Xanadu Weyr - Clock Tower - Dragon's Ledge
This is a simple ledge, built of the same stone that comprises the clock tower itself. It's large enough for one dragon to stretch out on, and has railings along two sides—the sides perpendicular to the tower. The farthest edge is left railingless for ease in takeoff and landing, and the tower frames the other edge. Underneath the ledge, a pair of shelf supports that protrude from the clock tower wall itself supports the ledge, so it's quite safe for dragon and human alike. Where weight is concerned, it could probably hold a pair of queens. Of course, the ledge isn't nearly big enough.
There's a human-sized door on the tower's wall where a human can venture out onto the ledge if he or she so chooses. Seems this ledge isn't just for dragons. There's only two ways off this ledge, the door in the wall…or straight down. The door would be a far less dangerous way to leave, however…since this ledge is three and a half stories up!
It took a while, but Soriana is finally alone up on the clocktower ledge. Well, not quite alone. There's a brown firelizard curled in her lap as she sits crosslegged near the railing and stares out at the forest. The sky has turned the bright pink and orange of sunset, Rukbat resting near the horizon, and Soriana stares out at the forest with a distant gaze. Perhaps, despite the steady tick tock of the clock, she has lost track of time.
The place has been well-kept, despite the maker of the clock being gone. So that regular ticking is exactly that, regular and accurate. It's a soothing sound, not too loud, just loud enough to lull one into a sleep.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Suddenly the sound of a dragon's wings can be heard in the distance, a regular beat much like the ticking of the clock she's resting inside. Before too long, a dragon comes into view, a sky-blue colored one with silvery-gray stripes. There is someone on his back, just one someone. And it looks like they're headed for the ledge.
Tick. Tick. Whum. Tick. Tick. Whum. The sound of draconic wings and that of the clock accompany each other, their rhythms layering on each other, adding to the complexity. At first, Soriana doesn't notice, but as the wingbeats rise in the mix, she stirs from her thoughts and looks to see the blue dragon approaching. She's unsurprised - this is a Weyr, after all - but she doesn't recognize this dragon. That's interesting. Those stripes are rather distinctive, if it isn't just the light. Her hand moves like she's considering getting up, but a moment later, returns to her lap and pets the firelizard's back as she stays just where she is, though her eyes follow the dragon and his rider.
And yes, it does look like the dragon's going to land at the ledge. In fact he does, and as he does, Soriana gets her first really good look at the rider. It's a tall, muscular fellow with auburn hair, dark skin — and a veritable roadmap of scars all over his exposed arms. He's got on a black sleeveless turtleneck, loose green pants, and heavy boots.
Oddly, his hair hangs in fron of his face, so when he first lands, his face is not visible. However, he'll turn to her after he lands, as if considering her. There are scars on his face, too… but there's a very noticeable one across the bridge of his nose. He doesn't say anything at first. Then he offers a nod. "…Hello." And then slides down from the dragon's back.
A few things stand out. Firstly the dragon's eyes are a solid shade of yellow, and his head droops. Even the sound of greeting that the dragon gives is sad. The rider wears no knot, and there are no visible signs of him having any rank or posting.
The rider's eyes are cold, his face unreadable. He seems pleasant enough, though.
The wind of the blue's landing makes Soriana's hair fly, but she remains otherwise unmoving. She glances up to the rider himself - some former Xanadu weyrbrat, impressed at another Weyr and returning for a visit? If he is, A'dar is too old for her to remember, and so after a moment's inspection of his face, she returns that nod with a small one of her own. "Hey." Her eyes wander from the rider to his dragon, and she frowns. She nudges the brown firelizard with one hand, and he flaps up to perch on the rail as Soriana rises to her feet. She winces for a moment as she discovers pins and needles have set it, reaching for the rail to steady herself as her gaze searches over the blue dragon, looking for signs of ill health to cause that droop - and never mind they came to the clocktower instead of the Annex where one might actually expect to find a dragonhealer.
Physically, the blue seems fine. There's no visible wounds, favoring of limbs — whether that be leg or wing — that indicates his slumped posture is anything physical. He isn't too terribly old, either, so it's probably not arthritis or age. And given the way the rider steps forward to nuzzle the dragon's head, murmuring soft words, it isn't neglect. In fact, the hide of the dragon shows health and great nutrition.
The body of the person? Not so much. He's gaunt and pale, even under that dark skin, and his eyes have dark circles under them. His hair's flat and lacks anything resembling lustre. But at least he's been taking care of his dragon, so there's that.
Once he's decided he's loved up on his dragon as much as he needs to, he'll look to Soriana again. There's a long pause, as he considers her thoughtfully. "…What brings you here?" His voice is soft, quiet… and hoarse. As if it's been a long time since he's spoken.
