HelpLine Purr

Harper's Tale - Kinecha - Thursday, May 09, 2002, 11:46 PM
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You land on a rolling slope, dotted by volcanic rocks.

Upper Alpine Meadows
A vast alpine meadow stretches to the foot a glacier, flanked by the flat reach of a dozen more peaks; snow lurks at the higher elevations, capping the valleys in thick, endless layers of ice and new-fallen flakes. In contrast, during the spring and summer months a carpet of wildflowers spreads over a base of springy green turf, perfect for picnics and days outdoors. A small stream runs off towards the distant weyr, running cool and clear from out of the nearby blue-toned glacier.
It is an autumn noon. The noon sun shines; that is, you assume it does. The clouds above are a thick grey, so the sun only filters down though them dully, muting the colours of everything, it seems.
Brown Mneoth is here.
You see Hatching Rules (read OOC) here.
Obvious exits:
Ice Caves Glacier Stream

Mneoth crouches low as you shift to the ground below.

Above, Dsalth drops down through the heavy winds to land in Alpine Meadows.
Dsalth lands gently despite the buffeting winds above.
Dsalth watches with interest as P'rru descends carefully

Leaning against Mneoth's forearm, Khena is engrossed in repairs of a strap and doesn't notice another dragon landing nearby. "What's that? Oh!" Looking up, the brownrider lifts a hand to give a slight wave to the wingleader, then returns her attention to the work beforehand. "P'rru's a friend, Mneoth, he doesn't care that I don't salute," she notes to her lifemate with a sultry tone in her voice.

Khena
Long, muscled legs and a well-trained torso, makes this woman's physique very masculine. Blond hair so light it's near-white has been cropped close to her scalp in an unruly shape. Grayish-green eyes look out from under long arched brows. Angular chin and high cheekbones add to the image of masculinity. A wider than usual midriff is a result of a recent pregnancy, as is the slightly thicker hips.
Scintillating in browns ranging from tan to mahogany, this rider's jacket has a more natural look than most. Tufts of moss-green fleece peek out here and there, at collar and cuffs. Tight-fitting, thick-lined black trousers cover her legs, tugged into highly polished knee-high boots, lined with warm fur.
A black and blue knot, intertwined with a mahogany thread, denotes Khena a wingrider of HRW. A rectangular badge on her right shoulder shows her belonging to Mudslide Wing.
She is a young adult of about 26. She is awake and looks alert.
Khena has no apparent threadscoring.

Mneoth
Myrrh and mahogany fuse together across muzzle and headknobs, entwine about prominent eyeridges, and sweep all silk and sisal down the grand lengths of this broad and ponderous dragon. Lighter klah-brown erodes the sharp edges of his powerful neckridges before dissolving into the brooding layers of umber sweeping his belly and forelegs. His smooth, suave hide speckles to bronze across the rounded curves of his withers, as if momentarily blessed by the sun. Wingsails - wide and high - are cloaked in a marbling of black, gray, and fawn, to create a secretive cove of shadows and covert camouflage.
Black-dyed straps are looped twice around mahogany neckline, fitting tightly enough to prevent slipping in swift aerial moves. Though glossy black, the color blends in well with the dragon's brown hide, adding to the darker patches, matching without being imposing. Metallic buckles add flashes of reflected light to the overall image, giving the strap-design an edge of starkness, softened only by the un-dyed rider's straps used to secure the rider to the dragon when flying.
Mneoth is 4 Turns, 2 months, and 12 days old.
He is 66 feet (22m) long, with a wingspan of 110 feet (36m).
Mneoth senses Khena looking at him.
Mneoth seems to be listening.

Dsalth lands easily in amongst the frosty grass of the meadow. "It's getting too cold again, Khena!" Purr calls, swinging down, giving his dragon a fond whump on the neck. Dsalth rumblecroons a greeting to his fellow dragon, arranging blazer wings neatly against his back. "What are you doing? Repairwork? How utterly boring, hrm? Pity, since we're on our way to Tillek, and I've been trying to find you.." Purr notes, striding over, hands buried in his jacket pockets.

