Silver and Gold (Ghost/open) | 73.13.03

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk would have stared at Nickta when she made a motion towards one of the chairs, clearly intending him to sit, had he considered staring at a recently met adult to be a safe occupation. Instead, he sat down in the chair, too confused to vocalize his almost instinctive protest that he shouldn’t be sitting, especially not when she was still standing.

He relaxed a little though, as Nickta and her dragon, Liakyrith — who really was a Gold with Silver wings! — talked. Even though he could only hear one side of the conversation, Tamaruk was surprised to realize that he was smiling. From Nickta’s tone, the whole thing was, bantering, relaxed.

He was so distracted by the dragon, upon whom he was still gazing admiringly, that he even forgot to be nervous when Nickta offered him klah, instead responding with a well-rehearsed “Yes, please. Thank you for offering.” (though he almost never said it, being typically made far too nervous by being offered something).

Emboldened by Tamaruk's calmness, Guyaky joined his Crimson little brother in investigating the things that the new-human was doing at the place-with-warm-fire.

[Nicole]

Nickta busied herself making arranging all of the essential ingredients for the klah, working carefully around the firelizards that were hovering near her.

"You can talk to her, if you'd like. She talks back. If she's in the mood."

You better be in the mood.
I am in the mood, if he would like to ask me something. Liakyrith turned her gaze towards Tamaruk, allowing him to hear her comment. And I do not bite.

A moment later, two cups of klah were set steaming on the table next to her as Nickta cleaned up the mess she had made from making them. Carrying both over to Tamaruk, she placed the slightly larger mug next to him before settling herself into her favorite chair.

Her gaze rested on the dog. She liked all animals.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

The smell of the klah had a relaxing effect, as though the steam from the cups fogged over that part of Tamaruk’s mind where he stored bad memories. In a sense, perhaps it had, for he had few bad memories associated with that smell, and had several good memories from the Weyr that were so associated. So it was that, relatively relaxed and with his guard lowered, his mouth opened and questions, oh so many questions, came spilling out before he could even consider editing them.

“Can you grab things with your front toes? What kind of food do you like the most? Is it really warm all the time at Rainbow Mists? Do they never get snow? Did you get to fight in the Weyr War?” Tamaruk’s eyes were huge with anticipatory excitement by the time he finished his rush of questions. It wasn’t every day that one got a chance to ask a dragon about daily life and storied events.

Sinok looked up at Nickta, and, realizing she was watching him, padded over and attempted to lick her face by way of a greeting.

[Nicole]

Nickta reached down and scratched the ears of the dog, carefully pulling her face out of range of his tongue.

If I really need to, I can pick up things with my front claws, though I usually do not. Liakyrith resettled her wings on her back, letting them catch the light of the fire for a moment before lying them flat. I like meat. It is warm at Rainbow Mists. I do not remember snow before coming here. I did not fight in the War, and for that I am grateful.

She tilted her head to the side and stuck her head out slightly.

What is it like to have a firelizard? Why do you let the furry thing follow you around? Why are you so small?[/color]

Nickta practically choked on her drink at the last question.

[/size]

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

“Firelizards… they’re, well, Rallin always compares them to little kids. Cute, curious, and cuddly,” Tamaruk answered. Alittle hesitantly, but he did answer. “They’re pretty cool at delivering things,” he added, as Atanek decided to demonstrate the “curious” descriptor by flying over to Liakyrith and perching on her nose.

“Atanek!” Tamaruk cried out, startled by the firelizard’s boldness. Atanek turned back to look at His, but didn’t move, and after a couple seconds, Tamaruk settled enough, though his grip on the klah mug was still white-knuckled, to answer the rest of Liakyrith’s questions.

“The furry thing, well, a friend gave him to me, back when he was just a little furry puppy, and he pulled me here. I guess I just got used to him,” Tamaruk took a sip of the klah, and relaxed a little more, it really was quite nice. He didn’t even realize that he was smiling as he looked himself over and concluded that yes, he was rather small. “I don’t know. Master Healer Aurelav said I’d probably grow some more once I got older, but,” he shrugged. “It’s been six months and I haven’t yet.” He never would have been this open, had it been a human asking the questions, but dragons, dragons didn’t hurt people, dragons were nice, and Nickta was hardly the image of a terrifying adult, adult yes, confident yes, but hardly terrifying.

