Consequences Be Damned

[Taxx]

T’vir lay back on his bed, arms outstretched and legs hanging off the side. He was bored. What was there to do when he was bored and rather too lazy to get up and find something to do that was fun? Brauth was curled on his couch, dozing; T’vir considered following his example, but he wasn’t really tired so… now what?

He envied Brauth for being content enough to sleep. Rolling himself upright, he watched his blue for a moment, before gently prodding him mentally. Brauth. Wake up.

One eye slid open, another shade of blue visible between his lids. Brauth turned to T'vir and blinked awake. He rolled to one side and stretched hugely, toes quivering with the intensity. T'vir watched until his blue rolled upright again and started wiggling toward him on his belly, head outstretched to his rider.

I'm awake, Mine! Bright and cheery, the blue reached his goal and paused, placing his chin on T'vir's knee. He hummed happily as T'vir patted him, eyes sliding closed again.

Call Draveth? See where he and M'kal are and maybe we can do something.

Doing something, especially with T'vir, sounded good to Brauth, and he reached out. Draveth, Mine wants to know where you are, so we can come to you.
Zen

[Zen]

M’kal :: Bronze Draveth

Winter was technically over, but it sure didn’t feel like it to M’kal. It was only the second winter he’d ever experienced and he decidedly did not like it. It rarely even got chilly in Cove, much less actually cold. He didn’t understand how people who lived in places even colder than Mavros did it. He’d flown a couple sweeps near Jask this winter and it was almost as bad as flying through between. Or maybe worse. Between didn’t soak you with snow. A chill went through him just thinking about it and he took a long drink from his cup of steaming klah. It was supposed to be spring, and yet blustery winds still blew in from the sea, chilling everything. At least there was no more snow. Snow was horrid. Not a day had passed this winter when he hadn’t longed for Cove’s warm beaches, though he supposed, grudgingly, he would not trade Draveth if it meant he never saw another flake of snow in his life.

The bronze followed this thought with amusement, I don’t know why you hate it so much. It isn’t so bad. You can’t even remember the last time it snowed. Your memory is clear enough. It wasn’t so cold. Dragons are built differently from people. Your kind hardly seems to feel cold. That’s because we’re better. Zyrath has that right, at least. M’kal grimaced where he sat in the dining cavern, Please don’t bring her up. The bronze’s amusement became plain once more, I was speaking of my sister, not yours. Though they are both similarly difficult. They suit each other, M’kal agreed dryly, taking another drink before popping a bite of fruit into his mouth. It was between meals but he’d found himself a bit hungry so he’d gone to see what he could snack on, leaving Draveth to his sunning.

It was a nice change from Cove, at least, being able to go to the kitchens and grab a bit to eat whenever the need arose. There had been times when they were younger that they were lucky to have food at proper meal times, thanks to their mother’s irresponsible nature, and trying to pilfer something from the kitchens she worked in was likely to get you a good swat with a spoon at the least. He had a rather vivid memory from when he was quite young… he couldn’t have been more than five or six, waiting patiently for all the food that had gone out to people far more important than him to return so he might be allowed to pick through what remained to take back to Isali and their baby sisters. He remembered their mother kneading dough for some sort of dessert, humming to herself and paying him no mind at all. It was a wonder he had come from such a simple minded woman. Clearly he took after his father. He took another bite of fruit, though he was beginning to lose his appetite from thinking about his lackluster childhood and airheaded mother. She really had no business breeding.

Brauth wants to know where I am. It seems that he and his would like to bask in our presence, Draveth suddenly informed him, and M’kal was grateful for the distraction. That was the bronze’s way of saying the two would like to do something with them. Draining his cup, he stood and headed out, Tell them I’m heading back to the weyr. M’kal is going back to the weyr now. He should arrive shortly. And then to M’kal alone, I plan to keep sunning until you figure out just what you’re doing. Fine, he replied dismissively.

