Magika sighed as she looked over the near-full winglists. She was going to have to create a new wing soon, and that would mean choosing new Wingleaders. She sighed again as she glared at the papers, willing them to change to her liking. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Well if I'm going to have to create a new wing, people may as well get training... "Hyth, call Mik'len, Rebeka, Snowstalker and Mishar here would you?"
The four riders stood in Magika's office, rather confused about why they were there. Mishar and Snowstalker eyed the other two riders warily. They obviously hadn't met. Magika decided she'd better introduce them. "Snowstalker, rider of Light Royal Purple Shytaeth, Mishar, rider of Silver Seironasth, meet Mik'len, rider of Bronze Vekunth and Rebeka, rider of Black/Cream Genetaskath. You'll be getting to know each other very well." The Weyrwoman stood up and walked towards the riders. "As you all know, M'slin's now Weyrleader over at Seiryuu Weyr, leaving Ikusa Wing short one Wingleader. Congrats Mik'len, you got the job." She smiled at her friend. He already knew that he had the job before she called them here, this just made it official. "Rebeka, you used to ride under Mik'len as a First Wingrider, but now since he's Wingleader you can't do that anymore. Therefore you are now a Third Wingrider...I know it's a step down, but I didn't want you flying under A'diar."
"I don't mind Magika. I'm sure Genetaskath doesn't mind either." Rebeka was a quiet girl, and there was something kind of odd about her, like she wasn't exactly from around here either. "Who will I be flying under?"
Magika turned to Snowstalker. "Wingthird Snowstalker. Third Wingrider Mishar will be flying with you."
Snowstalker's jaw just about hit the ground. "What?"
Mishar was obviously not prepared for this either. "What?"
Magika misunderstood their shock as an excited exclamation. "Don't worry. You guys'll do fine. Mik'len, would you mind walking with me for a minute?"
The new Wingleader nodded and followed the Weyrwoman out of the office. Rebeka, after saying a few congratulatory words to her new leader, followed them.
Finally, Snowstalker and Mishar wondered out of the office and down to the lake, where they were met by Shytaeth and Seironasth.
What's wrong? Shytaeth lay down, resting her head beside Snowstalker.
You two look like you just heard you only have a few minutes left to live. The silver dove into the lake, making sure he got his sister wet. Suddenly a thought hit him. You two aren't dying are you?
Shytaeth shook herself off and glared at her sibling. You'll be dying if you don't quite trying to drive me insane!!
Snowstalker briefly wondered if it was normal for dragon siblings to fight this much. On Loerem, dragons were rarely if ever seen...and if you did see a dragon you didn't ask it about it's family life. "We're not dying." Somewhere along the line, Snowstalker had picked up the uncanny ablitity to hear Seironasth, even though he wasn't her lifemate. Magika's guess was either that it was because her and Mishar were so close, or because something in her Trevenici blood allowed her too, much like Mishar and all Pecwae were automatic HAD's.
"Although Wolf-friend probably thinks we are." Mishar sighed as he stared out across the water.
At the mention of her father's name, Snowstalker stiffened. She hadn't realized how homesick she was until she was faced with the concept of never going home. She'd been on this world called Pern for almost 3 winters now...it seemed like forever since she'd been home.
The two dragons looked at each other and chose to remain silent. They weren't exactly sure how to deal with this problem.
The two sat in silence, staring out at nothing, wondering what it would be like to go home.
"Homesick, huh?" They were both surprised by the appearence of Rebeka. She wasn't exactly the stealthiest person on the planet, but neither of them had been paying attention.
Mishar just grunted, showing that he did not want to talk, but Snowstalker decided she may as well befriend this new girl. "Until today, I don't think either of us realized that we'd never be going back..."
Rebeka smiled sympathetically. "I know what you mean."
Mishar grunted again, but the meaning was clear. "How could she understand what it's like to know that you're never going home?"
