one part brave, three parts fool

[luke skypotter]

[luke skypotter]

[queen beetch]

lindsay's charries












▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ↻xGARNETT TAMZIN MONTAGNEx●xKEL'SHEE x●xthe couragous healer
- - - -Netty ● twenty-three ● female ● bisexual

● The eldest of seven kids. Her father is a dragon rider and away
more often than not. For a long time it was up
to her and her mother to raise her siblings.
● When she turned eighteen she went to a hatching to see
if she would be chosen. Her whole family was
there to support her and she ended up being
chosen by Kel'shee.
● The pair were put on the path to become a healer team
due to Kel'shee's typing, but this suited Netty
just fine. She was good at helping people. In
the beginning of their training they were sent
to live with the priestesses of the northern
dragon temple to learn from them.
● More recently, she and Kel'shee were out patrolling when
they spotted a rider knocked from his dragon.
They got to him as quickly as they could and
Netty was able to help him.
__ ⊱⊱ yesterdays blackbird



▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ↻xARCHIMEDES JUSTUS TRITTENx●xABRAXAS x●xthe born leader
- - - -Archie ● twenty-four ● male ● bisexual

● He's a natural leader, but he wasn't chosen as a rider until this past year.
This was disappointing to both his family and himself.
He comes from a family of dragon riders; both warriors
and healers.
● He's a very hard worker though sometimes his determination
can turn into stubbornness. He is ambitious and
confident. He has a quiet pride about him.
● His dragon, Abraxas, is possibly the grumpiest dragon
he's ever met, but he loves him just the same.
● He's known Rhodes since they were younger and the
two have practically been best friends ever
since. Archie trusts her absolutely and she's
the only other human that Abraxas actually likes.
__ ⊱⊱ yesterdays blackbird

[luke skypotter]

SEVEN - MEMORY

"Priestess Aleris, why am I here?" The woman just stared down at Dianne for a moment. The girl was only eight, blonde hair reaching towards her waist - she was forbidden to cut it more than once a year. Her mother had left her at the temple shortly after her birth, but no one knew why or who exactly her parents were. In any case, everything happened for a reason, and all the Priestesses at the temple made sure to remind her of that every time her curiosity drove her to ask more questions. "You are here because the great dragons decided that this is where you should be." Dianne had to fight to hide a scoff at this. It was the same answer everytime she asked and it was frustrating. Nodding at Aleris despite her discontent, Dianne bowed formally as she had been taught and turned to scurry away towards the dragon fields. Technically, she wasn't supposed to go there, but as long as she didn't act up the Priestesses didn't mind too much. She was still young enough to escape the strict rules that everyone at the temple had to follow. The dragon fields were where any unbonded dragons and/or dragons that had lost their riders went to rest and interact with one another. Any humans outside of the temple were generally forbidden to enter unless under special circumstances. Dianne loved going there to get away from everything and she'd figured out the very first time she'd gone there to hide that she had a special connection with dragons that no one else seemed to understand when she told them about it.

"Little one, you've returned." Dianne turned at the familiar, regal voice in her head and was faced with two large dragons, one ice blue, the other a bronze so deep it looked almost black in some places. "Faranth, Katla! It's lovely to see you again!" She had yet to master the art of speaking to the creatures in her mind, so she continued to speak to them outloud. They didn't seem to mind and they could hold a conversation just fine, so Dianne didn't see any problems with it. "As it is to see you. What brings you here today?" Dianne was just about to lift off into another rant about how the Priestesses never told her anything when both Faranth and Katla went stiff. It worried her only for a moment before she turned and saw what they were looking at at the edge of the fields. It was a boy - perhaps a little bit older than herself - standing and looking around with the same sense of wonder that she often felt. At this, she smiled. Katla and Faranth tried to stop her, but she charged ahead to greet the boy where he was standing. "Hello! Are you hiding here too? Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends!" With all the vivaciousness of the seven year old that she was, she marched back over to Katla and Faranth, who'd been joined by another deep green dragon and a yellow one. Katla bent her head down significantly to nudge her head into Dianne's stomach affectionately and Faranth bent down so that she could scratch his eye ridge. Dianne giggled and introduced them each one by one before turning to introduce herself. "My name is Dianne, I life at the Dragon Temple. What's your name?"

PRESENT

Rho smiled at the memories of the first time that she'd met Archie. In the past couple of days, she'd been reliving a lot of her favorite memories. She was told it was because of Aithusa's upcoming mating flight. Everyone had their ideas of how it would end up, but Rho went with her gut and Aithusa's intuition in the feeling that Archie would most definitely win. She was happy with that outcome. Archie had been her best friend for as long as she could remember - one of her only friends, actually. She hadn't had the opportunity to make a lot of friends in her life at the Temple, so it made sense that her first had been made against the rules and her second had been made much, much later when Netty had gone to the Temple to train as a Healer. That had been three years before she'd been chosen herself - by a queen dragon, no less - and being around an actual, bonded pair had been a new experience for her. Of course, her connection with other dragons was nothing compared to her connection with Aithusa. In fact, at the choosing ceremony she'd nearly passed out at the force of the bond snapping into place. It had, however, explained why she had felt like something was a little off in the few months beforehand.

Rho was abruptly pulled from her thoughts by the feeling of a nose nudging in between her shoulder blades. A rather large nose, at that. Rolling over, Rho came face-to-face with a familiar large, white face and she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face, even if she was annoyed at being interrupted in her reminiscing. Aithusa's body was stretched across their den, her back legs and tail curled on the balcony since she was getting to be too big to fit in the room entirely. You've been laying here for too long, it is time to get food, Aithusa's familiar voice swept through her mind. Though she dreaded moving from her bed, she scratched Aithusa's eye ridge gently and pulled herself from the blankets. She slept in only an old, loose tunic that was worn down in most places and she was sure she would be cold in the open room if not for Aithusa's body letting off so much heat in the small space. In fact, she had actually begun to sweat from it while she'd been under her blankets. Stepping up to the jagged mirror on the wall next to the bed, she attempted to smooth out her hair with little success. It was finally close to her shoulders in length again and she was tempted to cut it all off like she had when she had left the temple. She doubted that she would, though. Aithusa had told her more than once that she preferred it longer. That it made them look more regal or something. Whatever that meant.

Aithusa huffed from her spot on the other side of the bed and Rho rolled her eyes at her impatience. Still, she was getting a tad hungry herself and she made her way to the wardrobe to pull out some clothes for the day. She forwent the robes or the gowns and went straight for her riding leathers - a darker brown color like most of them, but with silver stitching that signified her status as Queen. Well, future Queen. She wouldn't technically be Queen until after Aithusa's first mating flight, but from the way they were both starting to get twitchy and occasionally feverish, that wasn't as far in the future as they both wished it was. Once her riding leathers were all in place over a plain black tunic and plain black pants, she moved to leave the room, scratching Aithusa's eye ridge once more and promising to meet her once they'd both gotten something to eat. The bowing and awed looks she received as she walked to the dining hall still didn't sit right with her. She'd been told she was the most powerful Queen the Weyr had seen in years, perhaps ever, but that didn't change the fact that she was uncomfortable with it all. The dragon part, the bond part - those she accepted and loved and enjoyed. The rest of it? Maybe it was her upbringing in the Temple centered around selflessness and being humble, but she never knew how to respond to it.

Maybe that's why she liked being around Archie and Netty so much. They still treated her the same as they had before her bonding ceremony, despite her status. It was refreshing and it was probably why a smile automatically grew on her face when she spotted Archie. With the mating flight coming up, she had expected their interactions to be a bit different, more weird, at first, but they weren't at all. In fact, it seemed even more refreshingly normal in comparison. "Archie! Nice to see you awake this morning, did Abraxas drag you out by your toes?" she teased, slipping up to him for a hug like she normally did. It felt a bit odd knowing what was coming up, and her senses were beginning to heighten as the flight closed in, but she forced herself to relax and not think about it too much. "Are you up for a flight today? I've been dying to get away from the Weyr. I feel a bit...smothered." It was true, she did. But she also had been fantasizing about flying for the past couple days and her duties had kept her from doing so. And either way, Archie had always been her favorite flying partner, even before he'd been bonded the past year. Before Abraxas, she'd let him ride with her and Aithusa whenever possible. After Abraxas, not much changed except that they both had their own dragons to ride next to one another.

#7bccb5
#307d7e - aithusa

[queen beetch]

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• 'Archie...' The voice was quiet, pulling just at the edge of his mind. 'Archie...!' It was more insistent now; more pressing now. 'ARCHIMEDES!' With that Archie startled awake and shot up in his bed. "What? What's wrong?" He asked groggily to the room. It was pitch black save for a pair of orange eyes staring at him from the other side of the room. 'You promised we'd train this morning before the rest of them awaken.' Abraxas' voice was quiet again but held an edge of annoyance. Hot breath hitting his face told him that Abraxas had just huffed to demonstrate his annoyance. Archie pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes to rub the sleep out of them. "It's not even morning yet," There was complaint in his voice. It was too early for this. The temptation to lay back down was there, and he was sure Abraxas read it in his thoughts because a low growl rumbled from the huge beast. This caused Archie to swing his legs out of bed rather than lay back down. "Alright, you win." The young man shoved himself to his feet and he shuffled over to the wardrobe in his room to find clothes to wear. "A little light would be helpful." Archie didn't even flinch as a fireball suddenly hurtled past his head and struck the torch hanging on the wall behind him. "I'm up. Can you cool it please?" he asked with a slight glare at his dragon. Abraxas returned his glare but put his huge head down on the ground to wait while Archie clothed himself.
  
