An unseasonably warm breeze blew outside Ryslen, and the riders and weyrlings were out enjoying the bright sunlight. The dining hall was pretty well deserted, thought he sunlight and fresh air streamed in through wide-open windows.
MasterHealer Baeris had taken a day trip away from her den, knowing full well that the thirty or so mothers of the current flurry clutch would let no harm come to it. Tiny golden apple green Dulath dozed on the sunny ledge with the silvering gold Litayth. From time to time, Tiyanni and Baeris would get together to talk – be it business or just chatter. Firelizards (and the recently appearing alisgryphs) were good messengers, but good old-fashioned face-to-face communication did best any go-between.
J’lenn moseyed through the hall and exchanged a glance of disgust for one of pitied dislike with Baeris.
After the cranky bluerider left the hall, Baeris turned to Tiyanni. “There goes my least favorite searchrider.”
Tiyanni smiled lightly. “J’lenn’s been getting worse since the appearance of the Lights. He’s rather old fashioned.
Baeris nodded. “I’m sure that he was a delightful person when he was young.” She said with a possible note of sarcasm.
Tiyanni smirked. “When I was a candidate, thirty-some years ago…”
Within the barracks, a sandy-haired young man stretched. He’d been one of the first Searched for the small queen’s clutch – small queen, not small clutch. There were twenty-seven eggs, a whopper for the gold. Of course, his father was a rider, so it didn’t take long to seek him out. Jailennirol was a spry boy of 14, and was very helpful.
Tiyanni, a wise traderkin girl of 16, dressed in silks and spangles, arrived at Ryslen aboard a deeply colored brown. As soon as Jailennirol laid eyes on her, he wanted that queen egg to hatch for her – He just knew.
Jailennirol was a happy-go-lucky sort, as long as you didn’t try to introduce anything new except faces to his world.
When the hatching day came, Jailennirol was hardly nervous. He knew that some folks stood several times before they did eventually impress. The hatching progressed, and a chubby blue dragon made his choice. “His name is Scith.” J’lenn announced proudly.
Seconds later, Litayth made her dazzling appearance, choosing, of course, the gypsi-esqe Tiyanni.
In those days, the only girls who rode rode gold.
The dragons grew strong, and riders grew wiser. J’lenn became very vocal, trying to preserve tradition. The day came when J’lenn tried to argue about a radical change to… something, and was unceremoniously squashed.
Angry, J’lenn climbed aboard his dragon.
Where are we going? Scith asked.
“I don’t care! Just go!” J’lenn roared. Scith leapt skyward and winked between before the other dragons could stop them.
It was so dark! So cold!
Just when J’lenn thought they’d never see the light of day again, they appeared in the dusky light outside a large building lit with lights unlike J’lenn had ever seen. They were red and yellow and green… and bright! “Megarhenta’s Roadhouse.”
J’lenn gaped. What sort of place was this?
Go in and find out. Scith said, dropping off his rider, then going to settle between a few other dragonish things, who seemed welcoming enough.
J’lenn walked in tentatively, unfastening his leather jacket. “Hey stranger, welcome to Megarhenta’s.” The man behind the bar said with a genuine smile. “What can I get you?”
J’lenn blinked a few times. “Where exactly is this?”
“Nowhere exactly.” The barkeep said. “You have to need it to find it the first time. The roadhouse must have something you need. Just name it. Everything has its price, even Megarhenta himself.”
J’lenn laughed. “You can’t be serious.”
The barkeep nodded. “Everything.”
J’lenn soon found that every currency was welcome, and that their mark-values were fair prices. The drinks were incredibly flavorful, and soon J’lenn had drunkenly babbled his feelings to the bartender, who was more than happy to listen – he was paid by the hour.
“What was he protesting against?” Baeris queried when Tiyanni paused the retelling to wet her throat.
Tiyanni shook her head. “It’s not what he was against. It’s what he was for.” Baeris looked at her, eyes sparking with unasked question. “He wanted to bring females in for the greens to choose. He… didn’t enjoy Scith’s first mating flight win.” Now Baeris nodded; did she expect that twist?
