He'd gotten very good at not-talking-telepathically. But there were times, such as now, when he just couldn't help it. Even though it would give Kalkin a raging headache, or worse, Sixth gave a little emotional "happy happy joy joy" remark.
Kalkin came staggering out of his workshop, down near the tech-center. It was one of the few places on Alskyr that hummed with the sounds of electric engines and buzzed with incandescent light.
"Sixth." Kalkin said, flatly. "What is it now."
The dragon stood up on his hind legs, rearing up to his full height -- which wasn't all that impressive since he was from one of the very first dragon clutches on the old world -- of some 14 feet. With his whistly-chirpy-sing-song speech, he conveyed this, "you will never guess what I have found out!"
Kalkin remained nonplussed. He stood there, leaning against the stone wall of the hallway, and waved two of his black-nailed fingers at the dragon. "Go on... If I will never guess, by all means, please tell me." The sarcasm dripping from the man's voice was completely lost on Sixth. Which meant that he was way too excited to contain himself already. Whatever it was, Kalkin thought, it was bound to make the little dragon very happy in the long run.
"I have just heard from one of Mama Tani's children's dragons, that there is a flight! At Lao Daemia."
Kalkin said, "and this flight interests you because..." The same little finger-wave got made.
"Because! It has beautiful dragons flying in it!" The diminuitive blue chirped. "Many of them! It is a frenzy! And I have flown in good flights before, and even one, but I have never been in a frenzy! Please can't we go!? I am sure there will be a mate for me!"
Kalkin pondered for a moment. It was true that when he was rather young Sixth had flown a pretty white at Seasparkul, before it became Sparkul, and had tried in several others. The clutch he sired was interesting, with two whites and a couple of browns -- very unusual for a blue to have sired either. He had played at flying Daverin's green Askabeth, but was usually out done by Brinna's adopted blue.
The man sighed, as Sixth paced about with his chirpy-song going on the whole time. He was talking about how to get there, how many people would come, and how the eggs! Oh the eggs would be wonderful!
"Why is this flight so important to you, Sixth?"
"Because I am almost guaranteed a mate, rider mine! I am almost guaranteed two if things go well! And you know I can fly by myself very well!" Sixth announced, proud of himself. It was true, he kept up flights reasonably long, better than anyone could expect out of a blue that was a third the size of most modern-day greens.
"Well then. That ... I suppose we ought to tell Engell about it, and --"
"He should come too! And Tehndarinth! Because it is a flight for silvers and whites and purples and blues! And rainbows --" Sixth gave off a sigh, "there is a rainbow there, Liuath is the one who told me about it!"
"Been slumming at Tani's place again, then?" Kalkin smirked, knowing that while he was still younger, and the other riders did not know that the healer-interrogator had bonded a dragon, Sixth remained with Mama Tani being tended by the group of fosterling children there. It was a place of fond memories for both of them. It had fortunately made the leap to Alskyr with them.
Sixth looked all proud of himself, and then flew up to the Aerie proper, to find Tehndarinth and inform him that they might be off to mate.
***
"So tell me again," Engell sighed, "what are you thinking? Are you mad-- well, of course you're mad, but are you crazy!? I can't--"
"Engell, your Tehn is an adult, I might point out a very fine adult of a nice reasonably small size. You have not bothered to think of his needs?" Kalkin smiled. It was more fun messing with Engell than with anyone else, he decided. "I know you feel them."
Engell rolled his pale blue eyes. "I ... That's none of your business!" He said, but his ire was all habit and mostly fake. The two men had become much better friends after Tehn had hatched, since now there were two 'way off the curve' older-bonders in the Aerie. Kalkin did have the experience that Engell lacked, and for that, the ex-Lord was slightly jealous. In all his years of running the Weyrhold, Engell had never once thought to ride a dragon himself. Only after passing on the mantle of leadership to one of the ladies, Tirin on her gryphoness, did he have the time to think about it.
And he wasn't really even able to think on it, it was rather more forced on him. He attended Ryslen's hatching voluntarily, though he knew something drove him to it. Maybe it was just Tehn.
If you had not been there, my rider, I would have died! I would have to go looking for you, and Alskyr is an awfully far way away from Ryslen. The dragon in question piped up. And if there is a flight, I would be happy to go. Sixth has told me lots of things about it.
"But ... a frenzy?" Engell said weakly. Kalkin nodded, grinning. Apparently, Sixth's eagerness had worn slowly through the healer's unconscious mind, and gotten through to him.
"There will be a good number of people attending, I think. And besides, you're quite the catch yourself," Kalkin said, draping his long dark arm over his old friend's shoulder. Engell's face adopted a mock-angry look.
"Kalkin, if this is a frenzy, there will be women aplenty to 'choose from'. So," he cleared his throat, "don't get in their way."
"So you are going?" Kalkin said, the edge of affected joy in his voice making Engell laugh.
"Yes, I suppose we are. I don't know what to do about this menagerie though," he indicated Snowflake and Mystere, his newly acquired Caagon.
"They will keep mine company, if we leave them all here." Kalkin said, and it was nice that the summoning of a fire lizard didn't damage his mind so much as talking to a dragon. A trio of fliters, bronze, blue and white, showed up. "Courage, you're in charge. Echo --" the blue flitter sat onto his owner's shoulder and tightly wrapped his tail around Kalkin's neck. With a slightly restricted airway, then, Kalkin hissed, "Echo, I suppose you are coming along... Tsuki, you keep the caagon and Snowflake company." The white-grey Sapphire born flitter nodded, bowling over the other two flits and their cat-like companion.
"Well, that is settled," Kalkin said, prying off Echo's tail from his neck. "Sixth wants to follow Liuath there."
"I hope we don't get completely lost..." Engell sighed.
"Well if we do, you are the one who knows where to come home," Kalkin said, "and I expect you to be able to tell Sixth how to return. You know I am no good at it."
They finally made arrangements, Engell had one of the servants agree to feed the flock of flitters while they were gone.
"What if they fly? Won't the ... well, won't the females want their mates to stay behind for the duration? I know they always did when we were on the old world..." Engell worried aloud.
"Then we get a vacation on Lao Daemia. It will be nice to see another new world, Engell. Loosen up."
Engell glared at Kalkin and muttered something, 'you always say that... freaking pervert..."
The dragons excitedly got their riders aboard, finding their small collection of clothing and sundries easier to carry in their arms than strapped to the dragons' backs.
Then, they flitted off to Lao Daemia!
Rider: Lord Holder Engell of Alabaster
Tehndarinth mated with Neigheth and Dayath - whose rider surprisingly wants a child from Engell (this is no surprise for Kalkin of course!)
Blue Sixth, left, hatched at a mysteriously vanished weyr during the first Pass on the old world
Rider: Master Healer Kalkin
These two dragons ARE in scale with one another. They are not in scale with their riders to the left.
Sixth mated with two females: Cerenya, and Uthnath. Kalkin had fun with both Nalyetari and Valunsia - shapeshifters!