Up to My Eyeballs in Blood[open]

[kusuri]

The boy's face was beaded with sweat,he brow furrowed.His thin lips were bared in a snarl as his bloody hands sawed back and forth.Blood stained his skin up to the elbows as his dragon's share of the carcass.
M'kal had once chopped the meat into neat little cubes,but after getting nipped by his impatient partner, he realized the benefit of just cutting the stuff into the right sized chunks.It didn't matter to Orelth whether the food was neatly chopped,it mattered how fast it could slide down his throat without him choking.
Of all of his chores,he hated this one the most.The smell of raw meat was maddening and the dried blood was soo hard to scrub from under his nails.But the one joy this carving and butchering brought was human interaction.Not that he didn't enjoy his dragon's companionship and presence,but he missed talking to other people.His little blue was asleep more than he was awake,and left his partner in intolerable loneliness when he was away from the dozing lump of a dragon.

[horsegal]

"Say! You're a weyrling!" Kaelu's loud voice rang from the other side of the room. She entered in with long strides of her legs and a smile. Her eyes sparkled with interest and went from M'kal to Orelth. "What're you doing with that?" She asked and after noticing the knife quickly added. "Cutting it up? What for?" And then she looked again at the young blue dragon that was much like the one that had searched her and added an additional question, "For feeding?"

She clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head to one side. Her bobbed hair hung light about her face. Kaelu stood there with curiosity in her face. Her height let her look down a bit at the carcass and maintain a sort of focus of attention on herself. This was something she used to do on purpose to stand out amongst her siblings. "So, what is it like? You know, being a weyrling and all?"

[kusuri]

M'kal was startled out of his cutting by a loud voice.His blue eyes blinked as a girl strode over and looked on at his butchering.He blinked, a little off balance by the tall girl's almost overwhelming presence and almost intimidating stance.He opened his mouth like a gaping fish many times,but snapped it shut as the girl rapidly changed questions.The weyrling shook his shaggy head impatiently and moved to silence her when she finally stopped her questions.He eyed her warily,waiting for the girl with the bobbed hair to continue her interrogation,but was relieved to find she had ceased.
"Yes,I'm a weyrling.My name is M'kal of blue Orelth. I'm cutting up this bloody lump for the glutton over there."
He eyed the sleeping dragon with a mixture envy,disbelief, and affection before continuing.
"Being a weyrling is a lot of work.Very tiring. I never figured that caring for a dragonling was more challenging than taking care of a child...And there is a isolation of sorts set upon you. But at the same time,you are never alone,because of the bond with your dragon... "
The boy's cheeks flushed and he savagely resumed cutting the meat.Since when had he started babbling on like a little girl?

[horsegal]

"Well, pleasure to meet you M'kal and good day to your dragon Orelth." Kaelu said, her voice still a bit on the loud end of her vocal range. She should have known without asking that what he was doing was feeding. If only she had looked before speaking and thought more on it. Ah well, so goes the drama. "Must be quite the mess-making experience if what I see goes for everyone else, eh?"

"Oooh, really?" Kaelu leaned up against the table, her arms folded on the edge with total disregard to the blood and guts. She listened to M'kal with great interest and smiled warmly at him. "Well, I suppose it makes a lot of sense, then. Babies wake you up a lot and need a lot of attention, only more so because dragons are really big babies. So twice as much work and twice as much sleep lost." She could hear the drawling tone of M'kal's voice and decided that she liked it and wanted to hear more of it.

"In the end, it's all worth it, right? Even with the fighting and all. I hear it's because dragons complete a person, they make them all they are because those who are meant to be dragonriders are never truly whole." Kaelu said, her girlish voice suddenly sounding more like a harper's considering the words she uttered. "You're never lonely, you're weakness become strengths, and someone always understands you." She smiled. "It sounds lovely to me, don't you think?"

