Doubts Rising

Writers: Rochelle
Date Posted: 24th October 2009

Characters: Ariau
Description: Ariau briefly reflects on the open Flight and Alabieth's eventual rising.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 26 of Turn 5

The sun was warm, and temperature was about perfect as Ariau trudged up the path to the heights and the plateau. Not too warm, not too cool, with a nice breeze coming from inland instead of the sea for once, blowing away the worst of the humidity.

Finally reaching her destination, she looked around until she found a handy rock that wasn't too close to the edge, and settled herself with her back to it as she looked out over the bowl.

There were the weyrlings in drills, the candidates gong to class, and one of the wings swooping in for a landing in formation drills. The air was momentarily filled with bellowed greetings from hundreds of dragon throats, and Ariau felt a little deafened by their enthusiasm.

She spotted Alabieth sunning herself on her ledge, despite Ariau's offer of the heights. The gold had been experimenting with different sunning places at different times, and unless Ariau was doing an excursion the stubborn beast was determined to stay where ever she'd parked herself that day.

She didn't see Vilarth anywhere... Or Tabanirth... and Veyeth was in the Hatching Grounds with her new mate.

Ariau didn't know what to think of the new Weyrwoman. Zharesti seemed nice, but she simply wasn't the indomitable Tsaera. Ariau knew she wasn't the only one who missed having the older woman in charge. Tsaera was an anchor, something solid and unchanging to refer to when the world went nuts. She just didn't get that feeling from Zharesti.

Of course, when Tabanirth had announced that she would no longer be rising and the leadership had been thrown open to rising golds, she'd been terrified. Alabieth was of that age, only without any experience in Flights. She'd been told by the dragonhealers that Alabieth could literally rise any day now, or wait another Turn before she did. The idea of Alabieth rising before Vilarth or Veyeth had been terrifying. She didn't know how to run a weyr -she just had to deal with he paperwork. And the idea of having Alabieth's first flight, she shuddered.

Ariau didn't know how to tell when Alabieth would be ready to rise. She didn't know what kind of signs to look for, or how the gold would react to her eggs. All she knew was that she'd dodged one potential problem, but now she needed to figure out how to deal wit the next one. But there was no dodging. Alabieth was going to rise -eventually- and she needed to be prepared.

Not that she had any clue how to prepare, of course. She'd done the obligatory no linger a virgin segment while at Fort Weyr, but she wasn't sure what else to practice with. She dealt with the strong minded gold on a daily basis, so maybe that would be enough to make sure she could keep her under control in a mating frenzy?

}:It does not matter.:{ Alabieth's voice was calm in her head. }:When it happens I will fly and you will see. I will fly highest, and you will see my eggs on the sands.:{

**You're right, Love.** She thought hurriedly, mentally kicking herself for letting the gold hear her thoughts. **You will be wonderful.**

And she would be, she had no doubt about that. Alabieth was always wonderful.

Her doubts belonged only to herself.

Last updated on the November 15th 2009

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Doubts Rising