Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
|
Post by Avu on Oct 14, 2011 23:25:49 GMT -5
The Searchrider that had brought her to Selenitas had been frustratingly vague about pretty much everything, including the exact details of why Selenitas was so strange a Weyr—even Sena knew it was wrong, sort of, even if it was only in comparison to Benden Weyr—and all she’d really gotten was that it had been tragic. Further, after the greenrider had left her at the Candidate Barracks with an unhelpful thumb jab towards the bunks, Sena found she’d missed her bunkmate one way or another—unsurprising since it was the middle of the day and her bunkmate—Sydney?—undoubtedly had better things to do than hang out in the Candidate Barracks all day, but disappointing nonetheless. A guide would’ve been nice, she supposed; Selenitas seemed a fair labyrinth.
Apparently luck was with her, though, because Sena found her way back outside in fairly short order, decided that the outside of the Weyr would be much less prone to getting her completely lost on her very first day, and set off following the river.
By the time she’d gotten fifty yards downriver, she’d strung herself a daisy chain, one end looped twice around her throat and dropped down to her stomach and the other being braided with more flowers, the girl meandering aimlessly; the best way to get acquainted with a place was probably to start off by being in the actual place, but Sena wasn’t really in a hurry anyway. One thing the Searchrider had told her was that there’d almost just been a Hatching, and she’d probably be waiting quite a bit before another one came, so most of the Candidate-y stuff could come later. Tomorrow, day after—whatever.
A flash of blue distinctly not the sky drew Sena to a quicker pace, the girl’s flower chain dropping from her fingers to bounce against the curve of her shoulder, her brow knitting in hopeful confusion. She hadn’t forgotten that Iskierka might be there but she hadn’t been quite really confident of it; she hadn’t heard of anything of Benden or Selenitas for so long in the Glasscraft Hall and it just seemed like such an overeager, silly sort of hopefulness. The death rates in the war…
She stepped cautiously around the dragon—positive he wouldn’t know her; three-day memory span, wasn’t it? There were some things you just didn’t forget, even at Glasscraft Hall without a dragon in sight for years—catching ahold of a tree to loop herself childishly around it in an absentminded twirl and then bracing herself on the smooth bark. Pulled nervously at her daisy chain—in retrospect such an immature game to play—Sena wound her arms around the tree, pressing her cheek against the trunk, and called tentatively, “Ioth?”
|
|
Ember
Administrator
T'san Iskierka Dy'shi Jazheera Ae'on Nephele Qaena K'dem Eikane
FLAME GURU OF THE UNDERWORLD
Posts: 1,832
|
Post by Ember on Oct 20, 2011 16:24:07 GMT -5
Iskierka rather inexpertly tossed a throwing knife at a rock close to the edge of the river. Technically Legatus had been trained in short and long distance fighting but the bluerider still wasn't gauranteed to hit what she wanted when she threw a knife. Really, as far as she was concerned, she was a hell of a lot better fighter with her dual knives than she'd ever be with throwing knives anyways. It wasn't like the damn things were cheap either. At least if she held onto her weapons she always knew without a doubt where they were.
A girl approaches, Ioth informed his rider. He kept his gaze on the stranger but otherwise didn't seemingly acknowledge her. The bluerider didn't really think she was a threat but she stood up and dusted her pants off all the same. There was no way for the girl to see her yet if she was on that side of Ioth and she didn't bother to announce her presence just yet. With any luck the girl would just drift on and leave her alone. Iskierka couldn't honestly say she hated company anymore but...she still had no idea what to talk about most of the time.
Ioth watched Sena climb the tree, infinitely curious at the actions of humans. He had not expected her to know his name, though. The blue reacted rather violently. He coiled back, letting out a hiss of surprise as his eyes flashed yellows and reds. While the blue calmed but a moment later, not sensing any danger, Iskierka rounded his side and vaulted over his paw. She already had one dagger out and narrowed her eyes at the figure in the tree. "How do you know his name? Who ar-" Iskierka paused, dumbfounded as matured features finally reminded her of someone. "...Sena?"
|
|
Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
|
Post by Avu on Oct 20, 2011 17:07:08 GMT -5
She should have expected it, she knew, but the response she got from the dragon stunned her anyway—she was so sure it was Ioth, now, but Ioth had never hissed at her before, and even when Sena knew that the blue didn’t remember her, and would react to her like a stranger, it was just…sort of awful. The girl went still instead of instinctively shrinking back, keeping her arms looped around the tree trunk. As the dragon calmed, Sena cleared her throat awkwardly, opened her mouth to say something—what, she wasn’t sure, but hopefully something that would make him listen to her, even if everything Sena knew about Iskierka was all from Benden and would, more likely than not, just make him more upset.
