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 Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 12:54 pm
 L'cian was nearly finished tanning the skin when his great dragon stirred from his sleep, blue eyes settling upon the small figure of his rider. Crooning gently he moved to stand, eyes half lidding as he stretched each muscle in turn. Then suddenly Tallith felt something he hadn't in a long time, and curved back his elegant head.
I itch. He announced bluntly, extending his right wing to it's full, a slither of flaky skin appearing around the curve of one great shoulder.
L'cian looked up at his dragons exclamation, moving quickly over to investigate the dry patch of hide and cursed silently, moving over to touch the rough patch with his fingertips.
"I should have noticed this before Tallie." He muttered, "hang on, I'll get the oil."
Moving away from his beast he entered his own quarters, turning sharply on his heel and reaching up to grab one of the clay pots he used to hold the oil. Being careful to select the correct one - for he didn't intened to use numbweed on his beast - he returned promptly to his dragon.
Would it be easier for you to mount? Tallith asked, raising his right foreleg to act as a platform.
"Most likely." L'cian nodded, taking the offered leg and bringing himself up to sit between the reddish coloured neck ridges, which ran the line along his dragon's spine.
"Okay move your wing back a little."
Tallith did so and let out a deep croon of relief as the sweet smelling oil was rubbed into his hide. It wasn't long before his eyes had lidded completely, and the room was filled with the pleasant humming from the relaxed dragon.
"Do I get a massage next dear one?" L'cian beamed down at his dragon, working the oil against the rough patch of brown hide until it was once again smooth.
If you don't mind getting scratched by my claws. Tallith replied with slight amusement. His rider chuckled, patting his beast's neck affectionately before replacing the lid on the jar and sliding down Tallith's shoulder.
"The hide is almost completely dry, it took a lot of work but it was worth it." He turned a loving gaze upon his dragon and reached up a hand to lay on his muzzle. "I have you to thank for that, mighty hunter." He grinned and his dragon nodded his great head.
You like fur, I like meat. We work together to get what we want. The dragon yawned, and raised himself off the ground, padding out onto the ledge to inspect the tanning fur and the surroundings.
"I'm going to get washed up." L'cian called out to him before retreating into his own quarters once more.
The brown acknowledged this and moved to sit himself on the ledge, something exciting was going to happen soon, he could feel it and so could all the other dragons of Rias Weyr.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:06 am
 Ariath's flight
this account is only from Tallith's point of view, for the complete story go here ==> Queen's flightThe water was soothing to say the least, and after a hard day's work was welcomed eagerly by the tired Wingsecond. His grey eyes had fallen closed shortly after entering the warm envelope of the bathing pool and his rhythmic breathing suggested he was more than just resting his eyes.
Things in the Weyr had been a lot busier than usual, people dashing about like headless wherries. The dragons too had changed in demeanour, obviously noticing the increasing gold shine of their queen. Just because it was only the bronzes who flew the gold didn't seem to effect the others' excitement. He had been given regular updates on her health by Tallith at every available moment, and it was quite obvious he was not going to let go of his "crush" anytime soon.
A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as he shifted drowsily, opening his eyes a little to gaze up at the rocky ceiling above him. It was a strange fact that his brown never really did take much interest in greens. Truth be told in all the twelve turns of life his dragon had taken interest in no more than four greens.
L'cian decided that this was most likely his own fault, his craving for ambition had reached his dragon and had made him the same as him - perhaps even worse. His brown would never be as virile and lustful as a bronze, but it only meant that he preferred one dragon over the others for a lengthy amount of time.
The brown rider realised this could also have been his fault, for he had never been the one to like attention from too many people. He also found it difficult to make friends with others who he would consider weyrmates. For the first time since the Impression L'cian was aware of just how much the brown had adapted to make him happy. This once again proved his point that if someone had a dragon as a friend then they needed no other.
His dragon's sudden bellow dragged the rider from his half-awake state. Jumping up from his slumped position he cracked the top of his head against the low sloping ceiling and cursed.
"What was that for?" He demanded through teeth gritted from pain.
Rubbing furiously at the bump he was sure to get, he nudged back the curtain with one hand and entered his own quarters, pausing beside his bed to get dressed.
Ariath, she shines!
The rider paused and turned his head to blink in a confused manner, his head tilting to the side in silent question. "Of course she does you silly beast, she's nearly ready to rise, I would have thought you knew that as much as the bronzes." He joked, tugging the loose shirt over his head.
She shines more brilliantly than before, she rises to mate!
It was then that the rider noticed the purple tinge to his dragon's eyes and he cursed again, "Shells! Tallith don't you go getting any ideas." It definitely wasn't hard to imagine what his dragon was thinking of at that particular moment.
Why not?
"We've had this conversation before, remember?" L'cian began feebly, sighing at the slight tilt of the dragon's head. Obviously any trace of that conversation had been conveniently wiped from Tallith's mind.
The dragon suddenly tensed, stretching out his wings and craning back his head to the ledge of their weyr. Siventh goes. He said in such a manner that it reminded L'cian of a child who was being denied something he had been waiting for all his life.
With a dejected sigh, L'cian turned to finish dressing knowing how stubborn his dragon was and realising that he would lose this battle. It didn't take too long before the bellows of the bronzes could be heard as they chased down a herdbeast of their own.
Knowing it wouldn't be too long before his dragon was completely enticed into the flight, he knew he had to hurry. The brown was getting impatient, his large form had shifted so he was standing on the very verge of the ledge, his great eyes focused on the bowl before him.
"Think you can give me a lift?" The rider beamed, it was his one duty in life to make his dragon happy, and if this would do so then who was he to stop him? The dragon gave a loud rumble deep in his chest, and before L'cian could say anything had scooped him up in his front claws, having no patience to wait any longer than was necessary.
"Hey-" His protest was cut off as the dragon leapt from the ledge, spreading his colossal wings so that they could soar gracefully down to the bowl. The brown circled it once, setting L'cian down with the small collection of people before letting the lust begin to grow in his mind and body. His rider was safe and finally he could let what comes natural to any male dragon during a flight - whether it be green or gold.
With a loud bugle of challenge, the dragon launched himself once more, diving straight towards the bowl, talons outstretched and ready to catch and blood his kill.
It didn't take him long before he had snatched at the hind legs of a terrified animal, sending it reeling across the ground, it?s eyes wild with fright. Tallith was on it before the creature realised, snapping it's weak little neck and sucking greedily at it's vulnerable throat.
Only when he heard Ariath's brassy scream of anger did he leave the bowl, flying up to wait beside the rest, purple eyes focusing on the brilliant queen as she attacked again and again, waiting for the moment she would throw down the last beast and rise up.-----The brown lowered his head, leaning forwards from where he was perched on the edge of the rim, head tilted to one side so that he could watch the golden queen feast upon the throats of the herdbeasts. He saw not the blood that pooled the dead creature's throat nor the great golden jaws that now dripped with the crimson fluid. He simply admired her strength, and her hunger to feed and the way her body seemed to glow with a luminescence that out shone even the sun.
The purple tinge in his eyes increased, his large orbs whirling with sheer lust for the golden beauty not too far away from him. It took all his strength not to call out to her and bugle his emotions to the sky. No green had ever made him feel quite like this, that was for sure.
L'cian too, was being swept away in the sudden increase of his dragon's emotions, deciding it was futile to fight against them when they felt this strong. It was only then that it truly hit him; his brown was trying to fly a queen! He would have believed this was a dream if it hadn't been for the swell of emotions that swept through his own body at that particular moment.
Ariath's bugled challenge rang deafeningly in his ears as he felt himself becoming consumed by the lust of his dragon, both minds merging into one.
The queen spread her pinions, the great wingspan exceeding even the largest bronze - if only by a meter - her slender form would suit well in a flight, making her more agile than a more bulkier queen would be. Yes Tallith knew she would be the hardest challenge he had come across yet and he wanted to meet it, rise to overcome the greatest of hurdles.
With an answering bellow the brown watched as the queen leapt upwards, wing-membrane arching as they caught the warm thermals which aided her ascent.
In that moment the brown dragon forgot everything, he forgot the Weyr, he forgot the wingless ones, the other competitors and the rest of the observers as the queen took to the sky. Follow! That's what he had to do, follow and be cunning! He could outwit bronzes as easy as breaking the neck of a furry, he was sure of it!
He lowered his great form and leapt, colossal wings spreading wide to embrace the sky, welcoming it with an incredible and powerful thrust of his wings. The muscles in his neck and legs tensed as he forced himself upwards, searching for the help of thermals and relaxing a little as he found them, their warm caress adding to his growing desire.
His eyes burned an incredible purple, a colour that rarely touched his usually placid orbs, yet now they seemed to blaze with an incredible fire, one that would only die down once he had captured his prize.
