G’rumon roughly rubbed his pet canine Feyin who barked back at him gamely. They had just arrived at their new home with G’rumon’s happy go lucky flirty bronze, Malbath, just a few weeks earlier. Then again this had been G’rumon’s home before impression for a time as well. They were finally back at the Weyr he’d been working those two turns back, it had been named Seiryuu shortly after he’d impressed. Now it was a month before Seiryuu Weyr would officially open and he’d already been given the news that he would be one of the first Wingseconds. Quachir, who was to be the Sr. Weyrwoman and impressed to the large golden queen Mekoth, had offered him the position of Wingleader but he’d declinded. “Took much for me too soon… and Malbath isn’t quite ready either,” he’d told the much shorter woman. I could handle it! the bronze had insisted.
Well I could, Gaddy! the bronze now told his rider confidently from high above somewhere on the top of the Weyrbowl where he was sunning. Only a few seconds later there was a dragon version of a whistle high above no doubt coming from the bronze. G’rumon, while still petting Feyin, looked up to find a few of the greens, a white, and the only two golds who were currently signed up to be at Seiryuu. See that’s part of the reason I didn’t except the job. You get too distracted. I’m afraid of what you would do flying Thread if you knew you were responsible for all the dragons in your wing. Being Wingsecond means that you’ll learn the duties of the Wingleader and not have to worry as much unless our Wingleader gets injured or steps down for some reason. You really know how to ruin my ideas of getting to know the females better, you know that? If you want to feel better I’ve heard Wingseconds seem to have it better with the females because the Wingleaders are usually full of themselves. G’rumon immediately felt his Talor Cliff Weyr breed bronze puff out his chest proudly at the same time as showing off again.
“So, G’rumon, you think about my offer?” a voice suddenly called to the bronze rider. G’rumon completely stopped rubbing his canine and turned to greet the boyish looking young woman.
“I suspect you’re talking about going to Ryslen Weyr again, Yui?” G’rumon asked the sunset orange haired looking woman.
“For a baldy, you’re brighter than you look,” Yui joked and couldn’t help but chuckle as the bronze rider rolled his eyes.
“Why do you even need me to come along?” G’rumon finally replied, “I mean you’re just going there to keep an eye on M’rec and Lyruth then lead them back here when they’re training’s done a sevenday before the Gather Quachir’s planning.”
“Ah, Quachir wants somebody to go and keep an eye out for other possible new riders there, check on her cousins and bring greetings to Tiyanni and to invite her to the gather.”
“She’s already asking people to do things for her and the Weyr isn’t even officially open yet,” G’rumon chuckled, “A true hard working Weyrwoman there if you ask me.”
“Sounds like you have a crush on her like Ar’wen did,” Yui chuckled poking the man a few times. She stopped quickly when he looked at her grimly not seeming to have been tickled as she’d thought she’d try to do to him; in reality he was trying hard not to burst out in uncontrolled laughter at having been tickled. Lucky for G’rumon she’d stopped when she had, a few more seconds and he would have cracked.
“Not in the least, Yui,” he replied shaking his head, “Quachir’s nice and all but she’s not my type, besides she’s got X’ver remember?”
“And what is your type, bronze rider?” the green rider grinned wolfishly at him. G’rumon started to open his mouth but quickly closed it. He wasn’t really sure, truth be told. Ah he’d though girls were cute through out his life, he’d even had quite a few hanging off him and his every word back at Talor Cliff but he’d never looked at one and said “Wow! She’s one I’d like to get to know better!”
Instead of answering and admitting this, G’rumon grunted at the girl and pulled out his white bandana and tied it around his head. He then started to walk off towards his Weyr with Feyin in tow.
“Hey! What about Ryslen? I’m leaving within the next two hours” Yui yelled after him.
“I have to pack and get my riding gear together first,” he replied over his shoulder, “then I have to inform Quachir about it.”
“You pack,” Yui called back, “I’ll send Kymon with a note to Quachir. I’ll me you and Malbath with Rysenth in say an hour by the Weyrlake?”
