The Storm Ahead 15.09.05 (Open!)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk had been so afraid of getting in trouble when he fell on his face like that that he hadn’t even really heard the inquiries into his health. In fact he’d been so surprised by Guyaky’s unprecedented bout of friendliness that the next thing he was aware of was Lady Hedara’s statement/question to Guyaky.

Guyaky might not have understood the question, but he did understand that, oddly enough, this like-His-but-larger did not intend harm to His, so he turned his head towards her and trilled a hello.

Tamaruk froze, his grip on Guyaky tightening as though to prevent the flitt from being seized. All he could think was that Guyaky would be taken away. After all, that was what the adults at the Hold had threatened to do, and they’d nearly managed it too.

But no one here’s done anything like at the Hold, a newer, more confident part of him argued. It wasn’t a strong argument though, not with years of habit supporting the other side; the side that said that people with power were dangerous, intending only harm.

Eyes wide, Tamaruk eased back a step, hoping that he could put himself out of easy reach. At least then, there would be no chance of Guyaky being stolen away. Guyaky was good at escaping; sometimes Tamaruk wished he were as good, but if one of them weren’t, he’d rather that it be him and not Guyaky.

[Shoki]

Hedara's feather light smirk grew just a touch when the firelizard responded with a friendly trill. Like her parents, she was a fairly restrained person, so true smiles were very rare on her. So often a little smirk or furrowed eyebrows was all that revealed if she was pleased or displeased. She was always glad for Auroras at the Weyr, she approved of them in general.

Wishing I was smaller Hedara? Temperanth tilted her head at the blond woman, looking a little sly.

Only on oiling days. A year or so ago that would not have been the answer she would have given to the dragon. At least, the honest answer. For a while she had wished that she had either impressed a smaller dragon or a male dragon, since being a Queenrider carried with it a particular connotation and responsibility. She had since found how be a Jr. Weyrwoman without losing what she thought was important so it had made things better.

When Hedara's focused returned to the boy her expression turned serious as she inspected him. What was the trouble here? She didn't think she was coming off any worse then she had been before. If she had, she expected Temperanth would have told her. So why? It was bothering her again so she looked at him fully, crossed her arms and began to speak.

"Listen here, put a little more pride in your stance. Stand up straight and don't look so skittish. You are at Ice Stone Weyr, be proud of it! I do not care if you are just going to be working in the kitchens or you have nothing to do yet. Find your place and be proud of it!" Hedara paused a moment, looking at Tamaruk with an expressionless gaze.

Temperanth looked at Hedara quietly, looking amused. Occasionally her rider's frustration and stress manifested themselves in interesting ways. It was why she did better then others with stress. She didn't break down, she channeled it elsewhere. Still, she might have been a little too stern for this one. For the time being, she waited to see how this played out.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Tamaruk recoiled slightly at the snap that he heard in the Lady Hedara’s voice. However, if there was one thing he had experience with, it was obeying orders, even those that he did not understand. Without giving any sign, other than his still widened and slightly glazed eyes, that he thought his behavior odd, he forced his shoulders back and straightened up slightly, though he couldn’t make himself bring his eyes higher than the Lady’s upper legs, he hoped that he looked sufficiently more proud that the Lady would not be offended.

Turning his attention away from the like-His-but-larger and the large-friendly-Ice-cousin, and crooned to His, rubbing his head against His’s face.

Tamaruk’s breath caught in his throat, but when the Lady didn’t respond aggressively, he slowly let it out and took in another. The newer, more confident part of his mind was winning, arguing that there was nothing to fear from the authority figures here. Suddenly, greatly caught up in a moment of daring, Tamaruk raised his eyes, looking up through the forelock of midnight-black hair that dangled in front of his eyes and into the hazel eyes of the Lady before him.

[Shoki]

Hedara's gut reaction to Tamaruk's recoiling was she'd spoken a little to strongly. However, he soon straightened out, and pulled his shoulder back. He still wasn't looking at her, but it was a great improvement. A breath escaped her, grateful for the improvement. As much as she was serious, she preferred people with backbone around. Sure, she basically told him to straighten up but honestly, she was relieved she hadn't sent him running. So skittish. Finally, after a little reassurance from his firelizard the boy finally looked up at her. Hedara's first proper look at his face made her smile a hair, as she looked at him with approval. She relaxed a little, feeling better now that it didn't seem like she was causing him trouble.

"There, now you look every inch a member of the Weyr. I suggest you get used to it. Never know what might happen at a hatching." Hedara had returned to her assumption that Tamaruk was a candidate. He looked like a southerner through and through and thus she thought he had managed to be here by way of a searching dragon.

I agree. We dragons are so particular in our own way but we do surprise everyone on occasion. Who knows what can happen when the next hatching arrives? Temperanth broadcast her thoughts to both her rider and the boy, sounding a touch amused. Hedara didn't dare think about what dragoness would have the next hatching. She had resolved not to think about that.

