"Nagie!" a voice from farther in the kitchen called out to the raven haired girl startling her, "Another rider arrived, take 'em one o' those drinks as a greetin'!" Nagie complied without saying a word. Just because she'd been headcook back at Turasake, didn't mean she'd head a Weyr's kitchen after she was seached. Her opinion on foods and how to prepare them was highly valued by the staff of the kitchen yet she was not given the right to over see everything in the kitchens; she merely helped to prepare the meals.
Taking one of the larger mugs of juice she carefully made her way out to the weyrbowl where she quickly spotted the new arrival. He stood out as did his huge blue that was the size of a small bronze! He was dressed like any dragonrider yet he had dark glasses on. The oddest thing was that he was looking directly at her already, as if knowing she'd been sent to him specifically.
"Welcome, bluerider," Nagie smiled looking for a badge to identify what Weyr he was from. For some reason there was none, "would you care for a drink?" A sly smile appeared on his features and he looked up at his blue. The blue seemed to share his thoughts as he smirked as well. It was then that she noticed the oddity about the large blue, on his forehead was a dark blue stripe. Nagie blinked for a moment before returning her vision to the rider.
"Thank you, Nagie but no," he smiled and chuckled as the raven-haired girl stared at him for knowing her name. She quickly decided that his dragon had told him her name. "Actually, if you could round up Sk-Sytoqual for me, I'd be grateful. The juice may be no use to you now."
Nagie looked at the rider oddly but asked no questions of him. She walked off as if in a trance until Coten landed on her shoulder chirping at her questionably. The 17-turn-old looked at her blue fire lizard and shrugged her shoulders as she rubbed his eyeridge.
"I know, it's really weird," she replied to her blue then continued her walk towards where a caravan which Sytoqual had been with for a full turn was selling some of their stock. She knew the 19 turn old pain in her backside would be there. As she came upon the wild haired man he gave a sharp whistle in the opposite direction. Nagie spotted the fair looking young woman in Sytoqual's range of vision and grumbled.
"Quit being such a wherry-cock, Sytoqual," she shot at him in an oddly cool voice. As the brown eyed man turned to look at her she could see him finishing up a rolling of his eyes. Coten chirped happily in greeting to the man whom most annoyed her in all of Pern.
"OK, what did I do now, Nagie?" he inquiried back in a huff, "That whistle was about the two runnerbeast that man who just left has. Both either got first or second in their maiden races." Nagie looked over Sytoqual, seeing if he was lying in some way, mentally she winced as she found no sign of him lying; plus Latema was with him now that she looked around better. She must have had him figured all wrong. He never lied… perhaps teased at times but one thing she sort of like about the guy was that he didn't lie. As the young man's green fire lizard landed on his shoulder she mentally shook herself out of her thoughts.
"Nothing, it's what I was sent her to do," she sighed. It was then that she remembered the drinks. Well, can't let it go to waist… might as well let Sytoqual have it, she thought then forcibly put into the man's hands thinking he might not except it. She quickly made a motion for him to go ahead of her. As Sytoqual left, Nagie gave a quick apology for taking Sytoqual away from his "rode mother" and then quickly caught up with the young man yet stayed behind him wondering about him again.
Nagie watched her feet as she danced and winced as once again she steeped on the feet of Sytoqual. This was so humiliating, dancing with her lifetime annoyance because they'd lost a bet! Why she'd had to take that bet she didn't know why, perhaps deep inside she couldn't resist the challenge. She sighed again and tried to concentrate on the slow waltz that was being played. Once or twice she'd looked up and seen the bluerider whom was the cause of this on the sidelines smirking up a storm.
"Shells!" Nagie heard growled faintly above her though she didn't connect that her stepping on Sytoqual's feet at that moment had caused the curse to be uttered. She swaggered slightly and then again stepped on the young man's feet. The clearing of a throat caught her attention finally and she looked up.
"Here, if we have to dance because of a lost bet let's save my feet and your dignity," Sytoqual chuckled in a kind voice. A warm smile spread across his face as she looked up at him in surprise, he was actually going to teach her how to dance better. What conspired for the next few minutes caused Nagie to think about reappraising her opinion on man. Sytoqual was acting quite kind and understanding, something she couldn't remember ever being directed towards her. Soon, to Nagie's surprise she wasn't stepping on Sytoqual's toes any more; she started to relax.
"That's it," he smiled down at her, and Nagie couldn't help but look back at him and smiled, "Now you've got it. Just relax and it should help some." He really wasn't that bad. Nagie slowly turned her head down once more, she didn't want people to get the wrong idea. As if she'd even think about looking at Sytoqual in a dreamy way. She flipped a few of her black braids behind her ear not really noticing that the music had stopped for a moment. Suddenly the change of beat brought Nagie back to reality again as she watched partners starting to spin about on the floor to the rousing beat.
"OK! Now I know I can't do that!" Nagie almost sputtered as she found herself released from Sytoqual's arms. Sytoqual chuckled and Nagie's eyes narrowed as she recognized the chuckle; seems the brown eyed man hadn't changed one bit.