He entered the weyr he shared with T’vir to find both the boy and his blue already there. He grinned, for he and T’vir got along quite well and generally had a decent time together, so long as no one came along to spoil their fun. Now that K’ton was dead that happened far less often and M’kal hadn’t spent a moment mourning the sour old wher. “So what are we doing? Got something in mind?” he asked curiously. He could do with some fun to shake off the remnants of his unwanted memory, and was already thinking up possibilities if T’vir didn’t already have an activity picked out.

Taxx

[Taxx]

T'vir :: Blue Brauth

Like a canine, Brauth pushed his nose into T'vir's hand whenever he stopped petting, eyes half-closed and a low hum filling the room. T'vir waited, fingers mostly moving on their own now, waiting for the reply; he was fairly certain M'kal would agree; unless he was already in the middle of something, though he hadn't mentioned any sweeps scheduled. Aside from those, and their frequent Threadfall practices to keep them and their dragons sharp, there wasn't much else they were required to do.

Brauth's hum never ceased, though his eyes opened wider as he relayed the message. Draveth's comes. Is coming now. He'll be here soon. Another pat, a silent appreciation, and T'vir glanced to the door as he waited for the bronzerider to arrive.

Brauth turned too, as M'kal entered, offering the other rider a rumble of welcome. Hello Draveth's! T'vir grinned back, pushing himself off the bed to his feet as he lifted a hand in greeting. Something in mind? Of course he did. He'd turned ideas over in his mind since asking Brauth to contact Draveth. He'd decided on something he'd done earlier in the Turn- when the weather had been warmer, sure, but it wasn't really that cold and it was a reckless but fun thing he was pretty sure M'kal would go for.

"You know how to swim, right?" he asked, eyes glinting with sudden excitement. "Growing up in a seaside Hold, I'd figured you would? I got something in mind, but it kind of involves you knowing how to swim."
Zen

[Zen]

M’kal

“Hey Brauth,” he returned the blue’s greeting. The blue was a simple sort of dragon, friendly enough, but from M’kal’s experience not the brightest glow in the basket. He didn’t imagine that Draveth would have befriended him if he wasn’t friends with T’vir, as his bronze didn’t seem overly concerned about friendship to begin with. All Draveth particularly wanted were admirers, not friends. But the bronze was surprisingly friendly with his blue brother, perhaps because T’vir was the closest friend M’kal had at Mavros. Who was to say. M’kal was just glad Draveth wasn’t antagonistic or cruel to the blue as he was with plenty of other dragons, as he imagined it would put a strain on his friendship with T’vir.

It probably helped that Brauth wasn’t a bronze. Draveth didn’t get along with any dragon of his own color, seeing them all as nothing more than competition that needed to be defeated. Browns were occasionally included in the bronze’s disdain, but other than generally looking down on blues and greens, he wasn’t terribly ill mannered with most of them. That suited M’kal well enough, after all if he was ever going to lead he would need followers, and blue and green riders would make for the best supporters. Maybe when he led his own Wing one day he’d make T’vir one of his seconds. A bluerider as a wingsecond wasn’t entirely normal, but some of the current wingleaders were making greenriders their seconds. Brauth’s size would make him a better second than any green, and he and T’vir were generally like-minded, he was sure they’d make a good team.

His brow rose as T’vir asked if he could swim. Suddenly he wasn’t sure if he was going to like this idea. “Yeah, I can swim,” he confirmed warily. T’vir’s assumption was correct. There weren’t many people who lived in Cove Hold that couldn’t swim. It was the best way to cool off on hot days, and most days were hot in Cove. Unlike here. Unlike now. A chill ran down his spine just thinking about going swimming in this chilly weather. And yet he could hardly balk from it if that’s what T’vir was going to suggest. He had several turns on the younger bluerider and he wasn’t going to let T’vir show him up. Even if he was starting to dread it already. He wasn’t made for the cold, shard it all. “So, what did you have in mind, then?” He tried not to let it show how much he really, really didn’t want to go swimming right now, but wasn’t entirely successful.