The great brown glanced up just in time to see the golden queen snake her head round to view her pursuers and this heightened his determination to a whole new level. Yet even as his enthusiasm grew he noticed that the gold seemed to increase her speed, making sure to keep well out of reach. Yes she was as strong as he had believed, perhaps even more so, and he knew the challenge he had been waiting for had finally arrived.She would be a real prize this one!
The brown's confidence soared higher than even himself as he caught another thermal beneath curved membrane and twirled higher in the great blue sky. His mind had closed off the others around him leaving just him and the brilliant queen flying many dragonlengths ahead. She was toying with him, flirting with her pursuer...no...pursuers.
Tallith curved his sinuous neck to face the dragons that were flying around him, some slightly ahead and some behind. They were a mass of wings, brown and bronze working towards a goal that only one of them would achieve. He caught sight of a bronze rising up higher above him and recognised it as Zanilyth.
A lustful anger erupted into this usually docile and gentle beast as he craned his head around to hiss loudly at his competitors. They thought they could out fly him?! No, this dragon would not allow it!
He curved slightly on a wingtip to pull away from the string of males, searching for a thermal and roaring triumph as he was embraced and pulled further upwards.
A sudden stretch of cloud engulfed Ariath's slender and shining form, but as the brown came close to it he could make out the pale shine of her body between the wisps of cloud. Feeling renewed strength in this misted glimpse of his queen he gave an extra beat of his wings, pulling his glimmering mahogany body into the lower section of the cloud. For even though he was high, the golden queen was higher still.
His vision was momentarily washed out, a grey mass of moisture soaking his hide as he twisted his lithe form after the golden beauty. He inhaled deeply, the damp air cooling his lungs and propelling him further forward.
He exploded from the cloud seconds later, his dark and powerful form causing it to swirl about his body and wings, slinking back from him in fear as he broke away from its cover and once again into the open sky.
She turned quite suddenly, and with a move so graceful that the brown was once again lost in admiration for her. Tallith turned almost lazily, still quite a distance beneath and behind this queen. He had forgotten the rival dragons for now and simply made himself content to follow the queen in her graceful procession.
Yet the brown was becoming increasingly aware of how far he was behind her, for as he had said once to L'cian, no dragon can fly forever, even if one was driven by an incredible lust for such a beauty as Ariath.
Something needed to be done to close the gap between them before one of those pesky bronzes took it upon themselves to do so, or maybe that brown: the one he had considered a friend not long ago. On a mating flight however, there were no friends, Tallith would have no mercy and would show none to any dragon. Rank nor colour mattered to him at that moment and he hissed again, a warning sign to those he knew were still around him.
----------
Thanks to Tallith, L'cian had been dropped off on the ledge that had been reasonably close to the Weyrwoman's quarters and had made it there with not much difficulty. He had been there for quite some time now, and had already let himself become completely one with his dragon. It amazed him even now how fast his beast could fly and how much pride and confidence was stored beneath that velvety hide.
He felt the wind against his face as if he was there with his dragon, felt the emotions swell in his chest and cause his heart to race. The cloud blurred his vision as much as it did Tallith's and he felt the adrenaline race through him.
It was in these moments where rider and dragon truly were one, when he understood his dragon the best, he now knew what it was to fly high and fast, to chase one who was so much faster, bigger and stronger. He sincerely knew what it was to be a dragon and the experience was invigorating...to be continued...
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:07 am
 -- the flight continued...
Tallith had not realised that the bronzes would reply so fiercely to his rebuke but found himself somewhat heartened by this. Let those bronzes roar and make a fuss, let them fear a brown! What would they do if they were beaten by an impudent "lesser" dragon? If a dragon could chuckle it would have felt most appropriate to do so at that time.
He roared back, giving another great beat of his wings to propel him forwards, he did not like the fact that the bronzes appeared to be catching up, in fact he hated it! His snout wrinkled in the beginnings of a snarl at the images of those bronzes beating him to the chase. No, he would not let that happen. His mind had been racing so fast with these thoughts that he hardly even heard the other brown reply to his angry call, perhaps this was a good thing as his respect lay more with Siventh than any other.
Anymore thoughts he had on this matter were quickly eliminated as the queen once again made another teasing gesture. Her lithe golden form tumbled from the sky and his heart leaped with sudden excitement, this flight was far from over.
He waited with slight impatience as the gold flew beneath him and trumpeting his eagerness in this new turn of events the brown copied her motion, tucking his wings firmly against his back as his large form began to descend at a rapid speed. Eyes lidded over briefly, dulling the harsh glow of purple as he spread his wings once more, turning his fall into a gentle soaring.
Ah yes this gold was a cunning one, already finding a thermal and being whisked away upon it, yet that small manoeuvre had brought him closer to her, and he took it upon himself to trumpet this successful step. Raising his sinuous neck up so he could gaze at her glimmering form he copied her motion, taking it upon himself to fly the thermal and be raised into the sky once more.
With a sharp twist of his wings, Tallith brought himself into another horizontal course, making sure to stay lower in the sky than she. He would wait, he could wait, and he felt like he never wanted this to end. The large brown found himself wishing that a dragon could fly forever, on wings that never buckled, never tired, then this flight would never have to end. At this moment in time the brown dragon felt like he could continue this airborne dance for hours.
Then the queen looked back once more, her large and shining purple eyes scanning the skies for her persuers...for him!
It was a feeling not even the most absent-minded dragon would ever forget.
-----
L'cian was filled with a sudden renewal of strength, his own eyes gazing upon the golden queen's. In them he saw a challenge, a pride and nobility that was fit for a dragon of her stature. Tallith's strength mounted and joined with his own, making the rider completely unaware of his surroundings. He had no need to care about them either, the people around him, the place he was standing in...none of it was important, not when he was Tallith and Tallith was him. Not when the queen was growing closer.Tallith himself was tiring, and was struggling more than he would ever like to admit, yet there was an urgent plea in the back of his own dragon mind that kept him continuing onward towards her. If he let her get too far now then it would be too late and he would fail just as all expected him to.
Did a brown really have a place in a Queen's flight?
He growled, catching another thermal beneath the flimsy membranes of his spread wings and was once again whirled higher into the sky. There were no rules that said a brown could not fly, he was as large as any bronze here and he would make sure to at least put up a good fight.
Eyes burning a renewed purple he focused his attention once again on the beautiful queen ahead of him. She must also be feeling the fatigue of such a long flight, especially it being her very first one. Yes, she would definitely be a fine prize.
Suddenly she tumbled downwards, and although every part of him wanted to follow there was another that told him to be patient, and to wait. She wanted them to follow, to fall behind and be left in the empty sky to nurse a wounded ego. She would rise up into the air again he was sure.
As if the queen had read his mind her wings opened once more and sought out the thermals, her glittering body rising once again up into the sky. A sudden rise of excitement spread within him, his eyes focusing on the cloud just ahead and a small voice - perhaps that of his rider - told him to take the chance.
Holding back a roar of triumph the brown gave an extra beat of his tremendous wings and pulled himself further forwards, catching a thermal which whisked him up into the belly of the clouds. His brown hide was muted out against the paleness of the gathered moisture and turning his head downwards suddenly realised just how close the queen was. Did she realise he was there?
Take the chance, a voice murmured somewhere inside the great brown's head and folding in his wings he dropped the short distance towards her, inner-lids covering his large purple-whirling eyes and talons outstretched...Tallith's eyes whirled with an increasing glow of purple, as he angled his head to the side, wings tucked against him briefly as he fell; his talons outstretched.
In that brief moment his mind span, half expecting this to be another trick by the queen, and waiting for her to swerve out of the way or perhaps drop back so that he misjudged and tumbled past her.
He wasn't sure who was more surprised when his powerful brown talons gripped at her shoulders and with a fluid motion brought his head round to twine his neck about hers. There was no way he was ever going to let her go, she was his prize now, and the most beautiful one at that. Let the others keep their greens!
Then using the last of his remaining strength he spread his large wings and with great, rythmic sweeps tried to extend the flight as much as possible, thier bodies lowering in the azure sky as gently as falling leaves. Even as they began to descend the dragon felt his mind loosen, L'cian's conscience slowly draining and returning to his own body.
Vision returned to the rider, L'cian blinked slowly and found himself in a weyr, but not his own one that was for sure. His thoughts flitted briefly to his dragon who he was pretty sure was going to be as smug and cheerful for days to come. Yet anything else he might have thought about was swept from his mind as he felt Ephia move, and he returned her kiss with equal passion, strong arms tightening about her.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:09 am
 
Curling her body Ephia tugged the beddings closer around her, allowing only a few stray ebony curls to peek out. She had slept peacefully that night and all memories of the previous day were buried in the back of her mind while she slept. There wasn't a care in the world and she was quite happy with that and showed it with a small smile on her face.
