Utamrec grunted as he finished hoeing the row in the small garden in front of his mother’s cothold. It had been the fifth time that day that he’d had to recreate the neat rows, every time he left to gather the precious seeds that were to make up the vegetables that they’d harvest next fall some one or some thing would ruin it by pushing the mounds over as if thinking the job was done and that they would help out with the rest. The man with tawny brown hair had finally decided that he would have to take a chance with the precious seeds and brought them with this time.

His icy blue eyes darted about making sure that the culprit(s) were not near by and started to sew the seeds into the ground. As he went he carefully covered the seeds and moved onto the next divot. With in a matter of minutes he was done and stretched his stiff limbs. Shells, give me my sheparding duties any day. Some times I don’t think Ma knows how much work it is planting her vegetable garden. Though annoyed with the work, Utamrec smiled satisfied that he’d completed what he’d set out to do for his mother.

“Tam!” a young voice called out to the man of nineteen turns, “You comin’ to play with us?” Utamrec smiled at the young foster children his mother took care of as the looked at him from around the corner of the cothold they stayed at.

“Sorry, Roanie,” he smiled at the girl of nearly ten turns, “Unlike you roughens I have serious duties to perform before our visitors come tonight. Yui said she’d be bring friends this time around.” There was a buzz from the six or so fosterlings at the mention of the green rider whom had impressed at Rose Circle Weyr six turns back. Utamrec himself was curious as to who Yui would be bringing, would it be the latest rider of the dragon whom had flown her Rysenth… she’s said a she be bring friends though, and last he’d heard she didn’t like the rider who flew her dragon one bit. Yet it also meant that there was more than one rider going to be with her.

The continued talk over his shoulder started to irk Utamrec and the moving of a pot from inside, silent to anybody but himself and the person moving it, gave the young man an idea. A small smirk crossed his features.

“Oi, Ma,” Utamrec called to his mother.

“What is it, Tam,” his mother, Reca, replied, “Can’t you hear I’m busy getting ready for our guest tonight.”

“Of course, Ma, I am your son,” he replied carefully making note of how she was blind and heard well while he was not yet could hear almost as well, “I just heard the fosterlings talking about how they had nothing to do.”

“Well then get your wherry hides in here, children,” Reca called to the fosterlings with a hint of a chuckle, “I could use more hands and sets of eyes other than Krilly.” There was an irritated chirp from Reca’s bossy gold fire lizard and a groan from the fosterlings whom glared, some jokingly others pointedly at Utamrec. The young man grinned wolfishly at his foster siblings; he loved making them work at times, and oddly enough some of them thanked him for this.

That was something about him when around kids, he had a tendency to find work for them to do. Back when Yui was still living in the cothold she had to do the main duties, and he criticized her for wearing those darn riding goggles either up on top of her head or around her neck. He chuckled at the thought, he’d have to remind her of that when she came tonight. He’d found himself quite critical of Yui back then too, not totally cracking a smile at her but watching her carefully. He did feel sorry that she couldn’t remember anything further back than when she was found by himself those turns back but still, something in him told him to irk her by staring at her and making comments about her choose of accessories and clothing. He did it to others now too, but it wasn’t the same; it had to be Yui that he made fun of.

“Ma, I’m off to check the herdbeasts,” he called as an after thought. Funny, Yui was searched shortly after rounding up the herdbeasts six turns back. Ironic, how she would return possibly to him doing the same thing.

“Move it!” Utamrec roared at the herdbeasts as he road behind them astride a runnerbeast. His hair, as unruly as it was before, was soaked in sweat as was his weyr hide vest and yellow green shirt which he’d long since tied up behind the saddle. His body, thin though it was, was well toned as it had been for nearly over a decade, perhaps even two; his mother told him that he felt pudgy when he was little. No one else really remembered except for possibly his father… then again his father died a long time ago some time before he’d found Yui with her amnesia.

His mind finally settled back on the herdbeasts to see them not listening to him. This would be so much easier if I had a fire lizard or if it was dark enough for Ebric to come out… ah who needs a watch wher any…? his thoughs were lost as the baying of a wher, which could only be the bronze that guarded their cothold, alerted him to finish his job.

