Girl talk (now with more dragons!)

Training Grounds
A wide, grassy expanse, nestled into the gentle bowl shape where something's taken a bite out of the mountain. It's high above the level of the beach, and there's a good eastern view of the lake and a long path leading down to that sandy shore. Granite cliffs surround it on the other sides.
While much of the grounds are left in their natural state, one area has been trampled and trodden by enough feet that the grass struggles to grow. A running track circles a set of equipment - straw dummies with wooden frames, obstacles of various sizes and shapes, and targets for flaming, archery, and whatever else.
There's a dragon-sized opening to the south that leads to the cavernous weyrling barracks, and a smaller tunnel to the northeast - large enough for dragons newly emerged from the sands, but quickly outgrown by hatchlings who are then forced to take the long way around - at least, until they learn to spread their wings and fly. Between them in both position and size, a jagged crack in the stone leads to a dim cave with the sound of water.


Sitting on a blanket spread out over the grass is Zaria, who seems to have a very blue dragonet head in her lap. She doesn't seem to mind though and is rubbing oil into the ridges around his half-lidded eyes. Azrith looks to be in pure bliss. He stretches his neck a bit to guide Zar's hand to the good parts and shudders slightly when she reaches the spot. What is unusual though is there is no sounds of pleasure coming from the blue, but his rider doesn't seem to notice.

Cara arrives from the barracks looking tired and, perhaps most interestingly, alone for the moment. There's some stretching done, shoulder joints popping faintly though it doesn't seem to bother her too much beyond the initial wince that it brings. When she eventually spots Zaria there's no hiding the smile that spreads across her face, nor does she try to mask it, but there's a definite hesitation as she debates internally whether to intrude on such a tender looking moment - she does though, so perhaps she's not as overly mannered as she often presents. "Morning, you two." At least she doesn't just flop down beside them, she does have some manners after all.

LEIRITH CAME IN LIKE A WREEEECKING BALLLL. See, Cara's retreat from the barracks is trailed by Risali's eyes until the weyrling is gone; this sparks within a tiny (blind) gold the interest to « GO FORTH, SEEING-EYE MINION. PARTIES ARE CLEARLY HAPPENING and what kind of a party would it be without THE PARRRTAAAY? » Leirith's up-beat words are not restricted to Risa's mind alone. No, the gold projects, the throbbing bass of her voice spilling out to those unfortunate enough to be within range of her mind-shaking boisterousness before she just GOES for it. She's racing outside, narrowly missing a collision with the door as she goes when Risali scrambles to her feet with a frantic, "LEIRITH!" This is becoming a dangerously frequent occurrence. Risa doesn't wanna talk about it. The weyrling is racing outside as well, uncomfortably behind the queen is who is a proverbial bowling ball headed straight for Cara, and Zaria, and Azrith. « Ahahahaha! I ascend! » But the dragon's got goop and gauze over her eyes, a testament to her ailment as Risali focuses on the IMPENDING COLLISION AND - "LEIRITH, YOU ARE GOING TO — oh thank Faranth." It doesn't happen. Impact is avoided as the queen tries to dig in claws that don't find footing, going down on her belly and skidding to a stop just before the trio. « Aaaaaaaand OPEN! » Risa's just behind her now, chest heaving in a mixture of panic and exertion as she looks from Cara to Zaria and then doubles over. "Good morning," she says - miserable (and giddy and happy and all those other things that are buried beneath learning how to filter not-my-thoughts and a lifemate that doesn't understand that she is handicapped and needs to wait for Risa so she can see). "Are you all okay?"

