Let me help you ( Derek/ S'bel)

[Jilli]

Hanako nodded once more to herself as she tucked the clean blankets into her basket. The bed hadn't been cleaned for weeks, she knew because the girls refused to go near his weyr since the news of the way he'd thrown things at Iirla. Also in her bundle were new cups and a new pitcher. Wood this time so they wouldn't break as easily.

She couldn't help herself. She just had to do something for him. Iirla and V'lkan had patched things up. They were happy and there little girl was precious. Certainly a light in her own life. S'bel had been rejected again. She knew it shouldn't matter to her but for some reason she just had to try to get him back on his feet again.

She knocked lightly at he door to his weyr.

"Lord S'bel? It's me, Hanako. May I come in...please?"Her voice was hesitant . She knew he may refuse her, but oh, she hoped not .

[Elessar]

The knock on the door to his Weyr startled him. He was sitting on the ledge of his Weyr, where Maerath normally took off into flight, his legs dangling over the edge. Twitching briefly, he looked over toward the door. He couldn't think of who would possibly be knocking on the door to his Weyr when he had made himself so unpopular lately.

Then, however, Hanako's voice rang out, though there was a hesitant tone in it. He turned back to staring out into the sky from the ledge, his eyes stormy. "Come in, Hanako," he called, voice thick. He had no reason to deny the woman entrance to his Weyr, so he allowed her in. After all, she had always been kind to him... despite his angry outbursts of late.

Maerath grumbled from where he was in the corner, and stood, turning three times before curling up again. He was equally as depressed as his Bonded, but generally more angry toward any human that approached him. S'bel was not particularly happy about Hanako being there, but he allowed it. Maerath would not have allowed it except for the fact that S'bel let her in, and this accepted it.

"What can I do for you, Hanako?" S'bel asked, not looking at her.

[Jilli]

Hanako adjusted the basket on her hip and opened the door, letting herself into his weyr at his approval. His voice sounded off. It was as if He hadn't used it except to scream in weeks. That seemed plausible considering the situation. The weyr was dark, but it was as she'd suspected. She sat her basket on the floor shutting the door behind herself as she studied her surroundings. When she finally found him she sighed. He was out on the ledge and neither he nor Maerath seemed to be in the best of moods.

She gave the bronze a curtsy of respect. " Good evening , Master Maerath.". She was a bit uneasy around the bronze. After all, the only person who truly knew a dragon was their rider.

"Lord S'bel, you've really left me no choice but to come here myself you know?" Out of respect for Maerath she made no move to approach his rider but instead started to place the new water pitcher , plates, and cups she'd brought with her. Far from her words, her voice was soft sweet and held only a hint of exasperation. It was true he'd scared off the other girls, but with the arrival of the soon to be headwoman she'd had more free time than she'd had in a long time. She could have just left him to wallow in self pity until he'd convinced himself to leave again. Yet here she was.

"You can't very well sit out there all night. You'll catch cold. " she wasn't going to just come right out and try to tell him how to feel. That wasn't what he needed right now. In these situations it was best to stick to the one who'd been hurt until they realized that they'd eventually mend. She crossed to the hearth and knelt to start a fire for some semblance of warmth and light in the weyr.

[Elessar]

He heard her set something down and close the door, but he still did not move, his eyes clouded over and staring out into nothing. The sky was dark, and it looked like it might rain, but S'bel was oblivious. He wasn't even aware of where he was sitting, really. He was oblivious.

Maerath ignored Hanako's greeting, his bronze back turned toward the woman. He could feel the feelings of unease coming from the woman, and grumbled, adjusting his position.

S'bel did not react to Hanako's words, though he heard her placing things around his room. He did not turn to look at what she was putting around the Weyr. He still did not know why she was there. Was she taking pity on him? Was she here to tell him he was demoted from Wingleader? Was she here to tell him to leave the Weyr entirely? That Iirla was dead? His thoughts went from bad to worse.

"I can damn well sit out here all night if I want to," he snapped, finally turning to look at her. "There's no one to stop me, after all, unless you're going to try." He watched her start to make a fire and narrowed his eyes. He deserved no light or warmth.

[Jilli]

She narrowed her own eyes as the logs seemed to refuse to light. Well that wouldn't do at all. How was she supposed to clean this mess up with no light? After a few more tries she finally managed to get it to take and with a bit of Nursing, it was soon crackling happily. The bed was going to be a chore, she realized as she rolled up her sleeves and looked over what had to be done. Her attention was taken when he snapped at her like a child being told it was bedtime. She almost allowed herself to smile at the comparison, but didn't think that would go over too well.

Maerath's dismissal was evident enough and she stepped past him onto the ledge standing close to s'bel with a determined look in her eyes.