[Taxx]

T'vir :: Blue Brauth

Hello, Brauth replied, eyes whirling a slow, sky blue color. Hello, hello. His hum never ceased, constant background noise to the conversation. T'vir patted him again, but he didn't look away from M'kal. His grin turned, more of a smirk now at the shift in M'kal's expression, and he waved his other hand dismissively. He knew plenty about the bronzerider's distaste for winter, he'd heard frequent complaints about the cold, the snow, the wind that seemed to cut right through you. Growing up in his Southern Hold, it was no surprise that Mavros was a bit of culture shock in more than one way.

T'vir tipped his head a bit, then shrugged. "I mean, I did have an idea. But hey, we don't have to. It's cool, M'kal. We can stay inside and maybe play a few games of dragon poker." Yeah, he was baiting the older rider- not that he was older by that much, but that wasn't important either. Insinuating that he wasn't capable of handling the cold was just a short step to trapping him into agreeing to do what T'vir wanted. He'd probably know what T'vir was doing, too, but that was part of what made it more likely to work. M'kal wasn't the sort to back down and T'vir liked that about him. He liked having someone he could do things with that were a bit crazy, without being told it was crazy.

"If you're up to it, though- and it's fine if you're not, I'd understand- then yeah, I had something in mind. Ever gone cliffjumping before?"
Zen

[Zen]

M’kal :: Bronze Draveth

His eyes narrowed slightly as T’vir’s tone seemed to hold an underlying mockery to it while he assured him they could do something else if he preferred, a tone that suggested he wouldn’t be capable of doing whatever the bluerider had in mind, or that he’d be too afraid to do it. It was just as good as an outright challenge. M’kal’s annoyance simmered as he folded his arms over his chest, trying to keep outwardly calm and relaxed at least. In his mind, Draveth huffed indignantly, listening in on the conversation. He doubts you? The bronze asked, clearly offended for his rider, for in Draveth’s mind, anyone that doubted M’kal might as well be doubting him. He just wants me to know I can’t back down without appearing weak, M’kal told the bronze, not that he needed T’vir to tell him that. The two of them often pushed each other like this, it’s just how their friendship worked. We don’t back down from any challenge, Draveth insisted. Indeed, he agreed stubbornly.

But what T’vir had in mind was even worse than swimming. M’kal’s jaw clenched as he fought not to grimace at the thought of plunging into cold sea water. The adrenaline of the leap was sure to make the shock of it even worse. Shards and shells. “It’s been a while,” he said after a moment, “But yeah. Have you?” T’vir wasn’t from a seaside Hold, but maybe he’d done it after he’d come to Mavros, or had some chance to do it before he’d arrived anyway.

M’kal hadn’t done it since he was a lot younger. He’d gone with several other boys, all daring each other to jump from higher and higher, goading each other into it, though he did remember one boy running back home crying because he was too much of a coward to try. The boy had been teased rather mercilessly afterward. But M’kal hadn’t run. He was the son of a bronzerider and wasn’t afraid of a little leap into the sea, even if none of them ever believed him about his father. After the initial fear of the first jump, it had actually been pretty fun. But that was in Cove, where the water was refreshingly cool and the air thick with heat, and after they’d worn themselves out climbing and jumping and swimming they’d laid in the soft sand to dry out in the sun before heading home.

Mavros’s beach sand wasn’t nearly as fine as Cove’s; it was coarser and in places a bit stoney, and there would be no warm sun to dry off in. There would only be cold sea winds that would blow right through a freezing, wet body. He fought a shiver thinking about it. This was going to be miserable. “You sure it wouldn’t upset Brauth, you jumping off a cliff?” he eyed the blue with feigned concern. It was really his last hope of getting it out of this, but he wasn’t holding his breath about it. He comforted himself thinking that it couldn’t possibly last long. T’vir may be more used to colder weather but surely after a few jumps even he would be freezing enough to call it quits. It was just a matter of holding out long enough. After all, neither of them would want to be the one to admit weakness first…. Maybe he could come up with a decent excuse if T’vir didn’t seem close to giving in.