When J’lenn returned to Ryslen, not long after he’d left, he sought to speak with his dragon’s clutchmate’s rider – the unusual Tiyanni. He told her everything including every detail he could remember from Megarhenta’s. Tiyanni promised that she’d do everything in her rather limited powers to get some women on the sands. When she became Weyrwoman, it was announced at Litayth’s first clutch that girls would be accepted. And no one could argue – but by then the scowl on J’lenn’s face was permanent. But Tiyanni knew, and Scith knew. Oh Scith knew! When their class graduated, Scith and J’lenn had been tapped as Searchers, even though they were less than agreeable.
“That does explain a lot.” Baeris admitted. “but it doesn’t excuse him from his loathing of unusually colored dragons.”
Tiyanni shrugged. “I do believe that comes from his preference for tradition.”
“Doesn’t mean we have to like it.”
“He does have to put up with it now, though, since we’re seeing Nights and Lights from our sands on a regular basis.” Tiyanni said.
“It must be quite stressful.” Baeris admitted from a healer’s standpoint.
“I’d imagine.”
J’lenn stormed out of the hall and into the bowl. Scith was waiting there, ever ready and vigilant. J’lenn glared at the multitudes of whitish dragons present, the flurry spawn who just shouldn’t be. Angry, cranky, and by no means pleasant, J’lenn climbed onto Scith.
Where are we going? Scith asked.
“I don’t care! Just go!” J’lenn roared. Scith was between a few wingbeats from the ground.
They stayed in the frigid darkness a long time. Almost as long as when they’d gone to… Scith burst into the air that was dismally warm. Neon lights flickered and blinked: Megarhenta’s Roadhouse.
Scith backwinged and neatly landed on the dark pavement. The neon lights flickered.
“Has it even changed?” J’lenn wondered aloud.
It has, it has. Scith said. I want to go see who’s here.
J’lenn pushed open the door and strolled into the roadhouse. It got quiet. Goggles and leathers couldn’t be that bizarre, now could they?
It looked exactly the same. Lots of tables, and the round bar tended by a pair of women. J’lenn tugged his cap from his head and stuffed it in his pocket as he advanced on the bar and sat down, hanging his old riding jacket from the low back of the barstool. His goggles hung in his hand, those too he stuffed in a pocket, though somewhat belatedly. Dressed in a simple tunic trimmed with intertwined blue dragons, J’lenn looked like a medieval gent in the midst of spacers – and felt like it.
A pretty redhead sauntered over. “What can I get you, sugar?” she said, her amber eyes sparkling as she wiped off a glass.
“Scotch on the rocks. Please.” J’lenn said, sortof shocked at how… foxy… the barmaid was. She had black ‘socks’ on her arms, short-fingered hands that could pass for paws… her fluffy red tail had a white-tufted end. As inhuman as she was, J’lenn thought she was beautiful.
“Here you are.” She said, returning with the chill beverage. J’lenn’s eye lingered on her short black apron. It said “Red”.
“Thanks. Where’s Geoff?”
“Chaucer?” the barmaid queried.
J’lenn shook his head, and savored a sip of his drink. “The bartender…”
The fox’ eyes went wide. “I… I’ll be right back.” Red stammered, and went out of the enclosed bar area, leaving a green girl to tend it. She was talented and experienced, but her skin was green.
Red all but ran to the back room where Megarhenta was dozing. “Boss?” she called softly, and the big man grumbled. His skin was black as pitch and his hair what as snow. Gems set in silver and platinum sparkled from his thick fingers. When he gave no reply , Red called again, a little louder. “Boss?”
Megarhenta grumbled and rolled over. “What?”
“Somebody’s looking for Geoff.” The stream of vulgarities coming from Megarhenta’s mouth made the fox cringe. “Take me to this joker.” He growled.
Red meekly preceded her hulking boss out to the bar, and calmly indicated J’lenn before serving another guest.
“You’re looking for Geoff?” Megarhenta asked gruffly. J’lenn looked up at the man, prepared to speak. “J’lenn! Hey, long time no see!”
J’lenn laughed. “It has been a long time, hasn’t it? And you’re only happy to see me because I tell you current exchange for marks.”
Megarhenta laughed. Red was uncomfortable that her boss had gone from raging to jovial. “We don’t get much call for them, J’lenn. Pern isn’t so highly visited.”
