A New Night Rises

Alden leaned back in the low chair he'd contrived. Not much of a chair, he thought wryly. Really, it was just an old leather bag filled up with sand and sewn shut, but it made a comfortable seat near the floor. Aldisk lazed beside him, her emerald head close by his outstretched legs.

He smiled and stroked her eye ridge. They'd been together for many a long Turn, but he could still remember when she was small enough to sleep in his lap. Now, of course, she was roughly the size of a fully-grown burden beast. Her muzzle was starting to turn grey with age, but she still had the sleek musculature that spoke of her raw power.

Aldisk opened one eye and stared at him, sending a rough pulse of adoration down their bond. Small ones come. she said. Time to teach?

"Yes, love of my heart," he said softly. Alden was careful never to let others hear him when he was feeling sentimental. Those words and feelings were for Aldisk alone. "It it time to teach them."

Why not carry Tahlansk?! the lemon gold wher demanded of her handler, as Tahlana led her away from their sleeping quarters. The alcove was just the right size for Tahlana and her growing queen wher. Tahlansk was small now but she would grow to be much larger than either of the adult whers.

You must lean to walk on your own feet. I cannot baby you too much in ront of others. They won't have respect for you if you are coddled. Tahlana said, tenderly as she could. She would be happy to lavish love and affection on Tahlansk when they got back to the their sleeping quarter.

"Wherling Master?" Tahlana asked with perfect respect. Tahlansk came up alongside her handler and sniffed softly in Aldisk's direction.

Tahlansk come to Aldisk. For teaching. the queen said.

Piersk gallumped ahead of Pierson, then back to him, then ahead, and back, with a surfeit of energy or impatience or both.

Granted, she'd likely pass out abruptly into sleep halfway through whatever evening lesson this would be, but just as likely to wake up as quickly several minutes later. Pierson had no hope of predicting, really, this small amount of time had already made that clear.

They came in after the bright gold wher and her handler, Piersk charging in, sliding to halt, and turning back to ensure Pierson was right behind her (he was), and then turning again to stare at Aldisk and Tahlansk. Learn! she declared, clearly ready to start right that moment.

Tahlansk turned just as Tahlana did, the handler and the wher looking to their respective counterparts. Tahlana raised her hand in greeting with a smile, Tahlansk lifted her head and sniffed her smaller, green clutch sibling.

"Tahlansk, this is Piersk. Be kind to her. This is her handler, Pierson." Tahlana said, coming to kneel next to the lemon bright gold. Tahlansk sniffed in Peirson's direction for a moment but hen turned back to the green wher.

Piersk. Pierson. Green one is Piersk. Tahlansk said and cocked her head at the green wher.

He watched as the Gold Wher stretched her legs out in front of her. Go now?
She asked, looking up at him lovingly. "Yes, we don't want to be late for our first lesson." He certainly hoped they would be there right on time. But it seemed someone was having a slow start after her nap.

The little one stretched again and looked around her. She didn't have any intention of being carried anywhere. As she moved out of their cave she whipped her tail behind her as if to say, get out of the way to any in her path.

Like before, she had a feral walk and she made it clear there was very little about her that was tame. Rhaenthwor walked beside her, not allowing her to get ahead of him, not allowing her to fall behind. They were a team, they would stick together.

"Good day, Wherling Master. I trust both Aldisk and yourself are well." Rheanthwor greeted as was appropriate. He was not a very wordy person on most occasions but today he was a uncharacteristically happy.

Sitting away from the others, Rhaensk watched them interacting with Aldisk. She didn't say anything to Aldisk. The other two had made it clear why they had come, so there was absolutely no need for her to say anything.Can start now? The Gold asked her bonded.

Not just yet. There is one more to have lessons with us.
Waiting for Bronze?
He's probably right behind us. And they all seemed to be early if not on time.

Kane was, indeed, not far behind the others.  He wasn't one to be late without good reason (although sometimes that reason was the aches and pains that reminded him just what he'd been through to get to this point in his life.)  Kanesk, however, had decided he would get to their lesson when he was good and ready to be there, which meant the smuggler had followed him into half of the side tunnels and alcoves along the way.

