Quite the Handful(s) [Tags Ka'rys]

[kysseh]

While Savitri was unaware that Reggie was looking to predate on her pet--she had barely glanced at the feline when he made noise, mostly out of preoccupation with other matters--Shadow's self-preservation instincts were in good enough condition that the salamandyr immediately recognized that he was being stalked. In tiniest span of time, he hopped down to Savitri's shoulder and then dove down the front of shirt, wasting no time in curling up in her breastband, right at the underside of her left breast. It was safe down here, it was. Very, very safe. He sent Savitri appropriately reproachful thoughts, picturing Reggie as much larger with huge fangs and claws. Apparently, Shadow did not want to be eaten by the monster-feline.

In response, his humanpet merely eyed the feline and then returned her attention to the bronzerider, trying to ignore Shadow's squirmings to get comfortable in her shirt. The tiny 'mandyr was just a little annoying, he was. At least he was not spying on someone and invading their privacy. That got to be a pain to ignore. Savitri was currently more concerned with Ka'rys repositioning himself on the couch, though she did glance away for a brief second to check the progress of the tea. His words startled her out of her preoccupation with procedure, and she blinked in surprise, settling herself in a not-so-comfortable seat on the floor to politely listen.

It was... shocking, frankly, to hear him speak with such open honesty. Ka'rys was never so forthcoming without provocation. She was unsurprised by the admission that he had been sent with a specific intent, though. To keep Selenitas from... becoming too strong or weak? She briefly wondered how he had responded to the near-burning of Kaegan and Shmee, all that time ago. The thought made her shudder slightly at the memory. Highly unpleasant, that situation had been. His question surprised her, though it really shouldn't have. How did she feel, knowing that someone she cared about had been sent to the weyr with such a clandestine purpose? Did she feel more in danger? No, she decided. No, she didn't. But she wasn't sure if she felt less either.

"I don't feel more in danger, knowing you were sent here to keep Selenitas as a distraction and not a risk," she said quietly, her eyes focusing on his face. No one knew what she did, save for Ka'rys. He was unlikely to tell, and so was she. Where did that leave them? Sharing a secret between two people that formerly one had held. He was very emotional about this, though. Very upset. He really did think she was going to tell someone, didn't he? That must be it, she decided. It was dangerous to know these things. "But... I don't feel... less. I can't explain. Unless you say something, or I do, no one else has to know. You're not acting in the best interest of anyone but us now. I trust you." It seemed so simplistic to say it, but she had no other words and gave a helpless shrug. It was... a lot to process. She had suspected something awry since his fussiness over the hides, but she had not suspected the depth of his secrets. And such depth, there was.

Mine always wants to be around Yours. Even now. Hepaticath replied to Ciceroth without hesitation, unable to keep a note of relief from her mental tones. Relief that Ciceroth was calming, mostly. She turned to face the bronze and offered him a carefully affectionate nuzzle. She understands now that things are dangerous. She will keep secrets for him, though. She knows he is safe. The gold crooned softly, turning her head just enough to watch the pair of humans. Hers was conflicted. Less now than before, though. She will be happy to know that Yours worries about her, though. She worries constantly about Yours... and... now she worries more... the gold observed, snorting softly. Ridiculous was Hers.

The goldrider glanced over at the pair of dragons and then back toward Ka'rys, this time not hesitating to reach out and touch the knee of his good leg. Just for a little contact, she reasoned. She hoped he didn't pull away. "I don't hate you for following orders, you know. If you were still doing things now... I'd be upset with you. But you're not. You don't... think anyone will come looking for you, will they?" She frowned suddenly, concerned. The thought of anyone doing harm to him chilled her blood. Shmee would have certainly sent him north to Benden for punishment, she reasoned. Her eyes closed again. Now she understood his fear, she thought. Now it made sense.

