Wonder where the wandering wher went? [Tag: Vanech] {Q: D20}

[Rokai]

WSW Quarantine: Day 20

---

With everything that had happened in the past few days, Rokai hadn't had the time to spend thinking about everything she had to do. Just deal with what was in front of her. She and Altair had been exposed to the sickness early on that spread like fire through the weyr. Two days after carrying Leora to the healer's hall, Rokai had started to feel unwell. By the third day she was feverish. With luck, the Master Healer managed to find some mixture that would lessen the effects of the sickness for many.

After managing to get over the sickness, Rokai counted herself lucky. Many others weren't faring as well as she had. Finally being released from the healers hall for both quarantine and as helping hands to the healers, Rokai finally had the chance to go after something that had been on her mind for a while. The wild wher outside of the hold, the one that kidnapped a kid. The holders were only focused on the lost child and had not done anything about the wher afterwards. There was also the message she read from someone called Vanech. As soon as Rokai had been allowed out of the hall, she sent Araya to Vanech with a message. Asking him to meet her at White Sands Hold to help the wild gold.

Rokai set out early to get to the hold by mid-morning. The location to meet up being set to the eastern side of the hold, a large waypoint marker marking the spot near the edge of the hold. She wasn't sure how long it would take him to get there from where ever he was. She was almost there herself, it would be in view after the next turn. Araya draped herself across Rokai's shoulders getting in another nap while the air was still cool, Drago trailed behind his girl. There were the normal morning crew up and about by this hour. The traven just round the bend was a good place to stop for some klah before heading to work.

[Vanech]

Inside a tavern, the Harper played a lively tune and a few people danced. They did not appear to be people in the throes of some kind of epidemic. Since the tavern had opened only a little while ago, there were only a few patrons still and the music was more about warming up than really playing. Life continued on as normal, despite the plague that well, still plagued them in the form of a quarantine and the Healer distributing this new remedy he thought he made. No one was allowed to journey to or leave from the archipelago, specifically from their islands. Too bad the man in dark brown with the Beastcrafter's knots and a blue-and-white patch that marked his foreign allegiance didn't find out until after his draconic ride left...


Vanech watched idly with one elbow on his table and the other one resting on the edge of his plate. Half-finished foodstuffs lay on the circular object. A stranger here, he ordered a variety of dishes to sample the local cuisine. Of course, a tavern wasn't exactly the "local cuisine" because they tended to cater to travellers. However, by the uncertain looks that Vanech received over the last few days as he crossed the island to get to White Sands Hold, the Beastcrafter knew his garb made him stand out like a curved hoof on a herdbeast.

The tune switched to a softer one full of loneliness and sorrow. Another Harper, a dark-haired woman joined the fifeist and she began to sing. Vanech didn't catch the title, but it was a melody unfamiliar to him. The words had images of the sea and the way the swells whispered lullabies.

The waitress came to interrupt his aimless thoughts, overriding the music for the time being as she set yet another dish in front of Vanech. This one had a green vegetable with multiple layers that had been steamed and served with a white sauce. As the waitress spoke he looked up.

"These are local grown, I doubt you'd find them from way 'up north' and the sauce is made from some oil and eggs, a dash of lemons too. I'm off to give yer wher something too. So I have to dash." She laughed at her joke and lifted the other covered dish, doing a jaunty walk as she sauntered away, her steps in time with the music. With her back to Vanech added: "I haven't forgotten yer request about lodging, sir."

It seemed to Vanech that everyone here called Western that phrase "up north" as though you had to go into the sky to get there. To him it made sense since until two weeks ago the Erdan Island Chain seemed like "way down south" to Vanech. And now here he was, sitting at a table in a tavern listening to islander music. And this was day 20 of a quarantine that somehow Vanech nor S'yloa knew until it was too late. The green rider left them on the southern-most edge of the island, as close to sea as she could. Now Vanech and Vanesk were here, presumably under quarantine too. Now it was time to try yet another new food as he waited for news of where he might stay and hoped that Lily found the person he'd been corresponding with for the last fortnight. Vanech sniffed at the white sauce and dipped his finger tip in it to taste it...

---

Meanwhile, outside...


As always, the bronze Wher did not enter the building. Rare were the establishments that allowed Whers to enter on the Western continent. They did not know how the southerners felt, but Vanesk did not enter out of habit. He had no runner tether to hide under. The various smells too different here. Everyone was on edge and it made the wher more nervous than being carried between by a dragon.

