[PRP]If You Go Down to the Woods Today [A'iel/Serfie]

[ShinosBee]

...you're sure of a big surprise.

And boy, stumbling across what appeared to be a young, youngish? Maybe into her teens? No, had to be younger than that...a little girl, essentially, curled up in what A'iel could really only describe as a nest, in the forest, well outside the Weyr's walls...yeah. That was more surprising than the day he'd seen two dragonets hatch from the same egg. She was wrapped in what he assumed were worn clothes, not full on rags, but they blended in and he'd nearly missed her, tucked away as she was barely visible behind a tangle of thorns.

Who is she, A'iel? I knew I smelled something that wasn't usual...She isn't dead, right? No, look, she's breathing... Nasath had crept as close as he could without making too much noise, and was half watching the girl through his rider's eyes. A'iel almost quipped back that everything smelled new and odd to him, they were at an entirely new weyr after all, but two, almost three sevendays since arriving, Western was probably almost all Nasath could remember. He must have actually noticed her scent then, great lummox that he was. Telling him so would just go right to hisbhead, but he was right...

Gingerly the young rider crept closer, hands coming up to display they were empty. "Hello there...miss? Are you alright?" It might be dangerous to wake her if she was...well she couldn't really be wild, right? Thread was coming nearly every sevenday, so how was she even alive... He shook his head, just flummoxed. It shouldn't be possible, and he had to know what had happened. A young girl, if that's what she was, shouldn't be out here alone.

"Miss, are you hurt? I'm a rider, I could take you to the weyr nearby..."

Revel1984

 

[Revel1984]

ShinosBee

Serfie had tired of pretending to be a Drudge, the tension of being there, with so many people, who could find her out at any moment, no, she'd had to get away after almost a Seven day there. She returned to her camp, not much of one, with some supplies to keep her going for a few days. She set up her camp when she came across some fresh where dung, shed gotten worried for a moment before she laughed at herself, Whers didn't come out in the day, she berated herself, but was cautious.

After a couple of days back among the trees, Serfie let herself relax, there'd been no sign of the wher so she let her guard down, only coming to her senses when she woke very ealy into the night to a Chase going on, a green chased by blues and a brown, running straight by her camp. She'd stifled a scream, attracting a wild wher was stupid at the best of times, let alone hormone ridden males that were going to be disappointed. She thought of climbing a tree but she couldn't find her rope, instead she had carefully gathered thick thorn branches, and formed a barrier against a crowd of trees at her back, the thorn wall at her front and sides, leaving a few branches on a lever that she could quickly move and get away if a wher got too determined.

She spent the rest of the night in a sort of daze, too afraid to sleep but too exhausted to stay fully awake. Sometime in the early morning, after an uneventful night, the chase having gone far far away from her camp before it was over, Serfie had fallen asleep, curled up cold, into a tight ball, her blanket having gotten caught on the thorns. She was so exhausted she slept right through a Dragon passing, then landing, then moving towards her, didn't wake until its rider was almost on top of her, speaking to her. She woke with a start, screaming and scrambling backwards, her eyes struggling to focus as she came out of sleep, her hand automatically curled around her long bladed knife. "What... Where?" She backed herself up against the trees, the Dragonrider blocking the escape route shed created. "What do you want?!" She said, not even registering what he had said to her, her heart pounding, making her feel sick, "how did y......." She stopped as a large, oh so very large, head made itself visible behind the man, was that a...."monster?" She breathed, no.. "Dragon" she swallowed hard "That's a dragon" she stated, more to herself, her hand tightening again around the handle of the knife she almost dropped in surprise. A dragon ... HERE? Had the discovered her intrusion? Was he here to punish her for it?  

[ShinosBee]

Her aggressive awakening startled, but didn't really surprise A'iel. She looked like she'd been living rough, and he knew that felines, whers, holdless, anything could be out here with her. And that didn't even include thread. It really was a miracle she was even alive at this point, though no doubt the instinct to grab a weapon as soon as she roused had something to do with it. He lifted his empty hands higher, trying to reassure her that he wasn't here to hurt her. He did usually carry some form of weapon when outside the weyr, primarily for hunting, but it remained firmly in its sheathe at his side. Who'd even think to use a blade on a child?

