Long Time Coming (Open/Shoki?)

[Lark]

You have grown much A'mir.

Swirling orange and green eyes looked down upon her white haired rider, Sayurith's gaze seeing everything and nothing all at once. There was no comment made for his actual appearance, and instead it was all for the internal growth that had come over him since they're rescue from the dark caverns below the Weyr. It had almost been a full turn since that day...beneath the young man's tender fingers came a small shiver that made the silken hide of his lifemate ripple in the light of the glows.

You have grown more my love. Just look at you. We fly now together...forever and always.

It was true, the silverlight was almost at the age of taking to the skies for her mating flight. Though, A'mir knew it would be a bit longer until that fateful day. After all, no one knew just how much trauma would effect the mental and physical growth of the dragoness. Sayurith had come out exceedingly thin, though A'mir swore multiple times that she was eating more than would be expected of her. She was strong and fast with wings that swept in the graceful bird-like arcs known for her color. Yet, though there was little to show for her physical abuse, a few scars still remained on the curve of her neck and the slight limp of her front forelimb which had been broken all those months ago.

The darkly veiled hide twinkled with the accents of bright silver as she slid away from her rider, her eyes fading into the more common shades of red that she wore. Things were not as she had expected; little having been done to comfort the fears of those that waited with baited breath for the Weyr's decision. The weyrlings had almost grown, her little silverlight "brother" almost the age of being a senior, and she had practically graduated. No, something was in the air, a foul stench that seized the breath of humans that waited on an ill-timed fate. Their Weyrwoman had done little, her Junior not much more.

The time of the Ice Queens shall end...in one way or another.

A'mir never understood just what his lifemate was thinking anymore, so much of her thoughts had been veiled behind shadowy hums and the ticking of a clock. Every moment was another anticipated mark of time that was wasted on planning that was, and had been, going no where. At least, that was how the silverlight saw it. If it were up to her, she would have stampeded through the Holds and Caverns, taking those that would harm her and showing them blood-tainted fangs. The holdbred man shivered despite himself, his dragoness nudging his side gently as she soothed away her thoughts.

Please, don't do anything we're going to regret. Just be patient...if nothing happens, we can always leave. I'm sure another Weyr would be safer.

And how would they be safer? Would they force me to chew stone like a pathetic green? Would they take away my birthright? It would do nothing. I would still be what I am, whether I am able to lay children or not.

She snorted and then flicked her forked tongue over her jaws as if tasting a sweet something. Besides....if I were to chew stone...what would stop me from flaming those that had caused it in the first place? Her chuckling breath and thoughts tickled A'mir's mind and body as she nuzzled her head down lower. It was practically the size of his whole form, though not quite as would be expected. After all, a silverlight was not as large as a Gold or Ice, or any of the other "determined" Queens as it were.

Yet I am no Silverlight like the others of my kind. This too was true, though not because of any natural occurrence. The LifeWing riders that could be found after the pair was rescued, help determined to be needed in case they held post traumatic stress, had said that Sayurith would never hold the same personality traits that were common in Silverlights. She would not be as trusting, or as gentle, but they had not been able to tell just how viscious she would become. Even A'mir could not entirely know the extent of her anger...or how far she would go in her need for vengeance.

It had gotten to the point that he needed to talk to someone about it, perhaps a Kingrider, or one of the Queenriders. Someone that would understand not only the capabilities of his dragoness, but the temperament as well. There were few times that anyone still wished for a rider of a DMW color, but A'mir had never quite hoped for one as much in that instance as now. Sayurith curled up on her ledge and watched the snow torrents that came down on the WeyrBowl, her eyes fading between orange and red, seldom going to a more calm green or grey. Even then, they were always tinged with a forlorn grey.

[Terayne]

Pale blue eyes looked upon the weyr of the younger rider with concern, and their owner lightly stroked the graying but still noticably dark hide of his own Bonded one. The Queen angled her head, which had also been pointing at the weyr they watched so that one large eye could focus on her rider, whirling yellows and oranges. She was as worried for the younger pair as he was, and they both were unsure how things would turn out. Xerecalth had been watching Sayurith intently, and had named a concern that had had S'lieze debating visiting the younger Silverlight pair for some time.

You must do it soon, my love, The voice whispered softly through his mind, and he nodded.

