maryseif (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} maryseif) wrote,@ 2007-07-30 23:00:00 |
|
| Current location: | In front of my computer |
| Current mood: |  crazy |
| Current music: | "Bohemian Rhapsody" Queen |
A Change in Gears (chapter 2)
It was like being reborn, Rena decided as she proudly led the little silver queen out of the Hatching Grounds. Like being reborn in the same body but you were a completely different person. Completely and irrevocably changed; forever bonded to the other half of your soul. Never again would she feel alone or vulnerable. Airith would always be with her.
Yes I will. The little queen agreed. But for now I am hungry. Can’t we get me something to eat?
“Yes dear, that where we’re heading now.”
The sudden blaze of sunlight was startling and both she and Airith blinked to adjust to the new light. Airith’s silver hide blazed blindingly in the sun and Rena took a moment to admire her dragon before her stomach growled sympathetically along with Airith’s and she lead the awkward hatchling over to where the other weyrlings were feeding and oiling their new charges.
A tall man with a messy crop of brown curls handed her a pail a meat, beaming at her. “Welcome to the Weyr! So you’re the one who impressed the silver queen, huh? What’s her name?”
Rena smiled up at the man, and then began feeding chunks of meat to a voracious Airith. “I’m Rena, and this is Airith,” she said, her dragons’ name spilling out of her like a prayer. She liked the way it sounded. Airith glanced up at the man and then, to Rena’s surprise, bared her teeth in a snarl and snapped viciously at the man.
“Airith! Be nice!”
“RENA!”
She looked up to see Kara and Atili advancing on her with two young dragons in tow. Kara’s green Tamenth and a large unusually dark blue. Her heart soared. Atili had managed to impress!
She beamed at the pair. “Congratulations! What’s his name Atili?”
The boys face glowed with pride and he unconsciously straightened his shoulders as he replied, “Daganth! And please, if you don’t mind, it’s At’li from now on.”
“And this is Tamenth!” Kara bubbled, caressing her dragons head with an unbelieving smile on her face.
“They’re gorgeous,” Rena said, feeling an almost silly giddiness rise up inside of her. Her eyes rested fondly on her own silver beauty. The only silver dragon on all Pern. “This is Airith,” she said softly. The silver dragon, who had plunged her head back into the pail of meat, looked up again and snorted disdainfully at the two other dragonets before resuming her feast.
Kara giggled and gave Rena a friendly hug. “I’m so happy for you Rena! To think that you impressed a silver Queen! The whole Weyr is in an uproar about her, you know.”
Airith looked up from her almost empty pail of meat when her rider hummed to herself worridly, her eyes whirling in minor distress. Have I done something to upset you?
Rena dropped to her knees and caressed her dragon’s head. “No, dear heart. You’ve done nothing wrong. You just surprised everyone with your color. There’s never been a silver dragon before, especially not a queen.”
I am me. And you are my rider. The color of my hide should not matter. Soon they will learn to respect me as their Queen.
Rena laughed and repeated her dragons’ words to her friends.
At’li grinned and stroked Daganth’s upturned head. “Dragons are honest and sensible to a fault.”
“Apparently.”
All three weyrlings turned around, startled at the new voice. A rather short man stood there, his badge and shoulder knot indicating to them that this was their Weyrleader.
“Congratulations on impressing, all of you. My name is J’mar, and from here on out you are dragonriders in my Weyr.” He smiled warmly at them and then bent to get a closer look at Airith, who growled at him.
“So this is our little rouge queen,” he mused. “She’s got quite a temper, I see. Nebeth and Jamirith have assured all the dragons in the Wyer that she is in fact, a Queen, no matter her color. And I don’t doubt them. Dragons always seem to know what’s best. But,” and he looked up and met Rena’s eyes, “If anything unusual happens during any stage of her growth, you are to inform me or R’yer right away. Is that clear?”
She nodded respectfully. “Yes sir.”
Airith finished the last piece of meat with a short burp and butted her head impatiently against her wyermate’s thigh. I itch! Rena, I’m itchy!
“Oh! She itches!”
J’mar chuckled. “Of course she does. You will have to oil her daily from now on!” He handed her a pail of oil and showed her how to use the paddle and spread it properly on Airith. She set about the pleasant task with a will. Airith was not going to have dry skin under her watch!
