom. "Suit yourself. There're clothes in the trunk if you'd like to change into something more comfortable for bed. Don't feel obligated to clean up the tea. I can do it once I'm out of the bath."

"It's fine." T'bell called after him. He felt a nervousness leave his stomach at the knowledge sleeping naked wasn't expected, and let out a breath. "I'll just find some breeches, is that Ok?"

"Help yourself," K'rel called back after tugging the curtain closed behind him. Clothes were quickly discarded to one side of the room and he slid into the bathing pool with a sigh, freeing his hair with dipping below the water completely and resurfacing to bathe.

T'bell made short work of the clean up and quickly changed into a suitable pair of breeches, though they had to be hitched to avoid sliding over his hips. His clothes were folded and placed on top of the trunk, and after a moment he sat down at the chair by the desk, unbraiding his hair.

The bath, without attacks from the four flitts that normally frequented it, was likewise finished quickly. Before long K'rel, hair still dripping and a towel around his waist, stepped back past the curtain and into the door, utterly ignoring T'bell while he retrieved a pair of pants for himself and wandered back into the bathroom to actually dress. A minute or so later he reappeared and took a seat on the edge of the bed, lazily scrubbing his hair dry.

T'bell was quite aware of his entry and exit but turned his head down when the brownrider reappeared. "Better?" He began rebraiding his hair, the tie held lightly between his lips.

"Much," he admitted, sending a smile T'bell's way. After a bit he set the towel down at his side and turned slightly to watch T'bell braid, lazily running a hand through his own hair. "Why do you always braid your hair?"

"Becaue it turns into a large mass of uncontrollable curls if I don't." He looked up as he finished it off, tie still in his mouth. "Why?"

He shrugged, meanwhile pulling his own hair back into the usual quick ponytail. "Because whenever I braid mine, it only makes it curly, and that seems to be what you're trying to prevent."

"Believe me, mine is curly no matter what I do to it." He smilled as he wrapped the tie around it. "Yours would go wavy. This? This is a genetic thing, but unfortunatly I haven't mastered it like my sisters have."

"Wavy, curly," he waved a hand in dismissal, flopping back to lay across the bed with his legs still hanging off the side. "Same thing. You should keep it down sometimes."

"Not when I'm sleeping." He stood up and flipped the braid back over his shoulder, "Maybe some time, yes...but flying and sleeping it gets in my way." He plopped down on the bed with an ease that masked his nervousness. "You keep yours back too."

"Understandable," he agreed with a nod, turning to lie appropriately on the bed, but for the moment avoiding the pillow. "Mine just falls. Yours looks nice, at least. I'll probably cut mine soon, to be honest."

"Why? It looks good. I like yours when it's down. Mine is unruly." He watched him for a second, "Should I shade the glows?"

"It's a nuisance." He shrugged, then blinked, quickly sitting up. "Don't bother, I'll get them. I have to shade the ones in the living room anyway." He quickly climbed to his feet, hurrying from the room with a 'Make yourself comfortable'.

"If yours is a nuisance than I have no idea what mine is." He mumbled as he crawled up and then under the furs, taking the spot near the wall.

The light beyond the curtain dimmed and went out as the glowbaskets were shielded, and before long K'rel returned, pausing to shield each in the bedroom before sliding into bed beside the greenrider.

T'bell was quiet for a minute after K'rel slid next to him, then he rolled onto his back. "Did I take your side?"

Chuckling, K'rel rolled onto his side to face the greenrider despite the darkness, shaking his head. "It's fine. I don't really have a 'side'."

T'bell shifted until he was facing him too. "I suppose not, sleeping with your dragon all the time. Should I be jealous?"

"Probably." The brownrider grinned. "But not until I choose him and rock over you and bed. For now, I think you're safe."

"Well I can't compete with him, he'll just eat me." He pushed his bangs behind his ears and shifted a bit. "Think you've sobered up now?'

"Ahh, I doubt that. You're a bit too stringy for his tastes. He'd probably just toss you around a bit," K'rel assured him, hand wandering over to play idly along the greenrider's side. "Sober enough, I'd think. The tea helped a great deal. And the loss of the rest of the wineskin."

"You deserved that. And that's very comforting." He added wryly. "So you won't be waking up tomorrow with a splitting headache wondering who is in bed next to you?"

"Only if I'm attacked by flitts in my sleep and receive wounds that results in a sudden case of amnesia. Which is entirely possible," he admittedly seriously. "If unlikely."

"....Well if you'll forget it by morning anyway." He mumbled, then leaned forward enough to give him a soft kiss.

He lingered with the kiss for a short while, hand falling still on the greenrider's hip, but drew back enough to speak quietly, raising a brow. "So that's your excuse, it is?"

"Mhm." T'bell mumbled, then shifted to roll over. "And it's easier when I can't see you in the dark."

"I take offense to that," he countered with a soft laugh, hand sliding forward to loop around T'bell's waist and draw the greenrider back against him.

T'bell swallowed nervously but sighed, "Oh I didn't mean it like that, otherwise I would have dunked you again on the beach."

"I'm sure you didn't," he replied, only half joking. If K'rel sensed T'bell's nerves, he said nothing on the subject, arm over the greenrider's waist releasing its grip a touch to allow him to pull away if he wanted to, only lightly holding him in place.

T'bell snatched his wrist to prevent him from pulling too far away, but relaxed when he didn't flee entirely. After a moment he flipped his braid over his shoulder and out of the way and inched back against K'rel. "Good night."

The display brought a smile to K'rel's face, but he only tightened his grip tightly once more, closing his eyes. "Good night."

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:35 am

T'bell and K'rel - The Night and Morning 02

The night passed without incident, and it was late in the morning before small fair of firelizards returned from their night of cavorting with the others of the weyr. All four darted past the dozing dragons on the ledge in a quick line, one after the other, dipping through the living room and popping between just before hitting the curtain to reappear directly over the bed and the two sleeping riders. Trills and bugles of hello were the wakeup call as the lot dropped to land on the bed and pile on the brownrider who was, by this time, cowering beneath his pillow. The process was nothing out of the ordinary, but was annoying enough on a normal day. Today, with his head throbbing from the moment he cracked an eye... it was the last thing the brownrider wanted to deal with.

"OUT!" He finally ordered, swatting his pillow at the nearest of the flitts--who happened to be the brown, Murry--and sitting up with a finger pointed towards the door. "OUT!" He repeated to the now-silent flitts, who darted out the way they had come with only a soft chirp of protest from Grel. Groaning, the brownrider brought a hand to his head and fell back to his pillow, closing his eyes. Just sleep again, sleep would be good...

T'bell woke with a start, and for a moment was very confused as to where he was. And then the fact that K'rel was beside him registered and he jumped again. By the time the flitts had left his mind had caught up with his wakefullness and he pushed his messy bangs out of his face.

"Do they always do that?" He asked quietly as he sunk back to the pillows. A rudimentary check proved that the whers had managed quite well on their own the previous night, Zephyr was asleep, albeit groggy now, on Liliath's neck, and Flute was off doing something interesting, and was happy to send him a few impressions before ignoring his fuzzy mind. All was well in the world of the winged. His head felt none the worse for wear, just the usual sleep-groggy that came to him in the morning. He squinted at the dark and closed his eyes again.

"Yes," K’rel mumbled, eyes still stubbornly shut. The events of the night before were still somewhat muddled to his sleep-clouded mind, but concerns as to exactly why he was waking up beside the greenrider were next to none. He was sure there must be a perfectly valid reason and that it would come to him fairly soon, else T'bell would sound much more panicked. "But only if I oversleep. Wonder what time it is."

"Sun's up decently." He remarked and ducked his head under the blankets. Flute's images had been bright. "Before midday I'd say." He opened an eye to peek at him. "Hangover?"

"Mn." He grunted an affirmative, likewise pulling the furs up over his head. "Could've done without the waking. No light, please."

T'bell happily settled down into the bed. He was content to remain asleep, and if not that then pleasantly dreary. "I'm not opening the curtains, or the glows. I’m not moving...unless you need something?" He pushed himself up on an elbow to look at the brownrider, a blush on his cheeks now that he was awake enough to be embarrassed. "Or are you still working through last night?"

K'rel mumbled a protest that was probably something along the lines of 'No moving' when T'bell sat up, and soon simply tightened his arm once more to pull the greenrider back down against him. He risked a peek from beneath the blankets and managed a faint smile, eyes still, for the most part, closed. "I'm fine. Could do with some klah, per'aps, but I'll get to that later. Don't trouble yourself."

He blushed again at being pulled close and awkwardly resettled himself. "Not troubled." He pushed his hair out of his eyes again but gave up. With a yawn he laid his head back down on the pillow. He was both content and nervous about where he was, but at least the brownrider wasn't yelling at him and questioning his presence.

That was always a good way to start a morning.

The nervousness stemmed from the closeness of another and the newness of the situation. He supposed that would go away in time. The thought of being a bumbling fool forever didn't sit well with him.

Calt chose that moment to make a cautious reentry, popping into existence near the doorway and dipping down to alight on the foot of the bed. He crooned a quiet greeting, then carefully crawled up behind the brownrider, nudging K'rel's shoulder with his head. When his bond's only reply was a muttered curse, the little blue tried once again--this time stepping carefully around the pillow to headbutt T'bell.

T'bell opened an eye and reached out to pet the flitt in a long used-to gesture. Seems Zephyr didn't like having to share a bed with another human...or perhaps didn't like K'rels' bed. Anyhow he petted the blue flitt, eyes closing again. "You're a right cheerful one in the morning, aren't you?" He mumbled with mild amusement at K'rels' actions.

The little blue cocked his head curiously at the greenrider, but chirped a cheery hello, nudging T'bell's hand for further petting. "He's hungry," K'rel mumbled without looking up, which gave way to a yawn. "Go 'way, Calt, we'll eat later."

"Wouldn't surprise me." He gave the blue a final scratch and reluctantly slid from under the furs, over K'rel, and padded along the stone of the weyr. "Klah, and breakfast?" He stretched and ran a hand through his bangs. "Can you stomach food?"

K'rel made one final attempt to catch T'bell's arm as he slid past, missed, and reluctantly sat up, rubbing his head with the heel of his hand. He shot a glare towards the flitt, who replied with a trilled good morning that made K'rel flinch. The brownrider reluctantly slid off the bed to his feet, stumbling after T'bell towards the living room. "I'd think so. It's not bad, just...headache. The tea really helped, I think. Thanks."

"Do you want to order?" T'bell offered. Really he was thinking of the drama it would cause in the kitchens, hearing his voice in anothers' weyr. Not that they wouldn't already have enough to talk about, but he didn't want to help.

He looked around in the dim light of the room and fidgeted, his feet cool on the stone. "I think I'm going to have a bath, if it's all right with you?"

"Mm, and have them wondering who I'm got here with me rather than gossiping about you being here?" K'rel countered with a faint grin, following T'bell's train of thought. Nonetheless, he nodded, waving the greenrider back towards the bathroom. "Help yourself. I'll get breakfast."

"Thanks" T'bell said with a small smile and a blush of embarrassment that K'rel had gotten it right. He snatched his clothes from the day before, padded towards the bathroom, and quickly sunk into the hot water. "Just call me when it comes up?"

K'rel lifted a hand in agreement, regardless of whether T'bell could see or not, and stepped over to the chute, calling down for breakfast for two and retreating to the couch to wait. Before long a rumble from the chute signaled the arrival of breakfast and, retrieving the tray, he placed it on the table and took a seat, pouring himself a mug of klah and taking a sip before calling for T'bell. "Food's here!"

T'bell padded out obediently in his breeches. His hair was down and towel-tousseled, falling in ringlets while the water weighed it down. He sniffed the klah appreciatively and heard Zephyr's curious chirp from Liliath's back.

His green was just beginning to wake up and he could feel her on the edge of his senses, wallowing in the dozing state.

He laid his shirt down to put on when his hair had dried enough not to make it too wet and snatched his cup of klah. "Delicious." After a sip he sat down, glancing at K'rel now in the morning light. "How's your head?"

K'rel glanced up as the greenrider reappeared, offering a smile which grew slightly when he noted that T'bell's hair was down, then returning his attention to his already half-empty mug. He would slow down as coherence returned. "Light is evil, but the klah is helping. Most of the headache is probably from the attack of the flitts and not the wine, honestly."

"From how much you drank..." He grinned, "I was pretty relieved you weren't yelling at me this morning, to be honest. I still half expected it." He looked over the fare as a little blue flitt padded over the stone to him, stretching his wings as he walked and giving himself an unbalanced and rather gangly appearance. T'bell rubbed his head in greeting. "Anything you ordered specifically for yourself?"

"If I had been allowed to finish off that wineskin, I would be." He grinned his thanks, then shook his head, climbing to his feet and plucking a handful of meatrolls from the tray to disperse among his flitts. "Help yourself. The kitchens know by now to send a mountain of everything for these endless stomachs."

T'bell let Zephyr begin his morning by gnawing on a meatroll and happily helped himself to some of the food. "How's your hand?" He managed after he finished his first mouthful.

A meatroll was passed to eat flitt, all of whom had taken up perches over the hearth and had been enviously eyeing Zeph until their own breakfasts arrived. The last was saved for K'rel, who took a bite as he headed back towards the table. "A little stiff, but I think that's just from the numbweed. No lasting damage."

