Name: Malta Age: 14 (barely) Gender: Female Candidate: Yes/ Will be Craft/Rank: Apprentice/ Healer, Now Weyrling
Appearance: Malta isn't exactly the prettiest girl- coal black, thin persistently unruly hair, a somewhat splotchy complexion, and a physique that can only be described as 'bulky' have plagued her all her life. No matter what or how she eats, drinks, sleeps, studies, and what have you, she has always been somewhat chunky and sickly. If there is anything she is blessed with, it is a lack of acne, but blotches and freckles cover her face. Her eyes, however, are her most winning feature: they are grey-brown with streaks of yellow-green. Some could call it hazel, but they would have to be very uncreative. They are deep and always soft and smiling. Of course, they are hidden behind hand-me-down glasses and by the dark circles under her eyes, acquired from her inability to sleep properly and her diligent work. What she likes to wear is things with hoods that hide her face, which she is extremely self conscious of, usually in as nondescript colors as possible. She does have a favorite color- white. However, most of her things end up dirty, so she tends to settle for brown, undyed cloaks and dresses.
Personality: Malta is the sort of person that tries to find a protector to latch onto forever. While at the healercrafthold she found a sense of worth and confidence that she had lacked before, but it withered under the harsh atmosphere of Wardens. She has no confidence in her abilities, appearance, or... anything really. Without confidence of her own, she needs someone else to provide that confidence. Poecileth does this for her. Malta can be as sensitive and emotional as she wants- Poecileth will hold her up.
Even when in the right, even when she should be confident, Malta will second guess herself to the extreme. Even with Poecileth's confidence, she won't always speak up when she should, and tends to be as inconspicuous as she possibly can, even when she needs to stand out. Thankfully, Poecileth is there to speak for her when it is needed, and perhaps with Poe's tough yet gentle assistance Malta will become more outspoken. But not yet.
Many hardly notice she is there at all until she brings them exactly what they need or asked for.
She is very helpful in that way. Its the only thing she is consistently confident in doing- helping. She's smart beneath that naiive demeanor and has a very good memory and a highly developed sense of what someone might need. She has been known to have important items in hand before she is even asked to fetch them. She clearly knows more about her craft than her silence lets on, but if you ask her she will deny it, claiming that she isn't good enough. With a smile and a laugh. This does mean that she is easily pushed around by stronger personalities and, frankly, everybody has a stronger personality than her. People take advantage of her. Her defenses against this are her shyness and unnoticability, and anybody who brings it upon themselves to defend her.
On the rare occasions that a patient or friend has gotten her out of her shell, she is a calming person to be around. Her soft laugh, her sensitive conversation, and her gentle bedside manner have helped as much as the medicines she helps the masterhealer with.
She is extremely sensitive about her appearance. Being 14 and in the vicious throes of puberty, her insecurities about her rather homely appearance (as well as everything else) have been magnified 300 fold. She wishes she had a pretty face, to be honest. Also a well-proportioned body. She also wishes people wouldn't notice... but prisoners... and people in general... can be mean and rude, and she has been made fun of more than once. She knows it shouldn't hurt so much... but it does. Comments on her physical appearance hurt her more than anything, because she frankly doesn't believe she can ever be beautiful.
She is also a bit of an optimist, but a fragile one. The world is a harsh place and this is all the more apparent in Wardens, yet she believes that she can help. Before, she was too weak to stand in the face of the darkness. But now, she has Poecileth, and they stand together. She has a feeling, a definite feeling, that she can do GOOD now. Definite, definable, significant good. She CAN DO IT. She just... needs time.
Shes still a sensitive soul, though. Horrible things will always be horrible. Shes not going to acclimate to them, nor does Poecileth want her to. Her gentleness is important to Poecileth, and will be protected at all costs. Bad things still upset her. She will still cry, either right there or in private. But she won't be falling down in a broken sobbing heap. Not anymore.
In sum: Malta is a quiet, reserved, nice person with more skill than she lets on or realizes who is somewhat clingy and very sensitive to teasing.
