This Was Never Meant to Be Goodbye {Open}

[Simile]

Chantrea watched as Zigfried returned, none the worse for wear it seemed. She sat on a rock glowering at the sunrise as she held hte note the flitter had brought back for her. Of course... she had to keep the occupied. Before they started trying to send family members and flitters.... and others to find her. The network was large. The lies, though.... she wondered how long she could keep them up.

They wanted more - they wanted marks and and jewels to show her loyalty to them. She was trying to give up the life of a thief. However... she wasn't sure she could. Not easily at least. Not so long as her family could still, possibly find her. She felt a rage in herself, growing as she felt the proverbial leach around her neck - the one her family had put on her the day she was born and kept on her as best they could. Though she was finally starting to break free - and the Weyr was the first part of that - her first hope of actually ever being free.

Her moments came and went however... She wondered at what she would need to do to get more people to fall in with her - to be her friend... or her worshipers.

She shook her head and remained where she was, still, very still - still as a statue.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

It’s hard to believe that he started out about the same size as a large dog, K’tar thought, glancing over at Viarth, who was walking along beside him. The gleaming Purple weyrling was now, at almost four months, already larger than a fully grown runnerbeast, excluding his neck and tail. If those were included, he measured in at well over twice that runnerbeast’s length.

Viarth curved his neck around so that one green-blue whirling eye was directly level with K’tar’s head. He held that pose for a few seconds, then playfully butted K’tar with his nose.

K’tar staggered back a step. “Stop that,” he said, shoving Viarth’s head in like playful spirit. As he did so, he caught sight of a lone figure, seated on a rock, against the rising sun. Even though he squinted against the light and used his hand as a visor for his eyes, he couldn’t see the person well enough to be sure, but he thought it was Chantrea. Certainly there was at least one Blue firelizard about. He hesitated for a second, then approached. It was Chantrea; he recognized her as he closed the distance, but she seemed upset about something.

“Hey, Chan, what’s wrong?” K’tar asked, stepping up onto the rock behind her. “Has something bad happened?” He thought it likely that the letter in her hand had communicated some piece of undesirable news, though it didn’t look to be a very long letter.

Viarth stopped at the base of the rock, though he stretched his neck out towards Chantrea-friend. He knew that His was concerned, as well as recognizing the tone of Ktar’s thoughts as Chantrea-is-near-odd-Weyrlingmaster-doesn’t-like-thoughts.

[Simile]

Chan jumped as she heard K'tar behind her. "It's... it's nothing..."she said, not turning around for a moment as she schooled her face before turning with a soft smile. She stood and turned towards him, attempting to tuc k the note away before he could see it. She really didn't want anyone to know what was in that note or what her family was like or what... they... and she did. But... this was K'tar. She almost felt guilty for not telling him.

The note was short and rather two the point. However... they had made said point. It was very clear and she was very much able to read between the lines.

She reached out towards Viarth's nose with a smile. "How is my favorite purple and my favorite rider?"she asked, smiling again, rubbing Viarth's nose affectionately. She was just trying to stay calm and keep him from prying too much at this point...

She took a deep breath and looked to her two blues who were watching her intently.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

We are good-thing-well, but Mine is worried-not-sure, Viarth replied, bumping his nose against Chantrea-friend’s hand. The rubbing felt good; he wished she’d rub harder. He started crooning, though it was deep enough to be more on the order of a “rumble” than a firelizard’s more highly pitched croon.

“We’re doing well,” K’tar answered, at the exact instant that Viarth did. He glanced over at Viarth, not quite sure if the Purple had said anything or not, but Viarth remained silent, excepting his croon, so K’tar shrugged and returned his attention to Chantrea. “What of our lovely favorite Candidate and her two protecting firelizards?” he asked. A part of him resented the change in subject, but he had to at least inquire about Chantrea’s health, and besides...

“Excepting whatever was in that letter, of course,” he added. The way she’d hidden it was only confirmation. Something had happened, something bad, and there was no way that he was going to leave Chan to deal with it on her own; he’d find out what it was and help her.

[Simile]

Chan laughed softly and scratched Viarth's hide just a little bit harder. "Does that feel good, handsome?"she asked the Purple. "You're getting so big so fast..."

Chantrea rested her forehead against the dragons snout and continued to scratch his chin gently. "I'm doing alright." She lied, but it was smooth and fluid and... almost seamless. Her smile was brilliant as she turned it to him. She gently patted the dragon's nose and moved away to stand closer to K'tar.

She didn't so much as pause at the mention of the letter, but her face did grow a shade lighter, though she quickly continued. "Oh... that... It's nothing." She silently wished that she had received the note while she was in her room. She doubted he was going to let her get away with this.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Viarth continued crooning. He didn’t know what exactly those odd thoughts in K’tar’s mind meant, but he did know that he liked Chantrea-friend, because she could be convinced to scratch him. Viarth also knew that his rider was glad that he liked Chantrea-friend, and was also glad that Chantrea-friend liked him. He whined a little when Chantrea-friend stepped away, but he did not attempt to follow; K’tarHis was happy but concerned, with odd-thoughts. Viarth huffed out a sigh, lowering his head and extending his nose after Chantrea-friend.

Had K’tar known what Chantrea was thinking, he would have probably seen fit to call her a mind-reader. He was not fooled even by her claim to be doing alright, let alone by her claim that the letter was nothing. At any other time, her claim to be alright would have slipped past his defenses. He was hardly truly experienced at detecting lies, and it had been a very good one, but a lie it was. Of that, he was certain. Chantrea was not alright. Not with the way she’d looked when the letter arrived, and definitely not with her reaction to his mention of it. Something was not right.

“Chan,” he said, looking directly into her eyes, reaching out to touch her arm. “What has happened?” His tone had an almost implacable sound, borrowed from a tone of Lord Famoran’s which had always gotten answers.