Alone in the Dark? (Kia)

[zeis]

"A Wher Hatching the very week we arrive! I'd call that a good omen, wouldn't you, my love?" Echoed a companionable voice down the dark winding hallways of the Wherhandler Quarters. The caverns were unfamiliar, but the tall wiry man walked in the dark with perfect trust in his Wher to guide him. His own dark blue eyes were accustomed to the dark, but he still listened when his lovely White chirruped one way, or trilled another, indicating turns and curves in their path.

Good omen. Tarhusk agreed happily, though a little distractedly. Her large serene colored eyes gazed penetratingly into each side cavern they passed, and she probed gently outward with her mind, seeking other Whers, or anyone really to greet them. Empty dens. Eggs needed much, Tarhusk think. She observed a little sadly to her Handler, and arched lavishly under the comforting hand he laid on her back. There had been many Whers at Benden, and they were both a little unaccustomed to the emptiness they encountered here.

"Don't fret. I'm sure there are tons of new Whers for us here to meet." He reassured her, and scritched her gently along her ropey, muscled back. Tarhune squinted down the hallway in front of him, and strained his ears to catch any noise other than their footsteps, and the White's deep steady breathing. The rider that had carried them here had told them about the eggs on the sands, and about the Senior Handler. A man named Ridan who had impressed to Gold Risk, who's clutch was recently celebrated. This was their first night here, and ideally it would be the most polite course of action to located the Goldhandler and introduce themselves. It would be rude to just show up and take a room would it not?

Good we came. Good home this. Tarhusk spoke decisively, finding comfort in both her Handlers presence and the promise of new faces. She had been a bit of a misfit at Benden. She could recall vividly people retreating from her as she had stumbled across the sands toward them, though she harbored no true hurt from the rejection. They hadn't been her Tarhune, after all. Still, the memory of it made her view her old home with a careful measure of distaste. As she slunk easily through the dark, and with her chosen following sedately behind her, she already found herself preferring Dalibor.

"It is rather beautiful isn't it?" Tarhune sighed contentedly, thinking of that wondrous ride on dragon-back that had brought them here. The glittering of moonlight on the ocean, the steep ominous shapes of rocks and mountains, and the placid poetic reflection of the two moons on the Weyr lake as they had settled down to land. Beautiful scenery, absolutely poetic. He glanced down at Tarhusk and smiled, speaking in hushed tones with a quiet giggle. "You were pretty adorable on that dragon too. I didn't think I'd ever be able to convince you to let go of him."

Was high up. Tarhusk made a prim noise of dismissal in her throat, and, upon hearing her beloved giggle, she paused briefly in her slinking steps to eye her Handler critically. She gave him a mock warning. Want Tarhusk to leave alone in dark? Just say word.

"No, no, no. I apologize. I'll never speak of it again, I assure you." Tarhune pleaded in mock terror, and tried and failed to keep the smile off his face. As a peace offering, he reached under his Wher's chin to scratch gently there. "Please, carry on." Tarhusk crooned, and the appeased Wher once again began leading her Handler through the dark in search of someone.

[kia]

Ridan leaned back in his chair and gave a wide yawn. He was very tired from the previous nights of watching over Risk`s eggs, being there for them when they Hatched, and then working on Wherling lessons. He was enjoying his new Wherling group which he had colored coded them as Greens. Not Green as in the Wher color, but Green just as their group name. Flayn, who had been his one and only previous Wherling had been in a group by himself called Blue. Ridan yawned again, unable to stifle it once more, as he considered getting some sleep. He would sleep tonight, all day tomorrow, and then get up for lessons tomorrow. Yes, he liked that idea as he crawled out of his seat at the table and tried to curl up to Risk. Risk shifted slightly and rumbled. Her eyes still had hints of orange in them of distress, distress at the knowledge that two of her eggs had been duds. But normally, in the past, it had been much worse. She would lay six dud eggs and only four eggs would Hatch. But, no matter how many times Risk Clutched, there would always be dud eggs, and Risk would mourn for those lost eggs for several days before she was normal.