The searchrider shrugged. “But you still accept them.”
“They’re valid credit.”
“I suppose they are. Where’s Geoff?”
Megarhenta scowled. “He’s gone.” The man said gruffly.
J’lenn looked at his glass. “That’s too sharding bad. He was a good man.”
“No he wasn’t.” Megarhenta growled. “You’d best forget you met that thief. Just his name scared Red.”
J’lenn scowled as he thought.. “What’d G… he do?’
Megarhenta glowered. “One more word, J’lenn, and I’ll have to have someone show you out.”
J’lenn scowled deeper. “Okay. Can you get that red vixen to pour me a second?”
Megarhenta laughed. “Sure. Just don’t call Red that to her face. Last rat that tried that wound up dinner.”
J’lenn swallowed. How could anything that svelte be a killer?
Red brought the drink to him, tail swishing behind her. Leaning across the bar, Red afforded him a nice look down her blouse. “Geoff was working for pirates.” She whispered hoarsely, then bounced off to pour refills of an import they called “green beer” though it looked amber like every brew J’lenn had ever sampled. The leprechauns continued to chatter as Red refilled the glasses. J’lenn’s eyes wistfully watched her tail.
“Don’t get any ideas, sirrah. That is 10G an hour…” a passerby said.
J’lenn wasn’t too sure what that worked out to in marks, but he wasn’t the sort to hire a woman for his arm, let alone his bed1 He was about to say it when a lanky young man with fiery hair slid into the seat next to him. “Mind if I sit here, handsome?” The young man said with an affected lisp.
“Yes.” J’lenn snapped, and the effeminate man skittered away in a panic. “Sharding greenrider…” J’lenn muttered.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard him called that.” Red said, perching on the edge of the bar. J’lenn looked at her quizzically. “Usually they call Jaq queer, light in the shorts…”
J’lenn laughed – honest laughter. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Red laughed. “So what brings you here We don’t get very many dragonriders here.”
J’lenn was caught off guard. “How’d you know that?”
Red giggled and slipped off the bar. “I was upstairs when you popped in. Would you like some pretzels?”
J’lenn hesitated. “Sure.” He said. It couldn’t possibly kill him, could it? “And an ale, if you would.” Red nodded, her black ears cocked back to catch his every word.
“What kind? You name it, we’ve got it.”
Someone hollered for a Yarran (whatever that was) and the green tender brought one over to them.
J’lenn considered. “Pale.” He said decisively, leaving Red to decide which of the pale ales they had in stock to bring him. Soon she returned with the softly colored beverage in a tall glass, with only the barest hint of foam on top, and a basket of brown twists studded with salt. J’lenn bravely took one and ate it – more boldly than he might have, but the scotch was strong. Crunchy and salty; breadlike. J’lenn decides quickly that he likes pretzels. “I came… well, Scith brought me… “ he began.
“Scith?” Red queried, wiping a vacant stretch of mahogany countertop. “Oh, my dragon. His name is Scith.” Red nodded. “Things are all wrong at Ryslen…” he says, somewhat suddenly, as folk with liquor-loosened tongues are apt to do.
“How so?” Red asked.
“Well, girls are finally fully welcome as dragonners, such that male greenriders are an oddity…” Red giggled, knowing that that probably wasn’t the case, but J’lenn didn’t notice. “But it’s all wrong. Now they impress blues and browns too, and regularly. At this rate, there will be no male riders in a generation or so, and then the culture will die!” J’lenn stopped speaking, realizing he had crushed a pretzel to death.
“Surely it can’t be that bad.” Red said.
“It’s worse.” J’lenn said with a sigh. “There are bunches of bizarre dragons – partially white things, and dragons who are more than one color – and purple!’
Red nodded. “I’ve never been to your world, sir. What colors are dragons supposed to be?”
“J’lenn. My name is J’lenn. If you want to be formal, call me Searchrider, but not Sir. It makes me feel old.”
“Oookay.” Red said.
“Pernese dragons come in Gold, Bronze, Brown, Blue, and Green. Golds are biggest, greens smallest. Greens and Golds are female, and the rest male.”
