[PRP] (Yisketh/Zayinth)

[Teiha]

Masterharper

In a forest, somewhere far, far away...

Yisketh awoke to the songs of birds and a warm breeze against his hide. Cradling his body was a wallow of soft, cool dirt that he'd scooped out himself. Above him, a canopy of tree branches rustled, their continuous whispering sounding almost like ocean waves. He did not rouse himself but kept his eyes closed, enjoying the peaceful sensations. If he had no ties, no responsibilities, he might have stayed in such a place forever.

He was very far from home, but not so far that he could not sense his rider awakening. The half-conscious man's mental arms were reaching for him, as a child might reach for a beloved doll before turning over to go back to sleep. The bronze reached back, attempting to make the connection as strong as possible. It would not be so fine once his rider realized he was not at High Reaches.

Thankfully, the man was reassured and drifted back into sleep. Yisketh sighed, rolled onto his hip, and looked around, drinking in the wild green scenery. So peaceful.

...And so lonely.  

[Masterharper]

Teiha

Rank Wars: Episode IV: A New Friend...

I promise she's not crazy. She is just as lonely as Yisketh, but for different reasons.

If Yisketh thought himself truly alone, he was mistaken. A shadow suddenly appeared over the canopy, and the whoosh of wind from a low-circling dragon suddenly broke the peace of the morning. Song wherries fluttered away, diving for cover, and the sound of larger creature scurrying deeper into the foliage was present. The small form seemed to circle once over the area, before choosing a small meadow just beyond some of the foliage. Whoever it was didn't seem to be aware of Yisketh's presence, for the little green gave a happy little warble to no one in particular.

Her rider had found a comfortable spot temporarily working with a caravan. T'sal had grown up among the trade lords and ladies, and found himself most comfortable around the Holdless. For all that he loved the lap of luxury, fame, fortune, and all the pleasures and comforts marks could buy... his happiest memories, before Zayinth, had been living among the travelers of Pern. It was a life he returned to from time to time, and Zayinth tagged along happily enough.

It allowed her to see the countryside, and she was free to come and go as she pleased. Though the caravan was making its way towards High Reaches Hold, and then the Weyr, she knew that T'sal would duck out long before they made it to the scenic peaks of her home. She didn't remember much about the Weyr, but she had always admired its peaks, and found the mountains picturesque. While she did remember being picked on by some, she remembered more good memories than bad. Her first flight had been at the Weyr... T'sal had left the morning after they graduated. They'd been tapped into some wing or another... but he'd abandoned it all. Stole them away to make their fortune.

Zayinth had gone willingly, for her rider's sake. While she missed her clutchmates, her love for T'sal surpassed her own desires. Now, Turns later, she found herself both sentimental and fearful over her old mountain home. A part of her was desperate to return, to fight Thread, to belong... Another part of her was fearful of the judgment she was sure to receive for abandoning her duty, and leaving others to fight the Enemy. Life on the road had its advantages.... but it was a terribly lonely world.

T'sal had his friends, but Zayinth had few true connections. Alloth, her lovely shy green friend was wonderful... but she didn't get to see her often. Only when her rider went to see his mate. She knew a few watchdragons at various Holds, but with Thread's return, they seemed to rotate their schedules, and had all been replaced by very old or very young dragons, and some she never saw again.

So, Zayinth made friends where she could -- and if that meant talking to the shadows, or warbling greeting to the trees, well, nobody would be around to see.

At least, that's what she thought. Good morning, little meadow. She spoke freely, for she did not expect another near. You're looking lovely and green this morning. And the sunrise is sure to be divine. She would have never said such things if she had known Yisketh to be near... but she thought herself well and truly alone. So close to the Weyr, and so far from the Holds, and so early in the morning, she had no reason to think any dragon was near.

So it was, the delicate little green dipped her head cordially, before flipping back her wings to settle beneath a few trees. When one was desperate for companionship and lived their life so isolated, sometimes the trees and the fields were all they had to speak to.
 

[Teiha]

Masterharper

Like a feline contentedly sunning itself, Yisketh had closed his eyes, a draconic approximation of a smile on his face. At the familiar sound of wings in the air close by, those eyes shot open with an alarmed flash of yellow. This was supposed to be a private getaway. Who could have located him in such a secluded place? His rider was still completely unconscious, except for his weary sleep-thoughts, and precious few others were likely to notice the bronze missing, or care to look for him, if they had.

You’re looking lovely and green this morning, he clearly heard a dragon say. So there were at least two, one of which was most certainly a green. Were there more? Perhaps. But, as luck would have it, it seemed they were not aware of him yet.

It wasn’t that he was concerned about his fellow dragons discovering his presence – it was their riders. In a remote place such as this, there was a good chance that they were raiders or some other sort of hoodlums. It wouldn’t be the first time Yisketh had met their kind. He’d been involved in several “cleanup” crews over the turns. So he was cautious, rising and walking toward the voice as silently as possible to try and scout the strangers’ numbers and purpose before reporting back to High Reaches.

He didn’t have to go far before he sensed an open space just beyond the foliage that filled a gap between two trees. It was a tight fit, but he kept his wings folded as closely as possible and slowly, carefully inched his way between the two trunks until his hind legs were pressed against them and he could go no further. It was just barely close enough for him to stretch his neck, tilt his head, and poke one eye through the leaves for a look around the small meadow that lay beyond.

