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 Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:47 am
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Z'haq had to pat himself on the back, because this was the best idea he'd come up with: meeting one-on-one with each of the new members of Flame's Fury Wing. He was enjoying getting to know them all, people and dragons he'd only watched from a distance as they proceeded through Weyrling training to become full-fledged wingriders. One new recruit a day was the best way to handle it too, now that he had additional responsibilities as Flight Leader of Heart's Fire Flight. So much paperwork! It was worth it, though.
Sitting down in the comfy office chair, he placed the full pitcher of hot klah and two mugs on the desk and kicked his feet up on the surface as he retrieved his list. "Let's see, who's next…. Isilje. Hmm." Interesting girl -- as tiny and pale as her white Brancath was, he knew nothing at all about her or her condition. Clearly, though, she was physically fit enough to be a dragonrider or Brancath would not have chosen her. Even the white dragons knew who they wanted, and usually chose well. And he'd seen enough of her as a Weyrling that he knew she'd be a good fit with the Furies.
Z'haq poured himself a mug of klah and took a contented sip. What do you think, Eo? Think they'll fit well?
He heard the whuffled snort coming from the ledge. Brancath doesn't like me, I think.
"Doesn't like you? Ahahahah." He'd have to look into that. Making a quick note to that effect, he leaned back again and sipped his klah thoughtfully. Now to await Isilje's arrival….
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:10 pm
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It had been surprising when her new Wingleader had requested to meet her one on one. Honestly. Isilje still wasn't sure how well she fit in to Western, despite the fact that she did actually have friends. On their ledge, Brancath snorted in bemusement, those eyes glittering a momentary orange in the slight green that had been whirling all day. Brancath wasn't all too fond of the idea of spending time with a Bronze of all things, and yet....well. She would play nice. They'd at least mitigated her hatred that she'd harbored as a hatchling, but...Brancath was still wary of all males that might come near her...or her own Beloved. Isilje was carefully dressing, her white tunic a bit over large, her leather belt hugging tight around her waist, and her brown leather leggings clinging to her legs. Wherhide boots were comfortable, and her scarf was wrapped tight around her shoulders. She'd turn it in to a hood when they took off to ride to Z'haq's Weyr, and pull her rosy goggles down, but...For now, all was well, "Come here, beloved. Let's get your straps on."
Dearest chittered at her. and she laughed, moving to the tiny Brown flit, and offering him a letter, "Take this to my Wingleader, would you love? It's just telling him that we'll be there soon." With pride, the little one clicked and flicked Between, and then RIGHT in to Z'haq's desk, warbling a laugh as he dropped the letter and waited for praise. He did well, right?
Once Brancath's straps were tightened. and Isilje was in them, the girl let out a breath of pride, "Alright. Let's go." Up in to the air and the pair took off. Her goggles protected her eyes from the sun, her hood created by her scarf protecting the over-fair skin from burning as they circled in the air. It was exhilarating, using a current to slowly circle the bowl before landing on the ledge of the Weyr. Brancath looked at Eo, her eyes glittering orange, with a tinge of yellow. They WEYRLEADER had best like her petite beloved. ...I do hope we have not kept the two of you waiting too terribly long. IsiljeMine must be well covered before we go in to sunlight, and I would rather her safe than on time. Her words were to both, calm though a bit edged with steel. The girl on the other hand hopped off and hurried over, "Z'haq. It's a pleasure to meet you! I am Isilje of White Brancath, and I'm terribly hopeful that I might well be able to serve your Wing well!" Slowly, she pulled down hood and goggles, revealing those strange, pale violet eyes, and her white hair that had been braided carefully, long now.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:14 pm
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A little brown firelizard suddenly popped out of Between right in front of Z'haq's face, causing him to practically snort his klah. He set the mug down and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, then turned his attention to the flit. "Where did you come from, little one?" he asked. Noticing the note the flit was holding, he gently removed it from the tiny creature's grasp and read it. "Ah, good. She'll be here soon, Eo, so make room on your ledge for Brancath." To the brown firelizard he gave a seated bow. "Thank you, you can return to your owner," he grinned as the flit popped out of the office. Handy little things, firelizards. Maybe he should get one…
It wasn't long after that Eorawth announced the arrival of Brancath and Isilje. At nearly the same time Brancath herself announced Isilje's arrival, quickly followed by the girl herself hurrying into his "office", literally a recess in the wall of his weyr near the entrance to Eorawth's ledge. Thank you, Brancath. We were not waiting long at all. Feel free to make yourself comfortable on the ledge. He hoped Eorawth would find something to lalk about with the small white.
Z'haq stood and gave Isilje the same warm, welcoming smile he had when he'd tapped her on the shoulder at her graduation. "It's a genuine pleasure to meet you too, Isilje, and welcome to the Furies! Have a seat, won't you, and a mug of klah if you like," he said as he returned to his own seat, studying her all the while. "Brancath mentioned that you needed a moment to protect yourself from the sun. Is this a… complicated process? I don't mean to be rude or anything," he shook his head, "please don't think that…."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:50 pm
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The White slowly settled beside Eorawth, her tail settling around her legs, wings folding delicately about her small body. She was all grace and poise, her eyes slowly shifting to a mix of orange and green once she was contented, Good. I try to keep us to time but there is only so much that we can do. She has been fretting terribly about being part of a Wing, and fighting Thread, but I have no fear. She might not be a Chromatic, or a Metallic, but Brancath believed herself every inch a Queen in her own right, though she was whiter still than even the most pure snow. It showed, and she all but radiated the energy as she spoke cooly to the other dragon, at least being cordial.