"You're always cold, P'rru," Khena retorts, smiling lopsidedly at the older rider, "must be that Igen-thing. One of the guards is from there too, did you know that? He's always complaining of the cold too." Putting the needle and thread away in a small box, designed for the purpose, the brownrider lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "Why Tillek? Need to pick up more wine for the store?" she asks with a slight wink as she stands, rolling up the strap to put it in a sack attatched to Mneoth's straps. "I'd think you'd have enough as it is." Freezing for a moment, she realizes that the 'leader had said that he'd been looking for her. Turning slowly, she frowns. "Is something wrong?"

P'rru chuckles at the Igen remarks, nodding as he reaches a hand up towards Mneoth's muzzle. "Your probably right. But I can't help I'm used to heatwaves.." He replies, goodnaturedly. The brownrider's eyebrows bounce upwards though, at the mention of trouble "No of course nothing's wrong. And I got the wine yesterday thankyouverymuch. Dsalth was just after some more..lively prey, and when I suggested we go hunting around Tillek's forests, he thought that Mneoth might like to join him. Apparently it's much more enjoyable in a team. And with a fine dragon like yours, it can't be too difficult.." See, Dsalth does favour brown mudslide dragons, can't help it.

Khena can't help smiling over the flattering words and glances sideways at Mneoth asking him quietly if this was something he was up to. "Mneoth would like to go hunting," she tells P'rru after a pause of communication between rider and lifemate. "I hear Skylark had her child..." Turning back to the brown, she begins the pre-flight check of the straps while looking over her shoulder every now and then at the wingleader. "And.. I heard some rumours.. That Khor's not the father..?"

P'rru grins as they agree to come "Oh good, hear that old man? Mneoth shall join us.." Dsalth lopes steadily over, dipping his head to whuffle at Purr's shoulder. "Yes! The baby, Diraija..or Dirajia, I can never get it right. I just call her Dira.." but the gushing abruptly ceases as Khena voices rumour. "Aye well he's not. It's some bronzerider from Ista and I do not like him one little bit.." the wingleader scowls, turning to mount up to his dragon's shoulders. "You know what I'm like, Khena, once I train my loyalty to someone, I can't easily flip it to someone else. I'm hoping that my daughter and Kh'ryn can work it out. I don't -like- that Istan.." he repeats.

"Well, Khor's got enough children as it is," Khena says with a certain amount of spite marring her voice and the emotion reflected in her eyes as she turns to look at P'rru. "Maybe this Istan'll take care of /his/ baby, eh?" Ducking under Mneoth's neck, the rider goes to check on the strap over on the other side, but her voice comes floating back toward the 'leader. "Kieryn's almost old enough to be weaned.. Skylark doesn't like the idea of leaving her with the nannies, but the decision's been made. I just /can't/ be a proper mother and I've told her that." Her, being Skylark, of course.

"Khena, this has nothing to do with your situation. Kh'ryn is a decent fellow, and he should have sired my granddaughter. Now that is enough.." P'rru puts a swift stop to this ream of conversation, only adding "Skylark's just bitter because she was raised by nannies. But they did a fine job. Kieryn will be fine" Dsalth rumbles impatiently, eager to get going. "Straps holding up then? Shall we fly?

Mneoth senses Dsalth thinks of nothing but the chase, the catch, the kill, the meal. <<Do not bring firelizards with you, Mneoth. They tend to scare away the prey>> This is serious stuff, afterall.

"Yes, they're good." As Mneoth's straps always are. "I haven't noticed any flaws in Lark either," Khena says, giving P'rru a wink as her head comes over the brown's neck, her leg swinging over for her to get a proper seat. "Besides, I'm sure Kier'll be alright there. I'll still be able to visit her any time, after all." Fastening the straps to the appropriate buckles, she looks down at the 'leader, letting out a sigh, almost saying something more but changing her mind, "let's just go.."

With Mneoth lending a weary forearm, you have no trouble getting to a stable seat between his neckridges.

Dsalth shuffles slightly, allowing enough room for him and Mneoth to both take to the skies easily.

P'rru swings up to ease himself between defined neckridges

Dsalth bunches powerful muscles, wings pumping with strength, before leaping into the air.

Above, Dsalth sweeps in from the sloping meadows below.

Wings arc and pump, and upwards you go!

