Impatiently Waiting (Bahari)

[wolflover1458]

((Note: This takes place before Issarith's clutch hatches))

There were several Brat Pack members who had finally become older enough to Stand and hope to Impress. Karevel had to be fourteen before she could Stand though, so she would be left to watch as some of the others had the chance for a dragon of her own. This did not discourage her, though. Sure, it kind of sucked that girls had to be older than the boys did, but her chance would come eventually, and with all the clutches suddenly showing up, she was sure there would be plenty of dragons ready to choose her when the time finally came. Besides, she had Clover for now. Just having the firelizard was pretty nice.

And it would be nice to watch Hinuk and Thorn and cheer them on. She hoped they Impressed, although even if they didn't, Rhiannoth was having a clutch soon, right? They would have plenty of chances.

She would have a chance eventually too. She kept telling herself there was no use to wanting to Stand now, although she still kind of wished she would get to be on the Sand as well. There would be all sorts of cute little dragons picking someone else. What if there was a dragon perfect for her? Was it really fair to have to wait?

Still, she couldn't do anything but wait, and while she was doing that, she might as well cheer on her friends. The hatching had yet to come, and Karevel was left to do nothing but wander around. The Brat Pack wasn't really up to anything, probably because its two leaders needed to be on good behavior if they wanted to stay as Candidates. She never considered that things might change if they did Impress. She just wondered if they were going too.

It almost felt kind of odd to wander around the Lower Caverns without sneaking to the kitchen to bother Emera or to run out to the sands and try and see Issarith's eggs without being caught. She wasn't even completely sure where the others were. It was just Clover and her at the moment.

The Green firelizard did not seem to be able to sit still. She climbed up to Karevel's shoulders, then brought her front claws up on top of her head, tried to stand completely on her head, nearly fell, tried again, nearly fell again, and finally gave up and slumped back onto her shoulders. Then she spread her wings and flapped into the air, soaring around and cheeping happily. Karevel watched the creature happily. She didn't attempt to train Clover at all. She just took of her. Clover was a bit too wild and happy to try and do anything with anyways. It was easiest to just let her be her and simply watch over her.

[Yuu Kanduet]

Look-See was nuzzling his owner in an attempt at comfort. Bahari had been sullen and withdrawn for days, and quite frankly, the Bronze was tired of all this moping. With a little trill, Look-See tried once more to remain on the path of comfort and support, but if his boy did not shape up then the Bronze would be forced to resort to nips and tail slaps.

For all the effort his flitter was putting into cheering him up, Bahari still felt cheated. His parents had denied him the chance to stand with his friends. The small boy was more than capable of taking care of himself and a dragon. He had taken care of the pack hadn't he? He was up to the challenge, and the fact that his parents hadn't seen that just added insult to injury. Why were they so insistent on babying him. Even his own brother had written back to Bahari with a letter or cation and support of their parents when Bahari had sent his letter pleading for his brother to speak on his behalf.

Why was it so hard to understand that this was a matter of importance to him? Bahari knew he had his short-comings, but he also knew he had his strengths. He had spent years honing those traits too. Yet here he sat, in the kitchens as his friends were preparing for their big day. Well Bahari would have none of it! They could go and Impress without him!

Crossing his arms, Bahari dislodged Look-See which caused the large flitter to squeak in surprise and indignation. The Bronze had reached its limit and without any further warning he nipped the boy in the fleshy part of Bahari's arm hard enough to break skin. This caused Bahari to let out a surprised squawk of his own as blood welled up on his arm and leaked in small rivets down his arm.

The boy and the Bronze glared at each other in silent dares for the other to go farther, but in the end they looked away at the same time and cuddled guiltily. Neither was going to admit a wrong, but they sought forgiveness from each other anyway.

"I'm just- It's just- I want to be there with them Look-See. Why am I the one that's forced to wait while the others surge ahead of me?"

Look-See lifted his head from where it had been tucked in Bahari's armpit as if to ask why it mattered. Bahari had him, and he loved Bahari. A dragon could wait, for now let it just be them.

[wolflover1458]

Clover was hungry. Karevel could tell just by looking at her. The firelizard couldn't say anything, of course, and she certainly act as though she were intelligent enough to spread some kind of message, but Karevel could still tell. She wasn't sure how. Maybe it was the change in the flit's behavior, or maybe just some part of the bond between them.

But whatever it was, she ought to find something to feed her. "I know," Karevel decided, "we'll go to the kitchen. There's lots of food there." Hopefully there wouldn't be anyone there to say she couldn't come in. Surely they wouldn't want Clover to starve, right? She could say that, but they'd probably just tell her to take the flitter somewhere else and feed her there. The people in the kitchens could be like that sometimes. Maybe it was because Emera didn't like the Weyrbrats much. Or maybe there was some test you had to pass to work in the kitchen that involved being mean. Karevel didn't really know.

