Gathers are Fun- Right? {Open}

[Avu]

I don’t want to leave you.
You are not leaving me half as much as before. Besides, I like to see you having fun, Kalmine. I think you should go. Leweleth said firmly as he gathered T’kal to him with one brown wing. “I don’t have many marks to spend,” the boy objected, although he didn’t pull away from the brown. Three and a half marks, Leweleth reminded him unnecessarily. That is enough to buy food and have fun. There is always the dance. “I don’t know, Leth, I don’t think I’m strong enough to dance yet…” You have exercised every day until you could not move. Consider it today’s exercise. Please, Kalmine. I want you to have fun. Reluctantly, T’kal disengaged himself from his embrace with Leweleth to fetch his straps. “Just for a short while.” We’ll see.

It took only a few seconds for Leweleth to get the coordinates from another dragon; he launched himself of the Weyrledge, wobbling as he headed up into the sky; T’kal narrowed his eyes against the wind. It had been such a long time since he’d felt this way—free. Are you ready, Kalmine? T’kal tightened his grip instinctively on the riding straps. Yes. I have the coordinates. Just relax. I won’t loose you. T’kal only nodded as Leweleth twisted between—it was a feeling that he’d only felt once in the past few sevendays and that time, he had been more preoccupied with concentrating on the vague memory of Selenitas Weyr; now, as he concentrated on Leweleth’s presence in his mind, the blackness seemed suffocating.

You’re shaking! Leweleth’s anxious keen pierced the darkness a second before light and motion appeared, along with a warmth. I’m okay, T’kal answered feebly, his hands tight around the Riding Straps to the point that his knuckles were white; his face, too, was pale, a clear contrast to his blood-red hair and vivid amber eyes, pupils dilated in fear. Kalmine, what’s wrong? I told you I wouldn’t loose you! I’m just not used to it…I’ll be okay, I promise, Leth.[/b] The brown keened his anxiety again before he reluctantly closed his wings, spiraling in and landing next to the Gather. Do you want me to wait here? Otherwise, I’ll go back to the Weyr. T’kal unclenched his fists from the riding straps. Stay here, please? Of course. Now, go. Leweleth emphasized it with a light nudge in the small of his back as soon as T’kal dismounted.

He nervously slid into the crowd, breath baited as if waiting for someone to look at him and say, ‘Hey! That’s one of those idiots who went off to High Reaches,’ or something of the sort. Leweleth’s presence was all that kept him from slinking right back out of the Gather. You can still have fun. Perhaps you should get a canine or a feline companion when I cannot be there? Thanks, Leth, T’kal responded gratefully, sidling to the Animal Stall and leaning against the railing, eyeing prices and creatures with a curious eye. He could only afford a feline out of the two choices Leth had suggested; he rocked on his heels uneasily, wondering whether or not he really had the time needed for one. Probably not…but then again…

The Brownrider bit his lip uneasily, rocking unsteadily still. Do not think so hard. A Gather is to be /fun/. If you don’t buy anything, at least go sing for the crowd, or dance? No singing. I don’t want attention. The brown sighed resignedly. If you insist. T’kal shrugged absently, still eyeing the feline cubs curiously. [/size]

[dragon]

((I did not come up with this song ... it's a song by Celtic Women))

Sliding off Kindrith's shoulder with a practiced ease at the same momenth the blue touched down, E'yan steadied the shaped bag strapped to his back as he strode cheerfully out into the gather. Behind him, he heard Kindrith take off again, to go find a nice spot to nap. Have fun down there in that mess. the blue said by way of a farwell, as he flew away.

"Oh, of course!" E'yan replied. He always liked gathers. He didn't have much in the way of anything to spend, this time around, but oh well. A few pies, maybe some wine, singing, dancing, music. Gathers could be fun, even still. And this one was even more interesting than the usual ... he'd never been to a gather here before.

Walking with a jaunty step, and humming a cheery tune, E'yan made his first breeze-through of the gather, just to see what was there. Some of the stalls looked really interesting, and he would definitely have to come back through and give them a more thorough look over. There were sure to be things in this gather that were not in the gathers up north. Simply due to the locations.

Every great now and then his humming broke into actual song, though not overly loudly. The tune was catchy, even if the words that came out of him were rather spotty and strange: "I don't know if you can see, the changes that have come over me. These last few days ..." it dropped back down to a hum again, as he window shopped breifly at a gem stall. Wandering on again, he broke into words once more, his voice rich and wonderful to listen to, despite the obviously superfluous nature of his song. It was most definitely not a history.

"I've been telling stories, singing songs, that make me think of where I've come from. That's the reason why I seem so far away today! Let me tell you that I love you, that I think about you all the time!" for a few bars he resumed humming, strolling along an aisle between booths before stepping out onto another row of stalls to explore. "Now I'm coming home, but if I should become a stranger; Know that it would make me more than sad. Now I have moved, and I've kept on moving, proved the points that I needed proving. Lost the friends that I needed losing..."

His song trailed off obviously in the middle of the song as he spotted a rather stressed out looking lad staring dejectedly at the feline cubs in yet another stall. By the knots on the lad's shoulders, he was a rider. But E'yan could see no reason why the lad should be so glum looking. Tucking the strap of his bag a little higher on his shoulder, he strolled over.

