Post by Cait on May 28, 2018 12:42:21 GMT -8
Weeks, maybe even months of planning had gone into the event that was about to take place. The newest additions to Telgar's dragon force were about to turn a year old. As far as one particular young lady was concerned, that was a very big deal. A spot of light in a dim world troubled by war and political tension, Ailys remained mostly oblivious to the dark happenings that went on around her. She wasn't completely unaware and was as well informed as the next weyrling, but her nature was such that darkness could only take hold for so long before the light won out within her. It was a light that radiated from her like some sort of aura. To think that a little more than a turn before she'd been living completely alone at the edge of a croft-hold. It was clear that she was meant to be around people, to share her light with the world as a whole. Where before she'd existed, now she thrived, thanks to the watchful eye of her lifemate Sylfith. Then there were the other weyrlings and F'mil. Such great friends to have when before she'd had no one to talk to but the rocks in the garden.
This party was every bit as much for her friends as it was Sylfith and her clutchmates. They'd all been together a turn, grown and matured together. Surly that deserved some sort of celebration. So in the interest of said celebration Ailys had taken to sequestering herself to her living quarters in her spare time to create hats for everyone involved. Some were pointed, others were almost like crowns. Some had little tassels and streamers while others were simply painted. All had been made with a specific person or dragon in mind out of scraps of fabric and hide and even bits of wire that she'd begged off the smith so that she could make some of the fabric stand or curl. It was a labor of love really, love and devotion for the people and dragons who were so dear to her. And truly all of Telgar was dear to her. It was a magical place, filled with characters from her mother's stories. Sure, the people weren't as shiny or bold as the stories but that didn't make them any less noble or brave.
The most time was spent on the hats for F'mil, Delgeth and Sylfith though all had personal touches that suited their recipients. While she'd intended to keep it a secret, Ailys wasn't particularly good at such things and so it was a secret that everyone knew about. Hopefully at least a few of the weyrlings would have the good grace to pretend to be surprised or to not have noticed Ailys measuring their dragon's heads or stealing their riding helmets then pretending to have found them left somewhere. Then there were her attempts to match scraps of cloth to dragons that were less than discrete though she was clearly under the impression that she was all stealth and deception. In short, essentially the entire weyr knew that on the anniversary of the hatching, something was going to happen. The details weren't hard to piece together but there was still some mystery.
Having promised to stop stealing paint ingredients from the kitchen stores, Ailys had gotten a few of the staff to agree to make a few platters of food for the event. Nothing fancy but enough for hungry weyrlings to munch on. Getting a table to place the party favors on was a bit more difficult, or at least she'd thought it would be. Apparently some of the burlier fellows in the weyr were alarmingly susceptible to wispy, pale blonde hair and big blue eyes set in a sweet, round face. They'd obliged her with moving a decent sized table and placing it near the weyrling barracks. It took the better part of a candlemark, but she transferred at the hats and headbands and fascinators she'd been working on to the table, each with a little tag with the recipient's name. Even the weyrling master had one. Of course she couldn't have made one for everyone in the weyr but there was one for each weyrling and their dragon and those who trained them. Then there was one for F'mil. A gaudy crown-like creation made from scraps of crimson and yellow cloth with bits of dark hide that would jut from his curling hair and curve toward the sky like talons.
In fact, most of the hats were made with gaudy and garish colors though tastefully selected not to clash too horribly with dragons. There were patchwork conical hats and ones that looked as though the petals of a flower were sprouting from the wearer's head. There were streamers and tassels and even a few shiny baubles here and there and no two hats were alike. Some had to be clipped into hair with pins, others pasted to dragon heads with an organic concoction that would hold the hat in place but allow it to be easily removed after the party and the dried paste to flake away. Things were pulling together and all that was left, Ailys realized, was to get herself ready. Despite her hoarding, she didn't particularly have much to choose from in the way of clothing. She had her riding gear and a few dresses that had been given to her upon arrival as her own were worn and faded. But that had only provided her with more material to work with.
Donning the brightest of her gowns, a blue that tried but failed to match the brightness of her eyes, she settled her own crown onto her head and threaded her pale hair through the coiled bits of blue cloth, stiffened and reinforced with paste and wire. Once she and Sylfith were ready it was only a matter of summoning the others. Sylfith was decked out with a hat similar to Ailys but her curled bits of blue stood out from her forehead and curved and bounced around. Her hide was also adorned with bright flowers and firelizards. Exiting into the common area, Ailys curled her bare toes beneath the hem of her dress and pondered wearing shoes.
[smear:#e0e0e0]Ailys, shall I call them?[/smear:#343f64:0]
Yes, I think it's as ready as it'll ever be. Do you think they'll be surprised? I really hope they like it. I just wanted to do something nice for everyone.
[smear:e0e0e0]My dear, I think they will love it.[/smear:343f64] Sylfith replied tactfully. She knew that virtually everyone knew and that more likely than not, her rider's sweet little gathering would be hijacked as an excuse for true revelry, but she wasn't about to tell her sweet little Ailys that. She was fairly certain that she could even enlist a few of her siblings to get their riders to act surprised. Certainly F'mil would oblige, he was always ready to indulge in the ridiculous. Lifting her head, causing the coiled bits of fabric pasted to the top of it to bob, Sylfith called the gathering.
