|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:05 pm
((Pardon the pompous title, both S'kagi and Emori both have very strong ideas of what they don't want to be, and it was fun.))
Her tone had bothered him since the Gather, nagging at the back of his thoughts, and he hadn't been able to let it go, tossing and turning even, to the distress of his dragon, who had admonished him for not sleeping enough, over something as light as someone's intonation. They'd argued about it, in so much as he ever did argue with Coriath, and finally settled that he would seek her out, preferably before the hatching, which found him here now, walking the hallways and keeping his eyes out for the young woman.
She's evasive. The bronze joked at his riders lack of success so far, though the bronze himself was sunning, his wings spread to enjoy the heat. His pleasure at this activity coloring his words until S'kagi half imagined he could feel the sun on his own back.
It's a big Weyr. He pointed out in return, with a quirk of a smile. A bit more crowded these days though. No, a lot more crowded, which was almost as difficult to deal with, for finding one girl, than it would have been if the entire thing had been empty and she'd been hiding from him. He'd finally gotten a tip though that she might be somewhere down this corridor on an errand of some form or another, and he was hoping it would pay off, and he could put his internal debate to rest.
It's probably nothing you know, she's probably homesick.
Maybe, but even if it's just that I want to know. Tensions are high enough. Did you know a fight almost broke out at the gather?
I told you... remember? The bronze had picked it up from the other dragons, and passed it along, since S'kagi had been across the gather, and away from the fighting, though the reminder made him flush with embarassment. Distracted.
Sorry, you did. My mind is elsewhere. I'll be fine once I settle this one way or another.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:58 pm
Work, work, and more work. That seemed to be her lot in life, nowadays. It was becoming clearer, though, that other candidates were being subjected to the same treatment. Emori couldn’t grumble quite so much for herself anymore, but she felt justified in doing so for all the hold-bred candidates.
At the moment, she was carrying a bundle of fresh sleeping furs and a bag to tote the old ones from room to room, changing out used bedding as needed. She much preferred this over other, more strenuous jobs, but she was glad that someone else had been assigned to take care of the cots in the riders’ weyrs. The best way to avoid confrontation with those people was to steer clear of them, and that’s what she’d been doing.
In particular, she made herself scarce whenever that man, S’kagi, or his dragon were around. He was the one from the Gather, the one across the dance floor that she’d meant to speak to, but at the time she didn’t recall that it’d been the Weyr where she’d seen him before. She felt sick when she’d returned to Ista and found him there with a great bronze monster. And here she’d thought him handsome. It made sense, though, considering how talented those dragonriders were at luring young women away from their holds for candidacy. She shook her head in disgust even as she shook out another fur and spread it over yet another stranger’s bed.
Of course, it was inevitable that she’d have to face the bronzerider someday, and that day had come. After making the bed, she left the room… and there he was. The girl’s first instinct was to duck back inside, but it was more than likely that the man had already seen her. Not only that, but she had to go past him to get to the next room. She did the only thing she could do, really. Without making eye contact, she hefted her load and started toward him. If she had any luck at all, he’d overlook her as he would a regular drudge… at least, that’s what everyone did back home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:16 am
Distracted and chewing on the corner of his lip, he almost did miss her, almost letting her slip past out of the corner of his eye before he put the pieces of her that he remembered together in his mind enough to remember her, though at the last moment he snapped out of his reverie, visibly, eyes focusing on her in faint, distracted surprise.
"Here." He offered, holding out his hands. "Let me help you with that."
It seemed like a safer prelude than I want to talk to you and he was hoping it might help her relax.
