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 Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 4:53 pm
"Bah! No, shardit! Come back here! ...Please?" Merik dropped his arms at his side with a heavy sigh, blowing a lock of hair that had fallen loose over his face. He looked up with a bit of a pout at the little blue fire-lizard hovering just out of his reach, and the small cloud of flitts that had congregated to watch the commotion. He'd headed out into the Bowl with the intention of checking up on the Weyr's herdbeasts, possibly bailing out any Candidates charged to them that found themselves befuddled with the task. This was supposed to be his time off from chores, but the young man couldn't quite seem to tame the Beastcrafter inside him- ever since his Searchrider had flown him in and he'd seen them all corralled in the far end of the Bowl, he'd meant to inspect Ista's stock. It was rare for Weyrs to Search journeymen, after all, and an apprentice was hardly suited to take care of so many animals (though he was technically still one himself).
Of course, halfway past the lake and what had popped between over his head than a wild, chittering lizard? His background was quite different than that of a common Holder, spending so much more time out with his father's charged beasts than at the Hold itself, and was significantly lower on the food chain than the that of the type of person to buy themselves an egg. Just as he'd never touched a Dragon before being Found, Merik had never seen a fire-lizard up close in all his eighteen Turns. Excluding, of course, his roommate's gorgeous little Green, whom he'd handled quite excitedly the previous evening. Darcir seemed to be avoiding him, though, and the girl never left her bonded's side.
So when Merik chanced upon the Blue, he had an insuppressible urge to hold and handle this one as well. He was completely unaware at the time that his roommate's lizard was infinitely better-trained than any other he was likely to ever see. What a spectacle he must've been making, yelling and flailing about at a squawking rainbow hanging half a dragonlength above his head.
Somewhat disheartened, but never defeated, Merik shook his head and smiled at the ground. "I'll get you yet, you just wait and see. You think you've outsmarted me! When my Dragon starts flying," Oh, in Faranth's name, I hope I Impress, "we'll chase you down!" The blue cocked its head to the side and chirruped, popping /between/ instantly. He laughed and hung his head, shaking it some more. With all the flitts around Ista, he'd surely be around long enough to see one clutch. If he never Impressed (Oh, in Faranth's name, I hope I Impress), at the very least, he'd make certain beyond certain he returned home with a pretty lizard to assuage the disappointment. And if he did Impress, well, that would only make his smaller companion all the sweeter!
"Alright, nothing to see here. Move along," he shouted up at the rest of the flitts, waving his hands as if they would disperse on his command. Trying very conscious not to look at any of them, Merik turned back on his original way, but only stood to eye the herdbeasts from afar.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:34 pm
Bachi wasn't at all finished with exploring the Weyr yet. There were all sorts of things that he saw on the fly over, and he had to look at every single one.
Despite the daily heat, he'd made it today's task to go look at the herdbeasts. He had heard at some point that he might have to aid in taking care of them, so he figured there was no harm in giving them a look over.
He stifled a yawn on the way there before he caught sight of the swarm of flits. There was a boy waving exuberantly at them. And by boy, Bachi thought it was more like a monster of a man. He was obviously older than him by a few Turns, or he was seriously tall for Bachi's agegroup.
Then again, Bachi thought he was unnaturally short. Not that this was going to stop him. Clearing his throat, he strode down the path running through the Bowl to go introduce himself to this person.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:53 pm
((Lol, actually, Merik's only 5'11. He's kinda small for his age. x3))
"Oh, that one is definitely siiick," he blurted out, trying to peer over his shoulder without moving his head. Didn't want to give those critters any sense of satisfaction, just sitting there and peeping and laughing at him and- oh, who was that?
Merik turned full back around to face the boy he figured was running up to greet him- nobody ran to visit herdbeasts with that much enthusiasm. Bachi was a little short, but, Merik remembered, he was on the older end of the Candidate spectrum. This boy actually was still a boy. He squinted for a second, though, and crossed one of his arms over his chest, resting his chin on his hand and eyeing the other Candidate very thoughtfully. Something about him seemed so familiar...
"Hello there, I, uh... am Merik. If you didn't know that already." He squinted a little harder. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:58 pm
(( Bachi's only 5'6", so that's why he finds him so tall. I'm going to go ahead and wait up for Tawny before putting in another post out of consideration.
