Mishar sighed as he opened the door to outside. "Just my luck."
Snowstalker smiled as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. "What are you complaining about now Mishar?" The Trevenici girl had gotten used to his constant complaining by now. At first she thought he would like Ryslen Weyr, since it was a lot more civilized than the Trevenici tribe he had been living with, but it only took him a few hours to start finding problems with the place.
The Pecwae stumbled out into the snow. "I travel through a Portal to a completely differant world and it's still covered in snow!"
Snowstalker laughed. "I have no complaints. I don't think I could get used to this whole half a year summer thing."
Mishar was having problems climbing through the snow, but he refused Snowstalker's offers of help. The Pecwae was trying to find a spot he'd seen earlier, when they'd been out with a group of candidates to see the Sands. He couldn't help smiling as he breifly thought about that trip. At over half a century old, Mishar was pretty sure that he'd seen everything...especially after Magika and Hyth, but the sight of the dragon eggs filled him with a wonder that he hadn't felt in a long time. He knew now that the gods must have led them to this Ryslen...if only to save the eggs from freezing to death. He heard a harried conversation about wing formations from the watchdragon as they passed. Now if I could only get every other dragon in this joint out of my mind...
"You're thinking about the eggs aren't you?" Ever since their unexpected arrival at Ryslen Weyr Snowstalker had picked up the annoying tendancy to read his mind. She honestly wasn't reading his mind, she was just thinking about the same thing. After having the whole candidate thing explained to them, neither could stop trying to imagine what it would be like to have a dragon sharing your every thought and emotion. If she'd ever be honest with herself, and knowing Snowstalker it would never happen, she'd realize that the thought actually scared her to death. At the same time though, the sight of the eggs on the sands had only further convinced her that this was her destiny.
"Of course I'm thinking about the eggs. How can I stop? It's all anyone in this Weyr is talking about!" Mishar scanned the snowy horizon and saw the rocks he was aiming for. There was a small cave by a lake a short walk out of the weyr. It was close enough that he could manage the distance without being carried by his Trevenici companion and far enough that it muffled the sounds of the dragons. It was perfect.
Snowstalker hadn't even asked why they were going for a walk in the snow yet. She knew that Mishar didn't like the stuff, but if he suddenly decided to go for a stroll in the middle of a storm she'd accompany him. She was only mildy curious as to their mission, but in her defense, she couldn't tear her thoughts away from the dragons. "Mishar, what's the dragon-speak like?"
The Pecwae looked up at her, not sure exactly what to say. "It's like...someone talking in your head, only clearer." Mishar couldn't help smiling. "And I'm sure I've only confused you further."
"Do they speak Tirniv or Twithil, or do they all speak Elder-speak?"
"The ones I've heard speak Elder-speak, but a few seem to speak other languages that I don't know. I assume they can be taught." The Pecwae tripped and was hoisted back up by Snowstalker before he could even blink. They got along a lot better the last two weeks they'd been at Ryslen.
"Is it like pictures in your mind, or actual words."
"Actual words most of the time." Mishar sighed as he finally sat down in the shelter behind the group of rocks. He looked out across the wind-blown lake and patted the sand beside him. Snowstalker took the hint and sat down.
Finally, after a few minutes of silence, her curiousity got the better of her. "Why are we here Mishar?" She twirled the end of her long braid in her fingers, slightly bored with just sitting and watching the water.
"I wanted to give you something and I didn't want to be interupted by all the dragons." Mishar reached into a pocket of his warm coat (given to him by the staff at Ryslen Weyr when they saw what he'd been wearing) and pulled out the turquoise pendant he'd been working on.
Snowstalker cocked her head and examing the necklace without touching it. "It's beautiful Mishar. One of your best ever." The turquoise stone was rather large, about the size of Mishar's fist, and was surrounded by bands of silver wire. The silver wire then was attatched to woven gold and platnium wire before attatching to a piece of tanned leather.
"It's for you." He couldn't help blushing slightly as he pushed the necklace towards her. They'd been friends along time, but he'd never really given her anything like this before. "It's for luck."
Snowstalker's eyes widened in shock as she took the necklace from him. "For me?" She quickly took it from the Pecwae before he could change his mind and tied the leather straps into the top of her braid. She was wearing the necklace like a tiarra. The turquoise pendant didn't look so large when compared to her. She beamed and crawled forward to the water to examine her reflection.
Mishar smiled, started to tell her the proper way to wear it, but finally decided against her. It would bring her luck just the same whether it was around her neck or her forehead. Plus, she seemed pleased with the tiarra look.
