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Post by Desert on Aug 8, 2010 17:30:39 GMT -5
The solar on watch shot to his feet and warbled imperiously as two draconic figures appeared from between and began circling down. The high-strung youngster, barely graduated, quickly ducked his head and settled back down as he was reprimanded by the bigger airborne dragon. The heavy-set chrome dipped in her flight path to lightly clip the young solar as she flew by. The solar hissed in disgruntlement, though his rider patted his shoulder reassuringly. The second dragon, a dusk, sailed past the solar with only a polite nod.
Both dragons touched down in the Weyrbowl, whose floor was cast mostly into shadow by the setting sun. It had been nearly midnight at the Wherhall from which they'd just come. Muuth stood by as her rider dismounted; she was eying the feeding pens hungrily. Her gaze flicked upward to scan the sides of the Bowl, looking for any sign of Isionyth or Xanntorith. Seeing neither, she figured that they were in the Hatching Grounds, arranging Riosian into a next for the brimstone's upcoming clutch. Sh'kith slapped her shoulder affectionately and turned to watch Yorth come in for a much gentler landing than the jarring drop that Muuth had lazily performed.
Yorth folded his wings artfully and dropped into a slight crouch to facilitate the departure of his passengers. D'kun swung his leg over and slid off without bothering to offer assistance to the woman behind him - the almost cold way she'd ignored his offered hand had let him know that Silvate in no way needed his help getting on or off a dragon. He'd only offered his hand out of politeness; but he'd only been upset for a split second. From what Yorth had told him about this woman, she had every right to be a bit rough around the edges when dealing with fellow humans. Yorth remained crouched until Silvate was safely off his back, then he straightened up and shook himself. D'kun took the hint and went about relieving him of his fighting straps so the dusk could go take a quick dip in the lake before catching his dinner.
Muuth watched the smaller male go with longing in her eyes, but Sh'kith only gave her a sympathetic pat on her neck fin. The stocky Weyrlingmaster then turned toward Silvate, who still had his fire lizard perched on her shoulder. Jak had since lifted from Yorth's dorsal ridge and gone to seek out his brown and green siblings, who were sunning themselves on a high ledge that was still bathed in dying orange light. Polariss chirruped perkily, as if to welcome her new-found friend to the Weyr, and leaned forward on the ex-handler's shoulder, toward Sh'kith. Muuth swung her head around to look at their newest candidate. This, as you can undoubtedly see, is our Weyr. I believe Yorth's Mine is going to see about housing you in the Lower Caverns. While he is seeing to that, do you have any questions Sh'kith and I can answer?[/b][/color] Sh'kith smiled slightly up at his dragon's head; it was surprising to hear her being so helpful and pleasant. Usually the moody chrome only warmed up to new arrivals only once they'd Impressed. [/size]
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Post by pandoraMisfit on Aug 8, 2010 18:43:22 GMT -5
Between hadn’t bothered Silvate like most people, however the time difference did. Her mahogany eye took just a moment longer than normal to adjust from the deep of midnight to the rosy hues of sunset. As they dipped into the weyrbowl, the setting sun vanished behind the rim, leaving orange and pink hues to fade into the deeper blues of night. The woman paid no attention to the grumbling Solar, nor to the antics of Muuth. She was too busy taking in the sheer size of the Weyr – never had she imagined anything quite like this. She originally thought she was off to some pokey little place that had barely been discovered. But this, it actually brought a smile to her face. Why, the bowl itself was large enough for her to sit in solitude even with other people using it! Swooping to the floor left her hair tousled and tangled like a crow’s nest atop her head, and no amount of smoothing would sort it out. Pah, she didn’t care about appearances anyway. To an onlooker, with her ice blue eye, red scars and maniacal hair, she probably looked like some kind of freakshow. Pah again. She really couldn’t give less of a damn.
But truly the colours of dragon she had thus seen had startled her somewhat. A dusk, a chrome and a solar – all new breeds that put her slightly on edge. Evidently they could survive, judging by the age of the two that had picked her up. Used to the wher mutations that were hardy enough to endure, she had allowed herself to become more accepting of the mutations that had been popping up all over the world. Looking once more at the Solar, noting the similarity between him and a similar breed of whers she was now accustomed to seeing, she hitched her leg over the great blue back she was sat upon and began her descent.
Sliding off the Dusk’s back was a doddle, and this time his rider had learnt; no hand was proffered. She treated him to an icy smile as she landed nimbly on her feet, then stretched herself out, loosening the kinks in her muscles brought on by the desperate cold of between. Yorth departed and she sent him a mental farewell, with an unspoken gratitude resounding in the words. She was here. The East. New territory. Her enemy could well be lurking in the region. But despite her obsessive thoughts about that woman, she was indeed thankful for the new start this had afforded her. No more being cooped up around people full of sympathy for her. No having to put up with the pity that shone in everyone’s eyes. She had anonymity here. Well, to a degree, but certainly more than she had had at the Wher Hall.
