Strange New Worlds (Rei)

[Kisha-Ra]

It was early in Benden hold’s evening, and bitter cold compared to the climates of Vivano’s southern home, those two simple facts combined into a strange sense of disorientation in the bronzehandler as he and his wher wandered through the still bustling commercial area. No matter how often he travelled halfway around the world, and no matter how much he knew about the differences in time an climate, it would always induce a feeling that he was alone in a strange land.

Vivask snorted and slapped his tail against Vivano’s leg, interrupting his handler’s musings. The bronze wher, easily as large as a runnerbeast, strolled easily by his handler’s side, uncaring of the nervous looks he occasionally got, he was used to such looks when the pair of them vested holds, and the humans of Benden had seen him often enough that he could approach the more confident without them making high pitched noises and fleeing. Wherever they might be through, Vivask had to protest the idea that Vivano would be alone in strange lands. No indeed! Vivask would always be there somewhere, otherwise how would Vivano get home? Besides, they weren’t alone here, his most lovely sister Sydsk and hers were here. Unfortunately.

Vivano smiled at the sense of misfortune his wher projected into the idea that Sydsk was here, other’s might have taken it as a sign that Vivask was not fond of his green sister but Vivano knew otherwise, and knew the misfortune in Vivask’s view that Sydsk was not closer to home. ‘We’ll definitely see Sydsk tonight.’ Vivano assured his wher. ‘I’ve no doubt you’d arrange it that way even if I didn’t have this little lot for Sydney.’ Vivano hefted the basket that hung on his left arm, the opposite side of him from Vivask, for although the bronze was not the klutz he’d been as a young wher he was still prone to stumbling and tripping, and Vivano still always walked on the blind side of his bonded when he wasn’t riding. Protecting this basket from mishaps was something Vivano considered particularly important since it was almost exclusively full of glass bottles and jars, the content of which was various remedies and tonics mostly created from ingredients unique the southern continent and some few things that had not been made in a long while because they required ingredients from both sides of the world and thus had been well nigh impossible to make while the war had been on.

When the pair reached Sydney’s door they set up a thunderous knocking, Vivano rapping briskly with his fist a few times and Vivask battering the door with a fisted set of claws to underscore their desire for the door to be opened. ‘Sydney! We brought you some things!’ Vivano called and Vivask added a sharp bark of his own. If the greenpair didn’t know they had visitor, half the hold did.

[Rei]

Sydsk shifted from her position near the door wuffing again, and just once, quietly to her bonded. She didn’t speak mentally but her message was clear just the same. Hers should hurry. They were going to be late in their rounds and that had never set well with the green wher. Sydney rushed about the room in a flurry of activity, snatching her coat off the peg on the wall, throwing pillows over the couch as she looked for her scarf, and finally hopping around on one foot as she struggled to try and slip one of her boots on. “Hold your runners Sydsk. Really how often have we ever had to really do anything this early in the evening anyway? Most people are just heading home by now.” The woman huffed in slight irritation as she glanced around for her hat.

Nyx lay coiled sedately upon one of the tossed pillows and yawned, causing Sydney to open her mouth in a long yawn as well before glancing in the mandyrs direction. Wrinkling her nose she wordlessly held out her hand for the mandyr who chirped and rose gracefully from her coiled position to fly onto her hand. Climbing up her bonded’s arm, Nyx ascended to the woman’s shoulder and lightly caressed her tail affectionately across her jaw before coiling it partially around her neck as an anchor. Only then did Sydney pause to look about the room scanning it just once in case she had forgotten something. “Hmm. I think we are ready.” The handler said to her three mindmates. A sense of such strong amusement rose up in her and she knew immediately that it had to have come from both Nyx and Sydsk. “What?” The woman blinked at the two before Nyx commented gently. Your boot my dear. You are only wearing one.

