Maybe Dragonriders Aren't So Bad...((A'gar))

[Stormy]

IC Date: November 29, 2012
IC Time: About 10:30 p.m.[/u]

Shannask had finally convinced ShyOneHers to leave the protective heat of the Sands, and now they were sitting out in the cold night air. At first, Shannara had crept silently, afraid of being discovered and reprimanded for...something, but by the time they wherling pair had reached the Weyrbowl, Shannara had relaxed again.

And now that they were down by the lake, the white-haired girl had found a dry spot by the lake, hidden among the wilting foliage. Shannask waded into the cold water, enjoying the soothing caress of the cooler waters. Shannara watched her green play in the water for a minute, then leaned back and stared at the stars, looking for any familiar constellations. But of course there wouldn't be any...She wasn't on Pern anymore.

Belatedly, she realized no one might see her lying there, but with how late and cold it was getting, the Fort-born girl didn't think anyone would really be out. And if there was someone, it was likely just one of the other wherlings or handlers. Maybe one of the more nocturnal riders...

Shannara shook her head slightly, lifting her honey eyes back to the foreign sky. She had almost forgotten how beautiful the night skies were, and even here on Earth, it was no different. Sure, the stars themselves were different, but it was still a beautiful and mystifying sight, the gleaming gems that adorned the velvet blanket of the night sky.

And somewhere out there, somewhere was her birthplanet, her home...well, she supposed Earth was her home now. And wherhandlers here weren't viewed with as much contempt as they were back on Pern. There were things to look forward to, but there were things she missed, too. Like klah. The Earthian version didn't suit her tastes as much.

...And her father. She wondered how he was managing without both her mother and her herself.

[redwerecat]

Late night wasn't usually his favorite time to be out and about, but some days it was necessary.

Like tonight.

A'gar had a headache. Stress, tension, and the sort of pain that came with one clenching one's jaw for hours on end in the effort to not completely lose his temper and beat the crap out of L'iyr. (He'd promised to try to control his temper more after the tree incident.)

And right now all he really wanted to do was make that smug, smirking little Ruatha-bred brat shut his mouth for five seconds-

A'gar kicked at a rock and sighed in frustration. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his riding jacket and kept walking along the shoreline of the lake. It was quiet out here. Peaceful. A little chilly, but frankly it was nice; reminded him of Benden around the same time of year. For all that he was adjusting to life in this strange place, it could be a little...lonely here. Funny, he thought, considering that compared to a lot of the Pernese transfers he should be considering himself lucky, with two partners to keep him company.

Except on night when they teamed up to drive him slowly insane. Like today. Einherjath was feeling argumentative and he and L'iyr had been going back and forth for hours. Hence why A'gar has taken himself out of the equation.

He blinked and glanced around as he caught the sound of splashing water nearby. Squinting sky-blue eyes he glanced around, trying to locate the source of the noise- it soon became clear it was a green wher splashing around. A'gar stopped, and watched the green for a moment, before raising his voice and calling out around him. "Hello?"

He had to assume the green had a handler somewhere, and he didn't exactly want to sneak up on a wher.

[Stormy]

Shannara had first been knocked out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps, though they sounded some way off. But they kept getting closer to where she was relaxing, and suddenly she tensed. Moving slowly, so she wouldn't disturb the foliage much, she pushed some of it aside, looking for the source. It sounded bipedal, so it had to be another human...

The night was dark, but the moon was bright enough that she could make out the outline of someone else. And from the size of their silhouette, it was either a bulky woman, which she doubted, or a man. She couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped her, but it was enough of a sound to have Shannask leaping out of the lake, putting herself between the stranger and Hers. The green let out a small growl, but stayed where she was.

When the other person called out, she knew for sure it was a man, and would normally have shrunk into the undergrowth, but Shannask's playing in the lake had clearly alerted him of her presence. She couldn't hide now.

She sat up, quickly brushing the debris out of her hair, and nervously replied, "He-hello. I'm sorry, was I bothering you? Shannask is usually very friendly, I'm not sure why she growled..." It was a small lie, of course, but she didn't want to admit she was terrified of the man. He had done nothing wrong, and would likely take it personally.

"I-I can leave, if you want..."