Didn’t get anything out, though, especially not when Iskierka actually stepped out from the other side of Ioth. Sena’s eyes brightened in immediate recognition, and she pushed away from the tree to go to her, except…except. Her immediate response was a devastated sinking feeling in her stomach, and she was sure that even if Iski could’ve picked it out instantly in her expression once, she probably couldn’t anymore, not if she didn’t even recognize her. It lasted, fortunately, only half a heartbeat, if that; the dawning of recognition earned Iskierka a relieved laugh, Sena closing the space between them (it didn’t occur to her, now, to be frightened of Ioth—now that Iskierka had remembered her, surely Ioth wouldn’t do her any harm).
“Yeah, I just,” she said, and stepped forward to hug Iskierka—she was pretty sure she had insisted on hugging as a child and while it occurred to her, now, that hugging was not a common practice at Benden, well—they weren’t at Benden anymore, were they? Sena pressed her cheek against Iskierka’s shoulder, pressing an affectionate kiss to her cheek along the way and grinning as she attempted to continue talking like a normal person through her excitement, “I just got here, some Searchrider came to the Glasscraft Hall? Should I reintroduce myself to Ioth?” she added, more seriously, glancing at the dragon in question.
And no, she wasn’t going to let go of Iskierka anytime soon. It’d been ages since she’d seen her. Or Ioth, actually, but Ioth didn’t have any memory of her and likely would not approve of being hugged right now. (Although Iski sure might not either, come to that.)
|
|
Ember
Administrator
T'san Iskierka Dy'shi Jazheera Ae'on Nephele Qaena K'dem Eikane
FLAME GURU OF THE UNDERWORLD
Posts: 1,832
|
Post by Ember on Oct 24, 2011 20:02:18 GMT -5
Ioth watched the human pair in confusion. What was even going on? Vague memories of a girl, a family back at Benden was thrust in the blue's direction and he let out an understanding, though still confused croon. He would have thought that the girl's obvious importance to Iskierka would have meant she'd have made him remember her too but...oh well. Perhaps eventually His would actually explain things to him but she usually didn't.
Iskierka was...dumbfounded. Completely without words. As her niece embraced her the bluerider awkwardly molded into the hug, breath hitching in odd ways at the flood of emotions she tried to keep under the surface. "Searched? Glasscraft?" She floundered over the bits of information for a bit before Sena's question fully registered and the woman cleared her throat, trying to regain some bit of composure. It wasn't working so well so she decided to use Ioth as a convenient distraction.
"Uh, yeah, you should probably reintroduce yourself. He's awfully confused right now," Iskierka said, dropping her arms from around Sena in the hopes the girl would turn her attention to the blue dragon peering curiously at her. Not that Iskierka necessarily minded Sena's attention but...it was all a little too much at once. When she'd been told not to return to Benden she expected never to see Sena again.
|
|
Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
|
Post by Avu on Oct 29, 2011 11:05:34 GMT -5
Iskierka hugged back, however awkwardly, and that was good enough to have Sena’s spirits soaring. Slight surprise that Iski seemed to be confused about the Glasscraft tidbit—she’d been thinking about it even before Iskierka had left, but then, she didn’t really remember saying much about it. Too busy being a sulky little girl about being left behind and mooching as much time with Iskierka as possible, probably. Still, Sena nodded, adding proudly, “I’m a Journeyman now, but I don’t think there’ll be much Glasscrafting going on at the Weyr, so.” (She was a little sad about that; she’d genuinely liked Glasscrafting—certainly more than she’d liked being left Standing at Benden all the time.)
