Long Way Down }{ Redd's Joelle

[danaphantom]

He wasn't quite sure how he had gotten here.

Then again, these days there was very little that Tariv was sure about. He was sure that there was nothing right with the world. He was sure that there was nothing but pain and misery. He was sure that the drop before him was a long way down.

The Wherless man had been wandering for quite some time. If he really put himself to it, he would be able to recall seeing at least one sunrise. Maybe two? That hadn't quite been his intention; indeed, the man had very little intentions one way or the other at any given time. Wandering out of the Weyr and going for a hike seemed like a good idea at the time, whenever that thought had occurred. The idea that he should return hadn't quite surfaced in his mind.

Tariv now found himself peering down the deep chasm to the river below, an almost-thought coming to him about what would happen if he fell. Would it kill him? Would the water cushion his fall? Would he wash up downstream, battered, broken... still alone?

It was very near twilight, and the light made the normally nocturnal ex-Wherhandler bleery and disoriented. Coherent? Far from it. So, for the moment (or was it longer?) he simply stared down at the water below... unmoving, stiff, corpselike, but still alive.

[lredd011]

"Black, blacker, blackest,
And cold beyond frozen things.
Where is between when there is naught
To Life but fragile dragon wings?"

Joelle sang softly as she rode along on the back of Kohana who navigated the rocky surface of the gorge with ease. (After all, he had four legs, rather than just two). Momo the terrier trotted along out in front of them, nose in the air, ready to alert them if he found anything of interest. It was getting dark - almost all the color in the sky had faded to purple-black, and it would soon be too dark to see. Joelle was about to give Kohana the signal to turn back towards home, when suddenly Momo began barking and dashed out towards a nearby cliff's edge which overlooked the river below. Joelle's eyes searched the ever darkening expanse of land in front of them, finally finding the dark figure of a man.

Momo, now upon him, looked up at the man, tail wagging. He barked at him, trying to get his attention. When this didn't work, he tugged as his pant leg, trying to get him to step back from the chasm, growling a little bit for good measure. It was as if he could somehow sense the darkness in the man's soul. Joelle finished tying Kohana up to a fallen, decaying tree, and began to navigate her way over to Momo and the mysterious man.

"Hey, Mister!" she called. Now upon him, she took a place beside him at the chasm, and followed his line of sight to the river below, peering down just as he did. "What're we lookin' at?" she asked, looking from him, to the river down below, back to him again, and then finally settling again on the river below.

She didn't know who this man was (and even if she did, it was getting too dark now to really be sure). Not that it really made a difference to her, if she knew him or not. Joelle had never really been wary of strangers. And she tended to miss subtleties. Like if people wanted to be left alone, for instance. The idea that this man had removed himself from the Weyr and was alone by choice had never really crossed her mind. "Yep. Sure is a loooong way down..." she added after a moment. Not really getting what all the fuss was about, she turned to face him. "Welp, it's gettin' pretty dark now. I think I best be moseyin' along here pretty soon. Where ya headed?" She cocked her head to the side, squinting to get a better look at him. "Well Mister?"

Momo continued to bark, a low whine escaping his throat every so often. While Joelle remained oblivious about his situation, Momo was being more proactive, continuing to tug at the man's pant leg until he decided to come back to reality.

[danaphantom]

It was rather remarkable how long it took before Tariv realized there was a dog at his feet. It took even longer for the man to realize the canine was... making noise and doing something.

What was this.

He stared at the dog, half-tempted to kick the terrier off into the river below. He wouldn't do it. Sure, he was feeling violent, destructive. Suicidal. But the Wherless man would not burden others with his pain.

No.

His feelings, his thoughts, his world, all were his and his alone. It always had been, and this would be no different. Even with Z'marin... he was still alone. It was better that way.

Suddenly he was aware of the girl that was talking to him. Where did she come from. What was she saying.

They weren't questions; they were barely thoughts. As Tariv stared at her, he seemed emotionless. Almost. His heavy brow would always hold a glower, his scarred face would always seem fierce.