[smear:e0e0e0]Brothers, sisters; my rider has created a little gathering to celebrate our hatching. Please come and visit. There are presents for all and she will be very happy to see you all surprised and delighted. Also there is food for those of you with riders that need a little more motivation.[/smear:343f64] Her voice was sweet and light as it always was but there was a very subtle request there that at least some effort be given to feign surprise. If it made her rider's heart glad to see others happy then she would certainly attempt to oblige her.
This party was every bit as much for her friends as it was Sylfith and her clutchmates. They'd all been together a turn, grown and matured together. Surly that deserved some sort of celebration. So in the interest of said celebration Ailys had taken to sequestering herself to her living quarters in her spare time to create hats for everyone involved. Some were pointed, others were almost like crowns. Some had little tassels and streamers while others were simply painted. All had been made with a specific person or dragon in mind out of scraps of fabric and hide and even bits of wire that she'd begged off the smith so that she could make some of the fabric stand or curl. It was a labor of love really, love and devotion for the people and dragons who were so dear to her. And truly all of Telgar was dear to her. It was a magical place, filled with characters from her mother's stories. Sure, the people weren't as shiny or bold as the stories but that didn't make them any less noble or brave.
The most time was spent on the hats for F'mil, Delgeth and Sylfith though all had personal touches that suited their recipients. While she'd intended to keep it a secret, Ailys wasn't particularly good at such things and so it was a secret that everyone knew about. Hopefully at least a few of the weyrlings would have the good grace to pretend to be surprised or to not have noticed Ailys measuring their dragon's heads or stealing their riding helmets then pretending to have found them left somewhere. Then there were her attempts to match scraps of cloth to dragons that were less than discrete though she was clearly under the impression that she was all stealth and deception. In short, essentially the entire weyr knew that on the anniversary of the hatching, something was going to happen. The details weren't hard to piece together but there was still some mystery.
Having promised to stop stealing paint ingredients from the kitchen stores, Ailys had gotten a few of the staff to agree to make a few platters of food for the event. Nothing fancy but enough for hungry weyrlings to munch on. Getting a table to place the party favors on was a bit more difficult, or at least she'd thought it would be. Apparently some of the burlier fellows in the weyr were alarmingly susceptible to wispy, pale blonde hair and big blue eyes set in a sweet, round face. They'd obliged her with moving a decent sized table and placing it near the weyrling barracks. It took the better part of a candlemark, but she transferred at the hats and headbands and fascinators she'd been working on to the table, each with a little tag with the recipient's name. Even the weyrling master had one. Of course she couldn't have made one for everyone in the weyr but there was one for each weyrling and their dragon and those who trained them. Then there was one for F'mil. A gaudy crown-like creation made from scraps of crimson and yellow cloth with bits of dark hide that would jut from his curling hair and curve toward the sky like talons.
In fact, most of the hats were made with gaudy and garish colors though tastefully selected not to clash too horribly with dragons. There were patchwork conical hats and ones that looked as though the petals of a flower were sprouting from the wearer's head. There were streamers and tassels and even a few shiny baubles here and there and no two hats were alike. Some had to be clipped into hair with pins, others pasted to dragon heads with an organic concoction that would hold the hat in place but allow it to be easily removed after the party and the dried paste to flake away. Things were pulling together and all that was left, Ailys realized, was to get herself ready. Despite her hoarding, she didn't particularly have much to choose from in the way of clothing. She had her riding gear and a few dresses that had been given to her upon arrival as her own were worn and faded. But that had only provided her with more material to work with.
Donning the brightest of her gowns, a blue that tried but failed to match the brightness of her eyes, she settled her own crown onto her head and threaded her pale hair through the coiled bits of blue cloth, stiffened and reinforced with paste and wire. Once she and Sylfith were ready it was only a matter of summoning the others. Sylfith was decked out with a hat similar to Ailys but her curled bits of blue stood out from her forehead and curved and bounced around. Her hide was also adorned with bright flowers and firelizards. Exiting into the common area, Ailys curled her bare toes beneath the hem of her dress and pondered wearing shoes.
[smear:#e0e0e0]Ailys, shall I call them?[/smear:#343f64:0]
Yes, I think it's as ready as it'll ever be. Do you think they'll be surprised? I really hope they like it. I just wanted to do something nice for everyone.
[smear:e0e0e0]My dear, I think they will love it.[/smear:343f64] Sylfith replied tactfully. She knew that virtually everyone knew and that more likely than not, her rider's sweet little gathering would be hijacked as an excuse for true revelry, but she wasn't about to tell her sweet little Ailys that. She was fairly certain that she could even enlist a few of her siblings to get their riders to act surprised. Certainly F'mil would oblige, he was always ready to indulge in the ridiculous. Lifting her head, causing the coiled bits of fabric pasted to the top of it to bob, Sylfith called the gathering.
[smear:e0e0e0]Brothers, sisters; my rider has created a little gathering to celebrate our hatching. Please come and visit. There are presents for all and she will be very happy to see you all surprised and delighted. Also there is food for those of you with riders that need a little more motivation.[/smear:343f64] Her voice was sweet and light as it always was but there was a very subtle request there that at least some effort be given to feign surprise. If it made her rider's heart glad to see others happy then she would certainly attempt to oblige her.
