Wandering About

[Riler]

Riler stretched his arms out over his head as he stepped out of the Candidates Barracks, yawning loudly. He quickly covered his mouth with one of his arms, trying to not seem impolite, even though he was, more or less, alone. He shook his head fiercely, trying to wake himself up. He let his shoulders drops to his sides, heaving a sigh as he tried to think about what he should do. He hadn’t really explored the Weyr that much in his short time here, so he decided to continue on his explorations.

He walked around for a while, observing a few locations he’s seen before, and a few others he had not. After an hour or so, he found himself in the Weyr Bowl. Across the Bowl, he spotted a fence. Riler casually walked over to it, curious as to what it held. As he reached it, he noticed that the pen held heardbeasts.

Rather disappointed from his find, he looked to the left to have his eyesight blinded by some glaring object. Once he had shielded his eyes, he could see the lake. He walked up to the lake, gazing into its clear depths. The ground was grassy, and he found it to be a very comforting area. He sat down on the edge of the lake and slipped off his boots, placing them beside him. He dropped his feet into the lake, letting the cool water bath over them. He let his eyes droop closed and let his arms fall behind him, supporting his body upright.

[Wolf]

In range of the boy lay a girl, resting upon the soft grass. She was curled up on her side, blondish-brown hair flowing over her shoulders. The blond in her hair came in streaks, appearing that way due to sun exposure. Her pale face held no emotion-it being easy to think that she was sleeping with the light rise and fall of her chest. At first glance it would seem as if she was alone yet behind her, also curled-up, lay a Gold dragonet. Her golden hide glinted, it having been recently oiled.

The tinier Golden dragonet raised its head, having heard the sound of someone approaching. Her eyes whirred a blue of contentment as a boy she didn't recognize came into view. Gently the dragonet butted her head against the young girl's back-causing her to stir. "What is it Serinth?" she asked, yawning tiredly. Serinth prompted her rider to sit-up, so she did.
We are not alone, the dragonet sent to the girl's mind. Wolf gave Serinth a curious look, glancing around. Her hazel-green eyes soon fell upon the boy that Serinth had spotted. Wolf tensed, not at all recognizing him. "He must be new here," she whispered aloud. Serinth gave a curt nod of her head, agreeing. Should I go upto him? she privately asked, not wanting the boy to spot her and think her rude.

Serinth gave her a small speech about how it was best to try and expand her group of friends as much as she could. Wolf sighed, smiling at the Gold while she mentioned that her rider needed to escape her shyness. "Alright, alright," Wolf whispered. Serinth stood-up, fanning out her wings, tugging on Wolf's pant leg with a claw. Wolf shooed her off, a wide-spread grin forming upon her face as she too stood. Soon the pair had made there way over, standing next to the boy, prepared to greet him.
I want to swim! Serinth shouted to Wolf, racing to the other side of the boy. The Gold dived-in, accidently side swiping Riler. Wolf looked horrified when he was knocked into the water. "Serinth!" she screamed, "now he'll hate us for sure!" Wolf looked out over the water, desperately attempting to spot her dragonet. "Wait... can he even swim?" she asked herself aloud, feeling the beginning of a heated panic-attack coming on.

Stripping off her tunic she jumped into the water, Serinth surfacing at that exact moment... Are we playing hide and seek? Serinth asked aloud, confused. She had not realized that she had collided with Riler nor had she realized that her rider had dived into the water incase the boy needed saving.

[Riler]

He heard the patting of feet on the ground, the sound growing closer and closer. He opened his eyes just in time to see some gold object rush past his face and hit him in the side. He stumbled forward at the might of the push, falling into the cool crystal depths of the lake. He was stunned for a moment, confused as to what happened.

When the immediate shock had passed, he realized that he needed to reach the surface of the water, for he was running out of air. He reached his arms forwards and began to paddle, breaching the surface. He gasped for air, shaking his head violently to get the strands of hair out of his line of sight. He began turning around in the water, searching for the gold object that struck him, when he spotted a gold face poking out of the water. It was a queen dragonet, he concluded, that hit him. ‘But, where is her rider?’

