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Post by Kit on Jun 8, 2010 17:09:25 GMT -5
It was dark, but not yet too late. In the corridors of the lower caverns there was still some activity as folk prepared for bed, and those riders who had overnight duty went about their business. The Candidate Barracks was silent. Lights out had been called an hour ago and with still so few Candidates, there was little argument or drama. So it was that had anyone been looking they would have seen two shadows, one tall, one shorter and longer, detach themselves from the greater shadow that was the Candidate Barracks and move to the edge of the weyr lake, where they stopped.
This was not a Candidate breaking curfew, but the Candidate Master Arktos and his great black wher Arkysk. It was a warm night, and Arktos was barefoot and shirtless. Under cover of darkness he lay on the grass that ringed the lake, using his wher for a cushion.
It is nice outside Mine. I wish it was like this every day Indeed, it was warm, but the humidity had faded with the setting of the sun and now a light breeze played across Arktos' skin. The sky was mostly clear and the stars blazed overhead like a carelessly spilled jewels on a velvet cloth.
It is nice. It should be like this a few months more before the rains come. We have all summer to enjoy it.
But you will be busy soon, when more young ones come for the Eggs. the wher replied in a petulant mindvoice.
Yes, but only for a few weeks, then the Eggs will Hatch and all the young ones will have their own young ones to mind and it will be the Weyrling Master who watches them.
Oh. Not you?
Not me. he reassured the black, reaching around to pat him on his great head.
Can we swim? Arkysk suddenly asked, abruptly switching gear as he was wont to do.
All right. They waded out into the water, which was nearly as warm as the baths and while Arkysk paddled around like a happy canine, Arktos lay on his back and floated, watching the sky. Suddenly Arkysk was on high alert.
Someone comes! I will protect you! Arktos grabbed hold of the great leather collar around the black wher's neck.
How many times do I have to tell you I can protect myself?
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Post by sorra on Jun 8, 2010 17:29:49 GMT -5
Kiyoni hadn't been able to sleep that night. For some reason she had been plagued by dreams of her brother and she just couldn't bring herself to try to sleep again. She sat in her weyr, deciding what to do.
Go walk, Elliwodth said sleepily. You sleep better after you've had a long day. Now I need my beauty sleep. Rivi go with her, she instructed the blue.
But, Kiyoni started to protest but knew it was pointless.
Rivi grumbled a little, but shook himself awake. He flitted to Kiyoni's shoulder as the green rider pulled her boots back on, not bothering with her over shirt. She didn't figure anyone would be up, so her sleeveless shirt would be just fine.
Kiyoni made her way down to the Bowl, figuring it was a good place to walk around. She headed for the lake, but didn't notice the wher and his handler to begin with until Rivi chittered a greeting.
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Post by Kit on Jun 8, 2010 17:45:53 GMT -5
Oh. It is a woman and a firelizard. I guess they're not going to hurt you. Arkysk let out a greeting bugle and resumed swimming as if nothing had happened.
Arktos rolled his eyes in Arkysk's direction, grumbling to himself. Who was the woman, and why was she out here so late? And what had possessed him to come out here wearing only shorts? He felt very self-conscious suddenly, and if his dratted wher hadn't broadcast their existence he might have just submerged himself to his nostrils and waited for them to leave. But there was nothing for it now, so he went to his back-up, he'd just have to be polite.
"Hello, nice night." he said, waving a hand and feeling like an idiot. His serious reputation was carefully cultivated and now he'd been caught cavorting in the lake in the dark like a weyrling. It was terribly embrrassing.
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Post by sorra on Jun 8, 2010 19:31:28 GMT -5
Rivi returned Arkysk's bugle as he took to the air. It still took Kiyoni a few minutes to pick Arktos and Arkysk out. She flushed a little, realizing she hadn't come dressed for meeting anyone. Sharding dragon anyhow. If Elliwodth hadn't told her to go walking she wouldn't be in this position.
Kiyoni sighed. Oh well, there wasn't anything she could do about it. Especially after the man had spoken. "Hello," she answered, putting a smile in her voice. "It is a nice night. I'm sorry if I bothered you. I didn't figure anyone would be out right now."
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Post by Kit on Jun 8, 2010 21:44:05 GMT -5
"Its fine. Being bonded to a wher tends to make one somewhat nocturnal." Arktos decided that carrying on any sort of conversation from the middle of the lake was ridiculous, so he sloshed, grabbing the towel he had waiting for him.
Arkysk followed him partway, but stood in the shallows, tail wagging slowly with a draconic pout pasted on his face.Mine, are we leaving? I still want to swim.
Keep swimming. I was just getting out for a minute so I could talk.
