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Post by lithle on Jun 21, 2011 20:14:04 GMT -5
The touch of a mind woke L'vey and very shortly he was dressed, on Faeth's back, an on the hatching sands. Leshta was waiting for him there. They spoke only briefly, the goldrider explaining that Semith was lonely and wanted company. Now. In the middle of the night. Leshta wasn't going to deny her. And L'vey wasn't going to deny Leshta.
It was bright at least, for nighttime. The moons were high and it was a cloudless night. The sands were ringed with guards as they always were. Semith was wide awake, sitting up, her tail wrapped around her feet. Her eyes were mostly green, with purple hinting at her anxiety. Leshta had already returned to her side, she stood with her back against Semith's hide. Iiateth's eggs shone even in such weak light, their father nearby. They were very beautiful, and L'vey was a little worried they may have killed their mother. She was still very ill.
"Well, Faeth?" he asked, settling his hands against the green.
If you wish to touch the eggs, come to the sands. Ask a guard to escort you if it's needed. She touched only a few minds among the candidates, selecting those who were already awake, despite the strange hour. Semith is waiting. Remember, it is okay to speak, but be polite. Bow when you arrive. Be cautious, the parents are on edge. Now, don't dawdle. It's rude to leave a mother waiting.
Well then, that should do it. If any of those awake had a bit of curiousity, Semith would soon have visitors.
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Post by Evadne on Jun 22, 2011 17:25:03 GMT -5
The healers had assured Lostris that the itching she felt in her ankle was a sign of the bones knitting together again. They'd offered a little something for her other aches and pains, of course, but there was nothing to be done for the itching. She'd politely turned down the offer. Feeling the process of healing meant she was alive, at least. That was more than could be said for some. Both human and dragon, if the escapees were as talented at tending to eggs as they were at being productive members of society.
The itching meant that she was kept from sleeping but that was all right too. With so many off of the rolls entirely until they healed, they were short a number of hands.
Lostris didn't mind filling in. It let her feel useful.
She was being useful when someone pounded on the inside of the barracks door. It took her a moment to coordinate her feet and the canes to get to the slot in the door that, when pushed back, allowed the prisoners inside to converse with the guards after hours. One look at the face on the other side of that small opening was enough, with what they said, to convince her they were telling the truth. "Faeth says Semith wants to see some of the candidates."
As she unlocked the door, Lostris' mind turned over the fact that even the best liar in the world, the worst criminal, would probably be unable to hide the fact that a dragon had just spoken to them. It was unique. It showed in the eyes.
And it felt good to see the eyes of a criminal looking so vulnerable. To see their face so pale.
Her charge wasn't impatient to get to the sands, which was just as well. Lostris kept them in front of her but they had to keep to her pace, which was slow. Still, she mused privately, the canes didn't have a bad balance. She bet she could take someone in the back of the head with one if she threw it just right.
Thinking about the mechanics of how to take someone down with a crutch kept her mind off of the throb in the ankle, and keeping an eye on the back in front of her kept her mind off of how much distance they had to cross. By the time they reached the sands, she'd broken out into a cold sweaty. Biting the inside of her cheek kept her head clear though and she was able to maintain an impassive expression as they appeared. She dipped her head respectfully to L'vey, and dipped it deeper still to the dragons present, particularly Semith. Then she kept her place near the entrance, a narrowed and watchful eye on the prisoner she'd escorted in.
Let them get up to no good. Just let them try.
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Post by lithle on Jun 22, 2011 19:52:19 GMT -5
Shortly after Lostris escorted her charge to the sands, Semith twisted and nudged her rider with the tips of her forked tail. It was clear enough that some sort of conversation was going on between the crippled gold and Leshta, the short woman tilting her head to the side and frowning. The purple in the queen's gaze seemed to be increasing. Whatever was on her mind, it worried her.
Leshta shook her head, shrugged, and quickly crossed the sands, moving with a relaxed ease that both her weight and exhaustion suggested ought not be possible. She grabbed L'vey by the arm, pulling him aside, and the two held a brief, whispered conference. When it was done, Leshta returned to her dragon's side.
L'vey, on the other hand, approached the wounded guard standing by the entrance. "I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, his voice quiet. "Semith is very, let us say, anxious tonight. She feels the eggs are in need of company."
