Chop, chop (Open, weyrlings especially)

[dragon]

Paleoth now looked around with interest, and noticed that indeed one of the boys were cutting the meat better than most of the others. T'rad needs to learn how to be skilled with a knife. I think I will teach him. The blue spoke rather bluntly, though his words made T'rad laugh aloud. And just how do you expect to accomplish that? You can't so much as pick up a knife you silly blue. The dragonet grunted as he spoke again. I bet if I could pick one up I'd be better at it than you, silly T'rad. T'rad simply rolled his eyes at Paleoth.

"Thank you H'tio. I can't vouch for the others but Paleoth is being rather...vocal about his at the moment", the boy responded to H'tio. "Infact he's insisting he can now use a knife better than I can", T'rad said with a bit of a chuckle, still amused at his blue's bold words.

Paleoth simply snorted at his bonded's words as he spoke to Runimeth's. Is yours as silly as mine? Paleoth asked Runimeth rather curiously.

[blueaid]

An image flashed in Z'dayi's mind as he exited the barracks, foggy and shadowed but unmistakable: Blond hair ragged and unkempt, clothes wrinkled and splattered with the stains of oil and blood, feet dragging through the cool morning. Such disarray. So unpolished. There were no words, but Z'dayi had gotten used to that quickly enough-- Tremaith bothered with words only under the most dire circumstances, and such flashes had quickly become an easy communique between rider and dragon.

In answer, Z'dayi formulated a sense of tolerant amusement. Tiiiiired. Cut me a little slack, s'early. And the feeling in response: Unamused. Unimpressed. Tolerant-- not pleased.

That was the only easy transition so far.

Between the unfamiliarity of a mind infiltrating his and the sudden demands on his every waking (and sleeping) moment, Z'dayi was quickly beginning to second guess the "glory" of Impression. There was no doubt of his adoration for Tremaith, but the thrill of being a dragonrider wasn't exactly all it was cracked up to be. Not yet, anyway.

Especially right now, the whole weary doubt written in the weyrling's every bedraggled gesture. "Mornin'," he croaked blandly to anyone in range as he dragged his very tired self toward a bucket, a knife, the whole setup. In his wake, his tattered-cloak wings flickering like a wraith around him, Tremaith affected a more stately approach.

[Selvagem]

H'tio & Runimeth
H'tio chuckled as he left Runimeth to his chewing and picked up his knife again, and he grinned at T'rad, "Well, I don't know how well Paleoth can use a knife, but I'll wager it isn't better than you. I mean, we're all still learning, after all."

He resumed the cutting, taking care to slice as deeply as he could to get larger pieces, and so use fewer knife strokes to fnish the same amount of meat. Jh'na's invitation caused him to raise his head, though the sight of Volsteath making haste to Mirabeth's side gave him a moment of pause. He turned to the blue weyrling, "Do you reckon we should join them, T'rad?"

Runimeth, for his part, turned to glance at Paleoth while he chewed, eyes whirling happily, Well, H'tio does indeed have his moments of utter ridiculum, but on the whole I personally feel him to be a most sensible chap. I'm certain that your T'rad cannot be all that bad, though you say he is. Surely he has his share of good points too?

Both boy and dragonet glanced up at Z'dayi's approach, and H'tio nodded a polite greeting as Runimeth chirped a welcome to the bronze.

---

Jh'na & Mirabeth
The green weyrling was nearly astounded when his beckoning brought a dragonet rather than any humans. His surprise was short-lived, though, as his eyes fell on the boy who came after the brown. Jh'na was not all that close to K'mar, nor did he know much of him, but he knew enough of his sarcasm and temper to be wary of him. Not to mention how he had treated H'tio at the Hatching. But he had no personal argument with the brown weyrling imself, and did not want to start one. He smiled his welcome, his tone casual and cheerful.

"Hey K'mar, feel free to join us. Tis' good to see you in the Weyrling Barracks."

