Much to see and do and learn
Who: Rhodya and Gedroth, T'rev and Mecaith
When: Afternoon on day 27, month 3, turn 19 of Interval 10.
Where: Lakeshore, Fort Weyr
What: Gedroth has dragged Rhodya into a freezing cold lake to supervise his swimming practice, but T'rev and Mecaith happen along to save her from untimely hypothermia. The riders catch up while the dragons exchange information and impressions.
Waist-deep in the water, shivering like crazy, Rhodya's learning a valuable lesson about water temperature. Just because it's a warm, sunny afternoon does not mean that the lake isn't cold. It's /very/ cold. But she's out there anyway, holding Gedroth up by his belly while the growing brown practices his doggie paddle. "Don't splash so much, baby. It means you're wasting energy. Gedroth grunts and tries to smooth out his movements, but really, he's still splashing a lot.
T'rev comes down to the lake shore looking a little tired out and running both hands through his hair. But there's Rhodya with Gedroth and the shivering is readily apparent. "Rhodya ... what in Faranth's name you doin' out there?" the bronzerider skips go and asks the 200 dollar question. "Ain't it deep enough in the springs?"
Rhodya squints at the shore. Gedroth just splashed water in her face, making it difficult to see, but with patience she can make out the bronzerider. "T'rev?" she asks, just to confirm. Gedroth glances that way, shoots Rhodya a flash of what he sees, and goes back to paddling. She shivers. "Well, I didn't think it'd be so /cold!/" she replies defensively. "He told me it was warm." << It is warm, >> he points out, though it's not audible for T'rev. What is audible is Rhodya's grumpy, "Shush, you."
"Shells no, ain't warm in there for another month or so," T'rev calls over, "and yeah, it's me. C'mon outta there, huh? You'll catch a chill." The bronzerider gestures her over. "Though, he's lookin' good in there." A moment later Mecaith lands lightly on the shore and looks outward. "Or Mec says he'll keep an eye if he's willin'."
Rhodya hangs onto her brown for a minute more, giving him a little bit longer to practice the not-splashing thing. Then she steps back and lets him go, clambering out of the water in shorts. Gedroth goes paddling around, splashing fantastically, and buzzes by Mecaith to get a look at his new temporary guardian. << Hello. >> Rhodya grabs a large towel from the shore, flings the sand off, and wipes herself dry as much as possible. "I'm gonna learn," she swears to T'rev. "When he says somethin' ain't so bad, he means it ain't so bad /for him/." She tugs the towel around her waist and ties it in a skirt.
"Want my jacket?" T'rev offers as he steps towards Rhodya, eyeing the weyrling sympathetically. Mecaith whuffs once and steps into the water to meet Gedroth and lowers his muzzle. << Good day. T'rev tells me that you are Gedroth and that she is yours, >> he images Rhodya as she stands talking on the beach with his rider. << It's a pleasure to meet you. I see that you're learning to swim? >>
"Sounds good," Rhodya answers, shooting him a grin. She reaches out for the jacket and slips into it, huddling up with her hands folded together inside the sleeves. "Least till I can feel the sun again." << She is my Rho, >> the brown answers, turning away from Mecaith so he can do another splashy lap. << I am her Gedroth. I know you, because you are Mecaith. >> Pausing a moment, he dips into his rider's memory banks and finds a series of hazily presented evenings. A flight in the darkness, a question in the snow, reflections by the sea. << Bennath taught me to swim. I want to be better at it. >>
T'rev shakes his head a little and reaches over, apparently intending to do the whole vigorous arm/back rubbing thing . "Yeah, could sit there, bet that rock's soaked up some heat," he gestures towards one of the gray boulders along the shoreline. << So she is, >> Mecaith conveys understanding with a whisper of arranging and re-arranging sandgrains. << I am Mecaith and I am T'rev's. >> More sharing in the form of the flip of cards, laughter shared and that same snowy day and a feeling of /rightness/. << I found her for you, >> the bronze claims without bragging and observes Gedroth's splashings. << Practice will help you to become better. >>
Rhodya takes one rub on the back, then heads off to the warm rock with a bob of her head. "Great," she chuckles as she climbs onto it, hanging onto her towel so it doesn't slip off. "Now I'm sunnin' myself. Act more like a dragon every day." Gedroth holds Mecaith's claim in his mind for a few moments, thinking about what to do with it. << Thank you, >> he decides, then turns around and paddles back. The laps continue. << There are so many things to practice! >> And not a note of complaint in that sentence, either: oh, no, for Gedroth, it's something to be /excited/ about. << We are also practicing ball-throwing, and seeing through each other, and hide and seek, and blocking each other out, and many other things. >>
