One Letter for a Sister's Love (Ruin/Cath)

Thank the first egg this mare was as intelligent as she was trained. He’d learned to trust her with his life over the past few moons—and she’d saved and protected it more times than he could count. Now; she was protecting two lives, and while she was not protecting them from a dangerous storm or predators—she was protecting them by being well-mannered. Sebolaren sat her easily, as relaxed on her broad muscled back as he would be on a bench in the Dining Hall. His long legs hung around her sloping barrel but fit snugly in calf and knee—his rump resting lightly on the down-stuffed pad that both supported and protected.

His hands, which would normally sit lightly on his thighs as his hips rocked with Requias’ gait; were busy at the moment—holding, supporting, caressing, and learning every inch of the Blue firelizard he had bonded with unexpectedly just a sevenday before. Already the body, which had been only a handful of inches at hatching, was now approaching half a foot. Sigard. His darling Blue. And the young male was already showing his intelligence; which may or may not have been improved by Sebolaren’s instantaneous flood of images feeding the Blue’s mind even as the ex-Herder filled his stomach with meat.

The trio certainly made a sight moving through the waning sunlight of dusk; a mare walking without apparent control, a tall man astride her as if he’d been born a’runnerback, and his large hands cradling a firelizard in a way that belied the ferocity he would show to protect those he loved. So attentive was he to mare and charge that as they drew within a stone’s throw of the stable he was still very much unaware of anyone around him.

Ever so grateful for Atenna—how nice it was to have made so deep a friend out of a woman who knew her way around Beastcraft—he waited until both women were well clear the entranceway, and not likely to be mangled should Requias decide that one of them had been the cause of her anxiety, before leading the mare in. Of course for all the show she had put on outside, she could care less now that her stall was so close—her stall, a grooming, and fodder. Sebol cut back a chuckle for that as he led the grey mare into her stone living space. ’Sebolaren of Ruatha’ how those words cut him now; it was a surprising addition to the pain he typically carried—which had once encompassed only his shoulder, but now so much more.

Prisoner in his own flesh, abandoned by his father and the Pinkrider he had come to adore, and now this. Luckily he had been able to shed his heart of despair for his unimpressed state; with the help not only of his Weyrling friends, but of that long-ago mysterious stranger. Well, not so long; but with Couineth fit to clutch eggs to harden on the sands—well everything was far away and out of focus. Everything except for this moment. The eyes that met Reylia’s may as well have been a handshake for as warm they were; they even held a depth of openness that belied the wall which hid his scrutiny and mistrust for this entire situation. “And you, Reylia; though please do call me Sebol—I might not recognize my own name for all it is used in full.”

”She is at that, Requias is her name—not mine, but loved as such.” With that all spoken and in the clear he took to caring for the mare, his hands thorough. He was grateful for the work that went into this mare’s care, because at this particular moment it would serve to keep him busy enough that he would not have to hide his emotions so well while directly looking at the women, and he could observe freely with his ears and fleeting glances.

For all that he had been worried before, he was now extremely attentive and scrutinizing of this young woman—though he kept the scrutiny that had destroyed far more guarded men buried deep within. Every movement and tone, every word and flutter of her eyelashes—everything. Committed to memory to be poured over and perused until he was absolutely certain that she would bring no harm to his Daymar—because he had not, at all, missed Atenna’s mention of Xiro’el and his sister Fel. He would not allow something that traumatic to happen again; especially not to the man who worked so hard to remain sane and willing to Stand.

Daymar had come too far, through too much, to suddenly have family show up and tear down every carefully placed brick—unless they were tearing down the walls of fear he had surrounded himself with: Which would be entirely possible, but needed to be done with extreme caution. A warm smile flushed his face to find that Mardanres was indeed proud of Daymar—as Sebolaren had so expected him to be: You don’t send a lost little ex-Herderboy more marks than he’s seen in his entire life without having compassion in your heart—or fathering instincts. So perhaps things would turn out quite all-right, and maybe Daymar would not hate him for playing such a large part in all of this.

He met those defiant eyes calmly—though her affirmations of gratitude were more soothing words for his anxiety that he might have started an avalanche he couldn’t control. Of course time would tell, but at least there was hope: Fel hadn’t greeted her brother so—from what he had heard. “He wanted to wait until after Impression; hopefully he will be as forgiving as you are that I sent knowledge beforehand.” He did not miss the powerful emotions that swept her up, but he did not act on them as he might have under normal circumstances; although he did add—hoping he was correct— “He has felt the burden of separation from his family—you will lend much needed support to his life here.” Or so I hope

His smile had remained warm and bright throughout this encounter, and it did not change even as he called Sigard to his fist with a chirrup—after Atenna had lavished some extra attention on him. His sea-grey eyes met those that swirled sea-green and he affixed into his mind the image of a slender dark-skinned man: Complete with catching smile, and a Blue who seemed a match in opposition. Sigard crooned his own reply and then leaped from his owner’s fist; disappearing between and leaving only a wake of air in his passing.

”I’ve rather enjoyed having a room-mate this time around; it makes the experience interesting.” His eyes twinkled across Atenna’s both for her comment and their shared knowledge concerning how interesting Daymar could be. Although that was neither here nor there for the current situation. He added more warmth to his smile when Reylia asked him directly, and then responded in turn:

”They keep us quite busy as Candidates, and female’s aren’t allowed into the male’s side this late: K’var would have my hide—again. However, meals are an excellent time to run into someone. I could not tell you his schedule as we both partake in very different chores, but he must eat.”