Olyth! Feena screamed at her dragon.
The green growled low and replied quickly. What? I'm busy!
Feena held on tight to her dragon's back. Olyth swerved and flamed the Thread that had been dangerously close to her rider. Feena let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Can you be more careful?
Olyth growled again and bugled before she rejoined the rest of her wing. Why don't you try flaming the Thread and I'll yell pointless directions?
Feena smiled. Olyth always got temperamental when she was flaming Thread. Her concentration was on keeping herself and her rider alive, not on being polite. Feena heard a bugle call and turned in her saddle. Aliana was signalling for all greens to land. Olyth decided to ignore the call and rose to join the browns above her. Feena sighed.
Olyth, love. We'd better land. I know you want to keep going, but remember what Aliana said last time you tried this? The green dragoness snorted and reluctantly landed.
Feena dismounted and rubbed her aching shoulders. She quickly took the saddle and bridle off Olyth, who quickly headed towards the lake to wash off. Feena put her equipment away and avoided the angry glare of Aliana. She headed off towards the lake to meet up with Olyth, but was stopped by a little green flit.
"Kaye!" Feena exclaimed. "I'm okay really. Olyth's fine too. Let's go meet up with her. You worry too much you silly flit!" The green flit hated it when Feena went to fight Thread. Mainly because it meant Feena had to leave the firelizard with Mala and all the other flits. Kaye quickly landed on Feena's shoulder and nipped at her ear in disapproval. Feena laughed and swatted at her flit. She wasn't watching where she was going and plowed straight into someone.
Kaye began screeching at another flit and Feena put her hand to her head. "Ugh.... sorry."
M'thew laughed. "Entirely your fault." He stood up and helped her to her feet.
Feena blushed. Kaye returned to Feena's shoulder and Kar, M'thew's green flitter, returned to his shoulder. M'thew and Feena had been friends ever since they were young children and M'thew been fostered to Feena's parents. They had fought like cats and dogs for 7 years until M'thew was searched and impressed Serenth. They hadn’t got to see each other much lately since as soon as M'thew got back with Serenth, Feena left to impress Olyth. It had been four turns since they'd really got to talk. They were both 19 turns now and, Feena blushed again, M'thew had grown up quite well.
M'thew smiled. "Long time no see, Feena."
Feena stared at her shoes. "I've been busy." She smiled at Kar and Kaye. The two firelizards were chatting back and forth like old friends. "And so have you."
M'thew grinned. "I guess." He rubbed Kar's head. "Where are you running off to?"
"The lake. Olyth's waiting for me."
M'thew took her arm in his arm and headed towards the exit. "What a coincidence! That's were I'm meeting Serenth." M'thew quickly lead her off, not giving her time to object.
* * * Feena laughed as she watched Kaye and Kar play in the water. They dove in and around Olyth and Serenth until both dragons were ready to kill them. M'thew attempted at the last moment to stop Serenth from chomping Kaye and ended up in the water. Feena laughed as the blue rider floundered about in the water. "Do you want some help?"
M'thew, wet bangs hanging in his eyes, glared at her. "I don't need any help thank you." He attempted to get out of the water, slipped and ended up back on his butt.
Feena's sides hurt from laughing so hard. M'thew glared at her, but finally cracked and started laughing himself. "Maybe I could use a hand."
Feena walked to the edge of the water and leaned over. She knew what was coming and was prepared for it. M'thew grabbed her arm and tried to pull her into the water. Feena planted her feet and pulled back. A full scale tug-of-war broke out, with neither side conceding an inch. In the end, Feena gave up and threw herself at her friend. M'thew, unprepared for her to suddenly give, barely caught her, and they both ended up in the water.
Serenth laughed and Olyth sighed. Feena pulled herself out of the water and glared at her lifemate. "What?"
Olyth smiled secretly. Nothing.
Feena was going to press it further, but was stopped by a shiver. Suddenly, it was night. She hadn't noticed that the sun was setting and was rather surprised by the chill. M'thew grinned at her. He quickly offered her his jacket. She blushed and accepted.
M'thew walked Feena back to her weyr. She entered the weyr and he stopped at the door. She took off the jacket and looked at him. "What? Don't you have your own weyr?"
M'thew grinned. "Yep. But I kinda wanted my jacket back."
Feena blushed and handed him the coat. "So, I'll see you around?"
M'thew smiled faded slightly, but he regained his composure quickly. "Sure. G'night Feena."
She smiled brightly, suddenly very happy that she'd hit M'thew earlier. "Good night Matt."
The blue rider blushed at her use of his old nick name and left. Olyth entered the weyr, took one look at Feena, and sighed. "What?" Feena demanded.
You.
"What about me?" Feena looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair hung wet around her face. It had been braided, but the tie had snapped sometime over the course of the day, leaving dark brown hair to curl around her shoulders. Her equally dark brown eyes peered out from beneath bangs that were just a bit too long. She was of average height and had a muscular build, like most dragonriders. Feena sighed. She looked like a drowned rat, but other than that she was okay.
Olyth laughed. Alright, I'll expand upon that comment. You and M'thew.
Feena blushed. "What?"
Olyth flopped down on her dragon couch. Playing in the water, joking around with each other, laughing....
Feena quickly changed into something dry and started brushing her hair. "So what? We're friends."
Olyth laughed. You're acting like a love-sick school girl, rider-mine.
Feena snorted. "Me? Like M'thew? Yeah right."
Olyth gave the dragon s version of raising a brow. Really?
Feena nodded quickly. "Of course." She continued to brush her hair and stare at her reflection in the mirror. "We've been good friends for awhile, I've known him since he was 6 turns, we haven't got to see each other lately, we were just talking...." Feena sighed and quickly turned to face Olyth. "Do you think he likes me too?"
Olyth laughed. From what I could see, it looked like he does.
Feena threw her arms in the air. "I can't believe this. I'm falling for M'thew. This is crazy."
Olyth just smiled. I'm not surprised.
* * *
Feena hummed happily as she raced through her chores. She was in an amazingly good mood and everyone noticed.
"Feena!" Headwoman Media smiled. "Who’s the lucky man?"
Feena stopped humming and stared self-consciously off into nowhere. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
The older woman smiled. "I can only think of three things that bring a smile to your face: Olyth, Kaye and when you’re in love."
Feena blushed and smiled. "You win."
Media smiled. "I always win. Jeez, both you and M’thew at the same time."
Feena blushed. So M’thew feels the same way about me. She smiled brightly at Media. "Oh, did M’thew tell you who?"
Media nodded. "Corse he did. Can’t remember the name right now. Some green-rider at Dawn Sisters. Her dragon is rising and Serenth is chasing."
Later Olyth would swear that you could hear Feena’s jaw hit the floor. She quickly excused herself and ran back to her weyr, where she collapsed on her bed crying hysterically. He’s going after another rider. His dragon’s chasing another dragon. He doesn’t feel for me at all.
Olyth looked sympathetically down at her rider. Rider-mine, don’t worry. Maybe he won’t win.
It doesn’t matter. She thought sadly. He will have tried for someone else. Even if he did come to me afterwards, I would always be second.
Olyth lay down beside her rider, extending one wing over the smaller girl. The green dragon silently expressed her sympathies and Feena, sobbing, appreciated it.
Continue...
* * *
View Feena s weyrling story!
View Feena's hatchling story!
View Feena's candidate story!
Feena impressed Olyth at Dawn Sisters Weyr.
Feena impressed Kaye at Blue Star Weyr.
