It was late at night and chilly as always at Equinox Weyr. Z'nil sat alone, wrapped up tightly in his riding gear to stay warm. He had his back pressed against Coyolith as he looked up at the skies with a sigh. Coyolith shifted, which made Z'nil move off his back with a surprised blink. He patted the Blue's side. "What is it ol' boy? Something wrong?" he asked with concern. The dragon replied calmly. o O (I am itchy) Z'nil rose a brow. "How can you be? I just lathered you up before we came up on watch?" he quickly started looking the dragon over. Even the small firelizard, Branny warbled some.
The blue nudged his rider. o O (It's also boring up here.) Z'nil chuckled and slapped his dragons flank. "That it is... Maybe we can send Branny to fetch us some company who can bring hot klah" With out hesitating the small brown bursts out in a wink. Only to reappear minutes latter, buzzing over Mayani's head.
She hadn't seen him in almost a week now she though as she walked out to the lake and sat in her favorite spot. She felt kind of...bad about not even trying but he was a rider. She...just a candidate. Sighing she relaxes. She blinks as Branny and frowns some, holding up her one arm "Whats wrong Branny?" Branny circles down and lands beside her, chirping excitedly at her, flapping his little wings. She sighs "What is it Branny?" The firelizard shares mentally with her an image of the pair up on the watch heights. Sighs slightly and looks toward the watch height "They want to see me?" He chips at that and bounces around in a most excited manner, flapping up onto her shoulder. The poor little guy was rather chilly to the touch. "Oh your freezing!" She makes a slight sound and scoops him up if he allows "Come one...if I'm going up there I'm going to bring warm blankets and some warm Klah"
The firelizard cuddles down into her warm arms happily, making a sweet purring sound. Her slender arms hold him the best she can as she heads to gather a few more blankets as a pitcher of Klah. After getting all this she starts up the long, cold, walk up the stairs. It would take the young lady a bit of hiking to make it though when she finally does, she would see not to far a way on the watch height ledge, the dazzlingly bright eyes of the blue Coyolith, swirling with a brilliant blue and green mix of contentment. His rider was standing near the dragon, kicking at a stone. She by this point has Branny wrapped in a blanket. When she makes it closer to the man and his dragon she says softly. "Branny was freezing. So...so I thought I would bring you some blankets."
Z'nil blinks and smiles as he turns to see her. "Thank you! That's so nice of you....and did you bring Klah too?" he dares to ask in a cute shy like manner. Branny coos from her arms. "I don't think he would have let me forget it." She sets Branny and the blankets down before handing Z'nil the pitcher "You should have brought some up with you." He chuckles at that as he quickly kneels down, pouring it into his tin cup. "I did but ran out on the first hour of watch. Though I am happy your still awake to visit me for a while" She looks away some, back toward the pond. It wasn't that she was still awake. Far from it honestly. She had been driven out of bed by nightmares again. They were getting all to real for her. She forces a bit of a smile for the rider though. "I can't stay long, they might find out I'm gone."
He grins, offering her a spot next to Coyolith. "Well while your up here come sit by him. He will keep you nice and warm while you visit" She blinks and moves to sit where he suggested, settling against the blue dragon. How long do you have to do this?"
"A few more weeks I believe." he says, taking a slow gulp of the Klah, pressing the cups between his hands. "It makes the time easier when I get company. I get the feeling half the Weyr is still a little mad that I let Coyolith fly the queen"
"They stopped talking about it at least. Well...except muttered whispers in the kitchen that your getting what you deserve for not controlling him."
He leans against Coyolith as she looks up. The dragon rumbles at that one and his eyes flicker an orange shade a moment before Z'nil gently rubbed his cheek. Those eyes returning to normal. "Shhh there there ol' boy. Don't let them bother you." He peers back to Mayani "Well I'd love to see them drudges in the kitchen keep there wits when a gold's flying high and there mind is taken over by a randy dragon"
She says softly without looking at him "Rider can't help what the dragon sets in his mind to do." She turns some looking to the blue now. "Though you do know if your rider gets sick because you go him in trouble it's your fault right?" The blue makes a keening worried sound and nudges Z'nil. o O (Get a blanket) he grins with a laugh, taking a drink of his sweet hot klah. "Don't worry you big lug, I will after i get something warm in me." he smiles softly, sitting down across from the girl now. "You know what I think was funny? That B'rien was concerned of what would have happened if Coyolith caught the queen."
"I think what the best part of that is, is that he thought there as a possibility Coyolith could have" She looks..surprised by that as she settles more. "Why would he think that? Does he have that little faith in the bronzes?" He peers up to Coyolith before looking back to Mayani "I don't think it is a lack of faith in the bronze dragons. Perhaps it was fear that a blue attempted to fly a queen.... I never heard of it happening before until my dear boy did. He's...unlike any i met at my old Weyr and here it still proves true. He's deffeinately one of a kind"
She leans against the dragon more and relaxes. "He's a good dragon" The blue curls his tail around the young girl and settles down to relax lazily. Z'nil smiles to her "That he is! I am partial to my heart but that don't make him any less.. He seems to like you and says you heal him up real good when he gets hurt. Have you maybe considered training as a dragon healer? You do got the touch"
Mayani flushes softly looking at Z'nil. "I...no..I haven't." she looks back up "I'm...trying not to get to much into things....I don't want to start learning just to have to leave." He looks surprised at that comment 'Have to leave?" She doesn't really look at him as she talks now. She didn't want to see his look of concern or surprise or caring. She knows that only last until he finds a new person to be with. His hurt over her leaving, will be short lived. "I'm going back to my families hold. i..might...stay around till the next hatching. but I'm definitely leaving after that"
He smiles brightly at her "So there's a chance if you Impress that you will stick around here?" She mummers softly. "If..."