"Didn't you at Igen?" T'rev asks with a grin and waits until she's settled before joining the weyrling, legs dangling off the edge of the rock, boot soles knocking against it with a dull thud-thud sound. "How're you two doin'? I know it's a hectic time, but shells, ain't hardly seen y'all except in passin'. A little bit of Kai here n' there, Hattie the other day. They must be lettin' you poke your heads up more, huh?" Mecaith settles comfortably in those shallows to keep a weather eye on Gedroth. << I am pleased to have been of service. You fit well together if I am not mistaken, >> Mecaith says thoughtfully. << Indeed there is much to see and do and learn, >> comes slow agreement, not for lack of belief, just needing to turn the thought over properly. << Do you enjoy seeing through her? >>
"All right, maybe I did," Rhodya admits. At Igen. She grins and stretches her arms behind her, turning her face into the sun and closing her eyes. "Oh, we're doin' real good. You just been missin' us, that's all - Gedroth's got me comin' to the lake or out in the bowl every free moment he finds, so we can practice this or that thing he just thought up. He's gonna be one heck of a teacher's pet, I can tell you." Right now, the teacher's pet is focused on his exercise, so instead of framing his communications clearly he's starting to just think as he goes. << We have to fit together. That is the nature of us. But Dasarth and his get into fights, and Elaruth's is sometimes embarrassed by her, so we are lucky not to be them. I don't think seeing through Rho is very challenging. It's the same as seeing through myself. Swimming and playing ball are more interesting because my body still has to learn how to do them. >>
"Yeah? Sounds nice that. And now I know where t'look for you when I go lookin'," T'rev says gaily. "Busy guy," he murmurs too, looking over at the dragons. "Mecaith was pretty calm, but he wanted to do things right and on his own time." The bronzerider leans back a little too, considering Mecaith as he floats near Gedroth. << Indeed, you all fit together, >> Mecaith agrees again, imagining each of the little dragons and how they fit together as a whole. << And perhaps that is how they fit, those others. I have met Elaruth. She has an interesting mind and understand about patterns, or at least is willing to learn. >> The bronze pulls dust in from the deep desert and filters it across his thoughts. << Not much of a challenge. That's interesting. I will have to think on that. What do you think of blocking? >>
"He doesn't get tired," Rhodya says wryly. She pauses. "Except - when he does, then he just collapses. Or when he gets hungry, or he itches, it's right away. He's a no-warning kind of baby." Gedroth whips around and starts a lap in the opposite direction, away from Mecaith. Along the way, there's a note of relief in the brown weyrling's mind, and the water turns. Um. Suspiciously cloudy. << She's very gentle, >> he says of Elaruth. It's a kind word, but he's not using it to be nice: that's his assessment, laid out in its simplest terms. << But very afraid. She and hers were the first to start blocking each other, but I don't know why. I am not blocking anything, really. I'm just practicing so I know how. >> By way of an example, he adds, << Yesterday I ate cheese off the floor. I blocked it from her, even though it isn't important. >>
"The go until he drops kind," T'rev drawls out with a little shake of his head. "You mus be run ragged then?" The bronzerider turns a questioning look towards Rhodya, brown eyes scanning her face. << And very playful, >> Mecaith flips up a slideshow of Elaruth playing hide and seek under his wing. << She did not seem fearful to me when we spoke, but I understand that sometimes the world is too loud for her. It's another way to use blocking, rather than simply to block out knowledge from your rider. For a dampening effect if things are difficult for either one of you. >> Dust slips through Mecaith's mind blurring his thoughts then slips away, leaving everything clear again, sunshine baking sandgrains. Incongruous perhaps: << Did you like the cheese? >>
Under a close scrutiny, Rhodya does look pretty drawn. There are bags under her eyes and her lips seem thinner. But she smiles so sunnily that it's all dispelled. "I'm startin' to get like him, actually. On when I'm on, then suddenly -" she snaps her fingers - "suddenly it's okay, ready for bed /now/. So at the moment, I ain't feelin' too ragged." Gedroth doesn't notice any incongruity. He just latches onto it and keeps his motor-mouth (motor-mind?) running. << I did like the cheese. It has a different taste. >> To explain what it's different from, he fills Mecaith's mind with images of slaughtered beast parts, being cut into cubes for dragonet feeding.