It was in that moment that the dragonet’s rider decided to surface out of the water. Riler looked at her for a moment as he continued to catch his breath, hovering in the water, too confused to say anything. He wasn’t sure what had happened, exactly, and hoped that the rider could possibly give him a clue as to why her dragonet had decided to deem him push-able.

[Wolf]

Wolf pushed her way to the surface, eyes open. She spotted the sun through the watery depths, kicking desperately with her feet. When she broke the surface of the water she took in a deep breath, gasping for air just like Riler was. She rubbed her eyes, pushing her wet hair out of her face. She coughed a few times, not that great a swimmer. Her eyes met the boy's while she treaded water. "I am so sorry!" she said loudly, closing the gap between them. She was now swimming in front of him, hoping that he wasn't the kind-of soul that got angry easily. She bit her lip in anticipation of a possible outburst. She then realized that not saying anything looked bad on her. "I was coming over to greet you when Serinth got a little too enthusiastic..." A sheepish grin crossed Wolf's face, her eyes drifting from his face to her dragonet. "She really wanted to swim." Then, without warning, Wolf began laughing. Her laughs subsided to snickers, still aware that she had to wait to see what he'd say. She met his gaze yet again, her eyes alight with playful humor.

"I'm Wolf, rider of Gold Serinth" she introduced herself. She inclined her head to where the Gold was bobbing about in the water. "That little heap of boundless energy over there is Serinth." The Gold swam over to them, embarrassed by her actions. Tell him I apologize, Serinth said, head hung. "There there, I'm sure he'll understand," Wolf told Serinth aloud. "She says she's sorry" she informed Riler politely.

[Riler]

Riler was bemused by the girl’s, Wolf’s, reaction. Her emotions changed drastically, it seemed. She went from apparent worry, to laughter, and then began speaking as if this were a normal situation. Startled, be said, “I-it’s alright, don’t worry about it. I was thinking of going for a swim, anyways.” In truth, he really did consider it. The air was warm, and he became hot as he walked around the Weyr.

Riler grinned at Wolf as she laughed. When she mentioned that her dragonet, Serinth, apologized, he quickly added, “Really, it’s no problem. I was just startled, is all.” He half said this to Wolf, and half said it to Serinth directly. “M-my name’s Riler. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” He turned his head to look at the shore, and began to swim in that direction, still watching the pair with earnest. He pulled himself up on the shore, sitting in the same position he was moments before, before he was knocked into the water. He casually asked Wolf, eyes moving from her to the ground next to him, “Would you care to sit next to me?” He watched her with curious amusement, wondering what her next action would be.

[Wolf]

Wolf watched the boy with uncertainty, he seemed ever so polite-or at least that was her first impression of him. She watched as he swam back to shore, unsure of what she should do. "W-well..." she stuttered, "it's nice to meet you, ah, too." She looked back at Serinth, surprised by Riler's question that followed. Serinth dived under the water, coming back up near the shore, seeming to be enjoying herself. Wolf watched her in puzzlement, trusting Serinth's judge of character.
He seems nice enough, Serinth said, having sensed that Wolf was waiting for her to say something.
Wolf smiled, swimming to shore. "I'd love to," she replied, hoping the boy didn't mind that her reply had been somewhat delayed. Wolf wasn't the type to be trusting of others so quickly. She pulled her wet body out of the water, seating herself beside him. She was soaked from head to toe, water droplets dripping off the ends of her hair. Her long hair was sticking to the sides of her face, which was slightly annoying. She unstuck her hair, winking one eye closed. Her focus then returned to him, already having in mind a few questions to ask. "If you don't mind my asking, what is it that your doing here at the Weyr?" she asked him, curiosity dousing her expression. She shifted her position a bit, a *squish* sound coming from her wet pants. She was thankful for Rukbat's warmth today; it making her not mind being wet so much.

