Ducking with Dragons(open)

[yankeegeek]

R'van had taken Kemath out to hunt, this morning. The bronze was rarely grouchy, but his hunger had roused them both from sleep. He was only thankful that he hadn't had company in the weyr tonight, or rather, this morning. It wasn't his idea of considerate behavior to make someone wake up alone, even if they were only there for the one night.
When are they ever there longer? Kemath pointed out. He sank his teeth into the meat, tearing at it.
R'van shrugged. "Pretending's unfair to both of us." He sat on the cold ground, legs crossed, hands on his knees.
The meal didn't take long. Kemath licked the last bits from his muzzle. True. But that doesn't mean you can't take a mate for a night or two. Some of the cavern women would be pleased if you invited them. Nor would all of them mind if anything else came of it. Weyrbrats don't grow on the trees, after all.
"I'm well aware of that, stubborn." He shook his head. "We'll see.
You need to bathe and get that muck off you."
The pair left the herdbeast pens and wandered toward the lake, touching down in the shallows.
Kemath let his rider dive clear and swim a short distance away, before he submerged up to his neck, sending great waves across the lake's surface.

[Khell]

AifaeMine, this is no time to explore. We are supposed to hand in our transfer papers.

“Nope. Lake first. Papers later.” The pair had arrived ten minutes ago, if even that, and Aifae was already doing her own thing. Transfer papers could wait for there was a large lake calling out to her. She slung her pack onto her shoulder and headed towards the body of water, Colvarinth behind her as she scolded her own rider. The green had wanted to make a nice first impression with their transfer papers complete and tidy but it seemed that Aifae was focused on more important things.

Fine. But if we get in trouble, I will blame you. The green gave up with one last grumble. She walked beside her rider, glancing around her a few times to look at the Weyr. Surion was quite nice and since it was new she wasn’t expecting too many people to live here yet.

Aifae shrugged, she’d take the blame. Kanor poked his head out of the bag that the girl was carrying. He made a few snorting noises as he peered around and then began to claw slightly at the pack when he saw the water nearby. “Stop scratching my bag up.” The greenrider said with a frown, pulling the tunnelcat out and letting him trot dutifully after her heels. Within a matter of seconds they were at the lake which was already occupied. A bronze dragon and his rider were already swimming about, not that it really mattered.

“Hope you don’t mind some company.”

[yankeegeek]

R'van had noted the green dragon's approach, even before Kemath straightened up and turned a blue-eyed gaze to the newcomer. He stood, the water level where he was not quite to the middle of his chest, and raised a hand in greeting.
I don't know either of them, Kemath said privately to His, before R'van had the chance to ask.

"Hope you don't mind some company," the girl greeted him.

"If I did, would it matter?" asked R'van in some amusement. "But no, I don't mind. The lake tends to draw crowds."
They must have just transferred in. He was just as glad to see some new riders, of any color. They'd be needed soon, he suspected, with a Hatching upcoming. Luna had her hands full as it was. "In from where?" he inquired, his tone still casual.

[Khell]

She flashed him a quick sheepish smile. “Probably not. I’d ignore your opinion and be really obnoxious to annoy you.” She admitted with a laugh. And that didn’t seem like a particularly fun way to start off a new Weyr, now did it?

She watched as Kanor sniffed the water before dipping his feet into it. Darned critter liked to swim but he wasn’t particularly good at it. On more than one occasion Aifae had to scoop him out of the water before he drowned. She shucked off some of the layers she was wearing before slowly wading into the water, creature still in hand. “From Benden, born and raised there all my life so I figured it was time for a change.” She replied with a shrug. “I’m Aifae by the way. She’s Colvarinth.” She introduced, motioning to herself and then the green dragon.

Colvarinth waited until Hers was in the water before going after them, careful not to splash her rider. She slipped by them and sank deeper into the water as her eyes churned with content. Maybe coming to the Lake wasn’t such a bad idea afterall. Greetings to you and yours. She sent to the bronze.