Other stuff: Notes: (With permission) Younger Sister of Dino (Guard/Wherhandler) (with permission) Apprentice/assistant to Masterhealer/Green Rider Bereck
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:50 am
Name: Poecileth Color: Green
Appearance: Poecileth is a round little thing, and that's something she's probably never going to grow out of. Though she's not particularly long for a green - and will grow up to right about the minimum length for her color at 20 feet, she's fat. It's not obesity, just extra padding that makes the little hatchling round, and will keep her round and sleek and well-fed-looking well into her adulthood. Her wings are small and rounded, giving her remarkable maneuverability and speed at takeoff, even in spite of the extra weight. She's built for quick bursts, though, not long-term flight. Don't expect her to keep up with Brantath any time soon.
At hatching, her color is more striking than many of her siblings. She's marked with deep green and white on her face, as well as faint bands on her wings. All appearances point to that high-contrast face staying as she grows up, no matter how her siblings might change.
Personality: Poecileth is a little mama. She's gentle, affectionate, sweet-natured, and in general committed to making sure that people are happy. This doesn't, however, mean that Poe is a pushover. She's silk over steel, a small, fluttery thing whose outward mannerisms and appearance belies a deep inner strength. She will go out of her way to make sure her rider and those important to her rider are cared-for, but don't expect her to put herself out there to be harmed. No, the dangerous aren't Poecileth's scene. She avoids conflict, for the most part. Fighting doesn't further her goals any, so she tries to stay out of it. Particularly since she knows how dangerous Warden's can be. She's fiercely protective of her rider, quick to remove her from bad situations and careful to avoid those she knows will frighten or otherwise harm her. Poe doesn't take chances when it comes to her bonded.
Her attentions naturally turn toward the weaker and downtrodden, and she has a strong sense of justice. She's not forward, and will likely always be the kind of voice that gets drowned out in a crowd, but that doesn't seem to bother Poecileth. Talking about things isn't as important to her as actually getting things done is. She's content to let the bigger, louder dragons argue about things. In the meantime, she'll be over here making a difference all on her own. She believes in the inherent goodness of others - not naively, though. Poe is quite aware of the dangers of the world. But if people would put away their prejudices and just try to coexist, the world would be a better place. It makes her sound a little kumbayah tree-hugger when she actually speaks, but that's not quite where Poe is coming from. She gives others the benefit of the doubt when she feels it is safe to do so, and is willing to put aside her own differences if working with someone will further her goals.
This leads her to be somewhat more lenient with prisoners than some other dragons might be inclined to be, but it also makes her an excellent ambassador for her species. She's tamer than many of her siblings, much more inclined to forgiveness than would be expected for a dragon who will grow up to be a guard at Warden's Weyr. That said, a threat to her rider means a solid wall of green twisted around Malta, and a very solid, very firm presence telling you that if you don't leave now you will have to go through Poecileth first, and if you don't, she'll call bigger dragons. She's not afraid to call her siblings if she needs them - or even other, even larger dragons. Poe is quite diplomatic, and will cultivate friendships that are both beneficial to her psychologically and physically. If she has a few big browns and bronzes on her side, it means she's safer - but if those boys are a danger to her or others, she's not interested in the slightest (sorry, Merceth).
Of her siblings, she'll no doubt be closet to Lasoth, whom she feels quite protective of, and probably Brantath, because he's big and a little gruff and having him on her side means she'll always have a big brother if she needs one. The same goes for Haliath, to whom Poe will always stick like glue. She won't get along particularly well with Sturnuth, but even her noisy sister will always be cared for in times of need.
Why me? Malta is too young and sweet to be in a place like Warden's. Poecileth was drawn to her immediately because she was the smallest, purest creature there, and Poecileth needed a rider that she could protect and invest herself in. Poecileth will offer the kindness and support that Malta needs - as well as put together a way to maintain the protection it will be necessary to have in a Weyrling class full of prisoners. Additionally, Poecileth is a dragon completely willing to cede her own needs for her rider - she will not Rise, for instance, until well past her own maturity. Not until Malta is emotionally ready.
