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Post by Stephanie and Lialsuth on Sept 21, 2010 21:09:08 GMT -5
A rugged man had approached, scoffing them. The girl whom was already there got into an arguement with him, then another girl approached and talked to him about.. Fruit? So she'd cut herself. Grow up. She thought as she started to work on Mnoranth. Her green optics looked around herself slowly, moving to each corner with caution. The man intimaded her, but she was determined not to let it show. Memories of previous relationships raced through her mind....
"Get off.." She said, scared by the mans actions... He was touching her hair and face repeatedly. Soon his hands moved. Screams followed.. No one heard... The cry of the five year old girl went unheard.
Blinking hard, she fought back tears at the memory. Tall, broad shouldered, dark hair, dark eyes.. everything about him seemingly just like this man.. only it wasn't the same person. It couldn't be. It was years ago and the guy, she had heard, had died in the meteor shower. Like she cared, though. After what he had done to her, she really didn't care what happened to him. As long as she never saw him again, it was fine by her.
But this was just like seeing him again. Her fair skin turned a ghastly pale color and she walked away, sitting by herself. She pulled out a blade, grabbing onto a low branch and grabbing a fruit, cutting it gently and then biting into it, its liquids flooding from her mouth due to her lips shaking. Wiping herself clean, she realized that she'd stained her clothing. She went to the small lake and got in, though she was careful not to discose any skin. She simply took out a rock and the soap bar and cleaned vigorously at the colorful stain. Thinking of the event, and how much some people happened to look like him, bothered her and made her scrub all the harder.
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Post by Ziza on Sept 24, 2010 18:07:05 GMT -5
The sound of his laughter calmed her considerably and she relaxed. "Nice to meet you Zorenh," she said smiling up at him. He had a nice, strong hand shake and that was a nice name, familiar too, but she didn't let herself ponder about that too much. Instead she watched him retrieve a stone, wash it and bring it to her. She didn't immediately put two and two together until he spoke. Her stomach lurched and she felt her cheeks flush. She knew she had forgotten something!
Ziza scooted to the side to allow him room on her blanket and then, raising a hand to slip her hair behind her ear, listened and watched him cut the fruit. She was embarassed beyond belief. She knew everything he told her and felt strange sitting there listening attentively. For three months she'd been training as a cook beneath one of Telgar Weyr's cooks and she had yet to learn the fundamentals of the art. Sure, she could cut fruits and vegetables, boil rice and make a basic stew, but spices and their combinations were beyond her comprehension. She couldn't tell you how long to cook beef, how often to stir a soup. Usually she'd fly by the seat of her pants, making dishes she knew she was proficient in. Confidence came with experience and she hadn't had much of that.
When Zorenh offered her the knife she took it from him and smiled weakly. "You think I'm an idiot don't you?" she said as she handled the pear and cut it into large, bite sized chunks. Her question didn't sound mean or accusatory, but sad and hopeless. She dreamed of being like her mother in her prime and here she sat getting cooking tips from a man she barely knew---and who probably knew more about cooking than she ever would. With the pear diced, she placed it into a bowl and sat it aside.
Setting the knife on the stone, she cut her eyes at Zorenh, frowned and then took up a slice of pear. Shaking her head at her own ridiculous question, she popped the fruit into her mouth and chewed. "You don't have to answer that," she mumbled, covered her open mouth with the back of her hand. Taking up an apple this time, she rolled it in her palms as she regarded Zorenh.
"So, what is it that you do? If you're a master cook I'd rather not know," she added, jokingly rolling her eyes. Then a thought struck her and her heart lulled. She looked back at him. "You aren't are you?"
Tag: Zorenh and then End Ziza
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Post by zen on Sept 26, 2010 12:36:25 GMT -5
"You think I'm an idiot don't you?"
His eyebrow went up. Self esteem issues, obviously. She took the knife and began slicing up the fruit. There was skill there, but she seemed very hesitant with the knife, which was probably why she had cut herself in the first place. Her eyes flashed at him and she picked up a piece of the pear.
"You don't have to answer that."
"I wasn't planning to, since it was a ridiculous statement in the first place," he said. His smile indicated he meant no offense.
"So, what is it that you do? If you're a master cook I'd rather not know. You aren't are you?"
He laughed at her discomfort. "Hardly." Tipping backwards from where he sat, he let himself plop down onto the ground, then folded his hands behind his head. From his position flat on the ground, he could see the leaves waving gently in the branches that reached out above them. They reminded him of the people of Pern. Tenuously attached to something so strong, yet ready to fall at the slightest tug.