[yankeegeek]

"R'van, and Kemath," the bronze rider introduced himself. "Oh, you'd have to be worse than 'obnoxious' to annoy me." Some of his old wingmates at Benden had made a game of trying to provoke him to any display of emotion; fear, anger, even laughter. They'd rarely succeeded, giving him a reputation for being coldblooded. Admittedly, it wasn't always false.

He nodded to the green. "Good day, Colvarinth. A pleasure to meet you both." The feline elicited a raised eyebrow. He'd rarely seen cats act as if they were interested in being anywhere near water.
Kemath stretched out, gliding through the water, further away from shore to give the others some room. Greetings, to you as well. His tone was formal, but not unwelcoming. He spread his wings, inadvertantly sending waves rippling across the lake's surface.

[Khell]

She placed Kanor on her shoulders so the critter could lay there while she walked further into the water. She didn’t really feel like having to rescue him today so this was an easy solution. “Don’t tempt me R’van! You may just make me see how much it takes to annoy you.” She would too; she had the tendency to push peoples buttons just to see how far off the edge they would go. A bad habit that she couldn’t help. She went deeper into the water and thoroughly enjoyed the water. It felt pretty relaxing after a day of packing all her stuff up to come to Surion.

“So tell me R’van of Kemath. Where do you come from? And how long have you been at Surion for?” She asked, glancing over at the man. Hey, if she was going to live at the Weyr then she wanted to know all the dirty details about her fellow riders. Poor R’van just happened to be first on the interrogation list.

Colvarinth watched as Kemath moved deeper into the lake. Are there many other dragons? She asked the bronze with genuine curiosity. She was hoping it would be a clue as to how big the Weyr currently was.

[yankeegeek]

R'van moved further away, paddling over to Kemath as his feet left the lake bottom. The sunlight's glare led him to suck in a lungful of air, and dive beneath the surface for a moment, then come back up. Kemath snorted, amused.
"I wouldn't advise that," he replied, his tone still mild as he watched Colvarinth and Aifae, "though it's up to you. You wouldn't be the first to try. I'm originally from Benden, transferred in a few sevendays ago."
He turned over onto his back, floating, at ease; something he rarely allowed himself.

[Khell]

“Fair enough. At least I won’t do it for today. Want to make a good first impression and such.” Aifae said with a casual wave of her hand. She thought that first impressions were quite important but she always managed to fudge them up. Sometimes she would introduce herself in a humorous way but it would be to someone who had no sense of humor. It just never worked out so she was hoping this time would be different.

“Ah? Benden, really?” Aifae asked with a slight frown. She let her eyes stay on his face for a moment, trying to see if she could recognize him. Nope, she couldn’t say she did. “I thought maybe I’d suddenly remember seeing you at Benden but I don’t think I do. Then again, I have the feeling we weren’t candidates at the same time.” She laughed lightly. The man had a few years on her, she wasn’t sure how many exactly but probably enough that she would have been a candidate when he was no longer a Weyrling even.

Colvarinth slowly paddled over, nudging her rider slightly with her nose. Kanor scrambled off of Aifae and onto the green beast, curling up in a tight ball on top of her head. Not that the green minded, she was fond of the furry creature. “Have you met the Weyrwoman? What’s she like?”

[yankeegeek]

R'van chuckled, watching her and the feline. He considered how
Kemath would react in similar circumstances, but nixed the idea after a moment. His bronze was patient within limits; R'van suspected a pet would be outside those lines.
"Luna. She's quite a remarkable woman." He paused. "You'll do better to find out for yourself. But I did think she's a Leader worth following; I still do. So does Kemath."
He stopped, glancing down. Was that--? The lake held a few tiny fish, he'd noticed. One had just brushed against his arm, then darted away.

[Khell]

She paused and scrunched up her nose. “I can’t tell if you mean remarkable in a good or bad way.” She admitted. If the Weyrwoman was some remarkably crazy lunatic, then she wanted to skedaddle back to Benden as fast as she could.

However, it seemed she had nothing to worry about as he made his next comment. “Well, if bronzeriders find her suitable then I guess I will also.” She said with a shrug and a quick grin.