  Archie turned to his wardrobe again and was actually able to see what he was looking at now. He pulled on a pair of tan pants and a deep blue tunic before putting his riding leathers on as well. They were stitched with dark red thread, signifying his station as a warrior. He also grabbed his leather jacket from where it hung in his wardrobe and pulled that on. It could get cold up in the sky. Especially at this time of day. 'Are you ready yet?' Abraxas' voice was like thunder at times and it never failed to startle Archie when it got like that. This time was no different. Archie jumped slightly and whirled to look at his dragon. "Yes, I am. Are you? I'm going to put you through your paces," he answered. Abraxas lifted his great head and slowly rose to his feet. 'I've been ready.' That was all the response he got as his dragon lumbered toward the exit of their shared space. Archie followed after him, more slowly though since he was stretching as he walked. Again, Archie decided it was too early for this, but he would also do anything and everything in his power to give Abraxas what he wanted, and what his dragon wanted was to have a chance at mating with Aithusa. When Archie finally made it out into the chilly morning air Abraxas had disappeared. He looked around for a moment before a slight smirk appeared on his lips. 'You know, showing off seems silly when no one is around to see.' he chided his dragon. 'It's good practice.' Was Abraxas' only reply. Archie rolled his eyes a bit before taking an extra step off the ledge and starting to fall through the air. Abraxas was right there to catch him though and Archie settled on his back.
  
  
  LATER THAT MORNING
  
  
  Archie was worn down after his training with Abraxas earlier that morning, but there was no time to rest. When they'd gotten back to the Weyr he'd sent Abraxas off to rest and find food before going to do the same. Well, the food part anyway. With the ongoing war and now the upcoming mating flight there was no shortage of things to be done. Archie found his way over to a group of friends, who were also warriors, and greeted them warmly. He was about to join them to get food when an oh so familiar voice caught his attention. He sighed a bit and shook his head at Rho's teasing. "No dragging, but he did yell at me. Woke me up at the crack of dawn. Before that even," Archie said and a yawn followed shortly after. His arms wrapped around her instinctively as she slipped up to him for a hug. His eyes closed for a moment, relishing the feeling of her body so close to his. Her next question had him shaking off his feelings and squeezing her quickly before dropping one arm from around her. He kept the other around her waist though, finding comfort in having her close like that. "Of course. You know I'd never pass up a flight with you. We should probably take it easy. Abraxas and I did some training this morning and I think I may have worn him out a bit," he chuckled. "I'll be sure to make time, alright? First, let's get some food. I've been up way too long without food so I'm starving." He squeezed her gently again and led her off in the direction most of the other people around them were going.
  
  
  SO IT BEGINS
  
  
  It was nearing dawn a couple of days later, his sleep was restless, he was tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. He also felt a general sense of unease. Something wasn't right. Although nothing was wrong either. 'Archie,' He sat up immediately and looked toward where Abraxas was standing near the exit of their den looking outside. 'It's time.' He knew exactly what that meant. He understood the uneasy feeling now. And now that he thought about it, he realized he was more uncomfortable than uneasy. He felt like he needed to be somewhere other than his own bed. Archie stumbled out of his bed quickly and over to his wardrobe. He struggled into a pair of pants and a tunic then pulled on his boots before hurrying over to where Abraxas waited. He hadn't bothered with his leathers since this was not a flight he'd be taking with Abraxas. Archie moved up next to his dragon and pressed his hand against Abraxas' mighty leg. "You can do this. We've trained hard. You'll be the best one out there," he promised. With a mighty flap of his wings, Abraxas took off, shooting up into the sky with other dragons joining him quickly. It was certainly a sight to behold, but Archie had other things on his mind now.
  
  Archie quickly made his way back into his and Abraxas' den and out the other side to go deeper into the Weyr. He had to find Rho. Everything in him was screaming that he needed to find her. He needed to keep her safe. He needed to hold her. He needed to... well, do other things... if Abraxas won the race for Aithusa's heart. Archie left his den and paused to look around a bit. The halls were teeming with riders. The air was practically alive with confusion and restlessness. Everyone knew how important this day was and everyone was eager to find out what the result of that day would be.
  
  As he searched for Rho he passed Netty and Kel'shee's den. He almost kept walking but heard something within. It sounded like singing. Archie knocked on the open door softly and poked his head in. Netty was sitting on her bed with Kel'shee's huge head in her lap, singing to her dragon. "Netty!" he spoke softly so as not to surprise her, but loudly enough that she would hear him for sure this time. She stopped singing and looked over at him, a smile starting on her lips. "I'm surprised to see you here, Archie. Isn't there somewhere else you should be?" she asked him suggestively. Archie rubbed the back of his neck and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I was just looking for her. Had to stop in when I heard you. It's been a while since you were actually home," he explained, his voice almost teasing. Netty rolled her eyes a bit. "Seems like we came home a little too soon. I love Rho and Aithusa, but this has been hard on Kel'shee." At that the blue dragon made a sound like something akin to a whine. "But we had to come check on our patient and his dragon, didn't we Kel'shee?" The great dragon gave a bit of a grunt and he was sure she probably answered Netty, but that wasn't something he was privy to. "Well stick around for a little longer if you can. It's better when you're here." Netty nodded and made a shooing motion at him. "Go find Rho and make sure she's okay. I promise to stick around a while." Archie could only shake his head and head back out of her den.
  
  This time, once he was in the hallway, he followed the throng of people headed outside. That would be his best bet of finding Rho. The brief distraction of seeing Netty was wearing off and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable and uneasy again. "Rho?!" he called out as he shoved his way through people that weren't getting out of his way fast enough. He glanced to the sky now and again trying to catch sight of Abraxas or Aithusa, or both, but didn't see either of them. His main focus was to find Rho anyway. Archie slipped past a few more people until he spotted a familiar head of blonde hair. Archie's pace picked up until he was behind her finally. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her back against him gently in a hug. "There you are. I'm glad I found you," he murmured to her and slowly released his hold on her. Archie kept one hand on the small of her back as he stepped up next to her rather than staying behind her. He felt like he needed to be connected to her somehow now that he'd found her. "Have any idea where our dragons are?" he asked. He was trying to stay calm, but he was still worried about Abraxas and Aithusa.
  
  ooc::

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Babe
There's something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don't you agree?
Babe
There's something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me


You Are Here... Weyr ll Can You Hear Me Now?...Abraxas --> Rho --> Abraxas --> Netty --> Rho ll So Many Emotions... Tired --> Tense, Anxious, Excited, Worried

luke skypotter

[luke skypotter]

Rho couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up at Archie's response like she would have been any other time. It escaped her throat even when she closed her eyes to relish the feeling of being close to him. It was nice in both a normal way and in a way that settled something in her gut that had been swirling restlessly for the past couple days. Before he pulled away, she discreetly sniffed so that she could catch the familiar smell of him. It had always been something comforting to her, the smell of a best friend and someone that she loved dearly. Hearing him talk about training that morning made her stomach clench just a little bit - and not in the pleasant way. He could have been talking about just a normal morning of warrior training, but she had a feeling that that wasn't the case. Abraxas was hardly the type to want to get up and train early just for the hell of it. Still, she pushed the thought of what was to come from her head at his next words and smiled up at him, particularly enjoying the squeeze and allowing him to lead her in the direction of food. "You have always had a void for a stomach, haven't you?" she laughed, but she couldn't really point any fingers. The Priestesses used to scold her almost daily for sneaking extra food when she wasn't supposed to. Of course, even then she'd gotten away with a lot more than she should have given the rule of the Temple. Absentmindedly, she ran a hand across the chest of her leathers, picturing the birthmark that sat centered between her ribs, just under her breasts. It had always been there and the Priestesses knew it was there but they never really told her what it meant, or why she wasn't really supposed to tell anyone about it. At least not yet. Rho didn't even know it was the symbol for a queen dragon(rider) until she became bonded with one and they stitched it on her riding leathers in silver.

Rho managed to put all of the pressing questions that she couldn't solve out of her head for the duration of lunch with Archie, but then he had to leave because of warrior duties and she had to meet Aithusa to do a little bit of training for the impending mating flight. They didn't know what to expect, so they had to be ready for anything. Of course, Rho wasn't allowed to fly while Aithusa trained for this because she wouldn't be on her back for the actual flight and her dragon needed to adapt to flying without the extra weight. As the afternoon passed and evening approached, she ended up so wrapped up in the responsibilities of preparing for the upcoming flight and crowning that she almost forgot about her plans to fly with Archie. Almost. She hardly thought it was humanly possible for her to fully forget and even if she did, Archie would probably find her and drag her away from the council room so that she could clear her head. And the flight really did help her clear her head, even if she technically wasn't supposed to be doing it. She rarely had anyone tell her what to do and what not to do unless it was essential that she listen and then she did. She may have been a bit impulsive sometimes, but she wasn't reckless and she knew there was a lot resting on her for the wellbeing of the weyr, even more so whenever she was officially crowned and the last queen stepped down from her position. And even though she managed to sneak away to see Archie and fly that afternoon, the next couple days were so packed that she didn't get to see anyone other than Aithusa and a few of the (nearly) former queen's maidens that were helping prepare her for what was coming and for the ceremony that would follow. She still wasn't entirely prepared when it did happen.

DUN DUN DUUUUN

In the back of her mind, Rho already knew it was happening before it really started. All the night before she'd been twitchy and feverish and unable to concentrate and Aithusa had been almost worse. In fact, the dragon had almost snapped at another rider's dragon that had gotten too close to her that evening. So, Rho had managed to restrict Aithusa's diet to blood only so that she wouldn't be weighed down when she decided to rise, but it was a taxing thing and they'd been at each other's throats for most of that day. Still, when something in the air shifted just a few hours before dawn, Rho sat up rigged in bed, her sense trapped somewhere between Aithusa's raging emotions and need and her own anxiety and adrenaline. Just as Aithusa threw herself from the ledge of the den with an ear piercing screech, Rho stumbled out of her room in just her old tunic and a pair of pants just this side of too small that she'd decided to slip on at the last minute that night - a good thing because she wouldn't have been in the state of mind to remember before making her way to an area just outside of a hall crowded with other riders. All of them kept looking between her and the sky and she knew she was sweating profusely; she didn't have the control to shove away the people that were stepping too close to her. Her mind kept shifting between seeing the crowd of apprehensive faces and a night sky littered with stars but no clouds and the sound of wings somewhere behind her. She felt like laughing and screaming at the same time and she wanted nothing more than to take of running so that she'd be outside with the wind on her face and then maybe she wouldn't feel so stifled standing in the middle of everyone. She knew subconsciously that she was swaying on her feet and murmuring some things quietly to herself. She couldn't say what they were, exactly, but she knew they were things she was picking up from Aithusa, though her dragon's thoughts didn't exactly reflect any form of human speech in that particular moment.

