Midnight wanderings (OPEN)

[nightingale]

"Raaaaaylin....Raylin..."

Saeo's features twisted into a frown, her freckles gathering together just over the bridge of her nose as they often did when she was pouting. She had Raylin straddled, pinned beneath her blanket and was supporting herself with her arms as she hovered in a decidedly unsetting way, her face only inches from that of the older girl.

"Would ya wake up already? Your breath stinks...and my arms are getting tired."

She made a small, irritated huffing noise and distantly contemplated licking the girl's nose in order to get a reaction out of her. No, she decided after breif contemplation. That would push the chance of her screaming too high. The last thing she needed was a roomful of confused and cranky girls all diving for her throat.

[Rei]

Raylin’s first impression upon waking was one of discomfort. Something was making it hard for her to breath. She opened her eyes slowly and fought the reaction to scream as she saw a face hovering just inches from her own. Realization hit her as her sluggish mind registered the face. She struggled against the younger girl and hissed in a quiet tone. “Saeo what in Faranth’s name are you doing? It has to be past midnight! Why aren’t you asleep?” She had the strange feeling that she would regret that last question.

From her pinned position she couldn’t make out much in the gloom, but by the steady breaths and snores coming from all angles she was pretty sure everyone else was blissfully dreaming away. How in the world had Saeo gotten into her top bunk without waking her or anyone else? Had she been that tired? She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and shot a glare at Saeo. She better have a good explanation. She liked the girl but shards sometimes she was so unpredictable.

[nightingale]

Saeo raised a thin eyebrown into an almost impossibly high arch, as if completely unable to fathom the irritation she read in Raylin's expression. And why not? After all, she hadn't been the one who had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out when she bashed her knee up trying to climb onto the top bunk of an occupied bed in the pitch blackness. What the heck did she have to complain about?!

"I left my book in the common room."

She explained, very matter-of-factly.

"We have to go down and get it."

She pushed herself back onto her knees, releasing the top half of her unwilling bedmate's body, but effectively pinning her legs down. Her large grey eyes were fixed on the dark-haired girl expectantly, hands idely gathering folds of the cotten blanket together at her sides.

[Rei]

As Saeo released her torso Raylin sat up and fixed the girl with a disbelieving look. “You do know we have a curfew right? Can’t you just get the book in the morning?” She had no desire to go traipsing around a weyr she had just barely begun to explore at night. If she didn’t like the girl so sharding much and if she wasn’t Raylin’s only close friend out of the candidates she might have contemplated strangling her.

Raylin risked a quick glance around the barracks. As she thought everyone else was sound asleep…for now. She wondered if this Kemma person who was supposed to be candidate master was asleep as well. She had seen the notice that declared their lesson times and was disappointed to see that she was not yet in rotation. So she had not ,as of yet, gotten the chance to meet her.

She regarded Saeo once more with her dark brown eyes and sighed deeply. Raylin was pretty sure the girl wasn’t going to give this up and she was impossibly awake anyway. “I wonder if we can get kicked out of candidacy for this.” She mused glancing at Saeo out of the corner of her eye to gauge her reaction. If there was one thing Raylin knew about Saeo it was her impossible longing for her own dragon. Would the possibility of it not coming to fruition hinder her at all? For some reason Raylin had her doubts.

[nightingale]

"If we wait until morning, someone else might take it!"

The girl sighed, folding her arms over her chest in a statement that wordlessly screamed 'Duh!'.

"I can't sleep knowing it's down there all alone!"

Man, for a smart person, Raylin really didn't understand anything sometimes! Maybe that was what made her so interesting though -she was like a small breed canine that you had to explain everything to. Well, that and the fact that she was the only person Saeo had met thus far whom she hadn't heard making snide comments behind her back. Whatever the cause for Saeo's facination though, Raylin had officially assigned the dubious title of partner in crime.

She bristled visibly as the girl beneath her brought up the idea of their candidacies being revoked. That thought alone was enough to freeze her in her proverbial tracks and make her re-evaluate her decision. Her eyes dropped to the side thoughtfully.
Well, losing her chance at a dragon was not an option. But could they really get kicked out of the Weyr just for wandering around at night? It was only at the bottom of the stairs after all, and they'd almost certainly be back before anyone noticed...

