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It was a good day. Wookith lay curled in the hatchling-sized wallow next to I'man's bed, deep in sleep. His belly bulged with food, and his skin shone with the oil he'd painstakingly rubbed into him. What a lovely big brown he was, too. He would be a good flier, I'man thought, and strong.

Now he was just looking forward to getting clean. Between the cut on his knee, the dirt that had managed to get all over him during the hatching, and the blood and bits of gore that decorated his formerly-white robe from the feeding, he felt well and truly disgusting.

He stripped the robe off and dumped it on the floor, kicking it far from him, near the edge of the curtain. He would take it out to the midden heap later, and for now, was glad to have it off his body. He peeled the wraps off, freeing her chest and hips from their constraints. "Ugh," she whispered to herself, "how foul." They would need to be changed, too.

Bending over, she picked up the pot of water and cloth she'd brought in with her and began to sponge herself off, beginning with her knee. She couldn't have tended to it any sooner, but as soon as possible seemed right - she didn't want it to get infected, even if it was only skin-deep.

It took her some time to get satisfactorily clean, but finally her skin was clear and the bits of grime were gone, even from under her nails. She started to look around for something to use for new wraps, because she was not going to put those things - she thought they might have gained the ability to move on their own - back on her nice, clean self.

She dropped the pot. It shattered, and water went everywhere, but I'mana didn't notice. All she saw was the younger weyrling standing in the entryway, staring at her. Horror struck her dumb and turned her into a frozen statue for a long minute until she threw herself at the cot, scrambling for something to throw over herself.

She flailed at the blanket, and wound up with it over her head and tangled around her arms, but more or less covered.

"You're a girl." The dreaded words had been spoken.

"R'yn, I..." was all she could choke out before he took off at a dead run, possibly faster than she'd seen anyone run in her life.

She wasn't sure what to do; go after him, or collapse. What good would either do? After a long minute, she gathered her clothes, not bothering to find new wraps, and dressed herself. She sat down on her cot, and sighed.

"Heyla, is everything all right in there?"

I'mana took a deep breath. Here it is, she thought, time to face the music. She stood and pulled back the curtain. Her hand was shaking. She forced it as still as she could, willing her expression as blank as she could manage. "Hi."

Just as R'yn went bolting out of I'man's room, R'nan was coming back from from cleaning Burmeth, carrying a -fortunately empty- bucket. By the time he saw R'yn coming, he barely had enough time to open his mouth to say something before they collided head-on and R'nan was sent recoiling backwards.

"Ow!" R'nan said monotoneously, sounding bored and only faintly upset. He hardly sounded hurt, more like he was simply trying to advertise his presence. In fact, this happened more than you'd think. Although he knew it was equally his fault for not watching where he was going.

R'nan sat up and rubbed his neck just as Burmeth came hurtling around the corner. Oh no. Mine's ended up on the floor again. He does that a lot, you know. he added aside, to anyone who would listen.
Thanks for that, Burmeth. R'nan stood up and brushed off his clothes. He recognized that, being chest height on most people, it would take some time for them to get used to looking down that far, but he hardly needed to be reminded of it, much less from his own!

He picked up the bucket and looked up, suddenly curious now that he had time to think about it. "What's the big hurry?" he asked, "Did something happen?".

N'rin could only gape at his younger friend as if he had suddenly grown another head. "What do you mean I'man's a girl?" What was the bronzerider talking about? It wasn't like a girl could pretend she was a boy for so long and no one notice at all. It just wasn't likely, the dragons would've have said something. Or surely the candidatemaster, the weyrlingmaster, shards; any of the older riders! Sapphire eyes narrowed before he stepped up to his friend and lightly smacked him upside the head. "Seriously, you shouldn't be making these kinds of things up! I thought ya had better taste in pranks then this."

Mine, you worry too much. It does not mattter, they will never be greater than us. Tomoth pointed out. Oh, well not us. I am much better than you after all. N'rin's eyes snapped over to the brown as he walked from the lake and curled up on dry ground, watching the small group with just a big of interest.

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Rather than just ignore R'nan as N'rin did, T'rin walked up and patted the boy's shoulder in a greeting. However, he did not talk since it just might interrupt the conversation. Now why would R'yn think that I'man was a girl? And if it was true, why would I'man have been disguised as a boy to begin with? A small frown pulled at his lips as he attempted to think up reasons why anyone would come to the Weyr and do such a thing. 'Leoth...were you aware that I'man was a girl?'