Red nodded, making sense of the ‘greenrider’ title slapped on Jaq. “And purple is wrong because?”
“it’s not natural!” J’lenn said, as if Red were supposed to know that.
“Sure.” Red said, stepping away to make a red and blue cocktail for a girl with glittery wings on her back. J’lenn sat sullenly until Red returned.
“So…” she said, hoping his attitude improved. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
J’lenn glared. “May as well have female blues!”
“The purple dragons are in like temperament to blues?” She queried, beginning to form a sort of color-based hierarchy in her mind.
“Yes.” J’lenn growled.
“Wouldn’t that be good?” Red asked again. “Those young ladies wouldn’t be ‘impressing’ male dragons…”
J’lenn looked up at her. “Why didn’t I see it like that?”
Red just smiled. She knew better.
J’lenn sipped at his ale and chit chatted with Red until her shift at the bar ended, mulling over this foreign idea until it was smooth – and concretely set with his own ideas on how things should be – being somewhat sloshed did help matters some.
Red left the bar area, and changed out of her ‘uniform’ into something more comfortable. J’lenn thought the white blouse and black mini looked comfortable enough.
Asking the green barmaid for another ale, J’lenn scanned the room for a table. An empty booth beckoned. Fresh glass in hand, J’lenn slipped off the barstool and walked over to it – surprisingly stable considering how much he’d already imbibed.
Red reappeared after a bit, her red hair falling past her shoulders in soft waves. The modest blouse had been exchanged for a black crop top, and the plain miniskirt for a knee length skirt made from fluffy layers of incredibly thin fabric. Her feet, or rather, paws, were bare – but had they been before? J’lenn could not recall.
The foxy lady leaned on the bar as her coworker poured her a tall glass of something brown and sparkly from the fountain. She claimed a basket of pretzels and walked slowly towards him, her tail swishing rhythmically. J’lenn’s eyes swept over her, taking in her hourglass figure, but did not linger on her chest as other men’s would, but on the flat plane of her stomach, and on her navel. Red was used to being ogled – it was part of the whole vixen thing- and didn’t even flinch. “Mind if I join you?” She asked, not assuming that she would be welcome, though they’d spent considerable time speaking.
“Please, be my guest.” He said, waving her into the other side of the booth. “So tell me about yourself,” J’lenn said, “I’ve already told you my story.”
Red smirked. “Most of it, anyway. Scith is on my balcony…”
J’lenn reached for his dragon to scold, but found the blue half-asleep.
I didn’t peek. Scith said with a yawn. Why are you there? J’lenn laughed – an honest, amused – if drunken – laugh. “He says the other dragons snore!”
Red giggled. Who would have thought it? “Scith is quite the handsome fellow – like his rider.” She said, then sipped from her drink.
“What is that?” J’lenn said, ignoring her flattery.
“Just a coke.” She replied.
“Never had that before. “ J’lenn said, and she slid the glass across the table to him.
“Have a taste.”
It was cold and syrupy-sweet. The bubbles gave it an edge without alcohol. “That’s pretty good.” He said, returning her glass. “You were going to tell me your story?”
Red took a sip. “I was born 23 cycles ago by the wily Renard and the alluring Vixe. They named me Raesa Thera Ella Radley, which is quite a mouthful, even compared to Jailennirol. So, everyone calls me Red.
“Renard was a sportsman, loving the thrill of the hunt more than anything, save mother. Vixe was a wealthy, landed woman, whom everyone sought and none could reach. Even when she was sick abed, suitors came calling.”
“She was a lady holder?” J’lenn asked, trying to get everything in perspective.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. She chose one day on the spur of the moment to attend a race. Even in the stands, men sought her attentions. Shortly before the race, Renard came to the edge of the stands astride his racing steed. ‘Milady,’ he said, ‘I will win this race for your honor.’ And he did. Ironically, the steed he rose that day was named ‘Spur of the Moment.’”
J’lenn chuckled and Red continued. “Theirs was a whirlwind romance, and I was the outcome. I never knew my father as he died in an accident when I was mere months old. I was raised with all the comforts – all the toys I wanted. I was a spoiled brat.