Mirabeth, for her part, was only too relieved, that her weyrling's invitation had drawn this one brown, rather than the stampede she had envisioned and feared. She had no qualms about company, only a nervous apprehension of crowds that might step on her wingsails or rub her hide muddy with jostling. She warbled her welcome to Volseath, pleased once again with his obvious considerateness.

It is indeed so, Volsteath. Please, do make yourself at ease. I'm just glad that my Jh'na's calls didn't bring a whole mess of dragonets.

---

Th'dis & Guiyath
Th'dis settled into a crouch beside Guiyath as the bronze dragonet fed, watching his mouthfuls and taking out fresh pieces for him as needed. The bronze rumbled his disapproval at the lax posture of his weyrling, which required him to bend his neck low to take each portion, but after a few minutes he relaxed himself onto his stomach as well, head held high and regal as he chewed, wings folded back in dignified fashion. He looked, if anything, a noble sight even in rest, and Th'dis expressed proud approval through their mental link as he sat into a cross-legged position, back straight.

Z'dayi's and Tremaith's arrival caught the attention of them both, and Th'dis nodded back in acknowledgement of the newcomer. Guiyath, however, had other things in mind.

Th'dis, here are another pair who might be of use to us. We should be acquinted with them.

Without waiting for an answer, the bronze extended his mind to the newest arrival.

Greetings, Tremaith.

An healthy undercurrent of welcome followed the gravel of his mind-voice. Fewer words, more thought: such had already been observed by the ever-alert Guiyath after their Hatching, and he remembered well enough to keep in line with personality discreetly. Th'dis sighed softly, though he smiled back at Z'dayi, and reached for his bronze's mind.

Perhaps they are, but remember what you said last night: all dragonriders are useful in their own way.

I know.

[dragon]

T'rad found that he was starting to finish up this slab of meat. A few more pieces to cut and he figured he would be done. This should please Paleoth. He thought to himself. He looked up from what he was doing to respond to H'tio. "Yes. He'd have to learn to hold one first. Paleoth with a knife would not be a good thing. He'd hurt himself and everyone else before he ever got to cut a piece of meat", T'rad said, smiling as he responded to H'tio.

T'rad cut off another piece of meat, perhaps to pacify Paleoth before he reacted to H'tio's next words. The piece of meat fell into the bucket, a squishy sound letting him know it found it's place. "I don't know. If you want, then I'll move along with you", T'rad replied a bit unsure. He then noticed the brown and his bonded, K'mar, make their way over. "Well. I suppose that depends on how you feel about him too", T'rad whispered to H'tio as he looked over in the direction the others were being called to.

Oh yes! The blue perked up, his tone a bit excited. T'rad does have many good points. But today he is rather slow and silly. But he takes me exploring. It's a fun game. Does yours play any games with you? T'rad couldn't help but listen in on his blue's conversation. He gave a slight chuckle at Paleoth mentioning exploring as a game. He supposed it was in some ways, but Paleoth had an interesting way of looking at things sometimes. T'rad turned his attention from H'tio and Paleoth to nod a greeting to Z'dayi and his bronze. Paleoth would have greeted as well, but the dark, bulky blue was too distracted with conversation.

[neopanther]

“Ah” Ez’ki pronounced fully, as he watched T’nur cut into his own hand, “perhaps it would be bests if you concentrated on one thing at a time, eh?” He smiled gently, “Yeah, I am Ez’ki, that’s my problematic Xyruth, correct again. And it seems we are two of three blue riders, quite impressive I think, He smiled, looking up from the meat chunks in the pale towards T’rad, “We’ll have to stick together, solidarity and all that,” He smirked.

Xyruth approached the smaller Kithath; he was very finely built, perhaps not as large as Mirabeth even! Xyruth nudged at the other blue’s nose playfully, but still gentle I have been well, my bonded may not be as perfect as I thought he would have been though, His remarks were meant with humour, but his youth, and naivety, let this come across poorly, his over nthusiasm probably played a part though.

Ez’ki smirked, turning his attentions to the bonded of the only green in the room, Jh’na, “Don’t worry about it Jh’na, I understand what you mean, Green’s are notorious for it apparently, but Xyruth is very, very enthusiastic, incredibly so, you’ll have to forgive him that.

