|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:31 pm
Silence hated the way she had been trapped. She had been furious with Speed before, and her ire was rapidly spreading to include Seto. It was as much his fault as Speed's that she would have to do this now.
"Wait."
She stalked across the sawdust-covered ground to Trill. The fawn-colored griffin cocked his head, confused by her demeanor, but meekly obeyed when she gestured for him to follow her. She led him out of the arena and gave the command for him to Stay. He cheeped, bemused, and held his position, even when Silence stalked away, closing the door firmly behind her, effectively keeping him out of the arena. She would not have Trill contributing anything to this idiotic battle.
Silence understood about honor, and she understood how important it was, but she also felt that there was a difference between honor and stupidity. It was a debate she had gone over with Valour any number of times, though it was a foolish point to raise with the flight leader, who was honorable to a fault.
"Let's get this over with," she muttered, drawing her saber and holding it directly in front of her in a defensive position.
It remained there for less that two seconds before she let the point drop to the ground beside her foot and scraped it along the ground, and then up, sending up a cloud of sawdust between Seto and herself. Now he could at least accuse her of cheating in the very likely event that he would lose this fight. Honor was not so important to her. She'd known the rider who bore that name, before she died, and a less honorable woman could not be found.
From behind the cloud of dust, she swept her blade horizontally, slicing through the cloud in Seto's direction. She would be surprised if that actually came anywhere near him, but that wasn't the point.
Outside the arena, Trill was making loud indignant noises.
I dislike RPing fights. Just for the record.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:47 pm
Sora was surprised at the cloud and had stuck out his arm toward the cloud coughing, he felt his sleve get cut on his new cloths, he pulled his arm back in time to see the bandages he had put on his arms from a time he had cut it badly when he was climbing part of the moutain to find out what was higher, he didn't tell anyone that he had been cut, on his right arm was a worse one when he came in contact with H'irke agian on accident.
He immediatly steped out of the cloud holding his arm were the badages were made. "I forgot I had..." He qucikly ran thorugh thoughts. "I told patience I was going to help with him with sorting stuff."
He then ran to the arena heading toward the infarmry to try and mind it and get the torn bandages fixed.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Speed had sow a glimps of the bandages through the cloud as he ran. "Hmm, looks like by doing that you kept him from hurting himself. How long had he had bandages on his left arm." He asked wondering if she knew and that was why she didn't want to fight.
"They looked like they hadn't been switched out for a while, they should get new ones sooner or he might catch the sick."
He said with his hand on his chin. "I guess you both are off the arena for a while, it will alow you two the time to fix him up a little." He said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:07 pm
Silence was horrified when she noticed the bandage. She hadn't any idea that Seto was further injured, beyond his initial starvation, which had been dealt with an age ago. She accepted his feeble excuse willingly, exceedingly glad not to have to continue the fight.
"As you say, Speed," Silence replied. "He ought to have mentioned it to you. If you're to teach us weaponry, you have to know these things."
That was all she said on the matter though. Knowing how proud Seto was, it was unlikely that he would have mentioned the injury unless it incapacitated him, and maybe not even then, as he had now.
Dismissed by Speed, Silence went over to one of the other riders she knew who had been lounging on the sides, watching the others work, and asked if he would spar with her. He agreed and Silence was able to practice anyway. She was rusty, as she had anticipated, but it could have been worse. Nevertheless, she was thoroughly trounced.
With a good-natured sigh and sporting several bruises which would later prove quite painful, Silence departed, to be ambushed by Trill who wound between her legs like a cat, nearly tripping her up. He made scolding clucks, expressing his ire at having been excluded, and unable to defend her. She chuckled and took him to the kitchens to filch some meat-treats for him.
Afterward, she left a torpid Trill asleep on her bed and went to the infirmary to talk to Patience regarding Seto's arm, to ask if he knew anything of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:03 pm
Seto was in the infarmy by himself, he had made sure that Patince was not in, when he found the bandages he started to take off the old ones which were badly blood stained.
As he looked at his arm he was glad he backed out of the fight. "They seem to be staying the same..." he said as he continued to work at putting the new ones on his upper arm which proved hard.
