Once Alone, But Nevermore - [Feeding Area] {Open!}

{ Thread starts where Z’ren and his dragon have barreled into the Feeding Area and knocked over Lesera and her green. The Feeding Area is a multi-purpose room off to the sided of the Hatching Sands where newly bonded pairs go to feed their dragonets as they wait for the end of the Hatching. The Kitchen has prepared baby-dragon sized chunks of fresh, bloody meat on a table with bowls nearby to take from the massive pile to feed away from the pile. }





They had almost reached the feeding area’s entryway when Zelenyth was suddenly pressed tightly against Lesera’s side, overbalancing her and knocking her butt first onto the hot sands. Not yet used to the second personality in her head, Lesera and Zelenyth hissed as one in annoyance as the brown dragonet who had Impressed after them barreled past into the feeding area. Boorish beast! As he passed she snapped at him, biting down on one of the forks in his tail hard, and letting it go as she felt herself being dragged along in his race to the food. Zelenyth’s tail lashed in irritation as she righted herself and turned to make sure her bonded was uninjured. Are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you... she crooned lightly, but Lesera smiled and assured her with words and emotions that she wasn’t upset.

Righting herself as her dragon had, the pair made their way into the feeding area to sate Zelenyth’s hunger. Some seemed to be letting their dragons eat from the massive bloody pile, but Lesera wanted nothing to do with the group. She grabbed a bowl, much to Zelenyth’s pleasure, filled it to almost overflowing and moved off to a private spot along the wall. The young woman’s hands were bloody, which she didn’t mind at all from her time at the Hold’s kitchens. “Now Zelenyth, I know you are hungry but you must chew, use your teeth.” she said, trying to explain the concept, “I don’t want you to choke.” A sound of assent came from the green and Lesera gave her a chunk of meat, which the dragon chewed much to Lesera’s delight, and swallowed. She ate daintily, not wanting to get blood on Lesera or herself.  As soon as the chunk was gone from her mouth, it opened wide and waited for another. When the meat didn’t come fast enough she tried to snap it from her bonded’s hand.

I'm so hungry! You are taking too long! Lesera held the meat above her green’s head, “You just called the brown a boorish beast for his lack of manners, and then you try to take meat from me like that? You need to behave too.” Lesera said, her tone admonishing. Zelenyth was contrite for a moment, but she opened her mouth and waited. Lesera gave in. The hunger pains in her stomach encouraged her to feed quickly, she didn’t like her little green feeling like that. As the green’s hunger started to subside and her stomach began to get a well-rounded shape, Zelenyth moved to Lesera’s side and curled against her with her head in Lesera’s lap. Her speed in chewing had dropped as she got fuller and the bowl was almost empty. The dragonet looked around her as she chewed her next bite, watching the others with interest but giving no indication that she wanted to join them.

That was fine with Lesera. She didn’t know any of these people except her brother. The young woman’s free arm draped over Zelenyth and they took comfort in each other as the bowl emptied. Lesera put it aside and Zelenyth followed the brown with her whirling eyes. Her drowniness was affecting Lesera as they watched together, sated, and it almost seemed as if the pair were one creature as they moved their heads, blinked and watched at the same time, moving as one. Had anyone noticed, it might have been creepy the way they interacted.

Z'ren had been focused much of the time his little Brown ate, on the new mental presence that felt like an awfully odd intrusion for now. Not that he would ever complain, but it was a strange sensation having another mind inside your mind -if that made any sense. He wondered if that's what it was like for the dragon. Anyway, it wasn't that he wasn't interested in what new pairs came into the feeding area as Draugarth ate, finally starting to slow in his ravenous rate of consumption, but he hadn't turned to look up yet to notice that for the most part, everyone had avoided feeding too near he and the little brown.

On the other side of Draugarth, at the far end of the feeding area, were Zerenyth and her rider. Peering over the back of his bonded, Z'ren's eyes fell over the form of Lesera, where she was looking dreary. Just as dreary as her Green, in fact. Looking at her now, he remembered back to when Draugarth made his entrance and the other pair had hissed as he ran past them. He'd spared only a glance back, but was hard pressed to keep up with his new companion, afraid of what trouble he might get into if he didn't remain at his side. He wondered if he should have stopped to apologize then, feeling a little guilty now, but that thought was quickly corrected with a hiss of his own. He must have sensed his rider's thoughts and disapproved.

Looking back down at his very own hatchling, the little brown had turned his head from the remaining chunks of meat to look to his rider, eyes showing curiosity, Do you care for them? They eat our food and get in our way. Why should we apologize to them?

I... No, I don't care for them, I suppose. And I'm sure there will be food enough for both of you. The young man looked back over to Lesera and her Green, wondering if she was the one who'd impressed from the stands. He hadn't seen it with his own eyes because he'd been watching Draugarth in hopes of impressing; the last thing he'd noticed before his bonded hatched, was that the little green had looked lost and alone, and stood on the sands unmoving, and unable to find the human she was looking for. Z'ren didn't know how they did it -how a dragon chose his rider- but it was truly magnificent. 

Zairren's heart was swelling with pride then, as he thought about Draugarth, and in response, the brown circled back around to face him to give another head butt to his chest. 

Z'ren's hands fell to the top of the dragon's head, noticing just how the deep oxblood red colour was brighter on his crown, his paws, edges of his wings, and also the tip of his tail -almost as if they'd been dipped in the blood that oozed from the hatchling's meal. 

On that note, Z'ren had remained relatively miserable, feeling more hungry than any person ought, until Draugarth had decided that he was about done eating. Z'ren let his hand slide to the dragon's muzzle, stopping him from turning back to the piles of meat, Enough. You'll get sick. I'll protect your meat for you. Trust in me. There will be more later. 

That reassurance seemed to be all that Draugarth needed, to know that he would not go hungry; though he did look forward to future competitions for food, just like the race to get here. The Brown's attention was turned curiously on the Green pair then, trying to determine what had sparked his rider's interest in them. Or why, for that matter, his rider would want to apologize. Z'ren may not have heard it, but Lesera had called him 'boorish'. It was an affront to his magnificence on the whole. She had no idea how great he was. How could she not see the perfection that was in ever cell and sinew of his draconic being. 

With that thought in mind, the brow's tail twitched at its almost-injured tip as he kept his eyes on the two. 

It looked as though the two would fall asleep where they were at. If he waited for just the opportune moment, he could scare them awake, and teach that sassy green who was boss.



Since they were done eating, Z'ren decided that it was best to get out of the way, so that other candidates who had just impressed could have plenty of room to eat. There was no reason for Draugarth to be so covetous over all the food still. That said, Z'ren couldn't be sure if the pang in his stomach was still from the Brown's previous hunger or from his own need to have something to eat. Of course, such ravenous hunger as a baby dragon's could have just further irritated any hunger of his own; and being hungry was something that he didn't appreciate. He didn't complain about things like that, even if it irritated him, but all the same, he didn't like the feeling. 

Come on, Draugarth. Let's go over here, where we can sit. Or, where he could sit, and the baby dragon could lay himself down to digest. 

Z'ren walked past Lesera and Zerenyth, to put his back to the far wall there, waiting for everyone to be done, and the assistants to tell them where to go next. Of course, the Brown followed, and circled in a spot that looked appropriately comfortable before curling his long, lithe body up for a nap, resting his head between his paws. And though his eyes closed as Z'ren set his back against the wall and slid down it to sit beside the hatchling, he was obviously not falling fast to sleep, because the brown's tail still twitched.

His own eyes closing, Z'ren held one knee in toward his chest while the other leg straightened to relax on the smooth, stone floor. A hand came to rest over his abdomen where he felt pains of hunger in his own stomach, letting a discomforted wince display briefly upon his face before his head lolled back to the wall. Draugarth's sleepiness was starting to wear off on him, which meant he'd likely go to bed hungry.

Lesera and Zelenyth watched the other pair’s progress nearer to them and the green dragonet became more alert as they passed by, shaking off a bit of the drowsiness that was infecting her and her bonded. The girl tried to calm the dragon, gently reassuring her green that the young brown was only hungry before and hadn’t meant offense. As she watched the brown curl up and rest his head, Lesera came to the conclusion that he was a rather beautiful color. It reminded her of drying blood in some places, and the overall effect was interesting to say the least. She grinned, he was more of a reddish-brown instead of a typical shade of brown. Looking down at Zelenyth Lesera decided it was high time to teach her dragon manners as well, “You know, you shouldn’t have called him a boorish brute. He doesn’t compare to your beauty, but he’s well made in his own way.”

Zelenyth blinked up at her bonded, But he knocked us down and barreled past us. It was rude. What did I ever do to him?

“It doesn’t matter, love. You are older,” by a few minutes, Lesera thought to herself, “and should set the example.” Zelenyth harrumphed mentally and turned her attention away from the other pair. Her full stomach was getting uncomfortable in her current position so she stood and stretched, leaning her upper body into a deep angle and her drying wings as far out from her sides as she could, angling them over Lesera’s head. Giving them a tentative flap she looked over her shoulder at them, admiring herself. The young woman vaguely wondered if her dragonet was admiring herself. She took the time with her dragon stretched as she was to examine the flow over colors on Zelenyth.

Part her head was darker than the rest, and above the eyeridges was almost black, as well as her feet and talons. The forked end of her tail was just as dark while the underside of her wings was a marbled true-green and light green. It almost reminded her of the color of greens she would see in a forest when the sun filtered down from high above. Zelenyth was gorgeous. And while Lesera had very little knowledge of dragons in a general sense, she was sure that the dragonet was more perfectly proportioned than others. Like a good runner, Lesera decided. Did that make her good breeding stock too? Lesera blushed at the idea. But greens didn’t clutch, right? That was for golds; at least she had never heard of a green clutching.

