Splish-Splash-We're Taking a Bath! (Tag: Myst)

[Lark]

This is why you should put a rope around them.

Watching her rider, a bemused look to her whirling eyes, Avirith couldn't help the chuckling warble that rose from her throat. The young woman was having a time of it trying to get Jarali clean, and the two turn old was having none of it. Perhaps it was a good thing that Kiira was with another right now, the two together would have been too much for the one rider to deal with right now.

It was hard enough for her to get through this day, extra trouble was not on the list. Sighing a mental breath, Avirith finally flicked her tail around the little girl who was currently jumping around naked in the shallows of the bathing caverns, keeping her within a loop. Frowning a pouting face, Jara crossed her arms and shot the green an unamused glare. I do not care hatchling. AraMine come here and get her before she climbs over my tai.......right, does that.

Alyara shook her head, eying the girl as she half-jumped, half-ran through the shallows away from her mother. "Jarali, come back...please?" She really couldn't do this right now, she just couldn't. Avirith whimpered as she looked back at her rider, nudging her carefully while Aries took to the air with Bayi to try and corral the girl back toward Theirs. The blue had grown up quite a bit in two turns, though it was still Aries that was the more adult of them. Naturally, she was the Queen, and more than that she was much older.

"Jara...come here. Please." Making another pass for the girl Ara shook her head. Weyrlings were easier than children. True. You could just.... "No! I refuse to let the creche take care of her, you know that Avirith." Her tone was terse, but it was tired. She needed sleep and she was getting little to none of it lately. Frowning at her already soaked clothes, the greenrider tried to grab for her daughter once more, slipping and falling into the bathing pool while the girl ran down one of the corridors, the two flits right behind.

[Mystery]

x x

C'lior of Serlanth

Oho! We have a little one on the loose![/i]

Serlanth sounded nothing less than utterly amused, a soft rumble echoing in his throat as he watched the toddler's flight through his bonded's eyes. What he hadn't been expecting was that sharp stab of pain that could have been as much a physical wound as it was an emotional hurt that shot through their bond. C'lior saw the child running towards him, saw the two flitts flying after her and for a moment, his breath stopped in his lungs with the pain of it.

"Papa! Papa! Catch me Papa!"

Faranth, he couldn't bear this. He could hear his son's voice in that laughter of the naked child. He could hear Ealinor clapping in time to music, could feel his breath against his cheek when crying had worn him out. He could feel his heart, steady against his hand when the boy had gotten sick and C'lior hadn't slept for days. He could see the flushed cheeks of happiness and sickness, tears and laughter. He could feel the weight of him in his arms as he fell asleep listening to stories of Alyssa.
"Ealinor.." it was barely a choked breath, and immediately, Serlanth's presence was in his mind, overwhelmingly loving and gentle and supportive.

"I love you, Papa! And I love mama, though I never met her."

These memories were going to drown him. He was sure of it.

Moving swiftly, the brownrider tried to scoop the wriggling bundle up into his arms, unconciously softening as he did so. He almost sounded amused.
"Sounds like you're missing out on bath time, little miss. I think your mother is looking for you."

[Lark]

Thank you Serlanth for alerting Yours. Mine will be there shortly.

Avirith's voice reflected Alyara's own tired voice, the green stretching out. She was getting older too, though she was still young as ever. There was something about all of what she and Hers had been through that had aged her decades instead of turns. Lifting her head up to look over toward the brown's direction, she finally shifted and got to her feet, wading over to him slowly.

The bathing cavern they were in was the largest thankfully, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to be here to help with Hers' hatchling at all, and did Hers ever need help with her hatchling. It was bad enough with one of them, and as Avirith had tried to mention to Ara before, it was even more difficult with two. Being the last thing Ara was able to cling to though other than her own dragon, the greenrider simply refused to hand the two girls off for another to look after.

No, they were for her to watch. The only time she did allow someone else to step in was in the case of Kiira. Unlike Jarali the other girl was not her own flesh and blood. She could do little at times to keep her with Jarali let alone in her own weyr where she could keep a careful eye on her. Sighing, the twenty-two turn old rolled her shoulders to try and let go of some of the tension, it didn't work.

Wasn't she supposed to be having fun at this age? Where were those days when she had felt...anything at all to be honest. Of all days to be having trouble though, this would be that day. J'dol....he had gone this day with Kayath during Fall, they had not come back. She cursed the man silently each day for being so reckless, and she cried herself to sleep at night stifling the sound so she would not wake the girls.

Reaching the rider had caught the tiny two turn old, she lifted her eyes to look at who it was, surprise etched onto her face. "C'lior." The man was known to most of the Weyr because of his position, and in another time Ara might have worked alongside him. Shards, two turns ago she had been in his position! Swallowing she looked back down at Jarali who was clinging to the brownrider.

He had picked her up, this was different. Only Momma really picked her up. Was he a good person, he must be! Wiggling though was quite efficient when one was only skin and water. She slipped through his grip easily enough, giggling as she rounded around her mother's legs and clung to her soaked pants. "Momma. Play!" The voice was high and excited, her eyes widened as she suddenly skirted away and into the water once more.

"I'm sorry C'lior....she's...." She couldn't really think about what to say, how to explain, how to apologize. Instead Ara just sighed tiredly again and shook her head, her eyes sullen and dangerously close to being defeated.

[Seven]

Noraali herself had the young Kiira with her. Kiira who had never known her mother.... or father for that matter. She hadn't really known a father since hte closest thing she ahd died when she was still too young to remember. Noraali didn't have time for taking care of children, but since she had arrive,d she had made a special case for Kiira. Becasue she was the daughter of the former Weyrwoman and she had no blood relatives... and Alyara was a good woman. J'dol had been a good man. They deserved some help.

Kiira walked beside her while Noraali held her hand. Ehtyriath snorted. She woudl never understadn why hers was so insistent on helping the young one. Though, the queen really didn't mind her. She was not the worst child she had ever dealt with. The queen had had some very impertinent children of her own... not to mention some of the young that Noraali had brought about to see her. The Queen actually had some affection for the little one.

Avirith, Mine comes with the child Kiira as she needs to be bathed. Will yours be needing assistance?

Noraali continued on her way into the bathing caverns, blinking at the site of C'lior carrying Jarali. "Hello Alyara, C'lior. How are you doing today?" She asked, reaching down to the grasping Kiira and pulling her up into her arms. she was not her child, but she wouldn't be surprised if some that didn't know the child's past thought so.

She walked over to Alyara, giving Jarali a little wave. "She needs her bath, but... well.... Kiira is pretty tired," she told Alyara wit ha smile.