|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:25 am
"Just hold still Aerith!" Mercy pleaded with the little dragonet who was attempting to squirm about and get away from the fussing Mercy was attempting to give her outside the barracks - she'd spent the better part of last night butchering a few of her own blankets and outfits to create a makeshift blanket that she could button about Aerith to help keep her warm, she'd designed it so that it wouldn't hamper her wings or her feet - which had been a great challenge, but she wasn't her mothers daughter for nothing! She knew how to sew and her attempts didn't look that bad she thought as she fastened the last button and released the little dragonet who scampered off to give her a doleful look.
'I look absolutely silly mine' The white told her as she stood clad in what Mercy had dubbed a hatchling sweater. "It doesn't look that bad" Mercy assured the white, though the sight of a dragon in clothing was a bit..odd "isn't it keeping you warmer? Staying warm is far more important then looking pretty" She pointed out.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:58 am
"She looks so silly!"
"Eh?" Kleos had been thinking vaguely of food and a hot bath as they glided back from self-inflicted extra practice. It wasn't that they were doing badly at this particular maneuver, but they weren't getting it utterly perfect and smooth every time. This was not acceptable to either of them, so they had been devoting a lot of their free time to rehearsing it over the last couple of sevendays. They were nearly up to standard now, their own standards that was. "Who looks silly?" Kleos asked as she processed her lifemate's words.
"Young Aerith," Moriath crooned, and tilted her wings to change course away from their weyr, and towards the tiny hatchling, "hers has put clothes on her, see?"
Looking through her lifemate's eyes as the crimson called a greeting, Kleos couldn't help a soft chuckle. "She does look rather silly," she agreed, "but Aerith is even weaker than you were when you hatched; she needs all the warmth she can get."
"Of course," Moriath gave another soft croon, "whites do not have an easy start. It will make her strong though, as strong as a crimson once she is grown I fancy."
"As strong as a crimson?" Kleos grinned broadly and waved to Mercy as her lifemate touched down lightly a short distance away, "that's high praise coming from you my love, high praise indeed."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:59 am
'It is warmer' Aerith had to agree once it was pointed out to her as she toddled closer to Mercy again, pausing after a few steps to sit up on her haunches and bugle a tiny baby greeting to the approaching crimson and her's, it was after all the only polite thing to do!
Mercy was rather glad that Aerith had decided to accept the odd arrangement, she doubted it would fit for long but when she outgrew it she'd be stronger and Mercy doubted she would need it anymore by that time anyway. Looking silly for a little while seemed like a small price to pay to keep her in good health, and she thought it was kind of cute really.
Glancing up as Aerith returned a greeting Mercy smiled as she noticed Kleo and Moriath landing nearby, returning the wave "Lets go say hi Aerith" She said to the white, waiting patiently for her to return to her side again before heading towards the Crimson and her rider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 6:43 am
As the young white and her rider began to approach, Kleos hopped lightly from Moriath's back and jogged over to meet them with a huge grin on her face. "Congratulations, Mercy," she said once she was within easy earshot, "yours is absolutely beautiful; Aerith, is it not?" Pern's only living white. She was glad the pearly-hided little one had been hatched here, and indeed that she had chosen such a sweet-tempered rider; many would brag and become unbearable after Impressing such a rarity, but she doubted that Mercy would do so.
"Greetings, little one," Moriath said to Aerith as her own rider spoke to the white's, "I am Moriath, and Mine is Kleos. You have chosen a good rider; she has a good heart." It was only right that the little white should have chosen a female rider... Yes, she knew that whites weren't either sex technically, but Aerith had a female aura about her; this made her a female atypical, which made her as good as a crimson. Not quite as good as she herself was but this was always a given; personally she was just glad to have both a crimson and a white in this clutch, she would have a lot to teach them both about the responsibilities their superiority placed upon them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 2:08 pm
"Thanks!" She beamed at the crimson rider as she approached "Aerith is right" She confirmed rubbing the little whites head with one hand while she talked "You and Moriath's well wishes certainly paid off and Aerith is getting stronger everyday though I swear..I dream about oil now..oil and chunks of meat" She joked, something she was sure anyone who had taken care of a young dragon could relate too.
Aerith had craned her neck up to look at Kleos as she arrived to speak with her rider before turning her attention to the crimson who dwarfed her quite comically at the moment and likely always would. That didn't seem to bother Aerith however 'Hello Moriath' She greeted the larger dragon politely 'I am Aerith, yours is very nice too' She told the larger beast because well..it seemed appropriate to give back a compliment after receiving one and this one looked to be deserved as Mercy seemed to like the Crimson's rider.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2011 5:56 am
Kleos grinned broadly at the other rider; "So it seems! Moriath is elated for you, she's glad to see you Impress a dragon she considers equal to crimsons." That pearly hide really was something to behold, even if the majesty was a little bit dampened by the cuddly clothing the tiny hatchling had been given. "I remember being like that," the blonde went on, "every waking moment seemed to be oil, meat, or shovel. Atypical riders have their work cut out more than most, and whites even more so! Still, I have no doubt that the pair of you will flourish."
