Hey! Why won't you listen? (Tags Ba’sun)

[Rei]

Not a good idea. There was no room for argument in Lketh’s statement. It was deadpan and serious. But for once Er’ani wasn’t listening. “I know that.” He returned evenly raising his bow and notching an arrow anyway. This is going to go so wrong. You know there will be repercussions. Probably bad ones. Lketh kept one taloned forepaw firmly on the herdbeast he was picking at. Meticulous in his eating there wasn’t much left by this point and Snowdrop had just settled to gnaw at what was left on the bones. The green firelizard's near paper thin wings fluttering happily as she picked off what pieces of meat she could.

Er’ani narrowed his eyes and moved to take aim at his target. Well duh. But there is no way I am going to miss. You say that now Ermine. I fixed what he told me I needed to, given his information. That wasn’t much information. Do you have an answer for everything I say? The albino dragon seriously considered that for a moment before answering with a simple. No. Dipping his head the male seized a bone from his kill and cracked it open to get at the marrow only raising his head once Snowdrop fluttered over to investigate. The albinoweyrling took Lketh’s silence for what it was. The dragon was done arguing. Good.

Lifting the bow the teen took aim at the man lounging on the top of a grassy hill not far away. Raising the bow to sight his actual target, which was a mango hanging in the branch a bit of distance above Ba’sun’s head, Er’ani released the arrow and waited.

The projectile passed near enough to the fruit to send it tumbling down to hit Ba’sun’s hat before the arrow hit it’s actual mark, lodging itself in the trunk of the tree. “Yes!” Lketh raised his head and gave a soft snort before sitting back on his haunches, regarding the two humans with a placid crimson gaze. If nothing else this could turn out to be an interesting reaction. Or not. It all depended. Er’ani half reached back for another arrow before dropping his hand and shouting across the distance. “Hey! I’ve been looking for you.”

[rii]

The over-sized hat had been more for Shoal's entertainment. The toddler like the way and wiggled and flopped around his ears and it seemed to provide countless moment of amusement for the two-turn old to take the hat off, put it on, then return it to Ba'sun's head. They were outside today, along with Ba'sun's the ever nearby Ekarth and Aello. The creche women had been complaining to Ba'sun about Kirvene's continuous attempts to escape them. The child held no fear about wandering off alone. Ba'sun had given the women a good pout, commenting that little Kirvy only wanted to play outside.

So, with Shoal leading him with a deathgrip to his fingers, Ba'sun had half-lead and half-followed the kid outside. As usually Shoal lead them near the herdbeast pen - it was either there or the runners they ended up near. Kid seemed to get a giggle out of the heardbeasts that spooked because of swooping dragons. Currently, as Ba'sun took a chance to recline against the trunk of the tree, Shoal was wandering along with Ekarth trying to 'squash bugs'. Aello thought it was more fun to scoop the bugs up in her mouth and chomp them down - this too Shoal found amusing.

Thunk

Ba'sun flinched, body beginning to coil protectively inward on itself in reaction. He knew what the sound translated to - arrow. The only thing that kept him from rolling aside and out of view was the fruit that fell through the wide brim of his hat and hit his lap. Hard. The bluerider grunted, glad it hadn't winded him. He picked up the mango, turned it over his palm before looking up at the arrow embedded in the tree trunk. From there he estimated the course the arrow took, his eyes falling on Er'ani just as the kid saw fit to shout.

Cheeky little sod.

Ah, the sstudent returnss. Ekarth mused to his rider alone. Ba'sun hadn't felt right forcing Er'ani into learning from him. He'd told his blue that if someone wanted to learn they need to come to him on their own free will... not be dropped at his feet by his dragon. Hiss aim hass improved. "Yeah, well I don't much like him shooting at me when Kirv is here." Grumpy. Did the fruit hurt yoooou?

Grunting, Ba'sun flipped off the floppy hat before standing. He seized the lowest branch of the tree and pulled him higher until he could pull the arrow out of the bark. It was a short drop back to the ground, all of which Ba'sun made look effortless despite his age. Really, he wasn't that old, but it was hard to argue when everyone else around him was all of fifteen turns. "Doesn't look like his arrow making has improved much." Flew sstraight enough. Sshould give him the benefit of the doubt O'ssun. "You know I won't. If he wants to learn, it's my way."

