The Latecomer

[nightingale]

"Well that's what he said, so he obviously means it!"

Saeo chimed, her tone an even mix of playful enthusiasm and barbless taunting as she cast a mock glare in Cloar's direction. Brown eyes, she noted with vague interest. She made a mental note of the detail before focusing her attentions once more on the task at hand.

Within seconds, she was out the door and charging down the stairs two and three at a time. A dragon -a brown dragon was outside the barracks right now! She glanced breifly over her shoulder and was rather surprised to see that the others werren't following her. She paused on the second floor landing and turned, standing on tiptoe as a means of channeling her nervous energy.

"Oh do hurry!"

She called plaintively, choosing to leave out that she felt as if she might die if she didn't get outside to see Ruskeath as soon as possible. She understood the rider's lack of interest -after all, he lived witha dragon, so the act of seeing him was no novelty- but that boy who'd come in after him had said that he was a candidate, hadn't he? Why on earth wasn't he as eggar as she was? Stupid boys didn't understand anything...

[Rowana]

"Really. Here. Now." G'tor confirmed with a twinkle in his eye. In truth he suspected Ruskeath had already been coming when he had asked. The brown had expressed interest in meeting the new candidates almost as much as his rider. Cloar looked a little torn, and G'tor wondered if he had interrupted some task after all. He would have to apologize to Kemma if he was interfering with her candidates too much.

Before he could add more, G'tor had to blink as Saeo practically flew out the door and down the stairs. Well she was excited, he thought ruefully. He started after her and waved encouragingly at Cloar to follow. Maybe if he put them to work while he was at it Kemma wouldn't mind so much.

He caught up with Saeo and passed her to keep going. "Alright, alright," he said with a laugh. "He's not going anywhere." He didn't really mind the enthusiasm. He could well remember his own first days. So much as looking at a dragon up close had turned him into a hyperactive young teenager.

[dragon]

Cloar barreled down the stairs, taking them two at a time to catch up to the other two. Though he had been trying so hard to restrain himself, his twinkling eyes betrayed every thought in his skull. A dragon! He was going to get to meet a dragon! Granted he had met the one that had searched him, but that didn't really count, did it? After all ... that point in time had been such a flurry of activity ... everything had come out a blurr.

Catching up with Saeo and G'tor, Cloar slowed his descent to a more civilized pace. As they left the barracks building and decended the tree, he couldn't help but look all around for the first glimpse of a big brown dragon. "What was his name, again?"

[nightingale]

He may not be going anywhere, Saeo thought with agitation as G'tor stepped in front of her on the staircase, but that didn't mean that he would be willing to sit there and let them admire him forever. Cloarcame dashign down the stairs only moments later, and she laughed aloud at the enthusiasm now expressed through his haste.

"His name is Ruskeath."

She helped as the boy requested that the dragon's name be repeated. Saeo had a selective memory at the best of times. She was terrible at things like mathematics and memorization, but not even the smallest of details that pertained to Dragonkin could hope to escape her.
She joined her fellow candidate in his anxious searching of the area for any sign of the rider's mount. A brown dragon couldn't be that hard to miss, could it?

[Rowana]

Ruskeath's dark hide blended well with the brown of the tree's trunk as he stretched his head around towards the barracks entrance. Speckled sunlight that managed to find it's way through the thick leaves, dappled his back playfully. The light revealed the reddish shade on his back, while the shade left it hidden. He stopped with his nose a few feet from the oncoming candidates. His eyes swirled blue like the nearby river as he examined them. His took his time to consider each one, before rumbling his soft approval.

<I like them> he told G'tor decisively.

G'tor grinned at his dragon. It was always nice to see him. <You like almost everyone,> he commented amiably. To the candidates, he said, "That's right, Saeo, this is Ruskeath." He waved up at the dragon, though not that he was this close he was hard to miss. "He's a mellow guy, so I think you can get closer if you like."

<Tell them I like to have my neck scratched,> Ruskeath reminded in a hopeful tone.

G'tor nodded. <Let's let them get used to you first. If we do this right, we might convince them too give you a bath.> G'tor winked conspiratorially at his life long friend.

<Good!> Ruskeath agreed readily.

[dragon]

Cloar stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a dragon snout right in front of him. Even if that hadn't been a benevolent dragon, but some other predator ... being confronted with a snout like that was an awe inspiring encounter.