“See ya’ then,” G’rumon waved in reply.
It was a little over an hour later and on the southern continent when a bronze and a green appeared out of between over the southern Weyr known as Ryslen. The sun struck the duo from the left as they circled to the right, Yui’s green Rysenth in the lead, down towards the Weyrbowl. G’rumon could already feel himself getting warm. I’m half glad it’s only been a few months sense we graduated, Malbath, other wise I really would be roasting. The warmth is nice but I like this idea at Seiryuu that there’s four season… but you can not replace the fact that there’s more females here than there! You would see that wouldn’t you. The bronze dragon weaved about the sky in answer, taking a wide circle to glance at all the females who were out to sunbathe on or near the fire heights. There’s quite a few ready to fly here! A queen even! Malbath we’re here on business! But you said we’d be here for around a month! That may be so but that doesn’t mean you should try to fly every blasted female here! To G’rumon’s surprise one of the queens who was glowing a fair shade, yet not ready to fly at that time, trumpeted at them as if having heard their conversation. Sasiath wasn’t happy about what you just said. Which…? Oh, never mind, just land will you. You’ll make enough of a scene without me on your back… and maybe I won’t get into as much trouble then.
“What was that about?”
“Malbath happy go lucky, one track mind,” G’rumon replied shaking his head wondering, not for the first time sense impression, how he’d ended up with such a flirty bronze. As far as he knew he wasn’t the flirty type… then again he knew people who said that and didn’t realize they were flirting most of the time.
“Ah… well let’s go find Tiyanni then see if we can find M’rec and his Lyruth,” Yui grinned, “See how much I can pull on his chain this visit.”
“Oh so now the reason for me coming along really comes out,” G’rumon scolded the green rider playfully, “You want to see what M’rec’s reaction to me being around will be?”
“I just like seeing what he thinks of each person who’s dragon flew mine,” Yui smirked, “He was in agreement on the last few I had, he and I both didn’t like them at all. I just wanna know if he can tell if I’m telling the truth when I tell him that your Malbath flew Rysenth last.”
“Oooooooh, nonono! I have enough troubles with Malbath wanting to fly every female dragon in sight,” G’rumon replied distancing himself from Yui, “With my luck he’ll try to make your lie a truth.”
“Would that be so bad?” she teased closing the distance and smiling innocently.
“Yui, I barely know you!” G’rumon yelped and saw the mischievious flash in the girl’s eyes then things clicked, “Rysenth’s getting ready to fly soon isn’t she.” Yui backed away startled for a moment and then looked thoughtfully but not at the bronze rider
“I think she might be,” she replied, “You see Rysenth’s always been a tricky one to figure out if she’ll fly soon or not.” G’rumon could start to feel Malbath about to make a comment on the conversation and quickly shut the dragon up with four words: NO YOU CAN NOT! To which the bronze snorted then gave a mental shrug and went back to what ever he had been doing.
“Well, no offence Yui but I’m not letting Malbath up there with her if we’re around when she does,” G’rumon told her firmly.
“No offence taken, bronze rider,” Yui replied brightly, she then thought quickly again, “You know I got a better idea, why don’t you find Tiyanni and I’ll go pest—er, find M’rec.”
“Sounds like a plan,” G’rumon replied, “If I don’t find you I’ll see you around dinner.” The green rider nodded, here riding goggles bobbling around her neck as she did so. With a wave the two Seiryuu Weyr riders parted ways till at the latest evening meal. G’rumon took in a deep breath and let it slowly out, it was good to be in the south again, if only for a short time. It was getting cooler in the Northern Continent and would be well into fall when Yui and he returned with at least M’rec in a month’s time.
Now to find the Weyrwoman, G’rumon sighed with a small chuckle and started to touch his lifemate’s mind but before he could ask the question Malbath answered, She’s in her office talking to Sasiath’s rider… The Weyrwomen will be waiting for you. Weyrwomen? Don’t worry, now I’ll be here but right now I’m talking with all these fine females… OK so they’re only looking at me while I talk with Sasiath but either way, I’ll be speaking to her while you go talk with them. Don’t get any ideas, big guy. The bronze only answered with a low rumble that could have been called a chuckle by the way he was mentally grinning at his rider.
