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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Apr 29, 2020 19:51:53 GMT -5
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 22, 2020 20:36:51 GMT -5
(Okay, so I'm just going to start it as being a week before Anya has to leave. That should give us plenty of wiggle room, and I can adjust the timeline if needed.)
Anya sat at the small desk perched in front of the window of Master Jan's room. Books of all sorts were scattered around on the small surface. There wasn't a whole lot of room in the inn room her mentor called home these past three years, but she had learned to work around it. Or, well, she thought she did. There were days where the pile of resource materials were just too much to deal with as she had to flip through several different books. Light from the afternoon sun helped to light the pages, even if the lights inside the room were on as well. She like sitting by the window, though. It let her steal glances at Corrik every now and then whenever she needed a break.
Currently, there was a history book spread out before her, all the letters whirling together. She had been here since lunch. Having completed her chores for the day, she had arrived to Jan's rooms to continue her instructions as a Rider. Granted, it was more of the basics of reading, writing, and history, but it was important information to learn. Or so she had been told. Really, at the moment, all she was getting was a headache from all the dates and names listed throughout the pages.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 22, 2020 23:59:31 GMT -5
( Aye aye! ;D Also, remind me: did we or did we not mention at some point that, during her training, Nick/Jan mentioned Seth, just not by name? Cause I feel like we did, but I can't remember for sure. xD )
Nick was getting sick of this town.
It was nothing against Ashborne itself, its people or locale, but rather that there was very little for him to do outside of Anya's training. He was also fiercely missing the company of Ignatius. Other Riders in his position would likely have caved by now and gone to see him, if only briefly. But not Nick. He knew too well the dangers of such a reckless action. So he was forced to content himself with a new-constant flow of mental conversation.
It is almost time, Ignatius told him, not for the first time.
I know, Nick replied, also not for the first time. But you know as well as I that these things can't be rushed.
The sensation of a sigh came to him. Unfortunately, Ignatius said dryly, I am well aware.
Nick did not reply in words, for he had returned to his room. As he did every day Anya came for her training, Nick started by sitting her down for two hours of study. Reading, writing, history, even a little math and science when he was feeling particularly cruel. He stayed just long enough to tell her what he wanted her to accomplish in the time given to her, and to make sure she was understanding it. Then he left, to stretch his legs and socialize a bit. Of course, his version of socializing was a littler different than most.
After the two hours of study, he returned to his room to collect Anya for other training, which varied and changed based on his moods, in part, but it was also an unknown test for the girl, to see if she could pick up his patterns or habits. So far she hadn't, but he had deduced that it was not a lack of intelligence on her part, but rather a go-with-the-flow attitude that made her okay with pretty much anything he asked of her. The fact that the second half of her training was always more enjoyable than the first helped too.
Now, stepping light as a cat into the room, Nick observed the girl at work - work, he was not surprised to see, that was interrupted often by longing looks out the window. Nick did not need to see through the panes to know that Corrik was out there, as he always was. Girl and dragon shared a strong bond, but both possessed a level of naïveté that left them unaware of the true depth of that bond, and therefore unaware of the power they could wield once that power was realized. It didn't help that Nick could not teach them magic, for a number of reasons. That was the most frustrating part of this mission. He knew what he would one day be sending her into - and soon. He hated that he would be sending her without any means to defend herself. Her ignorance and innocence would have to be enough to shield her, for now. Once she was in Ilirea, Nick knew his protégé would not be able to resist coming to her rescue whenever necessary. Despite what his training made him to be, Seth had never been able to stand aside when someone needed help.
Banishing all thoughts of his protégé from his mind, Nick cleared his throat, announcing his presence, and stepped further into the room. As it was not very large, those few steps were enough for him to see over the girl's shoulder. He cast a brief glance over her work, his sharp eyes missing nothing, before focusing on the girl herself. "Have you finished?" he asked briskly. He said most things briskly; it was the most efficient was to get things done.
