Golden Hides and River Tides

[fallinrayne216]

Mine, you promised. Safiya chuckled and finished up her bubbly pie. "Alright, alright. I'll be right there." The Gold knew the exact time to ask for her bath...right after the weyrling had her bubbly pies. Safiya was always in a good mood after eating those...and same goes for during. She would bathe the Gold, take her own bath, finish up her chores, get dressed, talk to the Headwoman, and arrive at the Lateo Hatching Feast a bit late.

It was a good schedule, although rather busy it seemed, but it actually gave her free time after bathing Ryceth. The Lateo Hatching Feast wouldn't be for seven entire candlemarks, giving her more than an hour to accomplish each, which she certainly didn't need. Maybe she could give Ryceth extra attention in her bath today.

I would love that! I need to look my best for tonight! Safiya smiled as she left the Weyrhall to head towards the River. How about the River today? The Weyrlake was crowded yesterday. Not only crowded with people and dragons, but of flits too. Thats what her friends suspected at least, although Safiya neither denied nor agreed to their suspicions.

Besides that, the Weyrlake was becoming overly crowded at this time of day, and Safiya preferred the space when she could spend one on one time with Hers. She didn't mind other people there, just so long as there weren't so many that there was barely any room in the water for all of them. There! Hurry up! Do you have everything with you already? Safiya grinned.

She knew Ryceth would ask for a bath around this time, and she had brought everything necessary for bathing Hers. Before I get there, do you feel any itchy spots I need to oil? I want to make sure I get those checked over before your bath. The gold quickly answered that she didn't...but it was so fast that Safiya doubted that the gold even checked. If I come down there and I see one dry patch of hide, there will be no bath.

Mine! You would deny Yours a refreshing bath on this hot day? The weyrling laughed as she jogged down to the river where the Gold was already in sight. I found one! Grinning, Safiya approached Ryceth. "You sound so happy about it. Where is it?" On my neck. The weyrling did a quick check of everywhere else, but luckily the only dry area was on her neck.

Taking out the oil, her fingers lightly spread it over the patched area. "All set. Time for the bath!" She laughed and began to bathe the gold, humming a song her mother used to sing for her as a child.

[dragonmenta]

((Hope you don't mind me jumping in... I'm bored and K'ton has nothign to do. )

K'ton strolled along the edge of the river, skipping frocks into the river. He wanted to go to the feast tonight, he knew many of his Wingmates were attending with their sweethearts and such. but he wasn't really sure. He could dance...but he wasn't really thta kind of guy. Besides, there wasn't really anyone he wanted to take. He tossed a pebble into current, looking up as he saw the stone fall into golden reflection on the water. He froze as he noticed who he stood before. "Lady Safiya." He smiled, his blue eyes smiling beneath his curly, black bangs. He tipped his head to her.

He could be a bit of a jerk to most men...and a pig to many women, but he had a soft spot for ranking ladies. "I apologize for the intrustion." He said, noticing the weyrling was in the middle of bathing her queen. Do you speak to Ryceth's Asked the Brown, Onath. He paused before answering his dragon.

He looked up at the Goldrider, shuffling backwards slightly, suddenly self concious. "I aplogize for interupting...i'll just, um go...?" He said, unsure, and began to turn away.

[fallinrayne216]

Right there, that's the spot. "You silly dragon." Safiya chuckled as she carefully bathed Hers to make sure every single area was cleaned. Ryceth was bound to make an entrance, but the weyrling knew that the audience would be slim to none. They would be arriving late, and there would be no one to watch. But the gold weyrling didn't want to upset Hers during such a cool bath. I must be an example to all-- "First let us get through Weyrling Training, and then you can worry about being an example."

The gold huffed, slightly annoyed that Hers had told her that showing off would have to wait. But the sweetsand against her hide was oh, so comforting and the ill feelings were lost. Safiya began to hum again, her sweet voice even calming Ryceth during the envigorating bath. A small drop of some kind sounded behind her and her song was abruptly halted. What was that? I heard nothing, so please continue with the bath. Safiya frowned at Hers.

That is no way to talk to your bonded, mine. I thought you were the one with the manners. Ryceth angrily rebelled, her tail raising high into the air and then splashing into the river right beside Safiya. All the weyrling could do was gasp before she was drenched in water. You! Yes, me. Safiya was only angry for a moment, but when she looked down at her dripping apparel, she had to laugh at the image. "Oh, dear." Onath's approaches.