"Of course they will," Moairth crooned softly, turning her massive head to regard her rider. "They are two female minds, and Aerith is one of the two best colours around... Still, they are young and vulnerable; we should help them as much as we can, Mine."
Of course, Kleos nodded her head slightly, it was only right that they offered their wisdom to others now they were mature but still young enough to remember how it was to be a young pair... Well, she could remember at any rate, and Moriath could be reminded. In any case, turning back to Mercy she said; "Moriath and I would just like to let you know that if you need help with anything, we would be honored to be here for you. They teach you well in weyrling lessons of course, but there are some things that it's better to hear from somebody who was in your position only a turn or so ago." It would be good to stay close to these two, Mercy really was a wonderful young lady, and quite lovely too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:59 am
Mercy wouldn't say that he knew the crimson and her rider exceedingly well..but she knew them well enough to know that Moriath was an exceptionally proud creature and that such a remark constituted quite high regard from the crimson. "Such a thought is an honor in itself" She responded with a smile and it was certainly nice to know someone who had already nurtured an Atypical to maturity, though the confidence that they would indeed flourish made her cheeks redden slightly in embarrassment...Mercy tried to put on that she was sure of such a thing herself but in truth she spent much of her time worrying over the tiny hatchling.
'They are right you know' Aerith told her with confidence 'We shall both grow strong...like Moriath and hers!' the white continued, regarding Moriath large frame like the crimson had suddenly become her dragon hero.
Mercy certainly hoped Aerith was right, the whites confidence in them was certainly helpful in boosting her own when she needed it and Mercy was grateful..both for Aerith's confidence and Kleos offer "I'll have to take you up on that offer - they teach us" she agreed "but most of what they teach is slanted towards the typical colors, and the general things are pretty much the same and they tell us about the extra care for Atypicals and such but...being told and then going through it is of course two very different things"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:51 am
"Absolutely," Kleos gave a definite nod, and smiled up at Moriath. "They can tell you all the theory in the world, all the best ways to care for your lifemate, but sometimes... Well, sometimes I found myself a little lost in all the theory to be honest, and as I say even the best theory needs to be supplemented by first hand - recent first hand - experience if you're going to get the most out of it." It felt good to be able to say these things with confidence. It felt good to have confidence. When had she gone from being a raw weyrling to a self-assured young rider? Perhaps it was when Moriath had made her choice at long last.
"I'm glad Aerith won't have to make that decision," the crimson confided privately in her rider. "I know that I made the right choice, but it was hard to come to it, and sometimes I still think about the eggs I might have had. There is something to be said for having your life's course set out... It would have to be crimsons left with the hard position of course. We can deal with it. I expect Aerith could, but it is nice that she doesn't have to." Just so long as the little white didn't end up wishing that she could clutch, as she knew a few greens did. That would be even worse than having to make a choice.
"How do you fare today, Aerith?" Moriath asked after a few moments, pulling her mind away from ponderings of the future. "I don't believe I've asked yet, which is rather remiss of me." If they were going to look after this young couple the more they spoke, and the better they got to know them, the better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:45 am
Well there was no arguing with those remarks, already Mercy had figured out that while allot of the basics they were taught worked well...they didn't solve all the problems that could crop up and while she hadn't had the time to catch up with any of the other's who had impressed Atypicals at the same time as her she could only assume they were going through some of the same troubles - troubles that those with normal colors didn't seem to have, at least the ones she'd talked to hadn't in any case and she hadn't known any of the older atypical riders well enough to pester them with endless questions. Of course she should have thought of Kleos and Moriath and felt somewhat silly now for not having done so right off the bat. It probably would have saved her a couple of sleepless worry filled nights.
"I don't suppose you have any tips off the top of your head?' Mercy asked with a smile
Aerith shuffled her wings slightly as Moriath addressed her 'I am well' she told the crimson 'it was cold earlier...which is why mine made me this covering, it is warmer now...' she confessed 'But none of the others wear such things and I fear I look a touch strange'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:35 am
"Humm..." Kleos frowned thoughtfully; off the top of her head? Err... Well, it was harder than she'd expected to be honest. "Put on dirty clothes first thing in the morning," she said eventually, "the messiest chores comes first in the day; mucking out, the first feed when they're ravenous, and the first scrub and oil. All in all you get hot, sweaty, and dirty, so I got into the habit of yesterday's clothes on first thing, up early, get through the chores and then a bath and clean clothes." Phew. She'd been a little worried that she wouldn't manage to come up with a pearl of wisdom there, which would have been very embarrassing, and the last thing she wanted was to humiliate herself in front of a lady.
"It's because you're of your colour," Moriath said with a gentle rumble, "it makes you smaller and weaker than all of the others, so you need better care. You'll probably notice that while, for say, your crimson sister is weaker than your green sisters. All we atypes as they call us, crimson, white, black, and silver, begin life weaker than the old colours but it seems that it's even more the case with you than with the rest of us." She had never met a white before so she didn't know if it was a feature of the colour, or if Aerith was weak for a white.