"That's good. Not feeling too ragged," T'rev says with a bob of his head, though his gaze lingers on the bags. "It won't be long before they let you sleep more. THen it's other things to get used to," he says with a chuckle. "How're things goin' in the Barracks overall, I ... heard a thing or two," the bronzerider says slowly, carefully and shoots a sidelong look at his friend. Mecaith takes the offered pieces, puts them back together as a beast, takes them apart as meat. Together, apart. Together, apart. << It can be interesting to try things that we don't usually eat. >> His head drops though, to check out how Gedroth is paddling.
Gedroth is still paddling with big, splashy motions, but the splashes are getting decidedly smaller - more like little burbles of water - with time. If he'd listened to Rhodya and not drained his energy, it might be different, but he is clearly wearing out now. << It is interesting to try new foods! >> he agrees, with enthusiasm worthy of Chielyth. << I had a meatloaf the other day. Rho gave it to me but I don't remember why. It was very different from normal meat, very... >> He whips suddenly towards the shore, paddling that way with a vengeance. As he emerges from the water, dripping like a beast, he gives out a loud honk to attract his rider's attention. << I have to go sleep now, >> he tells Mecaith. Nevermind that he was mid-sentence. And Rhodya, over on the rock, grimaces. "There we go. Right on target." Jumping off the rock, she stops to strip off T'rev's jacket and hand it back to him. "Oh, the barracks are just fine," she answers cheerfully. "Couple of people get grumpy with each other when they're tired, but like you said, we'll get to sleep more soon. I'll see ya, T'rev!" She waves at him, then takes off at a jog to catch up with her dragon. He's already marching back to the barracks, leaving a slick water trail behind him.
Mecaith bends to check on him, then amusement rustles the desert for the brown's straightforward determination. << Smooth ... >> the bronze provides as a possibility for the texture of meatloaf. << Sleep well, Gedroth. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. >> Mecaith relaxes back into the water, swimming out more deeply now. "And it's off you go," T'rev says with a wry chuckle. "Fine ... mmm," he doesn't sound convinced and drops off the rock as Rhodya does. "Oh you can keep ---" but she's already thrusting the jacket into his hands and T'rev watches her go, expression mildly bemused. "See you soon, Rho," he calls afer and waves too, then pulls his jacket back on and perches on the rock once more, lost in thought.
When: Afternoon on day 27, month 3, turn 19 of Interval 10.
Where: Lakeshore, Fort Weyr
What: Gedroth has dragged Rhodya into a freezing cold lake to supervise his swimming practice, but T'rev and Mecaith happen along to save her from untimely hypothermia. The riders catch up while the dragons exchange information and impressions.
Waist-deep in the water, shivering like crazy, Rhodya's learning a valuable lesson about water temperature. Just because it's a warm, sunny afternoon does not mean that the lake isn't cold. It's /very/ cold. But she's out there anyway, holding Gedroth up by his belly while the growing brown practices his doggie paddle. "Don't splash so much, baby. It means you're wasting energy. Gedroth grunts and tries to smooth out his movements, but really, he's still splashing a lot.
T'rev comes down to the lake shore looking a little tired out and running both hands through his hair. But there's Rhodya with Gedroth and the shivering is readily apparent. "Rhodya ... what in Faranth's name you doin' out there?" the bronzerider skips go and asks the 200 dollar question. "Ain't it deep enough in the springs?"
Rhodya squints at the shore. Gedroth just splashed water in her face, making it difficult to see, but with patience she can make out the bronzerider. "T'rev?" she asks, just to confirm. Gedroth glances that way, shoots Rhodya a flash of what he sees, and goes back to paddling. She shivers. "Well, I didn't think it'd be so /cold!/" she replies defensively. "He told me it was warm." << It is warm, >> he points out, though it's not audible for T'rev. What is audible is Rhodya's grumpy, "Shush, you."
"Shells no, ain't warm in there for another month or so," T'rev calls over, "and yeah, it's me. C'mon outta there, huh? You'll catch a chill." The bronzerider gestures her over. "Though, he's lookin' good in there." A moment later Mecaith lands lightly on the shore and looks outward. "Or Mec says he'll keep an eye if he's willin'."
Rhodya hangs onto her brown for a minute more, giving him a little bit longer to practice the not-splashing thing. Then she steps back and lets him go, clambering out of the water in shorts. Gedroth goes paddling around, splashing fantastically, and buzzes by Mecaith to get a look at his new temporary guardian. << Hello. >> Rhodya grabs a large towel from the shore, flings the sand off, and wipes herself dry as much as possible. "I'm gonna learn," she swears to T'rev. "When he says somethin' ain't so bad, he means it ain't so bad /for him/." She tugs the towel around her waist and ties it in a skirt.
