How to Say It (A'tsu/K'yne)

[lithle]

It was two days after the hatching and evening was giving away to night. A'tsu and K'yne had patrols, the usual grueling on and off schedule. But, for the time being, they'd reached a rest period and the riders were heading to their Weyrs as the sun set to steal a few hours of sleep.

A'tsu, however, was too keyed up to sleep. It'd not been an eventful patrol. It rarely was. But they'd only been at the Weyr for a few months and he wasn't yet accustomed to the schedule. Going from patrol to sleep was not such an easy thing. So he directed Meursinth to land near where the river snaked out of the jungle, far south of where the crafters set up there workshops. He'd go in, eat and rest later. For now, he wanted some peace, a moment that belonged only to himself.

Well. Himself and K'yne. Really, what was the difference though? A'tsu could hardly think of himself as independent from his lover anymore than he could think of himself as independent from Meursinth.

And, speaking of Meursinth, Tell them where we're headed?

Come join us, Calith. You and I can swim while our riders speak.

[nozomi]

To the river? Calith sounded pleased at the prospect - why shouldn't she? The river had it all! Glittering stars, comfortable sand to flop in, a cooling water to swim in and foliage to look at. K'yne enjoyed the river as well, told her often that interesting things lurked in the depths, tasty fish and plants that could be eaten. She believed him, always, and let the man be pleased with whatever it was he was pleased with. She turned his message to K'yne, voice pitched with cheer. Kaeynepretty, Meursinth and His are to the river!

He stroked her hide and Calith, with a happy, gleeful trill, dove towards the water in a barrel roll. Never a quiet dragon, she did not hesitate to creel towards her mate once they landed. Calith kneaded the ground, trilling when her rider slid off of her. K'yne unbuckled her straps, rubbing at the greens hide.

"Enjoy that, Calith?"

Yessssss. Meursinth! Let us swim. Mine is in a good mood tonight. For all her words, though, once Meursinth and A'tsu landed, she slunk to them rather then the water, K'yne trailing behind. Yes? K'yne patted her flank, eyes trailing over to his weyrmate. An eyebrow arched.

[lithle]

Meursinth was not so fancy a flyer as Calith. He landed without fanfare, let alone barrel rolls, simply settling into the grass beside the river. A'tsu dismounted with similar efficiency, only nodding to K'yne as he removed Meursinth's riding straps and gave the dragon a rough pat.

I think they will be boring, now. Meursinth stretched out his neck, nuzzling the green fondly, then moved toward the water at a relaxed pace.

A'tsu was still a moment, watching him go. He shrugged out of his riding jacket then, even in Southern, between and the skies could get damn cold, so that one was constantly shifting from one miserable extreme to another.

"Don't feel like people," A'tsu said, verbose, as ever. With another glance at K'yne he flopped down into the low grass, laying on his back with his head pillowed on his arms.

[nozomi]

Calith liked saying that it's why they each picked the boys at the same time: they could be boring, the two dragons interesting. Oh, Meursinth may not be the most playful of creatures, but the green found him entertaining enough. He put up with her, and their sometimes-boring riders. She crooned and rubbed the length of her against him in affection before following.

It's why we like them, because they are sometimes boring. Too much excitement would make anything boring. But you are not boring. Let's swim! And in she slid, a little she-snake in the water. The beach made her hide taste delicious after, but the river tended to be smoother. She liked it.

K'yne watched their dragons with something close to amusement, but A'tsu distracted him with the flopping and the words. He tugged off his hat, gloves, the riding coat, before making himself comfortable near to A'tsu's shoulder, crosslegged. One arm draped over his knee, the other over to A'tsu and his bald head, slender fingers brushing over his scalp. "Shock and surprise."

The idle strokes continued, K'yne's eyes half closed with the blessed silence. "This schedule is ... unusual."

[lithle]

If they were less boring, then we would have less time for swimming. Amusement touched the edges of the brown's tone and he followed the green into the water, entering with deliberate splashing so that droplets were thrown into the air to hit their rider's. The river was at least somewhat deep where they were, about seven feet near the center, and he lowered his head and tucked his wings, so that he might be completely under. Could I catch a fish, do you think?

As K'yne settled, A'tsu shifted, scooting back and toward the other man until his head was pillowed not on his arms but on K'yne's legs. A bit awkward with the other man crosslegged, but he was more than willing to deal with a bit of a crick in his neck if it meant relaxing with his partner.

"Mm," he said, falling silent under the familiar sensation of K'yne's touch, his mind drifting toward nothing much. He was tired. He simply didn't know how to sleep so soon after flying.

"Necessary. Be better if they had more dragons." He was silent a long moment. "The new ones? Think they'll help?"

And then, as he thought of those tiny, fragile purples, the little white, "If they survive." And yes, he sounded sad. The loss of any dragon, no matter how odd, was a loss.