[OOC] Vignette.
The first time he saw her...
It hadn't been uncommon when the Interval began for some of the more mature riders to take up 'hobbies' outside of dragonriding. His cynical thoughts had always turned towards the logic of well, he'd be dead before Thread ever fell again, what's the harm? And besides, he had a small cache of marks saved from over the years to afford a small payment to one of the Harper masters who'd been a journeyman and before that a candidate and before that had been a kid at Bitra, same as K'aus. They'd known each other, they were friends-- sort of.
At first he'd only been interested in law and logic and history, and he showed great promise in these things. Every free day he had was spent at the Hall, after a while, and it was that abundance in visits that led him to meeting her.
They had a class together during the new term, a general education lecture for math. He sat in the front, she sat next to him. She even smiled at him, and when she spoke her voice wasn't like angels or a choir but it was smooth and soft and the way she used it, he wasn't surprised to later find out her specialty.
"I'm Marin."
Dark little Marin, with her wild hair and her big eyes.
He told her who he was and then they didn't tell each other anything else because class had started, but afterwards she asked him if he wanted to stay and study with her.
He'd said no. He hadn't even been polite about it, and he never really was. And she never really cared.
They would have class together and run into each other in the halls, she always with a friend and he always alone.
It wasn't until a month later that he let himself see her.
There had been a storm earlier that day and Ehrudith had advised against trying to get high enough for Between until at least the heavy rains slowed. Normally, K'aus would have balked at the idea of staying longer had they been visitng anywhere else. But this was not anywhere else, the Hall had become like a second home.
After dinner everyone had stayed together in the big room with the long tables to be social and to wait out the storm. They sat in groups seperately, the writers in this corner and the teachers at their table; K'aus was alone, of course, trying to drown out the din and thinking seriously about finding some guest room or something to stay in so he wouldn't have to listen to the noise. His hesitance was on his side.
The musicians had a section to themselves. They sat around at a wide round table and plucked out vague tunes and then suddenly there was one solid string of music, a violin and a flute. And then there was a voice.
It was sweet and clear and very obviously soprano and, when he sat up in his chair to crane his neck and investigate, he saw that it was Marin's.
She sat on the edge of the table with perfect posture and an expression of such clear love on her face that he almost felt guilty for watching, but those seated around her, either playing an instrument or not, didn't have the same reservations. They all stared up at her while she lifted her voice up through the scales and down again and then transitioned smoothly into an old song about love and sadness.
K'aus didn't realize he was standing until someone came up to steal his chair. He stayed to listen and to watch for a very long time, even after a young man's voice joined in with the dark-haired girl's. And even when he retired that night, not to his own weyr but indeed to a guest room, her voice haunted him well into his restless sleep.
...he remembers.
---
"...go to whoever can find me one of Kozec's men and bring him to me alive and conscious."
It's been a few days since his beating at the docks and he still has trouble standing straight, and standing straight is the only way to go. He should be in the infirmary or in bed, he's under strict orders, but instead he's here, in the belly of a particular ship, with four particular men.
They all stare at him around the shitty little table and then stare together at the little pouch in the center.
"I trust you gentlemen deal in modern day currency. Skinner can vouch for me, I will pay. Obviously only after I've assessed that who you bring me, if you do in fact bring me someone, is who I need him to be. And if you're especially good there might be more little projects in store for you in our future together. Think on it."
Very deliberately, K'aus reaches to reclaim the little pouch and pocket it, and then he turns with some effort to make the very troublesome trip up the small set of stairs onto the deck of the ship. He isn't followed, and he trusts he won't be. They know how to find him.
The good thing about sailors is you're never really going to see the same one twice. The gang that kicked him to within an inch of his life aren't in port and he might never even see them again; his way onto and then down the docks is a quiet, uninterrupted one. Ehrudith waits on the beach, waits until he sees his rider before speaking.
Tread this line carefully boy.
K'aus smiles an eerie smile and picks his way carefully along the beach towards the Weyr with the dragon padding along behind him.
