Western wings [Aryna]

[Tarra]

The cave was a relatively small one. Set high on the mountainside, it had no real ledge either, only a sort of shelf jutting out from the rock to serve as landing point for a dragon to scramble into the cave proper. Not that it had much of an entrance either, for that matter - the roof of the cavern was rather low for about several metres in, coming to about 10 feet in height on average. That, combined with the availability of much roomier and more accessible cave further down the rock walls, was probably why no other dragon pair had claimed it as weyr just yet.

But it suited their needs. Its low-roofed opening would accommodate Fenrith and his rider easily even at the dragon's full growth, yet restrict larger dragons from entering. Inside it was dry and airy, though the entrance was set enough out of the wind that there was no chilly draught going around. Its interior was not small either; T'rey had readily found space to position his bunk, belongings and riding gear without depriving Fenrith of a resting spot. And best of all, it held a commanding view of the western caldera, overlooking just about every major feature of the valley, with the western balustrade in the distance.

Fenrith thrilled from the entrance now, drawing his attention. He had been undoing the new leather traces, just brought in fresh from the tannery: they would serve as replacement straps for harness repairs, or even the makings of an extra set if he eventually got enough of them. Looping the ends carefully back over some wooden beams (he had in mind to set up a bed frame as well, but for now all he had were the raw materials, being carted up one by one), he slipped on his shirt and made his way to the blue by the entryway.

She's at the complex, the dragon remarked as he came alongside, wings folded and posture relaxed as he lounged with his head in the open air, tasting the wind. T'rey nodded, dusting his hands in the cleansing wind, Good, I'll just be a minute.

He disappeared back into the cavern and, true to his word was back out within the minute with his belt on (knife hitched on) and Fenrith's harness in hand. This he slipped over the blue's head as the dragon stood obligingly, taking a moment to run his palms over the soft blue muzzle, I'm sure I wanna' do this Fen'; you?

What is yours is mine, the dragon's voice an edge that was as rare as it was deadly; the pale blue eyes whirled red a second as he lowered his shoulder to his rider My thoughts are yours as well, for they deserve nothing after what they've done.

Let's go then, T'rey pulled himself up with a quick heave and clipped the harness into place. Fenrith flared his wings and slid under the roof of the cave into the open skies beyond. The boy half-closed his eyes at the rush of wind that tore his hair back, enjoying its racing streams as the blue shuttled his wings and made a barrel-roll along the cliffs - just for the fun of it. The sun caught his hide as he came out of it, highlighting the stormish tinge of his hue and casting it into a lighter shade. With a snort the blue leaned into the wind and closed both wings, rolling into a dive that drove the wind from T'rey from the sheer rush of it. He flattened himself to the blue's back, had both arms around his neck, and let off a whoop of exhilaration that tore away and was lost on the wind.

Fenrith leveled out the dive well above the place they sought, angling for a milder approach. T'rey picked out Ejjarth easily enough - where the rider was, the dragon often hovered near to. He felt Fenrith reaching out for the other's mind.

Ejjarth, the blue's tone was courteous, yet playful. He liked this blue clutchbrother, liked his energy and enthusiasm even if it got a little annoying sometimes, Might Yours be about? Mine wishes to speak to her.

[Tiddler]

Ejjarth was actually sprawled out, for once looking as though he was just relaxing and basking in the sunlight. Technically it was true, but he’d earned this brief respite. He and His had just returned from a morning of rigorous training. For both of them. It was true that the blue seemed to have copious amounts of energy and could never turn down a challenge in any form but that didn’t mean he never appreciated a good rest. Soon he would be ready to move again; soon he’d be pestering his rider to practice some aerial maneuvers out of boredom. But for now he was content to soak up some rays. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was lying with his head lifted off the ground, it might have looked as though he was asleep. All but the outermost pair of his eyelids were closed, making his eyes all but invisible in the bright light.

But he seemed to be able to see the other blue and his rider just fine, or heard their approach. It wasn’t until Fenrith actually addressed him that Ejjarth turned his head and cracked his eyes open slightly to acknowledge the pair. She is within. Inhaling deeply before yawning, Ejjarth accompanied the reply with toss of his broad head in the direction of one of the ‘offices’. A strange flitter had appeared moments after they had returned from training bearing a message for Aryna. She had taken it and gone inside, no doubt to read it in peace, perhaps to scratch out a response that she would send back to wherever it had come from. Ejjarth wasn’t sure, and he also wasn’t sure he entirely cared.

Aryna was indeed inside and she had read the message that the strange firelizard had come to her with; she had sent the creature on its way after reading it, but it seemed as if she was in fact writing out a reply. Not quite the case; instead she was scrawling out a message to Kes’len, informing him of the goings on and asking him what course of action he intended to take. While neglecting to inform him of her own intentions, of course. She wasn’t all that fond of the bronzer; she was pretty sure the feeling was mutual, but normally a person’s feelings toward her didn’t affect her opinion of them one way or another. Siobhan, for example. Aryna actually liked her, if only because she found her awkwardness outright hilarious. She knew the Weyrwoman hated her guts though.

