Just to Smile [Search!]

[Jack]

The water felt deliciously cool against his skin, a lovely contrast to the heat of the day. Dressed only in his pants--a worn pair more hole than pant--the young man dove even deeper, holding his breath without any second thoughts. Worn hands brushed against the stone of the ocean floor, and Bambi let loose a short stream of bubbles in a smile as he began his search, overturning small rocks and stones as he went. Every few minutes the boy would surrender his search, and for a moment bob to the surface, taking another breath before diving back down. From the shore--knees to his chest--a younger boy watched, his eyes shining with hero-worship. It was an expression that Bambi had become familiar with.

Skilled fingers moved yet another stone, and Bambi grinned under the water, quick hand snatching up the bright yellow strip of fabric. He swam to the surface in a stream of bubbles, and laughing, began to make his way back to the outcropping of rock. "I found it!" He barked cheerfully as he clambered up onto the slick stone, "Man--your brother really hid it well, didnt he?"
The little brunette's cheeks flushed as he looked up at the older boy, biting his bottom lip shamefully. "He...he really didn't want me to find it."
Bambi snorted at the idea and knelt next to the ten year old, placing the yellow ribbon with its little ringing bell into the other's grip. "Well, if it ever happens again, tell me and I'll come find it again."

He smiled, a bright cheerful expression, and the boy blushed again, nodding vigorously before skipping a feathered form into his arms. Bambi watched as the boy tied the ribbon around the tawny fisher's neck, his smile broadening at the creature's chirrup of pleasure. She really did like her bow. Laughing, Bambi got to his feet, ruffling the boy's hair as the child scrambled off, the fisher flying above him. Quite a pair, those two.

Shaking his head happily--a move that began as an amused expression and turned into a vigorous attempt at ridding himself of water--the teenager looked back out to sea, chest swelling happily even as he knelt to scoop up his shirt and boots. The ocean was such a gorgeous place...so beautiful.

[Lesa]

One of the last remaining greenpairs was taking advantage of the sky. Up this high, with no other riders around... K'nan could drop the seeming mask he wore. Certainly it wasn't entirely a mask. But he couldn't rant and rave and scream to the heavens as he was currently while at The Weyr. It just couldn't be done, not with the image he wanted to give. The image he needed to give.

The blonde man wiped his eyes with the back of his right hand, sniffling, then threw back his head and screamed again, long and loud. They had been too late! Too late! The boy had not, as his guardian had claimed, been suffering from the first signs of VT. He had been talking to Chal! The boy had been able to hear all dragons - Chalchiuith hadn't been talking to the boy directly, and yet he had heard her - that was all, he wasn't staring off into space mindlessly because he was beginning to lose his mind! He was staring off into space because he didn't know any better when giving as good a description as he could of where he lived to a creature who was in an area he had never been, the air!

K'nan screamed again, long and loud and feral - feral as Chalchiuith ever was, during any of her Flights. He had been too late! They had been too late! I'm sorry! those had been little Maddox's last words to Chalchiuith. Not Help me! as he had said before while they tried to pinpoint his voice, betweening to familiar river landmarks as they headed deep into the Southern Continent, up the river, to where the desolation began and the green stopped... I'm sorry, Maddox had said, apologizing to them that he couldn't fight hard enough, that he wouldn't live to Impress. Chalchiuith had soothed the drowning boy, words soft and gentle, no anger in her voice. Not now. No, little one, it is alright. Don't apologize to us, you did your best. Rest now. Rest. Be with your mother and rest, little Maddox.

K'nan almost wished his Chal had ordered the boy to keep fighting - maybe he could've saved the child. But feeling the ten-Turn old's utter exhaustion, there had been no other choice. Even when they found him, K'nan could do nothing. Rescue breathing didn't work, despite the pulse still beating softly in Maddox's neck. He'd even had to hold off Maddox's guardian, his uncle, who wild-eyed demanded he be allowed to burn Maddox's body, to be assured that the VT infested child was dead. Tried to attack K'nan himself, convinced K'nan now was infected with VT, and going to spread it to The Weyr and doom everyone.