She didn't hear Archie approach her over the sound of blood rushing through her ears, but she definitely felt him when he pulled her back against him in a hug. At the unexpected human contact a groan ripped it's way out of her throat in sync with a far-off screech that she knew was Aithusa even without the overlap of the bond. She heard the timber of Archie's voice in her ear, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. She did turn her head to look at him though and distantly wondered what he say. She was sweating from the fever and she was sure her eyes were reflecting the chaos and exhilaration that was sweeping over her in tidal waves at that point. She heard him ask something about their dragons, but not what, and she's not sure she would have been able to answer him even if she had. Even when she tried to greet him or tell him what was going on in her head at that moment, all that tumbled out of her mouth were incomprehensible squeaks or gibberish. She could still hear Aithusa in her mind, though now she could somewhat make out the thoughts swirling through her head and rushing into Rho's own by default. They'll never catch me, no one can catch me! and None of them are good enough! Not one! She wanted to fall to her knees with the force of Aithusa's emotions, but Archie's hand on the small of her back kept her grounded, even as her mind merged more fully with Aithusa's for a brief moment. It was enough for her to see the sky from Aithusa's eyes as she sensed two dragons approaching her, but mostly because she'd decided to finally wanted one of them to catch her. She was too fast for them to catch them on their own, most likely, so she slowed enough to see that it was Abraxas and Jormun. She most definitely favored Abraxas over Jormun, an overly aggressive and selfish beast with a rider to match. Abraxas was ahead by enough that when Aithusa slowed down to the right speed, he was on her before Jormun could even notice the change.

Rho's shout as she finally did fall to her knees matched Aithusa's screech when she finally was caught and Rho managed to pull herself from her dragon's brain just enough to look around and notice all the disappointed stares and mutterings as the riders that weren't chosen shuffled off to find a means to expel the excess adrenaline and nervous energy that still pulsed almost visibly in the air. Her brain didn't even register the fact that she was moving until she had another short pulse of clarity and found herself being taken through the halls that led to her own den by a familiar figure that she couldn't think straight long enough to identify until they were in the room. Just blue eyes and a familiar smell. Archie, her brain helpfully supplied. The rest of the night came in flashes. A warm body. Wind in her face. Hands seemingly everywhere. A white wing trapped under a red and black one. An overall sense of heat. The smell of the ocean from somewhere to the right. When she woke up in the morning, lacking a significant amount of clothing and tangled with her best friend, Rho had a fairly hard time piecing it all together. Her head was clear finally, but not a lot of the mating flight was fluid enough to identify. Logically, she knew what happened, but not having a full recollection of everything really threw her off. Be calm, Dianna, all is well. You are now a queen and we have chosen our weyrleader. Rho couldn't help the wry thought that being that confident of an optimistic outcome, but the sarcasm was dulled by the sense of being at peace that permeated the bond. Aithusa was happy and content and curled up with Abraxas much like she was with Archie and it was actually difficult to find a fault in the current situation. And then she remembered that the crowning ceremony would be that night.

Rho always thought that it seemed a bit sudden, but she knew that everyone wanted to get the new queen settled in with her chosen mate as quickly as possible, given the turbulent situation on the battlefields as of late. So, at the quiet knock on the door, Rho untangled herself as quietly as possible, pressing a gentle kiss to Archie's temple before pulling on a tunic and pants and slipping out of the room to get ready for the ceremony. Of course, she wrote a note in the council room and had one of the maidens take it to slip under the door to her den under the assumption that Archie would still be sleeping after the hectic night. It wasn't much, just a quick "see you tonight" message signed with her name to make sure he knew she wasn't freaked out by what had happened. She'd been expecting it and it was only natural, after all. Perhaps she was a tiny bit nervous about seeing him again afterwards, but she refused to let it disturb their relationship. It was the best way the situation could have gone and Rho knew that he would be a great leader, that much had always been obvious to her. And to Aithusa, apparently, who remained with the wind until just before she was needed for the ceremony. Not that it really mattered. The council kept Rho locked in the council room for the entirety of the day, feeding her meals between signing various documents and making pledges that were too long to be made during the crowning ceremony. Even Aithusa had to "sign" a document of sorts, though it was more just scorching some sort of fabric that would be inscribed with their names and placed with those of all the other queen dragons before them.

When she was finally released from the council room, she was immediately ushered into an empty room and given a gown that looked eerily similar to her robes from the Temple, but with no sleeves and more elegant. They combed her hair back, put it up, and even used some sort of pigment to even her skin tone and berries to naturally color her lips. Everything about the ceremony was supposed to be natural and as little man made aspects were used as possible. When she was led back out to enter the now-crowded community hall, she managed to keep a smile on her face despite the dread in the back of her mind at being presented in front of all of these people. There was a lifted tier at the front of the room and on it stood an official, the now-former queen, and Archie. Rho zoned in on her friend to get her down to the front with as little anxiety as possible. The crowning ceremony itself was fairly simple. The former queen wore the crown of the weyr and with some words in the ancient language, it was removed from her head and placed onto Rho's. She would have to wear it during council meetings or community ceremonies and when she flew into battle to signify her status. It was simple and light, at least. After an oath was spoken, she waited with a smile as a slightly less detailed "crowning" was presented to Archie to recognize him as the weyrleader. Then, the former mated pair stepped down from the stage to rejoin the community of riders as equals and she and Archie were left staring at the weyr they were now leading. She wasn't sure quite how he felt about the whole thing, but it made her nervous. She knew she could do it - that, technically, she was born to do it, but having that much weight on your shoulders would burden anyone and she wasn't sure how she felt about it quite yet. But she would do it because it's what she had to do. Even if she had to reach over and grab Archie's hands so that hers would stop shaking.

#7bccb5
#307d7e - aithusa

yesterdays blackbird

[queen beetch]

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• It was almost concerning how hot and sweaty Rho was. He understood why, but it was still slightly concerning. Archie kept his hand on her, both for his benefit and hers. At least he hoped she would benefit from the contact. He had no real way of knowing whether she would or not. Unless she told him... but that didn't seem likely. The possibility seemed to disappear entirely when she turned to him and odd noises fell from her perfect lips. Archie shook the thought from his head quickly and refocused on Rho. She hadn't been able to speak to him. And the look in her eyes... It made his heart ache. He couldn't begin to understand the possible torment his best friend was going through. Sure he could feel Abraxas' stress and eagerness and excitement in every fiber of his being, but he doubted Rho was feeling any of those things. Not with what he saw in her eyes. His hand moved from the small of her back to her hip so that he could hold onto her better. "It'll be okay, Rho. You'll get through this. I'll protect you," he assured her. Though if she wasn't speaking properly he wasn't sure she'd understand him. She had sounded more like she was communicating like a dragon. Slowly he dipped his head to rest his forehead against hers. "Abraxas will win. He's too stubborn to lose. And when he does I'll take care of you. I promise to always take care of you," he whispered to her.
  
  An explosion of excitement rocked through his body suddenly and his hand dropped away from Rho as his body jolted. He was vaguely aware of Rho falling to her knees next to him as a dragon screeched from above. Archie knew what had happened. Abraxas had finally caught Aithusa. Archie fought through his now foggy mind trying to separate his feelings from Abraxas'. It was difficult, but he was managing, for the most part. Something deep and instinctual was begging him to get Rho on the ground and cover her body with his right then and there. Archie shook his head a bit. No, he shouldn't do that. He needed to get her somewhere else. Where else? Archie was half aware that he was reaching down and hauling Rho back to her feet. He was still trying to fight to keep Abraxas' emotions at bay. His hand slipped down to hers and he took hold of it gently but securely. He tugged gently and when she moved willingly his feet started carrying him back into the Weyr. He kept her close as he pushed through people in his way. He was feeling suddenly and extremely possessive of Rho. Like if someone so much as touched her on accident he'd break every bone in their body. Archie shook his head again and let out a sigh of relief when he saw the door to her den ahead of them. The minute he slammed the door closed behind them he was on her. He couldn't hold anything back anymore.
  
  Archie didn't stir even slightly until Rho's lips touched his temple. Even then he only made a half-hearted attempt to reach out and grab her before she could get too far from him. His fingers just barely brushed over her skin. That was all the attempt he made. Archie rolled over and drifted from his light sleep back to his deep sleep. He was entirely worn out from the previous night's activities. Archie slept soundly until Abraxas came in and nudged him right out of the bed and onto the floor. Archie landed with an 'oof' on the floor and then groaned as he sat up and looked around a bit. 'Did you enjoy your night?' Abraxas was very obviously in an extremely good mood which was exceedingly rare for him. 'I thought you said you didn't feel anything more than friendship toward Rho?' The smug look on his dragon's face had Archie rolling his eyes. "You and I both know I didn't have a choice. And you know how I really feel about Rho, so don't act so pleased with yourself." None of his words removed the look from Abraxas' face. Archie sighed and shook his head as a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "And congratulations, buddy. I knew you could do it." At that Abraxas finally settled down a little and he stretched out to nuzzle his huge head against Archie. Archie patted his dragon's forehead affectionately before gently shoving him away.
  
  Now that he was up, his next task was to find his clothes. "I don't suppose you somehow brought me a change of clothes and my leathers?" he questioned Abraxas. The dragon snorted and shook his head a bit. 'I merely came to wake you.' Archie sighed. "And to rub in your victory." That earned him a shove against his back and Archie chuckled. "Go find Aithusa. I'm up. You did your job." Abraxas gave Archie one last nudge before turning and leaving the den. Archie looked back to the floor to scan for his clothes. He found them quickly and pulled them on. With that task done he moved to the door. He paused only when he noticed a folded piece of paper lying just before the door. Archie grabbed it and read the note over quickly. Another smile touched his lips after reading it. It was a relief to know that she wasn't avoiding him. He knew she was busy preparing for the crowning, but the fact that she hadn't woken him up before she left could have been taken the wrong way. Archie hadn't thought much of it though. He was confident in their relationship. Sure they'd been nothing but friends up until now, but he felt like he could always be sure the solidity of their friendship.
  
