Careful Gift(Kila)

[maruset]

It had taken longer than Letorin had hoped for, but he had finally gotten the piece right. Then it had been a case of he wasn't sure if it would be something that he -could- get the former weyrwoman or not. He didn't have a dragon, and he really didn't know if it would help the former rider or not. He was trying to get pictures done of all the dragons that had betweened, who's riders still lived, though some were more from memory than he would have liked. Still, he had several good sketches of Kalith, and he had thought that he had done a good job, even by his own high standards.

So he had waited, because Letorin had seen O'sho around, though the man seemed to be wearing thin lately. He assumed it was stress, because it was not hard to see how hard the riders had taken the spat of deaths. The memory of the keening that had followed sent shivers up his own spine still, and Letorin didn't even begin to have a clue on just how deep the bond between rider and dragon went. But O'sho did, and if there was any chance that it might help Fajra, Letorin had to make the offer.

Looking at the picture again, he nodded to himself, pleased with how the light reflecting off copper wings as Kalith flying. She had her straps on, and there was a hint of her rider, though the queen was definitely the centerpiece of the picture. He had spotted O'sho going to get something to eat, so it was as good a time as any.

The picture was carefully rolled and set into a protective case, which would keep anything from damaging the art, and headed back to the dining hall.

Luck was with him, and he spotted the man there still. He moved towards the older man, and then waited at a polite distance, waiting to be acknowledged if the rider felt like he was up to dealing with company.

[Kila]

Autumn, 5th Turn, 11th Pass

O'sho resigned himself to his chore, the only hint of complaint
his sigh as he look at the food he had to choose from. It was wasted on
him really, as nice as all the things the kitchen workers had put
together were. Still, he dutifully put a meatroll on his plate and took
his mug of klah to a table. He spotted Jasra leaving and paused to say a
few words to the Queenrider. She was quiet and looked a bit
uncomfortable (as she often did) but her demeanor softened and she spoke
candidly to the Weyrleader for a while. They were not close, but he had
spoken to her many times before, as he did to everyone. When they parted
with a merry farewell O'sho took her seat at the table.

He sat down on the bench gratefully and raised his drink to his mouth,
cupping the heavy mug between his hands. The sides were chipped and worn
a familiar. Fiera eyed it skeptically but kept her piece. If her bonded
was happy then it would not be her that disrupted him. O'sho must have
sensed it nonetheless because he grinned when she leapt gracefully to
the table. "What's wrong Fiera? Not to your liking?" He set the
mug down beside her and she sniffed at it disdainfully. Chuckling, he
picked up the meat roll and tore off a small piece. She screeched when
he offered it to her, flaring her delicate orange wings. It was for
him to eat. "Oh alright," he said, putting the small piece
in his mouth.

A movement caught his eye and he saw a boy standing nearby and looking
his way. O'sho didn't recognize him as a Weyrling, so he ventured to
assume he was a new Candidate or a young transfer. He hadn't exactly
been out among the other weyrfolk as of late, however, so his guess
didn't hold its usual worth. "Hey there," he called to the lad.
"Looking for a place to sit? Plenty of open seats over here." He
hoped the boy wasn't there to ask questions about Fajra or offer his
condolences, for he had gotten more than enough of that, but people
wanted to know what was happening and deserved to know. It was his duty,
even if it tired him. He warmed the offer with a smile, thinking that
his voice sounded a little thinner than usual. He would always have time
for talking; O'sho was a man wide open to the world.

[maruset]

The invitation did get a small smile from Letorin. This had to be hard for the entire family, really. “Thank you,” the teen said, slipping into a spot where he would have room to unroll the art.

“I’m sure that the questions you’ve been asked lately have gotten very....repetitive.” Because it did seem like there was probably only two sorts of questions the man would get, and Letorin just hoped that he didn’t cause more pain than needed. “If I am lucky, this will be something that is not quite as common.”

Sourtai and Vitula both made their own appearance from his fair, the pink landing on his shoulder in her spot, and the green nesting into his hair. Really, he was going to end up running out of flit space if this kept up.

“I hope that you and yours are as well as could be hoped for at this time.” It wasn’t a question, and Letorin was quite sure that nobody was feeling great, but there was always hope.