Above the Mountains
Swirling air flows buffet you from all sides, a culmination of the threads of many different weather patterns as you soar high above the Alpine Meadows, a rippling, shimmering sea of green beckoning from below. The blackness of volcanic rock cuts off your view of the weyr, though the Star Stones remain as a reference point, forever reaching for the stars.
Clean, cold, crisp air takes your breath away, flavoured with the tang of a myrriad of different aromas.
It is an autumn afternoon. The sun slowly begins to descend; the grey clouds overhead seemed to have stretched this day interminably. A light breeze stirs the air slightly.
Gliding around are two firelizards.
Brown Dsalth is here.
Obvious exits:
Alpine Meadows Towards Tillek Towards the Weyr

You arrive in the air above the meadows, buffeted once again by the strong winds.

Mneoth senses Dsalth automatically, without thinking, gives co-ordinates of their destination. It's the wingleader resposibility coming out in him. Then, he goes.

Dsalth wheels into ::between:: with a groan

You visualize Sky Over Tillek Hold for Mneoth.

Mneoth thinks to you, << Ok, I am now envisioning... >>

Mneoth leaps ::between::, vanishing without a trace.

:::BETWEEN!:::

You hang, senseless, in the dark nothingness of ::between::... absolute darkness surrounds you, and the profound cold stings you... you wait, and count...
Black...
Blacker...
Blackest...

Sky Over Tillek Hold
Below you, Tillek Hold clutches itself tightly to the cliff face it's embedded in, while the fields and woodland around sprawl in a lacework of vineyards, orchards, and forests. Directly below is the triple-chamber of the courtyards; main, kitchen and lower, where the Hold business is conducted at the usual feverish pace. Windows and gaps line the cliff's face, and towards the top a narrow ledge has been chipped out where it starts to slope from erosion wearing away at the surface.
It is an autumn afternoon.
Brown Dsalth is here.
Obvious exits:
Up Points

Mneoth explodes from ::between::, materializing out of thin air.

Dsalth glides down for a landing.

In the courtyard below, Dsalth glides in from above, and lands.

You glide down for a landing.

[** Travel Spam **]

You go to the Forest Edge.

Forest Edge
Sweetest of hyacinth scents drift in on the careless sea breeze, wisping in and mingling with the pungent aroma of the tall, strong evergreens that spread their branches as shade from the bright mountain sunlight. As close to the traders' road as this patch of forest is, campfire pits are found scattered here and there, where many a caravan train settles for one last night on the road before continuing to the Hold Proper. The area is very quiet, as each creature's step is muffled by the carpet of pine needles and other leaves covering the forest floor.
It is an autumn afternoon.
To the north, you see one person.
Brown Dsalth is here.
Obvious exits:
Inner Forest Bubbly Hold Road

Mneoth senses Dsalth thinks << This is the spot, young one, don't you think? We must tell our riders to be quiet, very very quiet. >>

Dsalth watches with interest as P'rru descends carefully

P'rru dismounts as soon as Dsalth lands, and quietly pushes away from the dragon. "Aye, lughead, circle, we'll be quiet" he agrees as the brown gives him instruction.

Mneoth crouches low as you shift to the ground below.

Khena slides off Mneoth's neck, landing with a quiet thud, keeping a hand on his side to quell his lust for blood. "Stay!" she orders in a quiet voice, moving quickly around to unfasten the buckles that hold the straps to the brown's neck. "I won't have these straps all soaked in blood again." Mneoth lowers his head to the ground so that his rider can slip off the leather and as they're off, he watches Dsalth for further action. >>Now what?<<

P'rru glances up, through into the forest, and then shrugs. "Take him off, Dsalth." He remarks to the older brown who immediately surges into the air once more not before telling Mneoth <<Follow. I will show you how it's done, Mneoth. We circle, and then dive through the trees. They hide deeper in the forest. It is fun>> P'rru just chuckles, and heads to a grassy patch to sit down on. "Come, Khena, let the boys do their own thing..." Time to chat?

Straps draped over her shoulder, Khena follows the older brownrider, glancing back now and then to watch as the dragons disappear toward the forest. "This is safe, right, P'rru? They won't get hurt?" Tossing the black leathers down on the ground, the rider sits next to the wingleader, pulling her knees up to rest her elbows on them. "I s'pose you heard that Ele moved in with Reiko..." she begins, looking toward the forest, and the ever smaller specks that are their lifemates, rather than look P'rru in the eye.

