The future is listening [Rei]

[Rei]

Er’ani didn’t really consciously notice Ba’sun move except for maybe barely out of the corner of his eye, and even then he was unconcerned. What the weyrling was concerned about was hitting that target this time. He was positive he could do it. Bad arrows or no bad arrows. And he didn’t think his arrows were too terrible either. Room for improvement maybe but they worked and… Narrowing his eyes slightly as he lined up the target, the teen pretty much jumped out of his skin when suddenly the older rider’s hands were on his.

A foot nudged his forward and then Er’ani felt the man’s chest at his back and his arm repositioned as well. After the little jump the weyrling completely froze. He wasn’t comfortable with this at all and it showed in the tenseness of his body. The low voice speaking close to his ear was a bit much and it was only through sheer willpower that the teen kept himself from cringing back. His mind chanting just a few words. Too close. Much too close.

Swallowing past the sudden uncomfortable tightness in his throat Er’ani gave the barest shake of his head not trusting himself to speak yet. Not until he released the arrow with sudden quickness and tried to act nonchalant as he moved forward to gain some personal space. Even then, he didn’t risk looking directly at Ba’sun. Not yet. “No. No the bow was a gift of sorts after the arms test. Once we proved we could do well enough with practice weapons we got real ones.” But Lketh and him were working on making a bow. He left that part out for now. Not sure how that would be received. Were weyrlings allowed to make weapons on their own time? He didn’t remember any rule that they couldn’t. Awkwardly he looked over at Lketh who had circled once and then flopped onto the shaded ground.

The albino had noticed and felt the uncomfortable feelings spilling over from his but it didn’t really affect him much. Nor was he very concerned for the moment. They were nothing all that new. His got awkward from time to time. Blinking up at Ekarth the younger dragon considered this. The touch he offered Er’ani’s mind was brief but not hesitant. A simple calm request offered. Would you lick Ekarth’s for me and tell me how he tastes to you? Er’ani actually turned to regard his dragon then, eyes wide and one eyebrow coming dangerously close to disappearing in his over long bangs. Uh Lketh? No. I’ll explain why later. Tilting his head the weyrling dragon accepted this with calm indifference before explaining to Ekarth. He says no.

[rii]

A long way to go.

Ba'sun couldn't help but to grin at the weyrling's discomfort. It wasn't suppose to make the kid feel comfortable. He wanted to know how well Er'ani would be able to concentrate when distracted. The stray arrow zipping off course into the trees nicely answered the question. "Relax," Ba'sun palm found the spot between Er'ani's shoulders, giving the youth a good hard shove to put distance between them. "Yer not my type." Too young. Ba'sun chuckled as his eyes followed Aello's retrieving flight. "Tell me one thing though. Do you plan to do this for hobby, or actually put it to use?"

Aello dropped the second arrow into Ba'sun's hand. The man's dark eyes skimmed over the two wooden shafts as he left the question sit. The soft tone he had put to the words hopefully enough to make the kid think before snapping out a response. "Hunting is one thing, but we're in a war here." Ba'sun gaze lifted to evaluate the boy, one brow arching with the unvoiced question: Do you think you could kill another man? "I can teach you - how to do more than stand still and shoot and unmoving targets." The arrows were tossed, one after the other, for Er'ani to catch (awkward still, or had he relaxed some?) "But only if you want to learn."

No sense in forcing the kid into something he might later despise Ba'sun for..

A sshame, Ekarth wallowed with a comical flop of wings and tail. The blue then spoke to both halves of the weyrling pair. I asssure you mine doess not tasste that bad. But if it pleasses you I can sscrub him off in the oceans.. only I fear it might hinder our ressearch of tasstess. Ekarth's tail curled around the little white, keeping the hatchling content despite the rider's obvious discomfort. Would you like mine to tasste you insstead?

[Rei]

The shove caused Er’ani to stumble further forward and there was a definite tenseness to his stance as he turned then to regard Ba’sun. Not his type. Yeah okay. That was a good thing. Maybe the guy only liked girls? That was so good with him. For a moment, as the man watched his green firelizard, the weyrling stood there and tried not to fidget instead concentrating on taking a few deep breaths. Nothing to get all worked up about. The bluerider was just trying to fix his stance. Yeah that was it. To bad the arrow still went all crazy. That’s what he got for letting his head run away from him. The question had Er’ani’s gaze snapping up from the sand to rest back on his companion.

