[G] [P] 744.04.16 | An Afternoon Stroll

Living at Igen Weyr was so much different than living at the Seacraft Hall; not only were the people markedly of a different mindset than the ones at Tillek or the Hall itself, but the weather here was also hot, hot, hot!

Valtala had only been here for twenty two days, but already the springtime weather of Igen much more resembled the summertime back at the Hall. The blonde couldn’t help but worry what to wear if the weather grew much hotter, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the summer months would bring. The clothing that he had brought with him would largely be too hot if the temperature increased by another ten or twenty degrees. He’d have to invest in some new clothing, depending on what happened with the weather.

For now, the blonde was keen to dress in more airy fabrics. Today he wore a seafoam green poet blouse with puffed sleeves and an open collar (a must, to keep from sweating), as well as leaves carved of jade on a silver chain around his neck. A matching jade leaf clasped on to each of his earlobes, and the colour of the stones matched perfectly with his green eyes. Valtala felt pretty in this outfit, and felt it was the perfect look for going out and being noticed by people.

Not that many people had noticed him here, so far. All these dragonrider types seemed to be rather busy with their day to day lives, far too busy to notice a beautiful person when they saw one. Or, maybe they did see him, but did not have enough time to say hi. Either way, Valtala had come to the conclusion that, if he wanted to make friends here, he’d have to do more than dress prettily to get them. He’d have to do some talking, maybe walking, and would just have to be the first one to say hello.

He was pretty sure he’d be fine with that. Extroversion came naturally to him, and the people here were far friendlier towards him than they had been back at the Hall. He just simply had to find some peers and apply himself.

Not so hard to accomplish, thought Valtala to himself as he combed out his long, flowing locks for the third time this afternoon. When he was sure that his hair was tangle and frizz free, he sprayed on a gentle whiff of a floral perfume and then tossed his hair over his shoulders, letting the locks flow freely down his back.

Now, it was time for a walk. Time to put his plans into motion. Instead of feeling nervous, Valtala felt giddy, just like he did when he was Searched and he decided that he was going to leave his home for Igen. He was sure that he would meet someone today. Make a new friend, or, maybe more? The seacrafter laughed to himself as went along his way. Maybe that was getting too far ahead of himself, but he had a good feeling that he just couldn’t shake. Something good was going to happen today! He knew it!

Valtala’s walk took him first to the lake, but he couldn’t see very many people there, so he left. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for (or rather, who he was looking for!), but he figured that he would know it when he saw it. For awhile, Valtala meandered around the lower caverns, taking in the sights of the Weyr as he looked for someone to talk to. Finally, he wandered down to where they kept the herd beasts — out of sheer curiosity, he wanted to see animals that weren’t fish! - and it was here that the seacrafter decided that he would take a quick rest.

The blonde sat upon a large, flat rock overlooking some sheep. The animals mostly grazed, while Valtala took in his surroundings. Many sheep, and oh, a person! The boy leaned forward, watching the other human as they moved about the field. The other person was male, about his height, with attractive olive skin and a flat nose. They looked like they were in the middle of doing something, and the seacrafter realised that the other was not alone. Two canines accompanied him, and it was the interactions between the other person and his hounds that Valtala found very interesting.

Valtala was not familiar with canines. Like dragons, he found them fascinating. Nobody back at the Hall had any hounds — why would a sailor have a dog? - although he had seen a few around Tillek Hold as a child, as pets to some other families. These canines could also be pets, although by the looks of them, they also could be working animals. This intrigued the Journeyman greatly, and he carefully watched what the other person — a Beastcrafter, then? - was doing with his hounds to see if he could tell if they were pets or working animals.

Unfortunately, the blonde really didn’t know enough about canines to tell the difference. So he, laughing to himself in that silvery way of his, clapped his hands in delight at what the hounds were doing, and then, looking over to their owner, he smiled and waved.

“Those are some beautiful canines you have! Are they working right now?”

Nipan hadn’t expected to be this homesick.

He’d beaten the sun to rising, though his body hadn’t followed suit. Instead, Nipan had spent an unknowable but long-feeling amount of time staring at the ceiling. Knows-the-way’s bristly brown-and-white fur under his hand as he pet her, the faint weight of Sniffs-her-best on his chest, was the all that he felt aside from the deep aching at his core. It was for the best, Nipan knew. Tensions rising, fondness drifting. But a boy missed his mother, and so he remisced, and longed.

It was like a *click*, how suddenly Nipan was proper awake and ready to face the day.

Knows-the-way was pacing by the door and Points-true still asleep on the foot of his bed as Nipan got dressed. Sniffs-her-best was trying to be helpful by pulling all of the clothes out of his cubbies, which he watched her do while tying the cloth belt of his loose shorts. Nipan essentially had a free morning, having been assigned to watch over the sheep while they grazed. Rather than being pleased, Nipan was slightly exasperated by it. There was so much to learn and prepare for— but his dragonhealing mentor didn’t want him working himself to bones barely a month into residency at Igen Weyr.