[glamourie]

She was missing the point. She really was. However, Ka’rys did not immediately blurt it out to her. By not telling her, he’d given Savitri an out. She could never be tortured for information if it was widely believed she was ignorant. Any spy worth their salt would not believe she knew anything when she clearly didn’t. While being close to him still put her in danger, at least the likelihood of her being tortured for information was lowered. He knew, though, that if someone wanted to get to him -- they’d go through her and Kalerary to do it. Ka’rys didn’t have many weaknesses. Someone could beat and torture him and get nothing. He didn’t care what happened to him. Ciceroth, Kalerary and Savitri were the only three living beings he cared about. The number was going up and he didn’t like it at all. At least he wasn’t in a position of authority anymore, though. That helped… a little… with the nervousness. But only a little, and the more he spoke, the less sure he was of that.

“You should feel more in danger that you know,” Ka’rys replied, with no small amount of exasperation. “You still don’t get it. The fact that you know puts you at risk.” However, he was sounding a lot less angry which… was at least a step in the right direction. As she touched his knee, Ka’rys reached over and forcibly dragged Savitri onto the couch and on top of his legs at the knee. His hands remained around her upper arms, and his gaze snared on her face. “I don’t know how important I am, to Benden, to Fort. Fort knows who I am. They know I’m a former Fort rider. I’m no one here at Selenitas now, but I was, briefly, and if Ciceroth catches either Hepaticath or Millieth, I will be again -- and I’m not foolish enough to believe that Benden is unaware of my rank. What that means is simple: those close to me will be more than a little at risk. You’ll be the top of the list, you’re two avians with one rock: a gold rider and someone important. Do you understand? If you know anything, and they suspect you know, they could - they could hurt you to get that information. Better that you not know and those who would see me as an enemy never have reason to suspect I’ve changed that, then… then…”

He released her arms and sighed. Hopefully she understood… but he doubted it, he really did. He wasn’t so much worried she’d repeat things. He just… did not want to imagine Savitri in extra danger. She was in a bad enough situation as a gold rider, with Selenitas on Benden’s radar. No doubt she was one of the top people considered to be … eliminated. Kaegan would be before her, which reassured Ka’rys little. The senior gold rider was very blatantly the more personal of the two: she was a former Benden rider gone rogue, he was surprised no one had eliminated her yet. In some ways, she benefited from Benden’s incompetence. Were she from Fort, she’d be dead long ago. Ka’rys frowned and bowed his head slightly.

Perhaps fortunately, he was spared from having to answer her, at least at that moment… because as soon as Savitri was on the couch, Reggie decided to launch his attack. The cat yowled and flung himself from the opposite arm of the couch onto Savitri’s front. He was mindful of his claws, and thus hit her chest awkwardly, his little teeth snaring on the shirt to try and get at Shadow beneath the material. Only his hind legs kept him from sliding down onto his mistress’s father’s legs. A low growl settled in the back of the feline’s throat, menacing. Beneath that shirt was a very tiny snack, and he intended to make quick work of him once he could be rid of the wicked cloth between him and the white thing. The fur on his back stood on end, his tail flaring to twice its normal size in an intimidation technique. Come out, come out, salamandyr-snack.

Mine does not know how to respond to her. He does not know what to do. He fears people from that place will come for him… he was very mad at me, before, for Chasing Aslath. He worried that if we were noticed, people would come after us. He fears it still and wishes we were not wingleaders because of it, the bronze admitted, but anything else he had to say was cut off by the feline’s behavior. The bronze squeaked in confusion and slouched back against Hepaticath, his eyes whirling his surprise.

Because at that exact moment, Reggie discovered the top of Savitri’s shirt. It only took him a matter of seconds, and he immediately climbed up her enough to plunge his head down below the neckline in search of his prey. The response his mistress’s father had was to gape in open shock at the feline, obviously stunned by his behavior. However, the little orange animal did not appear to notice, his tail swishing around quickly. He’d found his way in and soon, he would have a very delectable entrée. Yum.

[kysseh]

How could knowing put her at risk if no one knew that she knew?! The concept was simply beyond Savitri, though she sensed that Ka'rys was more than a little frustrated with her lack of understanding. She was trying to understand, but it was frustrating. Anything else that she wanted to say was replaced with a gasp when Ka'rys grasped her by the arms and yanked her up onto the couch to sit on his legs. She felt like a child in his grasp, but the fact that he had physically pulled on her got her attention completely focused on him. She matched his gaze, sitting very still and not bothering to struggle or put up a fuss.