As he spoke, he tugged open the tube and pulled out painting. “Honestly, I am unsure how to put this question, so I apologize greatly if it is something that offends you in anyway.”

He paused, unrolling the painting so it would not be snagged. And not show off the subject to everyone that walked by. He did make sure that O’sho could see it, watching the man’s face. “I am making one for every rider who lost a dragon if they wish it. But I am not sure if it would cause more harm than good.”

Glancing at the painting, he did admit he had a thing for painting queens against a rich blue sky. It made their colors stand out so much stronger that way. “I thought it better to be shown to you first, rather than giving it to someone else to deliver. You would know better than most on how well this would be received. “

[Kila]

Fiera perked up when two firelizards landed on the boy that was
sitting down across from Hers. She didn't dislike other pets, nor
was she possessive, but she was very protective of O'sho, and had been
especially so since the poisonings. Behave, princess, he soothed
her, letting her know that everything was well. The Orange stuck her
snout to the sky and let out a dainty huff, offended that Hers thought
she was capable of misbehavior. His other firelizard was the
delinquent. Oblivion was probably skulking beneath the tables now,
biting children's toes and causing trouble.

Letorin sat down and began talking without prompt, lifting a tube onto
the table and fiddling with the seal. The boy hit the nail on the head,
though O'sho didn't interrupt him to say so. The questions and
well-wishes had become repetitive, though the Weyrleader did not hold it
against those who inquired. Most people were only concerned and everyone
had a right to know the basics of what was going on. Letorin claimed to
have something uncommon to offer him though, which intrigued O'sho.
Curious, he kept quiet and let Letorin give his uncanny speech.

When the hide was removed an unfurled O'sho was met with a beautiful
painting of Kalith in the sky. He was taken aback, not at all having
been expecting such a thing. It was so very... direct. Many of the
weyrfolk shied away from speaking of the details of what had happened,
the only graphic discussion happening between close friends in whispered
voices. In public people would measure time against the season or the
shortage of meat. When the incident was referred to, they called it "the
poisoning," or some such variation.

Taking the painting gently in his hands, O'sho studied it silently,
saying nothing at first. Letorin had done an impressive job, capturing
the spitting image of Dalibor's late Queen. It was a touch romanticized
perhaps, lacking the fierce, more abrasive side of the Copper, but
anyone who had known Kalith could easily fill that in. It made O'sho's
heart tighten to see it, and he could only imagine how it would make
Fajra feel. He was glad Letorin had showed it to him first and that he
had seen it here, outside of his weyr.

"It's a beautiful painting," he finally said, looking up at the
boy. "A fine thing to do for all of the dragons that were lost."
The Weyrleader proceeded gently, not wanting to injure Letorin's
feelings; the Candidate had every reason to be proud of his work.
"Thank you for bringing this first to me. Rest assured that it is not
offensive in any way. I admire what you have done, and would be
interested in seeing the other paintings in fact. I'm sure you aware
though that these could elicit as many negative reactions as positive
ones. No Rider will want or be able to forget their bonded, but I fear
that for many this may be too soon. I will not pretend to know what they
are going through, but I know that they are fragile." He stopped to
let his words sink in, letting their importance speak for itself.

"Fajra... she does not want to forget. She will look this thing
straight in the eye no matter how much it pains her. She will love this
painting." Only O'sho's eyes betrayed a hint of the pain he felt as
he again gazed at the work of art. Fiera crawled up to his shoulder and
wrapped herself around his neck comfortingly. "Perhaps it can serve
as something physical for her and the others to hold on to."

[maruset]

Vitula trilled softly at the orange, happy to see her comforting hers. It was nice to see others being so kind to each other.

Letorin was quiet as he watched O'sho's reaction to the painting. His focus was on the other's face, watching and mentally going over the reactions he saw there. It seemed that it had been a good idea to give it to the man first. Which was only confirmed by what he said later.

"I tried my best, so I'm glad it came out as good as it did," he said after a moment. "I do not plan on giving it directly to any of the riders myself. I would rather give it to someone who is close to them, and let them determine the proper time to gift it." The teen shifted.

