Oh.. Hello [N'kal]

A peal of laughter ran through the hut followed closely by the full throated laugh of a woman. He had done it again. Rushed off with something he wasn't supposed to and brought the attention of his mother onto his head. The child dashed off with the item clutched between grubby fingers, his bright giggles bouncing around the walls of the hut. Ameris was in hot pursuit of the boy she hadn't wanted but come to love with every breath of her body.

Rislan. Her sweet Rislan. They'd refused her the day she'd demanded to be allowed to go between when she had found herself pregnant after a particularly strong flightlust. She had screamed and demanded and cursed that she be allowed the choice and still they had refused. She understood why in the back of her mind but the only thought she'd had was ridding herself of the pregnancy. She'd despised every day, every week, every month until the night she'd given birth to her son. When his tiny wails had echoed off the walls of the room, when the healer had placed his little body on her breast and she'd gazed at him. She'd been lost. His cries, his love, his mischief were the light in Ameri's life. Her father told her when he visited that Rislan acted just as she did when she was young. And she always replied with a negative "How the hell would you know?". Yes.. She still thought her father was an idiot.

She was reminded of where she was when Rislan giggled again. The item he grasped in his small hands was unimportant but Ameris knew the boy wanted a game so a game he would have. Ducking she chased after the boy laughing loudly as she shouted, "I'm going to get you!" followed by his childish shouts of glee. Down the hall and out the door the little boys feet took him. He was steady on his chubby legs as he darted down the stairs only to screech to a stop when he slammed into a pair of legs. Right behind him, Ameris stuttered to a halt as her son craned his neck back to glare at the owner of the offending legs. "I'm so sorry! He got away from me a bit," she said as she started down the stairs

N'kal was in a fairly decent mood as he came back from the weyr bowl. He had recently taken Torath and gone hunting, brought back some good kills for the kitchens and picked up some much needed extra wood to fix up his hut. Torath had fed while N'kal had been cutting wood so everyone was happy, Torath because his belly was full, N'kal because he helped the weyr out and managed to be proactive in fixing his home. Most of the lumber would have to be gone back for, but he had stacked it against some trees so he could easily find it again. The plan was to go back after Torath was rested and had at least half digested his meal. Currently N'kal had a small bundle of wood that he planned on using for the fireplace, repairs would wait for now. He still had to decide which repairs needed to be done first, which could wait, and so forth and so on. He knew he would need to get a couple burden beasts and a cart to haul it back, he also knew he would have to give half of it to the weyr, but even so he still had enough for what he needed.

So busy with his thoughts of what did and didn't need to be done as he carried the bundle of wood on his left shoulder, that he missed the happy laughter and childish giggles until he was was walked into, or rather ran into by a very small toddler. He stopped short, not wanting to step on him or knock him onto the ground, and stared down at the boy, one thick brow lifted as the little one glared up at him like he was in the way or at fault for his being run into. His mother, or the woman he assumed was the child's mother was right behind him, offering an apology. He looked from her to the little boy glaring up at him and rested his empty hand on his hip and playfully glared back at the boy. "And who might you be young man? It's not polite to be running into people you know.", his voice was full of amusement, considering how long a day he had already managed to have, he was surprised at himself for his mood. He was filthy, covered in dirt, bits of bark, sweaty, and probably didn't smell all that great, but he was still in a good mood and amused by the boy.

He flicked his gaze to the woman behind him and gave her a bit of a smile. He did take notice that she was fairly attractive, but that was about as far as that thought went. To her apology he said, "No worries, children are going to play. Least he didn't fall down." He would have felt bad, even though he himself hadn't done anything wrong, but kids were a soft spot for the bronze rider, and even he didn't know why. He supposed it was because he himself had always wanted a child of his own, but sadly that had not been meant to be. He adjusted the load of wood on his shoulder, then decided since he was standing still for the moment to set it down by his left foot. He felt a conversation coming on, and it wouldn't due to be rude for no reason. "Name's N'kal, of bronze Torath, if it matters at all.", he offered in a way of introduction.

