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 Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:58 am
One might think it would be hard for such a large thing as a dragon to sneak. No one had passed Erevuth the memo, however, and down the rocky face of the Bowl came a slow ripple of blue. There was Weyrling training down below, young faces with their fresh dragonets, eager to learn in one manner or another. It was as if the blue did not wish to intrude on the lesson and was trying to be as unnoticeable as he possibly could. This was correct at least in one aspect. Wings were folded close to the back and the muscle beneath the mottled sapphire hide worked with effort and grace to allow the great beast to climb down.
There she is, Mine. Do you see her?
N'ron could, just barely. The dragonrider sat straight within the saddle despite the incline he was facing, leaning weight back to keep steady. He was more than accustomed to his dragon's mannerisms by now- nothing could ever be simple. His focus was on what he hoped was the woman he had set out to find today, his new wingleader, Lyveana. A greenrider. N'ron was curious about just what sort of shenanigans were going on between Ista's leaders that they would even think about considering anything less than a bronzerider. To assign what was considered one of the weakest dragons to the leadership position... there must have been some sort of arm twisting or fighting going on. Probably a fight. Mm.
And he perhaps he was just a little curious about Lyveana herself. After all, she was the very first to be chosen for this experiment. One had to speculate there must be something about her to warrant it, and N'ron certainly planned to find out. The nature of others didn't escape him for very long because he paid attention, even when it seemed like he wasn't.
As they reached level ground, Erevuth lengthened his strides, no longer crouching so close to the dirt. Still, he moved carefully, skirting around the large gathering of weyrlings toward Lyveana. N'ron took the time to reach up and check if his hair was suitable, brushing onyx strands free of his eyes and into place framing his features. The beard should be fine, but it wouldn't do to make his first impression with his hair frayed all about. When the blue came to a halt a respectable distance away (on N'ron's request), the man loosed himself from the straps and used his dragon's claw to step down to the ground. And there he would wait, near Erevuth's shoulder, waiting to be noticed. They had strategically placed themselves where they could be seen but were not impeding on the current class. Being polite, in short, although N'ron fully expected Lyveana's near immediate attention. After all, he had an apology to deliver and it would be just as well if he got it out of the way sooner rather than later.
N'ron had not wanted to come to Ista. It was known that the Weyr had become overcrowded and was beginning to pack its riders into its weyrs two by two. If he had to be honest, though, he knew that was not really the main reason why he did not wish to be transfered, as it was requested he should. He was good with people, and they tended to like him as well. It was not hard for N'ron to get along with anyone, and so a little bunching would have been... manageable. Erevuth was quite a bit more vocal and active with his displeasure, but then again, it wasn't really his space that was being compromised. They were from Benden, though, so it would still be a very considerable change for them.
It wasn't even that the two would be homesick. N'ron personally had no love for Benden Weyr, despite being born and raised there. So far as he was concerned, Erevuth was the greatest thing that could ever have come from that place. The people were pleasant even if they had known him when he was younger, and of course he got along. But it felt as if he were getting almost nowhere there, despite being friendly acquaintances with nearly everyone. Sometime he could feel them almost as significant as a few drops in the sea, and he and Erevuth were so much more than that. So if anything, this was a welcome change if only for the fresh start. But when his former Weyrleader had volunteered him for the new forming wing at Ista, supposedly for his experience, N'ron was concerned. Oh, he knew that he and Erevuth were good, very good. But N'ron was thirty-seven turns, a few months away from thirty-eight. It was a little vain to recall that originally Ista was meant for the more elderly dragonriders but, by the first egg, one had to worry.
So N'ron had had a little chat with Benden's Weyrman, who was only a couple of turns his senior, about just why he was to be transfered to this little island retreat, and couldn't he appeal to stay? Of course, he had been assured that he was sincerely needed to help Ista face Firstfall, and then more firmly that he had little other say in the matter before N'ron finally bowed. However, it had taken all the time that he should have been in Ista, meeting his fellow wingriders. That was the real story, but not the one he planned to tell. He and Erevuth seemed to have quite a lot of catching up to do in the future.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:13 pm
Lyveana had acquired a multitude of new habits since being promoted, first of which was relying on her green when it came to telling her about various dragons, and second was to school her features into a neutral expression that (hopefully) gave little of her thoughts away. When she first began dealing with her new wingmen, she had intended to keep a firm distance between herself and them until she was satisfied that none of them would slack off because she was being construed as womanly or soft. That theory was still in use, if it had been modified a bit to handle some of the various personalities that required gentler handling.
Today she was letting her guard down more so then usual, mostly because she was thoroughly exhausted, and secondly because she didn't want to scare the training Weyrlings by glowering at them. The youngsters seemed awkward enough, and Faranth knew her position was shaky as is without having even the junior dragonriders talking about her and her green negatively. She'd heard more then enough in the past few days to earn herself some gray hairs, and had had to face down more then one angry rider who thought she was overstepping herself.