With the questioning of a drudge or two it was nearly ten minutes later that the Wingsecond stood before a door marked Weyrwoman’s Office, obviously marked so as not having to change the name every few twenty to fifty turns when the Weyrleadership changed upon a younger gold’s flight. G’rumon brought his fist up to knock and then for some reason decided he should listen and make sure he wasn’t interrupting a conversation.
“… of course it’s alright that she fly here…” he heard a woman say. There were some more muffled words before the bronze rider could understand anything again, “I understand completely…… enough show up for…” the mumbling trailed off and G’rumon heard movement from inside and immediately straightened up and prepared to knock when the door was open by a woman with silvering hair.
“You could have knocked quite some time ago, bronze rider,” the woman smiled eying him, “There’s nothing really private about this conversation.” G’rumon grinned sheepishly as the woman opened the door fully to let him in.
“I’m Weyrwoman Tiyanni,” the woman told him, “Behind me is Weyrwoman Naeodin of Vella Crean” Though G’rumon had known there was another person in the room with Tiyanni he hadn’t noticed her until the Weyrwoman pointed her out. He was quick to see the authority that she carried, like Quachir’s but much more timeless. There was nothing that could really give him any idea of how old this Weyrwoman was, maybe that was a reason he found her interesting at first glance, then it could have been how she seemed to carry herself as tall though she was quite short. As he took a better look at her he noticed that she was sort of all around gold, her skin had a golden tan upon it and her hair was more gold than a number of queens he’d seen in his life. The light blue in her eyes almost seemed out of place in the sea of gold that was the rest of her, even her clothing was yellow and gold shades. The eyes were what held him though, there was something there, a spark that told him she had a secret, and oddly enough he wanted to know it.
“Excuse me for interrupting anyway, Weyrwoman Tiyanni. Naeodin,” he bowed properly, “I am Wingsecond G’rumon, bronze Malbath’s rider from Seiryuu Weyr.”
“That’s the new one that’s to be open next month isn’t it?” Naeodin suddenly interrupted which sort of surprised the bronze rider, she’d looked more quiet than to have interrupted him even if she wanted to make sure she was correct in her way of thinking of what he’d said.
“That’s the one,” G’rumon nodded trying not to keep his eyes lingering on Naeodin, “I bring a verbal invite from Quachir to Ryslen Weyr she wishes that all who’d like to come to Seiryuu Weyr’s grand opening. Now that that is done, I’ve also been told you’ve been awaiting for our arrivial,” G’rumon winced then feeling silly having said that, “Yui was too eager to catch up with a friend of her own who impressed during the Flurry clutch two turns back so I’m sorry to say she’s not with me right now as you can see.”
“Yui…” Tiyanni thought out loud, “Her name sound’s familiar.”
“She is green Rysenth’s rider and friends with M’rec, red Lyruth’s rider if that helps any,” he replied. Tiyanni nodded knowingly while G’rumon continued on, “We’re here to check in on him and Quachir’s cousins and guide them to Seiryuu Weyr after training is over.”
“It will be three months before Sadel will graduate,” Tiyanni replied.
“We understand,” G’rumon replied, “Tiyanni’s only required us to stay here till M’rec’s graduation. I have a feeling she wants to be there the day Sadel graduates so she’s not making us stay that long.” Tiyanni smiled knowingly and nodded.
“Anything else you need to report to me about, Wingsecond?” Tiyanni asked him.
“Nothing to report but at least one thing to ask,” G’rumon replied running his hand over his bandana clad head, “if I might find out where I’ll be weyred if not where Yui will be as well so we can settle in.”
“The two of you aren’t together right?” Tiyanni asked with a teasing chuckle.
“Uh, no,” G’rumon blushed and out of the corner of his eye he could see Naeodin holding back a snicker, “I actually believe she has her eye on M’rec even if she’d probably not admit it. Aside for that I hardly know her well enough to be.”
