Sittin' on the Dock (Ghost/K'tar)

[Kaya]

| 77.05.23 | on the docks at Cliffside | morning | with Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)'s K'tar |

He had come on a run. Holt sat on the edge of the wooden planks watching the sailors mill about. It was a cooler day in the south's fall, so much as the never-ending hot and humid of the coast here could be called fall. Holt had set aside shirt and shoes, for as many months and Turns as he spent here it was always warm. Not like Dragon Ridge, its cool mist and nippy mornings. He'd have to visit sometime soon, get a chance to be dry for once.

Of course he would be needing to be back soon enough, but that would take care of itself. Korith was always on top of their schedule. He'd been roped in to continue deliveries, all papers, all logistics, all very important, all classified. And so it went. Just as these sailors were replaced with still more other sailors. He was pleased, though he didn't feel it, to have found a quiet spot on the docks.

He really should, and Holt shook his head at the nagging thoughts. He would spend time with his people when he did, and this was a moment of alone time. That was okay. Like talking the misty walks with dad when he was a kid. Except no mist. And no dad.

I'd tell you you're moping but you know that.

Correct. Wouldn't call it that exactly.

Then what?

Don't know. Never been in a war before. Don't like it. Don't like what it means for the people.

Didn't know you to be so far reaching in your moping.

Not all the people. Our people. Or dragons. Or- how do you group us all?

Don't know. But I know. Okay. I'll let you know when they get the papers bundled. Just be ready when I need you.

Yeah, Korith.

Holt watched a fishing boat pulling out around the last turn to go up the coast. Not a bad morning. It would be better with company, Korith was right. He just didn't know how to include them.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, it remained to be seen, company was about to invite itself to Holt’s location. Up in the main Hold, above the docks, a shout was heard. It was a shout which had grown more common over the time since the Lord and Lady had disappeared, a shout of just two words.

“Stop! Thief!”

Ducking quickly down an alley, a young man quickly secreted away some rolls and meat in his sleeves and tunic. There were even a couple boiled eggs. Yes, he could have gotten the same food elsewhere, but when the stress just became too much, he quickly fell back on old habits and old hobbies. He wasn’t a particularly small young man, not height-wise at least, but his shoulders were narrow, his limbs and body rangy and thin. He’d always looked thusly, and probably always would.

Slipping off, he darted off towards the docks, large, silent, mostly black canine following in his footsteps, not that its role as a distraction was over. Coming near, he started to pull up at the sight of a familiar figure, but the continued hue and cry pushed him forward.

“Hey Holt,” the young man, one K’tar by name, said as he flopped down next to the larger youth. “You want some breakfast?” he inquired, twisting his hand and making one of the rolls appear as if by magic.

Twisting slightly, the smaller K’tar used Holt to hide his body from view of anyone coming down from the main Hold and pinned his knots back on. Now a full-fledged rider, instead of a wastrel, he settled back next to his friend and offered him a boiled egg. The meat, most of it at least, was being given to the canine that had sprawled down in front of the two youths.

[Kaya]

Holt grabbed the offered roll and held it up to look at. "You got anything to put on it?" he asked, turning it over as his arm lowered. "And yes, I'll take breakfast on the condition you don't tell me where you got it." Holt smiled, feeling a wave of familiarity soothe the scene, like the waves on the shore some ways off.

He gave the big dog a pat. With that feeling a particular Brown firelizard made himself appear and settled into Holt's lap, pushing aside the roll in hand. "Hey, Sonder," Holt murmurred, tracing a hand across the firelizard's head.

"I'm glad you're here," Holt admitted. He still felt off, the world changing and all did that to a soul. But here was some familiar scene and that helped. An old friend, up to old mischief most likely. Holt hadn't known K'tar to spend good marks when his old ways worked as well. So it was. "How're you holding up?"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K’tar grinned at Holt. “How could you possibly doubt that I, your friend the model citizen, could ever obtain breakfast in a doubtful fashion?” he asked, his tone full of fake wounded pride.

Altahyr greeted Holt’s pat with a wagging tail and a quick panting canine-smile. The appearance of the brown disappearing thing was noted by the canine’s mind, and in greeting, the canine stretched out his head and smelled the creature. Altahyr also took this chance to lick Holt.

