|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:13 am
Gauden had gotten up even earlier than usual. It had been several days since the Hatching, but he'd yet to catch sight of Melina. Between the night hours he was sure she was still keeping and the weyrling lessons that the newly Impressed weyrlings had already begun he doubted there was much chance to catch her, especially now that she and the others had moved out of the Candidate Barracks. The fact that he hadn't even gotten the chance to tell his sort-of friend congratulations felt wrong to him. He didn't think she was the type to take offense, but he'd feel better once it was done. So, to get it off his mind, he'd risen, bathed, and dressed all in the dark and made his way into the weyr.
It was a toss-up. He had no idea where to look for a Starsmith, but he imagined she'd need somewhere with a good view, which meant either the Bowl or the fireheights. He'd really only have time to choose one before she turned in for the night, so the fireheights it became. Candidates weren't supposed to go up there, but he didn't think Melina listened much to those rules. Assuming they were the same for weyrlings, anyway.
It wasn't until he was climbing the last set of stairs to the tier of rooms closest to the fireheights that he smelled something... decidedly feminine. Either he was about to stumble onto someone's tryst, or he'd come in the right direction. He frowned slightly, cautiously moving to the end of the hall, and sitting on a ledge outside of a door that went nowhere-- so far as he could tell-- was a small figure and a dragonet. Gauden approached relatively quietly, but he could tell when he got closer that it was definitely Melina.
Not wanting to startle her, he stopped a few feet back and watched her for a moment before clearing his throat to get her attention. "Wanted to congratulate you."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:30 am
Galith seemed to grow so quickly, Lina kept oil on her almost constantly. Her current bottle was rather smelly, though it was supposed to smell good, in the concentrations she had to use on Galith, it more turned her stomach than anything else. She'd definitely have to get some non-frilly oil to carry with her in between proper oilings, for when Galith got itchy.
It had been Galith's idea to go to the fire heights - she had said she wanted to see Rigel better, as it was Hers' favorite star. So, they had made the rather long treck up the countless stairs to the fire heights, and had spent much of the pre-dawn hours there. She was slowly changing around her schedule, settling for rising a few hours before dawn and heading to bed shortly after evening chores were done. She was currently rubbing a rather itchy spot under Galith's wing, her entire head hidden behind the thin membrane of dragon wing. At the cleared throat, she whipped out from under Galith's wing, and the green turned her head towards the boy. She squinted a bit to see who it was, but the gruff voice she recognized almost at once.
Gauden! she exclaimed rather happily. She had been somewhat worried about him since he hadn't Impressed, but she simply hadn't had much time to go see him. They had had the first few days relatively off (besides learning how to oil and how often to feed their dragons), but getting used to Galith had absorbed all of her attention and time. She had been worried he'd leave the weyr before she had a chance to see him, but apparently that wasn't to be the case. Thanks! she added, waving him forward. She wanted to introduce him to Galith, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:56 pm
At the inviting gesture, a small part of him relaxed that he hadn't even known was tense. Strange. He'd never felt odd interrupting his fellows at the Hall, but then again, usually you didn't come across too many quiet, intimate moments among a bunch of mostly men either. Galith and Lina tucked away in the hours where no one would bother them did seem intimate, now that he thought about it. It made more sense now that there was a reason. Judging from Melina's exclamations, though, it didn't seem like he was interrupting them.
"Am I interrupting?" He asked anyway as he approached them, stopping in the doorway so that he wouldn't be crowding onto their ledge. He looked down at Melina's Green and nodded his head in greeting. "Hello."
He could see now the rather large pot of oil near her and the smell-- much less earthy than the smells he was used to-- was nearly overwhelming despite that the ledge was out in open air. Whatever she was using, it wasn't what the other riders used, that was for certain. Knowing Melina herself seemed to have little care for things most women concerned themselves with, it confused him to have the overwhelming smell of... whatever that was supposed to be. Flowers or sweet fruit. A small grimace came to his face, though he restrained it somewhat in an attempt to be polite. At least until he opened his mouth. "Smells awful. What are you oiling her with?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:31 pm
Galith studied the boy as he approached, her head tilted slightly as she took in everything - him, his surroundings, you know, her usual deal. She hummed a bit, very quietly, then subsided as he got closer.
Oh no, not at all. Was just getting an itchy spot, was all Lina explained, looking with a rueful expression at her jar of oil. She just couldn't wait until it was all gone. Oh, this is Galith she said with a rather wide smile, lightly stroking down Galith's neck as she extended her head towards the boy, rather nicely begging for scritches at her eye ridges.
Lina rolled her eyes at his complaint, fully sympathizing on the smell. I........wasn't very specific when I asked the headwoman for a jar of oil I could use. The normal oil is in the barracks, but when she itches all the way up here, it's a helluva treck, so I wanted something smaller and more portable. I plan on cleaning the container very well once it's empty and then using the normal oil. In the mean time, she reeks Lina said, looking somewhat abashed. But, for all the smell, Galith's hide shone with health. Lina fidgeted somewhat......she knew she wanted to ask what Gauden's plans were, but how to bring it up without making him sore about failing to Impress?
