Welcome to Gaia! ::

Perched lightly on a small boulder, Shazi watched the former Weyrleader quietly as brown Tallith winged overhead towards the feeding grounds. In her hands she was working a small pendant into shape, perhaps her best yet, it was two dragons rising together before a sun-in-glory.

However, given the previous day's events, she thought it best to pocket the piece and let it remain unseen. From what she could tell, there were many factions within the weyr, and of them, the one she sympathized with was unlikely to appreciate it.

Hesitantly she glanced towards the lower caverns, making sure no one was looking for her, and turned towards the feeding grounds again, watching everything with her pale honey brown eyes as she always did.

Remia had come down to the weyrbowl earlier than usual, wanting to give Trith a more leisurely bath and oiling before it was time for breakfast.

She had scrubbed the growing green, swearing to the young dragon that there was more of her everyday. The young green had agreed amiably, making Remia laugh and roll her eyes.

Now they were some distance away, in a patch of morning sun, Trith stretched out comfortably while Remia oiled the jewel green hide. Trith rumbled as a shadow passed over them, and they both followed the sight of a gray-looking brown going to the herd pens.

Remia's mind went back to her receiving the news that Enelth had flown the queen, and she frowned. She'd never heard anything but praise for L'cian... and what she'd heard of M'xan... little though it was, it wasn't very praise worthy. The frown turned into a frustrated sigh.

Trith raised herself up somewhat and nudged her mate. "Something does not please you, mine..." she said, and her eyes whirled slightly faster, though the blue color did not change.

Remia sighed, letting it go. There was nothing she could do about it, and said as much. "It's just a big mess, Trith, but there's nothing we can do but let it sort itself out. So I'll try not to worry about it, and you just enjoy the oiling, alright?"

But despite trying to focus her mind elsewhere, she continued to woolgather, thoughts circling around the bad impression she'd gotten of M'xan. And she hadn't even met the man!

How can you call yourself fair, if you haven't even had a conversation with him yourself? Sure, he was very rude to Orana, but maybe he was cranky... everyone has bad days... she sighed, and put the oil rag away, after giving Trith's glimmering hide one final rub.

You are still thinking hard, mine, but I am well, and so are you. Trith said with a small, encouraging chirrup.

"So we are, my love. And I suppose that's enough. Let's go get you fed, alright?" She smiled at dragonet as the green got to her feet and stretched. Then they were headed towards the preslaughtered herdbeasts for the weyrlings.

Others are here, mine.

Datiath's voice broke through N'tren's thoughts. Looking up, he noticed Remia starting to head towards the weyrlings cuts. Getting up, the soon to be bronze rider made his way over to the girl and her green dragon.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while... How are you and Trith doing?"

Looking almost embaressed at intruding on the moment, N'tren put his hands behind his back... "Some sevenday this has been, huh?"

She smiled softly as she watched the dragons together, the great brown, the green who joined him, and the two weyrlings. Of their riders, Shazi could see the younger ones not to far from where she was, near the weyrling cuts, but the former weyrleader and the green's rider were further away, and harder to make out.

Stricken by the urge to speak with someone other then the women of the Lower Caverns, Shazi stood and slowly made her way towards the weyrlings, watching always for the telltale sign of someone with chores for her to do. Heartened when she was finally within speaking distance of them, and still no appearence of the the cook's assistants, she waved a greeting.

As a dark shadow fell across them, T'nel looked up to see which dragons had entered the Bowl. Beside him Falmanth followed his gaze, watching the brown dragon strike, followed by a green.

The large one is sad.. the blue commented, a little forlornly. T'nel gave noncommital hum, settling down next to his lifemate and reaching to scratch his head. The dragonet crooned and leaned into the touch happily. T'nel had heard about the brown--Tallith was his name?--failed to fly the queen this time. He was locked in the barracks when it had happened, of course, but from the mutterings of the other Weyrlings, the new Weyrleader left something to be desired. Personally, T'nel would wait to meet them. The whole lot could be nothing but rumors, and if the man ran the Weyr efficiently, who was he to complain?

But from his current view, both rider and dragon could tell the big brown was grieving. His mahogany hide was grey-tinged and lackluster. T'nel felt a pang of pity, and was suddenly vehemently glad that his was a bluerider and didn't have to worry about Falmanth trying for the queen.

I am happy as a blue. Falmanth said, and then asked plaintivly, Are you happy with me as a blue?

Of course I am Fallie-mine. I wouldn't trade you for any other dragon on Pern.

L'cian found a smile amongst the sorrow, the music doing something to soothe him and only spoke again when the tune had ended. "So that is why your dragon's name was not familiar. Welcome to Rias, I hope you'll enjoy it here despite the events that have recently occured. I'm Wingleader L'cian, but let's forget formality, L'cian will do just fine for now." He had never been keen on titles.

His eyes darted to find the two dragons in the bowl, both were now feeding it seemed. "You ride a fine green." The little dragons that were so underestimated always proved themselves of great worth during fall.

"Does this place suit your Yersith?"

~~~

Tallith had fed only twice himself, his appetite not yet fully regained, the colour however was starting to return to his hide and the shine was lighting up his eyes once more. Give it a few more days and the grief would fade from his mind as it always did.

He fanned his wings lightly to rid the air of insects and straightened himself, eyes half-lidding as he enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

It was then that he felt the voice of the green in his mind and moved to follow after her.

A brown is not meant to catch the Queen. Next time I fly only to stop Enelth from taking his prize. He sounded vehement and sad at the same time, as if a great realisation had been opened up to him. That only parts of tradition could be broken, not all.

L'cian felt his dragon's sadness and sighed, there was nothing he could do right now. Only time would heal.

Feronamth came bursting out of the weyr stretching his wings in the morning light. High above the others he took stock of those feeding and of their riders below. With a mental bugle he said hello to the other dragons. He took stock of Tallith's color and mood. It was not easy to lose, but they all had. He also looked to the green Yersith, with whom he did not really know. He had had other greens and a queen on the mind recently. He swooped in low to grab something to feed on himself as C'tari had mentioned his own hide was a bit dull from the sudden exertions the night before. Feeling the somber mood about them he turned to the former weyr leader's dragon, you flew well. and felt no need to say more. He banked suddenly and pounced on a fat beast instantly tearing into its flesh.

C'tari wandered, yawning across the weyrbowl in search of food for himself. He nodded to the ex-weyr leader. He'd liked the man immensly, even though all their conversations had been stricktly weyr buisness. He had lead the weyr well, and even his status as a brown rider had eventually cooled in the minds of the bronzes that followed him. A good leader could do that. His mind wandered to the bronze and rider that now led them. He wondered how M'xan would lead the weyr. He heard whispers of discontent everywhere, yet it seemed that few actually knew the man at all.