“What was the War like?” Tamaruk asked, unable to contain the question longer. He’d heard all kinds of stories about it, but never had a chance to ask someone who’d really been there to witness it.

[Nicole]

His curiousity about something pleased Nickta, but the War was still a touchy subject for them both. She didn't say anything, though.

It was deadly and dangerous. Many died. Liakyrith's eyes crossed as she focused on the Firelizard on her nose, pulling her head back and settling it between her front paws. And you will grow bigger. You are still a Weyrling.

"The word you're looking for is kid, Lia."

They mean the same thing. What do I care for semantics?

Nickta slipped her klah and didn't say anything, continuing to scratch Sinok's head affectionately.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk sobered quickly, drawing in on himself a little once again. It was not a fear response, however, at least, it wasn’t entirely one. Rather, it was a response in sympathy with a sudden realization: what to one is a storied event, is to another a dark and terrible memory.

He slid back into a more relaxed posture though, in response to Liakyrith’s reaction to the presence of Atanek upon her nose. The other thing that helped him relax was the constant sound of Sinok’s panting, for the canine was using such to make known his enjoyment of the thorough head-scratching he was receiving.

“What’s semantics?” he asked, wondering what this had to do with weyrlings and children and whether he would grow or not.

[Nicole]

Semantics are semantics.[/color]

Nickta sighed. "Semantics is what words mean. Lia thinks that a Weyrling and a kid are the same thing because, to her, they mean the same thing.

They are the same thing.
"You think bread and cheese are the same thing."
Non-meat is all non-meat.

Nickta rolled her eyes, but smiled at Tamaruk. "Do you have any more questions for her? I would have had plenty at your age."
[/size]

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Taking the statement as implied permission, Tamaruk finally allowed a stream of questions to come spurting forth. “What’s it like inside an egg? Have you ever had a Clutch? Were DeathWings really real? Is it true that dragons like things that look like them? Can you fly with your wings vertical, instead of horizontal? What’s the best kind of weather for flight? Can dragons be snow-blinded?”

Both Guyaky and Atanek glanced over at the boy. They had their heads cocked, like they were trying to figure out what, exactly, had come over him. Frankly, Tamaruk was trying to figure out the same thing, but it was just making him nervous, so he decided to follow Rallin’s directive to “imitate Sinok, he doesn’t get worried until he actually sees danger coming.”

[Nicole]

I do not remember what it is like to be inside an Egg. I remember nothing before finding Mine. Liakyrith swung her head towards her Rider, eyes whirling softly. I have had several Clutches, but most dragons do. To us - or, most of us - it is simply a part of life. We are not as attached to our children as some of the dragons here have been in the past.[/b][/color]

Nickta sipped her klah and pulled her legs up onto the chair. "Deathwings are real, but I have not seen any of them in a long time."

Do we like things that look like us? Lia's chest rumbled with amusement. I find them interesting. I do not know if I like them. Why humans spend so much time creating replicas of the things that they already know seems silly to me.[/b]

"It's a form of respect and honor, Lia."

If you want to honor me, bring me food. I like food.

"You have a one-track mind." Nickta flashed her a smile, letting her eyes slide back over to Tamaruk. She watched him quietly, eyes flicking over to the firelizards and Sinok every few moments.

I cannot fly with my wings vertical, or at least not well, because of what I am. Most dragons can for small amounts of time. I prefer sunny and windy days to fly in because that is what is easiest. And yes, dragons can be snow-blinded.

Lia settled her head back down on her front claws, looking at Tamaruk with interest.

It is my turn again, I believe. Why do humans not eat only meat? Why do you not have wings? Why are you so shy?
[/size]

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk hesitated, his brow furrowing in thought. He, who much preferred meat to vegetables, wasn’t quite sure what the whole hype about eating vegetables was. On the other hand, bread and cheese were quite good, and if one was hungry, than anything was fair game. None of this, however, was getting him any closer to answering Liakyrith’s first question.