P'rru sprawls on the ground, legs stretched out, hands behind him as props. "Of course it's safe. They won't put themselves in any danger, don't fuss so. Dsalth will take care of them.." After 30 turns, you tend to trust your dragon implicitly. "Oh aye, I heard.." Purr's voice takes a downturn, to more serious. "..your upset, aren't you, my girl?"

Khena grimaces, glancing sideways for a moment at P'rru, giving him a curt nod. "Of course I am. I shouldn't be. She's kept telling me that she can't be anything more than a friend, but..." Grinding her teeth, the brownrider looks down at the grass, while her fists clench to the point where her knuckles whiten. "I just wish it hadn't been Reiko," she finally whispers after a long pause, her voice trembling with emotion.

P'rru puts his arm around the brownrider's shoulders, and draws her over for a one-armed hug. "What has been, is past, Khena my child. And you cannot change what people are like. It is not your fault that Elehu didn't feel anything for you, and it's not her fault that she wants to be with Reiko. We love, who we love. The rest of us just have to deal with it I suppose." he pauses, in his rambling words of wisdom. "Anyway, poppet, why does it matter if it's Reiko, really? Just be happy for them and let it go finally. It's not healthy, this obsession you have."

Khena clenches her teeth, but rests her head on P'rru's shoulder all the same. "P'rru... " she begins, voice thick with anger and spite, "Reiko's only interest in Elehu is because /I/ have an interest in her." Or at least, so the brownrider believes. "I don't know /why/ I ever liked that deceiving little wherry!" Pulling away from him again, she thumps a fist on the ground, her face contorted in anger. "She'll never be able to make Ele happy, y'know.."

P'rru frowns, worry lines appearing on his forehead. "Alright, let's just stop it right here, Khena." he says, voice thick with fatherly authority. "Reiko and Elehu are not together to -spite- you. Reiko isn't doing this to get back at you. She would not be callous with Elehu's feelings like that- and don't you even say that she would because I know her, child and she wouldn't." He pauses, to clear his throat "It does not matter if she can or can't make Elehu happy. The point is that Elehu is willing to try, and quite frankly, my dearest, it has nothing to do with you at all! You have to get over this, Khena" He speaks quietly, but forceful and reasonable.

Turning slowly to /stare/ at P'rru, Khena blinks slowly as her eyes continously narrow to become tiny slits. The safety of her lifemate now completely forgotten, she can only stare numbly at the wingleader. "P'rru... Reiko's simply not a /nice/ person. I /thought/ you knew that?!" Feeling betrayed, she pushes away from the brownrider just a little bit, still staring at him with a look of total bewilderment on her face. "She never has been, never will be. And if she hurt Ele again..."

P'rru just quirks one eyebrow, unperturbed by Khena's disgust orwhatever it is. "She's always been perfectly nice to me, child. Remember, I knew her before candidacy aswell, you introduced us. She's my neighbour, and I've never had any complaint about her. Your mind is just biased, that's all. And while I love you, my dearest, I shan't change my opinion of her for you. So quieten up. I love you both..." He doesn't plead for her to be alright with it, he just tells it like it is. Confident people kinda make you accept it or tough cookies, don't they? "Anyway, she won't hurt Elehu.."

"You don't think so, do you? Well, she's done it before," Khena mutters, looking away to pick at the grass as she always does when nervous or angry. "The thing is, P'rru.. I've never felt like this about anyone before. And in comes Reiko and steals her away." Tossing the grass away, only to have it fly back at her by a gust of wind, the brownrider, lets out a deep racking breath. "Why would she do that..."

P'rru reaches over, to cup Khena's chin and draw her face around to his direction. "Listen to me on this, child. Reiko didn't do this to spite you, and Elehu isn't some creature whose emotions can be controlled. It is much her choice, as Reiko's to weyrmate another. Stop blaming it all on the bluerider. In fact, stop fretting over this. Your worrying me, and you'll start affecting Mneoth.." the brownrider pauses, mentally checkin in with his dragon to ensure things are going fine- which they seem to be. There's been a catch already. "..Hurts happen, and they can't be taken back. You have to work through this, Khena, you must. I have a mind to send you on a vacation, see a mindhealer, anything to be able to move on with your life."

