Who

Xanthee and Liowyth, Amani and Zymuraith

What

Southern's Weyrwoman makes a stop at Igen to visit a new weyrling pair.

When

It is noon of the tenth day of the third month of the fifteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Weyrling Training Grounds, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 09 Oct 2018 06:00

 

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"Can't keep anything from them, huh?"


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Weyrling Training Grounds

Here, a wide and spacious field, devoid of all but more of the glare of ubiquitous, fine white sand of Igen: not even a blade of grass dares lift its head against centuries of clumsy draconic antics. To one side, ever-present firestone bins are set, kept supplied by many a hand, while agenothree tanks line the curving angle just outside the barracks, primed and ready for use. Very often, a glimpse of classes in session or dragonets at play may be caught under the open sky under the watchful eye of diligent Weyrlingmasters and older dragons.


The warming weather of spring is much welcomed by the weyrling riders and their dragons. With the warning of storm clouds on the horizon, the sun is best taken advantage of while it's out, and that is exactly what a certain raven-haired girl and her emerald green are doing at this moment. Off in a less traffic-heavy portion of the training grounds, Xanthee is shuffling along at a careful pace, a strip of cloth over her eyes as Liowyth pads delicately besides her, making hardly a sound. There's an air of concentration from the pair, as they move silently in various figures over the sand.

Yet even with Igen's spring weather, it's still where a Southerner might come now and then to dry out from the jungle Weyr's autumn rains. So it is that a non-native but familiar queen blinks in above the North Bowl, bugling her presence while more quietly giving her respects to Zsaviranth. Knowing there are young ones close (and being more receptive to their sensitivities now that she's had her own), Zymuraith angles down to land near the training grounds, though she keeps well beyond them upon seeing the activity therein. Amani dismounts and wanders toward the low wall bounding the grounds, grinning when she spots a familiar (if blindfolded) face with a gloriously green dragonet keeping pace beside her. The goldrider doesn't say anything for the moment, just slips to the inside of the break in the wall and leans with folded arms, quietly watching the weyrling pair go about their exercise. Zymuraith pads soundlessly closer, her golden head hovering above that of her bonded as she, too, observes.

Working their way around the grounds, Xanthee and Liowyth are working effortlessly as a team, the green guiding the girl, private conversation passing back and forth between them. That is until the bugle is heard overhead and the emerald dragonet can't help but snap her head up and reply with a pretty good attempt at a bugle in return. Unfortunately, since Xan was using Lio's eyes instead of her own, the sudden movement throws her off balance as she catches her toe on a rock she couldn't see. With a yelp, she goes tumbling forward, bracing herself for impact with the ground. Fortunately, for all her bulk, Liowyth is quick on her feet and zooms over just in time to catch her rider from eating sand.

Xanthee's near-miss with kissing the ground isn't something Amani witnesses, of course, though she does, perhaps, see the end result of her friend being draped over her dragonet. Zymuraith rumbles in amusement but refrains from commenting unless Liowyth does, while Amani watches and assesses Xanthee's disoriented state. Pushing away from the wall, she ventures several steps closer, though still keeps a wide berth. "So," she pipes up finally, "how many times have you done this so far?"

Just as Xanthee is hoping that no one saw her stumble, that voice reaches her ears and her smile grows brighter. "Just a couple times so far. It's fine, as long as Liowyth doesn't let the littlest thing distract her," she replies as she straightens and takes her blindfold off to blink emerald eyes in the direction of the goldrider and her queen. After running her hand through raven locks, she snaps off a smart salute, "How goes things in Southern, Weyrwoman?" Liowyth is sneaking closer to the large gold, her light emerald flecked muzzle lifted in awe, completely speechless at the moment.

Amani answers the salute with her own before steeping forward to embrace Xanthee. "Stormily. Rainily. Otherwise calmly, for now. Saving for a few unfortunate…mishaps that have our upper ranks a bit thinned," the goldrider replies as she lets her friend go and glances over to Liowyth. Noting what's going on, she chuckles softly. "Faranth, she's gorgeous, Xan," she notes with a sigh, and grins over at the other woman. "The ultimate match for you, looks and all. I'm so happy you have her at last." Zymuraith crouches lower, tilting her head down to examine the tiny green with rainbow-limned sapphire eyes. She reaches out the softest tendril of warm white firelight to brush against the dragonet's mind in gentle salutation, the rich sweetness of caramel and spice wafted upon an invigoratingly cool autumnal breeze to accent it. « Hello, little one, » lilts her mellow greeting, a gentle rumble uttered in kind.

