Meadow
A lovely meadow, set surprisingly high above the riverbank although not enough to be entirely safe from floods. Grass beneath your feet is healthy and consists of a wide range of varieties interspersed with herbs and ground covers.
North and westwards is a sheer rock face, the side of the northern Xanadu mountain. A cluster of buildings nestled at the base of the cliffs are the stables, built here to be safely distant from dragons. South and west, a bridge spans the river while eastwards, a wide path leads to the coastal road and thence out of Xanadu territory.
The meadow has been hit by a storm, that much is clear. Leaves and branches are scattered about the area, and the ground is soggy - to walk on it may mean sinking into it. the grasses that once stood proud and tall have been flattened in places, the trails that once meandered around now are indistinguishable from the plain itself, litter and debris covering all.
C'ian is, rather peacefully, laying against his big bronzer, who's eyes are closed and resting peacefully. Upon seeing Niva and Kysli, he grins and raises a hand. "Hey!"
Niva hurries over the bridge without a backwards glance, putting as much distance between herself and the infirmary as she can before she's called back for some last detail. Smiling at C'ian she lifts her hand and waves as she closes the distance to him. "Hi!"
Kysli seems to be in the middle of an absent wander around the weyr, but hearing voices manages to return to some sort of reality. Seeing a bronze and his rider she smiles lightly and heads that direction. "Hey"
C'ian pushes off of Alhenaeth, which wakes the bronzer up. He grins at both, but not for too long, before Alhenaeth whips is tail around and hits C'ian forward, the newly made WeyrLeader soaring far, and past the other two. «Don't wake me up!»
Niva stays away from the mocking salute that would more then likely color her everyday interactions with C'ian, atleast for now, giggling at Alhenaeth's actions before blinking. "You okay, C'ian?" And the Healer blinks, hurriedly straightening and moving towards where he is.
Kysli bites her lower lip as her mouth twitches towards a grin and is obviously stiffling some sort of laugh. As the brownrider tilts her head a somewhat concerned expression does appear, "Casp?" Still uses that nickname for him.
C'ian picks himself up and chuckles some. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He stands up, turns around and grins at them, some grass stuck in his hair. "I'm really all too use to him doing that. You would think that I would learn to just duck." Alhenaeth just rumbles and puts his head back down. «I take my sleeping time very seriously. You should do the same.» What that means is anyone's guess.
Perhaps she doesn't realize who the other rider is, or it doesn't register as she uses the nickname for C'ian. Either way, Niva doesn't pay much attention as she slips to his side with a smile. "You think that, wouldn't you?"
Kysli obviously isn't being all that observant herself, and turning towards the dragon with a little grin she happens to miss Niva going to stand by the other rider. "Silly Alhenaeth" is said quietly mostly to herself.
Alhenaeth wuffles Kysli and croons. C'ian himself gives Niva and hug, before braking away and hugging Kysli with a kiss. "I haven't seen you in so long! I almost forgot what you looked like." He pokes here. "Where have you been?" He grins over at Niva. "Niva, this is Kysli. Rider of Brown Bergerath."
Niva returns the hug and then turns to arch an eyebrow at Kysli, blinking softly and shuffling backwards. Its only after a long moment that she acknowledges the introduction, nodding her head. "Well met…" And she barely manages to get the words out, gaze slipping over the brownrider as she does so.
Kysli blushes slightly while hugging back and returning the kiss lightly. Yes, she still turns pink in the cheeks rather easily. A smile is given to Niva with a nod in greeting before a somewhat confused expression crosses her face. "Hello" there is an almost questioning tone with the word, and she looks back to Casp, following the other woman's gaze.
C'ian decides perhaps it's better to just stay quiet. After too long, Alhenaeth begins to make us god awful laughing noise. «If this were me, I wouldn't have proble-» "Shut up you!" He tries to avoid this subject, totally. "Where have you been Kysli?"
Niva continues to hang back, not making any move to approach the two riders, quickly shaking her head at Kysli quickly, not bother to add any other thoughts. The Healer scuffs her feet lightly against the ground, finding her toes much more interesting then the others.
Kysli is looking back and forth between the two and then once or twice at the bronze as well. Wide eyes convey her confusion the best, and finally her mind registers the question asked. "What?" Well, mostly registers.
C'ian sneaks an arm around ky, chuckling semi-nervously. "I asked you where you've been lately! I haven't seen you in nearly a turn!" Alhenaeth continues to make his laughing noise as he wuffles Niva's hair.
