[PRP] Explorer's Club (Adi & Neri)

[DruidTigeress]

Meepfur

Is this okay?

Neri clung to her green's long neck as the pair materialized in the air above a small island. One benefit of her line of work was that it often took her to new and largely undiscovered areas of Pern. While most of the planet had been well surveyed from a cartographer's perspective (the bird's eye view available to dragonriders helping greatly with that) there were still countless caves, coves, and uninhabited islands that had yet to be fully explored. Though, as much as she was able to, Neri hoped to change that!

As an apprentice, she used to read (with great enthusiasm!) the journals of old and long-dead sea captains that described the adventures they on the islands they used to map and catalog during the course of their journeys. While discovery was not her primary source of income (was it anyone's these days?), it had become something of a personal hobby of hers. And she had countless journals of her own, full of writings and illustrations, doing her bit to shed light on the darker areas of the map.

As Ianath flew low, Neri rolled off her back, flipping into a diving posture with practiced grace. She hit the water, bent her body into a shallow dive, and resurfaced a moment later. Though too small to be usefully inhabited, the island was large and ripe for discovery. She'd found it by chance on her way back from a job and had wandered around a little to investigate. She'd been been looking into its coves as a possible harbor they could use against storms, when she discovered something curious. But while her enthusiasm sadly wasn't shared by most of her crew, she did have one friend with similar interests. Besides which, she needed a botanist's perspective on this!

And so, while the light was still strong, and the waters still warm, she had arranged to meet her fellow explorers here, with Ianath sending the coordinates.

Neri gently drifted over to Ianath in the still waters of the cove. She put a hand on the green dragon's shoulder and leaned against her forearm as she floated in the water. "Are they on their way?" she asked, smiling excitedly as she lifted a hand to her eyes and glanced at the sky.
I believe so. Ianath replied coolly, not willing to pester them yet to find out. They were, after all, a little early.
 

[Meepfur]

There was little, if any, method to the madness of Adi's life and explorations - she and Mazamath bounced from place to place, flitting from one adventure to another with no real rhyme or reason. They had no overarching goal, no ambition beyond enjoying themselves. That had become a little more difficult of late, with the long-ago threat of Thread rearing its ugly head, but they persisted regardless, unwilling to trade away their freedom for anything. They weren't the only ones who refused to pledge themselves back into the service of the Weyrs, far from it; they still had plenty of friends who remained stubbornly free. They might not be bound or banded together in any formal way, could go long stretches of time without seeing each other, but friends were friends, and they had each other regardless.

Mazamath popped out from between at the specified coordinates with a bugle, and dipped down into a dive to skim the water with the tips of his wings. Alloth! he called happily as he banked away to land and deposit his impatient rider, who wanted to see everything and swim and of course visit with their friends. What a lovely retreat you have found.

Once on the ground, Adi quickly set to stripping out of her riding gear, throwing it aside in a rush that had her blue shaking his head in amusement. The water will not disappear in the next few minutes, but you may lose your things if you're not careful.

"I won't lose them," she insisted with a giggle. "They're here! And there, and a few feet that way..."

DruidTigeress

many moons later. *hangs head sheepishly*

 

[DruidTigeress]

Meepfur

Due to a transferring mix up, Ianath is now called Alloth xP No need to change anything, I just didn't want to confuse you going forward!

There! Alloth said, suddenly lifting her head just before a bright blue popped into the air above them. They're here!

Mazamath! Alloth replied cheerfully, watching the other dragon in his graceful landing. She was always a little shy at first around dragons outside their group, but she had gotten to know the calm-minded blue fairly well over the course of Neri and Adi's friendship and considered him a friend as well. Isn't it nice here? Neri was the one who found it. she added proudly.