K'nan had never felt happier about knocking a man out in his life. Then he had lifted the sodden body in his arms and taken him on one flight - part of his original conversation with Chalchiuith had involved him talking about how he wished he could fly. Now he had the chance. Once Maddox's body had stopped breathing, K'nan ordered Chalchiuith between and he let the body go. A proper dragonrider burial. For a child who had all the makings of a proper dragonrider.

Now the greenpair just flew, giving themselves time to compose themselves - though Chalchiuith would not roar out her pain. It would worry any people who might hear. So K'nan did it for her, until he was nearly hoarse. Quietly he grinned, amused at his next thought. She was likely to confuse the males like this - so snappish, they'd likely all think she was going to Rise soon. More fool them, if they thought it.
Mine! her voice cut through his inner dialogue, swift as an arrow, There is a presence... down there. I - I think he might be have potential. Her grass-green snout swung towards an outcropping of rock far below, near Hope Hold, but not too near. Well, then we'll go looking, love. Don't doubt yourself so - you were right about - about the other boy. We were just - Yes, she said simply, we were. The green spiraled gracefully down, landing gently, for all her size, on the largest outcropping of rock she could find.

K'nan slipped off her with the ease of long practice, happy for the excuse of wind if this new boy asked about his red-rimmed eyes. This was to be their secret - if anyone else was to know about Maddox, it would only be Avine.

"Hello!" the blonde called out cheerily enough, inwardly grimacing at the slightly hoarse tone his tenor voice held, "How are you doing?[/size]

[Jack]

A shadow passed over his form, and Bambi blinked, glancing down at the ground as though the stone itself had changed color. He frowned, tilting his head, but shrugged the shadow off, his attention wandering back to the sea for a moment before he began to head back to the Hold. Before he'd even gotten three steps towards his home, however, a voice interrupted him and he blinked, glancing towards the newcomer.

Cheerful eyes grew wide with awe and intrigue as Bambi looked over the rider, leaning to the side to peer at his dragon. He'd never seen a dragon up this close--that he remembered--and a broad grin soon spread over his expression. "Well hi!" He barked back, laughing as he lifted an arm into a wave, "I'm doing great!" Smiling, he scrambled towards K'nan, easily negotiating the stones, offering a hand happily. "What on Pern brings a dragonrider here? After the Fall, everyone seems convinced you guys are too busy to visit Hope Hold."

[Lesa]

K'nan had to smile, however slightly, at the boy's enthusiasm. It was infectious, but much, much less deadly than VT. The fact that he could even think something like that made part of him twitch in disapproval, even as he chuckled to himself. Seemed like the mask was back in place already.

He shook the hand held out to him easily, noting the calluses on the palm - and the general wetness that surrounded the boy. Hmm. Not that having calluses was uncommon, even before everything - but the wetness was worrysome, at least for getting back to The Weyr. Would have to fly straight if the kid didn't have time to dry off. Getting a Candidate sick was a bad thing, after all.

"Oh, we do want to make sure you all are doing well, you're the biggest Hold," K'nan said with a dry laugh. Yes, the biggest hold that wasn't more than half dead from VT or starvation. A mental nudge from Chalchiuith brought him back to his reason for being there. Search the kid. Right. "But I'm not here about that. I'm here on Search. Chalchiuith told me she senses something from you. Would you be willing to stand for Sereldeth's clutch?" There, straight, to the point, without any ornementation or promises that one's non VT-relatives could come with you, as had been needed for some of the few Candidates picked up from the Barrens. But at least even those Barrens-children had cared for the ones they left behind - he just had a feeling, or maybe Chal did, that such a thing wouldn't be a problem for this boy.[/size]

[Jack]

Bambi laughed again, an honest heart-felt expression, and let his hand slide from the other's grip. Smiling as continuously as ever, he ran his fingers through his drying hair, humming thoughtfully, "Yeah, I suppose it is. Everyone tells me the others are gone." Eyes still bright, with no glimmer of remorse or displeasure, he looked off and away, attention captured by a crossing group of fishers. Without even realizing it, he bit his bottom lip thoughtfully, already dreaming up a way to get one. But his wandering thoughts were cut short when the other spoke again.

