Alone at Midnight (Tag: Rowana)

[Chey]

It was dark, just the way Elynael liked it. The light of the day hurt her eyes after five years of being a wherhandler, though she'd been awake during the day an irritating amount. It was nice to finally be asleep during the day and awake during the night again. It felt routine. It felt....normal.

Elynask stood off to the side of the weyrbowl, Elynask at her hip. Her snout was dipped into the cool water of the lake, drinking it hungrily. Not that Elynael could blame her. The night was warm and they'd just finished a rigorous exercise routine that Elynael had created to help her sleep better at night. Elynael could feel not only her own muscles burning, but also 'Nask's and the burn was delicious, reminding her of her girlhood days when she'd been learning how to use a weapon for the first time, training with all the boys around her.

"Shards, that wind feels good." she murmured, tipping her head back and letting it rustle her hair. Grinning at her wher, she leaned down and scooped up some of the water, drizzling it down her back and she sighed in satisfaction. When daybreak came, she'd be sleeping good.

Mine? We are not alone. Elynask pointed out. Elynael looked up in shock. It was the middle of the night, no dragonrider or wherhandler was out here. Were they? She thought they'd been alone, but apparently not. following her wher's instructions, she located her visitors. A dragonrider, one she didn't recognize.

"Can I help you?" she asked, striving for a polite tone and coming up with resentful.

[Rowana]

Ophiuchusth circled the sky in a quick loop, reveling in the cool night air. He did a few flips and exercises, keeping his wings and muscles limber. With his nearly black hide, he was almost invisible against the sky, except for the shadow he created over the stars. Bundled warmly on his back, N'rik whooped for joy. Theirs was an odd relationship, since at either night or day they had to rely on each other for sight. N'rik liked to make sure they spent at least some time in the air at night, where Ophi could really let loose his skills without needing N'rik to see where they were going.

Slowing down, Ophiuchusth came down for a landing with a happy woof of greeting to the wher he say. Hello! Fine night is it not? I do so love the wind under my wings he greeted Elynask cheerfully. Sipping some water, he seemed to suddenly realize he wasn't talking to another dragon and corrected himself hurriedly. Not that running is not wonderful too, he added sheepishly.

N'rik slid down off his dragon's back, waving to Elynael as he touched down. He recognized her, they weyr only had so many wher handlers after all, but he wasn't sure if they'd ever spoken. "Sorry if we startled yah," N'rik grinned, still full of the adrenaline of flight. He doubted they'd actually startled the pair. Whers were not easily surprised from what he knew. He waved aside the woman's offer of help. "Nah, just enjoying the night. It's a good one for flying! Elynael, right?" N'rik stuck out a hand. "N'rik and the big, blue shadow is Ophi." He wasn't sure if they knew their names, with the so many riders around. Politeness had finally been beat into them it seemed.

[Chey]

Elynask was vaguely amused. A dragon afraid of offending a wher? She knew her claws were sharp, but they weren’t that sharp. She gulped down a bit more water before turning her dripping muzzle in his direction. Her eyes had no difficulty picking him out, despite the shade of his hide that made him extraordinarily difficult for Hers to find.

No worries, cousin. It is a fine night for a flight indeed. Running, it seems, I have done a wee too much of lately. If a wher could smile, she was doing it now. Do not worry about offending me, dear. I interact with dragons quite more than NellieMine does.

Elynael eyed the dragon warily. He was big, much bigger than Nask, but his happy woof of a greeting hardly seemed threatening and he didn’t seem antagonized by their presence. She turned to his rider, recognizing him, but unable to put a name to his face. Asking her for the dragon’s name was almost out of the question; she was a Greenhandler, not a Greenrider. She had next to no idea what any dragon’s name unless they were well known.

“You didn’t startle me.” She replied coolly. There was hardly anything that could startle or surprise her anymore, being connected to Nask. Their connection was no First Impression, but it was enough that she’d relaxed once she’d known of their presence.

As it was, she was glad for the introduction. She wasn’t surprised that he knew her; many of the wherhandlers had been moved to Holds if they’d possessed a Craft or a skill set before their Impression and though she knew a little something of smithing, it had not been her particular area of expertise. She was one of the few Handlers left in the Weyr.

“Well, if you know my name, then you clearly know hers, but allow me to introduce my wher, Elynask.” Elynael observed her wher’s interaction and dialogue with the said-“Ophi.” “She seems to like your dragon.”