A narrowed look was shot across the field to Er'ani. The arrow was slipped through his belt loop and in it's place Ba'sun pulled a knife. He took a last glance where Shoal was safely with Ekarth before heading toward the Er'ani. The knife cut into the mango as he walked. "Yeah?" His voice raised to a level Er'ani could hear it clearly. "And why's that?"

[Rei]

Lketh’s tail flipped into a coil about his haunches as he lifted a forepaw to clean his talons. Peering at Ba’sun through the protective lenses now covering his sensitive eyes he brushed lightly against his bonded’s mind. A feeling more than words. Got his attention it seemed. A small half smile quirked up a corner of the weyrling’s mouth before he responded. Indeed. With a final glance at the remains of his carcass the albino gave a yawn and then decided to move out of the sun. Protective balm or not he still oftentimes found it uncomfortable. Leaping the fence and heading in a trot for his bonded the male lowered his head and nudged at the small leather bag at Er’ani’s side.

The albinoweyrling placed a hand on his dragon and watched Ba’sun approach, knife slicing the fruit as he did so. Moving the bow back to the quiver he responded, his hands moving to rummage around in the small bag. “Because. I wanted to show you what I’ve learned and I want to learn more.” And he was hoping that maybe he could try out this listening thing. Pulling some rather large tablets out of the pack the teenager smoothed a hand over Lketh’s jaw line. Obediently the dragon opened his mouth to accept them, tilting his head back to swallow when Er’ani removed his hand and lightly rapped his bottom jaw in signal. Nuzzling his bonded lightly and giving a croon to Ba’sun the pale young dragon moved off towards the shaded tree line.

Er’ani watched Lketh go for a minute before closing the bag and glancing back towards Ba’sun. “You told me I could come back. So here I am.” Dark eyes moving to regard the older rider with a serious expression as he lightly rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve been working really hard.” Yes and trying to prove that the man in front of him was wrong. That he could be good. The albinoweyrling had spent candlemarks finding all the information he could on the subject of archery in the record rooms. Spent nearly all his free time in practice. But something was still missing. Perhaps it was that human element.

“I’ve never seen you shoot…I want to see what you can do. I want to know.” Yes know. Know what was it that he was missing.

[rii]

"What you've learned," Ba'sun repeated with a slight rise of his brows - it was a touch condescending, as if he felt that Er'ani had learned nothing. Clicking his tongue, Ba'sun paused a few feet away from Er'ani to pivot on heel to gauge the shot the boy took. Had to see with his own eyes what the kid would of seen, and what he might have judged by. "Hm."

With a twist of wrist, Ba'sun flicked the pit of the mango out with his knife. Juices were wiped off the blade before he slipped it back out of play. Only done so he could snatch Er'ani's hand and yawn kid over. Ba'sun didn't let him go right away - he was still annoyed - he and turned Er'ani's palm up to examine it. The older man run his thumb over the pads of Er'ani's fingers and palm to judge for himself how much the kid actually had been practicing. Yeah, it seemed the kid's aim had improved, but it was but one shot and it could as well have been just a lucky one.

"Still aren't seeing worth a shit," It was probably harsher than it had to be - but yeah, annoyed. "You're too cocky kid and with no reason to be." Ba'sun lifted his arm and arced his hand through the air to trace the path of Er'ani's arrow. Look, he suggested with the gesture. Fucking look kid. "You're an amateur at best. What would you have done if the wind picked up the moment of your shot, carried it just to the right. Do you see what a damn idiot you are yet?"

Shoal was just there past the tree - if Er'ani's shot had missed and fell near Shoal.. No matter that his dragon was there (Ekarth could manage a small puncture wound) but if it had hit Shoal. Ba'sun had already lost two children, Faranth only knew what the man would do if it happened a third time. Calm down O'ssun. The arrow did not misss. Doesn't make a damn bit of different, he still didn't see what he did. To Er'ani Ba'sun spoke, "If you were anyone else I would have knocked out your teeth by now."

