Participants:
| Date: | 9/6/10 |
|---|---|
| Location: | EW: Lakeshore |
| Synopsis: | Ciara and Suosith and Ahnika and Jhath encounter each other just before lunchtime and reaffirm their mutual interests, dreams, and friendship, no matter the color of their dragons. |
| Rating: | PG |
| Logger: | Ahnika |
Eastern Weyr: Lakeshore
With the brightest of contrasts, what once was a desolate, dry and empty scoop in the ground is now a full and luscious lake. Water laps against the shoreline in a gentle internal current, while in the very center, it seems almost eerily calm. A small sign hung on the highest bit of twine states 'LAKE HOPELESS' in forcibly fancy script, yet there doesn't seem to be any apparent reason for the title. Maybe one of the residents knows.
The sun is climbing steadily towards its peak by late morning, though one would be hard-pressed to tell thanks to the cover of white-grey clouds. It's hot though, almost muggy, and the edge of the lake is the perfect place for a young dragon to warm up. And that's exactly what Suosith is doing, curled almost feline-like at the lake's edge, her posture very prim and proper. She's watching the waves lap against the shore a few metres away from her, while Ciara packs away what would appear to be dragon-cleaning supplies into a waterproof bag.
Another dragonet is dozing in her after-bath and oiling nap as well, her mostly olive-green hide glistening with the extra oiling. Jhath’s been growing fast, faster than many of the other dragonets, but steady, and in a strictly regimented manner that one would expect from such a soldier-like, tall and stocky green. Unlike Suosith, however, Jhath’s found an outcropping of rock to nestle into, the better to make a defensive stand should she need to in her mind, and the better to remain unnoticed amidst the grass and mud as she ponders in her dreams how best to lay an ambush for Thread. Meanwhile, her lifemate is jogging the unofficial “track” around the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain ruggedly handsome cowboy man with an uncooperative runner to break. As Ahnika spots Ciara packing up on approach, however, the redhead slows down and works to catch her breath, pinching her gut to stay off any cramping, and waving to the gold-bonded weyrling with a glance to the fetching little rosy-gold dragonet by the lake’s edge. “Ci,” Ahni greets once in hearing range, slightly breathless from the exercise, but with a warm expression for her friend.
Ciara almost drops a bottle of oil when she hears her name called, and it's only after she's fumbled it back into a safer grip that she looks up to spot Ahnika approaching. At this point a broad smile brightens Ci's face, and Suosith swings her head to give a brief look at who the arrival is. Recognising Ahni easily, the gold turns her head to look around for Jhath. She looks almost confused when she can't see her sister. "Ahni!" Ci gets the bottle into the bag with a faint chink of glass against glass as it nestles amongst the other supplies. Her friend's out of breath state is noticed, with a puzzled look on her face. "Are you exercising? Or running away from something?" She adds the latter with a cheeky smile.
As she gets closer and comes to a stop beside the gold weyrling pair, Ahnika sketches a little bow toward the young gold, “Suosith, you look lovely as ever.” Then she grins at Ciara, which turns into a mock-scowl for the question, “Me? Run away? I run from nothing.” Then more in a humorous murmur, “Jhath would never let me forget it if I did.” She wipes some of the perspiration off her forehead side of her face with her sleeve and then sets her hands to hips in casual pose as she looks in the direction of her ensconced little “winged warrior woman” as she dozes, and then looks back to Ci and Suosith, smiling anew. “Are you doing well today?”
Suosith is more than happy to pay attention when she's getting a compliment, and gives up on trying to spot Jhath. She trills a happy note to Ahnika, a 'pleased to meet you' in a draconic sense. Ci smiles fondly at the interaction, before she's giving Ahni a quizzical look for her murmur. "Jhath's…working you hard?" She hazards, the sentence perhaps an oddly phrased one. She follows the direction of Ahnika's look, and the realisation of who must be hiding against that rock kicks in with a look of realisation. "Oh, yeah. Tired as ever…I didn't realise what a job being a dragonrider /was/. Well worth it of course," she adds in a warmer voice, Suosith getting another fond look. The gold is back to watching the waves now, spreading her wings to catch some of the weak sunlight. "How about you and Jhath?" Ci asks Ahnika, looking back at her friend.