Ariath was pleased as well as she slumbered on her ledge, curled around her new mate. Gold and brown were entwined together even as they slept, as if afraid they would loose one another should they part.
The rising sun would not allow the Weyrwoman to sleep much longer though as golden rays peeked into her weyr and upon her sleeping form, breaching the bedding covering her face. Slowly she awoke, green eyes opening to a new world for herself. Rolling over she came into contact with another body and was momentarily surprised until the memories of yesterday came flooding back.
The flight had been long and strenuous but it was wonderful in the end. Being her first flight Ephia had been easily overwhelmed by the lustful emotions that coursed through her body during the whom endevour and had been a bit...over zealous in bed last night, but nothing mattered now.
Grabbing the pillow which had been roughly tossed aside, Ephia fluffed it before resting her head on it and watched L'cian next to her while wondering about how the day's proceedings may turn out. True, the flight was something the Weyr needed, but what would people think of a brown catching the queen?
L'cian stirred in his sleep, shifting very slightly forwards under the fur and pressing his face more firmly into the pillow. A face that was usually seen so stern and guarded was now much softer and open in sleep, something that not many people could say they had seen.
Yet even as he slept peacefully there was a part of him that just couldn't relax, perhaps it was the unusual circumstances - that he was only partly aware of - that kept him from being completely restful. It was only moments after Ephia had awoken that he too, felt the rays of the sun as they brushed across his face and irritated his eyes.
Awareness returned somewhat slowly to his sleep-fogged mind as his eyes opened slowly and he became distinctly conscious to the fact that this wasn't his own weyr. A state of confusion was quickly replaced with a mild understanding, as he found himself gazing straight into a familiar woman's face. Ephia.
His mind was filled with many questions but being in such a confused state he was unable to put any into words, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably, aware of the silence which was starting to drag on a little too long.
Tallith however was quite unaware of his rider's discomfort, curled up tightly with the prize who had taken so much effort to catch. He slept more deeply than L'cian ever remembered and he doubted that the beast would stir for anything other than food.
Returning his attention quickly back to the young woman lying beside him he reached up to run fingers through his dark hair, not quite sure what to say in such a situation. A brown was not supposed to catch a queen, so how had this happened? He tried to put this into words, but all he managed to say was,
"How?" He winced inwardly at this lack of conversation, and what kind of greeting was that anyway? "I mean..." he tried to elaborate, "how did a brown catch Ariath?" A part of him wanted to accept it, but the more organised and logical part of his mind told him that it should have been impossible.
A smile crossed her face at L'cian's somewhat confussed expression. Moving a stray piece of her hair from her face she tucked it under her head. "That didn't seem to bother you last night." She teased before sitting up in the bed, the furs draping over her body just enough to cover her body. Using the pillow to sit against she looked out at the slumbering dragons. "But in answer to your question, I don't know, but is there a reason to ponder it?" Turning her gaze from the dragons she looked back at L'cian. "What hapened has happened. We can't change the past, not matter how much we wish we could."
A sigh escaped her, causing her chest to rise a bit and allowing some of the furs to slip down a bit futher, but she paid no heed. "Now we must push on with our lives and just hope things turn out for the best." She cocked her head slightly, causing loose curls to flow over her shoulders. "Do you wish that Tallith had never caught Ariath?" She asked simply, while her eyes bore into his.
He flushed very slightly at her teasing statement, coughing quietly and diverting his gaze for a brief moment whilst he fought to control his embarrassment. It wasn't his fault that the brown dragon acted like a hormonal teenager...or maybe it was. He decided it was best not to even go there, else he might make an even bigger fool of himself than he already had.
She shifted slightly beside him and drew his attention back to her, unconsciously tracing the lines of her slender form beneath the fur with his eyes. Oh no! he thought helplessly, Have Tallith's ways rubbed off on me? He snapped his attention quickly back to her words, nodding slowly in agreement, drawing himself up on one elbow. "I suppose you're right, no point worrying over something you have no control over." He muttered, trying to sound a little more optimistic. After all, mating flights were for the dragons, they were simply there to watch and...enjoy.
Then his eyes locked with hers as she asked the question that he had a feeling was coming, and his throat seemed suddenly thick. He wasn't sure what he had wanted to happen, he had never even considered that Tallith would catch the queen anyway. He had simply allowed Tallith to fly because he knew the dragon would not take no for an answer. Yet he could not deny the joy he had felt when linked with his dragon's mind, urging him to take his chances and try his best. Would he have been able to do all that if he had no feelings for the woman beside him?
Suddenly realising the long amount of time that had flowed by as he had been pondering on his answer he cleared his throat again, determined to speak his heart and not his mind. Let's face it, L'cian's mind was a bit confused at the moment and was probably not the wisest choice to go with.
"No, I would never wish that." He reached out, catching her hand in his. "If I felt so strongly against it, I'm sure that Tallith would not have succeeded," He fought against a faint blush that tickled at his features. "Plus if those two," he indicated with a tilt of his head, "wanted to be together, who are we to stand in their way?"
With a small nod Ephia smiled and looked back to the sleeping forms. "It's what they desire that seems to matter most, and I am pleased that Ariath is as happy as she is. Your Tallith appeared to be quite proud of himself." She noted quietly before her emerald gaze moved from the slumbering dragons to L'cian.
She watched the rider...no...Weyrleader for several minutes. The whole time she studied his posture and facial expressions and it was quite obvious he was worried about something.
Turning her head to face forward again she closed her eyes and spoke softly. "There will be those who will oppose you being Weyrleader but there is very little they can do about it. Tallith caught Ariath and proved himself worthy to be the dragon to mate with her and this should relfect upon your own person since it's both dragon and rider that carry out the flight. Besides, should they not approve they will not hear the end of it." She smiled lightly and turned her gaze back to him. "If Ariath doesn't get to them first I will see that they behave themselves, but I am sure you and Tallith can hold you own. Just don't let anyone bother you with any remarks they may have to say."
"Oh yes, he's very happy I can tell you." L'cian sighed and made a sidelong glance at the dragon, "I am never goning to hear the end of this that's for sure." The beginnings of a grin twitched at the corners of his mouth as he watched the slumbering dragon. Sure his ego was going to be inflated for a while, but he supposed his brown did deserve it. After all he had won against all odds and prooven himself to all of those who had been watching and participating.
He shrugged off these thoughts and with a small shake of his head returned attention once again to Ephia who had started to speak again. By the look on her face he could tell that what she wanted to say was a rather serious matter and he had a feeling he knew what it was going to be.
"It is only to be expected, and I'm sure if it had been the other way around I would have felt a little concerned and worried that a brown had caught the queen. To be honest I do feel a little apprehensive about the whole situation." He paused and his frown deepened, making him look a lot older than he actually was. "You know as well as I do the terrible times this Weyr has had to face and people took comfort in the fact that there would atleast be more bronzes and maybe even another queen egg in Ariath's first clutch."
He winced and drew in a deep breath, it had to be said; mainly to get the worries off his chest and out into the open, atleast this way they could be dealt with instead of remaining secret. "I do realise that your queen's flight was a long one and it was extremely good for her first, much better than anyone expected I should think." He gave a genuine smile, not wanting to trouble her for she had done nothing wrong, in fact none of them had done anything wrong. It was just the ways of life. "It is a fact that brown and gold matings do result in bronzes especially with such a good flight, but there will never be as many as there would be if a bronze had caught the queen."
He shrugged and shifted over onto his back facing the dragons with a distant look in his eyes. There were so many things to deal with, so many unexpected events, and all of these worries would never have exsited if Tallith had hatched a bronze.
However, Ephia was right and he knew he would have to deal with this, for the good of the Weyr, the Weyrwoman and himself. He smiled again, a small gesture that would probably have gone unnoticed by the untrained eye, atleast he knew the dragons were happy and he doubted there was a man or woman alive who would dare question a queen's taste in her mate.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:10 am
The dragon shifted, eyelids peeling back to reveal amazing blue eyes which glowed so brightly the rocks near his head reflected the colour within them.
The brown was content, fully and utterly happy, and there was something within him that had changed since capturing the queen in his strong talons. His ego had grown considerably, but there was also something else, something only his rider had noticed in the beast. Yet Tallith was happy and for once he was confident his rider mirrored the same emotions.
The great dragon yawned, lips curling back to reveal a set of rather stunning and frightening teeth and then stood gently, taking his time to stretch each achy limb. He had slept well and now he was ready to feed, the flight had taken a lot out of him and his desire for food was beginning to overwhelm him.
But first...he had to deal with his stubborn rider who was at that moment hidden beneath a bundle of furs. The dragon would probably have chuckled at such childish antics if it had been possible, but instead simply moved to push his head into L'cian's quarters and take the corner of the fur in his mouth, tugging on it gently.
