A Fortress

[tovaana]

10th Month, 2761, right after Searching for a Cure

Brown Saruth

Saruth roused from his nap at the sound of the woman’s familiar voice. V’than thought about Riasu and interacted with her enough that the dragon didn’t have to rifle through his rider’s thoughts and memories to figure out who she was. He hummed quietly, to let her know he was there, his pale nose pointed in her direction. He realized that his rider was not there to speak to her, and he knew how much his rider cared for this person – so he didn’t want to offend by saying nothing at all.

V’than is not here. Should I call for him?

The brown directed his voice for the woman alone, his calm whirling gaze settling on the woman, who seemed a little unsettled compared to the other times he had seen her.

kevna

[kevna]

Riasu - Candidate

The pounding in her head almost kept her from differentiating Saruth’s voice from the other’s milling about in her mind, seeking to break down her barriers. But she heard him, his soft query, as her eyes adjusting to the dimmer lighting of their. A moment of disappointment caused her overflowing eyes to allow a few tears. But she again swallowed back the lump and the rest of the tears, mustering a small smile and shake of her head.

“No, that’s alright Saruth. Maybe I can spend a few minutes with you, give you some company?” She approached him, wincing at another pang in her head, causing her smile to falter somewhat. The disappointment passed did she actually want him to see her in this state? No. Not really. But their was this desire to leave and it battled with a desire to stay. Would seeing V’than had changed that? Tipped one side to the other side?

“You don’t mind if I sit with you, do you?” There was less effort in this smile, sadder and more exhausted. Almost a grimace with pain. She sat down with her back to the brown, leaning into his side so she could feel his warmth.

“I have this awful headache. It’s almost… overwhelming. It’s all the voices that seem to battle for attention. It was getting better, making distance between me and dragon’s helps the pain. But it didn’t last when we came back. Maybe it’s the emotions.” She laughed dryly; frustration apparent. “It’s hard to control the flow of voices when I can’t even control myself.”

[tovaana]

Brown Saruth

The brown watched her carefully, noticing her distress, even if the tears were too small for him to see in the dim lighting. He hummed affirmatively as she asked if she could stay – though he wasn’t in need of company, he could tell that she was. She was also important to V’than and even if he didn’t understand why she didn’t want Saruth to call for his rider, he could respect her wishes. She had come here to be with V'than, had she not? His tail moved in a whip-like motion, curling around the space around her, as if there were a bubble.

I don’t. He responded, wanting to reassure her that she was okay to be there with him. He lowered his head and rested it on his foreleg pointing back at her as she spoke. Saruth didn’t understand everything she was saying, but the part he did understand was that she was different. It was the connection between her and the dragons that allowed her to speak to any of them, and apparently she could hear them too.

Saruth wanted to help her, he wanted to protect her from whatever pain she was feeling – he knew if V’than were here he would do something to help her. The brown’s head lifted and he stretched closer to her, his tan nose nudging her comfortingly. It didn’t seem fair to her, to be feeling such a headache, especially if it was because of the dragons she loved. Dragons could be loud, but they could also shut it out and control it – but Saruth didn’t understand that she was hearing what he could not hear as well.

The brown then did something somewhat unconsciously. As he pressed his large face close to Riasu, curled protectively around her, he went to her mind as if to say something… but he couldn’t think of anything worthy to comfort her. Just as he was curled around her physically, he curled around her mentally, and then backed away, his head lifting from her to look at her with a questioning whirling gaze. What can I do to help? He seemed to want to ask, but instinctively knew there was nothing so per usual said nothing.

kevna

[kevna]

Riasu - Candidate

It was nice to know the brown wasn’t bothered by her presence, and he seemed to watch her as she rambled. She was rambling, she knew she was rambling. It felt good to talk and have the ever steady presence of a dragon to listen. This is what it would be like for her someday, when she had a dragon of her own. But it would be better, right? It would be more real. If she understood Saruth even a little, he was like his rider, caring-that was real of course-but there was no bond between herself and the brown, no real connection beside the fact that she could hear him when he chose to speak. Her only connection to him really, and it was an unwelcome invasive one she was sure.

A large comforting face pressed lightly into her, and she allowed herself to bask in his presence, his desire to comfort her. She smiled at his questioning gaze and opened her mouth to answer his unvoiced question… and suddenly the pain was gone. The voices were muffled as if there was a barrier between her and them. A gasp escaped her open mouth, and a hand slowly came up and rested on her head as if to make sure it was still there. She looked at the brown, her eyebrows drawing in and then raising.

“How did you-? What?” Her back straightened and she looked around her as if the answer could be there, and then back to the large brown dragon. “The pain is gone.” There was wonder in her voice, she could feel his presence, curled there protectively around her mind. He was the barrier. “You took it away, you magnificent beast!” Her voice was little over a whisper, but there was elation mixed in with it. She leaned back into the brown, relieved and feeling the gratitude and trying to pass it to him through their link, trying to let him know just how grateful she was.