“I don’t really know,” he temporized, which would serve as an answer to both of the first two questions. “I guess, well, bread and cheese taste good, so that’s why we eat them, maybe.” He kept his opinions on vegetable matter to himself. “Wings, well, I don’t know about that either. I could ask Gillian, or Rallin, or well, Masterhealer Aurelav might know, but I he’s awful busy most the time.”

A couple months previously, Tamaruk would have had to ask what “shy” meant, but he’d heard it often during his almost six months at the Weyr, and had come to know, by asking Gillian about a month earlier, that it meant someone who was quiet and didn’t talk much, so there was no confusion delaying his answer long enough for him to actually think about it.

“Well, everybody back at the Hold used to beat me if I…” Tamaruk clapped his mouth shut as he actually realized what he was saying. His eyes were huge, and he fell back into himself, his shoulders sliding back into their guarding posture.

Sinok whined, thumping his tail on the ground. He didn’t understand the reaction, for he had no way of knowing what had just been said.

Guyaky and Atanek both flew over, trying to land on Tamaruk’s lap, but the boy had hunched over, so they couldn’t do anything other than hover.

[Nicole]

It is as you suspected. Liakyrith stretched her head as far out as it could, eyes whirling with concern for the now quiet Tamaruk. Her words now were only for her Rider's ears. Nobody should have to deal with that.
No. Nobody should. Nickta remained quiet for a moment longer, sipping her klah again. The only sound was the crackling of the fireplace and the quiet breathing of Liakyrith.

When the silence seemed to stretch too long, Nickta spoke.

"When I was younger, I was as shy as you are. Perhaps even shyer. I certainly wouldn't have trusted a Queenrider enough to walk into her Weyr and talk to her dragon." She reached up and ran a hand through her white-blonde hair. "You are no longer at your Hold and I am no longer at my Hold. We have no reason to fear the hands and words of others, I think. Though it does take time."

She sipped her klah.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk’s head shot up, his deep brown eyes, wide with what was to him a world-shattering shock, having no problem meeting Nickta’s silver-specked blue ones. “But no one would do that to a dragonrider!” he exclaimed. “Nor to anyone destined to be one.”

Guyaky took advantage of Tamaruk’s temporary uncoiling to quickly settle in the boy’s lap. He was rewarded for his efforts by getting a death hug from His. Oddly, the little Aurora put up with Tamaruk’s sudden squeezing, understanding that on some level the boy needed to do this. he crooned slightly, while Atanek flew back over to Nickta and tried to stick his head in her klah.

[Nicole]

"What one is destined for is never obvious when they are born. I never thought I would really be a Rider, never mind a QueenRider. I came to the Weyr when I was Searched for my cousin and to escape from where I was. I never thought I'd Impress." Nickta shrugged, half-smiling at the young Candidate in front of her. Despite his age, there was no denying what he was, and there was no denying that he would Impress -- his firelizards were a good impression of that.

"Where we start in life is not always what we deserve. You're kind, you're smart, you're curious. Whoever did what they did to you was jealous of you, or feared your curiousity because they had never been curious, or were just outright mean. You certainly didn't deserve it. I never did."

Liakyrith rumbled approvingly as Nickta relifted her the klah mug to her lips, sipping quietly.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk looked down, then raised his gaze more cautiously, eventually meeting Nickta’s eyes. “Destiny’s not obvious?” he asked. He was horribly confused, he’d never discussed this with anyone else, but everyone at the Hold had always told him that he was destined to be nothing. that he’d been evil at birth, killing his mother. At the same time, he despirately wanted to believe Nickta, but then that opened other questions.

“But why?” he asked, “Why would anyone be scared of me?” It didn’t make any sense, he’d never done anything aggressive, and hadn’t even been allowed to learn the first thing about fighting. “Even if they were, why? Why do people do that?” His voice was agitated, his mind trying to grapple with both memories and his present circumstances, trying to spot out the familiar in the wholly strange.