  While it was disappointing to not get the chance to see Rho at all that day, he understood why he couldn't. The two of them were both busy. She with the duties of a new queen and he with the duties of a new Weyrleader. He met with generals and captains of their army. He signed his own documents. He discussed war strategies. Part of his mind was more focused on Rho than anything else though. He kept finding his thoughts wandering to her and to the memory fragments he'd retained from the night before. Archie was beginning to feel like he'd burst if he wasn't allowed to see her again soon. And just like that, someone stepped into to strategy room to alert him that he would need to get ready for the crowning. Archie excused himself from the room and made his way back to his own den.
  
  When it was finally time for the crowning ceremony to begin he was standing up at the front with the previous queen and an official who would be the one to transfer the crown. He was wearing his full set of armor over a black tunic and black pants normal riding leathers. The armor was new. It looked the same as his old armor, but had gold stitching and was embellished with the symbol of the Weyrleader. He was conversing quietly with the previous Weyrleader and Queen when a hush fell over the room. Archie turned with the rest of the room as Rho walked in and made her way up to the tier he was already standing on. Archie gave her a lopsided smirk as his arms dropped from their crossed position to a more relaxed stance. Once she made it to where they all stood he reached out to help her up onto the tier and pulled her close enough that he could whisper to her. "You look beautiful. Ravishing even." And there were his instincts. There was an intense look in his eyes as he caught her gaze. So intense that Rho should have been the only one to witness it. Of course, this wasn't the case and the previous Weyrleader cleared his throat from somewhere behind Archie. At this Archie broke his gaze from Rho's and shook his head slightly to get his thoughts straight and sound again. He stood patiently as first Rho was crowned and then his turn came around. He appreciated that the design of his crown was quite simple. It was also gold, the color of Weyrleaders, in contrast to Rho's silver crown.
  
  Archie was relieved when the ceremony was finally over. There would be food next and he was more than happy to get the opportunity to eat something. He was struggling to remember the last time he'd eaten. The day had come and gone so quickly. He must have eaten that day though. Someone would have brought him food. His stomach rumbled a bit as the hall was quickly rearranged so that were enough tables and chairs for everyone. He and Rho had their own designated table with the previous queen and Weyrleader. Archie pulled Rho's chair out for her before taking his own seat. Without much thought to his actions, one of Archie's hands moved under the table to rest on Rho's knee. He knew he was being much more affectionate than he usually would be. Sure the two of them hugged and touched before, but usually Rho was the one to initiate such things. This was different, and he didn't mind it.
  
  ooc::

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Babe
There's something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don't you agree?
Babe
There's something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me


You Are Here... Weyr ll Can You Hear Me Now?...Rho ll So Many Emotions... Excited, Hungry, Relaxed.

luke skypotter

[luke skypotter]

Having the ceremony be over was a relief to her. The whole day had flown by so quickly that she hardly knew which way was up anymore and while she hadn't had very much of an appetite earlier, she felt her stomach practically nibbling at her spine just then. It was nice to be able to step down from the stage as the room was quickly rearranged to suit their needs - a special dining hall rather than a ceremonial one. Her legs were still shaking, though, as she took her seat between Archie and the previous Queen, Igraine. When she felt Archie's hand land on her knee, she couldn't stop the small smile that spread over her face. She heard the old Queen giggle and felt a slight nudge in her side, but she was fairly indifferent to it. All she wanted in that moment was food and then alone time with Archie. Despite the mating flight having ended already, the mood was still there, as was the desperation. It was different, though, now. It felt more like wanting to fly on a bad day - wanting to get away from everything and be free.

When the food was finally served, pouring out of the kitchen in waves, Rho sat up straighter in her seat. If she were any hungrier her stomach might literally growl. There were dishes of all kinds: soups, roasted lamb, all types of potatoes, and more. Enough food for the entire weyr to eat off of for days and they probably would. She took a serving of just about everything that was offered and dug in immediately, trying to style the suddenly ravenous hunger that gripped her.

"You should eat with more care. There are some who would criticize a Queen who eats with ill manners."

Igraine's soft voice invaded her peaceful food-bubble. She knew, logically, that Igraine didn't mean it in a rude way, but Rho still felt herself stiffen at the perceived criticism. Her eyes subconsciously scanned the room for anyone who might be judging her and she found no one. Good.

"I've never heard complaints about my eating style before. Besides, what does hunger say about the reign of a Queen, anyway?"

She sounded a bit petulant, even to her own ears.

"Nothing of significance, but it's noted by some as a lack of control. And that is one of the most important and valued qualities of a successful Queen."

Rho couldn't argue with that logic. Even though Igraine had been the perfect Queen, some people had constantly searched for any little detail to criticize her over. Some people in the weyr wanted power more than they respected their Leaders.

"I suppose you're right. My mood has been a bit...off these past few days. Forgive me."

The words came out mumbled, and she felt her hand tightening its grip on Archie's leg instinctively.

"No need to apologize, I remember those feelings very well."

Igraine's soft, pitying smiled mae her want to throw the silver crown far away and run, despite having been practically raised for the honor of being called the Queen.

__________________________________________

The next morning, after the feast and celebrations, Rho woke up curled into Archie's side in their new chambers before the sun had fully broken the horizon. Everything had already been moved over while they had been preoccupied the day before, and the space was much bigger than both of their old rooms combined. The ledge was big enough to fit both of their dragons (who were already utilizing it, curled together sleeping). The biggest advantage was the private hot spring nestled in the back corner. It was the only one in the weyr besides the large, public springs that everyone used to bathe together. Rho had missed the privacy of bathing at the Temple when she first acme to the weyr. So used to seeing her body as something sacred, or secret, she often wore her swim clothes when bathing in the public springs, at least when there were others present. No one else did that. She seemed to be the only person in the entire weyr who was concerned with hiding her body. Perhaps it was due to the curling symbol on her on her breastbone, and the constant lectures from the Priestesses to keep it hidden until it was "time".

Stretching out her limbs in a cat-like fashion, she carefully rolled away from Archie so as not to wake him. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping and she hated leaving him again. However, she had another full day of responsibilities awaiting her and she wanted to go to the temple first. It had been much too long since she had rayed or cleansed herself in the Temple's Pembersihan Luaran*. What had one been a daily ritual was no barely a biweekly occurrence, if that. She felt terribly guilty abut having let herself slack so much in her duties. She had once been a devoted Priestess-in-training and now she could hardly make time for the Temple. The High Priestesses insisted that it was understandable given her new station, but she couldn't shake the guilt. She pushed those thoughts out of her head as she put on her old, white robes and a set of riding letters for the journey. If she had more time, she would've preferred to walk, but the sun was already inching over the horizon and her to-do list was long. She eyed the silver circlet where it sat on a stand on a table next to the wardrobe. She briefly considered wearing it so that the High Priestess could bless it, but in the end she decided against it. There should be no signs of status in the Temples.

Once she was strapped into her riding leathers, she made her way over to where Aithusa was curled up with Abraxas. She could feel the resentment in their bond when she ran a hand along her dragon's eye ridge to wake her.

Why must we go to the Temple before the sun rises?

Rho just gave her a look and Aithusa huffed, but wiggled free of Abraxas and stood to stretch before they left. Rho ran a hand down Abraxas's neck when she walked past to sooth him so that he wouldn't become angry or anxious about their leaving. Then she climbed on Aithusa's back and they were off. She hadn't felt the need to put any sort of saddle on the dragon for such an important trip. It was chilly that morning, though, and she wished she had if only for the jacket that she normally belted to it just in case. The Northern Temple was nestled in the hills about five miles or so outside of the weyr. Seeing the white stone structures after weeks away made her smile. She knew that the Northern Temple could be intimidating to those who were not raised there, but it only pulled at an old sense of nostalgia in herself. All the intricately carved stonework on the front building glinted in the sunlight and she could see herself at six years old, running her hands along all the dragonesque figures. The entrance of the North Temple, often called the White Temple, was a bit macabre to the untrained eye, but Rho knew that it depicted the first battle waged with humans and dragons as partners. She also knew that the large, curved stones that framed the entryway were not stone at all, but the claws of the very first Great Dragon who had bonded to the First Queen. They had been much bigger then.

There were four Temples altogether, sitting in each of the cardinal directions and each one was close to a different weyr so that the inhabitants could have access to it. The North Temple was by far the oldest and most important of them, being sat in the prime direction and next to the largest weyr. They were all different colors as well, though it is unclear why. All of the Temples were built before the time of The First Queen, when dragons and humans lived together but were there were no bonds between them. The closest they could get to a reasonable explanation would be that each of the Temples represented the different cardinal directions and, by association, the four different seasons most associated with each direction within the weyrs. In the South there was the Golden Temple where it was almost always warm, like an eternal summer, and the people were less hardened. To the East was the Green Temple where a majority of the people were healers and almost none were warriors - many of their own healers went there to train (though several still stayed to study at the White Temple). And finally, to the West was the Stone Temple (sometimes called the Brown Temple by those less than satisfied with that part of the region). Though the Stone Temple stayed peaceful during the war, the weyr that sat next to it tended to be the root of all war evils. They were a cruel people who were jealous of the other weyrs and that is why they were waging war on them, as best anyone could tell.

