Exploring Near the Falls((Dmitri))

[metaldawn71]

It was early afternoon and Kalaht was out and about, exploring the Weyr. He been walking for most of the morning and his feet were tired. He looked for a shade tree to relax under and he found one. A single tree that no one even bothered. It was back in the back of a group of trees by the lake and the cascade was heard loud and clear.

It wasn't so much the noise of the waterfall that bothered Kalaht. It was the insects were biting him. Every now and then, he would slap himself on the arm to kill anything that pestered him and he would wave off several bugs that got in his face.

Kalaht would move but this was the tree away from the beaten path he followed. He could not relax enough. Every time he wave off a bug, another one took its place. He would have go to the Infirmary after this excursion. He didn't like healer. In fact, he didn't like much of anything. He didn't trust anyone, thanks to his father. Even though they did say there peace, Kalaht knew that his father would not hold to that agreement that they made so many years ago. He sighed heavily trying not to think on it but he -was- the boy's father and believe it or not, he always said he would hunt Kalaht down if he ever found a way to escape. Hmm. Fat chance that's happening with the dragons and the nightly patrols that the Wher Guards make.

He felt that if he could get close enough without the fear of being bit, he could be one of the greatest Night Sentinels. He just has to get over that fear of being mauled to death!

[Requiem]

Dementia was ignoring the insignificant bug that had taken up residence at the base of their tree. In truth, the harper was ignoring him, too...though absorbed in what he was doing might have been a better term for it. He probably wouldn't have noticed the candidate at all if Dementia wasn't being her usual, possessive self. The gold nosed at his hand, her soft croon never rising above the level of the insect swarms. (An insect swarm that had curiously not arrived until the boy did. Had the kid not bathed in awhile or something?)

Finally, though, the frequent slap of skin-on-skin caused the wherhandler to sigh and eye the intruder critically from the branch he'd sprawled on. "You're making it very difficult to read, you know. Can't you be devoured more quietly?" It could be assumed that the manner of his address had something to do with being a journeyman, his age, the band about his arm that indicated his position in the Sentinel...but really it was just Dmitri. He talked this way to anyone and everyone.

A long leg snaked its way out of the tree to nudge at Kalaht's shoulder. "When did they stop giving candidates chores to keep them busy and out of everyone else's way? I bet it was right after I Impressed. The blighters." Now, Dementia, as usual, had to add her two cents. (She was never pleased when the attention of Hers was drawn away, after all.) Lazy buglet. Plump buglet. Make ugly usurpers tasty treat, yes? Maybe nightbeast like taste too. "Dmisk has never shown an interest in any human blood but mine," Dmitri returned mildly, partially for Kalaht's benefit. He only intended to harass the kid, not terrify him, after all. Dmisk could be a frightening beast.

Perhaps a little fear might be preferable, though. Returning the book to his shoulderbag, the fire-scarred and, yes, disfigured harper peered down at Kalaht. "Not that there isn't a first time for everything." Should run far, sweat much. Less round be. Less...tempting, Dementia commented slyly. The slender gold (she really was just as pretty in body as her personality was ugly) washed her frill delicately from her perch on Dmitri's thigh.

[metaldawn71]

Kalaht looked up and saw Dmitri and glared at him. He saw the gold and he sighed heavily.

"What? Are you going to sick your 'pet beast' on me? I say go ahead! Wouldn't be the first!" he spat, angrily. "You think I'm lazy? Hardly! Stupid, maybe? Perhaps but at i know enough to do my chores and get them done early! Yes, i know what you are thinking! Yes, i have bathed so i'm -sorry- if i intruded on your -private- time together. I can take the hint, YOU don't want me here, as with -everyone- here! I wish I should have -never- come here!" Kalaht scowled at the man and his wher as Kalaht started to leave.

Kalaht was almost always in a bad mood. Given his past history with what he had been through with his father, no one could blame him. He wasn't the violent type, he was just angry. Angry at mostly at his father, how he treated him like a pawn in a chess game. He had no one to turn to and no one that would agree to be friends with him.

[Requiem]

Oh! Death glare! Dmitri couldn't resist a smirk. Would the kid scream 'I hate you!' now? What did end up pouring out of Kalaht's mouth was actually a good deal more entertaining than what such an overused phrase would have been. Such a reaction. "Are you sure you're not suffering from firehead?" Dmitri quipped, though it likely went unnoticed beneath the rest of the child's outpouring. (If only everyone was so easily excitable.)

The harper was cheerfully kicking his legs from his perch on the branch when Kalaht finally ran out of words. Oh, now he was going to storm off was he? Tilting his head to one side, Dmitri considered the pros and cons of following. Kalaht could probably get very annoying very quickly. On the other hand, most of Dmitri's acquaintances/friends knew him too well by now to take him seriously. Such a reaction as this may not come along again in a long while. He was tempted to savor it...

And apparently that temptation won out. Dementia took her place on Dmitri's shoulder well before the man slid out of the tree. The six and a half foot tall man. He was even tall enough to be mildly imposing despite his exceedingly slender and reedy frame. It didn't take terribly many strides of those long legs to keep up with Kalaht. Indeed, once he did catch up, the harper turned about to start walking backwards just in front and to the side of the candidate. Applauding him as he went. "An excellent rendition of a teenaged temper tantrum. I'm impressed. Did that take much rehearsing? I should write my Master, have him take you on as an apprentice immediately. Talent like that simply cannot be wasted."