Ivy, finally glad that hers and her new human friend seemed to be getting along, chirped and started to fly about. She made a couple loops before finding Sinok and landing next to the canine. The big fuzzy thing had lots of warmth and of course she liked warmth. The green flitter leaned on the canine, hoping he would share.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Sinok’s response to this new friendly-green-flying-object was, naturally, to turn his head and attempt to lick it, for all canines greet friendly objects with a thorough licking.

Seeing Sinok and Ivy, Tamaruk smiled quickly. No sooner had the smile appeared than he drove it from his face, but it had been there.

“Tamaruk!” Tamaruk’s head whipped around in response to the shout, but he didn’t draw in nearly so much as he might once have — and still did when hailed by strangers. He knew that voice, and recognized it as one of those that had often appeared without harm following.

“Tamaruk, come on, you’re going to miss the food! There’s steaks!”

Tamaruk twisted slightly to look further over his shoulder. He really wanted to go, he loved steaks, but… He glanced over at Lady Hedara, wondering how he should ask her permission to withdraw.

All through this, Guyaky had been perched soundlessly on His’s shoulder, though he had chirped a couple times to the new-friend-green, explaining that the warm-fuzzy was friendly, but had a warm-wet-pink-thing in its mouth.

[Shoki]

Ivy got a fairly good licking, and as much as she chirped with surprise she was having fun. The green found that even if the warm fuzzy had a warm wet to lick with, the fact that he was a warm fuzzy fixed that right up. Ivy crooned as she rubbed her slobbery body against Sinok, getting herself nice and clean. And he was warm. She liked her new warm friend.

Hedara noticed Tamaruk's attention to the pets, catching the brief smile. She could understand that. Perhaps that was just something he managed better then people. Temperanth Seemed pleased, mostly because today managed to be a learning experience for Hedara. The Ice greatly wanted the rider to meet all sorts, since that was the only way she understood people. She couldn't be told, she had to know for herself.

Hedara turned her head a little as she heard someone call for the boy. Her gaze returned to the boy to see his reaction, and she raised and eyebrow at what she saw. She had rather expected him to bolt. After the second time the voice sounded she turned to him and spoke quietly, "Well? It sounds like you have somewhere to be. Will you be off?"

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Once more, a moment of frozen indecision. How was he expected to respond? He remained where he was, unable to move, but aware that if he didn’t do something soon, the Lady would probably be… displeased. He opened his mouth, though to say what he wasn’t sure, only that if he said something, it would serve to distract the Lady, so that he could retreat from the situation. However, no sound came out, for the fear that demanded he speak, irrational emotion that it was, also insisted that he remain silent.

Approaching footsteps from behind caught his attention. He pulled in on himself, turning to identify the source of the footsteps.

“Tamaruk, there you are,” the voice was deep, as befitted its possessor’s breadth of shoulder, though said possessor was only a couple inches taller than Tamaruk. It had none of the qualities associated with a singing voice, but possessed a lightness and mellowness that seemed to carry calmness with it.

Certainly, it had a calming effect on Tamaruk. The boy eased, seemingly without realizing it, into the same almost-normal posture that he had achieved under Hedara’s orders, and with a lot less tension in his frame.

“Rallin!” he cried, though far quieter than any other child might have given such a glad cry.

Rallin smiled in greeting, then looked over at the slightly taller Hedara, the sunlight catching in his hair and making it glint like sliver-streaked gold..

“Weyrwoman,” he said politely, by way of greeting. “You’ll have to excuse me, but if I don’t get this lad out of here soon, there won’t be any steak left, and the Healers say he still needs to put on some weight.”

[Shoki]

Hedara kept getting baffled by this boy. First he was happy then he seemed stunned. Fortunately it didn't last long. The arrival of an older man made him snap right out of it. It was instantly clear that this man was someone Tamaruk admired. It was also more obvious that this man was a harper. This was less a observation about him personally and more Temperanth's doing. The Ice had her rail twitching in a pleased manner and she could feel that Temperanth recognized him. Since the Queen recognized him and she didn't quite place him it meant he had to be a harper. Temperanth looked pleased but Hedara didn't change her expression. She simply nodded in response to the greeting.

"Well then, we can not disappoint the healers now. Enjoy your meal." She made a small motion with her left hand, and Ivy, though appreciative of her new friends, chirped a goodbye and started to orbit Hedara once again. "It was a pleasure to meet you both." She stepped away and started to walk away, the green flitter naturally flying to match pace.

Temperanth nodded to both harper and the boy, giving a dragonic chuckle. Oh Hedara could be such a handful. It was good for them both though. The Ice began walking beside her rider, happy they were together.