Silhouettes &&Open

[maiwolf]

It was early in the morning when she woke up. Her rider duties she could put off until later in the day. She would put everything off until later today, she sorely felt like doing anything. It was two sevendays before Astoth’s flight. She rather didn’t like flights, because that meant more dragons, unless, of course, the dragon flying was a green. The woman loved when Htattath flew. Loved feeling herself bond with her dragon, the wind in her wings. The flights were short, but they were well worth it.

Htattath raised her head, blinked her eyes slowly, and sent an image of the sun rising. Tell Dog to get away from me.

[/b] Which made the woman smile. She got out of her bed, placed the furs right back where they should have been before she went to sleep, and said, “Good morning to you, too.” She dressed in a simple dress of light blue color, and twirled around. The dress twirled with her, and bunched around her upper thigh. It was perfect. Then she dragged a hairbrush through her hair, hearing it crackle with static. She smoothed her hair down with her hands.

And then Evelie was ready. She’d avoid work as much as possible. She walked into Htattath’s Weyr, and fake-frowned, “Tath, Dog isn’t even awake yet.” She said, waving her hand to where Dog slept on her small ledge. The little firelizard blinked open sleepy eyes and chirped at hers. Evelie smiled back, “Come, Tath, we shall go down to the lake this morning.”

It was still dark, and the image of the sunrise that Htattath had sent her was one from yesterday. The sun was still a bleak mixing of colors on the horizon. Without putting on the rider saddle, Evelie vaulted onto Htattath’s back. “Let us ride down to the Weyrbowl, wonderful green.” Evelie said, patting Htattath’s back affectionately. Htattath flew down to the bowl.

The sunrise found Evelie sitting, a solitary figure, silhouetted and watching her dragon and firelizard playing in the shallows of the lake.
[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

T'rel's favourite passtime, and the only one that could ever properly clear his mind, was skipping stones, so, in the early hours of the morning, while Vijaith stretched languidly and indulged in the first rays of sunlight, T'rel called the big bronze for a quick ride down to the bowl, then pocketed half a dozen smooth, flat stones and started walking down toward the beach.

With the Weyr in its state of disarray and uncertainty in all corners looming before Northern, T'rel had a lot on his mind. He took obligation very seriously, and had always believed that the day Vijaith had Impressed to him, he had gained an obligation to see to it that his Weyr (and regardless of who ran it, it was and always would be his Weyr) was always in the best possible condition, regardless of what challenges it might face.

It was mindful of this perceived duty, Vijaith soaring languidly far overhead, that the bronze rider came upon Evelie and her pretty green companions. For a moment, he considered stopping and turning back, but, nosy as ever, Vijaith had circled down to see what had caught T'rel's interest, and had suddenly become very interested himself.

:Pretty one, you're getting all wet!:[/color] Vijaith called cheerfully, circling down to land beside the lake himself. Landing, he drew himself up to his own considerable height. :You're a lovely color, today,:[/color] he added sweetly.

Resigning himself to the inevitable, T'rel followed the bronze over to the water's edge with a muffled sigh.

[maiwolf]

Evelie sat on the sand, her dress flowing out around her. This was a peaceful time, early in the morning. Few dragons were awake in the morning, preferring to wake up to the sun. Htattath liked to do that sometimes. But most times she liked wading in the waters in the early morning just as Evelie liked watching the brilliant sun rise. It was these times, early in the morning, when Evelie let her mind wander.

It had been turns, now, since the North and South had split. Many, many Turns. She had Impressed Htattath rather suddenly, and was, quite literally, booted out of the Southern Continent. Htattath had been confused and scared and hungry. And Evelie had wanted to kill everyone at that dratted Weyr. But not Htattath. It hadn’t been Htattath’s fault that she had Impressed to Evelie.

Eevee, a bronze comes! He calls me pretty!

[/b] Htattath’s voice said in her mind. In her excitement, Htattath forgot to use rhyme. Evelie sighed. Where there was a dragon, there was a rider. ‘Little dragon,’ she thought. Ever since Htattath had been a little dragon, she’d always used that affectionate phrase. ‘Everyone calls you pretty.’