“Com’on!” he shouted again and gave a shrill whistle. The herdbeast moved on for a bit but soon started their grazing again. Utamrec growled in his anger, he was going to miss greeting Yui! The whistles and trills of a fire lizard caught the young man’s full attention as suddenly a brown fire lizard zipped into his view. Utamrec recognized the lazy looking thing in a moment and grinned sheepishly as he scolded him.

“Look, Kymon, if you want to get me to the cothold quicker would ya’ help me get these beasts in?” Utamrec asked the brown sweetly. Kymon seemed to hesitate for a moment so the cotholder’s son put in his last marks, “For old time sake?” The brown chirped happily obviously agreeing with the young man. With a few directions from Utamrec, Kymon started to startle the heardbeasts towards the cothold and Utamrec made sure they headed in the right direction and didn’t stop.

It was a good twenty minutes later that the sight of three dragons, a green and two blues, greeted the young man. The green started to open her mouth and Utamrec started shaking his head rapidly, Nonononononononono! Rysenth, don’t! Please don’t! But it was too late, the green dragon bulged a welcome to the familiar form that she knew to be a friend of sorts to her rider. The runner beneath Utamrec bolted at the new and alarming sound.

“RYSENTH!” he roared out as the runner bucked him off and headed for the open barn doors. He tried to take a lung full of air before it was roughly knocked out of him upon colliding with the ground. For a minute he sat on the ground trying to regain his breath. To Utamrec’s knowledge this green that Yui had impressed was the most annoying to him, causing him trouble whenever she was around.

If I didn’t know any better I’d think she was trying to get back at me for all the times I’ve made fun of Yui, he grunted starting to finally get air back into his lungs. He was coughing by the time anybody was by his side.

“TAM!” came the cry of the young fosterling, Roanie, she was the first to reach his side as about three others followed in her wake, “Tam, are you all right?” she asked worriedly and then turned to glare at one of the men whom followed, “What did your dragon do to him, Yui?!?!” Utamrec mentally chuckled as he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs to do so as he watched Yui approach.

Yui didn’t look much different from when she left at the age of 16 turns, except for the fact that she was dressed in riding leathers. She otherwise was skinny looking while well muscled and still had her sunset orange hair in a boyish haircut. He shook his head as her “trade mark” goggles were slung around her neck as they had been ever since he’d found her.

“She merely greeted him, Roanie,” Yui replied to the girl who was nearly twelve turns her junior, “Rysenth didn’t mean to make him loose his seat. He’ll be all right girl, trust me he’s taken harder knocks back in the day.” Roanie looked at Yui wearily then looked back at Utamrec worriedly, she looked between the two a few more times and finally decided to believe the green rider.

“Have a nice trip?” Yui smiled at the three turns younger man.

“That’s my line, you goggle obsessed floozy,” Utamrec choked out a snippy reply. Yui just snorted in reply and it almost seemed to be a signal to the mean behind her.

“Utamrec, I’d like you to meet Ar’wen, blue Camoth’s rider, and J’lenn, blue Scith’s rider,” Yui replied indifferently to her old friend. The man named Ar’wen seemed to be amused by the whole situation while J’lenn looked more like he didn’t want to be there though he nodded curtly to the young man, “Guys, Utamrec the klutz.”

“I ain’t no klutz,” Utamrec growled mildly taking in the grumble from J’lenn yet ignored it.

“Com’on, Tam,” Yui chuckled yanking the younger man to his feet, “You’re mother had dinner all ready for us and you’ve stalled a good meal by being out so long. And then worrying your ma because you fell of that daft runner…” Utamrec grumbled, as he had to listen to Yui chiding him.

“So which one of them got stuck with you as a weyrmate till your annoying green flies again?” the cotholder’s son asked with a bit of a snip that caused Roanie to glance at him and then glare up at Yui.

“Neither,” Yui replied taking the snappy comment in her stride, “he annoys me more than you.”

“That one again?” Utamrec finally chuckled his lungs nearly back to normal. The green rider nodded and Ar’wen came up on his other side.

“She annoys them even more,” he chuckled to the icy blue eyed man, just barely missing being slugged playfully by the subject of his comment. His smiling voice didn’t quite reach his features though he managed to wink cheekily. J’lenn stuck to the back not commenting at all.