A pleased look for Suosith and her trill, and then Ahnika returns her attention to Ciara as she speaks, smirking wryly and giving Jhath’s napping fort another look, “Not really. Not as much as the weyrlingmasters. Jhath actually makes it easier. She wants to train, so all the work the weyrlingmasters put us to, she embraces enthusiastically. I don’t have to motivate her to do it. I just have to try and keep up. She’s so much better at things.” Ahni gives her green another fond look from across the little distance, and adds, “She’s clever, Ci. Really clever. She loves talking and exploring various tactics and surprises me sometimes with the ideas she comes up with for solving problems. Really creative. Clever.” She uses the word again. And then she sort of shakes herself out of it and chuckles softly at herself before nodding to Ciara, “Yeah. It is quite a job. I thought being a Headwoman was a lot of work, and it is, but there’s more downtime there. You get breathers, if for no other reason than talking over paper work with a mug of klah and speculating on inventory. Here, no breathers.” She nods to Jhath, who apparently awakened now, sleekly eases up and out of her little fort and yawns before silvery talons dig into the lakeshore mud and she pads over to the other three, taking up a position beside her lifemate and bowing her head down respectfully to the young queen and her lifemate in sobering, ceremonious manner. “But well worth it,” Ahnika agrees with Ci with an affectionate rub of Jhath’s headknobs beside her. The dragonet, for all her sense of noble-bearing and dignity, leans into it a little, unable to help herself. The last question earns a warm look for her large green, “Bone tired, too, yeah. But getting on okay. We know that all the hard work now means better survival for us and those in our wing later.” Punctuating this, Jhath gives one of her larger-than-life necessary bugles, but it is brief, not the sort she uses to ”help” the other weyrlings wake up in the morning.
Dragon> To Suosith, Jhath sends on a toasty warm current of a low fire at the hearth, tinged with sleepiness for having just gotten up from her nap, and the fresh scent of incense, « Good day, m'lady. I trust you and yours are well? »
Ciara nods, listening to Ahnika's explanation with understanding. While Suosith may not be quite the same as the forthright, strong Jhath, she can understand and appreciate the other dragon's ways. She doesn't speak, however, until after Ahnika's stopped speaking about that issue. "And people told me greens were dumb!" Ci says, almost scathingly - though that's directed at the 'people', not at Ahni and Jhath. She nods more enthusiastically in agreement with Ahni on the training. "No…it really is a full-time thing. Even when you're resting it's like…you have to keep an eye on them, and talk to them, and all sorts. Always having to think about them and that." Suosith trills a happy sound to Jhath when the green comes over to join them, the note dropping and rising musically. It's cut off by Jhath's bugle, at which Ci flinches a little. "I'll never get used to that, even hearing it in the morning," the girl grins. "Yeah…it's going to be kinda scary fighting Thread. Though what I'll be doing…." She trails off, looking at Suosith thoughtfully. The gold is watching Jhath, and doesn't seem to notice her weyrmate's look.
Dragon> To Jhath, Suosith is, as ever, happy and light in voice and manner. « We are! Oh Jhath, you are ever so loud! » Though the words seem more teasing than annoyed. « Have you been sleeping over there? I was looking for you, when your rider came over. I thought you had to be around! »
Ahnika snorts at the notions of greens being dumb, “That’s as bad as saying women are dumb, and we know that ain’t the truth, don’t we? Not always.” Ahnika has met a few she would consider a little short on wits, but she’s seen that in men, too, so she says, “Everyone’s unique. Every dragon’s unique. The only thing we can say with certainty is that golds clutch and greens don’t.” Despite what clutching requires in order to happen, Ahnika doesn’t blush with the conversation, seeming rather matter of fact about it. It’s a fact of life. That’s all. But it’s the statement from Ciara about thinking about the dragons and their needs even when at rest, that has Ahnika going a little quiet and turning her attention toward the Feeding Pens, nodding, “Right. And not think about … other things so much.” Which is Ahni’s polite way in front of mixed company to say ‘guarding one’s thoughts of a romantic pursuit’. Then she chuckles softly, eyes unfocusing briefly for internal communication with Jhath, and she murmurs, “Sorry,” at the loudness sound of the bugle, dipping her head toward Suosith and Ciara just as Jhath does, apologetic. They straighten in unison, too, seeming to be synchronized a good bit in mannerisms as well as disposition. “What you’ll be doing will be just has hard and important, Ci,” Ahni finishes for her friend, seeming genuine and earnest in it, as well, “Just … in a different way.” There’s a pause as Ahni studies Ci a moment more, “I know they’re going to be training you in all the hidework necessary to run a weyr, and believe me, I was only getting started in learning what it took to be an assistant headwoman before I was Searched, but when they get started in all that administrative work and training for you, if you need any help, any help at all, Ci, you just let me know. I’ll only be glad to show you some of the odds and ends and tricks I picked up in running a cothold, and what I’ve learned from Indira since being here. I’m sure you’ll be fine, as smart and sensible as you are, but I’m here if you want help at it. Yeah? Or, you know,” she eyes Jhath and Suosith again, and then looks at Ci, “A shoulder.”