[Rei]

The tone Ba’sun used was not a good one. It automatically put Er’ani on borderline defense. The albinoweyrling had to force himself not to shut down completely to the older man. Dark eyes flashed with a emotion close to resistance as the rider grabbed his hand and proceeded to examine it. The teenager didn’t pull away, although he badly wanted to. Instead he stood there silent, still badly wanting some distance, but staying put for fear of making Ba’sun angrier. Something in the shift of his body language had set off the warning bells in Er’ani’s head. Something was wrong. Something hadn’t gone right. Of course not. You shot near him. I told you it was a bad idea. But Lketh’s vice contained no anger, no disappointment, and nothing of an I told you so vibe. It was factual. There even was a tiny trace of concern evident in the underlying mood, reactive to the sudden torrent of emotion washing over his rider.

Forcing himself to pay attention to the older man in front of him and not his dragon, the boy was just in time to hear the rider’s words. The weyrling bristled outwardly for a moment and then yanked his hand back, eyes flashing with anger. He wasn’t cocky. Never cocky. That had never been a word that ever had applied to him. Worthless, clumsy, good for nothing, smart mouthed, and stubborn. But never cocky. This man knew nothing about him. In himself Er’ani had little confidence. Although he often put up a good front. In fact his archery was the only area that he even felt a bit good about himself and he was… Dark eyes tracked to where Ba’sun gestured and then his face paled. Obviously stupid. Ermine…

Er’ani’s mouth opened as if he was going to say something and then he shut it before squeezing his eyes shut, hand fisting at his side. He hadn’t known. But that wasn’t really an excuse was it? He should have paid more attention. He shouldn’t have…. Could have. Swallowing down the bile rising in his stomach the teen bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, though he hardly noticed such himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know you had a kid. I’m…blind you’re right.” Not an excuse. Never an excuse. He could have killed the kid. Ba’sun was right. “I know it’s not a good enough excuse. I’m sorry.” For that and for wasting this guy’s time. If he had seen the kid… it wouldn’t have even been a question. He wouldn’t have made that shot. Er’ani had been confident in it. But not confident enough to risk a little one. Never that confident. It made him feel ill. But with a sudden bitter laugh the albinoweyrling raised his head. “Anyone else? Why? I don’t deserve your anger? Or are you afraid?” Deliberately goading the man. Go ahead. Do it.

Muted concern washed across the bond, Lketh uncurling from his spot in the shade and rising to his feet. The albino’s head lowered, red eyes whirling as he regarded the pair of riders. Ignorance is not an excuse no. But everyone makes mistakes Ermine. You are only human. Yeah I know. I just make more than anyone else. Ermine… No Lketh.

[rii]

Good, the paling features of Er'ani's face spoke well enough (never mind the streaming apologies) that the kid did see and understand why Ba'sun wanted to break his nose. The bluerider's expression never changed, staring hard at Er'ani and reading every emotion flickering across Er'ani's expression. The man's fingers slowly curled into a fist. The desire to strike the kid - both parties knowing it was deserved - was still very much present. The arm snapped out.. grabbing a hand full of Er'ani's shirt and jerking him forward.

"Because you want me to teach you," He growled lowly to the weyrling, his dark eyes boring into the kid's. "Your first lesson was to listen and look. You failed. I can already see you're in your head again deafening yourself to whatever self-deprecating thoughts you've got going on." How could Er'ani deny it, the kid had been goading him to strike but a few seconds earlier. "Shut up. Stop wallowing and learn. You made a mistake. Don't do it again. The next time you aim you bow near someone, let alone at, you better be ready to kill."

Even if Er'ani had not meant to shoot near Shoal, the kid still shot at him. Shards, the kid had already hit M'ta in accident by shooting near a person. Ba'sun would think the brownrider would have ripped Er'ani a new one for it. The bluerider wanted to take away the kid's bow and quiver. Instead, after a silent and harsh glare, Ba'sun released Er'ani. The action may have been more to seeing the white rise up in alarm - and in turn that made Ekarth lift his head high to see over the slight rise. The sinuous blue licked his maw, silently daring the little moon to try something. The rider might have mercy, but Ekarth did not.

Knife back in hand and cutting into the mango, Ba'sun turned and headed back the way he came. After a moment he snorted then halted to give Er'ani a pointed look. "You coming or what?"