Risk lifted her head as Ridan got settled against her. She sniffed the air and rumbled again. Standing up, it cause Ridan to move in his spot. He looked at her with confusion. "Risk?" he said. New Wher, she said. Meet now, she added, standing up and moving out of the room. Ridan got up and went after her, but almost tripped over. He was tired and not paying much attention. He wanted to be asleep right now, maybe curled up against a warm, human body. But, Risk was determined to make her presence known. He chuckled. "Ok, ok," he said, trying to walk next to her. Risk watched him before stopping. She lowered herself, offering to let Ridan climb on her back to rest. Ridan smiled and knew that is was rare to ride on her back. She rarely let him ride. Tonight, she would make an exception. Ridan climbed up and stretched his body out, laying against her so he could rest without falling over. After he made himself comfortable, Risk continued on her way.

She picked up the scent of the Wher quickly. The Wher was definitely new, but from the smell she could tell that is was not another Queen. She was grateful for that. She rumbled lowly every time she picked up a stronger scent every now and then. The scent continued to get stronger and stronger as she made her way closer and closer. They were definitely new here, already lost in this Weyr. She would show them the way. She was Queen of this Weyr by night. A Queen had to make sure her subjects were safe from harm if she could. But they also had to respect her. She demanded it! She turned a corner and ran into them from behind. She rumbled lowly, letting them know she was here and behind them. She was not going to scare them tonight. Turning her head, she noticed the White Wher. Not a Queen, but Whites were still a respected color. But, no matter what, this White was under her rule here. I Risk! Queen! You? she asked, trying to get to know the White some while also showing off that she was Queen here.

Ridan heard the rumbles and knew that they had found the new Handler and Wher. Ridan sat up and blinked a few times to see clearly. When he saw a male Handler with a female Wher, he grinned. He had a bit of a soft spot for those in positions like him. Patting Risk, he slid off her back and continued grinning. "Nice night, is it not?" he said, acting casually. He turned his full attention on the Handler in front of him, but he did not approach the man closely. Ridan stopped a foot away from Risk, allowing the man to come to him. "Risk will not mean harm as long as you do not harm me. Your Wher, on the other hand, I do not know her well, and I feel like she is probably protective of you as well," he added with a slight chuckle. "My name is Ridan, Alpha Handler here at Dalibor Weyr. It is nice to meet you. Very nice," he said with a slight purr. "May I ask what your name is?" Ridan may be infatuated with Mataike at the moment, but Mataike seemed busy. Ridan needed a little fun and relaxation considering what he had done already and was going to do eventually. Maybe this WhiteHandler will provide some fun, he thought to himself as he continued to hold a friendly grin on his face.

[zeis]

As always, Tarhusk was really the more observant of the pair. She caught the quiet rumbling of a Wher behind them, and the quiet clicking of claws on hewn stone as she approached. The White paused in her slinking steps, and arched her muscled neck back over her shoulder, ducking one misshapen wing out of the way. Her eyes whirled relieved and curious colors, and she turned, rubbing against her Handler's legs as she did so, to interact with the Queen face to face. She kept her distance of course, because Risk was Queen and she was new. Though she was absolutely tiny in comparison to the Gold, she didn't let her small size bother her. She may be at a disadvantage in that regard, but she could and would willingly rise to any task her new home had for her.

She bobbed her head cheerfully in greeting to Risk, and spoke readily, eager for a new beginning. I Tarhusk! Happy meet Risk. Dalibor pretty home. Many Wher here now? The White inquisitively tilted her head to the side, and inched forward a little bit to sniff in the direction of the Gold and her Handler. As she sat and casually curled her musclebound tail about her legs, she looked every bit the peaceful creature her mental voice suggested.