Safiya spun around to see K'ton by the River as well. She instantly smiled and waved. "Hey K'ton! And no "Lady Safiya" please, I sound old." She grinned. Are you forgetting something? Oh, right. "How are--hey wait!" He turned away and she quickly rushed after him...which is a hard feat to accomplish in water up to her waist and with her clothes weighing her down with the excess water. Getting to the edge, she tripped and her opposite leg quickly stepped down to let her regain her balance.

"That was close. Wait, K'ton! You weren't interrupting anything." I meant you're forgetting to bathe me! Where are you going? We aren't finished! Safiya blocked Ryceth out as she finally made it out of the River and grabbed his wrist. She finally looked up at him when she had caught her breath, before smiling and laughing. "You're a hard man to catch." Still holding his wrist, she continued. "If I let go will you promise not to walk away?"

How are you supposed to finish your bath with him next to you? Calm down, you wherry. I'm almost done and I need the company. Did you notice in the schedule I would have no human interaction until the Headwoman just before the Hatching Feast? You have me. Safiya chuckled. Of course I have you. Turning her attention back to K'ton, she finally let go. She had to look up at him, but that was normal for her. She would grew, she knew she would. Just so long as the growing took place before Graduation, she would be happy.

"Do you want to help me finish bathing Ry? That is, if you have nothing else to do. She's getting pretty big you see, and it's hard for just one person to bathe her every single day." Safiya smiled with her innocent chocolate brown eyes as she gazed up at him. I wonder if he's going to the Hatching Feast as well. I don't know. Could you please finish before I'm dry? The weyrling grinned and turned back to K'ton for the answer.

[dragonmenta]

K'ton turned as he felt a hand on his wrist. He soon found himself facing a slightly dripping Weyrwoman. "I apologize Saphiya." He smiled, genuinly at her. He put out a hand to steady the Goldrider. "I really wasn't trying to play hard to get." He gave her a small wink. "Soem riders just prefer their privacy when bathing their dragons. I didn't want to disturb.

Put in a good word to Ryceth for me. K'ton smiled inwardly at his Onath. Oh, hut up. She's probably got a Bronzie faovrite already. He answered teasingly, even though he knew his Brown was twice that of any haughty bronze.

He walked back with the Goldrider to her queen. "It would be a pleasure to lend a hand." He said, actually meaning it, not with his usual sarcasm. His blue green eyes meeting her brown ones as he smiled back. He knelt by the Queen and dipped his fingertips into the oil, spreading them gently over the Golden hide. "She's growing into quite the Queen, isn't she?" K'ton noted.

He stayed silent for a moment longer before asking, "So i assume you'll be at the hatching feast then, will you?" He guessed all the Weyrwomen and rankers would be there. You could go if you wanted to. Onath offered. Well i don't! K'ton answered swiftly, even though it wasn't entirely true, and he knew Onath knew that too.

[fallinrayne216]

The weyrling chuckled as she let go of his wrist. "Well I'm always open for a helping hand." She smiled and tried her best to make it back to Ryceth without anymore embarrassment than she already had. Took you long enough. Safiya laughed as her hand cupped water and chucked it at the gold's head. "Patience is a virtue, Ry." The gold was clearly unhappy with being splashed in the face, but K'ton had already begun bathing her and she was not going to be the cause for another interruption.

Of course I am. Safiya muffled another laugh as she continued bathing the "flawless" gold. "Yes, she has been growing more than usual lately. I can already imagine her as a fullgrown Queen...huge." Compared to you at least. To other Golds of the past I am not so large. True, but I can't imagine trying to mount you as easily as I do now. My legs will still be close to the ground for you to stand on. Safiya smiled. I hope to grow in height so I won't have to do that.

K'ton caught her attention again and she stopped with Ryceth's bath. "The Hatching Feast? Of course!" She laughed merrily at just the thought. "There will be so much food and people attending. Oh, but the dancing is my favorite." Do you love dancing more than me? Of course not. But dancing is runner up. Safiya ran her fingers through her silky brown locks and watched K'ton for a minute. "And what about you? You're going, right? It's hardly a thing to miss."

She couldn't imagine not wanting to go to such a festivity. It was a reward for all the hard work they had gone through. Besides, he probably had a sweetheart to go with. "Hey, maybe I can steal you from your sweetheart for a dance while we're there. That is, if you can keep up?" Her smile matched the challenge in her eyes as she waited for some sort of comeback. She was only teasing him, but she was serious about the dance. Since she had no man of her own, she was free to dance with any man that would ask her...although she was doing the asking now.