" Come now you old bear. You've been able to growl and scare every one of my girls out of cleaning and getting things taken care of. I don't scare that easily. I'm not foolish enough to think I can make you come inside if you don't want to, but I warn you now if you get sick sitting out here in a rainstorm I'm going to be right here taking care of you unless master Maerath eats me."

[Elessar]

She seemed to struggle with lighting the fire, but soon he heard it crackling merrily and saw light spread across his Weyr. He grunted, unsure whether he was angry or unnerved or happy about the light. Instead, he just ignored it.

He was startled when Hanako moved past Maerath and stood close to the ledge, glaring at him. He didn't know how to react, so instead, he didn't.

"He won't eat you." S'bel's words were echoed by the dragon. I will not eat you, Lady Hanako.[/color] S'bel turned to his dragon, whose eyes were surprisingly less red. The rider could tell his dragon was somehow cheered by Hanako's presence, which was a bit confusing, until he realized what was going on...

"Hanako... Maerath thinks you'd be a good dragon Candidate... I do believe you've just been Searched by a dragon, my dear girl."

[Jilli]

Hanako allowed herself a smile. She hadn't actually thought Maerath would have eaten her. It was nevertheless a good sign when the two grumpy males agreed with her on that point. She decided she'd at least try to talk to him. Insignificant topics should be safe, she thought settling to her knees beside him. She was about to ask him if he'd had any news around the weyr of late, when he turned to a somewhat less angry and grumpy Maerath.

She looked between dragon and rider as they studied one another, watching quietly. When s'bel finally spoke she was infinitely glad she was on her knees instead of her feet. If she had been standing her body would be in the weyr bowl broken and lifeless now. Her eyes widened as she looked between the two again.

"I've been what? B-but what about my duties!? It'll take weeks to bring someone new up to speed on how things are done!"

She couldn't have. She couldn't have been searched. She'd been at the weyr working around search riders day in and day out but she'd never been noticed before now. What made them think she could do it any way? All she could do at this point was woooo confused as her mind raced through trying to make sense of it.

[Elessar]

He didn't know she was smiling, but felt her relax. He still didn't know how he felt about her, especially when she settled down beside him. That was when he spoke with Maerath, however, and he suddenly felt a lot better inside.

S'bel understood Hanako's shock. "Your duties can be passed to another. Bringing them up to speed will not take that long. You could, of course, turn down the offer of Candidacy, but you wouldn't want to do that, would you?" A slight, wavering smile appeared on his face as he relived his own Impression to his wonderful dragon Maerath, whose eyes were almost completely free of red.

Standing up, S'bel turned to Hanako and offered her his hand. "I really have to thank you for coming. I feel much better, truly." Suddenly, he was glad she had lit a fire. It made the weyr much more cheerful. Maerath gave an approving bellow, startling S'bel into laughter.

"You seem to have pulled both of us out of our depression, Hanako, and for that I cannot thank you enough. You have what it takes to be a rider, if you wish to take the opportunity. You're strong-willed, unafraid, and above all, kind. You are what dragons look to when they wish to Impress."

[Jilli]

Would she want to deny the candidacy? Of course she would! She belonged where she was. It was her job to look after Iirla and technically all of the weyr. They needed her! It was change. She didn't like change! Her heart beat sounded loud in her ears, and far too fast. She looked up at him to answer and stopped. He was smiling. A bit wavers, but it was there. She didn't want to see that smile leave again so she have him a tremulous smile back and took his hand allowing him to help her back to her feet.

"I suppose you're right s'bel. Even though I think you're both mad for even suggesting it.". As he thanked her and his dragon shouted she jumped a little, wondering if they both might be a little bi-polar.

" I didn't do anything."she said looking down self consciously. His hand on hers was warm and she blushed as he gave her compliments following up with she was just what dragons were looking for. She looked up as his voice faded, not sounding like s'bel any more . His face swam in her vision forming instead to her Garrick. It was him saying the words. Her smile faltered and her hand tightened in his, she blinked for a moment and he was s'bel again.

What was that?

[Elessar]

He knew she would want to decline at first, but that eventually she would give in. Hanako took her job seriously... but being a dragonrider was an honor... an honor that S'bel took seriously. If she tried to deny Candidacy, he would not allow it! She gave him a smile, however, in return for his own rather shaky one, and allowed him to help her to her feet.

"Of course I'm right!" He responded, eyes flashing with the same fire that they used to have. "And we're all a little mad here. Surely you've learned that by now?" She jumped as Maerath bugled, and his smile strengthened.

At her next words, he raised his eyebrows. "Of course you did. You came in here and showed me that there's a future to this Weyr... whether Iirla loves me or not." His words hardened, but he shook his head. "We can't leave. Not now that we've seen that life will carry on, and new life will be born here in the Weyr. And trust me... we were seriously considering leaving."

She blushed, and he could tell that her mind was somewhere else. As her hand tightened in his, he frowned. "Hanako, are you okay?" He asked, genuine concern in his voice for his new friend. "What happened?"