Ameris watched the pair with amusement. Rislan was a rough and tumble boy who ran hell bent for leather at any opportunity and this time was no different than any other. She had become a touch concerned when he had plowed into the legs of the man who now stood looking down at her son with mock severity but the amused words that came from him quickly quashed whatever she had been about to say. She chuckled out loud when Rislan spoke in his childish voice, "Ris'! I Ris and I always polite!" THe boy was in fact polite. When she reminded him to be. Ameris stood just behind him, one arm wrapped around her middle as the other came up to attempt to smother the chuckle that continued to brew.

When his gaze flicked over her Ameris stood up straighter. He was attractive, in a morose and sad sort of way. Though his hair was longer than she preferred he had kind eyes and something of a pleasant smile. If the tiny smile he had given her was any indication anyway. "Yes. Children certainly love to play," she laughed, "If he had fallen the little devil would have blamed you, I'm sure!" Rislan was a good lad, for the most part, and rarely cried, so a yelling match would have been a given if he had fallen.

Ameris cocked her head to the side at his introduction. N'kal of bronze Torath. A bronzerider. He had that look about him, that look that spoke volumes of a person and their dragon. Why she hadn't pegged him as such she couldn't decide, she was fairly good at picking the riders out from the drudges. "Why wouldn't it matter?" she asked quietly as Rislan began to snoop around the man, "That little scamp there is Rislan and I'm Ameris." The dark haired boy stopped in his quest around the rider to poke at the stack of wood, "Whatcha doin'?" he asked.

N'kal found himself greatly amused by the child standing at his feet, looking up at him with curious and excited eyes as he answered his question, not daunted in the least by his supposed gruff manner. He cracked a mild smile at the boy and nodded at him. "Well then Ris, It's always good to meet such polite young men." He caught the laugh of the woman standing behind the boy, noting that she seemed to stand a bit straighter when he looked at her. She was pretty to be sure, she had dark expressive eyes and a pleasant smile. He was quite certain the boy had her personality, there was trouble behind those dark eyes he was sure.

"Indeed", was all he answered as his thought train was interrupted by Torath's voice. Where are you playing with children? I want to play too! 'You always want to play with the kids, I do not understand you.', he replied in an amused tone. No doubt he would now head over to the creche to bask in the sun while children climbed all over him. The woman's next words prompted the lightest of chuckles from the normally stern man as he glanced back down at the boy for a moment before answering her. "Ah, as I am sure I had some horribly devious plan to place myself directly in the path of a fleeing toddler. I am a terrible man, what was I thinking?" Was that an attempt at a joke?, Torath questioned, amused as much as he was pleased that N'kal was actually being pleasant with someone other then him.

N'kal ignored that question, which most likely was what caused the dragon to get up from his nice place in the sun to seek out his evasive rider, who had apparently forgotten how involved he was in the silly man's life. N'kal however was unaware of his silly dragon's decision to investigate and was once again speaking to the woman before him as her son wandered about him. He gave a shrug at her question and simply said, "I'm just another man to most, and a grumpy one at that if you ask my dragon. However I am pleased to meet you Ameris." At her son's curiosity he looked down again and dark eyes caught the smile that he showed before answering. "I am going to fix up my hut a bit, blasted dragon keeps knocking bits of it off...", he started but was cut off by a blast of air and carefully whirled around, as to not knock Rislan over, to follow the shadow that flew overhead. "Really Torath!", he yelled out, uselessly, as he watched the crazy bronze circle and land heavily before waddling his way toward them. "No..don't..oh for Faranth's sake! You're going to get stuck!"

With a sigh he turned back around, a mixture of annoyance and amusement in his voice, which rather reflected on his face. "Ameris, Rislan....meet Torath. He is rather fond of me being social...almost as much if not more so than he is fond of children." Torath bugled at them all and sat smugly between someones hut and a stand of trees, knowing full well his large body would not fit much further than that. Human children amused him to no end and so he lay down and stretched his neck out, turning his head slightly so that one great blue and purple swirling eye was looking at them all. Do tell them I say hello., Torath said pleasantly. N'kal shook his head and said to Ameris. "He says hello to you both.", then turned back to his dragon. "You really are just a pest." Yes...but you love me., he replied, completely amused. 'Indeed.', was all he said in response then turned to Ameris and her son, waiting for their response to an overly large nosy dragon just dropping in to say hello.