"I can dress it again, if you want." He offered. He knew how hard it was to dress a hand wound. He looked up as Flute glided in to perch on the table with a trilled scale of notes as a welcome. He moved her to his lap beside Zephyr and gave her a meatroll to work on as well.

"There's no need." He shook his head, sliding back into his seat and retrieving his mug. "But thank you. None of the cuts were deep, if I remember correctly. They'll go without numbweed just fine."

T'bell sipped his klah quietly and ate for a few moments, enjoying the silence. When he finally spoke it was with a shy look to K'rel. "So...what happens now? I just...I wonder, since I really have no clue."

"I don't know," he admitted with a smile, stalling by sipping at his mug. "I can't say I'm found myself in a situation like this one in a long while. I suppose we go about our business as usual. Threadfall is in a few days..." He paused, glancing up. "I don't think much has changed between us, really. Do you?"

"If you don't count the kissing and the sleeping and the possibility of future..." He coughed, "...relations, then yes. Nothing has changed." He sipped what was left of his klah and set the mug down. Zephyr stuck his head inside to lap curiously at what was left. Flute soon joined him, warring for headspace. "My usual business involves hiding from the Weyr, as does yours." He hid a smile, "I suppose we now just hide from the Weyr together?"

"I meant no offense." He grinned, raising a brow at the greenrider. "And that was bound to happen sooner or later if you hung around me enough. So hardly anything has changed." He corrected himself, shrugging. "There are many ways to hide from the Weyr. As soon as I'm sure I won't be needed, we can go explore one of them."

T'bell rose his eyebrows at the statement, " What do you mean 'bound to happen'? Do you make drunken moves on all of your acquaintances?" He shook a finger at him mock scolding. "Or is your charm simply so irresistible that anyone who spends enough time around you will succumb?"

"A bit of both, I'd imagine," he replied dryly, feigning boredom. "But you have to take into consideration that my number of acquaintances if very small, and the greater majority I actually haven't spoken with since coming to Rias."

"I should keep you from the kitchen then. Soon you'll be having all the workers up here simply because they serve you klah on a regular basis." He grinned, "And my oh my, are you charming when you're drunk." He stifled a laugh and helped himself to some fruit. "I forgive you though.'

"Believe it or not, I am on very good terms with the kitchen staff," he countered as he poured himself a fresh mug of klah. "But wrinkly old women do not join me in my weyr for breakfast. Some of the younger ones, perhaps..." He smiled innocently around his mug, then quickly added, "Don't tell them I said that."

"I will should I need to fend them off." He said innocently.

I will eat them. Liliath countered, then dragon-yawned. And if they have a dragon I will eat them too. I am in no mood to share unless Mnementh himself offers to fly me. She looked appraisingly at Siventh, I would let you a go at his queen in that case.

T'bell snickered and relayed her words to K'rel.

Ramoth is a great queen, Siventh replied lazily, lifting the first two pairs of eyelids. But I would not dare fly after her. Mnementh would follow as well, and the shock of losing her to me would kill the poor bronze.

Snickering, K'rel passed his words to T'bell. "Our two might as well be gold and bronze, hmm?"

I would be keepig him busy. She sniffed haughtily and stretched as much she could without moving too far.

"Oh don't I know it." He shook his head, "I'm just lucky she's not. Can you imagine me running a Weyr?"

Mnementh is very protective of Ramoth, the brown admitted slowly. He is very proud of her.

"...I could see it." K'rel shrugged, setting down his mug. "You'd have no choice but to confront things instead of hiding away. And you're smart, you'd manage. But no male goldriders, eh? I wonder why...? It seems possible, if there are male greenriders."

He shook his head, "I think it's the same with the bronzeriders. They are...the ideal?" He shrugged, "They uphold the purest, most clear example of their gender. Every goldrider I have met is nothing but a woman. A strong-minded, direct, driven, woman." He shrugged, "The bronzes fare much the same way. I suppose as the colours go down you get more mixing of the ideal gender types."

Most are proud of her. She clicked her jaws, tired of this talk of golds. They all turned green with age anyway, and she was a far brighter green and right from the beginning. It was a better colour.

"The ideal, hmm?" He raised a brow, but grinned. "I'll accept that. It is as you've said, anyway. Still, it'd be an interesting sight to see, a male goldrider. Just imagining the face of the bronzeriders if a male Impressed..." He barely succeeded in fending off a laugh.

He wrinkled his nose. "I've met a few bronzeriders I like. A few." He shook his head, "I just don't mesh well with them. Some singers don't go well together even if it's the same tune, you know?" He shrugged, "You browns are notoriously boring and dull." He snorted, "Apparently they have not looked far enough in your shell."

"A few," K'rel echoed, grinning. "May I be the first to say that I am thrilled my Wingleader rides a brown." He slumped back in his chair, but snuck a hand forward to pluck a piece of fruit from the tray. "Of course we are. If we weren't, nothing would get done."

"And without the greens and blues to run the errands..." He grinned and pushed his mostly-dry hair over his shoulders as he stood. "Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to get going." He looked genuinely sorry for the fact as he began to pull his hair into sections for braiding. "Speaking of errands and all."

"Exactly," he replied brightly, though his smile faded immediately with the announcement that T'bell was leaving. However, it soon returned, though it appeared somewhat forced as he rose to see the greenrider out. "Understandable. I have a few things I need to get done myself."

T'bell paused in braiding his hair when he caught the expression and padded over to the brownrider, looking up curiously. "You're always so unhappy when I have to leave." He let his hair go, "And not that I'm disappointed, because it's...kind of nice." He mumbled and looked down, "But it makes me wonder sometimes. Are you really that lonely?"

K'rel blinked, caught off guard by the question. However, he soon recovered, offering a considerably more genuine smile as he shrugged. "I enjoy your company," he replied simply, and left it at that. "Here, I'll see you out."

"Not that easily." T'bell caught his arm and kept him from walking off. "I feel guilty every time I leave," He tilted his head, thoughtful, "Though I suppose that might have to do with me running off for a year."

He paused as T'bell caught his arm, turning back to face the greenrider. "It might," he agreed, folding his arms across his chest. "Don't feel guilty."

"Then stop frowning at me like I've just sat on your flitt." He sighed, "I don't see why you don't seek me out more. What am I going to do, turn you away? I think it was pretty clear with the last flight that even if I bar the door you'll get in anyway." He stuck out his tongue, blushing lightly. "I'd welcome the company."

He seemed momentarily baffled by T'bell's words, but soon smiled, nodding in agreement. "At this point I'd be more like to smile if you did sit on one of the flitts... I'll come bother you more often, then. If you insist. But don't be afraid to turn me away if you're busy with anything."

"You seem quiet enough that breathing in the same room as me wouldn't distract me." He smiled, "Remember, I'm from the Harper Hall. It's not exactly quiet and slow there. It'll take more than your presence to put me off my work..." He blushed, "Unless you're strutting about or trying to distract me."

Like with the face-eating. Liliath rumbled to them both. I do not get this face-eating.

"All the same," K'rel continued, attempting to disregard Liliath's 'face eating' comment that had been passed to him through Siv, "Let me know when you're tired of me hanging around, or I might never leave." He grinned, then gestured T'bell towards the ledge, lazily heading that way at his side.

T'bell was snickering but red in the cheeks at her comment. "I will let you know." He promised, "Or the whers will. Either way."

Will there be no face-eating before we leave? She butted Siventh's neck affectionately before stretching cat-like and resettling her wings.

T'bell blushed and shot her a look. "Do dragons have nothing better to do other than to meddle?"

"Apparently not." The brownrider sent Liliath an appraising look as Siventh passed on her words, but, as he turned back to the greenrider, paused to press a kiss to his forehead. "And that's all for now, Liliath. I've held you up long enough."

She snorted, then turned and bit Siventh's snout very lightly in a mockery of this face-eating practice. We will return. She crouched for T'bell to mount.

"Held me up? Hardly." He smiled and gave up on his hair, wrapping the tie to form a curly ponytail for now. He climbed aboard Liliath, the flitts careening out in front of him, and waved. "Don't be a stranger."

I am not sure I like this face-eating practice. Siventh nearly crossed his eyes in an effort to eye the spot Liliath had nipped. However, he quickly lost interest, lifting his head to follow the green. We will come visit soon.

The brownrider smiled, but said nothing, simply lifting a hand in goodbye.

Liliath made a responsible take off from the weyr, circling in the bowl before dipping out of sight to enter her own.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:35 am

T'bell

A new turn, only one day in and it's brought so many changes even yet.

Last night was, to say the least, progressive in my personal relationships. It seems to be a secret for now, but K'rel and I, despite many misunderstandings and surprising arguments, spent the night together.

All night.

Nothing of any physical sort happened, which I'm relieved to say. I'm not quite sure I'm up to that degree of change so quickly. Save for a few kisses and a perfectly gentlemanly morning (in a contrast to drunken ravings the night before) he was thankfully chaste. I was nervous, I won't lie. It still makes me uncomfortable to think o a mating flight without...the mating flight. Fortunately the complete loss, or merging, of self that comes with a mating flight does away with most of the awkwardness of the situation and instead you're only left with the morning to deal with...or the afternoon, depending on when you wake. I'm not used to being mentally present and accountable during...well my cheeks are hot even writing about it. It's a performance largely unrehearsed on a stage I haven't become familiar with. At the same time I feel pressure not to disappoint.

I may find myself asking Imirin for advice. For all of his surly attitude and spiky exterior we seem to get on fairly well. He aggravates me but I suppose it's a kind of friendship.

I have some things to do today, and I wonder where I will be spending the night. Hopefully L'mur will forgive me for last night -he Impressed!- I would really like to catch up with him.

~T'bell

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:37 am

T'bell and Imirin

"Hello?" T'bell called through the door. The trader wasn't visible, and he was notoriously protective of his belongings. "Imirin, are you in?"

A grunt answered him, then the trader appeared around the corner of a shelf. A thuroughly unimpressed expression on his face. "I thought that sounded like you." He pointed to the door. "Go away."

T'bell frowned at him, "I have something I want to ask you about!"

Imirin was pushing him towards the door even as he spoke. "Go. Gim'me a minute. Need clothes."

"You're dressed!" T'bell stumbled out into the hall exasperated and spun to face the trader.

"She ain't." A smirk and a shut door. Understanding dawned on the greenrider and he blushed. A few moments later a young lady scuttled out of the room and both rider and woman avoided the eyes of the other. Imirin appeared at the doorway. "Now, what did you want?"

"Women, Imirin?" T'bell asked quietly. His experiences with the trader had suggested otherwise. He followed the tanned man back into his room and shut the door behind him.

The trader shrugged and set about cleaning up. There was a large table littered with bowls and masks, bottles of paint and various brushes. "I deal with the willin'." There was a faint but not offensive smell of the chemicals he used in his work. Obviously he intended to set up shop for as long as it took for the caravan to come back around.

"They don't pay you, do they?" T'bell asked with disbelief.

"No." Imirin cast him a withering look, then flicked his red bangs out of his eyes, "But they should." He grinned and pulled up a heavy chair to sit in. "What can I do for you, and what do I get for it?"

The greenrider scuffed his boots on the floor and looked around. "Advice, mostly." He showed signs of hem and hawing so Imirin waved his hands impatiently. "About K'rel."

The trader snorted. "Ah, so I wasn't the only one sowin' my seeds last night. How is he?"

T'bell blushed, "No seeds got sown!" He replied hotly, then looked down again. "Not yet...but they might."

"And I have a right load of experience in this area, so you come to me?" He stood and shook his head, "I don't know whether to be right flattered or offended."

T'bell crossed his arms and glared at the man even though he was nearly half a head above him. "Be offended, I don't care as long as you're serious for a bit."

He chuckled and padded around his room which had once and would again double as a shop. "What do you need to know? You've done a fair amount of flights before, it can't be that."

T'bell busied himself by not looking at Imirin. "Not a lot. Besides, only flights...so...other stuff I'm not so...experienced in." He jumped when he felt the trader behind him and arms wrap around his waist. The voice in his ear was low and devious.

"You want me to show you?"

Zephyr chirped at the closeness of another human that was not his owner. Imirin jumped back with a curse, he hadn't seen the blue wrapped around T'bells neck. He glared at the little flitt with malice, though he was quieter than most.

"No." T'bell faced him, better not to turn his back, with a blush and a glare. "Not that sort of education Imirin."

"You should thank me for the offer." He spat, shooting a look at the firelizard and stomping back to his chair. "If this is no fun for me then what do I get?"

"You owe me quite a bit, if we're talking favours, with all the running between I did for you. That's worth a lot."

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Put the trader in lifelong debt. Why didn't you ask your mother about the intricacies?" He waved his hand, "I'm not givin' you that speech."

"I know that speech!" T'bell huffed. "I want...not details, but some more of an idea. I know how it works, thank you." He gritted his teeth, "I just...you know."

"Sit, and I'll share my knowledge." Imirin gestured to the partner chair with a smirk. "This should be amusin'."

***

A candlemark later T'bell shuffled out the door, red in the face. Zephyr followed him out and landed delicately on his shoulder. The firelizard buried his nose in the greenrider's curls and chirruped curiously. T'bell rose a hand to stroke the flitts' folded wings.