As he noticed his arm had seemed weaker. He knelt behind a table trying to get the wrapes around. At his side was a thread and needle so he could quickly get them fixed.
Seto had some of the bandage in his arm as he started to change when he heard Ming scracting at the door which made him try to hurry quickly incase someone was with her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:59 am
On the way to the infirmary, Silence paused. Seto was concealing the injury for a reason, and it was entirely likely that Patience knew nothing about it. Seto was intelligent, and no longer stayed in the infirmary, and unless he came to Patience, it was improbable that Patience would know about it.
And so, with Trill tailing her like a shadow, she veered away from the infirmary. He probably wasn't still there, anyway, since she had waited until she finished sparring to come after him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:06 pm
Seto went motionless as he heard a noise outside but when he heard it left he went back to fixing his bandage, when he finaly finished he started to sow his sleeve back together.
As Wonder peered through a crack in the door she was surprised to find Seto in there. She opend the door slowly looking at him. "Shouldn't Patince be doing that?" She asked him wondering.
"No and don't tell anyone either, I want to keep this to myself...and you." He said as he started to get near the middle of his torn sleve.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:49 pm
Silence stretched out on her bed, luxuriating in the idea of actual slumber. She hadn't slept nights, since Trill decided that he was sharing her bed. The young griffin hunted in his sleep, which forced Silence to be constantly vigilant against raking talons or claws. And so, with Trill otherwise occupied, likely stalking some hapless small creature, she enjoyed relaxing on her bed. Sleep was quick in coming.
Too soon, there was a knock on the door.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:53 am
"What?" Silence moaned.
"Get up, and get a move on. It's Trill."
She recognized Valour's voice and the urgent tone it held, and was instantly on her feet and out the door. Valour waited there for her. A small vertical line between his eyebrows was not the only indicator that he was concerned, but it was the one she noticed.
"What happened? What did he do?"
Silence still wasn't sure whether Trill had done something or had something done to him, or a combination of both, but whatever the occasion was, she was worried. Valour, while of a somewhat exciteable nature, was not one to worry others unduly. Usually, he preferred to bear the burdens of the world on his own shoulders, without sharing.
"Just come on. I'll explain as best I can on the way."
They walked briskly through the Eyrie, passing many places Silence had known well for a long time. As they traveled, Valour explained to Silence what had occurred.
Even thus prepared, the sight which awaited her stopped her heart and left her weak in the knees. Valour had anticipated this, though, and it was his hands holding her shoulders which kept her on her feet.
"By the egg," she breathed. "Is that really...?"
"A dragon," Valour finished. His grin was weak. Obviously, he was not pleased with the situation.
I do speak, you know, the dragon said. Its voice rang in her ears and in her head.
"Oh, dear," Silence said, slipping a little more in Valour's grip.
Before them stood, as observed and confirmed, a dragon. It looked young, being only about two metres at the shoulder and having very glossy copper skin, like that of a snake which has recently molted. It was probably finishing its first adolescent growth spurt. Its eyes were like aquamarine gemstones with slit pupils, and they bore into Silence like twin fires.
You might ask why I am here, the dragon suggested.
As Valour did not seem to hear - at least, he did not attempt to respond - Silence asked obediently, "Why are you here?"
I am here, because a ball of fluff and feathers woke me. Your ball of fluff and feathers, to be exact, human.
"I'm sorry he disturbed you...Sir? Madame?"
I am male, but you needn't assign me a title, and you'd be a lot sorrier if I had killed him, but it has been a long time since I have seen one of griffinkind. Centuries. I recall how griffin young are. I see now that you humans have enslaved my immortal cousins, just as you do all living things. I think, were I so inclined, I would exact some sort of punishment from you, but Trill - as he thinks of himself - is enamored of you and claims that none of the other griffins feel differently toward their riders.
Here the dragon paused, and Silence wondered if she was supposed to say something, but by the time she had worked out something to interject here, the dragon had continued:
I wanted to see what sort of persons could command such loyalty from the griffinkind, and to see what sort of people such persons really were. I am, so far, impressed by you and the male. I have read your hearts. You both love your griffins unconditionally, which is as it should be.
