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 Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 2:25 pm
The heat of the day was fading, giving way to a warm evening with a gentle breeze. It was quiet down by the water's edge, no bathers close by at this time. Taking a breath, Tor nudged Eldest to stop sharing images of their surroundings and Imagined.
A crowded hall. People. People looking at him, up at him on a stage. Silence. All waiting for him to begin.
"Though it wont be like the first time How can it be like the first time? But why does it have to be?"
Smiling to himself the harper took a controlled breath and began to sing.
"Don't look for shooting stars
For love is only love
You touch, and still you touch the ground
Don't listen for those bells
For love is only love
And if it's love you've found
Your heart won't hear a sound
And when you hold his hand
You only hold his hand
The harps are all a sham
But if you're really wise
The silence of his eyes will tell you
Love is only love
And it's wonderful enough
without the shooting stars
Without the sound of bells
Without the harps
Love is wonderful enough."
As the rich warm tenor disturbed the silent evening, a pair of firelizards glided above the harper on the look out for anything of note that might come their way.((Awesome song is 'Love is only Love' sung by Barbra Streisand in Hello Dolly!
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:06 pm
Listen, Mine. A harper sings.
S'ren honestly wasn't sure how it was that the dragon could hear music from almost anywhere, for even now he had to strain his ears to hear the faintest hint of the singer's voice. However, given Tereth's unusual sensitivity to sound, perhaps it wasn't such an odd feat after all. So it would seem. I assume you want to move in closer?
Naturally.
The walk down by the lakeside was a peaceful and leisurely one as the two made their way in the direction of the singing. As they drew closer, S'ren eventually decided that the voice was a tenor, to which the brown agreed. (The rider knew absolutely nothing of music prior to Tereth's Impression, but after the fact found that he quickly needed to be caught up.) When they were nearer, S'ren took notice of the two firelizards flying overhead with some interest. And was that a piece of cloth wrapped about his eyes? Odd.
Not wanting to interrupt the singing, the two settled down comfortably nearby to listen. The man was quite good at his craft.
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:17 pm
As the last note died away, n** decided that the man and dragon really were coming towards Tor, and that his person wouldn't mind being disturbed now that he had finished crooning. Cheeping to himself, the blue shared the image with his human, and with Eldest who still sat on his shoulder. People!
The sudden image snapped Tor back to reality, and he swiftly commanded Eldest to show him what was going on again as he spun around. A rider and a brown dragon; he recognized the latter, but not the former. He supposed he'd spotted the dragon in flight or sunning or something from a distance but had never spoken to the rider; although he had lived at Trine for two turns now he didn't know everyone, despite his best efforts.
"Good evening," he said after some moments, offering a smile to the pair. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you sooner, I think my little scouts up there have only just decided you were relevant to me, that or they didn't want to disturb me... What did you think?" It had seemed like a good performance to him, but it was always good to hear a second opinion... well, so long as the second opinion was positive anyway.
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:29 pm
"That is fine, we did not wish to disturb you," S'ren replied with a smile. Little scouts? Perhaps the cloth about his eyes was for more than just the practice then. "The performance was quite lovely. I must say though, I am unfamiliar with the song selection. Is it of your own composition?" He paused a moment, seeming to listen to something before chuckling. "Tereth says he enjoys the quality of your voice and wonders if you wouldn't mind another song after you have rested."
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Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:23 am
Praise! There was nothing quite like it. Tor beamed, and swept a brief bow. "My thanks to both of you! As to the song, the lyrics are mine, and I chose the key and the expression but a friend of mine composed most of it; I'm vocal subcraft, so while I can compose a little I'm not nearly as adept as a specialist..." What else could he sing for them? He'd need some time to ponder that, he did want to impress after all.
"Might I ask your name, rider, and that of your lifemate?" Might as well give himself pondering time and forge good relations in one swoop. "I'm Tor, and the brown on my shoulder is named Eldest." Personally he felt that his flitter was more handsome than the rider's brown, but then he was biased... What might it have been like to be a rider, he wondered? Interesting for sure, but he didn't think he could have given up music and felt happy... Well, there were Weyrsingers of course, but he didn't think he'd be good enough to rise to such a position.