"Hallo, there." He greeted. "Why the long face?" The lad's face was not actually long, really, but ... the expression would do for the moment.

[Avu]

Why do you keep thinking about /them/? Leweleth cried, his mental tones reverberating with his emotional pain. T’kal raised his eyes to the skies, as if expecting to see Leth hovering above him. Only clouds and the occasional gleam of dragonwings as a new arrival came met his eyes. None of which bore the deep, dark brown color Leweleth was. I can’t help it! he whispered miserably, his weight sinking solidly against the fence as he stared absently at the feline cubs. His mind had, indeed, wandered back to High Reaches Weyr. It was a mental prison—and yet now, his body was screaming against the vigorous physical exercise, his mind was already fixated on those drugs. Faranth, he wanted—

No. No. No, you /don’t/! ‘Dragonman, avoid excess…’ Keep going, what comes next? the brown interrupted his thoughts. Which was when a voice broke into his thoughts, obviously addressing him: “Hallo, there. Why the long face?” T’kal jumped, jarring ribs and wrenching elbow against the wooden rail; bright golden eyes darted up sharply to the man, a sharp gasp catching in his throat. This would be the one man who would recognize him, who would scorn him for—oh. He didn’t know him, did he? T’kal squinted warily at the man, reaching for Leweleth and mentally pressing himself against the brown’s comforting strength. Don’t leave me, he begged as he felt Leth waver uncertainly. I won’t. I don’t think he’s a clutchsibling’s, though. He is just—new.

T’kal’s golden gaze wavered and faltered, sliding from the man’s face to the ground. Shardit, he wasn’t used to this, this—all around him. They were all sane, completely in control of themselves—and that in itself made him feel horribly out of control, like his entire life would be spiraling away from him had it not been for Leweleth. “I—um.” He paused, running both hands through the deep red hair that fell into his eyes, and shoving it out of the way, regarding the man in front of him uncertainly. “…was just thinking about—about—um. About something,” he finished feebly, well aware his story would probably be questioned into—and he was in no state, physically or mentally, yet, to develop a complex lie. He remembered the old days of his razor-sharp intelligence; he remembered—vaguely, a dull, blurred image at the back of his mind of his carefree days at Selenitas. Before.

“They’re cute, aren’t they?” he added, even more lamely, gesturing with one hand towards the kittens tumbling around. One, a tabby-striped, fat little butterball, had caught his attention. Face burning—T’kal was brutally aware of how stupid he sounded and despised himself for it—he watched as it tripped around with its siblings. Do not worry, Kalmine. If he threatens you, I will hurt him for you. I won’t let you get hurt again.

[dragon]

E'yan watched quietly as the lad before him jumped practically out of his skin ... banging himself in a few places in the process. Ouch. That had to hurt! But he didn't seem to notice ... the poor lad must really be caught on another world or something, to not notice how hard he'd just whacked himself. Not even a wince out of the boy. That ... or maybe he was one of those individuals who felt no pain? No physical pain, anyway. By the look on the lad's face, there was plenty of pain there.

"It's alright." He cautioned, lifting one hand in a mild gesture. "I didn't mean to startle you like that." he apologised. Deciding that he might be here for a bit - he wanted to see if maybe he couldn't take the lad's mind off what ever it was that was bothering him - he shofted his sack off his shoulder, and gently rested it on the ground before leaning it carefully on the wooden slats. Whatever was in that sack, it was stiff enough to hold itself up all on its own. And yet E'yan treated it like it was a fragile thing.

He smiled slightly. "Something." he said, simply, not bothering to press further. He could tell the lad didn't really want to talk about it by that stumbling statement all by itself. So he wasn't going to press. But being in such a down mood was not good for anyone, regardless of who they were. He looked at the felines that were indicated, and let a corner of his mouth quirk upward as he watched the cubs tumble and play. "They can be adorable, yes. Even more so to those who are crazy about them." he leaned his own elbows on the railing, taking up a totally relaxed stance as he watched the cubs speculatively. "Personally, I was always more a fan of the canines, though. While felines can be trained ... I haven't the foggiest notion how."

[Avu]

Okay, so he'd overreacted a tad. T'kal cursed himself mentally for his stupidity - this paranoia was going to all but cripple him if he didn't learn to overcome it at some point. And right now? He was thinking right now was a good time, but the Brownrider still hadn't been able to stop himself from jerking in his surprise. Shardit. He wrinkled his nose, rubbing his ribs, a wry grin flickering across his face as he shook his head in response to the man's apology. It wasn't the Bluerider's fault that T'kal was a mess, both physically and mentally, at present time, was it? You are healing, Kalmine, you cannot say you are a mess. At least you're trying. Leweleth, comforting as always, elicited another shake of T'kal's head. "Don't worry," he assured E'yan, dropping his eyes as a flush rose in his cheeks. He must've looked absolutely ridiculous..."It's not your fault, I'm just - um. Easily surprised of late." 'Of late' being the past few sevendays at Selenitas, and a few days - maybe longer; his time reckoning had been blurred - at High Reaches.