He did not offer his own opinions on Semith's anxiousness, nor did his soft, level tone suggest any. "She's asked if you will touch the eggs. It would be a favor to the Weyr-, that is, it'd be a favor to Goldrider Leshta and myself. It may even do the eggs some good. But touching them can be distressing, especially if you're not prepared for it. We'll understand if you choose not to."
Well, he'd understand. Leshta was another matter entirely. Best not to mention that part.
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Post by Evadne on Jun 22, 2011 21:32:11 GMT -5
The rider's approach was unexpected. Lostris had been slipping into her own thoughts, maintaining her vigil of the prisoner as her mind began to wonder. L'vey's quiet comment brought her back to the present. She turned her head and studied him for a moment. It seemed to take that long for his comment to work its way through her shields.
Once it did, her eyes flicked towards Semith. Or perhaps it was Leshta she looked at. Either way, the study didn't last long.
"Yes sir." Just that. She wasn't one to waste words, though she did favor L'vey with a faint smile. It spoke for her, of appreciation for the option to refuse, and dismissal of the same.
Of course, getting to the eggs was another matter entirely. Lostris sized up the sands with their uncertain footing and their fragile burdens. She'd never admit it but it made her feel uneasy, to stump out there with a bad ankle and gripping two canes. Making her way towards the nearest egg seemed the safest route. Larger wasn't a bad bet either; less chance of toppling over when she bent to place her hand flat on the rough surface of the Pernese Totem Egg.
How hard could it be? It was strange but not unpleasant to have Shea's green bespeak her.
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Post by lithle on Jun 22, 2011 22:01:36 GMT -5
For Lostris:
Tsk-tsk. Stumbling about with that leg? And what sort of guard would you be if you made it worse? The Pernese Totem Egg radiates concern of the slightly overbearing variety. It would very much like to get Lostris a cup of tea and a chair but, see, it's an egg. There's the gentlest bit of disapproval, too. She has a brother here? Why isn't he looking after her? Family is important!
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Post by giftwrapped on Jun 23, 2011 10:49:01 GMT -5
It was quiet. Kaskirk enjoyed the quiet, somewhat. It gave him a lot of time to think about things, in a way that didn't threaten him. He liked the silence of patrolling, and the ability it gave him to plan his possible reaction in the case of another outlaw attack. For now, at least, he was able to more or less do nothing and let his mind wander, as he looked into the darkness and listened to the quiet of the Sands behind him.
Tonight, he wasn't on shift. It was his evening off, which meant that he was going to make himself useful in a way he ought to have been long before the Incident. And if he couldn't have done anything to stop the theft of the eggs that night, he would at least do everything he could to keep them safe. Which explained why he was standing on the edge of the Sands, staring dramatically out into the distance, when Semith began to stir. The arrival of others didn't result in much heed from the man, although the fact that a fellow guard showed up in Lostris attracted his attention a bit. He knew the woman, and assumed she was escorting a prisoner - something Kas wasn't allowed to do.
His superiors had long since decided that anyone who could be goaded into a fistfight with a few words probably shouldn't be allowed to spend extensive unsupervised one-on-one time with angry Pernese people. Just...as a general rule. But that was all for the best, since Kas would probably have keeled over from boredom and a need to do something if he had been required to spend the night in the prison waiting for something to happen. But he respected Lostris and her ability to do it, and he would have gone over to say hello to the fellow guard if Semith hadn't apparently requested that she touch the eggs.
Wait - what? Lostris wasn't a Candidate, she was a guard! Kas boggled for a moment, but then he sighed, resting a hand on his sword and starting a slow patrol around the Sands. Better for him not to be standing still for very long, or he'd either get bored or start falling asleep. And a good guard never slept when there was work to be done!
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Post by Evadne on Jun 23, 2011 15:21:24 GMT -5
Lostris' first instinct upon feeling the rush of sensory and emotional impressions from the egg was to adopt a parade stance. That is what one did when receiving a lecture, whether it had been earned or not. She caught herself just as she lifted her hand from the egg and reached for the cane she'd left tilted against her leg, her spine already stiffening.
Then it occurred to her that whatever was hiding in that shell, it probably wasn't her direct superior.