"I fear she may already be irretrievably tainted though, Xere," he murmured, and the Queen snorted. Her disagreement was clear in his mind, and he smiled. She was determined to see if they couldn't at least SEE if Sayurith could be transformed back into what she should have been before her captivity had made her such a potential danger. "I will go and see what can be done," he decided, and the elder Silverlight nodded, a very human gesture she'd picked up from him, and kneeled, allowing him to mount. She then launched from her weyr, backswept wings angling to take her into a steep dive from the heights she had chosen, being one who enjoyed watching the ascent of Rukbat in the morning, and the lights at night.

After a very short time they were hovering before Sayurith's weyr, and Xerecalth rumbled softly, calling to the younger Queen and asking permission to settle to her ledge, not wishing to be rude and intrude on another's space.

[Lark]

Xerecalth and Hers come. I do not understand why...I did not call for them.

The silverlight slank back further into her cave and away from the ledge as the older Queen, the first of her color, came in to land. Turning curiosity filled eyes at the two, the queenlet gave the smallest of nods in greeting before looking at her rider as if passing some unseen message between them. It was more of a feeling than a message, one of unease and uncertainty. Sayurith did neither welcome or despise the coming of Xerecalth and S'lieze, she was simply interested in the reason why, and otherwise was indifferent to the issue.

A'mir on the other-hand was much more delighted at the other silverlight and riders' entry. Giving his own nod and wave, the weyrling gestured for the older man to slide from his dragon's neck and come to the conjoining weyr he stayed in so they could sit and talk more comfortably. "S'lieze...you're coming is most unexpected. Come and sit, is there something happening that you wish to speak with me about?" In those moments, and the few like them, A'mir was glad for the teaching he received at his Lord father's hands about how to conduct oneself while speaking to important people of important matters.

Without it, well, the weyrling would be lost to know just what to say or how to react. As it were the young man had had to reteach himself so many courtesies when he was rescued in the days after. Much had been lost in those dark moments under the Weyr when nothing mattered but the slightest hint of life inside his mind from Sayurith. Shaking himself mentally, or perhaps it was the dragoness that was more accurately doing so, A'mir looked over at S'lieze expectantly, waiting for whatever news to make its way to the conversation. He would ask him more about Xerecalth later, yes. However, she, from what A'mir could tell, was not like Sayurith so much. Or, Sayurith was not like her. Sighing internally, the weyrling nudged his bondmate to say hello and be polite, the dragoness balking at the idea before sizing the older silverlight up for comparison.

It was not a terrible thing that Hers was asking her to do, and in fact normally Sayurith would have wasted no time in saying hello to another dragon, especially one of her kind. That had been what seemed like turns ago though, and those manners were somewhere she could not reach. Winding her tail around her front legs, the little queenlet scooted over on her bed to make room for the other queen to sit or lay down, her own body tense at the idea of being so close to another that was not Hers. Even her "sibling brother" the male of her kind was not seen in such a friendly and intimate light as to share space with. Still, Hers was adamant about her "behaving", and so she would play the good little queen, for now. When A'mir was not quite up for giving her compliments and an assured sense of satisfaction however, Sayurith prodded him for what else to do.

I've already said hello, I've made room for her. What else do you want me to do? Curl up under her wing and ask her to tell me all her stories and share with her my deepest secrets? Who do you take me for A'mir?

You didn't actually say hello.

Groaning, her tail flicking as a front fore paw scraped its talons across the ground in agitation, Sayurith fluttered her wings and bent her scarred neck to look at the other dragoness better.

I greet you...I suppose Xerecalth. Now do say what you want.

Eh...good enough.

It better be...

[Terayne]

The elder Queen waited patiently, then settled lightly to the ledge, choosing not to come inside and crowd her younger counterpart. She could sense that Sayurith was already uncomfortable as it was, and she did not wish to agitate the youngling any further. Crooning a gentle greeting, she then shifted as Her's slid down, tossing his snow white braid back over his shoulder-it had slid to his chest when Xerecalth dove-and waved a greeting to the younger rider. "Hello there A'mir," he said mildly, his pale blue gaze gleaming with good humor. "I merely wished to see how the pair of you were doing." He glanced at Sayurith and his gaze very briefly grew concerned, but he forced the emotion away for the moment, not wanting to upset her or A'mir. "She grows more beautiful and graceful everyday," he added, inclining his head to the younger Queen.

He padded forwards at A'mir's urging, smiling at the younger man and settling himself. I'm getting old, he thought, and felt Xerecalth's amusement, just before the elder Queen turned her attention to Sayurith. We have been concerned, my young Queen, she said gently, watching Sayurith carefully. She was willing to say what her Mine would take his time getting to.