He grinned apologetically, shifting sideways to allow E'yan more room against the fence, still leaning against it - his eyes were back on the felines, although they flicked up in surprise. 'Something.' That was all the Bluerider had said - all the curiosity he felt? Such a lovely difference from Saraina, from all the other Riders...his grin became more heartfelt. "Yeah, something," he agreed, an almost playful note entering his tone as he rested one foot on the rail, half-looking like he was about to spring over the fence or something, but rather, it was a lax position he felt comfortable in.

The Brownrider grinned sheepishly at the other Rider's comment about the kittens. Well, perhaps 'crazy' was going a bit far, but he wasn't going to pretend they didn't attract his interest. Kittens were, quite frankly, adorable: So full of life, innocent, naive and clear-minded - everything that T'kal once was, and now was no longer. It was like looking into a mirror of his mind, his soul, before High Reaches Weyr. Perhaps some people might have been bitter, but T'kal liked it - it made him forget the pain, made him laugh again...something he hadn't done in a long time. Even with Leweleth, he was more solemn. The kittens were a mental relief. "It can't be hard," he mumbled, almost defensively, "I mean, they're really intelligent." Not as intelligent as canines, one could argue, but in T'kal's mind, canines were much too trusting. Kittens were naive, sweet, yes, but they had a ferocious side to them, a quirk, always. He liked that.

"I've forgotten to ask your name," he added, struck by the thought; T'kal grinned apologetically at him. "Sorry. I'm T'kal, Brownrider of Leweleth. What name do I call you by?"

[dragon]

E'yan lifted one brow slightly as T'kal explained ... or rather, didn't explain ... what the jumpy bit had been all about. But he said nothing as he merely listened. As talkative and vocal as the Harper rider might be at times, he also knew when to just listen and let people get whatever they needed to off thier chests. And he had a sneaking suspicion that this lad had a lot on his chest that he both wanted off, and yet didn't want anyone to know about. Interesting conundrum, that, but not terribly unique in it's own right. He offered the lad a reassuring smile, before finally speaking. "It's alright. We lived through it, now didn't we? No sense in letting it bother anyone."

The bluerider watched the lad's movements in detail, without actually appearing to watch so closely. Some might know that he was aware, but few could tell just how aware E'yan was. Everything was in stark releif to his mind ... even the tumbles of the kittens below. It was amazing how much a body could learn about a person just from thier slightest movements. And he was releived to see the lad relax again by quite a bit. Maybe his own initial estimation of what was bothering the lad was a little over the top? Though the repitition of an earlier statement left E'yan with an interesting puzzle. Definitely something there, that wanted out yet didn't. So ... which to do? Leave it alone, or see what he could find out? Either way would have strange results. So he eventually settled for what he hoped was a happy medium. "Something complex?" A question, yet not an overly nosy one. A detailed answer could come, or equally possible: no answer at all.

"It wouldn't be hard to train a kitten, no. Not of you knew how, and had a mind that worked alot like thiers." E'yan shrugged non-commitally. "I just don't have that kind of thought train, so understanding them well enough to train them to do anything is something that I never mastered. Canines, on the other hand, I am quite good at working with. Or, at least ... I like to think so." He shot a quirky grin at the lad. "Felines are actually quite intelligent... smarter than most canines, I believe. They can work alone, or in packs, and they can sometimes look like they're reading your mind for you." He laughed lightly. "But understanding them is the trick, I think, to training them." The converse was both in jest, and in honest opinion. And, to E'yan's opinion, something that might help lift the lad's spirits a little. After all ... who could really stay horribly down, with tumbling baby felines at thier feet?

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Brownrider T'kal of Lewleth." E'yan said, cheerfully. "I am E'yan, Bluerider of Kindrith, and hobbying harper." his eyes shone somewhat as he grinned crookedly. "But you can just call me E'yan, I don't really care." After a moment, he went on a little bit. Maybe telling a bit about himself would help? "I got here a few weeks ago from Fort, and frankly, I'm loving every minute of it! And of course ... gathers are always amusing." He laughed lightly again.

[Avu]

He suspects. He does /not/, you're being paranoid, Kalmine. Relax. T'kal couldn't quite meet the Bluerider's gaze, his cheeks burning as he pressed his lips together. I don't like it. You should tell him. The boy twitched in shock again and if possible, his eyes were drawn even further away from E'yan's. "Sorry, um, Leth..." he explained vaguely. Leth, you can't be serious? He is new, he would not judge you. Besides, it would be good for you, to tell someone else - I know I am biased. Perhaps a new...? T'kal shook his head, red locks of hair falling into his eyes. No. Nononono. I can't, I can't, I /won't/. Very well, Leweleth sighed, withdrawing again. The Brownrider turned back, grinning apologetically again. "Leweleth's just - um. Yeah. Right...yeah..." He was back to staring at the ground, feeling like a complete and total idiot. He'd never felt...this...awkward before. It was possibly his first conversation with a sane person in a Turn...

He slipped into a brooding state with the silence that followed, absently pursing his lips in thought, a motion which made them seem more feminine than masculine - but at the time, he didn't notice. T'kal, truth be told, had forgotten how embarrassed he'd used to be about them, about his gangly height - after the Turn of drink, drugs, and sex, hardly anything but the urge to get more drugs and the frantic desperation to free himself of that, really existed anymore. Leweleth did, of course; his life and the war and the Weyr did - but only Leweleth stood out as particularly important other than those two urges. He was waging a mental war, and he knew it - was ashamed of himself, for fighting back so well. "Something complex?" T'kal answered without pausing to think. "Unfortunately so." Then he flushed again. "I mean, it's a really long story, but I guess it's not really complex." No, it was much more straightforward than he'd really liked to think it was. Doping oneself for a Turn did not make a particularly good tale to tell.