Thus, the Totem egg received a stern look. For shame, little egg, flexing a rank you didn't possess. And you not even hatched yet. Not to mention thinking poorly of Shea? No, the guard did not approve at all. Nor did she dignify its wave of tsk tsking with a reply. She gripped the canes and carefully maneuvered herself backwards. She wasn't flustered so much as puzzled, and a little taken aback. Better to return to her duties...
Except Semith was still there, and Leshta. And L'vey. Had they wanted her to touch one egg or all of them? Even at half size, the clutches were far too...
Ah ha. A flicker of movement, the pacing of a patrolling compatriot, gave Lostris an idea on how Semith's demands might be met without Lostris having to struggle through all of the sands. She turned her head and sought to catch the goldrider's eye before looking, quite deliberately, in Kaskirk's direction.
Look, more company. Just an idea. A suggestion, really. Not even one spoken aloud, either.
She left those chips to fall where they may before turning to continue with the charge she'd been given. Another egg, then? Yes. First she glanced to study the position of her prisoner, making certain they were up to no mischief. Then she sized up her other options. The Elegant Lattice Egg was large enough that she needn't bend down to touch its crown. Lostris crutched herself in that direction and took care to rest the cane carefully against her hip before she reached out to do just that.
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Post by lithle on Jun 23, 2011 22:58:40 GMT -5
((Sorry, it's late, I'm about to get to bed, but I wanted to get Kaskirk involved. So this is choppy, but, hopefully effective.))
Leshta was watching Lostris. This was not, actually, all that surprising. After all, Lostris was a not a candidate, but was on the sands, touching the eggs. The fact that she was doing this without full use of her limbs didn't exactly improve matters.
But who was she to complain? Semith wanted people with the eggs, she wanted them now. And Leshta, well, she just wanted to soothe the worry out of her lifemate's eyes.
The first clutch had been so much easier. Well, of course it had been. One could hardly expect Semith to take the same attitude this time around. But Leshta missed her dragon's easy cheer. She'd always depended on it to lighten her own moods. Now her attitude had gotten so bad that even she was getting sick of her.
Regardless of the angst behind her actions, the point remained, she was watching Lostris. So she did catch the guard's eye, and saw her pointed glance toward another guard circling.
What did the woman think? It was open season on eggs? That Semith would just invite any idiot who happened to be wandering by to touch them? Well she sure had another thought--
Yes. That one too. It was all Semith said. Leshta couldn't bring herself to argue. Whether that was because she'd lose or because she couldn't stand the mournful sound of the gold's once bright voice, it was best not to ask.
"You. Guy." Her voice was loud, cutting sharply across the quiet sands. She wasn't going to walk all the way to L'vey again. She gestured sharply, indicating he should approach. "Semith wants you to touch the eggs. They're--. She--." But where was the loneliness? In the eggs, or in Semith? Who was Leshta to judge? "Just join your friend."
She paused, the anger and irritation gone from her voice when she spoke again. "Please. It means a lot to her."
"As many as you like, of both clutches." Semith had become almost as attached to Iiateth's children as she was to her own.
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Post by lithle on Jun 24, 2011 8:14:35 GMT -5
For Lostris:
Oh, hello! The Elegant Lattice Egg is pleased to meet Lostris! And isn't she looking lovely today. Of course she is! Oh, but look at her mind, all tied up with duty and service. All well and good, honest, the egg's not judging. It's just, well, when does she find time for fun, hmm?
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Post by giftwrapped on Jun 25, 2011 11:34:01 GMT -5
Oh Faranth, what?
Kaskirk's head jerked up at Leshta's speech, and he whirled to face her, giving an awkwardly belated bow. She wanted him to touch the eggs? Well...Faranth, he was supposed to be guarding them, not touching them. The guard, frowning slightly, rose from the bow and glanced awkwardly around. He didn't want to disobey the Weyrwoman, but this just...wasn't his place. He wasn't a Candidate! Hadn't been since High Reaches - but who was he to disobey the wishes of Semith. "Of course, Weyrwoman," he answered with all the grave seriousness he could muster.
And then he was off, wandering among the eggs and trying to decide what to do. He understood how Touchings worked. That wasn't something you forgot, after all. But with that said, he wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself. His glance at Lostris was speculative, and he made a note to talk to her afterward (was chatting during the Hatching all right? He honestly wasn't sure, but he figured Lostris probably wouldn't appreciate the intrusion. He'd talk to her later, then. For now, the eggs called...and he really ought to choose one.