"I have hear that whites are always very small and weak even for atypicals," said Kleos, who had been listening in on her dragon's thoughts. "They're so rare though that I expect it's hard to know really. I'm not even sure when the last white lived, to be honest."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:47 am
Now why hadn't she thought of that on her own? Mercy thought to herself as she recalled the extra washings she'd been forced to give her clothing since Aerith had come along - she could have cut it down a good bit by coming up with Kleo's rather simple but exceedingly useful em of advice. Such was the value of past experience Mercy reminded herself and she was quite lucky to have friends like Kleos and Moriath on hand for such things. "I hadn't thought of that, I've just been doubling up on my clothes washing," Mercy admitted with a small smile. "I think I'll give it a try though - it will certainly save some time" Not that she was entirely thrilled about putting on dirty clothes again as soon as she woke up in the morning - but it made sense and would certainly save some time. Some concessions had to be made when caring for a hatchling.
She had other questions of course but paused to check on Aeriths attention first before asking - the little white was quite enthralled by the larger crimson at the moment however and didn't seem to be paying much attention to her human rider so Mercy brought her own focus back to Kleos "How long are the this much weaker then the regular hatchlings?" She asked the older rider whom had already gone through this herself - of course as soon as she asked she realized how the question might sound and hastily continued "Its not that I mind the extra work...It's just that.." Well she didn't really know how to state it really...she just wanted to be able to go to lessons without the masters coddling them for fear of breaking Aerith?..or She just wanted to prove that they would be able to do what the other students could?...either way sounded a bit silly when she thought about it so she just let the statement die with a helpless shrug.
Aerith on the other hand was not paying attention to Mercy at the moment at all and drew herself up to her full height - which wasn't really all that tall and somewhat comical when compared to others in her hatching - with a determined huff "I will not be weaker for long" She stated to the larger crimson. "I will pull my weight when I am older and be a fine flyer with mine" She continued on with the surety that only youth could offer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:00 am
"Just that you're concerned?" Kleos hazarded when Mercy trailed off. "I know I was worried about Moriath when she was little, and it was a little wearing being treated differently to the riders of typically coloured dragons. I suppose it was around when we became senior weyrlings that things seemed to smooth out; we still had problems because Moriath was growing so very fast, but that at least is something you and Aerith won't have to contend with. Certainly by the time the dragons were learning to fly unmanned we were more or less as strong as the others." It had been a relief to say the least when Moriath had started to tire only as easily as the blues, and a great source of pride when they crimson began to match the browns. She was a fantastically strong dragon, her Moriath.
"I don't doubt that!" Moriath replied with a trill. "As a white you'll always tire out more easily than any dragon, but you shall also be faster and more agile than any dragon! I look forward to seeing the kind of things you can do in the air." She had to admit to a shade of jealousy when she watched greens, blues, and blacks wheeling and spinning in flight, but she didn't think she would mind so much with Aerith. They were kin after all, the greatest of all dragon kinds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:28 am
Mercy supposed that she shouldn't be completely surprised that Kleos had guessed what was one her mind so easily - she had been in a similar situation not that long ago when you thought about it, not long enough to have forgotten how it felt in any case. Crimsons might not start out as small and delicate as whites but they were closer then the more robust blues, greens and other typical colors that was for certain. Mercy had to chuckle a little bit as she looked at her tiny hatchling before responding "Yeah, from all accounts Aerith won't grow very big or very fast at all! At least that's what everyone says the records say, they also say that we'll fly later then everyone else...but I don't mind really, I'd rather wait until Aerith was ready then risk some sort of injury because we rushed into things"
"Perhaps we will fly in the same wing" Aerith chirped at the older dragon, no mater that they were several years removed from each other and the odds of such a thing was somewhat low, to Aerith it was a possibility and certainly something to strive for. "Then we can fight together!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 6:04 am
"Glad to hear it," Kleos smiled, "Aerith chose a sensible rider in you; it would be tragic for Pern's only white to be injured by simple impatience." Sensible, lovely, kind; a very fine young woman indeed... Now wasn't really the time to be thinking about such things though, not until Aerith was older. Of course, Mercy might not even be interested in woman or interested in her if she was but it was worth finding out at a more appropriate time.
"Oh, I would like that!" Moriath trilled. "I am sure we would do very well, we would put all of those males to shame and you would leave even greens in the dust, although of course you will not last as long as they." Their wing would be the best wing in all the Weyr... Well, her wing already was thanks to her presence, but she was sure that Aerith would make them shine all the brighter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2011 12:17 pm
Mercy found herself somewhat humbled by Kleos remark, privately she had wondered a few times if Aerith had made the right choice...and then at the same time she couldn't imagine Aerith with anyone else, it was a conundrum of sorts but she supposed she probably wasn't the only rider whom had thought such things and Aerith of course was always adamant that thinking such things was just silly, a bump of confidence that Mercy was grateful for. Reaching out she scratched the little whites head knobs. "I'd never let anything happen to Aerith" She vowed sincerely.
"Then I will have to do the best I can while I can" Aerith chirped at the older dragon, undaunted by the fact that she would not last as long as the others - she was smaller then they so really it only made sense. Still that didn't mean that she couldn't help out and make a difference while she was able, she would train and work with hers until they could help the Weyr and whichever wing they might be assigned too when they were older.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