“As a young child, I discovered ways to melt the hearts of those around me, to get whatever I wanted. As bad as this sounds, I didn’t do it out of greed or malice – I believe I was a well-adjusted child. The only things I can recall charming people to give me were riding lessons and swordfighting lessons. Obviously my love for riding came from my father, but mother was perplexed as to where the liking of swords came from. With those things, in addition to the more expected womanly things mother wanted me to learn – like dancing, embroidery and diplomatic negotiations – I was quite busy, and dreadfully happy.
“When I was about 15, Mother decided that we should go on a trip – one of those fantasy tour vacations in space where you can visit a dozen worlds and see all sorts of phenomena – comets, gas planets… It was mostly fabulous, seeing worlds where the sky was orange and the grass blue… They were considering it as a colony world, so it was part of the tour.”
Red paused to drink and wet her throat. Megarhenta strolled by. Ordinarily he would remind patrons that if they left with one of his hosts or hostesses, they’d have the price added to their tab. Everything has a price at Megarhenta’s, even Megarhenta himself, if you were willing to pay it. But Megarhenta didn’t say it. He knew full well that J’lenn didn’t like his furry. “Can I get you something?” the burly owner asked.
“More pretzels?” J’lenn suggested.
“And a pitcher of water.” Red tagged on.
Megarhenta nodded. Cheap date.
“So after the seventh planet-drop, we were in hyperspace when the ship was attacked by pirates. They raided the ship, killed many travelers, and pocketed their wealth. I cowered in a corner, and remember turning on the charm and pleading them not to hurt me. They advanced on me with feral grins – until a tall pale man burst past them snarling, ‘this one’s mine.’ Then I passed out.” Tears rolled unasked from Red’s eyes as J’lenn hung on every word. Reaching out, J’lenn took her paw-hand in his, not noticing the disparity in the length of their fingers, nor caring that hers was furry.
“Then I woke up here. Megarhenta was set to ship me out, since I was a minor, but I convinced him to let me stay. It might have helped that your bartender buddy offered to take me under his wing, so to speak, and teach me everything he knew about tending bar.”
“So you’ve been here eight turns? How many times… How many…” J’lenn faltered. That wasn’t the sort of thing you asked a woman!”
“How many times have I spent the night with a patron?” She filled in.
J’lenn nodded.
”Never. Megarhenta set my price at a king’s ransom as a deterrent when I first arrived, and never lowered it. Which is fine by me. I have no desire to bed down with some of the folks that come here.” She said in a low voice.
“Just like your mother. Everyone wants you, nobody can have you.” J’lenn said, drawing a connection even as he drew a breath, glad that the woman he sat with wasn’t a trollop.
“Exactly.” Red said, draining her glass.
Whatever J’lenn would have asked next was silenced by the approach of the green bartender. “Red… I hate to disturb you, but the man with two heads is asking for a P.G.B.B.!”
Red looked up. “I didn’t know the Heart was in…”
“Yeah, odds of them appearing here are slim to nil.”
Red looked at J’lenn. “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back.”
At one ‘end’ of the bar two white mice sat conversing with a toga clad man who looked remarkably like Zeus… “42? You don’t say…”
By the time Red returned from filling the outlandish orders of the two-headed man and his towel-toting comrades, J’lenn was sound asleep on the table.
Megarhenta had his ‘porters take the drunken Searchrider to a bunk somewhere to sleep it off. Red just hoped Megarhenta had enough sense to put him in the straight zone.
In the morning, J’lenn paid his tab, and left a sizable tip for Red. She’d chosen to sleep late – and J’lenn had risen early, so their paths would not cross. With a wistful sigh, the bluerider and his bond returned home.
Everyone noticed a change in the stodgy old creep – but no one dared comment. J’lenn joined the other searchriders for a belated breakfast, even though NightGreenRider Minaeya (whose company he normally avoided) was with them. He was civil to Gem and Red, whose dragons were the wrong gender for their color, He patted the duo-winged green Ainchis(th)’s flank as he strode past, and even agreed to scrub the riderless white Flurry dragon. Neva’ she was called now, by her own preference. Why she stayed on was a mystery, yet here she was. A greener tried to take advantage of the bizarre niceness that had taken over the hidebound searcher, but soon found himself in the lake beside Neva’.
