Dark Water at Midnight (Attn: Any )

Casriel wasn't tired. She was angry and as she walked into the darkness, that bright angry burned away any fear she might have felt at being in a new place. She was hardly alone, Maraxith had rose to take a crag above her, keeping watch as Casriel picked her ways through the rocks and passages. It was the trickle of water that drew her from the swirling vortex of her frustration.

There is a pool near you. Careful, it is a small drop to its surface. It opens out toward the far end. I will land there.

Casriel leaped up on a rock and peered below. The shinning surface of dark water greeted her and beyond she saw that the pool did open up dramatically. Maraxith was a dark shadow as he glided down to the end were it grew shallow. Stripping herself of her sweat and dust caked clothing, Casriel dipped her feet into the cool water. The pool rippled and across the water Maraxith's eyes whirled deep green. Casriel pushed off from the rock slowly and glided out into the water. A wave lapped against her shoulders as Maraxith moved into the pool and Casriel relaxed.

"It's strange being in this place. No Eastern...no Asteriel. She said she would come, Maraxith but yet she isn't here. No J'ril.....no....Garrah." Casriel said as she swam toward him. She climbed upon his back and let the canyon breeze cool her naked skin. Only that warm black and plum hide kept her eyes from welling up with tears but her guts sank. A cold and sinking feeling came and went when she thought of Garrah and all that had gone wrong.

Parazeth is gone. Maraxith said, his voice quiet. It still hurt them both...deep. Casriel lay her cheek on Maraxith's neck and sighed.

It was them against the world now.

Abry, the odd pitch of energy keeping her well away from bed apparent in her usual easy stride, crested the climb to the pools before she realized there was a dragon there.

Well, fire above and below if she was going to back away from her own routine just because someone was there. If they were supposed to be allies - and she knew more than enough about Avidian and Dividia to know they only had the beginning of that - then they could share the water.

She couldn't make out what color of dragon, just that it - he? - was huge, and she should probably be cautious.

So rarely a word used to describe her. "Late nights normal for you all too?" she called, by way of announcing her presence. Even if the dragon could tell someone was there the way Divisk always could, seemed polite to say something.

Casriel turned and even under the moonlight, narrowed her eyes to get a better look at the person who had spoken. Maraxith turned his head around slowly but his eyes whirled from lambent green to sparkled orange. Casriel stroked his shoulder and felt the cautious aggression fade from the Cobalt dragon. Maraxith's eyes stilled there sparkling and settled into a wary goldenrod yellow. Casriel didn't hide her nudity and raised her chin to call back.

"That's true for some of us." she replied. "What is your name?"

"Abry," the girl replied, stance confident even as she slipped off her boots and socks. "Born and raised here and used to swimming at night." It wasn't meant as aggressive, just making clear she wasn't here to check up on any dragonriders or see what they kept under their leathers. It may not have come out as gracefully as all that though - it had been a long day on their side as well, if not quite as emotionally topheavy as it must have been for the new arrivals.

"I can stay on this side if that's better for...which ones are you?"

"If he doesn't intimidate you, by all means close the distance. I was never reputed to work by half measures. " Casriel said, standing to her feet. She stood straight backed, good balance and turned.

"This cobalt dragon is my Maraxith and I am Wingsecond Casriel." she said, pulling her blond hair to one side and letting it hang damply over her left shoulder.

"Well met, Abry." Casriel said, looking back at her.

Abry cocked her head, regarding the dim shapes of woman and dragon across the water. Intimidate? Her lips curved - she'd been raised by what soft holders would consider the worst of Pern, murders and thieves and smugglers, and knew them for family.

Still, she hadn't been able to make out a color because that huge presence was a cobalt, and even here they'd heard all sorts of things about the new dragons. So no, she wasn't intimidated, but all the same she answered with a bit of cockiness, "Healthy respect, let's say, Wingsecond Casriel and Cobalt Maraxith. You've good taste for swimming times, at least."

She undressed efficiently and folded her clothes to the side before wading in, getting close enough to make out more of their features in the moonslight. "And well met, to you both." She didn't bother to hide her curiosity, though she made a point not to gape and stare, either. "I didn't know it was so beautiful, when their eyes changed color. Or is that just Maraxith?"

