Logs:Malsaeth and Rielsath's Storybook
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| RL Date: 23 June, 2008 |
| Who: Lujayn, X'lar |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: X'lar has a present for Lu. |
| Where: Lake Shore, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Day 6, Month 11, Turn 16 (Interval 10) |
| The night is quiet and cool, though the autumn breezes are much milder than what winter will soon bring. Lujayn is leaning against the side of an unmistakable Rielsath, the gold's front paws stretched out into shallow waters and her snout focused on the rippling waters. Lu's attention shifts here and there, first to the sky before twisting around to regard her lifemate, an amused word spoken before turning to look along the shore. It's a casual, relaxed pair that whiles the evening away here. The heavy beating of wings is the only signal a dragon arrives at the lakeshore, Malsaeth's crimson-chased bronze hide glinting under the moonslight. X'lar mutters something as he makes his way down a foreleg, dismounting with something less than fluidity. There's a rumble as X'lar touches down to terra firma and he looks toward the queen and her rider. "Beautiful night," X'lar tells her easily. For the way the bronzerider says it, he could be saying something akin to 'Ista's duties'. "I think when you can't go between, you realize just how much you take for granted," Xie tells her. It's almost as if he's already in a conversation with the goldrider. And then, suddenly, a grin appears and X'lar adds, "And Ista's duties, Lujayn." Lujayn senses that Rielsath does not sound surprised, but she's interested enough to alert her rider: « It's Malsaeth. X'lar's probably with him, too. » Rielsath is the first to notice anything, perhaps from the bronze's reflection upon the lake or her awareness of the sky above. Her attention draws Lujayn's, who stands to watch the Istan bronze descend. "Especially for Malsaeth, if he enjoys it as much as I hear." She's fine with conversation, but politeness begets politeness and she replies with a "'Reaches duties" in turn. No longer watching the boring, ritual exchange, Rielsath gives her own (undoubtedly more interesting) greeting to Malsaeth with a bright warble - a voice hardly as dark as her surroundings. "Enjoying the freedom, then? Blinking around to all the different Weyrs in record time?" Lu asks with a grin. It may be dark on the beach, but Rielsath's words bring back the last colors of sunset and a light that throws the shore into fiery relief. « You're here, » She observes happily, curiosity blooming up in rays of yellow and white. « Why? » (Rielsath to Malsaeth) X'lar smirks briefly, telling the goldrider, "Funny thing gossip... spreads like you would not believe. And it somehow includes the activities of dragons." He looks over his shoulder at his bronze lifemate before rolling his eyes. "Please," X'lar tells the bronze, almost exasperated. "He doesn't mind it though. The gossip. Just means there're more people talking about him." He looks past the rider to the dragon, the gold making him grin. "Evening to you, Rielsath," Xie offers quietly and then his attention returns back to Lu. "My freedom's been rather minimal as of late. Ista fought Thread a while back. Got hit in the back by a stray tangle after Malsaeth flamed another. Been healing from it. Hurt like a mother." The last comment elicits a wide grin from the Istan teen. "How about you?" he asks. "How's life been treating you, Lujayn?" Rielsath senses that Malsaeth relishes that sunset, that moment of time stuck in between day and night. For a moment, it's almost the bronze's intention to simply let it be. But soon that sunset darkens, his characteristic bass growl calling to the gold in a pleased sort of way, the first time to see her form rather than simply hear her voice. « We wished freedom. And food for X'lar. » Amusement colours his voice, touching it ever-so-gently. « But now that we are here. And you are here. X'lar can give yours the book. » A flash of the lettering, now bronze and gold: Malsaeth and Rielsath's Book of Stories. The book has changed some since the last time he showed her the image. Bound in better hide, the lettering striking and clear. Professional. Lujayn senses that Rielsath is vague, enjoying some sense of power. Finally meeting this storyteller. « They're hungry. Or at least X'lar is.. » "It helps if he's spreading it, too," Lujayn agrees, leaning back against Rielsath's side as she speaks. "We still send wings out for the scheduled 'falls, but there hasn't been a thing. Some wings started easing off; Satiet has the Aurora riders doing the same preparations as ever." A quick glance around, just in case the name should summon the woman. Resentful or merely observing? Hard to tell. "At least you got to see some more of it. Malsaeth showed Rielsath a bit," Thrill seeker, definitely. "But