Hands slipping into his pockets, the scarred eighteen-turn-old nodded to a spot somewhere behind Kalaht. "You're going the wrong way to get back to the Weyr, by the way."

[metaldawn71]

Kalaht noticed the Night Sentinel band on his arm, as he couldn't see it when Dmitri was up the tree. His eyes grew wide.

"I apologize, Sir. Had I not noticed your arm band, I would not have said the things I said like I did. I am so stupid back talking a superior. I am so sorry. I did not notice your rank until now. It was difficult to see it when you were up in that tree and---and if you don't mind asking, what is on your shoulder?" Kalaht asked. "I hope this won't hurt my Candidacy. I have my reasons of hoping to become a wherhandler."

Kalaht's bugs finally let him be and went elsewhere. That was a good thing and he began to walk toward the Weyr again.

"You know, no matter what you say, I am going to Impress. Even though if I don't Impress this clutch, I am not going to quit." He smiled.

[Requiem]

Well now he was just confused. The kid seemed to be ignoring everything he'd just said in its entirety in favor of kissing his ass. And Dmitri didn't have much of an ass to kiss. (Nor was he used to that sort of treatment anyway.) Oh. The harper narrowed his eyes slightly. A wher candidate, was it? That explained the sudden change in tune. "I really don't see what rank has to do with anything. Though I suppose it's natural enough for you to assume me to be another candidate, given the drudges are busy, the dragonriders are training and the weyrlings are in lessons at this hour." It was a dismissal of the topic, of sorts. Dmitri'd had enough formality at Fort Hold to last a lifetime.

Buglet maybe brains have, Dementia cooed in her semi-sweet tone, looking down on him from her lofty perch. Much superior harperlove is. Dementia, queen all things' harperlove. Dmitri poked the noisome beast with a finger. "Smaller than firelizards and flightless, they bond like dragons do. Stronger sometimes. The emotional seepage is usually worse than with dragonpairs. They're called salamandyrs. I wouldn't call them pets, either, because that assumes obedience." He glanced sidelong at the little crooning gold.

"You do realize that I don't determine who stands for wher clutches and who doesn't, right?" Dmitri asked after a moment. "That's Eikane. The other blonde harper. Shorter with the really pretty hair and the very shiny, possessive gold wher. So you can stop sucking up now." The bluehandler winked at Kalaht. "For future reference, 'ass' is a more accurate moniker than 'sir.' Dmisk kind of runs the show with the whers for the most part but I'm just along for the ride."

[metaldawn71]

"Oh. I have never seen a salamander before. Sorry about the ass kissing before and i do have -brains-." he looked at Dementia with a hard stare. "and no i did not know that and yes, a wher candidate. what? you thought i was a dragon candidate? Would i be trying to 'kiss ass' as you call it if i was? i was -trying- to apologize." Kalaht said. "I am not as stupid as you think I am." he narrowed his eyes at the gold 'mandyr on the Harper's shoulder.

Kalaht was not to be under minded by a -lizard!-, especially one that talked. Of course, there was Stone but he was asleep into the Candidate Barracks. He didn't want to bother him, since he -was- quite the loner. Soon, he and Stone will be moving to the wherhandlers apartments as a newly Impressed wherling he was hoping.

"Can I meet your wher sometime?" Kalaht asked.

[Requiem]

It argues, harperlove, Dementia commented, unimpressed. Compliment Dementia gives, nasty eyes Dementia gets. Smart nightbeast no like it. Ungrateful. A wry twist of his lips stole over Dmitri's face. "Well, I suppose he'll have to hope for dumb babies then, won't he?" The harper's eyes lingered on Kalaht for a long moment. "Your knots say candidate. While I could go into matters of probability and how few candidates ever stand for wher clutches, it doesn't really matter because I wasn't concerned with which type of candidate you were. As I said, I have nothing to do with who Stands and who doesn't." Unless, of course, he chose to whisper something into Eikane's ear.

Dmitri sighed and rapped Kalaht sharply on the skull. "Hey. Genius. Don't argue with a 'mandyr. They always win because they don't care if they make sense or not. Dementia makes more sense than most but don't let that fool you." The gold had taken to studying her claws, though it was unclear whether or not she intended to use them or simply was using it as an excuse to ignore the boy.

"He always lurks at the hatchings. You'll definitely know him if you Impress. Technically, the territory around here is his and Quintresk's. But if you want to come by the apartments in the evening sometime you can see him then, too. He can come out during the day but won't without good reason." And yeah, satisfying a wher candidate's curiosity was not good enough reason to brave the sunlight.

[metaldawn71]

Kalaht figured he would be nice.

"What was I thinking? What was I saying? I do apologize again for my behavior. I have been up and down, teased, called stupid and i know now not to argue with your salamandyr. Your 'mandyr is rather cool looking and very pretty. I bet you have all the males coming after you, don't you?" he asked Dementia. "I am ungrateful when i am treated with disrespect and a wher -will- like me." he smiled. "Stupid babies?!" he thought he could be friends with him but so far nothing had been right. He just shook his head and walked back to the Candidate Barracks just under curfew.

~END~