15.Dec.20, 07:40 AM
"That's a woman, Shadow," A'tay laughingly told his firelizard. This was a reason why sending a letter wouldn't work. Shadow was great when he knew the person but even with an image from Zelana, he got confused. "But she does have long dark hair and pretty eyes so you're close." A'tay saw the woman glance at him and assuming she overheard him, he blushed and looked away. Thankfully the woman continued on her way.
They were on day two of people watching at the habour. The previous day had been promising in that most people knew the man he was looking for but not many knew when he would be back as he had left a few days earlier. It seemed Lazerat wasn't much like his father, content to oversee everything from the comforts of home. No, the son seemed to enjoy being on the ships and often departed on the longer routes.
A'tay had promised Zelly that he would find her brother and reunite them and he was determined to succeed. She was teaching him to cook and swim and...other more salacious activities. Finding her brother was the least he could do.
The easiest course was to leave the letter for Lazerat to pick up when he returned but A'tay was following his gut that said it wouldn't be wise. He didn't have many details but it seemed like Zelly had been sent away to the Weyr as punishment and her parents wouldn't like her seeing her brother again. As he sat on the breaker wall (with his back safely to a large rock) at the port Lazerat was said to be headed to, A'tay was still tempted to ask around back at Ista if anyone knew her. He was partly afraid of what he might find out since he liked her but he also trusted Zelly and knew she would tell him anything that he needed to know. Truthfully, given how she had been since their first meeting and how much of a temptress he now found her, A'tay figured his girlfriend was too scandalous for the Holders to deal with and shipped her off to the dens of debauchery.
Roughly two hours passed as he worked on another piece of the chess boards he was making when a ship entered the harbour. His hopes were raised and then dashed when it seemed to be too small of a vessel to take on a long voyage. He ended up being right when he went down to ask about it, seeing it was a local fishing boat coming in for the day as the sun was close to setting.
Defeated, A'tay walked back through the Hold to the field Xyxyth had been napping in. The dragon had sunned on rocks for a while, silently enjoying the crowds pointing him out, but eventually left for the quiet field where they would meet and leave.
There's always tomorrow.
"I know. And we'll eventually find him but I'm just being impatient. I really want to see Zelly that happy again." She was always happy but when he made that promise, it was different. Genuine joy. He supposed he would be like that as well if he was cut off from family for months and then offered a chance to see a sibling again.
"Let's go home. Tomorrow is a new day." And a day of repeated actions. Stop at Ista just to make sure Lazerat hadn't returned for some reason and then go to the other end of the invisible trail to wait and whittle wood. Just like he hadn't left the letter behind, A'tay felt like a dragonrider waiting for Lazerat would be a bit too obvious. At least with just asking, Zelly's parents would assume he was just trying to deliver a letter and not convince him to arrange a time to visit the Weyr.
Shadow gave his own chirp of encouragement and A'tay smiled. "I know you're doing your best as well. Let's go see if Zelly stole the kitchen today and if she has a treat for you." Shadow disappeared first in a ball of excitement and a few minutes later A'tay and Xyxyth were also headed home.
They were on day two of people watching at the habour. The previous day had been promising in that most people knew the man he was looking for but not many knew when he would be back as he had left a few days earlier. It seemed Lazerat wasn't much like his father, content to oversee everything from the comforts of home. No, the son seemed to enjoy being on the ships and often departed on the longer routes.
A'tay had promised Zelly that he would find her brother and reunite them and he was determined to succeed. She was teaching him to cook and swim and...other more salacious activities. Finding her brother was the least he could do.
The easiest course was to leave the letter for Lazerat to pick up when he returned but A'tay was following his gut that said it wouldn't be wise. He didn't have many details but it seemed like Zelly had been sent away to the Weyr as punishment and her parents wouldn't like her seeing her brother again. As he sat on the breaker wall (with his back safely to a large rock) at the port Lazerat was said to be headed to, A'tay was still tempted to ask around back at Ista if anyone knew her. He was partly afraid of what he might find out since he liked her but he also trusted Zelly and knew she would tell him anything that he needed to know. Truthfully, given how she had been since their first meeting and how much of a temptress he now found her, A'tay figured his girlfriend was too scandalous for the Holders to deal with and shipped her off to the dens of debauchery.
Roughly two hours passed as he worked on another piece of the chess boards he was making when a ship entered the harbour. His hopes were raised and then dashed when it seemed to be too small of a vessel to take on a long voyage. He ended up being right when he went down to ask about it, seeing it was a local fishing boat coming in for the day as the sun was close to setting.
Defeated, A'tay walked back through the Hold to the field Xyxyth had been napping in. The dragon had sunned on rocks for a while, silently enjoying the crowds pointing him out, but eventually left for the quiet field where they would meet and leave.
There's always tomorrow.
"I know. And we'll eventually find him but I'm just being impatient. I really want to see Zelly that happy again." She was always happy but when he made that promise, it was different. Genuine joy. He supposed he would be like that as well if he was cut off from family for months and then offered a chance to see a sibling again.
"Let's go home. Tomorrow is a new day." And a day of repeated actions. Stop at Ista just to make sure Lazerat hadn't returned for some reason and then go to the other end of the invisible trail to wait and whittle wood. Just like he hadn't left the letter behind, A'tay felt like a dragonrider waiting for Lazerat would be a bit too obvious. At least with just asking, Zelly's parents would assume he was just trying to deliver a letter and not convince him to arrange a time to visit the Weyr.
Shadow gave his own chirp of encouragement and A'tay smiled. "I know you're doing your best as well. Let's go see if Zelly stole the kitchen today and if she has a treat for you." Shadow disappeared first in a ball of excitement and a few minutes later A'tay and Xyxyth were also headed home.