Perhaps quite luckily, she didn't run into anyone on her way down. And right after she slipped into the kitchen, her eyes caught sight of a bowl for a meatrolls, just sitting there on a table. She giggled to herself and gave one of the treats to Clover who accepted it graciously and settled down on Karevel's shoulder to eat.

Karevel just watched the flitter for a moment. Then Clover seemed to notice something or other, for she turned in one direction and let out a contemptuous hiss. Karevel turned and saw another firelizard. Clover was probably concerned he wanted her food.

But the firelizard wasn't alone, and Karevel's excitement soon blotted it out from her mind. "Bahari! What are you doing here?"

[Yuu Kanduet]

Since he wasn't too attentive to his surroundings, Bahari was caught totally off guard when a fellow brat wandered into the kitchens, and her call took him by surprise. With eyes the size of saucers, Bahari snapped his head up and over towards the direction the voice had come from before he regained his composure and returned to his comfortable slouch.

"Hey Flitter, I didn't hear you come in. Wanna get a snack and talk?"

Although Bahari wasn't in the best of moods friends always came first. You never knew when one might disappear. Thinking back on the Holdless attack was still painful, and he couldn't imagine going through that again.

Look-See was checking out his Green clutch sister curiously. It didn't matter how many times Look-See came across something or someone, the little Bronze would always check it out as if it were a new novelty.

"Stop pestering Look-See. Clover hasn't changed since the last time you saw her."

[wolflover1458]

Karevel's childish mind wasn't quite able to comprehend that Bahari hadn't noticed her before, but it hardly mattered either way. His words proved he hadn't, and even if that had not, it would hardly have changed her actions in the slightest. She hadn't been able to hang out with any of the other Brats for a while, and she was happy to see one of them, even if it was at such an odd place as this.

Clover didn't care much for Bahari; her eyes rested solely on her brother, who she hissed at and then returned to eating her meal, although training her full attention on him, as though he might at any moment swoop over and snatch her morsel.

Karevel didn't much notice the firelizard either. "Sure!" she responded to Bahari. "I'd love to talk!" The problem with not seeing any of her friends was that it also left her with no one to talk to. She did hate when that happened. There was so much conversation inside of her just waiting to come out, but then there was no one to talk about it to except for Clover, who never understood what she said anyways.

This reminded her of the firelizard, who was still glaring defiantly at her brother. "Stop that Clover, he's just looking at you, silly," she giggled to herself and watched Clover finish the remainder of her meal. The firelizard then curled herself around Karevel's neck, but still watching Look-See carefully. It wouldn't be long before she lost interest in him, though.

The firelizard trouble removed, she looked back to Bahari. "So Silvertongue, you looking forward to the hatching?" She certainly was. It was rather a redundant question to her, as it hardly seemed possible for someone to not be excited, but she also felt like asking it anyways.

[Yuu Kanduet]

Everything came back to the Hatching it seemed. Everyone was so excited, and that frustrated Bahari further. He wanted to be excited too! The festivities and joy were enticing, and Bahari wanted to have fun with everyone else. He was just so jealous! It was like he was being left behind and forgotten, and Bahari hated being out of the loop.

"I'm sure the Hatching will be just like all the other Hatchings." Bahari intoned neutrally.

There was a certain excitement in his chest at the thought of having new dragons and riders running around bumbling through their lessons to the amusement of the other weyrfolk, but Bahari didn't want to admit that. He also didn't want to admit that he hoped his friends Impressed even if he couldn't.

"Flitter, do you think this Impression will break our group apart? I mean weyrlings don't usually have a lot of free time to play with the other children."

This was another of Bahari's greatest fears. What if the brat pack never recovered from this?

[wolflover1458]

Had Karevel been a bit less wound up, she might have been able to notice that Bahari didn't look all that happy. As it was, she never really paid attention to other's reactions to anything. She didn't notice the flat tone in his voice as he predicted the coming hatching would be just like the others had been. To Karevel, that just meant it would be exciting and fun to watch. She really was looking forward to it. She'd get to watch some of her friends Stand, and maybe even Impress. There was definitely a lot to look forward to.

What Bahari said next confused her a bit though. She'd never really thought about what Impression could do to the group as a whole. She'd just thought about how nice it would be for each of them to have a dragon of their own. But if some of them had dragons and the others didn't, mightn't they all be busy?

"I don't know," she told Bahari truthfully. "I never thought of it like that. I guess it could. I mean... weyrlings are always busy, aren't they?" She shrugged as the thought danced around her mind. But she couldn't stay concerned for long. "Still, they shouldn't have to not be Candidates just so we get to play with them for longer. We all deserve the chance to Impress, don't we?" She certainly wouldn't have liked it if her friends preventing her from the chance at a dragon of her own. Sure, she would miss hanging out with them, but dragons were dragons. Besides, after they were through weyrlinghood, they would probably still get to do things together, right?