When Zelenyth lowered her wings Lesera was surprised to note that the tops of her wings were darker as well, adding to the general shadowy darkness of her body. Zelenyth crooned, sensing Lesera’s thoughts on her beauty. Deciding she had had enough of laying down, the dragonet sat and curled her long tail around her front and tucked her wings against her back. She was content to stay with Lesera but was wary of the brown dragonet. As soon as she had settled herself one of the feeding area attendants made her way around the room with a tray of cold cut sandwiches and juice.

“Eat a bit, not all of the hunger is your dragonet’s.” the woman said, smiling at the pair. Lesera thanked her, drank a glass of juice and was surprised to have it refilled before the woman moved off toward Z’ren and his brown to offer him food as well. The sandwich was heaven in her mouth and Lesera was reminded that she hadn’t had time to eat before coming to the Weyr. The thought reminded her of her mother and a moment of panic rose in her. She had impressed. That meant her mother was going home alone... Lesera suddenly wanted to cry in fear for her mother who was also now alone in the Stands and watching Tori impress.

“Tori!” Lesera cried, sitting up straight and wide awake suddenly. “I’m going to miss him Impressing.” she said mournfully as Zelenyth looked up at her with curiosity. What's a Tori?

“The man I hugged, remember? That’s my brother. He’s going to Impress today too.” she said, conviction in her voice as she explained to the green her distress.

Well then we should go watch, shouldn't we. Lesera was elated. Her dragonet understood. She finished wolfing down the sandwich and stood, turning to smile at Z’ren, “He’s really pretty you know. Congratulations.” and then her attention was back on the entrance to the Hatching Sands. They made their way slowly through the room, dodging other pairs and going to Stand just near the exit. The woman who had come to offer her food smiled at her.

“I know you want to watch, but you have to stay in here. It’s safer than being out around the bumbling babies. You can watch from there.”

“Yes ma’am.” Lesera said with a shy smile, deciding she liked the woman.

Trying to ignore his hunger, Z'ren tried to go to sleep while he could. He would see soon enough who impressed and who didn't, and Draugarth's weariness was weighing on his eyelids, so it made the prospect of sleep enticing. Since his eyes were closed, he could also pretend not to overhear the conversation between Lesera and her bonded, who were now nearby. There wasn't much said, but for whatever reason, Z'ren thought it was cute that she went on about manners with the green -who must've been half the size of Draugarth. 

When the green stretched, Z'ren obviously wasn't paying attention, but his counterpart was. The very end of his tail still flicking in varying degrees of irritation, the Brown opened his eyes to view what movement was occurring when Zerenyth decided to stretch herself out and spread her wings to dry them. Continuing to rest his head between his paws should have given the appearance that he was no more interested that earlier in the pair, but as the green spread her wings toward the sky, Draugarth's eyes -trained to seek perfection as it were- took notice of her indeed very lovely proportion. For, even in his eyes, at such a young age, he was able to notice it. Others however, may not be able to see her perfection just yet. Surely, the full draw of her attraction to males would become apparent as they all got older. 

Perhaps because he did not recognize her lovely build for the purpose of mating attraction just yet, the Brown filed it away in his thoughts as something that he could mull over, privately appreciating, and figuring that he might be inclined to like her at some point; if Z'ren insisted on liking Zerenyth and her rider, too, of course. Because, well, she did appear to be more up to his standards than other clutchmates so far. If she did happen to be quite perfect in many ways, there was just no helping that. Draugarth would just have to accept her.

It was certainly worth more investigation.


When the serving woman came around with sandwiches, Z'ren reached for the nearest one, not taking time to wonder whether or not it was necessarily the most appetizing; but at least it was food. And good food. Thus far, the Weyr's food had been quite delicious -a real treat for someone who was often threatened with the skipping of meals, being used to somewhat bland food, lots of starches, only moderate amounts of meat, fruit, cream or milk, but lots of vegetables. The Weyr's diet then, tended to be very rich for him, and overabundant in many things he did not generally eat a whole lot of. Since his coming, he'd enjoyed a lot of those things, but likewise, had found out he had to be cautious of how much of those things he ate; his stomach had a hard time handling them. A sandwich though, Z'ren could enjoy whole heartedly, without harboring any worry over if his stomach would like it or not. Which he did, because he too, felt ravenous by that point. The Brothrider however, did not accept the juice offered. For him, it was too sweet, and not something he was in the mood for.

Since he'd stood back on his feet to accept the meal, as soon as the serving woman had passed, Z'ren's eyes fell over the greenrider nearest him. Watching her rise from her sitting position and move to the threshold of the feeding room after exclaiming about her family, he continued to eat the food in hand without saying anything. Suddenly, he wondered if the girl knew that she could speak to her dragon privately, through their telepathic connection, just as the dragon spoke into her own mind. Lesera was still talking aloud to the green; though it could have been for the benefit of those around her, or perhaps the mind-speaking was still a strange thing. He supposed that since he lived in his thoughts a lot, it was probably natural that he had no real issue with learning to mind-speak with Draugarth quickly. 




Z'ren had finished his sandwich just before Lesera did -he was a fast eater when he needed to be- so he didn't have to worry about a mouth full of food when she approached him unexpectedly. Still, he was a little shy and unsure quite how to accept a complement from a girl like her -that was, any girl outside of the Blood Moon camp he'd grown up for most of his life in. And there certainly weren't many girls in the camp, which really narrowed down his total experience level in regards to such things.

"Oh. Thanks. You, too." 

He may have chosen to say more, but Lesera had moved on, too. Unbeknownst to him, she was just as nervous.

After watching the girl and her little green walk away, Z'ren stood and stared after them, over the spans of a couple of breaths. Then he joined them where they stood close by, gazing through the door, out over the sands. 

So that it didn't seem like he'd been eaves dropping, Z'ren asked, "Are you waiting for someone in particular to impress? You are the one who impressed from the stands, right?"

Absently Lesera nodded in response to the person speaking, she was trying to find the robed figure of her brother in the cluster of Candidates still on the Sands. “Yes, my brother is Torianu. His old Guard squad has bets on what he will Impress. I suppose they should have bet on me.” Realizing it wasn’t her little green that had spoken, Lesera looked to the speaker. She was suddenly surprised to have said so much but felt she should clarify her remarks. It was lucky that the young man wasn’t looking at her, “We are from Telgar Hold. And yes, I’m the one who Impressed from the stands.”

The young woman decided not to mention that she could have been on the Sands with the group in white, and clammed up. As if it wasn’t obvious who she was by the pink dress she wore, she was slightly embarrassed that he had called attention to the fact that she had Impressed in a non-traditional way. It wouldn’t do to remind him, and by extension the other Candidates, that she knew close to nothing about dragons except the typical color information. Zelenyth must have heard her mental commentary because she chose that moment to press herself between the man and her bonded to look up at Lesera, You are mine. I am yours, and we are perfect.

They were just the words the young woman needed to hear, she realized, as she looked down and scratched the eyeridge of her dragonet. She couldn’t have told anyone what had made her touch that particular spot, but a sense of needing or perhaps wanting it scratched had overcome her. Zelenyth’s multifaceted eyes whirled contentedly. Lesera, knowing her limitations on dragonlore, vowed to learn as much as she could to make sure the little green would never regret choosing her. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else. I looked, they weren't you. You were meant for me, and me only.

Having the second personality in her head was still surprising to Lesera as she gazed down at her intelligent little green, “How did you know I was the one? What’s so special about me?”

If dragons could shrug, Zelenyth pulled the mental equivalent. You are you. You are mine.

Lesera supposed that was as good an answer as she was going to get and shook her head ruefully. She should have known better. The weyrling greenrider looked around, expecting to see the brown dragonet by Z’ren’s side and not seeing him. “Where is your brown? His colors are magnificent,” Zelenyth grumbled, “Oh you jealous thing. I’ve heard the words ‘green with envy’ but they had never applied to a dragon before meeting you.” she teased, Zelenyth crooned up at her, “But you are right, yours are magnificent too.” Lesera smiled again. The dragonet had a jealous streak it would seem.

As her eyes traveled back to the group of Candidates Lesera finally spotted Torianu and pointed, “That’s him. Mother is in the stands. We had come to watch him Impress.”

The Guard? Z'ren thought to himself as Lesera answered him. Of course, he didn't realize she thought that she was speaking to her bonded.

Telgar? His thoughts mused again, inwardly.

The young man's eyes fell on the pretty Green as she pressed herself between them. At the same time, Z'ren's own Brown got up from his resting place and from that short distance, stalked a perimeter around them. He was watching the little green and her rider intently, curious to know how easily he could turn the pair's fight into fright. The Brown relished the joy derived from controlling and manipulating others by whatever means; but especially by seduction and fear. So, if fear did not seem to be working on them, there were other means by which to ply their cooperation.

By the way that the little dragon peered up at her rider, it was apparently to Z'ren that they were talking. He wondered at her answering aloud, but didn't question it; getting used to a second personality invading your consciousness was an odd thing, and his, he could already tell, would be testing his limitations in the future.

A faint smile rose to his expression as he looked between the pair, but he could sense Draugarth getting closer -perhaps a little jealous of the Green's nearness to his rider, though any such feeling was dismissed when he exuded pleasure in the fact that Lesera had once again recognized just how beautiful he was. That wasn't quite enough though. For, Draugarth wasn't just the most glorious and fearsome spectacle to behold, but he was perfect and dominant in every other way. They would recognize the truth soon. All of them.

If the little Brown could have grinned ever so maliciously just then, he would have done so.

As Draugarth came to join them then, he wrapped his long, whip-like tail about the legs of his rider, passing between his human and the little Green. He did not nip this time, but practically purred in sensuous pleasure as his body brushed close to Zelenyth. Slithering by her, the Brown circled his rider's legs until his entire body encircled the spot where Z'ren stood and he could poke his head around the other side again, eyeing his clutchmate.

Without looking up at his rider, he assured his life-mate, See. They are beginning to see it. We will show them what true perfection really is. You an I are better, stronger. That is why we are together.