"It.... I...." He trailed off, thinking about how he wanted to phrase it a moment. "So far, I am a Candidate, I don't think I really get the closeness of the bond between rider and dragon. It's not something that I can fully comprehend until I get a dragon of my own. And even then, I'm not sure if I could understand that sort of loss."

He absently shifted before training kicked in and he stilled his actions. "I would be happy to show them to you before I give them to anyone, and perhaps you could tell me who best to act as the third party to actually present the gift."

Plus, as O'sho had said, they were fragile. And Letorin had heard enough stories about riders losing dragons to realize that it was not likely every rider who had lost their dragon would survive the experience. He would still paint the dragons, but it was possible that it would go to the ones who cared for those riders.

"I cannot do much to help, and I wasn't even sure if this would be helpful or not. But I wanted to try."

[Kila]

O'sho nodded along with Letorin's thoughtful statement. "I
hope that neither of us will never know that feeling. If you impress
then you will understand it better, but no amount of imagination can
capture the pain I know they are in." Just seeing it was horrible
enough. O'sho had no plans on outliving Daidoroth. Fajra was different-
she was young, as was Tiroshel- but O'sho was an old man. When it was
his time to depart then he would have already given all that he had to
his Weyr. And he would have no regrets.

"Thank you," he said when the Candidate agreed to show him the
other paintings. "We will have to find some time soon. And I would be
more than happy to advise you on third party friends and family who you
could give your work to and whose discretion in the matter I trust. If
you would allow me to brainstorm I will send Fiera to you with a list by
tomorrow afternoon." He tickled the little Orange under the chin and
she wrapped herself around his hand. She only had to carry messages to
important people so she didn't mind the chore. If it would make Hers
happy then she would take a message to the moon and back.

"Thank you again for this gesture, lad. You have done great justice
to their memory and shown extraordinary craftsmanship in doing so. It
was kind, and I do think that it will help. In time." He leaned
forward on his elbows, letting the somber part of their conversation
fall behind them. "So you are a Candidate then. Forgive me for not
having recognized you. What is you name, lad? And how do you come by
such a beautiful talent? What fine craft did we steal you from?"
O'sho was interested in all the people in his Weyr and made it a point
to talk and be among them, no matter how busy his duties kept him. There
was no way he could know them all on a personal basis, of course, and
taking care of Fajra had kept him from many of the new arrivals, but his
amity remained undamaged. Pedestals held no interest for him; he would
rather be down among the people. Kalith's death made his wish loom as a
potential reality.

[maruset]

"I would appreciate that, Weyrleader. I don't know as many of the older riders in person, though I think I've got at least a few sketches of every dragon in the weyr and this point, and a good chunk of the whers." He shook his head, and pulled out his current hide of notes and jotted down a note to remember about the names. It fit perfectly between his latest sketches of Sourtai's wings and the newest incarnation of the flying machine.

"She is a charming girl," he said after a moment, looking at the orange, smiling some at her obvious affection for her person. That was always something sweet to see, and he heard Vitula trill an agreement with his thoughts as she snuggled into his hair more. Letorin

Though he could not help but sit up a bit more when he was given the praise. He did like hearing it, though he did know that it might mean nothing much. Then the man leaned forward, and the conversation shifted. But that was all right, as Letorin was happy enough to talk of other things. He was happy to do his part to help, but it was a depressing topic at times.

He grinned some. "Yes, picked up from Western Harperhall a while back. Been drawing a lot of dragons since I arrived. Though I have always drawn." He wasn't sure where he had picked it up, but he remembered always doing little drawings, and he had only gotten better. His father had actually traded a few pieces when Letorin had been younger, and had at least one piece he had requested from Letorin while the teen had been at the Harperhall. So Letorin was sure that one had been traded as well.

"Before I was there, I lived in Tillek." No need to go into more detail there.

[Kila]

"She is a sweet thing, isn't she?" O'sho agreed when
Letorin complimented Fiera. The Orange lifted her thin head modestly,
letting the compliment wash over her like a ray of sun. She was clearly
pleased, though she did not gloat on it. "The best present I have
ever received. Watch out for my other one though. If you feel a nip
under the table that would be him- he's fond of biting toes." Fiera
wrinkled her snout with distaste at the mention of Oblivion. She was not
at all fond of her devious Black brother.