not the injury. It's great that you can get around again." She smiles, laughing briefly when her gold relays a few of Malsaeth's words. "You came here to get food? I don't have much on hand." Apparently what she heard was not the important part. "It helps if he's spreading it, too," Lujayn agrees, leaning back against Rielsath's side as she speaks. "We still send wings out for the scheduled 'falls, but there hasn't been a thing. Some wings started easing off; Satiet has the Aurora riders doing the same preparations as ever." A quick glance around, just in case the name should summon the woman. Resentful or merely observing? Hard to tell. "At least you got to see some more of it. Malsaeth showed Rielsath a bit," Thrill seeker, definitely. "But not the injury. It's great that you can get around again." She smiles, laughing briefly when her gold relays a few of Malsaeth's words. "You came here to get food? I don't have much on hand." Apparently what she heard was not the important part. Rielsath> Malsaeth senses that Rielsath urges the sunset in reverse, letting the shadows grow long over a shore. In her mind's eye, the lake is frosted and the sands are covered in snow, moving towards a lavender dusk rather than a fresh new dawn. What fun is a sunrise? « If he can, will he? » She asks hopefully, poring over the details of this book. Even with these things to discuss, she's greatly curious about Malsaeth as well. « You're bigger than I thought. I always thought you'd be small, 'cause you were younger than me. » Who woulda thought. X'lar laughs aloud as he hears her initial comment to him. "Very true," Xie remarks. "Give him one compliment and it just encourages the beast's behaviour." He looks over his shoulder at Malsaeth with a brief smirk. Xie, too, seems to look around when Satiet's name is spoken, very nearly cringing. "I've heard if you say her name three times she finds you and turns your heart to ice. Although, some other people say it isn't ice but stone." He grins once more, to lessen the rather undiplomatic comment. "I met her once," Xie tells Lujayn of Satiet. "She is very.. refined." He looks to Mal with a roll of the eyes again, walking back toward the bronze, his hand digging into a saddle bag. Soon he takes out a bound volume, the moonlight hitting it just so as to glint under it, much like Malsaeth's own hide, or perhaps even Rielsath's. "Thought you might want that book I was telling you about," X'lar remarks. "So you can read her the stories she might not remember." And then there's that topic of food. "I like the food at High Reaches," he comments simply. "I hadn't had dinner yet and Malsaeth suggested Reaches." He hands her the book, if she wants it. Professional might not be the right word to describe it. It seems rather refined in itself, as if it was a constant work in progress, something done with love, until the artist or book-maker decided it was right. "Hope you like it," X'lar comments. "I've got another copy of it at home. So this is your copy to share with Rielsath." Sunset or no sunset, the shadows appear to be relished most of all now. The snow's pure gleam, the shadows growing longer. All this and more represented in his own mindvoice. Mysterious. « If he can? Eat? Always. » Humour laces through the words tightly. « You are as I thought. No more, no less. Golden. » But the child-like curiousity is infectious as he quickly replies back, « Not as big as you, but big enough for adventures. » Adventures. Right. (Malsaeth to Rielsath) Lujayn only shakes her head with a grin, but follows a few paces after X'lar when he moves back towards Malsaeth. She's patient enough to wait then, both pairs of eyes - rider's and dragon's - fixed on the glinting volume the Istan reveals. Lu takes it carefully, catching the embellished names, opening the book to find familiar titles, face brightening more with every discovery and rememberance. "It's all here, isn't it? Amazing." Hugging the book to her chest, she beams at X'lar and his dragon as Rielsath cranes her neck down, wanting a look for herself. "That's such a big project.." First holding it up cautiously for her lifemate to examine, then drawing it back for her own hungry eyes to examine, Lu doesn't quite know what to say. "And after all this time, too. Why don't I treat you at the Snowasis? It's the least I could do, really better than the cider and bread I keep laying around - oh, this is wonderful. Thank you so much." Saying everything is a good solution for these situations. "It's nice to see her meeting Mal, after turns of stories." Looking back up to the dragons, taking an abrupt turn from thanks. "There's only so much I could write," X'lar tells her, smiling as he watches her reaction to taking it, holding it. "I mean, Malsaeth shares every image, every word of his stories with me. I've managed to get him to tell it a bit slower, but... Well, it's hard