"Yeah, you're right," Sytoqual snickered not even noticing Nagie's icy glare upon him already, "You'd step on more than my feet just twirling once." Nagie growled. How dare he! She'd show him who'd step on whose feet! She yanked Sytoqual farther out onto the dance floor in one quick movement. Daftly she made the young man dance with her. She would later on find it funny that she danced with much more ease to a faster beat than one of a waltz. Nagie nearly knocked into her partner when Weyrwoman Yulara feel to the floor before giving her own announcement, one Nagie and Sytoqual had been waiting to hear for nearly two months.
"Everyone! The eggs are beginning to hatch! Everybody needs to get their hides to the Sands. Candidates need to get their robes on immediately and wait for their dragon accompaniment to the Sands." The two candidates looked at one another; the time had come.
Nagie was in awe by the hatching grounds, they'd never seemed so big. Oddly she felt hardly any of the heat from the sands through her sandals though she knew that they were burning. She watched as the first egg cracked open and a green made the first impression. True traditionally a bronze was a much better sign at least the hatchling looked fit and strong; she also was quick to choose her bonded. A blue followed up the pairing.
As Nagie's vision returned to the grounds as a brown and a green appeared from two shattered eggs. The brown moved quickly, though a bit wobbly, across the sands towards the boys. Nagie rubbed her eyes hard as she watched Sytoqual smile and bow down to pat the brown.
"Let's get you something to eat, Fargrinth," she could hear him say as her smiled down at his brown. The pain in her side had impressed brown! Oddly Nagie had more expected him to be impressed by a stuck up bronze or a pranksterish blue; she'd even toyed with the thought of him being a greenrider so that she might have even ground with him if she impressed or give her a good black mailing solution to the problem of his teasing her. She never imagined him to be the rider of a sensible brown.
Nagie turned her vision back to the sands. Forget him now, there's a hatching at hand, she snorted to herself. Nagie frowned as she'd missed the impression of the green. As hatchling after hatchling impressed, Nagie watched as the eggs became fewer and fewer. Greens passed her by without even a glance; even the one queen hatchling of the clutch passed her without even a sniff.
Suddenly Nagie found herself to be the last one on the sands only one egg was left. It shook and finally burst open, leaving a little green in the egg's former place. Nagie watched, curious as to how to know if impression had been made or not… what if the green didn't want her… what if she wanted someone from the crowd. She didn't know how she would react if something like that happened. She stoked Coten, whom was on her shoulder, thinking it might comfort her; it didn't. Nervously she brought her fingers to her mouth and not caring that people were around, she bit off the tips of some of her nails.
Suddenly the green was at her feet and she brushed a stray braid of her black hair out of her face. Coten suddenly launched into the air, obviously unnerved by the feelings Nagie had at that moment. Don't worry, Nagie. No one out in those stands is any good from me. You are the one I want not them. My name is Nomikoth. the tiny green told her in the time that Coten had taken a quick nervous flight around Nagie's head. The young blue landed once again, perhaps having hear the green's words. Nagie could still feel the fire lizard's nervousness yet she herself was no longer nervous; She felt whole and was quick to calm down the blue.
"It's OK, Coten. This is our new friend Nomikoth," Nagie told the blue and her vision returned to her green as she stated her lifemate's name proudly. Nagie felt as if she were in a dream as she soon found herself around the other fourteen newly paired dragonriders. She spotted Sytoqual near by, an empty seat and food next to him and his almost full brown. Fargrinth is well matched with that one. S'qual I think he called his rider. Nomikoth commented thoughtfully. I guess we'll have to go over and sit by him, Nagie sighed to her dragon, It's the only seat left. As she started to make her way over towards the seat she spotted a figure move away from a door way near by.
Nagie blinked, she was sure it was that bluerider from earlier. Making a short detour, she dashed over to the door. She found as she found no one in sight. No one's here, Nagie, Nomikoth said in a sensible way as she sniffed at the floor. She sniffed harder and her eyes turned a yellowish color as she looked back up at Nagie. There's something on my nose! There's something on my nose! Get it off please, I don't like it there! It makes me itch! the hatchling demanded and Nagie chuckled and pulled the piece off the dragon's snout. Nomikoth whipped her foreclaws over her snout as if trying to rid herself of what ever sent was left of the offending object on her nose.
Nagie looked at what was obviously cloth that had been on her dragon's nose. She raised an eyebrow. It resembled a badge of a Weyr. It must have been some weyrbrat's play thing though because it was nothing more than the head of a blue dragon on a field of sea green. She shrugged and pocketed the little crest, should a request for a missing play badge be brought up she'd gladly return it otherwise it was now hers; aside from that it reminded her of her Coten.
Can we eat now? the little green asked her eyes whirling reds and oranges as well as yellow. Alright, Miko, Nagie smiled rubbing the green's eyeridge lovingly, We'll get you fed. I'm hungry myself, not that you mention it. So the duo walked back to their original objective, to stuff both their faces now.
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