[Rei]

Er’ani was waiting for it. The physical reaction to his words that he knew was coming. Wait for it. Shift to absorb the impact for minimal damage. The almost automatic message in his head played as Ba’sun suddenly moved, the albinoweyrling's body tensing in preparation. Only the expected strike didn’t come just yet. Instead the arm that had snapped out grabbed clothing and pulled him roughly forward. Still the teenager waited for it. Knowing it had to be coming soon. If not in reaction to his actual failing then in reaction to his baiting words. Come on already. Hit him. Except instead of hitting him the bluerider was growling words at him. Sudden confusion flashed across Er’ani’s features for a moment before he could school his expression into something blank and cold. What? But, but this made no sense. Why would the fact that he wanted to be taught make a difference? It hadn’t made any difference to his teachers at Benden.

Swallowing the albinoweyrling merely nodded to Ba’sun’s words. He didn’t have a defense because the older rider was right. He was in his head again. Berating himself because this rider wasn’t doing what he was supposed to. There was supposed to be some consequence. Pain. That it was absent was….almost confusing. Trying to clear his muddled thoughts Er’ani nodded. Shut up. Learn. Don’t do it again. He’d heard that before. Well the last part. From M’ta. Don’t shoot at a person unless you mean to kill them. Well then….he’d never be shooting at anyone. The teenager wasn’t a killer. Highly doubted he could even ever bring himself to kill someone unless it was in self defense of himself or his dragon. Disabling he could do, killing….that was another matter. Er’ani had conflicting views on the war. He never wanted to be a solider like his brother. Still didn’t.

When he was released the weyrling stood there numbly under Ba’sun’s gaze. Now what? He wasn’t sure. Maybe… Maybe he should just go now. He wasn’t sure he really much felt like learning anymore. Not like this. Lketh moved only when Ba’sun started drawing away. The young dragon wasn’t at all gentle as he quickly coiled about his bonded, tail twining up the young boy’s length completely before his head lowered to examine his rider in a rare show of concern and possession. The albino spoke not a word at first. His consciousness melded completely with his young rider’s, supporting the boy, silently pressing calm reassurance against his mind. You do not have to learn to kill. I do not like how it makes you think. Ba’sun’s words caused Lketh to turn his head towards him, the expression in his red eyes as unreadable as ever due to the lack of color change.

Thankfully Er’ani never had such troubles in reading his dragon. The show of possession and concern was in response to his inner turmoil. It had nothing to do with Ba’sun or a perceived threat. Lketh hated it when he thought such things about himself. The one thing his dragon hated with even a bit of passion. Gently the weyrling struggled against his dragon, the pale beast finally releasing him, albeit reluctantly.

“I’m coming.” The teen raised his voice just enough to be heard and then moving to follow Ba’sun almost automatically. With a slight narrowing of his eyes Lketh followed as well, his head lowered to hover right above his bonded. He did not remember this blue dragon nor his rider and had no wish to peruse his bonded’s mind for information that might alter his opinion one way or another. He would come to his own decision as always.

[rii]

Ekarth had raised up onto his haunches, keeping Shoal corralled near with the use of his tail. His placid blue gaze watched the riders, and young dragon, intently while absently fanning his forked tail above the child's head. Shoal giggled at the game, trying to grab the end of Ekarth's tail and always just missing when the blue pulled it away at the last second. Ba'sun gazed at his dragon a long moment before finally glance over his shoulder.

Ugh, weyrlings.

"Kid," It was unlikely Ba'sun would ever call him anything else. "Get out of your head."

The tone was a great deal more gentle now since the anger has passed. The bluerider was still annoyed, but it was at a level he was use to managing and masking from being noticed. Er'ani got his wrists slapped like a child would - it wasn't that serious; not the end of the world. Ba'sun hoped that at some point he would be able to stop treating the weyrling like a little child. "Open your eyes. There is something going on right now that you should be noticing because it will be imperative to your decision making. I see it, but I'm not going to fix it."

A sliced bit of mango was eaten off the end of his knife as Ba'sun again turned his gaze back forward. Aello appeared on his shoulder in the next moment, demanding a piece as well. Ba'sun grunted as he fed her a piece. He gestured toward Ekarth and Shoal afterward, the words for Er'ani, "Fetch the kid, would you. His name is Kirvene. Kirv for short."