"Want my jacket?" T'rev offers as he steps towards Rhodya, eyeing the weyrling sympathetically. Mecaith whuffs once and steps into the water to meet Gedroth and lowers his muzzle. << Good day. T'rev tells me that you are Gedroth and that she is yours, >> he images Rhodya as she stands talking on the beach with his rider. << It's a pleasure to meet you. I see that you're learning to swim? >>
"Sounds good," Rhodya answers, shooting him a grin. She reaches out for the jacket and slips into it, huddling up with her hands folded together inside the sleeves. "Least till I can feel the sun again." << She is my Rho, >> the brown answers, turning away from Mecaith so he can do another splashy lap. << I am her Gedroth. I know you, because you are Mecaith. >> Pausing a moment, he dips into his rider's memory banks and finds a series of hazily presented evenings. A flight in the darkness, a question in the snow, reflections by the sea. << Bennath taught me to swim. I want to be better at it. >>
T'rev shakes his head a little and reaches over, apparently intending to do the whole vigorous arm/back rubbing thing . "Yeah, could sit there, bet that rock's soaked up some heat," he gestures towards one of the gray boulders along the shoreline. << So she is, >> Mecaith conveys understanding with a whisper of arranging and re-arranging sandgrains. << I am Mecaith and I am T'rev's. >> More sharing in the form of the flip of cards, laughter shared and that same snowy day and a feeling of /rightness/. << I found her for you, >> the bronze claims without bragging and observes Gedroth's splashings. << Practice will help you to become better. >>
Rhodya takes one rub on the back, then heads off to the warm rock with a bob of her head. "Great," she chuckles as she climbs onto it, hanging onto her towel so it doesn't slip off. "Now I'm sunnin' myself. Act more like a dragon every day." Gedroth holds Mecaith's claim in his mind for a few moments, thinking about what to do with it. << Thank you, >> he decides, then turns around and paddles back. The laps continue. << There are so many things to practice! >> And not a note of complaint in that sentence, either: oh, no, for Gedroth, it's something to be /excited/ about. << We are also practicing ball-throwing, and seeing through each other, and hide and seek, and blocking each other out, and many other things. >>
"Didn't you at Igen?" T'rev asks with a grin and waits until she's settled before joining the weyrling, legs dangling off the edge of the rock, boot soles knocking against it with a dull thud-thud sound. "How're you two doin'? I know it's a hectic time, but shells, ain't hardly seen y'all except in passin'. A little bit of Kai here n' there, Hattie the other day. They must be lettin' you poke your heads up more, huh?" Mecaith settles comfortably in those shallows to keep a weather eye on Gedroth. << I am pleased to have been of service. You fit well together if I am not mistaken, >> Mecaith says thoughtfully. << Indeed there is much to see and do and learn, >> comes slow agreement, not for lack of belief, just needing to turn the thought over properly. << Do you enjoy seeing through her? >>
"All right, maybe I did," Rhodya admits. At Igen. She grins and stretches her arms behind her, turning her face into the sun and closing her eyes. "Oh, we're doin' real good. You just been missin' us, that's all - Gedroth's got me comin' to the lake or out in the bowl every free moment he finds, so we can practice this or that thing he just thought up. He's gonna be one heck of a teacher's pet, I can tell you." Right now, the teacher's pet is focused on his exercise, so instead of framing his communications clearly he's starting to just think as he goes. << We have to fit together. That is the nature of us. But Dasarth and his get into fights, and Elaruth's is sometimes embarrassed by her, so we are lucky not to be them. I don't think seeing through Rho is very challenging. It's the same as seeing through myself. Swimming and playing ball are more interesting because my body still has to learn how to do them. >>
"Yeah? Sounds nice that. And now I know where t'look for you when I go lookin'," T'rev says gaily. "Busy guy," he murmurs too, looking over at the dragons. "Mecaith was pretty calm, but he wanted to do things right and on his own time." The bronzerider leans back a little too, considering Mecaith as he floats near Gedroth. << Indeed, you all fit together, >> Mecaith agrees again, imagining each of the little dragons and how they fit together as a whole. << And perhaps that is how they fit, those others. I have met Elaruth. She has an interesting mind and understand about patterns, or at least is willing to learn. >> The bronze pulls dust in from the deep desert and filters it across his thoughts. << Not much of a challenge. That's interesting. I will have to think on that. What do you think of blocking? >>
