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, bearing a ledge, and four large clock faces. It towers over the trees, creating quite a sight for arriving riders.
Jansk sniffs up at the air, getting up to her shorter-than-average legs so she can sqivel. she doe snot step forward or back, simply stalling when she's scented Fetch, pointing his direction only a heartbeat before he reveals himself. Janelle gets to her feet as well, consciously dusting off her pants. Tonight, night time, the young woman looks much more alert, much less like a deflated rag doll that's seen too much care, much different than their last chance meeting. "Rain is good for the plants. As long as it isn't os much to flood the mines.." Or wreak havoc like the big storm a couple months ago.
Tenebrous's shrugs is slight. "It's good for other things too, in the deep wood. Just not us." Another pause, and then with a curious hint of concern, "You can find your way back to the weyr, in the dark?"
Janelle nods her head softly, "We work most in the dark." Fingers brush over Jansk's headknobs, one slightly crooked. Her other hand lifts, however, pointing towards the Forrest's Edge, towards the mine. "But the weyr is of less important, as our den is just that-a-way." She grins briefly. "Jansk sees better in the dark, than in the daylight. The sun hurts her eyes."
There's a whuffling snuffling sound from the underbrush, then a series of clicks and trills before Hysk appears, chirping a howdy-do to Jansk. Hyrlon is only a few steps behind, but he stops short of entering the clearing, waiting to see what they're talking about.
Tenebrous nods once again, though he does slouch a little when Hysk happens onto the scene, preparation before acknowledgement. "More and more people are out in the wood," he murmurs, more to himself than any present. His hooded gaze begins looking through the trees. Where there's a wher, there's….
Jansk Takes her bretheren's greeting as a cue to happily wander off towards Hysk, not waiting any for the inevitable entrance of Hyrlon. Janelle, however, looks towards the wher, expentant fo rhis handler to show himself as well. To Tenebrous, she nods a little, "The woods are a beautiful place, when respected."
Hyrlon smiles, exiting the shadows as Hysk chirps another greeting, "Evening Janelle… shadowy guy… Hysk demanded a walk in the woods. Now I know why."
Tenebrous bobs his head to the newly arrived Hyrlon. "Sir." Then his gaze wanders to Jansk and Hysk, apparently curious about their doings.
Jansk reaches her foreleg up to paw at the air near Hysk. Play? Janelle grins softly, "Hey there, Hyrlon. Manage to get Hysk off your bed?"
Hysk clicks happily « Play! » then tackles the little green. Hyrlon chuckles, "Eventually. Took all my strength to do it, though. I think they gain weight when they're sleeping."
Janelle laughs briefly, nodding. She watches, as the whers play happily, glancing towards Hysk. She grabs hold of her beltpouch, mouthing the word 'ball'? towards the other miner.
Hyrlon chuckles and nods, "They've been good lately. I think they've earned it, don't you?"
Janelle nods a little. "We were working on focus, between Jansk and I earlier. Then she alerted me to something changing." Changing, meaning, Fetch's presence. She tosses the ball out to the whers.
Hysk jumps up, trying to catch the ball in the air, but misses with a sad little trill. Hyrlon nods, "We've been mostly working on finding and imaging. Have you seen through Jansk's eyes yet? It's really surreal."
Janelle shakes her head just briefly, watching as Jansk snaps at the ball, catching it in her maw, before taunting Hysk with what she got that he couldn't. "Not yet, I haven't. Soon, I think." Hope.
Hysk trills sadly for the lost ball, giving Jansk a giant pair of puppydog eyes. Hyrlon chuckles, "I did it on accident the first time… fell asleep while he was looking for me in the mine…
"Bet that would've seemed like quite the dream!" Janelle agrees. Jansk tosses the ball up into the air, towards the other wher, with a happy chuff. The young brown firelizard, Basalt, perches on one of her shoulders, while on the other, an even younger green firelizard occupies her other shoulder.
The rumble of thunder overhead heralds the coming of a storm from the mountains, and at long last, Tenebrous speaks. "You should find someplace dry to go to in the next few minutes. I think the rain will come soon." With almost reverent hands, he tucks his flute back into his shirt.