Zaria looks up at Cara and smiles warmly at her fellow weyrling. She quickly pats the blanket next to her, "Sit, sit!" she encourages. Azrith raises his indigo head and stares at Cara with an appraising look and then, seemingly satisfied, lowers it again into the lap. Zar giggles a little bit at something unheard and then looks back at Cara, "Is Faeth sleeping?" she asks. Then she winces at the booming voice of the gold in her head, putting her hands to her ears, as if that will be of any help at all. When she see Leirith coming towards them, she tenses, putting her hands on the ground, ready to leap up. When she finally stops, she lets out a tense breath, and relaxed just a little bit. "Wow Risa, you have your hands full with her." she says with a beam of a smile. Azrith stretches his nose in the direction of the gold and his mindvoice croons «What an entrance for such a lovely lady.» He says with a playful tone to it. Zar blushes slightly. A startled sqwawk can be heard from inside Zar's shirt and a tiny brown firelizard head sleepily objects to all the commotion.

Cara folds slowly down onto the edge of the blanket, tucking her feet up towards her backside and wrapping her arms around her knees. "She threw up her breakfast again." No rebuke in her words or tone, just an obvious weariness tinged with sadness. "She'll probably sleep another… scrap that, she's awake." It'd be hard for the little green to sleep through Leirith's overexcited mineblast, though she's not quick in arriving on the scene. And then comes Leirith, right towards him, and the SQUEAK! that Cara lets out is accompanied by a frantic scurrying backwards on hands and heels - at least she doesn't swear, externally anyway. "Morning Risa." Ignore the panicky breathing that's only just starting to calm down, instead notice the little green that's now barelling out of the barracks to make sure everyone's okay. « What happened? »

« You think that is an entrance? One time I — » No, really, the drivel just continues, without pause, regaling her blue (AND NOW GREEN) clutchsibs of Things That Can't Have Possibly Happened (but maybe did, because this is Leirith) as Risali tries to find her own thoughts within her dragon's. "She's…" A helpless hand gesture, for which there are no words, but the smile tugging at Risali's lips definitely speaks of affection. "Unique." The world falls flat for what she is, but it doesn't matter because lookit that little brown; Risali is bright grey eyes and brilliant smiles as she croons. "He hatched? Oh, he's so handsome. Hello, little guy." But Risa's enjoyment is short-lived, because she's wincing at Cara apologetically. "I'm so, so sorry." A pause, and then a narrowing of eyes. "No new letters?" « SEEING-EYE MINION, I REQUIRE… bathing and oils. Come on. » And up the gold gets, and off the gold goes, not even waiting for Risa. They weyrling winces, hands going out towards the two as she scrambles to her feet. "I'm sorry. We'll catch up later, yeah?" But she's got a baby dragon to keep from headbutting all the walls.

Zaria's attention are on Risa and her queen, she is about to reply to the comment about her new little brown addition, but apparently Risa is needed elsewhere. She watches the goldrider head off and sighs just a little bit under her breath. Now that things have settled, Zar responds to Cara's previous comment. "Again? Poor dear, do the healers say there's anything to do?" Azrith looks over to Faeth and gives a look of pure sympathy, «Shhh lovely, it is fine. Our clutch sister is just extra effervescent today.» he has a strangely large vocabulary for someone less than a month old. He cocks his head so that Zar has access to his throat and she nods a little bit. "Right right, time for your exercises." and she reaches down for some more oil and begins to massage Azrith's the area of his throat where his vocal cords are. The skin of the throat visibly vibrates, but still no physical sound is emitted. The little brown decides that nap time was not nearly long enough and retreats back into the safety of the shirt.

« Oak and ash, I thought someone had been maimed or something. » Faeth may not have Azrith's vocabulary, but she does an interesting line in swearing. As Leirith and Risa move off the little green waddles her way over to Cara's side, settling down next to her awkwardly and leeeeeaning into her side. "Sorry baby." This is, presumably, aimed at Faeth, and Cara lifts one hand to rest on the little green's neck before looking back to Zaria, "They're not sure what it is. We're trying lots of small meals but she's always hungry so…." She breaks off and shrugs, silent for a second before adding, "We'll work it out eventually." She watches closely as Azrith's throat is oiled and exercised, "Is it sore?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you. I noticed it the other day, he doesn't make sound physically, but he makes all the usual sounds in his mindvoice so I never noticed." Zaria explains as she runs her flat hands over and over the stretched out skin of his blue throat. "The Healers think that his vocal cords are underdeveloped, so they prescribed frequent massages to loosen them up and time for them to grow a bit." Azrith seems unperturbed though as he exhales soudlessly in pure pleasure and his eyes lid themselves all the way. Zaria stares down at him with pure love in her eyes, "They are amazing, aren't they?" she turns to look at Cara with eyes sparkling.

