Would like one just like her

Writers: Ang, Emma
Date Posted: 19th March 2012

Characters: Hanni, D'ret, H'risal
Description: An afternoon with a lovely little green and her rider
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 22 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: K'ale

It was a day he'd been looking forward to for a long time. Daret was
assigned to Hanni and her beautiful little green Samdrath. Not only
was he thrilled to be helping a green dragon but he especially
remembered this pair since they'd found each other on his first chance
at Standing. He'd often wondered what it would have been like had he
Impressed Samdrath instead.

He made his way to the dining hall where it was arranged for Hanni to
meet him. Daret wasn't sure what she had planned for him but he was
eager to find out.

"Daret?" Hanni called over to the young man. "You're my helper today?"

"Yes, ma'am, and I'm looking forward to it. How and you and Samdrath
this lovely day?" he asked with a beaming smile, his hands in his
pockets as he rocked back on his heels.

"I'm fine and she will be too, assuming you give her the attention she
deserves." Hanni gave the lad a smile. "She's in need of a good
oiling."

Daret's eyes lit up at the thought of spreading oil on the lovely
little green, his hands already itching to feel the warm, solid hide.
"She'll get more attention than she's ever had ... except from you, of
course," he said quickly. "Shall I get the equipment and meet you
outside?"

"Meet me in a few minutes by the indoor lake."

"Yes, ma'am," Daret said with a quick bob of his head before he turned
and jogged to the supply room. He knew a green wouldn't require the
amount a larger dragon required but he wanted to be sure he grabbed
enough. With bucket of oil, paddles and towels, he slowly made his
way to the indoor lake to meet up with Hanni and Samdrath.

He was pleasantly surprised to find out about the warm lake upon his
arrival at the Weyr. The thought of trying to bathe and oil a dragon
in the weather outside this time of year was incredibly daunting.
Weaving his way through the streaming crowds, he finally saw the pair
waiting for him. "Greetings, Samdrath ... and again to you, Hanni. Is
there anything I should know before we begin? Like, are you
ticklish?"

Hanni's eyes lost their focus slightly as Samdrath relayed a message
to her for the youngster. "She says to tell you that she prefers a
gentle touch under her wings, and that her back needs attention."

It was always interesting seeing the interaction between dragon and
rider when they spoke. Did she completely lose focus of everything
when Samdrath spoke or just her sight? He was about to ask when he
realized that was probably a bit too personal at this point. "Yes,
ma'am. Could you ask her to crouch down for me so I can get her back
first? I'm pretty light …"

"She heard you," Hanni said as Samdrath moved to allow Daret and Hanni
to get to her back.

As Samdrath moved into position, Daret stared with delighted eyes.
Seeing the delicate green's movements made him want one of his own
that much more. Once she was settled, he carefully made his way up
with the oil bucket in hand then began slathering the oil on the
pretties green hide he'd ever seen. "You are so beautiful, Samdrath,"
he said, his hand lovingly caressing the drier spots to be sure the
oil got deep within.

"Be careful," Hanni told him gently after a few minutes. "Or else
you'll end up being her slave for life if you carry on like that, she
says you are doing a good job."

Daret chuckled and shook his head. "Oh come on now ... is that even
possible? That's your job," he said with a wink to the greenrider as
he continued with the oiling. "If I get a green that's even half as
lovely as you, Samdrath, I'll be a very happy man indeed!"

As the hide continued to soften, Daret found his perch becoming a bit
more tenuous but he wasn't about to stop. He'd fallen off dragons
before so wasn't at all afraid since she was much shorter than those
he was usually oiling. Looking down at Hanni, he asked, "Was there a
gold egg on the Sands when you Stood or did you know all along that
you'd probably Impress a green?"

"There was no gold, and no guarantee I'd Impress," she began as she
dipped her brush into the oil, ready to tackle a spot under the
green's wing. "I wasn't searched, I came here to avoid my father, he
wanted me to marry a man close to his age. My brother is a bluerider
here, so it seemed the right thing to do, that he'd help me."

Samdrath lifted her wing for her rider to oil it. "Someone said to me
I'd make a good rider, and that I could ask the Weyrwoman for
permission to be considered a candidate. So I did, and here I am
today."

Few young people who managed to pluck up the courage to ask the
Weyrleadership if they could take to the stands were refused. It was
understood that one of the traits of a good rider was strength of
character, along with boldness, and gathering the courage to ask
clearly demonstrated those qualities.

The surprise was evident as Daret's movements slowed at her words.
He'd been at the Weyr for three turns but he was still Craftbred and
considered some of the situations people found themselves in to be
fascinating. "Then what someone told you was right and you were very
lucky. I couldn't imagine being married to someone so … *old*," he
said with a shudder which turned into a frantic scramble to stay where
he was. "Oh!" Daret would have slid off completely had he not
grabbed a neck ridge.

"I'm so sorry … did I hurt you, Samdrath?" Daret hung there for a
moment as he tried to decide whether to continue down or make his way
back up.

"She's fine," Hanni assured him. "Just ease yourself back into a
comfortable position."

"Does this get any easier?" he asked as he hauled himself back up.
Luckily, he was small enough that his weight didn't make it difficult.
Settled once again, he continued the oiling and looked down at Hanni.
"I hear everyone say that all this work is worth it but it's hard to
grasp, you know? Wait … who's your brother?"

Was it a bluerider he knew intimately? Shards, he hoped not …

"H'risal," she replied.

Daret ran the name through his mind as he continued stroking the
green's hide. H'risal ... H'risal ... nope, he didn't recognize it
and he was glad about that. "Don't think I know him but I'm glad he
was here for you. Imagine not being here to bond with this lovely
lady," he said with a smile down to her.

"I hate the thought of her being alone had I not been there." Everyone
knew what happened if a new hatchling didn't find their rider, it was
heartbreaking and not something that was talked about.

Seeing the look on her face made his heart wrench and he mentally
shook himself for being so stupid. "Well, there's no reason to think
about it now. She found you and she's perfect. You're a very lucky
rider," he said as he finished working on her back. Climbing down to
stand beside Hanni, he smiled and patted her shoulder. "And she's
lucky to have you. Now, what else can I do to help you?"

"You can help me clear this little lot away," she said. "I think
someone is going to go and find a place to show off to the bronze
dragons."

"Of course she should! Those bronzes won't know what hit them," Daret
giggled as he reached for the oil paddles and scrub brushes. His eyes
were glittering with appreciation as he watched Samdrath, that hope
lighting his eyes once more of having a little lady of his own. He
gave a longing sigh and dropped the items into an empty bucket. "I
really hope I Impress a green, Hanni …"

"There could just as well be a gorgeous little blue hunting you down,"
she teased.

The look of horror made it very clear what Daret thought of that idea
and he actually shuddered. "I sincerely hope not," he whispered, eyes
wide as he looked at her. "I ... I ... can't!" It was a discussion
he'd tried having with K'ale but the brown weyrling made it seem that
it would be no big deal. Daret, however, knew deep down that he could
never bond with anything but green.

"Hanni, have you ever known of a candidate to reject a dragonet?" He
paled at even the thought of the consequences.

"You're kidding, right?"

Oh shells, he wished he were but just seeing the look on her face made
him bury the words he really wanted to speak. "Of course I am," he
said as he ducked down to gather the supplies. "I'll just … take
these away now. Have a nice evening, Greenrider Hanni."

"You too," she said as she gathered the last of her gear.

Last updated on the March 21st 2012

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Would like one just like her