In the morning, they'd found the wher stables but Vanesk did not want to be so far away from HIS. So Vanech purchased a blanket for Vanesk instead. He carried it with him and covered his head and his sensitive eyes from the piercing daylight and he trailed after HIS. Vanesk did not need to see to know where HIS walked. Vanech went to a tavern. The wher paced until he found a spot - now his spot - and pulled his blanket over his head again to wait for HIS to return. He peered from under it to watch the strangers walk by and didn't care that they stared at the unusual sight.

Earlier, Vanech heard wordless mutters about the accommodation but as the sun marched on in the sky, and the archipelago's rising heat bathed the bronze, he found contentment half-dozing in "his" spot wedged between two barrels not far from the tavern's entrance. Anyone entering the tavern or walking past it had no choice but to see Vanesk.

[Rokai]

Luck would be to the wher as the sun rose from the direction they meant to go, where the trees would block it from view. Not the best time for whers but it would be easier for them to see where they were going when tracking down the wild one. If the brozen's faceted eyes were in the other direction, he would catch the sight of a girl with a gold firelizard and canine in tow walk around the bend.

From her place on the road, Rokai could see the large shape of a wher under a blanket between the two barrels. That must be his wher... at last I think it is. Hard to be sure when his face was under the blanket. Araya lifted her head to let out a long yawn before blinking a few times to look at the wher. A happy, yet a bit sleepy, chirp of a hello as they got closer. With all the grace of a feline, the little gold slid off her girl and glided over to the wher, claws finding prechace in the barrel next to him. Drago troted ahead of his girl and sniffed the blanket's edge. "Be nice Drago, he doesn't like the light. And stay out of trouble."

With her friends to keep the wher company, Rokai entered the tavern near the same time that a waitress was headed out. "Oh? Excuse me." Eyeing that the waitress' hands were full, Rokai held the door open for her before moving into the establishment. Once inside, she scanned the room to locate the man that Araya showed her who was attached to the green.

[Vanech]

Vanesk didn't need to see to know someone with a fire-lizard and a canine approached. A female someone. His wide nostrils flared as he snuffled from under his blanket at these new scents. He didn't move as the small party passed him only acknowledging their presence with a heavy sigh. However, Araya's chirp caused Vanesk to lift his large head further so the blanket slipped some and revealed the burnished hide of his short muzzle. With a great snort, he sniffed at the canine's fur in kind.

The waitress thanked Rokai kindly and swung out toward the trio of four-leggers. She laughed as she saw the sight of them. "I only brought food for him - " she said with a pointed cluck of her teeth as she swung the covered tray toward Vanesk. She set down the tray and revealed its contents, a large piece of meat with a healthy amount of fat. Edging the meat off the plate, she left it in front of Vanesk and retreated back into the tavern...

[Kira]

A two wheeled wagon pulled by a herdbeast came up the road by the tavern. It stopped, and a girl with apprentice knots and a Harper badge jumped off the back. She grabbed the bag and guitar case that was next to her, slinging both over her shoulder. She walked up to the driver, thanking him, before stepping back as he continued on his way.

Kira turned to look at the tavern. She had been transferred to the Harper Hall at White Sands Weyr, but had been delayed due to the Weyr being quarantined. Unable to put it off any longer, she asked if she could wait it out at White Sands Hold. Given permission, a rider had dropped her off at the furthest edge of Essal, leaving her to make her way toward White Sands Hold. The cotholder on the wagon had seen her and offered her a ride at least to this tavern. She hoped she could find others here who were also headed to the Hold.

She stepped inside, pale blue eyes taking in the atmosphere. There weren't a lot of people, but it did give her hope for the next stretch of her journey. She looked around for an empty table. She could do with a mug of klah before she started asking around for travel companions.

[K'ivan]

This tavern had been built of stone mined from the volcano on a raised foundation to keep it dry when the monsoon rains occurred. A set of stairs forced new arrivals onto a covered porch that had several barrels and a broken wagon wheel on it. Among the barrels, a gold fire-lizard and a dark colored canine accompanied a bronze Wher with a blanket over his head. An empty plate lay nearby the trio that had such a clean appearance it seemed as though it had been licked clean (which in this case was the literal truth). A sign hung not far from the door that said Rent-a-Runner and had an arrow that pointed to the backside of the building. Several outlying buildings could be seen beyond the tavern, one of which no doubt included stables for runners. The tavern stood at a south-west corner of T-intersection crossroads.