( Well. That took longer than I wanted it to (in part because I was distracted by King Fu Panda and The Last Wish xD), but I actually enjoyed that! AND! I've already learned some interesting things about Nick! :D )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 23, 2020 8:15:56 GMT -5
(Yes, we did. I feel like he would have dropped mentions of Seth on many occasions, used for learning purposes of course, but never by name and never given any information that might identify him to anyone who she mentioned said student to.
Also, I can't remember if we talked about this or not, or if this was something I failed to mention, but wouldn't Genevieve know Anya might have come from the Rebels because Corrik was the only black egg they had? Or, would Nick send her to Ilirea, but whatever emergency that caused Nick to not travel with her, also caused the Rebels to send someone else to meet with her before she got there and escort her to the Rebel camp? OOOORRR! Better yet, do you think that after spending time getting to know the kind of person Anya was, would Nick see her as a way to help get Seth out of Genevieve's clutches? Knowing the risk he was taking with her and her dragon, he trains them and hopes that she can help convince Seth to break free finally?)
The days when math and science were thrown in weren't too bad for her. Living on a farm, those were two subjects that she was surrounded by. Math was needed for the calculations of how large a field to plow, how many crops would need to be harvested, and how much room they would have to store their harvests. As well as needing to know how to figure out the prices to sell the extra crops for. Science, though more plant and animal science, was used for nearly everything that involved the upkeep of both crops and livestock. It was only bad that it was added onto all the other stuff she had to get done in the seeming short timespan Jan would be gone.
Anya had learned whenever her mentor would return to the room to check on her. It wasn't from any noise on his part, for the man was more or less a ghost whenever moving around, but rather the feeling of being watched. It was the same feeling whenever she would camp out in the summer to watch the sheep. Wolves would hide in the woods around their pastures, and most night none would try to make a move for the sheep whenever the Dorrehs had built a fire. However, they would still watch, invisible, from the safety of the woods, waiting. Anya still got goose bumps whenever it happened, even after all these years. And it was the same feeling she got whenever her mentor would return, only less concerning for her safety. She had always thought about turning around and greeting him, but she never did. Instead, she focused on finishing the work she had yet to completely finish.
"Almost," Anya answered, leaning back into her seat, the pencil sitting awkwardly in her right hand. Writing was still a little weird for her, but everyone in her family was right handed, so she just assumed that she had to be right-handed as well. "I think the dates are wrong on some. I got confused in some of the places, and couldn't work it out."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 23, 2020 13:02:25 GMT -5
( Gotcha. That's what I figured anyway. ^^
OMG, woman, you just read my freaking mind! I literally had this exact thought last night! Like, right after I got into Nick's head, the first thing I thought about was: this guy would totally send Anya to Ilirea NOT to be a spy, but to be the damsel in distress that would finally kick Seth into action and give him a reason to get the hell outta dodge. xD I also thought to myself, what if the reason Nick sent Anya on her way when he did — alone — wasn't because of some emergency with the Rebels, but because he got a tip off that Seth would be in her path? And what if he was the one that sabotaged her dragon saddle so she would be forced to horseback ride? AND WHAT IF HE WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME, WATCHING HIS PLAN COME TO FRUITION! 🤯 )
Nick glanced at her hand, at the awkward way she held her pencil. He had learned early on that Anya was left-handed, but he had said nothing about it. Using one's non dominant hand was a good way to fine tune motor skills and grow one's concentration. Nick always made sure all his students could fight with their non dominant hand just as skillfully as they could with the dominant one. He couldn't teach Anya fighting — that would draw too much attention — but hopefully her use of the wrong hand now would strengthen its abilities in other things later.
Switching his gaze back to her work, Nick quickly found the mistakes she mentioned. He didn't point them out. "Leave the rest," he said. "Let's go." Without waiting to see her response, he turned and headed for the door.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 23, 2020 19:33:58 GMT -5
( True. But, hey, look at it this way: Anya is Seth's turning point so, in a way, the fortune teller is still right. xD )
Nick led the way outside without looking back. He moved at a brisk pace, not speeding but not slowing to accommodate Anya's shorter stride either. He headed for the clear space where Corrik was waiting.