The dragons sat clustered about one another in the clearing behind the cothold. Rysenth settled down once more with a smug look to her and the other blues could only look at her and try not to grin as well. He must learn to keep his seat one of these days. I’ve been doing that for turns and he always looses. Camoth, who was nearly larger than a small bronze chuckled along with her.

Does he ride that same meal every time? he asked rustling his wings in his merriment of the situation. The green shook her head “no” once before the blue continued on, That’s more than likely the reason he can’t keep his seat then, that meal hasn’t gotten used to you.

As it shouldn’t, it could be one of our next meals, Scith replied as he looked down at the cothold with whirling green eyes, Do you feel that, Camoth? There’s some good ones down there for impressing.

I felt them, but with the way your rider is I didn’t want to mention it. Truth be told there may be one down there that could be useful to the clutchs on Rylsen Weyr’s sands.

I know, but this one’s too good to pass up. No matter how much J’lenn doesn’t want to search for this clutch I will make him search this one! Oooo, which one is it? Which one? Which one? You’ll know in time, let our riders eat, then we’ll have Ar’wen and J’lenn talk it over. Amusement colored the trio’s rainbow colored eyes as they waited for the meal to come to some point appropriate.

It was nearing the end of the meal and finally cotholder’s son and green rider were talking of old times without taking shots at one another. Their friendship had always been that way bickering and seem all the while like they weren’t friends, yet they knew more about each other than their other friends. As thing wound down, Yui leaned over between bites and whispered into his ear.

“I brought you something from one of the Weyrs I thought you might want and desperately need,” she commented in a low voice, “I’ll give it to you after the meal.” Utamrec blinked but nodded and glared down the giggles from the young fosterlings. Without losing a beat, Yui finished her food and Utamrec was quick to cover his ear even though he’d only just put his fork in his mouth.

“I’M DONE!” the green rider announce cheerfully. Across the table Ar’wen nearly spit his drink back out as he’d been taking a sip from his mug only a moment ago.

J’lenn rolled his eyes in disgust. Why he had been made to come along he had no clue except that Tiyanni herself had insisted upon it when this green rider had asked about bringing along a searchrider from Ryslen. He wasn’t about to search anybody for the current clutch. There were whites, silvers, some dragons from the Healing Den, and those blasted lights that for some reason had shown up at Ryslen early on. Yet he was here now… and despite the fact that Reca was blind, she was a grand cook, he just didn’t see why Yui had to yell that she was done especially because the gold fire lizard the cothold possessed was her eyes so to speak.

“Ma, I’ve gotta check and make sure the herdbeasts are alright, we kind of put them away too quick for my likings,” Utamrec stated to his mother who smiled.

“You go do that,” she smiled, “And check on that runner of yours, she’ll probably still need comforting from that scare,” Reca commented with a chuckle though her blind eyes looked at her tall 6’5” son with slight worry. Utamrec gave his word of leave and exited his home, bound for the barn. He chuckled as he heard Yui’s loud voice excuse herself and wasn’t the least bit surprised to see her by his side within a minute.

“Though I could give you a hand,” Yui smiled, “It’s been a while since I worked with the herbeast. Rysenth kind of takes up my whole life now.” Utamrec chuckled at the comment as the came closer to the barn.

“You remember when we saw our first two dragons together?” Utamrec smiled as he looked at the sturdy fence. Beside him Yui stumbled and by the time he looked at her she seemed a bit nervous but smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, two greens appeared in the sky while we were sitting on the fence,” she replied and coughed before lengthening her strides towards the barn, “I didn’t see them appear but I saw them just before they left. It was an amazing experance.”

“We didn’t see anymore really until you were search three turns later,” he chuckled as the entered the barn. They both turn to opposite sides of the door way and each opened a glow they set a soft, yet bright, glow on the barn. The runner whom Utamrec had ridden on earlier looked a bit skittish still and Utamrec called to her softly. She nickered softly at him before she nuzzled his outstreached hand. Utamrec had to chuckle as he saw Yui’s brown fire lizard sleeping on the runnerbeast’s back.

“Scared of the big ones but indifferent to the small ones, huh girl?” Utamrec smiled.

“Oh, yeah,” Yui startled him by speaking, he’d nearly forgotten about the woman. Yui rummaged around in the pack that, up till now, Utamrec hadn’t even noticed that she’d had with her. A half smile covered his features as he watched the older woman work with her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth.