Hobby or use? Well shouldn’t that be obvious? They were weyrlings, being trained for war. Er’ani didn’t like it. Had never liked it. But it was the same at Benden. The war controlled everything. Like some master puppeteer. Death, life, love, even birth in the case of him and E’rro. Everything was being manipulated and controlled and bent to the will of some pointless fight that no one seemed to be able to stop. For over twenty turns now the war had been going on. There was no escape from it. Not really although Selenitas had given it a good run before finally succumbing as well. There was no more safe haven from the beast. Not for much longer.

Turning to regard Ba’sun with slightly haunted eyes Er’ani gave a humorless smile. “It’s fun. I like it. Wish I could say it was only a hobby. But I know I won’t be shooting at simple targets forever.” Nope he would eventually be forced to fight. Fight in a war he didn’t and may never have his heart in. But kill someone? Er’ani couldn’t say if he would or could. He’d never been faced with that yet. Beyond once where he would have killed that man on the sands to protect Lketh. But in a war situation? How could he know whether he could do it until he was there? Besides there were ways to disable your opponents. So that you didn’t have to kill them. Not as long as they stayed down… The teen swallowed the lump in his throat and caught the arrows one at a time, placing them back into the quiver afterwards before he raised his head to focus on Ba’sun’s face. For a moment he was silent. “They teach in lessons….but my Weyrlingmaster isn’t an archer…” No he wasn’t and although Er’ani wasn’t completely sure he totally trusted this Ba’sun… the older rider still had a lot to offer. What was the harm in using the man’s knowledge?

“I’d be willing to learn from you if you’d be willing to teach me.” There. The decision had been made. No going back now. Another step in the path that Er’ani was determined to carve for himself. Through solid stone if he must. A more sincere smile was given the older rider. “As long as you’re willing to put up with me that is.” He wasn’t always the easiest person to teach. Just ask M’ta.

A momentary break in the seriousness of the moment came in the form of a serpentine blue. Er’ani openly blinked in Ekarth’s direction before raising both eyebrows and shaking his head. “Would you stop with all the tasting stuff already? I’m not tasting anyone. It’s not socially polite and no I don’t want to be licked or whatever .” He stammered with an attempt at firmness, his cheeks just slightly coloring. What was with this blue? “Why don’t you go taste something else? Like different trees or something?” And leave him alone.

Lketh watched the exchange with interest, brushing light apology across his bonded’s mind before commenting to Ekarth. Humans have such curious reactions to such simple things at times. Er’ani resisted the urge to facepalm, instead defaulting to examining the target he still had yet to hit. And he had been doing so well this morning too. Bah.

[rii]

At times Ba'sun felt his heart sink when he saw that haunted look in the eyes of the young. Born during a time of war, none of them were allowed the simple happiness of growing up care-free. Although the bluerider had no hand in starting the war, he felt apologetic that he fought in it with all the others. No one wanted it to continue, but it did, and they were all strung along like puppets. Instead of teaching a son to hunt a boar, he was teaching one how to kill another man. For a moment the harrowed look reflected back at Er'ani from Ba'sun's dark eyes.

The bluerider, however, was quicker to dispel it; and smile he gave the younger male a great deal more convincing. Er'ani was getting too serious. Kids these days, growing up too fast and forgetting how to have a good time. "Poor lad, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into." Cue a broadening of his grin followed up with a wink. "I'm an insufferable flirt, can't take anything seriously, forget my age, lazy, like to drink. And I like to sing - badly. At least that is the consensus among the drudges." Ba'sun would prefer to keep it that way.

More might have been said, if not for Er'ani's peculiar outburst - blushing and stammering all the while. It didn't take more than moment for Ba'sun to put together an idea of what the kid was protesting. He was well versed in Ekarth's eccentric ways. One arm looped around Er'ani's shoulders to tug the younger male near. Ba'sun then proceeded to lick the boy's cheek. The older man settled an oh-so-serious look on the two dragons. "Slightly salty, but it's been hot today so understandable. I'd say he tastes nervous, confused.."

Grinning, Ba'sun loosened his hold on Er'ani to let the youth scamper away if he wished. "..And very irritated."

How interessting. Ekarth commented to them all, barely managing to keep the pleased smugness out of his mindvoice. I did not know those thingss had a tasste - ssuch a massterful tongue you have O'ssun. "So I'm told." Doess the tasste ssound right to you my little moon?

Ba'sun chuckled before shifting his gaze back to Er'ani. "Social graces were always boring." A faint wrinkling of his nose to the words. Ba'sun then cocked his head to the side, taking a leading step with silent request that Er'ani come with him. "Come. A walk back to the weyr and a lesson along the way - don't want you to get in trouble being out this far."