to put an image a dragon creates into words, but I tried my best." He nods toward the volume and goes on to talk, telling Lu: "Doing it in duplicate made me that much more proficient in writing. My vocabulary too increased with every story." There's another beat from the Istan bronzerider and soon X'lar comments, "I seem to like projects, I'm realizing. I have a large miniature model of a Seacrafter ship called The Ice Queen I'm putting together in my weyr. That's something I do only if I've got time before drills or such." There's a moment while he hears those thanks from the goldrider that X'lar finally tells her: "Glad you like it." X'lar looks from Malsaeth to Rielsath before laughing softly, "I remember when both of them were hatchlings. Granted, I was in the galleries when I saw you Impress, and I was on the sands when I Impressed myself, but... Time flies like dragons don't it." He pauses at Lu's comment about the Snowasis and X'lar finally tells her: "Maybe another time? I wouldn't mind just staying right here for now. Of all the places in Pern, this is one of my absolute favourite spots in the world." He nods toward the lake with a fond smile. Rielsath> Malsaeth senses that Rielsath is all focus with the book before her, the famed volume. Satisfied with her investigation, she eases back to shadows and snowdrifts with a wave of genuine warmth. Gratitude. « You didn't forget. » This comes close enough to surprise, brighter colors on the other side of shadow. « The book or the stories. She's just laughing inside now, it's gone all silver, » Happiness more graceful, like a shower of metallic rain and gentle bells, shared from Lujayn to Malsaeth via the innocent gold. « There's lots of adventure here, if you try. Lots of boring people don't. » Hmph. From her high and mighty snowbank, neither she nor the bronze belong to that group of unfortunates. That love for storytelling of The Grand Adventure and the revelation of its value is sheer wonder. Shadows loom, but they're not necessarily bad, only present, growing, encompassing that love for the volume his rider wrote for him and her. « Of course not. They are our stories. Our adventures. Even if we did not go on them ourselves in reality, Rielsath, we were there every inch of the way when Sleusath did his inspection, when the gold found those firelizard hatchlings... When that wily blue found that lake that reached into never... » So many stories, so much love for every word, every image. « He appreciates her thanks. There's more to it. A connection, bond, if only because of our sharing of the stories. » Soon, X'lar's own voice is shared with Rielsath's. Intermingling with that shower of metallic rain and gentle bells is the clear sunlight of an Istan dawn, the ripple of water reaching the shore, just brimming with possibilities. « It is unfortunate that some do not venture forth into that great unknown. » So unfortunate. (Malsaeth to Rielsath) "That's fine," Lujayn is as content to stay put as X'lar, barely resisting the urge to open the book again and relive the tales from beginning to end. "Let me know when I can pay you back, though." She insists somewhat firmly, smiling through it all. "I think everyone might have more time in between drills, especially with Thread getting so scarce. It feels like more work pops up to fill in the empty spots, though. Every time." Looking across the lake, catching hints of the moons' reflections in between waves, silence drifts comfortably by. "I love coming here, with friends or by myself, whenever I want.. what do you like about it? It seems a little out of your way." She asks more quietly, settling into a thoughtful mood. X'lar smiles back at Lujayn, nodding quickly to her. "I will, honest," he tells her in earnest after hearing that insisting remark from the goldrider. "With Thread getting so scarce... or gone," Xie comments thoughtfully. "Or erratic... No one has a straight answer about it all." He shrugs, letting his shoulders roll some. "It soothes me," X'lar finally tells her after a few passing beats, his eyes drawn to the shore and the water. "The sound the water makes, the placidity of it all just... makes me comfortable." He takes a deep breath of that High Reaches air, letting it fill him. "Malsaeth likes the cooler climates. The changing colors in the leaves. The snow. All of it. I'd be lying though if I said I was here for him only. After a few times coming here, I realized just how.... majestic this weyr is. How beautiful it is." He turns around 180 degrees, his eyes absorbing the landscape, the horizon. And then his attention once again returns to Lujayn, studying the rider carefully before finally asking her: "Does that make sense?" Look like Lu's not the only one in a thoughtful mood. The landscape is almost patchwork: shadows against snow, through rain is falling while the sun shines, and Rielsath watches it shift with