She dropped her arms from around Iskierka when her aunt did, and then regarded Ioth with sudden shyness, moving tentatively towards the blue and wiggling her fingers at him in a wave. “Hi Ioth,” smiling at him hopefully. She didn’t expect a sudden epiphany of remembrance or anything, but still, “Sorry if I surprised you a minute ago. I just, I used to know you really well, my mom was a greenrider at Benden Weyr and she knew Aunt Iski so I just sort of adored you by default.” Sena hesitated—didn’t suppose her mother’s name, or that of her mother’s dragon, would ring a bell anymore. They’d died before Iskierka and Ioth had even left, after all. “I’m sort of glad you don’t remember all of that, though. I was probably really annoying.”
|
|
Ember
Administrator
T'san Iskierka Dy'shi Jazheera Ae'on Nephele Qaena K'dem Eikane
FLAME GURU OF THE UNDERWORLD
Posts: 1,832
|
Post by Ember on Nov 6, 2011 12:17:30 GMT -5
"Congratulations?" Iskierka offered, still rather surprised about...well, everything really. Hugs didn't exactly prove good vantage points for examining people so the bluerider was doubly relieved when Sena let go of her and turned to Ioth. She'd obviously grown and changed but the closer Iskierka looked the more she could pick out the girl Sena had been. If a small, fond smile crossed the bluerider's face she wasn't even aware of it. She'd long since decided that she didn't have a family anymore...only for her niece to show up out of nowhere again.
Ioth lowered his head right down to the ground almost to get a better look at the girl, breath gushing gently over the candidate. His head tilted this way and that as she spoke. His whirling eyes shifted slightly to take in more of his rider when she looked away. Mention of this girl's mother brought on a raw kind of pain for the bluerider? Hmm. His focus shifted back to Sena as she finished and he drew back slightly, considering all he'd heard and what little bit Iskierka was confirming.
Then the blue lowered his head again and pushed his snout almost too close to the girl and crooned. Iskierka snorted and translated for the blue, since he was unwilling to address another. "He says 'hello, again' and 'look after Mine.' Silly beast." Iskierka lifted a hand and shoved at Ioth's nose to have him back off. He hesitated a tiny moment before obeying even though he crooned again. Didn't remember this one but she was polite and family and that would be enough for now.
|
|
Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
|
Post by Avu on Nov 6, 2011 21:44:58 GMT -5
Sena almost reached out to touch Ioth just on instinct when the blue’s head dipped towards her, the girl biting back a giggle at the way his head tilted—like a puppy. Like she remembered, except she probably wasn’t allowed to touch, and she snatched back her hand before she could accidentally offend Ioth, offering the blue a tentative, shy smile instead. The croon came as a pleasant surprise; Sena’s smile widened and she threw a glance at Iskierka, searching for the translation that came immediately after. The again tacked onto the end of Ioth’s ‘hello’ drew a genuine delight and she nodded solemnly at him—an unspoken promise. She still didn’t have a dragon of her own, maybe never would, but she wasn’t helplessly fourteen anymore and she sure wasn’t going to let Iskierka disappear again.
At least, not without going with.
As plans went, it sounded much better in her head, and besides, words would only cheapen the moment anyway.
Well, those particular words would; instead, Sena turned back to Iskierka—she was happy to see Ioth, but it was her Aunt that she was especially thrilled to see again. “You weren’t busy, were you?” she asked, abruptly aware that she had been, essentially, an interruption. Of…of dragon-bathing time, maybe, or just training, or something, although at the very least there didn’t seem to be anybody else around that she had stolen Iski’s attention from. That would’ve been embarrassing. “Sorry. I just—I was excited,” with an apologetic half-smile. “I didn’t mean to like…assault you. We should do something when I’m not popping out of trees randomly, yeah?”
She was pretty sure that, if the offer wasn’t quite conventionally polite, it was still much more warning than she used to give Iskierka when she wanted to see her. But then, she’d always known perfectly well where Iskierka lived before, and she didn’t have the faintest idea anymore, and it had never seemed really necessary. Now…well, no matter how much Sena wished that the four years hadn’t put any distance or extra effort into this, it probably had. So. The offer stood. Sena dipped her head at Ioth, adding, “I have orders to bother you at least once in a while.”
|
|
Ember
Administrator
T'san Iskierka Dy'shi Jazheera Ae'on Nephele Qaena K'dem Eikane
FLAME GURU OF THE UNDERWORLD
Posts: 1,832
|
Post by Ember on Nov 11, 2011 20:05:45 GMT -5
It had really been too long since she'd watched Sena interact with Ioth. The blue had never been one to contact others directly but she distinctly recalled parroting information from him to the girl...back when she'd been a girl. Sena would be eighteen at that point and certainly into her own womanhood. A slightly disturbing concept since her niece was pretty and men would be noticing. Ugh. And then her niece would be noticing them at some point too because that's what normal people did. Perhaps her niece had already...yeah, no. Iskierka wasn't quite willing to accept that.
