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Post by neeuqtar on Nov 20, 2007 10:30:22 GMT -5
The dark of the night is beautiful in its own way. Star gleam bright, their unearthly light glimmering high above like a handful of ground firegem, flung onto midnight velvet by some enormous hand. The twin moons were new-born, and the lights of the Weyr dimmed to nothing. Every creature seemed to be awake; night-hawks calling and hunting, felines shrieking piercing battle-cries, tunnelsnakes scuttling across the rock away from footfalls. It was beautiful, mysterious, and it seemed that it was completely forgotten.
Uu'n was on the Rim, high above the Weyrling Barracks. The winds off of the jungle, laden with the perfume of flowers and touched with the water of the river, ruffled through his pale hair. It was getting long again. A short bark from in the jungle made him smile--there was a pack of wild canines, very different from the domestics in the Weyr, that he had discovered. Tilting his head back, Uu'n howled, long and mournful. There was a pause, but then the entire pack answered, their voices belling and sobbing into the dark night. Gorgeous.
Adith moved his great head onto Uu'n's lap, eyes whirling a peaceful midnight and purple, darker tones of his hide. Mine, why are you lonely? You have me, don't you? Am I not being enough? I can do better, the dragon said, a little worriedly. It sounded like he had been thinking about this for some time. Don't be ridiculous, Uu'n scolded. I'm not lonely at all. But I will be lonely for my legs if you don't move your head. You're getting too big for that. The dragon huffed, the sound covered up by the dying howls of the canine pack.
I know you're lonely, Mine. You keep dreaming of peoples, Adith replied stubbornly. Uu'n snickered. Of course I dream about people. I like to make them chase their own shadows, the silly things. I'm just plotting in my sleep. You're a people, though, the dragon said after a moment, doubtfully. The weyrling shook his head, smiling. I'm your person. That's different. Adith houghed, not really getting it, and returned to listen to the canine's music.
Lifting his head off of Uu'n's lap, the dragon hummed a note, then howled, far better than Uu'n had, his voice sounding like a true wild canine, lilting into the wind and melding with the howls from the pack below. Astounded, Uu'n sat back and watched his dragon make music with the animals of the jungle. Did I know you could do that? he asked, once Adith had finished and the pack had moved on. No, the dragon said smugly, his worries forgotten. I practice.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Nov 26, 2007 1:32:38 GMT -5
Why?
Kalierre continued to walk, listening to the quiet sounds of the night as she moved. She didn't need to ask Phremath what she meant. The green had been abnormally placid during the last few hours. "Sometimes...people just give up." The dragonhealer knew this wasn't enough for her bonded. Still, she couldn't explain it. The woman would always have something to keep her going. "It's not easy to explain, because there are people who will cling to life with every shred of their being in the same situation."
It was hard for the hatchling to understand the sick man who had just...died. He shouldn't have. There were many far worse off than him. Yet he had. What reason did he have to give up? Phremath's very reason for living was in question, and she didn't let it get her down, most of the time. This made her wonder if maybe she was the one who was wrong? Maybe she should give up. But she didn't want to!
Kalierre paused, turning to take the dragon's head in her hands. "Phremath. We'll figure it out, okay? There are a lot of people and dragons who are rooting for you every day. And when you do fly, like I know you will, it will be such an inspiration to everyone who has problems of their own to solve, because they'll look at you and say to themselves: 'Phremath, whose situation looked hopeless, has overcome. Surely I can to!' If you ever grow depressed, just think of that. Think of all the good you can do by pushing through."
A wolf's voice sounded from what seemed right next to them. The dragonhealer blinked, jumping slightly, but Phremath's amusement rippled over her. It's my brother, Mine. The one who likes the dark. The two listened for awhile, until the song of canine and dragon - although, for the life of her, Kalierre couldn't distinguish the two, despite Phremath's certainty - had faded into memory.
You are not too tired? The dragonhealer smiled slightly, hearing some of the life come back into the green's tone and thoughts. "Not horribly so. Things have calmed down a bit since the Master Healer returned from Fort." Passing the barracks, the greenpair wended their way upward, slowly climbing toward the bejeweled night sky. Unlike most of her clutchmates, Phremath had become used to catching sleep when she could find it, just as her rider, and no part of the day or night seemed an odd time to be up to her.
They crested the rise, the two pretty obvious in that they hadn't masked their presence in the ascent, and that Kali's blond hair tended to catch the starlight nearly as brightly as Phremath's bejeweled green hide. Brother Adith. You sing beautifully with the howlers. Though Phremath knew what they were, she had a tendency to call them by her own names, anyway. Just recently she had taken to calling all humans meatbags, as it had amused her when another dragon had used that term while teasing his bonded.
The dragonhealer watched her beloved move closer to the blue and, by extension, his rider. Uu'n was known to her, but she hadn't truly spoken with him at all. She had known he'd been hurt badly awhile back - at about the same time that Z'hin seemed to be moving stiffly - but Kalierre was never one to pry. In her usual honest, but quiet way, the woman stated softly, "Phremath wished to greet the two of you." She wondered what it must be like for the young man to spend his nights just with Adith, the days spent sleeping, to forego almost all human interaction. Lonely. Kalierre didn't let on as to what she was thinking. After all, he may be jealous of his privacy, to the point that it didn't bother him. It would have bothered her though.
"I haven't seen you outside the Weyrling lessons, Uu'n, not for a long while. You have been well?"
