Contemplation (Lilu)

[Sebz]

Kallandrith didn't touch the ground, instead he hovered just above it when he betweened to the hot springs, dropping low enough for his rider to safely dismount. C'loy jumped off adroitly, landing in a crouch, a maneuver that the pair had gotten down pat since the time they were weyrling. C'loy straightened up as his dragon flapped his wings downward, gaining altitude quickly while simultaneously tousling his riders hair. Grimacing, C'loy brushed it back, it was getting just a bit to long, he would need to cut it again soon enough.

The bronze rider's eyes swept the premise, and his lips upturned in a small smile. Deserted, just as he had hoped. If he had been looking for company, he wouldn't have coerced Kallandrith into taking him to the hot springs well after sunset. Not the the large Bronze had needed much prodding, Kallandrith was more than happy to curl up on the stones which were still warm from the day sun. Warmer than their weyr by any measure. The man stepped towards the springs, and carelessly tossed his shirt to the side and made quick work of the rest of his clothes. Up above, he saw the dragon land precariously on a rock, flaring his wings to right himself.

The water was a little cooler than C'loy would have preferred, but the bronze rider dismissed the notion as he sunk shoulder deep into the water. His eyes were slowly adjusting the lack of light, and he could now easily make out the outline of his dragon. Kallandrith had settled down into a crouch, his faceted eyes reflecting the light of the moon. It is not bad you know. Though C'loy had been watching his dragon, the unexpected interjection made him jerk, sending water rippling out in every direction.

“What is not,” the blonde said into the darkness. There was an audible rustle as Kallandrith readjusted his wings. To be feared. C'loy's fingers twitched, and it was a credit to his self control that that was his only reaction. A week ago it would have been story. The bronze rider felt Kallandrith brushing his thoughts, probing, but he ignored it. After Feyrianth's flight, the only person he had dared talk to was M'ta, and even that was the result of the aftermath. Did people fear Kallandrith? Did people fear him?

C'loy's eyes unfocused as he stared into the darkness. The truth was, he feared himself.

[Aftershock]

Venideth flew over the mountain peaks, his dark blue hide a slightly darker blot on the evening skyline. He was searching for something, and soon he detected it, banking in a turn and heading for the steam clouds that marked the location of the Selenitas hot springs. Landing with picture-perfect form, his toned musculature and well-oiled hide reflecting the starlight that had just begun to emerge in the evening sky, he allowed his rider to dismount quickly before taking to the skies once more, looping once before alighting carefully beside his quarry... his bronze clutchbrother.

Lilu opened her eyes wide, attempting to get as much of the dim star-and-moonlight as possible into her retinas as she scanned the area. She normally did not allow Venideth his head in regards to what they did, but the blue had recently shown interest in his bronze clutchbrother, noting how he had not had the opportunity to interact much with Kallandrith since weyrling training. As a rule, Lilu would generally have refused the dragon's request as an attempt to get out of training for an evening, but she had to admit she was curious as well, since she had also had little interaction with Kallandrith's rider since weyrling training, and was curious as to how he had developed, considering the bronze's odd choice in C'loy.

Quickly and efficiently stripping off her flightleathers and the clothing beneath, she found the pool C'loy was occupying and dove in without a word, swimming a lap in the warm waters before surfacing next to the bronzerider, flipping her wet red hair backwards out of her face as she nodded towards C'loy and said, "Greetings, bronzerider. And how are you this evening?"

Venideth, meanwhile, sent to Kallandrith, "Greetings, brother. It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to meet with you, and I must admit I'm terribly curious as to how you and Yours are doing. He seemed a very inappropriate choice during the hatching... has he developed into the human you saw the potential for him to become deep within his mind when you chose him, or is he still something better bonded to a green?" Venideth's mindwords were teasing, but not cruelly so... he was honestly curious as to what his bronze brother had seen in the boy that made him pass over so many other Candidates to Impress to the odd youth, and whether his decision was foolhardy and made him unsuitable to lead, or whether he might be worth following after all.

[Sebz]

Kallandrith swiveled his massive head towards the sky, sensing the of the arrival of another dragon. Venideth. The bronze lazily followed the path that his blue clutch sibling took through the skies, only alerting C'loy of the pair's presence when Venideth touched down. Venideth and his are here. The bronzerider frowned. The name was familiar but he could not conjure the image of the pair. The red one, Kallandrith supplied absently, adjusting himself so there would be a place for his clutch brother to land next to him. Even with his efforts to make accommodations, the blue would be hard pressed to find a place to land. For all of his bulk, the bronze had picked a comparability small rock.

