Exploring wher-world (open)

[ShadowReine]

Silia was not, exactly, looking for anyone.

Staying carefully away from the hatching cave where, she hoped, there would very soon be eggs hardening, she was exploring the wherhandler quarters.

Now she stood at the entrance to an empty room, studying it. If Sabresk let her bond, she might be living here very soon indeed. Another dragon Hatching had come and gone.

Would she ever Stand again? If she didn't pass muster?

Of course, she also knew, remembered with a sudden sinking in her stomach. Wher queens sometimes killed unacceptable candidates...

[kandykat]

Roksana had the same idea as Silia. She wanted to get to know her new home. She skirted around the tunnels, holding up a glow in front of her. She wasn't used to walking in such dark places, and it made her nervous. Plus, with her height, the tunnels were a little cramped.

She saw a figure up above and lifted her glow to shine on it, hoping it wasn't some dangerous animal. Luckily, it was just another person. Roksana stepped loudly so the other girl wouldn't be startled. "Hello," she called.

[friar]

Echidna was the only one who didn't leave with Kelna to go annoy Akila. No, she had stayed in the cave system, slumbering happily on Sabresk's back.

But now, the little barred heard voices! She woke abruply, and launched herself softly so as not to wake sleeping Sabresk. The gold needed all the sleep she could get- she was simply huge!

Echidna flew along the dark passageways, knowing her way around them almost as well as Sabre did. It wasn't long until she shreiked, startled. She hadn't seen light in a long time, and it hurt her delicate eyes.

She proceeded to screech at the two girls, berating them for trespassing on HER territory.



((She wearing the same harness as Akila- black and Sabre blue.))

[ShadowReine]

Silia blinked at the barred. "Whoah there, little one."

It was too young to have eggs, so it must just be a bad tempered firelizard. She glanced at Roksana. "Got anything to bribe that cute barred with, before she decides to sample human?"

The little one did look like she was about to bite. Maybe it was hanging out with whers that did it.

[kandykat]

Roksana flinched in surprise when the Barred flew over them, screeching. She didn't seem too happy about them being around. She didn't have any food on her, and that was the easiest way to appease a fire lizard.

"Maybe this will work," she said, taking off one of the necklaces she wore. It was a silver runnerbeast charm on a plain leather string. She held it up to the fire lizard, dangling it tantalizingly. "Shiny?" She just hoped her offering didn't displease the fire lizard even more.

[friar]

Oooo, shiny! Echidna descended on the girl who dangled the shiny-sparkly-thing, and snatched it away. Chortling, she betweened back to her place on Sabresk's back, and draped the cord over Sabresk's head ridge. Shiny!

[ShadowReine]

Silia laughed, "Little thief. I think it...I guess we should find out who she belongs to."

She hoped that necklace wasn't of great sentimental value...the firelizard might not want to give it up.

Of course, maybe the firelizard was attached to a wherhandler who would be willing to talk to her about the reality of being bonded to one of the beasts.

[Jenth]

A male's laughter echoes through the halls, comming from the dark corners where the dimmer then normal glows hung. He had seen everything, Sabre's firelizards seemed almost as bad tempered as she was. At least the clutch had finally been lain Sabresk should be in better moods, Itusk tending to lurk around near the clutch and his queen.

Shaking out shaggy blonde hair he walked into the clearer light, a man almost too tall to a life of deep darkened caverns. Though it wouldn't be all that unlike him to mess with the candidates but Saber would put them through worse in interigations. "Don't worry girls, Echidna wouldn't have gone far with that necklace."

[kandykat]

The little Barred was between so fast Roksana didn't even have time to react. She sighed. She wasn't one to get attached to material possessions, but she had meant for the flitter to just play with the necklace, not keep it.

"I guess so," she said with a grimace. "There can't be many Barreds in the Hold, right?"

Then laughter rang out, and she jumped in surprise, then quickly composed herself again. Surprised, her? Never! She was going to berate the man for sneaking up on people, but then he named the fire lizard. "You know who she is? Where do you think she went?"

[ShadowReine]

"She's yours?" Silia guessed. "If it was -mine- I'd bet she put it in the quarters of the worst tempered wher here."

Because that would be just Silia's luck, for something like that to happen. She took in the man's knots. A bronzehandler. "Of course, I suppose then, I'd just have to find the handler...and be mocked, no doubt."

She'd seen one of the dragon candidates with a barred, but it was definitely not the same firelizard. Barreds were...good and distinctive.

[Jenth]

"Oh she's not mine! But you are going to wish she were." he continued, still chuckling. These girls had no idea, but maybe Sabre was right. None of these girls seemed very fit at all to handle a gold wher and the way the woman went on it was suspected that maybe Sabresk had lain one. It was hard to tell with whers, just like firelizards but there were always clues. He himself just hadn't seen the eggs and doubted he would.

"That barred belongs to Sabre, one of the most ill tempered and strictest women on Pern. Her flits flock around her queen and if you value your lives you will not enter till its time to prove your worth for an egg." It shouldn't be too much longer now. Then the fun could begin!