Probably because she was so fixated, staring first at him and then at...monster? He knew for a fact that the only thing behind him was Nasath, who whined an almost pained noise at being dubbed such. She didn't seem horribly afraid of the bronze though (no more than she was already clearly terrified at least) so A'iel sent a soothing thought to calm the would-be-pouting beast. But yes, because of her distraction he found himself able to get a pretty good look at her face. Smudged in dirt, bags under her eyes, a vicious scar, and worse, so thin as to be gaunt. How on Pern had she been keeping herself fed out here?

"Yes, and his name is Nasath," A'iel motioned with one of his hands back over his shoulder at the bronze. "He won't hurt you, I promise. Dragons can't hurt people, at least not on purpose. Only the babies can, before they impress, and only when they're very scared or hurt, so..." His eyes flicked to the weapon she was clinging to. The last thing he wanted was for her to hurt herself in her fear. "We're not here to hurt you, I swear it on his own eggshell."

And then, a breath later, a somehow voiceless, but still flavorful 'voice' slid smooth as silk into Serfie's head. A'iel is telling the truth. I would never hurt anyone, and he is worried that you are going to hurt yourself. The bronze's thoughts were rich, a silent 'sound' like the taste of caramel, laced with a deeper base of self-given authority. His eyes, faceted and fixed on her, were bright blue, and twirling happily.

Revel1984

 

[Revel1984]

A'iel didn't, couldn't know but she'd grown up in a place who's people would often think nothing of threatening a child with their blades, fists, anything really. She stared unashamedly at the dragon, he was HUGE ... And shiny, how did she know he was a he? She must have picked it up from being at the Weyr. She clenched her fist around the knife a few times before slowly bending her knees, crouching down and dropping the knife. He wasn't being threatening, his dragon wasn't tearing down her thorn wall, perhaps, for the moment, she could trust him.

When the dragon made a sad sound she flinched, but then a feeling of regret for calling him a monster slammed into her gut, she felt bad? For a dragon? That was new. "N...Nasath" she repeated, feeling the word around in her mind, of course she knew dragons had names from working around the weyr but she had done her best to stay away from the riders. She looked at in the riders face, not totally convinced to trust him but he seemed honest, but then so had some of the Hopeless, it was hard to trust, safer not to.

"Only when they're babies?" She mused, definitely nothing like Whers, or even fire lizards. Perhaps she should trust this rider, at least until she learned what she needed to, she took a deep breath, praying she wouldn't regret this,... She was about to speak when a voice entered her mind, it wasn't heard, rather than felt. She let out a tiny squeak, he legs going out from beneath her, plonking down on her 'nest' in shock. "He.....he...you're A'iel ..... He.... " she wasn't afraid, merely shocked to her core, she hadnt known that dragons actually SPOKE, she had thought the riders and their dragons communicated through training, such as canines, even like the camp's Wher (another reason she phad left) but they actually SPOKE, sort of. She stared, wide eyed at the dragon, getting back up and levering the thorn wall away. "C..can I.. Can I touch him?" She breathed, trembling, she was scared but fascinated, the fascination overriding her self preservation at the moment.  

[ShinosBee]

A'iel felt a wave of relief slide through him when she let the knife drop. He wasn't really afraid that she'd come after him (him with a dragon and sturdy leather riding gear and a blade of his own) but still, she might've hurt herself on accident in her fear. At least now she wouldn't (probably) stab herself if she started to flail at him. He nodded when she repeated Nasath's name, and the bronze himself seemed to almost smile, eyes leeching deeper blue and twirling just a bit faster. "Exactly, when they're young, before they bond," He reiterated. Obviously to be as large as he was, Nasath had long since bonded, and was really no harm to anyone, not counting moments he might be clumsy and knock something over.

A'iel was of course aware that Nasath had spoken directly to the girl, so her toppling over was...a bit much if you asked him, but not a shock. Poor thing. It was rare enough that the bronze deigned to speak to anyone but himself, and it made him want to assist the girl even more now. Poor thing, she really did look half starved. He nodded again, "Yes, I'm A'iel." and shifted back a step when she got up and began peeling back the thorny layer of protection she'd put in place. She'd left her little knife behind, and she seemed entranced almost by the big dragon.

