First Night (open/all)

'I should strangle you.' Casriel thought at the sound of Sidran's voice.

She met Avidian's eyes for the briefest of moments, hoping it was as smart a man as he appeared to be. She turned and bowed at the waist to him.

"It has been a pleasure, sir. My Weyrleader has the right of it. A quartz would be less obvious against a pale sky, if you intended to move in daylight. Quartz are smart dragons but the smallest in our range. Something to consider. A good night to you." Casriel said with a nod of her head. She turned and swept past Sidran, brushing her as she passed. As if worried the drink Sidran had would overturn and spill, Casriel raised her hand.

"Careful now." She said in curiously mild tone. "I hear it goes straight to your head."

"Seems to be going around," Sidran replied, her smile warm. "What do you say, Br'son? Shall we make it a party, to break in White Lightning?" She tilted her head slightly at him, apparently forgetting all about her fellow cobalt rider. "If you can keep up?" As light a tease as her expression, as she held out her free hand toward him again.

Br'son couldn't stop the grin that spread over his face as he put his hand into Sidran's. "Yes, Weyrleader," he said with laugh. "We definitely should!" And he pulled her with him toward the music and the clapping hands that started off the dance.

Avidian watched, noting the interplay between the two women. Interesting. It appeared that his new Weyr's ranking cobaltriders hated each other. That could be either problematic, or very useful down the line. He'd have to consider it more, later.

Vid accepted a drink of his own and found a seat on the edge of the firelight, knowing that his eldest daughter would be nearby. "Well," he said softly, for her ears alone. "This is an interesting development. I didn't expect them to just adopt us like that. What do you think, Dividia? And what does your monster think?"

Teagan had been watching the proceedings between her gawking sessions, and her heart skipped a beat when Avidian gave the all clear. "This is wonderful!" she gushed, throwing her arms around Siona without waiting for consent or even giving warning. "You're going to love it here."

She released the quartzrider as suddenly as she had grabbed her, attention again on the dragons. "Does that mean we get to be dragonriders?" she asked with awe in her voice.

Siona laughed, somewhat startled by the youngster's exuberance. "That's up to the dragons, sweetling," she said. "Do you know how Hatchings work?"

Dividia sat up again - she'd been very good at not calling any attention to herself at all during the conversation between riders and her father, and as such had heard much of interest.

"Divisk is charmed," a rippling snarl from the darkness behind them belied that, but not as convincingly as it might have. "i think if they're really interested in helping... there is quite a bit of business in reach of dragon wings." No amusement or games, not with her father. "They're off balance, but there's strength there."

A worthy alliance, and well worth working for, but he would already know that.

"I think so, too," Vid said, glancing over at Divisk's wide, reflective eyes. "And they charmed the monster. Interesting. Interesting night all around," he said with a note of finality.

"You watch tonight," he said, his tone soft, but unmistakably commanding. "You and him. Keep an eye on them, see what you can learn. We'll speak in the morning before you go to bed."

Teagan screwed her face up, trying to think. There hadn't been a proper harper with them, for at least as long as she could remember, so her teaching ballad knowledge was spotty at best.

"When the eggs are ready to hatch you put the new riders out for them to choose from right?" she asked more than said. Before tonight she would have said humans controlled the dragons completely. But now, standing among a huge group of them, she could tell they were much more intelligent than she had given them credit for.

"Or they pick for themselves," she said in a hushed tone, looking up reverently at the beasts she had a new found respect for.

She dipped her head in acknowledgment, and though Divisk's growl provided a deep counterpoint to the hum of dancing and celebration growing across the fire, there was no answering tension in her body.

They would, of course, obey.

'Savor the sweet after taste of your cobalt's victory. I will see you choke on the shells of that ripe nut when Maraxith proves himself the better mate for Yllaveth. I will see you wither in the sun of your jealousy when Br'son is inside of me, calling my name, bruising my hips and breasts with his need.' Casriel thought as she made her way back to her dragon.

Let them have their gaiety and their fun; she would have her plans and her prizes.

Siona smiled. "That's right," she said, her tone encouraging. "When the eggs get close to Hatching, we'll gather together a bunch of young people, and they'll all wait around the eggs until the little dragonets crack their shells. Then, when they come out, the dragonets will choose their riders from the people gathered around. It's very important that we have a lot of candidates, so that the dragonets have the widest possible choice. So, while I can't promise that you'll ever be a dragonrider, it's probable that you'll be a candidate someday."

Teagan was a little disappointed to learn that it wasn't as simple as being told now you're a dragon rider by some official looking person, but she didn't stay that way for long. She could be a candidate. That would mean the dragons would at least look at her.

"How soon is someday?" she asked, eyes darting around. She new little about these new colors... which ones were the mothers? "I want to be a dragon rider as soon as I can." Her voice was firm and committed. She'd made up her mind on this matter and there was no changing it.

That got a full blown laugh out of Siona. No need to consult the now-sleeping Lolath to find out what this little one wanted. "Well, do you see Yllaveth, over there?" she asked, pointing out the silver-blue Titan queen. "She's a queen, and she's egg-heavy. In a few sevendays, she'll likely lay her clutch, and then the Weyr will start collecting candidates."

In truth, Siona thought, Teagan was probably too young to Impress just yet. She seemed to be a very quick witted child, but a child nonetheless. Impression was such a shattering impact on the mind that most Weyrs preferred to present older candidates. Not that White Lightning had the luxury of being picky, the quartzrider supposed.

"After the eggs are laid, a little more than another month, and then they'll Hatch. And if nothing else, you'll get to see that. Because you're weyrfolk now."