Flushing slightly the woman opened her mouth to reply when someone started trying to beat her door down. Nyx flicked her frill and tilted her head, her curiosity about the visitor that needed them so urgently washing over Sydney as well. Sydsk however was slightly annoyed at the noise whoever it was was making. At least until Vivano spoke up followed quickly by a bark from Vivask. The green wher turned to her bonded then and whined so softly that the noise would not carry to her brother. She very much wanted to see him if Sydney would be so kind? Yes Sydney. The cold one is right. We should let them in before the neighborhood decides they need to lynch us. Nyx remarked, her amusement becoming Sydney’s as the woman hastened to throw the door open.

Standing there with one boot on, and the other somewhere in her living space, Sydney smiled warmly at the bronze handler and his wher. “So I see. Please do come in.” Her words were punctuated by a soft bark from Sydsk that even in it’s firmness had some affection behind it. Stop making such a racket brother and do come in before the neighbors become disgruntled. Sydsk’s eyes were colored a pleasant blue green shade as she moved to make room for the bronze to join her and she really couldn’t quite hide how pleased she was to see him. In her opinion she did not get to see him often enough after all.

Stepping to the side to allow both males to enter Sydney tried to get a peek at the basket as she shut the door behind her guests. “Oooh. What did you bring me?” The woman couldn’t help her curiosity as she vaguely gestured to the room at large. “Please excuse the mess? If we knew you were coming I would have er… tired to clean up.” No Sydney wasn’t an overly messy person but things like house keeping tended to be pushed to the wayside then she was busy.

[Kisha-Ra]

Vivask snorted impatiently and projected the idea that Sydsk was definitely in there to Vivano, who paused in rapping the door for long enough to listen. There was indeed the slight sounds of someone undoing the door, shortly followed by said door swinging open to reveal Sydney, clearly in the process of dressing to go out. Vivano cheerfully ignored this little fact and stepped aside to let Vivask pass by. The wher was going in no matter what the greenpair wanted it was just as well Sydney invited him and Vivano in.

Vivask padded past Sydney with a little dip of his muzzle that he liked to think looked dignified and gracious, but which really looked slightly ridiculous. Turning his attention fully to his greensister Vivask dropped his pseudo dignity and snorted softly, sticking out his tongue in a an imitation of the human children he’d seen, sadly he was unable to make the noise that should go with the sticking out tongue. Sydsk’s neighbours should be grateful and privileged to be disturbed by so great a creature as himself, the bronze expressed with the accompaniment of a mental image of the coat and scarf muffled humans of the street throwing flowers at his feet.

Vivano gave Sydney one of his most charming smiles and stepped inside, glad to be out of the northern weather. ‘Oh it’s nothing amazingly interesting I’m afraid.’ Vivano replied, adroitly winding his way around the room to the couch and stetting his basket down among the disordered cushions without apparently noticing the slight chaos around him, as far as he was concerned if there wasn’t rubbish and crockery everywhere it wasn’t messy.

Vivano perched himself next to his basket and pulled off his gloves, stowing them in his coat pocket as he talked. ‘Most of it is medicines. New preparations, and some old ones that haven’t been made up for a while what with the war and everything.’ Vivano shrugged as if the whole dragon war was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to herbalists and healers everywhere. ‘I thought you might be able to make use of them when the standard remedies for this area aren’t doing the job, or when someone’s allergic to them. There’s written instructions for making and using everything in there. Then ther’s this. ‘The this in question, when Vivano drew it out of the basket proved to be a leather folder, which Vivano opened to reveal pages of thick paper, each one featuring a drawing of a plant, a dried sample of the plant glued to the page, and Vivano’s neatest handwriting. ‘It’s copies of all my research on the area’s plants so far.’ He explained, placing the page he’d taken out back in the folder and fussing with a thinner sheet of paper that protected it from the next page.

‘On a lighter note, there’s a couple of things for you personally as well as professionally.’ Vivano added, rooting through the basket with one hand. ‘It’s not exciting I’m afraid, just the kind of trifling thing I like to make.’ Indeed what was drawn from the basket with a flourish proved to be a jar fruit and herb tea and a small cloth bag that would, when opened prove to contain a selection of small scented candles.

Vivask snorted as his handler talked Sydney through the contents of the basket and settled down beside Sydsk. Her handler shouldn’t let Vivano wax too eloquent on herbs, he warned, Vivano could probably tell Sydney everything that was in his notes if given a chance.