"A Search?" He lifted a brow quizzically, but seemed to alight on a definition, laughing slightly, "Oh, you mean for Candidates?" He chuckled, already looking to the sea again, "Oh I dunno. I've heard that The Weyr's a little further inland than here...and I really like the sea breeze." He laughed, a carefree sort of expression, and hummed again, his eyes curiously darting across the scene. While he personally had no urge to become a dragonrider--there were so many people who wanted it so much more!--it was impossible for him to have not heard about the Ring Island's desperation for riders. He personally couldn't understand it.

He tilted his head absently and looked back at K'nan, blinking. "To be honest, I don't see the need for riders in as many numbers as everyone sees." He knit his brows and pursed his lips, truly and obviously trying to comprehend what his mind couldn't wrap itself around, "I mean, obviously they're magnificent--dragons...but I don't get it." He looked off again, watching the water, "Everyone says they're to fight thread. But what's so frightening about a buncha string fallin' from the sky?" He hummed and shrugged, plopping down on the stone to swing his legs over the edge, smiling as the very tips of the waves brushed his toes. "I would think it would be more important to have people fishing! Don't we all need a meal more than we need to defend from weaver's wares?"

[Lesa]

K'nan stared at the boy bemusedly. How had this child survived everything, knowing so little? He knows, K'nanmine, Chalchiuith counseled, He just does not remember, like Ansyth's rider-girl wishes she didn't, sometimes. He didn't bother asking the green how she knew that, or better yet, where she had gotten that phrase from - Ansyth's rider-girl. C'fael was clearly male, and the only girl, aside from fellow riders, that he was around was generally Medusa. But Medusa wasn't C'fael's mate, so calling her Ansyth's rider-girl was perhaps the closest the green could come up with. Then again, Ansyth was rather happy talking with the girl, and had gone out on straight-flight scouting with her, leaving C'fael to his Healing. So in the end, the blonde supposed, that did make sense. Ansyth's rider-girl. Huh.

Gray eyes blinked in surprise at the boy's phrases. How on Pern? Wait, right, didn't remember anything. That would do it. K'nan shook his head grimly, arms already moving to yank up the back of his flightjacket and shirt. "This thread isn't string, it's not weaver's wares. It's Thread - if not frozen near immediately off the human body, it can do this - " He turned his back to the boy, showing the mass of scar tissue that covered the majority of his back. And this wasn't even the worse part, up near his shoulders, this was where the tail-end of that small clump had coiled on his lower back. Even then it was still a large lump of tight white skin, raised and bumpy.
"Or worse, eat the person alive. The Thread talked about with riders isn't the weaver type. It eats things, plants, animals, people - eats everything except metal or stone. The only ways to kill it are burn it, freeze it or let it drown." He let the boy look for a moment, then pulled his shirt and jacket back down with a slightly self-conscious shrug.

The explanation was kept simple - he did hope that the view of his back wouldn't worry the boy too much. But then again, this was an older boy - without the memories even a two-Turn old would have to some extent. Hmm. "We aren't quite on the water, no," K'nan said after a time, returning briefly to the previous subject, "but we're five minutes out, give or take. And if you aren't there at the Hatching but your dragonet is, it will die."

