Xanadu Weyr – Forest
In sharp contrast to the treeless, carefully manicured look of the main clearing, the forest is full of trees, and maintains most of its natural look. Wild flowers grow in their seasons, bordering the road leading from the main clearing as weaves its way between the stands of trees - wide enough for traffic of all types, even draconic. Leading off are several smaller, less worn trails, which branch outwards, making their way to private residences and other attractions - the theater for example. The road, though, continues on eastward, to the feeding grounds and the mine, and beyond that, to the coastal road out of Xanadu's territory.
Amongst the normal weyrs scattered amongst the trees, there is one that is undergoing construction. A large, four-sided structure is protruding, supported by thick wood beams, and currently protected from the weather with a tarp. While its not yet breaking the canopy, its certainly getting close.
It's the kind of sleepy summer day in late summer where the heat waves dance over the meadow and the insects hum. The air is sultry with humidity and a far-off rumble of thunder from a distant thunderstorm. The promise of rain hangs in the air and the leaves of the forest tremble in anticipation of the coming shower. Everything is still, quiet and oppressive. Even the firelizards are drowsing, for nothing stirs in the woods today, save a lone weyrwoman walking through the trees humming to herself. It is Thea, out for a stroll, apparently. She's just drifting, stopping to peek at a fern here, pick a flower there, not going anywhere in particular, but her face is peaceful and she looks content.
A dragon yawn is likely pretty loud, and so it is that Zeituth is probably heard before he's seen. He walks away from that large structure in the forests, the one that's recently been revealed by its continuing construction as a clock tower. He pauses a moment in the forest to stretch his wings, flapping them slightly. And then he sees Thea. He gives a happy bugle/trumpet (whichever is appropriate) of greeting to her. And then he turns his head towards the tower and gives another bugle/trumpeting sound. A moment or two later, A'dar comes out of the Clocktower Clearing, frowning slightly in irritation. And then he pauses, as he notes someone else there. Blink. Blinkblink. He doesn't say anything for a moment. And then he seems to remember his manners. He bows, and acknowledges, "Weyrwoman."
Thea is used to dragon noises but today her mind is halfway around Pern and she doesn't hear any of the rustling noises that usually accompany the movements of the large creatures. She does startle a bit at the yawn, dropping the flower she'd just picked. The bugle and flapping done, she steps closer to Zeituth. "Hello old friend, how are ya?" She reaches up a hand offering him a scritch, while the other shades her eyes as she tips her head back to admire the tower looming through the shivering leaves of the trees. As A'dar opens the door, steps out and greets her, she smiles impishly, "Bluerider." All formal-like, then ruins it by chuckling. "A'dar, haven't seen you in quite awhile." A finger points towards the unfinished tower. "How's it coming?"
Zeituth seems pleased at the attention, and rumbles happily at the scritchie, his eyes whirling to happier colors. They hold onto a singe of sadness, however. A'dar doesn't smile at the chuckle, and seems content to remain formal. He explains his absence with, "…Lot of work." Her question? It's answered with, "…Good. 'S nearing done."
Thea is looking up at the tower again as A'dar speaks, but the tone of his voice brings her eyes, widened slightly with surprise back to her friend. "It looks… nice?" What does one say about a clock tower? "I've never seen one before." This is true. Her eyes fleetingly take in his features, the way he's carrying himself and something is not well. She glances at Zeituth, moving over him carefully and ending with the dragons eyes remaining there for several seconds. "A'dar. She steps closer and looks carefully at his eyes if he will meet hers, gently, "What is wrong? Can you tell me?"
A'dar doesn't look away, but he doesn't seem inclined to talk much. Zeituth reaches over and nudges A'dar slightly. The auburn-haired boy frowns slightly, and shakes his head. "…Reality, that's what." Yes. He learned first-hand, life sucks. And he is sobered by it. "…Nothing I won't get over." Might take him a bit…but yes, he will get over it.
Thea sighs, after A'dar speaks and for a long moment she is silent. Finally, tiredly, "Yeh, A'dar, sometimes it does." She reaches a hand to pat his shoulder, if he will let her, sad expression flickers in her eyes, "Saige?" One word, seeking to understand. "It's hard… for some people to deal with." Not sure if what she's thinking is on target, she frowns. "Can I help?"
A'dar closes his eyes at the mention of the name, and for a moment, it seems like he's going to just not reply. But finally, he nods once. "…Yes. That's it." A sigh. He doesn't move to push her hand away. But at the question of whether she could help or not, A'dar shakes his head. "No. Nothing /to/ do." He doesn't sound rude. Just resigned, and quiet. Clearly he figures there's no help for it.
"I'm sorry, A'dar." And she is. There's a wealth of understanding in Thea's voice as she says it. "It's very hard to loose someone you love." Her tone has that certainly in it that verifies she does know. Her hand remains on A'dar's shoulder for a moment before she lowers it, turning to pat Zeituth. "How's he handling all this, A'dar? I'm not liking what I see in him. He doesn't look… healthy." Her eyes flicker to her friend as she hastens to add, "I don't mean he looks sick, just… not well." Lips frown slightly as she again assesses the blue.
A'dar shakes his head. "…'S my fault," he notes. "I'm upset, so he's upset, 'cause he can't help me." A'dar taps upon his temple. "He's in here, too…so can't hide it…." It seems almost like he's regressing with his speech. He's not speaking full sentences. But at least he's not as bad as he was at first….