"Ah, the Harper Hall," O'sho mused, nodding. "I expected as
much. There is so much artistic talent where Harpers congregate- and not
just musical talent alone." Letorin did not offer up much
information about his life in Tillek so the Weyrleader passed it by, not
wanting to pry. "It's wonderful that the drawing came naturally to
you. Those who are the best in their crafts have an innate talent; not
something that can be learned. Dragons are, in my opinion, an excellent
subject." He was insanely biased of course, being the Weyrleader and
all. He winked at Letorin, making fun of the ridiculous statement.

"But you say you are from Western. Have you had the honor of meeting
the Lord Holder D'lios and his Brown Perbaith? He is responsible for
sending many Candidates to us. Are you one of them or were you searched
by one of our Riders?" Since they were on the subject of dragons,
O'sho pressed on. "Dragons choose their Riders, as I'm sure you know,
but from what you've seen and the people you've met here, what sort of
dragon would you prefer to choose you? Perhaps you have run into some of
our newer mutations? They are quite unique." He would in no way be
able to act on whatever Letorin replied, but he liked to get Candidates'
impressions of the Weyr and was always intrigued to hear which colors
they liked and disliked in the beginning.

OOC: So sorry it took me so long to reply, Maru! Work got really busy
there for a while.

[maruset]

"We were quite the ecclectic bunch in Harper," Letorin agreed easily. Because they were. One never knew what oddball skill or talent would pop up whenever the apprentcies had time to relax. Though he did smile at the older man. "Dragons are fascinating. I've been doing sketches after each hatching, both of dragons and whers. And it's been interesting to watch them grow. I plan on doing some more detailed biological measurements and drawings with the ones who allow it."

The idea of getting that sort of detail on dragons made his eyes just light up. Letorin loved to learn, and watching dragons and whers up close was wonderful for him.

"As for Lord Holder D'lios, I did not see him much. Some from a distance, but never anymore than that." They had been kept pretty close at hand, and the Lord Holder had a great many more important things to do. Letorin gave a bit of a laugh. "I've seen more of Lady Holder Samara, really."

There was a moment of quiet as Letorin thought about what sort of dragon he would like. "Color isn't so important, really. I know that I would like a dragon who is on the smarter side." He gave a bit of a shrug. "I have met a lot of dragons, and the idea of having one who I can toss around some of my odd ideas with would be nice." There was a grin. "I'm sure if anyone can help me work out the last few on a flying or gliding machine, it would be a dragon."

((ooc: No worries, look how long it took me to get back.))

[Kila]

O'sho was delighted to see the boy's eyes light up we he talked
about his craft. He could easily tell that Letorin was passionate about
it, and from his paintings any fool could tell that he was good at it.
The Weyrleader enjoyed being around such people- with all the mundane
tasks that came with his position it made him feel alive. No loss
there, he thought when Letorin admitted to not having met the
Western Lord Holder, but O'sho kept the opinion to himself.

O'sho listened avidly as Letorin described what he thought he wanted in
a lifemate. His answer was not disappointing. "A very wise
response," O'sho said with approval. "A shining hide might boost
your rank, but it's what's on the inside of the dragonet that counts,
not the color of their hide. Very much like people." A Queen could
be as flighty as a Green, or a Black as noble as a King. Most Candidates
replied with colors when he asked them that question, so O'sho marked
the lad before him as one of the more insightful, promising young people
in the Weyr. There were many more that he had yet to meet and the old
man could only hope that they were of a similar caliber.

"Letorin, it was a pleasure," he said, rising. The painting was
gingerly rolled and slipped back into its case. O'sho took it carefully
and held it close to him. Fiera took his cue and scampered up his arm,
perching regally on his shoulder and letting her long tail hang and wrap
protectively around her human's new treasure. O'sho took his plate in
the other hand- the food that he had put on it untouched. "Thank you
again for the gift, it will be much appreciated. Look for that list
tomorrow," he promised. "But I must go. I've been away from my
duties too long, I fear. It was a lovely chat though. I will look for
you on the sands." He smiled and was gone, off to take his of
comfort beside Fajra, painting in hand.