It was about then that K'nan realized he had never actually asked the boy a name or given his own. Oh well. See what the kid says about your revelations first. Introductions second - somehow he had a feeling the boy wouldn't mind that.[/size]

[Jack]

Listening intently, Bambi still gave a confused look from the first definition, not able to understand the difference between thread and Thread. But when K'nan turned his back on him, he zoomed in, brows up with recognition. he moved in and delicately reached out, brushing his fingers gently across the mass. It was difficult--rather impossible--for him not to touch things. His fingers were more sensitive than his eyes, and things seemed more recognizable when he touched them. He was more likely to remember things that he'd touched.

Blinking, and chewing on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, he took a couple steps out of the other's bubble, allowing him to lower his shirt. But Bambi interrupted him then, holding out his scarred hands. "That's what does this?" He asked genuinely, looking intrigued, but far from terrified as he showed the disgusting twists upon his arms. The scars were not as deep as K'nan's, and they had healed marvelously. He now seemed as intrigued in them as he had been in the rider's back, however, and with a quizzical look he lifted one of his hands, tracing one of the worm-like trails with his finger.

He gave a soft humph--more bemused than displeased--and dropped both arms, swinging his legs against the water absently. His hands gripped the stone gently, eyes staring out to sea. It was clear that--no matter how comfortable he seemed--he honestly didn't want to leave the shore. Why would he? This was his home...this was the only place he remembered. "You know..." He began, not looking around at K'nan, "The earliest thing I can remember is the water." He smiled, strangely enough, his eyes happy, "My head hurt a lot...but the water felt...really nice." He turned, looking at K'nan, "You say there's a dragonet there for me, but it almost seems like I'd be goin' against what I've been put on Pern to do. I've never been even minutes away from the water." He sighed, biting his bottom lip again, and looked back to the water.

"Everyone says I've just forgotten...but I don't know if I believe them." His eyes narrowed slightly, "I'm...scared of this place. I don't get what's so scary about thread. I don't understand what a zombie is, or why it eats people. Even dragons--beautiful as they are--are alien to me. The only thing that makes sense to me in this world," He gestured out to the ocean, "Is the sea."

[Lesa]

All K'nan had really wanted was to do was pick up this kid and get back to The Weyr so he could go cry on Avine's shoulder - screaming to the sky only worked so well, and while knowing Chalchiuith was sad as well, that only worked to a point. She was a part of him - so her commiserating and sympathy only went as far as he would let it go in himself. Sort of. Either way, it just wasn't the same as another person, another human giving sympathy. Draconic hugs were good, and warm, but nothing was ever quite like another pair of human arms wrapping tight around one's body and squeezing.

Instead he was stuck convincing this kid to come to the Weyr slowly. So slowly. Because he - he had to, he had to show that they were good Searchriders, despite their... ultimate failure. And that was what it had been, an ultimate failure. "Yes," he finally said, inwardly grimacing at himself, "Thread is what caused those scars on your arms," he kept it simple, not adding that the still unnamed boy could easily have died from those scars, and it was surprising he hadn't - well, not the scars themselves, but the Thread that caused them. Although, at least he was lucky - he had the scars. Better that than to be hit by Thread and have no scars. That meant VT.

K'nan smiled back, though his was twisted, slightly bitter, light no longer reflecting off his lip piercing as it was covered by the bowing of his bottom lip into the smile. K'nan turned his gaze to Chalchiuith as the boy looked out at the sea, and gestured to the green after the boy had gestured to the sea.

"I know you're scared. We're all scared, we don't know what tomorrow will bring. Look, I -" K'nan cut off, words failing him. He truthfully didn't know how to convince this boy. Child, Chalchiuith said smoothly, despite the growling rasp her voice naturally took, please, just come with us. You will not be far from your beloved sea, and if you wish, I myself will take you there every day - it will take that much less time. Please... give MyK'nan a chance. Give The Weyr a chance. We may not make sense to you in the way the sea does, but the sea is a tempestous mistress, is she not? Storming and ferocious one moment, calm as a herdbeast the next. She makes as much sense to MyK'nan as everything that scares you makes sense to you. I can... try to explain things to you, as can MyK'nan, and everyone. We can help you... You can help us. Please? Come with us?

