now or never (Aika; Search!)

[Cy]

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[Aikaph]

Sa’nia and Altaph were making rounds above Sayaie, trying to find ones that the Tawny deemed worthy to stand at Eceph’s hardening clutch. It had been a long day that had so far proven fruitless. Nobody in the city seemed like they would come to par with her standards. Mine, that’s because all of the people there are expecting me to choose them! It should be a surprise! Besides, and here the interruption to the Rider’s thoughts was broken physically by a snort, I think I may sense one nearby. She tossed her head and have a quiet warble in confirmation as their shadow passed over a large clearing. You sure? It doesn’t look like there’s anybody around, Sa’nia replied. Then again, she didn’t have as good of eyesight as any Simourv, but she could at least tell if there was a person anywhere.

And there he was: a small black dot in the middle of the green. Satisfied that Hers noticed who she had sensed, the Tawny gave a loud crow and spiraled down into the clearing. She let one wing drape over her shoulder to allow Sa’nia to slide down to the ground, then folded it close to her side and shuffled her feet. Yes, this is the one. Sa’nia gave a relieved sigh; at least she wasn’t just hungry for the horse that had just trotted out of view.

She walked forward and with purpose, her gaze on a young man whittling on a piece of wood. ”Hello there, sir. I’m Sa’nia, and this is Altaph. Could I speak with you for a second?” she asked. She didn’t want him to get startled and slice his hand open, though Altaph could have already caused him to do so with her loud call. She got a snort from the large beast behind her in reply.

[Cy]

[/b] He returned, sarcasm littering the gruff of his voice. Perhaps the closest to humour he'd ever come, sharp and self-deprecation.[/ul][/size]

[Aikaph]

Sa’nia wasn’t impressed by Zekiel. I’m pretty sure this isn’t one to be a Candidate, Taffy, she told her lifemate, who didn’t reply. She sighed, and placed a hand on her hip, obviously bored of Zeke. ”No, it wouldn’t. Now, my friend over there dragged me down here for some odd reason. Maybe you could refresh my memory? I don’t quite remember why Simourvs land in front of total strangers…” she asked sarcastically. Hopefully the man knew; she didn’t want to have to deal with him for very long.

Maybe being a bit nicer will show how much of a good Candidate he is, Mine, Altaph butted in suddenly, her mindvoice ringing in the rider’s ears. Besides, if he has enough patience to whittle on a piece of wood, he definitely will have enough patience for a Simourv of his own. Altaph’s voice was ever so slightly smug, which made Sa’nia almost giggle. The large Tawny couldn’t pull off being haughty if it were to save her life!

You know I heard that.
You know I love you.
Just because you say that gives you no right to make fun of my sincerity!
You can’t lie either.
Your point?
Never mind.[/i] The girl gave an exasperated sigh. ”Strange Simourv…"

[Cy]

[/b] he responded with another facial shrug, his head tilting slightly as chipped a small chunk off at what would be the base of the horse's neck.

He knew though. He went to town, he heard the voices, and everyone was talking about it. People were being selected and carried off to the Eyrie, apparently destined to become riders themselves. Yet somehow, he felt that this notion couldn't possibly be related to this kid and the Tawny creature standing by her. There was no place for him at the Eyrie, no future that saw him as one of them, and so what it might typically mean for a simourv to land in front of a total stranger meant nothing here. Strange Rider.[/ul][/size]

[Aikaph]

Okay, now the man was just getting irritating. It was obvious that he knew, just too stubborn to admit it. Sa’nia had half a mind to kick him onto Altaph’s back and just ship him off to the Eyrie, but of course, that wasn’t physically or ethically possible. With a sigh, she knelt down in front of Zeke, all boredom erased and replaced with utter seriousness. ”Look. For some unfathomable reason, my Simourv sees something in you that’s rider-worthy,” she just barely managed to spit out the last part of the sentence before letting her gaze sweep onto the wooden horse-in-the-works. ”What’s that?” she asked, but spoke no more.

Altaph snorted at Hers’ bluntness and ambled over as well to lie down right in front of Zekiel. The wood smelled different. Curiosity racking at her brain, the large beast shoved her face into the potential Candidate’s lap and whuffed at the wooden horse. Mine, the wood smells sweet! Though, that knife looks pretty sharp… In other words, Altaph wanted to see if the wood tasted as good as it smelled. She received a swift smack to the side, which didn’t do much except make her grumble. I suggest that you get off of the man, Taffy.
Why? I like it where I am.
If you don’t move, how am I supposed to bring him to the Eyrie?
Oh, fine. With a snort, the Tawny lifted her head to be eye level with her subject. Without warning, she stuck her mind into Zeke’s conscious and retreated quickly to leave a mental pocket to be filled. Sa’nia was flabbergasted. ALTAPH! What’d you do that for?!? she wailed. Just getting him ready for Impression, was the smug reply.

With another sigh, the Rider stood to her feet, shoving Altaph’s head away. ”No matter what, you’re coming with me. I don’t care what duties you have or what. If you have anything you want to bring with you, we can come get it AFTER you get situated at the Eyrie. Am I clear?” Sa’nia demanded while trying (to little or no avail) to shove her bonded’s head away so he could stand up. Strange man.

[Cy]

[/b] he returned, his gruff voice strangely light as he began to cut into what would become the rear of the equine. It was perhaps the closest he’d come to teasing.

His actions were predictably paused as the large Altaph wandered forward and proceeded to shove her head into his lap, sniffing at the cedar in the same way that Zeke imagined a dopey canine might, causing him to lift up his arms a bit to keep the knife from slicing into her muzzle and to generally just keep the wooden horse out of the way. Typically, affection from animals didn’t bother him, but to be nuzzled and rested upon in front of this cocky girl, he felt embarrassed and unsure.

He held still and said nothing. Shortly enough, with a snort that pressed a sharp burst of air against his frame, the tawny removed her head, but her warm eyes latched on to his own and he was met with the most peculiar of sensations. There was an invasion in his head, something nurturing and curious, and then, just as swiftly, it was gone. And there was a certain sort of emptiness left behind. Like when fingers pressed into something malleable and left behind vivid indents when removed.

Sa’nia was speaking before he had the time to truly register what she was saying, his own eyes caught still on Altaph’s. He was slow to drift away from her, but he was soon doing just that so he could focus instead on the young rider attempting to tell him exactly how things would be. She spoke with a familiar sense of control and firmness, a tone that he typically did not respond well towards. His emotional reaction was slow this time though, his brain still lingering on the sensation of being punctured so boldly. He was put off to finally discover that he was frightened. He was confused and worried – and in response to these, he was angry. Hastily, he pushed himself up to stand, using the tree as support and rudely brushing the tawny off. He pushed himself forward to step around the duo and retreat. ”You’ve made a mistake.”[/ul][/size]