Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 7, 2013 7:58:48 GMT -5
Jisene sighed as she closed her book. She couldn't concentrate, no matter how much she tried. I'm more suited to learning on the go than reading about it. So why did they give me these...?
She knew it was required that she read the books, but on a day like this at home, she would have been out on the land, working with her father to prepare the crops for harvesting, or at home on the veranda with her mother, Cien, preparing wool ready for spinning.
Then again, if she had fought with them, she would have been in the jungle, getting ready to spend the night in her little house that she'd built in a cave. That had a tendency to happen more often than she liked to admit, so she simply tilted her head back so that the sun would hit her face, lighting it up.
Her blonde hair had been turned to gold in the light, accentuated by the brown streaks that ran through it. Pulling her braid over her shoulder, she fiddled with the leather tie for a moment before making her choice and yanking it off, rapidly undoing the tightly braided length so that it hung around her face, framing it.
Pale blue eyes stared out over the lake as she selected a lock and began braiding it, a process that she knew would take her a long time to accomplish-especially with how long her hair was.
Despite the swiftness of her fingers, her mind was still elsewhere, out in the jungle where the heat would have been even worse than it was here-at least, until she got to her cave, that is. She'd loved that cave, but it wasn't hers anymore, and never would be again. Selecting another length, she repeated the process of braiding. When all of her hair had been braided, she used her leather tie to bind it securely, keeping it from unraveling.
I wish I hadn't been searched... Wish I could be back home with Mother and Father. And I wish it wasn't so blasted hot, too!
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 7, 2013 9:10:56 GMT -5
There is almost no one down at the Lake. Can we go? I itch.
Looking out over the bowl, Majoriith crooned softly, wings already brushing the ground in a wordless sigh. Beneath a few people stayed, but most did not. It was hot, which meant more people had either retreated in doors or gone to the larger river. It was good for her though. She didn't want to have to talk to others if she didn't have to. Rikula in the council room looked up from the papers she had been going over. To be honest, not that it wasnt a secret, paperwork was not her favorite thing in the world.
So, when Manoriith's voice rang questioning a second time she deftly rolled up the scrolls, put her quill in the ink pot and started out. The queen was waiting in her chambers, her large body, though small for a gold, nestled against the edge of the ledge. Bring the oiling stuff too?...please? Her head ducked down as she asked in a soft voice, her rider smiling fondly and rubbing the offered head. Of course Maj. It didn't take long to grab everything and get seated, not bothering with a harness. She would just need to take it off anyway.
Gliding over to the bank of the pool, Majoriith landed daintily, folding in her wings and lowering her neck to let her rider off. There is someone nearby....can they help? Perplexed that her dragon even asked, Rikula just nodded. Despite her own dislike for socializing, she wanted Majoriith to get comfortable around others. There was a strict difference between staying away from people because you wanted to, and be sure you had to.
Striding over to the girl, Rikula cleared her throat to gain her attention, as if the 40 something foot dragon hadnt already. "Sorry to bother you, but would you like to help wash and oil her? It's kinda hard on one person alone." She probably would do it just because of who she was, and that Rikula couldn't help but hate, still maybe this one was just kind and wanted to help for a normal reason. Or better, she would say no and then she didn't have to entertain Majoriith's uncharacteristic need.
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 7, 2013 13:25:49 GMT -5
Jisene gaped up at her, shock written across her face. The last thing she'd been expecting was for the Weyrsecond to drop down out of the sky and ask her for help!
Jumping to her feet, she gathered her books and put them to one side, hopefully out of reach of any water that might get splashed around. 'I would love to help bathe her! Thank you!' She smiled brightly, a rare sight with Jisene-despite her natural kindness, her bluntness often overtook that side of her.
Her gaze jumped to the golden dragon behind Rikula, at the scales shining golden in the light, and suddenly found herself wondering why in the name of the dragons themselves she'd been wishing she hadn't been searched. A chance to help bathe a golden Queen...? She'd take it, any day, and with happiness in her heart-after all, it wasn't often that such an offer was extended to anyone!
