Halfway There (Nia)

[Cathaline]

It was only a sevenday or so since Callistath's disastrous flight; the clawed-open marks on Taceuth's belly had barely begun to knit back together, despite the sutures. He still favored one wing over the other, too, and M'iles perched lightly on his dragon's back, running his fingers lightly over the membranes, searching for something the healers might have missed. I am telling you, it is not your Craft,[/i] Taceuth said, more gently than his rider deserved. It is only sore. It will heal.[/i]

"Which is fine for you," M'iles said absently. "The longer we are grounded, the more likely they will take our position from us, new as it is. Faranth, I am a fool, aren't I? I almost threw away everything we have, and for what - so we could win a flight that was rigged to begin with."

I am sure Perbiath didn't - [/i]

"He didn't," M'iles said through clenched teeth. "That louse D'lios did - as if he does not have power enough in his Hold. Mark my words, Taceuth - history will show what he did in the long run. What do you think, will we be the ones to bring us to heel?"

Any eavesdropper might have been quite horrified with the young man babbling about power when his dragon had nearly been torn away from him. But Taceuth put up with it, because he knew the cruel words came from a tortured, guilty soul. He sprawled out and dipped his paw into the cool lake water, and said, Look, company.[/i]

M'iles glanced at the entrance to the Bowl, and slipped down off Taceuth's back. "That's Lady Holder Samara," he said. "But she can't be here about D'lios, can she? Something else must have happened, or someone would be out here to greet her...them." For Samara was not alone; she was accompanied by a dark-haired girl M'iles didn't recognise.

Samara gave Valdis a small nod as they passed the lake. "I will see Audren," she said softly. "It is perhaps best you wait here - I do not know how kindly tired whers will take to a stranger. You don't mind, do you?"

[Nia]

Arriving at the Weyr was a little scary for Valdis, but she faced it with a brave expression and was determined not to let Samara down. She was the Lady Holder's charge, and she was not going to act like a coward in front of the very important Weyrleaders. Or, Wherhandlers, as that appeared to be Lady Samara's reason for going to the Weyr today. She had to meet with Alpha Wherhandler Audren to discuss something very bad that had happened. Valdis went over the information in her head, trying to memorize it. She had to know these people if she was going to be accompanying Samara to the Weyr for her visits. It would not be very good manners for her to forget the important Wherhandlers and Weyrleaders.

The lake was pretty, and Valdis didn't mind staying by it. She nodded at Samara, touching her hair as a slight nervous habit and smiling slightly. "No, it's fine! I can stay here, Lady Samara," she said with a bit more eagerness than she meant to. It wasn't that she was afraid of the whers or anything, but... well, she was a little afraid of the whers. Particularly Audren's red, Ausk. She sounded really scary. And Valdis was much happier to stand by the lake by herself rather than go talk about something scary. She waved Samara good-bye with a gentle smile.

Plus... she darted her eyes around the lake and settled on a nice looking Blue dragon and his rider, running his hand over his dragon's wings. Checking for injuries? Just being affectionate? Valdis stared for longer than she meant to and then quickly looked away. He was quite attractive, wasn't he.... She blushed slightly at this thought and quickly turned her gaze back to the lake. It was a very pretty lake, wasn't it? Yes, it was. Dalibor was so nice... them and all their gorgeous Dragonriders. Valdis blushed darker as she thought of all the rider's they'd passed by just walking here. Was everyone supposed to be so attractive? Was it a requirement to being a dragonrider? Part of Valdis' mind said that perhaps she was just naive, as she'd only ever seen Hold boys from her family's Hold. Not that it mattered. She was in boy-crazy heaven.

Valdis took a few more steps towards the lake, so that she was close enough to touch the water. She didn't really want to sit down on the muddy bank, but she was content to stand and stare out at the lake, kicking a little bit to stir up the water by her feet. She was the kind of person who was content to just sit with their own thoughts and nature, so she didn't really mind that she was alone. In fact, she almost prefered it. She was so awkward when she was with other people, it was only by herself that she could really relax. Not that she was entirely relaxed, as she kept darting her eyes towards the Bluerider and his dragon, wondering if maybe she should try and start a conversation with him... but then her mind froze up, and she kept her gaze fixated on the lake. No, she could never! He was a dragonrider, she was just Lady Samara's charge... why would he ever want anything to do with her?

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