Rebeka, luckily, was slow to take offence. "I'm not from Pern either. I'm from Earth. A kinda similar planet..." She sighed and sat down beside the two. "I left my brother, Mike and my parents, school.." She smiled. "It's funny what you start missing when you've been away for a long time." She shook her head. "I never thought I'd miss school."
Snowstalker looked at the girl with a new appreciation of her predicament. "You came from your planet all alone?"
"Of course not...I brought my friends...but it's...y'know...it's not the same." Rebeka sighed and sat silent for a minute before getting up. "I promised I'd meet Candy for dinner, but I'd love to hear about your planet sometimes. We'll be flying together, so we'd better get to know each other." The blond girl hurried off.
Mishar grunted. Snowstalker sighed. "She was only trying to be friendly Mishar."
"I know." The Pecwae stood up.
Do you two really want to go home that badly? Seironasth climbed out of the water, obviously as sad as the two riders were. His sister stood beside him. We mean really want to go home.
"Why?" Snowstalker asked, wondering if the two dragons knew something they weren't telling.
"It doesn't matter." Mishar added. "We couldn't find the portal again. Remember? We looked."
The two dragons shared a guilty look. Finally Shytaeth spoke. Magika knows where another portal is. She found it, she told us...but we...
We didn't want you to leave. Seironasth finsihed quickly.
But if you really want to go home that bad, we'll let you. The dragons hung their heads, obviously thinking that the two would jump at the chance to return to Loerem.
Snowstalker looked at Mishar. Their thoughts followed the exact same pattern. First they could not believe that their lifemates had managed to keep this from them. Second they could not believe they had a chance to go home. Third they could not believe Seironasth and Shytaeth would actually think they'd leave.
Snowstalker smiled as she saw the same decision in Mishar's eyes. "I thought you said you knew everything about us, since you are our lifemates."
We do. And we understand if you want to go home, I mean...
"Then how come you would even suggest such a crazy thing?" Mishar asked. "We made the decision to come here by the gods will three winters ago, and with good reason. The gods saw you and knew that we had to be here. So they brought us."
"And if the gods want us here with you, who are we to challenge them?" Snowstalker wrapped her arms around Shytaeth's neck. "Silly dragon. Do you think I could ever leave you?"
But... The dragons were glad, but obviously a little confused by their riders sudden change of behaviour.
"Everyone gets homesick for the past once and a while. That doesn't mean we're not happy to be here." Mishar explained.
Shytaeth and Seironasth both breathed a sigh of relief. Good. Because we wouldn't have let you leave anyways.
"Ugh..." Rebeka pulled off her helmet and collapsed to the ground. "Yuck."
"I whole-heartedly second that yuck." Snowstalker brushed soot from her riding leathers.
Mishar yawned as he slipped from Seironasth's back. "That was...." He trailed off looking for a word.
"Bad." Snowstalker finished for him. "Definately bad."
Rebeka laughed. "That's why we fight it."
The three sat in silence for a moment. Not the uncomfortable silence of their last conversation, everyone was just too tired to talk. Finally, Beka broke the silence. "Books."
Snowstalker and Mishar looked at each other blankly. "What?"
"I miss books." Rebeka smiled.
Snowstalker caught on. "My dogs."
"Television"
"Hunting."
"School."
"Evening Prayers."
"Running water."
"Clothes not made of leather."
The two smiled, knowing the list could go on forever. Mishar sighed. "My sanity."
The two girls looked at him. "What?"
"My sanity." He smiled to himself. "I must be going crazy."
"Why?" Snowstalker asked.
Mishar sighed. "I miss the snow."
Read their weyrling story.
Read their hatchling story.
Read their candidate story.
Seironasth and Shytaeth were hatched at Ryslen Weyr.
Background from Seasonal Backgrounds.
The world of Loerem and all creatures within were created by the art of Larry Elmore and the words of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Go here to find out more about their wonderful world.