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 7, 2013 22:40:04 GMT -5
Oh cool it girl I can practically taste the rainbows you're feeling.
Was Rikula in a good mood, not particularly, but she had to learn to deal with people which meant that she ought to go ahead and play nice. Majoriith, yes that means you had to play nice too. Out loud she gave a soft, hopefully girlish, laugh and nodded. "Yes, no problem. Just come this way and I can teach you what to do." Because honey she sincerely doubted you knew how to do it already. At least she didn't see a firelizard around her, that may have changed Riku's mind about the girl knowing little, but as it were she was about ninety percent sure she was correct.
"Take this." Tossing her a sponge, Riku took one of her own and wet it in the lake. Bending over, she waited for it to get full of the water and thoroughly soaked before bringing it up with a bit of sweet sand and washing the grime off of her dragoness. This part she actually didn't mind that much. Physical labor of any kind always felt good to Rikula, and this was a labor of love, right? Okay, I think her happiness is starting to catch.
Good. If I am to be uncomfortable so are you.
Raising an eyebrow at the dragon's uncharacteristically sassy attitude Rikula rolled her eyes and snorted. That's two now. She had acted out twice, it was odd if nothing else. Swiping over a patch of the leather-like hide that covered the dragon's body, she looked over at the girl helping her and finally gave in to curiosity and just asked the girl her name. "So, what do they call you?" After a moment she added in a quick, "I'm Rikula by the way." Sure she probably already knew that, but it was only polite...right?
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 8, 2013 1:20:00 GMT -5
Jisene looked over from where she was swiping her sponge firmly over the golden dragon's scales, and smiled. 'Jisene. My parents own one of the larger holdings down on the river's edges.'
Reaching down into the water, she caught hold of some more sweetsand and scrubbed it into the dragon's scales, knowing from experience with her father's runners that you needed to be thorough with such things.
For Jisene, this was a perfect way to learn, by actually doing what was needed instead of reading about it in the books she'd had with her. The funniest thing was, the book she'd been struggling with before had been about dragon care, and the amounts of food that each color needed to survive, and even how they breed.
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 9, 2013 23:20:50 GMT -5
Well that was a story she could relate to. Her own father had been a small Lord himself. That was before though...before a lot of things had happened. For a moment there was a bit of pain in her eyes as she watched the girl work, envy on its heels. She talked as if she still had a father. She probably still had a mother too, and brothers or even sisters. Family. Hers was still there and they were people she loved and cared for Rikula was sure.
"Jisene...pretty name. And in this Cothold, did they teach you how to be a 'proper lady'? Or did they teach you the ways of the land and let you walk among the small folk?" That was an important thing for Riku to know. Her own father had made sure they were given a good education from the best Harpers he could employ. Her mother however had been the "commoner", the worker, the drudge. It was she that taught Rikula the meaning of taking care of those weaker than herself, and it was she that had urged her on to train with the guardsmen to learn to defend herself.
Your mother gave you strength, your father wisdom. You have always had the tools to fight your battles, they were given to you on the day you hatched. It is why I admire you. You are everything I cannot be...will not be. Family was everything to Majoriith, but more so was just sitting quietly why the better dragons did strategy and planning. She was not the type to know those ideas. She was the one to do as she was told and to do what she felt best for her people. Majoriith was the sort of Queen who comforted the frightened and spoke honest truths. She was kind and gentle, Riku was the warrior.
Looking over her dark gold shoulder and laying her head on the leathery hide, the Queen watched the girl Jisene. She did not speak to her, for she seldom if ever spoke to another human, but she did tilt her head slightly as she watched. This one had more to her than met the eye. She liked that, it intrigued her and she wanted to know more. Ask her why she chose to stand instead of stay? Riku looked at her dragoness, hands pausing in their movements for a moment before continuing. Ask her yourself. She didn't expect the Queen to actually consider, let alone do such a thing. So, when she turned her head to Jisene again, Majoriith shocked her rider completely.