Eventually, his attention was drawn by the largest of the Opal's eggs. Faranth, that thing was...well, it was stunning. And Kas had to admit he was drawn by the bizarre aura of power. "Hey, there," he said quietly, reaching down to the Taste of Fire egg.
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Post by Evadne on Jun 25, 2011 19:50:46 GMT -5
The weight of Leshta's eyes on her, and the displeasure in them, followed Lostris. No, not weight, she mentally corrected herself. Intensity.
She caught the swell of her lower lip between her teeth, her expression safely hidden from the other woman. Alienating the goldrider seemed the worst possible thing she could have done. This...this was why she preferred the life of a guard. Why had she put her head up? Doing so always risked getting a bolt between the eyes.
The patter from the egg whose surface she was touching couldn't soothe. Fun? This one simply wasn't capable of understanding.
She gave its shell the gentlest of pats and reached for her cane again. As Kaskirk went by, she tilted her head to favor him with a glance. A slight nod offered up both respect and thanks for his presence, though Lostris took care to keep her expression impassive. No bitten lip, no twitch of worry for her faux pas.
She may have annoyed Leshta but at least she wouldn't be facing this ordeal alone. And that was a soothing thought. She summoned her strength, gritted her teeth against the pain swelling in her leg and began to lurch slowly towards the Masked Menace Egg. Another large one. She wondered how many Semith wished for them to visit; the larger eggs were growing fewer and she was resigned to flailing like an idiot trying to bend down to the smaller ones. But first, this egg. Taking care, she reached out to brush her knuckles over its shell.
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Post by lithle on Jun 25, 2011 20:13:50 GMT -5
"Goldrider will do," Leshta said to Kaskirk. Her voice was once again laced with acid bitterness, touched now with the sort of humor that was intended to hurt. In this case, at least, Leshta only intended the hurt for herself. "We have no need of Weyrwomen here. They complicate the chain of command."
Her attention went back to Lostris, watching the guard's slow, awkward progress. Of all of the people for Semith to dragon onto the sands, she had to pick some woman who had doubtless injured herself trying to stop the breakout.
Darling...
No answer. The silence like sharp teeth, sliding past flesh into soul. Fine, if she had to stand here suffering Semith's moods, she wasn't going to help some anonymous limping guard.
And that was unworthy and she hated herself for it.
"Don't push yourself too hard," she said and the words came out hard and cold instead of kindly, as she'd intended.
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Post by lithle on Jun 25, 2011 21:25:08 GMT -5
For Lostris:
The Masked Menace Egg almost shivers under the unfamiliar touch. Who's that? What does Lostris want? Is she here to hurt the clutch? The egg quickly, anxiously riffles through Lostris' thoughts, all anxiety and distrust. But it eases as it gets a sense of her. The egg clearly isn't afraid of her. It's just afraid.
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Post by nozomi on Jun 26, 2011 9:54:01 GMT -5
For Kaskirk:
For a moment, the Taste of Fire egg lays quiet under Kaskirk's hand. Then - life! A solid, if a bit dominating of a presence pushes at the mans mind, curiously poking about his brain. A guard? A somewhat odd guard, but one nevertheless. There is a bit of doubt that Kaskirk is not just ALL talk but outside of that, the dragon inside the egg greets him pleasently.
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Post by giftwrapped on Jun 26, 2011 22:56:41 GMT -5
Oh, that was interesting! And... "Hey!" Kas frowned at the egg for a moment. "I'm not all talk!" His expression was momentarily miffed, but then he chuckled to himself and gave the egg a gentle pat. At least it was pleased to see him, if nothing else. "Seriously, though," he added in a low voice, expression slightly miffed. "Just you give me a chance and you'll see what I can do!" And then, abruptly, he realized what he was doing and glanced sheepishly over first at Lostris, then at Leshta. Faranth, what was he doing here? He wasn't cut out for dragons! But a queen's request was a queen's request. And Kaskirk didn't jilt ladies.
His attention turned, then, and he moved away from the Taste of Fire egg to another, similarly bright one of the opal's clutch. Expression cheerful, he whistled a short tune to himself as he strolled over and pressed his hands to the Tribal Beauty egg. "And what about you, my dear?" he asked the future dragonet with a wry smile. "Anything to say, or are you going to doubt me, too?"
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