Xanthee won't say no to a hug from her bestie even as she squeezes back as good as she gets, chuckling at the description of how Southern's faring, "Sounds like a great test of your leadership skills, I'm sure you're handling it all wonderfully." Her confidence in her friend is apparent even as she looks lovingly over at Liowyth, beaming with pride as she nods enthusiastically, "Isn't she though? I still almost can't believe it happened, but at the same time, I can't imagine a time without her." Shaking her head at the contradictions, she sighs wistfully. Liowyth trills enthusiastically as pink clouds seem to glow in the gold's mental firelight, accompanied by a soft giggle along her mind. « Hi! You're biiiiiig! » Lio replies in what is becoming her usual greeting to adult dragons.

"I can't control the weather. Good reminder that it isn't my place to take care of everything that can cause problems," Amani drawls ruefully. She does understand the contradictions of Impressing, of course, and smiles knowingly at her friend before going back to watching the interaction between their lifemates. « It is my lot, » Zymuraith replies, uttering a softly stuttered rumble that sounds a great deal like a chuckle. « But you will become your own sort of big, in time. » There's a glimpse of a black and white tent, its flap flickering open and a small, sleek black kitten with luminous eyes darting forth to sit before the white bonfire that it central to the queen's mind. It wriggles a bit, as though preparing to pounce on something…and then does so, launching into the midst of one of Liowyth's pink clouds and disappearing, save for the tip of its tail. « I am Zymuraith. »

"I wasn't talking about the weather, more the misfortunes that have thinned your upper leadership," Xanthee replies with a smirk as she adjusts her yellow and black uniform minutely, emerald eyes flicking over the two dragons conversing. « You bet I am! I'm the biggest green in my whole clutch! » Sitting back on her haunches, she snaps out her oversized prasiolite wings, showing off just how big she is. In her mind, the pounced cloud coalesces and takes shape into a tiny pink mouse that squeaks and runs away from black cat. « Nice to meet you, I'm Liowyth. Mine thinks of yours a lot. I've seen her face before. » Following along her green's side of the conversation, Xan blushes a bit at that last bit and chuckles, "Can't keep anything from them, huh?"

Amani tilts her head in concession to Xanthee's first, smirking as well. She sighs after that, her lips pressing into a straight line. "What it does to our ranks is more the Weyrleader's purview; all I can do it make suggestions. Which he listens to, thankfully." Zymuraith utters a falling alto trill as Liowyth flares her wings. Mentally, the black kitten gives itself a little shake and bounds after the cloud mouse. « Pleased to meet you, Liowyth. Mine thinks of yours often, too. » Amani grins in answer to Xanthee, shaking her head. "Well, you learn to. Though I generally find I don't want to. They're the easiest to tell everything to…and they'll love you through the difficult things." A dark brow lifts subtly with her next query. "Has she asked about anyone else? Or are you still learning to rein things in more before touching on it?"

"He'd be an idiot if he didn't," Xanthee replies with a crooked grin and then drops the shop talk for something more casual. Her blush only deepens when Amani asks about anyone else her green might be picking out of her thoughts, and she has to really focus to keep her emotions in check as she takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly, "Oh, she asks about everyone she sees in there, especially when we're being told to work on our bond. She knows who the special people are in general, but yeah, definitely gotta keep the reins on right now for that." « What do you mean? Who are you talking about? » Liowyth doesn't miss a beat as she swing her emerald head in the direction of the two women. Rolling her eyes, Xan just shakes her head as her gaze blanks briefly as she relays what she told Amani to the little green, taking the time to practice their mindspeech, since it's one of the focuses of their training right now. "Yeah, we're supposed to be working on our mental bond right now, strengthening it and deepening the connection. I think keeping things private is what we'll learn next."

Amani nods to that, though there's definite thoughtfulness to her expression. "Zymuraith didn't have anyone to ask about really. You and Rev, that's all. Though there were also the Zingari; she liked learning about them. And…people back at Kurkar. Most I'd just as soon forget about, and she was content to also, once I explained." She shakes her head clear of that bit of nostalgia and homes in on the present again. "What's your favorite thing about it all so far, do you think?"

Xanthee's ever present smile fades slightly when Amani mentions her time in Kurkar, a look of sympathy slipping in its place. But she knows how far her friend has come since those days and so her smiles warms again as she nods in understanding. At the goldrider's last she chuckles softly to herself, "All of it?" she replies with a twinkle in her eyes. "If I had to pick one thing thought, it would have to be just learning all about Liowyth, and her special quirks and the way she is. There's so much to her, new facets I'm learning everyday."

