Of the past and for the future (Jay)

[Cait]

Shortly after the hatching

Andrilla was pacing as she had a tendency to do just prior to an explosion of temper. Oranlith was nearby, watching, her mottled hide oiled and her belly filled with a combination of fish and vegetation much to the surprise of her new rider. The little mottled brown had turned her nose up at the buckets of bloody meat and had even sent one flying with a swipe of a claw when the matter had been pressed. At the moment she was struggling to keep from an outburst; they never ended well for herself or A'kai. He'd Impressed and after the initial panic of losing him she'd determined that she would stay at the weyr, she'd find a way to Impress because, well, it was simply how their relationship functioned; codependency and competition.

Now as she paced she looked at the bundle on her bed, she'd been told to gather her things and as she looked at the bundles and trunks atop a few of the other beds, she felt exposed. Her's was easily a fraction the size of the smallest. Few articles of clothing, her knives, lock picks, knotted rope, dried meat and the silvered case. No fancy clothes to wear to a feast, no trinkets or keepsakes aside from a worn and tattered letter chronicaling the last days her mother lived in a clinical, detached voice. She was supposed to be getting ready for the feast and all she'd managed to do was strip down and redon her underthings and a well worn dress that once might have been a rich brown but was now faded. The other girls had changed into their gather best and she remained, pacing before Oranlith growing more and more agitated until finally she let out a frustrated shout and spun, a knife slipped from her belt and hurled underhand thunking into the half open door and causing it to swing open and rebound off the corridor wall.

[Jay Kitten]

"Did I miss somthin'?" came a familiar voice, as he stepped around the girl's door, retrieving her knife for her and handing it back. She had some timing, that one. Sunristh was at his heels, the little Black sticking first his head around the door then letting his body follow up as he moved behind his Rider.

A'kai had all of his things in a bag over his shoulder, the crossbow over the other. He had finished packing and they were ready to move into their new weyrs. He knew that as a Weyrling their weyrs would still be separated by gender, but at least this way she would have more room instead of sharing it with all of those strangers. But now his eyes looked to the case.

"Didn' ya say yer goin' ta sell 'em?" he questioned, pointing at the silvered casing. "Migh' wanna check if they're rotten by now."

The little dragon behind him moved his head to regard her things. Those eggs... They're going to Hatch soon. This of course, made A'kai blink. How had he known they were eggs, and how could he tell they were going to Hatch? That was bad, wasn't it? Weren't they going to... Well now, no, they weren't going to need the money for food, now that they were Riders they were going to be pampered like all of these wasteful fools, right? He wouldn't have to pay for meals, but... He wasn't about to let no drudge do his work for him.

It had been awhile since he'd been on a run, and he had wanted to test out Sunristh's speed, but that would have to wait until things were settled with Andrilla. She really seemed frustrated.

[Cait]

Andrilla didn't even twitch when Alikai appeared and plucked her knife from the door. Snatching it bback from him when he held it out, she returned it to her boot and stalked away as Alikai and his dragon entered the room. Oranlith stirred and watched her clutchmate as he went to inspect her rider's things. Uncoiling she marched her way boldly towards the bed where the case was and nudged Sunristh aside so that she could get a better look at the silver case. Sure enough, the black was right.

"I said I'd sell 'em an' I will, yeah?!" Andrilla snapped. It was overwhelming, being in the situation she was in. Nothing in her life had prepared her for it. "They ain't rotted yet, I already check."

Andrilla if you are done pitching a fit--

"I ain't even started yet! An' don't you take that tone with me!"

Oranlith turned to stare at the young woman, calm as you please though the tip of her tail twitched erratically.

Enough! The voice was smooth and soft but held the force and ferocity that the Wood had displayed on her hatching. Andrilla stilled for a moment and her cheeks colored before puffing slightly; then it happened. She let out a shrill sound of frustration and her anger and frustration escaped her in an awesome display of flailing and screeching.

"Damn it all! We don' belong 'ere. We ain't fancy an' coddled an' learnt. We don' bathe e'ry day an we ain't got trunks of clothin' neither!" She snarled as she kicked at another girl's trunk then hissed at the pain. "They want t' take us apart 'n put us back t'gether how they want an' so what if it ain't what we want. They're gonna take ye away from me, he's gonna take ye away from me!" She thrust an acusing finger at Sunristh and drew in a deep breath as her ire was mostly blown out. Oranlith glanced at A'kai and Sunristh then wallked over to Andrilla, nudging her nose beneath the woman's hand until she uncurled her fingers.

I have promised that no one will take your friend and I meant it. You must learn to trust me, Andrilla. I will never leave you and you will not come to harm, you are mine and what is yours is mine. Now if you are done, the eggs will hatch soon. They are special.

