Meandering {{open}}

[Raincloud]

Korrik wandered seemingly aimlessly through the labyrinth that was the home of the majestic whers. Why would anyone describe these so-called ugly beasts majestic? Well, Kork was just so enthralled with the whers that he couldn't think of any other way to describe them!

His true reason for pacing through the tunnels and chambers of the labyrinth was so he glimpse the only whers here. Unfortunately, due to the clutch, Sabresk was nowhere to be seen. Kork certainly knew he had no right to go to the clutch just to see her. Unless he possibly had a death wish.

Kork found whers to be most intriguing. Not just intriguing, but full out amazing. He was awed by their senses of smell; although their sight was none-too-impressive. That didn't matter. Who needs sight in the dark, anyway?

Kork snapped out of his mindless thoughts and continued on, giving respectful nods to those who passed though his brain refused to allow him to look at anything. His mind was too distracted. Rude? Perhaps. However, Kork's sheer determination for one of the creatures made him want to examine each them, observe their behaviours, and be generally more knowledged in whers.

The more interest he showed and the more he knew, the more likely it was for Sabresk to not maul him when it was time for her clutch to hatch, right? Korrik's heart pounded at the thought. Such excitement he had never felt before-- not even when watching dragons hatch on the sands!

Kork flattened out a crease in his red tunic and noticed his boot untied. He knealt down to tie it, and was momentarily distracted from his wanting thoughts by a beautiful woman walking by. Of course, other wanting thoughts entered his mind momentarily.

Brushing his black hair from his sharp green eyes, he sighed deeply. Waiting for that clutch to hatch was painful! It was worth it, though. Oh, yes. So very worth it. Whers, he thought, were a whole class of their own.

[Sparrow]

Japarill was happily wandering the labyrinth, a small glowbasket in one hand so he could see. He wasn't too worried about getting lost... if that happened, then he would be lost and hopefully he would find his way to somewhere recognizable sometime, but he didn't like tripping over rocks or running into walls or vicious stalagmites. Caves had many flaws in his opinion. The Mines had almost been nicer, except for when they collapsed. The stone at least didn't seem to do that.

He paused at the sight of a boy he didn't know, it was rather surprising to see someone he hadn't run into yet. Pari had even met Sabresk and not been eaten! Hopefully that was a good sign. Maybe this boy was new. "Hey." He grinned, following the boy's gaze down the hall to one of the prettier wherhandlers. It seemed almost a pity how many lovely women ended up in these dark caves. Most people didn't think whers worth beautiful handlers... Pari didn't think that, but he didn't like seeing them living in darkness.

"You a Candidate?" He couldn't think of any other reason for someone to be here without a wher, and he didn't see one around this boy. "I am," he added. "I'm Japarill, but you can call me Pari." As was usual with these words, he held out his hand. Most of the wherhandlers had turned out to not be the hand-shaking type, but maybe someone new wouldn't be corrupted with that lack of formality. His mother would always say that was the only polite thing Pari had ever learned... and it seemed rather wasted here.

Thoughts of what his mother would be doing right now flickered throuh his mind, but he forced his attention back to the new boy. Hopefully everything was alright back at home; Pari hadn't heard much news from the Mines since leaving them.

[Raincloud]

Korrik met the boy's eyes and smiled charmingly, absolutely thrilled to meet another Candidate. "Hello yourself," he took the boy's hand and shook it firmly while he introduced himself; "Korrik, everyone calls me Kork, though. Yes, I am a Candidate." Releasing the hand he tried to tone down his excitement; he didn't want to come off as creepy.

Kork glanced at the glowbasket and wondered if it would hurt the whers' eyes. He wasn't sure about that, so he hadn't brought one with him. Although he tripped over the uneven grounds a couple times, he didn't mind the dimness of the caves.

"It's great to meet another Candidate," he began, eyes positively beeming at Japarill, "I've been lost around this place for some time now, haven't bumped into many." He paused for a moment while gears turned in his head. "Actually... I haven't bumped into any!" Kork gave a short laugh as he came to that realization.

Kork flicked his head slightly to get his dark hair out of his eyes. "So, pardon me for asking, but what exactly are you wandering around for?" His smile was non-threatening, or at least he hoped so. He always got overly ecstatic about meeting new poeple; he didn't want to scare anyone off!

[Sparrow]

Pari smiled and nodded. Kork was a funny nickname, but his probably sort of was too, so that didn't really matter. "Have you been here long?" He let his hand drop to his side again as Korrik released it, but it didn't linger there long. Soon he was absently fingering the light cover over his glowbasket; Pari liked to keep his hands occupied.

