Comfort Zones

Writers: Eimi, Rochelle
Date Posted: 31st May 2010

Characters: Eleada, R'mer
Description: Eleada wonders if R'mer ever got over his crush...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 3 of Turn 5

}:Byth is banking too hard.:{ Gliorith observed as Eleada concentrated
on the maneuvering drill. }: But Hanunth is flying well.:{

The wingthird spared a glance from the knot of greens at the back of the
formation that were a little too close together to check the bronze and
blue her dragon had noted. **Tell Byth to move farther left so he
doesn't collide with Hanunth on the next turn.**

The blue's rider misunderstood and actually moved a bit to the right,
bringing him dangerously close to the bronze as they were about to bank.
R'mer realized this and had to make a snap decision. If he broke out
of the turn, he would surely collide with the dragon in his own right.
If he either dove or climbed, he would disrupt the formation either
below or above and could potentially make the situation much worse. If
he did nothing, though, his bronze would tangle with the blue and could
potentially lead to a broken wing. He took all this into account in the
space of a breath and quickly instructed his bronze /between/,
visualizing the space in the formation he should occupy once the turn
was completed.

Eleada felt her breath catch in her throat as the blue moved in the
wrong direction, Gliorith already barking orders at Byth faster than she
could think them. But before the blue could could correct his mistake,
Hanunth blinked out, missing the the collision entirely by reappearing
an few beats forward, in the correct position for the maneuver. Eleada
felt the grin threatening to split her helmet.

**Tell Hanunth that was nicely done. That kind of quick thinking is
exactly what I want to see in a Fall.** She praised, relieved that a
potential disaster had been properly averted. **And tell Byth that I
want to talk to his rider after drills -clearly we need to review the
difference between right and left!**

The bronze relayed the encouragement to his rider, who couldn't help but
feel a slight flush in his cheek as he looked back at the greenrider and
saluted. She saw him. She was watching him. That alone made him want
to impress and excel.

Eleada chuckled at the salute, then frowned and turned away, instructing
Gliorith to talk to one of the greens in the clump she'd noticed
previously. But she made a promise to herself to talk to R'mer in person
after the drill was over and she'd grilled the bluerider for his
mistake. It had been a while since she'd had a conversation with her old
flirting student. She was curious to know how he was doing now.

When the drills finished, Hanunth backwinged down at his customary
place. R'mer was removing his riding straps when he noticed someone
approaching him. "Ma'am," he smiled, giving her polite nod. They were,
after all, still technically on duty. With a practiced move, R'mer
swung his leg over his bronze's neck and slipped down to the ground.

She grinned, striding over to the bronze and his rider. "Good job,
R'mer. Hanunth, that was excellent flying in the second half. Your
skipping skills are improving."

"We've been practicing." R'mer pulled his helmet off his head and ran
fingers through his matted hair, glad to have a chance to take the
accursed thing off! "I'm feeling a lot more comfortable about my place
in the wing."

"It shows." She praised, giving Hanunth a familiar pat. "Have you been
practicing outside of drills, or are you just getting more comfortable
with where you are in the air?"

"We've been going out to hunt in the wild more, but that's it really."
R'mer supposed that might be a form of practice. Stamina, perhaps, or
reflexes. Attentiveness.

"Every little bit helps. It's time in the air with your dragon, and
sometimes that's all you need to get that extra edge." Her grin was a
little embarrassed now, but still cheerful. "Gliorith and I used to do
stunt flying before the Pass, and I never realized just how helpful it
could be until my first Fall."

"Are you suggesting I should try stunt flying?" he asked, rather
skeptical.

"No! Faranth, no." Eleada shook her head, and stifled a laugh. "No
offense, but Hanunth isn't really the right size to do it effectively.
What I meant was that hunting in the wild can be similar to stunt flying
in that you learn to be more aware of your airspace and to trust your
dragon a little more than if you only fly for drills or ferry duty. It
puts you out of your comfort zone."

"Oh, well, you know," his lips curled into a small smile, "I'm always
out of my comfort zone."

Remembering how they'd met, and the long way the younger rider had come
in his adjustment to weyrlife, Eleada felt her smile soften a little. "I
know. I meant in the air."

"I know," he admitted. He was trying to be funny. "By the way, I
wanted to tell you. Hanunth and I are moving. A spot opened up, and I
thought it was a good time."

The wingthird blinked, something painfully stabbing through her at the
thought. Moving? She hadn't heard anything, and as the wingthird she
would have been apprised of any transfers. Maybe it was recent, but why?
R'mer was just barely starting to get comfortable with Dolphin Cove, and
shaping into a good rider. Not to mention a good friend, particularly
when her nightmares struck... she forced a quizzical expression onto her
face and cocked her head. "Really? Where to?"

