Interrogating N'tor

Xanadu Weyr – Clearing

clearing.jpg

A wide clearing stretches from east to west, the ground packed hard although grass grows across most of it. Trees are strictly forbidden in this space, their danger to the constant draconic traffic reason enough to banish them to the forest that creates a this and sharp border to the north. Where the ground is less trampled, tiny flowers poke their delicate heads out from their shaded hiding places with upturned petals to wave to whoever may be looking.

The cliff looms imposingly on three sides, stretching upwards all the way up the side of the mountain where, high above, Xanadu's Star Stones and the ever present watchdragon sit on a lonely peak. Directly south is a massive tunnel, fully wide enough for even the largest dragon to fly down. Southeast are wide steps leading up to the Caverns and eastwards is the large entrance to the Infirmary. Somewhat north of the Infirmary is a human sized archway that has a frequent quantity of traffic — it leads to the Tavern. Southwest lies the low ledges currently belonging to Xanadu's queens while north and west a broad path cut by the side of the cliff leads to the Feeding Grounds and due north is the spacious trail that leads to the rest of the Weyr.


It's a little while later, the time it takes to walk from R'sul's wallow and then to ask around a little to find the weyrling in question, that Fia winds up finding the young man. "Good day," she hails him, at least passingly familiar with all of them. "How are you holding up?"

N'tor startles at the harper's approach, the once littlest weyrling never having quite gotten over his nervousness. "H-hi miss harper. Ma'am." He gives a full range of titles in the hopes of hitting the right one somewhere in there. "H-holding up?" Behind him a rather rotund blue dragon is lounging, eyeing Fiara with some curiosity.

Fiara comes to lean against the nearest tree, posture informal and she smiles warmly at the young man. "Hey there N'tor. You can just call me Fiara if you'd like," she continues gently. "Or Journeyman will do if you'd rather a title. I know sometimes that more comfortable for people." She nods and her faces creases with some concern. "You haven't heard then?" Both brows lift a little, but her expression continues to be warm, sympathetic.

N'tor's eyes widen a little. "H-heard?" He blinks, brows furrowing as he tries to think. "I… what? I h-haven't heard anything other than I need to retake my written exam. Did they fail me again?"

"Oh no, no," Fiara says with a little laugh and a sheepish look. "I am /so/ sorry, but no. I wouldn't actually know about your exams, N'tor," the harper explains, again with that gentle tone in her voice and she steps forward, looking at his dragon. "Would you mind introducing us?" she says with a little nod towards the dragon. "I don't think I've met him yet, though I have met Zeituth, A'dar's — lifemate is the right word, right?" She smiles again then takes a breath. "I meant Kate though."

N'tor ohs, nodding politely and then taking a step towards the blue. "This is Kadaisith. Kad, this is m-miss ma'am journeyman harper Fiara." Again he goes for the over-titling — best to just be sure and get them all in, manners matter. The blue in question just rumbles quietly at Fiara, blowing a gentle huff of air in her direction. Almost immediately after N'tor breaks in with, "Kate f-failed too?"

Fiara smiles up at the blue and holds a hand out. "Hello Kadaisith, nice to meet you," she says quite properly and look over at N'tor again for the over-titling. "Am I really that scary?" she asks him with a hint of teasing in her tone, then shakes her head as she reaches up to offer Kadaisith a scratch. "I've no idea actually, I haven't seen her lately, have you?"

N'tor laughs a little too loudly, dropping his head a little in the affirmative - she is that scary. To her second question he shakes his head, "She… we… she s-sort of broke it off with me. We d-didn't break the rules, I promise, just k-kissed once and one t-time she let me touch…." Another pause, this time longer and because he nearly said something he shouldn't. "She's really n-nice, really. Only she wants someone else."