"Your dog," was all he said at first, still just staring at Joelle. His voice was rough from disuse - just as he had no idea how long he had been away from the Weyr, he had no idea when the last time was that he had spoken. Despite his apparent obliviousness, he realized those two words would not be enough. She would continue to pester him.

"I like the night better anyway."

[lredd011]

Joelle, head cocked to the side, frowned when the man finally did look at her, eyes blank and emotionless. It was creepy. Unsettling. He finally spoke, though it took Joelle several moments to understand what he had said. Her eyes widened slightly in realization as she looked down to see Momo tugging at his pant leg, whining and growling. A wide grin appeared on her face; she was quite pleased with herself that she had translated his cryptic speech. "Oh, Momo? Yes, isn't he great?! Wow, he sure has taken a liking to you, Mister!!" Oh. Right. Nevermind. It wasn't that she was slow....it was just that...she always assumed the best scenario first. "Oh! No Momo, bad Momo! Sit!." Momo relented with a whine, sitting immediately. "Good boy," she said with a satisfied nod.

"I like the night better anyway."

Joelle frowned again. Another cryptic message. This one even more cryptic than the first. Rather than trying to figure it out, she decided to try again.

"Well yeah, the night is great and all. But not out here all by yourself with the wildcats and the tunnelsnakes and not an ounce of protection. Why don't ya come with me? It's no problem at all, promise! No skin off my nose at all!"

She studied the man again. His eyes were vacant, distant. Was he crazy? Deranged? Homeless? He could use a proper bath, that was for sure. But to Joelle, it really made no difference. Whoever he was, he should not be this far away from the Weyr at nightfall with no other company. It was settled then. She would make it her mission to get him back to Solace...Or , in Faranth's great name, she would not leave his side!

[danaphantom]

He was pretty sure she was insane.

Then again, coming from a man that could barely comprehend the babble escaping her, this theory did not hold much water. She did get the yappy-thing to be quiet. That was quite a feat. So maybe he didn't hate her.

Maybe.

Had Tariv been capable of humor, he likely would have laughed at her mention of wildcats. Did she not see? Sure, it was getting dark, but... were normal humans really that blind? Or were his scars really not that blatantly caused by felines?

"I've taken them on before." Nevermind he nearly died the first time, and every other time had been...

No. He had nothing left. Not even fear.

"Go before you are late. You should not be late." He turned back to the gorge, staring down at the water, but certainly not about to jump. At least, he didn't look like he was going to.

[lredd011]

Joelle was certainly not a "normal human." Things like outward appearances didn't really hold that much for her, and so she didn't spend all that much time studying them. Perhaps if it had been a little lighter, his scars would have been more apparent to her, and she might have made the connection. But then, again, maybe not...

"Well, that may be true, but that doesn't mean you should have to take them on again. Not alone, anyways."

Joelle had already made up her mind that she wasn't going to leave him alone. He seemed not quite in his right mind. Not that she was ever in her right mind...but never mind that. She had made her decision and she was sticking to it.

"Oh, that's ok. I don't really have anything I need to get back to right away. Plus, if I'm gunna stand at another wher clutch, I better start gettin' used ta the late hours! So I think I'll just set up camp here."

She had no idea that the man she was talking to was once a Wherhandler. He would know all to well the schedule that a Wherhandler kept.

Having decided that she was going to be there for a while, Joelle looked around, and spotting a nice large rock with a semi-flat surface, she took a seat. She leaned back casually with her arms stretched out behind her. She was still close enough to have a conversation with the man, though she knew it would be pretty one-sided. But then, she was used to that by now.

"Say - what's your name, Mister? If we're gunna be buddyin' up for the night, I figure we might as well get acquainted, dontcha think? I'm Joelle."

Momo barked, clearly displeased that he was being left out from the introductions. With a laugh, she added, "Sorry, boy! And that's Momo, of course. But you already sorta met him...And just over yonder," she pointed in the direction of the large, all-black runner beast, "is Kohana." She turned back towards the man, looking at him inquisitively, and waited for him to offer his name to her.

[danaphantom]

What.