Whatever reasons Aryna had for disliking the so-called Weyrleader (perhaps it was just the fact that she liked to thumb her nose at ‘authority’ in general and do whatever the hell she pleased), she would humor him for now at least and communication was important among the leaders of the Weyr. When she had ever gotten to be someone of note among the other riders was somewhat of a mystery to the headstrong woman. She simply did whatever she saw fit, and with the western caldera all but cut off from the rest of the Weyr, there was no one here to tell her any differently. She’d never told or even expected anyone to follow her lead by any means.

She was amused.

Once the note was jotted out, she gave her instructions to Pretty as she attached the parchment to the flitter’s leg. “Take this to the one who had the basketful of eggs. Yes, that’s the one” she nodded to the questioning image she received of Kes’len “Wait for his response and bring it back to me. There’s a good lad.” She gave the brown a brief scratch under his chin before he vanished between to deliver the note. Aryna had just enough time to stand and stretch, arching her back before a familiar voice filled her mind.

You have visitors. It was a simple statement, one that was also accompanied by the image of the other blue pair outside. Well that was unexpected. Rather than continue on her way outside, Aryna sank back down into her seat as she told Ejjarth to give T’rey the go ahead to come inside. Tipping her chair back on two legs, the bluerider propped her heels up on the table in front of her that served for a desk, crossing her ankles and tilting her head back comfortably. Closing her eyes, she wondered briefly what the boy and his blue wanted with her. It seemed she’d find out soon enough.


[[Sorry it's so rambly xD;]]

[Tarra]

Fenrith regarded Ejjarth with amusement whirling in his eyes as he landed with a slight thump some way off. A neat enough landing, though Fenrith wasn't exactly bothered with making any impressions - exceptionally good landings were all very well but they were time-consuming and took too much effort for a simple trip to meet a fellow rider. T'rey slithered off as he folded back his wings and the other blue relayed Aryna's assent to the meeting as well as her location. The dragon half-turned to forward the word on to his own rider, and the boy nodded as he laid a gentle hand on the dragon's shoulders to unclip the harness.

Good - help me thank Ejjarth too, I'll be in now.

He slipped the harness off Fenrith and began the short walk toward the 'office' that had been indicated, shuffling and adjusting the loose straps in his hands as he went. Left to his devices, the boy's blue dragon turned towards his fellow.

Mine relays his thanks, he said to Ejjarth as he prowled over, before continuing with his own comments, You look well, clutchbrother. Mind if I join you in the sun?

The quick walk, meanwhile, took T'rey right into the shadow of the rocks before the entryway he made for, and the sudden chill left a tinge on his skin that was not unpleasant after the pouring sun beyond. He had no way of knowing what had just transpired over the flitter networks, but his own stomach was fluttering with anticipation at what he was about to ask. Thus far all that went on regarding between the calderas - their splitting into three fields of thought throughout the Weyr, the emergence of unofficial leaders within them, the rumour of further action to come - had been subtle and beneath the surface. The signs were there, of course, for anyone who cared to see them; but nothing had been said openly, nothing confirmed to anyone's face beyond covert whispers made in personal conversations.

Until now.

T'rey wasn't close to Aryna. She was his fellow weyrling, with all the camaraderie that came of that shared experience and the struggle to survive on the Archipelago in the coalition's earlier days. But beyond that his interactions with her had been minimal: she was older than he, stronger in many ways and (he felt) more mature, and his respect for her was cemented by her having become the unspoken leader of the western caldera, inadvertent or otherwise. He didn't agree with all her views or even most of them - particularly her violence-solves-most-things approach, which more often than not riled him. But he was in accord with her on one major point - the North was a threat to them, and the North had to be dealt with directly. An inclination that none of the other thought-leaders offered. Which was why he was here now, to offer his help, however little the help of a 15-turn-old might be, and to see where he stood in relation to her.

His first thought, as he entered the room with the now-neat harness held in both hands, was one of amusement. Only Aryna, he decided, could have pulled that look of complete unconcern when her dragon had just informed her she had an unexpected visitor. And he rather doubted she had been expecting him; he had told no one of his intentions, and Fenrith was by nature discretion itself.

"Aryna," he said, opting for a simpler opening. She wasn't a Wingleader or someone of official rank, and to give her his duties would be presumptuous given the circumstances, "Seems the day finds you well. Good you had time to meet."

A genuine comment - Ejjarth often kept the woman busy, if not at training than with coping with his boundless energy and antics. T'rey did not wait for a reply however before he took his own seat opposite Aryna at the desk, angling the chair so he had a clear view of her face rather than her soles. He had never been one for hinging when he had a goal in mind, and his nerves made it imperative at any rate that he speak now, quickly, before they overwhelmed him. His voice - squeaking at odd intervals with the breaks that came of puberty, was nonetheless firm and forward. He hid his chagrin at how its pitch vacillated against his will in the room's confines.

"I'll be straight on why I came to see you. I heard...a rumour, you might say, of eggs on the Sands in Pern. Somewhere."

In Igen, he meant of course - he had yet to hear of the High Reaches clutch. Had he known, however, he would have made a much firmer offer - he had lived in High Reaches once, and knew its caverns as he knew his dragon's wings. His next words however were a statement more than anything.

"I'd like to be involved."


(OOC> No worries, I enjoyed reading the background of it ^^)