Neri laughed to herself as Adi raced to get into the water. Drifting back towards her (while Alloth went off to sit by Mazamath) she let the tide carry her gently back towards the shore as she waited to Adi to jump in. "Just wait till you see what I found!" she said excitedly, swimming toward the woman. She nodded her head towards the wide open mouth of a dark rocky cove. "Check it out! I thought it was just a regular sea cave at first, but it's connected to a whole network of tunnels inside. Feel like some caving?" she asked with a smile. "There's something quite fantastic inside!"  

[Meepfur]

Then Yours has done an excellent job, Mazamath thrummed, stretching and kneading at the warm sand like a feline, long tail curling with pleasure as he delighted not only in the location, but in the joy of being in the company of another dragon. It had become a slightly rarer treat over the last turn, one he enjoyed all the more because of it. It is a good place for good company.

I know you are excited, Mine, but would you be kind enough to undo my harness? he reminded his excitable rider, who hastened to comply. The water does look fine, after all.

Adi scrambled to deftly undo a buckle here and a buckle there, in key places that would allow him to shrug himself the rest of the way out of it, then bounded for the water with a splash. She dove under and popped back up with a breathless laugh. "Of course!" she answered Neri, beaming an excited grin. "Not that this isn't awesome already, but a cave with a surprise inside? I am so in!"

DruidTigeress

 

[DruidTigeress]

Meepfur

"I was hoping you'd say that!" Neri replied with a bright grin, ducking her head under the water as she swam a few more strokes towards her friend.
Yes! An excellent place for company. Alloth agreed.

Neri made her way towards the mouth of the cave while Alloth floated behind her. She spread out her wide wings across the surface of the water, helping her to float easily as she let the waves carry her back towards the shore. Bright green eyes moved towards the cave mouth curiously. She'd stayed on the shore napping last time she and Neri came to the island, so she didn't know herself what was inside.

"We're going to lose the dragons at some point, I'm afraid." Neri said, finding a handhold on the cave wall and pulling herself out of the water, before offering a hand to her friend. There was an opening in the rock face just above them. The tunnels inside narrowed considerably at one point, more than enough for them to fit, but not enough for a dragon.

We can always swim here. Alloth said pleasantly, looking at Mazamath. Or go exploring ourselves.  

[Meepfur]

"When do I not?" Adi giggled, following after Neri with easy strokes towards the cave, and accepted her helping hand out of the water. "Well, they'll just have to entertain themselves, then. I'm sure they can manage." She glanced back at the floating dragons and flashed them a smile. That's that then, you'll have to find your own fun. Wonder if you'll find anything better than what we will?

Now then, it's not a competition, Mazamath chided his rider, eyes sparkling as he snaked lazily through the water. Either would be most pleasant, he answered Alloth, Whatever you would like best.

DruidTigeress

 

[DruidTigeress]

Meepfur

"Good point!" Neri agreed, laughing as she made her way up the wall after her.

Oh.. I'm not sure. Alloth fretted, trying to guess which Mazamath would prefer so she could pick that. But as Neri chuckled at Adi's challenge, her smile softened and she relaxed a little. Shall we go exploring then? she suggested to Mazamath warmly. Perhaps we can find something of interest as well.

Have fun love. Neri encouraged her cheerfully, just before she hopped down and disappeared behind the cave wall. "Bet we find ours first though!" she couldn't help but shout jokingly behind her. She turned to Adi with a grin. "It's not too far from here!" she said, starting to pick her way down the sloped tunnel. If she'd been thinking she would've brought a glow with her, but her eyes adapted quickly to the dark, with some light still coming in from the space above them. In any case, it wouldn't matter in a minute...

She started to giggle in excitement as they got closer, pulling on her friend's hand. "Wait, close your eyes for a second!" she said, putting her hands over them anyway as she carefully guided them around the corner to a wide open cave. "Here it is!" she said, stopping. When she lifted her hands, the cavern walls were covered in hundreds of tiny lights, almost like starlight was somehow peaking through the stone. "What do you think it is?" Neri asked, looking up at them in awe.

Adi knew a lot more about plants than she did, but she wondered if they were related to the glows people farmed, like a wild form of them.