[redwerecat]

A'gar didn;t do the normal thing and jump back- he knew better than to do that to a wher. No, he simply very slowly raised his hands, and nodded to the wher in what he prayed was friendly manner. "I'm not going to hurt you, little green." He said, and hoped the green's handler would- ah.

He glanced to the side, behind the wher, in the shrubbery. A figure there, a little slight, and by the size (if it wasn't just leaves) a girl, or at the least, a small young man. Then again, the nervous voice a few moments later fixed that little question for him.

A girl then. And the green's handler, as he'd guessed. He flicked a gaze back to the wher and shrugged very slightly. "Bothering me? I think you two were here first. I should be the one apologizing." He smiled, gently, because that was a really rather trembling voice, and he didn't want to startle her (or...admittedly, the wher). "Which I'm doing, Sorry! I didn't mean to startle either of you." And then he frowned, and titled his hea.d His hands dropped to his hips and he looked perplexed. "No, no, why should I want you to leave? At the least I'd like the company, and in any case, I should hardly be the one chasing you off. Stay, please. I'll be the one to leave if you want."

[Stormy]

Shannara stood up nervously, glancing for her escape routes again just in case she needed them. But she suddenly didn't get the feeling he was there to chase her off, let alone harm her, and she relaxed slightly. "Are...are you sure? I can leave if you really need me to leave. You have no need to leave, however," she said, resting a hand on Shannask's head.

Warily staring at the newcomer, Shannask sat down next to Hers, unsure if she could trust this man; he smelled of dragons, and ShannaraHers was terrified of riders. If Hers discovered what he was, and panicked and he moved to stop her from leaving, the green wher wouldn't be afraid to go after him. But for now, he seemed friendly enough.

"There's room enough by the lake, I suppose..No, you don't have to leave if you don't want to. I just have one question for you," she said, peeking shyly at him from under her unnaturally white hair. "Can I ask your name?" she asked before he had a chance to answer her.

[redwerecat]

A'gar grinned, and suddenly seemed to go from wary to completely and utterly relaxed. The man just had an innate trust in most people, and given that now he wasn't about to be chased off by a wher, he was pretty much perfectly comfortable. He stopped a moment to glance around, glancing up at the night sky with a grin. He was trying to be casual, but he was also watching the girl- she seemed rather jumpy. And that upset him a little. He'd normally be going about trying to find some way to set her at ease, but she appeared to beat him to the punch.

"I'm certain. Stay right here. I'd be glad of the company." he insisted, with a broad grin. "And I'd hope there would be room by the lake." He lifted one shoulder in a shrug and chuckled. "It's a rather large lake, after all..." He glanced back at her, as he was asked for his name. Oh. Right., Introductions and what not.

"Well. I suppose I could answer that one question." He responded cheerfully. "A'gar. Bendenite at heart, if you're Pernese, Pernese born and bred if you're from this world. And might I ask your name in return, and that of your lovely partner?"

[Stormy]

Like him. He polite, Shannask told Hers, tilting her head slightly to look up at her handler. Shannara shushed the green, amused slightly at the sudden change in disposition of the wher, then murmured, "You only say that because he complimented you."

Then she looked back over to the man, suddenly curious about him. "All right, if you insist. I don't have anywhere else to be right now anyway, and it's a nice night for how late it is." Then she laughed a little bit at his comment about the size of the lake, but then paused.

That was the first time she had laughed, truly laughed, in a...very long time. It helped her relax even more, which was another surprise.

But the biggest surprise was when he introduced himself. A'gar? She froze. That...that was how riders' names were arranged. She laughed again, nervously this time, but answered him regardless. "I-I'm Shannara, and this is Shannask. From Fort. What..." She paused to swallow nervously. "What Weyr do you hail from? Benden as well?"

[redwerecat]

A'gar (who was definitely listening, and at the very least knew how to read the emotions of dragonkin) just grinned, and winked at Shannask. And at Shannara, too, though he didn't quite think she'd catch it, given she'd been busy talking to her wher at the moment.

Didn't matter, really, it was quite fine. He was pretty sure he quite liked it when she laughed- much better than the stuttering sort of worry she'd seemed to exude earlier, and he nodded triumphantly as she agreed to stay. "Good!" He exclaimed, pleased that she was going to stay. He'd meant every word, and he truly would enjoy the company. (He was a people person, what could he say.)