"Go away..." Came a muffled voice.
Do you not think this behaviour is slightly childish? The dragon asked with a faint sigh, knowing how badly L'cian would take the words.
"No. I'm just tired, leave me alone for a bit will you?"
I will not! Tallith said in a slightly firmer tone, he did not understand at all why his rider was acting so strange. Surely he should be out of this little weyr and flaunting his new status, showing off the fact that his brown had beaten the bronzes. So why was he moping about under a sleeping fur?
The dragon extended his wings a little, glad that they did not ache so much as he had expected them to and gave the fur another gentle tug. As expected he once again met with refusal and exhaling deeply the brown bugled loudly, the sound of his call reverberating painfully from the walls of the weyr.
"Tallith!" L'cian called in a tone of disbelief and then a rush of wind caught at him as the brown dragon gave the fur an extra tug, which pulled it from L'cian's grasp.
There, now do you feel more awake? The large brown asked, somewhat sheepishly, dropping the fur on the floor and taking a step back.
"Tallith..." The rider said a little more softly, getting up and running his fingers through dark hair which had fallen loose a while ago. He then motioned with one hand to the bathing room and with a nod of his head grabbed a clean shirt and disapeared behind the curtain.
The mahogany coloured dragon felt a tremendous achievement at awakening his lazy rider from his moping moved to stand upon the sunny ledge, his gaze falling upon the bowl where a few dragons were feeding. Hunger had begun to gnaw at his own stomach and he wondered whether it would be possible to sneak off for a bite whilst his rider was busy.
"You're hungry." L'cian called from the bathing room, obviously feeling his dragon's hunger pains almost as voraciously.
You are too.
"I'll get something, don't you worry ol' friend."
I shall make sure of it.
The brown curved back his sinuous neck to once again observe his surroundings and tilted his head curiosly at the voice of another dragon in his head. They were needed?
Dear rider, the dragon turned his head back slightly, We are needed. his eyes whirled a little, happy that they were going to be doing something of use.
"Needed for what? We really need to work on your communication skills dear one." The dragon heard him chuckling and with a shake of his head flicked his wings up onto his back to turn around once more.
There are some holders to bring to the weyr.
"What? Are there no runners? no lesser dragon to act as transport?"
It will be good for us.
"You are hungry and so am I, you have only just flown the queen. Are we really the right pair to go flying about and carting objects back and forth?"
We shall eat first then do our duty. The dragon huffed, a little annoyed at his rider's negativity. You are Weyrleader, it will be good to get to know surrounding Holds, meet people and let them know of your newly aquired status. It will give the dragonless ones something to talk about.
L'cian groaned, "Do you have to remind me?"
Remind you of what?
"Forget it." L'cian dismissed the conversation and the dragon went back to watching his kin feeding at the bowl.
After another few minutes L'cian appeared, dark hair hanging about his face and fresh shirt making him look a lot more respectable. He knew he wouldn't be able to go between too soon, otherwise he would catch a terrible cold from being so wet. Shaking his head from side to side he pulled the loose hair back and tied it up with a scrap of leather.
"So where are we going?"
First stop is a hold just to the north of here, I believe we may have been there once before.
"To the north you say? I can only think of a couple we have been to. I'm surprised you remember it, is it connected to the Weyr?"
I do not know.
"Well if you speak of the one that houses the tanners then I know which one you mean."
There was mention of the girl being a tanner.
"Really? That's good, it's about time we got some fresh talent here." L'cian gave his dragon an affectionate grin and reached up to scratch an eyeridge as the beast swung his head around to gaze upon the man.
So can I feed?
"Do you really think I could stop you?"
The dragon canted his head and moved once again to the ledge, spreading his pinions wide and giving a loud bugle. Ariath seems well. He said, with an incredible fondness in his voice. I would much like to see her today.
"As expected."
You wish to see Ephia too? If Tallith had noticed ths light flush that crept onto his rider's face he said nothing, simply spread his wings wider still and dropped from the ledge, letting a thermal catch beneath his wings and whirl him upwards.
It was only when the dragon had flown a good distance that L'cian realised his dragon had spoken of the Weyrwoman by name.
Why would I not remember the name of the woman my rider is so fond of? Was Tallith's gentle whisper, floating in the rider's mind.
--Exit Tallith to the Bowl--
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:11 am
At last having some peace and quiet, L'cian drew away from the ledge and entered his own quarters, pausing only to scoop the journal from where it had been placed on the shelf before flopping unceremoniously onto the sleeping furs.
He needed to to do something to explain his feelings and what better way to do this than in his journal where no one would ever see them? With a small sigh he flipped through the pages of writing until he came to yet another blank page and tapped the scrap of hide with his fingertips thoughtfully.
How to start? Journal Entry ~ 3 The strangest thing happened to me just yesterday, and I think this is the first time I have truly felt the weight of responsibilty upon my shoulders. Stranger still is the fact that this should be my happiest moment in life, I have finally gained a status I always desired, and finally I have proven to my father that a brown is just as good as a bronze. Yet what I feel inside is not at all what I expected.
Where is the pride and the joy that comes with being named Weyrleader and why do I still cling to my old rank as Wingsecond? Perhaps I will miss flying beside the Wingleader, and being responsible and trusted by him. I just don't know what to think or act, perhaps I never will.
One of my greatest fears lies in what the others will think of me, especially the bronze riders, who by right should have had a better chance at becoming the Weyrleader. Will they refuse to be led by me? I know this is probably just a stupid thought, especially as the flight was out of my control as it always will be, yet I can't help but think I'm not suited to the job.
This Weyr has suffered so greatly recently, Ephia has lost a woman dear to her, and it is up to her and the queen to raise a fine and healthy large clutch to boost spirits and increase the dwindling numbers. It is true that gold and brown matings are usually fine, and the dragonets are healthy, but there will not be as many bronze hatchlings and a queen egg is doubtful. I'm quite happy however that the cluthc should be of decent size, the flight was long and the queen high up when she was caught.
I suppose at this time a queen egg isn't exactly necessary but I can't help but think that it would have been greatly welcomed. I just feel like by accepting this role I'm letting everyone down, perhaps that is why I feel no pride.
The good of the Weyr must become my ego, even Tallith's, we can't just think of ourselves all of the time, and I think after all these years I'm starting to realise this.
I've spent all my life doing things simply for Tallith and myself, not giving a second glance at anyone and not even letting myself enjoy the companionship of others. I've locked myself away and focused solely on achievement, and now I realise all I've achieved is living a somewhat lonely life with nothing else to keep me going but my own selfish ambitions.
Well no more! The old L'cian is going to fade away, it's time I started breaking free from my isolated little shell and began to meet others. It is what Tallith has wanted all along, and if I'm going to be of any use as a Weyrleader it is time I started listening and talking with people. As soon as I do that, any problems can be fixed and things can begin to improve swiftly. Then atleast the Weyr will get a boost from any developments in which the next Weyrleader can continue.
I won't say anything to Tallith and I hope he doesn't catch on...but I don't think I wan't him to participate in any future flights with Ariath. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage this just yet but maybe if I spend some time explaining my feelings to him he'll understand and step back to let the bronzes fly her.
Don't get me wrong, it is nothing to do with Ephia or Ariath and who knows...if I had impressed a bronze all those years back like I was expected to, I could have been very happy as Weyrleader. For now I'll treat it as nothing more than helping prepare Rias Weyr for the future and hopefully long time leader, that's all I can do.
Until then I'll do my best to improve the flaws in myself and the Weyr.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:12 am
L'cian grabbed the long lengths of leather that made up the simple riding straps that would hold him upon his dragon and tugged the goggles over his head so they hung about his neck where they would stay until he was ready. He didn't like using them very much and so quite often he would fly without them but he knew that it would be best to keep them with him at all times. Then with a final sweeping gaze around his quarters he strode out and across the large room that was Tallith's weyr, whistling a somewhat merry tune to match his stride.
You are happy. Came the cheerful tone of his dragon as he climbed the stairs that led out of his weyr and into the darkened corridors, lit only by the glows which looked as if they needed to be replaced. L'cian nodded in reply to his dragon, eyes unfocusing as he relayed his reply.
Is there harm in that dear friend? A grin spread across his face as he continued down the corridor, lifting the straps high so that he wouldn't get his feet entangled with them. For some reason it had cheered him greatly to finally get out of Rias and do something useful for a change, doing nothing had really started to weigh heavily on him. Plus this girl was a tanner and he had quite a knack for that himself, having learnt it from his foster mother in his early years. It would at least mean no uncomfortable silences when he went to pick this new person up.
Where are you Tallie? L'cian asked, hoping that the beast was still at the Bowl, otherwise he would have to back up and take the other route. He had a feeling that the dragon would still be on the rim, probably soaking up the rays as usual.