Snowstalker turned back to him, her eyes bright with happiness. "Thank you Mishar. It's the nicest thing anyone's ever given me."
He smiled back. "You're welcome, now remember..."
Unfortunately he never got to finish his warning as a dragon bugle interupted the conversation. The message was clear to both of them, even without the benefit of Mishar's abilities to speak with dragons, the eggs were hatching.
Mishar tried desperately not to start hyperventalating as he stood beside Snowstalker on the warm sands. At least they are warm... He'd been half afraid that the hatching was going to take place in the snow. The heat had caused him to abandon his warm new coat in favour of the brown homespun robe he normally wore when he'd been living on the plain. He was barefoot and the sand felt wonderful between his normally frozen toes. It would all together be an enjoyable experience, if the cursed dragons would just be quiet! He'd heard every word spoken by a dragon and it was beginning to take it's toll on him. He was feeling rather faint and a little light-headed. It was like having forty people trying to talk to you at once. Snowstalker saw him waver and was quickly at his side to support him. She kept her hand on his shoulder as she continued to watch the hatching.
Having been forced to abandon her winter clothes in favour of something that she could actually wear on the warm sands, the Trevenici looked like some barbarian princess. They offered her candidate robes, but there were none that she could stand. They were all too short, or too annoying. Finally, since the eggs were rocking rather violently, they just let her go peel off a few layers of fur and join the other candidates. She wore what could nicely be described as a fur bikini and was barefoot as well. Many of her numerous tatoos were visable, all along her arms, back and legs, and were getting odd looks. Her hair still contained all it's adornments, plus the new turquoise luck pendant. Mishar thought that she would have been embarassed, but nothing could faze her today.
He closed his eyes and put his hand to his forehead in an attempt to shut off the voices when, all of a sudden, they were gone. He fell to his knees on the sands, shocked by the quiet and by the fact that Snowstalker had seemingly disappeared. "Snowstalker?" He called her name in a soft voice.
Not quite. Sorry I couldn't help before. Had a little bit of trouble with the egg. Right in front of him sat a startlingly beautiful silver dragon. His eyes whirled a deep blue and his hide glimmered in the light. His voice was so soft, barely above a whisper, but Mishar could hear him just fine.
"It's okay, Seironasth..." He touched the dragon's head in amazement. None of his conversations with the other Weyr dragons could have prepared him for this. He stood up, Seironasth beside him, and headed off the sands for food. He could see Snowstalker smiling at him. She touched her luck pendant than her forehead. He touched his forehead in return and smiled.
What was all that about? Seironasth looked at Snowstalker than back at Mishar.
The Pecwae realized that his lifemate was speaking Twilthil, his native language. "She was accusing me of stealing her luck."
And? Seironasth was obviously not as patient as his new rider.
Mishar smiled. "And I told her that I was only borrowing it."
Snowstalker couldn't help beginning to doubt the effectiveness of her new turquoise pendant as she found herself standing with one other person as the last egg began rocking. She kept her hand on the turquoise and bit her lip, not wishing any harm on the fellow beside her, but still not believing that the gods could lead her here just to walk away empty handed. Maybe they didn't lead me here... The doubt flickered across her mind as she watched the egg rock. Maybe I was only meant to bring Mishar here... She couldn't help smiling as she tried to imagine her Pecwae friend making it here on his own. He would have turned back into the Portal as soon as he realized it was snowing here too. She stopped bitting her lip and relaxed slightly as the last egg finally cracked open. Before any one could take note of the dragon it contained, another hidden egg exploded letting another dragon into the world right under the first. The two purple dragons became entangle and rolled around on the sands, calling for help. Snowstalker!! Help!!
Snowstalker stared in shock for a moment as the light royal purple dragon touched her mind. "Pardon?" She spoke her native Tirniv.
The dragon creeled, startling her out of her shock. A little help here?
Snowstalker quickly rushed forward and untangled the beautiful hatchling from her brother. "Are you okay?" She continued to speak her native language, always having found Elder-Speak to be confusing.
I'm fine. The dragon's eyes whirled blue as she rubbed the large Trevenici warrior with her head. By the way, I'm Shytaeth. And I'm hungry!!
Snowstalker couldn't help smiling as she brought Shytaeth to meet Mishar and dinner. Now she knew that she was not just delivering Mishar. She belonged in this strange world, she belonged with Shytaeth.
Snowstalker and Mishar impressed Shytaeth and Seironasth at Ryslen Weyr.
Background from Seasonal Backgrounds.
The world of Loerem and all creatures within were created by the art of Larry Elmore and the words of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Go here to find out more about their wonderful world.
