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 Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:28 am
Their progress out of the Weyr and down the beach was slow; Moriath was tired but she wanted to rest in the last of the day's sun. The easy walk suited Kleos well enough, however, it wasn't like they were in a rush to get there and the slow pace was beginning to distance her from the day's work. So much new information to take in, there were some things they'd learned as candidates of course but there was so much more! Then there was the care itself; Moriath still stood only just taller than her knee but the crimson was growing at an insane rate, keeping up with the oiling and scrubbing she needed was manic.
Just overhead, a happy squeak informed everyone who might be listening that a certain firelizard was happy to be done with the day as well. As the blue turned a graceful loop in the air, Kleos smiled and shook her head. Ice did love to fly around and be active, but he seemed to feel he ought to stay with her throughout the lessons that kept them cooped up inside. His loyalty was endearing of course, but he did tend to fidget on her shoulder and accidental dig his claws in; she was glad to have him up in the air rather than nibbling at her ear.
"Silly little male," Moriath commented with a snort, "it's not like he's learning anything by being there, all he's doing is perforating you... Here will do. The sand is nice and warm." So saying the crimson lay down in the sand, and once her bonded joined her she dropped her head into the young woman's lap with a contented sigh. "Rub my eyeridges, would you Mine?" Today had been exhausting but good, a nice doze and eyeridge rub would round it off nicely.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:47 am
Zeren had followed Viska down to the beach, for once he had to take some time to himself, the Weyr was too full of others, the hatchlings from the clutch he'd failed to Impress in, Dragonriders and their dragons, Viska had given him images of the beach, and had taken off in direct flight towards it instead of going Between. Zeren took that as a sign she wanted him to follow, and it seemed not too far from where he'd originally found her, he'd decided to see if there were any flit eggs to take back, but there hadn't been any, nothing but shells and wherry dung.
As the sun had risen higher Viska had decided to root out tunnel snake burrows to escape the heat, Zeren's plan was collect some plants and herbs maybe from the grasslands, but Viska had 'demanded' he stay on the beach, so he lay on the warm sands and gazed up at the sky, knowing Viska would probably lay her kill on him sometime after it got slightly cooler.
He was roused a short while later by the sounds of someone else coming, well that and Viska sitting on his chest chittering about something BIG and RED.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:01 pm
She could have lost herself in tending to her dragon, in watching those beautiful eyes whirl soft green behind two sets of lids, but the chattering of her small blue friend distracted her. Raising her head to regard him, but not ceasing in her attentions to Moriath, Kleos gave the flitt a smile. "Hullo Ice, what's wrong with you then?" The firelizard communicated... a person, another flitt and a person. Near. Just look! Kelos did as she was told, and shook her head at herself when she spotted the person her pet was speaking of; he wasn't far off, she really ought to have seen him. She must be more tired that she'd realised.
"Good evening," she called, "I'm Kleos, this is Moriath and the flitt is Ice... Have I met you before, you look familiar." Could he be one of the candidates who had failed to Impress? It was certainly quite possible, she was well aware that she hadn't known even half of the hopefuls by name.
"No matter," said Moriath, who had been looking through her rider's eyes. "Just one little male, and not one with a big bronze who can try to boss us around. Talk to him if it pleases you, but don't concern yourself too much." She was fond enough of some of her male clutch mates, she supposed, but in the end they just weren't the same as females.
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Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:10 pm
Zeren scrabbled backwards a little "oh erm, ahem.. sorry" he fumbled, and tried to snatch Viska, to stop her doing what she always did and, true enough she'd evaded his grabbing hands and chirruped to the Blue flit enticingly, before zigzagging towards the Dragon, sending back images to Zeren of BIG and RED again, so that he had to shake his head to get rid of them.
He got up and brushed himself down a little, bowing a little in respect to the Dragonrider "i'm sorry lady..........." he left the sentence trailing as he couldn't recall her name, "i apologise for my Fire Lizard, i'm having trouble keeping her under control" he admitted as said flit was curently torn between flirting with the Blue, and trying to rub her head on the Crimson Dragon.
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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:13 am
"...'Lady'? Really?" Moriath opened her eyes in order to regard the boy more clearly. "Why does he call you 'lady'? That's no title for a rider." He probably meant well, but just wasn't too bright; just about what you'd expect from a run of the mill male human really. Still, he wasn't the only one present; there was the little green too. As the hyperactive little thing fluttered towards her, Moriath gave a rumble and sent out a feeling of welcome; she was a pretty little thing, wasn't she? Ice agreed with Moriath on that score, and swooped around the other flitt cheeping cheerfully; pretty new friend!
Kleos gave a mental shrug, not having an answer to her dragon's question. Lady. She was no lady, but he wasn't to know that being called one annoyed her. "It's Kleos," Kleos said again, "just Kleos is fine, but if you wish to be more formal I'd prefer 'rider' to 'lady'... Oh, and don't worry about the flitt, she's no bother, I think Moriath actually rather likes her... What's her name, by the way, and yours for that matter?" He was familiar, she was sure he was a candidate but his name... No, no idea at all, but given he hadn't known hers either she didn't feel bad about it.