A quick expression of shock crosses Khena's face as P'rru mentions 'vacation'. "Please, P'rru," she pleads, eyes changing from the stone hard look to one of worry, "don't take me off the wing. "I couldn't take that as well..." Taking his hand away from her chin, she shakes her head, letting out another sigh. "I'll try. I promise. It's just hard."

P'rru puffs his cheeks with a held breath, and just regards the brownrider for a few quiet moments, as if making up his mind. "Fine. I won't. But you've got to get some headway with this, Khena. If talking through it makes you feel better, I'll expect you on my ledge everyday if needs be. You can't let this poison your mind, so. I'm sympathetic, child, but you need to hear reason, more reason than others may give you.." He is concerned, in his own way, and not being a very open-emotional person himself, he has to treat this logically.

"I dunno, P'rru," Khena says, rolling a shoulder in a shrug, "I'm not much for talking about such things. You know that..." Looking toward the forest, she lets a tiny smile come on her lips. "Mneoth caught a wherry," she notes, glancing back at the wingleader. "He says it's fun hunting in the wild. Much more challenging than catching some dumb herdbeast in the pens." There. That's it. Change the subject.

P'rru looks into the forest then aswell, eyes clouding "Dsalth says he's doing very well indeed! And he does prefer to hunt wild, when we can. He says it's more natural, and gives the prey a better chance, which is only fair.." he happily moves along the conversation to this new subject aswell. But there's no doubt he's biding his time.

Khena nods slowly, tilting her head and closing her eyes for a moment to touch minds with her lifemate. "Mneoth says they taste different.. More... Juicy? I dunno. Maybe it's just his imagination, but wherry was never juicy to me," she says, grinning back at P'rru. "Why haven't we ever done this before?"

P'rru chuckles "I don't know, child. We should do it mor often yes? It'd certainly build a better bond between our boys, which can only be good in threadfall. Dsalth's a little shy, I've noticed, or perhaps it's me, since he was scored. I still blame myself, yknow. I'll not skip any drills from now on, I assure you.." There's a loud bugle, as Dsalth brings in a catch of his own, the treetops shivering as dragon-body plummets through the canopy.

"Dsalth shy?" Now that's something that's hard to believe, isn't it? "He certainly wasn't shy that time when he abducted me, was he," Khena goes on, grinning at the wingleader, and even offering him a wink. "He hasn't done that lately, has he? You'd let me know, right?" And then, Khens would have a word with the brown..

P'rru chuckles as the mood lightens "No, no, he hasn't done it lately. Probably because our weyr is so full to bursting that there's no room for others. Your lucky, you've not met Bhrisa yet, have you? She's just...incredible" Not in a good way. "But Dsalth adores her Nuliunath, they've spent candlemarks on the ledge catching up.."

Khena shakes her head, grinning crookedly, "no, but Skylark's told me about her once, I think.. She's her mother, right?" Stretching out her legs and relaxing more now, the brownrider leans back on her hands, while her face is falling into softer folds. "How come she's here? I wouldn't think Reaches is a place someone'd wanna visit in autumn.."

"I invited her. Of course I didn't think the woman would actually come. It was only right, though, to invite Dira's grandmother to stay.." Purr notes, shredding leaves idly between his fingers. "Skylark is more like her than she'd care to admit, yknow. And since I haven't seen them together well, since she was a little girl, I never really realised it. She even has the same inflection on some of her words." The brownrider smiles to himself. "Bhris refuses to acknowledge Kezzra too yknow. I mean we could have never settled down together, I think it's one of those female territorial things.."

"You think.. You think children always turn out like their parents?" Khena asks, tilting her head toward the older, wiser(?) brownrider. "I wouldn't wanna turn out like my father.. And I never knew my mother, so I don't really know what she's like either." Pausing for a moment, she crosses her ankles and gets down on her elbows, "I don't hope Kier turns out like me..."

P'rru snorts "I think you turn out like your parents no matter what you do. Just take a look at Skylark. She's got my constitution, her mother's emotionalness, my stubborness. And look at Kaorru. He's inherited my looks, of course, but he's strange, almost aloof- and that's Kwa all over. He's coming to live with me too, did I tell you that?" The brownrider flicks a bug from the back of his hand "And Kier will inherit the best qualities from you, Khena" He sounds so sure.

