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Post by Flamewolf on Jun 14, 2007 14:40:34 GMT -5
Keldara made her way to the cove behind M'kel, humming quietly to herself. Her mood had brightened considerably since she'd met the bronze rider not that long ago, and as the port came into sight, she stopped her humming and quickened her pace. She stopped beside M'kel, smiling at his uncertain look, and walked up to the bell. She gazed at it for a moment; it was large, well crafted and fairly new. She was surprised to know that she remembered the sequence of rings she had to do to summon the dolphin, thinking that she might have forgotten. Shrugging, she rung it thrice, paused for a mili second, and rung two more. After a moment, she did it again, then stepped back.
"That's one of many sequences we're taught," she told the bronze rider, her gaze flickering briefly to the horizon. "She won't come for a few minutes, if she's around, so we might have to wait for a little bit." She turned to him and smiled slightly. I'm so lucky that he stumbled upon me today, she thought to herself.
(I'll have Alphi come in in my next post.)
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Post by M'kel on Jun 14, 2007 21:34:53 GMT -5
The bronzerider avidly watched the sequence the young candidate rang on the bell, his eyes immediately darting out to sea as if he expected dolphins to appear leaping on the horizon. Somewhat disappointed when they didn't, M'kel glanced back at Keldara. He nodded at her explanation, wondering how many messages Dolphineers would need to communicate to their companions, besides, 'Come here.'
As Keldara explained that there may be a delay, the young dragonrider grinned at his own, naive enthusiasm. Dolphins weren't dragons, after all. They couldn't flit between, arriving nearly instantly. Who knew where this dolphin was, as Araelen was likely far from its natural home. It could be quite a while indeed. "You there!" he hollered at the nearest dock labourer. "Something to sit on for the lady and me!" The man stared at M'kel in surprise for a moment, quite unused to being ordered about so, but he, too, had experienced a glimpse of Sitareh's rule. Rather than bring that kind of wrath down on himself, the man begrudgingly fetched crates for the pair. M'kel seated himself, prepared to wait for a while, at least.
"So what's it like swimming with these things?" he queried.
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Post by Flamewolf on Jun 16, 2007 12:03:57 GMT -5
Keldara smiled at the surprised expression of the labourer as he came back with two crates. She smiled a thanks to the man before slowly sitting down, then turned to M'kel. One way to do it, I suppose, she thought idly to herself.
The candidate smiled at the question. "It's a lot more fun than many people think," she replied. "Swimming with a dolphin is like flying with a dragon; some people think it's scary to only be relying on a fish to guide them through tough waters, but when they finally try it, they find it's really fun." She paused. "And once you get the hang of it, the dolphin makes it much more interesting; they'll do twists and turns underwater as long as you can hold your breath, they'll do jumps, and they always make sure that you're safe."
Meanwhile, down in the ocean, a form was swimming fairly fast to the dock, making a lot of noise that reached the two's ears, but didn't register to Keldara.
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Post by M'kel on Jun 18, 2007 22:04:31 GMT -5
Shifting awkwardly on the hard crate, M'kel placed one booted foot up on a pillar of the dock, resting it there in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. He listened avidly to Keldara's description, though his eyes were fixed on the sea. M'kel nodded as she spoke of swimming with a dolphin, though he doubted anything could be more exhilarating than flying a dragon.
His keen eyes sought to pick out movement other than that of the natural undulations of the waves. A strange sound reached his ears, and with his senses alert, he picked it out as different from Keldara's speech or the cries of usual fauna. "What's that?" he breathed, a strange excitement gripping the rider. M'kel squinted, imagining he saw something heading their direction. "There!"
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Post by Flamewolf on Jun 19, 2007 15:50:05 GMT -5
Keldara blinked and turned in the direction the bronzerider had motioned to. At first, she didn't notice anything; then squeaks and splashes came to her ears just as she saw a familiar form swimming towards her. Her face brightened as she quickly got off the crate, rushing down the dock. Grabbing the frame for the bell, she peered over the edge to look straight at the familiar blue-gray shape rushing towards them.
The candidate twisted around to the bronzerider. "That's Alphi, my father's dolphin," she told him with a grin. Then turned back to see the dolphin slow down at the edge of the dock.
"Keell," the dolphin said in it's slightly squeaky voice. Hitting her fins against the water, she lifted her front half onto the wooden deck.
"Hi, Alphi," Keldara greeted, rubbing the snout of the dolphin. "M'kel," she said as she turned around to the bronzerider, "this is Alphi. Alphi, this is M'kel."
The dolphin's eyes shifted over Keldara's shoulder to the man. "Hii, Dragonriderr," the dolphin greeted, cheerfully.
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Post by M'kel on Jun 20, 2007 21:20:26 GMT -5
As Keldara leapt off her crate, rushing to the end of the deck, M'kel rose to his feet. His eyes focussed on the growing shape, straining to pick out features. However, mostly submerged with only the occasional flash above water, the creature was difficult to pick out. What he did recognize was a distinct, grey colour, and a single arching fin that split the surface of the sea. Unconsciously, he moved to the end of the dock to view it better.