Ah...and here. Did he detect a hint of nerves creeping back into her voice? He filed it away to keep track of but otherwise didn't really pay it much mind. "A pleasure, Miss Shannara, Lady Shannask, of Fort." He tipped them a little bow, probably a bit more than was quite called for in the situation, but he was fond of being overly polite, and not at all afraid of looking like something of a dork because of it. He certainly never saw anything wrong with a bit of decorum... at least not to someone he thought deserved it. (And if he was avoiding mentioning Einherjath's name, or L'iyr's...well. Sometimes he just didn't want to be associated with those two. And he was still a little annoyed by them both at present, so.)

"Ah." He said, at her question. "Yes. Actually, Benden Weyr all the way- Weyrbrat, I'm afraid. On both sides. Flights, you know?" He gave an unapologetic shrug, there. "But I've been to Fort once or twice. You from the Weyr itself, or one of the Holds looking to it?" He asked, determined to keep the conversation up. He wasn't sure why she'd seemed to get nervous all of a sudden, but he was either going to find out or bulldoze over it until she relaxed again. (Mostly because he rather didn't fancy the idea that it was him she was afraid of.)

[Stormy]

"Fort Hold. Although I was actually born at the Healerhall close by. I...never knew my mother; Father said she was quite sick by the time she gave me life, and he also said that I was, too. During one of his drunken bouts, I heard him say to my brother how worried he had been that he would lose us both. It still haunts me knowing that my life came at the cost of hers..." Shannara said, surprised that she was telling him this.

Then again, maybe it had been quite long enough for her to brood over the death of her mother. It truly hadn't been her fault her mother had died, right? There was no way she, barely hours old, could have done anything more for her mother than live...right? Trying to dispel the dark thoughts, she shook her head slightly, realizing she was being rude to the dragonrider.

Images of another rider, younger and less friendly, rose unbidden, and she shuddered, but tried to cover it up with a small, hasty curtsey. "Likewise, A'gar of Benden," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice from wavering with the suppressed emotions.

Shannask eyed A'gar warily after the sudden change in Hers' emotions, unsure if he was the direct reason or if it had something to do with Hers before Shannask had broken shell. For now, she blinked calmly, but the dragonrider was definitely under scrutiny by the wher. If the green thought a move he made could prove to be a threat to Hers...

[redwerecat]

A'gar dropped his head in a nod of sympathy. "That would have been hard, I'm sure. My sympathies..." He said, and there wasn't a note of falsehood in his voice. He was, to be sure, rather pleased and quite touched by the fact that she chose to exlain as muhc to him, given their short time of having known one another. He was somewhat honored by the faith he assumed it displayed. (Then again, the man wore his heart on his sleeve, and trusted everyone openly until he had no other choice.)
"Don't be haunted. There was hardly anything you could have done, right?" He echoed her thoughts unknowingly.

He watched her as she seemed to drift off for a moment, and let her have the time as she needed. He was, unfortunately, growing used to conversations with people who had the worst tendency to do that sort of thing (L'iyr, damn him, had the worst habit of changing the subject mid-sentence.) Did she shiver because of the cold, or something else? He wondered, for a moment, about that, and decided to bank on the former.

He ignored the wavering in her voice, figuring it better to feign ignoreance rather than tread where his thoughts might not be welcome. "Thank you, my lady." He was watching the wher now, noticng the way she was studying him- yes. Shannara then had to be distressed by something more than cold, if her bonded was analyzing him as if she were contemplating wether or not he was a threat.

Carefully, he raised his hands, trying to seem non threatenting, and shrugged his jacket off. "Are you cold?" He asked, if only to distract her.

[Stormy]

After listening to what he had to say about her mother, Shannara dipped her head, murmuring, "Thank you, A'gar. You are actually the first one I've ever really talked about my mother to..." She looked out over the lake, finding a strange comfort in finally finding someone to talk to about at least one of the demons that haunted her. But there were others yet that still made her shudder and shrink up, knowing she was still unable to confront them like that.

Puppy and Shar felt her shifting moods and appeared from between before landing on her shoulders. Shar leaned over and rubbed her cheek, creeling soothingly, while Puppy wrapped his tail around her arm, chittering and bouncing on her shoulder, trying to be funny for her. Even Shannask crept closer, curling her tail protectively around Shannara's legs in a silent embrace.