Andrilla blinked and turned her gaze to the silvered box.

[Jay Kitten]

A'kai nearly smacked her to shut her up like an alarm clock that wouldn't die, but he held his hand and instead stared at her intensely. She was freaking out over nothing, they were in this together, both Riders now. If this was their means to an end, then so be it, that was what he thought. The dragons wouldn't stay small forever, and they wouldn't have to be so far apart for very much time at all. But then she starting pointing the finger at HIS dragon, and he damn near broke it off.

"Now you listen here, Andy. Not once never 'ave I left ya, and yer blamin' a flamin' baybeh. Listen t'yerself, woman. We're gettin' trainin', they'll teach us how ta care n' fly with our dragons. We'll be real Riders, Andrilla, RIDERS. A full meal ticket, n' all the worl' travel'd quick as c'n be. Faster'n I can run, ye know." Sunristh's eyes had changed, and he only just noticed the flood of irritation coming from the little black thing. He looked back with calming eyes and tried something new.

She's being an idiot again. This always happens, she thinks that us being in separate rooms is bad enough. The Black snorted, but he knew A'kai was right. This girl's past with him was easy to read, they had been together for a long time, cared for each other. But now he and Oranlith were here, and they would be doing the caring. Like hell he was going to let anything get between him and his Rider.

I don't stand much to care about her. I am better. She will know this.

He couldn't help but feel like his two best friends were fighting, but it seemed like Oranlith was speaking to her and her attention turned now to the eggs.

"What's it?"

[Cait]

Andrila glowered at Alikai, she knew that a lot of what he was saying made sense but at the same time it was hard to fathom and even harder to trust. She couldn't even imagine three meals a day or the very corners of the world within her reach. Alikai saw things like that; she was the one that worried about making sure they had enough money to stay in clothes and boots and if they were lucky have at least one moderately sized meal a day when she could swing it. She was paranoid and slow to trust anything that seemed too good to be true. They were in a supposedly safe place where they were well fed and now had a pair of dragons that were utterly devoted to them...there had to be some catch!

She sulked for a moment then became absorbed with the thought of the eggs. She should have sold them sooner but she'd spent as much of her spare time as possible with Alikai. Moving towards her bed and the perturbed black she reached out and placed a calloused hand on the boxed then pulled it back suddenly when it vibrated. Blinking she looked up at Alikai. "They ain't rotten, Al. Decide real quick; you want 'em or do we let them free?"

[Jay Kitten]

The man looked down at Sunristh, who looked up at him. It was still strange to get used to this feeling he kept having when those piercing colorful eyes peered through him. The Black's mind was still hanging on Andrilla's rudeness, and he did his best to push that thought away from him.

Come on now, she didn't mean it. Andrilla always says things she doesn't mean. Just get away from it.

The Black snorted again, and instead decided he would much rather do his own thing in the corner than be around her currently, and so he did, moving to the corner and curling up. He still watched them, those whirling eyes holding a strange kind of green mixed with yellow. A'kai wasn't too sure about it, but he left him alone.

Soon enough he noticed she was at the eggs again, and he looked over at her, then down at them. They were moving. They were going to Hatch.

"Don' ya think that'd be fer the lizards to decide?" he questioned. After all, they had just been at a Hatching, and that was what had happened. The dragons had decided. If they hadn't picked them, they probably would have left, and it would have been back to the roads with them. Back to Ruatha.

There was still food in the room, set out for those Candidates who didn't Impress and would be back here. They could feed the lizards if they so chose to Impress, but if they didn't want to, then he was sure they'd simply eat the food and leave.

[Cait]

"I've been askin' 'round an' I don't think that's how it works. I dunno, I guess we could see if they be wantin' t' stay." Gesturing for Al to grab some of the food, she slowly flipped the latch and opened the lid. Inside the two large eggs were riddled with cracks. She stared at them as she took two steps back and nearly tripped over Oranlith who had come up behind her to get a better look. She crooned softly and Andrilla blinked, looking down at the little wood momentarily bemused despite her earlier show of agitation. Despite herself, Adny couldn't help but soften towards the little dragon. She might not trust the situation entirely but she could feel Oranlith's conviction and it was as strong as her own...she couldn't fault her dragon.

If you never trust anyone else know you can trust me. Oranlith said, looking up at Andrilla briefly before looking at the eggs again which looked to have more cracks than before. This is exciting!

"What d'ya think they'll be, Al?"

[Jay Kitten]

"No idea," he stated plainly, and grabbed a tray of the meat rolls, moving over and sitting in the chair next to the bed. He watched as the little eggs rocked and cracked more and more, before he beckoned Sunristh over as he felt his curiosity peak through their bond. The black got up and shuffled up next to Oranlith, sitting on his rump as he watched the eggs. He too was curious to see what they were.

