Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was a warm day, and Lerath launched himself smoothly into the air and beat his way aloft without difficulty, despite V’al’s added weight and the gusty wind filling the weyrbowl. As always, he attributed his success to his cleverness. Although none of his clutch mates had serious trouble with flight (even shy, hesitant Dynith) he credited his skill in the air not to being a light and deft blue, but to his habit of holding his wings open as a hatchling. The practice had sometimes vexed his V’al, but Lerath’s insistence that the practice would give him more stamina in flight was too unequivocating to be subdued. Pleased with his ability, Lerath weaved a technical pattern in the air.

Do you plan on getting us to the lake today? V’al asked after a minute or so of this. His wasn’t an affectionate sort, but Lerath knew better than to hear his young rider’s stiff tones with an offended ear. In fact, he rather appreciated V’al’s practicality. It seemed to get him in trouble with others at times, but Lerath had no qualms about brusque questions, being one to ask them himself.

It is good to test the patterns we’ve learned. was his response, but his path evened out and angled toward the lake. He wondered on the approach how far he might delve below the surface were he to stoop from a great height. While he imagined tucking his wings in and diving, however, V’al’s voice came to him again, in a stronger tone. We’re landing on the shore first. I have no intention of drowning.

Lerath gave a sigh but did as bade, landing with a bit of a jounce on the lakeside. He crouched, somewhat impatient, while V’al removed the riding straps. He had insisted he could fly without being so foolish as to drop his own rider, but V’al had no patience for the risk, despite their midnight flight some time ago. Finally freed, he released his anxiousness by launching into the air, and after some flaps to center himself over deep water, diving hastily into the waters.

V’al trudged up the soggy bank and dropped the leathers in the grass where the water would molder on it. No sooner had he turned to seat himself and watch Lerath play did a bronze begin a stoop for the lake. He cocked his head, studying the impressive sight with his ever-squinted eyes, and all his stillness made his amusement at the sudden cry of the bronze’s protesting rider hidden. Who is that? He couldn’t recall the bronze’s hide pattern, though he was usually good about keeping track of dragons and riders of his weyr. Lerath would know though. Lerath had an uncanny sort of memory, especially for a dragon, and especially for a blue.

I do not know, the blue answered, breaking the surface of the water to watch the bronze and haplessly swimming rider. His eyes shimmered wet and green in the hot air. At the bronze’s cry of greeting he answered his own – a less resounding and brassy sound, but earnest. Yes, Mine and I stay here. My name is Lerath and he is V’al. Where are you from, and what were you searching for? The plants? he asked in a voice too curious for niceties, though he hardly seemed intentionally rude.

V’al continued to sit and watch as the bronzerider swam to shore. He scratched his arm idly as the older man climbed out of the gentle lake’s waves and began stripping his clothes. By the time the man bothered to acknowledge him, he was quite adjusted to his role as a spectator and answered in a lax sort of way, “Yeah. Good and hot. Your clothes should dry out pretty fast at least.”

We haven’t found any yet, dainty footed or not. Lerath dipped his wings slowly into the dark waters, as if flying in slow motion through the deep dark waters. His chat, however, was interrupted by the bronze’s rider from the shore. As the larger bronze turned away he dipped his head below the water and with a surge of his wings, swam fluidly in his wake. V’al was successful as he was determined to teach him patience, and Lerath had no mind to sit and wait idly in the water while he still had questions to ask. He lingered offshore though, not wanting to end his bath just yet.

V’al gave a mild nod of agreement. Yes, the Southern continent was hot – but there was only so much to be said about the weather. Besides, the bronze had arrived and he didn’t want to talk over H’ex’s chore. He settled for watching the man unfasten the straps and note a more experienced and efficient pattern in the removal that he planned to copy with Lerath. He had no trouble with the harnesses of course, but speed was–




V’al gaze snapped to the bronze’s eyes and one eyebrow cocked itself halfway to his hairline. “He is that,” he said in a calm voice despite his utter surprise. Well, of course Lerath was a fine blue, in the same way the grass was green and the Benden wine sweet, but more importantly he hadn’t expected a bronze to up and tell him so personally. Besides Lerath and the rare chatty lesson dragons that spoke collectively to his weyrmates, dragons didn’t speak to him. Even the blue that had searched him had only stared and given him an eerie feeling, but he had done so in silence.

Lerath, however, had been showing signs of chattiness. He usually didn’t bother with many people, instead pestering other dragons half to death for answers, but a few times he’d spoken out, as this bronze was now, directly to humans.

“I’m fine,” he answered belatedly, remembering he’d been asked a question, and gave a form dip of his head to the bronze by reflex. “And yourself?”