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Post by neeuqtar on Nov 26, 2007 17:17:20 GMT -5
Adith heard the slight clinking of stone on shod foot and talon before Phremath made her presence known, but didn't really care. What could hurt a dragon, anyway? Thank you, Phremath, he said politely. The blue didn't converse much with other dragons, but he had no reason to snub his green sister. After all, enough people found the "mutants" in the Clutch to be snub-worthy that the blue dragon had enough reason to defend his siblings, even if he was only defending himself, and by extension, his rider. Uu'n was the only one that meant anything to him, ever, and Adith would do anything for him. Well, anything short of taking a bath without a fight.
Like Adith, Uu'n had noted the prescence of another pair, and just hadn't cared all that much. It wasn't as if he spoke that often to anyone, after all, and most people seemed content to leave it that way. It seemed he only conversed with F'rah, his pretty Meri, and that glasscrafter person now, and all of those (save baiting Meri, of course) were out of duty, rather than pleasure. Phremath and Kalierre, eh? I get the impression she's a bit uppity, being a healer and all. Adith didn't deign to comment, besides humming a short snatch of a song under his breath, some sort of response which was lost in translation for the young man.
"Good eve, Kalierre," Uu'n said, a little guarded. He wasn't used to talking to people, after all--it was his experience that most people wanted something from you. Adith didn't, well, not really. Adith was his heart, and he could no more deny his heart's desires than he could his stomach's hunger. "I have been well enough. How has it been with you and yours?" Black nails scratched at the stone surface, working free a couple flecks of sand. The dark paint was coming off again, he noted. He'd have to fix that soon, before it all wore off, leaving him with only half-moon stains at the base of each nail. That just looked messy, though truer to the coal-stains he had been emulating all this time. Uu'n had discovered he'd preferred the full coat, though. Cleaner.
Would you like to learn their songs? You could probably terrorize Candidates better that way. The dragon bared his fangs slightly, the ivory lengths glistening in the light of the twin moons. Uu'n barely suppressed a laugh. Ah, you learned from the best, Silverwings, he teased. Adith prodded him with his muzzle, knocking him to the side and startling a smile onto the solemn weyrling's face, before turning back to Phremath. I have heard hushed tales of your deeds, he complimented the green dragon, a rather wolfish expression on his face. The blueweyrling let another smile flit across his face before looking back up at Kalierre.
"I'm surprised to find another human awake in the cool of night," he commented, expression reverting to the normal unreadable one. "What keeps you up?" Uu'n added, curious, though not enough to truly dig if she chose to lie. After all, gossip was easy enough to find in the Weyr, especially when you were nothing but a shadow in the night.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Nov 27, 2007 2:54:40 GMT -5
The small green with her stunted wings wriggled close to Adith, though she remembered, at the last moment, that he might not want to be touched, so she stopped just short of pressing her flank against him. The coolness of the night was kind of chill on her hide. But that was okay; she could endure it a little while longer. Phremath was just pleased that the silent, dark blue that had intrigued her for months seemed willing to talk to her. She'd always been easy to please...
Her eyes drifted down to his nails as he scratched at the rock, obviously taking time to consider the answer to his question. Kalierre tended to be a very deliberate and straightforward person, though she had a certain touch that prevented these traits from seeming too horribly blunt. She crouched on her haunches, then, with an ease that seemed to suggest this was a common position for her. Perhaps it was. "We are here to see one day into the next, and sometimes that's all that can be expected. Though there are certainly good days." Her smile was that soft, sad expression that she wore more often than she knew. Her earlier conversation with Phremath - such conversations were becoming more frequent. The green's spirit was beginning to break down. It pained Kali, both that this was so, and that she couldn't find the solution to the problem.
Phremath stared at her clutchmate, intrigued by the flashing fangs. Then, just as young creatures were wont to do, she attempted such an expression herself, but it looked more goofy and lopsided than anything else, turning into something of a narrow gape. My deeds? the small green repeated innocently. She certainly didn't do anything to scare the candidates on purpose, though Phremath didn't even realize this was what he was talking about. Before he could respond, however, her mind flashed back to his earlier words. Would you teach me? I love the Howlers' songs! Would you really? Bouncing eagerly, her small wings fluttered vigorously with excitement, creating a small breeze.
"It seems your Adith has a devoted follower," Kalierre commented dryly, before refocusing her attention on the odd weyrling. He seemed so withdrawn, even as he spoke to her now. Again, her eyes drifted at his question, this time down to her own hands where they rested on her knees. When they came up again, the dark eyes seemed unbearably sad, though her expression itself was blank.
"There was a young lad fighting Fire-Head for several days. It was my turn to take vigil for the first shift of the night." For a long moment, she simply left it at that. She listened to the night sounds and gazed upward, lost in some world all her own. "It's hardest, I think, to lose someone who shouldn't have died. He was healthy before the illness. Young, but not too young. He just gave up." Her hands clenched for a moment, then relaxed. With a soft sigh, she looked to Uu'n, the barest of smiles touching her lips. "I doubt you wanted to hear all that. Phremath and I end up working night shifts as often as days. When she showed interest in joining you - well, I think it might be good for her to be around healthy dragons her own age, instead of just the sick and injured."
No, she didn't mention anything about herself. Phremath's needs were hers. Truly, Kalierre was a lonely woman, her life consisting of caring for and growing with her bonded, and caring for the sick and injured. No one ever thought to offer her their support or ear. She was a solid woman, and it showed, such that people assumed she must be in complete control of her life. In reality, the dragonhealer found that the world seemed to be spiraling around her, while she desperately tried to latch onto something, to anything, that might stabilize her world. Sometimes that something was Phremath. But Phremath had her own doubts, and was so young...However the woman would never presume to burden another with her problems. That didn't seem fair to them.