Htattath wasn’t listening. She was flirting. Even Dog was whirling around the Bronze’s head, chattering away in firelizard language. Evelie hoped the Bronze wasn’t hungry, or he might think the small green a snack. Evelie could hear what her green was saying. You, the larger, the male, you flirt with me, the smaller, the green? You ask why I bathe, do you not like water? If water doesn’t suit you, then Htattath does not suit you.[/b] Htattath’s eyes swirled slyly. She was rhyming again. Come, Bronze, dive in with me!

Evelie looked away from her green and her antics to see T’rel saunter over. She smiled up at him, “I’m sorry if my Htattath confuses your Bronze, Bronzerider.”
[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

T'rel smiled mischeivously at the greenrider. "Nothing confuses Vijaith, when it comes from the mind of a female," he replied dry, then looked up at his dragon. "If we could all be so lucky, I suspect that the world would be a far more cheerful place. And it's T'rel, not bronzerider." He actually genuinely did envy his dragon that particular, bewildering knack, and in his moment of quiet bewilderment and amusement, managed not to realize that he had exchanged more than three words with the pretty green rider without putting his foot in his mouth.

For his part, Vijaith was cheerfully indulging that particular knack. :Vijaith didn't say he didn't like the water, pretty one. I just asked why you were in it.:[/color] Flicking his tail, the bronze joined the green in the water, circling around her until he had himself folded halfway around her. :You look like the stars fell on your hide, pretty Htattath.:[/color]

[maiwolf]

Evelie smiled wryly, “Nice to meet you, T’rel. I’m Evelie, if you didn’t already know. And, ah what the world would be like if we all just got along.” She patted the ground beside her. “Well, I haven’t had company in a while, and I don’t think your Bronze will be leaving any time soon.” She gestured toward Vijaith as he circled around Htattath, and laughed. “He might be a better flirter than my little dragon.”

But Htattath wasn’t to be outdone. She spun her head around to gaze into the Bronze’s much larger head. She was one of the smallest—if not the smallest—greens, and she was used to the larger colors showing her that they were, in fact, larger. The blaze on Htattath’s nose stood out in the dawn light; it seemed as if it were flashing. Her serpentine tail flicked this way and that, her eyes whirled a faint purple. Evelie got the sudden image of Vijaith flying behind Htattath. It was obviously an image of her impending flight. Evelie blinked, but said nothing.

Htattath looked at Vijaith, looked him all over. The water is always cool in the morning. I’m a fish, I wriggle free of the grasp that holds me, and I find myself going under! She cried, delighted, and wriggled—like the fish she was—out of Vijaith’s grip and into deeper water. Will the fisher come fish me out? She asked him before submerging.

[saidaltam]

The little green had issued a challenge, and Vijaith was terrible about challenges. Into the water he went, swimming after her. :Into the sea or sky, pretty fish. How fast and far will you swim? That is how far I will chase you.:[/color] As good as his word, the bronze did just that, too, making a proper game of it. Flight or not, he had always loved chasing his fellows, even the other males. It was his idea of a wonderful game. That this particular dragon happened to be lovely, female, and friendly just made it ever so much better.

T'rel watched his dragon dive after the green and sighed, folding himself down onto the ground beside Evelie. "That bronze will be the death of me one of these days," he mused. "If it flies, swims, or runs, he'll chase it, and never mind the consequences. One of these days, a jealous rider's going to skewer me and dangle my body off a ledge because Vijaith doesn't know when to leave well enough alone."

[maiwolf]

Htattath wanted to see how long he would chase her. Swimming was like flying in a way, only the currents of the water were much harder to control than the currents of the air. And dragon lungs were not made for swimming, though they were much better than puny human lungs. So Htattath swam all the way to the bottom of the large lake, feeling the pressure pressing down on her. She liked it, she liked to feel like she was small, but not in dragon standards. Vijaith, would you chase this green when she rises?

