Plant Your Hope With Good Seeds (open)

[parallel]

It was a very warm afternoon and Elynth was eager to go on a walk with Hers. She pushed Marlaey out into the weyrbowl and happily asked Where shall we go love? The gold sparkled in the sunlight, her orange tinged hide glowing beautifully warm. She beamed around at the dragons resting in the bowl and any passers by that happened upon them.

Marlaey however, wasn't feeling quite so sure of herself. To be perfectly honest her head was a mess! She wasn't used to being the centre of attention at all and it would take some getting used to. She had brought Elynth to see her mother earlier that morning and had been so pleased to see her look at her only daughter bursting with pride. The golden Queen had gotten on well with Amelia, happy to meet someone knew, especially the mother of her rider. It was strange enough to sit in a room with her dragon and her mam, talking amiably about normal day to day things, but to come outside and parade around the weyr having the weyrbrats gawking at her? Oh Faranth, was she really ready for this? She was also feeling quite guilty about the other gold candidates. She wasn't sure what to do. she knew two of them were in the infirmary and the others could be anywhere here! What if she ran into them? Should she actually go and visit those who'd been injured? Or would that just cause more problems.

She had to start thinking like a leader now. She had to put all of her good intentions into action and try to do her best for the weyr. Our Weyr, Elynth put in absently. Marlaey nodded, still following her. But still, though she was just beginning to wrap her head around it, it was all worth it. She had never been happier in all her life! She had finally bonded with a dragon and a gold no less! She didn't think she would ever be able to stop marveling at it. She loved Elynth and was thrilled to feel that love being returned. It was everything and more than she'd imagined.

We could go to the lake? Or maybe climb up onto one of the ledges and sun ourselves? Who is Or'yn? Marlaey stopped dead in her tracks. "O-Or'yn? Why do you ask?" Because you're mind just drifted over to him silly! Oh he's a bronzerider! Blushing a little for reasons she still couldn't explain to herself she said, "Yes, he is, he's my friend. I guess I was just remembering how he helped me calm my nerves before the hatching. He told me about his own and I was thinking about how he'd been right." She started walking again, catching up with Elynth, who tactfully decided to drop the subject. I want to meet more new people, she said thoughtfully, I'd like to get to know everyone. We'll have lessons with the other weyrlings of course, but it would be nice top know the other dragons and riders of the weyr. So was this the real reason they were out in the bowl Marlaey wondered, so that they could run into a few people and have some introductions and conversations? Well it made sense, though Marlaey knew many of the weyrfolk, her gold obviously desired the same pleasure of meeting them.

And of course, who wouldn't want to meet the newest Queen of Refuge?

[HG]

Flying would be faster. His dragon insisted as they walked toward the Lake. Faster or not. I don't feel like wearing leathers on an afternoon off and flying is rather chaffing when one isn't wearing leathers.As usual, Or'yn had an unkempt look to him despite having bathed that morning. His clothes were wrinkled because he ended up throwing them in a heap on the floor and then rewearing them. They weren't dirty enough to wash after only wearing once.

Then there was the fact that his pants were loose and wide legged. Much nicer to wear light weight materials in the South. Cause even now when it was coolest it was muggy and warm. The difference between Summer and Winter here was the amount of rain more so than anything else. The gathering clouds in the sky made him think that overnight they might be getting some rainfall, perhaps a thunderstorm. You walk. I'll meet you at the Lake. Rath took off and flew to the lake, taking the liberty of landing in the water when he was sure it was a clear shot. This sent a huge wave towards the closest shore.

Smiling to himself he looked down as he walked. Shielding his eyes from the sun and also because he was in his own mind. When he lifted his eyes he saw a little Gold dragon and her rider walking too. "Hello Marlaey!" He grinned and waved. Or'yn walked a little faster so he could catch up with the pair. "This must be Elynth. Wonderful to meet you Elynth." He was not so good with flattery so hopefully the Gold would not hold that against him. "How are you?"He asked Marlaey. He was sure this was going to take a while to answer. How was anyone when they just impressed a dragon.

