Fishing: the act of catching fish [Muze&V'than]

[tovaana]

BT Month 8, Rylath & Saruth at 2 months old

Weyrling V’than :: Brown Saruth
Weyrling Muze :: Green Rylath

Where are we going?

“The beach, we’re going fishing with my sister.” He could feel Saruth gently go through memories and V’than helped him pick out a recent memory of Muze. Ah, Rylath’s. “Yes, and my sister.” ...And your sister? "I mean, she's my sister and Rylath's rider." He confirmed with a sigh, reaching out to touch his dragon’s chin that was tilted up at him as he considered his rider. It was getting better, the initial overwhelming questions and confusion that often came from his dragon was just part of the day-to-day care, and he was getting used to it. Saruth was also growing, but more physically than mentally, he was nearly twice the size of Muze’s green.

Fishing? Saruth’s voice came as an afterthought from what he had said just a moment ago, as if just remembering the other part of his question. “Yes, a useful tool to get one’s food. Muze and I offered to catch some… and we thought we could teach you and Rylath to catch some of your own meals too.” There was a moment of silence and V’than couldn’t help but grin. “Fishing. The act of catching fish my sweet dragon, c’mon, I’ll show ya.”

As he reached out with his hand to touch Saruth’s smooth chin once more, something giddy went through him. He wondered if the feeling was similar to the excitement Muze had had as a candidate, her eagerness to be a dragonrider. Now he was one. It wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t just an idea – it was happening. With his other hand he shifted the medium sized net (one he had borrowed from the staff, with the promise to return with fish) on his shoulder. He was used to larger nets, so he wasn’t worried about being able to toss it and pulling it back in… also, supposedly they were in a time before thread fell, so the fish would be out and about that morning looking for food.

Will I be using that to fish? Saruth had quickened his pace and glanced back over at V'than's shoulder with the fishing net. He was eying it with a whirling green gaze, curiosity emanating from the brown. “No…” V’than didn’t expound right away, figuring he would need to explain himself again anyways.

He also had tried to only talk mentally with Saruth for the first couple weeks, but found himself resorting to talking out loud, unless he didn’t want someone hearing him. He guessed that he sounded crazy with his one sided conversation, but it felt less crazy than having a conversation in his head. He knew it was his dragon talking to him, but there was still a disconnect between the fact that the voice he was hearing was the dragon…and that he wasn’t crazy. He had had dragons speak to him before, but nothing so consistent like the presence of his dragon.

Muze was already there on the coast; her pants rolled up and shin deep in the waves. Rylath was jumping over waves as they rolled in. She would look up often at Muze, balancing on her back paws to then leap over waves as they came rolling in with halfhearted energy and eventually flattening and simmering and retreating. Rocks of varying sizes scattered the beach, and Muze and Rylath were far past any of the closer rocks since the tide was out. The sun was just starting to rise off to their left, peeking over cliffs and casting deep shadows behind them.

Rylath saw them coming first. Muzemine, it is Saruth and your Vav’than! Muze turned and saw her brother approaching with Saruth. She waved a hand about the same time Rylath got bowled over by a wave. Creeling came from the speckled green and she came shuffling out of the water and sand. Oh my, that was cold. And wet. Cold and wet. Did you see that wave? It sure did get the better of me. That’s okay; I’ll just keep a better eye on those waves. ‘Yes, that’s an early lesson I learned. Never turn your back on the ocean. You have to respect it.’ Okay, I can remember that. Came the definite response and Muze just smiled a little as she sloshed out of the shallow waves. Rylath then continued to back away from the ocean, trying to keep up with Muze in her backward gait.

‘Oh Rylath…’ She was giggling as V’than approached with Saruth. Hello Saruth and Vav’than! “It’s V’than, Ry.” She said through her fading giggles. “Sorry, I still interchange between Vav and V’than in my thoughts – so she gets them mixed up.”

“It’s okay.” V’than said, bending a little to greet the green who came up to the man to bump his knees in greeting.

Hello Rylath. Hello Muze. Saruth’s more quiet voice projected to the two of them. Muze's eyes widened for a moment at the sound of Saruth, since she had rarely heard his voice in the two months of learning dragonhood firsthand. 

