A Pleasant Stroll

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 29th March 2009

Characters: Taia, Lirit
Description: The pair get together for a companionable walk with Taia's new canine
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 5

"Lirit?" Taia knocked briefly on the doorway, "Anyone home?" She knew
someone was inside, her hearing had improved enough during her brief
blindness to pick up the muttering from within.

There was silence for a moment that was broken with the squeaking of the
door. Normally light would be present, but darkess greeted Taia, shadowing
Lirit's form. "Hey. What brings you here?"

"I wondered if you wanted to come for a walk before dinner, and bring Scout
with you?"

"Sure." Lirit agreed readily. Another shadow stirred at the sound of his
name and Scout came forward to look up at Taia with his big, mournful eyes.
"Where do you want to go walking?"

"Anywhere..." she shook her head, not really worried where. "I umm....I
have another canine to take with us." she admitted sheepishly. "And I
figured she'd walk better with a companion."

"Oh really? A new one? Another trainee?" Lirit moved out of his room,
Scout at his heels, and closed the door behind them. "What's her name?"

"Yes a new one, and no - this one isn't a trainee. This one I'm considering
for myself." she admitted. "Sharp has settled in with his new companion,
and I have actually missed his presence over the last month. So I actually
kept my eyes open for another pup - this time for myself." she
explained, reaching out to stroke Scout as he padded across to her. "As to
her name? I haven't actually decided on one yet."

"What is she like?" Lirit moved further out into the hall, then stopped
when he realised he wasn't sure where Taia wanted to go. Of course, she
had said anywhere, but sometimes women were a little vague even when they
had a specific desire for something.

"She's just a bundle of fluff at the moment, a heavy bundle, but a bundle
non-the-less." she laughed softly. "I left her just outside, she's still a
bit too excitable to have her come in for visits. But she's brown and black
in colour, and very alert. If she follows in her breed's ways, she should
be
very intelligent. _Should be._"

"Should be, eh? Got to leave room for that minority." Lirit motioned in
both directions. "Which way did you leave her?"

"Right... and yes, should be, but you know with my luck..." she laughed
softly. At the end of the hallway, the sound of an excited pup could be
heard, followed shortly by low growling. "Hush, silly, it's just Scout."
Taia scolded gently.

Scout stopped a few feet away from the pup and sat squarely on his rump,
regarding the other canine. One ear stood straight up while the other
flopped over comically. Lirit crouched down and held his hand out toward
Taia's pup. "Hey girl. Easy girl...we're all friends here."

The pup took a tentative step forward, more unsure of Scout than Lirit, it
seemed. She sniffed his hand before jumping up and licking his face, her
small teeth, white and sharp against his chin.

"Whoa!" Lirit laughed, falling back upon his rump as the pup playfully
assaulted him. "Ow...hey!" He grinned and playfully pushed at the young
canine. "I think she thinks I taste good!"

"She won't stop, will she?" Taia laughed, pulling the canine from the
journeyman. "Sorry Lirit, I should have warned you not to get too close
just yet, she still needs to learn some manners," The pup settled back down
as Scout moved forward, a small, nervous growl rumbled in the pup's chest,
"towards both humans and other canines, it seems."

Scout cocked his head which caused his floppy ear to plant itself over one
eye as he regarded the other younger canine. He wuffed and then settled
back down and looked up at his master. "Well, maybe taking a walk together
will help." Lirit pondered.

"The longer we can walk her tonight the better, I need her to settle down
and tiring her out may be the only way we can do it." she slipped the leash
off the post the pup had been fastened to, and jerked it lightly in her
hand, to gain the pups attention. "She's only been with me a couple of
nights, and she spent most of last night whining for her mother, so much so
that I had to have her in bed with me."

"I've heard that a whining pup can be quite the ear splitter." Lirit's ears
were pretty sharp and he certainly didn't want to have that sort of
experience. Scout had come to him old enough to not only be past that
stage, but to be well trained as well. The harper had little to do with his
upbringing, though the canine had latched onto him with a loyalty that would
never be broken.

"Just a little, but I figure if we walk her for long enough, she'll sleep
like the proverbial baby tonight."

"Might need a ball for that." Lirit chuckled softly. He'd not been around
too many puppies, but he'd been around enough to know they didn't always
tire quickly or easily. "Or make her run around in circles."

"I have a ball with us." she laughed, "Just in case we tire before she
does." she fingered the round soft object buried deep in her pocket. "So -
beach or woods?" she asked.

"Beach." The answer came without a second thought. The woods would require
more assistance in making sure he didn't run into the trees or constantly
using his staff. The beach tended to be easier to navigate for Lirit. "Lead
the way!"

With a firm grip on the leash, Taia held out the crook of her arm for Lirit.
"Did you want guidance or..." she was still unsure, even after her own bout
of blindness, how much assistance he would accept.

"I can follow you." Lirit assured her with a grin. "Just lead and I will
do so and keep up!"

Following his direction, she gave a swift tug on the leash and started off,
pleased to see that the pup didn't seem afraid of the leash. "So, what have
you been up to in the last few days?" she asked Lirit over her shoulder.

"Practising, practising, eating, practising, sleeping...oh...and
practising." Well, there was the occasional vocal student in there as well
and private lessons of his own with his superiors but most of Lirit's days
_were_ spent working on his voice.

"So when will you perform again?" she asked, looking forward to the next
time she would hear him sing. The pup stopped and tugged at the leash,
sniffing back and forth beneath one of the trees that edged the beach.

"Next sevenday during the evening's entertainment. I have a recital coming
up in a couple of months as well." Those were a reoccuring thing, giving
him and the other harpers a chance to perform in a different type of setting
and offering more entertainment for the Weyr.

"I shall have to make sure I have a front row seat in the cavern that night,
then, won't I?" she asked, the smile on her lips carrying in her voice. "I
like listening to you sing..." she didn't admit that just the sound of his
voice sent goosebumps up her arms.

"Well I'm glad there's at least one person in this Weyr who does." The
young man chuckled lightly. In all honesty, Lirit got quite nervous before
he performed, always afraid that he might mess up, that someone might
disapprove.

"I'm sure I'm not the only one. I'm not the only one to applaud, that I
_do_ know." she grinned. "Hey!" tugging on the leash, she pulled the
reluctant pup towards her. "She found an interesting smell and wanted to
follow it." she said, by way of explanation to Lirit.

"There's always an interesting smell she'll find I'm sure." Lirit wondered
if Scout had been as spirited a pup when he was young. He'd never thought to
ask.

"Well she'll have to start ignoring them when I'm walking her." Taia said
determinedly. "I'm not sure that Sharp was as headstrong as she is, maybe
its a 'girl' thing?"

"Oh yes, it is." Lirit agreed quite readily with a broad grin. "That is
definitely a 'girl thing'!"

"Oh...you!" Taia laughed, "I meant a girl _dog_ thing. We women aren't
headstrong, we just know when we're right."

"Except when you're wrong?"

"We're seldom wrong." she retorted quickly, amusement still in her voice.

Lirit decided to keep his mouth shut, though his smile was still very much
present. He may not be that old, but he'd lived long enough to know there
came a point where you just didn't argue with a woman any longer.

Last updated on the April 27th 2009

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A Pleasant Stroll