Ameris laughed out loud at his words. “Certainly. The most terrible man in the whole weyr!” Her eyes twinkled merrily at his attempt at a joke. It sounded rough and a bit out of practice but she figured with time, N’kal would be a regular comedian. Her head cocked to the side at his simple explanation. She had a feeling that he was far from just another man in the weyr. He had an air of mystery about him and coupled with his seemingly down trodden demeanor it probably set most of the girls about all a flutter.

Rislan watched with rapt attention as the big man explained to him what his was doing and why, “Ris likes dragons!” His grandfather had a big brown that the toddler adored. He could often be found climbing all over Midranth or catching a nap cradled in his big paws. The young boy’s eyes widen as the big man whirled around and Rislan’s little face split in a smile so big he lost his dark eyes in his cheeks. “Ama! Dragon!” he called to his mother as she smothered a chuckle at the antics of the big bronze as he sat between a hut and the dense trees.

“A good thing then, that he is so fond of children because Rislan is extremely fond of dragons,” she laughed as she waved brightly at the shining bronze and wince lightly at his loud bugle. N’kal’s entire face lit up when he was looking at Torath and Ameris had a feeling he had no idea how different he looked in the company of his dragon.

Darting to the man, Rislan grabbed ahold of his pant leg, tugging insistently, “Ris, dragon!” He was such a demanding boy. Ameris shook her head as she scolded him lightly, “Rislan, ask nicely and say please, my lad!” She narrowed her eyes at him as the scamp turned to look at her as he pulled face. One that spoke volumes. Arching a brow she just looked at the toddler until he finally tugged again, “’Kal take Ris. Take Ris, dragon.. Pulease?”

Its been so long since I had a toddler, trying to remember how the talk is cracking me up!

Ameris' laugh made his smile, her words made him chuckle, just a bit. He was glad she had found amusement in his attempt at a joke, he didn't try for humor often, generally he failed. You should try more often., Torath said, again amused. Or not..., he replied curtly, though he knew the bronze was most likely correct. He did suppose he needed to work on his social skills. It was almost always easier for him to be social around women and especially kids, they were much more gentle than he himself was and so he tended to try harder to be more gentle, or at least nicer and less gruff, when around them.

He lifted a thick brow at the youngster at his feet and couldn't help but grin when he said he liked dragons. He knew most children liked dragons, especially those that were weyr bred. Hold children were often more in awe or afraid of them that anything. "Well I am glad you like dragons...", he started, but before he could finish the sentence Torath had dropped his foolish self onto the path and sent the toddler into fits of excitement. Nothing was quite as contagious as a child's laugh, and so when Torath had positioned himself on the ground, great blue and purple eyes whirling, his happiness overflowed into N'kal's heart, causing the large man to laugh.

"I can tell he is fond of them!", he said with a warm smile at Ameris before turning dark eyes back on his great hulk of a bronze. A look of peace and of something deeper than love or happiness washed over his face as he looked between the toddler and the dragon he cared so deeply for. It was rare that he allowed himself to relax enough to allow his emotions to show on his face, in his eyes maybe, but his dragons unusual antics brought it out, and he doubted Ameris would mock him for it. At the tug to his pant leg his eyes were drawn once more to the toddler Rislan. Before he could answer, for he knew of course what the child wanted, his mother stepped in to scold his manners. He was pleased that she took the time to correct his manners, though he hadn't minded honestly, he would not correct a mother's discipline.

When he spoke again, asking as best he could for the speech he had available to him. He chuckled deeply and nodded at him. "As long as your mother says it is alright.", N'kal told him with a look and a semi stern voice. Torath crooned at them softly as he patiently waited, or as patiently as a dragon could be anyway.