What is taking so long? I just met up with Marlaey and Elynth. The Bronze was immediately interested in his rider's situation. Send Elynth my greeting and question after her health for me and her rider too of course. Woah woah woah. Wait a cotton pickin minute there mister! You come and greet Elynth yourself. I think its better if you do it. She's just a baby. Whats she gonna do to you? Like they are any different at that age. I remember how Rhiannoth was. Come here and be polite or else! Rath did not like when Or'yn used that tone with him. It meant he was irritated and it took a lot to irritate Or'yn. So Rath, took off from the lake and landed far enough off not to send dirt into anyone's eyes.

"Ahh Rath has decided to come keep us company too. He was swimming in the lake." Or'yn explained.Good day, Elynth. I trust you are well? Then turning his multifaceted eyes on his rider he said, Happy now? Yes. You should be here to show respect to Elynth. Besides it might make her sad that she can't fly and you can if you went flying around while she had to walk. You may have a point.

[parallel]

As they walked down towards the lake Elynth kept looking up to the sky. Occasionally a dragon would fly pat and she would trill happily. One day soon we'll be up there MarlaeyMine, she whispered. Marlaey could feel the desire and excitement thrum through the dragon's body and she too felt a joyous and wild at the idea. Smiling to herself she wondered if all the other weyrlings were feeling as she did now about everything. Life had been completely turned upside down for them all, so it stood to reason they'd be feeling similar. Maybe she could talk to a few of them? At least that way no one would be feeling alone. But would they want to talk to her? Being a goldrider meant dragons and people generally automatically respected you, what if they were too intimidated to be around her? That particular thought was a little disheartening.

Then, out of nowhere, as if his ears had been burning at some point, Or'yn appeared behind the pair, jogging to catch up with them. "Oh," gasped Marlaey, happily startled, "Hi Or'yn! I haven't seen you in awhile, I'm sorry, I was very busy with lessons." Elynth gave Marlaey a knowing look before turning to Or'yn and greeting him herself, Good afternoon Rath's, she hummed, We are well met. Marlaey rolled her eyes a little at the gold's formality, but then again, Or'yn was a Bronzerider.

"I'm... Well the short answer is I'm a Queenrider now! The long answer I'm afraid is much much longer!", she smiled trying to convey how genuinely happy she was about it, but her eyes were betraying the slight guilt and confusion having newly Impressed a "Shiny".

"How is Rath?", she began to ask when the bronze dragon landed nearby. He looked a little.. wet. Elynth cocked her head at this, a little confused until Or'yn explained. Just what I wanted to do, a bath would be nice would it not? she asked Hers. When the bronze dragon greeted Elynth, she flicked her tail and spread her wings gently, Very well indeed Rath, it is good we meet. She was subtly showing off her perfect form and beautiful hide.

Marlaey grinned a little at this, looking t Or'yn to see if he'd noticed too.

[HG]

The Bronzerider felt perfectly normal around the pair which was perhaps a good thing, since most people might feel awkward. As far as Or'yn was concerned she was still Marlaey and he would continue to treat her like the friend she was. "Eh, we've all been busy. Besides I wouldn't expect you to have much free time. Dragonets are a lot of work and then you have lessons and chores." Looking back on things he remembered being close to exhaustion more than once.

He bowed to the Gold in mock formality. Trying his best not to laugh. He knew Golds were born that way. "Indeed Elynth, we are. " He smiled and winked at Marlaey. Nothing really ever got Or'yn's playful spirits down. The youth was always in a good mood even when he wasn't having the best of days he found a way to see the good things and ignore the bad. So his nature alone put him in a good mood and talking to a friend was just that much better.

"Well I'm sure the long answer would be entertaining. I'd be up for it if you are up for the telling." He could be a good listener when he wasn't sitting through a lecture. And he was curious as to how she was doing. Before the Hatching she had not thought much about herself impressing and now she was the rider of the largest Gold dragonet they had seen.

He smiled at Rath who was trying his best to be a good Bronze now. After all, Or'yn had been right it would have been rude for the Bronze to ignore the little Gold. She might hold it against him later in life which would not do at all. He had already botched things up with Rhiannoth. "If you would like to go to the Lake, Rath is insistant that it is bath day."

Or'yn was holding back laughter at the Gold's little antics as he would call them. Rath however was suddenly very shy. I told you they were the same. Then to the Queen he said, It is good. Would you like to come to the lake with us?