Startlingly clear pictures of K'rel and a large brown mass that could on be Siventh as seen from Zephyr's point of view wheedled into his mind surrounded by a cloud of curiousity and worry. T'bell smiled and comforted the firelizard even as he felt a long smooth tail wrap around his neck and the weight settle back in his customary place under his hair.

The rider heaved a sigh and cast a look back at the closed door behind him. He could hear the trader rustling about inside, the events that had passed serving as nothing more than a vast amusement to him. He sighed and passed down the stone hall and to the kitchen for a snack.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:45 pm

T'bell and K'rel - The Weyrbowl 01

T’bell:
The sun was beating down ruthlessly in the weyrbowl but despite that Liliath was only too happy to sun herself even closer to the blazing ball of fire on the heights. She was happily sated after a plump herdbeast and her eyes were closed all but for her last set of eyelids, which were open only an inch to observe the goings-on.

T'bell sat by the pond watching the herdbeasts calm down after the dragon had ducked into their midst and stolen one of their own. They didn't seem to mind much now that she was gone. Poor things expected thier lives to end. The flitts were frolicking in the air, but for Zephyr who had made his home in the water. Flute was quite hapy to act as queen of her own flock for a while and he laid back on the grass to watch the colourful shapes dart above him.

T’bell:
Liliath opened an eye from the hieghts and watched the brown swoop down to pick off a meal of his own. The browns hunted differently from her, or so it seemed. She had already gotten the 'best' lunch, and so she closed her eyes when he rose to the cliffs. The smell of herdbeast made her stomach rumble appreciatively, though more in digestion than envy. It had been good. The northern animals did not taste right.

T'bell's eyes crossed at the unfamiliar voice, and the flitts above him scattered as the browns' shadow swept over them. The poor beasts were off in a run again, just as they'd calmed down. T'bell laid his head back down on the grass, dozy with the sunlight. So K'rel was coming? That would be nice.

T’bell:
"Of course." T'bell half groaned. "You have no idea what kind of power the sun has after being in the north so long. No idea at all. I feel heavy as a sack of firestone." He grinned and moved the arm covering his eyes to glance over. "How are you?"

T’bell:
"I don't even want to think about that." T'bell grunted. "I spent my weyrling years worrying, and my wingrider years fretting, and now I'm still a wingrider, and it's going to fall no matter what, so I might as well just scorch it and avoid getting burned." He shrugged and rolled over to look at the brownrider, nudging him with a boot. "What do you think?"

T’bell:
"Good. Appropriately spoken, sir Wingsecond. Another rousing pep talk for the wing?" He grinned and propped his head up with his hand, looking down at him. 'We should have another day of dragon games before the fall. It might help people sharpen up. Besides, Liliath likes to win.' He chuckled, she was fast even for a green.

T’bell:
T'bell shrugged and smiled again, poking him in the chest. "A bunch of lazy riders, aren't we all, if a day of games has us out of commission? Give it a bit of time and we'll be back in shape."

T’bell:
"Hero?" He snorted, "We'll leave that to the bronzeriders. We fly the top, that doesn't mean we don't have to leave anything for the rest of you. We'll do our best but we won't get scorched because we have something to prove." He rolled his eyes, "I got past that in my weyrling days. I'd rather come out having done a good job and being unharmed."

T’bell:
T'bell frowned at him and poked him, "Do I strike you as a 'save the day' sort of person, K'rel? I'm not exactly hotheaded. I should be warning you." He sighed, "Greens don't lend well to the heroic thing. We're the ones people forget about, or the ones riders of other colurs think are absolutely useless while we're up saving their hides from thread...yet they're known to blame the greens if anything goes wrong." He scowled. "I'm not a weyrling anymore, thank you."

T’bell:
"Not many people have much sense until they need someone to blame or someone to fly." He frowned, then poked him for the comment about the blues. "It's good to know the weyrlings will be in on it. It'll give the older riders some mroe work, I think, to watch out for them. There's no point saving a weyrling if you're going ot get scorched, but if you can manage without harm then it's a ncie thing to do, I'd imagine." He pulled a length of K'rels hair, "So what have you been doing all morning?"

T’bell:
"She's ready to foal soon, isn't she?" He asked. "I should meet them some time."

T’bell:
"Heh," He scratched his head, "I have no idea how long those things take. I didn't think she was that far along." He gave a little shrug, "Whenever you are not busy, being wingsecond and all." He leaned over him, "You do have a lot to do right now, don't you? With thread and everything, all the new weyrlings..."

T’bell:
"Everything around you hatches late, doesn't it?" He chuckled, "Maybe it's cause you scowl so much, silly brown, that they want to stay inside." He leaned on his chest, "I'll help you convince yourself to keep still then. Can't have you thinking you need to do something and getting up."

T’bell:
T'bell grunted, then promptly sat on top of him. "It's harder to move people when they feel like a sack of firestone. I bet you I've put on twice my weight simply from the thought alone."The smile suits you. Keep scowling at the weyrlings though, or some will develop a crush."

T’bell:
"It's Lili you have to worry about." T'bell snorted, then squeaked when K'rel sat up, luckily the brownrider's arms kept him from tumbling backwards. His cheeks reddened and he pouted, "Well I suppose I have little choice now then, do I? Well you just have to relax for the next long while until you can convince a dragon to move me."

T’bell:
"He glances too much and I have a feeling Lili would start glancing at bronzes just to spite him." He sighed, then rose an eyebrow. "Oh, so is it 'a greenrider' or me specifically?"

T’bell:
"Oh you sure know how to make a boy feel special." He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Right up there with 'well, you're ok for now. I suppose I don't have a choice' huh?"
"Oh, you're a right romantic there K'rel. How do you keep them off you." He rolled his eyes and leaned back.

T’bell:
"Well I'll do for now. How nice." He scowled at him quite masterfully himself. "You're right, at least you are being honest." He rolled off him with a sigh and looked to his blue in the pond. Only a bit of him was visible.

T’bell:
"The firestone just rolled off." He grumped and smacked at the brownrider's hands. "And no I do not know you're joking." He tossed a clump of grass out towards the blue lump and Zephyr disappeared, comfirming he wasn't dead, and that he was in fact awake. "You don't know what greenriders are treated like K'rel. I'd rather not be, to be honest."

T’bell:
T'bell frowned at him, then sighed as his expression softened. "Other riders treat greens like that. They do. I see it a lot, and people ask when Liliath will rise again. Some Northern riders, visiting riders. No one's ever gotten the chance to actually go through on it with me, but that was more Fenith's ability than my own at knowing Lili’s skill." He looked back out to the pond, "Bronzeriders do it a lot, especially when they know they won't catch a gold. Blues rarely, since they know that thread would stop falling before they'd manage a queen flight. I know many greenriders who, nice as they are, help the idea."

T’bell:
"I could be just a phase." T'bell retorted without much steam. "I hate brownriders. You're so hard to read. You don't have a sense of humour, the only time you're funny is when you're drunk...and then only to laugh at. And that's only before you turn perverted."

T’bell:
"Then you'll want to make me more assured and less confused." He pointed out reasonably, "And I lied, you do have a sense of humour...since Siventh does. And you tease me. You're still hard to read."

T’bell:
"Proud, if you're trying to hide something." He threw a clump of grass at him. "You probably have this giant secret. I'd say you're a woman really, under those wher-hide riding leathers, but I know it's not true...or you're a decent mimic."

T’bell:
T'bell looked at him shrewdly, then shook his head, "No, you would have called me another name when you were drunk...and you'd be found out, wingsecond as you are. And dragons can't lie...they can omit, but they can't lie." He shoved K'rel back to the grass. "You're just trying to make me jealous. You're trying."

T’bell:
"No, because really you're a wherry...and who'd be jealous of a wherry flying off elsewhere?" He sat on him again, "Might as well make sure you don't fly off anyway. I could always feed you to Liliath. Bet Siventh's just a big runnerbeast."

T’bell:
"Perhaps, but that may be because you're getting squishy around the midsection and provide a nice cushion." He prodded him experimentally, then slipped a hand under his shirt and poked at the bare skin of his stomach. "Was it the celebrations, or have the flock been proving less competition for food?"

T’bell:
"Perfect condition, huh?" He prodded the skin again, then once more in another place, "Well I suppose..." He looked thoughtful, as if he were judging an instrument, perhaps the skin on a drum, "Ah...well...I guess you'll do."

T’bell:
"You'd need a stamp if you were to pass at gather." He mumbled, resting his hands on K'rels' stomach. "I suppose you'll pass, but I wouldn't sell you. I should stamp you though."

T’bell:
"A stamp means you're worthy of being sold." He moved his hands and tugged K'rel up into a sitting position again, managing to scoot down to keep his balance and not fall off. "And it's a mark of who the piece belongs to originally."

T’bell:
"A stamp...and your other greenriders start asking questions." He tugged on his ponytail, then took advantage of the oppourtunity presented to him and kissed his neck, then bit and started sucking lightly at the skin.
After a few moments T'bell gave the spot a final lick and, cheeks red, leaned back to examine his mark. "Now..." He cleared his throat, "Now I expect that'll fade, so you might have to come back to get recertified."

T’bell:
T'bell cast his eyes around, pushing his bangs behind his ears, "Well, no one's really paying attention. A lot of people are inside, thinking thread will fall right on their heads, but even if they were watching then that's just more questions for you to answer, hm? And Liliath will know who to eat when they come stomping over."

T’bell:
He squeaked in surprise but it quickly disappeared at first,. Well...there weren't too many people out. Not really. He blushed, but then kissed back.

Liliath rolled over and bit Siventh's nose lightly. The two-leggers are doing it again.

T’bell:
I thought he was going to eat him before. Liliath rumbled, then laid her head back down. I hope I do not have to eat other greens, or their riders. I would get fat.

T’bell:
I would eat them anyway. I would not be able to fly for a very long time... She opened an eye to look at them, Are they going to fly each other in the bowl?

T’bell:
You will do it. Mine will lecture me. I will simply tease him later. She rumbled laughter, though her tail smacked him for the first comment.

T’bell:
T'bell blinked, dazed, then even his ears went red and he ducked, hiding behind his bangs. "I don't think that was supposed to work that well." He mumbled quietly as he scuttled off the brownrider, lest someone see. If they were at it long enough they'd certainly draw the notice of someone.

T’bell:
"Behind stone walls, maybe. I'll have to remember that." He ducked his head again and called Zephyr back quietly as he took the offered hand.
T'bell glared at him from under his bangs and huffed. "Someone might have seen, is all." He let out a small squeak at K'rels next statement and flailed for the windsecond's ponytail. "No no, everyone's not supposed to see the stamp! You're not supposed to brag!" so the hair would cover the mark

T’bell:
"What? Why?" T'bell's brow furrowed but he bounced on his toes to make another attempt with the hair, "And it's my mark!" I haven't gotten to talk with him yet.

T’bell:
"But I'll be out of your sight and it won't be immediatly linked to me~!" T'bell huffed and floofed K'rels hair over his shoulders, then blinked. "You look good like that." When a blush rose on his cheeks he turned to pick up Zephyr, who had slunk from the water covered in weeds like a tiny monster, and changed the subject. "Jealous? He wasn't jealous, you're being silly."

T’bell:
Once T'bell had Zephyr mostly weedless and settled on his shoulder (though smelling of the pond and needing another bath) he huffed at K'rels' messing of his 'cover' and fixed it once more. "What do you mean K'rel? I keep meaning to speak to him but I think he's just too busy for me right now, with Saranth and all. I remember what it was like when Lili was young. I wish I had spoken to him more." He frowned, "He'd like news of the Hall."

T’bell:
T'bell pattered after him without noticing where they were going. "You were pretty drunk that night." After a few moments he paused, "Hey, where are we going?"

T’bell:
He blushed once more and jogged up the steps to keep up. "Then you should start wearing your hair down more! They'd only stare because it looks good. Mysterious...you like mysterious. If you didn't you wouldn't hide in your weyr so much."

T’bell:
"It could be." T'bell nearly growled at the messing of his careful work and sighed with exasperation.

T’bell:
"I guess it's a mystery." T'bell sighed and rolled his eyes, then gave a light tug on one of the strands that came too close. "If we're in your weyr you don't have to hide it."

T’bell:
The greenrider blushed and grumbled, "Certainly not where they'll be seen so easily."

Unfortunatly half of this RP was lost, so a summery is below. Above are T'bells' posts only.

Summery

Liliath had gorged herself on a herdbeast and T'bell had taken to relaxing in the warm sun of the bowl after his visit with Imirin that morning. Siventh appeared and notified him K'rel was coming, and soon the brownrider appeared to relax with him. What followed was a series of conversations and flirtations. At one point there was confusion over K'rels' motives, but that was quickly followed by T'bell marking him just like any good Harper would mark an instrument. A claim laid, things progressed to a slightly more heated temperature until Siveth's timely interruption prevented them from what Liliath thought was going to turn into a mating flight.

T'bell holds that she was incorrect.

After that they elected to retire to K'rels' weyr out of the sun and -ideally- out of the public eye.