It was hard to dispute the fact that Ka'rys sounded so... earnest. He was worried about himself... about being found out and punished for his actions. But he was worried about the danger to her as well, which she found both touching and... well, just touching. He worried for her, and she bit at her lips, wondering how to express her gratitude for that. It did frighten her, the thought of torture. Savitri prided herself on her tolerance of pain, but she was sure that she would be no good against people determined to milk information from her. That very thought made her shudder, and she pushed it aside before it really gave her the chills. He had released her arms, probably out of frustration, or maybe he was just finished making his point? He had made it, and she felt the urgent need to thank him for his concern... as well as apologize again for upsetting him.

Unfortunately, as she placed her hands on his chest and leaned toward him with the intent to bring her lips to his, a sudden yowl distracted her, and she straightened as something hit her chest, her expression comically betraying her shock at being hit. That shock rapidly melted to utter exasperation, and she groaned, eyeing the kitten that clung to her chest, growling and obviously intending great malice. To... her breast?! That was where he was aiming, and she gasped in protest to the little teeth. The cloth was a decent barrier, but she disliked the idea of that little thing latching on to a very sensitive area. Savitri was protective of her breasts, probably due to the bronze hatchling's abuse of them. The thought of the feline latching onto them was... upsetting.

The flurry of mind-images from Shadow radiated nothing but smugness. Apparently, the little white 'mandyr felt quite safe in his little roost, and Savi ground out a sigh of frustration at the realization that the feline was not after her breasts. He wanted Shadow. Before she could tell the salamandyr to get out while the escaping was good, the feline stuck his head down the front of her shirt, and the young woman could not contain the unconscious squeal of response. That tickled! She wriggled and grasped the feline gently around the midsection, lifting him up and away from her shirt to give herself a little feline-free space. Shadow... get out of my shirt.... she thought furiously at the 'mandyr, and Shadow replied with only sullenness. But he was comfy!

"Shadow... I think there are riders in the stables. Stables. Stables." Maybe if she repeated it enough, the 'mandyr would get the message. For a moment, she feared not. The salamandyr acquiesced, and the little white blip of 'mandyr-flesh appeared from her shirt. He took one look at the feline, flared out his wings, and then he was airborne and gone. The sullen stream of images emphasized the fact that he was not pleased, and he expected to be well-rewarded later for abandoning his favorite perch, thank you. He was going to spy on the brownrider and greenrider and all of their fluffy and flitty things, thank you, and his humanpet should be grateful for that.

Savitri merely closed her eyes in an attempt to not scream in utter frustration. Hepaticath crooned softly at Hers and rubbed her head against the bronze that now lounged against her. Mine does not know how to react to Yours either. I think she was trying to do the mouth-thing to him, but the fluffy feline interrupted. She is annoyed. the gold dragon stated simply, mildly amused by that observation. The bronze's squeak had surprised her too, but she chose to ignore that. Her poor Ciceroth would likely be upset if she pursued it, and she had no wish to upset him again when he had just calmed down. She is more scared now than she was, though. She does not like the idea of someone coming to hurt her or Yours.

[glamourie]

Ka’rys stammered. He hadn’t missed the … affection? … that Savitri had offered him but it was quickly washed away in undeniable surprise at Reggie’s actions. Normally the feline was so loving! Oh, but it quickly became apparent what he was after as he started trying to go down Savitri’s shirt and it took all of the bronze rider’s effort not to snicker in response. He did smile, though he reached up his hands to peel a very upset feline from Savitri’s front. Reggie hissed at him (which was altogether unusual; he normally did not mind being held by Ka’rys) and struggled in his hands, trying his best to keep himself latched to the girl’s front. That desire was only heightened as Shadow moved into sight again and he let forth with a menacing howl that was far lower than his typical meow and undeniably predatory. As the salamandyr took to the air and winked between, Reggie squirmed even more, his determination to catch the creature revitalized. It was in his room, and he was not about to stand for that. Ka’rys winced, feeling the back feet claws start to dig into his wrists from the angle he was holding the feline, and in response he set Reggie down. On the floor. Where he hopefully would not kill Savitri’s breasts, his wrists, or anything else of that nature. Hopefully.