Shannara suddenly remembered A'gar as she felt warm tears prick her eyes from the sea of love the two flits and her precious green were sending her way. She blushed quickly, then shyly stammered a quick, "S-Sorry.." for having zoned out for a few moments. Then she gestured to the two flits on her shoulders. "A'gar, this is Shar," she said as she stroked the bronze's head, then shifted to give Puppy a scratch as well. "And this is Puppy. They're from the Weyrwoman's gold firelizard's clutch some months back," she stated, a genuine smile crossing her face as she looked from her firelizards and back to A'gar.

Then she blinked, realizing he had asked her a question. She hadn't registered what he had asked, and her mind only caught up once she realized he was taking his jacket off. She was about to tell him that the cooler air was nice after all the time she spent in the Sands, but then he had it off and was offering it to her. She decided it was too late to argue now...So she merely dipped her head once. "I suppose I am," she said, realizing it wasn't an untruth. Though it had felt nice outside when she first came out, it was starting to cool even more, and a breeze blowing from the lake didn't help at all.

Sure, the lake wasn't huge, but the air over it was moister than its surroundings. And moist air proved to be more chilling than a stray late autumn breeze that found their way into the Weyr.

[redwerecat]

He didn't know why she was thanking him, actually. He hadn't done anything but what was damn well just the nice thing to do. So he shrugged, and while he didn't look at all uncomfortable, for a bit, he did seem to carry some confusion in those blue eyes of his. But it passed quickly enough. "You're welcome...?" A pause. "I think I should thank you for your trust then. I'm honored." He said quietly. And it was absolutely the truth- he really did take it as quite an honor that she would even talk to him about that. "It's alright, you know..."

As her brood of pets seemed to sense her emotion, they gathered around her, and A'gar had to hide another smile. It was kind of sweet- and he was almost envious. He was still getting to know this place, and while at Benden he had no shortage of friends and even bedmates to keep him company, he was finding himself a little lonely here. (Funny, that, when he couldn't get at least two people-or dragons- out of his head at all.)

A'gar nodded at the flit, very seriously. "A pleasure, then, Shar, Puppy." He said, and made a quick little salute to the flits. "A'gar, of Einherjath, with only the best of intentions for your lovely lady." And then he was laughing. "They're lovely, actually. I've always fancied the little things, but I've always been so busy... are the hard to care for...?"

He was more pleased than he would ever let on when she did take his offered jacket, though he simply settled it on her shoulders with a polite nod of 'I understand and promise my humblest intentions' sort of look to her flits as he did.

And then, of course, the world ceased to be able to let him have a break, and he flinched, pressing a hand to his forehead. He had felt a sudden sharp spike of irritation and need from one part of his mind-not-his-mind, and in a different, far more alien place, something not connected to his dragon, a little smug sense of discovery.

Ah, so NOW they noticed he was gone? He grumbled quietly to himself and ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he could put off returning, but another sharp spike of compulsion from his dragon and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Shannara, I have to go." He said, already backing away to keep his beloved-if-completely-maddening partners from coming to find him. "Just... It was lovely to meet you, really! But I'ts a bit of an emergency-" He was already nearly out of earshot by now, glancing nervously away over his shoulder...

"You'll have to give me the jacket back later, yes?"

Oh, smooth. Very smooth.

And then he was bolting back toward his weyr to keep Einherjath from dropping L'iyr off a cliff, and what the shells were they up to?

((He's very smooth, yes. Anyway, decent end point?))

[Stormy]

((Yes. :3 Would you like to move on to the next thread? ))

Shannara shook her head. "No, they're not difficult to care for, not after raising a dragon. They're not quite so big, as you can see. They may not be full grown, but they won't get too much bigger, either," she said. "They can be finicky at times, but every one can be, too." She gave a small shrug before he set the jacket around her shoulders.

But then he looked annoyed, albeit distant, and Shannara understood that the irritation wasn't toward her. Einherjath must have been calling for him. "No, I understand. Go!" she urged, even though he was already going. "Of course I'll give you your jacket back!" she called after him, watching him turn and sprint back toward the Weyr.

She couldn't explain the pang of disappointment at seeing him leave, and she didn't want to dwell on it too long. With another sigh, knowing there were probably chores for her to do or some such, she pulled the jacket a little closer to her and set off for the Weyr herself.