A quick mental exchange between rider and dragon had him nodding again. "If you like. Nasath?" The bronze stretched his head forward (but not all the way, perhaps half the distance between himself and the girl) and let his chin drop to brush against the grass. "He likes being rubbed and scratched right around here." A'iel moved around next to the dragon's head, gently running his hands over various patches: the headknobs, the eye ridges, and a few select spots along the underside of his jaw.

Revel1984

 

[Revel1984]

Did the dragon seem happy? She knew beasts could feel joy but the depth of emotion coming from the dragon, how could her family have called them monsters?! Of course she wasn't stupid, she knew the Hopeless weren't great people, well most, there were one or two half decent souls, but she had always been led to believe that the Weyrs were way worse. She was learning that wasn't true but a lifetime of caution was difficult to overcome.

"Dragons can speak" she breathed the statement to herself, entranced by the great shiny head, her hands shook but she forced the fear down, the man, A'iel, had said he wouldn't hurt her, he wasn't a baby for sure, shards why had she thought she could just sneak into the hatching grounds when the gold had her eggs? If she couldn't even face a friendly dragon, how would she cope among the people and other dragons gathered? She could barely shaffing handle going near this one, but ... Oh my he was impressive, beautiful even. She wanted so badly to run but was so drawn to the dragon, she barely nor ced his rider while he was silent as she edged out of her thorny den.

Slowly, cautiously, like a beaten dog afraid of fast movement, she moved close to the dragon at his riders permission, she stopped short, holding in a squeak of fear when he moved his head towards her, fists clenched as she fought with her conflicting emotions, she wasn't used to feeing anything but edgy around people, let alone dragons but she was just too drawn to back off, and she wasn't going to show this rider her heels, the stubbornness that kept her alive, showing through. She waited a few heartbeats once the dragon stopped moving before walking carefully up. She watched as the rider showed her the best place to stroke the dragon, slowly raising her hand, silently growling at herself that it shook so badly, she decided to avoid the jaw with its many teeth, instead running a hand over the bronze beast's eye ridges, she cursed that she trembled but, following A'iel's lead she rubbed the soft skin, "he's warm, so soft" she murmured, surprised again. Her touch not as sure as Nasath's riders was but growing more confident every second, as long as he didn't move.

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

Both man and dragon were very still as the girl (she was so small, scuffed up and ragged and A'iel felt a slowly rising ire not at her but at the world that had put her into a situation like this) crept out of her hiding place and approached. It was rather like hunting a wild animal, though of course with no bloodshed or killing at the end of the slow patience. Nasath fixed the whirling eye on the side of his head that she was nearing on her, and at the touch of her hand he let slip a low rumble--a sigh--and pressed back, ever so gently, against her hand.

"See?" A'iel's voice was little more than a soothing whisper. "He's not dangerous at all. Not unless you're a nice steak, or thread." The dragon rumbled again at mention of the enemy he'd been made to destroy, but a firm mental brace from his rider made it come out soft, undistinguishable from another purr of pleasure to anyone but his own ears.

"...Will you tell me your name? And what you're doing here, alone?" A'iel's instinct was to get her back to the weyr and into the hands of either the healers or the creche (or at least someone able to mind children, he had no idea how old she was under all that tangled hair) and cleaned up, fed, and safe. I smell whers too, A'iel. Look. Tracks. A run of them. If she was here all night...

I know, Nasath. A miracle she's alive at all. The trick with the thorns was smart. I...wonder how long she's been out here to know to do that? The implications were not pleasant to think about.

Revel1984

 

[Revel1984]

Serfie froze when the dragon made a noise but didn't stop, she even brought her other hand up to massage above the bronze's eye, her hands now having stopped shaking. Her heart beat hard inside her chest, she almost felt like to passing out but the feeling was ...... Comfortable, natural even. She never lost sight of the world around her, her life wasn't comfortable. She sighed, cautiously leaning against Nasath's head.

