A Feast for the Ages [Phlox]

[FirebrandPhlox]

Raev snorted. "Still. Your wingleader should at least check up on you once in a while as a transfer. Make sure you're adjusting fine," she said, grumbling at the apparent incompetence of the leadership here. Seriously, if she managed to get elected to Wherleader, she would make sure any transfers knew about the harsh winters at minimum. She had plenty of other ideas about getting things in line and filling these gaps in leadership if she was elected, but that was only if she did win the position.

"I guess if you were really attached to Igen, you wouldn't have transferred here," she said, stretching her legs in front of her. "I'm still settling too, though. It takes time, though it sounds like your wing isn't helping you at all," she said with a frown. Admittedly Raev had not made any real effort to make friends either, but at this point the weyr was familiar and she cared enough about it to want to be a leader. Or maybe she just wanted to prove that she could be more than just a simple handler, and the location really didn't matter much to her. She shook the thought from her head. No, she cared. Leaders cared.

"Listen, we're both still trying to get our lives here established. Why don't we set up a standing meal together? Meet weekly and check in. Even if your wing can't be bothered to make sure you're getting adjusted, someone should care enough to check in." She spoke in her usual blunt manner, adding a bit of disdain when referring to Amaata's wing. Amaata was a pleasant enough person to be around. Quiet, but that was a positive in Raev's mind. She didn't understand why the other woman was struggling to find friends.

[Dragon]

Amaata shrugged. The truth of the matter was that she'd never spoken to K'rou or Tenya except in an official capacity. She hadn't done much more than have a cup of klah or a meal with any of her wingmates. "I suppose no one realized that I wasn't adjusting as well as I should."

She certainly hadn't been overly attached to Igen. All her birth Weyr was to her any more was the place her father was, and she felt that relationship was just as well left in the category of estrangement.

"I'm not sure they realize I don't ... feel settled," Amaata admitted. She didn't talk to people this way, after all, not except for Kuroth, and Kuroth didn't even remember Igen anymore except through Amaata's memories. Still, he was a wonderful partner and support ... but not human. Not enough to shoulder everything for Amaata. "I haven't exactly been complaining."

When Raev suggested that they set up a standing meal, Amaata smiled shyly at her. "I'd like that," she said. She could use a friend, and frankly, she liked Raev better than anyone else she'd met since coming to High Reaches. "Once a week sounds lovely; would you prefer morning or evening?" It didn't make much of a difference to Amaata, but Rask might have calmed down somewhat come morning.

[FirebrandPhlox]

Raev shook her head. "Learn to complain. If something is bothering you, speak up, otherwise it's never going to get fixed," Raev said, frowning at Amaata. "You're so quiet and put together, no wonder everyone thought you were fine. I'm glad I bothered to ask," she said, not looking glad at all.

Of course, it was easy for Raev to lecture someone else about no vocalizing their problems, when she kept plenty of her own issues to herself. Voicing concern that people weren't doing their jobs right or that a new policy would have unintended consequences was easy. Admitting to someone that she was lonely and constantly feeling a sense of inferiority no matter how hard she worked? She would never tell another soul that, even shielding most of those thoughts from Rask.

"Mornings might be better for me," Raev said after some consideration. "Usually by then Rask is ready for bed, or at least tired enough that she doesn't need constant supervision."

[Dragon]

Amaata looked away, blushing faintly as Raev told her to learn to complain. It was probably good advice, but Amaata hated being a bother. "You're probably right," she allowed. She found she rather liked the fact that Raev considered her to be put together. "I suppose I'm not very good at speaking up, at least when it comes to something for me."

She could and would speak up when it came to Kuroth, without the slightest hesitation. But when she needed something? She'd go without rather than inconveniencing anyone else.

When Raev said mornings might be better because Rask was tired out by then, Amaata smiled softly. "I thought that might be the case. I've only seen her in the evening so far - she's got to be easier to handle when she's not so ... fresh." Thankfully Kuroth was now far too large to actively get into things.

I have no desire to cause chaos, Kuroth pointed out. I just want to know things.

[FirebrandPhlox]

Raev didn't notice Amaata blushing, taking the opportunity to look away from the rider and check on her wher. Rask was still sniffing along the ground, happily investigating different stones and pebbles.

"She's something, alright," Raev said with a sigh. She loved Rask, she really did, but that didn't mean that she sometimes wished her partner was a little less maintenance. Just a little bit, so she could have less on her plate once in a while. She shielded those thoughts from the wher, not wanting to distress her. Rask couldn't help that she was energetic, it was her nature. "Yeah, she's a bit more manageable after a day of work and taking her for some extra playtime."

The wher lifted her head triumphantly, bounding over to Skatha. She gently dropped a small stone from her mouth, about the size of a peach pit. The stone was dull red with a band of mineral that sparkled when it caught the light of the setting sun. Rask bring Skatha pretty rock! Skatha like? She asked, tilting her head eagerly.