On the surface, Evelie squinted at the sun as it rose. It was pretty, but she could never look into it for long, it hurt her eyes too much. She turned, instead, to look at T’rel, and smiled. The sun-spots lingered in her vision, but she could see the other rider’s adoration of his dragon on his face. “Htattath is different, also. She does not like chasing as much as making rhymes. Spend some time with her, and you might get annoyed, or you might live with it. I’ve done the latter, but sometimes she might bring out the former, too.” She laughed quietly, “But always she is Htattath, she is herself.”

[saidaltam]

T'rel smiled wryly. "I'm terrible at rhymes. Unless they're very simple, I can never manage them," he admitted, picking up a smooth, flat stone and sending it skipping across the surface of the lake. "But that's alright. Vijaith's the flirt, not me. I don't really need it." He laughed, then. "Should be entertaining to see that herdbeast I call a dragon try to keep up with a rhymester, though!" he added, eyes glittering brightly with his amusement. Fishing around on the ground, he plucked up another two stones and offered one to Evelie.

:I would not be a very smart bronze, if I didn't, pretty green,:[/color] Vijaith replied, angling down toward the bottom. He wasn't a terribly proficient swimmer, but if he could do anything, it was dive. Dragons were built for diving, and he was not one to hesitate to show off that aerodynamic hide of his in a display of speed and stamina, especially to a pretty little green on the brink of rising. He was looking forward to that chase!

[maiwolf]

Evelie sort of shrugged, though the shrug wasn't very good, seeing as she was sitting on the ground. "I got used to her rhymes, and I'm lucky she doesn't rhyme all the time. She would have gotten really annoying if she would have rhymed all the time." But, with talking about her dragon came the sense of calm acceptance in her voice that she always used when talking about Htattath. Htattath was hers, and no one elses. When T'rel offered the stone to her, she accepted it, and smiled. She threw the stone, and watched as it skipped twice before sinking under. She never had been good at skipping stones.

Htattath blinked when she saw him following her. He had said he was a smart Bronze, but Htattath knew that she was smarter. Why would she not be smarter, she was Htattath! She launched herself up from the bottom, and spiraled slowly upward. Her head broke the surface and she sucked in a full breath of air. But she stayed on the top. Would you chase Htattath to the sun?

[/b][/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

"Try to keep it level when you toss it, not quite so up in the air. It'll skip farther," T'rel corrected automatically, going up on his knees. "Here. Like this." Demonstrating the motion deftly, he sat back down and plucked up a few extra stones. "Try again," he prompted, pressing the next stone into her hand and moving behind her to watch the way she moved her arm. It was almost an unconscious decision for him to demonstrate the proper technique and assume the roll of instructor, though he probably oughtn't to have done so. It wasn't his place to try to teach the greenrider anything without her asking.

:Would you fly so high, pretty green? Would you leave me behind to seek the sun? But then you would come back as golden as it is, and you would indeed be the loveliest dragon on all of Pern, and I wouldn't be worthy to chase your tail, lovely green,:[/color] Vijaith crooned, whipping around to spiral up to the surface after her. He was not as swift as she, but it didn't take him long to emerge beside her--he was not slow, after all.

[maiwolf]

Evelie listened to the explanation T’rel gave her, and, smiling, accepted the stone that T’rel gave her. It was smooth, flat, on both sides. She sat up on her knees and made a couple motions with her arms. When she was sure she’d gotten the swing down, she let the stone fly. Another fail—this one ker-plunked into the lake on the first skip. Evelie frowned and threw up her hands, “That stone wasn’t smooth enough,” She said, groping for something that was not true. She suddenly noticed T’rel behind her, and wondered if any of her haphazard swings had almost hit him. She wanted to think she almost had. That was how Evelie thought.