Mind that works alot like theirs...the faintest twitch suggested a growing grin at the corner of the boy's mouth. He does not judge by what he does not know. I think you should tell /him/. If not him, somebody. You told Hokth's, didn't you? Leweleth pressed. Saraina...? She was different. She /knew/ me, she...I don't know. She deserved to know. She knew...what...how the Weyrlingmaster felt and stuff, and - shardit, Leth, I'm sorry, I can't. What is so different? sighed the brown, but he withdrew again. "Well, yeah...I'd like to train a feline, maybe, but I don't think I can have the time to." He was much too busy trying to beat his body back into a good physical standard and his mind back into the once razor-sharp keen apparatus it had once been - able to comprehend and decide swiftly. That he no longer had access to speed, strength, agility, intelligence, or wit bitterly stung. "I think they're really nice," he murmured, and then scrambled over the fence - at least that simple motion no longer took the effort it once did - and squatted in the pen, tickling the heads of one of the feline kittens. What do you think, Leth? If it will make you feel better, I'd say go for it, the brown assured him lovingly.

He nodded up at the Bluerider, a grin flashing over his face briefly. "Pleased, E'yan of Kindrith." His social skills were a bit rusty, but the Harper-born boy knew how to be polite when he needed to be. "My parents were Harpers, too," T'kal offered, surprised and a bit pleased to find something in common. "They taught me." He was glad he didn't have to go to Harper Hall to learn, and truly, his parents had taught him just as well as any master could have - his low, rich voice, unmarred by the past Turn, was ample proof of that. Singing had always come easily to him, playing a gitar moreso. Although - the fact that E'yan had come from Fort - that simply reinforced that T'kal could not tell him about where he had come from. The High Reaches queen had run away from Fort - he was bordering positive that the Bluerider would still have some sort of a loyalty to the Weyr, especially if he'd come only recently. A twinge of guilt. He seemed so nice! T'kal sighed broodingly. "Oh...I hail from Selenitas." Which was kind of true - he'd Impressed Leweleth at Selenitas, and lived for some time - that didn't necessarily mean he'd stayed.

[dragon]

It did not escape E'yan that the lad near him seemed to be getting more and more worked up over something, in silence. It seemed rather odd to him. What was the matter with this poor lad? He appeared to be tearing himself apart from the inside out. And yet getting nowhere other than getting all worked up over it. E'yan had tried to be careful what he said to the lad, to maybe help him calm down and relax, but it did not seem to be working in the slightest. Hurm. Though E'yan could entirely sympathize with the apparently feeling like an idiot part. That just seemed to be a natural part of a lad's evolving into an adult. He, himself, had had similar issues while growing up. Since support seemed to not be helping T'kal much at all, E'yan wondered if merely letting perceived blunders slide by unnoticed would help the lad at all. Some people could really be puzzles! "Most riders talk to their dragons." He offered. "In fact, I don't know of any that don't. Nothing to apologize for." E'yan said.

E'yan watched as T'kal thought, apparently totally wrapped up in his own thoughts. To the point where most of what he said seemed to come out totally backwards to what the lad wanted. That, E'yan decided, was more than just the awkwardness of youth. No, there was something else there. Not that that particular thing wasn't noticeable by the lad's stressing out over apparently nothing. E'yan wondered if maybe he might alert a healer to the lad's condition. He might need someone to talk to him. And he doubted a total stranger like himself would be the sort of someone the lad needed. "I take it that it's an uncomfortable simple complexity?" E'yan asked, mildly.

Ah, finally. An expression lighter than scowls, or brooding sulks. Not much of a smile, but one nonetheless. There was hope for this lad after all! "You don't have time to? How old is your Leweleth?" E'yan asked in curiosity. If the dragon was out of weyrling hood, he reckoned there was enough time to train a young pet. It didn't take a lot, after all … just consistency. Unless there was something going on that was really eating up the lad's time… E'yan could only think of a few things that would do that. And none of them seemed to be something T'kal would be interested in. Not in his apparent current state. When T'kal hopped into the pen and commented on thinking they were nice, E'yan smiled easily. Leaning an elbow on the fence, he watched as the lad's fingers played over the furred babies' heads. Tenderness, there. A mark of a good soul, that. People who were pleasant like that to animals were by far and gone better souls than those who weren't. Troubled, T'kal might be. But hopeless, not at all. "Nice, yes." He reached over the fence with a hand extended, a silent gesture asking for a kitten. Now that the lad was in there… might as well! "May I?"

"Your parents taught you? Taught you what, exactly?" E'yan asked, out of curiosity. Harpering was actually a rather broad career… E'yan himself actually preferred the singing and playing and entertaining aspects, himself. Teaching and telling histories did not interest him nearly as much, though he might be able to pass off a halfway decent recount. Not as well as most Harpers, sadly. "You're lucky, to hail from here. I don't know if you know it yet or not. But if you don't, you soon will. This weyr is something different, something special. It's not like the others at all." E'yan praised. "Count yourself lucky, lad. It took me a deal of time to get my own place here. But it was worth every effort."