One road made up the top portion of the "T". This was the main road that led to White Sands Weyr. It curved in a roughly north-sound direction around the base of the dormant volcano wherein lay White Sands. The singular mountain on Essal Island rose ominously close and took up most of the northern horizon due to its general nearness. This was the road that Kira and the kind stranger had followed since practically the coast because it was the only road that went that far south. Smaller paths and trails disappeared into the sandy crags and further inland the surrounding forest. These led to the various cotholds on Essal. The coholder who gave Kira a ride could either continue northward and that would eventually lead him - several hours later - to the Weyrbowl itself. As he'd continue along the road, he'd encounter several smaller roads leading to more cotholds. Perhaps one of those was his home.

The other road that formed the stem of the "T", led off to the west. Even from here, the bored windows and ledged door-frames of the Hold could be seen. White Sands Hold had been built into the mountain itself, for the most part, with a few additional buildings made from stone outside the main entrance. Not many details could be discerned this far away except the colorful paint adorning the Hold's walls. The largest of these was the Hold's sigil in the blue and white hue of White Sands. The early morning sun, just cresting the forests to the east, shone brightly on the White Sands Hold's walls. It appeared to be within walking distance though it'd likely take several hours to get there on foot.

---

Kira and Rokai entered the tavern within heartbeats of each other so the two young women found themselves standing quite close together as they both looked around...

Entering the tavern revealed an array of people though not as many as would be there later in the day. A half dozen fire-lizards perched on shelves made especially for them, or sat on their people's shoulders, or the tables or oh the various places fire-lizards tended to hang out. Three musicians practiced their songs on a raised stage. The bar - also made from stone - had an unusual black quality to it, giving it a hulking, brooding appearance. A stout man stood behind the bar engaged in conversation with a waitress who had a tray tucked under her arm. Another patron, dressed in dark browns with the shoulder knots of a journeyman and the foreign colors of Kajano Hold far to the north-east on Western continent, sat at a table with several plates of food in front of him. He looked up when the door opened, taking in the new arrival with a keen hazel glance. Another table had several dusty men and women huddled together in deep conversation as they enjoyed their morning klah; one glance at them told all - miners returning from a night shift. Two men with the colors of White Sands sat at the bar. Even though the shoulder knots themselves could not be seen easily at a single glance, their leather riding jackets and goggles pushed up proved them to be dragonriders.

[Rokai]

To not block the doorway, Rokai took a few steps inside the establishment to leave a clear path to and from the door. It was a good thing she did, as a girl came in just after her carrying a large case. Rokai spotted the Heaper's badge and figured out whatever was in that case must be a musical instrument. Which would cost a lot of marks if it was damaged at all. That was not something Rokai wanted to pay for... ever.

Upon entering the tavern, Rokai scanned the room as she sought out her correspondent. Hey eyes lingered on each person for a moment as she registered if she knew them or not. The two riders at the bar she had seen many times at the weyr. One of the miners looked familiar as well, he might have been with the group that came to the weyr with a load of firestone while she had been in the stables tending runners. Others she didn't know, but the one outsider she spotted that drew her gaze the longest was the man of Kajano Hold.

If no one blocked her way, or delayed her, Rokai would being to picking her way through the tables. The dark hair girl with apprentice knots in two crafts meant to approach the wher handler's table.

[Kira]

Kira saw the other girl just after she walked in. She appreciated the consideration the girl gave her regarding her guitar case. She had made sure it was extra padded for the journey, but it was a kindness none the less. She gave the girl a warm smile before returning to her own survey of the room.

Kira decided she would go to the bar instead of a table, since all she wanted was a drink. From under her collar a green snout appeared, followed by the rest of the body of a small green fireliard. She chirped questioningly. "Yes, go on," Kira said, and Emerald hopped into the air, gliding to the shelves with the other firelizards, and chattered a happy greeting.

Kira smiled at her small friend before heading to the bar, standing not far from the dragonriders. She glanced at the harpers warming up, and winced. While no one else, not even the harpers themselves may have noticed,she could her that one of their strings was flat, giving their chords a soft dissonance. She turned back to the bar and waited to order her drink.

[Narrator]

None of the harpers or other patrons paid any mind to the door. The music died down and the harpers began to murmur among themselves, the lute player changing a string on his instrument as the singer gently chastised him. He laughed her off and she leaned on his shoulder with a smile. The other harper leaned into them both and began to discuss which songs to do next.


When Kira sat down near the Dragonriders, one of them glanced over at her and the red-headed young man graced the new arrival with a smile. Based on his still youthful features, the freckled rider was not that much older than Kira. If he noticed Rokai, he didn't respond to her presence at all. His shoulder knots indicated he was both a dragonrider and a Dolphineer, notably of a journeyman rank.

