A Vision of Home (Open!)

[lokath]

Perched on a rock jutting out the Selenitas waterfall a very young blue dragon stared to the northeast. This is where you are from, L'kaMine? "Be careful you don' fall, Lith. An' yea, Southern is in tha' direction. It's no' my home, anymore, tha' honor belongs to Selenitas." His voice was a little rougher now that he was neither hypothermic nor attempting to impress anyone, reflecting his time on the sea. He unbuttoned his rough cloth shirt in an attempt to catch the breeze that rolls in from upstream. "In any case, ye canno' see it, there's trees in th' way." If I was flying I could see it.

Lith turned to look over the Weyr, and caught the wind in his face. I like the wind. It is nice. If you ever Impress a flitter, you should name it Breeze. Or Wind. Then it would be nice, like the wind. L'ka sighe as Lith looked down from his rock, watching the water smashing into the bottom of the falls below. L'kaMine? Can we swim? The water looks nice! "No!" L'ka jumped up and took a few steps towards Lith before realizing the blue wasn't actually about to jump. "No jumpin' off of waterfalls yet, Lithe." I wasn't going to jump, L'kaMine. I know I can't fly yet. I just want to swim.

L'ka shook his head. "No, not now. I'm baking." He settled down on the rock next to Lith, his trousers partially soaked, and tried to fall asleep. Or at least rest a little. Meanwhile, Lith stared at the Weyr, watching silently and trying to discover if he could see people at their daily business.

[Ruby]

Tenlie missed the sea. This surprised her immensely- she'd lived at Ista Hold for the first half of her life, and then the Smithcraft Hall at Ista for the rest of it, and she'd never thought twice about the sea. It was there, always within sight, she'd gone to the beach on free days and the like, but she had never really liked swimming, and she could lay out in the sun anywhere. Not that Tenlie had ever had any free time as an apprentice, and she'd NEVER been allowed to damage her complexion before then, so it came as a huge surprise when she had looked out her window this morning and felt a hole tear in her heart when what she'd heard was the river, not the sea. So she'd sought out somewhere in the Weyr that she could see the ocean, beginning with the Drumheights.

All in all, her search had been fairly fruitless. She couldn't see more than a hazy smudge on the horizon from anywhere she was allowed to go, and that wasn't she was looking for. The only place she hadn't tried was over the waterfall, but at this point Ten wasn't expecting much. She still had some time before she had to head back to work, though, so she figured she'd at least sit in the sun for a while and imagine the waterfall was ocean noises instead.

Unfortunately, her spot was already taken. A very light-haired boy, just about her age, was sitting out at the edge of the falls on a rock, accompanied by a very, very small blue dragon. Ten had seen little dragons, but this must have been one of the ones that Hatched from Hepaticath's clutch so recently. Normally, Ten might not have approched a stranger like this, but the hatching had sparked something in her, something akin to the first day she'd spent in the Glasscrafter's forge. She wanted to know more about the Dragons she'd be living with from now on, and she wanted a comfy spot in the sun, so Ten approached the boy and his Blue from behind, clearing her throat from a few feet away so as to hopefully not startle them. Coming around the side that wasn't a raging river, Tenlie smiled and introduced herself, "Hello there, I do be Ten. Any chance I can share you roc'?"

[lokath]

L'ka was lying on the rock with his eyes closed, catching some sun, while Lith was staring down towards the Weyr. As such, neither of them noticed Tenlie until she was only a few feet away, and even then not until she cleared her throat. Of course, L'ka couldn't even hear a thing over the sound of the waterfall, but Lith heard her very plainly. He continued watching the Weyr, speaking to L'ka mentally. L'kaMine? Shh. L'kaMine! Be quiet, Lith! I'm trying to rest![/i] L'ka opened one eye, peering at Lith for a moment before settling back to rest on the rock.

He sat up quickly in surprise when Tenlie spoke from behind him. You know, I did hear her. Why didn't you warn me then, Lith! I tried to.[/i] Lith snorted, continuing to peer into the Weyr from his perch. L'ka twisted his neck around to catch a glimpse of whoever was speaking to him before getting to his feet and standing up on the rock. "Eh, hello, Ten. I'm L'ka now." He looked at her for a second, before looking down at the torck, and then at Lith. "I don' mind, an' it looks like there's 'nough space if I sit up."