“Many Weyrmatings are like that,” Naeodin put in causing G’rumon’s blue-green eyes to dart in her direction. Naeodin looked back at him with what seemed like a mock scolding stare.
“True,” replied the bronze rider, “but if I ever enter Malbath in a flight I plan on trying to know the person better than just a ‘Hey how ya’ doin’ I’m G’rumon but you can call me Gad. My dragon’s flying in your dragon’s flight, I’ll see you after it’s over.’ Just doesn’t feel right to me for some reason.”
“You’re lucky if you can get that in at some Weyrs,” Naeodin shot back with a bit of a questioning smirk.
“OK, enough about flight edict,” Tiyanni gave a soft laugh, “You’ll actually be in the guest weyrs part of Ryslen, the weyrs on either side of Naeodin’s own. If you’d be so kind, Naeodin, could you please show him where those are, no making him get lost in here. I’ll put Sasiath up as soon as he comes back and tells me he knows where his weyr is.”
“Using bribes, Ty,” Naeodin chuckled, “that’s not like you.”
“Oh just go already,” Tiyanni jokingly scolded the other Weyrwoman, “I have enough things to do than try to deal with you and your ways of dancing around a fight.”
“Out to ruin my fun you are, Ty!” Naeodin accused as she walked by Tiyanni in a joking snub. G’rumon just couldn’t believe the woman, nor the fact that she positively fascinated him some how.
“She doesn’t take many seriously, G’rumon so be alert, she may still take you on detours to get you lost,” Tiyanni stopped the bronze rider for a moment before he followed Naeodin out the door, “Other than that I’d like to se yourself and Yui after dinner to give your assignments while you’re staying here.”
“And I thought I was going to get a vacation from work,” G’rumon chuckled and finally entered the hall way to find the much shorter Weyrwoman in front of him eying him curiously. Her eyes narrowed as Tiyanni’s door closed and she looked him dead in the eye.
“You’re really a bronze rider?” Naeodin asked doubt coloring her voice. G’rumon nodded and the Weyrwoman frowned before turning on her heals to head for the weyrs, “You don’t seem arrogant enough to be one to me.” G’rumon blinked, he didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered by the comment.
“Well I am a bronze rider, Weyrwoman,” G’rumon replied surprised that he had said it with a hint of anger. Naeodin seemed a bit surprised as well as she turned to look at him again with those blue eyes of hers.
“Just call me Naeodin, bronze rider,” Naeodin chuckled with a smirk.
“I’d feel better if you called me G’rumon at least, or Gad as some do,” G’rumon replied causing Naeodin to laugh.
“Now you sound like a bronze ride,” she grinned falling back into step with the much taller G’rumon and forcing her arm through his own so that it looked as if he was escorting her. G’rumon swallowed nerviously, was it really proper to be looking like her escort. She could have a jealous Weyrmate or something else bad would happen with his luck. Do not worry, rider mine. For one, nothing bad will happen to you, for a second did you already forget that Tiyanni was talking about her Sasiath flying here, and thirdly according to Sasiath she hasn’t had a Weyrmate for a long time. Doesn’t mean there aren’t people looking at her like that. G’rumon could just sense his bronze rolling his eyes at him.
“So which way, Naeodin?” G’rumon asked as they came to a three way fork in the hall they were traveling down. Naeodin looked thoughtful for a moment and unattached herself from the muscular bronze rider.
“Right,” she pointed though her voice didn’t sound a certain as her hand directed. G’rumon frowned at this but instead of countering her judgment he followed the curly blond haired woman. After a few more turns and another few minutes G’rumon sighed, this seemed like a lot of turns just to get to some weyr they were supposed to stay in.
“So how long have you been staying here,” G’rumon asked trying to avoid asking if the woman was lost. For some reason he was sure she might blow up at him.
“I just got here last night,” Naeodin replied as she eyed a corridor that lead off to the left and the option of heading straight ahead.
“Well you must know this place pretty well,” G’rumon replied not really seeing Naeodin stiffen at his next comment, “It would probably take me weeks to figure out these corridors so I wouldn’t get lost.”