Thea sighs once again. "'A'dar, this doesn't look good." She ponders, dropping her head to kick at the duff-covered forest floor. For a long time she says nothing, then she lifts her head to look directly at A'dar and just says it bluntly, "This is killing him, A'dar. Look at him!" She begs him with her eyes to see it as she gestures towrds the blue.
A'dar closes his eyes, turning his head away somewhat. Zeituth rumbles slightly, looking to the pair, but remaining mostly quiet, mentally and physically. "…Maybe…that's why the clocktower," A'dar murmurs. He seems able to speak a little better, now that he has a reason to. "We…both of us, Zei and I both…it was both our idea. To build something that the whole of Pern could look to…that everyone could see." A pause. "Maybe…we want to leave something behind…."
"Leave something behind." she says it flatly. Her lips press together and she says sharply, "What exactly is that supposed to mean?" She's pinning him with a pointed look. "Don't make me have Seryth wrest it from Zeituth, A'dar, you know she can do it!" Her tension is visible, she's concerned but not panicked. Her voice is low, urgent, "Talk to me!"
A'dar finally looks back to Thea. "Don't you ever wonder…what's left?" he inquires. "What's left when we're gone? Dragons go with us. Friends follow us eventually." A pause. "…We have…such a short time here…such a short time. And for what? What's left? Nothing." He half-smiles. "So…that's why the clock tower. There's something left."
"But… but A'dar. You're young. Why are you thinking about all that now?" Her brow wrinkles as she waves a hand at that tower. "Even that, magnificent as it is, is an empty symbol if it doesn't celebrate the -life- of the one who built it!" She gives him a long, evaluating look. "The way you are now? Why, you're not living at all." There's a tinge of anger there in those words. Quiet for a moment, she suddenly deflates. Dully, almost without emotion she asks, "Are you thinking of giving up? Suiciding?" Resigned, because she couldn't really stop him now, could she?
A'dar shakes his head. "Not at all. There's too much to do," he replies. "And not after the tower's complete, either." A sigh. "It's hard to explain…but if not now, when? If I don't think of it now…when? When I'm too old to do anything about it? When I finally do take that last trip Between?"
Thea listens, her head tipped to one side noting the words coming easier to her friend. As A'dar speaks, she nods and her relief is obvious. "Now is good, A'dar, and now is a great time to build it, but not if it's -all- you think about or do." Her head turns to Zeituth, "When was the last time you and Zeituth flew together…soared on the wings of the wind? Watched the sun rise from over the Sea of Azov and turned it to silver peach in the dawnlight? Went swimming with him? Walked in a fog with only him to guide you and ended up in someone's weyr by accident?" Her lips quirk, a twinkle lighting her eyes to see if he will remember that adventure. She pauses, adding softly, "You've grieved. But now I think you need to decide who you love more, A'dar. Your lost love? Or your own life and your dragon's?"
A'dar does indeed remember that. And gives a smirk at the memory. Though Thea's words chase it away quickly. Perhaps the expected response would be a loud 'what do you know?!' But that's not the response A'dar gives. He just looks at Thea and nods. "It's…complicated," he notes. "I don't keep him in if he doesn't want. It was his idea to build the ledge." He pauses, and points up. "It's hard to see from here…but on the third floor, there's a huge ledge for him to sun on. We did a good job on it, if I must say." He half-smiles. And then a sigh. "I wouldn't expect anyone else to understand…but he has but to ask…."
Thea's lips twitch, restraining a smile, oh, she noticed that flash in his eyes! She nods to herself without saying anything. "It is, A'dar, and I can't pretend to understand it all." Her eyes flicker up to that ledge. "Very nice, I'm sure he likes it. It looks nice and solid, too." There is an echo of his smile, "But see, A'dar, he shouldn't -have- to ask. I'm just saying… live again will you?" Her finger mock-scolds him as she shakes it at him, and then Zeituth, "He wouldn't be looking in the sorry shape he is if you were."
A'dar frowns a bit. "I /do/ find time to take care of him in amongst it all," he notes. "After the work he does, he earns every bit of the care I can give him. We have a pond there at the tower. I oil his hide every day. Sometimes twice a day." He seems to have taken her comment literally.
Thea snorts, a bit of a soft whooshing sound at that, but she doesn't argue. "You're staying isolated, Y'know. And that's good for neither beast nor man." She waves her arm to the weyr in general. "The beach, A'dar and the living caverns. You need to get out with people again. Zeituth used to like it there, remember?" She reaches a hand to pat the hide of the blue, "Dragons are social creatures. You're caring for his physical needs, but what about his heart?"
A'dar raises an eyebrow at a mental response from Zeituth. "Hn." It's pitifully under-equipped to answer anything, so why he offered it is unclear. However, he also supplies, "…True enough, I suppose…." He doesn't bother explaining why; it'd take too long, and it's pretty well moot anyway….
Thea sighs and restrains herself - barely- from rolling her eyes at that indecipherable response. "I've got to get back to Seryth, break time's over." She shakes her head ruefully, poking a finger somewhere in the direction of A'dar's shoulder playfully, turning before she notes whether it makes contact or not. As she walks away, over her shoulder she comments, "Zeituth, prod him for me once in awhile, will you? Get him out of here? He's one of the few friends I have in this world…" Her voice trails off as she walks through the woods, wending her way around trees, slipping through bushes on her way back to the weyr's hatching arena. Both of them may be very sure that Seryth will be following up on this request.