[parallel]

"Ye," she agreed, "It's a lot to get used to in such a short space of time. But I think I'm managing alright, I haven't fainted from exhaustion yet at any rate!" Elynth purred supportively and trilled at Or'yn's bow, ignoring the fact that it was mostly in jest. Her spirits were high and it was nice to have someone around for her and her rider to laugh and joke with. She sensed that Marlaey was very comfortable around this youth, so it was a good idea to stay with him for awhile and give her a break from her weyrling duties. She needed to just relax!

Marlaey giggled at Or'yn's gesture, she liked how he treated her the same and with Elynth now, it was just like adding another friend. Around the other weyrlings she wasn't very sure of herself yet, but at least here she'd found good company. And of all dragons, Or'yn rode a bronze, so he must know what it was like to be in a position of authority and to be counted on. Said bronze looked very much on his best behaviour around them, which made her smile too. "I haven't actually talked about the hatching with anyone really," she said, "But I'd like to. The main people I've been around lately are other weyrlings, and of course some of them get a little quiet around us now. I never realised how Impressing a gold would effect everything! I wasn't even sure I'd Impress at all since it was only my first hatching." She finished the last sentence in sort of a rush, almost like she'd been looking for someone to confide in, to empathise with her.

Go to the lake with you? Elynth's humour, which was considerably buoyant already, brightened even further. She flapped her wings excitedly and bugled. Yes! I would like to swim! she called, toppling over in her flurry of movement. Though she was a Queen, it had to be remembered that she was still a baby Queen. Nevermind the fact that she wasn't as pompous as other golds, she was herself and that was pretty different. Her gold nature dictated formality, but her own nature was far more relaxed and upbeat. This all became very evident when she started clumsily falling around Marlaey, trying to to get her to hurry up.

Be careful you don't hit Rath with your tail! He might not like you very much after it.

Elynth looked genuinely concerned about that as she gathered herself together and decided to lead the way.

[HG]

“No? Well then you must be alright!” He laughed. Not passing out from exhaustion was obviously what determined whether someone was doing well. Or’yn was facing similar problems having just joined a real Wing. He was only sixteen and all of the other riders were older than he was. In his wing he was under supervision of A’lez and A’miri but he still felt there was a lot expected of him. His lack of maturity meant he had to work harder to get any sort of respect from the others. He was lucky that Rath had such a level head and was ready for a wing. Or’yn still had a lot to learn and felt a bit like he was the underdog in Illume Wing. The only thing that saved him was having so many people from his Weyrling class to support him. Despite this he kept his head held high and his spirits up. In time he would be known as a respectable wing member.

He was keeping up with his Bronze who was walking slowly so the small Gold could keep up with him. In time she would be bigger than he was. Rath was relieved at her excitement. She was a bit more laid back than Rhiannoth and Aeriath, which he appreciated greatly. Not that Rath was anywhere near as laid back as his rider. The Bronze acted like the Gold had not stumbled at all. The worst thing he could do would be to admit he saw her fumbling. Queens did not like to feel inferior. Bathing is very important while you are young. Or’yn had a hard time with it when I grew larger. Often enlisting the help of others was how Or’yn got Rath bathed when he grew very large. Course he also found a way to get out of chores at the same time.

“I told you, you would Impress.” He said, wearing a permanent smile. “Don’t worry, they will all come around before the end. Most people just are not sure how to treat you and Elynth. Being your usual selves will make people realize you are still you and Elynth is like the other dragons in many ways. Luckily for Rath and I we had B’ren and Zeuth to talk to the first few sevendays till the others came around. Too bad Essa and Rhiannoth are so far away. It would have been nice for Elynth to have a Gold to confide in.” Although as adults it seemed to him Golds did not much care for one another. They were big competitors in many ways but then they all fought Thread together. He figured they didn’t dislike one another, they just preferred the company of the Bronzes who would dote on them.

Or’yn glanced over at Marlaey to see her reaction to what he was about to say. “The Hatching certainly was interesting. There was so much going on at Rath’s I missed half of what happened. This one was considerably smaller, no less exciting and a bit strange. Never saw twin dragons before nor Impressions from the Stands. My mother has seen and Impression from the Stands before though it was when she was a little girl. I bet that takes some of the pressure off of you and Elynth having the Twins there and the Holdless boys.” He was not as concerned as some others at the Weyr about the two youths but then he believed in a dragonet’s judgment. They knew who suited them.

