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Post by cynath on Apr 5, 2007 10:59:34 GMT -5
V'rak sat on a little stool, with a little bucket, a little razor, and a little mirror giving himself a much needed shave. Overall, he was having a lazy day. No drills, no meetings, nothing. A day off. He looked at Bristith in the mirror, the large bronze dozing contently behind him.
Yep, a lazy day for everyone.
The Wingleader shook his head before continuing to carefully shave away the whiskers down one cheek. He knew the instant his dragon woke up from his catnap.
"Nice nap?" he questioned out loud, a smile pulling the corners of his lips, just enough to not interfere with the razor whisking over the skin.
As a matter of fact, it was, the surly dragon commented back, extending both wings as far are he could in the Weyr in a stretch. Hungry now, too.
V'rak chuckled. He knew his bronze's diet. It had been nearly 5 days since Bristith had last eaten, and such was confirmed with a rumble from the dragon's gut.
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Post by broomie on Apr 5, 2007 11:12:37 GMT -5
"I want to see my dad today." Jannkie announced to her weyrnanny early that morning, tone not leaving any room for protesting. Why? She had her reasons, the main one to try and convince him to let her join the canditates. They pretty much went over this on a monthly basis, but Jannkie wasn't one to give up, she was too stubborn!
So that led the girl to where she was now, padding her way to her father's and Bristish's Weyr.
"Daddy!" The redhead called in a singsong voice, hopping form one foot to the other as she made her way in. Yep, quite the morning person!
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Post by cynath on Apr 5, 2007 11:27:04 GMT -5
V'rak visibly cringed at his daughter's call. He paused his shaving to glance over his shoulder at her, then went back to his shaving. "Yes, Jannike, what do you need?" He phrased it carefully, as to say "need" instead of "want". He full well knew what she WANTED.
The large bronze behind him shifted, massive scaly snout turning towards the girl, for a pat or a treat. All the while chuckling in V'rak's mind.
Here she goes. Bristith's chuckling didn't subside. The dragon found their quarrels oddly amusing, while his rider found it only frustrating. The blue eyes cast a glare at the dragon, only increasing the bronze's mirth.
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Post by broomie on Apr 5, 2007 11:37:29 GMT -5
The young girl was all smiles when she came in, immediately turning to the bronze dragon and giving him a pat on his nose and offering him a treat to eat.
"I needed to talk to you." The redhead said, still facing her father's dragon and watching him happily. The same as always between them, first beating around the brush before the subject was touch, then eventually shot down.
Well, It wouldn't happen this time! She swore it! The girl finally turned around to look at him, shocking blue eye studing his reflection in the mirror.
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Post by cynath on Apr 5, 2007 11:46:28 GMT -5
V'rak finished the last sweep of his razor, dropping it into the pail of water, and wiping his face off with a cloth before he slowly turned on his stool to watch his daughter pet Bristith.
"No." He said right off the bat. He already knew what she "needed to talk" about. The large bronze ignored his rider, crunching down the offered treat with much glee. Similar blue eyes regarded them both. He stood slowly, waving Bristith's snout away from her.
He clapped a callused hand on his daughter's shoulder and steered her towards the stool he'd just left.
Hey!!! I don't have a problem with her. Bring her back! the Bronze called after his rider. He liked the girl's attention. Okay, well the bronze just had a weakness for anything female. V'rak sat the girl down with a forceful guidance of his hand.
"I already know what you want." he said flatly, "The answer is still no." V'rak's blue eyes met hers. So similar it was almost frightening.
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Post by broomie on Apr 5, 2007 12:02:11 GMT -5
Well she was, of course, his daughter. That meant she was just as stubborn too.
The girl stood right back up after being forced to sit. Instead standing in front of the stool with a small frown on her face, head tilted back so that she could look up at her father. She was not one who that could have her wishes dismissed so easily. "Then what am I supposed to do if you won't let me?" She shot back.
Obviously Jannike had been preparing for this fight, and with some help too. Why would a twelve year old girl worry about the future?
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Post by cynath on Apr 5, 2007 12:28:10 GMT -5
The Wingleader frowned slightly, lips pursed. She'd been talking with someone. "What are you supposed to do?" he asked her question back. His hand forced her to sit again. "Be a beastherder, be a weyrnannie, be a weaverwoman, hell a smithy. Anything, but you will not ride."
The usually calm man's voice was slowly rising in his frustration; this conversation was getting tiresome.
Bristith stirred behind them, ambling forward on long taloned feet. Just let the poor girl be. If she wants to ride, let her ride. V'rak glared back at him. The intent was not missed to the bronze and he ambled by to the edge of the cliff before dropping out of sight to go eat.
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Post by broomie on Apr 5, 2007 12:44:05 GMT -5
The redhead sat down, her blue eyes sparkling with anger and her fists clenched at her sides. She didn't miss the look passed between V'rak and Bristith, and absently made a mental note to bring the bronze a few more treats. At least one of them understood...
"But I don't WANT be anything else! I want to ride like you and mom and uncle H’lthor!" Jannike wanted to fight and protect. She may be a child, and her voice was rising because she was angry and had no control of the situation, the girl was stuck on one thing where other's would have given up.