"It's falling in love," Amani says simply, though her glance up at Zymuraith is brimming with anything but simplicity. "A love no one but dragonriders will ever know, and no amount of words can ever rightly explain." The great gold croons deeply, and Amani grins, her eyes slightly over-bright as her gaze returns to Xanthee. "It'll only get more complex as you two grow, but beautifully so. But how that'll look for you and Liowyth is something only you two will ever know, just like most everything else." Her should hitches in a little half-shrug, a note of sheepishness limning the curve of her lips. "But I'm sure you've got that mostly figured. I'm just excited to watch you both become full riders."

"You're right, it really is like that," Xanthee remarks with some surprise in her voice as Amani puts to words the feelings that she's been experiencing since impressing her green. Reaching out to place a hand on Liowyth's head, she looks into the softly whirling green eyes and seems to just get lost in them for a moment before her expression drops slightly again, brows knitting together. "It's not like the love I have for Mal though, it's…different. I didn't think anything could be more intense than what I share with him, but how I feel about her surpasses it. It's like, Mal has a place in my heart, and always will, but Liowyth is me and I'm her, and we're one." With a shake of her head, she sighs heavily, "I don't even know if I'm making any sense."

Amani nods emphatically. "You do; I know what you're saying," she assures Xanthee with a hike of her brows. "It's… You discover that love can be different pieces that still form one heart, like a puzzle. But it's not something you understand until you're actually dealing with it. I didn't know until after we'd grown a while, but…it makes a sort of sense that you can only feel, really. It…" Her next word forms, then dissipates on her tongue, and she lets it out with a sigh. "Well. There are other realizations you'll have, but they'll come after you learn how to block things from her better. Truths that you've never really had to think about before her. Good things to think on, but not just yet."

"One thing is for sure, it's all way more intense than I'd expected," Xanthee admits with a smile as she runs her fingers idly through raven locks, "I'm looking forward to learning and growing together though. I want to know it all!" Her words are emphasized with a soft giggle as she tilts her gaze in the direction of Zymuraith briefly, taking in the contrast of the fully grown gold compared to the green dragonet, trying to imagine what Liowyth will look like once she reaches her full size. "Everyone is saying she's going to be big for a green. She's already almost as big as some of her blue clutchbrothers. I can't wait till she's big enough to fly." There's an almost giddy sparkle in her eyes at that, "I've flown on dragons my whole life, but I bet it's different when it's your own."

Surveying little Liowyth in turn, Amani utters a soft chuckle. "You will, you will," she assures Xanthee of learning. "And flying is definitely much better, being linked with the dragon instead of just riding. There's nothing like it. Just like there isn't anything like much else about riding. Just don't let her push you into trying things before they say you're ready. Because she will, when it comes to flying. If she's anything like most others."

"I can't wait!" Xanthee repeats with more enthusiasm as her hand runs down the curly swatches of paler green down her neckridges, lost again briefly to the waves of affection that seem to bloom inside her whenever she lays eyes on her young green. "I believe it!" she exclaims about dragonets trying to fly before their ready. "I guess that's why the first thing we do is work on the bond. So that when they test us, we know how to rein them in. But I really don't think I'll have too much to worry about. She's a little headstrong, but so far so good."

"It's certainly part of it," Amani counters to Xanthee's first. "And I'd be surprised if she wasn't a little headstrong. She looked to you, after all." The goldrider gives her friend a teasing wink, then pauses at a relay from Zymuraith. "Ah… I'm being reminded not to stay too long. Just enough time for a quick visit today. But seeing you was at the top of my list." She turns and embraces her friend once more, tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Xan. I'll see you again soon."

Xanthee blushes a little bit with Amani's tease, her smile brightening again, "Well yeah, I guess we have that in common, don't we, dear heart?" she replies as her fingers trace over the soft hide of her green and Liowyth replies with a happy chirp, her inner lids drooping slightly. "No worries, looks like someone needs a nap anyway," she replies before squeezing her bestie back tightly. "I'm so glad you came to see us. I can't wait till I can make the trip to Southern to visit you. We should totally do a slumber party for old times sake once I'm graduated." Planning a little far in advance, but that's ok, there's a lot that still needs to be done before that happens. Stepping back, she tosses off another impeccable salute, "You take care Amani, and tell Evka I say hi and I'm waiting patiently for her visit. Clear skies, Weyrwoman," she ends formally before turning and coaxing her lifemate back towards the barracks.

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