“Got it!” she announced as she would do to anything else. She carefully pulled out a dark jar and gently handed it to Utamrec smiling softly, “Today showed me you really needed this, it’s a fire lizard egg from Tripaldi Weyr. Consider it a early birthing day present.” She smiled softly; Utamrec unwittingly mimicked her smile.

The crashing of a few empty barrels outside broke the moment. Running feet followed and the duo quickly moved to the door to confront the found out watcher. They found nothing but the toppled barrels outside.

“Looks like you got an admirer there, Tam” Yui chuckled pointing to a young form that was just entering the cothold, “And something tells me she’s jellous.”

“Roanie?” Utamrec replied confused, “You gotta be kiddin’, she’s got a habit of spying on people.”

“And when did you first notice this?” Yui asked with a smirk.

“When I was talking with one of the fosterlings from the cothold down the ways,” he replied still doubtfull.

“Female?”

“Yeah so?”

“Think about all the times that Roanie’s spied on you,” Yui continued tilting her head in amusement. Utamrec’s brow furrowed as he thought, There’d been Noakia, Val, Bril, Entrina,… wait! Realization dawned on him and Yui smiled, “Ever one of them girls… and if I’m right all having something that seemed attractive.”

“That may be but why would she spy on me with you?” he asked.

“Think, Tam, I’m the most dangerous to her,” Yui chuckled and winked, “I’ve known you longer than any of the other fosterlings, lived under the same roof as you for three turns. She’s got good reason to watch us even despite my looks.” Utamrec looked at Yui, She picked up on this really quickly, was it that obvious to everyone else? He watched as Yui’s eyes unfocussed and heard the front door to the cothold open. Out walked Ar’wen and J’lenn who were in a heated argument.

“They want to talk to us,” Yui informed Utamrec who looked at the men wearily. He did not have a liking for J’lenn and Ar’wen was a bit odd even for a blue rider. Either way he shouldn’t be rude, hadn’t they said they were searchriders? He didn’t want to anger them if they found one of the fosterlings suitable for candidacy. Taking a deep breath he followed Yui, cradling the canister that held the fire lizard egg she’d given him.

“You wanted to speak to me?” he asked as he approached.

“No we didn’t,” J’lenn replied snippidly.

“J’lenn!” Ar’wen chided the man, “Yes we did, Utamrec.” Ar’wen glared at the other blue rider who turned his back. A snort from above caused the man to grumble. It was another minute before J’lenn turned back around and leered at Utamrec before speaking.

“Look,” he finally grunted, “I don’t want to do this but Scith insists. There’s a number of clutches on Ryslen Weyr’s sands at this very moment. Weyrwoman Tiyanni dubbed it the Flurry because it happened in the winter, but that’s besides the point. Scith and Ar’wen’s Camoth believe you fit to stand, and as I’m here the insist at the Flurry.”

“What he’s trying to say, Utamrec, is that you’ve been searched,” Ar’wen stated with a slight smile, “Do you except?” Utamrec blinked at them and Yui looked proud beside him. They thought he was dragonriding material? Well it’s better than falling off a runner every time Yui visits, his mind told him. He ran a hand though his shoulder length tawny brown hiar and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I never really thought even at this age that I’d be searched,” he replied looking down at the jar he held.

“Translation?” Yui asked him smartly as she smirked.

“I accept,” he finally said with a slight smile.

“You take too long to decide, Utamrec,” Reca growled lovingly out at her son from the doorway that she’d been standing in for the past three minutes, “get yourself packed and warmly, from what J’lenn told me earlier it’s snowing down there right now.”

“In the south?!?!” Utamrec asked wide-eyed.

“Yes, now do as Reca tells ya’,” Yui smiled pushing towards the cothold, “We’ll be waiting to convey you.” Utamrec cradled egg filled jar and mock scowled at Yui before heading to his room together his winter clothing. I’ll just ask the Weyr’s weaver to make me some summer stuff when needed. He grudgingly put on his winter jacket and boots. Way to hot for this at this time of turn! Carefully he put the jar inbetween his jacket and his chest and buttoned up. By the time he returned to the riders he was sweltering in the winter coat. And the fact that he now noticed the jar was very warm now didn’t help much either.