[Avu]

T'kal was mentally grateful for the excuse to look at something other than the Bluerider. The kittens were all quite playful, and he'd instinctively crouched on his haunches, letting his bright red hair fall into golden eyes, a real smile stretching across his face as he let them tussle with his fingers, seemingly oblivious to the slight pain that their claws and teeth brought. Truth be told, he liked the pain. No, T'kal wasn't a masochist; he was merely - glad - for the sign that he was wholly there, not numbed against feeling anything - the sign that he was alive. A rueful grin flickered across his face as he raised his eyes a bit reluctantly to E'yan, Leth fading into a warm, reassuring precense in his mind. He really did need to tell someone...Saraina had already had the basic facts - and besides, by E'yan's own account, he was a recent Fort transfer. If R'non and Rath could come to Selenitas and spy for such a long time, who was to say Fort hadn't sent E'yan and Kindrith as spies? Normally the boy was much less paranoid, but..."Thanks," he answered quietly, to the Harper Bluerider's reply to his stammered apology.

The Brownrider shrugged, biting his lip uncertainly, at the question. "Very," he admitted, running his hand through his hair. It might have been simply a gesture, an ordinary, thoughtless motion, had it not been so tense, as if he'd originally wanted to bury his face in his hands and then changed it at the last minute. And it had been so. He really didn't need anyone telling him he was mentally ill - he already knew it. The Healers at the Weyr knew it, too, or at least, T'kal figured that M'vorn had told them. The boy sighed, shrugging helplessly. "It's hard to explain...I mean, technically, it's over, but I can't..." He shook his head, lips tightening as he returned his gaze to a particularly playful dark tabby kitten that was clawing its way up his leg. I think you should tell him, T'kalmine. It's good for you, I think. No longer was Leweleth being firm, nor suggesting; he was merely stating a fact, his voice quiet and confident. T'kal gave a slightly bewildered laugh. "Leth says I should tell you," he admitted. "It's like this...I guess you know a queenrider left Fort Weyr?" He waited for a reaction before swallowing, steeling himself emotionally, and going on. "They came to Selenitas, recruiting people to start a new Weyr. Or rather..." The Brownrider hesitated. You owe nothing to High Reaches Weyr, Kalmine. I know... "They wanted to repair an old Weyr. Namely, High Reaches. They came to Selenitas..." He was repeating himself, but it established the facts better in his own mind. "And took some of the Weyrlings from Aslath's and Salenth's clutch to their Weyr. Leth and I - we went. And at first, it really was good, but then..." He shuddered. "Drugs, they started using drugs. And now, we've come back. But there's still that addiction..." Yes, the last bit had been rushed, but then, T'kal really didn't remember much of what had gone on. Except the terrible loneliness that Leweleth had felt; his own terror - and those were secrets.

T'kal scooped up a kitten at random at E'yan's query, stroking the soft, furred head and murmuring a nonsensical reassurement until the cub moved no longer, and stood slowly, cradling the feline to his chest until he felt he was close enough to deposit the lightly squirming kitten, eyes playful, into E'yan's hand, and then dropping back to the ground to disengage a kitten's claws from his pant leg. The same dark tabby as before, he noted with a chuckle, tapping the cub softly on the tip of his nose, not hard enough to hurt. "Stop it, little one..." He paused, shrugging as he prepared to answer the first question, shifting uncomfortably. "He's nineteen months..." No, Leweleth was no longer a Weyrling..."It's not Leth, I'm just..." A shrug. "I'm trying to get back in shape...running, exercising, you know...it's hard and I don't want to have the excuse of taking care of a kitten so I can cheat myself out of exercising." Yes, it hurt - he'd never thought it could hurt so much - but he was pushing himself to his limits and Leweleth, though careful never to let T'kal overreach, encouraged that.

The subject of Harpering was a much more comfortable one, but T'kal still quirked his lips thoughtfully, considering as he reached up to his left ear, where three piercings were, deftly removing a wooden earring and offering it to the kittens, a small smile stretching across his face as he watched them bat it back and forth. "Singing was the main thing," he answered after a moment. "I could probably blunder through gitar, pipes, drums, and harp...or, I could, anyway. Never tried making my own, except for pipes and multiple pipes, though..." Raising his eyebrow, he glanced at E'yan. "They both majored in singing, you could say, so naturally they knew most about that." He nodded wordlessly at E'yan's comments about Selenitas. So long since he'd last been here - he'd forgotten everything, had done nothing for Selenitas, wanted no credit for how lovely the Weyr was.

