Unplanned Rambles [N'kal]

Bordtai scuffed his feet upon the path as he walked, both hands once more in his pockets as he watched his feet rather than where he was going.  After the hatching, Bordtai had helped a fellow weyrbrat back to her bunk.  He’d been selfish in doing so – wanting to make himself feel better after being found unsuitable by the little green that had snuffled around his feet.  It hurt worse than his first hatching.  He’d told himself the first time it was okay he didn’t impress since all of the dragons had been girls – but having a green snuffle around his feet this time… He would have been happy with a girl he was sure.  A dragon was a dragon after all.

But even a girl hadn’t wanted him.  And from Torath’s clutch too!

With a bit of a groan, he kicked hard at a stone on the path, sending it bouncing off a nearby hut wall.  He had been so sure, so confident that if a dragon was out there for him, it would have been from one of the eggs Torath had made the gold produce.  He had been wrong and it was a shock to his confidence.  Why, he’d even had a good response at the touching!  Bordtai certainly hadn’t missed that the first egg he’d touched and felt like he’d gotten a good response from had hatched a bronze.  But the bronze hadn’t even given him a second look.

Sighing, he stopped in his walking and looked up at the dark grey sky.  He was honestly surprised that it wasn’t raining yet.  Lowering his gaze, he took a moment to look around to see where his feet had taken him.  With some surprise, he found himself in front of a familiar hut that had belonged to a monster of a man.  N’kal of Bronze Torath.  The same bronze who’s children had left him standing.

He took a long, deep breath as he considered the man.  It had been a while since he’d spoken with him.  A long while.  Though it was understandable, neither male was much of the talking sort but Bordtai felt himself drawn to the door.  As he raised his hand to rap his knuckles against the wood, he wondered what he was even going to say.  He hadn’t planned the visit at all, but since he was here…

N'kal had been keeping mostly to himself since the hatching had gone off without a hitch. He didn't feel the need to be near Kahleena much, though they did get along just fine and Torath was more than fond of her Okalinath. He himself still was not now, nor did he ever truly plan to be, much of a social person. He still simply preferred to be by himself most days, well, by himself with his dragon anyway.

He had that morning decided that he needed to clean his hut as well as make some minor repairs to his riding straps. He probably needed to wash his clothing as well, but that wasn't on the top of his list, in fact, unless he sniffed it and it smelled sorely of body odor, he would probably just wear it and be done with it. Currently he still had, and was wearing, perfectly good leather pants and a faded but clean tan colored shirt. It was more of a vest really, as he had long ago half worked, and half tore the sleeves off, but it fit and the body of it was still in one piece, patched though it was in places.

He had just set a pot over his low burning fire to warm some klah, how else was he to get through his day, when there was a rapping on his door. A thick brow rose toward his hairline as he turned his head and looked at the back of his closed door. Who on Pern could possibly want to talk to me...this early int he day, and without at least two cups of bitter klah in his belly first? Probably someone that wanted a good healthy punch in the face. Or it could be Bordtai, Torath supplied, amused as he landed heavily beside his rider's hut. He had gone to eat, and now with a full belly was ready for a healthy nap. He dipped his head and considered Bordtai with one swirling blue eye, tilting his head just slightly, in his way requesting his eye ridge be scratched.

Oh, well that's different then., N'kal said, though he was surprised the boy had come to see him so early. He brushed his hands off on his pants then walked to the door. The poor kid had still been left standing, so he hoped he wasn't too sorely depressed. He knew he had felt rather down the last time he had been left standing, and now with Torath's children not choosing him, it must have made it all that much worse. He pulled open the door and upon seeing his there, offered a nod and a faint smile, though it wasn't much more than a grimace honestly. "Hello Bordtai. I just made some klah, want to come in?", he asked, as gruff as always, but stood aside in the even he did wish to come in for a bit.

Nooo I am not epically late with this...>.> Nope.. not at all...

Bordtai was not surprised to find the bronze landing nearby, but he did find the bronze offering an eyeridge to scratch to be a little uplifting to his spirit.  Reaching out a hand, he scratched the eyeridge obediently, letting a little smile creep onto his lips.  When the door swung open, however, his smile faltered once more.  He did his best not to make a face at the mention of Klah, but he nodded and took the offer.

“Yeah…”  he said simply, not elaborating on why he was there after wandering around in the grey weather outside.  Coming in, he lifted the hand that had been scratching Torath’s eyeridge to scratch his own head.  “I forgot to bring back your clothes…”  he muttered, as if he’d been borrowing them and they hadn’t been a gift.

Taking a deep breath, what Bordtai meant to say was ‘can I have sugar in that Klah?’ but what came out was a blurted, “Why did none of Torath’s babies choose me, N’kal?”

Fail post is Fail, but it's still a post!  Which is better than none!  (or so HoneyLove keeps telling me... Blame her.)