Earthbound Clouds [Basile]

[jack]

The skies were as clear as the lake's surface this chilly afternoon, but even with Rukbat as high and hot as it would get today, V'lin found himself bundled up more than usual as he sat curled up against a massive blue hide. With a sniffling cough he snuggled up further into the warmth that was his dragon, the lounge-couch of a creature giving a soft rumble of amusement.

We can nap inside, V'linMine, if you are cold.
Sleepy eyes rolled up to look at the dragon, who arched his neck to peer bemusedly at the scarred boy.
"The view is nicer here." He mumbled softly, giving a quiet yawn as he pulled his flight jacket tighter around himself, the goggles he had taken to wearing sliding up into his hair as he buried his face into his collar, "Smells like grass and dirt too."

Socordiath gave a hum of agreement and lowered his head, curling his neck around the rider's body fondly. Eyes closed and wings covering all but a little of V'lin, the pair looked more like a great, white-blue rock than a dragonrider pair. But it was a peaceful stone, for sure, and as Socordiath slipped off into dreamworld, V'lin gave a pleased smile, lifting his eyes from his furred collar to peer out at the sky. The way of seeing--a slip of sky between two large masses, although in this case it was a neck and a wing rather than stone slabs--was the same as it had been years before. The sky looked the same as it did, blue as it had ever been...but...V'lin's smile broadened slightly, a spark of spirited laugh flashing in his eyes. The sky wasn't anything like it once was.

It was better.

[basile]

What was it about being a Weyrbrat that made a person perfect for kitchen duty? The girl sitting cross-legged on the floor sighed, and set down the rag on the lip of the rather giant bowl she'd been cleaning. It was exactly the same as the dozens of other bowls stacked in neat piles scattered about the room. Cilnah held up her hands for inspection. "I look like an old person," she muttered, wiping her decidedly wet palms on her bottoms. After yet another sigh, she plucked up the rag and took two swipes at the grimy bowl. "I though that coming here would get me off of kitchen duty, but I'm an old prune more now than I was at the old Weyr." She was complaining to herself, of course, as she usually was, but that didn't bother her too much. What did give her concern was the fact that, at least back then there had been children to get her out of washing dishes every once and a while. But not here. Here it was dishes, and stirring the soup, or peeling vegetables all day.

It'll all be worth it one day, she kept reminding herself, though at the moment it did little to alleviate her irritation. There was a clutch now though, she thought with a grin. Another chance for her to Impress. There were so many wonderful dragons running around. Maybe, just maybe, one of them would find her worthy enough to bond to. The distracted girl stood, gleaming bowl in hand, and rested it on the nearest stack, watching as it wobbled precariously. It was the smallest pile though, and she wasn't about to start a new one for just one dish.

"Finally!" Cilnah grinned, proud of the job she'd done. Her hands felt like they had blisters buried deep under the skin, but that was a feeling she was used to by now. She wiped her hands once more and turned to the roaring fire in the hearth. That was the second of her kitchen duties. It was her job to make sure the fire didn't go out under the giant pot. It contained soup at the moment, but the girl could have sworn it was big enough to take a bath in. Which is exactly what she wanted to do after this grimy experience. After poking the fire twice, she tossed on a bit more fodder, and stretched her hands over her head, giving a soft groan when she felt her shoulders creak and pop. "I've been bent over those blasted bowls for too long," she complained to herself. But at least it was done. No more dishes for a few days at least. That was a bright spot in the rather dull existence she was leading right now.

Walking out of the cooking den, Cilnah flopped down on one of the many benches that were scattered across the eating area, and folded her arms across its smoothed, if ragged, surface. "Kitchen duty bites hard," she complained, resting her head on her arms, and slowly closing her emerald eyes. For a moment, she rested there in silence, until a determined, insistent pounding forced her to reach up with her right hand and pull the restraint from her hair, letting it fall loose to her waist and alleviating the slight headache that had started nearly an hour earlier while she was bent over the dishes. She forced her fingers through the waves, then carefully sunk her teeth into the band and slipped it onto her wrist. Her hand fell back to the table with a soft thump, followed by a long sigh.

She rested that way for a few moments, then stood, gathering the small Green who had been curled up on the table next to her as the Black flit settled behind her now loose hair, blending into it rather well. "Come on you two. It's a nice day, and I'm not going to waste any more of it sulking down here. Let's go for a swim! I need to get this grime off anyway." And that was that. A few moments later, she emerged out in the sunshine of early summer, and slowly trekked her way towards the lake.

Almost there, she noticed something new, or at least it was to her. For a moment she thought it was a giant boulder that had materialized, but then she saw it move slowly in breath, and chuckled. It was a dragon. And... that color was familiar. Where had she scene it before? Her head tilted as she studied the almost full grown creature. It was a weyrling from the last hatching, she though. Not quite full grown yet, but close. And then she remembered, a brief encounter months ago with a much smaller Blue dragonette, and His. Well, he wasn't small anymore, was he? "Hello!" she called out, still a ways away, not wanting to startle the pair as she approached. "Socordiath, was it? And V'lin too, I believe?" Though she didn't see the boy at the moment.

[jack]

While both rider and dragon were fairly out of it--Socordiath half-way into a nap and V'lin zoned out, thinking--it was quite the surprise indeed that lazy Socordiath was the first to notice the new arrival. He lifted his head slowly, peering with a yawn at the newcomer before tilting his head sharply to the side.

V'linMine. He rumbled, lifting his wing to better allow the scarred boy to squirm out of the dragon's grip, having to scurry up the Blue hide and look over Socordiath's back to see, It is...Cilnah, yes? The dragon asked, a sleepy yet interested tone to his voice as he gave another yawn, rustling his wings slightly.

V'lin, meanwhile, gave a smile and nodded, waving softly at her as she approached, "Good afternoon, Cilnah." He called in his quiet little voice, folding his arms over Socordiath's back. He remembered this girl, if only faintly. They had met in the records room, when V'lin was reading. He hadn't been in there much since, although with Socordiath getting bigger and bigger he'd had more work than time to read for fun.