Silence could not help wondering if there were a point to any of this, or if the dragon had merely stopped by to say that he approved of the Eyrie. In either case, she hoped he would leave soon. It was exhausting to converse with the creature, though what they were doing could hardly be called conversation, as the dragon was doing all the talking.
There is a point, impatient one. First, I would know your name, and second, in reward for your purity of heart - so rare in a human being - I will grant you a boon of your asking.
"A...boon?"
A gift. A reward. Something to point to and say, "Oh, look how splendid it is."
"Yes...I know what a boon is. I'm sorry. I don't believe I have done anything to deserve a boon from you, nor have I any idea what I could possible want from you."
That is why you deserve a boon. You do not look for it. When you give me your name, I shall give you mine - which you must not tell to anyone, not even the young man behind you - and by that you may summon me when you have decided what you wish me to give you.
Silence doubted she would ever want anything from the dragon, but she did not wish to displease him, guessing that there would be unpleasant consequences, were she to do so, and so she answered him, "I am Silence."
Human names have changed since last I woke, the dragon mused. My name - my true name - is Yssriyyash. Call that, and I will come to you. Goodbye, Silence.
With that, the copper-coloered dragon took off in flight, winging away to who-knows-where. Silence, as a result of having so long maintaining a mental connection with an immortal being, fainted dead away from exhaustion. She did not feel what ought to have been agony in her ears, such was the blessing of unconsciousness, nor was she aware of being carried to the infirmary by a pale and shaken Valour, nor of Trill's concerned chirps as he trotted at Valour's heels.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:52 pm
Valour had been arguing with Patience for some time, and the discussion had become quite heated. All peoples who were not full riders, excluding Silence, of course, had been banned from the infirmary while Patience examined Silence. He could, as he had been telling Valour for the past fifteen minutes, do nothing more than he had already done. Anything that was wrong with her was wrong inside her body, and it was not the sort of ailment which his abilities could cure.
"By the egg, Valour. A dragon did this! How in the bloody hells am I supposed to do anything but what I'm doing? For all I know, she may never wake up, though I sincerely doubt it."
That had been exactly the wrong thing to say to Silence's concerned friend. Valour exploded, "What do you mean 'she may never wake up?' She's got to wake up, for any number of reasons, not the least of which being that her griffin needs her."
That was certainly true. In the several days since she had been brought into the infirmary, Trill had grown despondant, showing no interest in playing with Ming-Ming, nor in hunting, nor pesting other griffins. He had kept a vigil beside his human, breaking it only when exhaustion forced him to sleep or hunger forced him to eat. He had developed a habit of pulling fur from the base of his tail, as a griffin will do when it is no longer right in the head.
"Don't you think I know that, Valour? I care for the griffins of the Eyrie, too, not just the people. And do not start telling me what she represents to the Eyrie. I know. Believe me, I know."
Valour's hands moved and his fingers flexed, as if he wanted very badly to hurt Patience, to wring his neck, which was, for the most part, what he wanted exactly to do. His patience was wearing very thin.
"Then do something, Patience. You have healing abilities. Use them!"
"And what would you have me heal, flight leader? I don't even know what's wrong with her. It is beyond me to offer a diagnosis."
The two stood in angry silence for several moments before Patience looked away, breaking the staring match which had unwittingly begun between them. He sighed wearily and ran his hands through his hair.
"Tell me again exactly what happened. Maybe I can think of something."
"I don't know what happened. She started bleeding from her ears, and she was talking to the dragon, and presumably the dragon was talking to her, but I could hear nothing. And then the dragon left and she fainted. That's all I know."
Patience bit his lower lip. He already knew what had caused her to bleed from her ears, and he was certain that Valour wouldn't like that diagnosis, which is why he had withheld the information from the flight leader this long. It would not reassure Valour to know that Silence's eardrums had been, in essence, blown out, as a hide drum which is drawn too tight and hit too hard will. It would not reassure him to know that she was likely deaf, and would probably never hear again.
"Did the dragon seem agitated?"