On the rim. Was the dragons lazy reply and L'cian's smile remained on his face as he continued, glad that the walk to the Bowl wasn't very long. His thoughts trickling back to Ephia and their conversation that had taken place in the morning. He was surprised to find his heart warming at the thought of the woman but quickly dismissed this. Part of him was glad that she hadn't been disappointed in the result of the flight, for she had seemed quite happy with how things had turned out. Yet the other half of him found this very troubling, he didn't quite understand why, but once again he felt out of place, as if he was treading on dangerous territory.
You worry about the strangest things.
They are worries you wouldn't understand.
Ariath does not seem unhappy that I caught her, so why would Ephia? You should learn to flow with life instead of fighting against it. There was a wise tone in the dragon's voice that the rider found strangely unsettling. Maybe it was the fact that his dragon was completely right, or maybe it was because the answer was so simple he was annoyed he hadn't thought of it himself. It was so easy to fall back into his old pessimistic self and he was beginning to doubt his promise to change. What if he couldn't?
What if you can! He heard his dragon bugle, the sound reverberating against the walls as he turned a slow curve around and took a few steps up into the final corridor which led out onto the rim of the bowl.
You really think I can change Tall?
I have faith in you, have faith in yourself. There was a moment of silent affection and then the dragon continued, I believe Ephia is already having an effect on you.
I have a feeling you and that queen of yours have been planning this for a long time.
A dragon sees things humans do not. The moment I saw you speaking with the golden one I knew she was right for you, even though you did not. This time the dragon was smug.
With a shake of his head the rider chuckled quietly to himself, his dragon really was crazy when he spoke like that. It was as if he could read into hearts, predict future actions and feelings. He had only respect for Ephia, a respect that would probably grow into friendship with time, so what was his dragon implying? It scared him to think that Tallith's predictions could become truth, and he forced himself to dismiss this. What did a dragon understand about human friendships and relationships?
When I visit Ariath I shall tell her to ask Ephia to come and keep you company.
Apparently they knew a lot.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:14 am
 Brown wings held taut against a blast of wind that greeted them as they winked out into the sky, and for a moment L'cian had to catch his breath and glance about at the Hold below. It was indeed a pretty little place and was obviously cared for well by the lordholder - whoever that was. Just below Tallith's hovering form were a row of stables leading down into a gently sloping valley, green grass offering a tasty snack for the runners who lived there. Beyond that was a field of cattle and further still he could see the glimmer of the ocean, a thin blue line creeping up from behind the rolling green hills.
Swinging his head back round the young rider peered over his dragon's brown shoulder, his eyes settling upon the group of collected people who were staring up at him from where he sat perched upon Tallith.
The curved walls of the Hold were elegant and although it appeared to be small the sharp-eyed rider could tell that the space had been built right back into the cliff. The smell of hide also reached him as he guided Tallith lower down and the scent of leather was sweet to his senses.
"Hey dragonrider!" One of the younger men shouted down on the ground, and L'cian patted his dragon's neck before preparing himself to land. The great beast back-winged powerfully, clouds of dust swirled up from his wings before dissipating and settling once more. Faint nickers of the runnerbeasts could be heard as they wheeled in fright, and a hushed silence fell over the watchers. Never had they seen such a large dragon before.
Tugging off his gloves, L'cian brought both legs over to one side of his mount's neck and slipped down the broad shoulder, landing solidly on the ground. A gentle breeze tugged at the folds in his clothes, flapping them gently as he took a few strides forward and cast a critical gaze over the collected people.
"I'm L'cian, Tallith's rider." He held out his hand to no one in particular and found it gripped by a strong and burly looking man.
"Good to see you..." and then he trailed off and took a small step back, releasing L'cian's hand and casting a nervous glance up at Tallith. The brown dragon curved his head around to face them with mild interest.
"...Weyrleader." The man ended briskly and then cleared his throat, giving the young rider a wide smile. "We thank you for coming all the way here to pick up my little girl."
"I'm hardly little." Came a timid voice from somewhere behind the wide man and L'cian risked a glance in the direction only to find his view blocked by yet another man.
"Please stay here and rest for a while."
"Excuse me sir can I pet your dragon?"
"Yufas, where are your manners?"
"But dad."
"No buts, listen to him."
"Please come right this way."
The rider took the smallest of steps back as he tried to sort through the people and their faces, tilting his head up to give a silent plea to his beast. The dragon bellowed and the talking stopped, everyone once again staring at the pair of whirling blue dragon eyes.
Thank you Tallie.
You are welcome. The dragon canted his head and then drew himself up, folding his wings to his sides and crooning pleasantly. There was a smug look floating in his eyes that made his rider realise how much he had needed him at that moment.
"I will stay, but only to get to know the Hold and it's people a little more. My recent promotion in rank is urging me to get to know the surrounding areas and Holds well." He nodded his head and then turned to the small boy still standing beside him.
The youngster looked no older than 14 and he seemed the picture of innocence, staring up at him through his mop of hair. There was a yearning in those eyes and instantly L'cian realised that this child was no fool, he kenw the dragon was not going to eat him. With a small smile, the rider knelt down and placed a firm hand on the youngster's shoulder.
"You want to pet the dragon?" He asked, keeping eye contact with the youngster, who nodded and looked even more excited, it was then that L'cian realised the child was blind in one eye.
"Yes please, dragonrider sir." The boy whispered, turning his head slightly to glance at the dragon towering above them, his great pinions folded carefully to his sides.
"Okay, then all you have to do is ask him to lower his head and then scratch the ridges just above his eyes." L'cian dropped his voice to a whisper, "and if you do that, you'll have a friend for life."
He stood up once more and turned to gaze up at his brown who appeared to be smirking.
You up for some attention old friend?
Of course, children are more sensitive with their affections and more eager to give them. The dragon dipped his head upon the child's command, and the other youngsters gasped as the bright blue eyes came level with Yufas' hand. Then after a brief moment, the gentle eyes half closed and a pleasant humming erupted from his throat.
"Let me show you the way to our hall Weyrleader." The bulky man continued, seeming to overlook the pained look that streaked across the young man's face. The title sounded wrong and empty, as if he was standing in someone elses boots. With a small shake of his head he let himself be led down the steps and across the cobbled square which led to the main structure - the Hold itself.
The large metal doors had been pushed open shortly before the rider's arrival and allowed them to enter with ease, a group of people flooding after them as they went, it seemed everyone was interested in hearing what the Weyrleader had to say about their home.
"This is a stunning Hold indeed."
"Oh, I forgot the introductions dragonrider, please forgive my rudeness, we are not usually honoured with the presence of a dragon and I fear I lost my mind in the excitement."
"A mistake easily fixed..." He trailed off, waiting for the man to fill in the gap.
"I'm Brallen, this." and he pointed to a slender woman beside him, "is my wife Selvie." He moved to wrap a possesive arm around her and tugged her frame up against his own.
"The blind child tending to your dragon is Yufas, our youngest child, the tall lad there is Marlen and this..." He trailed off, glancing about frantically as he sought to find the most important person on his list. "Girl don't hide in the shadows! Get over here!"
L'cian turned in the direction the shout resided in and saw a young girl slip into view, her wavy hair tied up in a strip of green cloth to keep it from her eyes. She was dressed in warm clothes, obviously preparing for the flight between and had a small shy smile upon her face. Brallen gave her a nuge forwards and just from watching the two stand side by side, the Weyrleader could tell they had a great friendship.
"This is Carella." The man spoke with a spark of pride in his voice.
"Pleased to meet you sir." She held out one slender hand and L'cian took it gently, taking note of the calluses, cuts and dyes that adorned her skin. She truly was a tanner woman.
"It will be nice to have skilled people at our Weyr young lady, we will be eternally in your debt." He released her hand and took a step back, admiring her. She was a modest, bright and hardworking young woman, he could already tell she was the right choice for the Weyr.
Overlooking the blush that had troubled her features he reached over, clasping Brallen's arm, "we shall see to it she is well taken care of." He nodded confidently, "You will not need to worry about her."
"That is good to hear, but that girl is my pride and joy, it will be hard to work without her by my side. I am just glad she can put her skills to good use."
"As do we all." L'cian agreed wholeheartedly, turning to admire the great hall of the Hold from where he stood. "Now if you can tell me where your daughter has her things collected, we can start loading Tallith and be on our way."
"Already, you aren't going to stay for a bite to eat?"
"From this short visit I can already tell a lot about this place, I'm very impressed with what I have seen here Brallen, you and everyone who Holds here should be very proud."
"That is a great compliment coming from you." The man laughed and clapped L'cian in a friendly manner across his back.
Tallith, ready to start being loaded with belongings?
Ready when you are Lace, these children are getting rather excitable. There was a strained tone to the dragon's voice which made L'cian chuckle, what had his beast gotten himself into now?
