I'm like a scarf trick, it's all up the sleeve (Attn: Andren)

Adaca Hold. It was a minor Hold, yes, but still warranted the occasional message from the Weyr, and as such the Weyrs favorite traditional color had once again been roped into delivery service. Jah'vi didn't mind, honestly, though he did wish a certain bronze didn't enjoy it quite so much.

Hold children spilled out into the courtyard, rushing the dragon and scarcely giving Jah'vi a chance to dismount. He laughed and carefully picked his way through the mass of hip high heathens, while Nolinth had flattened himself out as much as possible to give full access to the children.

I'll be back in a few moments, he said, amused as a particularly brave boy climbed boldly onto the dragons neck.

Take your time, Nolinth replied, a blissful note on his voice.

The little attention spoiled brat, Jah'vi thought fondly as he went to enter the Hold. He passed by a young man who made him do a double take, Healer going by the knots and clothing. Maybe chasing after a charge, he thought, smiling and nodding his head at the other man while silently appreciating his attractive face.

Nolinth perked up immediately, feeling something. Over towards the door. He kept himself low to the ground for now, feeling the presence come closer. Interesting, he thought to himself.

Andren had been patching up a skinned knee when another small boy ducked into the side room that they had given him as a temporary work space. There was a rapidfire back and forth that the young man wasn't completely able to follow, but he caught the word 'dragon!' and perked up, himself. His young charge started squirming and he had to have a firm word with the boy so he could finish tying off the bandage and released him.

The child ran into the courtyard, the bloody knee that had had him blubbering moments before completely forgotten, along with the sweet that the healer had promised him if he sat still to get the bits of grit picked out of his flesh. Andren washed his hands and stretched, sneaking the chewy candy and popping it into his mouth as he wandered out into the courtyard after the children.

As he walked--perhaps at a slightly faster clip than he was used to, not wanting to miss the sight of the dragon--he turned his shoulders to avoid bumping into a dark-haired man whose handsome face drew his eye and a wide smile. 'He might even be the dragonrider, I haven't seen him before... and I certainly would have noticed.'

Still, Andren was in a hurry to see the dragon, and it generally wasn't considered polite to follow handsome men to their destination, and so he stepped out into the courtyard and squinted in the sunlight, shading his eyes as he caught a bright reflection off the smooth bronze hide of the dragon who was acting as a playground for the hold children. Andren smiled at that, swallowing his candy and hanging back to watch the children play and admire the dragon. 'Beautiful. And huge!'

I do try, a voice said in Andrens head, somehow conveying amusement and smugness at the same time. You can come closer if you'd like.

To the dismay of the children who had been crawling atop his head, Nolinth lifted it slightly so he could see over the small hoard surrounding him and lock eyes with the healer. The name Andren popped into his head, and his eyes whirled a lovely, relaxed shade of blue. I promise I only bite when I am hungry, and I ate earlier. His tone was teasing and playful, but he watched the man carefully, intrigued by what he may do.

Andren's eyes widened and went unfocused, his mouth dropping open for a moment before he collected himself enough to close it. He didn't look over his shoulder, there wasn't really a direction to the voice, per se, but it didn't take him too long to figure out what must be going on and feel awed by it. He hadn't been especially worried about being eaten, but the reassurance made a spark of his usual humor return to his eyes and he laughed softly as he walked toward the dragon.

"Uh... I'm not sure how to talk to you, but thank you. I was happy enough to admire you from a distance, but this is an honor." He spoke up enough that he hoped the dragon might hear him, dodging a little girl who was chasing her brother and moving close enough that he could have probably reached out and touched the bronze with his fingertips if he stretched out his arm.

The large bronze made a crooning noise, pleased that the man had not been frightened. I can hear you fine this way, he replied, his voice tinted with the smugness he often got when praised. Why more dragons didn't simply speak to others was a mystery to him. Nonriders always had the most interesting and flattering things to say.

When Andren stopped he stretched his neck out in the direction of the healer, keeping his head low to the ground so as not to frighten the children still climbing all over him. Finally he was close enough that he could observe the man freely, and his slowly whirling blue and green eyes took him in.

An honor! Make sure to tell my rider that when he returns! Nolinth gave a snort of amusement, already knowing what Jah'vis reaction would be. His rider despaired of ever reminding him not to speak to non dragonfolk, complaining about how he had upset holders, crafters, and even some of the Weyr. Yllaveth, for instance, was very possessive of her rider, so the bronze knew to limit his speaking to Br'son to only when Yllaveth slept.

You are a healer, yes? Do you heal dragons also? he asked curiously, tilting his head to both look at Andren differently and offer his head for some scratches.

Andren chuckled at Nolinth's comment, "I shall be sure to let him know. It's certainly a novel experience and one I will treasure."