"How would I know what an agitated dragon looks like? I'd never seen a dragon before today. I only guessed that the thing was a dragon because I'd heard stories as a child and it matched the description. But, no, I don't think it was upset."
"I'm sorry, Valour. I can do nothing more. We must wait for her to wake."
_____
Silence was not woken by the sounds around her, though there was a profusion of noise, from Patience and Valour's argument. What woke her was an incessant, gnawing ache in her stomach and a throbbing pain inside her head.
"What happened?" she asked, and then, not having heard herself ask, she repeated herself. And then a third time, becoming panicked by the utter silence around her.
Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, and she was too hurt and scared to feel any particular shame at shedding them. She looked around through blurred vision, searching for some source of comfort while she babbled incoherent pleas for an explanation, which she, herself, could not hear.
"Hold her still," Patience said, forcing himself to maintain a cool, dispassionate tone, though her cries were heart-rending. "She'll hurt herself otherwise."
"You don't need to refer to her in the third person. She can hear us."
"No, Valour, she can't. She cannot hear us, and that is the trouble," Patience snapped.
Valour was too stunned by this to move, and so it was Patience who sat beside Silence and held her until she stopped thrashing about, one hand covering her mouth to muffle her screams. When she got the message to be silent, Patience removed his hand and set it to the task of stroking her hair, as if she were a cat, to soothe her.
"Fine me a quill and something to write on," he commanded.
Numbly, Valour obeyed, leaving the infirmary in search of the requested supplies and puzzling Patience, who kept a supply of such things in his office. While Valour was out, Patience listened to the soft but constant stream of queries which Silence kept up. He no longer held her, but instead she held Trill and sobbed into his coat. She was already realizing what had happened.
At last Valour returned with a handful of molted feathers and a roll of vellum.
"What is that?" Patience asked.
"Quills and..." Valour blushed. "Sorry, I - "
"I'll get it. I shouldn't have asked you to do anything. You're in no state to function properly. I should have seen that. Stay near her, but don't try to talk to her, it will only upset her not to be able to hear you."
Patience fetched a writing quill and a piece of parchment from his desk and spent several long minutes writing with one on the other, occasionally dipping the quill into an inkwell. When he finished, he blew on the parchment to dry the ink and handed it to Silence.
Silence looked up from Trill's soft feathers to read Patience's words. When she had finished reading she looked up at him beseechingly.
"No. Please, not that. Not forever."
He couldn't meet her gaze, nor could Valour. Soon both left her, either saying or mouthing something which she couldn't hear, but which was, in reality, "I'm sorry."
Alone but for Trill, Silence curled up into a miserable ball and wept until she could not anymore, and then she lay very still, staring at the wall and praying to wake up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:28 pm
Seto walked out of a room in the back of the infarmy with his fixed bandages and sleve, when he sow Silence on the bed he thought she was sick, he sow on a table that there was an apple he picked it up and took a knife that was used on people and sat on the bed were she was looking away from.
"Sick I see, how was the one saying get rest and get better, best stop looking at the wall..." he said as he lookded down at her surprise she hadn't complaind about him walking in.
He went to the side she was looking at and knelt down near her face. "Silence..." He said quitely for some reason she hadn't respond.
Ming had walked into the infarmry and noticed Trill sulking she chirped to him. "What is wrong trill." She wonderd why the room was on edge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:20 am
Silence has been in the infirmary for several days, at this point, just so you know.
Silence was totally unaware of Seto's presence, not having heard his entrance, nor his words. That is, until Seto actuall knelt in front of her face.
"Oh. Hello, Seto," she said, forcing herself to speak normally, though she couldn't tell how loud her own voice was - or wasn't. In this case, she spoke a little too loudly, for her.
"It won't do you much good to try talking to me," she continued. "I can't hear you. I probably won't hear you, or anyone, ever again."
She wore a strange smile on her face and her eyes were slightly manic and would not rest on anything for more than a few seconds. "Dragons. Who'd have thought they still existed?"
It distressed her endlessly not to hear herself speak, and only to know that she made noise at all because there was a slight thrumming in her throat when she spoke, which meant air was passing over her vocal chords.