Abry nearly bit her lip at that - she hadn't meant to say the last, and thanked all that grew that she at least she hadn't sounded fawning. Not intimidated, no, but there was a bit of creeping awe she hadn't expected.

"Spotting opportunity is a strength of mine." Casriel said with a slow smile. So the girl had some proverbial balls on her.

'Good!' Casriel thought. If she was a good age, she would make excellent Candidate material. They needed young men and woman to Stand for those eggs.

'And dragon riding is best left to the unafraid.' she thought to herself. She looked over her shoulder at Maraxith and her cocky smile grew momentary softer, more warm.

"Maraxith is exceptional but that is a trait all dragon kin share. Warmer colors for anger, aggression, passion....cooler colors for pleasure and contentment. A dragon's hide and eyes go grey when they are frightened or in pain." Casriel said.

She wished the light was enough to see the woman's expressions. Body language she had at least, but riders were a different sort. Always seemed to be more going on than the surface, like when Dividia went still and her wher suddenly appeared, or attacked, or managed not to murder someone.

"That is interesting," Abry said, meaning it, sinking further into the water so its warmth covered up to her chest. "If yellow isn't one of the good colors, please pass on my apologies to you both. I'm not used to having to share my swimming with such...exceptional company." She meant that as well, but there was definite humor in her tone.

"Yellow is for caution. Getting forced out of one's home will make one cautious." Casriel said. She sat decisively and dipped her slim feet back into the water. She quirked a bit of wry grin; the girl had no idea yet how exceptional the two of them could me.

'But if she plays her cards right, she could.' Casriel thought naughtily and suppressed a chuckle.

"Telling you 'you are welcome here' sounds very presumptuous given this place belonged to your group initially. We have no problem sharing the space, given the generosity of your leader."

"I'd guess it'd make one pretty bloody pissed, ask me," Abry said, meaning that as well, idly stroking sideways through the water. "And that's well said, the rest. Must come with the rank?" It wasn't teasing, entirely. Abry wasn't much of one for such things.

But she couldn't pretend - not convincingly, anyway - that the dragonriders were fascinating, and they'd been treated pretty shittily, and that wrung a bit of empathy from the girl.

"With great rank comes great responsibility." Casriel said, quoting her old Weyrling Master.

"It comes with the territory. You move strategically, Impress well and start climbing the chain of the command. Just the naturally order of things if you Impress a cobalt or larger. " Casriel continued.

"Yllaveth will be clutching soon." Casriel remarked, casually.

Abry shifted to tread water comfortably, something in the words catching her attention. "I like the idea that a way with words comes with an impressive dragon," she said finally, a hint of a chuckle under her tone. "Though I don't know that there's a way to match Maraxith, so any fancy gifts would pale, no?"

Casriel looked at her dragon, how his hide filled with shadows and plum wine, and she warmed to the thought of it. She ran a hand down the neck ridge and the cobalt dragon rumbled his pleasure at the caress.

"Your own dragon is the greatest treasure you will ever know. No person, no mere animal, comes to know you so completely. A true intimate, a guardian and unquestionable companion." Casriel's mind worked. She had no Search dragon but the wheels were turning now.

"With Eastern having exiled us, it is likely any young person expressing an interest in Standing could gain a Candidate's status. A great opportunity to take advantage of in these uncertain times. Wouldn't you say?"

Casriel offered a bright smile and then slipped off the side of her dragon. Maraxith rose to leave the water, eddies forming in his wake.

"I bid you good night. Good night and good thinking." Casriel said as she slipped across the pool back to where her clothes were folded. If the girl was smart, she would find her way into the ranks of Candidates for Yllaveth's clutch and if she could credit Casriel with the inspiration, her Impression would be a big feather in the Wingsecond's cap.

Abry considered, but idly, filing the thought away as she watched the rider and dragon go and returned to what she'd actually come here for.

The night stilled around her, and she floated, emptying her mind and allowing her body to fully relax as she so rarely could.

If only she could clear her mind from the iridescent slow whirl of dragon eyes.