A midnight encounter
Essdara finds something suprising in the bowl, and is intruiged by it.
---
Essdara comes from the north bowl, walking at a brisk pace around the outside of the bowl, expression distant and dissatisfied. She pays little attention to things around here, save to make sure she is not running into anyone or anything, though the night's quiet does make that easier.
A full moon casts light enough to see by and is reflected silver in the ripples of the lake. A little ways from the shore, moonlight captures a golden hide, water droplets slipping down a long neck, shoulders and everything beneath submerged. Settled between two ridges is Roa, wearing only a black sleeveless shirt and dark knee-pants, quite wet herself as she slathers soapsand onto the queen's neck as far as she can reach.
Essdara makes her way to the lake, walking along the beach with nary a glance; until, of course, she catches the glint of gold from the water. Looking out, she stops walking fully to take in the scene, torn between wonder and amusement. Finally, she calls out quietly, "Isn't it a little late for a bath, ma'am?"
The little rider, small on any day but particularly miniscule in relation to all that hide, pauses in her scrubbing to look out to the shore. "A little late for a stroll too," she counters and the light cast can just barely illuminate a smile. "She itched," the rider adds. "What's a girl to do?" The dragon in question tips her head, rolling glowing eyes until they settle for a moment on Essdara.
Essdara chuckles softly, "Ahh, true. When a girl has an itch, it is best taken care of. Myself, I just... Well, I couldn't sleep." She takes in the scale difference between the two. "If you did that in the morning, I bet you'd be swarmed with young weyrbrats willing to give you a hand..."
Roa's smile turns wry. "And a bevy of bronzeriders murmuring about how soon before she rises and how likely they are to catch." her tone is forcefully light. "I prefer night time myself. Tialith obliges." A small pat to the golden neck and the rider pushes herself up to standing in order to reach more of her dragon. Tialith lowers her head and raises a shoulder to better allow Roa reach and balance.
Essdara shrugs a bit, "Well..." A thoughtful moment. "I'm not likely to fall asleep any time soon, and I owe you for helping with those tubers the other day... So want me to come give you a hand? Unless you are almost done, or something, which would be nice because you could be there all night otherwise."
The weyrwoman is quiet a moment, balancing and scrubbing demanding all of her concentration. "Nearly there," she manages. "Just have her muzzle and cheeks left. My thanks for the offer, though." She leans back and Tialith swings her head around, eyes closing so those areas mentioned can be scrubbed. It still takes around ten minutes since the dragon's head is larger than the girl, but the pair clearly have a well-practiced routine.
Essdara nods a bit, trying not to look too relieved. She sits down to watch, legs to chest and chin resting on her knees as she looks out. "So... She is close to rising, then, if I may ask? Or do you get that /all/ the time? Because, well, that would drive me insane." A soft chuckle, "Another reason not to envy you."
Roa finishes scrubbing the tip of the gold's nose and then climbs up carefully to the top of her head. With this cue, Tialith sinks down underwater, soapsand washing away, and head dipped low enough that only Roa's knees and lower get dunked. Then the queen re-emerges and wades her way to shore, lowering her head as she arrives so that Roa can hop off. "Back up, back up, back up," the rider urges quickly to Essdara as she begins to do the same herself. As the gold fully steps out of the lake wings spread, neck arches...a shake off is imminent.
Essdara scoots backwards, crab-walking entirely too slowly; she doesn't seem all /that/ worried about the incoming drenching. Still, she does try to avoid the brunt of it. "Does she always drown everyone nearby?" She asks, amused.
Shake! Water droplets sail through the air, splattering every which way for a hundred yards as seventy feet of dragon rids herself of excess lake. Roa lifts an arm to ward off water from her eyes, but other than that...well..can't say she's unused to it. Her eyes go distant for a moment. "Tia says she cannot help it when she's both wet and large at the same time." The rider bites back a smile as Tialith refolds her wings and pads closer to the two women to lie down and recline in the moonlight. "As far as flights...Tia's not much more than a turn old and most queens don't rise until they're three." Okay, that's not entirely true. Wishful thinking? "I think the bronzeriders talk about all the queens, but there seems to be special interest on the newer ones. Unknowns, I guess." Again, a bit of artificial lightness to Roa's voice, like she wants anyone who's listening to think it's no big concern.