She closed her eyes momentarily, breathing in the smell of the dragon, no matter what happened to her, she would always remember this moment. She pulled away when A'iel spoke again, steak riiiight, what steak was big enough for this beast, she smiled for a moment before the colour drained from her face, Thread, the one thing she feared above Whers, she had felt hungry at the mention of steak but now she felt sick, she froze until the dragon 'purred' and she breathed again, hadn't realised she'd been holding it, resuming her scritching.

Her name ..... Should she trust? ... She decided. "Serfie" she said quietly, almost hiding behind the other side of the dragon's head, away from A'iel. She looked at the happy eye of the dragon, at least she thought it was happy, not usually a colour of eye she ever saw on whers or flits. She took a deep breath then let it out in a sigh "thank you for this" she said, genuinely happy for a change, one of very few happy moments in her life. She had decided to trust A'iel and his Dragon "thank you Nasath" she might have been Holdless but she knew what manners were and it only seemed polite to thank the obviously intelligent creature.

ShinosBee

 

[ShinosBee]

Nasath gently pressed back against the tiny tattered human, letting her put as much of her weight as she'd like against his head. He could life her as easily as a leaf, and she was all but weightless against him, which was slightly concerning, if only through the part of the bond he shared with A'iel. His skin was slightly musky, uniquely dragon and laced with the smell of firestone from either fighting or drills. Once upon a time, the particular smell would have been everything safe and homey to anyone born in a weyr. In today's hereto threadless world it had become all but unknown, at least until the last few months.

It was becoming more and more clear to the both of them that the girl was uniquely more comfortable talking to Nasath over his rider. At least for now. Rapid fire silent connection flew between them, and the bronze rumbled low and soothingly. You're very welcome, Serfie. You are very good at that. The scratching I mean.

A'iel's urges were to do what he could to coax the girl up onto his dragon to take back to the weyr, or to subdue her in some way if she resisted...it felt wrong to consider that, but surely having her safe and fed outweighed her potential hate for him making her go along, right? Were she an adult it would be one thing, and he would worry that she was a holdless, but who could ever declare a child to be something so foul? Children were punished with chores, not exile and death. But wouldn't it be better to convince her than to force her? When was next threadfall? Perhaps five days, if he remembered right...

...Could he convince her to return with him within five days' time? And if he left her behind here, would he even be able to find her again?

"Serfie...do you live here?" His answer was gentle, not threatening, though perhaps a bit...pitying in tone. His hearth genuinely went out to the girl, and it was hard to fight his distress to think that all that was her 'home' was half a hollow in the brush with a web of thorns over the front. The poor thing deserved stone walls and a roof to keep off the rain and wind and worse. And companionship, children her own age to grow and learn with. Didn't she?

Revel1984

 

[Revel1984]

ShinosBee

Serfie breathed in the Dragons scent a little longer before reluctantly pulling herself away a little, leaving her hand scratching but no longer leaning on him. She couldn't let herself get attached, he wasnt Hers to get attached to. It made her jump when Nasath spoke to her again but she let out a breath and smiled "its my first time" she said in a stage whisper, pretending to be conspirital.

It was lucky Serfie wasn't privvy to A'iels thoughts of kidnapping, she would have fought him to the end if he'd even tried, regardless of big shiny bronze 'monster'. She was , however, instantly on guard when A'iel asked if she lived here. "Here, there, anywhere I like" she said, non comittedly, cautious. Why did he ask? Why did he CARE? She hated the pitying tone in his voice, she didn't need anyone's pity, she survived out here, by herself, he should be impressed, not sorry for her. She clenched her jaw, trying to keep her feelings inside but Nasath wouldnt be able to miss the sudden tension in her body as she stopped scratching and just held her hand there, looking at A'iel.  

[ShinosBee]

It would have been difficult to explain to the ragged girl that it wasn't really pity A'iel was feeling for her, simply that he wanted more for her. No child should grow up alone. No youth should be denied the chance to make their life into something worthy of pride. She'd been shortchanged somewhere along the line, and it was beyond admirable how well she'd made it on her own (apparently) but it didn't change the fact that in his mind she was owed more than this...day to day scrabble in the wilds.