[dragonmenta]

K'ton smiled slightly as he worked his slippering fingers up the side of the queen, satisfied as her hide began to gleam even more brilliantly in patches. "Oh i can see it as well. It'll be a worthy bronze who'll catch her." He paused, adding in after a second, "I guess she already has her favorite. Or perhaps you...?" He let the question trail. He didn't really remember seeing the young Goldrider with a man beside her at the hall and such, but he often missed those sorts of things. He wasn't really against all bronzers, some of them could be perfectly amiable...but others...well, there were reasons he got black eyes more than he should.

He took a damp, soft cloth, polishing of the area he had just oiled. He was rather sued to bathing dragons now, that he hardly had to think about it, but special care had to be paid to Queens, any dimglow knew that. "I imagine that you're a splendid dancer." He said, smiling, although coughed after her next comment and busied away again with the washing. He answered in a muffled voice, "Oh, i don't think i'll go, i've no date, and besides most people will be gone...so i'll have the sky to myself for some extra training." His cheek twitched slightly as it sometimes did.

"But perhaps," He looked up, "I maight reconsider if there's a dance with you to look forward to, although i wouldn't want to pull you away from your escort. That wouldn't be a challenge would it? Because i'm not the sort of fellow to lose." He grinned back at her, looking rather happier than he sometimes did, the color of the water reflecting off in his eyes. " He shook out his mess of curly black hair and pointed to his somewhat grubby old leathers, "I'm not really in much of a state to be attending a feast." He looked at the Queen before him for a second, "The lovely Ryceth on the other hand, will certainly be in the eye of all the Bronzes and Browns." He splashed a little bit of water onto her side, rinsing off the excess oil into the river. Perhaps this night might turn out a little better than he had thought.

[fallinrayne216]

Safiya smiled as she imagined the Flight already. She got small shivers everytime she did think about it. All the dragons chasing after them, freedom of flight and she could go anywhere she pleased. It was a breathtaking thought that she tried not to dwell on for too long. She had too much to do now to truly worry about the Flight just yet. There was still awhile before Ryceth would fly, and thank goodness because of her tight schedule that had been made.

"Yes, she will be stunning." Looking towards K'ton, she frowned. "Only a bronze? I thought browns could fly too...and maybe even a blue here or there. Why, I hope all the colors fly Ryceth and give her the chase of a lifetime." They would make sure the Flight was exhilerating, and everyone would remember it. They would tell stories and sing songs of the event. Even write it down in the Records. And afterwards...there would be a huge clutch with queens and bronzes and all dragons alike.

Safiya had to break from her daydream just as quickly as it was started. The gold weyrling blinked in confusion at the statement. "Her...favorite?" I have no one single dragon that I have taken a liking to. The girl gasped in astonishment. You like more than one?! No, you wherry-brained weyrling! I just haven't found any dragon that suits me. Safiya burst into laughter at the gold's quick temper. "Oh, I'm sorry K'ton. She doesn't have a favorite yet, she is very sure of that."

She smiled. "Oh, me? No, there is no man like that in my life right now. I'm still preoccupied with trying to Graduate. Once I have, then I might finally consider a weyrmate...but certainly not now." Most girls are embarrassed about this subject and yet you act as if you two are speaking of the weather. Should I be embarrassed? No, mine. Just another reason why I chose you, whether you realize it or not. Ryceth was the only one who believed Safiya could amount to anything.

She was clumsy, air-headed and it seemed as if she couldn't get anything right. But underneath all of that was a woman who was bold and daring enough to take on any challenge that my come her way. She was afraid of nothing. Yet so far only sneak previews were allowed to be seen that were so short and quick, barely any realized something was there. Ryceth knew though, and she always insisted to Hers that her decision to Impress Safiya would soon be justified, even if the rest of the Weyr was concerned with the pick.

His compliment made her smile light up her face and her eyes dance as if she were already there. "Why thank you, K'ton! I hope I am, although no one has ever told me so. I can bet you are a grand dancer yourself who has danced with Wings of women." She chuckled and finished cleaning Ryceth's neck. But when he told her of his intentions of not going, she was clearly shocked. "But.." And before she could say anything, he continued with a change of heart.

Her smile was back on her face as she gazed up at him in pure ecstacy. "Oh, really? That would be wonderful! And don't worry, I have no escort other than my dear Ryceth. Although, you may have to convince Merda I need not be babysat so long as you don't step on my feet." She laughed and worked her way along the Gold to the area K'ton was working on. "Oh, no one will notice those." She added as he pointed out his riding straps and gear.