History: Her brother Dino wasn't the only one unsuited to Nabol or her parentage. Malta didn't even attempt the craft. The dust from the coal gave her coughing fits ever since toddlerhood, so her parents tried to find something else to occupy her. They were too poor to send her to a crafthall, so they tried to get her apprenticed under a wherhandler. After her parents died, (Age 4-5 or so) a wherhandler did take her in and tried to teach her the craft. The whers she took care of did not like her initially and were somewhat snappish... but she had very calming hands and so, once they let her touch them, they quickly stopped snapping at her. Though she liked the whers, she knew she wasn't suited to them. She wasn't a strong partner for them. (age 7) She started neglecting her duties and gofering for various people around the hold. One of the hold's healers took a liking to her, and she became almost exclusively his assistant, picking up some of the craft. The coal dust reactions, however, became worse and worse, to the point where she would be sick and coughing for days. This worried her healer friend, especially since he planned to leave for a healercrafthall to update himself on the latest practices. The moment Malta found out, she begged him to let her come with him. Seeing this as a solution to his fear of leaving her alone with this condition (and knowing how useful an assistant could be) he allowed her to come along. (age cool Her health improved as she left her hometown (not without some regret at leaving her family behind), though she still had periodic allergies and illnesses.
At the healercrafthall, she acted as an assistant until her friend had to return. By this point, she had picked up enough healercraft knowledge and a reputation for helpfulness (as well as being a handy test patient for allergy medicines) and some of the other healers requested that she stay on. She did, continuing to assist. Eventually someone pointed out that she was old enough and was picking up enough craft knowledge that she might as well be made an official apprentice. (age 10) She was delighted, and promised to apply herself and make herself worthy of their confidence. Four years later, she was doing well as an apprentice healercrafter. A Master healer from Warden's weyr named Bereck with his Green Dragon Berath came to the healercraft hold to update themselves. When they complained about needing another set of hands, Malta was recommended as a very helpful young apprentice. There were protests because of her tender age, but in the end it was left up to her. Apprenticing as a healer had improved her confidence and she felt that she could help people at Warden's Weyr. She agreed to the assignment without really thinking through all the implications of a prison.
Upon going there, her confidence took a hit when someone made fun of her looks. Age fourteen is hard enough without people making fun of you. Not wanting to bother the masterhealer with her complaints, she took up paper and pen and for the first time in a long time wrote her brother. The letters took a long time to reach the travelling wherhandler... But when they got to him, he, concerned, travelled out to meet her. After all, what decent older brother wouldn't be worried about their sister working in a prison? What decent older brother wouldn't want to be at her back with a large bronze Wher?
Since then, settling in at Wardens has been... Rough, to say the least. As someone who just wants to help and is very thin skinned, Malta's confidence took plunges to the negative levels, boosted by spikes of joy and crushed by despair.
Hope was found at the touching of Brakiheth's clutch- where the sensitive Malta took the egg's words to heart, and in a friend, an older healer apprentice, Ralvyn. A lot like her in many ways, it was a good thing she met him- having someone that made sense made all the difference in the days ahead.
Mainly because things took a turn for the EVEN WORSE. It started out calm enough. A nice week, actually. But then it took a massive downturn when, sensitive innocent that she was, Malta decided to take a trip at night to the eggs and tell them 'everything was okay'. In retrospect, that was pretty stupid. The goldrider, Kaeylandra, didn't seem to like scared slightly not-sneaking girls so much, and brandished a sword in her face. Then called an angry wher and his less angry handler. Brakiheth was, at least, a kind force, and Malta left that encounter thoroughly terrified, unable to go out at night alone, and with a role model she held in awe. Kaeylandra. The strong woman she, Malta, wanted to be. (The Ants go Marching On) And then this monument of strength was torn down. Shredded apart. aNd left before Malta's eyes. Warden M'onk's display of Kaeylandra's pain hurt Malta deeply. Thankfully she was not alone in the crowd. Ralvyn, at least, was there. Deeply disturbed and upset and confused by the disturbing events, she contemplated going to the mindhealer and talking about it. But he was far too busy and she didnt think she could interrupt him. Things calmed down and then... The hatching.
