Dainty Things

Writers: AL, JR
Date Posted: 25th May 2011

Characters: S'bryn, Meledei
Description: S'bryn and Zaharath attempt to charm Meledei and Elleth
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 6 of Turn 6

S'bryn came up from the beach looking for his bronze and was startled
to find that his bronze was busily flirting with a gold. A very tiny
gold, he noted, stopping to study the pair. Even with Zaharath on the
ground and the queen on a short ledge to a ground level weyr, he was
still the taller of the pair. **Faranth, Zar, couldn't you find one of
the adult golds to cozy up to?** He thought to himself. **Tell me her
name, at least?**

}: Elleth, :{ the bronze rumbled back, }: Meledei is hers. :{

He'd done his homework. Meledei and Elleth were definitely the
youngest gold pair here. Approaching, he bowed to Elleth and
introduced himself to the young queen.

Elleth swung her head to turn one whirling green eye upon the rider of
the bronze who was trying so hard to keep her attention. If dragons
had expressions, one might guess Elleth's held a tint of amusement.
She regarded the man, but didn't greet him. That she left to her
rider who approached from behind S'bryn.

"Hello." Meledei greeted cheerfully, the form somewhat familiar, but
not familiar enough to place a name with it. She walked around so
that she could face him and got a good look at him, eyes darting over
his unkempt form.

He held out a hand, "S'bryn, from Hurricane Wing. Meledei, right?" The
bronzerider surveyed the young woman, rather pleased with what he saw.
Cute, rather unassuming, she didn't seem particularly nervous to have
some strange bronze and his rider hovering around, although Faranth,
looking at her made him feel old. She couldn't be more than eighteen
or nineteen, and here he was past thirty.

Meledei accepted the hand without hesitation. "That's me!" Her grip
was firm, but warm and she only let her hand fall once he released
her. "Nice to meet you, S'bryn. This is Elleth." Not that he
probably didn't know that already. "Enjoying the day?"

"The weather here takes a little getting used to, after Dragonsfall,"
he admitted, stepping back and letting her have a little space. As
tall as he was, S'bryn was used to some people finding it intimidating
to have him too close. "A pleasure to meet you both. And I'll
apologize in advance if my bronze makes a pest of himself. He likes
cozying up to females."

If Meledei found S'bryn intimidating, she was sure good at hiding it.
"Ah, so you're a recent transfer?" She'd probably seen him in drills
and the like, or maybe passing by in the dining hall. "And your
bronze is not a pest. I think Elleth was enjoying the attention.
Besides, she's got to get used to it." Meledei drew closer to her
lifemate and reached up to pat the glimmering gold hide. "What made
you decide to transfer here?"

The bronzerider chuckled, "I'm surprised she's not, by now. She's
gorgeous, especially being so small. I'm not used to seeing a queen
and thinking 'dainty' but if the shoe fits... Anyway, Zaharath's not a
pest - yet - but he might well be if she lets him hang around too
much. He never learned the concept of subtlety. As for me, you might
say I've got itchy feet. I grew up at Garnet Valley, impressed at
River Bluff and spent about a turn in the wings there before I started
getting antsy to see more of Pern. I've spent time at Vista Point,
Dream's End, and Dragonsfall, now I'm here. Maybe one of these days
I'll find a reason to stay somewhere." He shrugged, his expression
sheepish. "What about you? How did you end up here with a gold at your
side?"

"I had nothing to do with it. I just showed up, she decided that I
would have to do." Meledei laughed and shook her head. "To be
honest, I think I got the better end of the deal." Meledei turned and
gazed at her lifemate. "Yes, dainty would be a good way to describe
her." Definitely better than some of the things others had said about
her. Meledei didn't think people had done it to be mean, but...it
just rubbed her the wrong way. "I was actually born at Thayan
Peak...then of course, everything moved over here after it was
destroyed." She shrugged. "Weyrborn and bred, that's me. So what
would make you stay somewhere?"

S'bryn shrugged, "If I had any idea, I'd have gone looking for it by
now. There are down sides to moving every four or five turns. At least
I've had plenty of time to get over my hold-bred morals and not be
offended by every little thing like I did as a weyrling." His blue
eyes gave her a quick once over. "I'd have to say that being weyr-bred
and having her loveliness choose you doesn't appear to have done you
any harm. Do you enjoy it?" He asked curiously.

"How could I not? I mean, there are some things that come with the
responsibility that aren't exactly _pleasant_ all of the time." Like
doing those records over and over and over again and trying to figure
out what in Pern you're supposed to be doing and whether or not you're
doing it right when there's no one who's training you, but at least
that was past, "But yes. I would never change her, not for all of
Pern."

"You sound like I did when I first Impressed," he chuckled softly,
"Zaharath was the answer to a lot of things that I couldn't see my way
out of dealing with. Effectively took my life, spun it around and set
me off on a whole different road that I'd never expected."

"Funny how they do that. I mean, I've stood for turns and yet it's
crazy how things are just so...so different than what you expected."
Meledei had prepared for her whole life as a child of the Weyr to
stand. She knew Impression had never been guaranteed, but she had
prepared for it none the less. But yes, actually having it
happen...it was so different than expected, and so much more
wonderful.

S'bryn grinned, "Exactly. Now, I can't imagine my life being any
different. I do have to say, she is a real beauty." Zaharath agreed,
coming forward to flirt and flatter the young queen while their riders
talked. "So what should I know about Dolphin Cove? Best places to
swim, which wingriders are jerks and should be avoided, which of the
cooks should I kiss up to?"

"Thank you." Meledei couldn't agree more. Elleth was the most
beautiful dragon in all of Pern, though she made sure not to say that
too often. Of course, what rider didn't think their dragon was the
most beautiful or most handsome of all? Meledei couldn't think of a
single one who would ever dare to entertain such an idea. "Oh I know
everything there is to know about Dolphin Cove. Where to swim, which
wingriders are jerks and should be avoided, which of the cooks you
should kiss up to. The best hiding places, the quickest routes from
one place to another." Meledei's smile relaxed into a grin.

"Then I think I need to make you my new best friend," the bronzerider
laughed. "If there's one thing I hate, it's bumbling around a new
place, getting lost in the Lower Caverns and making myself late all
the time. It was somewhat of a running joke with my wingmates, my
first couple of months at Dragonsfall."

"Well then, why don't I give you a tour? I can show you the fastest
way from weyr to dining hall." Meledei suggested and motioned back
toward the Weyr proper.

"Sounds great," S'bryn nodded. "I'm getting hungry as it is. Can I
talk you into having lunch with me as well?"

Meledei laughed, her eyes twinkling. "You know, you might just be able to."

Last updated on the May 29th 2011

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Dainty Things