Learning Something New - Accidently [Sobi and Zacha]

IC Time: Month 9, Late Winter
IC Setting: Caldera Caves [Whers 7 Months Old Now]

Ever since the day a stripped bronze wher had stumbled over to her, Sobi had discovered a joy for the night and for exploring. She and Sobisk went out as often as they could manage to explore near the many caves that littered near Caldera. As always when it was this late and so fare from the settlement, Sobi couldn't see anything - Sobisk could. She envied her wher the ability but was happy he'd often warn her of an obsticle before she encountered it. She imagined it would be interesting to see as the bronze did and often thought about how exactly that would work.

Whirling eyes turned her way as the ever-growing figure at her side turned his head to look at her. Sobisk's wish to see?

Sobi blinked as the wher paused while he spoke, forcing her to stop with him. She considered his strange question for a long moment before nodding. "Yes, Sobisk, I'd enjoy seeing things the way you do. It must be so different then how I see."

The bronze snorted, before falling silent for a long moment. When he extended his mind to Sobi's the next time, with it came a flash of image causing the bronze to start in alarm and Sobi's eyes to widen. 'What was that?'

The bronze stared at her. Sobisk doesn't know. Was trying to show his Sobi what he saw. The bronze grew silent again before speaking once more, his tone leaking concern. Sobisk's alright?

Sobi nodded. "I'm fine, dearling, that was just strange. So what I saw was what you see?" When the bronze nodded Sobi's eyes widened again. What was it they'd stumbled across and could other whers do it? Maybe the whers were enough like dragons and firelizards that they could project images as well as their thoughts and feelings. That would certainly make sense, but it was still a suprise. She only had to test her theory to see if she was correct. "Sobisk, dear, try that again okay? And this time, try and hold it."

The bronze grew silent before gruffly barking his assent to her request and reaching his mind out again to the one he'd chosen.

Suddenly the world around Sobi was no longer dark. Everything looked clear as if it was midday and she could navigate without running into anything. It was certainly different than how she saw, and the longer Sobisk held the merge - or whatever it was he was doing - the more her head began to hurt. Finally she held up a hand to get the bronze's attention. "Sobisk, drop the image." Immediately the world faded back to black and the headache lessened somewhat but didn't completely go away. Sobi's eyes were bright with excitment despite this. She wanted to tell one of the other wherhandlers about what she'd discovered. Maybe the other whers could do this and they could use the ability to explore the caves and caverns near their settlement more safely. What a day!

These caves were as dark as they had been the first time Zachariah had been down here, but this time he didn't have a lantern with him; he had something better. Zask. The blue thoroughly enjoyed spending time down here, which didn't surprise Zacha, as the caves seemed to be the darkest place around and Zask hated the light. Hated it so much, in fact, that Zacha had taken on something of a nocturnal trait. Breakfast for him was everyone else's dinner, and his dinner was what others would call a very early breakfast. It was a very odd arrangement, and somewhat awkward too, because there weren't many other people who spent the night awake, and he was missing spending time with his friends.

It had been a difficult transition, but Zacha thought he'd gotten it under control now. Wake up around dusk (Zask was a good alarm clock), sleep a few hours after dawn. Zask usually went to sleep before then, but Zacha couldn't stand never seeing the sun high in the sky. It was a good enough arrangement, and even though Zacha had always adored the sun, he found being one of the only ones in the Caldera awake at night rather invigorating as well.

Often the blue pair spent their nights wandering around the Caldera, often spending time down at the lake where they both liked to swim. Tonight Zask had expressed a wish to venture down into the caverns, which vaguely confused Zacha, as usually Zask only wanted to go there during the daytime when Zacha wanted to be awake, as it was dark at all hours. Still, who was he to say no to Zask?

So it was that they were wandering about with no particular intention down in the Caverns. Zask seemed content to walk silently, and so Zacha did as well, letting his mind drift. He was virtually blind down here, but he'd learned to rely on Zask; a light hand on the wher's back was all he needed. There was also the blue's way of seeing that he would happily show his handler, but Zacha found that quite confusing. It was so odd...everything were different shades of blue and purple, orange and red, not like the real world at all. It sure was a nice way to be able to see everything though, but he simply couldn't get used to it, so Zask, by request, didn't show him unless he asked; Zacha found it easier to acclimate to the strange sight in small steps.

"Sobisk, drop the image."

Zachariah was startled to hear a voice so close to them, and he immediately reached his mind out to Zask's. Zask? Immediately the blue relayed his sight to his handler, and Zacha blinked in bewilderment; he could never get used to that. Also disconcerting was how he had double sight - he could still see the thick blackness with his eyes, and yet there was a detailed picture in his head as well. This one showed two figures in varying shades of red and orange amongst the dark purple caves: one human and one wher. Sobisk, the feminine had said - that would make it Bronzehandler Sobi. He'd never really talked to her, though of course he knew her.

It was so odd, he mused, how people, anything alive, came up red, while other things were varying hues of blue. What made them different? The boiling pools were red too...the hot pools...the hot pools! Oh, shells! Duh! It was heat! Red meant heat, like body heat, and blue was cold. Well, that made sense...he felt a bit dense for having known about this sight for a couple months and not having worked it out.

Zask was already bounding forward to nuzzle his bronze brother. Hello, Sobisk! Zask glad you here. Zacha smiled an unseen grin into the darkness where Sobi's red figure still stood in his mind. Zask, drop it, okay? and the blue snatched the image away. Darkness was there, but he knew where the other wher pair was, and stepped towards it. "Hi, Sobi," he greeted, not daring enough to reach out to shake her hand or anything, considering he couldn't see it. Remembering what she'd said earlier, he added, "Sobisk been showing you images? Zask's done the same for me, though I find it really confusing...I just tell him not to show me unless I tell him to." Pause. Think. Remember manners. "Zacha and Zask, by the way. So what are you two doing down here?"

Sobisk turned first to face the blue that had hatched at the same time as him. Greetings Zask. Sobisk requests Zask not bounce around so much. Makes Sobisk nervous.

Sobi sighed. "He was just being friendly Sobisk." She turned to the handler. "And that makes you Zacha, but you said that. I'm Sobi and this large monster of a bronze at my side is Sobisk. He's a handful, but give him time and he's a good one." Sobi ran a hand through her hair then over her eyes to try and ease her headache. "And yes Sobisk has been showing me images. He wanted me to see as he did. It's an interesting experience but it makes my head hurt." Her eyes lit up and she extended her hand and shook Zacha's without seeming to pause to find it. "It's nice to meet a fellow wherhandler. Have you been sharing sight with Zask for long? When did you figure it out? Do you get headaches too?" She was excited about this clearly as well as curious.