[PRP] I like big butts (F'ked & Ilharen)

[TawnyAngel]

15.11.182

Winter was beginning to bite at Fort Weyr, the first snow of the season had fallen overnight and as he stepped out into the bowl from the lower caverns his breath and his hot mug of klah steamed like little clouds in the bright crisp morning air. Snow wasn't something Ilharen had had a lot to do with before arriving here, he'd only seen it a handful of times on short trips north with Cimarath, and although last winter had sucked some of the novelty out of it he still enjoyed making the first footprints in a pristine layer of white on a morning when it wasn't howling with wind, and snow beat freezing rain hands down every time.

As he crunched across the bowl Harmony dropped off his shoulder and swooped to the ground, eyes whirling bright as she alighted to prance around in the snow - she'd been wanting to since they'd seen the white blanket across the ground on their way to breakfast, but it was good for her to be patient and so he'd asked her to stick with him until now.

"Wish I didn't feel the cold like you," Ilharen said with a soft huff of amusement as the gold firelizard rolled over and wriggled around with a delighted squeak. Leaving her to it for now with a smile and a shake of his head Ilharen headed on across the bowl towards the archery butts, it wasn't a skill he truly needed anymore but the practice always left him feeling centred and a little closer to home too.  

[magnadearel]

TawnyAngel

short tag sorry!

It was a fine brisk morning. A light layer of snow had fallen over the Weyr. A warm breakfast inside his belly and he was ready to face the chill. F'ked always thought the Weyr looked pretty in a light blanket of snow. It seemed to soften it up a little and give it a sparkle.

He waved cheerful to the riders and weyrfolk alike as they passed him by. F'ked spotted a gold firelizard having fun in the snow and chuckled with amusement. "I'm going to wish the same when winter really hits," he grinned to the man after he heard his comment.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Mornin'," Ilharen smiled genially as he looked the other rider up and down; a little taller than he, built comfortably, blue eyes; he'd seen him around before of course - there weren't so many of them now that you couldn't know everyone by sight - but he wasn't entirely sure of his name.

"Y're Dawn's Light yeah?" he asked, accent soft and southern lilting as he held out his free hand in greeting. "I'm Ilharen, white Cimarath's my dragon, we're with Heart's Blood. You always lived where the snow falls thick, or are yous still getting use to it too?" The accent hinted that the bluerider was from this area, or had lived here a while, but that didn't mean he had to like the cold!

Cheerfully oblivious to the humans Harmony kicked up a clump of snow and then pounced on it savagely, like the mighty hunter she was.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

TawnyAngel

F'ked easily took the proffered hand and gave it a warm shake. "Sure am. F'ked, of blue Lerenth. A pleasurable morning meeting you Ilharen. Give my regards to Cimarath." He paused to chuckle at the gold who was clearly enjoying herself in the snow.

"Always lived here. My parents were workers. You'll get use to it," he cheerful reassured the other rider. "Or find yourself a warm bed companion." He gave a cheeky wink.  

[TawnyAngel]

"F'ked and Lerenth," Ilharen echoed to help himself commit the names to memory. A moment later his brows knit and then lifted as he said; "Ah, Lerenth sired the first green clutch yeah? He must be proud of how well they're growing - and I will pass on my regards one Cimarath wakes, he's quite relaxed up on his ledge f'now." Being a dragon sounded a lot easier than being a human, he wouldn't really want to trade places but it was pleasant to imagine for a few moments.

"I came from the south," Ilharen continued with a sigh and a longing glance toward that lost compass point. "We were up here for a wing exercise and the skies closed and...." And that was that. Ilharen shook his head and gave F'ked a wan smile. "Perhaps I could do with finding somebody t'be with." He couldn't be content with letters for the rest of his life and nor could V'rin, but which of them could bear to be the one to say so in ink - the only communication left to them?

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

TawnyAngel

He nodded at the question. F'ked tried not to boast or make a big deal of it, but he was insufferably proud of his blue. "He did, and he is. I was hoping to see them this morning, but they must be sleeping late. They aren't the only ones eh?" F'ked chuckled. "I'm so glad the cold doesn't bother them. Think of the size the blankets would need to be to cover the larger ones." He specifically didn't name golds, since the weyr was a bit short on that department at the moment.

"Oh shards, I'm sorry to hear that." F'ked couldn't imaging being separated from everything he knew. Ilharen was lucky his dragon had survived. So few had. "I know there aren't many of us left, but the greens should quickly help with that." Two clutches already and twelve new young dragons so far. Would it be enough?

"You are always welcome to hang with me." The blue rider offered. He always loved helping others, and if it helped this stranded rider feel more at home then F'ked would be happy to chill with him.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Babies do, and dragons do as they will in any case," Ilharen observed with a soft smile and a gentle open gesture with one hand. "What would the world be were we so immediate as they? I think their loves and losses must be keener than ours but briefer, ephemeral as the sigh of the wind." Dragons felt deeply and yet they forgot, their passion was beautiful, but so too was the ability retain and retell a tale and that was what made rider and dragon together so incredible.

The next thing F'ked said was harder to react to; Ilharen gave another not quite there smile and tucked his hair behind his ear as Harmony dug industriously into a drift of snow in pursuit of a feeling of movement. "Thank you," Ilharen continued after a pause, "I grieve the loss of my home but I'm thankful for Cimarath's health... And I'd be glad t'make a new friend." Ilharen's slightly distant smile warmed a fraction and he made a fluid gesture back towards the Weyr. "If we're t'be friends F'ked, tell me, what d'you like t'do with your time?"