He settled down on the rock again, this time sitting up and following Lith's eye. He could just barely see people moving down on the Weyr, and he though he recognized a few, but couldn't really for sure. Drawing his eyes away from Selenitas, he turned to Ten. "So, wha' brings ye up 'ere? Personally, Lith enjoys th' rock there, lookin' down a' Selenitas an' all, and I like th' sun. An' th' soun' of th' falls."

[Ruby]

Ten managed to stop herself from leaping into the air as the boy sat up quickly- it had startled her, too, about as much as it had apparently startled him. She thought he'd heard her and ignored her, so she was all set to go find somewhere else to sit before he practically leaped upright. But he did, and he invited her to share, so she smiled up at him before clambering up on the rock. "Now L'ka? So you did jus' impress, then? Congratulations!" she said, fitting herself comfortably into a slight dip just a few feet away from where L'ka had re-settled.

What brought her up here? Tenlie wasn't sure how to answer that one. Would this L'ka think she was strange for wanting to see the ocean? But then, she thought she recognized his drawl- different from the clipped, enunciated Selenitas speech, somewhat closer to her own, which of course she thought was unaccented. It sounded something like the traders who docked at Ista, and would sometimes come up to the Hold to stay the night. Maybe he was up here for the same reason she was. "Well, I do be from Ista, an' I do miss the ocean. I was hoping I could see i' from here, bu' I suppose no. The sun is nice, though.

"So this do be Lith?" she finished, gesturing to the Blue. He was a lovely specimin, if she knew anything about Dragons (which of course she didn't, but he looked proportional, anyway). After a slight heistation, she added, "What is i' like, impressing a Dragon?" She remembered her Impression to Zerri vaguely, although she had only been a very little girl at the time. Of course, Dragon impression had to be... somehow more than that, didn't it? "I had me a firelizard, once. Do you know if i' was anything like tha'?"

[lokath]

L'ka nodded, turning to look at Ten as she sat down. "Yea', I used to be Lokath. Bu' I'm new 'ere, and I guess I go' lucky at th' 'atching." Lith snorted Not luck, L'kaMine. I picked you. You and me are... are... I don't remember the word, It starts with a d?[/i] L'ka sighed, speaking aloud to Lith, forgetting they had a guest on the rock. "Destiny." Yes, that's right. You and me are destiny, L'kamine.[/i] L'ka sighed, looking up into the sky, watching the sun climb towards noon.

He was nearly surprised once more as Tenlie began to answer his forgotten question. He managed to avoid jumping, and calmly turned back to look at her. "Ista, you say? I've been t' Ista once. It's a nice 'old. Ye 'ave an ol' Weyr there, aye?" L'ka looked out as far as he could see, staring at the river where it met the horizon. "I'm from Southern, mysel', though it's no' 'ome anymore." He shrugged, glancing at the girl sitting alongside him before looking at the Weyr. "I guess Selenitas is, now. I'm tied 'ere, more than I was t' Southern."

L'ka had a playful grin on his face. "Miss th' sea? Are ye sure ye ain' 'omesick?" With a sigh, he looked out to the north, watching the clouds in the sky. "Bu' I know wha' you mean. I miss it too. Th' sea, she calls ye, she calls ye all." He looked Tenlie over, a frown on his face. "Ye ain' a sailor though, are ye... Ye prob'ly don' know wha' I mean." As Tenlie gestured at Lith, the dragon snorted. Comparing me to a firelizard? They're little and don't talk. We're big and talk. I don't see a similarity. L'ka chuckled. "Lith apol'gizes, bu' 'e doesn' see 'ow you coul' mistake 'im for a flitter."

[Ruby]

"Well, many congratulations, L'ka!" Ten offered enthusiastically. "Lith do be a beautiful specemin." She was about to say more, but L'ka looked briefly vacant, said 'Destiny', and went back to looking vacant. Ten unnecessarily smoothed her skirts over her carefully folded legs, giving herself an excuse to look away from L'ka for a moment until he broke himself out of his mysterious trance. Perhaps he was a bit touched in the head, but that was none of Tenlie's business, especially once a dragon had chosen him.