Serinth was now swimming further away from shore, enjoying the sights of the fish beneath the water. She was actually attempting to befriend them, becoming sad every time that a group of fish darted away from her.

[Riler]

As Riler waited for an answer from her, her watched as the little dragon drop back down in the water, only to resurface closer to the shore. He watched the dragonet in apprehension, aware that the two beings were probably communicating with each other. He kept a smile on his face, longing to be able to do that with a dragon of his own, someday.

Wolf responded and swam over to the shore, sitting next to him. Riler shifted his attention from the surface of the water, back to the girl. He noticed that her hair was sticking to her face, which only reminded him he was in the same state, more or less. He put his hands onto his face and ran them over his head, pulling his hair back behind his head, before leaning his head forward and letting the wet strands of hair fall down his face. He moved the hair to the side of his face, giving him a clear view of the women before him.

Once she had asked her question, he quickly responded in an optimistic tone. “I was brought here as a Candidate a few days ago. I was just exploring more of the weyr this morning, which brought me to here.” He spread his arms wide, indicating that ‘here’ was the lake. He began lightly patting the lake with his feet, causing small ripples to spread on the surface of the lake. He added in a quieter tone, “It’s very beautiful here.”

[Wolf]

Wolf seemed happy by his response. "A Candidate, really? That's awesome, you'll love it here at Dark Moon." It seemed like her days of Candidacy hadn't been that long ago, since in truth-it hadn't. "I was a Candidate not that long ago, but then the hatching came..." She smiled warmly at recalling the memory of her impression, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "It really adds a new outlook on life," she explained. She watched him position his hair until he spoke again. "Yes, it's very beautiful here. It's my favorite place actually, I've found myself coming here a lot lately." Wait... if he was new here then... would he have someone to show him around? The thought dawned upon her, excitement bubbling forth. "If you don't have someone to show you around," she blurted out, "I would love to." Wolf pretty much knew her way around the Weyr now, it was-after all-her home. "Not now perhaps but... later." She looked ever so hopeful, her hope shining through her eyes.

For one who spent so much time outdoors Wolf's skin was rather pale. Her legs made up most of her length, standing at 5'5" in height. Being only fifteen turns she still had time to grow, which delighted her since she wanted to be taller.
Serinth continued her awkward activity, not at all bored. Fish, fish! Serinth sent to Wolf gleefully. What about them? Wolf asked, suppressing a chuckle since she knew that Riler would not understand what it was about. There fun to play with!

[Riler]

He nodded in an understanding fashion, though he couldn’t relate to her statement. He could very well guess that being Impressed changed your life, but obviously, he couldn’t say that from a first person perspective. He also nodded when she, too, agreed that the lake was beautiful. He wasn’t at all surprised that this was her favorite place. Out of all of his short travels throughout the Weyr, this was by far his most favorite place.

She seemed almost hesitant to ask whether or not he’d like to go on a tour of the Weyr later on. He didn’t understand why she’d ask him in the first place, or why she’d be so hesitant to ask. Though, she did seem earnest in her asking, and he would like to learn more about the place, so maybe it’d be a good experience. Riler smiled, thankful for the offer, and said, “It’d be an honor, Miss Wolf.”

Riler watched her with curious interest as she fell silent, almost oblivious to the world. He didn’t make any mention of concern, just watched her for a moment. Wanting to break the silence, he commented, “You sure have a strong dragonet, she nearly blew me off my feet!” He grinned, trying to spur up an interesting conversation. “What do you do for fun around here, besides pouncing on unsuspecting Candidates?” His face showed a smug expression as he teased her.

[Wolf]

A small blush came to her cheeks at him calling her 'Miss Wolf.' She didn't comment on it, rather she proceeded to answer him. "It'll be fun," she replied in response to his agreeing to her showing him around the Weyr. Laughing she took a breath before speaking, "I'm afraid to see how strong she'll be once she's full-grown. What do I do for fun? Hm, well most of the time I just come here to swim and hang-out with friends. Sleeping and eating are another two of my favorite pass-times." Her voice reflected his teasing. "Taking care of Serinth is a life-style so I'm lucky to get some time to myself, if ever. I have Weyrling lessons, chores, and other duties to tend to." She frowned, muttering something about how she hated chores. 'Who doesn't?' she thought.