[Rei]

Sydsk huffed at her brother as he responded along with the ridiculous image and she had the urge to snap at his tongue just to see how fast he could suck it back into that trap of his. She didn’t act on the urge though, just sent along the equivalent of a mental eye roll her tail sweeping across the ground once. Tilting her head she rumbled. Flowers? I should think it to be more like chamber pots. You have been in the weyr too long if you think that these humans who live here think of us as little more than beasts. A sense of amusement colored the imagery. Though perhaps they are not so far off with you at least brother dearest. Please tell me that you have been using that bulk of yours for something other than lying around? The green rather doubted it now that she was no longer there to get his lazy butt moving but one could always hope.

Sydney fluttered after Vivano with surprising grace considering that she only still had one boot on. “Oh psht. You always bring along such interesting things.” The dark haired woman said with a slight wrinkle of her nose as she reached out and snatched one of the jars from him. Holding it up to the light from a nearby glow she quickly scanned the bronzehandler’s quaint and neat handwriting. He always did such a good job on his labels and instructions. There was not a step missing. Smiling brightly the woman carefully set the jar down and chuckled slightly. “You and your mixtures.” Sydney remembered well how grumpy the man had been about the war preventing him from getting to some places for the exotic plants he needed for some of his more intricate medications and salves.

When he produced the leather folder Sydney’s eyes widened and she leaned closer to him hardly daring to breathe as Vivano flipped through the pages. She barely stopped herself from reaching out to draw a finger lightly along the page. It was so neat and detailed and she could barely contain her excitement when he said it was a copy for her. The handler was well aware at how much time and detail and passion went into the man’s research. She was more than blessed to have a copy of it. It would surely serve her very well in the field. When he produced the last of the contents of the basket the greenhandler grinned and suddenly grabbed the man in a hug. “Thank you. It’s all wonderful really. You don’t have to go to such trouble for me.” Though the woman was so very glad he did. He was one of the only people who ever came to visit her after all. Pretty much her only real friend in the world besides her brother. Sad but true. Even if it was only because their whers were so close Sydney was glad for it.

Picking up the jar of herb tea she smiled. “Well Sydsk and I were about to go out on patrol but now that you are here we can come up with some better things to do. Like try out this tea for instance.” With that the woman turned to stoke up the fire so she could get some water ready to boil. “So tell me. Any new news from the weyr? Gossip? Anything? I could banter on to you about the different sicknesses and things I’ve been involving myself with here but really it’s not all that interesting.”

Sydsk shifted herself a little closer to her brother as he settled himself beside her and then her tail came up to swat him in the back of the head. Payment really for his earlier comments. The green eyed Vivano and a sense of amusement washed towards her brother. Oh she was rather sure that hers was well aware of Vivano’s passion for such things. As her bonded mentioned putting off their patrol for now the green huffed and her tail came up to tap Vivask on the back of his head. See now look what he did. Not only was he lazy but it was now effecting her as well. There was a touch of jest to the comment but in truth Sydsk was a bit irritated that her patrol was being put off. The green saw the necessity in the work after all.

[Kisha-Ra]

Vivask snorted and responded that these holdfolk were simply a silly sort who didn’t understand his greatness. He did, however, obligingly change his image to one of himself nimbly dodging flung chamberpots. Vivask flicked his wings in a wher shrug. Beasts? Why wasn’t his dearest greensister disabusing them of that notion pray tell? Deciding that last jibe didn’t even merit a reply the bronze wher simply stretched insolently and flicked his tail at Sydsk.

‘Oh I’m so glad my concoctions amuse you.’ Vivano stated with an ironic lift to one eyebrow. He did know that his concern over the availability of ingredients was possibly beyond the bounds of good sense, but it was just something he couldn’t help. He was gratified by the woman’s instant interest in the things emerging from the basket so he didn’t continue teasing her.

