[PRP] the mourning report [ soui + f'gon

[houllow]

As soon as her cousin left to go do what needed to be done upon their arrival back at Western, Soui was on her way to fulfill her own miniature mission. There was someone she wanted to see - rather, two someones - and her feet pounded along the ground as she darted about looking for him. Remedy chittered as he flew overhead, helping the candidate keep an eye out for the elderly gentleman.

Soui knew talk of what happened at High Reaches would reach the Weyr soon enough, even though it had been considered rather "uneventful" in terms of a touching. Compared to the most recent touching that Western had it was downright tame, with no blood screaming and running. There were tears though, mostly of her own giving, and that was why the teen wanted to explain to F'gon before he happened to hear anything else. Opinions didn't really matter to her when they came from strangers, but people she valued held far more weight than really necessary.

When her bronze firelizard let out a small peep of acknowledgement, Soui skidded to a stop before turning and heading towards here Remedy was darting forward. Her eyes grew wide and happy at the sight of the older dragonrider and carefully she walked up, mustering as much control as she could not to burst out in excitement over everything that'd happened. "F'gon!"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

The two youngest had gone off to play with friends, or in the case of the older to go and greet returning candidates who had gone to High Reaches to pick up on all of the gossip. That had left F'gon with a lot of time on his own hands that didn't exactly sit well with him. But there was little in terms of chores that older gentlemen like himself were allowed to do (really he was cutting it close with fighting in thread at all), so he'd been off to try and find something someone as distinguished within Western's Halls as himself was allowed to have at.

Even if his only achievement was through Farvath, who was settled on his ledge watching the excited buzz below, odds and ends of thoughts about the eggs on High Reaches sands reaching him here and there. It seemed it had gone without too much of a hitch and all he could feel was excitement. Joy. Hope. He missed when it was his own children causing such stir........he missed Herath.

Just like F'gon missed Hestya.

But the thought didn't have time to stew before a familiar voice called out to him - one of those many returning candidates had come and found him, it seemed and he welcomed Soui warmly with an open-armed stance that simply begged for a hug. "I see you've returned safe and sound, Soui!" he greeted.

houllow

 

[houllow]

With one, two, three steps, Soui was quickly to F'gon's side and in his open arms, her own wrapping tightly about the old man like a person would hug support in a storm. He felt warm and wonderful after the cold of between and the anxiety of everything so the teen felt zero shame in nearly bowling him over. He was a strong man, she was sure of it, and with her size there was no way she was actually going to hurt him. "I made it back! Were you waiting here for me?" She knew he wasn't, but it was a gentle tease she couldn't resist making over the relief that washed her body. "I have a lot to tell you, do you have time to listen? There were over fifty eggs on those sands, easily, but it wasn't even remotely crowded."

She'd just asked if he had time and barreled on anyway, clearly still hyped up from everything that had happened not too long ago. A quick look would still show the tear stains on her face, her eyes not yet fading from their puffiness, but the grin that covered nearly cheek to cheek should have been enough to say she was okay. Above her, Remedy gave his happy greeting to F'gon before moving off to look for the man's dragon. The little bronze firelizard felt that his was clearly safe enough where she was that he could leave, even if just for the briefest moments.

"I didn't interrupt you going somewhere, did I?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I always have time for you," F'gon answered when he found a moment to interject amongst Soui's flurry of excited words. Yes, Farvath had already gleaned quite a bit of information and images from the dragons who had been there to see it, but hearing about it all up close was simply just as exciting. "Mmm! Most I ever saw on the sands at one time was 24," and that had been Farvath's second clutch. The only to not have a golden daughter.

Clearly, he was impressed with Soui's adventure, nodding thoughtfully along with it. "Nonsense, I was looking for something important to do, and clearly that meant I was supposed to be right here for you to find me and tell me all about these eggs you met! Tell me, how were they? Did you meet anybody nice?" If he was honest, he was torn. On the one hand, a lifemate was a wonderful thing and he wanted that for her. On the other.....he didn't want to lose someone so small and dear to High Reaches, potentially to never be seen again.

houllow

 

[houllow]

There was a faint hum of contentment from the young teen, slightly unusual for her in such a display of affection, but none the less it was there as she held herself tightly to F'gon. The comfort from Tsuyat had been welcome and ever present but sometimes, just sometimes, she needed someone who wasn't family family to hold her close. "I think it was only so big because there were two clutches on the sands this time. I mean, it's possible other clutches from a single gold have been larger but I don't recall reading of any." Soui needed to push her face free from him if she wished to speak more clearly and she was about to when his question of her meeting someone nice game up.

The grip about F'gon tightened as her arms trembled; from where her face was (thankfully) hidden she bit at her lower lip, eyes closed tight. "I....I upset an egg. I made it to upset that it called to its father to come down and it had to be comforted." There was no mention of the fact another candidate had been touching at the same time and how many, many people had insisted she was not to blame. The fact remained in her mind, clear and simple, that her hand had been the one on the egg that had sent the poor dragonet within overboard. "I...also acted really immaturely." Saying she outright sobbed and had to be comforted was a bit much.

It didn't matter how much she liked F'gon, some things she wanted to take to her small, very distant future grave. It was unlikely though he didn't know some of it, seeing her eyes were puffy and dragons gossiped and all, but in her small hope of hopes she wished that the events at the hatching were considered unremarkable by dragons and thus no one would really know.

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Ramoth was said to have enormous clutches - more than 40 eggs at a time!" Perhaps it was a habit of old men to know such strange things, but he added in an almost conspiratory tone, "But we know that old stories have a way of being stretched, hmm?" He sensed she'd enjoy that little bit of trivia, and left it at that. "Between the two clutches I'm sure they have more than that."

The slight trembling from the girl prompted F'gon to stroke her hair fondly, his other hand resting against her upper back and patting it gently as she spoke. It sounded as though she'd had a slightly off time, but truly if they hadn't been kicked off of the sands (he hadn't missed that both Western's last and High Reaches' last had ended abruptly), the queens must not have been all that upset. "Soui, dear. You are but one child that egg met that day. It was most likely tired after so much excitement, and also only a baby. If you'd truly upset it, I am sure the mother would have done more than let the clutchfather step in to calm it."

Of course, that didn't sound like her main concern with that statement. "Now, did you act less mature than you are, or less maturely than you think someone my age would have handled it?"

houllow

 

[houllow]

Leave it to F'gon to be the voice of reason in her time of doubt, even if it prompted another wave of shame to roll down her spine. Perhaps that was going to be the only real emotion she'd feel today; shame, and more shame. A dark finger in the back of her mind prompted worse thoughts and she attempted to banish them by pressing her face more into F'gon's chest.

"...both? Neither, I don't know. I upset the egg and then...." Soui's voice trailed off. "I started crying on the sands. I didn't excuse myself to the side, or move away or do anything that the Candidatemasters had told us to do if we encounter trouble. I ignored everything I'd been taught and just stood there and cried." There was an understanding Soui had in the back of her mind about her age, about what most people expected from someone at that age, and to how she held herself.

"I'm supposed to be mature regardless of my age though, I'm a candidate and the dragonets are young and anything could set them off and ruin it and I just. Cried, like a baby. I made a fool of myself."

demon_pachabel