Vein peeks out from under Hyrlon's shirt and chirrups at the sky before going back into hiding. Hysk grabs the ball from the air and does a little happy dance, shaking his stumpy wings and shimmying his bulbous but. Hyrlon chuckles, then glances up, "The whers were terrified last time we had a storm… and there's lots of heat in lightning."
Janelle looks up with a blink. "So soon?" But she nods, trusing the man who speaks so little. "The mines are only a short distance away.. We can go there, if it starts to rain. Or one of the dens." Jansk shudders briefly at the thunderous sounds, forgetting about the ball for a moment as she presses her nose against Hysk's shoulder.
Tenebrous blinks. The mention of the word 'mine' makes him reach out to one of the trees for support. "Define…den."
Hysk shudders as well, leaning into Jansk. Hyrlon nods, "Den's a wher-home… like a Weyr, only for a wher and their handler. Cave, but safer than a mine, if that's what you're worried about, and usually furnished like a home."
Janelle nods a little, "Unless you've osmehwere better, close by.." Jansk chitter snervously, unsure if she wants to stay with Hysk, or run back to her handler.
Tenebrous actually swallows once before shaking his head. "I'll find a tree or…" He swallows again. "It sounds nice…" Someone doesn't like enclosed spacs…
Hyrlon chuckles loudly, watching Hysk lead Jansk back to stand between both handlers, "Trees aren't very safe from the rain, either."
"Or the lightening," Janelle adds, "Where do you stay?"
Tenebrous lifts one hand, as if to say, "Here." Then, out loud, "If it's…bad, I'll find someplace, I just…I wouldn't…" he swallows again. "It sounds like a nice cave…den…" then he shakes his head again. Another peal of thunder, this one louder, splits the night.
Jansk yipes with th epeal of thunder. Thunder leads to lightinging, and she knows this, and isn't about to go through that! Instead, she grabs at Janelle's pants lightly with her maw, pulling towards the dens. "Mine' slittle more then the shell, Hyrlon.. Maybe we could all head to yours? Might be a little less cave-ish..
Hyrlon nods, reaching down to stroke Hysk, "I think mine's the most homey…" He covers Hysk's eyes with his hands before the lightning flashes, but the poor little blue still gives tiny squeal of pain. He glances back up at Tenebrous, "You're welcome to come, but we can't keep them out in this. It could blind them."
Tenebrous waves a hand. "Come on. Let's get the little ones in out of the rain. I'll worry about the…cave…" He shakes his head. "Lead on."
Janelle nods in agreement, hand resting tightly over Jansk's eyes now, as she grins briefly, "Thank you.."
Hyrlon nods, "Thanks," Then looks down at Hysk, "Home, now." He didn't have to tell the poor little blue twice as he goes running off through the underbrush. Hyrlon motions the others to follow at a more… well, less panicked pace, but certainly not slow.
Xanadu Weyr - Hysk's Den
This room is very simple and spartan. Most of the room is coated in straw, with a big bucket of water in one corner. Obviously a wher's den, the lighting is minimal and all glows instead of modern lights, and even they are mostly lidded, only tiny slivers poking out here and there along the wall. Along the opposite wall stands a sturdy if well-used bed with sheets of simple black and white colorshades. A glowbasket rests on the table next to it, seemingly there for the occupant's use. One final area is walled off with thick, light-blocking partitions, enclosing a desk with modern lighting, clearly cordoned off for the sake of the den's wher-occupant. Any exterior light is blocked off by a thick blanket hung across the cave opening. Though it can clearly be pulled aside, it is thick and heavy enough to cover the entire entrance unless forcibly acted upon.
Jansk is right behind Hysk, without need of invitation, wings fluttering to allow her to skip just that little bit faster into the den, before curling up against the bed, on the floor.
Tenebrous stands at the doorway, making sure everyone's inside, but there he stays, somewhat hesitantt to enter. "It's avery…cave…" Then he shakes his head again.
Hysk moves straight to the water bucket, lapping up the fresh water in a nervous fashion before curling up next to Jansk with a tiny shudder. Hyrlon isn't visible at first when Fetch enters, having ducked into his electrically lit study to retrieve some chairs for his guests. Placing one right near the door he says, "If this makes it easier, go for it… but that fabric only keeps the rain out so well when it's windy."