a happiness bordering on awe: green sunspots, fluttering blue ribbons. Gleeful, unable to further contain the energy coursing through her (if she had ever tried), a shiver runs from her snout to tail, its forked tip twisting over the sands. A single paw flicks up from the waves, threatening playfully. « We're not sure how that works, that they know each other because we do, but I'm glad of it. » Snowball fights, hide-and-seek, all of their games played mind to mind pale in comparison to the possibility of something tangible. « I can splash you for real now. » Tee hee. (Rielsath to Malsaeth) Once again, the bronze relishes those shadows against snow, the rain falling is just a bonus. His mind ever so gently reels at the awe, watching that glee thoroughly run free and wild against the backdrop of their minds. There's a sneaky outstretched paw that flicks from the waves, telling her in response: « It is rather inspiring, isn't it? » It's a simply growled question, verging on hoarseness. There's a flicker from that paw of his, stealthful. « Who says I won't splash you first? » comes the challenge, a thunder boom of laughter. (Malsaeth to Rielsath) The compliments meant for High Reaches, /her/ Weyr, might have been compliments given straight to her for the way she beams. Lu smiles, taking the same slow survey of the land. "Perfectly." She agrees after a moment. "I'm not sure if I'd be happy anywhere else now, even though I spent so many turns in other places. Snow, seasons, every little part of what's right here. I just love it." No snow as of yet, but the air is crisp and the skies are clear. Lujayn's now silent thoughts are broken by a splash: Rielsath has moved, one submerged paw lifting to spatter droplets of water towards Malsaeth. In contrast to her quiet rider, the gold's eyes whirl with the playfulness of youth. "And the lake. More than just for looking at." Inspiring. That's the word. « It is. » Sneaky and stealthy, she can do that too, or at least balance that more shadowy state of mind with the exuberant, golden giddiness. « I say so. » That threatening paw lashes, a splash much less than something her wings or tail would have created while swimming but still quite satisfying - unless his reflexes are enough to get her at the same time. (Rielsath to Malsaeth) "Don't get me wrong," X'lar comments slowly. "Ista is, as Griere puts it, glorious." But? Is there one in his voice? The Timor wingrider looks out to the water and smiles fondly again. "Ista will always be home, but Reaches is... something more." Malsaeth is indeed quick enough to get her at the same time, his paw darting, his frame shifting only slightly as the night just enhances his sneaky-stealthy personality. X'lar looks at the sound of the play between bronze and gold, grinning despite himself. "Apparently," he adds, dry, still grinning. "I would have never imagined." Lujayn's rewarded with another wide grin from the bronzerider. "From what Mal has shared with me, she seems... bouyant," X'lar says with a smile. "Like she could play forever." Lujayn nods at each stage of X'lar's explanation, head tilted slightly as she listens. "I hope you find out what this place is to you. That is, if you want to." It's hard not to watch the splashing, harder not to grin. "Sometimes I think she could, but then she goes into a sulk or starts scheming up a plot, or sometimes she comes up with something else entirely. I've almost given up on trying to predict what she'll do, which in ways makes it easier," A wry laugh. "If she's in the mood to do the opposite of what I'm guessing. Sounds like Malsaeth gave you a positive impression, at least." Green Kaylith's at HRW Message 3 (current) marked for deletion. Messages marked for deletion flushed (1 deleted, 2 remain). "I'd have to say it is something I want to explore more," X'lar tells her, smiling once more to the goldrider. Xie's eyes are drawn too, to the play, the splashing. "It's amazing how some feelings get so jumbled together at first that it somehow becomes a quilt. You know you attribute one or two feelings to an object, a place, a person, and.... the feelings get all interwoven, creating this quilt of something just.... more than that, you know? It's not a bad thing, it's just... encompassing, perplexing." He talks. Thoughtful though. "Predicting what Malsaeth would do," X'lar remarks, rolling his eyes. "That's harder to do than wait patiently for meatrolls, I'd say." He looks toward the gold and then back to his bronze. His dragon. His lifemate. "Sounds like it's nice that they found one another," Xie adds thoughtfully. "Share those stories together. Seems like they're kindrid spirits, you know?" There's a pause and a puzzled glance toward Lu, then finally a nod of understanding. "Mal... You only think he's contrary but days later you realize... he actually did it on purpose. I should have totally realized that during the