Z'ren had turned his eyes on the Brown then, feeling his dragon's smugness keenly. Even Z'ren started to feel more pleased than he should have by the mere fact that Lesera had commented on Draugarth's colouring. But that gladness infused him, and with it, at least a little of the dragon's need to be recognized as dominant in every way. This small interaction had been a practically insignificant win; but it was a start. Z'var too, felt his heart swell just a little with pride... and that uncustomary desire to prove their perfection.

His attention was diverted though, when Lesera pointed them back to the sands where Torianu stood. The young man looked on, thinking that it must have been a surprise for her to impress first; at least, for her to have impressed from the stands, even if she'd been searched previously, just not meant to stand just yet. But... then again, could it really be helped? The dragons chose who they wanted to bond do, not the other way around. At least, from his understanding.

"It would be exciting it both of you to Impressed today." The boy grinned a bit sheepishly,in a lop-sided way, wondering how likely that was to happen. Of course, for her sake, he hoped that Tori did impress. All the more reason for their family to celebrate.

Zelenyth eyed the brown suspiciously. Something about him put her deeply on edge and the sensation of it extended to Lesera as she followed him with her own eyes. The young woman was unaware that she continued to mirror the actions of her green, but it didn’t matter to her. She just smiled. There was nothing in the world that compared to the sensation of being bonded to this creature that loved her with all its heart, no matter what. This little green dragon knew everything there was to know about her, and loved her for it anyway. It was more than familial love, more than what Lesera thought the perfect fairy tale love was... And much more than what her mother and father had. This was... Perfection.

As the brown circled them and inserted himself between Zelenyth and Z’ren, the green pulled away from her clutchmate and hissed again. She didn’t want that malicious creature near her rider. Ever. Not near Lesera, or near herself. Her skin seemed to tingle with the unsavory sensation of him against her and she pulled away and put herself between the brown and Lesera. Zelenyth snapped her jaws at him threateningly, but not biting him this time. “Zelenyth!” Lesera said, her voice lacking conviction since she felt the same way about the lovely colored brown with an attitude problem, “Be nice, or at least learn to fake it better.” she admonished.

The human counterparts of the pairs had been quiet for some time until she had spoken to Zelenyth, so when Z’ren chose that moment to speak Lesera blushed, giggled and dimpled with a smile and looked away from him back to the Hatching Sands where the two gold eggs were rocking precariously in a race to hatch first.



“It would be fantastic if we both Impressed today. I have my entire savings of marks bet on him getting a dragon today. I stand to make a decent amount from his squad if I’m right. Look! The golds hatched!” Lesera pointed her hand out the door in their reflection noting the reactions of the crowd. She watched as the huge baby golds tried to get their feet and make it to the gold Candidates. Lesera cried out as she watched on girl get crushed, who looked quite dead from where Lesera was, and the other who looked as if she would never walk again. She felt for their plight, but the injuries of the young men earlier had shown her that Hatchings were dangerous.

Lesera was suddenly glad the attendant lady had told her to stay where she was. At least in the feeding area she and Zelenyth were safe from the sharp talon-claws of the infant hatchlings. I hatched before the brown, and before those two golds... that makes me older than them, right?

The young woman was stunned that Zelenyth seemed to grasp the idea she had put to her earlier, about being older than the brown Z’ren had impressed, “Ahh.. Yes, that makes you older.” the green was smug. Lesera sensed an underlying sense of dislike for the golden hatchlings, and she looked down at Zelenyth. Her attention was taken by the greens that hatched in the shadow of the golds, along with yet another blue and another green. Their Impressions were what passed for normal, and Lesera grinned as a young girl Impressed the first green hiding behind her friend’s legs. It was cute.

As they group made their way to the feeding area Lesera pulled away from the edge to make room for them to come through and Zelenyth crooned at the new dragonets - especially the pretty blue that had caught her rider’s eye. Lesera thought the tall blonde young man was kinda handsome and made a point not to catch his eye. It wasn’t long before the newly Impressed pairs had made their way into the relative safety of the feeding room that the greenling’s eyes were turned back to the golds on the Sands. Lesera was pleased that the blue hadn’t gone to Tori. She thought he deserved something more prestigious.

Her eyes were riveted on the golden sisters as they neared the gold Candidates, willing them not to hurt anyone else.

While he eyed Zelenyth, Draugarth noted the way in which she shied away from him just before snapping the air between them, in threat. Leaning his weight forward, the hatchling craned his neck to offer a nip back at her in reply, though he was too far to reach the little Green. Still, it was an effective gesture. He didn't mind playing this game.

Z'ren thought it was cute when Lesera admonished the Green, offering that she should at least pretend to be nice, if nothing else. But, for whatever reason, Z'ren didn't seem to think he needed to stop the Brown from being rude or even mean. Instead, he kept his eyes on Lesera. 

There was more than one reason that the boy didn't stop his bonded from playing rough, the most significant of which was the simple fact that he was accustomed to rough housing and leaving it up to sometimes quite aggressive competitions to determine hierarchy. Such occurrences were not necessarily unusual for him, so he didn't think that much of it. Likeiwse, the Draugarth's meshing with his own thoughts was already starting to lend a certain coloration of his own thoughts that wouldn't have been there otherwise. He already found himself analyzing his thoughts to decide to what extent the hatchling had infiltrated them. And if he compared present way of thinking to that of the past, it might be easy to determine which inclinations were not completely his own. Getting this whole new telepathic link thing worked out was going to take some getting used to -and maybe a little professional advice from the Weyrling Master.

He left those thoughts for more consideration later, when he saw Lesera giggle, turning he expression into a deeply dimpled grin that made him feel privy to the inner joy or amusement she experienced just then. Z'ren liked that feeling, and further, thought that he would like being her friend. It would be nice having friends here at the Weyr, since he was far removed from the friends he'd spent most of his life amoungst. He didn't want to feel so isolated. The Weyr was a completely different environment.


Intently, the young man listened as Lesera went on about her brother and the many bets she had running, which were dependent on Torianu's Impressing. She had bet her entire savings on the Hatching? That sounded like a lot of marks. Of course, Z'ren had a slim few marks he'd been able to earn on his own, which were given him like a veritable allowance, but he rarely spent any of it; because in truth, there was perhaps only one material desire that he had ever really had, and that was something that he could not  yet afford to buy for himself. Outside of that, he had little use for marks.

The young man had stepped infront of Draugarth to stand beside Lesera and look out over the sands where more dragons emerged from their shells and made their first steps, entering into life-long relationships with whatever human that suited them. It was a very special, touching event to behold until the two queens made their appearance. 

Of course, normally neither he nor Draugarth would have concerned themselves much even over the fact that there were two new queens that had just been birthed, but as soon as they started to compete, one trying to out-do the other, Draugar's eyes whirled with interest and approval. The Brown too, joined them where he could crane his neck to see what was going on. 

In the next instant, a girl had been trampled under the weight of one of the queens. Z'ren knew that her internal organs were likely beyond the point of repair after such an assault, and likewise, the second girl was going to have a difficult time at recovery. He hadn't seen a lot of injury in the past, but he had been given an understanding of the body for the sake of taking life, and thus, he understood what kind of shape both girls were in. And now, one of them was struggling just to take what breaths would be her last, and the other made terrible noise, crying out to be saved. 

Z'ren watched Lesera's reaction closely, to make sure that he didn't need to step in front of her and guide her inside, so that they didn't have to see such sad things; but then again, he knew that she was focused on her brother and possibility of his impression. So, he refrained from doing so.

Stepping back from the entrance to the feeding area as a new wave of weyrlings migrated their way, Z'ren stood aside, standing beside Lesera again. He didn't really notice things such as  her looking at the blonde rider, but most likely because he wasn't a jealous sort, even if he was interested in things like physical attraction to someone. He had had very little opportunity to indulge in that sort of thing though, until arriving at the Weyr, so he didn't generally think of things of that nature.

Again, with her, Z'ren watched over the sands to see who would impress next. But his bonded still lacked interest. Z'ren could feel his reason why as well -which was that none of the others were nearly as important as he and Draugarth. They would always be better. Even if someone else was older. 

The little Brown snaked his head around, softly hissing as he followed his rider's steps, and simultaneously stalked the Green.


At length, Z'ren quietly shared his thoughts, "I hope your brother impresses, then. I bet no one guessed that you would have impressed, instead." The boy looked at her then, instead of across the sands. "Your parents don't mind you coming to the weyr?"

Bl'en and Vaqueroth walked to the feeding tables. Following the two Golds in without thinking much of it. They were too absorbed in their own relationship to really think about congratulating anyone right away. Bl'en even seemed to be able to keep his thoughts off of Emberlynn, at least consciously for now. He took a bucket of pre-cut meat and smiled at the Bronze. It smells good in here. Is the food ready?

"Yes, it is ready. Now you'll have to chew slowly so as not to choke. We don't want that to happen. You can have as much as you need but not more." Bl'en said, smiling. In fact he seemed to be wearing a smile that never went away. Most people probably would be in his position.

He had missed any altercation between Z'ren and Lesera's new life-mates. Bl'en wasn't really noticing much other than focusing on feeding his dragon. There would be time for congratulations later, at the Hatching Feast. Right now he was determined to make sure Vaqueroth ate enough to sate him and ate slowly.

Then the dragonet would be tired and would need to be taken to the Barracks and the sooner the better. He really didn't think he wanted to lift the Bronze and carry him to the Barracks. In fact, he wasn't even sure that would be possible, judging by his size. Bl'en did not think he would be able to sleep for a long, long time.

Vaqueroth had listened to his rider and chewed each piece to Bl'en's satisfaction, swallowed and then received another piece. You should try this. Sooo good. Mmmmm.

Laughing, "I'll pass, thank you. I prefer my meat cooked."
Cooked? Hmmm, well we'll get you some of this cooked later.

