11.Apr.23, 10:56 PM
Valtala caught R’dal’s little pout when he mentioned that his father did not like dragonriders. It was the truth, however, since his father, Lorian, did not trust the dragonriders one little bit, not since the incidents with the stolen Candidates. No, Lorian tolerated dragonriders because he had to, but he never had anything good to say about them.
None of his father’s opinions had much sway with the Journeyman, however. The boy and his father never saw eye to eye on anything, and this would be no different.
The blonde squealed in delight when R’dal agreed with him on leaving a note. He’d expected some resistance to his plan, but the other was open to it, after all. Valtala clapped his hands giddily as R’dal continued speaking to him about the plan, pausing when the bluerider brought up packing.
"Well, maybe you should do the packing and writing. My appearance in the Hall might draw attention, even if Edath stayed here to wait for us. You don't need to pack too much; just clothes and anything important to you. Everything else will be provided for you."
“Hmmmm…!” thought the seacrafter as he nodded to R’dal. “I have a lot of clothes. And jewellery. And toiletries. I will undoubtedly have to leave some of it behind.”
Valtala turned to Edath consideringly, looking the dragon up and down. His fingers twirled some hair in a loop as the Journeyman wondered exactly how much the dragon would be able to carry. He didn’t want to overload the blue.
“I’m sure I could pack enough to have at least a trunkful of valuables. Would a trunk be too much for you, Edath?” Inquired the blonde. “Regardless, I’ll try my best to pack light.”
The thought of going between had likewise, never occurred to Valtala before, because he had never thought he would ride a dragon before today. He was nervous and excited as he considered R’dal’s words to him. Maybe it was a little like being at the bottom of the ocean? Of course, Valtala had never been that deep, but he was aware of the parts of the sea that never saw any light. He imagined it would be cold down there, just like it was between.
“Will it be like swimming in the dark?” He asked, curiously. “I hope I’ll like it,” he breathed, turning from from the dragon and his rider and moving to the footpath up to the Hall. “I suppose we’ll find out.” He smiled.
And with that, he left R’dal on the beach, tracing back the familiar steps up to his room. Luckily, he didn’t see anyone on the way. If he could get out of here without being detected, well, Valtala was sure that it would be best.
Going through his clothes would be easy enough. The blonde pulled a trunk out from underneath his bed, unlocked it, and set it open on top of his blankets, next to the hand mirror he had left behind this morning. He immediately turned to his closet, and started to pull out his ‘nice’ clothing. The stuff that he didn’t wear to work. The soft and more feminine apparel. Blouses and embroidered shirts. He chose only his favourite outfits, since he didn’t have enough room for them all.
Next, came his jewellery. This was harder for him, since he didn’t want to leave any piece behind. In the end, he had to put a few shirts away to make room for all the pearls and precious stones, the chains and rings. He also packed his brushes and perfumes, and the little hand mirror. “Am I forgetting anything?” The blonde thought to himself, pausing when he remembered that he would have to leave a note. Oh, yes. That. A grin spread across the Journeyman’s face as he left his room in search of quill and paper. He found some in his father’s study, where the man kept his ledgers and correspondences with other Halls. Valtala thought he would make it brief:
‘Dear Father,
I have been Searched by a very handsome dragonrider, and I am leaving my life here behind. Instead of sailing with you in the morrow, I will be far, far away, somewhere where I can be myself without having to hide. Give Astoria my love.’
He had wanted to write something funny, but he couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t too crude for a goodbye letter, so he left it be. He left the letter on his father’s desk, then he returned to his room, put on a fur lined jacket, and began to carry his trunk out to the beach. It would be supper soon, so if he wanted to get out of here without being noticed, he’d have to go now.
This knowledge made him move hastily back down to the beach, half dragging and half carrying the trunk behind himself. He was out of breath by the time he reached R’dal and Edath, again.
“Here it is! The best of my wardrobe!” Valtala giddily exclaimed as he set down the trunk upon the sand. It was heavy, and the blonde once again looked to Edath with concern. “Is it too much?”
None of his father’s opinions had much sway with the Journeyman, however. The boy and his father never saw eye to eye on anything, and this would be no different.
The blonde squealed in delight when R’dal agreed with him on leaving a note. He’d expected some resistance to his plan, but the other was open to it, after all. Valtala clapped his hands giddily as R’dal continued speaking to him about the plan, pausing when the bluerider brought up packing.
"Well, maybe you should do the packing and writing. My appearance in the Hall might draw attention, even if Edath stayed here to wait for us. You don't need to pack too much; just clothes and anything important to you. Everything else will be provided for you."
“Hmmmm…!” thought the seacrafter as he nodded to R’dal. “I have a lot of clothes. And jewellery. And toiletries. I will undoubtedly have to leave some of it behind.”
Valtala turned to Edath consideringly, looking the dragon up and down. His fingers twirled some hair in a loop as the Journeyman wondered exactly how much the dragon would be able to carry. He didn’t want to overload the blue.
“I’m sure I could pack enough to have at least a trunkful of valuables. Would a trunk be too much for you, Edath?” Inquired the blonde. “Regardless, I’ll try my best to pack light.”
The thought of going between had likewise, never occurred to Valtala before, because he had never thought he would ride a dragon before today. He was nervous and excited as he considered R’dal’s words to him. Maybe it was a little like being at the bottom of the ocean? Of course, Valtala had never been that deep, but he was aware of the parts of the sea that never saw any light. He imagined it would be cold down there, just like it was between.
“Will it be like swimming in the dark?” He asked, curiously. “I hope I’ll like it,” he breathed, turning from from the dragon and his rider and moving to the footpath up to the Hall. “I suppose we’ll find out.” He smiled.
And with that, he left R’dal on the beach, tracing back the familiar steps up to his room. Luckily, he didn’t see anyone on the way. If he could get out of here without being detected, well, Valtala was sure that it would be best.
Going through his clothes would be easy enough. The blonde pulled a trunk out from underneath his bed, unlocked it, and set it open on top of his blankets, next to the hand mirror he had left behind this morning. He immediately turned to his closet, and started to pull out his ‘nice’ clothing. The stuff that he didn’t wear to work. The soft and more feminine apparel. Blouses and embroidered shirts. He chose only his favourite outfits, since he didn’t have enough room for them all.
Next, came his jewellery. This was harder for him, since he didn’t want to leave any piece behind. In the end, he had to put a few shirts away to make room for all the pearls and precious stones, the chains and rings. He also packed his brushes and perfumes, and the little hand mirror. “Am I forgetting anything?” The blonde thought to himself, pausing when he remembered that he would have to leave a note. Oh, yes. That. A grin spread across the Journeyman’s face as he left his room in search of quill and paper. He found some in his father’s study, where the man kept his ledgers and correspondences with other Halls. Valtala thought he would make it brief:
‘Dear Father,
I have been Searched by a very handsome dragonrider, and I am leaving my life here behind. Instead of sailing with you in the morrow, I will be far, far away, somewhere where I can be myself without having to hide. Give Astoria my love.’
He had wanted to write something funny, but he couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t too crude for a goodbye letter, so he left it be. He left the letter on his father’s desk, then he returned to his room, put on a fur lined jacket, and began to carry his trunk out to the beach. It would be supper soon, so if he wanted to get out of here without being noticed, he’d have to go now.
This knowledge made him move hastily back down to the beach, half dragging and half carrying the trunk behind himself. He was out of breath by the time he reached R’dal and Edath, again.
“Here it is! The best of my wardrobe!” Valtala giddily exclaimed as he set down the trunk upon the sand. It was heavy, and the blonde once again looked to Edath with concern. “Is it too much?”