Really, this was all so juvenile... but at the same time completely expected. Lyveana almost wanted to contact Helirra and put a stop to this madness the quick and easy way... but at this point her pride wouldn't allow her to just resign. She and Ruinnth had a job to do, and whether they liked it or not, they had been given it by their Weyrwoman. To resign would not only shame Helirra, but it would forever mark Lyveana and Ruinnth as failures. Any Wing they joined after this would never accept them willingly, and such forced camaraderie would be devastating during Threadfall. The same could be said for the current situation, but Lyveana really believed that despite first appearances, everyone she had met in her wing thus far would do what they had to do when the time came. So long as she didn't fail them, everything would be fine.
Your thoughts are troubled Lyveana, why not set them aside for now and watch the young ones? They are performing exceptionally well today.
I cannot set my worries aside dear heart, but thank you. The greenrider replied, affectionately stroking the dark hide beside her. Ruinnth rumbled once and shifted back onto her haunches, watching the training with slowly whirling turquoise eyes while Lyveana got to her feet and stretched. It was true, however. They weyrlings were performing very well today. Apparently they had started formation drilling, and very few appeared to be having trouble acclimating to the forced movements.
Likewise , neither were immediately aware of N'ron and Erevuth's approach until man and blue dragon stopped a respectful distance away. Once she had noticed their arrival, Lyveana queried Ruinnth as to the blue's identity. However, once Ruinnth replied that she did not know them on sight, the greenrider could only assume this was either someone from Ista neither of them knew with a message, or the transferring bluerider from Benden who had missed the first meeting. Either would be received in a similar way by the green and her rider, so Lyveana did not outright ask the man to identify himself. She'd assume in either case there would be a good reason for the disturbance.
"Good afternoon, you are not intruding since were are certainly far enough away from the training group. Feel free to approach." She offered, casting speculative eyes across the mans appearance and the health of the blue next to him. Both appeared well cared for, even if the man had a bit of a beard growing, and he was definitely older then she was. The expression on both man and beast was indeterminate from this distance though, but she forbade Ruinnth from pressing for information right away. Time would tell her why they were here, and she was patient.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:08 pm
With permission granted upon their formal notice, N'ron bowed his head slightly and began to step forward. It was a humble gesture, yet he did not cast his eyes down as he approached. Erevuth waited for a few yards to be gained ahead before he slid after his rider, idly stretching his legs as he moved.
"Wingleader Lyveana, I presume?" The older man would inquire once he was close enough, a slow smile curling at the corners of his lips and lifting the sleek hair around them. His blue eyes settled on her face and sought her eyes. Yes, this must be her. She wore some of the features of exhaustion, but he could see the faint resemblance of someone who held power. Part of that resemblance was the exhaustion. He would not leave her to fish for answers, for both their sakes. "What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. I am N'ron, and my dragon is Erevuth. We have traveled from Benden Weyr to join your wing."
He gave pause for a moment, before he moved on. "You will have noted our absence at what I have heard was a meeting between you and the other wingriders. I must insist that you have our absolute, sincerest apologies. I was quite ready to come to you on my hands and knees, but you were not at home." Both brows raised helplessly, though there was a small twinkle in his eyes. "And now I hope we've not offended you once more. We came to report as soon as we could."
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 10:20 am
"Accepted. And thank you for reporting in N'ron, I trust whatever kept you was too important to miss." She replied, her eyes flickering back from N'ron to the Weyrlings when one of the young greens accomplished a particularly difficult strength maneuver for the smaller dragons with considerable skill. Ruinnth?
Noted.
"Benden does Ista a great honor by sending one of their own." She continued, her pause to bespeak Ruinnth barely distinguishable from a small break one uses to collect a thought. "You have missed very little, mostly just an informal meet and great held before dinner. We will be holding our first formal meeting and drill practice tomorrow morning, Ruinnth will brief Erevuth on the details once I have them." Ahhh, the other recent headache. Scheduling drills and flight patterns had proven far more difficult then Lyveana had ever imagined they could be. With Ista boasting as many dragons as there were stars in the sky, Wingleaders had to be careful when scheduling practices involving firestone, and competition for training grounds had grown beyond simply drawing straws. Ruinnth had already gone (figuratively) chest to chest with one ornery bronze who thought his rider had dibs on the training ground Lyveana had planned to use. Support came rather unexpectedly from the bronze's rider, which alleviated some of Lyveana's paranoia about her green's less then subtle power play.