Tarhune, the regular chatterbox himself, hadn't heard the Queen's approach until she voiced that low sound to let them know she was there. Even then, he assumed it might have been his Tarhusk and the displacement to be just a trick of the cavern walls. When she nuzzled him in passing turning back the way he came, he obliged and turned himself, and made out the right monstrous creature that was the resident Queen Wher, and the sleepy Handler beside her. The former-Harper blinked once in surprise at the sheer size of Risk, as well as the fact that her handler was riding her, but quickly checked himself before it could affect his warm expression. Sometimes it just took him off guard really, the size of his beloved in comparison to other Wher's. He wondered idly, before the other man spoke, how other Handler's could possibly deal with affection from a creature that size.

Get crush if they don't. Tarhusk supplied her handler with the answer, sounding amused.

He smiled down at his bonded, and lifted his eyes to meet Ridan's. The Alpha Handler both looked and sounded like a capable man, and his friendliness was a welcome change from the caustic and standoffish Queen Handler they had left back at Benden. "Right you are. The moonlight on the lake here is quite breath-taking, I must say." Tarhune smiled, and obligingly stepped away from his own Wher. His dark blue gaze turned to regard the Queen, looming and metallic, behind Ridan, and he offered her a respectful little bow of his head. At the mention of Tarhusk possibly being unfriendly, he turned slightly to look back at her, and laughed quietly in earnest. He turned back to face Ridan with a smile, and casually ran a hand through his curled hair. "She's quite calm actually. You'd have to be running at me with a sword to get her riled."

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you, Ridan. We'd been searching for you. I'm Tarhune, Handler of White Tarhusk, as you can clearly see. Recent graduates from Benden Weyr." Tarhune said melodiously, almost as though it were well rehearsed. In truth is had been. You only got to make first impressions once, and he had a flair for the charming and dramatic. As if to prove this point, he made a leggy formal bow as he introduced himself to both Ridan and Risk. He straightened with a little bounce in his step, and offered a friendly smile. "I heard there was a fine Hatching here a week ago. You have our sincerest congratulations."

[kia]

Tarhusk small size did not bother the Queen. As long as every Wher respected her and knew her to be Queen, then she was fine. Tarhusk`s appearance also added to the growing population of Whers. Yes, many now. Clutch Hatched. My Clutch. Proud. Happy, she spoke, glad to see the White call Dalibor pretty. The place was indeed nice. Risk sat down and folded her wings now that Ridan was off her back. She would have to get Ridan to scratch her hide later that night when he could. Even though she had been nice enough to let him ride on her, she did it with the expectations of getting something out of return, mostly having him taking her down for a bath or getting scratches on her hide. She almost should think about letting him sleep next to her as a reward, but he did that already. He viewed her as comfort and to take that away from him would be mean, and he had done so much for her in the past. I welcome to Weyr. Hope like it. Many opportunities, she spoke again, looking at Tarhusk with whirling green eyes. Meeting the White had taken Risk`s mind off the loss of her two dud eggs, which was good. There were usually more Wher births than dud eggs.

To hear that the White was quite friendly made the Gold Handler grin more. He moved closer to the man, holding out his hand in friendly gesture for the man to shake it. "Please do not bow. It makes me feel distant from people. Unlike Riders and dragons, I am pretty friendly," he said with a wink. "It is very nice to meet you, Tarhune. We need more Handlers like you. But, yes, we did have a recent Hatching. The Clutch was produced by my lovely Risk here. It was really nice, though several people caught scratched up from either attacks or accidentally as the Wher was trying to get their attentions for food. At least the Wher population has gone up." Then he cocked his head to the side, eyes half closing as he examined the Handler. "Newly graduated? I remember those days. Not exactly the best days of my life, but if it were not for them, I would not be here today. Being a Wherling is the beginning of what makes us into who we eventually become," he said with a slight purr. The man was handsome AND just freshly graduated. Unlike his current beloved Wherlings, who were restricted from anything sexual until graduation, Tarhune was back into the real world once again. Ridan moved closer, his flirtatious nature starting to get the better of him. "I should show you around. Help you get to know the place better," he added.

