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Pohril
Pohril and Dermane just laughed hysterically and ran down the hall back to their shared room. The two young men had arrived at the Harperhall at about the same time and when assigned to the same room had become partners in whatever mischief they could conjure. That had been several turns ago though, and they were now Journeymen. Pohril had earned the honor on account of his beautiful soprano singing voice. Despite being sixteen turns his voice had yet to change and the Masters all secretly hoped that it never would. Dermane was skilled at instrumental rather vocal music so the two managed to accompany each other quite well when asked to perform. On this occasion the two weren’t performing music though. Ever since they had met they had gotten no less enjoyment from their music as they had from tormenting the other apprentices, and, as they ascended the ranks, eventually the journeymen as well. Pohril risked a glance back at Virvian who was still standing there, covered head to toe with the feathers from her own pillow. His laughter burst forth again and he stumbled along as he turned a corner and the hilarious view was lost. The two young men didn’t stop running until they’d reached their room and then collapsed onto their respective pallets in uncontrollable fits of laughter. “Did you see her?” gasped Pohril when he finally stopped laughing enough to talk. “That was priceless! I can’t believe she fell for it.” “I can!” exclaimed Dermane, his breathing no less rapid than his friend’s. “How was she to know we’d cut the seams of the pillow when she swung it over her head to hit us!” “And the fact that she’d just bathed made the feathers stick, that we couldn’t have planned better!” This image was too much for them and they again dissolved into fits of laughter. “How do you think she’ll retaliate?” asked Dermane when his laughter again subsided. “I don’t know,” replied Pohril, leaning back on his pallet, his smiling gaze fixed on the ceiling, “but I doubt she’s brilliant enough to come up with anything good.” Dermane snickered and rolled over on his bed to look at his friend. “Well, you’d know, wouldn’t you?” “What are you talking about?” said Pohril in his high pitched voice, shrugging off Dermane’s significant tone. “You know exactly what I’m talking about,” said Dermane sitting up and kicking Pohril’s bed. “Lately she’s the only one you want to play pranks on. And I saw the way your eyes widened when you realized she’d recently bathed. Your voice fell two octaves while you were talking to her.” “Not possible, you’re crazy,” replied Pohril making a gesture to the negative with his hand and turning his face from the other journeyman. “Uh-huh, then why can’t you look me in the eye when you say that?” said Dermane continuing to kick at Pohril’s bed. “I knew it, you like her, don’t you? Haha! When’s the wedding?” “There’s no wedding okay! And I don’t like her; I just think she’s kind of pretty. You’ve got to admit, she did look pretty spectacular with her dark brown hair hanging all wet about her face like that.” “Whatever man,” was Dermane’s only reply and Pohril soon got up and headed out into the courtyard to find his fire lizard, Kiki. She’d been acting rather proddy lately and would not stay inside with him. Instead she was always out in the courtyard surrounded by a large fair of male fire lizards, not all of them belonging to the Harper Hall. Kiki was indeed up in a tree that was full of fire lizards and Pohril shook his head as he saw that Kiki was the only female in the bunch. She saw him and chittered scoldingly sending him images that more or less told him he wasn’t welcome out here and he might as well go back inside where he belonged. Pohril just scowled up at her and repeated a mental command for her to come to him until she grudgingly obliged. She swooped down and settled on his shoulder, chittering unhappily as the entire fair of suitors rose up and vanished between. Pohril stroked her back until she calmed and quieted and told her in no uncertain terms that he was taking her inside even if he had to hold her wings down to get her there. She squawked indignantly and would have taken flight but he wrapped his hands about her wings and carried her bodily inside. Dermane was practicing his gitar when Pohril walked back in with Kiki and he arched his eyebrows but kept on playing. Pohril closed the door before setting the irritated green down on his pallet and releasing his hold on her wings. She immediately took flight but only to settle herself on Dermane’s shoulder and hum along with his playing. Dermane flashed him a smile and Pohril had to laugh at the sound of his fire lizard’s humming. She wasn’t quite on key and he decided it would have to be his goal to teach her to be. Continue... |