Rho led Aithusa to the field next to the Temple with a simple thought and slid off of her back in one smooth, practiced movement. She slowly unstrapped all of her riding leathers and sat them next to Aithusa, who was now rolling around in the long grass like she had an itch. To her right she could hear the falls of Bukit Naga*, the mountain the Priestesses climbed once a month to give offerings to Naga Ibu* and to worship the Ikatan* - the bond between dragon and rider. Naga Ibu was somewhat a deified version of the First Queen, but also a spiritual representation of the very first mother dragon. She was depicted on the walls of the Temples as a beautiful woman who often transformed into a silver dragon. Once she was stripped of her riding leathers completely, she wrapped her hair in a white cloth and made her way to the entrance of the Temple. As was required, she left her boots at the entrance and continued on barefoot. She met several Priestesses along the way, especially was she was crossing the covered courtyard, but she simply continued past them with a greeting in the Old Language of the Temples - "Hari diberkati, selepas kematiannya."* Rho was by no means fluent in the Old Language, but she had been taught the necessary phrases and prayers for life in the White Temple. The only people who studied enough to be even semi-fluent were the Priestesses, but the only person truly required to be so was the High Priestess.

When she finally reached the last portion of the Temple, she came upon the person she had been waiting to see. Aleris was kneeling on the stone floor in front of the carved doorway of the stairwell that wound it's way down to the Pembersihan Luaran. Of course, in front of the stairweel, in the middle of the room, was a large stone statue of Naga Ibu in her dragon form, coated in silver. It was awe-inspiring to see, especially with the light reflecting off of it and giving it almost an ethereal glow. She didn't dare interrupt as Aleris knelt praying, whispering in the Old Language and making familiar gestures. Rho recognized this prayer, asking for peace, and she stood quietly to watch until Aleris grew silent and finally stood.

"Hari diberkati, Dianne. It is nice to finally see you again. Leadership suits you."

Aleris greeted her with an amused smirk pulling at her lips and Rho almost blushed in embarrassment to see it.

"Hari diberkati, selepas kematiannya tinggi. I've missed you, Aleris, I am so sorry I was absent for so long. I came to say a few prayers and cleanse myself in the Pembersihan Luaran before the war meetings today. Something tells me I am going to need the blessing of Naga Ibu."

Aleris nodded her head in agreement and gestured for her to continue on, as was her way. She had never been a woman of many words, but she was as close to a mother figure as Rho had ever had and it was comforting nonetheless. In an odd show of affection, Aleris laid an again hand on Rho's shoulder as she passed and squeezed gently. Immediately, Rho felt better than she had in weeks. Pushing back the urge to hug the woman, Rho nodded and made her way through the opening in the stone and down the winding stairway, lit with lanterns that never went out. It was a long walk downward before she finally turned and entered a cave-like structure was a small, bubbling pool in the center. It was almost like the hot springs back at the weyr, but it felt more pure. There was no odd smell attached the pool, the water was much clearer, and the steam that rose from it smelled like dragon fire. If the tomes were to be believed, the pool at always been here and the Temple had been built on top of it, as it was considered a sacred place. She slowly pulled off all of her robes until she stood in nothing but her skin and then she stepped into the water. The water came up to the top edge of her shoulders. Murmuring prayers under her breath in the old tongue, she cupped the water in her hands and poured it over her hair and face. At the end, once she'd recited all that she needed to, she let all the air out of her body and allowed herself to sink into the water.

The air outside of the White Temple felt almost too cool against her damp skin when she emerged after redressing. A distance away from the Temple, she could see Laut Dalam*, it's waters just as dark and choppy as they nearly always were, despite the warming weather. Normally she would go visit the shore before leaving the Temple, but she had regrettably already spent too much of the morning there and she had too much to do. Grabbing her boots and riding leathers, she put herself back together and took the cloth from her hair before waking Aithusa from her nap and starting off towards the weyr once more. She was lucky in the sense that even once she returned after what felt like hours, the weyr was barely stirring for the day. Perhaps she had not been gone as long as it seemed. Returning to the new chambers, she wondered if she had time for a nap before the day truly began. Surely the council wouldn't wake the new Queen so early the morning after her ceremony, would they? With a sigh, she changed from her white robes into a pair of fitted black pants and a large, white tunic and could possibly have been Archie's but she didn't care enough to check at that particular moment. She threw herself onto the bed with a quiet groan, buried her face in the down pillow, and promptly drifted back to sleep.

*BUKIT NAGA - dragon's mountain;
*NAGA IBU - dragon mother
*IKATAN- the bond
*HARI DIBERKATI, SELEPAS KEMATIANNYA (TINGGI)- blessed day, (high) priestess
*PEMBERSIHAN LUARAN - cleansing pool
*LAUT DALAM - the deep sea
#7bccb5
#307d7e - aithusa // #BCC6CC - aleris

with [ aleris; archie, aithusa, & abraxas ] lucamalachimoore mood [ happy; tired ] lucamalachimoore location [ the northern temple; the chambers ]

[luke skypotter]

He'd snuck out again for this, just as he'd done so many times before. His parents tried to keep him away from the Hatchings at all costs, not wanting to risk that he be chosen. His father's brother had been killed in one of the first battles all those years ago and since he's been a dragon rider, his parents decided that was the cause of all of the problems. They ignored the fact that his uncle has always been reckless and a poor fighter - Sam stood by his belief that that was what had truly killed him. But, he could never convince his parents of that, so he'd had to settle for the family duties of helping his parents with his four younger siblings. He loved them all and he especially babied Jory, the youngest at seven, but he was tired of letting it control his life. He'd spent the past few weeks desperately trying to keep his parents busy . He wanted to make them think that he wasn't interested in the Hatching. Though he's grateful that they did, he couldn't believe that they did believe him. Enough, even, to go out on Hatching day (though, not to the festival, of course).

So, there he was, climbing out the window of his house at the edge of the weyr. He had to be careful, it was late morning and not everyone who lived in the lower town would be at the celebrations yet. It was also highly unlikely that any of them were still asleep. He'd had nosey neighbors ruin his attempts at getting to the Hatchings before. Once his feet were safely and firmly on the ground, he made sure to look around, scanning the area to see that there was no one in the area to notice him leaving. His siblings were all in the field with Hilda, his aunt. From there, it was a long, open walk across the bridge that connected the town with the stairs needed to reach the top of the mountain where the central weyr stood. All the unbonded civilians lived at the bottom of the mountain , away from the dragons and training grounds. They have their own town there where they lived and farmed most of the food for the entire weyr, but they travelled up during holidays and festivals. Some of the civilians worked up in the weyr, and most of those transferred to living in the upper town near the dragon riders, but some refrained due to family. They might have travelled up to the central weyr more often if there weren't so many stairs. As it were, Sam spent the better part of the next hour or so pacing himself while climbing the old stairs all the way up. He desperately hoped that this would be the last time he would do so. The the next time, he would be flying.

When he finally reached the top of the mountain and saw the magnificent bridge which connected the inner weyr and town with the training grounds, he was sweating profusely. He could deal with that, knowing he'd made it without being seen. Maybe he would finally be able to see a Hatching with his own two eyes. He straightened himself up before he set foot on the bridge - and was promptly almost crushed by a cart speeding by, pulled by two Guivre (smaller, wingless dragons that were unable to bond). The Guivre hissed at him and the person steering it grumbled at him about getting in the way, but not much else. He took a deep breath and crossed the bridge much more cautiously after that. He wanted to draw as little attention as possible. He'd hate to have gotten all the way up to the inner weyr just to be dragged out by his ears before he got to the Hatching grounds. And he made sit to the grounds with a little bit of time to spare, which he found slightly surprising. He must have climbed the stairs faster than he had planned to.

He walked past various vendors selling or giving out every type of food possible to the members of the weyr that were in attendance. Having snuck out, he didn't have any money with him for the stalls that required it (those ones tended to have more extravagant foods brought directly from the lower town rather than the kitchens). Anyway, having gotten this far, he figured that it might be better for him to stay away from the lines of the stalls and instead blend in with the larger crowds. He wanted to keep away from any possible prying eyes of his parents' friends who knew that he wasn't supposed to be there - his parents wouldn't be caught dead in the vicinity of the upper weyr on Hatching day so the child wrangling fell to their friends. He made his way out into the crowd to lay low until the Hatching began. He saw people he'd never seen before and he wished that he could talk to them. But that would have to wait. After a few minutes, everyone began to shift towards the Hatching grounds and Sam managed to slip towards the front so that he could step out onto the hot sands when it was time. He accidentally bumped into a brunette girl with beautiful green eyes. He wanted to the apologize, but he was jostled forward and the words stuck in his throat.

After that, he was completely focused on the Hatching. It was smaller this year because it was obvious that there would be no Queen within this clutch. When the Queen and Weyrleader asked the candidates to step forward, there were fifteen of them for only eight eggs. He noticed the girl from before standing down the line from him and silently hoped that she would be chosen. All his thoughts turned back to the Hatching when one of the eggs wobbled and a soft 'crack' sounded, silencing everyone. From there it was just a waiting game as each egg began to crack and baby dragons made their way into the world. It was obvious when a rider was chosen, they more often than not hit their knees with the force of the Bond snapping into place. The girl was one of the first few to be chosen . He probably would have smiled at that had he been less nervous himself. Just as the second to last egg began to crack, he met the eyes of one of his mother's friends and and dread hit him like a bolder in his stomach. His eyes widened and she turned and hurried off. He didn't have time to dwell on that, though, because the moment he turned back to the eggs, his breath caught and his knees buckled as he met a large set of green eyes set in a deep green face. A feeling that he couldn't necessarily describe came over him and he smiled without thinking - he'd been chosen! Chosen by a dragon! Chosen by...

"Vilkas."



He loved flying, and clearly he'd been born for it. Even if discovering that fact meant he'd lost his family. When his parents had come running to the Hatching grounds and seen him with a baby dragon wrapped around his shoulders, they'd basically disowned him on the spot. He'd been expecting that kind of reaction from them, but it still hurt. At least he'd kept in touch with his siblings whenever training allowed for it. Vilkas and he had almost immediately been placed on the warrior path. He'd never even considered a different path and Vilkas seemed to be on the same page as him. They were remarkably alike in most ways and Sam had never imagined the bond to feel quite like it did. It was almost like a familial connection, only stronger. Even without words, he and Vilkas moved together nearly seemlesslt. It almost felt like being able to read one another's minds.

