Oiling and Relationships {{Itunas}}

[Faerie Fyre]

There was a large cave set aside for the mundane tasks of washing and oiling, about three-fourths the size of the Hatching Cavern. It was well illuminated by glows, which glinted against the black water of the cave pool whose presence had prompted the rest of the chamber.

The rest of the chamber consisted of several crates that contained flasks and pots of oil, and bags of sweetsand, and wire brushes to scratch itchy hides. Though most of Pern did not equate the coarse whers with the much more graceful dragons, these smaller cousins were prone to the same skin problems that plagued the weyr.

It was in this cave that the gold handler Sabrenti could be found. She had decided that today would be the perfect time to wash and thoroughly oil Sabresk, and that meant getting dity. The gold handler was dressed in an old, stained shirt of an unremarkable color somewhere between grey and brown, and cut-off trousers that ended in a frayed array at her knees. Her hands were covered in the suds of sweetsand, and Sabresk was practically purring with pleasure.

"Go ahead and rinse again, 'bresk. It's about time to start oiling."

While the pale gold splashed happily in the shallow part of the water, Sabre wiped her hands off on her shirt, and walked over to one of the crates. Her barred fire lizard Echidna was curled up on one of the flasks - the one she needed. Sabre nudged the drowsy lizard to wake her, and removed the flask from the crate. This flask contained an oil made from the rendered fat of a mountain wherry in which herbs such as meadowsweet and spiceroot had been cooked. The result was a pleasant smelling oil that left hide soft but strong.

"Echidna, go find Itunas. His bronze could surely use a good oiling."

The little female flitted off, presumably to find the man who shared Her person's room during the day. Having sent the invitation to the bronze handler, Sabre dedicated herself to pouring herself a palm's worth of the pleasant oil, and working it deeply in the gold's freshly cleaned hide.

[Jenth]

Itunas hadn't known what to think when Sabre had just masteriously appeared back in the Labyrinth. How long had it been? Half a Turn? Without so much as a goodbye the goldhandler had packed up and left, Itunas come to the conclusion that she just couldnt put up with him any longer and had left him the bonded hatchling his bronze had sired. Knowing she may never explain herself Itunas had avoided her as best he could, almost to the point of ignoring. Itusk on the other hand was over joyed to have his queen back.

The growing young pairs were doing well, at least the pairs who still remained in the Labyrinth. A few had returned home to for thier various reasons, some to help with the feilds while others were already on night watches against attacking felines. Itunas was sure they would be fine, at their age the Whers knew what they needed and had basic training. The rest they had to figure out on their own.

The man ignored the presence of the firelizard, there werent that many bonded to the cave dwellers, instead Itusk greeted the little barred. Sabre thinks he needed an oil? He didnt want to upset his gold! With sudden urgency Itusk butted his handler and started for the door To the bronze there was no difference between gold handler and wher, which only brought out a long drawn sigh. It these confinded passageways, how long did he really think he could have avoided this?

Itusk lead the way, warbling warm greeting to gold and handler alike as he entered and making sure Sabresk was finshed with the bathing pools before entering the waters. Itunas however was emotionless and sullen, not saying a thing as he went to his waiting bronze and began scrubbing.

[Faerie Fyre]

Things had never been...easy...between Itunas and Sabre, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that the nearly-forty-Turn-old handler had yet to admit to herself that she was heavily affected by her wher's moods. And while Sabresk quite liked Itusk, Sabre merely became irritable and impossible when her gold was clutching. Things had not been so awkward back when she stayed on one place for only long enough to do her duty before she moved on.

The fact that Sabresk had chosen to lay her clutch in the Labyrinth had triggered what could be termed Sabre's flight characteristics. Sabre did not like to stay in one place after Sabresk clutched, and that meant that the Labyrinth should have become a place of the past.

But it had not remained that way.

Tendrils of discontent stretched from Sabre to Sabresk, who returned those feelings with a ferocious headache. The gold did not like strife, and she did want to remain with Itusk. It was therefore Sabre's job to make nice with the bronze handler, even though she thought the effort was demeaning and uncalled for.

An uncomfortable silence stretched in the bathing cavern, with a resentful man on one side, and an unwilling woman on the other.