Hatching, when he scared some poor girl half to death on the sands.." Lujayn lets her mind wrap itself around the simile, "You can't tell the difference between feelings and the place, sometimes, the person or the thing," She decides finally, "What comes with it and the things your mind is sticking in there only because it can." Carefully shifting the book from one arm to the other, Lu smiles to X'lar. "That's a good way of putting it, and it's pretty lucky that they still get along. Or that anyone can get along with anyone else, either, for such a long time." Thoughtful, playful, it's tough to balance one mind with the other, and a little of both comes through. "I don't know, she might be contrary for it's own sake." Memories: her impression, his, the former much more distinct. "Oh, I remember that. Maybe just the bit where he jumped up and scared /you/, though." "I like that," Xie tells her cryptically, nodding back to her in thought, his eyes looking past the dragons to the vastness of the lake. Finally, he looks back to Lu, grinning back at her, replying: "That was his first prank he played, raking my chest like that." He shakes his head, looking at the bronze with fondness before finally going on to say: "I didn't know he'd done that. I just felt Impression, that link between him and I form, blossom... and it took hold of me. I didn't even notice I was bleeding until healers came at me when I left the sands with him." He chuckles softly at the thought before glancing back to Lujayn, saying, "It was pretty memorable for me too." Lujayn doesn't ask, letting the cryptic reply sort itself out in due time. "Good thing someone noticed eventually. For a first prank, it looked like a serious one." Reminiscing, especially at night by the lake, feels almost natural. "It's easier to remember when it's happening to you, not someone else. All I know is that Rielsath wasn't there one moment, and then she was. Like it had been there all along, but I had just missed it completely." Gazing fondly towards the playful gold and her sneaky playmate, Lu blinks sleepily. "She can stay out here all night if she wants, but thinking back in time is making me tired. I'd better put this somewhere where it won't get sandy." Shifting the book again to view it, she grins. "Did I mention at all how neat this is?" X'lar chuckles softly, saying, "Nothing about Mal is every that serious when it comes down to it. Except his love for the chase, the feast, the hunt, between and flaming." He pauses briefly, looking back to Malsaeth so fondly. But it's Lu's words next that turn his attention once more to her. "I'm so happy you like it. I changed the binding a couple of times until I felt like it... looked the way I wanted to look." He points to the spine, where, on the top, a single red-bronze zig-zag pattern is etched; on the bottom, is a single flame, brilliant camplight. "That marks the stories as theirs," he tells her. "As ours." He smiles happily at Lujayn's reaction again, telling her: "And just thing, a couple more turns and you'll have another one, full of new and exciting stories to add to your collection." He glances to Malsaeth again, grinning at his sneaky ways. "Because it just so happens he's got dozens of stories just waiting to be told to your beautiful gold." And soon he nods once to her, grinning back at the sleepy blinking. "Have a good night, Lujayn," Xie tells her. "T'was good to have met you again, and for Mal to finally meet Rielsath eye-to-eye, as it were." "All the good things a dragon should love," Lujayn agrees with the list, turning the book to and running her fingers over the spine's embellishments. "Wow. I mean it, the next time you need anything, just ask. Or have Malsaeth ask Rielsath if you're not here." The idea of another book seems too good to be true, but embraced all the same. "Maybe she'll tell him stories sometime, when he runs out of tales to spin for her." Sleepy, but managing finding that reserve of politeness, "You have a good night, too, once you get back to Ista. Always nice to see a friend." Rielsath is still lounging on the beach when her rider retreats, perfectly happy to wait for Xie and Malsaeth's departure before finally curling up on her ledge. "I doubt he could ever run out of tales to spin for her, Lu," X'lar remarks to her. "... he's an incredibly creative dragon, my Malsaeth." He nods a couple times at hearing Lu's next comments, grinning back at her. "Of course," he tells her, smiling again under the moonslight. "You have a good night too, Rielsath," Xie offers to the queen before moving to mount up, not all that gracefully either. "Come on beast..." X'lar mutters. "I need meatrolls." And soon, once again, the sound of wings beating together are heard, this time signalling the dragon's departure rather than his arrival, leaving in the darkness of night. |
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