Teagan eyed the silvery blue hide of her (her?) Weyr queen and tilted her head to the side. She was larger, and amazingly beautiful under the moon light and the glows. "I'll Impress," she said confidently.

She marched forward to the queen and dipped down into her lowest curtsy ever. With her dancing ability she nearly touched the ground with her nose. "It's a pleasure to meet you and be in your Weyr," she said with all the decorum an eleven turn old could muster. Get in good with the mom, get in good with the kids, right?

"I'm really looking forward to meeting your babies," she continued, playing with her hands a bit. "I can do some tricks if you want, too. Unless I'm bothering you," she added quickly, suddenly realizing she might have broken some rule by coming up to their queen with no permission.

Hesriath watched the little silver haired child, here eyes half lidded and glowing a soft blue in the darkness. Ashrah was quiet, braced between the two powerful forelimbs of the scarlet dragon. Her mind was far and away, coursing itself back to Eastern Weyr. She thought of her brother and a pang shot through her like a hunter's arrow. R'hast rode blue Pivolth; he was probably on his ledge looking out. Ashrah knew R'hast would be missing her, maybe angry over her banishment. Thoughts of her brother soon turned to thoughts of her son, who had recently Impressed to the bronze dragon Manticath.

'One day,' she told him. 'You could be Weyrleader and you could change things for all mutation riders."

A lot to hope for, a lot to bank on and many turns ahead to come.

Pivolth will take care of your clutch sib. Manticath will take care of your hatchling. Soon there will be hatchlings from Yllaveth and Gaveth; likely Yllaveth's rider will let you in on some of the lessons. They will need a Weyrling Master and you have worked toward that goal all our turns together. Maraxith's rider will take no time securing the position she most desires. You should not tarry in reaching for your dreams. Hesriath said.

Casriel is a Cobalt Rider. Ashrah said softly. She could influence her future in a way Ashrah couldn't. Ashrah couldn't deny, however, that as one of the original mutation riders she could ask for a position. She was of a good, mature age.

Yes, you could ask. The worst Yllaveth's can say is no.

Yllaveth looked down at the small human, then over at her rider.  Br'son was, for the moment, oblivious of anything except Gaveth's rider, and that was as it should be.  So the titan queen felt quite loath to disturb him.  Instead, she turned her eyes on the child and dipped her head in a gesture designed to act as an invitation to continue.  

Is not this little one amusing, Hesriath?  I am glad that we have found people here at our new home, and I am glad that they will become part of us.  A Weyr should have weyrfolk, indeed.  How does your rider feel about it all?



As she spoke to her scarlet one-time teacher, Yllaveth's eyes tracked the little one.  Clearly, the queen was very interested in whatever "tricks" the girl sought to share.  What "tricks" could humans do, anyway?

The little silver one is sweet, reminding me when my Ashrah's male hatchling was young and less the bronze rider he now is. It is good to have people here and it is my hope that there will be many young people to Stand for your clutch, Queen Yllaveth. Hesriath said, craning her ruby red neck down to look at the Titan and the girl child.

She wants to please you. the Scarlet added, nodding her head at Teagan's movements.

I think so, too.  Yllaveth said, and her mind tone indicated that she saw nothing wrong with that.  She was the queen, after all.  A desire to please her was as it should be.

She thinks to Impress, or so she says.  She is bold, I will give her that.  But she is charming as well.  I will be interested to see how my offspring make their choices.  I have not had a clutch before, so this will be a benchmark in several ways.  

Yllaveth couldn't, or wouldn't, conceal her excitement at the thought of having a clutch of her own.  She was a queen dragon.  Laying eggs and breeding young were her mission in life, or so she'd been taught since she was a hatchling.  Br'son might have doubts about what, exactly, his role was going to be, but as for Yllaveth... she had none.

And certainly you must be excited, too!  New Hatchlings to train!  I imagine you will be very glad to be able to get to work, will you not, Hesriath?

Teagan's little heart skipped a beat when the giant titanium queen looked at her and dipped her head. She noticed a few other dragons had turned their attention to her as well. She'd had never performed for such a grand audience. Usually she just entertained hee friends and some of the adults.

"Okay," she said confidently, taking a few steps back so she had more room. Only a few stretches were needed... she was already quite limber from playing today. When she had the room she executed a spin, finishing with her leg extended fully vertically to her head.

Seeing the interest she threw a few kicks in before spinning again and sliding down into the splits effortlessly. Then she rolled sideways from the prone position, using her hands to push herself into a cartwheel as she got up.

Instead of normal steps she sprung through the air, her legs stretched like wings, then stopped and took a breath. She took four running steps and flung herself into a hand less front handspring.

But things don't always work out the way they're planned. Her foot slipped as she came down and she planted right on her face in the dirt. Unperturbed she sat up with a huge grin on her dirt covered face, looking up at Yllaveth. "I can usually do that one without falling," she said in a slightly sheepish tone.

Dragonets are drawn to confidence because it comforts them during what can be the most confusion portion of their life. Birth, wet and jumbled, sometimes violent or fill with action, is a lot to take in on the first few moments of life. If she has confidence, she is already forming a good mind for Standing. Hesriath said in warm, approving tones. She studied Teagan; she was young and strong to perform so. Dragonets needed strength and endurance in their riders; young dragons had many demands and needs.

I am very excited, my Queen. Both Ashrah and I have yearned to return to teaching. We bend our collective minds to the task. Ashrah reads constantly, or did before Eastern exiled us. I'd wager she knew more about birthing, breeding records, raising young dragons and training weyrlings than any other rider assisting the Weyrling Master. Of course, I am bias. Hesriath said and chortled as she did so.