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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:12 pm
Zeren blushed "i'm s..sorry Dragonrider Kleos" he said feeling like a complete idiot... only Weyrwomen were usually called Lady, but having grown up going from Hold to Hold he'd gotten used to calling the higher ranking females Lady. "Oh ... her name is Viska" he cleared his throat of the slight nervous squeak that came from him "i'm .... i'm Zeren, we were at the hatching together, congratulations on such a beautiful Dragon" he said, his heart thidding against his chest, he had to blink back his dissapointment of that day. He held out his arm for Viska to come and whistled to her, but she ignored him to flirt with the Blue Fire Lizard, and croon happiness to the 'BIG RED'
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:57 am
Kleos smiled and shook her head, making a dismissive gesture to Zeren. "Don't be hard on him my dear," she said to her dragon, "he means no harm, he's just nervous." She could understand that; not everyone was as bold and confident as she herself was after all, the prospect of speaking to a rider could be intimidating to a shy soul. "Thank you kindly, and think nothing of it," she assured him, "it's an easy slip to make... Are you Hold born then? I'm from Namor, I came here... around half a turn ago now, I suppose." It felt like a different lifetime already, but then her candidacy did too and that was not so long past at all.
"It was a different lifetime," Moraith put in. "Until I was, you were not. Not as you are now anyway." That was just the way it was with Impression. She knew... a part of her vaguely knew that there had been a time before she had Hers. The person who had been standing on the sands was now different, was now... Rider. That was all there was to it.
Ice squeaked happily at the continued female attention, and turned a neat series of loops to show what a lovely handsome blue he was... This was okay with his person? For a moment the little flitt hovered in mid air, keening uncertainly. At an affectionate thought from Kleos however, he gave another squeak and went right back to showing off.
Chuckling to herself, the young rider shook her head. "Quite a pair, aren't they?" she said with a nod to the flitts. "Is your Viska always like that, or does she just like to show off for the boys?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:18 am
Zeren shook his head, "no dragonrider ma'am, i'm trader born" he said with a sad sigh,his eyes not meeting hers, or her dragons, he gritted his teeth and felt stupid still, though she spoke gently enough, which made him redden.
Viska chirrpued her happiness, he was actually flirting back?! what a wonderful male he was, especially when he did those loops to impress her, her eyes whirled green in her joy at this playmate, and she dived and twisted in the air. she liked this BIG RED and her BLUE friend.
Zeren watched the two flits cavorting, and wondered if Viska was getting close to rising, she seemed more energetic today, but then Viska always acted the flirting fool around male flits. He almost didnt hear the question Kleos asked him. "OH .. er.. yes, and yes, Viska is always like this, especially around males, i...i cant get her to listen to anything i try and teach her" he admitted grimly.
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 2:02 pm
"I'm fortunate," Kleos said with a soft chuckle as she watched the pair zoom about, "Ice has always listened when I tell him to stop something, or to come to me, or other simple things like that. I rescued him as a youngster not far from here; I think he still remembers that on some level." Either that or she'd just got lucky, or had some natural aptitude with firelizards.
"Perhaps," Kleos went on as the flitts continued to dive and swoop, "you could find a beastcrafter who specializes in them and ask for some help? Failing that, just an experienced owner; I'm afraid I'd be no use myself, Ice is the first I've had, and I've had him only a couple of months. As I say, I can make him follow simple commands, but I'd have no idea how to advise you on training your Viska."
"Mmm... Well I will keep my ears open for anyone who can train flitts," Moriath said to Hers, rumbling thoughtfully to herself. "He may only be a human male but he is a resident here, so I must do what I can for him." Things would never get done without her, nobody else would bother about one trader boy who couldn't handle his pet.
Kleos smiled down at her dragon and gently stroked the crimson's eye-ridges; such a good heart, with well deserved pride behind it. "Moriath says she will listen out for anyone who might be able to help you," she told Zeren, "and I shall too." Somebody ought to try for the young man if he couldn't himself; if things stayed as they were his disobedient flitt could well get him into deep trouble one of these days.
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 10:31 am
Zeren had to smile, the flits were cute while they were playing "i've tried, dragonrider Kleos ma'am she....she just wont listen, or has a very short memory" he admitted, his cheeks flushing. "A beastcrafter you say?" he asked, "i..i hadn't thought of that" his eyes were drawn back to the flits, and inevitably back to the crimson dragon.
He watched Kleos caress her eyeridges, with a tender smile that he knew was reserved jost for that special connection when they talked, he felt kind of unwanted in that moment, until Kleos spoke again, he only just managed to stop his jaw from dropping and himself looks stupid again. "Th....Thank you Dragonrider Ma'am *My thanks to you as well Crimson Moriath, i shall be eternally grateful for your offer of aid in training my flit* he both said and thought this, out of respect to the fact, only the dragon could hear his thoughts, and it would be rude to try and personally bespeak someone else's Dragon.