Dragon> To Suosith, Jhath offers in spreading warmth of that welcoming fire a bittersweet aura of wine along with that incense that wafts a little more potently, « I am glad to hear on't, m'lady, that you and yours are well. Mine oft thinks of yours. » A pregnant pause before she responds, « Aye, I was sleeping over there. Better to defend against any unwanted sieges to me or mine if I am in a defensible position while … taking my ease. » Because the word 'napping' is so undignified.
Ciara grins at Ahnika's snort. "Tsch. Women are supposed to be weak creatures, remember?" She takes on a tone that mocks that particular view on women. She gets more serious as Ahnika continues, and a slight frown and pinkness to her cheeks is apparent when the other woman talks about clutching. Yes, Ciara knows well enough what /that/ will entail doing beforehand to make eggs occur. Her eyes drift to look at the pens when Ahni looks at them, and a little, knowing smile worms its way onto her face. Though, her next words are more thoughtful than cheeky. "Yeah…focus on your dragon, not…other things." She clings to Ahni's turn of phrase, glancing over at Suosith almost guiltily. The gold coos happily though, eyes all blue and content as she watches Jhath, Ahnika, and her weyrmate. Ci grins at the unison between her friend and her dragon as the move in sync, but she looks more awkward than anything else as Ahni talks about duties, studying her. "Oh gosh Ahni…I don't want to be running to you for help all the time. It's not fair for you - you'll have Jhath and be doing your training and fighting." And she will admit: "I'm no good at organising…or writing really. I can write, just don't have to do it much. Why on Pern am I the one who's gonna have to do this running the place thing?" She bites her lip at her own words, looking at Suosith again. The gold has a touch of orange in her eyes now, concern for her rider no doubt. Ci looks back at Ahni, expression worried, but soft. "Thanks…I think…I think it's going to be kinda hard. Well, for all of us, when we have to fight…the paperwork doesn't seem half as scary as Thread. And you know I'm always here for you, right?"
Dragon> To Jhath, Suosith is content to feel Jhath's mental presence, intrigued by the feelings and smells that accompany it. Her own voice has the scent of sparkling wine to accompany it, pure sweetness in contrast to Jhath's more hearty smells. « Oh, Ci does of yours too! And of Balkrith's. I don't quite understand their friendship. » The feeling of a shrug, and then a giggle. « Oh, you think someone would attack you here? » She asks, and wide-eyed worry is evident in her tone.
Laughing softly, Ahnika makes a sweeping gesture of the weyr, “This whole sharding weyr is made up of strong women,” for the most part anyway, in Ahni’s mind, “so let anyone who thinks that about women come here on vacation, I say. We’ll show ‘im different.” But while the sun is largely behind clouds, Ahni catches Ci’s blush, and smiles sheepishly back, “Sorry,” regarding the clutch comment. Then adds, “Don’t worry, you’ve got two turns or so before you have to worry about any of that.” Or so Ahni thinks anyway. Her sheepish smile sobers and she shakes her head, looking like she might tug her friend up into a big tight hug if it weren’t for their dragons right there and they still being young, and the fact that Ahni doesn’t really know how Suosith would react to platonic love and show of affection. So, she remains where she is, but counters, still looking sober and serious, “No, Ci, really. I’m here for you. Anytime. I don’t want that to change between us, you know? I don’t want to lose our friendship because …” her voice trails off and she motions to the dragons, one gold, and one green, and the huge gap in rank between them now, if just by color alone. “I’ll always be here for you. Anytime. Whether it’s for something for the weyr, or something … more personal. Yeah?” She smiles a little then and puffs out her chest, affecting a deeper tone, “Well, then, it’s good that I seem to have a sort of knack for it, organizing things.” Then deflates with a chuckle and looks at Suosith, before looking back at Ci, “You know why, Ci. She’s the only reason you need, really.” Then Ahni leans forward a little, “You can do it, though. You’re extremely smart and diligent. You’ll be fine. I’m sure. I believe in you. Jhath does too. We all do.” Though Ahni really has no way of knowing the latter comment. Then Ahnika nods again, “It will be hard. Yeah. For everyone and for different reasons.” With this, there is another look toward the Feeding Pens, and then a glance back to Ci and she smiles a little at Ciara now saying she will be there for Ahni, and Ahni’s smile turns into an impish grin, “I will sneak away some sweetcakes from the kitchens and we’ll sit on your cot or mine and stay up and talk all night until we pass out … just like we used to.” And there is the more important subtle cue there that that would be after both their dragonets were asleep and they could think and speak more freely.