It was a touch questionable for Ba'sun to let Er'ani anywhere near the toddler considering Er'ani could have easily misfired and landed an arrow in him. Ba'sun had his reasoning. He had to trust Er'ani and vica versa, what better way to try and show it than by trusting Er'ani to pick up Shoal - the one thing Ba'sun was most protective over. The weyrling likely wouldn't even know that Kirvene should have been a causality in the take-over. There were a few wastelanders that had taken their orders too far. No, of course Er'ani didn't know, the kid knew nothing. "And tell me how much have you been practicing, do your fingers still hurt, do they bleed?"

[Rei]

While Er’ani was walking towards Ba’sun deep in thought Lketh was examining the scene before them. The blue off to the side had shifted position. But he had a quite small child near him. Not a threat immediately. The man walking in front had a knife but he was using it on the fruit. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn it to a weapon but the rider had not struck at his bonded. So the chances of that were pretty low. The albino was not a paranoid creature in the least. Not like his rider. The dragon looked and listened. Took cues from what was going on about him. Ekarth’s wariness was noted, the child, the rider, even the flit all neatly took their place in the picture forming in his head. Some of this awareness transferred to his rider through their strong link but Er’ani did not always pay close attention. That seemed to be Lketh’s job.

When Ba’sun called out to him however Er’ani snapped to attention. Out of his head. Alright he could do that. The thoughts were half digested but they weren’t all that important currently. The weyrling stopped a few feet from the rider and his dragon and blinking looked around. Something was happening here? What? There was Ekarth. The child playing with the dragon. The rider himself feeding his now present flit. He saw what was happening but what did that have to do with him?

Lketh didn’t comment he just calmly settled his weight on his feet and let his tail fall in a loop around his bonded. A quiet chirp of greeting was given the older blue and that was it. The albino was a very quiet dragon and he did not remember Ekarth at all. Not really, there was recognition from his bonded so he knew he had likely met this pair before but that was it. Emotionally the beast remained as detached as ever.

Weight leaning back to press into Lketh’s hide as Ba’sun spoke, Er’ani’s eyes drifted over towards the child and then up to fix on Ekarth. “If I go over there he isn’t going to eat me is he?” Came the quiet question before he forced his feet to move towards the dragon and child. Why would Ba’sun want him to fetch the kid for him? The kid he’d nearly….yeah probably best not to go down that road again. Looking up at Ekath the albinowyerling then crouched near the toddler and smiled. “Hey Kirvene. I’m Er’ani.” He waited for child to notice him before he dared to reach out and scoop him up holding him protectively against his chest. It was kind of an odd feeling. To be carrying someone else’s kid. Kids were fragile and all and a part of Er’ani was extremely nervous. Thus he took steps to make sure the kid was secure before Snowdrop popped from between to immediately cling to his shoulder. Tilting her head the green chirped down at the baby.

Turning to approach Ba’sun with the toddler in his arms Er’ani considered the question he was asked before answering. “Depends on the day and if I have lessons or not. Practice and caring for Lketh gets a lot of my free time. At least a candlemark or so on lesson days and upwards of three on the days I have off.” He rarely skipped. To the other part of the question he shrugged. “They hurt like hell at the beginning and I guess they bled some then too. Not so much anymore?” Er’ani never had been one to shirk back from pain. And even if he wasn’t the best at near anything it couldn’t be said he wasn’t a hard worker. That was probably the only good thing his instructors at Benden ever said to his father about him. ‘He has a good work ethic but…’ Yeah heard that far too often. Silently he offered Kirvene back to Ba’sun.

[rii]

Ba'sun's brow raised as he watched Er'ani puzzle over the situation. He kept his comments to himself as he continued to eat bits of the mango, gazing first at Er'ani.. then Lketh.. then back to Er'ani. They all had stopped a good distance away from Ekarth. There was a reason for it. One similar to the one Ba'sun was ever so subtly trying to hint at for Er'ani to pick up on the clues. When Er'ani voiced being worried Ekarth was going to eat him.. Ba'sun just let out a sigh and hung his head. Honestly. The kid picked up on his dragon's wary vibe.. but didn't put the pieces together why Ekarth was ready at a moment's notice to spring forward and eat someone.

