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Mine, it is time to wake, Gereth was reluctant to wake his rider, but Bayeth had announced her arrival, and that was important. Wake, Mine. We have guests, Green whirling eyes settled on R'yn. The Weyrleader had taken to using his free time for much needed sleep. Wake, Mine. If only his could look so peaceful when he was awake! Things would have been better, then.

Laying sprawled out on his bedfurs was R'yn. With one arm supporting his head, the other close to his face, it would have been easy to mistake him for a younger rider. He'd retained his small frame, despite having grown over a foot since candidancy. The worry lines that were so often present on his brow had disappeared.

Wake, Mine. Bayeth calls. A transfer from Igen. Will you greet them? The bronze pressed his snout to R'yn's side in attempt to further jar the man from his slumber. We have guests

"Nnn..." At first, it seemed R'yn's only reaction would be to groan. "Tic?" Slowly, he sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his gray eyes. With one quick glance around the weyr, he looked for his Weyrmate.

Not she. Gereth rumbled with amusement. Bayeth and hers.

"Neri?" R'yn swore, pulling on his boots. He attempted to smooth his sleep wrinkled tunic. "Why was no word sent?" he demanded of his bronze. Shards, if only he'd known...

I did not see fit to wake you. Gereth replied. Now is a good time to wake. They are here.

"Shard it, Gereth. Somethings are more important," R'yn argued as he quickly did up the bronze's riding straps. He had no time to spare. He hadn't seen Neri since they had been Weyrlings together. What would she say? Oh shards, he was late greeting her... He hoped she wouldn't think it meant anything; the lack of preparation. "I would have at least warned the kitchens to have a hot meal prepared for her."

We will meet you in the bowl, Gereth directed towards Bayeth. He wanted the green to know that he, bronze Gereth, at least, had been prepared for their arrival. R'yn was still arguing when the bronze landed next to the green. "You could have at least mentioned it," he continued, flustered. He looked up.

"Neri!" He grinned. He didn't want her realizing her arrival had been inconvient. Sharding Gereth... "Shards, it's been turns. How are you?"

If R'yn was surprised by the embrace, his expression didn't show it. He studied her for a moment before slowly returning the gesture. He wasn't sure how to react to this. He was still used to the teasing Weyrling he remembered her being when she transferred. "I missed you, Neri," he said at last, moving to straighten his tunic awkwardly. "I do wish I'd had more warning," he glanced at Gereth pointedly. "I would have had Ticene come greet you, as well."

He paused, and hesitated. "Ista might not be the same as what you remember," he said. "We've had some...trouble since you transferred to Igen." The reasons for the worry lines on his forehead were clear, now. "We've been working to fix that, though," he added, dragging a hand through his hair. "It's been difficult, picking up the pieces."

I do not remember, Gereth confessed. Tell me about these classes.

Gereth paused for a long moment, green eyes whirling slowly in thought as he studied Bayeth. Mine speaks often of that time. Lessons when Thread came. When another was Weyrleader. But I do not remember. If we were friends, let us be friends again. I would like to remember you, Bayeth. The bronze paused, flicking his tail over his snout as he laid in the sand. The swimming is good here. Will you swim?

"Tic? She's good," R'yn began with a smile. Speaking of his weyrmate always made for good conversation. His eyes lit up, and he flashed Neri a much more comfortable smile. "She's busy most days, with being Weyrwoman. Calith..." His smile faded at her expression, and he hesitated. T'rel and Ky't? That was a subject he tended to avoid.

"Well, as for T'rel," he paused, "T'rel's fine! He's a wingleader. He has a daughter now, Merel. She's M'nie's." Another hesitation. R'yn was stalling. "You can speak to him, if you like," he said. "And Ky't... Well. I don't want to talk about her." He muttered at last. "What she did was cruel, and selfish. She faked betweening, you know. She's alive, at Fort. She--I don't know, Neri. I didn't think a Weyrwoman could do something like that. But she did. She crushed T'rel's heart, left the Weyr in ruins. We're still picking up the pieces and it's been turns."

The waters are nice here, Gereth agreed pleasantly. He couldn't remember Bayeth, other than little reminders provided by his rider. She had been one of his clutchmates. I will show you. Come, Bayeth! Perhaps Calith will swim, also. Entirely pleased with himself by slipping Calith into the conversation, the bronze carefully spread his wings. His golden mate was one of his favorite topics, while he could properly recall said gold's antics the day before, that was.

There is also good sunning on the shore, Bayeth. Shall we go now? He glanced at his rider, craning his neck to do so. Mine, I will leave you and Bayeth's now. We will swim!

"Faked," R'yn affirmed. "Shards, I don't know, Neri. When she got hurt during Threadfall, everyone thought she was going to die. T'rel was a mess. The entire Weyr was a mess. Everyone looked to him to fix it; you remember. I suppose that went to his head a bit. You know what he was like. Drills, lessons. Ky't wasn't able to return to Weyrwoman duties for a while due to scoring--and T'rel--he doesn't do well doing things on his own. You remember the Hatching. The feast, even. He looked for help." The bronze rider shrugged. "Anyone would have. Well, he fell for a bluerider. Well no... Shards, explaining this is difficult. He didn't, really. He loved Ky't even still. But she found out about it, I suppose. Some dimglowed healer must have said something. I know T'rel confessed to her, too. After that, she disappeared. Healers told us she'd gone between."

R'yn paused, shaking his head. He really couldn't excuse the former Weyrwoman's actions. Nor would he make any attempt to do so. "But more than a turn later, we had a transfer from Fort. He told us otherwise. T'rel went to go fetch K'yt from Fort--that was the morning Calith rose. At dawn, you know," a smirk appeared on R'yn's face. He was sure Neri remembered his hatred for early mornings. He gave a nod of understanding.

"You'll find him easily enough. Zelith's still the most talkative bronze in the Weyr."

Gereth took off into the air, taking himself between before landing neatly on the shore. Come, Bayeth. The sand is warm, the waters are nice. It is good to swim.

R'yn nodded in agreement. "I don't think anything could justify it," he muttered. The Weyr had been on the brink of destruction. A bad move could have pushed it over the edge. It almost had. "I understand that she was emotionally and physically hurt. T'rel's actions weren't the best, and she might have needed some time away..." he hesitated. "Still, I think she could have said something. We would have helped."

R'yn paused, smirking. "The dragons are the only things that've remained the same," he said. And lucky they were. R'yn knew they would need a constant in the near future, just as they had needed one in the past.

"Hey, I woke up in plenty of time!" R'yn protested, teasing. "Besides, I don't think I would have been allowed to miss it, even if I wanted to. With all the noisy bronzes, the entire Weyr must have been woken up." Another pause, and he shot his friend a genuine smile. She was turns too late, but being congratulated by Neri meant something to him. "Thank you, Neri," he said. "But it wasn't anything I did," he added more playfully. "Gereth did the catching!"