A chirrup sounded from her shoulder, causing Silvate to look at it incredulously. Of course, the fire lizard was still sat there. How could she have forgotten? She let a smile shine through for the creature before it was replaced by her usual half-scowl. Muuth bespoke her and she listened intently. She was so unused to being spoken to by a dragon, she revelled in the bizarre sensation it evoked in her mind. Taking her time, she turned in a slow circle, taking in her surroundings. The bowl was certainly huge, but she needed more space. Somewhere where she could feel the wind on her skin. Her first question was simple, and for a change, directed at the human, not the dragon of the pair before her. A wry sort of demi-smile graced her face. “Where can I run?”
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Post by Desert on Aug 16, 2010 13:53:29 GMT -5
The very simple question lifted an eyebrow up Sh'kith's brow. Muuth snorted slightly, curling and uncurling her tail behind her. Sh'kith shrugged one shoulder. "The outside of the Bowl crater has been marked out with slopes that are safe to climb, and there are gentler trails all over it for hiking. Most of them have a decent amount of traffic in the mornings and evenings. There is one path that someone will have to point out to you that is closed off. That area of the slopes is reserved for the Weyrwoman Vsiasi." He had to smile as Muuth let out a sullen grumble and shifted her paws. "And in case you felt like being a deviant and running that path, if the Senior Queen Isionyth were to catch you there, there'd be big trouble, so I advise against going near that part of the slopes."
Muuth hunched her shoulders irritably. Also, we should warn you. Isionyth is a brimstone, our native queen, and as such she is rarely pleasant to anyone who is not her rider or her mate. Keep your distance from her and you will keep all your limbs intact. Also, even though it will be a pain, you should be respectful to Vsiasi and N'yx, the Weyrleader. Xanntorith isn't as bad as Isionyth most of the time, but if he doesn't like the way you behave around His or Vsiasi, he is quite capable of making your life unpleasant.[/b][/color]
Sh'kith pulled a face. "We're making it sound like our leaders are tyrants. N'yx and Vsiasi are good people, but with the dragons they ride, it makes life interesting. The Weyr isn't that bad a place to live, but around Isionyth's Rising, clutching or Hatching time things can get a little tense. You'll get used to it, I think, and if you have any questions you can always ask me. You'll be seeing a lot of me, especially as the Hatching gets closer." [/size]
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Post by pandoraMisfit on Aug 17, 2010 12:10:28 GMT -5
Silvate nodded as Sh’kith relayed the information to her. It was simple enough – she ran before dawn anyway. That was definitely early enough to avoid most people. She didn’t care much for the ‘off-limits’ area. If there was someone else sullen enough to want her privacy, then let her have it. The mahogany haired woman was much the same, so she shrugged indifferently at the warning. After all, it was highly unlikely that she’d want to stray off into this zone at the time she was going to be out and about. It would be quite enough for her elsewhere. And if the weyrwoman was as early a runner as she, the all the better to stay on the main paths to avoid the company. Or the wrath of her dragon, as she was now being told.
That piqued her interest. She hadn’t heard of any of the mutations resident to this weyr, except of course the Solar. A Brimstone? Whatever one of those was, Muuth didn’t make them sound pleasant. By Faranth! Had she been living under a rock all of her life to not know the new colours of dragon that graced the planet? In truth, the answer was as close to yes as it could get. She had been living such a detached life from the world around her that news rarely filtered through to her hearing. She had truly been in a bubble of her own – and was all ready to try to keep it that way. Of course she wanted to learn about her new ‘home’, but she still expected to have her own private space. Preferably extending a couple of dragon lengths around her person, in every direction. Actually, she had to comment on Muuth’s description of Isionyth. “When you put it that way, I could be described as a Brimstone myself!” This brought another wry smile on.
Turning back to the Chromerider, she gestured to Muuth. “She doesn’t make it sound that bad. I know someone who could be described as a tyrant herself...” She gritted her teeth. “At any rate, if Muuth wants to go join Yorth, I don’t mind. Despite what you may have heard about me, I can be... civil.” Her voice sounded cynical, her face set in such a way that the irritation at such branding showing clearly in her features. She scratched Polariss’ chin as she spoke as a way of relieving her frustration. “Anyway, can we go get some food?” She asked, as her belly rumbled loudly. “I haven’t really eaten anything since morning at the hall. And besides, I suppose you can inform me on anything else I should know about the weyr.” Her voice hadn’t lost any of its bluntness when she spoke, but her body language as relaxed slightly, no longer putting out ‘Annoy me any longer and I’ll claw your eyes out’ vibes.