“I’m holding up,” K’tar answered with a shrug. It might not be totally true, but K’tar’s nature was such that if something wasn’t actively going wrong, he oftentimes just didn’t think about it. No point worrying, after all, when the current day just might bring enough trouble.

“I always have things to go with breakfast,” K’tar stated with a grin, before pulling out and presenting one of the boiled eggs. “You holding up ok?” he asked Holt. Something didn’t seem quite, right, about his far more serious friend, and he wanted to know what it was. What it was and whether he could help.

[Kaya]

Holt let the canine lick him. The licking was fine, it was the feeling after the lick that was objectionable. But he liked Altahyr enough to let him get away with it.

"Thanks," Holt took the egg and broke off part of the white. He held it near Sonder who took it slower than a hungry flitt ought. He was an unusual calm flitt, but it worked for Holt.

"Ah, sort of. They have me on deliveries day in and day out. I got someone else to cover me today, some Brown Rider. He's pretty soft in the shell but he'll toughen up. But it's all the papers, they're easy to carry. They weigh on me, K'tar. I used to hop out of the Weyr with a satchel and see the world and do a right good job of it too. Now it's like I'm taking rocks addressed to peoples' heads, y'know? S'a heavy job now." Holt reflected on all the words. He knew K'tar. It was a lot of words, but today it was okay.

Yes. Today it is okay.

I thought you were going about your business, Korith?

Ha. Tell K'tar I say hello.

"Korith says hello," he repeated. "So with all those, I'd rather not pass off my rocks on you and Mau and D'ziel, and-" Holt sighed. "I came for a run but I still couldn't shake them." He took a bite of the egg next to the bread. Not bad. Stolen most likely, but not bad. At least K'tar had taste. "And Mau's been talking kids. And we're staring down a war. That's not the kind of world for kids. Let alone me."

"So. That's my sad sad story," Holt picked up Sonder and his legs from the dock all at once and turned to face the Purple Rider. He replaced the Brown on his lap as he settled into sitting up on the wooden planks. "What's yours?"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K’tar watched the little brown firelizard, eyes almost wary despite his long acquaintance with his friend’s flitt. Early life experiences and all that were much harder to leave behind than he would have thought, before the little brown started making appearances. He’d gotten increasingly used to his friend’s little brown flitt, adored the creature’s calm nature, and still didn’t like being surprised by the brown.

K’tar listened to Holt’s words. This didn’t sound good at all! His friend was clearly upset, likening his once loved assignment to throwing rocks at people’s heads. Not that K’tar didn’t think that some people could benefit from having rocks thrown at their heads, but he had long ago learned that Holt did not share these views. He was a bit surprised by the fact that Mau was talking kids already, but he did feel the beginnings of a plan. Being K’tar, he naturally decided to go for it, without any further consideration. He’d be able to iron out the difficulties later.

“You know me,” K’tar answered Holt’s question with a grin. “I never have sad stories, only amusing ones.”

“I wonder,” he continued. “Have you been to see your parents lately? You’d probably have to arrange for time off and all, but I’m sure they’d appreciate a visit.” He hoped Holt would keep him in the loop, that would make things so much easier to organize. He’d need to get ahold of Mau though, to make sure that she had off the same day as Holt did. His own time off, well, he could just skip out for a day, he’d done it enough times before.

“You know what you need?” K’tar asked. He didn’t give his friend a chance to answer though, instead stating immediately: “bubbly pies.”

Reaching up, he took off his rank knots and handed them to Holt. “Hold these for a second, would you?” he asked, before turning to jog back towards the main Hold and some source or other of bubbly pies. He paused, glanced back at Holt.

“Tell Korith I say hi back,” he said grinning, then spun to race off.

[Kaya]

Holt listened to the suggestion. He had his doubts, but when hadn't his parents know just what to do? It wasn't that they gave direct, starkly laid out advice. They-- he wasn't quite sure--but they just listened, reflected and somehow he left feeling wiser than before he had arrived. It was worth a shot. I guess I was too caught up in myself to consider it, he thought.

It'd be nice to see your mum again,

And the two having come to the conclusion that, indeed it was a plan worth pursuing, K'tar suggested yet another activity. Perhaps letting his parents know he was coming in advanced wasn't such a bad idea. He'd feel better about that. Now, these knots on the other hand...