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:46 pm

T'bell and K'rel - The Weyrbowl 02

K'rel laughed aloud, but didn't immediately reply otherwise, continuing up the steps in silence save for the occasional chuckle. Before long they reached the weyr and he lead the way inside, stepping aside to wave T'bell through ahead of him. "Make yourself comfortable. Hungry?"

"Could be." He padded into the brownrider's weyr and headed for the bathroom, where he let Zephyr reenter the water to hopefully get rid of the pond smell that clung to him. "I think I heard Imirin mention something about mushrooms today, and I know I smelled fresh bread on my way out." He thought for a moment, recalling what he'd seen pilfered in the trader's room earlier that day. "They must have a fresh batch of that light fruit wine, and there's fish from the holds...in what looked like a very delicious flakey pastry crust with fingeroots." He grinned sheepishly, "And no, I haven't been in the kitchen today...and yes Liliath makes me peckish when she eats."

The brownrider followed after him to the bathroom, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe. He raised a brow as T'bell went on and on about the foods he supposedly hadn't seen in the kitchen, but soon simply shrugged, offering a smile before turning to head towards the shaft and call for food. "Siv does the same to me. We'll have that, then, if you're so sure they've actually prepared it. S'certainly better that the meatrolls they'll send if I don't specify."

"They must have prepared it...I saw it stolen by someone with quicker fingers than me." He wiggled said fingers and left Zephyr to his bath as he followed K'rel out. "Imirin's as grumpy as ever, but he does have his room conveniently close to the kitchen. I think they've put them in with the fish pastry, but they're probably cooking them in wine too." His stomach growled and he blushed. "Dont knock meatrolls, they're a staple."

"Ahh, but you've been with me for a while now. Let's hope they've saved some for us." He paused to call their order down the shaft, as well as the addition of a couple of handfuls of meatrolls should the flitts show up, then returned his attention to the greenrider with a grin. "I wouldn't dare. I like them well enough, I just prefer...most other things."

"Most other things? Should I ever bring you dinner -and don't count on it- what would you rather have then?" He stuck his tongue out at him and poked him in the side as he passed, plopping down at the table and stretching.

"Almost every time you show up, you have food with you," K'rel countered, following to take the other seat at the table. He rested his elbows on the tabletop, folding his hands and propping his chin up on top of them. "Roast herdbeast. Juicy, rare. With mushrooms roasted in the same sauce. Bit of red Benden, maybe some bread or tubers on the side. But that would be...sharding close to perfect."

"I don't need to bribe you to accept my presence anymore." He pointed out with a cheeky grin. "I've already won. But," He tilted his head, "I'll take that into account." He grinned. "In that case I'd leave dessert to you."

"You never needed to bribe me," he scoffed, shaking his head. "But it did help, I'll admit." He lifted his head, grinning. "Dessert, hmm? Bit spoiled, aren't you? Fine then, I got to pick the roast, what kind of dessert would you like?"

"Spoiled? Me? This is after your roast wherry and everything?" He scoffed. "I guess my mother was right when she told my sisters 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.'" He sighed and studied K'rel for a moment. "Something sweet, very sweet, and heavy. Bubblypies are always good, but...if you're having a roast, I get something decadent."

"You asked what I liked," he pointed out, sitting back in his chair so that is rested on the back two legs. Tsking, he shook his head. "Bubblypies.... Good, but not for this meal. I'll find something suitable."

"Oh, are we actually planning a date for this then?" T'bell grinned. "All romantic and such? Why K'rel, I never knew." He snickered. "Leaving me to the main course, to be sure. You can handle the appetizers and the location then."

The brownrider laughed, shaking his head. "I wasn't, but we can. You supply the meal, I'll supply dessert and location.. We'll make an evening of it." A rumble from the shaft signaled the arrival of their dinner, and K'rel let his chair fall back to four legs. Rising to his feet, he hurried to retrieve the tray, calling down a thanks before carrying it back to the table and returning to his seat.

T'bell reached over to help arrange the food and laughed quietly, "Well then, since you've provided this fine meal...and you certainly are not expecting me to cook," There was a warning tone in his voice, "Then how about we set the date after the fall?"

"Of course not," he assured T'bell, shaking his head as he settled the food on the table and helped himself to his own plate. "I wasn't aware that you could cook." A small wineskin of the light fruit wine T'bell described had been sent up as well, and K'rel poured a glass for each of them, eyeing his own critically before taking a sip. He grinned. "Post-Fall celebration? That works."

"I can't." He grinned, "And I would not advise you make me. One would never think rock was flammable..." He trailed off and shook his head, obviously remembering something of the sort. He smiled at K'rels' reaction. "That won't get you drunk...not unless you can manage three wineskins yourself." He chuckled and took his glass appreciatively. "Of course, we'll mark it as a celebration of your first fall as wingsecond." He smiled, "And if you flake out and hold in amidst a bunch of healers in the sick rooms then I get to poison the wherry."

"Nor can I," he admitted, chuckling. "Though I haven't burnt rock yet. This," he began, holding up the wine glass and giving it a little shake, "Is very fruity." He took another sip, then set his glass aside, turning to his meal. "Mn, that's very reassuring. I'm not sure whether I'm excited for the Fall or terrified. The wing's performance reflects on me--and L'cian."

"That would be the point." T'bell assured him soberly and smiled as he sipped his. "A bit more of a cut to it than normal juice, but not nearly as...intoxicating as a good Benden."

T'bell listened to him about the fall with a thoughtful expression and shrugged when he finished. "L'cian has a good resume to begin with, being a brownrider and the weyrleader. If I'm not mistaken he and Ephia got on well while I was still around." He paused and sliced into the stuffed fish and mushroom dish, taking an experimental bite. Ah, fresh supplies. "Besides," He took a sip of his wine and set the glass down again, looking at K'rel seriously, "It's the first fall. What will people have to compare you to that would be a good and realistic sentiment? We'll be purely lucky to escape without casualties, since no rider is experienced at all. As long as you and L'cian live through it and most of the wing does too, I'm sure you'll be fine." He shook his head as he speared another bite of food, "Besides, they say threa falls harder further into a pass. This Fall should be light."

K'rel listened silently throughout T'bell's assurances that the outcome of the Fall would not land heavily on him, stemming off his own words with bites of the still-steaming dish. However, he shook his head in disagreement. "L'cian has a good history, yes, but he's also bearing much more scrutiny because of his brief appointment as Weyrleader and position as Wingleader despite being a brownrider. Mistakes from our wing will bear more weight than similar mistakes in many of the others, I'd expect. And just because they have nothing to compare us to does not mean they won't criticize," K'rel pointed out, setting down his fork to reach for his wine glass. "But you're right, this Fall should be light. We'll just hope there aren't many injuries."

T'bell bore a rueful smile as he chewed, "You know L'cian is under scrutiny mostly from bronzeriders, don't you? Most browns hold him pretty high, as do the rest of the riders who aren't hidebound." He shook his head, "I don't think it matters what he does, a bronzerider will find faut with it." He grinned, "Fortunatly the rest of us outnumber the bronzes."

He took a small sip and, sighing, set down his glass, retrieving his fork and picking idly at his meal. "You do understand that if our wing performs poorly, said bronzeriders could council together and have L'cian replaced, which would probably mean an end to my position, as well as possible transfer?"

"Well unless you expect me to march up and give him a talking to, and then to fly Siventh in your place, I think you're worrying for nothing." He chewed another bite thoughtfully. "Of course if you don't think Siventh can perform, well...Liliath has always been a wonderful flyer." He grinned.

"Oh, Siventh can fly," K'rel replied, taking up the challenge with a faint grin and spearing a bite of his meal with his fork. "He's already outflown your Liliath, if you recall."

"I said perform." His smile turned to a smirk as he ducked his head to the plate, "He may have caught her but I don't recall a review on the performance."

"Ohoooo." He looked up, raising a brow, and pointed the fork--with the food still on it--at T'bell. "Now, I take personal offense at that, greenrider."

T'bell affected innocense...just lucky the food was too far away for him to snatch for himself, and prodded around his own dinner. "Oh...well I mean...I suppose it wasn't bad ..." He shrugged, just barely managing to suppress a grin. "She doesn't talk about him much, you know." A boldfaced lie, and a transparent one at that. His tone kept light and nonchalent, "I just can't say I remember very well."

"Lovely," he replied brightly, taking the bite and chewing lazily before continuing. "Than I can tell Siventh and drop this charade. Poor Siv might be a bit upset to find out, but there're plenty more fish in the sea, right?"

"Not with the time Liliath's been spending at the beach." He kept is face straight. "She ate them." He forced a sigh and chewed his food.

"Fish in the sea, greens in the weyr." He waved his free hand idly, cutting another bite with the side of his fork. "They have about the mentality of fish, don't they? It's the same thing."

T'bell nearly choked, his eyes wide. "Ohdon't you let her hear you say that. She'll eat you, then geld your brown, then well...Faranth knows what a green with a temper is like." He shook his head wonderingly and busied himself with his food. "I don't know if you're daring or just a fool.'

"Liliath knows I'm joking, even if you don't, greenrider." The flashed a quick grin, then ducked his head to focus his attention on his food.

"Oh I must know by now." He rolled his eyes, "I thought before you were all serious, now I find half of you is, well...wherry left too long in the sun." He shook his head and finished his food, then took a long drink and finished his wine. "I suppose I just have to carve the bad parts out of you then."

Chuckling, he scraped the last from his plate and popped it into his mouth back, then followed with a sip of his wine, eyeing the nearly-empty glass. "Have at it, if you're that determined, just don't rip out something vital and kill me in the process."

"Vital?" He snorted, "And what exactly would we determine was vital?" He reached forward and snagged the skin, adding more of the chilled concoction to his glass and offering it to K'rel.

He shrugged, finishing his wine in a short sip. Nodding his thanks, he held out his glass for a refill. "I've no idea. We'll know if I suddenly keel over, I suppose."

"Surprise! You've taken something important." Instead of reaching over he stood and joined K'rel on his side of the table to refill the glass. "I'm sure there are parts of you that you prize above others?"

"Not off the top of my head," he admitted, then, as T'bell filled the glass, added, "Thank you." He took a sip, smiling appreciatively, then glanced up at the greenrider. "What wouldn't you change?"

He snorted and sat beside him, placing the skin back down and taking a sip of his own while he judged him. "Oh, most of it. You already got the stamp so you've passed."

He grinned, lifting his glass in a toast to said stamp. "Now see, just by that I shouldn't let you change anything. The stamp says I'm fine, and everyone has some flaws."

"Yes well, don't go flaunting your stamp or else I'm going to have to be more secretive about the next one." He pouted into his glass.

"That takes all the fun out of it, having it but not flaunting it." He leaned over and, with his free hand, lifted T'bell's chin to face him, dipping his own head around to press a kiss near his jaw. "Besides, if you keep putting them in the same place, someone's bound to notice whethr I flaunt them or not."

The greenrider blushed but didn't pull away. "Then...I guess when I hide them...I should put them where it'd be rude for you to show in public." He said shrewdly, "Siventh may walk about unclothed but you do not."

"Ah, but there we have a dilemma. What's the point of having the stamps to show how 'worthy' I am if no one will be able to see them?" He turned his head slightly to watch the greenrider out of the corner of one eye, but otherwise amused himself with a second kiss beneath his ear, beginning a lazy trail down his neck.

"I...well...uh..." He cleared his throat and gathered his words. "Flaunting your stamp is um...bad form. Especially if you're not being sold." He managed a small grin, a teasing tone in his voice. "Are you drunk again? Off so little wine?"

"I woudn't flaunt it," he countered, speaking between kisses. "It would simply be visible. I wouldn't do anything to draw attention to it." He scoffed, giving T'bell's neck a light n** and fighting back a grin. "Of course not. I'm having dessert."

"Oh...dessert." He laughed quietly and flinched away from the n** with a smile "I thought you had dessert in the weyrbowl."

"You can't have dessert before dinner, silly green." He pressed on final kiss near the base of the greenrider's neck, then lifted his head, sitting back in his chair and taking a small sip of his wine. He smiled. "The weyrbowl was a surprising treat."

T'bell let a small frown show at K'rel backing off, but changed it quickly for an innocent expression. "I was simply marking you. I wasn't expecting such an anthusiastic response. I had no idea you were so interested in heavy sacks of firestonbe. I don't know what I'm going to do with you during the fall."

"I was flattered that said heavy sack of firestone chose to...stamp me," he laughed, shaking his head. "I had to repay it somehow, didn't I? I'm sure any firestone during Threadfal will have more on its mind than distributing stamps."

"It better." T'bell grumped, then stuck out his tongue. "I'll drop a sack on you if I see you making out with another bag."

"But what if I start making out with the one you drop on me?" He raised a brow, pretending to consider the possibility. "Or the three of us abandon the Fall in favor of some fun on the beach?"

"If you run off with two sacks of firestone I won't be held responsible if Lili eats you all." He cautioned soberly. "You know her temper."

"Siventh would protect us," K'rel assured him seriously, nodding. "But I would probably surrender the sacks of firestone to her before long. They can get terribly clingy, firestone sacks."

"I'd take offense to that, being a firestone sack myself." He nudged him with a boot. "And Siventh would be easily distracted by a wiggle. I've seen him watching her tail! Perverts, the lot of you."