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Post by brimstone81 on Apr 5, 2007 12:46:18 GMT -5
Oh, standing for hatchlings were not so simple anymore than asking your father. Now there were politics involved. Pern needed mothers and females in other places, and Elisha knew that. She also knew that a lot of riders die in weyrling training. For a female to be allowed to stand for a hatching void of gold egg would take a lot of debate . . . with the Weyrwoman herself. The Candidate Master took orders from her, she only had to the say the word and he could bar a candidate from standing. She did it before. Elisha wanted minimal loss, and older and more mature riders, in her opinion at least, had a greater chance at surviving.
Anyway, the Weyrwoman was walking through the adult weyrs when she just happened walk by V'rak's weyr. V'rak was a Wingleader and she had been wanting to talk about upcoming dragon graduations and his ideas of new members. Plus being a newly single woman, she was curious about him. . . She knocked, waited a moment and came in. She didn't think he'd be that busy, Immediately her eyes fell on the girl. Very young. Reminds me that I should visit Elirian soon. "Oh, I'm sorry, V'rak, if I've interrupted you. I had just wanted to ask you about something, but it can surely wait."
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Post by cynath on Apr 5, 2007 12:55:47 GMT -5
V'rak released Jannike's shoulder, expecting her to not exactly stay seated, but his attention was not so focused that he didn't hear the soft knock. He straightened up to his full height, chin tilting as he glanced over his shoulder at the weyrwoman. It only took him a half a second to condone his attitude, offering the woman a smile.
"No, please come in. Jannike was finished talking." he said, giving the girl a deliberate glance to keep her from speaking out of turn. Ahhh if only he could simply disown her to her mother. He knew that would never be possible. One didn't have to know both V'rak and Jannike to know their close relation.
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Post by broomie on Apr 5, 2007 13:07:20 GMT -5
He could glare all he wanted! The girl frowned again and glared back at him with the same colored eyes before immediately getting up and walked deeper into the Weyr, hands clasped behind her back as she hummed a random tune. She wished Bristith where here, because at the moment, she liked him better than her father.
...Wait a minuet, was that the Weyrwoman?! Jannike stopped abruptly and looked back over her shoulder at the two of them. She had been so angry she hadn't even paid any attention to who had came in.
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Post by brimstone81 on Apr 5, 2007 13:16:08 GMT -5
The Weyrwoman stepped into the room and glanced about. A typical lavish Wingleader weyr, it was very pleasant in here. She knew some people would just die for the room, let alone the title of Wingleader. She smiled politely to the bronzerider, "A nice setup you have here. And is this your daughter? I bet she wishes for gold like any other child. In a few turns I bet she could be taken by the candidate master."
Elisha smiled at Jannike, wanting to make nice, "I'm Elisha, what's your name?" The girl had flame red hair, and Elisha found it adorable. Elisha had brownish blonde hair, nothing so vibrant as this girl. No doubt she'd be a beauty all grown up.
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Post by cynath on Apr 5, 2007 13:31:00 GMT -5
V'rak nodded to Elisha's simple question. "Yes, that is Jannike." he introduced the girl, keeping the frown that wanted to come out at the mention of becoming a candidate. No doubt the girl would milk this opportunity to please Elisha all she could.
Good first impressions mattered.
The Wingleader heard the rush of wings before Bristith's claws scraped against rock as the bronze returned, still happily licking his chops from his just chewed meal. V'rak lifted a brow as the dragon moved carefully in the Weyr, pausing beside his rider watching the two as the rider did.
Better? V'rak sneered in his mind.
The bronze grumbled happily. Much, the deep mental voice purred. V'rak snorted, arms crossing across his chest as he simply stood and watched, one palm running over his cheek to check his shave job.
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Post by broomie on Apr 5, 2007 13:41:50 GMT -5
She was talking to her? The redhead blinked in surprise, before she plastered on a happy face. A perfect opportunity, for her that is. "My name's Jannike!" She told the weyrwoman, words echoing right after V'arak's. Hm, they really where so much alike. The child opened her mouth to ask Elisha a question, but paused for a moment as her blue gaze flickered over to the approaching Bronze.
"Really? You think so?" Her eyes where wide, delighted and surprised all at once. See? Some people did believe in her! In his face! Jannike didn't mention her dragon color preference, because really; Gold, Green, it didn't matter to her in the end, as long as they where her partner!
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Post by brimstone81 on Apr 5, 2007 15:08:33 GMT -5
Elisha smiled at Jannike. She didn't have a daughter of her own, just a son. But she loved her Elirian like no other. No doubt that V'rak felt the same about his daughter. Yet, Elirian had more of a chance impressing than the girl did, thanks to new regulations. Elisha was not sure if she'd choose dragonriding for her boy, he was only five turns old, but he'd most likely want to ride like his parents. And he should, but it was so dangerous. And many weyrlings didn't survive. Fortunately the survival rates were increasing a bit but still. . . She wasn't sure she could see her only child die so young. Maybe Elirian should just go into a craft. But that wouldn't be fair to him. She nodded, "Well you never know until you try. But you'll have to wait a few turns, dearheart."
She knew girls could ride as well as boys could, but girls had children. Elisha knew this made her unpopular with some people, but it had to be done. Thus the rarity of girl candidates standing for greens was increasing. Most of the girls left to the candidates barracks would have to wait for gold. And so really Jannike would have no choice, if she wanted a chance at riding, she'd have to stand for queen. Who knew? maybe a green would find her first.
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