Ralvyn was mauled by a hatchling who was then shot and went Between. A green she respected called someone a murderer and was blasted with rage at the reply. It was too much. Malta had been trying to save her friends life, but her own mind was ringing like a bell. She didnt understand why the world was falling apart. She didn't understand why everything was so... so awful around her. She just couldn't comprehend it. She knew, then, that she didn't belong in this... this hell.
and then, like a miracle,
The voice stopped the ringing. Stopped the pain. And helped her stand up. Poecileth saved her from cracking and shattering away.
--- Currently: Malta is getting used to haveing Poecileth around... in a good way. Its nice to have someone there, always there, to reassure you, to bolster you when you're down. Shes happier and more determined now. She can help these people. She WILL help these people. It will be okay. She can do it.
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:30 am
People:
Dino:
I'm glad he's here. It's nice to know that if something is wrong I can go to him... but... what if he hurts someone? -----
Bronze Disk:
------ ------
Orren:
He makes good food... ------
Ralvyn R'vyn:
I like him! He's very nice and kind and... And he makes sense! *blushes* I won't push her, as she is young and not ready for such thoughts but lets suffice to say that I think that we should both keep our eyes on Zenaith's... He would be good for her.
YELLOW Zenaith:
She's... very nice. She is indeed very nice, and I approve of her choice. It seems that calmer, kinder heads complement each other. I shall encourage them to further acts of good and unity. My sister and I must talk more. And... hehe. It seems we might do so.
Kaelyandra:
...whimper... *secret envy... and sorrow* *Why did such a vibrant, energetic, SCARY, person have to... go through that...
GOLD Brakhieth:She was... sniff... nice... I wish I had met mother. At least she has our brother Sparveth for company... I dont think anybody would mind if she partook of some of his meat...
Taavetti:
----- -----
Brown Gustav:
I... I like whers, but maybe not this one... -----
Marue:
I... i dont know what to think about her. She made a bit scene at the weyrling lesson and... I don't know if she's nice or, or what. I will not allow Mine to be intimidated. She is rather obnoxious and foolish and likely to get herself killed. I hope she cools down before then.
Yellow Sturnuth:
--- I need to keep an eye on her. Clearly I can't prevent her from being brash and stupid, but i can at least try to prevent it from harming us all.
Luka:
--- ---
Blue Lophorinth:
--- Well... He can be obnoxious but he does have a charm to him and he is...well... rather sweet.
Heimal:
He's a bit scary... ---
Green Haliath:
She's... strong. I wasn't really paying attention... She is strong, which makes up for her rider's intimidating stare. I will be in contact with her- we may need her strength and protection to get past the actions of Sturnuth, if she acts out further...
Leevi (L'vi):
He's nice. I think I should talk to him soon. I'd been wanting too ever since... ever since Kaeylandra scared me that night, but he's always so busy and... I dont want to bother him. He's helping people, after all. I believe I have a right to talk to Lasoth's bonded. I feel I do, and so I do. From what Malta knows and from what I have seen he is a good man, but... With Lasoth, I must be SURE.
Opal Lasoth:
She's cute! and Shiny! And I like her, and Poe seems to like her too. Not sure what else to say, actually... Ahhhh, Lasoth, my darling. I was so happy to see you hatch and bond before that man could steal you from me. I hope to stay by your side. Nobody will ever hurt you or make you cry. Not while my hearts beat, my dear Lasoth. I am here. There is no need to worry.
Jaykkial:
--- ---
Green Atheth:
--- And so she says what we all feel. She is a strong support for us. We of this cursed clutch must band together against all that would seek to tear us asunder. That pile of meat left for our brother... she is genius and justice. I think, though, that I will make sure that her justice does not take her too far into the darkness, where the light cannot reach.
Masterhealer Bereck
I miss working with him. He may be grumpy, but he is a really good healer and I was proud to be working for him. A good man to know. I like him. I hope that Malta has the chance to work for him in the future.
Green Berath
What happened at the Hatching was okay. Really. Shes such a wonderful and strong dragon, I don't think she meant it. Oh, Berathmother, you are a wonderful person, and a wonderful ally. Should we need help, I think that all I need to do is call you forth and you will protect us. I love you.
Weyrlingmaster V'tayi
He seems like he cares. He was... well, he cursed a bit, but he he just seemed genuinely concerned... and... *blushes* he liked my answers! He may be upset, but he seems like a good person to know.