Growling low in his throat, Reggie looked around and took to sniffing the floor near where Savitri was. His tail brushed the ground as he padded very slowly, clearly looking for where the salamandyr had gone. Savitri’s leg was sniffed for a moment before the feline laid his ears back at her, as though to blame her for taking away his snack. He swished his tail indignantly before raising it into the air, then he pranced across the weyr to the dragons. They wouldn’t take his food from him. They surely understood his need to hunt the little white thing. It had it coming.

Dark brown eyes followed Reggie as he moved out of sight, and Ka’rys was unable to suppress a smug smirk. The salamandyr was a nuisance with his spying, and, it seemed, Ka’rys had a protector in the feline. Good thing, too, since Ophelie and Liette couldn’t care less. He watched Reggie for only a moment longer before turning back to Savitri. Most of the amusement was gone, but he couldn’t hide the fact that he was pleased. It was about time someone showed the little white menace who was boss. Savitri made no effort to properly punish the creature for his spying, in Ka’rys’s opinion. Else he wouldn’t still do it. So at least Reggie was willing to stop him - or try to. If it was smart, the salamandyr would not come back with Reggie on the prowl. Savitri would not always be there to save him.

“I hope he didn’t hurt you. He misjudges his own strength at times, I suspect; he’s quite young still.” Even if he wasn’t, Reggie probably still would have attacked Shadow. For a kitten he was remarkably tame, usually just hanging limply whenever held. He had a remarkable amount of patience, too. “That’s unusual behavior for him - at least, jumping on people. I should’ve warned you though that he absolutely hates salamandyrs. Every time he sees one, he tries to eat it… K’lir’s little monster came in here and Reggie almost killed it, until it escaped down the side of the weyr surface, and Ciceroth had to pin Reggie down to keep him from going after the cursed thing…” Of course, he very highly doubted Ciceroth would stop Reggie from going after salamandyrs if he was not in danger. Ka’rys wasn’t the only one who found the creatures irksome.

Reggie padded over to the two dragons and slithered his way up Ciceroth’s back. He moved carefully so that his razorsharp claws did not touch the dragon’s hide, and once he was on his back ridges, he mewled over to Hepaticath. They were close, which meant he had the perfect place to lay. Purring loudly, the feline climbed down and proceeded to make himself a ‘nest’ comprised of dragonflesh: Hepaticath on one side, Ciceroth on the other, him right directly between them where the bronze’s body met the gold’s. Then he curled into a small ball, clearly intending to sleep in his oh-so-warm spot.

The bronze rumbled slightly, but did not move and dislodge Reggie from his spot. Reject is what he is called. Mine calls him ‘Reggie.’ He is very fond of the feline, even though it caused him to hurt his ankle. He swiveled his head to look at Reggie and nudged him lightly. The feline batted him with one paw in response, but did not open his eyes. He surprises me, the way he hunts. So small but always willing to jump and fight. Fearless. It is impressive. His bigger cousins are a nuisance. Many wings have to keep them away from the Weyr itself. His head lifted and he crooned to Hepaticath before rubbing his face against her neck. I will not let anyone her her, Mine, or you. The ones from that place do not frighten me. I understand them - and they are not at all intimidating, though I am sure they would like to be. They did not come before. They will not come for us now. He’d see to it with claw if he had to.

[kysseh]

Ka'rys's smile was irritating, mostly because Savitri strongly suspected that the bronzerider was amused by his pet's behavior. If Reggie had not been using those little teeth near her breasts and intending to eat her pet, Savitri might have been entertained as well. As it was, though, she was more than grateful when the bronzerider removed his howling pet and set it on the floor, sighing in relief at the sight. The poor feline. He was only acting on instinct, so she couldn't blame him for chasing something small and mobile. That was what felines did. The only reason Fish and Vira didn't chase Shadow or Ras was because both were too attention-oriented to hunt without due cause.