Essdara rolls her eyes, "You know, I have heard some, umm, heated arguments amongst the younger men on who would be the first to win certain maturing weyrfolk to bed. It must be a man thing, needing to be the first one somewhere." A shrug, "Like it matters the next morning, you wake up and go your separate ways, and who cares after that?"
Roa lifts her shoulders in a shrug as she leans back against Tialith's shoulder. "I don't know. I suppose some do. It all depends." She looks up at the sky, the moon and shivers a little. Cool night, wet skimpy clothes. "Guess Tia and I will find out in a turn or two."
Essdara glances over at her with a small smile, then away to the gold. "Some do, some don't. I usually don't pay attention to which is which." She chuckles softly, "And yeah, I suppose you will. I guess it won't matter, in the end... Though for your sake, I will hope it's someone nice. You deserve that much, at least."
Roa crosses her arms, the shivering intensifying. Probably just the cold. Mmhmm. "I trust Tia to pick someone that'll suit us both." The gold, whose eyes had lidded, opens one and emits a low rumble. From Roa's small smile, perhaps some sort of affirmative.
Essdara looks over, "You look cold... You should go inside and get dry, before you get sick." She makes her way to her feet, "Much as I enjoy your company, and am glad to have run across you... I don't want you getting sick just so I can chat with you..."
Roa rubs her arms with her hands. "It'll be easier when summer's full on," she says with a final shiver. "But sleep and dry clothing is probably a good idea. Enjoy the rest of your night, Essdara."
Essdara chuckles softly, "I will do my best, m.. Roa. Clear skies to you, and to Tialith, of course." She smiles to the gold, and shakes a bit of water from her hair with a hand, "Dry clothes do sound nice." She adds.
Roa smiles feebly. "Sorry about that," the rider offers. With a wave, she makes her way towards the dragon barracks, the gold daintily matching her pace with her rider's.
Essdara heads back north towards the caverns.
---
Essdara comes from the north bowl, walking at a brisk pace around the outside of the bowl, expression distant and dissatisfied. She pays little attention to things around here, save to make sure she is not running into anyone or anything, though the night's quiet does make that easier.
A full moon casts light enough to see by and is reflected silver in the ripples of the lake. A little ways from the shore, moonlight captures a golden hide, water droplets slipping down a long neck, shoulders and everything beneath submerged. Settled between two ridges is Roa, wearing only a black sleeveless shirt and dark knee-pants, quite wet herself as she slathers soapsand onto the queen's neck as far as she can reach.
Essdara makes her way to the lake, walking along the beach with nary a glance; until, of course, she catches the glint of gold from the water. Looking out, she stops walking fully to take in the scene, torn between wonder and amusement. Finally, she calls out quietly, "Isn't it a little late for a bath, ma'am?"
The little rider, small on any day but particularly miniscule in relation to all that hide, pauses in her scrubbing to look out to the shore. "A little late for a stroll too," she counters and the light cast can just barely illuminate a smile. "She itched," the rider adds. "What's a girl to do?" The dragon in question tips her head, rolling glowing eyes until they settle for a moment on Essdara.
Essdara chuckles softly, "Ahh, true. When a girl has an itch, it is best taken care of. Myself, I just... Well, I couldn't sleep." She takes in the scale difference between the two. "If you did that in the morning, I bet you'd be swarmed with young weyrbrats willing to give you a hand..."
Roa's smile turns wry. "And a bevy of bronzeriders murmuring about how soon before she rises and how likely they are to catch." her tone is forcefully light. "I prefer night time myself. Tialith obliges." A small pat to the golden neck and the rider pushes herself up to standing in order to reach more of her dragon. Tialith lowers her head and raises a shoulder to better allow Roa reach and balance.
Essdara shrugs a bit, "Well..." A thoughtful moment. "I'm not likely to fall asleep any time soon, and I owe you for helping with those tubers the other day... So want me to come give you a hand? Unless you are almost done, or something, which would be nice because you could be there all night otherwise."
