|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:50 pm
Mid afternoon, and while Gh'lan was not at all adverse to working hard throughout the hotter portions of the day, there was something distinctly unfair about being hauled about like so much baggage to mind Khunoth's needs. Even Tada was beginning to be affected by the brown's dominating personality, as evidenced by the little green's current position on Gh'lans shoulder. Ever since Impression, Tada had spent every waking moment in Khunoth's presence. From scratching him when he asked, to urging Gh'lan to do something when the former smith journeyman dragged his feet, she did it all with a cheerful chirp and an oblivious flick of her tiny tail. Now, though, both firelizard and rider followed in the wake of the brown taskmaster as Khunoth led them both to the weyrlake for a cleaning after being fed. Neither were particularly thrilled with the notion of getting wet for the third time that day, and Khunoth's hide was already oiled to near perfection... which was about to need doing again as soon as the young dragon hit the water.
Thankfully, Gh'lan had long since gotten over the gruesome task of butchering meat for the growing brown. He scarcely had to cut far into the wherries before Khunoth could get enough of a purchase with his budding teeth to finish the rending himself. But independence from his rider at feeding time had done little to improve the little weyrling's overall temper. From early on, Gh'lan sensed that Khunoth had a great many insecurities stemming from the strict hierarchy of the dragons. The little golden queen took obvious precedence over all, followed by the two bronzes and then Khunoth and his brown siblings. Given Khunoth's preference for finer fare, Gh'lan did his best to get the prime cuts early enough so as not to offend the finer sensibilities of the ranking Weyrlings or the Weyrlingmaster. That meant getting up very early, oftentimes calling on favors he still had with the kitchen help in the Lower Caverns. He figured he'd eventually have to explain what was going on to Bianne, not that he expected her to take pity on him... but at least she'd know why he kept showing up at the end of her shift and would stop glaring at him so.
Still, Khunoth's hangups with social rankings was beginning to wear on him, especially since Gh'lan hadn't paid a great of attention to them when he had just been an apprentice. To the brownrider's way of thinking, ranks were for overall order during crisis situations and to delineate those who had the knowledge to accomplish a task.. and those who didn't. They were not things to measure one's worth against, or to lord over others. Khunoth's habit of talking down to the 'lesser' colors and outright snarling at the ranking dragons if they dared correct him was just too much for him to take. He'd have a chat with the brown soon enough, once he was a little older and mature enough to handle it.
In the meantime, he just followed the young dragon to the weyrlake... lizard on his shoulder and a bucket with various scrub brushes and dragon cleaning essentials swinging at his hip.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:26 am
Weyr life has, so far, not been entirely what Rhian had expected. It's not that she had thought it would be glamorous, per say… She's not really a girl for that sort of thing anyway. It's just that she hadn't thought it would be so… mundane, either. Sure, there are dragons. And eggs, she hears, with their Hatching looming near on the horizon. Even she can't help being excited about that! But when there aren't dragons, nor eggs ─ and for her, that's more or less always ─ there are chores. Lots of them. She isn't a girl too good to get her hands a little dirty, and she's not particularly averse to hard work. It's just that, for the most part, they're the exact same chores she had been doing at home. That's one thing she rebelliously came here to escape from. She consoles herself with the knowledge she's no longer doing them for her brothers.
And then there's Ista. Bred and raised at Crom, and long-acclimated to the colder, and in some ways, harsher northern climate, Rhian is finding the dauntless tropical heat among the most difficult ─ and most uncomfortable ─ adjustments. Never mind the irony. By the egg, it's hot, and she doesn't care how silly her thinking so seems. She's sure anyone in her shoes would be. Or rather, her sandals, her boots having been abandoned by the trunk at the foot of her cot. Forgoing all but the absolute lightest of attire has left her clad in a short-sleeved tunic so thin, she's certain her underthings would show if it were any thinner, and an airy pair of slacks that hang loosely over the bare tops of her feet. It's… not what she's used to, to say the least, and she thinks it might look a little ridiculous, but it's as near to comfortable as anything could be, and that counts for something. Especially when she's bent over a cooking fire, or has a brush in-hand and is scrubbing something. Neither of which, thankfully, is the case just now.
This moment is a rare one, but breathable garments are particularly welcome out here, under the beating afternoon sun. Its shining off the lake makes it seem only crueler, but they help, and Rhian's not being as hot as she could be also means she's not feeling as irritable as she might otherwise. That is a boon, for her, and for everyone who may have had the misfortune of crossing paths with her. Her fire lizard included, who would quite firmly attest Hers has a bite like a tunnelsnake and is not a girl to cross lightly, if only she had reason and were able. As she doesn't, and she's not, the little flit is instead drifting lazily on the lake's surface, riding the ripples the much larger dragons make as they wallow in their bathing, and watching some of her brethren flit above them.
It occurs to Rhian, as she sits at the water's edge, Harmony is rather mellow for a flitter, and especially for a green. For which she's suddenly thankful, lest her small companion overburden her with feelings of excitement and random, nonsensical projections of dragons, and ruin this brief, precious respite with silly calamity. She enjoys the calm, and the lizard's quiet, contended warble, and the cool on her feet when she stretches out her legs. However brief, it's a good moment, and 'now' is the only thought she permits herself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 6:05 am
I'll be going in the deeper water today.
Khunoth said suddenly, his tone both imperious and excited by the prospect, interrupting Gh'lan's train of thought as the trio reached the shore. There were others about, both dragons, riders, and likely a few weyrfolk, but Gh'lan decided to ignore them for the time being. Setting the bucket down, Gh'lan straightened and glared at the brown as the weyrling slithered into the water with a flick of his forked tail, protest dying on his lips as the dragon disappeared briefly into said deeper water. Sighing, he added the exchange to his mental list of Things To Be Discussed Upon Maturity, and waved Tada off to go keep an eye on Khunoth while he divested himself of his over clothes, keeping them folded neatly next to the bucket.
Funny, that. Before Impressing he hadn't been all that great of a swimmer, though he had learned as a youngling born on Ista Island. Now, he figured he must be something of an expert, given his brown's proclivity for deep water AND getting in over his head. THAT led his thoughts down darker avenues, and he couldn't help the loud gusty sigh as he shrugged out of his shirt. Perhaps he should talk to Khunoth sooner rather then later about his behavior...
You are troubled. Who has upset you?
Well damn, when he put it that way...he couldn't just blame his unease all on his dragon. Khunoth was hardly to blame for everything, shardit what was WRONG with him? If Florian were here he'd...
But the Healer Journeyman wasn't here, and it wasn't going to do G'lan any bit of good to be wishing he was. He'd grown too reliant on Florian's good sense and ironclad logic, not to mention the older lad's presence as his best friend.
"No one, it's just damn hot today Khunoth. " He finally replied, doing his best to keep his rapidly rising sense of unhappiness from his dragon.
Then you should swim. I will meet you.
The brusque comment was accompanied by a gentle touch of concern, something unusual for the brown, and it earned the dragon a gentle smile in return from his rider. Tada followed along in the brown's wake as they swam together towards the shore, pausing only when she noticed another firelizard in close vicinity to herself and Khunoth.
Ever the curious creature, the spotted green lizard parted company with the brown weyrling and swam closer to Rhian's firelizard, chirping every so often in greeting and once with indignation when a strong swish of Khunoth's tail a few paces off splashed her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