The dolphin finally reached the dock, raising its upper body out of the water to greet them. The shrill, screeching voice that reached his ears was almost painful in its tone. It took M'kel a moment to realize there were words in that noise, and a moment longer to identify them. Strangely drawn out as they were, as if the language was odd and unfamiliar to the speaker, the dragonrider could recognize the words.
Although he'd known the dolphin would speak, it was still astonishing to realize that language was coming out of its mouth. It wasn't so astounding to hear a dragon speak in one's mind, but for another animal to actually speak with its mouth...
It seemed that M'kel had momentarily forgotten how to speak. He crouched down awkwardly, watching the dolphin. "Hello....Alphi," he said slowly, staring at its sleek form. What would that skin feel like?
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Post by Flamewolf on Jun 22, 2007 20:25:41 GMT -5
Alphi squeaked, her dolphin way of laughing. Keldara laughed as well, shaking her head as the dolphin gazed at M'kel for a second, then turned to the candidate.
She chuckled, and turned to him. "You can touch her, you know," she pointed out, rubbing under the gray animal's snout. Her tail fin flapped against the water once, watching both of them with sparkling eyes.
To her, it wasn't surprising to see the slightly shocked expression on the dragonrider. Many folk landbound (or skybound) didn't expect dolphins to actually speak, even though they were told they could do so. She'd seen people's reactions many times, and was used to it by now. Keldara smiled, sat down on the edge of the dock, her legs hanging over the edge.
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Post by M'kel on Jun 23, 2007 19:58:04 GMT -5
At the squeaking mixed with laughter that penetrated his mesmerized state, M'kel looked up in surprise. Keldara's features were alight with a confidence and delight she had been lacking earlier, and her spirit was infectious. His gamble had proved true, for the candidate's manner had changed entirely. She was no longer withdrawn and reflective but living in the moment once again. This friend from her past had resurfaced at just the right time, it seemed, to boost her morale. The next few months until the eggs were laid and Hatched would probably be easier on the girl, now that she'd had this opportunity.
"I want you to know that you can come down here and visit...Alphi...whenever you wish. Well, unless you have chores of course. But do not feel bound to the Weyr. So long as you don't leave the island," and this was said in a more serious tone, "the Weyrwoman won't object to a candidate visiting a friend."
As Keldara suggested he touch the creature, mixed feelings crossed the dragonrider's face. M'kel was hesitant, unsure what it would feel like, but intrigued nonetheless. "It won't...hurt her?" Well, that was a silly inquiry, for Keldara was stroking the dolphin. Tentatively, M'kel reached out and brushed the water slick hide. It was strangely smooth and fascinating in texture, and the bronzerider found himself stroking the long snout much as Keldara had. "If she's your father's dolphin, why can she leave him so easily?" he queried, eyes fixed on the dolphin.
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Post by Flamewolf on Jun 23, 2007 20:23:09 GMT -5
Keldara watched as M'kel conversed with Alphi. She smiled, glad that he accepted the dolphin (many dragonriders in the way, way past had scoffed at them), and kept gently swinging her legs, her boots barely touching the water. She pulled her hair out of her face as Alphi nodded to the directions set by the bronzerider. She understood that Kel needed to stay, and would abide by those rules.
The candidate shifted so she was sort of facing M'kel as he leaned over and stroked Alphi's snout. She grinned, happy that he had finally gotten over that "fear" of touching the dolphin, that she almost didn't catch his question. But when she did, her legs stilled, her grin faded slightly. Alphi immediately turned to Keldara and watched her closely as she prepared to answer.
"Um...Well, my father died about a week or so before I was searched," she explained. Her voice seemed odd and distant to her, as if it wasn't her own, and she quickly cleared her voice. Her smile soon returned, as if refusing to give in to the past once again, but it wasn't as large as before. Alphi's fin gently rubbed against her leg before dropping back into the water, her way of conforting the candidate.
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Post by M'kel on Jun 23, 2007 21:17:15 GMT -5
So immersed was he in stroking the strange snout that M'kel took a moment to realize Keldara's face had darkened considerably. Upon hearing her haunted tone, he straightened immediately, gazing at her bleak expression. His stomach clenched as he realized that he had just ruined her carefree mood, for he had unintentionally reminded her of a past she was obviously still struggling to accept. Her attempted smile was awkward, for she was obviously in pain, and the bronzerider felt terrible for causing her it.
M'kel reached out to grip her shoulder reassuringly, uncomfortable with the situation himself. He wasn't used to people in misery...for he surrounded himself with humour. He attempted to raise her spirits by nodding sympathetically, eyes bright with understanding. "I'm sorry. That must have been terrible." He sought a happier note. "Your mother must be very proud that you've been Searched, though."
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