"I'm supposed to be a Candidate," he shrugged, still watching the leaves tremble. "Like I really want to spend my entire life attached at the hip to some big, needy animal." The sarcasm was plainly evident. He looked over at R'enh's groupies and rolled his eyes. He tore his eyes away from the disgusting scene and looked back to Ziza, "what about you?" Grabbing a piece of pear from the stone, he examined it. "You're obviously not cutting all of this for yourself."
Tag Ziza
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Post by R'enh and Mnoranth on Oct 4, 2010 8:48:40 GMT -5
As he and the candidates oiled the big bronze things seemed rather busy in the area. Renhick even picked up a paddle and started helping where he could reach.
Mnoranth had always loved children and would even lay so they could climb all over him a fact his son had taken shameless advantage of over the years.
R'enh chuckled as a couple of weyrbrats climbed up the dragon's tail to help with oiling the dragon's back. Of course Zoom got a bit ticked when they got close to his neck. He'd taken posession of that territory personally.
**Seems you're a big hit** Of course mine he said in a very smug tone.
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Post by zen on Oct 4, 2010 10:23:59 GMT -5
Ziza seemed quite focused on her fruit cutting, so Zorenh let his eyes wander over the lake and back to the big bronze that was obviously enjoying the attention of those around him. The zeal that people flocked around the creature confused Zorenh and he wondered if any of R'enh's blood really did flow through his own veins.
"Zorenh!!!!!"
He looked up. One of the women from the weyr was striding toward him, her hands on her portly hips. "Great," he said to Ziza.
"Zoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenh!"
"I hear you," he shouted back at her, then stood. "Sorry," he shrugged at Ziza, "guess I forgot some chore I was supposed to do. But you're not off the hook so easy... I want to know everything about you the next time I see you." He gave her a saucy smile and began walking up the shallow embankment.
The woman was out of breath from her walk. "What are you doing out here," she exclaimed. She glanced over at R'enh. "You could at least be helping with the washing instead of flirting." Grabbing him by the sleeve, she pulled him along after her.
Suddenly, washing a dragon didn't seem like so bad a chore.
"You know... I could oil him..."
The woman stopped and looked at R'enh. "Fine. When you're done, you can come see me and finish the chores I have for you."
"Wait--"
But she was already walking briskly away.
Zorenh slumped his shoulders and walked up to the bronze, deliberately positioning himself on the opposite side as R'enh. He took the oil and began halfheartedly oiling the beast's hide.
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Post by R'enh and Mnoranth on Oct 9, 2010 9:32:58 GMT -5
"Zoreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenh!"
R’enh snorted, that sound was like a flashback to when his ma would call him from the lands around the Smithcraft Hall when he was a child. Only then it would have been “Roarleeeeeeeeenh” the screech of that voice never a good thing. He looked around the big bronze leg to see one of the women of the lower caverns marching across the bowl toward the lake.
He chuckled, “well someone’s in trouble” he was at least glad it wasn’t him this time. The rest of her harangue was lost over the distance but the young man she’d obviously been after rose from talking to a girl and went to receive his comeuppance.
You’ve been over that same spot about four times now… I don’t need that much oil in one place. Maybe if you stopped staring you might finish sooner.
“Very funny” he laughed as he turned back to his lifemate.
He glanced back and saw the woman staring at him and soon the boy was unhappily on the other side of Mnoranth.
Mnoranths great head snaked around to take a look at the newcomer. His big eye swirling green at all the attention, was a big as the young man’s head.
You’ll have to do better than that. He said with his deep voice into the young mans mind.
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Post by krailen on Oct 9, 2010 16:59:01 GMT -5
"Hyah," Krailen's booming voice seemed to echo as he herded the beasts back through the small tunnel into the Weyrbowl.
"Ronin, stop that one before he drives straight into the lake!" Krailen called to one of his apprentices. He steered his own runnerbeast around the herd working steadily to turn their progress so they would end up back in their pen rather than drowning in the midst of the lake.
One broke free from the group and made a beeline straight towards the water. Kicking the runnerbeast, Krailen bolted forward and with a deft hand, roped the beast around the neck and guided him back into the center of the herd.
"Stupid beasts. They'd as soon drown themselves as live out their lives content and fattened in a Weyr pen....well...what short lives they'd have in a Weyr of course. Krailen loved all animals, but he knew the food chain dictated that some were stronger than others. It was a way of life. The dragons, now they were magnificent. Prior to this disastrous exodus to Dragon Weyr, Krailen hadn't been fortunate enough to spend much time around the beasts, but, now, well, they held a certain fascination for the man who'd spent the whole of his life caring for and loving creatures of all kinds.