Niva manages half a smile up to Alhaenaeth, turning around to focus on the bronze rather then the other two riders, the Healer biting her lip the whole time, only half listening to the conversation of the two.
Rh'al comes out of the stables, peeling some leather gloves off of his hands. Valenth soars into view, trumpeting a greeting to his rider and the general congregated public. "Well, what's going on here?" Rh'al inquires, hesitating in his steps to look around. Valenth lands behind Rh'al, missing squashing the man by a mere few feet, though both seem unperturbed by this.
Alhenaeth rumbles and almost grins. «The plot thickens…»
Kysli is quite easily distracted by the approaching of a new person and glances up and over towards Rh'al. Both Valenth and his rider get a somewhat unsure smile and nod.
C'ian grins nervously as he walks over to his Weyrsecond and gives him a high five. "How's it going Rh'al?" before leaning in and whispering "Sticky situation," to him. Alhenaeth just looks amused and nudges Niva, and then nudges Kysli. «Can I keep you two?»
"It seems C'ian would like to do otherwise…" And Niva glances over at C'ian, although whether its a pout on her face is anyone's guess. She just shakes her head at Rh'al, not bothering to answer the question. Someone else can explain, she refuses to.
Kysli seems to need an explanation actually, she isn't quite sure herself at this moment. Attention is gotten with the nudge though and she offers a hand to give the silly dragon a scritch. She stays quiet for now.
C'ian grins slightly as he turns around and faces the other two. He looks from one to the other, and then just sighs, mentally kicking himself in the rear right now. What to do. He looks to Alhenaeth for guidance. Alhenaeth looks at his rider and wuffs him. «Don't worry. I still love you! But I think you're done for.» And he starts laughing again. C'ian just makes a face.
Niva didn't do it. /He/ told her one thing, and now it seems to have gotten him from behind. She keeps her back to C'ian the whole time, glancing down and the sideways at Kysli, peering at him out of the corner of her eye.
Kysli catches the look on the bronzerider's face and tilts her head. "What's going on?" Now she's just watching him, waiting for some sort of explanation for whatever is happening. Bye now it is obvious that something is up, though it should have been obvious earlier.
C'ian sighs softly. Well, lying gets him no where, so he might as well go for the truth. "We haven't seen each other for nearly a turn, Ky. I wondered where you were the whole time. And, I know I've been gone too. Kirilla kept pushing me farther and farther from the Weyr." He sighs again and sits on the ground. "I got lonely. And Alhenaeth's been losing his flights."
Niva wasn't planning on paying any attention to his explanation, although as he starts she turns around enough to peer at him, biting her lip as she does so, eyes narrowing. She takes a deep breath, ready to add a sharp retort if she doesn't like his explanation. She didn't cause it. Yet as he sits, she makes no move to go to him, yet atleast.
From Kysli's expression she obviously is worried about where this is going. After casting a glance over in Niva's direction she settles down to sit crosslegged where she was standing, not quite looking back towards C'ian as she does. One hand tugs at a strand of grass that she begins to fiddle with, and otherwise she just waits.
C'ian doesn't much know what to say either. This is too much for him. New responsibilities, rough-housing with Qyh, and now this. C'ian just picks himself up and begins to walk towards Alhenaeth, his face blank and unlooking. Alhenaeth looks at him, crooning, feeling the stress. No more jokes now.
"I'm sure you want to be alone with Kysli, seeing as she's your weyrmate and all. I can leave, if you want." And the Healer takes a deep breath, hoping neither of them noticed the trembling in her voice as she glances from brownrider to bronzerider.
Alhenaeth rumbles softly. «We're leaving. Do not leave Niva.» C'ian jumps up to Alhenaeth's neck.
Niva blinks suddenly whirling around to glare at the pair. "Don't just leave… You can't. I mean… My stuff is up there… I should atleast get it, shouldn't I?" So she has something until the mess is sorted out.
Alhenaeth rumbles again before soaring off.
Kysli watches silently, glancing towards Niva as she speaks before getting to her feet rather quickly. "Casp?" is called out to the rider but a little too late. Standing there she just watches the bronze disapear looking lost
Niva mutters something with a shake of her head and then she glances at Kysli. "I'm goign to get a ride up there to get my things. Not as if there's any reason for them to be there anymore, its seems." And her face is becoming blochy as she heads to find a ride.
Alhenaeth croons at Kysli and croons at Bergerath. C'ian, however, is gone.
