What About Us?

Writers: Emma, Len
Date Posted: 6th January 2012

Characters: Teseada, Daran
Description: Teseada explains some of Weyrlife to her lover, Daran
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 17 of Turn 6

Teseada

As the shadows lengthened Daran slowly made his way up to Teseada's
weyr. He had promised to have dinner alone with her tonight, just the
two of them. But what had been eagerly looked forward to had been
marred a bit by the events of today. Mainly the Flight of Neath. She
was an unmistakable looking dragon, so it was the first time he
actually had a face to go along with the Flights he knew took place
everyday all around the Weyr. This was the first one to be personal,
to him. And it made him think of that day which had to be coming
soon, the day that Onnyth would Rise.

"Thank you," Teseada said as the kitchen aide left. "Tell the cooks thanks
for this, I'm sure it will be a lovely meal." She turned and saw Daran
making his way up, and waved to him.

"Hey Tes," he murmured, kissing her lightly on the lips. "How was your
day?"

"All the better now you are here," she said, kissing him back. "I'm so glad
you are here."

He couldn't quite stop the grimace on his face but held her hand,
hoping she didn't see his discomfort. "I'm glad to be here. What do
we have for dinner?" He glanced longingly at the bottle of wine,
needing a glass badly.

"Herdbeast steak, with vegetables, and a fruit crumble for dessert," she
said as she led him in.

"Nice." Before he sat down, he did make a grab for that wine, poring
both of them a glass. He sat down and scrubbed his face. "So...I saw
Neath Rise this morning..." He wanted to say more but was afraid of
what would come out of his mouth.

"I bet she gave the boys a merry chase," Teseada said. "Neath sometimes
behaves like she's a gold with some of her ideas."

"Her rider...is he okay? I mean...with that injury and all, you'd
think she wouldn't have Risen at all." He shifted uncomfortably when
he remembered the way he felt when she did Rise. And the looks on the
mens' faces as they had surrounded the young rider. And the thought
of what had come after, to him.

"A dragon won't rise if her rider can't cope with it. They just know," she
said. "If I'd thought in any way G'wen or Neath could not have coped, I'd
have had Onnyth inhibit her, like I do when a greenrider is very young."

He nodded thoughtfully at that. Taking a deep breath he decided to
let out what was bothering him. "This green Flight..it was the first
time I had a face to go with the rider. I felt..I dunno..."

"Go on," she said softly, leading him to sit on her couch. "Tell me what you
felt, I'll listen."

He looked helplessly at her. "I just felt..badly for G'wen. He
looked so scared. And I felt...sort of like I wanted to be there too.
But I don't like boys, not in that way! And then...and then...." He
buried his face in his hands. "Then I thought about you and
Onnyth...and your own flight. And those men...with that hungry
look..." He blanched at the thought of any other man looking at his
Tes the way those riders were looking at that young greenrider.

"It isn't them," she said. "It's the dragons. People do strange things when
dragons rise."

"Yeah but the riders of the female dragons..." He couldn't get the
terrified look on G'wen's face out of his mind.

"It can be scary the first time, you don't realise how much your dragon is a
part of you and how much you want to be her for that moment in time."

"What was it like for you?" He looked like he wanted to cry.

"Scary, and somehow exhilarating at the same time. Yet I knew Onnyth would
choose well."

"And what about us?"

She knew that question was coming. and she'd spent days thinking of how she
would answer it. "I have to do it for Onnyth's sake. It's the one thing she
asks of me, all the things and opportunities she has given me, how can I say
no to that." Taking his hand, she continued, "Daran, look at me. It's a
flight, it means nothing once it's over. What does mean something, and
something special is you and me."

"But what about that look on G'wen's face? He didn't look happy to be
there. Are you going to feel like that as well? And how do I deal
with someone who may be rough with you?" Or just someone not him with
her. He scrubbed his face, trying to get that terrified look on
G'wen's face out of his mind. Would she have that same look?

"I think he was caught off guard. It can happen with greens, they don't
always give their riders much warning the first few times. With Onnyth, I
know for a few days beforehand, gives me time to prepare, she wouldn't let
anyone hurt me."

"And you won't...you know...you won't chose the winning rider over me?"

"No, whoever wins, they won't be you. It's you I want to be with, not a
bronze or brown rider just because they caught Onnyth once. They won't be
you, they won't make me laugh in the same way, they won't know how I like my
klah, or my favourite harper tale."

"I have to get used to all this. It's just so different than what I'm
used to." Where he was from, a girl that slept around like the riders
of the female dragons would have been called something pretty bad. It
felt terrible even thinking of Tes in such a light.

"We have lots of time to talk about it, it'll will be a good while before
she rises again."

He nodded and took a deep swallow of his wine. "I think I need a hug."

"That I can a manage," she took his drink and put it down, opening her arms.
"Come here," she said softly.

And he did.

Last updated on the January 18th 2012

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