"Your concern is noted but I'm really not hungry, not compared to you. Once you feel less hungry, you will see." He reassured the Bronze, who didn't seem to quite believe him. He had to admit is was hard to tell if he was hungry or if it was all Vaqueroth's intense cravings.

Teylarrin made her way slowly to the adjoining chamber. The people with their own baby draggie had all gone in that direction. She assumed that she was supposed to lead her new arrival there as there. It would be funny though if they had not actually been supposed to have gone there and that everyone was all cramped in to a closet space because no one had thought to ask for directions and were now too embarrassed to come out and admit their mistake.

The little Green chimed in.

Teylarrin looked over at the Hatchling. Astraiath was not all that small. Well, she was small, but Tey-Tey had been expecting her to come out smaller than she had. Like human babies. But they were not. The baby Dragon were more akin to baby runnerbeasts. In fact, Astraiath was nearly her own height. That probably had more to due with herself than her lovely Green, though.

  "D'ya ny-oh word wheeze sp'ozed tuh guh?" she asked. The hatchling swung her head from the path before them to her new Rider and then toward the door lying ahead.



"Huoo'dja ace'sk?" Teylarrin inquired.
The Dragonet returned her gaze to the young woman.



Teylarrin was not as confident in her leadership skills as Astraiath seemed to be. Even so, she could not complain. It was better than the alternative. "Uh-keh, thane," she said. "Thadda wey id iyz."

  The pair strode in to the feeding chamber. There were already others present. That was to be expected. They had not been the first Impressed. Teylarrin crinkled her noseat what she found. It was the smell of the raw meat. She had handled plenty of that stuff back home. It was the mess. It was like these people did not know the first things about feeding Dragons. Not that she did either, but she was willing to bet that the food went in their mouths. Given the amount of gore littering the stone floor, she was not so certain that they others had managed to reach that same conclusion. That, or hatchlings were poor eaters.

, the tiny Green assured her.

Tey-Tey took a free bowl of the foodstuffs. She pulled out a sliver. She held it over her baby's snout. When Astraiath opened her jaws, she dropped the meat the meat inside. She reminded the Dragon to chew her food, which she had been reminded of by the other Candi-- Riders in the room along with her. She plled out a second piece and repeated the manuever. As the dragonet began to chew, blood slopped from the sides of her mouth, speckling the floor.

Astraiath lowered her head and began to lick at the mess.

 Teylarrin simply shook her head. Best eater, indeed. She looked up toward the entrance. She wondered how her friends were doing. They were taking their sweet time. If they did not hurry up then the Dragon supply as going to run out. Then who was she going to play with during class?



Tey-Tey nodded. "Iffin Draggehs gut differ'nt pursin'ali'dees, Ah thunk Ah done go-in gawd muh a path-ee-log-ee-cul lur."



The dragonet pulled her face from the floor. The blood was more smeared than it was cleaned. Her mouth opened for another bite. Teylarrin dutifully complied.

Outfit

Syra watched as a little brown (more like tan, she thought) dragon helped the last blue to his new lifemate and Impressed Torianu. That would be her second win tonight against D’nier, and she wouldn’t let him forget it either. Once the dragonets were free of the sands, happily feeding their infant dragons, Syra made quick work of tagging bits of each shell for their pairs and putting them in a handy carry sack for later. That done she made her way to the feeding area and stood in the door way. All of the newly paired lifemates were busy feeding their dragons; Syra noted that the brother and sister sat near each other by the door, joined by the bloody-looking brown and his rider. Good, so the girl and her green had settled in all right, Syra decided.

She gave the group a few minutes to sate the deepest hunger pains and cleared her throat. “Hello everyone!” she raised her voice to be heard, letting it echo from the walls of the room. Many faces turned to look at her, and even more whirling eyes. “I’m Syra, Fort Weyr’s Weyrlingmaster for those of you who have never met me. Let’s clear this up before you start asking. Yes, I’m a woman. Yes, I am young. Yes, I ride a blue dragon. His name is Rasenth. You will see a lot of him through these classes. He will contact each of you so that you can have your dragonet’s bespeak him as needed.

Over the next two years you will be spending an awful lot of time with me. You will hate me, some of you may like me. But I am a hard task mistress. The first thing you should know is that I will not ask you to do anything I wouldn’t be willing to do myself along side you. Second thing you should know is... Your first class starts before the sun rises tomorrow. Dragonets wake up early, often and hungry. This lesson will teach you how to cut meat to dragonet size, bathe, oil and muck your dragons. Young dragons are too small to fly, and too young to go between to do their business. This means a lot of mucking up after them - quite like runners, but way more fun.

Tomorrow you will learn where the oil is, what to do, how to do it and other basic information with your dragonets. You’ll also learn your new position within the Weyr, the ranking Weyrleader’s and those fabulous skills of etiquette we Dragonrider’s strive to be known for.”

Syra paused, this was a lot of information to take in. “Next. You will find that your dragons are needy. If your dragonet wakes from sleeping and needs you - nothing stands between you and it. Drop what you are doing and go to your dragon. Dragon memories are short, think about three days tops for the most part. Baby dragons need to be constantly reminded to chew their food. Tomorrow morning you will be surprised to see that your new lifemate has grown already - a lot. This is why we oil... Growing hide means patchy hide, which needs oiling. An imperfect hide can crack between, and your dragon could die. No one wants that, right?” Heads shook and shocked looks greeted her. “I didn’t think so.”

“There are some rules for Weyrlinghood. As of now you are all practicing strict celibacy. No sex, no drinking to excess. This means you are restricted to two glasses of wine. One if you get drunk easily. Your dragonets simply don’t understand the emotions involved and the strange way the mind works when you engage in these activities. Their confusion can lead to fear, and fear leads to a dragonet disappearing between forever.

No leaving the Weyr. You should be with your dragonet at all times unless he or she is sleeping. It is suggested that you stick to the Barracks, Bathing Areas, and Living Caverns during the first three months so you can readily reach them when they wake up. That being said, there are no visitors in the Barracks. Only Weyrlings, myself and Weyrleaders, as well as Weyrling Staff and the dragons paired to these people should ever be in the Barracks.

Absolutely no flying until you are cleared by me. This includes gliding young dragons from ledges, and going between. Again - for your safety and that of your dragon just don’t do it.” Again, Syra paused to let this sink in. “I know I have done a lot of talking just now but I have one more point to make before letting you all ask any questions you may have.

As a Weyrling, no matter what color you Impressed, you are the lowest ranked resident of the Weyr. Always treat all residents with respect do their greater rank. Refer to people by their rank - regardless of what it is. Let them tell you whether or not you can dispense with the pleasantry. If you don’t know what it is, ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ is appropriate. Bowing, saluting, curtsying,” and Syra demonstrated all of these, “always follows. Now... Any questions?”

Syra grinned at the bewildered group. It was the usual reaction she got when she came and spoke so much to them their first day. It was a lot of information to take in. “Tonight will be a celebration feast. Spend the time before it getting to know each other, your dragons and settle into your new digs - which we will be showing you shortly.”

She saw a few people glance at the misshaped bag beside her leg where the eggshells were, and winked. They would find out about those later.  Rasenth, please bespeak the new riders and let them know your touch so they can have their dragons contact you. she sent to her blue, who obliged his rider with a simple, ‘Congratulations, Rider of’ and their dragon’s name. He touched each of them, his tone proud of the new pairings and tinged with excitement. The big blue loved to hunt for the dragonets and was often their sentinel as they went about their day, soaring over the Weyr and watching in case he was needed.

Around the feeding area earlier hatched dragonets were beginning to look sleepy, and it was starting to show in the faces of their new bonded human’s as well. A hatching was a long, hard thing to endure and it was likely that many of them would choose to nap together. In fact, many of the dragonets could fit on the beds with their riders. Well, Syra thought, everyone but the huge golden babies. She eyed Emerene and Emberlynn carefully. Two golds was a blessing in these times, but it was going to be rough training them with such a large class. Syra supposed that Karene would do much of it, though, or perhaps the Junior Weyrwomen.

The little blue dragonet and his female bonded were close to Syra’s heart and she made a mental note to take the girl under her wing. It was not easy to be a female bluerider. The bloody-brown dragonet was going to be a problem, Syra knew, as she had seen him on the Sands. There were a few others who were going to be interesting to work with, but she was excited and proud of the newest class of young ones. The Weyrlingmaster leaned against the wall, watching as attendants moved through the room with trays of juice and sandwiches for the humans, and another few buckets of freshly chunked, bloody meat was poured into the deep trough.[/i]

Bl'en & Vaqueroth

Once he had fed the Bronze to the dragon's satisfaction, he took the time to look around the room at the others. His new "company" as it were. They were an interesting mix. Again, he wasn't exactly sure what each dragon saw in the Candidate they chose. Vaqueroth too was looking around him.

A voice rose from behind him then and he turned around to see, as Vaqueroth's head swiveled to check out where it was coming from. The woman standing before them looked like she meant business and he had no doubt that she did. Bl'en focused immediately.

The newly Impressed Bronzerider, paid close attention to the woman. He had learned long ago to respect women who outranked him or perceived themselves as such. He would afford her all respect as she was the Weyrling Master and while he was certain some of the Weyrbred probably found it shocking, he thought nothing of the kind. A female, bluerding, young Weyrlingmaster was fine. As long as she knew how to train them to the best of her ability then that was what mattered.

As she told them what they were responsible for and how they should speak to others, he found himself reminded of Guard training a great deal. Well if the other Guard Candidates had similar training, then this would be easy as eating pie.

Itchy. Vaqueroth said softly. Trying not to distract Bl'en.

"Itchy?" He responded outloud, because he had no idea how to communicate telepathically. His eyes scanned the room. It would make sense of course, he was larger and needed to be oiled more often, at least from what he understood.

"Weyrling Master, is there any oil here?" Bl'en, hoped he had not missed that being told to him at some point. Not all the dragonets would need to be oiled today but tomorrow, he didn't doubt there would be a lot of itchy dragons and worn out new riders.