I like the night, the green commented. It's pretty. Not as crowded as the day. But days are pretty, too. It would never occur to Phremath that Adith might not care about her opinions on such things.
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Post by neeuqtar on Nov 27, 2007 17:08:07 GMT -5
Adith wasn’t exactly sure about the green dragon yet, but she was his sister, and so she was deserving of some sort of attention, if not actual affection. And she was interesting enough that the blue dragon was willing to spend some time with her. But Phremath was lucky in guessing that Adith would not have been completely accepting of physical contact from any but his own, or he might have broken her good mood by shying away. The blue was not one to allow forwardness from anyone, least of all another dragon.
“At least with Adith, it is simple enough to care for him,” Uu’n observed after a moment, staring off into the distance. Unless one had good night sight, little was visible but for the tops of the trees, dark and hardly visible. Of course, Uu’n had excellent night sight. After all, he had risen not too long ago, breaking his fast with the remains of what most called dinner. Though the blueweyrling wasn’t looking directly at Kalierre, he was very good at reading voices. In the mines, you didn’t get much else; expressions were easily hid by the dim glows and flickering light of oil lamps. He opened his mouth to ask her what was so distressing, but shut it again without saying a word. None of his business, anyhow.
Of course, Adith replied, a bit amused. He flared his wings, flapping once or twice to get the ichor flowing through them again, before turning to watch Phremath’s excited bouncing. He laughed, almost a giggle really, despite himself. For all of his pretended gravity, the blue was quite a playful creature, though this side only truly came out around Uu’n, and no one else. Did you know that they have different songs for different things? he asked eagerly, thrilled to find someone else who shared his love of music, even if just the music of the wild canines. He tilted his head back, filled his lungs, chest swelling, and called out a series of short barks, followed by a warbling howl. You try!
"He likes anyone who likes his music,” Uu’n said, the slightest hint of a smile lightening his voice for a moment. While not open to most people, hints of his inner personality tended to show whenever he talked about Adith. He inclined his head slightly to look at her as she described what had happened. Pain… it had seemed for a time that he had left it far underground in the bowels of the earth, but it wasn’t true. There was pain everywhere.
"I’m not a healer, but I’ve seen a lot of death.” The words came from somewhere he hadn’t expected, a cold knot in his heart that was still furious at the wasteful death of his older brothers. “My mother shouldn’t have died, but when the daughter she held was crushed to death by the rocks, she let herself die.” Uu’n’s fingers dug into a clump of grass, tearing the young shoots. He sighed, dropping the bits of grass off the edge. “Adith doesn’t seem to find being alone all too difficult, though I suppose he finds my company to be enough.” A harsh laugh accompanied this, and Uu’n looked back out over the landscape, watching the night-birds wheel in the sky, some sort of night-flitter catching the insects that flew about.
He left it at that. Kalierre didn’t really care about his past anyway; why would she? There was no reason for the dragonhealer to have any interest in him, truly, besides the rider of a dragon Phremath found interesting. No, he would keep the sordid history of his back in the black dust of the mines, buried where it belonged.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Nov 27, 2007 18:34:31 GMT -5
The green's gaze drifted to his wings. They were so very beautiful. Glancing back at her own ugly stumps, the green wriggled them a moment, suddenly becoming almost angry at how unresponsive they were. Luckily for the both of them, Phremath was easily distracted, and at the mention of many songs her head snapped back around to Adith. Really? she queried, in an excited undertone. He'd have to teach her them all! Then they could sing together...The thought made the green so happy that for a bit she completely forgot her aggravation over her wings.
Phremath had listened closely to Adith, trying to memorize every little detail. She wanted it to sound right the first time. Wouldn't that be nice? In imitation, she too tilted back her head, trying to poof up as big as she could. Phremath did alright with the short barks - though they sounded more like yips than barks - but when she got to the howl it streaked up in pitch, breaking, and then she thought the high-pitched squeal that had emitted was just too funny, and the green collapsed in on herself, draconic laughter emitting from her chest. What are we singing about right now, Adith? the female asked, though it was really him who was doing the singing; she was bumbling. Still, she knew that she'd get that howl to sound like a howl...eventually.
It didn't seem to matter who the rider was; one could always tell when they were speaking of their dragon. A smile touched Kali's lips, in echo of the younger man's. "Phremath likes everyone, as far as I know." There wasn't a single cruel or reserved bone in the green's body. No doubt Adith and Phremath would get along well enough, given how easy it was to intrigue the green with anything at all slightly out of the ordinary. All Adith had to do was be himself to get Phremath's interest.
At Uu'n's words, Kalierre finally sat, drawing her knees up and resting her chin atop them. It shouldn't have surprised her, that he had mentioned something so personal, but it did. The dragonhealer's impression of the blueweyrling had always been that of a closed man. A haunted man. Such souls intrigued her, and she found herself naturally drawn to them, but still, every time one of these people opened up to her the tiniest bit, the shock came. Kalierre almost felt honored to have been told these things. Not because they were great secrets, or because she thought it proved something, but rather because they had chosen her to speak the words to, though she didn't deserve that level of trust.
It was a morose, dark gift, this peek into his soul. And she was not ridiculous enough to think it any more than the tiniest peek.
Kalierre frowned slightly. A mother, lost. She was intimately familiar with that pain. It was, when all was said and done, the reason that she'd come to be a healer at all. Sitting there, in the cothold, watching her mother die as she was helpless to do anything for the only family in her life - Kalierre had birthed within herself an intense desire never to find herself so helpless in the face of these things again. Even at eight turns. "My mother died, too. When I was young. She was sick for less than a tenday." Her gaze flickered to the two hatchlings, enjoying themselves right beside their bonded. "The spirit of these creatures - it's amazing. Phremath sees so much, day after day. Enough to destroy the sleep of most healers. And still she comes out of it with that optimism. Sometimes I envy her."