Nipan’s mentor hadn’t explicitly said that, but Nipan had inferred it. Still, even if exasperated, he might as well make use of the free time. After shrugging on a wher-hide vest, Nipan grabbed some of the leather play-balls kept for the various beasts, which had the effect of Sniffs immediately scampering over to him. It didn’t deter the little green that the play-balls were bigger than her head. She jumped to height with his knee, claws catching on the fabric of his shorts. Nipan let her scale him as he packed the play-balls into his rucksack.

Setting out from his room, Nipan had two loyal hounds on his heels and a firelizard perched on his broad wicker hat.

It was cool out in the morning, dewdrops clinging to the grass. Points’ large russet paws had become almost brown from how wet they were. But as the sun rose higher in the sky, it became hot and dry. Nipan was grateful for the breeze, meager as it was. Not even enough to rustle the canopy’s fabric, but better than nothing. Points and Nosey (Knows-the-way) were laying down and panting, one on each side of him. Points was lucky, for she could lean against the straw ice-box. Nipan wondered idly if they envied the sheep, who were recently shorn. Already, there were sprigs of wool growing on the neck to produce another thick mane. Sniffs, much enjoying this heat, was curled up in the bowl of Nipan’s hat just outside the pavilion shadow.

Fortunately, in the afternoon, the sky grew cloudy. A massive cloud overtook the sun, and abruptly was it cooler. Delighted, Nipan roused his hounds, who were also regaining their energy. Sniffs, for all her excitement that morning when Nipan retrieved the play-balls, remained in her impromptu nest this time around. She was much too stuffed from lunch, still. Better to leave all the excitement to her furred sisters.

Hounds following after him, Nipan tossed a play-ball up and down as he moved away from the tent. Knowing they were going to play, Nipan’s well-trained beasts relaxed, devolving into excited barks and bows. They wagged their tails fiercely, Points’ crescent and Nosey’s nub. Nipan tossed the play-ball around for a while, scratching his girls’ behind the ears whenever they brought it back. After a while, he turned it into a training of sorts. He tossed the ball high or long, encouraging them to jump and leap further.

Nipan was hoping this would rouse Sniffs, but just as the little green sleepily raised her head up in attention, Points’ barked sharply. She went into a point, Nipan taking the play-ball from Nosey as he follows her gaze up the ridge. Shadowing his eyes with a hand, Nipan then did a double-take. A young… a fellow young adult was sitting on one of the stone slabs that overlooked the pasture from atop a ridge. It took Nipan’s ears a moment to catch up, and then he heard the other’s silvery laugh. Slightly stunned from being caught off-guard, it’s a heartbeat before Nipan waves back then approaches. There’s a slight redness to the exposed skin of his shoulders.

“We’re all taking a break,” Nipan says, after a momentary pause. He nods his head towards the sheep scattered about the field, laying down in the shadows of ridges and boulders. “And thank you, I paired their lineage myself.”

He smiles, a slightly lop-sided thing, up at the blond.


“My name is—“ Nipan cuts himself off with a jolt of surprise as Sniffs-her-best snatches the forgotten play-ball from his hand then makes her getaway. The little rascal scuttles away through the grass, warbling victoriously. “SNIFFS!”

For a moment, after he had greeted the other young person below him, Valtala wondered if the cute young man would just continue to stare at him, or ignore him, like so many of the Holders back at home would. Then he remembered that he was at Igen Weyr, and his reputation had not followed him here. So far, anyway. It had only been, after all, a couple of weeks.

At any rate, the stranger ended up waving back at him and approaching. This made the blonde beam at the other as he realised that this was it, this was his moment! Now was the time to make a friend!

“Hellooo!” He smiled, with a twinkle in his eye. The other young man came and stood at the base of his rock and looked up at him. Valtala slid his hands over his knees, brought his hands up to his chin in a steeple, and rested his elbows on his kneecaps (and then his chin in his hands), looking down at the Beastcrafter, still smiling all the while.

“We’re all taking a break,” the boy finally said, then glanced around at the sheep with a nod. “And thank you, I paired their lineage myself.”

Valtala cocked his head to the side, blinking a couple times as he pondered that statement.

“You mean,” he started, then broke into another smile. “Dogs can have lineages?”

He looked down at the dogs consideringly, then laughed a little. “Like little Lord Holders and Ladies? That’s cute, I love it! And what names did you give the little lordlings?” He gave a little squeal of delight, holding out his hand to beckon a dog towards himself, giggling lightly as he addressed the dogs. “My lords!” And with a flourish, he gave a little bow, silently cherishing the other’s lopsided grin at him as he did so. Valtala noticed that the Beastcrafter was a little sunburnt.

“My name is—“ started the other boy, but he was stopped when a jewel coloured firelizard popped out of nowhere and stole something from the stranger’s hand, who exclaimed, “SNIFFS!” Instead of introducing himself.