And, for future reference, it's the path I was referring to rather than Bachi. xD Bachi's just walking. ))
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:01 pm
((Oh, hah, I read it too fast. Just, uh... ignore that bit. xD))
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:40 am
"Mine, none of them look very tasty."
L'thor sighed and shook his head as he strode on towards the beast pens. "Just pick the best there is Raith, nothing else we can do short of trying to steal nicer ones from those tight-arsed Holders. I'll give you a nice bath later on, okay?"
Overhead, the green dragon grumbled. "A nice bath will not make my belly feel any better... but you're right. To think we're reduced to such nasty skinny animals, they should be more grateful and send up better food."
"Yes, and better wine," L'thor agreed. He was strongly outvoted on this score however; outvoted five to one. Neither Raith nor the quartet of flitts swooping and looping in the air behind him cared for wine, but they did like their meat fat and tender. "I should save up and buy a nice herdbeast," he mused with a sigh, "one that all of us could get a decent meal for once, I'm tired of gristle and I'm sick of limp vegetables and I've had enough watery porridge to last me a lifetime..." Apparently he wasn't the only one coming down to look at the beasts in despair; two boys, candidates he guessed, were already hanging about.
"Watch out," he called as Dusk gave into laziness and landed on his shoulder, "dragon coming down to take a beast in a moment... well, once she spots something she's willing to eat in any case."
"That may take some time," Raith sighed, "I think I've narrowed it down to three possibilities, but I'm not too thrilled even by those."
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:09 am
When the boy he'd gone to greet crossed a single arm, Bachi raised him one and crossed both. He paused to eye him, standing as tall as he could manage and a little bit away so he didn't have to look up too much.
"You shouldn't," he informed and cocked his lower jaw. He squinted back in turn; he didn't recognize this fellow at all. "I just got here early this morning."
He definitely didn't no this person. Not in the slightest. Which reminded him that at some point today, he had to stalk down his brother and tell him the 'happy' news.
After a long moment of silence, he finally released the tension and added, "I'm Bachi." It was about that time that the shadow passed over his head.
He glanced upon to see the agile green and he grinned. Had he seen his expression, he might have tightened up his features a little, but as it were, he was immensely enjoying the sight of the great creature. As if friends were made in an instant, he scurried back to where Raith was and looked exuberantly off towards the beast pens. This was going to be awesome.
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 11:44 am
Merik watched the boy with very amused curiosity, not paying the least bit attention to his words but finding it more funny than should've at just how much Bachi's huffing stance reminded him of his father's canines in the presence of Dragons- standing tall, teeth bared, fur fluffed, and ready to run away whimpering in a second. He chuckled and shrugged, still unable to completely shake the feeling they'd met before. "Not from the Hold, are you? I swear I've seen your face around. Ah, but that wasn't a proper introduction then. Name's Merik, Beastcrafter turned Dragon-hopeful, and I've not been here much longer than you myself. Oh, but just wait 'til you see all the chores they've prepared for us. Prepare to spend the net few Turns of your life in drudgery, my friend," he laughed with a couple nods.
Merik turned and hurried back several paces at the announcement, grinning about as widely as one would think possible, though his shoulders did sink a bit. The herdbeasts were very poor quality, hardly meant to be consumed by anything- let alone a Dragon! The craftsman in him sighed with shame, but the Candidate was wildly excited; a Dragon! A real one! And eating! A Green, certainly, but wasn't that the very color of the one who'd Found him? And, oh, a Dragon! He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, watching the circling Green very intently. He'd talk to the Rider later; this wasn't to be missed. If she ever made up her mind, that was...
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:37 pm
"...Eh, that one will have to do I suppose." With those words, Raith folded her wings back and dropped like a stone towards the beast pens. The animals barely had time to panic before she struck, one swipe of a paw breaking the neck of her chosen dinner. As the survivors scattered, Raith grasped the skinny beast and launched herself back into the air, heading for her ledge to consume it.