Taxx

[Taxx]

T'vir :: Blue Brauth

"Yeah," T'vir replied, eyebrow raising at the defiant stance before he grinned broadly again. It was definitely working. "Earlier in the summer. Saw some other guys doing it and joined in. It was fun." An understatement, but fitting. It had been a test of nerves and, those overcome, had been exhilarating. Looking down at the water below and daring to leap from a height of twenty feet or more? He'd never dreamed of anything like it before.

The downside was the water. It'd been cold even in the height of summer, he could only imagine what it'd feel like now. But wasn't that part of the fun of it? Taking that chance and knowing once you were falling that you had no choice but to take it. That was the thrill of it. He hadn't expected M'kal to have done it, though. "You have? When?" Maybe not here, if it'd been a while as he said. Maybe where he'd grown up, then, in a climate far different from Mavros' cold winters and freezing waters.

T'vir did hesitate, though, at mention of Brauth, because yeah, the blue had freaked out the first time he'd done it. He hadn't considered Brauth's reaction, his frantic roar of fear at seeing his rider leaping and falling. It had taken some reassuring to convince the blue that he was fine, unharmed. He had even managed another jump, before Brauth had begged him not to do it again.

He waved it away the concern, trying to seem confident about it. "He'll be fine, won't you?" Taking one of the blue's headknobs and gently shaking his head back and forth; Brauth rumbled, but his eyes whirled yellow now. Again, Mine? Jumping? That was scary!

But I'm fine, right? It'll be okay, don't worry.

Okay? Sounding unsure, but still willing to trust T'vir. Promise?

Promise.

"He's good. You good? Ready whenever you are, M'kal!" He turned- not before picking up a thicker jacket, because he would probably need it when they were done- and heading out. "Brauth can take us up there, unless you'd rather ride Draveth."

I can carry you! I'm strong enough! Stretching his forelegs out, Brauth leaned to one side to lessen the distance up to his back and looked to the two boys. Up, Mine! Up, Draveth's! I'll fly you both wherever you want to go!
Zen

[Zen]

M'kal :: Bronze Draveth

Earlier in the summer. If only it was summer now, the cold waters that surrounded Mavros might even be refreshing. M’kal moodily wondered why T’vir hadn’t come up with this idea when it was warmer. Maybe he was doing it just to bother him, or try to make him back down. M’kal was aware that he often complained about the cold here. It was perhaps the only thing that really made him miss Cove. The hardships Mavros faced, the supply issues at times, none of that really bothered him. He’d gone hungry some days, back in Cove, to make sure his younger siblings got something to eat instead, and it made him grateful for any meal he could get. Not that he wouldn’t appreciate better conditions, but he’d take Mavros over Cove any day… if only it didn’t get so sharding cold.

“I used to do it quite a bit, back in Cove,” he replied when T’vir asked him when he’d ever gone cliff jumping. Granted, the rock ridge that provided the cliff for jumping in Cove was probably only about half as high as the cliffs at Mavros, but M’kal was hardly afraid of heights. He flew on a dragon for Faranth’s sake. Not that the falling wouldn’t still be exhilarating, because free falling was very different from flying strapped to a dragon, but it was nothing to be afraid of. “It was just a thing boys did for fun, to test how brave they could be.” Somehow he could hear his sister saying something about testing how stupid they could be instead, and it only strengthened his resolve to follow through with T’vir. Most of the boys he’d jumped with would get in trouble with their parents for it, but the only person that ever scolded him for anything was Isali. Their mother could hardly be bothered. He was pretty sure he could have died jumping off that cliff and it wouldn’t have moved that empty-headed woman.

T’vir assured him his blue would be fine, and M’kal couldn’t tell if he was bluffing or not, but there went his last chance, either way. Maybe Brauth would save him, in the end. He could hope, anyway. When T’vir suggested the blue could take them both to the cliffs, he did his best not to grimace. He would rather ride Draveth. Partly because he simply enjoyed riding a bronze and didn’t particularly want to be seen on anything… less, and partly because riding on someone else’s dragon when he had his own felt strange somehow. Ride with Brauth, I don’t want to give up my sunning spot, Draveth insisted, however. I’d rather ride with you. I’m not a runnerbeast. Mildly annoyed, M’kal supposed it would have to be Brauth as it wasn’t worth arguing with his dragon over.