Cara shakes her head, trying her best to not let the shock show on her face - and failing. "I didn't notice." She sounds almost horrified at her own obliviousness, apologetic even, adding quickly. "Poor baby. But at least they're hopeful, and it doesn't seem to bother him too much. Does it?" Beside her faeth lids her eyes slowly once more, sliding her head down to rest against one of Cara's feet. "Amazing." She repeats it slowly, mulling it over for les than a secone before smiling and nodding, "That's one word for them. Terrifying, that works too. But definitely amazing. It's funny, the dragonhealers have been all 'oh you poor thing' but I wouldn't swap her for the world. Grumpy stomach and everything."

Zaria nods her head enthusiastically, "I feel the exact same way." she looks adoringly down at her blue. She chuckles as she changes subjects abruptly, "My poor family. I got a letter from my mother the other day and my littlest sister, Larissa wants to come to the Weyr now to get a dragon. She's only 9. Apparently she can't stop talking about it, my mother is fair tired of hearing about it." Shakign her head a little, her voice catches with a small pang. "I was always supposed to go home you know. Coming to the Weyr was a short term distraction. I'm the only memeber of my family to not live in Black Rock Hold. It feels… weird." She trails off, not wanting to be a bummer.

Faeth's nose lifts to bump against Cara's knee in an obvious encouraging nudge before the green settles again towards sleep, there's a brief chuckle as Cara looks down towards her lifemate,something having passed between them before she comments, "Weird isn't always bad though. Is it?" She leans forwards, wrapping her arms aorund her knees once more, "I'd given up. I mean, I've been here my whole life and there's not been the slightest interest from the dragons before. My father has a brown, my mother isn't a rider, I just assumed I took after her. And now…." She stops, not needing to finish the sentence. "Will yours come to visit do you think? You could invite them, I bet your sister would like that."

"We're going to be so busy, it would be a boring visti, but once Azrith can fly with me, they will get sick of seeing me. Oh, they were at the Hatching though, all 8 of 'em, Mom, Dad and my 6 brothers and sisters." Zaria's chest swells with pride a little bit. "I didn't see much of them becase they had to go back before the feast. it was the first time they were ever on dragonback. I haven't even riden one yet, I got here by caravan!" she chuckles leans back onto her hands and looks warmly over at Cara, "Well, now you'll learn never to give up, cause look at that." gestures at Faeth, "You're a rider now! Anything is possible! And I don't even have a rider anywhere in my family tree and here I am!" This new optimistic, almost manic, Zaria is a switch. "I don't care if he never makes a sound, he's mine and we will do so much together."

Cara shakes her head quickly, "Not that boring. Short maybe, but they should see how well you're doing. You might be the first in your family, but you're definitely born for it." The compliment flows out easily, and more importantly genuinely. "My grandma actually came back for the hatching. She used to be a rider here too but she retired turns ago. First of her grandkids to Impress and it had to be me, my little sister always said I was her favourite and now… double favourite. You'd like her, I think. My sister I mean. She's a pain, but she's mostly nice."

Zaria blushes a little bit at Cara mentions the sister, "Oh no, I have enough with this one trying to set me up with every pretty face. I don't have time for that either though." she giggles and pats Azrith's muzzle and he exhales loudly in his sleep, and is there a small smirk on his muzzle, no that is surely not possible. "I sure hope I'm born for it. Time will tell." she grabs some more oil for her hands and spies a dry spot on the tip of the indigo nose and she attacks it with oily ferocity. "I swear he gets bigger while looking at him." she remarks and then asks, totally non-chalantly, "So how old is your sister?"

