It was several days after the feast. Vosin could feel the letdown after the adrenaline rush of the hatching then the feast. The young new rider had decided to take a quiet stroll down along the lake side. It was a brisk cool sky without clouds, a steady breeze with a hint of chill came from across the lake. The lake itself was ruffled by the wind, but a blue nearly to match the sky. The teen walked briskly until she came to the backside of the lake were there was fewer people. Not that it was exactly solitary in the wherhold, but it would do. Her dragon followed behind her.

She was still having difficulty coming to terms with her new life and position. Vosin had achieved her dream of becoming a dragonrider, sure. Even her twin had Impressed! It had made her really happy for Ves, and they’d both be weyrlings and eventually riders together. But her plans and goals were suddenly skewed away from what she thought they’d be when a voice called to her from across the sands. Vos would never have bet on the odds.

A wrinkle in her forehead showed she was very deep in thought. Not even a young brown flit playing in the shallow waters attracted her attention. His egg had been one of a pair their parents had presented to Vos and Ves after the hatching. As she walked, a pale golden head pushed up under her hand.

What troubles you Vosin? Killa had followed her rider on her walk and had walked a few steps behind, giving the girl some privacy. She’d expected something fun, but instead Hers was thinking. As Vosin’s emotions became jumbled, anxiety flicked through her eyes. This was Not Fun. The mixed emotions from Hers had prompted the young dragon to help sort her rider out.

Vosin sighed as she felt the smooth hide press against her palm. The one creature that completed her and would always know how she felt. “I guess it’s everything I thought would be if I became a dragonrider is impossible now.” Her fingers found the eyeridges and gently petted them. An internal prodding prompted her to continue. She knew Killa wanted to know more.

“I thought if I impressed that I’d be a dragonrider and fight Thread.” She would do something with her life and make a difference. Vosin had probably imagined impressing to every color except: gold, bronze, brown, and white. Gold because they were so sharding rare. Bronze because they only went to males. The same for browns as it was so unlikely she’d impress one. White dragons were even rarer than golds. Any other color had been a possibility.

Killa’s soft happy croon for her eyeridges was enough to bring the young flit over to beg for some attention himself. I am a dragon, you are my rider, so thus you are a dragonrider. Yes? The young queen took a moment to understand from memories of watching other young weyrlings practice drills and chewing firestone to get a concept of what fighting thread would be like.

That sounds dangerous. Now calm green eyes regarded the girl at her side.

“Dragon and rider, but never really in that full sense. I’ll never rider a flaming dragon to battle Thread.” That had most likely been one of her biggest dreams. Not that she wanted to give up Killakeeth, just that she had to come to terms with how things were going to be. Golds did not chew firestone. Golds did not flame thread like any of the other colors could.

“Well it is,” Vosin had to admit to the gold. She summoned Vintage to come rest on her shoulder and petted his elegantly marked headknobs. “Riders and dragons can get hurt or even die.” It wasn’t pretty, but it was their job. To protect Pern and the people who lived there. It was the essence of dragonrider.

It wasn’t an easy concept for her. Killa didn’t understand this passion to go out and help others, even if it put them in danger. I don’t see why it is such a big deal. I am a gold and it’s others jobs to go out and do the hard stuff. She didn’t see it remotely as being fun when she could be in her wallow napping or selecting the juiciest herdbeast. Why should she when there was plenty of others willing to throw themselves into it?

That was the crux. Killa was a gold. “I guess….. I guess I never thought I’d impress to a gold. To you.” Maybe once or twice, but the notion had quickly been dismissed. The chances had been too great. Vos stared into the faceted eyes of her dragon. Killa had turned her world upside down as she’d stood in front of a male candidate and called to her. Of all the girls on the sands, the gold had chosen Vosin.

No, you weren’t expecting it, but you were right for me. We will have much fun. No one would have been as much fun as you. She knew this would make her rider happy. The gold reexamined the memories and noted something. Then we shall fight Thread in the goldrider method.

The teen’s face lit up. “You’re right! We can use flamethrowers.” She would learn to fight Thread along with the rest of her clutchmates, just a different method. Vosin threw her arms around the gold neck, nearly unsettling Vintage who let out a squawk and took to the air to chitter down at the pair of silly creatures.