“Are you saying I got us lost?” Naeodin turned on him abruptly. G’rumon stood his ground but raised his hands in a sort of half protection gesture.
“No, not in the least, Weyrwoman,” the bronze rider replied and swallowed hard at the stern look she gave him. But his safety was within sight already, “Hey look, there’s light over there. Maybe we can get some air.” As G’rumon rushed by the weyrwoman he suddenly felt his bandana pulled off his head to expose his hairless scalp. There was a small gasp from Naeodin before she followed him down the sunlit hallway. With extraordinary luck the duo ended up on a stone balcony large enough for a dragon to pick up their own rider. G’rumon slowed as he crossed the balcony to the stone rail. Before him lay a beautiful sight of Ryslen’s Weyrbowl from about half way up. The light smack of his white bandana on his bicep alerted him that Naeodin was now beside him. He glanced over at the Weyrwoman who seemed to now be awe struck with the view. He only mildly noticed that his bandana had been soaked in his perspiration from being worried about things. Now all he saw was the red glow of a setting sun shining down on Ryslen and could see it was shining across both of them as well.
“Beautiful,” G’rumon sighed and as Naeodin turned to him he returned his eyes to the Weyrbowl he’d been studying before, “I haven’t had much time to enjoy any Weyrbowl at sunset, it truly is a magnificent sight.” He could feel Naeodin’s eyes linger on him for a time longer then she nodded in agreement. They watched from there for a time, and oddly enough started questioning each other on the places that they lived at right before they came here for the short time they would be there. It was nearly fifteen minutes later that Naeodin suddenly perked up.
“There it is,” she beamed looking a little childish as she did so.
“What?” G’rumon replied startled at their conversation being interrupted. He’d been having fun learning about her, or least what she would let slip. He’d been quick to figure out that she liked to keep some secrets even about the simplest of things.
“Where I’m weyred here, it’s just about ten weyrs down,” Naeodin she replied pointing at a weyr while she was right next to the bronze rider so she might show him quicker, “Ya’ see that small, very bright colored queen over there?” G’rumon nodded and the Weyrwoman continued, “Well that’s my Sasiath and she’d only be laying on that sunning ledge if it was our weyr while we stayed here… Wait a moment… Is that a bronze on the ledge next door?” G’rumon looked hard. There deffinatly was a bronze next to that brightly colored queen, about the same size if not a little bigger than her… and he was waving his tail at them cheerfully.
“Shells,” G’rumon half groaned, half chuckled as he shook his head to the confusion of Naeodin, “That’s my bronze Malbath!”
“Normal in size,” Naeodin replied and then with a kidding comment, “I thought he’d be bigger, like his rider.” G’rumon suddenly found himself blushing again and immediately dodged the comment.
“Guess, I know which one’s going to be my weyr for the mounth,” the bronze rider commented trying to keep his eyes on the normalish sized bronze. He suddenly found himself being yanked by his hand back through the corridor they had just come from and down the one that would lead them to their weyr. Somehow, even with being pulled around by the shorter woman, G’rumon was able to question his lifemate, Did you tell Rysenth where we’re to be weyred sense you’ve already seemed to pick ours out. Just did… it seems she and her rider are still terrorizing Lyruth and his rider. G’rumon chuckled in reply.
“What’s so funny, G’rumon?” Naeodin asked though she still jogged/yanked him down the hall.
“Seems Yui and Rysenth are still terrorizing M’rec and Lyruth,” G’rumon grinned, “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a slightly sour looking M’rec at dinner tonight… or at least the two joking with each other by then.”
“Thought you said you didn’t know them very well,” Naeodin replied curiously.
“I don’t, I’ve just heard things around the riders of Seiryuu Weyr who know them a bit better,” G’rumon replied, “Namely from one of Ar’wen’s many experances.”
“Ah, yes, I know Ar’wen,” Naeodin replied as she slowed, “he came by Vella Crean about a turn back and recruited three of the current Sr. Weyrlings at the time. One of them’s to be Seiryuu’s Weyrling Master, Roki, brown Eyotath’s rider.”