Shaking his head, Ba'sun looked up at the white as Er'ani walked over to fetch Shoal. "Go lie in the shade, or over by the blue lug." In short, go away. Ba'sun didn't need over-protective dragonlings following Er'ani around. If he felt the need to smack Er'ani upside the head to better teach a lesson, Ba'sun reserved that right without having to worry about the kid's dragon freaking out and biting off his arm. The only reason Ekarth was in ready-to-kill mode was because of the white's clinginess.

Er'ani really needed to work on his situational awareness.

Ba'sun groaned as he lifted a hand to pull at the side of his face in exaggerated frustration. As for Ekarth's part, the blue's eyes were a placid blue as he watched the weyrling's approach. His tongue snaked out to flick at Er'ani's hair, but he did nothing more. Ba'sun began to move away from them all, looking side-long as Kirvene laughed at the chirping firelizard before reaching for her tail. Ba'sun didn't take the child back, ignored the gesture even as he continued to walk and eat. "Good."

His steps began to lead them toward the trees, where the white dragon would be unable to follow if he proved to be too stubborn to leave Er'ani. "Keep at it. I'm going to show you how to make proper arrows and then I want you to do that on top of practicing your shots." On top of lessons. On top of chores.

Ekarth merely cocked his head to the side as he regarded the little moon.

[Rei]

Lketh regarded Ba’sun through the goggles like one might a particularly interesting insect or puzzle. Tilting his head he made no move to leave nor did he make a remark. The albino was not going to be ordered around by someone who was not his. Nor had any real connection to him. And that was that. With deliberate slowness the dragon moved his head to regard his bonded and the child, watching them as they started towards the trees. Only then did the young dragon finally shift his weight and begin moving towards the mango tree.

Noting movement from Ekarth Lketh bobbed his head in greeting before coiling his pale body around the tree. The albino didn’t move to lay down though. Instead he kept on his feet keeping one eye on the leaving humans and the other on the larger blue not all that far away.

Snowdrop was quite interested in this little creature her bonded was holding. When he reached for her tail she flicked it out of the way, immediately becoming amused when the boy giggled and tried to grab it again. Oh! Then this was a game? She liked games. Darting left and right across Er’ani’s shoulders the green twitched her tail like a rattle for Kirvene and pulled it away at the last second with a chirp. This was fun. The stout little firelizard quickly decided she liked this boy. Yes very much. The albinoweyrling ignored his firelizard’s antics in favor of focusing on keeping the boy safely in his arms. It was kind of awkward really. Ba’sun didn’t want him back? The only child the teen had ever handled on occasion was Terilyn and even then in small doses. M’ta was like a really protective mother hen when it came to his daughter.

Er’ani kept his attention focused between Ba’sun and the child in his arms as he dutifully followed the older man. Teach him to make proper arrows? The weyrling was all for that. Maybe he hadn’t messed this thing up quite as badly as he thought? Shifting Shoal, the teenager glanced at the trees around them and then back to Ba’sun. He wanted to ask where they were going but he figured that the bluerider probably had some type of plan. He’d just have to stay alert and watch. “I can do that. I’m willing to work on whatever I need to.” Wincing as Snowdrop licked his ear the weyrling moved to walk closer to the older rider. “I still would like to see you shoot.” Not that Er’ani doubted that the man was far better then him, he likely was. The weyrling just wanted to see just how good Ba’sun was. Call it curiosity.

[rii]

The weyrling pair were quickly going to get onto Ba'sun's nerves. The bluerider kept his thoughts to himself as he reined Ekarth back from pinning the white dragon on the spot and teaching him a thing or two about the word seniority. He could just feel his blue intently watching the albino dragon, tongue flicking out in a mockery of the creature he resembled. There was nothing warm about Ekarth in moments such as this. His dragon was a cold-blooded killer. He felt no mercy and would always operate on a very simple basis of they came first. Not the weyr, not politics, nothing.

Only once they gained the trees did Ba'sun speak again, "You need to work on paying attention. Your dragon is no longer fresh out of the shell. He's grown - ready to fly with his own wings. He's also large enough to kill a man with bite or slash of claws, and foolish enough in his obvious show of protectiveness over you to do it at the slightest provocation. I asked you to notice that your dragon's closeness to me in that situation was a threat, and it made my dragon agitated. Ekarth is the type of strike first and not ask questions. So, kid, you need to start being aware of your surroundings and recognize ways to diffuse tension." It came with the territory of being able to recognize the biggest threat in the big picture and taking the shot to neutralize it. Minimum bloodshed. Recognize how and when there are options to solve a situation without it escalating to violence. A single shot could start a war - or end it.