It was Chalchiuith's longest speech to someone not her rider... well, ever, K'nan reflected, even the other Candidates she had surprised by talking to she had kept her words short and sweet. Only the boy would tell if it had worked.[/size]

[Jack]

The brunette didn't turn his head, his soft eyes still cast out over the ocean. His toes curled in the water as he ducked his head slightly, chewing insistently on his bottom lip as his nails dug into the stone. He didn't want to leave everything he loved--who would? But the Green's voice filled his head, and he looked back at the duo.

His gaze alighted on K'nan and his expression--which had grown firm--softened again to its doe-like stare. He smiled, a bittersweet expression, and rose to his feet, dragging his shoes along as he approached the greenrider and slid effortlessly into his space bubble. Not seeming to have any issue with space, he pressed his forehead against K'nan's, eyes gleaming merrily. "Will you not be sad if I come?" He chirruped quietly, honesty in every word, "You look at me like you're looking at something else....and I don't like it." He smiled and pulled back, looking to Chal.

He slipped to her as well and reached up with one hand, hesitantly offering an eye rub. He'd petted flits before--perhaps dragons liked attention too? "Will you really take me fishing every day?" His face lit up with the thought, teeth shining in a toothy grin, "I'd love that!"

[Lesa]

K'nan, it could be said was many things. Greenrider, Searchrider, inveterate optimist, sweetheart, gentle flirt. He knew that only the first were true, all the rest - well, some of the rest - lies. Utter pessimist, he would call himself, and gentle, but not a flirt.

But now, staring into this unnamed boy's eyes so very (very, very) close to his own, K'nan almost wished he was. This boy - child, he reminded himself sternly, wistfully, this child - had such a whimiscal yet heartbreakingly pure way of looking at the world. Perhaps it was that... perhaps it was part of K'nan's need to reaffirm that people were good at heart after Maddox, and that life went on. He fought himself not to kiss the boy.

"I'll be less sad," K'nan said simply, grey eyes staring into brown, "I'll be less sad, little one," he mentally jeered at himself for calling the boy - taller than he was, and no where near little, but yet, little in the delicate way he viewed everything, "but I can't promise not to be sad a little. And I'll do my best to look at you, and not at something else, okay?" K'nan grinned lopsidedly as the boy approached Chal. The green bent her head towards him curiously, and accepted the eyeridge scratch with a grumble of contentment. Felt nice, it did.

As far as my duties allow me, I will take you fishing every day, child. Perhaps between us we can capture more fish for the Weyr, so no one will go hungry. The last sent a pointed mind-nudge to her rider, which K'nan blatantly ignored. They were his rations to do with as he pleased - if he chose to give half of them to little children, he could give half of them to little children. They needed the food more than him.

Now before we go, what is your name? I am Chalchiuith of K'nan, her voice was soft, even with the rumble-grumble of pleasure at the scratching, and her normal raspy tone, And are there things you need to get from your home before you come with us? K'nan rolled his eyes behind Bambi's back at Chal - there she was, talking more to this boy than anyone ever, and she was taking the things he was supposed to say![/size]

[Jack]

Bambi looked over his shoulder at K'nan and shot the man a beaming smile, his eyes lighting up with that soft inner light he held strictly as his own. "A little fish can go a long way." He crooned happily, closing his eyes in a laugh, "That is, if it doesn't get eaten by a bigger fish!" Still laughing, he turned back to the Green, silently marveling at the texture of her hide.

He loved the slick strength of fish scales, and the soft purity of feathers. Firelizard skin was hot and silky, but dragon flesh was infinitely hotter, and rougher. But there was something about it that felt so...perfect against the scars of his fingers, and he gave a quiet hum of pleasure as he ran his fingers down her nose, only to wrap his arms around her head, pressing his forehead against hers. "We can definitely catch enough fish. I bring in most of the daily catch here--if the Weyr needs help in that respect I will happily spend hours at the shore." he smiled, his eyes closed, and sighed softly, wiggling his hips unconsciously, "You're so warm."

