((Watchwher folks, up here. Sorry for the wait; school ate my life.)) -- Outside the Weyr

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Date Posted: 16:29:08 04/17/05 Sun
Author: Yima & Yimask; Oriana & Orisk; Mikhal & Misk
Subject: ((Watchwher folks, up here. Sorry for the wait; school ate my life.))

((I'm basically replying to Manethenre and Telomm; Ghys can repost when Fat Friar has the pregnancy thing and the origins sorted out.))

Privately, Yima is rather pleased that the canine has taken off on its own. It would have been an inconvenience in the caves, and would have hindered Manethenre's training if she continued to rely on it - not to mention that Yimask was already eyeing it as possible prey, and sooner or later, the hatchlings would have started doing so as well. She doesn't say anything, though, and instead addresses Manethenre's question. "Mask... I'll remember that. While they're still young and eating the blood porridge, the hatchlings should eat twice a night. After three months, we'll switch to solid meat once a night, and before a Turn is out, Yimask and Orisk will be teaching them how to hunt. We can't take the Weyr's food forever, not when we don't have anything to give them in return just yet." She falls silent for a moment, listening to the soft murmuring grumble of Yimask beside her - the gold hasn't hunted as recently as she'd like. /Aaaach, 'ask, I know. I haven't eaten either. We won't keep the children up all night, and once this is done we'll go exploring this cave system and I'll take you out to hunt./ She also needs to borrow Manethenre's firelizards to send a message to the Headwoman; the wher-handlers will be needing food from the Weyr, and they'll need their blood porridge mixed up regularly for a while yet. But then Telomm speaks up, breaking the silence, and Yima pulls her full attention back to the lesson. "Master Yima," she corrects implacably, then continues on to his questions before the boy can start squeaking out apologies or something equally annoying. He's still the youngest, and that never leaves her mind. "They'll reach their full growth in about a Turn and a half, but they'll be ready for much of what we want to do with them within a Turn. Most of the training will finish well before then. If you never hear their name, it means the bond didn't form, and I'll find another handler for him - but give it two or three days before you worry too much," she adds. "As for leaving, I want to wait another sevenday or so before you're seperated from your whers for any length of time, but then I'll give you free time during the day to go up to the Weyr or wander in the jungle if you wish. You will be expected to stay up the full night afterwards, though, because that's when we'll be training." That seems to be the end of the questions, but the woman waits a few more minutes before clearing her throat noisily.

"If those are all your questions so far, I want to go on. I have things I need to do tonight, so I'll stop soon, but I'm going to give you some specific instructions on learning more about your individual watchwhers and strengthening your bonds to them. First, listen to the beasts. Watchwhers communicate more with their voices than with their minds, and while certain noises are universal, many are individual. Every single time your watchwher makes a sound, note it carefully, place it in context, and try to figure out what it means. Once you think you might know, make it back to them in the same situations, or else they might change it. They're very uncertain at this age, and if they think you're ignoring them when they say something, they'll stop saying it. If they have a sound that doesn't seem to mean anything at all, or if there's a specific sound that you'd like them to use for a certain meaning, make it to them in circumstances when you'd like them to use it, and they'll start imitating you. And as I've said, some vocalizations are universal - they all make grumbling noises when they're unhappy, as I'm sure you've noticed if you've listened to Yimask. She doesn't like being around strangers until she gets to know them, she doesn't like strange places, and she's hungry." As if to emphasize this, the gold lets a particularly noisy complaint rumble from deep in her chest. Yima laughs - a hoarse barking sound that nonetheless sounds affectionate - and reaches down to rap the top of her watchwher's head gently with a loose fist. "Aaaach, I'll feed you, 'Ask, just be patient," she encourages, before turning her attention back to her students. "And talk to them a lot, whenever they're awake, because they like you to be vocal right back. It comforts them. Also, you'll notice that they're all projecting to everyone whenever they feel something strongly, usually hunger at this age, and you can probably all feel each others' watchwhers almost equally well. Or maybe you can't, yet, because it may all be like background noise right now, but as the bonds strengthen you'll be able to pick up individuals. Focus on your own watchwher's feelings, only on theirs, and respond only to theirs with body language, voice, and actions. When they realize that you're listening to them, they'll try harder to communicate with you specifically. Think back at them, too, and try your best to project what you're feeling about them at the moment. Right now it should be mostly affection, which will strengthen the bond, though if they do something you don't like, don't be afraid to let them know or you'll never learn. In a sevenday or so we'll concentrate more on mental communication, but right now it's just critical to form and strengthen the bonds between you."

Coming to a full stop, Yima takes a deep, noisy breath. "Whew. It's been a long time since I talked that much at once," she mutters, idly running a hand down Yimask's corded neck. "If you have any questions, ask now," she adds more loudly. "And then I need to borrow your firelizards to send some messages, Manethenre. 'Ask and I will spend the rest of the night exploring these caves, since this setup isn't entirely convenient; your whers can sleep, but I want you to try staying awake as long as you can. We have to switch you to a night schedule quickly. Oriana, I want you and Orisk to stand guard while I'm gone."

Oriana swallows, her hand fluttering nervously over the blue's head and neck. "I- I don't know what I should do," she protests. "What do I do if someone comes? Er, Master Yima," she adds belatedly, hoping that politeness might help balance out her cowardice. She feels like her fear at confronting an intruder is wide open for all the world to view, even if her face can't be seen in the darkness. Yima is used to listening, after all, and the woman's voice is shaking when she speaks. Orisk makes a soft comforting sound - Mwurr, it's all right - and rubs his head against her leg.

Snorting softly, Yima shakes her head. I can excuse nervousness from Telomm, but not from a grown woman. The boy has an excuse! Aaaach, I'll see what I can do with her. "You may not know, but Orisk does, I'm sure," she says coolly. "'Ask can give him his orders, if you can't. If an intruder comes, he can call her, and he and Mikhal together should be able to hold off anything small enough to fit in here until I come. Right, Mikhal?" she adds.

"Um...." Mikhal is little for his age, and he knows it. But remembering what little he'd seen of the others, the shadowy outlines he'd seen when some light filtered through the felt in the cave above, he realizes with a bit of start that he is bigger than the other three - Manethenre, Telomm, and Clell. He's not that clumsy in the darkness, or that clumsy period, and Orisk can probably do more than he can in any case. Yima wouldn't go far from them either, would she? With those thoughts in mind, he feels rather confident about the whole thing, although his confidence surprises him a bit. "Yes, I think so," he says, his voice steady.

"Good." Yima nods curtly in approval, though no one can see it. "Oriana, can you give your watchwher his orders, or should I have Yimask do it?"

For a moment, Oriana considers just asking for Yimask to do it. Then she stiffens a little, nodding to herself in the darkness, and crouches down beside her blue, wrapping one arm around his neck and whispering in his ear while doing her best to project appropriate thoughts at him. He chirps an acknowledgement at her, finally, and she stands and turns her gaze in what she believes to be Yima's general direction. "I- I think he understands."

"Hmmm." Though the sound Yima makes is approving, she adds her own precautions. When we leave, I'll ask Yimask to tell that blue what to do. Doing it too soon would only confuse her wher, though, and she directs her attention to her students one more time. "All right, if that's sorted out, does anyone have questions? And Manethenre, if I write something, can those firelizards of yours take it to the Weyr and leave it in the Lower Caverns?"

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Replies:

I know how it feels -- Ghys, 15:45:00 04/18/05 Mon