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Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 5:13 pm
"Ah, forgive my lack of introduction. My name is S'ren, and this here is Tereth," he replied, gesturing to the great brown dragon beside him. The brown gave a small rumble of both acknowledgement and greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tor and Eldest. I assume the two firelizards above are with you as well?"
Tereth had seen firelizards before, but he often found the little ones to be somewhat amusing. Hello, he greeted pleasantly to the three. Your master sings well.
"I must say, even if the tune was not written by yourself, the whole piece turned out nicely. I doubt I would ever even be able to think up lyrics, much less a key," he said with a light chuckle, poking fun at his own lack of musical knowledge and abilities. "I was a beastcrafter growing up, so animals are more my thing."
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:10 am
"Charmed," Tor flashed another bright smile to the pair, "I'm always glad to get to know another pair... Speaking of pairs, yes the two up there are mine as well; the blue is n**, and the green is Squeak."
On hearing the names of his two friends, and his own for that matter, Eldest gave a soft croon. When the dragon addressed him, he turned to regard the far larger brown creature with calm eyes. Yes, his person did sing well; he was glad that he was able to listen so much to it... He was also glad that the big brown liked it, he liked it when everyone was happy.
Smiling fondly, Tor reached up to give Eldest a tickle. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he went on, forgetting to turn his face back to the rider as Eldest was already looking at him, "it took me quite a while to perfect; I haven't performed it to an official audience yet so you've had something of a sneak preview... As for thinking of such thing," he made a dismissive gesture and finally turned his head back in S'ren's general direction, "like you say everyone has a different thing. I was never a lot of good with animals; I can handle a well trained runner, but that is the limit of my talents I fear... Oh, unless you count flitts," Tor grinned, "I'm pretty good at handling flitts."
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 5:35 pm
"I would definitely say that flits count," the brown rider replied with a smile. "They need a special handling all their own for certain. I imagine caring for three must be a bit of a handful at times." S'ren didn't have any firelizards himself, but he had seen them quite often enough out and about. Not that he had any particular desire for one anyway. Tereth was all the company he could need.
I don't think a female would do you any harm, the brown remarked wryly, following his rider's last train of thought.
Oh shush, you. I have a nice thought concerning you and you go and rib me on it? His dragon didn't make a reply, but he could clearly feel and see the other's amusement in his eyes. You're a piece of work.
I try. The brown dragon turned his attention back onto his smaller firelizard counterpart. You are fortunate to be able to spend your much time with a person of musical talent.
"How old are your flits?" he asked curiously, wondering how long the Harper had been caring for them.
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Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:08 pm
Tor chuckled, and Eldest raised his head to regard the wheeling pair above them, causing Tor to smile fondly. "They can be a bit of a handful," he admitted, "but in the end if I tell them to stop what they're doing and come back to me, they will. Eldest and n** are two turns old now, Squeak is only just a month; she's still not all that good at listening to me, but she takes cues from n** well enough." Thankfully. He would have to think very carefully before he added another flitt to his collection; if Squeak had turned out to be difficult rather than just dim and hyperactive he could have been in really deep trouble.
Once he wasn't needed to look at the other flitts anymore, Eldest looked back down and tried to process what the big brown had said. ...Yes. Glad to be with his person; good food and scratches and pretty singing and... and his person was his person. He loved him and he wanted to be around him always.
Feeling the wave of affection from his pet, Tor chuckled softly and reached up to stroke him, causing the flitt's eyes to whirl a happy vibrant green. "Even when they are a pain though, they're worth having," he said to S'ren with a smile. "I know it's nothing to what a rider has with their dragon, but the feelings of love they send you make the trouble worthwhile."
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Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 1:28 pm
"I imagine so," S'ren replied with a smile, watching the affectionate exchange between the small brown and the Harper. Two Turns and one month, eh? Well, they all were certainly very well trained. "Dragons, firelizards, and whers are all very unique from other animals in that aspect. They make the best companions for certain." Very different from what he had experienced in beastcrafting growing up, but pleasantly so.
Tereth was still amused. I don't quite think that even compares.
Nope, not at all, S'ren agreed. Most animals are much quieter and don't read your every thought. Now he was simply poking fun.
The dragon snorted. Privacy is overrated. Companionship is better.
The rider couldn't help a small chuckle, patting the dragon's eye ridges as his head came up next to him. True enough. He realized that he had been quiet for too long and smiled apologetically to the Harper. "Sorry about that. I tend to get lost in private conversation sometimes. Also I suppose we are distracting you from your practice here."
