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Post by stolenhart on Mar 22, 2009 17:29:03 GMT -6
Evonath was getting big. BIG! S'fet hadn't thought a dragonet could grow so fast but it seemed like only yesterday that Evonath had Hatched. The warm colored brown was now as large as a fullg rown green and slowly closing in on a small blue's size.
Right there, oh yes yes, the brown sighed happily as S'fet found the spot that had been bothering him all day. Tub squeaked as Evonath shook himself, the brown flitt taking off in flight with his sandy scrubbag hanging. "Quit flinging sand everywhere beast", S'fet laughed, ducking into the water to avoid the sandy shower. Sorry mine somehow Evonath did not look apologetic enough though.
Someone is coming mine, the brown flared his wings to make himself look bigger to the approaching person. S'fet and his dragon were at the beach because the brown liked the salty seawater better than he liked the freshwater lake.
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Post by kat on Mar 22, 2009 18:44:35 GMT -6
Mayari, or Maya, as she was more often called, loved the beach more than any other place on Pern. She loved swimming, loved the sand and sea, and though she was no Fishercraft girl, she loved sea life, as well. Lakes were nice, but nothing could compare to a beach. There were no waves in a lake, for one thing. She was a very, very strong swimmer and knew how to be safe while swimming. While alone she never went in very deep, and she didn't go in if the waves were very bad, either. Still, today was a nice day, even if she couldn't swim. Fall was upon them and only dragons swam in the colder waters now. Still, it didn't change that she loved being at the beach, dragon or no dragon. It was great to just get away from it all, and be alone with her thoughts--and her firelizard, Jade.
The green firelizard was her constant companion, and probably the only being on Pern that knew her secret. She avoided riders and avoided dragons, and when she was around them she tended to clam right up. Safer for her that way, even if she'd been searched and even if she wanted a dragon of her own, in hopes that she might escape the expectations of battle and warring between North and South. Still, she'd been left standing and yet another girl had been sent away to likely be taken by the North. She sighed, rubbing her arms as she did so. Not that today was chilly, but the thought of being banished simply made her feel a different sort of chill. She never would have stood for that, if she had her way...which she didn't.
By the time she rounded the rocky outcropping down by the beach, it was too late to pay attention to the fact that she'd heard the mind speech of a dragon. Shardit all, why hadn't she been thinking of the fact that there weren't supposed to be dragons when she was here? She might have even then turned and went, but how could she, now that she'd heard from the dragon that she'd been spotted or sensed? She bit her lower lip, and decided that she'd just maybe chat a moment then excuse herself.
She instantly recognized someone who'd impressed at the hatching she'd been standing at. S'fet was his name, and the brown was Evonath. When one was like her, you knew all the names of every rider and dragon in the Weyr. Especially the Weyrlings, whose dragons liked to ramble on a lot. Not that she minded, though she tried not to hear sometimes. It felt almost like she was intruding upon something she ought not, and they didn't know she could hear so they didn't bother to even attempt for her not to. Could they have, though, if they did know? She wasn't even sure. She was sure of nothing about her so-called talent. More like a curse, she thought, wishing for the world that she weren't different. She'd have been quite content to be unable to hear a thing...so long as she still had a shot at a dragon, that was.
She put on her bravest face and smiled at the Weyrling, brushing a strand of dark brown hair out of her face as she greeted him. "Hello there...I didn't realize anyone was here. Sorry if I'm interrupting you two. I can find another spot further on down if you'd like." She nodded politely to the brown, who by now was the size of a small green. They grew fast!
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Post by stolenhart on Mar 25, 2009 11:19:58 GMT -6
Don't stop just because of a girl, scrub!, Evonath lipped at his rider, urging him to continue scrubbing away his shedding hide. "Yes my lord, can I do anything else for you my lord?", S'fet retorted,he bent down to grab another handful of sand and suddenly found himself pushed underwater. And don't you forget it, the brown snorted as S'fet came up spluttering and wet. He turned just as someone was speaking to him.
"Oh? No you can stay you aren't interrupting us", he gave her a warm smile, "As a matter of fact you should have interrupted us sooner before he dunked me", he pointed a thumb at his brown who was batting innocent eyes at Maya. "You look familiar but I don't know if we've met. I'm S'fet he's Evonath", he introduced himself. His flitt chirped in indignation at being forgotten, "That's Tub".
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Post by kat on Apr 13, 2009 13:59:53 GMT -6
Maya always remembered dragon names, even if she lost track of all the people ones. Still, it helped if the person was a rider or weyrling. Usually she could remember their names better than someone who wasn't one. She stifled a laugh as he brought up the obvious dunking, and then replied warmly, "I'm Mayari, but Maya is usually what I prefer, and this here is Jade." The green firelizard chirruped questioningly at Tub, then fluttered over to Evonath and seemed to be inspecting him curiously a moment before darting back over to her bonded. The firelizard took up her position on Maya's shoulders, tail curling about her neck. Given the coloration of the green, 'Jade' was a fitting name.
Usually Maya would have tried to avoid anything to do with dragons, but today she felt more at ease than usual for her, and so she offered, "does either you or he mind another pair of helping hands?" she offered. It wasn't really a risky offer--there was only one rider and dragon here, and she was fairly sure that she could keep tabs on herself safely enough without either suspecting a thing. Insofar as she knew, if you didn't address a dragon, there was no way for it to know you could hear it. Usually it was only in larger numbers of the creatures that she grew nervous. It was harder, then, to tell who was saying what, and an accidental slip up was far more likely then than here.