That was J’lenn for you.
Finally, Tiyanni caught up with her friend, and convinced him to sit down and have a cup with her. The tea wasn’t to his taste – he would rather a coke – but he dragon it anyway, as Tiyanni had poured it for him. “So who is it?” the old goldrider asked after some pleasantries.
J’lenn flushed. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s obvious, J’lenn. Some lovely has stolen your heart.”
“Oh no, Ty. It’s nothing of the sort.” J’lenn said quickly. Tiyanni smirked. His use of her old nickname – one rarely used now (especially by him) since that level of informality with the Weyrwoman was never reached.
“Sure J’lenn. Sure. Gone all night with no alibi… and then a total attitude change. I saw you talking with Ga’voh, and being civil to Riale. She rides a blue! Admit it J’lenn, you’re smitten with this kitten, whoever she is.”
Now J’lenn was all but blushing, and trying to hide it. With a sudden scowl, J’lenn snapped. “Honestly, Weyrwoman! Isn’t a man entitled to privacy? Besides, I could never love Red, she’s much to foxy.”
Tiyanni was momentarily stunned by his outburst, but his lapse had given his love a name. But who was this foxy lady Red?
J’lenn stormed out, and was off to his weyr before Tiyanni could ask anything more.
Gem appeared moments later. “I didn’t mean to listen in, Tiyanni…” The bluerider said.
“It’s understandable, Gem. There aren’t may who could if they wanted to. Please sit down.”
Gem slipped into the place so recently vacated by J’lenn. “I was put on edge this morning when he thanked me for his rescue.” Gem said. There were few that knew that story, and J’lenn had denied it until this point. “Scith said something about Megarhenta’s…”
Tiyanni snapped her fingers. “That’s where he went!” Gem looked perplexed. “It’s a sort of tavern in the middle of nowhere…”
After a moment, Minaeya arrived. “You wanted me, Weyrwoman?”
Gem nodded politely and departed.
“Yes. I need you to wheedle a visual out of Scith while J’lenn’s asleep. He spent last evening at a place called Megarhenta’s and is enthralled by a woman there called Red.” Tiyanni said, and Min nodded. “Find out what sort of gal she is, and feel free to invite her back if you think she’d come.” Minaeya saluted and was off..
Red was leaning on the rail of her balcony and looked out at the darkening sky. The sunset had been glorious – the only thing that could have made it any better would have been sharing it with J’lenn.
A dark speck appeared suddenly in the sky, and Red watched with vain hope that it should turn blue. It didn’t. The dragon was smaller than Scith, and was at once green and black. Could this be one of the Night dragons J’lenn had mentioned? Turning from the rail, Red went down to greet the rider, whoever she – or he – might be.
Red was relieved to see the dark haired, hazel eyed young woman. Her clothes were similar in style to J’lenn’s – her jacket was black trimmed with green. She’d taken a seat at the bar, and was sipping on orange soda, and chatting with the lavender faun who was tending this evening. Whatever the rider asked startled the faun, and he hesitated.
“What’s wrong, Chet?” Red asked, coming up behind him.
“Red! uh…” Chet faltered.
“You’re Red?” Minaeya asked incredulously.
“Yes. What can I do for you, Rider?” the fox asked.
Min was unsure what to do next. J’lenn couldn’t possibly be in love with this vixen…
If it’s not her, she’ll know who it is. She’s the bartender. Auspexeth offered.
“Do you have a moment to talk?”
Red nodded and suggested they take a booth. It didn’t take long to verify that this was the Red in question. “Did J’lenn send you?” she asked.
Min shook her head. “He doesn’t know Auspexeth and I are here.”
“Oh.” Was Red’s downhearted reply.
Min had been surprised at the dazzling aura around the foxy barmaid. She had potential coming out of her ears. “J’lenn came home to Ryslen in fine spirits, and when questioned by Weyrwoman Tiyanni, he grew quite defensive. We’re not sure whether he knows that he named you. Tiyanni wanted me to come find you – to thank you for whatever you did for J’lenn.” Min tried not to laugh at the expression on Red’s face. “Relax! Everyone knows J’lenn’s not into weird stuff.”