Probably he would have said something else, put his foot irreparably in his mouth, if Nasath hadn't sent him a quick flicker. The bronze had indeed felt the sudden tension in her tiny form against his skin. He wasn't privy to her mind and feelings the way he was to A'iel's, but he wasn't stupid. She reminded him in the moment of one of those little mountain herdbeasts, right after it saw his shadow pass over them. Ready to bolt, if need be, more or less. Perhaps, the bronze was thinking, that this was enough for her for the day. Perhaps, A'iel thought back, if they left her for the time she mightn't be there if and when they came back.

Perhaps we can figure something out...Let me try? The bronze fixed his rider with a long stare, one blue eye twirling. Eventually the subtlest of mental nods was his answer, and the bronze huffed, feigning a pout that all the nice petting and patting had stopped, gently nudging his ridges back into the girl's hand.

You're very good at this, the bronze reiterated to Serfie. You have smaller hands than my A'iel does, better able to scratch the little nooks and crannies. We will need to leave again soon, but...maybe...would you scratch again for me if we came back? It was a fairly clever try, A'iel admitted. There was no way to know she could be found again, but maybe the promise of potentially meeting the dragon, whom she seemed to like well enough, would keep her nearby. He had no idea on why she would want to live out here, and it was a battle to not try to grab her regardless, for her own safety. Now that they'd met, if something happened and she were hurt or...well, he'd blame himself. Nasath responded by bolstering him, mentally reassuring him that they could only do what they could do, and that A'iel was still very wonderful and perfect to him, even if the silly little girl decided he wasn't and ran off.

Revel1984

Also I'd be down for inserting a few time skips, if they don't scare her off...make the thread extend to future meetings, etc. Or not! Either way, I hope they get to continue to like, sort of get to know each other a little. XD

 

[Revel1984]

Serfie glared at A'iel a bit longer, wondering what his angle was, but then Nasath spoke again and her smile returned "why thank you Nasath" sighing when he said they'd have to leave soon, of course they had Weyr stuff to do. "You....want to come back?" She was surprised, surely he didn't need her to scratch his ridges again, she knew they had brushes and such at the Weyr. Did he really just mean he wanted to see her again? "Oh Nasath, I don't know ... I...probably won't be back here, I have to get my cave ready for when th.......that stuff comes again" she said, feeling safer telling the dragon, though she knew the rider could probably hear her.

"Maybe I'll see you around though Nasath, you're not easy to miss" she smiled again, genuine. She wanted to see the dragon again, she could almost become .... Comfortable ... With his presence, even his rider, that boyish face seemed honest enough, she decided.

ShinosBee

(I am feeling a "just cant wait to be king" song vibe off Serfie, except its more "I just can't wait to Impress" ... "No one saying do this, no one saying stop that" lolololol... Also, if we finish this up in the next couple posts. I'd love another where he maybe discovers her in the Weyr somehow when she's pretending to be a Drudge? .... And she ends up revealing her plans to sneak into the Hatching? XD ... Or better yet, she has to clean Nasaths weyr out and HE sniffs her out, and summons A'iel? Lol)

 

[ShinosBee]

A'iel forced his face to still openness as she glared at him. So very like an animal, this one. Skittish at first, and once calmed, still mistrusting and ready to bolt. Animals didn't make excuses, but they could feign actions or demeanor. He'd gotten closer than he'd thought he would, kept her still longer. He'd not toss out his patience up to this point because she seemed to be trying to recuse herself from his future company. She did seem more keen on his dragon than himself, so he gently nudged the bronze, mentally, into action.

The dragon rumbled, keening a low, sad note at the thought he might not get to have such nice scratchings and pettings again. That is sad indeed, little Serfie...but...you will be safe, yes? When 'that stuff' comes again, I will have to fight it. If I live, and if I do not lose my A'iel, I would like to see you again. If nothing else, you must stay safe...yes? If there is no more you, or no more me, there cannot be more of this, and that would be a shame indeed.

A'iel would just have to be more patient. She seemed to be regarding him with less and less suspicion, and for once in he life the man was thankful for the face of his that made him look almost as much a child as she was. Perhaps some good would come of it, after all.

Revel1984

Lol all of that sounds fine! A'iel's caught on that she's mentioned a 'cave' now, and will be spending some time on his coming search/sweeps of the area to find any caves she might mean. I'm down for them running into each other though...if he finds her in the weyr he is noooot going to be keen to let her leave again.