Blue Ogbanuth
---- He seems sort of... gross... but he was polite and nice.
Assistant Weyrlingmaster Marti
----- ------
Brown Danverith
------ -----
Blyte/B'yte
------ -----
Grey Vociferoth
----- -----
Saain
I think she helped me move... I don't remember. But she's nice. I am grateful to her helping mine. Prisoner or not, she is a good person. This needs to be cultivated.
Green Serinuth
She seems sweet... Oh my darling Serinuth. Believe in yourself, my love. You are far better than you realize, and I will tell you so.
Canonake
---- -----
Haemath
----- I am worried that he will be trouble.
Lin
----- -----
Brown Brantath
----- He is our big brown brother, and thus a good ally, but... Well, it is something I will have to cultivate.
Weyrwoman Ai
----- -----
Gold Zamanateth
------ I have not heard good things about this gold.
▧- The Gentle in Purgatory - Malta, Ralvyn ▧ - Family Reunion - Malta, Dino, Disk ▧ - Good People make Good food - Malta, Orren ▧ - Sandman - Brakhieth, Kaelyandra, Malta, Taavi, Gustav ▧ - Girl Talk- Malta and Marue ▧ - The Ants go Marching- Candidate meta ORP ▧▧▧- Brakiheth's clutch Hatching- Welcome to the Jungle ▧ - Oh Look, An Afterparty ▧ - Strategic Moving Crew - Saain, Malta, Dragons ▧ - Just Another Brick in the Wall (Weyrling Lesson) ▧ -Once a Healer... - Bereck, Malta, Dragons ▧ - Business as Usual - Leevi, Malta, Dragons ▧ - Concerns ▧ - Sorting out ▧ - HOLY s**t ITS A ZAMANATETH GET IN THE CLOSET
Poe gave her brother an affectionate nudge. She was glad to see him, for all of his antics. But she was distracted.
Malta looked where she looked, at the shimmering knife in the air above M'onk. No. No no.
He may be a bad man, he may be a world-class horrible man who made people like Malta cry. But he didn't deserve to die.
Poecileth, for her part, was scared. What would happen? Too much had already happened. Fatigue slowed her, otherwise she would have begged then knife man to stand down. Malta too.
Neither wanted more blood spilled.
And yet more was. Poecileth nuzzled against hers, food somewhat forgotten.
Said Poecileth, though she felt far from all right. Very far. <... Its all right> Poecileth could find no other words to say. Malta was unconvinced,
Poecileth was getting to be full, and she was tired. She could understand Malta's fatigue now. She added the force of her voice- she had tired her voice out with all the coaxing and she was low on energy- to Cyanaths, even as Malta shrunk back from the whole thing. immediately, her attention turned to Hers.
Though... An unsettling thing came through the lines of telepathy that bounced between the nestmates. Wait... it was rude? Shards. But it was necessary to speak to minds since only Malta had a voice and sometimes Malta could not use it... Would not use it. Needed her to speak. But... Poe had no desire to be rude or insulting.
But Malta needed further bolstering and, she hoped, the rest of her clutch would be there and she would cuddle them all and feel lucky that they were here. with her. ALIVE.
And also ask them if they and theirs would mind if she talked to their humans directly because that would make things easier and she did want to be polite.
Malta hesitated on the next page of her textbook. It was not that she was tired- she was used to staying up late and despite her dragon's efforts she kept doing so. It was the best time to study, after all, and the only break she had from the duties she had as a Weyrling. Of course she spent it studying- she was less shy than she had once been, but her healer texts were a comfort, a reminder that some day she would be doing healer things, not just dragon things.
asked Poecileth, lifting her head to look at hers. Poecileth enjoyed listening to Malta study. It left a pleasant thrum in their bond and was quite informative besides. Poecileth liked it when Malta read it out loud, not just for her voice but because Malta seemed to enjoy it and learn better.
"Oh, uh..." Malta hesitated again. She wasn't tired. She didn't want to stop studying. But the next chapter in her textbook was... well... Human Reproduction. She blushed a bit.
She knew she was 14. There had been people her age doing... things... in closets. She hadn't understood why they did... that. She still didn't.