The blue turned his attentions towards Runimeth for a moment, mmm, perhaps they do, but I would still prefer my food a little faster than this, though I’ll never complain for a chase! The blue crouched, his tail swishing playfully from side to side.

Bucket relatively full now, Ez’ki sheathed his knife, used a clean-ish rag to buff of the bloody entrails upon his hands, and spread himself a little from the rest of the group over towards Jh’na, he seemed pleasant enough. He beckoned to Xyruth, mentally and physically, “Come on then you hungry beast.” It was said with humour, he meant it how it came across, to tease his little hatchling in an endearing manner.

Xyruth bounced up from his crouch, nudged against little Kithath for a moment, then spoke Kithath! Do come and join Mine and I for food when Yours is ready won’t you? He was bouncy and as electric as ever.

Ez’ki began to feed the meat chunks to his dragon; Xyruth scoffed them, but somehow managed to do it elegantly, Ez’ki, in amusement smiled, Xyruth looked befuddled for a moment as he took the meat from his bonded’s hands again, but it was quickly forgotten as he ate down the next piece.

[Invisible]

You needn’t worry about such a thing[/color] Volsteath assured Mirabeth. Should too many crowd you I will be delighted to make sure they give you much needed space. It would not do to have such as you sullied.[/color] Even while assuring the green of her space the brown was greedily devouring the meat handed to him by K’mar. His rider could barely keep up with his demands and although he never seemed to choke it was some sort of wonder that this was the case. Volsteath was not the sort to risk not getting one iota of what might be his so he ate quickly in case there might be even more.

K’mar allowed his feeding of Volsteath to give him a moment to consider how to answer the words from Jh’na. Finally he just gave a brusque nod and said, “I knew I would be here.” Not that he knew any such thing, but that had to be the reason why he had kept standing, right? Because he was certain and not because it was all he knew. An internal nudge from Volsteath had him trying for more conversation. “She’s very pretty,” he said casually. Casual conversation had never been his thing. It was very hard to not just say what was on his mind. But, he was trying for Volsteath’s sake to be polite. His reward was the brown’s approval and already he found himself craving that as much as wine.

[blueaid]

Dragging his sleeves raggedly up to his elbows, his sleepily shadowed eyes briefly traipsing across his assembled fellows, Z'dayi worked to stifle a yawn. The effort showed in a faint contortion of his jaw, soon replaced by the flash of a winning smile at H'tio, his own blanket-warm greeting a bit out of place with the bluerider's "polite nod." Certainly, the blond bronzerider seems to have warmed up since his stand-offish, onlooker's style during candidacy.

"Mornings're killing me," he admitted wryly, all set to start hacking at the gore. "How're you hanging in?"

Talking, working, Z'dayi still kept an eye on Tremaith while the dragonet stalked just on the periphery of the cutting. Though hungry, though as young and eager as the others, he maintained his composed veneer and turned to Guiyath with his unflappable-seeming poise. Wordless, felt: A sense of welcome, of brotherhood, of like minds? The tendril of a thought, warm with gratitude for Guiyath's word-free understanding. Tremaith appreciated his clutch brother's efforts.

With an upward glance, Z'dayi sought to find Th'dis's gaze with a transparent expression: tolerant, indulgent amusement.

[Xinnai]

Salina sailed through the doors, striking a vivid figure with Deoneth at her heels. They stopped for a moment, golden heads touching, human bending and dragon thrust upward as they seemed to confer silently for a moment. There was a flash of something in the newest weyrwoman's eyes-indecision perhaps-before they made their way over. Salina grabbed a knife and meat to be butchered, appearing not to be all that concerned. She didn't even appear to be all that uncomfortable with all the boys around her.

She chopped at the meat, quick and efficient as always, slicing off the pieces that were the most easily accessible before switching to the pieces around the bone. She didn't seem all that concerned by the sharp knife in her hand either. Shards, she'd handled one for turns. This was the same old, same old.