The eggs, however, pretty soon they got their share of breaking when one of them forced it's nose out from the inside, pecking at the shell to get it out of the way. It was blue, light blue, similar to the hide of the Queen they had seen earlier. But the surprise wouldn't stop there, as pretty soon a little claw made it's way out of the other egg, and they could hear creeling now as they fought to get free. The leg of the other lizard was blue as well... The same hue!

And as if on queue, the first egg shattered right down the middle and split, spilling a tiny little mini-dragon into the case. It wasn't just blue... It was shining as well, in parts, vast stretches of his wee little body were metallic and glowing. It wasn't just an Azure, it was an Azure-Bronze, and he looked mighty hungry. He thrashed about to get rid of the eggshells on his little hide, and then looked up proudly. Woah, there were dragons here! He skittered backward and flipped over the edge of the casing, poking his little head out from behind it soon afterward. He stretched his wings and then hid behind it, causing Sunristh to snort.

That one's not very brave, is he? he questioned, and nudged A'kai, who placed a meatroll next to the case. As if in response, the little head poked out from around the corner of it, took a big bite, and then hid as he chewed. The other egg, upon smelling the food, doubled it's duty and pushed hard passed it's shell, blowing it outward finally, a couple pieces landing on an irritable Sunristh's face. It, too, was shining on parts, only it was a tiny bit smaller and had a distinctly feminine look to it. Bold wisps of gold curled about her body, bright and beautiful, and she seemed to regard the meat before she dove over her brother's egg to get at it, chomping away happily on the other end of the roll.

[Cait]

Andrilla watched, transfixed by the crumbling eggs and the little pale blue snout that protruded from on and then the claw of the same hue that pushed from the other. She'd never seen a firelizard up close; she'd only ever heard stories and once she'd seen one with a sailor by the docks. Having not paid over much attention to the others that had Impressed, though the shade did seem somewhat familiar. She watched as the first egg finally split to reveal...well she wasn't quite sure what it was but it tumbled over the edge of the case at the sight of two curious dragons. Andrilla chuckled and watched the little firelizard take a bite of the meatroll that Al had placed out.

I think he is adorable! Oranlith insisted as she rested her chin on the edge of the bed and crooned.

When the second egg hatched and for all intents and purposes seemed to match the first hatchling, Andrilla found herself Impressed. Had the Lord Holder known that he had a matching set? Was it possible to know what an egg contained? Perhaps they hadn't been chased to the coast on pride and principle alone.She watched the little dear t hings as the devoured the meatroll the retrieved another from the tray and went to set it down only to have the second hatchling pounce on it and her hand, hissing at her counterpart to keep away. Startled, Andrilla tried to pull her hand back but the little firelizard remained attached, claws digging into flesh as she gnawed on the meatroll. "By th' tide!"

[Jay Kitten]

As soon as the male one was finished with his meal, he creeled and fled, beginning to dart about the room quickly as he shot all over the place, bugging Sunristh into trying to swat him down. The male Runner followed him with his eyes, and tried to ease toward him when he stopped, perching on the sill of the window. He scooted closer, one hand outstretched, until the little one looked up at him, cocking his head sideways, screeching lightly once.

"Easy there fella', m'not gunna hurtcha..." Slowly, his fingers came in contact with the little neck, and brushed slowly over it. The thing crooned, to his surprised, but then a second later it nipped him, and squawked. He pulled his hand back, making a small noise of pain, and frowned. It was about then that the flitter leaped onto his face, and wrapped his tail about his neck, causing him to cry out and try to pull the thing off of his face. Eventually, it let go, and fell to the floor, squawking again and growling up at him, and suddenly he got the feeling that this little thing wanted his attention in a positive way, not pulling and pushing like he just had to get him off his face. He had just wanted some love!

It was about then that Alikai realized the little thing had Impressed to him. It was just like having a tiny Sunristh there, too, in his mind, and he grumbled. "Ah great... It fancies m' face now too." The black chuckled in his mind, and he shot a look, which only made him laugh harder.

He picked the little Azure-Bronze up and set him back on the table, letting him go back to eating a few more bites before he sighed and stroked his eye ridges. "Silly lil' thin' likes me." He guessed now he was supposed to give him a name... But he couldn't think of one. Sunristh chimed in.

How about Annoying? he grumbled, and the man laughed, but shook his head. "Naaah... How's 'bout 'Fraid? Y'know, 'cuz he was so 'fraid at first." He chuckled, and the little fire-lizard seemed pleased. "Guess that's m'answer."