[dragon]

E'yan listened as T'kal briefly outlined his story. Very vague, yet at the same alarming in what it did initially divulge. Stolen weyrlings? Drugs? A new weyr? In a different era, a new weyr would have been celebrated. This E'yan knew. In the past, in the histories, just such things were. But now? Now was not the time to be fracturing and splitting into incoherent, unallied groups. "I knew when the queen and her rider vanished, yes. I wondered where they went, but I didn't dwell on it … at the time I was orchestrating my own transfer." E'yan said. "That is a sad tale indeed." In fact, it explained a lot to the bluerider. It was no wonder the lad looked to be tearing himself apart from the inside out. To have been here, and then gone, and gotten so screwed up … only to try and come back and rebuild. And at such a young age! "I don't know as there is anything I can do you help you out with this problem, but don't hesitate to ask if you need something. I would be happy to help you out. It can't be easy. Just hang onto your will, there, and your dragon, and you'll make it out the other side." He said, by way of meaning strong encouragement. "Have you, by any chance, consulted with a healer? They might be able to help you with alleviating the withdrawal symptoms. They might even possess a concoction to help cleanse your system." Only after he said it, he realized that if the lad had indeed already been to see the healers, what he was saying would probably grate as a lecture. Nothing for it … words spoken could not be reswallowed! "Er … pardon if you've heard that already." He offered. E'yan wondered if T'kal had any friends to lean on, rely on, while he got his feet back under him. Having a strong support structure sometimes made all the difference in the world whether or not someone recovered from something … drugs not withstanding. E'yan had seen many a man be destroyed by the many drugs out there. Dragonman and common man alike.

E'yan cradled the feline cub in his hand, watching with a merry glint in his eye as the kitten sat on its rump in his palm, staring back at him with those wide eyes. Kittens were not meant to sit like that, though, so E'yan lifted it over the fence and rested it against his own chest to stroke it with his other hand. Cute little thing it was … and terribly soft on his calloused fingers. "Adorable little fella." He commented, running a finger over the kitten's head and around behind its ear to scratch the side of its neck there. He was pleased to hear the small beast start a halting purr, trustingly leaning into the rubbing. E'yan continued to rub and pet the kitten, leaning on the fence with his side as he listened to T'kal's explanation. "Exercising." He said, simply. Some of that the lad could certainly do with, no doubt. But he would not say so. Again, he wondered if the lad had anyone to work with, to help him keep going in the right direction. Sometimes, just having someone there… E'yan contemplated the kitten's eyes for a moment, before looking over at T'kal again. "Are you working with anyone?"

E'yan grinned. "I have to admit I'm a tad partial to the song and melody myself." He said. Freeing one hand from the grasping kitten that was trying to lick his fingers, he indicated the stiff pack he had been carrying. "I brought my gitar along, thinking to join in on some of the dancing square's music. If they would let me, that is." He shrugged. "If not, I may just have to break off on my own and cause some disturbances in the stalls, hey?" he joked, laughing lightly. "Though … while I can do all the traditional ballads as well as most, I prefer to invent melodies all my own to fool around with."

[Avu]

It felt - good. To get it off his chest, to explain it, everything, to someone who didn't already know. Not because the Brownrider liked to be the bearer of news, but because T'kal desperately needed someone to listen to him. Leweleth suited him, but neither Rider nor dragon liked to talk about the past, preferring to move on to future - T'kal already knew that he would never, not in his lifetime, ever get over what he'd put Leweleth through at High Reaches, and though the brown fought to repress the terror, struggled to fit new, better memories into those slots, he never could. It was part of them, those memories, a part both yearned to shed, yet couldn't - but it helped, if they didn't speak of it. For a while, then, they could pretend it had never happened, could pretend they had never been broken, lost. If anything good had come out of the drugs, though, it was simply that the outcome had strengthened their bond. It had been weak, strained to the breaking point and stained with terror, but as they began to fight the terror, fight the drugs, it had actually strengthened it.

The Brownrider nodded, accepting E'yan's explanation. He probably would worry if Shmee and Aslath, Kaegan or Millieth, or even Savitri and Hepaticath, whom he knew nothing about save for the fact that they had Hatched recently from Aslath's and Ciceroth's clutch, disappeared - but then, he had nothing on his mind except to get the past off his mind. The Bluerider's encouraging words made the faintest smile cross the boy's face as he rubbed one kitten's belly as it rolled over, nibbling at his fingers playfully, a purr rumbling in its throat as one of its fellows sprang on T'kal's hand, sharp teeth nipping at the young man's wrist and then scrambling away, tail flicking playfully at the Brownrider. "Leth and I couldn't be closer," he replied quietly, and felt a quiet pride along his and Leweleth's bond as the brown caught the comment. Healer? Did E'yan think he hadn't been to a healer already? He shook his head, though, shrugging helplessly. "I don't think we have a mindhealer at Selenitas," he pointed out. "And addiction - I mean, I haven't taken the drugs in a while, but the addiction's a problem in my mind, not my body..." As experienced as the healers were in healing physical wounds, no person could treat a mental wound unless they were trained for it.

T'kal cocked his head, watching silently as E'yan cradled the kitten, in much the same manner he had before. One kitten's needle claws pricked his leg as it mewled, demanding attention, and the Brownrider scooped up the tiny thing without thinking, letting it scramble onto his shoulder, latching its claws into the thick padded material as it swayed, tail standing straight out at attention as its amber eyes blazed triumphantly, nibbling on one of T'kal's remaining earrings. Which reminded him. The Brownrider reached down, picking up the wooden, carved ornament from the ground where an orange kitten had been batting at it, wiping off the dirt on the hem of his tunic, and replaced it again. "Yeah, exercising," he agreed, and shrugged. "A Bluerider. Saraina. Sometimes someone else, if I can find a partner." Another shrug. "Most of the time just Leweleth, though." It was getting easier, to run, to swim...