[parallel]

Letting her thoughts dwell on Or'yn, Marlaey wondered aloud how he was getting on in his new wing. "It must be hard, a whole new experience I expect," she said, thinking that it would be one she could never participate in. Being a goldrider did have it's drawbacks and she was afraid of only being thought of as a "breeder". Elynth picked up on her train of thought and pushed it aside, We are much more than that MyLove. Continuing to "dance" her way to the lake, the little queen made sure to be careful not to hit anyone or make herself look too clumsy. It was difficult, but she was fairly certain that she was doing alright for now.

Bathing Rath must be a huge task. He was so big! And I will be bigger! Marlaey laughed, "Faranth, you will be! I had better start recruiting people to help now!"

"Don't lie Or'yn," Marlaey teased him, "You so didn't know I would Impress! Shards, I mean neither did I! I'm still shocked by it all... It's like my mind is only starting to realise the enormity of what's happened, but my body is already adjusting and attempting to cope with a large dragon invading it's space. Perhaps we could talk with Krest, he's the only bronze of the clutch, so he and his rider might understand how we feel."

Marlaey thought for a moment before answering. "It was a strange hatching, yes, but the dragons themselves all hatched healthy and bonded well, which we should be grateful for, regardless of whom they chose. I believe that dragons can see things in people that they themselves sometimes cannot. It's maybe why at the beginning riders are unsure why they were chosen, but as they grow older with their dragons they begin to see how perfect a match they really are together."

[HG]

“It is not so bad for most people. By the time most people graduate Weyrlinghood they are considered adults by the Weyr and by their wing. I am still proving this because of my age and possibly my attitude about life. People don’t think I’m serious enough.” He shrugged thinking he’d rather be good natured and be able to laugh about life than to take things too seriously. “Having my own weyr is pretty awesome though. Rath has space now and my sister and mother are going to help decorate it because according to them I have no sense of style.”

“The upside to having a Gold or Bronze is you get to be involved in major things.” Hopefully Marlaey knew what she was getting into before she stood for a Gold dragon. “I can always help you recruit people. I know that a ton of weyrbrats and Candidates would die for the chance to touch a Gold dragon…” He laughed. Elynth would have plenty of bath volunteers.

Rath was moving along at a steady pace, not moving so fast as to lose the smaller bodies around him. Or’yn and Marlaey were not tall for humans and Elynth was just a baby. Or’yn let the conversation move to the Weyrling class. He did not know Krestanovith’s rider well. He was not from the Weyr but he seemed to Or’yn by appearances to be a good young man who would probably make a good confidant. “I’m sure R’kin is a good person to talk to though I don’t know him well.”

And there might have been just a twinge of jealousy at the fact that R’kin would have more in common with Marlaey at this point in their lives. Or’yn was not one to dwell on negatives though and moved on just as quickly as the feeling had come upon him. “Rath and I are not as alike as some people and their dragons are. Its our differences that make us a better team rather than our similarities.” Rath was a more serious dragon with a need for routine and order, whereas Or’yn was light hearted, spontaneous and created a little chaos around himself.

“Do me a favor though, don’t go somewhere with either of the Holdless boys without someone else around. Who knows what they have been told about dragons or even if they still hate them. It is not worth risking yourself over.” And he meant her not Elynth. Although Rath would interject that they were a pair and he could not mean one without implying the other. Losing a close friend was something that did make Or’yn nervous. He wanted to trust the boys but he couldn’t. Not completely, not yet. Lake time. The Bronze said to his rider before wading into the blue waters. Come with me Elynth. He said in a playful tone. The water is nice. We will not go very far. Yours needn’t worry about that. As if he would not save the little Gold if the water was too deep. He knew better than to let her go too far out.

[parallel]

"Too much seriousness can be a bad thing though, I think it's good that both of you are different. You'll balance out your wing as you balance out each other." She grinned at the thought of Or'yn decorating his own weyr. Of course she liked him as a friend, but as a decorator? Guys just didn't seem to be very good at that sort of thing, especially bronzeriders! "I expect Rath appreciates the move a great deal because of the new space," she said taking another look at the large dragon. It was hard to imagine that one day Elynth really would be bigger than him.