The blue was already insisting he climb up to his back, eager to take them wherever they wished. You could be a bit more agreeable, like Brauth. He is a blue, he should be agreeable. Would you rather I was a blue? Draveth teased, knowing very well his rider most certainly would not. M’kal didn’t dignify that with a response. But when he spoke, he made it sound like his idea, “We can just take Brauth. I don’t want to interrupt Draveth’s sunning.” The bronze rumbled his amusement at the back of his mind, and he did his best to ignore it as he climbed up to Brauth’s back. It was the first time he’d ridden a dragon that wasn’t Draveth since his Impression, and he’d been right, it felt wrong somehow. He could feel how much smaller Brauth was in comparison to Draveth and the silly thought that maybe the blue wouldn’t be able to carry them both flitted through his mind and was gone again. Of course he could. Even greens could carry passengers and Brauth was large for a blue. Still, it felt awkward. “Let’s go then,” he insisted. The sooner he could be off Brauth’s back, the better. He liked the blue well enough, but he hoped he could at least get Draveth to come get him when they were done so he wouldn’t have to ride him again.

Taxx

[Taxx]

T'vir :: Blue Brauth

He mounted Brauth easily, and M'kal climbed up after him. Once they were both settled, Brauth pushed himself up and trotted to the weyr entrance. Once on the sand he pounced forward, crouched for a second and then sprang, wings snapping out and flapping to lift the three higher. Once high enough he flew forward, still rising until he was above the cliffs and aiming for the spot T'vir directed him to. It was a short flight, but Brauth was still quite pleased at ferrying his rider and Draveth's.

We're here! he announced as he settled on the cliff. I carried yours, he added to Draveth. I did. Do you mind? I hope you don't mind.

"This is nothing like Cove." T'vir grinned as he pointed out the all too obvious fact. "But it'll be fun all the same." Sliding off Brauth's back, T'vir pulled off his short and laid it and the jacket he'd brought on the ground at Brauth's feet. Keep them for me? Don't let the wind blow them away.

Okay! Adjusting his position, Brauth tucked the garments out of the wind. He watched, eyes slowly bleeding yellow as he remembered why he'd carried His and Draveth's here, a low moan starting as worry began to climb. Mine?

Glancing back, T'vir waved. It's okay, Brauth. Just stay here, all right?

He stayed, but he fidgeted, tail flicking back and forth and paws twitching as he fought to keep from rushing forward. T'vir watched him a moment longer, glanced over at M'kal, and then turned forward again. Just like he'd egged the bronzerider on, so he was sure M'kal would do the same to him. Far too late to back out. Pulling in a breath, T'vir leaned forward and them sprang.

He probably should have expected the roar that followed him down- he sort of had expected it. Brauth's burst of terror was distracting enough that T'vir let out the breath he'd taken, barely enough time to take another before he hit the water feet first. The water itself was a shock, as he sank, cold wrapping around him instantly. He hung there for a few seconds, Brauth's voice calling to him, before he got himself together enough to kick for the surface.

He broke free and exhaled in a rush, gulping another breath down as he treaded water. He couldn't help a shiver, the air chilling him almost as much as the water had, with his hair now wet. He had to make the swim to the beach, he couldn't stay here forever. Still. He'd done it, and M'kal would do it, and he'd been right anyway. It was as much a rush as he'd remembered from before.