His smile stretched into a clearly pleased grin at E'yan's comment. He sang, too? Perhaps the Brownrider was not trained by Masters of the craft, but few could match the Brownrider's voice. Rich and clean, he seemed born for singing - if he'd gone to Harper Hall, T'kal was quite certain he would have been made Journeyman by now. Not out of arrogance, but merely common sense. He knew, through hours of drills, the basic drum messages, the scales, the traditional songs, some more select songs, could pluck his way through gitar and harp, pipes and drums - and his training, while not Master-trained, was the elite. "Don't see why they wouldn't let you," he answered, shrugging. "As long as you can prove you're good, I mean. I doubt they want to put someone horrible up there. That'd definitely ruin the Gather." He sighed, and then grinned. "I haven't composed in a long time," T'kal admitted, shrugging. "I'd mostly forgotten, and now Leth's using the scales to help me recover. I tried to teach him music, I remember," the boy added reminiscently. Leth's voice had been a sweet treble at the time, but by now, it was a low, clear bass, and the brown rarely raised it for anything musical, even if his mind was musically oriented at times.

[dragon]

E'yan thought it was odd that a place as large as Selenitas did not have at least one mindhealer about somewhere – even if they were at a hold somewhere. But he did not comment on that … he figured that T'kal needed his attention refocused on something of a much lighter note. As such, E'yan let quite a few observations and comments fall by the way side, to lie in the past unanswered and unmolested where they would – hopefully – not bother the lad for the time being. "It is good that you are close to your dragon." E'yan commented mildly.

The bluerider watched with some amusement as the determined kitten made it's way to T'kal's shoulder, and then posed there. He almost laughed aloud, but managed to not. Even so – the merriment was unconcealed in his sparkling eyes. "Looks like you have a friend, there." He chuckled.

"I don't see why they wouldn't let me, either. But hey – all things are possible." E'yan shrugged easily. "You never know with some people. However … regardless of what they say or think about it, I intend to have a heck of a time at this gather, one way or another. Now … I do not mean to seem as if I think little of people's attitudes. It's just that some places like to hire certain people to do the entertaining, to make sure there is someone to do it. As such, there's no room open for anyone just happening along." He shrugged. "And I have no idea if they've done that or not." He grinned, as he listened to T'kal recount about Leth and music. "It sounds to me like you and your brown both enjoy song."

[Avu]

The Bluerider had no idea, really. The sudden thought was a negative one, and the truth in it made something internal collapse. Had T'kal been looking at E'yan, it would have been highly obvious, as his golden eyes were highly expressive, but as it was - the Brownrider was a bit preoccupied with the kitten on his shoulder, whom had just grasped one earring between its teeth and tugged playfully. "Ouch! Don't," T'kal protested, half-turning away from E'yan as his mind cringed away from the pain that accompanied the realization. He might feel sorry, alarmed, as all people seemed to, but he didn't understand the pain. T'kal would gladly have thrown himself off of a cliff if only he could be spared the emotional agony he'd put himself, put Leweleth, through - Leweleth especially. The brown dragon had Chosen him to be His, and what had T'kal done? Turned his back on the brown, gone off and hurt himself, and, most terrible of all, he'd done what no person should ever put a dragon through: He'd left his Bonded alone. It was not a physical isolation, but a mental one, a dreadful, neverending feeling of loss and terror, a feeling of knowing you should have something there - but it wasn't there. It was simply - gone. As if it had never been. He realized his fingers had frozen for a brief second on the earring, and forced them to move again, removing the silver backing and pulling out the small silver stud and letting the kitten take it, mouthing at it happily, with only a simple nod at the Harper's words. Yes, he and Leth were exceptionally close - one of the few things he could be grateful for.

The brief despair vanished at the mention of the kitten - forcibly. T'kal's eyes gleamed as he eyed the kitten on his shoulder, a lopsided grin sprawling across the young man's face. "I guess I do," he agreed lightly, raising his hand and rubbing the kitten's head, moving his fingers along the arched back, the responsive purr rumbling in his ear. So sweet. So innocent, so trusting, so gentle...okay, the Brownrider amended mentally, as claws pricked his throat again, maybe not gentle...but still. He might buy. Really, he was seriously considering it. The kitten was a lovely little one, curious and playful, trusting and loving..."How's yours?" he added, throwing a glance at the kitten E'yan held. Do you like it, T'kalmine? T'kal's grin twitched at the brown's cautious tones. I think he's adorable, but I won't have the time, unfortunately, as you well know, Leth. Perhaps you could get a Drudge-person to help you care for it if you offer a good fee. Then it wouldn't be mine...nah. Thanks, Leweleth, but I guess I'll wait till a flitter Hatching or something - and even that's doubtful. Like you said, I need more human companionship. The kitten's insistent mewls in his ear got his attention, and the Brownrider's head snapped around to attention, the young man quirking his eyebrow at the kitten. "Yes?" Meow. "Down? Or my earring?" He offered the wooden one to the kitten, sliding the silver stud into his pocket. The kitten purred in satisfaction, grabbing his earring and skittering down his arm, taking a leap to the ground and throwing the piece of wood into the air, catching it, playfully waggling it at his littermates.