“I’m ready when you are,” he told them gamely, shifting his pack, “So who am I riding with?” The three riders looked between each other as their dragons stood above them, J’lenn walked towards his dragon without a word an mounted.

“Make up your minds quick will you,” J’lenn sighed, he obviously wanted nothing to do with the clutches on the sands. Yui looked at Ar’wen and he back at her. The blue rider raised his eyebrow and suddenly they both had one of their hands out in front of each other Yui’s was out flat and Ar’wen’s was out in a fist except for his index and middle fingers which were spread out.

“Scissors cuts paper, he’s your passenger,” Ar’wen winked and mounted his dragon. Yui snorted and picked without even asking lifted Utamrec’s bag off his back and proceeded towards her dragon.

“Hey!” he growled just as Yui tied the pack to her green’s neck, or more precisely the riding straps.

“You don’t need them on your back when flying, Tam,” Yui chuckled, “Now get up here or I’ll leave ya’.”

Utamrec sighed and climbed a bit clumsily up the green’s arm. With a little help he found himself seated with a neck ridge in front of him and Yui behind. J’lenn on Scith lead the dragons into the air. With a wave to the fosterlings on the ground and Reca the trio disappeared between.

Utamrec gasped after being frozen in fear and in between as the appeared over a snow covered Weyr. Wow! This must be Ryslen Weyr. He felt Rysenth start to “drop” as she followed the circling pattern the two blues were performing.

Utamrec was enjoying the small flakes falling upon him and his breath coming out in grayish white mists but all that was forgotten as the jar next to his chest shifted. For a moment, he thought the movement was caused because of Rysenth’s decent, then it shook again. Utamrec looked at his wher hide covered chest and found it moving not feverishly but started to increase in intensity. He carefully elbowed Yui who leaned in close to hear what he might have to say.

“Get her to land us quickly!” he shouted as the air sent it towards her quickly, “It’s hatching!” Yui thumped him on the back and gave him the thumbs up knowing what he meant. Rysenth dove out of the circling formation and straight towards the Weyrbowl. Utamrec felt the icy wind burn across his face as the snow flakes made it hard for him to keep his eyes open. With a flourish, Rysenth parachuted her wings out and landed none too lightly.

In a panic Utamrec quickly dismounted after making even quicker work of the riding straps. He slid down the green’s strong arm as he unbuttoned his coat enough to retrieve the jar. No sooner had he brought it out he landed feet first on the ground… and abruptly slipped on the ice patch that he’d landed on. Throwing his arms out in panic he for a moment forgot about the jar, just long enough for his hand to hit the ground, jar first shattering.

Sand went everywhere and Utamrec tried vainly to avoid the pain he felt from the fall as he rolled over to find the egg itself had also shatterd. There in the golden sand boardered by snow, was a dark blue fire lizard. Oddly looking at the little blue made him hungry, not for the fire lizard but just hungry.

“Tam! Here!” Yui called from above and a small bag was tossed down only to land between himself and the keying fire lizard. The young man opened it to find a few meatrolls. He quickly held out one of them to the hatchling, he took a sniff and then snapped at the offering. After devowering the meatroll he dashed toward Utamrec who immediately start giving him the rest of the pouch of food. There was only one roll left when the hatchling abruptly fell asleep in his arms. Cold and wet though he was, Utamrec smiled happily at the blue and ate the last meat roll himself.

“You know I’m hungry too and that was my snack,” Yui grunted at his side. The young man could only chuckle as he looked up into her dark green eyes.

“Sorry, side effect I think,” he commented and slowly thought about the blue’s name, “I was such a smo trying to get off that I missed that ice patch… it was pretty close call, lucky the snow and sand softened his fall. I guess I’ll call him Smoclo because of that.”

“Well you and Smoclo better come with me,” Yui replied with a chuckle, “We’ll get us some Klah and get you in to see the Weyrwoman.” Utamrec nodded as he held his blue close and started to get up only to slip painfully back to his knees. He wasn’t hurt really, the ice was just uneven. After a few tries he moved himself near the snow and finally got up to the amusement of Yui. It was going to be a long Southern winter if he didn’t remember how to walk on ice fast. If I impress I’ll have to show my dragon how to do that as well, he thought as he followed Yui who opted for sliding her feet across the ground so that she skated if there was ice instead of slipped. He chuckled and followed mimicking her moves; this would be very interesting.