Should the blue permit, Fiara continues to rub her hand up along under his chin and she makes big eyes over at the weyrling. "Oh /really/, well see, I wouldn't rat you out even if you had." She winks over at the young man with another friendly grin. "Kissing isn't something I really object to." There's sympathy on her face again though for the young man's plight. "Oh, that's a shame, N'tor. But she did break it off with you at least, didn't leave you hanging," the harper tilts a little look over at the weyrling. "Lucky guy then this — what did you say his name was again?"

Kadaisith is more than happy for the attention, lazy as he is if it comes to him he'll never turn it down. N'tor, on the other hand, just shrugs. "She n-never said. I just assumed it was someone important. 'Cause she's g-got a gold." He pauses for a moment, looking at Fiara closely gauging how much he can trust her. "She b-borrowed some m-marks from me. J-just before. I guess to b-buy him something."

"Gold doesn't mean everything," Fiara says lightly, "even blueriders deserve the love of a good person," the harper says quite seriously and keeps her hand moving up the blue dragon's jaw. "Marks enough for a nice gift? Shells, she must be quite serious about this fellow," the harper murmurs and casts N'tor another sympathetic look. "So, N'tor, have you talked to her at all, since the fog lifted? Or Kadaisith to Lusiath?"

"Oh n-no." N'tor replies without a second's hesitation. "I promised." Kadaisith rumbles quietly at Fiara again, though it's just as likely to be indigestion as it is pleasure. "W-when she broke it off. No contact less she asked for it f-first." He nods, definite, almost as if quoting it directly from her.

Fiara's hand pauses on the blue's hide and she gives the side of his muzzle a little pat. "Oh. But, you're weyrlings together. So you're not even supposed to speak to her during lessons?" Her brows crinkle faintly and then she sighs softly. "What I was saying earlier N'tor … about you having heard. Kate's gone missing. Her and Lusiath both. Which is why I was asking how you were holding up. I thought you knew, but if she told you not to speak to her … you wouldn't know." Her voice is gentle still, sympathetic.

"L-lessons are…" But then N'tor pauses, mouth dropping open. "She… she wouldn't." Kadaisith's rumble this time is not one of happiness, "She w-wouldn't leave me. She w-wouldn't. She cared about us. All us k-kids from the farm. Knew what it was l-like to be family. You…" he waves a finger at her, "You're l-l-lying." His stutter getting worse from the upset.

"I know, that's why we're so worried, N'tor," Fiara says gently, soothingly. "And you promised not to try to find her, so Kadaisith can't reach out to her right? Only, would you, if you were really worried and wanted to find her? Kadaisith is her clutchmate after all and you're like family to her."

"N-n-no!" N'tor replies, though it's taking a definite effort to keep calm. "She w-wouldn't. W-why are you saying t-this! S-she's not g-gone. Not!" He retreats away, seeking the protection of his dragon. But the expression that comes over his face is probably enough to confirm that they just tried to reach her and were blocked.

Fiara bites at her lip and retreats back a few steps. "Because I'm worried about her, N'tor," she repeats, voice still soft, non-confrontational and she looks down at her feet, toes through sandals. "I'm sorry N'tor. I thought you already knew."

N'tor just shakes his head, retreating into the protective circle that Kadaisith is rapidly becoming. "She'll come b-back. I know she w-will. She's p-probably just asleep s-somewhere. That's all." Quieter, as if to convince himself, "T-that's all."

Fiara nods just once. "I certainly hope that she will, N'tor. And if for some reason, she's somewhere out there and needs help, everyone is going to do their best to find her." She takes a breath, lets it out. "So if something occurs to you, or you're upset about anything, come talk to me if you'd like, or talk to one of the weyrlingmasters. But I think I'll step away now. Thank you for talking with me."

N'tor just shakes his head in reply to her offer. No talking for this one. His hand runs over Kadaisith's eye-ridges and he presses his head against the blue. After a moment shared with his dragon he turns back, eyes full. "T-thank you for t-telling me."

Fiara waits patiently while the weyrling and his blue share that moment and she nods once. "Of course, N'tor. Hang in there all right?" she says with sincere goodwill and turns to pad back the way she came with Horm winging along with her.


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