No, no, no, this couldn't happen. This wasn't him being alone. Contemplating with so few neurons firing. But something she said brought him back, firing on all cylinders. Wher clutch.

"You shouldn't. Stay wherever you are. It will save you from trouble." If he couldn't have his... his Tarisk, then no one could have theirs. It wasn't fair. His fists clenched, a wave of anger washing over the Wherless man. He suddenly felt like beating something, but all that was within reach was rock. So he simply stood there, simmering.

She was asking him for his name. Deciding they would be friends. No. He didn't want that.

"Go back to your Hold. Find some boy. Marry him. Have lots of kids. Leave me alone. Leave the Whers alone." Despite any objections Joelle might have, Tariv turned and began to shuffle towards the Weyr. He didn't go fast - it had been days since he had eaten properly and he was exhausted. Regardless, he attempted to flee.

[lredd011]

He looked...angry. But why? What had she said? Well, at least he was showing emotion. That was something, right? Joelle actually found his anger a lot less disconcerting than the empty shell she had been trying to converse with before. But he was still talking nonsense. And then...wait, where was he going? She had just decided to stay and now he was leaving? Well, she better follow him to make sure he got to his destination safely. You just never know this time of night.

Joelle jumped up and went after him, Momo right on her heels, barking after the both of them. She quickly untied Kohana and led him behind her. Kohana snorted in protest at being yanked around so hastily, but went anyways. He didn't much like being out here in the dark. Too many noises. Joelle caught up with him easily, as his gait was sort of slow and awkward.

"Hey, mister! What're ya talkin' about? I'm not even from a Hold. And, what do ya mean 'leave the whers alone'? You sure do talk funny. You speak in riddles. But like I was asking, what's wrong with the whers?"

[danaphantom]

Tariv halted suddenly when Joelle caught up to him, turning on her. He whipped around with a surprising quickness considering his previous lethargy; unless Joelle flinched away or fled, she would find the scarred face of the Wherless man within inches of her own. His blue-gray eyes peered at her with a surprising sharpness and clarity for all the half-finished thoughts and winding, quizzical remarks.

"The Whers are wonderful," he said quietly, before his voice suddenly became loud. "Don't you dare ever think that there is something wrong with them! Nothing! You don't deserve to be with the Whers if you are going to sully their name like that!"

Tariv certainly felt on the brink of tears, though on his face all there would be was a mask of anger. Just as quickly as he had turned on Joelle, he turned away, quietly muttering "Tarisk..." to himself as he resumed his meandering back towards his quarters within the Weyr. At least there he could lock out all the distractions.

[lredd011]

Joelle, indeed, nearly ran straight into the man when he quite suddenly stopped and turned to face her. She found herself almost nose to nose with him and her heart skipped a couple beats as he gazed at her for a moment. And then he finally began to speak - no, he was yelling now - oh Faranth, why was he yelling!? Joelle opened her mouth to protest, but could not. She could only stare at him, wide-eyed, as he tore into her. And then he turned away from her and began to shuffle off again, muttering something, though Joelle could not be sure what he had said.

Momo growled lowly, upset at the way this strange man had treated Joelle. Joelle hushed him and stared after the man for a moment, blinking, trying to figure out what had just happened. Obviously her mention of the Whers had set him off. But why had he taken such offense? She hadn't meant it that way at all. It was just, she didn't understand what he meant when he said, "Leave the Whers alone." Once she was over the initial shock of the man's angry outburst, she clicked her tongue to get Kohana to move forward with her and again trailed the man's heels, yelling after him. It was clear he knew something about Whers. Which sparked Joelle's interest in Tariv all the more.

"Hey! Hey wait up! I don't get it! I didn't mean to upset you. I just....What did ya mean, "Leave the Whers alone?" I don't think there's anything wrong the Whers at all, I think they're great! That's why I want to Impress one. So why should leave 'em alone?"

[danaphantom]

She was like a gnat. Constantly buzzing around and immune to swatting. No matter how many times he tried to squish her, Joelle just kept chasing after Tariv.

And now he was starting to get really angry.