The feline eventually stalked off in agitation, which would have signaled the end of Savitri's irritation but for Ka'rys's smugness. She didn't bother to temper her scowl. Shadow had better spy on Ka'rys a little extra in retaliation. The irritation was quickly replaced by exasperation, to Ka'rys's good fortune, and the young woman sighed quietly. As the bronzerider spoke, she inched off his legs and onto the couch, her hands busying themselves with the pot of tea. A quick sniff and a peer into the dark liquid told her that it was as ready as it would ever be. It was usually better to simmer it while steeping, but this would do just fine. The flavor and effects would be less potent, though that could work to the bronzerider's benefit, she acknowledged. The stuff tasted horribly bitter without ridiculous amounts of something sweet.

"My shirt is going to need a good washing, and Fish and Vira are going to try to claim it, since it smells like another feline. Other than that, I think I'm all right," she acknowledged, carefully pouring the tea into an empty mug. "I'll warn Shadow to stay out of here." Would he listen? Probably not, but it was worth a try, wasn't it? She thought so. "Here. It's not very concentrated, but I'm sure it's going to taste horrible anyway. Try not to spit it out on me in disgust?" she suggested helpfully, extending the mug toward him with both hands. The corners of her lips quirked up into a wry smile. That had happened many times before, a patient unhelpfully spitting up their tea all over the healer. She was used to it, though Ka'rys was neither sick enough nor old or young enough to have an excuse. "It'll take a quarter candlemark or so to take effect, but it should make you much more comfortable."

Hepaticath remained very still as the feline curled himself up between herself and Ciceroth. When Ciceroth turned to look at the little creature, Hepaticath did as well, rumbling softly in amusement. It was so adorable, the little fluffy feline-thing. So kind too, as it did not use its claws on her. She wanted to nuzzle it, but since it appeared to be trying to sleep, she merely crooned and then put her head back down, this time on the nearer of Ciceroth's forelegs. Reject? Reggie. It is a funny name for a feline. He is quite cute, though I am glad he did not hurt Mine. the gold observed, exhaling slowly in relaxation. Mine likes the little felines. Not the big ones, though. Those are quite, quite dangerous.

Ciceroth's sudden affection had her twining her tail around his, letting one of her eyelids droop as a sign of contentment. Things were... slowly becoming calm again. Ciceroth was relaxing; His was relaxing. Hers was calmer. Hers still wanted to curl up in RysCiceroth's lap, but that was beyond the point. Calm was very desirable. I hope no one comes for You and Yours... or for me and Mine. I will eat anyone who tries. she said matter-of-factly. Her eyelids retracted suddenly, head angling to one side to regard her bronze playmate with a thoughtful expression. You know how to fight, PlaymateMine?

[glamourie]

Oh, pfft. Ka'rys did not even bother to hide his smirk. She could scowl and snarl all she wanted. She seemed to take amusement in her evil little pet spying on him (she at least had no shame about it where he was concerned, in his opinion), yet when his daughter's feline decided to launch an all-out assault in his defense, she was annoyed at him for being pleased. Not fair, and he was not remotely ashamed. Let her think what she wanted. At least she was smart enough to not mention it to him. While he was trying to avoid fighting, his temper was near the surface, too near for his liking and only a good long nap would calm him down again -- for better or worse. If she'd made any sort of comment, he probably would've lashed out. Again. Although, in comparison to most people, his version of lashing out wasn't exactly wild or dangerous. In fact, Ka'rys was remarkably tame. He tended to twitch and shake rather than throw things or sling furniture the way certain other figures (he could remember S'rei throwing a chair) at the Weyr did. So, in some ways, he was proud of his own composure.

He also would not apologize for Reggie. Maybe it was petty, but he wasn't sorry. If she'd been hurt, he might have felt a little guilty. A little. The truth was, though, that Ka'rys felt no guilt whatsoever that Reggie pounced the goldrider. As far as he was concerned, she knew the risks when she came into his weyr... and it was Reggie's home. He didn't think it right to ever apologize for a creature acting in its own nature. Just like Savitri didn't seem to feel she owed him an apology for Shadow. Besides. It was just a shirt. Shirts could be washed. After all of his that had been demolished thanks to her and Kalerary (he was certain that Savitri had a hand in the destruction), he felt it fair that one of hers was lost in the fray. It was only one. Her felines had earned it! Or so he mentally justified to himself as he watched the goldrider prepare the tea with a look of thought. His stomach twisted again. Knots, forming from pain jolting up his leg. Ouch.