Dragon> To Suosith, Jhath slips into a companionable silence with Suosith's wine and hers, as Suosith speaks, but the rich air of incense remains as a token of her presence, indicating she is, in fact, respectfully listening. « Mine also thinks of her Champion, oft, as well, but for other reasons. » Some of the fire at Jhath's heart licks at tender meat on a spit, curious. « Balkrith's is friends with yours, and m'lady does not understand it. What perplexes you, m'lady? Perhaps I can investigate and shed some light on it for you. » Because Suosith is gold, and Jhath is ever the faithful and dutiful servant, and shares in some degree with her rider's desire to help and solve problems or mysteries. There is another pause and then Jhath concedes gently, « Not likely to be attacked by anything but Thread here, m'lady. I merely think it wise to always be prepared. Mine has taught me that we may not always know all of our foes until it is too late. »
Ciara sets a straighter posture at the 'strong women' thing, proudly nodding. Yes, she's definitely proud to be a part of such an establishment. She shakes her head at Ahni's apology. "Don't worry about it…I'll just have to go with the flow, hey?" She looks at the two dragons when Ahni gestures to them, absorbing the depth of the situation. "No," she says, and after the word has come out rather more sharply than she'd intended, Ci looks back at Ahni, expression determined, but a small smile on her lips. "I think they're going to be things we can't discuss with…" and she nods towards the dragons, "for whatever reason. So, I think it'll be good to have each other. Like we always have. And always will!" Her hands clench somewhat at her sides with her determined statement. Then she's grinning at the chuckling. "Maybe you'll be a Wingleader? Or Weyrlingmaster? I think you'd do a good job of organising people properly." She shakes her head, embarrassed at the compliments, but gratitude shows in her eyes as she looks at Ahni's face. "Thanks…I guess we'll have to see how I go - how we go." Suosith, sat quietly and neatly, gets a pointed look. The glance towards the pens does not go unnoticed, and Ci smiles in mute understanding, before laughing at Ahni's impish suggestion. "Just like old times…we won't let those times get away from us, will we?" It's more of a rhetorical question than anything else, and her expression is still determined.
Dragon> To Jhath, Suosith is quite happy to hear this little tidbit about Jhath's. « Other reasons? » The prod for information is subtle, and comes with an undertone of almost sickly-sweet perfume. « Oh Jhath, that would be so much to ask! You could be my - my investigationer! » The word is muddled, her vocabulary all mixed up, but the meaning, hopefully, there. « Oh, what good advice! I should share that with Ciara. »
Nodding with Ci’s ‘going with the flow’ statement Ahni can definitely understand, but tries to shut down any of her own fears about Jhath rising when she gets to be an adult. Cripes. Once a month? Maybe more? How will her relationship with Max ever survive that? But that’s about as far as it gets before Jhath might get the wrong unguarded thought and Ahni closes that pandora’s box in favor of another distracting thought. Grinning to Ci’s reassurance that things won’t change between them, Ahni’s shoulders relax a little and she nods, “And always will,” comes her quiet, but genuine vow, seeming pleased, then looking even more pleased at the suggestion of Wingleader or Weyrlingmaster. She eyes Jhath a moment, who mirrors the look by eyeing up at her lifemate, “You know,” she says, as if considering it for the first time, “We could do that, I think. We could. Jhath is so brilliant and strong and fierce.” Ahni blushes a little for the compliments thrown back at her, looking back at Ci once more, “But we’ll see. We still have training to get through and then there’s … the weyrleader.” Who from what little she’s seen and heard about the man, doesn’t strike her as the sort to really let a female greenrider try her hand at leading a wing. Ahni shakes her head a little and draws herself up to her full height and she looks suddenly determined, “We’ll just have to work that much harder to prove ourselves to them on just what we can do. Fortunately, it isn’t that difficult. After all, they’re just men. Isn’t that right, Jhath?” The green dragonet trumpets her agreement, loudly again, but brief at least. Then Ahni laughs, rubbing Jhath’s headknobs and shaking her head in mutual agreement that such good old times won’t get away from these two. This laughter subsides as something Jhath offers internally has Ahni going unfocused again and looking mildly confused, and then it fades and Ahni turns back to Ciara, “How are you getting on with the other weyrlings, then? And Rio and her gold?” Seeing as how they are practically gold sisters, even if not from the same clutch.