“Hi Saruth!” Muze said with a grin, sighing as the last of her giggling fit faded. “You sure are growing quickly.” She said in awe, glancing at the size difference between their dragons.

“There’s nothing to be jealous of, I assure you. Cleaning and oiling him takes long enough.” He said, his head wandering and landing lightly on Saruth. Saruth pushed his head into his hand, seeking reassurance that it wasn’t a bad thing, which V’than quickly let him know it was a pleasure to keep him fed and clean.

“True. Imagine what it'll be like when he's full grown!” Muze said, bending less than V’than had to touch her own dragon. Rylath wouldn't be nearly as large as Saruth, but she had noticed that her green had been somewhat larger than the other greens - almost comparable to the blues. Rylath had only been able to weave in an out of Muze’s legs for a short sevenday. With Muze’s short legs and the green’s fast growth, she stopped weaving the first time she overbalanced her rider. I am sososo sorry mymuze. She had been so remorseful and it had taken Muze much convincing and distracting to divert her young hatchling.

Mymuze says we’ll be catching fish! Are you excited Saruth? We get to find fish to eat!

Yes, 'fishing.' Saruth agreed, remembering the term V’than had just supplied.

“Alright, so they let me borrow a fishing net…Wait, did you get something to bring the fish back in?”

“Yup! That large basket over there. Though, I think they were optimistic in the amount of fish they thought we’d be able to get.” She replied with a smirk, motioning to a clam covered rock in the near distance where a basket sat in its shadow, along with Muze’s bag and leather shoes.

“You doubt my abilities?” V’than gasped in mock horror, one hand going to his chest as if she had stabbed him in the heart.

Muze rolled her eyes. “So, while you fish for the masses, I’m teaching Rylath and Saruth how to fish?”

V’than frowned lightly and momentarily. Then he smiled. “Yes, at least I trust your abilities to teach them to fish.”

Muze pursed her lips at this, “I mean… I guess it couldn’t be too different than fishing with a spear…” She mused, rocking on her feet thoughtfully. “Alright, fine. Go fish, we’ll search the tide pools. Though I can’t imagine finding any larger fish… it may be easier once they can fly – like those birds that dive after fish that are closer to the surface? Or a lake or river with larger fish…”

V’than watched her with a small smile as she went on speaking her thoughts.

“Oh, right. Go on…” She repeated. "Come on Saruth, Rylath – let’s scour the tidepools.” Muze cleared her throat, blushing from embarrassment at being caught in rambling.

“It’s fine.” He said, emphasizing ‘fine’, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. He knew that back at home his father or anyone else would have disproved the way she spoke so openly and often carelessly, but V’than was more amused than anything. She exchanged a bashful smile and offered a small smile and motioned for the dragons to follow her.

[tovaana]

V’than went out, wading out into the waves with his net already folded in a way he’d be able to toss it. Muze watched over her shoulder as he went.

Just make sure you don’t put your back to the ocean Saruth, the ocean must be respected!

Muze smiled down at her speckled green and directed her steps toward a cluster of jagged large rocks crusted with shellfish and sea-moss from being submerged during high tide. “So, you know how the ocean comes in and out? We want to find somewhere where fish would get trapped when the ocean is out.” She said, craning her neck to see if she could see the reflective pools of the tidepools in the cluster of rocks.

“Here we are!” The cluster of rocks went up to meet each other, but left a deep crevice where salt water settled. “Careful, the shellfish on the rocks can be sharp, the rocks too. Here, come up this way on the seagrass.” She directed them, thinking how she regretted leaving her leather shoes over by the basket and her bag.