"That's true." she replied, nodding vigorously. Marlaey was indeed looking forward to that. It was in her nature toi know what was going on around the weyr and how things worked, and now she had the opportunity to give her own opinions and finally be heard. She planned to exercise a great deal of observation before ever making a judgement on a subject and was looking forward to learning more than she knew now. In her heart of hearts she was so pleased that she'd Impressed to a gold, to her Elynth. It meant that together they could do something positive, they could make a difference.

She laughed at the idea of people wanting to help bathe the little Queen. "I'd be happy to let them help! Especially as she gets bigger."

Thinking of R'kin she tried to remember when the last time she saw him was. Having a dragonet to look after pretty much swallowed up all of your free time so she hadn't had a chance to talk to him yet. We will soon enough, Elynth hummed contentedly, The clouds are so small today! Marlaey smiled, "I think Elynth and I are quite similar in a lot of ways actually, but still different in others. It might take awhile before we're both completely used to each other!" She didn't mean this in a bad way at all, but suddenly being bonded with another creature would take some getting used to on both sides.

Oh the holdless.. They were going to be an awkward topic for everyone. Part of herself wanted to believe that they could be trusted because the dragons never choose wrongly, but her more wary side insisted she be careful. It looked like Or'yn was the voice of the latter. She felt warm inside at the thought of how much he cared, and she hoped he knew she felt the same about him.

Rath and I are going to swim now! Don't worry Mine, we'll be fine, he says we won't go to far. Marlaey nodded, Stay close to him then, so if you do make a fool of yourself he'll get a good view! Elynth playfully thumped Hers with her tail, almost knocking Marlaey over. To Rath, Elynth chirped, Off we go! before dunking her nose in the water and sliding in after it.

[HG]

He would have to agree on that note. “Oh I agree. Balancing the fun side and the serious side is important. Which is why I’m lucky to have Rath, he knows when to be serious and I know when not to be.” The Bronze was too preoccupied to worry about what Or’yn was saying. Rath needed the space in their Weyr but he was not the largest Bronze at the Weyr in fact he was close to average but small for their Weyr. This did not bother either Or’yn or his dragon though.

Or’yn could see people lining up to touch Elynth. “Oh trust me there are plenty of people who would give their right arm in order to bathe a Queen dragon. And you are going to need the help. I promise you that.” He had found plenty of young boys who would help him bathe Rath. Their dreams of a Bronze only magnified after touching one. Or’tn was pretty lazy too so it was good for him to have the help. Even he began to find bathing Rath tedious at some point. However it had to be done. Now that the dragon was an adult he was not bathed nearly as often.

“Yeah, getting used to the bond does take a while. Course once you are its hard to remember ever not being or even when you became comfortable with it. The whole thing sort of sneaks up on you.” Or’yn honestly couldn’t remember when he was finally used to the bond. He’d loved Rath from day one but the bond had taken a while for the pair of them. Partly because of their differences Or’yn figured.

Rath waded in to a point where the Queen would still be able to touch bottom. He was not very wet here but he could still enjoy the water. Watching the dragonet was entertaining too. The young ones were always full of energy and curiosity. Remember to breathe before ducking your head under water. Blow air out of your nostrils while you are under the water. When you run out of air you come back to the surface. Rath demonstrated by dipping his head under the water.

[parallel]

Marlaey hoped that both herself and Elynth balanced eachother out as well as Or'yn and Rath. It was hard to tell as the gold was still so young, but she thought they were doing well together so far at least. The little queen definitely had a stronger urge to command than Marlaey herself did, but that was natural. She thought about people lining up to help wash her dragon just because of her colour and wondered about it. Elynth was a dragon, just an ordinary dragon she thought, only her hide made her special right? Wrong! That's just what other people see, you and I know better. Marlaey grinned, of course, she was right.

If it encouraged people to stand for dragon's and broadened their knowledge of the species she would be happy to let others help bathe her Queen. Maybe some of those who helped would even stand for her own clutch one day? That thought was too big for right now however and Marlaey quickly refocused her thoughts.

"I'm sure I'll get used to it soon, it's so comforting to have someone there for me always."

Elynth was more than happy to give swimming a go. She nodded as Rath explained what to do. Yep, she could do that no problem. Taking in a deep breath she dived under the water and opened her eyes. Everything was murky, she'd kicked up a lot of silt on her way into the lake, she could see very much because of it. But she wanted to keep exploring, this world beneath was so different. MarlaeyMine! Look! It's so different! Marlaey obviously couldn't see what she meant but she smiled anyway, pleased her gold was having fun.

