The Face of Death

Writers: AL, Heather
Date Posted: 18th July 2014

Characters: Esiah, Meledei
Description: Esiah gets up close and personal with Elleth... and her lunch from last week.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 26 of Turn 7

Esiah

Esiah loved it when nature cooperated for his artwork. Currently
Elleth was lying stretched along the outer edge of the Weyrbowl with a

breath-taking view of puffy white clouds scattered on the horizon
behind her. After a small debate with himself, Esiah had moved all of
his supplies until he was practically sitting right in front of the
gold's nose as she softly snored. It was pretty cute, he decided, for
a creature who could wake up and decide to have him as a snack.

Settling back down, he began sketching again from this new up-close
vantage point.

Esiah was awarded with a close up view of the daggers that were
Elleth's teeth. Deep red off set the stark white perfectly as the
dragon allowed herself a lingering yawn, then slowly shut it. The
gold lifted a back leg to scratch at an itch in her side, then let it
flop back down before she went still once more.

Esiah's eyes were the size of saucers as Elleth yawned. He was pretty
sure he saw last week's heardbeast lunch screaming for help in there.
When the gold's back leg flopped back down to the ground Esiah could
feel the small tremor it made near him. Maybe he should ask her
permission before she woke up and flossed her teeth with him?

"Er, Lady Elleth?" How did one address a dragon anyway?

"Um, it's me, Esiah," oh right, dragon's had short term memories, "the
painter. I just, er, wanted to let you know that... I'm just sitting
right here. Drawing. If that's allright with you."

The gold didn't even have the decency to open her eyes. She merely
snorted, whuffling his hair with her spicy scented breath. It was as
if she were saying she knew he was there the entire time and to just
get on with it. Or maybe that she knew he was there and she was just
going to continue her nap. Either way, the gold didn't bother to even
peek the least little bit.

Someone else, however, noticed, though only thanks to the gold's
off-handed comment about Esiah. Curiousity practically strangled her
so Meledei finally relented. She snuck up behind him to study the
work in progress. "Having fun?"

Esiah flinched and held up one finger, "Never sneak up on a man when
he is this close to staring death in the face." He looked over his
shoulder then and grinned a little, "Miss Meledei, long time no see.
Where have you been hiding?"

"I haven't been hiding, I've just not been where you have. Maybe
you're the one who's been hiding." Meledei circled around to take a
stance beside him as she studied her dragon. "And what do you mean
staring death right in the face? I don't think you have any idea what
death looks like."

The man's eyes darted back to Elleth, "I think death must look like
the golden, beautiful face of a Queen dragon. See, Elleth? That's a
compliment, not an insult." He added for good measure, winking at
Meledei.

There was another rush of air from the dragon, but still no lids rose,
no other part of her moved. "She says she's known you were hear the
entire time and she has no plans to eat you. Unless you try to hurt
me or something but she knows you won't so you're okay." Meledei
passed along the message dutifully but she couldn't help but laugh
softly. "And she says that you can paint here but you owe her a
game."

Esiah raised an eyebrow at that, "A game?"

"Yes. She loves to play ball." It was a well known and laughable
fact. Even Meledei didn't mind that sort of teasing, because it was
always done in a good natured fashion. It was the rumours and
whispers and the pitying looks in regards to Elleth's size she didn't
care for. It had gotten better with her first clutch, but her second
clutch had only made things worse. Well, they'd show them on the next
one. "So she says you have to play with her."

Playing ball with a dragon, and a queen dragon at that, sounded
dangerous to Esiah, like he could get accidentally squashed. "One hand
must wash the other I suppose." He agreed as he turned back to his
sketch.

"She says you need to play with her after you finish your drawing."
Evidently the golden dragon wasn't quite finished with the artist just
yet. Meledei attempted to resist the smile, but it was no use.
"Personally, I think you might want to schedule the ball game with her
for a time that's convenient to her. I bet she'll be satisfied as
long as you promise to follow through."

"How about next Restday?" He asked, not sure whether to ask the
question to Elleth directly or if he should be asking it to Meledei.
Communicating with dragons was also confusing.

Meledei's eyes slipped into a distance seeming and a moment later she
nodded. "She said she supposes if she must wait then she will wait.
First thing after breakfast though, in the bowl. I personally would
make sure you wear something that's easy to move in."

Esiah continued his sketch, flicking his head to move some of the hair
that had fallen into his eyes, "Well, if I survive the experience I
have no doubt it will be the memory of a lifetime."

"Would you feel better if I came and played with you?" Meledei
giggled a little at the motion which only helped for about half a
second before the hair, seemingly with its own idea of where it wanted
to be, flopped back where it had been before.

Now that made the harper look up and give Meledei his full attention,
"Now that sounds like a good idea. Someone needs to be there to teach
me the rules of this game that is played by your lovely dragon."

"Good luck with that. They change every time." Meledei had just
learned to go with the flow. Regardless, she always enjoyed ball with
her dragon, even if she wasn't very good against a gigantic beast.
"Well I should leave you two alone, let you bond. I'll just go back
to work. Lunch is over anyway."

Esiah glanced back down at his half-finished sketch, "It was nice
chatting with you then, Meledei. I shall see you... And I'll be
bringing my A-game." He looked back up at her and shot her a grin.

"Bring it on paint boy!" Meledei called back with a laugh before
trotting off to get back to her duties.

Last updated on the July 28th 2014

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The Face of Death