We Who are Guided By Dragonkin { tag } LdyPayne / Iggharudube

[Ember]

It was rough, Dirce wasn't going to lie. Being a new weyrling was getting easier, but there was nothing about it that hadn't been difficult up to this point. It wasn't the physical exercise aspects that bothered her, and she loved Sandalphonth with her entire being. It had to do with the headaches, the aches, the illness that seemed to plague her. Though now that she thought about it, after a little more than a month of being bonded, things weren't nearly as bad. She wasn't waking up sick nearly as much, though the headaches still lingered often enough that she still wondered if it was a normal after affect of bonding suddenly. Last night, it had been so bad that she hadn't been able to eat, which is why, she suspected, she'd woken up in the middle of the night to the worst hunger pangs she'd felt since the day of her Impression to the zulanite beauty.

She slipped from bed and dressed, figuring it was close enough to morning to get ready, and even if it wasn't, she might as well get herself dressed to slip form the barracks. She wasn't supposed to be out anyway, so this was going to be an act of bravery on her part, tip-toeing out. But if she didn't get something to eat, she knew it would rouse her dragon, and she didn't want to risk waking her. She had been chewing on everything as of late, and the last thing Dirce wanted was to leave her alone in the room while she slipped away to fetch food and drink, even for a few moments.

She almost snorted, because she could just hear her darling in her head - I do not chew on things. - but she held it in, because as she felt for the zultanite, she knew she was heavily sleeping but that could easily change in a heartbeat. Glancing in her direction, she saw her still tightly curled up in a ball and smiled fondly. Even with all the ick that had been attached to the bonding, and the surprised behind it all, she wouldn't trade her in for the world. She loved her, and she knew Sandalphonth adored her in return. They would make one heck of a team someday... no, they already did. It was just taking time still, and Dirce hoped it wouldn't take too much longer, because she didn't want her entire weyrlinghood to be filled with the heaviness of illness.

After reaching the dining hall, she wondered what she'd want, but really, everything sounded good, especially considering how hungry she felt. She continued to check in on her dragon as she searched the tables for something particularly wanting, but again, it all looked and smelled tasty. After a while, she selected some stew, a bit of bread, and maybe one or two of everything that she could place on a tray, not realizing she would be eating like a dragon herself, and not even caring when she finally set down her things and noticed it. A drink or two later - she wasn't going to chance klah, for some reason it was only making her head hurt more as of late - she returned to her table and looked around.

All that was around right now were riders on late night duties, a few crafters, others in her situation but older, and the handlers. She wasn't sure if anyone would approach her, but she wouldn't be against it. So long as she didn't get in trouble in the process - hopefully, if she was reported, the Weyrlingstaff would understand. And maybe it would finally be time to explain the headaches and illness to them, too.

[LdyPayne]

It had been a boring Patrol so boring in fact Inggharudube wished the Rogues and their giant Felines would come back. The fight he had against them back when they discovered the truth being the attacks he enjoyed the fight. He loved fighting, of pitting his strength and skill with blade and whip against another person or creature. Iggnarudube knew he could spar with any of the competent fighters among the Wherhandlers but it wasn't the same. His sense of boredom was also due to not having any bounties to collect of late. He was certain there must be other wanted criminals and escaped slaves lurking in Atricis after Justicars from Walled showed up to arrest Isolde but as yet he hadn't discover any. It wasn't like he could travel to Walled Hold and get a fresh 'Wanted' list given the resent unrest there.

After finishing settling Inggharusk the Bronzelhander headed for the Dining Cavern. The patrol may have been uneventful but that didn't mean he wasn't hungry. He filled a bowl with stew, grabbed a couple rolls and some butter to spread over them then helped himself with a goblet of wine. It may be morning for most of the Weyr but for the Wherhandlers this was their dinner and the cooking staff knew it so were prepared.

As it was still some Candlemarks before dawn there weren't too many people around. His Guardmates had elected to seek sustenance elsewhere leaving Iggharudube alone to enjoy a meal. He certainly could have cooked his own but sometimes such as now, he was just too hungry to want to wait the time it would take him to cook. Scanning the available places to sit his eyes spotted a woman sitting by herself. There was something familiar about her though he knew he had never met her officially. It took a few moments watching her for him to recall why her face was jumping out at him. She was the woman who Impressed a Zultanite from the Stands during the last dragon Hatching. Inggharudube had attended, mostly standing in the sidelines only because the Hatching occurred in the evening instead of the usual daylight hours. It was rare for him to have a chance to witness a Hatching so he took it.

"A little early for you to be up," Inggharudube commented once he showed up at Dirce's table. "Or is your dragon still getting up at all hours to be fed?"