He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "What can I say, we're men." He paused, then feigned recognition, gesturing with his glass towards T'bell. "But then, so're you, aren't you?"

"My mother and sisters beat out any sort of your behavior from me." He sipped his drink, "I can't say it was a pleasant experience, but we can't all have the comparable freedom of a beasthold. What I wouldn't have given to run off. I hid in Fort Weyr a few times, and the surrounding area...looking for firelizards...but I was always under thumb." He grinned, "You've never known discipline until you've served under a Master Harper, letalone THE Masterharper. Good man, I'm lucky I wasn't one of his pupils."

"My behavior," he quietly echoed, chuckling, but otherwise listened silently while T'bell spoke, lazily sipping at his own drink. "Mm, I'll agree to that, to an extent. In the Beasthold, as long as you completed your chores, they didn't much care what you did with your free time. If you had any free time to speak of, that is. I was lucky in that respect, I suppose.. After a point, I was almost always set out in one of the far pastures to watch the herdbeasts there. Alternating weeks, sometimes a bit more. There was always at least one other boy, but most of the day we were on opposite ends of the field from each other." He paused, laughing quietly. "Just earth and sky and a runner to talk to. And then I was Searched."

"It's odd, but sometimes I think being a weyrling had less responsibility than being a journyman. I'd pretty much just walked the tables when...when I was searched." He smiled despite the memory. "Made some people right angry." He sipped his drink and set the glass down with a sigh. "Luckily my mother stopped plotting my death once I did impress and everyone knew it wasn't just a prank."

"I'll agree to that," K'rel replied, nodding. They've gotten far too easy on weyrlings. I know Siv and I had more free time than we knew what to do with, especially..." He paused, then shrugged, "However, I can't say there was too much complaint when I was Searched. Big family. I think my younger brother actually took on most of my duties."

"Especially...?" He tilted his head, "Was there an omission there?"

"I didn't exactly enjoy being a weyrling," he replied shortly, sipping from his glass. "Nothing worth noting."

T'bell frowned and patted his leg, "Come on, out with it. You can't tease a harper with only a bit of information and then leave them hanging."

"Nothing worth noting," he repeated, frowning. "It was a big change, and not one I enjoyed. Except for Siv," he quickly added, cracking a smile.

"If it bothers you it's probably worth noting." he scooted over closer to him and flicked his hair over the mark again, but kept playing with it. "Even if you tell me you're still shrouded in mystery."

He laughed, setting his glass down on the table. "It has nothing to do with 'mystery', and it was turns ago, so I'd rather not dredge up past bitterness. It was just a difficult transition."

"I'll get it out of you one way or another." He mumbled and used the hand in his hair to pull his head back long enough to n** at the 'stamp’ again. "Harpers can be very persuasive...or I'll offer a trade. If not that mystery, then yo ust divulge another."

"You're just begging for someone to see that," he mumbled, smiling nonetheless. He reached for his glass once more and took a small sip, in the process draining the glass. "I'm not as mysterious as you seem to think I am."

"Sure you are." T'bell demured even as he nearly crawled into his lap, hands still playing with his hair. "Haunted past, gruff exterior, soft and squishy insides..."

"Haunted past," he laughed, setting down his glass and leaning his head into T'bell's touch. "I think you've twisted the facts to make me mysterious, when I'm really nothing of the sort."

"Well, the last two fit." He muttered, then poked him. "Soft squishy insides." He fluffed the brownrider's hair, then twisted it idly around his fingers.

"Literally or figuratively?" he replied dryly, raising a brow.

"Both." He grinned, the tickled his nose with the ends of his hair before letting the piece drop. "Same for your hard and gruff exterior."

He laughed, shaking his head to clear the hair from his face. "I'm not sure whether to take offense to that or not."

He squeezed one of his arms appraisingly and quirked a brow, "Well I'm certain you've put the effort into that one." His hands made a 'cursory' inspection of the rest of him, running over his chest and thighs. "If you didn't want a hard exterior you should have putyourself out to pasture."

"It wasn't the 'hard' so much as the 'gruff', I think," he replied, still chuckling softly. He fought back a smirk, eyes following T'bell's wandering hands. "But you seem to approve, so I probably shouldn't complain."

"You're gruff." He prodded him and extricated himself from his lap to top off his wine, then stood and wandered away from the table. "I've a million weyrlings wo would say the same. You have a mythology surrounding you." He grinned behind him.
He frowned briefly as T'bell moved away, but soon summoned up a smile, turning on his chair to keep one eye on the greenrider. "There aren't a million weyrlings on all of Pern, little green," he pointed out, grinning. "And I'm sure the greater majority of the few there are have never heard of me."

T'bell stretched, arms above his head, and sighed as he let them fall and took a sip of his drink. "Yes, well there's nothing to be said for your modesty...when it choses to show itself." He stuck out his tongue and wandered into Siventh's weyr, talking louder as he moved out of sight. "I think you should make more of a habit of joining everyone in the dining hall at supper, at least. It would go a long way to making you seem more human and less...unreachable." His words paused as he looked around Siventh's empty weyr -it really was a good deal larger than Liliaths- and then padded out onto the ledge to see the view below. "On the other hand, don't be so reachable that people actually reach out."

He rolled his eyes and climbed to his feet as T'bell disappeared from sight, but not before refilling his own glass of wine. After taking a sip, he followed after the greenrider into the dragon's weyr and beyond that to the ledge, but lagged behind, finally stepping out a few paces to T'bell's side and, rather than gazing down into the bowl, lifting his eyes towards the heights and their dragons. "I'll consider it. Avoiding the dining hall hasn't been so much an attempt to avoid people as to avoid being the only one down there. I eat when I remember to, and often that's not normal dining hours and there are only a few, if any, people in the hall when I get down there. I'll try and keep an eye on the sun." He took a sip of his wine, grinning. "Of course not. We wouldn't want you getting jealous."

"Jealous?" He sniffed, "Yes. Greens, wine, weyrlings, firestone, and now the rest of the weyr." He waved a hand. "I'll simply lock you in your weyr somehow and hold you prisoner."

"That wouldn't be too difficult, if you do so quickly." He pointed out, turning his back on the bowl. "Conflict of emotions. You want me to be more social, but you want to lock me away for yourself." He grinned.

"Yes well..." He sidled up behind him a laid his head on his shoulderblades, as he really wasn't tall enough to look over, and wrapped an arm about his waist, fingers playing along his skin under the fabric of his shirt. "Never let it be said Harpers are understandable, though they do make their desires known."

"You still have to decide." His free hand found T'bell's on his stomach and, keeping hold of it, he turned to face the greenrider, freeing himself from T'bell's arm. However, he quickly closed the distance between them once more, releasing T'bell's hand to instead place on his hip and draw him closer. With his wine glass, he tipped T'bell's chin upwards, grinning down at the greenrider. "Selfish desires, or share me with the weyr?"

"Selfish desires for today, I'm afraid." T'bell said cheekily, "I'd rather not inflict you on the Weyr in the mood you're in." He smirked and stuck out his tongue, "They would die of surprise, or someone else may become victim to your flirting. Incessant flirting." He tsk'd lightly, "Don't think I don't know your plans, silly brown.'

"This is going to become a daily debate now, is it?" He laughed, but released the greenrider and drew back, feigning innocence as he sipped at his wine. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have any 'plans'."

"Mhm, no plans at all. Ravishing me in the weyrbowl, luring me up to your room." He blushed but scoffed and waved his hand, walking away and back into the weyr. "Wining and dining me." He took a sip of his mostly unalcoholic wine for effect. "Liliath's set a date, hasn't she?" He frowned, not with unhappiness but more to himself. "I actually wouldn't put it past her. Pesky."

"In case you've forgotten, you initiated the goings-on in the weyrbowl," he countered dryly, turning to follow after the greenrider back into the living area of the weyr. "And you left the 'stamp' that prevented us from eating in the dining hall. If Liliath is planning something, Siventh has neglected to tell me...which, really, wouldn't surprise me in the lest." He sniffed, adapting a haughty air as he sipped at his wine. "I am completely innocent."

"Innocent." derision soaked his words, then he spun on a heel to face his, feigning utter and complete shock, "You're trying to fly me, aren't you! Mother always said dragonriders were all the same! And here I thought you were just a nice man." He pouted masterfully.

The display startled him briefly as it caught him off guard, but he quickly recovered and fell into an act of his own, draining the last of his wine as he approached the greenrider. "Not much you can do about it at this point, is there? Don't look so shocked. You should have listened to your mother." He grinned.

"Fat load of good that'll do me now!" He scuttled away a few steps, setting his wine down on the table and putting a chair between them. "You've tricked me, you foul man!"

"I didn't say it would help at all," he pointed out, laughing. He was in no hurry to reach the table; quite the contrary, once he neared it, he circled around to position himself between T'bell and the doorway that led to the stairs and out of the weyr. "Your point? You act as if you expect me to apologize and send you on your way."

"Well...that would certainly be the polite thing to do?" He sounded hopeful, but frowned when his 'escape' was shut off. "You're not really one of those dragonriders...are you?"

He paused in step to await T'bell's next 'escape' attempt, in the mean time resting both hands on the back of a chair to lean against it, sending the greenrider a pointed look. "What do you think?"

"I think, knowing my high position in this fine Weyr and in the illustrious Harper Hall itself, you'll let me walk right out of here." He stuck his nose firmly in the air, finished his drink in a gulp, and strutted towards the door. "The consequences elsewise would be terrible."

He swept a hand as if to wave T'bell past, but the moment the greenrider neared him he caught T'bell by one wrist, looping his free arm around his waist. He grinned. "I think you underestimate me, greenrider."

T'bell let out a squeak when he was caught and wiggled in K'rels' hold. "Underestimate? I think not! You don't know how much trouble you'll be in if this continues!"

"It's the word of a Wingsecond versus the word of a greenrider who's been away for a turn," he countered, pulling T'bell back against him. Chuckling, he dipped his head down, avoiding T'bell's braid, to n** just beneath his ear. "Who do you think they're going to believe?"

"But...but I'm more trustworthy! I'm a Harper!" He wiggled some more but tilted his head for him, "I'll have you...I'll have you demoted for this!"

"Not anymore," he quietly pointed out, pausing to attempt to still T'bell before returning his attention to his neck. "You're a dragonrider, and dragonriders lie." He gave another soft n**, sucking and toying with the chosen spot for a moment before lifting his head slightly. "Until you decided this was all I was after, you were all for it. Why protest now?"

T'bell paused and thought for a minute, his cheeks slowly turning bright red, and he swallowed nervously once he'd examined his actual feelings. "Because I think Liliath is going to fly soon." He tilted his head forward and kissed him like he had in the weyrbowl. He could feel Liliath's emotions under the surface of her presence, and while they weren't affecting him to the degree they would in a flight, he knew she was bottling herself up once more. It could be a sevenday or maybe two, but no more than that.

The kiss caught him off guard, but he wasn't about to protest. Quite the opposite, he slackened his grip slightly to give T'bell the option to turn around and ease the somewhat-awkward-for-the-position kiss. However, keeping up his 'act', he didn't give the greenrider the option to pull away, though he was slightly tempted to when the knowledge that Liliath would be rising soon registered.

Instead of breaking the kiss when he became uncomfortable T'bell twisted so he could put his arms over the brownrider's shoulders and, happier with this new position, tilted his head into the kiss and tangled his hands in K'rels' hair.

Satisfied with this new position, K'rel retightened his arm around T'bell's waist, pulling the greenrider up against him. His hand, now free, moved to the back of T'bell's head to twine in the black curls, holding him with the kiss.

A benefit to harper-trained lungs was that the body could live off of very little air for a very long while. He dimly felt Liliath shut herself off from him at the same time K'rel pulled him closer. Moreso than before he could feel the heat of his body and he made a quiet sound in the back of his throat, whether of encouragment or surprise, or even both, wasn't exactly clear, but he didn't pull away. Jut the opposite.

It wasn't long before K'rel's hands began wandering; the arm around T'bell's waist slid back as K'rel snaked a hand beneath the greenrider's shirt, fingers playing along the small of his back. His other hand, meanwhile, slide down from its position in his hair to sneak beneath his shirt as well, playing and exploring up along his side and stomach. Unfortunately, K'rel didn't have quite the lung capacity of the once-Harper, and eventually was forced to pull back, only to dip down and resume playing along T'bell's neck.

T'bell panted when the kiss broke, arching into the brownrider while he blinked muzzily, trying to think through his fog. His hands slid slowly down to K'rels' chest and he finally managed to push back gently. "K'rel...don't...don't go too far...." Even as he said it one of his betraying hand was tracing the line of his collarbone and slid around the back of his neck again.

The brownrider gave no immediate reply that he had even heard, hand on T'bell's back splaying to prevent him from pulling away even while the other continued its 'explorations'. His lips moved back up along T'bell's neck to give his ear a quick nibble, and, as they moved back downward, he finally replied between kisses. "Define...'too far'..."

"The full...full song." K'rel's voice made his shiver despite himself and he leaned his head forward to n** where he fingers had just been, lips trailing along the skin up to his neck. He had no intention of pulling away.