At least rumours would spread eventually at the unusual closeness between her and Sena - Iskierka knew it was inevitable anyways, so there was no point in pretending otherwise - and that ought to keep some of the less desirables off. Then Sena was speaking to her again and the bluerider snapped back into focus. Oh dear but her niece was undoing some of the cold front Iskierka had so carefully constructed. Well, she was undoing it faster than anyone else had so far anyways. She was quick to reassure the girl that, "No, I wasn't particularly busy."
Iskierka's brows rose in faint confusion at her niece's apology. She took a moment to figure out why the girl was doing it. When she came to a conclusion she thought was right, the bluerider smiled very faintly. "You used to assault me all the time, as I recall. I can probably get used to it again." She let out a little snort and her eyes flicked skyward at Sena's reference to Ioth. "Yes, I suppose you do. I actually doubt he'll let you leave right now. At least, not without knowing how to get to my place."
|
|
Avu
Weyrleader Ce'thian Rider A'emi Handler Sena Harper Matteo Weyrbrat Riaren
Posts: 2,439
|
Post by Avu on Nov 12, 2011 23:46:55 GMT -5
The dimpled flash of Sena’s grin was nothing short of absolutely relieved. She wasn’t secure enough in her belief that Iskierka would just start where they’d left off to be confident that it wasn’t anything other than straight-up politeness, but it was good enough, in any case. The smile, the implicit permission to stick around—and continue to come around—those were even better; Sena answered the upturn of her aunt’s mouth with a wide grin, and impulsively stepped sideways to include Ioth into a…triangle, sort of, instead of standing between the dragon and Iskierka; she caught Iskierka’s hand up on the way, threading their fingers together and squeezing affectionately.
“Wanna let me get some flowers or something?” she suggested. “Bet your weyr’s super neat. Would flowers be okay? Could dry ‘em so they don’t get all…wilt-y.” A pause, and then she added, flashing a grin at Ioth, “How’d you feel about a flower necklace, Io? I think you’d pull it off real nice.” Sena just…she knew she shouldn’t be so giddy, that maybe it would disorient Ioth, or alienate him, or whatever, but she remembered. And she wanted to believe Iskierka remembered (even though in retrospect, she imagined the bluerider had just sort of indulged her when she’d had her flower phase).
“Then your place? Although, I guess directions from Candidate Barracks would be more useful, don’t think I could keep coming out here as an intermediate point every time I wanted to see you, right?” A quirked smile, and Sena curled her fingers more tightly around Iski’s hand—she couldn’t remember if she’d been so physically touchy at Benden or if it was something she’d grown into at the Glasscraft Hall. Probably the latter—Benden wasn’t really conducive to such casual touches and the girls at Glasscraft were forever linking elbows or holding hands. “Or the Main Hall, although I don’t know how to get there yet either.”
|
|
Ember
Administrator
T'san Iskierka Dy'shi Jazheera Ae'on Nephele Qaena K'dem Eikane
FLAME GURU OF THE UNDERWORLD
Posts: 1,832
|
Post by Ember on Nov 26, 2011 18:24:17 GMT -5
Iskierka was caught by surprise when Sena took her hand. The hug was sort of a natural thing people did when they hadn't seen each other for a while - although, Iskierka had noticed some people hugged for seemingly no reason at all - but hand holding was...well she didn't even really know. 'Brats did it. So did couples. She'd have thought Sena too old for hand-holding with family at that point. For once Iskierka refused to analyze something. She'd find out in time how her niece was now. Assuming the girl stuck to her like the buerider expected she would.
"Flowers?" The woman questioned, having not entirely been paying attention. Her lips twitched briefly in amusement at the idea of her weyr with flowers. "I have nothing to really put them in but I'm sure you could find some way around that." She was not taking any responsibility for flowers in her weyr. She wouldn't turn them down from Sena but she wouldn't ask for them either. The girl's attention was on Ioth then and the blue shifted almost uncomfortably. Io? Flowers are nice. But wouldn't it be hard to make a necklace for me, since I am so large? "He'd like one, if you think you could manage one big enough for him."
"Well, you picked the right person to show you around, at least," Iskierka commented dryly. "I did discover the place after all." Not something she often bragged about brought up, but it was true all the same. "So, flowers? And then teaching you the weyr." She nodded, mostly to herself, and began leading her family back towards the weyr. Could just have Ioth fly them there but Iskierka was rather keen on relearning about Sena and talking a-dragonback was difficult at best. Usually downright impossible.
|
|