Why did you come to stand? Why not stay...if you do not mind me asking.
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 10, 2013 2:27:51 GMT -5
Jisene smiled up at the beautiful dragon. 'Father wasn't an official Lord, and even if he was, I doubt he'd have held me above the workers on our land. He brought me up knowing how to grow crops and look after our animals, and even showed me how to travel the jungles safely.'
Memories of her little cave-house filled her mind, and she grinned. 'As for why I'm here... Well, Mother and Father wanted me to marry, and a lot of men did come calling, but their wandering hands and eyes weren't for me. They were for Father's lands and crops. Some were incredibly obvious about it, too, asking questions about the amount we grew each year.'
She shook her head, causing the tiny braids she'd done to bounce. 'By the time the meeting where I was to make my choice came around, I'd had enough. I called them all a bunch of addle-brained fools and told them I'd seen through their actions because of how obvious it was. They didn't like that, but...' she shrugged, and scooped up more sweetsand. 'It was a case of they'd been found out. A few tried to come back, until I set one of the more vicious runners on them, that is.'
Her smile turned into a grin at that. No-one had been hurt, but it had got her message across at long last-she wasn't interested, and if they did come back, they might have ended up badly hurt.
'I came to stand as a Candidate because there wasn't much else I could do. When J'lan and Granzth came to our home with one of his Wingriders, asking for a drink of water, I was there. I've always had a connection with cats and the like, but the bond I felt with Granzth... That was completely different. I'd never felt anything like it. Father said that if I was to become a Candidate, then I was to work hard and be as stubborn with it as I was about not getting married. So, about nine days ago now, I came here. It's so beautiful here, I really wasn't expecting it...'
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 10, 2013 15:32:03 GMT -5
So their stories were more similar than one might have thought at first. Rikula took some small comfort in that. The fact that she could relax and understand the candidate made her stop worrying so much. At least one person would be standing that understood a bit about how the world worked. The rest could not all be pampered folk or weyrbrats that knew nothing from the outside world. Surely there had to be more than just one, even one alone though could do a lot of good.
Granzth....he sounds familiar. He is one of the bronzes, I have not talked to him much though Rikula.
You haven't talked much to any of the dragons Maj my love. Sighing at the gold who was still watching Jisene, Rikula finished off the shoulder she was working on and clambered up toward the dragon's neck, sitting where she normally did while flying. "Have you been on dragon back much at all then? I would think not. I sounds as if Granzth was your first." She stated the question and answer, because again she honestly doubted that it had a different one, simply and in a softer voice as she rubbed at the smooth, leather-like hide.
It was starting to have the warm, spiced smell that she knew and had become accustomed to with dragons. Looking back over her shoulder, braid flipping with her, Rikula studied the candidate for a moment. "How old are you...you seem a bit young, even for marrying age. Surely your father was not being sincere with his pushes and suitors. Perhaps not though...I often forget I was around the same age when my Uncle tried the same with me." The final comment was a bit more bitten and filled with a sense of bitterness as well. Turns had passed and she could still not keep the hatred for the man from her thoughts or voice when it came to mind.
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 10, 2013 15:59:20 GMT -5
Jisene stopped to look up at the Weyrwoman-how could she not at the pain and anger in her voice...? She waited a moment before replying, returning to her work as she did.
'Granzth was my first flight, yes. And I know I look young, but I'm actually eighteen Turns old. I was fourteen when Father first made the suggestion of marriage, not because he wanted me gone, but because he wanted me to be cared for in the future.'
She sighed-it sounded as if the older woman had had the idea forced on her against her will, and not because the uncle she'd mentioned cared for her, either. If only because of that, Jisene's heart went out to her. She could only hope that the wounds that had been inflicted on her would heal with time.
'Father was of the opinion that if they couldn't cope with me before we were even betrothed, then none of the men that offered themselves were worth-ah-chooo!!!' She sneezed violently at the spicy scent that had just gone up her nostrils, and she stepped away, sneezing another three times before gaining control of it.