Elynth surfaced in a flurry of water, splashing all around her, Rath! That was so good!

[HG]

“Oh don’t take yourself too seriously there “ He saw that what he was saying was making her nervous about people treating her differently from others. Something he really should avoid. Making her feel different was part of the problem for her right now. “Any Weyrbrat would wash a green as well as a Queen. It is just you might draw the attention of some of the older kids who’d be better at washing.”
When he was little he would have jumped at the chance to bathe any dragon, small, large, Bronze or blue, it didn’t matter. A dragon was a dragon. It wasn’t till one got older that color mattered. Although Or’yn had always pictured himself as more a blue rider. No responsibilities, time to do what he wanted, being lazy would be okay but noooo he got stuck with a dragon of importance!

With any luck, Rath would never fly a Senior Queen. This would avoid all their problems as far as leadership was concerned. Rath would make a fine sire to a clutch it was more that Or’yn would make a horrible leader for the Weyr which he was well aware of. Leave that to the men who actually wanted position. B’ren, D’seus, A’lez, R’kin and A’miri could have his share of the power. The only thing he was concerned about really was being accused of not doing what he could for the Weyr. He could see it as upsetting that a Bronzerider was not ambitious. There were plenty of people who were ambitious not on Bronzes. This would obviously rub them the wrong way. However, Or’yn was a good youth and despite his lazy streak worked mostly on time and awake.

“The Dragon-Rider bond is nothing like anything I’ve ever experienced. I love my family and friends but it is nowhere near the same. Some mother’s might feel this strongly about their children but I doubt even that is as strong as this.” His sister was a good friend of his and they were pretty close. No one would ever understand and love him the same way as Rath did. It was a simple fact to him. Other people, non-riders might never understand the strength of such a feeling but other riders knew and felt the same for their dragons.

See mine. Gold ones are not clumsy in air or water. Elynth’s confidence is going to be boosted by swimming. I am not the mean one now. Are you insinuating that I’m the bad one? You like Elynth’s. More than friend like and you are being nice to her but you need to be careful. Elynth is a strong one mentally but she cannot handle anyone being too attached to hers right now. So I say again. Be careful When did dragons get so darn pushy? He ran a hand through his close cut hair. He wasn’t meaning to come off as anything more than friends. Not until Marlaey was ready for anything more. And he wasn’t even sure he was ready or if his feelings were all that strong. Damn dragon! He thought as he decided after today he would try not to have long talks with the young woman. No way would he avoid her though. She was so easy to get along with and he couldn’t help but feel they had similar interests.

Elynth you swim excellently. You are brave to put your head under water at such a young age. He might not have even at her age but the Queen was brave and happy. He liked that she was a happy sort. Not like those prim lady types he’d met before. Something about that was very interesting to Rath. Although like his rider he was quite content being friends with the little Queen. Rath had never had much inclination towards the haughtiness of Golds. So he might keep his rider interested in a green for a while. Just to make certain he was distracted. Maybe it was time for his to get to know some other girls. Although Or’yn might resist. Wooing women did take time.

[parallel]

Marlaey nodded, feeling a little more reassured. It was all new to her and the other weyrlings, everything about their lives had changed now. But it it was for the better. She had hoped to bond with a dragon and she had gotten her wish, now it was up to her to prove herself worthy of her weyr. She smiled, pride filling her. She loved this weyr, loved her home, she'd make everyone here proud.

It was strange to think of the two extremes Marlaey had been presented with when she stood at the hatching. She could either Impress a green, a common colour with varying degrees of personality and low rank, or a golden queen, the rarest of all colours who would someday rule the entire weyr and the highest rank achievable. She'd had to prepare herself for that and now that she'd bonded with Elynth, everything was becoming more real to her. She would have to be strong.


Since the hatching she had been very busy, but a thought continued to enter her mind now and again. She was a queenrider, destined to lead. It meant that one day Elynth would rise and a new weyrleader would be chosen, becoming Marlaey's mate. She had been looking at the bronzeriders, and even some brownriders, a little differently since then. Her feelings about Or'yn were a bit confusing, especially with the fact that he was both a friend and one of the few bronzeriders. She kept pushing it aside, trying not to let it interfere. Hopefully she'd work it all out soon, but it was too early right now, too soon, Elynth needed all of her attention.