Reassured, the black bounded back into the water. Arktos wiped the water from his face with the towel. "That was Arkysk. I'm Arktos, the Candidate Master, though you probably already know that." Though he liked his job, it made him somewhat uncomfortable that his new rank meant that he was well known. He had always preferred anonymity.
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Post by sorra on Jun 9, 2010 15:10:15 GMT -5
Kiyoni smiled in sympathy. "I can see how that could happen," she said, watching Arkysk. She had only ever seen a couple whers in her life. And never a black one.
Rivi cheeped as he watched the black. ~Play?~ the little blue sent to his Pet and the wher. Rivi loved the water and loved meeting new ones.
"Rivi would like to know if he may join your handsome wher in the lake," Kiyoni smiled. She stood back as Arktos climbed out of the lake. Now she wished she had thought to throw on her shirt, but she'd just have to survive with just her sleeveless sleep shirt.
"I'm Kiyoni and this little monster is Rivi. Elliwodth is asleep on her ledge." She knew Arktos' name, but she hadn't personally had a chance to meet the Candidate Master. Even though she was a Search Rider. "It's a pleasure to meet you Arktos. And you as well Arkysk."
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Post by Kit on Jun 9, 2010 15:44:10 GMT -5
"Oh, sure. He may look like a monster, but he doesn't eat firelizards. He's all bluff." Arktos draped the towel around his shoulders, not knowing that his vigorous drying has caused his hair to resemble a bizarre crest.
That little firelizard is coming to play with you. Be nice.
Oh good. I like the littles. We will play while you talk. Not for the first time, Akrtos wished there were more whers in the weyr. Arkysk would be happier if he had some friends.
"Kiyoni and Elliwodth? You're a Searchrider, then. I've read your reports. Its nice to be able to put a face to handwriting." Some Searchriders like to give their reports personally, like Tesni. He couldn't blame her really, her handwriting was atrocious, but others did not, perhaps because it was so difficult to know when he would be awake. Being Candidate Master and a wherhandler was often a balancing act. He took a lot of naps.
"Well, Kiyoni, what are you doing up at this hour? Its unusual for me to meet anyone out in the Bowl at night." he said, in an attempt at conversation. It was rather nice to be talking to another adult, rather than the gaggle of youngsters he normally spoke to all day. Well, some of them were nearly adult, but he was still in charge of them, which significantly lowered their companionship value.
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Post by sorra on Jun 9, 2010 21:00:22 GMT -5
Kiyoni laughed at Arktos' words. "I don't think he looks like a monster. I just wanted to make sure that Rivi wasn't going to disturb him. Go on, Rivi," she said.
~Play!~ the little blue exclaimed happily, diving into the water to play with Arkysk.
The green rider laughed as she watched her firelizard. Kiyoni flushed a little. "I am. I'm sorry I haven't stopped by myself. I've tried a couple times," she admitted, but found it easier to just write the reports." She grinned a little. Finally meeting the Candidate Master was nice in her opinion.
Kiyoni shrugged a little. "I couldn't sleep," she said softly. "I kept dreaming, so Elli told me to go for a walk." She wasn't sure if she was ready to talk about her brother yet. Especially when she thought she was over his death. Apparently not totally.
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Post by Kit on Jun 10, 2010 0:29:08 GMT -5
"Well, some people find him intimidating." The same could be said for himself, Akrtos thought, though if he was being honest, he encouraged that, especially with the Candidates. Maybe he'd taken it too far though, truthfully he had been lonely of late.
"I understand. I've had my share of dreams I wish would go away." It was brought back to him, the worst moment of his life. Bjornth had gone between, never to return, and he was in his weyr, numb with grief and refusing to take the fellis the Healers had given him, when another Healer had come in, to tell him his son was dead as well. By the time his weyrmate died three days later, he was too deep in shock to even feel the blow. That had been eight Turns ago. He pushed those memories back, forcing himself to concentrate on the here and now. Arkysk chased the firelizard Rivi, splashing through the water in great bounds, and Arktos smiled and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He looked up at the sky and suddenly remembered something nearly forgotten in the disturbance.
"I actually came out here for a reason tonight, though I'd nearly forgotten. Here, look." He stood behind her and gently grasped her shoulders to turn her to the right direction. "Look up." Just then, a meteor streaked by, and then another, leaving sparkling streaks in the air.
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Post by sorra on Jun 10, 2010 8:40:47 GMT -5
The young woman shook her head. "I find him more interesting then intimadating. I've only ever seen a couple whers before and none like Arkysk."
She giggled as she watched Rivi diving in and out of the lake. Apparently the little blue was enjoying his new playmate which was fine with her. Kiyoni smiled at Arktos. He didn't seem nearly as intimadating as she had heard. She sighed. "It seems we're all plagued by dreams." She tried not to think aout the day her brother had finally succumbed to cloudlung. He had been her only family. It had been 6 Turns ago but it still hurt.