She snatched a look at those around her as the queen sat patiently at her feet, shining gold as she watched her clutchmates. They were there, the majority of them, the boys she'd Impressed with. Her weyrling class. But she was looking at only one of them in particular, the bonded of the excitable little blue who seemed to be making friends so fast. Ez'ki. She felt her stomach clutch and roll and she glanced back down at the task at hand, not wanting to lose a finger or any other part of her anatomy.

They still hadn't spoken, not since the feast and the terrible fight they'd gotten into. The one she had caused. She felt her heart squeeze painfully. Salina needed Ez like air. He kept her ceneted, kept her sane and kept her from becoming the litte mother and ice woman she knew she could turn into. She needed him...but he didn't seem to need her. And that was the worst of all.

Deoneth padded forward to join the other dragonets, appearing conspicuous amongst them but not knowing it. She pressed flush to the side of the blue she knew, her eyes whirling curiously. Her head tilted, wings flaring slightly. Xyruth?[/i] she questioned softly, her "voice" that soft sound of metal on metal.

[neopanther]

Ez’ki refused to notice the entrance of Sassie and Hers as they walked in, he done his best to subtly hide the fact he was still wearing that bangle she had given him. He let his concentration drift. Handing pieces of meat to his little Xyruth, and almost absorbing himself in the task. It really wasn’t working though; he noticed as she looked at her dragon, the pair seemed to be bright and brilliant in the room of dreary lads. He needed to distract himself, Z’dayi’s entry and general talk seemed like a good place to start.

“Tell me about it, the number of things we’re made to do is tiring, you’d imagine they’d grant us even an hour’s more sleep?” Ez’ki smiled, slight bewilderment on his features. He didn’t like living without sleep, but it was pretty obvious his head wasn’t in the conversation.
Ez’ki...you should not go to your cot so late if you need more rest, it’s not logical.[/i] but as always, the blue had barely finished his sentence when his attention was drawn away. By a certain gold that made Ez’ki want to let himself get firehead to allow him retreat from this entire situation. Or for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Either way would do.

Deoneth! The young dragon swallowed down the chunk of meat proffered to him, before skipping over to the golden lady that had entered their presence. I’m glad you came, mine has been awful sullen since that night, also look, all of our clutch siblings are nearly here! How fantastic is that? Though I’m not sure on that odd brown one over there, he seems to be mean. His words were just to her, and ‘mean’ wasn’t the word he was looking for. It just wasn’t quite right. It was probably intolerant, or something along similar lines. Ez’ki really felt like smothering the little one, though it would have no effect, because dragon speech was inferred, not spoken. His mind raved for something to distract the little one with, but as always with Ez’ki, the harder he tried to grasp the more it slipped away from him, vexing him further.

Xyr. Please shut up. Just come here and eat will you?
But miiiine, Deoneth is here! I know you wish to speak with Hers. But Ez’ki was being stubborn. It was something he done far, far too well. He stiffened, the dragon just had to know him that well already? He cursed mentally to himself, there’d be no living with this one.

[blueaid]

Maybe it was no more than a good-natured attempt to help with Ez'ki's self-enforced distraction that had Z'dayi continue on blithely. He certainly seemed oblivious to any byplay between his fellow weyrlings. Though he acknowledged the young goldrider and her queen with the flash of a charming smile, a subdued "Mornin'" to follow suit, his attention remained divided between meat-cutting and complaining.

"Figure when one of us nods off and chops off a thumb, they'll haveta let up some and give us a rest." Briefly, Z'dayi looked down and flexed his right thumb, the knife dangled carelessly from his left hand. Thoughtfully, "Second thought, maybe a pinky. Which pinky you use less, Ez'ki? Now's your chance to take one for the team."

He tossed a glob of meat toward Tremaith, earned a sniff of displeasure as the bronze caught the bite unceremoniously in his jaws. Where Z'dayi was uninvolved and even unaware of the doings between the gold and bluerider, his dragon watched the pair with unflagging interest while he ate.