'This is awesome, a new friend!' Her clothes were quickly drying off, though she was already feeling like getting back into the water. Talking to Riler was fun, and to her ultimate surprise she was comfortable doing so. She laid back on the grass, head tilted so that she could still look upon him. She gently placed her hands over her stomach, still feeling tired somewhat. She knew that as the day went on her tiredness would most-likely ware off. 'I hate being tired.' "The Weyrwoman is an amazing person; there are a lot of amazing people here. I can honestly say I'm proud of this Weyr." She was mirthful of the fact that this boy now had a chance to be apart of the Weyr too, nothing felt better then that.

Serinth surfaced, none of the fish wanting to be her friend. She tried not to look to disappointed, focusing on the feel of Rukbat warming her hide-the water keeping her cool.
I'm glad we decided to come here, you are making more friends, yes?
He's really nice, that much I know.

[Riler]

He couldn’t help but chuckle at her mention of liking sleep and eating; he, too, liked to partake in these actions. However, he also liked walking around with friends, swimming, simply talking, among other things. Apparently, she and he both shared some common interests. This made him feel more homely, being with someone who shared his interests. When she mentioned chores, he gave a small shudder. He could’ve sworn that she mentioned something about hating chores, but it sounded so quiet he wasn’t sure if he heard anything at all.

“I haven’t really met a lot of people, but from the short few I have met, the people here seem very kind. It’s very different, living here; much different from my home at the hold.” Most of the people at Galsden Hold were friendly enough, though it took him years to attain their respect. When he was a child, they were always admonishing him and scolding him for simple, petty mistakes. It wasn’t until a year ago that they lightened up considerably, once he had stopped causing so many problems and mistakes. To keep the conversation going, he asked, “Where did you live before you came to the Weyr? Or, did you grow up here?”

[Wolf]

They did seem to share the same interests, which made Wolf all the more happy to be here-with someone who did. As he mentioned his Hold not having had people who were all that friendly she frowned, the memories she always tried to forget coming back to her in a rush. "Ah, no, I grew-up in a Hold" she answered quickly. Her past was very dark, she often wished that she could just forget it all but, alas, it just wasn't possible. Wolf did her best to look to a better and brighter future though her past still haunted her. "I'm sorry to hear your Hold wasn't as... peachy? I can assure you that one never feels left out here. If you ever need someone to hang out with or someone to talk to you can look-me-up." She winked at him, reaching out to him-which was a bold move for her. "When I first came here I was scared, and a really complex individual..." She closed her eyes over, soon reopening them to gaze back into his. "There should be another hatching soon."

Serinth listened in on there conversation, coming to shore, slipping out of the water. She curled up in the sun, attempting to get some rest. The friendly voices were soothing to her so it wasn't long before she was fast asleep...

Wolf could see her from where she lay, thankful that the dragonet was taking some time to sleep rather then complaining she was hungry. Her attention was now undivided, her full focus upon Riler.

[Riler]

Riler smiled a bright grin, appreciating the fact that she was making the attempt to comfort him. He never received much sympathy as a child, so he didn’t really know how he should react to her, so he just smiled and nodded, feeling safe because of her words. “T-thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Though, I’m not really one to complain, unless something ‘really’ frustrates me; then I’ll never let ya hear the end of it.” She winked at him, which made him feel confused; ‘Is she flirting with me?’ He passed the thought along, assuring himself that he was just jumping to conclusions.

When she said that she was scared when she first came here, he was somewhat relieved. This was something he could relate to, firsthand. “I know what you mean. When I arrived, I was immediately frightened. Even right now, I’m still pretty nervous about doing something stupid and being evicted from the Weyr from some stupid mistake.” He blushed. “It sounds stupid, I know, but hey, you can’t help what you feel, can ya?” At her mentioning that there might be another hatching soon, his heart skipped a beat as he filled with wondrous joy. “Really? That’s perfect!” He beamed at the mentioning of it, filled with vigorous hope that he could be picked by a dragon of his own.

