It was supposed to have been a nice, simple vacation. T'shen's work for the Protectorate was hardly slowing down, and he and Chuang were rarely able to have any down time together. Her jobs working with the high-tech side of Kshau usually had her darting across Alskyr, not to mention the Nexus, for parts and deliveries. In the 14 years since they'd bonded their dragons, many things had happened.

Not least of which was that they no longer resided upon Pern, but on Alskyr a planet far away. Thread was a thing of the past for them, except when the fighting ranks called everyone in to join an old-world battle to help locals who didn't have enough dragons in their ranks.

As an ambassador of sorts, T'shen (who had never reverted back to his old un-elided name as many others had) habited the Healing Den and Nidus Rislen as often as places on Alskyr. He and Arfeth knew the Nexus and ways between worlds better than almost anyone. It was he who found the spot they would trip to, bringing their two children Chun and Ki-yang along to see dragons of a different sort.

He'd learned, T'shen had, of the reopening of an old-world weyr that had slipped away. With a triumphant return, Wu Weyr was the perfect place for them to watch the old world activities. There was no threadfall scheduled for weeks, and no clear indication that that would change unexpectedly (and yes, of all the people anywhere to expect the unexpected, it was T'shen). In other words, ideal for a picnic and a long afternoon lounging in the old-world sun.

The girls ran around each other, chasing bugs and looking at the strange greenery of this world. They'd never been off Alskyr other than to the occasional place where T'shen could take them. Chun was nearly 13, her sister Ki-yang only 8, but for now they were both equals in wonder and energy.

Sipping on a glass of Ablan's cherry wine, a favorite nearly everywhere a Kshau Protectorate rider went, Chuang giggled and clapped when her girls tumbled down a nearby hill and wound up in a pile with tossled hair and entwined limbs. Chun's long hair looked just like her father's, while Ki-yang's was golden, almost strawberry.

Giddy for some reason, Chuang stood up and held her hands out to her husband. "Come on, that looked like fun."

The yellow-eyed man gazed at her incredulously. "... That's... okay, sweetheart," he said, trying to back out. "I mean, it's fine for them, they're little and all, but my ... my hair," he said suddenly realizing what his almost 6-foot-long plume of hair would look like if he --

"Come on, don't be such a wherry," Chuang said, and startled him by pulling with an incredible strength. He stood up, just as Arfeth picked his blue head up from his nap.

The dragon's eyes whirled orange and yellow, a strange warning sign indeed for such a clear skied day. Chuang dragged T'shen up the hill, but he was distracted. He kept looking back at the dragons, and then noticed...

From the top of the little hill, he could see their picnic spot and the pair of dragons beyond it in a small glade. Arfeth had stood up, his wings still folded from sleep, but he was looking first at T'shen, then back to his green companion.

Who was clearly glowing brightly. Like a gold - when she was rising. In a soft spring-green shade, the hide of the dragon glimmered with a sheen that sent Arfeth into a wakeful state.

She... is going to rise? Now?

It looks that way, old friend, and there is no one around to challenge for her.

"Oh look, Arfie's up!" Ki-yang yelled, and began to run straight for the pair of dragons. Her sister joined her, oblivious.

Chuang paused when T'shen didn't follow her moves to jump down the hill. "What is it... oh!"

"It's why you're suddenly so silly, my love," T'shen said with a smile. But then he realized that the children were -- "Arfeth!"

I see them, and if she wakes to see them she might hurt them. Not to worry. The blue dragon nudged his head to the side of their glade, effectively blocking the pair of young girls from entering it. They clung to his face, but his eyes were still warning them off. Even Ki-yang finally noticed that.

They will remain here, now... When will she wake?

"She already is," T'shen said, as the small green bolted upright and spread her wings wide. Their location, near a wide, slow river, made for good hunting for fish. There were no wild wherry about, nor other beasts which Chaybeth could have blooded. But with the fish, she could actually eat the light flesh and not worry about damaging her flight.

If they wanted her to complete it, of course...

Of course you should, Chuang bespoke her dragon, we can stay here as long as you wish, and go back when we're needed. T'shen always knows when to arrive somewhere...

Then I rise now, and Arfeth needs to catch up quickly!

The green lept into the air, quick on the wing as always. She had never slowed down, in her years running parts with her rider. In fact that was part of their selling point - they didn't lose the ability to teleport either! She would not send herself between for this flight, though she could have if they were merely playing. Arfeth knew that she wasn't playing - that glow was so strong, she was ready for more eggs!

He'd sired one small clutch with her on the Kshau island near Paniya, but this place, their birth world seemed to inspire her to a greater effort. And him, too, since he duplicated every one of her complicated moves.

Though Arfeth was bigger than the green by a bit, he used his weight to his advantage. She cornered so quickly, but he slid into her next swerve expertly, knowing where she'd be almost before she did. The girls on the ground, in addition to their parents, watched with big grins. Chun pointed and explained why they were acting so funny, to her little sister. She gleefully jumped up and down, short golden hair bobbing, when she realized that this would mean eggs on the sands!

Ki-yang rushed up the hillside to her parents. "Can they stay here? Is she going to have eggs? Can we watch them? Is Wu going to let her stay?"

"Ki, easy," T'shen said, waving his hand. "Go back down to your sister and ... stay on the picnic blanket. Have another juice, their flight isn't even halfway over yet."

"Come on pest!" Chun yelled up to her sister. "The view's better down here!"

It might have been, but if that was what T'shen and Chuang wanted to see, they were missing out up there behind a batch of bushes...

Chaybeth spiraled downwards toward a nearby lake, but pulled up short of it, cutting Arfeth off with her wings beating past his tail. He didn't lose any momentum as he pulled himself into the air after her again, and finally, after perhaps twenty five minutes of this acrobatic chase, he paired her wing-beat for wing-beat.

It looks like I am the winner, Arfeth bespoke.

And if you'd have had competition? Asked the female, coy. Their tails twined, they fell from the sky as one. Wu would indeed be hosting some fine well-earned eggs!