Xanadu Weyr - Weyrling Grounds
Cradled in a cup shaped bite out of the mountain, this wide, grassy flat has become home for Xanadu's weyrling dragons. It's set surprisingly high above the level of the beach, visible from the eastern side of the grounds where a long path snakes its way down the hill to the sand dunes below. All other sides to the grounds are bordered by the hard granite cliffs, two entrances clearly visible. One is merely human sized and leads deep into the mountain, to the Caverns. The other is broad and high, the entrance to the Weyrling Barracks.
With the young dragons getting a little older, If'an has taken Izzuth on a little outing outside of the barracks themselves. The brown hasn't made it very far yet, though it's not for lack of his rider trying… "C'mon, Izzuth. Ain't nobody gonna be messin' with yur shardin' socks." The young brown has someone's dirty sock dangling from his jaws, chewing on it lightly as the tall blond man leads him out into the morning sunshine, "Ya'll like bein' outside." Plus, it gives everyone the chance to go through the small mound of socks on the big hatchling's couch and find which ones are theirs so that the sometime miner doesn't have to smell them when he's trying to sleep anymore.
Inuelle is on another delivery run with food for the Weyrlings emerging from the barracks. She's got a basket of hot pastries which she's carefully trying to keep out of the claws of hovering firelizards that have followed her route from the caverns. The minute she sees If'an and his lifemate she heads in that direction. "Hi!" she says, beaming brightly. "I never got the chance to congratulate you. Things have been really busy! So congratulations! Have a bubbly?" she holds up the basket to him.
Izzuth rumbles and looks at his lifemate when someone new comes into view up the path from the beach, getting If'an's attention so that he looks over in Inuelle's attention, "Hey, Inu." He sounds tired, drained from long days of tending to his dragon. The big man, flashes a tired smile, "Thanks. I'm sorry I didn' get t' talk t' ya after th' hatchin'…" He was a little preoccupied at the time, after all. He walks over to relieve the baker of her burdan , "Mmm… A bubbly sounds good." He looks back over at the big brown, as burly looking as his rider, and sighs, "No, ya can't have un, too." There's a huff from the dragon and he flops down on the grass, settling in to spread out in the hot sun and lick the sock. "An' would ya stop tha'?!"
Inuelle giggles. "Looks like you have a new pup," she tells him quietly. "Hello," she says a little more loudly to Izzuth. "I don't have any dragon food for you, sorry," she says, appologetically. Then gets closer to Iffy to put a hand on his shoulder. "You look tired, and sound it. Here, there must be a place where you can sit and I can take of those shoulders," she looks around and finds a suitable large rock, giving his shirt a gentle tug.
If'an chuckles, "S'pose I do… Izzuth's more a' a handful th'n th' pups e'er was, 'cept maybe when I first found 'em." The spotted brown rumbles, his stomach nicely round at the moment, anyway, "He ate just b'fore I brought him out, anyway." The weyrling looks over at the sock-licking dragon and rolls his eyes, "He's just wantin' t' taste it, I think." Then he's being tugged over in the direction of the rock and he nods, giving a soft groan, "I ain't worked this hard since I was a 'prentice." He collapses down on the rock, "Izzuth ain't helpin' much… Keeps tryin' t' insist he's th' un' in charge." And that's not a good thing with a young dragon.
Inuelle gently starts to massage the new brownrider's shoulders with her hands. She's not a pro, but she's firmly gentle at least. "Just keep at it, Iffy," she says. "You'll get there," she smiles. "By the way, did you see my knot?" she moves briefly into his line of sight so he can see her shoulder, taking this as an excuse to get both hands massaging a bicep. Yes, Inuelle is slightly red faced and she has an impish smile on her face.
"Oh, I ain't gonna give up." If'an's shoulders are tense, but loosen up easily enough under her hands, "Thar ain't no ways I'm gonna let him get t' thinkin' he c'n do whate'er he wants." Izzuth snorts and lifts his head to look over at the two humans, earning a scowl from his rider, "No, ya can't." Ifo sighs, "I just gotta keep sneakin' ever'body's socks back fr'm him an' hopin' he ain't chewed 'em too bad." When she moves around so that he can see her new knot, If'an blinks stupidly a couple of times, not having seen her knot before she was Searched, "Hmm?" Then he smiles and reaches out with his free hand to put it on her shoulder, "Got promoted, did ya? C'ngrats. I 'member when I was made a senior 'prentice. Was a proud day." He gives her shoulder a light squeeze.
Inuelle smiles warmly at Iffy, clearly delighted. "It was a very BUSY day for me, the day right after the Hatching. They barely had a moment to give me my knot before I was rushed off to work." Inu then rewards the man for his congratulations of her with repeating the bicep massage on his other arm. "Do dragons teethe?" she asks, moving back around to his shoulders once she's done with the arm. "He may be just doing what lots of toddlers do when they have teeth coming in, chew things."