"Ronin, Hamal, get them into the pen and close the gate. We don't need to stir up trouble with the dragons around. Move it!" Krailen ordered the two young men. He'd be glad when he'd trained up enough new help to pass off some of these more menial tasks to the younger ones. He'd much rather spend his time working with the more intelligent creatures like, Kalal, his runnerbeast. He patted the creatures neck and slide from the saddle.
"Go get yourself a drink, Kalal," he told the creature with a gentle pat on his hide. Krailen himself turned and headed towards the lake. A nice douse of cool water would feel good after spending the day in the hot sun with the herdbeasts.
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Post by zen on Oct 9, 2010 19:01:57 GMT -5
You’ll have to do better than that.
The sound was so unexpected and bizarre that it completely surprised Zorenh. He let out a yelp and fell backwards onto his butt, spilling oil all over himself. Was that what it would feel like when he was Impressed? He looked up at Mnoranth's huge eye, not sure he liked the idea. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. He picked himself up, then retrieved what was left of the oil and tried to remember exactly how he was supposed to do this. It didn't help that the massive dragon was watching his every move.
A shadow passed by and Zorenh looked over at the figure with the runnerbeast. Maybe that was the job for him. He gazed down at the oil in his hands, watching it drip through his fingers like all the days of his life he had already lost. "Must be nice to know your place," he muttered to Mnoranth. "Eat, drink, poop, be washed." He rolled his eyes and began rubbing the oil on the dragon.
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Post by R'enh and Mnoranth on Oct 12, 2010 22:42:56 GMT -5
R’enh chuckled at the startled yelp from the other side of Mnoranth ”You spoke to him?”
Dragon laughter filled his mind. Yes, and he fell over.
“You don’t usually speak to Candidates, or anyone else for that matter.” He shook his head and walked around in time to hear the young man’s comment.
"Must be nice to know your place," he muttered to Mnoranth. "Eat, drink, poop, be washed."
“Breath fire, kill thread, keep the world safe” he smiled as he rounded the bronze leg right next to the young man. Then he stopped for a moment there was something familiar about this kid. He frowned, “Do I know you?” he asked.
Then he shook his head and laughed. “Sorry.” He said. “Most dragons don’t speak to people other than their own. You’re a lucky man.”
“Oh,” he said as he leaned in. “Just so ya know, once they get big enough, they poop /between/’
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Post by zen on Oct 13, 2010 12:11:16 GMT -5
“Breath fire, kill thread, keep the world safe”
For a moment, he thought the dragon was still speaking to him, but he heard those words with his ears, not his brain. He tore his eyes away from Mnoranth's spinning ones and saw R'enh. Great. The big man himself. R'enh seemed to scrutinize Zorenh and the boy just wanted to crawl into a hole.
“Do I know you?”
"No," he replied, almost too quickly. "No... you don't." His eyes hardened. If you did, you have forgotten me by now.
“Sorry. Most dragons don’t speak to people other than their own. You’re a lucky man. Oh, Just so ya know, once they get big enough, they poop /between/”
"Lucky?" Zorehn snorted, leaning away from R'enh. "What's lucky about being berated by a dragon in your head?" He considered what the man had said in regards to what dragons did /between/. That was good. He wasn't looking forward to a lifetime of picking up huge, smelly dragon poops that were bigger than he was.
Tag R'enh/Any
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Post by R'enh and Mnoranth on Oct 17, 2010 21:28:21 GMT -5
"No... you don't."
R’enh shook his head, there was just something too familiar about this one but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
"What's lucky about being berated by a dragon in your head?"
He laughed. “Depends on the dragon.” He said. “They all have their own personalities. And this guy is a jokster.”
He knew the kid was a candidate so he’d be learning about dragons soon enough. “Have you thought about what it will be like?” he asked. “You have never known the kind of unconditional love that will form between you and your lifemate when you Impress.”
“Not even your parents or your fosterer’s will ever give you that kind of love.”
He looked at the young many, you never could tell right off the bat but he didn’t strike R’enh as greenrider material, especially since he’d been sitting at the lake with a very pretty young girl earlier.
“Think about what you want when you go to the touching. Keep it foremost in your mind as you talk to the young dragons inside their eggs.” R’enh could be quite charismatic when he put his mind to it. “Open your heart and let them see who you truly are.”
He smiled and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “It could make all the difference.”
Tag Zorenh/Any
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Post by zen on Oct 17, 2010 21:50:43 GMT -5
“Depends on the dragon. They all have their own personalities. And this guy is a jokster.”