He didn't think this was the case as he didn't see any other Weyrlings in the Dinning Room. He wasn't even sure baby dragons would eat several times through the night and day as baby Whers did. Many people felt Whers were totally helpless and blind during the day but they weren't. Bright sun hurts their eyes and they prefer a nocturnal lifestyle because of that but that didn't mean they weren't able to travel and hunt during the day. Inggharudube had tracked and avoided wild Whers during his time living in the jungle often enough to know they could be active at dusk and dawn and even in the middle of the day especially in the deep jungle where the canopy blocked most of the sun's rays.

[Ember]

Dirce looked up at the voice, not recognizing the man though there was something familiar about him. Perhaps she'd seen him at some point and just couldn't pin point exactly where she had seen him around the Weyr? Then she realized he was probably a handler, and that was why she hadn't seen him before, which might be the cause of the feigned recognition. She smiled, somewhat tiredly, because in reality she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep through the night, but that seemed like it was more than a lost cause at this point, at least for tonight. Instead, she patted the table, a suggestion that he should join her. It wasn't often that she got to dine with handlers, and she missed being around them; it didn't hurt as much anymore seeing them, and it was actually with fondness that she looked upon them now.

"I couldn't sleep, actually. Been having some issues with it." It was the first time she'd admitted to anyone that she'd been having problems with anything, and she felt both incredibly relieved to have done so, and worried that she might be judged for it. Though perhaps he might understand on some level, maybe he'd gone through something similar all on his own at some point in his life. She pushed around at her food for a moment with her spoon before taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. "Wasn't all that hungry earlier in the day, so I figured I might as well get up and eat something while Sandalphonth was sleeping. Might not last, so if I have to leave suddenly, it's because she woke up."

[LdyPayne]

Taking the offered seat Inggharudube placed his heavily laden tray on the table. As this was his dinner he saw no need to skimp on anything. Never being one to put on much weight other than muscle partly due to always pushing himself physically with just his normal workout routine, Inggharudube had a hearty appetite. Some would even tease he ate more than his Wher at a single sitting.

"With the bond?" Inggharudube queried. Recalling she Impressed unexpectedly one of a couple to do so at that particular Hatching Inggharudube wondered if that was why she was having issue with it. During his own Candidacy he felt very little of what he was taught to expect when the bond came didn't seem to compare to the reality of feeling a very self aware consciousness in his mind which wasn't his own. It took time to get used to it, now Inggharudube couldn't imagine life without Inggharusk existing just a thought away in his mind.

"I saw you Impress, right out of the stands," Inggharudube revealed after eating a bite of food. "Certainly understandable it was something you weren't prepared for. Might be a good idea to talk to your Weyrelingmaster, I expect she'll have advice on how to adapt. Or could always talk to that Garnet rider who Impressed from the Stands." He paused as he thought back to the hatching as he was pretty certain there had been 3 Stand Impressions. "Or that grey dragon with the blue spots, not sure what it was, Pyrite maybe."

"Don't worry, I remember well the hunger pangs of a growing Wherlet so I can easily imaging a dragon hatchling would be just as intense." He chewed on another bite of food then remembered his manners. "I'm Inggharudube by the way, Handler of bronze Inggharusk.'

[Ember]

Dirce nodded as she listened to him. There had indeed been a surprising number of Stands Impressions, from what she understood, at the hatching. She just hadn't expected to be one of them. She picked at her food at first, then started to eat with some of the veracity that she'd been missing in the previous days, and her body would either thank her for such a thing later, or absolutely destroy her for it. After one particularly large bite, she washed it down with some water in order to give a proper, and polite, response. "I'm thinking of going to V'an, the Assistant. He's made it pretty clear he's willing to talk to those of us who Impressed from the Stands, and I'm honestly not sure how much longer I can keep up at my current pace with how things have been."

It felt... good to talk to someone, even if it was someone that she didn't really know. Surely she would have to thank him in some way? And then her thoughts were broken in on by his understanding of the manner in which she was eating tonight, and again there was relief, and she could have sagged in her seat with how much she was appreciative of this handler that was spending his dinner with her. "Oh, they can be just be terrible. Tell me, Inggharudube, does the intensity ever lessen?" Or was it different for handlers and riders, she wondered? She dipped her head in greeting though, not about to forget her own manners in kind. "Dirce of zultanite Sandalphonth."

[LdyPayne]

"Go to him soon's your morning routine is done, not good to delay especially if the bond sickness has been going on longer than usual," Inggharudube encouraged. "It's not a weakness to seek aid from those who are more experienced, in fact not to is just stupidity."

He was pleased to see her eating, Inggharudube felt she looked too skinny especially given she was a dragonrider now. A part of him wondered why the Weyrlingmasters didn't watch over those who Impressed from the stands to make sure they were adapting well. Unlike all the other Candidates they didn't undergo the Candidate lessons so weren't prepared for what happens when one is Impressed. He looked up when she asked about the hunger pangs she felt from her dragon.