It had been several turns since he had really lashed out, though the aggression innate to the man had never left him. At times it had been redirected - rather than hate the drudge that had insulted him, instead he focused it on attacking Thread - others it was merely bottled up. More commonly, the presence of his Wher and her unending kindness was enough to quell whatever harsh feelings were boiling inside him.

Too bad for Joelle the temperance his Green offered did not stay after her departure.

When she approached with her latest bout of questions, it was the straw that broke the burdenbeast's back. Hopefully Joelle had some good reflexes... otherwise she would find a rather heavy fist ramming into her jaw in Tariv's last-ditch effort to shut her up.

[lredd011]

Joelle staggered backwards from the force of the Tariv's fist meeting her jaw. Had the sturdy frame of Kohana not been behind her, she might have fallen backwards onto the ground. Kohana snorted in surprise and tossed his head into the air. Momo lurched forward in between Joelle and the evil man that had just brought harm to his sweet Joelle and began snarling and growling, baring his teeth. If he took so much as another step towards her, he would be losing some appendages next time!

Ouch. That smarted. Joelle held her jaw in her hand and stared at the man, speechless. Joelle didn't really ever cry, but her large, deer-like eyes shone with tears out of sheer pain and shock. Ok. So maybe she had come off a little too strong...But sheesh, she was only trying to help! Obviously he didn't want her help. He could have at least told her a little more nicely that he wasn't interested. But that was too little too late.

Although Joelle was a forgiving person by nature, that didn't mean she would take crap for anyone. She had been caught off guard by his fit of rage. Well, he was sure to be equally surprised with how angry she could get too.

"It's ok, Momo. I can handle this." Momo backed off a little bit, though he stayed nearby for sure, low growls escaping his throat in warning. She stepped closer to Tariv until she was right in his face. "Look, Mister. I don't know what your problem is. I don't know what unfortunate event has made you this way. But that little outburst right there? That just shows me I made you feel something. Why are you trying so hard not to feel anything? Huh? Do you want to be a grumpy, old shell of a man for the rest of your Faranth-given life? Huh? Is that what you want? Well I don't buy it! I just don't accept that! Blocking it all out, that's the easy way out! Coward!" she practically spat in his face.

Now Joelle was angry. And Joelle didn't get angry that easily. She knew there was nothing she could do to help the man, which is what bothered her the most. People like that...they couldn't be helped until they decided they wanted to be helped. Until they decided they wanted to feel again. Now Joelle was a rather naive girl. She hadn't experienced a lot of the world yet. And perhaps she had no idea what she was talking about when she had yelled at the man. But she was not immune to loss, to heartbreak, to whatever this man had experienced. It touched everyone in their lives, sooner or later. But you get to control how you respond to that which you cannot control. Obviously Joelle and Tariv were on opposite ends of the spectrum on how they responded to certain events in their lives.

Now it was Joelle's turn to stalk off in anger towards the Weyr. She grabbed Kohana's reins once more and yanked him forward. Momo gave another snarl at the man for good measure and trotted after Joelle, staying close to her side. Maybe this wouldn't be the last time Tariv and Joelle would cross paths. And Joelle, deep down, when she had time for her mind to clear, would likely feel compassion for the man again, though she didn't know him. Though right now her anger towards the man masked any sympathy she felt for him. "Pathetic," she muttered to herself as she stalked off, rubbing her throbbing jaw. Joelle had never made friends easily. But this one probably took the cake.

[danaphantom]

A snarl that almost matched Momo's came from Tariv, though his was relatively weak compared. He was tired, he hadn't eaten, he had barely slept. But it didn't matter now, as anger coursed through him, the rage empowering him.

It didn't matter what she said, every single sound that left Joelle's mouth just added wood to the fire, until the Wherless man was ready to take another swing. By the time he snapped again, he found fist meeting air... and the candidate already several Dragonlengths away.

Good riddance.

With a grunt, he plopped down upon the stones, waiting for her to get some good distance ahead. This place... he didn't like this place anymore. But he would do whatever he could to keep away from that... thing. Person. Whatever.