Marlaey nodded, pleased that Or'yn knew exactly how much the bond meant to her. Every dragonrider knew.

Elynth purred with happiness at Rath's praise, glowing with pride in her new skill. Though calling it a skill was stretching it a bit far since she was only learning the basics right now. She chirped to Marlaey, Look mine! Rath says I'm an excellent swimmer! The little gold was just happy with the fact that she didn't seem as clumsy in the water. She playfully splashed Rath and beat her wings as well as kicking out with her legs in an attempt to swim away faster, her eyes swirling bright green.

Catch me if you can!

[HG]

Or’yn felt his dragon’s warning was enough for him to keep his distance at least physically. He did not even notice that he had put a bit more space between himself and Marlaey. Right now he needed his friends as much as she did. Weyrlings were often expected to make a smooth transition and become friends with their fellow classmates. He had done just that except he faced the same issues he did now. Or’yn was not as respected as his fellow riders were. He was too young to be seen as the same as B’ren. Too young and not ambitious…yup he was not the typical rider at all. Still he considered this to be a good thing.

Rath’s assurance that they could still keep things friendly made his rider ease a little. Back into normal conversation. “Elynth seems happy to be swimming. Even Rath, who let me say is much pickier about whom he befriends than I am seems to be having a good time. He doesn’t let loose as easily as I do. After all, one of us has to be serious some of the time.”

The Bronze did not gratify his rider with a response of any kind. What he enjoyed about this teaching game was that he felt important. He rarely was permitted to feel that way. Not with Khorshath and Neinoth in his wing to make him feel rather low on the totem poll. Typical Gold behavior. Rath said with a slight chuckle in his voice. What is typical? She wishes for me to chase her. Rolling his eyes at the Bronze he replied Now who needs to be careful… I must do as the Queen asks. Besides this is just a game to her right now. You and I both know that this is not just a game. Its preparing her for the future. So yes you have to play and she will learn how not to get caught I’m just saying not to get too attached to your new friend.

Rath was close to retorting something in his usual sarcastic way. He avoided further comment yet again. Turning his attention to the game he had only begun to play. They had no idea what was going to come of this friendship. It seemed a little too much right now to think ahead. Rath was willing to show the little one how to play tag and not add anything to that. He was amused by her enthusiasm and wanted to encourage it. Ready or not, here I come..

The Bronze made certain he gave her a good head start. He did not go very fast but eventually caught up to the little Gold. Are you feeling tired? He asked concerned that she might be in over her head at this point. The Gold was still a baby after all.

[parallel]

Marlaey laughed, "That is true! But it's good to see you both relaxing and having fun. I'm glad he likes Elynth, I have a funny feeling she's enjoying his company too." Her eyes were following the shimmering gold's progress through the water and listening to her trills. "And look! She really isn't that bad, is she?" Marlaey grew a little nervous when the young queen declared that Rath should chase her, but she soon realised that her dragon was still only a baby and this was all for fun. Her momentary fear flashed quickly to and from her eyes, she had never been very good at concealing her emotions. Perhaps she should work on that.

Elynth splashed around, calling back to the large bronze, teasing him for not being able to catch up with her. Some primal instinct told her that it was right for him to chase her, and right for her to evade fo as long as possible, but the reality of what it was preparing her for was slightly beyond her at the moment. She was pleased that the bronze had consented to play with her in the first place, she had been a little worried he might not like her or would think she was too fragile. The trouble with being a queen was that everyone knew you were important. They wanted to protect you, rather than play. But Rath was proving that theory wrong and Elynth was more than happy to take advantage of it. She hoped more dragons of the weyr were this obliging!

But now her muscles were tired, crying out a little to her. She didn't want to stop the fun, but swimming took a lot more energy than she had previously thought. Would flying be this draining too? Ducking her head underwater once more, she surfaced smoothly and let the buoyancy of the water carry her, enjoying the relief it gave her. Perhaps a little tired, she crooned reluctantly. Should we join Ours now that we are clean? I feel such an urge to roll in that soft grass over there. She chirped over to her rider and began slowly wading over to the two, inviting Rath along.