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Post by Desert on Aug 28, 2010 14:31:53 GMT -5
The comment comparing Silvate to a brimstone made Muuth snort in amusement. Or a chrome. Chromes are far preferable to brimstones anyway.[/b][/color] Sh'kith laughed as his dragon ambled off toward the feeding pens, where Yorth had made a lucky double kill. The dusk gallantly offered Muuth his second herdbeast, and she fell upon it ravenously.
Once his dragon was occupied, Sh'kith gestured toward the entrance of the Lower Caverns. "Good idea. I'll point out people you should learn to recognize as we go." He let Silvate catch up before heading toward the Caverns, which housed the kitchens. The stocky Weyrlingmaster looked up as a dragon passed over them, and he pointed to the white-veined belly floating by. "See him? That's Xanntorith, N'yx's dragon. He came from the first mutant clutch in Solainoti, along with Muuth. Isionyth is actually much younger. Her dam, Naesth, was also in the first mutant clutch. She died around the time Isionyth Rose and passed on her title. N'yx and Xann have kept their position for about a decade now." Such information was common knowledge around the Weyr, and something that Silvate would need to know if she was to stay here. She didn't need to learn about the Riosian addiction days until she had gotten more used to life in the Weyr.
Polariss had crawled from one of Silvate's shoulders to the other so that she could be closer to Sh'kith. She leaned toward her human friend and creeled. He glanced at the dusk, who was precariously balanced with only her tail wrapped around Silvate's neck to keep her in place. She was giving him a look as though she wanted to go to him, but at the same time, she was clinging rather fondly to Silvate's shoulder. The little dusk wavered for a moment, but since Sh'kith didn't want to invade Silvate's personal space by extending his arm for Polariss to latch onto, she stayed put. [/size]
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Post by pandoraMisfit on Sept 5, 2010 17:53:27 GMT -5
Watching the Chrome go, she had to chuckle to herself. Apparently this weyr was full of prickly dragons that you had to stay just on the right side of. And people too. It was little wonder in her mind that there weren’t brawls all over the place – but then, it probably wasn’t that dramatic. The riders probably mellowed the dragons and vice versa, or at least kept each other in line. All in all, it sounded like the kind of place to be. No pathetic people, mincing about, afraid to catch the sharp edge of someone’s tongue. Good.
When told, Silvate looked skywards to see the bizarrely hued dragon named Xanntorith. Her working eye strained to pick him out from the sky to begin with, for night was starting to settle more fully over the weyrbowl. He was fairly large actually, well at least in the woman’s eyes. She hadn’t seen many of the larger species of dragons, and this one was larger than the average bronze - maybe reaching the size of a smallish gold perhaps? She took in the information about his lineage, storing it away. This was a kind of mini-lesson of sorts and who knew? It would probably be handy to know this sort of thing one day. At any rate, if she was indeed going to be a candidate she didn’t want to be seen as stupid by children much younger than she. Thinking about it, was she even young enough to be standing? After all, she had 21 Turns to her name now, getting on for 22. And most stood the stands a good half-decade before then. Frowning scrunched up her scars, making them twinge slightly.
As she continued walking, the fire lizard on her shoulder had been shifting about, somehow managing to stayed latched on to her person. And it had started creeling. Turning her head marginally so she could vaguely she the miniature dusk in her peripheral vision, she could see the poor thing stretching out towards Sh’kith. Bless the little thing, it obviously wanted to go back. So why didn’t it? Shrugging mentally, she picked the little lizard up and plonked her gently on Sh’kith’s left shoulder – the closest to them. Scritching Polariss’ head before retreating to normal walking distance, she felt oddly bereft now that she creature had abandoned her.
It wasn’t long before they entered the cavern that housed the kitchens and Silvate quickly excused herself before making her way over to the hearth, with alarming speed. Her stomach rumbled audibly as she grabbed a bowl of stew, adding to it a hearty dose of pepper. She also reached for a piece of bread before finding a vacant table to place it on. Then she returned to the hearth again for a mug of klah, steaming hot and smelling gorgeous. She cared little for what people thought of this – dammit she was hungry! Settling herself down, she ate a few bites before she spoke. And by Faranth it was good! Something about it tasted a lot more wholesome than the food back in the Northern continent. Then again, it could always be the fact that it was the first meal to go with a new beginning.
