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 Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:28 pm
H'pez had been distracted as of the late but it still did not stop him from holding drills. Or rather, from having Kessa and Jadarath from holding drills. Kallista was one who followed and followed well. Still, at the end of extended wing exercises, green Astarteth was moody and complaining that she was hungry.
And she was tired of wherries.
Kallista just tuned her lovely out slightly and looked ahead as she walked to the kitchens. Her wing leader required that the group meal together and discuss the day's events and tasks that they had been assigned before being allowed some free time. Some of the brown and blue riders had snubbed her by making sure she sat towards the end of the table or refusing to listen when she suggested changes. Sighing inwardly, she remember the ordeal that T'ka was going through with her wing leader and was glad for some semblance of acceptance. Who was that up ahead? G'ail, Senoth's rider. They had never spoken but perhaps she could snag a seat next to him. "G'ail? Wait up please?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:05 pm
G'ail paused when his name was called, tray in hand and already loaded with food, "Hmn?" He blinked when he saw Kallista and smiled at her, "Oh, hey! Running a bit late?" The greenrider was a pleasant man, always had a smile and kind word for his comrades and weyrfolk alike.
"What's up? Do you need anything?" He tilted his head to the side, a slight frown on concern flickering across his lips. She'd done well in flight drills today... in fact, the whole thing had gone well. At least, as far as he was concerned.
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:48 pm
"I had to settle Astarteth and just managed to make it." The young woman slowed as she caught up to and was walking along side her fellow wing rider. She had not really talked to or bonded with any in her wing. They practiced together, they ate together, ran errands together but somehow free time was never really there to go up and say, "Hello!"
"Um. I was hoping if I could sit with you at the table since I am so late. Otherwise, I might be stuck at the end and miss all the warm food." Kallista tried to keep the bitter tone out of her voice. She did all she could to make sure her everyday life did not affect her dragon.
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:49 pm
G'ail nodded at that, gesturing for her to lead the way, "That's fine with me. And if there's no seats at the middle, I'll sit at the end with you and eat the cool food. How's that?" He chuckled as he moved along, obviously not minding her company at all.
"You think next drill will go as well? Astarteth's beautiful in the air, was really on the ball today. Senoth complains sometimes that she isn't as agile as other greens but that's what you get when you're nearly as big as a blue." He shrugged helplessly as if to say he'd tried to convince her otherwise but it wasn't working.
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:20 pm
It was real nice of G'ail to offer to sit with her, no matter where they ended up. They walked and managed to find a spot not quite at the end but definitely not in the middle. The smells wafting from G'ail's plate made her own stomach rumble but she managed to keep herself in check.
"As far as I am concerned, I think we have all been drilling well. I am lucky that Astarteth is lean but she doesn't have the stamina to last as long as Senoth. Of course, I am sure you don't have to listen to your dragon's constant insistence that she is simply the most perfect green on Pern and her rider should be the same way." Kallista laughed it off.
Some day.
A drudge walked past with fresh bread sliced up and the former runner grabbed a couple of pieces with a quickness. Settling down, she looked around and hoped to catch the stew pot.
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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 9:51 pm
"Greater endurance just means Senoth gets to lead the boys on longer chases when they catch her fancy," he chuckled in reply, "A little vanity would actually be appreciated... she's usually too busy playing match-maker for me to worry about her own appearance. Granted, I think she's the most gorgeous thing in my life but that's hardly vanity on her part."
He smiled, "A drive like that's a strength. Means you'll do your best. And Astarteth's sleek enough to fly circles around most people. I envy you at time." G'ail shrugged as he stuffed his face with a roll and washed it down with a swing of klah, "Senoth's size makes that hard to do. We fly more like blues then we do greens. Besides, I don't think she needs to worry about her rider not keeping up with that image she chases - you fit the bill pretty well, why else would she have chosen you, hm?" Winking to emphasize the compliment he waved to a few of the others when they called his name and turned back to Kallista.
"What were your early days like?" He tilted his head, curious, "Mine were full of awkward flirting and scrambling to keep up with my lifemate." There was no point hiding it - he'd known from early on Senoth was an amorous one. Hadn't really adjusted himself to that quite as quickly, however.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:51 pm
Kallista tried not to blush as G'ail started to talk about flights and matings. Astarteth had yet to go proddy here at High Reaches though they had been there just over half a turn. Keeping a pleasant look on her face, she merely nodded and then made the appropriate comments. "Astarteth prefers to play matchmaker for both of us. I like the way I am and Astarteth thinks I could do with some more vanity."