“Yeah, that trio’s not to arrive though until the first day of the sevenday long gather,” G’rumon recounted from memory. Only the other day had he been asked to help Quachir and Gemtia organize the list of riders that were to be coming in to stay in the next few sevendays.
“Well here we are,” Naeodin finally stated as she stopped in front of a curtain drawn door, “And that doorway over there would be yours now if Malbath is saving your spot. Dinner’s probably going to be ready soon, so we’ll have to hunt that out.”
“Or we could just take our dragons down to the Weyrbowl,” G’rumon smiled softly, “It would be much easier than getting a bit disoriented in the tunnels.”
“But then it’s not as fun,” Naeodin replied in joking annoyance then for a moment, “Hey, G’rumon, before ya’ go in there and wrestle your things away from your bronze can you tell me,” G’rumon tilted his head questionably at her, “why you said some call you Gad back in the office? I mean how do you get Gad from G’rumon?” The muscular bronze rider faltered a bit, he hadn’t expected this question considering he’d only mentioned it once and that was around thirty minutes ago or so.
“Well you see,” G’rumon replied after regaining his composure, “before I impressed I was known as Gadrumon and my friends called me Gad. And they still do even though I don’t have the ‘ad’ part in my name still.”
“Oh,” Naeodin replied simply though she didn’t go into her weyr yet. G’rumon chewed on the inside of his lip and tried not to shift from one foot to the other in the short silence. Ask her! Malbath’s voice suddenly boomed in his head startling his rider into saying what he said next without know it right away.
“So, would you like to sit with me at dinner?” G’rumon asked a blush cresting the bridge of his nose, “I mean, no offence to Yui but I’d like someone to talk to at dinner too. I mean I think she’s going to be held up with M’rec and uh…” He trailed off lamely and feeling very foolish.
“Why not?” Naeodin replied almost immediately, “I’ll meet you out her in say five minutes?” G’rumon nodded a bit dumbly causing Naeodin to chuckle, “I’ll see ya’ then, Gaddy,” she added before she sashayed into her weyr.
G’rumon relaxed with a sighed as he made his way into his own temporary weyr. Why in the world was I that nervous around her? he wondered as he stuffed his bandana in his pocket and then remembered Malbath pushing him, WHY’D YOU DO THAT?!?! You needed it, the bronze replied simply as his rider found him on the weyr’s ledge watching Sasiath. G’rumon started to growl at his bronze when he spotted Naeodin with her queen and, forgetting about his slight anger, waved at her before gathering his things off Malbath and taking off the riding harness. Little did G’rumon know he’d be getting to know Naeodin greatly over the next few sevendays, and that with one slip of his mind his bronze would be in the air trying to catch that brilliant light that was the golden queen Sasiath.
G’rumon slid a mug of wine between his hands and sighed as he looked over at Naeodin who was at that time talking with brown rider. They had grown pretty close in the last month, so much so that when ever Malbath mentioned that Sasiath was going to fly soon that he had to remember that he was to leave soon as well and that no Malbath couldn’t try to fly her. He finally picked up his mug and took a long draft of the fruity tasting wine… and nearly spit it right back into the cup upon the familiar laughter that was Naeodin’s.
To the average observer one might think the Weyrwoman was drunk with how loud she was. G’rumon, however, had been around her during most of the time he’d been there, he could hear the mischief in the laugh that would have told any rider that she would be a bit of trouble to anyone involved with her, to put it lightly. Either way when he looked over to see what she was laughing about. The bronze rider could feel his blood boil as he found it was the brown rider Naeodin had been talking with, he nearly got to his feet to break up the whole thing when he could see her mouth curl to accent a purr on what ever she told or asked the man next. G’rumon stopped half way up in surprise, What in the name of Faranth am I doing?!?! It’s called jealousy, rider mine, get a clue Malbath’s voice chided him in his mind. The bronze didn’t sound too much like his happy go lucky self. Upon closer inspection of his dragon’s feelings the bronze rider found Malbath was watching something harder than ever.