L'ka seemed lost in thought, so Tenlie cleared her throat gently before continuing. "Yes, Ista's a nice ol' hold, bu' I've never been up to the Weyr. From what I hear, i' ain' safe up tha' way. Too ol', too long neglected. Walls fallin' in righ' and lef', ready to crush," she mused, also staring off along the line of the river. She reached up to tuck a stray bit of frizzed hair behind her ear, listening as L'ka talked about Southern. She caught his shrug in her peripheral vision, and glanced back at him just in time to meet his eyes, making color rise to her cheeks. Although L'ka would have no way of knowing, it had nothing to do with him- meeting anyone's eyes made Ten blush, especially when she wasn't expecting it. "I've heard Southern's nice, I've always wanted to visi'," she said, swinging her gaze quickly back down to her hands, where she was smoothing her skirt again.

"I certainly am not homesick!" she responded strongly, but not angrily, to his suggestion. "I'm so excited to be in Selenitas, i' do be my firs' Journeyman posting," she explained. "My family I could do withou' anyway," she added, now following L'ka's gaze back to the north, and nodding vaguely at his musings on the sea. "So you were a sailor before Lith? Before Selenitas?" she asked, looking over the dragon. Then L'ka got that blank look again. Tenlie was about to try to find some excuse that would allow her to leave, but the boy snapped back to reality... and chuckled. Lith had said something to him, eh? That would make sense, if L'ka was paying attention to Lith. Addressing the dragon directly, Ten corrected herself, "No offense mean', Lith! You're small for a dragon right now, but you're certainly no fli'!"

[lokath]

((Apologies for taking so long.))

L’ka grinned at Tenlie. “You sai’ tha’ already” He flashed a bright smile at the girl, however, showing he did not mind. “Thanks ‘gain, though. He is a lov’ly blue, though, isn’t he. I been tol’ ‘e is big for ‘is age, actually, though I don’ see it. I s’pose I’m used to thinkin’ of ’m as big, migh’y beasts who’ll soon eat ye as look at ye. ” At this statement, Lith let out a small whine, turning to look at his rider, dejectment in his entire demeanor. L’kaMine! I would never, ever, ever eat someone. Even if they were meanlike. They talk! Who would eat something that talks? Shh, Lith. I know you wouldn’t. L’ka was focusing more on Tenlie (for once) than his dragon at the moment. “I s’pose ‘avin’ a dragon little ‘nough tha’ ye can no’ ride ‘im seems a bi’ strange te me.”

“Tha’ doesn’ soun’ too good. Take an’ old Weyr an’ leave it ‘lone fer an age, an’ it turns te a death trap? Ista was one o’ them cave Weyrs, wasn’ it? S’pose that coul’ ge’ old fas’.” L’ka was rather enjoying this conversation, the first real one he’d had since arriving at Selenitas. The few talks he’d had with the brown rider who brought him in really didn’t count, and neither did idle discussions with the healers. Speaking with Nitsa had just been… awkward, mostly due to the shock of Lith’s Impression. Tenlie was easier to talk with, even if she did look at him funny sometimes.

And now she was blushing. This really confused L’ka, because he didn’t think he had said anything offensive… and she certainly didn’t seem like the type of girl who would blush and swoon at a simple compliment. Still, it was obvious he’d done something wrong. “Er, sorry fer tha’.” It was always good to apologize! When she spoke of Southron before looking away, L’ka had to grin. “It’s a nice place. I like th’ sea more, bu’ then I like S’lenitas more ‘s well. I wasn’ never much o’ a person for th’ land. Th’ sea b’fore, an’ now th’ sky.” He sighed. “Givin’ up one worl’ for ‘nother. No’ tha’ I ‘ad much choice, bu’ it’s nice ‘nough ‘ere.”

“Alrigh’! Ye ain’ homesick. I was jus’ teasin’ in any case.” His eye light up as she speaks up her posting. “Journ’yman, eh? Wha’ craft are you ‘ere for? Ye ain’ one of th’ ‘ealers, I know tha’…” He frowned at her. “Family’s importan’, bu’ sometimes it’s a matter o’ what’s more importan’ to th’ family than t’ you.” He looked out Northwards again, straining to catch a glimpse of the ocean, but it was impossible. The tree line blocked it entirely. “Yea’, I ‘ad a boat. Ran cargo an’ such ‘tween th’ ports o’ South’rn. A couple o’ th’ North ports ‘s well.” At her comment, Lith nodded serenely, turning back to peer at the Weyr. Look, L’ka! It’s a brown sunning itsel… Oh, no. That’s a rock.

[lokath]

((Seeing as Tenlie is now dead, we might as well close this.))