Dragon> To Suosith, Jhath seems comfortable with the presence of the perfume as it mingles with her rich incense, as if they compliment each other companionably in similar fashion to the friendship shared by their lifemates. « Aye, other reasons, m'lady. He is her Champion. Second only to me. Her concerns for him stem from not being able to speak with him or see him, from what I can gather. She is undergoing a Trial of Patience. After which, she tells me, she will have to host a Trial of Endurance for him. If the two are successful, their honor will be secured. Her thoughts for him are of a different nature, you see, m'lady. » There is a puffing up of the fire at the hearth, as Jhath fills with dutiful pride at the young gold's pleasure, more of the scent of rich wine being shared, and porcine beginning to turn on a spit, in mild celebration, « I am at your service, m'lady. » There is a small pause as the strategically minded green ponders, « First, if I may, m'lady, what are the things that have you perplexed. That will help me set the canines to the next clue of what is behind the whole matter. »
Ciara shrugs, looking at Ahnika with a twinkle in her eyes that speaks of mischief. "What about the Weyrleader? He can go…go boil his own butt if he thinks he can hold someone like you back from achieving something!" Maybe not the snappiest insult, but hey ho. Ci grins at Jhath's trumpeting this time, having expected it from Ahnika's bold statements. Her laugh comes after the green's agreement, strong as she soaks in Ahni's confidence. "Your Jhath's twice any male's dragon!" Suosith huffs, getting to her feet to trot over to Ciara and curl herself pointedly around her rider's feet. Hello, I'm here! Ci is quick to find the spot behind the gold's left headknob that makes her close her eyes in bliss when it's scratched, and that eases the gold's agitation about the lack of attention. "Oh, fine, I think. I…haven't really spoken to Rio much, to be honest. Suosith prefers me to pay attention to her…." Whatever else she wants to say has to go unsaid, with a glance at Suosith and then a pointed look at Ahnika and a helpless shrug. Her fingers continue to scratch that sweet spot on her dragon's skull.
Dragon> To Jhath, Suosith is able to listen well, for all that she can chatter with the best of them. And so she listens to Jhath, the occasional 'mm' and 'oh!' of acknowledgement coming from her in a bright soprano. « Oh, it sounds like such a difficult thing for them! Will she be all right, your rider? How horrifible! » She broods on it, but not for too long - she's seeking Ciara's loving attention, and there's a moment of distraction while she curls about her rider for some love. Once that's sorted, she's back to Jhath. « I should like to know why she thinks of Balkrith's so much. She does hide the reason from me…she should be thinking more of me! »
Ahnika laughs at the mere mental image of the weyrleader sticking his butt in a cauldron of water, which only seems to confuse Jhath, as she isn’t certain how in the world that could possibly help fight Thread. That’s the Weyrleader, after all. But she seems to forget that as Ciara compliments her, and instead, Jhath just stands a little taller on those silver-taloned feet with such stroking of her ego. She still leans into the headknob rubbing, though, let’s not get stupid or anything. Ahnika grins at the two dragonets and the headknob rubbing and Suosith wanting attention, shaking her head bemusedly. “Thank you for saying so, Ci,” Ahni says, expressing gratitude for both herself and her green, though there’s evident pride in her own grey eyes before she says, “Rio seems to be doing well, from what I’ve seen and talked to her. M’zen seems to be walking around a little dazedly at times, but if anyone can manage Tuorth, M’zen’s the one to do it, even if it takes some getting used to. Hadath and Andi and Enceth and Uveline all seem to have settled with one another pretty well, I think, though. And …” she furrows her brow a moment, trying to think of some of the other names of the weyrlings, the one she doesn’t spend as much time around.