Sasiath? G’rumon asked his bronze knowingly. Sasiath, the bronze confirmed not turning his attention from the soon to fly gold.
G’rumon sighed and got up with his mug of wine and filched a few meat rolls to place in his belt pouch for a snack later. With a quick glance back at Naeodin, he headed back towards his temporary weyr. Oddly enough he heard the scrapping of Malbath’s claws as he moved to continue watching what ever Sasiath. He could feel Malbath holding himself back from following the queen for some reason. It was when he was about to enter the Weyr itself that he heard the scream of one of the herdbeasts causing him to freeze where he was and go into a cold sweat. With the second scream G’rumon’s head snapped instinctively towards the bright golden light that was actually Sasiath. He turned to check Naeodin again to find her mildly startled and a few riders surrounding her already. With the smile that suddenly entered her eyes upon talking to one of the riders G’rumon deflated and started towards his weyr once more.
By the time G’rumon finally entered his weyr he could hear his bronze pacing the weyrledge. Swigging down the last of his mug he walked out to join Malbath. I can not stand it! the bronze snarled as he passed watching Sasiath finish off her last kill just before starting to lead her chasers around the night skies above Ryslen Weyr. Malbath’s head shot up to follow the object of his lusting. With out turning his eyes towards his rider he started to question his rider heatedly.
Do you not have feelings for Sasiath’s rider, Gaddy? the bronze snarle startling G’rumon into glancing at the queen in the air and then looking down towards the ground for Naeodin. Not seeing her he decided that she was heading towards her weyr like most riders of female dragons would do. As G’rumon was about to sit down so he could keep a better eye on the gold without straining his neck he heard the scrapping of a chair and by the sound of things it wasn’t Naeodin, she’d more than likely be making a joke about it even in a flight if it had been her.
“There’s someone already in her weyr!” G’rumon fumed at the same time confused at why somebody would do that unless… Unless they were sure they were going to win, you mean. the bronze commented still in a heated voice while he watched Sasiath finally loose one of her followers, a Night Brown by the name of Chth. It was while this was happening that G’rumon heard the murmur of voices and identified Naeodin’s a sounding a bit nervous. She’s never nervous! It is because of the rider she found in there, the bronze informed his rider, only to cry out in a sort of pain the next second, Cahnath’s managed to get his dirty brown paws on Sasiath’s shoulders and his tail’s trying to wrap around her.
“What?!?!” G’rumon yelled though some how made it a whisper, “Naeodin’s going to be bedded by that arrogant Achthia?!?!” Well actually… the bronze rider started but was interrupted by his rider’s words. “I should have sent you after Sasiath, none of those riders are right for Naeodin!” G’rumon winced and signed and continued on in thought not really realizing that Malbath was still listening to him and had a most mischievious look on his handsome bronze features, If I could go back I’d put Malbath in the flight. As you wish, Gaddy! Malbath’s voice cut into his thoughts back into his happy go lucky way yet with an edge. G’rumon turned away from looking at Naeodin’s weyrledge to look at Malbath and question the bronze properly but he had disappeared into the darkness. G’rumon squinted into the night looking for any sign of his bronze and nervously he looked up at the queen to find Cahnath letting go by persuasion of Sasiath’s teeth. Even up by Sasiath there was no sign of Malbath though.
Where are you? G’rumon nervously hissed at his bronze. Shhhhhh, I’m hunting the bronze’s voice whispered in his head. The bronze rider looked down at the herdbeast who still looked a bit nervous themselves but there was still no sign of Malbath. Again G’rumon’s eyes shot towards Sasiath as he felt his lifemate laughing in a sort of haunting way, this time he kept his eyes on the queen as she lead the last four dragons on a merry chase about the Weyr. In the back of his mind he could feel Malbath feeding though he knew not where. G’rumon tried hard to convince himself, and failed miserably, that Malbath was only having a late night snack.