Why? At the healer hall they had to study. At the Prison they had to guard. It was confusing to her why they would spend their time like that when they had other things they needed to do.
She was supposed to understand, though. She was supposed to want to do... that. She had breasts now, and she bled, so she was a woman now, and thoughts of... that... were supposed to come with growing up. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to think about... it. The thought of... of that made her feel uncomfortable and confused. Scared too.
But... she stared at the offending page. This was a healer Textbook. She couldn't be scared of it. It was about medicine and how to treat it and... well, those parts were a part of the human body. She fiddled with the page edge for a moment. If she treated the chapter with detachment, like it was just another part of the book, just another set of basic information she needed to know as a healer, then it would be okay. It would be different from what she was or was not supposed to feel or want, and what she was or was not supposed to be doing... "Nothing, Poe, nothing. I'll... I'll just read this chapter silently, okay?" she said, turning the page and resuming studying. It was just healer-stuff. It would be okay.
Poecileth said, settling back down to watch hers read. She hadn't missed the thoughts going through her rider's head.
Sex. It was something she was concerned about, very concerned about. Poecileth knew that she would rise. She was, after all, a green, and greens did rise frequently. She had wanted to look it up, see just what she was in for, but she didn't want to bother her rider with such things yet. Perhaps I will ask Irath to look it up for me... she thought to herself privately. She didn't think that she would hate flights. She had seen Berath rise, and the big, beautiful green seemed to have enjoyed it. No, she would fly someday. It was not herself that she was concerned about. She sighed- quietly so as not to disrupt Malta's studying. It was her rider that she worried for. Malta's mind was a beautiful, pure, delicate thing, still growing. Poe loved it, loved to curl her own mind around it. It was hers to protect and nurture. That was her job- to protect and nurture the beautiful things and show the world that not everything was terrible. But sometimes those beautiful things were beautiful because they were fragile, easily broken and in need of guarding. Poecileth knew that, if she rose and flew, that Malta would feel it too. The thought filled her with unease. That was still in the future yet, but not, she thought, far enough. Malta needed time before she would be ready for those feelings being forced upon her. Poecileth had no illusions about her ability to keep her emotions from her Malta. It worked well enough when she was here, on the ground, but, from what she had seen, it was wild, broadcast, and Poe didn't think that she could hold such an emotion back. She lashed her tail. She had to wait for Malta to be ready, otherwise she might cause damage to the very mind she needed to protect. But could she wait? Was it possible to not rise?
She hoped so. If she was forced to rise... That would be terrible.
"Poe? Whats wrong?" Malta was looking at her dragon. Poecileth was good at keeping her thoughts from her human, but some emotion must have slipped through. The highly contrasted green sent a wave of comfort and reassurance through their bond. she kept her mind voice light and cheerful, Not entirely untrue.
"Oh..." Malta wasn't entirely convinced. "Are you sure?"
Poe got up to nuzzle her and re coil herself by her rider's side. Soon, she wouldn't be able to fit in Malta's quarters. But for now, she could lie here, enjoying the nearness of hers.
Yes. Everything was fine now. The worries were in the future, and that was where they belonged. She would plan now, but she had time to spare, time to enjoy her rider. she said. Yes. Worries were not for now.
"Okay..." Malta was willing to believe her dragon. She smiled, rubbing the soft white-green behind Poe's eyes, "I love you too." And she went back to reading.
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:31 am
Sorting Out 660 words
They were in the supply room. Malta had missed this and, when she finally had a free moment between the grueling Weyrling work-dragon care-study-sleep (or not) schedule, she went right to the clinic and right to the nice, quiet supply room. Not a normal break for someone her age, but perfect for Malta.
"Nothing. It's... It's just been so long."
"I was last in here before the hatching." she said, putting away the new supplies and updating the registry.
Poecileth sniffed around curiously. This was the sort of place she could imagine Malta spending all of her time in. It was quiet, free of any sort of scary prisoner. That corner there was perfect for reading, if she brought a portable glow in with her. It was a healer's domain. Everything here, Poecileth realized, was medicine.