[neopanther]

Ez’ki went into an amused laugh – he had formerly been distracted from t he conversation, but what Z’dayi said had brought him round to actually be concerned about their talk.
“Ha! You think I’m that stupid? I value my digits, not matter how useful, or useless they are, besides, if it were me, it would look like an orchestrated effort on our side, I mean, blue rider, work-shy.” Ez’ki shrugged highlighting his own inappropriateness, smiling ever onward towards Z’dayi, with a wicked glint in his eye, “however a newly impressed bronzer, on the other hand, perhaps a little clumsy in his sleepiness, no other reason, perhaps you my friend would be better suited to such an amputation ‘for the team’.” He quoted back.

Thankfully, Z’dayi was proving a welcome distraction from Sassie, he just hoped she didn’t take it o back, because he was stubborn, and licking his wounded pride a little, after what had happened, he had – after all – only been trying to help he

[blueaid]

In a kind of magnanimous heroism, either for the betterment of weyrling life or the continued distraction of Ez'ki from Salina (and vice versa?), Z'dayi persisted with his vivisectionist idea. "Ahhh, but already being a recognized slacker, my loss of pinky would be highly suspect."

He turned, casting a disapproving look toward Tremaith while the bronze continued his open observation, prompting a Look from his dragonet. Interest. Harmless.

No, sticking your muzzle in where it don't belong. Cut it out and eat. Another undignified lob followed, then back to the bluerider.

"Think about it, mate. When was the last time you needed to count higher than nine?"

Meat squelched in protest while Z'dayi's knife tore through it.

[neopanther]

Ez’ki smirked, wow, Z’dayi was a cheeky character – rather much like himself, very odd indeed.
“Perhaps, I differ to you in that fact, I don’t need my fingers to be able to count, and I frequently have the need to count higher than nine Z’dayi.” It was all still in good humour, “Why do I feel you are replying to me with almost the same arguments I give unto you?” He smirked, knowing he’d pretty much bested the lad now.

“Besides, if we were both to be suspects of doing such a thing, perhaps it should be some one that I’dalyn would not expect, someone who would strike you as unswayable my the voice of the crowd, someone who is a hard worker, devoted to his task.” Ez’ki sighed with false drama, “I feel there is no one here who matches such a status.” He smirked.

[Xinnai]

Deoneth's head tilted to the side, eyes whirling curiously set amongst her golden scales. She seemed to be curious and amused by the exuberant little blue. She was settling well into her role it seemed. She wasn't about to not to talk to those under her rank. She'd be sorely missing company then.

Mine has been sad too, since then. I do not understand. They are friendly but seem to not like each other right now. I think they're just both being wherry-headed.[/color] Had she been able to blink, she would have. She paused for a moment, letting the blue 'speak', collecting her thoughts as it were. He was sidetracked often, but it made conversation interesting. They are here. We all look bigger. Mine says we're growing up.[/color] There was a moment of pride, the feeling of it trickling through as she seemed to assume the regalness she sometimes set aside. She eyed the browns in presence after Xyruth's comment, gaze settling on Volsteath. It had to be him. He seemed to be acting out of character for a brown...Even Deoneth's young mind understood that.

He seems harmless for now...just rather...not like he should be.[/color] The gold phrased it carefully, not really able to put a finger, or claw, as it were, on the reason why she felt the same Xyruth. Leave him be and it shall be fine.[/color]

Salina continued cutting meat, piling it up as Deo seemed distracted for the moment and not inclined to eating. For once. The weyrwoman heaved a grateful sigh. Deo had to be consuming more than the others here. Salina could already tell that her beauty was much larger than those about. How would the boys feel to be feeding the queen? Salina shook her head, shooting a look at her queen, knife pausing for a moment. She felt a stab as she saw that it was Ez'ki's Xyruth that Deoneth was so involved with. Heart twisted and those cool gray eyes slanted over to look at the red-haired rider, apparently at ease and joking with-what was his name?-Z'dayi, that was it. Though she felt the pain, it didn't reflect on her carefully neutral face as she turned quickly back to the meat and resumed her task.