"Seems Tallith is being overwhelmed, it would be best to move swiftly." Once again he allowed himself to be led out into the sunshine and there on the ledge where they had landed, Tallith was being surrounded by bouncing children.
The dragon had risen his head and was chuffing in amazement at the children zipping around him, their shrill cries pleasant in the afternoon sun. With a flurry of his large wings many of them scattered briefly, pausing as they huddled together behind a rock, then slowly they crept back to the dragon as if playing some wonderful game.
Yufas was standing by the dragon's front claws and was trying desperately to stop the children from yelling so loudly, clapping his hands over his mouth to project his voice further. At seeing L'cian through his good eye, the boy ran over, tripping over his feet more than once before reaching the tall man and peering up at him, tugging on the hem of his jacket.
"Sir! They won't calm down and I think the dragon does not like the noise."
"He has never been around so many youngsters before."
"They make him dizzy." Yufas agreed, nodding his head and pointing to where some children were weaving in and out of his front legs.
"He told you this?" L'cian asked quietly, kneeling down once more in front of the boy.
"Yes, he asked me why they run so fast. I tried to tell them to slow down but they didn't listen to me."
"Tallith spoke to you?"
The boy froze and glanced fearfully at the young rider, and nodded slowly, not quite understanding what he had done wrong. "Should I not listen to him?"
"If Tallith want's to talk to you then not even I could stop him." His stern expression gave way to a softer one. "It just means he likes you a lot, you must be very special for a dragon to talk to you."
"Special." The child's eyes widened and he turned to glance at Tallith who arched his neck and gave a soft croon.
"Okay where do you want these." Brallen interrupted, dropping some sacks of clothes on the ground.
"Leave them there, I'll sort them now."
"There's a small trunk as well, I'll go fetch that too." The man dissapeared again and L'cian grabbed the sacks, climbed up the riding straps and began to tie them securely.
Could that boy be worthy of a dragon Tallie?
I would not be surprised if he managed to impress a bronze, but the wound in his eye... The dragon shook his head and his eyes tinged with yellow. Such a wound would not be useful when fighting thread. He will be overlooked.
You are sure of this?
No one can be sure of anything Lace, but I fear that the youngster missed his chance.
The dragon curved back his head to watch his rider fasten the sacks to his back, the yellow tinge in his eyes remaining. L'cian sat up and clapped his hands together, turning to lay a hand on his beast's snout and inhaling the deep scent of dragon hide.
Such a waste of a potential rider.
Not all hope is lost.
You are right, I should report this find to... L'cian cursed and reached up to rub at his temples, the beginnings of a headache manifesting in his skull. The dragon snorted and spread his wings.
Would you give him a chance? He asked gently.
Yes...yes I would.
Suddenly Brallen's voice could be heard floating above the wind and L'cian's head snapped up as the burly man strode into view, carrying the small trunk with ease in his thick arms. After a moment of struggling, L'cian finally eased the trunk up onto the large dragon's back and went about fastening it down with long lengths of toughened leather.
Then finally it seemed they were about ready to go, L'cian scanned the crowd once more and spotted the young girl, she appeared to be talking to another girl or similar age and wondered if they were friends. Well enough was enough, it was time to get back to Rias. He cleared his throat and strode forwards to announce the decision.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:15 am
"I don't mean to interrupt young Miss, but everything is prepared and we are ready to leave." L'cian tamed the irritation in his voice just in time, so that it came out smoother to the ears. The young girl whirled round, her face flushed from holding up a dragonrider and she quickly batted at the hands of the other, taking a step forward and nodding politely.
"It's my twin you see." She directed L'cian's line of gaze to the flouncy girl standing beside her and he realised how alike they looked. "She just wanted to say her farewell." She gave her twin a purposeful look and then took another step forward, turning to face both rider and sister.
Miru who was known for her flirtacious streak simply giggled and waved a hand in front of her face as if fanning off some incredible embarassment. "Please excuse me sir dragonrider, I mean not to offend." She gave a small bow of her head and fluttered her eyelashes, turning nimbly on her heels and trotting across the cobbles like a spring lamb. White skirts flounced around her ankles and bangles jingled at her wrists, she truly was a beauty to the eyes.
L'cian however was not impressed, one eyebrow kinked upwards and he sent Carella a questioning look. "I should hope you are not like her." He noticed the girl flush and realised how rude he must have sounded.
"I am sorry." He hastened to apologise, "no offense intended, but we need girls and boys with skills in something other than beauty."
"None taken Weyrleader, you will be pleased to know that although we are twins, our brithday is the only trait we share."
"Glad to hear it." He gave a wry grin and turned back to Tallith who was starting to look rather upset. The children had once again started to creep closer to him with the rider's absence and he kept flapping his wings to keep them back.
L'cian! The dragon almost whimpered, I am glad dragonets do not act in such a manner.
Oh I bet you are, you'll be fathering a whole clutch soon.
Yes, the first decent clutch recorded in Rias. The brown chirped, puffing out his chest in a proudly male fashion.
Of course dear one. He laughed loudly, leading the timid young girl over to the dragon and raising one hand up as the beast lowered his snout. Hooking one hand beneath the hinge of his jawline he inclined his head towards Carella.
"This is Tallith, the brown who caught the queen."
By now most of the children had scattered, leaving only the girl's family standing at the base of the rocks a good ten meters away from where they stood. A wonderful calm had fallen over the Hold and the sky was blemished with an array of amazing colours as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
"A brown..." The girl whispered, unconsciously reaching up to lay gentle fingertips of the snout of the great dragon.
"Yes, something of fairytales isn't it." L'cian sighed, and moved over to check the riding straps once more, safety was of upmost importance when carrying a passenger and heavy belongings.
"He must be very strong." The girl smiled slightly, her pale face seemed almost white against the deeply tanned hide of the dragon.
"Shh don't let him hear you say that, his ego will be boosted even more."
Too late. The dragon crooned and then raised his head suddenly causing the girl to take a startled step back.
L'cian reached over, tugging the girl lightly in the direction of the straps and wrapping her fingers around the base of them.
"Just watch what I do, once I'm up I'll help you." He spoke slowly, trying not to forget what it was like for a holder to ride a dragonback for the first time.
With a fluid motion he grabbed the ridingstraps, and stepped up onto the offered forepaw that his dragon rose for him. The strength in his arms never dwindled as he wrenched himself up, leaning his weight across Tallith's great shoulders and then positioning himself comfortably. Then after a brief moment he angled his body to face Carella and instructing her to step onto the dragon's forepaw reached over and grabbed her by her upperarms and summoned all his strength as he lifted her and allowed her to settle into place behind him.
"You alright?"
"Y-yes." The girl nodded, her face seemed quite a bit paler but atleast she hadn't screamed or shied away as some tended to.
"That's good." He drew in a deep breath and handed her gloves, and a helmet. "You can use my goggles." He continued, turning round to loop them over her head and tighten the strap a little so they stayed in place.
"Thankyou Weyrleader." She noticed the tightening of the muscles in his jaw as she spoke the title and reached up to touch his shoulder gently.
"Sir...are you okay?"
"What? Oh, yes I'm fine." He shook off her attempt of trying to console him and settled himself once again, reaching over to clap an affectionate hand against Tallith's great neck.
After a moment of struggling with the gloves, Carella finally gave him the all clear and tried to stay calm, the fluttering in her stomach would not cease. Yet she found it was only a nervous fluttering instead of true fear, and that she suddenly felt quite safe on the back of the dragon.
"Sis!" A small voice called out, and she turned her head to see Yufas waving madly, "the dragon says you'll be fine!" Carella blinked and turned her head to look at L'cian who had turned to face her, a smile gracing his features.
"He likes your brother." He shrugged.
"My brother likes dragons." The girl replied hastily, turning to give her family a final wave. This was it! The beginning of her grand adventure, and it starts upon the back of a giant brown dragon.
"You ready?" The dragonrider called, and with a nod she tightened her grip on the ridingstraps that held her in place and prepared for the launch upwards. Maybe it was just luck or that Tallith was feeling in a kind mood that he took off somewhat gently, spreading his pinions and powering them until they were high enough up to catch a thermal with ease. They were whirled upwards gently, and the dragon gave a brassy call goodbye to the family who were watching them and swung upwards, deeper into the brilliant blue of the sky.
The wind whipped at them and the girl's green eyes filled with wonder as she caught sight of the ocean! She had never seen the ocean before, even if it had only been beyond the hills, but oh it was beautiful. A small flock of birds flew in the sky, their arched wings catching the wind. The sun brought out a spray of glitter into the water as it crashed up against the rocks and as the dragon drew closer she felt almost as if she could reach down and touch it.