"Nope. There's absolutely no way."

She decided at last, giving her head a firm little shake. A playful smile flickered onto the girl's expression.

"It's to harsh a punishment for just breaking curfew to go downstairs. Besides, I have a backup plan if we run into anyone. Now are you in or do I have to pinch you?"

It wasn't an idle threat, as Raylin was apt to know all too well.

[Rei]

Raylin snorted at Saeo’s answer. A backup plan, Of course why didn’t she think of that? Saeo really was, well, impossible for lack of a better word. The black haired girl sighed, it really was hopeless and she wasn’t about to let Saeo go wandering around by herself knowing how easily sidetracked the girl became. She had no desire to feel guilty for not going if Saeo got caught. Plus she really didn’t feel like pinching Saeo back and starting a fight that would more than likely wake up the entire room.

Raylin fixed Saeo with a hard glare. “Alright I will go with you.” She whispered, “But we are going to get the book and come straight back. No side trips got it?” She used as much of an authoritative tone as she could muster in a whisper, knowing full well that the younger girl would probably ignore her anyway. Raylin gently pulled her legs out from under Saeo and swung them carefully over the edge of the bunk bed. She peered through the gloom to the floor trying to make sure she wasn’t going to land on anything. Satisfied that the way was clear she jumped down grunting quietly from the impact and waited for Saeo. She had the odd feeling that thins whole scheme wasn’t going to go as smoothly as they had planned.

[nightingale]

Saeo grinned smugly, smothering a giggle behind a decidedly girly hand gesture. She had no intention of responding to Raylin's ultimatum and thereby tying herslf down to a certain code of behavior. While she would certainly do her very best to keep herself focused on the task at hand, it was very rude to make a promise when you werren't sure if you could keep it. After all, you never knew when something fantastic was going to happen.

Using one of the bunk's support beams as a vertical railing, Saeo hoisted herself over the foot of Raylin's bed and eased herself to the floor, stepping carefully down with only the faintest of noises to accompany her. She snatched up a pair of bedsocks from the floor -left there on purpose when she realized that climbing with them on was nearly impossible- and hurriedly tugged them into her feet.

"Onward to glory and all that epic stuff. Let's go."

She grinned in Raylin's direction, then made a small gesture with her head towards the door. It had been left slightly ajar to provide ventillation in the stiffling heat the third floor was forever subject to. She glanced around the room breifly, just to make sure that the other girls wouldn't notice them leave. Five seconds later, she had slipped through the door and into the hallway.

[Rei]

Raylin hadn’t even heard Saeo’s descent as she was busy scanning the room for any person or thing that was visibly awake. She jumped a bit at Saeo’s voice and then rolled her eyes at the girl. “Onward to glory? More like onward into the bowels of stupidity.” She grumbled and hastened after the girl. The cool air in the hallway felt good. It was always so stuffy in the barracks no wonder nobody spent time in there. Raylin examined the long hallway with one sweep of her head. It seemed empty enough and there was no sound other than their breathing. Good maybe this would be a quick trip after all.

Raylin nudged Saeo and waited for her to lead. She wasn’t sure where in the common room the book was located and she didn’t want to risk detection by blundering around in the dark. She strained her ears listening for footsteps, wing beats, or perhaps the skittering claws of a mander. She sent a silent prayer to whatever god was listening that this little “trip” would go as planned.

[nightingale]

Air was always sweeter when there were fewer people breathing it, which made the hallway air much more palatable than that of the sleeping quarters. Saeo stretched her arms over her head and made a small, contented groaning sound, savouring the cool rush tingling on her skin as Raylin came up behind her. The girl looked over her shoulder and grinned, giving her hair a little toss as she started toward the staircase.

"You're a compulsive worrier I hope you know."

Saeo murmured, her voice slightly louder than it had been in the barracks. The old wood absorbed the soundwaves as they spread, producing no echo.

"We're just going downstairs for goodness sake! It isn't as if we're going out to steal dragon eggs or smother infants in their sleep. How angry can Kemma get?"

When she set her foot down on the first step, she made sure that it was far to the left. Experience told her that stairs squeaked less often if you walked to one side as opposed to right down the middle. The stair was silent beneath her weight, and so she started down.

