Far From a Cinderella Story (Roselle)

[Aftershock]

M'gnum walked down the hallway of the Weyr, until he finally reached the weyr he was looking for. Glancing down at the boot in his hand, he wondered what had taken him so long to approach the weyr of she who owned said boot... he did not like to admit to himself that the young woman who dwelt behind the door he stood before's somewhat fiery attitude had intrigued him, thinking that he was only attracted to those quiet, unassuming women who gladly accepted their titles as "Ladies".

However, his time spent with Roselle as he carried her through the ice maze during her pursuit of her sheltered niece during the last Gather had made it's impression, and today he had finally decided to return the boot she had left behind when her damaged ankle was wrapped by Erilena following the fall that had M'gnum bearing her in his arms for much of their first meeting.

Taking a deep breath and girding himself, M'gnum rapped a knuckle against the door to Roselle's weyr, calling out after the knock, "La... er, Roselle, are you there? It is M'gnum of bronze Higginth, I have something of yours you forgot."

[Ivy]

Kainu growled quietly just before the knock on the door came, she was sharp even at her age. At first she had not adjusted well to the move from Fort Hold to Inverness. She growled and barked at every little thing and constantly whined to be taken out. Now she was doing better and was learning to settle into the weyr lifestyle, something Roselle was glad of.

Not to be outdone, soon Tserieth was piping up too, You have company.

Thank you for stating the obvious. Roselle stood and hobbled her way to the door. It had been a full week since the Gather and her little fall, the healer who had tended to her had said it would heal up quickly - but she still felt sore. Of course she had tried to walk on it just a day after the fall and ended up falling again... so that probably posed a set back in her healing.

Opening the door she shooed Kainu back when she came to see who it was, then leaned against the door frame. "M'gnum, surprised to see you. What brings you?"

While she normally would have shot some sarcastic remark or some dry joke at him, she was tired - and it showed. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a bit of a mess. She wasn't one who normally worried about appearances, but even she would have been upset had she realized what she looked like at that moment. Leaning against the door frame became uncomfortable so she stood up, favoring the one ankle, and motioned for him to come inside. "You're welcome to come in, unless you'd rather not have someone see you and mistake a friendly visit for something more scandalous."

Not waiting to see if he was going to enter or not she began to hobble her way back towards the small couch."

[Aftershock]

"Ah, hello, Roselle," M'gnum replied as she opened the door, and proffered her boot as she asked why he was there. "You forgot your boot when it was removed to wrap your ankle after your fall at the Gather, and I returned into the maze to fetch it for you. I apologize it has taken me this long to return it." He did not say the reason why it took him so long, his code preventing him from lying to a lady, but his embarrassment keeping him from volunteering the information.

His smile drooped a bit as he saw the bags under her eyes, his concern for her well-being causing him to ask, "Are you all right, my dear? You look downright exhausted." He was about to ask if he should excuse himself when she invited him inside and began hobbling back towards the couch, her limp immediately causing M'gnum to drop the boot in his hand and slip into the door after her, scooping her into his arms in a maneuver that would bring back memories of their first meeting at the Gather. After doing so, M'gnum, with concern in his voice, said, "Let me help you, please. Your ankle is obviously still unhealed fully," then carried her the rest of the way to the couch she was pointed towards before he had picked her up, setting her down carefully.

[Ivy]

She was more than a little amused at his long winded reply as to why he was there. A simple 'you forgot your boot' would have done. He seemed a bit, nervous. Or perhaps he was just having an off day. Being charming, polite, and otherwise chivalrous every day all day had to be tiring. Before she could utter a thank you to him he had moved behind her and scooped her up. Had she been feeling a bit better she would have demanded he put her down, but as she wasn't feeling completely herself she let him take her the rest of the way to the couch. "Thank you... I fell again. Its nothing really, I tried to push myself too soon. So now I get to suffer the consequences."