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Post by stolenhart on Apr 15, 2009 11:59:27 GMT -6
Evonath snorted reaching down to draw in a mouthful of water before spraying it all over his rider. She can help us, she's prettier company than you anyway, the dragon told his rider, fluttering his wet wings in the surf. "The great Lord Evonath has decreed that you be allowed to help, wher-head that he is", S'fet ackonowledged her, pushing against the brown when Evonath sprayed water over him again. "he is feeling frisky today so you will get wet", he warned her as he reached for another handful of sand.
All I here is complaints drudge. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, the dragon retorted with a snort. "Well at least Maya is on my side", S'fet replied nonchalantly, slapping the dragon's shoulder with the handful of sand before scrubbing. That's what you think drudge. I happen to feel that she is on my side, then to Maya he added, Tell him who's side you are on/ The brown was not aware of Maya's special ability but like all dragonkind, he could bespeak whom he chose.
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Post by kat on Apr 15, 2009 12:30:50 GMT -6
Maya had to try hard to not laugh at the interchanges between S'fet and his Evonath. If she laughed, then they would want to know what at. Still, the pair were so comical, that she began to feel more at ease--exactly her first mistake. She'd never been sure when a dragon bespoke her and when not. Unlike others, she could hear it all. So, she figured that she was meant to hear all of what Evonath had said in that last bit. Here was her undoing.
"Sorry, sir drudge, but he's right--I'm going to have to take his side. He's a lot bigger than you, after all, but I don't think you've complained that much," she smiled at Evonath and shrugged, adding, "to be fair, you are quite big." She wouldn't notice any looks on their faces, because in that instant she turned to take up an extra scrub brush, and then admonished, "I don't mind a little water, so no worries--" and here she turned back to them, and asked, "so, where do I start?"
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Post by stolenhart on Apr 15, 2009 13:11:33 GMT -6
Everything she said was forgotten in the wake of Maya calling him 'sir drudge'. Did she call me what I think she called me?, he asked the dragon who was looking at Maya as if she had just tried to feed him a plant. It would have been very rude for her to just call him a drudge without her knowing the joke behind it. He was hardly a drudge, not with a dragon attached to his mind. I think she did. Can she hear me do you think? Even when I am not speaking to her?, the dragon asked his rider who turned back to Maya.
Maybe. Ask her, S'fet told his dragon, folding his arms over his chest and staring at her. Can you hear me? But not just me but other dragons?, the dragon didn't ask Maya but rather S'fet. If she could really overhear him, then should be able to hear whatever he was saying to S'fet since if he was talking to her it would be obvious she could hear him anyway. "Answer him", S'fet told Maya.
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Post by kat on Apr 15, 2009 13:26:38 GMT -6
Maya realized her mistake far too late. Her first thought was that she needed to bolt, get out of there, run for the hills, as it were. Her mind began to assail her with thoughts and questions, fears that were being realized due to one, stupid mistake. They knew. By the first egg, she'd screwed up, and now someone knew. Not just anyone, either--S'fet, a rider. Her eyes widened in her panic, her palms began to sweat and she wondered if a person could ever hope to outrun a dragon. She was trapped, and she knew it. S'fet was eying her like she'd feared they'd eye her...he knew. So did his dragon.
She had to answer, what choice did she have? She'd answer, and in that confirmation she was signing her entire life away. She'd be used as a pawn in the Southern and Northern war. She hadn't impressed last hatching around and what happened if she didn't impress at this one? She had spent years hiding her secret from everyone, no matter who they were, but especially riders. Now it was done and there was no getting out of it. Her expression instantly changed from afraid and cornered, to a look that was steely eyed and distant. She forced her voice to be calm and collected, as she looked directly at Evonath and replied, "yes, I can hear you. Even when you're not speaking to me," she added for emphasis. She paused, and then, a tad less confidently, more quietly, "and other dragons..."
It was said, it was done, and things would never be the same for her again. She could run but where would she go? She'd been counting on impressing something, anything--even if it were green or blue--so that she could fly away to wherever she wanted. Some remote area, even. It wouldn't have mattered, she just wanted to get away from the wars, get away from those who would use her like some tool of war...a weapon. Question was, how could she get away from S'fet and his brown? Her mind raced as she strove to think up something, anything, that she could do now.
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Post by stolenhart on Apr 19, 2009 14:34:09 GMT -6
"Really?", S'fet asked, tilting his head in curiosity as he thought it over. "And you haven't told anyone?", he rubbed his chin, "You must have reasons for it". S'fet wasn't an idiot and if she really could hear all the dragons in the Weyr he knew what would happen to her. She'd be Impressed to a gold so quickly and then used as a pawn in the war. It was hard for any dragon to resist a queen, it would be impossible for them to resist a queen ridden by such as Maya. Even if she wasn't of their own Weyr. At the very least it would mean a Northern gold would have to go to war and she would undoubtedly be a target.
"You sound as if you want to keep it a secret", he added fianlly, after thinking it over. "Not a problem. I hate this ridiculous war we find ourselves pushed into and I'll not throw you into the war simply because you have the fortune to have such a gift", Evonath nodded in agreement. "Would you have me tell Siten? She should be apprised of your talent, she'll know what to do with it in the future". He did not mention that soon he and Evonath would be travelling between to age themselves two turns. That was not for general knowledge.
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