Vivano gloated, although it was a strictly internal gloat, when he caught the covetous glint in Sydney’s gaze as he came to the folder of notes. This copy would certainly be going to someone who’d appreciate all the work, and probably all the ink stains and hand cramps, that had gone into this collection. It was a response that med Vivano want to grin stupidly and rush off to research more plant, but it was probably just as well the majority of people were determined to stick by what their grannies told them. He might have worn his fingers out writing up copies if everyone was going to think as highly of his findings as Sydney evidently did.

‘Well I have to pass all this on to someone who can use it.’ Vivano said with a hint of humour. ‘Can you imagine me faced with a patient who had something worse than trivial wrong with them? “You’re ill? Stay back!”’ Vivano cringed back from an imaginary illness sufferer and made a warding gesture.

‘The weyr gossip?’ Vivano thought for a moment. ‘You’ll have to give me a moment, if it’s not about boiling up strange concoctions in your room I tend to be out of touch.’ He briefly wondered if he should mention Kaiusk’s upcoming Run as an interest point, but decided nopt to, he always felt awkward about mentioning Either Kaius or Sena, or even worse, both, in Sydney’s presence given how things had turned out between the three of them. ‘You needn’t give me the healer gossip thgough, unless it’s an amusing and embarrassing story. Wher quarters certainly haven’t been up to much on the gossip front.’

While Vivano wracked his brain for nuggets of gossip, Vivas was busy defending his brain against his sister’s wrath. It wasn’t his fault that Vivano had brought things for Sydney. The bronze wher shook his head and protested his innocence. Sydsk needed to relax more anyway, let the silly human look after themselves for a while.

[Rei]

Because brother dearest how was she supposed to let them know they were wrong? Humans were hardheaded and stupid. It didn’t matter how good she was to them or how she protected them. They thought her nothing more intelligent than your average runner and she had no desire to touch their minds. Besides that they might resist and become angry at such intrusion. He knew nothing of diplomacy did he? Sometimes it was merely better to let sleeping canines lie. You could not easily change a view that that had continued to be held for untold turns in such a short amount of time as they had been here. Besides. She didn’t much care one way or another what they thought of her as long as they remained intelligent enough not to make her job too terribly difficult. His insolent tail flick as ignored for the most part, though she did tilt her head to fix him with a mild glare. He best not tempt her.

Sydney laughed as Vivano cringed back. “I can imagine it now. You’d be disinfecting your area like crazy and probably hole yourself up for a good sevenday.” She teased back as she made sure the fire was stoked enough to adequately heat the water. With that done she reached up on one of the shelves near the sitting area to pull down a jar of glazed and sugared nuts. She had purchased them around the holiday time and there were still a fair few left even if she had shared the majority with her roommates. Never hurt to try and get along with the people you were forced to room with after all.

Moving back to the bronzehandler she set the jar on the table and slipped into the chair next to him before opening the jar. Tilting her head she smiled. “Oh no worries I am a patient sort you know that.” With that she slid the jar of nuts over to him in an obvious offer for him to partake. The candied almonds were her favorites but there were walnuts and cashews and all kinds of other things as well. “Hmm embarrassing or amusing? I can’t really think of many of those. Plenty of gross ones though. Maybe I’ll spare you the horror for now.” The greenrider finished with just the hint that she might go ahead and tell him anyway later. Share the grossness and all that. Taking a few more nuts she popped one into her mouth and wrinkled her nose before quickly chewing and swallowing it. “When is the handler quarters ever up to date on gossip? Though it kind of was when we had so many harpers. Harpers are gossip magnets. They all got shuffled off when the crafter ban hit though didn’t they? Puts you guys even more in the dark.” Not as far in the dark as she herself was alone and forgotten but still pretty in the dark.

Sydsk lifted her lip in a brief snarl that lacked much of any aggression in it. More the wher version of a grimace. Let them look after themselves for a while? They were like to head off into a blizzard and freeze to death or something similarly stupid without her out there. Pass out drunk in some ditch and freeze to death as well. Honestly she spent more time saving those fools from themselves than anything else. It was her job to watch the hold. Thus the term watch wher. There was no relaxing to be had until she was done with her duties. Silly brother still hadn’t learned that had he? Perhaps he would like to go out with her on patrol? She could always go without Sydney…