Khena snorts as well, glancing at P'rru with fresh loss of confidence, "which best qualisties?" she asks, now simply flopping back on the grass, turning her back to the wingleader. "I'm a horrible person, P'rru. I get jealous at Elehu and Reiko because they get together, I'm letting the nannies take care of my child and I hate her father.."

P'rru shrugs "The fact that Kieryn is to be fostered out doesn't mean your a bad person. Pyrene's done it, I've done it. I'm not bad..." he says with a huff as if insulted. "And your jealous, yes, but your going to work through that. And as for hating Kh'ryn- well I guess you just don't take slights well. But you've got a good heart, look at how much you put up with an old sot like me eh? Your a diligent rider, your very good to Mneoth and I'd trust you to the ends of the world.."

"If I'm such a good person, P'rru," Khena starts, her voice muffled, "then why's my weyr empty, when most of my clutchmates are already 'mated?" Rolling around, she sits up, wiping her tearstreaked cheeks as she stares at the wingleader. Hanging her head between her shoulder she shakes it slightly. "Is it me? Am I really so horrible to be with?"

P'rru sighs "Why do you need to be weyrmated? If you ask me, being single is the best thing for young riders. Weyrmating too young is..complicated." He shakes his head to affirm that. "Your not horrible, sweetheart. You just haven't met the right person yet. Perhaps I could set you up with an Igener? We make good mates, yknow" he winks, trying to cheer her up. "Look, poppet, you have turns ahead of you. Don't be in such a rush."

"It gets lonely up there, P'rru.. In my weyr. All my life, I've had people around me at night. Back when I was traveling it was my family. When I came to Reaches it was the folks in the caverns, then the barracks." Looking up, fresh tears well up in her eyes as she looks over at the brownrider. "Then weyrlinghood.. It's hard suddenly living alone, P'rru. Even having Mneoth there with me. He's /different/ from a human. Smells different. Sounds different. You know that. I never had to be alone before graduating weyrlinghood. Now it's been almost four turns and I'm /still/ not used to sleeping alone..."

P'rru reaches out to brush tears from the woman's cheeks if she should let him. "Perhaps you could keep Keiryn then. She's someone who'll love you without question, yknow. You're a strong girl, when you put your mind to it. You just need to stop feeling sorry for yourself, my dear. I don't know what else to tell you. Most of the time I wish I still had a weyr to myself and Dsalth.." the wingleader gives a weak-smile, almost in apology.

Blinking as P'rru brushes away tears, Khena welcomes the caress from the other. "Thank you, P'rru," she whispers, looking up at him with eyes going from side to side, unable to lock on to his. "But it's different with Kier.. I can't talk with her. Not like I do with you. Shards, she can't even /talk/ yet. And I'd hardly talk with her about thing adults talk about.. Maybe that's really what I miss.. Someone I can talk with. Someone.. Someone to hold when I'm upset."

P'rru smiles. "Well, Khena, I know I can't be as much for you. But would you settle for a grumbley father-type? You can come by as often as you want, our weyr is always open. Shells, you can even crash on our floor anytime you want, yknow" He offers.

Khena nods, smiling lopsidedly as she wipes her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "You've always been a better father than my real one," she says, looking at him with bloodshot eyes. "You were even one of the first people to welcome me to the Weyr, y'know. I'd never expected it from a rider back then. Still wouldn't for that matter. You're the good person, P'rru. And don't let anyone tell you different!"

P'rru chuckles and shrugs "Well, I was brought up to treat all people equally, Khena. It does not matter to me what knot you bear on your shoulder, be it drudge, rider or Lord Holder. Perhaps that's why so many people come to my parties.." grinning misheviously he glances back to the forest. "Dsalth says he is done, but he'll need to let it settle before flying anywhere soon"

"Mneoth has his sight on another wherry," Khena mumbles, eyes glazing over in that rider-dragon communication look that lifemates get. "Oh. There he goes. He's really learning this fast." Grinning at P'rru, she runs a hand through her hair, then looks away down at the grass. "Thank you, P'rru. For everything."

"Mneoth has his sight on another wherry," Khena mumbles, eyes glazing over in that rider-dragon communication look that lifemates get. "Oh. There he goes. He's really learning this fast." Grinning at P'rru, she runs a hand through her hair, then looks away down at the grass. "Thank you, P'rru. For everything." <re>

P'rru chuckles "Don't thank me, dear. It's just my way.." he says, pushing to his feet as Dsalth cruises low over the canopy. "He's coming in to land, I'll need to check his wing for strain, even though he says he feels fine.." he explains.