"Yep! I've been studying." Malta felt a surge of pride, "So now I know what things are, and how to use them..." she shrunk a bit, realizing she was getting ahead of herself, "well, a little anyway. I... sort of know how... but you don't actually know how until you use them. Thats what my teachers always said."
Poecileth wasn't entirely sorry, but she did feel bad about monopolizing her Malta like this.
"Why?" Malta stared at Poecileth, surprised, as she slid a drawer shut, "You don't... You don't need to be sorry, not at all!" Poe was the best thing that could have happened to her, she thought. She'd like to be beautiful and smart and funny and able to talk to people without wilting like a flower left in the sun, but she wasn't. She had Poe, and Poe was all she really needed. That and healer education, but she had textbooks and the occasional break (for her) helping at the clinic. She stroked her dragon's head. "I'm happy, Poe"
it was true.
"Mmmhmm!" Malta said happily, "I'll be a healer someday."
The conversation was vaguely familiar, but Poecileth just couldn't remember it entirely. Ah well.
Malta hesitated. She had reached up and realized her arm was sore. All the physical training and such. She didn't like that part very much, but she was doing it anyway, and not complaining. It would be bad to complain! "I... I guess I'll have to go back to the healer hall and complete my apprenticeship... R'vyn would be done before me, so..." she frowned.
Poecileth wasn't sure if she was hopeful or wary.
Malta thought for a moment, putting away the supplies in the high drawer and rubbing her shoulders, both of which- she realized now- were sore. "... yes." she didn't know how she was so certain. Maybe Poe was rubbing off on her! That would be nice! Poecileth was so confident and thought so elegantly! "... Its... Kind of home." before the hatching, she had been thinking about leaving and going back to the healerhall, where she could pretend that the bad feelings were only at Wardens. But with Poe... She'd gotten attached to the place, a little. She really could do good, she knew it. She had been right before, when she made the trip here. And with Poe, she knew she was capable of it.
Yes this conversation seemed familiar. Poecileth would have been more embarrassed about her short dragon memory if Malta hadn't forgotten their former conversation too. So many things had happened in such a short period of time, of course Malta would forget some things.
"I know..." Malta gave Poecileth a scratch behind the eye ridges.
HOLY s**t ITS A ZAMANATETH GET IN THE CLOSET!!! 442 words
They were enjoying a bonding moment in their room. Malta had actually slept, and was going over her notes before weyrling lessons. Poecileth was helping. Malta wanted to be a good student, a smart student. There weren't tests, but Malta was still in that mindset. It was going to be a good morning. Or so Poecileth thought, until she heard the Gold's roar. she had to act to protect her rider and her purity! She had to act now. "Poe? Stop pushing me..." Poecileth wasn't going to explain that she was scared, that she felt the violence and lust in the air, that she was trying to keep it far away from her rider's mind. Very far. She nudged Malta gently off her seat and began herding her. She knew what to do. "Poe...?" She kept Malta moving. She had the perfect idea, the perfect place where Malta would be safe from the shrieking violence. She pawed open Malta's mostly empty storage closest. She pushed at Malta, "Poe..." Malta protested, but Poecileth had grown and it was hard to push back, even if she had been trying. "Poe, what are you doing? Whats going on?" Poe pushed her one last time, and, satisfied that Malta was safely inside, closed the door. "Poe?! What are you doing?! Let me out" Malta pounded at the door and tried to push at it. But the the short round dragon's green bulk kept it mostly shut. "Poe?!" Malta didn't like it in the closet. It was close, and hot, and it smelled, and what was her dragon doing?! Poecileth's eyes flickered with rare scatterings of red and orange. "Poe! Let me out! Whats going on?!" Malta called out, pushing at the door again. But Poe was not moving. the hatchling looked up at the ceiling warily, And that was final. She made sure Malta knew.
~~~
The flight was over, Poecileth noted with relief. There were no screams, no death, no chaotic madness. She finally moved her pudgy body from the door. She said, her eyes fading back to their usual blue-green. Malta pushed out, coughing at the thin film of dust her exit disturbed, rubbing her eyes. "That was awful" Poecileth looked up at the ceiling, worrying for the future. The queen would rise again, someday, and, also someday, she would as well. Malta had meant the part about being stuffed in a closet.