Htattath turned her head, if only that, to see the much larger Bronze head emerge from the water behind her. He had chased her well, but would he keep up when she flew? Would he keep his promise and fly when she flew? She twisted her head back around, and her serpentine tail slashed out, cutting the underwater currents. What need does one such as I have for gold? Why be gold, they cannot chew firestone or defend the borders. They sit and wait for clutches to hatch. Htattath clearly agreed with her rider with some things.

[saidaltam]

Vijaith emitted a purring rumble that could almost have been a hearty chortle. :Then you are the bravest dragon on Pern, as well as the loveliest, pretty green.:[/color] His amusement and cheer washed across the lake, tickling at T'rel's mind at the shore, but T'rel ignored it, letting the dragon flirt to his heart's content, if such a thing could ever be found.

Instead, he pressed another stone into Evelie's hand, then folded his over it and repeated the gesture slowly, guiding her hand. "Like that," he said again, though there was no trace whatsoever of irritation in his voice. He'd always been fond of teaching, and skipping stones was therapeutic to him, so he found the entire thing very relaxing. "Do you see?"

[maiwolf]

Htattath blinked, soaking in all of the praise. She started to swim away. She was heading for a large rock that was slightly submerged. She climbed onto the rock and spread her dainty wings to block the sunlight. A Gathering will be soon. Then you shall see how glorious Htattath is in flight and in battle!

[/b]

Evelie felt his hands encapsulate hers. She glanced at him briefly, and tried, unsuccessfully, to ignore his warmth. She felt his whole body behind her, and became fairly self-conscious. But, she realized, it was a good feeling. She forced herself to think of the task at hand-skipping stones. She followed his advice, and threw the stone. It skipped twice, again, but was better than the ker-plunked stone. Dog, who had been watching with interest whirling in her eyes, dove into the water to retrieve the stone. She brought it back to Evelie’s hand. Evelie petted her head, and the small green landed on the girl’s shoulder. Evelie was reveling in the teaching--

And T’rel’s closeness—but in the far recesses of her mind she knew it was because of Htattath’s imminent flight.
[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

T'rel, observant creature that he is, was oblivious to Evelie's self-consciousness. Instead, he merely nodded as her stone bounced over the surface of the water. "Better. Again." And once more, he guided her hand through the gesture before allowing her to try it herself. The smell of the lake and the cheerful wash of self-satisfaction pouring off of Vijaith, coupled with one of his favourite activities, made T'rel a very contented man, and he found his mood very much improved by his little venture outside.

:There could be no finer thing to witness, prettiest green. I will fly with you, then,:[/color] the bronze crooned cheerfully. Swimming after her, the bronze flicked his tail and circled the rock slowly, rolling his head back to look up at her. :I would be a very foolish dragon, if I did not.:[/color]

[maiwolf]

Again Evelie could feel his closeness as he leaned in to show her, once again, how to skip stones. She felt his hand once again wrap itself around hers, and once again she went through the movements of tossing a stone. She concentrated only on the stone and the movements of her body lest her mind roam to more sexual thoughts. Many questions were going through her mind, but one in particular flashed quicker than the rest: ‘What am I feeling toward this man?’

It was true—Evelie never felt anything before when her dragon was beginning to rise. In fact, during flights, Evelie was able to stave off lust for quite a while. She disliked flights—in almost every one of them, Htattath chose a dragon with a violent partner. But Evelie thought about nothing like that now. She was thinking about the stone. The blond emptied her mind, focusing solely—stubbornly—on the stone.

Evelie let the stone fly. It sailed over the shore and at least three feet of water. It bounced once, wobbled in the air, completed its arc, and fell back toward the water. Another course, and, in the course of seconds, the stone hit the water again. It kept going. Another bounce. The stone sank after the fourth bounce. Elated, Evelie jumped up, narrowly missing jarring T’rel in the jaw. “Look! Four skips!” She said, stating the obvious.

Htattath was positively glowing with pride. But she, being a kindly dragon, wasn’t one to fully bask in the glory. Instead, the small green hopped onto a smaller rock and turned to Vijaith, to the Bronze. Then let this green see the shine on your hide! Get out and stand in your majesty!