Upon hearing Rasenth's voice, he whispered to his Bronze, "Rasenth says congratulations." Well he was rather pleased with himself and his new rider. He was glad he wasn't the only one who wanted good things for Bl'en and himself.



Veyani & Sonadorath


The green was the last to arrive and therefore the last to be fed. Veyani was aware, dimly, that she should be making sure Sonadorath chewed her food. "Chew it. Don't gobble it down whole like I know you want to do."

Chew?

"Yeah, you just use your teeth like this..." she moved her teeth up and down. "Your back teeth will mash the meat down so it is easier for you later."  The green nearly gobbled her first piece down despite instructions but Veyani was watching her like a hawk. "Chew." She said sternly but not too sternly. Someone had to be the grown up.

The green didn't need as much reminding the second time but she was still eager to eat. Unlike some of the bigger dragons though, it did not take her quite as long to be sated. As Sonadorath was finishing her last morsel, the Weyrling Master began her speech.

Veyani listened to her but to be honest, she wasn't very good at remaining focused. It took a lot of effort on her part not to think of other things and on top of that she was feeling increasingly heavy lidded. When would this talk end! Ugh, she wasn't made for listening to speeches. She'd just ask someone for the short short version later.

Yawning, she covered her mouth with her hand. A nap was definitely the first thing on her list of things to do. She completely ignored Bl'en who was asking about oil. Was his dragon already itching? Those big dragons were going to need more care than the smaller ones, she could see that already.

She heard Rasenth's voice and smiled. It was good to be congratulated for something she actually wanted. She had Sonadorath now, everything seemed to be perfect.

Outfit

As she watched the people in the room, one new rider spoke up directing a question at her. "Weyrling Master, is there any oil here?" Syra smiled at him, he had used her honorific directly after being told. A good one to watch, she decided. Consulting her journal where she had drawn and named each of the people who had been on the Sands, she noted him to be Bladen, Bl’en now, she corrected.

“Yes, Bl’en. You will be able to oil Vaqueroth when we reach the Weyrling Barracks. Oil is readily available for you in the Equipment area.” her smile was kind, the young man seemed a nice sort. Perhaps he would give bronzeriders a better name if he didn’t also turn out to be cocky and rude.

“Which reminds me, you will be moving out of the Candidacy Barracks into Weyrling weyrs.” she started, “The rooms are big enough to accommodate your dragon until he or she is two turns old. You riders, however, have barely enough room for your bed, a small dresser, a trunk and hooks on the walls for hanging gear. There is very little ability to personalize your weyrs, but you’ll have that chance when you move into adult dragon quarters. I’ll show you your room assignments and the Headwoman will be along with curtains for your doors in the same color as your dragons.

Green for greenriders, bronze, brown, blue, gold etc. They will hang over your doors and you can put a nameplate beside the door as well.” Syra was excited for them, more privacy than their candidate barrack, and a space away from each other to spend time with their dragon. It had been Syra’s favorite part of Weyrlinghood when she was finding ways to make the room her own.

Pulling out her journal again she flipped to the page of the map she had drawn very simply and labeled with each rider’s name. “I’ll show you your room on the map, and then we can all walk there together if everyone is done eating.”

Syra walked around the room, kneeling down and greeting each dragonet and rider, pointing out their name on the map and letting them ask any questions they may have while they had her attention.


Weyrling weyr Assignments

 Teylarrin passed another chunk of the raw foodstuffs to her hatchling. She was surprised by how much meat such a small thing could pack away. Astraiath's shiny green belly was bulging at odd angles. She took a secretive peek at the sides of the other dragonets standing nearby. The ones that had been around longer than she had were sporting puffy guts as well. She supposed then that was just how these fellas looked during chow time.

It was about that time that Veyani walked in with a baby of her own. Teylarrin gave her an excited wave. That was great. At least one of her friends would be in the same class that she was in. And even better, they both had Greens. Everybody knew that Greens were the best color. And by 'everyone' she meant 'people that had Greens'. Folks with other color Dragons were probably disagree. They'd be wrong, but they'd still do it.

I am hungry.

Teylarrin turned her eyes down to the gaping maw looming before her. She shook her skeptically.  "Nuh, yer nod," she decided, setting the bowl back on to the table. "Iffin ya eed inna mower, yer gonna be ull berstin' add de suds."

I am still hungry. The dragonet's mouth closed and reopened for emphasis.

Before Teylarrin could respond, some woman came in and started talking. She gave out  a lot of instructions and advice and Tey-Tey barely understood any of it. She was not down with all of the dragonrider hootenanny. Maybe some of the others got it, like people who had been raised at the Weyr, but she was not one of them. She was going to ask the woman to explain herself in better detail when one of the boys spoke up. Teylarrin snickered at his name. Bl'en was the sound that people made they vomited. He was going to get ridiculed. That would be mean, but it was still a funny name.

   After Bl'en recieved his answer, Teylarrin raised her hand. It was just like being in class with the Harpers. Or so she assumed. She was not the best educated of girls. She was also not the kind to wait to be called upon before she spoke. "Iffin wer oh-lin de Draggies ta kip 'em save Butwin, bud theh ain' gun Butwin, thun wise wer oh-lin de Draggies?"

Spoiler:

Outfit

Syra smiled indulgently at the young girl who had impressed one of the green dragonets, checking her journal told her the girl’s name was Teylarrin. “Well Teyarrin, we oil the dragons so that while they are growing into their adult skins it doesn’t itch, crack and hurt them. If they crack and have imperfect hides as babies, they will have them as adults too when they begin their flight lessons and going between.”

She pointed at the green’s particularly bulging belly, “See that belly full of food? That hide is going to stretch and itch. If you oil it, it helps keep it stretchy so it doesn’t crack and hurt while she gets bigger.” A quick check Rasenth against one of her attendant’s dragons told the Weyrlingmaster that many of her current class were bred and raised outside of the Weyr. Syra made a mental note to go over the rudimentary things with them as well during their lessons. Making a note in her journal, she decided to add mind-speaking to one of the sooner lessons. If one didn’t grow up around dragons it wasn’t necessarily something they would know. Especially since the Hold-bred often thought dragons were no smarter than dogs and even less intelligent.

Another grin to the girl made Syra speak again, “You don’t want her to be in pain, do you?”

Outfit

Syra tugged one of Teylarrin’s braids gently, “Good. Then keep her oiled and happy silly girl.” Her grin was genuine as she watched the girl stand between her and the green, protectively. Syra had been the same way with her little blue Rasenth when people had threatened her for being a female bluerider.

“We will keep her safe together, and learn how to help her keep you safe when Thread starts falling.” The bluerider said it like a promise. She never wanted any of her charges to come to danger, and it would be even more tragic if this young girl lost her dragon so early in life. Syra couldn’t imagine a more horrible fate. The thought of losing her own dragon was too much as well, and she quickly turned away from the pair to the rest of the class.

“I’m sure you all have more questions, but let’s get these sleepy dragonets to their new weyrs before you are forced to carry them.” With that she had them all get up and make a line, leading them out of the feeding area and to the Weyrling Complex. It was a slow process as tired dragons made themselves walk. Syra didn’t look to see how many new riders had been forced to carry their bonded dragons.

When they finally reached the entrance she began the tour, showing them the large open area just inside the entrance where they could socialize and study and whatever held their fancy, walked them to where the first privy was located, showed them their labeled cubbies where they could keep equipment for their dragonets that didn’t fit in their small rooms and made a point to show them where the many barrels of oil were located with buckets, ladles and cloths for oiling.

Soon it was time to show the boys their sleeping arrangements and the made a clockwise round of the communal space with tables set out for eating, couches for lounging and work areas if the boys had crafts. T’rian, Z’ren, Bl’en, K’vik and I’llium got their rooms first, spaced around the alcoves. She left them to settle their dragonets and invited them to meet the rest of the group in the equipment cavern for more questions and answers once the girls too had been settled.

The girls were fewer and had more privacy by the way they were placed. Each had an empty alcove between them and the other girls, giving less chance that their conversations would be heard through the sometimes too-thin stone walls. Lesera, Veyani and Teylarrin were in the first section of alcoves, and the Weyrlingmaster settled them first before motioning to the two goldriders to follow.

The golds were housed in exceedingly more private alcoves, across the way from each other with no neighbors. It was a privilege of later rank that Syra afforded them, and it kept the usually more uppity golden dragonets happier. This meant it was safer in the long run, and the other dragonets weren’t at risk of being injured if a gold was in a mood.

All of the weyrlings were showed how the heavy sound-proofing curtains could be pulled across the entrance to their living areas, blocking out the sounds of the rest of the complex. It would be easier to sleep that way. The whole group was shown where the bath was located, and given the schedule to keep it from being embarrassing. Ladies in the morning, men in the evening.

Once everyone had returned from settling their dragonets Syra decided she would bring them into the Classroom as a group and finish the question and answer period. After that, the weyrlings would be free to nap and have time to themselves for awhile.

Bl'en and Vaqueroth


"Thank you. I'll be sure to oil him straight away." He said, knowing how important she said it was to keep their hide in the best condition. He was almost irritated though when someone else had questions. Not because of the questions but because Vaqueroth was itchy and she was keeping them from heading to the Barracks.

Bl'en watched and listened, thinking that girl was one sandwich short of a picnic. Did she know that the words she was using weren't actually words? He could almost feel sorry for her. It was a pity that a harper hadn't taught her proper language skills but she might never have had contact with one. She must be from a very underprivileged area. Or maybe worse. Maybe she was a Holdless?

He wouldn't put it past her. In fact, he hadn't really noticed her before. She could be a Holdless. Which would actually make him concerned. Especially because of what he knew of them and why they had no Hold. He was probably a little bit judgmental but no more than any other guard. Bl'en however had no proof that she was. Nor had he noticed any mark on her to indicate her as such but then he hadn't really noticed her at all till now.