Even now, Phremath had tilted her muzzle to the sky again, making at her fifth howling attempt. This was better than the others had been. Not perfect, certainly - it still sounded too high and a bit shaky - but then she barked and howled, in a fair imitation of Adith's example. The green found herself proud of it. Oh, it wasn't beautiful enough to join with Adith's voice - yet. But now she knew that soon it would be!
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Post by neeuqtar on Dec 2, 2007 22:32:48 GMT -5
Adith caught Phremath's glance at her own stubby wings and felt a flush of guilt. He hadn't meant to flaunt the difference between them, only to stretch his wings. The blue was used to the cool of night, but that didn't mean that his wings didn't get stiff sometimes in the night air. Still... no reason to make Phremath feel bad... besides, her wings didn't look all that terrible. She was a pretty little dragon, in fact. But she soon forgot, and a relieved Adith went on teaching her the songs of the howlers. Her first attempt was actually better than his had been, and she improved rapidly enough that the blue felt a little jealous. But it was exciting that he'd be able to sing with another dragon--true vocal communication, something dragons had never done before. And he, Adith, was doing it!
It's a hello, Adith explained, before mentally translated as he called out the sounds. Hey! Hey! I'm heeeeeeeere! The blue laughed. You're getting it really quickly. Want to learn another? he asked, for once actually excited about a conversation with someone other than His. Why, this was so much fun! And Phremath was good at learning, too, so it wasn't even that hard. Just fun!
"Adith is picky, but he likes anyone who listens to his music," Uu'n responded with a half-smirk, amused at his dragon. For a creature that professed to have no need for creatures other than Uu'n, Adith doted on anyone who complimented his music. The blue was truly easy to please, and what had been half-crooned sounds were turning into true music. Adith's voice was capable of huge ranges, from below the human range to high above it, and everything inbetween. And the blue was becoming increasingly adept at using that range to make beautiful sounds, though Uu'n suspected human speech would never be possible for the dragon. But perhaps he would be able to make some sort of language for the dragons, something verbal. Uninterpreted by humans, and impossible to intercept by any HAD Benden or Fort might have in their coersion.
"Of course. She has you to rely on, to be her spirit," Uu'n said, surprised. " 'No matter how downfallen the spirit or how trodden the heart, returning to beloved stone will never fail to lift you back up,' " the blueweyrling quoted softly, remembering something his mother used to say. "I guess it just means that going back and resting in someone or something you love will always make you feel better." He shrugged, as if carelessly, though his words carried greater weight than he seemed to put on it. Uu'n glanced over at the warbling dragons and smiled, gently. For a moment an expression of love passed over his face, lighting up the somewhat-dour features and making him look... kind. Not that he'd ever admit such a nonsensical thing. He turned away and drew little designs in the dirt before saying anything further. Funny, Kalierre was easier to talk to than most. Probably because she understood about death, and pain.
"I'm mine-bred. And not miner-crafter--my whole family was made up of near-slave laborers. They called us 'mine-pixies.' " Uu'n snickered at the name, though it was harsh and almost grating. "I wasn't expected to live past two. The fact that any of my family yet lives is more than expected, really. That I had a chance to Impress--that Adith found me? More than hope itself." The blueweyrling looked pensive, staring out over the horizon moodily. What a strange life he had... it was complerely worth every sacrifice he had to make. Ever. Even if the price of Adith was the loss of everthing he had ever known, any chance at friendships with others his age, even any chance of love... it was worth it.
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Dec 4, 2007 2:12:50 GMT -5
Phremath liked Adith. Oh, yes, she was happy to converse and be around almost anyone, dragon or human - but the blue was so different! He had these pretty sounds, and that curious marking across one of his eyes. A long, almost delicate creature, which such glorious wings - this time when she thought of them only admiration welled up. Phremath did have a certain thing with wings, understandably. She truly was intrigued by those who seemed to be especially gifted in that department. The little green wanted to touch them...Oh, but she'd be good. Her rider had scolded her for that enough times that Phremath actually remembered the scolding. It wasn't polite. If they wanted her to...though...But she didn't want to risk Adith telling her to go away. Not when he was teaching her his songs!
A hello? Distracted yet again, the little gem. Adith's wings would be safe for a bit longer. Hi there! Hellllooooo! Her neophyte's howl followed his. Those who knew her might find her reasoning odd, in that she didn't seem like the sort to think deeply, but Phremath thought that if she said the translation in her native communication as she howled she'd remember it better. And she didn't want to forget. Not this. Not any of Adith's songs. Yes! Yes, another! What else can we say? She'd whipped around in her excitement, crouching just in front of Adith's snout, her hindquarters raised and wings fluttering restlessly.
Mine. Can we work at night? Pppllleeeeeasse!! I never get to see Adith. Kali's head came up, a soft smile touching her lips. The dragonhealer was glad that Phremath seemed to have found another dragon from her clutch that she wanted to be around. It was healthy. Though...the choice...it might be a difficult thing to arrange. We'll see, sweetheart. Maybe not every night...but I probably won't have any trouble finding a few healers who would like to switch shifts. Phremath wriggled with happiness. Truly, how could Kalierre deny her love anything that wouldn't hurt her?