Shrugging a bit she happened to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the wall. Quickly she combed her fingers through her hair, "Sorry you have to see me a mess. I wasn't expecting company today."

Kainu growled a bit when M'gnum moved to her owner, and once Roselle was on the couch she had hurried over to sniff the woman. Finding she was in one piece the husky mix eyed the man and sniffed at him as well. "Oh, this is Kainu. I don't remember if you got a chance to see her before we left the hold... I had to have one of the other riders go back for her since I couldn't fly back myself. She used to be a sled dog."

Eying the door, which he had left open in his rush to help her she nodded a bit, "If you're staying would you mind closing the door? Well even if you're not... Whichever side of the door you prefer to be on, it needs to be closed. Kainu is a good girl and all but if she wanders off alone she'll have a hard time finding her way back. Not used to it here."

Roselle was... rambling. Just a tad. Why? She felt a bit dizzy, but couldn't quite pin-point why. And her face was reddening. What in all of Pern was wrong with her?

[Aftershock]

"Oh, my apologies, I did not notice her," M'gnum replied to her indication of Kainu, moving across the room once more to secure the door, then slowly approaching the canine and crouching to extend his hand to be sniffed, like he did with the family canines back when he was a child at the Lord Holder's manor. "She's a beautiful animal," he commented as he watched Kainu's reaction, "I did see the stall offered retired sled canines during my time at the Gather... it does not surprise me that you were found to be worthy of adopting one yourself. I heard the woman was very strict about who she adopted out to."

To Roselle's worry about her appearance, M'gnum made a dismissive gesture with his hand and replied, "I did not even notice your state, Roselle, beyond the tired look of your eyes. You still look radiant as always to my eyes." Suddenly realizing what he just said, he cut himself off, watching Roselle's face carefully for a reaction and hoping he had not stepped too far.

[Ivy]

If she caught his admission of admiring her, she did not let on - not even batting an eye or a twitch of her face. Of course she had, but it wasn't like her to be a blushing giggling little girl when confronted with a man who was, well if she was to be honest with herself... M'gnum was pretty good looking himself. Not that she was going to tell him that, no not at all. "She was pretty strict. Asked a million questions about me, my life, my other pets... But that's good. Means she wanted to send them home with someone they best fitted with. Saw her turn down a woman with a kid just before I came around. Don't blame her. Kainu is used to work, not being a jungle gym for some brat."

Another run of her fingers through her dark locks and she nodded to the couch, "You're welcome to sit if you'd like. I don't bite."

Kainu padded away from the bronzerider to go lay down on her bed in the corner of the main room, eying him and Roselle. Tserieth was being oddly quiet from her perch on the ledge outside, but no doubt she was eavesdropping so she'd have something to talk about later on.

"Thank you for returning my boot, I appreciate it." The conversation suddenly took a turn for the awkward as she realized she didn't know what else to talk to him about. "Um, how have you been since the Gather? Did you bring anything exciting back with you?" The woman sucked at small talk.

[Aftershock]

M'gnum nodded as Roselle described the sled canine owner's application process, letting Kainu sniff his hand and giving her head a quick scratch before the canine accepted his presence and turned around to lie down. "Indeed. It is good she chose good homes for them all, and it is obvious she chose well in you, Kainu is looking well taken care of."

Straightening his knees as he rose from his crouch, he walked over to the couch, smiling and responding, "I did not think you bit... you don't nearly have the teeth for it," as he did so. Sitting carefully on the couch and smoothing out his cotton pants, relaxed as much as the straight-backed man ever was, M'gnum said, "Of course, my dear. A knight never leaves a lady in a lurch." He sat awkwardly with her for a moment, unable to come up with a topic of conversation himself, when she broke the silence with her question.

Relieved to be freed of the responsibility, M'gnum answered, "Oh, normal bronzerider duties, as well as my standard training to keep myself and Higginth fit and sharp, and continued preparation for the Weyrleader Trials. I did not purchase anything at the Gather, though representatives of my father's estate at Telgar found me and gave me this ring."