[Dragon]

"Kuroth was a lot to handle when he was little, but thankfully he mellowed," Amaata observed. "He still wants to know everything, though, which is interesting since he can only remember three days. He constantly asks me to remember things for him ..."

Actually, he hadn't had to ask in a while. Amaata had just gotten used to remembering and reminding him. He'd been good for her memory.

Then Rask came bounding over with a little rock; it was actually remarkably pretty, red with a stripe of sparkly bits. Amaata watched curiously to see what the narrow-bodied green firelizard would do.

Skatha stretched out toward the rock, sniffing it experimentally, then pawing at it before she took it up in her dainty forepaws. She turned it over, warbling her approval, and Amaata smiled softly.

"Ah, so the little beastie is appeased by tribute," she joked, holding out her hand for the flit to give her the rock. "You should play with Rask a bit, Skatha. I'm sure she won't bite."

The green gazed at Amaata, passing over the pretty rock, then eyed Rask warily. After a long moment, she leaped into the air, wheeling just out of the wher's reach.

[FirebrandPhlox]

Raev nodded as Amaata talked about Kuroth. The differences in dragonkin was curious, dragons couldn't remember much on their own, but Rask's memory was plenty long without Raev having to remind her. At least for the things that mattered to the wher, there was no accounting for her attention span.

As Skatha took to the air, Rask bugled in delight, bounding after the flit. "Be careful!" Raev reminded her, choosing to do so vocally so Amaata could hear it too. The last thing she needed was for Rask to get too riled and forget how much bigger she was than Skatha. She actually liked Amaata's company well enough, she didn't want to upset her because Rask got too rough playing.

"I'm glad Skatha is being a good sport about it," Raev said with a sigh. "You're the smart one, redirecting her like that," she said to Kuroth.

[Dragon]

I am not about to frolic around with a wher when it is nearly time to sleep, Kuroth said smoothly. Skatha does not work; let her wear herself out a little.

Amaata smiled at her dragon fondly. He'd be seven in the fall; Amaata could hardly believe it had been that long already. "Skatha's pretty careful. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Skatha was a lot of things. Suspicious, loyal to a fault, unlikely to warm to anyone outside their little triad. That she was willing to play with Rask, even in exchange for a shiny rock, was actually rather remarkable.

Stretching slowly, Amaata peered into her basket, surprised to find that she only had a little of her meal left. And over half the bottle of wine, but she'd take that back to her Weyr for some amorphous 'later'. "He's pretty smart," Amaata agreed fondly. "Likes me to read him bedtime stories."

[FirebrandPhlox]

Raev continued to keep an eye on Rask and Skatha, still not trusting that situation would play itself out safely. She wanted to be able to trust Rask, but it was still early in their day and she was full of energy.

"Bedtime stories, huh?" Raev asked, glancing at Amaata. "Can't say Rask has ever shown much interest in books or stories. They're a bit too passive for her." As she spoke, the wher continued to chase after the flit, stomping loudly as she ran.

"Got a favorite?" She asked either rider or dragon, whoever cared to answer. She wasn't much of one to talk with dragons. She was used to whers, with their simple speech patterns and often to-the-point nature. Dragons spoke like people, and often made her feel inadequate in a strange way. She had tried for so long to impress a dragon, and none of them had picked her. Even though she now was an experienced handler and thread-fighter, there was still that odd sense of not living up to some impossible expectations that she didn't quite know. And yet this dragon, Kuroth, was so simple and down-to-earth that he enjoyed stories.

[Dragon]

It was Kuroth who answered. It is hard to have a favorite when my memory only spans a few days. Last night she told me the tale of Moreta. My Amaata will not end that way.

Amaata smiled. "I keep a selection of a dozen or so stories on rotation, though that number is more to keep me from getting bored. He likes a wide variety of things, but he prefers historical tales over fanciful ones."

All dragons were different of course, and dragons were different from whers, but she thought that riders and handlers sort of had a universal experience. They had all been chosen by their dragonkin partners, and even if it wasn't exactly the same with a wher as it was with a dragon, well, they all knew what it was like to have Impressed, to be bonded to dragonkin. Still, Kuroth was unique, as all dragonkin were - his own person. "Kuroth likes information. Knowledge. He likes knowing what happened and why."

[FirebrandPhlox]

Raev made a thoughtful grunt as Amaata explained. It was interesting that Kuroth was so fascinated by history and stories, considering his limited memory capacity. Maybe it was because he could only remember three days at a time that he wanted to be reminded of what had happened, always seeking what he couldn't permanently have.

Rask cared not for those kinds of intellectual pursuits, content to just do her work as she was told, provided she got the appropriate amount of recreation in between shifts. Raev wasn't one to dedicate too much though to past turns either, unless it was information that could directly help with issues of the present. The past squabbles of Lord Holders and Weyrleaders was of little interest to her.

"I guess there are all sorts of dragons, just like there are people," she said, stretching her arms in front of her. The sun was now fully below the mountains, the peaks illuminated in fading orange light. It was getting late, time for her to go to work. "Rask, finish up your playing, we have to go do our jobs!" She called to her wher as she stood.