"What's so important about seeing me shoot?" Ba'sun glanced back at the two kids. So what if he planned to make Er'ani carry Shoal until his arms ached. In the bluerider's mind, it was weight training. Had to have strong arms. "You won't be so impressed with my shots when it comes to a time to show how good I am." Scary might be a better term for what Ba'sun could do. A master of his craft, and his artwork could be judged by a past of deaths done by his hands. Did the kid really want to be impressed by it? "What do you want to see?"

He stopped, picking up a branch from the floor and inspecting it. With a frown he showed it to Er'ani and tapped at the knot dominating the center mass. No good, the gestures said, and Ba'sun tossed it aside.

[Rei]

Lketh regarded Ekarth placidly. The body language the other dragon was giving off was noted with careful interest. The albino shifting his weight in response and taking measure to make himself appear smaller and non threatening as possible as his mind searched the various escape route open to him. Still smaller then Ekarth. Trees where his best bet when it came down to it. The ability to out fly him? Possibly. He could have more speed but he could also not. No the dense trees were his best option. Still the young male made no move to leave his position near the mango tree just kept his eyes calmly fixed on what could be a threat to his well being.

Er’ani followed Ba’sun almost placidly watching the man for any reaction. When he finally spoke it the weyrling paused a step and then kept going. He wanted to say that Lketh would never hurt anyone like that. But really that was false wasn’t it. In his desire to protect him? The albino would kill. Coldly, without remorse. Lketh didn’t operate on emotion. He looked for the best answer and then made it happen. Regardless of what anyone else thought. Regardless of the feelings of those around him. Lketh wasn’t really an emotional sort his emotions were muted at best. Lketh was logical and efficient. He saw things as if they were all just some story playing out before him. A story in which he wasn’t really involved in. Not really. He was the ice to Er’ani’s fire. The logic that tempered some of his rider’s more rebel like qualities. Well sometimes tempered it. It hadn’t done much to stop the little weyrling rebellion the albinorider had started. So in the end Er’ani offered no excuse for Lketh. What Ba’sun got was a nod as the teenager shifted the baby before speaking. “You’re right.” And the bluerider was. He hadn’t noticed it really. Just took comfort in the tidal wave of possessive protection. Thought it meant that he was safe. But really he hadn’t been. Lketh and him. Both could have died, had Ekarth acted. Just like the weyrling could have killed the poor kid he was holding….all with one missed shot.

There was no dwelling on it long though. Dwelling was bad. Er’ani did remember that. So instead he watched Ba’sun. The question wasn’t really one that surprised him but he had to think before answering. “I guess I just want to know a little of what you’re capable of. Curious I guess. Or maybe it’s just wanting to know what I should aspire to.” That made sense right? To Er’ani it did. He could blindly trust Ba’sun was the best he supposed. But…there was that nagging curiosity. “Why wouldn’t I be impressed?” Dark eyes watched as the bluerider lifted the branch and showed it to him, tapping at a knot in the wood before discarding it. The message was obvious now that he was paying more attention. Not suitable. Wouldn’t stand up to the strain probably. Shifting Kirvene he again fell in beside Ba’sun.

[rii]

Little moon, you sstare at me sso, doess my vibrant color dazzle you? Ekarth's eyes, the same shade as his hide and giving away nothing, narrowed playfully as his tongue again flicked through the air.

Ba'sun chuckled, unable to help himself. The sound light on the air, deceiving so. Someone aspiring to be like him. There was just so much self deprecating musing tied to that single phrase that it passed the point of being sad to hysterical. "Alright, let's see what I can show you.."

Abandoning his original plan of gathering up branches for arrows, Ba'sun instead picked up a first piece of wood that was about the size of a human head. He grabbed branches along the way and lead them out to a small clearly. He found a fallen stump not to far off. The large, rotting chuck was set up on the nearest rock. The smaller 'head' placed on top of the torso. With a few digging stabs with his belt knife, Ba'sun added arms to the bigger log to let there be no mistake that his mutate creation was meant to represent a person.