Is this really necessary? Ignatius asked.
Yes, Nick replied curtly. It is, and you know it.
His dragon sighed. Nick sensed an eye roll behind it. And you wonder why your students never liked you.
When have I ever asked that?
Ignatius's only response was a laugh.
Nick reached Corrik and turned to face Anya. "Hop on your dragon and meet me at the training field." And, order given, he spun on his heel and started jogging in that direction.
This was an activity he had Anya engage in often: race him to various places. He always went on foot, her on dragon back. It never ceased to amaze the pair of them when Nick always beat them, even when it should have been impossible.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 25, 2020 18:13:28 GMT -5
(How dare he. XD)
It was an expected question, one she always tried to have a good answer for, but more time than not, couldn't. Like yesterday, for example. "Only and hour and a half," Anya answered, knowing he would be displeased. "The storm the other day had made one of the dead oaks fall on the fences. It took out a large portion of it, and we spent nearly all day trying to fix it. I couldn't find the time to fly until after everything was done, and then I still had to help Mama with diner." She wasn't making up an excuse, but merely telling her mentor what had happened. She had wanted to fly for longer, but she just couldn't ignore her duties at home.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 25, 2020 19:50:41 GMT -5
(Good. XD)
Anya nodded. She had heard the rumors of a bear, and had been on the lookout for it like the rest of her family. Wolves were one thing, easier to pick off and keep scarred away with arrows if they wandered too close. Bears were another matter altogether. "Yes, sir," she said, turning and moving back to Corrik. It'd be hard to find it without landing and trying to track it, but, as Jan had said, Corrik might be able to see it or signs of it better than she could. In less than a minute, she and her dragon were in the air once more, flying towards the forest.
(Yeah, I'm having trouble thinking of ideas as well. XD)
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 27, 2020 3:12:11 GMT -5
( He matters to me, especially now that I'm getting into the nitty gritty of his past. It's proving to have some pretty sad parts. And, I've found out why he bonded to Seth more than his other students. :3 )
Nick spent the hour meditating — though it was not one's typical meditation. It was more like a mind meld between him and Ignatius. He had been bonded to his dragon for over seventy years; their connection was deep and powerful, and built on trust and friendship that had been unshaken for decades. These three years apart was like missing a limb, a muscle you used daily but didn't realize you did until it was suddenly severed. Any separation between man and dragon in the past had been brief, a few days to a week apart at most. Nothing compared to now.
In an effort to make up for the physical distance, they had spent every spare moment Nick had to practice something all Riders and dragons had the potential for but few could ever truly master, even when they had a strong bond. Mind melding was difficult and could be very taxing, especially in the beginning. It was different from the temporary joining of the minds that most Riders and dragons could usually do with ease. Mind melding went deeper, spoke truer, and it could not be accomplished if there was even a shred of doubt about the strength of the bond, from either party. Nick knew of only three bonded pairs who could successfully mind meld.
Himself and Ignatius. Ceyon Coils and Emmer. And Seth and Stel.
Nick really wished that boy had waited a few more years before inadvertently proving to the Rider world just how powerful he was. Then Nick wouldn't have had to up the timetable of his plans.
When they sensed Anya and Corrik's return, Nick eased away from Ignatius and opened his eyes. With enough practice and a strong enough bond, closing your eyes and meditating was not necessary to mind meld, but Nick liked the extra sense of peace he gor from it. Sometimes he wished real meditating was an option, but he could never quiet his mind enough to accomplish it.
He stood up just as Rider and dragon appeared over the treetops. He stretched the kink that never really went away out of his shoulder, then stood still and waited for his students to land.
( Later is going to come sooner than we think, me thinks. xD )
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