Pulling out a square cloth from her pocket, she blew her nose, despite it being soaking wet. Her clothes were soaked, too, and while she didn't care much about getting wet, she did care about how the cloth was sticking to her skin.
Not caring about what others might think, she dragged her shirt off, glad that she'd chosen one of her newer breastbands that morning. With a quick, practiced flick of her wrist-she'd done this before at home when washing runners-she tossed the shirt onto the grassy bank before returning to her work again.
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 16, 2013 16:40:39 GMT -5
"Were worth anything? Yes, I can understand that."
She couldn't help but grin as the candidate fell over the side, ignoring Majoriith's concerned warble in favor of her own snort. Let the girl get back up. She needed to learn how to handle herself and it wasn't as if she had gotten hurt. If she had it would have been much more noticeable. Instead it seemed that Jisene was just soaked, which the hot sun could remedy easily. Truth be told, the water looked pretty inviting. It was probably nice to take a brief dip, no matter how unplanned it had been originally.
Are you sure you are alright? Majoriith turned her head to look at the candidate, sniffing her before nudging Jisene gently as to not topple her over again. Do not hurt yourself...that would not be fun at all. Mothering over the younger girl, the gold flicked open her wing slightly as Rikula tapped the shoulder, getting around the muscle and up onto the pinions as far as she could reach. The rider didn't mind that Jisene had just taken off her shirt, to be honest it barely crossed her mind.
It had been wet, it would now get dry much easier. Simple. Eying the girl once more, fueled by her dragon's carefully administered worrying, Rikula checked by sight and sound to make sure that the candidate was truly okay before continuing on with their conversation as if nothing had gone amiss. "So, will you be continuing your craft here? Or trying for one if you have yet to choose." She knew that most daughters and sons of Lords and Ladies tended to not be taught just one craft alone. Usually their education consisted of brief teachings of multiple areas to be well-rounded. Hers had certainly been.
That hadn't meant that she had not favored one more than any other, and odd it was that that particular one was not meant to be taught originally. It had entirely been her idea to watch the guards at the hold practice; her father had only caught on a season after seeing this. Deciding it was a good thing or a lady to know how to defend herself, he had allowed the guards to train her along with their own apprentices. He had not thought that Rikula would excel at it, or better yet that she would enjoy it quite so much. It had made her feel normal though, and more empowered. It certainly had gifted her with knowledge that came handy later in her life.
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 17, 2013 8:03:26 GMT -5
Jisene couldn't help but smile up at the beautiful golden dragon. "I'm fine! I've had worse falls in the past." It was true, too-once she had fallen from the roof of her father's stables and broken several ribs in the process. The healer had told her she'd been lucky and that Jisene could have snapped her neck.
The question about her craft made her pause from scooping up more sand. "My craft... The one I knew best was hunting, I suppose, in the jungles around our Hold. Mother made me leave my bow behind, though, so that isn't an option. I do know how to grow crops and the like, but the kitchens don't need any more herbs or spices.
"That leaves me with studying or spinning wool and weaving it. I'm not much good at spinning and weaving, though, so I study. And hate every moment of it." She frowned, and started rubbing the sand into Majorith's scales again.
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 17, 2013 15:38:50 GMT -5
"Studying was never my favorite either. You could always apprentice under the farmers anyway. They grow some of the food we eat. Not all because of the tithes we get, but we do have them if you miss it. As for hunting, I'm sure we can fix that."
She smiled coyly as she spoke, fingers itching for her own bow. It was used for more than hunting of course, but it was much the same in Rikula's mind. Point, aim, let it fly and hit your target. It had always been soothing for her to practice whenever she had free time, which was seldom. "I apprenticed unofficially under the guards at the hold. My father and mother didn't like it...but I kept pushing until they finally gave in. I use a bow mainly, though knives are a close second favorite." Reaching for her boot, she pulled the sheathed blade free and twisted the handle so that it shone in the sunlight.