"Well, that's that, then. I lost an earring," T'kal commented wryly, his eyebrow rising in amusement, and then he shrugged, pulling himself into a sitting position on the fence, legs dangling - enticingly, it seemed, as a few kittens approached to bat at his feet with tentative paws. The Harper-bred boy shrugged at the comment. "Lots of people stay later than expected," he pointed out. "If you're willing to stay late, I'm sure you'll be able to sneak in a song or two...what were you planning on playing? Any songs that I might've heard of?" A shrug answered E'yan's comment as to Leweleth's enjoyment of music, although a pleased little grin tugged the corner of T'kal's mouth. "Leweleth - just knows, but he doesn't really enjoy it," he answered, shrugging. "If he once did, I've forgotten, unfortunately. Now, he mainly just drills me on stuff, like the number of flats or sharps in any scale in major - things like that." The grin flashed wider. "I might have to come along with you to watch you play," he added teasingly. Leweleth would like him 'socializing,' and besides, he hadn't heard music in such a long time unless he was the one producing it, and while that was always fun, he had to concentrate on the notes, and didn't really get to enjoy it as much as just listening to it might offer.

[dragon]

"I was planning on playing what ever fancy struck my mind at the moment, actually. Why? Got any favorites you'd like?" E'yan asked, eyes twinkling merrily. Playing his gitar was something he really enjoyed, and would take any excuse he could get to do so.

"But - you can't just tag along and watch me play." He teased. "Thou must sing! Or play something, or dance a jig, either way. Just standing around gets in the way of the mood, you know?" he laughed. But it was obvious the bluerider was not going to enforce that statement, anyway. He'd be delighted to have T'kal follow along.

This was a gather, and gathers were fun. And T'kal looked like he needed to get into a happier mood anyway. Gathers meant good food, lots of music, singing, dancing ... and possibly even some really pretty women. Not to mention the wine. Wine was always welcome. But not music and wine at the same time - not for E'yan. Wine tended to blurr his ability to play quite right, and he didn't like that much at all. Music, and then when his fingers finally tired out, THEN wine. And a goodly amount of it, too. E'yan was capable of holding his wine quite well.

"If you watch a moment, the kitten will probably tire of its new plaything, and you can retrieve it before another takes a fancy to it." E'yan suggested, before offering the kitten he held back to T'kal. It was a long reach down over the fence, and the bluerider did not want to drop the kitten from even a foot high. The kitten could probably take it, but it still wasn't something E'yan liked to do.

[Avu]

T'kal quirked one eyebrow, a laugh lurking in the corner of his mouth. "My favorites you probably won't have heard of," he responded lightly, crouching on his haunches as he ran his fingers softly down one of the kitten's backs; it made a purring sound and arched its back sharply into the caress. "My parents weren't really well known, and - really self-deprecating, so they'd write songs, play them for me, and then throw them away." He shrugged, tickling the kitten under its chin. "So, they're basically nameless tunes that nobody's ever heard of before. You're very sweet, aren't you?" The last bit was uttered in a softer, more adoring tone, clearly meant for the kitten. "I want to steal you, little one...think you'd like Leweleth?" The response was a nibble on his fingers, the kitten reaching up with one forepaw and snagging his finger, gazing at him with solemn amber eyes that matched the young brownrider's.

His eyebrows raised again at the Harper's next comment, a real grin flashing across his face. "I'll sing if thou so desires it," he replied with mock sweetness, wriggling his finger to gain the kitten's attention again; the ears flicked as the thing mewled, pouncing on his hand, sharp baby teeth brushing skin, tail lashing playfully. Surely that hurts? Leweleth's anxiety was clear. Not too bad. Cute, isn't it? T'kal responded happily, reaching down with his other hand to disentangle the little one's claws from his skin. The brown didn't sound very convinced. Won't be 'cute' when it gets to be the size of one of my forelegs, came the response. Leth, it's just playfulness, like a dragonet pouncing on a clutchsibling. Humph.

Rolling his eyes at the dragon's lack of enthusiasm - which had only arrived when the kitten had 'hurt' His, T'kal straightened, silently accepting the squirming kitten from E'yan and squatting to put it back with his fellows, shrugging at the Bluerider's comment about his earring. It was just an old, slightly worn one, and if he wasn't concerned that the kittens might hurt themselves with it - it didn't seem likely, but it was possible - he would've just left it for them. As it was, another kitten had already stolen the earring from the first, and T'kal watched as the piece of jewelry spun across the ground. "Not putting that back in my ear," he commented dryly, retrieving it and thrusting it into his pocket. Maybe the Brownrider wasn't the most hygiene-obsessed young man in the world, but that didn't mean he didn't know the basics, and kind though the Healers might seem, he really didn't want to spend much time in the Infirmary if at all avoidable.

Swinging himself back over the fence, the Brownrider jerked his head in the direction of the main square of the Gather. "Want to head over, or do you want to buy something?" Are you buying? No. Not now. Not a kitten. Maybe I'll see about a fire lizard egg next Gather or something. I don't know I have enough marks for one now. A little cousin could be nice, Leweleth agreed after a thoughtful pause.