He dug out two narrow hollows, revealing the paler wood underneath the bark, to represent eyes. Another chunk was taken out of the torso log in the spot where the heart hid. A short whistle from him drew Aello's attention from E'rani and Shoal to himself. Mental images were shown to her - his bow - and she quickly disappeared between. The green wasn't the biggest fire lizard, but his bow wasn't that big either. He had different sizes for different tasks. The smallest would do the work for today.

She returned a moment later, Ba'sun taking it from her and wandering back to where Er'ani and Shoal stood. He poked Shoal on the nose before reaching behind Er'ani to pull out three arrows. He didn't need any extras. Two were placed between his fingers holding the wood of the bow, the other put to the string. "I can't remember the last time I shot at targets." Unmoving targets didn't provide him with any furthering of his training. Ba'sun turned his back to the target, already having taken a mental picture of it. Short inhale, long exhale.

The archer swiveled, actions almost a blur as he brought the bow up and fired simultaneously. It struck the top log in the right eye. The head rocked, swiveling around on the torso and when it first came back around Ba'sun buried the second arrow in the left eye. It fell clean off the torso, the third arrow soon embedding itself in the 'heart' of the target. It only took a couple seconds to complete - and with a quick reach to yank another arrow from Er'ani's quiver, Ba'sun buried another arrow just below the other in the wood's heart. The log wobbled and rolled off the rock.

Hm. He was disappointed, he didn't the arrow down the middle as he'd wanted. Ba'sun walked over to his target, kneeling over it to see he'd sheared a feather guide off the other arrow with how close he'd come. Ba'sun slung the bow diagonal across his chest and began to pull the arrows out of the wood. Face stoic as he walked back toward Er'ani. "I don't find target shooting very impressive, but will that work for you?"

A brow arched. If Er'ani wanted something more, he'd have to wait for a fight to come find them. "It doesn't demonstrate the moment of split second decision, or the reaction time to more.. active targets."

[Rei]

Lketh lifted his head to regard Ekarth as the blue spoke shifting to keep the serpentine blue in sight. Pale wings twitched along his back red eyes whirling with deceptive slowness beneath his goggles. I am watching you not for your hide color but for your reactions. Came the simple honest reply, head again dipping and weight shifting. I do not remember you well.

Er’ani’s head titled as Ba’sun finally spoke and he gave a small smile. “Alright.” So he would get to see what this man could do after all. Looking down at Kirvene to make sure the kid was comfortable he then followed the older man watching him with interest as he built his dummy. If it was weird to Er’ani that the target was humanlike in form he gave no indication. It the end a target was merely a target right? No matter hat form it took. But well this should be eye opening. Lets see just what his bluerider could do. The albinoweyrling stepped back as the rider called his firelizard and bounced the toddler in his arms giving the area around them a quick glance before his dark eyes again settled on Ba’sun.

Soon the firelizard had returned and the bluerider was making his way back towards him. Er’ani gave a small smile as the older rider took some of his arrows. “That long huh? So then I’m guessing you are far past the need for stationary targets?” Being able to shoot at something moving would be nice. Probably better training but Er’ani wasn’t all that sure he wanted to shoot something living. He’d never been hunting. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. The thought of shooting at something that wasn’t, for instance, a game animal made him almost sick to his stomach.

However the albinorider didn’t dwell too long on the issue because it was obvious by body language that Ba’sun was getting ready to shoot. The whole thing including the last arrow grab from his quiver lasted maybe seconds and Er’ani was pretty sure his mouth was open. Seconds. That had only taken seconds. For a second he regarded the bluerider with something like awe before the man approached the target, carefully taking in the placement of each arrow. Had that been a person they wouldn’t have had a chance. A shiver traveled up the weyrling’s spine though he tried to keep from shuddering.

When Ba’sun finally returned to him his expression near unreadable the albinoweyrling dumbly nodded and tried to find his voice. “Yeah…that was amazing.” Another glance at the target. ‘well whether you find it impressive or not it was impressive.” Though he gathered what the man said was likely true. Hitting an actual moving target like that it would be more impressive, not to mention challenging. Dark eyes regarded the bluerider for a few moments, Er’ani still in something like awe. “So you could teach me to shoot like that? If I learn to pay attention and do what you say?” There was no doubt in the boy’s mind that if he truly wanted to learn, this man was the one to learn from.