Scanning the treetops for sight of her own lifemate, Khena gets to her feet as well, automatically shading her eyes, though there's no sun to shade against. "Where's he gone?" she mutters, taking another step or two toward the forest calling out to Mneoth with her mind. "P'rru, he's not answering!" Panic enters her voice as she begins running toward the trees, calling Mneoth's name outloud. "Why isn't he answering?!"

Dsalth lands gracefully, wings clipped neatly. Purr, halfway there to meet his dragon, turns and blinks. "Calm yourself, Khena. Call him again, quietly.." he instructs. Dsalth is apt for disappearing and not answering, so he's rather used to it. "Lughead, call Mneoth for me.." he tells his own dragon, who lifts his head, and bugles.

Mneoth senses Dsalth calls, not nervous at all. <<Mneoth. Answer us>> Simple, to the point.

Dropping to her knees as her lifemate's voice re-enters her head, Khena takes a deep breath, them clampers up again to stride back toward P'rru. "I'll skin 'im for that. He's never done that before," she says, voice shaking, as well as her hands. In the distance, a small speck of brown appears coming toward them, growing bigger and becoming the shape of a dragon.

Mneoth thinks to you, << I bespoke Dsalth with: Mneoth thinks << I am here. What is the matter? I was only eating >> >>

Neither Dsalth nor P'rru seems disturbed. "It's never happened to you before, eh? Well, must have given you a fright. Be sure to discipline him on it.." the brownrider mentions, brushing a hand over his dragon's muzzle. "Dsalth frequently stays out of touch with me...I think it is because we both need our own time." Shrug. They are unusual.

Mneoth senses Dsalth gives a mental shrug. <<You worried your lifemate, Mneoth. Reassure her. And next time, answer when called..>>

Swooping in for a neat landing, Mneoth looks as much flustered as a dragon can look, hanging his head close to the ground as he lumbers toward his rider. "Don't /ever/ do that again, Mneoth!" Khena says, slapping the brown on the side of his muzzle, her face a mixture of fear and relief. "I don't /care/ if you were eating. Tell me if you decide not to answer me!" Leaning forward the rider wraps her arms around the dragon's muzzle, letting out a sob. "I couldn't stand losing you..." she whispers.

P'rru sighs, and leans against his dragon's shoulder, both watching the other pair quietly. After awhile though, the wingleader suggests "Come. Let's go home. And rest, yes?"

Khena turns and releases Mneoth's muzzle at P'rru's suggestion, nodding slowly, her drawn face attempting a smile. "Yeah, it's been a long day," she says in a quiet voice, trudging back to collect the brown's straps. Pausing for a moment, she caresses the black leather, standing silently as Mneoth waits patiently to get them on. "I made these straps when we were still weyrlings, y'know, P'rru.. I just kept on expanding them as Mneoth grew. He likes the color." A deep rumble from the brown indicates that he agrees to that statement.

P'rru chuckles "I don't think Dsalth's first straps would have survived long. I was awful with stitching.." And with that he mounts up. He doesn't use straps for short jaunts like this of course. Dsalth waits patiently, claws extending into the soft soil to loosen any meal-guts.

"Right," Khena says, and quickly slips the straps over Mneoth's head and does a quick safety-check. She uses straps for every ride. Even the ones from her weyr to the Bowl floor, of course. "We'll be right with you, P'rru." With Mneoth crouching close to the ground the rider has no problem getting to his neck in a leap aided by a brown forearm. "Thank you for inviting us, P'rru.."

P'rru swings up to ease himself between defined neckridges

With Mneoth lending a weary forearm, you have no trouble getting to a stable seat between his neckridges.

From his seat between pinstriped, stately neckridges P'rru waves his hand "Oh stop thanking me for nothings, Khena. You just look after yourself, and that dragon of yours.." Dsalth meanwhile, backpeddles to give them room. And then, with a grunt of strain he takes to the sky, circling higher over the treetops before going between.

Khena is about to say something in return to the wingleader, but he's off before she can open her mouth and she just shakes her head, ordering Mneoth to follow. Up, into the wind and the sunset and then ::between:: back to the Reaches.

*** Disconnected ***

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