Safiya shook her head and grinned. "No, we'll be arriving late enough that no one will even see her grand entrance. That's why she's in such a foul mood today." The Headwoman would most likely want her to stay longer than five minutes, meaning she would be late no matter what she did. The weyrling splashed her own work and rid the excess oil from Ryceth's now-gleaming hide. Stepping back to admire their work, she wiped her forehead of imaginary sweat and beamed. "She looks magnifiscent. There is no doubt she is meant to be Queen." Safiya smiled and watched Hers in awe of the sight with the sun beating down on Ryceth and making her glow twice as much as before.

[dragonmenta]

K'ton shrugged. It was a nice thought that any male color could fly Queens, but..."Well, i guess a Brown could...but its rare. And i can't recall a blue winner. Golds usually prefer the Bronzes," He realized quickly which dragon he was next to and added, "But its up to them of course. Ryceth will pick right,i'm sure, whatever the color." He gave a lopsided smile, he had sort of forgotten how to have a nice conversation. Most of his were with the roughnecks of the dragonmen and in slurred speech.

K'ton chuckled back at the pretty Weyrling. He knew what it was like to have an inside joke with your dragon. "I know...as a Weyrling it seems your training and duties are you really have time to think about." He narrowed his eyes, thinking for a second, "You'll still be having old M'larain then? I graduated only a couple turns ago." He explained. He thought back on those two turns and mainly just remembered all those extra chores he'd had to do after getting in trouble. Oh, the fond memories.

He weorked his way up on the Gold's hide to her back, standing on his tiptoes to reach. He wiped some oil of his forehead wit hhis sleeve and gave the girl a quick glance. "We're too young to be thinking about commitment. That's my theory anyways...but i guess it works for some people."

He muffled a snort, "Truthfully, i'm not much of a dancer. I can and all, I was taught how to as a teenager, but i don't much, and certainly not with wings of women." He smiled at her compliment, however, pleased that she might think he was such a good dancer. He finished with one of her sides and then removing his shirt and rolling up his pants, waded in to her other side.

He peered over the top of the queen, grinning back at the expression on Safiya's face. "Well it find it hard to resist a beautiful lady. Don't worry I'll be there to bail you out. Although i don't speak form personal experience, i would guess that being stuck with although rankers for a whole evening might be a little frustrating." He said, perhaps a little tactlessly, but that was just him.

He smiled slightly as she worked her way next to him. She was a pretty girl. "What a shame. The headwoman on your case." He finished and looked back to admire the Queen as well. She was almost as glowign as a Gold on the rise. "She looks absolutely regal." He agreed.

He pulled himself back up to a higher part of the bank. He offered a hand out to Safiya. "I'm sure we'll have a good time."

[fallinrayne216]

Safiya laughed and shook her head as he quickly covered up his mistake and generously complimented the gold beside him. "Good catch. But I believe that she will choose the one that is suitable to her, whatever the color. She is quite the picky one." The weyrling smiled while finishing off her area. Weyrling Training took up all of her free time, which wasn't much with the extra lessons she had with the Weyrwoman while the other weyrlings were doing their chores.

It was hard work to keep up with everything, but Safiya really enjoyed learning everything. There were only a few things she had trouble with, mainly the Threadfall Charts. But she knew that if she continued to try hard at everything she did, she would soon understand them. Graduation was just around the corner for them, and then the real work would begin. Safiya looked forward to Graduation with mixed feelings. But now was not the time to dwell on all of them.

"Weyrlingmaster M'larain? Yes, I have him." She gasped in astonishment, not even realizing he had had the old man too. "Oh! That's wonderful! Do you have any hints for getting through Training with him?" She laughed lightly at the thought. Maybe the Weyrlingmaster had a secret love for something like bubbly pies too. Looking up at K'ton, she never realized his was only two turns her senior. She had never thought about age, but now that she did, he was quite a young dragonrider and close to her age.

Then again, she was old for a weyrling compared to those in her class. Nineteen turns was more than the others who were only seventeen or eighteen now. As the conversations turned to relationships, she shrugged. "Well, I don't know what age most prefer to find their weyrmate, but I believe I'll meet my weyrmate someday when I'm ready without even realizing it. But then I don't always think I want a weyrmate. That could cause too much trouble for when Ryceth goes into Flight if she is caught by another dragon than my weyrmate's. So I'm unclear on what I'm looking for or if I'm even going to be looking after Graduation. If I randomly find him, then so be it, but I won't be disappointed if I don't."