I’m sure she is very suitable Mine. Colvarinth hummed happily. Aifae rolled her eyes slightly, the green idolized golds so of course she would say that.

She noticed the fish also when R’van glanced down. She stared at them as a couple swam close to her, edging nearer and nearer. Within minutes she was on top of Colvarinth’s back, eyes wide as a loud “Hrk!” noise slipped out of her mouth. She did not like fish, especially when they were trying to nibble at her toes. If she was a canine, her tail would be between her legs while she snarled. Her hand shot out to grab Kanor who was trying to leap off of the green so he could go inspect the tiny marine life.

“Fish. Do not like.”

[yankeegeek]

R'van made no further remarks about Luna, except, "You should find out for yourself soon enough." He didn't typically include gossip in his pastimes. Also, Aifae's outspokenness, cheerful as she was, more than likely landed her in trouble. He didn't want
her relaying his comments to Luna secondhand, and getting him
dragged into possible trouble with their Weyrwoman.

He watched Aifae's reaction to the fish, and Kaino's , one eyebrow raised. Water snakes he could understand, but fish?
"I doubt if we seem edible to them," he said casually. "I've yet to see any meat-eating fish out here." Leaning over, he scooped one up lightly in the palm of his hand for a second, before letting it go.

[Khell]

Color her intrigued. Was this Luna something really special?

She wanted to find out. However, she was willing to wait a bit. After all, the water did call out to her first. “Fine, fine. I’ll bribe someone else for the dirty details about her then.” She sighed with a shrug and a casual wave of her hand. One way or another she would find out about this goldrider. She was a snoop, she would admit it.

She tucked her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she placed Kanor in her lap. “It’s a risk I’m not willing to take.” She did not like fish, not at all. They were weird looking with their gills, breathing underwater. She stifled a shudder. Such ugly creatures in her opinion. She watched as he scooped one up and let an obvious display of horror and disgust show on her face.

“Don’t touch it! You have no idea where it’s been!”

It's been in the water where you were just moments ago. Now calm down, they are tiny. Colvarinth scolded, sounding like a mother for a moment.

[yankeegeek]

R'van watched the water ripple as the fish swam away. He kept his face poker blank, though Kemath's eyes betrayed amusement.

"It seems the feeling is mutual," was all he said, casually. 'Though
Kanor might not find them much of a snack, either." He circled around a bit in the water. "Have you ever seen what they call
shipfish? I'm told they are a bit more common off the South's coast." A subject change, if not the most graceful one, seemed to be in order.

Challenge her to a race, Kemath suggested
unexpectedly.
Hmm? Oh, through the water? R'van looked up at his partner, and nodded thoughtfully. The bronze had an odd competitive streak on occasion. But the idea was also a potential good distraction.
You like her--
I barely know her. If you mean, I think she's attractive, yes. But
that's not likely to be mutual.

[Khell]

“Shipfish?” She repeated, her tongue sticking out slightly.

“While shipfish are better looking, they’re still just as creepy as any other fish.” Aifae said with a stubborn nod. She just could not like fish – nothing would be able to sway her opinion of them. Not unless they got rid of their gills, at least.

She looked down at the squirming tunnelcat, “He eats anything, unfortunately. I had to get rid of a fair number of shirts because he gnawed holes through them.” The stupid creature. There were plenty of tunnelsnakes and other food for him to go get but no – he wanted to chew on her shirts because they were oh so tasty. Finally she let go of the tunnelcat, who slipped back into the water and paddled around.

Aifae followed soon after that, the water was safe now that the fish were no longer around her. “Fish fears aside though, come to the lake often?”

That sounds like a bad pick up line

[yankeegeek]

"Most fish don't sing, or play with swimming dragons," R'van felt impelled to point out. He turned over onto his back, floating, before her question made him blink and 'sit' up facing her.
"No, not really," he replied. "I like it, but moreso when there are other people around." He glanced toward the far side of the lake,
then back at her, a mischievous gleam in his eye.