It only took a few weeks for Vilkas to grow strong enough to fly after he had hatched. After three months, he was strong enough and large enough to ride. Within a year, Vilkas was finally grown as were the other dragons from his clutch. He had hoped to see the girl from the Hatching again, but it seemed they'd been put on different paths and he eventually forgot all about the incident. It was just as well, as he was currently dodging dragon fire on Vilkas's back. He was trying to make it back to the weyr alive, but this deadly obstacle course was making that task extremely difficult. He was tired and extremely dirty after weeks of flying between their camp and a battle field. There had been no proper springs to bathe in, nor was there any form of proper bedding. Because of that, he spent most nights sleeping curled up against Vilkas's belly where he could at least stay warm. The land around the camp was cold with the last weeks of winter and he didn't feel particularly inclined to share heat with the other warriors who were just as dirty, or more so, than he was. He felt bruising on his ribs from a previous battle and it smarted every time he shifted in his saddle or Vilkas banked too hard to one side.

He'd just returned from an assignment to recover information about the West's plans and placements. He and Vilkas were the stealthiest pair there and with his coloring, Vilkas could blend in with grass from a distance. The mission had gone smoothly up until the end. A scout had seen him flying out and sent a group of riders after him. So here he was, flying as quickly as possible towards the weyr in order to tell Queen Igraine and the Weyrleader about what he'd seen and heard. He could finally make out the great bridge in the distance when he felt a searing pain in his shoulder and he was pulled from Vilkas's back by something he couldn't see. Talons, maybe? He vaguely felt himself falling and then hitting something that creaked and then snapped under his weight. He fell for several more seconds before his body his the ground with a loud 'thud'. He only vaguely registered Vilkas landing next to him before everything went dark.



Same came to slowly, his body aching with dehydration and lack of movement. When he tried to blink his eyes open, the light made him squeeze them s**t again. How long had he been out? Where was he? Was he in the West still? Was he home? Where was Vilkas? So many questions rolled around in his skull that he felt an ache begin to stir right behind his eyes. He was alone for the time being, but once he had a chance to look around the room, he was relieved to see the familiar walls of the healers' clinic. He was just about to reach out with his mind to find Vilkas when a large, green head poked through the door.

Calm yourself, Samuil. We are both okay.

The voice in his head calmed him and he attempted to reach out to lay a hand on Vilkas's eye ridge, but a sharp pain in his shoulder stopped him. Memories flooded him, and he recognized now that he was out of the heat of the moment that it was another dragon's talons that had dug into his shoulder. A cursory look under the bandages on his shoulders confirmed that, four ragged, irritated scars running up the front of his shoulder and one up the back. Vilkas grumbled deep in his throat at the sight, but before Sam could reassure him someone else walked into the room. He turned with a start and his eyes met familiar green ones and he was surprised to see the girl from the Hatching five years ago standing in front of him. He would have asked what she was doing here, but it seemed pretty obvious when he looked at her healer's robes. Well, good then, perhaps she could answer some of his questions.

"Er, hello. Sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering how long I'd been unconscious? And I'd quite like to know how I got here? In any case, I have a special message for Queen Igraine and the Weyrleader, if there is any possibility that I could go to them..."

*#a4c3ac
#3ea055 - vilkas //

with [ vilkas, netty ] lucamalachimoore mood [ very confused, in pain, disoriented ] lucamalachimoore location [ the healers' clinic ]

[ope sorry]

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• Archie hadn't been expecting to wake up alone the next morning. He hadn't even felt Rho slip out of his embrace. He blinked his tired eyes and examined their chambers. Maybe she had just gotten up? His eyes scanned once, twice, a third time with no sign of Rho. Aithusa was also gone. Archie sat up in bed and reached out to Abraxas through their link. The great red and black dragon stirred and then lifted his giant head to give Archie an annoyed look. 'They went to the temple. Relax.' And Archie did relax. "Wait, how do you know that?" he asked, confused. 'I followed them for a short way after they left.' That set his mind even more at ease. The pair would be as safe there as they would be at the Weyr. "Do you plan on being lazy the whole day? Or would you like to go for a ride later if I can find time?" He watched the dragon roll onto his side and heave a great sigh. 'I intend on sleeping all day. Now leave me alone unless it's something important.' Archie could have sworn he heard a pouty note in his dragon's voice. Likely he wasn't happy that Archie would now be busier than ever. Archie would do his best to negotiate a time that he could go fly with Abraxas every day. He didn't want his dragon to feel neglected. He loved the big brute.
  
  A few minutes later Archie hauled himself out of bed and stripped down to nothing as he walked over to the bathing pool in their chambers. He stepped in and quickly lowered himself into the water. He didn't have time to sit around and relax as he would have liked to. He had Weyrleader duties to attend to now. He wasn't looking forward to how much of his day it would take up, but he was a bit excited about the new responsibilities. Maybe he'd be able to make some changes. What those changes would be exactly he wasn't entirely sure, but he was sure there were things that could be changed. Maybe some old outdated policies. He did have some ideas about different strategies to use in the war, though. It had been going on too long and they had lost too many good riders and dragons. They couldn't just keep going on like this. Something had to be done. Archie dragged himself out of the pool and dried himself off. He hung his towel back up before going to find some clothing. He settled on a pair of dark brown trousers and a red tunic shirt. He didn't bother doing anything with his hair; just ran his fingers through it to be sure it wasn't completely disheveled.
  
  Once he was presentable and had pulled his boots on, Archie was out the door of his and Rho's chambers and walking down the hall. Then he was turning on his heel and walking right back to their chambers again. He'd forgotten his damn crown. It was going to be hard to get used to wearing it. As he grabbed it from where it had been placed the night before, he noticed Rho had left her crown as well. Had that been a conscious decision? Or had she forgotten as he had? Archie pushed the questions from his mind and donned his crown before leaving once more. As he made his way through the Weyr to the war chambers. There were important things to discuss and things he needed to be briefed on. Things he hadn't been allowed to know before because he hadn't had the clearance. Now that he was Weyrleader, however, he needed to know everything. Rho probably should have been there as well. She was the Queen after all. Maybe she was to be briefed at a different time, though.
  
  The group of leaders had been about to start discussing what had been happening on the battlefields when the chamber door flew open and Netty rushed through with the two guards that had been posted outside right on her heels. One of them grabbed her arm once she had come to a stop and made to haul her out of the room but Netty yanked herself free and shot him one of the coldest glares Archie could ever remember seeing. "Touch me again and the next time you get injured the pain reduction medicine might be running low," she threatened. The guard reached for her again anyway but Archie stood up. "Leave her be." The order sounded natural, but it didn't feel that way. He wasn't used to being in charge. Well, Rho was the one that was actually in charge, but since she wasn't here that made him the one with the most power in the room. The guards stepped back from Netty and Archie watched her shoulders drop as she released a breath.
  
  "What's going on, Netty?" It had to be something important for her to just barge in like that. "The man Kel'shee and I saved, the one ripped from his dragon, he woke up!" There was relief and excitement written in her features. "He asked to speak to Queen Igraine and Weyrleader Kohl, but since those titles belong to you and Rho now I thought it best to tell you right away." Her eyes scanned the room and he realized she was looking for Rho among the faces. "Thank you for informing me. Go back to your patient. Rho and I will be along shortly," he assured her. Netty just nodded then curtsied slightly before leaving the room. "We will resume this when I return," he spoke to the room. He was met with no protest so he walked out of the chamber and started walking down the hallway. He had no idea where Rho would be but he had to find her. He would start his search at their chambers and if she wasn't there he would find someone that knew her schedule.
  
  The first thing he saw upon entering their chambers for the second time that day was the pair of dragons in their open area. So Rho was at least back from the temple. That was good. He scanned the room and immediately found the Rho sized lump in their bed. Archie couldn't help but smile a little bit before going over to the bed. "Rho," he said softly and reached out to shake her shoulder gently. "Rho, you have to get up. Netty's patient woke up and he's asking to speak to the Queen. It's probably important." He leaned in then and pressed his lips to his brow. "I'm sure you'll be allowed to nap later. Come on, Rho," he urged gently.
  
  ooc::

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Babe
There's something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don't you agree?
Babe
There's something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me


You Are Here... His and Rho's Chambers ll Can You Hear Me Now?...Rho

#81523F = Abraxas
#AC2D39 = Netty

low frequency rumbling

[ope sorry]

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• When Netty woke up the morning after the ceremony Kel'shee was still pouting. Netty extracted herself from her bed and lightly stepped over to where her big blue dragon lay curled into as much of a ball as she could manage. She reached out and delicately traced her fingers over the scales of Kel'shee's neck until she reached the dragon's enormous head. "You'll find a mate when the time is right. It won't be some silly race. It will be a meaningful connection. A bond to last forever," she soothed as she stroked Kel'shee's snout. If it wasn't for Archie asking them to stay for a while Netty would have left with Kel'shee after the feast the night before. She wouldn't go back on her promise to stay a while longer, though. The battlefields would have to wait. There were skilled healers there that would be able to take care of things. She could take a little time at home. "Perhaps you should check up on our green dragon patient, hm?" The suggestion finally caused Kel'shee to stir slightly. 'Perhaps.' Kel'shee's lovely, even, soothing voice floated through Netty's mind. 'Later.' Netty sighed but nodded. "Good. I'll see you later then." She gave the dragon's head a pat and went to get dressed.
  
  The nice thing about being a healer was that she had a uniform. She didn't have to decide what to wear because she wore the same thing day in and day out. It made it extremely easy to get dressed in the mornings. This meant she was ready and out the door in no time. She grabbed a quick breakfast before going to the Healers' Clinic. She smiled at familiar faces and tied her hair up as she entered the room her favorite patient occupied. She hadn't actually officially met him yet. He'd been in a coma for about a month now. Netty still vividly remembered the day she and Kel'shee had saved him and his dragon. The pair were out flying, making their way back to the battlefields. They had been high in the sky because Kel'shee blended in better up there. It was difficult to spot her blue form against the blue of the sky. A commotion from below had made Netty look down in time to see an enemy dragon and rider attacking a rider on a dragon so green she might not have seen it if not for the attack. Before Netty could do anything the enemy dragon had ripped the rider from his green dragon and she watched helplessly as he fell back to the earth. The enemy dragon and rider had flown off and Netty directed Kel'shee to go down to where the rider had fallen.
  