She had seen the problems between the greens where this had happened. The woman already had a weyrmate, but her dragon wanted a new dragon. So after the Flight they had obviously slept together, and the girl's weyrmate refused to speak to her. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyone's but the Flight had caused the distrust between them. Safiya wouldn't want there to be any distrust between her and her weyrmate, and she didn't want to put their relationship on the line every time there was a Flight. He would have to be able to accept she might have to sleep with a stranger...and men who would accept that are hard to find.

Safiya laughed and shook her head at the image of K'ton dancing in the center of a wing of women. It was an interesting sight...but not impossible with his good looks. She smiled and looked up at him as he continued. "Thank you. I don't know what else I would do other than eat and talk to the Weyrwoman about the Weyr...which isn't something I plan on doing while I'm hoping to dance." As they stepped back to admire Ryceth, K'ton said the perfect thing to make the vain gold beam.

"Yes, she does look regal. Just as she said she would." Safiya grinned and turned to find his hand outstretched to her. "Why thank you." She took his hand as he pulled her up the bank. "I'm sure of that as well. Just so long as you show up." As she said "you", her finger poked his chest just before turning around. What was left on her list? Well, she had finished a bit earlier than usual, but K'ton probably had a busy schedule. "So what are you up to next?"

[dragonmenta]

He grinned, "I could belive it. No direspect of course," He added to the Queen. He was becoming a little more comftorable with Safiya now. He pretended to think carefully about her question, winking at her out of the conrer of his eye "Well, I would just suggest you stay out of his way when he's in a bad mood. Oh, and don't mention me."

H sat down, ignoring the fact that his pants would get dirty, "I don't really think there's an age your supposed to get a Weyrmate...maybe whe nyour dragon first rises or flies another one...or maybe just when you find someone, special." He offered earnestly. He hadn't really thought about i much. He did have something useful to add," You know, if you ever find a Weyrmate who can't fly your Ryceth, you can always have him as a stand in." That he knew from the equicelant of locker talk wit hsome of his old Weyrling buddies. For them it had mainly been in the context of having a girl waiting for them in their weyr whether or not their dragon won.

He tapped his fingers against the side of an overhanding tree, "So what's it like...you know, running a weyr?" He asked. He'd always wodnered what it'd be like to have such rank and responsibility. Bronwriders could be Wingseconds of course, but he doubted it would happen to him, not that he really wanted it to.

He was somewhat caught offgaurd as he felt his finger press into his chest, leaning backwards a little, but he recovered quickly, grinning. He pulled the girl up by her shoudlers walking them back up in the direction fo the Weyr. "So...i guess you have kind of a lot to do?" He asked, wondering if she had chores and things to do. If she did it was a shame because he would enjoy talking with her a little more...of course, he could always help. "Oh me, nothin' really. I was just going to train a little with Onath, but its not really something i have to do."

Thanks...i wanted the evening off. I never said you were off totally. Bye. I'm going to talk with some of the greens. Hey! But it was no use, the Brown was ignoring him. "Well, i guess i'm free."

[fallinrayne216]

Safiya stared at him for a second. What was it like running a Weyr? How do you answer that? "Well, yes, it does make me busy. But I don't run the Weyr. I haven't even graduated yet, so I still don't know what is to be expected of me. Right now it keeps me busy enough that when I'm not working on that or Weyrling Training I'm either eating, bathing or sleeping." It wasn't like running the Weyr was interesting. She had to check the records and rewrite them at times.

Not to mentions checking all of the Threadfall Charts or Clutching Charts, and her favorite: the Storage Room. Wingleaders had much more to do than she did as the youngest Jr. Weyrwoman. They had to organize Wing Practices, choose who goes or stays. They had to decide the Wing Formations and who would go where or what Drills could make their Wing better or more cooperative. It was so much work that she wasn't sure how they handled all of it.

A Wingleader was someone she gave her full respect towards and she knew that when Thread fell, they would do their job with skill and ease. Safiya chuckled as she assumed His had just left K'ton. "I'm sorry about that. But I should be off to prepare for the Hatching Feast before getting started on the Storage Room for the Headwoman. But I'll see you at Lateo?" She asked hopefully, not really wanting to just leave like this when his dragon had just decided to end their preplanned training session. She smiled and began to walk away before waving her goodbye and then jogging back inside.

[-I thought we should probably end this thread since they're talking at the Lateo Hatching Feast and then at the Sodalis Hatching =D -so closed unless K'ton would like one more response-]

[dragonmenta]

((sounds good))

K'ton smiled and nodded, "I'll see you at Lateo." He tossed another pebble in the river as she jogged away.