Thankfully, N'ron appeared to be one of the older riders who didn't seem as put off by the strangeness of the situation as others. Perhaps because he was from Benden, or because he just seemed to have a good head on his shoulders; whatever the case was, Lyveana appreciated his attempt at humor. "As charming as it would have been with my roommate Jevasi home, I am glad you found me here instead. She has an interesting view of the world, and would surely accuse me of abuse should my comrades show up at on my ledge on their hands and knees." The greenrider replied, a slight smile briefly overshadowing the lines of exhaustion. "If you need any assistance adjusting to Ista, please let me know. I will do my best for you."
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:20 am
N'ron did not miss the way the wingleader's eyes traveled, his smile only becoming a little wider, eyes soft and knowing. But as she began to speak once more, he carefully lowered his lashes and arranged his features to be more sober for the occasion. "My Weyrleader had need of me. I would not have missed it for anything less. While it seems like you believe it was trivial, I would consider even the smallest nuance to be vital. I actually rather enjoy them and regret not being in attendance."
He seemed quite sincere, the corners of his lips twitching faintly. A chuckle came at mention of Lyveana's roommate and her particulars, and that twitch of the lips turned into a faint smile. "Of course." It sounded like a dismissal to his ears, but N'ron decided to look like he did not realize it. Instead he stepped closer, a few polite feet away from her side, before turning to face the training grounds. "These are such delicate times for them, aren't they? It is good to see an eager and hardy bunch such as these. You must be quite proud... Although, all glory truly goes to they Weyr, does it not?"
Erevuth did not sigh, but his lids lowered a little as he moved into a seat. He was going to get comfortable if this was how it was to be. He had his tendencies, and so did His. Great faceted eyes took in the shape of Ruinnth, though his attention looked like it would be on the Weyrlings. This was who he was to be answering to, was it? She seemed a dark and proud character, very assuming as most greens in his experience often were. However, he held judgement for the moment, casually observing as he often did, from the corners of his eyes. He was pretty good at it.
"In all good time I will meet each of my fellow wingriders," N'ron would offer after a while. "But is there any particular ones you suggest I seek and introduce myself to right away?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 7:48 am
"Aye, tomorrow mornings' Drill should be a good time to at least see their faces." She replied, the reminder a not so subtle one as she kept her eyes on the Weyrlings. N'ron's tone was telling her more then enough at this point, though the man was suave, she'd give him that. "I suspect most would prefer to know who they are riding with ahead of time, but the only one I would particularly insist you seek out is my wingsecond R'than." She added, glancing over at him when he moved a few steps closer. "And... I am proud of all of our riders, good, bad or indifferent."
"All glory and honor comes from the Weyr, and must be given freely to the people we are bound to protect, N'ron." She said, looking back to the Weyrlings. "I can only hope we will be prepared for what is to come." She continued, her eyes steely. Ruinnth shifted beside her when Lyveana's emotions leaked over, her eyes whirling with the faintest sparks of red. This was a shared determination between the two of them, a mutual desire to meet their ancient adversary head on, to lead their comrades through the first encounter with minimal bodily harm. Ruinnth herself was taking quiet stock of Erevuth, though (like her rider) she was reserving judgment until everyone was aloft. In that, she was unlike most greens, as she was not particularly chatty with other dragons.
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Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:58 am
There came a nod of acknowledgement to Lyveana's words, her suggestion, and her views. He failed to look anything less than pleasant, in a serene sense of respect. His hands folded themselves behind his back gracefully as he looked on. He seemed to be in thought, not flinching at the allusion to the dreaded Thread though his expression did take on a more notably solemn frown. No doubt, N'ron truly was worried about what would happen when the First Fall came, for both himself and the Weyr.
His eyes were sharp as he turned his head to look at the wingleader, the first sparks of true passion shown since the conversation started even if the rest of his face remained neutral. "I have no doubt that we will be as prepared as we can ever hope to be when our time comes to fight. There are only so many things that the texts and traditions may help us with when so long a time has been passed in peace." A blink, and his eyes were not quite so blue as they were, melting with his emotion. "There is a lot of pressure set upon us, especially you, Lyveana. I am sure there is no one more acutely aware of that. Not only do you set an example for Ista, but also prove whether or not a greenrider is as capable of leadership as a bronze. I do not envy you."
N'ron was bold, but his words were careful and sympathetic. He turned slightly toward her, his head tilting somewhat as if he were passing her a particularly good piece of advice, a little more companionable than one might think a first meeting should dictate. But that was just his way. While he minded his space and kept his gestures a bit lofty, he exhibited a clear friendliness and, in this case, concern. "I know you have work to do now, but if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to come and see me. I could tell you the things that we did over at Benden for training if you wish to compare..." He smiled very slightly. "Anything."
With that he straightened, waiting for any response she may make before he could excuse himself to go and find R'than.
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