Thankfully the topic was back on taking the dragonets to the Barracks.  Looking around he waited to see if anyone else was in a hurry before Vaqueroth began to walk toward the exit. The dragon felt he had been patient long enough. Personally, he for one had no interest in carrying Vaqueroth, one of the larger dragons present.  I am itchy, itchy, itchy. The time to wait is not now.

The Bronze pair walked out in the direction of the Weyrling Barracks. Overcome with thoughts of how to make Vaqueroth feel better, Bl'en didn't even think to check on Emberlynn.


Veyani and Sonadorath



Veyani listened to the other questions..err...half listened. She was mostly paying attention to her new green friend. Sonadorath however was feeling like a nap. So even if Veya intended to stay awake for a while, it wasn't going to happen. She caught herself yawning.

Where do we sleep?

It was a good question that Veyani had to wait for the answer to. When they were finally told where to go, Veya was only too happy to get out of there. The sooner they got a nap the better. Sonadorath thrummed happily as they made their way to the Barracks. She would find their assigned space and then it would be all of two seconds before the green slept, she figured.

The other greenriders were in the same area as she was. Teylarrin she knew well enough to know they would be friends and she was curious about the girl who Impressed from the Stands, she seemed a nice enough sort anyway. Not that Veyani ever seemed to dislike anyone.

Emerene




The girl must have been about to burst with pride and joy, because she could hardly take her eyes off of Glittrath as she and the little (NOT FAT) Gold pranced into the feeding area. She went straight to whichever neatly piled bowl of meat was chosen by her new lifemate and promptly, even without thinking of what a mess her hands might make, took up the first handful of meat chunks, giggling as she readied them to be placed in the dragon's mouth. 

"Open wide, dear heart."

The Gold too, seemed to glow with bubbling affection which may have been felt by those nearest her. It was so overflowing in fact, that Emerene was unable to keep both hands full and ready to feed, no matter how hungry her bonded might be. Instead, she draped one arm around Glittarth's neck, embracing her often and even squealing at intervals with complete delight. 

I want more. More! Aren't there bigger pieces? I'm soooo hungry.
The little gold's voice was plaintive, though she still oozed unimaginable happiness from every pore, just happy to be with Emerene. 

"You can't eat too fast. Everyone knows that. You should, too. You must chew your food well before swallowing -or risk getting sick in front of everyone! And that would be embarrassing for a Queen. But don't worry, there is enough food to eat until you have had more than your fill." 




Glittrath ate longer than many of the other hatchlings, and Emerene felt herself trying to gauge just how hungry the baby gold really was by how hungry she herself felt. She could sense the hunger greatly diminishing, though because her own stomach actually gurgled, she couldn't be for certain.

Bespeaking Glittrath, this time Emerene tried projecting her voice to the gold mentally, "Have you had enough? Are you getting sleepy?" As she asked, she had started to put the last piece of meat in her hand back into the large bowl she'd been feeding the dragon from. Her eyes were fixed on Glittrath, and filled with love and affection greater than any other she had ever known -or would likely ever know. 


The little queen was quiet, seeming to contemplate her condition for a moment, I aaammm ready to sleep. Will you scratch all my itchy spots while I am sleeping?
Because apparently there was enough tiredness creeping over her that she wasn't willing to wait for scratchings and oil before laying herself down.
 
Emerene laughed, understanding.



When Syra came around to show them their designated rooms, Emerene and Glittrath both were pleased to have a barrack weyr that was located more privately. She was nodding as the Weyrlingmaster explained about bathing schedules, and thanked the woman, "Glittrath and I both thank you, Weyrling Master."


Soon, after Emerene had wiped her hands of the blood and residue from the meat, they were following after the rest of the class toward their new barracks. She didn't seem to care if they were last in line or first. The two, she and Glittrath, were so happy just to be together, and so absorbed in the presence of one another, that nothing else in the world seemed to exist for them. At least for the time being. And in fact, that is how Glittrath would have it. It was all about her, wasn't it? 






Z'ren


As Veyani and her pretty little Green trotted to the feeding area, Draugarth eyed them, crouching his torso low on all fours. Gauging how much attention the Green may or may not have been paying him, a serpentine tongue escaped from his maw while he anticipated the fun he was about to have. He waited for just the right moment... And when that moment had come, Draugarth whipped his tail across her path, seeing if he was able to trip the little green up, and make her go tumbling.

The Brown had watched another Green -That of Teylarrin- come prancing into the room about the same time, but she was too far out of reach to try any of his mischief on. And he was still preoccupied by Sonadorath.

Accustomed to male instructors, Z'ren still wasn't the kind to disrespect female, even if they were in a position of authority -though he'd seen that sort of thing few times in his life. The most authority he'd seen a woman with would be as a healer or as a headwoman; he wasn't sure how different the rank of Weyrling master was, but he didn't think he'd have a hard time taking instruction from her. Nor getting along with her, hopefully. 

Hearing her through, Z'ren didn't blink at just how rigorous the daily routine would be -or at least as rigorous as Syra tried to make it sound. In his own mind, he'd already experienced the toughest and most regimented training that a boy his age could, having grown up in the Blood Moon Squad. If there were other challenges to be met here however, Z'ren wasn't the kind to complain. Whatever it took to do his best and come out on top, he'd do it. Z'ren was a survivor. 

From Draugarth, there came a subtle croon of approval at that.


The prospect of moving into a barrack weyr all by themselves seemed like an interesting prospect to the Weyrling Brownrider. It would be the first time in his life  -at least within memory- that he had ever had a living space to himself. He'd always shared one large barracks room with the other boys of his team in the Blood Moon Squad so, even if the barrack weyrs were small in comparison to the rooms granted fully fledged riders, it was still pareto improvement. Regardless of space, privacy was something he'd never been afforded before, forced by circumstance to rely on rare, lonely walks out of doors to be at all by himself. Though.... now there was Draugarth to consider.

Admittedly, Z'ren was still not accustomed to the idea that Draugarth was going to be with him forever; and very intimately if one considered that they would share their very feelings and thoughts. At least, that's what he'd been told. At this point, he couldn't tell just how much of himself that Draugarth 'felt' or 'knew'. Likewise, he had no really good idea just yet how much of Draugarth's own emotions were felt and manifested by him. Impression with a dragon was still a very strange thing.

However strange it might be, Z'ren felt oddly compelled to be utterly devoted to this creature he'd bonded with. There was no question in his mind that he would love and defend Draugarth with every bit of his being even though he did not quite yet understand the true depth of Draugarth's own personality. The compulsion simply felt natural, and it felt as though he and Draugarth were the best thing to have ever happened -their impression.

Within that bond, there was some natural exchange of thought and impulse that couldn't be explained by him. Perhaps it was for that reason then that Z'ren didn't question how to communicate with the dragon. The question really hadn't occurred to him how he should do so. For, given the natural flow of emotion and other feeling between them, when the need arose, surely Z'ren would discover by accident that not only could he hear the Brown's thoughts, but that the Brown could hear his. It would be intuitive. For now however, Z'ren had not yet figured this out, but the inkling was there.



Attention turning back to what the Weyrling master instructed them about, Z'ren found her next words curious. Celibacy?

Well, he wasn't really sure why that would be so important, nor did he understand quite yet just why that would ever be a problem. It was clarified then, and he subsequently glanced down to where Draugarth had the end of his tail wrapped around one of his ankles; he wondered at just how mature a baby dragon's mind really was then, and how quickly it would take for the dragon to be fully matured in both mind and body. He had heard something about two full turns. 

At the isolated cothold-camp he was raised in, there weren't a lot of females. There were a few, but they each came highly respected because they were either the wives or daughters of the camp's officers. One slip of misconduct, getting caught in the act of getting sexual with any of the girls, and it was likely that a boy would get dismissed from the camp, never to return. And that meant that they went back to the Hold to serve under the regular Guard as a laborer of some sort. It wasn't necessarily a promising future, getting removed from the Blood Moon Squad.

With those things in mind, Z'ren had rarely ever allowed himself to look at girls in that way -in a  more sexual or romantic light. His mind was trained only on those things important to him; like the combat arts they were trained in. Though he knew there were some other young men here who'd Impressed, who were also of a soldiering background, he looked around at the rest of the group who'd wandered in, thinking that surely not all of them would have the same discipline. And even within the ranks of guardsmen, there were certainly breaches in conduct, so... maybe it was good to give them all some sort of reminder about that kind of behaviour. 

Anyway, he wouldn't have any trouble with that. He was decided that he would be the most disciplined one amoungst them; especially being a member of the Blood Moon Squad, and having been one of its team's leaders for a time. One thing that he hadn't considered  yet though, was that with his lack of apparent interest in girls, and then with his smooth complexion and longer hair, it was possible that all of those things may just combine to give his classmates some reason to harass him. At least, those who looked for someone to belittle. Not that Draugarth might not intimidate some of them, or that Z'ren himself was easily insulted. He'd never really let things like that get under his skin. But sometimes that just pissed bullies off even worse, and made them pursue a person even more, just to prove their superiority. 


Z'ren was surprised when Rasenth's voice greeted him. The corner of his mouth perked in a wry grin that was wholly customary of him in times of amusement. He said nothing though, as he waited for Syra to make her rounds, slowly making her way toward him. He was doing his best to overhear any interesting exchanges made between the Weyrlingmaster and himself, should there be something he should know about the hatchlings. 

At the talk of oils for the dragons' hides and itching while growing, the boy found himself kneeling beside his new companion. Z'ren was unsure of exactly why he felt the sudden need to reach down a give a good scratch to the dragon's side -which soon spread to a scratching and rubbing all over the Brown. In the middle of doing so, just as Syra stepped before him, he realized that he understood that Draugarth's skin was beginning to get itchy like all the rest. Only, Z'ren wasn't quite sure again just how he knew that. The thought then, that they had some very special connection and understanding of one another made him smile. 