He bore up under the dragon's scrutiny, more impressed than ever by the sheer scale of the bronze. He wasn't a short man, but he was dwarfed by just the dragon's head, and watched his whirling eyes with fascination. Nolinth seemed to be soliciting pats, and was probably perfectly capable of telling him if he was doing it wrong, so he reached out and lightly scratched over the area of the bronze's head closest to him.

"Anywhere in particular?" It was such a bizarre situation that Andren couldn't even find it in himself to be especially nervous, and he found himself enjoying the warmth and texture of the dragon's hide.

The question had him humming in thought for a moment, "Mm, well, I studied as much as I could and I have tended to some fire lizards though that is hardly the same. Without any dragons around to work with I really can only say I know the theory. Do you have healers at your Weyr? I assume you must."

Nolinth made a noise somewhere between a purr and a trill, tilting his head to the side so Andren could get at the spot better. Yes, we have dragon healers, but you give much better scratches than they do. His eyes were half lidded, the sparkling colors still showing and whirling slowly in pure bliss.

"Who gives better scratches?" Jah'vi asked, exiting into the small courtyard after having delivered the missive from the Weyr and politely declining tea and refreshments. He came to a sudden stop when he realized that Nolinth was speaking to the healer, the one with the dark blonde hair with just a hint of curl he'd passed on his way in. Out in the day light, Jah'vi had to catch his breath quickly. Nolinth was speaking to the very handsome healer.

Yes, Andren gives very good scratches, Nolinth answered, speaking to both men now. And he likes it when I speak to him. He does not think I am annoying at all!

"If he thinks you're not annoying, it's only because he hasn't spent enough time with you in his head yet," Jah'vi retorted, strolling up casually to the pair. He offered Andren a grin and his hand. "I'm Jah'vi, from White Lightning. You've already met my other half it seems, Nolinth. I hope he hasn't been bothering you too much. He generally doesn't know when to quit." He reached over and gave the bronze a good scratching between the eye ridges, which earned another pleased crooning sound from him.

Andren turned to look over his shoulder, caught again by the sight of the man he had apparently presumed correctly to be Nolinth's rider, and struck by the blue of his eyes. He turned, trading off the scratches to his left hand so he could return the handclasp with his right, feeling his breath catch and feeling himself blushing at the look the other man was giving him.

He cleared his throat and gave Jah'vi a smile, "Andren, journeyman healer. I'm travelling around, just made a stop here for a while..."  The young man was pretty certain he was babbling and shut his mouth to collect himself before letting out a low laugh, "And I promised Nolinth that I would tell you that it is an honor to have him speak to me."  

The healer smiled at Nolinth, promise discharged and his day looking brighter by the moment.  Jah'vi was certainly easy to look at, and he hoped he wasn't staring.

Jah'vi noticed the blush and couldn't help but grin. Judging from the way the healer was looking at him, that wasn't just bashfulness at meeting a dragon rider. It felt nice to be noticed, and he shifted his weight slightly so his toned body was a little more obvious, something that was almost second nature.

He distantly thought of blonde hair and blue eyes and a beautiful smile, and felt a small pang of something he didn't quite recognize. But Andrens warm brown eyes on him made him feel a warmness he hadn't in a long time.

"Now I know you definitely haven't heard enough," Jah'vi chuckled, watching as the dragon crooned happily under Andrens hands. "He hardly ever shuts up."

So a traveling healer... just visiting. His heart sank a bit; that meant no way to get in contact with him easily. "How do you like the life of a traveler?" he asked in what he hoped was a casual voice. Nolinths special attention was giving him an idea, but he still preferred caution over crashing in.

Can we keep him? At home? Nolinth said suddenly, to both of them simultaneously and with no regard for how it might sound. Jah'vi blushed a bright red and nearly choked on air trying to rush an explanation.

"I think what he means is... have you ever considered Standing for a dragon? He's got a feeling about you, and he's actually pretty good at it for a bronze." He trailed off, realizing he'd been babbling slightly, and gave Andren a nervous but hopefully grin.

Andren had been about to answer Jah'vi's question about travel with something rueful about bugs and rainstorms, but ended up doubled over with laughter at Nolinth's seemingly innocent comment. He swallowed his laughter after a moment, his expression going serious again at the dragonrider's suggestion, eyes thoughtful. Her glanced down at himself, plucking lightly at the green tunic that marked his status as a healer.

"Who hasn't? Wouldn't I be a little old, though? I have twenty-two Turns and most of the people on the Sands are youngsters." He glanced over at Nolinth, feeling as though he was basking in the light reflecting off the dragon's hide, and grinning again, "Though I'm not sure if I'm being Searched or you're planning to keep me in the weyr as Nolinth's pet. I warn you, I eat a lot." His tone was entirely teasing, and he patted the dragon gently to try to take any sting out of his joke.