Again he pretended not to have heard, continuing with his nips and kisses until he felt T'bell's lips moving up his own neck, at which point he ceased his motions in favor of enjoying the greenrider's, tilting his head slightly to expose his neck and watching T'bell through one half-lidded eye. His hands, ignoring T'bell's request for the time, one growing so bold as to dip a few fingers beneath his belt whenever it neared. "Why not?"

T'bell squeaked the frist time K'rels fingers wandered south, but didn't move away. "Because...Lili ate too much...and if we." He swallowed to clear his throat, then nipped K'rels' jaw and tucked his head under his chin, pausing to think. "If we do, and she just ate, and there's a fall coming...after the fall? We can...after. Maybe before she does, but she might anyway." He was speaking in half thoughts, and leaned back to look up at him. "Unfair."

"Lili's stuffed full of herdbeast and half asleep on the heights," K'rel countered quietly, prevented from resuming his kisses during the lull by T'bell's new position. "This isn't going to bother her in the slightest, and we've plenty of time before fall..." K'rel took the slight movement as an opportunity to renew his attack, flashing the greenrider a quick grin before dipping back down to his neck.

"She's actually very awake." He mumbled. His hands slipped down between them and up K'rels' sides undr his shirt. "It would be unfair...for me to hold her back and then...then to do it myself."

"Not really," he countered quietly, speaking between kisses. "I'm sure...she'd...understand... And she'd...probably be...happier knowing...you're comfortable with...the idea of...her rising..."

"Not quite..." He mumbled, "Not quite yet, not completely. I mean..." He sighed and lipped his ear, the kissed the hollow under it. "I know it's going to, and...I want Siv to fly her so I can have you. But...but not right now." He sighed and ran his fingers up K'rels' spine a ways. "But you'd better catch her."

He arched his back slightly at the light touch, but otherwise slowed his motions for the most part, one hand coming to rest splayed across the small of his back while the other settled on his hip with a few daring fingers delving further south. Sighing, he gave a light n** to T'bell's neck and lifted his head, clearly less than pleased but managing a rather forced smile. "I don't suppose whining and begging would change anything, hmm?"

T'bell chuckled, a flush across his cheeks. He was starting to get freckles from the southern sun once again. "No." He sounded apologetic, and slightly disappointed, "But I intend to...later." He ducked his head and lipped at K'rels' collarbones again, sighing. "I like this though..."

He grunted in reply, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'sharding tease', and let his shoulders sag, glancing down at the greenrider. "I'd thought you'd wanted to...fly before Liliath actually rose?"

T'bell bit him in response, his Harper ears picking that up. "I did. I do..." He shifted a bit and pursed his lips. "I just...after the fall. I don't want to before the fall, in case something..." He sighed and spoke in a rush. "If something happens during the fall I don't want to have...blame the thread, not me." He sighed, "And I want Lili to have the option to rise then, if she wants."

K'rel hissed through his teeth at the bite, but cracked a smile. "Understandable. I'm not happy about it in the least, mind, but I see your point. However, I don't see how anything going wrong during Threadfall could be blamed on the events of tonight."

"No, but I'll be very sad if...events happen....tonight, and then Siventh flies you into a rock during threadfall. Or some other horrendously bad thing happens. Or Liliath decides to rise in the middle of it. Or..." He shrugged and moved his hands to K'rels' sides, thumbs playing over his hip bones as he kissed the spot he bit, his voice dropping. "You said you'd get me dessert after the flight anyway."

"Fine, fine," he reluctantly agreed, pouting. "But I'm holding you to that," he added, leaning forward to press a kiss to T'bell's forehead, then fixing him with a pointed look. "After the flight."

He deadpanned and sighed. "I've signed my soul away. You really are very impatient." One of his hand dipped past the hem of K'rels' pants and trailed across the the other side. "And I am not a 'sharding tease'."

"If I was that impatient, I would have ignored your protests and have you in my bedroom by now," he retorted, then frowned, shifting slightly away from T'bell's roving hand. "Believe it or not, I don't find that funny."

The greenrider snickered but removed his hand and flopped his arm over K'rels shoulder. "I guess I should spend tonight in my own bed, huh?" He leaned forward and kissed along his neck, mumbling as he went, "Mind you, I can't prevent you from following me back to my weyr or showing up after my watch this evening."

He was half tempted to continue sulking, but the kisses were proving hard to ignore, howevermuch he tried. "I might take you up on that, if you can convince me that your whers won't eat me on sight. And my flitts're sure to show up either here or there sooner or later, so you've been warned."

"They won't, they know how I feel about you. Tabesk doesn't adore you but she recognizes your importance." He sighed against his skin and wiggled closer. "Don't be too mad at me." After losing J'kin it was bad enough, but thread was a plague that fell regularly. "And if I'm ever not there just talk to them. They should be up on the heights with me tonight though. If they ever make a 'raaaak' sound then you should leave, but unless you plan to inflict serious harm on me you're safe."

"I'm not mad at you," he assured T'bell, letting his hand on the greenrider's back fall to instead wrap his arm around his waist, hand still on his hip lazily toying with his hipbone. "I'm just...frustrated." He managed a grin, even laughing at the advice. "I'll keep that in mine."

A light blush coloured T'bells' cheeks and he sidled a bit away from the brownrider. "I...sorry." He looked sheepish but he lifted himself on tiptoe to give him a chaste kiss. "I'll leave you alone for a bit then, Ok? Come see me tonight after my watch? I'll try not to, um...well I probably should have stopped you before but..." He kissed him again.

Chuckling, he nodded in agreement, lingering with the kiss for a bit before somewhat reluctantly parting. "I'll come find you after your watch. I need to clean up, planning on bathing hours ago and Siv dragged me towards the lake instead... I still smell like runners," he noted, wrinkling his nose.

"Dragged you? Pity, I thought you wanted to see me." He smiled and padded back to the table, helping to gather the plates back on the tray. He wiggled the wineskin. "I'll let you keep this."

"He didn't tell me you were there," K'rel explained, picking up the tray once the plates were stacked on it to carry back to the shaft. "Had I known, I would have walked a bit faster." He sent the tray away, then turned back towards T'bell, grinning. "I'll bring it with me tonight. If there's any left by then."

"Probably not." He smiled and turned to leave, then wavered uncertainly and padded back to K'rel. "You will come tonight? I have to run some errands and I'm on watch, but still? I feel like I'm..." A hand rose to his shoulder and his eyes widened when he remembered the blue flitt had gone for a bath. "Oh where did he get to?"

Any reply was cut short by the realization that Zeph was not on his customary perch on T'bell's shoulder (which was probably a good thing, else the kissing wouldn't have gotten very far). "You left him in the bathroom, didn't you?" K'rel raised a brow, then headed back through the curtained bedroom to check in said bathroom, peeking through the doorway. "Zephyr?"

"He was splashing around earlier. He wouldn't have gotten far." He looked around, peeking into the bedroom and sighing in relief. "Nevermind, I found him." He padded over and picked the firelizard up from K'rels' bed, waking him in the process. He cooed sleepily and yawned as T'bell walked back out. "He tends to find a nice spot to sleep if I'm occupied. Sorry." He rubbed the flitts' head as he apologised, whether to Zeph or K'rel wasn't really clear.

"No problem," K'rel assured him, following back out of the bedroom. "Zeph's no trouble at all compared to my four. I'm just glad they've stopped hanging around the weyr all hours of the day."

T'bell lifted the flitt up to his shoulder and steadied him while Zephyr wrapped around with the ease of muh practice. "I um..." He laughed quietly, "I should get going before I lose something else here and before you decide to fly me just because I'm hanging around too much."

"I might just do that if you're here for much longer," he admitted, eyeing T'bell thoughtfully. Then, smiling, he stepped over and caught the greenrider's lips in a short kiss. "I'll come by after your watch. Stop lingering here or you'll miss it. Off with you," he finished, waving T'bell towards the doorway.

"I've got plenty of time." He pouted after the kiss, but scuttled out the door regardless and smiling from it.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:56 pm

T'bell

I can't believe myself. I've never been so forward and blatant before, even with J'kin. I just, well...suffice to say K'rel called me a 'sharding tease' and I can't exactly blame him. I'm still quite affected by what just happened, and after the quick episode in the weyrbowl...well...

Liliath is definately ready to rise. She's not doing a very good job holding herself back either. I'm getting proddy. I nearly jumped K'rel today. I feel horribly for it...despite that looking back on it I think we both enjoyed it quite a bit.

I should apologise to him for it. I will if he still comes to spend the night. I hope he does and that I've not made him too upset because of today. I'm still blushing.

I have a few errands to run today, hopefully the cold of between will fix my red cheeks. I had to avoid people on the way back to my weyr. Liliath is definately near to mate, I can see her starting to change colour. It won't be a problem with errands today, and she's made it known that she's more interested in thread right now. Hopefully everything will go well. I'm worried...not only about us, but about K'rel and Siventh as well. I don't think I would take it well at all if I lost them.

I should be going. I think I'm calmed enough to ride now without causing any problems. Imirin is impatient for his wares. He's probably setting up his wagon for his trip after the fall even as I write this.

~T'bell

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:57 pm

An Outing

Mekka was one of the busiest places T'bell had ever seen. Again the sheer amount of activity brought back memories of the plague and the frantic levels surrounding it, but the bright colours quickly dispelled that image and pushed away the shiver that wasn't entirely the fault of between.

Liliath dipped her wing and circled the Hold until she got directions from the watch dragon, and then carefully made her landing in the courtyard. T'bell felt the soft thump of her feet hitting the ground as she elected to drop the last small distance rather than backwing sand and rock all over the small crowd.

T'bell pulled off his helmet and slid down to greet hs greeters, mildly surprised at the sheer amount of people. "I wasn't told I'd have a crowd." he smiled and shook the hand of the woman that came to greet him. "Greenrider T'bell, and this is Liliath." He gestured to his green, and Lili lowered her head to the people. "Here for the Weyr shipments and Master Trader Imirin's instructions."

The woman was tanned dark by the southern sun and had red hair that was faded to nearly a blonde pulled up messily onto her head. "Welcome, greenrider. I've been put to oversee this whole exchange. Excuse the crowds, half of them aren't even mine. They're here for the trader?" She looked over her shoulder in question and a few of one group nodded. T'bell noticed the almost too-subtle split between the crafters and those from the hold in charge of the exchanges. "My name is Halina."

"Nice to meet you." He smiled and pushed his bangs out of his face as he looked over the gathered people. "Why don't I take care of Imirin's business first and open up some space before I take the cargo?" He looked at the piles with a rider's eye. "Two trips, I would say...unless there's more?"

Halina shook her head as she herded her part of the crowd backwards towards the piles. "More. We have textiles, they're wrapped inside. We'll get these set for her and then you can see the rest. It should be one load."

T'bell nodded and thanked her, then strode over to the crowd and pulled the bag he carried to the front. "Those waiting for Imirin?" He rose an eyebrow, then glnced up as Flute appeared and circled overhead with a chirp. She backwinged and landed on the sill of one of the windows, trilling a scale in greeting, ever the show off. Two bronzes and a brown immediatly flew to her.

She'd be impossible to deal with after this.

"She yours?" An older man said. He had bright blue eyes that stood out against his weathered skin. T'bell pegged him for a fisher or sailor immediatly. He nodded and shrugged, then saw the man's eyes flick to Zephyr. "That one too, eh?"

"I got lucky." He smiled, then glanced at the surrounding crowd. "She won't be any trouble, and he won't leave me."

The man looked at him for a moment then broke into a smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes. "She'd be the one that sings. And you're the one with the whers." He chuckled, "Master Imirin told me 'bout you. Harpers, even ones with dragons, no wonder he's dealing through you." He waved a hand at the others behind him and T'bell allowed himself a bemused smile as they more readily gathered. He had little clue Imirin thought so highly of him to pass his identity around. His opinion of the trader went up a notch.

"Well it's good to know I've met his approval." He grinned and hefted the bag. "Everything's sealed and addressed. I've got your names...so just let me know who you are and..."

"And I'll be verifying." The man clapped him on the back. "Master fisher Eron." He gestured to the crowd. "I know them all, names and rank." He grinned. "Character witness."

T'bell nodded and matched the name to conversations he had with the trader. "And I'll hand you over whatever instructions he's seen to hand out." He smiled.

The next while was passed in a flurry of names and questions. It didn't seem how many times he said he had little clue of Imirin's plans, several would keep asking. If there was anyone who would know more than a harper about anything, it would be a trader. Though piece by piece T'bell was beginning to get an idea of Imirin's intentions as he made note of the ranks and crafts.

When he was finished Master Eron clapped him on the shoulder again just as Halina hurried towards them. "That'll be all. Join us for supper, greenrider. It's been a while since we've had a new Harper in the midst of us, and a rider at that. There's plenty of gossip we could use cleared up or added to." He grinned at Halina as she fanned herself with a broad leaf. T'bell had shed his riding jacket soon after the names had started up. Halina looked busy, but still managed to be cheerful.

"Greenrider? We're all set up. If you'll have a look at them?" She glanced at Eron and stifled a smile, "YOu've been invited for supper."

"Yes." He chuckled and waved a good bye to the friendly fisher as he followed Halina to the loads. He checked them carefully but quickly. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd be happy to join everyone."

"No trouble." At his nod for the loads her smile grew larger. "Perfect. Ok, these boys will help you set everything up, and we'll get the rest out here." She gestured to a trio of young boys and T'bell smiled at them and gestured them over.