She kept emphasizing that the tea would be bitter. Ka'rys squinted slightly. He wasn't adverse to bitter things... His preference was to that, actually. If it was a choice between sweet and bitter, he leaned toward the latter, particularly in teas. Sweet things became too rich much too quickly. Small doses. Except when he was nervous. Then he inhaled it all as fast as he possibly could, because sweet was comfort foods. Like bread pudding.

"Does it work better concentrated...?" He didn't know very much about herbal teas and remedies. R'wign usually just shoved things at him and told him to drink / eat / rub / lick / sniff them. Actually, he was lucky the healer was not inclined to poison him or he would've been in a great deal of trouble as a result. He blindly trusted what he was given. "It really takes that long to take effect...?" He almost preferred the numbweed. His ankle was throbbing, and the worse it got, the more inclined he was to throw up somewhere. Whether the pain was from his stress level, or because he wasn't as efficiently distracted from it anymore was unclear to him. He just... hurt. "There's no way to make it work faster?" Patience was a virtue that he did not possess, particularly not when he was hurting. Oh well. "I'll try not to spit any tea on you..." Though it was very tempting to do so, just to be ornery. Immature, that would be... no matter how tempting. He settled for taking the mug and blowing on it lightly. It'd be hot still.

Ciceroth crooned his agreement in regards to the felines. Two out of three eyelids drooped down closed, and he relaxed himself, stretching out as much as he could. A low rumble was his general response, along with the lazy posturing, finally relaxing. Although he was still agitated, it was fading. Hepaticath's question, though, made him swivel his head around to look at her almost thoughtfully. We are from that place, he replied, not sure if that was answer enough or not. We learned many things. Some we are proud of. Some... not so much. The same can be said for the things that we have done. His tail flicked, and he lifted his head enough to gaze at the other weyr ledges thoughtfully. I know enough that there is no dragon on Pern that I fear. At least, not in combat. It might have been arrogant.. or perhaps, simply, Ciceroth. You did not know we are from that place?

[kysseh]

While Savitri was unsure if Ka’rys was being difficult on purpose or just out of discomfort, she tried to rein in her immediate instinct to smother him. He got strange when she tried to fuss over him, though she admitted that it made her feel better to do such. It reassured her that he was well. His words sounded frustrated, though she could never quite be sure with him. In any case, she watched him blow cautiously on his tea, unable to resist the urge to reach up and settle the blanket around his shoulders. She wasn’t fussing. Really. Just… taking care of him.

Right. Even she could smell the lie in her own thoughts.

“It’s stronger when highly concentrated, though the taste gets far worse. Since I can’t take an extra half-candlemark to simmer it over a fire, this will do,” she admitted. She could hunt down something to sweeten it for him, but that would take even longer. He sounded quite eager to be out of pain. “I can’t make it work any faster, no. You may feel it quicker than some people. It will work, though.” Perching on the edge of the sofa was slightly uncomfortable, she noted. She scooted in a handbreadth, careful to not touch or jar the propped-up leg. He was in enough pain already, her fault and not. Savitri had no desire to make it worse.

Her gaze dropped to her shirt very briefly, nose wrinkling at the sight of teeny marks. Hmph. The shirt was in need of washing and repair, apparently. She made a mental note to not let Shadow into Ka’rys’s weyr again, if only to avoid the clothing-damage that came with it. She supposed she should be grateful that Shadow did not like to hide up her skirt, though. That would have been far worse.

The young woman glanced up at her… friend?... again, extending a hand to lightly brush his hair from his face. It was not so much that he needed it as that she just wanted to touch him. Her wariness over the issues over his (now lack of) family and purpose at Selenitas had upset him. Hepaticath confirmed that. How to broach the topic was… chancy, at best. Considering their tentative truce--which seemed to consist of not talking about the proverbial fat gold dragon in the room--she just… didn’t mention it. Better not to. It would probably accomplish little save to upset him, and her by proxy, again. “I don’t… suppose I could convince you to eat something with that, could I?” Her tone was tinged with hopefulness. She could try, at least.