His eyes moved back over to Jah'vi's as he considered the third option, that he was being propositioned, and frankly he wasn't entirely upset by the notion. Still, it would be a bitter draught to swallow if that turned out to be all it was.

He'd blushed even harder at how Andren laughed, but Jah'vi found himself joining in. Leave it to Nolinth to find the most inappropriate way of expressing himself, and Jah'vi didn't buy the innocent act at all. The blue eyes were twinkling with just a bit too much mischief. He had the distinct feeling that Nolinth was nudging him.

'We've been advised to stock up on candidates," Jah'vi said ruefully, thinking back to what Teagan had said about increased clutches soon. "And traditionally we've allowed up to 24 to stand, though that age might rise."

He laughed again, close enough now that he was next to theach healer. He placed his hand on top of Nolinths head and gave it a scratch, but stopped with her fingers splayed just barely touching the tips of Andrens. "I promise this is an honest Search," he said, trying to smile and meet his gaze without the usual charm he would turn on in such situations. He wanted to make it clear that this was truly a Searching, and not just about attraction.

Though there was plenty of that, he thought, his smile growing just a bit as he eyed the healer. Not only handsome, but quick witted and intelligent. "I promise not to let Nolinth eat you," he added.

Andren didn't pull back from the light touch, searching Jah'vi's face and finding nothing but sincerity there. Time seemed to be moving slower, and the sounds of the Hold children playing near them receded into the distance as he tried to think this through.

"I don't know what the procedure is, whether I have to go back to Healer Hall and ask them... I should speak to the Holder to let him know I will be cutting my time here short. I already dealt with the worst of what they needed more for anyway, I was just bandaging up skinned knees and stanching bloody noses at this point." He realized he was talking as if he had already agreed, and smiled at himself, putting his hand over Jah'vi's for a moment. "Yes. And who knows, I might even Impress."  

He lifted his hand to run it through his dark blond hair and looked around the Hold as if it was his first time seeing it, trying to figure out what to do next. "My mother is going to cast a cat, she's weyrborn, you know."

"Well, if we want to get technical, the candidate and only the candidate holds the right of refusal," Jah'vi said with a smirk, extremely pleased that Andren had said yes in more than one way. "We can contact the Hall from the Weyr, let them know of your vocation change."

He grinned upon hearing he had Weyr blood in him; no wonder Nolinth had been so taken and was so relaxed. "Which Weyr does she hail from?" He was making a few quick adjustments to Nolinths harness as he spoke, adding a few extra buckles he produced from one of the side bags. He wanted the healer to feel completely safe for what was likely his first trip *between*.

"She was born in Ista, I think her father rode a Brown? I know her mother is a crafter, but I haven't met her." Andren took a step back to give the other man room to work, watching what Jah'vi was doing and clasping his hands behind his back to resist the urge to help in spite of not knowing what to do.

"I should pack my things, yes?" He looked around and snagged a boy from the crowd that had come to see the dragon and who had actually been paying attention to the conversation, at least the parts of it he could hear, "Paro, could you run and see if your father is free? I need to speak with him about this." The boy, gangly in his early teen growth, nodded and took off at a run.

Jah'vi paused for a moment, then laughed. "Packing, yah, I forgot about that." His mind had somehow gone back to that first hatching, when they'd more or less kidnapped candidates for the Sands, unable to perform a proper Search with the stigma against the mutant colors. E'zen had made sure all of Aliseths candidates had been there by choice,

But now they were going legitimate, or something along those lines, so of course they'd go through the proper channels. And an extra healer, of dragon rider blood, around the Weyr... all extra points in favor of Andren Standing.

Andren was carrying his packs out into the courtyard when the Holder caught up with him, the portly man puffing a little bit, "What's this my boy tells me about you leaving us early?"

The healer made an apologetic noise that was marred by a grunt as he set his heavy pack down, it contained all his healing supplies, spare clothing, and had a bedroll and even a small canvas tarp strapped to it, "I apologize that you had to find out this way, but... well, I just got the offer."

He glanced over at Jah'vi, hoping the rider would back him up if the Holder decided to raise a stink about it, but also willing to handle the matter himself.

"Fresyn," Jah'vi said cheerfully, grasping the holders forearm with one hand and clapping the other against his shoulder. "Sorry to bother you so soon again after bringing you a stack of paperwork." He grinned and winked, knowing that those reports were positive for the Hold. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to relieve you of your healer. He's been Searched."

This he could do. Speaking to the holders, putting forward the confident face of a bronzerider... it was easy and second nature after so many Turns.

The Holder sighed, clasping Jah'vi's arm in return and shooting Andren a sidelong look before looking up at the bronze rider. "Knew I should have hid him in a storeroom. I been threatening to chain him in the infirmary so he can't leave us."