[zeis]

Much happy for Risk. Tarhusk replied sincerely, cocking her head to get a better view of the Queen in an almost Wherry-like fashion. She had not yet had her first Run, had not mated with a male, or clutched an egg. The Wher did wonder what it was like, and she had voiced mild concern to her Handler. He had soothed her easily. She was young still, he had said, and she simply didn't care for any of the male Whers at Benden. This had been true. All things he had said, happened in their own time, and she would Run when she was ready. The thought pleased Tarhusk, and she settled knowing she would one day feel the joy she saw in Risk's eyes for herself. Granted she would not have nearly as many eggs, and maybe they would not hatch but... That was to be seen later. She trilled happily at the welcome. Much thank. Better much than Benden.

Tarhune laughed quietly at the mans protest to his bow, and he waved the gesture away dismissively with one hand. Just like that, and his custom was forgotten. He gladly accepted Ridan's hand with his own, his grip light and gentle as he shook. "Are they so... standoffish? Dragon-riders? I thought my own experience was the exception!" He asked curiously, thinking of his sullen brother M'treis, and his curious Black Yamuth. Right now he Weyred somewhere in Dalibor, though most definitely asleep. Perhaps he could pay him a visit tomorrow? His jubilant smile turned into a faint frown at the mention of the mauled Candidates, and he murmured sympathetically. "Poor dears. But how exciting! I'd very much like to meet them, though I'm sure I will later. Faranth knows they've too much on their plates right now for a single curious Handler to distract them." He said with a fond chuckle, reaching down to caress Tarhusk's head lovingly. Those first few weeks after Impression were trying and hard work, but they were some of the most cherished moments in his life. He wouldn't interfere with that experience.

"Oh, it was hard work sure. But yes, definitely worth it." He nodded in agreement, remembering all those weary sleepless nights when he had been slave to his Wheret's seemingly endless hunger. How agonizingly little he slept, and the lessons that while highly educational, had often pulled him from a stupor induced slumber. His Tarhusk had been so small then, and he could barely imagine what it had been like for Ridan with a Queen on his hands! He was called away from this amusing thought by the soothing trilling quality of Ridan's voice, and his friendly proximity. My, people really were friendly at this Weyr weren't they? Such a nice change. He smiled sunnily, and nodded. "Would you? That would be much appreciated."

Tarhusk, constantly the more observant, briefly eyed the two handlers with a glitter of amusement in her whirling eyes. Her's was very clever to be sure, but sometimes he could be so blind.

[kia]

Risk seemed to nod in reply to the White. Dalibor much better than old home. Mine, Handlers respect more. Mine like here much, Risk replied. She still remembered faintly of the life she and Ridan had at their previous Weyr. Here, Ridan was respected for the man he truly was, and everyone had opportunities here. Risk enjoyed it here. Though she rarely got to see Kalith, the Queen during the day, she ruled Dalibor by night. It did not matter what rank you were, if you were causing mischief in the form that was against the rules of Dalibor, Risk`s wrath would be turned on them in a heartbeat.

"Riders are not all stand-offish. Some are quite friendly. You will find that many Riders here are nice. I have not yet met one Rider who has not been kind. Then again, it may be because of my rank, but there are times when rank should not matter. I just want to enjoy true friendships here. As for my Wherlings, they will be fine. They are handling their new lives quite well right now. Once they have more time to adjust, they will all make great Handlers," Ridan replied confidently to Tarhune. He smiled at Tarhune when the other man talked about Wherling lessons and life. Ridan would never show the suffer that he was put through when he was a Wherling. This was the reason why he tended to be nice. He never wanted to put someone through that torture like he was put through.

But Ridan quickly grinned when Tarhune was glad to take a tour. Ridan`s eyes seemed to tinkle with happiness and plot. He figured he would start off with the simple areas and make his way down to the more private areas. "Well, I hope it is okay to think you have already seen the Dining Hall. It tends to be among the first places sought out after arriving. People need food no matter what. But I can show you the pins where the animals are kept for the Whers. And the the path that leads to the Weyr Lake," he said, looping arms with the other man and leading him along. Risk, seeing her Mine moving away, got up and followed. She kept a good distance from the two men and was quiet about what Ridan was thinking. Her Mine would do whatever he wanted except a few things. As long as he was not in danger or hurt, she would keep watch from a distance.