"Well its still a possibility so i will hold out hope"
"If you want to." she closes her eyes now, the thought of going home filling her inwardly with dread. What if they rejected her because of how long she lived in the weyr? What if they decide that she was only good enough to be married off? She pushes those away, trying to settle her thoughts. He offers Mayani the cup of Khla. "Out of everyone Ive met here your the sweetest Mayani"
Mayani opens her eyes, looking surprised as she takes the cup and sips. "I don't do anything better then anyone else...." He chuckles "you do, maybe you don't see it, but your a special girl." She looks back to the Bowl. "It's pretty up here" He smiles at her avoidance "It is pretty up here isn't it?"
"It is" she says softly.
"Its rather quite too. Not many visitors and people don't often come to such a cold place"
"Cold it is...very very cold"
"I am starting to get used to it and Coyolith barely feels it"
"He's got thick hide"
He laughs at that. "Oh he does indeed" she smiles at that an pats his side "Your a good friend to your rider" The dragon looks to the girl with those bright eyes and groans happily at the affection. Z'nil smirks. "He's a sucker for hed rubs and side pats" She relaxes, looking at Z'nil now quietly. "Has anything exciting happened?"
"Not up here no. Nothing yet at least. Just plenty of quiet accept the occasional wild or pet firelizard appearing then vanishing after feeling the chill" She smiles slightly. "Well, at least that's company?"
"A little but none of its the same kind of company your giving me" he says, offering her a sly smile. She raises a brow, then yawns slightly with a blink.
Z'nil pats Mayani's knee with a grin "You look as if you might just fall asleep. might want to head down and get some rest" She blinks again and looks at him for a moment, just looks at him. He was right, she should go back where she belongs. But... what if she had another nightmare? The only reason she was yawning as because his dragon was warm. "I suppose..."
"If your not really sleepy...I wouldn't mind the company longer with me." he bites his lip to chew on a second before continue "It brightens the night" She looks surprised but slowly relaxes. "o..ok. I just..don't want to get you in trouble Z'nil"
"You wont, B'rein said i was aloud to have visitors"
"As long as your sure." she shifts some, getting warm and comfy against the dragon. "Very sure" hes says, pulling over the blankets, carefully laying one over her lap before taking one for himself. Branny who had been bundled on one, quickly crawled into Z'nils lap. She smiles seeing that Branny was the smart one "He likes being warm, doesn't he?" He nods with a sigh, reaching under the blanket to pet the small lizard. "Oh does he. He either sleeps under Coyolith's neck or with me half under the pillows."
"That's not a bad thing, right?""
"No no, I don't mind it at all actually. Its real nice to be needed for something"
"I bet it is" she says softly.
"Did you want to hold him?" Shakes her head no, half curling up with the blanket as the wind picked up for a moment. "No thank you" Z'nil smiled some and looked up, scanning the skies again to make sure no one had appeared "This..is so boring..."
She raises a brow. "I suppose ti could be?"
Z'nil groans "But it is! Nothing up there but stars...."
"You should take up a hobby..like singing or drawing or something you could do and keep watch. You know, just something to keep you busy?" He blinks at that and digs into the deep pocket of his riders coat, procuring a small wooden carving of a wherrie. He offers it out to her. the thing looked a little rough but was at least recognizable to what it was. "I carve, not great but it passes time" She takes it, playing with it some. "It looks good"
"You can have it if you like. Its a wherrie. Coyolith told me to carve it"
"He did?" she sounded even MORE surprised by that one. She looks it over a bit more and smiles, placing it in her pocket.
"My father is a wood craftsmen, he taught me a lot"
"It looks really nice. I like it."
"Oh why thank you!" he says with a chuckle "Usually only Coyolith likes my carvings" She smiles slightly and curls up more, hugging her own knees. He looks the woman over. he was young and pretty like he loved his women ..and occasionally his men to be but he just...couldn't look at he that way. Head on her knees, so cute and innocent she closes her eyes some. "Your being nice to me. Can...i ask why?"
He blinks in surprise at that and shrugs. "Honestly? I like you. Your pretty and nice, well mannered and you don't mind my company" She flushes slightly and looks at him. He just beams a smile to her. "And yes i really think you pretty"
She looks at the rider and sighs softly. She wanted to take his words to heart but...He's a rider. Feeling, disappointment that she couldn't allow herself to like him she goes to stand now.
He frowns when she stands up "Is it something i said?"
She bites her lip and says softly after a moment "I...don't think I should come sit with you very often Z'nil. your a rider.....i have been and may as well always be no one in your eyes. you probably have plenty of people to be around, at any time. you don't need the mouse of the Weyr near you." she sounds, hurt saying these words that she believes are true. But she heads for the walk down now.
He frowns and pops up to his feet, little Branny squeaks and darts under Coyolith's wing. Z'nil tries to stop her. "Mayani...that's not true!" She gets stopped, not looking at the blue rider as she says softly."I'm just the next distraction till another pretty catches your eye. I'm not stupid Z'nil, I've been in this Weyr for years now. Relationships that are anything but bed buddies, don't last long."
Z'nil frowns at that. "I'm not after you like that..."
"Of course your not." her voice falls quiet for a moment, hiding something in it. Her disappointment in herself. How dare she assume. "I...sorry!" she breaks now, embarrassed, confused, hurting herself mentally by berating herself with assuming someone would ever look at her like that, she takes off running down the stone steps. Z'nil sighs worriedly as he watches the girl go. "I think I intimidate her my heart." he says sadly, unable to chase after her since he was on watch duty. She manages to make it down the stairs and out of his sight, not once looking back.