Kiyoni looked over at Arktos. "You did?" she asked. The young Search Rider looked where he pointed her to. Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched the meteors. "They're beautiful," she whispered in awe.
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Post by Kit on Jun 11, 2010 22:39:06 GMT -5
Arktos' voice took on a note of pride. "He's the only black alive right now, as far as I know, and the largest male wher ever shelled. But I expect there'll be more like him eventually, its only the fact that there's only one Queen wher right now, and she doesn't lay as many eggs as a dragon." He suspected that if another Gold was laid soon, they'd want to try and get a clutch by Arkysk. The wherhandlers had no compunctions against the mutated colors. They swore up and down they kept off cloudlung.
"Aren't they?" he replied as a few more streaked across the sky. He realized his hands were still on her shoulders, which were surprisingly small and delicate. He moved his hands down to his sides wondering him to himself when the last time was that he had touched another person, let alone a woman. "Uh... well, this is the peak night for them from what I've read in the records. In about a mark, there'll be hundreds every minute. Once I bonded Arkysk I started to take an interest in the night sky, since I figured I'd be looking at it often."
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Post by sorra on Jun 12, 2010 8:33:13 GMT -5
"The only black?" Kiyoni asked, glancing over her shoulder toward the lake. "Well, I think he's very handsome. And that would be great if they were able to get more whers. They seem so helpful." She hadn't thought about there only be one Queen wher. It seemed the whers were having to build their strength back up the same as the dragons were doing.
Kiyoni turned back to watching the meteors. She hadn't even thought about Arktos' hands being on her shoulders until he moved them, then she shivered slightly. "Really?" she asked. "That many?" She was trying to get rid of the strange feeling she had gotten when she realized Arktos had touched her. He was only a person after all. "I could see how that must be interesting. Maybe when I have some time I'll look into those hides myself. I love watching the stars," she smiled.
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Post by Kit on Jun 13, 2010 15:31:15 GMT -5
"They are helpful, especially in the Mines, and of course guarding the Holds. But their real function is to fly Thread at night. I'm afraid when the Pass comes there may be too few..although Thread doesn't fall often at night." The thought of Arkysk flying Thread gave him a shudder of fear. Most whers flew without their riders, because their small wings would not support the weight and though Akrysk was certainly quite large, Arktos was a big man as well, so it was likely the black would fly without him. He was glad for the wher in his life, because it seemed less empty even with the hole Bjornth had left. But if Arkysk was killed in Threadfall... Arktos didn't think he'd be able to make it.
"Well, you are always welcome to watch them with me," he heard himself saying. He realized abruptly that he was attracted to this Searchrider and found himself wanting to spend more time with her. Well that was a surprise. But maybe not an unwelcome one.
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Post by sorra on Jun 13, 2010 19:29:42 GMT -5
Kiyoni glanced back at him. "Really? I hadn't thought about the whers fighting Thread. I must admit I need to do a bit more research on them. My brother was always interested in them, but it seems like ages since I've actually looked at anything about them." She shuddered a little. The thought of Thread at night was scary. Fighting it during the day was bad enough. She sighed softly. "It sounds like you may be right. If Thread does start falling at night we'll need all the help we can get." She glanced at the lake where Rivi was still playing happily with Arkysk.
The search rider grinned. "I would like that," she heard herself answering. What was she doing? She barely knew Arktos, but yet she really really wanted to get to know him better. He was the first person that she had really connected with since her brother and if truth be told, she had been lonely. Sure, Elliwodth had her flights, but those were just casual flings to Kiyoni. She hadn't really liked any of the riders that had won, but there was just something about Arktos that she really liked.
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Post by Kit on Jun 14, 2010 13:57:12 GMT -5
Don't worry. When Thread falls, I will protect you. I will sear it out of the sky! Arkysk assured him, having caught the thread of his handler's thoughts.
Its your hide I was concerned about, not mine.
Why are you worried about my hide? It is very thick and you are always oiling it. I am healthy.
Arktos rolled his eyes. Never mind, go back to playing The wher found it hard to pay attention to more than one thing at a time so he had stood stock still as he talked with his handler. Now with a happy rumble, he splashed back into the lake after the little blue.
"You would?" Arktos was somewhat surprised by her quick positive response. Most of the other riders avoided him, perhaps unsettled by the reminder of what *could* happen. It would nice just to have a friend, if nothing else, though if he was being honest with himself he would like something else very much. "I'm glad," he said finally, words that he meant to sound casual and light ca,e out laden with meaning. He flushed, suddenly glad that it was dark.
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