"Whoa." the lad breathed, holding perfectly still. "Um ... hello, Ruskeath." The lad offered, as he stuck one hand out to try and touch that big snout.

[nightingale]

Saeo felt herself become rather lightheaded as she suddenly realized that the hulking brown shape in front of her was breathing. She grinned widely, even white teeth threatening to take over the lower half of her face as she gazed with awe into the brown's swirling blue eyes.

"Oh G'tor he's beautiful!"

She cooed, glancing joyfully over her shoulder at the rider before turning her full attention back to the great creature in front of her. Her hands itched to touch the smooth hide of his nose, but she resisted the urge long enough to murmur her enthusiasm in the form of a request.

"Could...could I pet him? Would he mind?"

She suddenly found herself reachingout a tentative, gloved hand alongside Cloar's. It shook slightly as she tried to read the dragon's eyes for any show of aggitation that might suggest she back off.

[Rowana]

Ruskeath regarded the two hands carefully for a moment as if deciding whether he really wanted them to touch him after all. Then he inched his nose forward gently to nudge the hands that reached for him. His eyes twinkled a merry blue-green and he made a pleasant thrum in his throat. <They are polite too,> he said with approval.

G'tor smiled at the wonder in the eyes of the candidates. If only to be that young again. In the happy years when all one had to worry about was chores and dreams. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "He is a handsome fellow." He always appreciated compliments to his dragon. He was more proud of Ruskeath than of any part of himself.

He nodded to Saeo and Cloar. "You can both pet him. He says he likes you." He was glad they had asked first. He had met some candidates who jumped forward a little too quickly and with disastrous results. Dragons often did not approve of people beyond their Impressed touching them, but Ruskeath was fairly mellow in that regard.

G'tor moved to his dragons side and scratched him gently behind his head. Ruskeath's eyes closed in pleasure and he purred loudly. G'tor waved the candidates over. "Just like this," he told them. Then he stepped back slightly so they could get closer if they wished.

[dragon]

Cloar's eyes grew really wide ... so wide that they might have popped right out of his head ... as his fingers came into contact with the brown's hide. A grin split his face from ear to ear, as he leaned forward and ran his hand over the dragon's snout. He felt of the texture of it, and was amazed. It wasn't like anything he had expected ... though what he had expected he really didn't know, either.

"Amazing." Cloar said, almost too low to be heard. After watching G'tor for a moment, Cloar moved around to a appropriate spot and did similarly. "Like this?" He asked, just to make sure.

[nightingale]

Saeo didn't dare look away from the dragon's hypnotic gaze as she felt the warmth of his hide press through her gloved hand. For a moment she couldn't move, but then tentatively placed a second hand alongside the first, raising it to her mouth and tugging off the glove with her teeth. Feeling the real, warm texture of a dragon's hide was worth the embarassment afforded of leaving her stained and cracked hands to be viewed by the genreal public.

She lifted her eyes only breifly as the Cloar and the rider moved to scratch Ruskeath on the neck. Saeo felt the faintest pang of longing to join them, but contented herself with simply stroking the creature's nose in gentle facination. After all, she knew that if she used her fingernails for anything other than decoration they were likely to snap right down to the quick.

"You really are beautiful."

She murmured, still smiling warmly as she glancing into the faceted depths of the giant's left eye once again. What would her dragon look like, she wondered distantly. Surely it wouldn't look anywhere as elegant and strong as brown Ruskeath...but somehow, Saeo guessed that if it was her dragon and no one else's, she would never be able to tell.

[Rowana]

G'tor nodded to Cloar with approval. "Just like that," he confirmed. Ruskeath was not purring so loudly that it could probably be mistaking for his growling stomach. <Spoiled> G'tor accused with a mental laugh. Ruskeath purposely ignored the comment and focused instead on shifted himself to get the most of his pampering.

G'tor glanced up to see if Saeo was doing alright as well. He raised an eyebrow briefly at the sight of what she hid under her gloves, but decided not to comment. In a moment, he had forgotten it completely. Ruskeath was starting to nuzzle her gently with his great nose, blowing hot air that caused her hair to fly in several directions. G'tor cocked his head, as if listening, than smiled warmly. "Ruskeath says 'Thank you'" he translated for Saeo. "And he thinks your beautiful too." He blushed in slight embarrassment at having to say it and chided Ruskeath mentally. <Why couldn't you tell her that?>

Ruskeath purred smugly. <It is more fun when you do it.> G'tor shrugged. It was nearly impossible to argue with his dragon, just as it was nearly impossibly to be annoyed or angry with him for more than a few seconds. He turned back to the candidates. "If you like," he began slowly. "You can help me give him a bath later. Goodness knows there's a lot of him to wash, but it's up to you. I'm sure you've got plenty of chores and classes to do already."