There wasn’t enough room for Saruth on the rocks, so he paused on the kelp, watching from where he was. His head was at Rylath’s shoulder, so he was able to see into the reflective water. “Alright, Rylath, you first. There, see the darting movements?” They were tiny. That is fish? She puzzled, her face getting so close to the water that her breath sent soft almost-ripples on the surface. The fish in the water darted at movement. The dragon shifted her head so she could see past the reflections. “Yes, they are smaller… Look! That one’s a little larger…” but Muze was beginning to see how this probably wasn’t the best idea. At least it was a start, she had to be okay that perhaps they wouldn't catch any fish, but maybe start their dragons in learning how to be patient like a fisherman. “The goal is to move very slowly, and you have to wait very patiently until the fish is close enough. Then, when it’s within reach you strike – er, snap at it? I don’t think these fish are big enough to grab with your claws…”

Okay Muze, lemme try! I want to catch a fish, watch me. The way Rylath moved reminded Muze of the way she had chewed her food when Amagetith had told her some ridiculous lie about toxins and chewing too quickly. Rylath was now moving very slowly, her muzzle dipping into the water little by little. At first the entrance into the water scared the fish, but Rylath waited patiently with her muzzle in the water. Then suddenly she moved, but Muze was surprised that she moved suddenly out instead of into the pool.

Rylath coughed and shook her face, her chest moving up and down heavily. “Rylath, are you okay?” Muze crouched to hold her dragon, both hands resting on the speckled green hide. Oh, yes, I am fine. I just… er, ran out of breath while I was waiting. Muze laughed nervously for a moment, “Oh shells, Ry – I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you had to move…nevermind. Okay, so just wait just above the water, okay?”

They tried again, and again, and again – Rylath finally caught a small fish the size of two of her fingers. It was quickly inhaled. My, it will take a long time to get full on fish, fishing like this. Rylath commented as the meager fish settled in her stomach. The green was also flicking her tongue and making funny grimaces from the saltiness of the water.

“Yeah, maybe we should have tried fresh water to teach you guys how to fish.” She said with a sigh. Still, he let Saruth have a try, but he had even less luck than Rylath. They traded back and forth, and even found a different tidepool to try their luck.

Muze was so busy directing and conversing with the dragons that she hadn’t noticed V’than coming ashore and retreating multiple times to fill their basket with an assortment of large and small fish.

“How’s it going?”

Muze straightened at the noise, pushing away the frizzy hair that had escaped her pony-tail. Her brown eyes went directly to the burdened basket he carried with both arms, the wet net draped over a shoulder dripped – and the further she inspected she found that he was completely soaked. “You’re going to need a bath.” She said with a grin.

V’than rolled his eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

I did not catch any fish. Saruth said, some disappointment in the tone. V’than glanced at his brown that came striding eagerly forward to see what he had in his basket. How did you catch so many? V’than patiently showed what he had seen himself doing as he tossed the net and reeled it in…Often reeling in the net with no fruits of his own. V'than had found a place where a sandbar had started, so that he hadn't had to fight against the waves so consistently. He had had to throw the net over and over. His arms were tired and he knew oiling his dragon later would take even longer.

"It was..." Muze paused. "They learned a lot... but I think we should try a freshwater lake for our next fishing expedition." 

“Muze, would you get a fish for the two of these hard working dragons? I think they deserve a reward for their hard work.”

Oh, yes, please! I mean, if it’s not too much. I wouldn’t want to take what you did, but it does sound delicious.

Muze gave Rylath a smile and went forward to get a closer look at the fish. Her eyes widened at the haul. “Wow, Vav.. I mean, V’than…”

“Yeah, surprised me too. I mean, not the largest deep sea fish, but there are a few good meals here anyways.”

She nodded, speechless. She felt like she had accomplished little comparing the flopping fish to the fruitless teaching of the dragons. V’than seemed to gather her mood and shuffled the basket awkwardly in his arms.

“Thanks so much for teaching Saruth, next time we’ll find a better place to do teaching. C’mon, take this net from my shoulder, would you? Let’s deliver these, don’t you want to see the look on the cooking staff’s faces when they see what we’ve got for them?”

Muze relented with a smile, quickly grabbing two of the larger fish and tossed one at each dragon. Saruth caught his and tore at it, trying to not let it touch the sand. Rylath snapped at hers, but only got the tail, the rest of the fish slapped her in the face. Oh, you silly fish, stop that you. I want to eat you. Muze went into another fit of giggles as she took the fishing net from V’than’s shoulder so he could haul the heavy basket of fish back to camp.

V’than grinned at his sister, he liked the sound of her laughter. He noticed that she did it a lot more often since leaving the sea-hold, especially since impressing to Rylath. He awkwardly shifted the basket once more, trying to follow his sister at her pace through the cool morning sand.