Her playmate was watching her, Hepaticath noted. She patiently listened to his response, her tailtip twitching back and forth like that of a feline deep in concentration. Thinking, she was. I knew you were from… one of the other places. I did not know how much you know about fighting, though. the young gold confessed. She nuzzled lightly at the bronze’s foreleg. I want to learn. Tanith teaches me some things, but I can not fight like a green. I can not turn like that. She trusted her playmate’s judgment, even if he feared… nothing. Hepaticath was practical; she feared plenty. Foremost on her mind was the loss of Hers. Indescribably awful was the very thought.

[glamourie]

She did realize it took quite a bit of bad taste to efficiently upset him, yes? Ka’rys didn’t care how horrible it was if it took away how much hurt was flaring down from his ankle. It felt to him like he was on fire. No doubt the focus there was half in his mind, trying to distract from the very blatant discomfort he felt. It would go away. Eventually. Hopefully. He blew on his tea again and watched the liquid ripple circular patterns to the edge of the cup and back again. Then he took a sip. It didn’t taste half as bad as she made it sound, surprisingly enough… or maybe he was groggy enough that he couldn’t tell. The warmth of the liquid coupled with his own exhaustion was enough to be very, very relaxing, and he leaned his head back subconsciously. The bronze rider did not notice (or rather, acknowledge) Savitri scooting closer. His attention was completely on the tea as he tried to will it to work faster. Only after he took a second sip did he make any notice of her, and only because at that exact second Savitri reached over to push his hair from his face. Dark brown eyes crossed to look at her fingers, no doubt making his expression comical, though he could not see it. A slender eyebrow raised inquisitively.

“If I eat something, it’ll take longer to work, won’t it?” he asked, blowing on the tea again. It seemed to get better with each sip… or maybe each new one washed away the aftertaste which was decidedly unpleasant. “I’m really not hungry, though… I ate earlier, I’ll eat later. Eating when I’m hurting tends to have very bad side effects. You can guess.” It didn’t take a healer’s training to know that poking food into oneself while nauseous was rarely a good choice. “I promise you, I’ll eat later. I really will. Just - not right now.” Wasn’t it enough he was drinking the tea and speaking? Though, the tea was actually more soothing than he wanted to admit. He took another sip and let his eyes fall closed. Under his breath he muttered something even he couldn’t understand, and flung one arm over his eyes. “I just want it to stop hurting. I don’t like it when I hurt.” Did anyone? Hmm.

Ciceroth crooned quietly at the gentle affection Hepaticath offered him. His eyes whirled and he leaned forward to rub his head against hers. We fought, yes; most everyone learns. I was hatched before the War, but I cannot remember before it. Rysmine can, but I can’t. We learned to fight early. I can’t remember ever not knowing how, but Rysmine says that we had some trouble in the beginning because my wings are very large. He pondered for a moment, then cocked his head. Why would you fight at all? Golds are not supposed to fight. That is what the rest of us are for, to protect the Golds and their clutches. Grenostith did not fight. Her wing sometimes flew Thread, and they knew basic defense, but they did not fight. You have a disadvantage because you cannot chew Firestone. It was as honest as he could be. No insult was intended. I can teach you how to dodge, but it is unlikely you will be attacked. If someone wants to fight you, Hepaticath, they will come after SavitriYours, not you. You can command us to help you, and the people at That Place and That Other Place know that. They are not usually fool enough to attack a queen. No dragon willingly will attack any gold, and no rider can force their dragon to do something they hate so much. You are safe; yours is the one who must learn.

Oblivious to Ciceroth’s confusion, Ka’rys snuggled back slightly. Or… perhaps it was slipping. His hands wavered, the tea cup barely remaining between his fingers. There was some logic to his comment about drinking it on an empty stomach, because only five minutes after his first sip, the bronze rider was half-asleep. It was only luck that kept him from spilling the hot liquid down his front, and it was painfully obvious that the tea had most effectively knocked him out. Ironically, he had chosen it to avoid that very option. What luck.