Now her hunger was abated, she turned her gaze back to Sh’kith, next questions ready. She had settled a little now, aware that the man was generously allowing her her time and space; unlike most people. That was rare. And she was thankful for it. Gesturing to Polariss, she asked in her usually brash way, “Any chance I would be able to get one for myself? I’ve never so much as set eye on a clutch before and they are more than good company to me.” A wry smile lit on her face for the umpteenth time that evening – she wondered if her use of the singular noun would catch him out as it did so many others. Continuing, she spoke between mouthfuls, savouring the taste of the chunky broth on her tongue. “And who would I need to report to for ‘lessons’ as it were. I know that I’m a foreign entity in this weyr, and as such, I am probably going to be tutored in it’s ways before I get chance to walk on the sands. If indeed I ever do.” Her cynicism was ever apparent. It definitely was niggling in the back of her mind that she was far too old to be doing what the Dusk and Chrome had brought her here for.
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Post by Desert on Sept 6, 2010 16:41:12 GMT -5
Polariss squeaked as she was deposited on Sh'kith's shoulder. She leaned into the final caress and licked Silvate's fingers, then turned to nuzzle her head into Sh'kith's neck. He smiled fondly at the little dusk and stroked her side. "Go find Ave and Jak, dear one," he cooed, and Polariss lifted off with a creel.
Sh'kith tried not to grin when Silvate rushed past him over to the hearth. He stopped to chat briefly with some of the riders still lingering about. The dinner hour had passed, so he wasn't particularly hungry, but he was giving Silvate time to take the edge off her hunger. From the way she was ravenously devouring her stew, she was just as hungry as she's told him.
The Weyrlingmaster paused to grab a bit of bread to nibble on and sauntered over to the table Silvate had claimed, since she appeared to have slowed down a bit in her eating. He casually leaned against the table and waited for her to speak up. "We don't allow candidates or weyrlings to get flits. If you had one already we could hardly do anything about it, but baby fire lizards are too much of a distraction. With the number of flitters we've got wandering around, I'm sure you could get your hands on an egg, but it's my advice to hold off until you've either given up on candidacy, or you graduate into the fighting wings if you Impress." He tore off another hunk of bread and chewed. "It would be different if you managed to acquire a Cion. Those things are self-reliant enough that weyrlings and candidates can have them. They're not nearly as friendly as fire lizards, but a lot of people have them as pets. Of course, considering the taste some dragons have for the buggers, it might not be the best idea." He shrugged. "Really it's your choice. As to lessons, since I'm the acting Candidatemaster, your official lessons will be taken from me. Any additional lessons you need I'll give, or if I happen to be busy, usually I can get D'kun to help out. Sometimes N'yx gives lessons if he has the time."
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Post by pandoraMisfit on Nov 7, 2010 20:50:46 GMT -5
Nodding, Silvate though on the implications of that statement. She’d have to, in that case, make certain that she made the acquaintance of at least a few of the resident flits here, for if she could not have her own for years to come, then she would have to befriend others and hope they were as friendly as the wild ones about the Wher hall. And of course little Jak and Polariss. Or, she thought with an internal shudder, actually befriend a human in the meantime. The idea grated against her personality, for she was used to being a loner. Even now it unsettled her a bit to be talking so normally with someone.
Pushing her empty bowl away, she sighed contentedly. “That was amazingly good – I see the weyr is well supplied.” To her embarrassment, s small belch escaped her lips, but it was beyond her to belch. She merely pardoned herself and commented that her stomach agreed with her words.
As to having a Cion as a pet, well she’d never heard of the creatures, and made it known. “Evidently there are different species of fauna here in the East; that would be something I would be deeply interested in learning.” She relaxed back into her chair, taking in the sights and smells of the cavern. “Could you explain what such an animal is to me? And why the weyr would keep them as pets if dragonkind are so partial to them?” She was becoming a little less tense with a hot meal in her belly, the warmth spreading through her bones and bringing a rosy flush to her face. It wasn’t unpretty, creating a gentle porcelain and roses effect, not that she’d ever think of herself that way. Stretching out, she let her gaze circle the room, noting the people within. “Oh, is there anyone in here I should make special note of? I like to remember names you see.”
Sitting forwards once more, she picked up her mug and sipped from it, the bittersweet smell of the Klah soothing and stimulating all at once. It was comforting to know that Sh’kith would be the one teaching her lessons, which meant there wouldn’t need to be a clash of wills with anyone else. Not that she’d intentionally jeopardise her place in the weyr, that’s just the way she was. Finally fixing her gaze on the rider, she spoke again. “And another question – it seems I’m full of them this evening – how soon would my lessons begin? I’m not one to lay idle for long, and I don’t wish to make a nuisance of myself for lack of activity. The sooner I am kept busy, the better I suppose.”
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