So, nothing wrong… physically. Soriana nods slightly as she comes to that decision, and her gaze goes back to the rider. A closer look, now, and what she sees there makes her nod again. A dragon and rider affect each other. That's an early lesson. Their bond still seems strong, though; enough so to make her smile ever so slightly. Smiles aren't coming easily to her face right now. When A'dar looks back at her, she meets his gaze steadily, shifting onto her foot more solidly now that the pins and needles have gone. At his question, she raises one shoulder in a shrug. "I wanted a place to think." One corner of her mouth twists up, and she adds, "To get away."
That's all right, smiles don't appear to come easily to the blue-rider, either. However, the blue is at least still curious enough to reach over and sniff at Soriana. The rider seems content to allow this for now. And as the blue sniffs at her, his rider speaks, quietly, "…This place… it is that. It was… what I wanted when I built it." That's not a bragging tone in his voice, just the factual tone of a man relating a truth.
There's the closest thing to a smile yet as the blue extends toward Soriana, and she reaches out a hand to him in an easy gesture of greeting. A'dar's words draw her gaze to him, and then past him, out over the railing to look into the distance. Her look turns pensive. "Getting away doesn't work as well when someone follows you," she says in an observational tone. "It's still good for thinking, though." She returns her gaze to A'dar, giving him another look to make sure she doesn't recognize him. She still doesn't. "You built it?"
A'dar gives an affirmative grunt to the question. "…Mhm." He pauses, as if that's all he's going to offer. But then he notes, "…After I first Impressed, my weyr was here. After 'she' left, I needed something to occupy myself. So I spent several Turns building this. Almost fifteen Turns ago."
As for the blue? He seems glad for the touch of another human who isn't going to hurt him or his rider. And so when she reaches her hand out, he gives a soft churring sound, setting the side of his face against her hand. He can please has petpets?
"Ah," says Soriana, and lets that answer simmer for a moment. Her gaze wanders back to the tower itself, looking up along it, and her fingers stroke along the blue dragon's cheek, around to the top of his head. He can indeed have the pettings. Even distracted, Soriana is rather good at dragon-petting, with experienced fingers. Silence for a moment save for the clock, and then, "Do you still miss her?" she asks suddenly, her head turning back to A'dar with question in her eyes.
Purrr….
Can a dragon purr? This one's doing a pretty good impression of it, even if the sound isn't exactly a perfect representation of a feline's purr. As she does the petpetting, A'dar's hand strokes lightly over the blue's neck, a feather-touch. And then that question. One that stills him completely, and draws a frown. "There's no point in it," A'dar replies to the question. A pause. "…But yes. I always will."
He draws something from his pocket, looking at it for a moment, a wistful look there for a moment. In that moment, the little thing he's pulled from his pocket is visible. It's a silver pocketwatch, and it has a woman's face carved in relief on the side he looks at.
Purr or not, that sound is contentment. Soriana's fingers scritch over brow and brush along muzzle as she waits for her answer. She doesn't seem to be in any rush, nodding at A'dar's first, then sighing at his second. "That's what I thought," she says. "I don't think I…" She pauses, shaking her head to contradict herself. "I don't want to forget." Her gaze drifts down, falling on the dragon, and she watches her fingers pet for a moment before glancing up to A'dar again - or at least to the shiny that is that watch. Her mouth quirks up on one side.
Well, after a moment, A'dar puts that watch away, sighing slightly. He pauses, then, looking to the blue as a swirl of green enters the yellow of his eyes. And then? He looks to Soriana. "…He's asked me… what is your name?" A pause… and something like a smile pulls at the very corner of his mouth. "…He is… pleased with the petting."
"I'm Soriana," she answers, looking to the blue as she says it. He's the one who wants to know, after all. She brushes a hand back over the top of his head, then glances up to A'dar again. "He's sweet," she says with a fractional smile in answer, one that's more a softening of her eyes than her mouth curving. "Are you staying long?" she asks, and her gaze returns to the dragon while she awaits an answer, her fingers scritching over seemingly-neglected spots.
After the name is offered, A'dar nods. Another pause. And then, "…A'dar. My name is A'dar." Another pause, long enough for her compliment and the question to both be offered. "…He thanks you. His name is Zeituth." There's a pause before he answers her question. "Not long, no… just coming back to see the place again…." Once gets the impression he may be planning to be gone a while.
Two names given, and Soriana nods to both of them in turn. She glances up to the clock once more as he talks of seeing the place, and with her eyes on that, she says, "They keep it running, the… smithcrafters." She frowns slightly on that last word. "It'll keep going for a while yet, I think."
Perhaps it'll even last as long as memories and regrets.