"He doesn't get tired," Rhodya says wryly. She pauses. "Except - when he does, then he just collapses. Or when he gets hungry, or he itches, it's right away. He's a no-warning kind of baby." Gedroth whips around and starts a lap in the opposite direction, away from Mecaith. Along the way, there's a note of relief in the brown weyrling's mind, and the water turns. Um. Suspiciously cloudy. << She's very gentle, >> he says of Elaruth. It's a kind word, but he's not using it to be nice: that's his assessment, laid out in its simplest terms. << But very afraid. She and hers were the first to start blocking each other, but I don't know why. I am not blocking anything, really. I'm just practicing so I know how. >> By way of an example, he adds, << Yesterday I ate cheese off the floor. I blocked it from her, even though it isn't important. >>
"The go until he drops kind," T'rev drawls out with a little shake of his head. "You mus be run ragged then?" The bronzerider turns a questioning look towards Rhodya, brown eyes scanning her face. << And very playful, >> Mecaith flips up a slideshow of Elaruth playing hide and seek under his wing. << She did not seem fearful to me when we spoke, but I understand that sometimes the world is too loud for her. It's another way to use blocking, rather than simply to block out knowledge from your rider. For a dampening effect if things are difficult for either one of you. >> Dust slips through Mecaith's mind blurring his thoughts then slips away, leaving everything clear again, sunshine baking sandgrains. Incongruous perhaps: << Did you like the cheese? >>
Under a close scrutiny, Rhodya does look pretty drawn. There are bags under her eyes and her lips seem thinner. But she smiles so sunnily that it's all dispelled. "I'm startin' to get like him, actually. On when I'm on, then suddenly -" she snaps her fingers - "suddenly it's okay, ready for bed /now/. So at the moment, I ain't feelin' too ragged." Gedroth doesn't notice any incongruity. He just latches onto it and keeps his motor-mouth (motor-mind?) running. << I did like the cheese. It has a different taste. >> To explain what it's different from, he fills Mecaith's mind with images of slaughtered beast parts, being cut into cubes for dragonet feeding.
"That's good. Not feeling too ragged," T'rev says with a bob of his head, though his gaze lingers on the bags. "It won't be long before they let you sleep more. THen it's other things to get used to," he says with a chuckle. "How're things goin' in the Barracks overall, I ... heard a thing or two," the bronzerider says slowly, carefully and shoots a sidelong look at his friend. Mecaith takes the offered pieces, puts them back together as a beast, takes them apart as meat. Together, apart. Together, apart. << It can be interesting to try things that we don't usually eat. >> His head drops though, to check out how Gedroth is paddling.
Gedroth is still paddling with big, splashy motions, but the splashes are getting decidedly smaller - more like little burbles of water - with time. If he'd listened to Rhodya and not drained his energy, it might be different, but he is clearly wearing out now. << It is interesting to try new foods! >> he agrees, with enthusiasm worthy of Chielyth. << I had a meatloaf the other day. Rho gave it to me but I don't remember why. It was very different from normal meat, very... >> He whips suddenly towards the shore, paddling that way with a vengeance. As he emerges from the water, dripping like a beast, he gives out a loud honk to attract his rider's attention. << I have to go sleep now, >> he tells Mecaith. Nevermind that he was mid-sentence. And Rhodya, over on the rock, grimaces. "There we go. Right on target." Jumping off the rock, she stops to strip off T'rev's jacket and hand it back to him. "Oh, the barracks are just fine," she answers cheerfully. "Couple of people get grumpy with each other when they're tired, but like you said, we'll get to sleep more soon. I'll see ya, T'rev!" She waves at him, then takes off at a jog to catch up with her dragon. He's already marching back to the barracks, leaving a slick water trail behind him.
Mecaith bends to check on him, then amusement rustles the desert for the brown's straightforward determination. << Smooth ... >> the bronze provides as a possibility for the texture of meatloaf. << Sleep well, Gedroth. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. >> Mecaith relaxes back into the water, swimming out more deeply now. "And it's off you go," T'rev says with a wry chuckle. "Fine ... mmm," he doesn't sound convinced and drops off the rock as Rhodya does. "Oh you can keep ---" but she's already thrusting the jacket into his hands and T'rev watches her go, expression mildly bemused. "See you soon, Rho," he calls afer and waves too, then pulls his jacket back on and perches on the rock once more, lost in thought.