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Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 5:02 am
"Not at all," Tor smiled and shook his head, "I know how it is between riders and dragons now, as much as anyone who isn't one ever can. As for disturbing me, you are, but it is a pleasant distraction so I don't mind at all... Perhaps you can tell me something, though," he went on, tilting his head thoughtfully to one side (on his shoulder, Eldest mimicked the action), "what do you make of there being these two clutches at once, and of the healer from Benden?"
He was most excited for the hatching, but nervous at the same time as he always was; his flitts couldn't come with him so he would have to go with a human guide and rely on them for commentary. The healer on the other hand... Well he hadn't heard anything nasty said about the man, but from what he could gather more than a few people were put out by his poking around the clutches. What did he want? If only he would actually say, people might be more relaxed about it. Perhaps he wouldn't say because his purpose was dark and secret... Or perhaps that was just him - Tor - hoping for something exciting to sing about.
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Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:43 am
Well, it was good to know at least that he didn't seem bothered by their presence. Tereth might have preferred the Harper to continue on, but for now pleasant conversation was nice enough. "The clutches?" he echoed when asked about his opinion. "Well, the Crimson clutch coming along was a pleasant surprise I think, although it'll be interesting to see how things are handled on the Sands between the two. The Healer though... I'm not sure what to make of him." The brownrider frowned thoughtfully. "I've only seen him once or twice at a distance, but there is certainly a lot of rumor circulating about him." He would know; his dragon kept frequent tabs with what had to be the Weyr's most gossip-loving Green. "Certainly seems an odd enough thing though." After all, what business did Benden have with their clutches? Especially if they shunned the non-traditional colors from their own Weyr.
Agreed. The situation does not feel right, Tereth remarked, eyes whirling slowly with mild agitation.
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Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:20 am
"Mmm..." Tor nodded to the rider's words, frowning slightly. "I can't understand it either, but it feels bad. He butted into Malvren's business too; quizzed all of their weyrlings and a lot of other folk about how things happen at their Weyr. The scorn the northern Weyrs feel for we who embrace atypical dragons is well known, so what drives him to come down here? What motivates him to sit and watch those eggs?"
There was the start of a story here, he was sure; it was far more than wishful thinking... In fact his thinking was not so wishful. He liked an exciting song or tale as much as the next Harper, but he didn't want to be caught up in it, or for any of his friends to be caught up. Singing about hard times when heroes shone through was one thing, living through such times would be quite another.
"Perhaps I shall ask one of my flitts to watch him," Tor mused. "It isn't as though he can really object, and if I were to keep the little spy distant, he need never even know about it."
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Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 6:30 am
"He was at Malvren as well?" S'ren repeated back in mild surprise. This was the first he had heard of that, and it certainly put an interesting twist on the Healer's presence here. Was there something that Benden was looking for?
The rider smiled a bit at the mention of using a firelizard as a spy. They certainly were quite good for that if not much else. "If you really wish to, although I am not sure what you might be able to find out. If he has something to hide then I am sure he will be quite cautious in the matter."
Still, a firelizard watch might not be a bad precaution, Tereth remarked to his rider.
S'ren gave a faint nod. Agreed. Just not sure what they might see other than the Masterhealer sitting there and staring as he has been wont to do.
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Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 6:58 am
"Well... I'll think about it. I wouldn't want to cause a political incident; we relay heavily on Benden territories for supplies down here, I certainly wouldn't want to be the man who halted the supply of Benden red into the Weyr." For one he'd miss the drink himself, and for another he would really rather like to avoid being lynched. "I suppose I'll have them keep a bit of an eye out, but discreetly," Tor decided, "I mean, surely it's not a crime for firelizards to happen to be playing nearby the master healer." S'ren was right, though, it would probably do no good; the master healer was no fool, if he was up to something it wouldn't be obvious merely by setting a firelizard to observe him.
"I just hope he's gone by the time these eggs are ready to hatch," the harper went on with a shake of his head. "A double hatching will be stressful enough for everyone as it is without throwing a nosy northern healer into the mix..." Somehow he couldn't imagine the man leaving before the big event, though. If he was interested in Trine's dragons, seeing two clutches of them hatch at once would be too good an opportunity to pass up.
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