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

TawnyAngel

He nodded, he'd get to see the young dragons some other time for sure. Before he knew it they would probably be flying. F'ked tilted his head. The fancy way the other spoke rather threw him off in what he was trying to really say. "Perhaps they forget, but their hearts remember."

F'ked tried not to get distracted by the adorable little gold, but it was hard. He smiled reassuringly. "Excellent to hear! I was worried I wouldn't be good enough to be your friend," he joked, trying to ease the tension.

What did he like to do? Most of his days were taken up with riding and doing patrols. F'ked pondered a long moment. "I guess I like to make others happy. I like to watch the sunset, but that's only at sunset." He laughed.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Not good enough?" A slightly worried expression spread across Ilharen's face as he ran back over what he'd said that might have given that impression but he came up blank. F'ked's tone was light though so perhaps it didn't matter; Ilharen relaxed and smiled again as he shook his head. "I'm sure y're good enough t'be anyone's friend F'ked, and certainly good enough t'be mine."

The answer F'ked gave wasn't quite what he'd been expecting but it was an honest one, and a sweet one. "That's a good answer," Ilharen said with a little nod, the corners of his eyes creasing as his smile broadened. "Spending time in good company and seeing them glad is one of my favourite ways t'spend time too whether we're watching a sunset, sharing tales over drinks and food, shooting at the butts, or something else. It's people that matter the most, yeah?"

Apparently finished with her current snowdrift Harmony gave herself a shake and took a few bounds away from the humans to invesgitate the lee of a stone bench.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

TawnyAngel

"Thanks!" The blue rider beamed. He was glad to know Ilharen didn't think ill of him. Now he'd made a new friend. It was a great start to the morning!

"People and dragons!" F'ked laughed. He wasn't quite sure what 'shooting at the butts' was, must be something from southern, but it sounded interesting. Maybe Ilharen would show him one day.

He nodded toward the gold firelizard. "Did you get her in Southern? She's beautiful. Certainly looks like she's enjoying the snow."  

[TawnyAngel]

The brilliant smile was the last bit of reassurance Ilharen needed that he hadn't said something offensive, perhaps F'ked just didn't have that high an opinion of himself and feared rejection as a matter of course? That was a bit of a wild guess but if it was so he hoped he could go some way to changing it when they got to know one another better.

"Both is good," Ilharen agreed, mirroring F'ked's laugh with a soft one of his own. "And firelizards too," he nodded at Harmony, "I did, yeah, and thank you! I think she's lovely but I'm biased. I've had her - what - ten turns now?" He pondered this for a moment before nodding. "Ten turns, yeah. Back home before I Impressed she helped us look out f'danger on the road and in the jungle, and for light-fingered people near our stalls when we visited holds - things like that. These days mostly she carries messages and packages for me but I make sure t'keep her busy and challenge her with different tasks too, she's a terror if she gets bored! Heh, not that she needs help with busy when we're out and about," he nodded as Harmony made another dive at a snowdrift. "She's figured little bugs and things can hide under the snow, but she's not quite got the hang of finding them yet. She doesn't seem t'mind too much, just kicking up the snow seems t'please her nearly as much as catching a snack."

At that point Ilharen became aware that he'd gone on a ramble; he laughed again, at himself this time, and said; "If I ramble too much about something feel free t'stop me, my family's nickname f'me's Cloudhead if that says anything. What about you, got any firelizards y'self?"

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

TawnyAngel

"And firelizards," F'ked nodded as he frankly admired the little gold. "I've never had an opportunity to impress one." It wasn't that he'd tried hard either, but the opportunity had never arose. From Ilharen's description she sounded remarkable useful too. He smiled as the tiny gold dove into another snowdrift in search of prey. "I wish her the best of luck."

He waved off the other rider's apology. "Not at all. I found that an interested ramble!" F'ked enjoyed talking to others and learning about things. Besides, if someone was happy just talking, he was happy just to listen.

"Say Ilharen. I just noticed, your name isn't shorted. Do they not do that in Southern?" F'ked was curious. He couldn't recall meeting any other southerners at the moment to remember if their names had been elided.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Ah that's too bad," Ilharen replied with a slight smile, which he followed up with a gesture to his busy firelizard. "Y'can have an egg from her next clutch if y'like? I'd sooner give them t'friends than sell them." F'ked seemed like a good man, he'd give one of Harmony's offspring a good home for sure, and the fact that he hadn't minded the ramble made Ilharen's smile widen and lifted his spirits.

"I'm glad! The offer t'shush me stands though. As f'my name, no most everyone in the south shortens names just like they do here." Ilharen shrugged, still smiling - he'd given the explanation many times by now so he had the right words to hand and he was happy to share the reasoning. "I Impressed from the Stands so I didn't have an elided name on the tip of my tongue when he called out to me. I thought about it long and hard but in the end I decided it felt right t'keep my name as it had been before, t'keep that tie t'my kin even though they had t'leave me behind at the Weyr and carry on along the road." Parting from them had been hard at the time but he laughed at the tears he'd shed at the time now, why had he wept knowing he could visit them whenever he pleased once Cimarath was grown? It had felt like he was losing them at the time, but now....

Ugh, no, he wasn't going to dwell on that today.

Ilharen made a concerted effort to shake off the cloud of melancholy that had been trying to close in on him and found another smile for F'ked. "But anyhow, yeah. Some people think it's a disrespect to Cimarath but he doesn't feel disrespected, so I can't see the harm m'self. People can get worked up about some strange things sometimes, yeah?" He felt safe in expressing that to F'ked, his question had been one of innocent curiosity not hostility.

magnadearel