[Rei]

The pervading sense of gloom that had grown on the situation was quickly being dispelled. Er’ani found himself leaning towards amused as Ba’sun spoke. He sounded like a fun guy at least? Flirting and not acting his age, plus being a drunk who had a bad singing voice. Almost sounded like the guy had too much fun. The weyrling didn’t feel like he had much cause to be not serious these days. He had been stuck in serious since Lketh first broke shell and stumbled on unsteady legs towards him with a soft plea. I may look different. I may look different. But I would like to be fed…please? As if Er’ani would refuse him. How was that fair? That Lketh knew from birth that he was not like the others? That he should not be allowed to live simply because of those differences? Did you reject your own child because they were a bit different? Then lessons. The fight for his teacher. The forever looming threat that if Lketh proved to be less than useful… All of it had weighed the youth down. Forced him into this area were it he felt as if he was struggling against this looming dark force he couldn’t quite always beat. In his head too much again. The not so subtle strong prod from his albino told him that. Thinking to much Ermine. You know better. Yeah you’re right.

Out of his head again the weyrling gave a soft snort. “I think I can put up with your singing. People have a habit of exaggerating such things anyway.” He said with some small attempt at humor. There better. Try and relax. Er’ani ran a hand through his dark hair as the slight blush faded and he worked on not looking so sharding awkward. Ba’sun’s approach was noted out of the corner of his eye but the teen wasn’t really all that worried. He already had tried to settle himself into some semblance of calm. In fact he was even a bit curious as the man looped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him near. He had been expecting some kind of companionable half hug. What he got was a lick that had his face heating up again and the weyrling half sputtering incoherent words as he all but half leapt away from Ba’sun. Fixing the rider with an incredulous look he resisted the urge to wipe at his cheek. Did he just…? Yes he just…? What was wrong with these people?

Lketh watched his all like some mindhealer examining a really interesting case study. Nothing is wrong with them Ermine. I do not think? The bloody hell there isn’t. Came a return halfhearted mental grumble the boy’s dark eyes going from Ba’sun to Ekarth. You are reading too much into things again. I think this is all in what you call fun? ….Alright fine. Finally swiping at his cheek with a forearm the weyrling snorted. “Alright you had your fun. Ha. Ha. I can probably agree with salty and nervous but I am not irritated.” Not really, although confused and mildly uncomfortable would be definitely right. For his part Lketh chirped in cheerful agreement up at Ekarth creamy red eyes whirling just a little bit faster. Very close yes.

Er’ani wrinkled his nose at Ba’sun’s claim but then gave a slight smile. “Okay. Some social graces are boring. I’ll give you that much at least.” His agreement came in a rather even tone as he fell into step behind the man, a mental nudge given to Lketh. Shade buddy. At least until I get you some more sunscreen. A brush of acknowledgement before the albino rubbed up against Ekarth like a long and thin feline and moved to follow after his bonded. “Eh I’m used to being in trouble for something or other. It seems to like to follow me around.” Er'ani commented in a mild tone as he slung his bow across his back and drew up to walk beside the older bluerider. “But thanks for the thought.”

[rii]

Definitely confused.

Dark eyes narrowed in a calculating manner, but whatever thoughts Ba'sun had been humoring were discarded a second later. An almost curious look went to Aello perched on his shoulder before the bluerider set back into motion. Ba'sun stuck his hands into his pockets as a peace offering, slowing his pace until Er'ani got the idea to walk alongside him instead of behind. "Your tone says you agree with the idea that licking people is a no-no."

Who made up these rules?
"Same one that made up all the silly guide-lines."
Like regular bathing?
"Exactly."

It was strangely difficult not to reach out to touch the youth in some way. A companionable pat on the shoulder, a nudge in the ribs. Most the time Ba'sun didn't notice he was invading personal space. Frankly he found people who flinched away from it to be odd. Humans were highly social creatures after all. Touch was part of so many things. Instead the bluerider wiggled his fingers inside the pockets. "So, Er'ani, tell me about yourself other than you are secretly a trouble maker. Northern weyrbred, or holder?"

Ba'sun leaned forward to get a good scan of the kid's features. "Don't tell me how old you are, 'cause you're too young either way." A soft grunt. "Parents, siblings? I keep thinking I've seen your face before and it's bugging me to know where."