The young man’s blood went cold as he watched two bronzes circle Sasiath. When they started to close in he breathed a sigh of relief though he was still high strung and nervous. Sure he didn’t think that the other riders were meant for Naeodin but he wasn’t too sure about Malbath catching her and causing him to go to Naeodin. Emotions started welling up in him and G’rumon winced, he had to admit it to himself that he had felt very fond on Naeodin ever sense he’d met her odd as his emotions had felt she was. He now realized they weren’t telling him that she was odd but that she was one to think very seriously about. He bit his lip as he watched the browns stayed in one spot and Sasiath flew circles around them causing them to reach out when they thought the queen might be close enough.
Don’t play around so much, Sasiath you’re making me very very nervous! G’rumon thought to himself before gasping as Sasiath dove towards the Weyrlake. He watched as if in slow motion the gold plunged into the water and the browns took up positions to let at least one of them have a chance at catching her when she surfaced. A sparkle of bronze in the darkness near the Weyrlake caught G’rumon’s attention for a moment and though he was nervous G’rumon was some how delighted that he’d found where the bronze had gone. The feelings that were in Malbath were once again very serious and he could feel his dragon’s eyes watching the light that was Sasiath in the water.
With a grand splash, the queen suddenly charged out of the water right into Colosanth. To G’rumon’s amazement the brown was knocked out of Sasiath’s way and he silently cheered on the gold for the act. The cheer nearly met his lips but died quickly as Nowyrth appeared from the place he’d been hiding and tried to capture the queen. With a small screech Sasiath dove once again dodging the brown. G’rumon took in an excited breath and didn’t even realize until later that he thought the next words: Now Malbath! Now!
Suddenly a hair raising snarl as Malbath finally moved, looking like a statue that had just come to life. You are not worthy of catching Sasiath! Malbath bellowed, beating his wings hard and rising towards the diving queen, She deserves more then a brown! She deserves… and here the bronze paused for a moment, mentally smirking at his cleverness, me! He shot off towards the gold, catching her with his tail and causing her to be under him as they skimmed a few feet above the water as a few words were given to the bronze.
In his weyr G’rumon found himself over joyed yet still a bit nervous… more sheepish actually. Malbath had just caught the dragon of a woman he’d secretly liked for over a month now and had been very good friends with for that time. What would he say. Shaking his head he quickly strided out of the room. As he settled in front of the door he mildly noticed that the others had only recently left. What to do now? he asked himself. With the feelings Malbath was giving though he started to grow more confident, like the Wingsecond he was supposed to be. Lifting his fist he decided it was probably better to knock than barge in. The last thing he’d expected was the door to open a crack and there to be a yelp following it.
“Umm… I was going to knock…” G’rumon told the room’s occupants, obviously Naeodin, sheepishly.
“You? What? Where?” Naeodin asked seemingly confused herself. As she leaned out to look around the hallway outside her room G’rumon put down his fist still sheepish but rapidly becoming shy as he’d been half the time around the interesting Weyrwoman. Finding no one she looked back at him again with those blue eyes he’d found he’d had a passion for sense he met her. “Malbath?” she asked to which G’rumon sheepishly nodded.
Feeling awkward standing outside in the hall way G’rumon moved past Naeodin into her weyr. He turned to look at her and found she some how looked almost as flustered as he did, neither had expected this. Feelings he’d tried to block for the past month flowed freely as he shyly closed the gap between himself and Naeodin causing her to chuckle softly.
“Hey, I’m new at this,” G’rumon admitted causing Naeodin to chuckle. He shook his head and carefully, as if thinking the Weyrwoman were something easily broken, he brought his right hand up to cup Naeodin’s chin and tilted her face so it was looking straight at him. As he leaned in he thought better.
“May I?” he asked with a winning smile, yet obviously the words just seemed to silly to Naeodin who laughed before kissing him without an answer. Outside Malbath flew with Sasiath and he shook his head, He really does need some tips from me. If there were to be any other words from the bronze they never came as his attention was totally taken by the queen he had in his arms. Then again G’rumon wouldn’t have been listening, he was going on instinct now and neither rider would likely leave the room that night and possibly not for a few days if their feelings had anything to say about it.
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