Had Kane been faster, or the bronze wher slightly less dominant, it would have been easier.  It certainly would have saved his hip all the work it was doing and caused far less pain.

Then again, he'd never asked for easy.  Easy would have been giving up all those Turns ago, letting someone else take care of him, letting someone else perform even the simplest tasks in his stead.  And he hadn't given in then.  He wasn't about to do so now.

Like before, it would take time, and persistence, and good old fashioned strength of will.

And maybe a sedative of some sort in Kanesk's next meal, just to guarantee he'd be a little bit more agreeable to Kane's orders when they needed to be somewhere at a specific time.

Let's go.

Hissing in response, Kanesk attempted to stare him down from around the corner of another bend in the tunnel, having passed the designated cavern ahead of him.

Arms crossing over his chest, Kane put more strength behind their mental battle and was pleased to see the little bronze giving in a moment later as he came prowling back.  Kanesk hissed at him once again, but headed inside to where the others waited without further protest.

"Evening," Kane greeted the others, nodding in Alden's direction in deference to his position as their instructor.  Hopefully the man would have something for them to do that would keep Kanesk busy enough that he'd be worn out by the time they were done, if not sooner.

"Evenin'" Alden greeted Kane and the others. With the arrival of the bronze pair, their little group was complete, so the green handler took out his flask, had a nip, then capped it and got slowly to his feet.

"Well," he said. "This is a first for me. If you don't know, m'name's Alden, and you've met Aldisk. We've trained many a wher, but never a 'wherling', as I'm told you folks are to be called. We've worked mostly in mines, but done some security work at a few holds, so a lot of what we'll teach you will have to do with working underground and protecting yourself and others. The rest... well... you'll have to figure that out between you and Dividia and the Stillmaster. I don't know what he's gonna have y'all doin, and I don't want to know. I'm happy to live out the rest of my days here with Aldisk. Vid said I could do that, s'long as I train up all of you. So. Here we are. What questions do you have right off?"

"What is our duty? Dragonriders protect Holds, Craft Halls and the Weyr from Thread Fall. Do Whers protect the Weyr or Holds from ground intruders?" Tahlana was quick to ask. She wanted to know right off if Tahlansk would have something else she could do in addition to laying eggs for the next generation. They seemed to be a slightly different hierarchy among whers than dragons; Tahlana wanted to get in on the ground floor.

"Some of that, yes," he said. "But you're a queen, so you're not likely to be risked in such a manner. A'course, there's two of you, so who knows. Anywhere else, a queen wher's only job would be to breed and protect her eggs, and kill any of her offspring who don't bond properly, so as to keep them from turning feral and going on a killing spree in a populated area. Y'should ask Dividia, but I don't think Vid wants that for you two, so until I hear different, I'll be training you two up with your brother and sister." He paused, took another nip, and then went on.

"Vid did tell me that one of the things he wants is for the wher cadre to scout out the uninhabited tunnels and springs that make up this canyon. He seems to think that the population of this here Weyr is gonna grow quickly. So, that's one of the things y'all will be doing. Exploring and clearing and helping to build down further into the rock. Similar to mine work, but safer, truth be told. You won't have to follow the blasted ore line wherever it wends. You can just dig where it makes the most sense. Savvy?"

Rhaenthwor was actually a little surprised that the girl was so ready to ask about being useful. Of course they would be useful, that was why they wanted the Whers to begin with. He would never have allowed Rhaensk just to be a breeder. With Tahlansk there too, they had a better chance of being allowed to do more dangerous tasks.

He wondered what they might end up doing most. He wondered if everyone else was thinking the same thing, "When do we get to start that?" Rhaensk was small now but a task like that would keep her mind busy and less inclined to getting into trouble. Training would undoubtedly have to be well under way before they would be allowed to do anything but it would still be nice to know what the expectation was.

Alden gave a small, slightly malicious smile. "Right now," he said. "Aldisk and I have hidden some caches of supplies that you'll find useful in settling into your new quarters. Some hangings, a rug or two, and a nice brazier with some steel tools. Don't ask where we got these things, if you're smart. The first one of you to find each cache gets to keep it. But anyone who comes back with an injured wher has to give up everything they've found, so don't allow your whers to fight one another to take the caches. Bit of advice? Stay away from one another. They'll tend to get competitive if you let 'em. You've got until middle night. Be back here by then."

