Who

R'xim, En'rys, Zaria

What

Arroyo has the weyrlings out for an early morning run — and a few goosebumps.

When

It is before dawn of the twenty-eighth day of the tenth month of the thirteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Weyr Plateau, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 27 Apr 2018 05:00

 

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Weyr Plateau

A stripe of packed earth designates the central route connecting the Weyr to prominent geographical and urban points outside of the walled complex. Pale knobby rocks line the roadsides, cast there by hand and foot with purpose in mind, lining the periphery in grades of pebbles to boulders. This site is under constant incursion from wind-blown sand and if not regularly maintained the road would eventually be interred. Silt becomes more prominent underfoot further east where the lake lies.


It's a fabulous time of day for some early (earlyyy) morning PT and Arroyo is out in full force. Jogging along the road stretching out into the desert are various riders paired up with weyrling buddies. And guess what? R'xim has a buddy and his name is En'rys. Together they run and together they have fun — or something close to fun. Well, maybe not fun. PT is hardly 'fun' for these poor weyrlings. Dressed in a sleeveless shirt, knee length shorts, and running shoes is Rix keeping his normal pace along the dirt road as Rukbat's light slowly begins to brighten along the distant horizon.

One would think that early morning PT would make En'rys grouchy, but they would be wrong, so wrong. Indeed, he does enjoy it: it's a chance to keep his lean frame in shape, to clear his head, to prepare for the day ahead. He'd gotten into very good shape in the time he'd been Zingari, training with the guard and as a dancer, and the new challenges presented him as a newly minted (hatched?) dragonrider has afforded him more strength, more muscle, a deeper sense of self and grounding. Dressed in the usual uniform of old yellow shirt and black shorts, he paces alongside R'xim with no sign of flagging.

R'xim can appreciate a running partner that can actually keep up with his pace and together they both pass some of the lagging pairs that were once ahead of them. "Running techniques are often compared to those used in threadfall." he says, hardly out of breath. They continue their pace. "You always have to keep an eye on your surroundings and you need to predict what someone is going to do before they do it." So when the bronzerider zigs left, En'rys better zag right because… vomit. The brown weyrling they were fast approaching halts and doubles over while purging all over the dirt and gravel of the road. "See? Poor bastard." That same pace is still kept and he'll leave the consoling up to the brownling's Arroyo partner.

En'rys can appreciate the advice, for he might have run right into the poor bastard… and whatever that was he'd eaten and had come back on him. So En'rys zags right to avoid the new obstacle, sliding R'xim a sideways look. "And perhaps not eat a full meal right before?" Oh, he's definitely taking notes, here; the more he knows, the better, for he will need to be able to have ready answers for his little girl, who will deny, deny, deny the finite supply of endurance she has in favor of continuing to attack the ancient menace. Already, Briamiorth has tried to convince her En'rys that they are ready, despite her youth and slight stature.

"Common sense is a gift." R'xim's tone is dry as he and En'rys run alongside each another again. "I'd like to say that all dragonriders have common sense after weyrling graduation, but that's not the case." It could be that he's quick to judge and critical when assessing wingmates, or it could be that he's just speaking the truth after decades of experience. He's no spring avian to the game. Rix is, however, impressed with En'rys' ability to be quick and light on his feet — especially when there's not much warning given. "Back there." He jerks a thumb in the direction of the brownling. "Classic example."

"Common sense isn't." En'rys points out as dryly. "Or so my father always told me after I'd done something particularly stupid." Like eating a full meal before a workout. Yup, he's been where that brownling is now; miserably embarrassed and humiliated. All those years of training and dance and oh, Faranth, the combat lessons…! "You just have to learn some things by experience, it seems." Perhaps that guy will finally get it when he sees En'rys restricting his morning meal to some klah, a slice of bread, and a redfruit.

Arroyo's Wingleader has been there all along, Zaria has been pacing herself with the end of the pack, not taking on a weyrling herself, instead energetically encouraging those pairs that might be falling behind. Finally satsified they are in good hands with her wingriders, she stretches her long willowy legs, and sprints alongside the group, casually eyeing the other joggers, wincing when she spies the unfortunately brownling, but not really tempted to stop and deal with that right now. As she comes across R'xim and En'rys and hears the last snippets of their conversation, she slows and matches their pace, "Yes, experience is often the only thing that will get through to some people." she quips with a quick smile in their direction.

R'xim side-eyes En'rys for a moment before directing his attention back to the road in front of them. "Either you have it or you don't." And there really isn't convincing Rix otherwise. Then again, his tolerance and patience levels are typically very low on a good day. Before either of them can say anything more on the matter, Zaria draws near and runs along with them while adding her own thoughts on the matter. "There's also the type that don't learn from their mistakes." They usually end up ::between:: in threadfall but he doesn't verbalize that thought.