It never really occurred to Zorenh that the dragons had different personalities. Truthfully, he hadn't given it much thought at all.
“Not even your parents or your fosterer’s will ever give you that kind of love.”
"That wouldn't be too hard," he muttered under his breath. He realized he'd been oiling the same spot over and over again, so he moved one step over, closer to R'enh, so he could reach a dry spot. Once he started again, he looked sideways at the bronzerider as the man spoke. It was quite poetic, really. Zorenh wondered if a person's mind got altered after Impression.
“Open your heart and let them see who you truly are.”
The thought was frightening. Zorenh didn't even know who he really was, so how was he supposed to convey that to a dragon. "I've already been there," he said moodily. He had stood during the clutch by Chalarath, only to be passed up. He absently touched his abdomen where a scar had formed from the wound he sustained as he was trampled by a damp, frenetic hatchling. His eyes met R'enh's briefly. "Is the Search ever wrong," he asked quietly.
Tag R'enh/Any
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Post by R'enh and Mnoranth on Oct 19, 2010 15:13:22 GMT -5
He didn't quite catch what the young man was mumbling but a least he didn't seem quite so sullen as he had a few moments before and he'd moved a bit closer.
But then the moodiness returned. "I've already been there," gosh the kid reminded him of himself at that stage. But then his life had changed the moment Mnoranth spoke into his mind and flooded him with love and acceptance in a way he'd never known his entire life.
In fact they'd barely joined their first wing when Mnoranth caught his first green. He could still see that riders eyes. Her name had been Z…. Something.
He stopped and really looked at the kid.
"Is the Search ever wrong," R'enhs eyes were locked on the young man who looked to be about the right age.
"No," he said a little absently. "Zorenh?" he said testing the name on his tongue then he shook it off to really answer the question.
He took a deep breath. "They're never wrong about your potential." he said. "But your lifemate will choose you of everyone presented to him with potential." he knew this was candidate stuff that should have been taught to him already but somehow he got the feeling that this one hadn't really been listening.
"A dragon chooses their rider and there is no other experience on the face of Pern to compare to that feeling, ever."
That’s right mine. Said the big bronze and his head came down to push against R'enh's back. He turned and scratched the eyeridges just like Mnoranth liked it. "Do you itch anymore?" he asked. No, I feel good.
R'enh looked back over his shoulder at the Candidate. "Looks like we're done with the bath," he said. "Would you like a ride?"
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Post by zen on Oct 19, 2010 15:44:01 GMT -5
"They're never wrong about your potential. But your lifemate will choose you of everyone presented to him with potential."
"Yeah, but--" He stopped oiling Mnoranth and turned to face R'enh.
"A dragon chooses their rider and there is no other experience on the face of Pern to compare to that feeling, ever."
"So they keep saying," he replied. "But what if your lifemate never hatches? What if you are never chosen? What then? Isn't it cruel to promise such unconditional love and never have it materialize?" He wasn't sure R'enh really heard him. Mnoranth and the bronzerider seemed involved in a bit of mutual love of their own.
"Looks like we're done with the bath. Would you like a ride?"
Zorenh looked behind him, expecting someone else to be standing there. Eyes wide, he said, "what? Me?" He pointed to himself, like the direction was necessary. Then, with his finger still pointing at his chest, he looked up...and up... at the big bronze. "Are you sure it's okay with him?" His mind recoiled for a second at his own words. It was the first time he had ever thought of a dragon as anything other than a stupid beast. Just because he's your father doesn't mean what he says is right. But Mnoranth had spoken to him! That was something he would never forget.
Tag R'ehn
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Post by R'enh and Mnoranth on Oct 19, 2010 16:05:12 GMT -5
"So they keep saying," he replied. "But what if your lifemate never hatches? What if you are never chosen? What then? Isn't it cruel to promise such unconditional love and never have it materialize?"
"Many choose crafts." he said "I was going to be a smith and raise a family at the Smithcraft hall. But I was searched just like you were." he turned at looked again filling his eyes and his memory of this moment of discovery.
"I think it is unbelievably cruel to anyone on Pern that doesn't have a dragon. But with a dragon comes a responsibility. We are here to defend those who cannot defend themselves. We fight Thread." he hoped he was getting across to him not just because this was his son that he'd just found, but because he was the next generation that would help finish the pass and keep the world safe for another interval.
"This isn't all fun and games. It's work, harder work than you've ever done." then he smiled to take the sting out of the words. "Oh but it is so worth it."
Then he smiled at the incredulous response. " what? Me?"
He chucked. "Are you sure it's okay with him?"
It was my idea, said the bronze to the boy. Dragon laughter followed.
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