  Upon reaching the landing site, Netty quickly slid from Kel'shee's back and ran to where the man lay on the ground. The minute she laid eyes on his unconscious face she recognized him. He had been there when she had been chosen by Kel'shee all those years ago. He had become a rider as well. She hadn't gotten the chance to speak to him back then and hadn't seen him since. She wasn't surprised he had been selected to become a warrior. She didn't know him, but somehow it felt right. Netty refocused and went about the task at hand. She needed to make sure he had survived the fall and then assess what damage his body had taken. Only once she was sure he was stable had she approached his dragon to check on his well-being. The immense green dragon was thankfully less injured than his rider. Eventually, Netty managed to get both the dragon and the man back to the Weyr. She had been taking care of them ever since. At least she took care of them whenever she was at the Weyr. The longer he was in the coma the more frequently she came back to take care of him. She didn't like that he hadn't woken up yet. It worried her. Netty had taken to talking to him about anything and everything while he slept on. She wondered if he would remember anything she told him once he finally woke up.
  
  Netty was fully prepared to talk to him about the ceremony and Kel'shee's mood when she entered the room. She stopped briefly when she noticed his dragon taking up a good amount of the room. "What have I told you, ser?" she addressed the dragon. "You're too big to be in here at all times. You're only permitted at the end of the day and overnight. You should know better by..." Her eyes landed on her patient and she nearly dropped the fresh bandages and cleaning supplies she was carrying. "...now." A relieved and genuinely happy smile broke out across her face. "You're awake!" He spoke then and Netty had to blink back tears. When had she gotten so emotionally invested in this patient? "Oh, you're no bother!" she assured him and moved over to his bedside so she could carefully set down the things she had been carrying. A thoughtful look took over her features as she decided which of his questions to address first. "I saw you fall... Kel'shee and I brought you back to the Weyr with your dragon." She turned to his dragon then and bowed her head respectfully. "I apologize for scolding you when I came in. I didn't realize he was awake."
  
  Netty turned back to her patient and started removing his bandages with care. "You've been unconscious for going on a month now," she said with a frown and cleaned his wounds as gently as she always did. "I was worried about you. I'm glad you're finally awake." She shifted her gaze and locked eyes with him. It took a good amount of willpower to pull her eyes from his mesmerizing blue ones. "Queen Igraine and Weyrleader Kohl are no longer Queen and Weyrleader." She applied bandages to his wound again and made sure they were secure. "The mating flight happened while you were unconscious. As of yesterday's ceremony we have a new Queen and Weyrleader. Before you ask you cannot go to them either. You've only just woken up. I'll have to assess you further before you can go anywhere. I can, however, bring Queen Rho and Weyrleader Archie to you." Netty collected her things and turned to leave the room. She paused at the doorway and looked back at him. "Don't you dare move," she ordered and fixed him with the most serious look she could muster before leaving the room.
  
  Once she was out of the Healers' Clinic she practically ran for the war council chamber. She couldn't imagine Archie being anywhere else and she hoped that Rho would be with him. When she got there the pair of guards outside the door stopped her. "You don't understand. I need to speak to the Queen and the Weyrleader now," she insisted. When they still wouldn't let her in she pretended to give up and started walking away but she quickly turned on her heel and rushed passed them into the room. Clearly, she had interrupted something and she had every intention of apologizing but one of the guards grabbed her arm much more tightly than was necessary and she quickly yanked out of his grasp. "Touch me again and the next time you get injured the pain reduction medicine might be running low," she told the man and fixed him with a deadly glare. The guy had the audacity to reach for her again and just as she was about to dance out of the way another voice spoke. "Leave her be." It was sort of odd to hear Archie giving orders, but, at the same time, it suited him.
  
  Netty smoothed out her robes as Archie spoke again. "What's going on, Netty?" What would be the best way to put it? "The man Kel'shee and I saved, the one ripped from his dragon, he woke up!" Okay, maybe she was a little overexcited that he was awake now. "He asked to speak to Queen Igraine and Weyrleader Kohl, but since those titles belong to you and Rho now I thought it best to tell you right away." As her eyes scanned the room she realized that Rho wasn't there. Crap. If she had to go find her as well that would further delay her complete assessment of her patient. Oh good grief, she had forgotten to ask his name! "Thank you for informing me. Go back to your patient. Rho and I will be along shortly." Netty nodded at Archie's assurance and curtsied slightly before turning to leave. She gave the guards one last dirty look for good measure as well.
  
  Hurrying back to the Healers' Clinic, Netty made her way back to her patient. "I realized after I left that I didn't ask your name," she said as soon as she entered the room. She went over to his bed and gingerly sat down on the edge as she looked at him. "If you can remember it I'd like to know it. Your dragon's name as well if it isn't too much trouble. Kel'shee refuses to tell me. I believe she thinks its funny that I can't find out what it is." Netty shook her head a bit then locked eyes with him again. "I found Archie. He's going to bring Rho to talk to you." Gingerly she reached out and took hold of his wrist so that two of her fingers could find his pulse point there. She counted quietly for a moment before giving him a smile. "How are you feeling? Anything too out of the ordinary?" she questioned him.
  
  ooc::

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Noises, I play within my head
Touch my own skin
And hope that i'm still breathing
And I think back to when
My brother and my sister slept
In an unlocked place
The only time I feel safe


You Are Here... Healers' Clinic (Sam's room) ll Can You Hear Me Now?...Sam

#FF4A1C = Archie

low frequency rumbling

[todo duele]

Upon falling onto the bed, Rho immediately sunk into a deep sleep to rival any that she’d had in years. Not a particularly good thing considering all of the things that she had to do that day, but Aithusa certainly wasn’t interested in stopping her, given how she automatically curled up with Abraxas in the corner of the room. Rho dreamt she was flying. And not just riding with Aithusa as she normally did, but well and truly flying. She could feel warm wind pressing up against the muscles of her wings and a summer breeze pushing through her feathers. Despite the pleasantness of those feelings, there was a simmering sense of dread creeping through the fabric of the dream. If she focused, she could hear the sounds of war far below her, but the more pressing concern was the low growl just behind her left flank. She desperately wished to turn around - to see if whatever it was was closing in on her - but she somehow knew that to do so meant she would die. In an attempt to shake it off, she let her body fall forward so that she was nosediving sharply towards the restless darkness of the sea, off the coast of Laut Dalam. She just barely felt the shocking coldness of the black waters when the pressure of two warm lips on her forehead pulled her abruptly back into the waking world.

Rho bolted upwards, feeling a layer of cold sweat spring up on her skin. One of her hands slapped over the center of her chest, where the triskelion birth mark felt like it was burning straight through her. For several moments, she couldn’t seem to catch her breath, panting as she looked around the room frantically. Aithusa’s voice was whispering soothingly in the back of her mind and she had to focus all of her energy on it in order to calm herself down. What had just happened? Where had that come from? Could it have been more than just a dream? She’d heard of Priestesses receiving visions after bathing in Pembersihan Luaran in her time at the temple, but never had she actually experienced it before. It had felt so much different than a dream that she couldn’t help but think that it hadn’t been one. But even the Priestesses who had told her about their visions had never mentioned taking the form of anything but themselves, so how to explain that? Not that she really had time to think about that just then, when her eyes finally lifted to meet Archie’s and what he’d been saying to wake her finally broke through her hysteria.

“Sorry, nightmare. Urgent? What? How long was I asleep, Archie? What did I miss?”

She asked the questions in a rush, barely a pause between them. She didn’t really expect responses just then, seeing as she didn’t really give him time to give her any. She could tell by the light coming through the dragon perch that it had been longer than it should have been, that she’d probably missed important meetings. What a good first impression for the new Queen to make. Surely all the generals and advisors that thought her too young for the responsibility were sitting smugly just then. It was tempting to let herself sink into the shame of it, but there wasn’t time. She pushed herself up, pulling on her boots, not bothering to find a jacket or a shirt that wasn’t Archie’s before hurrying towards the door.

“Let’s go see what this warrior has to say, then. If I’m remembering correctly, he was on an important assignment just before his accident. Maybe he knows something that can help us end this war sooner rather than later.”

She felt a bit badly about not being more affectionate with Archie as she made her way to the Healer’s wing. Truthfully, now that the desperation of the mating flight was fading into nothing, she was quite embarrassed by her behavior. He’d been her best friend and now what? Sure, she’d been attracted to him for much longer than she ever let on, but to act on those feelings in such a frenzied way? Without really even talking about it first? Surely he was just being nice about the whole thing and didn’t actually feel the same way. It was along this line of thought that she decided resolutely that she would keep things as normal as possible. She wouldn’t be overly affectionate or intimate – she would be his friend and not his lover and that was that. It had worked for previous Queens and Weyrleaders and it would work for her. Upon arriving at the Healer’s wing, Rho first noticed the large, green dragon taking up a large chunk of the room. Then she noticed the man in the bed, and then she noticed the dark-haired girl sitting next to him.

“Netty! I didn’t realize you were back, I didn’t see you at the ceremony!” As excited as she was to see her friend, that was not the time for reunions. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and turned toward the man on the bed. He blinked at her before looking over her shoulder, where she assumed Archie was standing. “I heard you had something to tell us.”

“Right, I was on an assignment for Igraine and Kohl when I was attacked. I don’t know how much you know about it, but I was meant to get as close to the West camp as possible and figure out their next move. Unfortunately, they saw me while I was trying to get away. I tried to make it back within the boundaries of the Weyr to get backup but, well…”

“That was very brave of you. Whatever you found out must have been very important.” Rho felt somewhat redundant as the words came out, but the man looked appreciative of her attempt at being regal and understanding or whatever.