"Oh! And while I remember, stay right here!" the tall man turned and raced down the corridor to come back a minute later with a young girl right behind. "This is Lianly, I just brought her in a few hours ago. She's a candidate too so can you please show her around? I'll see what I can do about your necklace..." and with that he was off again.

Lianly looked no older then 13 turns, looking quite small and vulnerable but she had a small smile none the less. "Hello, and don't worry. Itunas will get your necklace back."

[ShadowReine]

Silia nodded. "Don't worry. I've heard stories about broody whers maiming or even killing those as get too close to their eggs before they're hard enough to hatch."

And sometimes even then, but she was not backing down. Then she smiled reassuringly to Llanly. "Hey there. We'll make sure you don't get too lost, right?"

The girl looked very young.

[Friaronlaptop]

Echidna had roused Chartreuse when she landed on Sabresk. The other barred glided over to little India to wake her up.





India didn't wanna wake up, and so promptly chased Chartreuse away. In her flight, she passed a tunnel that channeled voices. She left off chasing the barred, and followed the voices. People? There were NEVER people in the Labyrinth!

She landed gracefully on the girl-with-black-hair's shoulder, and chirped happily.

People!

[kandykat]

Roksana nodded when the man told her the Barred belonged to Sabre. She was suddenly less passionate about getting her necklace back. If the Whermaster's flitt wanted it, she supposed the creature was entitled to it. But then the handler promised to get her necklace back. "Thank you," she said politely, a bit surprised. Why did he think he would be able to get the necklace back.

She looked at Llanly and shrugged. She couldn't tell if the girl should be called a teen or a kid, and Roksana wasn't overly fond of children. "I'm not the best person to ask for a tour. As a matter of fact, I could use one myself," she admitted.

She looked up as something fluttered down the passageway. Another flitter? This one landed neatly on her shoulder and chirped. She froze, not wanting to upset the green. "Why, hello there..." Reaching out, she patted the little green on the head. For a wher hold, this place sure had a lot of fire lizards!

[ShadowReine]

Silia laughed. "I think that green likes you, Roksana."

None of them had landed on her, of course. "She's cute."

Now, the question was, where was that necklace. To the bronzehandler, she ventured, "I haven't met Sabre yet. I hear she can be...that she has very high standards for her candidates."

[Jenth]

"I heard that too... Itunas spoke a lot about her on the way her, apparently it was sort of her decision to bring me her."

Actually Sabre and Lianly had never met, but that was what the bronzehandler had said. Well he had come up with it but Sabre had approved it. It was a little sad that the reason she had been swept away was because of blood ties but Lianly didn't see what having the same blood as dragonriders had anything to do with Whers.

"They said they wanted my older sister but the dragonriders got her first. She Impressed a violet so they settled for what they thought was the next best choice."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Itunas stopped short of the Queen's clutching cavern, Itusk already there. "Now boy, one of Sabresk's groupies may be hidding a necklace belonging to one of the girls in there. I want you to try and get it back."

I can try, my beautiful gold may not want me around her and our eggs...

The bronze crept around the corner, crooning gently to his mate.

[friar]

Sabresk was not happy to see her mate. Sabre was in a temper AGAIN, and the bronze had woken her up from a sound sleep. The first thing she did was check each of her eggs, nosing them thoroughly before turning to her mate. When she did turn to her mate, it was with the charm he sought handing from a head ridge, and a growl rumbling from her chest.



Echidna was startled by Sabresk's rousing- she flew up with a squawk, and circled until she could see the intruder. She flew at the bronze's head, curling her tail up and away from its oversized mouth. How dare he make Echidna have to fly! Idjit bronze...

[Jenth]

Itusk shook his head, not hard enough to fling her away put hopefully enough to warn her off attacking him. It was bad enough he had woken Sabresk, with her in a bad mood he would have either not come any closer or back away.

no little barred, this is your fault! You took the girl's neck shiny, she wants it back! Its not yours, leave me be!

Never being close to the clutch at all he moved away, wings unfurling half way. While small in comparison they were big for a wher's. He was a bronze and would stand his ground, his strong alert stanceshowed he would not be afraid to fight back.

My lovely Sabresk, why do you let these creatures near our eggs but not me? They are impossible!

[ShadowReine]

Silia shrugged. "If I meet them, fine. If I don't, I can stand for a dragon again, I suppose."

It was clear from her tone that that was not what she wanted to do. The more she studied the whers, the more fascinated with them she became. Sure, they were ugly...

...but looks weren't everything. And she'd probably bond a green...and that was definitely fine with her. Or a blue. A blue would be nice.

Assuming there weren't any mutant whers, of course.

[kandykat]

"I'm sure I can handle the standards," Roksana muttered. She was used to people expecting a lot out of her. Her foster-father had always wanted her to work hard to help take care of the beasts. She felt a small pang of loss when she thought about her father, and quickly shoved the memory away.

"It's Sabresk who decides whether or not we get an egg, right?" She asked. "So as long as we can impress her, we should be fine."