L'thor watched her go with a soft sigh as Rust came to occupy his other shoulder, leaving Dancer and River fluttering around overhead. "Sharding terrible," the rider muttered as he watched his dragon alight high above, "I wouldn't feed these things to a watch-wher. Egh, I'm L'thor by the way, and that beauty up there is Raith." And there they stood, more drains on the Weyr's resources. They did not need all of these candidates, he was quite sure of that. About half the number would be ideal actually. Not a lot he could do though, there was never a lot a green rider could do. Unless somebody decided to make them a wingleader out of the blue, of course.
/////
"I am sure the beasts are getting worse. I am sure... in the past they were not like this, were they?"
R'than sighed and patted Garith's neck as they spiraled towards the ground a little way from the beast pens. "No. Things used to be better old brown, things used to be a lot better. I can ramble about the old days later if you like, but for now just go and get yourself something to eat."
"I would like that," the large dragon responded with a rumble as he touched down and dipped a shoulder to allow his rider to dismount, "I shall try to remember some of what you tell me, too."
R'than smiled and gave his lifemate another affectionate slap. "Good man. Dragon. I'm going to go and find myself some conversation while you eat, alright?" Three people were over by the pens, that was worth investigating. Who knew, he might stumble upon good conversation, or upon people plotting how to make life worse for the residents of Ista. He almost hoped it was the latter, he wanted very much to catch some of the little tailforks at their planning and drag them by their ears to the Weyrwoman.
Garith rumbled his acknowledgment, and launched himself skywards once his rider was a safe distance away. Now then, what to have? Sighing to himself, he began to circle over the pens as Raith had been doing only a few moments before. There wasn't really a lot of choice, and it had not always been this way.
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:49 pm
In a lot of ways, it was all he had dreamed it to be. The animals running with their eyes rolled back and the green ripping into their hides to eat. He wondered what it was like for his rider. He would be able to tase the blood, wouldn't he? What did it feel like to eat things raw?
Oh, his eyes were alight with such excitement, and the two men on either side of him were somehow more closely bonded for they had witnessed such a sight.
"Good to meet you, L'thor, greenrider," Bachi piped up in well-practiced etiquette. He offered up a hand to be shook as his eyes wandered along the magic of the feeding green. The word awesome went reverberating through the cavity of his head once more.
After a while, he finally remembered Merik's question and shook his head for a second. "I just got here today," he said with a rather inquisitive look. He'd decided Merik was quite odd and possibly not worth his time.
"Your dragon is very beautiful," he added to L'thor who he had determined quite the opposite to be true. But of course a dragonrider would be worth his time. Bachi was not smart enough to judge differences between appearance and someone deserving of true respect.
His eyes, however, caught on a silver-haired man coming their direction. He immediately tensed up and crossed his arms in mock protection of his new 'group'. "Who's that?" he asked with a twinge to his tone as he narrowed his brows and looked over in that direction. He'd yet to notice the brown.
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:07 pm
Merik inhaled sharply when Raith hit the beast, trying very visibly to stifle a cheer. It was one thing to watch herdbeasts slaughtered- but hunted! And by a Dragon! She killed the thing and had carried it off before the others even realized, just one fluid dive. Beautiful! Having forgotten about Bachi for the time, the young man turned back to face L'thor, taking a deep breath to calm his tittering self. He wasn't exactly sure how a Candidate was to greet a Rider... They were only regard by craftsmen as slight superiors, but now that he was one in prospects, possibly Riders were to be taken as Lord Holders? To be on the safe side, Merik gave a deep bow before extending his hand.
"My name's Merik... Candidate, though you could likely tell. It's wonderful to meet you, Rider. And your Dragon; she's gorgeous! Very bright color." He took a quick glance up at the sky, willing her back sooner very loudly in his head- as though she'd even hear him! L'thor was a just bit shorter than him, but still gave Merik the impression of being a tall fellow. Good man, good man. Good enough for a Dragon and a whole troop of their tiny cousins!
"Didn't mean to be in her way to start with. I'm a Beastcrafter, you see? And these beasts, well... I may only have been an Apprentice, but they're not even up to my standards. Thought I'd have a look around." He remembered the other boy suddenly, and pointed over at him. "And I'm not sure what he was doing, but I'd venture something along the same lines. I think he said his name was Balin?"
