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Cass was knee deep in the heated water of the dragon foot springs, diligently scrubbing Vespereth's gleaming, and seemingly ever growing, hide. The little blond was wearing pants, for a change, rolled up above her knees to mid thigh to keep them from getting too wet. Cass always preferred wearing skirts, but she had to admit that cleaning a dragon in one was significantly more difficult than if you were to undertake the same activity in pants. So she had resigned herself on her first day and gotten some proper pants from the supply stores. It was a week later now, and Cass felt like she was in slightly less pain from using so many muscles she'd never needed too before when washing her dragonet.

"Almost done, dear one." she said to her green, smiling as she paused and wiped a thin sheen of sweat from her brow. Not only was bathing Vespereth hard work, but it was a sunny day, and the dragon foot springs were natural hot springs. Needless to say, she looked forward to getting out of the water.

'And then oil?' Vespereth asked, looking up at her rider with pleading blue eyes that made Cass smile even wider. 'I itch Cassmine!'

"Vespereth, my dear, I am beginning to think you are nothing but one big itch." Cass mused as she set back to gently scrubbing her lifemates delicate wings.

Cass looked up as a shadow passed over her, and a rumbling filled her ears. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked up and saw a blue coming in to land. It wasn't one that she immediately recognized, so she wondered if she knew the rider. As the massive blue landed, though, and the dust cleared from the air, she realized that she recognized the rider after all.
"L'pin!" she called out with a friendly wave. They had only met once previously, but he had been quite kind to her after she had cut her hand, and had even rescued her from a potential broken nose. She hoped he remembered her.

'That's Shamth.' Vespereth remarked from her riders side, sizing the blue up with curious green blue eyes. She was not afraid, but she had heard some unpleasant things about this big blue 'Do you know His, Mine?' she asked her rider.

'Oh yes,' Cass remarked 'we met once, not long before you hatched. He's very nice.' the blond said reassuringly.

'Well, if you like him, Mine, then I will like him too.' the little green said, earning herself a stroke on her slender neck.

"Thank you!" Cass said with a proud smile as she waded out of the water, Vespereth close behind. She winced slightly when her green shook off the excess water, but laughed at the distinctly canine motion exhibited in her dragon. The little blond turned her gaze back up to the much taller L'pin and said "We may be small, but I know we'll do well together." she said confidently, smiling fondly at her dragonet. They were certainly a pair that was easy on the eyes. Both dragon and rider were petite and adorable, but both hid a spark of determination that wouldn't let them be trampled over. Cass may have wavered in the face of physical violence, but she wouldn't let people push her around, especially not with Vespereth to back her up now.

"Of course! Introductions!" Cass said, turning from L'pin to Vespereth "L'pin, this is Vespereth, light of my life!" she grinned and winked at the other rider, sure that he would understand her sentiments toward her lifemate, being a fellow dragonrider.

Vespereth bobbed her head and flared her wings slightly in greeting to this other rider. 'He does seem quite nice, Mine. At least he recognizes good looks when he sees them.'

Cass laughed and translated for the man "She says you seem quite nice." She decided to leave out the last bit. "It's your turn, now, who is your handsome blue?" she asked with a smile.

Cass watched as the large blue approached. She had to admit, despite having grown up in a Weyr, this was the closest she'd ever been to an adult dragon, besides the couple of times J'ev had brought his blue in to teach them about dragons in general.
"Very nice to meet you, Shamth." The blond said with a courteous bow. It was always best to be polite, after all.

She turned her attention back to L'pin and feigned offense "Spitfire? Is that what you think of me? Though I suppose she will literally spit fire one of these days." Cass pointed out laughingly, looking down at her green dragonet with a loving gaze in her eyes. "She is petite, but then, so am I." she pointed out with a smile "I think our size will work to our advantage in time." Cass rather thought that Vespereth's small size would make her a very agile flier, able to make quicker turns than her larger clutchsibs. Good luck catching her in a flight!

Vespereth tilted her head so that she could take in the large bulk of Shamth, eyeing him curiously 'Some say that you are not very nice, Shamth. Is that true?' she asked in a surprisingly blunt fashion. His rider certainly seemed nice enough, but she'd heard some of the other dragons complaining about this blue. She didn't want Her's wrapped up with anyone who was not worthy. After all, this pair, she had heard, weren't even in a wing!

'I always listen to Mine.' Vespereth said with a slight huff as she turned her other eye to look up at Shamth. Apparently she came to a decision of what to think on her own because she promptly turned back to hers, ignoring the blue completely.

Cass' smile faded slightly as the conversation went on, and she nodded. The first couple of days had been fine. She had been so wrapped up in herself and vespereth she had hardly noticed the looks, or the gossip. Some people of the Weyr became increasingly obvious in their disapproval of a female fighting rider, though, and she couldn't help but notice.

"I know." she said in a quiet voice, looking down as she took a moment to dry off her feet and shove them back into her boots. "I'm no fool, I know what I've gotten myself into." her voice hardened as she looked up, her large eyes narrowed, dark eyes snapping "But I'm not going to let a bunch of parochially minded fools drag me or Vespereth down."