And...she wouldn't mind talking to Uu'n a bit. Kalierre was a good listener, and as such found herself in many conversations, but there were few people she could actually talk to herself. Something told her this younger man might be one of those. He'd been through a lot. It was easy to tell, just by his mannerisms and withdrawn demeanor, but it didn't seem to have made him overly bitter. Strength. Such things drew her. What could she learn of this Uu'n? And would he prove to be one of those few she might call friend, who she could share part of her heart with? S'rei...was gone. Essentially. There was a rift now between them, started from the moment in Benden when he moved in with Sage. Who else could she speak to? Lauranna. Though the woman had a short attention span. No one else. No wonder she felt lonely, Kalierre thought, with some amazement.
She hadn't realized how very alone she'd been, aside from her darling Phremath, until now.
Kalierre blinked at Uu'n's response to her comment about Phremath. Truly, she'd never thought of it that way. Phremath seemed more to be her strength than the other way around. Intellectually, she knew the bond between rider and dragon was very important - that no dragon chose to live once Theirs passed from this world - but somehow Kalierre simply could not imagine anything ever making Phremath downhearted. Not for very long, at least. It was refreshing. A candle in the dark world in which the healer dwelt...though that darkness had lightened a bit since her transfer from Benden.
She saw the smile, even in the darkness, her eyes having grown somewhat accustomed to the lack of light by now. Even without all the details, it was apparent that smile would be a staggering one in full light. Kalierre refrained from commenting on it, not wishing to make the man uncomfortable. Or reveal her thoughts. Even now, she could feel her ears growing slightly warm. What right had she to notice such things?
Her hands obscured the lower part of her face as she listened, face revealing nothing, her gaze direct and devoid of pity. In truth, she found she admired Uu'n - if only a little - for the inner strength that allowed him to look back on his past so frankly. Many could not. "Adith. He is quite a blessing," Kalierre agreed, softly. She found herself wondering how many of his family still lived. Not a question she could ask. "He chose the right one, I think." Nor did she elaborate on that. Logically, one who had worked the mines would have no trouble adjusting to Adith's particular traits. But the personality, too, seemed right for Adith. A stalwart man...obviously with a gentle side.
Kalierre wanted to know that gentle side better, if she could. Though she was not an open woman, and knew better than to expect openness from others when she did not freely give it. She was not ready to do so with Uu'n. Her head lifted, chin coming to rest on her hands again. "It seems as if those of us with different dragons - are not welcomed by the other weyrlings. Or maybe it is that the riders, too, are different from the rest. I have never had so hard a time finding a niche as I have here in Selenitas." Her tone had turned pensive. "If it weren't for Phremath..." The sentence was never finished. She wasn't exactly sure where she'd been going with it. Of a sudden, her mind returned to his earlier words.
"That quote. The one about returning to the beloved stone. Who said it?" It couldn't have been Uu'n, given his translation.
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Post by neeuqtar on Dec 14, 2007 19:01:46 GMT -5
The howlers say a lot of things with sound, Adith agreed. Mine says they can't talk like we do, so they have to say everything out loud. The blue dragon grinned again, his canine fangs gleaming, damp ivory in the dark night. A flash of green crossed his eyes, a mark of his enjoyment, and he tilted his head, listening to Phremath. Well, here's another one, for calling between packs. It is a sort of "this is my place" call.
The blue tilted his head back, warbling the eerie territory call of the canine packs. Awhooooo... Awh-awhooooo From the darkness, a yip and then a chorus of similar howls sang into the night sky, the separate voices of the pack of six blending musically, the alpha's rough bass soaring up and then dipping down again. The sound was beautiful, but also enough to give one the shivers, a remembrance of times more primal than what the humans and dragons of Selenitas enjoyed. Nostrils flaring, Adith focused, voice deepening just a trifle to match that of the alpha's. He eased of the final note, letting the pack sing alone for a moment before they, too, let the sound die, continuing their trot through the jungles around Selenitas.
Uu'n listened, an unreadable expression on his face. The young man had learned some of the calls from Adith, and as the dragon dropped off, he lifted his own voice in the song, not nearly as pure as the dragon's or the wolves' voices. Though a passable baritone, Uu'n's voice wasn't quite suited for music, and the rougher sound of his voice did not compare well with Adith's, though the canines didn't seem to mind. Flushing just slightly, too little to truly be seen, Uu'n turned back to Kalierre, thinking about what she had said.
"I am glad he found me..." I would have searched the ends of the world for you. Eavesdropper. The dragon didn't deign to respond returning his attention to Phremath. "I have no doubt Phremath is the perfect completion of your soul, as well." He turned back to look out off of the Rim, a bit broody. It was true that Adith had become his reason for getting up each day, a constant joy and a stalwart friend... but it was also true that he missed human interaction. Not that he'd ever had much before, but usually he'd been at least near other people.
His strange schedule usually kept him out of the way of other people, except for the last hours when people were awake and the morning hours. But most of his day was spent alone, with only Adith, exploring the Weyr--and outside the Weyr. He could do so much more, out of the purview of any adults, and he liked it that way... but it was also very lonely. And where was the thrill of breaking into someone's office if there was no chance of discovery? Of course, it made getting the lessons for the next weyrling classes that much easier, and through dint of practice, he and Adith hardly had to work in the lessons. But still. It wasn't quite... enough.
"I fear it will be that way for a long time. But they will need us in the days to come, I do not doubt..." He sighed, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. Shards, he needed a haircut... and Uu'n was not really that great at giving himself haircuts. Especially not in the dark. "It's a very old saying, from the mines, but I learned it from my mother," Uu'n said pensively, after a moment. "She was always saying things like that, and I guess after a while they just stayed in my mind."