"Another weyr. I guess I just thought it was time for a change."
Hanunth was almost too large for their ledge, and the other rooms had a
much nicer view.

Okay, _that_ made more sense. She grinned, relaxing a little. "That's
great. You'll have to invite me over once you've moved in."

"Of course I will. Actually..." He was a little uncertain that he
should mention it, but she'd find out soon enough. "My new weyr will be
closer to yours. On the same floor, I mean."

"You're moving up in the world, aren't you?" She observed trying to
remember which weyrs had come available in her area of the cliffs. There
were only so many places to stick a bronze like Hanunth. "Is it a single
room or did you manage to get a bathing chamber?"

"Still just a single room." He shrugged. "I didn't think a new
bronzerider could be that greedy."

"Well, not greedy exactly. Just luck of the draw. You never know."
Eleada grinned at him. "After all, I'm sure you've figured out where the
public baths are by now."

R'mer chuckled softly as he nodded. "You would know if I hadn't."

"I don't know." She teased. "I'm sure your wingmates would have taken
care of that situation long before I heard of it."

"A wingthird isn't a wingmate?" Just because she outranked him, did she
think she was truly above him, he wondered? Maybe that was why she
would always push him away.

"I certainly hope I'm a wingmate." Eleada's smile dimmed a little. "But
since I have to be in charge during drills and Fall, not everyone sees
it that way."

"I don't really want you as my wingmate." He smiled a little,
remembering once when he had wanted so much more from her. The smile
turned into a small grin as he stepped a little closer, leaning in
whisper near her ear. "I want you to be my teacher."

The feeling of his breath on her ear, after a long and warm drill
sweating in riding leathers, was wonderfully cool -and surprisingly
sensual. Eleada's grin returned in force. She had taught him that, in
their many flirting lessons.

"And what would you like me to teach?" She purred softly.

"How to keep that smile on your face," he replied, feeling rather
pleased. "You did say that if I learned my lessons well, I could kiss
you again."

Eleada kept her smile in place, but felt it fade on the inside. Ah. Yes.
Apparently his crush on her hadn't gone away after all, despite the lack
of lessons over the past few months. She'd hoped he would find a pretty
girl to use them on instead, but apparently that hadn't happened.
Although he had delivered that rather smoothly. As clueless as he had
been in the beginning, he had worked hard to learn, and she was
obscurely proud that he was able to turn her own words on her so deftly
now...

"And what if I don't know how to teach that?" She cocked her head, her
voice soft, but carefully stopping just short of coy. She was being
honest, and R'mer had seen her -unfortunately- in her worst moments. As
sweet as he was, she didn't want to encourage him or make him think that
her words were a game.

"I already know that's not true." She had kissed him once before. And
it was amazing. But he knew it was all a game for her. She had quickly
moved on to that brownrider who was now the Weyrwoman's lover. R'mer
had thought the man was crazy not to know what he had. He would never
have given Eleada up so easily.

Standing back up to his full height, he smiled, though it wasn't quite
the pleased grin. "See. I've practiced."

She raised an eyebrow. "Practiced, yes. But a smile, a real one... It
requires something a little different than what I taught you." And this
time her smile was sad, barely visible as she tried to figure out how to
dissuade the younger bronzerider without hurting his feelings too much
-or backing herself into a corner. "And I can't teach what I don't know
R'mer."

"I guess I'll just have to figure some things out for myself." Things
were getting uncomfortable now. He at least knew when to leave things
as they were. "Well, I think I better get into that bath we were
talking about, before my wingmates really do complain."

"They'll only complain if you hide the soap sand." Eleada let her grin
return in a completely friendly manner, grateful to slip back into her
more natural teasing.

"Right," he nodded, giving her a quick salute. "See you around, then."

"See you tomorrow, at least." She corrected automatically. "Daily
drills."

"Yes, ma'am." As if he didn't know that he had to see her from afar
every single day, he thought as he turned back towards the Weyr
entrance, leaving Hanunth to find his own way back to their ledge.

Eleada watched him go, wrestling with the feeling that she'd hurt him
more than she'd intended. She had tried to be gentle with his crush when
it first appeared, had made it clear that although he was a good kid,
that nothing was going to happen between them other than lessons and
friendship. He was just too young for her, and she had too many
maintenance issues to consider inflicting on him.

Last updated on the June 12th 2010

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Comfort Zones