“I am not weird.’ Red said in a huff.
“You’re not exactly normal by J’lenn’s standards, but he still has feelings for you.”
Red gawked. “He…”
Min nodded. “It’s too clear to us that he’s fallen head over heels for someone, and it’s obviously you.”
Red was flattered.
“You can go if you want.” Megarhenta said, leaning on the back of the booth. “your contract has definitely been paid off.” Then the owner went off to tend to other business, not giving her a chance to reply..
“Will you take me back with you?” Red asked, then reconsidered. “No, nevermind. J’lenn can’t love me – I’m not human…”
Min patted the fox’ black paw. “If he loves you, he loves you, whether you’re human or not.” Min thought of something. “I hate to play matchmaker, but you could come see if you’ve got what it takes to be a dragonrider. If you do, you can be colleagues with J’lenn, which is far better than moping over unrequited love, isn’t it?”
After a flurry of packing, Auspexeth lifted off from the vixen’s balcony with her rider and Red astride. Next stop: Baeris’ Healing Den.
After a while, J’lenn couldn’t take it anymore and set off to Megarhenta’s – and to Red. Upon his arrival, he was icily informed that Red had completed her contract, and had flown the coop with some leather-clad woman.
J’lenn was heartbroken. After all that Red was… she preferred women?!
J’lenn returned to Ryslen, and his old ways. Non escaped his scathing negative comments. No one.
| From the far left side where Moriath’s eggs lay, right where Baeris could see best, a graphite and grey colored spine-backed one. From the center stage, proud Roczath’s first egg broke as well. A richly black and very Ryslen dragon came from it, one with faintly yellow tips to her midnight wings.
Someone up in the stands, arrived while the first batch of hatchlings came out of their shells, felt his heart thumping. Why did he feel like this? It wasn’t as though she were... normal, in any sense... But he knew – he knew that this beautiful black would bond her. Raesa Thera Ella Radley ... what an odd name. “I prefer Red,” said the fox furred woman, grinning. “And you, what would your name be... Hmn...” Red pondered, “It wouldn’t happen to be Dusky now would it?” It would happen to be Duskannyranwalatath, the black dragoness said with a glimmer of sarcasm. But you may call me Dusky if you wish. Up in the stands, J’lenn crowed loudly with the rest of the observers... but why – why would he be so happy to see a non-human bond? When Red looked up at him with the broadest smile on her furred muzzle and the bright eyes of the newly-bonded, J’lenn knew why he was happy... Hatching By Baeris Kshau |
Shortly after Red and Dusky had left the sands, J'lenn quietly left again. He had no need let alone desire to watch the rest of the freakshow hatching. He found his way easily enough down to where the new dragons were being fed, and the sleepy black and her foxy rider were easy enough to spot. The cantankerous bluerider made his way past the other bizarre little dragons and was but a few paces from Red when she turned her amber eyes towards him.
"J'lenn! You came!" she exclaimed, and threw herself excitedly into his arms and hugged him tightly before she remembered that it was the sort of thing he would dislike. Sheepishly she let go, and took a step back.
"I couldn't stay away." J'lenn said. He'd almost missed it - but he wasn't exactly sure why he came. That confounded Minaeya hadn't told him Red was at the Healing Den until after the hatching had started. "I brought you this flower..." he said, holding out a deep red rose. "It's too bad... um..." J'lenn trailed off.
"It's lovely..." Red said, accepting it daintily. The rich perfume from the blossom wafted towards her. "What's too bad?" She asked innocently, looking at him with sparkling amber eyes.
"That you're... um..." J'lenn was at a loss for words for the first time in thirty years, and when speaking to a girl two decades his junior. "Um..." How foolish he felt! He loved her, but... She... She... There was that...
"That I'm a fox?" Red said, eyebrow lifted in an expression of disbelief.
"Um... Yeah." J'lenn said and stepped back. That wasn't exactly it, but it would have to do. He couldn't bring himself to think about the rest of it right now. "Good luck with... 'Dusky'... and maybe I'll see you again someday." J'lenn hurried off then, leaving Red bewildered with a beautiful flower in her hand. He'd embarrassed himself - he'd ruined it all. It was over.
