Long Walk (Open)

[Redden]

The day was coming to a close and so had Nanyaa's responsibilities for the day. Niddalath had already gone to bed, everyone else seemed to be winding down as well. Training had been exciting and new at first, it seemed as if she was finally enjoying herself and others around her. But after the initial excitement wore off, little seemed to be more then routine.

It didn't help the fact she got the impression many of the male riders resented or didn't like the fact she had impressed a brown. Wither it be for the feared incompetence or just jealousy she had no clue nor really cared. The girl knew in her heart she could fly and fight with the best of them, just needed the chance. As to the females, she thought she had started making a bond with a Kess and Havalie, but again that seemed distant and strained at best.

Spending most of her days talking quietly to Niddalath and rarely seeing her twin brother, Nanyaa finds herself at a loss for direction or feeling. Trying to clear her head she simply walks, thinking, mulling and wondering. Soon she finds herself at the stables, barely a beast to be seen, any hands must have head back to the barracks by now. Just another empty place.

Taking a running start the mousy haired girl hops up on top of a stretch of fencing that ran next to the stable, using it to grab a hold of the structures roof and pull herself up on top. Carefully she crawls on and seats herself to look out upon the pastures watching the days light fade. The colors where breath taking, but yet it only brought sadness to her.

Heavy hearted Nanyaa lowers her head to her knees and watches the sunset listlessly. She had a long walk back to the barracks, at this point it really didn't matter when she started it, sitting here for awhile couldn't hurt, besides who's gonna notice she's gone?

[shawncameron]

My heart, Niddalath’s is not in the weyrling barracks. S’hon looked up from his paper work and sighed, she doesn’t have to be Maz the work is done and the day is young, leave the girl alone. but he leaned back in his chair none the less. It was strange for a weyrling to leave their dragon alone so early in their bond, and he had noticed something about this one though he couldn’t put his finger on it. she is heading toward the stables. Mazbeth gave a dragonic snicker, and S’hon pushed away from his desk, standing with an irritated sigh as he headed towards the stables.

He knew his dragon would never let him be where one of his weyrlings was concerned, and this girl in particular was an oddity. Impressing to a brown, well at least Maz was impressed but S’hon just saw her as another weyrling to be guided and taught so someday she could be a dragonrider.

S’hon walked quickly, though hardly rushed, along the western edge of the Weyr bowl from the Weyrling Barracks to the Stables. His long black hair was pulled mostly back, only the few wisps that couldn’t fit fell forward to frame his eyes. Rounding the empty building as the sun was setting he took a deep breath, standing like a stature made of ice he wasn’t sure what his damn dragon wanted him to say, so instead he got to the point. “It’s getting late Brownrider.”

[Redden]

Letting out a gasp Nanyaa quickly looked down almost knocking herself off the roof, "I... but... um... s... sorry I just..." Flustered she throws her legs off the side and hops down near the him. Eying him cautiously she attempts to speak again, "It is late... I just needed a moment... Niddalath is a sleep... I did not think anyone would notice nor care if I took a walk..."

She tries to pull some of her hair out of her face only getting annoyed with the fact it refuses to stay put. Sighing she gives up and just looks up trying to place who this man is, after all she rarely spoke to anyone.

[shawncameron]

The Assistant Weyrling Master didn’t flinch, hardly moving at all other than to follow the girls decent with his good eye. After she began to stutter he turned to face her fully looking down to meet her brown eyes with his cold blue ones. Didn’t you used to feel that way my heart? Maz asked, goading him on. Not that S’hon needed the reminder. something is troubling her… well what do you expect Maz, she came out here to get away only to find she has been followed.

All of this happened very fast and S’hon said the only thing he could think of, the truth. “Mazbeth, noticed as he tries to keep an eye on all the Weyrlings, and I care because he cares, and its somewhat odd to have a Weyrling want to be so far from her dragon.” you are cold mine. S’hon sighed turning to face the sunset again. “However,” he hesitated, showing emotion was difficult to him, even his kindness had a chill to it. “I know what it’s like to need some time to be truly alone.” It made all the difference, it felt better to be alone then it did to feel alone when surrounded by people.

[Redden]

"Truly alone? No here is not truly alone... this is peaceful..." Looking down avoiding any further eye contact for she felt awkward speaking to him in general. "I mean no worry... I guess it's nice someone notices... other then to heed me disdain or pity." Again she fights with her hair and shakes her head with a sigh. Navace would know what to do or say... and have helped put her horrid hair up.

"And... I am not far from Niddalath often... my head is quiet for he is a sleep... I would know if he awakens and I would head back." Slightly offend at the at being made to feel bad about leaving the barracks she wrinkles her nose as she talks. But simply shrugs letting it go, what does it matter really, she cares for her beloved brown regardless of what he or anyone else says.

Turning from him head down she gives the sunset a sideways glance. "How nice it would be to have things be as peaceful as that... And if you want to be alone... blend into a crowd and know fully the people next to you don't see you. That is alone." Nanyaa's face reddens as she realizes that last comment was out loud. Quickly she starts to move from him completely embarrassed.

[shawncameron]

Arching one black eyebrow, S’hon looked sidewise over at the girl. She seemed to be wise beyond her turns. “That’s good brown rider.” He said as Maz smiled in his mind. “It takes most Weyrlings a wile to realize that they can leave there dragons and be assured that they will never be far, the bond assures that.” He nodded solemnly before turning to face her again, hardly fazed even as she moved away from him.