On the cliff's edge where he'd stopped to stare down at T'vir, Brauth turned to blink at M'kal, eyes still whirling rapid yellow. Mine says it's your turn? Why are you jumping? It's not safe! Draveth! Stop him!
Zen

[Zen]

M’kal :: Bronze Draveth

The flight up the cliffside was mercifully short and M’kal tried not to seem too rushed as he quickly slid from the blue’s back. Draveth could see them from his sunning spot, though the two humans were quite small from the distance. He rumbled amusement at Brauth’s announcement, Oh, not at all Brauth. You did so well. M’kal heard the bronze’s response, his tone like that of an adult humoring a child. With any other dragon, save Mavros’s queens, there might have been a hint of mockery as well, but Draveth tended to be a bit nicer to Brauth than to most. M’kal was sure his dragon was just glad he hadn’t had to move from his sunning spot to give him a ride up himself. You did so well, in fact, you should carry him back to the weyr when they’re finished too. Draveth, I have no desire to ride him again. And I’ve no desire to carry you cold, wet, and complaining. The muscle in M’kal’s jaw worked in annoyance, but they would see about that once this nightmare was over.

T’vir’s obvious statement only served to feed his annoyance further. No, nothing at all like Cove. The wind was already cold enough without soaking himself in icy seawater. He might have grabbed a blanket to wrap up in after, but T’vir hadn’t, and he wouldn’t be seen as weaker. Fun. Yeah right. T’vir seemed eager to jump, so he stood back and let him go first. When the younger boy leapt, he clapped his hands over his ears as Brauth roared his fear for his rider, careful to stay out of the panicked blue’s way. He groaned to himself as he pulled off his jacket, and then the long sleeved overshirt beneath that, shivering as each layer removed meant more cold crept in. Shells he hated the cold. He’d never been cold like he was at Mavros, still didn’t know why people chose to live in places like this, places that snowed. Great Faranth snow was the worst.

He leaned against a scraggly tree to pull off his boots and thick socks, setting them on his clothes to hold them in place and wincing as his bare feet touched the chill, brittle grass. Even the grass was horrible in comparison to Cove, where the grass was lush and soft and soothingly cool in the pervading heat and humidity. This was so stupid. Why had T’vir had to suggest this of all things? He rubbed at his arms, staring out over the cliff’s edge and dreading what would greet him at the bottom. That’s when Brauth informed him that it was his turn, still in a panic, and M’kal honestly didn’t have the patience to deal with it. Yours is fine, is he not? Draveth responded to the blue’s frantic plea.

Without replying to the blue, he took a moment to psyche himself up, reminding himself that if T’vir could do it, he certainly could. He was a bronzerider. He wasn’t afraid of… of a little cold. Shells, this was going to be awful. Quit dawdling, Draveth ordered, T’vir is going to start to think your fear overcame you. It was the push he needed. He ran for the cliff’s edge and jumped, the weightlessness of the freefall just as exhilarating as he remembered, but when he hit the water he clenched his teeth on a gasp that would have left him with a lungful of the sea. It felt like ice. The shock of it left him disoriented for several heartbeats, until he began to feel Draveth’s concern. He forced his limbs to move, he had no lack of swimming skill, and gasped as he broke the surface, pausing only long enough to orient himself and find the shore before striking out toward it as fast as he could.

Stumbling on the stony sand, his teeth chattered without his consent and it was all he could do not to hug himself and try to rub some warmth back into his arms. It was awful. Possibly the worst thing he’d ever done in his life. Part of him wanted to throttle T’vir for backing him into a corner about it. He clenched his teeth to stop them from chattering. Would that be enough for him? Or would he have to go through this between again? He couldn’t admit that he didn’t want to, that once was more than enough, so instead he narrowed his dark eyes at the boy and asked, “So, are we g-going again?” He was annoyed at the slight hitch his shivering caused in his voice, but he’d managed to keep it mostly under control. His soaked clothes clung to him, wrapping him in freezing wetness, and it felt like the wind was blowing right through him. “Or was that t-too much for Brauth?” Shells but he hoped it was. Surely T’vir couldn’t want to do that again? He’d be just fine with using Brauth as an excuse to stop. Part of him wished Draveth had gotten more upset about it so he could use him as an excuse instead.

