After the Weyrlingmaster's lecture, he instructed them on how to feed the firestone to their dragons, demonstrating with his own dragon. They all gasped in awe as the fully-grown dragon let out a long spurt of flame.
B'tius turned to his own dragon, grabbing a large chunk of firestone from the nearest bag. He grinned, looking at some of the other weyrlings, who were glancing at their green dragons worriedly. He didn't have to worry about his dragon becoming sterile.
B'tius, are you ready? Alerath asked as he looked up at his rider.
"Yeah, Alerath." He grabbed several chunks of firestone, feeding it to his small blue dragon.
Alerath snorted. This stuff tastes awful! Do I really have to eat this stuff?
"I'm afraid so, Alerath." B'tius said absently. The Weyrlingmaster was warning them to make sure their dragons didn't burn anyone by accident.
B'tius watched as the only brown dragon in the clutch, Okoth, threw his head back and let out a long stream of fire into the air. Several other greens and blues followed with shorter, smaller flames.
B'tius cried out, jumping to the side as Alerath blew out fire, coming dangerously close to burning his rider.
"Alerath! Watch out!" He shouted angrily at the blue dragon.
Alerath hung his head, eyes tinged yellow. But, I only-
"Don't do it again. Watch where you're flaming next time!" B'tius snapped.
Alerath stared at his rider and sighed. Sorry, B'tius...
B'tius! Come back! B'tius woke up suddenly, as Alerath creeled in fear. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, the boy stood up, rushing over to his distressed blue dragon.
"Alerath! It's okay, it was just a bad dream." B'tius said softly, gathering the tiny dragon in his arms.
The blue weyrling shuddered, burying his head in his rider's arms. You-You left me, B'tius. You just went away and never came back. You said you didn't want me!
B'tius looked down guiltily. There was a time when he might have considered doing that, before he'd found Alerath. He would have done anything to get a bronze. "It was just a nightmare, Alerath. I'll always want you."
Alerath's yellow eyes whirled as he looked up at his chosen. Really?
B'tius smiled. "Of course. I promise, I'll never leave you." He looked down, eyes dark. "Maybe once I was selfish, and foolishly arrogant, but...I'm different now, Alerath. And...I'm still learning." He said, and thought back to the incident earlier in weyrling training guiltily. "Maybe sometimes I'll lose my temper, or yell at you...I'm sorry. I still love you, and that will never change. I just have trouble showing it sometimes."
Alerath looked up, nuzzling the boy's shoulder. Thanks, B'tius.
B'tius smiled softly as the weyrling lay his head in his rider's lap, and promptly fell asleep. He watched his tiny blue dragon, until he, too, laid his head back and fell asleep. Neither one moved again until dawn's invading light.