"I know what I'm doing."
It hadn't been uncommon when the Interval began for some of the more mature riders to take up 'hobbies' outside of dragonriding. His cynical thoughts had always turned towards the logic of well, he'd be dead before Thread ever fell again, what's the harm? And besides, he had a small cache of marks saved from over the years to afford a small payment to one of the Harper masters who'd been a journeyman and before that a candidate and before that had been a kid at Bitra, same as K'aus. They'd known each other, they were friends-- sort of.
At first he'd only been interested in law and logic and history, and he showed great promise in these things. Every free day he had was spent at the Hall, after a while, and it was that abundance in visits that led him to meeting her.
They had a class together during the new term, a general education lecture for math. He sat in the front, she sat next to him. She even smiled at him, and when she spoke her voice wasn't like angels or a choir but it was smooth and soft and the way she used it, he wasn't surprised to later find out her specialty.
"I'm Marin."
Dark little Marin, with her wild hair and her big eyes.
He told her who he was and then they didn't tell each other anything else because class had started, but afterwards she asked him if he wanted to stay and study with her.
He'd said no. He hadn't even been polite about it, and he never really was. And she never really cared.
They would have class together and run into each other in the halls, she always with a friend and he always alone.
It wasn't until a month later that he let himself see her.
There had been a storm earlier that day and Ehrudith had advised against trying to get high enough for Between until at least the heavy rains slowed. Normally, K'aus would have balked at the idea of staying longer had they been visitng anywhere else. But this was not anywhere else, the Hall had become like a second home.
After dinner everyone had stayed together in the big room with the long tables to be social and to wait out the storm. They sat in groups seperately, the writers in this corner and the teachers at their table; K'aus was alone, of course, trying to drown out the din and thinking seriously about finding some guest room or something to stay in so he wouldn't have to listen to the noise. His hesitance was on his side.
The musicians had a section to themselves. They sat around at a wide round table and plucked out vague tunes and then suddenly there was one solid string of music, a violin and a flute. And then there was a voice.
It was sweet and clear and very obviously soprano and, when he sat up in his chair to crane his neck and investigate, he saw that it was Marin's.
She sat on the edge of the table with perfect posture and an expression of such clear love on her face that he almost felt guilty for watching, but those seated around her, either playing an instrument or not, didn't have the same reservations. They all stared up at her while she lifted her voice up through the scales and down again and then transitioned smoothly into an old song about love and sadness.
K'aus didn't realize he was standing until someone came up to steal his chair. He stayed to listen and to watch for a very long time, even after a young man's voice joined in with the dark-haired girl's. And even when he retired that night, not to his own weyr but indeed to a guest room, her voice haunted him well into his restless sleep.
...he remembers.
---
"...go to whoever can find me one of Kozec's men and bring him to me alive and conscious."
It's been a few days since his beating at the docks and he still has trouble standing straight, and standing straight is the only way to go. He should be in the infirmary or in bed, he's under strict orders, but instead he's here, in the belly of a particular ship, with four particular men.
They all stare at him around the shitty little table and then stare together at the little pouch in the center.
"I trust you gentlemen deal in modern day currency. Skinner can vouch for me, I will pay. Obviously only after I've assessed that who you bring me, if you do in fact bring me someone, is who I need him to be. And if you're especially good there might be more little projects in store for you in our future together. Think on it."
Very deliberately, K'aus reaches to reclaim the little pouch and pocket it, and then he turns with some effort to make the very troublesome trip up the small set of stairs onto the deck of the ship. He isn't followed, and he trusts he won't be. They know how to find him.
The good thing about sailors is you're never really going to see the same one twice. The gang that kicked him to within an inch of his life aren't in port and he might never even see them again; his way onto and then down the docks is a quiet, uninterrupted one. Ehrudith waits on the beach, waits until he sees his rider before speaking.
Tread this line carefully boy.
K'aus smiles an eerie smile and picks his way carefully along the beach towards the Weyr with the dragon padding along behind him.
"I know what I'm doing."