Niva hurriedly slips off of Bergerath, pausing as her feet hit the ground, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut. After a moment she slips into the weyr, and moves about here and there, picking up ever now and then an item that belongs to her. Glancing about, she doesn't see C'ian there with teh bronze and she bits her lip hurriedly.
Alhenaeth tilts his head at Niva and then lays it against the ground. «Weyr's going to be empty again…»
Bergerath settles down so that he's laying and just watches what is happening. Kysli on the other hand heads after the other, "Niva?" She doesn't sound angry or anything of that sort, maybe sad but mostly she's managing to keep her face blank.
Niva picks up a skirt and pauses, turnign to take a few steps cautiously towards the bronze. "I don't want to get in the way, Alhenaeth… I guess C'ian has a lot to worry about, and maybe I'm not part of it." What a day. First Qyh, then Kysli. At the questioning tone, she glances over her shoulder at the brownrider with a shake of her head. "I'll be out of here soon enough for you, I hope."
Alhenaeth croons at Bergerath. They're still friends, right? He nudges Kysli. Sritch me? Alhenaeth seems a little lose and sad, like a puppy who's lost its master. Alhenaeth croons at Niva. «He cares about both of you. He wants no one to leave.»
Kysli comes to a stop and shakes her head and opens her mouth to say something but closes it again after a moment. Looking at the ground by her feet she sighs, a nudge from the bronze gets a little half-hearted smile. Bergerath glances to the bronze and give a dragon-nod.
Niva tosses the skirt over her shoulder as she picks up a top, that joining the skirt and she glances at Alhenaeth. "I don't know if it seemed like it… And both of us is to confusing." Although she's not going anywhere without the cooperation of one of the two. And then she glances at Kysli quickly. "You were going to say something?"
Kysli bites her lip and shrugs slightly. "Nevermind" is said, barely above a whisper. She looks more confused than ever, depsite the fact that she now understands what did happen.
Alhenaeth croons and looks up. «Can I ask something?»
Niva turns, then with a shrug, shaking her head as she moves to plop down on the end of the bed, skirt and top still tossed over her shoulder. "Whatever…" And then she glances at the bronze, shrugging. "Not as if it matters, but I guess."
Alhenaeth lowers his head down to the ground again. « He hasn't gone home in a long time, has he? »
Kysli tilts her head, looking at Alhenaeth questioningly. She doesn't quite understand the question. It does distract her for a moment though.
Alhenaeth just lays there, looking at them. He doesn't say anymore.
Niva blinks in confusion at the bronze before shaking her head. "Not since I came up here, atleast not that I know of." And that's 3 months. And with a sigh she flops backwards on the bed, mutterign something perhaps close to 'Sorry'.
Kysli wanders over to the bed where Niva has plopped and sits down next to her. "You've been staying here for three monthes?" No anger, just the curiosity. Bergerath doesn't seem as down anymore which is a good sign.
Niva glances over at the brownrider, fingers plucking absently at the clothing over her shoulder before she nods. "About that long, in any case. When I'm not on long shifts in the infirmary."
Shigure squawks and flits around before she starts flying all over the place, seemingly searching for something.
Kysli nods, looking at both of her hands which are placed on her lap, fiddling with that same strand of grass. The flit is given a small smile as she watches.
Shigure finds what she's looking for and sqawks again, picking up Caspian's flute and looking around, she takes to the air, flute in tow.
Niva glances up at the gold, blinking for a long moment, starting to ask her normal question of the gold. And then she blinks. "Where are you taking that, little one?" Not like she really expects an answer, however. And then she glances over at Kysli, biting her lip. "Are you mad?"
Kysli tilts her head and shrugs again, not looking back towards Niva. "I…" her voice is almost lost sounding but she continues after taking a slightly shaky breath. "I guess not."
Niva keeps her gaze on the brownrider, having gained a bit of confidence, only noticing the disappearance of the gold in passing. "I wouldn't have, but he said he hadn't seen you in forever…" And then she realizes what she's said and hurriedly shakes her head. "But don't blame it on him, really…"
Kysli nods, and shifts back a bit so she can turn sideways and see the other. "I don't" is whispered before she glances back down. Bergerath gives a little croon in his rider's direction, eyes whirling a little with worry.
Niva glances over at the brown before peering back at the rider with a long sigh. "Are you sure? Are you… Are you okay?" That's as much a question to ask as anything.
Kysli nods, not looking up though and biting her lip briefly. She does that a lot doesn't she, one of those habits of hers.