Indeed. En'rys knows when to shut up and let others have their opinion, even when he happens to disagree. Tolerance is as individual as any other trait in man and beast; R'xim has little, En'rys has much. The world will continue turning. And then there's a Zaria, running alongside them, and he offers the woman a respectful nod of his head. He's been weyr'd long enough to know how to read those knots and behave accordingly. R'xim's commentary has him very, very thoughtful for a long moment — what does one say to that? In the end, perhaps this will suffice: "We all know… or have known… those."

"And then they serve as examples to others." Zaria replies to R'xim's assertion about those who fail to learn from their mistakes. It's a cold sentiment, but the bluerider delivers it matter-of-factly as she takes a few moments to steady her breathing as she keeps pace, thoughtful eyes trained on the road ahead.

The pairs of weyrlings and Arroyo riders seem to dwindle the closer R'xim gets to the front of the pack, and he's just about to say something else when a gust of desert wind picks up and swirls sand and dust at everyone. He's quick to react by closing his eyes and lifting a crooked arm to protect his face from grit and gravel when a chilling sound is carried along with the breeze. The sound of muffled wailing has him lowering his arm to look around for a source, his pace slowing. "Which way did that come from? The north?" And just as quickly as it arrived the gust dies down like it ever even existed, taking the sounds with it.

En'rys was just running along, minding his business — the business of learning to be a dragonrider — when that had to come along. He drops into a defensive crouch, shielding his eyes and squinting against the stinging grit and sand. As much as he would have liked to be sure of it, he just isn't. The chilling sound he'd heard sent goosebmps racing over his skin, raising his hackles and causing him to spin to the north, still crouched, staring hard. "That way, I think. That wind was all too damn convenient." The last is grumbled in irritation.

Zaria isn't quite so quick to shield her face when the wind picks up, and manages to catch a mouthful of sand which she sputters and slows her pace just as the wailing picks up. When the gust has passed and she's cleared her mouth, she manages to nod her own agreement, "I think so, but it was rather muffled." as others begins to slow at the sound, looking around themselves, Zaria waves them along, nothing to see here, keep moving everyone. To the crouched weyrling, she quirks a ginger brow, "Convenient maybe, but no one can control the wind." she scoffs with a dry chuckle.

R'xim slows to a stop so he doesn't leave En'rys in the literal dust and turns to face both he and Zaria. The skies are clear of storm clouds overhead but to the north there is what could be a developing sandstorm, which gives him a thought. "It has to be a bizarre weather pattern." Rix pivots toward the direction the wind came from and takes a few steps toward his running partners. "Something to do with the wind that makes those screams and wails." Then there's a glance to Zaria before he runs a hand along his forearms to wipe away sandy dust. "Sirocco should be on this." The Weyr's weather wing.

En'rys slowly rises from his crouch, still eyeing that distant cloud formation. "Hmm." He'll try to keep his thoughts to himselfas he begins brushing all the sand and grit off, before the thought simply cannot be contained. "You know, folk have been hearing all manner of strangeness inside the Weyr, too. And Briamiorth is just too interested in the far corner of the Barracks. I keep telling her nothing's there, but she insists." He sighs, running a hand through his hair, torn. "And… we've gotten woken up a few times by strange noises. Faranth, it's getting annoying. Not like Bria sleeps long anyway, and then this."

Zaria shields her eyes as she looks towards the north at R'xim's words, head nodding in agreement, "That would seem to be the most rational explanation. You're right, I'll see if I can find R'ku when we get back to the Weyr." Turning her gaze on En'rys then as he adds his own thoughts, she nods her head, "A lot of people have been missing sleep in the last seven, but it must be worse for you 'lings cause growing dragons need their sleep." There's obviously some wheels turning in the Wingleader's head as she idly watches the pairs run past. "But we shouldn't fall too far behind now. Let's finish the run first before we move onto other matters." And with that the bluerider will join the pack again in an easy jog, quiet while turning her thoughts inwards until they return to the weyr.

R'xim nods after En'rys mentions the noises that have been heard inside the Weyr. "Could be two different sources. I have a hard time believing that whatever is making the screams in the desert is also making the same wall tappings we've all been hearing at night." It's a damn mystery, that's for sure. He's just glad he doesn't have to investigate it in detail. And now that they've been passed by the majority of the wing and weyrlings, Rix rolls his shoulders to loosen tense muscles and starts in on a jog. He won't resume normal pace until En'rys catches up and they're side by side again — they have theories to discuss.

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