[Rei]

Raylin shook her head at Saeo. “Compulsive worrier nothing, I am just not overly fond of blundering around in the dark. Especially in places I barely know.” She shot back a little miffed. Truth be told she was a little worried, but she was more concerned with getting enough sleep. She had a feeling they would be getting less of it once classes actually started. However that fact seemed to be lost on Saeo.

“Smother infants in their sleep? Really Saeo I have no idea where you get some of these wild ideas.” She shook her head at the girl. “People have really stolen dragon eggs you know,” She added in an aside. She fell quiet for a moment concentrating on the staircase to keep from falling.

As she navigated the stairs she had to admit Saeo was much quieter than her. Raylin seemed to elicit a groan from every other stair while Saeo’s footfalls fell silently like leaves in the jungle. She breathed a sigh of relief when they got to the bottom of the staircase.

The excitement of the venture was starting to catch up with her and she began to relax sweeping the shadowy weyr. Nightlife wasn’t all that bad in fact it was a lot more peaceful and quiet. She was starting to see why people took to Whers. The common room wasn’t too far away now and Raylin was almost beginning to wish the trip had taken longer. Almost.

[nightingale]

Saeo paused when she reached the bottom of the stairs, turning to wait as Raylin caught up. Her eyes glistened softly in the back light, marring an almost perfectly black silhouette.

"People who steal dragon eggs should be beaten, starved, tied up in an open field and left for the Thread to finish off."

The girl's voice was sharp and spiteful enough to convey the razor-edged scowl her expression had adopted. She had meant every word. There could be no punishment harsh enough in her eyes for those who would harm dragons or defile their nests. Such people were beneath contempt.

She turned when Raylin reached her shoulder, the hem of her nightshirt fluttering as swiftly she made her way toward the common room. The first floor looked entirely different at night, full of shadows colours and shapes that she was sure would never dare show their faces before curfew. Saeo could feel the shadows on her, and that made her feel properly mysterious. She smiled, feeling a warm pulse of adrenaline pulsing through her at the thought that she was witnessing something that very few other candidates had dared to seek out.

"It's like setting foot inside a whole different plane of existence, isn't it?"

She crooned softly, half to her companion and half to anyone else who might be listening. Her dark grey eyes had turned coal black as she passed them back and forth across the dark common room. It was a little difficult to recognize things in the darkness, but if she was right about that chair over there...

"Ha! There you are!"

She chirped, perhaps a little too loudly as recognition streaked across her face. She giggled softly and breezed over to her book, which was sitting on one of the low tables of the common room's sitting area.

"Oh thank goodness you're safe! I was really worried you know. You know how ruthless book thieves can be -oh! You're bookmark is missing! Somebody must have taken it...well, that's alright, as long as you're alright."

She loosened her death grip on the book just long enough to give it's worn binding a loving caress. Though she had forgotten the title over the years, it was by far Saeo's favourite book. It have been a birthday present some years back from a local harper that she had pestered almost ceaselessly for stories and information on dragons. The worn and battered tome hadn't exactly been new when she received it, but it was overflowing with endlessly useful facts and wonderfully detailed diagrams about every species of dragonkin in the known world. While not renowned for her materialism, Saeo truly treasured her old torn up book of dragons -even if most of the information in it was out of date.

[Rei]

Raylin paused in the center of the common room and studied each shadow carefully. “Different pane of existence?” she mumbled. She wasn’t sure what Saeo was talking about so she stayed silent. Besides something was bothering her did that shadow just move? She backed up slowly and felt her back hit a table. She swallowed past the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. The shadow had defiantly moved she was positive.

“Saeo” she hissed quietly at the girl across the room. What was she doing anyway? The dark haired girl risked a quick glance in the younger girl’s direction. Stroking a book? Raylin swung her head back toward the moving shadow and noticed that it had disappeared. She scanned the room but noticed no more movement. It was as still as a crypt. “Saeo get over here.” She whispered fiercely.

She waited for the girl to acknowledge her as she swept the room with panicked eyes. Someone or something had seen them of that she was sure. They had to get back to the barracks now. Her adrenaline was rushing at a breakneck pace through her body and she momentary contemplated making a break for it. However she knew she wouldn’t leave Saeo. Raylin half ran in the younger girls direction and tripped over her feet in the process crashing into the younger girl and sending them both tumbling to the floor with a loud thud.