"It is." Pari laughed at Kork's next comment. "I haven't either, maybe they're all hiding from Sabresk. I don't think Sabre likes most of what she's ended up with." What had she said? That one was blind, another thought whers were the first step to dragons? He couldn't really remember. But that had been an interesting enough experience... Pari was probably lucky Sabresk hadn't eaten him when he accidentally ended up in her cavern. The Gold hadn't been in too good a mood then.

"Um.... I just wander." Pari shrugged. "It's fun to explore the cave." Kork seemed very excited about being here; Pari didn't think he was so much. It was just living underground... but a wher would make it all worth it. "It's so big, you know? There's a lot to see." He grinned. Amazing that he hadn't run into other Candidates yet with all the wandering he did. Maybe luck was with him even though Kork seemed a little odd.

[Raincloud]

"No, not really. I've been in the Weyr since it started, but as a dragon Candidate." He peered off into space as he mindlessly recounted his story, "I first saw a wher a short time ago and fell hopelessly in love with the creatures." Kork paused a moment in dreamy remembrance of the day before realizing how odd he was acting. "Sorry," he murmured inaudibly.

A grin returned to his face with Pari's comment on Sabre. "It doesn't really seem like she likes much at all, eh?" He laughed at his own joke and clapped his newfound friend's shoulder. "I'm just kidding! But don't tell Sabre!" Kork's eyes sparkled mischievously.

Crossing his arms across his chest, nodding in agreeance, Kork spoke calmly for once; "Exploring the caves is interesting, to be sure. I don't think I could see everything down here if I spent the rest of my life looking." Of course, that was all part of the fun of this wandering he did. He may not find his way out for a while, but who knows what he'd find! Adventure-- his life blood.

[Sparrow]

"Well, the Labyrinth isn't the Weyr." Pari laughed. "So I guess you never Impressed? There haven't been a lot of clutches to stand at I guess." Four in the last five Turns? The Violet's had been somewhat small if the news he heard was correct. "I've grown up with whers." Pari laughed and looked around. "I like them."

Of course they could be dangerous, but Candidates got mauled at dragon Hatchings too. Whers protected people more than they realized. Pari smiled at Kork's next comment. "You think so?" He laughed when he added he was only kidding. "Oh. I haven't talked to her enough to really know... she likes Sabresk at leasat." He grinned. "I won't tell her."

Pari nodded enthusiastically as Kork spoke again. "Oh yes! That's what's so great about them. Except when you get lost." Maybe they would run into monsters sometime too, but Pari wasn't sure if that would be exciting or not. He had heard big felines ran wild in the Southern Continent, one could be hiding in the caves. Or tunnelsnakes, of course. But maybe there were undiscovered things wandering around too... it would be a thrill to discover.

[Raincloud]

"Well then!" Korrik said, slapping his hands together. The sound echoed through the tunnel for sometime, though he spoke over it. "Want to keep wandering through? If we go in opposite directions that means one of us will not find the way out." He chortled, "That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we've got to eat eventually, right?" Turning on his heel, he assumed Pari would follow him.

To be polite, he decided to head in the direction Pari had been going in so the boy wouldn't see the same things again. There were many twists and turns; hence the term labyrinth associated with the series of tunnels. Kork did think having company would make exploring far more exciting and finding their way out easier, but that wasn't a part of Kork's plans for the moment.

((Wow. I kind of failed with that post there. XD Sorry!))

[Sparrow]

"But we might find more stuff... but we wouldn't know." Pari laughed. Better they go together, sharing excitement was always more fun. He started after Korrik, taking a few quick strides to catch up to and walk beside him rather than lag a little behind. "Eating is good too," he agreed absently, although the reply was late. "Maybe we'll find some sort of food storage place." There had to be some here, right? Or else run into the kitchens, but that wouldn't be much exploring since he knew the way there.

If they wandered to less traveled places Pari's glowbasket would be more useful, dim as it was so to not bother the whers. Not all the tunnels in the Labyrinth were marked, or at least he hadn't found marks on some of them, so it would be best to avoid those unless they really wanted to get lost. That would be more of an adventure, but also very bad. Dark caves were not a good place to really be lost in. Losing track of which tunnel was which was safer.

"What sort of things do you think could live in here?" Japarill liked to imagine that there were much more than the whers, people, and odd bugs one could find in here. Mysterious creatures like the felines maybe, or large and vicious somethings-or-others. He wanted to find those sometime, but had to wonder if anyone else shared his opinion.

((So did Sparrow... xP Guess it works.))