So, uh..........are you staying here at the weyr? she asked, not meeting his eyes, feeling rather awkward. She didn't see why it mattered, exactly, except that he was the closet thing she could call a friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:28 pm
The begging look-- he recognized what begging looked like after so many years with runners-- was a surprise, but he reached out a hand anyway and tentatively caressed her nose and, when that didn't seem to be what she wanted, moved his hand up to her eyeridge as he'd seen some riders do. That seemed to meet with more approval and assured he moved his hand with more confidence as his attention returned to Melina.
He hooked his free thumb in his pocket after Melina had asked her question and for a long moment thought about it. "One more Hatching." And the conversation with his father had been, as he had expected it to be, downright unpleasant. "Then, if I don't Impress, I'll return to my Craft." He understood her awkwardness. She'd Impressed, he hadn't. It did make an imbalance, and having to ask that was just a reminder to him of how he had no dragon partner. Part of him wanted to be bothered by it, but he wasn't really. He'd try again. No use worrying over the problem.
"It may smell awful, but she looks all right," he said, changing the subject back to something more comfortable for the both of them. "Looks how the riders told us she should anyway."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 2:46 pm
Lina wanted to say something along the lines of being glad that he wasn't giving up, but she figured that might be a bit of a sore topic for him, and just let it go. Galith seemed to like him, and that reassured her that he'd be perfect for a dragon - his just hadn't been there this time. She hadn't been sure she would Impress at all, and it had been nerve wracking. She considered him rather courageous to be willing to stand again.
She nodded, letting her eyes drift back to Galith as he appraised her. Have to give her a full oiling at least twice a day, though she prefers it more often. Eats a ton, too she said, her words complaining but tone affectionate. Galith seemed to perk up a little, obviously knowing they were talking about her. She held herself a little straighter, trying to look all beautiful and important, while keeping a "I-really-don't-care" attitude despite all her posturing. It was rather funny, and Lina found herself chuckling at her dragon. Well, I'm really glad you're staying. You're kind of my only friend, after all she said, then grimaced slightly. That.....hadn't come out right. Her reasons seemed totally selfish, and that's not what she meant. Ah well, too late to take the words back now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:16 am
Galith's posing brought a small smile to Gauden's face. There was a big difference with dragons: runners pranced for attention, headbutted, coquettishly curved their necks and took off running to play. Galith was clearly much more intelligent than that, and Gauden gave her eyeridge another scratch.
Gauden heard the less than flattering words Melina was giving as an excuse, but he was more surprised that she was counting him as a friend. If he thought about it, he realized that it was rather true for him. If there was anyone here that he could count as a friend, it would be Melina. He'd come looking for her, after all, hadn't he? He hadn't done that for any of the other Weyrlings.
"Aren't going to see me much between your lessons and your Starsmithing," he reminded her, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning more heavily against the doorway. "How're you going to handle that, by the way? Can't stay up all night when you have to be up at the crack of dawn to feed her and take lessons."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:26 am
Lina hesitated a bit - was he upset at what she had said? She didn't think so, but he hadn't paid too much mind to it. Well, neither one of them were awesome at the whole "feelings" conversation, so the answer would just have to remain hidden for now. Wondering to herself, she moved on, picking up where he lead the conversation. Oh, we go to bed as early as we can now, and get up a few hours before dawn, catch what we can. My Masters understand, though they hate calling me Lina now. Maybe I shouldn't have changed my name she rather thought out loud, remembering the crossed out "Melina" on the paper from her master, and the hastily replaced "Lina" in it's stead. She did miss being there, but her masters agreed that, while Galith was young, she had to be Lina's number one priority. Star smithing would have to take the back burner for a while.
Rest day, though, we stay out all night. Rather got fussed at for it once though. Well, not really fussed, but.....another rider caught us out and about she explained, looking like she was trying to look sheepish, but that she didn't really feel sorry for her excursion in the least. And really, she didn't. After all, Galith was a late riser if left to her own devices, and she enjoyed being out at night gazing at the sky. So why should she be sorry for something she and her lifemate enjoyed, when it wasn't causing them to be in any kind of danger?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:11 am
She didn't look repentant at all. Gauden just smiled. As long as they wouldn't get in trouble for being out, it didn't matter if a rider or two got ruffled about it. Riders were supposed to do what was best for them and their dragons, right? Seemed like that was what Lina and Galith were doing, and it didn't seem like it was hurting them any.
"No harm done if you aren't going to get in trouble for it," he said aloud. "As long as you and Galith are all right with it, and she doesn't seem to be suffering any."
"Didn't know you'd changed your name," he added. He knew girls did that sometimes, but he just hadn't thought about it before. Then again, he hadn't had much cause to think about it with him not knowing many of the female Candidates. He didn't know her well enough to say whether it was odd for her to adopt a new name, so he just shrugged it off. Her choice. "Took an honorific?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