[Avu]

Stupid had been furious. His Bonded hadn't even seemed too bothered that he'd terrorized someone. For Faranth's sake, what more did he need to do?! Llath had Risen, and yet again the brown 'mandyr had been very rudely stuffed into a trunk to prevent him from Chasing. Honestly, the Bronzerider never stuffed Corinth into trunks. Well, now he was getting his payback, wasn't he? Yes. He had stolen yet another something, though this was valuable - highly so - to His, who had rather carelessly left the plans for Wing Drills on the desk to sleep. And thusly, Stupid had made his move. Luckily the scrolls on which His had been writing were lightweight, and the 'mandyr had frilled defiantly at the young man's sleeping form before skittering out of the Weyr - pausing at the door to screech aloud and proclaim, Mine now!

That had sent the Bronzerider after the 'mandyr quickly enough - at least, his anger was enough to wake Corinth, the bronze rumbling in confusion on the Weyrledge. T'ridmine - what are you doing? Where are you going? What - ? I hope you're not squeamish, Corinth, because I'm going to /murder/ Stupid![/i] came the snarled retort as T'rid took one glance at the desk, now devoid of wing plans, and cursed fluidly, throwing a glare in Stupid's direction. The 'mandyr had already disappeared down the hallway, and T'rid, like so many others that occupied the Weyr, preferred to sleep completely unclothed. Nobody would care, but - supposing they did? (Prudes, he thought irritably, jerking on his discarded pants.) What did the little cousin do? Corinth protested sleepily. HE STOLE OUR WING PATTERN! Oh. /Oh/.[/color]

The bronzerider snarled as he squinted in the hallways, following the dark tailtip that whipped out of sight almost instantly. "Come back here, you miserable little worm," he hissed, inadvertantly borrowing his Wingleader's favorite name for the creatures. Chase stupidbutt! Was it just him, or was Stupid enjoying this? The 'mandyr was enjoying it - enjoying his revenge to the fullest. Too, Stupid knew exactly where he was going - the place he'd been previously. The Candidate Barracks. Yesyesyes...his claws clicked rapidly on the ground as he tore across the Weyr, taking great leaping strides, wings fluttering furiously, ocassionally pausing to frill at T'rid tauntingly and hiss. Come get stupid! Stupidbutt!

Ah, here they were! The 'mandyr whipped into the room, the angle sending his shadow dancing across the floor as he froze uncertainly, bulbous eyes flickering over the two girls. What? Oh! He recognized that one. Stupid paused, flicking another glance over his shoulder as His' footstep sounded faintly; the 'mandyr frilled in shock, tongue flicking out in a slight hiss, as the girls - fell over each other - precisely the moment the Bronzerider entered the Candidate Barracks, distinctly annoyed; Stupid clung to the wing pattern, diving across the room to settle on Raylin's head for the second time in as many sevendays, clutching the girl's hair and hissing at His, who froze on the door, blanching slightly. What were Candidates doing out of bed so far after curfew? And wasn't it just his luck that they were female Candidates?

Recovering his voice, the Bronzerider stepped deliberately towards them, one hand held out towards Stupid. "Come. Here. You little worm. Or I will feed you to Corinth." I'll swallow, too, the bronze added cheerfully. I can't run wing drills without the pattern we're flying, can I, little cousin? The brown 'mandyr frilled uncertainly, but obediently skittered down Raylin again, proclaiming cheerfully to her in passing, Ha ugly! before he scrabbled up T'rid's pant leg and offered him the scroll, which he took and then returned his attention to the Candidates after a brief check to make sure it was intact (which, luckily for both T'rid and Stupid, it was).

Crossing his arms across his chest, T'rid blinked, rather uncomfortable with the present situation. Walking around without his knots in the dead of the night was not his favorite thing to do - aided by the fact that at least one of the girls was roughly his age, he was wearing only a pair of pants, and was knifeless. That didn't sit particularly well with the Bronzerider as he quirked one eyebrow, absently letting Stupid scamper up onto his shoulder. "Any particular reason you two chose to break curfew?" he asked quietly, his voice weary. Ugly, Stupid agreed cheerfully to the room at large.[/size]

[Rei]

Raylin untangled herself from Saeo and had just begun to rise muttering apologies to the younger girl when something launched itself in her direction. She froze immediately as she felt the sensation of small claws gripping her head and tangling themselves in her dark hair. The hiss the creature gave sounded oddly familiar.