The weyrwoman is quiet a moment, balancing and scrubbing demanding all of her concentration. "Nearly there," she manages. "Just have her muzzle and cheeks left. My thanks for the offer, though." She leans back and Tialith swings her head around, eyes closing so those areas mentioned can be scrubbed. It still takes around ten minutes since the dragon's head is larger than the girl, but the pair clearly have a well-practiced routine.
Essdara nods a bit, trying not to look too relieved. She sits down to watch, legs to chest and chin resting on her knees as she looks out. "So... She is close to rising, then, if I may ask? Or do you get that /all/ the time? Because, well, that would drive me insane." A soft chuckle, "Another reason not to envy you."
Roa finishes scrubbing the tip of the gold's nose and then climbs up carefully to the top of her head. With this cue, Tialith sinks down underwater, soapsand washing away, and head dipped low enough that only Roa's knees and lower get dunked. Then the queen re-emerges and wades her way to shore, lowering her head as she arrives so that Roa can hop off. "Back up, back up, back up," the rider urges quickly to Essdara as she begins to do the same herself. As the gold fully steps out of the lake wings spread, neck arches...a shake off is imminent.
Essdara scoots backwards, crab-walking entirely too slowly; she doesn't seem all /that/ worried about the incoming drenching. Still, she does try to avoid the brunt of it. "Does she always drown everyone nearby?" She asks, amused.
Shake! Water droplets sail through the air, splattering every which way for a hundred yards as seventy feet of dragon rids herself of excess lake. Roa lifts an arm to ward off water from her eyes, but other than that...well..can't say she's unused to it. Her eyes go distant for a moment. "Tia says she cannot help it when she's both wet and large at the same time." The rider bites back a smile as Tialith refolds her wings and pads closer to the two women to lie down and recline in the moonlight. "As far as flights...Tia's not much more than a turn old and most queens don't rise until they're three." Okay, that's not entirely true. Wishful thinking? "I think the bronzeriders talk about all the queens, but there seems to be special interest on the newer ones. Unknowns, I guess." Again, a bit of artificial lightness to Roa's voice, like she wants anyone who's listening to think it's no big concern.
Essdara rolls her eyes, "You know, I have heard some, umm, heated arguments amongst the younger men on who would be the first to win certain maturing weyrfolk to bed. It must be a man thing, needing to be the first one somewhere." A shrug, "Like it matters the next morning, you wake up and go your separate ways, and who cares after that?"
Roa lifts her shoulders in a shrug as she leans back against Tialith's shoulder. "I don't know. I suppose some do. It all depends." She looks up at the sky, the moon and shivers a little. Cool night, wet skimpy clothes. "Guess Tia and I will find out in a turn or two."
Essdara glances over at her with a small smile, then away to the gold. "Some do, some don't. I usually don't pay attention to which is which." She chuckles softly, "And yeah, I suppose you will. I guess it won't matter, in the end... Though for your sake, I will hope it's someone nice. You deserve that much, at least."
Roa crosses her arms, the shivering intensifying. Probably just the cold. Mmhmm. "I trust Tia to pick someone that'll suit us both." The gold, whose eyes had lidded, opens one and emits a low rumble. From Roa's small smile, perhaps some sort of affirmative.
Essdara looks over, "You look cold... You should go inside and get dry, before you get sick." She makes her way to her feet, "Much as I enjoy your company, and am glad to have run across you... I don't want you getting sick just so I can chat with you..."
Roa rubs her arms with her hands. "It'll be easier when summer's full on," she says with a final shiver. "But sleep and dry clothing is probably a good idea. Enjoy the rest of your night, Essdara."
Essdara chuckles softly, "I will do my best, m.. Roa. Clear skies to you, and to Tialith, of course." She smiles to the gold, and shakes a bit of water from her hair with a hand, "Dry clothes do sound nice." She adds.
Roa smiles feebly. "Sorry about that," the rider offers. With a wave, she makes her way towards the dragon barracks, the gold daintily matching her pace with her rider's.
Essdara heads back north towards the caverns.