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Dec 15, 2007 15:00:52 GMT -5
Phremath hung on to Adith's every word avidly. It was strange that a creature would be forced to communicate through sound. Never did it occur to the dragonet that Hers was just such a creature. After all, KaliMine could speak to all dragons without sound - though she often didn't. To Phremath, this sound business was just something pretty, a dressing for the level of communication she enjoyed. Her musings were broken by this new howl of his. The green listened as the canines, too, joined in. For a moment she felt dreadfully inadequate. Ah, but this was not a new feeling for her, and she shook it off with admirable swiftness.
Very, very pretty, the song that Adith created with the wolves. She wanted to join in. Truly. But Phremath worried that it would make the wolves stop singing, and it was far too pretty for her to risk that. All too soon, their song ended, leaving her feeling vaguely empty until Adith's tried to sing like the wolves and her blue clutchmate.
Kalierre straightened in surprise. She'd been listening to the howlings of the dragons and wolves, truly, but when Uu'n joined in it had been rather unexpected. After the initial shock, however, the woman found herself chuckling. It certainly didn't compare to Adith's mastery, but it was somehow endearing, just the same. Not that Kali was the sort to attempt such a thing. She didn't have the voice for it - could rarely bring herself to raise her voice, much less sing or try to howl like a wolf.
Then the healer found herself blinking as Uu'n shifted back from lighthearted to serious in a heartbeat. Kalierre was at a loss for words. She'd said nothing about Adith and Uu'n completing each other. Yes, she supposed it could be inferred...but still, the blueweyrling seemed to understand her mind better than most. It was almost - disconcerting.
Phremath, who rarely if ever focused her attention on more than one thing at once - though that attention did seem to shift an awful lot - tried to duplicate Adith's howl now that the symphony of bestial voices had died. She remained pleasantly oblivious to the more serious conversation Hers was having with Adith's. The green's imitation was paltry, even in comparison to Adith's. She'd attempted to lower the howl to the deeper tones of the wolves and the male dragon, failing pitifully, as it was well outside the usual range she used in a hatchling's infrequent embellishments to its mental communication.
The hue of her eyes shifted in faint distress. Would Adith be disappointed? I'm sorry. But I'll keep trying until I get it! She would - on her own. While the former howl hadn't been perfect in the slightest, this one was frankly embarrassing. Phremath didn't want Adith to hear her mess up so badly again. He may not want to teach her anymore! That would be unbearable. That was your first try, sweetheart. Don't worry so. But... The green trailed off at the look she received from Hers. Okay!
Kalierre nodded silently at Uu'n's statement. Yes, she supposed the weyr would. Even if Phremath - no. She was not yet ready to give up on that. They'd find a way. The dragonhealer's eyes followed her companion closely. "She must have been a wise woman, your mother. Mine wasn't. But she was kind, and we loved each other, which is more than enough." And it had been. The pain in her heart had long since deadened. Nearly fifteen turns ago, now, since her mother had passed. Fifteen turns could numb any pain.
"Aren't you...lonely, Uu'n? I know you have Adith. Of course he's all you need, but still. Sometimes, don't you wish you had another person to talk to?" Maybe she was just projecting her own feelings on to him, but he seemed wise - especially for his age. If she could understand how he could endure this lonesomeness, maybe it would serve to help her as well.
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Post by neeuqtar on Jan 16, 2008 14:05:01 GMT -5
Sorry? Why are you sorry? Adith asked, confused. He didn't really get the notion. Mine says it took me ages to learn how to make notes, he confided to the green dragon, with the air of conferring a great secret. And it was entirely true--Uu'n had suffered through the warblings and howls of a rather tuneless dragon for se'ennight upon se'ennight, until he'd finally started singing at the dragon until Adith could pick up a tune far easier than many humans. And this howling business had been all his own idea, and was something that Uu'n approved of as well, even going so far as learning the rough outlines.
Here, I'll sing, and you try and match your voice to mine, Adith suggested, taking a deep breath before raising his voice in the territory-call again. This time the wild canines didn't respond, perhaps deep in the jungle, where the dragon could not be heard.
Oddly enough, Uu'n wasn't really listening entirely to Kalierre. Though it may have seemed that he was paying close attention to her thoughts, in reality Uu'n was just drawing from the wellspring of emotion that represented his bond to Adith. It was unthinkable that anyone would have any lesser view of a dragon, not if they were tied to one with such deep love. "I suppose she was... wise," Uu'n said after a moment. "Anyone who survives in such darkness and brings love and life into it must be so." He shook his head, as if to clear the memories away. The mines were not the best place to raise a family, but his mother had done it somehow, making time for each of her children, never falling into despair though they died, one by one...
"Lonely?" Uu'n's head shot up from his examination of the stone, to stare at Kalierre. "Yes... lonely," he added, quietly, the surprise of someone understanding what it was like to be completely cut off from humanity for most of the time rapidly fading. "I... never had very many people to talk to as a child," he admitted, slowly. "People do not find me to be an... easy... friend, and much of that is my fault, I suppose." Uu'n chucked a stone off into the darkness, much as one would try and skip a stone across the lake, and watched it spin into the night. "I do yearn, sometimes, for more companionship than that of a dragon, but who is willing to stay up at night to befriend the freaky boy with his freak dragon?" he asked, with a harsh bark of laughter that betrayed some of the deep-seated pain of being different, of being alone--perhaps what drove him to bait others and even drive then away. "No, lonliness is my lot," Uu'n concluded, flashing a weak smile at Kalierre. "I guess it's best just to get used to it and find strength somewhere else, than in friends and family."
