[PRP] 10.04.183 The Littlest Dragons

[TawnyAngel]

[10.04.183. A rest day.]

They had hoped, everyone had hoped they were sure, that the white hatchling would turn out to be perfectly healthy after a few good meals. Apparently that wasn't the case. It was hardly unprecedented - whites were vastly more likely than any other colour to be shelled with deformities like Cimarath's leg, or more serious but less visible conditions such as the new weyrling seemed to suffer from - but they still felt for him and his rider and worried about their future, especially with the threat of the plague hanging over the whole clutch.

Even so where there was life there was hope and that was always something to celebrate, as was having another white in the world.

We're special, Cimarath said with a playful mental grin as he lounged out on his ledge in the early spring sunshine.

"You are special," Ilharen chucked in response as he carefully rolled up the note and passed it to Harmony. "There," he tickle the golden firelizard, "now you take that to the weyrling barracks, to this one and this one." As he spoke Ilharen pictured the command too - firelizards didn't really understand words beyond simple command words - and then pictured the young woman and her white bondmate.

Harmony trilled her understanding and rubbed her little face against Ilharen's fingers before hopping into the air, vanishing between, and reappearing once more just outside the barracks cavern to seek out her quarry.  

[Revel1984]

For the first couple of weeks Kindra was almost scared to breathe heavily around Asparagoth, he spent almost all his time sleeping, he ate but it was in such small amounts at a time everyone was worried, Yes he was a white and they were normally frail anyway, especially at first but he had visible trembles, he could barely stand on his own for the first few days that Kindra carried him everywhere he'd needed to go, something he didn't much protest to as he'd enjoyed the contact, not to mention he would get distressed whenever he couldn't see Kindra, forgetting at times their mental connection so she rarely left his side for anything. The most worrying moments were the times he woke up, forgetting who Kindra even was, at least until she would send the memories of his impression to her, though she was always able to calm him, soothe and comfort him.

It was a couple of months after Impression and while he was stronger, less panicked when he woke up confused, he was still pretty frail. His sleeping habits were spotty at best, moreso than most other weyrlings, he would sleep in small snatches, more naps than actually sleeping, Between her worry and Asparagoth's confusion Kindra was exhausted, barely even noticing when a firelizard appeared in her doorway, she was laying on the very edge of her bed, Asparagoth curled tightly against her as she draped her arm over him, holding him close.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Chrrp!" Harmony greeted cheerfully and held the wrapped up note out to Kindra. When opened it revealed... writing? Well yes, it was writing, but the penman clearly wasn't hugely comfortable with the quill and as such had formed each letter blockily.

Deer Kindra of White Asparagoth,

Hoping you can join me outside for lunch, I thougt it would be nice for Asapragoth to meet another white.

Please send Harmony back with your response.

Yours,

Ilharen of White Cimarath  

[Revel1984]

Kindra carefully untangled herself from her dragon, getting down off the bed to take the note? from the flit. She squinted as she read it, clearly the quill was not their first choice. She tried to remember which white rider that was but off the top of her head she just couldn't think. Sighing, she gave the flit a small treat to keep her there until she'd written a reply, she could have asked Asparagoth to send the message but he was still sleeping, though it was lighter since she'd moved, he'd wake soon enough and she didn't want to disturb him.

She sat at the little table and grabbed a quill and some parchment

Dear Ilharen of White Cimarath

We would be delighted to take you up on your offer of a meeting, now Asparagoth is getting stronger i think some fresh air outside may do him some good.

We shall be there within the hour as he is sleeping at this present moment but is due a small feed very soon regardless. We will look forward to seeing you both.

Kind regards

Kindra of White Asparagoth

Her penmanship was clearly well practised but even so, it was blotted here and there but she ignored it, something she would normally be horrified at, it was a decent enough letter. She rolled it up and gave it to the firelizard "off you go then, back to your owner"  

[TawnyAngel]

Harmony gave another little trill as she accepted the note and then, with a bob of her head and a friendly feeling, she disappeared between.

An hour later saw Ilharen spreading out a blanket in a comfortably sheltered area of the weyrbowl close to the weyrling barracks as Cimarath spiralled overhead on the lookout for their guests.

D'you think I over-catered? Ilharen wondered to his dragon as he turned to look speculatively at the large basket of food he'd fetched and prepared, there was rather a lot but as he didn't know what Kindra liked it'd seemed sensible to have a wide spread.