[dragon]

Pleased to know that he was doing it right, and in the right place, Cloar scrubbed enthusiastically, using his rough, thick nails to some extent. But for the most part he used just his thick, strong fingers. He didn't want to possibly scratch the dragon to the point of the brown not liking it anymore.

Cloar only grinned, as he listened to the girl and the dragon converse, through the rider. That had to be awkward ... it certainly sounded it. But he kept his big mought shut on it, and just enjoyed rubbing the dragon's hide.

Wow!

"Wash him?" Cloar asked. "Sounds interesting. What all is involved in that?" he was quite curious, as he had never seen that particular chore done before, much less had been given the oportunity to participate.

Surely Kemma would count all that as a viable excuse for being late for chores? After all ... he was being studious, getting hands on experience with dragons before impression. That made it a good thing, right?

A better informed candidate made a better weyrling ... he thought she might have said something along those lines... and he rather thought learning to bathe a dragon might well count in getting better informed about dragons!

[nightingale]

Making Saeo blush was an exceedingly difficult task, and so no real surprise came when she simply grinned pleasantly at G'tor.

"Well, what a perfect gentleman!"

She laughed, giving Ruskeath's huge nose a proper cuddling, oblivious to the tangled mess his hot breath was turning her hair into. The sentiment that the compliment implied was sweet, but she knew better than to take it seriously. Saeo knew that she wasn't beautiful -despite her father's insistance- and that had never really been a problem for her. She just wished everyone didn't feel so obliged to tell her that she was...

"Give him a bath?"

She grinned, eyes sparking a pale grey in the sunlight as she turned to reguard G'tor with excitement.

"I...well I don't have any chores or classes right now...but I can't really handle sweet sand."

She felt her skin begin to itch at the mere memory of her last encounter with the stuff. Of all the awful things that one could be allergic to, sweet sand was right up there with men and dragons.

"I could help some other way though."

She offered quickly, not wanting to be left out of the adventure if it could possibly be helped.

"I could help oil him when you're finished -or maybe I could run and fetch things for you?"

[Rowana]

G'tor winked at Cloar. "A lot of getting wet, that's what it involves," he said with a chuckle. "I hope you're not afraid of a little water." He patted Ruskeath lovingly. He was pleased that the candidates seemed to like the idea and Ruskeath too. The chore would be easier with help and the dragon would love the extra attention. Besides, candidates willing to get a little messy were a good sign to him. He was sure these two would impress well.

He cocked his head and Saeo and considered for a moment before nodded. Not being able to handle sweet sand was unusual, but he didn't see why they should get in the way of her taking part. "That's not a problem," he assured her. "They'll be plenty of other things you could help with." Even just helping with oiling, as she had suggested was a big help. <You're going to be spoiled when this is over, Ruskeath,> he informed the dragon brightly.

Ruskeath didn't answer, but only purred louder in contentment. G'tor shook his head knowingly before going on. "Shall we go to the baths then?" He thought about having Ruskeath take them, but one thrill in a day was probably enough for the candidates. Maybe on the way back, when they finished.

[dragon]

Cloar grinned happily. He was going to get to help wash a dragon! And a big one, at that! And then oiling, too? Wow. What a day! Of all the things he could have gotten into on his own, this was one of the few that he hadn't been able to do. Anything pertaining to dragons.

"I don't mind getting wet." Cloar said to G'tor, simply. And it was the truth, too. The lad was quite fond of swimming in the river, by all rights, and frequently even jumped in fully clothed. Which always left his clothes a wet, sticky mess. But he didn't care. Oil would be harder to get out of his clothes, sure, but not impossible. "I'm ready!" He said, enthusiastically.

"Where does that sort of thing happen? Not here, I know. But ... where?" Cloar asked, while his fingers continued to scratch and scrub on the dragon's hide in all the indicated favorite places. But he couldn't help but grin at Saeo, too. Snuggling the dragon's nose like that. It was hilarious to watch, as her hair puffed up and drifted like that, all while she was acting like a young girl meeting her first Runner.