Scith was waiting for him in the parking lot, quietly. Very quietly. J'lenn swung aboard him, and the blue leapt more or less skyward, since there didn't appear to be anything above the Healing Den's parking lot. He knew where they needed to go.
Within a few moments, Scith was once again circling above Megarhenta’s. "Why are we here!?" J'lenn bellowed.
Because you need to relax - and someone has to tell them Red's good news. Scith said as he landed before the bar. J'lenn didn't comment, but entered the building anyway.
"J'lenn... you've returned so soon." Megarhenta purred as the bluerider walked up to the bar, shedding his riding gear.
"Dragons may be convenient transportation, Megarhenta, but they have minds of their own..." J'lenn said, a bit unsettled at all that had occurred.
"I imagine so." the owner said, though he didn't exactly understand. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Please." J'lenn said emphatically, and settled himself on a barstool. He didn't ask what the dark and bubbly substance in the glass Megarhenta handed him was, but he drank half of it all at once. The bubbles in the Coke stung his throat and tickled as he swallowed.
"Don't argue, J'lenn. You're in no state to be drinking anything harder than that." Megarhenta said. "Something's disturbing you a bit too much for alcohol to cure."
J'lenn snarled, but did not speak.
"Just spit it out already, boy!" Megarhenta said jovially.
J'lenn glowered for a moment at the Coke. "I'm in love with a lesbian!" he finally admitted, a bit louder than he intended.
"That must hurt." Megarhenta said, and attempted to change the subject. "How's Red doing?"
The look on J'lenn's face was all too clear. The 'lesbian' in question was none other than that fox. "She impressed a black dragon called Dusky." He said in a low voice.
"Fantastic!" Megarhenta purred. "Red's not a lesbian, by the way. That Searchrider Min... something... picked her up."
J'lenn gaped. Not a... Minaeya... He stood up abruptly, dropped a mark into Megarhenta's hand to pay for the drink, and was gone.
Megarhenta let out a hoot when he saw the denomination. "A round of drinks on ol' J'lenn! Red's got herself a dragon!"
Ryslen had to bear J'lenn's anger when he returned, but it was no surprise to them. He'd been so cranky for so long anyway. But this was different. Berating himself for being such an idiot, J'lenn was torn between going straight back to Baeris' to appologize to Red, and just letting the whole thing go right away.
Weeks passed, months, and J'lenn was still beating himself up over his mal-informed mistake. Meanwhile, Red and Dusky were growing up quite spectacularly.
Duskannyranwalatath landed nimbly in the courtyard at Ryslen near the lake. Minaeya's description of the place hardly did it justice.
You can say that again. Dusky said with a mental smile.
The appearance of a queen-sized black did not phase Ryslen any - in fact they seemed excited that Red and Dusky had come. Minaeya was among the first to greet her.
"Min..." Red said in a whisper. "How is J'lenn?"
"As cranky as ever." Min said with a laugh. "He'll be glad to see you."
About this, Red wasn't so sure. Dusky had been a bit... off... lately, and had insisted they come to Ryslen, and Red was rather overwhelmed.
Minayea didn't need to analyse the fox's expression - it was all too clear to her. "Dusky's due to rise, isn't she?"
Red blinked. "Rise..." She hadn't thought about it, and Duskannyranwalatath hadn't said anything either.
Min grinned. "Don't worry. We'll get you settled into your new rooms, and then get Dusky on the flight list. It'll all work out fine."
Meanwhile, Scith was annoying the daylights out of his rider. J'lenn, I want to chase.
"No." the searchrider said vehemently. "You know what happened last time."
That was almost 25 years ago! the blue objected That green is long since gone, as is her rider. He won't be there, J'lenn.
"I won't, Scith. I can't. I'm sorry, but you can't!" the man said, his back to his dragon.
I will, J'lenn. If you won't sign me up, I'll just join in on whichever flight I choose - and if I win, you can just deal with it! The blue snarled, and leapt from the ledge.
Some time later, J'lenn stormed through the dining hall, leaving a mass of stunned riders in his wake. Gem leaned across the table and whispered to her weyrmate, who was also called Red, "It must be hard when you're not on speaking terms with your own dragon..."
To be continued...
Neon images from Annie's