Are you sure? A voice in his thoughts poked, teasingly. Oh you're helpful...be nice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:11 am
The girl tensed for a moment, but then relinquished the armload of clean furs to the rider’s waiting hands. There was always a chance that he didn’t recognize her after all, and was just offering to help out of the kindness of his…
Emori cut off that thought quickly. She refused to be manipulated, if that was his aim. “Th-thanks,” she mumbled, without making eye contact. If he remembered her, that was that, but she wasn’t about to give up the hope that he didn’t. She hurried past him to the next room, intent on doing her job.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:18 am
He wasn't sure if the stutter was because he was a full dragon rider, and a bronze rider at that, or if there was more to it than that, but he decided to keep trying anyway. "I've seen you around, but I don't recall catching your name." He pointed out, deciding to cut to the chase somewhat, trailing after her with the clean skins. Mmm. Candidate chores. There was something he didn't miss much. Or for that matter getting in trouble for cutting them, something that those who remembered him from those days would probably never entirely let him forget. He didn't blame them particularly. "Are you looking forward to the hatching?" He added. Most of the candidates were, so it could be construed as an innocent enough question.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:01 pm
In the next room she came to, the girl yanked the used furs off the bed with obvious force. If she kept moving, the exercise would keep her from thinking too hard. “Emori,” she said, swiftly rolling the furs into a bundle and shoving them into the bag. “And your name is already known to me, Sir.”
Not thinking was helping immensely. Without hesitation, she took a clean fur from S’kagi’s pile and placed it on the bed. “Yes, I can’t wait for Hatching Day.” Of course she was looking forward to it! The sooner it came, the sooner she’d be able to go home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:23 pm
"Are you hoping for the Gold?" He fished, wondering briefly if he had been imagining the tone he thought he had heard in her voice at the Gather. "You seem to have good reflexes. I think you'd be a fine rider." He took a breath as the young girl snatched a clean skin from his arms and went about her task with a crisp, knife edged precision. "...I overheard part of your conversation at the Gather. I didn't intend to eavesdrop, but I had a vague impression something was bothering you."
He paused and shot her a careful look, searching her intensely, with a slight frown.
"...Am I imagining it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:14 am
The gold? Dragon colors didn’t mean much to her personally, though she knew from talk around the Weyr that golden dragons were revered above all. The irony would be amazing if she Impressed at all, let alone to a Queen. That both amused and frightened her. Not something she wanted to dwell on. Thankfully, S’kagi didn’t wait for an answer, instead asking another question, this time about their almost-meeting at the Gather. His intense expression made her look away quickly.
She walked around the rider, escaping his eyes for the moment, to straighten up another area of the room. “If you want the truth, Sir, no. You imagined nothing.” She knew what his next question would be, but she didn’t care to beat him to the punch. She was hesitant to tell him what he wouldn’t want to hear, especially when they were alone, and he was far bigger and stronger than she was. At the same time... she really didn't want to lie.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:30 am
S'kagi bit his lip again, an uncomfortable feeling running down his back on tiny feet as he pondered what the problem could be, but tried to keep his expression neutral, not startled or threatening. He didn't want to be either right now. He followed her with his eyes as she walked around, carefully avoiding his gaze.
"Alright." He spoke after a small pause to compose his thoughts.
...I still vote homesick. The confident bronze interjected, glowingly confident in his magnificence and love-ability.
I don't think so...
If I'm right, no Klah for a week.
If you're wrong, you don't get water into it for a week. He fired back, though the entire exchange was fast and short. "Alright...so..." He leaned slightly against the frame of the bed, trying to present an relaxed front. "I'm listening. What's wrong?" He wondered if something had happened, if another rider had...caused trouble. Was she afraid to tell someone? Had someone from the Weyr been rude? Bullied her? He thought of a hundred different scenarios, without realizing none of them were close to the actual problem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:04 am
It was so hard to tell whether this man was sincerely worried, or if he was just toying with her. Either way, she didn’t like making herself vulnerable. She held her peace for a little longer, moving about the room with deliberate motions as she cleaned.
“…If you really must know, Dragonrider,” she said at last, “I am from a Hold where your kind are unwelcome. I’m only here to clear my own conscience, otherwise I would never have set foot in this Weyr.” Her intonation had not been hostile in any way; she confessed in quiet, but confident words. She continued to work, but was inwardly bracing for some form of assault, be it verbal or no.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:21 am
He blinked at her again, half consciously lifting a hand to brush at his hair and stare at her with both eyes view unobstructed. She was quiet, but there was more steel in her than in most smithies.
... ... ... I win. The dragon interjected, but in somewhat exultation than normal. She didn't like dragon riders? Unfathomable, at least for the bronze.
I wouldn't exactly call that h...never mind.
"Would I be digging my fingers into an open wound if I asked why your and yours have such an strong objection to the Dragon Riders?" He asked, letting his hand drop and his hair fall back into place. Now, though surprised, he could make more founded guesses, but still...