Riler turned his head to see where Wolf was looking, to see Serinth curl up behind him. He stared at the dragonet as she rested on the ground for a moment before returning his focus back to Wolf. With the thought that a Hatching may soon occur, he couldn’t help but ask, “What is it like? Impressing, I mean.” He had always wondered about what phenomenon occurs in that instantaneous moment. He had never been to a Hatching, so he wasn’t aware of the events that occurred there.

[Wolf]

Wolf chuckled, not at all minding if he vented when he was around her. She often needed someone to vent to as well-since it always made her feel better when a friend was there to listen. "Don't worry about it, I enjoy listening so if you ever need to? Vent away. You don't need to be afraid, most times when you slip-up the Weyrwoman is very understanding. You'll fit in here, it's just a matter of time. Before you know it you'll be making great friends and you'll feel like home." Wolf smiled brightly, that having been exactly what took place with her.

She hadn't really considered how her wink could have been interpreted, rather she had just focused upon being as friendly as possible. She liked to see other people happy and the mention of a hatching had definitely made Riler happy. She contemplated how to describe her impression. She knew what it felt like but it wasn't as easy to put into words, though she'd try her best so he could understand what it was going to be like. 'I can't believe I'm the one explaining this now, before I was the one asking' she remembered. "Impression is liking having a joint mind, it's scary but at the same time comforting. You get used to it after awhile and it becomes natural. When your standing there on the hatching sands, watching the dragonet's hatch. You get this nervousness feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes you want to be sick and rejoice all at the same time. Then when that voice enters your mind, that feelings disappears just as quickly as it had came." She didn't look away from him, keeping eye contact so he could see the emotions passing over her face as she spoke.

"One day you'll experience that too, maybe even sooner then you think. In my opinion, not that it means much," she laughed "I think your going to make a great dragonrider."

[Riler]

Riler nodded, thankful for how she was acting. She seemed like such a kind, young girl. He was very glad of his energetic Serinth knocking him into the lake. Otherwise, they might not have had such an interesting conversation. He also felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders at the mention that the Weyrwoman was understanding. Of course, this didn’t mean he could slack off in his acting polite and respectful, but it reassured him that if he did make a mistake, he could be forgiven. He gave a small, inaudible sigh of relief.

He made note of her words about the hatching, trying to imagine the actual feelings. Her facial expressions helped him with this. He couldn’t really imagine, though, feeling sickness and joy at the same time. He assumed that it was a ‘you-had-to-experience-it-to-understand-it’ type of experience. Somewhat let down by this, he was immediately reassured by her saying he’d experience it.

His face blushed deeply when she mentioned he could make a great dragonrider. He didn’t really know what to say. He didn’t handle compliments that well, but he didn’t want to be rude. Knowing that his face was red, he mumbled a “T-thanks.” His eyes drifted away from her face, embarrassed by her comment. He calmed down his breathing, realizing that he had been breathing uneasily. “S-so,” he said, looking back up to her face, his face returning back to its normal complexion, “I-Is there anything else I should know about this Weyr that someone new might not know?”

[Wolf]

Wolf stared up at the cloud formation overhead. 'He reminds me a lot of myself,' she thought. She easily got nervous as well, though she often did her best not to show it. "Well, when I think of something I'll... I'll let you know." Her gaze returned to him, feeling bad that she had made him embarrassed. She leaned on her elbows, looking out at the lake before her. "You want to go for a swim?" she asked, starting to get hot again already. She slipped into the water before hearing his answer, looking up at him questioningly. She didn't want him to get bored of talking with her, she was always worried about seeming like a boring person to others.