The other rider, a brunette whose lined face made him obviously the older of the pair, paid the blond little mind. Instead, he turned to the bartender to say, "more tea, please." And to his companion to say: "Makkeneth contacted Vexainth earlier, did I tell you?"

"No, no you didn't," said the red-haired youth. He stole a brief glance at Kira again before he swung his full attention toward the other dragonrider.

"Mhm." He nodded and creases edged around his eyes as he smiled. "Said Or'west gave us the go-ahead to start Searching again, at least on the island."

"That's a relief. Headed off after breakfast?"

"Yeah, going to do a pass over the outer cots again. I'll be glad when we can get those Candidates to the Weyr so their families will stop harassing me. How am I supposed to know what kind of dragon will choose their precious child?" He scoffed and then laughed (they both did) because it was an old complaint. Pernese the world over knew many families felt dragonriders "stole" their children and were often unpleasantly verbal about it, making a searchrider's position somewhat thankless if they encountered one of those lots.


The bartender had to pass by Kira to encounter the dragonriders, and he paused in front of the younger harper with a smile. "What can I offer you? Our kitchen's open too. We uh - " he looked over her shoulder toward the stage. " - we offer discounts or free meals to Harpers if you're willing to play instead of pay?"

[Vanech]

When Vanesk finished the food, he allowed the others to get closer and didn't bother either of them if Drago or Araya decided to lick the plate. Now that the meat was gone, the wher didn't care about the carrier. Vanesk and his two new best friends did not move when the wagon appeared. He lifted his huge head and watched. His sensitive eyes still shrouded enough by the blanket to see in the daylight, the wher watched the woman disembark. His huge nostrils flared as he sniffed at the air to catch her scent and that of the large case that she carried. He recognized the case because he had seen them before and of course, HIS knew all about them from his Hold-life. The girl did not stop or look at them and Vanesk only turned his head to follow her pathway until she got to the building's entrance. When she went inside, Vanesk heaved a long sigh and set his asymmetrical head onto his front paws with a heavy sigh as he went back to waiting.



The door opened once and Vanech looked up to see Rokai - it has to be her - enter the tavern. Vanech recognized her from Lilly's mental images and he felt Vanesk confirm that she smelled like the traces the green fire-lizard had on her after delivering messages. This had to be his pen pal over the last few sevendays. This had to be the Weyr girl that Vanech arranged to meet here.

The waitress followed and soon thereafter another woman, a stranger but by her clothing and the guitar case, a Harper. Although for the briefest of moments, he wondered if she was a friend of Rokai's, the girls weren't talking to each other and they went in separate directions. Rokai hesitated at the door and upon recognizing her, Vanech sat up taller, and though he opened his mouth to speak, a few heartbeats later she began to wend her way toward him.

As she approached him, the man with the Beastcrafter's knots waved Rokai over with a cheerful greeting. "Fair skies to you!" He raised his voice enough for her to hear him but did not shout and canted his head to look her in face so she'd have no doubt that he spoke to her. "It's you at last. Come, come and sit - " and he gestured to one of the three empty chairs at his table. " - so nice to finally meet you."

It was not that he intended for the entire tavern to hear his words, it was only that Vanech struck an unusual figure here. Used to being the center of attention and getting what he wanted no matter what, Vanech's voice occasionally drew unwanted attention because it had a "regal" or "authoritative" quality to it depending on who you asked. Here no doubt he'd draw attention because of his thick Northern accent.

[Kira]

"A tea, if you please," Kira replied to the bartender with a warm, friendly smile. "And I would gladly take a turn or two." She never passed up a chance to perform. She glanced over at the two dragonriders while they talked. One looked familiar to her. The knots and shock of red hair was hard to miss. But when she heard his voice, she was sure.

"An'zell?" she asked as she moved a little closer to the two men. "Is that you? What a surprise to run into you here! How are you?"

[Rokai]

Rokai smiled at Vanech’s greeting, it was good to finally have a voice to go with the face she had been given by the little green (via Araya). “Fair skies Vanech! I hope you weren't waiting long.” It was at that time the harper girl called out to An’zell, causing Rokai to look over at the pair. The realization that he and G’age were there waiting for her reminded Rokai she had another job to do. She snapped her fingers before setting her hand on the offered chair. Araya, popped into the tavern at the excitement of seeing the other half of the White cousin. Circling the riders and harper, the light gold chortled a happy tune.