Taxx

[Taxx]

T'vir :: Blue Brauth

On his own, T'vir took a moment to wrap his arms around himself and shiver without worry of what M'kal would think of him. He watched the cliff, waiting for the bronzerider to appear, a grin flashing across his face when the other boy did. Watched M'kal fall and hit the water with a satisfying splash. A moment later, he was stumbling onto the beach toward T'vir, looking about as happy as- well, as a person born in the South who'd just been dunked in freezing water. His hair was plastered to his head, dripping, and his teeth chattered as relentlessly as T'vir's.

The bluerider couldn't quite hide the shivering, but he clamped his jaw to lessen his teeth chattering and dropped his arms to his sides. He grinned- shivered hard again- and then managed a laugh that shook on its way out. Anger was a sudden, unexpected heat, and the easy-going grin turned into a scowl. The constant hinting of Brauth's inability to handle what they were doing was getting on his nerves. He was cold, wet, and honestly kicking himself for mentioning this, but he couldn't back down now or he'd never live it down.

"Brauth is f-fine," he snapped, his teeth knocking together a few times before he managed to stop them. "Too much for you? If you can't handle it, just say so, M'kal. Stop using my dragon to cover up your weakness, you tailfork. I'm going again. You can come with me, unless you'd rather go crawl back to the weyr and huddle by the fire. I promise I won't think any less of you." A last sneer and he turned to where Brauth was still crouched at the edge of the cliff, staring down at His and Draveth's.

The blue had watched the bronze's rider follow T'vir off the cliff with a croon of worry, but they were both out of the water now, safe on the beach. He didn't move, not until his rider called to him and he sprang without a second's pause. Downward he wheeled, landing as close to T'vir as he could. Home? he asked, looking between His and Draveth's, hopeful.

"No." T'vir pulled himself up, not nearly as smoothly with a body definitely feeling the cold, but he made it and then made an inviting gesture at M'kal, a taunting smirk back on his face with the certainty that the other would be sure to follow, if only to avoid showing weakness.
Zen

[Zen]

M'kal, B'ram

His question about Brauth had rather the opposite effect he was hoping for. T’vir became instantly defensive and insisted on more of this nonsense. M’kal could feel himself tensing with anger over the accusations and the outright lie that the bluerider wouldn’t think any less of him if he didn’t jump again. T’vir was lucky he was so sharding cold, it was keeping his anger from boiling over or he might have tackled the younger boy. Instead he shivered miserably as his hands clenched at his sides, unable to respond quick enough for risk of his chattering teeth only proving T’vir right about calling him weak.

Brauth was already descending, ready to take them back up, and T’vir was waiting to see whether he would follow or not. Like he had a choice. He growled under his breath and forced himself to move toward the blue, climbing up and trying not to sit close enough on the blue’s back for T’vir to feel how hard he was shivering.

It was endless torture, neither of them willing to give an inch as they completed leap after leap, and even Draveth was beginning to grow concerned as M’kal felt the cold seep into his bones, began to feel heavy and sluggish, and refused to relent and be the first to give up. M’kal lost count of how many times they jumped as it seemed ice was even creeping over his brain.

He all but crawled back to shore after his latest jump, the exhilaration of the fall long passed, and coughed up seawater on his hands and knees on the stony sands as he’d somehow managed to breathe a little in this last time. Strangely he didn’t feel as cold anymore. He was starting not to feel much of anything.

Shock jolted through him as he was pulled to his feet by a strong grip on his arm, looking into a face he struggled to recognize for a long moment in his disorientation. B’ram, wasn’t it? A wingsecond… whose Wing was he in again?

The brownrider frowned over at T’vir where the bluerider was waiting on the beach for M’kal to join him for another leap, “Ganth heard from your Draveth that the two of you had gotten some ash-headed idea to cliff dive into a freezing sea.” The man’s tone was surprisingly even, though there was clear disapproval on his face, even in M’kal’s less than sharp state of mind. “Your lips are blue, bronzerider. Time to end this folly. I’m taking you to the infirmary.” B’ram supported M’kal over to T’vir to ensure the bluerider came with, “Both of you will visit the healers. Now.” M’kal didn’t have the strength or clarity of mind to argue. The cold was sapping him of everything.

Taxx