What she said, it was exactly what S’hon hated and why he liked to get away from other humans as a weyrling. Not that he was able to blend, but being in a room full of people and knowing that none of them cared hurt more then being physically isolated. But what was he supposed to say to that? “Your brown, he will make it impossible to blend in, do you think you can handle that?” in the end all that mattered was her ability to be a successful dragonrider, after all her wing mates would be depending on her and her dragon in thread fall.

[Redden]

"I do not have much of a choice one way or another do I?" She says turning her head slightly so to look at him through her bland brown hair. "Niddalath chose me, and now I have duties I must learn. I believe that I can handle it, but it never seems to be myself I need to ... prove things too." She lets out a snort and shakes her head, standing awkwardly completely unsure of what to do next, gripping a hold of her hair tightly.

Completely out of the blue she looks him dead on standing straight holding her hair back and asks very bluntly, "Do you have a blade of some sort on you?"

[shawncameron]

“No, you don’t.” S’hon answered bluntly though he realized she might not have been talking to him. He tried to think of something more to say and had just settled on a thought when her second question burst forth. If S’hon had been any other man he would have smiled, curious at what she would need a blade for, but him being S’hon he just reached for his belt dagger, pulling it out and flipping it deftly to grab the tip and hold the handle out to her. This girl was very interesting in deed.

[Redden]

Very curtly she gives a nod in thanks and takes the dagger by the handle. Not as deftly, but slightly skilled she flips the blade around and twirls her long hair into a tight tail then uses the blade to cut the top of the tail off. Blinking for a moment she stares at the long locks of hair in one hand then shrugs discarding it as if it were nothing at all and runs a hand through her now very short messy and uneven chin length brown hair. "Ah... that's so much better... my brother will surely be upset but... probably only one who will..."

Flipping the dagger blade into her hand she offers it back. "Thanks, I have been wanting to do that for awhile now, hair was much to thick and in my way, at least now it is not long enough to annoy me." A small smirk plays on her lips as she still looks up at the man with a side ways glace. 14 turns it took to get her hair that long, surely her twin will have it out at her but, so be it.

[shawncameron]

S'hons blue eyes widened but only slightly and only for a moment. Taking his dagger back he placed it smoothly back in his belt. "You can tell your twin its better this way." He said his own hair still long but tied back tightly and neatly. "It's much easier to care for, fits better under your flight helmet, and thread is less likely to get tangled in it." He nodded solemnly, and started walking back to the weyrling barracks and his office.

The blue rider managed to get a yard or so away before he stopped again, after Mazbeth had nudged him, {Say what you are thinking my love, it couldn’t hurt.} S’hon sighed and without looking at the girl spoke clearly enough for his voice to carry back to her. “Brown rider,” he hesitated turning his head just enough to look at her with his good eye, “More people notice then you might think, and a good half of them do in fact care.” He turned away again. “Just remember that.” {Are you happy now?} The blue crooned back in his weyr stretching out to get more comfortable, {very.}

[Redden]

She just nods slightly at him, "I am aware the people care... and now with Niddalath they have to in a way." Walking forward she keeps talking, "I keep my distance usually, so I guess that's how I must expect people to be with me. Like you." Just looking up as she keeps walking slowly behind S'hon, she finally remembered his name and where he was from. I guess it is a little hypocritical of me to want people to see me if I can not remember them. Indeed it is.

"Niddalath!" The girl says out loud with a start before tripping over her own feet in surprise. Oh I think my heart skipped a beat! You horrid thing you! Why are you awake! I should ask you the same rider. Are you ok? yes, again I ask you the same. I am... alright... The entire time the girl lays there shaking her head her dark complexion growing red from embarassment.

[shawncameron]

S’hon nodded back at the girl, keeping his pace slow so they where still walking somewhat together. She had it right, though it didn’t give much joy to think about it. Even if no one cared before they would have to now since she impressed, but the more she proved herself the more people would care about her and not just the fact that she road a brown. S’hon just couldn’t say the same for himself. People didn’t care about him, half blind and cold as the mountain peeks, he liked it that way.

The Weyrling Second turned sharply as the girl cried out and fell over. She had the look in her eyes of someone talking with their dragon and S’hon was tempted to keep walking. Instead he sighed and taking a step back hesitated but stretched out his hand for the girl to grab and help herself up. His muscles twitched slightly and he was stiffer then ever as he hoped she would get up on her own rather then take his hand. He had left his riding cloves on the desk and S’hon hated to be touched.

[Redden]

Will you be returning soon? Yes I am returning now The corners of her lips curl in a slight embarassed smile. "Heh... Niddalath is awake... beast nearly scared my heart from my chest." Looking over the man with his hand extended and body language screaming he really did not want to, her smile began to fade. With a sigh she shakes her head and stands up on her own. "Thanks for the offer... but I fell on my own so I can get up that way too."

Nanyaa began to wonder if he was truly as uncomfortable as she is most of the time. So, she decides to test the water. "I... think it is amusing in a way, we obviously are neither comfortable with interacting with people, and here we are. I blame the dragons." She offers a small smirk, hoping she did not end up saying something to offend.

[shawncameron]

S’hon retracted his hand with a nod, grateful and impressed with the girls reasoning. But with her words he showed the first sign of emotion in a long time. He snorted, almost like a laugh but the chill was still cold enough to take most of the humor from it. “Yes the dragons. That is quite observant. You will find the longer you ride that your dragon will do his very best to force you to open up to others.” He hesitated and Mazbeth crooned into his mind, “even if it would be better not to.”

[Redden]

She starts to walk again slowly, "Well the believe they know what is best for us or at least what will help us in the long run. Or that is what Niddalath tells me a lot. But heading back it seems to be that time." Shoving her hands into the pockets of her brown breeches she just lets the conversation rest unless he brings up something else. After all, you do not have to talk to simply keep company right?