The bronze paused in the middle of splashing water at Tomoth turning his head to look at the small group. Who is I'man? Do I know them? Does she want to play? T'rin had to keep himself from groaning. He had forgotten momentarily that Leoth wouldn't actually know. Does it matter mine? Hers has chosen her, she can not leave now. The dragon rumbled in amusement at his rider. He had such silly thoughts.

"Does it matter if I'man was really a girl?" The words escaped his lips and the young man glanced towards the three younger boys. "Regardless of what we might think, the dragon always knows."

I'mana sat on her cot, worrying her lip between her teeth. What would happen now? Would R'yn run and tell everybody? Would he tell the weyrleaders? It didn't seem likely to her that he would keep it to himself - he was pretty freaked out.

She laid down, resting her head on her pillow, curled into something resembling a fetal position. She gazed at Wookith, a sad smile on her face. Maybe everything would be okay. What were they going to do - condemn a dragon because his rider had lied? Hardly. So whatever her punishment was, it couldn't be anything too bad, or it would harm Wookith, too. She reached out a hand and caressed his snout, and he lifted his head.

He looked steadily at her, eyes whirling a calming blue-green colour. Do not be distressed, Mine. There are other female brown riders, yes? He placed his head gently on the cot beside her and blew air into her face.

I'mana chuckled. "Yes. It's not that, though, Wookith. I lied... to everyone."

Wookith didn't really understand what a "lie" was. But he was here, and he was hers, and she was his, and wasn't that good? Nobody could separate them, and as long as they had each other, they would be okay - therefore, there was no way they could not be okay. He huffed again, nudging at her ear with his nose, and changed the subject.

Mine... what is that?

"What's what, now?" She sat halfway up, and saw it. A clay pot, not the one she'd brought in herself, but lidded and clearly not filled with liquid, as it sat on an angle. Somehow in the confusion, she guessed it had been dropped. I'mana stood and walked to the corner where it had come to rest, and picked up the small pot. It didn't seem damaged in any way. It was warm to the touch.

She sat down on her cot with it, just a little bit mystified. Maybe it's R'yn's...?

Burmeth says his wants to know if you are a male person or a female person.

I'mana sighed and flopped backward against the wall. "All right, Wookith. Go ahead and tell him."



He'd been minding his own business, tending to his dragon. Just finishing up the oiling, in fact, and Luth seemed to be drifting off to sleep right there. Suddenly, he was alert. He pushed his snout into the air, eyes wide and whirling rapidly, but still a relatively collected shade of blue. What is it, Luth?

Distress! Upset!

I'dan turned, surprised to see a small and quite literal pile of weyrlings, several of them younger than he, all tangled up together like a needlethorn bush. He began to walk toward them, beckoning Luth to follow him.

He stopped cold, however, when he heard their conversation. Were they discussing I'man? Did they know? He felt his fists clench, and took a deep breath to force himself calm. He strode up to the boys, a casual mask forced over his anxious expression. "Everybody okay? What's going on?"

"I told you!" R'yn said, frowning at his friends. How could they accuse him of making this all up? Sure, he'd told stories in the past, but this--this was an outrage! It wasn't fair! "I wasn't making this up! She's a girl! I went to give her a firelizard egg and all, to congratulate her on Impressing--you know because I'd met her before, and Zara had a clutch so..." he hesitated, frowning at N'rin still. He continued to frown at the older boy until he noticed I'dan.

"I gave your sister a firelizard egg," he said, attempting to be casual. "I hope she likes it. Zara thinks it might be a bronze, but I think it's a bit too big. Maybe a gold?" He shrugged. "Or a really big blue or something."

He glanced at T'rin. "The dragons agree with me. I wasn't lying."

If he'd had any doubts that the group knew the secret, they were blown away when R'yn turned to face I'dan and said he'd given his sister a fire lizard egg.

Before he could ask, though, T'rin volunteered nearly all the information he was looking for. He was silent for a long moment, a serious look on his face. His fists clenched tightly as he turned to face R'yn. "So that's your attitude when you find out a secret about somebody? You run and tell the whole sharding Weyr?" His arms shook with the effort of keeping his hands down.

Beside him, Luth shifted closer, pressing his weight against I'dan's leg. Do not be angry, mine. He is a child. He does not see.

I'dan looked away from R'yn for a moment, collecting himself, and then looked back, something dark and indiscernible in his eyes. "Where is she?"

Luth turned to face Leoth, eyes whirling rapidly in distress. No, Leoth, I cannot. Mine needs me. His clutchmate needs him. He looked sadly toward the weyrling barracks. She is upset. She is afraid. Mine is very angry...