Post by Memorie on Jan 23, 2006 0:19:12 GMT -5
Get this thing off of me. Now, Kaunth demanded as he landed on the weyr ledge. His back had tiny scratches on it due to the surprise for which they had gone to the jungle to get for Amoare. You'll be oiling that later, and how, Kaunth told P'resh angrily before launching from the ledge for the river. P'resh rolled his eyes, privately entertaining the notion that Kaunth was as dramatic as a green.
Carrying the squirming thing to his bed, P'resh sighed. He wondered if it would ever be tame enough for Amoare to touch. It cowered on top of his furs, ears pulled back and hissing at him, a growl interfering every so often. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and then got an idea. Calling Raaton to him, he inserted a picture in his head of a mug full of warm milk, and the Headwoman in the lower caverns.
"Get that from her," he said firmly, reinforcing the images. Raaton gave a chirp of understanding and blinked out of sight. P'resh turned back to the kitten, now budged under the furs, still growling. "That's not a very good survival tactic," he told the cat. "You can't hide and make noise at the same time." The hissing continued.
Raaton appeared again, projecting an image of the woman heading up the stairs inside the Weyrhalls, and P'resh scratched the tiny dragon's eyeridges, making Raaton croon. "You did good," he told her. "Good job," he praised, wanting to reinforce this behavior. Then there was a knock at the door, and the Headwoman entered.
"Are you okay?" she asked, handing him the mug.
"I'm fine. It's for the cat," he said, roughly and tersely. Just because he was nice to Amoare didn't mean the trait had to bleed through to his other relationships. "Thank you," he added, imagining Amoare's disapproving look. The Headwoman appeared mollified.
"You're welcome," she said, somewhat stiffly, and she left. He dipped a finger in the milk, and with his free hand, threw back the furs.
"Here," he said to the kitten, holding out his finger. The kitten, a male, scratched it, and returned to cowering. "Look, flame it all, you can starve then!" P'resh roared. An image of Amoare crossing her arms appeared in his mind's eye, and he sighed. "You're just lucky I like her," he threatened. Dipping his finger back into the mug, he tried again, this time touching the kitten's nose with the proffered finger instead of just letting him sniff it. the kitten was forced to lick his nose, and, upon finding food there and not blood there, walked cautiously over to the dragonrider. He mewed up at P'resh, and P'resh's hard heart melted at the sound of the helpless cub. "Oh, here you go, ickle sweetums," he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. It was how he had spoken to Raaton when she had been little as well, and it seemed to soothe the kitten. P'resh showed him the mug, and the kitten lapped the milk out of it. Soon, all but the dregs were left, and the kitten was curling up, tail by head, to take a nap. P'resh sighed. "Finally." He laid down next to the kitten, being sure not to smush him. "I'll let Amoare name you."
He awoke about an hour later, at the same time Kaunth did. Kaunth had come back shortly after P'resh had fallen asleep, and had taken a nap himself. They flew together down to the bowl, nearest to the river, and began to conduct private drills until Amoare found them.
As they entered the weyr together after dinner, P'resh was surprised to see a few of his clothes on the floor from the closet. He sighed and picked them up, throwing them over the back of a chair to clean. He turned back to Amoare. "Minimal damage, considering the present," he told her mysteriously. He pointed to the bed and said, "feel around until you touch something that ought not be there."
Carrying the squirming thing to his bed, P'resh sighed. He wondered if it would ever be tame enough for Amoare to touch. It cowered on top of his furs, ears pulled back and hissing at him, a growl interfering every so often. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and then got an idea. Calling Raaton to him, he inserted a picture in his head of a mug full of warm milk, and the Headwoman in the lower caverns.
"Get that from her," he said firmly, reinforcing the images. Raaton gave a chirp of understanding and blinked out of sight. P'resh turned back to the kitten, now budged under the furs, still growling. "That's not a very good survival tactic," he told the cat. "You can't hide and make noise at the same time." The hissing continued.
Raaton appeared again, projecting an image of the woman heading up the stairs inside the Weyrhalls, and P'resh scratched the tiny dragon's eyeridges, making Raaton croon. "You did good," he told her. "Good job," he praised, wanting to reinforce this behavior. Then there was a knock at the door, and the Headwoman entered.
"Are you okay?" she asked, handing him the mug.
"I'm fine. It's for the cat," he said, roughly and tersely. Just because he was nice to Amoare didn't mean the trait had to bleed through to his other relationships. "Thank you," he added, imagining Amoare's disapproving look. The Headwoman appeared mollified.
"You're welcome," she said, somewhat stiffly, and she left. He dipped a finger in the milk, and with his free hand, threw back the furs.
"Here," he said to the kitten, holding out his finger. The kitten, a male, scratched it, and returned to cowering. "Look, flame it all, you can starve then!" P'resh roared. An image of Amoare crossing her arms appeared in his mind's eye, and he sighed. "You're just lucky I like her," he threatened. Dipping his finger back into the mug, he tried again, this time touching the kitten's nose with the proffered finger instead of just letting him sniff it. the kitten was forced to lick his nose, and, upon finding food there and not blood there, walked cautiously over to the dragonrider. He mewed up at P'resh, and P'resh's hard heart melted at the sound of the helpless cub. "Oh, here you go, ickle sweetums," he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. It was how he had spoken to Raaton when she had been little as well, and it seemed to soothe the kitten. P'resh showed him the mug, and the kitten lapped the milk out of it. Soon, all but the dregs were left, and the kitten was curling up, tail by head, to take a nap. P'resh sighed. "Finally." He laid down next to the kitten, being sure not to smush him. "I'll let Amoare name you."
He awoke about an hour later, at the same time Kaunth did. Kaunth had come back shortly after P'resh had fallen asleep, and had taken a nap himself. They flew together down to the bowl, nearest to the river, and began to conduct private drills until Amoare found them.
~~~
As they entered the weyr together after dinner, P'resh was surprised to see a few of his clothes on the floor from the closet. He sighed and picked them up, throwing them over the back of a chair to clean. He turned back to Amoare. "Minimal damage, considering the present," he told her mysteriously. He pointed to the bed and said, "feel around until you touch something that ought not be there."