[kat]

Amaylia scowled in annoyance as she heard an unfamiliar voice cut through her thoughts. Just like every other Weyrling there, the greenrider Weyrling's hands were covered in blood and she held a knife, though working a little less messily and a little more expertly with the tool than many around her. Beads of perspiration lined her forehead, and she was in a shirt that she intended to throw into the wash as soon as she was done. It was a black shirt with thin straps to keep it up, rather than sleeves. She wore black trousers with it, an older pair that she cared not an inch if they were dirtied by the blood and gore. Every day she washed these clothes for this specific purpose. Black didn't show the blood and gore like a lighter color would. Any person who wasn't wherry brained knew that. Still, there were a couple who wore light colors--one even wore white!--and it wasn't pleasant looking in their direction.

The voice, for some reason, annoyed her. It was an intrusion because it did not belong to a Weyrling, but some nosy girl who should not, in Amaylia's opinion, have even been there, harassing them, who should be. She narrowed her eyes and shot a cold glare at the nosy little prat, saying coolly, "if you're going to pester and stare, why not make yourself useful and help him out? That way your annoying and endless prattle will at least have somewhat of a purpose," she finished, tossing another chunk of meat into the buckets by her carcass. She couldn't stand nosy people. Especially not girlish ones who came to simply 'ooh' and 'ah' at them. There had been enough of those, that was for certain. People who thought that being a Weyrling and having a dragon must be 'so worth it' and wanted one themselves. Well, it was worth it. However, she pitied the dragonet who got stuck with this annoyance. She'd probably never seen a fight in her life, or even knew how to handle a weapon. She sliced into her carcass once more, ignoring the rather nasty sound of ripping meat.