She knew this brown mander. It was the same rude runt who had claimed her head just days ago when she first arrived at the weyr. As she contemplated what to do about the situation she turned her head towards the door and her mouth fell open in shock.

There was a man standing in the doorway his muscular form silhouetted in the soft light from the hall, a man that was only half clothed to be exact. Raylin blushed hotly and lowered her gaze to the floor. He had to be attractive too? Shards just her luck.

As she tried to swallow her nervous feelings and gather excuses in her head. She heard Saeo shift beside her. Raylin had almost forgotten about the other girl. The fact that she was not alone gave her enough courage to smother her nervousness. For now at least.

When she heard footsteps heading in her direction Raylin quickly lifted her head. As the rider stopped in front of her and began speaking she was, at first, confused. Then she realized he was talking to the brown mander.

She felt Stupid’s claws pricking her skin through the thin fabric of her night gown as he unoccupied her head and skittered down her body. He leapt at his owner but not before giving a comment in passing. Ugly? Raylin glared at the lizard. She was really beginning to dislike manders. Only then did she see the scrolls he was clutching.

Ah so the little kleptomaniac had found something else to steal. Raylin was distracted from her scrutiny of Stupid when T’rid crossed his arms. Great she though grimly as she listened to the rider’s query. Saeo better have a good “backup plan”. Just in case her partner failed her Raylin racked her brain for a plausible excuse. None coming to mind she gave a sideways glance at Saeo.

[nightingale]

Saeo flicked an annoyed glance in Raylin's direction as yet another round of nagging reached her years. She was just about to sigh and assure the girl that they could go back to bed now if she was really that paranoid, when a mishandling of limbs on the older girl's part sent both of them tumbling to the floor. She dropped her book in transit, her right arm getting painfully sandwiched between the weight of two teenaged girls and the hardwood as they hit the floor.

"Scorch it all Raylin, will you please get your elbow out of my kidney? You've got so many sharp angles, it'll be a wonder if you haven't cut me wide open!"

She grunted, giving the girl a hard shove with her hip as she wriggled her throbbing arm free and cradled it, making sure that it was still in it's socket. She sighed, examining a small, wet looking red stain had appeared on the sleeve of her nightshirt and patted at it ruefully as Raylin disentangled herself and stood up. Stupid cuts always has to be re-opening up and driving her nuts. Now she'd have to spend an hour of tomorrow trying get the stupid stain out...

The dark shadow that flickered overhead drew the girl's attention immidiately. It was a few seconds before she recognized it as alive, and several more before she could make out the rough silhouette of a 'mandyr nestled in Raylin's dark hair. She was immidiately entralled, and had just staggered to her feet in the hopes of examining the little creature more closely when the shock and heat rising in Raylin's face bid her turn around.

Okay...half naked guy wandering the halls at night? Why not? Saeo had never been one to judge. It was a pain he'd happened into the Candidate barracks though. What the heck were the chances?

Saeo listened with the most passive and innocent expression she could muster as he questioned why they were out of bed. She glanced only breifly toward Raylin before writing her off as potential backup. It would seem that she didn't see a lot of half-naked men and was rather occupied with keeping her face from bursting into flames. Well then, she guessed she was on her own...

"We're terribly sorry for breaking curfew sir."

Saeo murmured, allowing her expression and voice to show only a small fraction of the intimidation she acually felt.

"I-It's my fault really -I cut my arm this morning and it opened up again while I was sleeping."

To prove her point, she tugged the sleeve of her nightgown up around her shoulder to show off a rather gorey looking patch of bandage wrapped around her upper arm.

"Candidate Raylin was just taking me to the infirmiry for a fresh bandage so I didn't get my sheets all bloody...but I suppose I should have waited until morning."

She dropped her eyes to the floor and folded her hand in front of her, making herself into the proper image of shame and submission. She could only hope that this guy would be willing to cut them some slack -the were doomed if he didn't. Saeo wasn't sure that she could get herself to look much cuter.