You'll be a wide spread if you eat all of that, the white replied with the feeling of a cheeky grin.

Forks t'you, Ilharen laughed and shook his head, we can share anything we don't get through with the wing or give it t'Kindra t'take back t'the other weyrlings, it won't go wasting. Wasting food was criminal in his book, there was no excuse for it at all.  

[Revel1984]

Not too long after the flit had disappeared, Kindra had gotten dressed into smart, but weyrling appropriate clothing, not that she liked wearing it but it was easier than getting stains out of silk, she missed her pretty dresses quite often these days, she'd also scrubbed up, washing her face with cold water to try and wake herself up, dragging a brush through her hair before tying it back off her face.

Not long after that Asparagoth woke, thankfully without any confusion, though slightly distressed that Kindra wasn't immediately there because she'd been there when he'd fallen asleep, she'd had to go soothe him first.

"Asparagoth dear, we've been invited to meet with another white and their rider, a Cimarath, and Ilharen... i think" she checked the letter "yes, i was right, good" she murmured to herself

"ooooh i get to meet another like me?" he asked her

"darling there is no one like you, you're special" she said smiling, warm comforting feelings crossing through their bond and he chuckled. She decided to give him a quick oiling before venturing out, he wasn't growing especially fast but it made her feel better to cover and check every inch of him regularly.

Some time later, quite possibly a little more than an hour, she and Asparagoth slowly made their way to where the other white rider had suggested they meet, Asparagoth had wanted to make a good impression and insisted he walk on his own four legs, however wobbly that was, he only needed to lean on Kindra a few times.

"Ilharen!, greetings" she called politely when they were closer "Apologies if we're late, it couldn't be helped" she said, feeling genuinely bad about being tardy to the meeting. "This is Asparagoth" she introduced the white who dipped his head, picking up on Kindra's need to show respect and be formal.

"Greetings Ilharen of Cimarath" he said politely, his gaze wandering looking for the larger white but his poor vision meant he couldn't see them at all unless they were closer than about 15ft  

[TawnyAngel]

With no immediate sign of Kindra and Asparagoth Ilharen had settled down to some whittling, and would probably have remained happily absorbed in that and oblivious to Kindra's approach if not for mental nudges from both his dragon and his firelizard. As it was he had enough time to fold up the cloth he'd had set over his lap to catch wood shavings and to stand up as the pair approached, a warm open smile lighting his face.

"Ah, Kindra, Asparagoth, hello!" Ilharen crossed his right arm over his chest briefly in greeting, a southern trader affectation he'd never given up, and gestured to the blanket. "Please join me and don't worry about the time, I've all day free and I've not been bored."

Hello there you two! Cimarath echoed his rider's greeting as he spiralled downward to land a short distance behind his rider, a landing which he undertook with great care due to his withered right foreleg. It's so nice to have another white around! he chirped as he hobbled closer and lowered his head so as to be on eye level with the little weyrling. There really aren't enough of us around if you ask me, but then again it's quite nice to be special I suppose.  

[Revel1984]

Kindra nodded politely, "i see you were a trader before your Impression" she said, noticing his gesture, she'd helped deal with traders back when she'd helped her father sometimes so she knew the greeting, though she didn't return it in his way. Pleased he'd had something to occupy himself while waiting for them.

"Thank you" she said, with a small smile before sitting on the blanket. "Greetings Cimarath, thank you and Yours for inviting us" she sent towards the dragon, hopefully anyway, she knew how it worked with her and Asparagoth, perhaps it was different with someone else's dragon, she'd never actually tried it.

Asparagoth saw Cimarath as a blur when he landed near his rider, then came into focus as he came closer, he noticed the hobble but said nothing, it didn't matter, he already knew your disabilities didn't make you who you were, you were just... you. "Lovely to meet you Cimarath, i agree it's nice to see another of my colour, you are very much bigger than me" he observed, standing straighter despite his own body trembles "Oh yes Mine said i was special just a little while ago!" he added "Perhaps it's a good thing, perhaps not, we're all who we are meant to be right?" something he had probably overheard from one older and wiser but taking it for himself, especially when Kindra had agreed.  