[/b] She prompted, flicking her serpentine tail at him, willing him to climb onto the rock. Almost as an aside, Htattath turned her head back to Hers, and huffed, She is not catching yours’ attention very well. She added after that a small draconic chuckle.
[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

:Mine fails to see what is before him,:[/color] Vijaith replied, and he positively glided up onto the stone, flaring his wings and sending a shower of tiny droplets of water across the stones behind him. The sunlight glittering off of his dark, green-kissed hide, the bronze. :I am not so blind as he,:[/color] the bronze added.

T'rel smiled brightly at her, leaning back to dodge her hand a split second after it would have actually hit him. "I knew you could do it!" he replied brightly, catching her hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. "See? Easier than it looks!"

[maiwolf]

Evelie’s hand caught, all she could do was look at him—and her hand—as energy sparked from it. She looked away, out toward the lake, to hide her sudden desire. When she looked back, she was smiling. “Only a little easier.” She conceded, but she knew it was only easier because she had had his help. If she hadn’t gotten his help, she wouldn’t have gotten anything right.

Htattath harrumphed quietly, No, you are not, lovely Bronze. Mine fails to notice the urges she is getting. What use is she?

[/b] But the question was meant to be mocking, because, without Evelie, poor Htattath would be no more. She turned back to Vijaith in all of his glory, Any bigger, and you would rival a gold![/b]
[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

T'rel tilted his head curiously at her, sinking down to sit properly. "Is everything alright, Evelie? Something bothering you?" As oblivious to what was before his eyes as ever, even T'rel had caught the way Evelie looked away, and he had never liked seeing the riders in his Weyr (for regardless of who actually ran it, so long as he lived there, he would think of it as HIS Weyr, on some level) distressed.

:They are both of them silly, pretty green, but that is alright. They have us to take care of them,:[/color] Vijaith replied, folding his wings in to allow the sunlight to spill back down upon them both properly. :And golds are not so wise as I, sometimes, pretty green--they do not always notice the lovely greens right in front of them.:[/color] If dragons could have smiled, Vijaith would have been wearing the original cheshire-cat grin. It was perhaps just as well that he couldn't.

[maiwolf]

Evelie smiled, and shook her head, "No, nothing's bothering me that you can help with. Unless you could make Htattath prolong her flight. I think some of the pre-flight lust is getting to me. If there's anything like that." Evelie shrugged, and regained the stubborn tint in her eyes. "That won't stop me, though. It's only morning, so I'll have to live with it."

She turned back to the water, and noticed the two dragons for what might have been the first time. She sighed, "Your Vijaith is as much a flirter as Htattath, I presume?"

Htattath looked carefully at the Bronze, and then nodded, The Bronze is right: the queens don't need to acknowledge the smaller colors if they don't want to.

[/b] Her voice took on a less positive tone, We are expendable She sulked for only a moment before the dazzling water caught her attention. In the green serpentine dragon went, happily spiraling through the water just underneath the surface, making it raise underneath her.[/blockquote]

[saidaltam]

Comprehension hit T'rel like a brick, and he blushed a color to match it for a moment. One would think it was his first run-in with flight lust, the way he reddened, but it had always disconcerted him. Therefore, when she changed the subject, he was very grateful, and slowly, the blush faded from his cheeks.

"Aye. Gotten me in more trouble than I care to think about, the silly, overgrown wherry. His favourite dragons to flirt with all seem to have weyrmates. I swear, he does it on purpose. One of these days, someone is going to cold-cock me over it and knock my teeth out." He smiled wryly, eyeing the dragon like he had already made it happen, which he never had--quite.

:I do not think you are expendable, pretty green,:[/color] the bronze replied, diving into the water after her. He circled languidly several feet below her, rolled onto his back and watching Htattath swim. :And you swim with me. Not many dragons swim with me.:[/color] He neglected to mention that this was, in no small part, because he rarely swam, but just then, he'd quite forgotten that fact. Why wouldn't he swim, when it clearly made the prettiest green in the Weyr happy?