C'loy closed his eyes. Ahh, Lilu. He had not kept up with her since their weyrlinghood. Truth be told, he had not kept up with many in his class, this last year or so he and Kallandrith had become rather recluse, trying to keep to themselves. Well, as much as they could, being a rider to a bronze dragon, especially one as recognizable as Kallandrith did give him certain responsibilities. No longer was he a weyrling, he had duties that the weyr required of him. And with the weyrleader trials looming in the near future, it was harder to stay unnoticed than before.

Kallandrith's eyes narrowed imperceptibly at Venideth's greeting, and his eyes darkened. Luckily it was dark, so it would be impossible for the blue to see the changes. In a soothing voice, the bronze greeted his clutchmate. Brother, it has been quite a while. His tail flicked behind him in slight irretation. A green take what was mine brother, just as one wouldn't have taken what is yours. The bronze dragon was annoyed with Venidrith of questioning his choice in rider, but he didn't let on. Kallandrith never let on to anything he wished to keep hidden. Giving a low rumble which was the equivalent to a laugh, Kallandrith continued, playfully nudging his brother.Your choice seemed just as strange, but they both turned out as they should. I trust you and your's are well? The bronze shifted slightly and motioned downwards towards the hot springs. Watch, he is not the young candidate he once was.

Below, C'loy's arms were crossed against his chest, his own eyes narrowing slightly. The water licked across his stomach as Lilu dove in. C'loy massaged the bridge of his nose. Annoyance coiled in his stomach, he had come here to get time alone, but it didn't seem like that would possible now. Annoyance was quickly overtaken by curiosity. Why would she come here, now? Certainly not to search him out, but there must be some reason. When she sidled up and greeted him, he inwardly flinched at the formality. Not C'loy, not even Cas, but bronzeriders. Yes, he knew formalities were not something he could easily escape, but they made him feel trapped. "Bluerider," he snapped back, sounding much harsher then he meant to. "I was fine," he said, obviously implying that her arrival had changed that. But that wasn't true, he hadn't ever been fine. He was... perturbed.

Sighing he turned away. He didn't mean to push Lilu away so immediately, in fact, it was rather nice to see her after so long. "How are you doing, I trust that-" Venideth, "-Venideth is well?" he said, not missing a beat.

[Aftershock]

Lilu raised an eyebrow in a combination of surprise and no small amount of interest... annoyance AND a match to her level of formality? This was definitely not the C'loy she had gone through Candidacy and weyrlinghood with, and the massive change in the blonde boy (man, now?) was quite intriguing.

Ignoring the annoyed jab at her presence, Lilu nodded at C'loy's question, responding, "Venideth, yes, and he is doing very well. My daily training and exercise regimen keeps him in top form and condition, ready to perform the duties required of him at optimal quality." Standing near C'loy in the water, her water-droplet-covered skin and pert breasts showing clearly in the moonlit evening, she watched his reaction, curious how his personality shift had affected his feelings towards women as she asked, "Kallandrith is also doing well, I assume? Have you been working hard to prepare yourself and him for the Weyrleader Trials that approach?"

Meanwhile, Venideth carefully folded his wings and settled in next to his bronze clutchbrother, sending a short pulse of appreciation as the larger dragon shifted his weight to give Venideth room on the rock they both perched upon. Giving a short hiss that served as the draconic equivalent of a chuckle, Venideth replied to Kallandrith's mindwords with, "Touche, brother. It seems we both made choices that might have seemed unusual to others." Moving to look over at the water, he then answered, "Mine is doing well... she keeps us both well trained and exercised, and though when we first began I was reluctant to perform as she asked, I now understand she has our best interests in mind, and I feel as if I am the best blue the land has to offer thanks to her."

Feeling Lilu's reactions to C'loy's words and actions, combined with seeing them from his perch on the rock, Venideth rumbled thoughtfully and added, "He does seem quite different from how Mine remembers him, brother. I had heard... stories... of you and your rider somewhat recently, and I chose to seek you out in order to see what had become of you and Yours since I saw you last... you have not been around very much lately, it seems."