Janelle nods her thanks for the chair, setting it down near the whers as they curl up together on the floor. "I hope we weren't disturbing you, back there in the clearing earlier.." she offers to Fetch.
Tenebrous accepts the offered chair with a look of profound relief, managing a "Thanks…" before plopping himself down right in the middle of the doorway. He blinks once when Janelle speaks and offers, "No, I…" he looks out into the woods. "I'm…out there. Alot."
Hyrlon smiles, "We're out there a lot, too… it's good to get the whers used to their surroundings."
Janelle nods a bit, "And it gets darker, earlier, in the forrest. They can't work or play, or look at anything in the sun, because it's too bright for them. They see heat."
Tenebrous looks curiously at the little creatures. "They look…tame." He glances up at the two of you. "There are rumors, you know."
Hyrlon chuckles, sliding into a chair himself, "They are. Wild whers are dangerous, but miners blood bond to theirs and train 'em, so they're safe so long as you don't surprise them."
Janelle nods a little. "These ones.. we've been there with them since htye hatched.. They live with us. We work with them. it's like having someone depend on us, that we depend on as well."
Tenebrous mms quietly, his eyes drifting back to the two whers as they rest. "Do they talk to you?" His voic is hushed, curious, like a child.
Hyrlon nods, "Sometimes, but only in short words or thoughts… not like dragons."
"She gives off feelings, more than words." Janelle admits, "But they're just babies still, really. Well.. Another couple months and they'll be a Turn, I guess."
Tenebrous leans in a little, his eyes not moving. "I wonder…" His normally unfocused eyes are intent on the two wherlings. "When did you start talking?"
Hysk chirps nervously at Fetch, odd eyes picking up speed of whirling. Hyrlon chuckles, "Not with their throats… with their minds…"
Tenebrous takes a moment to respond. "Oh yes…" SLowly, he looks away from them and up to Hyrlon. "Were you there? When they hatched? And before?"
Hyrlon nods, "Hysk's egg hatched in my hands. It was kind of shocking, but… hard to describe in words…"
Tenebrous nods slowly. "And before it hatched…were you allowed near the egg itself?"
Hyrlon nods, "Whers're different than dragons. You have to go in and convince the queen to let you have an egg. Then you pick one out and it's yours."
Tenebrous chuckles. "A nervous process. What happens if the Queen doesn't like you?"
Hyrlon chuckles soflty, "She throws you out. No egg for you."
Tenebrous raises an eyebrow. "Throws you…out. How does something with that many teeth throw you without breaking the skin?"
Hyrlon shrugs, "Depends how much you irritate her, I guess. Some people do get some marks for it, and I don't mean the kind that buy shirts."
Tenebrous smiles slightly. "Remind me to bring chocolates if I ever want one."
Hyrlon chuckles, "Dunno if whers can eat chocolate… Hysk mostly just eats meat… and lots of it."
Tenebrous glances down at the wher again and then back up. "I don't suppose they'd just…let me hold one of the eggs for a few moments, would they?"
Hyrlon shrugs, "Honestly…? Don't know… you might ask Kanta if you see her around since Kask's a queen who's clutched she might know more about temperment than me.
Tenebrous nods again. "Tell me… Have you ever been searched? Or even…just stood next to one of the eggs?" He looks away, towards the out of doors and the storm. "I did, once."
Hyrlon shakes his head slowly, "No, my younger brother's a rider… and I was here for the hatching, but I don't think that counts. Can't now even if I wanted to. I've got Hysk, can't have a dragon too."
Tenebrous doesn't respond at first, continuing to stare out into the storm, but after several long moments, he glances back at the whers. "I should go. I have things to do for the Master before the night is over." He stands slowly, and rests his hands on the back of the chair.
Hyrlon glances up and nods slowly, "If you have to, but that storm's still going pretty good out there." He smiles, "You're welcome to stay or come by if you need to."
Tenebrous blinks once and turns to look out the door again. "Oh," he says quietly. The look on his face suggests that he's just seen the storm for the first time. "It's raining." Then he shrugs and pats the chair once more. "That's a good chair." He smiles sheepishly and pulls his hood up once more.
Hyrlon smiles, "Thanks. My sister made them for me." He nods to the strange lad whose name he still didn't know, "Stay safe."
Tenebrous nods once, and then sluffs out of the front entrance, disappearing into the storm.