[TawnyAngel]

Kindra's guess brought another smile to Ilharen's face, it wasn't hard to make him smile, and he nodded confirmation. "I was, down Monaco Bay way. Y'know the south well?" Perhaps she'd been trapped here by circumstance same as him? But no; her accent wasn't right for the south and she'd Impressed from Julith's clutch, it had been a silly thought to even start to cross his mind.

"I wasn't sure what kind of foods y'might like, so I brought a lot," Ilharen said wryly as he too sat down on the blanket and opened up the basket to fetch out pots and packages. "Here we've got bread of course, and ham, and cheeses here and pickles. There's a spicy salad with sticky rivergrain, ah, this is boiled eggs? Yes, boiled eggs. Smoked fish here with fresh citrus and dill t'have with it if y'like, cold omelette with tuber and onion, some meatrolls of course, fresh fruit, and juice t'drink." Ah, yeah, that was quite a lot. As he set down the last of the dishes Ilharen grinned again and shrugged. "Perhaps y'fellow weyrlings would like a treat? I'm sure there'll be plenty y'can take back if y'like, if not my wing's always hungry."

For whatever reason it seemed that Cimarath didn't hear what Kindra said to him, but he certainly had no trouble hearing his fellow dragon. For now I am! he hummed amiable as he lay down on his belly beside the blanket and stretched his neck out to touch noses with Asparagoth if the weyrling white would welcome such a gesture. You might well be bigger than me one day though, it's quite hard to tell with us until we're a bit older than you are how big we might be in the end. I would definitely say it's a good thing though, for exactly the reason you say! I wouldn't want to be any different than I am, even if it might have been easier if I were, because if I was different I might not have chosen Ilha and that would be awful.  

[Revel1984]

Kindra nodded "I know it, though i've never been" she said "Traders bring news and tales from all over to holds, i used to listen in whenever we had a caravan visit Father's Hold".

She eyed the spread in front of them, such a spread, she'd have been fine with something simple if she was being honest with herself, she tended to ignore the hungry feeling until she'd dealt with Asparagoth first, He took all her time, which she never once regretted, tiring as it was. "I'm sure they'd love it" she said, her stomach giving away her current state as it grumbled loudly.

"That definitely was not mine" Asparagoth chuckled to both his fellow white and the two humans, Earning him a wry but affectionate glare from Kindra. She turned back from her dragon and arranged herself on the ground, taking a plate and putting a bit of everything on it, before she began eating. "So" she said between mouthfulls "How did you come to be here to Impress?" she asked him. Wondering if he'd ever visited her home Hold, small as it was it still got it's fair share.

"I don't know, i've heard the Dragonhealers talking to Mine when they think i'm asleep and they don't think i will get very large"" he said to the other, refraining from mentioning that more than once they'd told Kindra to prepare for him not making it, but so far he'd proven them wrong and though he didn't say it, Cimarath probably picked up on the more gloomy feeling his mind took for a moment. "If Kindra hadn't been there. well... i don't think i could have even tried to choose another, i was so very tired when i hatched. I'm glad Yours was there for you too and i know Kindra keeps telling me she wouldn't want me any other way than how i am"  

[TawnyAngel]

Never one to stand on ceremony, especially when it came to food, Ilharen handed an earthenware plate to Kindra and then took the second for for himself before starting to select some of the food for himself.

"Ah, well it was an accident actually, a happy one of course," he began with a brief chuckle - what rider didn't like talking about their Impression? "I actually Impressed in Monaco Bay Weyr, my family were there t'sell to all the visitors and just the Weyrfolk in general - people spend a bit easier when they're celebrating y'know? Anyway, came t'the end of the hatching with one egg not hatched so the Weyrman broke it open and there he was." Ilharen paused to smile warmly over at his little dragon, who trilled fondly in response. "Took a bit f'him t'realise what he wanted wasn't on the sands, but when he did he called me right down and the rest's history - wouldn't have it any other way." He would have preferred not to find himself trapped in the north, separated from his family for life.... But there was no point dwelling on that, he couldn't change it and he was beyond grateful that Cimarath had lived.

I can't imagine having chosen anyone else either, Cimarath hummed, casting another loving gaze at his rider for a moment before turning back to Asparagoth. I suppose every dragon says that but it's still true! And exactly, we're a lot easier to keep clean than a big bronze for a start! Much less leather needed for harnesses too, and our riders never need to worry about clothes coordinating with our colour!