Life After Thread

Writers: Chelle, Emma, Heather, Miriah, Paula, Suzee, Yvonne
Date Posted: 21st August 2013

Characters: Harki, Hanni, Sasima, Sh'lua, P'nal, D'ale, W'ser, Rorela
Description: Harki throws herself a party to celebrate her return to Dragonsfall Weyr.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentor Approved

Sasima

D'ale

W'ser

Cerillith spiraled on a thermal, her wings arched to catch the rising hot
air. The sun was bright, the sky clear save for wisps of cirrus clouds high
in the atmosphere that sparkled with ice. Below was a gently undulating
landscape of ruffled hills, bright streams, and brilliantly green forests.

And Thread was coming.

It hadn't hit the atmosphere yet, and was still a shimmer of silver that
tried to trick the eye. Harki wasn't fooled; her blood sang with it, her
heart beat in tempo with her dragon's wing strokes. Her Wingmates surrounded
her; fast greens, sturdy browns, big bronzes and far below, a glimmer of
gold. She grinned into the wind; this was life. Wind and freedom and
dragonfire and Thread, adrenaline and silver death.

Thread fell closer and the dragonriders flew to meet it. The bronze on point
opened his mouth and blew flame to char the leading edge. Harki let out a
whoop that Cerillith echoed, and then Thread was all around them and nothing
stood between it and Pern but dragon wings.

~*~

After Threadfall, Harki took enough time to wash the crackdust from her hair
and change from her sweaty leathers into a soft grey dress with a wide green
belt. A few eighths of marks slipped into the right drudges' hands meant
there were a few bottles of beer and wine stashed in her weyr, along with
glasses, soft cheese, redfruit and fresh bread. Her return to Dragonsfall
Weyr deserved a celebration, there was no better time than after Thread. The
aftermath left her feeling relaxed and languid, muscle sore and sparklingly
alive.

A candlemark later and she could barely make her way between the door and
Cerillith's ledge. Someone--several someones--had brought drums, and the
beat caressed her breastbone. She grabbed a glass of wine and spotted an
opening on her couch, and managed to make it there before someone else did.
She flopped down into the seat and grinned at the dragonrider beside her.
"Shells, this is fun! I have no idea why I ever left."

"You mean it wasn't that gorgeous rear-end he had that tempted you?" teased
Hanni with a grin.

Sh'lua never missed a party and he always seemed to know when and
where there was one. Harki was a new wingmate to him, so it was
perfect opportunity to get to know her better. She had Impressed while
he had been in Dolphin
Cove and she had been away when the bluerider returned to Dragonsfall.

"I'll follow gorgeous rear-ends all the way," Sh'lua smirked with a
tip of his glass towards Hanni.

Sasima came in with another load of goodies for the party. It was well
known in the lower caverns and she grinned at several of the riders in
the room. She'd been 'friendly' with many of them after a failed
flight though those days were fewer now than they had been in the
past. She knew where the other stuff had been stashed so she just
dropped the basket with the others. "That's what you always say," she
danced by Sh'lua on her way back to the door.

"Hey, You know I love your rear-end!" Sh'lua said to Sasima and tried
to get his hand to the mentioned body part.

She paused just long enough to let him get a nice feel grinning all
the time. Then she swirled away blowing a kiss. "I'll be back," she
said and went out the door.

"Alas, not all rears are created equal." Harki sighed and stared down
into her wine, wishing she hadn't been reminded of B'lac. He was
the_last_ person on Pern she wanted to be thinking of right now. "Some
come as part of an otherwise defective package. But no matter--who are
you?" she asked the bluerider.

"I'm Sh'lua, rider of blue Galerith, a search rider, party person and
a.." Sh'lua introduced himself with extravagant bow and got
interrupted when someone added: "who'll shag anybody who moves!"
"...we're wingmates. Ignore E'loc, he's just envious cause he hasn't
my charm," the blue rider continued without missing a beat and shot a glance towards the shouter.

Bursting into the room, a diminutive woman with a wide smile threw up
her hands. "The fun has arrived!" She caught the last bit of the
conversation and grinned at Sh'lua. "I just moved. Is that an offer?"

"If you're willing..." Sh'lua replied with a slow grin.

Harki made a face. "Just not in here, please. Go find someone else's
bed to cuddle up in."

Rorela gave a gleeful laugh and shook her head, sauntering over to
Harki and Sh'lua." Who says we can't all cuddle together?" With a
mischievous grin, she plopped down on Harki's lap, with her feet
propped on the flirtatious bluerider's lap.

"I like your way of thinking," Sh'lua told Rorela.

He might not have arrived when the others did because there were
things to see to after a Threadfall, but P'nal wasn't quite
fashionably late. The wingsecond had seen about the injured and made
sure he knew the state of his wing before he'd headed off to enjoy a
bit of downtime. Threadfall wound him up, as it did most, and the
alcohol would be slightly welcome. He also should probably make sure
that Harki didn't make a fool of herself, knowing her. So a few
moments later, a very dark head came through the doorway followed by
legs in loose hide trousers and a green tunic.

"And look who saunters in, _late_!" Harki wrapped her arms around
Rorela and grinned over the other greenrider's shoulder at P'nal. "And
here I was hurt, thinking you weren't going to show up at all."

He put up his hands in a shrug, then surveyed the group of people who
had gathered. Sasima he knew of course and his other wingriders. "Ah well
figured I might as well have a drink." Heading over to the choices, he
made himself one and sipped from it while sampling the food.
"But you're not here for the company?" Harki called after him, her lips pursed in a pout.

"If I wasn't, I could get a drink in the Dining Cavern you know." Or at the
vintner hall itself. P'nal was no stranger there. And a wingsecond had more
resources than she did.

Rorela settled comfortably and looked over her shoulder at P'nal. She
waggled playful eyebrows. "Join us?"

D'ale leaned against the door frame and smiled at Harki. "Well,
well," he grinned. "Look who's come home at last."

"D'ale!" Harki would have gotten up to hug him if she could. "I
was hoping I'd see your ugly face sometime tonight!"

Sasima brushed past him with some more drinks from the lower caverns
to deposit with the rest.

W'ser wasn't really the "party type." All that he had ever been to
had always ended with sloppy drunks hanging over one another, and that
just didn't constitute an exciting evening for the Weyrdragonhealer.
However, the brownrider was currently squeezing into the crowd to find
one woman- Sasima. Did he trust a bunch of men around her? Shards no.

When he caught sight of Sasima he made his way to where she was,
hooked an arm around her waist, and pulled her flush against his body,
"Ready to leave, my dear?"

"I've been claimed!" Sasima smiled up at the big brownrider. "Sorry
my dears," she waved at the other dragonriders. It was all in fun of
course. Everyone knew the lower caverns worker had found someone to
cherish and had lately been gently rebuffing other requests for her
company.

Harki, meanwhile, was getting tired of being squished by Rorela.
"Cuddling's fun, but I'm ready to dance," was the only warning she
gave the greenrider before dumping her onto a very willing Sh'lua and
heading off toward the drummers. The beat was strong, the night was
young, and her weyr full of familiar faces. The greenrider smiled. She
was definitely home.

And in the corner, with a brown liquid glass in his hand, a
certain brownrider watched her. It was good to see good people
coming back, despite the circumstances and P'nal was glad to see Harki in
his wing. He was glad to see Harki anywhere.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2013

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Life After Thread