The girl's own smile was just as warm, as Dearest popped from Between to coil in the loose fabric of her scarf, crooning happily. The girl stepped far enough inside that the light wouldn't trouble her vision, nor her skin, settling in a chair and taking a mug of Klah happily, "Thank you. Klah sounds wonderful about now. Brancath and I were up before the suns to work on our flight pattern. We've been trying to figure out ways to better catch the air." Her smile was brighter as she talked about it, seeming almost at peace with it. His studying, if she was to be honest, was something that made her terribly anxious. She knew she had disadvantages for any Wingleader...but she was DETERMINED. Then he asked the question she'd been afraid of.
Her smile faltered, and she took a sip from her own mug as she tried to find the right words, "It's not so terribly complicated, though I thank you for the reassurance. It was honestly harder in High Reaches, where I was originally Searched to. The height provided a lot of trouble. I have oculocutaneous albinism, which means that my skin can get burned by the sun terribly if it's bared. That's the most manageable part...save in the summer. The hardest part is my eyes. Even here, in indirect light, I lose somewhere in the realm of a good 10 to 20 percent of my vision....but when I'm in the air, without my goggles and hood, I lose near about 40 to 50 percent. However, the goggles and hood ease it down to about 10 percent, and Brancath helps support that loss easily." She seemed almost natural talking about it, reassuring her Wingleader that she could perform, despite her shortcoming.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:22 pm
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"Oh, no no no, I'm not concerned about your physical capabilities at all," Z'haq attempted to reassure the girl, hoping he hadn't gotten off on the wrong foot with her. "If you're fit enough to be chosen by a fighting dragon, that's good enough for me. They know better than we do anyway. I trust Brancath's decision." His smile turned into a wry grin. "Even I have trouble with the sun sometimes," he indicated his warm chocolate-brown skin. "Can't imagine how bad it was at High Reaches."
Making a few notes, he leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk. "Don't worry, I'm not meeting with you to intimidate you or anything like that. I like to get to know the people under my wing, so to speak, as people, not just positions in a Wing. We're a pretty loose crew, the Furies, and I've found it makes us more effective as a unit. We party just as hard as we work," he grinned. "Quite the opposite of High Reaches, huh?"
Eorawth bowed his head respectfully as Brancath settled in on the weyr ledge. I hope I have left you enough room to get comfortable. Please let me know if I can make your visit any more pleasant. A matter-of-fact sincerity came with the bronze's words. May I get you something? A wherry perhaps?
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:37 pm
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The bronze's courtesy surprised the small white ever so, she shifting her tiny body to watch him, More than enough room, Eorawth, though you're kind to ask. Honestly, she'd never thought much of males, and this bronze's insistence on being so attentive was suspicious to the female...though the offer of a wherry would never go amiss, Please, do bring one, if you would. I could use a meal, and I am sure you could use one as well. It would be a delightful reprieve from the doldrum of schedule.
Isilje blinked in surprise at his words, listening with wrapt attentions, her violet eyes trained on his face as she tried to suss out just what he was meaning. Her physical limitations weren't a concern, as they might've been back home....and he? He was saying that he himself had trouble with the sun, "Just awful. The mountain means thin air, and easier burns..." But....What troubled her a slight bit was the idea of a 'loose crew' who partied as hard as they worked. It was very much the opposite of the strict weyr she'd been trained in, taught to stick to schedule and regimen, though...the idea of being able to relax was nice, "I like the idea of it, though it makes me nervous. I'm used to a very strict routine, and more rigid atmosphere...and I've been scared here. I'm not too good at branching out and making friends."
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Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:36 pm
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Z'haq nodded. "I can certainly understand your concerns, Isilje. Western Weyr is a very different place than High Reaches, and we definitely do things differently here." He gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Here at Western, we believe that anyone is capable of anything, that they can be whatever they want to be, as long as our primary function -- to protect this continent and the rest of Pern from Thread -- is met. I'm sure you were taught how the Weyr is run, by a Council and not by fiat from the Weyrleadership; that's just one example. No rider is treated any differently from any other based on the color of their dragon. That's another. My philosophy is let the people under my command be who and what they want to be, as long as the job gets done. And I've found in the last year of doing this that it works out pretty well that way.
"As for making friends… I think you'll find we're a pretty friendly lot, the Furies. I doubt you'll have any trouble." Sitting back, he folded his hands in his lap and kicked his feet back up on his desk. "I know this is a new and strange place for you, but really, there's nothing to be scared of. And if anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable or unwelcome, you come talk to me. I won't abide that kind of behavior on my watch."
With a pleased rumble, Eorawth rose to his feet. I shall be right back. Walking delicately to the edge of his ledge, the big bronze leapt into the air and soared down toward the feeding pen. Within a few minutes he was back, a pair of fat wherries in his jaws. He landed as delicately as he'd taken off and deposited his prizes on the stone surface in front of Brancath. As my guest, you get first choice, he advised the tiny white dragon. I assure you, they are both of the highest quality. Our Lower Caverns staff wouldn't have anything less.
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