Trill, heartened at hearin her articulate at all, though, of course, he did not understand her, perked up, but only briefly. Ming's question had reminded him, once more, that his human was unwell, and that it was somehow his fault. He had, after all, brought the giant lizard here.
"My Silence-human is not-right, not-well in her head. She does not hear me," he answered the white and black griffin. "But she talks now. I must listen. I may learn to understand and help."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:04 pm
Seto was shocked when he heard her say that. He didn't act like he cared thought. He sow the paper on and pin on the table and went and picked it up.
He read what was on it first, he frowned as he red it then wrote his own words on it which said. "A dragon, if I can find it mabey it will help." He said as he put it in front of her face to read.
Ming-Ming watched Seto write. "My Seto-human is trying to help, he probally will want to go after something to help...I do wish he let the Patience-human help her, last time he got thoese bandages on his arms." She clacked her beak to show she was not liking the though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:06 am
Silence couldn't help smiling.
"That answers that question. You know, we weren't sure if you knew how to read or not. There's so much we don't know about you still, Seto. It would be better for everyone if you stayed here," she said, to explain her smile, which was, of course, totally inappropriate to the situation.
"I can get ahold of the dragon, if I need to. But I do not know if it is a matter of whether he would be willing to help me, or if he is able to help me. I think it was the manner in which he spoke which has done this."
Internally, she reminded herself, Others have survived with worse handicaps than this, and have lived relatively normal lives.
A nastier part of her mentality snarked back, But they didn't lead the life of a griffin rider. You've just destroyed the Eyrie's hopes for the future. You will never be a rider, but they'll have to keep you around in hopes that Trill can father other generations.
Despite her vicious self-directed thoughts, forcing herself to be optimistic for Seto's benefit was having a heartening effect on Silence, too.
"It's very kind of you to think of it, though, Seto."
Trill listened, but he could not understand the words she spoke. He understood that Seto meant Ming-Ming's human, but that was all he could understand. The rest was gibberish, and it frustrated him. If his Silence-human could not hear, he must learn to do it for her. He voiced these thoughts to Ming-Ming.
Is your Seto-human hurt? I am sorry. I did not notice, he added as an afterthought, having just understood her talk of bandages as referring to Seto's arm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:29 am
Seto frowned as has he started to write on the paper, he used the floor as a desk he wrote. "Does me being able to read or right important, I really don't care if I could or couldn't. So your just going to give up on Trill, Valuor...me. You have a chance right in front of you but you say no. I been living in the woods for 6 years, I been through winters, storms, a dragon is a pice of cake." he worte as he started to add more.
"To think I thought you could take her place, I thought wrong." He said as he held it towadrd her with a frown still on his face.
Ming looked at him. "Hmm seems that he did offer his help, but she said no and is trying to get him to change his mind." She said looking at him forgetting what he said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:46 am
Silence could see Seto's lips moving as he handed her the paper, but she could not read his lips, nor understand what he was saying. She understood what he had written quite clearly though.
"Seto, I'm not giving up an anyone. I'm waiting. This...thing may well go away. I don't know yet. I don't want to do anything rash until I know for sure what I'm dealing with."
Honestly, she would have loved to have gone in search of the dragon Yssriyyash, but she really didn't know if he could do anything about her condition, and she did not want to expose Seto to the risk. He, too, represented a great deal to the Eyrie, if he decided to stay here and be trained as a rider.
Ming-Ming was a gift, being un-related to any griffin here, and un-exposed to the plague which had rendered so many sterile. Through her, the Eyrie might manage to eke out an existence until some other option arose. In that respect, Trill, too, was extraordinarily valuable, which was another reason why she would not undertake such an endeavor. Were anything to happen to him, she would be beside herself.
"If all else fails, Seto, I'll call the dragon, and I'll ask him to fix this, if it's within his power. If it's not, then, if you still want to, we can go in search of some other sort of remedy."
There was no remedy, she was certain, short of finding a unicorn, or something else with fantastic healing abilities, but she had to say something.
"What happened to your arm?" she asked, diverting the conversation to an area which was less uncomfortable for her. Thinking about her lost sense made her feel slightly mad.
How do you understand them? Trill asked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