Andren relaxed and affected a hard-done-by expression, "Nolinth isn't the only one who wants to steal me." He was honestly a bit flattered by the whole business, but trying not to get a big head over it.

'I might not Impress. Plenty of candidates don't.' Andren tried not to imagine how painful it would be to be left among those rejected, reminding himself that Nolinth and Jah'vi were at least confident enough to Search him.

Jah'vi laughed and clapped the man on the back. "Nolinth thinks he's got a good shot at Impressing, and Yllaveth should be taking to the Sands any day now," he said, placating the holder over the loss of his healer. "How about I make sure you and your spouse get to be at the Hatching? Nolinth and I will fetch you ourselves."

He had secured Andrens bags on either side of Nolinths flanks while he spoke, and raised an eyebrow at the healer to indicate he was ready when he was.

"I'll tell Sylva, she'll be beside herself." Fresyn gave Andren a clap on the back as he moved toward Nolinth, and the young man smiled at him abstractedly as the holder backed out of the way and shouted for the children to clear out of the courtyard to give Nolinth room to take flight.

Andren was, he had determined, more excited to be riding a dragon than he was at the notion of being pressed up against Jah'vi, but the margin was narrower than he might have wanted to admit.

"How do I...?" He looked at Nolinth's bulk, trying to figure out exactly how he was supposed to climb that bronze mountain.

"Hang on a second," Jah'vi said to Andren, a big smile breaking across his face. He'd Searched many attractive candidates, but none had tugged at him quite like this. The conversation had been as easy as breathing, and he'd found himself hanging on every word Andren spoke. And he couldn't help but smile like a goof at the poor man's confusion over how to mount.

Practiced by now, Jah'vi used Nolinths foreleg to reach the straps, and vaulted himself into position. He clipped a few of the buckles to his own belt, a safety precaution that he still took every time, before leaning down to grab Andrens forearm.

Nolinth lifted his forearm to help, and Jah'vi quickly pulled him up in front of him on Nolinths neck. The bronze thrummed with pleasure, very confident in his Search victim and also displaying a hint of smugness. As the healer leaned back into him slightly, Jah'vi could see why.

"I'll make sure he doesn't show boat so you don't get ill," he said softly, because there was no need to speak loudly when they were so close. He snapped the remaining straps to Andrens belt, adding a loop to make up for it not having the reinforcement his did. The reins, he picked up and offered length of them to the healer, then carefully wrapped them around his hands a few times before doing the same himself with the back length. "*Between* can be scary, I'm not going to lie," he continued, doing his final checks of the straps. "Count to 8, take deep breaths, and it'll be over before you know it." The bronzeriders arms came up around Andrens waist, pulling him back just a bit tighter and almost putting him in a bear hug. "You won't be able to feel either Nolinth or me, but we'll be right there with you, okay?" The last was practically whispered against his ear, Jah'vi having practically lashed the two of them together to make up for the fact if was a one person rigging.

Andren did his best to move with the dragon and rider's guidance, feeling some relief when he got settled onto the saddle and having no objections to leaning back into Jah'vi's chest and watching with interest as the other man clipped him into place. The certainty in his motions, and the confidence with which he had handled the Holder, were both entirely pleasant. He shifted to get comfortable and test the straps a little, though that had the added benefit of letting him press back a little closer to the bronze rider as he listened to his advice, nodding.

"I appreciate that. I'd rather not get queasy and make you regret Searching me." He gave Jah'vi a grin over his shoulder that brushed his smooth-shaved cheek against the other man's before he turned just enough to be able to meet his eyes out corner of his. "So deep breaths, and count to eight. You'll warn me when we're about to go Between?"

He felt a little ridiculous for thinking so much about the rider when he had a real, live dragon under him, and as almost an apology he reached down to pat Nolinth with the reins still in his hands. Still, he couldn't entirely pull his attention away from Jah'vi, and as he settled back against his strong chest he felt himself wishing for his arms around his waist.

The dark eyes meeting his made Jah'vis heart jump just a little, and he smiled reassuringly. "I promise," he whispered, feeling more confident now that his flirtations were being reciprocated. "Hold on, there's a bit of a snap back on take off."

He slipped his arms around Andrens waist almost unconsciously as Nolinth leapt into the air, seeming like he wanted to show off a little judging from the spring. He beat his wings several more times than necessary, taking them high enough that the Hold was small under them, and the beauty of that the land all around.

I thought you might like the view, Nolinth said to the pair, lazily circling around so that Andren could get a good eyeful of the beauty. Jah'vi grinned from behind the healer, his arms tightening a little bitoo more.

It's time, Nolinth said at the same moment Jah'vi yelled to get ready into his ear, the wind whipping the words away quickly. Nolinth gave him a moment to prepare, then the three disappeared *beteeen*.