She watched as her fellow green rider ate and took the opportunity to spoon stew into her mouth and chew into the flavored tubers. A good stew was always her favorite dish. Kallista listened and realized with a sudden dread that she would not know the rider whose dragon flew Astarteth. She coughed as a bit of tuber caught in her throat. Taking a swallow of water, she knew she would have to explain herself. "Back at Ista, I knew a good majority of the riders and their dragons. Here, I know no one really. When Astar rises, it might as well be a blind flight."
"Our, er Astarteth's first flight went well enough. She prefers the bronzes and browns. According to her, no one pays her enough attention here. Frowning and playing with her stew, she wondered if there was a way out of this conversation.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:40 pm
He nodded, "Everyone's fairly welcoming. No 'avoid this person' comes to mind so I think you're good on that front." G'ail smiled, "Of course, if you need friendship, I'm always around." He nodded at that and sipped from his glass again, pausing a moment to let the other rider chew.
"Speaking of bronzes and browns. What was your old Weyr like? I'm a wingrider, not one of the higher ups so I don't know much about all the Inter-Weyr shenanigans that go on. Why'd you transfer?" He dug into his stew then, but continued to watch her - some how managing to appear interested while at the same time quite enjoying his meal.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:05 pm
Kallista tried to feel reassured by G'ail's words. Going back to chewing the chunks in her soup, the green rider was silent for a few minutes. Some of those in her own wing were just shy of being openly hostile to female riders. And from some murmurs she heard, those were the type to 'enjoy' when a green rose.
"Ista? Not as..." Kallista thought for a moment and decided not to mince words. "Not as formal, by the book as High Reaches or even Telgar. Though we had our fair share of trouble clutches and even plagues as well. It got very crowded right before we left, one of the main reasons why we chose to leave."
Her eyes went soft as she thought back to her former home. "I was a runner before I was a rider. I was Searched while on a run and Impressed the first time I stood. Astarteth decided that I needed her to be in the spotlight and I guess she might be right."
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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:33 pm
"High Reaches? Formal?" G'ail blinked at that and then chuckled, "I suppose. Ista must be truly liberal then to make us seem formal. Telgar must look entirely too stuffy then." He shook his head, bemused, "Though I probably wouldn't argue with such an appraisal. Their views of female riders entirely too old fashioned. A dragon chooses, not the rider."
He shrugged then, as that was his answer to that. Whether a dragon chosen a woman or a man shouldn't matter - only that they chose Theirs. Wasn't that the important matter? That a dragon not go Between for lack of choice?
"It hasn't been very crowded here for a long while. There's still empty weyrs and rooms... it's kind of sad." He sighed then, "So you're welcome by me at the very least. You had a smooth transition then," he replied with a smile, "I was a Vinter before a Rider, helping my parents at the Vineyards. Our wines were nice too. First time I stood, I nearly lost my eyes." He tapped the scar that arched across his nose, "Any higher and I'd be blind."
G'ail's wistful tone, however, echoed the fondness that coloured Kallista's tone. "Senoth told me I didn't look after myself enough right from the beginning and that she'd be sure to be that pillar for me. It's amazing, really, how different all the dragons are, but I wouldn't have it any other way."
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Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:17 am
"In Ista it is a common thing for girls to Impress and be in wings. It seems the only ones who resent it are when a girl is picked for Search and no one else." She chuckled at this remembering her own Search. No one was pleased that day except her, C'ren and Ceylith.
She didn't miss the sad note in his voice though it did not last long when he talked about the empty weyrs. "It's strange. We had a plague in Ista but most recovered from it. I wonder why?" She listened as he talked about his former life. Looking in his face to see the scar, it was starting to fade after many turns but still noticable. A Vinter. From what she knew, that was hard work.
Kallista laughed. "I can look after myself just fine but I need to wash and scrub and dress in pretty clothes. My hair should be longer now and on and on. If I make her upset, she gets into a little snit and refuses to play nice until I bring out the good oil."
Dunking her bread to mop up the last little bit of stew, the green rider wondered if she had anything to do after dinner.
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:59 am
"Not everybody's cut out to be a rider. There's certainly enough drama in the ranks here as is." He chuckled and shrugged. "Was it the same kind of plague? Or just an illness that swept through, like how colds tend to grab lots of people."
G'ail grinned, "Well she's always looking out for you. Just remind me to bring a gift of good oil if I get on her bad side, eh?" He winked then noticed that sort of drifting attention that someone wore when the wondered if they should be elsewhere.
A small sigh escaped him and he thumped his glass against the table's surface, "Well, I should get going and you look like you have somewhere to be as well. I've got some chores to run before I go rest for the evening. Just call me or Senoth if you feel like chatting. Pleasure talking with you!" Rising, he swept his dishes from the table and set them on the nearby collection rack before moving to leave, "Take care!"
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