Standing back to his full height, the weyrling Brownrider took note of where Syra indicated that he'd be staying, committing his room's location to memory. Yet another new thing to remember. And he was sure that there would be lots of new things to remember in the near future.


As soon as Syra indicated that they were leaving, Z'ren tried to be encouraging of Draugarth, who was in an increasingly sluggish state. "Come on Draugarth. We'll be first."

Not having completely forgotten about their new companion in Lesera and her Green, he called to the pair as he started off, "Come on. You can walk with us if you want." Both rider and dragon hurried to the front of the class, sure that Lesera would keep up if she wanted to. There, they would fall into line behind the Weyrling Master, the Brown taking time to snip at Astraiath to try to get some startled reaction out of her as they flew by everyone in a rush.

Lesera and Zelenyth


Lesera listened carefully to the stern looking woman as she explained what the next couple years of her life was going to be like. She was startled, however, when the woman mentioned celibacy. Surely they were too young for sex? One girl with her green looked particularly small to be having sex. It wasn’t going to be a problem for her, she knew, so she let that comment slide through her mind like oil on water. It just wasn’t important to her right then. One of the young men asked about oil and Zelenyth watched him with her head canted to the side. The woman, the same who had caught her from her jump from the Sands, had introduced herself as the Weyrlingmaster, which made sense to Lesera considering she had been allowed on the sands by the huge golden dragon. Lesera had cheered so loudly for her brother’s impression that her voice was hoarse as she spoke quietly to the green dragonet who was still feeling very sleepy.

The new greenrider had managed to get herself plunked between the two browns and Zelenyth watched Draugarth suspiciously when the question of oil had been answered and Syra had moved on to talk to the young girl that sounded like she belonged on a holding with livestock. Lesera scolded herself, it wasn’t nice to dislike someone for where they had grown up, and she made a mental note to try and befriend the other two weyrling greenriders. According to the map of the Barracks they would be living near each other for a good long while, it would be good to be acquainted with them at least.

Having heard the instructions and feeling decidedly sleepy with Zelenyth, Lesera allowed herself to gaze around the room as others were assigned their rooms. Torianu, T’rian he was now called, was beside her and looked over at her with a grin on his face, but his entire world was centered around his brown dragonet who reminded the young woman of the Hatching Sands. Even the darker colored patches would help him blend into a surrounding that looked like him. Against the Sands she almost hadn’t seen him until his hide had been against that of the blue he had escorted to the young man who was to be his bonded. Tori’s outcry of emotion had surprised Lesera, having always known him to be level headed and somewhat stoic with his facial features.

Leaning down and embracing his dragonet, however, had lead him to get a large cut across an arm from the dragonet’s talon, but it wasn’t dangerous, and the man hadn’t seemed to realize he was bleeding until it stopped. The healers hadn’t been concerned either and it reminded Lesera of seeing the Weyrlingmaster take the dead woman and leave with her. It also reminded her that there was another injured woman who would likely spend the rest of her life without the use of her legs. Lesera felt bad for her.

I would be your legs if you couldn't walk. And your wings. Zelenyth interjected, hearing her rider’s emotions and thought and turning to gaze at her with whirling eyes.

Lesera grinned and whispered quietly to her, “I know you would my beauty, but you aren’t allowed to fly until the Weyrlingmaster says.”

I could fly right now if I wanted to. The green informed her with such sincerity that Lesera had to wonder if it was true. She resolved to ask the woman when she came near again. But Syra must have heard Zelenyth’s declaration delivered with force because she turned to look at the motley crew of two browns and a green. Lesera wouldn’t have been surprised if Zelenyth’s comment had been the dragon equivalence of a shout.

“She’s right. Dragonets are able to fly when their wings are dried, but we don’t want them straining themselves or their muscles. So they will wait until we get them stronger and older before they test the air.” she said, directing her comment at Lesera. “You must not let her try before then.”

Lesera nodded, not wanting her little green to hurt any more than the Teylarrin girl had when she stood between Syra and her dragon. “Yes, Weyrlingmaster.” she replied. The woman returned her attention to assigning Barracks.

Finally the time came when she indicated that they should line up and get ready to walk to the Weyrling Barracks before their dragons fell asleep. Zelenyth watched the bloody brown with great distrust as he stalked one of the other greens and tried to trip her. Annoyance seeped from the green to the girl and she turned to look at Z’ren, “You saw that, right? He’s trying to trip the little dragonet.”

T’rian, who had stood with his sister to get in line, turned to her, “They are babies, Les. They play too.” Lesera wasn’t sure the move had been playful, but she kept her mouth shut as her brother moved off to get in line and Z’ren called to her to walk with them. She hurried to his side and stood behind him, noting that Zelenyth went to the opposite side of her that Draugarth had gone to near his rider. She was clearly watching his antics and avoiding him.

Finally at the Barracks, Zelenyth gazing around them as they walked and taking in the many adult dragons and people around that gathered to watch the unofficial dragonet parade, the boys were situated first, and they were all shown where the oil was kept. Finally Lesera knew where they would be staying, and was surprised to see that the space was larger than her room at home. This would be just fine, she decided, looking around. Zelenyth scratched at the little bit of sand in the couch of her new bed, turned in place a few times and curled up. Syra had said that they would meet back in the equipment room when they were settled, so she went to sit beside Zelenyth and stroked her hide until the little green was crooning with pleasure and her eyes slowly lidded closed.

I'll be alright. You'll come back for me soon. said Zelenyth’s sleepy voice in her head as she began to doze off. She was right, the young woman knew, as she yawned deeply and made her way out of the dimly lit room and back to the Weyrlingmaster.

Emberlynn knew the entire turn of events wouldn't completely sink in until later.  She was completely delighted by Nymeriath-- the way she moved on the still wobbly legs of a newborn (I am better than I was before.), the way she marched over to the nearest bowl once they reached the feeding area and waited somewhat patiently for Ember to grab a handful of morsels (There is plenty for all of us.  But Kemenyth should not eat so fast.), the way she then daintily took the pieces from her lifemate, but proceeded to almost swallow them whole (I do not need to chew.  This is more efficient.).

"I'm sorry, love, but you most certainly do need to chew," the newly Impressed queenrider informed her lifemate with a laugh.  "Otherwise, you'll regret it later when your stomach aches."

The gold considered that for a moment, then seemed to acquiesce.  Though she still ate quickly, it was clear she was doing as her rider bid.

Emberlynn didn't have much time to pay attention to the others entering the feeding area, seeing as she was quite preoccupied.  And when the Weyrlingmaster began to speak, she had to encourage Nymeriath to eat even more slowly so that she could pay attention to what was said.  Otherwise, she wouldn't have heard a word.

In the meantime, an unused bowl of meat sat on the nearby table between Nymeriath and Kemenyth, just waiting for one of them to need it.  The blue had actually begun to eat more slowly at his golden sister's admonishment (or possibly his rider's-- it was a toss up as to whose instructions he was actually following at the moment).  But Nymeriath's own pile of food was rapidly diminishing.

Still listening to Syra's words, Ember vaguely noted when the bowl was empty, and that the little queen was still apparently hungry.  Figuring she was bigger than her clutchmates and thus in need of more food than most of them, the former barmaid asked Kemenyth's rider if they needed the untouched bowl.  A quick reassuring response, and she had the fresh bowl of meat chunks in hand.

Nymeriath's enjoyment, as well as the markedly slower way she chewed, gained Emberlynn's attention enough that she cocked her head to the side and wondered at the gold's faint smugness.  And then it hit her.  "That was quite a sneaky move, love," she chuckled, wondering just what sort of trouble she'd managed to get herself into by Impressing a gold dragon.

----------

Not long later, the gold's appetite was clearly waning, her eyes whirling a contented blue.  Ember was finally able to take stock of who she would be sharing her weyrlinghood with and noted with a mixture of delight and something that was close to apprehension that Bladen and two other former guardsmen had all Impressed.  Quickly squashing the train of thought so as not to alarm Nymeriath, she tried to catch the gaze of as many around her as she could, smiling and nodding in congratulations to each that looked her way.  If Bladen happened to look towards her, he'd have received a mouthed 'Nice!'

Not finding it strange to hear Rasenth's voice in her head, given the circumstances and that she'd heard a dragon once or twice before now while she'd been at the Wild Green, Ember passed the blue's congratulations on to her lifemate.

Of course we are to be congratulated, for this is the day I chose you, was the gold's smug response.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Borsaioloth, being one of the first to hatch, was one of the first to finish eating (did the blue ever slow down?), and as a result, one of the first to become tired.

I'llium couldn't believe how his dragon had gone from full of energy to contented lethargy in such a short span of time.  But clearly, just like human babies, dragonets needed naps after eating to help them digest and grow.

Of course, they'd been told this, but it was one thing to hear it, and another to feel the exhaustion creep over oneself as it was broadcasted by one's lifemate.

"Soon, Borsaioloth, soon," the former guardsman reassured the blue as he reached out to scratch an eye ridge.  "Just a little longer, and we'll all be headed for the barracks."

((OOC: Okay… completely ran out of steam on both of these, but at least I got something!))

Time for food now yes? I am hungry A'van so please lets eat. That was the first thing that come to his mind after they bonded and A'van nodded. Then let's get you some food. The boy walked over to the feeding area with the brown trailing him and when he looked in, he saw that the others were talking and chatting amongst themselves like always. A'van ignored that and he grabbed one of the bowls that had the meat already cut and he walked over to a shady area.

Come on Bharosath, I know your hungry. The brown ran over to A'van then and it made the boy laugh. He started to feed the brown the food piece by piece. He was taking it slow as well to be sure that his new bond didn't choke. Once the bowl was finished, he put it down and sat next to the brown. Do you feel better now? A'van watched as the brown tried to clean the blood from his lips and it made A'van chuckled lightly. He grabbed the corner of his shirt and he wiped it where the brown couldn't reach. Thank you A'van. A'van also heard a small rumble come from the brown and it made A'van smile once more.