“So, this is what it’s like to have a dragon to help… It… feels amazing. Almost effortless. Did... You know how to do that?” 

[tovaana]

Brown Saruth

Saruth watched her, just as surprised as she – wondering what she was going on about, what she could possibly be surprised at. He looked at himself, as if something had changed, and then back at her. Took it away? Took what away? Oh, the pain, she had mentioned pain…

He felt the gratitude through the link she opened between them, it made it easier to wrap himself mentally around her. There was a swell of pride that flowed through the brown, thinking it was exactly how V’than would have had it, he was sure of it. He was starting to relax, enjoy her simply leaning on him, when she posed the question. Know how? He shifted his head closer to her, considering the question. He wasn’t sure he had, he had just… Like this. He said, his tail shifting to curl more around Riasu in demonstration. And then he nosed her head, his warm sulfur breath washing over her face. But there. His head retreated, resting on his front legs, but watching the woman with his whirling gaze, pleased he had actually been able to help.

[kevna]

Riasu – Candidate

She watched in wonder as he curled around her, and then motioned to her head with his, nudging her gently. She reached up and scratched at his chin briefly before he pulled away. “So you just… curled around me mentally.” She reflected on his words thoughtfully. She leaned back into him again, comfortable. The throbbing in her head was relieved, the voices were muted by a bubble he had created. She had never thought it possible, at least not with a dragon not her own, and yet here he was, doing it. He had made the connection without her and then used it to create a barrier. She rubbed her head where the pain had been, still flabbergasted.

“Thank you, Saruth.” She said simply, leaning her head back against him, a small smile on her lips. “It’s so strange. I know that there are voices, I can almost hear them, but they are muted, almost far away.” Her voice was soft with her reflections. “I’m pretty sure my emotions, when they get the better of me, allow the voices to flood my mind. But this… It allows me to feel my emotions without the voices distracting me. It allows me to think and reflect, and figure myself out.” Again her voice was filled with wonder, but it was more muted, because now she was thinking again of Lo’qui, and of Jarath, and her mistake. “I did something bad, Saruth. I didn’t even think before I did it, and now my brother is beyond angry with me.” Her voice faded and she gave a sad smile. “And I overreacted, I think. Shards.” She rubbed her head again and shook her head.

“I don’t suppose I could just sit here with you for a little while? This… It feels amazing.”

[tovaana]

Saruth

He hummed at her thanks, his mind still touching hers. It was easy to touch her mind, far easier than any others – not that he tried often to do so, but it was like there was a channel directly to her mind, while for others one had to actively search for a door. The large brown listened to the woman, his mind more concentrated on staying around her than the actual words she spoke. He also thought about V’than, thinking how glad he’d be that this person that he liked so much was happy. Part of him wanted to tell V’than that Riasu was there and happy, but she had seemed to want to be alone from her earlier words.

The brown’s eyes had started to grow heavy, just resting his eyes every other moment, the slowly whirling eyes occasionally opening to look at Riasu. They opened at her inquiry and he blinked. As long as you’d like. And his eyes fell close, but his mind still aware of the candidate’s back up against him, and her mind actively connected to him.

[kevna]

Riasu - Candidate

She noted his growing weariness, the way his words seemed more fatigued than before. She gave a small smile, she would keep her words to herself, allow him to rest while she sat in this comfortable bubble, he had so effortlessly placed over her. Her thoughts ran as free as her emotions as she considered what had occurred between Lo’qui, Jarath, and herself. She considered his words more carefully, flinching again as she remembered the way his face had twisted. He had looked at her like he never had before. She had lost him.

The consideration to leave jumped to the forefront of her mind. The possibility of heading back to Ierne Weyr, living with her mother again, near her brothers-it just didn’t seem appealing. Here she was her own woman, making her own decisions, free from the fears and disappointments of her mother. But she could be free elsewhere as well. She had made friends who had moved onto other weyrs, like Benden and Fort… She could go anywhere she supposed. Her gift was special, and she was sure if she informed the weyrleader of any weyr, she would be accepted and utilized. Placed on the sands. Given all the opportunities she so craved.

Time passed, she was unsure how much. She even dozed for a short time, tucked up against the warm slumbering brown. When she woke, she decided it was time for her to depart. She considered waiting for V’than-but decided maybe lying-in wait in his room would give him the wrong idea about her. She grimaced and stood, stretching out the kinks she had developed while sitting up against the brown. Riasu moved to the door that led outside, and she glanced back toward Saruth. “Thanks again, fella.” She murmured, not expecting him to hear her, and then she turned and left. Feeling refreshed. Stronger, if still a bit confused about where her future lay. She wasn’t in any rush.