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 3:33 am
Moriath gave a slight incline of her head to the young male before laying it back in Kelos' lap; it wouldn't be too long before she was too big to do this, so she supposed she ought to make the best of it. "You know," she commented lazily to Hers, "I think he is too skittish to Impress. It's small wonder the flitt won't obey him, I'm not sure any amount of training will help... but I suppose we must do our best." Even for foolish weak males, such was the way of being the greatest, you had to look after the rest.
"It is our pleasure," Kleos assured Zeren, stroking Moriath's head, and choosing not to pass along her comments; no sense in upsetting him. Besides, there might well be a dragon for him one day, either another shy soul, or one who would stand up for him.
"Oh, well, I suppose," Moriath gave a mental shrug, "just don't let it be a green or a crimson. Blue, brown, or bronze might want him, though bronzes are usually brash sorts, probably wouldn't care for him."
Kleos returned the mental shrug; who knew what a new hatchling would want in a rider? "So... Tell me Zeren," Kleos said after some moments, offering the candidate a smile, "what was it like being a Trader? I always envied traders a little while I was living at the Hold; always traveling, seeing new places, such freedom! You must have had many adventures in your life." A thousand times more than she had experienced before coming here, no doubt, but all of them would be nothing compared to the adventure she was embarking upon now. Still, even if it was better to be a rider than a trader she was interested in hearing about his former lifestyle.
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 4:24 am
Zeren was starting to relax a little when Kleos asked about Trader life, he tried not to stiffen and just walk away from this conversation, after all, there was nowhere to hide, no crowd to lose himself in here. "I....it's not all adventure and games" he said through slightly gritted teeth "it's hard work, training the beasts to the caravans, learning to haggle/barter for supplies and wares, then there's the hard travelling the harsh roads, caravan repairs, being slowed down by any number of things" he said sharply, he didn't mean to sound rude, but he felt that people were to dreamy about trader life, it was mostly hard work, "throw in working in the various holds as a young boy, rock falls, and eventually ... Threadfall .. it's not what people think it is" he said bitterly, trying hard not to remember the faces in the last hold he'd been at. He clenched his jaw and fought to keep the sadness from his eyes in front of a Dragonrider *shards she must think i'm such a fool* he thought, his fists balled by his sides as he fought for control over his emotions, though a stray tear managed to find it's winding way down his cheek.
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 8:44 am
...Well. That wasn't what she'd expected. He was actually crying? Shards, was being a Trader really that traumatic?
"No Mine, we've already established that he's a wimp. That's the problem with males, so few of them have real strength in them. Not getting their favorite dessert at dinner would make many of them cry."
"Well... Hold life isn't all it's cracked up to be either," Kleos said eventually, offering Zeren a slight smile in the vague hope that he might cheer up. "If your parents won't let you take up a trade every day is the same, peeling vegetables and washing clothes and sweeping and... and if you aren't what they think you ought to be, it gets worse. I suppose every life has its difficulties." She would have preferred all of that hard work and danger to being told she was wicked for loving who she loved. Still, perhaps there was some trauma behind Zeren that he hadn't mentioned, and even if not she knew not everyone was as strong as she was; some people just couldn't deal with the tougher things in life.
"Mmm," Kleos cracked open an eye, regarding Zeren carefully. "If something really bad did happen to him, then I take back my nasty words. I doubt there was though, I think he's just pathetic."
Perhaps Moriath was right; the only way to really know the truth of a person was to be that person or be bonded to them, dragon to woman... or man, naturally.
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 12:06 pm
Zeren sighed and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve "i'm ....i'm sorry Dragonrider Kleos, i just... it's not something i care to remember" he said, fighting to keep his voice steady, his eyes strayed again to Viska who had been hovering above his head crooning to him, not understanding the turmoil from the Teen.
"Dragonrider, Crimson Moriath, i'm sorry to be taking up your time on my silly stories, i'm sure you would have many other things to do than occupy a wayward candidate and his scatterbrained flit" he said, wishing he wasn't such an idiot, he thought he was getting better at talking to people, but confronted by a Dragonrider, especially one who had been a candidate with him, left him fumbling for words.
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Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:23 pm
Kleos made a dismissive gesture and smiled slightly, desperately hoping that he cheered up; she really had no idea how to deal with tears from people she didn't know. "Think nothing of it," she assured him, "I am sorry if I brought up things you would rather put aside..." Shells. What else was there to say? "Forget I mentioned it, please." Well that was something she supposed, but she still felt a mixture of awkward and guilty over the candidate's display of emotion.
"Oh dear," Moriath sighed internally, "what a pain... I'm tired Mine, of him and just in general. We should go, I must sleep soon."
Well, she supposed that saved her from more awkward conversation, but it also made her look a little as if she was running away. Still, no help for it; Moriath's needs came first. "I'm sorry," Kleos said, rising to her feet, "Moriath says she needs to sleep now; atypicals are weaker than the regular colours while they're young as you know... Listen though, we shall ask around to see if anyone could help you with Viska, and perhaps we can talk again soon, on a happier subject I hope."
"By the sounds of it," Moriath muttered as she climbed wearily to her feet, "talking about being eaten by the Thread would be happier than talking about being a Trader."
Not for the first time, Kleos found herself rather glad that nobody but her could hear what Moriath was saying.
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