"I always have them on me." Placing it back in its cover, Rikula shrugged and went back to her work, tracing the contours of Majoriith's head and eye-ridges. Crooning an almost purring sound, the gold wiggled slightly as her rider hit a ticklish area under one of her head-knobs. Stop Riku! Must you tickle me every time? Licking her rider with the tip of her tongue against the side of the young woman's face, Majoriith studied her for a moment before laying her oiled head down onto her front paws. "Almost done now. Just the back portion and then her legs to get."
Scrambling down the gold's neck, Rikula swung onto the ground and then moved under the dragoness' wing over to her tail where she clambered back up once more. It certainly went by much faster with two, and even more meant that it was less time. She still remembered when the dragon had been a hatchling though. How she would give anything to have her the size of a babe again. But we could not fly together if I was that small. True love. Too true.
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 18, 2013 14:42:20 GMT -5
Jisene had finished with the area she'd been cleaning, so she moved to one of Majoriith's legs instead. "That would be wonderful of I could apprentice with them. The feel of the soil between your fingers is something you can never get rid of, especially if you grew up with it."
She grinned up at Rikula happily, the sun lighting up the tiny braids she'd put into her hair. "And I would love to take up the bow again. I keep my belt knife with me, of course, but it feels so odd to not have my quiver with me." She could almost feel its weight on her back, could have sworn that if she reached back over her right shoulder the feathered ends of the shafts would be waiting for her fingers to find them.
Knowing that they weren't there made it highly uncomfortable for her, leaving her feeling unbalanced and... not right, somehow.
|
|
|
Post by Lark on Mar 22, 2013 19:19:57 GMT -5
"Well...how about we go do something about that? There's a training area that I put up myself in the forest near the river. You're free to use it any time. It'll be a different feel than your own bow I'm sure, but I can grab mine and then we can go throw some knives and shoot some targets, sound good? I wouldn't mind seeing who's the better shot."
Although Rikula didn't say that she was almost certain it would be. There were a few things that Riku could be said to be vain about, her skills as a fighter was one of them. Still, she knew that there were always others that were just as good if not better in one way or another. That meant she needed to keep practicing, keep training, keep watching and observing. It would be nice to have someone that understood, that liked the hunt and game as much as she did. Maybe Majoriith had had a good idea of coming here after all.
The gold crooned happily at the thought of retreating to the river to relax for the afternoon. Even if the other human did not come with Hers she knew that they would go anyway. Rikula would sometimes take her work and scrolls with her, just to get free from the Weyr proper for a bit longer. She was not sure if that was normal or proper of a Junior Weyrwoman to do, but they did it anyway. Flicking her tail as Riku swatted the queen playfully on her rump, Majoriith stretched before flexing her wings slowly as to not upset either of the humans clambering across her body.
Thank you, I do believe I am good now.
|
|
Thorn
Junior Member
Posts: 74
|
Post by Thorn on Mar 23, 2013 2:09:42 GMT -5
Jisene smiled at Majoriith as she jumped down from where she'd been perched, landing lightly on the bank before stretching her arms out.
"That would be wonderful if I could, Rikula! I'll need to return my books first, but after that I can easily back out here again."
The freedom from society that only the jungle could give her, the feel of a bow in her hand once more, and a quiver on her back... There was no feeling like it, and she resolved there and then to find a suitable sapling to make her own bow, and branches straight enough for arrows.
The most difficult bit would be actually making the bow-she tried to make a new one each year, to keep her hand in at doing it, but it took a long time when you had farm chores to do.
Well, I don't have them now. There's a thought... that's what I can do between lessons and chores here! And it would give me a bit of spare money, too-at least, what I don't give to the Weyr anyway. Her eyes had lit up, and she grinned. "This has given me an idea as to what I could do, Rikula! Father taught me how to make a bow a few years ago. If I can find the right wood, then I could make bows and arrows to sell in one of the Holds!"
|
|