She felt like crying.

Was the argument really all that important? Would it break friendship so easily made and held? Perhaps it wasn't meant to be...Perhaps it was too shallow and that reaching down too far, trying to make that kind of bond take root had been the cause of their upheaval. But she didn't believe it. Absently, her free hand slipped into her pocket, toying with the sapphire feather hidden there. She always had it on her, just not as noticabley as she would like.

Deo, what are you and Xyruth saying?

The little gold seemed happy enough to convulge. Obviously it was not secret, meant for dragonets only. Some of our clutch siblings. Oh, and his Mine.

Oh? Salina continued chopping, still maintaining that careful facade, the one she felt like she'd been breaking. Now, it felt itchy to be back within that self-contained little box. She'd picked up easily enough on talking mind-to-mind with Deoneth too. Was it the rider blood in her? Or just because it was akin to the way she'd kept her tasks ordered in her mind back when life was so uninteresting? What about him?

He says he is sullen. But only since your argument. I say you're both being wherries. It is true too, so do not say it is not.

Salina sighed, giving up on that. She pushed another small pile of meat towards her growing heap, all neatly cut, and pushed the bone over to the other grouping she had. She looked back towards Ez again. Her best friend. And decided that she was done playing Ms. Invisible.

"Well, if we're really going to contribute to the team," she said, voice pitched slightly so the two lads could hear it. "Then why not have the junior weyrwoman have a small oops? You know...lack of sleep, too much work...They'll be rushing to push it all down. Mustn't harm Deoneth or her rider, you know. Too much strain and the queen could be affected." She threw an affectionate look towards the gold.

You are sneaky, Mine. Do you think Xyruth's Mine will talk with you? I liked him. He called me pretty, even though I'm not. I do not look like Pelagaoth. She is pretty. But if he is being mean with you, then I do not like him.

It's okay, darling. Salina chuckled. You're gorgeous, much prettier than the other queen. She looks insubstantial, but you are there. You have substance. You don't have to be ethereal and delicate to be beautiful.

Eyes whirled with pleasure as Deoneth was consoled. [/color=c8a000]As you say, Mine. Perhaps he will talk with you? Xyruth might make him...[/i][/color] Her 'voice' trailed off thoughtfully and Salina shot her a look of consternation. What was the gold planning? With a grimace, and a shrug, she grabbed more meat and began to chop. Better to keep her hands busy.

[blueaid]

“Why do I feel you are replying to me with almost the same arguments I give unto you?”

Z'dayi flashed a grin, then quickly checked it as if the expression were inappropriate for so somber a vocation as chopping meat for dragonets. His eyes flicked quickly to Tremaith, who ate with carefully maintained decorum, then the grin resurfaced while he answered Ez'ki. "What's that saying? Great minds think alike?"

He seemed about to say more, his mouth dropped open to form the next words when Salina entered the conversation. Up went Z'dayi's eyebrows, his expression nearly as obvious as Tremaith's eavesdropping. In a showing of male solidarity, his first look was toward Ez'ki, to measure the bluerider's reaction to this interloper, but-- lest he seem to take sides-- he found a prompt rejoinder for the new weyrwoman. "If you're offering up a finger or two for the cause, m'dear goldrider, I'll hardly try and talk you out of it. Which one you use least?"

Z'dayi flayed off another chunk of meat, inexpertly, globbily, unprettily, and waggled it to and fro for a spell between himself and Salina, a flick of his wrist bringing Ez'ki into this trio of brilliant thinkers; weyrlings talking about cutting off fingers, not bright. In a sickening way, the bloody clump of meat did kind of resemble a severed finger all smashed and lumpy.

"Shall I do the honors?" Were it not for the flawless smile to light up his face, the charm inherent even in the false malevolence, he'd really look like a kook right about now.

Tremaith: Uninvolved bystander, no part in this debacle. Something like a greeting extended toward Deoneth, very cordial, very by-the-by, pleasantly detached from his mad-surgeon rider.