Merik was quite intent on his conversation (as he always was), but with the second sound of beasts scattering, he whirled around, very much expecting to see Raith back for more. The Brown caught him by surprise- Now THERE was a beautiful animal! Not so ridiculously bulky as a Bronze, good earthy color, and yet huge enough to get a whole herd braying from dragonlengths away. He was reluctant to look back, even after Garith had gone, and didn't notice the other man until Bachi suddenly pointed him out. Too old to be a Candidate, too old to be a weyrling. He didn't seem like he was working, but who knew around here? Weyr ranks were the world's turned upside-down. He refrained from waving, on the chance that that was too informal to greet a possible Rider.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:54 pm
L'thor grinned and turned to gaze up at his lifemate once more. "Thank you, both, I happen to think she is the most lovely dragon ever to have been, but I am rather biased." At least they were drains on resources with good eyes; he liked almost anyone who complimented Raith sincerely. "They aren't up to a lot," he went on with a shake of his head, "our journeymen and master are at their wits end with what they have to work with here... Who's who?"
To answer his own question, L'thor turned and shielded his eyes to better peer at the approaching man, Looked sort of familiar... He then looked up and took in the circling brown. "Ahhh, that's Garith," he gestured at the brown, "and the man coming over is his rider R'than, just recently made a wingsecond. I know them... a little; Garith has caught Raith a few times in the past." R'than always did leave in such a rush. Shame really, L'thor did like a gentleman once in a while.
Which one to have? Garith was still pondering this as he dived towards the penned beasts. He was quite hungry, and really there was nothing of quality so size counted. Picking out a large animal as his victim, he changed course slightly and scooped the beast off the ground. It had only moments to struggle before he tore its head off and flew onward.
R'than wrinkled his nose slightly in sympathy as Garith mentally commented on the texture of his meal. At least, he told his lifemate, you don't have a very good sense of taste. Well yes, but texture mattered to a dragon, and this was not good... It would fill his belly though, he would not die from eating food he did not especially like.
R'than nodded to that, slowing as he approached the trio near the pens; he had just identified one of them as that big-mouthed green rider. A party animal, a gambler, a gossip, and a cutting wit. All in all not R'than's favorite person in the Weyr. At least the hot-headed fool did his duty. It was a sad day when you were happy to find people who did their duty.
"L'thor," he acknowledged with a nod, "I hope and find you well this day, and you two as well; I fear I do not know your names." Too many people these days. Was a time he knew almost everyone in the Weyr, but no more. Candidates came in every day, too many to keep track of, to assess, to offer his wealth of knowledge and experience to... Time were changin, and for the worse.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:11 am
Bachi was busy being entranced by L'thor's every word when he overheard an almost more important one from Merik. "Balin?" he asked as his brows furrowed together. "Balin's my brother."
It was about now that Bachi finally noticed the brown dragon. Observing skills had never been on his 100% list. His eyes went to the brownrider. He was kind of. . . old-looking. Bachi had a lovely fantastical creation of a proud, young warrior riding the bronzes and browns, and R'than didn't look either of those things. Well, maybe a little bit proud.
Still, it was slightly disappointing, but he was wingsecond and a rider, and he would get the respect he deserved, Bachi's dreams not withstanding.
"I'm Bachi," he answered and extended his hand to be shook. Merik could introduce himself, and after, he was going to get a very large questioning on just how he knew his brother. Bachi would love to stop by and wave his big thumb in his brother's face. He was here at the Weyr, and he was definitely loving it.
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:31 pm
"You've even got a master trying those things? Still feel like I should see to them, but... bah! Load of good I'll be." He shook his head with a smile. A beast was only as good as it's tending - a Beastcrafter's motto. And if all the Weyr's resources were as poor in quality as their herdbeasts, there was little anyone could do for the scrawny things. He'd grown up accustomed to packing up the worst of the feed and tossing it out, though he was beginning to assume that meant sending in their tithes... Ah, but when Thread fell! That wold get the Dragons their due! He caught his thoughts and wondered for a moment if it was in poor taste to wish for Thread, even with reason.