"Thread comes in cycles. We can't help that." He added, in a note of self defense. Shards that sounded lame, and he grimaced at his own words. "Never mind. Go ahead, I'd like to understand why you're upset."
Maybe if they could understand it they could change it. They needed the tithes, but maybe they could find a better way to make the holders accept it. Or he could try anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:03 pm
“It’s been two hundred years of green,” she replied, frowning. “Even you can see why we’re skeptical about this ‘Thread’ ever coming back. But that’s not everything.” After a brief glance at the rider, she looked away and crossed her arms. “For two hundred years, the Weyrs have been taking from us, with no tangible benefits for some Holders in their entire lifetimes. Sure, you’ve rescued a few lost children or helped put out the occasional fire, but that doesn’t make up for all the times the tithes have caused people to go hungry, or console the men and women whose sons and daughters you spirited away for those… beasts. Did you really have to be so… prolific?”
She looked at him squarely now, bewildered at her own candidness. There was something else creeping up on her, too. She’d been continuously swallowing it down since she’d come face to face with this man.
It was the fact that she could very well be one of those daughters she spoke of. Could she really Impress after all, even if she despised the dragonriders? Did she have any choice in the matter, contrary to her beliefs? She would know the answers soon. Those eggs could hatch any day, and then… She fell silent, staring past S’kagi toward a distant thing that wasn’t really there. In her mind’s eye, she was imagining herself standing on the Sands, awaiting her fate as the first egg cracked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:55 am
His first instinct, defensive of Coriath, and the bond they shared, was to point out that she was hardly chained to the floor, but he bit it back, jaw working slightly as he fought down his own defensiveness and the flood of emotions from Coriath, sharing in the conversation from their mental bond.
He took a few moments, trying to arrange his thoughts, and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh, adjusting the clean skins in his other arm to do so.
"...No. You're right." He admitted. "Some of the clutches have been ... surprisingly large. The Weyr is over-crowded." And with the new gold on the sand, it could only get more so. They'd almost have to try and break away one of the queens at some point, or the dragons could fight, and people and dragons alike would die. For her that might be a relief, for others here... agony. "And I know dragons themselves are also larger than they once were. I hope in their..." He dragged it out. "... Infinite wisdom... the founders who helped breed them made sure they would not exceed a certain size. I won't say I share your feelings. I'd never give up Coriath. Never. But I'll be the first to admit that a certain degree of arrogance goes hand in hand with the role, although neither Coriath nor I are responsible for the current clutches, that doesn't help you much." He admitted.
Were people really going hungry? He couldn't remember it being so in his own hold, but maybe he'd been too fixated on going out, and his parents had been fairly well to do.
"...But maybe thats why you're here." he parried her attack with an thin, wry smile. "Most of those who impress will tell you that being impressed is like adding a missing piece to a puzzle. Maybe we need your missing piece." He challenged. "Better planning for how to span two hundred years between thread falls."
Very Charismatic. I bet she kicks you. Coriath sulked, sill offended at the prolific comment, and at it being vaguely implied that he was too large.
Coriath... neither of us can help what we are. Though if you were a little shorter it would be a lot simpler a task to get you oiled. He pointed out, with a mental nudge of comfort. Maybe she won't impress. But damn I'd be interested if she did. Could be a disaster, Could be the best thing that's happened to either of us.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:11 pm
No one has infinite wisdom, she thought, but managed to bite back the spitfire reply. The discussion had been a calm one thus far, and she had no intention of causing it to blow up. She listened to the rider as he expressed his devotion to the bronze dragon, but try as she might, Emori couldn’t think of them as any more than oversized pets—sort of like watchwhers. This was another opinion she tactfully chose not to verbalize.
It was when S’kagi spoke of puzzle pieces that she snorted and shook her head. “What use would I be to this Weyr? I have no skills beyond whatever drudgery I’m assigned, and I promise you, I will not continue to subject myself to that after the Hatching is over.” That was a bit of her spoiled little girl side coming out, and she knew it. But really, she didn’t enjoy serving those whom she’d always been told were the antagonists. Surely the dragonrider would feel the same way in her place. She gave him an appraising look, anticipating what might be his next question. “I would have requested for a rider to return me to my uncle’s Hold some time ago, but…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