Liliath was little trouble to hook up, and the boys were thankfully less wary of dragons than some of those Holders he'd had experience with in the north. They seemed more excited than afraid, but were quick to listen. As a result everything was balanced quite quickly, and T'bell donned his jacket and climbed aboard. "Liliath, all well?" He slipped his riding helmet on and checked his straps.

Fine now. She shifted, then slowly stretched her wings, watching the humans scuttle back from her area.

T'bell lifted his hand and, on a return wave from Halina, gave LLiliath the word to take off.

The feeling of carrying something changed the feeling of flying. Liliath took off slowly with powerful wingbeats and for a moment there was a measure of resistance pulling them back down, but the load lifted. Getting into the air was the hardest and most dangerous part of ferrying things to and fro.

All is fine. We are well balanced. She cleared the top of the Hold and circled. We go?

T'bell nodded and they went between.

The next load went similarly, and the last was simply fabrics. Everything was sent and rcieved quite well, though the fabric was a bit of a test to carry and deliver without harming. Liliath managed to carefully hover drop it into waiting hands when she came into the weyrbowl, and was quite proud of herself for the acrobatic feat.

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:06 pm

T'bell and K'rel - T'bells' weyr

T'bell was relaxing in the bath watching Zephyr peddle about. The whers were happy to explore his weyr while he was inside, and Liliath was half asleep in her section. Everyone but Task and Tabesk was tired. Of course, the whers has slept all day while T'bell played little green errand boy to and from Mekka Hold and the mining Hold. He'd managed to squeeze some of his own errands in there, and with coaxing and a few threats from the ever-lovable trader, had run a few for Imirin as well.

At least it was looking as if Imirin would be making a wagon trip on his own soon. Maybe it would soften him up.

With a sigh T'bell sank under the water to face a surprised Zephyr. The blue floated beneath the surface, nearly aghast that this two-legger would invade so completely. T'bell stuck out his tongue and Zeph sank further down to the bottom and other side of the pool.

They had waited long enough, hadn't they? T'bell and Liliath's watch had ended a good while ago, or so Siventh said...though a good while may just have been K'rel's mind toying with him. Regardless, it was long enough. T'bell had even said they could arrive before the watch ended if they'd wanted to, but K'rel had opted not to for a variety of reasons.

"Tell Liliath we're on our way," the brownrider mumbled as he slid back his chair, snatching up the still-half-full wineskin and heading for the dragon's weyr even as Siventh passed on the message to the green. The four flitts had returned some time earlier, but a wave from K'rel kept all to their chosen perches save for Calt, who darted cheekily ahead to greet Siventh with an excited trill.

With the ease of long practice K'rel mounted the brown, and Siventh leapt from his ledge to lazily wing his way across the bowl towards Liliath's weyr, the blue flitt flying furiously to keep up.

Liliath nudged the whers back and made room for Siventh to land, letting her tail take up space in T'bells' section of the weyr. She waited a few minutes while a large draconic yawn busied her attentions, then lazily sent T'bell a message of the impending arrival.

You may want to get out of the bath.

T'bell resurfaced and stretched. "Has K'rel asked to come down?"

They will be here . She sent back lazily.

T'bell pulled himself from the warm water, letting the flitt win his territory, and began to dry off without too much of a hurry. Liliath would tell him if they were very close. Wait...no she wouldn't. He frowned and padded barefoot and towel-wrapped out to his weyr, stepping over her tail and around the watchwhers to fetch an old pair of breeches cut high for digging in the sand at th beach. "I should learn, shouldn't I?"

You are not naked. She sent, one eye barely open. Will you fly tonight? I am too tired.

"No!" He huffed and patted a curious Tabesk.

Before long the brown came to a somewhat awkward landing on the ledge, tucking his wings in close to his body to be sure there was room for both himself and the green. Immediately K'rel slid down from his neck and snatched Calt from the air, depositing the blue on one shoulder and resting the wineskin over the other as he edged past the dragons into the weyr. "T'bell? Sorry for the short notice..."

He was bored , Siventh snorted, nuzzling Liliath's neck in greeting. The wherry hasn't known what to do with himself all evening, silly thing.

T'bell managed a squeak at Siventh's landing and would have dashed back into the bathingroom were it not for the whers, who while thinking human skin tasted good (wher drool) were also huddled around him to protect him from the intrusion. Tabesk left his side to slink over to K'rel. She looked annoyed but not murderous, and wasn't hissing this time.

"It's not a problem. Sorry, I..." He frowned and pushed his curls back over his shoulder. "I need to get dressed." Task ignored his attempted shove to lick his arm instead, wings flapping slightly and tail near-wagging. The greenrider shoved his head away goodnaturedly and mumbled something in wher-speak, getting a grumbled but happy response from the brown.

They are both wherries . Liliath sent with amusement. I flew all of today. She head-butted him back and, with a tired coo, curled up beside him. He is funny. He is nervous?

The sight that greeted him had K'rel torn between wishing he had waited a few minutes longer and glee that he hadn't. Nonetheless, he pinked slightly at the sight and ducked his head to allow the greenrider some ounce of privacy, but any apology was fended off by Tabesk's approach. K'rel was considerably relieved when there was no hissing or attempt to chase him away, and even went so far as to risk extending a hand towards the gold for inspection.

"Take your time," K'rel replied, glancing up with a grin. "No rush. Tabesk doesn't seem to think I'm as appetizing as before. Do you?" he added, returning his attention towards the gold and raising a brow.

Rest, the brown instructed kindly, draping his neck over the green's to rest his head beside hers. Thread falls tomorrow. He is a little nervous, Siventh admitted, rumbling a laugh. But more confused, if happy. He had not had a rider friend in a long time.

Task left T'bell to investigate the brownrider with Tabesk. The greenrider wavered for a moment, cheeks red, then padded back to the bathroom and shut the curtain. "No she's fine. She's just grumpy."

Tabesk bumped him with her head and made noises at him, then bumped Task when the brown showed up. Satisfied, temporarily, she stretched almost cat-like and went to lay beside the bed. Task tried a taste of the brownrider, slimy tongue snaking out over his hand.

T'bell came out shortly with the breeches on and attempted to finger-comb his hair out of his face. It worked...marginally. "She thinks you'll do, but you have no food on you." He chuckled and Zephyr padded out, wet from the bath and leaving footprints, behind him. The blue made a small hop to the chest where T'bell kept his clothes, then daintily navigated the covers. Flute looked down from her perch on the shelf above. "Food next time would go a long way for her."

We will fly it fine. She assured him, a rumble deep in her chest at having a warm body so close. Happy is good. Her eyelids slid shut. She was in a state between awake and asleep, dozing in case she needed to stop the whers from eating the brownrider. They seemed fine.

K'rel was perfectly satisfied with the gold's response, but found he was having a hard time resisting the urge to free his hand from Task's slimy tongue. "I'll bring food next time," he promised, nodding towards Tabesk. "Pardon my ignorance."

On his shoulder, Calt cocked his head, eyeing the brown wher and chirping questioning. He glanced from Task to Siventh and back, then sent the brown dragon a curious image of the wher, but almost immediately lost interest in favor of darting after Zephyr to bother the sleepy blue.

Siventh seemed less than pleased by the comparison to the wher, but made no reply for fear of waking the dozing green. He settled down for sleep himself, all by the last pair or eyelids sliding shut as he listened in on the riders' conversation.

T'bell tapped Task on his pale behind and the wher freed K'rel from his tasting with a gurgle, then went over to investigate the flitts on the bed.

"No harm done," He smiled, noticing the wineskin. "It made it? Or is that a new one?" His cheeks were still red and he shifted uncomfortably. His mind was working through things he needed to say, but he knew from experience to let his mind work it out before he opening his mouth to the issue.

Zephyr chirped a greeting to Calt and sat back on his haunches to shimmy his wings dry. He repeated his greeting when Task laid his head on the furs to watch them. The wher's eyes were half open from the light the glows cast, but he was not in a sour mood. During the day the big things were so grumpy.

"Thank you," K'rel mumbled, grimacing at his drool coated hand and, after a brief hesitation, wiping it dry on his breeches. Straightening up, he rescued the wineskin, hefting it thoughtfully in one hand. "Same one, believe it or not. There's only about half of it left, but..." He shrugged, smiling. "Waste not, right?"

Calt returned the chirp with one of his own, ducking his head to avoid the mini-shower produced by Zeph's wings. He echoed the other blue's greeting to Task, but went so far as to waddle over towards the brown, eyeing him curiously and finally head-butting his nose.

"Of course." He smiled, "Come in, sit down." He gestured into his weyr and padded back in, fetching a pair of ceramic mugs typically used for klah but would do just fine for now. "I ate on my watch, are you hungry? I can call down to the kitchens."

Task's tongue darted out to taste the flit, but otherwise his didn't move but to make a sound in reply that was as close to a chirp a wher could get. Zephyr dropped back to all fours and batted at Calt's tail, he had a story to tell.

He spared a glance back towards the dragons, then followed into the weyr. "I'm fine, actually risked eating in the dining hall earlier." He grinned he took a seat, pouring each of the mugs full and setting the wineskin aside. "Won myself a good few stares at first."

The blue seemed more interested in determining exactly what Task was, but obediantely turned to listen to Zeph's tale, curling up on the bed and bidding him continue with a lazy chirp.

T'bell handed him his mug and laughed, "You risked the dining hall? I'm impressed...hopefully I'll not be fending off any stares that get a bit too curious, hm?" He patted the cushy chair at his desk for the brownrider and moved a small box on the desk off to the side behind his journal. "Actually, I sort of...wanted to talk to you about that. And before." He took a perch on the edge of the desk and sipped the wine, hiding his face.

Task's bum connected with the floor, but his head stayed where it was. The little things were amusing to watch, and not as odd as dragons. Zephyr began his tale in pictures and feelings of his day from T'bells' shoulder. There was the stop at Mekka Hold and the bunches of things they'd been laden down with, the interesting people, and the new and odd smells that the Hold held from all of its imported and odd goods.

"I doubt that," K'rel assured him, accepting the mug with a nod of thanks and moving to the more comfortable chair. "Right now I'm more of a spectacle than anything. That...awe-inspiring air," he joked, taking a sip of his wine. "I doubt anyone would approach me. Though I did have a good chat with a few wingriders." Pausing, he raised a brow questioningly at the greenrider, peeking over his mug at T'bell. "Hmm?"

Calt 'listened' intently, interest growing as the tale went on and on. He would have to drag K'rel off to the this Mekka Hold sometime! His bond never went anywhere anymore, lazy thing.

"I um...I wanted to apologise for how I acted earlier today. I think...well, I'm actually quite sure it was Liliath's mood affecting me. That is to say, I never would have done that if she...wasn't so close to flying." He took another sip of the wine, "I didn't think it would get that far, but thank you for not raising a fuss about it." He kicked his feet off the desk and looked at the floor as his fingers played a quiet rhythm on his mug, "I don't mind what happened. I liked it...but...if it bothered you too much I'll try and be more careful next time." He jumped to another subject with a smile, "You had a conversation though? That's amazing. You are a spectacle, most people only see you from afar."

He went on to describe the mining hold and showed him a picture of two more whers. There was a brown much darker than Tasks' almost white hide, and a deep blue. Both were asleep when they got there but woke up, and were wearing the masks T'bell had made for his own whers. There was a boring talk there, but Zephyr got to play with some shiny stones and some nice person gave him roast wherry. He relayed it all with pride, then sat down, finished. Flute took her oppourtunity then and showed the large flock of firelizards at the first hold, then a few clips of the mines and the mining hold seen from above, since she took to exploring more than the blue.

"Ah." He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to the apology, whether to take it as a good or bad thing or even what the meaning behind it might be. And so he left it at that for the time, returning his focus to his mug. "It's no problem, really. And I did," he chuckled, nodding. "Though, it wasn't as big a deal as you seem to think. The hall was crowded, I had to sit near someone. They initiated conversation. Far be it from be to be antisocial…" he shrugged, hiding a grin.

Calt was insanely jealous by the time Zephyr finished 'speaking', and the jealousy only grew as Flute added to the tale. He was half tempted to snub the pair, and very nearly darted out to drag K'rel off somewhere exciting, but decided against it, merely chirping sulkily as he listened.

"Oh yes, far be it." He laughed and nudged him with a foot. "How was the food? I had dinner at Mekka...I think I know where the shipment of mushrooms can from." He smiled, "I'll have to visit there more often during meal times. They have an amazing variety...our cheese is better...but wow."

Zephyr tilted his head curiously. He hadn't told anyone else about his adventures, though Flute was one to gossip in small tantalizing amounts even she hadn't had time yet to spread their story. Calt would be the first to know!

"Good enough. It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was good. Lunch was far better. However, there were roasted mushrooms..." He grinned appreciatively, resting an elbow on the desk. "I haven't been near Mekka in a while. What brought you there?"

He was happy that he had been the first to hear, as he told Zeph in the form of a short chirp, but he very much envied the other blue. He didn't have any sort of fantastic adventure to tell Zephyr! Just the same old everyday weyrstuffs.