Cara blinks, confused. It takes a while before it dawns on her what Zaria means, and results in a rather loud, "OH! Oh no, I didn't mean that, I don't know if she's… I mean.. I didn't know you were… Oh shells." Her own blush threatens to eclipse Zaria's, the inadvertant gaffe sending up a wave of heat. "I just meant that she's nice, for a brat." Oh look there's a spot on one of her shoes, or at least she rubs at it quite vigorously so that would be an easy assumption to make. Eventually she manages to turn her embarassment down a notch or six, though the blush stays in place. "I've got two actually. Ricki's sixteen, Saria's twenty one now."

Have you ever seen a ginger blush? Well you are now, Zaria entire face becomes 50 shades of red and she looks super flustered, "Oh Faranth! I am sorry, I always think everyone knows. I am sure your sisters are lovely young ladies. I'm just so used to it not being a big deal here, I figured I would have mentioned it to you at some point." She shakes her head a little bit and smiles at her softly. So change of subject? "So…I could definitely do without butchering the beasts, I've gutted fish most of my life, but it doesn't even compare!" Smooth move Zar.

Cara ducks her head, but when it lifts again she's laughing gently, "I'm sorry. It's not a big deal, not at all, but when it comes to my sisters I'd rather never think of them doing anything ever. With anyone. Especially not with someone I'd like to call a friend. Not that there's anything wrong with you and… shells… can we just forget this bit of the conversation ever took place?" And there's a change of subject! She grabs onto it like a lifeline. "I thought I would heave the first time I had to do it, but it wasn't as bad as all that really. At least with us a big bucket can last a while, though cleaning up after isn't much fun."

Zaria nods and smiles and with a small wave of her hand dismisses the previous subject as forgotten. "Yeah, I feel bad for those whose dragons need more than that. This one is a dainty eater if ever I saw one," she lowers her voice to a whisper and shields her mouth with her hand "He's careful about his figure." A deep rumble of mind voice replies, loud enough for everyone to hear, «I can hear you know, that's kinda how this works. And you know I am touchy about my rump, it just keeps growing and growing» he says cagrined before Zar can playfully poke him on the neck, "It's supposed to do that, it's keeping up with the rest of you." She rolls her eyes at Cara with a grin.

« You'd look strange if it didn't grow and the rest of you did. » Faeth clearly wasn't as asleep as she made out, though she only slits one eye open a little to peer at her brother, « It doesn't look any bigger than it should be. I can tell you if it's getting too big if you want. » It's a half-tease, half genuine offer, but enough to mkae Cara burst into laughter. "At least we won't have to wait forever until they start feeding themselves. Just might feel like it for a while." of Azrith's rump she makes no comment, but she does sneak a glance.

Azrith wiggles the aforsaid part of his body at the appreciative audience and then suddenly gets up. «Now look what you've done? Talking about food has made my stomach all rumbly. Come Zaria.» He says in a fashion that leaves no question that he expects her to follow him, and then waddles off in the direction of the barracks and the food that is surely there waiting for him. Zar sighs heavily and shakes her head, "Yes, feeding themselves, that can't come soon enough. I will catch you later Cara." «I thank you for your kind offer my dear Faeth, I would welcome your gaze whenever you want.» his mind voice is touched by the scent of rose petals as he looks over one shoulder and was that a wink? can dragons wink? Zaria half chokes at her lifemate and scurries after him, offering a wave in the direction of the green and her mate.

Cara can't help but grin at Azrith's behaviour, though there's a momentary flicker of disappointment as Zaria has to leave. "Happy chopping." Her hand lifts in a brief wave, dropping to once again rest on Faeth's neck. « You could help them you know. » The little green's suggestion is tinged with a mix of hunger and sleepiness, but Cara makes no attempt to move. "Later, baby. Maybe later." Much later. After all there's a blanket here and no reason why they shouldn't both have a nap in the sun.


Add a New Comment
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License