The pair then looked on to the other weyrlings and they watched them. This was going to be interesting, and then, A'van was ready to find out where his parents really were.

M'ket


The new Greenrider from Hold Balan could only smile with pleasure, his eyes shining with deepest affection for the beautiful jade creature at his side. Even if he wasn't filled with the most biased impression as her life-mate, how could he not think that she was the most stunning creature on all of Pern given the lovely shading of her hide that appeared almost liquideous where the cloudier blue-green gave way to bright jade that glowed next to it. If M'ket had been a betting man, he would have wagered that if the little Green held perfectly still, one would easily mistake her for a statue carved of precious stone.

The little dragon's wings, half-spread to dry them, were still just barely damp, but the rest of her was slightly more wet. As Prisnyath ate, denying himself the opportunity until his life mate was feeling satisfied, the young man took a clean towel to dab upon her hide. He had already handed her a couple of pieces of meat from his own hands, but he got the distinct feeling of impatience from the hatchling, being fed a small bite at a time. So, as long as she did not rush her feeding and took a moment to chew each bite, he would let her eat from her own bowl. It already seemed to be portioned out.

"You must take time to chew your food. Don't swallow it too fast. If you take too much at once you will regret it later, when you have given yourself a stomach ache." He smiled softly, laying a hand upon her eye ridge to give it an idle scratching. But then he knelt to put his energy to drying her. He wasn't sure if a dragon could catch cold if their hides were left damp for too long, and he didn't want to take the risk. He wouldn't be able to call himself a proper dragonman if he didn't care for his dragon. 

As he did this, his eyes returned to where she was eating, periodically, just to ensure that she didn't let eagerness get the better of her. The little dragon though, had paused to look back at him, too. In fact, the curious way in which she canted her head to let a single whirling orb peer back at him, made him think that she had found something about him rather peculiar. He even imagined that she was feeling a little contrite over the fact that he had made a point of passing up the food offering so that he could pay her all the more attention. 

You are hungry, too? I will share my food. 

The Greenrider was chuckling at that, "Oh, no. You should not worry yourself over me." But the little Green didn't seem quite convinced. Though she did bend her head to take food from her bowl again.

It surprised M'ket then, when her voice touched him with a firmness that he hadn't expected from her; as though she were disappointed in him for some reason. You should eat when you are hungry; like I do.

"Yes, when I am hungry enough to eat, I will certainly do so. However, you, my precious, are my life's devotion, and my care for you comes first."

Prisnyath seemed to glow, filled with love for her rider as M'ket's hand went back to meticulously removing any sticky residue and little chips of shell as best he could. His eyes and his heart were trained on caring for the green before him. There was no hunger that could have kept him from it. 

"Mmmm. There we have it. You are both full and clean now, is that right?" Another smile graced the little green, confident that she'd done well not to eat too fast or greedily. She was very smart, indeed.

"It looks like the others are about ready to leave for the barracks. That's where we'll be staying."

To tell the truth, M'ket was beginning to feel tired all of a sudden; though he hadn't the realization yet that the sleepiness was all due to Prisnyath's ever more drowsy condition. He didn't yet realize that the dragon was sharing all of her feelings with him, too. M'ket was not one to complain however, so it never came up. 

"I do believe it is appropriate for you to take your rest after eating. I will accompany you there and get all of our things settled in while you sleep. Does that sound agreeable?"

Prisnyath had come to face him and lean into his side just a little as he stood, letting the contact between them be comforting to her. Bright, multifaceted eyes looked up at him expectantly then, Yes. We should go and sleep. And if you are hungry, eat.  The hatchling's mouth opened in a wide yawn before she let her eyes follow after one of her green sisters. It was Astraiath. And as the other green passed, she started to trail along with the rest of the crowd, picking her feet up high, in a prance. M'ket walked beside her.




Emerene


Still bubbling (both of them), the newly impressed pair took their time getting to their new weyr space; though when they got there, Glittrath was perfectly content to lay down to sleep. The Gold hardly said another word once she did, resting her chin upon cross fore-paws.

Emerene didn't say anything either. Nor was she more than just faintly conscious of what Syra said after they arrived there, because the Gold hatchling immediately made herself at home, and Emerene with her. So taken by the little Gold was she, that the girl curled up right next to Glittrath, laying her own head on one of the dragon's front legs.

"Glittrath, I will be right here with you, beautiful. Just rest now. We will wake up together, when you are ready for some oil on those itchy places. And don't you worry. I already know how to do that, so any time you feel that lovely hide of yours needs a good scratch, you just let me know and we'll take care of it. Okay?" The chipper tone of her voice and the babying coo that accompanied it was almost too much. She was completely absorbed in the moment with her dragon, feeling as though she'd just sunk into a bed of clouds, nibbling on ambrosia and sipping the finest wine. She was in her own heaven, no less content than the Gold at her side. 

Being segregated from the rest of the weyrlings, even if they hadn't had the thick curtains to draw across the door, the two of them had blocked the rest of the world out and fell asleep, nestled up against one another in happy unity. 




Z'ren




Z'ren had seen the near-trip from his periphery, but didn't pay it as much attention as Lesera had. And from the sense that he got from Draugarth, he wasn't sure he could completely agree with T'rian, so maybe Lesera's pointing the whole thing out was a good warning that he would have to keep a close eye on the Brown. He went running off ahead of them by that point, looking back over a shoulder as Astraiath opened her wings to put on a show for them and honk. Draugarth however, hardly took time to turn back around, but continued racing forward until they came to the head of the line. 

Once there, Draugarth finally behaved himself, thinking that his position at the lead was secured for the time being. And as they were shown to their varying caverns with spacious quarters with a cozy, hollowed out spot for them to curl up in, the Brown was ever more pleased. It sufficed him also, to have been set apart from the rest; they should have their comfortable space so that others did not encroach upon them unnecessarily.  That was his feeling anyway. 


"Alright Draugarth, if you want to stay here and sleep, I will bring my things back here, so that we're all moved in. I'll be sure to bring back some oil for your itchy spots, too." The boy smirked, thinking that his bonded would definitely be glad of the relief; he might even wake back up for long enough to enjoy a little rubbing and then go back to sleep.

The dragon assured his rider that he would be there sleeping and not move from that spot -he'd be waiting for him- and so Z'ren gave a brief, adoring pat at the top of the hatchling's head where he'd curled up, before turning and passing through the heavy curtains that fell across the doorway. 


The Brownrider did not run, but his pace was quickened as he headed toward the candidate barracks to start collecting his things. He thought that he should be able to carry all that he owned in his travel pack -which could fit all of his laundry, at least- and then an armload of things like his bow and sword.

He didn't directly run into anyone else on his way, and he'd made good time collecting his things, so with travel pack and quiver on his back, and bow and sword gathered into one hand, he came to where the oil supplies were at, thinking that there should be enough for him to take one back with him.

Lesera

Lesera chewed on her lip as she watched some of the others carrying their belongings back to the Weyrling Barracks from their places in the Candidate areas. She and her mother hadn’t brought anything with them besides the clothes on their backs, and now Lesera couldn’t go home to gather her own things. Going between, she had been told, was as bad as dying for a new dragonet if their rider disappeared.

She spotted her brother coming up from his room and went to him, “Have you seen momma? I want to ask her if she will get some of my things for me.”

Tori grinned at his sister, “She’s just outside the Barracks, talking to the bronzerider who brought you here. I think you could convince her to do that for you, since she’s gonna need to be going back there too.”

He left his cryptic remark at that and walked on, winking at his sister as he passed her and went to his own place in the Candidate barracks.

The newly made greenrider rushed away toward the exit and spotted her mother near the bronzrider X’ilor. “Momma!” she gushed, her excitement over everything finally spilling past her shock of Impression, “Did you see her? Isn’t she just perfect?”

Anuleesa tucked her daughter into a hug, “I saw Les, congrats! X’ilor was just offering to take me home to pack some things and I asked if we could take you. I forgot that you can’t leave the Weyr, so we were waiting for you here to ask what you wanted in your new weyr.”

Lesera beamed up at her mother, “I was just coming to ask you that same thing. Tori said you were going to pack for something.”

“Nothing for you to worry about, you’ll find out later.” The older woman grinned, “What would you like me to pack for you? Practical clothes? Pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets? A couple nice dresses just in case?”

“Hmm.” She thought, “All of those things. My bed sheets and blankets, a couple of trunks that I can put at the bottom of my bed… Boots! I’ll need my boots. My brush of course, undergarments…” she trailed off and blushed, realizing she had said that in front of the man but rushed on, “My hair cloth so I can tie it back, gloves – the wherhide ones Papa gave me. Oh! And some of Tori or Papa’s old shirts so I can wear them while I oil and bathe Zelenyth. If there’s anything else you notice, my weyr is bigger than my room at home. I can fit it in.” she smiled.

The young woman’s mother was pleased that her daughter was being practical about her clothing choices, and even prouder that she had Impressed – even if it meant getting used to dragons everywhere again. “I’ll bring it all, love. Don’t you worry. I’ll even bring your knives so you can practice here even if your father thinks you’re more than capable with them. Everything will be here eventually anyway.” She finished, hinting once again at the fact that the family was moving into the Weyr. With a last hug to her daughter and words to pass on her congratulations to Tori, Anuleesa hugged her daughter and was boosted onto Saolth’s back with X’ilor.

Lesera waved until they were a tiny dot in the sky, and popped between. Heading back into the Barracks she decided she could meet up with the Weyrlingmaster in the equipment cavern again and wait for her mother to return with her possessions. It didn’t take long to get there, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Z’ren there already inspecting the oil barrels.

“Settled in then?” she asked him quietly, not really sure about this talking to strangers thing she was being forced to do now that she was ensconced in the Barracks with all of the new dragonriders.