"Imirin, and they needed to send more things here. We've got some more food that would have spoiled. You know, green stuff." He wrinkled his nose but smiled, "I think Imirin's building a pretty good network. He's angry, but he's getting a good revenge." He slipped into Harper mode for a moment. "I know he's got a load of inventory, and he's even started agreements with individual producers, journymen mostly but he's hitting the good apprentices of most crafts pretty hard too. He's got a good eye for it. I was delivering messages and taking care of some of his bigger loads."

Zephyr cooed in sympathy but Flute stuck her head over the shelf again. She liked to explore the jungles just outside the weyr, but she wanted more flitts to go with her. She had so many in the Harper Hall! Calt had a flock.

"Imirin had you flitting about for him when you were on watch for the weyr?" He raised a brow, frowning faintly, but shrugged. "Just don't exhaust yourself. Or Liliath, at that, especially with Thread on top of us. There're plenty of riders who Imirin could bribe to do his work for a mark or two, who're otherwise lazing about and getting more rest than they need. I don't want to see you hurt just because that stingy trader is trying to save a few marks."

Pah, Calt's flock wasn't his flock anymore, now that Grel was as big as he was. Grel had taken over, and Calt was only able to escape from her when K'rel snuck him away!

T'bell frowned goodnaturely. "I know our limits. And I was on errands for the Weyr, not exactly watch. Besides," He shrugged, "Apparently as a Harper he trusts me enough to use me in his dealings. Plus, I'm getting a cut and a network of information all my own." He smiled, "Once a harper, always a harper no matter what else I do. He's not that bad-" He frowned, then shook his head, "No, once you get to know him he's even worse, but I don't mind it." He shrugged, "And we're only so worn out because we had a lot to do and carry today. Lili is faster than anything, but she can't keep that up forever. She recovers quickly though." He smiled and nudged the brownrider's leg again, "Are you being a wingsecond or are you just worrying about me?"

Flute made a baleful chirp and disappeared over the ledge again. A green should not be commanding those higher than her. She'd never tell that to the big green that lived in the weyr with her, but she was larger anyway. The bronze should be leading. She wanted a flock. Firelizards here were so untrained.

"If I was only playing Wingsecond, I would be on my way to speak to Imirin about these matters now," he countered grumpily, sipping at his mug. "And Liliath's only just eaten earlier today, and Threadfall tomorrow.. I'm allowed to be worried. At least she's already gone to sleep, if Siventh's out as well."

Oh, Calt quite agree, but he wasn't sure how much longer Grel would be in charge. As fed up as he was by Grel's behavior, Murry and Vin were even moreso! He was quite sure Vin especially wouldn't listen to her for much longer.

"I agreed to it." He pointed out fairly. "Liliath would keep him from bullying me...she enjoys it." He snorted. "She'll be fine K'rel. I know her limits better than I know my own...we'll be ready, and fresh in the morning." He nudged his leg again, "Pretend as a harper I'm good at planning for the future, and as a wingrider I know my dragon, and as a person I rarely see the point in driving myself to my death through stupid decisions." Nudge nudge. "And I'll pretend you're just being professional and not treating me like a weyrling on purpose. Besides, I have a surprise for you. I wasn't only out for him and the Weyr." He sipped his wine with a secretive smile.

Zephyr was so confused by the social interaction of so many flitts. Humans were very simple, and T'bell carried him around ost of the day without problem

He grunted a reply, but distracted himself with finishing off his mug, reluctant to agree even though he knew T'bell was right. T'bell wasn't foolish enough to risk Liliath, and no one knew a dragon better than its rider. "I forget how long you've been a rider," he admitted, shaking his head in mock-distress. "So young, make me look ancient... Something for me?" He eyed the greenrider suspiciously.

"I Impressed young...back when it was normal to Impress as a teen. We have weyrlings older than me right now." He smiled and slid off the desk, patting him on the shoulder and refilling his mug. "Yes, something for you. You can't have it yet." He stuck out his tongue and offered the wineskin. "It serves a double purpose. An apology for today and...well...ok, a triple purpose." He shrugged. "You find the other two out later."

"Very young," he noted dryly, giving the greenrider a once-over. He accepted the wineskin with a nod of thanks and refilled his mug, taking a curious sip as if expecting the concoction to have changed since last it was poured. Feigning disappointment, he poked the greenrider's stomach. "That's really not fair, saying you've brought me something and then not giving it to me. Why can't I have it now?"

"I was 15, that's not young normally." He shrugged, but blushed at the once-over and stuck out his tongue. "Hey!" He squeaked at the poke and batted his hand away. "You can't have it now because it's close to my bed time, and further more it's meant as a reward for something you haven't done yet." He padded across the floor and nudged Tasks' head from the furs. The wher grumbled at him but butted his head affectionatly. Zephyr began his crawl up to the pillows to clam his spot.

"It doesn't seem as young when you're the one Impressing," he noted absently, smiling fondly as his thoughts wandered towards his own Impression. "You're right though, it wasn't that young. I was only 16 myself." As T'bell stepped away, the brownrider sunk down in his chair to sulk, frowning past his mug at the greenrider. "That's even less fair, getting me a reward for something I haven't done. How do you know I'll do it? It's bribery."

"You don't know what you have to do yet, so it's not bribery. And you'll do it anyways even without the gift." He began shutting the glows, the light in the room slowly dimming as he made his rounds. "I don't know about all these older weyrlings...I think there might be trouble training them, just because they're so set in their ways."

"So why wait to give me the gift?" he teased, straightening up in his seat once more as the light faded. Picking up on the change of subject, he nodded. "I agree completely, but we haven't much choice. We haven't had enough demand to do much of a Search of the north, and most of the families don't want to risk the boys coming all the way south and not Impressing if they can't take care of themselves afterward. There are a few younger weyrlings... they're just outnumbered by the older, and the older are making them look bad for their rebelliousness." He grimaced.

T'bell shook his head and finished off his glass of wine as he sat on the furs. "Hopefully the next hatching will have a younger bunch...or a less difficult one." He smiled and patted the bed as an invitation, "I don't envy the weyrlingmaster."

"Nor do I." He finished off his own mug and set it on the desk before standing and stepping over to join T'bell on the bed. Dropping to sit on the furs at the greenrider's side, he bent to unlace one boot, tugging it off with a sigh. "I wonder when the next Hatching will be, at that. Ariath should be rising before long, I'd think. I'd like to see L'cian as Weyrleader again."

"You and me both." T'bell mumbled, leaning lightly against the brownrider. "I've been back barely more than a sevenday and I can tell so much about M'xan already." He frowned, "I don't like him. I won't like how hard he'll be to deal with if L'cian manages it again...but it should be better than it is now."

"If Tallith catches Ariath, M'xan will be furious," K'rel chuckled, tugging off his other boot and abandoning it on the floor. "But he'll be easy to deal with, because we'll just tell him to shut up and threaten him if he doesn't. I'd have a higher rank than him then." Grinning, he fell back onto the furs, stretching his arms out over his head with a yawn.

T'bell snickered at Zephyr's chirp of surprise at the invasion. "People like that are never that easy to deal with." He frowned and poked the brownrider. "Don't get him too angry if it does happen, he has supporters."

K'rel reached a hard toward's Zephyr, only to pause when Calt draped himself over the hand in question to demand scritches. With his free hand, he swatted at the poke, grinning. "M'xan's a pain, but he's not foolish enough to let his pride endanger anyone. I hope," he added, grin fading somewhat.

"....I'd disagree." He said quietly, then shrugged and poked K'rel again, crawling around him into bed and sliding under the furs. "Turn that last glow down? And you can't be sleeping fully dressed." He gestured to the glow basket beside the bed.

Task had his head in one of K'rels' boots.

"Even if he did, L'cian would be the target, not me. I'm not at risk, and.. we'll be sure no one threatens L'cian." Sitting up, he reached to shade the glow. "Of course not. I can't sleep yet, there's a flitt on my pillow." Chuckling quietly, he tugged off his shirt and reached down the bed to drop it on top of his boots--or Task's head, whichever was there--then went ahead and removed various other accessories he would be more comfortable sleeping without, belt and socks and so on, before sliding up the bed to slip beneath the furs beside the greenrider.

"You may be, as an important subordinate. You may become Wingleader." He shrugged and watched K'rels shadow move in the darkness.

Task made a surprised sound and extracted his head from the boot to find himself covered in a shirt. Tabesk was getting annoyed at having things dropped on her and clicked her teeth before stalking off elsewhere.

T'bell slid over to K'rels' side. "I just hope there won't be too much trouble. They Weyr needs some quiet time."

"I wasn't Wingleader when last L'cian was Weyrleader," K'rel pointed out, poking at the blue flitt on his pillow. "Just Wingsecond to the Weyrleader. I doubt he'll go to the trouble of switching about wings unless something drastic happens." He nudged Zeph slightly to the side to make room for his own head, then rolled onto his side to drape an arm over T'bell's waist, smiling in the darkness when he felt Calt curl up against his own back. "I'm not sure it's possible to associate 'Weyr' and 'quiet time', especially with the Weyrleader back and forth."

Zeph grumbled and moved to the opposite corner of T'bells pillow, making the greenrider laugh. "One can hope...and you might be due for a promotion anyway." He wiggled into a more comfortable position and sighed.

"Sorry Zephyr," he whispered after the blue, laughing softly himself. "It's a possibility, certainly, but unlikely... The bronzeriders will be far from pleased if too many browns are appointed positions above them. With the outcry that'll rise from L'cian being weyrleader, if last time is anything to go by, I can't see him risking angering people further."

T'bell grunted, then yawned. "Just as well, there'll be scandel among the greens if I end up weyrmate to a wingleader. Scandel."

"Really now?" The yawn provoked one of his own, and he closed his eyes, nonetheless continuing the conversation. "And why's that? There aren't enough golds for all the wingleaders, after all," he teased.

"Because you're mysterious, and now you're being social." He chuckled, "I predict a large scandel. My mother would insist on dinner." He paused. "That's terrifying. Nevermind. Goodnight!"

"Everyone'll think you've drugged me if this continues..." he noted lazily, then smiled. "I going to show up and bother your mother before long, little green, just to watch you squirm. Goodnight."

T'bell half whimpered half grumbled at the thought but kept his mouth shut, feigning sleep. He'd figure out some sort of revenge should that ever happen...and if K'rel came away from his mother unscathed. Never push a Harper to revenge, they could be very creative.

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:08 pm

T'bell

Thread will fall today. I've been his nervous before, I think, but never this scared and nervous at the same time. Liliath is excited. K'rel is...he seems more worried for his reputation and the wing than he seems for himself. I hope he doesn't concentrate too much on everyone else's safety, even mine, to his own detriment. He worries for me, it was kind of flattering the other night even if it does make me seem like a weyrling sometimes. I don't suppose he can help uit though, being a wingsecond and me being in his wing and all. I'd be more worried if he were not worrying about me.

I've tried not to let him know how much I'm worrying about him. It would give him that much more to worry about.

Zephyr is posing a problem as well. I'm not quite sure what to do with him. I always assumed, wrongly so, that he would be more independent by the time thread fell. I...I suppose my plan is simply that of outnumbering him. If he's among the whers and Flute, plus with orders from myself and Liliath, well that's all I can do.

What I'm terrified of is him disappearing between permanently if I leave him, or almost worse...him following me into the middle of the fall. I would take him with me but it's almost completely impossible. He or I would get scored for sure, my flight jacket isn't made for carrying a flitt. It's too dangerous for all of us.

Liliath seems confident that nothing will happen. She's confident of a lot of things though. I love the little blue, and I hope he'll be Ok. I must concentrate more on his training after this. He's wonderfully well-behaved and he listens and communicates well, and even though he's so attached he never causes problems...I adore his constant affection, but it might be more healthy for him to learn some independence. I just hope it won't prove more interesting to him than I am. Perhaps Flute can help.

~T'bell

The Night Itself

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The Night Itself

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Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:12 pm

Threadfall

T'bell sat in the corner of his weyr paging through the records he'd brought back with him. Liliath's noises in her section were comforting and for a moment all was well.

Then the air changed, the noises in the greens' weyr changed. He lifted his head in question Just as Liliath shoved her head around the corner.

Thread falls! We fly!

For a moment everything froze, then he leaped into action. Liliath could barely hold still long enough for him to check and recheck her straps, her excitement was making her eyes whirl faster than he'd seen in a long time. His riding jacket was taking too long to put on. He managed it with a muffled curse, then a cheep caught his attention.

Zephyr.

He cursed again. The little blue hadn't been more than a couple dragonlengths from him ever in his life. Going between to these lengths would be hard. He gritten his teeth and sent for Flute, then scooped up the curious blue. In a moment he'd deposited him amongst the grumpy but awake whers and at Flute's arrival gave her very explicit instructions. He relayed them as best he could to Tabesk and Task, and then imprinted the importance, the sheer need for the blue to stay where he was, to not follow, and that he was safe. If he surrounded him with golds...

"Liliath, tell him." T'bell called as he left the whers' room and scrambled onto her back. Liliath snorted, but relayed the message.

He is confused. I can do no more. We fly! and with that she took off from her ledge. T'bell felt his stomach drop, but not at the flight. Nervousness and a certain measure of fear settled like a rock. The cold of between did nothing to help, and below them was South Hold.

T'bell and Liliath fight their first threadfall!

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