"They do lessen, in fact a time will come when you won't feel that intense hunger anymore," Inggharudube assured her. "Not sure just how long it takes for a dragon to reach maturity compared to Whers but by the time they nearly their full growth the hunger pangs will fade away. You will still know when they are hungry but it will be more gradual and you'll get to know how frequent your dragon needs to eat upon maturity."

Inggharudube offered his hand to take with the woman. "Good to meet you Dirce," he responded, giving a firm handshake.

[Ember]

It was a relief to know that things did, indeed, get better, and she just needed to be a little more patient and let things run their course. She smiled and nodded her head. "I suppose if I had to wait a little longer, it would be worth it. Truthfully, she's worth it. Sandalphonth is probably the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." She felt, carefully, for the sleeping zultanite and "saw" that she was indeed still resting. Not wanting to rouse her, she slipped out of her mind before she was noticed, and returned to her food, stopping only when it came time to shake hands with Inggharudube.

"It's nice to meet you, Inggharudube. You said you were a wherhandler, yes?" She couldn't help herself when her expression, for a moment, grew fond. "I'm actually rather pleased about handlers in general. Kind of fond of them and whers as a whole." She stabbed at her food, perhaps harder than she meant to, but she found that her thoughts weren't sad when she considered the reasons why. It was just a kneejerk reaction. "Both of my parents were Atrician handlers. They were killed during the feline attacks. That's what drew me South, away from the Fisher Hall at Tillek."

[LdyPayne]

Inggharudube nodded to confirm he had said he was a Wherhandler, looking at her curiously when she talked about how fond she was of Handlers and their Whers. It put thoughts in his head which he had to remind himself Dirce was still a Weyrling and rules would prohibit her from coming to his room after they finished eating. A shame really as he would certainly sleep better this day with Dirce at his side. But, with a young dragon needing early morning feedings they wouldn't get far anyway despite the rules prohibiting such activities.

All thoughts of sex flew his mind however when Dirce went on to explain her parents had both been Handlers and among those who lost their lives fighting against the fanged Felines. Inggharudube growled, once more wishing he could find the rest of the Rogues responsible for training those beasts only to send them against Wher and Daywhers alike so ruthlessly. All to protect minds that Atricis may not have discovered for Turns to come.

"A great loss...but your parents have been adventured, we found those responsible for the attacks and killed many. The trained felines were hunting down and killed." Inggharudube was certain a few escaped along with their masters but he decided to exaggerate the numbers they stopped. By all accounts the Rogues were long gone and won't come anywhere near Atricis territory. They had alerted the other Weyrs and Holds of the South so the Rogues will find it far more difficult to make raids elsewhere. "At least now you found a life partner in Sandalphonth. You'll never truly be along with her."

[Ember]

She was quiet after hearing that news, not sure what to say at first. Her parents had been killed because of some brutal assholes that had desired to see handlers killed? She curled her fingers into fists, balls of flesh and bone that started to quiver slightly. It wasn't until she felt Sandalphonth begin to stir in her mind that she was able to unwind herself and pull herself apart from the feelings. She closed her eyes and said a few words in silence, thinking of her parents as she did so, nodding to herself. At least they could rest now, she thought. Those responsible were gone. Most of them at least, from the sounds of it. The rest... she wanted to see the rest done in for, at least in her lifetime, and she would...

She didn't know what she would do, but it wouldn't be anything that would put her zultanite at risk. Her parents would frown upon that, her brother and sisters would be left without a figure to look up upon. She couldn't do that. She... wiped a hand across her eyes and nodded at what the man said to her. "I will never take that dragon for granted either. She's been a great blessing to me, has become so important to my life. Even if she was unexpected. I love her more than myself." And she grew quiet again, moving around the food on her plate for a moment before saying something she wanted to say. "Did you get to see them brought down? The rogues?"

[LdyPayne]

He gave a nod, certain Dirce wouldn't be careless with her dragon despite not being a Candidate when the Zultanite chose her. Inggharudube had been quite amazed to see so many Stand Impressions, he certainly didn't recall that happening the last time he attended a dragon hatching. If the pairing was right it was clear it'll happen regardless of where the rider was located. Better than having a dragon suicide instead. One reason he was glad Whers didn't go that route should they not find a Handler to their liking.

"A good thing she found you since dragons can't live without the bond like Whers can," he decided to voice the thought. He took a few bites of his meal, watching her push her food around aimlessly on her plate. Inggharudube considered offering to finishing off her food for her then thought she may have firelizard to do that task.

"Yes, I was part of the group who found the initial camp and realized it was humans directing the giant Felines. It certainly explained why they were so determined to attack Whers and in such coordinated ways. Killed a couple of the big felines in the process and caught some of the rogues too. Most scattered but we tracked them down afterwards. If there are any more of them they fled far away but word was put out to watch for these criminals. How I would like to track down a few more of those large felines, they make for excellent pelts. But they are too far now would take Sevendays to find their trail now."