[PRP] Search & Search again (Ryala, Roana, searchrider)

[Sinders Path]

Of course the phrasing 'better option' had been well aimed to needle the dark haired rider. Even when asking for her help Roana couldn't help it. Nicara had genuinely annoyed her earlier and that wasn't completely forgotten just yet. Still feeling a mix of relief, fear and just a little smugness the pirate totally legitimate sea crafter took shelter under the blue's wing.

Now she just had the blue to deal with, and yes, it had crossed her mind that the dragon would be hostile to her because of the stress she had caused his rider(that she totally deserved) but those fears were quickly allayed. Even though she knew little and nothing about dragons behavior it was very clear that he was trying to be comforting. She found a smile for the beast.

"Right, you're not so scary."

As if to confirm this she reached out to the great head with trembling fingers and touched them to each side of the runner like snout before running them along the undersides of his jaw in a gentle scratch. Then she hesitated, frowned and pulled away. Surley it was bad etiquette to try and win the dragons approval with the same pets and attentions she would offer a canine.

"sorry." she told the dragon, now feeling awkward.
"Right." shaking herself she straightened away from the dragon. "I want to see this other candidate you have managed to find." She told the blue firmly before ducking under his wing and neck, around the front of his chest to spy Nicara and the other harper she was talking to. Her brow rose and she chuckled before giving the blue dragon a stern and suspicious side eye.

"Searching candidates huh?" she mused.
"Sure you don't just have a thing for red heads?"

Hattaki

 

[Ryala]

Ryala bowed her head courteously to both Diesteth and his black-haired rider. "Yes, this has been rather a surprising evening for me," Ryala admitted, with a fond grin down at the drowsy Ghost, before returning her attention to the pair. "You honor me, Diesteth. I would like to accept your offer. I'm Ryala," she said, extending a hand towards the thin lady.  

[Hattaki]

Eyelids began to close slowly at the scratch under his jaw but quickly cleared themselves when the blue realized that she was done. Contrary to belief he did enjoy attention, though he recieved quite a bit from his lovingly attentive rider, and did not make any moves to pull away. Diesteth chuckled gently when she pulled away in confusion, it was very clear that she wasn't used to giving attention to dragons. It seemed that it was time to reassure her but the big dragon was not at all known for talking to other humans. He sighed.

That unease you feel will change with time.

Knowing that the girl might recoil from the new voice in her head and not wanting her to do so while in view of so many, Diesteth wrapped his large wings around the front of her and lifted his head up to survey the area for any threats. He would never allow something to happen to one of the Candidates that he'd found and there was still the threat of the man... His head moved so that he could glance down at her suddenly.

Had she just claimed that he had a thing for redheads?

Trying to suppress a snort of laughter for her dragon's predicament, Nicara barely wasted even a moment on the pair as she focused her entire attention on Ryala. She was polite, years in the Harper Hall could do that, she was also direct and there was a kindness that she had been looking for.

Yes, a very good choice. If another redhead. Her chuckle was swallowed without surfacing as she stood a little taller and grasped Ryala's hand to shake it.

"I'm glad that it's been surprising, would you like it to be more so?" The words were almost impish but she meant them kindly. " There's nothing better than that first look you'll get of the Weyr when you arrive as a new Candidate."

show spoilerhide spoiler

Ryala

Sinders Path

 

[Sinders Path]

Roana jumped at the sudden voice. Her first instinct was to look around, but everyone else was keeping a respectful distance from the blue dragon At last she had to admit to herself that it was the blue himself that had spoken. And as she studied the experience she realized the voice had been projected straight into her mind. she started, she knew that dragons communicated with their riders but somehow she had not expected that to be expressed in actual words. Whats more she had always heard the great beasts of pern only spoke to their individual riders.
Swallowing her shock she tried to answer the blue calmly.

"Well you do take some getting used to. I'm used to the odd fire lizard, not full grown dragons." she told him, her initial nerves had morphed quickly when she noticed the look the blue was directing at her after the red head comment.
She made a valiant effort to hold off her laughter, then failed as it bubbled up unbidden, tickling past the fingers that she clapped to her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't know that dragons could make a face like that." she told him before looking back at Nicara and the other red headed candidate.

Hattaki

 

[Ryala]

Ryala smiled warmly. "I would be delighted to!" she replied... and suddenly yawned. "Sorry, it's been a long day for me," she admitted sheepishly. And really, it had been... the usual routine for a senior apprentice at the Hall, followed by the trip to Rivercrest, performing for the Gather, unexpectedly Impressing a firelizard, and now this.

And to top it all off, her stomach rumbled. Loudly. A reminder that Ghost had finished the majority of her meal...  

[Hattaki]

In the growing twilight it would be hard to tell if the big blue was even remotely amused or if he was bewildered by the odd remark. Surely he had no interest in what humans looked like as long as their hearts and emotions called to his better senses. Given how the girl had started so thoroughly behind the shield of his large wings, Diesteth lowered his head slowly and fixed her with the regard of one faceted eye that stayed a calm blue that matched his own pale head.

I promise Dragons are much more eloquent than the little lizards that pass for our cousins. What face was I making that amuses you so?

Even if Diesteth rarely spoke to other humans, even if Nicara barely spoke to other humans, the dragon found this larger girl somewhat amusing himself. Certainly she had made Nicara angry but that was just as good, his rider needed a certain amount of resistance in order to fire her up so she could make clear deciscions. Under pressure there was no one finer, at least in his opinion.

Across the square, though not out of eyesight for large reasons, Nicara offered a smile for the sudden eruption of noise from Ryala's stomach. It had been quite some time since she'd felt a hunger that bad herself but there had been times, usually while within the Harper's Hall, and she still felt them in the long hours.

"Let's get you back to the Weyr then, there's always something cooking in the Lower Caverns at Western Weyr." Extending her arm towards Diesteth in offering, Nicara took a step back to let the girl pass when she was ready.

Think your back is up to it lovely one?

A snort met her taunting question.

show spoilerhide spoiler

Sinders Path

Ryala

 

[Sinders Path]

Roana got herself under control after some effort and cleared away the pearls of laughter tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, I guess you looked surprised and bemused and a little bit annoyed all at the same time, its not an expression I have ever seen on a beast before. I've only ever seen people make faces that can be read more than one way, and well. I guess seeing it on a beasts face, dragon or not, was just so strange I found it funny. Like I said, you and you're kin will take a bit of getting used to for me." She told the Blue.

"I hope you weren't offended." she added as an after thought before holding up her arms to welcome to blue's gentle head back down towards her. Feeling braver all the time around the great winged protector of pern she stepped forward and placed kiss on the end of his nose.

"You know, you're rider isn't bad, not really but I think I find you a lot more agreeable."