If'an chuckles softly and nods, "'M sure it was." He had a pretty busy day, himself… He shrugs at the question, frowning a little, "Dunno if'n they do 'r not…" That'd be something to ask the AWLMs. "Don' think tha's why he does it, though… He jus' likes 'em." As though to prove this, Izzuth stands and wanders over to lean hard against his chosen person's side, almost knocking the big man off of the rock, before he rests his head in If'an's lap to look up at the girl with slowly whirling eyes. The weyrling rolls his eyes and shakes his head, though his expression is amused, "Izzuth says ya got permission t' scritch him." Though that's more of a demand from the oddly patterned brown.
Inuelle is more than happy to turn her attentions to the brown dragonet, scratching the hide just over the eyebrows, smiling brightly. "Could be true," she decides, and then takes a deep breath and sighs. "Iffy…If'an. I'm very happy for you. I don't uh, I don't want you to be feeling any pressure, but, um," she chews her fingernail. "Aunt Sirell says new dragons grow quickly, but I should be patient…" What is she trying to get to? Maybe it has to do with the chaste kiss she lands on his cheek. "Whenever its not against the ~rules~ for us to have some time alone together, I would be happy to…have a…little…date…maybe?" She then feels unspeakably foolish and covers her face with her hands. Ooooh.
Izzuth croons happily and leans into the scritches while the new rider absently rubs at the brown's supple neck, waiting mostly patiently for the girl to get to the point of her rambling. The kiss does get a small smirk reminiscent of the many ones he fired at so many people while still a candidate, "Izzuth's more 'n doubled in size…" How's that for growing fast? The tall man sits up a little straighter, beaming with pride, "He's th' biggest next t' Sonyxaeth. Bigger e'en th'n Volenth." Then she's haltingly asking him on a date, and a vague frown pulls his bushy brows together for a moment before he suddenly flashes her a smug grin, "Inuelle, I'd love t' go on a date with ya." The dragon tilts his chin, still holding that sock in his maw, to look up at the two humans curiously, getting a grimace and heavy sigh from his rider, "I'll 'splain later, Izzy."
Inuelle is immediately very happy, and she grins, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to hug him. "I'll bring a picnic basket full of goodies, and some iced klah…" she turns to look at Izzuth. "Sometimes two people enjoy having private time together, a chance to get to know each other," of course Inu is happy to explain, in easy to understand words that she's probably used to using with her two little cousins.
"Sounds good… Send yur Seaweed t' lemme know when ya're ready t' do it." He stifles a yawn, "They ain't said we couldn' date nobody, but i's tirin' learnin' 'bout this lug." It's said with affection, as he looks down at the brown's head getting heavily relaxed in his lap, the dragon starting to look sleepy. The fond look is turned to the young woman when she offers an explination and he hooks an arm around her waist to give her a gentle squeeze, "Ya know, I migh' just ask ya t' 'xplain when he goes t' askin questions." He winks, "Ya're really good at it."
Inuelle grins wryly. "It comes of having two small cousins I have to babysit regularly for my Aunt," she giggles and leans against his side, hooking her own arm under his behind his back. "Back home we had a good cure for the weariness caused by littles," she says, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Its called naptime," she watches the sleepy dragon settle down with an amused smile.
"Mmm… Naptime…" If'an looks almost wistful at the thought of sleeping. He chuckles low in his chest and nods, winking, "Well, I'ma thinkin' Izzuth'll be likin' ya if ya scritch him like tha'." The brown mutters quietly at the sound of his name and sighs, turning his head so that his nose (and the damp sock) are pressed into the weyrling's stomach, earning a grimace from the man, but he doesn't try pushing the brown off. Instead, he just leans his head against the baker and sighs, looking down at the spotted dragon head with an odd, tender expression on his face.
Inuelle looks at Izzuth, and ponders for a moment, then scratches her chin. Hmmm. "Hey Izzuth," she says, "How would you like your own socks? Made just for Izzuth's feet?" She adds to the offer by scratching his chin pointedly. "Would you like that?"
Izzuth lifts his head and looks up at the baker with sleepy looking eyes that slowly whirl with interest. When she mentions socks made specifically for him he cocks his head thoughtfully, mouth moving around the sock he's sucking on. When he shifts his attention to look at If'an, the man shrugs, giving a pleased little half grin, "She asked ya, pal, not me." The burly brown stretches across his person's lap to nudge at the baker harder than he probably intended and graces her with a pleased warble. The weyrling chuckles and gives the blonde baker another quick squeeze, "That'd be a yes, doll. An' a 'thank ya very much'." He grimaces, "Izzy, ya can't go stealing ever'body else's socks all th' time. I don' wanna keep havin' t' make sure they's washed an' get back t' who they b'long t'." The brown mutters, "No, ya can't keep 'em!" There's a matching exasperated sigh from both brown and rider.