Dragon> To Suosith, Jhath muses with a whispered rumble of prideful flame and the warmth from it, « Mine will be fine. She will always be fine. She is strong and she has me now. Together, we can withstand any trial. Some challenges are more difficult than others, but we will be fine now that we have each other. » More sprigs of dried incense is added and offers more spice to the air as she considers and continues, « Ours are undergoing strenuous training in addition to our own training together. In order to be safe and be with you always, » Jhath reasons, «she will have to think about other things and other people and other dragons on occasion, or risk misstepping somewhere and falling to Thread, or risk others under her command falling to Thread. She has much responsibility, yours does. You come first, I am certain, m'lady, but in the same vein of keeping you hale and safe, in order to do so, she must attend to other matters as well. How Balkrith's comes into play on't, I've yet to learn, but I will do so, for you, m'lady and report back to you. Perhaps he has some cunning plan with those turnips he hoards. »
Ciara simply grins back at Ahni, before she considers her assessment of the other weyrlings. Almost too quickly, she adds, "L'ron and Balkrith are a real pair," with good humour in her voice. Then she just as quickly moves on. "Um, and J'ret? and his bronze…they're quite interesting, I think." But she speaks as if she hasn't had enough experience with them to really draw on to give an opinion of the pair.
Dragon> To Jhath, Suosith adds her encouragement to Jhath's pride and strength. « Oh, she thinks a lot of others' safety. More than she realised I think! » The shimmer of glitter is in her mind's voice, an almost thoughtful presence. « Turnips. » Ah, yes. « His turnips. » She seems a little dark about that, a rather haughty mental sniff of disdain given for the vegetables. But her gratitude leaks through. « Thank you so much Jhath! I truly appreciate your eyes and ears. » And she means it, too.
Ahnika grins a bit more at Ciara mentioning L’ron and Balkrith, and she nods, “He’s sobered up a little with that blue, from what I can tell. Matured some. I’d bet Max wouldn’t even recognize him any more. He’ll do really well, I think, just as long as he can keep finding turnips.” There’s a small chuckle and Ahnika stops rubbing the headknobs of her lifemate, adding, “And K’din, too, with Jinith. Oh, and Isilna and Orteith. Now that was something I was not expecting at all. Glad they seem to be settling in well together, though. It’s true what they say, the dragons just know,” with regards to who to Impress that is. Their memories can be fuzzy about other things. But not their stomachs and with a glance back to Jhath, Ahni looks up in the sky, trying to track where the sun is and estimate the time. “And they know when lunch is on, too,” Ahni adds with amusement, “Y’coming? Or still got oiling to do?” She glances at Suosith and then back to Ci.
Dragon> To Suosith, Jhath rumbles with approval and respect and warmth, the fire and incense increasing slightly, « I am at your service, m'lady. Twould be an honor to assist anyway I can. I'll report my findings anon. We will get to the heart of the matter with alacrity, m'lady. » And with that, she withdraws, her warmth and incense fading, pondering this mystery and the tactics of investigating it out. But before she can strategize in earnest, she needs to eat. Victory never comes on an empty stomach!
Ciara smiles back, though the expression carries a hint of…something. "Turnips do seem to keep Balkrith going." She nods in agreement with the matter of Isilna. "Yeah, though…there are a few female blue riders. I just wasn't expecting Isilna - I thought maybe her on a gold, being a Lady and all that stuff." But Ci shrugs the matter off - it's not that important or concerning to her. "Nope, all done." And Suosith obliging releases Ci by unwinding from her legs, flicking her wings back and lifting her head so that she's in just the right ready-to-move pose. "Let's go get some lunch, eh?" And Suosith is beside her and just ahead as she starts off, setting her strides to stay in step with Ahni.
Dragon> To Jhath, Suosith sparkles with delight at Jhath's assistance. « Wonderful! » She continues to glitter with delight even as she withdraws from the conversation, her mind beginning to focus on the meal that's to come. There's that knot of youthful hunger, no matter how much she may like to try and ignore it.
Ahnika falls into step with Ciara as Suosith walks a little ahead of them, and on her otherside, Jhath marshals at a stately and dignified pace beside Ahnika, who falls into companionable small talk with her best friend as the resume getting caught up with each other, the initial stages of weyrlinghood having thrust some difficult schedules on the young women before now.
Closing Credit Theme Music: Glee Cast version - "Lean On Me"