M'gnum then lifted his hand, displaying a thick silver ring with the mark of the Lord Holder of Telgar upon it, and continued, "It seems they've heard of my exploits, and wish to make sure I remember them if I succeed at the Weyrleader Trials... the politics of nobility is something I certainly do not miss from the days of my youth, that is to be certain, though in my position they're becoming harder and harder to avoid." M'gnum's face turned a bit sour, and he gave a sigh of resignation as he spoke.

[Ivy]

"You plan to try for Weyrleader?", was the first question she asked - which was quickly followed by, "Telgar?"

She knew of Telgar. Not much, but of its existence at least. Moving to the North she'd been forced to learn more about it, where as before in Hyphen and even Selenitas she had been content to just ignore its existence. Looking over the ring and the emblem on it she pointed past him to her book shelf, "Can you grab that basket over there?"

[Aftershock]

M'gnum nodded to her question regarding the Weyrleader Trials, responding, "Indeed. I left Fort Weyr to join Selenitas in an attempt to find a way to end the Dragon Wars... it took six turns for it to finally pay off, but I do not wish for something like them to happen again, and I figure being Weyrleader will directly assist in my efforts to prevent such an occurrence in the future." To her second question, M'gnum replied, "Yes, I'm the nephew of the former Lord Holder of Telgar Hold... age has claimed my uncle and father both, but I'm still considered a member of the family, especially since I Impressed a bronze. It's a part of my past I sometimes regret, I will admit." Another sour expression accompanied by a shrug showed M'gnum's unhappy acceptance of his lot in life.

Looking over to where Roselle pointed, M'gnum nodded and got up, walking over to the indicated bookshelf and fetching the basket before returning to place it carefully in Roselle's lap and retaking his seat beside her. "What is that, if I might ask?" he queried.

[Ivy]

Listening to him, Roselle stayed quiet. Nodding here and there she let him speak, finding it interesting. When he retrieved the basket for her she opened it up and pulled out some of her things - pliers, a few cut gems, and some wire. Since he had eyes she didn't bother replying to his question as to what was in the basket. Instead she just worked on threading the bead-like gems onto the thin wire and twisting it with her fingers.

A row of red, then a row of clear, then a row of blue. She twisted the wire through and around the gems before finally crimping the end with the pliers to hold everything in place. Looking over her work she tweaked it here and there before searching through the basket for something else. Finally finding it she used more wire along with the pliers to fasten the mini-gem Telgar shield onto a pin. Leaning forward she pinned it to his tunic, "You may not like it, but where you're from is as much a part of who you are as anything. You should be proud of your past, never hide from it."

Offering a rare genuine smile she rolled her eyes a bit, "You don't have to keep it of course, or wear it if you truly don't want to. Its nothing spectacular, but its been awhile since I've made anything and I needed the practice."

You act funny around this one., finally the Green had something to say - though Roselle was not at all grateful for her dragon breaking the silence.

Am I not allowed to be nice to someone else from time to time?

You never have been before, why start now? Tserieth asked, clearly amused with what she had decided was going on.

I was plenty nice to Sel'n. Roselle physically reacted to even thinking of the Brownrider, the smile on her face fading instantly along with her nearly cringing.

My point exactly.

The focus came back to her brown eyes and she realized she was still leaning looking up at M'gnum, having forgotten to sit back as she argued with her Green.

[Aftershock]

M'gnum's question was quickly answered as Roselle began working on the pin, watching with interest as her deft fingers twisted and weaved the gemstones and wire. He smiled warmly as she pinned the jewelry to his tunic, taking her small hand in his larger one as he said, "You are correct, of course. Thank you for this... it's beautiful, and I will treasure such a wonderful gift, to be certain."