"I promise nothing will knock you in this time," she teased, now floating on her back. She felt weird looking up when she was floating like this, feeling almost as if she was floating on thin air. Wolf leaned forward, treading water as she waited for Riler to make a decision. Serinth was still fast asleep and would probably be hungry when she woke-up. Wolf was feeling somewhat hungry herself, but not hungry enough to leave the lake just yet. She felt like getting in as much fun-time as she was able to right now.

If it hadn't of been for Serinth she would have never met this boy, what a disappointment that would have been. 'It feels good not to be alone.' It's not that she felt alone when Serinth was with her it's just that when other people were around she felt all the more happier. Wolf never did very well on her own, getting depressed easily.

[Riler]

Wolf quickly lowered herself into the water, not leaving him any time to answer her question. With her last comment, he gave a soft chuckle as he rose to his feet. He responded teasingly, “And I was looking forward to being pushed into the lake.” With his dexterous fingers, he quickly removed his shirt, discarding it onto the grassy ground below him. He wasn’t ashamed of his pale-framed body; he always swam with his friends in a small pond at home, so he was often shirtless. He took a bit of a running start before diving gracefully into the lake, letting the cool water sweep over his warm body. He breached the surface of the lake, breathing heavily as he swerved around so he was facing Wolf. Riler swam closer to her until he was a few feet away. He simply hovered in the water for a moment, watching her, before he pulled his arm behind him. He then thrust his arm forward, palm outstretched, spraying water directly into Wolf’s face. He grinned as he watched Wolf’s face get covered in water, hoping that she’d take it in a good manner; he assumed she would.

[Wolf]

Wolf watched while he prepared to come into the water, again not really giving too much thought to her actions. When it actually came to mind that he might take her staring the wrong way she looked away, swimming in tight circles. She heard a splash, flipping around at the time that he had gone under the water. She turned about, trying to find the place he would surface at. "Riler?" she called, he soon surfacing a good distance away from her. She smiled, watching him curiously, unsure of what his intentions were since he was silent. As he came closer to her she continued to watch him with the same curiousness.

Soon she was coughing and splattering at the water that he had splashed at her. Right after she had started breathing regularly again she was laughing. "Don't think your getting away with that!" she yelled, closing the gap between them. She put her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back playfully. The sly smirk on her face proved that she meant no harm in her actions-rather she was just trying to have some fun. "Take that," she said mockingly. She quickly dived underneath him, coming-up behind him for a surprise attack. 'He won't know what hit him' she thought, loving to devise master plans.

Serinth did not stir despite the volume at which Wolf was speaking. The water that splashed her hide only managed to make her shift her sleeping position, tail straight out behind her form. Her hind leg twitched out, the Golden dragonet laying sprawled out on the grass.

[Riler]

As Wolf approached him, Riler couldn’t help but grin at the smile that was on her face. She gently placed her arm on his shoulder, pushing him back ever so lightly. He couldn’t help but cackle with laughter. Then she dove down beneath the surface of the water, leaving him to wonder where she’d pop out. He looked down into the water, hoping to be able to see her swim off in some sort of direction. He didn’t see much, mainly due to the sun glaring on the surface of the water. He looked around the lake, starting to get a little nervous, when he heard a splashing sound come from right behind him. He then realized that, much to his own stupidity, he forgot to check right beneath himself when looking for her.

((OOC: *stares sadly at his short post* Bleh. x.x )

[Wolf]

Wolf kicked her feet, coming right-up from under him silently. She threw her arms around him from the back, doing her best to pounce on him in the water. "Take that!" she yelled, eyes alight with victory. She would have yelled: 'I win, I win,' but she was too afraid of sounding cheesy. She laughed, holding onto him just tight enough that if he went forward she'd go with him. 'What will he do?' she wondered, loving the anticipation. Play fighting was something this girl never took for granted, she loved it-even though she knew how childish it probably seemed to others.

This was Wolf's day-off before attending Weyrling Lessons and she was loving how it was going so far. 'Calm and relaxing,' she thought, hoping to have more days just like this one. Wolf was already trying to come up with a counter to various retaliating actions that Riler may do.