Unlike some of the people here, Amaylia wasn't at least bothered by the blood, guts or gore. It was just another chore that needed doing, and for a good cause. Kynoath ate more than she'd ever imagined possible for a green. Still, the green was growing rapidly. She would be large, even for a green, and was Amaylia's pride and joy. She'd be a fighter, one even the bronzes, she was sure, would come to recognize for her prowess! Amaylia would make sure of that.

~~~~~~

T'yir found the task of cutting up a dead carcass for Biroth absolutely boring and dull. The meat smelled, it was messy, and Biroth usually was asleep for the whole process. Biroth could out-eat any of the dragons who'd hatched in his clutch, T'yir was sure. Still, T'yir had learned not to overfeed the bulky brown dragonet--after he'd mistakenly done so and had to contend with a dragonet whose stomach was very, very upset. He'd gotten no sleep that night and when Biroth had messed, it had been plenty unpleasant--even more so than usual!

There were things about being a Weyrling that many never thought about in their excitement of just impressing a dragon. For example, adult dragons defecated 'between'. Young dragons who couldn't do that defecated wherever they wanted to. More than a few times young dragons defecated on their couches or in their rooms, and cleaning dragon feces was simply the worst chore in the world. Mucking out the dragon couches for the first few weeks had been horrid. You had to scrub and disinfect and clean, and the stench was unbearable. Luckily, the dragonets were soon trained to go outdoors in specific areas. Their feces were used as manure, he'd been informed, carted away so that it didn't sully the Weyrbowl. Then there was hacking up carcasses, and the work it took to bathe and oil a rapidly growing dragon. He didn't even want to think of how long it would take to oil and bathe Biroth when the brown was full grown! Still, it was worth it, when all was said and done. Just because something was hard, didn't mean it wasn't worthwhile in the end. Besides, when Biroth was old enough to defecate between,and old enough to hunt, all there would be was bathing and oiling. It would be a lot easier than it was now.

He was startled by a female voice cutting into his thoughts as he worked away at filling up Biroth's meat buckets. He turned to see a female he didn't recognize entering the large room set aside for this purpose. Who was she, though? She didn't say, and began querying M'kal, a bluerider Weyrling, who seemed not too bothered by the questions. He smirked wryly when the none-too-tactful Amaylia cut into their conversation. It was true, she wasn't supposed to be here. Still, T'yir didn't see why Amaylia cared so much. It was true, the girl had a sort of annoying, know it all tone, and that she was being a bit impertinent and nosy. However, she wouldn't be the first and not the last. Probably she was all revved up about getting to talk to the Weyr's newest Weyrlings. Still, he was secretly grateful she'd chosen to query M'kal and not him. He didn't have the patience for that sort of thing, after all. He listened quietly, however, smirking silently as he continued working away.

[kusuri]

His icy blue eyes glanced up at the girl as she talked.She appeared to be ditzy and hyper,but as she advanced in the conversation,he realized that she was a bright girl.And her last statement was very deep.Why was she here? Why wasn't she training to be a Harper? And what was her name? She hadn't introduced herself yet,had she?
"Yes.Its exactly as you say.What is your name?"
M'kal wasn't very good at carrying on a conversation.But he was warming up to the girl.And why not? The other weyrlings weren't very talkative during the butchering of their carcasses(though who could blame them).He glanced at the others, a brown and green rider,hoping for one to join the conversation.The green rider did,but not in the way he expected.He blinked at the weyrling's annoyed tone, and decided to just let the events play out.It was not wise to get in the middle of a girl's argument after all....Though he did agree with the green rider-Amaylia was her name? He would like help,but somehow,that would be invading something sacred,something only he could do and he replied hastily,ditching his neutrality.
"Um,that's all right Amaylia. I'd rather do it myself."
He didn't feel the need to explain himself to her,after all, she had a dragon,she could understand his feelings.His blood speckled hands resumed work,cutting slightly faster.The blue was stirring and would be ravenous when he awoke.

[horsegal]

Kaelu looked up to the owner of the annoyed voice as her eyebrows twitched. This was not her conversation, she did not need to interject, even if her opinion was correct or not. Still, she could potentially get into trouble, so she bit her tongue and bit it hard. Kaelu smiled at M'kal, fo coming to her defense, but she could fight her own battles. Standing up she told M'kal and in a voice loud enough for the others said, "My name's Kaelu, and I aim to learn a good deal from you M'kal, and the rest of you if you do not mind. And if I can help, I think it'd be a good trade."

She then said in a quieter voice to M'kal, "If I knew that I could help, I would have asked sooner, blood and guts hardly bothers me." Kaelu was right about that, what with her sleeves soaking up some blood and hanging with bits of carved cartilage.

[kusuri]

M'kal smiled at Kealu's tactful answer.He was a bit hesitant about sharing what he knew about dragons though.It was the Weyrling master's traditional duty after all.But a little extra info wouldn't hurt the girl,would it? His mind was made up when he felt the stirring dragonet awaken fully,hunger pervading all other emotions M'kal had previously felt.And of course,the alarming urge to just bite down into the bloody carcass.The dark boy picked up a knife and hurridly shoved it at the girl.

"I'd be happy to help you.Equivalent exchange is only fair,so get cutting! Orelth is starving."

Said dragon was waddling from his little hollow.Already,his barrel sized chest was defined with muscle and he looked like a little bronze if it weren't for his pastel blue hide.The blue's eyes whirled merrily as he stuffed his head into the half finished pile.When the little blue surfaced for air,his bright muzzle was darkened by blood.his green tongue darted out to lick the mess away as he observed the new girl.He tilted his head as he chewed absently.

[horsegal]

Kaelu grinned at M'kal, her face brightening up. She settled herself at the table and took up a knife. Deftly she began to carve, using the bone as a guide. She cut away from herself and moved at a gradual pace. It took some time for her get through it, but as hard as it was, she didn't give up or try her luck in a different spot.

"I can do it, don't worry about me." She said to M'kal at that moment. Though she might look as if she were struggling, she was indeed getting through it.

When she did make it through, the large chunk sat there a moment. Kaelu bit her lip and after a little moment of rest, she continued. Her hands guided the meat beneath the knife and sliced it up. It took half as long to accomplish. From there and needed only to cube it all the rest of the way and she smiled at M'kal. Glad to help.

[kusuri]

M'kal smiled at Kealu and finally finished slicing as his little wolfed down the carefully cut chunks.The boy stared woefully at the rapidly diminishing pile and sighed.
"Well,there goes our hard work: down his gullet."

Orelth lifted his head and snorted, broadcasting his thoughts for those in the room to hear.

Oh please mine.The work isn't much when there are two sets of hands to complete it.Thank you by the way....Kealu? You have done a noble deed.

The dragonet's voice was hilariously serious and M'kal just rolled his eyes.What was he gonna do with the little brat?