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Jan 22, 2008 6:02:41 GMT -5
Really? Phremath found it hard to believe that Adith had ever been anything less than perfect. The green was, when all was said and done, a rather simple creature. She probably always would be. When he lifted his voice again, Phremath followed suit obediently, even though it bothered her to ruin the beauty of his song by adding her voice. If he was okay with it, then she should be, too...
Though the weyrling would never mention it aloud, the last lessons were making her even more aware of her particular handicap than she'd been throughout all the earlier months. Everything was about flying, now. Kalierre didn't have to tell her; she knew there was no hope. Phremath was as strong as she could be. And still...she wasn't strong enough. At least she could sing with Adith, even if she could never fly with all the other dragons. Without noticing it, a hint of melancholy had entered into her amateur rendition of the blue's song.
Kalierre, who had been listening to the conversation of the young dragons - most still has no idea she could hear all the dragons in the weyr, when she chose - resisted the urge to comfort Phremath. She knew that her mindmate had to come to terms with this herself. Truthfully, the dragonhealer had a couple of ideas, but she didn't want to get her beloved's hope up, just to smash it again.
Uu'n sounded...surprised. Was the question really so strange? If Kalierre felt lonely, surrounded by patients and healers and her fellow weyrlings all day, how could he not? He spent half his 'days' alone with Adith. Her eyes followed the clattering tumble of the stone, the piece of rock disappearing into the shadows of the night. A gust of wind blew the hair before her face. Mostly loose already, she tugged at the knot, releasing the rest of it to the open air. Though she wanted to, she didn't once attempt to see his face as he spoke, to try to look into his eyes and read what was hidden there. His voice was so vulnerable already. It would feel like a complete violation, to probe him so. Even that laugh that wasn't a laugh seemed too open. She hadn't expected, really, for him to be so honest.
She knew what it was like, in her way. Kalierre...shards, she hadn't known much in the way of true companionship since her mother died. Her passion had consumed her for so many turns, and then there was Benden. Trust was a rare commodity there. And Selenitas? It probably wasn't anyone's fault but her own, that she couldn't fit in here...She was already closed off and content to be so, even if loneliness caused her such grief and sadness when she paused to think on it. S'rei had been a friend. She couldn't confide in him, either, though. Not anymore. Just her and Phremath. Almost enough, almost all the time. But still she found that the sadness would steal upon her from time to time.
The greenrider sighed. A part of her wanted to reach out to Uu'n, but a greater part warned her against such a bold move. Instead, she spoke. "What is there, but family and friends? Maybe it's just because I'm a healer, but people and dragons - they're all that make this life worth living. Work certainly doesn't fill the void." She should know. On an impulse, Kalierre reached for Uu'n's hand. The woman didn't grip it. Nothing that familiar. She simply rested her hand on his, for the sake of the touch, and to gain his attention completely. Her smile was wan, but genuine, nonetheless. "You're not alone right now. If we're lonely together - then we're not really alone at all." In any other context, the comment might sound silly.
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Post by neeuqtar on Feb 3, 2008 16:08:17 GMT -5
Really, Adith assured the green dragon. Some things are very difficult to learn. I still can’t convince the whersport in the jungle that I’m a friend, the blue admitted, a bit bashfully, as he and Phremath warbled away. He let his voice die down, and made a sudden decision. Okay, I’ll teach you one more tonight! he announced happily. This is the pack-song, which the howlers use to tell each other that they are friends. Then we can be a pack, he added, innocently, before tilting his narrow nose up and calling out the mournful-sounding wail of the pack-song, changing it from the call of the nearby pack. From afar, the distant strains of the territory-call drifted back, the howler’s response to the declaration of the new ‘pack.’
Adith didn’t notice the melancholy in Phremath’s song, at least not consciously, but unconsciously he wanted to make her feel better, give her a gift that nobody else could. He... he liked Phremath, which was far more than the blue could say about his other Clutch-mates. Aezanth he would obey, though he would likely be snide about it, and had no trust for queens, but she was no more his friend than Salenth was! Maybe they could go swimming together... You hate the water, Mine, Uu’n snorted at the dragon, who made a mental ‘harrumph’ sound. Only when it’s too deep. I don’t like water in my nose. The dragon sounded so annoyed, that Uu’n had to smile, albeit faintly. Mm. I’ll make sure to give you your next bath in shallow water then.
Uu'n turned his head just slightly as the gust of wind rippled his clothing, for an instant relieving the weyrling of the sultry heat of the South, though the night was far cooler than the day. He didn’t understand why he felt like he could trust Kalierre... perhaps because of all the people he had met, she was willing to look at him with some sort of understanding. Even beasts, he mused, melancholy tugging at his heart, deserve a little bit of love. He had tried so hard to hide from it, but somehow this healer-girl had cut to the core of his patched-together being. The boy who had been called ‘monster’ by so many was still at the heart of his being, on the verge of tears, slowly dissolving into a bitter coldness which even Adith’s complete adoration hadn’t yet been able to touch. So why was this woman able to send lance his heart when even his dragon could not?
It was so strange, he reflected, catching the blowing of her hair in the corner of his vision. Uu’n’s fingers twitched, for some reason aching to brush her hair away from her eyes. Was he truly so alone? Before the question was even fully formed, he knew it to be true. Adith, for all of his constant attention and demand for attention, was simply not the same as a true friend... and Uu’n hadn’t known such companionship in his entire life. No, there were very few who would even dare call the monster by his name, for what sane minecrafter would want to speak to one of the mine-brats, especially one known for his cruel tricks and penchant for lashing out with words? The experience was entirely new to the young man, and Uu’n was quickly discovering that he didn’t want such an association to end.