"I will," Holt replied normally. K'tar probably didn't hear him at the speed he was going. "Get yur hide back here in one piece, y'hear!"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K'tar's only response to Holt's words on getting back in one piece was a quick laugh. After all, he hardly got caught at all, relative to the number of times he did this. Somewhere in his mind, a voice pointed out that he should probably grow up and find other passions, but the fact was that he genuinely enjoyed this method of obtain j by food, loved the sense of capability as he escaped, loved the rushing surge of adrenalin as he sped away, desired objects in hand. It might be unnecessary, but then, it had never been about necessity, not for him. No, it had been about the rush of adrenalin and the joy of the job.

It was risky, slipping back up to the main hold so soon, but...

"Stop! Thief!"

K'tar darted through alleys, dancing and weaving in his quest for the docks. He had to make it back to Holt before he got intercepted. Shards but these people were getting better at spotting him.

Reaching the end of the current alley, K'tar skidded around the corner, sprinting for the docks. He slipped into the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief as the guards started checking almost every male therein, clearly confused. Edge of the crowd reached, he started towards Holt. The hand that landed on his shoulder came as a complete surprise.

"Well, so here's our thief. Looking to escape to your friend?"

K'tar tensed, but said nothing. He wasn't going to get Holt in trouble too. Over by Holt, Altahyr started barking.

[Kaya]

Holt lazed on the edge of the dock, in better spirits than he had been found. It wasn't a steady state of peace, he had dips back into worry again. But the warm firelizard on his lap, who was accepting of pets whether Holt felt better or not, helped bring him back to some place more stable.

It was the shouting and clambering that took his attention from Sonder. K'tar. A quick assessment, guards, chasing. He'd been caught at it. Holt sighed and rose to his feet. He fished in the pouch at his side, his legs stretching out in long strides. To get there faster, yes, but he was also a little stiff having been on the wooden planks so long. He withdrew a two mark wooden coin, in all probability more than K'tar had stolen. He took out a few other coins. Not likely to have exact change then, whatever it would have been. He mumbled about his lack of smaller coinage before shrugging and holding out the two mark coin towards the guard.

"This should be enough to cover it," he said, disinterested eyes wandering over the water rather than the people in front of him.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

The guard seemed a little startled when the young rider came over. Why so upstanding a young man, the sort to have been chosen by a dragon, would be having anything to do with the knotless thief that he had his hand on was clearly a mystery to him. He gave the young rider a bit of a glower, though it was a generic sort of expression, containing at least in part the guard’s annoyance with the whole situation.

“You should probably keep a closer eye on this,” the guard informed Holt, taking the two mark coin and using the hand he had on K’tar’s shoulder to push the young man around so that he staggered to a stop next to Holt.

“You’re sharded lucky your friend considers you worth wasting good marks on,” the guard informed K’tar, before stalking off.

K’tar dusted his arms off, flashing a grin at Holt as he did so. A second later, the grin faded a little. “How much do I owe you?” he asked, tucking his head a little.

[Kaya]

"You owe me better sneaking and some dessert next time," Holt shrugged, rather amused by the whole thing at this point. Nothing had gone terribly wrong, so of course now it was funny. "Maybe let's be getting back? Korith is convinced I'll only stew more hanging around here so," Holt trailed off.

He would miss the money but he didn't want K'tar to owe him anything. Price of friendship. At least with K'tar.

Around the bay on the beach? Korith asked, having overheard. He'd been listening in a while now, fretting over his Rider.

You don't stop, do you?

"This way," Holt said and simply walked.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

K’tar’s full grin quickly made a reappearance, as the meaning of Holt’s words penetrated. Sure, he’d gotten caught, but he hadn’t gotten a set of stripes or extra drill or anything, so really it was no huge deal. He’d succeeded in his main objective, distracting his friend, after all.

“Probably a good idea,” K’tar commented, practically prancing as he followed Holt away. They weren’t that much different in height, but with K’tar’s narrow build contrasted with Holt’s more powerful one, it looked something like a young canine bumbling along and playfully bumping against an older one.

[Kaya]

Without fanfare they made it to the beach. They had successfully evaded the guards - at least by Holt's method and standard. Korith, nuzzling his Rider, let it be known he didn't at all approve of the Hold's law enforcement getting involved in his afternoon. With that noted, a Blue dragon calmed, and a Blue Rider sulking just a bit less, the lot of them made it back to the Weyr without further comment.