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Date Posted: 13:56:54 12/09/05 Fri
Author: Janis; Hale & Halsk
Subject: >Join us?<
In reply to: Aylana 's message, "Back to back...." on 16:27:02 12/03/05 Sat

While Hale pours out the wine that his younger companion had retrieved for them, Janis glances back along the route he'd taken to the tables, his eyes lingering on the girl who'd seated herself just before he walked past her table. He'd noticed her because he'd paused to let her and her young dragon pass, no other particular reason, but now it's dawning on him that her dragon, despite being a blue, is bigger than any of the hatchlings - even the gold, which he considers himself fortunate to have caught a glimpse of earlier.

Looking up from his wine, which he's savoring in long, slow sips despite its inferior quality - now that he's had one bottle of the best, the old man doesn't begrudge drinking a poorer vintage and allowing others to enjoy the prime wine themselves, and he can't expect a mere, inexperienced hatchling like Janis to choose a good wine in any case - Hale sees that his young companion is no longer watching him, but is instead staring off across the room. "What fresh marvel has caught your attention, my young friend?" he asks jovially, the corners of his cloudy blue eyes crinkling with his good-humored smile. "Do endeavour to recall that my poor, aged vision does not extent as far as your clear gaze might."

Turning back towards his elderly companion, Janis smiles and shakes his head, his round olive face easily expressing his good humor. "No, it's nothing," he assures the wher-handler, waving a hand dismissively and then quickly reaching out to rescue their wine bottle from toppling at his abrupt movement. But Hale continues to look at him inquisitively, and Janis gives in. "There's this girl over there-"

"Say no more!" Hale goes so far as to set down his wineglass, freeing both hands so that he can reach out and clap Janis on the shoulder with one while rubbing his fading grey moustache with the other. "A beautiful and enchanting lady, no doubt, who has stolen your heart with a single look. Do not be discouraged to abandon me for the pleasures of her company, my young friend. I assure you that my beloved Halsk is companion enough, for her constancy and affection shall keep any loneliness from touching my soul." From the nearby closet comes a low, tolerant rumble of agreement, the rude and decidedly earthy sound a direct contrast to the wher-handler's eloquent speech. Unlike her handler, Halsk feels that age entitles her to be as rude and crotchety as she likes. Hence, her habit of throwing up upon the feet of anyone who annoys her.

Now Janis is blushing, his almond-shaped eyes wide in astonishment at the enthusiasm with which Hale is approaching this. "No, I mean, I was looking at her dragon," he tries to explain.

Releasing Janis to take another sip of the wine, Hale winks at him. "Yes, of course, you were admiring her magnificent dragon. I am sure it's quite large and grand."

Janis is sure that most of the blood in his body has suffused his face by now. "Yes. I mean, no! I-" Hale is chuckling at him now. "She's at least ten years younger than me!" the man finally declares, in a last attempt at sounding like a rational human being and not a hormone-riddled pedophile. Not that she's hideous, of course, but he's twenty-six Turns old and has a very good grasp on himself by now. Besides, he's more interested in rocks than in girls. "She has a blue dragon. It's still young, but it's larger than any of the other hatchlings, even the gold. I wondered why. That's all."

Taking compassion upon the poor boy, Hale stops his teasing. Mostly. "I believe I comprehend your fascination, then. Still, is this young lady dining alone? It would be dreadful for any girl to sit alone at an empty table on such an otherwise lovely night." So what if he's sixty-four Turns old? Hale still prides himself on being a ladies' man, or at least a gentleman.

Shooting a nervous glance over his shoulder, Janis nods. "Yes, I think so. There's nobody right next to her, anyway." The Lower Caverns are too crowded for anyone to be completely alone at a table.

"Then I propose that she be invited to join us," Hale declares firmly, his cloudy eyes twinkling. "I would suggest we rise and attend upon her as proper gentlemen would, but, well...." He trails off, gesturing with his free hand towards the closet. "In such an environment as this, I fear that my dear Halsk would be anxious if I wandered so far from her presence. The dear creature may not be able to see or hear me very well, but her sense of smell is still quite keen, and to lose my scent in such a crowd might distress her terribly." Even in moments such as these, Hale is still first and foremost a wher-handler. And while in some regards, watchwhers are more self-sufficient then dragons, among humans they do need to be handled with more care. A dragon will go to great lengths to avoid harming a human; watchwhers could not take on the duty of guarding Holds if they behaved in the same fashion.

Understanding Hale's dilemma, Janis nods. The heat and color is finally fading from his face, and his smile is back. "I'll go ask her," he volunteers, rising from the bench and turning away a bit too fast to catch the spectacle of Hale trying to finger-comb his neatly-trimmed beard in preparation for greeting the girl. For that matter, Janis himself is a bit self-conscious of the state of his clothing, and neither his straight, shoulder-length black hair nor the tattered headband holding it back are in the best condition, but personal grooming had rarely been a matter of great concern to him before this Feast. It doesn't even occur to him to tend to it with is own fingers as he makes his way across the room.

Reaching Aylana's table, Janis pauses for a moment, takes a deep breath, and then steps closer and smiles down at her. "Excuse me, miss?" he says, and then waits only to be sure she's heard him before rushing on. "My dinner companion and I were wondering if you would join us to eat. We're back there," he explains, waving in the direction of their table. "Near the kitchens, because his watchwher is in a closet just down the hall and he doesn't want to go too far from her." Perhaps that was too much information, but it's said now, and Janis hooks his thumbs in his belt and does his best not to fidget as he waits for an answer. He's not unfamiliar with talking to strangers, but rarely in such formal social situations or without having something in common to start the conversation with. At least Hale was familiar with mining.

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