Perhaps we can bathe here. Tallith said, taking in the scenery along with his rider, who agreed fully that it would be wonderful to come here. He picked out a strange shaped crevice that ran vertically up the side of the cliff and kept it safe in his mind.
We can come next time we are free.
"Do you see that!" Carella suddenly yelled, and the dragon and rider paused in their conversation to glance over at where she was pointing. Rising up from the water was a smooth, blue back and another one followed suit. Then suddenly one of the rolling blue creatures tore up from the water, flipping mid-air before disapearing back into the watery depths.
"What are they Tallie?" L'cian spoke aloud, narrowing his eyes.
"Large fish, I do not remember their names."
"I remember learning something about them in my early childhood. I do not remember what they were called, but I believe they are intelligent creatures."
"Beautiful..." Carella breathed and then suddenly Tallith roared, a silent command was paused between them and everything went black.
A darkness so dark it was impossible to find a light.
A coldness so cold that it froze the blood in viens.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:16 am
The sudden explosion of heat tingling her skin was the only sign that Carella had appeared back out of between and above the Southern Weyr of Rias. The late afternoon sun was blazing down upon them and she sucked in a breath of deep, warm air and peered around the shoulder of the dragonrider to face the amazing and breathtaking scenery below. Her green eyes widened again as she looked down upon the bowl and her fingers which had been loosley gripping L'cian's arm increased their grip.
Just below them swooped a blue dragon, its small size glimmering past at an incredible speed as the beast swung round and curved an elegant circle above the Bowl. Tallith bugled a greeting to the old watch dragon and turned lazily on a wingtip, his brilliant form moving gracefully through the sky.
L'cian turned back to look at the girl squeezing his arm a little too tight for comfort and gave her a small smile.
"It's okay, you won't fall off." He reassured gently, reaching over with one hand to stroke the dragon's smooth neck. "We'll find a place to land and then get you settled in." The rider said smoothly, and turned back to follow the gaze of his dragon.
Carella tugged the goggles down away from her face and let them hang around her neck as she stared up at the towering Weyr. It was a simply amazing structure, and from here she could see onto the lower dragon ledges where some beasts lay sunning themselves. A few raised their heads and trumpeted greetings whilst others were too deep in sleep to notice.
"This place is so huge!" Carella squeaked, her pale face flushed with awe as she tried to soak up every detail from the back of great Tallith.
"It's not the biggest Weyr, but yes it is very impressive indeed. Things should slowly be improving here now the illness seems to have gone and the queen has flown."
"Were...were people surprised that your brown dragon flew the gold on her flight?" Carella flushed a little, for although she knew nothing much about the ways of dragonriders there were things that she could not deny her knowing. A queen's flight was often talked about in the Holds and it was all too well known what went on with riders whilst dragons twined.
"No more surprised than me." L'cian said slowly, turning the event over and over in his mind. "There's nothing that can be done now however so we'll all have to live with it."
Tallith bugled once more and swung sharply as he began to lower himself in to land on the ledge closest to the entrance of the Weyr. Then with an almighty beating of his powerful wings he reared up to land gently upon his hind legs, his torso falling forwards to bring him comfortably down upon the rock. After a moment of fanning his delicate looking pinions he brought them in against his sides and dipped his shoulders forwards a little.
After a moment L'cian released himself from the safety straps and slid down the beast's shoulder, pausing to turn and catch Carella as she scrambled down from Tallith's broad shoulders. Then setting her nimbly on the ground he removed his gloves and riding helmet once more, dropping them on the ground by his feet and stripping off the thick wherhide jacket. After a moment, Carella too, found the heat unbearable and removed her own thick jacket, it was going to take a little while to get used to, that was for sure.
"Don't worry, the heat will grow on you and you'll wonder how you lived without it." The Weyrleader beamed at her, running fingers through his dishevelled dark hair. "The dragons are rather fond of sunbathing."
"I should think so."
"It keeps them out of trouble anyways." He blinked in surprise and turned round briefly to meet the eyes of his dragon, realising how much he had changed. He was making polite and cheerful conversation with a girl he hardly knew, there was no pessimistic comments or stern facial expressions. He felt...happy.
It feels good doesn't it. The dragon chirped pleasantly and lowered himself further still so his rider could unattatch the sacks from the straps.
Be quiet you. L'cian warned, kneeling down and picking up one of his gloves before throwing it playfully at the beast. It sailed trough the air and landed on his snout causing the dragon to sneeze and raise his head a little to tip it off and onto the floor.
Carella stifled a giggle behind one hand and reached down to pick up the leather glove, inspecting the handy work with a professional eye. "You should take better care of these gloves Weyrleader, they are well made." She knelt down and picked up the other one, along with his riding cap, cradling them in her arms as she waited for him to unattach the sacks and place them on the ground.
"The sacks only contain clothes so you don't have to worry about damaging them." She murmered shyly, and pointed up to the trunk, "that is where all my equipment is kept." She cleared her throat and with her free hand lifted two of the sacks up, taking a small step back as L'cian climbed back up onto Tallith so he could untie the trunk.
"Your father carried this with hardly any trouble, just shows how strong he is compared to me." The rider laughed, as he undid the last buckle and heaved the trunk down onto Tallith's raised forepaw.
Springing down to the ground again the dragon lowered his foot and the brown rider reached up to lift the trunk once more, staggering back a little as he balanced himself, then with a tilt of his head he turned around to face the young tanner once more.
"Okay Carella, throw those sacks onto the top of the trunk and I'll lead the way."
"Yes sir, oh and please call me Ella." She placed the sacks gently onto the trunk balanced in his arms and leaned over to pick up the last one, holding it firm in her grip. Then taking a step back she inclined her head and waited for him to pass.
"Then call me L'cian, it's much more fitting than Weyrleader." The tall rider began to walk down into the corridor, pausing only to glance back at Tallith who was shaking himself vigorously.
You can go and do as you please now Tallie, just be ready for anything.
I shall go and see my queen, you wish to see yours?
Not just yet, perhaps later.
Very well Lace. The brown dragon crooned a farewell, briefly reminding Carella of her manners, she span back on her heel and called back to the dragon, "thank you for the lift Tallith!" Then she hurried to catch up with the rider, her eyes shining as she remembered everything she had seen. That brown dragon was a wonderful beast, he had spoken to Yufas and given her the most fantastic ride, she would not forget him in a hurry.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:17 am
.::Easter Event::.
The brown dragon raised his great head from where it had been lying cradled in his great forepaws and turned glistening eyes upon his rider. The slender man was sitting at his desk, a skin laid out before him and writing tool in hand. His face was a picture of concentration as he studied something important that was already written down. The dragon would never understand the ways of humans, he was quite happy to sleep, fly beautiful queens and eat yet they seemed to clog their day with other menial tasks.
He yawned and stretched each wing in turn before reaching out to touch the mind of his dear rider. There is something going on down there. His eyes whirled a pleasant blue as he conveyed a picture to his rider of the gathering people down below near the runner stables.
"And why do you bother me with this Tallith?" L'cian sighed and shook his head, a slight smile twitching at his features at his dragons casual and laidback approach to everything. If he didn't know better the old beast was trying to distract him from the work he was doing, out of sheer boredom. "Is Ariath not around today so you can go fuss over how brilliant her wings are?" He teased lightly.
The dragon exhaled noisily and flexed his wings before pulling his head back to glance sternly at his rider with one eye. I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to meet people. The dragon replied smoothly, and as for Ariath, she sleeps. The brown confirmed and settled himself more comfortably on his ledge, belly pressing against the smooth ground beneath him. Many faceted eyes glanced once more at the commotion below and the dragon picked out two more figures who appeared to be the more important of them. They stood up at a wagon and seemed to be getting people to quieten down so they could announce something. The dragon cocked his head quizzically and blinked, determined to listen in. It wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway.
"Ladies and gentlemen, harpers and healers, dragonriders and the rest of you...You've all been given a rest day in a late celebration of the recent flying of Ariath by brown Tallith. We are lucky enough to be joined by one of the largest caravans roamin' the South at this time of year, and since everyone knows traders are connivin' and tricky, we've organized an event to keep you busy on your rest day."
The dragon's eyes whirled faster as he relayed the message, or part of it to his rider, adding his own little comment at the end. They celebrate my flight Lace, they are happy so why aren't you?
"I am quite content dear brown and would be even more so if you'd let me finish my work." L'cian replied with a grin, leaning back in his chair and stretching out his legs beneath the desk. It seemed that although dragons had a tendency to forget there were some things that would be forever imprinted in the dragon's mind. A warm feeling suffused him and he closed his eyes, rocking back a little further and drawing in a deep breath. The musky scent of dragon filled his nostrils, the sweet smell of well oiled hide rather soothing to one who was used to it. His dragon snorted and his peace was broken, eyes snapping open to gaze at Tallith.