“It was - is. They’re planning a direct attack on the Weyr – their Weyrleader has grown tired of the drawn out battling and the Queen is too ill to have a say in anything. I don’t know if they’ll have changed their plans after they caught me or if they thought they killed me, but what I heard was that they want to strike during the Spring Equinox celebrations. Luckily, we have a good amount of time before then to prepare…what? How long have I been unconscious, exactly?”

“Netty brought you back here nearly a four weeks ago…” Rho had felt all the blood drain from her face while he was speaking. While that might have been plenty of time had he returned when he first found out, there was significantly less so now.

“Four weeks? But that means…”

“It means we have three weeks to prepare for an attack that may or may not be coming. Bantu kami ibu naga.”* Rho cupped her face in her hands for a moment before scrubbing viciously and pushing her fingers back through her hair. “We need to meet with the generals. Thank you for your help…”

“Sam.”

“Sam. I wish you a swift recovery. Netty here is our best Healer, so you’re in good hands.” She spared a smile and wink for her friend before turning to Archie. “We should go, the generals should still be in the meeting hall. This can’t wait any longer.” She turned to Sam and Netty one last time, inclining her head slightly in a gesture of respect from her upbringing at the temple. “Hari diberkati.”**

She didn’t grab Archie’s hand when she walked past him, like she might have the day before. Like she really, really wanted to. She wouldn’t have before the mating flight and so she wouldn’t then. She wondered if she should talk to him about it, but she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable if he’d thought that those feelings were just from the mating. Instead, she decided to play it casual.

“It’s a good thing the mating flight is no longer effecting us. This is going to be a strenuous conversation without that added complication. It’ll be easier with you there, though.”

Okay, maybe that wasn’t exactly what she’d been shooting for, but she’d never exactly been in that situation before. She offered him her normal, friendly smile. Caring, but with none of the intimacy of the days before. She tried not to stare too long at the beautiful lines of his face, with questionable levels of success. She almost sighed out loud in relief when they reached the meeting hall and found the generals still there. Though being a Queen was new, this was something she could handle. She simply squared her shoulders as she called the room to order and launched into an explanation of what Sam had told her. If she was ignoring Aithusa’s voice drifting through her mind, that was no one’s business but her own. You are being needlessly complicated, Dianne. Rho didn’t have to ponder too hard to know that that was dragon speak for ‘stop being an idiot.’ She chose to ignore that particular comment.

*dragon mother help us
**blessed day
#7bccb5
#307d7e - aithusa // #BCC6CC - aleris

with [ archie & generals ] lucamalachimoore mood [ worried ] lucamalachimoore location [ meeting hall ]



'ope sorry"

rolleyes

[todo duele]

Sam tried to focus as the girl began speaking to him, but he was having a difficult time getting past the familiar color of her round eyes. He either completely missed how she addressed his initial question or he was deep enough in denial to block it out completely, which was problematic. He was more stuck on the fact that she’d seen him fall – what had a Healer been doing the close to the war? How had he missed her? How had the enemy missed her? He was still sorting through those thoughts when he heard her say something that caught his immediate attention – Igraine and Kohl were no longer the Weyr’s leaders? That must have meant that Aithusa and Rho had ascended and chosen a mate. And that mate was Archie?

“It’s just my luck to wake up the very day after the ceremony. I’ve always been a fan of a good party, but the universe isn’t exactly my friend,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood and distract himself from where she was gently changing his bandages. When she all but commanded him to stay put, he felt the corner of his mouth quirk up. “Yes, ma’am.”

Sadly, he had no real intention to keep that promise. As soon as she cleared the doorway, Sam carefully lifted his chest off the bed until he was sitting straight upwards. Gravity tugged at the barely-healed wound on his shoulder and he had to suppress a grimace as Vilkas glared at him from his corner of the room. His dragon had always been protective over him since the hatching. He could only imagine what seeing his rider practically dead for an as of yet undetermined amount of time did to him – he really should have paid attention when the Healer explained what had happened to him. Given that he’d explicitly asked how long he’d been out, he could hardly ask her again. Rather, he slid his legs across the bed until he felt the ground under his feet and he was facing Vilkas, who immediately nudged his chest with his head.

The Healer told you to stay put. Does it not seem unwise to disobey her wishes?

“I know you’ve probably been worried about me, but I can’t just lie here after everything I risked my life to find out, Vilkas. Besides, I can take care of myself.” Two moss green eyes glowered at him. “Oh, knock it off. I can practically smell your disapproval.”

Either way, the Healer is returning. It is best that you return to your former position.

Sam decided that he was right and grudgingly shifted once more so that he was laying back on the bed just in time for the girl to come back through the door. He smiled at her gently as she spoke and grabbed his wrist, presumably to check his pulse. He wasn’t quite sure whether his heartbeat actually sped up at the feeling of her fingers on his skin or not.

“I do remember. I don’t believe my memory was affected at all by my fall. My name is Samuil. Sam. This is Vilkas. I can imagine that he was in on that particular joke. He likes to mess with people, I’m afraid.” Sam ignores the annoyed huff of dragon breath that hits the side of his face. “I can’t believe that Archie and Rho are in charge now…a little terrifying. Never would have pegged Archie as the Weyrleader type.”

Okay, so that was technically a lie. Even Vilkas knew that based on the mental eye roll that his dragon gave him. Oh well, he was allowed to rag on his friend. “I’m feeling as well as can be expected, given the circumstances. My shoulder feels tight, but I suppose that has something to do with the skin having just knitted itself back together. That’s the only thing I notice, really. I am surprisingly tired, though.” He had planned to say more when a small blonde burst through the door with a familiar figure behind her.

“Netty! I didn’t realize you were back, I didn’t see you at the ceremony!” So that was the Healer’s name. He hadn’t had the chance to ask her that, yet. She’d only given her dragon’s name and not her own, so it was nice to finally be able to refer to her by name, even if only in his mind. “I heard you had something to tell us.”

“Right, I was on an assignment for Igraine and Kohl when I was attacked. I don’t know how much you know about it, but I was meant to get as close to the West camp as possible and figure out their next move. Unfortunately, they saw me while I was trying to get away. I tried to make it back within the boundaries of the Weyr to get backup but, well…” he trailed off, pulling a face at the memory of the searing pain in his shoulder and the harsh impact of the tree and then the ground from so high up. He wished that part had been blacked out as well.

“That was very brave of you. Whatever you found out must have been very important.” Rho seemed fairly uncomfortable with the formality of the situation, but he appreciated the words nonetheless. He knew that people would see what he did as brave, but he simply saw it as his duty. And something he’d initially failed at. Well, no time like the present.

“It was. They’re planning a direct attack on the Weyr – their Weyrleader has grown tired of the drawn out battling and the Queen is too ill to have a say in anything. I don’t know if they’ll have changed their plans after they caught me or if they thought they killed me, but what I heard was that they want to strike during the Spring Equinox celebrations. Luckily, we have a good amount of time before then to prepare…what? How long have I been unconscious, exactly?”

“Netty brought you back here nearly four weeks ago…” Sam felt a little odd asking how long he’d been out, given that Netty had presumably already answered the question once. He’d begun to give her an apologetic smile before noticing how pale Rho had gotten after answering him.

“Four weeks? But that means…”

“It means we have three weeks to prepare for an attack that may or may not be coming. Ibu naga selamatkan kita. We need to meet with the generals. Thank you for your help…”

“Sam.”

“Sam. I wish you a swift recovery. Netty here is our best Healer, so you’re in good hands. We should go, the generals should still be in the meeting hall. This can’t wait any longer. Hari diberkati.”

before he was once again alone with the Healer – Netty. He took a moment to center himself after the interaction that they just had. He’d seen Rho before, heard Archie talk about her countless times, but he’d never really met her. Now that he had, he could see the appeal, even if she wasn’t really his type. And he could tell that his friend was head over heels for her, and that was definitely a conversation they would be having soon. As it was, he turned his focus to the beautiful girl in front of him.

“I apologize for not hearing you tell me how long I’d been unconscious earlier, I was a tad overwhelmed at the time and felt too embarrassed to ask again…I’m quite parched all the sudden, could you get me some water?”

A solid distraction. Long enough for him to swing his legs over the side of the bed and push himself up while her back was turned. He felt balanced enough, though once the sheet fell away, he came to the stark realization that he was, in fact, completely nude. He didn’t have much time to process that before he hears Netty returning and he twisted around, trying to cover everything and balance at the same time. Neither ended up working out and he stumbled heavily into Vilkas’ neck, grabbing at the sheet on the floor with his free hand, He just knew he was bright red once he turned back around, sheet held resolutely in front of his hips.

“Well, this is rather embarrassing. Allow me to just…”

He made a grab for the clean, folded clothes that were sat on a small table next to his bed. They weren’t quite the right size, just a little off – as if someone had picked them out by comparing them to his own clothes. But they made him feel much less vulnerable as he ducked behind Vilkas and pulled them on. Sure, she’d probably seen more than that in the weeks that he’d been in a coma given how clean he was but being awake for it was fundamentally different. After changing carefully so as not to irritate his shoulder too much, he stepped back around Vilkas to smile at her through his red cheeks.

“I realize you have probably seen that before but forgive me anyway. I know you told me to stay put, but I keep thinking about my chambers and how they’ve most likely been neglected these past weeks. I was hoping you might accompany me there.” He turned a bit redder upon realizing the implication of what he’d just said. “Simply to make sure I get there in one piece of course. I give my word that I’ll come back every day for a checkup until you’re satisfied that I am in perfect health, if only it means I can sleep in my own bed. And maybe you can tell me a bit about yourself on the way?”

Very smooth, Samuil.

Oh, shut up.

*#a4c3ac
#3ea055 - vilkas //

with [ netty & vilkas ] lucamalachimoore mood [ embarrassed, sore ] lucamalachimoore location [ healer's clinic ]









ope sorry

heart