"Oh, Bekith. I spoil you too much," complained Chloe. Bekith could see the sparkle in Chloe's eyes and knew she was joking. Chloe stood, and yawned. It was still dark outside, but Chloe could just see the first rays of sunlight reflecting off of the lake. Bekith cried out again in Chloe's mind.
Chloe! I'm hungry! Feed me! And I'm dirty! Clean me!
"Okay, okay! I'm workin' on it." She stroked Bekith's eye ridge as she passed. The small dragon padded after her. Chloe pulled a bowl of meat strips from her ice chest, and placed them in front of her lifemate. Bekith gobbled them down as quickly as she could, but being dainty and proper all the time. When she finished, she carefully wiped her mouth with a hand, and smiled at her rider. Chloe looked up as her blue Taja, now an adult, entered the room with a good-morning chirp and flew around to perch on Chloe's shoulder.
Rider mine, I am still dirty. Chloe led her dragon out to the lake, watching as her tiny green bounced around happily. She waded into the water with Bekith, and began to scrub gently.
Chloe, scrub harder. You're not doing any good scrubbing so gently. I am not a sensitive little girl, you know. Chloe agreed that Bekith wasn't a sensitive little girl. She was tough, but in a way, sophisticated.
"Beky, if I scrub you any harder your hide will fall off. You've had a scrubbing nearly every day since the Hatching." She smiled, but scrubbed harder. The dragon's hide shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting into Chloe's eyes and dazzling her.
"Okay love. You are finished. Now let's go dry off." Bekith waded out of the water and basked in the sun. Chloe spotted G'den and his Brown coming towards the lake. Chloe spotted in G'den's hand a scalebrush. She smiled and waved slightly. He nodded in recognition. Bekith noticed the brown Terth. She rose quickly from her laid out position and sauntered over to Chloe. She stretched just so that the sun sparkled off of her hide, giving her a very glamorous appearance. Terth turned to look at her. Chloe smiled. Barely a sevenday since the Hatching, and already her lifemate was worried about the male dragons. Chloe called out to Beky, and the two returned to the Weyr, Bekith somewhat reluctantly.
But why can't I go on a flight, Chloe? I want to go on a flight and have a clutch of my own! Chloe sighed. This was the second time in one sevenday that they had had this conversation.
"Because, Love, you are not old enough. You must wait until you are an adult before you can clutch. Okay, love?" Bekith sighed dramatically. Chloe shook her head and smiled. Beky stretched out on a couch, and Chloe joined her, the two sharing in a moment of love.