"Hidden here, somewhere in the bowl, there are several prizes. Some may hatch before you even find them. Not only that, but another might just run off."
"Some sort of hidden present event?" L'cian queried, raising an eyebrow before getting up from his seat and moving slowly across the weyr to stand beside his great dragon who had shifted so his front feet were dangling over the side of the ledge. A brilliant azure sky greeted him, cloudless and beautiful, clear enough to lighten anyones mood. "Good day for it anyway."
They are going to be finding those pesky flitters. The brown seemed to groan and his eyes whirled a slightly less content colour at the news.
"How do you know?"
There were eggs mentioned... The dragon sighed and curved his neck to the side, nudging at L'cian's shoulder for some affection. The man replied with a light chuckle, reaching up to scratch an eyeridge. The dragon let out a great sigh and almost instantly a pleasant humming erupted from his throat as the correct spot was found and seen to in a rather wonderful way.
Up a little more. The dragon purred cheerfully and the rider acknowledged the movement by directing the caress at a slightly higher point. His dragon reminded him somewhat of a child, wanting to be petted and fussed over, there was an innocence in the beast which captivated the man more than anything else.
"The event will run until dark. If some of you don't wish for a pet, there are several items wirth less responsibility hiding around, so do your best ot find them. Well, off ya'll go, try and find them!"
The rider moved to sit against the rock ledge, moving to lean against his dragon's broad shoulder as he gazed down at the events unfolding before his eyes. The people who were searching were of all different ranks and professions, from dragon rider to apprentice tanner. It was good to see people mixing and having fun, it would only improve moral to have more events like these. Perhaps he should have a word with Ephia about it next time they met. He hadn't seen her for a while as it was and something inside him thought that rather bad of him. She was just as important than anyone else here, even more so to him and he made a quick mental note to catch up with her as soon as things had calmed down here.
You have been busy. The dragon chimed in pleasantly.
"Yes, and distracted." L'cian laughed and clapped a hand against the beast's shoulder, an affectionate gesture that he would not often display openly in front of anyone else. The brown's eyes lidded half way in contentment before he dipped his slender muzzle once more and gazed at the event.
The girl is down there. He announced after a moment of silence.
"Which one?" L'cian asked curiously, leaning forwards to try and catch a glimpse of who the beast might be talking about.
The one who we brought here. The dragon said slowly as he folded his wings tightly against his sides and shifted his weight a little. The shy one.
"Ella." L'cian said after a moment's thought, "ahh yes you're right, well it's good to see she's settling in okay. This sort of event should definately help her gain a few friends that's for sure." He sighed and glanced back at his desk, thoughts of work seeming slightly less entriguing at that moment. "Perhaps we should go and see what's going on...but." He trailed off and shook his head, "I must finish my work first." He gave Tallith an affectionate pat and got to his feet once more, brushing the dust from his clothes before stepping back away from the ledge. "Don't tire yourself out too much dear brown." He chuckled before dissapearing into his own quarters, settling himself back down behind the desk.
I shall watch and then I shall feast. The dragon replied, his eyes whirling blue-green with happiness.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:19 am
 "Now come on C'ian my love, do you not think that a little bit harsh on the boy?" A sweet and distinctively feminine voice floated from the shared weyr, the tone echoing against the rocky walls and emanating clearly for all who were close enough to hear. The man's grunt of a reply was also audible and the scrape of footsteps as he moved away from the woman and sat himself down on a creaky old chair, staring upon at her with emotionless eyes. After a length of silence passed between the odd couple he finally spoke, his voice tired and fused with the trembling tone of anger. "No." It was a simple and blunt answer, but that was the way everyone remembered him. How could such a bitter person attract a bronze dragon the youngest of his sons would never know.
That very same little boy was kneeling down by the entrance of the weyr, eyes focused on the large hulk of a dragon who was slumbering deeply. Wishing with all his might that the dragon would stay asleep he edged himself further into the weyr, back pressed against the wall and hands gripping the side to stop himself from being seen.
"But C'ian he is our son. Of our blood, he has done extremely well today, can't you see that?" The woman protested further, hands on hips and a most vulnerable, upset look etched into her face as she stared at her weyrmate. Locks of short dark hair fell into her face, grey eyes never once diverting from the man sitting before her. Then finally she crumpled to her knees, reaching up to place her hands upon that of her lover. "Darling C'ian..."
"Stop saying my name! I don't think you understand what this has done to damage my reputation! That so called son has disgraced me, do you understand that?!" His face turned red as he yelled, his voice piercingly loud in the cave and the spying child was terrified that this outburst would awaken the bronze.
"This should be a wonderful day," the woman continued with endless patience, "our son has impressed and even if it was not the outcome we had hoped for we must put on a happy face for him." She reached up, resting a hand against the man's face and caressed it gently. "This doesn't change the way I feel for you my love, and there's always going to be a runt in the litter."
"You are right but that doesn't change the fact that the boy shows there is a weakness in my genes. I bring good bronze riders like dear L'cus, not brown ones. Brown dragons are in the middle, neither good nor bad and are practically useless in fighting thread."
"Now now, you know that isn't true my love. He could become a fantastic Wingsecond and work beside his own brother and you. That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
The spying child reached up and rubbed firecely at his eyes, he wouldn't cry! He just couldn't! Anything of the sort showed weakness and he was the rider of a newly hatched brown dragon. So who cares what his parents thought? They hadn't done much to raise him anyway, and his foster mother had sure been happy about him impressing Tallith. He sniffed quietly and backed up, listening to the quieter voices of his blood parents as they discussed him to be nothing more than a failure, a shadow of his brother. He would show them! He would grow up and prove that brown dragons were not useless, that his beautiful Tallith would grow into the finest, strongest dragon of all!
Lace you are sad. The soft voice of his dragon emanated through his mind, sweeping comfort over him and causing a smile to flicker at his lips.
Happier now Tallie. He thought back affectionately and moved out of the weyr to go and see his dragon.
I itch. The little beast complained and L'cian nodded in understanding almost as if he could feel it too. He would oil the little brown and grow with him in body, mind and soul. They would become one, the perfect pair and the most splendid brown dragon and rider to ever fly the skies of Pern!
---
L'cian snapped to attention, finding his own eyes blotted with tears from his dream...or nightmare, and yet at the same time he felt the need to smile, to laugh and mock those who had doubted his abilities.
In the dying light of the glows he could see the head of great brown Tallith as he slept and knew that he was indeed the very best dragon, now and forever.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:20 am
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:21 am
Clutching
L'cian drew in a deep breath, falling back onto the bed and letting his eyes fall closed. What a day! His heart had swelled with an incredible pride as he had stood beside Ephia, gazing upon the queen as she laid her eggs, hiding them from view and keeping them in suspense.
His Tallith had been just as proud, taking his place where generations of bronzes had stood before. Was he the first brown to suceed in Rias Weyr, or had their been others? He drew in yet another breath and released it in a yawn, reaching up to rub at one of his eyes, trying to will away the fatigue. He needed to bathe first, relax and freshen up, then he would sleep feeling a lot better than before. Thirty eight beautiful eggs lay hardening on the sands, near them was the queen and the brown, ever watchful and ever protective. That number would prove to everyone that gold and brown matings could bring a wonderful clutch.
The flight had been wonderful now that he came to think of it, a long and passion filled dance that had gone far and wide. A dance that remained locked away in his heart forever. It was only now that he was beginning to realise that it had not just been Tallith longing that day. For L'cian the rider had been longing too, he had just not known it. How had his dragon known when he had not?
I know you my rider.
"You were listening in?"
Hard not to when you think so loud.
"Hush, it doesn't mean you have to answer."
You asked a question. His dragon rumbled with amusement down at the hatching grounds. Ariath says that Ephia wishes to visit the weaver hall.
"When?"
When the sun rises.
"Very well."
I shall stay here and protect the eggs whilst she is away.
"Silly beast, no one will take them."
She asks it of me.
"And it's best to never deny a woman, is that right?"
Especially one with teeth such as Ariath's.
"Very true." L'cian chuckled and shook his head, standing up and stretching.
Then moving across the room he removed his clothes, letting them fall carelessly to the floor before entering the bathing room. The warm water which continuously circulated wrapped him within a warm embrace, a sigh passing through his lips as he snuggled down within it's hold.
Making a mental note to visit the Master Weaver Emoraan he let his eyes fall closed. The man was talented indeed, and he was glad that they had him working on clothes for the Weyr. If Ephia was going to visit him tomorrow that meant that Tallith would need to stay put. He would be stuck in the Weyr for the day, he supposed he could just check up on other things. Maybe the candidates or something.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:23 am
Egg Touching
Ariath becomes distressed that the Candidates are near the eggs and L'cian goes to give both Weyrwoman and queen some emotional support.
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