Slipping the satchel off her should, she set it on the chair as she spoke. “Forgive me if I suddenly jump up. But I have something for the two riders over there that I just remembered I need to give to them before they leave. In fact…” She reached into a pouch on her belt, producing a small container. “This one's for you. You’ll need it while you are on the island.”

The small round container had a note attached to it with a strap of leather. Instructions for use and what to watch out for if the sickness was starting to take hold. “If you don’t mind. I’d like to give the riders their package so they can be on their way.” It would have been rude to show up to his table and sudden dash off to someone else.

[Narrator]

G'age

The new harper's words drew the older dragonrider's attention and he smiled as he looked toward Kira. He'd about formed a reply when Rokai's gold Arraya popped out from nowhere to circle above their heads. The blue rider regarded the gold with a bland glance and hoped fervently that Ruckus wasn't within earshot. It didn't take him more than a glance to find Rokai. But his gaze fell upon the stranger and he narrowed his eyes enough to deepen the creases around them.

G'age recognized the colors from Kajano Hold up on the Western. There must be a good reason why a person from so far away sits at a table with one of the Candidates in the middle of a quarantine zone, right? I will find out. Vexianth assured his ride. Feeling abruptly protective of Rokai and An'zell, the Searchrider half turned in his stool toward the table.

"Well, this is a fortuitous turn of events. Old friends having a reunion, eh? Introduce me to your friends, An'zell... Rokai." G'age said to everyone with a hearty laugh as he put his hand on the white rider's shoulder with one hand and gestured to the three parties involved with the other. He pondered if he should beckon the two of them over but had a feeling his words should be enough to invoke the proper response.

---

"Tea for the 'rider and for the lady," said the bartender as he knowledged everyone's orders. He set about brewing an aromatic herbal mixture that used rosehip and powdered ginseng he'd managed to import days prior to the quarantine.

The boisterous bluerider's words coupled with the continued presence of the stranger drew a handful of glances from the miners at the table and they shuffled uneasily.

Once more the trio on the stage began their performance. The musicians struck a lively tune and the woman sang her melody. Not a ballad or a song at all, she only vocalized in a haunting harmony with the rich harp and guitar, not unlike Kira's. This time even the keenest ear found no fault in their instruments' strings.

[An'zell]

Upon hearing his name, the dragonrider turned with thesmall smile of someone whose happy to hear a friendly voice; however, when he saw Kira, he squinted a moment as he considered the beautiful blond harper. I know her... what's her name? Kira, Speranth replied. He never forgot a face and had the memory of a scribe.

"Oh, hello Kira! Fair skies to you and many lovely notes. Why -" Then Arraya was above them squawking and An'zell cringed a bit as he winced from her noises and color flushed his features as all the attention began to overwhelm him. Then before he could continue talking, G'age said something and tossed an arm around him to ask about the two strangers. This made An'zell relax and he offered a larger smile to Kira and G'age and now there was Rokai and - some guy.

"It is a surprise - oh sure, G'age. Uh, this is Kira and we became acquainted when I checked on the dolphins near her hold. Kira, this G'age of blue Vexianth and he's White Sands' Searchrider. This gold is Arraya and she belongs to Rokai - " An'zell pointed toward the aforementioned girl - "who is also a Candidate at White Sands. And uh - " Since An'zell didn't know the strange man in the beastcrafter's garb, he turned away from their table and turned his attention back to Kira. Gosh she's pretty. I'd forgotten about that.

An'zell smiled wider, and the expression accented his freckles and made his eyes look all the bluer. But his expression darkened in the next moment as he replied to her question. "But what are you doing here, Kira? You must not know about the quarantine? Everyone here, we're under quarantine because of a fatal illness that's been going through the archipelago. You really shouldn't be here."

[Kira]

Kira smiled warmly at An'zell but then gasped at the gold firelizard's sudden appearance. She watched the queen circle for a moment, entranced by her and her happy tune.

She looked back at An'zell and then G'age as he introduced her to the other dragonrider. "Well met Bluerider G'age," she said and inclided her head respectfully to him. "You don't know how happy I am to see a friendly face." She then looked to the gold and the girl An'zell indicated. How luckly she was to be a candidate and have a queen!

Looking back at An'zell, her smile widened with his. He looked so cute when he smiled like that! Her smile didn't fade though as he continued. "I'm aware of the situation," she said with a nod. "I've been transferred to the Harper Hall at White Sands Weyr, ironically for my health." Her smile stayed on her lips even though the light faded from her eyes slightly. "I'm on my way to White Sands Hold to wait out the quarantine. I just--needed to be somewhere--anywhere else." She looked away. "I'd rather take my chances here than spend another moment there."