Suddenly, Roselle's eyes went out of focus, and M'gnum recognized the look of someone speaking mentally to a mindmate. He did not interrupt her, still clasping the hand that had pinned the jewelry to his tunic in his own hand and appreciating her closeness while it lasted. However, when her expression suddenly dropped, M'gnum's own smile vanished and he asked worriedly as she returned to lucidity, "Roselle, are you all right? You suddenly looked very upset..."

[Ivy]

Cheeks turned a delicate rosey color when she realized her hand was in M'gnum's. A shy smile tugged the corners of her lips before she pulled back gently, taking her hand back as well. "Its nothing really... Tserieth can be tiring is all..."

She misses Kaaoloth's. Tserieth butted into the conversation at this point, bespeaking the bronzerider directly. Roselle glared towards the ledge and shook her head.

"I'm glad you like it though." Roselle finished and set her basket aside. "I used to offer my creations at Gathers but I haven't had time to make many things. Out of practice I suppose."

[Aftershock]

M'gnum returned Roselle's smile, and was about to nod in response to her explanation when suddenly a presence was in his mind, one not his own, and mental words flowed into his thoughts. Every dragon had the echo of their bonded in their mindvoice, and so M'gnum realized the mindvoice must belong to Tserieth, Roselle's dragon, and the name she spoke tickled his mind. "Kaaoloth... Kaaoloth... of course, Sel'n's dragon," M'gnum thought to himself, remembering the Weyrlingmaster of Burimyu... and that his name was on the honor rolls listing those lost in combat during the Dragon Wars.

Placing a strong hand on Roselle's shoulder, M'gnum looked into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry for the pain of Sel'n's loss. He was a fine man, and a fine Weyrlingmaster... he was a bit less disciplined than I myself would have been in his role, but he still was able to train some damned fine dragonriders, and he will be missed." His eyes shifted away from Roselle's at this point, looking off into the distance as a look of determination settled on his face, and he added, "If I become Weyrleader, you can be assured I will do all in my power to prevent senseless losses like Sel'n's from ever occurring again."

Returning his eyes to Roselle's face, M'gnum squeezed her shoulder gently in a gesture of support, then changed subjects as she did, not wishing to dwell on a memory that was obviously painful to the greenrider. "Indeed, life has been busy since we all moved to Inverness, hasn't it? I'm sure things will continue to calm down, however, and if you desire to have more free time to practice your craft, I could speak to your Wingleader and see if we could arrange something, if you'd wish me to," he said, his smile returning to attempt to relieve some of the tension from the situation.

[Ivy]

Roselle shook her head a bit, "No no, that's fine. Really. I am already being dismissed from wing training as it is due to my ankle. Have barely left my weyr in the past week. I suppose it is less sure to lack of time and more due to lack of motivation."

She did not acknowledge his sympathy for the loss of Sel'n, after all she had no real right to mourn him. It had been a long time since he was lost, and they weren't even friends. She had admired him greatly sure, but that was the extent of their relationship. How could she admit that aloud without sounding like some love sick girl? Instead she just nodded, "You would make a fine Weyrleader for sure."

[Aftershock]

M'gnum nodded in understanding, though if Roselle did not react negatively to it, he left his hand on her shoulder where he had placed it. "Of course, my dear... and I am glad to have served as motivation for you to practice your work. I am honored, truly," he said, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. A grin crossing his features, he added, "I suppose I just wanted to offer so as to attempt to exert what little power I have as a bronzerider to perhaps try to make up for the large amount of responsibility it places upon my shoulders," his jovial tone showing the lack of seriousness in his response.

When Roselle spoke of her approval of the thought of him as Weyrleader, his smile broadened, and he said, "Thank you for thinking so. The support of one such as yourself means more than you can imagine." After speaking, he simply smiled and continued to look into Roselle's eyes for a moment, then suddenly remembered himself and cleared his throat embarrassedly, his attention suddenly drawn to an invisible canine fur on his tunic that he began to pick at.