One of Cass' small hands went to Vespereth's head as she came up next to her rider, leaning lightly against her "I'm not just going to do well, L'pin, we're going to excel, and show those close minded dimglows that female fighting riders are not to be looked down upon. We're every bit as good, or better, than the rest of you." She said in a firm voice as she looked up at him challengingly, shoulders back, chin thrust out defiantly. People could think what they liked about her and Vespereth, but they had better not be surprised when they got knocked out of the way on the girl's march to the top. They may bask in attention, act adorable, and be small and cute, but that didn't mean they were stupid or lacking in determination, so L'pin had better just get that straight right there.

Cass raised an eyebrow, unphased by L'pin's sudden change in temper. Not quite so nice as she thought perhaps. Or he might just be bitter, she could see that.
"You misuderstand me, L'pin." She said, stroking Vespereth's head soothingly, she could feel little waves of distress beginning to emanate from her "Mouthing off and simply pointing out that I plan to do well are two completely different things. I wasn't referring to you. I have to admit, your tone surprises me though, considering how in our last meeting you spoke of how you planned to hang on to your holders sensibilities and how you believed women should be treated better here in Telgar...I thought you of all people would understand."

'Cass mine...I-I don't like all this. They are angry, especially Shamth. Why are they so angry? And the bitterness...' Vespereth whispered mentally to her rider, disliking all these powerful emotions accosting her.

Cass immediately turned her attention to her's, ignoring Shamth's growl. 'I'm so sorry dear one, we'll leave.' She lovingly carressed the little green's jaw, sending her feelings of love and protection in the face of these negative feelings to help calm her.

Turning back to the blue rider, Cass said "My apologies, but I should be going. Vespereth is still newly hatched and all these strong emotions are getting the better of her." One of the number one rules of weyrlinghood, after all, was 'NO fighting'.

The little blond gave L'pin a courteous bow of her head and then turned and walked away, gathering up her towel and the little tub of oil she had gotten for Vespereth's hide. She still hadn't oiled her, but she could do that elsewhere. Better to get the little green somewhere quiet first.

Cass continued walking, though it hurt her pride to do so, but for Vespereth, she would do anything. Even back down from a challenge. She did, however, call back over her shoulder "I pick my battles, L'pin. Fighting a wingless blue rider will get me nowhere." she said blandly without looking back at him. It did hurt, though. She had hoped that she and L'pin could be friends. He had seemed so nice before when he had escorted her to the infirmary, and protected her from Y'ul. All his pretty words about equality for men and women in the weyr were apparently just that, words.

Vespereth gently butted her rider affectionately, picking up on her disappointment 'Don't worry mine, you don't need friends like that. There are many who like you! Morgath and his like you, Skananth and his, Tatleth and hers...most of my clutch sibs and theirs like you!' the little green said, looking up at hers with loving green blue eyes, the yellow tint in them all but gone now that they were moving away from the blue and his rider.

'Thank you, dear heart.' Cass said with a warm smile on her face, happy to have such a life partner. No matter what L'pin said, they would do well together, whether others liked it or not 'And most importantly, I have you!'

'Of course!'

Cass gave a start at the flash of green that zipped past her head, and vespereth gave a little bugle of surprise, jumping back slightly and nearly tripping over her tail. The blond rider automatically put out a hand to steady her lifemate, throwing up the other to protect them both from whatever was flying at her. After a moment she realised that they weren't being attacked after all, so she lowered the arm and was mentally and verbally accosted by a little green firelizard.

'The little one is distressed.' Vespereth said, settling down again when she realized it was just a flit. She regarded her fellow, though much smaller, green with curious eyes, having never seen one of the little creatures so close before 'She says we are wrong about hers.'

Cass was getting that feeling as well as the images and sensations flowed over her from the determined little firelizard. She had to smile at its stolid defense of its owner. Still, the little creatures didn't lie...
The young rider looked back over her shoulder a little hesitantly as L'pins voice called out to the flit.

'Shamth's is sad.' Vespereth said, a little surprised. She hadn't picked that up before...

Neither had Cass, but as she looked back at him, she could believe it. Had he just been testing her? Maybe he was just worried...She didn't believe for a moment that Shamth had any nice things to say about her, but riders weren't always like their Dragons, and vice versa. She turned then, and took a few steps back in his direction.

A little frown on her face, still a bit hesitant as to what he might say to her, after everything she had said, she spoke "L'pin...? I-I'm sorry...I do want to be friends..."

She turned her gaze down to her little green and lovingly stroked the upturned head "You were so kind to me before...I'm sorry if I snapped, I was just surprised by your sudden change in temperment...just like everyone elses has been. I've come to expect it from most people, but I didn't from you." she said with a sad little smile towards him.

She was determined to do what it took to do well, to prove herself enough to get into a wing when her dragon was old enough, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt to be ignored and jabbed at by so many within the Weyr. Not everyone did, though, and that helped keep her going. That and Vespereth. Having L'pin, someone she had filed into her 'nice' category suddenly snap and act like so many others had set her on her guard. She hoped that wasn't actually the case though, that his little green flit was right.