The teenager chuckled and withdrew, tossing his shoes over his shoulder absently as he beamed up at the dragoness. "I'm not that young," He chirruped merrily, cocking his head to the side in a smile, "Too old to be a child, at least. But...my name's Bambi. Nice to meet you both!"

[Lesa]

If Bambi had bothered to turn around after blinding K'nan with his smile, he likely would have been either puzzled or appalled by K'nan's actions. Puzzled because it was likely he wouldn't understand the reasons for them - or appalled because he did.

Regardless, it was the wiggling of his hips that nearly did K'nan in. The man had forced himself to turn away, biting down on the remaining (and thus extra sensitive) knuckles of his left ring and pinkie fingers. No, K'nan. No lusting after Candidates, bad Searchrider, bad! He reminded himself of this fact grimly. Even if the boy wasn't that young, he was still a Candidate, no way, no, no no - the word reminded him of Maddox.

The fastest sobering up K'nan had ever had, considering the last time he had actually gotten drunk was before the Ending Fall. Thinking of the dead child you lost in your arms would do that to a person. He kept silent, face turned away from his green and Bambi, settling himself. Chalchiuith took over the talking herself, knowing Hers needed the time. Bambi, that is a very nice name. Now, the green asked briskly, Do you have any additional belongings to bring with you? Clothing or anything that K'nanmine can help you with? And no, you are not a child - but you are little, to me at least. It was a joke. Chalchiuith actually made a joke. A non-snarky joke. K'nan couldn't believe it, even as he tamped down the rising pain about Maddox and the waving lust towards Bambi.[/size]

[Jack]

Luckily for K'nan, Bambi never did look back. Not that he would have been too weirded out if he had been--the boy was oblivious to everything short of a billboard explaining things. But he didn't look back, his eyes remaining on Chal as he grinned happily and nodded. "I think I have a few clean pairs of pants somewhere." He chirruped thoughtfully, looking up as though to be sure of it. There wasn't much that he owned to his name, but he didn't think it to be odd. It was always strange to him that people wore more than one shirt!

Of course...he did spend most of his time in the water.

Humming, Bambi looked over his shoulder, and immediately went from cheerful grinning to bemused worry. Without a word, he slunk from Chal's side and into K'nan's space, leaning over until he could catch the other's distracted gaze. "..." Silently, he butted his head up against the blond's, offering no soothing words or consolations. He merely gave a soft little smile, one that was oddly knowing despite the clueless gleam in his eye.

His arms were folded behind his back, hands clutching his elbows, as his smile broadened slightly and he pushed gently against the other man, closing his eyes but not moving from the other's space. Somehow, he knew words wouldn't fix this...whatever it was.

[Lesa]

Chalchiuith snorted softly to herself at Bambi's comment about pants. They'd get them soon enough. She clearly had to make sure Hers was settled enough to help the boy and fly on her, before they moved. Otherwise he'd dissolve into a puddle of tears that she couldn't blame him for, but knew he only wanted one person to see. The Weyrwoman. HerK'nan would have to hold it together until they got back to The Weyr and Avine. That was it.

K'nan gave up on keeping his hands still when Bambi stared at him and leaned against him. He - he had to have contact. He... had to remember that there was still life. Arms came up and wrapped around Bambi lightly. No squeezing, just contact as Bambi was giving him contact. A hug. K'nan tamped down on the strangled cry that threatened to escape. Not now. Wait.

He pulled his arms back after a long moment to give a pained smile to Bambi. "Thanks," he said softly, hands dropping back to his sides and smoothly continuing on, voice unwavering despite the held-back tears, "So, shall we go get your pants then, and be going?"[/size]