Ekarth gave Lketh one parting lick, watching the albino catch up and trail after the two riders before rising to his own feet. The trails were a tight for him most of the time, and the skies offered a better point of view. His back legs coiled and launched him into the air where his wings took over the rest. As always the blue offered a silent vigil over the people below. Safe as the weyrling pair was with his rider, it never hurt to have an extra pair of eyes on watch for felines. They both detested the creatures.

[Rei]

Er’ani ended up taking the position beside Ba’sun as they walked. It felt a little weird really. He preferred to walk ahead or trail behind as had always been the case with his teachers. Although he guessed this was okay. With a snort the teen gave a light shrug. “Yeah I guess I do. Why the heck would you want to lick people? It’s unsanitary and just…..weird. But hey if you want to go around licking people your prerogative. Just leave me out of it.” A glance was given the shadows to check on Lketh as Ba’sun and Ekarth flying above had their little conversation. Another sideways glance given the man. “What’s wrong with guidelines? Some of them are needed.” Sure some of them were pointless and silly but rules kept people in line. That’s what they were there for. Or it would be total anarchy. Not that the albinoweyrling thought anarchy was all that bad. It helped shape things on occasion. Some rules were just meant to be challenged.

If he noticed that Ba’sun was having issues Er’ani didn’t mention it. Instead keeping his eyes ahead of him or drifting to Lketh as they walked. A soft grunt was given the questions. What to say what to say? His accent gave him away as northern for sure. Benden specifically. This man sounded northern too. Which bothered him in a way. Strange that it did but there was always that distinct possibility…. If it was true then too much information would be a mistake. The albinoweyrling finally gave a light shrug. “Northern weyrbred. My family was all born and bred there. I doubt you know any of them.” And that was all he really wanted to say on the subject. There was no reason to tell his man his whole life story.

Er’ani was a very paranoid person and he had just met this Ba’sun. His trust only stretched so far. Besides his older brother was alive and well. One of the exiles. That wasn’t information he could or would just throw around. Best to keep that fact quiet. Especially since E’rro had said that he was on some council or other. Yeah better if people just thought he looked familiar or something. “Not sure why you think you’ve seen me before. I haven’t been here long.” Nope just a week before Lketh had hatched. That was it. Part of the boy wanted to turn the questions back toward Ba’sun. But for the moment he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to know. Or if he really wanted the answer. Instead he tried to change the subject. “So what exactly is wrong with my stance?”

[rii]

Ba'sun had half a mind to lean over and lick Er'ani a second time while the kid was mid-rant about how unsanitary it was. He thought the answer would be glaringly obvious at this point. The reactions were quite amusing from people who took themselves too seriously. Ba'sun flashed a smile at the kid. Case in point. What doess one get in return to following thesse ssocial guideliness? Ekarth skimmed the trees ahead. In truth too high to hear the conversation on his own, but through his mindmate he was determined to be part of it all the same. Filed into the normal, the mundane, the average.

"Surely he cannot be so plain, Ekarth. He mentioned always getting into trouble.." Ba'sun lightly teased, pretending not to notice Er'ani's efforts to throw him off the inquiring trail. Kid trusted a stranger to teach him to shoot a bow, but no further. A shame Ba'sun wasn't so impersonal as all that. A hand, one the older rider had been trying hard to keep inside his pocket, found the back of Er'ani's shoulder as Ba'sun stepped near. His fingers curled over the kid's shoulder, tugging the youth lopsided as if to share a low spoken secret with him.

"If you're going to answer without answering, you need to get better at it." Ba'sun snorted humorlessly. "You're Benden born. Came here recently, which means you're either A) a defector from Benden – but since you didn't have a dragon to get yourself here I'm doubtful you actually hopped a boat to come south. So I am going to go with B) you're a candidate brought over by or from wasteland after the merge. You're weyrbred, bound by tradition so your name is all I need to make guesses at who are your parents. I'm old as dirt, as far as dragonriders go, so I'll bet my marks that I can guess who they were. Er'ani. Ani. Kind of a femme ending so we'll try for your mother."

Considering the kid's estimated age, the mother had to be around Ba'sun's own. Who did he know that had kids around the same time as himself. A squint went to Er'ani as Ba'sun again took in the vaguely familiar features. "Roniana - pretty woman, you've kind got her soft features. She had.. two boys, right? I remember 'cause I had two boys that were close in turns to hers. All of 'em had dark heads of hair. Couldn't tell any of you apart when you were running around the creche. You must be about the age my youngest would have been."