Inuelle accepts the nudge with a hearty little laugh. Its a good thing this rock is so sturdy, she regains her balance easily. "I'll see what I can make up, mind you I'm a baker, but I do know a bit of knitting," she bites her thumb and rests back against Iffy's shoulder. "Does he have any colors of socks he prefers?" She seems to have forgotten the basket of bubblies she brought, next to them on the rock. The firelizards managed to stay away this time, strangely enough.
Maybe it's because of Izzuth sitting there eying the basket from time to time that they've left it alone? There's really no telling… If'an chuckles, holding onto the slim baker when his dragon nudges her, "Uh… He ain't mentioned nothin' 'bout no fav'rite colors, but he likes 'em dirty." And that's just a little annoying, "Th' dirtier an' smellier th' bett'r." The tall man shoves lightly at his dragon's head, trying to get the big brown out of his lap so that he can invite the young woman to sit there instead. He only remembers the bubblies when his little green firelizard pops from between with a triumphant chirp and dives for the basket only to have Izzuth growl and snap at her. If he can't have any, then she can't either! Unfortunately, the snapping has him losing his grip on the sock so that it falls in the basket over three of them… Eww… Dirty sock bubblies!
Inuelle looks at the bubblies, and the sock, and then at the dragon. "You can have those bubblies Izzuth," she says, covering her face with her free hand and grimacing. And she very respectably does not sit on the man's offered lap. She is from a Hold, after all. Instead she gives him a very respectable close mouthed kiss, this time on his lips. "You've got stubble," she says, giggling. "It tickles a bit to kiss you," she admits, but kisses him again anyways. She must like the tickling.
Izzuth gives a pleased warble when he's told he can have the bubblies and carefully lifts his now crumby sock out of the basket, bringing one of the pies with it to chomp on both happily, "Izzy…" It's a pained groan from If'an at the dragon's antics and he scowls, but it's interrupted by the kiss. He chuckles quietly and brushes the backs of his fingers over her cheek, "It does, huh?" He pulls her in when she kisses him again, the dragon distracted by getting his first taste of sweets mixed with dirty wool.
Inuelle is all to happy to let If'an pull her into his arms, and doesn't break the kiss for some time. When she does, she giggles and rubs their noses together. "You! I'm going to be a scandal in the kitchens if people see us like this," she doesn't, however, try to leave his embrace.
If'an chuckles and smirks, "An' is bein' a scandal such a bad thin'?" Izzuth looks up at the pair, earning a heavy sigh from the weyrling, "Later, Izzy." He runs a hand over Inuelle's back, "Inu… Ma'be we shouldn' be kissin' here in front a' Izzuth… Ya really would be gossiped 'bout if'n he started askin' th' older drag'ns 'bout us." And it's possible that he would get in trouble for it, too… Yikes!
Inuelle sighs and nods. "You are right, and I'd never hear the end of it from Mother. She'd drag me back to the Hold, probably with the Head Cook's approval," she sighs, and straightens her dress. "Ahem. Anyways, I do believe I have socks to start knitting," she gives Izzuth a dazzling smile. "Long socks, and you can wear them yourself wherever you go," she giggles.
If'an makes a face at the thought of her being taken back to the hold she came from, "Yeah, wouldn' wanna see ya sent away…" No, he's looking forward to getting to spend some time alone with her a little too much. "Thought I heard there's a 'nother baker tha's pregnant now, though…" And weyrmated to a rider with two other weyrmates, too… That's a man to look up to! At least from If'an's perspective, anyway… The promise of socks of his own, and ones he can wear himself, has Izzuth crooning happily as he reaches into the basket for another bubblie, liking the new flavor. The weyrling scowls down at the dragon sprawled on the ground at his feet, "No more, Izzy. I don' wanna have t' deal with ya havin' thicktail." Ugh!
Inuelle chuckles. "Sorry, I wasn't planning to make dessert for a dragon," she admits. "All right," she leans up to kiss his cheek, and takes the rest of the bubblies and the basket. "No more, I'll take the rest back to my room…" She thinks about it. "I can give them to Seaweed, he'll like that," and then she tugs on her blond braid. "Well, I'll see you again soon. Try not to wear yourself out chasing socks, there's always more wool to make new ones," she smiles a little impishly, and moves off towards the Weyr.
Aww, socks of his very own, Izzy's special. :)
<3's a brownling.
How Izzuth managed to get his snout into that basket and lift out a bubbly is quite a trick in dexterity. Their heads by now must be quite large with a month of growth on them. Cute scene though! :D