Yisketh spotted the green instantly. She was of a decent size for her color, and a rather pretty little thing, sitting at the edge of the meadow beneath a fringe of tree boughs within a stone’s throw. He could spy no other dragons, or humans. Perhaps she was their lookout, and the rest were hidden in the bushes. After he’d heard another dragon speak to her, he had no reason to think that she might actually be there alone, no more than anyone else would have to suspect him of doing the same.  

[Masterharper]

Teiha

Zayinth was absolutely unaware of the bronze dragon peeking out at her. She had absolutely no reason to think there was anyone else out there, much less someone watching her; had she known, she would have been a far more gracious host. Instead, she settled herself beneath the trees, letting her wings relax against her sides, and her tail curl delicately about her scarred up limbs. She was not a fierce dragon, but she had lived in the wild long enough to have picked up scores; and Thread had caught them all off guard a Turn ago.

The silence returned to the meadow, and the the green dragon watched the horizon. Her rider slept peacefully, and she could enjoy the moment alone. If her she would occasionally turn to glance wistfully back in the direction of High Reaches Weyr, it couldn't be helped; the mountain Weyr called to her, even as she tried to deny it. Her rider would be unhappy there, and she herself treated as nothing more than a grunt. But at least she'd be fighting the Enemy... and if nothing else, she wouldn't be alone.

That was what hurt the most, though she would never admit it. Zayinth had always been a sweet and sociable green, though she had wanted to protect her rider from the trouble he seemed to cause. It was why she agreed to leave; but she had never thought how hard an isolated life could be. Watchdragons only made such good company --- and many spurned her or dubbed her a coward.

Heaving a heavy sigh, the green turned her head to preen under one wing, when something caught her eye. It was an eye. A glowing, whirling, eye. She immediately froze, her own eyes turning from a happy blue to a sudden bright yellow. Oh! Oh goodness, that . . . that was a dragon eye.

She blinked, slowly, suddenly tense and unsure. She couldn't tell the color of the dragon, but that glowing eye stood out among the shadows of the forest. Hesitantly, tentatively, she reached. H-hello, stranger. Did... Did I disturb you?

She hadn't been prepared to be stared at. Who was back there-- and were they weren't going to be mean or drive her out? She would leave if they pushed, but all she had wanted was to watch the pretty sunrise.
 

[Teiha]

Masterharper

Aaaaand he’d been spotted. So much for stealth! Though, how stealthy can one really be when one is big enough to fill a room and has eyes that glow? The bronze was no coward, but he still jumped, just a tiny bit, when the green noticed him. Yisketh thought he recognized the green’s voice from earlier, but didn’t quite trust himself. He’d been half asleep when he heard another dragon talking, and whyever would a dragon broadcast her words to herself? The best thing to do, he decided, was to not let on his suspicion, just in case.

Hello… and yes, you did. I was resting just a little way from here when you and your friend arrived.

He was unable to move forward between those two close-together trees he stood between, so he was going to back out and go around them… but apparently that wasn’t going to be an option. It seemed that when he was startled by the green, that small jerk of his body had wedged his hindquarters right in there. He was stuck.

Yisketh fought the surge of panic, keeping his eyes an even green. If he was the type of dragon to curse, this would have been the precise time to do it. Instead, he tried to wiggle his way free with a few sultry shakes of his rather ample rear end.

But not to worry, no harm done, he assured the green. There’s plenty of space here for all.

...except between those infernal trees!  

[Masterharper]

Teiha

Zayinth blinked as when the bronze mentioned a friend. Friend? What friend. She wasn't sure what he meant, but figured maybe he had just woken up. Or maybe he thought she was talking to someone, and not just herself and the nearby foliage. If a dragon could blush, Zayinth would have, and she dipped her head a bit sheepishly.

I did not mean to disturb your rest She began with a small, apologetic croo. I'm afraid I misled you. I'm the only green here, and I had only been speaking aloud because... Well... I don't have any friends. At least not out here. My only friend is a green who lives on the waters of Pern, and I do not get to see her as often as I'd like. It's just the two of us here, I'm afraid

Thankfully, the bronze did not seem too upset. Her eyes whirled a happier shade of blue-green, and she watched happily as he looked to back himself out of the foliage. Unfortunately, she watched as he shifted, and made a few peculiar shakes of his hindquarters. He was a very big bronze, and Zayinth was thrilled to meet a dragon so large. He looked a bit familiar, but she couldn't quite place why... She assumed he was likely a bronze from her own home Weyr of High Reaches, or maybe she passed him during one of her many flights to various Holds. He could be a bronze from Nabol, perhaps.

All things she could ask later, of course, once he moved. There is a pleasant view of the mountains here, and the grass is soft. Perhaps you'd like to join me for a spell?
She tried to be polite and not notice that he seemed to be having trouble extracting himself, but she eventually couldn't help it. She had to say something -- maybe she could help!

Er... are you all right? Maybe I could come around and help? Maybe she could push, or try to pull one of the trees back, and give him a little wiggle room. She was small enough that the trees weren't so bad to push through, especially if she kept her wings closed tight.