Valtala laughed again, batting his eyelashes at the stranger as he jested. “Sniffs? That’s an odd name for a boy…” and then he winked, as he turned his attention to the little green flit that had darted away. The blonde wrung his hands with a second squeal, yet another form of delight.

“Oh, a firelizard! Eeee, I’ve never seen one so close before! She’s magnficent! And so good at playing catch, too!” The seacrafter clapped his hands at the little thief’s antics with glee. “Can she do any tricks?”

It was both fortunate and unfortunate for Nipan that the blond was so talkative. He was missing a fair amount of what was said, but what he did catch was enough to gather meaning, and make educated guesses from there. Nipan felt the residual aches of homesickness between his ribs dissolve into something sweet. The Beastcrafter was proud of his hounds, and he was glad his fellow weyrperson was finding joy in them. They beckoned to Nosey, and though she was off duty, still waited for the approving cluck of Nipan's tongue to saunter happily towards the potential source of ear scritches.

And then Sniffs-her-best had decided to be Rascals-her-best.

Having instictually lunged towards Sniffs to engage in a chase and retrieve the play-ball, Nipan is pulled up short by the other's lilting voice. It was a rather sweet voice, and Nipan couldn't help but look back. Just in time to see the blond wink. Quite suddenly do his cheeks feel rather warm. It's a different heat than the one in his shoulders, along his upper back. But Nipan doesn't think it anything else than more sunburn.

"My name is Nipan," He introduces, before whistling a short, sharp note. Immediately, the russet hound hares after the green firelizard, who squeals and scuttles all the faster. It had sounded just like the blond's own previous squeal, though their's had been of delight. "And that's Lady Knows-the-way who's sniffing at you. Lady Points-true is playing with Sniffs-her-best."

Nipan had gestured at each individual introduced, including himself, as he did so. After, he pauses with a curious look to the other in want of their own introduction.

"Sniff's only trick is making food vanish off your plate," Nipan continues, making a snatching gesture with a hand, tone light. "But we've got the three core commands down." Sniffs was honking in exaggerated panic as Points-true pursued her in circles. Nipan wipes some of the sweat off his forehead, strands of black hair clinging. "Would you like to join me under the pavilion? I have drinks and chilled fruits in the ice box."

Nosey was panting from heat and excitement both as she sat on her haunches next to Valtala. The brown-and-white hound's floppy ears were perked up. Though her face was almost fox-like in its cunning and angles, those deep brown eyes held nothing but silliness. As Sniffs lets out another undignified honk, Nosey looks over and barks. It causes Points to glance at her packmate, promptly tripping over her own paws. Finally, Sniffs manages to put some distance between herself and Points.

There was something really entertaining to Valtala about a hound that could follow orders! He gave another squeal of delight when the cute boy clicked his tongue, and then one of the dogs came up to him. The blonde showered the canine with affection; pets up and down her head and back, mostly. He did not know how to scratch a dog behind the ears, yet.

Valtala watched as the other boy gave chase to the firelizard and then turned back to him, catching his wink. The other’s cheeks reddened and the blonde gave the other a knowing smile. “Oooo! You’re cute when you blush!” He lilted, playfully.

Then, finally, came some much needed introductions! "My name is Nipan," the beastcrafter introduced, before whistling a short, sharp note. Then the other hound started chasing after the firelizard. Valtala clapped his hands in applause as Nipan introduced his crew. ”And that's Lady Knows-the-way who's sniffing at you. Lady Points-true is playing with Sniffs-her-best.”

The seacrafter gasped as he realised that he had been misgendering the hounds. “My ladies!” He corrected himself with a pat to the head of Knows. He rubbed her head vigorously. “And what a beautiful lady you are! Yes, you are!” He smiled from the canine to her owner, his smile bright and large. Clearly, he was impressed!

“Oh…! Yes! One moment!” The blonde cooed as he realised that it was his turn to introduce himself. He climbed down the rock, carefully, to stand in front of Nipan. He gave a graceful bow and then gestured to himself. “My name is Valtala! Though, you can call me ‘Val’ or ‘Tala’, if you want! I was a Journeyman seacrafter before I came here, but now I am a Candidate! Are you a Candidate? I haven’t seen you around the barracks, but I just got here a couple of weeks ago, so, I’m rather new!”

When Nipan joked about Sniffs’ stealing his food, Valtala couldn’t help but laugh at the jest, beaming at the flit as she was chased around. He glanced back at the beastcrafter just as the other boy was tucking his hair behind his ear. Then came an offer that Valtala was very surprised by.

"Would you like to join me under the pavilion? I have drinks and chilled fruits in the ice box.” Spoke Nipan, and the blonde couldn’t help but give another delighted squeal. So far, making friends was really working! He knew that today was the day!

“Ah, yes! I would love that!” Valtala admitted, curling some hair over his fingertip for a moment before carefully flipping his hair back. “It is hot, hot, hot out today. I’m not used to this kind of weather, yet. Isn’t it frightening? I am most intrigued to think about what the summer months will be like! It feels like summer is already here!” Chatted the blonde as he followed the beastcrafter to the pavilion.