Ba'sun's fingers tightened on Er'ani's shoulder, pulling him an inch closer. "I get that you don't know me, or trust me - much. You have to on some level to accept wanting to be taught, but when I teach someone they need to be a friend to me. Not an enemy that's going to put an arrow in my back. So next time you want to lie, or omit something, try to do it with something that isn't obvious. It only makes me curious about what you're trying to hide. Considering I just harmlessly asked who your parents were.. that just makes me think you don't like me."

Despite the roughness to the words, Ba'sun ended it all with a dramatic sniffle. The hand released Er'ani's shoulder and palmed over his poor wounded heart. He glanced side-long at the kid, a half grin in place regardless of the youth's temperament. "As far as your stance goes, you're torqued. It's not just your arm that's is doing the aiming. Even the slightest angle of arm and body can throw your shot off once you release. You arm pulls to the left, so your arrow will always go–" Ba'sun's walked ahead with or without Er'ani in tow. His hand cut through the air, to the left, to finish the statement.

[Rei]

Really Er’ani didn’t mind being 'fielded' or whatever as Ekarth called it. Being normal and average was safe. It was when you are were different that was when you got your but in trouble. Different like me? Nah Buddy. Not like you. That’s not the different I’m talking about. Different like doing things out of the social norm. Brief acknowledgement was brushed across his mind. The teen thought himself fairly average. Certainly not spectacular at anything. Not bright enough to be noticed. Just background. That was more than fine with him. A sideways look was given Ba’sun as he spoke. “I don’t know about that. I think I’m pretty plain. Most of the times I get into trouble it’s because I messed something up.” Like shot at people when he wasn’t supposed to. Or completely failed in yet another round of hand to hand and decided to try and mitigate damage by acting like a clown. Yeah that worked so well.

The albinoweyrling was caught off guard by the sudden grip to his shoulder and the tug. Immediately his entire body stiffened in response, his face carefully blanking as his eyes narrowed just a touch. What did any of this matter? Where he was born or how he came to be at the weyr? Or who his parents were? Through Ba’sun’s almost entire speech Er’ani stayed quiet. Only opening his mouth once to make a correction, the barest trace of bite in the words. “Her name was Roniani.” He made sure to use the correct pronunciation and swallowed down whatever else he wanted to say. Ba’sun had at one time had boys at Benden? One of them would have been about his age now. Would have been. Which implied that the boy had died. Hmm which boy? His thought process was cut off by the feeling of the bluerider’s fingers tightening on his shoulder. It took most of the teen’s will power not to attempt to break that hold. To stand still and not try to gain some distance.

There were so many questions circling in his head now. But Er’ani didn’t voice any of them. Instead just concentrating on Ba’sun’s voice. What he was saying. Part of the albinoweyrling bristled at the tone and word choice. The other part of him understood what this man was saying. Now what? Turning his gaze aside the teen gave a quiet nod, not quite trusting himself to speak yet. When Ba’sun finally released him and started his dramatics Er’ani relaxed just a fraction. And people wondered why he didn’t trust easy? A glance was given Lketh before the weyrling stuffed his hands in his pockets. When he finally spoke is voice was a bit flat. He was unwilling perhaps to let lose the flood of emotions rolling beneath the surface. “It’s nothing against you. I don’t trust people easy. Besides you should know if you lived there. There isn’t such a thing as a harmless question.”

Er’ani rubbed at the back of his neck then and kept moving, trailing along after the older man. Very much in his head again. He really should ask this guy some actual questions about himself too. But here was the thing. If the albinoweyrling wasn’t all that open and willing to answer the questions he was asked how could he expect Ba’sun to be? Answer. He couldn’t. But the teen wasn’t lying. Trust for him just didn’t come easy and it also took time. There were some exceptions of course. But those had been brought about by circumstance. A soft mutter left his lips as he repeated the information. “Not just arm that does the aiming. Slightest angle can throw off a shot once you release.” Made sense. Commit it to memory. Every little bit helped. The teen could of course probably work it all out with relentless practice and the study of scrolls if he absolutely had to. But it was also nice having that human element. Er’ani’s hand ran through his unruly hair. At least Ba’sun didn’t seem unwilling to spout off a bit of extra information. Hmm.

“So when did you leave Benden to come to Selenitas?” More importantly was he one of those who would rather see Lketh dead? A albino gave a low croon before drawing up beside his bonded to allow the boy to lay a hand against his pale hide. He could never forgive any of them for that. Or for the fact that they might try to kill the albino by other means if his dragon proved to be useless. But he wouldn’t. Of course not. I am entirely capable. Yes. Capable and more besides.