Kalierre’s touch made him start slightly, and his gaze fell on her hand. Inwardly nervous, terrified of rejection in a manner that made him suddenly realize what life must be like every day for Adith, Uu’n lifted his fingers just slightly, to lace them with hers. “I suppose you’re right,” he said softly, raising his dark eyes to meet hers again, a smile playing on his lips, startled into existence by her familiarity with him. “I’ve... never truly had a friend,” he admitted, rather embarrassed. “But I think I would like to be yours.” Uu’n’s stomach clenched up into a knot–was this how people usually felt when relating to each other? The young man truly had no benchmark for what was going on. Was he even normal? Probably not, considering his dragon. But what was normal, anyway? “For once, I don’t think Adith will complain.” A faintly larger smile invited her to share the joke... though perhaps she hadn’t noticed Adith’s aloofness with the other dragons, or his overprotectiveness. But maybe she had...
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Requiem
Weyrleader S'rei WM M?ta Rider A'nd Harper/Handler Dmitri Weyrbrat Miguel
Posts: 2,861
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Post by Requiem on Feb 3, 2008 23:29:46 GMT -5
But you are a good friend, Phremath replied, tentatively, unsure why a whersport - or anything else, really - wouldn't want to be friends with Adith. The point rather escaped her. It didn't seem to occur to her that calling her clutchmate a friend might be presumptious. They were sitting here, singing his songs, after all. And Phremath, unlike the blue, was friendly with most of their clutchmates - even those who seemed to dislike her because she was not like them. It was only natural, really. Phremath's handicap allowed her to remain diurnal, even though Kalierre's weird schedule prevented her from being completely so. Adith didn't get nearly as much exposure to their siblings. No, the green was simply innocent like that. If he showed her kindness, he must be a friend.
And, of all her clutchmates, none made her feel wanted and warm inside like Adith. Was it because they were both different? The reason didn't really matter. All she knew was that, when he announced that this next song would let them be a pack, she suddenly wanted to pounce him like she had the candidates, her joy was so profound. He wanted them to be part of a pack? Settling for an excited squirm instead, her stunted wings beating the air in her exuberance, the green listened for a moment before joining her voice to his unabashedly. Phremath knew Adith didn't have a pack. She was the only one he'd taught these songs to. It made her feel special. Phremath already knew Adith was special. He'd intrigued her for so long now, and here he was, letting her into his pack.
Adith was nice. She felt she didn't want their song to end...their pack song. We are a pack, Mine! Phremath trilled. Kali couldn't help but chuckle. Did Phremath even know what he meant by pack? The question didn't give the green pause. It's something special, just for me and Adith, Phremath responded happily. That was all she needed to know.
Though she'd used the excitement of her bonded to distract her somewhat, Kalierre's heart still fluttered inside her. A strange prickly sensation coursed down the back of her neck, the woman stolidly ignoring Uu'n's gaze on her. She didn't want to see what was in his eyes. The healer had exposed herself to him, more than she had to anyone. Sure, she was rarely, if ever, unfriendly. And it was not unusual for her to touch someone. This action of hers, though, coupled with the words, could not be mistaken as an offshoot of her profession, however. She had made it deeply personal. What he did next, how he responded...it would affect her profoundly, either way. Gambles such as these were not part of Kalierre's nature.
Then again, there was nothing normal about this man, about his blue Adith, or about this night. It seemed to invite abnormal, rash behavior. Kalierre's heart had always gone out to the hurting. Her life - it was certainly easier than his. She would never think to claim otherwise. Even at Benden Weyr, her rank had protected her somewhat, no matter what those imbeciles thought of the fairer sex. But she'd seen and endured enough to be capable of understanding some of what he felt, and that small peek...A strong man, this Uu'n, even if he wasn't normal. Perhaps because he wasn't normal. They said that the link in a chain that broke...was the strongest link of all. It was a paradox, this brokenness and strength. She'd always admired strength and passion. Always. Was that what it was, that caused her to expose her vulnerability to him, to allow him to hurt her if he willed it? Or was it just this night? Kalierre decided not to question it. For now.
He did not pull his hand away.
What he did do managed to surprise her, though it was a gentle sort of surprise, his fingers twining with hers. Inexplicably, her heart beat faster. She met his gaze, then, her eyes glistening in the moonlight. Or was it moisture? Impossible to tell. He had never had a friend? Adith...that was unconditional love, like the one she held with Phremath. It was perfect. But it lacked the one thing that people, at least, came to crave. It lacked the choice. When someone chose to care, to extend friendship or love, there was a different power behind it. It meant both more and less. More, because it was not compelled, but freely given. Less, in that it could be stripped away. To not know friendship...
Her heart caught in her throat. If it had been hard for her to make that first gesture, how much harder must it be for him, who had never known friendship and had never thought to expose himself in such a way? It touched her. Deeply. Before she could respond, he spoke again, the dry comment accompanied by a broadening smile. Her mind drifted, again, to what it must look like in daylight, even as she chuckled softly, glancing back to where Phremath and Adith huddle, singing their pack song. Their own friendship song. It seemed like a suitable backdrop to everything happening this night. "I suspect you may be right about that."
Kalierre squeezed his hand gently, that simple action response enough. But she said the words anyway. Not because they were needed, but because she wanted to. "I think I would very much like to have you as a friend, Uu'n." The gentle smile lingered on her lips as she turned her gaze out on this nighttime world that she'd rarely taken the time to appreciate. It was mysterious and compelling. Stark. Primal. Just like the man beside her. She could learn to love the jungle at night, she thought to herself.
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