He jerked his head over to Bachi and clapped his hands together with the look of thoughts suddenly clicking. "Of course! Brothers, that makes sense! You're a spitting image, you know that? Well, not entirely. But you definitely look related." He shoved his hands down in his pockets, relaxing now that that mystery had been solved. Or... relaxing as much as he could in the presence of two Riders, at least. He bowed deeply to R'than as well, though he didn't bother offering his hand. That particular gesture had been snuffed down by more Weyrfolk in three days than Holders in the past 18 Turns of his life. They weren't big on familiarity, it seemed.
"My name's Merik, Rider, sir, and at the risk of coming off a suck-up, I really feel like I have to compliment your Brown. Nothing wrong with a sharp little Green, of course," he amended, giving L'thor a sheepish smile, "but Browns are unbelievable. Bronzes are... well, a bit too big. Far too big. But a Brown! Best of both worlds." He chuckled a little and swept a few strands of loose hair out of his face. "Had to get that off my chest. Sorry, there? I felt pretty guilty watching big, wonderful Dragons have to eat those... nasty little beasts. Not at all looking forward to eating them myself." Maybe it was too much to lavish out every praise that popped into his head (especially in the presence of a Greenrider), but Browns were a particularly lovely color, and this was the first of their Riders he'd ever had the chance to speak with. An older fellow, but he certainly looked stronger than his Turns! And a wingsecond, no less. This was an important man. In hindsight, it was probably was better than Merik hadn't offered his hand. An apprentice didn't get that honor with his Lord Holder, and a Candidate surely didn't get it with one of his wingseconds.
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Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 5:43 am
Egh, well, at least he hadn't waxed poetic about bronzes, that would have been much worse. All the same, L'thor decided that Merik was not somebody he would ever be close to. Ha, unless the boy got a green and changed his tune, but if he did, he would be sure to remind the brown-lover of this day. "We do the best we can with what we have," L'thor shrugged after a moment, "but given our fearless leaders seem to have their heads up their arses we don't have a lot."
He'd love to give them a piece of his mind, but there was no way a greenrider would get an audience with Weyrleader or woman. Ha, not a male one at any rate. Had Lyveanna slept with D'tai, or had Helirra taken a liking to her woman to woman? Or, then again, had she slept with somebody else - whoever had been making the recommendations for the new wing - and D'tai had shrugged his shoulders over the odd appointment? Still, all that ranting aside it was quite fun to see a green leading a wing; it certainly rubbed a lot of big bronze noses in in, being overlooked for one of the smallest dragons. He just wished it had been a friend of his, that was all.
Shards. And this was why he didn't like the man. "Garith," R'than kept his expression pleasant, "please tell Raith to reign in her rider. I will not stand here and listen to him talk like that."
The brown rumbled his assent, and paused in feeding long enough to pass the message along. Up on her ledge, Raith bristled but passed the message on again. L'thor didn't react too much, save though the momentary tightening of his jaw. He did, however, refrain from saying anything more on the matter; he knew R'than was a gentleman, but he didn't stand for people talking the way he did, carrying on would just get Raith slammed by Garith and that was the last thing he wanted.
R'than shook himself and smiled at the pair of candidates. "Apologies, I was speaking to Garith. Glad to meet you both," he shook Bachi's hand and then bowed slightly to both, "I hope to fly with you some day... And thank you," he turned to Merik and grinned. "A rider always loves to hear their lifemate complimented. It is sad that our dragons are reduced to such poor quality animals, but I am sure things will change for the better soon." They certainly couldn't get a lot worse without a public outcry. Helirra would be forced to act, not that he had any faith in her or D'tai after one or the other of them gave the wingfirst position that had been intended for him to that blasted woman Lyveanna.
"I suppose the pair of you are looking to the hatching with bated breath," he went on with another smile at the more pleasant topic. "I don't envy you the lack of a touching, but I'm sure you lads are smart enough to dodge a hatchling that looks like it's going on a rampage." It had been a long, long time since a candidate had died of injuries taken on the sands, but if it was ever to happen most likely it would be at this one. He hoped the fool girl who had touched the eggs was feeling very, very guilty about her actions. She should have been thrown out of the Weyr all together in his opinion, that would certainly have happened back in his younger days, but apparently Favan wasn't much of a leader either. It really was quite pathetic.
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