[rii]

Ba'sun strolled on, glancing up into the canopy without a care in the world for the brooding youth trailing behind him. The kid must be paranoid, thinking someone would waste time with a green-horn weyrling. Er'ani wasn't important by any means. Er'ani needed to sort out that teenage mess all on his own. It wasn't an easy age to teach. The bluerider liked the challenge; more so he loved to teach the ones that could set aside the attitude and actually wanted to learn. It took a touch of humility to truly learn – and for one reason pride became the hardest thing to put aside for that age group. There was a lot that Ba'sun could teach to those willing to really listen..

Abruptly Ba'sun halted, doubting the brooding youth would notice, and extended a hand out to catch Er'ani against the collar bone to stop the kid's forward motion. "There is a lot more to being an archer than learning how to shoot a bow, kid. If that's all you're going to try and learn here, then keep shooting at tree stumps. You'll eventually hit your marks, but you'll never be good."

Er'ani's question earned an ambiguous shrug. Not only was the kid bad at trying to hide things, he asked poorly aimed questions. "About a turn ago, a few months before Ja'kin took the reins." B'asun then returned to his previous train of thought. "Your first lesson is to look and listen. Kid you're too much in your head. I bet you can't tell me how many wherries were roosted in the trees we've been walking by. Listen to what people are saying. What does this have to do with shooting a bow? You can't shoot what you can't see, you can't make decisions on information you can't hear. When you can figure it out, open your eyes a bit, come find me. Otherwise.."

Ba'sun stepped off the trail, "Have a nice one." He gestured down the trail that would take Er'ani the rest of the way back to the wery. Hop-a-long weyrling, go home.

[Rei]

Something had shifted. Between the beach and this walk. Shifted enough that this meeting was now becoming uncomfortable. Arrgh. Now what? Er’ani had been fine until the questions started. What was with people and wanting to know him. The albinoweyrling never had had many friends. Not real ones. It was a pattern throughout his whole life. Keep the ones that really mattered. He had some closeish friends here now. Felt comfortable with them. But even that had taken a long time to build. Helped along by the trauma of their hatching but…. Ba’sun was right in his assumption that Er’ani didn’t really notice the halt. Though he did pull up before the older man’s hand could touch him.

Er’ani was completely still. Silent as the man spoke. The comment was taken almost as a challenge. Never be good? Dark eyes flashed with that same determination that kept the boy pressing onward for all these years, despite that his teachers at Benden said he wouldn’t amount to much. Now this rider too was telling him that he’d never be good at archery? The albino weyrling bit the inside of his cheek. What did any of them know anyway? He could do it. He would do it. Even if he had to teach himself and practice until…. Ermine. Relax. The gentle mental reprimand was all that kept the teen from lashing out verbally. All that stayed his tongue so that he could catch the answer to the question he had asked.

The albinoweyrling didn’t comment. Instead doing the math in his head. Wasteland had been in power for one turn and two months or there about. Ba’sun had come a few months before Ja’kin took over Selenitas. So that meant he didn’t come over with wasteland. Hmm. Not that Er’ani had much time to dwell on what that meant because the older man was already continuing. This time the weyrling blinked. Look and listen. Too much in his head.

Wisdom he speaks Ermine. Lketh commented as he nudged at the boy’s side and turned whirling red eyes towards Ba’sun. When the bluerider finished Er’ani regarded him with a mix of confusion, uncertainty, and then quiet acceptance. Couldn’t say that the man made no sense at least. Maybe... Maybe he just wasn’t as cut out for this as he had thought… Swallowing The weyrling reached back to rub the back of his neck again, his hand barely brushing the feathered tip of one arrow. No. No he refused the believe that he was completely useless at everything. This had felt right since he had picked it up. Help or no help he was going to continue.

Raising his head and straightening his posture Er’ani nodded to Ba’sun. “Can’t say I can tell you what you want to know. Not today.” With a bit of a strained smile he stepped towards the trail, putting Ba’sun at his back before adding. “Thanks for the advice.” Maybe what little bits he got would help some. “I’ll see you around.” Without another word he started down the trail back to the barracks. Come on Buddy. You need that sun balm. Lketh regarded both humans evenly before slipping past Ba’sun, his tail tip flicking in a gesture towards the man. Between here and the beach. Nine. I counted nine wherries specifically. Of that the albino was quite positive. With the question suitably answered Lketh set off at an easy trot, calm whirling eyes fixed unerringly on his bonded's back.