The little queen crooned with pleasure at the attention, her eyes whirling a happy blue. Her newly oiled skin shimmered brilliantly in the setting sun and Rena’s breath caught at her beauty. How did I get so lucky? She wondered. Of all the people on Pern….this beautiful creature chose…me?
I chose you because there was no one else in this world meant for me. Airith responded matter-of-factly. I’m sleepy now.
Luckily, R’yer had made his appearance and was leading the wyerlings to their barracks. Rena followed behind Kara, encouraging her sleepy dragon. “Just a little farther, love.”
“This will be your home until your dragons are old and big enough for their own weyrs,” The Wyerlingmaster boomed. “Girls, your barracks are to the left, boys are to the right. Now get your beasts inside and settled in so you can join the festivities.”
Needing no further encouragement, Rena and Kara waved goodbye to an exhausted-looking At’li and led their stumbling hatchlings into the barracks and onto the stone couches that would serve as their beds.
Airith crooned contently and settled herself for sleep, one eye focusing lazily on her wyermate. Rena? Will you stay with me till I fall asleep?
The young girl smiled and stroked a silver eye ridge tenderly. “Of course, my silver beauty. I won’t leave your side.”
A sweet, babyish croon came from the couch next to Airith’s and Rena turned to see Kara smiling lovingly down at her tiny emerald dragon. The girls exchanged a knowing glance before turning back to their lifemates, soothing them with soft caresses until they were soundly asleep and snoring softly.
Kara sighed contently, reluctant to tear her gaze away from her dragon. “I don’t remember ever being so happy.”
Rena continued to stroke Airith, but she nodded and smiled. “I know how you feel. I felt like my life started the moment her eyes met mine…”
Kara beamed at her new friend. “Well, they’re settled in. I guess we have to make our appearance at the Hatching Feast.”
Groaning, Rena stood and brushed herself off. “Do I have to?”
“Well you do. You impressed the Queen!”
True, Rena thought. And a silver queen at that. People will be clamoring to meet me. My, what a change from being ignored!
Airith grew rapidly over the next few days. It seemed to Rena that she grew at twice the pace of the other dragonets. The difference in size between her and Tamenth was pathetically obvious after only a week. Between oiling, feeding, and washing their dragons, the wyerlings barely had time to do anything else and their lives settled into a comfortably busy routine.
It was in the second week of their lives as wyerlings, that things changed.
Rena was lounging on the banks of the bathing lake with Kara, as their dragons relished in the freezing water. The silver dragon was clearing visible under the water, the sunlight reflecting off her hide, making her seem to glow oddly. Her eyes, whirling their usual restless orange, regarded her rider from under the water.
Rena, when will I rise to mate?
Startled, her rider choked on the juice she had been sipping at. Kara gave her a concerned look but relaxed when she explained that it was just something Airith had said.
You know better than I, my silver beauty. But it shouldn’t be for at least another year and a half. Why would you ask such a thing?
The dragon rolled over under the water and snorted, sending a cloud of bubbles to the surface. I am the only junior Queen in this Weyr, she said, her voice oddly thoughtful. If Jamirith were to disappear….that would make me the Senior Queen….am I right?
Airith! Don’t say such a thing! Jamirith is your mother! And Felicia is a great Weyrwoman!
I would make a better leader than Jamirith.
Airith surfaced and spread her brilliant wings, basking them in the sunlight. Rena was both shocked and horrified at her young dragons words. Was it normal for young
“Rena?” It was Kara, looking with concern at her friend, whose face was pale. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Airith is just being unreasonable.” She answered softly, eyeing her now dozing Queen. “Hey, Kara? Do you think….that a dragon would ever attack another dragon?”
The greenrider shook her head violently, as if clearing the image from her mind. “Never,” was her response. “They say that that if two Queens rise at the same time, they’ll turn primitive and attack each other. But other than that, dragons would never intentionally harm each other.” She shuddered violently. “What a horrible thought that was.”
Rena smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry for bringing it up.” But she couldn’t help frowning inwardly. Her dragons’ words had seriously disturbed her. Airith, my dear, I’m going to talk to the weyrlingmaster, do you think you can finish your bath without me?
The young dragon rolled over on her side in the water and regarded her rider with disinterest. If you wish. I’m going to lie in the sun soon.
She left the bathing lake after promising Kara that they’d eat lunch together later and headed straight for the weyrling barracks, where she knew she’d find R’yer this time of day. She was halfway there when she heard Airith’s scream of anger. And before she could ask her dragon what the matter was, the keening began.