At that Aldisk sat up and let out a whistling type of growl that somehow managed to clearly be a command to go forth and conquer... or a reasonable facsimile thereof, anyway.

Piersk cocked her head, looked at the others, and gave a mental impression that seemed vaguely shrug like. Aldisk wasn't clearly giving off what they were looking for, and she wanted to explore anyway.

So without waiting for Pierson or anyone else to start moving, she snorted and moved out just as speedily as a spry little green could be expected to speed.

Pierson laughed a bit, waved, and went after her at the sort of easy lope that could eat up distance without looking like it took any effort at all.

'Gold is gold is gold.' Tahlana thought, biting the side of her tongue. In truth, she knew what to expect when it came to gold dragons and why shouldn't the same traditions apply to gold whers. As firelizards were only really seen as ornaments and only occasionally messengers, Tahlana supposed their were exempt. Part of her wanted to protest the assumed fate of a broodmare but part of her knew this was a gold's duty. Sighing, she returned to the task at hand. A challenge would give her an opportunity to show that Tahlansk was more than just a vessel for eggs. Taking a page from Pierson's book, Tahlana beckoned her queen and set out away from the others. Tahlansk growled, snapping at the air as she set off into the shadows. If she was afraid at all of the night and its unknown portents, the lemon bright queen did not show it.

"Come on love. Let's find something nice, worthy of you." Tahlana said with a surge of love for the young queen. Tahlansk turned her head, her jaws parted and purred throatily.

Scouting and building in the tunnels, huh?  Kane thought as he recalled the conversation he'd had with Avidian the night Kanesk hatched.  He supposed they'd be doing that more when they didn't have other runs to be out on-- or was it perhaps what the golds and green were meant to be doing, more than himself and his bronze?

Regardless, tracking and scouting would definitely be useful for Kanesk to learn, as that would be something he'd be needed for while out on a run.  And this seemed to be as good a time as any to start-- better to do something useful than sit around and discuss things, like he knew the dragonriders in training did.

Of course, he'd pay for the physical aspect of it later, but he pushed those thoughts aside.  Kanesk was quite obviously excited as he watched the others leave, and if this would keep him occupied, and serve a purpose at the same time, well, Kane was all for it.

We go.

"Which way?"

Thankfully, Kanesk prowled off not after either of the females that left before him.  Kane didn't want to have to deal with him potentially fighting either of them at this point-- at least not until he was certain the little bronze would listen better.  Better to follow Alden's advice and keep him far away from the others for the time being.

We are going on a hunt for supplies hidden in the caverns Rhaensk. He informed his Gold who stood silently waiting for the cue to go as the others began to leave the room.

Watchful as ever, Rhaentwor let the others exit the classroom first. It wasn't that he wanted them to get to the caches first but rather he could already sense Rhaensk's competitiveness. She wanted to win. And really who could blame her? In her desire to win though, he ould easily see her trampling, clawing, biting and even killing her clutch mates to get what she wanted for herself.

Rhaensk was still testing him, every moment of every day. Searching for that moment when he would allow her to overcome him entirely. The Gold Wher was not patient. Her tail twitched anxiously. Repeatedly her head turned to look up at him.

Now?
She asked plaintively. She wanted to start. She wanted to look for the hidden things. Rhaensk added, Follow Rhaensk.

And the little Gold took off at a speed that one wouldn't think she possessed. Before long they were deep in the caverns, about to come upon their first cache of supplies.

It took Pierson awhile to be sure, but Piersk was not remotely looking for anything in particular. She was happily exploring side caverns and tunnels and things that she'd never seen before, which was clearly far more interesting.

"We gonna try to get anything for our cave, or just wander?"

She sent back the mental equivalent of a shrug, and turned down a not-at-all lit corner.

"Piersk - "

This way. The small green wher seemed utterly unconcerned about her handler's sub-par eyes, though she did slow her headlong gallumping to allow him to stay close and then made more of an effort to keep almost heeled to his leg, ensuring he stayed on track.

In the darkness, Pierson couldn't help but grin. Certainly an adventure.